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Professor Janice Gross Stein may object to some religious traditions, in her own faith and others, but this does not mean her wishes should become law in Canada. What audacity to propose that Canada deny the Catholic Church charitable tax status for not wanting to ordain women!
This is an internal church matter and is not an issue to be considered by the Canadian legislature. Similarly, rituals performed by various synagogues should not fall under the purview of Canadian law. I’m sure Prof. Stein is not alone in holding views that differ from her religious institution. Discussion and debate is proper, but should be kept within those institutions.
Allen Abel states that “U of T’s ecclesiastic alphabet once began and ended with ‘A’ for Anglican.” Strictly speaking, this is not true, and the fact that it is not true is an essential point to bear in mind when considering the role of religion in university life at U of T.
King’s College, the forerunner of the University of Toronto, was an Anglican institution. However, the affiliation with the Church of England was formally dissolved before U of T was created in 1849 as an expressly nondenominational institution. In fact, the most defining feature of U of T’s development was the gradual union of multiple universities of various religious affiliations into a non-sectarian federation, among them: University College (non-denominational), St. Michael’s (Catholic), Victoria (Methodist) and Trinity (Anglican).
U of T has a long and admirable history of tolerance and respect for different faiths, but without the officially secular and non-denominational status of the university as a whole, this tolerance and respect would never have been possible. Having read some of the comments made by the students interviewed in the article (several of which are quite alarming), I think that a reminder of the central importance of the limitation of the role of religion in university life, and in the public sphere in general, might be beneficial. The more fanatical among them might do well to read Janice Gross Stein’s very insightful article about the conflict between religion and civil liberties.
However, in the case of students who, by their own admission, are guided by a personal philosophy that rejects the binding nature of rational conclusions, this may be a waste of time.
The only really sustainable solution, of course, is to produce no trash. However, Mr. Lorinc covers this point with only one small paragraph about packaging rules. Enforcing a cradle-to-cradle responsibility for all materials is the only long-term solution to our garbage problems.
Professor Janice Gross Stein’s thoughtful article addresses the important question of what the state should tolerate under the banner of religious freedom. Ultimately, though, she directs us toward fascism: religious beliefs and practices that do not promote state values must be punished.
Prof. Stein’s example of the “sexual discrimination” in clergy ordination as a conflict between religious freedom and human rights is misplaced. For Bible-based religions, the ordination of male clergy is based on a theology of the fatherhood of God. These are inextricably wound together, and you cannot change the tradition without changing the theology. Better to ban a religion completely than redefine it.
Canada recognizes the value that religious traditions have made to society. Since participation in religion is entirely voluntary, there is no need for the state to intervene. Disenfranchised believers are free to abandon their religion and embrace – or even invent – another.
What, then, to do? Historically, there have been primarily two paths: permit or persecute. Prof. Stein would lead us down a path to persecution: financially harass or oppress those religions that don’t propagate state ideologies. How does that fit the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
The resurgence of religion in the life of U of T students greatly disturbed me. My undergraduate education taught me how to think critically and logically. My professors challenged my untested assumptions and beliefs, and I am deeply grateful to them for that. They would never have allowed me to say that having a prayer “answered” is proof of Christ’s divinity (and not sheer coincidence), or that my religion is complete and another’s religion is not (What’s the evidence? What does “complete” mean), or that I had the right to instruct those who do not pray because they are negligent (Whatever happened to tolerance?). If this kind of reasoning is representative of today’s undergraduate students, I am truly saddened.
As an American citizen, I read about religious diversity at the University of Toronto with envy. I first moved to Toronto in 1988 and fell in love with the multicultural vibrancy of the city. However, due to life circumstances, I had to return to the United States a few years later.
Right-wing Christians and the Republican Party currently dominate American society. At least once or twice a year I become so discouraged by my government’s policies that I muse about the possibility of returning to Canada. This article has fired that longing once again. Thank you for reminding me of the value Canadians place on diversity and multiculturalism.
I shall look forward to a future story focusing on atheists, agnostics and secular humanists. Surely we non-believers are worthy of some, if not equal, time and space.
Janice Gross Stein implies very strongly that churches whose tenets are even marginally exclusionary toward women should lose their charitable status.
I suspect the reason that some churches’ charitable status is being targeted is that many faith groups oppose aspects of the liberal agenda, including same-sex marriage. The largest faith group in Canada does not admit women to ordained ministry. Revoking its charitable status may make a small number of people feel better. Unfortunately, it would also put a stop to much of the charitable activity in Canada taking place at food banks, women’s shelters, health clinics and youth programs.
This story is certainly politically correct: you avoided controversy by interviewing students from a variety of religious backgrounds. I wish you had delved deeper, exploring the raison d’etre for all universities: the pursuit of truth.
There was a U of T professor who was known for making philosophers come alive. After his lecture on Plato you were sure that Platonism was his personal philosophy. But after hearing him expound on Stoicism, you were sure he was a Stoic. And so it was with all the others, from Epicurus to Pascal. However, at the end of the course, the professor would reveal that his own personal position was that of the Christian philosophers. I honour that professor because he was committed to basic logic, which says that there is objective truth and we can recognize it.
I wish you had investigated the similarities and differences among the core beliefs of the world’s major religions, emphasizing the founders’ claims and the reasons why adherents accept those claims. After all, if there is only one God, then some of the competing claims about his nature must be true and some must be false, and we should be able to discern the difference.
The role of women in many religions is changing, but, as Professor Janice Stein points out, separate but equal treatment is not the solution. Prof. Stein has thrown down the gauntlet to all religious leaders to find ways to accommodate the voices of women – and to not take forever to do it!
In her essay, Professor Janice Stein writes that “separate but equal treatment… has a long and inglorious history of discrimination that systematically disadvantages some part of a community.” What really has a “long and inglorious history” is the use of state law to discriminate against people because of their religious practices. For 2,000 years, Jews in Europe were forced into crowded ghettos, tortured and executed; their sacred texts were censored and burned. Now, Prof. Stein would use Canadian law to force her synagogue to change against her rabbi’s will.
Prof. Stein says she has other options for worship. I think she should take advantage of her freedoms and not force anyone to adopt her interpretation of the Charter. In this case, extrapolating the law of the land is a dangerous path to take.
Religion versus the Charter? Enough! Religion is a Charter right. Across Canada, it seems universities are leading the charge to make religion a “less-than-equal” equality right. In November, Carleton University voted to restrict the activities of a pro-life group. At the University of British Columbia, the student union refused to register a pro-life group. What happened to universities being a bastion of free speech?
I would challenge Professor Stein’s statement that “Canadians are proudly multicultural.” Over the past 20 years, writers such as Reginald Bibby, Allen Gregg and many others have expressed serious reservations about multiculturalism.
The openness, patience and mutual respect advocated by Prof. Stein can be found only when the participants in the discussion are individually committed to a common social good. Can one expect this commitment from new Canadians, coming from many different backgrounds?
Having taught students with learning disabilities for many years, I read this story with great interest. Kids with learning disabilities often feel that few can understand their pain because, like chronic pain sufferers, their disorder is hidden from view. Thank you for lending credence to this important topic.
S.G. Tanner
BEd 1979
Burlington, Ontario
Trevor Cole examines why people make unethical business decisions, but doesn't consider the planning horizon. An executive who is preoccupied with how his decisions affect the short-term stock price of his company is more likely to do what is expedient - or, as Cole puts it, resort to situational ethics.
Executives concerned with their company's long-term performance are more likely to make decisions that reflect ethical values. After all, unethical choices made in the hope of short-term gains are likely to become apparent over the longer term.
Bill Kennedy
BCom 1981 Trinity
Toronto
Trevor Cole's article, though generally insightful, treads lightly over some significant terrain. I would like to have read more about the influence of family and spirituality on ethical behaviour. North America is a society of overachievers. From birth, we are told that for every winner there must be one or more losers. It's no wonder that this obsessive focus on success invites ethical shortcuts.
Whether they like it or not, faculty members should act as role models for students. Similarly, churches, synagogues and other spiritual organizations can provide guidance and help restore the balance between the material and the spiritual aspects of our lives.
Don Mulcahy
DDS 1967
Edmonton
Thomas Hurka, who holds the Henry N. R. Jackman distinguished chair in philosophical studies, offers two main reasons for why people behave ethically: self-interest (a fear of punishment if they're caught behaving badly); and the knowledge that other people are behaving ethically. Is this correct? Are there no Kantians left? Don't most people who behave ethically do so out of a sense of moral duty to do the right thing?
Mark Bernstein
BSc 1972 University College, MHSc 2003
Toronto
Trevor Cole's article is timely and informative. His research into the "why" of unethical behaviour went far beyond the sensational approach of the news media, and it was gratifying to read about the Rotman School's plan to focus on good corporate citizenship.
Patricia Rudan
BA 1983 Erindale
Mississauga, Ontario
Congratulations on an excellent article about corporate governance. We should use the recent bout of business philandering to teach the next generation about the perils of selfishness, materialism, and believing oneself to be above the rules, and that one's humanity - not a garage full of rolls royces - is the true measure of a person's worth.
Laura Pontoriero
BA 2002 University College
Toronto
Please note that Martha Stewart was never convicted of insider trading. She was jailed for telling a lie to a policeman, something not considered a crime in most civilized societies. The biggest potential threats to our economic well-being are agents of the state like New York state attorney general Eliot Spitzer and Russian president Vladimir Putin, either of whom could do far more damage than a thousand Martha Stewarts.
John Sands
BA 1952 Victoria
Markham, Ontario
Congratulations to Roger Martin for seeking to improve the social responsibility of corporations. However, Martin's ethical concerns appear qualified: he seeks new ways "for companies to be more socially responsible without having to sacrifice profits." Corporate leaders will not make the necessary psycho-moral breakthrough if they constrict their ethics by this qualification. Although it is encouraging to find ethical actions that also sustain or enhance profits, there are simply too many occasions where the right ethical decision will have a detrimental impact on profits - forgoing a profitable contract, for example, because of a corporate policy against paying bribes. As Martin points out with his example from the cement industry, collective corporate action can reduce the bottom-line pain of ethical decisions. However, other companies often will not buy in, or will not buy in soon enough, leaving someone to take the moral lead - and the bottom-line hit.
Dr. Chris Barrigar
BA 1982 Innis
Montreal
Professor Wiseman correctly asserts that media sensationalism has played a role in decreasing people's confidence in government. However, he neglects to mention another important factor: high taxes. As taxes have risen over the years, Canadians have become increasingly hostile to incidents involving real or perceived government corruption, waste or mismanagement because these incidents involve their money. This may also answer the professor's question about why the salaries of movie stars and athletes do not receive as much coverage as those of politicians. Celebrities are not paid by hard-working, ordinary canadians. Politicians are.
Michael Filonienko
BA 1994 Erindale
Toronto
Etan Vlessing neglected to mention that much of the university was used as a backdrop in the 1973 classic The Paper Chase. Many Faculty of Law students were hired as extras. Thirty dollars a day was a considerable sum and much of the time on set was spent waiting for the shots to be taken. Of course, none of us look the same now as we did then, but who does? Except maybe U of T president Frank Iacobucci, a law professor at the time, who joined us at the movie's première.
Stephen Grant
BA 1970 Victoria, LLB 1973
Toronto
I am not sure whether I am more dismayed by U of T's showing in the latest Maclean's survey or your gross distortion of how our university fared in that survey. In the section in which graduates were asked to rate their alma mater, rather than being "tops again," the university barely showed up at all. On questions about classroom instruction, student services and overall university experience, U of T graduates gave their school low marks. The university did not rank anywhere in the top 20. I appreciate that there are a lot of arguments against the validity of the survey. However, if you are going to report the results, why not state that much of the survey seems to indicate that U of T is failing its students?
Gordon Lemon
BA 1979
Cambridge, Ontario
I returned recently from West Africa and was touched by this article and Bryan Walls' work in keeping his family's history alive. My daughter Nancy is a U of T grad and is working for our church in Benin. While we were there, we visited the oceanfront memorial at Ouidah, which honours the slaves who were taken from their homes to North America. It is called "The Port of No Return." We spent time thinking of all the pain centred in that place, and I am interested in reading more about the lives of people who came from there. How can I order Bryan Walls' book?
Ina Frey
St. Clements, Ontario
I first read about Harriet Tubman when I was in grade school and have been fascinated by the Underground Railroad ever since. (My dad even took me to The Underground Railroad restaurant in Toronto when i was about 10 and it was a big thrill.) I was very interested to read this article, and would like to know how to obtain a copy of Bryan Walls' book.
A.L. Mahoney
BA 1984 St. Michael's
Ottawa
Bryan Walls' book, The Road That Led to Somewhere, can be ordered by emailing proverbs@undergroundrailroadmuseum.com or by calling (519) 258-6253.
I first heard about the problem of chronic pain several years ago from a church member. I didn’t know where he could get help in Toronto. Thanks to this article, I know about the Wasser Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital.
The book Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants, by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey, provides a similar perspective. The authors suggest that pain is God’s gift – the body’s early-warning system. However, when the system short-circuits we need Dr. Allan Gordon and his team in a big way.
Rev. Graham A.D. Scott
BA 1964 UC, BD 1967
St. Catharines, Ontario
This is an informative brief study of the subject, but unfortunately is almost completely instrumentalist. Presumably Marni Jackson's book is less so. But to write of pain without reference to its spiritual or religious impact is absurd, even given her clear medical approach. And to use without attribution the title of C.S. Lewis’s well-known book on the subject makes the omission that much more stark. Ouch!
Brad Faught
PhD 1996
Toronto
This brought back vivid memories of my years as a mature student at U of T from 1974 to 1977. At the age of 45, I entered Trinity College through a program for adults who had no formal high school diploma. I had been a professional writer for many years, with two books under my belt, and careers in advertising and marketing. But in my classes, I was just “John” – an old guy in sweater and jeans. With absolutely no experience of university life, I had a steep learning curve. My intention was to major in social anthropology and then earn a master’s degree in what was then called museology. As with Cynthia, I made friends among my classmates, who accepted me even though I was old enough to be their father. I often wonder what happened to them. Megan sat next to me in first-year history and helped me learn how to study again. Mary fearlessly interrupted our professor to ask, “What’s your point?” Duncan asked me whether he should quit university. I think I convinced him to stay.
My fellow graduate students were not as friendly and far more competitive, but my years as a mature student were richly fulfilling.
John Fisher
BA 1977 Trinity, MMSt 1979
Uxbridge, Ontario
Professor Sujit Choudhry and Michael Pal contend that Canada’s voting system under-represents urban and minority voters.
Since 2002, Fair Vote Canada has been working to change Canada’s first-past-the-post voting system, partly because it does not fairly represent women and minority groups. Merely tweaking electoral boundaries and the number of parliamentary seats will not address the problems of our current system. Proportional representation would ensure that every vote counts, and would eliminate false majority governments and the perceived need for strategic voting.
The system most likely to be recommended in May by the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform will include an increase in the number of seats in the Ontario legislature and may amend electoral riding boundaries. But more importantly, it will give us a fair voting system. I strongly encourage Choudhry and Pal and anyone else concerned about our undemocratic voting system to join Fair Vote Canada in its efforts.
Cindy Long
MEd 2005
Ottawa
Thanks for this interesting overview of the Faculty of Forestry’s early history. It seems that today’s dean faces the same challenge in getting society to recognize the value of our forests and the need to sustain them.
Tim Gray
MSc 1992
Toronto
Cynthia Macdonald’s article reminded me how fortunate I was to attend classes with “mature” students back in the 1980s. Like most young people, we didn’t appreciate how much our older peers added to the classroom dynamic. Their wealth of experience and genuine interest in the subjects generally went unnoticed.
I befriended two older students in particular. They both attended classes part time: one held an administrative job at U of T and the other was a German academic. They both felt passionately about Bronze Age archeology and questioned theories in a way that the rest of us didn’t. These wonderful people encouraged me to continue with my studies and earn a PhD. One of them even accompanied me to Greece and helped challenge my theories over a glass of retsina at the end of a day of fieldwork. I would not have achieved all that I did without the support and encouragement I received from my older friends.
Nancy Claire Adams (née Loader)
BA 1989 Victoria
Edinburgh, Scotland
It was a great pleasure to read President David Naylor’s column about the role of the humanities at U of T. I have a Latin background, but I studied and lived in Canada for almost two decades, which constituted for me a humanistic experience, both in the academic and existential senses. Nowadays I am self-employed, and teach English as a Second Language.
Dr. Naylor points out that “the humanities teach us much about bridging cultures and negotiating the often difficult terrain of human relationships.” I would add that, with respect to languages at least, this is a double-edged sword. With language we can build relationships, but we can also destroy them.
Iraque Ribeiro De Melo
MDiv 1986
Curitiba, Brazil
This article, which dealt primarily with arts courses, brought to mind my experience as a teaching assistant for nine years at U of T. During that time, I tutored classes and graded papers in the sciences – psychology, physiology and math – and found no shortage of students cheating. However, when my fellow TAs and I brought these acts to the attention of the course professors, the students generally received no worse a penalty than a grade of zero on the assignment. Harsher penalties and personal confrontations were avoided and the incidents were not reported to higher authorities, presumably because the professors themselves feared a stain upon their reputations.
The cheating my fellow TAs and I discovered included copying assignments from previous years, submitting identical math proofs or laboratory measurements (which rarely occurs when students work independently) and sharing information during examinations. When TAs reported these incidents to the professors, we were, by and large, ignored. If U of T wants to catch academic malefactors, it is the faculty, not the students, who need ethical training – and the assurance that they will not be held responsible for incidents that are beyond their control. Without that, all the software in the world won’t make a difference.
Ifty Nizami
BSc 1982, MSc 1988, PHD 1999
Decatur, Georgia
The title “Ms. Universe,” used for the cover story about astronaut Julie Payette, made me very angry. Payette is a world-class scientist, whom you diminished by resorting to a blatantly sexist double entendre for your headline. Would you do something similar if Stephen Hawking were your subject?
Micol Kates
Toronto
Cynthia Macdonald notes that she found the language of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel’s final report “quite even-handed,” though some reformers condemned it for being too “rigidly basics-oriented.”
Good math instructors have always strived to simultaneously develop conceptual understanding, computational fluency and problem-solving skills. The fact that these so-called reformers equate their misconceptions about how mathematics is taught and learned with conceptual understanding has always been the heart of the problem.
Wayne Bishop
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Los Angeles
When my husband, Ron Sawatsky (PhD 1986), and I moved to the U.S. in 2000, I went back to college and had to take a couple of math courses. I was petrified because although I am good at arithmetic, I have a mental block when it comes to conceptual problems. One course, called “The History and Culture of Math,” helped me realize that my fear of math was based on the way I learn; I need a context to understand a problem. In the course, we learned why math is useful and how it developed historically, and worked on math problems as they related to historical events. After finishing the course, I still didn’t love math. But I had learned to appreciate the subject in a different way – and to fear it less. If, in elementary or high school, I had been introduced to math via history and culture, my mental block might never have developed.
Susan M. Sawatsky
Souderton, Pennsylvania
Professor Emeritus Jim Leake suggests that government tax benefits for employer dental plans result in “lost tax revenue.” He is quoted indirectly as saying that “perversely, low-income, non-insured individuals end up paying higher taxes to help finance the dental care of their wealthier neighbours who are fortunate enough to have a private plan.”
That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it? Perhaps I should argue that, more perversely, high income individuals, in addition to working hard to land a job with dental benefits, also end up paying higher taxes to help finance the health care of their poorer neighbours (via higher tax brackets, high-income surtax and Ontario Health Premiums). I don’t argue against universal health or dental care, and the article quite intrigued me. But I don’t think Leake will win favour for his cause with the educated readers of this magazine with such wishy-washy claims.
Shannon Hickey
BSc 1999 UC
Georgina, Ontario
Recently the Toronto Star featured a report on 20 of Canada’s most dynamic and gifted young people under the age of 20. What an amazing group! They are teaching underprivileged youth computer and life skills, making care packages for kids in shelters, starting libraries in Third World countries, working on scientific research projects, fundraising for poor children in India, teaching music to autistic children, working to improve the environment, providing medical supplies to the Third World and much more.
Then I got my University of Toronto Magazine for Summer 2007 featuring “Young Grads, Big Ideas.” I expected to see similarly inspiring stories. I did read about a number of young grads who are excelling in medicine, science and the arts but also found a modelling agent, a golf magnate, interior designers, an actor, a chocolatier, a handbag maven, a casino tycoon, a marketing whiz and an entertainment lawyer. Wow! For the sake of society I hope the Star’s “under 20s” will stay away from U of T.
Mary Doucette
BEd 1977
Toronto
I noticed that this article uses the phrase “the town’s white-bread populace."
Why choose the phrase “white-bread” rather than “Caucasian” or “white” unless the intention was to disparage white people?
I am both disappointed and concerned that U of T Magazine would accept this derogatory term.
H. Ferrugia
Toronto
Like H. Farrugia, I am upset that U of T Magazine used the term “white-bread” to refer to whites. What a sad world we live in if we have to cross the line of decency to emphasize a point. By the way, I can find many racial slurs in various dictionaries, but that doesn’t mean that I have to use them. There is something that each of us should use – and that is good taste.
M. Novar
Mississauga, Ontario
It never fails to astonish me that each year more and more people give more and more money to charities and universities. From the cynic’s point of view, people like Sheldon Inwentash and Lynn Factor and the Goldring family give because they get a great tax receipt or because they can’t use all that wearisome cash anyway or because they want their names on a building or two. But does it matter whether the cynics are right? Not really. The point is they have chosen to do some public good with their wealth instead of rolling around in it like some self-indulgent Scrooge McDucks. Good for them.
Geoff Rytell
BEd 1975
Toronto
I won the J.K. Macalister scholarship at Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute. Like Macalister, I also went on to U of T. However, unlike him, I subsequently returned to Guelph and lived near the park named in his honour. Although I knew the bare bones of his story I was interested to learn more.
Angela Hofstra
BScPhm 1986, PharmD 1993
Guelph, Ontario
I always enjoy reading U of T Magazine, but the Autumn 2007 issue was particularly good. The articles “Witness to War,” by Stacey Gibson, and “Behind Enemy Lines,” by Alec Scott, were both extremely interesting. When I attended the University of Toronto, I often walked past Soldiers’ Tower but didn’t think too much about it. After reading the story about J.K. Macalister and Frank Pickersgill and their capture by the Nazis in the Second World War, I would like to learn more about the individuals who gave their lives for our country.
Linda Klassen
PharmD 1995
Saskatoon
While members of the Toronto Secular Alliance applaud the “spirit” of exploring students’ religious beliefs, we were disappointed that this did not extend to those who lack faith. The Toronto Secular Alliance has helped create the first student centre for non-religious individuals. Perhaps it is time for some coverage.
Schreiber Pereira
Toronto Secular Alliance
Stacey Gibson’s article about Betsy Mosbaugh brought back vivid memories of the blizzard of Dec. 12, 1944.
On that Tuesday morning my brother and I found about two feet of snow outside our farm in Clarkson, Ontario. We didn’t want to miss any classes, so we set out to catch the 7:04 commuter train to Toronto. We trudged all the way down Clarkson Road from north of the QEW in the deep snow. The train was more than an hour late. By the time we and a few others arrived at the downtown campus, it was clear that nothing much was going on – or was likely to for the rest of the day.
I plodded across Bloor Street to Yonge then down to Queen Street, following the southbound streetcar track on Yonge without having to dodge any traffic. When I arrived at Queen, it was still too early to catch the 5:20 train home, so I passed the rest of the afternoon at the Casino burlesque theatre, about where the Sheraton Centre now stands.
The 5:20 left right on time, and when we arrived at Clarkson, everything seemed back to normal with the roads well plowed.
Ian G. Hendry
BASc 1947
Mississauga, Ontario
At last! Someone remembers the famous snowstorm of December 1944. My most vivid memory of that day is walking down Yonge Street in the late afternoon. The road was an unbroken snowdrift with only a single-file path down the sidewalk, and strangers were talking to each other! What was true then still seems true now: sometimes it takes an act of nature to bring people together.
Janet Campbell
BA 1947 UC
Campbellford, Ontario
The article by Margaret Webb about the inaugural President’s Teaching Award winners raises the important question of what makes a great teacher. Too often the wrong qualities are celebrated. Webb notes, for example, that she does not remember the content of a particular anecdote Professor Ken Bartlett related in class. But she does distinctly remember “some of his narrative tricks.”
To an educator, this is a bit disturbing. Among the great teachers I had at U of T were Margaret Morrison and Lloyd Gerson, both professors of philosophy. Two years after taking their courses, I was able to successfully answer questions on a graduate school examination drawing on material I had learned in their classes. Neither Gerson nor Morrison ever brought a Hula Hoop to class, but what they taught helped me to become an effective professor of philosophy.
K. Brad Wray
BA 1991 Woodsworth
Oswego, New York
Why do Canadian journalists insist on trotting out statistics about the South American rainforest to make a point about environmental issues when local information is available? There are plenty of forests in Canada worth protecting. Besides, could we give our South American friends a moral break and point the finger at ourselves a little more often? After all, who are we to tell them not to do what we have already done?
Louis Lemieux
MSc 1984
London, England
I’m delighted that Harold Innis had the good fortune to survive the First World War and subsequently enlighten me – and many other former U of T students. Did anyone else make note of the sly humour he shared with his classes? The witticism I remember most clearly is: “The reason for the superiority of the cavalry over the infantry is that the cavalry always has the intelligence of the horses to fall back on.” While on the subject of the military, I should mention that the experience I had in the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps in 1942–43 while attending U of T was excellent. I subsequently trained at a British artillery officers’ school, and what the University of Toronto offered was just as good.
Kenneth L. Morrison
BA 1948 Victoria, MA 1949
Thunder Bay, Ontario
This article suggests Canadians ought to “get serious” about Kyoto and that we should pay closer attention to the goods we import from “countries that ignore Kyoto.”
I think it’s time we started looking at what other countries import from us. It’s annoying that self-righteous Europeans and environmentalists, living in the lap of luxury, fail to understand Canada’s size and climate and don’t take into consideration Canadian resources that find their way to Europe and the rest of the world. The carbon dioxide emissions caused by the oil and gas we produce and sell to other nations ought to be given back to us in the form of carbon credits.
However, for my money, we are worrying about the wrong pollutant. During the time of the dinosaurs, when – I’m sorry to contradict the creationists! – there were no human beings on Earth, carbon dioxide was present in the atmosphere at many times greater than present levels. Far better we put the money into controlling gases such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide, which pollute both air and water. This is something we can control. Better yet, have governments promote population decrease. And convince David Suzuki to stop writing books made from forest products and flying all over the world to promote them. He preaches, but his “carbon footprint” is enormous. I agree. It’s time we get serious.
Mike Spence
BA 1966 New College
Victoria
I encourage my students to watch House – because it clearly shows what is wrong with our health-care systems. House is one of a number of television shows that romanticize old-school notions of health-care practice. Dr. House is a bully. He bullies junior staff, other professionals and even his patients. Despite consistent recommendations for improvement, television medical shows glorify bullying, endorse finding others to blame and generally destroy the notion of effective teamwork in providing high-quality, safe health care. Are we reinforcing poor practice among a new generation of health-care practitioners?
Sandra G. Leggat
BSc 1978, MSc 1985, PhD 1998
Melbourne, Australia
I was pleased to read about how U of T law grad David Shore has been involved in the creation of the misanthropic doctor in the TV show House. Regrettably, as a retired anatomist with longstanding medical experience, I must point out that it contravenes all clinical logic to see Dr. House limping about the set with his cane in the wrong hand! All patients requiring the use of a cane to assist with walking on a traumatized lower limb use the cane in the opposite hand to prevent an excruciating limp, such as the one shown by Dr. House.
Harry Lee
BA 1972 Woodsworth, MEd 1975
Perth, Australia
The article states that Israel built its security barrier “to separate itself from the West Bank Palestinians.” This is a small error, but one with ramifications. In fact, the barrier was built solely to reduce the number of suicide-bomb attacks that killed so many civilians just a few years ago. How quickly we forget. By using that expression, the writer is unintentionally validating the “apartheid state” canard.
Before the intifada and the attendant epidemic of terrorism, there was considerable movement of people and goods between Israel and the future Palestinian state. That growing familiarity and normality was one of the saddest victims of the bombings.
Andrew Gann
PhD 1978
Toronto
I am a former fieldworker with Médecins Sans Frontières, and although I never had the pleasure of working alongside Dr. Orbinski, his observations ring so familiar and so true. For me, the personal moment of transformation was Bosnia in 1994.
The motivation for being an aid worker is often as simple as wanting to help for the sake of helping. In the end, it was my conscience I had to answer to. I did what I could and saved who I could and that is what made living with my conscience bearable. Over time, it is the small things – the faint smile from an aggrieved mother, the children waving, the sigh of relief from a tormented brother – that almost smother the bad memories. These are the gems worth more to me than all the accolades and prizes in the world.
Aubrey Verboven
BA 1992 New College
Ottawa
My late husband, Arthur G. Reynolds (BA 1931 VIC, MA 1932), served the church and college. In retirement, I noticed a gradual change in his behaviour; the diagnosis was Alzheimer’s disease. I belonged to Toronto’s first family support group for the disease, led by Walter Lyons, a social worker at Baycrest Hospital. Now, years later, I give thanks for the help we received and for the progress made in the study, understanding and treatment of Alzheimer’s.
Elizabeth Reynolds
Certificate in Clinical Nursing 1944
Toronto
At first, Mike Spence’s letter angered me. Then, I realized he’s joking, right? He says our oil and gas industry should get carbon credits for exporting our resources and fuelling global warming. Hilarious! Then he suggests that David Suzuki’s books and travel are part of the problem. But he also talks about other pollutants and population growth, which makes me wonder if he means to be serious after all. Using his reasoning, the chances that the world will tackle the population problem are slim – our economy might be affected!
Len Wiseman
BSc 1962
Lively, Ontario
Your article seems to accept global warming as a fact, though I have not seen any proof that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. To date, the whole case for global warming is based on a hypothesis. Even so, our governments seem to be ready to impose severe economic restrictions because of unproven statements. To act on Kyoto with present theories is, in my opinion, treasonous. Produce scientific data before you express dangerous opinions.
R. F. Smith
BSc 1948
Calgary
R. F. Smith asks for scientific evidence on global warming. Perhaps he would find that the fourth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, its previous three reports and the thousands of pages of supporting documents describing research by hundreds of scientists around the globe would fill this gap for him. Most of this material is accessible on the Internet.
Perhaps in exchange he would advise where I can find scientific support for his assertion that “the whole case for global warming is based on a hypothesis.”
Bernard Etkin
BASc 1941, MASc 1945
Toronto
My spouse, a U of T alumnus, is afflicted with Alzheimer’s and, until recently, resisted taking the drug Aricept. So I was interested to read that Aricept reduces the symptoms of Alzheimer’s but does not halt or slow its progression. I deplore the fact that doctors encourage patients to take this drug, thus giving them false hope. I have worked in the health-care field for 30 years and have witnessed the dreadful effects drugs can have on patients. I understand the purpose of research in the health-care field and applaud its progress in controlling the ill effects of so many diseases. What bothers me is that drug research is funded mostly by multinational pharmaceutical companies. Although I don’t believe this affects the outcome of the research, I do think it taints the information that’s released to the population at large, including medical practitioners.
Gisele Brett
Saint-Sauveur, Quebec
President David Naylor states that students from the GTA account for almost 75 per cent of U of T’s undergraduate enrolment, and that demand for a university education in Ontario is expected to rise dramatically.
I was appalled to read that U of T is considering an enrolment strategy that will favour students who can afford to live on campus. Even middle-income families struggle to meet rising tuition costs. My children will not be able to afford to live on campus. U of T’s policy should focus on increasing capacity to support commuting students, which is a way of life in the GTA. If accessibility to education declines, U of T will not remain a top university. Please reconsider U of T’s future undergraduate enrolment policy.
Deborah Ellen Wildish (née Boyko)
MA 1995
Mississauga, Ontario
Thank you for this article on Dr. Samantha Nutt’s life and work. She is the kind of role model women of my generation rarely see in the media but so desperately need.
Andrea Nussey
BA 1998
Toronto
Dan Falk repeats an error that has circulated since the discovery of the BEH (Brout, Englert, Higgs) mechanism in 1964. It is sometimes referred to as the Higgs mechanism, but recently the BEH terminology has gained in use among the cognoscenti.
An article by François Englert and I, published in Physical Review Letters in 1964, preceded Higgs’ contribution by three months. These two founding papers are complementary in their theoretical formulations and both should be read by people who are interested in the subject. The only substantial difference is that our work was more general, both in its applicability and in the presentation of an alternative mechanism called dynamical breakdown of symmetry, as well as the more frequently cited scalar field mechanism.
It is unfortunate that mistaken historical references still appear in popular articles on the subject. A review for a scientific, but not expert, readership is contained in a chapter of Facts and Mysteries in Elementary Particle Physics (World Scientific Publishers, 2002), by Martinus Veltman. In that book, portraits of the three authors of the BEH mechanism are printed side by side. In 2004, we were awarded the Wolf Prize in Physics.
Robert Brout
Visiting Professor, Perimeter Institute,
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
I was intrigued to see the letters concerning Kenneth Macalister and Frank Pickersgill. Readers will be interested to know that I am publishing A Glorious Mission: The Secret Wars of Ken Macalister and Frank Pickersgill in fall 2008 under my imprint at HarperCollins Canada. Their remarkable story is told in full for the first time by the award-winning historian Jonathan Vance and will add to our appreciation of these two young heroes. Every time I pass the Soldiers’ Tower I think of them.
Phyllis Bruce
MA 1967
Toronto
Two reasons – both self-serving – are cited here for why a child flatters an artist. Could there be a third reason: the child is being kind and does not want to hurt the artist’s feelings?
Nina Truscott (née Elensky)
BA 1964 UC
Burlington, Ontario
Congratulations on switching to 100 per cent recycled paper! More magazines need to make this change. The Amazon rainforest is amazingly diverse, but so is the temperate coastal rainforest in British Columbia. We must not forget about the plant, animal and insect species disappearing right here in our own backyard. People are fascinated by the Amazon, but, as Robert Bateman (BA 1954 Victoria) shows in his paintings, our own rainforest is something we can all love and protect.
Theresa Ryan
BScPhm 1993
St. Marys, Ontario
I find it ironic that U of T Magazine is “going green” a decade after U of T shut down the undergraduate program in the Faculty of Forestry. Many of the program’s graduates from the 1950s and 1960s were among the country’s first conservation-minded foresters. They understood the importance of sound resource management. Where is the next generation of foresters going to learn this?
Wim Vonk
BScF 1960
Qualicum Beach, B.C.
Your feature about Robert Bateman is a comprehensive and wonderful article on a Canadian icon. Alas, the prophet has received too little honour in his own land. Does he not merit an honorary degree from his alma mater?
Ruth Bentley
BA 1943 Victoria
Toronto
This took me back 40 years. Like the writer Gare Joyce, I was there. I was a middle distance runner (of no distinction) who trained and ran in meets at Varsity Stadium, and the Crothers-Snell race is a precious memory of that time. A little-remembered fact is that Peter Snell never won a major race after his defeat by Crothers. He retired less than a year later.
Paul Van Loan
BA 1957 Victoria, MA 1958
Santa Cruz, California
I remembered the city of Iquitos from Jules Verne’s two-part novel, The Giant Raft (1881), which was set in the 1850s. The first part of the novel paints a wonderful image of the Amazon and its tributaries, and the people who live along their shores. The second part of the novel nicely demonstrates the passion of someone determined to solve a cipher and prove the innocence of a man journeying 800 leagues on the Amazon (about 3,800 kilometres). I suggest this book for anyone who went on this tour, or wishes to sign up.
Michel Gallant
BSc 1974 New College, PhD 1981
Ottawa
I was not a Varsity athlete during my time at U of T, but took pride in the team’s successes. The current football program is abysmal. Those who justify its poor performance by saying that athletics fall outside of the university’s core mission miss an important point. Athletes who wear the U of T jersey represent the university to future students, future staff, future faculty and financial supporters. If the football team of a large school with many students to draw from can’t win a game, what does that say about the university? My advice to the administration: take athletics seriously!
Brian Johnston
BCom 1981 Victoria
Toronto
C’mon, Canadians! If I could learn that a “serviette” is a paper napkin during my years at U of T, you guys could learn that a “dogtrot” is not a house for canines. It’s a type of folk housing, common to the Old South, in which two single enclosed rooms are linked by an open passageway and the whole structure is covered by a common roof. People lived in dogtrots – especially in the first half of the 20th century. Dogtrots are practical. In the sultry climate, the passageway catches the breeze. They may be ordinary folks’ adaptation of the elite Georgian mansion of the 18th century, which always featured a prominent central hallway flanked by symmetrical suites of rooms.
Karal Ann Marling
BA 1967 St. Michael’s
Minneapolis
This is only part of the epidemiology story in Ontario. Complications arising from hepatitis C kill many more people annually in Canada than AIDS. Why hasn’t an epidemiologist from the Department of Public Health Services at U of T been hired to study this ongoing outbreak? Why are the myriad pamphlets for HIV not also covering hepatitis C
More than 500 cases of hepatitis C have been reported monthly in Ontario since 1990. Meanwhile, successive provincial governments make empty promises and hide behind commitments to other diseases such as HIV and syphilis. Governments need to do more to raise awareness of the hundreds of Ontarians and other Canadians dying of hepatitis C-related illnesses, and wasting away while waiting for liver transplants.
Keith Nicholas
BSc 1971
Scarborough, Ontario
President Naylor responds:
U of T is proud of alumni such as Mike Szarka who contribute to postsecondary institutions in Canada and around the world.
Mr. Szarka’s letter suggests that I advocate a simple two-tiered system of higher education with undergraduate-only and research-intensive universities. That’s incorrect. Many university admini strators, including me, support a diversifi ed portfolio of institutions. My concern is that this diversity is diminished as more institutions try to become more research-intensive in more fields.
I don’t think any larger universities have proposed pulling dollars back from small institutions such as UOIT. Our concern arises instead with inconsistent funding systems that don’t put Canada’s research-intensive institutions on a level playing field with international peers.
For example, federal grants fund only the direct project costs of doing research. Several years ago, the federal government added funding to help defray the institutional costs of research. This program offers extra entitlements for smaller universities, even though the research programs with the highest institutional costs tend to be concentrated in larger universities. In 2007-08, UOIT had $264,000 of external federal grants, and received 56 cents on the dollar in top-up payments for institutional costs. That’s roughly the level of institutional cost coverage that major American universities receive. U of T, with $39.2 million, received 21 cents on the dollar. I agree fully when Mr. Szarka argues that funding should not depend on the size of an institution!
The issue isn’t UOIT versus U of T or small versus big. It’s about building a diversified portfolio of institutions with clearer mandates and missionspecific funding, and supporting research excellence consistently and generously wherever it’s found.
Where are the great Canadian women? Where were the female writers, inventors, historians, teachers, astronauts and scientists? I'm sure Roberta Bondar (PhD 1974) and Margaret Atwood (BA 1961 VIC) would have appreciated seeing illustrations of themselves.
Linda Kent
BEd 1977
Etobicoke, Ontario
I was delighted to read Dan Falk's article about "aha" moments. Obtaining insight into insights is important for technological, intellectual and cultural development. The Canadian philosopher Bernard Lonergan, a former U of T professor who died in 1984, explored this subject in depth. His 1957 book Insight: A Study of Human Understanding is a thoroughgoing exploration of how intellectual breakthroughs occur. University of Toronto Press published a critical edition of the book in 1992, and continues to issue The Collected Works of Bernard Lonergan in collaboration with The Lonergan Research Institute, whose archives are housed just a stone's throw from the St. George campus.
Mark D. Morelli
PhD 1979
Los Angeles
I was pleased to read about your recent switch to recycled paper. The faster you can increase the percentage of post-consumer recycled content, the better. I'm sure many readers are willing to accept less glossy paper if it means more trees standing and fewer landfill sites.
Donald McMaster
BA 1966 VIC, MA 1968
Chevy Chase, Maryland
John Lorinc reports that Germany's 14,000 megawatts of installed wind power capacity is "equivalent to nearly two-thirds of Ontario Power Generation's entire capacity, including nuclear reactors, coal plants and Niagara Falls."
While this statement is true with respect to installed capacity, it is grossly misleading with respect to the actual capability of the German wind industry to produce energy. Wind power is an intermittent, low-output source of electricity. In 2003, Germany's wind industry produced about 19 terawatt hours of electricity. This is less than one-fifth of what OPG produced that year.
Even under the best conditions, wind turbines will be unable to supply more than a fraction of Ontario's electricity requirements. There are applications for wind power, but to suggest that it could replace conventional generating sources is at best ill-informed and, at worst, irresponsible.
Michael Young
MASc 1968
Thornbury, Ontario
I’m pleased that President Naylor’s message recognizes the hard work, dedication and contribution of staff toward the academic mission of the university. While President Naylor is right in saying that “our staff members are capably represented by 22 separate unions” and that the university is “working with our unions” to “offer a wide range of employee services,” there is one group that is not collectively represented in any way: senior administrative staff in the professional, management and confidential group. They deserve to be included in the accolades, too. The president’s recognition of our work is timely and inspiring.
P. C. Cho (MA 1994)
Governor for Administrative Staff
U of T Governing council
Toronto
This article fails to acknowledge that nuclear power is the only real option for producing large amounts of hydrogen. Wind power doesn't work all of the time; backup is needed. It's time to leave politics out of it and face the facts.
Dave Mackay
BASc 1953
Blenheim, Ontario
I congratulate you on commissioning an article about renewable energy but I wonder if John Lorinc was the best person to write it. He omits any reference to U of T engineering professor David Scott, who was a driving force behind the idea of a hydrogen economy. He speaks of Germany's "astonishing 14,000 megawatts of wind power" capacity but gives no indication of the actual electrical power generated (wind is a notoriously unreliable source of electricity). He also fails to mention that nuclear power is an environmentally benign source of energy capable of providing a bridge into a "cleaner future."
F. H. Kim Krenz
MA 1942
Lakefield, Ontario
F.H. Kim Krenz criticizes wind energy for being "notoriously unreliable." Electricity generated from wind is variable, not unreliable, and its variability can be estimated from historical weather patterns. If apologists for nuclear energy spent more time describing how new Ontario nuclear plants would be more reliable than the province's existing unreliable ones, and less time taking a swipe at alternative energy technology, they would be doing us all a great service.
Mark Bell
BSc 1979
Toronto
I was delighted to read about the extended postgraduate work permit for international students. And I was thrilled to hear that the University of Toronto was one of the key movers for this change. As an international student who graduated in 2007 and is now happily working at IBM Canada, I found that all sorts of possibilities opened up for me in Canada after I found out about this permit.
Sacha Chua (MASc 2007)
Toronto
John Lorinc writes that "Ottawa … hired Rick Mercer to promote the One-Tonne Challenge." Is Canada the only country – or possibly one of very few countries – whose citizens routinely use the name of the capital city as shorthand for the national government? Do the Italians or Germans or French say Rome or Berlin or Paris when talking about their governments? Why does it happen so frequently in Canada? Does it indicate anything about our relationship to the federal government that we so often pretend that "Ottawa" governs this country?
Paul Pfalzner
BA 1946 UC
Ottawa
Congratulations on great articles about clean energy and U of T's efforts to make the campus green. When I worked at the Ministry of Energy in the early 1990s, the provincial government and most universities were slow to adopt energy conservation programs. Professor Savan may want to consider connecting to the Deep Lake Water Cooling System to provide air conditioning for the St. George campus. Queen's Park has decided to connect, and this should make it more economical for U of T.
Carman Chisamore
Toronto
Thank you for the article by John Lorinc on Hydrogenics Corporation and its waterfront initiative. The article was well written, compelling and representative of the high quality of U of T Magazine.
Pierre Rivard
MEng 1994
Mississauga, Ontario
I was delighted to see Daphne Schiff in the summer issue. What you failed to mention about this amazing woman is that she was on the faculty of York University for 38 years. In June, Professor Schiff received an honorary doctor of laws degree at York's convocation for her daring and generous acts of philanthropy as a pilot. We all honour her.
Lorna R. Marsden
President, York University
BA 1968 UC, LLD Hon. 1995
Toronto
I’ve been a mechanical engineer since 1996, but I began my academic career as an English major. My reason for not originally choosing engineering was pretty simple – I didn’t know what it was. I graduated from high school with great marks in math and science, but little understanding of what sort of career I could pursue. When I began talking to engineering students, I learned that I could use math and science to design things. The idea that I could someday design roller coasters or Cirque du Soleil sets is why I left English for engineering. Many years later I do not work for Six Flags or the Cirque, but I love my career as a machine safety consultant.
Renée Frigault Kemp
Toronto
Professor Wesley Wark seems to suggest that Canadians are not frightened enough of a potential terrorist attack. One lesson of 9/11 is that governments can use fear as a lever to deprive citizens of basic freedoms and rights. Judging by the number of terrorist attacks we have experienced in Canada over the past 30 years, I think the Canadian public has its level of fearfulness just about right.
Jim Reynolds
MA 1970
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Thank you for the lovely article about Pier Giorgio Di Cicco. I especially liked the poem "In the Confessional."
Susan Goddard
BA 1965 TRIN, BLS 1966, MLS 1976
Toronto
As long as capitalism allows small numbers of wealthy, powerful people to control the main institutions of our economy, corporate greed and financial scandals are inevitable.
Socialist democracy, where working people and citizens democratically own, control and manage large sectors of an economy on a not-for-profit basis, would do far more to create good financial governance than any state regulation or "corporate responsibility" clauses written by management school professors.
When our economy is driven primarily by the profit motives of private corporations, we're just asking for trouble.
Sean Cain
BA 1998 UTM
Oakville, Ontario
Sean Cain proposes a socialist democracy as the key to good financial governance. Cain is mistaken, however, if he believes that not-for-profit organizations are exempt from greed and corruption.
No system of social or corporate governance is perfect. However, if the world were to abolish the commendable goal of creating value (wealth through profits, which in turn generate tax receipts), the entire planet would enter a catastrophic downward spiral.
Richard M. Clarke
BASc 1954
Westport, Connecticut
While I am proud to hold a master's degree from U of T's Faculty of Information Studies (FIS) and am satisfied with my academic experience there, I was not surprised to read that the university received poor marks for support services on the National Survey of Student Engagement.
After accepting an offer of admission and visiting FIS in my wheelchair, I discovered that the building did not have an accessible washroom. Staff reassured me, however, that a washroom would be properly renovated. No such thing happened. Though I was vocal about the problem and was supported by faculty, staff and fellow students, a bathroom was not properly accessible for the entire time I was completing my master's degree. For three years, I had to make my way to Robarts Library every time I needed to use the washroom.
It is disconcerting to me that, in a nine-page article about the university's mission to build an inclusive, challenging and creative educational environment for every student, its efforts to meet the needs of people with physical disabilities weren't mentioned until the second-last paragraph. It read like an afterthought!
I understand that it is costly to make U of T truly accessible to people with physical disabilities, but a university interested in equality should strive to do better. Students with physical disabilities pay the same high tuition as the rest of the university's students; they merit a concerted and sincere effort to remove barriers. U of T stands to gain from the unique perspectives and life experiences of these students, who deserve better than the frustrations I experienced.
Christina Minaki
MISt 2004
Toronto
David Naylor’s ongoing campaign to entrench the concept of a two-tier university system (research/graduate-intensive versus primarily undergraduate) is being viewed as increasingly notorious by those of us working for smaller institutions. The same voices that argue for increased research intensiveness in Canadian universities justify their calls for funding by arguing that only active researchers can provide high-quality instruction to undergraduates. How can smaller universities attract and maintain research faculty if we are discriminated against in development of graduate programs, since grad students are the true engine of university research? Don’t our undergraduates deserve to be taught by instructors versed in the latest research findings? How can we provide good instruction and research experience to our undergraduates if we don’t have viable research infrastructure and graduate teaching assistants? Research funding should be based on creativity of ideas and ability to train highly qualifi ed personnel, not on the size of the originating institution. The total research funding and graduate enrolment in small universities is hardly worth David Naylor’s time and concern. We have enough challenges without the “big kids” picking on us.
Mike Szarka PhD 1993,
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Oshawa, Ontario
Trevor Cole asks whether we are living in an unethical era.
Dean Roger Martin could make the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management the best business school in the world by putting this question at the centre of the school's mandate.
In November 2003 the Ontario Securities Commission launched an investigation into allegations of "market timing" irregularities in Canada's mutual funds industry. Perhaps Professor Martin should invite Michael Lee-Chin, the CEO of AIC Ltd., a major mutual fund company, to join the Rotman faculty. They could jointly offer a course on the ethics of our era. Mr. Lee-Chin could discuss the real world of mutual fund investing and why his company, while acting legally, could nevertheless agree with an Ontario Securities Commission requirement to make restitution of $59 million to clients of his firm.
Difficult issues, real people, real debate: really good business school.
Walter Ross
BA 1964 TRIN
Toronto
Megan Easton states that Aristotle believed happiness "could be achieved only through virtuous conduct and rigorous thought." Ms Easton seems to have interpreted this to mean that Aristotle advocated "doing good" rather than "feeling good." This, however, does an injustice to one of the great ethical systems. Aristotle explicitly rejected the notion that one could be happy by being merely virtuous, citing the example of a person who is tortured for his whole life despite never having committed a crime. No one would reasonably call this person happy, despite his or her virtuousness. We do not have to wait until Locke to discover a commonsensical and philosophically defensible notion of the best life, one that actually includes some of life's pleasures.
Gregory Scott
PhD 1992
New York
Professors Hejazi and Safarian appear to assume that foreign direct investment (FDI) is a homogeneous thing and that it is always good for Canada. While some studies point up the virtues of FDI, I have yet to see a serious effort by scholars to distinguish between foreign investment in new businesses in Canada and the foreign acquisition of existing Canadian businesses. The latter represent over 90 per cent of all foreign direct investment since the arrival of free trade. Why do economists assume that this is a benefit to Canada? Ever since we signed the first free trade agreement, Canada has lost head offices and all the economic activity that surrounds them. This was not the result of tariff reductions; tariffs were already quite low before "free trade."
We are losing head offices because we changed laws that required multinationals to locate here in order to do business here. Not only does the NAFTA guarantee U.S. companies the right to repatriate all of their profits, it commits Canada to give up the tools it previously used to make sure that foreign direct investment was a benefit to us. For example, requiring the foreign investor to hire staff locally is illegal under the NAFTA.
Simply assuming that foreign direct investment is good and should be encouraged leaves many pertinent questions unanswered. If economists are going to be helpful to policy makers, they must re-examine these anecdotal assumptions and confront the real issues.
Paul Bigioni
Markham, Ontario
Dr. Anderson's "surprising new answers" regarding the use of meditation as a path toward happiness would be no surprise to the millions of Buddhists who have been practising these techniques for the last 2,500 years. This is just another demonstration of the arrogance of Western scientists who believe that if they do not know about it, it is of no value or does not exist.
Dr. Robert Lencki
BASc 1980
Guelph, Ontario
Scott Anderson asks readers to suggest topics for the magazine. I'd like to read about foreign universities that have close ties with U of T. Italy, for example, has more than 80 universities, and I'm trying to find one that recognizes a U of T degree. It has been very frustrating to discover that most Italian universities - and the Italian Consulate - do not understand the value of a U of T degree, but rather want proof of graduation from high school and middle school.
Angela Bressan
BA 1986 Woodsworth
Pordenone, Italy
How I enjoyed this article! As an avid biker myself, I thought Chris Nuttall-Smith did a great job conveying the thrill of the sport.
Kim Konarzycki
Dip T Ed 1994 OISE
Georgetown, Ontario
Would a province-wide university work? I noted that President Birgeneau left U of T for the University of California at Berkeley, and recalled that there is not a University of Ontario. In the autumn issue of the magazine there are several references to the review of Ontario's public universities being conducted by former Ontario premier Bob Rae.
I wonder if anyone has looked at the concept of a University of Ontario to see if amalgamating many universities would reduce costs and increase opportunities. This would enable specific campuses to develop centres of excellence in a few areas, rather than trying to compete in almost every subject. Broadband computer networks could be used to disseminate courseware from these centres to students at other campuses.
Admittedly, there are potential drawbacks to a University of Ontario approach. The competition for students may diminish, leading to a reduction in the quality of undergraduate courses. Students may feel less affinity toward their school. Alumni may be less inclined to make donations to their alma mater. Academic freedom may suffer.
I have only looked at this concept superficially, but, despite the many potential problems, it may be worth considering further.
Peter Macnaughton
BASc 1966, MASc 1967
Nepean, Ontario
The article's main point, expressed in the headline, is that for former University of Toronto president Robert Birgeneau, "excellence and equity went hand in hand." However, a sentence from the article states: "Birgeneau argued that financial aid should be steered to those who need it most rather than those with the highest marks." If this is the case, then equity trumps excellence.
If the financial aid were to go to those with the highest marks, then excellence would trump equity.
So how can excellence and equity ever go "hand in hand"?
Leo Zakuta
Professor Emeritus, Sociology
Toronto
I am a 62-year-old woman, wrinkled and grey-haired. This article ends with a very commendable quote: "How can we gain more confidence as we age? 'It starts early,' says Professor John Cairney. 'It's about changing negative sterotypes associated with age.'" What a wonderful statement! So why is the article's headline "What a Drag It Is Getting Old"?
I am happy to be 62 years old, and am happy to be alive to see my daughter earn her PhD from the University of Toronto this year. My wrinkles? I have earned them, every one, by living. My grey hair? It's now my mother's colour as I remember her, and she was a wonderful woman. My self-esteem? I won't let it be thwarted by negative headlines.
Margaret Shenton
Camden East, Ontario
Rose Montpetit, aged 92, income below poverty line, is donating her life's savings to establish a scholarship with the Faculty of Music. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of the joy, delight and radiant smile manifest when Rose read her name in the Campaign Issue. Rose was also delighted to read that two operas are to be performed annually within the Faculty of Music.
The contribution may be minuscule compared with contributions from far wealthier persons or large corporations, but Rose is content with the knowledge that her small endowment will assist students to success with their musical careers. The small endowment may be compared to "the widow's mite!"
For and on behalf of
Rose Montpetit
Charles Duerdoth, MRSH
Toronto
I want to compliment Mary Alice Thring for her excellent article on the university's landscape plan. I was drawn to it because of my interest in the urban forest - and because of the article's title. I publish tourism magazines for Travel Alberta North, and, over the past four years, one of my annual magazines has described the historical roots, highway routes and cultural tourist attractions of the Peace River Region. It is entitled "Back to Our Routes."
Doug Madill
BSc 1973 UTM
Grande Prairie, Alberta
Michah Rynor’s description astutely links Carmen Cereceda’s work to Picasso’s Guernica. However, Picasso’s work was painted in 1937 as an outrage against the Spanish Civil War – not against the Second World War, which started two years later.
Wallace Sherriff
BArch 1955
Toronto
On the Globe and Mail’s recent University Report Card, Rick Spence says, “The survey’s methodology was flawed….” Really? “Its sample wasn’t random and its rankings were based on qualitative criteria.”
Let’s look at Mr. Spence's sampling technique, quoting two students among unquantified “St. George students,” and observing that “when it comes to quality of education, students think U of T is tops.” Guess it’s a good idea that U of T is employing a “major U.S.-based survey service to probe student satisfaction.” On second thought, why isn’t the survey service based in Canada?
J. Alan Evans
BASc 1948
Ottawa
This article contains a serious oversight concerning the role of women in the paper's history.
The late Betsy Mosbaugh (BA 1945 UC) of Huntsville, Ontario, was the paper's sole editor-in-chief in 1944-45. Betsy maintained a high standard and encouraged many of her staff in their careers. (The late writer Hugh Kenner [BA 1945] is an example.)
Betsy's greatest triumph came during the huge winter storm of December 1944. The university, indeed most of the city, closed down: the TTC gave up, leaving streetcars and buses abandoned in the streets; the Toronto Globe, Telegram and Star made no attempt to publish.
But Betsy insisted (as only she could insist) that The Varsity come out. It was the only Toronto newspaper to appear during the height of the storm.
George Garland
BASc 1947, MSc 1948
Huntsville, Ontario
After reading this article, I came across my grandmother's copy of The Varsity from Dec. 8, 1905. It contained two items relevant to President Naylor's installation address, and to the importance of providing greater contact between professors and students.
An article noted that the student representative from the School of Practical Science (now Applied Science and Engineering) had complained to the University Commission that there was only one lecturer for every 25 students, but in the Faculty of Arts the ratio was one to 13. There also appeared an advertisement as follows: "The president will be in his office daily, except on Saturdays, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m."
David Ouchterlony
BPHE 1962, MD 1966
Toronto
As someone who worked as a Varsity reporter between 1983 and 1987, I take issue with Megan Easton's description of the paper's editorial stances in the 1980s, which she feels may have reflected the "more conservative ethos of the 'me generation.'" During the early- to mid-1980s, The Varsity relentlessly attacked the university for investing in companies that did business in apartheid South Africa. We invited the South African ambassador to speak on campus, and asked corporate executives with close ties to U of T why they could tolerate doing business with such a regime. The editorial board pushed hard for "disinvestment" and demanded that the university recast its investment policies with a view to human rights and corporate conduct. Hardly the work of a self-involved editorial staff, I'd say.
John Lorinc
BSc 1987 UC
Toronto
Thank you for a wonderful article on Justice Rosalie Abella. Like so many people she has inspired and mentored, I am one of her fans. Unfortunately you missed an important part of her career: she was chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) from 1984 to 1989.
During her stint at the OLRB, Rosie brought in new ideas and new blood, and inspired her colleagues to be the best they could be. I was fortunate to be part of that magical era and am still grateful for Rosie's special inspiration.
Janet J. Ruzycki
Ontario Labour Relations Board
Toronto
Fond memories flooded back while reading about engineering students' annual chariot race.
I was reminded that the genesis for this singular annual event probably dates back – way back – to the late winter of 1948. All faculties were challenged to a one-lap race around the front campus with beds on casters as chariots.
Six students pushed each bed with a seventh aboard in a highly competitive jostling event marked by cheers, jeers, outrageous tactics and general mayhem. Or was it bedlam? In comparison, the running of the bulls at Pamplona would have been a walk in the park.
As one of engineering's six "horses" in that inaugural year, my recollection is that meds and engineering led the pack as the finish line approached. And if memory is not clouded by bias, engineering won by a footboard.
William A. Dimma
BASc 1948
Toronto
Under the heading "Deliciously Diabolical," writer Graham F. Scott asserts that the U of T historical figure Reznikoff "lingered in obscurity" until an eponymous café opened last fall.
Poppycock!
One of the U of T colleges hosted a regular pub/dance in the 1980s called "Reznikoff's." Not yet being of legal drinking age, my friends and I used to sneak in sometimes to enjoy the dancing. Your "error" brought back some happy memories.
Peter Murphy
LLB 1993
Toronto
Professor Andrade is to be commended for her extraordinary work on the mating habits of redback spiders.
However, it seems to me a little presumptuous to claim that the dying male knowingly and deliberately breaks his copulatory organ in order to prevent other males from copulating with the same female. Is the dying insect really concerned about a future lover? Perhaps the rigid organ simply snaps in the death agony of the hapless male.
We then have the remarkable statement that all this is the result of natural selection. Freely confessing my ignorance and naiveté, could someone tell me how natural selection would create this dance of death?
Paul W. Roberts
MD 1947
Markham, Ontario
Prof. Andrade responds: "Deliberately" is shorthand, and is not meant to imply cognition. In redback spiders, the male sex organ has a defined breaking point and fits directly into the female's genitalia in a way that prevents sperm of subsequent males from entering. Even males that manage to survive the copulation (those that are not cannibalized) leave this structure behind in the female. Accurate placement of the "plug" results in close to 100 per cent paternity. I suggest Richard Dawkins' classic The Selfish Gene for an accessible discussion of natural selection and its implications.
So here I am, idly skimming through my latest edition of U of T Magazine, when I reach the Time Capsule photo on the back page.
“That’s Dad!”
I peer at it a little closer, just to be sure. Yup, that’s Duncan Smith, all right: tall, even gangly; crisply profiled; a touch jug-eared; elegantly caught mid-dance stride, he and his partner (not my mother) perfectly framed before the carved stone portal of University College.
How wonderful to see him again, 27 years after his death. Even more wonderful to see him when he was just 19 years old, fresh in the first flush of froshdom, as it were, exuberant about the war’s end.
I show the picture to the electrical contractor working on my house.
“That’s your dad? Why that picture is famous – I have a framed copy of it up at my cottage!”
Who knew? Certainly we didn’t, and I don’t think Dad did either. But we know about it now, and my family is very grateful for the chance you’ve given us to reconnect with him.
Leslie C. Smith
BA 1978 Victoria
Toronto
Stacey Gibson, more than somewhat ironically, states that the dancers in the photo taken on VE Day 1945 are “serenaded by music from speakers strapped to a Volkswagen." That’s an American car, not a Volkswagen!
In Germany, Adolf Hitler had been responsible for the birth of the “Beetle.” When Hitler became the chancellor of Germany in 1933, he promoted the idea of a car affordable enough for the average working person. The Volkswagen, which means “people’s car,” was the result. Hitler met with automotive designer Ferdinand Porsche and by 1939 a few cars were produced. However, the war ended the production of civilian automobiles. After the war, the factory ended up in West Germany and reopened as Volkswagen. Not long after that, the iconic “Beetle” made its first Canadian appearance.
David MacLellan
BA 1974, BEd 1975
Toronto
James Fitzgerald outlines the importance of an overhaul of our country’s public health system and the opening of U of T’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
However, the story neglects to mention veterinary science. Speakers at an international veterinary conference in Vancouver recently noted that 60 per cent of human pathogens are of animal origin, 75 per cent of emerging animal diseases can be transmitted to humans, and 80 per cent of bioterrorism agents are pathogens of animal origin. A meeting of health experts in 2004 resulted in the “Manhattan Principles” and recommendations for a holistic approach to preventing epidemic and epizootic disease. Ecosystem integrity is necessary for the health of humans, domesticated animals, and foundational biodiversity. The convergence of human, domestic animal and wildlife health (due to globalization and human encroachment into wilderness areas) is evident in recent outbreaks of West Nile Virus, Ebola haemorrhagic fever, SARS, mad cow disease, and avian influenza.
Presumably affiliations with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health include veterinary experts in fields such as epidemiology, ecosystem health and public health.
Murray Flock
BSc 1975 New
Vernon B.C.
You describe the students pictured as dancing to "speakers attached to a Volkswagen." I suspect that this cannot be accurate as the Volkswagen did not make an appearance in Canada until the late 1940s (unless it was captured in the war and secretly brought over). What we're looking at here is probably a 1941 or '42 Dodge or Plymouth. Do you see the little hump at the back partially covered by the soldier's backside? The Volkswagen never had such a hump but North American cars did.
Thanks for the nice picture, though; I was just starting high school when it was taken.
Harold Strom
DDS 1955
Toronto
I heard first-hand accounts of VE-Day day in England where my mother, a member of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, celebrated it in front of Buckingham Palace.
Although the car in your picture resembles a Volkswagen, to the best of my knowledge the "People's Car" was not manufactured (other than as a prototype) until after the Second World War, and did not arrive in North America until the 1950s. Many Germans bought one before the war, but few, if any, ever actually got one.
I am not enough of a car buff to positively identify the car in the picture. The style is typical of many North American models of the late 1930s and early 1940s. From some quick research on the Internet, my best guess is a 1938 Plymouth, which has a close match of shape, trim, rear-opening door, and door hinge position. Perhaps a true automobile aficionado could do better.
Thanks to www.oldcarandtruckpictures.com and www.oldandsold.com, which provided pictures for comparison and a history of the Volkswagen respectively.
Brian D. Miller
BASc 1972
Brantford, Ontario
I leafed through my wife’s U of T Magazine this evening and I was astonished to read that there was a Volkswagen in Canada in May of 1945.
Did Hitler win the war, and immediately send over Volkswagens to pacify us? Is that why the students are dancing in the street? In fact, the first Volkswagens came into North America about five years after the picture was taken.
The car had to be pre-war, because in wartime new passenger cars were made for the military. Some were made available to civilians, such as rural doctors, who had an essential need for a car. But if you didn’t need a car, no amount of money could buy a new one in wartime.
An Internet search would have indicated that the car in the picture is probably a 1939 Plymouth P8 model. The rear portion of the car shares many of the styling features of that make and model.
Calvin Strong
Oakville, Ontario
I appreciated the picture of ever-so-decorous students dancing in front of University College in May 1945. My own memory of that day as a seven-year-old featured a much more boisterous explosion of schoolchildren - and adults - into the village streets of Waterford, Ontario.
But in neither case, I assure you, was there a Volkswagen on the street. Even if the juxtaposition of 1945, VE-Day, Germany, U of T and Volkwagen did not give you pause, a moment's examination of the car on which the speakers are mounted ought to have: four doors, a bulging boot, sweeping fenders.
I cannot be sure of the actual make and model, but the car most certainly is not a Volkswagen, the first of which reached these shores several years later. Had it indeed been a German car, I venture that the students' reactions would have been slightly less decorous.
Ronald Vince
Flamborough, Ontario
ThM 2008
It's no Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, that's for sure. Looks pretty beat up.
I have just received my mail copy of U of T Magazine, which I generally like but: No, it is not a Volkswagen.
As previous correspondents have pointed out Volkswagens were started by Hitler, but very few civilian versions were produced during the war. By 1945 the factory was in rubble because Canadians, British, Russians and the United States had been fighting Germany (where VWs come from) for six continuous years since 1939.
The car is a cute rounded early 1940s type car, whether it is Plymouth or not is irrelevant. What is important is what it is not. For someone to have identified it as a Volkswagen draws into question the whole education system at U of T. I know that Canadian history is not compulsory any more, and that what happened 69 years ago probably isn't seen as relevant. But surely students and graduates should be subjected to some sort of course that explains the top 10 events that shaped the destiny of Canada and the world within living memory.
Am I being old fashioned and pedantic? Probably so, but shouldn't the U of T hold itself to a higher standard?
Contortionist and incipient astrophysicist/mathematician Aidan Koper suggests that what he can do with his body – simultaneously putting his shoulders through a stringless racket while juggling two balls with his free hand – may be typical of mathematicians. I don’t remember Albert Einstein ever being able to do this. However, maybe Mr. Koper could be persuaded to give the rest of us a few tips on how to make both ends meet in a sputtering economy.
Geoff Rytell
BEd 1975
Toronto
Michah Rynor’s article has exactly the right tone, and alumni may be interested to learn that the Faculty of Physical Education and Health has agreed to permanently loan the bugle to the Soldiers’ Tower Committee. We’re not sure how it came to be regarded as a piece of athletics memorabilia, but Soldiers’ Tower is a more appropriate repository for this artifact, and the U of T Alumni Association will ensure it is displayed effectively.
Paul Carson
BA 1967 St. Michael’s
Faculty of Physical Education and Health
University of Toronto
You may want to check the Web before announcing research as leading-edge. Green roofs have been around for years. I suggested years ago to the powers that be at U of T that they look into installing green roofs on their new buildings, but to no avail (allegedly too expensive).
Marianne Khurana
Department of Physics
University of Toronto
Before Ron Taylor became Dr. Ron Taylor he was a great pitcher in the Major Leagues, registering 72 saves in a career that spanned 11 seasons (1962 to 1972) with four major-league teams (St. Louis, Houston, New York Mets, San Diego). He is the only Canadian pitcher ever to win a League Championship Series game, the only Canadian to win two World Series championships with two different teams and the only major-league player to return to major-league baseball as a team doctor.
Scott Crawford, director of operations,
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum,
St. Marys, Ontario
"And yet he’s never read a military history book, has never heard of Napoleon and can’t name a single war movie he has ever seen. He never saw the point"
- Its totally different when one is living it, one assumes.
"No one I have met over the age of 25 in this country believes their future holds anything more than their past did. "
- Par for the course. Change takes time and one would assume, that those holding power have to have incentive to allow change to happen?
"Those not so jaded and battered down are all still too young to have the influence the Afghans need."
- As long as they remain unjaded, that is actually a good sign. Change takes time.
"All we enjoy in our own country and hope to pass on to our descendants – may itself only be a pretty school front that will not outlast our collective indifference"
- Sadly, not much people could do, even if they were not indifferent.
The previous commenter seems to have "Ms.ed" the point about the title of your excellent feature on astronaut Julia Payette. If anything, the cheeky title is not a "blatantly sexist double entendre," but a blatantly feminist one that aptly pokes fun at the Miss Universe contest and its rather superficial criteria that objectify women. Some might find comparing Stephen Hawking to Mr. Universe - a steroid-injecting body builder - in bad taste, but, considering Dr. Hawking's numerous appearances on satirical sitcoms like The Simpsons and Futurama, I think he would be quite amused.
Marc Johnson
BA VIC 1998, BEd 1999
Alliston, Ontario
You said it! I'm quite partial to your idea of having lectures while on the eliptical...not such a bad idea in my opinion!
Though one surmises that he may still be in the grip of culture shock, Capt. Bruce Rolston is correct in his assessment of the current struggle in Afghanistan as being "generational." It is refreshing to get an honest report on an enormously complicated situation. Canada has spent more blood and wealth in the struggle than any country other than the U.S. Our military resources are stretched to the limit, and under present conditions of engagement we can expect nothing but a continuing gradual attrition of our forces. It is time to review our strategies.
In my view, Afghanistan is only a part of a much larger struggle in which the foundations of Western culture are at stake. If it is not critical to the success of the larger struggle, Afghanistan should be abandoned to its fate, cruel as that may be. If it is critical, then we must win in Afghanistan at all costs. It is clear that we are not winning with our current deployment. It seems doubtful that we will win with "more of the same." It is indeed time for the West to review its strategies.
F. H. Kim Krenz
MSc 1942
Lakefield, Ontario
My father tells me of dancing in the streets of Long Branch, and celebrating no school that day. He would have been 13.
Ifty Nizami and his fellow scientists might benefit from knowing how we have traditionally dealt with plagiarism in the humanities.
Pupil: Sir, you gave my paper a D.
Tutor: Well, Bloggins?
Pupil: Sir, Snokes told me that when he submitted this identical paper last year, you gave it a C.
Tutor: My dear Bloggins, you’re not allowing for depreciation.
William Cooke
BA 1968 Trinity
Toronto
The mention of the famous photo taken in Times Square reminded me that in Sarasota, Florida, where we spend the winter months, there is a “sculpture” of that photo called "Unconditional Surrender" situated downtown.
It has been very popular, if controversial. Some people feel the sailor is forcing himself on the young lady; others scoff that, whatever it is, it certainly can’t be called “sculpture.” Most people, however, just enjoy the nostalgia it brings.
And by the way, the car in the picture might be a pre-war Dodge or Chrysler. It is definitely not a Volkswagen.
Allan McIntosh
BA 1962 Victoria
Westmount, Nova Scotia
As an American I have regretted my country’s arrogance down through the years and have opposed many of its foreign policies. And as a Canadian (I now have dual citizenship), I am bothered by the way Canada is falling in step with the U.S. and by how transnational corporations are calling the shots for both governments. I am still bothered by the self-righteous reaction of the U.S. – as if such attacks came out of a vacuum, and as if the U.S. has not been guilty of terrorism, too. After being deluged by the American-dominated media, I was pleased to see such a reasoned response by the president of the university, by faculty members, by students and in U of T Magazine.
Larry Carney
BA 1956 St. Mike’s
Windsor, Ontario
I was struck by the passage that quoted Shahrzad Mojab: “If a political system is based on religion, it automatically excludes people and makes it impossible to create universal citizenship rights.”
The emotion is understandable. Even so, I feel some comment is needed. The commandment at Christianity’s centre ends as follows: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” In my own experience Christians do, in fact, try to live by this principle. And while I can only speak for Christianity, my understanding is that comparable injunctions are found at the heart of all the world’s major faiths, and their adherents aspire to live up to them.
In the global village we are all neighbours. Religious people fail at times like anyone else, and the belief/politics relationship is fraught by its nature, anyway. Even so, “automatically” and “impossible” sound somewhat dogmatic, and uncompromising. Mojab’s laudable zeal for citizens’ rights presumably includes the right to justice, including factual truth about the citizens themselves. A university of all places will want that to happen.
John Powell Ward
BA 1959 UC
Dartford, England
In his recollections of September 11, Ian MacRae said he heard of lootings, but also of impromptu park concerts where “people formed human chains to ferry free food from arriving trucks.” It is by now a cliché that catastrophe brings out the best in us. Whether it be a hurricane, a fire or a terrorist attack, we help, we comfort, we feed, we talk, we mourn, we act as we ought to. What puzzles me is this: why can’t we behave toward each other like this all the time? Maybe we should try.
Geoff Rytell
BEd 1975 OISE
Toronto
The quoted verse by the dentist Walter Rose is indeed doggerel. But for full effect it should be sung. I immediately recognized it as a parody of Henry Russell’s 1840 song, “The Old Arm Chair.” Compare the lines: “I love it, I love it, and who shall dare / To chide me for loving my dental chair?” (Rose) with “I love it, I love it, and who shall dare / To chide me for loving that Old Arm Chair?” (Russell). When discussing this 19th-century genre with music-history classes, I often gave renditions of “The Old Arm Chair.” Russell (1812-1900), an English-born songwriter and vocalist, spent a year or two in Toronto in the 1830s before heading for a successful performing career in the U.S.
John Beckwith
Professor Emeritus of Music
Toronto
I was upset after reading this article that John Gerald FitzGerald was proclaimed the visionary architect of Canada’s modern public health system. I was astounded that the writer, James FitzGerald, did not see fit to mention the work done by Dr. Gordon Bates, general director and founder of the Health League of Canada – formerly the Social Hygiene Council.
When Canada was plagued with diphtheria, venereal disease, typhoid fever and bovine tuberculosis, Dr. Bates started a vigorous campaign to educate the public on prevention. He was also a major force in persuading the federal and provincial governments to promote and foster public health reforms, and received the Pasteur Medal and the Order of Canada for his work. Dr. FitzGerald may have produced vaccines, but without the public acceptance of these vaccines, disease could not have been easily eradicated.
Betty Gordon (Bates) Tennant
BA 1949 UC
Madoc, Ontario
James FitzGerald responds: Dr. Bates deserves an article, or book, devoted entirely to his own accomplishments. He and a host of other public health pioneers were not mentioned in the article simply because there was not enough space to do each justice. As for describing Dr. FitzGerald as the architect of Canada’s modern public health system, I borrowed the phrase from the papers of several Canadian medical historians. Dr. FitzGerald’s reputation stands on a singular accomplishment: the creation of an institutional infrastructure – the labs and the school of hygiene – which together provided the foundation for the provincial and federal health programs that exist today. Dr. FitzGerald, Dr. Bates and countless others dedicated their lives to making Canada a world leader in the field.
I think there is one additional person you should have included in this list. Griffith Taylor founded the department of geography at U of T in 1935 (the first in North America). He was also noteworthy as the chief geologist on the Scott 1911-12 Antarctic expedition.
Marie Sanderson
BA 1944 VIC
Toronto
I was unhappy, however, not to see any mention of my great-aunt, Edith Curzon in this article. I feel that she qualified for mention. Edith Curzon’s mother, Sarah Anne Curzon, was a tireless campaigner for women’s admission to U of T.
Peter Curzon
BA 1954 TRIN, MA 1956
Toronto
Brad Faught deserved to be edited for his final line on Sir Frederick Banting. Just read it again: “Not bad for a farm boy.” If Lisa Bryn Rundle had written of Dr. Anderson Ruffin Abbott, “Not bad for a black boy,” your editorial antennae would have crackled.
Joan (Bond) Barrett
BA 1955 VIC, MA 1974
Mississauga, Ontario
I personally suffer from sleep apnea, detected after my heart attack. If it was not for CPAP machine, though uncomfortable to sleep with, I'd have been gone or disabled many years ago.
This article came as a great shock to me. I can scarcely believe that U of T participates in the objectification of humanity. How else can one describe research into the "sexual marketplace" that equates human beings with pieces of meat – sexual objects to be raffled off to the highest bidder? No doubt a portion of the gay community shares this attitude, but that U of T should implicitly support such a view is disgraceful! Why would the university support such research, and why would U of T Magazine not screen such an article to ensure that it never saw the light of day?
Merv MacPherson
BA 1984 Woodsworth
Trenton, Ontario
Your article highlights the jewel in the crown of U of T’s Faculty of Education: the only research-based lab school of its kind in Canada and one of the few in the world. May I suggest that you do a follow-up piece on OISE’s two-year Master of Arts program in Child Study based at ICS? It is arguably the best elementary teacher education program in Canada.
Malcolm Levin
Past program director, ICS (2001-2003)
Toronto
“Head of the Class” should be required reading for the too-large-percentage of current teachers who have missed the message of enquiry-based education.
Research has shown that teachers ask yes-or-no or basic knowledge questions 80 to 90 per cent of the time. By encouraging their students to think at only this lowest possible level, they deny them the opportunity to develop an intellectual approach in which comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information becomes a personal standard for lifelong learning. (For explanation, see "Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy.")
As well students who ask and answer questions at these higher levels of thinking have a lot of fun!
John Harrison
BEd 1966, MEd 1970
Toronto
The photo from VE-Day shows the "sound truck" my friend Bob Duncan (BASc 1947), now deceased, and I used to advertise upcoming campus events. It was his mother's Buick, not a VW, dating from about 1936. Bob passed away some months ago.
We graduated from the School of Practical Science (now the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering) in 1947, with a note from the University of Toronto Caput - that all powerful collection of honoured and aged U of T functionaries that ruled supreme - about being a "big noise." Happy days. Thanks for jogging my memories.
Gordon B. Thompson
BASc 1947
Stittsville, Ontario
Marcia Kaye's article on the science of sleep was most interesting. I spent a number of years with apnea - the CPAP mask and all that went with that.
After finding out that my body mass index categorized me as obese, I signed up for a weight loss and nutritional supplement program. I knew that being overweight at age 75 was an open invitation to a lot of other serious health problems.
The program worked very well, and I lost 46 pounds over two years. I arrived back at 146 pounds, which was my discharge weight when I left the Canadian Army in 1945. I was delighted.
One of the things I learned about nutritional supplements was that if you nourish your body properly, it becomes capable of healing itself. I overcame the apnea problem.
I am now 84, feeling well and enjoying my life in a retirement home.
Douglas G. Hoskin
MASc 1949
London, Ontario
Your note about Tuzo Wilson mentions various roles he undertook at U of T. However, you did not mention that he was principal of the University of Toronto at Mississauga (Erindale College) from 1967 to 1974. He was so well respected and liked during his tenure here that we like to associate ourselves with Tuzo at every opportunity.
Maryann Wells
University of Toronto at Mississauga
Thanks to Stacey Gibson for the nostalgic picture and accompanying text. We who celebrated on May 8, 1945 were full of joy, optimism and high expectations. Among us were parents and siblings of those who would not be returning from the killing fields. A 13-year-old, I had a difficult time holding back tears as I witnessed sobbing mothers whose sons had given their lives that we might celebrate victory, peace and freedom.
The car to which the speakers were strapped was not a Volkswagen, of course. The brand was launched before the war, and no models would reach Canada for a few years after VE-Day.
Frank Turner
MEd 1968
Ottawa
As an alumna and manager of the Office of Student Academic Integrity at the Faculty of Arts and Science, I was pleased to see the issue of Internet plagiarism — a critical one faced by the academic community today — featured in “Stolen Words."
Our office is responsible for resolving allegations of academic misconduct at the Faculty of Arts and Science, and advising departments and programs on the resolution of offences. I would like to clarify that the article’s first example, a departmentally resolved case where the purchase of a paper was strongly suspected but unproven, resulting in a “high mark” for the student, is not typical.
Allegations of purchased papers, or papers where the plagiarism is not “cut and dried,” are admittedly challenging to resolve, but the prognosis for these cases is far from hopeless. Even though an instructor may initially be unable to prove that an offence has occurred, help with the investigation is available at the divisional level. The Office of Student Academic Integrity successfully resolves offences involving purchased papers every year, sanctioning students with a failure in the course and usually a suspension from the university for up to one year.
The efforts of faculty and staff to promote academic integrity and report offences when they occur are integral to encouraging proper academic behaviour among students and to maintaining the university’s strong ethical reputation.
Kristi Gourlay
BA 1993, PhD 2002
Toronto
Joshua, I was reading an article about you in Reader's Digest. I was very impressed with your message. I was wondering if you do any speaking engagements in Manitoba. I am a education assistant at a High School in The Pas (promounced The Paw) in Northern Manitoba. Our school is 60 per cent aboriginal I believe and the students would benefit from your message.
This article and comments certainly resonated with my own experience as a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) from 1986 to 2007. Like Ifty Nizami, I found higher levels of the university administration generally reluctant to pursue cases of plagiarism. With one notable exception, where the administration followed the plagiarism policy to the letter, the general tendency was to provide excuses for the student and to discourage me from pursuing the case.
I was told, for example, that one student "didn't really mean to plagiarize" (a case in which the student had copied an entire paper verbatim from the Internet). In another instance I was warned that the student could sue me. It was not clear to me how, since I was telling the truth and could back up my position with thorough documentation.
A university degree is devalued when administrators hold the view that a dishonest student "isn't going to fly a plane or do brain surgery so where's the harm in granting the degree?" Apart from the obvious answer, this attitude is an affront to the students who earn their degrees honestly, on their own merit.
Helen Jefferson Lenskyj
BA 1977 Woodsworth, MA 1981 OISE, PhD 1983 OISE
Professor Emerita, OISE
Toronto
I remember the day the war ended. I was 12 years old and a neighbour ran up the street yelling that the war was over. Irene Everingham was the mother of three young children and her husband was a chief petty officer. He had been away for four years and Irene had suffered as much as he, I believe. She was so ecstatic we threw our arms around her and wept. The day was sunny and warm and wonderful. Too bad we did not take a lesson from that experience, isn´t it?
I'm sure this was a test to see if we read attentively to the very last page.
Thank you for Captain Bruce Rolston's letter from Afghanistan. His personal observations and analysis of the situation there are incredibly frank, dark, and disturbing. And his conclusion is universal. Compelling reading.
Greg Terakita
BA 1985, MEd 1989
The first VW model sold in Canada was the original Beetle, which looked quite different from the car in the photo. A fellow student I knew at the time got a part-time job selling them at one of the first Canadian dealerships, on the west side of Yonge just south of St. Clair, back in 1953 or '54.
Michael Rochester
BA 1954, MA 1956
St. John's
I think Rod Tennyson's proposal is a great idea and should be pursued further. Solar power could be used for pumping stations and for other demands for electricity.
Daniel Jack Cox
BASc 1954
Haliburton, Ontario
The print edition of your story stated: “U of T operates Student Family Housing, a 713-unit development east of campus, but there’s a waiting list.”
We do indeed run two residence buildings with 713 apartment units on Charles Street West. These are specifically for students in undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral and postgraduate studies with a partner or spouse and/or 1 or 2 children.
However, due to changes in the off-campus rental housing market over the past few years, we are now able to offer apartments to eligible applicants with little or no waiting period. What was in years past a 12 to 24 month wait list is now quite short, and those who are actually “waiting” are typically people who have applied for an apartment well before they want or need to move. Those who can move right away generally do so.
We run recreational and educational programs and activities for the students and their family members and offer affordable housing right on campus in order to provide a supportive living environment for those students who have the added stress of being responsible for their spouse and/or children.
Similar on-campus family housing is also available at the UTM campus, and they too are able to offer residence spaces with little or no waiting period.
Victoria Orr
Manager, Admissions & Community Development
University of Toronto Student Family Housing
www.studentfamilyhousing.utoronto.ca
I read the President's Message on narrowing the student-faculty, visible-minorities gap with dismay and disappointment. The role of a university is not to correct the wrongs of history or to manipulate the facts of life to assure a fair outcome. A university's charter is to pursue knowledge and excellence above all. Fairness is not an adequate first priority for a world-class university. It is painful to see my alma mater succumb to political correctness.
Donald R. Stoll
BA 1952 Vic
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Sadly, it looks as if our new president is after equality of result, not equality of opportunity. He seems to forget how long it would take to have a 100-per cent turnover of faculty. His pro-visible minority discrimination is just as reprehensible as the old style. Just go for the best, the most competent.
John S. MacBeth
BA 1969 UC
Toronto
I really enjoyed this latest edition of your magazine. The stories of successful graduates were well written and entertaining. It was wonderful to hear all of the success stories and to realize how much opportunity exists for all graduates.
Mike Detenbeck
MEng 1989
Fort Erie, Ontario
Bravo to your many subjects and your take on them! Your introduction to Young Offenders was right: I was envious and equally proud to have been part of such a fine institution. The writing was dynamic and captivating as well as sensitive, and the photography and art direction were superlative.
Joey Schooley
BA 1979 WOODS
Toronto
Your photo and article highlight a number of things that are part of the ongoing display program at Soldiers’ Tower.
The photo is interesting from a number of perspectives. The relief and joviality contrast with the solemnity of what took place only some 20 years previously: the dedication of the Tower in 1924. At that time, more than 600 members of the university had died in active conflict out of almost 5,700 who served. Many more were to continue suffering afterwards from illness and disabilities. Other archival photographs in our possession show men and women in uniform working towards the war effort on a number of fronts. Quite a contrast from those seen dancing on the UC steps in 1945!
During the Second World War, U of T once again made an unparalleled contribution, with 15,000 personnel in uniform, a remarkable achievement for any one institution in Canada, when you think that enrolment was only 7,000 in 1944.
The university continues through its Soldiers’ Tower to present our country’s pre-eminent recognition of those who served. We can only hope that the number of conflicts will be reduced in future years.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of the laying of the Tower’s cornerstone.
Alumni are welcome to visit the Soldiers’ Tower and view our new installations, which include more examples of “then and now” photographs.
Glenn H. Carter 6T5
Member - Soldiers’ Tower Committee
P.S. The identification of a Volkswagen in the photo is an error. Sanctioned by Hitler several years before the outbreak of hostilities and never marketed in Canada, it certainly would never have made it to King’s College Circle. The SPS Skulemen would have quickly turned into it something useful, such as paper clips!
Graeme Cairns is an example of a man with the milk of life. He is an extraordinary person who will always be remembered for good.
I am writing to let you know how much I appreciate the new U of T Magazine. I read it with pleasure and a sense of worthy work done by graduates.
In particular, the piece by Captain Bruce Rolston motivated me to write. In so brief a passage his heart is laid bare before us; no fudging the melancholy state of affairs. So gratifying it is to hear someone who knows from experience and tells it as he sees it. Ignorance is, I agree, the root both there and here.
I have just finished the book, Three Cups of Tea, about the mountaineer who strove to get schools built in the hill villages of Northern Pakistan. I think the author of that book, Greg Mortenson, and Bruce Rolston would have a good conversation if they were to meet.
Thanks for the magazine. Thanks for intelligent military men.
Beverley de Villiers (nee Simmers)
BA 1952 UC
Surrey, B.C.
Yet another mega-project to ameliorate all the problems facing Africans? Poverty and political fragmentation in Africa are historically complex and deep-rooted problems that are unlikely ever to be solved by billion-dollar infrastructure investments.
During my first visit to Africa I was shocked to learn that aquifers could lie beneath communities lacking simple wells or other means to access water. Meanwhile, foreign interests exploit African reserves of petroleum, precious metals and gemstones - sometimes at devastating human and environmental costs.
We must ask ourselves honestly why such an arrangement exists and what our role in it is. I urge Professor Tennyson and others to read Africa’s Missing Billions (IANSA, Oxfam, Saferworld, 2007), which estimates that armed conflict in Africa between 1990 and 2005 resulted in destruction of $300 billion, an amount equal to development aid to Africa during that period.
As long as foreign interests fuel conflict and instability in order to extract resources, programs that successfully address Africa’s problems are likely to be community-based, locally rooted, and entrepreneurial. E.F. Schumacher’s idea that "small is beautiful" stands to bring more meaningful improvements to the majority of Africans who are living in poverty than any trans-African infrastructure will, at least for now.
Samer Abdelnour
BA 2000 UTSC
London, Ontario
Desalination plants and water pumped through a network of pipes, all powered by nuclear reactors, may solve the African water shortage.
However, Africa is blessed with abundant sunshine, which could be used to evaporate water. The cool ocean is present to aid distillation. Is nuclear power really required?
Rather than pumping water vast distances, I would suggest making the desert bloom around the distillation plants and distributing the water relatively short distances using pumps powered by solar power. Then bring the people to the water, not the water to the people.
I was surprised that Tennyson advocates dairy farming. This sort of sophisticated western farming consumes huge amounts of water and is unneccessary in a warm country where crops grow all year. Better to grow food that requires little water and to plant trees that will provide timber and shade. Trees will anchor and improve the soil. This could be a long-term solution. Eventually, less distillation and pumping may be needed, as the desert starts to bloom and the local climate reacts.
R. S. Osmaston
BASc 1957
Seaford, England
Hip hop dance class at Hart House should be mandatory for winter, and frisbee for fall - lecture free! Multi-tasking is the second biggest problem at U of T next to obesity. We should really learn to focus.
Merv's comments are frankly out of date. Challenge the research on rationale bases. It involved interviews with only 70 people in a narrow section of Toronto. Do all gay people live there? No. It's good to expose racism and ageism. It's real. But the Village is not all of Toronto and not every gay man habituates the Village. I value the research Green has done but it's limited. Applying it to Toronto's gay population as a whole is ridiculous and no doubt Green, a sociologist, would resist that generalization.
I thought the coverage of the royals quite clever. For me, as a teenager (born in 1924), the visit of the King and Queen in 1939 was a momentous occasion, and much of what went on and what was said made a lasting impression on me. You call George VI “shy and stammering,” but one thing that was remarked on was that the King spoke without a stammer. Apparently, he was quite forceful when greeting people. My parents were involved in some of the civic and military functions, and the visit was discussed for days by everyone.
I realize you wanted to keep the tone of your article light, but the cartoonist missed the point with the King’s consort, Queen Elizabeth; she came across as a beautiful, extremely well-dressed lady who charmed everyone.
James H. MacKendrick
North Saanich, B.C.
The authors of this article included Princess Elizabeth’s very brief visit on Oct. 13, 1951, noting that she “would become Queen two years later.” Elizabeth became Queen less than four months later on the death of her father, George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952. Although she was already Queen, her coronation took place on June 2, 1953. Prince Philip’s visit to Massey College on Oct. 10, 2002, was part of the Golden Jubilee tour of Canada celebrating Elizabeth’s 50 years as Queen since her accession to the throne in 1952.
Graeme A. Barry
MA 1992
Saint John, N.B.
Regarding Philosopher's Walk
---with apologies to Robert Frost
Four years at Toronto, my university
way back, but not a footfall did I make
on Philosopher's Walk, from which re-
percussions may still be felt this late,
the walk well-traveled by likes
not like me, students and professors
on, tradition went, meditative hikes,
and, after twilight, 1950s-style lovers,
all that purged from memory until
the spring '09 alumni magazine
told of (unpurging if you will)
work on one gate's iron and a line
of plantings and the walk's history
and a planned amphitheatre halfway.
And now I'm whelmed, in a quandary:
Had I walked the walk one day
instead of veering entirely clear
or hurrying past without a glance,
instead of skipping it each year,
would I be someone else perchance?
