Canada at 150
A two-day conference exploring Canada at 150 years held at York University’s Glendon campus was featured in Protem Oct. 25. Read full story.
New subway connects York University’s Keele campus with cities of Toronto and Vaughan
Share
Collaboration is essential to making and sustaining meaningful connections. That was the key message on Friday, Dec. 15 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new York University Station, part of the multi-billion dollar Toronto-York Spadina Subway extension (now part of Line1).
From left: City of Toronto Councillor and TTC Chair Josh Colle, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, Toronto Mayor John Tory and York Regional Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson walk along the York University Station subway platform following the inaugural ride from the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station
The Keele campus is home to two of the six new stations on the extension. The York University and Pioneer Village Subway Stations are part of an 8.6 kilometre expansion of Line 1, which stretches from Sheppard West Station (formerly Downsview Station) northwest underneath York University within the City of Toronto and north to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre in The Regional Municipality of York. It is the first subway to cross the city of Toronto boundary into York Region and the first extension to be completed in 15 years.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses the crowd gathered for the official opening of the York University Station
Throughout the morning event, federal, provincial, regional and municipal politicians, from Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau to Toronto Mayor John Tory, spoke positively about the powerful collaboration between all levels of government and York University to make the subway a reality. The combined total investment of about $3.2 billion from the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto and York Region in this vital public transportation infrastructure, delivers on meaningful, sustainable and efficient changes that benefit the entire community.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton
“The expression ‘that it takes a village’ to build something so fundamentally important to the GTA community and to York University, specifically, as this subway extension, is apparent by the number of people who advocated for it over so many years to make this happen,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton at the event. “On behalf of York, our sincere appreciation to all our federal, provincial, regional and municipal representatives who collaborated to ensure that this project did not get abandoned. I am particularly pleased that Greg Sorbara gets to witness this opening as Chancellor of York University.”
Central to the success in bringing the subway to York University were efforts by Sorbara, who, in 1985 as a provincial politician, brought the various levels of government to together. With a “roll-up-our-sleeves-and-get-it-done” ethic, Sorbara worked tirelessly for three decades to make a subway to York University a reality and his efforts have the added benefit in that he has constructed a strong foundation for future transit initiatives involving all levels of government.
York University Chancellor Greg Sorbara responds to the accolades and applause from the crowd
This collaboration and the many connections it fostered did not go unnoticed by Canada’s Prime Minister. “This is the first rapid transit line to cross the city of Toronto boundary. This subway extension is an example of the kinds of things we can accomplish when we work together to make a real difference in the lives of Canadians,” said Trudeau, during a media conference in the York University Station. “The Toronto-York Spadina will mean a faster commute, less cars on the road and more money in people’s pockets as they trade their cars for a subway ticket.”
For her part, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne called the opening a great day. “There are a whole lot of people who said ‘yes’ to this project,” said Wynne. She then paid tribute to Sorbara and the late Jim Flaherty, the federal minister of finance from 2006 to 2014, who worked together across party lines to connect the heart of Vaughan with the city of Toronto.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne talks about her first subway ride, which she took at age six with her grandmother. Wynne recalled that she wore white gloves because the trip was so important.
“Students at York University can take the subway to school for the first time, instead of riding one of 2,000 buses that arrive on the Keele campus,” said Wynne. “Transit is about connections that make our lives better.”
Wynne announced that the cost of a fare for transit users who connect to the subway from GO Transit or the UP Express to $1.50 per trip, which she said would save an average transit rider some $720 per year.
“I cannot get enough of these occasions where we come together as partners to build transit,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory, “the reason I am so happy is that you can see what can be done when we work together.”
The opening of the subway is history in the making, said Lenton, noting that it creates new opportunities for the University and the communities it serves through increased access, connectedness and excellence.
York University community members gathered in the Seymour Schulich Building on the Keele campus to watch the ceremony
The new Line 1 connection will benefit many of the University’s community members and it speaks to the University’s focus on sustainability, said Lenton. “Most of our students, faculty and staff commute to campus, so the subway provides a sustainable transportation option that will also reduce our community’s carbon footprint,” she said. “A shorter, more efficient commute will mean more time to learn and innovate in our classrooms and labs, and more time to spend making an impact in our communities.”
The stations, said Lenton, represent a new chapter in the York University story, which offers an opportunity to reflect on the special mission of the University, its history and its future.
York University’s president spoke to those gathered for the opening about the many kinds of connections that the new subway will bring to the University
“I look forward to the many opportunities these stations will create for York University to amplify the impact we have on the communities we serve through increased access, connectedness and excellence,” she said. “Thanks to the tremendous vision and perseverance of those who have been advocates of the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension, these stations embody a community-wide collaboration that reflects the sustained efforts of community members, TTC and government officials at every level.”
