The government of Ontario has partnered with Greater Toronto Area transit providers to make getting to campus more accessible and affordable by integrating fares across systems.
Starting on Feb. 26, transit customers paying with a PRESTO card, PRESTO in Google Wallet, debit or credit card (physical or in a mobile wallet) will be able to transfer for free between the TTC, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit, due to Ontario’s new One Fare Program. Also, TTC customers paying single-ride fares connecting to and from GO Transit will benefit from a fare discount, making their TTC fare free.
“York University commends the Ontario government for eliminating the need for double fares by creating a more integrated fare system,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “The new One Fare Program will have a significant impact on our community, as over 74 per cent of our students, and most of our faculty and staff, commute to campus via GO Transit as well as the two subway stations on our Keele Campus. An integrated fare system will not only create a more affordable, accessible and efficient transportation network but also continue to provide a sustainable transportation option that will help to reduce our community’s carbon footprint.”
Metrolinx will be on the Keele Campus for a community engagement event on Monday, Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Vari Hall to discuss the new One Fare Program and the in-progress Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) line.
For more information on PRESTO, the electronic fare payment system available across 11 transit agencies in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and Ottawa, and how to obtain a PRESTO card, visit PRESTOcard.ca.
World Health Organization extends Global Strategy Lab collaboration
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A World Health Organization Collaborating Centre (WHOCC) at York University’s Global Strategy Lab (GSL) – specializing in the global governance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – had its impact recognized with a four-year extension, and expansion, of its mandate by WHO.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses and other microbes – and the infections they cause – stop responding to the medicines designed to treat them. AMR has a profound impact on global health and development – especially in low- and middle-income countries. It contributes to an estimated five million deaths annually and rolls back progress on many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), including SDG 3 (Good Health & Wellbeing), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
GSL has emerged as a leader in addressing pressing global and public health challenges. In the area of AMR, GSL aims to use policy research to support evidence-informed decision-making by the world’s governments and public health institutions to ensure sustainable antimicrobial use.
Susan Rogers Van Katwyk
As a result, in 2019, GSL was designated the WHOCC on Global Governance of Antimicrobial Resistance. “Collaborating centres have a concentration of expertise that WHO recognizes as valuable to achieving their mandate,” explains Susan Rogers Van Katwyk, who is co-director of the WHOCC at GSL along with Steven Hoffman.
In the past four years, the WHOCC at GSL has played a critical role in supporting the WHO’s work on AMR policy and governance, resulting in its renewal for another four years. “It’s exciting to know that the WHO values our support and the work that we’ve been doing with them for the last few years,” says Rogers Van Katwyk.
While the WHOCC at York will continue its mandate of supporting evidence-informed AMR decision-making, its new mandate will include a greater focus on equity as it relates to policy and the governance of AMR. “A focus on equity is something that the Global Strategy Lab is committed to and we’re glad to have it spelled out in our mandate for the renewal term,” says Rogers Van Katwyk.
Among the additions the redesignation has brought to the WHOCC at GSL, Rogers Van Katwyk is especially excited about the greater emphasis on a “One Health” approach, which recognizes that human health, animal health and the environment are interconnected. “Most of our research at the Global Strategy Lab already includes that perspective. It’s where a lot of health research, especially around infectious diseases, is headed,” she says.
Following its redesignation, Rogers Van Katwyk believes the WHOCC at GSL has the potential to make a profound impact on the future of global health and sustainability. “We recently undertook a mapping exercise of how AMR impacts the United Nations SDGs. There’s almost none of them that aren’t impacted,” she says. “If we don’t address AMR, we’re not going to achieve the SDG on health and most of the other SDGs.”
Rogers Van Katwyk and her team are ready to support better AMR policymaking and governance for a healthier and more equitable future.
Bergeron Market certified York’s first gluten-free facility
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Bergeron Market, located in the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence, has received a certification endorsed by the National Celiac Association that recognizes it as York University’s only certified gluten-free dining facility.
The certification means that every product available at the market is carefully sourced, prepared and processed to avoid cross-contamination risks associated with gluten. This assurance plays a vital role in promoting healthy eating habits and overall well-being for those who need to follow a gluten-free diet, allowing them the confidence to dine safely.
Dahlia Abou El Hassan
“This marks a significant stride towards sustainable nutrition, addressing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for Good Health and Well-being,” says Dahlia Abou El Hassan, York’s registered dietitian. “This certification of Bergeron not only embraces diversity but also caters to a range of dietary needs, demonstrating the YU Eats commitment to inclusivity and actively supporting the health of our community.”
The availability of gluten-free products at Bergeron Market has significantly expanded over the years, providing a wide range of options to meet diverse dietary needs. From fresh produce and snacks to baked goods and fresh meals, diners have access to a comprehensive selection of gluten-free products right on campus.