David Simms
BA 1960 St. Michael's
Berryville, Virginia
Cynthia Macdonald's article was interesting -- not just because one of my grandchildren graduated from the Institue of Child Study two years ago and another one of my grandchildren is currently attending.
The article mentioned Dr. William Blatz, whose book Understanding the Young Child I read when I took a course in child psychology at UC. Later, when I was in medical school, Dr. Blatz lectured to us for one semester in second year.
Although there was no examination on the content of the lectures, as I remember, attendance was good. Dr. Blatz offered wise advice about discipline and consistency with children, but what impressed me most was his view that the main goal in raising children is to help them mature to become confident, productive adults.
Paul Hoaken
BA 1953 UC, MD 1957
Millhaven, Ontario
My wife and I wish to congratulate you on grappling so ably with the gap between science and the arts. In the nuclear energy field, we have been so wrapped up in the physics of our enterprise that we have neglected its metaphysical aspects. How often have I seen a first-class nuclear scientist or engineer fumbling badly when trying to reply to queries from a concerned public! Everyone loses, for the public then tends to reject the one source of energy that has the capability to solve our pollution and global-warming problems. Those scientists who are on the cutting edge of genetics, cloning and the human genome, beware!
F. H. Kim Krenz
MA 1942
Lakefield, Ontario
Jay Teitel’s article reminds me of a small but subtle piece of humour that I and several others would indulge in when filling out university forms. Where a form asked for “faculty,” we would write, “Sciences and Art.” In many cases students can select from arts or sciences courses, and the major difference between a BA and a BSc is only how many science credits one gets. Perhaps it is time to borrow from the community colleges and institute a common first (and possibly second) year with a range of required arts and science courses; further, it may be time to change the faculty’s name to “general knowledge,” or some such.
Rick D.R. Clow
BSc 1974 UC
Trenton, Ontario
Not only did I find Jay Teitel’s reflections thoughtful, informative and well written, I, too, liked the ads that U of T ran. I saved the ad “Sociology Graduate? Oh yeah, that has future CEO written all over it,” featuring Carol Stephenson, president and CEO of Lucent Technologies Canada, to show to my Introduction to Sociology students this fall.
John Thompson
St. Thomas More College
Saskatoon
I approve of an issue which pays attention to the humanities, but find the tone rather cute and infantilized. When we’re noticed, we like to be taken seriously.
John H. Astington
PhD 1974
Professor, Department of English
University of Toronto at Mississauga
Recent ads, articles and commentaries regarding the purpose and value of an arts education caused me to flash back to 1970-74 when I was a U of T engineering student. In those days, the undergraduate engineering program included compulsory arts electives aimed at broadening our vision and making us more complete.
• Few of us welcomed the additional workload, but every engineer recognized the necessity of being able to hold one’s own in a literary debate and knowing the difference between Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas.
• There was a glaring disparity, however, that caused us consternation: there were no compulsory science electives for arts students. Surely the rounding principle applied to all; if we needed to be rounded and tempered, they needed to be sharpened and hardened.
Graham W. Bowden
BASc 1974
Brampton, Ontario
I do not suppose I am the first to draw attention to the terrific blooper regarding the graduation year of Robert MacGregor Dawson. Professor Dawson joined the U of T faculty in 1937 according to the Canadian Encyclopedia. I enjoyed his enthusiastic lectures before and after the Second World War. The Dawson who graduated in 1949 was his son.
J. Murray Cook Thompson
BA 1942 TRIN
Victoria
Your item has no doubt stirred many memories among the Second World War generation. In the fall of 1940, I applied unsuccessfully for pilot/navigator training in the Royal Canadian Air Force, but learned of evening classes at U of T sponsored by the Royal Canadian Legion for recruits who had left school before finishing Grade 12. I took classes at U of T and was accepted by the RCAF in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, graduating in January 1942. As far as I know, the legion was the first organization to upgrade the educational standards of prospective recruits.
W. David Adlam
BScF 1950
Manotick, Ontario
It's astounding that this article doesn't mention one word about the predecessor of the Institute of Child Study - the University of Toronto Schools.
That school is about 100 years old. Although it no longer receives financial support from the university, it continues to be a leading school in Canada.
I graduated from UTS in 1941 and returned for the 60th reunion of the class several years ago.
Perhaps you can do a piece on UTS and mention all the prominent people who have graced its halls.
George F Bain
Silver Spring, Maryland
Very interesting profile of the new president. I probably attended Canadian officers' training sessions on St. George Street at the same time as Bob Birgeneau in the early '60s. Even more interesting to me is that Bob married a schoolmate of mine from grade school. In the mid-'50s, before my family moved from Toronto to Smiths Falls, Ontario, I remember that Mary Catherine Birgeneau (née Ware) was one of the brains, if not the brain, in our class. One of my claims to fame was to be named as a top student one year (Grade 5, I think) on the same list as her. I think at least four of us from that class ended up attending U of T. Lots of fun reading about the president's family.
Gerry Heffernan
BPHE 1963
Smiths Falls, Ontario
It is good to see that a licensing policy and code of conduct have been developed, and hopefully put into practice, for humane conditions in the production of imaged material. Could I suggest an additional code, or policy, with regard to affinity and development items that every attempt be made to utilize items that are made of, or contain a portion of, recycled materials and are recyclable?
Rick Clow
BSc 1974 UC
Centre and South Hastings
Waste Services Board
Trenton, Ontario
Thank you for the coverage of the Project Blue Swimming campaign. Although the article talked about me, the real story has been the tremendous way that swimming alumni have rallied behind our cause to contribute more than $400,000 on the way to our $500,000 target.
Henry Vehovec
BASc 1979
Toronto
During the early 1960s, when I worked in the Sigmund Samuel Library, a young Australian woman was hired in the periodicals department. One lunch hour while she was in charge of the desk, a fellow came to charge out a periodical. She asked to see his card. "What card am I supposed to have?" he asked. She explained that it would be a student or a faculty card. "I am Claude Bissell, the president," was his response. "Oh yeah, everybody could say that," she said. "Can you prove it?" Obviously he did, because he left the reading room with the desired periodical. Then he went straight to the chief librarian's office to put in a good word for the efficient young librarian. And at the library we all loved him for it.
Ottilia Koel
Hamden, Connecticut
Brad Faught wrote ithat I did not seek another term as president "owing primarily to health concerns." This is not correct. I was in robust health in 1990, and remain so today.
I accepted a term of six years in 1984, knowing that I would not continue beyond 1990. Including my years at the University of Western Ontario, I served as a university president for 13 years. Almost anyone who has held such an office would agree 13 years is enough.
When I first took office at U of T, I did not, of course, know that Robert Prichard would succeed me. When his appointment was approved in October 1989, this removed any lingering doubt about the wisdom of my departure. Jack Batten's appraisal of Prichard's achievements in the article "Decade of the Dynamo" explains why I held that view in 1989, and still hold it today.
George Connell
BA 1951 Trinity, PhD 1955, DSc 1993
President Emeritus
Toronto
The articles by Brad Faught ("The Cast of Presidents") and this one by Jack Batten offered an intelligent and highly readable perspective on U of T's development as an institution. I was pleased to learn that outgoing president Robert Prichard so clearly understood the value of history as a key to understanding the present and charting the future. A correction to Mr. Batten's article, however, is in order. The name of Sir Robert Falconer's biographer is James G. Greenlee (professor of history at Memorial University in St. John's, Nfld.). Mr. Batten renamed him Robert.
Anders Henriksson
MA 1972, PhD 1978
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Many of us who graduated from U of T did not know of the contributions of our past presidents, and this important article should remedy this unfortunate ignorance.
Peter V. Nguyen
BSc 1987 Victoria, MSc 1988, PbD 1993
Edmonton, Alberta
My interest in the summer issue heightened when I read of "the installation in 1957 of the SLOWPOKE nuclear reactor." Actually, SLOWPOKE (an acronym for Safe Low Power Critical Experiment) was installed in 1971. In 1969, I became project engineer for SLOWPOKE's installation, working with Professor Robert E. Jervis. It is sad to relate that despite its bright future, U of T's SLOWPOKE will soon be decommissioned. There is also the sorry saga of cloned Chinese SLOWPOKEs in Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Ghana and Nigeria, reported in the Dec. 18, 1999 issue of the Toronto Star. C'est dommage.
G. James Thomson
BASc 1948
Oakville, Ontario
This special alumni issue really warms my heart. As Barbara Frum's mother, I am proud indeed to find Barbara (BA 1959 UC) listed among Canada's heroes and icons in a publication so prestigious and fine as this.
Florence Rosberg
Toronto
Recently I found myself listed as one of the graduates of the university who helped shape the past century. Needless to say, I am delighted. My years at the Ontario Agricultural College [then affiliated with U of T] left me without a sense of close association with the university. My principal impression was derived from a couple of stern scholars who came up to Guelph to preside over the final examinations. Otherwise, we were fully under local control.
One of my particular memories of the Toronto influence was of a final examination. While under the close scrutiny of those men from Toronto, a young and diversely qualified friend of mine was very careful to keep from sight the notes that he had brought into an examination for guidance. Of course, this was deeply illegal. The examination being over, I was with him when he discovered that, in a terrible moment of distraction, he had handed in the notes with the examination book. He left that afternoon, and I have never seen him since.
None of this is especially important: it survives in my memory to affirm my limited association with Queen's Park. I have a warmer sense of that relationship from coming up in the summer of 1961, soon after my appointment as ambassador to India, to receive an honorary degree. Under university auspices, I think at Hart House, I received a long and urgent telegram from Washington, in secret code, informing me of matters in our relations with New Delhi. I had no code book and I asked the American consul what I should do about it. I was told to put in a telephone call to Washington and get the content in English. Said the consulate office, "There's nothing to worry about: this is Canada."
Again my pleasure at my listing in this distinguished company and what it has brought to mind.
John Kenneth Galbraith
BSA 1931, LLD Hon. 1961
Cambridge, Massachusetts
It is gratifying to read of the great contributions to humanity made by a few of the graduates of U of T. However, the true glory of the university is not its most eminent graduates, nor its research work, nor its postgraduate programs. Its great glory is the thousands of ordinary graduates that the university has given to Canadian society as civilized and educated citizens.
E. Ritchie Clark
BComm 1933 UC
Mount Royal, Quebec
The magazine is terrific. U of T is an amazing place where exciting achievements occur through sheer human will and wisps of inexhaustible human genius. "I belong where I read," wrote Anne Michaels. Fits here.
Dr. William Davies
MD 1974
Toronto
"Class Acts" was indeed one! Try it again with a second, third and fourth tier – several times!
Henry J. Sissons
BA 1937 VIC
Orono, Ontario
I was dismayed to find Anne Carson, PhD in classics, author of Economy of the Unlost, missing from your special alumni issue. She is much appreciated in the United States; I hope we in Canada will give her as much notice.
Theresa K. Gerson
MLS 1980, BEd 1992
Toronto
I strongly feel that you should have included A. Alan Borovoy (BA 1953 UC, LLB 1956), general counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and remind you of an honorary doctor of laws degree he received from U of T (LLD Hon. 1991).
Murray Rubin
BSc Pharmacy 1954
Toronto
Good 100-year retrospective. But what about Professor E.F. Burton, head of the physics department who started the radar classes to train specialists during the Second World War? Also, Caesar Wright, dean of the Faculty of Law, who fought so that U of T grads could have access to the legal profession without having to study a further year at Osgoode Hall Law School?
Barbara I. Wilson
BA 1938 VIC
Toronto
What I am doing is in the worst possible taste; I proceed. I take a very dim view of the omission of my name from the Alumni Who Shaped the Century, but more of the omission of my sister, Irene Irwin Clarke. From her entrance to Victoria College with five scholarships, through a brilliant career in classics and drama, to her role as president of Clarke Irwin, she was distinguished in many fields. She was the first woman on the university Board of Governors and cross-Canada speaker of the Canadian Women's Club. She and her husband launched the painter Emily Carr and published works by Carr and journalist Robertson Davies, to mention only two. I pass over her distinguished war work in the Canadian Women's Volunteer Services (and incidentally her chairmanship of the women's division of the National Fund, U of T) and, to use the current cliché, much, much more.
Grace Irwin
BA 1929 VIC, MA 1932, DLitt Sac Hon. 1991
Toronto
My father, Dr. Herbert L. Pottle, is a U of T alumnus (MA 1934 psychology, PhD 1937 psychology and education). He is a worthy Canadian of Newfoundland heritage who had considerable impact on the national and international scene. For starters, he is the last living member of the Commission of Government that brought Newfoundland into Confederation in 1949. He turned 93 in February and resides in Ottawa.
Helen Wesanko
Ottawa
What is it that every educated person should know? My answer is: He or she should know that we are slowly but surely poisoning our planet, that pollution is the number one issue of the day. Our universities are not doing enough to address this burning issue. They should be in the forefront to educate the people and pressure the government and industries to respect our environment. A true liberal education should include a high degree of knowledge of the current ills of the world. Unless our future leaders are schooled in the problems of the day in their university years, how do you expect them to care when they are in a position of power?
Joseph Cassar
Bolton, Ontario
It was with some disappointment that I read "Stepping into the Future." The planned developments all have one thing in common: they are huge, boxy structures of concrete and glass. During my time at U of T, I always enjoyed the glorious structures that spoke to me of history – University College, Hart House, Victoria College, Teefy and Carr halls, Knox College, Convocation Hall, Trinity College, even old Devo Hall with the coaxial cable strung from window to window by students stealing access to cable television. There should be enough talented architects in Toronto to commission buildings that fit the needs of the university while fitting into the ambience of the area.
Colin Principe
BA 1992 University College
Concord, Massachusetts
This article states that Christian fundamentalists were “powerful enough in 1999 to ban the teaching of evolutionary science in Kansas schools." In fact, there is no such ban. That state’s elected board of education no longer requires the teaching of evolution in schools. It leaves it to the individual school district to decide whether evolution should be a curriculum requirement. Science fundamentalists give the impression that there is a ban. One such fundamentalist proposed that American universities should refuse to recognize any high school biology course taught in Kansas unless students applying for admission to the university pass a test that establishes their knowledge of evolutionary dogma. Surely, your next Thousand-Year Itch article will report that early in the current millennium, religious fundamentalism was displaced by science fundamentalism.
Professor Michael F. Filosa
Department of Zoology
University of Toronto at Scarborough
As a first year medical student, I was heartened to hear that the spirit of altruism is still very much alive and well in the U of T community. Live-donor organ transplants and other gifts of bodily substance can make a world of difference to someone affected by illness, and I've sometimes wondered, only half-facetiously, why every incoming medical student isn't required to donate blood -- or more substantial tissues! Pipe dreams aside, I would like to point out a small error of comission in an otherwise heart-warming article: anti-rejection drugs, while certainly crucial in the post-transplant period, are not used "to ward off infections," but rather to prevent the recipient's immune system from attacking the newly-installed donor organ.
Edward Weiss
BSc 2004 Woodsworth
London, Ontario
The description of Dr. Wilbur Rounding Franks' contribution to aviation medicine underemphasized the enormous impact of his inventions. The Franks Flying Suit, designed to prevent pilots from blacking out during high-speed manoeuvres (primarily dive-bombing), saved the lives of hundreds of Allied pilots during the Second World War. Without his invention, there would have been no cosmonauts or astronauts in space, nor men on the moon. Moreover, an updated version of his human centrifuge was used recently when U.S. Senator John Glenn was tested to determine whether he was fit to make a space trip. How many University of Toronto alumni were designated The Father of Aviation Medicine? I also point out the omission of James Hillier from the list of 100 alumni. His design, while he was still a graduate student at the University of Toronto, permitted the successful production of the electron microscope, and his numerous later patents significantly advanced its capability.
Alan Rodgman
BA 1949 VIC, MA 1951, PhD 1953
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Editor's Note: Hillier and lab partner Albert Prebus (PhD 1940), working under the supervision of E.F. Burton, built their microscope in 1938 in just four months.
I was pleased to see my sister Marion Powell among the 100 alumni who shaped the century. I do wish that the tale that she was one of four women in her class in medicine, as previously reported elsewhere, had not been repeated here. The really interesting story is that 20 women were admitted (in a class of about 150). The class was told explicitly that only 10 women would pass and that proved to be the case, the standard for “passing” being applied differently for women than men. Those 10 all graduated in February 1946 (in an accelerated program to provide physicians to serve in the Armed Forces) and nine practised medicine. We’ve come a long way!
Prof. M. Eleanor Irwin
BA 1959 UC, MA 1960, PhD 1967
Division of Humanities
University of Toronto at Scarborough
I enjoyed reading the spring issue for many reasons, if only to read about people I went to either Skule or school with. I was a little disappointed at one omission, though. The co-developer of IMAX cameras and projectors was Bill Shaw (BASc 1951). Bill's contribution certainly made an important impression on the entertainment field.
John Sudbury
BASc 1952
Picton, Ontario
Editor's Note: And Graeme Ferguson (BA 1952 VIC), as president of Imax Systems Corp., advanced the huge, multiscreen format.
I am writing to protest the ill-conceived citation of Wendy Cukier as a "crusader" worthy of note in the same pages as Roberta Bondar, Margaret Atwood, Barbara Frum and other noted U of T graduates. Ms. Cukier's "crusade," spawned by the tragic deaths of innocent women at l'Ecole Polytechnique, is a misguided attempt to punish law-abiding citizens for the act of a maniacal madman. A rational society does not rush in the aftermath of a psycho's horrendous deeds to create such draconian legislation as the Firearms Act, which will eventually be shown to violate Canadians' civil rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If the coalition's efforts had specifically targeted the criminal element of society, one could agree with your "crusader" analogy, but under the circumstances you are way off the mark.
Ron P. Alton
BSc Forestry 1966
Hilton Beach, Ontario
I am conceivably the most obscure person of the three generations bearing the name of Wrong to have graduated from the University of Toronto since the late 19th century, and I have no strong objection to being confused with my father. But if as stated in your spring issue that my father did indeed earn a BA in 1945 and only four years later drafted parts of the NATO treaty, then it is even more amazing that nothing in his career as a student "foreshadowed his enormous international impact," as the text puts it. You have, of course, confused him with his son, namely me, who did graduate in 1945. My father, however, graduated in 1915.
Dennis Hume Wrong
BA 1945 UC
Professor Emeritus, New York University
Princeton, New Jersey
I find that I must take exception to the way this issue is presented. It is understandable to point a finger of culpability at pregnant women who smoke and drink during their pregnancies and thus endanger the lives of their unborn children. It is another issue entirely to imply that pregnant women who follow a doctor's prescription for blood pressure medication are harming their unborn children. I believe the culpability resides with the doctors who prescribe such medication for pregnant women to treat mild to moderate increases in blood pressure.
Jenny L. Amy
MLS 1976
Southampton, Ontario
Of possible archival interest, Winnett Boyd also designed the Orenda jet engine, successor to the Chinook. It became the leading high-performance military jet engine of the 1950s and early '60s. The Orenda saw service in the Avro CF-100 and Canadair CF-86 Sabre jet fighters in the air forces of Canada, The Netherlands, West Germany, South Africa and Pakistan. After his short but brilliant career in jet engine design, Winn went on to design the outstanding NRU research nuclear reactor at Chalk River.
As for myself, after leaving A.V. Roe Canada in 1952, I started a high-tech consulting engineering company, Dilworth, Secord, Meagher and Associates Ltd. (DSMA). It became an international leader in the design and construction of supersonic and subsonic aeronautical wind tunnels. Other major projects included nuclear fuel transfer systems for the early CANDU nuclear reactor. In conclusion, at the risk of being labelled a fame-seeking egotist (which I hope I am not), Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame inducted me as a member this May.
Paul B. Dilworth
BASc 1939
This article is so right: older gay males are invisible, I know because I am one. That is the reason I am not part of that superficial and boring sub-culture. Good article.
Although I was still a third-form student at Lawrence Park Collegiate on May 8, 1945, my memories of that day remian vivid. Every classroom in the school had a radio tuned to the news, and when the great announcement came we poured out of the school onto Chatsworth Drive. I walked to Yonge Street and headed south as far as I could go. At Heath Street, it was impossible to keep walking because of the crowds. People were dancing on the roofs of stopped cars.
This was a few years before I graduated and headed for Trinity College.
John M. Longfield
Toronto
ps I am certain that the car in the picture was a 1937 or 1938 Dodge or Plymouth.
Recent concern regarding the Influenza A H1N1 virus reinforces the importance of a ‘One World One Health’ public health approach. All species can benefit from the integration of human and veterinary medicine.
During the early 1960s, when I worked in the Sigmund Samuel Library, a young Australian woman was hired in the periodicals department. One lunch hour while she was in charge of the desk, a fellow came to charge out a periodical. She asked to see his card. "What card am I supposed to have?" he asked. She explained that it would be a student or a faculty card. "I am Claude Bissell, the president," was his response. "Oh yeah, everybody could say that," she said. "Can you prove it?" Obviously he did, because he left the reading room with the desired periodical. Then he went straight to the chief librarian's office to put in a good word for the efficient young librarian. And at the library we all loved him for it.
Ottilia Koel
Hamden, Conn.
Brad Faught wrote in the summer issue (The Cast of Presidents) that I did not seek another term as president "owing primarily to health concerns." This is not correct. I was in robust health in 1990, and remain so today.
I accepted a term of six years in 1984, knowing that I would not continue beyond 1990. Including my years at the University of Western Ontario, I served as a university president for 13 years. Almost anyone who has held such an office would agree 13 years is enough.
When I first took office at U of T, I did not, of course, know that Robert Prichard would succeed me. When his appointment was approved in October 1989, this removed any lingering doubt about the wisdom of my departure. Jack Batten's appraisal (Decade of the Dynamo) of Prichard's achievements explains why I held that view in 1989, and still hold it today.
George Connell (BA 1951 Trinity, PhD 1955, DSc Hon. 1993)
President Emeritus
Toronto
My interest in the summer issue heightened when I read of "the installation in 1957 of the SLOWPOKE nuclear reactor." Actually, SLOWPOKE (an acronym for Safe Low Power Critical Experiment) was installed in 1971. In 1969, I became project engineer for SLOWPOKE's installation, working with Professor Robert E. Jervis. It is sad to relate that despite its bright future, U of T's SLOWPOKE will soon be decommissioned. There is also the sorry saga of cloned Chinese SLOWPOKEs in Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Ghana and Nigeria, reported in the Dec. 18, 1999 issue of the Toronto Star. C'est dommage.
G. James Thomson (BASc 1948)
Oakville, Ont.
I was very pleased with U of T Magazine’s report of our almond study (“Almonds Fight Cholesterol,” Leading Edge, Winter 2003). You may also be interested in our Portfolio study, published in Metabolism last December. In this study, we fed hypercholesterolemic subjects a number of cholesterol-lowering foods – soy foods, viscous fibre foods (oats and barley) and plant sterol-enriched margarine. Their combined action achieved the same lowering of cholesterol as is seen with drug therapy. Basically, this study shows the value of combining cholesterol-lowering foods and showcases the value of foods such as almonds as part of a heart-healthy diet.
Cyril Kendall
(BSc 1985 New College, MSc 1987, PhD 1992)
Department of Nutritional Sciences
University of Toronto
I enjoyed your “Star Turns” feature (Winter 2003). Susan Lawrence ends her trip down the rich road that has been Charmion King’s career with a question about which role the actress would like to have played. King’s response, “Ophelia,” elicits from Ms. Lawrence the observation: “It’s obvious why no director ever cast her as the frail female who loses her mind…she has too much strength in that powerful voice of hers.”
It’s just as likely, perhaps, that the actress has never encountered a director imaginative enough to realize that Ms. King could have cracked any acting nut she was offered. Come to think of it, she would make a terrific Cleopatra. Now if her husband, Gordon Pinsent, could be persuaded to take on Antony…
Geoff Rytell
(BEd 1975)
Toronto
Regarding “Your U of T Health & Fitness Guide” (Spring 2003), I question the section on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The author says that GMOs have been around forever. That is patent nonsense. True, our fore-farmers have long been engaged in selective breeding and made full use of mutants with desirable traits. Later, the seed companies went in for hybrids – that is, breeding between close species. The advantage for them was that the hybrids didn’t breed true, so the farmers had to buy new seeds every year.
The genetically modified organisms we worry about involve adding genes unrelated to one another – a plant gene into an animal embryo, and vice versa. I worry not because it will damage my health, but because of what it will do to life in general on this planet.
Modern genetically modified life forms are not about feeding the starving millions in an overpopulated planet. They are about corporate control and corporate power and profits.
Monica Oldham (Dip OT 1944)
Victoria
I feel your article on “Modified Foods” was unscientific, misleading and exceptionally irresponsible. I would like to know more about botany professor Dan Riggs – what kind of related research does he do, and who funds his research?
The article begins by claiming that “GMOs have been around forever.” GMOs have definitely not been around forever, especially those GMOs into which genes from completely different species and even from different kingdoms have been inserted.
The author goes on to claim that “GMOs offer the means to utilize farmland most efficiently and produce nutritious foods in sufficient quantity to feed a world population that could hit eight billion by 2025.” There is substantial evidence that small farms using intercropping are actually more efficient than large, industrial monocrop farms when all inputs and impacts are taken into account.
Riggs goes on to say that we should all just “give them a try” because a number of foods already contain GMO-derived materials. He is encouraging consumers of unregulated GMOs to participate in an unsupervised clinical trial.
Paula Vopni (BA 1991 Innis)
Toronto
This is an important debate, and there are myths and misconceptions on both sides of the issue. To Ms Vopni’s point, I have been researching plant genetics for more than a decade. I do not receive funding from any biotech-related concern.
Space does not allow me to address all of these readers’ points. While many of their contentions enjoy broad public acceptance, I believe the weight of science is against them. GM foods are not as new as critics say, nor as dangerous. When properly regulated, as I believe they should be, GM foods provide major benefits to food producers and consumers. In future, they may also help us raise food on land now considered non-arable.
Anyone wishing to learn more about GMOs might check out a UC Berkeley Web site, http://ucbiotech.org, which has a tremendous number of links to information and education on biotechnology issues.
I take offence at the item “Natural Medicine – Natural does not equal safe” in “Your U of T Health & Fitness Guide.” How many people have had adverse effects with the products – few, if any, of which are natural – prescribed by their physicians? I don’t see this described in the article. And why does this article suggest that there are few, if any, studies showing the efficacy of natural products such as herbs and supplements? There are many such studies, but to acknowledge them is not in the interest of faculties such as pharmacy or medicine. Will you please report both sides of the concern, and not simply the one that “big business” or “old boys’ medicine” dictates as proper.
John Westlake
(BSc 1970 New College, BEd 1971)
Newmarket, Ont.
Brad Faught’s “Paths to Peace” article in your Spring 2003 issue raises some interesting questions regarding the commitment of universities in general, and U of T in particular, to the “free and independent search for truth and meaning.”
“Figuring out how leaders interpret the world and how they evaluate their options” is a key to understanding their actions and motivations, opines Professor David Welch. Does this apply to the present Bush administration, whose top officers are made up almost exclusively of graduates from the school of Big Oil, and who almost unanimously are persons of fundamentalist religious convictions? Surely the key to their actions and motivations is no great mystery. The real difficulty may turn out to be within academe itself, where such an important motivation as “power” is largely ignored by political scientists, and “revenge” by social scientists in general.
Your story says, “Sustainable peace and democracy can take root in the developing world only if the global economy is reformed to create a more equitable distribution of resources between North and South.” True! But what has U of T to offer besides this pious objective? Have its academic bright lights got some plan for dismantling globalization? Are there some suggestions for reforming capitalism that will draw the teeth of some of its more predatory practices? One waits with bated breath for elucidation on these matters.
Kenneth L. Morrison (BA 1948 VIC, MA 1949)
Thunder Bay, Ont.
I question some of Professor John Polanyi’s assumptions on peace. “Law” does not necessarily celebrate the rule of reason. Religious law and tribal law are often absolute and based upon tradition, not formal arguments in court.
As for claiming that war is the abnegation of reason in favour of power, does Polanyi seriously expect that one could reason with such a monster as Saddam Hussein and stay alive? Brutal dictators don’t pursue truth through reason. They chiefly want power and use violence to get it or keep it. Professor Polanyi’s view that a convincing international consensus is necessary to intervene also needs qualification. It just doesn’t make much sense to say that Saddam has long since forfeited his right to rule, yet fail to act upon that fact.
Abe Gruber (BA 1955 UC)
Emeritus in anthropology at Palomar College, California
Your article (“Paths to Peace”) referred to “the Conservative government’s intent to acquire nuclear weapons.” This is incorrect. John Diefenbaker strongly opposed the acquisition of nuclear weapons. This policy was one of the causes of his electoral defeat in 1963. It was Lester Pearson’s government that acquired nuclear warheads for the Bomarc missiles.
It is therefore quite possible that Diefenbaker welcomed the intervention of the university’s academics.
George Connell (BA 1951 TRIN, PhD 1955, DSc Hon. 1993)
Toronto
Editor’s Note: In 1959, the period referred to in our story, John Diefenbaker did indeed agree to install nuclear weapons on Canadian soil (the Bomarc missile). A year later, however, he turned around and refused to arm them with nuclear warheads. This issue helped defeat the Diefenbaker government in the 1963 election. The new prime minister, Lester Pearson, ordered the installation of the nukes, and then promised to renegotiate Canada’s nuclear role – although he never actually did. Contrary to what we reported last issue, Canada’s nuclear arsenal was dismantled by Pearson’s successor, Pierre Trudeau.
The piece leading off “Alumni Notes” (Summer 2003) asserts that the newspaper, first published in 1978, was U of T’s first independent student newspaper. To the best of my knowledge, an independent newspaper that rejoiced in the name Campus was published in 1945 and 1946. It was in direct competition with The Varsity, of which I was assistant managing editor at the time.
Bob Robinson
Willowdale, Ont.
Editor’s Note: Actually, U of T has seen many independent student-run newspapers come and go. Archivist Harold Averill reports that College Topics was published between 1897 and 1902. Then there was The Goblin, which started publishing in 1921 and lasted about 12 years, and The Reporter, which published several issues in 1949. The newspaper (which recently readopted that name after being known for five years as The Independent Weekly) is by far U of T’s longest-running “independent” publication.
I have foot drop, which I believe is a result of injuring the peroneal nerves. In 2003, two neurologists at the Vancouver General Hospital concluded that I had a general weakness. They ruled out ALS and MS.
So I was intrigued to read about Dr. Popovic's "portable programmable, wallet-sized device" to stimulate the nerves and muscles. Would it help me get my feet to pick up so that I walk normally? Is this device available to the general public and would it help my condition?
Bernadette Slosmanis
Prince George, B.C.
Didn't anybody do their research? Daniel Libeskind was fired from the Freedom Tower Project. And he was not commissioned to design any buildings at the Ground Zero site. Daniel continues to misrepresent his role in a process that he is no longer a part of. He is the architect for Toronto's ugliest building, the "Crystal" on Bloor Street. He is not fit to wash floors at UofT.
I find ICS's admissions policy ironic. On one hand it encourages diversity and anti-elitism. On the other hand, only those at the top of the waiting list are invited to an interview. What happens when the most diverse part of the waiting list is at the bottom? By the time parents find out about this jewel of a school... they may already be # 1001.
Surely "Ms. Universe" is a better headline than "Payette Forward," "M.ISS [International Space Station] Universe," "Astro-not-a-man!" or "Wo-man on the Wo-moon!"
Disregarding question #5, I got them right, except #4 (I said "A" only). The thing is, if I encountered these questions in normal life, I would have given all wrong answers. But because I’m aware that this is a test, and the answer is not the most apparent one, I spent more time analyzing the problems.
So I wonder: do "rational" people consider every problem a "tricky" one? Or are they just like me, except that their thought process changes depending on how they perceive the issue?
It would be great to know if I could trick my brain to think "rationally" all of the time, rather than only when I'm answering questions designed to test my rationality.
I can't believe there is no mention of religion in this article. I can think of no greater example of the surrender of rational thought to superstition by so many otherwise intelligent people. Still taboo to mention?
On question #3, you would be correct if your question was, 'Does he have the disease?'
But you asked if he had the virus, in which case the answer is 95%
I agree with AE, above. I used to play a trivial pursuit game in a pub. We usually won, but we got some wrong because the answer was too easy. We assumed there must be a trick. But there wasn't.
Has anyone read Dan Ariely's book. "Predictably Irrational?"
Dave, it should not be taboo to discuss this at all but your comment begs the question, did you really understand this article? It seems to me that you are not aware of your own presuppositional biases and "myside blindness." There is no such thing as a bias-free position. It is irrational to think that the evolutionary materialist view (which I am assuming you hold) is the only valid one when it starts with the fundamental assumption that there can be allowed no non-material explanation for the Universe. Fail at Logic 101 level.
I am also not going to debate the enormous, heterogeneous and muddy field of religion or superstition. I may agree with you in part that a significant proportion of superstition and religious claims are ill-founded. However I also do not accept a widely stated view that all claims and beliefs in this context are are equally valid (or invalid depending on the commentator) as that is a philosophical rather than a rational position. "Test everything. Hold on to the good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21
I enjoyed this article and the admonition to examine problems more carefully and broadly. I like the idea of teaching people how to think rationally rather than what to remember. It seems to me that the reason it is less done is that "facts" and techniques are relatively easy to teach and assess whereas the critical tools to interpret "facts" are harder so less "efficient" in the short term. (I tend to overuse inverted commas but use them around facts because a significant proportion of what are believed to be facts, aren't.)
Regarding question four, wouldn't turning over the K and 8 also confirm the rule?
K is not a vowel, so turning it over won't confirm the rule. If 8 has a consonant on the back, it won't confirm the rule (since the rule says only that vowels must even numbers on the back; it doesn't say that consonants can't).
Regarding question #4, The data seems insufficient to actually verify the rule. Turning over the 5 and finding a consonant only proves that there can be consonants on the back of odd numbered cards.
I suggest that question #5 is unanswerable.
One factor is that the German car could be extremely heavy because it has the capacity to transport many people or has bullet-proofed body for security. Thus its propensity to kill people in accidents is simply caused by its mass.
So unless the government wants to place limits on the allowable mass of vehicles, it makes no sense to ban a specific make and model.
Question #4 is deliberately misleading and short on information. You can't prove whether the rule is true, only if it is false, unless you state that the rule only applies to these 4 cards.
Question #3 is also bogus, because they are not asking about the disease, but the infection with XYZ virus.
Nikki, what a great article! Thanks so much for sharing.
If you are raised and educated in this secular and atheistic age and end up in adulthood still honestly believing in a religious tradition, then you are likely the most rational of people since you would have had to come to terms with a culture that opposes your beliefs, that forces you to hear the other side of the argument, and that would force you to examine your presuppositional biases, “confirmation bias,” and “myside blindness.”
The correct answer to #3 is actually slightly below 2%. It's 1 in 51, not 1 in 50. For those who can't figure it out, here's another explanation. Suppose you have 1000 people tested. 5% of them, on average, will have a false positive. That is 50 people. One of them will have a true positive, and actually have the virus. So you have 51 positive results, only one of which actually has the virus. Therefore the odds that any given individual with a positive result has the virus is 1 in 51.
This magazine looks quite interesting. i look forward to seeing articles on food and the new world order.
Re question #4, why are two cards needed to prove the point? If A is turned and the back is an even number, the premise is correct. If the number is uneven, the premise is wrong.
With respect to question #2, I think the answer is logically correct although it may not be factually correct
Paul (above) says: "If you are raised and educated in this secular and atheistic age and end up in adulthood still honestly believing in a religious tradition, then you are likely the most rational of people..."
And if you've been exposed to religion for a significant portion of your life and choose to be secular, are you most rational too?
I'm so glad a friend passed this article along to me. It's very well written. I'm going to keep passing this on to folks in my community who don't "get it." In loving liberty, Tracey.
I have to say that the question about the virus is worded incorrectly for the outcome. I considered the answer given but I had disregarded that since the contraction of the XYZ virus is what we are asked to determine, NOT the disease itself. Try to think of it as HIV. Just because someone has HIV, does not mean they have AIDS. They still have HIV. The last sentence should be worded, "What is the probability that an individual testing positive actually has the disease caused by the XYZ virus?"
I love the article and quiz. This author has made some very important points about what needs to be taught in our schools. As an educator, I am constantly faced with the lack of rational thought by adults and children alike. I'm very interested in learning methods of teaching students how to think rationally. Interestingly, I have indeed known individuals with very low IQs who seem to think more rationally than some who are highly educated.
Rory Stewart's The Places in Between should be required reading for all politicians, military generals, foreign service personnel, NGOs and UN employees. A British diplomat, Stewart walked across Afghanistan in 2002. His is the only accurate, in-depth view of the country that I've read. According to Stewart, most Afghanis could not care less about such lofty Western ideas as human rights, freedom, a liberal education and democracy.
In his view, Afghani women are never going to obtaining equal rights. Western ideas about the country are based on Kabul, which is not representative of the countryside. Stewart points out that most people who work with NGOs are parachuted in for a year or two, cannot speak local dialects, and restrict themselves to driving SUVs in the secure areas.
He further points out that when the colonial power of Britain ruled India for more than 200 years, some British people spent a lifetime in India and developed an intimate knowledge of the country and its culture. Stewart is not an apologist for colonial rule - far from it - but at least the Brits left an infrastructure that still operates in India today. What will be left when we leave Afghanistan?
I say the sooner we leave the better. Our soldiers are dying for nothing.
Elliot Fine
BA 1970, BEd 1972
The beautiful, eye-catching, colourful flag on the cover of your Summer 2009 issue is an identifying symbol of the gay movement. As a Christian who considers everyone my neighbour, I’m appalled when anyone is bullied or made to be an outcast. Mistreating people can never be condoned. We all want caring communities.
Gay acceptance is a complex and important issue for our society, since it goes to the heart of who we are and what we celebrate as human beings. But I question if anybody really understands where society is heading as a result of the freedoms and choices of the sexual revolution.
Not everything traditional, such as marriage and family, needs to be revisited and reworked. Many of us draw on these traditions for comfort and security. They connect us to history and give us hope for the future. Marriage and family have accepted historical meanings that we hold dear. Why do some members of the gay movement feel that they have to be part of the marriage tradition?
Sexual identity is shaped during adolescence. As today's youth navigate the muddy waters of finding themselves, they are being influenced by many things, including the gay movement. And while certain aspects of the gay movement are addressed through the public school system, traditional viewpoints are not always. As the gay movement makes itself heard, it is having an impact on the rest of society.
What I find contradictory is that while personal empowerment, can-do philosophy, and the ability to reinvent oneself is promoted heavily in today's culture, making a choice about one's sexuality is not. How can human beings be capable of changing their behaviour in so many ways, but not their sexuality? After all, there is a lifestyle associated with the colourful flag and the gay movement.
Throughout the article, readers are encouraged to look at things through the particular lens of the gay movement. As a result, people with traditional values, such as myself, find themselves shutting off the media to avoid what has become, in my opinion, the oversexualization of society.
There are children reading and watching these cultural changes and displays. Some of the public displays of the gay movement are the most sexually assertive of any resulting from the sexual revolution. Is this really progressive?
John
Last name withheld by request
I read the article with great interest, having been an undergraduate before most of the events chronicled took place. Yet I struggled in vain to see any mention of transgender or transsexual people during this period. It is as if there were no trans people active in Toronto at this time - or possibly ever.
Many trans people also identify as gay/lesbian and, along with straight people of good conscience, contributed to the struggles described here. The comment will be made that it is impossible to chronicle the history of transsexual people, but then that was a charge once made regarding gay/lesbian people, which we find well countered by this very piece.
Maybe, sometime in the future, earnest journalists, if not historians, will unearth the interesting, and so far erased history of transsexual people in Toronto, as Susan Stryker has done for the United States. Maybe then, having our history well regarded and well known, we will be able to join those, whose history is told here, formally and explicitly in the human rights and hate crime laws of this country.
Until then, one can only struggle against the silence.
I was very interested to read Anne Perdue's article about queer activism at U of T. A piece of the history seems to be missing, though. The Sexual Education and Peer Counselling Centre was an active and vibrant contributor to the U of T community. I was a volunteer at the centre in 1993 and 1994 and co-cordinated the centre in 1995. We trained between 60 and 70 volunteers a year. These volunteers staffed a peer counselling phone line and put on sexual health workshops at the university and in high schools. We also organized an annual sexuality awareness week. In my memory, no other group was doing sexual education on campus at that time. Sexual Diversity Studies was just getting started and LGB OUT (as it was called at the time) primarily organized homo hops.
Anne Perdue refers to the founding of the University of Toronto Homophile Association in 1969 and says that it was, "arguably, the first gay liberation organization in the country." The association may have been the first lesbian and gay rights organization in Toronto, but certainly not in Canada.
The Association for Social Knowledge ("ASK"), formed in April 1964 in Vancouver, was the first lesbian and gay rights organization in Canada. Its objectives included public education and supporting law reform. Lesbians, gay men and heterosexuals were members. ASK organized lectures and community events, opened the first lesbian and gay community centre in Canada, and published a newsletter. It disbanded in early 1969.
The history of ASK is considered in detail in standard references such as Gary Kinsman's The Regulation of Desire and Donald McLeod's Lesbian and Gay Liberation in Canada.
Donald Casswell
BSc 1972 UC, LLM 1980
Professor Emeritus of Law
University of Victoria
High speed rail - long overdue!
Anne's article captures the evolution of LGBTQ visibility at U of T over the decades very well. I remember as a member of the Governing Council asking the administration around 1986 if the omission of sexual orientation from the proposed anti-harassment policy was deliberate. The senior staff member presenting it said "not on my part." It was added on the spot. At a Governing Council meeting on "Jeans Day" in 1991, Rob Prichard and I were the only ones wearing jeans: it would be different today. And as the first openly gay President of U of T Alumni Association for the last two years, I can say that we've come even further since then.
As a U of T alumna, I am proud of the university's activism in promoting gay rights. I offer my congratulations and compliments to Anne Perdue for a well written article.
As a member of the former Unitarian Congregation of South Peel (renamed Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga) I was a tad miffed by an error of omission in the "The March to Equality" timeline. The Rev. Mark Mosher DeWolfe was called to our pulpit in 1982 after graduating from theological college in 1981. He served as an interim minister. The congregation then voted him in to serve as our permanent minister. He was openly gay and highly qualified to serve. He may have taught at U of T; his academic interest was "Contextual Theology."
Rev. DeWolfe died from AIDS in 1988. Shortly before his death, Muriel Duncan interviewed him for the United Church Observer. The article, with accompanying photograph, was published under the title "Time to Live."
Later the congregation published a volume of 10 of Rev. DeWolfe's sermons entitled "Time to Live" (which was printed by the University of Toronto Press). The United Church Observer graciously gave us permission to use their photograph and a quotation from the article.
Nothing is 100% perfect. U of T Magazine's coverage was not quite there with respect to the history of gay rights in Canada.
Yvonne Greig
MEd 1985
Etobicoke, Ontario
Pride at the University of Toronto traditionally has been founded upon admission into an institute of learning known for its high academic standards. Are we now saying that the flowering of pride is rooted in the freedom of gay and lesbian students to earn a degree in the study of their own sexual practices? What a queer tautology.
Mike Scapillato
BA 1972 UTSC
Toronto
Robert J. Sternberg's writings on "wisdom" may be appreciated by our readers as common ground. In particular: "How wise is it to teach for wisdom? A reply to five critiques" in Educational Psychologist 2001; 36(4): 269-272.
I am very disappointed with the Summer 2009 edition of U of T Magazine. A great university like ours has thousands of events and achievements to be proud of. The one you put on the cover certainly isn't one of them.
John Adamkovics
BSc 1961
Anne Perdue's article provides a good start for LGBT history at U of T, but offers a very incomplete picture. Focusing on the policies of U of T rather than the individuals is rather dull. There is no discussion of how race and class played into LGBT activism (and schisms) at the school.
I'd like to remind you that not all of your readers have bought the politically correct party line. Compassion and tolerance for gays I fully endorse, but flaunting the gay agenda is about as constructive as flaunting divorce.
A strong society is made up primarily of strong families, but there are too many in academia who have lost sight of this reality.
Dr. John Coombs
BSc 1968 Trinity, MD 1971
Fallbrook, Ontario
@John: "Some of the public displays of the gay movement are the most sexually assertive of any resulting from the sexual revolution. Is this really progressive?"
You know, I had a similar question, and I interviewed Vash Ebbadi, Program Assistant for the LGBTQ Resources & Programs in my recent article for UpbeaT, the Student Life blog: http://blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca/UpbeaT/2009/06/24/out-and-proud-with-lgbtq-u-of-t/
Here's my question and his answer:
Me: I’ve always watched the Pride events from afar. What do you think of the argument that events like Pride parade just increases the gay stereotype because all these “gay guys” are flaunting their sexuality by prancing around barely dressed? That if the gays can have a parade, then so should the straights?
Vash: I’ve heard of the argument, and it is a very heterosexist point of view. Heterosexuality is the socially accepted norm. Events like the Pride Parade are an exaggerated way of making a political stance. You’ve got to remember that these events have strong political and social activist roots, aiming to bring LGBTQ visibility to a mainstream front. We’re making a stance and celebrating acceptance rather than tolerance.
At the end of the interview, he mentioned that not all LGBTQ people are comfortable with the parade, and some don't participate.
On June 19, I attended my godson's convocation. I sat close to the stage and couldn't help but hear the chancellor, David Peterson, ask a young woman (a PhD graduate) if she was now looking for a job. She replied, "No, I'm a neurosurgon resident. I'll be finishing next year."
Even though I didn't know the young woman, I was so proud of her. I discovered in the convocation leaflet that her name was Betty Y.S. Kim.
Then I remembered the article "The March of Time" and the fact that, of the 190 students who earned MD degrees in 2008, half of them were women. We women have come a long way, baby!
U of T Magazine ought to feature more accomplished women in medicine and engineering to serve as an inspiration for other women.
Kim Campbells
Toronto
Re: 1909 Grey Cup Winning Team & Smirle Lawson. It was only a few years ago that we discovered that 'Cousin Smirle' was rather a famous football player. We knew of his background as a medical doctor and Chief Coroner for Ontario. We had a very old autographed photo of him that had been given to our grandfather and that led me to Google him. It was quite a surprise to find out so much about him. I have traced a great many of his ancestors and the name Smirle was a family name through his mother's side of the family. Smirle and his wife Pearl (we could never forget those names!) were in frequent contact with our side of the family. There were other members of the Lawson family that were well noted for their athletic prowess, as I discovered on the Internet. The old photo has been donated to the Canadian Football of Hall of Fame in Hamilton, Ontario.
On Question #3, I agree with Yohonna, who provided a great analogy. The answer, given the way the question is stated, is actually slightly larger than 95%. Suppose 200 people are tested, of which 100 have the virus and 100 don't. Since the test always correctly identifies those that are infected, the 100 who have the virus will test positive. Of the 100 who don't have the virus, five will test positive. Therefore, 105 people in total will test positive, of which five actually don't have the virus. The probability of having the virus if you test positive is therefore 100/105 or 95.24%.
The author says, "Jack is looking at Anne, but Anne is looking at George". He adds that Jack is married, and George is unmarried. Then he asks if a married person is looking at an unmarried person.
The reader is asked to choose among: Yes, No, Cannot be determined.
The author suggests we "think about all of the possibilities", then tells us that in BOTH of the possible cases, the answer is yes, because either married Jack is looking at unmarried Anne, or married Anne is looking at unmarried George.
The author's conclusion: "Either way, the answer is yes".
I suggest the author did not "think about all the possibilities".
In the first place, there are no grounds for assuming that only one "Anne" is present. Jack might be looking at a married woman named Anne, while an unmarried Anne looks at George. If that is the situation, the answer is No.
In the second place, even if only one Anne is present, the problem as stated does not define Anne as a person. Indeed, George, being unmarried, need not be a person either. I consider Jack, being "married", must be a person, but we have no grounds to assume either of the other named entities to be a person. If Anne or George is not a person, the answer is again No.
I believe I have proven the answer, from only the words of the problem as stated, to be "Cannot be determined".
Yes, I understand the problem, but we ALL wear blinders, perhaps varying from time to time in size and opacity.
I originally read this article in the print version, and this sentence has continued to haunt me for months: "the students cast a lightness of step and spirit that only the very young – those with more future than past – can project." Is it true that after a certain age we can never feel a lightness like that? What age is the limit? I keep trying to calculate how much time I have left, and if I'm past the mid-point.
I generally enjoy U of T Magazine but "Out and Proud" should have been left to the minority it represents. To be heterosexual is not something most of us feel the need to proclaim, so why is homosexuality a characteristic to be bruited about? Let's all be satisfied with our private preferences; there is no need or desire to be "in your face."
I am disappointed that the university has conceded so much time and space to this fringe population. Not that I'm a big contributor, but I'll keep this in mind next time I'm solicited for the Annual Fund.
D. R. Stoll
BA 1952 Victoria
I agree with Bruce. I would want to buy that German car but my politicians would ban it, so I couldn't.
In Q4, the question should be, 'How many cards need to be inspected to disprove the rule. In what order would you turn over the cards to keep the number turned to a minimum?'
The various comments on this article condemning the choice of cover topic, voicing concern about "the gay agenda," and denouncing the degree programs in sexual diversity studies really concern me.
To the first matter: Given the prevalence with which matters concerning heterosexuals dominate the media, is it really so problematic to devote one cover article to a sexual minority group? Would the same be said if U of T Magazine featured African-Canadian rights struggles on its cover? I don't think so.
As for the second matter, "the gay agenda" is a propaganda tool created by homophobic, narrow-minded heterosexuals who refuse to realize that the only "agenda" LGBTQ people have is to obtain the same rights as heterosexuals in terms of marriage, employment benefits, legal rights, and public acceptance. Heterosexuals would be left stunned if the rights we as LGBTQ people are fighting for were removed from them. Yet this is how LGBTQ people live every day in most of the world --without protection from discrimination, without the ability to marry, receive spousal employment and health benefits, and without many other rights heterosexuals take for granted.
The third matter is equally concerning. The legitimacy of earning "a degree in the study of [our] own sexual practices" has been questioned. Yet would racial minorities' ability to study their own racial and cultural background be questioned, as in East Asian Studies or African and Caribbean studies? Or how about the ability to which a woman can study her sex and gender in women's studies? The Sexual Diversity Studies program combines psychology, anthropology, gender studies, literature studies, sociology, epidemiology, and a plethora of other fields in its multi-dimensional analysis of sexual and gender. If that's not a legitimate strand of study, I don't know what is.
I still fail to understand why thoroughly educated individuals seem to lose all ability to reason when sexual diversity matters come into play. These comments make me ashamed to call people such as yourselves my fellow alumni.
Great essay, Nikki! It's really accessible for the layperson.
Local Food Plus certifies farmers for both 'local' and 'sustainable' food production. The sustainable component looks at environmental sustainability in production, habitat preservation, biodiversity, animal welfare, farm labour rights and reduced GHG emissions on the farm. This article implies that LFP is only about local which is not the case. www.localfoodplus.ca
The first sentence of #3 is actually ambiguous. "XYZ virus causes a disease in one in every 1,000 people" is effectively elliptical, it could be short for "in 1 in every 1000 people who have the virus", or "in 1 in every 1000 people in the population" where having the virus *always* entails having the disease. Obviously the author intended the latter and was probably unaware of the other interpretation, which I suspect would not have occurred to so many people before HIV/AIDS brought the importance of this distinction to the fore.
Re JB's comment on #4, the only sensible interpretation of "find out if the rule is true or false" is "determine whether the statement is true of (all) the cards on the table". Considering other cards that might exist in the world makes the problem unanswerable and uninteresting. Once we agree on that, there is no issue of confirming vs. disconfirming, it makes no difference in what order you turn them over, and the question already did ask for the minimum number of cards to turn because it said 'how many *must* be turned over'; the proffered solution is correct.
It would be nice if the author had cited sources for these examples. #4 is in every cognitive psych textbook and comes from work by Wason ca. 1970.
Please provide me the meaning of Preena if you have. I like this name and want to give this name to my daughter. Please do the favour. reply me on ram_parmar@ymail.com
I have to wonder how flaunting abberant behaviours in public could possibly help the image of gays, particularly those who may be living in a committed union with another person of the same sex. The parades and spectacles endorse a promiscuous and irresponsible style reminiscent of teens or "frosh" yet to mature. I am saddened for the gays who are portrayed falsely in this shameful stereotype.
Is there any way that crohn's disease symptoms can be treated ?
I live in Edinburgh Scotland now. I spent 5 years in Canada working for the CNIB there and was friendly with Mae Brown, she was an inspiration to me. She was always well dressed and had a good sense of humour. I used to have meals with her at the Clarkwood Residence where she stayed. I am of course sighted as I worked in the Secretarial Department there. Greetings to any ex-employees (I am going back 40 years now) and am an OAP! Or do they say in Canada Senior Citizen.
Congrats on the award nominations Victoria. Your songs are stunning!
Marcia's article is an excellent lay discussion of sleep dosorders. One of the issues that she understandably didn't address, in such a brief article, is that sleep-disordered breathing is composed primarily of 2 components: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. The former is, as suggested, the result of closure of the upper airway due to excessive fatty tissue in the pharynx, or a narrowed upper airway, while the latter occurs when the brain doesn't tell the diaphragm to activate the respiratory muscles and inhale, much like a sigh. The prevalence of OSA is about is about 90% of SDB while CSA is about 10%, or less. And I think it is important to mention that the research that Richard Horner is involved in is much more likely to have an impact on CSA, where the brain forgets to tell the body to breathe, than on OSA, where the problem is more mechanical. So, in my view, those people using CPAP will have a very long wait for effective drug therapy to treat their affliction. The good news is CPAP is incredibly effective and safe, will be around for a long time and is getting better all the time.
HIV is becoming so prevalent and medication is getting better so the social ramifications are becoming an important issue. There is an increasing number of hiv-dating sites and some for group outings, such as Poz Social.
This interesting article made me immediately think back on a quote by the late Sydney Harris: "The fatal mistake that most intelligent people make is assuming that a high degree of intelligence confers an equally high degree of judgment, when actually the correspondence between these is quite accidental. However, there is a high correlation between prejudice and ignorance."
Construction is hostile to women. There is a real deep-seated hatred of women, and older foremen and supervisors are some of the worst offenders.
@D.R. Stoll: I can understand your point of view, though I would fundamentally disagree. As an LGBT student at the University of Toronto, I feel that this sort of story is a testament to the tolerance and acceptance that I can find in the university community. Increasingly, society is accepting people like me, and is allowing us to lead more "normal" lives.
I can see that the sort of political activism and vocal flamboyance is something that is a product of years of discrimination, marginalization and homophobic policies. I would recommend reading Ritch C. Savin-Williams' book "The New Gay Teenager". It discusses the attitudes of LGBT teenagers towards their sexuality, and how vocal they are about it. He finds that amongst teenagers, sexual identities are becoming more fluid, and less easy to define. Thus, the political significance of Pride Parade marches and protests seems to decline.
Well said, Stephanie Cook. I couldn't agree more.
I had a letter to the editor printed in U of T Magazine in Autumn 2004. I see my comment is now posted here, which suggests that you find it important. However, my question remains: which foreign universities have close ties with U of T? Was a U of T Magazine article ever written on this? (I don't think so, because I don't think I missed any issues). Living in Italy, I'd like to know which Italian university would recognize my U of T degree, without having to go through a lot of middle school or high school paperwork.
The continuing hyperbole being spouted by proponents of the global warming chimera remind me of 30 years ago. For those who don’t remember that time, we were all told that an ice age was imminent (Newsweek April 28, 1975; Science March 1, 1975). I haven’t seen Winnipeg crushed under sheets of ice, but I’m sure they felt cold enough some days.
Now, we are all being preached to that the world is caught up in runaway global warming; that “life as we know it” is coming to an end. This is, of course, bovine excrement in great heaps. “These lurid accounts of a despoiled and poisoned planet accelerating in a headlong rush to doom” are advanced by persons with other agendas and politics at stake (James Hogan, “Kicking the Sacred Cow”, 2004, p. 243). This hijacking and misuse of science is typical among certain political lobby groups and unfortunately there are always scientists willing to pander to them, for whatever reason. I can’t even ascribe dishonest motives to the panderers as everyone, at some point, feels the need to make a difference in the world; but there is always a danger in extending authority in one field to other, unrelated fields. Unfortunately, this is what is happening today.
Proponents of climate change and global warming would have us believe that human influenced changes in the global climate are catastrophic and altering the permanent state of affairs. This is, of course, incorrect; climate is never static but ever-changing and, in fact, the world is cooler now than several hundred years ago-which mirrors the solar sunspot cycle but NOT atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
Without going into great detail, I think we should point out something about atmospheric CO2 that is ignored in the debate: The greenhouse effect is a NATURAL PROCESS! Without the greenhouse effect, to put things in perspective, the Earth would be about 33 degrees Celsius COOLER, meaning permanent ice on the equator.
Now for some numbers. Human activity adds about 30 billion tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere yearly. This seems like a lot until you realize that nature adds about 1,800 billion tonnes yearly; and deals with the total through the natural functions of the biosphere; meaning that yearly human activity amounts to less than 2% of the total. And, by the way, water vapour has a grater effect on the greenhouse effect and is in atmospheric concentrations 10 times GREATER than CO2. So, which is the greater greenhouse gas and how will you tax that? Also, the rise in CO2 has taken place during a period of cooling NOT an increase in global temperature as some have claimed.
As for the statement that the science of global warming is conclusive; poppycock! The Leipzig Declaration (1995) states there is no “general scientific consensus about the importance of global warming” and “we cannot subscribe to the politically inspired worldview that envisages climate catastrophes and calls for hasty action”. As for U.S. President Clinton’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the report so gleefully pointed to by the doomsayers is fatally flawed:
a. the majority of signers were NOT climate scientists but political appointees;
b. the report was rewritten AFTER SIGNING to ensure the “correct” output;
c. the IPCC report contains numerous factual-science errors; and most damming
d. Frederick Seitz, former head of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences,
recorded “this report is not what it appears to be-it is not the version that was approved by the contributing scientists … I have never witnessed a more disturbing corruption of the peer-review process” (Wall Street Journal, 1996).
Furthermore, for a comprehensive review of how the IPCC process was corrupted see Fred Singer’s “The Road from Rio to Kyoto: How Climate Science was Distorted to Support Ideological Objectives” (2000). As well, a survey of climate specialist scientists by the German Metreorologisches Universitat Hamburg and Forschungszentium found that 67% of Canadian, 87% of German, and 97% of American scientists rejected the notion of global warming due to human activity.
And some would have you believe that the science is conclusive!
Some final thoughts: tighten up environmental laws and practices to reduce pollution and I’m onside. Devote more research and resources to clean energy projects and I’m onside. Put some resources into local clean energy production and pollution control and I’m onside. Put more into local food production and clean water projects, I’m onside. Put more into education, local and in traditionally disadvantaged areas and I’m onside. Let the average person do more in these areas and I’m on side. Look at low tech solutions, and I’m onside (just because it’s hi-tech doesn’t make it the right tech. For some excellent older technology that is still suitable see www.lindsaybks.com.)
And most important, stop the fear mongering and distortions to support something that doesn’t exist.
Nikki: Great article! Times have changed, huh? I was raised in the 1960s when there was no or little information on transsexuality. In college I searched out any info I could find and could only see a sliver of info in a psych class that made reference to tranvestites and drag queens.
I have lived a life of "gender dissonance" floating back and forth between genders and have been blessed with a body that easily conforms to either presentation. I wish I was younger now so I could have taken advantage of the new ideas and acceptance that is available.. but that being said I am thrilled with when I came to terms with my gender identity.
Good luck with your persuits... given the energy in this article you will go far.
If anyone is interested in the program in Berlin, please feel free to contact me. I am in fact still in Berlin, pursuing a Masters in Public Policy, and let me tell you the city is definitely worth visiting.
the best damn band around!
I generally enjoy U of T Magazine but lately I’ve been growing tired of the imagery celebrating heterosexual liaisons (see the story about Melanie Moore and Brad Tapson from the Autumn 2009 issue). I have no problem with heterosexuals. A few of them are friends of mine. But what people do in private should be kept private. Why does their chosen way of life have to be rammed down my throat every time I read the magazine?
Graeme Parry
BA 1992 Innis
Toronto
Please reel in any urban-parochial impulses when casually commenting about “criminal activities, such as ... possessing weapons.” In free countries such as ours, a variety of weapons may be legally possessed, such as those found in any kitchen, many pockets, or by members of your (late) Hart House Rifle/Revolver Club.
Frank Eigler
BASc 1995, MEng 2000,
Brantford, Ontario
I recently received my first copy of U of T Magazine, and was shocked by some of the letters, above. If D.R. Stoll and John Adamkovics really did read “Out and Proud," how could they not understand that gays and lesbians face harsh discrimination for a “preference” that is not under their control.
U of T alumni should be proud of the fact that their alma mater recognizes and celebrates minorities. If it were up to people such as Stoll and Adamkovics, who would prefer not to read about minority groups, then I suppose U of T Magazine’s autumn issue would not have featured important stories about democracy in Iran, or how U of T Scarborough helps Chinese students adapt to Canadian culture, or New College’s Buddhism and mental health program, or Toronto’s new Afrocentric school.
U of T encompasses a mosaic of cultures – gay and straight, white and black, Asian and European – because that is the true culture of Canada. To suggest otherwise is frankly insulting to a large number of U of T alumni.
Kunal Chaudhry
MArch 2009
Toronto
I am utterly disappointed that U of T Magazine chose to give any forum to individuals to share their homophobic opinions. By doing so, you have perpetuated discrimination and diminished any positive impact your Summer 2009 cover article may have had. Will you not hesitate to publish letters that promote discrimination against other minority groups as well? I am truly shocked.
Vanessa Wade
MEd 2008 OISE, BEd 2009 OISE
Toronto
Censoring homophobic opinions does not get us anywhere. I too am appalled by some of comments above, but they should be out there, so that they can be criticised openly and (hehe) torn to pieces by those that support the struggle for equal rights for everyone. The struggle for LGBTQ rights is exactly that: a struggle, and it can only take place in a free speech environment.
Arrived here from a @uoftmagazine tweet asking: "Where do YOU draw the line on freedom of speech? Should a magazine publish letters from readers that are homophobic?"
Join a club, or start one.
U of T Magazine published some strange letters protesting Anne Perdue’s article on gay rights, “Out and Proud." One writer puzzlingly argued that gay marriage deprives heterosexuals of the comfort of tradition. Another grumpily suggested that he would refuse future donations to the university because it embraces the “fringe population” of gay and lesbian people.
These letters only reinforce Perdue’s point. It has taken courage to combat the deeply rooted discrimination against homosexuals. Those who have waged this fight have long had to put up with the outrageous claims and atavistic bigotry of self-described traditionalists. But it’s been worth it – opinions are shifting, and the crowd that wants gays back in the closet is rapidly thinning out.
Someday soon an article like Perdue’s will be entirely uncontroversial.
Bradley Miller
BA 2002 Victoria
Toronto
Kristen Courtney wonders when city streets will be safe for cyclists. My question is, when will pedestrians be safe from cyclists?
I don’t care how many “safe bike lanes” there are – there are many cyclists who have no regard at all for people who enjoy walking. On two occasions I have been hit by bikes and verbally abused because I had the audacity to get in their way.
In both cases, I had the green light, so I was in a legal position to cross the street. The cyclists went through a red light, which means they were in an illegal position. What is so difficult to understand about that? I’m also receiving treatment for the injuries I have received because of bad cyclists.
It’s bad enough that drivers don’t understand the rules of the road -- and there are many of those -- but I see a lot of “sidewalk rage" building between cyclists and pedestrians. This is unfortunate because there are so many healthy aspects to walking. I wonder what rights Kristen thinks pedestrians should have.
Lynne Ross
Faculty/Facilities Assistant, Faculty of Law
University of Toronto
U of T Magazine, and society in general, seems to be filled with propoganda promoting the heterosexual agenda. Don't people know that heterosexuals are the main reason for high divorce rates and broken homes? I don't understand why people would choose to live a heterosexualist lifestyle that is so obviously flawed and morally aberrant.
I found it very sad to read the responses from alumni such as Mike Scapillato, John Adamkovics, Dr. John Coombs, and D. R. Stoll. Why can't we be welcoming and kind to all people? Your letters display a lack of understanding and caring that I find saddening. Would you have written the same comments if the article had been about civil rights or women's rights? I agree with the comments made by Stephanie Cook and I too feel ashamed to call people such as yourselves my fellow alumni.
I am surprised (and saddened) by the homophobic remarks from some of your readers who reacted to your "Out and Proud" article. Apparently, for them a university education did not lead to enlightenment.
Ronald Huybrechts
BArch 1986
Toronto
Re Lynne Ross's comment: "I’m also receiving treatment for the injuries I have received because of bad cyclists."
Huh? How?
I kind of question that. I've been biking for over 18 years. I've raced some of the world's toughest races. Been down the side of a volcano at 70km/h with rocks the size of bowling balls etc...
I have had self inflicted wounds. Nothing major. I've hit a cow. I accidentally hit a dog.
I've been bitten by many dogs. I've been run over by other cyclists in a group formation. Yet, the most injuries I have suffered is when being hit by a vehicle. Metal hurts. Skin on skin doesn't.
I find it completely ridiculous that people would complain about cyclists like that.
It's not as though there are millions of us. We are few and far between. I think cyclists are an easy scapegoat for our easy-to-do-lifestyle. Soon, that will change though... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil
Soon, we will see many more bikes on the road. As GDP eats away our cheap, easy-to-get-at oil. Our easy-to-do-lifestyle depends on cheap oil. Cheap oil is soon to end. As we go after the nasty hard-to-get-at stuff.
Humans. We aren't the smartest creature on the planet. We sure do use a hell of a lot of it, though!
Your story on the Citizen Lab is guilty of two glaring omissions. First, it does not tell us if the presidential elections in Iran were in fact rigged to an extent that the rigging would have altered the outcome. The Washington Post and other U.S.-based newspapers reported that Mahmood Ahmadinejad was in fact leading by a more than 2 to 1 margin in pre-election polls.
The second omission is that a large number of Iranians live in socially conservative urban and rural communities where YouTube, Twitter and Facebook have not yet set foot. These conservative Iranians look and think differently from the jeans and T-shirt wearing urban youth you have highlighted in the article.
Personally, I am deeply saddened by Ahmadinejad’s re-election. I think Iranians deserve a better, more progressive leadership that recognizes and adheres to its domestic and international obligations. However, until such leadership is elected by the Iranians, they should not be turned into (Citizen) lab rats where the West tries to conform Iranians to alien dress codes and ideologies.
Murtaza Haider
PhD 2003
Toronto
Someone should do a study on:
1. Traffic and the economy: Is there a correlation between aggressive drivers and the state of the economy?
2. As the economy grows, how much more oil do we use?
3. As more vehicles crowd the road, do stress-related illnesses increase? How about asthma? (Research the growth of roads and asthma from the 1950s on. Is there is a correlation?
How about cancer?
Interesting reads:
http://tomvanderbilt.com/traffic/excerpt/ - don't agree with it all though...
http://www.getmoneyenergy.com/2009/07/why-your-world-is-about-to-get-a-whole-lot-smaller-jeff-rubin-review/
http://www.natcap.org/
Why is publishing blatantly homophobic letters still considered “representing all viewpoints,” whereas similar comments about race, gender, ability, class and so on would be relegated to the “unfit for print” pile (and rightly so)? I assume that U of T Magazine adheres to some kind of standards – would you publish similar letters if they were blatantly anti-Semitic? Or anti-poor? Homophobia seems to be the last domain where it is perfectly fine to be offensive and call it a “point of view.”
Jeff Myers
MA 2007
Toronto
For two years now I've been biking daily (weather permitting) from home in the Beaches to U of T and back, 9 km each way. I haven't had an accident. The reason is simple: I use common sense. That means I don't ride on Queen Street in rush hour (unlike Ms. Courtney), I don't ride on Bloor Street in rush hour (unlike Ms. Courtney). If there's a car at an intersection I slow down until I have eye contact with the driver, I slow down and stop before the traffic light turns red, I stay a metre away from parked cars to avoid hitting a door that opens, I'm courteous to car drivers, and, finally, I don't assume a car isn't going to turn just because it's not signaling. While I am riding to work and back I notice other cyclists. Many don't have helmets, many don't stop at lights, many swerve around grates without looking, and some ride the wrong way in the bike lane I'm in (I stop and dismount). In short, many don't ride sensibly.
These cyclist advocates argue that they have just as much right as cars to be on the road. They're right, of course. But then they ride as though they're equal to a car, when the difference is obvious. Many also think they're superior beings because they're not polluting the planet. It's dangerous to be riding around crowded streets feeling superior.
Hi Sandro,
It's good to hear that you are having a great time studying abroad. I'm currently doing my third year engineering study and also running a magazine club for Chinese student community. Your story is truly intriguing and I'd like to spread this out to more students as well. Since you are far away, do you think we could have some online discussion for a conversation. My email address is sarahsiyuan dot chen at utoronto dot ca. Feel free to contact me. Thanks!
I was thoroughly stunned by the number of letters in your Autumn issue objecting to - nay, ranting about - "Out and Proud." Who knew U of T counted so many bigots among its alumni? Unlike Mike Scapillato, I am indeed proud that my alma mater has made such strides in welcoming LGBTQ students and nurturing their sense of self and community; and unlike D.R. Stoll, I understand extremely well why "we" don't feel the need to proclaim "our" heterosexuality in the street - it's out there already, all the time, proclaimed without shame or fear on our behalf in ways many gay, lesbian and trans men and women still can barely imagine. Your correspondents seem to miss the fundamental point of your story: that U of T is building a more democratic, more ethically sound campus by giving space, voice, and power to a group of students whose predecessors had to hide – both for fear, and for shame – in the shadows.
Kim Solga
PhD 2004
London, Ontario
It’s interesting to learn that the head of Citizen Lab once thought that “breaking into churches to wolf down communion wafers” was a way to have a good time. Perhaps it was only predictable that Ron Deibert often made trouble by questioning the nuns and Church dogma since he “thought it was all nonsense.” Thank goodness – or whatever force we should be thanking – that sports and reading saved him from purgatory!
I’m not sure whether the writer considers these stories to be chummy little anecdotes that will build empathy for Professor Deibert. Some people will consider the first reference sacrilegious. Many more would consider such behaviour a sure sign that he was never taught how to behave in church, or how to respect the beliefs of others. This is unfortunate, because his views on freedom of expression and his work in promoting it certainly sound very valuable, and important to the upholding of freedom of religious belief as well as freedom of expression.
Joanne McGarry
Executive Director
Catholic Civil Rights League
Toronto
At lunch I sat down to read U of T Magazine, but got no further than the President's Message.
In it he says, "In this way, students share in the excitement of acquiring new knowledge while developing relationships..."
It was the "acquiring new knowledge" that stopped me.
The word "acquiring" implies that "new knowledge" is out there just waiting to be plucked from somewhere. I know President Naylor knows that this isn't so. I know he understands the difference between "information" and "knowledge" — the former does exist already formed, the latter is what happens when our brains sort through large amounts of information and create something not previously seen or understood. We "acquire" information; we "construct" knowledge.
Why do I make an issue of something so small? Because the way we talk about something matters — it reflects our underlying assumptions about the world. To speak (or write) of knowledge as "acquired" demeans the powerful processes by which our brains make sense of an ever changing world.
President Naylor may want to extoll the program breadth, and cultural diversity of U of T currently, but it's crucial to understand that knowledge is something each individual person on the campus must create for her or himself.
Judith Newman
PhD 1976 OISE
Halifax
Like letter writer D.S. Stoll, I was also disappointed that U of T Magazine devoted so much space to a "fringe population" -- that being the minority of readers who found "Out and Proud" offensive. But I also found their letters fascinating to consider because no one I know in my own life thinks this way. The arguments also so easy to pick apart -- such as the one from John Mercer, who wonders "why members of the gay movement feel that they have to be part of the marriage tradition"?
Because Mercer answers that very question himself, sentences before: that "many of us draw on [the marriage tradition] for comfort and security. [It] connect[s] us to history and give us hope for the future." So I wonder, why should homosexuals be excempt from that? And how exactly does their inclusion in the marriage tradition undermine it for the rest of us?
How exciting to relive that 880-yard race at Varsity Stadium in June of '65! I had run a race myself that evening and was on the infield with other members of our club, The Toronto Striders. It was a thrilling moment I'll not forget, when Bill passed Peter to win. We mobbed him with pats on the back, nearly killing him as he was catching his breath and recovering from the effort. Those were great days with great people - Fred, Bill, Bruce (Kidd), Dave and many others.
Ms. Courtney says she was hit "by a right-turning motorist" on Bloor Street. Where was she at the time? Trying to overtake between the vehicle and the curb? I've had cyclists try that on me several times. It's a suicidal move.
I have been a cyclist, and a motorcyclist, and I agree that drivers don't pay enough attention. But many cyclists bring danger upon themselves by their totally anarchistic attitude towards the traffic laws and their lack of forethought.
I have no comment on hetero or homosexuality. But I would like to comment on the English language and on the regrettable coinings of "homophobia," "homophilia" and the like. They're bad English.
"Homo" means "same" and "hetero" means different. To anyone familiar with the language, "homophobic" does not mean "fear or dislike of homosexuals" (unless you consider 'homo" to be an acceptable shorthand for "homosexual").
"Homophobic" can only mean "fear or dislike of sameness." It is therefore ludicrous and illogical to accuse organizations, such as certain armed forces, of being homophobic. They are anything but. They love sameness. They even make everyone dress the same. Armed forces are amongst the most homophilic of organizations.
It's a pretty poor show that the members of a major university can't get the language right. Can we please coin more linguistically consistent words for those who like and dislike homosexuals?
And, on the issue itself, the most sensible words I've ever read were Mrs. Patrick Campbell's: "Does it really matter what these affectionate people do — so long as they don’t do it in the streets and frighten the horses!"
Michael (BASc 1968) might like to read Gregory M Herek's excellent article "Beyond Homophobia," which includes a discussion of the different meanings of the prefix "homo" in classical Greek and Latin.
As a recent grad, I noticed that a large number of international students seemed focused solely on academics and often neglected other experiences that make U of T memorable. Green Path provides both the academic and social background needed to set up international students for a well-rounded and rewarding educational experience. Great job creating this program!
David Dias
BASc 2008
Whitby, Ontario
Kristen Courtney asks when Toronto's streets will be safe for cycling. The answer is "never," as long as drivers can park their cars almost anywhere they wish on major crosstown arteries. Banning parking on major crosstown arteries would go a long way toward improving cycling safety in Toronto. All of us cyclists have been "doored" and/or forced to swerve into the main traffic lane by parked cars on main streets. The city must decide between parking and smooth and safe traffic flow on major crosstown arteries. Toronto's streets can accommodate both cars and cyclists if they are not used as short term parking lots.
Malcolm Levin
Retired Administrator, OISE-UT
I am not certain that I agree with Professor Dei's comment that the "current school system looks at the world through European eyes." If this is the case, then is it possible that additional "centric schools" are required? Asiancentric, Latinocentric and Arabworldcentric? The list can be further expanded.
The 1993 study that Professor Dei cites uses data that's almost two decades old. If the percentages he quotes are still accurate, I suggest additional information is needed before usable conclusions can be reached. Some analysis of the characteristics of "black" families versus "white" families could prove valuable in discovering why the percentage gaps in this 1993 report exist.
My own belief is that parents' values have a tremendous impact on the education of their children. So I wonder if it shouldn't be the parents of black students who need to attend some form of Afrocentric school!
Lastly, I worry that too much attention is being placed on tailoring education to special groups and not enough on ensuring that all students can find the information and the teacher they need to obtain a quality educational.
Richard M Clarke
BASc 1954
As an educator of religion and a U of T alumna, I was dismayed to read some of the letters in Autumn 2009 issue. These letters suggest that:
Marriage is apolitical and confers no rights on couples who choose to marry
Gay people should consider themselves separate from the traditions and religions of our culture
Gay people should not study the historical and cultural forces of their own oppression. (Should minorities not be allowed to study their own histories?)
Heterosexuality is not proclaimed in our society (despite that fact that almost all media reflects a heterosexual orientation to the world)
U of T should be ashamed of its LGBTQ community.
I live in the United States, in a state where same-sex couples cannot marry. I am glad that U of T Magazine ran "Out and Proud." It reminded me that equal rights for all is a battle that needs to be fought, even in Canada.
Melissa Conroy
BA 1996 Innis, MA 1997
New Concord, Ohio
@Daniel Reeders
I know that "homo" in Greek means "same," and that "homo" in Latin means "man." However, "hetero" is only Greek, and means "other."
While one could argue that "homosexual" means "man sex," I think it's obvious that it actually means "same sex." For one thing, females can be homosexuals and, for another, "heterosexual" can only mean "other sex."
I have had two new faculty ask me where Croft Chapter House is. U of T maps, and the U of T index do not list it, but there are notices of all kinds of meetings there. Please add it to the U of T directory so people can find it.
I agree with the comments of H. Ferrugia and M. Novar. Using the term "white-bread" to refer to white people is like calling a brown south-Asian guy a "paki." We should avoid these terms.
H. Ferrugia, M. Novar and Raj Khan need to calm down. "White-bread" refers not to the colour of anyone's skin, but to the colour of the bread they eat, which is white (a la Wonderbread). You are confusing "bred" (referring to race) with "bread." It is a derogatory term, yes, but only to imply that what a person does is bland, unexciting or monotonous. I'm all for 12-grain flax bread and people who think before they type!
Elliott Fine makes the comment, "the sooner Canada’s armed forces leave Afghanistan the better. Our soldiers are dying for nothing.”
I suggest that Mr. Fine go back to History 101.
NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussem said in a speech recently that the reason for our involvement is “first and foremost to defend our own security."
To this I would add, to produce a democracy (which would also support Rasmussen's statement), to allow millions of children -- male and female -- to go to school, and to give women rights they have never had.
By not being involved, we could one day find the CN Tower a mass of rubble. Then would come the question: “How could this happen?"
I spent three-and-a-half years of my life fighting a situation in Europe that could have been stopped by the type of action Canada is now taking in Afghanistan. Our soldiers are not dying for nothing.
V.S.C. Simpson
BASc 1949
I would like to see a link to the academic article or at the very least a title. I'd love to believe that non-local food is sometimes more environmentally friendly, but I'd like to have a look at how economy of the food chain was measured and what foods were measured. A winter, seasonal food stored in a cold cellar or mudroom takes no energy to keep fresh for the cold months until produce becomes available again. Given we're keeping our diet the very same, with a mix of all seasons, all year, I'd think his paper would be very valid. If he's gone this way, it would be extremely motivating for local foodies to look at the numbers, put their money where their mouth is, and purchase only seasonal produce. One can't expect local summer produce in mid-winter.
I was involved from the alumni side of forestry back in 1993 when the University of Toronto made the decision to discontinue the undergrad program. It had nothing to do with "re-evaluating" or refocussing or the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. It was a decision that came from the top of the house at a time when politics dictated that U of T appear to be tackling budget problems. Forestry was a very small program and thus vulnerable. The faculty and alumni fought the decision tooth and nail. Don't revise history please and thanks.
I was particularly touched to see the picture of the tradesmen and of the workmen who created the magnificent stone portal at UC's main entrance. Although much is often made of the minds who gaves us the attractive structures seen around the St.George campus, little is ever done to commemorate those who toiled to realize the dreams of architects and engineers. How about framing this picture and displaying it inside the doorway? It definitely would put a face, at least in this case, to the "exquisite frontispiece, gargoyle and capitals around the college."
Enrico M. Iafolla.
BA, BEd (both too long ago)
Toronto
It is interesting to read about the closing hours for a women's dorm at the University of Toronto in 1900. Some of the women's accommodations at African universities continued this practice until the late 1980s. It is unfortunate that in some regions of the world women are still undergoing what ladies in Canada went through a century back! There should be no closing hours for women's dorms. Women at the university level know how to take care of themselves.
Winnie Mitullah
I was appalled at some of the responses to the "Out and Proud" feature. The narrow-minded approach of those criticizing your magazine is disappointing. Of course heterosexuals don't need to "proclaim" their sexuality, as one of your correspondents put it. We are the majority. White people don't need to proclaim their whiteness either but surely we can understand why oppressed minorities feel the need to express their pride. As for gay people "influencing adolescent choices" one wonders on what planet the letter writer lives if he believes that adolescents are influenced in this way to become gay or lesbian. And how amusing to read that "people with traditional values" think that the gay movement has over-sexualized society. I suppose that heterosexual over-sexualization doesn't count. We have come a long way but it is clear that not everyone is interested in evolving or changing their ideas in spite of new information.
Ruth Miller
BA 1960 UC1960, MEd OISE 1981
Toronto
I am disappointed by the amount of senseless propaganda that gets published in U of T Magazine. I was most appalled by the front cover of your summer 2009 issue, featuring a “gay” flag.
If you are truly a democratic, all-encompassing university magazine, with respect for truth and freedoms of thought, freedom of speech and freedom of the press, why don’t you ever give front-page coverage to pro-life students at the university? Surely they deserve equal treatment.
The reality is that truth and lies cannot co-exist. One either serves the true God and seeks truth, or one follows the world of lies, with all of its hedonism, pleasures and “rights” without any responsibilities.
Jaroslawa Kisyk
BA 1994 St. Michael's
After enjoying the article "Out and Proud" by Anne Perdue and then reading some of the subsequent moralistic responses by readers, I think it's fair to say that, while LGBT Canadians now enjoy all the same rights, freedoms, and responsibilities as heterosexual Canadians, we as a society still have some way to go before we conquer ignorance of, and intolerance toward, sexual minorities.
Thank you once again for Perdue's informative article and for publishing the reader reaction.
Tony Pilla
BA 2005 St. Michael's, BEd 2007 OISE
The homophobic letters published in your Autumn 2009 issue have prompted me, a gay octogenarian graduate of University College, to discuss with the director of U of T's Sexual Diversity Studies program an offer to endow an entrance bursary to the program. My $100,000 would be matched by the Ontario government. I also care about other discriminated minorities, as I'm the major funder for an entrance bursary for a First Nations student from a northern Ontario reserve at Lakehead University.
Jack Hallam
BA 1952 UC, MA 1954, PhD 1974
Salt Spring Island, B.C.
Wander around in as many buildings as you can until you know them all. Mastering the campus maze makes you an efficient lightning ninja!
Anne Perdue's article "Out and Proud" has spurred a discussion on a topic that draws fierce emotional reactions at both ends of the spectrum, so to speak.
Kind of like picking up a rock and shining a light on a dark spot, it frees people who were pinned down by the silence and at the same time drives the cockroaches into the public eye.
The article was very interesting and informative, but it also serves the purpose of reminding us that there still are people who cling to their homophobia.
@Jack Hallam: Jack, I don't know you, but I love you. As someone who could not afford university education, and struggled through both abuse and discrimination, your actions bring tears of joy. There is hope. Compassionate, caring, courageous people like you make our nation great. Deep gratitude and appreciation.
I am a black student that graduated from high school in 1998. I agree with Mr. Richard M Clarke about the parents of black students attending a form of Afrocentric schools. However, the course should be about how multigenerational Canadians families function. How they support their children through good times and bad. From a Ghanian perspective, parents are spending their disposable income building homes in their native land assuming that their children should make it on their own. When their children need support or help, there are no funds.
I am writing to congratulate you on the commendable job you did in selecting the letters for publication in the autumn issue regarding the "Out and Proud" piece in Summer 2009.
You masterfully covered the very broad spectrum of responses you must have received. The letters were as clear an illustration as I have ever seen of the aphorism that you can't please all of the people all of the time. In fact, it seems the magazine managed to offend almost everyone with that article.
Initially I was amused to read the letters, but then I remembered that the people writing them had supposedly benefited from an education at U of T and my amusement gradually turned to dismay. What a lot of polite homophobia.
I just wanted you to know that someone appreciated your work.
I enjoyed the article in the summer issue, but I read it and moved on to the next interesting article. More readers should have done the same I think.
David Howe
MA 1984
The second commenter states: "Dave, it should not be taboo to discuss this at all but your comment begs the question, did you really understand this article? It seems to me that you are not aware of your own presuppositional biases and “myside blindness.” There is no such thing as a bias-free position. It is irrational to think that the evolutionary materialist view (which I am assuming you hold) is the only valid one when it starts with the fundamental assumption that there can be allowed no non-material explanation for the universe. Fail at Logic 101 level."
Are you serious? The entire article is about how suppositional belief patterns are irrational. Religion is, by definition, irrational (it admittedly eschews rationality in favor of "faith" - abductive reasoning at its worst).
Dave is absolutely correct. Religion is the most prominent example of people inexplicably disowning reason and fact (in this case represented by science and empirical evidence) in favor of a "hunch."
Also, please attempt to explain, in terms that actually make sense, what you mean by "non-material explanation for the universe."
The problem with the married/unmarried question is not with the people answering the question, but rather with the question itself.
This question has been specifically designed to take advantage of low-risk assumptions in order to foster an incorrect answer (also known as a trick question). The information is there, but in the form of a purloined letter.
Trick questions do not test intelligence; they test whether the subject can see through your subterfuge or not (much akin to a magician daring you to figure out his trick).
So no, we're not "cognitive misers." We're rational beings who cannot live by daily questioning all of our assumptions. Imagine trying to live, wondering if the house might catch fire the moment you turn on the toaster? Or worrying that an earthquake might swallow you as you walk on the sidewalk? Or that your chair will suddenly break and impale you? Or that all the wheels will suddenly disappear from your car while you're driving? You simply could not live at all.
Do you check the washing machine every three minutes to make sure it's actually cleaning your clothes? Do you check the refrigerator every 10 minutes to make sure it's still keeping things cold?
We make assumptions as a result of our daily experiences, and then turn our attention to things that are not so safe to assume.
This is not a case of "cognitive miserliness," but rather of "cognitive priorities."
People who buy high and sell low are either prone to panic, or unable to defer gratification. Neither is a measure of cognitive initiative. People who follow horoscopes are those who are less able to understand what "evidence" means. I've had a number of discussions with horoscope readers, and each one related a story about the times that their horoscope was correct (never mind that they're so general as to be "correct" quite often). The same thing goes for religious people. People who gamble are controlled by their greed. This is an emotional fault, not one of intelligence. And so on, and so on.
"Dysrationalia” encompasses all of these things, each with their own cause. The "cognitive miser" doesn't enter into it, except in cases of genuine laziness (knowing the right thing to do, but can't be bothered to do it the proper way) which are not as common as the others. Therefore, Stanovich is incorrect in fingering lack of cognitive action as a major source of this problem.
The jelly bean experiment tested peoples understanding of probability (or their capability of understanding), not their cognitive activity. These are the same kinds of people who play the lottery.
The disease question is "framing", as you've said. It's just another form of the "trick question." In the first example, the question states that the entire population will be wiped out. The second example gives no such indication. This gives a different impression of the stakes involved. You're merely tricking people, not measuring cognitive action.
You may think that the scenarios are identical, but because you conceal critical information, you actually create a different scenario for the listener. The fault is yours, not theirs.
The "anchoring effect" argument is absurd. You're asking people to estimate something based on virtually no information at all. Of course they're going to choose a useless number within the range of something they were recently exposed to! This has NOTHING to do with cognitive action, since the subjects were well aware of their lack of information. All this shows is that you can influence what random things they will choose by exposing them to something tangentially related.
Stanovich's "mindware gaps" coinage demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding in how new knowledge is discovered.
The basic premise of new information is "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Sticking to the current understanding until someone can come up with a compelling alternative IS the rational way to go. The idea of "highly intelligent, educated people" with "mindware gaps" is pure wishful thinking. Intelligent people are simply more likely to notice a different pattern, and run with it. If it leads to a discovery of new information, they must then demonstrate that their new theory is sound. If we just accepted every new theory without resistance, science would degenerate into superstition. Superstition is the result of accepting theories without objective proof. Usually the "evidence" offered is anecdotal.
I think that Stanovich should do some bias checking of his own before pushing his theories any further.
@David
That’s a very long winded way of saying "Yes, it is still taboo."
Intelligence is the hardware and software needed to solve abstract problems. Rationality is the emotional inclination to frame a situation fraught with real consequences, as an abstract problem.
I think there are very few people in the world for whom the "expectation" operator is as weighted with significance as the words "some" "all" "none", and particularly "dead." At a certain level, rationality can reasonably be described as taking very important problems lightly.
That said, the extent to which you can concentrate over the noise produced by your endocrine system, is the degree to which you can fairly describe yourself as an adult human being.
Knox College is a small structure with a unique character that offers a variety of great spaces for students, staff and visitors. In the summer, the rose garden provides a quiet getaway from the present. The courtyard is an elegant venue, particularly for weddings. And in the chapel, people can take a few divine moments to enjoy the beautifully crafted architecture. No wonder the building is a favourite among film crews. Perhaps its most distinguishing feature is that staff and residents take such great care of it.
I know the engineering buildings are not the nicest on campus but at least show a bit of respect and include at least one on your poll of favourite buildings. After all, you put that concrete eyesore, the Robarts Library, on the list.
You're a riot, Joe. Good on you.
"In tennis-like volleys of epithets and rocks, the confrontation pitted instruments of state power against citizens angry over the outcome of a disputed presidential election."
Of course, in the 2000 and 2004 stolen American elections, if the electorate had resorted to rocks and epithets, they would have been tear gassed and clubbed into submission. Makes one wonder just what the West is selling that anyone else wants to buy.
Another blow to privacy! What's next? Using Google's enormous "Street View" database to determine where individuals live, based on the photos they've taken?
As I was reading through the beginning of the article I kept thinking "Yes! Yes! That's exactly how I feel." And I actually thought you had, if nothing else, at least some serious advice. Very funny article nonetheless, and it did help me with one thing. Procrastinating on that paper I have due: for Nick Mount's class by the way.
While it may becoming the norm to live alone and spend a lot time by oneself, I still find that there's a bit of a stigma attached to it - especially for women. Yes, there are a lot of benefits to not spending all one's time alone but sometimes it's not that easy. For women who spend a lot of time alone, I have written an article called 7 Tips for Women Who Live Alone: It Doesn't Have to be THAT Bad. Hopefully it can help someone.
Be careful what you wish for. In this video, Britain's Lord Christopher Monckton outlines what he sees as the downsides of the Copenhagen treaty.
Hart House has become my second home. The building's architecture, its welcoming reading rooms, the many events held there, the professional and helpful personnel, the quiet chapel, the gym and the various activities that occur there all contribute to a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere that's conducive to studying and writing. Robarts Library may be better equipped for researchers, but I consider Hart House a real house with heart.
This article describes the issues I am facing with my teenage daughter. She is brilliant and scored high on IQ tests in elementary school. However, she lacks rational thought and everyone attributes these behaviors to her age.
I think associating her behavior to her age is a cop-out. There is no way her brain is functioning on a complete level. I need to teach her rational thought patterns. Because of her intelligence, any goofy behaviors are dismissed since she more than makes up for it with her academic performance.
She's smart, but will she be able to make it in the world? Properly relate? Thank you for a new take on how she can be so smart and stupid at the same time.