By Jenny Pitt-Clark, YFile editor
On Dec. 17, York PhD candidate Mark Terry captured his first ride on the new subway. See his video diary of the experience.
President’s message: York University welcomes the new subway
Share
York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton sends the following message to the York University community:
York President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton
I am delighted to announce the official opening of the two new TTC subway stations on York University’s Keele campus, which took place on Sunday, December 17, 2017. Among the six new stations that make up the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension, the opening of the York University and Pioneer Village stations marks an historic moment for York University.
Enhanced public transportation is essential to ensuring that our students, faculty, staff and alumni have ready access to our campuses, increasing our connectedness with communities and partners across the Greater Toronto Area, facilitating research collaboration, work-integrated learning, and enhancing York University as a destination.
The two new state-of-the-art subway stations on our Keele campus both reflect and advance the significant role that York University plays in contributing to the social, economic, cultural and other well-being of society, and in developing inclusive, smart cities. This investment in infrastructure helps us to remove some of the economic and mobility barriers to postsecondary education and allows us to fulfill our commitment to providing a broad socio-demographic of students across the GTA access to a high-quality, research-intensive university education.
These exciting new mobility hubs are a tremendous step forward for York University, and it would be an understatement to say that our community has been eagerly anticipating their opening for some time. As we look forward to the impact and the opportunities these stations signify, I would like to recognize the efforts of the many individuals and groups who have championed the construction of these stations, in some cases over decades. Thanks to the tremendous vision and perseverance of those who have been advocates of the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension from its early planning stages, to those involved in executing the innovative architectural plans, these stations embody a community-wide collaboration that reflects the sustained efforts of community members, the TTC and government officials at every level, who were committed to providing safe and reliable transportation options for our community.
Having just released our first institutional sustainability strategy, the opening of the subway extension comes at an important time. Most of our students, faculty and staff commute to campus, so the subway provides a sustainable transportation option that will also reduce our community’s carbon footprint. A shorter, more efficient commute will mean more time to learn and innovate in our classrooms and labs, and more time to spend making an impact in our communities.
These subway stations on our campus represent a new chapter in the York story, and an opportunity to reflect on the special mission of the University, its history and its future, and the wonderful York community we are all a part of. I look forward to the many opportunities these stations will create for York University to amplify the impact we have on the communities we serve through increased access, connectedness and excellence.
To see the remarkable evolution of this project on our campus, you can view this 30-second time-lapse video of the construction of the York University Station. To learn more about the opening of the new subway stations on campus, please visit: http://transportation.info.yorku.ca/subway/.
A message from York University’s president on the Shermans
Share
York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton issued the following message to the University community on Friday, Dec. 15:
Barry and Honey Sherman
I am deeply saddened to share with the York University community the news that longtime member of our Board of Governors Honey Sherman and her husband, Barry, have died. At this time, we do not have further details related to their passing.
Honey has been a member of the York University Board of Governors since 2010, and a member of the External Relations Committee. Both she and her husband Barry were Honorary Patrons of York’s Impact Campaign. Through their philanthropy, the University established the Sherman Health Science Research Centre, which opened in 2010. The Centre provides a state-of-the-art home for York’s renowned vision research.
The Shermans were active volunteers and leaders within many communities, serving in a variety of leadership roles. Their legacy will impact countless individuals and organizations for years to come.
We mourn the loss of these wonderful members of our community whose friendship, passion for education and philanthropy have had a transformational impact on our students, faculty and staff for many years.
The University has created an In Memoriam page for the Shermans. To share a message of condolence with their family, visit http://about.yorku.ca/in-memoriam/.
York U partnership with Jane-Finch community empowers young people
Share
Group photo of the cohort
A new partnership between York University and Skills for Change is helping to empower young people through the Jane-Finch Community Impact Hub.
Skills for Change is an agency providing learning and training opportunities for immigrants and refugees to access and fully participate in the workplace and wider community.
Through this partnership with the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LA&PS), the hub offered a 12-week training program on leadership and creativity to youth, ages 18 to 29, in the Jane and Finch neighborhood who desire to create their own social innovation plans and make positive changes to their community.
Group photo of the cohort
Skills for Change has served those who live in Toronto for 30 years and offers a range of accelerated programs to fit the needs of people arriving in the city from all parts of the world, some of which are geared toward community building and developing leadership skills. The programs are designed to fit community needs and address issues that community members face.
