Authorities raid kennel near Shawville
OTTAWA—A RAID CARRIED out by authorities, in conjunction with Humane Society International Canada, has turned up an ever-growing number of dogs. The seizure at the Paws ‘R’ Us kennel, located northwest of Ottawa, initially involved about 500 animals, but more than 90 puppies have since been born at the emergency shelter in Lachute where the dogs are being kept pending a custody hearing.
The owner of the kennel said she is a target for animal rights activists and that inspectors of her kennel only reported minor violations. Rebecca Aldworth of the Humane Society said over 100 of the seized dogs have received critical veterinary care, but it’s unclear how many will survive.
If the custody hearing rules against the kennel owner, the Humane Society will put the animals up for adoption. They say they have already received calls from all across Canada.
—Edward Roué
Library staff strike at UWO ends
TORONTO (CUP)—A DEAL HAS been reached between the University of Western Ontario (UWO) and its library staff, ending a strike that has disrupted the campus since it began on Sept. 8.
About 50 librarians and archivists, who had been without a contract since June 30, will return to work on Sept. 26.
“Next week, we’re back to a situation where we’re fully up and running with those individuals back at their posts,” said Keith Marnoch, director of media relations. “We’re happy it was negotiated.”
A four-year agreement was approved on Sept. 23 by 84 per cent of the library and archive staff, with Western’s Board of Governors also voting their approval.
The strike began over salary issues. Prior to the new agreement, there was a pay gap of 20 per cent between Western librarians and archive staff and library staff at other comparable Ontario universities. The University of Western Ontario faculty association (UWO) also discussed the workload and the number of staff, according to a statement from UWO.
The four-year deal will see the 51 members of staff receiving a salary increase of 1.5 per cent per year.
—Lee Richardson, CUP Ontario Bureau Chief
Racist frosh activity sparks complaints
MONTREAL (CUP) —ANTHONY MORGAN, A McGill University law student, filed a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission after witnessing an incident of racism committed by students using blackface makeup at a frosh activity at the Université de Montréal.
Students were dressed in Jamaican flag colour waving the flag and shouting, “More weed, ya mon, ya mon!” A student representative from HEC Montréal, the business school associated with the university whose students were performing these acts, said they had chosen Olympian Usain Bolt as their representative for the themed activity.
HEC secretary-general Jacques Nantel has formally apologized for this behaviour, saying that this was a racist act, whether or not there was intent to cause harm.
Charmaine Nelson, a McGill art history professor, said the HEC administration reacted “really poorly” to the incident, and added that they “should have to write an apology,” as well as do some community service.
Morgan thought the students of HEC should work with the community to introduce anti-racism programs, but sees that this occurrence is part of the larger issue of racism even in today’s society.
—Kyle Wallace
StatsCan study says tuition is on the rise
SASKATOON (CUP)—AS UNIVERSITIES TRY to balance their budgets in the face of a sluggish economy, Canadian university students have seen their tuition go up by eight per cent in the last two years.
A four per cent increase for the 2010–11 year was followed by another 4.3 per cent hike this year, according to a Statistics Canada study. The Canadian average for undergraduate tuition is now $5,366. Ontario students, who pay $6,640 on average, pay the highest tuition in the country, while Quebec undergrads enjoy the lowest tuition in the nation paying an average of $2,519 per year. Students in Newfoundland and Labrador, where tuition fees have been frozen since 2003–04, are paying an average of $2,649.
The national average for compulsory fees went up 5.5 per cent for undergrads.
While Canadian undergrads are paying more each year, they are still significantly better off than their international and graduate student counterparts. International students, who represent a rapidly growing proportion of the student population, pay an average of $17,571 per year in tuition—up 9.5 per cent from two years ago.
—Tannara Yelland, CUP Prairies & Northern Bureau Chief