I'd like to voice my support for Caroline Xia, the founder of the community garden described in "The Plot Thickens." She overcame, and continues to overcome, obstacles that the "status quo" places in front of her: that she is crazy to want change, that it can't be done or can't be done as she wants.
Keep up the good work, Caroline! You have helped feed many. I hope you have "strong teeth," because social and cultural activists are all too often kicked in the teeth. Sometimes the hardest kick comes from people from whom you expect support and understanding! At least that has been the experience I've had sometimes.
We have to concentrate on the positive while also being realistic. We all face challenges, and the most vulnerable do best working together.
I agree with "Aunt Libby." Good work, Joe.
@Keith: The use of the word "but" in the "married/unmarried problem" indicates that we are to assume that the author speaks of the same Anne. Therefore, the answer can only be "yes." Anything else would overcomplicate a rational test.
Many people tend to worry too much about doing the "right" thing or the "smart" thing. Who cares if you "lose" a theoretical sum of money (which itself is only a concept) on a house deal, if you liked the house and it sheltered you and your family well, both physically and psychically, for a substantial part of the very short time you will be alive? Reason is a useful tool but not the ultimate measure of whether or not a particular choice or course of action is best. Humans evolved language and reason, but that doesn't mean language (i.e., categorizations and representations of reality, which themselves are only tools and have no substance) and reason should rule the way we live. I think it's good that the research discussed in this article supports a more holistic view of healthy human functioning.
What about the best font for a resume? I'm rewriting mine and wondering if I should go for a classy Garamond or a shockingly in your face Copper Plate Gothic...
At least as important as font choice is the measure (line-length), word-spacing (literally the space between words) and line-height (space between lines of text). And let's not even broach the topic of justification, just make it flush-left please.
I am curious. How many sides does a rectangle have in Africa? What is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter in Africa? What is the escape velocity of a body leaving Earth from a spaceport in Africa?
Teach philosophy all you want, from any viewpoint you want. Just don't call it math or science.
To the question "Is a married person looking at an unmarried person?" the answer is actually "cannot be determined" because we are not told whether Anne is in fact a person. For all we know she could be Jack's pet dog. Therefore, based on the information given we can reach no conclusion, other than one based purely on assumptions. To make assumptions in a problem like this based on no real evidence is an incorrect way of solving the problem.
Great pic. Looks like he's building a time machine!
I would like to work for that project
Why do these articles always have a big blind spot? When we talk about greenhouse emissions the targets are power production or automobiles. Nobody talks about livestock production, which in the U.S. produces an estimated 28% of greenhouse gasses. Factory farming also produces a lot of water pollution, tainting wells and watersheds. We could do the equivalent of shutting down coal plants if we all just ate less or no meat. There is absolutely no reason why we need to eat meat. Do greenhouse gases matter only if they do not require individuals to change their lives at all?
@Frank Eigler: Please reel in any engineering-tunnel-vision impulses when casually letter-writing about "criminal activities, such as… possessing weapons." In free countries such as ours, subject to reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society, possessing a weapon is an indictable/summary criminal offense in a number of circumstances, such as possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose (Criminal Code s. 88), and carrying a concealed weapon (s. 90).
This is a very interesting article. I like Susan Pedwell's graceful style.
There is a University of Toronto back story to Professor John Polanyi learning of his Nobel Prize award.
On the morning of October 15, 1986 I arrived at work. I was the manager for Canada of United Press International, then one of the world's largest news agencies.
An editor on UPI's international desk had called me that morning. He wanted to give me a head start on the news about to break that Professor John Polanyi of the University of Toronto had won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. UPI's international desk wanted to give our office a chance to get to Professor Polanyi ahead of the competition. At that point, I knew there was an excellent chance that if I were the first reporter to reach Professor Polanyi, the honour might be mine to tell him he had won the Nobel Prize.
But how to reach Professor Polanyi quickly?
Having been a member of the alumni advisory committee of the University of Toronto Magazine, this didn't prove too difficult for me. I reached someone I knew in the university's information services and quickly obtained Professor Polanyi's home phone number.
Had I called even moments later, I suspect I might have missed speaking with Professor Polanyi. Unbeknownst to me, when I reached him by telephone he, his family and his neighbours were responding to a fire at a neighbour's house. But it would be a few minutes into the call before I would learn this fact.
I don't remember exactly what I asked Professor Polanyi, but not presuming I would be the first to tell him the news of his award it was something like: "Professor, You have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry this morning. Can you tell me about your research and how you feel about receiving this honour?"
I recognized immediately in his response that I was experiencing the rare privilege a reporter sometimes enjoys to be the first to tell good news to the person who most deserves to hear it.
Professor Polanyi was polite in answering my question, and equally polite in asking my indulgence for cutting the interview short because of a neighbour's house fire.
Well, what a fortuitous turn of events, not for the Professor, who despite winning the Nobel Prize was leaving his home as a precaution, but for me and my employer. I knew with absolute certainty that United Press International would be the first media organization in the world to carry news of Professor Polanyi's reaction to winning the prize, and it wouldn't be easily matched by some other reporter calling the professor at his home. Oh, the sheer joy afforded by dumb luck!
I filed my story. As it was being edited and breaking to the world, my associate Michael Babad -- in my view one of the finest reporters and editors in Canada -- took over the story and went straight to the Polanyi home. He conducted a more detailed interview and set the scene for what became a story inspired by, as your article was titled, a "chemical reaction."
I must also say the events of that hectic morning crystalized in my mind the calm, reason, humility and humanity of John Polanyi.
Ken Whitehurst
BA 1982 Victoria
Aurora, Ontario
I just put a paper through Turnitin and it came out at 18%. But what does that really mean? My quotes and paraprhases were all cited correctly. Does it mean that 18% of my paper was quotes? Or that 18% of it was similar to other papers that may or may not have been sourced?
I would like to refer Mr. MacIsaac to Bill C-68 (aka The Firearms Act) and its reprehensible trampling of individual rights. The fact that our property is never our own (be it land or chattels) should be studied by law students. Weapons are any object used to harm or threaten another individual. My firearms are NOT weapons since they have never been used in any offensive manner. Individuals who are capable and trained, be they free citizens or government agents, The should be able to own firearms. Mr. Allan Rock stated only police and the military should have guns, as did Himmler in 1934 (those who wish to possess firearms should join the Army, yada yada yada). We all know how that ended.
Congratulations Norma!!
I find it shocking that this outstanding article by John Allemang makes no mention of the unspeakable mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China over the past 20 years. Canadians and people throughout the world should condemn the torture inflicted by the Chinese government on these innocent, peace-loving persons. I believe that this is our duty if we wish to vigorously uphold the principles of human rights everywhere.
Abraham L. Halpern
MD 1952
Mamaroneck, New York
Anne Perdue’s article "Out and Proud" was a wonderful example of the University of Toronto at its best – celebrating its important role in providing active support and open acceptance of the LGBTQ community for over 40 years. The faculty, staff and students who are members of the Positive Space campaign at the University feel proud of their contribution to this history, to the ongoing promotion of work to reduce homophobia, and to the creation of a welcoming environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in the university community and the broader society.
Some of the letters in response to the article showed levels of intolerance, ignorance and prejudice. Often it is easier to fight against these obvious forms of oppression and homophobia. The letters which reinforced the ongoing need for the Positive Space Campaign at the University of Toronto were the ones which, despite their apparently positive intent, ultimately counselled silence and passivity by the LGBTQ community. As a teaching institution, it is the responsibility of the university and all its members to move beyond mere tolerance or passivity and to actively strive for equal acceptance and open support of the LGBTQ community.
As the article indicated, there is a long history at the University of Toronto of fighting for more than tolerance, of not accepting passivity and of struggling for full acceptance of all members of its community. Judging by some of the letters, we still have a long way to go.
Members of the Positive Space Campaign
St. George Campus
Kurt Kleiner does a splendid job of knocking Gross Domestic Product as a measure of welfare. However, he does not really explain why welfare indices, such as the UN's Human Development Index or Canada's own Index of Wellbeing, are unconvincing to economists, who then resort to GDP, imperfect though they know it is.
The problem with welfare measurements is not the choice of what exactly to include in the index. After all, the mighty GDP itself does not count every last market transaction that takes place. It simply could not. Assuming each of 30 million Canadians buys and sells on average 10 goods or services each day, a year's GDP would have to count 110 billion transactions. That is simply impossible, so GDP is calculated by sampling, that is taking a "basket" of economic interactions and multiplying their value by the number of times each of them takes place (which is itself an estimate). GDP is a selective, sample-based measure, not an actual count, and exactly the same procedure could be applied to welfare measurements. Why don't we do it, then?
As Kleiner's hints here and there, the problem with welfare measures is the weighting - the relative importance attached to any given item in the index. But this is not just a technical issue, it is the core of the problem: if education in my community improves but the life expectancy of people in Nunavut declines, what happens to the index? That is another way of saying, how important is my children's schooling compared to the health of people in Iqaluit or Kugaaruk or Arviat? Any answer you give is subjective, so that any movement of the welfare measure is arbitrary: you can get the opposite answer by changing the relative importance of the two measurements.
Despte its faults, the strength of GDP as a measure is that the relative importance of goods and services is already known: it's their price. If a haircut costs 10 times more than a tin of beans, and we produce 20 fewer tins of beans and one more haircut, our GDP falls. There is no ambiguity here, no subjective evaluation, no doubt.
In many ways GDP is a flawed and misleading number. But, within the limits of human ability, it is not arbitrary, and economists and politicians and journalists will keep using it until welfare indices can be based on firmer foundations.
My fellow economists know that these firmer foundations exist, by the way: they're called "welfare equivalences," but I am not aware of attempts to transform their principles into operationally feasible procedures.
Francesco L. Galassi
BA 1981 UC, MA 1982, PhD 1987
Ottawa
CognoVision's new technology allows it to track how many pairs of eyeballs are looking at on-screen product ads. According to the story, the system can even make a stab at identifying the gender and estimated age of said eyes. This knowledge, which could enable a company to customize the products it shows according to the gender of the watchers, is not going to be Big Brotherly intrusive. At least that's what one of CognoVision's founders says. We'll see. It isn't too far from counting anonymous eyeballs to the chilling scenario depicted in the film Minority Report, where everyone's eyes were on file and known to every business - and, of course, the police.
Do we really want our every glance to be embraced by Coca-Cola and Harvey's and seen as an opportunity for them to make another buck? Even had Tom Cruise's character not been wanted by the police, he might still have wanted to swap out his eyeballs in exchange for a little privacy.
Geoff Rytell
Toronto
I read an article a few months ago that tinnitus and hearing loss are close to be fixed by changing the sound waves to light waves. Is there any further information on this hope giving way of correcting tinnitus?
Brilliant Poem!
@Wolter
"The information is there, but in the form of a purloined letter."
Purloin is another word for steal. Your sentence does not make sense. How does the information resemble a stolen letter?!?
As I transcribed the 1861 census for Toronto's St John's Ward early this year I noticed there were a number of men who gave their occupation as "stone cutter". Once I saw the photograph in U of T Magazine I realized that some were working on a building site within walking distance of their homes and not in a stonemason's yard. It would be wonderful to be able to put these 28 faces with their census entries.
St John's Ward comprised the area from Queen to Bloor and from Yonge Street west to what is now University Ave. Frederic Cumberland was living somewhere on the present University campus in St Patrick's Ward.
Hi Ian amazing book. The disabled population is my passion. I grew up with an aunt who had Cerebral Palsy and she is the reason for going into the field of working with children and adults with disabilities. If you have a moment would you mind emailing me. I would love to talk to you more.
Alexander Pride was my great grandfather.
Thanks for sharing this dental post. I found it very enjoyable to read.
Thornhill Dentist
I appreciate your article 'Blocking The Buzz' on Dr.Jerry Halik's contribution to Dynamic Tinnitus Mitigation (DTM) tinnitus sound therapy. While Drs. Jerry Halik and Lorraine Vosu provided invaluable insight and input on the practitioner protocols and patient utilization programs of DTM, the sound aspects of DTM therapy and the Audio Bionics sound delivery device were invented and developed by Mike Petroff of Audio Bionics. Mike Petroff and Audio Bionics wish to express their gratitude to Drs Jerry Halik and Lorraine Vosu for their extremely important participation in DTM tinnitus sound therapy.
Thank you,
Mike Petroff, Audio Bionics, LLC (www.audiobionics.com).
As noted by post-ers #2 and #9, Question 3's first sentence refers to a disease that is never mentioned later, with predictably misleading results.
The sentence seems to mean that the virus causes disease in only 0.1% of those that are infected; but if so, it provides no information about the incidence of infection in the population at large.
If the first sentence is instead intended to mean "0.1% of the population is infected", then the ratio of infected:positive in a sample of that population is indeed 1:51, as pointed out by post-er #10.
Post-er #13's analysis supposes a 1:1 ratio of infected:uninfected, an unwarranted assumption.
I would be curious to know from Dr. Haider which edition of The Washington Post or any other American newspaper reported that Ahmadinejad was leading in pre-election polls by a margin of two to one. And, by the way, how did those news papers get those poll results? I am wondering because Iranian media never published such poll results.
Shahrzad Shahriari
BSc 2006
Toronto
“The Ads Have Eyes” concludes by reassuring the reader that the technology being discussed observes us anonymously – those who gaze into our eyes without our knowledge or consent will never know who we are. Perhaps that is for the best. But they certainly know a lot more about us than we should be comfortable with! That brings little comfort for this “viewer.” In fact, it misses the point entirely.
By focusing on whether or not we are observed anonymously actually individualizes a problem by reducing it to whether or not a particular person’s identity is compromised. But it is our own collective identity that is at stake here! We may be anonymous as individuals, but we are certainly not anonymous as a society.
As companies find increasingly sophisticated ways to monitor, evaluate and respond to our behavior in order to increase the likelihood that we will buy a particular product or service, something fundamental about our freedom, integrity and value as human beings is compromised. Are we really free when we are so closely monitored?
This question is particularly pressing, considering that more money is spent in our society on advertising and marketing than on education – a point particularly relevant to a university facing hard times.
Trevor Norris
PhD 2008
For those who obtained our architecture degrees while working in a building definitely unsuited to that practice, the complete renovations and facelift for the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design building are welcomed.
However, environmentally conscious building or LEED-rated buildings should not be confused with being bird-friendly. From the rendering in the magazine and from the website, there are no assurances given that the building’s facade will be bird-friendly.
Every year, almost a billion birds are killed by striking buildings, primarily striking reflective glass. The City of Toronto Bird-Friendly Development Guidelines, recipient of a Canadian Urban Institute Leadership Award for City Initiatives, will become mandatory on January 31st within the City of Toronto.
I look forward to learning of the strategies the architects will employ to achieve bird-friendly status for the renovations and refitting of 230 College Street.
John Robert Carley
BArch 1974
Toronto
For someone who was privileged to have attended school in Toronto when English was still taught there, it is astonishing how successful the feminists – allergic even to masculine indefinite pronouns (traditionally inclusive of both genders) – have been in violating the most elementary principles of our language.
Even the University of Toronto recently committed an error that once would have been severely censured in public school. I am referring to your appeal for funding for the Soldier’s Tower – a legitimate cause – with the wording “Every soldier needs someone to remember them.
Apparently avoiding the offensive masculine pronoun has taken priority over even minimally correct grammar.
Warren Kirkendale
BA 1955
I read this article with interest and concern. While I am in favour of new research I am also aware that GDP measurements have proved useful in the past.
I couldn’t understand why the author wrote “GDP says nothing about income distribution.” While the statement is accurate, my response is so what? We have the Gini co-efficient to deal with that.
Four decades ago the Gini co-efficient was roughly the same between the U.S. and Canada, while now there is a great gulf – the U.S. has become more like China or India in terms of inequality. Most people who study these things know that while the U.S. has a higher GDP per capita than Canada the median GDP per capita is almost the same.
But do we need a measurement beyond GDP per capita to tell us that the Dominican Republic was a much better place to live than Haiti even before the earthquake? Or that Cuba and South Korea had a similar level of GDP per capita when Castro came to power and now South Korea’s is much higher and the South Korean government does not have to guard against out-migration the way the Cuban government does?
Additional measures may be helpful but GDP per capita has been useful over the years.
Joe Martin, Director of Canadian Business History
Rotman School of Management
Graeme Parry's comment says it all. Kudos!
I know that I'm being picky and trying to fight common (mis)use, but the reference to "the Nobel Prize-winning economist ..." is just wrong. No one has won a Nobel Prize in Economics because there is no such prize.
An acceptable short form for the prize is Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences but the correct title is Sveriges Riksbank (Swedish Royalbank) Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The latter is quite a mouthful, so the former is acceptable.
Confusing this prize with Nobel Prizes is just wrong. I also have a real problem with pretending that economics is a science, but never mind.
By the way, the article is well-written. The idiocy of constantly referencing the GDP is well explained. I think of GDP as being similar to the average temperature of the country. Is higher better? What about average rainfall, or humidity, or wind direction, or barometric pressure? And, it is an average with all the well described problems of averages.
Dick Swenson
@Marie Taylor (from the editor)
Thanks for your comment. It's always gratifying to hear from readers. In past issues, we have not identified the subject of the image on our Contents page. Rather, we provide a brief explanation of what the story featuring the subject is about. For example, the text under the picture on the Winter 2010 Contents page says: "Photojournalist Rita Leistner shines a light on native communities."
I agree that in this case it would have been helpful to identify the woman in the picture, as the text identifies only the photographer.
However, I would like to add that each of the images used with the feature includes a brief description of the First Nations person in the image. In my opinion, the omission of the name of the First Nations woman on the Contents page was not racist. We were simply following practices we've used in the past, regardless of the race of the person photographed.
Also, the image in question is number 7 of 9 in the slideshow above. And the woman is identified in this caption.
Perhaps I missed it. I opened your Winter 2010 issue to see a wonderful full-page photo of a woman holding an equally wonderful old photo of a man. Who was she, I wanted to know, and who was he, and how might they be related?
I searched and searched the issue -- to no avail. As I did, my heart sank, for it was clear that you had taken care to credit the contemporary photographer, Rita Leistner, and to use the photo to enhance the attractiveness of the magazine. But the identities of these two interesting people had been - so far as I could discover - completely ignored.
My heart would not have sunk quite so low, I'm afraid, had the two not plainly been of First Nations descent. I was hoping against hope that the ignorance and condescension shown to First Nations people in the past, which we have been trying so hard to overcome, would not appear, now, today, in such an "enlightened" publication.
If I am correct, and the identifications are indeed missing, please don't say it was an oversight. Please acknowledge that this is racism, and that a lot of work still has to be done before this awful problem fades away. Until we start seeing indigenous persons as equals, and not as exotic window dressing (quite opposite to the contemporary photographer's intention, I'm sure), we will never make progress.
For this reason, I have strong reservations about the quote you chose to feature on page 4 of the same issue: "U of T alumni should be proud of the fact that their alma mater recognizes and celebrates minorities."
Let us reserve our boasting until a few centuries have passed without contra-indications. And let us not be too proud to admit our errors openly. We are not as enlightened as we'd like to believe, and it helps to admit that we stumble.
I continue to stay informed about current trends in things that matter through U of T Magazine, and am very grateful for that. I offer my sincere thanks to all those who contribute to it. Your new font sizes are sometimes a bit hard on the old eyes, but it's a minor concern. Thanks for your attention, and all the best in future.
Marie Taylor
Thunder Bay
As Professor Rod Michalko states, it is still extremely rare for students to be taught by a professor with a disability. Professor Michalko’s own story serves as both an inspiration for disabled students looking towards graduate studies and a lesson for senior university faculty that disabled people are fully capable of teaching and mentoring students.
Going beyond this, however, it would be encouraging to see disabled Professors in roles beyond that of Professor Michalko’s in Equity Studies at New College. Just as we find Asian professors across all faculties at U of T, not just in East Asian Studies, I look forward to a day when we will find disabled faculty represented throughout the University at numbers in accord with the general population.
While over the past two decades there has been significant progress made in gaining a representative faculty at U of T with respect to women and visible minorities, unfortunately little progress has been made towards hiring persons with a disability. The most obvious response to this is that the root of the problem lies in the small number of disabled students embarking on and completing graduate studies, as compared to women and minorities.
This problem is likely related to the nature of disability itself. Whereas skin colour or sex have absolutely no bearing on facility, persons with a disability may have trouble seeing, hearing, speaking or moving. Among some able bodied persons, this can lead to prejudice because they mistakenly assume that a disability means an inability to carryout one’s job or studies, or function well in society. This is a prejudice that links a disability to overall performance, worth or even in some cases intelligence.
I dearly hope that this institutional prejudice towards persons with a disability will one day be stamped out.
Name withheld by request
Good story!
I would like to add two thoughts to this discussion from the scientific and semantic points of view. I have no moral or religious agenda, and firmly believe that each individual has an equal right to pursue his or her emotional and companionship fulfillment so long as he or she causes no harm to others. I also know where homosexuals are coming from. One only has to remember the abominable treatment by archaic British law of Alan Turing, the great mathematician who played a major part in breaking the German naval Enigma code, who was hounded into suicide shortly after the war.
Darwininan evolution by natural selection demands without exception that every direct ancestor of any living thing had, at least at some time in its existence, been actively heterosexual, ever since gender appeared in living organisms. Thus heterosexuality holds a special place in the forms of sexual manifestation: not in terms of good or evil, but in its evolutionary uniqueness among these forms.
In the backlash against previous persecution, I have heard of mothers wheeling baby carriages being sneered at by passing drivers as breeders and have witnessed a parade in Provincetown in which homosexuality was extolled as a superior way of life. Of course this is exceptional; all most non-heterosexuals want is acceptance in the community as ordinary members with the same rights, including the legal rights of long-term relationships.
Personally, I think that semantics have been a major stumbling block in the attainment of these legal rights. Words in a language change their meaning through long-term usage, not through legislation, and words meaning marriage are among the most ancient and clearly defined in any language, including cultures in which homosexuality was widely accepted. Those who wish to establish an equitable legal status for their long-term intimate relationships would ease their rocky path by simply using another suitably descriptive term for the present, and let time decide the semantic outcome. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
Norman Allentoff
BA 1950, MA 1951, PhD 1956
Pittsford, New York
I was at the Toronto CAPP protest and it was phenomenal. The organizers did a fantastic job, and that was the key - organization.
@Wolter: Is rational thought not having the ability to recognize the "trick" in a "trick question"? Recognizing the hidden information seems to me like a rational skill of a higher level.
Sometimes I wonder if the architects designing our campus buildings are thinking about us, or just polishing their own egos. This building is sharp, cruel, piercing -- and it says nothing about us as a community.
It doesn't say, "This is a place where we are encouraging open thought." It doesn't say "Discuss, debate, be open, be fearless."
It says, "I am a helmet. I am a military base."
Didn't we learn anything from that hideous Graduate House? U of T students DON'T WANT buildings like this. We need buildings with lots of light and which give us a feeling of connection. We want to be able to see each other. We don't want big metal bird beaks pecking into our eyes everytime we look up.
Nika Whelehan
Third-year architecture and physics student
Both De Roche and Khogali are right on this one. Internet activism is just another tool in organizing and just another means to an end. To be successful, it needs to be connected to offline organizing, outreach and events.
The one example of a successful Internet campaign I can think of was when the Ontario Liberals were thinking of reforming youth driving regulations and there was a pretty massive backlash on Facebook. They scaled back their plans and then scrapped them entirely. While not very familiar with this campaign, I still doubt it happened only online.
I would like to contact Professor Duffy to let him know about Nicholas Ruddock's debut novel, The Parabolist, just released by Doubleday.
Nick graduated from medicine at the U of T three years before I did, and Dennis was a friend and colleague of our father William, who features fairly prominently in the novel. Incidentally, the novel is set on campus in 1975.
I have been working on an Old English to Modern English dictionary, with Germanic and Latin cognates, in my spare time for a number of years now and have written thousands of entries. If this could be of any use, please kindly let me know.
Clyde Hennessey at yahoo dot com
Just a correction that the name of the little town where the Queen was buried is actually called Oke-Eri not Ike-Eri
This is great, I've had my share of adventures in the old bird as well. Are any of the stories about Robarts true, though? I've heard there is a secret network of tunnels underneath that extend to surrounding buildings. And that the namesake killed himself because people kept calling it a turkey. And that...
My friends and I argue about this all the time! Now I feel bad for the turkey.
I read your article about Toronto's afrocentric school and I must commend your effort. African history needs to be recognized in the school system. I attended U of T Scaborough, and even though we studied African history, nothing really depicted the suffering African slaves went through. Students from an African background need to know the suffering their forefathers went through to really understand their background and heritage.
What a great poem -- so carefully and well-crafted and so poignant! I have to go out right away today and buy every book Carleton Wilson has ever written. So much of contemporary Canadian -- and other countries' -- poetry is just dross. It's fantastic when you just serendipitously run across somebody who gives strong evidence that one day they might be mentioned in the same sentence as, for example, Yeats, Heine, Verlaine, Pasternak, Lampman, ee cummings, Auden -- to mention but a few. Frankly, that won't be happening to bp nichol anytime soon (just my opinion, I concede)...
What a hilarious article by Joe Howell -- so comically and creatively written.
Cool!
This is a great article. You've summed up so much of the chatter and fun poked at this place in a clever and intriguing way. Cheers to an awesome article!
Hey Zoe, just wanted to say I'm tickled that you are so fond of Thelwall (and of Heather Jackson's class).
I'm an ex-student of Heather's, and a prof who uses turnitin, for better or worse.
But mostly I'm a specialist on Thelwall, and a passionate fan, more like obsessive, and so I was taken by your piece in the UofT mag. And if you are ever wanting to talk more about Thelwall with someone (esp his poetry, which is what I specialize in, having discovered the mysterious missing Derby manuscript of his poetry), I'd love to reciprocate (BTW, there's a Facebook group on Thelwall--check it out)
Judith Thompson
Dalhousie U
There are too many people in this country without proper access to dental care. Many kids are suffering because their parents cannot afford to take them to the dentist. The government needs to do something to help these people in need.
I think this is great news for the faculty of dentistry. To have someone like Dr. Jokstad and his wealth of emergency dental, prosthodontic dentistry, and dental implant knowledge will only benefit the dental students at this school.
When in doubt, blame the media! It works for the Prime Minister.
Forget GDP, I'm in favour of GNH - Gross National Happiness. Let's all move to Bhutan.
Being somewhat removed from U of T, I appreciate the magazine because of the "connect" it affords. Thanks for the publication.
I work at Hart House. An employee held an event where the gorilla was used as a prop. After the event, he needed some place to stash it, so it ended up as an honourary porter. By the way, the people at the desk are called "hubbers," not receptionists because they perform more services than a receptionist. They used to be called porters, and I keep using that title.
Right place, right time. But feeling sorry for Taylor-Chase though. Looks like a rough fall. I hope she's okay.
Thanks for this article about Sarah. Have you also looked at how Toronto inspires compared to other cities? I recommend you look at the cities of Curitiba in Brazil and Malmoin Sweden.
I have to read a book for a discussion group next month. I never wanted to own it, so I reserved it at Toronto Public Library. I've been waiting for seven weeks. It's a popular title, and not yet in a paperback edition. So I signed up for Adobe's ebook reader (for free), which entitles me to install an ebook on up to seven computers/handhelds. I bought the ebook at a discount in an introductory sale at KOBO.
Now the book is on my iMac and my iPhone, and I'm reading it on both. I'm a fan of books on the iPhone, which is very handy when you're in any "waiting" situation, but I still love a real paperback in my hands. However, the savings on the digital edition are enormous.
With regards to #4 and why the 5 has to be turned: "If a card has a vowel on its letter side, it has an even number on its number side" implies "if it has an uneven number on its number side, it does not have a vowel on its letter side," which is what must be tested.
I work in the food industry, and have been in search of a collection of stories about local food in Canada. I bought Sarah Elton's book the day it came out, and loved the personal accounts. Thank you for sharing these stories!
I read Ayelet Shachar's ideas about the "birthright lottery" with incredulity. Does Professor Shachar actually think a "birthright privilege levy" should be paid by people according to whether they happen to be born in, say, Canada rather than Haiti?
For one thing, nobody gets to choose where they are born. For another, simply being born in a particular country isn't a guarantee of lifelong good fortune, even in Canada - as some of our First Nations and Inuit people can attest to.
Moreover, living conditions in countries can rise and fall drastically, even within a single lifetime. While I have yet to read Prof. Shachar's book, your account of it suggests that the issues she raises are more complex than she may realize.
Anne Thackray
MA 1974
Toronto
As a "British Subject Born Abroad" in Japan in 1932, I was taken to England in 1938 by my father, a Londoner and my mother, a fourth generation Canadian born and brought up in Toronto. I was never a Japanese and by the decision of father to move us to Canada in 1939, I subsequently became a Canadian citizen in 1952. That was a wise and perhaps lucky decision and I have benefited immensely from it.
How would Shachar's system would have worked in my case? We were torpedoed on the way to Canada from England in 1939. If father had paid a levy in Japan, would he have had to pay again to get into Canada? If so, would that act of war have afforded us a discount in the levy on arrival?
I suppose the UN would have to set up the system internationally.... Good luck!
Local produce is always better in terms of jobs, pollution, sense of community and safety (with respect to the introduction of foreign species and microbes). Cold cellars and root houses use little or no energy and canned goods keep for years.
Why must I buy canned peaches from Greece? Why is maple syrup made here in Canada cheaper in the United States? Why do I buy pork from the U.S. when we produce pork here?
Products from every country are circling the glode because of corporate brainwashing - or some professor's idea that it is more viable to eat apples from New Zealand in the winter here in Canada. Those tankers may be efficient but you need to distribute the product once it gets here.
Let's evaluate all the factors in food consumption and production to get a real answer.
This article gives the impression that Kathy Amstrong is a West African drumming expert. Although she went very far in the Ghana style of drumming, West Africa is far bigger than Ghana, specially when we are talking about drumming.
Other countries, such as Guinea and Mali (Mandingue heritage), are most definitely leading in this domain - not just in West Africa but the entire continent. They each have a very sophisticated drumming heritage that is most likely unknown to Kathy.
John Lorinc’s profile of Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair was well done. But the article failed to mention Chief Blair’s expert handling of the Tamil protests in the spring and summer of 2009. For several months, an impassioned group of protesters, galvanized by grief at events in Sri Lanka, disrupted Toronto’s streets (and even, on one occasion, the Gardner Expressway). Blair’s temperate, measured response preserved the fine balance between public safety and every citizen’s right to free speech. It ended up being a lesson to all in the latitude we must offer, and the occasional inconveniences we must accept, if we want to live in a free society.
Cecilia Kennedy
BA 1974 St. Michael’s
Brampton, Ontario
The researchers John Lorinc cites are sadly misinformed about the gridlock-reducing scheme erected in London. I say "erected" due to the phenomenal expense of intrusive monitoring cameras and 50-foot masts now placed at every street and lane entering central London.
Tolls to pass London city gates were appropriate in medieval times, but not today.
The London Congestion Charge is a stealth tax on the general public who are not getting into their cars, vans and lorries every day for the pure pleasure of rush hour traffic! They need their vehicles. Public transport doesn't carry a load of lumber, and bicycle lanes do not help the infirm. Take note Toronto!
Nancy Bezoari
BA 1977 Victoria
London, England
I was somewhat puzzled by Dr. Alison Kelford’s description of her trip to Kenya to work on building a school. Experiences such as Dr. Kelford’s with Free the Children are a wonderful way for Canadians to learn about a culture and country very different from their own.
But to suggest that it is a source of community development for Kenyans is a bit of a stretch. Local people benefit more from being paid to build their own schools than from peering in from the outside and smiling at imported workers from privileged countries. There is no shortage of general labourers in Kenya.
Lise Watson
MA 2002
Toronto
The Chinese government's vicious persecution of the Falun Gong goes unheeded by the world because both the Chinese and Western media ignore it. Articles such as these, though well-written, prove this point. Everyone knows that the Chinese regime is extremely sensitive about Falun Gong. When the truth of the extent and degree of this persecution is fully known people finally will be motivated to do something about it. John Allemang needs to think about why the worst persecution in China goes unmentioned in his otherwise remarkable article.
At the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington DC, the Chinese government brought in two bus-loads of people to wave the red flag across the street from shouting Tibetans and peacefully meditating Falun Gong practitioners. If this was China, there would have been swift and violent repercussions. The West has yet to realize what the lack of human rights is like under the Chinese government. Does pretending there is insufficient evidence while intentionally not looking for any evidence help to comfort our conscience?
Norman quotes from Shakespeare that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Those who championed segregation held the same views. Many argued that non-whites could have all the rights they wanted just as long as the stayed separate. To suggest that gays and lesbians should "simply use another suitably descriptive term for the present, and let time decide the semantic outcome" is cowardly and ridiculous. Humans did not evolve or change because they just sat back. The scary thing about this argument is that the writer attempts to use Darwinian theory to say that heterosexuality is uniquely important because of procreation. This view of dominance, disguised by the word "special," reminds me of others in history who used science to suggest superiority.
Jaroslawa's comment that the university is hypocritical because it does not dispaly pro-lifers on the front cover then goes on to deem us to be hedonistic and not living the truth. Let me remind Jaroslawa that individual rights and freedoms are bound by the rights and freedoms of others. Feel free to think and feel and believe as you wish and let others do the same.
I was pleased to read the Q/A with Dr. Vieth on the Vitamin D crisis. My interest in vitamin D goes back many years, and from my collection of scientific papers and newspaper articles I have learned that Dr. Vieth is a world-renowned authority on the subject.
His closing statement that we should pay as much attention to vitamin D as we do to cholesterol caught my eye. I discovered in 1983 that the French do exactly that. We moved to St.Germain-en-lai when our youngest child was 18 months old. The pediatrician gave her the most thorough medical I had ever seen, which included, in addition to weight and height, a great deal of "measuring" with a tape. After making some calculations he prescribed for her FOUR times as much vitamin D as she'd been given here. He was absolutely shocked by the small amount that she had been given in Canada and proceeded to explain the importance of vitamin D for general health as outlined by Dr.Vieth.
I was very impressed with the French health care system's Vitamin D protocol and I was able to discuss it with German, Swedish and Dutch parents whom I met at the Lycee International where our older children were enrolled. According to them it was standard practice in western continental Europe for the pediatricians to determine by measurement the exact vitamin D needs of each child. This is a far more sensible approach than to give each child an average amount, as the Canadian government recommends.
I'm wondering if vitamin D policy is connected with the recent Olympic results. Norway, a country of merely 4 million people earned almost as many medals as Canada. Furthermore, the Norwegian athletes, who have been getting all the vitamind D they need since infancy, shone in the physically demanding sports of cross country skiing and biathlon. Amongst the successful Canadian athletes, there were very few men - could this be the result of giving each Canadian child the same amount of vitamin D? Such a protocol is bound to discriminate against boys who tend to be bigger than girls.
In addition to reading his scientific papers, I have heard Dr.Vieth on CBC recommending more vitamin D. I am completely baffled that the Federal Government has not acted on his recommendations. With Dr.Vieth's research and the experience of the Europeans, there is absolutely no need for Health Canada to do more research with the U.S. It looks like a stalling tactic to me.
I wish the Ontario Ministry of Health would set up workshops under the supervision of Dr.Vieth. Medical doctors from France could be invited to them to train Ontario doctors in the correct way to measure the bone structure of each child in order to prescribe the exact amount of vitamin D. The payoff would be fewer serious diseases, savings in medicare costs and perhaps some great athletes.
Margaret Tyson
BA 1960
Ottawa
I got the answers to questions 1, 2 and 5, while experiencing the same "interpretive" confusion as others with question 3, but with a variant. The question could benefit from being clearer.
Here's where I got hung up with the wording. I calculated the rate of disease at 1/1000, or, to make the math easier, 100 out of every 100,000 people. Of those 100,000 people, a false positive would also be registered at a rate of 5 people along with every 100 for which a "true positive" was properly recorded. By this interpretation, it would mean that in total, 105 people will test positive out of 100,000 people, with 100 of those 100,000 being true positives. So a true positive in this reckoning would be every 100 out of every 105 people divided by 1,000, or roughly 0.095 percent of the population being tested as positive and actually having the "virus." This is another way of looking at the "probability that an individual testing positive actually has the XYZ virus" among the general population.
Question 2 demonstrates a standard logical fallacy. When you say, "if A, then B, and if B, then C" then it is logical to say "therefore, if A, then C." But you can't say: "If A then C," "if B then C," therefore "since we know C is true, A must equal B."
Regarding question 4, I was probably overthinking it and concur with others who observe that two cards don't really prove any "rule", unless the total universe of cards for which the rule is supposed to apply is just the four cards. Without specifying what the "card universe" is that the "rule" should apply to, one might argue that no one card or two cards can "prove" the rule, they can only prove that the rule has not yet been disproven.
With respect to question 5, may I suggest another way of looking at the problem. Just because a particular brand of car is involved in more fatal accidents than a "typical" car, it does not necessarily mean it's unsafe. It could be an extremely popular car, meaning that there are many more of them on the road. Let's say, for example, that of the nine cars in the "typical family car" category, which includes the VW Jetta, each of the other cars has a 6.25% share of the market, and the Jetta has 50%. This would mean that for each "typical" competitor on the road, there would be eight Jettas. So while it might appear that the car is "eight times more likely to kill" occupants of other cars, this is a perfectly "typical" outcome given the circumstances.
I'm glad this article supports my congestion, or rush hour, toll idea.
Sarah Thomson
Candidate for Mayor, Toronto
www.sarahthomson.ca
When it comes to tolls on ALL roads, I'm not in favour. However, if one were to provide an alternate rush-hour route (even just one lane, not one in each direction, inbound in the mornings, then outbound in the evenings) with a toll that's something I'd use.
It would have to be reasonably priced (say less than a transit fare per trip) but I would pay $2 a day ($50 a month max) to use that "true express" lane.
Something running right down the middle of the DVP (just off the top of my head, and yes, I know there would be serious construction and infrastructure issues, but it beats a tunnel, ask Bostononians) would advertise itself. Imagine being stuck in gridlock, then seeing some grinning fool zooming along past you while you suck exhaust.
For me, this gives people a choice, which is a huge deal. Forced to use alternatives, some consumers will refuse, and the existing problem snowballs. Give us a choice, and some of us will opt for the "new" method, if only to try it out. At least it's got the benefit of novelty.
So? Am I full of it? Is this a good idea? A bad idea? Why?
Anyone who's used the 407 can see the benefits of that option. The problem with the privately owned 407, however, is the revenue generated does nothing to build a sustainable transportation system.
Kudos to Sarah Thompson for showing leadership on this issue. For those interested in hearing from elected officials who've also shown leadership on road pricing, check out Transport Futures 2010, at http://www.transportfutures.ca
This article raises some interesting questions about "why am I here (under these circumstances)?" and "what does it take to be content and fulfilled?’ Does “being born into one of the world’s most prosperous and peaceful societies” equal happiness and peace of mind? It seems that some of the most prosperous people are also some of the most miserable.
I’ve had the privilege of getting to know people from many countries, some of them quite poor and oppressed, and many of those with joyful and meaningful lives. I suggest that all of us are given a set of circumstances by Divine appointment and can find happiness and fulfillment by living out our God-given purpose. Those of us with “unlimited opportunity” and those of us with less can find joy and contentment in what we have, recognizing that all of life is a gift from God.
Ellen Errington
BEd 1998 OISE
Langley, British Columbia
Who styled this photo?
After all these years, embryonic stem cell research has not yet provided any evidence that these stem cells will benefit mankind. Every report I have read concerning embryonic stem cells couches predictions with the phrase "it may be possible" or "it could be possible." Marcia Kaye's article is no exception.
On the other hand, adult stem cells and umbilical cord stem cells have proven viable -- and no human beings, in any stage of development, have been killed. This is the moral problem in using embryonic stem cells -- a human being in a stage of development is killed. Research using embryos and aborted fetuses really should be ended.
The photo was styled primarily by Aaron Zack, and also by Rachel Yoes and Nancy Chen.
I love how religion adds spice to any Internet discussion. To add my own insignificant opinion, I make these points.
Christianity is the dominant religion in America, and so it is wrong to assume that individuals grow up in a culture that hates Christianity. On the contrary, atheists and agnostics are some of the most hated individuals in the nation because of their lack of belief. Christians need to quit playing the martyr card in America when they make up 80 per cent of our population.
In Christianity's defense, it is rational for some to have belief. It may not be rational in a strict, empirical sense of the word, but it is a form of rationality. In light of the evidence for and against the existence of God, individuals must come to their own conclusions, both of which are rational and valid. The tenuous evidence for and against religion means that one must weigh the evidence and come to his or her own conclusion. Atheists need to stop accusing Christians of being stupid and just accept that different opinions may be just as valid.
Can't we just all get along?
Great article!
Explore the tunnels under Philosopher's Walk and the ROM - east to Vic or south to Trinity. Just don't lift the access cover plate (once also known as a manhole cover plate) in the middle of Avenue Road!
Walk Philosopher's Walk. I still stroll down there when I am back in town. It will bring you memories for years. Talk long into the night an solve the world's problems with your good friends. You will never forget those times.
Attend a Dinner with 12 Strangers organized by the alumni office. You never know who you will meet!
Thank the professors who have inspired you.
Eat a meal prepared by The Hot Yam! at the International Student Centre, which welcomes everyone. They have something different every time but it's always delicious :)
Have a $5 lunch at Hart House. And attend the campus book sales in the fall.
For those attending U of T Scarborough, take a stroll down the valley: huge trees, beautiful stream, wide open spaces, tennis courts, Miller Lash house... We [a special girl and I] used to take long walks there during our four years together at UTSC. A decade later, I take our two children for walks in the valley every now and then. It's always a beautiful place.
Eat a poutine from the truck right in front of Sid Smith.
Take a walk along the path that surrounds the U of T Mississauga campus (preferably with a good friend), along the banks of the Credit River. Nothing is more peaceful during exam time!
Your list of suggestions reflects how much the campus has changed - both physically and perhaps philosophically - in the 50 years since I was a student there. Most of the specific suggestions would not have been possible in my time. But the idea to sit in on a lecture at random did occur to me as a first year engineering physics student in 1959. During one of the rare intervals between our labs and "legitimate" lectures, a buddy and I decided to find out for ourselves what kind of things arts students listened to during their relatively infrequent lectures.
Informed by the schedule posted on the door of a classroom in University College, we settled ourselves quietly in the back row of a history lecture and awaited enlightenment. The class consisted of about 25 students and we were therefore not afforded the anonymity found in large numbers. About two minutes into his discourse, the lecturer's eyes wandered back to where we were seated and he stopped in mid-sentence. Who were we and why were we in his classroom? He was not impressed by our manifest thirst for greater perspective and broader knowledge (traits well-known to be absent in engineering students) and asked us to leave. We did so, sheepishly, as the 25 real students smirked at the embarrassment inflicted on two of those loutish engineers.
I like to think that, if the roles had been reversed, and we had had two art history or philosophy majors with the temerity to wander into one of our quantum mechanics or differential equations lectures, they would have been welcomed. Perhaps they wouldn't have understand much (I was often in that position myself) but they might have left with more respect for the "other side" than we did on that occasion when we chose "to sit in on a lecture at random."
Go see live music. We went to see Jethro Tull last night, and that took us back to the days. We met (St. Mike's for me, Vic for my husband) in our second year and were married a year after graduation. Thirty-eight years later, there's still "us" and the music of those days. Enduring.
The social implications of assisted suicide are not nearly as circumscribed and easily dismissed as this article implies. For instance, if assisted suicide becomes a valid choice, it also becomes acceptable to attempt to persuade someone to make that choice. Do we want people, at their weakest and most vulnerable, pressured towards suicide by persons who may have something to gain by the death (heirs, for example). Moreover, what will it do to the medical profession if the role of physician becomes ambivalent: sometimes saving life, sometimes bringing death? Or what do we do about medical conditions, such as depression, that directly inhibit the person's ability to make free choices, and in which a desire for suicide is a symptom of the disease itself? We should not dismiss these issues lightly.
Swim in the nude (as we all did when it was a male only bastion) in the Hart House pool.
Great article, nephew! I really enjoyed reading about your Cannes experience.
Another thing to consider is light. A canopy-like building over public places would restrict the amount of natural light in those spaces. Think of The Loop in Chicago - the streets under the L-Train tracks are unpleasant in part because they are so dark.
The same thing goes for "ivy" like buildings, which would restrict the amount of light filtering into the buildings they surround, which would also force them to use more energy for lighting.
Interesting concepts, though.
It is a wonderful story. His visit and previously Bethune's show the adventurous, brave and compassionate aspects of Canadians towards the Chinese.
I played for the Hamilton TigerCats in the 1962 Grey Cup - the "fog Bowl"
Being a non-Toronto resident, I could only watch the news and hear the reports of the handling of the G20 riots. I think that Chief Blair did an excellent job of curtailing the situation. I wish the police could be much more forceful at times in the handling of troublemakers and hoodlums, but I guess a democratic law enforcement agency has to tip toe lightly over the rights of the wicked, as well as the innocent. Keep up the good work, Chief. I am sure the job is a challenge much of the time. Hope it brings its own rewards also. Thanks to all those who "serve and protect" our country.
Given the evidence we have from the way the police handled the lawful demonstrations at the G20, it would seem fair to conclude that Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair wants to “break from the past” by arresting and beating dissenters and anyone who may happen to be in a given area, including children, denying civil liberties and free speech and deceiving and intimidating citizens through the use of non-existent laws. Blair is quoted in the article as saying that Toronto’s safety “is not something we should take for granted." We didn’t know what he had in mind.
Karyn Callaghan MEd 2001
Hamilton, Ontario
Regarding question 3, shouldn't it be slightly higher than 1/51? i.e. 1/50.95
100 in 100,000 have the virus, and will also get that result on the test.
Meaning 99,900 don't have it!
"Five per cent of the cases in which the person does not have the virus" means 99900*0.05=4995 would get a test-result saying they got the virus but they don't.
So test-results with a positive answer would thus be 4995+100=5095 people.
Only 100 of those got the virus, so it would be slightly less than 2% (100/5095=1/50.95=~1.96%).
I am for assisted suicide but against voluntary euthanasia.
One must distinguish between the legal, ethical and religious arguments. One cannot just say, without qualification, that there is no difference between the two: in the case of assisted suicide it is the patient himself who take his own life, whereas with euthanasia it is the physician. One must first specify on what grounds (legal, ethical or religious) one is making an argument. In the field of ethics, one can reasonably argue that there is no difference between the two. However, in the legal field, there IS a difference between euthanasia (so-called first-degree murder with a minimum sentence of life imprisonment) and assisted suicide (which is not a murder or homicide and for which the maximum sentence is 14 years of imprisonment).
In the case of assisted suicide, the cause of death is the patient's suicide and assisted suicide is a form of complicity. But since attempted suicide was decriminalized in Canada in 1972, this complicity makes no sense because there is no main offence.
Judge McLachlin wrote:
« In summary, the law draws a distinction between suicide and assisted suicide. The latter is criminal, the former is not. The effect of the distinction is to prevent people like Sue Rodriguez from exercising the autonomy over their bodies available to other people. The distinction, to borrow the language of the Law Reform Commission of Canada, "is difficult to justify on grounds of logic alone" -- Working Paper 28, Euthanasia, Aiding Suicide and Cessation of Treatment (1982), at p. 53. In short, it is arbitrary »
In contrast, voluntary euthanasia is considered first-degree murder. The doctor kills the patient (at the patient's request) by compassion to relieve his or her pain and suffering. This is a violation of one of our most fundamental ethical and legal principles: the prohibition against killing a human being. Our democratic societies are based on the principle that no one can end a person's life. We abolished the death penalty in 1976. Even if voluntary euthanasia (at the request of the patient) may, under certain circumstances, be justified ethically, we cannot ipso facto conclude that euthanasia should be legalized or decriminalized. The legalization or decriminalization of such an act requires that we take into account the social consequences. The undeniable potential of abuse (especially for the weak and vulnerable who are unable to express their will) and the risk of erosion of the social ethos by the recognition of this practice are factors that must be taken into account. The risk of slippery slope from voluntary euthanasia (at the request of the competent patient) to non-voluntary euthanasia (without the consent of the incompetent patient) or involuntary (without regard to or against the consent of the competent patient) are real - as confirmed by the Law Reform Commission of Canada, which states:
"There is, first of all, a real danger that the procedure developed to allow the death of those who are a burden to themselves may be gradually diverted from its original purpose and eventually used as well to eliminate those who are a burden to others or to society. There is also the constant danger that the subject's consent to euthanasia may not really be a perfectly free and voluntary act."
Jake,
A delightfully fresh article from a fresh point of view!
Wayne Sumner's enlightened approach to euthanasia is most interesting. It is strange that in Canada suicide is not illegal − not even the attempted kind − but helping someone to perform that very same not-illegal act is. People who desperately wish to die are usually not dissuaded by even their most caring friends and relatives. The state is not our friend; nor did it give birth to us. It should not be able to say to its citizens that they must cling to life whatever the circumstances. It can insist that we not hurt other people, of course. But it shouldn’t play a role in keeping us alive if we choose, of our own free will and with a clear mind, to die.
Ethicist Margaret Somerville worries that euthanasia implies a lack of respect for “important societal values.” On the contrary, euthanasia affirms these values by supporting the integrity of individual choice on an essential issue.
Geoff Rytell
BED 1975 OISE
Toronto
Thank you for publishing this story. The Right to Die movement has grown from one tiny American group, The Hemlock Society, to organizations in more than 40 countries, and an international federation that meets regularly (in Toronto three years ago). There are now laws permitting assisted suicide in at least six countries and one American state.
So far, only Switzerland allows non-residents to come for assistance. Two excellent feature-length films have recorded the full journey from decision to final action: The Suicide Tourist and A Short Stay in Switzerland (also on DVD). Both programs are intensely honest and deeply moving, showing the support of spouse and children. There is absolutely no evidence to support the “slippery slope” argument. On the contrary, there are now fewer messy, sudden and hurtful (to relatives) suicide attempts where a doctor’s assistance is legal.
I joined the Hemlock Society at the age of 30. My opinion was considered weird at that time. I am now 77. Each year I see more and more public discussion of the right to die, and polls show a two-thirds majority of Canadians support permissive legislation.
John Alan Lee
BA 1956 UC
Professor Emeritus, U of T
Toronto
I noticed that the cover illustration for the article “Parents – at Last!” included no queer families. I hope that, in the future, U of T Magazine can take a more inclusive perspective, especially when dealing with an issue that affects basically all queer families.
Zach Witte
Rotman Commerce Pride Alliance
Toronto
Keep fighting the good fight. We should respect the achievements of previous generations of city-builders and not let the view corridor be ruined.
Was I the only person who found this review rather horrifying? To have peaceful opposition and criticism condemned as "dangerous," and equated with the terrorism of al-Qaeda is tantamount to fascism.
Deirdre Macdonald mentions the journey through China made four years earlier by the famous U of T geophysicist Tuzo Wilson, who at the time was president of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics and a guest of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Wilson's experiences and reflections on that trip, which took him to Beijing, Xian, Lanzhou and Guangzhou, are recounted in his absorbing book, One Chinese Moon (Longmans Green, 1959). Like Bissell's diary, Wilson's book provides a description of China 50 years ago that is well worth reading by modern travellers wanting to better understand what they see today in that amazing country.
Michael Rochester
BA 1954 UC, MA 1956
University Research Professor Emeritus of Geophysics
Memorial University
St. John's, Newfoundland
Perhaps the title of this article should be “Science gives new chances to rich infertile couples.”
Science has helped increase the chances of an ‘infertile couple’ conceiving – for the lucky few that can afford the procedures. IVF is prohibitively expensive to the “average couple” and has a success rate of less than 35%, which means that a couple may drain their savings, go into debt and pour all their hopes into something that will never happen. Only a select few can afford more than one IVF procedure. None of the fertility procedures (sperm wash, intrauterine insemination, IVF, etc) are covered by the government and most insurance companies do not cover any fertility drugs, let alone IVF.
As well as being monetarily draining, trying to have a baby is emotionally draining – especially for women. Reproductive medicine is important but so is mental health. I suspect there are significantly more women dealing with the emotional repercussions of miscarriage and infertility than experiencing the miracle of pregnancy through IVF. Women who are depressed are reticent to try anti-depressants because of the possible effects on the child. I would like to see someone expose the other side – the have-nots instead of the haves; the couples who have exhausted their bank accounts; those who can’t afford reproductive technology; the women who have been fruitlessly poked and prodded with daily ultrasounds and needles; those who are emotionally spent.
It is easy to glamourize the wonders of science; more difficult to tackle the reality of most infertile couples.
S. Hunter
Thank you for featuring Claude Bissell’s "Beijing Diary" in your excellent Summer 2010 issue, and for alerting us to his book, Halfway Up Parnasus.
I regret that the presentation by his daughter, Deirdre, neglects to emphasize the extent to which Bissell’s essential warmth as a human being must have made his trip to China possible. I experienced this in 1942 when he was an English lecturer conducting a small seminar at University College prior to war service as an officer in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada.
This vital quality is amply and amusingly demonstrated in the opening chapter of Bissell's book Ernest Buckler Remembered (U of T Press, 1989), which I would most heartily recommend.
Robert R. Robinson
Toronto
I endorse this article completely and would take it one step further. Even if we are not suffering painfully, we should have the right to chose to end our lives if we feel the quality of life is no longer acceptable. Those suffering from dementia or with a gradually debilitating disease may not wish to prolong the process of living and having to eventually let others make decisions for us. As in the movie The Barbarian Invasions, we may choose to go out on a positive note with a great party. My point is one of choice; we get to choose to use/abuse alcohol and cigarettes, so why do we let an ethicist like Margaret Somerville tell us what to do?
Numerous polls over the years have indicated that the majority of Canadians endorse the right to end our lives so why aren't the politicians getting the message? Are they afraid to tackle anything controversial? What can we do?
Molly Russell
MA 1960 Trinity
End-of-life care and the ethics surrounding it are very complex issues, influenced by personal, cultural, religious and philosophical views. The debate, moreover, has been ongoing for many years and much has been written about it in a number of fields.
The views expressed here by Prof. Sumner sounded somewhat simplistic, repetitive and have already been extensively discussed.
What does he mean, "Generally it is wrong to kill someone because it deprives that person of something of value"? Value is a highly subjective concept. History offers countless examples of people who have chosen to die for an ideal or who have refused to risk their lives for something they deemed unworthy.
And it is inaccurate to suggest that a drop in murder rates occurs when society gains a higher respect for life.
I can only hope that these flaws relate more to the fact that Prof. Sumner is still writing his book on the subject, or to inaccuracies resulting from the difficulty in transmitting to the public matters of such complexity.
I have always felt a great respect for Prof. Sumner's work and can only say I was sadly disappointed at the frivolous way of dealing with these end-of-life issues.
Cristina Honorato
U of T Clinical Fellow, 2008
Spain
We enjoyed this very interesting article on Deirdre Macdonald's late father, the former U of T president, Claude Bissell. Your readers may be interested to know that Bissell's personal papers, including the diary of his 1962 trip to China are preserved in the university's archives. A brief description of the Claude Bissell fonds is available on our web site at http://utarms.library.utoronto.ca/researchers/fond-listings/claude-bissell
Garron Wells
University Archivist
University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services
Toronto
After reading this article I can’t help but wonder why it is that playing God has been added to a bucket list of sorts for this latest, aging crop of control-mongers, who, as philosophy professor Wayne Sumner believes, will want to weigh in on "the ethics of assisted death." After all, we don’t get to choose when we are born, to whom or where, for that matter, so why should we be able to choose when we die? Life is a precious and wondrous gift, as gazing into the eyes of a newborn child will reveal, and it is a gift until the very end - whenever that fateful day may be. Every breath we take, including our last, symbolizes a living soul within our bodies - regardless of one’s religious or spiritual beliefs - and I am not referring to the kind found on the bottom of an old pair of shoes.
The danger in Sumner’s advocacy of liberalizing laws governing medically assisted deaths is that it opens the door to a Pandora’s Box of misinterpretations concerning euthanasia – thereby sending the incorrect message that it is socially acceptable to end a life. Consequently, we could very well see an increase in incidents where people will use this law to justify their own, possibly, criminal actions. Indeed, most disturbing is the consideration of who will be the one to decide that the life being lived is “no longer of value." Will it potentially be the frustrated parent of a disabled child? Will it next be the distraught spouse of a chronic drug-addict? Where will society draw the line on this “slippery slope” that author Kurt Kleiner alludes to?
Another problem with Sumner’s view is that, even when done according to proposed new ethical standards and laws, he implies the person who is terminally ill will be able to make a cognitive, constructive, and orderly decision about ending their life. Are we not overlooking the fact that the individual would likely be subjected to many other internal and external factors? For instance, they will likely be suffering excruciating pain, be under the influence of mind-altering drugs, and experiencing emotional stress - not to mention financial pressures. And what of the psychological impact on the families left behind such decision-makers? All of this will certainly take a toll.
Finally, are we not forgetting something here? Whatever happened to the idea of hope? Even someone with a terminal illness can still hold onto the hope of yet another precious day spent with loved ones, yet another beautiful morning sunset to enjoy, and even the ever-illusive hope of a miraculous cure that could stretch out more days like these in the future. The tragedy in all this is, that when you schedule an appointment to leave this world, you are effectively closing the door to any hope – and what kind of a life is that?
Rosanna Ortino
BSc 1995
I was at the National Track & Field Championships at Varsity yesterday. It was the first time I had been back since Crothers beat Peter Snell in 1965. That was the most exciting sports event I have ever attended. Thanks for filling in some of the blank spots in my memories.
Actually, many alumni are working for green jobs. For example, I am working in Dalian TianDi, the largest green real estate project in China now and in charge of the Zero Carbon Park. Our real role is to wake more people up to save the planet.
Shes a very talented photographer, with an eye for detail.
It is a very interesting diary. I used to work in Beijing University and I am familiar with many events mentioned in his diary. I am wondering that why the University of Toronto didn't forge a stronger relationship with universities such as Beijing University or Tsing Hua University, since former president Claude Bissell visited China so early.
Commentary on proposed DSM-V “hypersexual disorder” diagnosis (updated May 17, 2010)
The intent of this Commentary is to discuss one of the “Criteria for Change in the Current Diagnostic Classification” (as stipulated in the Guidelines for Making Changes to DSM-V) that is lacking in the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Work Group’s Rationale for its proposed diagnostic category, “Hypersexual Disorder* (with one of seven possible specifiers: Masturbation, Pornography, Sexual Behavior With Consenting Adults, Cybersex, Telephone Sex, Strip Clubs, or Other).” The criterion that is lacking in the Rationale is: "A discussion of possible unintended negative effects of its proposed change, if it is made, and a consideration of arguments against making the change should also be included."
Let me start by asserting that specifically medicalizing (psychiatrizing) an aberrant sexual activity when there already exists a number of DSM diagnoses that more than adequately cover the subject is inimical to the best interests of the persons who experience the “disorder” and, more important, to society itself.
He (almost all “hypersexual” individuals are male) gets involved with a mental health therapist when he (1) becomes depressed (DSM-IV-TR 296.2, 296.3, 300.4, 311, 296.5, 296.80, 293.83, or 296.90) because of any number of reasons (e.g., contracting AIDS, charged with a crime, heavily addicted to a narcotic, etc.); (2) seeks help for a compulsive disorder (301.4), having frequently failed to resist the urge to engage in sexual activity; (3) is hospitalized for treatment of a psychotic disorder [e.g., 295.3), or is in prison for having committed a serious crime [the treatment being sought would be for hypersexual conduct prior to the institutionalization (because, obviously, hypersexual activity, at least with the opposite sex, is not ordinarily possible in these settings)]. A diagnosis of “Hypersexual Disorder” is entirely unnecessary because the criteria for the diagnoses mentioned are correctly met in any particular case.
Thus, hypersexually-behaving persons are not "a distinct group of people who need appropriate clinical attention." In other words, "Hypersexual Disorder" is not "sufficiently distinct from other diagnoses to warrant being considered a separate diagnosis." It does not contribute to "better conceptualization of diagnoses or to better assessment and treatment."
The Work Group’s Rationale states: “"There is a significant research-associated need to consolidate an operational definition for such a condition so that research from varying theoretical perspectives can coalesce with a common set of criteria." The Work Group also asserts that "A DSM-V-based empirically derived definition should significantly enhance research efforts to explore some of the additional diagnostic validators for which there are no current data." Having had very little involvement in research, I discussed the Work Group’s position with an experienced research psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School. I asked: Can meaningful research be undertaken without varying theoretical perspectives coalescing with a common set of criteria? Can studies (by intelligent, ethical, well-trained and experienced researchers) to explore some additional diagnostic validators be undertaken without a DSM-V-based empirically derived definition? My consultant found no basis for the Work Group’s assertions that the special conditions are necessary to conduct research on hypersexuality. He emphasized that research that the Work Group deems necessary and important can be undertaken on the basis of hypotheses developed for research on psychological or psychiatric disorders, indeed for research in any field.
Although I am not suggesting that hypersexuality is even remotely as serious a problem as some of the sexual disorders described in DSM-IV-TR (especially 302.84), I would like to remind the DSM-V Work Group of the controversies in the APA during the Fall and winter of 1985 when “Sexual Assault Disorder,” “Paraphilic Rapism,” and “Paraphilic Coercive Disorder” were successively under consideration (by the Work Group to Revise DSM-III) for inclusion in the Paraphilias section of the chapter on Gender and Sexual Disorders. I do so because the type of problems that I believed would have occurred had a diagnosis such as “Sexual Assault Disorder” been included in the DSM, would without doubt, in my opinion, be experienced if the diagnosis of “Hypersexual Disorder” were included in DSM-V.
Much earlier, in the first draft of DSM-III in March, 1976, it was proposed (by the APA Task Force on Nomenclature and Statistics) that the rapist be officially recognized as a patient suffering from a mental disorder. The following operational (diagnostic) criteria for “Sexual assault disorder” were listed:
A. The fantasy of sexual assault is erotically exciting.
B. There is significant motivation to translate the exciting fantasy into action. The individual has committed an act of sexual assault, or inevitably will in the near future. If the act has been committed in the past, there is significant motivation to repeat it.
A DSM-III Conference was organized to review the proposals of the APA Task Force on Nomenclature and Statistics. The meeting was held on June 10-11, 1976, in St. Louis, Missouri, under the auspices of the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. At this conference, as a representative of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, I pointed out during the brief period allocated for a discussion of the proposed “Sexual assault disorder” diagnosis, that we were then facing a countrywide movement to stop the holding of the victim of rape as responsible for the crime and to focus instead on the criminal. I said that while at first blush the introduction of the classification of rape as being due to a “Sexual assault disorder” might seem harmless, it could be considered by some as a move on the part of the American Psychiatric Association to foster the decriminalization of rape. In the statement I submitted prior to the Conference, I wrote that classifying sexually assaultive behavior under a specific psychiatric diagnosis would have the effect of minimizing the wrongfulness of the perpetrator’s conduct and would open the door to even more widespread misuse of psychiatry than existed at that time. Prosecutors would seek to hospitalize offenders when there was insufficient evidence to convict, and defense attorneys would seek to hospitalize offenders when there was overwhelming evidence making conviction otherwise inevitable. Sexual assault, I pointed out, is not a disorder—it is a crime; DSM-III is a classification of mental disorders, not a classification of criminal conduct.
I recommended that “302.850 Sexual assault disorder” be excluded from DSM-III. In this recommendation I was joined by women’s groups throughout the country. Subsequent drafts of DSM-III (April 15, 1977, and January 15, 1978) did not include the diagnosis of “Sexual assault disorder,” and, of course, it did not appear in the 1980 edition of DSM-III.
The DSM-V Gender and Sexual Identity Disorders Work Group appears to be unaware that competent lawyers would have no problem advancing “Hypersexual Disorder” as a mitigating factor in the defense of a “hypersexual” felonious criminal defendant. More specifically, however, I believe that the proposed diagnoses of “Hypersexual Disorder (with specifier ‘Pornography’)” and “Hypersexual Disorder (with specifier ‘Cybersex’)” have ominous implications for forensic psychiatry and the criminal justice system. Were the diagnosis of “Hypersexual Disorder” included in DSM-V, arrestees charged with having committed violations of laws prohibiting either child pornography or cybersex involving solicitation of sex with a minor, and facing long periods of imprisonment, could easily be coached to claim that they “suffer” from at least four of the symptoms listed in Criterion A of the diagnoses “Hypersexual Disorder (with specifier ‘Pornography’)” or “Hypersexual Disorder (with specifier “Cybersex’),” respectively.
A “Cautionary Statement” [such as DSM-IV-TR’s “The purpose of DSM-IV is to provide clear descriptions of diagnostic categories in order to enable clinicians and investigators to diagnose, communicate about, study and treat people with various mental disorders. It is to be understood that inclusion here, for clinical and research purposes, of a diagnostic category such as Pathological Gambling or Pedophilia does not imply that the condition meets legal or other non-medical criteria for what constitutes mental disease, mental disorder, or mental disability. The clinical and scientific considerations involved in categorization of these conditions as mental disorders may not be wholly relevant to legal judgments, for example, that take into account such issues as individual responsibility, disability determination, and competency.“ (p. xxxvii)] is certain to be included in DSM-V. As has been the case with prior DSMs, such a cautionary statement would be totally disregarded by lawyers and judges—they would use DSM-V as the primary (more likely, only) authority in psychiatry (the “Bible” of psychiatry).
In conclusion, I believe that specifically medicalizing, psychologizing, or psychiatrizing an aberrant sexual activity (hypersexuality) in addition to the diagnostic categories already adopted and generally accepted by the psychiatric and psychological professions all over the world, is at best a useless redundancy and, at worst, an invitation to the anti-psychiatry movement, and others, to scorn and ridicule the American Psychiatric Association.
Abraham L. Halpern, M.D.
Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry,
New York Medical College;
Past president, American Academy
of Psychiatry and the Law
________________________________________________________
*Hypersexual Disorder (Proposed)
A. Over a period of at least six months, recurrent and intense sexual fantasies, sexual urges, and sexual behavior in association with four or more of the following five criteria:
(1) Excessive time is consumed by sexual fantasies and urges, and by planning for and engaging in sexual behavior.
(2) Repetitively engaging in these sexual fantasies, urges, and behavior in response to dysphoric mood states (e.g., anxiety, depression, boredom, irritability).
(3) Repetitively engaging in sexual fantasies, urges, and behavior in response to stressful life events.
(4) Repetitive but unsuccessful efforts to control or significantly reduce these sexual fantasies, urges, and behavior.
(5) Repetitively engaging in sexual behavior while disregarding the risk for physical or emotional harm to self or others.
B. There is clinically significant person distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning associated with the frequency and intensity of these sexual fantasies, urges, and behavior.
C. These sexual fantasies, urges and behavior are not due to direct physiological effects of exogenous substances (e.g., drugs of abuse or medications) or to Manic Episodes.
D. The person is at least 18 years of age.
Specify if:
Masturbation
Pornography
Sexual Behavior With Consenting Adults
Cybersex
Telephone Sex
Strip Clubs
Other
Specify if:
In Remission (During the Past Six Months. No Signs or Symptoms of the Disorder Were Present)
In a Controlled Environment
I wondered whether political parties would encourage mature women, those in their late 50s or in their 60s to run. Emphasis seems to be on youth, yet older women have a lifetime of experience and education in the workplace and in the home. Political offices seem to be filled with many older men, and no one questions whether they still can handle the position. There is a wealth of knowledge among older women that is being overlooked.
As riveted as I am about your exciting stories of having dinner with your dad, standing in lineups, and believing that an inexperienced film writer at a small U of T publication should be afforded the same privileges as Roger Ebert (seriously dude, way to stick it to the man), would it be unkind of me to ask if you could find space to tell us about more than one of the supposed 28 movies you saw?
I know you "caught festival fever," but perhaps you might share some of that fever with us?
"...past all of us Jaunes who have been waiting for as long as 90 minutes and are now yelling “Allez-y les Jaunes!” at the top of our lungs and telling jokes about how “the white man” got us down."
Uh huh, Jake. I can really feel the righteous indignation, what with you being a 20-year-old student journalist getting into free movies at a prestigious film festival in France. Don't let the white man get you down in your brave struggle against oppression. We shall overcome!
Article fail.
I am running in the 2010 election as a councillor in a small town (first time ever) and would like to learn how to develop a social media campaign on a zero budget. Is there anyone who can give me some hints, point me in the right direction/how tos, etc
Gary Cerantola
Maybe U of T's Tobacco Research Unit should investigate the introduction of electronic cigarettes. No carcinogens, chemicals or second hand smoke. Rather than conducting research that essentially does nothing but reinforce the government policies on smoking bans, they might consider researching solutions to the problem. U of A's School of Public Health, now maintained by Dr. Carl V. Phillips's independent research institute that focuses on alternatives in tobacco reduction, promotes electronic cigarettes as a viable alternative to tobacco. I got mine at Vancouver Electronic Cigarettes.
I enjoyed Wolter's & Laura's responses immensely. I agree with both.
I was exceedingly concerned by the lack of appropriate information provided in this article. Yes, biology and time unfortunately do play havoc on women's fertility. However not every woman chooses to start a family late in life. Some women have to deal with unforeseen circumstances. Life happens as you're planning it. Does that mean that you should be denied a family because of events you cannot control?
Perhaps researchers should look into how to preserve and extend a woman's fertility naturally (this does not mean using donor eggs) and improving fertility meds to make them less toxic. These would help save many women much unnecessary anguish.
Yes, fertility treatments should be covered by OHIP and other provincial health plans. I don't think that people wake up in the morning and decide that they want to be infertile. Also, not everyone who seeks fertility treatment is wealthy. Unfortunately the astronomical fees that are attached to fertility treatments deter people who are not well off from seeking treatment. Are the poor not entitled to fulfilling their dreams of having a family?
Lisa Frasca
BA 1998 Victoria
Toronto
My earlier comment lauding the conduct of Chief Bill Blair in the handling of the Sri Lankan protests of the summer of 2009 led off your letters section in the Summer 2010 issue. In it I praise the chief (and stand by that assessment) for the achievement of the right balance between public safety and free speech.
And then came the G20. This watershed experience for the City of Toronto and all who observe democracy with interest, has of course raised issues that we will be debating for years to come. How, with such massive police presence, were a few vandals in black never effectively stopped and allowed through endless replays of the same few scenes to become a false image of a city never truly in turmoil?
But it is the "kettling" of several hundred persons on the Sunday night at Queen and Spadina that stands for me in the strongest contrast to the conduct I would have expected of Chief Blair. For three hours (some of those hours in the pelting rain), several hundred uncharged citizens were denied their freedom. Though some arrests were made, it appears many of the 200 caught in the "kettle' where simply released as if no travesty of Canadian rights and freedoms had even occurred.
A detailed account of the G20 policing days, published in the Toronto Star on Saturday, August 21 is well worth the read. I note two points of special interest: a police insider's contention that the Black Bloc could have been contained on the Friday night. Somewhat heartening to read was also the suggestion that it finally was Chief Blair himself who called a halt to the corralling at Queen and Spadina.
The G20 was no doubt a policing challenge on the grandest of scales, involving multiple forces and many issues and challenges. However, Chief Blair and the Toronto Police were in charge of the streets of Toronto. The most disappointing words from Chief Blair: "Quite frankly, a lot of people came down because they wanted to be part of the action. Instead they became part of the problem."
But it's our city, Chief. We should want to be part of it. The Sri Lankans came down in 2009 and were "a part of it." We have a right to be there, too, raising our voices, being heard, that's a free society.
Cecilia Kennedy
BA 1974 St. Michael's, BEd 1978 OISE
Brampton, Ontario
The headings for this article are “Leading Edge” and “The Big Idea." In fact, in so doing you’re suggesting the subsequent content and opinion of Prof. Sumner is a “big idea” or “leading edge” thinking. His quotes alone reveal anything but that.
The future of rationed health care, as is already suggested in Obama’s health plan, will inevitably need to be justified and opinions convincingly presented as to how green or environmentally conscious it will be to dispose of oneself for the greater good. Unfortunately, it will be for the greater good of government or the bottom line, or family members, all too eager to spend their money or time elsewhere. Compassion or any virtue require too much effort in our times and have no economic return. The crisis of faith and holiness is ever more obvious.
In an era when all is for self-gratification and any suffering is shunned, it becomes harder and harder to see heroic people who conquer by an act of the will, surrendering self, offering suffering beyond their limits for something greater.
In the story “Waging Peace," we learn that Dr. I. Abuelaish overcame the death of his wife due to leukemia and a month later lost three daughters and a niece to a bomb attack in Gaza. Dr. Abuelaish says “…life doesn’t stop with tragedies.” On the other hand the professor of philosophy, precisely the discipline historically that answered life’s questions, sees only “vaguely”.
Philosophy can never be subject to the scientific method. Philosophy has explained the existence of God. It is not “vague”…back to the books dear professor. To see with the heart instead of the mind is a profound education. Perhaps at age 69 our esteemed professor should avoid the Netherlands or any other jurisdiction where the elderly are now avoiding hospitals or going to nearby countries for care to prevent their untimely deaths. This is not so vague.
The choice to write a book on “assisted death” instantly bestows credibility and authority to the author or the subject The professor suggests that when a life is no longer of value, then it is not unethical to help someone end it. What will be ethical about a depressed teenager at 14 going through changes in life when the law will say he has the same right as an elderly person to legally reduce his/her suffering.
The professor appears to appreciate utilitarianism. But when things are viewed solely on their inherent value - ask yourself whose value? God’s or man’s. God values all equally, man only the opinions of his day. The fad of today is not the value of tomorrow. Everything has a value or nothing has any true value except the relativistic opinion of the time, or the views of the majority.
Sumner says”…the same objection was made to legalizing abortion and yet we continue to respect life.” If abortion had not diminished our value of life, no matter how small that life, we would not be having this discussion now.
Further, to suggest that when someone no longer is of value we should help them end it all doesn’t respect life for its own sake but only for its utilitarian measure. The lives of the poor or the disabled are in fact of even more value despite the attitudes of the powerful who always see themselves as the most valuable. Governments that have exterminated their less desirables did what was relativistically acceptable to them, but were not ahead of their time? They were making choices, but wrong choices relative to all people for all time. It was not “leading edge” or a “big idea” then, nor is it now. Assisted death today is not such big idea, no matter what the fad of the day. Eating out of the dumpster for sustenance will always be wrong.
It’s no surprise that in an era when people are only satisfied in doing whatever they desire, everything goes, all things are relative, nothing has any objective truth or value. There is no right or wrong, only what is in vogue.
The actual only right we have is to develop a well-formed conscience. To choose right from wrong. By the very argument made that it is “cruel” to not allow assisted death, you are admitting an objective truth, a moral standard which can only exist if there were a God. In effect you are admitting there is a God. Becoming less vague yet?
Higher education is becoming a handicap to the use of both faith and reason. Faith and reason help us appreciate what either alone cannot teach us. Acceptance, sacrifice, offering up and hope are not “vague speculation," but cataclysmic explosions of satisfying and transforming love. “Pain free” will not give meaning to a life, rather all the pain in the world with understanding can have meaning.
The school of life is not limited to U of T or a professor’s opinions, but to the very conflicts, restrictions and roads less travelled that edify us in compassion and love, to value each other because of our limitations and humanity, rather than our perfection or strengths. Some drop out of school or go through it and fail to learn the essentials that foster hope and joy, but those that “endure patiently” have riches our era can no longer measure or value, and which will maintain them forever. An eternally “Big Idea”.
G. Spinosa
Picton, Ontario
You forgot the most famous of all Eureka moments. The one by a man by the name of Archimedes.
Thanks for a great article, Tomasz! Compared to fees for international university students in Canada, or those paid by British and American students in their home countries, $6,000 a year for tuition is a bargain. I paid about $6,000 for my entire undergrad tuition between 1976 and 1981, so the increase is about five-fold. That is a bit higher than the rise in cost of most big-ticket items, like cars and houses, over the same period, but not glaringly different.
Unlike a car or a house, however, a university degree will help you reap rewards in learning and understanding the world around you for the rest of your life. The value of your degree keeps increasing, rather than depreciating, especially if you keep up to date in your subject after graduation.
I also graduated in history (Medieval and Modern European, Canadian, and International Relations), and have found my studies have given me great insight into the challenges facing us in today's world. I hope you will also find this to be true for you.
Tomasz, your article is carefully written and well-justified. The University of Toronto is a great place to study and expand your personal experiences. An issue that the UTSU does not address is ensuring that professors and lecturers get paid fair wages and benefits, so that they can continue to provide excellent learning opportunities for students.
A previous poster stated: "If you are raised and educated in this secular and atheistic age and end up in adulthood still honestly believing in a religious tradition, then you are likely the most rational of people since you would have had to come to terms with a culture that opposes your beliefs"
So members of the Flat Earth Society are the most rational people because everything in our culture says the Earth is round, and they oppose that? Denying is not equivalent to reasoning. Simply denying something does not make it untrue; nor does it make something else true. VonDaniken denies the rationally held common belief that the pyramids were built by humans. He says they were built by aliens. So I assume you believe VonDaniken because he denies what everyone else believes, and denying what everyone believes automatically means that you are more rational than anyone else?
Another poster stated: "since you would have had to come to terms with a culture that opposes your beliefs, that forces you to hear the other side of the argument, and that would force you to examine your presuppositional biases"
Really? The Flat Earth Society has listened to the other side of the argument and examined the presuppositions? What possible basis is there for the assumption that someone who disagrees with a rationally held belief does so because they hold a more rational belief? Again, denial is not equivalent to evidence. Does everyone who denies something, deny it because they have examined the evidence? Do people who deny that vaccines prevent infections do so because they have been forced to carefully examine the evidence? I don't think so!
All of this garbage twists around the 'fallacy of social proof' ("Everyone agrees with me, so it's true") and its hideous love-child, the 'fallacy of social dis-proof' ("If it's wrong to believe things just because everyone else believes in them, then it's right to deny what everyone else believes in").
This is combined with the "Christopher Columbus defence": "They laughed at Christopher Columbus and he was right. They're laughing at me; therefore i'm right."
And the "narcissism defence": "I disagree with everyone else, therefore I'm special, and if I'm special then i must be more important than everyone else. And if I'm more important than everyone else, then my ideas are more important than theirs and I'm right. The more people prove me wrong, the more 'special' I become, and so the more 'right'. Why can't people see how special I am?!"
What so many people don't seem to be able to get through their skulls is: it has nothing to do with beliefs. What matters are the facts. Your opinions are meaningless.
The parting shot in this article highlights the palpable and severe effects of common environmental pollutants, such as cigarette smoke, on couples trying to conceive. The reproductive hazards of cigarette smoking are well established and have been linked with decreased fertility in both smokers and those exposed to second-hand smoke. Recent research from McMaster University has shown significantly higher levels of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a constituent of cigarette smoke, in the follicular fluid of women who did not conceive, as compared to those who achieved a pregnancy. Furthermore, women exposed to mainstream smoke were found to have significantly higher levels of B[a]P in their follicular fluid, as compared to their side stream-exposed or non-smoking counterparts.
The important finding that B[a]P reaches the follicular fluid and the fact that it is found at much higher levels in women who smoke provide further evidence that, of the many toxicants present in cigarette smoke, B[a]P may be an instrumental compound in the adverse effects of cigarette smoke on follicular development and subsequent fertility. This, coupled with the fact that more women are smoking and taking up the habit at younger age, will have reproductive consequences by shortening and compromising their reproductive lifespan.
Michael S. Neal
Scientific Director, ONE Fertility
Burlington, Ontario
Good interview. I believe Robert has his own way of making deals with small entrepreneurs. It's good to know that he really believes in Karma. That's the good thing about him. But there is something going on in Dragons' Den, eventually they will lead you into losing your own company. Check out our blog post and learn why Dragons' Den is the quickest way to lose your company.
http://www.inboundsales.net/blog/bid/29395/DRAGON-S-DEN-The-Quickest-Way-to-Lose-Your-Company
Like some of the others who have posted here, I too was at that infamous meet at Varsity Stadium in 1965. I was a middle-distance runner of little distinction. I ran with the old East York Track Club from about 1963 to 1965. Our coach, Fred Foot, gave me a good base for my years in the sport. But due to my career at Bell (spanning 40 years) in Toronto's west end, I joined the Toronto Striders in 1965, which eventually became the Etobicoke Striders. We trained at the Centennial Park track in Etobicoke until I retired from track racing in 1974.
But back to 1965. I was sitting with Dave Crothers, who was Bill's younger brother. Dave and I trained together quite a bit and got along well. Prior to this rematch between Bill and Peter Snell, I remembered the evening in 1964 when Bill returned to the East York Collegiate High School track where we trained, having just won a silver medal from the Tokyo Olympics. There was certainly discussion around whether Bill could have won the gold medal over Peter. Peter was known for his tactic of "kicking" early in half-mile races -- as far out as a quarter of a mile -- and that had served him well up until 1965.
However, Bill had learned from past experience racing against Peter and in this rematch Bill was clearly the better runner from a tactical standpoint. When Peter attempted to break free of the pack early, Bill went with him and shadowed him until the home straight. I remember almost holding my breath and wondering, "Can Bill hang onto him?" But I should have known better than to ask that question. I had witnessed many races in which Bill never panicked or lost focus. In virtually every race I saw Bill run, he always held his form and gait beautifully -- often winning races by barely a foot or so.
That warm sunny summer evening, Bill overtook Peter to win the race. I can still remember the crowd screaming like crazy. Dave was elated for his brother's win.
There was another wonderful race that evening: the 100 yards with Harry Jerome, who was taken from us too early in life. During that race, Harry ran even with the other competitors until around the 60-yard mark. Then suddenly, and very surprisingly, he exploded into faster gear. By the 80-yard mark, he was five yards in front. He seemed to coast over the finish line, just missing the world record.
These are great memories, and I feel blessed to have experienced that very special evening in July 1965.
I believe that fruits and vegetables that are nutrient rich and have anti-oxidant properties such as phytochemicals and lycopines are important for boosting the immune system.
Eating a beef steak and/or pork chop will help people with iron deficient anemia by adding extra iron to their hemoglobin.
I answered:
1. 5 cents
2. No.
3. I answered 1 out of 51. I consider that to be correct, as if 5 percent out of a 1000 gives 50 false positives, and that there is always 1 infected person in a 100 without exception, it would mean that 50 false positives plus 1 positive would show positive on the tests. Out of 51 the chances you have the disease is 1:51.
4. A and 5.
If there is a vowel behind 5, the rule is broken. If there is an odd number behind A, the rule is broken.
K A 8 5
Turn around K, either number can be behind it, and no rule is broken.
Turn around A, if there is an odd number behind it, the rule is broken.
Turn around 8, either a vowel or a consonant can be behind the number, and no rules are broken, because the rule is, that vowels must have an even number on the otherside, but an even number doesn't have to have a vowel on the other side.
Turn around 5, if there is a vowel behind this card, the rule is broken, as the vowel should have an even number on the other side, not an odd number.
Simple, eh?
5. What is the survivability rate inside both cars? If all people had the german cars, then more people would presumably die, because none mentioned the chance of the people in the car surviving. That's how I thought about it. If the survivability inside neither car is mentioned, it is safe to assume it is the same. In real life you could study it of course, but in a hypothetical question like this one can't.
If you drive an american car and you crash, the chances you kill someone else are, lets say, 1:100. The chances you die depend solely on what car the other driver is driving.
If you drive a german car, the chances you kill someone else would then be 8:100. The chances you die depend solely on what car the other driver is driving.
If 2 american cars crash, there is a 1:100 chance both drivers will die.
If 2 of the german cars crash, there is an 8:100 chance that both the drivers will die.
If an american car and a german car crash, the american has an 8:100 chance to die, the german has a 1:100 chance to die (Here germans drive german cars and americans drive american cars).
If everyone were to drive the american cars, it would mean that there was always a 1:100 chance for you to die in a crash with another vehicle.
If everyone were to drive the german cars, one would have an 8:100 chance of dying in a car crash.
So, if thought of in this way, the more german cars there are in any possible scenario, the more people will eventually end up dying, because we can't assume that being inside a german car would be any safer.
I think there is enough data here to ban the car, if one thought these increased odds would be enough to ban a car, but of course I might be, and most likely am wrong and making false assumptions in some way. I just don't see it at the moment. I shouldn't hold a biased viewpoint on this, because I don't live in either country, and I can only hope my rationality excludes bias.
I love Hart Hanson! He is a genius! Bones is the best TV show I have ever seen, and I am not a TV person.
The time has come to challenge in the courts, the Supreme Court if necessary, this fallacy that my teeth and therefore my dental health is not part of my body and therefore not covered by the Canadian Health Care system. The facts, the truth and the arguments as well the economics will more than overwhelm the self serving interests of the dentists. I hope others will join me to initiate such a class action.
I can be reached at (780) 967-1048
Tomasz, this is a great article. You present a very interesting perspective. I agree, Canadian undergraduate students should consider themselves lucky. In comparison to high ranking universities in the US, and to graduate students who are currently paying $2,000 more a year but take few, if any, classes, undergrads at U of T seemingly have little to complain about. Nevertheless, I think the issue is not so much the fees, but how quickly they are going up. Given the large class sizes, and an unequal increase in facilities and wages/benefits for professors and lecturers, the large and consistent yearly increase in tuition is frustrating and seems questionable.
Tomasz, thank you for articulating a welcome counter to a common attitude of entitlement and unrealistic expectations. There is a cost to everything in this world, and the education and experience offered by U of T is a bargain in many respects. UTSU would serve students much better by focusing on lobbying to get maximum value for tuition fees. i am relieved at the prospect of clear-thinking graduates like you who will shortly take their place in our society, and i wish you much success in the future, wherever your path leads you.
Wake up! I pay $10,600 in tuition
Thank you for this article on the ethical treatment of animals. I have been becoming more and more interested in this subject, and on finding out how we can improve conditions for animals and change our laws.
I am not strictly against eating meat, but I am becoming more open to the idea of "vegetarianism."
I find it interesting that the Bible describes God creating animals as companions to mankind. He gave mankind power to rule over the animals, in the same way Jesus had power over his sheep - to take care of them and love them! That's the way I interpret "having power over" the animals. The Bible also says that God gave mankind all kinds of grains and fruit to eat. There is no mention of eating animals.
After the great flood God gave Noah and his descendants permission to eat animals. Therefore, I don't look at eating meat as a sin; what might be sinful, however, is the cruel way we go about killing animals.
I was thrilled to see the issue of factory farming addressed in U of T Magazine. Finally people are beginning to openly question the way we eat.
Quite simply, there is no ethical way to eat animals or animal products. No matter how humanely the animal is raised suffering is involved in the transport and slaughter. The meat and dairy industry would like to keep us ignorant of the mistreatment of animals. That is why we are unwelcome on their farms or in slaughterhouses.
Sadly, I feel most humans are much too selfish and unwilling to change to give up meat, even if eating it means that the animals are exploited and mistreated. But, as an old Chinese proverb says, “ To close one’s eyes will not lessen another’s pain.”
Susan Larson
MEd 1983 OISE
This article rightly states that many students and faculty have criticized this new plan, however it neglects mention any of their arguments -- the only voice we hear is the Dean's. This is an egregious oversight, in my opinion. As an aside, the protest is not merely among students and faculty "in the affected departments" -- in fact, general disapproval of the Dean's proposal has spread internationally. Those who would like to hear the other side of the argument can check out the web pages the writer mentions. Since no links to those sites were provided, here they are:
http://savecomplit.ca/Home.html
http://saveeastasianstudies.wordpress.com/
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/centre-for-ethics.html
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=140492929295640
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Comp-Lit-at-U-of-T/128346170533811?ref=ts
It should be noted, regarding the dean's comment that the academic plan would "retain graduate education and research" in comparative literature, that not a single specialist in comparative literature sees the plan's "collaborative option" as viable. This is true not only at U of T (where comp-lit members are accused of merely trying to save their positions) but among comparatists around the world. The Dean has received hundreds of letters, from virtually every major figure in the discipline, explaining to him that his proposal is ill-considered and unworkable---that he has failed to understand the disciplines he is rearranging. He continues to ignore all counsel from specialists and professionals. (These letters are available on the web site www.savecomplit.ca.)
He also received an open letter signed by more than 40 of his own program directors in Arts and Sciences, explaining that town halls were not considered adequate consultation and outlining in great detail a proposal for meaningful consultation. The letter was never answered, and the Dean has now proposed...town-hall meetings for consultation. This is an outrageous gesture. (The open letter can be read at www.academicplan.ca.)
The fact remains: The dean's academic plan faces nearly unanimous opposition across Arts and Sciences (not merely among the affected departments). The fact remains: Not a single intellectual figure at U of T has publicly endorsed the plan, while numerous figures have publicly denounced it. Please attend the town halls (however inadequate they may be as consultation forums) and demand that the dean listen to his constituency.
The article also fails to mention that the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA), which represents teaching faculty from all disciplines, has filed a grievance against the Arts and Sciences administration for its violations of university governance principles. Information about the grievance can be found at www.academicplan.ca.
Friends and family are hoping that Larry King will ask President Ahmadinejad a question about Hossein's situation on Larry King Live at tonight (Wednesday 22nd September) at 9 pm EST.
Please join us - submit your question directly to Larry King on his website here: http://larrykinglive.blogs.cnn.com/ (through "e-mail your questions" under the picture of President Ahmadinejad).
Many thanks for your continued support!
Not only has the dean's academic plan met with much more than "some" criticism (see the approximately 6,400 signatures on the "Save CompLit" petition, www.savecomplit.cam, not to mention the letters and other petitions), but the plan provides no details as to how the programs will be maintained in this new format. Courses that are unique to the affected centres will not be replaced or reformatted, as far as the plan details show. Students in those centres are uncertain as to their potential new degree-granting programs, and questions such as "Will the new department ask students from the former centres to satisfy their program requirements as well as the original program departments" remain unanswered.
If the new School of Languages and Literatures will "give a higher profile to its component programs," why is it that the decision to exclude other departments from the School will "preserve the university’s proud legacy in this field," according to Dean Gertler? As the other comments to this article express, experts in the fields affected expect that the amalgamation will in fact diminish U of T's research capabilities and its reputation internationally.
While this article mentions the town halls as consultation, it fails to mention that certain aspects of the academic plan seem to have already been implemented. Latin American Studies, for example, currently stands without a director, although the plan is technically yet-to-be approved.
Information has been scarce, especially information pertaining to the budget. Hopefully the consultation process will shed light on some of the reasoning behind the academic plan and take into account the many voices that have been raised since its release in July.
I agree with Susan Larson. I believe most humans will not give up meat due to selfishness and apathy towards "farm" animals. Selfishness I've come to expect, but the apathy I find most disturbing. What does that really say about us?
So...U of T only has first years in UC and Vic? I enjoy these kinds of articles, but the lack of representation amongst the colleges is a little disheartening.
I don't see how closing these graduate units - whose students work really hard on passing on their knowledge and research enthusiasm onto undergraduate students they teach at the university - will improve the "learning experience for undergraduates." Maybe it will also improve the weather in Toronto. Why not? Everything seems possible when we apply chaos theory to academic planning...
You must be kidding! Quote: "We’re focused rightly on India and China, but they’re halfway around the world and Mexico’s right in our backyard.” Backyard?
