Telfer alumnus gives another $1.5M to his alma mater
The University of Ottawa announced this month that alumnus Camille Villeneuve donated another $1.5 million to the Telfer School of Management.
Villeneuve graduated from the U of O almost 50 years ago and is now the president of Multivesco, an Outaouais, Que. development company. The alumnus, who has donated almost $1.85 million to Telfer so far, is a strong supporter of the institution.
“The University of Ottawa gave me the theoretical knowledge needed to succeed … it also enabled me to build a network of contacts that was decisive throughout my more than 40-year career,” he said, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
University president Allan Rock said Villeneuve’s donation will provide Telfer students with “the means to make a difference in our community and beyond,” thus enhancing the student experience.
According to the U of O, $150,000 of the funds will be given to Telfer’s pre-existing Villeneuve Student Activity Fund, which provides financial assistance to U of O students who participate in academic events such as workshops and conferences.
Another $350,000 of the donation will be used to create the Camille Villeneuve Fund for Entrepreneurship. This new fund will aid Telfer students with enterprise startups, and provide networking opportunities with fellow entrepreneurs.
The remaining $1 million will be used to support future Telfer endeavours.
—Carolyn Mutis
Canada changes airline safety following Germanwings crash
Federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt issued an emergency order requiring Canadian airlines to have two crew members in the cockpit at all times on March 26. The order applies to all commercial flights.
The new regulation is a direct result of reports that the co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 deliberately crashed the plane in the French Alps after locking his pilot out of the cockpit.
Raitt told reporters that the “order is seeking to fill a gap that is in the rules.” The new rule allows a member of the cabin crew to take the place of a pilot if they leave the cockpit.
Air Canada, WestJet, and Air Transat confirmed they would now require two crewmembers in the cockpit. Porter said its policy always required two members of the crew in the cockpit during flight. Air Canada said the airline is monitoring the investigation of the crash and will make further policy changes if required.
Since 9/11, the standard American operating procedure is that when a pilot leaves the cockpit a flight attendant must take their place.
Airlines in Europe are not required to have two people in the cockpit at all times. However, many airlines are amending policies to implement a similar rule.
—Lindsay MacMillan
Girls behind banned gay rights project to receive award
The Canadian Centre of Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) will be honouring two Ottawa girls who were told they couldn’t do their school project on gay rights.
Quinn Maloney-Tavares and Polly Hamilton will receive the award at the CCGSD’s 10th annual Ottawa Pink Gala.
Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals congratulated the girls on the receipt of the award. “In Ontario, we believe in a safe and inclusive school environment where all students feel safe and accepted, and I’m proud to see these students putting this belief into practice,” said Sandals, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
The girls’ story made headlines after the principal at St. George Elementary School told them to pick a different topic for the school’s social justice fair.
The Ottawa Catholic School Board reviewed the matter and invited the girls and their parents to meet with principal Anne Beauchamp to work out the issue.
After the meeting, Ann Maloney, one of the girls’ mothers, said the girls did their project on how a Catholic high school’s equity club addresses gay rights.
Maloney said the two girls have been affected by the controversy, having received both praise and criticism over their project.
“There was a loss of innocence. They realized there are grownup people who don’t see the world the same way that they see it,” she said.
—Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi
