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Mississauga mayor tells McLaughlin College students ‘never stop learning’

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie provided McLaughlin College students with “gems of wisdom” when she visited the Keele Campus on Jan. 22, during the college’s First Year Student Dinner.

The event, which launched last year, recognizes first-year students as they make their full transition to university studies.

Other speakers at the dinner were:

  • York University Chancellor Greg Sorbara, who chaired the formal program for the evening;
  •  Rhonda Lenton, York University president and vice-chancellor; and
  • J.J. McMurtry, the newly appointed dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.

Crombie, who is a York University alum and holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, spoke to students during a 40-minute address. She was introduced by Howard Brown, president of Brown & Cohen Communications & Public Affairs.

Bonnie Crombie

She began her keynote address by acknowledging those in attendance, saying, “This is a room full of power and potential,” and stating the students at McLaughlin College would undoubtedly “change the world throughout their lives.”

Crombie shared what she learned over her 40-year career in both business and politics, and pointed out that her own background and life experience is instructive.

“I am a first generation Canadian, born to Polish and Ukrainian parents in the 1960s in Etobicoke. My grandfather was a janitor at The Globe and Mail and my grandmother ran a rooming house,” she said, adding that her upbringing did not include “fancy vacations or dinners out,” but, it “made me the person I am today.”

She then went on to outline what she called her “10-point plan to succeed in your career,” which included:

  • Number 10, always invest in yourself. Be a life-long learner and never stop learning.
  • Number 9, listen. Be an active listener. It will allow you to connect with others, build trust and gain knowledge.
  • Number 8, be humble and truthful. Those who are, ultimately, succeed.
  • Number 7, be a life-long volunteer. Volunteer experience can be some of the most rewarding and satisfying things that one can do.
  • Number 6, work hard. Crombie made the point of stating, “There is no substitute for hard work,” and noted that her mother told her when she was growing up that “if it is meant to be, it is up to me.”
  • Number 5, do your homework. “If you know your stuff, you will get ahead,” she said. She noted this applies especially for women who must meet a “different bar” that necessitates that they must always be “over-prepared to get ahead.”
  • Number 4, do not confuse being liked with being respected. Being respected, she noted, “requires hard work, doing your homework, and being principled and genuine.”
  • Number 3, be kind. She made the emphatic point that, “Kindness sustains our humanity.”
  • Number 2, failure is okay. Do not be afraid to take “calculated risks in your career.” You should not fear failure because it provides tangible lessons from which we can learn. “Be smart and thoughtful about the risks you take, but don’t hold back because you might fail,” she said.
  • Number 1, do good. “If you’re not guided by a passion to do good – if selflessness and the common good are not your reason for public service – then please pick another profession,” she said. Doing good is essential to success in life.

Crombie concluded her address by stating she was happy to share her 10 points with the first-year students.

Those in attendance agreed it was a memorable First Year Student Dinner.

Bonnie Crombie with some of the attendees at the event

“It also left the students with ‘gems of wisdom’ that they could apply throughout their studies, careers and life,” said Milena Basciano, junior ambassador of the McLaughlin College Public Policy and Administration student association, who sat at the head table with the dignitaries.

“It was truly a remarkable evening,” said Matthew Ko, another McLaughlin College student ambassador, who was also seated at the head table.

McMurtry thanked Crombie, and said she provided a shining example and model for students who wish to aspire to important leadership positions within their communities. The City of Mississauga is one of the most dynamic multicultural urban communities in Canada, McMurtry observed.

He said Crombie is “demonstrating how engaged and inspirational leadership can make a significant difference realizing the goal of building a progressive community that unites and cares for all its members.”

All the program’s dignitaries were Fellows of McLaughlin College, which added to the cachet of the evening, and reinforced for all those in attendance, particularly, the students, the relevance and importance of their college affiliation.

The event also included a performance by the newly formed McLaughlin College Community Choir, led by Choir Director Sebastian Moreno.

From left: J.J. McMurtry, Bonnie Crombie, Greg Sorbara, Howard Brown, Rhonda L. Lenton and James Simeon

McLaughlin College Head James Simeon recognized all the students’ work and efforts during their challenging first year of university studies. The first year “transition” to a new learning environment requires different skill sets, he noted, including a variety of assessment methods, expectations and demands from professors that can often be strenuous, but ultimately, entirely “transformative.”