Congrats everyone!
Unsolicited advice from a recent grad: Do not give up. Specialize. The world needs specialists
more than ever. Pick one club and one sport. Develop a routine. Say hello to the people next to you in class. Become confident in presentation and public speaking. It is a huge campus, walk it boundary to boundary.
U of T is the antithesis of high school. There are 50,000 people, everyone is busy and a great majority of students and faculty simply do not care. But you must not settle. Find the passionate and the curious. Find a cause.
Live long and prosper.
Very interesting bios that I thoroughly enjoyed reading!
If I ever wanted to get in touch with any of these students to learn more about their student experience, how would I do that?
I agree, it would have been great to see more diversity in terms of colleges. Also, it would have been good to see a mix of students from other Canadian provinces. But I do like the concept. It may be cool to find these students again in 3 years and see how they would respond to similar questions.
Thanks for the comments.
@JJ: The university doesn't give out students' contact information but we could pass along a message from you to them, or you could go through the colleges.
On the issue of diversity, we tried to get men and women, people from different ethnic backgrounds and countries, studying different subjects, from different colleges. It was a tall order to find complete diversity in seven students, but we tried!
As a recording engineer and artist, I've personally seen that 360 deals are terrible for the artist.
Artists do not see income from record sales unless they recoup advances. In their early years, artists earn less from album sales than from concerts. With a 360 deal, an artist gives up a greater share of concert revenue.
This is how record companies are adapting? Really?! This seems to me to be a desperate attempt to generate greater profit. If the record companies had really been interested in adapting they would have expanded into digital music 15 years earlier instead of having the Recording Industry Association of America issue subpoenas to low- and middle- class citizens for downloading pirated music.
Record companies are looking for ancillary income from T-shirts and concerts to offset the decline in sales of recorded music. However, I hope that U of T alumni such as Erika Savage will ensure that record labels help develop artists by giving them time to establish a brand that helps them build a loyal fan base and a long career - to the benefit of both artist and label.
This book very much speaks to the reasons U of T has started communicating with parents and families – with a website, enewsletters, even events. Parents are still very much part of our students' support network - and many, if not most, students, in my experience, welcome the support. Here in Student Life, we've invited Jackson to speak to parents and families of current students on Oct.7 - details here: http://family.utoronto.ca/Evening-for-families.htm
Good professional practice
I can't believe you people! You think that paying for college is fair? Get a grip! Education must be free and accessible to those who have the brains and the attitude to handle it! I live in Greece and my BA and MA were both free. Making underprivileged students beg for scholarships and leaving them in debt is pure fascism.
Leaves were "killed" by a heavy frost, damage was widespread across central Ontario. Very warm temperatures caused leaves to flush out early, then cold temperatures (frost) killed the leaves.
Fascinating! I always enjoy the young and their views. Thanks.
I just wanted to congratulate you on such a compassionate and intelligent article on agricultural animals. It’s very heartening to see these kinds of statements made at U of T. I hope these attitudes gain more traction here.
Elah Feder, MSc
I have been waiting for this article ever since I heard friends still at U of T mentioning it in June. Unfortunately, the article is biased and disappointing.
I graduated with a specialist in East Asian Studies (EAS), and proudly acknowledge that U of T is tops in Canada in this field, and definitely a leader in North America.
The acting chair of the East Asian Studies department states that EAS is beset with none of the challenges facing the other departments to be amalgamated (EAS has strong undergraduate enrollment and may well by the largest EAS programs in North America.) See this link for the chair's full letter to the dean of arts and science about the academic plan: http://academicplan.ca/2010/08/18/letter-from-prof-thomas-keirstead-to-the-dean/
Amalgamation is a budget issue. How can one ever suggest that budget-cutting is beneficial to the affected departments?
The university's first priority should be to serve as a world-leading academic institution. Its strength lies in the diversity of its offerings and the depth of each individual department. The School of Languages and Literatures is an umbrella term that will benefit none of the member departments, and instead set them against each other to vie for limited resources. If the departments wanted to cooperate, they would do it themselves. Indeed one of the great things about U of T is its interdisciplinary offerings.
This amalgamation suggests that the university no longer values all of its academic departments. It seems to no longer care about comparative literature -- one of the pillars of the U of T brand, thanks to Northrop Frye. It seems to no longer cares about EAS, which leads the development of EAS in North America and produces a steady stream of innovative scholars.
It seems to no longer care about academic diversity or the departments that don't generate as much income as the professional schools, such as Rotman, pharmacy, and medicine. Has the university become a fully business-minded institution? It's worth bearing in mind that U of T is heavily government-funded. It has a responsibility to taxpayers.
I give U of T full credit for equipping me with superb academic and life skills and broad-based knowledge. But I have no intention of associating myself with an institution that values budget over academic calibre.
I find the university's administrative decisions increasingly unilateral and insensitive to the academic community it is supposed to be serving. U of T administrators might want to take a look at what the university is appreciated for: a world-class library collection; a vast diversity of programs, including pioneering niche programs such as Sexual Diversity Studies, the Munk School, incredible resources for students such as the Athletic Centre and Hart House, state-of-the-art research and innovation, and high-calibre faculty. These are the reasons I went to U of T, and why I would recommend U of T to others.
I hope the administration will seriously reconsider the amalgamation of these departments. Either find more funding, or scale back on things such as marketing to high schools. U of T will always have enough undergraduate applications if it is renowned for its quality.
Great article!
This article cites the farrowing crate as an example of the cruelty that sows experience on an industrial farm. However, the purpose of the crate is to protect the piglets. Sows will sometimes crush newborn piglets by accidentally lying on them. The crate prevents unnecessary loss of life.
Consider also the “feed lot” style of raising beef. Environmentally, this system is superior because it uses far less land. A planted crop produces higher yield then a pasture, so less land is used to feed the cattle. Feed lots can utilize methane gas to heat the buildings and collect manure to produce a better fertilizer. The feed lot also protects the cattle from predators.
The article seems to suggest that the farmer is the culprit in this “violent” system. Yet the consumer is really the driving force. The consumer wants meat at a low cost. Many farmers have gone out of business as a result of the high cost of machinery, land and the hundreds of restrictions, laws and inspections that are already in place. Is the consumer willing to pay for the vet to castrate the piglets under anesthesia? Is the consumer willing to eat meat that has been under anesthesia?
Farmers are not the hard-hearted women and men that your article portrays. They are sensitive people who get up in the middle of the night to care for a hurt animal. They try to feed the population with as little environmental impact as possible.
U of T Magazine should find out the real facts about food production and then ask the people who want to change the system to see if they are willing to share the responsibility by paying more for their food.
Glen Eagle
BA 1976, MDiv 1979
Churchill, Ontario
Many families cannot afford to put their kids through school and are afraid of taking on large debts even when student loans are available. As a consequence too many potential students from low-income backgrounds never make it to university. This has profound effects on Canadian society, especially in terms of unemployment, income inequality and class mobility. Whether it be lower tuition or more student aid from low and low-middle income students, the bottom line is that post-secondary education is a public good that benefits society as a whole and, currently, a good that needs to be promoted more aggressively in order to secure the country's long term competitiveness and economic well-being.
Joe has it right. You must be inundated with similar comments. The researchers seem to have completely missed the fact that after three weeks of record heat, Haliburton was treated to killing frosts which kicked the stuffing out of the trees. The local maple syrup producers are concerned that it will affect the 2011 syrup production and they are likely right. I recall driving up a couple of weeks after the frost and there were dead leaves littering the roads. It was reminiscent of the Forest Tent Caterpillar infestation some years ago, except that the fragments were much larger and there were more of them. The trees never recovered. I suspect this may be a case of the students starting their research after classes were out, and finishing when they had to be back in September, missing critical events in the growing season.
Janice Stein made an unfortunate choice of words when she referred to Mexico as Canada’s “backyard” – especially when the new school aims, as Peter Munk suggests, to transmit Canadian values around the world. The derogatory label of Mexico (and Latin American by extension) as the “backyard” of the U.S. goes back to the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine that justified any interference in Latin America’s politics.
Rosa Sarabia
Professor, Spanish and Portuguese
University of Toronto
This is an excellent article, which I read on the occasion of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, on Oct. 4.
We raised a chicken in our backyard many summers ago. I slaughtered the bird for Thanksgiving. We had difficulty eating our Thanksgiving meal, and our family did not eat chicken for almost a year after.
It is so easy to be desensitized to some of the atrocities we commit.
"It seems to no longer care about academic diversity or the departments that don’t generate as much income as the professional schools, such as Rotman, pharmacy, and medicine."
This is a common, if understandable, misconception. Neither Rotman nor the Faculty of Medicine are net contributors to the university's budget, but receive money to sustain their operations. The same is true of the law school and a number of other professional faculties. The point about responsibility to taxpayers, on the other hand, is well taken, and particularly pertinent here given that it is faculties such as Arts and Science that generate the most revenue, including government funds.
Redistribution of wealth is not a new idea, I believe Karl Marx gets the credit on this one.
I feel that this article conflates animal welfare and animal rights. For instance, at first, it examines the well-being of factory farmed animals — this concerns animal welfare, which is a reasonable evolving discussion on how we should use animals.
However, when the article quotes Messrs. Berkman and Scharper saying that non-human animals have the same or similar rights as humans, due to divine fiat, this becomes a discourse on animal rights. The problem with the latter is that instead of rationally and collectively arriving at how to use animals, they appear to claim that moral use of animals is derived from religious traditions. Such claims are specious.
In the Christian bible, man was granted dominion over fish, birds, and animals that “creeped” about. In Islamic and Judaic tradition, slaughter of animals entails opening their throats while they are fully conscious. Clearly, arbitrarily assigning animals rights by citing religious traditions is flawed.
As a modern progressive society, we should undoubtedly be concerned with how best to treat animals for food, scientific study, and conservation, but an a priori assumption of animal rights is a poor place to start from.
Alex Ling
BSc 2009 UC
Toronto
I often find academics posing questions like this: Why was I lucky, why can’t everyone else be so lucky. They want to have an egalitarian world. They seem to believe that free nations with strong economies happen by chance. They don’t.
The people of Canada and the U.S. pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and made their respective countries great. I inherited my citizenship from my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. These people made my country a bastion of freedom. They had offspring who preserved this freedom.
I inherited the right to be an American. It is my duty as an American to make this country as free and as great as I can. You can’t just throw random people into a country and expect it to work. Even our legal immigrants swear to uphold and defend our way of life and our constitution. Citizenship means upholding the values of your country. In mine it happens to be maximum freedom, government by the people, and (but not limited to) exercising rights that are not transferable.
Good luck trying to get anyone to pay a citizenship tax.
Great moment, time for home gathering!
Education can be free. We just need to cut enrolment by 90 per cent. That way, the endowment can pay for everyone's tuition. But those arguing for no tuition want to increase enrollment. You can't have it both ways. Education is not a right. It is a privilege. I agree that it is a shame that some deserving students cannot afford university, but 60 to 70 per cent of my class perform at or below average. It seems like a perfectly good plan to kick those people out and allow the deserving ones in.
If a person does want to obtain a good education they will think creatively and many student in high-school think ahead if they know of the type of financial obstacles that will face them. My family was not able to pay for my education but that does not mean that other options were not available. It is true that financial aid is hard to come by but that does not make it non-existent. I have spoken to students from countries in Europe that do receive free university education and the quality definitely does not measure up. We need to be realistic about the kind of goals we set for reducing tuition fees.
And yes, spending five years at U of T for undergraduate studies, I realized that the Student Union wastes an unforgiving amount of time on "fee reduction campaigns." Where were they when the price of our student metropasses kept rising (or the fact that there is such a limited number of them for sale) or the lack of an energizing student centre that would bring us together? My paying fees did not bring down my experience at U of T but the UTSU waste of time certainly did.
Great!
I believe that it is a sin to keep animals locked up in cages or cooped up in small spaces, unable to enjoy their short lives. I have always believed that they have feelings. I know we must use them for our daily bread but there is a humane way to slaughter them that has been known for generations and it is not being done in our slaughterhouses. We have always known what is right and wrong in the treatment of animals but I think we ignore this for the sake of financial gain and profit. We should not be trading our meat products around the globe. We should eat what is in our own backyards, as humans have done for centuries.
I would also like to comment on Janice Stein’s remark about Mexico being in Canada’s backyard: “We’re focused rightly on India and China, but they’re halfway around the world and Mexico’s right in our backyard."
While I understand what Prof. Stein probably meant with her metaphor – that Mexico is much closer to Canada than many Canadians think— I find the reference to Mexico being in the back, rather than next to or close to Canada, inaccurate at best. In economic terms, the countries have roughly equal GDP (roughly $1.3 trillion for Canada vs. $1.0 trillion for Mexico, and $1.3 trillion vs. $1.5 trillion when adjusted for purchasing power parity, according to the 2009 CIA World Factbook).
Equally important is that both countries compete against each other when exporting their goods and services to the United States. (In 2009, Canada exported 75% of its goods and services to the United States; Mexico exported 80%.) Given the similar sizes of the countries' economies and the similar export objectives, it would be productive to reframe Canada and Mexico’s relationship as a cooperative and synergistic one: a relationship with enormous opportunities that could tilt the North American Free Trade Agreement in favour of the two nations.
Such a restorative approach would be helpful in moving away from a competitive relationship that has been detrimental to each nation. Avoiding metaphors that remind people of the Monroe doctrine would be both constructive and realistic.
I applaud Ms. Gibson's approach in this article. Almost 20 years ago, thanks to the good work done by animal welfare groups, I became aware of the conditions and treatment of animals in factory farms and decided to become a vegetarian.
Since that time, the way in which "food animals" are treated has not changed; it is still abysmal. It's really only within the last five years that the mainstream media have begun to draw attention to the issue. I'm not sure why it has taken us so long to admit what has been going on, but I'm glad to see it is finally being brought to the forefront.
I think many people who continue to eat meat deliberately close their eyes to the reality of meat production (and egg and milk production for that matter). This needs to change. We need to bear witness to the ongoing cruelty taking place around us.
Perhaps with more exposure to the reality of the situation, more people will begin to change their own individual habits and demand broader societal change. As Mahatma Ghandi so eloquently said "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Let's see Canada become a leader in ensuring that our food is treated humanely and with compassion.
Wendy Horan
BSc 1996
Nelson, B.C.
I found this well-written and well-researched article both revealing and disturbing. Now I understand what cruel places factory farms can be. Now I understand also something that I but dimly realized before: that the slice of beef or pork on my plate probably came from an animal that was raised under conditions of the most unimaginable horror. Perhaps others who have read Stacey Gibson’s piece will have similar feelings.
The question of cruelty to animals defies easy solution. People are not going to stop eating meat tomorrow. Nor are the owners of factory farms going to stop looking out for the bottom line. However, we all do have the power to modify our eating habits and thus help to bring about the “little bit of change” that will force a curb on the worst excesses.
John Best
MA 1968
I agree with you. People need to open up more. Being in the same class, I am sure they have stuff to talk about.
Yikes!
I wouldn't take it as indicating derogatory intent, conscious or otherwise, if someone from Mexico said "Canada is in Mexico's backyard!" To me it just means "neighbours." It used to be an idiom meaning only this; doesn't anyone still use it?
I don't remember with certainty if it is the right book (sorry, getting old), but if it is, "Ethnics and Indians: Social Relations in a Northwest Ontario Town" by David H. Stymeist (1975) is still well worth reading for anyone in international relations and dealing with with Canada or Canadians. If one is prone to take casual familiarity to indicate disrespect and formality to indicate respect, it is worth understanding that in Canada the better deduction is that the reverse is often true.
Years ago I used to work in a settlement agency in Toronto, and was always careful to make sure newcomers understood this. This piece of information tended to be of considerable practical value in negotiating the social landscape here, which is filled with unspoken barriers of one sort and another.
I stand to be corrected, of course, and am curious as to whether things have changed so much from my youth in "ancient" days that the above is now in error.
Amen!
What a lovely collection of "William terms":
The fallacy of social proof’: “Everyone agrees with me, so it’s true”
The fallacy of social dis-proof’: “If it’s wrong to believe things just because everyone else believes in them, then it’s right to deny what everyone else believes in."
The Christopher Columbus defence: “They laughed at Christopher Columbus and he was right. They’re laughing at me; therefore I’m right.”
The narcissism defence: "I disagree with everyone else, therefore I’m special, and if I’m special then i must be more important than everyone else. And if I’m more important than everyone else, then my ideas are more important than theirs and I’m right. The more people prove me wrong, the more special I become, and so the more ‘right’. Why can’t people see how special I am?”
We could add the creationist fallacy: The scientific theory of human descent by modification from other life forms is wrong therefore the assertion that all earth's life forms were created in an instant by my version of god is right. As William says, "Simply denying something does not make it untrue; nor does it make something else true."
I appreciated the article about farm animals and the poor conditions that factory-farm raised animals have to live in. However, I would encourage people to read the book "The Vegetarian Myth," by Lierre Keith. This is not an indictment of vegetarianism, although the author believes she permanently damaged her health by living as a vegan for 20 years. She was a vegan activist, but she began to question her beliefs and has done some really good research on the issue. She advocates farming the way that a fellow by the name of Joel Salatin who owns Polyface Farm in Virginia runs his farm. Essentially, she states that if we continue to farm the way that some vegetarian populations advocate, we will destroy the planet.
FINALLY! School is so intimidating. Even as a third-year student, I rarely sit beside anyone. and can easily go the whole day without talking. I'm not a shy person either.
Agreed. Where do we start?
My dream has always been to have a little organization on the campus that shows willingness to interact through some sort of physical symbol. We already wear many different ones, why not one that's more collectively recognized?
It is difficult though, to co-ordinate a campus of this size and I guess that's why the physical symbol idea is important to me, because it spans across colleges, programs, music tastes, etc and is easily recognizable.
That's my suggestion, but I'm sure everyone who posted and anyone who will post has their own ideas, and I'd love to hear them!
Thanks for the comments,
Andrew
I really liked that story about the haunted cellar.
Melissa. Age 8.
Co-ordination is difficult - but the challenge is attractive.
... just overlook my dash in coordination.
U of T needs a sense of shared experience before people will interact more - as well as a kind of common vernacular and social etiquette. With 3 campuses, umpteen faculties, 40 thousand campus publications (do I exaggerate?), that is difficult if not impossible. The fact that all students experience 'diversity' here doesn't count either - that's a copout (diversity in fact also leads to alienation, but I'm not allowed to say that). If you want to see how a school creates a sense of shared experience, visit Queen's or Guelph. Maybe U of T's shared experience could start by addressing how alienating it is to work and study there - this article gets the ball rolling, thanks! Poke a little bit more fun at yourselves, and discover a world outside the library. ON a side note it's sad to read (from Twitter feeds at least) so many U of T students' most memorable experiences and favourite buildings revolves around a library - the one place you're not allowed to talk.
Peter Munk deserves our thanks for his generosity to the University of Toronto, but readers of U of T Magazine deserve a more nuanced view of his life and the activities of Barrick Gold than is offered.
Janice Stein, the director of the Munk School, is quoted to the effect that, while we are saturated with information, how do we know how well researched it is or how thoughtful it is? The reader is entitled to ask how well researched and thoughtul your article is. I think it has problems on both counts.
I would urge readers who want a more balanced view to read the Wikipedia entry on Barrick Mines and take particular note of the statements by some indigenous leaders, who speak for some of the most oppressed peoples in the world. Mr. Munk and your magazine trumpet transmitting Canadian values globally.That is well and good but the values with respect to environmental rights and human rights represented by Canadian mining are matters of public contention and should not be simply ignored. As well, Barrick Gold has been accused by some of engaging in "libel chill," a practice that discourages the search for truth which is at the very heart of what the university must be about.
Mel Watkins
BCom 1952 UC
University College Professor Emeritus
Constance Bay, Ontario
Great article! I love a good ghost story. I myself grew up in a haunted inn. It's neat to know that the university I now work at is haunted as well.
I found this about mentorships for high school students very interesting. The idea behind the program, as I understand it, is to encourage African-Canadian and aboriginal students to consider a career in health because they are under-represented in the field.
Yet every year, thousands of bright, young medical school applicants dream of careers as doctors, but are declined because of a lack of available space in medical schools.
The problem is not a lack of interest; it’s a lack of funding for medical schools. The unfortunate downside of this mentorship may be that it gives young people hope of gaining entry into a program that will ultimately be denied to them. Perhaps more attention should be given to increasing class sizes rather than generating greater interest in the medical profession.
Maria Orjuela
BASc 2007
I agree, sometimes it can be so dead here! I think students need to take the initiative to get involved on campus instead of waiting for others to come to them. Many students use clubbing as a way to meet people and to have so called "fun". When really you can have fun right on campus if people are willing!
I think it's funny when people say their most memorable experience and favourite buildings revolves around a library like God it's lonely here mentioned. Oh, heaven forbid! Please don't let it be so!
I'll be starting a student group on campus......let's see where that takes us shall we? XD
I loved this story about Tuan and Richard - so moving and romantic! It put me in great humour for the day. Thanks to Tuan and Richard for sharing it. In all the doom and gloom of the world and all the push and pull for success, love shines like a golden holiday. Please, may we have some more?
Valerie Whelan
Ba 1977 Trinity
I read Andrew Murphy's column and recalled the days when I was an undergraduate at U of T. Looking back, I wish I made more lasting connections when I had the chance. Somebody once told me (after I graduated) that the most important thing that you pick up at university is your friends -- you will lean on them for the rest of your life. So Murphy is spot on when he says students need to be more confident to meet new faces and make the university experience fun.
Since graduating I've picked up a talent for befriending new people. Some of this confidence comes with age, but a lot can be fostered by the university. I know this because I served as an assistant master (akin to an assistant dean) at Princeton when I was a graduate student. At Princeton I was surprised by how many students would stop me and thank me because I had once joined them for a meal when they were alone in the cafeteria, or said hi to them on campus.
These were simple gestures, yet they meant so much because everybody comes into university nervous and yearning for kinship. The one lesson in life I've learned is this: Small gestures often bloom into great outcomes, so smile and be friendly.
Kai L. Chan
BA 1999 Trinity
New York City
The "pay your way," "it's a privilege not a right" crowd always makes me cringe. Carol Shetler states, "I paid about $6,000 for my entire undergrad tuition between 1976 and 1981" ... that is about an increase of five fold." My tuition for this year will be above $10,000, so it is closer to an increase of 10 times what is was back then.
Society -- that means you and I and everyone else -- benefits when an individual becomes educated and gains a deeper level of understanding about the world around them. An educated population is essential to a democratic society.
I receive O.S.A.P, yet i still have to work close to 40 hours a week to survive. This is a reality for many students, not all of us are "privileged" enough to have our parents pay our way.
Tuition is already very expensive, and corporate welfare for Canadian universities is becoming commonplace because of cuts to education. That alone should worry every Canadian.
This is a story that needs to be made public to every teacher aspiring to bring about a change. It shows the effect of varying the nuances of teaching and reaching out to learners in a way that captivates them the most.
Interesting experiment happening at Columbia U - paying students to talk to each other: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/11/18/experiment
I agree, U of T has the tendency to make you just a number -- a nine-digit student number -- and making friends can be very difficult at times. In my first year, I felt that U of T had cheated me into massive class sizes, zero interaction and a non-stimulating environment. I abhorred Con Hall with all my might.
By my third year, my sentiments for this place had really changed. It's all about finding your niche, as difficult as that might be. It took me what seems like a lifetime to come to terms with the education I was paying so much for.
Now, as an upper year student, I help students like myself adjust. I'm part of Active Minds. (Find us on Facebook.) We're holding our first coffee house on November 30th from 5:30-7:30pm at the Cumberland House, 33 Saint George Street. Not to spam or anything, but if you think making friends is hard at U of T, you've got to make some effort.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Active-Minds-at-University-of-Toronto/103460799722861?v=app_2373072738&ref=ts#!
Just gorgeous light and tones.
Why are African-Canadians the only group to complain that the Toronto District School Board gives students a "European education"? Asian people seem to do just fine in our school system.
It seems that black students in Toronto's public schools drop out more frequently than students from other ethnic backgrounds. If this is the case, and no other groups are complaining, does it mean that there is something wrong with the educational system, or that there is something wrong with the attitude of African-Canadians toward Toronto's educational system?
Dear Mr. President, when are international students going to get scholarships? At $24,000 for tuition fees and $15,000 for residence accommodation and other expenses, we pay more than four times what an average Canadian student pays to study at U of T for a year!
Thank you for all of your time into conscripting me into your violin lessons when I was a kid even when I was reluctant to practice and thank you also for the gift of music.
So proud to have Angela and Ross as very dear friends. They have been an incredible source of musical inspiration to me and my family. It's great to see them recognized for their focus and determination to a lifetime of artistry.
I love when distinguished scientists prove themselves wrong. Congratulations! How high was it off the ground and why is it called what it is? Is there a steering mechanism to it as well?
Amazing stuff! Question: why? I guess i know the answer, but what a lot of time and money just to prove a point. There's no economical reason, just an ego trip. Is there a purpose to this project?
Praises to the African community in Canada for persevering to found the Africentric Alternative School in September 2009. In the spirit of the second principle of Kwanzaa, Kujichagulia (self-determination), African people have the right and responsibility to think for ourselves, define ourselves and do for ourselves just like people in other communities do.
It's interesting that the naysayers who foam at the mouth as they continue to criticize the Africentric Alternative School are the same ones who go into deafening silent mode when the police kill African youth and terrorize racialized communities. And, of course, these critics turn a blind eye to the fact that over 40 per cent of African youth are dropping out of school. Could it be that these cannibalistic critics have feasted on negative images of African people for so long that when African people think for ourselves and do for ourselves, it's just too much for these folks to stomach?
For too long, this racist, white supremacist education system has failed to reflect the diversity of the people who live in Canada. One harrowing example is the rich, inspirational history of First Nations/Aboriginal peoples has been deliberately written out of "Canadian" history. Unfortunately, when we do read about these great peoples in the education system they are portrayed as "cultural artifacts" or "noble savages" who should be grateful that they were civilized by the bloodthirsty thieves from Europe who stole their land and committed some of the worst forms of genocide in human history. This "Tarzan-me-great-white-man" ideology is being challenged throughout Canada and around the world by principled people of different national, religious, racial and cultural backgrounds who are sick and tired of the toxic lies and inhumanity inherent in the global system of white supremacy. Victory is a certainty!
Long live the Africentric Alternative School!
The section on ‘What Keeps People Honest’ was profoundly interesting. The politically correct among us have been working hard and successfully over the last 30 years or so to eradicate the Ten Commandments from our schools and other public venues. Professor Mazar’s discovery that “cheating disappeared” when people wrote down as many of the Ten Commandments as they could remember before completing the task suggests to me that the removal of the Ten Commandments from public view has been a huge mistake. In economic terms alone, the impact of not having the Ten Commandments where we can see them must be enormous.
Ken Stouffer
BA 1978
As a certified ESL instructor with hundreds of hours in Ontario adult and high-school classrooms, I offer my comments on the theories put forward by Professor Ruben Gaztambide-Fernandez regarding dropout rates for Latin-American and Spanish-speaking students.
The professor argues that these students are aware " ... getting a good education and mastering the English language are crucial for their future," as if that knowledge should be sufficient to keep them in school. Question: Since when did knowledge, alone, lead humankind to consistently make the right decisions (smoking, drinking and driving, etc.)?
The professor further argues that "the situation that leads them to leave school really has nothing to do with how committed they are to school," and that three external factors play a role. The professor should be aware that it is not only Latin-American and Spanish-speaking students who get placed in ESL classes "inappropriate to their skills," who believe "the curriculum ignores their culture and history" and who "work in the evenings to support their family." Experience has shown me that the vast majority of newcomers face identical difficulties. I believe Dr. Gaztambide-Fernandez will have to dig a lot deeper to uncover the real reasons for these elevated dropout rates.
Peter A. Lewis-Watts
Barrie, Ontario
Peter Lewis-Watts is quite correct that knowledge, alone, has seldom led to "right decisions." What I think our work highlights is, in fact, that there are many more factors that shape the trajectories that students take through their schooling. And you are also quite correct that the factors that shape the experiences of Latino/a students are not unique to them.
However, what research on newcomers shows is that while the factors might be similar, how they actually shape the experiences of different groups varies quite markedly between groups, and even within groups (i.e. immigrants from different countries within Latin American, or within East Asia). For example, different newcomer groups arrive with different kinds of economic as well as social and cultural resources that shape their schooling experiences. Our report sought to shed a more nuanced light with regards to the particular experiences of Latino/a students.
Rubén Gaztambide-Fernández
Kurt Kleiner’s article "Restoring a Way of Life" was interesting, even if Prof.
Sanderson’s argument is ludicrous. How inconsistent is it to assume that indigenous peoples of North America would be driving cars, using roads, living in houses and working for wages if they had maintained their own institutions? Does it not sound rather like having one’s cake and eating it too? Had they maintained their own institutions – government, schools, health care – they would not be driving cars or benefiting from the many other modern developments, including health care, that have evolved from the institutions of the European settlers.
The greed and arrogance of the European settlers were responsible for injustices, many of which we remain saddled with today. By force-feeding indigenous peoples with European institutions, particularly religion, the settlers destroyed the self-esteem of indigenous peoples discarding their institutions as worthless and pagan. As a descendant of those European settlers, I regret those injustices but I was not personally responsible for them, I cannot change them or reverse them. Historically, can you think of a single historical wrong, from the Roman invasion of Gaul to modern Palestine, where settlers and indigenous peoples have ever “looked across the table … [to] say, ‘OK, we’re even'”?
What I have never understood is why North American indigenous peoples would want to hide away in self-imposed apartheid-like isolation. That of course is the implication of Prof. Sanderson's proposal. However, as a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and a law professor at U of T, Prof. Sanderson is an example of one who has done precisely the opposite of what he has proposed – he has benefited from settler’s institutions to educate himself and thereby gain a better life for himself and his family. In his actions, there is more wisdom than in his words.
What we can do is invite the indigenous peoples to join us in the great adventure that is the 21st century. The evolution of the human race surely is the story of how different cultures and ideas have come together, frequently through conflict, to create something greater from the melding, integration and incorporation of each. Let us learn from each other and move forward, together. Let that be our guiding principle.
John G. Patte
BASc 1967
Oshawa, Ontario
Alec Scott has written an excellent summary of Canada's early aviation history. While Canadian aviation enthusiasts celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first powered flight in Canada in 2009, it is interesting to note that February of that year also marked a more negative occasion in Canadian aviation history. Fifty years ago that month, the Canadian government canceled the Avro Arrow CF-105 program, Canada’s leading edge entry into the supersonic jet age.
It was October 1957 when the Avro Arrow was first presented at Toronto’s Malton Airport (now Pearson Airport). One of the notable attendees at this historic event was Douglas McCurdy. Presenting the new aircraft was the Honourable G.R. Pearkes, Canada's Minister of Defence. Pearkes announced: “I now have the pleasure in unveiling the Avro Arrow - Canada’s first supersonic aircraft - a symbol of a new era for Canada in the air."
Pearkes was the minister who, two years later, convinced the Diefenbaker government to cancel the Avro program, on February 20, 1959. There is no record of McCurdy’s reaction to this “historic announcement."
Rod Tennyson
Professor Emeritus
Institute for Aerospace Studies
University of Toronto
Recipient of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute
McCurdy Award (2004)
During the summers of 1960 and 1961, I worked as a travel guide. My itinerary included 16-day, escorted bus trips to the Maritimes and New England. We always spent two nights at Telegraph House in Baddeck, Nova Scotia - the gateway to the Cabot Trail.
On the second trip, the Dunlops, who managed the inn, invited me and my bus driver to join an elderly couple in the dining room. What a treat that turned out to be! Douglas McCurdy and his wife were fascinating hosts. McCurdy regaled us of tales of Alexander Graham Bell, the Silver Dart and the difficulties he had in getting Canada to establish a national air force.
My favourite story, however, was about the building of the Canso Causeway that links Cape Breton Island to the mainland. The government contractor who built the causeway assumed that the land adjacent to the construction site was government property. Big mistake! When the causeway was completed, McCurdy submitted an invoice to the government for removing millions of tons of granite from McCurdy's land - without authorization. Having been former Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, McCurdy knew which buttons to push and received payment in full. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he disclosed the amount.
Many thanks to Alec Scott for his article. I learned so much more about a true, Canadian pioneer. Let's have more articles like this.
Charles W. N. Carr
BA 1965, MEd 1972 OISE
To answer George Varcoe's question ("Green Folly"), I have no precise information about how much the world's environment would be altered by a boycott of Travel Program air travel. I suspect Mr. Varcoe hasn't, either, despite his certainty that the effect would be zero. What I do believe is that air travel globally contributes significantly to environmental damage; that the world has to find ways to reduce that damage or suffer dire consequences; and that we all have a part to play. Does Mr Varcoe really believe otherwise?
The attitude that because individual or small-scale actions don't make a huge difference by themselves, they are therefore not worth taking, is clearly counter-productive. Each one of us can and should make green choices, if we hope to address the global challenge successfully. That's why what U of T is doing is worth reporting.
My use of the word "privileged" was intended in an economic sense, definitely not a political one, an intention unfortunately distorted by the editing process. It's unpleasant to be called a fascist, even a green one. I would like to assure Mr. Varcoe that I belong to no such movement.
The U of T Medical School class of 1954 created an award for most popular professor. An ordinary ditchdigger's shovel was chrome-plated and inscribed appropriately to the professor who could shovel it out with the most style, and of course with the greatest effectiveness.
The first recipient was Professor of Therapeutics, K.J.R. ("Cager") Wightman.
At our 50th class reunion, I was delighted to see the graduating students of the Class of 2004 present the award of the "Silver Shovel" to the professor they deemed most worthy. The tradition has continued without interruption for over 50 years.
Dr. Joe Wagner
MD 1954
Los Angeles
The author refers to Princess Elizabeth by the term "Crown Princess Elizabeth," which is incorrect. In our monarchy, this term, referring to the heir(ess) to the throne, does not exist.
Edward Moroney
CONGRATULATIONS! Heart- stopping!
Hello! I am Cecilia from British Columbia. My family migrated to Canada in 2009. My husband and I are both educators from the Philippines. It's my dream and passion to belong to group of people serving the greater community for the common good. I do believe that families and children are the prime movers of society and they have to be given the best care and education to have brighter future.
I want to learn more and get involved with people involved in alleviating poverty and provide opportunities to make their life meaningful and growth promoting. It is not going to do any good to make them dependent on others. I believe in strengthening their inner capacities and develop their skills through education and self development.
I wonder if you can help me connect with people or with Mr. Munk's foundation and suggest ways I can actively participate. Thank you very much!
Congratulations!
"Why?" you ask.
"Why NOT!"
Yes, the present education system looks at the world through European eyes. The commentator who doesn't know that, doesn't know because he himself is included. He is celebrated, at the expense of others. Others are negated, to point of invisibility. Furthermore, what has been called "special groups" has nothing special about it. Those groups are not special, they are different. They are different from what? Different from "Europe".
If the reader of these lines still doubts that the present school system looks at the world through European eyes, ask yourself how is it that I know that you have never read a classic of Chinese or African literature, or (god help you) Incan or Mayan literature?
I'm David, the Alumni Secretary for the university's main francophone cultural club, EFUT. EFUT is open to everyone, regardless of level of French. I'm proud to have been a member of EFUT for over 3 years and have found how wide-reaching and welcoming it has been to non-francophones and francophones alike. Its members include those in residences and outside of them. Before EFUT, it'd been hard for me to really get to know people well. EFUT brings people together, and this is what makes this club very special indeed.
Congratulations!
@Edgar
"Purloin is another word for steal. Your sentence does not make sense. How does the information resemble a stolen letter?!"
It's a literary reference, to Conan Doyles' Sherlock Holmes story The Purloined Letter. A "purloined letter" is something hidden in plain sight.
Your dad is very proud of you Katie and so are your aunt Lynn and uncle Jacques, such a long way from home and doing such challenging work.
Debbie,
For every former vegan, how many former meat-eaters are there? How many vegans permanently damaged his/her health from being on a vegan diet?
Lierre Keith's issues may not be from her vegetarian diet, but instead, her diet overall and other variables. It would be more fair for her to title her book, "My Experience on a vegan diet" or something like that. By the way, some of Keith's research includes citing wikipedia.
You said: "Essentially, she states that if we continue to farm the way that some vegetarian populations advocate, we will destroy the planet."
I'm pretty sure the way these factory farms are running isn't very sustainable.
See this link for a review of Keith's book.
http://www.brendadavisrd.com/articles.php?id=30
I chatted with J. A. D. McCurdy after he returned from Baddeck, Nova Scotia, where he had been celebrating the 50th anniversary of his historic flight on Bras d'Or Lake. A Silver Dart replica, built by the RCAF under the direction of LAC Lionel G. McCaffrey and flown by Wing Commander Paul Hartmann, had taken to the air.
My grandfather was hugely saddened by the cancellation of the Avro Arrow on February 20, 1959 and apprehensive that Canada was going to lose its top engineers to the United States. Shortly after, Jim Chamberlin, design chief at Avro, led the exodus to the United States, prompting Michael Collins, the American Command module pilot for the Apollo 11 moon landing, to remark that NASA was lucky that the CF-105 Arrow program had been cancelled. The program had provided them with 25 highly-skilled and badly-needed aeronautical engineers. Chamberlin played a huge role in the design of the Mercury capsule and the creation and promotion of the Gemini concept, for which he received the NASA Gold Medal. Oh Canada!
Thank you for publishing the ugly truth on animals in production factories. Weekly reports of transport accidents with animals strewn about the street writhing in pain is criminal. Animal cruelty can be viewed on YouTube, with videos of workers beating and torturing animals in these factories. These are not isolated incidents and can be viewed in all corners of the world. The amount of power the meat industry has over the world, along with the pharmaceutical companies and veterinarians, must be removed. Stop eating animals. It's legitimized animal cruelty.
Black Christmas used it in the background too. I'm proud that B Clarke made the film in Toronto and used local landmarks.
I remember hanging out and studying at U of T downtown for the Gothic environment. It actually encouraged seriousness and studying. I still go there and walk the campus when I come into town from Ottawa. It's a great filming location - this from a proud York BA and MBA!
Hey, that's our dog! His name is Budrick. Say hi next time you see him.
Nice work Cory... I don't know how I came across this but its a great piece of poetry! Don't know if you remember me, but then again, how many Ovis do you know?
Thank you for shedding some light on persistent feelings of sadness and anxiety. As one who has experienced depression persistently since high school, I know that it is largely misunderstood (it can be purely biological, and not environmentally driven) and unfortunately, carries a stigma. More people need to admit that they are feeling sad. It is not a weakness! It is a strength to admit that you cannot do it on your own. The key thing is to identify that you have depression. After that you can start to recover and get help ASAP so it does not spiral out of control.
I offer my congratulations for taking the courage to return to university and for changing your attitude towards it. Change can be very daunting but it is possible, just as improvement from depression is possible. I think your attempt to feel good about yourself after taking little steps and accomplishing small victories is a great attitude to have. I used to wallow in my self-pity before taking the courage to return to school as well. Thank you for your inspiring story.
I've struggled with finding a sense of purpose in the grand scheme of life. University really exacerbated this sense of pointlessness, as directed studies required tremendous resources and would often cause me to wonder if I wouldn't be better off applying all that energy to something I really enjoyed. The issue was, I couldn't narrow down what that was. As you stated in your article, I always felt there were many paths, I just simply couldn't decide which one fit me best.
I did graduate, it took me a while, and I was fairly successful at school. But I often regret not taking time out of school, as you did, to really hone my passions and determine where I would be a best fit. I enjoyed elements of my degree, but I am not certain if it was the right education for me.
It seems that our world is quick to burden us with obligations and guilt to reinforce those obligations. We are told how we should feel or what we should want or what we should do. These "should" manifested in my life as that depression I felt in university. I should want to study. I should want to learn about this. I should do these readings. But when the shoulds and passions don't intersect, there is only a burden to carry and no energy with which to carry it.
It is only now, after graduating, that I have really been trying to make an effort to lay this burden down; to convince myself that doing what I want to do and what I am passionate about is okay...even after all this time. I want to believe that following my passions is not selfish and can affect the world in positive ways.
I really appreciated this article. Thank you for cutting through the most bitter parts of depression; the times when we feel that we are suffering alone.
Have there been any reports coming out of this 11-year old research?
Thank you for an excellent story. Without adventurous spirits like Douglas McCurdy our world would be a very different place.
I think political correctness is suffocating public discourse.
What is wrong with “We’re focused rightly on India and China, but they’re halfway around the world and Mexico’s right in our backyard.”?
It doesn't mean Mexico is "our backyard," it means it is close to us. Furthermore, it encourages focusing on Mexico, not otherwise.
Explore the steam tunnels.
Paint the UTSU dome.
Crash an event held by every college and faculty.
Write an article for one of the university's many newspapers.
When you think about all the money that people waste:the new cell phone each year, the new car every three years, the coffees, the junk food, the take-out lunches, etc. What if some of that disposable income was used to buy better, organic food? In the end, both people and animals would benefit from a healthier life.
Is it really too expensive to buy a dozen organic free-run eggs for $5.99? That's about 50 cents an egg - 50 cents that allows a hen to live a decent life while creating a healthier product for your breakfast. Every one of us wastes more than 50 cents a day on mindless things. What if everyone bought organic eggs? Maybe retailers would get the idea that this is a popular item, they would stock more of them, the supply would increase and the price would drop.
McDonald's uses free run eggs in Europe but not in North America. Why? The Europeans passed a law banning caged hens so McDonald's had to comply. We should do the same in North America. And eggs are just one aspect. Factory farming is not sustainable. There are too many hidden costs that are shifted to the taxpayer. Do the research, look at the results, then see where you can start making the changes in your daily life.
Have a hotdog on the Sid Smith steps at three in the morning after a long night of dancing
Attend a Remembrance Day Service at Hart House and go up to visit the inside of the Soldier's Tower.
Spend an entire summer day lying in the grass in the Trinity or UC quad.
Dance through King's College Circle during the first snowfall of the year.
Attend a Blues football game at Varsity Stadium and paint your face.
I am a music therapist working with special needs kids. My colleagues and I find this fascinating. Thank you so much!
After I retired -- and after not playing bridge for 30 years -- I discovered Internet bridge, and now play at Bridge Base Online. It's too bad that I skipped math class so often while learning bridge that I failed Honours Science at U of T. My skill level is also much less spectacular than Fred's.
Fred is the best: bridge, manners, ethics. We on Bridge Base Online are ALL very proud of him, and so fortunate to have this great site to play on. WAY TO GO FRED :)
My parents started me at an early age. I taught my first beginner bridge class when I was a senior in high school and started directing while in college. After a long absence from the game, my son called me one evening and told me that I had to go out and buy a computer because they were playing duplicate bridge on the Internet. It has been a wonderful and exciting trip into full retirement now at age 70. Thank you, Fred, for your learn to play bridge 1 & 2 and the BBO.
Michael in Pensacola
thirdseat
I discovered bridge nine years ago and I downloaded Bridge Baron 2000. In spite of the fact that I have a good teacher in my country, my practice online helped me a lot. I am grateful for being able to play online with good players all over the world. I want to thank Mr. Gitelman for his great Bridge online.
Janette Wiater
Montevideo, Uruguay
We online bridge players owe Fred Gitelman a lot. BridgeBase Online is a wonderful website for learning and for playing the great game of bridge. I am on it daily and have a great time.
It is a pleasure to know that nice guys can finish first. Fred has been the most available and kindest person whenever a problem has occurred. Such a treat to watch him, and others, play. Thank you, Fred and Sherri, for this wonderful site.
Wonderful. Lou is "still full of sap, still Green" as the psalmist puts it.
Fred has helped lift the game of bridge from obscurity to mainstream. He is a credit to the game and of course our country. What I love most about him, is he remains a warm, funny, down-to-earth person, seemingly bereft of the ego that is so prevalent in our game. If not a bridge expert, he should be in the diplomatic corps. He is an ambassador of the game.
Fred, Thank you so much. I love BBO! It has opened a new world of bridge for me. I can't imagine not having BBO. God bless you and you team of people who make it possible.
BBO is very popular in Poland, and thanks to Mr. Krzysztof Ziewacz, who spends half his life promoting Bridge among teenagers, my 13-year-old son now plays on BBO every day. Thank you and best greetings from Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains, Poland.
Congratulations to Terrence Donnelly for his tremendous and far-sighted gift to the University of Toronto's Mississauga campus. Ontario has a great need for doctors. Hopefully this gift will encourage many other thoughtful souls to make similar donations. In a very discouraging and depressing world climate, this news is a marvellous boost for my alma mater -- and my own morale! My sincere thanks to Mr. Donnelly, and congratulations to UTM. Well done!
Nice read with short, crisp views. BBO has brought me back to the game I played earlier as a teenager and then again when I studied in France. Thanks!
Thanks, Fred, for BBO. My mother taught me to play bridge. She is now 85, and she and I live 500 miles apart but we play BBO. She and I just love it. Thanks for making it possible.
I had a very similar experience. I left school and returned in my late 20s. It is very important to hear people share these stories, as we we often see people smiling on the outside but weighed down with depression or confusion inside. Good friends and family help a lot, although I always told my family everything was fine and they didn't seem to want to hear otherwise. I would encourage people to join college groups and expand their friendships. Good job writing this!
Take lots of pictures so you can remember what campus was like. Then when you come back to visit, you can compare and see what has changed!.
Also, be sure to send your updated contact information to address.update@utoronto.ca to ensure you continue to receive information about alumni events programs and services (as well as U of T Magazine).
Everyone who comments tries to find faults and loopholes in the article. Do you really think you know better then someone who researched the subject and put careful thought into how everything was worded? You are just proving the article's point!
I totally agree. There are students who come from both working class and middle-class families, and they are not able to afford tuition. I come from a working-class family, and I know this because I am speaking from experience and hardship. I know how hard it is to earn money; spending it is easy.
I'm astonished to read that the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to the university in 1939 is to be considered a "minor royal event" when compared to the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton in April. Whether one is a monarchist or not, it should be obvious that a visit by the then reigning monarch was a very major event -- considerably more so than watching the marriage, via television, of a prince who is not even the heir to the throne. Maybe your writer should take a course in constitutional history.
Janice Yalden
BA 1952 Victoria
Professor Emerita and former Dean of Arts
Carleton University
What I do not understand is why the funding for this school needs to come from the public taxpayers. If black Canadians feel the need for their own education system, then let them pay for it individually.
How is it my responsibility to pay for a separate school system? Other ethnic groups, coming from all over the world, some escaping violence, racial and religious persecution in their own country, somehow are able to keep their communities in order. Their children go to school, and finish school. It is time for this community to look within itself to find a solution.
From what I have heard on the radio and read in the news, it seems like anyone in opposition of these schools are racist. However, the ones who are proposing the idea are the ones who have brought race into it. I see and hear supporter after supporter talking about how badly the black community needs this. What about Toronto's Egyptian community? Are they not African? What about the white South African child, with deep generational roots in Africa, are they to be included in a program like this? Would a white South African instructor, be permitted to teach within this program?
I have no issue with Africentric schools, the same way I have no problem with Jewish Schools or Christian Schools. However, I do have a problem with paying for it out of my tax dollar.
My older sister is autistic. She turned 50 last year and was not diagnosed until she was in her teens. Luckily, my parents found placements for her in residential care and, from the time she was 16 or so, she lived with us only on weekends and holidays. Despite this, she managed to destroy our house and family with her obsessions and rituals and the constant attention she required. My parents are now deceased and it is left to my other sister and I to act as her alternate decision maker. She is no longer welcome in my home and I only see her at Christmas and for a meal once in a while. Believe me, she could care less whether she sees me or not. I am as important to her as the mailman or the clerk at her local Tim Horton’s. She has just known me longer.
I have never had children, partially because the fear of having a child like her was always in my mind. Had genetic testing been available, things might have been different for me. I wouldn’t wish an autistic child on anyone. As far as the question of aborting a fetus with autism, I don’t think I would hesitate. Having lived with autism my entire life I know only too well the heartache it causes.
Sandra Hazeltine
Faculty of Dentistry
University of Toronto
They've been telling us women not to exert ourselves for hundreds of years, ostensibly "for our own good." When are we going to stop listening?
Take advantage of the free therapy at Counselling and Psychological Services! (Everyone can benefit!)
Participate in something from the Leadership Development program for students offered by Student Life.
Get involved - be someone's mentor, join a student group, create a student group.
I enjoyed the article, but wish to correct an error. Tom Thomson was not a Group of Seven artist. The original members named themselves “The Group of Seven” in 1920, three years after Thomson died. Although he worked closely with the seven artists during his lifetime and doubtless would have been number eight had he lived, he was not part of the original group.
Eileen Prettyman
BA 1948 Victoria
Toronto
I was delighted to pick up the spring issue of U of T Magazine and see the face of a man with whom I have had no contact for some 55 years: Michael Hare.
It was my privilege to be acquainted with Mike from 1951 to 1955, while we were enrolled in commerce and finance at U of T. We spent much of our time in the bowels of what was formerly called the Economics Building, on Bloor Street. We last spoke at a classmate’s wedding that we attended together shortly after our graduation.
My clearest memories of Mike are his attempts to explain economic theory to me in our graduating year. I must say that he was not entirely successful, but I did manage to graduate. I ascertained from the article that he has refined his teaching skills over the years, imparting his vast knowledge to more than 32,000 students.
I can only hope that he and I will meet at least once more, with our remaining classmates, perhaps, at our 60th class reunion in 2015!
Morton (Morty) Eisen
BComm 1955
I was pleased to read about the visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Hart House in May 1939. I am writing a family history about my father, Dr. Walter Ruggles Campbell, who was present at Hart House that day – although I don’t know if he was invited to the luncheon or whether he stood outside with the crowd of well-wishers. He was on the staff of the Faculty of Medicine at the time, and, as a hobby photographer, no doubt wanted to take some pictures of this historic event. He took one I especially like of Queen Elizabeth.
Ann Ward
BScN 1974
@Sandra: I am so sorry to hear of the difficulties you have with your sister. Perhaps earlier intervention, as is now becoming possible, would have changed the way you view autism. To suggest aborting a fetus with autism is foolish. Perhaps you are unaware that some of the greatest people of modern times have had ASD. Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Beethoven to name a few. Autistic people are beautiful and often have extraordinary gifts that can benefit us all. Yes, ASD can be hard for neurotypical people to deal with but to suggest aborting a life because of the hardships that others may endure is selfish and shortsighted. As we are able to identify ASD earlier we can provide interventions and therapies that allow the children to cope more effectively in a neurotypical world. Forty years ago a friend of mine's brother was institutionalized. He would have been more successful and accepted today, as he would have had the benefit of an education system that makes accommodations and adapts to those on the ASD spectrum.
This article isn't much different than an ad for an estrogen supplement. Studies like Tierney's reinforce the age-old idea that women are inherently reproductively defective compared to men.
U of T Magazine is usually a welcome diversion, but the Spring 2011 issue broke the mold with "True North," a junky, offensive political propaganda attack piece that I would normally expect to see come through my door as “soft” party literature in the heat of an election campaign. Under the veneer of reporting the academic opinions of others, the author venerates a particular vision as “the” True North and then engages in an anti-Harper attack. He seeks to characterize recent changes in political direction as “un-Canadian” betrayals, and belittles many Canadians along the way.
The author should understand that his Liberal-red, maple-leaf vision of Canada, with its centrist monarchical socialist brew, flavoured by a dash of peacekeeping and national medicare, is not, and has not really ever been, the core identity of most Canadians. There have always been many different and evolving visions of Canada, all of which deserve a measure of respect.
Along with many millions of other Canadians, I don't much care for the narrow set of beliefs that Lester Pearson, Jack Pickersgill, Paul Martin Sr., Pierre Trudeau and their ilk and their descendants tried to push down the throats of Canadians. Among other failings, this centralized socialism
violated the spirit of a Canadian Constitution that respected regional differences and provincial powers. The vision they presented to the world was that of a meek American or British colony -- not that of an independent nation.
Based on what I've heard from my European and Asian colleagues, I could not possibly agree that "Canada has alienated much of the world by fashioning a more strident hard power foreign policy..." -- if strident it is. Nor could I agree that, "Canada is seen as an environmental dinosaur" -- especially when one considers the rate of China's CO2 emissions. What I've heard suggests that Canada has started to earn respect as an independent nation with a broader and more significant international role.
And I utterly reject the notion of a "Calgary school of thinking" that is somehow derisively traced to the Republican party in the U.S. That assessment is insulting academic poppycock, implying that western Canadians, and specifically Albertans, are incapable of independent political thought. It is the claim of ossified, tenured and irrelevant political scientists still clinging to the mythology of an Ontario-dominated Canada.
While John Kirton's views give the article some balance, they do not hide what is clearly an opinionated attack. I am dismayed that U of T Magazine would include a piece so lacking in true insight and so partisan. It is reminiscent of the National Geographic and Reader's Digest of the 1960s and early 1970s, quietly extolling the virtue of the American military presence in Vietnam as benevolent. What's next, reruns of Popeye cartoons?
Garry M. Stamm
MA 1971
Toronto
There is nothing more entertaining about this very interesting article than reading the responses. Stop faulting the article, it's nothing personal!
John Patte strangely mentions only religion as the institution that was force-fed to Canada's indigenous people. Yet, it was one of the few that was either not an official priority or very low among the priorities of the traders and settlers in what is English-speaking Canada.
European law was clearly used to claim land unjustly; the idea of technological progress and its resulting products (refined metals, ships, guns) was an obvious motivator of institutional imposition upon indigenous people. European nascent capitalism, in which its agents in North America knew the value to Europe of furs, lumber, tobacco and other natural resources and what price could be imposed on or would be accepted by native peoples put the Europeans in a position of power that was used to advantage. There is also the matter of North American cultures having to catch up in a century or less with a culture that had been thousands of years in the making.
Finally, the reliance of the traders and early settlers on alcohol as a 'stupefying good' did far more damage to the self-esteem of the indigenous peoples than religion. That alone would contribute to the destruction of native institutions.
Spend time at First Nations' House!
Watch Skule Nite - it's the most hilarious show at U of T! And take advantage of Hart House or Athletic Center for some nice workouts.
Visit the Rare Books Library to check out old manuscripts and enjoy the silence
Very well written. I was reading and wanting more
As a PhD Candidate in the Department of Exercise Sciences at the University of Toronto, specializing in research in the area of physical activity and chronic disease, I was concerned upon reading this story.
My initial shock was with the strong suggestion for women that “exercise, exercise, exercise… may be exactly the wrong advice." My concern is with the underlying research from which this advice is based upon (J of Alzheimer’s Disease 22:1331-1338, 2010); a small cross-sectional study in 90 postmenopausal women that reports weak to moderate correlations between physical activity (measured by a recall questionnaire that is not validated) and neuropsychological tests.
There is in fact other data, in larger studies and prospective studies, that supports a reduced risk of cognitive dysfunction with increasing physical activity in both men and women (Jedrziewski et al., 2010; Middelton et al. J Am Geriatr Soc 58: 1322-1326, 2010; Scarmeas et al., JAMA, 2009). Indeed, the data from this study (J of Alzheimer’s Disease 22:1331-13138, 2010) seem too weak to support the bold statement that exercising vigorously is the wrong advice for women.
In addition, I was surprised with the discussion regarding the relationship between participating in strenuous exercise and neuropsychological test scores, pinning estrogen deficiency as the mechanism. After completing my MSc in the area of physical activity and estrogen deficiency, I find much error in the statement “Women who engaged in more exercise probably had lower estrogen over their life." Data have clearly demonstrated that exercise itself is not the primary cause of menstrual cycle dysfunction, rather, it is exercise in the presence of an energy deficiency that can subsequently lead to menstrual cycle abnormalities and estrogen deficiency (Williams & De Souza, Hum Reprod Update. 2004 Sep-Oct;10(5):433-48, Williams et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Nov;86(11):5184-93). Furthermore, disturbances are not confined to women who exercise vigorously. However, without supporting evidence that these women were indeed suffering from a subtle/severe menstrual cycle disturbance during their exercising years, and/or were not replacing the calories that they expended with exercise, it cannot be accurately concluded that these women probably had lower estrogen over their lifetime.
As a student in the Department of Exercise Sciences, we are taught to critically appraise the potential benefits and harms of exercise on all aspects of health. Indeed, evidence to date suggests that exercise is beneficial for cognitive health, not to mention important for modifying the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and many other chronic diseases. In a time where we, as a society, face many issues with obesity and obesity related diseases, and as a senior student in a Faculty that promotes the importance of physical activity, I find it discouraging and worrisome that this article, based on relatively weak data, may “scare” women from participating in physical activity. Before recommendations as definite as avoiding vigorous activity are made, further, more substantive prospective studies are required.
Sarah L West
MSc 2007, PhD candidate
Department of Exercise Sciences
Faculty of Physical Education and Health
John G. Patte does not feel any responsibility for past injustices perpetrated by European settlers against indigenous peoples, but he should. I am sure indigenous peoples would love to work together to move forward, learning from each other, but the guiding principle of descendants of European settlers [us] continues to be 'our way or the highway,' all the while perpetually reneging on past agreements, over and over and over and over and over again.
Martin Gagné
BASc 1984
Toronto, Ontario
@Charles Carr
What an opportunist! I can only guess that Mr. McCurdy also knew what buttons to push to have the causeway built next to his property in the first place. Then to wait until completion of the project before informing the contractor of the fact seems more underhanded than upstanding and noble. Ah, but he was a politician!
Martin Gagné
BASc 1984
Toronto
I am sure Mr. Harper wants dearly for Canada to be an energy powerhouse. Just look at how the major oil-producing states treat their citizens. Our sons and daughters are dying in the Middle East right now as we try to redress their situation. With almost all our natural resource industries foreign-owned, and the door wide open for more foreign investment, Mr. Harper must aspire to have Canada attain the prosperity of Haiti, another country once rich in natural resources but bled dry by unfettered development by foreign nationals.
Martin Gagné
BASc 1984
Toronto
We were dismayed to read this story suggesting that women who exercise strenuously may be at greater risk of developing dementia later in life. After reading the source research paper, we are shocked that the author would recommend reduced activity intensity on the basis of such uncertain results.
The study (J of Alzheimer’s Disease 22:1331-1338, 2010) found weak to moderate correlations between reported physical activity with neuropsychological test scores among 90 women. A physical activity questionnaire asked for recall of participation in strenuous activities (e.g., swimming laps, aerobics) and moderate activities (e.g., brisk walking, volleyball) from high school to menopause. The measure, however, has not been validated and reports an average of more than 5.5 hours of activity per week – an average well beyond the most recent Canadian accelerometer study, which puts vigorous activity at less than 0.5 hours per week for women ages 20 to 60 (Colley et al., Health Reports, 22, March 2011).
Moreover, other research on the topic rejects increased risk with more activity. Middleton and colleagues (J Am Geriatr Soc 58: 1322-1326, 2010) studied more than 9,000 women and found lifetime activity actually reduced the risk of cognitive impairment – and no effect of exercise dose. Another study of 1,880 people found risk of Alzheimer’s was decreased by 25% by some activity, but by 33% with much activity (Scarmeas et al., JAMA, 2009).
While U of T alumni appreciate lively stories of interesting research, they also appreciate nuanced discussions of careful, well-developed research – not to mention a balanced exploration of both sides of an issue. There is a huge body of evidence underpinning the simple statement, “Focus on moderate to vigorous aerobic activity throughout each week, broken into sessions of 10 minutes or more” (Public Health Agency of Canada website, 2011).
Responsible research demands that a much more substantive evidence base is required before we can possibly make a public recommendation that women should avoid vigorous activity.
Scott Thomas, PhD
Professor,
Faculty of Physical Education and Health
University of Toronto
Doug Richards, MD
Associate Professor,
Faculty of Physical Education and Health
University of Toronto
Best...
Wonderful!!!
Riveting....the pacing of the events, the unveiling of the characters - a metaphor of birth itself...... you deliver as promised. I look forward to reading more of your work!
While this was an informative piece, I was very surprised by the use of terms such as "autistic son" or "autistic patients." In fact, the appropriate wording is "son with autism" or "patients with autism."
Autism does not a person make and no two people with autism are the same. To call someone "autistic" is an injustice to the individual being referenced. Autism (or any neural disorder for that matter) should not be portrayed as the sole way of defining an individual. Rather, it should be seen as a part of the whole. Humans are complex individuals. Let's not simplify such complexity with blanket labels that not only do us a disservice, but also deny the very richness of our humanity.
Leila Palomino
BA 2000 UTSC
Dr. Mary Tierney responds to the two comments above:
One concern was that our findings did not support the conclusion that more activity reduces the risk of cognitive impairment. Our findings, in fact, did show that greater amounts of moderate activity were significantly associated with better cognitive performance. There was also a concern that we found “weak to moderate correlations” between reported physical activity and cognition; however, we reported statistically significant parameter estimates based on multivariate regression analyses which are quite distinct from correlation coefficients. Greater amounts of strenuous activity were significantly associated with poorer performance on 5 of our 6 neuropsychological tests.
Comments specifically refer to two studies that supposedly refute our findings. However, Middleton et al. (2010) acknowledge that their cognitive measure was a very insensitive tool and unable to detect a dose response of exercise. We, on the other hand, used highly sensitive measures of cognitive function which allowed us to detect this relationship. Also Scarmeas’ et al. (2009) only studied older men and women and their likelihood of developing dementia whereas our study examined life-time exposure to physical activity in women before menopause. Therefore, the two studies are not comparable to ours.
While we recognize that our measure has not been validated and is a limitation, the measure we used was the same one used in a study of 110,599 California teachers (Dallal et al 2007). Consistent with this study, we reported 2.5 hours of strenuous activity per week. Although this is beyond the 0.5 hours per week reported in the Canadian accelerometer study, our sample included healthy well-educated women, who are known to engage in more physical activity (e.g., Lee et al 2007). The authors of the accelerometer study also caution this tool is likely to underestimate vigorous activity.
We agree that balanced reporting is important and that women should be informed of these findings. Exercise dose has been inadequately studied in humans to date and our findings provide support for the need for further work in the area before unfounded conclusions are brashly made.
great story !!
Wow, at the edge of my seat. Wow
Greasers vs Aliens?
I gotta see this!
This sounds amazing. I definitely would watch this!
Great story. I love the pacing and detail.
Congrats Massimo! Best of luck! I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of your work really soon.
This article is very interesting, but i have a question: Is there a research based on it? I am writing my thesis on the social influence of the mass media.
I was always under the impression that this photo was taken after the fire because I saw this photo in the book Toronto, Carved in Stone. The person in the front row middle is who I believe to be William Forret who came to Toronto in 1885 from Scotland. The census entries I have of him state he was working for Dick and was a stonemason. I have a photo of him and this looks just like him.
It’s tiresome to keep reading religious arguments for morality. I’m referring to Mr. Stouffer’s letter, above. Personally, I’m offended by the suggestion that it’s only the Ten Commandments that keep behaviour moral. What about all those people living before 986 BCE who had no knowledge of Moses and his tablets? What about all the non-Christians out here? What keeps us from raping, looting, blowing people up or cheating on tests? If Mr. Stouffer is arguing that it’s the Ten Commandments, it would seem that only people who consider the Old Testament to be literally true are bound by them.
There are other ways to accomplish what Prof. Mazar discovered. How about an instruction I received as an undergraduate? Everyone was required to write and sign the statement, “I have neither given nor received aid during this exam” on our test papers and booklets. Students took it seriously. This drove moral behaviour irrespective of religious convictions.
David Sigetich
MEd 1976
I’m quite certain Prof. Fiume’s assertion that Gordon Moore’s law, a prediction about transistors per inch on a silicon chip, “has resulted in exponential growth in computer memory and computation speeds” is untrue. Moore’s Law is merely a prediction; it did not create the growth mentioned, it merely predicted it.
I hope that my predictions about certain stocks in my RRSP behave as magically as Mr. Fiume believes predictions work. French Riviera, here I come!
David Sigetich
MEd 1976
Emily, this is Dave and Anthea congratulating you on your poetry award! We both read it over and over. It's amazing and wonderful. We're going to brag about you
Does anyone know whether this is the same Breese Davies cited in an article by Linda Nguyen of Postmedia News as "representing the female inmate advocacy group, the Elizabeth Fry Societies"?
The article appears on page A3 of today's Telegraph Journal (the Saint John, New Brunswick newspaper) wherin Breese is quoted as saying:
"it is unfair to the parties to proceed in such an unprecedented request"
The quote appears to refer to a request by Corrections Canada lawyer, Joel Robichaud.
According to the POSTMEDIA article,
"Robichaud told Ontario deputy coroner Dr. Bonita Porter that the media should be prohibited from accessing and publishing any evidence released during the anticipated year-long hearing until it is complete"
Fabulous story - so many layers to be examined. The juxtaposition of two child-bearing experiences was brilliant. The tension between the professional and the personal was absolutely critical to the theme and the outcome. The tension between joy and grief was poignant without being maudlin. I couldn't read it fast enough - totally engaging story. Congratulations on having written it and also for winning the competition.
This is beautiful. As a child of a fisherman, I appreciate this poem. Always looking out to sea watching for Daddy to come home, but there came a time when he lost his life to the sea that he loved. Thanks for this poem.
Mr. Sigetich is correct that Moore's Law is a statement that is primarily predictive (and empirical). Indeed it is part of a longer observed exponential performance/density curve that predated transistors and silicon.
That said, "Moore's Law" was already well known in the 70s and became an ongoing goal in fabrication of electronic components. Fabrication at ever finer scales required considerable re-engineering of manufacturing plants that aligned with and reinforced these cycles. In this sense, Moore's Law can be said to have "resulted in" as well as "predicted" exponential growth in feature density.
Hey Massimo....Congratulations! I didn't know anything about it. I'm proud of you. Best of luck and Looking forward to see it soon.
Nico Monteleone (aka Domenico)
A moving and memorable story. It has an emotional honesty, grit and directness that you don't often find in literature.
Congratulations Brit! This story is absolutely beautiful and so very impressive. You are a true artist.
Completing my undergraduate degree was not my first attempt at a post-secondary education, so graduating is definitely something I feel very proud of. I was out of school for many years due to health issues, when about five or six years ago, a support worker brought me to First Nations House to meet with an academic counsellor about returning to school.
This was when I was encouraged to enroll in the Academic Bridging Program through Woodsworth College at the University of Toronto St. George Campus. I successfully completed the Academic Bridging Program and entered Aboriginal Studies. At first I was attending classes on a part-time basis but as I grew more used to my classes I switched to full-time studies. Once I undertook a full-time course load, it was like wings were given to me and I took flight.
Graduating is a dream come true. There were many times that I believed I would not make it make it through, but the support along the way from various people in my life helped make it easier for me. I felt especially encouraged by the staff at First Nations House, and professors such as Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Daniel Heath Justice, Lee Maracle and writer in residence Cherie Dimaline.
To share in my graduation day, friends from California who have witnessed my road back to health came to see me graduate and so did my teenage niece and her father.
I feel complete because getting my degree represents a long journey and the beginning of a new one. My degree not only represents the struggle, the tears and the triumphs it took to get me to where I am today, but it also represents my dream of overcoming adversity and succeeding when I least expected to.
I am a Nurse Practitioner in the focus of Women's Health and Youth's Health as well as a Fitness Instructor Specialist. I love the concept and would love to be involved with making it happen!
It's hard to believe you saw so many wonderful sights in a single day!
Croatia sounds like a beautiful and fascinating place. Thanks for your colourful descriptions. Looking forward to your subsequent reports!
Elaine: sounds excellent. Hope you are having a great time. I remember the ice cream in Trogir!
Great story about a couple whom I have known for more years than I want to remember. Am so glad that we still keep in contact, even though we live at a distance.
Those are my wonderful parents!! I could not have asked for better.
While I agree that the years between 0-4 are incredibly important in a child's development, I find studies that try to find the so-called ideal conditions for rearing children highly Essentialist (biologically women must do X to be 'good mothers') as well as totally biased. The entire section on stress during pregnancy and the amount of time a child should be breastfed are both, frankly, insulting. Is Matthews arguing that mothers who experience extreme stress during pregnancy and who could not or did not breastfeed their child/ren -- that their kids are doomed?! What I find most disturbing is the subtext of all of these studies - the drive to "scientifically" categorize what it means to be a 'good mother' (and, therefore, a 'bad' mother). Should we call it the 'Cult of Motherhood'? I didn't think we were living in the Middle Ages.
I am so proud to read this. These are among the most influential people in my life. The best grandparents I could ask for. Love you both!
I've thought for a very long time that Canada should pursue a more aggressive growth policy. But Canadians are never going to be motivated by a desire to play a larger role in the world.
However, in an increasingly globalized world, we need to be a bigger country to survive culturally. If we're not bigger, we're going to be swallowed up by the nations that are.
Great Guildwood Village neighbours and friends!
Roger and Jane were our next door neighbours when I was growing up and we had fun at their cottage. My parents, sadly both gone since 2005, would have been happy to see this write up and I loved reading it. All the best to you both and your family...with fond memories. Lorraine
Or...``You'll Never Work in This Mall Again!`` This falls into the "I think I wrote that article myself" category. The experience Ms Kelly describes couldn't be closer to my own having worked at 3 different stores in one mall in the last 9 months. I just quit my last position a week ago. It's quite a trip back to reality after having spent the last 22 years in the legal editorial field having the store manager stand over you as you fold clothes non-stop for 6 hours or have her put a Swiffer in your hand at the close of every day. Yes, I have greater respect for those working in stores - I'm also a nicer, more helpful person - but I never want to work in retail again!
Such a well-written story, so engaging. I really enjoyed reading it.
Congratulations on your win, and keep up the good work!
While enrolled in the Ph.D. program, I had the pleasure of serving as Professor Hare's teaching assistant for his introductory courses in economics in 1970-71 and 1971-72. It was an excellent experience, enhanced by his consideration, warmth and understanding.
What a difficult and important subject! Infancy, early childhood, formal education, mother-baby (father, and other relatives-babies), genetic structure, environment, success ("whatever it means") in life. Too many unknowns... In spite of the complexity and controversial nature of the subject, I found the article very well written and informative. Wishing the best for the proposed Institute for Human Development. Seems very exciting initiative.
Having worked with young children for over 15 years, I can say that my best memories are the ones where I was able to encourage children to develop self-regulation skills. I think this is such an important topic to address, research and deliver because we often overlook the importance of developing self-regulation stepping stones in our early education years.
From reading this article, I have the eerie image of somnolent, conflict-free, self-regulating young students streaming into the future school system. And then the questions: Where are their minds? What are they actually learning? Where is the notion of "interest"? And what happens when someone is in error? Or is "error" itself to be eradicated?
Thanks for the memories!
That's me sitting to the right of Professor McLuhan. I was a third-year English student at St. Mike's, taking McLuhan's Modern Poetry class, listening to stories about Ezra Pound. For some of us, it was a scary class, not only because we were in awe of this great man, but because there were always visiting scholars, and we were lowly undergrads.
I always remember the day when McLuhan was discussing his theory of extensions (when an individual or society creates something that extends the capacity of the human body and mind: for example, a chair extends our ability to sit). One of the young men, who clearly got into the idea, put up his hand and asked, "What about a basketball?" To which McLuhan shot back, "That's an extension of our ability to dribble!"
Taking that class was a wonderful opportunity. Professor McLuhan was generous with his students, graciously welcoming us into his home for an evening party before the fall term ended.
By the way, another photo from the same gathering was published in U of T Magazine several years ago. I spotted it then and kept it, and now, thanks to you, I have two pictures of me and McLuhan.
That was beautiful and very real, and it hit close to home for me as I've been in a very similar position to your protagonist. I've passed this story on to several friends, all of whom have been moved to tears.
I was surprised to see a language warning in the print edition of the magazine accompanying Brittan Coghlin's award-winning story. After reading her moving, painful prose, I was disturbed by it. Do the editors truly believe that the University of Toronto community is so sensitive that the presence of two expletives that expressed frustration in a painful situation requires a cautionary note? Some people don't like profanity, but I shudder to think that anyone might have skipped over such a wonderful story for fear of being offended.
Jacob Schiff
HBA 2002
In response to Mara:
We totally understand the concern that our kind of work on the psychology and physiology of parenting and parenting effects on the development of the infant could lead to a belief that there is a good type of parenting and a bad type of parenting- and, usually when we talk about parenting, it is the mother that is most often studied. We are very aware of this concern and realize that we walk around with implicit assumptions about what is and is not good mothering. However, a number of points should be made.
First and foremost, as anthropology and cross-cultural work shows us, despite common functions of caregiving (to nurture, feed, protect, stimulate, socialize, infants, etc.) there are many ways to parent (or to mother, if that is the focus); how a parent interacts with the infant depends on the culture, the socialization goals of the culture and the individuals’ experiences and biology. As Heidi Keller and Marc Bornstein (among others) show clearly, some cultures value interdependence and sociability in their children and they tend to value parenting where the mother keeps the baby on the body for long periods of time, many caregivers share in the care of many children together, and children tend not to receive a lot of individual attention. Other cultures (Germany, North America) value independence, individual achievement, autonomy and these cultures tend to show parenting styles that encourage one-to-one interactions, individual skill challenges, early intellectual stimulation, and so on. Hence what may be considered ‘good’ parenting in one culture may be quite inappropriate in another. An eventual and important goal for all these studies that explore the effects of prenatal stress, postnatal ‘adversity’, effects of parenting and of breastfeeding on development of the child is to do a cross-cultural analysis and to take into account the many factors even within a culture that vary across parents and families. Hence, the emphasis on variation and on factors that contribute to that variation is the approach that we take. I would suggest, then, that the concept of good and bad mothering or parenting is not a very helpful concept- with the notable exception of severe abuse, neglect, and starvation which are not valued by any culture.
In terms of the issue of environment and genetics and their role in regulating child development, clearly such a biological emphasis says little about development and how it will proceed. Some children do very ‘well’ under severe stress whereas others do poorly under what looks to be very little challenge or stress. Behavioral and cognitive styles of children have been found to be important in understanding resilience. The work proposed in this institute will attempt to analyze how genes and environment interact to produce resilience in child development. The environment in these cases will include the home environment, of fathers, mothers, siblings, friends, and so on; the school environments, of peers and teachers; and the physical environment associated with socio economic status and conditions of poverty. Together these environmental factors along with physiology and an understanding of genetics can help us understand the many ways that kids develop, adapt to school, and become social beings.
Some of the participants in the fledgling IHD: Alison (Fleming), Jennifer (Jenkins), Marla (Sokolowski), Carl (Corter), Steve (Matthews), and Steve (Lye)
Very well written. My first child's birth was very much like that one - the writing gave me shivers remembering.
I don't know how I missed "Don't Overdo It" in the Spring 2011 issue, but I saw the responses in the summer issue.
When the researchers mentioned strenuous exercise 2.5 hours per week, what were the participants' heart rates? I can't see how moderate exercise is brisk walking (I am a race walker.) I would consider this light exercise, considering that their heart rates must have been less than 60 per cent of maximum. I would consider strenuous exercise over 85 per cent.
Also, how long had they been exercising throughout their life?
I have been competitive most of my life in track and field and if the researchers studied masters athletes, they would not only find fewer occurrences of dementia, but also fewer auto-immune problems. I have been with the Ontario Masters Athletics since 1999 and, observing this small circle of athletes, I haven't witnessed any dementia type disease amongst them. They look younger than their non-athlete peers and cognitively alert.
I find my workouts to be very invigorating and I feel amazing at the end. I'm 51 years old and without my exercise I would be on heart medication (a heart defect from birth). I also handle stress better than most people.
I agree that participating in marathons produces a lot of free radicals, but training for 10Ks or less is ideal. I race 1.5Ks to 10Ks.
There are many contributing factors. Is the athlete eating and sleeping well? Do they alternate strenuous exercise with light or easy exercise?
Is the athlete recognizing burnout? Do they take care of their mouths
(i.e. periodontal disease)? Environment and genetics also play an important part. I believe that exercise is like flossing - it needs to be practiced regularly.
Too bad Samer Muscati's reputation as a human rights researcher and activist is severely undermined when he let's himself be interviewed by that left-wing rag of a media organization known as Democracy Now.
The River Nile (at least part of it) flows north 4,000 miles from Lake Victoria into the Mediterranean. What percentage is used along the way? Not much I imagine.
If a pipeline could be built (and of course it could), why not use Lake Victoria as the "tap," and Isaac Newton's gravity as the "pump"? It's only about 600 miles from Lake Victoria to the junction of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya.
And would a pump be needed? As long as "where it is going" is a lot lower than "where it is coming from," then is "syphoning" such a silly idea? You know - like stealing petrol from a fuel tank?
However the cost was estimated, this would amount to no more than a couple of per cent of that!
The difference between the treatment of Regent Park and Sri Lankan protesters and the G20 protesters is the difference between race and politics.
Race is now a topic with a high degree of politically correct sensitivity around it while 'leftist' political discontent has been an 'open target' for the capitalist media and police for the last 200 years.
The ironic part is that if the police had treated any number of the G20 protest groups -- such as First Nations, Queer-Feminist, Middle Class Environmentalists -- so aggressively in other circumstances there would have been an immediate PC backlash. Yet lumped together under the 'leftist-anarchist' label even random citizens could be beaten and caged to mainstream approval.
To the police, corporate media (including the reactionary blogosphere) and PMO, the 'left' is a legitimate target of state violence. Blair thought he had public support to 'whack & stack' G20 protesters and he did: 73 per cent of Torontonians and two-thirds of Canadians believed police treatment of protesters was justified during the G20.
A year later liberal hand-wringing has cast a shadow on the whole fiasco but the re-election of Harper with a core of Southern Ontarian votes shows that the violence of G20 policing was a justified to many Canadians.
This is awesome! Thanks stumbleupon.com!
Wonderful blog. It brought back many childhood memories for me. It's Friday today, and this article put a huge smile my face. Thanks, Elaine.
I love these delightful little nuggets of information that can only be acquired in college with random roommates. Ice cream over cereal is definitely a new concept, but I'm no stranger to epic shower beers. Keep up the Boris Yeltsin standards!
Yes, I was sitting way over to the right, probably about as far from Marshall as possible. I laughed at the cigar and a glass of wine in the picture...it was a very civilized class :)
My father's uncle Hugh Ritchie clearly loved football. He took two consecutive engineering degrees at U of T so that he could play. His claim to fame was kicking off the very first Grey Cup game in 1907. A long time resident of B.C. he was asked to make the ceremonial kick-off at the first game at the new Vancouver statium when the Grey Cup was played there on its 50th anniversary in 1957. He booted the ball to the goal line (farther than the actual starting kick-off).
#1. Go and introduce yourself to each of your profs. In some of those huge lecture halls, it's nice for the prof to see a familiar face or two in the crowd.
#2. Try to sit front and centre in lectures. More room to stretch your legs, less distraction from people's laptop computer screens, and your ability to concentrate on the lecture is greatly enhanced.
#1 Be early to all lectures. Just being late a few minutes, gets you distracted enough not to follow the entire lecture and miss out on the key points.
#2 Do not miss any lectures. Simply attending all the lectures and following what the profs say will probably be enough to pass the course. Of course, it is very much advised to study hard to get the desired "A+". Having a degree these days won't get you far, unless you plan on working in your father's company.
#3 Go to the lectures prepared. Just glancing through the material to be covered helps you understand the subject matter much better. The night before spend a few minutes looking at the pages that will be covered.
#4 Do not panic if you fail a test. You have plenty of time to recover from it and learn from your mistakes. But if failing becomes a habit, then just pack up and go home. Most likely this is not your place to start with.
#5 Do not waste your time by just hanging out. There are a lot of people to distract you and many will not stay around. You'd be surprised how many won't be back for second year.
#6 Have fun and relax. Even as a student you can afford to have a day to rest, but you have to plan your studies well. Going to university is not a 24-7 routine and it is not a 9 to 5 job either. Just find a balance and you can succeed in anything that life has in store for you. Good luck!
What does this prove? Does this have anything to do with "human rights" as opposed to the rights of any so-called visible or invisible minority?
If you ask someone if a particular face is straight or gay? Aren't you setting them up and therefore skewing the results?
Wouldn't it be more scientific to show someone a bunch of photos and ask what they think is special or unique about them?
What is the point of this research? Who is quickest at identifying stereotypes? Can't you spend your money doing something more productive?
I really do not understand if this study has any benefit to sciences or human rights or pure intellectual curiosity. As previous reader pointed out, by asking people to identify gays or straights, you are skewing your final results.
Also you are mixing people from different cultures who have different attitudes towards sexual roles and fashion sense. Believe me, tight European clothing looks pretty gay to me, but this is just based on North American fashion sense. So it has nothing to do with "being quickest in making guesses".
Can't U of T spend money on something else? Like start giving people real scholarship funding (U of T is the lowest in awarding students money) and stopping silly bell curving?
i think the title should be properly called "Our Home On Native Land." By international and the natural laws, even Toronto and Ottawa are on "unceded" Indigenous territory.
Hats off to Bryan Walls for his inspirational work and to the writer of this article for sharing this with us.
I totally agree! I mean, while there's "school spirit" to be honoured and kept up, I just COULDN'T make my self shout "IN-NIS" with the hand gestures for hours on ends while actually enjoying the process. In fact, I couldn't even say it once, I just felt too silly...
I wasn't so lucky to see that circle of crestfallen faces during frosh week, so I decided to branch out on my own. I'd volunteered in various festivals downtown during my high school years, so I knew some things I could do and places I could go -- but organized "expeditions" into downtown Toronto would have been so much more fun!
Thanks for articulating what I've been wanting to say about frosh week in such a coherent and organized manner!
U of T students are the lamest. Seriously, it's no wonder your frosh week is boring. If you want to see how a real spirited school with real traditions makes the students feel like they belong, try visiting Queen's, Guelph, Dalhousie, or any of the east coast schools.
In my first year, I successfully avoided anything to do with "frosh" or chanting, line-dancing and other embarrassing "ice-breakers." Participating would cause me to lose respect not just for myself -- but for others doing the same thing.
I always enjoy seeing articles on Marshall McLuhan, a favourite theorist of mine. And when I saw title of this article, Marshall’s Laws, I thought that there might be some discussion of McLuhan’s Laws of Media, the four questions that any follower of transformational models of communication must ask. Silly me, not a peep.
And not a peep about McLuhan’s seminal work on The Classical Trivium. In a video, his wife said that Marshall had to learn of the trivium (the grammarian part) on his own for no one taught it then. (This remains largely true; however Stanley Fish recently published a book on the basics of writing a sentence from a grammarian perspective that remains true to the Ciceronian ideal of oral expression of thought.)
Grammar, which is a language art, is a process -- not a thing. (In the non-prescriptive, McLuhan sense, science is certain; art is possible).
Two final comments:
That McLuhan “..was incapable of understanding..young Americans” may or may not be true. But in my opinion the study of a common subject matter (particular cultural artifacts) is in the grammarian tradition (McLuhan was teaching grammar).
"And so, with the benefit of a framework adapted from Innis” may or may not be true. Grammarians communicate that way because that is the way we see things.
Excellent storytelling, Alec. Such engaging, accessible writing.
Except it doesn't consider the population density for each of these groups - immigrants and long-term residents.
I also wonder if drinking-and-driving accidents were included in these figures. Doesn't say they weren't, so let's hypothetically say they were. And let's say, hypothetically, that there is some study that says immigrants are X% less likely to cause drinking-and-driving accidents? Then that completely ruins the conclusions of this study because getting in accidents due to the driver being impaired or someone ELSE being impaired doesn't necessarily say any of them are bad drivers, just means they have a lack of self-control.
For these reasons, the study seems pretty flawed.
I was a leader for a frosh group this year and I now know what Frosh Week is meant to be and why it is held.
Contrary to popular belief, Frosh Week is not just about aggressive games and obscene chants. It is meant to get the new students out of their comfort zone and into university life. Being told to line-dance or dye yourself purple is not something you do every day but it's to show you that you shouldn't just sit in your corner. It pushes you to get involved and discover who you really are. That's a major part of the whole university experience: to get out there, find out what you like, what you don't, try out new things and not miss out on opportunities!
I'm not sure which Frosh Week Daniel went to, but Engineering Frosh Week at the University of Toronto has a lot more to it than just drinking and line-dancing!
Let me tell you about a few Frosh activities ...
On the first day, the Frosh listen to well-prepared and inspiring speeches by the orientation chair and UTSU president, among others. They are also introduced to the engineering traditions at U of T (Skule™ traditions)
before taking their oath, and hearing the Skule™ cannon fired up for the first time. Who says we don't have Skule spirit?
Frosh are also taken for a campus and downtown Toronto walkaround.
Frosh also get a chance to interact with the faculty and their discipline clubs, and compete in groups at Frosh Olympics.
Finally, UofT engineering frosh holds a charity buskerfest that requires frosh to go to and raise some money for a good cause!!
So, no. Frosh Week is not a lame week of obscenity and parents shouldn't fear sending their "kids" here.
Besides, hearing those "vulgar" chants is a great opportunity for you to laugh and look around to find another timid person who won't yell the cheers, new friendship?
But then again, this is U of T Engineering. We're just cool like that.
(Find out more: http://orientation.skule.ca/)
I'm currently reading a book titled Steaks, written by a Mark Schatzker. By all that is stated above he may be the author. He writes with expertise and good humour as he attempts to fling the "perfect steak."
I agree with Janice Yalden that King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s visit across Canada by train in 1939 was a very major event. It was the first by a reigning British Monarch. It was vital to shore up support for Britain’s inevitable war against Nazi Germany’s intent to conquer the world.
Dr. Elizabeth Oliver Malone
MD 1957
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
I admire the work being done by Alexandra Lysova. But I am puzzled by the article's final sentence: “Lysova hopes that once this is better understood, more can be done – by psychologists, police officers and intimate partners themselves – to avert partner violence in the first place.”
While it may be reasonable to suppose that adult men and women who hurt each other might benefit by becoming more self-aware about why they do it, it is hard to see how psychologists and police, absent actually living in disturbed households, can play any meaningful role in a process that plays out in private. In Orwell’s 1984, every house has a surveillance camera that can never be switched off but none of us lives in a novel – or would want to.
Geoff Rytell
BEd 1975 OISE
Toronto
I was distressed to read the award-winning story “Delivered” by Brittan Coghlin in the summer issue. The story takes considerably more license with the truth than many TV dramas!
First, the author failed to make any mention of anesthesia during labour or the caesarian section. I can only assume that neither the contest’s judges nor the author had ever experienced or attended such an operation. The anesthesiologist is vital to provide pain relief and resuscitation, and can even advise an inexperienced obstetrical surgeon. Certainly no “team” is going to “splay Serena out naked on the operating table, strapping her arms down as if laying her on a cross.” Every woman wears an operating gown with short sleeves, a paper hat, and sometimes cotton leggings for warmth. When the anesthetic is effective, a screen is placed to separate the mother’s head and neck from the surgical field. Frequently the husband or special friend, who is gowned and masked, is invited to hold her hand while the anesthesiologist monitors the I.V. and vital signs and comforts the patient (who is awake) as the other arm is restrained to guard the mother’s hand from entering the surgical field.
Second, I have never seen a white linoleum floor in any operating room or delivery room.
Third, after a traumatic delivery, the anesthesiologist is often needed to resuscitate and even ventilate the baby if the pediatrician hasn’t yet arrived.
This story could scare any woman even thinking of pregnancy. I strongly advise every woman and her partner to attend the free prenatal classes and discuss all possibilities with her nurses and doctors. Expectant parents can take comfort that Canadian maternal death rates are half what they are in the U.S. – mainly due to our universal medicare.
Dr. Elizabeth Oliver (Malone)
MD 1957
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Brittan Coghlin responds:
Readers may be interested to know that I am a registered nurse who has worked in labour and delivery. I am confident in the story’s medical details. Though the events are representative of an emergency scenario, and are luckily uncommon, they do represent real lived experiences. There was no mention of an anesthesiologist (I left out other medical details, too), because this did not serve to tell the story of these two women. Ultimately I was writing fiction and not a medical text or public health announcement. This was a story that focused on the work of a nurse; all too frequently the limelight goes to others.
I was interested to see this picture of the 1895 Varsity football team. I believe that the fellow in the middle of the front row, to the right of the cup, is my grandfather, John W. Hobbs (1875-1951).
Jack Hobbs attended UC, graduating in 1898, which would have put him in second year at the time of the photograph. During his time at the university, he was captain of the football team and apparently played several games wearing a protective steel chest plate after he cracked some ribs.
Hobbs’ later life was profoundly influenced by the friendship he formed at U of T with classmate Edward Beatty. After graduation, Beatty studied law and later joined the legal department of Canadian Pacific Railway. He became president of the company in 1918 and chairman in 1923. Seeking a reliable ally, Beatty had Hobbs appointed to the CPR board.
This appointment was more than mere cronyism, as my grandfather had run a successful glass company in Toronto for several decades before his involvement with CPR. Still, being a member of the CPR board in those days put Hobbs at the top of Canada’s corporate elite, and many other directorships followed. He retained most of them until he died of cancer in 1951.
Hobbs’ connection with U of T continued with his descendants. His only child was my mother, Katharine (Hobbs) Masters, who was in the second graduating class of the university’s physiotherapy program in the 1930s. Her four surviving children all attended the university: Patricia and Philinda Masters and I all graduated from Trinity College; Elizabeth Masters attended what was then known as Scarborough College.
Ian G. Masters
BA 1968 Trinity
Brooklin, Ontario
I'm afraid that I have to disagree and label most of the article as complete hogwash. To claim that Trinity College is the only college or faculty at the University of Toronto to hold onto tradition and celebrate it is utter nonsense.
As a student of the University of St. Michael's College, within the University of Toronto, I can tell you that my college upholds many traditions. From our complete domination of Frosh Week, year after year (ie. we have won nine out of the past decade's 10 Bed Racing competitions; we pull off more pranks than any college or faculty, save one), to our widely attended Kelly's Korner, SMC Improv, and Stage Musical events, and not forgetting our under-acknowledged "Quad Parties," we most certainly hold tradition dear to our hearts.
In addition, I have nothing but respect for the huge amounts of spirit that the University of Toronto's Engineers, also known as Skule, possess. While some of their traditions are downright bizarre (dyeing oneself purple), others are quite admirable (the establishment of the Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad). The Engineers are the only college or faculty to be able to outprank St. Mike's, and their use of a working cannon as a mascot for over 75 years is something to behold.
Perhaps the author's college - Victoria - doesn't hold onto tradition very well, and perhaps Woodsworth, Innis, and New College don't either, but Trinity is certainly not the only part of our grand institution known as the University of Toronto to hold onto what makes attending here so fantastic. Take a look around - it's amazing what you discover when you go outside of your comfort zone.
Professor Shorter is spot on. When I was taking the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (as a clinical fellow at the Banting and Best Institute in 1985) I learnt the DSM classifications like everyone else.
Now after many years practice I tend not to think in terms of the 265 psychiatric disorders, but more the four classics: the rest being poetry.
Sad: the heart sighs as the head has its way.
Mad: the head shakes as the heart holds sway.
Bad: the conscience crumbles as vice turns to folly.
Glad: the voice sings - but too loud and too jolly!
Graham J C Smelt,
Yorkshire, England
Prof. Edward Shorter’s views emphasize the medicalization of psychiatry, but fail to recognize how mental health professionals promote positive outcomes through listening to patients.
