Greed & Ghost - short narratives ARTS, PAGE 6
Public Inteterest Research and Community
OPIRG, PAGE 7
Occupy Windsor Shifts Gears NEWS, PAGE 3
THE STUDENT MOVEMENT
Issue 13 - Windsor’s Independent, Student Newspaper
January 2012 | FREE
Only a third of students eligible for Liberal grant By Ian Clough
Last September, the Ontario Liberals made a campaign promise to reduce tuition fees by 30% come January.
The Provincial Government is claiming that 310 000 students will be eligible for the grant. Some students already on OSAP will automatically receive the money, while others must apply through the website ontario.ca/30off.
However, according to the Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario (CFS-O), the number of students enrolled in Ontario colleges and universities is 920 000, putting the percentage of students eligible at 34%. Photo by Tracy Huynh
Students question UWindsor’s security By Tracy Huynh
UWindsor’s new ad campaign focuses on getting an excellent education and the extraordinary student life experience. However, through all the promotions and advertisements, UWindsor fails to explore the issues of campus security for students, and increasing the quality of that security. Samantha Domsic, a third year Criminology major, found her car window smashed on the evening of Wednesday November 17th, 2011. “My car was parked at the front of the CARE building. When I got there I found that the drivers side window was completely broken in, but nothing was taken from the SUV.” Domsic’s vehicle was one of several that were vandalized that night.
“[The university] needs to change [the] social attitude regarding supporting the safety issues on campus and acknowledge that there is a safety issue on campus,” says Dante Simonato, a third year Social Work and Women’s Studies major. Simonato has brought up the level of safety on campus connected to the “Walk Safe Program” in her research paper for her Qualitative Research for Feminist Frameworks class. She is addressing UWindsor’s current attitude towards campus safety. Domsic stated that she first called her mother, and then called the police. “I was told by the police that they don’t deal with these types of situations and was told to instead call campus police. Since I didn’t have the number
of campus police, I called one of my friends who was, luckily, still in the CAW Student Centre and they told the front desk to send campus police to the CARE building.”
Unfortunately, as Domsic’s case has shown, many people in the university community may not know the extension for campus security. Even though the UWindsor community is encouraged to dial 911 for emergencies, the lack of campus safety awareness is troubling. Through something as effortless as promoting Campus Police and Walk Safe could make significant changes in the perceptions of campus safety. Ideas include “making special card holders for meal plans or student IDs with “Walk Safe Program” to promote its existence on campus” suggested Simonato.
Aside from the lack of student awareness of security services and workshops the university does provide, the quality of these services seems to be unsatisfactory according to both Domsic and Simonato. A student in Simonato’s research has brought up: “during the wee morning hours, 6am-7am, there is no one out to help you in case of an emergency.” This statement can be followed up with the crime notices posted on the UWindsor website in late November of this year when a female student was followed home to Alumni Hall early on a Saturday morning. Continued on page 4.
This was never a tuition fee reduction, but rather a grant worth up to $1 600 a
year for university students and $730 for college students. It is also important to note that government grants a student is already receiving (such as Ontario Distance Grant, Ontario Access Grant or Textbook and Technology Grant) will cut into the new tuition grant, so if a student is already receiving $1 600 or more in grants, they will not receive additional funding. If a student is receiving less than $1 600, the grant will make up the difference.
According to Statistics Canada, average tuition fees in Ontario are $6 300 a year for university students. The new tuition grant, on average, will be worth 25%, not 30%. Continued on page 5.
Editorial: The UWSA Disconnect By Mohammad Almoayad
As a newly elected Arts and Social Science councillor for the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance (UWSA), I’ve decided to prioritize some basic issues of representation and accountability. While talking to various classes during my campaign, I asked questions concerning how much everyone knew about the UWSA.
At first I began by asking if they were aware of certain controversial motions or questionable positions the UWSA and certain executives have taken in the past year, and no one ever raised a hand. So, I tried something I thought would be more easily known: if they knew who their council representatives were.
Not one person could name any student on council. Eventually I just asked if they even knew what the UWSA was. In every class where this was asked, usually less than ten people knew. After explaining a little about the UWSA, I would point out the main criticisms people have of its past actions, such as the following: illegally raising fees on students; executives getting a salary increase of $2000 while claiming the UWSA was losing money; holding a referendum about the future of the dental plan then cancelling the results and taking unilateral action instead; scheduling the Annual General Meeting during exams purposefully to discourage student participation; brought up bylaw amendments without giving notice to students like they are required to do; having partisan students
chair controversial meetings against the rules; and generally seeming to go on the assumption that their job is to function like an aristocracy and make decisions “on behalf” of students (and of course “making decisions on behalf of students” tends to mean pursuing personal agendas). Unsurprisingly, students are very shocked when they learn about any of this, so students would be listening very attentively at this point. I’d explain why I thought these problems exist and what I want to change. The problem that I see in the UWSA is a very common problem with the perceptions of democracy and representation in general. The understanding of representation today seems to be passive delegation. A tiny fraction of students vote for representatives, and then students are largely removed from the political scene. The elected representatives then do whatever they like based on their personal feelings and their constituents seem to become practically irrelevant.
This understanding of representation defeats the entire purpose and leads to low voter turnout and apathy among students. It is not because students are just naturally apathetic; the apathy is a symptom of the inherent lack of genuine representation. Continued on page 3.
2 | NEWS & EDITORIALS
Editorial: Whose Economy? Our Economy!
By Steve Rutchinski
On December 7 , the Ontario Legislature voted 69 to 37 to approve the Speech from the Throne. The speech was adopted with 52 Liberals and 17 NDP MPPs voting in favour. The 37 Conservative MPPs voted against adopting the Throne Speech because an amendment proposed by Conservative Party Leader Tim Hudak for a “legislated mandatory wage freeze to control the cost and size of government” was defeated. th
When the Throne Speech was presented to the Legislature on November 22, Premier McGuinty said the number one priority of the government “is to build a strong economy that creates good jobs and supports the services our families need.” Key features of the Throne Speech as to how the government intends to do that include a $600 million cut in corporate taxes to “aggressively pursue new investment in the Ontario economy;” a seven per cent reduction of the public service by 2014 and restructuring delivery of public services according to a soon to be released blueprint being proposed by the corporate elite in the person of former TD Bank Chief Economist Don Drummond. Debate on the Throne Speech took place over the course of eight days. Much of that time was in fact allocated to give new MPPs an opportunity to rise, introduce themselves and thank their election teams and the constituents who voted for them. Not one of the key Liberal cabinet ministers even bothered to speak. Liberal interventions were left mainly to parliamentary assistants of various cabinet ministers.
Ontario Political Forum rejects the government response set out in the Throne Speech, to what it calls “slow economic growth globally.” “Aggressive pursuit of new investment” is a euphemism for handouts to monopolies. It is not going to solve this crisis. The government should stop paying the rich through corporate handouts, tax cuts, or privatization of public services to provide investment opportunities to monopoly interests, as Don Drummond
is about to recommend. Attacking the jobs, wages and working conditions of public service employees is only going to deepen the crisis and will not solve any problems facing our economy or our society whatsoever.