Simeon also introduced Sorbara, and noted that all those who took the subway to the dinner, have Sorbara to thank, as he played a vital role in the subway being extended to the Keele Campus and beyond.

Sorbara said it was a 35-year campaign to realize the subway extension that began when he was the Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities. At that time, he came to the view that Toronto’s two great universities, University of Toronto and York University, should be connected by the TTC subway system.

Lenton also addressed students, and encouraged them to continue working on mastering their new skill sets as they progress through their programs of study. She further made the point that universities play an integral role in the social, cultural and economic life of their communities.

LA&PS student athletes impacting the community – one tiny stride at a time

For children and adolescents across Canada, organized sports provide an avenue to build lasting connections, develop social skills, lead healthy lives, and realize potential at an early age. However, due to financial barriers, these opportunities can be difficult for some families to afford. With today’s cost of living on the rise, disposable income required for extra-curricular activities has become tougher to come by. As a result of these challenges, sport participation among youth is on the decline.

From the standpoint of Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) student athletes Jacob Janke, Rossini Sandjong, Gaetano Minto and Daniel Loggale, something needs to be done to counter this trend. Taking the field together with the 2019-20 York Lions football team, this group is unified behind a singular cause – one that aims to overcome these economic obstacles.

From left: Daniel Loggale, Gaetano Minto, Rossini Sandjong, and Jacob Janke. Photo by Nicole Glassman
From left: Daniel Loggale, Gaetano Minto, Rossini Sandjong, and Jacob Janke. Photo by Nicole Glassman

These friends, who’ve all relocated from their home provinces to pursue a university education at York, acknowledge the common factor that brought them together. It isn’t difficult to imagine how things could have gone differently if not for organized sports being introduced to them many years ago.

“We were all sitting around, and the conversation was about how four people from different parts of the country became best friends,” Janke said. “It was football. The common theme was that someone gave each of us a shot along the way. We all came from situations where we wouldn’t have been able to play organized sports if someone – whether it was a role model or mentor – didn’t provide support and guide us along that path.”

Now enrolled in the final year of their studies at York University, this group is dedicated to facilitating similar opportunities for others who may need assistance. This pledge to give back to the community is what led to the creation of their non-profit organization, Tiny Strides.

Tiny Strides came together after countless discussions on the subject, as the group worked together to brainstorm fundraising methods to support participation in sports among underprivileged youth. As the name implies, the group agreed that a small-scale approach would lead to notable results. Even if their efforts would only impact one individual, it would have been worth it. After submitting paperwork to become a registered non-profit last year, this initiative became official.

The goal was closely aligned to their upbringing as minorities with additional barriers to overcome. In the past, being empowered through sport wasn’t always a reality for these LA&PS students. Today, football has become a regular aspect of everyday life. Now, the group aspires to encourage sport participation and exemplify the ways in which these activities can serve as catalysts for positive outcomes on and off the field.

“One really great thing about sport is that it brings out family,” Minto said “With Tiny Strides, we can play a part in creating those families, those spaces for individuals. It’s more than a game if you use it the right way.”

Through pub nights, event appearances, and 50-50 charity raffles, the group has been able to raise thousands of dollars to cover the costs of equipment and sport registration fees. However, the mentorship aspect of the initiative cannot be overstated. In just one year, they’ve built meaningful connections with minor league football programs, as well as nearby community shelters.

“One really great thing about sport is that it brings out family. With Tiny Strides, we can play a part in creating those families, those spaces for individuals. It’s more than a game if you use it the right way.” – Gaetano Minto

“Last July, we were approach by a refugee shelter not too far from campus,” Sandjong said. “There were kids from different parts of the world who had been living there for a couple months. We had the chance to introduce sports to their lives. There were three days of programming. On the first day, we introduced them to football. On the second day, we played soccer. Then, on the third day, we brought them to Canada’s Wonderland.”

The strong bonds formed by Tiny Strides have played a significant role in some of these children continuing to play football, several months after the shelter visit. Each of the non-profit’s founders are extremely proud of how their efforts have resonated thus far.

This year, the group hopes to continue taking small steps in establishing similar ties with local youth and sport organizations while still raising funds for those in need. The eventual goal is for these relationships to be facilitated with an integrated mentorship program more closely linked to York University Lions football.