“I truly enjoyed the opportunity of participating in the event and listening to such young people as they reflected on the meaning of social justice and spoke of creative ways of supporting their community,” said Economics Professor Ida Ferrara, who served as one of the judges in the partnership. “The positive energy from the presentations was powerful and inspiring, as was the strong commitment to social innovation that motivated the projects and transpired during the presentations.”
The program, which began in June and held its graduation ceremony in mid-fall, included a set of train-the-trainer modules and community development exercises that would prepare participants to create and lead social innovation initiatives in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood. The goal of the program was primarily to provide aspiring youth leaders with comprehensive leadership and social innovation training, community development experiences and seed funding opportunities to start up their own social initiatives in the Jane and Finch community. Participants received a certificate upon completion of the program.
Upon their graduation, participants pitched their developed social innovation plans at York University’s Senate Chamber to an audience of their peers, parents, project mentors, program facilitators and community members. The initiatives included organizing an after-school homework club in collaboration with the local community church, mentorship programs with a focus on pursuing post-secondary education, financial literacy and money management workshops, an empowerment club for women and girls, and much more. Three winners were awarded monetary incentives to start up their grass-root projects and initiatives.
First place winner Troy Budhu, Professor Ida Ferrera, John Farrugia (MoneyGram Foundation) and Sampada Kukade (Skills for Change)
The participants, some of whom are York students in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, are actively making significant changes in the community. For those who grew up in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood, the initiatives are their way of giving back to the community.
In their presentations, all the participants mentioned the stigmas often attached to the Jane and Finch community. Jane-Finch has one of the highest youth populations in Toronto and the highest unemployment rate, among other issues. The participants are committed to denouncing these stigmas to highlight the strengths and potentials that are rich in the community.
Skills for Change aims to fulfill its goal of tackling issues in the Jane-Finch community by training youth to be leaders for their community and neighborhood.
A reminder to unplug! Turn off computers and appliances before leaving for the holiday break
Share
York community members are reminded to switch off and unplug before leaving for the holiday break. It is also a good time to remind others in your area about the importance of shutting down computers, lights, small office or kitchen appliances and other personal electronics before leaving the office.
This simple gesture can yield tremendous results, given that staff and faculty operate more than 8,000 computers, and together the Keele and Glendon campuses have more than 140,000 internal lights.
The ability to shut down certain electrical devices will vary depending on departmental requirements.
Students, alumni and community recognized by School of Public Policy & Administration
Share
Close to 100 York University alumni, students, faculty and friends of the School of Public Policy & Administration (SPPA), in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, gathered on Nov. 23 for its annual celebration of service.
As part of the annual tradition, last year’s Alumni Award recipient Kevin Giddings (MPPAL ’15) took on the role of Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Several merit awards were also introduced this year, resulting in the school’s longest-yet list of inspiring award winners.
The keynote address of the event was delivered by alumnus Caspar Hall (BA Spec. Honours PPA ’97), policy director with the Anti-Racism Directorate – Cabinet Office, who shared with the audience “Insights from a Public Policy Apprentice”.
Caspar emphasized the importance of integrity and leadership at every level of public service, along with evidence-based decision making and keeping the focus on the intended policy outcomes.
Caspar has been with the Anti-Racism Directorate since its inception in March 2016 and is currently leading a number of high-profile initiatives to support the implementation of Ontario’s three-year Anti-Racism Strategic Plan, including the Anti-Black Racism Strategy (ABRS), the Ontario Public Service Anti-Racism Strategy, and the development of a Race Data Standard and Anti-Racism Impact Assessment (ARIA) framework.
Prior to this role, Caspar held policy and management roles in Cabinet Office’s Policy and Delivery Division, the Ministry of Finance’s Secretariat supporting the Commission on Reform of Ontario’s Public Services (CROPS) and at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Caspar was recognized with the Silver Medal – IPAC/Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Award in 2012.