There are alternatives. The Fall Economic Outlook 2011 for example notes that the McGuinty government has written off close to $3 billion in restructuring handouts given over to Chrysler and GM. A result of restructuring is that 38,000 auto manufacturing jobs were wiped out between 2007 and 2009, financed in part by the Ontario provincial government. In the auto parts industry, another 61,000 jobs were lost over the same period. The Ontario government should insist on repayment of every penny, plus damages and costs to society, not write off $3 billion in loans to these two auto companies.
Ontario would not be facing the fiscal crisis it is currently were it not for “aggressive pursuit of new investment” such as McGuinty’s “green energy” job fraud that pays monopolies like Samsung ten times more than the average market price for electricity. That deal alone will cost the Ontario workers and our economy $7 billion over 20 years. And that is only one such pay-the-rich scheme in the energy sector. The Ontario government has agreed to pay roughly $1 billion to Greenfield South Power Authority NOT to build a 280 megawatt gas-fired electricity generating facility originally contracted to be built in Mississauga. As well, another one liner in the Fall Economic Outlook 2011 refers to $1.35 billion for “power contract costs” -- guaranteed payments to private energy producers over the market price for which electricity is sold. Meanwhile water rights to generate hydroelectric power that forest monopolies like Abitibi had been granted permission to use to support pulp and paper operations in communities throughout Northern Ontario have been handed over for the monopolies to sell off for private enrichment. Abitibi realized more than $790 million in cash and debt reduction
through sale for private gain of public water rights.
The Student Movement | January 2012
The Student Movement Info Current Editorial Committee Mohammad Akbar Ian Clough Maaya Hitomi Tracy Huynh Walter Petrichyn
Debt servicing is another area where the government is TSM Online giving away the assets Website: tsmwindsor.ca of society to pay the Email: movement@tsmwindsor.ca rich. Ontario’s debt Youtube channel: youtube.com/tsmwindsor currently stands at Facebook page: facebook.com/tsmwindsor roughly $250 billion Twitter feed: twitter.com/tsmwindsor and is expected to Flickr photostream: flickr.com/tsmwindsor increase to $325 Get involved! billion by 2017-18, TSM is currently looking for writers, volunteers, when debt load will photographers, copy-editors, distributers, coordinators, exceed 40 per cent editors and general members. To get involved, email us at of the annual gross domestic product. The movement@tsmwindsor.ca Provincial government For more info, visit tsmwindsor.ca/info is currently paying roughly $10 billion Next general meeting: a year on interest payments alone. This Thursday, Jan. 12th, 5:30pm at the is money that could OPIRG House (372 California Ave.) be spent on social programs, health care, domestic product of Ontario increased education or transportation. Instead, from $477.8 billion in 2002 to $533.2 financiers and Canadian banks in billion in 2007 (measured in constant particular, take this money out of our 2002 dollars). With the onset of the economy. Two-thirds of Ontario’s debt is crisis the GDP fell to $529.3, $509.4 and held domestically. Is it any wonder that $524.4 billion respectively for 2008, two years out of the recession, Canadian 2009, 2010. With the onset of the crisis, banks are declaring record profits! profits of the rich also fell. From $59.0 A moratorium on debt servicing is billion in 2004, $59.0 in 2005, $61.3 in entirely justified. Ontario has more 2006 and $61.0 billion in 2007, pre-tax than paid off any debt incurred. In the corporate profits fell to $56.6 billion in eleven year period 2000-01 to 20102008, $44.7 billion in 2009 and $50.0 2011 Ontario paid $94.6 billion in debt billion in 2010 (all measured in constant servicing. In five of those years Ontario 2002 dollars). had budget surpluses while over the The Throne Speech response to the entire decade the province incurred economic and social conditions in new debt amounting to $41.2 billion, 96 Ontario is to attack the public sector per cent of which has been incurred in workers, cut funding to social programs, the past three years 2008-09 to 2010privatize public services etc. all of 11. Yet the provincial debt has steadily which is to transfer more and more increased from $132.6 billion in 2002 to of the public treasury to bolster the $214.5 billion in 2010-11. profits of the rich. That is completely Finally, the issue is control of our unacceptable. No one should be left to economy. After the workers, who are fend for themselves dealing with a crisis the producers of the wealth, next claim that they did not create. Government on the social product in our economy must uphold the public right, curb belongs to the government to pay for monopoly dictate and stop paying the the social programs and infrastructure rich! required for a modern society. Gross
The attack on Fine Arts programs in Canada
By Mohammad Akbar
The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) is one of the few universities and colleges in Canada dedicated only to the Arts; only one of four in the entire country, and the oldest in Nova Scotia, celebrating its’ 125th anniversary in December. Despite NSCAD’s long standing history of contributions to culture and society, its future is not secure. The college has been suffering from a long standing loss of revenue, and has for the past three years, “…operated at a loss equal to 10 percent of its annual budget.” according to provincial reports. The provincial government of Nova Scotia determined that NSCAD’s situation was unsustainable. As such the government charged Howard Windsor, an economist and former deputy minister - whose experience in education includes replacing the largest school board in Nova Scotia
and taking over the operations of said school board - with writing a report and recommendations regarding what the government should do with NSCAD. This followed a report from Dr. Tim O’Neill, former Bank of Montreal executive Vice President, that called on the government to merge two or three institutions– including NSCAD - with Dalhousie University, drastically change two more, and, as per the norm, increase tuition fees. These recommendations were seen as disastrous by students across the province and Windsor’s report was commissioned to further explore the options the government had specifically related to NSCAD. While Windsor’s report is much more thorough than O’Neill’s, and considers NSCAD’s unique structure and position, the recommendations made by the report are standard; that NSCAD should receive an initial increase and not expect any extra funding after that, to
partner up with other universities in the province, and to review its’ curriculum. NSCAD’s plight is like many others across Canada, as the Fine Arts suffer huge cuts. At Queen’s University, admissions have been suspended for the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, after the program was restructured and optimized by the Senate to take in fewer students but achieved an increase in enrolment. The situation at the University of Windsor is no different, as the Music Therapy program faces enrolment suspension. The Anthropology program has been cut, and now many arts programs and the Social Work program are being pushed into “the downtown core”, forming something similar to a satellite campus, distant from the central campus with no real idea of how the transition will affect administration of the programs, the students, or the faculty. A satellite campus can be very effective if properly executed, such as Trent University’s
Oshawa campus, but the downtown campus being proposed lacks that fundamental management at this time.
The only factor that seems to be consistent aside from cuts in all these cases is that there has really been no consultation with students in any of these instances. Queens’ Senate made no consultation with students at large and the University of Windsor’s administration made no indication that there was a formal process of consultation with faculty or staff in regards to the new campus. Naturally, the report from Howard Windsor on NSCAD has been released with “no formal consultation process” occurring, instead the report claimed concerns of students, faculty, and community members were “apparent from the outset.” This ongoing trend is yet another in a long line of slights against the students and the community, forcing them out of the decision making process in favor of out of touch politicians.