“As members of the black community, we’re often seen as the people trying to tear each other down. It feels great to break that stereotype,” Loggale said. “We’re not just conforming to what people think we should be doing. We’re stepping out of that box that they put us in. We want to uplift.”

“If you look at where York is positioned geographically, sometimes it seems that we shy away from the Jane & Finch community,” Janke added. “The university can be that uplifting force. I think that’s something we should start to embrace.”

Eco-Arts and Media Festival an opportunity for ‘pollination’ of knowledge and ideas

Non profit to help declining bee population
Non profit to help declining bee population

York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) is inviting students, alumni, faculty, staff and members of the community to the 26th annual Eco-Arts & Media Festival taking place from March 2 to 5.

This year’s festival takes up an expansive theme of “Pollination,” including the biocultural importance of pollinators to the ecosystem and recognizing pollination in terms of the exchange of knowledge and ideas. This theme invites facilitated conversations across disciplines, to create writing, performances, workshops and artworks that consider pedagogical, environmental and artistic approaches to the concepts of exchange, care, trade and sharing. The artists, scientists, students and academics participating in the festival will expand on how speaking across disciplines and exchanging ideas creates new ways to consider issues of colonialism, land rights, environmental degradation and the ongoing effects of climate change.

The festival kicks off on March 2 with a Lunch-time-Launch beginning at 11 a.m. in the Health Nursing and Environmental Studies building (HNES) lounge at the Keele Campus. The launch, co-hosted by FES and the Bachelor of Environmental Studies Student Association, will feature snacks, music, performances and opportunities to learn about different forms of cross-pollination happening around campus. At 12:30 p.m. attendees will have the chance to participate in a collaborative drawing activity.

The first day of the festival will also mark the beginning of an ongoing multimedia installation, titled Son, created by Juanita Stephen, a child and youth worker, mother to a 16-year-old son, and York PhD student in Gender, Feminist and Women’s studies. Son explores all that Black parents navigate as they care for Black sons, highlighting the dynamic interplay of Black love, fear, joy, rage and hope by setting the words of other Black parents alongside a note to Stephen’s own son. The installation will appear in the Crossroads Gallery (HNES Room 263).

The festival’s second day will commence at 10 a.m. in HNES Room 201 with a community arts activity that reflects on recent climate crisis events and invites personal and poetic responses. The day will also include a lunch performance by Zoe Parco at 11:30 a.m. in HNES Room 201, followed by a dance and theatre performance by Arpita Bajpeyi, a PhD student in Dance Studies at and a graduate research associate at the York Centre for Asian Research. Titled Paar Chaana De (Across the Chenab River), Bajpeyi’s performance weaves together tales of (non-)belonging and migrations, telling a story of three women who find themselves perpetually caught in crossings, unable to reach their destinations, and faced with a choice. The performance starts at 2:30 p.m. in HNES Room 140.

The third day of the festival will begin with a community art activity at 11:30 a.m. in HNES Room 140 featuring Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia, a collective of Indigenous women from Saskatoon who will join the FES “Community Arts for Social Change” class to develop an activity centered in the creation of ribbon skirt/pants. That evening, an Eco-Arts Cabaret will be held at 7 p.m. at the Tranzac Club (292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto).

The final day is sure to leave festival attendees buzzing, starting with a panel discussing a range of bee pollinators through the lens of ecology, art and culture. The “Pollinating Wisdom” panel, beginning at 1 p.m. in HNES Room 140, will feature Sheila Colla, principal investigator at the Native Pollinator Research Lab at York, Charmaine Lurch, a Toronto-based painter, sculptor and installation artist known for her work surrounding Black histories and environmental issues, and Sabrina Malach, a pollinator protector, beekeeper and director of engagement at Shoresh Jewish Environmental Programs.

The day will continue with “Sonic Corridors,” an experiential and participatory sound tour that invites attendees to walk to various audio installations in the HNES building, starting in Room 201 at 3:30 p.m., and a participatory laboratory performance by Sarah Magni in the Wild Garden Media Centre (HNES Room 268) also at 3:30 p.m. and again at 4:30 p.m. Magni’s work, which invites audience participation, was produced in the FES course “Cultural Production: Performance.” The festival will conclude with Build a Bee Workshop presented by Charmaine Lurch at 5:30 p.m. in HNES room 102.