As a nurse practitioner on a psychiatry team in a busy urban hospital, I believe it is important for patient care to consider both the traditional biomedical model as well as a contemporary holistic framework.
Health is influenced by biological, psychological and social factors: a patient is a person, and not simply a product of a diagnostic label. Prof. Shorter’s stance mistakenly overlooks the contributions of psychotherapy. Research has demonstrated that major depression is more effectively treated with a combination of medication and psychotherapy than with either intervention alone. Psychiatrists, nurses, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals with specialized training in psychotherapy are well positioned to promote mental health patients’ outcomes.
Moving away from a cure-only paradigm will enhance the care of our patients, and more importantly, their ability to achieve more accessible and effective mental health treatment.
Brock Cooper
MN NP 2010
Toronto
David Naylor’s “President’s Message” is the first page I read in every issue of U of T Magazine. His most recent message – particularly one sentence in the last paragraph – succinctly defines what a university education should impart to every student: “We can help our teachers to ply their art, recognize those who excel and provide an environment that helps our students learn to think more effectively – not just in their time with us, but for the rest of their lives.”
Thank you, Prof. Naylor, for this very clear statement of purpose for a university. Teaching students effective thinking – prior to taking action – will bring dramatic results as they apply their talents to solving such important issues as global warming and unsustainable population growth. Making this a strategic thrust of the university’s teaching will no doubt make the University of Toronto the world’s number one institution of higher learning.
Richard M. Clarke
BASc 1954
Westport, Connecticut
I concur with Jean Sonnefeld’s letter regarding the new “tiny type” being used by U of T Magazine. Please have consideration for the alumni who suffer from various forms of eye diseases. Perhaps you can consult with the university’s ophthalmology department to determine the best font size and style before launching a “new and appealing” format. I have always said if you want to do business with your clients don’t make it impossible for them to do so – don’t rhyme off your phone number at supersonic speed nor have your expensive graphics overwhelm your contact information because if I cannot read it, I won’t be your customer.
Malle Metsis
BA 1978 UTSC
Toronto
During my graduate studies in 1988, I worked for my professor to develop a data acquisition computer program that would interface with his glaucoma research equipment. I took the assignment in September and the program was to be delivered by the end of the year. I got on it first thing, right after fall exams!
In three weeks, I had to learn how to use a state of the art PC (a new 286), a new operating system called DOS, a program language called C++, and link it all to a machine language interface to control the video screen (this was before the days of Windows). Three weeks and about 1,000 lines of code later, it was done and delivered.
How did I do it? Each day I worked for as long as I could remain coherent, then went back to my dorm, ate something, and went to bed. I would sleep until no longer tired, have breakfast, return to the lab and do it all again. The rhythm I fell into repeated itself consistently: 18 hours learning and programming, eight hours sleep. Day and night shifted, but my productivity and learning never faltered. I remain convinced that my natural clock is from another planet, one with a 26-hour day!
Those were some challenging and memorable times. Thanks for the interesting article, and to Dr. Ross Ethier for the opportunity.
Daniel MacKinnon
BASc 1987, MASc 1990
Pickering, Ontario
I was encouraged to see that “Marshall’s Laws” and another article from the Autumn 2011 issue, “Mind Games,” show that the dictum “know thyself” attributed to Socrates, is alive and well within the pages of the U of T Magazine.
Being a student at St Mike’s during the McLuhan years, I regret that I never took courses from him. The first article reminded me that his work has helped me to know myself and my place in our digital and technological age -- and to avoid enslavement by the media.
The second article reminded me that, by and large, few dispute the fact that psychology and psychiatry have displaced philosophy in shaping our present self-understanding. Kleiner’s conclusion is extremely insightful when he recognizes that the psychiatrist’s job is to make diagnoses of biological origin and to treat them with effective agents. This has helped me to know myself and to recognize mental health and mental illness for what they truly are. This rescues me from the constraints of the clinical model of life so prevalent in the Western world.
Allan Savage
BA 1974 St. Michael's
The DSM is composed without concern for any causal explanations. In fact it's generally accepted in psychiatry that a cause does not need to be known before treatment is administered. What would the medical profession look like if medical doctors claimed that a cause does not need to be known before treatment is administered?
Peter Raabe
Abbotsford, B.C.
The 1939 royal tour of Canada by our then reigning sovereign, King George VI, and his consort Queen Elizabeth did not only outrank the recent tour by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge constitutionally, as Janice Yalden rightly noted. The 1939 tour had world importance, because it demonstrated that Canada would solidly support Britain in any coming conflict with Nazi Germany.
After dedicating the national war memorial in Ottawa, King George staged one of the first royal walkabouts among the assembled Canadian veterans. At first his security staff were concerned, but they soon realized that, as he himself said afterwards, he had never been safer in his life. And one Scots Canadian veteran summed the significance up perfectly when he exclaimed, "Ay mon, if Hitler could see this!"
William Cooke
BA 1968 Trinity
Toronto
I go to U of T Engineering Skule and I'm pretty confident when I say we have a lot of traditions and we keep most of them alive. I agree that exclusivity and pride are great things. They're wonderful. Pride in my faculty is what makes me say "Engineer!" without another thought when someone asks me who I am.
There are harmful traditions that should be talked about in more depth, though. For example, in engineering, we tell our Frosh Engineers "hate ArtScis" and "love nurses." This is obviously done in good humour, but frosh don't know that. It's the leaders' duty to let them know about it. Maybe then we'd have fewer stolen hardhats and shoes around campus.
I went through depression the first couple of years of university. I wouldn't admit to it, though. I just thought that I was having a bad attitude to things and that I should stop being so upset. But then I realized that I was only anxious thinking about school, so I switched out of U of T and went to another university. Best decision I ever made! I love learning now, I feel less pressure and I enjoy and appreciate my education.
This isn't about satisfying curiosity or judging someone's clothes as "too tight," or whatever. They used faces, and it worked cross-cultures. This study is significant because it shows that there most likely is a biological component to being homosexual, and it's not a choice. It shows that the hatred that has been shown to homosexuals for decades for being "disgusting" and "vile," has been misguided. This study is scientific proof that gays are just another type of human and not rebellious misfits.
I'd like to nominate healthy living vouchers as the dumbest health-related idea of the year.
The article starts by correctly listing the multiple causes of rampant obesity, lists some solutions, which Neil Seeman and Patrick Luciani deem ineffective, and then launches into their half-baked voucher proposal.
Certainly "...inactivity, widespread availability of high-fat foods, city design that leaves us dependent on cars..." are major contributors to obesity, and any solution must address these causes to be effective. The authors claim public policies have been ineffective. I would argue these policies will work, but have either not been initiated or sustained.
We are bombarded every day with advertising for stuff we don't need, but which will "make our lives easier." People forget our bodies are made for moving. I recall the Participaction ad campaigns from years ago. The average 30-year-old Canadian had the fitness level of a 60-year-old Swede. Why was this campaign cancelled? Why are recess and gym classes being cut out of junior schools? No wonder kids are having trouble paying attention in class. Now we drug them into submission.
Right from the start we are encouraging and supporting a sedate lifestyle. Marketing is a very effective tool. Look how fat we are! Positive and sustained campaigns for healthy living would be very beneficial. It is too bad that we have to be reminded to do the right thing, but even ads promoting good social behavior on public transit are effective. Supportive policies and education campaigns for healthy living must be done, and soon.
Some restrictive policy would also be beneficial. The authors talk about taxes on fat and sugary foods. Has this ever happened? Processed foods high in fat and sugar should be taxed higher than alcohol. The health effects on the population, and subsequent cost to our health care system, demand it.
Kids and adults are bombarded with hundreds of ads every day to eat fat and sugar. Parents have the opportunity to educate their kids about healthy food choices twice or maybe three times a day at mealtimes. We ban cigarette ads and put warnings on the packages because the cost of lung cancer treatment is excessive and burdensome to everyone. At the same time as healthy living is being promoted, ads for fat and sugar should be banned and restrictions placed on foods that have long term detrimental impact on the health of our society.
Along with public education and marketing for healthy living, broader policy changes are needed that challenge, among other things, our dependance on the car over other modes of transportation, allow urban sprawl, and reward unhealthy industries. Business, of course, will fight these initiatives, and unfortunately our politicians will capitulate. Building subdivisions creates jobs! Making cars creates jobs! Selling fat and sugar creates jobs!
There are, however, just as many other jobs that are less harmful to society if we dare to make the change, and as a society, it is time to look at the overall cost of our lifestyles. Healthy living vouchers are a band-aid at best for obesity if nothing else changes.
Martin Gagné
BASc 1984
Toronto
A lot of history pictured there... hard to believe it's that old...
Fascinating and insightful. Congratulations! I'm looking forward to using the program!
This article is very interesting. It touches on an extremely sensitive area of human science and challenges to think about how we think about what we think about. I reckon I would learn from the rest of this guy's book.
Can you please tell me if this book is for sale other than at the event itself, and where I might get a copy?
Those interested in purchasing a copy of the Varsity Blues commemorative book should contact Robin Campbell, executive director of development, Faculty of Physical Education & Health. His email address is robin dot campbell at utoronto dot ca. Phone: 416-978-4740.
With this specialized and localized education how are the students going to compete in a global environment where business is conducted in English and European education is valued? Enough already! Remember you chose Canada as your new home. Keep your culture and religion but respect and accept Canada's beliefs, values and principles. You need not look any further than the Continent of Africa to realize that changing the colour of the people in power does not necessarily work.
Unfortunately, when we allow for a publicly funded, segregated school, we are condoning the fact that our current system does not provide universal teaching and is not inclusive. The need for this school demonstrates the fact that our system is not providing students with what they need to succeed, regardless of race, religion or disability. This is a societal problem, reflected in our public system. We need the right people leading our education system to recognize this.
Farah is a brilliant individual and I proud to have the ability to call her my close, personal friend.
Good luck team! Also, thank you for a very nicely written article and choice of sample problems.
Both samples are composed by a computer
How is it that, according to the article, Ravi Vakil got *both* BSc and MSc in the *same year*, 1992?
Mr. Vakil is a very clever fellow!
I read this article with dismay. When I was privileged to study at University College in the 1950s, students who matriculated in a faculty of arts were able to acquire something then called “culture” (not in today’s broad sense) – a kind of literary-historical education with exposure to the great achievements of mankind. Today it is possible, even at reputable universities, to obtain a degree in literature without ever having read a word of the Bible, Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare, or Goethe, simply by selecting useless “cinch courses.”
The admission of such courses to North American universities has been devastating to serious historical disciplines, now an endangered species. The politically correct substitution of a justifiable canon of great books with ephemeral, worthless, and even harmful trivia is destroying the humanities under the pretext of “diversity” – dear to administrators, who wish to be all things to all people.
Warren Kirkendale
BA 1955 UC
Professor emeritus, University of Regensburg
Rome, Italy
A profound and fascinating article. I shared it with several friends who are doctors and interested in public health. It also made me wonder what other official international public health statistics need to be examined much more closely (just as Prof. Jha examined the WHO statistics for India), in order to make sure health policy and funding meet the real health needs of a population. Certainly, Prof. Jha's research has implications on multiple levels: ethical, political, social, and economic... just to name a few.
My cousin Harold Seigel, who died this year, earned a PhD in geophysics. He was a Putnam champion along with D.A.S. Fraser PhD (statistics) and Perham Stanley PhD (mathematics and an actuary). There is a picture of the early U of T Putnam history in Martin Friedland's history of U of T. Many of those listed became actuaries.
Yep, it's Dutch alright!
My first job after graduating with a science degree in 1963 was at the Old Princess Margaret Hospital on Sherbourne Street. Floors 6 & 7 were research facilities that housed the newly formed Department of Medical Biophysics for the University of Toronto. I was classified as a research assistant. For four years I worked in a lab just a few steps from Dr. McCulloch's lab. On at least one occasion, when an extra set of hands were required, I got to work with Dr. McCulloch's assistants. I never appreciated the significance of this work until years later.
I do think Dr. McCulloch's technicians deserve some credit. They were the hands-on people who loyally carried out Dr. McCulloch's experiments. They included Dick Coarse, Bob Kuba, Rosemarie, Steve, and others whose names I cannot recall. (And if you think this was an easy job, try doing an IV injection on the tail vein of a mouse).
What an honour it is to have been present when some of this work was being done.
What about the Armenian genocide no one talks about? The Turks killed 90 per cent of the Armenian population and it is still illegal to talk about it in Turkey.
I just finished reading the biography of Steve Jobs. I think that somewhere, Steve is cheering on the work of TAGlab. Thanks for this interesting story.
Wow, I have never thought of first-year classes like that: acting as a filter for those who are truly interested in the subject. In my own experience, large classes actually helped me choose my major. With large classes, more general material that is taught, and this helps you narrow down to what you really want to learn. In large classes, you can talk to the students around you, form study groups -- and you may just make some new friends along the way.
Keep up the good work, George!
So how much did they pay you to write this?
The author of this article seems to take a Darwinian view, in which university is a sink or swim environment. The "strong" climb to the top and the so called "weak" get filtered out by the system because they couldn't acquire what the university defines as valuable. Someone who aspires to being a corporate drone -- to make a decent living (ie lots of money) without having to do a whole lot of deep critical thinking -- would have no qualms with a university being impersonal and distant.
The course material that is taught at U of T in first-year biology or engineering is more or less the same as the material taught at Queen's University, the University of Victoria, and even Harvard University and University College in London. But the student experience is better when he or she is actively engaged in a class where the professor knows how individual students are progressing, and teaches accordingly (versus being put into a large impersonal auditorium where the transfer of information is one-way and the person delivering the information is on a screen).
One cannot argue that there isn't a difference in education here. I'm sure the university would like to engage students in small classes but large lectures are just more efficient and convenient for them.
Is it because of U of T's "great international reputation" that students shouldn't hope for more than a corporate, one-dimensional education structure for our first two years of university?
Good interview. I have recently watched Shark Tank and noticed some bad vibes between Robert and Cuban. I have no idea who Cuban is, but he sure is arrogant! It takes away from the whole show when one shark feels that he is more important than the rest.
Great job, Albert!
Dear all, I would like to share the ideas within this project with you and your networks. Join the fan page on Facebook, at http://facebook.com/khadijahgoestoschool, to learn more, to stay updated, and to inform your networks.
I was wondering about how to get this into various levels of school as the themes are relevant for all levels in varying detail (grade school, high school, university). Please contact me if you know of potentially interested parties.
Here is what others are saying about Khadijah Goes to School:
"...this remarkable book about learning, reading, cultural diversity and helping each other." --Indigo Love of Reading Foundation
“A bridge-building concept" --OMNI News
"Innovative, colourful, and groundbreaking" --NOW Magazine
"It truly encapsulates the spirit of The Word On The Street as it promotes literacy as a fundamental skill of a good life." --The Word on the Street Toronto Literary Festival
"Book Inspires Discussion" --Mississauga News
Such an interesting article. It always amazes me all the stuff that goes on here at U of T. It'd be great to have a centralized forum documenting all of the cool stuff U of T is up to!
I can't wait for this to be completed and see the new U of T!
I don't necessarily agree with the author in their notion that U of T's stance is to weed out and push aside, but I also don't agree with Peter's idea that it's all cold and impersonal. It's been my experience that courses can be a bit large at U of T, but you have to remember that it's a university working on the notion of "accessible education, and research" first. Large classes are symptomatic of universities that have large demands, and somewhat low income. U of T competes and does extremely well on the international scene. Some of my first-year courses were large. But generally the profs and TAs for these courses were good. In second year, class sizes got smaller. Third year again.
I don't think the author is trying to say that people are going to be shucked aside as soon as they start getting into a rough spot. There are so many campus programs designed to help with this, you just have to put your hand out for help. What I think he's trying to get at is that in your degree-requirement courses you can expect to be in a larger class, because everyone is going to need to get the credit, and most of the more hands-on learning and questions can be handled in office hours, discussion boards and tutorials. For courses that aren't required, you get a more personalized feel with the prof. You can ask questions, spend a bit more time, etc. I don't think there's a single program at U of T that has you in multi-hundred-person classes the entire way through.
Although it's true that many classes at U of T are large, that's not the case for all classes. In the two years that I've been here, I've only had three such classes. Of course, that's not the case for everyone, and I have found that large classes can teach you responsibility and independence, but even in large classes, there is always help provided to understand the material. It is university, so you are expected to study on your own to fully understand the material.
Labs and tutorials are very helpful and my TAs have always been willing to answer questions over email or during their office hours. The same goes for professors, though they are understandable busier. There are also other resources you can turn to: language workshops and math aid and writing centres. Bigger classes can be frustrating, but they don't necessarily mean that you won't get the help you need to succeed.
Is this a satire?
This is the best article I've read so far this year. I think Muslims, Jews and Christians should all read and understand it so we can avoid these waves of fanaticism. Thank you Eva!
This picture shows a partially completed Convocation Hall without the dome that is the crowning architectural feature of the building. Readers may be interested to know that the construction of the dome presented a major challenge to the builder A.B. Coleman, a well-known developer in Toronto. After much experimentation (the photo may be showing one of the attempts), Mr. Coleman contracted with a bridge-building firm to construct the dome on the ground, raise it with a bridge-like structure built over the building, and lower it in place from the bridge.
Mr. Coleman never attended school above elementary grades, but his daughters, Mary and Kathleen, both graduated from Victoria College. Kathleen is remembered by a scholarship: the Kathleen (Coleman) Krenz Scholarship, at Victoria University.
It's so great to see U of T administration's own media organ print a story that so mindlessly opposes the principled stands being taken by actors such as UTSU in favor of quality and accessibility of education. Huge classes make it hard to connect with profs and engage in meaningful exchange and learning? Noooo... you just need to grow up! And what, you think tuition fees are being managed in a way that excludes the most marginalized students? You just don't understand that the university has bigger priorities, like appropriating our resources for massive investments in flagship priorities like the Munk School, decided in secret without consultation. Welcome to U of T, a school being sold off in blocks to the highest corporate bidders, where students interested in excellence in education and research had better tow the neoliberal line if they want to join the officially-sanctioned 'conversation'.
You don't need to pay thousands and go to U of T for large classes. Anyone can offer textbook regurge multiple-choice-style courses.
This is a horrible analogy. I think that doing a sloppy job at admitting undergraduate students, because the university wants to maximize revenue from entering students, and then doing this "filtration" is just a way of saying: we rob you of two years of tuition and self-esteem, and then if you're lucky, you might be admitted to these upper-year courses, or end up indebted to our university or the lovely OSAP system. I think it's absolutely horrible to create a survival game, and select the "fittest" students who can flourish in such a horrible learning environment. We are in fact asking people to expect the least, when they are taught by the same generation who enjoyed the leverage of subsidized education and small class sizes, and -- needless to say -- incredibly low tuition fees.
Sounds like hypocrisy to me..
So to sum up: Come to U of T, where by 4th year you'll be convinced you never deserved a quality education in the first place. Small classes are for entitled chumps!
This is just weird.
Unfortunately I must admit that I do not primarily like ANY reality shows, and added to that I feel Canada still has such a wretched budget for the CBC. It’s almost unattainable for any Canadian show, of any type, to be entertaining and flourishing. With Robert Herjavec, I find both his reality shows to be laden with GOLD (most undoubtedly…pun intended). He is a genius.
There is a term for nonsense like this that you learn in your 500+ student history courses: social darwinism. My grandfather got a great education working in the coal mines at age 12. Maybe the U of T administration should see if there are some active mines around they could use for classrooms. Students could pay their tuition in coal! May the best survive. Love the "article."
This is a joke, right? Right? No one actually thinks this is a real article, right?
I have to say, this piece is terrible, even as propaganda pieces go. And I do research on Soviet propaganda magazines. How embarrassing for U of T.
Trying to correct the facts in a propaganda piece is always a loser's game, since propaganda is by its very nature uninterested in factual correctness. But I can't resist correcting the grossly untrue opening paragraph. Since when do courses "top out" at 150 in second year and at 50 in third and fourth years? In every department I've seen, courses in excess of 150 continue in pretty much every year.
Hm. How many courses did I take where the professors repeatedly invited students to see them during office hours, because they were more or less sitting there alone (except during crunch time when people panicked and realized, oh crap, I have a professor!)? Pretty much all of them.
@Andrei: If we can use the "according to what I've personally seen" argument, can I say that more or less every one of my third-year classes were less than 50 people? Maybe art history and classics don't count as departments.
Nice to see U of T's ridiculously huge classes are churning out writers who don't feel the need to support their opinions with little things like research, evidence or facts.
U of T, you should be ashamed of putting your name on this drivel.
So what's being done about it? Why is iron deficiency not being treated more effectively, prevented, and caught before it becomes a cost issue?
I wish I'd read this post last month when I applied to a bunch of journalism schools. Now I'm having major second thoughts, and am thinking of going into geology. I think you hit the nail on the head when you say 'It’s easy to plan your future without having to worry about money or job security while your parents are paying for university.' This is so true.
They're also churning out writers who begin two consecutive sentences with "But." Also, not even a wink to accompany a gem like this: "Most of us subscribe to this notion – even I do sometimes – though I would never admit it in public."
As a student charged with academic offense, I only have one thing to say. "It's very simplistic to think that academic offenses take place because students are too lazy or not responsible."
Not to say that there's no personal responsibility, but look at the unfair structure of our education system that put students under tremendous financial pressure, bad job prospects, and lack of enough tutorials and office hours because of low budget.
In addition, most penalties given by the administration is not proportionate to the offense and usually over-punish students.
I saved this article from my 2005 issue and pulled it out as it is Black History Month. It might be an idea to feature it on your home page for the month of February.
If this isn't propaganda, it's a depressing and utterly inaccurate worldview of the possibilities of what a college education (and a career after college) can be. But if you keep believing this is all the world can be, I'm sure you'll do a good job making it real.
I enjoyed taking your online survey very much. I discovered that I am an Autonomous Rebel. As a mature student and a student of life, this fits well with my personality and where I hope to go. Your research is fascinating.
Great article U of T mag! I agree with E. J. Taylor, hats off to Bryan Walls for following his spirit. I will forward this article to many contacts.
The article concludes with a ringing quotation from Marshall McLuhan: “If we understand the revolutionary transformations caused by new media, we can understand and control them; but if we continue in our self-induced ... trance, we will be their slaves."
The trance, however is not "self-induced." And the direction of the new media revolution has not been led by its technology, but by the ownership of the technology. This revolution to monopolist corporate ownership has strait-jacketed the new media into conveyors of owners’ and advertisers’ mass messages, images and propaganda.
Perhaps a reason that McLuhan is so enduring is that he avoids this critical meaning altogether. Rather he mystifies the really revolutionizing effects of the new media into ramblings of technologism spiced with literary wit.
So there is truth in what McLuhan says in a way that he does not penetrate. "If we continue in our self-induced trance, we will be their slaves" – not of the media, but of the corporate money sequences running them.
John McMurtry
PhD 1961
I was not interested in Michael Ignatieff at all when he was running for political office as he comes across as arrogant, lacking in focus and evasive. He's just as uninteresting and unappealing in print, although this article is entertaining due to the great questions.
I am researching my family tree from here in West Wales U.K. and I am proud to note that a distant relative left the University of Toronto money from his estate - his name was Elliot Gibson Heslop (1905 - 1998). It may have not been a large sum, but from a young man who emigrated to Canada from a tiny farm in Yorkshire - didn't he do well? From way back, the Hills Family, of which he is descended, made sure their children learned to read and write. I wish all your students well in their studies and hope they appreciate how lucky they are to have such a great university to study at.
Pretty amazing things happening at U of T!
I am very interested in this program. How can I register for this summer? And what are the other awesome programs in U of T? Thx :)
Amazing shot!! The colour and depth are so original.
The problem with creating an Africentric school is some fundamental questions need to be answered first.
What is "black"?
There are many cultures in Toronto that have the ethnicity of "black." Black Canadians and black people of other countries do not necessarily get along and might not be tolerant of each other, so is an Africentric school going to remove all predjudice or will it lead to cross-black discrimination?
Should students of mixed heritage be allowed into these institutions?
Why should black people have this privilege? Blacks in Toronto may have come to Canada via the underground railway -- or from Jamaica, Brazil, Ethiopia, etc. Should all blacks be able to attend an Africentric school? Where does it end? Should we also set up special publicly funded schools for other ethnic groups?
If anything, black schools inhibit tolerance for the wider spectrum of ethnic groups in Toronto. They bundle black people up in their own world and do not prepare them for the multicultural environment that is the reality of Toronto.
What a fantastic and innovative idea to generate electricity. I have always been interested in human-powered devices, especially when it comes to actually generating electrical energy. For a number of years I have worked in science and physics, and have built a number of similar bikes. I currently own a converted mountain bike that runs a 24vdc x 250 watt electric scooter motor as a generator off the back wheel via a drive belt. The output is fantastic at low cranking speed. As I live in Australia, I run a 240vac x 600 watt inverter off the small generator, which enables me to operate electronic equipment up to 200 watts @ 240vac.
To help dispel some of the misconceptions I'm reading here:
http://swaymag.ca/people-community/thando-hyman-aman-first-principal-of-torontos-africentric-alternative-school/
answer to question #3
They (the doctors/scientists) take the assumption "1 in 1,000 people have the virus" based on that test which have 5% false positive rates. Right?
Let's take 100,000 people, the test will show 100 of them have the virus. But since the test have 5% false positive rates, so 5% of that 100 people actually don't have the virus, so people who actually have the virus is 95 people out of 100.000 = 0.00095 = 0.095% = slightly less than 1%.
Btw, I got the other questions correct, except #5 which I answered yes.
Your writing is excellent and your insights valid. I want to get in touch with you for a story I'm writing for the Canadian Jewish News - could you please email me with your contact details asap?
This is such an important initiative ! It is quite likely that Prof. Jha is not popular with many physicians and NGOs that are benefiting from the official statistics of the WHO !
1984 anyone?
No comments?
Surprising, because this story is very inspiring.
So many older, prospective PhD students tend to worry about starting the degree later on in life. Concerns about competitiveness and ageism are common. However, the advantages that come with age and experience seem to fit nicely with the sort of discipline and commitment required to complete a PhD.
The headline states: "A U of T team finally settles the question of where Tom Thomson was buried." [my italics]
The last paragraph of the article: " Nothing short of DNA analysis can confirm the identity..." [my italics]
It seems that several different people wrote this article. Roy's book on Tom Thomson was an outstanding piece of research but it only narrowed the search for the final resting place of our greatest artist.
Douglas Auld
MA 1965
Well, it's just speculation until someone does a study on whether this type of educational system makes U of T students more prepared for the workforce. So good job on the research there. I seriously doubt that this makes better workers, though.
I think Mr. Portoraro's suspicion that the size of classes are "a common grievance among students at most Canadian universities" is inaccurate. As a former university student from the province of Quebec, I have never been in a class of more than 100 students, and most of my courses, from first to third year of B.A., had fewer than 40 people. (And there were more than 35,000 students at this university). From what I know of other universities in the province, this was not unusual. And I don't think it prevented us from being prepared for life...
U of T doesn't seem to be the norm, but rather the exception in this matter, and it should in no way become a norm. U of T needs to deal with the problem of class sizes.
By the way: there are other ways than increasing tuition in order to have more professors and smaller classes...
I find it hilarious that U of T Magazine is still featuring this article three months after it was first posted! Don't you have any new propaganda to churn out?
Excellent reviews on unannounced advances in medical imaging. The Canadian Institute for Health Care Professional (www.hppn.ca) welcome news and announcements on the results of the use of innovative Medical & Health Technologies across Canada.
Keep up the great work.
I'm trying to find information on Jo Jo Stirrett who played for U of T in the 1920 Grey Cup winning against Toronto Argonauts.
He scored a touchdown, dribbling a fumble by an Argo player over the goal line, falling on it for the touchdown.
Are there any pictures around of that 1920 team -- or list of players on that team?
To those hating on Frosh: try to come out of your comfort zone. Jana is right. Frosh is about being able to act silly without having to be so self-conscious.
It interesting to have the most efficient, but do you have numbers eg.: Lumen/watt?
I am very interested in learning more about this therapy. How would I be able to access it?
@John: I would suggest calling Dr. Halik's office in Markham, at 905-472-7123
The efficiency at 100 nits (typical brightness of a mobile display) is approximately 230 lm/W.
Paul Oberman has had such a powerful impact on the conservation of historic Toronto sites and forward-thinking ideas of incorporating historic buildings into the modern fabric of our city.
It is also inspirational that Paul did not attend university and became such a prominent figure in the architectural community. I am incredibly interested to hear of his story of having achieved such prominence without a university education as it is very difficult to achieve without having family money or connections behind such an endeavor.
Please do share to be an inspiration to those that do not have the opportunity to use a degree or the connections met through attending post-secondary school to pursue similar goals.
Ron and I were teammates on the Metropolitan Motors of the Leaside Baseball League. Ron earned the nickname "Silky" after the racehorse "Silky Sullivan" due to his blinding running speed on the base paths (chuckle). I went on to play professional baseball in 1957 in the Nebraska State Rookie League after signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the AAA International League. In 1957 I played for the Holdrege White Sox and in 1958 I played for the Orlando Flyers in the Florida State League. At the time it was class "D" ball which is equivalent to the present day "A" ball. I also attended U of T and graduated in 1958.
Now that technology has made intelligence obsolete, it has become a fetish. This is now the best way to make money off it (just like automobiles and exercise).
Further to Betty Tennant's comments: It should be noted Dr. Gordon Bates formed a Diptheria Toxoid Committee to counteract the vocal opposition to immunization. Not co-incidentally, his early manuscripts included papers on the anti-toxin laboratories at the School of Hygiene (ca. 1914). Parenthetically he wrote The Humility of a University -- though he himself was not very humble.
Good luck convincing white Canadians, who comprise 80% of the population, to support a plan that would involve tens of millions of mostly non-white and non-western immigrants from developing nations moving here.
Some words for Vera, Edna and especially, Lee
Oh beautiful Woman of the Earth
ground me
connect me
remind me
that my Spirit Soars
and my Spirit Soars
with yours
and All Creation.
Lead me back
to Courage
to Love
to Grow
to Be
One with my Dream.
Is this why we came, those years ago
in search of the Truth
buried so deep
beneath the ashes and the tears
beneath the fear and the grief
the Simple Truth
waiting patiently
waiting. The Truth
the Simple Truth
waiting so patiently.
The Simple Truth
set free with the Drum
the Simple Truth
set free with the Song
the Simple Truth
set free with the Dance
the Simple Truth
set free in the Joy
The Simple Truth
set free
to soar
in All Creation.
Beautiful Women of the Earth
silenced for so long
my Spirit Knows Your Pain
Your Spirit knows My Pain
you share your Vision
I see my Vision
you ground me
connect me
remind me
that my Spirit Soars
and my Spirit Soars
with yours
and All creation. ~
I can't thank you enough for the good memories you evoked with your tribute to the great scholar and teacher, Northrop Frye. Taking a class with Prof. Frye in Old Vic was both inspirational and a life-changer. He had a low-key but intense style of lecturing that was completely mesmerizing. He revealed how to read for greater insight and, importantly, how to make legitimate and imaginative connections in literature – and in life. I often walked out of his classroom feeling more connected, modestly smarter and that the world made more sense. He taught me how to think independently and gave me an understanding of both responsibility and the concept of real freedom – something I’ve tried to pass on to my own students as part of their “educated imagination.”
John Borovilos
BA 1970 Victoria College, MEd 1976 OISE
Toronto
The president’s column commemorates the university’s relationship with bio-tech companies. Many groups around the globe, including Canadian farmers, are fighting against increasing control by bio-tech firms, notably in the food sector. So what exactly is the president’s message?
Mike Scapillato
UTSC 1972
It is wonderful to see all these new developments in gadgets that may help in diagnosing illness. However, what will be the criteria to determine who will get these tests? Surely the cost involved in imaging everybody just to see if he or she will develop Alzheimer's 10, 20 or 40 years down the road would be prohibitive.
I am interested to learn more about this story. What would be the best way to get in touch with Lee Maracle and ask her specifically about the food culture of First Nations?
Lee Maracle can be reached at Lee [dot] Maracle [at] utoronto [dot] ca
As always, there are many neat and interesting things going on at U of T!
This is an interesting and insightful article. I wish there were an easy solution, but I doubt that will be coming anytime soon.
Still cannot wait to see the new Munk School! All of these various new projects sound so incredible!
It makes you wonder who among U of T's current profs will gain such high praise. The university's tradition of attracting the best and the brightest is certainly one of the reasons this school is what it is. I feel very fortunate to be studying here.
The pond idea is pretty cool, along with the idea of making U of T food trucks. Course enrollment is a nightmare.
His actions is not far-fetched, based on what his name means. In Africa, the name a person bears often determines -- or has a major role to play -- in that individual's destiny. (Olowolafe - "It is a wealthy individual we want"). I'm proud to associate with this young man. He's an inspiration to me and other young Africans back here in Africa.
Too bad Frye is not studied nor read anymore in most universities...
“He’d leave the room, and there’d be a stunned hush, and then everyone would burst out chattering, bowled over at how much was covered.”
I once had a history professor of whom it was said, if you dropped your pencil during a lecture you would miss two whole centuries.
Frye seemed the same sort of guy.
Anatomy of Criticism is a little like Aristotle's Poetics. Aristotle said plot was the crucial element of fiction and drew some inferences from that -- which went mostly unrefuted. Frye showed that there were four basic plots. more or less. But neither theorist established what we now call a "research program" that others could imitate and extend.
To understand a story one must follow it along, like an argument. The story's plot is central, and it turns out that there are only so many basic plots. Frye worked out the details of the four basic forms, and added a quasi-religious sense of what the purpose of it all is. Aristotle thought good stories gave us psychological knowledge. However, as in the case of anatomy itself (the biological discipline), once you have the facts about plots right, that is just about that. Poetics and Anatomy are two of the greatest works of literary theory ever written. The third is Meyer Abrams' The Mirror and the Lamp (Galaxy Books, 1971), which describes the one significant change in our basic ideas about literature in the last 2,500 years: the move from the centrality of fictional stories to expression. Sadly, these texts are not much read by students today.
I never had the privilege of hearing Frye in person, let alone of taking classes from him. Pondering over his books has made me wistful for "the real thing." We shall not see his like again.
In the late 1970s, I studied at a yeshiva (rabbinical seminary) on the West Bank called Yeshivat Har Etzion. It was headed by two rabbis, one of whom, Aharon Lichtenstein, earned a PhD in English literature from Harvard. One day, the handful of us who knew something about these things, stared wide-eyed as none other than Northrop Frye, accompanied by his wife, walked into the Beit Midrash (study hall). As the aforementioned rabbi spoke to him and mentioned that his adviser at Harvard had been Douglas Bush, Mrs. Frye, hearing a familiar name in this profoundly unfamiliar setting, began to exclaim excitedly, "Norrie - he knows Doug! He knows Doug!"
It was later reported to us that Frye was struck in particular by two things: the yeshiva method of studying text known as havruta, in which students sit in pairs, read texts together and discuss them as they go; and the rapt attention and reverential silence in which students listened to the shiurim (lectures).
Just a minor, minor footnote to Frye's illustrious career, I know, but I think it deserves to be remembered.
Daniel, thanks for these creative ideas and comments. I'll share them immediately with some of my colleagues in administrative exile. For now, I'll just reply briefly to each one....
1. New student information system is under rapid development, as you note.
2. Will flag for others today.
3. I'll leave that one to the terrific team at the Varsity.
4. Very interesting! Certainly worth discussion.
5. Wow. I thought we'd really moved Wi-Fi access/bandwidth along. OK, we'll look again.
6. Don't know about blazers; I do know about the ties. Believe it or not, I also complained earlier this year, and new designs (narrower and more varied) are in production thanks to Kyle Winters, perhaps the best-dressed man in the administration.
7. The idea of an online chat service is intriguing.
8. Um, no. A flotilla of soccer and baseball players would sail across the pond to lay siege to Simcoe Hall.
Again, Daniel, thanks for your great ideas and your contributions to the U of T Magazine.
Best wishes for future success.
David Naylor
I'm not sure when I first came across Anatomy of Criticism, but it was likely in the 1970s, at the Johns Hopkins University where I studied and could only afford paperback books. In the early- to mid-70s I began writing about Thomas Pynchon, and soon it became clear that one of Pynchon's favorite genres was "Menippean Satire" as described by Frye.
One of Pynchon's favorites at Cornell was Prof. M. H. Abrams; and furthermore, Abrams was a champion of Frye's in the U.S. Wrote Abrams: "... In [Anatomy] ... Frye has proved himself to be the most innovative, learned and important literary theorist of my generation." I think Pynchon was a student of Frye's, once removed. I wonder if anyone who might be reading this might know of any connection, formal or informal, between Frye and Pynchon. Please respond if you know of any such. Thankfully, C.H.
I was extremely thrilled to be a part of this amazing moment! Max surprised me and our mutual friend (Jiyoung's) by his plan without telling her!
I wish this lucky couple all the best life has to offer in their new journey together with success, good health, joy, happiness and everlasting love!
[His notebooks also reveal a genuine interest in Buddhism and Islam – he had particular time for religions where God takes on human form.]
Odd that you should mention these two, then.
[This study is scientific proof that gays are just another type of human and not rebellious misfits.]
Wow, thank god we got that straight.
Daniel,
Congratulations on your pending graduation! I'm glad to see you've maintained your interest and sense of humour in the face of some of our challenges.
You've really hit the nail on the head with your first two issues: improving how students plan and request course enrolments, and enabling them to get into the courses they want and need. Both represent challenges for us, but also areas of substantial activity recently.
In the next 12 months, students should see substantial improvements to the web interface with ROSI to help them deal with 'ROSI crush.' Most exciting are new tools to help students plan their courses and programs, and explore course options more easily, before they have to start enrolling in courses.
We're also directing increased resources to more instructors and more course spaces, to help ensure that students' planning is supported by improved access to the desired courses.
Thanks for taking the time to offer up these reflections. We look forward to hearing how your education in Arts & Science equipped you for life after U of T. Best of luck with future endeavours!
George you have been dancin' away from me like a butterfly in a breeze. I have called, written and my words die like a lost albatross on an unknown and anonymous ocean. I am not the sentimental type but I would like you to meet a young artist friend of mine Quentin "Vercetty" Lindsay. Check him out at:
http://www.youdunknow.org/
Be sure to check out his Spoken Word section. May your muse always whisper in your heart!
"We don't have an imperial past" - oh no? Tell that to the indigenous First Nations of this land. Then tell it to the the people of the Carribbean whose banks are owned by Bay Street; to the people of Latin America whose lands are stolen and polluted by Toronto mining companies; to the migrant workers who are treated like pawns for profit and denied rights and dignity in this colonial country; to the Afghans who believe they would be better off without foreign military occupation. More than a past, we have an imperial present.
When I was growing up in Toronto, the Fryes were quite often at our house -- my father taught philosophy at Victoria College from 1945 until his death in 1965. While Frye seemed austere, although not unfriendly, his wife Helen was wonderful and took an interest in my struggles at high school. I always felt better after talking with her.
Jeffery Donaldson, one of Frye's former students (now a teacher at McMaster), has created a beautiful description of the scholar in his poem "Museum," from the collection Palilalia (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2008). Read it and come away simply in awe of what language in the hands of a master such as Frye or Donaldson can do.
Allan Irving
PhD 1983
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
@Alex I work in a special day school in which all of the children have developmental and intellectual delays. They are unable to read, but some of them can communicate through PIC symbols.
Is there any chance that you can adapt this program to use symbols or pictures of signs? This would open up the program to a whole different range of people. Even deaf children, who do not yet read at a high level, could use this app by reading the signs.
Just an idea, but i think it would be awesome. What do you think?
Sharon
I don't see why it has to be either/or.
As in why certain lit forms have to be kept out of a curriculum so that the historical templates for greatness can shine.
It would be kinda tragic if the past were being disregarded completely in favor of something more easily digestible and hovering in dangerous vicinity to the orbit of words like urban or edgy, but I can't see that being the case here at all.
All I mean is that I'm pretty sure Shakespeare can hold his own while Mos Def is playing, even though both of them understand words in their own way. To suggest differently trivializes everything written after 1616, and I'm not trying to be modernistic or anything but it doesn't hurt to appreciate what's going on right now.
There isn't any substitute for the real or the immediate, and even though maybe a substantial amount of what's being written now is cloudy and self-aware to the extent that there isn't much value in it anymore, the difficulty exists in diving for little pearls of understanding and cultivating a genuine love and patience for the craftsmanship that comes with housing all those shapeless ethereal human discoveries.
How could those qualities ever be independent from Dante, even without his own tailor-fitted version of Italian and set to a really tight Premier beat?
OLED was discovered by Dr. Ching Tang while he was working on thin film solar cells at the Kodak Research Labs around 1980. Its main advantage, aside from high image quality, is that the screen does not require any outside source of light, unlike the current LED-illuminated LCD screens; only a small amount of electrical power is required. This is what makes "roll up" screens possible. As in the case of the digital camera, Kodak invented the ball but did not pick it up and run with it. OLED's further development was licensed to a number of firms and it has a multibillion-dollar future.
Dr. Tang now holds a professorial position at the University of Rochester, and last year was awarded the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, an honor second only to the Nobel prize and one that often leads to the Nobel.
My husband and I are both U of T alumni and we were living in Tokyo when the big quake occurred. It changed our lives profoundly, but we decided to stay despite all of the troubles associated with possible radiation exposure and ongoing aftershocks. I agree with Mr. Racine's stance on how the Western media sensationalized what happened with Fukushima, and the senseless reports on bans of groceries.
However, to say that his family and his neighbours refuse to drink the tap water for fear of radiation exposure, may be causing readers to assume that the tap water is not safe to consume. This is simply not true. The tap water in Tokyo and surrounding areas is safe to drink. We filter it, not because of possible contamination, but because we prefer the taste. To suggest that Japan is under a fallout fog, with the exception of the immediate Fukushima Daiichi area, is just adding to the sensationalism.
I don't discount Mr. Racine's concerns and experiences here in Japan. And his health concerns are important ones, given the impending arrival of his child. However, I do feel it would be responsible to have other perspectives. Japan is a safe and wonderful place to live, we have no intentions of leaving it.
Joanne Yu
PhD 2008
Tokyo
She is amazing. No more, thats it.
Human rights, blah blah blah. When the West stops terrorizing populations on every continent with its invasions and bombings and sanctions and aggressive resource extraction companies and forced structural adjustment programs and 'counter-terrorism' campaigns (all in the name of "democracy" and "development", of course), then I just might take seriously the hand-wringing. As long as "China" serves as a discursive foil for our values and fantasies of virtue, we will be missing the whole point of basically everything.
Great job! I wish that thousands people of Afghanistan that have lost their legs due to mines can benefit from this.
Keep up the good work. I like simplicity. Less likely to go wrong, less costly and more likely to actually serve the need.
This is great news. I know of someone in Trinidad and Tobago who could definitely benefit from this. Is there any plans for distribution to this country?
I was excited to see a photo of Convocation Hall during construction. (Frank Darling was a distant relative.) What I find intriguing are:
1. The placement of the observatory. I knew that it was not originally located in front of Hart House, and recently I found a meridian-line monument on the lawn in front of the Sandford Fleming Building. May I assume that the observatory stood directly over that line?
2. The observatory was named the "Stewart Observatory." Does that mean it was named after Prof. L.B. Stewart of the civil engineering department, who was a Dominion Topographical Surveyor (a rare distinction, roughly equivalent to at PhD granted by the federal government)?
David H. Gray
BASc 1968, MASc 1971
Ottawa
Very good work. This is what making a change is all about.
Sirs, I am India-based. Can anyone inform me how I can use this innovative low-cost limb?
@Gopi Sharma
The limb is still undergoing testing, but I understand that it will be made commercially available in the next year. For more information, contact the Bloorview Research Institute in Toronto.
I looove Quidditch :D
Amazing work, Jay! Always great to see fellow alumni in the spotlight.
What a wonderful gift!
Although the focus of this article is on the program's origins, the program could not have grown without the consistent leadership of a number of other women: Margrit Eichler, Kathryn Morgan, Mary Nyquist, Sylvia Van Kirk, Sharzad Mojab, Heather Murray, June Larkin and several others.
The endowment of various scholarships targeted to women by the City of Toronto could not have taken place without the support of former Mayor June Rowlands and former Councillor Anne Johnston, leaders in their own fields.
I am really grateful that I have access to dental care. There are a lot of people in the world who don't. I did not go to the dentist a lot as a teenager, but now I go whenever I can get in.
I was just starting my career when this was happening. Great role models and wonderful examples of women fighting for rights. The changes they achieved have made a significant impact on my life and of many women globally. Thank you all!
Outstanding soldier and doctor. As a former Canadian Armed Forces officer, I salute him.
Thank you for posting this story. I experienced a similar situation my first two years of university, eventually withdrawing from my classes towards the end of my second year. Even though I returned the next year I have been slowly working towards my degree in order to balance a full-time job. Stress and anxiety is something I still deal with. Even today, I started panicking at the thought of another year-and-a-half left in my degree. I worry about pleasing my parents, about seeing all my friends graduate and about what I look like to everyone else. I also experience feelings of hopelessness, and question if I will ever even finish my degree. I'm glad to see I am not the only one who needed to prolong my degree in order to gain some perspective and truly appreciate what I am there for -- the knowledge, not the parties.
Having been a lay participant in York Region's early rapid transit development initiatives, I read your article on GTA gridlock with great interest.
And having worked for a Fortune 100 American company for more than three decades, I have had an opportunity to visit many cities in North America and abroad, what works there, and what wasn't mentioned in your multi-page article. For example:
It's well-known that development follows transit, and vice versa, so I hope Metrolinx's simulations take this into account. The Yonge subway line was already at full capacity several years ago.
There are other capital options that work. Centralized computer-controlled traffic signals smooth surface traffic flow. They did this in Toronto back in the day, but Toronto's system has not kept up. The wireless technologies available now can allow signal-to-signal optimization of traffic flows at reasonable cost. Such systems have been implemented elsewhere, such as San Francisco.
After a long career marketing technical products and solutions, it is frustrating to hear the debate devolve to subways vs LRT. Sloganeering like this polarizes the debate by focusing on solutions before the problem has been defined. To paraphrase the Cheshire Cat, if you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. Although from very different eras and levels of sophistication, Vancouver, New York City and Chicago use overhead systems successfully in high-density urban areas where land availability and budgets are scarce, for example.
In L.A., there are dedicated toll expressways that charge by time of day and discount fees by passenger occupancy levels, which allows people to pay for rapid movement if they need it. In Toronto, I could see charging tolls for the express lanes on 401 (although the ratio of collector to express lanes might need to be adjusted), and implementing a parallel structure on 407.
Speaking of the expressway we all love to complain about, I watched the privately-constructed 407 completed in about the same time period as it would have taken the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to prepare the tender documents after funding was finally approved by the province. It's an expensive road, but IT WORKS. Thank you, Mike Harris for signing a contract preventing subsequent Queen's Park administrations from messing it up to placate the loudest special interest groups.
However these or other infrastructure investments are to be funded, it needs to be a GTA-wide endeavour so that companies will locate where it makes best business sense, and not in the municipality that subsidizes them the most.
This issue is too important to our future well-being, and we need to stop confusing "the how" with "the what".
R. A. Jamieson
PEng 1974
Aurora, Omtario
A very good man and a great teacher.
Thank you for this article. In my time at U of T I remember taking a course "Women and Power in French Society." I enjoyed being able to spend a semester learning about bright, inspiring women.
One can take inspiration from anyone, regardless of their gender, and I do every day. What is important about gender studies is that ensures that the accomplishments made by women and stories don't get lost.
There will always be critics who will ask about the relevance about singling out studies based on gender. I would rather the conversation be about how what other studies can be singled out so that we may gain a greater appreciation of all the parts that make up the greater system we live in.
One point was overlooked here: why people get in their cars and drive to work in the first place. Most people drive to work to sit at their computers, answer the telephone and send or receive a fax. They don't need to drive to an office to do this. They can do this at home.
Companies should be legislated or subsidized heavily to allow their employees to work at home on a part-time or full-time basis. Some companies are huge into telecommuting and some are not into it at all. Having done both, it is inconceivable to me to drive to work when I can do the same thing at home. This also applies to taking the TTC to work.
Working at home has many benefits besides not creating gridlock - namely, and number one, less stress on the employee, which makes for a much more productive employee.
Cassandra Phillips
BSc 1978 Victoria
Toronto
As a U of T engineering alumnus with a deep commitment to eliminating congestion from the world's expressways, I was disappointed -- but not surprised -- by the anti-car/transit-only stance of this article.
Here are quotes from the article with my comments:
Across the Greater Toronto Area, hundreds of thousands of commuters take to the region's highways every day because they feel public transit is not an option for them.
Toronto area commuters take cars instead of transit because they prefer the shorter commute time, the convenience, the quiet private ride, and the schedule flexibility, over public transit's comparatively slow, noisy, crowded and inconveniently scheduled service.
Until transit becomes a convenient solution in the entire region," says U of T geographer Andre Sorensen, who studies land use in the GTA, "we're not going to solve our congestion problems. That's the dilemma.
Given the massive capital and operating taxpayer subsidies it would require, public transit alone will never solve Toronto's traffic congestion problem. The idea that greatly expanded public transit will motivate large numbers of car commuters to abandon their autos is a pipe dream promoted by an elitist "transportation establishment" seeking to build a mega-sized transit empire financed by billions of dollars in new taxes and tolls for both transit construction and operation. We're only going to solve our congestion problem when visionary politicians demand practical yet innovative thinking from our transportation experts. We need visionary politicians who are not afraid to build desperately needed new highway capacity, and champion technological innovation to eliminate congestion on existing highways. We can completely fix expressway congestion in the Greater Toronto Area for a tiny fraction of the $50-billion capital price tag of the Metrolinx "Big Move" regional transit plan.
People need travel options besides cars, says [UofT civil engineering professor Eric] Miller, who suggests "demand management" tools such as gas taxes, road tolls on the 400-series highways or congestion charges, like those used in downtown London to dissuade people from driving into the city core at certain times of the day.
There is nothing wrong with the auto. Practical, cost-effective technology can greatly reduce congestion on busy expressways. It seems to me that one roadblock at U of T to a car-friendly technology solution, could be U of T's profound dependence on government (i.e. taxpayer) largesse. Is it possible that U of T faculty would hesitate to explore, let alone publicly endorse, potentially practical technology solutions for highway congestion because the Dalton McGuinty Liberal government of Ontario financially supports U of T?
Andre Sorensen, however, argues that Metrolinx remains overly focused on expanding GO bus services, particularly to Union Station. "It doesn't really create a regional transit system," he says, "It just puts [more] people on the 400-series highways.
The 400-series highways (and Don Valley Parkway, Allen Expressway and Queen Elizabeth Way) are capable of carrying much more traffic than at present if decongested by made-in-Ontario technology. Unfortunately, the McGuinty Liberals view public transit primarily as a terrific machine for creating union jobs. They hope to create thousands of more taxpayer-subsidized transit jobs, filled by people who naturally will vote for yet more taxpayer-subsidized transit. McGuinty et al. don't want to fix Toronto-area expressway congestion in situ by spearheading development of comparatively inexpensive technology, because McGuinty et al. view expressway congestion as an "incentive" for drivers to switch to public transit. The dual irony of this anti-car/transit-only ideology is:
1. Expressway users would cheerfully pay a modest toll ($1 to $3 per vehicle per business day), to enjoy safe, steady, fast, congestion-free expressway trips, enabled by innovative made-in-Ontario technology that mitigates congestion. Piggybacking road tolls on this technology would yield significant net revenues that could provide a dependable long-term source of transit funding -- not the $2 billion a year that Metrolinx seeks, but hundreds of millions a year.
2. The University of Toronto would gain immense worldwide prestige by unleashing the awesome talents of its engineering (and other) faculty and students to investigate and develop the technology, with an export potential of many billions of dollars.
***
Since 2002 I have been developing and promoting Expressway Traffic Optimization (ETO) technology for preventing traffic congestion on expressways.
ETO uses pavement-embedded signal lights to guide individual drivers in real time to use speed and spacing to ensure safe, fast and efficient expressway traffic flow.
I estimate that a capital investment in ETO of from $360 million to $720 million, can completely eliminate expressway congestion in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. That's a tiny fraction of the $50 billion capital price tag of the Metrolinx "Big Move" plan.
And while ETO can yield net toll revenues from $200 million to $600 million a year from expressway drivers paying $1 to $3 per vehicle per business day, the Metrolinx "Big Move" plan will consume in perpetuity a $1 billion annual operating taxpayer subsidy.
Toronto needs a balanced approach to transportation policy. Yes, we desperately need better public transit. We also desperately need more highway capacity, plus technology innovation to eliminate congestion from our existing highways.
Metrolinx has poured millions of dollars into developing the "Big Move" transit plan. Yet Metrolinx executives steadfastly refuse to invest "only" $500,000 to $1 million for a multidisciplinary engineering feasibility investigation into the ETO technology concept.
The vast majority of Toronto-area commuters choose to travel by private car. These denigrated car-driving voters easily have the ballot box power they need to make the ETO vision a reality.
Steve Petrie
BASc 1972
Oakville, Ontario
Contrary to the statement by geography professor Andre Sorensen, it wasn’t just free trade, cheap gas and changes in the planning process that drove business out of Toronto. A major factor was -- and continues to be -- a property tax system that encourages sprawl. New development in the suburbs is subsidized by property taxes from the City of Toronto, particularly downtown Toronto, where property values are highest.
Articles like this are very discouraging, particularly when the writer is one of the more astute observers of Toronto. It perpetuates the idea that a problem that was 50 years in the making can be fixed by building a few high-cost transit lines that will require large operating subsidies forever from people who will never use them.
An architect I know in St. Louis, Missouri, told me that a few LRT lines were built there 10 years ago, but that no one uses them because “they don’t go where you want to go.” Given the sprawl of businesses in the GTA and the low-density housing, we face the same problem. Why do we want to repeat the mistakes that are rife elsewhere in North America?
David Vallance
Toronto
I read this article with interest because I am part of the problem: I use both car and transit because I live outside the city and work in the downtown core. This is mostly because of the "inertia" of old habits. However, development policy drives local decisions. Skewed economics creates sub-optimal decisions and results. For example, higher occupancy per square meter of either real estate or vehicles (which also need real estate to operate) will have a lower shared cost per person.
Transportation policy,therefore, begins with urban planning policy. It is wrong for speculators to buy up relatively cheap farmland and pave it over to build dream houses that add to our transportation nightmares.
It is wrong for urban decision-makers to approve such development without considering transportation beyond the edge of the development.
It is wrong to make the car the default mode of transportation when better transportation technology exists.
We need to promote "live where your work and work where you live."
Gas taxes are obsolete given new transportation technology. The appropriate tax to pay for commuting infrastructure is a new "commuting tax" based on the distance commuted, and that can easily be determined by the distance between primary residence and place of work as already documented on T4 slips for people who work. This may be used to address the real cost of commuting from the 905/705 area codes in and out of the city using highways and cars and/or the GO train/subway.
When "full cost accounting" has been determined and applied, people will be motivated to adjust where they live and the transportation services they demand. We will also have a way of creating appropriate revenue streams for transportation infrastructure paid for by the user, which is appropriate when needs are differentiated by geography and service level.
I had everything right, with the exception of question 2, but the "correct" answer is faulty. One should see it as an syllogism which would make this:
statement 1: for all elements of X on earth Y is true
statement 2: X1 is on earth
conclusion Y1 is true
This is what we call formal logic. Although commonsense suggests otherwise, the statement of the mouse is true based on premises 1 and 2.
I looked forward to reading this article and learning something new from bright, educated minds. Instead, it was a boring research paper. There were no solutions offered, only safe discussion topics and stale ideas. Accountability was not mentioned. Here are some REAL problems and possibly REAL solutions:
1. Gridlock is caused by having a stop sign and/or stop light on almost every corner in Toronto. Is it any wonder that drivers speed and race to get anywhere? Slowly get rid of at least half of the gazillion that are out there and let cars move more freely. Trains and subways are not a solution for this.
2. End over-parenting by politicians. Bicycles and pedestrians are important but politicians need to make street laws clearly in favor of cars. Streets are for cars. Sidewalks are for pedestrians. People pedal through red lights, jaywalk freely, ignore crosswalk signs, step into traffic while texting because politicians and the laws have entitled them to own the streets as well as the sidewalks. Those on foot or on bike should not have equal rights on the roads. Imagine if spectators at an Indy 500 were allowed to do what pedestrians get away with in cities. If stupid and dangerous people get injured or cause accidents on streets, they should be legally held fully accountable, not drivers.
3. Give all roads and streets back to drivers. As a driver, I should have access to any street at any time. I pay for that privilege. Residential areas are mostly devoid of pedestrians during the day so why can't cars drive there at any time? Yet, cars get funneled into main thoroughfares that get clogged and gridlock results. Let drivers figure out their best routes that will get them places quickly and efficiently using any streets! Limited Access signs often result in half the city being empty of traffic and the other half in gridlock.
Seoul, Korea and Lahore, Pakistan are only two examples of huge cities where traffic moves almost all the time. Why? No stop signs! Very few stop lights. People are forced to take full responsibility for their driving and safety in traffic.
How about university minds coming up with some REAL, creative solutions for our traffic problems? Cheap talk and toll booths don't cut it.
Otto Schmidt
Toronto
It is too bad that the online article doesn't have all of the same charts that were in the print edition. The graphic on changes in device usage was very interesting.
This story is inspiring. I am currently doing some community volunteer work with a 35-year-old gentleman who has lost his vision progressively over the past two years due to glaucoma. He does not have a high school diploma and didn't live the best life for a few years, but is bright and capable of learning. He is receiving support at the CNIB, learning basic life skills as well as computer use, braille, etc. He is determined not to give up. He would like to pursue further education, find part-time work, and eventually, a career. I would be grateful for any guidance or suggestions. I wonder if Michele or other individuals with vision loss who are pursuing educational opportunities might be willing to speak with him. He needs hope, encouragement, and ideas as to how best to proceed from here.
I read the article on Toronto's transportation woes with interest. I consider this issue close to my heart.
Forty-two years ago I presented a lengthy report on the unused road, pathways and railroads running around and through Toronto. It was unbelievable to me how many abandoned rail tracks could have been brought into service for inter-city rail lines and for the expansion of the subway above ground.
Since then I have begged our provincial governments to stop the expansion of businesses and offices in downtown Toronto. In a computerized society, there is absolutely no reason for nearly everyone to go every day to an office tower in Toronto.
Similarly I begged the mayor of Mississauga to stop expanding her kingdom. For example; as soon as the overpass at Winston Church Blvd. was completed at Highway 403, the mayor allowed housing for another 41,000 people in the northwest corner of that junction. Highway 403 was never meant for that kind of traffic volume. Similarly Milton, Oakville, Burlington, Markham, Whitby and Richmond Hill grow unabated, resulting in greater traffic coming into Toronto.
There are too many factors to control - including unstoppable real estate and political greed - before you can truly tackle the transportation system.
Michael Pawlowski
St. Michael's College, 1972
For years I have been wondering why the magazine is sent in paper. Today I see an ad where it is possible to get it electronically. Finally! Not only is this saving a bit of the environment but I am far more likely to look at it electronically.
Thank you for writing this. it helps me to know someone had similar experiences to myself. i'm almost finished my first degree but things went wrong this year and I spiraled into depression. I feel i was forced to grow up too fast and do things i wasn't ready for. i want more time to grow and I want to learn more. I want to go and do another degree at another school once I graduate. You've made me feel less ashamed of the idea of needing more time before going to the next stage.
I first got to know the campus when I came to Toronto from Northern Ontario as a homeless 16-year old in 1986. At first I didn't realize that the peculiarly austere and monumental part of town that I sometimes found myself walking through on my way between the Scott Mission on Bloor Street and the Toronto Reference Library was a university.
The first university building I came to know was the St. Michael’s College library, which I wandered into by chance, not realizing that this strangely, comfortingly silent and dark place was a university library until, a few weeks afrer arriving in the city, I met my friend Jiva Das, a published poet who was now homeless and living in Philosopher’s Walk, and who had taught himself Sanskrit in the Robarts library (yes, really). He introduced me to other libraries on campus, and to the world of literature they could open to me -- most importantly Sanskrit literature. (I would later complete a BA in South Asian Studies at U of T and go on to earn my doctorate in Sanskrit language and literature at Cambridge.)
The experience of being thrown out of university buildings from time to time by the campus police, and out of Hart House by its keepers, made a very strong and formative impression on me, and taught me an important lesson about life. Years later, when I possessed the legitimacy that was supposed to make Hart House my “home”, I found its insolent and confrontation-seeking staff hardly less unpleasant than they had been when I was officially an intruder. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and I do not return to Hart House when I return to campus now on visits home from India.
You might get the impression by looking at your map of St. George wireless access points that a great deal of the St. Michael's College campus has wireless access. For example, Alumni Hall (121 St. Joseph Street) has some wireless access, but for instructional purposes, the Internet is not available in seven out of the 10 classrooms in the building.
Across the street, Carr Hall (100 St. Joseph Street) fares much better, with five of the seven classrooms connected. Next door, Teefy Hall has eight classrooms, none with wireless connections.
Internet connectivity is not absolutely essential to some classroom activity (and indeed, some instructors do not want connectivity as it can also be a major distraction, but that is a whole different discussion). But instructors and students making presentations in the classroom are often surprised that the largest undergraduate college on the St. George campus is not better connected.
As a side note, we get a lovely clear signal from the Regis College wireless system in parts of Alumni Hall. Their system is not accessible to the A&S students who study here, so just because the map may show a nice little circle somewhere doesn't mean that everyone can use that signal.
Thanks for the article, but it is really misleading alumni and shortchanging students by purporting to show coverage that isn't available.
Ian Jay
Classroom Audio/Visual Bookings
St. Michael's College
It was known as the Varsity Battery, and met as well at the Arts & Letters Club. My father, Donald Macpherson, was one of the Battery members.
Bravo, well said.
I agree with David Naylor's well-phrased comments, as I often do.
But I do have one worry: I have no argument against universities seeking a global presence as part of a growth strategy, but if to achieve greater prominence we increase diversity amongst faculty, staff and students, do we not risk forgetting Canadian values? How well does the current U of T community understand the character, history and culture of Canada? Do newcomers to Canada appreciate that being a citizen or resident of this country comes with an obligation and responsibility to protect and enhance its future?
To some, this may sound overly nationalistic. But when I look at the situations people deal with in many other countries, I feel doubly blessed that I was born and grew up in Canada and now live in the United States. I wonder if recent generations hold similar patriotic beliefs. And does the University of Toronto, as a Canadian institution, have a role in reminding the new generation what Canada is all about
Richard M. Clarke
BASc 1954
Westport, Connecticut
Hear, hear.
The author is totally right, but not about international tuition fees.
It is reasonable that international students should pay a lot more than permanent residents or citizens of Canada. But U of T has been increasing tuition fees every year. The reason why I came to Canada to study at U of T is because of the quality of the education and cheaper tuition fees than in the U.S.
But in 2010-11 it was $25,000.
In 2011-12 it was $31,000 dollars (an increase of 25%).
In 2012-13 it is $32,600.
As international students, we have fewer opportunities to get scholarships, even if we are one of the top students in the class.
Some might say, "Why dont you go to university in your own country?" I bet the education we get in our country is worth less than half of the education we get at U of T. But international students come to U of T to study, not to get ripped off.
I am just saying that they should have proper reasons to raise international tuition fees every year. Personally, I think $10,000 for an eight-month university course is reasonable.
Colleges truly are homes within our university. We should embrace them as part of our U of T identity, not denigrate them. Well written, Jonathan.
Who do I contact to join the team? Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait!
The introduction to the Arabic transliteration of Maimonides, "The Guide for Perplexed" by the famous Turkish professor Hussein Atay, said that Jewish Studies could help Muslims understand Islam. At first, I found this difficult to grasp. But after two years at Hebrew College in Boston studying for a master's degree in Jewish Studies, I came to understand Prof. Atay's opinion. There are many Koranic terms and concepts that Muslim interpreters couldn't explain because they are Hebrew.
This article uses the term "shoelace caps." The word you were looking for is "aglets."
For a Canadian living in a foreign country, where computers profess "English (United States)" and where the president uses atrocious grammar, a Canadian publication should be a welcome relief.
Barney Mulligan
BaSc 1954
Jonathan's article prompted a lot of thought on my part, and a lot of feelings, too: nostalgia, pride, belonging, joy. In a time when social media has created a new, more impersonal way of connecting with others, the value of U of T's college system is increasingly obvious.
While I was officially a Woodsworth College student, I spent my four years intimately connected with Trinity College and its residences (a long story, to be sure). I lived there for three years, dined at Strachan Hall, participated in initiations, and made many close friends—all in a time frame that saw the abolition of gender segregation at the college residences and the storied term of Margaret MacMillan.
Without the belonging I felt within the Trinity community, I wouldn't—indeed couldn't—have had the same richness of experiences. And without those experiences, I wouldn't be who I am.
To those claim that the college system jeopardizes students' larger, institutional identity, I say, in fact, that being a "U of T student" presupposes a college identity.
The method of asserting identity is local to global (specific to general), not the other way around: one is always a Trin student, consultant, or Torontonian before they're a U of T student, member of the workforce, or Canadian.
So, to the dissenters I say: Met’agona stephanos!
I think that the other fonts would make my head hurt. I am already getting a headache just by looking at the example lines. I think that the real trick is to start early. Then you don't have to freak yourself out. If I got a letter form the courier service that I usually use, I would be pretty upset if I had to wade through different print. I think that a professor would be upset as well. Who knows though, you could get lucky.
Thank you, Cory. Your writing took my hand and let me float away from here.
Great article. I have always thought that the college system at U of T is what makes it such a great BIG university. Sure you attend U of T with 40,000 other students, but you are affiliated with a much smaller number at the college. And if lucky enough to live in residence you live/eat and have fun with a group that's probably smaller than the high school you went to.
Watertable video at
https://vimeo.com/46426272
Has everyone forgotten that in 1989 Loblaws paid Pollution Probe to endorse its President’s Choice line? Loblaws has lobbied effectively to prevent labeling of genetically modified foods.
These are only two instances showing that Loblaws cares only about profits -- not about people or the environment. Using a Loblaws executive as an example of someone who is trying to make a difference to traffic gridlock is like using an oil company executive as an example of someone trying to improve air quality.
Bad example. You lost me after the first paragraph.
Jim R. Edwards
[...] out and then put back in alongside the Western troops never let the Americans in on the joke. - Bruce Rolston – who helped advise the Afghan National Army as a captain with the Canadian military’s [...]
[...] of their hotel where they caught their first glance of one another before proceeding to stroll down Philosopher’s Walk to their ceremony location at the stunning Trinity Chapel. Having met during school here in [...]
I had Dr. Westra for two Latin courses, and he was excellent -- one of the best professors I ever had. I'm sad to see that he's retired, the U of C certainly lost one of their best profs, but it's nice to see that he can relax.
RE: “While there are many possible causes – the collapse of the family as a source of strength, stress and the need to work more hours – I don’t think we can point to one factor as the only or most important one.”
The collapse of the family unit as a source of strength, is a very strong factor. As more people migrate to large metropolises in search of a better life, they bring with them the stress that comes with the struggle to make a decent living. Many do not feel they have the time or the resources to connect with people to develop new and lasting meaningful relationships. This causes even more stress. An economically depressed society that dictates that everyone must be happy all the time presents us with an unrealistic paradigm: many people simply are not able to reach a satisfactory level of financial stability. Living within rigid systems with unachievable societal dictates is always going to produce stress. Mental health experts and researchers agree that we do not completely understand the main causes for depression, and this leads me to suggest that depression may in fact be a vital defense mechanism where the body is trying to conserve energy. It could be just nature’s way of preventing us from expiring.
It's a great idea that requires action to turn it into reality. The time has come to end suffering in Africa caused by the lack of clean water. Could we have canals that stretch the width of the continent? The only way anything will happen is if someone has the determination to make it happen.
[...] “Reading is believing…It also champions diversity…” – UofT Magazine [...]
[...] “Reading is believing…It also champions diversity…” – UofT Magazine [...]
I greatly enjoyed reading this article. I understand that it is not possible to include all of the achievements of women as members of faculty and student body at U of T over the years. At the same time, it appears that women associated with the University of Toronto Library School (now the Faculty of Information), are rarely mentioned. Winifred Barnstead and Bertha Bassam, the first two directors, have had a lasting impact on the development of librarianship (“a woman’s profession”) in the province of Ontario. Nonetheless, their efforts in providing employment opportunities for women (outside of teaching and clerical work) are rarely acknowledged in discussions on women's history at the university.
Agatha Barc
BA 2012 UC
Toronto
Enjoyed the article on toilets and appropriate technology very much. Miss receiving The Bulletin - does it still exist?
Yes, in electronic form only. You can sign up to receive The Bulletin by sending your email address to bulletin [at] utoronto [dot] ca
U of T had the geographic good fortune to end up owning the lands surrounding the David Dunlap observatory but instead of showing leadership in the preservation of green space within the expanding urban sprawl they simply cashed in. By doing so they have aligned themselves with many other large corporate entities of the new millennium driven by the goals of expansion and greed.
"When the war ended there was no resounding victor, and no territory changed hands."
Clauswitz would classify the outcome as a descisive negative victory -- not being conquered by the invading force. Similarly Prussia won a negative victory during the Second Silesian war by not losing Silesia.
The cause of the war was a shameful attempt by the Americans to seize Canada while Nelson's navy and Wellington's troops were engaged in trying to stop France and Napoleon from consolidating their conquests in Europe. We should be proud that Canadians were providing weapons to the Indians to attack the settlers that were stealing their land. The treaty of Ghent that ended the war contained no mention of the conscription of British subjects.
There seems to be considerable discussion in some circles about who won the War of 1812. The Americans declared war, and attempted to conquer Canada. They failed. Therefore, they lost the war, and we won. What is there to debate?
I love this.
In the GTA most of the roads are blocked by trucks affecting commuters both in the morning and evening rush hours. In some countries the trucks are banned from the streets for specific times, such as the peak commuting hours so that everyone reaches home sooner and safer. I have not understood why such a law cannot be enacted at least on a few internal routes in the GTA. Is the transport lobby so powerful that the government does not bother about the rest of the commuters who pay all the taxes?
Very well said about the college system. The fact of the matter is that with such a large university, the college creates a sense of belonging. It may be hard to relate to the university in general, but at the college you become part of a closely knit community.
Mr. Scott should be commended for discussing the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities latest discussion paper, "Ontario’s Centres for Creativity, Innovation and Knowledge." There are two important issues underlying this document that should be underscored. First, as well articulated in "Academic Transformation" by Ian D. Clark, Greg Moran, Michael L. Skolnik & David Trick as well as "Academic Reform" by Clark, Trick and Richard Van Loon, the lack of differentiation in Ontario’s university sector has left the province with the most expensive form of higher education possible: research-intensive universities. Each Ontario university, regardless of its actual capacity, has adopted this as its organization model. For a government that has made it clear that it wishes to increase participation in higher education, but has limited funds, this approach must seem especially daunting. Time spent researching is time not spent teaching and for a government that is trying to stretch every penny, this is difficult to ignore.
Secondly, this government has also made it clear that it seeks greater transferability between Ontario’s colleges and its universities. This was a major focus in the 2004 Rae Report and despite some notable collaborations, a tall wall still stands between a student hoping to move from a community college diploma to a university degree.
Have tough economic times and a desire for increased participation in higher education encouraged the Ontario government’s interest in a differentiated post-secondary sector? Absolutely! But will this be the end of The Academy as we know it? Not necessarily. California has a highly differentiated higher education sector, featuring the research-intensive University of California system, the undergraduate-focused California State Universities, and vocationally-focused community colleges. California’s system is often regarded as one of the strongest public post-secondary sectors in the world, with a high level of mobility for students between institution-types. Instead of a threat, this discussion paper may be the start of a bright new future for higher education in Ontario.
[...] of over one hundred awards and scholarships in both piano and violin prior to graduating from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music in Performance [...]
I am the great-grandaughter of Jeannie Walls. She kept our history alive for me with her stories from Grandpa Joe. I am so grateful for Bryan Walls and his dedication. Thank you.
Mehreen and Arsalan Rashid speak of their "five-year long-distance relationship, mostly over Skype," and it made me smile - how easy!
I met my wife in Croatia in 1972 on a trip back to my native land. We met ever so briefly, during the last week of my two-month stay, but we fell for each other hook, line, and sinker! Problem was, in those days, staying in touch was a huge challenge! There was no Internet (to speak of), and long distance telephoning was only for the rich - it was about $60/min to call Croatia back then! So, we continued our relationship primarily via Canada Post, and the odd good-Samaritan traveller who would take back little packages.
The good side of this was that we both became good writers. The bad side was that the relationship nearly dissolved when Canada Post went on strike. In Croatia at the time there was no concept of strikes, so my future wife did not believe this story when I later tried to explain my lack of response. She thought I had lost interest. Now, 36 years after we got married, she sees that this is not the case!
Still, the article made me think how different it all would have been if the technology I was then working on had come about faster. I am a Computer Science grad (1975) - one of the early batches U of T produced.
Thanks for awakening a lot of memories!
Steve Pozgaj
Toronto
Most people at my frosh group were really boring, so it made me feel really cynical when people kept going on "about all the great people your going to meet." There should be surveys for what kind of people you want in your frosh group. Also they do the chants too often. In truth, I just wanted to party and drink. That's what should be encouraged.
What a genius of a program! Too bad I don't have a smartphone...is it possible to incorporate texting a number to a confused or understood status for people without smartphones?
The author should speak for himself, I almost pay double what he's paying. I'm in computer science and in comparison to Waterloo computer science or other universities, they only pay about $6,000, plus they have co-op.
[...] Walters, Eric Zboya. No end of riches! You”ll find photography by Eleanor Lenore Bennett and Barbara Konecny, linocuts by Stefan Berg and cover art by Vuk Dragojevic, and to round out the issue, myself and [...]
This is amazing! This will hopefully reduce the confusion during class, which ends up distracting students from subsequent lecture material. Hopefully lecturers will be able to customize their lecture content or become more aware of common topic weaknesses that students have so instructors can allocate their time more efficiently. I'm sure this will take off in other universities as well.
FAIR? Are you serious? I'm paying around $14,000 for my second year in commerce. You have no idea! How is it even possible to pay off OSAP right after I graduate? I'd prefer that U of T stop renewing the campus and consider lowering tuition.
Students are still able to study those works, but it's important to note that the course is called "lit of our time," meaning the present. Shakespeare, Virgil, Dante and, god forbid, the bible certainly are not dead in our culture. But new books and ideas are born everyday, and are in many ways are more relevant to our mindset. Living in the past is fine, but living in denial of the present and future "culture" is equally if not more devastating than what you suggest.
It's not the 1950s anymore. Values change. Perhaps our generation is better equipped to be a part of that change.
I completely disagree with David Naylor's comments that reducing or eliminating tuition fees would make a university education less accessible to those in the lowest socioeconomic groups. While it is true that higher tuition fees may enable universities to open their doors to a greater number of students, these may not all be the excellent students that the University of Toronto wishes to admit. At the same time, many deserving students can't afford to go to university because of high fees -- regardless of whether they receive a bursary supporting part of their tuition.
Universities should not simply open their doors to a greater number of students, but to a greater number of deserving students. An excellent student, regardless of socioeconomic status, deserves an excellent education.
Universities should lower or completely eliminate tuition fees and reduce the number of students they admit. While I am aware that society benefits by having a greater number of university educated people, there is a saturation point for this benefit. We have to consider whether we are approaching this point, since already there are more university graduates than we have employment for, and a lack of people capable of doing jobs that do not require a university education.
Axel Grzymisch
BSc 2010
I saw Inescapable and Saad Siddiqui's performance opposite such a solid cast was nothing short of amazing. Hopefully we see more of him in other great projects.
It seems to me that the more pertinent conversation should be between Islam and secularism. We are, after all, a predominantly secular society, and Islam's agenda is political, not simply religious. I therefore do not see the overriding significance of an "interfaith" dialogue and what this is supposed to accomplish.
Mike Scapillato
UTSC 1972
I greatly enjoyed reading “Feminist Revolution at U of T." I understand that it is not possible to include all of the achievements of women as members of faculty and student body at U of T over the years. At the same time, it appears that women associated with the University of Toronto Library School (now the Faculty of Information), are rarely mentioned. Winifred Barnstead and Bertha Bassam, the first two directors, have had a lasting impact on the development of librarianship (“a woman’s profession”), in the province of Ontario. Nonetheless, their efforts in providing employment opportunities for women (outside of teaching and clerical work) are rarely acknowledged in discussions on women's history at the university.
Agatha Barc
BA 2012 UC
Toronto
"Thus, although the “sticker price” of an arts degree at U of T is now about $5,700 a year, the more than 2,000 students in the Faculty of Arts and Science who receive support under the Ontario Student Assistance Program effectively pay zero tuition because of the financial support they receive from the university, while 8,000 students pay $4,000 or less."
Of course, they still have to pay back the loan plus interest on all that OSAP, so students are in fact paying more in the end if they're on loans.
"while statistics on access and student aid are relevant, sometimes a story is more salient"
READ: "Just ignore all the statistics that state that tuition fees continue to make post-secondary education inaccessible for many, and listen to this nice story."
The only way to ensure that high quality post-secondary education is truly accessible is through adequate public investment and the elimination of tuition fees. Period.
Another economist who blame the poor for America's problems. Wow! Nothing new there. I was thinking that the entitlement problems in the U.S. might have less to do with Social Security than with a fiscal policy that let many rich people not pay their fare share of taxes. But what do I know, I am not an economist. I can't forecast if Money Boo Boo will win or not in November but I find it hard to imagine Mitt Romney as a builder of consensus.
The question here is whether we want to go with our gut - mine used to say that lowering tuition fees would improve accessibility - or use the best available evidence to inform policy.
If we agree that accessibility, high participation rates and social mobility are valuable goals, and we look at the best available evidence, then we are likely to come to the same conclusion that the university has come to - i.e., tuition reductions are not necessarily the answer.
Obviously there is a limit to how high tuition should go, and in programs such as medicine there is no relationship between participation rates and tuition fees.
But for undergraduate programs, the policy of maintaining a reasonable tuition fee while ensuring adequate loans and grants for those who come from families with limited financial means is the most sensible option.
[...] are tools coming from Technologies for Aging Gracefully (TAGlab) at the University of Toronto, developed to help solve communication issues. It’s positively [...]
I do not understand Mr. Scott’s supposition that “outcomes and experiential learning (or) technology and co-operative opportunities” are exclusive of “research, great books (and) creative careers”? This ideal smacks of an "ism" that replaces diversity with segregation. The Right Honorable David Johnston has referred to Canada as a grand experiment in diversity; going so far as to name his university hockey coach who -- with a Grade 8 education -- was his most influential educator. Mr. Johnston is a graduate of Queen's University and past president of University of Waterloo, so has had access to many brilliant educators! Conclusion: No matter how trite and righteous we may feel, stereotypical judgements of this kind are toxic and wrong.
Even if we took the time to validate segregating schools and streaming students (It’s as easy as course codes and GPAs), I’m afraid that our universities have become dependent on diverse forms of income. I wonder if they could survive on a homogeneous brand of learner. After all, regardless of how well the California system works, they are broke, are they not?! Perhaps the California system reinforces the fact that education is not just a teaching/research equation. There are entire university departments whose function is to seek financial aid; and some of our brightest researchers and deans spend at least some of their time pleading for these funds. With public finance drowning in dept, the equation needs to expand to include the realities of business or “commercialization” (See this current issue of News@UofT). It seems that, whether you like the white paper or not, the real world is coming to a lecture hall near you.
Frosh jokes aside, if you truly believe that “learning for the sake of learning” is valid (I do) then where (e.g., education or career) or how (e.g., sedentary or active) an individual learns is a moot point. What matters to educators then, isn’t the formalizing of stereotypes so much as it might be the depths of content and the breadth of contextual knowledge; an integrated and inclusive combination that allows for and encourages differentiation, but is not built upon differentiation. Inclusive education!
Best of luck with your studies
I have to wonder what city some of the above commenters are actually living in? Saying that there is little demand for new transit lines? That everybody wants to drive? Here in the real Toronto, the GO Trains, subways, and buses are bursting at the seams. Demand already outstrips supply by a huge margin. If you come down from your ivory tower, perhaps you will see this for yourself.
I think your choice of illustration is inappropriate. Instead of illustrating a Canadian/British success in the war, you chose to use an American propaganda illustration painted in 1910 that depicts the decimation of the 93rd Argyle Highlanders at the Battle of New Orleans. As all historians (except American ones) know, this battle was actually fought after the peace treaty was signed, as was the subsequent British capture of Mobile. Your article in general tends to reinforce the American viewpoint that they actually won the war.
James W. Lindsay
BASc 1966
Lindsay, Ontario
David Naylor has completely missed the point of the Quebec student protests over university tuition, and to argue that low tuition fees restrict access is disingenuous.
Education should be a right of citizenship. This does not mean, however, that just anyone gets accepted to university. Countries with fully state funded education, that in most cases also includes a living stipend, have rigorous entrance exams to ensure the best, brightest and most motivated students gain admission, regardless of social status.
It is true that Canada has a higher percentage of the population holding a university degree than countries in Europe that offer fully state funded education, and, using Germany as an example, the trend for university graduates in that country is, in fact, decreasing. This may be due to demographics, or to the wider range of post secondary education options available to students. Measured in terms of their healthy arts community, civic engagement and robust economy, Germany would appear to have a much better education system in place.
On the flip side, the U.S. has an even higher percentage of the population holding university degrees than Canada despite higher tuition costs. However, the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey rates the U.S. with one of the worst levels of adult literacy. In fact fully 50 per cent of the population does not have the reading, writing and comprehension skills needed to function in a modern economy. This begs the question of the quality of their education system, and the validity of the number of university degree holders as a metric of any relevance. The level of adult literacy may help explain, however, our neighbor's often unbelievable position on domestic and foreign policy.
With regards to Mr Naylor's story, I am glad that Wendy Cecil obtained her degree, but oh my god, what an appalling example. Does Mr Naylor really want to turn the university into a Dickensian institution where student opportunities are at the capricious whim of an alumni donation or the passing humour of an administrator? Does he really think the best way to fund underprivileged students access to higher education is to have them come, cap in hand at the end of each year, asking "Please sir, can I stay in school ?" This is outrageous!
Federal transfers and provincial allocations for education, health care and other social services have been on the wane for years. Mr. Naylor, and every other president of every learning institution in the country, along with every citizen, should be outraged and lobbying hard to reverse the trend until the goal of fully state-funded education, with rigorous entrance criteria, is achieved. Not only for the benefit of the students and society, but also for the schools themselves. With increasing reliance on corporate and alumni donations for funding, the integrity of the university, already tarnished, is further diminished.
Martin Gagné
BASc 1984
In the 1950s, football was the school sport. Friday night football games at Kennedy High School were a big part of our school social life in Windsor, Ontario. Students from the five high schools packed the stadium; the sock hop was in the gym after the game; Nat King Cole's 'Stardust' signaled the last dance. The good old days.
Over the course of half a century, school sports have evolved. The number of spectators has been diminishing while participation is expanding. Sports such as soccer, volleyball, rugby and cricket have crept into the mainstream. Women's participation in sport has increased. While extreme Frisbee and Quidditch are examples of new team sports organized by students, there is also increased individual participation: athletic memberships, spinning classes, Pilates, yoga, jogging, cycling, etc.
Football is played on a large field with 12 men a side, each wearing expensive protective body gear. A concussion was seen as just having "your bell rung." During my high-school teaching career in Toronto (1976-2000), football was permanently cancelled at some schools. In my school, as in others, volleyball came to replace it. Volleyball is a fast-paced, compact sport played equally by men and women in which a setter on each team initiates strategic plays, much like a quarterback does in football. Times, they are a-changin'.
Mary Drakich
PHE 1975
Toronto
This article caught my eye for its confident appraisal of the Christian mindset and allusion to a correct standard for understanding Islam. Mr. Mitrovica wrote “Polls show that many Christian Canadians both misunderstand and fear Islam."
In order for one to “misunderstand” Islam, those drawing conclusions must “understand” it. No doubt we can be assured that the new Muslim Studies Program will provide such true understanding and its future graduates will be able to demystify the complex mechanics of Islam when the inevitable next round of blasphemy rage erupts. I expect that U of T grads will lead the charge to enlighten Canadians who haven’t yet managed to overcome their irrational fear and mistrust of Islam.
Watch out Al Azhar – it won’t be long before U of T becomes a contender for Obama’s coveted title of “beacon of Islamic learning."
Henry Brechun
BASc 1982
Cambridge, Ontario
I would like to know if the students who enrolled in this new program would be compelled to take courses dealing with civility, tolerance and human rights of women along with Islamic law and history of Islam etc so they could influence the numerous Islam followers here in Canada and all over the world after they complete their studies.
Paul Mach
@Paul All our degree programs at Emmanuel College stress for all students (Christians, Muslims, and others) through course work the importance of civility, tolerance, and human rights for all persons (including women, and gays and lesbians, and all others). The program in the Muslim degree track also contains specific courses dealing with both Islamic Law and with the History of Islam and, of course, the nature, history, and interpretation of the Qur'an.
I hope this addresses the questions you have raised.
Mark G. Toulouse
Principal and Professor of the History of Christianity
Emmanuel College of Victoria University
[...] international symposium held about tens ago to mark the official launch of the inter-disciplinary Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development at the University of [...]
Reinforcing our collective consciousness of this war in Toronto, we enjoy the largest collection of military buildings dating to the War of 1812 to be found anywhere -- just down the street from the U of T's St George campus at Fort York National Historic Site. Fort York is also where the magnetic survey and original meteorological service was established in 1839 by officers of the Royal Artillery, later to move to the U of T campus and ultimately to the building now known as the Observatory Site of the Munk School of Global Affairs at Bloor and Devonshire Place.
Fort York is a fascinating, multi-layered site -- not only archaeological and historic but cultural and environmental as well. It is being revitalized during these bicentennial years by the City with the help of the Fort York Foundation. Please visit fortyorkfoundation.ca and fortyork.ca for more info.
Are you kidding me? I pay $11,000 every year for tuition. Don't tell me that's "fair." Quebec students pay around $3,000. U of T fees ARE high and the UTSU is right to protest them. Too bad they're not as effective as Quebec student protests.
Why wouldn't they simply go to a Muslim institution or create one within the university? This is one more step to the Islamization of Canada. I am truly saddened that what passes as a "Christian"-based institution -- Emmanuel College -- has opened up an Islamic Pandora's box. Principal Toulouse can parade this under the Trojan horse of human rights all he likes. Most reasonably minded people know what this is really about. This basically confirms that the Christian credentials of his institution is in name only and not much else. May I suggest he now do a similar exchange program with Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. Perhaps they can begin Christian Studies programs there to increase interfaith dialogue.
All this "interfaith" talk is utter delusion, nonsense and folly. It grieves my spirit. When will people wake up? Islam's clear goal is to take over and
subjugate us all. Not one dime of mine will ever go toward fundraising efforts from U of T.
Laurie Hamill
BA 1981 UTSC
[...] I think everybody would benefit from taking vitamin D supplements in the winter. There’s no harm in taking 2,000 units. For a dark-skinned person it’s appropriate to take more than that, but no one’s telling them to…I believe we should pay as much attention to vitamin D as we do to cholesterol.’ Dr. Reinhold Vieth, University of Toronto [...]
This program will doubtless serve a much-needed purpose in aiding the growth of interfaith tolerance between Canadian Christians and Muslims. From a global perspective, however, it is tragic that no such urgent initiative is being undertaken between Sunni and Shia Muslims; the welfare of millions, and stability of the entire Middle East and much of Asia is at stake.
Paul Van Loan
BA 1957, MA 1958,
Santa Cruz, California
Interesting article, Alanna. At Queen's this conversation comes up a lot. In class the other day, a sheet was passed around to support a referendum for an additional $0.50 fee per student for the "Quidditch Club." I'm not sure what the Quidditch Club will do with approximately $7,000, so I chose not to sign.
In the past couple of years here, more and more students have been choosing to opt-out of these fees -- although it's quite a hassle. While I do believe in supporting some of the extracurricular activities that enrich many students' experience, the line has to be drawn somewhere.
While improvements in equipment are important, the most obvious way to protect players is by changing and enforcing rules. Changes in mindset need to start with the youngest players and their parents. It is outrageous to hear parents cheering hard hits in pee-wee level games. It is equally outrageous to watch fans cheer fighting and hard hits along the boards at junior-level hockey games. Current research tells us that the brain of a person in their 20s is still developing. So why is checking and hitting allowed in house leagues, travel leagues, college and junior Level? If we truly want to protect players against concussions then we need to take the violence out of the game. No more checking, hitting, and fighting.
Comment from a Greek reader in 2010: "I can’t believe you people! You think that paying for college is fair? Get a grip! Education must be free and accessible to those who have the brains and the attitude to handle it! I live in Greece and my BA and MA were both free. Making underprivileged students beg for scholarships and leaving them in debt is pure fascism."
Looks like that strategy worked out well for the Greeks.
Very lucid exposition of the impact of "deleveraging" and "living within one's means" on current economic and investment prospects. For those people and countries in the developed world who are addicted to spending borrowed money, it's time to start thinking about creating a "sustainable" financial environment. Most people in the investment business understand the economic consequences of declining indebtedness, but kudos to U of T Magazine for exposing a wider audience to these notions.
Interesting take, however I believe that a communal pool of incidental fees creates far more benefits than this article suggests (Some context: I am a third-generation University of Toronto student and a member of The Varsity's design team).
My attendance at the University of Toronto is based less on the academic prestige that comes with a U of T degree, but more on the traditions and stories I've heard from my grandfather and my father (who's experiences also fuel the alumni donations Alanna suggests as an alternate to student fees).
A communal pool of student fees is an investment in attracting students, building positive experiences for those students and then ensuring that they contribute both socially and financially to the alumni community. By using a communal pool structure, one guarantees they get all the benefits, even if they don't use one in particular.
For example, if student fees were based on an individuals interests, they could decide that the The Varsity design team deserves their full financial backing while the Varsity Blues and the Hart House debate team deserve none. If enough students chose this option, both might cease to exist.
I believe would be an intrinsic loss to the University of Toronto. The fact that our Varsity Blues trains Olympic-level athletes and our debate team trains national politicians builds the prestige of University of Toronto and is an incredible return on investment.
Furthermore, the success of these individuals does come back to the university through alumni participation and financial contributions. Having worked with the alumni board at St. Michael's College in the past, I will say that, in my experience, alumni are not contributing because their classes made them feel warm and fuzzy. Alumni participate because they are grateful for the experiences they had, and that the university continues to maintain the high standards they remember, both in academics and in extracurriculars.
In short, to suggest picking and choosing these incidental fees is to suggest diminishing student investment in our school, which I believe would not only hurt the brand power of U of T in the short term, but cripple its reputation in the long term.
That said, if you want to opt out of course fees and maintain your ability to pick and choose, I'd be happy to point you in the direction of an online university. The money you save on fees you can spend participating in any number of clubs and activities within the GTA of your choosing, but you will surely miss out on the benefits brought from the cohesiveness diversity, and reputation brought by the U of T student body.