The Student Movement | January 2012 By Darryl Gallinger
Occupy Windsor shifts gears
After Occupy Windsor protestors dismantled their camp in Senator Croll Park, many thought the Occupy Windsor movement had fizzled out, but a week later they marched through the downtown core on Saturday, December 17th. Shortly before dismantling the camp Occupy Windsor held a press conference where they announced that they would end the encampment..
“The logistics of maintaining the park overtook our other purpose, to organize and conduct political action and outreach with the park as our base. What we found was that homeless people and those suffering from addiction, and in some cases mental illness, came to
the park where we sheltered, fed and befriended them,” says Occupy Windsor member Paul Chislett, while speaking at the press conference. “They stayed because they found community here. In the meantime, we did not have a strong enough committee structure to maintain the camp properly... Our discussions over the last few weeks were over our moral responsibility to the people who came for the community and learned about our cause, yet had no place to live. “[The authorities] said they were concerned for the welfare of people staying overnight,” Chislett continues. “The question we asked ourselves, however, was why did the authorities care about these homeless people and not the many others who are living under
bridges, in abandoned buildings... What our presence in the park has done is make the invisible more obvious – right on the steps of city hall. The city has stated that they will help the people who need it, who are in the park, and we ask ‘Where is the help for the hundreds more who need adequate shelter and food?’ ” Chislett noted that the decision to leave the park was not unanimous. Occupy Windsor now meets at the Windsor Worker’s Action Center at 328 Pelissier, twice a week. Firm dates and times are still being worked out during the transition period. Occupy Windsor members have arranged for housing for those protestors who did not have homes.
UWSA
Continued from front page. My understanding of decent representation would be getting students to collectively involve themselves with the prioritization, formation, and ratification of policies. Instead of elected representatives deciding what to focus on or voting based on how they personally feel on an issue, they should be acting and voting based on a clear consensus from students.
The problem is that it’s difficult to get a consensus from students on various issues. The culture itself has been allowed to descend deeply in a condition that leaves the majority of students uninformed and apathetic. At this point, Occupy Windsor participants announce the closing of the camp. Photo by Ian Clough all we can do is begin moving towards changing that; my main task as a student representative is to simultaneously inform as well as collect a consensus from as many students as possible. There’s two main ways we can begin to “Don Drummond’s Commission could Duncan’s budget speech it can be seen give political cover to a government that the Commission’s mandate is to do this: social media and regular “office to swing the axe while claiming to be clear the way for further privatization of hours.” simply following through on independent services now delivered by public sector The Arts and Social Science department recommendations...” workers. has a Facebook group and page now - National Post “Existing assumptions and traditional which I see as being the main way of models must be revisited and subjected By Enver Villamizar informing students and asking for to scrutiny and new approaches. Just input. Convenience is the main issue: if In its March, 2011 Ontario Budget, because a government department the McGuinty government announced we make finding out information and is delivering a program or service a series of attacks on public sector today does not mean it should deliver communicating with representatives as workers and the services they deliver. that program or service in the future. easy and quick as possible, then more In the name of reducing the provincial The Commission will examine longstudents will do it. There will be regular fiscal deficit, it announced job cuts, $1.4 term, fundamental changes to the way updates on various issues put up on billion in program cuts and measures government works. The Commission’s Facebook, as well as various questions to squeeze $200 million more out of work will include exploring which and requests for regular input. workers in government enterprises areas of service delivery are core to the like the LCBO. Besides these immediate Ontario government’s mandate, which On top of this, myself and some other measures, the budget also announced areas could be delivered more efficiently councillors have begun discussing the that a Commission on the Reform of by another entity and how to get better idea of holding regular office hours. I Ontario’s Public Services had been value for taxpayers’ money in the try to think about these ideas based on established to carry out an “independent delivery of public services.” my experience during first year: despite review” of the entire broader public sector in Ontario and to make changes to Although McGuinty never talked about the Public Sector Reform Commission its operation and funding, also with the during the recent Ontario election, there aim of deficit reduction. was a small reference to it in the Liberal The broader public sector includes: Party platform, which also shows that this provincial general government; local review is not “independent” but directed general government; health and social towards privatization of public services. service institutions; universities, “The Public Sector Reform Commission colleges, vocational and trades will examine long-term, fundamental institutions; local school boards; provincial business enterprises and local changes to the way government works, without sacrificing health care government enterprises. The review announced in the budget could affect the or education, and without leading to higher taxes. Our plan will build on the livelihoods of 1.1 million workers in this work of the Commission to continue sector and the services they deliver. to reform public services, putting The Commission is being presented them on sustainable footing for future as an independent expert review of generations of Ontarians... the public sector. But reading between Continued on page 6. the lines of Finance Minister Dwight
Beware the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services
NEWS & EDITORIALS | 3
The December 17th march was titled “Occupy the Future” and participants were encouraged to bring signs with messages reflecting their own causes or personal reasons for being a part of the Occupy Windsor movement. Despite the cold weather, the approaching holidays, and the recent transition a large crowd of protestors marched throughout the downtown core to let Windsor know the movement is still going strong. Follow @OccupyWindsor on Twitter or email occupywindsor@hotmail.com for more information. Regular updates will be available on www.occupywindsor.org once the new website is finished. Sky-box photo by Daniel Nardone.
being very political, I still knew very little about the UWSA or who any of my representatives were. If they had regular office hours, I probably wouldn’t have known or cared, but if they somehow got my attention, I would be very interested in meeting with them. So, the main task here is to come to the students instead of the other way around. We will try to have tables set up in the CAW Commons area, and have large attention-grabbing signs saying we are their councillors and we’d like their input.
Hopefully this small start will begin to build up the number of students who will be much more involved in the UWSA. Many may doubt the interest students in general have about the UWSA and underestimate their willingness to get involved. However, when I explained the problems with the current forms of representation in the UWSA, proposed the idea of representatives actually acting in direct accordance to the consensus of their constituents, and some simple ideas on how we might start to do that, the classes I talked to responded incredibly well. There was very clear concern when pointing out the issues, and very strong enthusiasm after I was finished the talk with some simple proposals for better representation; I was actually very surprised. I have no doubt in my mind that if we genuinely reach out to students to the best of our ability, in both informing and asking for input, the response would be huge. And with more collective involvement from students in their own union, there obviously will be greater accountability and competence. It’s time we begin moving the UWSA towards the way a student union should actually function. Visit Faculty of Arts and Social Science page: www.facebook.com/uwindsorfass
4 | NEWS & EDITORIALS
Campus security Continued from front page.
the University is not going to warn the students, I feel that we should at least be able to notify each other where students will all be able to see it.” Ironically, this statement is almost verbatim to Simonato’s as she suggests that students should have a place to post incidents on campus to warn others as students have the right to know.