Additional details on specific days and events, and information on registration, can be found on the festival’s website. A calendar of events hosted by FES can be found on the faculty’s website.

York professor invited to participate in UN panel on Indigenous communities and environment

Indigenous feathers

Sometimes the most meaningful experiences arrive in the most unexpected ways.

That was the experience for York University political science Professor Gabrielle Slowey. Late last December, Slowey, who is also the director of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies at York University, received a direct message on Twitter from the Alvin Fiddler, who is the Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) asking her to call him.

Gabrielle Slowey
Gabrielle Slowey

So, she did. During their conversation, Fiddler told Slowey that his team plans to participate in meetings at the United Nations that will be held in April 2020 and he wanted Slowey to be a part of his delegation and speak as part of his panel. The title of the proposed session is: “Climate Emergency and Impacts on Treaty and Inherent Rights” and the overall theme of the UNPFII 19th session is “peace, justice and strong institutions: The role of Indigenous peoples in implementing Sustainable Development.”

Slowey immediately agreed. “This is an amazing opportunity and I am honored and humbled to be invited to join Chief Fiddler and his delegation in New York in April,” said Slowey.

Fiddler told Slowey that he was aware of her work with First Nations’ communities and the environment. Slowey, a settler (her parents immigrated from Ireland), has been working in, and with. First Nations communities since the late 1990s. Since that time, she has travelled to, or worked with the Mi’kmaq and Malisset communities of New Brunswick, the Mikisew Cree First Nation of Alberta, the James Bay Cree of Northern Quebec, the Ngai Tahu and Tainui of New Zealand, the Vuntut Gwitchin of Old Crow Yukon, the Inuvialuit of Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories and the Delaware of Southwestern Ontario. Her research concentrates on the political economy of resource extraction, environmental/ecological governance, the duty to consult, treaties, land claims and self-government. Slowey’s approach is very much community-based and draws upon broader theoretical concerns of colonialism, reconciliation, staples and democracy.

In early March Slowey will be attending the National Climate Change meetings taking place in Whitehorse, Yukon. She will also be presenting on her recent work on climate change and how northern First Nations are addressing it in their communities at the North American Indigenous Studies Conference taking place in Toronto in May.

Display on campus celebrates diversity of language

A display at York University’s Keele Campus celebrating International Mother Language Day highlights linguistic and cultural diversity and promotes the protection and preservation of languages.

The display was organized by the linguistics section, with the Linguistics Students Association in the Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics (DLLL) as part of its ongoing World Cultures Celebrations initiative, and runs until March 2. The display is open to visitors during regular business hours and is located at the department’s main office, room 580, South Ross Building, Keele Campus.

The display celebrating International Mother Language Day

The department mounted display in recognition of the diversity in the community and the importance of all languages, and to provide information about the celebration. It allows the community to participate by asking them to include the word for ‘mother’ in their own language on the language trees.

International Mother Language Day has been observed around the world every Feb. 21 since 2000, when it was first adopted by the UN General Assembly as a result of an initiative by Bangladesh. The date was selected to honour those who died in the 1952 Bengali language movement, which was a political movement to have Bengali (Bangla) recognized as an official language of the Dominion of Pakistan.

A closer look at the language trees that visitors can contribute to by adding a leaf with the word ‘mother’ in their native language

As a result of globalization, language loss is an ever-increasing threat. Currently, about 41 per cent of the approximately 7,000 existing languages are endangered. With each vanishing language, speakers lose an integral part of their culture and heritage and scholarship loses important traditional knowledge and an understanding of linguistic possibilities.

Toronto is a city of tremendous linguistic diversity with almost 180 different languages and dialects spoken and about 40 per cent of the population having a mother tongue other than English.

Surveillance society under scrutiny at Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies first annual lecture

York University’s undergraduate program in Criminology and graduate program in Socio-Legal Studies have collaborated to present their first annual lecture featuring surveillance expert and Queen’s University Professor David Lyon. The free event, open to the public, will take place at 5:30 p.m. on March 17 in room 105 Life Sciences Building at the Keele Campus.

