Science grad turns to art and teaching

Caribana officially ended in Toronto last weekend but it continues in the art world with an exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) that includes the work of Brantford’s Nicole Alexander (BSc ’94), wrote the Brantford Expositor Aug. 6 in a story about the York student.

The self-taught artist, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, initially started life downplaying her artistic nature while pursuing a degree in science in York University’s Faculty of Science & Engineering. But her art pushed through her resistance and now the mother of three is studying [at York] to become a teacher while working joyfully in oil, acrylic and watercolour. Her painting Oh the Joy is on display at the ROM exhibit From the Soul until Aug. 13.

TTC partners with car-sharing company

The Toronto Transit Commission has announced a partnership with a car-sharing company that chairperson Adam Giambrone says gives riders a new way to leave car ownership behind, wrote the City Centre Mirror Aug. 5. Zipcar, which boasts that 60 per cent of its fleet is, at most, a five-minute walk from a subway stop, is now at York University’s Keele campus and branching out to other spots outside the core.

On air

  • Allan Hutchinson, professor in York’s Osgoode Hall Law School, spoke about the chances against a legal challenge to Ontario’s new booze ban for young drivers, on North Bay’s CKAT-AM Radio Aug. 5.
  • Roger Keil, professor in York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies and director of the City Institute at York University, spoke about the fire marshal’s report on 2008’s Sunrise Propane explosion, on CBC Radio’s “Here & Now” Aug. 5.