The quality of service by the Campus Police could be described as substandard for Domsic’s case as she shares her experience with them. “The campus security finally showed up after about 25 minutes. They took my student “I just want to make sure that all ID card and my phone number. Then I students are taking the proper was told that there was nothing further precautions when they are going to their they could do. Even when I asked if it cars, especially at night. was possible to check the With these break-ins, you “They left me to wait cameras that were facing never know if the culprit for my mom, luckily I my car they said no and will still be there when then told me that I should had my friends to wait you get to your car, so be avoid parking in this with, or else I would sure to walk with a friend ‘overflow’ parking area. or take advantage of the have been alone” … They left me to wait for walk-safe program,” says my mom, luckily I had my Domsic as a last comment and warning friends to wait with, or else I would have to all students. been alone.” With Simonato’s research paper, and Domsic claims to be unsatisfied Domsic’s case finally brought to the with how the situation was handled, public, both students hope that their considering nothing was done. Domsic testimonies will start a precedent for the and her mom have left numerous University of Windsor. Student safety is messages at the University but have yet a big concern for all parents when their to receive any response. Domsic even child is looking for a post-secondary wrote a post on the UWindsor Facebook institution. Higher security on campus page only to see it removed promptly. will benefit both students and the “If there are going to be break-ins, and University.
UWindsor law students hold public forum on Omnibus Crime Bill By Enver Villamizar legislation will have a two fold effect: It On November 23rd, a public meeting on Bill C-10, the Harper government’s omnibus crime bill, was held at the Law School of the University of Windsor. The forum was organized by law students who explained that when they asked one of their professors to suggest who might debate the bill, he could not think of a single faculty member who would defend it. With this, the organizers said they recognized there is a serious problem with the legislation and something has to be done. The meeting was an attempt to inform the community of the bill’s significance and to mobilize opposition to it. The students announced that a letter writing campaign opposing the bill is one of the initiatives they are undertaking. Faculty from the Law School addressed the forum. The speakers were Patrick Ducharme, a defence lawyer and lecturer in Criminal Advocacy and Criminal Procedure; David Tanovich, a defence lawyer and professor in the Faculty; and Brian Manarin, a Crown lawyer and lecturer. Speaking to the overall significance of the legislation, Professor Ducharme stated that the legislation—in particular the provisions imposing mandatory minimum sentences for many new offences—was a marked departure from Canada’s current system of criminal justice: “Mandatory minimum sentences are despised by members of the judicial community. They are absolutely despised by members of the defence [...] and they are also generally disliked by prosecutors because it takes so much discretion away from capable hard working people who understand the system. This is what is really fundamentally wrong with this legislation.” Dealing with how it will change the current system, he pointed out: “This
is offensive to judges because it says we really don’t trust you. It shifts the powers from the judges to the prosecutors. The experience in the United States has been, when they had a grid of sentencing procedures, that the prosecutors held all the power. The prosecutors made the decision on how that case was going to go. So it’s a significant shift in the philosophy of how we do our work in the criminal justice system; shifting most of the power from the judges into the laps of the prosecutors,” he said. Explaining the effect this will have on the system, he stated that there will be even more crowded court dockets than there are now. “With mandatory minimum sentences there is little or no incentive to ever plead guilty to a crime, knowing that the judge has no discretion other than jail time. This will result in mega-trials, even more crowded dockets and you’ll have less resources because money is being spent on incarceration, not on Crown attorneys or judges,” he said.
Giving his views on the significance of the legislation, Professor David Tanovich dealt with the false notion guiding the legislation that increased sentences will lead to fewer repeat offences. “There is very little consensus at all that longer sentences are a deterrent. However, there is good evidence that longer sentences increase recidivism,” he said. He pointed out that the legislation is not based on a reality of increasing crime as violent crime has been decreasing in Canada. Tanovich explained that in his view systemic racism is the motivation behind the legislation. “They are pandering to the moral panic. This is the engine that drives racism in both Canada and the U.S. The unstated focus and increasing punitive approach to drug and youth criminal justice are all about targeting and separating those deemed by police, by the media and by the public
The Student Movement | January 2012
Editorial: There’s a little bit of Peter Kent in all of us By Miroslav Tomoski
In the past week, with Canada’s withdrawal from Kyoto and what can hardly be called commitments from the Durbon climate change summit, environmentally conscious Canadians are erupting with outrage at Conservative Environment Minister Peter Kent. Among these Canadians are Justin Trudeau, who took question period to call the Minister, “a piece of shit”, and Green leader Elizabeth May who has heralded the end of the world as we know it. But amid skyrocketing emotions and “shit” slinging in Parliament the truth is cowering in the corner for fear of splitting the true environmentalists from the morally superior yet highly passive majority.
When it comes to the environment, the unfortunate truth is that we all like to say we care and relish the chance to chide our leaders for not taking initiative, but we will rarely take those steps ourselves. We’re Canadians, and it is a little more than an inconvenience to ride your bike or turn down your thermostat in the middle of a -20 degree winter. The fact is we would all much rather sit in our artificially warmed homes with all the lights on while watching our 40 inch TV’s from our gas powered massage chairs. And when we run out of junk food we’ll take our snow immune gas-guzzling SUVs to the store because taking the bus is unbecoming of us and walking is just unreasonable. I don’t suggest that there is no one out there who is willing to make sacrifices for the betterment of the environment, but it seems as if the
to be dangerous. Those deemed to be dangerous are largely racialized youth, mainly Black, Hispanic and South Asian youth. Our approach to incarceration is the modern day form of segregation. We are warehousing Black and Aboriginal and other youth in prisons, segregating them from society,” he said. Dealing particularly with the way the legislation targets drug trafficking, Tanovich pointed out that the real aim of targeting drug use is to go after marijuana use. He pointed out that police use the increased powers provided in the legislation
majority of us would rather not take the initiative. Now, for some of us this is not a problem since there are certainly skeptics of climate change who cannot be expected to become active environmentalists overnight. But my real concern is for those who claim to be environmentally conscious but remain passive. What has resulted from this apathy and love of comfort is a mix of environmental concern a la Reagan. We have resorted to a policy of trickle down environmentalism in which we are more than willing to complain and wait for the government to take action on an issue which we claim matters to us. If the issue of climate change is a serious concern, and if it means the end of the world to ignore it, then those of us who truly believe in the cause should take it upon them to change their lifestyles. The government should not have to provide incentives if the cause is truly good and beneficial and those who truly care should not wait for Ottawa or the UN to solve the problem. Peter Kent may not believe in the imminent danger of ignoring climate change, but if you do then you should act accordingly. Legislation and government commitments are a part of the formula but they cannot be expected to pass down environmentalism from the top if those at the bottom are not willing to act. For those who claim to be environmentally conscious I would challenge you to find five things that you can change about your life to help the environment, and do those things for the rest of your life. Lead by example, spread the word, and perhaps politicians will follow.
for surveillance and harassment of the youth. He gave an example of how charges are laid but then not pursued, “In 2006-2007, 50 per cent of drug related court cases were thrown out. Not acquittals, but stayed, withdrawn or discharged,” he said.
Brian Manarin began by pointing out that as a Crown lawyer he is not permitted to speak in opposition to the legislation but was speaking in his personal capacity and in his capacity as a member of the Faculty at the University. Continued on last page.