David Lyon
David Lyon

As director of the Surveillance Studies Centre and Queen’s Research Chair in Surveillance Studies, Lyon has been researching surveillance from a sociological perspective for the past 25 years. His research has touched on numerous topics and issues relating to surveillance, including privacy, registration and identification systems, information technologies and the ethics and politics of social sorting. He will reflect on and draw from his lengthy exploration of this research area in a talk entitled “Surveillance yesterday, today and tomorrow: From occasional encounters to constant immersion.”

Beginning from the premise that surveillance is now an unavoidable fact of everyday life, this lecture will explore the massive changes taking place in surveillance worldwide, examining its relentlessness, intrusiveness, pervasiveness and divisiveness, and call for a reassertion of human judgement and democratic participation to challenge and to reshape surveillance towards human flourishing.

The Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies programs plan to collaborate with the Law and Society undergraduate program for next year’s edition of the lecture. This year’s lecture is also sponsored by the Department of Communication Studies.

While the lecture will be of particular interest to faculty and students in Criminology, Socio-Legal Studies, Communication Studies, Law and Society, Sociology, Science and Technology Studies, and Information Technology, those in other departments and members of the community are also encouraged to attend. Light refreshments will be provided.

A list of upcoming events hosted by departments, schools and programs in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies can be found on the faculty’s website.

McLaughlin Lunch Talk Series adds two more events for February

McLaughlin College invites the York University community to come and listen to interesting speakers as they share their knowledge on a variety of topics, and enjoy a free lunch during the popular Lunch Talks Series. The long-running series continues through February with more events on the calendar.

Students who attend six or more Lunch Talks throughout the year will receive a Certificate of Participation, while those who attend 10 or more will receive a Certificate of Honour.

The talks take place in the Senior Common Room, 140 McLaughlin College, Keele Campus.

Feb. 25 – The SNC-Lavalin Affair: A Canadian Scandal in Global Perspective

Presented by Ellen Gutterman, this event will examine how the SNC-Lavalin affair erupted in a firestorm of political controversy in Canada in February 2019, when former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his close advisers of pressuring her to allow the Quebec-based global engineering giant to negotiate a deferred prosecution agreement, rather than face trial on charges it paid bribes to win lucrative contracts in Libya.

Ellen Gutterman

Looking back on the scandal one year later, the talk will analyse this dramatic episode in Canadian politics against the backdrop of Canada’s international legal obligations to control transnational bribery. These obligations stem from Canada’s multilateral commitments in the global governance of corruption.

The talk will highlight the attempt to use a deferred prosecution agreement in this case, as: an instance of international diffusion of legal practice from the United States; and, a legal strategy to avoid the political and financial costs of anti-corruption enforcement. It will conclude with some lessons from the SNC-Lavalin affair for the theory and practice of global governance, generally, and for Canadian foreign policy in the 21st century.

Gutterman is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Glendon College, York University. Her teaching and research interests are in the areas of international relations theory, international law, and global politics, with a specific interest in the global governance of transnational crime and corruption. Her research articles – on transnational advocacy, legitimacy, compliance, norms, extra-territorial enforcement, and other issues in the global governance of corruption – are published in such journals as Foreign Policy Analysis, Review of International Studies, Osgoode Hall Law Journal, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, European Political Science and elsewhere.

This event runs from 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Feb. 26 – UN World Day of Social Justice

This event is a panel presentation to Commemorate UN World Day of Social Justice, including panelists:

Richard W. Phidd is a (retired University of Guelph 1972-2005), professor, Public Administration and Public Policy, fellow adjunct professor, McLaughlin College, York University 2005-20. Phidd has authored several studies on public sector organizations and policy-making issues in Canada since the early 1970s.

Jennine Rawana is currently the Head of Calumet College and a faculty member in the Clinical Developmental Program in the Dept of Psychology at York University. She is also an executive member of the LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research at York University and a supervising psychologist at the York University Psychology Clinic.

Barbara Jackman is an immigration lawyer who has specialized in the protection of the human rights of migrants and refugees, including arguing before the Supreme Court of Canada on test cases, such as Singh (1985) where the court recognized that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms applied to non-citizens, not just citizens. She has been recognized by a number of communities and Canada by being given an Order of Canada.

James Simeon will moderate the event. He is head of McLaughlin College and an associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA), Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York University. He is a member-at-large of the Executive of the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS) and a past President of CARFMS.