Tomasz, my daughter found herself in a similar situation last spring. She chose to pursue the master's of journalism program at Ryerson, and has recently withdrawn from the program.
After coming across your article, I passed it on to her. She has some questions for you about your choice and about the program. If you could provide me with your email address, she will contact you directly. I thank you in advance and wish you the best in the future.
This is well-argued and convincing. My own experience applies: I was sufficiently motivated and self-confident, but the need to work all weekend waiting on tables until 2 am and to spend countless hours typing theses for fellow students, in addition to the four hours a week required by the co-op where I lived, eventually cost me my third year: I didn't graduate with my class. There was, of course, no summer respite from the need to earn the next year's tuition, and I began the school year already exhausted. Surely, ensuring not only the education of the next generation but also its mental health and well-being is worth committing resources to!
Great story by Cynthia Macdonald. Nice to read about other experiences.
My synesthesia is triggered by strong emotions, in others. I see, feel, hear, taste and smell emotions, sometimes these are combined. Most of life is below the surface.
What a nice surprise I had when my great uncle (Frederick Newton) sent me the link to this article and slideshow.
My great grandfather was John (Jack) Newton (1887-1967), captain of the 1909 Varsity Blues team that won the first Grey Cup.
From the information I gathered from my grandfather (John W. Newton), Jack Newton was a civil engineering student at U of T. As well as being the captain of the VB 1909 team, he coached the Toronto Argos to their first Grey Cup win in 1912.
He enlisted in the Canadian Field Artillery, on March 28, 1916, and married Eleanor May Watson (a graduate of U of T's University College, date unknown) before going overseas.
He served in England and France. His Battery was being shelled by the Germans on the Douai-Cambrai Road, France, in Sept 1918. Every man in his Battery except for him and one other were killed. He and the N.C.O. kept the gun going and tended the wounded. He was presented the Military Cross by King George the Sixth, in 1919. He also received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
After the war, Jack Newton continued to coached football in Sarnia, at the collegiate, intermediate, and senior levels. For his active promotion of the sport, he was inducted into the Canadian Football’s Hall of Fame in 1964 as a "builder." And in 2004, he was inducted into the University of Toronto’s Sports Hall of Fame, alongside his 1909 teammates.
My family is very much interested in the commemorative book on the Varsity Blues, and any information about Jack Newton.
Nice article! I work a lot to afford living in Toronto. It kind of makes my heart ache to think of being able to study and spend time on campus. I find myself resenting people that live on campus and have time to spend on study groups and such, but I try to avoid those feelings.
I was so busy during my first, second and third years that I missed out on a lot of resources like office hours. I wish I had spent more time devoted to my studies. The 30 per cent tuition reduction doesn't apply for students that have been out of high school for more than 4 years, but they cut some grants for everyone and it is really making me feel the grindstone this year. I really love my area of study but I am usually too exhausted in every way to dive into the reading material, ask questions and truly learn.
It's funny to hear TAs complaining about profs not taking academic offenses more seriously: calm yourselves. Just because you are under intense scrutiny in trying to prove your thesis doesn't mean that every undergraduate student should be considered cheaters. Stop taking your stress out on lowly students, and remember what it's like to have to cram a full course load into a week (on top of work, because, unlike you, we are not paid to study). Spend more time teaching students how to ensure they don't plagiarize instead of releasing your stress onto them.
[...] http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/leading-edge/afrocentric-schools/ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. [...]
Christine, we know you can bring change for Kenyan women who have suffered enough. You have what it takes to transform the situation. Keep up the spirit and all the best in your studies.
@Bob Hayman: My mother is a Stirrett and niece of Jo-Jo. He was a big figure in her youth in Sarnia in the 1920s and 1930s. I was looking up information on Jo-Jo myself in conjunction with the 100th Grey Cup festivities and thus saw this article and your comment. If you see this, Bob, please contact me at the above address and I can provide the information I have on Jo-Jo Stirrett and possibly put you onto others in my family. Very interested in the long history of Varsity football!
I have found that there is a hidden culture of bias and elite-bashing toward Canadian graduates from top educational institutions. Which is not helping - considering that strong rivals are moving fast in all areas from countries such as China, who are much better supported by their peers and government as well.
I was wondering if you also had similar impression, being an Oxford graduate.
Awesome story - totally unexpected way in which the tone changed. And I really liked these lines: "There is nothing quite like night next to a river. The beauty is in the darkness, in those obscure half-moons of visibility where real and imaginary things meet in an unholy union. One might find one’s religion or lose it, depending on one, on a night next to a river."
My name is Simona Rivera, I am an Italian medical doctor. I got very interested in an article I recently read about your “Frugal Thinking” invention of sanitary toilets that can be used in countries where no proper sewage system is available.
From this coming November 23, I will have the opportunity of working as volunteer in Rio de Janeiro’s “Rocinha,” the biggest Favela of South America (about 100,000 inhabitants). Rocinha has essentially no waterworks, and a number of open-air raw sewage drains that freely overflow on the streets during the rainy season. This is the reason for a proliferating number of infections that, due to the lack of basic health care, often lead to death, especially for children. When I read your article, I thought that Rocinha could be a very right place for testing your promising invention. I decided to contact you since I would like to know if it is possible that your campaign could cover also Brasil, and not only China, India and Tanzania. Also, I am interested in keeping in touch with you, and in receiving more information about the functioning and possibilities of your new sanitary toilet.
I thank you in advance for you kind attention and I am looking forward to hearing from you.
My grandfather was Robert F. Thompson. He was President of the Varsity Football Team and outside wing in 1910, 1911 and 1912. He appears in the Grey Cup team photos for 1910 and 1911. I have some old newspaper clippings that reference him also playing in 1908, 1909 and 1912. However, he does not appear in the 1909 Grey Cup team photo. I am in the process of trying to track down whether he indeed played in 1909 for the first Grey Cup.
He graduated with a BA in 1910 and a BD in 1913. He served as a Chaplain in the 4th Canadian Field Artillery Brigade and was awarded the MC for bravery under fire in burying the dead in and around Courcellette in 1916. He was also awarded the OBE for his work in establishing rehabilitation programs during WWII.
I suspect he knew Jack Newton (1909 Varsity Blues and referenced above) quite well. No doubt there were many Varsity men from those early Grey Cup teams who served and distinguished themselves in WWI.
The answer to the Jack/Anne/George question, as written, is C, because we don't know (on the information given) whether Anne is a person. Anne might be, for example, a dog.
In fact, when I originally saw this question, I assumed that this was the catch that most people were expected to miss. I wasn't expecting the author of the article to miss it. My guess, therefore, is that the question has been misquoted. Worded differently, the answer would be A, for the reasons given.
[...] Sarah. “Green Power.” University of Toronto Magazine, Winter [...]
[...] Breath of Life: Bev Bradley is developing technology to give hospitals in low-income countries a mor... U of T Magazine U of T Engineers Put Their Heads Together to Reinvent the Toilet Engineering in the News [...]
I am a middle school ASD teacher with the TDSB, I am wondering how I can get more information about I might be able to participate in the the IPAD pilot project? Any information you have would be much appreciated!
I try to publish in only open access journals. There are many good options. The PLoS series of journal are well respected. I also publish in Molecular and Cellular Proteomics and Molecular Systems Biology. This availability may not be the same in all fields.
If your research has impact it will show by the citations you acquire. The journal you publish in only counts for instantaneous impact, not real impact.
You need to promote your work by attending conferences, meetings and symposia, present it often. If you have friends at other universities try to get them to invite you to speak at departmental seminar series. This will bring your work to the attention of your peers who will read it and cite it.
Many "open access" journals charge the author a large fee (in the order of $2,000) to publish. The legitimate ones still require rigorous review and reject most papers, so I am not so much worried about the conflict of interest that might create. But it does make it expensive for grad students, new researchers and others who have modest research funds to get started.
Beautiful story, so well-written! Though I have never been to Reno, this story makes the place come alive. The contrast between the opening and the conclusion is explosive. Ultimately, I wondered if this was really a short story or a brilliant study of character and environment. More such works need to be published - U of T's magazine is doing a great job in encouraging new Canadian talent!
Is not academic journal business similiar to the music industry? With the accelerating pace of knowledge creation vs music, it may even be exacerbated. Why not just create your own "label"/journal featuring your own papers plus links to those you find relevant (footnotes, references) and make sure the search keywords are set up so those in your field can easily find your work. Setup & use a FB, Google+, Twitter, Linkedin, blog etc. network of those in your field. Faster and cheaper than dealing with stodgy expensive traditional journals even if they are online and no longer solely paper based.
Great story, very atmospheric, and almost Poe-ian. I kept waiting for a dramatic turn and though I got one it still completely surprised me. I liked that whole paragraph where the night is described so I have to agree with the poster above but I loved this line in particular: //The night air was mildly heady like the slowly fermenting sap of old mandarin oranges, just past their expiry date, a not-quite definable liquor cooling the tongue ever so much like a familiar juice, ever so like a misremembered wine.//
This line's gonna stay with me for a long while...
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the article by Cynthia Macdonald and found it very informative. On a few occasions I too have experienced a reaction to some colours when I was doing some of my painting projects.
Once when painting with a certain hue of purple all of a sudden my mouth was flooded with an overwhelming flavour of grape, so much so that I craved this flavour and had to go out and buy myself some grape bubble gum balls (the strongest grape flavour I could find) and chewed them until my craving was satisfied.
Similar reactions have also occured with a very acidic yellow colour where I could taste the lemony citrus flavour as I viewed this colour. Red gives me a strong feeling of comfort. Sometimes when I listen to some music I can also see colour related to the sounds I am hearing. Usually I get these sensations when the colours and musical sounds are very bold. I understand how our eyes can perceive certain colours that are not on a page when certain hues of two colours come together. For instance, when certain hues of red and green come together the eye will perceive a thin line of yellow that has not been painted between these two colours. I feel because I have a stronger reaction to these bolder colours that it influences how and what I paint and how I and others might respond to the images I am trying to create and how these images fit together. I have been told that there are artists that have had similar experiences. So keep up the good work in discovering how our brain perceives and links our senses.
I really enjoyed this story.
The story's descriptions are a big part of its success. They are lush and tactile. I have been to Reno, but a reader needn't know Reno to visualize the river, the neighborhoods, the chintz, and the heartbreak depicted here. And, the descriptions of the characters are so very real. Any reader would know these personalities--they seem like modern American archetypes of sorts.
Like the other readers that commented here, the tragic turn took me by surprise as well. I feel the ending speaks to the nature of a city like Reno. The reality of of Reno can bring you back down to earth pretty quickly, maybe even faster than what you're ready for.
I just came across this article as I was searching for any support groups that may be on campus for recovering alcoholics/addicts. I am in my first year working towards majoring in Women and Gender Studies. I am a recovering alcoholic as well and found this article to be very inspiring!
Thank you for sharing this story
@Danijela Here are some suggestions of where to turn on campus for assistance with alcohol and addiction issues:
Call the university's counselling and psychological services office at 416-978-8070 to book an assessment.
Call the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Support Line at 416-595-6111.
Call the Gerstein Line at 416-929-5200.
This is a lovely story. I love how Mohan uses language here to craft an illuminated miniature of character and place. I hope the author continues to explore this genre.
Thank you for the info. I was looking more for support groups amongst the students than for outside resources. The info is appreciated anyway. This article is a perfect example of what is capable. :)
[...] Sarah. “Green Power.” University of Toronto Magazine, Winter [...]
Very interesting piece. I have long wondered why student elections at universities never seem to have a quorum requirement!
[...] behind their methods. While scholars involved in the ‘genes and politics’ field recognize the inordinate complexity of genetic regulation and organism development, they tend to fall back on the familiar old [...]
[...] story to Facebook and a friend shared a link about chronobiology, a burgeoning research area. Timing is Everything: Modern life is 24-7, but there may be negative consequences to defying our bod...y Cynthia [...]
We live in countries that are still largely defined by the nature, work and designs of our ancestors. We -- their descendents -- are the beneficiaries of that work and planning. This is why people have children surely: to benefit from and perpetuate that work. So please, let's put aside this ridiculous notion that birth is somehow an accident or that somehow a child of two Canadian parents descended from a long line of Canadians could possibly be born as an Ethiopian. Even if those parents happened to have been traveling in Ethiopia at the time of birth, the child would still have been taken back to Canada or else, had it remained - a Canadian child living in Ethiopia.
The confusion surely arises because the Canadian government bestows nationality to any child born within its realm, even if the child's parents aren´t Canadian. Would the author prefer that they didn´t?
Thank you for the great article and support!
I enjoy your magazine, but I feel that you were premature in stating that “the world didn’t end in 2012." Although I am completely confident that we will live to see the year 2013, how can you state on Dec. 18, the date I received the magazine, that the world didn’t end in 2012? It would have been better to state this in January 2013. In the same way, I greatly dislike magazines having stories in early December about the “greatest photos, stories, persons etc. of the previous year). This year, those magazines missed the tragedy of Newtown last Friday Dec. 14, 2012 and whatever else significant will still happen in the next 2 weeks.
Chris Malicki
BSc 1972, MD 1976
On Dec. 18, I received the Winter 2013 issue of U of T Magazine, the cover of which says "the world didn't end in 2012 after all...." This seems a little presumptuous. I hope you're right.
Stephen Segaric
BScN 1999
As you describe, the scholarly publishing environment is receiving increased attention from a range of stakeholders. This isn’t a surprise. Fundamental pressures of the market place among others are adding to the complexity of an already dynamic shift to the digital environment. The impact on library budgets has been, and continues to be, felt.
In addition to providing access to a rich research collection, support for open access publishing has been one of University of Toronto Libraries’ ongoing strategies to assist faculty and students with the distribution of their scholarship. The Libraries provide not only a range of open access publishing and archiving services but they have recently added an Open Access Author Fund – http://go.utlib.ca/authorfundpolicy. The fund is a tri-campus pilot project. Its fit with faculty and graduate student needs will be assessed at the end of the year. I’d encourage you to investigate and comment on these and other services listed on the Libraries' Scholarly Communication Guide - http://guides.library.utoronto.ca/scholarlycommunication.
Your "sensationalist media" article, "Apocalypse How?" reflects how out of step you are with North American and global social movements. Promoting fear and paranoia only exacerbates today's problems.
Wake up and see the damage such negative mental and emotional turmoil you are creating. The movements now are toward reconciliation, healing and peace. Even scientists are beginning to discover that Earth will not experience apocalypse (or are you following the wrong scientists?)
Take an example from the citizens of Newtown, Ct. and confront the gun lobbies and the culture of violence, anger, and hatred.
There are two sides to the coin of life: love and fear. The world has been enslaved by fear - even fear of the god of religion. The "spiritual" leaders of history taught love, forgiveness and peace. Try writing about that.
Great project - it would be valuable for U of T to provide a simple means to receive updates on research projects of interest, so individuals could learn of the outcome, in this case, three years from now.
Speaking of apocalypses, one of the best apocalypse-threat movies I know is The Day the Earth Stood Still. The alien Klaatu arrives with a giant robot, Gort, which destroys weapons on sight. Should mankind plan to colonize other planets and export its propensity for violence to them, it will be in for a shock: "This Earth will be reduced to a burnt-out cinder," says Klaatu. And we won't have to wait for a bloated sun billions of years hence to do the same thing.
The film ends with Klaatu and Gort flying off, having left that sobering message ringing in the ears of humanity. I suspect that the NRA would not have a link to this movie on its web page.
Geoff Rytell
BEd 1975 OISE
Toronto
I believe the title should have stated the Royal Canadian Mint. The Royal Mint strikes the U.K.'s coinage, last time I checked.
This article does not mention mega volcanoes.
Thanks, now corrected.
Thank you for the article about the brilliant Jeremy Hutton. As an actor who has worked with Jeremy in numerous productions, I have a word for young actors in this community: if you ever have a chance to work with him, grab it! He's extremely demanding, endlessly patient, and wonderfully articulate; if you are an uncertain young actor, you could not possibly have a better director or a better teacher.
And a word to U of T's governors: the geniuses aren't all in the science labs. This one's in a theatre. Well imagine that!
Thomas Gough
BA 1983
While Mr. Rosenberg may be adept at discerning future economic trends, his solution to the current economic problems in the U.S. is evidence that he is not profoundly wise, as the word “sage” signifies. One-party rule by the Republicans under Romney would worsen the winner-take-all politics and economics that both they and the Democrats have created in the last 30 years, regardless of who held power.
The 2008 crisis was not caused by ”the country’s costly entitlement programs” and “costly public sector wage and benefit settlements” as Mr. Rosenberg claims. Rather, it was the greed and dishonesty of the Wall Street investment banks and insurers, aided by hamstrung government regulators, and abetted by compromised legislators serving the interests of rich corporations and individuals rather than the public interest.
Mr. Rosenberg’s solution of jettisoning those needing Medicare and Social Security so that the top 1% can pay lower taxes is a recipe for revolution or civil war, not for economic stability and prosperity.
Aileen Tayler
BA 1967 St. Michael's
Edmonton
Wondering if anyone can supply names for the picture above (the Hong Kong Gala Committee) - aside from the two provided in the caption - trying to match names to faces.
Fantastic looking event - congrats.
It is time more from the Chinese community took up the task of publicising of the Chinese Holocaust. Of course, Nanking was one example only. In the Co-Properity Sphere, the Japanese murdered 23 million ethnic Chinese (See emeritus Professor Chalmers Johnson) .
I agree with Scotty about the dramatic twist. I was enjoying the evocations of life in India, as compared with the atomised and alienated state of existence in the USA, but starting to wonder where things were heading when Whap! there it was, the incident which brings two almost-strangers together, and suggests rapprochement and belonging.
Loved the crossword analogy, and the city 'so white it hurt his eyes'.
Thank you for the article. Are you by chance related to the artist Alan Wylie?
I'm in full support of this idea. I envision that companies and households in the future will utilize human-powered devices for exercise and promoting a sustainable impact. This just might be the solution to end obesity and diseases!
Why is it that Europe's economy is good and their education is free? Why are we paying for our education in North America? Why is our economy not strong as Europe's economy, and why are we not learning from well-established countries? We pay taxes and our money is going nowhere, then we pay for our education because we are suckers. Your article is naive.
Thank you for an interesting read. However, I take issue with the "Rising Seas" section, in which you suggest that our climate is warming, and that our oceans will rise as a result and cause great destruction. The article implies that this is all because of humanity's use of fossil fuels.
Is our climate changing? Almost certainly -- though as to whether the earth is getting warmer or cooler, scientists are divided. Are humans the cause of climate change? It’s highly unlikely. Great changes in the earth’s climate took place in the distant past without our influence, so does it make sense to conclude we are the cause now?
Consider the following facts: In the Canadian arctic, there is a mummified forest on Ellesmere Island far to the north of any present day forests. This suggests the temperature was warmer there in the distant past, long before humans were burning significant quantities of fossil fuels. (See article about this at http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/12/101217-mummified-forest-canada-science-environment/).
In northern Siberia, ancient frozen mammoth carcasses have been found that contain undigested vegetation from a climate warmer than present day northern Siberia. (Whitley, Journal of the Philosophical Society of Great Britain, XII (1910), 56.) The remains of magnolia and fig trees have been found in northern Greenland. (O. Heer, Flora Artica Fossilis: Die fossile Flora der Polarlander (1868)). Also, corals are found on the polar fringes of Alaska, Canada and Greenland (Dunbar, Historical Geology, pp.162, 194). Corals only grow in tropical waters.
These are a few observations that make it clear the earth’s climate has changed in major ways in the distant past without any significant human influences. Let’s not let our government be coerced by ill-informed climate change alarmists into adding carbon taxes to our already onerous tax burden. Let’s keep our planet clean but let’s not cripple our economy because of some imaginary crisis. (Don't forget, in the 1970s Time Magazine was writing about the possibility of an approaching Ice Age.)
Ken Stouffer
BA 1978 UTSC
Alliston, Ontario
The Toronto Argonauts' commemorative stamp shows a picture of the famous "Mud Bowl" at Varsity Stadium in 1950. Readers may be interested to know that a former U of T football player, my father, is also on that stamp. Alexander E. "Ted" Toogood (BPHE 1948) played for the Blues from 1945 to 1948 and then for the Toronto Argonaut Club from 1950 to 1955.
Thanks to intensive research by Mary Ormsby of the Toronto Star, the Toronto Argonaut Club and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, they have recently confirmed with my family that the man carrying the ball who is about to be tackled, is indeed my father.
Shirley Toogood
BPHE 1982
Etobicoke, Ontario
I had the great pleasure to see a production of Red Snow about a year ago. The acting and production values were exceptional. I loved how Diana brought a dream-like quality to it yet allowed for reality to crash in as the story unfolds. It was an excellent evocation of this horrible period in history that I knew very little about. I came away with a deeper sense of the tragedy of war, how it shapes our futures and how we must heal in order to move forward. There was a standing ovation when the play ended.
I highly recommend that readings of the play be given at every university and college in Canada and I hope that it also becomes a commercial success so that the playwright can continue to work her talent.
Barbara Chernin
In the early 1950s, engineering and business students were lucky to have a psychology lecture taught by Prof. Bill Line. Prof. Line's lectures were embellished with his remarkable ability for comedy. His lectures were so entertaining that you had to arrive early to get a seat. But there was a very serious message in his course that I remember to this day: He felt that without a revolution in attitude, the greatest danger to civil society was mental health. He rightly predicted the increase we are now seeing in spontaneous multiple murders and gun violence.
He spoke about the importance of security and a feeling of safety in the formative years of a young person's life and how no one would be safe from terrorist activities unless we (society in general) were ready to devote adequate resources to education with special attention to mental health.
With due respect to your authors of "Apocalypse How," this is still the most important potential catastrophe of our own making that threatens the world in the 21st century.
James Maunder
BASc 1953
Gravenhurst, Ontario
As an ex professor of geology I was drawn to the articles on the "apocalypse," but I think your scientific sources let you down somewhat.
Prof. Peltier should have emphasized that the great rise in sea level is pure speculation -- even to the point of fear mongering. For the past 150 years, sea level has been rising at about eight inches per century, and if anything has slowed down recently. To propose that it is going to rise 18 inches in the next 50 years without evidence of any kind is irresponsible.
Prof. Munro mentions the loss of Arctic ice, but does not point out that ice is simultaneously increasing in the Antarctic. He says global warming is dangerous, but does not say we have had no global warming since 1998, despite increasing carbon dioxide by 25 per cent. So how can he say carbon dioxide causes global warming, and we should decarbonize our economy?
Prof. Friedmann let you down on world hunger. She implies that present hunger is from lack of food in the world, but it arises mostly from corrupt governments and irresponsible policies. If she thinks industrial farming uses too many resources, she should say how her small farms can produce enough food, especially without chemicals. To ignore GM foods (the coming agro revolution) as a potential solution also short-changes her small farms. She ignores the thousands of observations and experiments that show doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide would increase grain productivity by 30 per cent, as well as allowing crop growth in semi-arid areas.
I liked the article on oil scarcity. Prof. Kirton makes sense.
Fred Langford
I commend the "up-starts" at various Canadian universities, such as Cynthia Goh for taking a proactive role in imparting sound academic business/entrepreneurship theory and teaching best practices to students of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The University of Toronto has been a longstanding leader in multi- and trans-disciplinary education, as well as integrative thinking.
The past few years have seen a groundswell of activity by entrepreneurial-minded academics and students, industry practitioners, executives, investors, and government personnel toward: equipping and supporting entrepreneurs in building start-up companies; establishing innovation hubs, incubators, and accelerators; and strengthening regional economic development and Canada's innovation brand.
What comes next is even more critical in achieving global competitiveness: establishing start-ups that are born global; scaling-up post start-up; and transforming established corporations and various business functions (e.g. IT) to operate in truly entrepreneurial form. The development, evolution, and maturation of business ecosystems and related assets are key in enabling this next stage of the game.
Sonia Bot
MASc 1987
Ottawa
This is an excellent idea. At last a solution to avoid countless name mispronunciations on the first day of class when the teacher mumbles out foreign names from the roster, followed by giggles.
This idea is a flop, will not have traction and will not move on because it is nothing new. Why wouldn't I use Google Voice or an online dictionary to get this done? A shabby effort.
The reclamation and repurposing of this historically significant, albeit frighteningly decrepit site will give the Daniels Faculty the space it needs to continue to assert itself as a strong contender in the world of architectural academia. The plan to bring together more design-related disciplines under one roof holds the promise of an even brighter future for Daniels. The extra space to breathe will not only foster growth, innovation and continued excellence in research, but will also help establish an exciting design culture at the University of Toronto. The fact that NADAAA will likely top the city with its stunning and compelling architecture is but a happy partner to the learning and research opportunities that this expanded facility will provide!
I have faith that the leaders at Daniels, working in tandem with NADAAA's expertise, will pull off an exceptional project that will be considerate to the cultural, historic and ecological environments; a gem for both the University and Toronto as a whole!
So true Agatha! I rarely read accounts of the pioneering women from U of T's Library School. For example, Martin Friedland's book (The University of Toronto: A History) devotes an entire chapter to the history of women at U of T but says nothing about the Library School. The Faculty of Information today continues a strong feminist tradition in its various approaches to information, media, culture, science, and technology.
[...] Sarah. “Green Power.” University of Toronto Magazine, Winter [...]
[...] incredible soundscape presented itself yesterday in Philosopher’s Walk as I headed across the footbridge to the University of Toronto’s music library to snag a copy [...]
It seems to me that this is more of a free advertisement than an alumni profile.
This idea is not a flop. Google Voice does not take into consideration variation or specification. Mivoko allows me to tell the world how *I* say my name not how someone else pronounces the same name.
Wow. Well done. Bravo. I wish I could make Kibbeh too :)
I'm going to register a bunch of names and mis-pronounce them. :)
Masha' Allah! Awesome story! You are an inspiration, Rasha! :)
[...] Article from U of T Magazine [...]
Despite the fact that the war in Northern Uganda seems over, the effects are grave: trauma, HIV-AIDS, child soldiers, wrangles by returnees, social criticism, among others
My father, Kenneth Ham, served in the Battery and also attended the "khaki university" overseas, so as not to interrupt his studies. I have a leather trunk full of letters, diaries kept of the battles in which the Battery troops fought, and memorabilia and photos of their reunions both in Toronto and at their beloved Chateau. I would be pleased to donate these items to the Memorial room, if you like.This University Battery is an important part of campus history!
That's interesting because I am pretty sure I met some sort of student director-at-large from U of T this fall on my campus and he was definitely anti-CFS. Maybe he was from UTM. At any rate, this situation sounds pretty unfortunate. Silencing the voices of outside members such as a provincial minister. Shame. I believe so long as the majority votes in favour, according to Robert's Rules of Order, he should be given speaking rights as a non-member. But if council is stacked in such a way that he will say no, well that won't happen.
Now onto voting: I thought our 18% voter turnout at Carleton is dismal. 5% is a dang tragedy.
In terms of the CFS, the vast majority of council and our entire exec is definitely anti-CFS.
At Carleton the first concerted efforts were made to unseat the incumbents in 2005. It wasn't really until 2010-2011 when we got traction. I started at Carleton in 2007, and didn't get involved in CUSA until January 2011, just before I ran in Feb 2012. In 2010-2011, our Presidential candidate won, but all 5 VPs on his slate lost. We also had a majority in council.
In 2012-2013, the year I ran to be on council for, all 6 of our execs won in an upset. It was a sweep, and there were incredible celebrations from previous' years executive candidates showing up to celebrate our victory. Not that federal politics play much of a role, but for what it's worth, we actually had to form an "unholy alliance" of Liberals and Conservatives to take down the traditionally incumbent combination of extreme leftists and those in Greek organizations.
This year, all six swept again, and I think students are finally starting to pay attention to their students' association. Hopefully we can toss the CFS to the wayside, even though our petition with over 2,300 signatures we sent to the CFS in the hands of a bailiff in 2009 was rejected by them as "not conducted properly."
Ryan Marshall
Carleton University Students' Association
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences Councillor 2012-2013
FASS Councillor-elect 2013-2014
Great article. I'm currently in Twifo Praso, Central Region, Ghana working on an HIV-AIDS project with a community based NGO named Action For Rural Education. I'd be interested in learning more about your findings!
[...] “Africentric Schools” http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/leading-edge/afrocentric-schools/ [...]
Yes, great, lets find the biological component to being homosexual except for the fact that sexuality is a scale and not a binary of gay or straight. Placing this study on this binary makes it nothing more than a coin toss, not science.
Hi Melody, I like how you use metaphor in your poem.
Beautiful thoughts and beautiful poetry
[...] to University of Toronto Magazine, Canadian researchers may also be part of the "reverse brain drain" happening in Canada right now. The magazine [...]
15-year return on investment seems like you are approaching this the wrong way.
This might work for heating (I doubt it) but not for air conditioning so far as I can see. In Australian we use air conditioners that are reverse cycle - in Tasmania which is colder they are referred to as heat pumps. Most of these are closed systems that presume the existence of ventilation to outside.
The key to running costs with a/c is the extent to which cooled air is recycled. The percentage of outside air drawn in is crucial to comfor , otherwise the air becomes stale and people develop headaches. Drawing input air in from peripheral rooms is recycling too, so I cannot see that in the case of cooling it really makes any difference except in that you are recycling using warmer air than that recycled from the cooled area.
As for the situation during the heating cycle, it is debateable. Drawing air in from the non cooled area means that that air will be replaced by air drawn in from both outside the house and from within. Ultimately the percentage of cold exterior air that needs to be drawn in will be the same.
I think the researchers here have made the mistake of considering coolling and heating systems as "closed systems" - which they are not.
I was Max's English teacher at U of T while he was getting ready for grad school. I still can't believe he mustered up the confidence to pop the question in front of 300 fellow alumni!
Sometimes you just need to escape! Grad Escapes, offers discounted tickets to social, cultural, and recreational events in Toronto for stressed-out grad students.
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- James Bond: The Music, TSO (April 2); and
- Jays vs. Yankees (April 20)
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Thesis avoidance with style!
Surely Vincent Massey would turn over in his grave if he knew what is going on now in Hart House Theatre, with “four male actors,” “penis jokes,” “homoerotic horseplay,” and “masturbatory gestures”?
Does the University of Toronto endorse such disrespect of a great deceased author who can no longer defend his work? Surely a university should promote the understanding of the past achievements of mankind, and not tolerate obscenities. Sadly, I suspect Mr. Hutton would be pleased to see that he succeeds so well in shocking mature, civilized people.
Warren Kirkendale
BA 1955 UC, Professor emeritus,
University of Regensburg, Rome
[...] undertaken by the BiopSys NSERC Strategic Network, of which he is Scientific Director. Read the article Bookmark the permalink. « Congratulations to Shell Ip! New paper by Isaac Li and [...]
That's fascinating! How can one find out where to get builders to do this?
Jeff, I understand what you are expressing. It must be hard to be surrounded by a society that misrepresents Aboriginal people. I like the way you present the obvious misleading images that society doesn't seem to understand. It's very good that you wrote about this.
It's worth noting that this is a research project. Prof. Pressnail responds:
@Tally: A 15 year payback is the MAXIMUM, conservative estimate based on static energy prices. If energy prices continue to rise at 2% more than inflation, then the payback period is in the single digits! Further, even accepting a 15-year payback, you will be reducing your energy consumption by 75% of the energy and the corresponding greenhouses gases. Aren’t your grandchildren worth it?
@Phil: This approach of nested thermal envelopes works in both cold and hot climates. Fresh air is provided to the various zones as needed using a dedicated outdoor air system that is passed through an energy recovery ventilator (80% efficient). The advantage of an interzonal heat pump is that it functions more efficiently than an outdoor air source heat pump in the winter. In the summer, it can be reversed and if desired, some of the expelled heat can be stored in the thermal mass in the basement for use later, when supplemental heating is required.
@Mary: People are already building zones within commercial buildings. We’re just doing it in a single family home. This is just one of many strategies that can be used to reduce energy costs. And as energy costs escalate, builders may well begin to build this way!
Tinnitus sufferer on the verge of suicide finds his OWN cure by emailing expert 3,000 miles away in America.
Doctors in Toronto should look into this. There is a cure out there.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2292618/Tinnitus-sufferer-verge-suicide-finds-cure-emailing-expert-3-000-miles-away-America.html
There are other capital options that work. Centralized computer-controlled traffic signals smooth surface traffic flow. Gridlock is caused by having a stop sign or a stop light on almost every corner in Toronto. Is it any wonder that drivers speed and race to get everywhere? Millions of our dollars are going up in the air, and then we breathe the air pollution this causes.
And a question for city planners: Why must school begin and garbage pick-up occur during rush hour, making gridlock even worse?
Scott Anderson implies that a fair distribution of voters within electoral districts would make everyone equally well represented in Ottawa.
Unfortunately, this is not so. It would only allow voters to equally participate in not having their votes count. Our First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system guarantees that each voter is not represented in Ottawa.
Currently, there is only one vote in each district that counts toward representation - the one placing the winning party ahead of the closest rival. This is the basis of FPP. All other votes may be counted, but they surely do not count towards representation.
The most outrageous example of this was New Brunswick in 1987, when the Liberal Party won 100 per cent of the seats with only 60 per cent of the popular vote, leaving 40 per cent of voters unrepresented. However, this distortion of democracy occurs in every election.
The solution, proportional representation, is well known and used in most parliamentary democracies in the world. It is a simple system where the percentage of the popular vote for each political party determines its representation in parliament, thereby ensuring the makeup of parliament reflects the popular vote. With minor agreed-upon constraints, 40 per cent of the popular vote gets 40 per cent of the seats. Not only are votes counted, they truly count towards representation.
While Mr. Anderson's concern might seem important, correcting it would do little to ensure voters are equally represented. FPP robs us all of democracy, not just visible minorities.
Michael Blythe
Scotland, Ontario
It is much easier to use Lake Victoria and the River Nile as sources of water than to use ocean water converted into fresh water. Using ocean water costs more money. The fresh water does not need to be changed, and so it can go directly after purification to the people.
Nice little test, that does make a point. But I don't agree with 3, 4, and 5 replies:
Number 3 reply should be 1/51 not 2/100. Out of 1,000, 1 will have it and 50 false positives, so that would be 51 positive tests.
On number 4 the rule says 'If a card has a vowel on its letter side, it has an even number on its number side' which doesn't imply that every even number on a card translates into a vowel on the other side. So to test the rule, only card A should be turned.
On number 5, the answer should be no, because of lack of info for comparison. If you use, instead of 'a certain German car' 'a Hummer car', there is reasonable understanding that it will be tougher than a regular family car, not a reason to ban it...
I was Daphne's flight instructor back in 1970. I instructed her for her private, commercial, and airline transport license. She's really progressed to quite a pilot, and I'm proud of her. I was in the audience when she received your honorary doctorate.
An excellent and informative article.
Can I arrange to visit this research project? I am a consulting engineer and I have inspected over 8,000 homes in the GTA as a full time home inspector since 1994.
This article about Mitzie Hunter is an inspiring success story of a woman who is a child of immigrants to Canada. I taught a number of young people in elementary school who have had similar experiences: Vietnamese “boat people,” Jewish immigrants, Somali and other refugees. Their stories are all different, yet very moving. They are to be honoured for their accomplishments and drive.
Allan Miller
BEd 1969 OISE
Ottawa
Tarik Kadri studied yoga in India for a month but “couldn’t calm his mind.” I’d like to point out that a calm mind doesn't mean a blank mind. Yoga wakes us up to our purpose and focus in life, and, in Tarik’s case, it appears to have been successful in doing this.
I agree with Suwanda H.J. Sugunasiri letter in a recent issue that U of T Magazine should publish an article on Buddhist philosophy and psychology. Perhaps U of T researchers could design an experiment based on studies from adept and well-known masters, scientists, monks and yogis in this field instead of mainstream popular practitioners. When taken seriously and understood properly, Buddhist practices can help foster stable mental health among young people.
Abha Humeniuk
Midland, Ontario
Ken Stouffer notes that radical world-wide climate shifts occurred long before humans and the Industrial Revolution came along. Why then, he wonders, do we point the finger of blame at us?
But even if we assume that he is right, and that recent global warming is simply another in a series of natural, cyclical events, that hardly justifies our pumping millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the air, cutting down any tree we can lay our hands on or reducing, on a daily basis, the shrinking habitats of our fellow species – all in the name of the economy. Besides, as someone wrote, the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.
In a puzzling comment, Mr. Stouffer writes: “Let’s keep our planet clean but let’s not cripple our economy because of an imaginary crisis.” If this crisis is imaginary, how do we account for the fact that the world’s glaciers are rapidly melting and that rising sea levels already threaten many island nations?
Geoff Rytell
BEd 1975 OISE
Toronto
Further to Ken Stouffer's letter, a critical climate fact that I have yet to see in articles by climate alarmists – but which is even acknowledged by the International Panel on Climate Change – is that the total load of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is about 210 billion tonnes, of which a mere seven billion, or less than five per cent, is contributed by humans and other animals. And yet we're accused of being responsible for the climate. The alarmists have brought a whole new meaning to the term “political science.” What has happened to scientific objectivity and truth?
While there may be at least anecdotal evidence of global warming, human contribution is marginal at most. Furthermore, even if we could affect climate we won't, because we're not going to give up electricity, gasoline and heating fuel, the vast majority of which is produced around the world with coal, oil and natural gas.
The scientifically uninformed public, journalists and politicians have been hoodwinked into wasting billions. As a taxpayer who hates to see my money down a drain, a change in perception can't happen soon enough.
Gerald Crawford
BASc 1956
Mississauga, Ontario
I was wondering if I could get some more information about Writers' Circle, and the submission guidelines. Thank you very much.
Thanks for your interest, Sofia! U of T Magazine publishes original short stories and poems from alumni and students of the U of T community on its website every two weeks. Generally, stories should be less than 2,500 words. Please direct inquiries and submissions to Nadia Van, at nadia [dot] van [at] utoronto [dot] ca. Sadly, not all stories and poems submitted will be published.
Re: Ken Stouffer’s letter:
While there is no question that climate has changed often and quite dramatically in the past, those changes have occurred over relatively long periods of time. That the unprecedented rapid changes we are witnessing are anthropogenic is as near a statistical certainty as such matters can be, and if he were to pay as close attention, without prejudice, to the overwhelming evidence at hand as he has to the magnolia and fig trees of northern Greenland he would, I think, come to the same conclusion as nearly the entire global scientific community.
As for his concluding remark, there is far greater potential for growth in green technologies than in the world’s current carbon-based economies, including Canada’s.
I, for one, think that a small carbon tax is a reasonable price to pay to help ensure that future generations, and indeed the entire biosphere as we know it, would have a more propitious future than the one forecasted by nearly every computer model based on present trends.
I just read Joyce's write-up and am so happy she decided to do it. I knew some of those details but not all. You now have another wonderful way to remember her. I am Joyce's sister-in-law.
Dear Brendan, besides updates through U of T Magazine, feel free to check out our lab's website for outcomes of our research. We also provide a lot of background and explain why we do the kind of research we do: http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/ensminger/
Best,
Ingo
Feeling for stone... words indeed are powerful.
This could have worked as a supplement to an Orwellian dystopia. Bioengineering is growing and engulfing mankind.
As someone currently at the end of cancer treatment, it gives me hope to hear about this new drug, as I've always wondered why there hasn't been anything new developed besides chemo and radiation variations, and which have been around for decades. Thanks!
[...] http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/life-on-campus/murmur-project-shawn-micallef-james-roussel-gabe-sawh... [...]
Great story. Thank you for serving our country, Joyce.
I believe that gay men use a female persona to be campy. It's a form of acting a part in a movie or a play, except that the audience is anyone within earshot!
Thank you so very much for taking the time & effort to write the article on me & my eBook. When I played hockey for the Varsity Blues from 1968-70, Varsity Arena used to be packed, with approximately 4,500 avid fans. I do hope that some of your readership attended those games & this is a way to discover what happened to one alumnus. If anyone wishes to know more about the book then just e-mail me at paladincamera@sympatico.ca Don't be shy! Cheers, Michael
[...] as we learn from He’s Our Man by Stacey Gibson (U of T Magazine: Autumn [...]
I want to say thank you for your green radio show! I hope it lasts for years and years and helps to educate people. Humankind does not need to be so cruel to the planet to get some miserable money...
Cabeto Rocker- Brazil
www.garoacultural.org
Some of the comments regarding #4 are of the same nature as if the question was, "Here is a sequence. 0,1,2,3,4. What is the next number?" This question is basically unanswerable because the answer is, any number can be the next number. There is an assumption in most people's mind that the question is "What is the simple rule behind the sequence and the problem is to determine the simple rule." However the question in #4 is explicitly aimed at determining which of the given card(s) need to be turned over to verify or disprove the rule. Nothing more is asked for and no assumptions are required.
Beautiful. Stunning. Real.
Reel...
Thank you.
Prof. Abdulhai and his clever PhD candidates have come up with a game-changing way -- MARLIN-ATSC -- to make traffic work much better on local roads where intersections are controlled by traffic signals.
My own contribution to helping traffic work better, is a technology innovation aimed instead at expressways such as the 401, QEW and DVP.
Expressway Traffic Optimization (ETO) uses pavement-embedded signal lights to guide individual expressway drivers in real time to use best speed and spacing for fast, safe, smooth, efficient traffic flow, with almost no braking.
I estimate that this technology can eliminate all traffic congestion from all public expressways in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area for less than two per cent of the $50-billion price tag that Metrolinx is asking for.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2006, a 79 per cent of commuters in Ontario traveled by car. It is my firm conviction that the only way that too-long-denigrated car commuters in Ontario will ever get to enjoy the benefits of truly disruptive innovations like MARLIN-ATSC and ETO, will be via a grass-roots majority of informed car commuters who start voting strategically.
Thank you for a return to the roots of women's studies at U of T. I always thought I would return for grad studies, and continue in the women's program. My years of course work (part-time, 1983-1992) included women's studies, social cultural anthropology, sociology and religious studies. In all of these courses--interdisciplinary by choice--I loved the insights of my professors. I understood and examined the world in new ways. I met wonderful women in those years, from many ethnic backgrounds. I grew up in many ways, while at U of T. Thank you.
We have to implement such innovations and then work to export them to other jurisdictions in North America and around the world. It's in the export phase that economic development happens. The GTA is an excellent proving ground.
Great news about an excellent initiative. I have shared this on my Facebook page with Syrian friends (and their supporters) who are trying to help Syrians inside the country, All of us share tremendous concerns about the situation of children in Syria itself and in the refugee camps within and outside the country.. This good news will come as a welcome ray of hope after another terrible massacre committed by Assad's forces in the Banyas area yesterday.
A dramatic, tense story, with a lot of action. The characters in this story are clearly drawn, and have significant depth. It is easier to predict what might happen to Asad than what will happen to Jamal. This story could be adapted easily into a full-length novel, and perhaps another sibling, an older or younger sister, could be added. I would like to read other stories by Andrew.
Intricate. Blunt. Poignant.
Wonderful poem.
Wow. I am not suffering from a degenerative disease and yet the way this story is told feels like life, it reverberates. That's what I look for in a good short story.
What an interesting article. As someone who works in the education system, I'm interested in gaining a better understanding of the early experience on children and their development and how it may impact their learning. More questions come to mind as how can this information be used by teachers in developing the engaged and curious learner. Can the early experience be overturned by teachers? Knowing this, and yes it is a very multifaceted and complicated as noted in the comments, do we need to look at teacher training? These were just a few questions that came to mind.
[...] http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/leading-edge/genopolitics-peter-loewen-genetics-and-political-viewpo... [...]
Brilliant. I fell into your story and didn't get out until the end. Thank you.
A great story to read!
[...] work, just ask Tanya, she is also published and would like you to read her stuff as is Rod – best plug him too, you know what these writing/proffesatorial types are like – anyway Austin is a gentleman in [...]
May I request that Dr. Evans throw more light on type 2 diabetes, which is assuming endemic proportions in India. I live in Bangalore.
Kudos to Tariq Kadri for his initiative.
Who were the community partners who did the face-to-face ground work with the people who required counselling and housing assistance?
Why is there no mention of the organizations who partnered in the At Home/Chez Soi study here in Toronto?
This research is not possible without the hard work of faceless, poorly paid, mostly racialized front-line workers who deserved to at least be acknowledged with a reference to their community agency employers. U of T can and should do better!
This article and subject matter is of utmost importance to people of colour all over the world. We have enough professionals worldwide to stop and take particular interest and investment to ensure that this Queen is documented properly, and her remains are respected. I am urging the government to stop, and take this matter very seriously into consideration. Build this area up, stop thinking about lining your pockets for a moment, and do not let this situation end up in foreign hands with all due respect.
Hello Subbanarasu, Dr. Mike has a short video in English on diabetes in general, ABCs of Diabetes. It's at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUb0nywugug
Dr. Paula Goering responds:
It was an omission on my part not to make sure that credit was given to the community-service providers and to the participants and persons with lived experience who have made the study possible. In Toronto the service agencies included Community Occupational Therapists Associated, Toronto North Support Services, Across Boundaries, Housing Connections and the City of Toronto. A Persons With Lived Experience Caucus also contributed a great deal to the project. In each site there were similar partners who are too numerous to be named. Proper acknowledgements should also include The Centre for Research in Inner City Health and the leadership team from the Mental Health Commission of Canada (Cameron Keller, Catharine Hume and Faye More).
Cybill came to speak at a UTSC Management event early in 2013. I was really glad I got to hear her story in person! Can't wait for The Philosophers!
Simply sublime. Each flashback brings new revelations, that reverberate throughout the past until reaching the inescapable present... magnificent stylistically as well! Thank you so very much not so much for a good read, as for an experience in itself.
Thank you for this article about a great project. I first read about this concept, with regards to a pilot in an American city, a few years ago in an essay in "What the Dog Saw," by Malcolm Gladwell. At the time I hoped it would spread here. Thank you also for clarifying the people implementing the program here. This must have been a lot of effort, but a feel-good to be able to make such a positive impact in someone's life. I'd love to see a follow-up with longer term results. I hope it continues to show measurable results and that it's worth it on ALL levels to proactively treat people as the worthwhile human beings they are, instead of treating them as if they don't exist, and then reacting to a disaster later.
To respond to a "Lulu": blacks need to unite. This is the only way that we're going to get ourselves out of the situation we're in. One advantage of an Afrocentric school is that all children there, regardless of religion or immediate parentage, are taught that as African descendants, we're all in this together.
As for children of mixed heritage, if their parents agree that an Afrocentric education is right for them, why not?
Did you know that the world's first monarchy was African? The tomb site found at Ta Seti (Ancient Sudan) holds the dynasty of kings and queens who founded Ancient Egypt, and this burial site dates to at least two centuries before the first Egyptian Dynasty. Unless public schools are willing to teach this, then I'll send my children to an Afrocentric one.
[...] a 2008 interview, the noted historian Natalie Zemon Davis observes that her research process includes reading stories: I always have a novel, biography or [...]
[...] are what the world’s catchiest quotable quotes are made of! Wonder what signs the student of astro physic from Toronto saw that made him leave his line of profession and succumb to a passionate life of entertainment [...]
Excellent story. Realistic and stylish.
Esther Hill has proven that women can also excel in the field where men dominate. Women power radiated even at the times of difficulties. Aside from houses, what was her other specialization?
Indeed, proper development in early days of child's life is very necessary. All the parents need to understand this fact that to fulfill their expectation if they pressurize the children then its totally wrong. Instead of that you need to take good care of him and develop him in proper manner so that he can be a good person in life. For tips regarding proper development of child in his first 1000 days you can follow this link http://www.first1000days.ie/
I have to admit, I initially didn't get what you people saying Anne might be a dog were going on about. A dog would be unmarried, so the answer is still 'Yes'.
However, the question asks whether an unmarried person is looking at an unmarried PERSON. So you're right, without the question explicitly stating that we are dealing with 3 people, there is not enough information, and the correct answer is clearly, 'Cannot be determined.'
Awesome job Aya! Love the picture, keep up the great work :)
Best pic of all times... you're inspiring. .. keep forward... God bless
Excellent!Congratulations Monica Goyal ! I hope you and your organization continue to flourish. The world needs more people like you in it!
How do I reach Monica Goyal to learn more about her Legal Briefcase. There doesn't appear to be a web site for her noted in the article or a contact number. Thanks for your assistance.
Thank heaven someone has realized that this is a solvable problem! Mentally ill people wandering the streets make areas less safe not only for themselves but for others, who cannot predict their response to any confrontation, from a complaint to a simple kindly offer of help.
Please make this housing and support program as widespread across Canada as possible, as fast as you can!
What a great project, reading about it really warmed my heart. Well done all involved.
The My Legal Briefcase site is located here: https://www.mylegalbriefcase.com/
A message for Luke Ronald Henry Howie:
I may be barking up the wrong tree but you may be kinfolk. I enjoyed your poem. My nephew in Peterborough is also a poet. Mike Cote is his name, You and I are related through an Irwin family tree if your grandfather was Ronald Thurston Woollard (1911-89) with whom I corresponded a number of years ago, he being a grandson of a Mary Ann Irwin Thurston of Dunsford, Ontario, who was a first cousin of my great grandfather George Bick of Bobcaygeon. Would be interested in a reply as I am updating a family history I compiled in 1987.
John Bick
Bobcaygeon, Ontario
I would like to hear more from other readers about turning sound waves into light waves and how that can be done for tinnitus sufferers.
I think Wong's idea is great and I only regret that the same service does not exist in France where I live.
Great article! More people need to be educated about the treatment of food animals. I am not a vegetarian but I prefer to buy organic eggs and meat. During recent trips to the U.K., I noticed hog farms had lots of space for them to roam. If a country the size of England, with a much higher population, is able to manage their animals more humanely, there is no excuse for Canada not to do the same. Yes, it's more expensive but we don't need to eat meat every day either. There are plenty of healthy and cheap alternatives that are easy to prepare, such as baked beans. I also observed while dining with friends in the U.K.: they buy local and in season and are less inclined to buy expensive items that are imported.
While encouraging the younger generation to be active environmentalists around the world is admirable, involving older generations to do the same thing should not be overlooked. Nor should the opportunities at "home " be ignored.
In fact, there are significant opportunities for U of T to save energy. Converting the institution's obsolete lighting will produce deep savings. I will be approaching the U of T administration shortly to assess their level of interest in lighting retrofitting for both the Scarborough and St George campuses.
This is a FYI for you that there are local opportunities that can be promoted by "older" folks like me.
I took professor Hare's Eco 100 class in my first year at U of T and from there was inspired to take all my upper level economic courses with him, including ECO324 and ECO360. The classes were always interesting, as Professor Hare explained them really well and emphasized the importance of technological change and innovation.
[...] The fugitives were sheltered and fed along the way by white and black volunteers on the Underground Railroad. In Indiana, a white Quaker abolitionist married the couple in a quiet outdoor ceremony known as “jumping the broom.” They crossed the Detroit River on an abolitionist-run boat, finally finding safety in Puce in 1846. Read more [...]
Great work, but what about "backpacking" to Canada's North and other of our remote areas (and First Nations)?
This is very exciting work and very much needed! I'd be very interested to access more details as available. The proposed future direction is a good one! The inclusion of SO2 monitoring capability might also be helpful in assessing local air quality.
Brian Jantzi, C.Chem., BSc, BEd
Senior Air Policy Advisor
Ontario Ministry of Environment
The photo in this article features Personal Librarian Jacqueline Whyte Appleby and 2012-13 student participant Tony Ding.
if you need a guinea pig to practice on I'll be a candidate!
I saw this article online and discussed it with my mother Gladys (nee Boyd) Hunter today. I asked my mother if she had told Joyce about the U of T physio program, and she confirmed she is indeed the "neighbour" from whom Joyce learned about the program Gladys attended the physio program in its inaugural year at U of T and graduated a year before Joyce with the first group. She is 95 now but remembered Joyce Traube very clearly in our conversation today. My mother retired from physio in 1982 (Civic Hospital, Ottawa), but worked as a volunteer with disabled children at the Clifford Bowie School in Ottawa for several years before fully retiring. She mentioned that there were just 14 women in the first class and that several dropped out as the courses were very difficult.
Such a pretty photo!
What a great idea, wish they had this at other universities - would have been very helpful when I was in first year!
Nice picture.
So inspiring! This has just solidified my decision to go to Burning Man next summer, just to bump into people like David there.
Why do we, as Canadians, need to become a major world power? I see no need. Our nation includes a large forested area that is crucial for the world to survive, especially North America. If we expand our cities, we will have to cut down significant portions of this ecosystem, which will result in fewer trees and lower air quality. If 100 million people were to live here, each person would have to lower their environmental impact, which I doubt will happen. Canada is a wilderness paradise. We should let it be and enjoy it.
[...] from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree in 1987. He has been a professional musician for [...]
[...] Sarah. “Green Power.” University of Toronto Magazine, Winter [...]
[...] in 2007 to source 10% of our food from certified local sustainable producers, which represented the largest local, sustainable food contract in North America at the [...]
There is a balance to be struck here as well. It is great to voice concerns to management, if for no other reason than that if you don't, they may remain unaware of a problem. If you have not received what you paid for, you are, of course, entitled to a refund.
A problem, however, is that many people see complaints as a way to a windfall - e.g. if the fridge in your hotel room doesn't work, the hotel should fix it - it does not, however, entitle you to a free night's stay. The operators may offer something more as a measure of goodwill and/or public relations, but it is not an entitlement. When you start to act as if it is, you are only likely to antagonize an operator (especially a small business who may operate on very thin margins) and create stress all around.
If you start complaining and asking for refunds before the operators have a chance to respond to your concerns, they may wind up doing the minimum required. If, on the other hand, you approach them in a friendly and co-operative manner, they will likely be interested in providing something extra in order to retain your business.
Edna Park of the home economics department taught us that it was our duty to complain. And the company we complained to should appreciate the input so they could correct the problem and become a better company. I guess I complain more than most people because of her teaching.
I have had one strange experience in UC. I went down the starwell from the quad toward the JCR on the west side of the quad. I found the door incredible difficult to open. Thinking it was lost, I turned to climb the stairs but heard from behind me the door open very quickly and slam against its stops. I went through the door and as I turned toward the JCR door, I heard from down the hall two or three doors slamming loudly one after another. It was really creepy!
[...] http://www.vitruvius.com.br/revistas/read/minhacidade/12.133/4004 http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/leading-edge/toronto-regent-park-redevelopment-martine-august/ http://citynoise.org/article/5887 Share this:FacebookTwitterLinkedInGoogleEmailCurtir isso:Curtir [...]
[...] Humanities Medal from US President Barack Obama in a White House ceremony. Read a profile of her here. The Ioan Davies Memorial Lecture commemorates the life and work of Ioan Davies, who explored art [...]
Many thanks for this opportunity, as it will help many Africans achieve their goals.
I had the pleasure of working with 'Rosie' when she was commissioner for the Commission on Equality and Employment years ago! I was one of the senior typists. It was an amazing experience and what a fantastic woman she was then and still is, even more so. I have fabulous memories. She took the time to chat with everybody, help them, nothing was too much for her. So thank you for this terrific article.
Congratulations on doing what you love!
I just want to express my appreciation for your eloquence and professionalism. You did well. With respect.
[...] Rundle, L. (2006, March 18). Dial M for (murmur). UofT Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/life-on-campus/murmur-project-shawn-micallef-james-roussel-gabe-sawh... [...]
[...] and dissatisfied, leading to a whole host of physical and emotional problems,” he concludes. And studies bear this [...]
Evaluation of tests and efficient response time to students is crucial. Being able to build test marking and space for feedback to elementary students and their families as a day-to-day practice will further support student learning.
[...] parachuted into occupied France, seven – including Macalister – would never return (Requiem for the Brave, University of Toronto magazine [...]
[...] bad French to discover the spies. Only days before the men were dropped in France, a preparatory drop of explosives had been made. The explosives went off upon landing, and about 2,000 German soldiers “poured into the area to [...]
I simply love it. So inspiring, positive, energizing. Great publicity for U of T. Nice music too. Great job.
[...] that the United Nations reports (pdf, p.A42). And the UN has actually come down somewhat in the 400,000 it once estimated, according to University of Toronto Magazine. Those lower estimates speak to some skewed [...]
Nice use of visual and auditory stimulation. Keep up the great work :)
[...] and dissatisfied, leading to a whole host of physical and emotional problems,” he concludes. And studies bear this [...]
Phenomenal. Fantastic job. :)
Congratulations! A wonderful tribute to U of T. It brought back memories (and a tear to my eye) of my student experience, one that allowed me to create my own journey, and I am still loving it.
One sure way to boost participation rates in massive online courses is to allow the successful participants to earn university credits. Outstanding institutions like U of T will not issue credits on the basis of multiple-choice questions inside of video lectures. This related article, also appearing in U of T magazine, begins to explain the online collaborative grading platform my team and I have built to power online courses with rigorous assessment. http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/leading-edge/an-a-for-teamwork-crowdmark-james-colliander-patchen-barss/
The Hatchery is here for U of T students! Apply : http://hatchery.engineering.utoronto.ca/students/ Talk to us: hatchery@ecf.utoronto.ca
Come to our events: http://hatchery.engineering.utoronto.ca/calender/
Joseph Orozco, Executive Director, Entrepreneurship - The Hatchery
Fine eye and great capture!
Creative work. Well Done!
Great format online. I am glad I switched over from paper.
Service Vivid Award Plaque...
[...] don Cressy Student Leadership Awards from the University of Toronto. Gordon Cres [...]...
I would love to communicate with one or both of these young women so I can see if there's anything I can do to help their cause. My daughter, 12 years old at the time, suffered a concussion last January during a soccer practice. It was a scary experience but, thankfully, she recovered fully. If I can provide any help, I would be very willing to do what I can.
[...] How Rational Are You? Five questions to get you thinking… [...]
Great shot!
What more can we do to make the world knows of such crime by Japanese Army back then?
Can this documentary be sent to all Japanese government ministers and people with power in the government? Pressure from inside will do good too.
Makes me think of the different places and times that people can come across. Very good, and a beautiful country if you ever get the chance to visit.
My parents and family were very close friends with Rupert Schieder's Father, Francis (Frank) Schieder when he lived in Atikokan, Ontario. In fact, we called Mr. Schieder Sr. "Uncle Frank"! He worked for my father and lived on our property in a small cabin for many years until his health deteriorated. He was a most remarkable gentleman and my family had the greatest respect and love for him.
I noted that Prof. Rupert Schieder had researched and written; "The Schieders: A Family Narrative and Grandma Baylie, 1845-1923." Could you please advise as to where I could find this book if it is available to the public?
Erin Finlay
Both books are available in the John W. Graham (Trinity College) library. Contact them here.
Is there a way to sign their petition online?
Thank you both for your comments!
Dala, Sandhya and Swapna will be in touch with you.
Connie, Sandhya and Swapna explain that unfortunately there is no online petition because hard copy signatures are a formal requirement for these petitions. They suggest people interested in signing contact Dr. Duncan's constituency office (http://kirstyduncan.liberal.ca/contact/) for more information about where the petition can be signed in person.
thanks, Number 5 Stumped me " comprehensive study"
until I saw there was no right or wrong answer thanks nice test.. God Bless
I greatly appreciate the thoughtful responses included here. Clearly we have hugely varying opinions on solutions to urban congestion and all seem to have merit.
However, what's conspicuously absent in this and related discussions is information pertaining to the cost to taxpayers and system-users for existing roadways. We all take for granted the costs associated with maintaining, renewing and expanding the road network. But we examine the alternatives under a microscope. Our history in rail and road development can teach us much about which is more palatable in terms of cost, but I rarely see any discussion of this.
The original passenger rail systems in Canada and the U.S. were developed by private interests. Their motivation was money, since rail represented an efficient and economical means of transportation for the typical person. Since then, the construction of highways and the development of a successful aviation network have diminished profits from intercity passenger rail. But the potential to move people efficiently on commuter rail systems in the most densely populated and developed urban regions remains a viable transportation option.
If taxpayers are concerned about the costs of developing solutions to current and anticipated congestion, we need to consider the lowest cost options first. Far from being a luxury, an efficient commuter rail system represents the absolute best value.
Sandhya and Swapna have created a public email address: concussionbill@outlook.com and welcome hearing from people interested in signing the petition or helping with the cause.
I am truly impressed by the potential this young photographer has.
For more information or to arrange a tour, contact Professor Pressnail, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, at (416) 978-1501 or pressna [at] civ.utoronto.ca. View photos at http://uoft.me/gemini
As I pursue social justice issues I have wondered why the logic of good fiscal decisions -- for example, bringing down the cost of serving the homeless from $60,000 a year to $30,000 -- wouldn't resonate with those who you would expect to be cheering. It seems to come down to whether you believe that it is their fault that they are poor or addicted or homeless. People tend to look for the facts to support their emotional belief, as opposed to looking for the facts they need to make better decisions.
A Toronto city councillor who attended a social justice workshop I was at last fall stated that Toronto has been run for three years on four words -- "stop the gravy train" and the search for a wasted $10 to prove it. This is something we should all think about in the run-up to the next election. Thanks to Helen Walsh for creating Spur .
I would like to join this site, but do not have a utoronto email. Please, advise if I can get one or if the site can only be used by present alumni with a valid utoronto email address.
Once again, evidence is emerging that challenges the accepted theory that climate change (what used to be called "global warming") is caused by human activity. First, it is not possible to use the scientific method to prove that climate change is caused by humans because we have no other Earth, or approximate Earth, without humans to compare to.
Second, of course there is climate change because that's what climate does: it changes! Climate alarmists use the same faulty logic that propelled the U.S. into the war in Iraq: "We do not have any proof that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction, but we don't have any proof that he doesn't have them either, so we'll invade." What if the real danger to humans is global cooling and the onset of a new ice age? The sun will do what it pleases and humans have no say in the matter.
This is an excellent article suited for larger reading population than U of T. I would love to see you publish a followup to include anthropology and cosmological theology. There is a growing need to understand our selves in the larger context of being conscious life forms in a physical capsule rather than mortal beings with a "soul." Science has already demonstrated there are many universes with many dimensions. What is our purpose in all of this?
You can direct questions to the team at LoveatSchool through http://loveatschool.com/contact
I am Joyce's daughter. Thanks so much to Pat Hunter for her post about her mother Gladys - how interesting to have a little more of the story! And what a wonderful career in physio your mother had in Ottawa. Joyce would have been delighted to know that Gladys remembered her.
I worked for McGrath Engineering in the 1970s and have many a fond memory. I wish him all the best in the years to come.
Nice post about cosmetic dentistry.
You might want to check out roasted "chickpeas" and their coatings, as we discovered in Turkey. Absolutely delicious and nutritious!
When M.P. Scott Reid was first elected to Parliament he decided to use his FULL salary for projects in the riding. One of the projects was to pay for and install defibrillators in as many "public buildings" as possible-arenas, community centres, Legion buildings, swimming pools, curling rinks, etc. This quiet work has meant that this life saving device is available and has been used on numerous occasions, really saving lives. I don't know how many folks know of this work but in an age of self-seeking, greedy politicians I thought it might be nice for others, not in our constituency, to know of his decision.
This article should also explain how PFTBA gets from being "used in electrical equipment" to being a potentially suffocating vapour persisting in the atmosphere. Who's emitting it, by what processes, where, and in what concentrations. Then we can begin to think what to do.
An excellent article.
Many people given the opportunity to locate and use an AED may take too long to learn how to apply it. An ongoing television campaign would have significant impact in educating the public as to the operation of an AED thereby saving valuable time. The information should also have a visual demonstration for those that do not understand English. The general location of AEDs, such as the ones you have identified, should also be included in any presentation. The first action however should be to call 911 on a cell phone. Most people seem to carry one.
Perhaps the costs could be shared by the various levels of governments, the television networks, the manufacturers of the AEDs, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the general public.
In the same commercial, there could be a demonstration on applying CPR. I'm sure these thoughts have been identified but hopefully there might be serious consideration to implementing them.
One of my students asked about the moon's movement away from the earth at 2 cm a year. He wants to know what will happen to the moon: will it escape Earth's gravity completely, or will it reach a rebound point and move back toward the Earth? Thank you for considering my question.
Based on the article's information, at the current atmospheric concentration, PFTBA has a far lower impact on climate change than carbon dioxide.
Is there more information available in terms of the concentration trajectory of this chemical from the mid-20th century and in the last decade? If the usage has remained constant or moderately increased during this time-frame, then our immediate worry is still carbon dioxide.
Please include hyper-links (or end-note publication details) to studies that are central to articles such as these.
Thanks for the suggestion, Stephen. The link to the published article is:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2013GL058010/abstract
Unfortunately, a subscription is required to see the full text.
That was very interesting.
My husband F. William. R. Manton was a brother with the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity back in the early 1960s. He resided on St. George Street for the three years that he attended University of Toronto. Are there any archives or history of the members of that time? My husband Bill passed away in 2010 and I'm trying to put a book together of his life and that of his family before him. If anyone could point me in the right direction it would be very much appreciated.
Thank you.
Caroline Manton
Hi Carol, Yevgeni has answered your student's question on Ask an Astronomer - look in the "Solar System" section where the question is answered under the heading ""What causes the Moon to move away from the Earth? Will it ever stop?" (Very cool answer too, I hope your student enjoys.)
Please note that the article on Sir Charles Seymour Wright "Antarctica's Intrepid Explorer", Winter 2012 was written by me and not be U of T Magazine staff. I would appreciate a correction.
Kind regards,
Joseph Frey
The strategies stated and introduced seem absolutely promising. I suggest that graduates also ask themselves what their community and the world expect of them. These are great efforts!
Sorry for the error, Joseph! Correction made.
I flew with Daphne from time to time at the Island Airport. She might recall giving my newborn son a sweatshirt with the university's name on it. At about 89 or so, would Daphne still be with us? If so, would you pass my contact information along to her please. Thank you very much.
Toronto's core lacks good, continuous bike lanes, though in some places and at some times we can see near-European levels of cycling. Former Toronto Mayor John Sewell has said that, for him, biking is now the only effective method of transport in the core.
There is a dire need to improve bike lane connectivity in Toronto. As long ago as 1992, Bloor Street was designated the best place for an east-west bike lane, yet only a tiny portion of the street made it into the Bike Plan -- and even that, between Church and Sherbourne, has still not been implemented.
Awesome work, Cheryl, bravo!
As a point of interest, I'm probably the last living person to have worked on FERUT where, as a young technician at NRC, my job was to keep the beast operating.
Thank you to Cynthia Macdonald and to David Cameron for this scholarly but personal portrait of Richard Simeon from his wife, MaryEtta and his children: Stephen, Rachel and Sarah.
Fabulous article. Great to see some research backing up this powerful form of lifestyle and therapy.
A wonderful article bringing together strands of research. Thank you Cynthia Macdonald. We're teaching mindfulness for well-being in our high school with positive results.
I just took a mindfulness course at Women's College Hospital in Toronto -- the second mindfulness course I've taken. It's good to have updates and refreshers about mindfulness. Things change over time!
In the category of novel new ways to minimize airborne bacteria, even superbugs, titanium dioxide has been in use in some European countries as a strategically placed coating on walls and ceilings that allows the TiO2 to react with light and oxidize organic particulates.
A really great article, but in an urban setting like Toronto, you can easily find neonicotinoids in your local hardware store. The vet also sells it to you to apply to your dog/pets to prevent infestations. As dangerous a chemical compound that it is, it is easily sold to people who don't even know they are buying it. Most insect sprays and garden pest chemicals are, you guessed it, neonics! And they are placed in the hands of people who know nothing about them. Read the labels and understand what it is your are doing. I lost 10 hives to neonicotinoids last year, so don't take this lightly. If you are in an urban centre like Toronto, please do not use neonicotinoids. The bees are having a hard enough time as it is.
Excellent idea to have a Canadian wine with maple syrup: culture and tradition are present.
While I understand the plight of the LGBT community, I am outraged that the author of this article compares the plight of LGBT people to the Holocaust.
This is a horrible insult to the Jewish and non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the most tragic event for the Jewish people. There is no comparison of the scale and evilness of the Holocaust with what the LGBT community is facing.
Also, since I speak Russian and have been listening to what Putin had been saying on the issue, I have heard him say things about homosexuals that might have been insulting, but I never heard him use the word cleanse or say anything to that effect. Even though I understand the anger over Putin, misrepresenting what he said makes you lose credibility.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! The last sentence of the second paragraph is exactly what I am seeking: pain relief with no high. I was trying different strains through the Toronto Compassion Centre but have yet to find one that helps with my pain. Now, new legislation has shut the Compassion Centre. I do not want to try the unknown strains being offered by the commercial growers. The dilemma is that we will be offered either indica or sativa or combinations but not the specific strains that we have found effective. The Compassion Centre offered me education and the chance to try different kinds of cannabis. I have, at this point, given up and will continue with the extremely harmful and potent pharmaceuticals that offer a measure of relief.
I designed a site to help people become more engaged in the Toronto Civic Election. flashcardford.com
It’s a Flash-Card learning system to help people internalize information about the upcoming Toronto civic election. There are two main categories: Pro-Ford and Anti-Ford. You can learn facts that support or reject the re-election Mayor Ford.
After every 10 questions completed, the system updates a chart showing what percentage of completed questions have been Pro-Ford or Anti-Ford. The site is an excellent barometer of what's happening on the street, & it's continuously updated!
Lots of younger people aren't interested in voting. There are various reasons, but some that I hear are that they don't understand the issues enough, and that it doesn't matter who gets in, governments just waste taxpayers’ money.
Flash-Card Ford helps people understand the issues better, and make a better judgment on whether their money is being wasted or not. More importantly, it engages people to seek out more information and have discussions with friends & family.
The site is neutral. I've provided both Pro-Ford facts and Anti-Ford facts. It's a great site for people to internalize some facts to help them make a decision and/or help them persuade others of their opinion.
The problem of superbugs and antibiotic resistance has been adequately described. What we need now are solutions. One solution is to use phage therapy when antiobiotics fail. This could cure patients, reduce cost and free up hospital beds.
A recent BBC interview on phage therapy, as this medical treatment is known as, can be found at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p015cdyn/Health_Check_Bacteriophages/
For Canadians it should be of interest that it was the French-Canadian microbiologist, Felix D’Herelle, working at the Pasteur Institute in 1917, who coined the name bacteriophage and experimented with the possibility of phage therapy. He subsequently worked all over the world, including Russia and Georgia, where his efforts survive to this day in the form of a Phage Therapy Center.
The Canadian film Killer Cure: The Amazing Adventures of Bacteriophage and the book by Thomas Haeusler, Viruses vs. Superbugs: A Solution to the Antibiotics Crisis? attest to d’Herelle’s work. Another video on phage therapy from Australia can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG6dnOligeM.
I recently read a suggestion that the superbug problem is threatening the practice of medicine as we know it. I would therefore suggest that Canada establish The Felix d'Herelle Memorial Centre for Experimental Phage Therapy to provide phage therapy to patients when antibiotics fail or when patients are allergic to antibiotics.
The picture of Paul Keres and the 30-game chess exhibition is very interesting to me. I studied violin and viola at the music department for five years under the direction of Prof. Lorand Fenyves and was not aware that he had been a member of the Hart House chess club. He used to recommend that we practice our performance repertoire during the lunch hour concerts at Hart House, which I found very enjoyable. I am quite sure that I recognize my dear old teacher on the left side of the exhibition table holding his right hand to his face...am I right? If I am, then can you tell me how he did in the game against Keres?
As an undergraduate, I was fortunate to participate in two simultaneous chess matches at Hart House. The first, held in the Debates Room in the fall of 1953, was a 50-board test with the Grand Master Samuel Reshevsky, considered by many (including Bobby Fisher) to be one of the finest chess minds of that decade. A few months later, I found myself, with 99 others, seated in the Great Hall for an exhibition with Frank Anderson, then Canadian Champion. No need to dwell on the outcomes: Reshevsky , working his two knights into my ranks, carved me up with surgical precision; the latter contest, although taking much longer, had the same result. Nonetheless, they remain treasured memories of five years at U of T.
Paul Van Loan
BA 1957, MA 1958
Santa Cruz, California
I work in this and have seen some of the rooms already pass the quality and functionality of some of the "games" being developed for the Oculus Rift. It's moving at a very fast pace.
One of the things that should be stressed is that an antibiotic-resistant superbug only exists as long as we insist on using antibiotics. If we had alternative medical technologies that kill bacteria by mechanisms that are significantly different from antibiotics there is no superbug. Thus, to the right bacteriophage, a superbug is simply an opportunity to multiply and produce some more phages just like any bacterium.
I was born at 31 Sussex in 1951. I am so pleased that it is being fixed up. I remember the beautiful staircase and the fireplace. My parents sold the house in 1958. My late father was the Canadian composer Godfrey Ridout and a member of the music faculty at U of T.
Hi John,
Kin we are as Ron Woollard was my grandfather on my mothers side. Should you get this message feel free to email me and I can update you with further details about my immediate family if that is helpful.
Glad you enjoyed the poem.
Luke
lukehenryhowie@yahoo.ca
As a UC undergrad some 20 years ago, I thought then that the main college building could be so much more than it was (and it was already a great building). I'm very pleased to hear there are concrete plans to have it be even more of a home to UC students and staff. Hopefully it doesn't take a full 10 years to realise those plans, but I look forward to visiting again soon.
1) Enjoy a meal from some of the unique food trucks outside Robarts
2) @UTSC- borrow a cafeteria tray and use it to sled down the hill outside of the atrium
Earlier this week, you had #12 marked as a tribute to the volunteer-run Hot Yam, a truly special U of T community hub that promotes healthy eating on campus. I'm wondering why you chose to replace it with 'an all-nighter at Robarts' of all things? Sure, we've all burned the midnight oil at a library, but I think your role should be to celebrate these kinds of social spaces that are open to students and staff alike, rather than proliferating the culture of academic stress.
Recognizing the contribution of the Yam will also do a lot for securing funding and support for student life programs like it. I believe the Yam's hours are less regular now, which may have been your reason to edit, but there are other places and events that have a similar role (such as Harvest Noon cafe) that would be worth writing about.
Exceptional hardwork and dedication always pays off. Cheers!
@Jenn: you make a good point. By all accounts Hot Yam was very popular and appreciated. However, we understand that it's no longer operating (and so is no longer something a student can do before they graduate). If you (or anyone else) hear otherwise, please let us know!
Is there any exclusion of kids with a black and a white parent? Is there a waiting list?
Lulu, you can define "black" any way you like since it is, in my view, an arbitrarily created term (from negro - black in latin) to described people of afrikan ancestry ("the one drop" rule).
Nevertheless, my understanding is that, though it is an Africentric school, all students are welcome. It is a matter of choice. I have heard great things about the school.
Curiously, I do not recall any caterwauling or big debates about Jewish schools and others that cater to very specific demographics. It seems to me it is always a major issue when it has to do with "Afrika."
Thank you for publishing such a hopeful article. I like to think that the U of T Magazine will publish at least one such article on climate change per issue ad infinitum.
A great initiative by a powerful woman!
Very nicely put Donna! Thanks for so eloquently shaping the story.
When can we tour your brewery in Toronto? What is the address and phone number? Thanks a lot, in solidarity.
This sounds like a wonderful programme.
I am looking forward to reading many more books written by the students
and graduates.
Craft beer tour. I'd be interested.
My pleasure – and it’s easy when the story is so good
This is a very interesting story, I've never heard anything like that. When we hear about disasters happening in other countries, such as floods, we all want to help in some way with the rebuilding and cleaning efforts. But no one ever talks about the small personal issues that aren't so much physically as they are mentally damaging. A constant reminder of the trauma that they had to go through.
Doing shows like Vic Music Club and the Johnny Frost Show, I still had my goal of making it onto the O'Keefe Centre stage. I was "discovered" in the UC Follies and offered a chance to be an "extra" with the Canadian Opera Company - I went from being a spear carrier to touring North America when I graduated as a stage manager and mute performer. By the end of my career with the COC, I had performed 287 times without opening my mouth and in July at the George Ignatieff Theatre on Devonshire, as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival - I will be premiering "Confessions of an Operatic Mute" reliving my youth, my days at U of T and my performing career.
Walk across Queen's Park from St. Mike's to UC on a sunny fall day and jump in a big pile of leaves with your sweetie!
Write an exam under the timbered trusses of the Grand Hall at Trinity College. Let the creaky wood floors, the rows of aged desks, the soaring stained glass windows and the still of the dry air give you inspiration. A most memorable and inspirational place to try to pull off an "A."
Head across campus and grab lunch at another college/faculty. Make friends with unfamiliar students.
Seek out the Engineers Bridge Club and join in.
After graduation, I realized that at least 50% of what I learned was outside of classes. Join as many groups unrelated to your degree as you can. Meet people you would otherwise never meet. There are a lot of communities of interest available for you to discover not only new activities but also new ideas.
Spend evenings translating Latin in the Pontifical Institute Library, 4th floor of St. Michael's College Library, after dinner in the Canada Room.
Enjoy taking a break in the quad behind Fisher Hall at St. Michael's College.
What was special for me happened quietly in the dark, the very cold dark of winter night. At around 5 am, a group of three or four of us struggled with our hockey outfits and sticks as we made our way to Varsity Arena to practice for interfaculty play. We were all still sleepy, but it was amazing out on the ice, looking up at the stands and immense indoor space. Soon, our hour was over, and a few hours later, we were in class again, trying to keep up with our lecturer, taking notes as hastily as possible -- another day at med school.
Find the JCR in UC and become addicted to Diabolos Coffee Bar. Best community, and best sleeping couches!
See the mural in the lobby of the Dental Faculty and take a look at the museum on the second floor near the library.
Go see a play at Hart House.
Take advantage of the Academic Success Centre and participating in the First Generation program (if applicable to you).
Go an an international exchange, it changed my life and saved me a lot of money.
Becoming good friends with at least one professor. You'll be surprised at how generous and funny he or she is after class, even if they were strict while you were in school.
Knowing where all the water fountains and microwaves are on St. George campus. I always know where to run back for free water and a microwave!
Just being yourself. You're bound to find people who are just as quirky and weird as you are. Embrace it!
Perform in the UC Follies! Once in a lifetime experience! My mother was in it before me!
I enjoyed reading this article very much. I was particularly drawn to the following statement:
"Then there’s the challenge of enforcement – of the rules of the program, but also the rules of labour relations in Canada. Workers without permanent resident status tend to be more compliant. It’s easier for employers to ask them do extra work for low or no pay."
One could write a book about what this one paragraph so aptly describes.
As a retired employment standards officer with 23 years service with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, I found the above statement to encapsulate a true dilemma for enforcement. Enforcement officers know what the problems are but are helpless when it comes to enforcing basic employment standards. I suspect other jurisdictions experience similar problems.
In Ontario, there is little in the way of enforcement resources dedicated to proactive investigation of any kind, only reactive enforcement of complaints from those willing to complain.
Until there is sufficient legislative support for both administrators and enforcement officers provincially in employment standards the hidden labour pool will experience continued abuse.
The University of Toronto is a phenomenal place with lots of features that should be celebrated. But you do realize that 24,000 U of T students do NOT attend St. George, right? Selecting 16 St. George centric items and having one shared between UTSC and UTM is a disgrace. When U of T finally embraces the strength of their tri-campus system then they will truly be Canada's #1 university. Until then...you can do better U of T Magazine!
@Brooke
You're absolutely right. The list IS weighted heavily toward St. George. But the list was also compiled from suggestions made to us by members of the U of T community! We welcome suggestions from UTM and UTSC students and alumni to correct the imbalance!
Sip a cup of tea and enjoy fresh baked cookies at Diablos (UC if it still exists) or the UC playhouse on St George, just opposite Sid Smith.
Take a walk along the path of the Credit River which borders our beautiful and verdant campus. When I needed a quiet place to study I simply took my books and followed the path. You will be amazed that you can see deer and hear nothing in the middle of a vibrant city. How lucky was I to earn my world class education at UTM!
Hello,
How about attend a Concert Band & Jazz concert at UTSC and St. George; and attend a class at UTSC, UTSG and UTM?
Thanks, take care & all the best :-)
When and where will you publish the winners of the 2014 contest?
Thanks,
Vera
Hi Vera,
The winners of the 2014 contest will be announced in September.
I am hopeful that people who are unable to pay the regular cost of a prosthesis will benefit from this. I know I can get one for a reasonable price due to government aid, but still I am very much interested in your product
Not a surprise but interesting confirmed with the study.
There is a service that offers digital estate options for this exact reason. Socialscrub.me offers to scrub people's digital lives to their specifications after they pass away so that they can decide what social profile they would like to leave behind. It's definitely an interesting topic.
Thank you for this excellent article. I saw the picture of Mrs Abella while visiting the Supreme Court in Ottawa. I was mesmerized by her smile on the picture and I wanted to find out more about her. She has definitely become an inspiration for me, even though I'm not a Law student.
Oct 30, 1927: Toronto Board of Education voted to name their new school on Belsize Drive "Maurice Cody School." (TBE Minutes, 1927, p.175)
When I defended my Ph.D,thesis in August 1966 professor was a memberof the committee of examiners along with an external examiner by name Ketter from SUNY buffalo.
Etkin asked me questions which were based on fundamentals of mechanics.
Since my thesis was on metal stability of thin walledmetalstructures,our study was inter disciplinary and my references were to several publications of the NACA and NASA/
Kindly convey my heartfelt condolences to Professor Etkin's family.
After writing full-time for 40 years, from Coast to Coast to Coast in Canada, I recently published the first 46 of the 55 eclectic books I've penned to-date, in e-book and paperback, on amazon.com.
Anyone interested should peruse mudvalley.com.
Perhaps it's time Canada discovered an author who has persevered so mightily the old fashioned way, without 'formal training' and connections.
Can't recall the exact year of my class with Prof. Etkin but when he walked in one morning he explained his red eyes by the new baby, his first, crying all the previous night. I recall his friendly manner and his easy to follow teaching style. Until I saw his reported age of 96, I never stopped to realize that he was ten years my senior. I am so sorry to hear of his death and I convey my condolences to the family.
I was one of those engineering students who were fortunate to have Dr. Etkin as a first year engineering professor. In addition to being a gifted scientist and professor, he was also very approachable and genuinely interested in our success. It has only been in recent years that I learned of his outstanding professional achievements. Evidently, he was very humble as well. I'll never forget his continually smiling face, the twinkle in his eye and the contagious enthusiasm he brought to each lecture. Thank you Dr. Etkin. As a young kid, you touched my life.
I was in Eng Physics and we had to spend our first 2 years of school at Ajax. Most of the time I made the daily trip from Toronto. I remember Bernie Etkin taking a personal interest in me and being concerned that I was too pale and was not getting enough sleep. He had a genuine interest in the students. I remember him well.
The article just blew my mind. I turned 73 last Thursday and I would be 84 if, God willing, I survive to 2025. One of my major concerns is about managing my disability as I get older. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1994 and have been on powerful chemicals for the last 20 years. One area where I think medical technology could help is a non-intrusive devise to induce sleep. There should also be simple devices to help people suffering from short-term memory loss. These are simply some of the ideas that came to mind while reading the article.
Ali had just finished his first year as an Executive Member with the Arts & Science Students' Union (ASSU). We still have the condolence book in the ASSU Office if people still wish to sign it - we will be giving it to his family next week. Also, ASSU, along with his family will be setting up an endowed memorial scholarship for International students in Ali's name. People who wish to contribute to this scholarship can do so shortly on the UofT website. You can contact ASSU for more info - students.assu@utoronto.ca
Jason's sketch of the city struck me as interesting. I like the idea of creating a new office to explore these problems.
Great photos. May I suggest a fourth category? HDR or Photoshop or other software-processed photos.
It does not seem fair that special processing wins or places in a category when equally good photos lack the software processing, but are technically better photos. If you add a category for the 'processing' wizards then the real photographers will have a better chance.
I am NOT saying that the wizards are not real photographers. Let's make this competition fair, and we will all see better photos.
ps. I did not enter the photo competition. I am an expert with HDR, Photoshop and other software processes.
There is a great charity started by U of T Alum (many of whom were students at the time of the founding) called Canadian Hero Fund (http://www.herofund.ca). The organization supports Canadian Military Families. You may want to look into doing a story on this organization, it has many ties to the university. Chancellor Michael Wilson is an Honourary Patron of the organization, as well as Hon. Bill Graham.
"You can’t blame the food companies entirely, though, because they wouldn’t make the foods if people weren’t buying them. Consumers demand certain types of products and the food companies respond."
So you're asking us to believe that thousands of people besieged Kellogs and demanded that they introduce Coco-Pops? The food manufacturers dream up these fat and sugar loaded products and are allowed to get off very lightly given their responsibility for rising levels of obesity.
I hardly think this is leading edge. The concerns about sugar have been well established for some time. Fats were also targeted for a restricted diet based on research into heart disease and arteriolesclerosis (suspected due to HDL, or "bad" cholesterol). Recently, this has shown to be false as the ratio of HDL and LDL is the most important factor not just the amount of HDL.
Do not forget these are general statements, and each individual's specific dietary requirements will vary. People should always consult their doctor(s) before undertaking any diet regimen. There is a lot more going on then just one variable; the human body is very complex and is a multi-variable open system. A complete program is required to address the multitude of influences from our environment - both external and internal. I hope future articles will be more truly "leading edge," but I appreciate the broadcasting of this important message.
I love this idea and it's long overdue. I've worked and lived in five cities globally as well as the city of Vancouver. On top of that, as a traveller and photo-journalist, I have visited well over a hundred cities worldwide. Not only does Toronto urban planning lack creativity, it underscores the fact that we are still a megacity under the "Toronto" flag which doesn't usually mean anything tangible to a lot of us who live here. What lasting impression of this city does a visitor of Toronto leave with? The Rogers Centre/Aquarium/Roundhouse/CN Tower price gouge? A few parks that are kilometres away from the downtown hub of hotels and restaurants?
As for Torontonians, commuters who come in from the suburbs are happy to get in and get out during the week, as quickly as possible, and not without complaints. Their weekends are spent not in the city, but rather in leafy neighbourhoods or shopping malls far from the boundaries of Toronto city limits. Far from the congestion, noise, pollution, homelessness, and lack of beautiful, inviting public spaces that characterize the densely populated core of the city.
This city needs to find its brand identity as the cultural hub that it is, so locals and visitors alike can get a true sense of what Toronto stands for and how it fits into the fabric of Canada.
The ripples continue ever outward!
I am the photographer for the image you used on this article and I would greatly appreciate it if you could credit me somewhere on the page. Here is a link to the original image:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/angela_sleeping/6833986386/
Thanks!
-Angela Doss
Hi Angela, we credit all images in the image file; if you hover your mouse over the pic you will see the credit to Angela Doss/Flickr. All best, Janet Rowe, U of T Magazine
Question for Alice Taylor: Reference is made to FitzGerald’s backyard stable at 145 Barton Ave. I was born at 289 Barton Ave., which is on the south side of Barton. In Toronto odd-numbered buildings are on the south side of the street.
There was, just east of my boyhood home, the foundation of the stable where tetanus was first made but that was on the north side of Barton. If you Google “145 Barton Ave” it comes up on the north side of Barton. The south side is taken up by Christie Pitts,from Crawford east to Christie Street.
Is Google wrong, am I wrong, is the address wrong? Any thoughts or comments?
Great article in a great publication.
Reply: Thank you for the comment and kind words! Google seems to be mixed up – all the odd numbers are indeed on the south side of the street, including 145, located just east of Christie Pitts.
#3 This isn't a test of rationality -- it is knowing how to calculate false positives. The false positive rate = false positive / (false positives + true negatives).
We know the false positive rate (.05) and the number of true negatives (999). Solving for the number of false positives gives us: 52.58 false positives (in a population of 1000). Adding the one true positive from the premise gives 53.58.
Thus the chances of actually having the disease if you get a positive result is: 1/53.58 or 1.86%.
The premise of the article is being rational. There is, however, nothing rational about arbitrary statistics that have specific meaning to statisticians. The rational part of me says this is a dumb question to test how rational people are.
Has the magazine done a similar series "Changed by War" on U of T's involvement in the Battle of Ridgeway? The Battle and the threat of Fenian invasion was a major factor that led to Confederation the following year in 1867. The battle involved U of T students and there is a memorial to the battle and the U of T students adjacent to the university on Queen's Park Circle. Three U of T students died in the battle.
http://www.canadian-universities.net/News/Press-Releases/November_10_2006_Citys_oldest_war_memorial_undergoing_restoration.html
http://www.dittwald.com/torontosculpture/image.php?Artist=Reid&Title=Canadian%20Volunteer%20Monument
http://www.ridgewaybattle.ca/
In response to Glenn Walker's comment: No, to our knowledge, the magazine has never published a story on the Battle of Ridgeway. But it's an interesting idea -- perhaps on the 150th anniversary of the battle in 2016!
Dear editor,
Your recent article on "cyberbullying" offered an outlandishly out-of-touch solution to the problem of online abuse. You wrote: "Fortunately, the problem is now being approached on multiple fronts. In the computer world, so-called 'white knights' such as the hacktivist group Anonymous are currently doing their best to ferret out adult cyberstalkers and abusers." This line betrays the author's massive ignorance to what actually goes on in the Internet world. In reality, "Anonymous" is often the cyber-mob behind such sex-crimes as the recent string of leaked celebrity nude photos, operating out of the popular website, 4chan.org. "White Knight" is actually a derogatory term amongst Anonymous, used when one person does not participate in the required level of misogyny that is their collective circle-jerk of hatred. As a woman who has been targeted by the cyber-mob rallying behind the cry "We are Legion," I have become quite familiar with their online culture and discourse. I have previously been driven out of my home after the group obtained my address, due to a massive amount of threats to come to my home and rape and murder me. The police were completely unhelpful. Reading your article praising "Anonymous" as providing a potential solution to abusive cyber-stalking was an utter slap in the face. It is incredible to hear such praise for those very people who commit these vile crimes. Please correct your error.
- Name withheld
Response from Cynthia Macdonald:
Anonymous is a complex group with no firm centre. There is no question that some of the hackers operating under its banner have been celebrated as "digital Robin Hoods" for routing out child pornographers, cyberabusers, white supremacists, and other criminal elements. But as this reader points out, others who identify as members are actually guilty of the very cyberabuse that others decry. I regret that my one-sided view of Anonymous exacerbated this reader's pain, and I thank her for contributing to a fuller understanding of this ever-changing organization.
We need underground high speed transit. LRT only causes gridlock and congestion. I can see how LRT might work in places such as Mississauga, but not in Toronto.
Whether we pay for transit now or later is irrelevant. We will end up paying for this one way or another. Go to any other international city in the world and you'll find transit infrastructure far superior to Toronto's.
High-speed underground transit will save Toronto money on the long term thanks to lower maintenance costs, less automobile gridlock and faster transit times. Build the infrastructure and people will use it.
I know of one more story, at Hart House: http://harthouseuoft.tumblr.com/post/64952133876/hart-house-saved-by-a-ghost-from-the-past
As an undergraduate student, I took a number of courses in the Medical Sciences Building. One day in February, I was leaving around 6:30, after a lengthy discussion with an instructor. Lost in thought, I climbed down the stairs leading to an exit. Through the glass door I could see it was dark outside and snowing. I tried to push the door open, but it would not move. I tried harder, but the door refused to budge! I gritted my teeth in frustration, and decided to try another exit. Just then, I heard a locker door close, followed by footsteps walking slowly in my direction. I decided to wait for this other person who could help me push open the door.