Contact movement@tsmwindsor.ca for carpool from UWindsor
The Student Movement | January 2012
Liberal grant Continued from front page. Many students are ineligible for the grant, including graduate students, international students, students in some professional programs (all whom are charged increased tuition fees), students taking only one or two classes, students on academic probation, and students whose parents earn over $160 000 a year. Also, some students classified as “independent students” will be ineligible (students who have been out of high school for four or more years). “We’re concerned that some high-need mature students will be ineligible,” says Sam Andrey, Executive Director for the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA). “In particular, Aboriginal students and students with young children tend to come back to school older and will in part be missed by this grant,” he says.
Over the past six years, the Liberal government has allowed tuition fees to rise by 59%, according to CFS-O.
“[The provincial government] has not said anything yet about a tuition framework,” says University President Alan Wildeman, speaking at a recent University of Windsor Students’ Alliance (UWSA) council meeting. “I doubt they’re looking at a tuition freeze.”
Tuition fees in Ontario are the highest in the country and Ontario also has the lowest per-student government funding. As the grant is new, many students who may not be eligible or are unsure should still apply as the system may confer the grant anyways.
Kim Orr, Vice-President of University Affairs at the UWSA, is organizing a kiosk where students can apply for the grant. The kiosk will be open from January 23rd to 27th from 10am to 5pm on the second floor of the CAW Student Centre by the Mac computers. The UWSA will be
NEWS & EDITORIALS | 5
By Darryl Gallinger
mailing the applications free of charge.
“Increased government funding is necessary to reduce students’ up-front costs, limit tuition increases and invest further in student financial assistance improvements,” says Andrey.
The Government of Ontario is investing $450 million into post-secondary grants, but grants, in addition to the money actually going to students, require funding to administer. Since the new tuition grant has very specific regulations regarding who is eligible, the administrative costs will likely be huge. As a result of this and the limited eligibility, CFS-O is calling for the grant and administrative money to be allocated into an up-front tuition fee reduction for all Ontario students, which would amount to a 13% reduction.
To highlight this and other issues in post-secondary education, CFS is holding a national day of action on February 1st. In Ontario, the action will focus on a
Editorial: Day of Action
By “Komrad” Mohammed Akbar
As someone who has held a loyalty to the Liberal Party of Canada for a while now, primarily due to the great things they did in terms of immigration reform, I have to say: I’m completely disillusioned with the current leadership’s ability to do anything other than try and bribe constituents to vote for them.
The most recent example of this was the Ontario Liberal Party’s (OLP) claim that they would provide a 30% tuition reduction to all students. At least, that’s what students thought the OLP would be giving them, especially since that was how it was promoted.
The reality is quite different. The grant is not available to students already receiving 1,600 dollars in grants already, students in second entry programs, such as medicine or law, part time or graduate students, students in three year general degrees, students on academic probation, “independents” as defined by the Ontario Student Assistance Plan, nor students whose parents have a combined total income of 160,000 dollars or more per year. In short, most students will not receive this grant. Why do students continue to put up with this? In Quebec, tuition fees is very low, predominantly due to the relationship students have with the government. When the government calls for tuition
call for an upfront tuition fee reduction instead of the grant.
However, OUSA is not calling for the same. “This grant is meant to complement the many student financial aid programs that already exist and to fill a very significant unmet need for low- and middle-income students,” says Andrey. “That’s something we are supportive of and are urging the government to make sure the final program fulfills that goal.”
Nevertheless, students at the University of Windsor are organizing for February 1st. During January’s Senate meeting, the Student Committee will be moving a motion urging professors to grant students Academic Amnesty for the day of action so that they can participate without being penalized.
Students at the University of Windsor will be holding a rally in front of Chrysler Tower at 11:30am. Search “ALL OUT FEB 1st ! University of Windsor” on Facebook for more details.
fee increases, hundreds of thousands of students hit the streets and shut down major cities. Protests rage for months, and all the while student lobby groups continue to pressure the government in tandem with the populace.
In Ontario, when tuition fees goes up, students complain. When they don’t receive enough grant money, they start working. Why do we have this relationship with the government? Why are we so unwilling to help ourselves?
It is time for students to stand up and demand change, demand access, demand the promise that was made by the Liberal Party. They promised us a 30% grant. Are we once again going to stand aside and take it, as we’ve taken other fee increases, cuts in grants, cuts to our programs?
For once, I call upon on all students, staff, administration and lobby groups: stand up to demand access on February 1st in front of Chrysler Tower, at 11:30am. Join with the students holding information sessions on the Liberal Grant promise, and join the rally for the Student Day of Action. Universities across the nation will be joining February 1st to send a message to the government. Many universities have already gained Academic Amnesty for February 1st, including the University of Ottawa. Is Windsor once again going to be left behind?
RALLY AND MARCH
11:30 A.M.
IN FRONT OF CHRYSLER TOWER
DRESS WARMLY
6 | ARTS & SPORTS
Arts Ghost
A narrative by Walter Petrichyn
I have always associated an interest in ghosts as a young child. I appreciated cartoons that depicted fun and joyful white blobs with smiley faces, thinking that perhaps in my afterlife I will become one of these spirits. As I grew older, ghosts went from the idea of “boo” from the Mario Brothers series to an entity without an exterior appearance. These would be spirits that would exist among us, mostly to frighten the living world. Distasteful films have since glorified the existence of souls that interfere with the living, resulting in terrifying conclusions. The ghosts that I have admired and
Greed
A narrative by Walter Petrichyn
Every holiday season my iconic contribution in my household celebrations is a Coca-Cola ornament. This Coca-Cola ornament is unlike no other, since its retail price rounded up to 40 American dollars. Every year when the tree reappears in our living room, we stumble upon the Coca-Cola ornament; every year the same story is told by our parents. I was about ten when I went with my family to Frankenmuth, Michigan. It was a seasonal trip, as we ultimately were consumers in the “World’s Largest Christmas Store”. Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland held the title as the world’s largest Christmas store, and I think they are. At least, when you’re really young, all perceptions are largely inflated and become almost magical. I was Kevin McCallister and I was certain that this store was my Duncan’s Toy Chest. This store is the equivalent to all those consumerist, extravagant, customer wonderlands you see in cherished
Public services Continued from page 3.
“As we confront the challenge of putting public services back on a sustainable track, we’ll look for partnerships with public sector groups, not-for-profit organizations, and the private sector for new ideas.”
The appointment of Don Drummond as the chair exposes the intentions of the government in establishing the Public Sector Reform Commission, now known as the Drummond Commission. Drummond is a neo-liberal partisan, hardly an “independent expert.” He was Associate Deputy Minister of Finance under Paul Martin in the Chrétien government when it was making massive cuts to the civil service and social programs. In a Globe and Mail interview, Drummond said his biggest accomplishment was getting “the ball rolling on corporate income tax cuts, which turned into an outright revolution.” Drummond left the upper levels of government through the revolving door into the Toronto Dominion Bank (TD Bank), where he has
adored are none of these out of control banshees that exist for the purpose of being a nuisance to humans in their living space.