This event is co-sponsored by the Office of the College Head, McLaughlin College, Centre of Public Policy and Law, Centre for Refugee Studies and the Department of Sociology.

This even runs from from 12 to 2 p.m.

To see a previously published story on the Feb. 27 event, see this YFile story.

Second annual Health and Society lecture to examine storytelling, the soul and Anishinaabe ‘word bundles’

Anishinaabe Elder and artist Rene Meshake and Métis scholar Kim Anderson will perform music and share art as part of their presentation for the York University Health and Society program’s second annual lecture. The free event, titled “Injichaag: Storytelling and the Soul of an Indigenous Artist,” will take place at 1 p.m. on March 4 in room 519 Kaneff Building at the Keele Campus.

Injichaag: My Soul in Story
Injichaag: My Soul in Story

Meshake and Anderson will share material related to their recently launched book Injichaag: My Soul in Story. Meshake will play the flute and share his visual art and poetry, while Anderson will read and talk about the book, relating how history, story and Anishinaabe “word bundles” are significant in terms of health and society.

Described as “more than a memoir,” Meshake and Anderson’s book shares Meshake’s stories, poetry and “word bundles” that serve as a dictionary of Ojibwe poetics. The book follows Meshake’s life from his early “bush university” years being raised by his grandmother in northwestern Ontario, through his experience in the residential school system and subsequent decades of struggle and healing, to his sobriety and career as an artist, musician and writer. Meshake’s artistic vision and poetic lens provide a unique telling of a story of colonization and recovery. The material is organized thematically around a series of Meshake’s paintings and is framed by Anderson, Meshake’s “Odaanisan” (adopted daughter).

Meshake is a storyteller, visual and performing artist, award-winning author, flute player, multimedia artist and a recipient of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. By blending Anishinaabe and English words into his performances, he communicates his spiritual heritage and poetics. His education includes Anishinaabe oral tradition, language, arts and culture. Meshake studied creative writing at the School for Writing at Humber College. He has an active online presence as a “Funky-Elder.”

Rene Meshake and Kim Anderson
Rene Meshake and Kim Anderson

Anderson is a Métis writer and educator, working as an associate professor in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph. She holds a PhD in history and is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Relationships. Anderson has written about Indigenous mothering, Indigenous feminism, Indigenous masculinities and Indigenous knowledge in urban settings, and has an evolving interest in arts-based and land-based methods of research.

York University’s Health & Society program provides students with a toolkit for understanding health and illness, both as lived realities and as reflections of larger social, cultural and political processes, on a scale ranging from the interpersonal to the international. The program focuses on the kind of practical knowledge gained from experiential learning and seeks to combine this with the development of rigorous critical analysis. Taken together, the courses that comprise a Health and Society degree give students a truly comprehensive understanding of health.

Other events hosted by York’s Health and Society program are listed on the program’s website.

Carrianne Leung talks about writing friendship and community rather than the ‘immigrant story’

On Feb. 11, the 2019-20 Canadian Writers in Person Lecture Series presented author Carrianne Leung, reading from her collection of short stories That Time I Loved You. York University Teaching Assistant Dana Patrascu-Kingsley sent the following report to YFile.

Carrianne Leung visited York University on Feb. 11 as part of the Canadian Writers in Person reading series. She talked about her collection of linked short stories, That Time I Loved You.

Carrianne Leung

Set in 1970s Scarborough, That Time I Loved You is about “settlement in the suburbs,” said Leung. She remarked that Scarborough is often portrayed in the media as a criminalized and racialized space, and she wanted to portray it how she remembers it being when she was growing up there.

Leung said she did not want to write ‘immigrant literature’ about a new immigrant overcoming adversity and making it in Canada. Instead, she said “I wanted to portray what it means to be together—all of us in this space. I wanted to talk about surprises and the kind of friendships that form among people here.”

The book’s beginning was when Leung wrote a story titled “Grass,” which she thought initially would grow into a novel. She said that she was then “inspired by the way stories can produce different gazes of events,” and ended up writing a collection of linked stories instead. “When you’re writing, you can’t dictate the form. The story will show you the form.

“I’m the kind of writer who discovers while writing,” Leung said. “When I’m writing, I don’t often know what will happen. The characters dictate what happens.”