“To enhance accessibility to freshly made gluten-free options for the wider community, Bergeron’s team has started to prepare and package gluten-free foods as convenient grab-and-go items. These are now available for sale in cafeterias across the campus” says Tom Watt, director of Food & Vending Services.
Beth Gallagher, a community member with a gluten intolerance, says she is “delighted to have a certified gluten-free food provider on campus – it’s not just a meal, it’s peace of mind. Certification ensures I can enjoy every bite without worry, making campus dining a safer and happier experience. Recognizing the importance of diverse food options, especially for those with allergies, brings inclusivity to the table.”
Come try it for yourself. The market is open Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Learn about repetitive strain injury prevention, Feb. 29
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Do you know what a repetitive strain injury (RSI) is, or how it can be prevented?
RSIs are disorders of the musculoskeletal system, such as tendons, muscles and nerves, that can develop gradually over weeks, months or even years. Symptoms can include tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness, burning, tingling or numbness within hands, wrists and arms. These conditions account for over 40 per cent of all lost-time injuries (WSPS, 2023). Increasing and varying position and movement during work hours is one way to help reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries.
Health, Safety & Employee Well-Being is offering two sessions in support of RSI Awareness Day.
Thursday, Feb. 29 at 11:30 a.m. A 30-minute virtual session describing the importance of posture and a proper workstation set up. Register for the virtual event.
Thursday, Feb. 29 at 12:15 p.m. A 30-minute in-person session demonstrating how to adjust your ergonomic chair. Join us in the Physical Resources Building for this interactive demonstration (no equipment required). Register for the in-person event.
Questions related to workstations should be directed to your manager.
Researchers share findings that could lead to better cancer care
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One of the hallmark characteristics of many cancers is a debilitating body- and muscle-wasting condition called cachexia, which affects the way the body processes food and absorbs nutrients. New research from the Faculty of Health – overseen by Professor Olasunkanmi Adegoke and PhD student Stephen Mora – looks to better understand the syndrome by asking the question: why do cachectic patients have impaired ability to use nutrients?
Olasunkanmi (Ola) Adegoke
Cachexia is caused by cancer itself (notably, the cancers of the lung, liver, pancreas, colon) and/or by treatment like chemotherapy. It results in significant weight loss, especially loss of muscle.
The condition’s associated body wasting is linked to poor food intake and loss of appetite, but even if patients do eat – introducing more nutrients and calories – the cachexia doesn’t go away. The condition not only can lead to poor quality of life for those affected but can impede effective treatment.
Adegoke and Mora’s research, published in the American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, aimed to better understand the hows and whys of cachexia in the hopes of leading to improved treatment for cancer patients.
Stephen Mora
Their research project studied what happened to skeletal muscle cells, known as myotubes, treated with a clinically relevant chemotherapy drug cocktail. They noted profound atrophy of these cells. A link to poor levels of amino acid – the building blocks for body proteins and therefore the strengthening of muscles – in these cells led the researchers to add amino acids. There was no improvement.
In process, however, they did identify a protein whose abundance was drastically reduced in the muscle cells treated with the drugs. The function of this protein is to transport amino acids into the cell, where they can then be used to make body proteins. Adegoke and Mora then manipulated the muscle cells so they would have high amounts of this transporter. This led to a profound – and promising – rescuing of the cells treated with the chemotherapy drugs.
Adegoke and Mora hope their findings provide data that may lead to the development of interventions that can limit or prevent cancer-associated wasting syndrome.
The research – which was funded by the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada – builds upon Adegoke’s ongoing work, and expertise, in molecular mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle growth and metabolism.
Pest control treatments scheduled for Feb. 16 to 18
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Pest control spray days at the Keele and Glendon campuses for Food Services-contracted areas will begin on Friday, Feb. 16 at 5 p.m. and end on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m.
Work is undertaken using accepted practices and approved materials by Professional PCO Services, which holds an Eco Green Ergonomic Extermination certificate from the Ministry of the Environment. A work permit has been submitted and approved by York University’s Health, Safety & Employee Well-Being office.