Following the keynote address, service awards were presented in the undergraduate and graduate student category:
Undergraduate Student Award to Munisha Basiram, Bachelor of Public Administration Spec. Honours, Management Stream (Class of 2017)
Basiram has served on the Public Policy and Administration Student Association (PPASA) in a variety of roles for several years, including as president. As an enthusiastic peer mentor, she guided many students through their transition to university and inspired them to be engaged. Her tireless work and dedication led to the PPASA being named the McLaughlin College Club of the Year in 2017 as well as her personally receiving the University-wide Robert Tiffin Student Leadership Award. As a BPA student, Basiram held several summer positions with the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, completed a placement with the York Region Rapid Transit Corporation and worked as a human resources coordinator intern with Free the Children, an interviewer with York University’s Institute for Social Research, and a Program Evaluation Student Consultant with Service Canada. She currently holds the position of program officer with the Program Evaluation and Transfer Payment Unit in the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Munisha Basiram in the centre with alumnus and neighbour Deepak Soni, who encouraged her to pursue the BPA at York, along with her parents on each side
Graduate Student Award to Shireen Salti, Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law and Graduate Diploma in Justice System Administration (Class of 2017)
Salti was the social convener of the 2016/17 Graduate Students’ Association of Public Policy, Administration and Law (GSAPPAL) and also represented York University at the 2015-16 Institute of Public Administration Canada (IPAC) National Case Study Competition. She has worked in a number of roles in the Ontario Ministry of Education, Inclusive Education Branch and at the Education Quality and Accountability Office. Currently, she is one of the 10 legislative interns in the Ontario Legislature Internship Programme.
Salti also received the inaugural Major Research Paper (MRP) Award in the MPPAL program. Her MRP focused on the integration of privately sponsored versus government assisted Syrian refugees in Toronto and was presented at the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA) at the University of Manitoba in May.
Shireen Salti on the right with Professor Naomi Couto who served as her MRP supervisor
Other MPPAL students Shovan Chakraborty, Salvatore D’Agostino, Rathsara Illangasinghe, Eric Lothman and Hannah Ross were recognized with the Best Team Award for their participation in the 2017 IPAC-CAPPA National Case Competition with John Wilkins, adjunct faculty at SPPA and Executive in Residence at the Schulich School of Business, as the team’s dedicated coach.
This year also marks the launch of a new Emerging Leader Award, which recognizes a current student or recent alumnus/alumna of the School who is an emerging leader within the broader public sector and represents the ideals, values and abilities of sound, responsible and engaging public policy and administration in congruence with the School’s vision to promote Good Governance. The award recipient will normally have five to eight years of work experience in the broader public sector and in this inaugural year, two MPPAL students – Ashley Cabral and Najva Mohammad Amin – were recognized with this award.
Ashley Cabral, Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law and Graduate Diploma in Justice System Administration (Class of 2017)
Cabral started to work in the Ontario Public Service in 2013 as a case worker with the Ministry of Community and Social Services, Ontario Disability Support Program and has progressed through the ranks in a number of roles including business lead expert, program analyst and executive assistant with the Ministry in the Social Assistance Service Modernization Branch.
Cabral is also an enthusiastic volunteer: she currently serves a co-lead, Tomorrow’s Public Service (TOPS) Executive Regional Development Committee and was director of Communication for GSAPPAL in 2016-2017 and a member of the 2015-16 IPAC National Case Study Competition team while she was an MPPAL student.
Ashley Cabral with Professor Dagmar Soennecke, MPPAL director
Najva Mohammad Amin, Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (Class of 2017)
Amin is supporting the Ontario Minister of Transportation as senior advisor – Strategic Initiatives, previously as senior advisor – Stakeholder Relations and Operations. Amin also has political experience as a federal campaign manager and as president of Ontario Young Liberals. Her commitment to student engagement has also translated into creating practicum opportunities for our undergraduate students at SPPA, and doing so in a most enthusiastic way, supervising as many as four students in a given year. For her outstanding dedication, Amin is also the School’s Practicum Honouree this year.
Najva Amin with Professor Peter Constantinou, the School’s practicum coordinator
The coveted Alumni Award was awarded to Tanya Waugh, Bachelor of Public Administration Specialized Honours, Policy Analysis Stream (Class of 2013) and Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (Class of 2015).
As a graduate of both the BPA and MPPAL programs, Waugh has remained engaged with SPPA, its students and alumni in a variety of informal and formal ways as an avid volunteer, including most recently serving on the Executive Committee of our York University School of Public Policy and Administration Alumni Network (YUSPPAAN). Waugh started to work in the OPS as a business analyst just before graduating with the BPA, and has since then worked in a range of roles, including relationship management, strategic planning and policy development. She has held positions with Service Ontario, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, Cabinet Office – Strategy and Results Branch and is currently with the Ministry of Transportation as Senior Safety Policy Advisor.
Tanya Waugh with Professor Alena Kimakova, SPPA director
Adriano Mena (BA Spec. Honours PPA 2001), the Chair of YUSPPAAN also received honourable mention for receiving this year the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Alumni Award.
Congratulations to all the award recipients for their outstanding dedication and accomplishments, and for being such inspirational role models for our students and the entire SPPA community.
LA&PS announces 2017 Writing Prize winners
Share
Twelve students from across the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) were recognized as winners of the annual LA&PS Writing Prize on Nov. 8. The students were honored for their outstanding work by Associate Dean (Students) Peter Avery during a recognition ceremony.