That Time I Loved You allows the reader to get close to a number of characters and get a glimpse into their lives in a Scarborough new subdivision with its promises and its hidden sadness.

The next writer to visit York as part of the Canadian Writers in Person reading series is E. Martin Nolan with the collection of poems Still Point, on March 3.

Readings are free and open to any member of the public. For more information, contact Professor Leslie Sanders at leslie@yorku.ca or Professor Gail Vanstone at gailv@yorku.ca. All readings are held Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. in room 206, Accolade West Building, Keele Campus.

New Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change created to address world’s most pressing issues

Image shows a hand holding a pine cone against a lush backdrop of greenery

Environmental change and urbanization represent two of the most critical challenges facing people and the planet. The world’s awareness of the need to develop sustainable solutions is vividly illustrated by the massive global Climate Day of Action protests that took place in September 2019 ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit. The climate action saw youth take to the streets to raise their concerns about environmental degradation, the injustices facing humanity, and the uncertainty of their future.

Universities are uniquely positioned to advance knowledge of and solutions to the issues posed by the climate crisis, degradation of nature and the rapid growth of cities. In response, York University is taking a leadership role to advance teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and multisectoral engagement in environmental and urban realms by bringing together the expertise housed in the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) and the Geography program in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies to create a new Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change.

Envisioned to be an international leader in critical and innovative urban, environmental and geographical knowledges and skills, the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change will focus on advancing sustainability and justice. In 2019, both the Board of Governors and the Senate of York University approved the proposal for the new faculty, which will formally come into existence on Sept. 1, 2020 with new curricular offerings planned for Sept. 1, 2021.

Rhonda L. Lenton

“Students today are simultaneously faced with a competitive and dynamic global knowledge economy and a series of existential social and environmental challenges. The Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change combines the historical excellence of our environmental studies and geography programs with a renewed commitment to innovative teaching, scholarship and experiential learning. This interdisciplinary and collaborative approach will help society tackle its most complex challenges while training the leaders who will put solutions into practice,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton.

Current and future students will have unprecedented opportunities to explore and learn from global thought leaders in geography, urban and environmental studies within a new faculty that fosters interdisciplinary approaches spanning and connecting biophysical sciences, social sciences, and the arts

Alice Hovorka

“The Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change will champion interdisciplinarity through curricular programs and scholarship,” said its inaugural Dean Alice Hovorka. “The new faculty will draw together scholars from geography and environmental studies as well as from across York University, building on existing synergies and encouraging collaboration in teaching, research and engagement activities.”

Field-based and experiential learning opportunities will further enhance students’ understanding of biophysical processes and social issues. Undergraduate students will have opportunities to pursue majors and minors in new programs that include bachelor’s degrees in global geography, urban studies, environmental science, sustainable environmental management, and environmental arts and justice. Masters and PhD programs in Geography and Environmental Studies will offer advanced study and application in these topical areas. Programs will feature hands-on, community-engaged learning locally, for example at York’s Maloca Garden and woodlot sites, regionally through field courses at Bruce Peninsula and within the Greater Toronto Area, and internationally at the York University Las Nubes EcoCampus in Costa Rica. Programs will also highlight work- and research-based placements connecting students with non-governmental organizations, industry, and government partner to help guide their career paths.

Demand for career professionals in environmental and urban realms has outpaced that of the rest of the workforce. Governments around the world are now placing an emphasis on regulation and public policies focused on sustainability and smart cities, requiring that organizations rethink their practices. New positions for environmental, urban planning and sustainability experts are needed, and the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change will be uniquely positioned to meet this increased global demand for trained professionals. According to a 2018 Eco Canada Job Posting Trends Report, anticipated job growth leading into 2025 will be seen in careers in natural resource management (15 per cent increase), waste management (15 per cent increase), urban planning and development (13 per cent increase), energy management (12 per cent increase) and environmental health & safety and water quality (seven per cent increase).

Some of the potential career positions available to the inaugural graduating class of 2025 include chief sustainability officers, regulators and analysts; energy entrepreneurs, auditors and consultants; environmental lawyers, advocates and diversity educators; environmental scientists, geoscientists, technicians and specialists; and, urban planners, social service administrators and infrastructure directors.

To learn more, visit https://newfaculty.info.yorku.ca/.