Monitoring and treatment of component applications will be carried out in the Food Services locations listed below:
Location
Campus
Building Name
Glendon Campus Marché Cafeteria
Glendon Campus
York Hall
Glendon Campus Tim Hortons
Glendon Campus
York Hall, A Wing
Bergeron Market
Keele Campus
Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence
Central Square Cafeteria
Keele Campus
Central Square
Central Square Tim Hortons
Keele Campus
Central Square
Central Square Booster Juice
Keele Campus
Central Square
Central Square Pizza Pizza
Keele Campus
Central Square
Central Square Starbucks
Keele Campus
Central Square
Central Square Subway
Keele Campus
Central Square
Centre for Film & Theatre Starbucks
Keele Campus
Centre for Film & Theatre
Dahdaleh Cafeteria
Keele Campus
Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Building
Dahdaleh Tim Hortons
Keele Campus
Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Building
Lassonde Palgong Tea
Keele Campus
Lassonde Building
Osgoode Hall Bistro
Keele Campus
Ignat Kaneff Building, Osgooge Hall
Stong College Orange Snail
Keele Campus
Stong College
Stong College Cafeteria
Keele Campus
Stong College
William Small Centre Tim Hortons
Keele Campus
William Small Centre
Winters College Country Style
Keele Campus
Winters College
Winters College Cafeteria
Keele Campus
Winters College
Grad Lounge
Keele Campus
Ross Building
Pod
Keele Campus
Curtis Lecture Halls
For further information, contact John Leva, manager of grounds, fleet and waste management, Facilities Services, at jleva@yorku.ca; or Tom Watt, director of food services, Ancillary Services, at watttm@yorku.ca.
York campuses offer four vaccine clinics throughout February
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To help keep the community safe and combat the spread of these respiratory viruses, York University is offering vaccination clinics throughout the winter season at both its Keele and Glendon campuses. Flu and COVID-19 vaccinations will be available at the following four clinics during the month of February.
Glendon Campus clinics
Tuesday, Feb. 13, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Centre of Excellence lobby.
Tuesday, Feb. 27, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Centre of Excellence lobby.
Keele Campus clinics
Wednesday, Feb. 14, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Central Square, Bear Pit.
Wednesday, Feb. 28, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Central Square, Bear Pit.
OHIP is not required at these clinics and vaccines are free of charge. The clinics are walk-in; first come, first served. Free masks and rapid antigen test kits are also available while supplies last. And for those who are curious, yes, it is safe to get both the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines at the same time.
Anyone with new symptoms of illness, or who has recently tested positive for COVID-19, is encouraged to complete the Ontario Ministry of Health’s self-assessment tool for further direction and guidance before visiting a vaccination clinic.
For those with questions regarding respiratory virus protocols, students can contact SCHW@yuoffice.yorku.ca and employees can contact SFCCM@yorku.ca. The hours of operation for these resources are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Professors receive CIHR grants to advance dementia research
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Two York University professors from the Faculty of Health – Lora Appel and Matthias Hoben – have received Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grants to further their contributions to the study of individuals with dementia and their caregivers.
There’s still much about dementia – and dementia care – that remains unexplored, but Appel and Hoben are looking to change that thanks to projects that have received CIHR funding.
Lora Appel
Appel’s $308,952 grant will be put toward the first study to explore how virtual reality (VR) experiences can be used to benefit both people living with dementia (PWD) and their caregivers.
With an increased interest in the therapeutic use of VR with older adults, some studies have suggested there is potential for the technology to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and promote quality of life.
For PWDs, VR can potentially reduce apathy, depression and agitation; for caregivers, as those they care for are occupied, it can be used to provide more breaks from the high levels of burden they often navigate.
Appel’s project, titled “VR&R: Providing Respite to Caregivers by Managing Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms in People with Dementia Using Immersive VR-Therapy,” is one of 13 that received a collective $8.7 million from the CIHR Operating Grant: Mechanisms in Brain Aging and Dementia – Factors and Mechanisms that Impact Cognitive Health in Aging.
The project will now pursue a six-week trial, where PWDs will be given the chance to experience immersive VR stimulations as frequently as they choose. Caregivers will then be able to engage in a desired activity at this time, remaining close by to assist only if needed. In the process, Appel’s project seeks to understand how caregivers benefit from the breaks VR gives them, especially as caregivers often describe respite as an internal experience where they can recuperate without removing themselves from a situation.
Matthias Hoben
Hoben, the other grant recipient, received $100,000 in funding for a study of existing literature on adult day programs – part-day supervised activities for dependent adults. Adult day programs aim to maintain or improve older adults’ health, well-being, social, physical and cognitive functioning, and independence, while also providing caregivers a break or opportunity to continue working a paid job.
Because, to date, studies on the outcomes of day programs are inconclusive, Hoben’s project will look at developing program theories that explain how and why these settings lead to positive, negative, or no effects on individuals with dementia and their caregivers.
Titled “Adult Day Programs and Their effects on individuals with Dementia and their Caregivers (ADAPT-DemCare): Developing program theories on the how and why,” the project – one among 16 that received a collective $1.5 million – has been funded by the CIHR Operating Grant called Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging (BHCIA): Knowledge Synthesis and Mobilization Grants.
