Premier McGuinty steps down
TORONTO—ONTARIO PREMIER DALTON McGuinty shocked his caucus during a surprise meeting on Oct. 15 by resigning as premier and Ontario Liberal party leader. The move comes as the Ontario government faces several controversies, including their handling of Ornge, the air-ambulance-service provider, and the shutting down of power stations in Oakville and Mississauga.
McGuinty also announced that the legislature will be prorogued indefinitely while the party searches for a new leader. Both the Progressive Conservatives’ Tim Hudak and New Democratic Party’s Andrea Horwath have voiced their opposition to the prorogation of the legislature.
McGuinty has been the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Ottawa South since 1990. He succeeded his father, Dalton McGuinty Sr., as the MPP for the riding after his father’s death from a heart attack. McGuinty was elected as Ontario Liberal party leader in 1996 and as premier in 2003.
—Andrew Ikeman
Former Bank of Canada governor dead at 102
WINNIPEG—JAMES ELLIOTT COYNE, former governor of the Bank of Canada, died Oct. 12 at the age of 102 in Winnipeg, Man. Andrew Coyne, his son and a prominent Canadian journalist, confirmed his father’s passing.
Coyne graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1931 and was named a Rhodes Scholar, a title which allowed him to attend the University of Oxford.
Coyne was governor of the Bank of Canada from 1955–1961. His tenure at the bank was noteworthy, exemplified by his resigning in 1961 after refusing to adopt the monetary policies of then prime minister John Diefenbaker. The incident was recognized as an important landmark in the bank’s autonomy, despite the fact that the governor of the Bank of Canada continues to be appointed by the minister of finance.
—Jesse Mellott
University of P.E.I. campus hit by pro-life chalkings
CHARLOTTETOWN (CUP)—Students arriving on the UPEI campus on Oct. 9 were bombarded with pro-life messages left in chalk by Students For Life, a student group opposed to abortion.
The group used chalk to scrawl pro-life messages on pathways leading in nearly every direction on campus. Their messages included slogans such as “Life is Beautiful,” “Right to Life,” and “I am happy you were born!”
The group also drew footprints to represent the first steps of children. Along one walkway, chalkings traced the development of a fetus during its time in the womb, accompanied by lines like “Week 5: You Have Toes!!!!” and “Month 6: Kickin’ Kickin’ Kickin’.”
Earlier in the year, the PEI Reproductive Rights Organization made international headlines with their campaign to grant access to abortions for women on Prince Edward Island. Currently, P.E.I. is the only Canadian province that does not provide abortion services.
In addition to the pro-life group Students For Life, a pro-choice student group called the Campus Alliance for Reproductive Justice has also been formed on campus. The group first became active this past spring.
UPEI Facilities Management later sent work crews to power-wash the chalk away.
—Josh Coles and Garrett Curley, the Cadre