Just then, a girl appeared on the other side of the door, mouth covered with a scarf, hoodie barely covering her head, and knocked. She looked scared. The Medical Sciences Building usually cannot be entered after 6 pm, so I wondered if she was seeking safety inside the building. Something about her looked familiar. “Wait!” I shouted, putting all my weight against the door. But the door still did not move. She kept pointing to the handle and behind me, tears rolling down her cheeks. I wanted to help her. Where was the person whose footsteps I'd heard?
“Please help!” I screamed out behind me. Nothing. “Wait,” I shouted to the girl, “I will try another door!” “No!” she seemed to insist, pointing stubbornly at the door handle. “Open this door now!” It was at this point that her scarf fell off. It was as if I was looking at a mirror image of myself. “Get out!” she cried. Who was she? Why was she begging me to get out? Then, inexplicably, she was gone. I tried to open the door again; it finally gave way and I was out.
I looked back through the door and saw the person who had been coming along behind me: hollow eyes, clothes ripped, heavy chains dangling from his arms. He stared unblinkingly through the door, and pointed a finger at me. I was paralyzed with fear. He made to open the door. “Help,” I tried to scream, but I was hypnotized. Suddenly, the wind picked up and snow briefly obscured the exit. Then he was gone, seemingly blown off by the wind!
To this day, the incident remains a mystery to me. Who did I see that day? Who was the man in chains? Was the girl my guardian angel? Or just my reflection on the glass door?
Nirvana Nursimulu
BSc 2012, MSc 2014
Hello,
In the online version of the article, the photo isn't dated.
Could you please include the date?
Thank you,
Aspi Balsara
Good catch, thank you! Fixed. - Janet Rowe, U of T Magazine
I am a retired Anglican priest who continues to "fill in" at a small rural parish in Alberta. My father's eldest brother was killed in June 1918 and his body was buried in the British Military Cemetery in Boulogne, France. My wife and I visited this beautiful cemetery some years ago, following a routine of my paternal grandparents who travelled to Boulogne each year until their deaths in the mid-1930s.
This year, on November 9 at the Remembrance Day Service in St. Clement's Anglican Church in Balzac, Alberta, I intend to use the stories from "Changed by War," which many of my parishioners will never have heard before. Many thanks to Alice Taylor for her contribution to this fine magazine.
Thank you for including those unsung heroes of war, the animals, in the Autumn 2014 issue ("Forgotten Warriors"). Many people do not realize the number or variety of animals have been used during in war or the contributions these animals have made, many giving the ultimate sacrifice, their lives. Many people also are not aware that not only did many of these animals not survive but those that did often were not brought back. Sadly, I understand this practice still goes on today.
I have heard many stories of these animals from around the world, including that of of Gander, the Newfoundland dog with the Royal Rifles of Canada, who died picking up and carrying away a grenade that had landed next to his platoon during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island, but I had not known the story of Bonfire.
Kudos for reminding people of the "Forgotten Warriors" because as is written on the Animals in War memorial in London, England, "They had no choice".
What is the name of the treatment? How do I get involved to try it?
Reply from U of T Magazine:
This article was written nine years ago. However, it seems the therapy, called stimulation therapy or functional electrical stimulation, is still in use.
You can watch a video made in 2012 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QZDdh7Fbu8.
Contact the Toronto Rehab Institute at www.torontorehab.com or 416-597-3422.
Thomas Cleave and John Yudkin published many significant papers on the dangers of high refined carbohydrate consumption, more than 40 years ago! As Harry Truman said, the only thing new is the history which you don't know. Scott Anderson's fine interview with Prof. Mary L'Abbé brings out a much-needed refocusing on this matter. Society needs to see it frequently. (Yogurt, by the way, is NOT a danger food. Adding sugar to it makes it so.)
Big Food has a replaced Big Tobacco as the nexus of evil in the Western world. Does the department of nutritional science get any funding from Big Food?
I agree with the previous posting. Add a category for digital photo processing.
This article is inspiring and important to keep the pulse on these issues
This was the most beautiful experience of my life.
I was adopted . The environment and the cultures of so many people
coming together was like having a sense of belonging to " humanity"
U of T taught me to embrace humanity .
Many times I felt the transcendence of our spiritual reality come forth in so many diverse ways.
Ironically " Toronto " means ' meeting place ' >
Only with the heart can one see clearly ...St Exupery > The Little Prince
I dedicate my comment to M J Lavelle. my professor of religion ,
A hero's HERO > if you know what I mean > one who sees through the illusions in order to arrive at justifying our existence at the level of human suffering and to ultimately champion ourselves out of Love . (And under the stars we move in our mettled ways) TS Eliot
There are a few comments to make about a computer to help with legal matters.
First, though lawyers don't want to admit it, the body of law contains a lot of ambiguous statements and even contradictory ones. That is proven by the fact that lawyers make a living from just these conditions.
Second, what happens if a computer provides wrong information that ends up convicting an otherwise innocent person? Who will compensate the victim?
There are many variations and extensions of these questions. It seems reasonable that anyone trying to build a system supporting the legal system would also try to answer them at the same time.
We are all aware of the problems that lawyers attempt to solve through the courts that arise from differing interpretations of the same laws. This seems a real problem for algorithms to handle.
Thank you for the info about John McRae M.D. As a public school student growing up in Toronto, we all had to recite “In Flanders Field” every Nov.11. At 84, I still remember the words and do not hesitate to remind my American Colleagues on Nov.11…He truly lives on with his poetry.
Sincerely,
M.M.Bocknek, M.D. U/T Meds 5T4
Springfield, Virginia.
I knew McGrath when he was Assistant Dean. He was very inspirational, kind, and approachable. He knew how to build good relations with people. I hope him all the best.
Lucile Wakelin continues to be a source of inspiration! As a former student of Mrs. Waklein's I can state without any hesitation that her passion for learning made a significant impression on her students. She inspired me to pursue teaching as a career and commit to being a lifelong learner. Congatulations to both Lucile Wakelin and Gerald Dunlevie. In realizing your dreams you have revealed the possibilities available to others.
I had the privilege of knowing them both.
My grandfather Alexander E. Fleming was a gunner in the 67th Battery. He didn't talk a lot about the war but I do remember him going to the Chateau. I too visited the Chateau at a young age. I am putting together a shadow box with his medals and some memorabilia. He was also a member of the Arts and Letters Club. I will be visiting the Memorial Room for sure!
As a stage four chronic kidney disease patient, this is incredible news! I would like to be updated on the progress of this research, particularly as it pertains to kidney disease.
An unlikely transplant candidate at my age, the only option seems to be dialysis.. stem cell treatment would certainly provide tremendous hope for the future of patients in the same situation
I'm proud that my university is once again in the forefront of medical discoveries.
Coyotes aren't overpopulated; people are. In 10,000 years, we've taken over this planet and brought it to its knees. Dani's company is a clean-up crew, nothing more, eking last profits from the scattered remains of non-human land life. Elephant hunting too, by the way, is a multi-generational tradition. And respect for opinion ends where another being's skin begins.
One who profits from violence against innocent beings does not deserve praise.
Thank you for sending your discoveries and wow, that photograph of the ship at sea---beautiful and terrifying given where it is, surrounded by the most inhospitable nature. So happy to learn of your explorations and documentations. How do I access your other photographs---Salt flats, etc.? Have you a place to exhibit in New York? The Art Centre, University College, U of T, may be applied to when you make them aware of your work.
Rosemarie Beresford
Hi Rosemarie, more of Daniel Kukla's work can be seen at danielkukla.com - U of T Magazine
As I caught the first image, I was compelled to stop, read, and imagine as I walked through Kukla's slides. A few moment's escape from my work in southern CA, USA! Brilliant work Daniel!
Loved the photos. Several are powerful in the depiction of the starkness of this environment. Well done.
I believe the Queen Mother visited Hart House in either 1980 or 1981, I was a summer student on the grounds crew that prepared the front entrance for her visit. The article is a nice reminder of how the university was built.
As a writer and historian, I have discovered that people who hide their actions under a veil of secrecy always have something to hide--namely actions that harm the public good. The debates in the UK House of Commons in the 18th century were so secret that anyone who published them could be charged with sedition and jailed or hanged. Now we have Hansard and arguably better government.
Since we know so little about the longer term environmental consequences of fracking, wouldn't the more rational approach be a moratorium on its continuing use?
I enjoyed this communication
Congratulations on all your accomplishments, Hanna! We need more strong, bright, and committed women like you in the sciences field!
This article badly understates the concerns about fracking. It fails to mention, for example, the growing evidence that fracking triggers earthquake activity. It fails to talk about the massive leakage of methane gas – a powerful greenhouse gas – from fracking operations into the atmosphere. It mentions fracking's effects on the sage grouse, but not any of the other species of flora and fauna, because the fact is that no proper environmental assessments have been done on the biological impacts of fracking. It is essentially an unregulated corporate rape of the environment. And ultimately, fracking is simply another way of extracting fossil carbon from the earth and releasing it into the atmosphere, driving global climate change, while postponing the necessary rapid transition to fully renewable energy sources.
The Questioning of Frac safety needs analysis by those knowledgeable about Oil/gas recovery. After 45 years in western Canada's oil patch i am amazed that oil producers haven't provided a good evaluation in relation to other production methods. Frac'ing became popular in the mid 50's particularly in the Cardium tight sands with some 4000 wells in the following decade having been frac'd with hardly a problem. That's not to say other oil productivity improving methods including primary production don't have some effect on the environment. Furthermore let's compare the effects to other polluting effects which result from just about every human activity. I think a more serious and difficult problem is to reduce population growth.
It puzzles me that someone who studied ethics thinks there is anything ethical about killing coyotes for fashion, even if they are not endangered.
Does Mr. Reiss not understand the negative consequences of "wildly hunted" animals that are killed through the notorious leg-hold trap, which has been banned in more than 60 countries around the world and several American states?
Endangered species, domestic dogs and cats, and other non-target animals are often caught through trapping, too.
The animals that are killed may have families -- puppies that will die of starvation or fall victim to another predator as a consequence of their mother or father being trapped.
If Canada Goose attached a pamphlet to their jackets, outlining how they came to exist, including the animal suffering, I wonder if people would still buy them.
Helping the economy, creating jobs, being profitable and being fashionable seem to be more important than compassion for the animals used needlessly in the production of these jackets. Most people using these jackets don't ever use the trim; it just hangs there with no purpose.
Many people wear their Canada Goose jackets when walking their beloved dogs -- wearing the fur of one canine while caring for another -- a complete disconnect.
I hope one day people wake up and try to live their life without causing so much unnecessary suffering.
Congratulations Hanna! In the world of 24/7 Emergency Services Communications Centers there is a great need for a better understanding on ways to reduce fatigue. Scheduling is key and your research on this topic is of interest to me and my colleagues. I look forward to further articles and some of your findings and strategies. Good luck!
Indeed a moratorium would be a good approach here and a great example of the "precautionary approach" that has been adopted in other jurisdictions, like Germany, New York state, Nova Scotia, southern Quebec and Newfoundland. Scientists know very little about the environmental consequences of fracking and there is good reason to be concerned about methane, earthquakes, and the impact on flora and fauna. Risk assessment is incomplete at this point.
Risk management, an activity carried by politicians, has varied. In Saskatchewan (and Alberta, British Columbia, numerous US states, the UK and so on) politicians have decided that fracking is safe enough and that the risks are not greater than the benefits. This is unfortunate. But in cases like this, society would be best served if fracking jurisdictions could in the very least try to minimize the risk they have placed on society at large.
Is the nature of the compounds included in the fracking mining operations known?
Albert Matthews, 16th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario & his wife Mrs. Margaret Matthews were also guests at the luncheon, embracing the role of hosting the reigning Canadian monarch, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth I as most revered guests of the Province of Ontario. It was the first time a living and currently ruling monarch visited the Dominion of Canada. After the luncheon, the Royal couple attended the King's Plate (horse race) at the Woodbine track and departed from Toronto later in the day via the Royal train.
This test wasn't for you to logically and correctly conclude a result based on explicit facts. That's what IQ tests do. The point was to correctly assume what the question is about, and give an answer. The point is that you are not prepared to deal with information when it's not explicitly stated. For example, the indicator "but" in the phrase indicates that Anne is the same Anne.
The public debate over hydraulic fracturing is marred, like so many other debates over natural resource extraction, transportation and use, by focus on various concerns and feelings, with little regard for scientific facts and true expert opinon. I am shocked that a political science professor is asked for her "expertise" regarding fracking. Many statements in the "On Shaky Ground" piece are simplistic, out of date, and out of context.
In particular, the "concerns" about water usage and contamination are largely uninformed opinion that are not backed by facts. Expert work, led by Maurice Dusseault at U Waterloo, shows that the fracking process itself presents little danger to potable aquifers. Faulty or degraded wellbore containment systems ("casing") in ALL wells, not just those that are fracked, present the greatest dangers - and must be systematically addressed.
A publication like U of T Magazine, aimed at intelligent, educated people, should be providing facts and expert interpretation to inform intelligent debate. We need to rise above name-calling and generally uninformed hysteria that characterizes mainstream media discussions.
The risks and benefits of fracking will vary by location and maybe even with time.
So we should not close the door prematurely on fracking. We can disallow it when and where its risks exceed its benefits, but We may allow it where and when it is beneficial.
Daniel: These are brilliant! Really alive and austere all at the same time. Thank you for sharing! You rock.
I can understand why that is, seeing as a teen mother doesn't usually have much knowledge about babies and just does what is obvious, which is usually the instrumental behavior. Adult mothers are more aware of how to raise and care for a child and tend to be more relaxed, so they enjoy having the baby by giving it affection more than a stressed out teen mother who is just focused on the technical well being, if that makes sense. Adult mothers are usually more comfortable being mothers and aren't as worried about every detail, while teen mothers are more uncomfortable and focus more on the details.
I wonder if it is possible to daylight the creek portion there, the sight and sound of moving water would deepen the experience.
Really interesting article about a fascinating man. I have to confess, I didn't know about him and it's remarkable to think that he was trying to desegregate public transit a hundred years before Rosa Parks!
Great article, Alice. So many firsts! Is it likely that Augusta Ave. in Toronto (running through Kensington Market and Alexandra Park) is named after him?
I am proud at what this man has accomplished for all of humanity, and my own college's welcoming of him. We need more humanitarian spirits that he was so imbued with. And yes, I wonder if Augusta Ave. was christened in his honor.
Alice did some research and found out that Augusta Avenue is named after Augusta Elizabeth Sullivan (1810-1836), who was the wife of Robert Baldwin (1804-1858), for whom Robert St. is named, and daughter-in-law of William Baldwin (1775-1844), for whom Baldwin St. is named.
Source: Toronto Street Names: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins by Leonard Wise and Allan Gould, published by Firefly Books, 2000.
While not wishing to distract from the main thrust of this wonderful article I think there is a bit of stretching of the U of T claims. The murky history of medical schools in Toronto shows that the University disestablished their medical teaching in 1850. Trinity, initially established as the Upper Canada School of Medicine may have been where he started. But, was he Anglican enough to sign the statement of faith or did he take the alternate route of graduating from Queen's?
Alice Taylor responds:
Thank you for your query. I will do my best to address your concerns.
First, you are right about the complicated history of Toronto medical schools! I don’t know exactly when Augusta enrolled in medical school only, as I say in the article, that it was in the early 1850s. He had some prior medical training in the U.S. When he was rejected from UPenn on the basis of colour, William Gibson, a professor in the faculty, agreed to work privately with Augusta.
So he came to Canada with a lot of medical knowledge under his belt. And as I say, there doesn’t appear to be any record (at least none that I could find) that says when Augusta enrolled in medical school, so I guess it is possible that he started at the Upper Canada School of Medicine. He is listed as a Trinity student in the 1853-54 medical school circular and graduated with an MB from Trinity. And because after 1853, the proprietary medical schools didn’t have the power to issue degrees, the University of Toronto retained the right to give the exams and confer medical degrees so that, as I understand it, Augusta’s medical degree technically came from U of T. (John McCaul, U of T’s second president claimed Augusta when he gave his testimony to the Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission in 1864.)
Augusta then spent several years practicing in Toronto. Augusta’s listed under Physicians and Surgeons in the 1859 Toronto city directory (and likely earlier directories as well) and is listed with his MB after his name in several Globe newspaper articles.
As to the Anglican question, it is very possible that Augusta was Anglican, or at least worshiped as an Anglican while he was in Toronto. His colleague and close friend Anderson Abbott (a black Canadian who also graduated from medical school in Toronto) was Anglican as were many black Canadians in this period. Augusta was a member of the AME church in Washington, which although Methodist, operates under an episcopal form of church government.
Also, it seems that the requirement that Trinity medical students swear an allegiance to the United Church of England may only have been instituted after 1853, when the competition from other medical colleges eased. A Globe article from March 1853 states that, “The authorities have only lately announced the terms upon which they would grant the degree of M. B.” The article goes on to list the new terms, which includes students declaring “themselves bona fide members of the of the Church of England.” It then says, “it is somewhat strange that this announcement by the authorities of Trinity took place immediately after the second reading of the University bill. After the destruction of the Medical School, Trinity College had no more to fear, and could safely impose upon its students any test, however stringent.”
Citations are available: email alice [dot] taylor [at] utoronto [dot] ca if interested
How about that upcoming movie Love, Rosie? There's a clear shot of King's College Circle and UC that are supposed to be Harvard.
The Paper Chase, 1970s. Old Vic was the Harvard Law library
@Giselle
It's true! Thanks to Maya Deeb for posting this clip on the U of T Facebook page. See 1:37.
You forgot about American Pie, Beta House
The 1974 film Black Christmas starring Olivia Hussey was filmed in University College
Emma Watson's upcoming movie Regression was partially shot at UTM
This list is missing Black Christmas (1974), which contained numerous shots filmed outside Hart House.
Nikita, one of my favorite series, was shot here at U of T too.
Hannibal TV show uses Robarts!
The Fringe pilot has UC and King's College Circle
An oldie, The Dream Team (1989) with Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle. Shot in Galbraith and the back door to Sandford Fleming & Engineering Annex. Saw Michael and Peter between takes in behind EA.
Also, last year, I forget the name of the action movie, but a location is the back of McLennan Labs, Earth Sciences, Anthroplogy. It was a substitute for Washington DC location. Also did shots on University Ave.
Fox series Class of '96 was filmed around the downtown campus. The movie Searching for Bobby Fischer was filmed in and around Trinity's Quad.
Nicely written and engaging. Article is a sweeping overview of student activism at U of T that is sensitive to the long history of participation of women students.
The article would have benefited tremendously by providing key sources. The reader is left with nowhere else to go if they are interested in the fascinating, and still largely uncharted, history of student activism at U of T, and in Canada -- books by Martin Friedland and Anne Rochon Ford, for example (and there are many more). Claude Bissell's Halfway up Parnassus is a key text for understanding the student activism from a administrator's point of view and social control perspective.
Mention of the divestment movement in South Africa in the 1980s is welcome, but some more attention to history of anti-racism movements would have been appropriate, some of it, not very pretty, such as RCMP spying on black students at U of T in the 1970s (RCMP Composite Reports [on U of T in mid-1970s] Canadian Security and Intelligence Service RG 146)
Pierre Atlas is right, the classic The Paper Chase (1973) was filmed at U of T (with U of T masquerading as Harvard). And I believe the sequence where the students go to a hotel to study for exams was at the Windsor Arms Hotel on St. Thomas St.
Christine, never give up the fight against abuse of women and violation of their rights. It takes just one to make a difference. Wishing you all the best in everything that you do.
SNL alumni movie Superstar, also shot extensively at Knox College, my residence! There were also lots of TV shows and commercials shot there from 1997 to 1999. We were constantly tripping over wires, props, background performers and being shushed by the directors shouting "Quiet, rolling!"
I recently saw an interview with Dr. Doidge on The National pertaining to his findings and research about the brain's ability to heal itself. After suffering a 'mild' acquired brain injury, I was unable to teach or run my B&B any longer. This trauma occurred 10 years ago. After almost four years of various therapies I was able to heal somewhat and rebuild a new life for myself.
Dr. Doidge spoke of the brain's plasticity. When I learned about this possibility I was quite determined to forge ahead to build new pathways. When one is able to keep an open mind (pun intended) then wonderful outcomes are possible.
I am grateful to Dr. Doidge for the work he is doing to make the medical world and the general public more aware of the power we possess to heal ourselves.
I read with interest this article and the comments thereon.
Yes, the history of medical education in Canada West/Ontario in the 19th century is indeed murky, but it is reasonably well documented in the records in the University of Toronto Archives, Trinity College Archives, and other places.
When the University of Toronto was established in 1850, it inherited the medical faculty of its predecessor, King’s College, and built a new building (later called "Moss Hall”) to house it. The faculty lasted only three years because the premier of the day decided that the professional faculties (medicine and law) had no place in the university, ostensibly for financial reasons though the immediate reason was the threat of John Rolph, head of the rival Toronto School of Medicine, to bring down the government. The University of Toronto Act of 1853 created two bodies, University College as a teaching body and the University of Toronto as a degree granting institution, which included medicine and law. This arrangement lasted until 1887.
When Alexander Augusta arrived in Toronto from Norfolk, Virginia, he had the choice of attending either the Toronto School of Medicine or the medical faculty of Trinity College. He chose the latter and, in the only faculty circular with students listed, is recorded as being a student during the 1854-1855 session. In the summer of 1856 both the Toronto School of Medicine and the medical faculty at Trinity collapsed, with the faculty of the former resigning en masse and taking over the School from Rolph. The latter was not revived until 1871, following the death of John Strachan, whose interference had caused its demise. Information available in the U of T Archives suggests that Augusta received his MB (Bachelor of Medicine) from Trinity in 1860, just before he is thought to have returned to the West Indies.
Harold Averill
Assistant University Archivist
U of T Archives and Record Management Services
Alice Taylor responds:
Thank you so much for laying out the history of medical education in Canada West/Ontario in the 19th century. I’ll be sure to come to you with any future U of T history questions!
With respect to Augusta, I managed to track down three Trinity Medical College circulars published in 1853, 1854 and 1855. The latter two include student names. As you say, the 1855 Circular lists Augusta’s hometown as Norfolk Va. However, the Circular published in 1854 lists it as Philadelphia Pa. This perplexed me, but I think Augusta likely came to Toronto from Philadelphia (he’d been studying medicine privately in Pennsylvania) but he was born Norfolk, so that is probably why it’s listed the following year.
And thank you for taking the time to let us know that Augusta graduated in 1860, not 1856 as originally stated. We’ve made the correction. I paid a trip to the Trinity archives but not U of T Archives (which I clearly should have done). A little background on why I used 1856. When I was researching the piece I came across conflicting graduation dates for Augusta. However, the vast majority of published sources use 1856 as his graduation year (including the Journal of the National Medical Association’s July 1952 issue that features Augusta on its cover). So do most credible online sources. U of T Faculty of Medicine uses 1856, as does the National Institute of Health. I also found primary sources that refer to him as “Dr. Augusta” as far back as 1857, so he used the title Dr. before graduating with the M.B.—I can only assume standards were different back then. All that to say, because I didn’t have primary sources that confirmed a graduation date, I went with the most credible secondary sources I found.
Glad to set the record straight.
This was a fun quiz even though a lot of the questions were beyond my memory. Being housed at "the Huts" on Devonshire, we really weren't tuned in to many of the Arts people or athletics. We took classes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. three days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. two days and 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays - not a lot of time for leisure. But they were great days and our class still meets at least once a year for a luncheon and to catch up on news. Out of a class of 32, there are 22 of us still above the sod! Several live too far afield of Toronto but usually for our annual luncheons about 16 manage to get together.
I had to write to tell you that whoever redesigned and is also editing the newsletter is doing a very good job. I enjoy reading this digital version with the multiple links to other sites and videos fleshing out the topics covered -- some of which I did not even think to wonder about. Keep up the great efforts here.
Please give us more of such interesting progress of U of T graduate students.
Give us more of the success of students and their progress!
I have often felt as a graduate of U of T (1964) that the University of Toronto does not recognize former students unless they have achieved something spectacular. One reason for this is of course since U of T is such a large university and goes back in time to the 19th century, there would not be enough space to recognize those of us who have achieved a more modest life after graduation.
Another pet peeve of mine is that when one leaves U of T with a bachelor's degree and goes on to study at the graduate level at another institution, there is no recognition made by U of T for extra degrees and additional qualifications and experience. I have a Mus Bac in music education from U of T, but I also have a master's degree and a doctorate from the University of Miami.
I am using myself as an example for the countless number of people who may have similar circumstances. I would like to be a part of the Facebook U of T pages; however, I recently moved to Chester, Nova Scotia, and come to Toronto only occasionally.
Its always good to see that the information technology so many of us have helped to develop and implement can be used in creative and life enhancing ways in addition to the many darker uses many have found for it.
Excellent article and reporting.
I went to U of T in 2006. As a girl from the suburbs I loved the downtown life - and, partly due to the long commune, I stayed rather late once I got on campus.
Back then, Cat's Eye was located in the basement of Victoria College - I like eating there because they have nice soup and brownies, and the atmosphere was nice for study and people watching - I would sometimes stay till 11pm.
One time, I was one of the few people left in the cafe, and I went to the washroom, which was also in the basement and a little way off from the cafe. As I sat on the toilet, through the space under the stall door, I noticed a pair of feet in red shoes, fancy red shoes bright red in the yellow light of the bathroom - someone was standing directly in front of my stall.
The stalls on either side of me was empty, and even though I was done, I sat there for some time, and the person standing directly in front of my stall just stood there, still, until she suddenly walked away, and I dared to get up and open the door.
It was just a feeling - that I could have saw something 'unclean', if I had opened the door while the person was standing there - WHY were they even standing there? The stalls on either side of me was empty, and I don't feel it was someone who was in the cafe with me before.
There's a great youtube video showing the results of this study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3fb0CaDpEk
I would like to commend Scott Anderson on doing the impossible – writing a completely uncontroversial and apolitical article on climate change.
The author states rather euphemistically that melting sea ice will have “important effects” in the region. These effects could be better described as “catastrophic” – and not just for the Arctic, but for the entire planet.
Opportunistic companies and governments want to extract resources from this new frontier, and will no doubt use scientific research to achieve their goals. This makes it all the more important for members of the scientific community to refuse to conduct research on behalf of these industries.
Moreover, U of T itself should immediately begin the process of divesting its portfolio completely of companies involved with fossil fuels. It is my hope that the university will fall on the right side of history on this issue, and set an example for other institutions.
Nicholas Clayton
BMusPerf 2001, BEd 2003 OISE
Brampton, Ontario
In writing about archeology professor Max Friesen’s Arctic research, Gary Butler states that “erosion due to global warming” “as the Beaufort Sea rises” is threatening to “swallow” the archeological record – so much so that “the entire pan-arctic region’s cultural history stands at risk” and “time is of the essence.”
First, weather station data in nearby Tuktoyaktuk indicate that over the last few decades, air temperature has not increased and neither has storminess, apparently. Over most of the Arctic, relative sea level has been going down, not up, because of post-glacial isostatic rebound. The Mackenzie Delta, however, is subsiding ever so gently because of the weight of sediment. So, channel erosion is likely the main threat to the site, and it has nothing to with putative climate – or weather – variation over short time scales.
Brian Pratt
PhD 1989
Saskatoon
Bravo to correspondent Gideon Forman for his letter about U of T’s apparent obsession with rankings, and bravo to the editors for having the courage to publish it!
William G. Brown
BA 1960 UC, PhD 1963
Montreal
American Pie Presents the Naked Mile, filmed at Vic
Prof. Kent Moore responds:
Scientists are in a tough bind, we need funds to support our research and those funds often come from governments. What governments or other organizations do with our research is out of our hands. Hiding one’s head-in the sand will not prevent the research from being done or resources from being extracted. What I believe scientists need to do is make sure that the results of their research are widely disseminated and to engage with end users to make sure that the results are used in ethical and environmentally responsible ways.
I think parts of the Anne of Green Gables sequel were filmed at Victoria College. I was probably 5 when they made the movie.
Wow! I have given my copy of U of T Magazine (which I NEVER give away) to a fantastic local person doing something very similar to what you two do with opera. She has been doing a program called Roundabout Opera for Kids (ROK, recently renamed Reimagining Opera for Kids) for a number of years. She is hugely involved with the Indiana University School of Music (recently renamed the Jacobs School of Music), and if you hear from Kim Carballo, that's why.
Wow, what a great idea.
Find a full time academic job!!!
I recently attend a United Church Conference held at Whistler B.C. Kofi Hope was the speaker at the pre-event. His subject: "Inspired to Act."
He was an amazing speaker and kept my attention for the entire time. What a wonderful learning experience for any age! He really causes you to think and certainly inspires you to actively work toward positive change. Thank you, Kofi.
Regis College, at 100 Wellesley St. W., has played location to the following:
* Clark Rockefeller – November 2009
* Beyond the Screen – Sherlock Holmes – December 2009
* The Kennedy Series – July 2010
* Skins – August 2010
* Warehouse 13 – September 2010
* Perception (TV Pilot) – December 2010
* Nurse – September 2011
* Covert Affairs – August 2012
* Lost Girl – August 2014
* Pay the Ghost – August 2014
And in 2015, six years further "into the future," from a patient's standpoint, all remains the same. We must still prove not how much, but if we are experiencing pain. Add Lyme disease, chronic Lyme, and the same is true, but the patient becomes attention-seeking and is given knowing and patronizing smiles, and a pat on the back as she leaves the office once again to return home and to bed.
When will the medical community understand that pain is NOT necessary, and that quality of life is? Where can one find someone who believes?
Conventional finance is prohibited from the Islamic perspective is due to its practices involving in interest, uncertainty and gambling. These prohibited elements are also prohibited in other religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity and Judaism.
Islamic financial products are known as ethical products. Canada is a multicultural country and if it is offered in Canada, it is expected that Islamic finance will be widely accepted.
A shout out for the brilliant and talented PhD Architecture candidate, Donna Vakalis!
http://www.thisisdonna.com
Cheer for Donna on July 18th when she competes in the Modern Pentathlon at PanAm! Go Donna!
Very well done. I like the bright colors and variety of subjects. Keep including the dates of activities so we can participate.
My late husband (1984), Walter John Sitarski (1953 Civil Engineering), spoke fondly of the survey camp at Gull Lake. He attended U of T on scholarship and played football for the Varsity team. I believe he received a medal at graduation for receiving the highest marks in Civil Engineering for 5T3.
It would be useful to end this story with a proposed solution.
Really important initiative. But we must also give students time to pause and think (or not, as they choose!). I believe the action-packed curriculum combined with frequent examination is a progressive disaster that fails absolutely to create the thinkers for the future. Please also unpack the curriculum. Give kids (and yourself) more free time. You may even discover gravity relaxing in you aunt's orchard and watching apples fall from the trees. They say Isaac Newton did!
I took my first year in Engineering Physics before switching to Electrical and in that first year we had a surveying course doing polygons and elevations around the campus. This must have been a lighter version of surveying than would have been required for Civil Engineers and that is likely why I never heard of the Gull Lake survey camp.
Whatever this "lighter" version taught me turned out to have been adequate for me to be hired for the 1952 summer survey work at Canadian National Railways when their Telegraphs Department was tasked with providing high-speed carrier telegraph service for the new Defense Early Warning radar system then being deployed across northern Canada. My work was directed from Toronto headquarters and my specific field assignment was in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan which was called District 4.
Brilliant work and congratulations, Alex. I am proud of the work and the commitment to help the elderly lead a better and safer life. Wishing you success.
We need writers to help persons who are dying to 'die wise,' and to help their families who are part of the now-prolonged dying process. I am a senior with a history of various types of cancer. The medical system has prolonged the process of dying to the point that we are unable to pay for the resulting health-care costs. Perhaps we should refocus our energy toward the whole person and family rather than on what medical technology can do to preserve the body. I am reading Stephen Jenkinson's Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul. It's a beauty!
Will machine intelligence understand the feelings of Anna Karenina before she fell in front of the train after reading the novel?
A multitude of lifetime friendships emerged when the 1956 Civils attended survey camp in the summer of 1954. That class has organized a reunion every year since 1956 and some years the class has also attended a second reunion during milestone years such as their 10th, 25th and 50th anniversaries. Since 1964, the 5T6 Civils have presented an annual scholarship to a student completing second year. The current value of that scholarship is $3,000. During the period 1964-2014, 51 scholarships have been presented with a total value of $63,500.
U of T Magazine, and this particular issue on the Pan Am Games, is a delight to read. It reminds me of my times on the sporting field, which was such a big part my U of T experience.
I agree with David Jenkins. I have a daughter in civ. eng (at Carleton University) and one of the main frustrations is lack of feedback on assignments and tests, and the mechanized nature of testing and online quizzes (multiple choice).
I really valued the feedback I got in my days at U of T (elec. eng.) on long-answer assignments and tests, and I appreciated the personal interactions I had with teaching assistants and professors. Nowadays, these seem to have been replaced with frustrating exercises in figuring out software applications using mysterious sensors connected to a laptop.
Just in case this looks like a nostalgic rant by an old-schooler, we recently hired an MASc grad from U of T, who remarked that one of his pedagogically most effective professors was 86 years old and lectured with chalk -- nothing high-tech -- but was very well-prepared and used real-life examples.
This professor taught me the same way some 35 years ago, and I also was a tutor for his courses. That material stuck in my mind outstandingly well, so I would not dismiss the old ways so fast. That professor is now 87 and going strong.
While this tribute to John Evans captures the extraordinary contributions and accomplishments of this renowned Canadian, we should also note that Evans was one of the most accomplished athletes in our university’s history.
As a football player with the Varsity Blues at a time when crowds of more than 25,000 regularly attended home games, Evans was a two-time all-star lineman (1950, 1951), played on two Yates Cup champions (1948, 1951) and was captain of the 1951 team. He won the Johnny Copp Trophy as the team’s most worthy player in 1950, was the only two-time winner of the Biggs Trophy (1951, 1952) as the U of T male athlete of the year, and was inducted as a charter member of the U of T Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.
As president of U of T, Evans was instrumental in promoting the amalgamation of the men’s and women’s athletic associations to create the Department of Athletics and Recreation in 1977.
John Evans is to be remembered as a true Renaissance man and an inspiration for students, faculty, administrators and athletes.
Rick Kollins
Sports Hall of Fame Inductee 2014
Member, Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee
There are many more ways that a universal drug plan might save money beyond demanding use of older generic drugs and relying on "economies of scale." In most cases, pharmaceutical therapy is the most cost effective way to treat a medical disorder - especially when the drugs are taken as prescribed and for the appropriate duration.
You should not be comparing discounted generic drugs to branded drugs in this scenario, but rather to the health-system-wide interventions for which drug therapy is often a low-cost alternative - even when employing newer and costlier drug therapies. Limiting access to the most appropriate drug choices has proven repeatedly to be a bad economic decision because it increases health expenditures in other areas. And limiting the appropriate usage of innovative pharmacotherapy could cripple the research drug industry that has continued to deliver better treatments and cures for many dreadful diseases.
As our population ages, we look forward to the promises of better treatments for cancer, dementia, cardiovascular disease and many other diseases that affect the quality of life in those later years. By looking at the inputs across the entire health system, access to pharmaceutical care is a no-brainer, not only for reducing health-care spending but, more importantly, for improving health outcomes for all Canadians.
This universal drug plan for Canadians is a good idea (even though not all Canadians need to use it).
I like the robot to help the elderly. Since our daily tasks are routine, they match the mechanical movements of the robot. However, not everyone can afford to buy one.
Do you?
Interesting research. More research of this type is essential from health care professionals.
And become a supermodel!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2014/05/06/2014-forbes-china-celebrity-list-full-list/
Taiwanese supermodel Chi-Ling Lin (Class of 1997) was ranked #7 in 2014 Forbes China Celebrity List and appeared on the cover of Forbes Magazine (Chinese edition) for May, 2104 issue.
I recall my mother speaking of a Jean Wishart and also of a Wishart at U of T who did anatomical drawings for doctors. I wrote my sister for details and she replied, "This article is fascinating! Maria Wishart was Jean Wishart's sister (I think a younger sister but I'm not sure). Mum often spoke of her and her tremendous talent.
Jean was an artist and taught art at a school in Hamilton. Mum used to go to Go-Home Bay (Georgian Bay) with the Wisharts. The Go-Home Bay picture that hung on the wall over my sofa was painted by Jean at our island in 1956 -- a very late spring and the trees were just leafing out on the May 24 weekend. I also have a water colour done by their mother at Go-Home, probably when the girls were teenagers.
I believe their father was a doctor, and they had a brother, Staunton, who was also a doctor. Mum and I went to visit Jean at her little house in Hamilton, probably in the early 1980s; she was terribly bent with arthritis then.
Thanks for the memories!
I wonder if the studies quoted here included an amount to cover the pent-up demand that would be released by a universal, tax-funded system. This would include all the times when an uncovered patient says “no” to a doctor’s “we could try this”; the times when a patient doesn’t ask for a drug that they would have to pay for; and the times when a doctor chooses a less expensive alternative.
Marc Grushcow
BASc 1970
Toronto
Thanks for your questions regarding our study on the economics of universal pharmacare in Canada.
We did assume an increase in demand for medications, and based our models on the increased demand that was seen in Quebec when that province moved to universal coverage. That increase in demand is taken into account in our calculations around the total cost of a universal plan.
In addition to the potential reasons you cite for an increase in demand, probably the biggest reason for increased demand is that people who previously had no drug coverage and could not afford to take their medicines would do so.
It is rare that Canadian physicians prescribe less expensive medications if those medications would be inappropriate for the treatment of the patient (not that it never happens); in instances where the less expensive medication would be as good or better than the more expensive alternative, it should be the less expensive option that would be covered under a universal public plan. In other words, one of the big potential benefits of universal public pharmacare is that the formulary, or list of drugs covered, would be based on best evidence. The options covered would be those that are both effective and cost effective – not an “everything for everyone” approach.
I hope that helps to answer your question.
Danielle Martin, MD, CCFP, MPP
Vice President, Medical Affairs and Health System Solutions
Women's College Hospital
Prof. Geoff Hinton responds:
@George: Yes, eventually.
Glenna is simply the most courageous and inspiring person I've had the privilege to know. She is determined to bring dignity and compassionate nursing care to the most marginalized and underserved populations. She is wise, kind, visionary, and fun too! Thank you for featuring this outstanding alumna.
I read this article with great interest, but author John Lorinc left out one major lesson: Never sell your work only once, or you'll go broke.
I was in the Ottawa Parliamentary Press Gallery working for the Toronto Telegram when that paper ceased publication in October, 1971. I had three teenage kids, a wife who didn't work outside the home and no job. I remembered advice I received in the early 1960s from freelance American photographer Larry Schiller, who told me you had to sell the same piece of work to many different customers to make a decent living freelancing. When the Telegram folded, I set up a network of half-a-dozen large American newspapers, a chain of 10 papers in South Africa, the Sunday Times in London, and regular broadcasts to a series of local CBC stations. They all bought basically the same material. I doubled my income in the first year, loved working 70 hours a week, and loved even more the fact that I never again had to do something stupid. Budding freelancers must realize that selling the same work to multiple customers is the key to success -- and make sure each customer knows who the others are.
Peter Ward
Southam Fellow, Massey College, 1967
One of my dreams is to write a book. In 2013, my book Missing Caps was published in the U.S. It included real stories about nurses and managing health crisis.
Sociology professor Kelly Hannah-Moffat mentions that solitary confinement may cause irreversible psychological damage. Given the known impact of solitary confinement on prison inmates, it is shocking to know that many public schools in Ontario now have established similar practices. Many schools have small rooms which are called "time out rooms" or "calming rooms." Students are isolated in these rooms for a variety of reasons with no tracking of how long or how often they are used. As a faculty of education student at OISE, I was not even aware that this practice existed in public schools in Ontario. It would be interesting to see a similar interview from an education perspective.
Louise Murphy
MEd 2001
Georgetown, Ontario
I'm pleased U of T has recognized an important part of the civil engineering curriculum. I also am very happy to read that the university is embarking on modernizing the facilities. However, I wondered if the photo could be misinterpreted as suggesting that the students were embarking on a joy ride in the heart of cottage country. Many U of T alumni might not realize that in 1925 the means of getting to camp included a five-mile canoe ride from Miner’s Bay. I dare say the students appreciated the tow!
From its inception in 1920 to circa 1960, survey camp was six weeks long. By 1966 (when I went there), it was five weeks. At a nominal eight hours a day, the course was weighted the same as four hours a week of lectures during both fall and winter terms. Now at two weeks, the course is considered one credit. I can vouch that the present-day students do not work an eight-hour day, but 12- to 15-hour days, each day, for the two weeks.
I know this because I have been an instructor there for three summers since my retirement from the federal public service. I worked just as long as the students and every third night I marked field books until 1 or 2 a.m. The university professors who also teach at Camp are expected to return to campus and be “wide eyed and bushy tailed” to teach their regular load of classes in the fall. I retreated to Ottawa, and rested!
As the three interviewed alumni stated, Survey Camp is more than just teaching surveying; it teaches team work, working to short deadlines, living in a construction camp environment, and provides a back-woods experience (some students have never been out of an urban setting) -- all essential ingredients for a successful practicing civil engineer.
David H. Gray
BASc 1968, MASc 1971
Ottawa
Many years ago, "tooth-hurty" (230) College St was where I attended dental school. I have lots of class pics and many fond memories.
Ivan Hrabowsky
DDS 1954
St. Catharines, Ontario
Computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton attempts to diminish the distinction between organism and machine. He neglects to observe that machines can only self-organize from their topmost processing level, downward, and by principles that an organism or another machine has designed into them. In contrast, organisms self-organize from the biochemical level, upward, in successive, hierarchic, integrated and yet discontinuous (in a word, emergent) layers of adaptation to their total environment – and without need of any planning process. Even without flying a banner attesting to “consciousness” or reflexive cognition or whatever one wishes to call it, cognitive processing throughout Kingdom Animalia bears the seams and tool marks of both original and continued self-reorganization at many levels.
Ken McCallion
MA 1987
Toronto
Great to monitor the results of the featured U of T athletes! Follows perfectly U of T Mag summer edition providing previews. At this early stage, five medals is truly a wonderful accomplishment! KEEP IT UP U of T ATHLETES!
This story reminds me of why I love Toronto and makes me feel a bit "homesick".
I was so happy and impressed to learn that “About half of all Torontonians are library-card holders. We are a city of readers, reading authors from around the world,”
A wonderful story. Congratulations to all!
I arrived at this document rather late in the day, but I read it with great interest, and am grateful to Deirdre Macdonald (my "cousin" a couple of times removed) for publishing it here.
I am not a computer scientist nor am I a philosopher. And I am certainly not religious, at least in any theistic sense. But I believe we make a grave error when we dismiss human consciousness in this way and then conclude that machines might one day equal us. I believe that such a narrow view of the human mind - equating it with the material brain - is causing us to lose sight of what it means to be human.
It is clear now, I would agree, that the brain is a very complex arrangement of material, a machine. But is this all that we are? Can we dismiss this "sense of being" so easily? You yourself say, "Consciousness, perhaps, is simply what it feels like to be using a brain." Again I might agree. But you seem to be missing the obvious question: who or what is it that "feels what it is like to use a brain"? Who or what are "you"?
Looks like web site CAPTCHAs will have to be revised to filter out smart bots in the future.
Brilliant Tanaz, keep it up!
Right now, building sand castles are still popular with our son when we visit Australia, but we're pretty sure surfing will be a big hit on future visits as he gets older. So thanks for this article and for posting Dr. Rip's Youtube video on rip currents. I didn't know anything about rips and now I feel better prepared the next time we hit an ocean beach.
What an amazing job Mr. Brander has - and to be able to put his knowledge to such good use in Australia and around the world, thanks to social media, is just fantastic.
If this organization is non-partisan, why is the only example given one that is critical of a Conservative politician? Doesn't look very non-partisan to me.
I'm Australian. My brothers and I knew not to panic in rips when we were kids. We used to ride the rip out then ride it back, then walk back along the beach. We also used to ride waves back in when the shark alarm sounded, wait for the all-clear, then go back in. I used to live in Canada, and love Canadians, but they didn't invent this particular wheel.
Thanks for your comment. This story was written for the print magazine, and so space was limited to one example. We included the only example (at press time) of a “farcical” rating.
Thank you, Peter. That was very well said. I think the Internet has definitely made it a much more competitive field -- you need to pitch and you need to do it fast, but when it comes down to it -- it's who you know. Keeping in touch with your network of editors and media associates is important. Some things never change.
I am very interested in Prof. Gunning's work on brain cancer cells. As a neurosurgeon, I treat children in Ireland with a variety of brain tumours, having worked in Toronto with Michael Taylor and Peter Dirks. I’d be interested to hear how Prof. Gunning's work ties in with work on medulloblastoma under way at Sick Kids. It’s an area we still struggle with despite recent molecular advances in our understanding of what makes these tumours more or less responsive to therapy.
Great idea, proud to see a UTM Geography grad with innovative ideas such as this one.
John and Yoko's Plastic Ono Band didn't headline the Rock 'n' Roll Revival concert in 1969. The Doors did.
I question this statement in this article "But it was Lennon who sold out the 22,000–seat football stadium. " It is my recollection that the Lennon appearance was not advertised and only announced the day of and therefore had little effect on the sale of tickets.
Thanks for your comments. According to the concert promoter John Brower, quoted at Vice.com, only 2,000 tickets were sold on the Monday before the Saturday concert and the promoters faced cancellation. After booking Lennon and getting the word out, the show sold out in a day. The Doors may have been the “headliners” but Lennon is why most people were there.
http://noisey.vice.com/blog/the-domino-effect-how-one-of-torontos-most-iconic-rock-concerts-almost-never-happened
Wow!
I had recently joined a choir that does songs with chant type music. I notice I was feeling much better. I am 63 and have Alzheimer's so anything I can do I will try. The first sample I use in the morning for three minutes on and then three minutes off. I do that twice. I feel the tension come off and a warmth comes over me. It feels like my blood is warmer or maybe it's just flowing better. Great article.
My father, Bill Galbraith, was a U of T grad (Chem Eng 1948) and one of his best friends was Frank Stricker, one of the big network of volunteers recruited by Dr. Urquhart in the 1950s and 1960s. The butterfly study was very much part of the landscape of our family cottages, next to each other, just south of Kincardine, Ontario.
There is a lovely butterfly garden in Dundas, Ontario, named the Urquhart Butterfly Garden in honour of the Urquharts, too. It is a community initiative - very grass-roots - and a magnificent place.
My postgraduate training was spread between the University of Glasgow, UBC and U of T, before fellowships in Medicine and Public Health. I am grateful to all three for the grounding I received, but I hold a special place for the career opportunities Toronto gave me -- in particular working as a principal program adviser and manager in public health with the Ontario Ministry of Health through most of the 1970s, mainly on programs for women and children.
I was delighted on a recent visit to observe some of the progress achieved in Toronto and to realize how dynamic the city now is and important a role U of T has played in this.
Later in my career, I was an adviser to the World Health Organization's European region in immunization and communicable diseases. I was also a departmental member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization in the U.K. and an adviser to the Public Health Leadership Society and the The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in London. At all, I was aware of the important role Canada, and Toronto in particular, played in medical scientific progress.
On a recent visit to Toronto I remarked to one of my senior alumnus colleagues that I was surprised to see that U of T was not a member of Universitas 21, an international network of universities, although both UBC and the University of Glasgow were. In view of the scientific and research pre-eminence of U of T I wondered whether thought might be given to correcting this situation.
l look forward meeting you to congratulate you for this marvelous idea. It could change the life of many Canadians.
Great, another piece complaining about sedentary lifestyles without going to the root of the issue. Not everyone knows HOW to exercise, and not learning how to properly exercise will land a lot of people with injuries.
Hmm, no mention here of how NOW acquired these prints. They bought one-time rights to print the images in the paper. I notice there is no mention of the photographers who made these prints.
Thank you for the content published in the Autumn 2015 issue of U of T Magazine regarding the Short Story and Poetry contest. It would be much appreciated and appropriate if the judges could provide readers with some analysis/evaluation of the various works in order to offer us some perspective on their choices of winners. Specifically, for example, I would be very interested in reading a discussion of the poetry winner.
The contest is a terrific idea. However, what is missing is an instructional follow-up to the activity.
According to U of T Libraries, NOW originally paid the photographers for a print of each photograph and for one-time use of each image in the magazine.
NOW then donated the physical prints of the photographs to U of T, but the magazine did not (and could not) donate the rights to those images. As none of the images are old enough to have entered the public domain, those rights still belong to the photographers.
Thus U of T can make the prints (like all of its archival holdings) available to researchers, but if someone wants a copy of an image or wants to publish one, they have to get permission from the photographer.
I would disagree with Mr. Tanner's comments above. I think the works need to stand on their own merit -- for better or worse.
Part of the genius of the contest was adding the "Readers' Choice" aspect to it. What is fascinating -- to me and I'm sure others -- is to speculate about why certain works were chosen as "the best" by the people, but not by the judges! This raises some interesting questions about literary taste and criteria, and about things like "what makes for a good short story?" vs, say, "a good flash fiction piece?", or, "what are the elements that go into a poem that can withstand the critical scrutiny of people in the literature business"?
I have no idea, but I have my hunches.
Unfortunately, I think it would be a bad (and impossible) task for the judges to try and explain why they chose A over B in an alumni magazine format. That kind of thing should be saved for the creative writing workshop, not literary contests in a university magazine.
This interview with Prof. Joseph Heath is blatantly biased. While the professor’s comments themselves are reasonable, he only provides examples of untruths or lack of civility from the conservative side of the political spectrum. I’m sure it would be easy to find examples from all sides and thus present a balanced critique of our political affairs. This bias unfortunately erodes the credibility of U of T Magazine and the university, which should be teaching students to think critically in general, not just about one side.
Robert Torok
BComm 1985
Toronto
Prof. Heath responds: The published interview may give the appearance of bias. In my book, Enlightenment 2.0, I provide an extensive analysis of the problem of “truthiness” in politics, and why it is much more prevalent, at the moment, on the right wing of the political spectrum. In other words, what is being perceived as bias is, in fact, a reasoned position; it’s just that I did not have an opportunity to present those reasons in a short interview.
Spent 4 years around UofT at all times and never really felt uncomfortable. If there is something wandering around campus, it must be pretty friendly!
While telecommuting is certainly a viable solution many organizations for both reasons of internal culture and operational necessity cannot embrace it. I propose a legislative agenda that develops and implements tangible financial benefits for employers to locate outside of the GTA. There is plenty of serviced land and trained employees in Southwestern and Eastern Ontario that would relish having more employment opportunities. Why isn't this solution being considered? Allowing more people and traffic into the GTA is not the answer.
Better Toronto? Make it greener. The developers build condo buildings one after another, often cutting healthy, well-developed trees in order to get space for the constructions. Then they plant new trees, which for some reason die quickly. There should be a limit to this practice. There should be a law to protect our trees, our green spaces, especially in downtown Toronto. And it should be obligatory to place parks or parkettes in between each new condo building.
Fred and Norah were my maternal uncle and aunt. Their son, Doug, is my cousin, two years my junior.
I have many happy family memories of Uncle Fred at home in Highland Creek, in his office at the Royal Ontario Museum, in his lab with Aunt Norah pinning butterfly finds on a map of North America, and in his new lab at Scarborough College with all the cocoons attached to growing milkweed plants.
I remember also the lecture he gave at Convocation Hall at which his mother, my grandmother, was present and at which he ate a monarch butterfly, pronouncing it to taste like dry toast, the latter in an attempt to dispel the theory of Batesian mimicry.
Thank you very much for this article. It brings back happy memories and family pride in Uncle Fred and Aunt Norah's remarkable accomplishments.
A wonderful article: very accurate depiction of who Helen was. I worked for her at the Observatory in the summer of 1960. She was a mentor who kept in touch, even as students moved on. I delayed going to graduate school a few years, and she wrote to encourage me, and she also continued to write letters of recommendation on my behalf. Helen was a wonderful role model.
I started at U of T in 1972 and was very excited about the new library. I used it for quiet studying until the day I discovered I couldn’t reach the water fountain to have a drink. Remember, it was 43 years ago and water fountains were still in use. Today we are much more ergonomic and access aware so please make sure everyone can make use of all of the new "Commons" resources.
Please ensure that the beautiful cobblestone walkways have smooth ride areas for wheelchairs. It is very hard for persons on wheelchairs to ride, vibrating over beautiful-looking cobblestones. Areas with wooden paths should be installed longitudinal to the path as opposed to transversal to the path because the wheelchairs can ride smoothly along the longitudinal boards.
In the new High Line park in new York City they installed longitudinal walks which are a delightful new concept for wheelchairs. Take a look! Please ensure the handicapped needs are considered.
Francisco Garcia
Wilson, Connecticut
A great article about a truly outstanding individual. I have known Bruce since his early athletic days when he set the world on fire with his amazing sporting achievements. He was, and is, an inspiration to me. He showed that everything is possible.
For example, his motivation enabled me to run the first sub-four-minute mile by a Canadian. I became a successful clinical researcher. The discovery of grapefruit-drug interaction was considered to be in the top 50 "game changers" in the last 100 years for an Ontario citizen by Research Matters, a collaborative project by 21 Ontario universities.
Bruce's continued success at UTSC is no surprise to me. It is just the way he always does things.
Congratulations to Dr. Grantcharov and his team. Dr. Grantcharov is spot on in declaring “The operating room is probably one of the most secretive places in modern society." His ‘white’ box will be a tremendous asset to surgeons and patients.
So encouraging to know that things are looking up for students with mental health issues. With a masters degree in psychology and a daughter at the university struggling with mental disorders, I have been quite touched with the efforts U of T is making. All the best, I and would like to be a part of this endeavour in any way possible.
What a great, great article about Bruce Kidd. My compliments to the author, Margaret Webb. Her story brings back such great memories of my days at UC between 1960 and 1963 covering track and field for the Varsity -- and of course covering Bruce and Bill Crothers -- during the real heyday of track in Canada with the East York Track Club. Work on the Varsity opened the door for me to cover sports for the Toronto Star. Again, wonderful stuff and, most importantly, Bruce is the same person he was 50 years ago.
Justice Marvin A. Zuker
Toronto
An endearing piece about a wonderful "old" East York Track Club buddy whose energy continues to surpass that of the energizer bunny, and whose talents are stunning.
You might consider reviewing the phrase "Member of the Order of Canada." I am quite sure that Bruce was awarded the category of "Officer of the Order of Canada." (I am not certain but I think it was his dad Dr. Roby Kidd who received the "Member" category.)
Thanks, Alan. We made that correction, as you noted.
Thank you, Michel, for your campaign to end the use of Child Soldiers. I have heard you speak, read your writings and watched this video. I admire your determination to use education to end this horrible nightmare for all children. May you and the efforts of others, including Gen Romeo Dallaire, ultimately end this practice.
Until the back campus is returned to "its famous green pasture" from the hideous and non-people friendly AstroTurf, I have little empathy with your plans for the front campus. It strikes me as hypocrisy.
Quite inspirational!
An outstanding article about one of Canada's greatest achievers. But the most important part about Bruce and his accomplishments is how he inspires others to get involved and make a difference in the world. As his coach, Fred Foot, used to emphasize -- you can beat anyone in the world, and Bruce has. I am sure his "followers" will do the same. It is an honour to be called his friend.
A wonderful accounting of the journey that Bruce has taken to his current position of UTSC principal. I recall the halcyon days at U of T PHE in the 1970s. We traveled to Montreal with Bruce's Politics of Canadian Sport class to interview Mayor Drapeau and Premier Bourassa. It was a real eye opener to have Bruce help us to understand the web of secrecy that existed during the building of the Olympic facilities.
As a Scarborough lad, I appreciate the great leaps that Scarborough College has gone through in the past decade. It is a testimony to the work of Bruce and others that it is now a jewel of the university.
Congratulations, Bruce! A star when we were running together. A greater star now!
Keith Stokes
I found it strange that nowhere in this article did it mention the work that has been done by the Faculty of Forestry in introducing, educating and involving students in the role of forest management- especially in an urban setting -- toward mitigating climate change. The faculty has a long and revered history in developing scientists, policy makers and practitioners who are leaders in all aspects of environmental sustainability.
I have spent hours and hours a university library in one of the flanks of the vast interior spaces of the St. George campus. I also had the good fortune of visiting the Harvard campus in 2004 and St. George campus will be far more pleasing, as the spaces are indeed far larger in Toronto. At 84 I am not so sure whether I could see the rejuvenated St.George. In any case, I wish the best for my valued Alma Mater.
If the title “Goodby to Cars!" is intended to be a joke, it is in very poor taste. I suspect the largest cost to the project is the creation of a underground garage for 500 cars. This is an invitation, not a goodbye.
The real question here is why we are spending so much to create a car park in the centre of a large urban area that is very well served by mass transit. The municipal demand for more parking spaces is something that a progressive university, and one with a new focus on its relationships with the urban environment, should be fighting, not capitulating to.
It is ironic that this article appears at the same time that the world is focused on the climate conference in Paris.
Peter A. Hurley
BSc 1979 UC, MSc 1983, BEd 2006, MEd 2010
Toronto
There is legitimate skepticism from peer-reviewed and published climate scientists that shows that human production of carbon dioxide is not the primary driver of climate warming. Our climate has been warming since the last ice age and there isn't anything anybody is going to do about it. Now the supporters of anthropogenic warming are ready to "close the book" and say that because there is a consensus, there is no need to debate this anymore. If this kind of thinking had prevailed at the dawn of science, then the Earth would still be flat and there would only be four elements in the periodic table.
David Wiener
BASc 1969
Surely the issue is what to do to reduce global warming, not what causes it. Even if there are non-human causes, it can hardly be argued that human activity doesn't increase the extent of the warming. And, while there may well have been similar periods in the past, our Earth is now a much more crowded place. Hence the consequences of a warming climate are going to be much more severe. I would suggest that the actions required to reduce the contribution to warming made by humans are much cheaper and easier than dealing with the effects of melting glaciers, storms, droughts and rising seas.
I'd like to know the name of the woman that Robert Christie locked away in the secret room 29. At least she should have a mention. Does any one know her name?
President Meric Gertler responds: It is impossible in such a short space to give anything more than a sampling of the extensive, outstanding work being done across the University of Toronto in addressing the challenges of climate change. I was pleased to see one of the relevant contributions of the Faculty of Forestry celebrated in the cover feature of the previous issue – I encourage readers to refer here to learn more.
This article seems to be addressing a stereotype rather than looking at why this is a topic at all.
A good start. Next step would be to convert St. George between Harbord St. and College St. to a pedestrian walkway.
No thru traffic sounds great till night falls. Then see how a no-traffic community feels unsafe. Just ask Regent Park, which was a horror show until they reopened the streets to the overall grid.
The plan to revitalize Kings College Circle and get rid of the cars sounds great. As A grad of both U of T and Harvard, I hope the excellence of the Harvard Yard work can be duplicated here. One suggestion: get rid of that soccer field in the central area. Why continue to scar this highly visible centerpiece with the wear and tear of soccer activity? Restore the lush greenery. Transfer the soccer playing to the regular athletic fields where it belongs.
Good to hear about U of T's conservation initiatives, including replacement of compact fluorescent lights with LEDs. But the conversion got me thinking about a possible error made by environmentalists like myself.
Compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury. Now that we're dumping them we have an enormous disposal problem. In retrospect, perhaps we should have avoided the fluorescent lights and stayed with old incandescent bulbs until LEDs were commercially viable. It was a difficult situation because incandescent bulbs are power-hogs and their elimination was part of Ontario's strategy to end coal-fired electricity -- itself a source of mercury.
The rapid uptake of compact fluorescent bulbs offers a cautionary tale as we work to address climate change. Reducing greenhouse gases is vitally important but so is avoiding the creation of neurotoxic waste.
Gideon Forman
BA 1987 Victoria
Toronto
Louise Murphy's comment could lead to misconceptions about the "sensory" rooms used in Ontario's public schools. I work with special needs students in many schools and classrooms in Mississauga. These sensory rooms are attached only to special education classrooms. They are primarily used with children with autism, many of whom are hypersensitive to noise, and get overwhelmed by normal classroom noise. They are never locked in this room. In most cases the room is left open.
Sometimes, these rooms contain coloured lights and dimmers. They have mats on the floor, bean bag chairs, fitness balls, and are used by children with severe developmental delay and perhaps physical disabilities. It is a chance to get out of their wheelchairs and crawl around. They are stimulated by the lights. Staff are usually in there with them. Medically fragile children who may use the room for a nap.
There are also violent children who can hurt themselves, other children and staff -- and occasionally, when they are losing control, they are asked if they would like to go into the sensory room to calm down. Never are they locked in that room. They are free to come out at any time.
Dawn Ellis
Mississauga, Ontario
Louise Murphy likens the "time-out" and calming rooms available for student use in Ontario to the solitary confinement found in prisons. There is little that is inherently similar about these spaces. Solitary confinement is a punishment. The prisoner has no control over when the confinement will end. The spaces that have been set aside in schools for students to choose as a haven to limit external stimulation should not be equated with solitary confinement.
Carol Nash
BA 1980, BEd 1981, MA 1984, PhD 1989
Toronto
Bravo Zulu, Mr. Wilson. I have had bipolar disorder most of my life. I've suffered when deep in depression. But when feeling energized and efficient like now, I feel happy and blessed.
Nonetheless the stigma is destructive. My thoughts of suicide when I was in my twenties were not understood and imprecations to smarten up just not helpful.
I hope to write a book about my experiences. One doesn't have to be sent to a mental health ward or be put on suicide watch or be homeless to know what this illness is like. Apparently 1 in 20 Canadians have bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, a shocking statistic.
The two comments supporting the use of seclusion in schools are very troubling. These comments contain many inaccuracies and may lead the reader to believe that the seclusion of children is acceptable. Accurate information about the use of seclusion rooms in schools may be found in the following report: http://www.inclusionbc.org/sites/default/files/StopHurtingKids-Report.pdf .
Although this report focuses on schools in B.C., the same concerns exist in Ontario schools.
As a child growing up in Lorne Park (now part of Mississauga) in the 1960's, I visited Roy several times with my mother at his bird sanctuary. I remember him as a soft-spoken, kind man (he seemed very tall to me!) who welcomed us into his home, which I found to be a fascinating, magical place.
He eagerly showed us around and explained how he cared for the injured and sick birds. I have vivid memories of the recuperating raptors in the aviaries and the baby birds kept cozy and warm.
My family moved to Toronto in 1969 and I didn't visit the Windinglane bird sanctuary again. Roy kindly gave me a copy of his book on my last visit. I'm so happy to learn that his dedication and love for birds is recognized by the U of T Mississauga naming a residence after him.
He enriched my life and provided me with some cherished experiences.
Claire Olanow (nee Williams)
BA 1979
Since the 1950s, when I and my then-girlfriend (now wife) were U of T students, it has seemed that Convocation Plaza could - and hopefully now will – be much improved by the absence of cars.
The proposed use of granite is a plus. It's a more pleasing, attractive and durable surface than asphalt or concrete.
The selection of KPMB, MVVA and Urban Strategies as the consortium to renew and beautify these central spaces of the St. George campus is a great choice. This group, known widely and admired for design excellency, is working on landscaping at Princeton University. According to the university, since 1999, it has invested more than two billion dollars in more than 48 projects to dramatically alter the face of "one of America’s most beautiful campuses.”
I earned my PhD at Princeton, and last visited in 2012. I can confirm the charm of the campus setting, with its Collegiate Gothic architecture, superb landscaping and absence of cars. Motor vehicle access to the campus is very limited, ensuring that it remains strikingly attractive and people-friendly. Kudos to the U of T Landmark Committee’s efforts to date. We look forward to seeing the proposed changes take place at U of T!
Roger MacQueen
BA 1957 Victoria, MA 1960
Calgary
It is great to hear of these efforts to save on energy bills -- and wouldn’t it be nice if tuition went down as a consequence.
But even the most numerically and scientifically challenged surely know that the reduction in carbon dioxide generated from these savings will have no discernible effect whatsoever on anybody's climate. It amazes me that a world-class centre of knowledge and learning can keep on braying about this sort of environmental silliness. And what kind of unit of measurement is cars off the road, as in the claim that “the retrofit has also reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2,327 tonnes – the equivalent of taking 1,836 cars off the roads”? This is a meaningless comparison since motoring around has nothing to do with energy use of buildings.
In any case, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator gives that amount of carbon dioxide as equivalent to 490 passenger vehicles driven for one year (obviously a gross estimate). Of course, using a car in Toronto makes little sense these days, and perhaps the extra 1,346 cars are the ones that are rarely used or will no longer be allowed to park on King's College Circle. I’m all for that!
Brian Pratt
PhD 1989
Saskatoon
A great article about a very inspirational leader. I have many fond memories of Bruce Kidd during lectures and his impromptu life lessons in the halls of the Athletic Center. It's great to hear that his positive influence carries on!
Very good research, with determination!
Quite an inspiring read. He has done amazing things in his career!
"Healthy Minds, "A New Strategy for Student Mental Health" and "A Canadian hero for Mental Health" are excellent, thought-provoking and informative contributions that I have read over a few times and will bring to the attention of others. There is a great need for public education and informed awareness regarding mental health. Thank you.
As a young freshmen new to Toronto, I attended my first physical activity class in PHE in the fall of 1978, where I met my instructor, Professor Bruce Kidd, who taught the marathon-running quarter credit. I learned much about the history, geography and politics of my newfound city in that six-week course -- all on the run! Fond memories of a true scholar, educator, mentor and friend.
That was a good quiz and there should be more of the same
Thank you Dr. Prince. Glad you liked it. If you search "quiz" on our website, you will find a couple others.
Tough quiz for a newbie! Such a rich and fascinating history the university has...Thanks for putting that together.
None of the options under question 11 are correct. Selma Plaut was awarded an honorary B.A. at age 100 in about 1990.
The question has been reworded to make it clearer. We are looking for the oldest person still living to have received an honorary degree.
Whether by design or by accident, the Faculty of Forestry was omitted from the list of university examples contributing to battle climate change.
For over a century Forestry faculty, staff, students and alumni have contributed to the management of forests (and all of the values they provide to society) in every corner of the earth. Forests will continue to play a fundamental role in combating climate change and in providing the hundreds of goods and services that better the life of every single Canadian. Forestry of the past is not the forestry of the future.
Peter Johnson
BScF 8T9
Port Whitby, Ontario
Of the gay male friends I have or have had and the gay men I have met, they always tend to speak very quickly, compared with straight men.
Always thought I knew it all, but lots of surprises on this quiz!
The article states that UTSC, as a stand-alone campus, ranks 16th in the country in research strength. As a current UTSC graduate student in biology who is directly affected by the academic calibre of the campus, I have wondered about this topic at times. Out of curiosity, I was wondering if there was any literature or data to back this up, and if it could be provided.
Devrim Coskun
@Devrim
That stat comes from a 2012 report by Higher Education Strategy Associates, p. 18: http://higheredstrategy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/rankings20121.pdf
Thanks for your interest!
I was interested to read about the ways that U of T is an "international leader in climate change research" and how its faculty are involved in a great number of worthy environmental efforts.
However, it would be great if U of T could provide electrical connections to the food trucks on St. George that serve many students. This simple measure would go a long way toward reduced gag-inducing emissions from gas-powered generators in those trucks. I have spoken to UTBEAT (an environmental group operating on campus) about this possibility. They investigated but due to "overlapping jurisdictions" (i.e. the City of Toronto owns the property immediately adjacent to the curb) it was deemed "not feasible". This is exactly the sort of challenge that academics at U of T should be able to sort out. Solving it would have a profound impact on local air quality along St. George. (Incidentally, the City of Madison, Wisconsin, has implemented this for food trucks around its campus.)
Greenly yours,
Nicholas Provart
I have built my career in health policy outside of the university, apart from a stint as a senior lecturer and some honorary appointments.
Akbari's comment at the end of the article best describes the transferable skills. In my experience, they are the ability to read the research literature (not do research as such), assess and synthesize findings, translate them for application to real-world problems and more generally develop conceptual models that organize and explain complex realities in ways that open up new ways of thinking and understanding.
While a purely academic career may be the currency of the day, what we need for the future is much greater fluid career movement between "town and gown." I sense that Canadian universities are disinclined toward this. What we need is more commercialization of research, better industrial innovation and deep and abiding engagement with problem-owners.
PhDs, outside of academic work, need to understand that the expert in the room may not be them. This requires the ability to work with a diverse mix of expertise. I have found it critical to be able to present to clients and colleagues to advance common understanding, not show off. I would add that academic writing is ill-suited to report writing.
A major family trauma in the late 1980s led to my struggle with depression. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was not known then. My doctor prescribed an anti-depressant. I was on it for 17 years, with no therapy offered. In the early 2000s, a psychologist I was referred to objected to my suggestion that I was suffering from PTSD. I refused further sessions with that person.
In 2012, with my current doctor's caution, I went off the upgraded anti-depressant, with some difficult withdrawal symptoms. With my (forced) retirement in 2007-8, I struggled with purposelessness, until symptoms of depression convinced me to accept my doctor's advice and go back on Effexor. It has had some significant positive effects.
Personally, I have experienced that physical exercise has been quite beneficial in moderating the effects of depression and the side-effects of the anti-depressant. I laud the initiatives of the Faculty of Kinesiology and its ongoing efforts to address mental illness.
William Gallagher
MDiv 1981
The article mentions Calvin Gotlieb, who I knew well as I worked under him at the U of T Computation Centre for a couple of years in the late 1940s. Can you tell me if he is still living and if so what is his email address? Thank you.
Mr. Gotlieb is 95 years old. We will pass along your email info to him, but you can also reach him at ccg@cs.toronto.edu.
Has anyone done a material balance for CO2? What are the sources and amounts of CO2 that enters the atmosphere? What amount of CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by nature? What changes to these amounts have occurred in say the last 50 years?
It seems to me that we have a lot of scientists chasing solutions for reducing human source of atmospheric CO2 without any basis for measuring if the amount is relevant or even measurable. Are we solving a problem that does not exist?
Very cool! I've been following Backpack Helicopter on Facebook for a few years now but didn't realize the hero behind the product is a fellow U of T alumnus.
As a skydiver, I would love this as I could get myself to altitude for my jumps! Quite revolutionary!
Thank you for reporting this initiative. Well summarized.
Just to clarify, the Biochemistry GPD course highlighted in Science Careers 2013 is a quarter-credit one with official marks. (http://biochemistry.utoronto.ca/courses/bch2024h-professional-development/)
I teach the same GPD course in the Immunology Department as a required component of their graduate seminar series. (http://www.immunology.utoronto.ca/department-immunology-graduate-professional-development) Immunology's students receive the same feedback, but the grades are not recorded on a transcript.
Students who take GPD in both departments receive individual consultations, follow-up, guidance, and opportunities throughout their graduate training with the goal of a job or postdoc offer (depending on their career interests) before they defend their thesis or convocation. I am happy to bring my years of biotech experience and scientific network to help prepare trainees to be market-ready!
Interesting
I was part of the Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP) at U of T from 1960-63. We "trained" with the Canadian Officer Training Corps weekly. I tried to teach a PHE class how to march one day, and managed to keep them from marching into a wall in the Hart House gym!
I doubt that I could have attended university then without the ROTP. After five years with the Regiment of Canadian Guards, I taught at my former high school for 29 years.
A long-ago colleague at The London Free Press, cartoonist Merle Tingley (Ting) had an idea for the creation of a huge theme park, a miniature Ontario, where children (and adults, of course) could walk the highways from Windsor to Cornwall to Thunder Bay. They could experience the entire provincial in an afternoon, Niagara Falls and the Escarpment, its vibrant cities and transportation links, rivers and lakes, vast forests... As a government executive (now retired) I made an unsuccessful pitch to the tourism ministry, and the concept has, if not died, been cast into a state of suspended animation. I throw it over to you for possible future consideration as you achieve your rightful recognition and applause for the current project. Well done, and good luck in the future.
Actually, very funny, I thought of this a long time ago. but I never had the science to do it. I always said to people that one day we will be travelling in the air because the traffic is bad and getting worse. The only way it so go up.
Great idea. New York and Vancouver have similar ideas already.
I concur with Peter Hurley's comment above: particularly in light of President Gertler's recent statement that we bear responsibility for action on climate change. Encouraging more people to drive into the core of the city by providing yet more parking is retrogressive and wrongheaded. There has never been parking on King's College Circle for anything approaching the 500 cars to be accommodated in the underground garage.
Phase 1 looks wonderful. I remember the name Regent Park has always had a bad rap, so was surprised that a new name was not invented. But I understand the pride in it. Regent Park has come full circle and the community is thriving.
I found Michael's book a fascinating read. He's led a truly adventurous life. Not many people get to live their dreams the way Michael Boland has. To be able to put it out there for all to enjoy is a tribute to his talent.
This is the University of Toronto, not an American university. Things move here at a snail's pace. Grand plans, but they're 20 years out!
I like most of the vision - open spaces, back to pedestrian walkways and space for cyclists.
In image number two, I see some type of covered, modern, out-of-place structure. Please don't put this there; it is out of keeping with the rest of the circle. If you have to put in a covered open space, then move it to the back of Simcoe Hall so access to the hall during convocation can still take place comfortably regardless of rain or sun.
The St. George campus's historic architecture is something that other Toronto universities don't have. You should hold on to it. Take the opportunity to STAND OUT.
Please don't mess this up with ill-suited modern structures. If you really must have a covered space consider something that is visually appropriate and is covered in greenery for nine months of the year (with some blossoming in the summer and fall).
Amazing story. I've only gotten into quantum chemistry since graduating. While at U of T, I had no idea of alumni contributions to the field. The Eng Phys program should work more with the chemistry department to promote materials modelling at the atomic scale. The article even states he won a Nobel in chemistry for his work as a physicist!
The Q&A begins with the question, “Will the Paris climate accord succeed where Kyoto didn’t?” To be meaningful, this question must be preceded by another question: “Is the science settled on the impact of man-made carbon dioxide on ‘global warming’?” It is not. The first question is irrelevant until the second question is definitively answered. Considering the vast number of variables that affect “climate change” in varying degrees, at varying times, with varying results, I doubt that our modelling systems will ever achieve this impossible feat with any degree of accuracy or predictability.
Gene Balfour
Thornhill, Ontario
Carbon dioxide is an “arch villain” only to special interest groups and to the media, which thrives on exaggeration. Nature provides the means by which the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is reduced – and it is plants. The chlorophyll of the plants, catalyzed by sunlight, absorbs carbon dioxide and heat, and produces oxygen.
C. S. James
BASc 1951
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
When I enrolled at Victoria College in 1958, the federal corporate tax rate was 40 per cent. Companies earned a fair profit and had ample capital to invest in Canada. Today, the federal corporate tax rate is 15 per cent. In the intervening years, CEOs have used the difference to outsource almost all of our manufacturing jobs to Asia and to reward themselves with grotesque salaries. Instead of researching investor rights, Prof. Anand should focus on educating investors and corporate executives to curb their greed and assume their civic responsibility to pay their fair share of taxes.
Bob Stevenson
BA 1962 Victoria
The simple yet profound concept “a sound mind in a sound body” has been with us for many centuries, and I am pleased to see that U of T has recently established the Mental Health and Physical Activity Research Centre to further develop our understanding and applications of this concept.
Simon Hall
MEd 1982
St. Catharines, Ontario
As athletic director, Bruce Kidd deserves credit for his achievements at U of T. But he certainly fell short in promoting Varsity Blues football. In 2007, the Varsity Blues set a college football record in losing 49 straight games, which was an embarrassment for former Blues players on championship teams. Even prestigious academic schools such as the Ivy League colleges and Stanford have strong football commitments that build school spirit and fund other college athletics.
Nick Sopinka
BA 1959 Victoria
Kimberley, Ontario
A clarification on parking:
There are 307 spaces currently within the Landmark project area (this includes Tower Road, Hart House Circle, King’s College Circle, King’s College Road, Galbraith Road and Anatomy Drive), plus an additional 10 accessible which would be maintained.
The intent is to replace the surface parking in a below-grade garage but to include spaces for electric vehicles and car-sharing within that count.
The university’s requirement under city bylaws is to provide between 1,930 and 2,130 parking spots on the St. George campus. The university does not want to flood nearby areas with cars that are not able to find parking on campus.
That said, the university encourages people to take alternate modes of transit to campus. For example, U of T offers discounted TTC passes to faculty and staff and car-sharing programs.
Even though I'm now 90 years old I love to follow whatever is going on at the university and learn a great deal still. I still love the various sports and like to get the PhysEd magazine. Sadly, I also read the names of those who have left us.
#22 - Visit a U of T art gallery (Blackwood Gallery at UTM, Doris McCarthy Gallery at UTSC and the Art Museum, University of Toronto on the St. George Campus)
The drawings look good, but I share Francisco Gracia's concern about an uneven surface for bicycles and wheelchairs -- and faculty dragging cases on wheels. All those could become very difficult if the surface is not perfectly even.
Also, Rhiannon Davies has a point about the modern structure. The steps of the Medical Sciences Building are brutal, but they do rather blend into the background more than some sort of covering would.
Moreover, it is worrisome that U of T will spend so much money on this while many classrooms in older buildings need simple repairs such as painting and replacement of damaged desks -- not to even mention needed technology such as projectors. Isn't this a bit of a luxury project?
Wonderful memories of my undergraduate years at St. Mikes and grad school at Sidney Smith. Great professors such as Donald Creighton, JMS Careless, Gpdet Glazebrook, Craig Brown, Bertie Wilkinson, Ken McNaught, Jack Saywell, Ramsay Cook, Marshall McLuhan, Rev LK Shook and many more. Outstanding thinkers and fine teachers- a rare combination!
Homecoming floats: Mickities (Dedicated Men--still have the vinyl record);student council; campus politics; Hart House (especially theatre work with the great Robert Gill); Inter Varsity Drama Festival: Tarheel exchange with North Carolina; intramural sports; folk clubs. social activities--anybody remember the tea dances? Could go on and on as "those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end, we'd live and dance forever without fear."
Alas the world changes, our lives surprise us but we have these great memories to sustain us.
Cool shot!
Can anyone tell me what can I do with a PhD in chemistry and not be in the lab?!
I wonder if it is a genetic attribute. For example, some male singers who have higher ranges and more "feminine" sounding voices cannot be differentiated from a female; the majority have been gay. This could further back studies that argue sexuality is a genetic attribute.
Please stop using the word "transgenderism" if you value your progressive reputation. The medical profession uses terms like "transgenderism" and "transsexualism" to pathologize trans people. Why not just write "the neuroscience of being trans" in the Seth Watt part? It would be more humanizing.
In June 1930, my Mom had completed her second year in Household Science at Victoria College. She was able to get summer employment in the dining room at Bigwin Inn on Lake of Bays, a favorite Ontario vacation spot for still wealthy Americans!
@Amanda Peet
Agreed. We have made that change to the story.
The article’s tagline “For trans students at U of T, the fight for rights and equality is about much more than just washrooms” sounds radical and interesting, but the article does not engage with that or even acknowledge the violence that trans people encounter every single day. We are written about as though we are creative in how we see ourselves and the world; we are said to “reject” certain norms. What's ignored is that these norms are cissexist, violent, and oppressive, and that they legitimize violence that we encounter, encourage violence against us, and drive us into poverty, to suicide, and exclude us from consideration when designing public institutions.
I have extensive problems with the things written in this article:
1. The article is titled “Generation T”.
Trans people have been here forever. We aren’t some new trend fighting for acceptance in mainstream society. We are a group of people who have always been here, and who have always been fighting against violence and oppression.
2. The article writes about the “growing number of U of T students who are identifying as trans – who feel their gender identity doesn’t match the gender they were assigned at birth”.
Trans people do not just “feel” that our respective genders do not match the genders that we were assigned at birth. The fact of the matter is that our respective genders *do not* match the genders that we were coercively assigned at birth and forced to enact for years. Typically we are outright prevented from taking steps to mitigate the harm that this causes us. This isn’t trivial; it is systematic violence at the hands of cis people. We do not exist in a vacuum.
3. The article refers to “sex reassignment surgery” a few times. This is outdated and potentially harmful terminology.
4. The article writes “Falling within the umbrella of trans are also students who reject the notion that there are only fixed “male” and “female” genders; they describe themselves as more fluid, or “genderqueer.” As generations have fought for equality between genders, races and classes, these students want the right to determine their own gender.”
You don’t have to be genderqueer to recognize that the gender binary is nothing more than a violent framework designed to oppress. To phrase this in terms of some radicals “rejecting” the gender binary is just a tacit legitimization of the gender binary, and, in fact, of anti-trans oppression. A basic education about these matters is sufficient to understand that the gender binary is harmful nonsense.
5. In one of the sections when academics are referred to (I don’t know why these were included anyway), the article writes “Medical technologies – hormones and sex-reassignment surgery – have also made the process of transitioning more accessible.”
To suggest that transitioning is “accessible” is insulting; and to phrase this in terms of supposed improvement is to completely neglect the financial burdens, social and emotional burdens, obscenely long wait times to access healthcare, the hoops we have to jump through to receive healthcare, the violence we encounter at the hands of practitioners, and the fact that we are often outright prevented from accessing healthcare for years or in fact taking any steps whatsoever to transition. Look at our suicide attempt rate, or our poverty rate, or just speak to any of us about this, and then tell me you are comfortable using the word “accessible” here.
6. The article writes “They understand the difference between one’s sex – being assigned male or female at birth, based on genitals – and gender, which is a social construct.”
The whole “sex is a biological fact, gender is a social construct” is a strange cis obsession which neglects that sex is also socially constructed (although, ironically the article defines sex as an assignment, and seemingly fails to realize that an assignment is a social construct by definition), and which normalizes an oppressive framework for (mis)understanding trans people, which legitimizes violence inflicted on us.
7. The article writes “While many trans people publicly switch from one traditional gender role to another…”
What a terrible way of thinking about trans people or about transitioning. This isn’t about “traditional gender roles”. And, in fact, this notion of the relationship between trans people and “traditional gender roles” has caused tremendous harm to trans people. Trans people who did not or do not live up to stereotypes have been and are denied access to healthcare. This is about correcting harmful conditions of our existence that are imposed on us. Trans people are coercively assigned a gender; and, when we try to mitigate or correct harmful aspects of our conditions of existence, we face further violence, and are deliberately prevented from taking any such steps.
8. The article writes “some students see the gender binary as a limiting and even false construct”.
The gender binary *is* a false construct that is oppressive and that legitimizes violence inflicted upon trans people every single day. This isn’t a matter of opinion. The violence that cis people inflict on us and the violence of their cissexist norms are not a matter of opinion.
9. The article goes on to say “instead, they view gender as a rainbow of options, a sort of LGBTQ plus, plus, plus that can continue to evolve.”
All I have to say is: wow what a juvenile thing to say when talking about the oppression of trans folks.
10. The word misgendering appears in quotes in the article.
Lots of our terminology appears in quotes. The context that this appears in has to do with violence that trans folks encounter. Words like misgendering are often put in scare quotes deliberately so as to deligitmize us. That’s possibly something that should have been considered here…
11. The article writes ““Misgendering,” says Williams, is one of the many prejudices trans people endure every day.”
I didn’t use the word “prejudices”, and I would not have used the word “prejudices”. I would have used the word “violence” (which is a word that came up during the interview, and which I used explicitly during the fact-checking follow-up, where I wrote extensively, explaining the nuance underlying this). This isn’t mere “prejudice”; it is material violence inflicted on us by cis people.
12. The article writes ““I understand why others would want to avoid harassment and discrimination by being ‘stealth’ – by adopting a gender presentation and lifestyle so they’re not recognized as trans.”
I had to write extensively during the fact-checking follow-up to explain what terms like “passing” and “stealth” mean—they had literally zero idea. After I wrote extensively about this, U of T Magazine folks got back to me, and asked “can we define ‘stealth’ in a very very general way as…”, and gave a completely inaccurate definition (I’m not going to repeat it here, because it was complete and total nonsense) that showed just how little they understood the subject matter being written about. I wrote back telling them that their definition was nonsense, and I provided them with an accurate and succinct definition *which they elected to not use in this article.*
U of T Magazine editor Scott Anderson responds:
I’d like to thank Cassandra Williams for her comments and note that we have made several changes to the article as a result.
#1 The headline “Generation T” refers to the current generation of trans students at U of T, many of whom are out and active on campus in raising the profile of trans issues. The intent was to celebrate these students, certainly not to erase generations of trans history.
#2 Point taken. We have changed the wording to “…whose gender identity does not match…”
#3 Language is changing rapidly around trans issues and within the trans community there is debate over which terms to use. We consulted several sources that indicated sex-reassignment surgery is still used, along with others, such as medically transition and gender-confirmation surgery. We have changed the text to include these other terms.
#5 We said that medical transition is becoming more accessible, not that it is accessible, but we have clarified the text to say: “Medical technologies – hormones and gender-confirmation surgery – have also made the process of transitioning more accessible, although getting that health care is still difficult and can take years."
#6 We have adjusted the text here to say: "based on cultural assumptions about the meaning of genitals" rather than "based on genitals." We also clarified the text around gender being a social construct.
#10 Misgendering was initially put in quotes to reflect that it was the term Williams had used. However, we accept that in some cases the article used quote marks in a way that can be seen as delegitimizing and have adjusted the text.
#11 Williams originally used the term micro-aggression and then during fact-checking qualified that to say misgendering was not in fact micro. We have adjusted the paraphrased text in light of her comment to: Misgendering is one of the many kinds of violence against trans people that occur every day.
#12 As Williams points out, we had a lot of back-and-forth in the checking process about the specific meaning of “passing” and “stealth.” Although we used phrasing in the final article that we felt was very close to what Williams provided to the checker, we have changed the text above to the exact wording she provided.
Hi Caroline, I'm not a U of T grad but I am a Delta Tau Delta alumni from the University of Ottawa. I would strongly suggest you reach out to the Delta Tau Delta International office: www.delts.org. I wouldn't be surprised if they have files in their archive regarding the Delta Theta chapter your husband belonged to.
Brilliant Ms. Aya.
Thanks for the excellent article. Keep up the awareness campaign and your good work.
I really enjoyed this story. It is admirable to see a young woman at the beginning of her career, so willing to forgo what could potentially be a highly lucrative career to use her expertise for the good of the community. It's great that she has a social conscience and has used it to create imaginative ways to help solve kids' problems. I agree with her that if addressed early enough, most issues that could conceivably damage a child's life irrevocably, can be dealt with and have a successful outcome. I wish Ms. Austin continued success in her quest to positively impact childrens' lives and "help get people on the right path."
I'm looking forward to see how Dean Macklem puts Rotman at the top of the entrepreneurial world map.
I am a woman in science and engineering, as I loved science since I was a little girl and did well in it. More women are now in engineering, which is great. But I think we need to be forceful about our abilities and our desire to succeed, even if there are professors or colleagues -- of either sex -- who try to tell us that we cannot do it.
Women need to have a great deal of confidence, self esteem, and stay away from the negative people in their life and career. I encourage more women to follow my path.
Congratulations Shawn on being true to yourself and true to the true spirit of Islam. Proud of you.
People attend much more to their own photos. So they tend to notice things that others do not. People may also resent the indulgence of others. I don't always... I like looking at selfies.
I suggest you hire Leo B. Donlevy of the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business as coach for your MBA and BComm case competition teams. He is the best coach there is, and his team in the John Molson MBA International Case Competition was chosen last year to go to Europe to advise a company whose case they worked on. He is on leave in Ottawa right now, doing an entrepreneurial stint.
It's exciting to see the upcoming renovations! Can't wait to take a look at them in a few years. Love U of T as always!
Great focus, great story, but we need to lose the notion of "war chest" to refer to financial reserves. So much militarized language seems to pass for what was once eloquence and specificity and peaceful intention, eh? So, as U of T, how about filtering this?
Great topic, however very disappointing conclusion. I expected more scientific support about selfie taking disorder.
Congratulations Shawn. I'm glad you live in Canada, although hate sometimes exists here too. No religion should advocate hate of anyone! Your article describes it well.
I found this story as a link from "The Hidden Epidemic" about child abuse and its long-term effect on health throughout a person's life. I found this story valuable, as I have recently begun major modifications to my diet and activity level to enhance my quality of life as I approach the age of 60. My mood has improved; I am less drowsy during the day; and I am learning and retaining at nearly the speed and precision I had 30 years ago.
Thanks very much to the University of Toronto's Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education for this initiative.
I appreciate that U of T Magazine is trying to positively report on the important researching taking place at the university. However, I think it is vitally important for a university magazine to promote critical thinking and ask questions of research, rather than simply accepting the claims of researchers at face value.
For instance, are there direct risks of this application of biotechnology? (It is actually unclear to what extent the organisms in question result from biotechnology techniques, and how these have been applied, but the article states that Prof. Elizabeth Edwards is the Canada Research Chair in Anaerobic Biotechnology.)
Are there uncertainties about how the organism will impact the ecosystem into which it is released and the organism's potential to evolve in unforeseen ways?
Why is a biotechnological approach needed? Are there lower-tech approaches that would be equally effective at the remediation in question?
How are the bio-safety and bioethics questions related to this research being considered and addressed?
I am not opposed to the use of biotechnology, and this case may represent a very helpful use. However, I am opposed to the lack of critical thought present in this type of reporting about biotechnology.
Matthew Legge
BA 2006 Victoria
Richmond Hill, Ontario
A note of thanks and high praise for the Summer 2015 edition of U of T Magazine.
President Meric Gertler makes points that should be shouted from the rooftops ubiquitously. The “intrinsic rewards” of my own MA (in English) provide a daily abundance of blessings too numerous to list here. “Job ready” immediately upon graduation is largely a myth, at least in the business/corporate world. For, regardless of education, companies want to train their employees in their own corporate modus operandi. Whilst self-employed for a number of years now, I’m ‘ex-corporate’ (Canadian Tire, Colgate-Palmolive, and Procter & Gamble) – so, I speak from experience.
In our current consumer-mad, technocratic, ‘clicktivist’ world, there is still a need and a demand for articulate verbal and written skills. Humanities are indeed “crucial to … progress and well-being.” My compliments to Mr. Gertler for saying so!
Kudos to U of T Magazine for the front-page feature on the Pan Am Games. The eight-page article with stunning colour photographs of U of T athletes and U of T facilities made me even prouder to be a U of T alumna. (Did I get enough “U of T’s” into that sentence? Should really curb my enthusiasm perhaps.) That said, I hope that you will do a follow-up in your next issue re the athletes featured. As I write this, I am in the midst of my own ‘Pan Am mania.’ The Pan Am Sports Centre at UTSC is breathtaking. What a legacy (along with Varsity Centre) for U of T, Toronto and Canada, and our athletic future!
Lynne Calderwood
MA 2000
Cambridge, Ontario
Some of my fondest memories are the summers my family spent on Gull Lake, and the frequent visits we made to the Survey Camp. I’m talking of the years from about 1948, when I would have been 14, to about 1950 or 1951. For my mother and her sister, it was a return to the lake they had known in the summers just before the First World War, when timber was still being cut in the area.