Its goal is to provide greater insights and theories into adult day programs with the hope that any resulting theories will be tested and further refined in future studies, and become essential in guiding future research and improvement of day programs.
Both Appel and Hoben are members of the York University Centre for Aging Research & Education (YU-CARE), which looks to support and promote the work of researchers and graduate trainees who study changes, challenges and policies to support aging at individual, organizational and societal levels.
Virtual sessions highlight staff and faculty support services
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The challenges people are met with in their home lives undoubtedly impact their work lives, and York University is working to help with its Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP). The confidential and voluntary support service, run by Telus Health, helps York staff, faculty and their dependents deal with issues related to their off-the-job lives.
This winter, Telus Health is offering virtual EFAP information and orientation sessions to York University employees and managers. Whether help is needed with child or elder care, dealing with a personal medical condition or achieving work-life balance, these sessions will explain how EFAP can help address these challenges and more with its full range of support services.
All staff, faculty and their dependents can access EFAP toll-free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for immediate, confidential help. There is also an online portal with 24-7 access and resources on many topics, including personal well-being and health, relationship issues, healthy living, financial counselling, caregiver resources and Indigenous support.
Below are the virtual session dates and YU Learn registration links for employee and manager sessions. The same information is being offered on multiple dates, so register for the session that best fits your schedule. If you are planning to attend, sign up as soon as possible, as space is limited.
Contact Health, Safety & Employee Well-Being at hslearn@yorku.ca with any questions related to registration.
Osgoode student lawyers save family from deportation
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With only 11 hours to spare, two student lawyers from Osgoode Hall Law School’s Community & Legal Aid Services Program (CLASP) saved the parents of a York University student from family breakup and deportation to Colombia, where they faced potential danger or even death.
When second-year student Brandon Jeffrey Jang and third-year student Emma Sandri learned on Dec. 18 that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) had ordered the parents of a fellow student to be deported on a Colombia-bound plane on Jan. 18, they worked tirelessly over the winter break to prepare about 1,000 pages of legal submissions to stop it – on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
Osgoode students Brandon Jeffrey Jang (left) and Emma Sandri (right).
The student’s father became a target of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the early 1990s when he was a candidate for the country’s Liberal Party, actively working to prevent youth from joining the paramilitary organization. After several threats and acts of physical violence, the family fled to the United States. They returned to Colombia seven years later, but remained in danger and fled again, eventually making their way to Canada in 2009. With the Colombian peace process currently faltering and FARC still a viable force, the family believes their safety could still be threatened if they return to their home country.
The couple’s adult son is a student in York’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science and their daughter is set to graduate from Queen’s University and plans to study medicine. The son and daughter, who already have permanent residency status in Canada, faced being separated from their parents as well as possible academic repercussions if the deportation had gone ahead as scheduled.
The CLASP team’s request to save this family from deportation was initially denied by the CBSA, so they filed two supporting applications with the Federal Court, under the supervision of CLASP review counsel Subodh Bharati. On Jan. 17, just one day before the scheduled deportation, they appeared in person before a Federal Court judge in Toronto to make their case for the family – and they succeeded.
The parents – who have become actively involved in their Toronto community, volunteering during the pandemic, for example, to deliver food to house-bound, immune-compromised residents – expressed their gratitude to the CLASP team in an emotional email.
“Thank you very much for all the effort that you put in our case,” the mother wrote. “I don’t have enough words to express what I feel right now and to say thank you. You are the best lawyers that Toronto has.”
Their joy was shared by Jang and Sandri.
“We were just so happy,” said Jang about hearing news of the successful stay application. “We’ve built a close connection with the family and we’ve all worked extremely hard on this case.”
Jang said the experience has confirmed his desire to pursue a career in immigration law – and this summer he will work for Toronto immigration law firm Green and Spiegel LLP.
Sandri said preparing hundreds of pages of court applications in a month was a tremendous challenge, but learning that the family can stay in Canada as a result of their efforts was a huge relief and incredibly rewarding.
“It was difficult, in terms of wanting to put out our best work in such a limited time span,” she explained, “and we really felt the pressure of the fact that these people’s lives were possibly at stake.”
As they waited for the court decision, she added, “we both couldn’t sleep because we were thinking about what’s going to happen to this family and we were really stressing about that.”
In the wake of the court decision, Bharati said, the parents can now obtain work permits while they wait for the Federal Court to hear judicial reviews of previous decisions that rejected their applications for permanent residency status.
With the students’ time at CLASP nearing an end, Jang and Sandri expressed special appreciation for Bharati’s guidance and trust.
“All of our experiences at the clinic leading up to this case prepared us for the uphill battle we confronted when fighting for this family,” said Jang. “The result was a total team effort on everybody’s part and it was all worth it.”
