Yorkton riding expands west

The expansion of four existing federal rural electoral districts—including Yorkton-Melville—and the creation of three new ones was necessitated by overwhelming feedback that Saskatchewan needs urban-only seats for the province’s two major cities, according to a proposal made by the Federal Boundaries Commission for Saskatchewan, reported Yorkton This Week Oct. 24. “The federal Conservative Party was dramatically over-represented [in Saskatchewan],” said Dennis Pilon, a political scientist at York University. “By attaching the urban areas to rural areas, [the Conservatives] basically allowed their rural dominance to overwhelm their urban opponents.” 

First Nations’ rights at risk with new China trade deal
A new trade deal between Canada and China could put the rights of investors above those of First Nation governments, says international trade expert and York law Professor Gus Van Harten. The bulk of the agreement sets out a framework for arbitration, should any disputes arise. This arbitration is outside the laws of either country. This may be good news for Canadian companies looking to work in China, but it could mean trouble for the young and fragile system of treaties, case law and implementation of aboriginal rights and First Nation governments in Canada, reported the Yukon News Oct. 24. 

To Soothe Distracted Students, BC Schools Try ‘Self-regulation’
MindUp is one of many programs used in British Columbia’s schools to teach children and adolescents “self-regulation”: the ability to avoid or overcome stress and focus on learning, reported The Tyee Oct. 25. It’s a concept Stuart Shanker, a professor of philosophy and psychology at York University in Ontario, is dedicated to studying. Shanker and his team currently lead the unofficially titled Canadian Self-Regulation Initiative in BC and Ontario, training participating school districts in his self-regulation method.