There is another interpretation of ghosts I haven’t spoke of. They are the death of our loved ones: our friends and family members. These ghosts are never considered until someone close to you passed on. This unfortunate circumstance results in the desperate attempts to communicate with that individual, through excessive mediums that we believe have the ability to connect us with them. The idea of the afterlife represented in media either results in a friendly or frightening matter. However, the personal experience of ghosts are neither formats that I have grown up to believe what afterlife is. I would still prefer the cartoon image more than anything else, as this would make the dead appear more endearing and less intimidating. Christmas films. During this visit I was determined to make sure my mother would buy me a penguin escalator toy and a Coca-Cola ornament. Apparently, it was slipped in with the other items as my mother was in shock when she realized how much the ornament cost (for the record, it came out to around $40 US). This story does not have any wild turns or shocking events, but was simply a case of a boy that really admired an ornament for Christmas. That ornament, to this day, ignites past memories and symbolizes my greedy childhood. The holiday season in the Western world has the majority of the population stimulating the economy by purchasing items they don’t need. The Coca-Cola ornament, which alone is an icon of worldwide dominance of softdrinks, was irrational in its retail price and value. However, to the young mind of any child, this item is worth the world to them. The fine line between want and need for a child is hard to fathom, but the purchase was outrageous enough to become a hilarious story. Hilarious for my parents, that is. Sky-box photo by Walter Petrichyn.
become a Senior Vice President. His job there was relations with governments and public relations work promoting privatization of public services.
The Student Movement | January 2012
Sports
2011: When Sports Met the World Wisconsin public workers provide vital
By Dave Zirin
Pro athletes are told from the moment they first put on sneakers to check their politics at the locker-room door. But 2011 wasn’t an ordinary year, on or off the playing field, from the Arab Spring to Occupy USA, to the lockouts in the N.B.A. and the N.F.L., which had the effect of forcing athletes out of their SportsCenter comfort zone and into talking about the real world. Below are a series of quotes from the past year that showed a glimpse of a different kind of athlete, reflecting on and even shaping the world around them. 1. Ala’a and Mohammed Hubail, Bahraini soccer legends, peacefully protested Bahrain’s Army’s shooting of civilians, and for their troubles were sacked from the team, then cuffed and frog-marched off the practice field with two other players. Ala’a, to ESPN about being tortured in custody: “We were living in a nightmare of fear and horror.” And to the A.P.: “I served my country with love and will continue as much as I can. But I won’t forget the experience which I went through for all my life. What happened to me was a cost of fame. Participating in the athletes’ rally was not a crime.” Mohammed, to the A.P.: “Sure, I want to play. But first we need a solution to all of this… I need to know what is going to happen to me. For our community, the nation, how long are we going to be like this?”
2. Troy Polamalu, Steelers safety, on the lockout: “I think what the players are fighting for is something bigger. A lot of people think it’s millionaires versus billionaires and that’s the huge argument. The fact is it’s people fighting against big business. The big business argument is ‘I got the money and I got the power therefore I can tell you what to do.’ That’s life everywhere. I think this is a time when the football players are standing up and saying, ‘No, no, no, the people have the power.’”
3. Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers cornerback, defensive captain, and union rep, at protests in Madison, Wisconsin, in February: “Last week I was proud Drummond was also part of the when many of my current and former restructuring of post-secondary teammates announced their support for education under a Commission headed the working families fighting for their by Bob Rae in Ontario, which promoted rights in Wisconsin. Today I am honoured increases in tuition fees and the further to join with them. Thousands of dedicated privatization of university research in order to use Ontario universities to hand important role in our health care system through the supply of pharmaceuticals, over millions to the monopolies, such as home and long-term facilities, diagnostic auto companies, in free research. equipment, and various contract Drummond spent his last year at TD services. We challenge the government Bank developing and promoting a plan to open the door more widely for private for reorganizing Ontario’s health care sector involvement, not only to improve system. That plan is published in a efficiencies, but also to capitalize on the report Charting a Path to Sustainable huge economic potential in building a Health Care in Ontario. Drummond’s vibrant health care sector in Ontario.” solution? Privatization. The TD report also urges the Ontario “We urge the expansion of private government to “recognize the enormous sector involvement in the provision of economic potential of the sector. health care. As long as the public can Regardless of government efforts to use their OHIP card, we believe they control costs going forward, health care would probably support the underlying is one industry that is almost sure to services being provided in whatever expand over the long run. In the context manner is most efficient... The reality of Ontario, the high-value added health is the private sector already plays an care industry provides tremendous
services for Wisconsin citizens. They are the teachers, nurses and child care workers who take care of us and our families. These hard working people are under an unprecedented attack to take away their basic rights to have a voice and collectively bargain at work.” 4. Nader el Sayed, the former goal keeper of Egypt’s national football team, running for Parliament with the moderate Wasat Islamist party, on the fall of Mubarak: “It was something I had waited for for so long…We had a popular revolution, now it’s time for the political revolution. I wanted to join a political party, not a religious movement…We need to participate without using intellectual, religious or economic terrorism.” 5. Etan Thomas, an eleven-year N.B.A. veteran and member of the N.B.A. Players Executive Committee, after visiting Zuccotti Park: “Who is in the same position of power as the one percent? Who wants a bailout for their own mismanagement decisions? Who is more closely aligned with the corporate interests from which the Wall Street occupiers are looking to reclaim the country?”
6. John Carlos, the Olympic sprinter who raised his fist alongside Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics, addressing the General Assembly at Zuccotti Park: “I am here for you. Why? Because I am you. We’re here 43 years later because there’s a fight still to be won. This day is not for us but for our children to come.”
7. Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, Memphis point guard, after becoming the first Muslim woman in history to play Division I basketball with her arms, legs, and hair covered: “In high school, someone called me Osama bin Laden’s daughter… It was at Holyoke Catholic. We beat them every time we played them...When some people come at me with, ‘Oh, is that a tablecloth on your head?’—it’s like, really, don’t. If you’re going to have that kind of question, don’t ask me. But some people are truly honest in asking a question, like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be rude, but why do you wear that?’ That’s the kind of question I’d rather answer.” [Zirin is the sports editor at the Nation. You can reach him at dave@edgeofsports. com] opportunities to diversify Ontario’s economic base and to fill some of the gap left over by a structural decline in manufacturing.” Not only is the government’s claim spurious that the public sector review will be “independent,” but so too is its claim about “not sacrificing education and health.” Drummond can be counted on to target health care, pushing the TD health care plan forward in the review. Three other members have been appointed to the Commission following Drummond’s appointment. One of these is Dominic Giroux who was the head negotiator for the Ministry of Education in the last round of public school teacher negotiations. This appointment suggests education will also be a target.
OPIRG - WINDSOR | January 2012
| 7
<<<<< Environment Advantages of Worm Composting Worm composting has many names: vermiculture, vermicompost, worm casting, etc. But what it all boils down to is that worms can safely be used to transform organic waste into a nutrient-rich soil conditioner. It’s as simple as keeping a bin in your kitchen—with a healthy, worm-friendly environment—and putting food waste in there. If done properly there is virtually no odour, and once the worms have reproduced they can also be used as fishing bait. OPIRG-Windsor has an indoor worm composting system set up at the OPIRG Exchange coffeehouse at 372 California. Drop by for more information about starting your own worm composting bin and enjoy some free fair trade coffee!
