June 25, 2021
The Sisters of St. Ann and Royal BC Museum have signed a MOU that will see UBC’s Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre receive “enhanced access” to SSA “private archival records.” The records will be made accessible to Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc, including in virtual formats, and may be helpful in identifying the remains of the 215 children found at the Kamloops Residential School. “We affirm our commitment to collaborate in finding the truth and will assist in the process in whatever way we can,” said Sister Marie Zarowny, president and board chair of The Sisters of St Ann. “It is of the utmost importance to us to contribute, in any way possible, to transparency and accessibility, and participate in activities that can lead to healing and reconciliation.”
Times Colonist |
Global News |
Victoria Buzz (BC)
Fleming College has reportedly called off its Canada Day celebrations as a sign of respect and solidarity with Indigenous peoples. The college is encouraging others to approach the day as one of reflection and acknowledgement. “Our intent is not to undermine the positive experiences, as Canada is a place of refuge, inclusivity and safety for many,” states the release. “However, we must honour our collective truth that this nation has been built on Indigenous lands and at the expense of the loss of Indigenous culture, traditions and lives.”
Fleming |
Peterborough Examiner (ON)
As part of its Indigenization Project, BCcampus has released
Actions for reconciliation as citizens and educators, a series of resources about how professional educators can learn more about Indigenous peoples and histories in Canada. While the resource was developed for the BC postsecondary system, the resources include toolkits, reading lists, political documents, and more from across Canada. “Educators have a great deal of power and agency to make choices that affect thousands of students over a career – choices about course curriculum, policies, assessment, technologies, and their own behaviours and approaches to facilitating learning,” states the website. “The first and ongoing action is your own deep listening and active pursuit of learning about Indigenous Peoples and histories.”
BCcampus (BC)
Ontario’s Court of Appeal has rejected Thorneloe University’s
attempt to reverse Laurentian University’s termination of the federation agreement.
CTV News says that, since there were no “win-win decisions” to be made, the three-judge court panel chose to reject the appeal to ensure Laurentian’s stability was not threatened by the restoration of the agreement with Thorneloe. Additionally, Laurentian’s DIP Lender required the termination of the federation, and reversing the decision would mean that Huntington would also be entitled to receive funding from Laurentian. “While we recognize the serious financial implications of the disclaimer for Thorneloe, we are simply not persuaded that there is an arguable basis for interfering with the CCAA judge’s factual findings or legal conclusions,” reads the court transcript. Thorneloe President Dr John Gibaut said that the school is looking at other legal options, and CBC reports that Thorneloe and Laurentian are still negotiating a termination agreement.
CBC |
CTV News (ON)
The University of Saskatchewan has launched the
waniska Centre, which will focus on research on HIV, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and sexually transmitted blood-borne illness (STBBI). The Centre will work to address these diseases in culturally relevant ways in communities across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It will aim to use a Two-eyed Seeing approach to engage in research while developing and scaling up science and research projects and technologies. “A lot of Indigenous ways of knowing and doing are very preventative, and I think that if we are allowed to and provided the resources to go back to our original teachings, even in this modern world, and update it with some of the great new things, I think that you will see much better health and wellness for Indigenous people,” said Dr Alexandra King, lead researcher at
waniska and a member of the Nipissing First Nation.
USask |
CBC (SK)
University campuses are a vital part of city cores and will contribute to post-pandemic economic recovery and growth in their cities, writes MacEwan University President Dr Annette Trimbee. Trimbee explains that universities positioned in downtown cores have connections to the local communities, businesses, and culture. Learning in this space sparks innovation, and students in a wide variety of departments engage with the community through initiatives such as music and festivals, free tax clinics, and support for homeless individuals. “Our location influences what we teach, how we research and what we study,” explains Trimbee. “Our urban roots mean that we are inextricably intertwined with people and community and have a role to play in making sure people find their way back to the core.”
Policy Options (Editorial)
Confederation College’s Decolonization Committee has released its Decolonization Report, which outlines the policy changes Confederation is taking to become a more inclusive institution. “We've always known there was systemic racism, so that wasn't an issue or an argument,” said Confederation president Kathleen Lynch. “It was how to address it.” The report includes a roadmap for the college’s future work in areas such as education and capacity building; data collection; increased student supports; and the development of new policies in the areas of diversity, inclusion, social media, human rights, and decolonization. It also includes recommendations on relationships with third-party vendors, the complaints process, communication and human resources practices, and learning and development.
Confederation |
CBC |
TB News Watch (ON)
International students can harness emotional intelligence to manage stress associated with COVID-19 challenges, writes Rakha Zabin, a Brock University PhD student. The author explains that international students face additional challenges such as border closures, visa and graduation status, and decreased practical training opportunities, and that international students should receive better institutional support to deal with pandemic-related challenges. Zabin adds that international students can use aspects of emotional intelligence – self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and motivation – to manage pandemic and other challenges. “[E]motional intelligence is crucial for managing their adaptive processes and regulating their emotions and is essential for better overall health and well-being,” writes the author.
The Conversation (Editorial)
Ryerson University’s G Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education has announced that it is launching two new certificate programs for the Fall semester. The Certificate in Indigenous Youth and Child Engagement is a free pathway-to-degree program that will allow Indigenous community youth workers to gain a postsecondary education while they continue to work within their communities. The Certificate in Fashion Innovation will train students to be prepared to succeed in a media-rich environment, and will focus on topics such as EDI, gender fluidity, sustainability, and digitalization and data analytics.
Ryerson (ON)
Students who were expecting to live in residence at Dalhousie University are scrambling to find accommodations after the institution reportedly reduced its residence capacity to 80%. First-year students entering directly from high school and students who already had been living in residence were given priority for the residence spaces. CBC says that students are now struggling to find affordable accommodations in the competitive market, and that those from outside of the region are facing additional challenges finding accommodations. “I had all my schooling plans and my classes and everything, and then I had no housing,” said student Leeanne Richardson. “So it kind of hit me that if I don't have housing, I can't go to school.”
CBC (NS)
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