Avery congratulated the winners in front of a gathering of students’ family members and professors in York’s Chancellor’s Room. There, each student was recognized, and the adjudicators’ comments concerning their submission were read aloud.
The 2017 winners featured finalists from both sides of the LA&PS ampersand, from the Humanities Department to the School of Social Work. Of special note was the fourth-year winner, Andrew Hatelt, who was recognized for his Wikipedia article, “The Digital Divide in Canada.” Hatelt’s work was featured by WikiEdu, received a “Did You Know” award from Wikipedia, and was included in Wikiproject Canada.
“Digital composition isn’t just print transferred online,” said the competition’s coordinator Professor Jon Sufrin. “It is a dynamic medium requiring not only good writing, but excellent searching, curating, and hyperlinking practices as well. That Andrew was recognized by the online Wiki community for his work is very impressive indeed.”
Participants and student recipients of the LA&PS Writing Awards
In 2017, the winners are:
First-Year Hon. Mention: Sebastian Amaya, “Shifting Economic Policies” from POLS 1010, Introduction to Business, Government and Society taught by Bruce Smardon.
First-Year Hon. Mention: Okello Mark Oyat, “Business Plan for a Refugee Coaching Network,” from SOSC 1341 9.00 Introduction to the Social Economy, taught by Caroline Hossein.
First-Year Winner: Robert Gibbs, “Batoche National Historic Site” from HIST 1040 6.0 The Presence of the Past: Commemoration, Memorials, and Popular Uses of History, taught by Jennifer Bonnell.
Second-Year Hon. Mention: Alexandra Slack, “Taking Control through Fragmentary Narratives,” from EN 2120, Prose Narrative taught by Tina Choi.
Second-Year Winner: Winner: Madelaine Pries, “The Jig,” from WRIT 2710, Grammar and Proofreading, taught by Dunja Baus.
Third-Year Hon. Mention: Joshua Borenstein, “The Limitations of Law” from SOSC 3361 6.0 Disability and the Law: Critical Perspectives on Disability Rights Legislation, taught by Lykke de la Cour.
Third-Year Hon. Mention: Kay Angliss McDowell, “Childhood, Ethnic Representation and Growing Up in Toronto During the 1990s-2000s,” from HUMA 3692 6.0 Representation of Children’s Alterity, taught by Krys Verrall.
Third-Year Winner: Karen Silva, “Saving their Indian ‘Sisters’: British Women’s Activism in the late 19th Century,” from HIST 3420 6.00 The British Empire from 1600 to the Present, taught by Colin McMahon
Fourth-Year Hon. Mention: Carlyn Atkinson, “The Evolution of Dracula and the New Woman: Misogyny, Eroticism, and Female Sexuality in Stoker’s Dracula and its Descendants,” from WRIT 4720, Print Culture and the History of the Book, taught by Dominique O’Neill.
Fourth-Year Hon. Mention: Maxine Grech, “Dirty Wholesome Punks,” from AP/WRIT 4700 Advanced Topics in Periodical Writing, taught by Paul McLaughlin.
Fourth-Year Hon. Mention: Andrew Walker, “Seniors’ Valence Concerns in Election Campaigns,” from POLS 4135, Politics of Aging, taught by Thomas Klassen.
Fourth-Year Hon. Mention: Andrew Hatelt, “The Digital Divide in Canada,” from COMN 4201 6.00 Resistance and Subversion on the Internet, taught by Jonathan Obar.
There were no entrants in the category of Major Research Project.
The 2017 LA&PS Award Winners
Both the winning essays and the adjudicators comments can be found online, in the 2017 YorkSpace Repository for the LA&PS Writing Prize. The winners also received transcript notations, certificates and cash prizes.
Each year, the Faculty invites course directors to submit outstanding essays in any field but creative writing. The submissions are collected and organized by Writing Department staff into year levels (first to fourth year), with a special category for major research projects and undergraduate theses included.
Then, small teams of full-time writing faculty (each responsible for a category) review the submissions. Using criteria of originality, research, expression (style, structure etc.) and overall significance, the teams choose a winner and a runner-up for each level of the competition.
In the fall/winter semester of 2017, the competition received more than 50 entries written in many different styles and on a wide variety of topics. Some departments held their own internal competitions first, to nominate their strongest submissions to the Faculty-level competition.
The 2018 LA&PS Writing Competition, open to papers from summer 2017 to winter 2018 will open in April 2018.
ving for the holiday break. It is also a good time to remind others in your area about the importance of shutting down computers, lights, small office or kitchen appliances and other personal electronics before leaving the office.