An excerpt from OPIRG-Peterborough’s Supermarket Tour booklet: Producing animal-based foods, including milk, cheese, and meat, uses a lot more resources and creates more waste than does plant-based foods. It takes, on average, 5 kilograms of feed to produce 1 kilogram of meat. While in many parts of the world animals can help in food production by working as draft animals and providing fertilizer, this is not the case with factory-farmed livestock. And while we fatten up 2 billion cattle around the world for human consumption, an estimated 1.1 billion people worldwide are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. The realities of factory farming have caused many individuals to search for healthier and more humane alternatives. Producing and purchasing organic food is one way that farmers and consumers have responded to their concerns about the conventional food system. Organic farming aims to raise animals humanely in an ecologically sustainable way without the use of artificial pesticides or fertilizers. In Canada, organic products are certified by independent agencies. New Canadian standards were recently implemented that ban administering antibiotics or hormones to livestock. When, in the case of illness, animals are given medication, they are removed from the organic stream.
The biggest story of 2011 for me was the national and international attention given to the environmental dangers of Canada's tar sands, and the failure of the Harper government to meet our obligations to combat climate change. Until this year, most criticism of Canada's climate policy was restricted to Canadian and some international environmentalists. But three events of 2011 caused Canada's energy and climate policies to come under intense scrutiny here in Canada and around the world. The first was the surprisingly passionate and bitter debate in the U.S. over the Keystone pipeline, meant to carry Alberta bitumen -- the dirtiest oil on earth -- over an endangered aquifer to be refined in Texas. A noisy and organized opposition that included environmentalists, Native Americans, ranchers, and even Republican politicians sounded the alarm. They made daily national and international news in the late summer when over 1,200 people got arrested in front of the White House. That inspired a more active movement in Canada. On September 26, over 200 people crossed an arrest barrier in a similar demonstration on Parliament Hill. This too made national and international headlines. On November 6, 12,000 people surrounded the White House to call for a halt to Keystone and solidarity demonstrations were held that day in front of the Canadian High Commission in London and a number of other cities around the world. Soon after, in a very public display of concern, President Obama ordered a halt to the project while an environmental review assesses an alternative route. The second event was the news that the European Parliament will likely brand Alberta's bitumen as a "high emission crude oil" when it adopts its Fuel Quality Directive, a new agreement to promote the use of cleaner fuels in European transport. Their researchers have reported that emissions from tar sands oil production produces 23 per cent more greenhouse gases and has recommended closing off tar sands oil to Europe's markets. Although Europe uses very little Canadian oil currently, the Harper government hopes that will change if Europe and Canada sign their proposed trade deal called CETA. A possible ban on tar sands oil is a huge trade irritant between Canada and Europe. As well, a negative rating for Canada's tar sands exports could have a ripple effect and curb sales in other countries. Certainly, this move by the European Parliament has shone a European spotlight on the tar sands of Alberta and helped make this story one of international importance. The third was the role played by Canada at the December climate summit in Durban and the announcement immediately following it that Canada was pulling out of the Kyoto Accord. Environment Minister Peter Kent announced even before going to Durban that Kyoto was a creature of the "past" and set out to destroy it. Once again, for the fifth year running, Canada won Climate Action Network International's Fossil of the Year Award, and this too was reported around the world. But the biggest scorn was saved for Minister Kent's withdrawal from Kyoto on the day after his return to Canada. Headlines around the world blared the news and linked the government's decision to Canada's refusal to curtail the growth of the booming tar sands. Environmental groups were outraged. Christina Figueres, UN climate chief, said the move was "regrettable," and several governments, including China, Japan, and France, voiced strong disapproval. An animated cartoon on national Taiwanese TV reported the story, showing a cartoon Steven Harper figure spitting oil in the face of critics. So, I submit that Canada's reputation as a responsible country that keeps its word, cares about its neighbours, and walks a moderate path on the world stage took a beating in 2011. Although flawed, Kyoto was the only legally binding climate agreement ever adopted. Harper and Kent saying they would not agree to another deal until all countries agree is like saying "I won't drive safely until my neighbour does, even though I have a more expensive car, the money to keep it tuned, and have been driving unsafely before my neighbour even got his driving licence." What happened to leadership? What happened to setting goals? What happened to my country? Let's hope 2012 is better, but I am not holding my breath. By Maude Barlow for rabble.ca
CALLING ALL WRITERS!!! If you have a passion for social justice and/or environmental justice, and would like to see your article/story/poetry published, please send an e-mail inquiry to
info@opirgwindsor.org
Help change the world, one word at a time!
8 |
Crime bill
Continued from page 4. While Manarin argued in his opening remarks that Crown lawyers will still be able to use their discretion under Bill C-10, he gave the impression that this will have to be done much more creatively as a result of the increased use of mandatory minimum sentences. He posed the following question for the audience to consider: “The real issue is this: what is the goal of this legislation? If in fact it is going to put more people in jail. We know that, and appellant courts in the land have found [...] that people cannot be rehabilitated in an incarcerial setting. Arguably if you ever had to go to jail for a length of time the last thing you would be doing is trying to rehabilitate yourself. Your desire would be to survive. So when you come out, you have not been rehabilitated; it’s because you have not had a chance to participate in any meaningful way. Is this bill [...] simply a bill to punish? And if it is simply a bill to punish then arguably parliament should say so, and say, we don’t buy into the other tried and true sentencing principals. Our main goal in putting people in jail is to punish them. If they happen to rehabilitate, good for them, but that is not our prime concern.”
He then addressed the significance of the omnibus nature of the legislation. He pointed out that criminal law is supposed to change incrementally. The omnibus legislation, he explained, makes it difficult for members of society to even understand or know what the law is. Changes to youth criminal justice act and conditional sentencing regime
An important theme that emerged in the discussion was the way in which the Youth Criminal Justice System is being changed. Professor Tanovich pointed out that the new legislation contains provisions for the Youth Criminal Justice Act to introduce so-called deterrence (minimum sentences) and denunciation (naming of young offenders). Under the previous legislation remediation and restorative justice were an important part of sentencing. Bill C-10 does away with these, he pointed out. The result will be more youth transferred to adult court, more youth named and shamed, more youth serving pre-trial custody in adult facilities and this will only make it worse, especially for aboriginal youth.
The legislation undermines the system of conditional sentencing that provides alternatives to incarceration such as house arrest or community supervision, Professor Ducharme explained, noting that the move to eliminate conditional
The Student Movement | January 2012
sentencing began in 2009 when the Harper government made nine offences ineligible for conditional sentencing. With Bill C-10, according to his count, another 39 offences will be made ineligible for conditional sentencing. “This government has decided, without any empirical studies to support them, to get rid of conditional sentences,” he pointed out.
Elaborating on the significance of removing eligibility for conditional sentences, he stated: “In the past, in deciding that we were incarcerating too many people and we ought to place more focus on rehabilitation, we decided we have to put more money at the front end trying to deter and avoid crime rather than putting it at the end in warehousing. So they came up with a great legislative scheme for conditional sentences. And what people have to realize is that conditional sentences were aimed at the less serious crimes, because in order to even seek a conditional sentence an individual has to demonstrate that they are facing an offence for which they would not receive a penalty greater than two years.” Revealing how this is an attempt to eliminate any option other than incarceration, he pointed out that under current law it is not easy to get a conditional sentence if the crime is
serious, but this legislation completely does away with this option that would keep people out of prison and in rehabilitation.
The forum ended with a question regarding the significance of the opposition by the Quebec and Ontario governments to the legislation. Professor Tanovich explained that many of the costs associated with the legislation are going to end up being borne by the provinces. “Most of the mandatory minimum sentences are under two years, so that we are talking about serving sentences in provincial facilities paid for by the province. Whether it will end up all being privatized, the government may well end up using this to deal with the provincial government’s unwillingness to pay for the legislation.”
“The government says their Act is to protect Canadians,” Professor Tanovish said in closing, but he noted that the reality is that the kinds of offences Bill C-10 addresses, particularly drug offences, are ones Canadians do not need protection from. “None of the legislation addresses the issue of missing aboriginal women [...] [T]his Act will do nothing for sexual assault [...] [T]here is no evidence that this act has anything to do with protecting Canadians,” he said.
Live Music in Windsor - January/February Monday, Jan. 9
Open Mic Surgery w/ James O-L Phog Lounge 10pm
Open Mic w/ Clinton Hammond Manchester Pub 10pm
Tuesday, Jan. 10
V.O.M.I.T. Night Villains Open Mic & Instrumental Talent w/ Eric Welton Band Villains Beastro 10pm Jamie Reaume’s Tuesday Night Music Club Manchester Pub 9pm Open Mic w/ Alec Lauziere The Dominion House 9pm I See Stars Stick to Your Guns New Song Church 5pm
Wednesday, Jan. 11
Live Music w/ Dusty Manchester Pub 10pm Chris Barrette The Dugout 10pm
P.U.K.E, People Using Karaoke Equipment Villains Beastro 10pm Long & McQuade Jam Night FM Lounge 10pm
Thursday, Jan. 12
Vice Aerial Manchester Pub 9pm
Mellow Shelf The Dugout 10pm The Milkmen FM Lounge 10pm
Casa’s Thursday Open Mic Comedy Night Casa’s Restaurant & Night Club
Friday, Jan. 13
Hands and Teeth (Toronto) Meters To Miles Jackie Robitaille Phog Lounge 10pm The Windsor Sound Stripped Down w/ Crissi Cochrane Dave Russell Keats Conlon Benny Dreadful FM Lounge 10pm
Omnisyn Red Red Run Awake to a Dream Coach & Horses 9pm Pat Robitaille Taloola Café 8pm
Saturday Jan. 14
Windsor Symphony Orchestra: Stravinsky & Strauss St. Clair Centre for the Arts 8pm
Hip Hop Spotlight 7 Coach & Horses 9pm Erin Gignac Taloola Café 9pm
Monday, Jan. 16
Open Mic Surgery w/ James O-L Phog Lounge 10pm
Open Mic w/ Clinton Hammond Manchester Pub 10pm
Tuesday Jan. 17
V.O.M.I.T. Night Villains Open Mic & Instrumental Talent w/ Eric Welton Band Villains Beastro 10pm Jamie Reaume’s Tuesday Night Music Club Manchester Pub 9pm Open Mic w/ Alec Lauziere The Dominion House 9pm
Wednesday, Jan. 18
Live Music w/ Dusty Manchester Pub 10pm Chris Barrette The Dugout 10pm
P.U.K.E, People Using Karaoke Equipment Villains Beastro
Mellow Shelf The Dugout 10pm The Milkmen FM Lounge 10pm
Friday, Jan. 20
Live Music w/ Dusty Manchester Pub 10pm
Violet Reed Taloola Café 8pm
Long & McQuade Jam Night FM Lounge 10pm
After Ashes Weapon of Choice Reasons Lost Coach & Horses 9pm
Saturday, Jan. 21
Bullet Tooth Tony Get Bent Dead Man’s Will Coach & Horses 9pm Matt Romain Taloola Café 9pm
Monday, Jan. 23
Open Mic Surgery w/ James O-L Phog Lounge 10pm
Open Mic w/ Clinton Hammond Manchester Pub 10pm
Tuesday, Jan. 24
Long & McQuade Jam Night FM Lounge 10pm
Thursday, Jan. 19
Jamie Reaume’s Tuesday Night Music Club Manchester Pub 9pm
Vice Aerial Manchester Pub 9pm
Wednesday, Jan. 25
Frontiers CD Release Party w/ Orphan Choir The Blue Stones TFM Lounge 10pm
V.O.M.I.T. Night Villains Open Mic & Instrumental Talent w/ Eric Welton Band Villains Beastro 10pm
TOAST Open Mic Poetry Phog Lounge 10pm
Open Mic w/ Alec Lauziere The Dominion House 9pm
Chris Barrette The Dugout 10pm
P.U.K.E, People Using Karaoke Equipment Villains Beastro
Thursday, Jan. 26
Vice Aerial Manchester Pub 9pm
Mellow Shelf The Dugout 10pm The Milkmen FM Lounge10pm
Friday, Jan. 27
The Tyres Eric Welton Band Phog Lounge 10pm Kenneth MacLeod & His Esteemed Colleagues FM Lounge 10pm
Dead Man’s Will Coach & Horses 9pm Eric Welton Band Taloola Café 8pm
Saturday, Jan. 28
Windsor Symphony Orchestra: Symphroninca with the Ron Davis St. Clair Centre for the Arts 8pm
Africa or Bust Benefit Concert Devilz by Definition Taken Slaughterhouse on the Prairie Dead Man’s Will Aurelia Your Best Bet Bleach NeanderTHRALL The Dominion House 9pm Tony Coates Taloola Café 9pm
Monday, Jan. 30
Open Mic Surgery w/ James O-L Phog Lounge 10pm
Open Mic w/ Clinton Hammond Manchester Pub 10pm
Tuesday, Jan. 31
V.O.M.I.T. Night Villains Open Mic & Instrumental Talent w/ Eric Welton Band Villains Beastro 10pm Jamie Reaume’s Tuesday Night Music Club Manchester Pub 9pm Open Mic w/ Alec Lauziere The Dominion House 9pm
Wednesday, Feb. 1 Live Music w/ Dusty Manchester Pub 10pm Chris Barrette The Dugout 10pm
P.U.K.E. People Using Karaoke Equipment Villains Beastro Long & McQuade Jam Night FM Lounge 10pm
Thursday, Feb. 2
Vice Aerial Manchester Pub 9pm
Mellow Shelf The Dugout 10pm The Milkmen FM Lounge 10pm
Some Kind of Invasion – US Comedians Attack Again Phog Lounge 10pm
Friday, Feb. 3
Gypsy Chief Goliath Grand Marais Phog Lounge 10pm Hypnotics FM Lounge 10pm
Efan & His Ukulele Taloola Café 8pm
Saturday, Feb. 4
Will Currie & The Country Fresh (Waterloo) Phog Lounge 10pm Kelsey Laliberty Taloola Café 9pm