My father took a cottage for his family on the north shore, initially near the beach and later on the hill on the west side of the Gull River where it flowed into the lake. Most of the time we walked barefoot, and swam off the beach, but on many a hot summer morning or sultry afternoon we and our cousins would paddle across the bay and around the point to Mintos. I think we assumed the Minto brothers were custodians of the Survey Camp for U of T. We knew they also built canoes but what we were most interested in was swimming and diving.
The camp was quite deserted till late August and on our excursions there we could dive off the dock into deep water, which we didn’t have on the north shore, and one or two brave ones would climb up the tower and jump off. But when the survey school started up each year we stayed away. When the young surveyors arrived we rarely saw them. There was a difficult path round the steep slopes on the point between the two bays, and few of the students, not having boats I suppose, ventured as far as our beach. Some must have, though, and dated my sisters, and sometimes two would be brought back on a chilly August evening to chat quietly by our fireside while the rest of us went to bed. Whether my mother stayed awake until the young men left she never said.
Although we were vaguely aware that a war had begun in some far-off place called Korea, that a boy at a camp at the bottom of the lake was ill with polio, and that my mother went about with an air of worry and concern, nothing harmful came near us, and those summers were utter bliss.
Paul Chandler Harris
BA 1956 Victoria
Toronto
This article brought back some pleasant memories. In 1952, as a 17-year-old chemical engineering freshman, I started some lecture days not in the engineering department but in P105, the beautiful lecture theatre in the old Physics Building. There, Dr. Hume entertained and educated me. His “Defying Death” lecture (inherited from the then recently retired Professor Satterly) still stands out in my mind as a pinnacle of tutelage. It must have been effective, for I pulled off a 105% in the first-term physics examination, a performance I never matched subsequently in any other subject.
Dr. Hume’s lecture was the first one of the day for my class, but nobody was late after he demonstrated a bravura memory feat. At the third lecture, after only one laboratory session in which Dr. Hume could have had an opportunity to meet the 150 students in my class, he greeted a latecomer by name, and thanked him for arriving before the end of the lecture.
At my tender age, Dr. Hume seemed like an ancient. Now I realize that he was only 12 years older than I, and had earned his doctorate only two years earlier.
James E. Luce
BASc 1956
Warwick, New York
I felt this truth the year I got my first credit card in 1965. Yet, I have not paid a single dime in interest in my life.
Prof. Elizabeth Edwards responds:
Thank you for your important questions and I am happy to try to answer and clear up any confusion.
Biotechnology refers to any use of living systems to develop or make products, but does not necessarily mean that organisms are genetically or otherwise modified. In our case, we are using naturally-occurring microbes found in soil and groundwater. We grow them in the lab to boost the numbers of the most active benzene-degrading microbes, which allows them to do the same job as the resident microbial population, but more quickly. Since these more active organisms only grow on petroleum hydrocarbons, as soon as the contamination is gone, they will die back.
We are also taking the steps to obtain Environment Canada approval of our enriched cultures. My partners at SiREM and I have done this previously for another culture of microbes for treating chlorinated-solvent contaminated wastes, which we market under the name KB-1.
We worked with Environment Canada to ensure our cultures comply with the same regulations as other specialized microbial cultures such as those used to make beer and cheese. (See: https://www.ec.gc.ca/subsnouvelles-newsubs/7248E724-8869-4FA1-A574-8E4358AF6DA9/NSN%2015050_EN.pdf)
In terms of alternatives, our approach is actually the lowest-tech option possible, other than to do nothing and let nature takes its course. Conventional treatment requires extensive digging and dumping and just moves the contamination from one location to another, whereas bioremediation actually destroys the contaminant in place. As with any remediation effort, regardless of the technology, careful monitoring is required to understand what is happening to the chemicals below the ground.
A poignant article which explores the issue well. Certainly homophobia is a large issue in Christian fundamentalism as well as in Islamic fundamentalism. Only in relatively recent times has Western society come to terms in a partial way with homophobia... and some churches still promote homophobia at the level of doctrine.
Rev. Larry Scott (retired United Church of Canada minister)
Prof. Contreras was one of the last professors I had before I graduated. I was in one of the first classes he taught at UTM (SOC415 Senior Seminar - Drugs in the City, if my memory serves me correctly). He was a great professor, and the course was very compelling. By the end of the semester, the knowledge I gained made me look more analytically at crime and sociological forces that can sustain, produce or circumvent criminal actions. Thanks Prof. Contreras, for teaching my favourite course ever!
Hart House had just opened to female members, so another girl and I went exploring during orientation -- up closed off stairs, to the next floor, into lovely guest rooms, out the window and up on to the roof. (As you do). There we scratched our initials into the slate roof tiles with the date. If they haven't replaced the tiles, our initials are there still.
Splendid composition marks every one of these winning and runner-up photos. The viewer's eye is drawn into the heart of each photo - grabbed intensely by each image. Well done!
The article is very interesting. Much of the concern for waste on land has mushroomed since "Heighington V Ontario." That case began on Scarborough's McClure Crescent (close to UTSC) on November 20, 1980 when radioactive waste was uncovered in the yards and under the homes.
Resistance to move the soil or the residents resulted in a precedent legal action before Justice R.E. Holland, who found the Crown liable for the radioactive waste. The ensuing judgement cost bank mortgage departments and land investors lots of money, as they had to clean up the land. The legal action made 'case law' as it applies to waste clean-up. Afterward, industry tried to find the most inexpensive way to clean up the land, spawning a completely new industry.
Whoa, wait a moment. Racism and ageism? We are talking about sexual attraction here. If young, fit, white men are desired in our society more than others, so be it. It may be because we live in Canada and not Zimbabwe. It's attraction and sex, not social engineering. What's racist is the idea that white men are getting too much attention and that everyone else deserves more.
Thank you, Shawn, for continuing to have the courage to share and to provide an articulate voice for those who cannot yet speak up for themselves. Sadly, as a secondary school teacher supporting a gay-straight alliance in a rural community, I am only too familiar with stories like yours. Please know that your voice is critically important, and that your message is being heard. Keep up the great work.
I want you to know how much I appreciated this article. I am no longer shocked by the hypocritical and downright hateful views of many who call themselves religious or who associate themselves with a particular religion.
Though I am still an Anglican, I am not a regular church-goer for several reasons. In some churches, too -- not only mosques -- there are too many who feel threatened by anyone whose world view, faith or sexual identity are different from their own. It is time, as Shawn Ahmed has had the courage to do, to speak for love, creativity and diversity in this world -- be it in the name of God or Christ or Allah or Buddha or one's inner self or simply the human soul.
I regret that it takes so much more courage for Shawn to do so than it does for me.
We all need to believe that life is precious and to reject violence once and for all. I profoundly hope Shawn is right and that love wins.
Peter Howden
BA 1962 Trinity, JD 1965
Barrie, Ontario
All the best to David Grant and his vision of "of no shortage of ideas." I am looking forward to Mr. Grant's next idea that he will share with the public.
I know from personal and professional experience with youth in trouble at school and/or with the law that your contribution is especially needed. A while back I had the opportunity to work with Jalal Shamsie, Professor Emeritus of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at U of T. With him and another individual we put together Volume II, Antisocial and Violent Youth, via Jalal's Institute for the Study of Antisocial Behaviour in Youth and under the auspices of CAMH.
I am so happy to see that someone of Renata's calibre has such a full grasp of the issues these young folks face in their often troubled and disorganized lives. More than that, she is doing something to make things a little better. May the good work she does thrive and blossom.
Selfie sticks can do wonders in the correct hand!
I believe this to be among the most important initiatives to improve the life of people in our wonderful city. I am a huge fan of trees for all the reasons cited. I think that our municipalities can do more to support this movement - such as protect existing trees and offer rebates to citizens who plant, protect and participate in such projects. I would love to see Toronto be known as the most treed urban city in our latitude.
In this interesting article on adverse childhood experience, there is mention of section 43 of the Criminal Code that gives parents and caregivers a defense against assault when corporal punishment is used against children.
To date 50 nations have banned the use of corporal punishment of children. To our shame, Canada is not among them.
Among the 94 calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, number six is the repeal of section 43. Prime Minister Trudeau has promised to implement all 94. He could start by repealing section 43, bringing Canada in line with countries around the world that recognize the harm done by the use of corporal punishment.
Ruth Miller
BA 1960 UC, MEd 1981
Toronto
Prof. Hall suggests why leave your car in the garage all day when you can earn money by driving it. The uber debate here in Sweden points out that, as a passenger, your driver (unlike a taxi driver) is not qualified or licensed to take paying passengers, does not pay business taxes, and a private car is not insured for commercial use (your tough luck if there’s an accident). There’s also the ethical question of amateurs taking work away from those who need it for their livelihood.
George Varcoe
BMus 1955
Österskär, Sweden
The Victoria College tradition of walking across Queen’s Park to Convocation Hall is said to have begun in 1986. I remember a Convocation in the early 60s when we were waiting the arrival of a procession from Vic.
The great Healey Willan was at the organ playing a suitable prelude when the distant sound of bagpipes could be heard. As the volume increased, so did the volume of the organ in a contest of pipes that threatened to raise the roof. On that occasion the pipes were being played by a classmate of mine, David Newman. So, I believe, the tradition is older than the article suggested.
Allan McIntosh
BA 1962 Vic, BD 1965, DMin 1985
Westmount, Nova Scotia
Joanne Bacon writes:
I just read the summer issue online and though the print was tiny and my face had to be right by the screen, it was quite fantastic to read. Well done!
Joanne Bacon
Collaborative Program Administrator
CIDEC/CEPP/CPWLSC
OISE
The article implies an idyllic scenario for carbon-neutral conversion of gigatons of CO2 gas into energy-rich fuels, which “could be used in vehicles, heating systems, and anywhere else carbon-based fuels are used.”
Upon combustion, all these applications release CO2 into the atmosphere, from which entropy considerations make its recovery impractical. Therefore the process would be carbon-neutral only to the extent that a concentrated source of CO2, e.g., from cement manufacture or fossil fuel power generation, could be used for a single cycle of CO2/fuel/CO2.
The immediate goal of the research team is to synthesize catalysts for transforming CO2 into fuel, but there would be many further obstacles to turning this concept into a technology.
The proposed catalysts would have to be economically viable with respect to manufacture, regeneration, and longevity (catalytic turnovers).
A reaction partner is needed to supply hydrogen atoms to convert CO2 into hydrocarbon-like molecules, but all such substances are themselves energy rich – gaseous hydrogen, for example, requires energy for its own production. Although direct electrochemical reduction of CO2, using hydrogen atoms from water, is possible in principle, up to now it is very inefficient.
Finally, solar generated electricity was proposed as the energy source for converting CO2 into fuel. Since no such process can be carried out with 100 per cent energy efficiency, a greener and less complicated solution would be to “cut out the middle man” and use the electrical energy directly.
Nigel Bunce
MDiv 2004 Trinity
Guelph, Ontario
One way to get to the truth might be for non-Aboriginals to start teaching their kids about the real history of Canada.
As a six- year old growing up in Muskoka, Ontario, my mother sat me down in the pine forest with women of the Gibson Mohawk Reserve where they taught me beading and told me stories. My dad worked with the Gibson men who provided excavation and electrical services for our house. My Christmas presents were C.W. Jeffery's books on Canadian history, mostly illustrations of First Nations culture.
While at U of T, I worked summers in the Algonquin and northern Quebec bush, camping in a tent beside Indigenous trappers who helped me cut lines for geological surveys.
My life partner, Bev Davison (BA 1960 Victoria), agreed with me that "waiting at the same bus stop for the rest of our lives, just didn't cut it." We bought pack sacks and tickets to Dar es Salaam. We did volunteer work, teaching and building medical clinics in Africa, Middle East and Asia. We were not funded but the education was worth more than anything we learned in school.
Back in Canada, we were offered positions in north Saskatchewan, Bev as a special ed. director and me providing architectural teaching and building in 30 Indigenous communities.
I am now '80, "retired" (ha!) and just returned from Egypt where I was invited to document the ongoing excavations at Tel 'er Rub'a in the delta. I am completing 20 paintings scheduled for exhibition in Toronto, Montreal and Cairo next year. Learning never ends.
Sadly, my heroic travel partner, Bev, succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Canada Day, 2013. She worked to her last breath helping students with learning disabilities.
W. David Butt
BArch 1961
Regina
He has his own hashtag #BlarneyOBudrick. Check it out on Instagram :)
I had some weird ghost-like experiences at the UTM campus while working late night hours in my research lab. There was always a logical and scientific explanation for each of them :)
I was a student of Dr. MacInnis. When I was in my fourth year at U of T, he welcomed six students from our class to join him to do underwater research. I was fortunate to be one of the students he selected. His research was being done in Dunks Bay (south of Tobermory, off the Bruce Pennisula).
Although this was a three-year study, I was only with him for one year. He truly demonstrated his passion for the underwater and it's importance.
Thank you, Joe, for giving me the opportunity. The thousands of students I have been able to have an impact on, as an educator, are a little more appreciative of their planet.
Atheist scholarship exists. As for myself, I am no longer atheist nor agnostic, I have graduated to the category of "could not care less." Given the history of such scholarship, why would U of T grad Shawn Ahmed even bother to define himself as Muslim? Please Shawn Ahmed, reject your Muslim identity and embrace "could not care less" instead.
This fine tribute to a fellow alumnus sadly marred by the racist word "black." Black is not a country, black is not a culture and black is not a language. It is best to use citizenship and geographic origin as a marker for heritage. Discard the racial undertones of yesteryear. This is the 21st century. Canadian passports don't code citizens by colour or use demeaning phrases such as "people of colour," "coloured" or "visible minorities." Yet these terms are continually used by governments at all levels, NGOs and the media -- and it is just plain wrong!
Save the colour-coding for cattle, horses and shopping "Fridays" -- and for the history books!
William M.C. Volkwijn
Is there a way to join the lobby for change locally and beyond? Please provide a template for change.
Sounds like a major obstacle for handicapped people.
This is amazing. I am aware that infants and children can suffer from heart defects, and sometimes these defects go unnoticed. We are blessed with our daughters, today because of a surgery that was performed. I hope that many parents will be able to avoid all of the stress and anxiety that heart defects in their children cause.
May the new year bring you much success with this wonderful development, and may many children be saved from suffering and trauma because you have taken on the amazing responsibility of "mending hearts."
I know this man and he is quite remarkable.
Terrific work led by a outstanding researcher. Great collaborative effort between engineering and medicine in the IBBME tradition.
I wonder if the plan for reimagining the front campus is finalized? If not I would like to make a suggestion that a classical fountain be placed at the southern end of the circle outside Simcoe Hall. Perhaps there are potential donors who would like to have a fountain named after themselves or choose another suitable name.
I don't necessarily disagree with this research or the theory however I would use discretion in attributing all Multiple Chemical Sensitivity to Panic Disorder. I know other people have mentioned the panic could be the result of what is physically happening when exposed to perfumes or other chemicals rather than the other way around.
I have seen Dr. Binkley and I was almost relieved. I thought, "Okay, so panic is what is causing the problem. With more therapy and desensitization, this doesn't have to be a lifelong problem." Well, even with therapy and proper desensitization techniques, I have ended up in the hospital more than once with my throat closing and trouble breathing and hives. I have been sent home on prednisone for a number of days with doctors speaking sternly to me that I should have used my Epipen sooner.
I have found out through dermatological testing that I am allergic to a number of other chemicals that were causing severe skin reactions -- several of which are heavily scented and used in cleaning products etc. so no surprise there. My point is that I was told it was psychological and now I don't know what to think.
I wanted to comment on the project when there were presentation boards at Hart House and UTM about a month ago, but there was no comment box or personnel to speak to.
The project management should rethink the glass pavilion by the Medical Sciences Building (MSB). All of the images on the poster boards made the area look too "busy". The "modern" (and unattractive, to be honest) look of the pavilion really clashes with surrounding architecture, and detracts from the DNA sculpture that is supposed to be the focal point of that corner of King's College Circle.
Direct access from the parking garage into MSB should be considered instead, with maybe some sort of addition to the building to provide an easier exterior entrance to parking. The pavilion is overkill and makes that area look too cluttered.
As for a cafe that's supposed to be part of the pavilion, why not something on the MSB third floor that takes advantage of that massive balcony fronting the circle (currently not being put to any use)? It would make a wonderful cafe patio. The space also has large windows that provide beautiful views of front campus. The student space that used to be housed there was taken for offices, and it seems wasteful that these views are now only accessible for a select few people.
The modern glass pavilions seem unnecessary and would distract from what looks like a great project to revitalize and green this beautiful space. More dense, native trees/shrubs/greenery throughout this space with benches (and not just a few "columnar oak trees along Tower Drive") would be more appropriate to enhance the student/visitor experience, with places to relax/de-stress and enjoy the sound of birds and fresh air. U of T's attempts to go "modern" have not on the whole been very successful and have certainly not added to the aesthetics or experience of what is otherwise a lovely campus.
Car-free proposals often forget the needs of mobility-challenged users (not all of whom use wheelchairs). What is the farthest a person might need to walk from a disabled-designated space within the car-free zone, and how many parking spaces surrounding this part of campus are reserved for the disabled?
So very sad to hear of the passing of such an interesting man, husband and father. Condolences to his family and friends.
we also did a feature on Jim in Communique magazine. You can read it here
https://issuu.com/cacuss/docs/communique_oct_2016?workerAddress=ec2-174-129-81-102.compute-1.amazonaws.com
Letter from Frank MacGrath (BA 1986 UTM):
I just finished reading the latest edition of U of T Magazine and I wanted to thank you for the terrific article on Jim Delaney. I first met Jim in the mid-1980s through student politics, and then interacted with him again in the mid-1990s when I was on the U of T Alumni Association board and he was working at Simcoe Hall.
To me, Jim was always emblematic of the many unsung heroes at U of T among the staff – the people who help make it a great university and keep the focus on the students.
Your article was a great tribute to him and I was really pleased to see it in the magazine.
Thank you for recalling U of T's hockey history, and pioneering women's hockey.
Great research that's badly needed! Genetic diabetes runs in my family and my lifestyle was not able to stop it. I succumbed to the gene at the age of 43. I am still alive at 92 and my doctor tells me that I have done well to last that long.
Good to discover something totally new for me.
This excellent article about Prof. Virani demonstrates the distorting effect of excessive media coverage and space devoted to an extremely small segment of Muslims who defy their own religion to engage in terrorism. His idea of translations of scholarship needs to be implemented to cross barriers.
Thanks for the great picture of the women hockey players. Can you imagine playing hockey in those long and full skirts? In my study on American women's entry into sports and the clothing they wore for it, (Warner, Patricia Campbell, When the Girls Came Out to Play, University of Massachusetts Press, 2006) U of T was the only school I came across (granted, the only Canadian school I looked at) that had hockey in any form, even as a club. Way to go, Toronto!
How can I submit my photos for photo of the month?
It is encouraging to see something being done for grad students. In my day you were thrown in the deep end and expected to fend for yourself. I taught four seminars with about 90 students in total each week, as well as keeping office hours and grading papers and probably earned less than a cleaner.
You can submit photos for consideration to sally [dot] choi [at] utoronto [dot] ca
Thank you for your feedback.
In repsonse to the comment on accessibility, the current proposal maintains the existing number of accessible parking spaces on the surface (9) and adds new spaces (8) in a below grade parking structure. Drop off at each building entry will also be maintained. Please see the project’s accessibility tab for more information: http://landmark.utoronto.ca/accessibility/
As the United Church declines, so does the demand for Christian-based theological education. To what extent is money a motivating factor in training Muslim clergy? The motives behind this move are not clearly defined or identifiable.
I hope that information at this link will also be useful in studies of Tamil heritage: http://www.infitt.org/pmadurai/pmworks.html
This link also has information about Tamil heritage: http://www.tamilelibrary.org/index.html
Is this leg currently available?
@PatSullivan
The knee (called the All-Terrain knee) is now available through http://legworks.com/. Contact information is provided on the website.
Email: sales [at] legworks [dot] com
I was pleased to see the bold heading HWAET which translates as “what,” or, better still, “Wazzup?!” It is famously the first word of Beowulf, and still survives today in the chant of Newcastle United Football Club fans: “Howay the Lads!”
Charles Heller
BEd 1986
Toronto
While reading this article, I began to wonder whether using AI in the law was really a good idea. If we rely too heavily on machines to examine precedents and recommend solutions, will we lose our ability to make reasoned analyses on our own? Will reliance on AI-recommended solutions slow adaptation to changing social conditions?
Decision-support models are typically validated by their ability to reproduce past decisions. They assume that the foundation (laws, regulations, societal expectations, etc.) is static. Use of the model will then repeat the same decisions and can stifle innovation and new thinking. In reality, the foundation is dynamic and new analysis may be required as we adapt to new laws or to changing societal expectations. Will AI models help us to adapt to the changing balance between public security (where the state might have access to significant amounts of personal information), for example, and the protection of personal privacy? Or will they hinder us?
If we continue to challenge, refine and review AI models and tools with the same degree of rigour as we do other theories and models, then my questions should be addressed. I applaud the team that collaborated to bring together legal, software, and business communities, facilitated by U of T, to develop a new tool. But let it be used wisely.
Paul Ostic
BSc 1989 Victoria
Gatineau, Quebec
This was a fascinating article, but it was marred by two problems.
First, where is the "Gulf region"? Its proper name is the Persian Gulf region. You don't call the English Channel just "the Channel"! Second, in the picture, Mr. Sheikh is positioned in front of the map in such a way that you can’t see the Persian Gulf region.
Kourosh Dinyari
Edmonton
Benjamin Alarie, CEO of Blue J Legal, responds:
At Blue J Legal, our AI legal tools promote legal transparency and access to justice. The genius of the common law is that impartial judges decide cases on their relative merits and produce public reasons. The value of what we’re doing is that we are operationalizing the cumulative wisdom of these judges for the benefit of those who seek to comply with and follow the law. Too many cases are now brought to court that would have been settled if only the mutual distrust of the litigants had been overcome. With the benefit of our tools, increased rates of settlement will leave judges with more time to focus on the truly borderline cases. This will allow for an improved articulation of the boundaries of the law. Everyone will benefit.
The cover of the Winter 2017 issue promotes six values as part of the Boundless campaign – hope, understanding, leadership, opportunity, creativity and innovation. It is noteworthy that all of these values focus on individualism and encouraging a “me” culture, which have been central to the growth of turbo-capitalism and globalization during the past four decades. Even more noteworthy is the absence of the traditional Canadian values that collectively help us to strive to build a “we” culture and a decent society – values such as solidarity, equity, environmentalism and a democracy based on a fair tax system.
Bob Stevenson
BA 1962 Victoria
Ottawa
Reading in the Winter 2017 issue about the amazing work being done by U of T researchers and innovators who have a passion for helping others – and who dedicate their lives to making the world a better place – is inspiring, to say the least.
In a world where the media spews mainly bad news and constantly reminds us of all the things we need to be concerned about, I consider U of T Magazine my “good news review.” It lifts my spirits and reminds me of the wonderful things that are possible when people have access to education and are encouraged to reach their potential and realize their dreams.
Rev. Marion Loree
MDiv 2007
Guelph, Ontario
This is such a great article, glad to learn more about black history in medicine
It is a good idea to have a black alumni association. It would also to good to establish a process for recruiting.
The founders of the Aphasia Center of West Texas will never forget our first trip to the Aphasia Institute. The first morning that Dr. Kagan illustrated how they were changing the life experience for people with aphasia, we knew we must bring the approach back to all those suffering with aphasia in our region. Dr. Kagan's work has improved the lives of thousands of people, and helped communities around the globe bring communication-impaired people back from isolation to the mainstream of their families and communities. THANK YOU.
How do I get to learn more about your program? I am in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Do you have any recommendations for me? My mother has aphasia following a stroke in 2014. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
We would suggest getting in touch with The Aphasia Institute directly at: http://www.aphasia.ca/home-page/about-the-aphasia-institute/contactus/
I find it astonishing to see drivers sitting in gridlock, resigned to the idea that no solution exists for the ever-increasing, twice-daily grind of commuting to and from their workplaces in the GTA.
Obviously, these commuters haven't travelled to large European cities such as Berlin, which has about six million people and where traffic congestion is less than that of a Canadian city such as Brampton, a city of around 500,000 people.
Regretfully, in North America, we tend to associate car ownership as a demonstration of success and wealth. It's also seen as some sort of a right, due to the fact that our society has been conditioned by the auto industry to think in this way.
The development of suburbia has further exacerbated our transportation problems.
The result is that commuters remain confined in their vehicles for increasing amounts of time, causing stress, potential health issues due to inactivity, loss of productivity and, most importantly, erosion in quality of life.
We need to provide better and more frequent bus and train service to draw drivers out of their cars. In other countries, politicians took the necessary steps several years ago to build an effective public transportation system. Our country is at least 50 years behind Europe in this regard. Our thinking needs to change.
Thank you, James, and thank you U of T for making a difference in Addis Ababa. Black Lion hospital is one of the biggest teaching hospitals in Ethiopia. It doesn't have the facilities or teachers of U of T, but it is making a difference in a country with almost three times the population of Canada. I can't imagine the challenges for everyone who provides care. But interns and staff are all working hard to help patients. I'm humbled and proud to see my adopted country providing such genuine care.
This story ignores, as seems common, our own federal government's similar large experiment conducted more than 40 years ago. It should not just be mentioned, but learned from.
Apart from Sargent's oracular pronouncement, what evidence did this article present for its lead that Brexit and Trump are behind the growth in foreign applications to U of T? I read it twice, and don't see any.
This edition of entrepreneurial dos and don't is most timely. I have recently switched from the medical illustration profession that I have worked in since graduating in '95 to illustrating stories with my paintings. My husband and I have combined our talents and have produced a book about our travels in Costa Rica. We are learning as fast as we can about self-publishing and marketing. Thank you.
I had a chance once upon a time to meet Ms. Franklin.
I was contracting an addition next door at her neighbour's house, in mid-February 2005. There had been a huge snow storm and I had to use the 4 X 4 to get down her street, only to find that the shared driveway was under two feet of snow.
I wanted to make sure the crew had good access to the job, so I started to shovel. It was 25 feet to the side-door entrance and the shared driveway was about six feet wide. The snow was wet and heavy.
Two hours later, an elderly man popped his head out of the side door, looked at what had been done and what remained and then said there was a snow blower in the shed.
I had intended to stop at the side door. There was another 75 feet left to go. I had been warned the man was a bit cantankerous, so to keep the neighbours happy, I went to the shed, through waist-high snow, found the snow blower and finished the job. I had arrived at 7 am. It was now 10 and no workers had arrived. I was about to enter the house where I was working, when an elderly woman opened the neighbours' door and asked me in for a cup of coffee.
I was already behind, but there had been complaints about noise and swearing so I was eager to keep things civil.
"Hello, I am Ursula Franklin and this is my husband Fred." She poured coffee and fed me cookies, we talked small talk of weather and the status of the renovation next door. She thanked me several times for the kindness of shovelling her driveway. An hour later, I went next door. No one had arrived.
When I went home that evening, I mentioned to my wife that I'd had coffee with a kind old lady next door to Martha and Peter (my clients) and her name was Ursula Franklin. She immediately looked up.
"THE Ursula Franklin?"
"There's a THE Ursula Franklin?"
If looks could kill...and then she goes off to the computer and returns with a picture.
"Yes, that's her. And?"
So my wife begins to read....all of the amazing things outlined by your U of T Magazine article.
"What did you talk about?"
"The weather. Oh, and nuts. Apparently when the nuts fall off the black walnut tree and hit their shed, it sounds like gun shots in the middle of the night. But that was mostly Fred's concern. He wants an estimate for a netting to catch the nuts."
"That was it? Weather and nuts? You do know you were sitting in the presence of a giant, a great woman, a..."
"I do now. I just wanted to get the toilets installed."
"God what a waste. Imagine all the conversations you could have had.
"Yes dear."
And yes, I would have loved a redo on that coffee.
Norman Coutts
Thank you for telling the story of this wonderful woman. It's a reminder of how one person can fight for change and help improve people’s lives in many different ways.
Unfortunately, her fight for peace could not put the “genie of war” back in the bottle.
There is a saying, “whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world."
This Jewish saying made me sad to think how many Einsteins and other intelligent people like Franklin perished amongst the six million Jews and others in the Holocaust.
Your readers may be interested in a recent documentary, A Perilous Quest to Save the World’s Children, about Maurice Hilleman, a scientist who pioneered vaccines. He produced over 40 of them, including 14 for children. He is, or should be, considered one the greatest scientists of the 20th century, having saved untold millions of children’s lives with his vaccines. He deserves a posthumous Nobel Prize.
Jack Hoffman
Cote St.Luc, Quebec
BScPhm 1956
I applaud the work of Ryan DeCaire and others in their efforts to keep alive our indigenous languages. This work underscores important aspects of language as more than just a means of communication, but also as a scaffold of a culture and a codification of a society's cosmology. As an anthropology grad I understand the vital role language plays in this regard.
In my career as a superintendent with the former Toronto Board of Education, I had responsibility for the Heritage Language programs, which included several first-language programs (Ojibwa, Mohawk and Cree), and as such, I had the opportunity to work with members of the First Nations community in promoting and sustaining these languages for our students.
It is indeed encouraging to read about the marvelous activities of the Centre for Indigenous Studies. I wish it well.
Looking good, and you fit right in with both the Bay Street bourgeois and common folk alike. It is refreshing to see such youthful exuberance and innovation. Keep it up!
Is it just a coincidence that this lovely article, 24 years after the death of Helen Hogg, has appeared about the same time as a Heritage Toronto Legacy plaque?
The plaque, near 2875 Yonge Street, provides the bare-bones information: "The astronomer Helen Sawyer Hogg (1905-1993) lived here from 1962 to 1965." Apparently she shared an apartment in the building at that address with Mary Quayle Innis, widow of the famed historian, Harold Innis. The commuting distance to the downtown, campus was, of course, much less than from her Richmand Hill home.
It concerns me that woman are often named with their husband's name when writing about their childhood or early education.
For example, the writer says "Wolfe earned a BA in sociology". Later it says she married after that. So, Rose [birth name] earned a BA; "Wolfe" did not.
Gwenne Becker
BComm 1955
Why is stroke not mentioned?
I have a family member who is gay. We are close in age and I've always known he was gay. He's always had "the voice" - even as a small child. It wasn't a learned thing with him, he literally sprang from the womb knowing who and what he was, just not how to articulate it. But the voice he eventually articulated it in? That had always been there.
What about using biology instead of a mechanical approach? Find, and then figure out how to leverage, a bacterium (or even chlorophyll itself) that is already able to process CO2 into something else.
I was one of lucky ones mentored by Prof. Franklin. She gave me my first summer job at U of T, as a translator, in 1982. The $400 a month made a huge difference for me as a first-year undergrad visa student from communist China. She guided me through both my master's and PhD work. I will never forget something she said to me: "One cruise missile costs a quarter of million dollars. To build a museum in Africa costs about the same. Let us build more museums than cruise missiles." Words cannot express my gratitude to all of her help and guidance.
Is there some error? The article on this web page is attributed to Scott Anderson when the archived version of the UT Magazine, Spring 2005, p. 55, says this is written by F. Michael Rynor?
Thanks for noticing the error, Kathy. We've fixed the problem.
Good use of technology however I'm curious how this differs from the Intel technology?
see: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/technology-innovation/aerial-technology-light-show.html
I've always been self-conscious about my voice. My parents were extremely homophobic, especially my mother. Hiding my gayness, including my voice, was always a real struggle. I was terrified of my mother finding out, so I talked in a "normal" voice around my family. However, I was much more comfortable in my effeminate voice around my friends. Now as an adult, It's hard to break that habit. I wish I could sound completely gay because then I would not have to come out to every person I meet, which gets annoying.
Regarding the idea that men who sing in a higher range are gay, I'm a professional singer and by far most of the countertenors I've met are straight. And most of my friends/colleagues who sing bass are gay. So much for that. As to the person above who said it was something he's had to hide since childhood - I find that really enlightening as I had often thought it was merely affected. Thank you for correcting that assumption for me.
"Feelings of unattractiveness can lead to health problems and risky sexual practices among urban gay males, according to a recent study by U of T sociology professor Adam Isaiah Green"
This is what the study concludes, for those who seem to be either unwilling or unable to read properly. Racism is an issue in the gay community in Toronto. Ageism is an issue in the gay community in Toronto. Anyone who thinks otherwise is simply out of touch. Anyone who works in the community (for the last decade) as I have as a researcher, fundraiser, social and community organization volunteer and member knows it.
The comment above perfectly illustrates the racism present in Canadian society at large.
Amazing news! Is this technology readily available and where? Thanks.
How does one sign up for the test?
In the article about Zaib Shaikh, it is written that he is currently 33 years old and that he graduated from the theatre program at U of T Mississauga 20 years ago! He would have been 13 years old! Is this correct?
Yes, the article was published in 2007, so he was 33 at that time, now 43.
For more information about Winterlight Labs, email:
info [at] winterlightlabs [dot] com
The article about Dr. Almilaji and his journey to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto connected with me in a personal way. Years ago I received my PhD from Brown University. We support their public health school program and for over two decades I held an appointment in public health in U of T's Faculty of Medicine. At that time my principal professional contributions were in women's reproductive health in what was then called the Third World. Those efforts included programs with the same components that have engaged Dr. Almilaji and his work in the Middle East. I am particularity cheered by the recognition of the importance of this work.
Such an inspiring article. It makes me very proud to be a U of T alum. I understand why Almilaji and his wife would feel the need to return to Syria to continue their important work but would be so proud if they chose to stay in Canada as new citizens. Please keep us updated about this couple in future issues of U of T Magazine.
If I follow the logic about memory loss and decisions, we should all be making better decisions as we age. Is there any evidence for this? My mother at 103 and I both comment that we remember the silliest things from the distant past that were not even important then but can't remember important things now.
This article caught me off guard, in that I thought the health-care system, including doctors, would foster a culture of free and open reporting and voluntary acknowledgement of errors and omissions. Perhaps a look at the Royal Canadian Air Force Flight Safety Program would be helpful:
http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/flight-safety/index.page
I believe there are parallels in other safety programs as well.
I believe some men are born with the so-called gay-sounding voice. I knew two boys as a child who had the stereotypical lisp and came out later in life.
This comic by Prof. Barth Netterfield is eloquently phrased, and the illustrations by Jonathan Dyck are ingenuous and will delight all, including small children.
Growing up in scientific household with a very devout father (Donald S. Ainslie, a 1927 grad who became a physics professor at U of T), I often asked him how science affected his religious beliefs. He always replied that the more he learned about science, the more he believed that the universe was the design of a higher power or “God.”
Your article reinforces the very ideas that my father talked about many years ago, and I was delighted to be reminded of them.
Margaret (Ainslie) Tuer
BA 1955 Trinity
Toronto
Like Prof. Netterfield, I’m a lifelong believer in the Creator. And like him, I’ve never felt that my faith has come into conflict with my intelligence, my understanding of science, or my ability to think critically. Bravo for including a view about the creation of the universe that at best is often misunderstood in western countries and at worst condemned.
Kathryn (Pequegnat) Kuehl
Dip DH 1973
Elmvale, Ontario
It’s good to see that U of T is investigating the sources of Toronto's greenhouse gas emissions. I suspect one of the largest will be automobiles. So the question arises: how do we help residents leave the car at home?
Making cycling safer is a crucial first step. The university should urge the mayor to expand Toronto's bike lane network -- not only on campus but across the city. The Bloor Street bike lane, which of course runs along the university's northern flank, is especially important as it’s the network's east-west backbone. The Bloor lane needs to be extended right out to the border with Mississauga. U of T should be a strong proponent of this at City Hall.
Gideon Forman
BA 1987 Victoria
Toronto
This comic by Prof. Barth Netterfield is eloquently phrased, and the illustrations by Jonathan Dyck are ingenuous and will delight all, including small children.
Growing up in scientific household with a very devout father (Donald S. Ainslie, a 1927 grad who became a physics professor at U of T), I often asked him how science affected his religious beliefs. He always replied that the more he learned about science, the more he believed that the universe was the design of a higher power or “God.”
Your article reinforces the very ideas that my father talked about many years ago, and I was delighted to be reminded of them.
Margaret (Ainslie) Tuer
BA 1955 Trinity
Toronto
Like Prof. Netterfield, I’m a lifelong believer in the Creator. And like him, I’ve never felt that my faith has come into conflict with my intelligence, my understanding of science, or my ability to think critically. Bravo for including a view about the creation of the universe that at best is often misunderstood in western countries and at worst condemned.
Kathryn (Pequegnat) Kuehl
Dip DH 1973
Elmvale, Ontario
Just because you can pose a question doesn’t make it a good one. And not all questions deserve an answer. You could ask: “Where is the edge of the Earth?” or “What’s the colour of fear?” Science can’t answer these questions, but this doesn’t mean that something else must.
Mohammad Shaban
Biology student, U of T Mississauga
Mississauga, Ontario
I found this short story the best of all five.
Just because you can pose a question doesn’t make it a good one. And not all questions deserve an answer. You could ask: “Where is the edge of the Earth?” or “What’s the colour of fear?” Science can’t answer these questions, but this doesn’t mean that something else must.
Mohammad Shaban
Biology student, U of T Mississauga
Mississauga, Ontario
Thank you for this excellent article. There are many Christian scientists who find no conflict between their faith and science.
Mary Gunson
MEd 1997
Tara, Ontario
Thank you for this excellent article. There are many Christian scientists who find no conflict between their faith and science.
Mary Gunson
MEd 1997
Tara, Ontario
The comic by Prof. Netterfield is hilarious. It is very accessible and friendly and clearly shows that science and faith are not in conflict. But, more importantly, it also demonstrates that it is actually a very intelligent activity to appreciate the existence of God.
The comic by Prof. Netterfield is hilarious. It is very accessible and friendly and clearly shows that science and faith are not in conflict. But, more importantly, it also demonstrates that it is actually a very intelligent activity to appreciate the existence of God.
Barnabas Emenogu
I like that this comic counters the misconception that science and religion don't mix. It shows how science, and all the discoveries that have been made, don't diminish God's power but instead magnify it.
Daberechi Emenogu
Grade 12, Lorne Park Secondary School
Mississauga, Ontario
When and where can I take the test? I have significant word-finding deficits while speaking.
We received this story about the early days of UTM from Joe Spiteri, who graduated in 1976:
About 45 years ago, I registered for classes at Erindale College through individual professors – who were sitting at tables outside the South Building. I signed up for an introductory course in geology with a red-haired professor who introduced himself as Henry. When I mentioned that I was originally from Malta, he commented that the Maltese national soccer team had a reputation for strong players. Until that day, I was undecided whether my major would be biology or geology. Our chat sealed the deal for geology.
Over the next three years (our fourth was spent downtown), we benefited from classes that included 10 to 20 students. We knew our professors as Pierre, Bill and Mike. They may have been casual in this respect, but were deadly serious about our studies – especially Pierre Robin who, in the winter of 1974, held Saturday morning remedial classes after most of the students failed a mid-term in Structural Geology.
Pierre had just graduated with a PhD from MIT and seemed unaware that his students were mere mortals. His tough lessons served me well for my career in mining, though. Bill Pearce and Mike Kimberley were equally serious. To this day, I remember a field trip to the Scarborough Bluffs and the Toronto Beaches where I learned why a wave breaks and how to identify evidence of Hurricane Hazel in the sand layers.
In those days, using a computer required punching instructions into a key card as 0s or 1s. For statistics class, we used one of six large calculators – each the size of a microwave oven – that were chained to a desk in the calculator room. You sometimes had to line up for an hour to get 10 minutes of computing time.
The population of Mississauga back then was about 190,000 and Erindale was out in the sticks. In 20 minutes, you could drive from Highway 427 to campus along Dundas Street and see only one stoplight.
Joe Spiteri
BSc 1976 UTM, BEd 1977
Acton, Ontario
Joe challenges other members of the Erindale Class of 1976 to share their memories. Send to uoft [dot] magazine [at] utoronto [dot] ca.
It was a treat for eye, as well as mind, to read Barth Netterfield's graphic article on faith and the beginning of the universe. Kudos to the editor, author and illustrator for this imaginative essay.
Perhaps a sequel is in order. Beginning is one thing, but continuing is another. The question of how the Creator continues to relate to the universe is much debated today, and affects one's understanding of providence and prayer. Since the sciences are invoked in current discussion, it would be stimulating to hear from Prof. Netterfield on how he conceives of divine agency.
Peter Wyatt
BA 1966 Victoria
Magnetawan, Ontario
I like that this comic counters the misconception that science and religion don't mix. It shows how science, and all the discoveries that have been made, don't diminish God's power but instead magnify it.
Daberechi Emenogu
Grade 12, Lorne Park Secondary School
Mississauga, Ontario
It was a treat for eye, as well as mind, to read Barth Netterfield's graphic article on faith and the beginning of the universe. Kudos to the editor, author and illustrator for this imaginative essay.
Perhaps a sequel is in order. Beginning is one thing, but continuing is another. The question of how the Creator continues to relate to the universe is much debated today, and affects one's understanding of providence and prayer. Since the sciences are invoked in current discussion, it would be stimulating to hear from Prof. Netterfield on how he conceives of divine agency.
Peter Wyatt
BA 1966 Victoria
Magnetawan, Ontario
As a historian, I was deeply interested in and appreciative of Professor Peter Russell's broad-stroke overview of our Canadian heritage. In one answer, he states that the 1774 Quebec Act was the first legal guarantee of freedom of worship in the world and that even Great Britain did not have such. The English Toleration Act of 1689, however, did guarantee freedom of worship for Protestants outside of the state church, though not for Roman Catholics. The Quebec Act was an advance on this in that it included Catholics -- a small, though not unimportant detail, not clearly indicated by Prof. Russell's answer.
Michael Haykin
BA 1974 Victoria, ThD 1982
Dundas, Ontario
Professor Netterfield’s article gives us a lot of the latest scientific theories about the beginning and current state of our universe. The article admits there are still a lot of answers that science can’t supply. One of the most important is whether there is life after death. Can we trust religion to do that?
Mike Reiter
Aylmer, Ontario
Professor Netterfield’s article gives us a lot of the latest scientific theories about the beginning and current state of our universe. The article admits there are still a lot of answers that science can’t supply. One of the most important is whether there is life after death. Can we trust religion to do that?
Mike Reiter
Aylmer, Ontario
When so many universities and professors are rejecting faith-based messages and student unions are attempting to stifle the rights to free speech of religious groups, it was heartwarming to see this cartoon, which balances science (astronomy) with a positive conclusion about God as Creator in its concluding frame.
Jim Pigott
BASc 1970
Burnaby, B.C.
When so many universities and professors are rejecting faith-based messages and student unions are attempting to stifle the rights to free speech of religious groups, it was heartwarming to see this cartoon, which balances science (astronomy) with a positive conclusion about God as Creator in its concluding frame.
Jim Pigott
BASc 1970
Burnaby, B.C.
This article was a pleasant surprise because it's rare to find anything published about God (let alone Christianity) in a positive light -- especially in an academic setting.
Thanks for practicing tolerance and having the courage to publish something that's likely going to offend a few people, but deserves to be heard none the less.
Gavin Singh
BASc 2006
Vaughan, Ontario
I have always had a feminine voice but didn't realize it myself until I saw videos or heard vocal recordings of myself. I tried to hide it to no avail and ended up coming out when I was 20.
This article was a pleasant surprise because it's rare to find anything published about God (let alone Christianity) in a positive light -- especially in an academic setting.
Thanks for practicing tolerance and having the courage to publish something that's likely going to offend a few people, but deserves to be heard none the less.
Gavin Singh
BASc 2006
Vaughan, Ontario
Thank you so much for this insightful piece. Prof. Netterfield and illustrator Jonathan Dyck are to be commended on a fine and thoughtful presentation of faith, physics and astronomy.
Eileen Skillen
BA 1975 Victoria
Toronto
Thank you so much for this insightful piece. Prof. Netterfield and illustrator Jonathan Dyck are to be commended on a fine and thoughtful presentation of faith, physics and astronomy.
Eileen Skillen
BA 1975 Victoria
Toronto
The article on faith and science is maybe the best and most relevant that you have ever published. Thank you and congrats!
The article on faith and science is maybe the best and most relevant that you have ever published. Thank you and congrats!
Murray Funk
Will Draper got a summer experience he'll never forget after his first year at Erindale College.
I enrolled in Erindale College in 1967. Dr Tuzo Wilson was the principal and was world renowned for his work in plate tectonics. He was asked that year by Ohio State University to provide a student to travel to the Arctic for the summer to do research on an ice cap on Devon Island. I was invited to join this expedition and enthusiastically accepted.
There would be two of us for 11 weeks – the leader, just back from the Antarctic, was from Ohio State University. He and I flew to Frobisher Bay -- we heard in an American air force base that Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated -- and then on to Resolute Bay. As we approached the airfield at Resolute we could see at least 30 crashed airplanes lying derelict around the airport. It wasn't a terribly encouraging introduction to life in the Arctic!
There was another two-person party going to Devon Island. The four of us waited in Resolute Bay for two days during a whiteout hoping for a window of safe weather. Finally the conditions eased and we flew out of Resolute in two aircraft. Unfortunately, I was on a plane with another inexperienced Arctic person. Our aircraft landed safely and we could hear the other plane trying to land. The weather was deteriorating rapidly, and their pilot said he would make one more attempt. Thankfully they managed it. We had only a Quonset hut buried up to the roof in ice and no experience of how to fend for ourselves!
Meals were freeze-dried courtesy of the U.S. military. We shoveled ice, melted it on a Coleman, soaked the freeze dried food and cooked it on the stove. Bathing followed much the same procedure.
I received acceptance to U of T’s dental school while living in a "tent" -- a three-foot hole with a canvas placed over it. I heard the news from our once-daily radio contact with headquarters, set in place for any medical problems or important messages. There weren’t too many places to celebrate! At the end of the placement, we were taken off the island by helicopter and landed on an icebreaker, where we enjoyed warm showers and a real dinner -- extreme luxury!
I grew up in suburban Toronto, so living almost in solitude in the vast white landscape and perpetual sunlight opened my mind and heart in wonder and awe. I'm continually grateful for having had this singular experience in the Arctic.
Dr. Will Draper
DDS 1972
Halifax
You rock Lucy! xo
I'm surprised that One Spadina isn't on this list. A murder and death by misadventure happened there.
I was pleasantly surprised by this very creative and clear presentation of how science and faith can work together in one's life. Thank you for having the courage to write the piece, Dr. Netterfield, and thank you to U of T Magazine for publishing it. Dr. Alvin Plantinga has written a very informative book on the subject called Where the Conflict Really Lies, if anyone is interested.
Anastasia Lazenkas
I was pleasantly surprised by this very creative and clear presentation of how science and faith can work together in one's life. Thank you for having the courage to write the piece, Dr. Netterfield, and thank you to U of T Magazine for publishing it. Dr. Alvin Plantinga has written a very informative book on the subject called Where the Conflict Really Lies, if anyone is interested.
U of T Magazine is great, but this article should not have been included. It pushes a specific religion and makes me question the professor's credibility.
Christian Poyo
U of T Magazine is great, but this article should not have been included. It pushes a specific religion and makes me question the professor's credibility.
Christian Poyo
It's said that Marshall McLuhan's ghost visits the McLuhan Program coach house. I had an experience that made me a believer. I was reviewing a fascinating thesis in my office on the second floor. I had the only key to the room, and cleaning staff never came to the building, let alone to my office. The thesis was on a side table and I habitually stood at the table when I was reading. One day I arrived to find my chair had moved across the room to be located directly in front of the thesis. I was pretty sure I tucked my chair under my desk before leaving, but perhaps I was wrong. I asked around and definitely no one admitted to entering my office. From that day on, I made sure to tuck in the chair and lock the door. Sure enough, about a week later, the chair moved over again, presumably so that McLuhan's ghost could be comfortable while he read.
I was shocked to see the comic by Barth Netterfield included in a magazine from an institution that purports to support education and learning. What Prof. Netterfield has done is assume away the question.
It is wonderful that we have been able to peer back in time and make educated evaluations of the likely origins of the universe. But to overlay god on that simply brings up the question of ... where did god come from?
To say that we haven't discovered why the universe exists or the purpose it has ... and to answer that with god did it ... simply ignores the question. If you insist on a god belief, then why does god exist and what is his/her/its purpose?
if one can assume that god came from nothing ... then one can easily see that the universe could expand from nothing as articulated in some theories.
How would Prof. Netterfield feel if his students made assumptions on their examinations? Would the answer "god did it" be good enough for a passing grade?
I expect more from your publication.
I was shocked to see the comic by Barth Netterfield included in a magazine from an institution that purports to support education and learning. What Prof. Netterfield has done is assume away the question.
It is wonderful that we have been able to peer back in time and make educated evaluations of the likely origins of the universe. But to overlay god on that simply brings up the question of ... where did god come from?
To say that we haven't discovered why the universe exists or the purpose it has ... and to answer that with god did it ... simply ignores the question. If you insist on a god belief, then why does god exist and what is his/her/its purpose?
if one can assume that god came from nothing ... then one can easily see that the universe could expand from nothing as articulated in some theories.
How would Prof. Netterfield feel if his students made assumptions on their examinations? Would the answer "god did it" be good enough for a passing grade?
I expect more from your publication.
David Canham
Getting anyone to track their finances themselves is a good idea.
I never knew a short story could be so beautiful, entertaining and satisfying! Well done!
For some strange reason, common perception is that belief in science also includes disbelief in God, this article disproves that and the two are not mutually exclusive. I find amusement with those who are offended in belief in a divine creator, as no scientific method can prove or disprove the existence of God; so why keep complaining?
So it is with gratitude from those with faith alike that the university published this article, even if it was in a comic book format, and shows what a true open-minded university is capable of doing... the promotion of possibilities.
John Krim
For some strange reason, common perception is that belief in science also includes disbelief in God, this article disproves that and the two are not mutually exclusive. I find amusement with those who are offended in belief in a divine creator, as no scientific method can prove or disprove the existence of God; so why keep complaining?
So it is with gratitude from those with faith alike that the university published this article, even if it was in a comic book format, and shows what a true open-minded university is capable of doing... the promotion of possibilities.
Great pic! All these fabulous women who blazed the trail for undergraduate nursing preparation -- love it!
Having devoted 15 years of my career to neonatal intensive care unit nursing, I can tell you that although many things about maternal newborn care have changed for the better (including breastfeeding), you still wash the baby's face and head first.
I have printed out your wonderful article, and have pasted it into my copy of Schmecks. Thank you.
I am an anthropologist who has worked in restaurants for many years. I have compiled some of the observations I've seen in the field, and I agree with Professor Lee's observation that people live one way but will often say they live another.
Love this story! It's so inspirational, and it made me think of my daughter. She has finished one degree and is now working through her second. Like so many young adults, she needs to know that she can explore more than one career path and not be afraid to do so. It just takes time and the passion to continue to learn and grow.
Thank you for the wonderful article outlining what the faculty does and how this program impacts its students. We truly are blessed to have such students and a dean who has supported this program from the moment it was suggested. Many thanks should also be given to Bridge to Health Medical and Dental for organizing and supporting this endeavor. Members of the group are now going into Ethiopia, and future sites are also being considered.
I associate with many seniors, all of whom enjoy using tech devices more now than they did a couple of years ago. They stay active, and their goal is to live a longer healthier lifestyle. I am curious to know when and how the data for this article was gathered. Seniors are a growing population and are able to take time to learn new skills. I see many doing just that.
I can't remember the year, but Edna endowed the Kitchener Public Library with funds to appoint a writer-in-residence. I worked at the library at the time and made a yearly visit to her cottage/home on Sunfish Lake to discuss who might be offered the posting. Over the years, Edna and I became friends. The library hosted her 85th birthday with a grand party that drew authors Pierre Berton and Doug Gibson, and an auditorium overflowing with more than 200 fans. I served on the inaugural board of The New Quarterly -- the literary magazine that she, Harold Horwood and Farley Mowat launched in 1981. A memorable fundraiser, the Edna Staebler Golf Classic, held in October 2006, went ahead as planned even though Edna died on Sept. 12. We all felt she would have wanted that.
Prof. Cosmin Munteanu responds:
The study was conducted mostly in the early part of summer 2017 over several months. We used a technique called "Contextual Inquiry" to extract the data.
We are working on completing the analysis in a formal way and hope to create a more extensive public report soon.
A very interesting article!
I think this is a great idea. Health-care building design is more than good architectural design. Design should address the social and psychological side of the patient (both adults and children) and staff, as well as meeting functional and technological requirements. It should promote wellness and healing and reduce stress through the use of natural light, outside views and warm materials.
I have two voices. The gay voice happens when I live in my normal state of anxiety. The other, which happens to be deeper by a shade, occurs when I am feeling more healthy and confident, and secure in my self-in-the-world. It doesn't happen often. When it does, people tell me I seem a completely different person. And that's how I feel. I feel like me. Authentic, from the toes up. I don't really care how I sound, but I do crave the feeling of authenticity that characterizes voice #2.
I was a chair at Glendon College of York University when Daphne taught a very popular course in the Natural Science Division (Physics of Flight). She also supervised a thesis by a former pilot in the Second World War who admired her very much.
U of T Magazine have done a wonderful job. The knowledge from the comic is really accurate and interesting. Hats off to all the editors and creators.
U of T Magazine have done a wonderful job. The knowledge from the comic is really accurate and interesting. Hats off to all the editors and creators.
Antony Davies
You're not going to make us park our bicycles underground are you?
Great to hear about the impact of UofT Graduates. Don't forget those who graduated in the 1990s. Secondly, please have someone do a study on the volunteer hours by U of T grads, and the nature of the volunteer activity. I am involved in a small review regarding how volunteering may help prevent dementia in older adults.
Carole-Lynne Le Navenec (RN,PhD)
Associate Professor Emerita &
Program Committee Chair,
Emeritus Association of the University of Calgary
I filled out the survey but I don't remember questions about mentoring. I was a mentor and trainer for employees and agents at my company for 25 years.
I do a lot of volunteer and community work. At present I am a Rotarian, I do free Justice-of-the-Peace duty at a local library, I'm a volunteer guide at my local regional art gallery and I look after seven worm farms at a community garden. Every year I supervise a site for Clean Up Australia Day and I used to do free tax returns for people on low incomes.
I'm interested in learning about other U of T founders of not-for-profit organizations.
Regarding the number of alumni who serve as volunteers and who serve as mentors in their workplaces and communities: During the 39 years that I worked in municipal recreation, I mentored a recreation student from a college or university recreation leadership program almost every year. Throughout that time I employed (and mentored) hundreds of secondary and postsecondary students in leadership roles for many recreation and sport programs. And I mentored hundreds of adults who volunteered on Boards of Directors for community recreation and sport organizations.
On my personal time, I assisted two professors from the National Institute of Fitness and Sport (in Kanoya), Japan with their sociology of sport research when they visited Waterloo annually for 10 years, and when they lived in Waterloo on sabbatical. And I mentored several NIFS Masters' degree students with their four-month research at Wilfrid Laurier University, including this past year 2017. Since 2012, I have been the volunteer president of the KW Sports Council. In 2013, I founded the KidSport Kitchener Waterloo Chapter as a committee of the Sports Council. With the exception of 2015 (when I worked at NIFS), I have been the chair of this chapter, providing grants so that financially disadvantaged kids can participate in dance and sport in my KW community.
Almost every year since I graduated from OISE/UT, I have volunteered in some capacity with a community organization, including my professional associations. Consequently, I have been president of four not-for-profit organizations in KW, as well as a professional association.
These experiences have been extremely rewarding for me in many ways, and have given me knowledge and skills that are not learned in school.
This is a wonderful and interesting article! I liked it very much.
I was a lawyer, law professor and judge, but would have loved to have worked in the theatre. Last summer, during a trip to Stratford, Ontario, I decided to kill some time between shows by doing some backstage tours. When I posed a question to our young tour guide, she thought she had better “call Nora.” Ms. Polley then proceeded to regale us with anecdotes and enthrall us with her backstage knowledge. In particular, I was fascinated to see an example of a stage manager’s annotated script, which she produced to answer one of my many questions. I wish I had known her during my days at Trinity College.
J. David Murphy
BA 1971 Trinity, JD 1975
Barrie, Ontario
I seem to recall that Raymond Scott was doing something like this in the 1960s. Give Manhattan Research Inc. a listen. Quite a variety of things are featured in this set, including Scott letting the machines do the composing. I cannot guarantee the results are to all tastes.
Reading this takes me back to my time at the Faculty of Education in 1974-75. The wonderful Prof. Gary Smith offered us the chance to teach a short lesson that would be recorded for television. I was one of a few students from his history class who volunteered to help test the idea.
Our lucky pupils were three or four UTS high school students that Gary also recruited. We had 15 minutes to record a mini-lesson on a history topic of our choosing. At the end of the lesson we received direct feedback from our students, and then Gary sat down with us to watch our television performances. It was a great experience and just one of many fond memories I have of a professor who was always enthusiastic and entertaining, and who inspired so many young teachers.
David MacLellan
BA 1974, BEd 1975
Woodview, Ontario
I've always wondered if it's a sonic "device" used (consciously or unconsciously) as a (relatively) subtle clue to potential mates, alerting them to the fact that the person is gay.
Thank you Dr. Vieth for highlighting this important topic. The bitter truth that we all are undermining the effects of vitamin D is shocking indeed.
The gay voice is not a learned behavior. It has a biological basis, just as homosexual attraction does.
You can identify the sex of many animals by their vocalizations. These sex-determined vocalizations are not learned behaviors - they are inborn. The male/female animal didn't learn it from its father/mother. Likewise, we humans know masculine or feminine vocalizations when we hear them. The human embryo has the capacity to develop either male or female behaviors. The extent to which we develop either is determined by the interplay of hormones in utero. Generally XY babies develop masculine behaviors, and YY babies develop feminine behaviors, but sometimes the nerve pathways associated with the other sex's behaviors get developed. This leads to traits like homosexuality.
Many gay men "vocalize" like women. I am one of those. From an early age, it identified me as gay. I didn't learn it from anyone, it was inherent. Another evidence of this is that some women with very low-pitched voices may sound like gay men. This behavior trait appears on a continuum, so some men who are straight may have a feminine vocalization, while many men who are gay did not have their vocalizations "feminized" so-to-speak. Having grown up in the homo-hysterical 80s, I hate to admit that I think that those whose voices "pass" for straight are the lucky ones.
How could the researcher estimate the role of stem cells in development of embryo, if they are injected in different stages of pregnancy ?
I wonder if it's genetic. I was a gay guy until I was 20, at which point I transitioned to female. Even growing up in an extremely Christian family, where I tried to hide what I was, I still got questions all the time about my sexuality. The sing-song voice has been with me before I even found the gay community, which is why I would go through spurts of not talking altogether.
Great article!
Evidently the author hasn't read the Cannabis Act.
I was prescribed opioids once. I guess I'm lucky, as they made me sick and I vomited every time I took them. They never relieved my pain and I didn't get high off of them. They were essentially useless and I ended up dropping them off at the pill disposal at the pharmacy.
What helped me the most was stretching regularly. It was painful during stretches but for hours afterwards the pain wouldn't be so bad. These days, when I have back problems, I start stretches right away and the issue doesn't seem to progress.
As a young, naive youth worker in downtown Toronto in the mid-1990s, I was full of harm reduction theories supported by a legion of statistical reports. I was asked to be part of a team that would brief civic and political leaders about how best to address Toronto's youth drug, violence, and crime issues that were making headlines. I worked with a diverse team of people - youth workers, Public Health, professors, Toronto District School Board counsellors, non-profits - to put together a rock-solid, fact-based argument for the legalization of recreational drugs and sex work, and how to implement youth-based preventative crime strategies. My big awakening was discovering that the politicians could not have cared less about such things. We were told point blank that none of our recommendations would ever be considered. At the time, our culture was not ready even to discuss the legalization of marijuana. It was a non-starter as one politician told me. We have moved a few inches since that time, but there is still a long way to go.
Putting a ban on advertising might be a good place to start with respect to limiting harm. That ban took a long time with the tobacco industry, while millions got addicted because smoking was made to seem sophisticated. With marijuana, we have a chance to never let the "image building" get started. And that ban certainly needs to be in place before marijuana in foods becomes legal next year. Otherwise, we'll have romantically themed ads for marijuana-laced chocolates for Valentine's Day by 2020.
"Do we want to risk legalizing drugs that are more dangerous, such as cocaine and heroin, with all the potential health hazards that this entails?"
Or do want to leave them under the control of criminals and teenagers who sell a myriad of drugs of unknown provenance, potency and purity, on commission, tax free, to anyone of any age, anytime, anywhere, no questions asked?
Legalization is merely a precondition to a spectrum of regulatory models. Heroin, for example, is already legally prescribed in Canada.
Very cool! Nicely done: this is timely, useful and will save lives.
Young legend :)
Amazing technology!
Please help disabled veterans next, we're absolutely desperate.
Big fan of outdoor fitness equipment. Can somebody tell me the location of where the photos were taken? Much appreciated!
This article is an eye-opener as much as it is timely. It points to a general problem, or rather to a set of issue, with rules and procedures. Ron mentions how the application form for front yard pad parking contains no entry regarding disability. This is an excellent illustration of the nature of the issues. There are countless other examples: cutting down nonviable trees; scaffolding on sidewalks; committees of adjustment and minor variances, and so on. It seems that what is needed is to start embedding into our rules and regulations a series of clear provisions regarding flexibility and fine-tuning; to move away from rigid "rules-plus-exceptions" to flexible rules that already anticipate a range of different, and equally legitimate, situations.
Rezoning single family residential areas along major arterial roads will free up land for more affordable housing units.
We don't need hyperloops. We need lithium-ion battery trains travelling between Toronto and Oshawa, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Barrie, Markham. They are quieter and can run later at night. They can charge at night. They can be sized for distance travelled. But most importantly we can use all the existing tracks, saving us billions and speeding up the switch by years. They'll also take thousands of cars off the roads, saving additional billions.
Yes, as-of-right zoning allowing "missing middle" midrise along these avenues. I don't know what is holding the city back, because it would set in motion a lot of midrise construction, providing places to live that families like. Some of our nicest downtown single-family residential neighbourhoods have schools at below 50% capacity. Incentives to build midrise on the surrounding avenues would allow many more families to live in these areas.
The photo was taken at Salem Parkette, near Bloor and Dufferin streets, in Toronto.
@Matthew
In fact, Ruth Ross has read the Cannabis Act. Her concern is that companies are already circumventing government regulations.
If you think carding unfairly targeted non-white youth, wait for the stopping-cars-arbitrarily legislation on December 18, 2018.
Well, yes. Except that "air bubbles" are not a significant concern, and an auto injector costs thousands of dollars, whereas a generic naloxone ampule costs around $20. And pre-loading a syringe would render its contents non-sterile unless you use it within a short period of time. And current government-issued kits contain intranasal naloxone, avoiding this perceived problem. And we should be giving rescue breaths for a witnessed overdose rather than CPR unless the heart has stopped. Regardless, any effort to make the process easier to understand and perform in an emergency is welcome.
I'd like to address the article's suggestion that overprescribing opioids to patients is related to significant elevation of risk for opioid addiction or mortality.
Analysis of CDC published data shows that there is no cause-and-effect relationship between the rates of physician prescriptions for opioids and opioid-related overdose deaths from all sources. The contribution of medically managed opioid pain relievers is so small that it gets lost in the noise.
Likewise, the demographics of chronic pain and those of addiction are almost entirely separate. In the U.S., people over 50 receive more than 2.5 times the number of opioid prescriptions as people under 30. But the overdose mortality rate in people over 50 is the smallest of any age group and has been stable for 17 years, even as mortality in the youngest age group has skyrocketed.
Studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and BMJ demonstrate that the risk of diagnosis for opioid abuse disorder is about 0.6 per cent in post-surgical patients. Likewise, incidence of long-term chronic prescription of opioids in 11 common surgical procedures varies from 0.6 per cent to 1.7 per cent, and many of these prescriptions are for chronic pain from failed procedures, not from any propensity toward addiction.
Good article -- and what a walk down memory lane! Cool School changed my life. The only thing missing from this article was more about the tutors. They weren't anything like mainstream teachers; it took a different breed of cat to work there. They were a unique group with a passion for learning who had a profound impact on the kids.
I have been a chronic pain patient for more than 21 years because of four failed surgeries. The last two left me in much more pain post-op than pre-op. I have needed opioids, along with several other medications, to have some measure of quality of life. I also do physical and occupational therapy, and use bio-feedback and hot or cold packs. I've tried acupuncture and have received counselling for almost 17 years.
Patients who live with severe chronic pain want to be able to enjoy life to the best of our ability, within our limits. We want to be able to enjoy our family, our friends and be a member of society. Is there something wrong with that?
In cases where a patient struggles constantly with pain to the point that it has ruined their life, it's only sensible -- and compassionate -- to relieve their pain by whatever means required, including high-dose opiates (though steps should also be taken to identify what's generating the pain and then correcting it).
We must acknowledge that pain can sometimes be so severe and unrelenting that some people take their own lives to end the suffering. Opiate prescriptions may offer the only reliable relief. Shame on us all if we do not attend to those in such desperate need.
We should not confuse incurable, life-long pain with acute pain, such as that caused by a tooth extraction or surgery. I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, non-length-dependent small-fibre sensory neuropathy and neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome -- all of which cause incurable and intractable pain. I have tried acupuncture, meditation, epidural injection, ketamine, physical and occupational therapy and so on.
There simply are no effective alternatives other than opioids for the millions of us who suffering from these diseases. We are never pain-free, but with opioids we are able to have a few hours of improved functioning a day. We have all attempted alternatives without success before making the decision -- with the guidance of our physicians -- to be treated with opioids. Please stop lecturing, stigmatizing and judging us.
We need to accept drug use as part of human culture. People who experience negative health effects from drug use need to be cared for in an open and loving environment -- not sent to prison. Punishing people for using drugs is cruel.
The experience of marijuana legalization leaves a bad taste. It has been a carnival for capitalists who do not care a whit about the users. I would support the establishment of "drug courts" and all of the social supports that go with them, as in Portugal. This can be started on a demonstration basis in a few places and allowed to grow naturally and earn acceptance from the public, as was the case with safe injection sites.
Serious, chronic pain is a life-altering problem for millions of people in Canada and the U.S. It was not the intent of this article to minimize the difficulties these patients face or suggest that they should not have access to medications that help them. Our aim was to raise important questions about how and why opioids are prescribed, the dose that’s prescribed and for how long.
For readers interested in finding out more about this important and complex issue, we recommend the 2017 Canadian Guideline for Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain.
This leaves the reader with the impression that “we stop when we are ready, when we’ve had enough, in our own way." Perhaps all of this is true of those who do stop. But many don’t stop -- not before destroying their own life and the lives of everyone they touch. I grew up surrounded by addicts who all died, but not until they left a legacy of destruction and trauma in their wake.
I am 60 years old and have been a pain management patient for 25 years. I've tried twice with psychologists to discontinue the use of opioid medication. Both attempts failed. When I was told that my medication was to be reduced at the start of 2017, I was worried. The methodone I have used for the last 20 years was reduced by 80 per cent over a period of eight weeks -- from 500 milligrams of morphine equivalent (MME) to 90 MME. I was told that I had all the time I needed to "adjust" to the lower dose. I tried to keep working, moving, exercising.
Based on my experience, I am not sure that the body can always manage pain on its own, even with the best help available. (Not everyone can afford a psychologist.) Now, after two years on a lower dose, I have applied for disability benefits, spent my life savings because my doctor visits are no longer covered by insurance, and I am still waiting to "adjust" to 90 MME.
The "experts" at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who wrote the 2016 guidelines for opioid prescribing cannot possibly have experienced intractable pain themselves or understand the insanely difficult challenge of "adjusting" to 90 MME. Patients who were prescribed pain medication decades ago for good reasons should not have to endure inhumane degrees of pain.
Alcohol has destroyed so many lives. It amazes me that we let greed prevent us from passing a law to eliminate the advertising our children watch during all their favourite sporting events. Let's pursue a society that's free of drug and alcohol advertising, and set an example for the rest of the world.
Thank you for this article. My experience of tapering opioids was the complete opposite: a slow, methodical reduction of 5 mg/month that created very few, hardly felt side effects. My daily dosage was similar to Dr. Fine's.
I think that what we are learning about opioids in this highly charged atmosphere is that each person will react differently to usage and tapering. Various licensing bodies wish a one-size-fits all approach because they are functionaries to their core. But it doesn't work that way.
If a person is managing their pain well and opioids are part of the plan, there is absolutely no reason to interfere.
Ontario does have a universal pharmacare plan. It is called the Trillium Drug Program. Every Ontarian with a health card is eligible. You cannot be refused but you must apply. It is a means-based program, with a quarterly deductible based on your household income (never exceeding four per cent) making it extremely fair to recipients and taxpayers alike. It has been around for 20 years. Most provinces and territories have a pharmacare plan. Health care is a provincial responsibility. A national pharmacare plan would ignore the rights of provinces and make the existing infrastructure redundant. Is this a good use of tax dollars?
Among the harms of alcohol, and often omitted from discussion, is the risk of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Dr. Nav Persaud responds:
It would be incorrect to say that Ontario has a "universal pharmacare plan." Most Ontarians are not enrolled in Trillium. Most would not benefit. Low-income people cannot afford the deductible and individuals must pay for their medicines until they pay the entire deductible. Other low-income individuals do not apply because they have not filed their taxes or for other reasons such as not being able to complete the forms. Most medium- and high-income Ontarians also would not benefit.
Trillium and similar programs in other provinces primarily benefit people with very high drug costs (e.g. someone earning $100,000 with drug costs of $25,000 a year). These catastrophic coverage plans are not universal pharmacare by any reasonable standard.
Millions of Canadians cannot afford medicines despite these programs. That would not be true if people just had to show their health card to get medicines (the same way they do for doctor visits, blood work, x-rays, surgery, ICU admissions).
Universal access to health-care services across Canada was implemented by the federal government via transfer funds to provinces. This is likely how universal pharmacare will be implemented across Canada.
Cassandra Chanen responds to @Kelly
When we first designed our kit last spring, nasal spray hadn't yet been approved for use in Canada. Our testing told us that the current syringes were too difficult for untrained people to use effectively in stressful situations. While auto-injectors are extremely expensive and preloading a needle can affect the sterility of the needle's contents, we offered up an auto-injector or preloaded needle as a suggestion, with the hope that the cost or lack of sterility could be addressed through future design.
As for the steps for CPR, these came directly from the original government-issued instructions. Traditional CPR involves both rescue breaths and chest compressions.
We recognize that, as second-year engineering students, we are not experts. We appreciate the feedback. The new intranasal spray kits are a great step forward, and we hope to see many more steps taken to address the usability of the kits -- and, ultimately, save lives.
@Erin Finlay
I am Rupert Schieder's niece. I would be very interested in hearing any stories your family have about my grandfather, Frank Schieder.
From Sarah Pollichieni, MEd 2017, Woodbridge, Ontario
Prof. Ron Buliung’s story about his daughter Asha resonated with me beyond words. Like Asha, I have spinal muscular atrophy type 2. The lack of accessibility in the city has been a huge and constant barrier in my life. I applaud Prof. Buliung for teaching his daughter from an early age the importance of advocating for herself and making her needs known to others. This is something I didn’t fully learn until a few years ago.
From Geoff Rytell, BEd 1975, Toronto
While I do not use a wheelchair, I have had a fair amount of experience pushing them and can attest that barriers, even small ones, must sometimes feel like mountains to people with disabilities. In addition to broken sidewalks, as Prof. Buliung notes, there are difficulties when curbs don’t smoothly connect to roads. Even a one-inch ridge can be a problem because of the small front wheels. So I have to turn the chair around and use the large back wheels to back up onto the sidewalk. Yet another foe is snow, especially the hard-packed icy variety. I remember being unable to negotiate an unplowed alley – even backwards, so I popped into a local fire hall to borrow a shovel. I don’t want to think about how hard it must be to deal with these things without an attendant’s help. Whenever I see a car carelessly blocking a sidewalk, I’ll knock on the nearest door and try to get it moved.
From Bob Stevenson, BA 1962 Victoria, Ottawa
Your article suggests the solution is to build more high rises, creating an ultra-dense city. What we need to do is address rampant speculation. Studies show that one-quarter of the price of a new home is caused by the flipping of land deeds that occurs before a house is even built. Actions at all levels of government should include: public land assembly, a 100 per cent capital gains tax on such profiteering and a total ban on such speculation by foreigners.
From Barry Mitchell, BA 1968 New, MA 1969, PhD 1978, Toronto
This article is very timely. As the October 2018 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change made clear, even those of us fortunate to live in Canada will face great difficulty dealing with this existential threat to human societies. Seventy per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions occur in cities, so they will be a key battleground for the remainder of this century and into the next.
From Kim Krenz, MSc 1942, Peterborough, Ontario
The new University of Toronto Magazine makes me proud to have been part of the university. The Autumn 2018 issue captures the urgency of Toronto’s immediate problems, and it encourages me to know that people at U of T are working to solve them. It bodes well for Toronto’s future.
From Name withheld by request, BSc UTM
Recently, I’ve been feeling like an imposter in almost all areas of my life – at work, with friends and with my family. I related especially to the comments about how imposter syndrome affects women. As a young woman working in the biotech industry, I feel almost constantly as if others are better or smarter than me. This is certainly maladaptive. While I am making an effort to change my thought patterns and believe in myself, it’s nice to know I am not alone.
From Aarne Kartna, BA 1971 Victoria, BEd 1973, Toronto
Football’s oldest trophy is the Mulock Cup, predating the Yates Cup by at least three years. The Mulock Cup has a rich history at U of T.
From Celia Harte, LLB 1997, Toronto
This is the first time I've ever been interested in reading the whole magazine. It was really interesting!
From Ravi Malhotra, SJD 1997 (Doctor of Juridical Science), Ottawa
I am a full professor now at the University of Ottawa and have been disabled since birth. As a law student at U of T in the 1990s, I found that the university has tremendous physical barriers, though I likely faced fewer than someone doing a BA, who would have had to travel across campus between classes. I remember having to lobby to get the university to change the rule stating that students could not return books at any library. I do hope that Prof. Buliung will encourage the hiring of disabled faculty. This is the single most effective thing he could do with his position.
From Wendy Hughes, BEd 1978 OISE, MEd 1997, Toronto
I receive alumni magazines from Guelph, Queen’s, York and U of T – a long story that has to do with my kids. I usually scan them for insights and as you say “a backstage pass to the university’s brightest minds.” But this issue of University of Toronto Magazine was something special. I was riveted by the feature stories. The magazine hadn’t just assembled some profiles and facts. The editors had invested time and energy, and presented a mini-course on urban planning full of ideas that matter. I searched out the editorial to learn whether there was a new editorial team. Great work reimagining!
From Mendelson Joe, Toronto
This article is inspirational. All children should learn self-defence from kindergarten on, up to the end of high school.
From John Truman, MD 1960, North Andover, Massachusetts
Congratulations on your new format! When I graduated from U of T in 1960 I went straight to Boston where Harvard Magazine awaited me. I hid my U of T Magazine from sight because of its chest-pounding provinciality. In 1988, I joined the Columbia faculty where Columbia Magazine had the same dominating effect. Now, at long last, University of Toronto Magazine has serious articles that cry out to be read amidst a minimum of in-house bumpf. I display it with pride to my Ivy League colleagues to prove that the University of Toronto is truly in the fast lane.
From Burt Rairamo, BA 2005 Woodsworth, Toronto
I want to congratulate you on the autumn issue of University of Toronto Magazine. I read almost the entire magazine for the first time in years. Great work.
From Susan Bindernagel, BA 1988 UC, Toronto
I moved recently from Toronto to Kitchener, Ontario. In Toronto, I could walk to the grocery store and the bank, and the kids could walk to school. Now in Kitchener, in a 20-year-old subdivision, I must drive 20 minutes to get to everything. My daughter’s school has eight school buses and only about 10 per cent of the student population walk to school. The Kitchener neighbourhood has lovely nature trails for walking but now walking is an event, and not part of the daily routine. So I cause more pollution and get less exercise. Cities should not be rings of houses forcing everyone to drive to a corporate cores. Office and retail should be sprinkled among the living areas, so people can live where they work.
From Lorne Green, BA 1978, Ajax, Ontario
Congratulations on a redesigned magazine that’s better organized and a better read.
However, your cities issue completely ignored the elephant in the room: Toronto has not been adequately served by transportation infrastructure in more than 40 years! The increase in residential density in this city is not sustainable. Where is the corresponding increase in infrastructure – not just transit? Toronto planners, with the full direction and blessing of city council, continue to ignore the need for better roads.
Amazon took a pass on Toronto because there is no effective way to move goods within a metropolitan market that’s underserved by transportation. Your city-themed articles were “enlightened” and “academic” but they failed to address the most pressing issue.
Are the results of the survey made available to the public, or at least to U of T undergraduate students? If so, where can they be found? (The article was really interesting. Keep up the good work.)
Yes, you can find a lot more information about the 10,000 PhDs project here. Thanks for mentioning it. We've added the link into the story, too.
"Not many people use cocaine, heroin or meth." *Citation needed*
@Tristan
There is a citation in a footnote in the story: Cocaine use among Canadians aged 15 and older fell to 1.2 per cent in 2015, from 1.6 per cent in 2008, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. This chart, from the Canadian government, shows lifetime use among Canadians of various drugs in 2017: one in nine Canadians had used cocaine in their lifetime; fewer than one in 25 had used speed/meth and fewer than one in 100 had used heroin.
I was fortunate to have taught at an alternative school in Scarborough, Ontario, called ASE1, from 1989 to 2002. This article reminds me of why I loved it so much.
The stereotypically gay ways of speaking are socially acquired in order to be accepted by other gay men who speak the same way, in my opinion. They are a marker of group identity.
There is more than one type of gay speech.
If I were these researchers, I would be interested in identifying the origins of the gay manner of speaking. I would also identify the different modes of gay speech and determine what other factors, e.g., socioeconomic status, region, age, etc. are associated with the different forms of gay speech.
Finally, I would try to establish why some gay men do not acquire the gay way of speaking.
I just came across Carole Drumm's summary of the conference: The South African TRC and the Canadian TRC: A Workshop Woodland Cultural Centre, Six Nations Territory October 20-21 2016.
https://www.humanities.utoronto.ca/TRC_workshop_report_2016
I would love to read the collection of papers that were presented. I am particularly interested in those summarized under the subtitle, "The 'antics' of reconciliation."
I found a link that looked promising but it only had one document: https://www.humanities.utoronto.ca/resources_TRC
Please, can you tell me if there is any way to get a hold of the reports from this conference? Was another North-South dialogue ever hosted?
From Sharyn Devine, BSc 1964 St. Michael’s, MEd 1982, Toronto
Thank you for this article. People with disabilities have been invisible too long. There is no law in Ontario requiring that any housing be fully accessible. The much-vaunted AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) applies only to large places of business, and does not mention housing. The Ontario Building Code requires that only 15 per cent of new apartments and condos be “visitable” – not accessible enough to live there – and even this law is not enforced. Yet the cost of building fully accessible housing is less than one per cent more than conventional construction, when incorporated from the planning stage and, for example, including wider doorways and wheelchair-accessible washrooms.
A Toronto non-profit organization, Unitarian Commons, aims to build a condo designed to be fully accessible so that anyone of any age or ability can live in any of the units. Designed as co-housing, it will encourage community among the residents, who will share some meals and activities in the common space, while also enjoying the privacy of their own units. People of all backgrounds, all ages and all abilities are welcome.
Prof. Neil ten Kortenaar responds:
The TRC workshop involving academics from the University of the Western Cape and the University of Toronto that took place at Six Nations territory in November 2016 is part of an ongoing Mellon-funded collaboration between the two universities -- more specifically between the Jackman Humanities Institute at Toronto and the Centre for Humanities Research at UWC.
The TRC sector of the collaboration had a subsequent workshop in South Africa on the Missing Subjects and the Subject of Missingness in February 2017. Another is planned on Futures in April 2019, in Toronto.
Some papers from the November 2016 workshop will be published in the forthcoming issue of the Canadian Journal of Comparative Literature.
Our family discusses this a lot. While we are all cautiously science advocates, the one issue that keeps arising is around the statement, 'the universe is expanding.' I find this statement highly problematic. Any time we put a finite line on something, one can always ask what is on the other side of this line. If the universe is defined as only that which we know, we might be able to say that the masses we know are moving apart. However, if we define the universe to be all that there is, then it must be infinite.
Thank you, Rebecca. We should all feel the discomfort and shame of not confronting the reality of what happens before our eyes.
What a wonderful article. We need to remember "never again." I pray for peace.
I'd like to know:
- What will provide the propulsion to a pod?
- How will the guidance and suspension of the pod work at sonic speeds?
- What is the role of the compressor at the tip of pod in the vacuum tube?
In the Netherlands, a policy of permitting recreational use of soft drugs has resulted in fewer drug overdoses and drug-related deaths, it's made drug trafficking less appealing and it's reduced the number of people incarcerated for minor drug offences.
Drug users will continue to exist because drugs are part of the human social environment. Incarceration will not halt people from using.
Wonderful article, Laura!
Thanks for your questions.
Ryan Janzen answers:
1. Propulsion is from linear induction motors on the TransPod vehicle, similar to those used on some special trains.
2. At extremely high speeds, the TransPod vehicle has non-contact optical sensors and computer control to stabilize it for a smooth ride, since the speed is faster than any human driver could react.
3. Even though the tube is at a very low pressure, there's still a small density of air, so the compressor helps clear that air that would otherwise build up in front of the vehicle at high speed.
Thank you for the courage it takes to write and publish from the heart. This piece has touched me deeply after my own sleepless night. If it has connected with one human being, it has certainly connected with others, and I am grateful for sharing in your personal journey toward healing and grace by being on the receiving end and given this opportunity to leave a reply. Thank you for sharing your moments of grace.
I can’t help but to think of the plight of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Many generations of Canadians have turned a blind eye to our government’s devastating policies and disparaging relationship with First Nations.
Thanks, Laura. I’ve been fortunate to have received thank you notes and I’ve saved all of them. From time to time I reread them as they speak to me about my authentic self. They boost my spirit.
I also send thank you notes to anyone who has been helpful to me or to someone I know. It’s amazing how much they are appreciated.
My body is covered in shivers as I read this article. I was born in 1943 and arrived in Canada in 1952. I remember bombed-out buildings in Germany and discrimination in Canada.
Confronting the past is important. I couldn't agree more. How we confront the past is also very important. Thank you for your article, Rebecca.
A beautiful article that not only reminds us that our mental well-being is so important but that the little things, such as the simple act of intentional gratitude, go a long way. Thank you! I will be passing this article on to family and friends.
Thank you, Rebecca. This is a very well written article with a unique perspective. Looking at past atrocities through your father’s lens is critical to avoid the ‘slippery slope’ that you spoke of so clearly. It is my wish that Canadians make intelligent decisions when it comes to our struggles regarding immigration policies.
Laura, I deeply appreciate your article. In my practice as a psychologist, and as a friend to people experiencing depression, I know that a gratitude practice is healing. Always, I struggle to describe an exercise that won’t feet artificial or insincere. Your guidelines are so helpful. Thank you!
I, too, share my home with younger people. My older friends, especially, have slowed down. Some have passed and others are taking care of grandchildren. This makes interacting with others difficult and can lead to loneliness. Having one or two young people in my home does wonders for mind and body. Currently, I'm living with two engineers. They're busy, but we make time for each other. We have a lot of discussions! And, as they will admit, I spoil them. However, the joy is priceless.
Being the child of parents who lived in Germany during the Second World War -- their war, not my war -- I'm disturbed by your statement that confronting the past "must continue."
You need to visualize what it was like to live in Germany during the war. If you refused to be conscripted into the army, guess where you went. The secret police had informers everywhere. Speak out and you got visitors in leather coats. My dad saw Polish workers who dated German women hung on lamp posts. Who dared protest?
Nicely written. Gratitude remains a spiritual exercise and a lovely personal habit. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent article. But what are we in Ontario going to do about Doug Ford? He appears to be bent on hollowing out the education system and has no understanding of what is needed to prepare the youth of Ontario for a knowledge-based economy.
He seems to forget that while he got a majority of the seats in the legislature in the last election, he received only 40 per cent of the popular vote. If he continues on his present path, he could well lose the next election, but that is three years away and the damage he could do in the meantime will take an age to correct.
Now I finally understand the meaning of the song “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music. For years that song has puzzled me. Thank you for sharing your journey and excellent advice.
I disagree with Rebecca Wittmann's statement that today’s Germans are not as remorseful as the German government. I was born in 1939 and came to Canada in 1961. Since then, I have been going back to Germany almost yearly. I am always pleasantly surprised by how today’s Germans are still ashamed and remorseful. They are definitely not forgetting the horrors of their war and are acutely aware of possible future danger. The reason that the right-wing party is growing is because of the inequalities in the Western world. We all have to guard against populism regardless of where you live. Look at the U.S.
What a wonderful article! It's easy to forget how students from great distances can struggle with loneliness. Thanks for the reminder.
St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Catholic priest who hid and saved 2,000 Jewish people during the Second World War, was captured and eventually sent to Auschwitz. As the group of men, which included this Franciscan priest, were ordered to be starved and dehydrated, St. Maximilian Kolbe calmly led them in prayers. After two weeks, the soldiers gave him a lethal injection of carbolic acid. He once said: “the most deadly poison of our time is indifference.”
The question really becomes: How can we as a society not speak up against abortion (the killing of an innocent life) and euthanasia (lethal injections given to the weak and vulnerable, or the deliberate withholding of fluids and nutrition)?
We must all speak for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
Trump is not anti-immigration. He is against illegal immigration, which is overwhelming the social, legal, educational, medical and resettlement infrastructures. He is advocating a Canadian-style immigration model based on merit. Trump is not anti-free trade. He is for fair trade with reciprocal tariffs. China has a more than $600-billion trade advantage over the U.S. yet uses high tariffs to restrict American imports. It also forces companies to share intellectual property as a condition of doing business in China.
I can only think that you didn't experience sadness or anxiety in any way that I can understand. In my many years as a person and as a psychologist, I have never known those feelings to be so sweetly and inspirationally vanquished. Good for you, but millions of people are not able to follow your example.
I am a Canadian citizen living in the U.S. and, while I am not a big fan of President Trump and his style of communication, I can state that he is not a protectionist, anti-immigrant nationalist, as he is characterized here. Rather, he is for fair trade and against illegal immigrants.
Thank you for sharing your story. I completely understand the scenario when your rational mind tells you one thing but your emotional mind doesn't listen. I've felt those dark moments and my rational mind knows they will pass, but my emotional mind struggles and I cry a lot. Your story of the scarf made me think of Marie Kondo and her book about tidying up. She advises that when deciding whether to keep things or not, hold it and decide whether it brings you joy -- like your scarf, which I love! I'm going to try the mala beads and share this with my teenage daughters, too. I think it could help us all.
Implicit in this article is the failure of most European and some Asian countries to acknowledge and atone for centuries of colonial meddling, exploitation and genocide.
Nationalism and aggressive colonial adventurism, leading to wholesale "warfare" against subjugated Indigenous populations and to two "world wars," are glorified by many historians as discovery, exploration, trade expansion and accumulation of wealth.
No philosophy, religion, ethics or moral system can guard against the human will to survive even if it means destroying others. We can never make ourselves "great again" until we acknowledge how evil and "ungreat" our past has been.
I think the way the author's father treated his mother was overly harsh. Causing her depression decades after the end of the war will not change history or the future. If she did not want to talk about the war, he should have respected her wishes.
Thank you for sharing your specific experience. Writing is such a wonderful outlet, especially when it's just for the sheer pleasure of writing and helping others in their journey.
What a splendid example of discovering creative ways to find happiness for oneself and for others -- by conveying genuine messages of thanks. It takes only a second to say thank you.
I lived with a senior on and off while I paid off my student loans. She taught me how to knit when she was 100. I loved being with her and adapted my schedule to hers. She went to bed at 9 p.m., so I'd go to bed early too. My only complaint was she turned up the TV too loud. After my dad died in my final year of university, she took me in. I was so lucky to have her as a friend.
I am stunned with the comments in this article about the political situation in Brazil. As a Brazilian-Canadian citizen, I have observed that many Canadians are poorly informed on the situation in Brazil. Most Canadians are not aware that Jair Bolsonaro was assaulted and almost killed when he was campaigning on the street last year. It seems that most people just trust what they watch and read in certain media.
Mr. Bolsonaro was democratically and legitimately elected by the Brazilian people against the corruption, injustice, and social and economic ruin brought by the Workers' Party and its allies for 16 years. Mr. Bolsonaro’s campaign was mainly against ongoing corruption and the communist political agenda. He was supported by millions of Brazilians. In fact, tens of millions of people took to the streets in several peaceful protests against the political “status quo” that was destroying the Brazilian people, economy and democracy.
Mr. Bolsonaro’s comments on women and the LGBTQ community were taken completely out of context by the Brazilian media and most of the international media.
It's an over-simplification to see the situation in Brazil as a win for the “far-right” over leftists. The Brazilian people decided on a solution after the corruption and criminal activities by the leftists were unveiled. If one defines nationalism as a popular movement of the vast majority of people in favour of democracy and social justice, then one can say Brazilian nationalists elected Mr. Bolsonaro.
I was working in the Karlsruhe area of Germany in the summer of 1972 when I received tickets to attend the Munich Olympics.
It was a festive occasion. West Germany wanted to put the Berlin ("Hitler") Olympics of 1936 behind it, and show that it was part of the new democratic world. But two days after my visit to Munich, the terrorist incident involving Israeli athletes occurred. What I remember most about that was how my German colleagues (who were born during the Second World War or shortly after) were concerned about the incident reviving memories of the war and about being blamed for its atrocities.
On a trip to Germany, in 2014, I did notice much greater recognition and awareness of the war and its atrocities.
Such a hopeful piece! Grateful to have read it tonight. Grateful that I can feel grateful again. Thank you for sharing and in such beautifully touching way, too.
Yes. We must emphasize inclusivity.
Germany and Germans should feel remorseful for the evil of the Holocaust. It’s admirable that they have taken steps to remember and to make financial restitution. It's good for those who have hurt others to ask for forgiveness; it's also good for those who have been wronged to forgive. Let’s also remember that it’s easy to apologize for others’ sins and much harder to recognize that each of us is capable of being selfish and apathetic in the face of evil. It’s difficult to recognize evil in our own lives.
Instead of judging and condemning others, we might be better served making sure we are not silent about anti-Semitism today. Also, it’s easy to talk about the Nazis’ so-called “master race” and ignore the fact that some parents choose to abort fetuses with Down Syndrome or other conditions. Rather than feeling superior to Americans and Germans who want to accept refugees only after careful vetting, and who want to accept fewer economic migrants, perhaps we should remember that Canadians are being spared these decisions by the three oceans on our shores. More personal soul-searching and less virtue signalling would be helpful.
Since Donald Trump has been in office, the U.S. economy has taken off. Job creation is a record levels, wages are increasing and the employment of people of all ethnicities is at record highs. This is a more equitable and sustainable solution than universal basic income programs -- another way of saying higher welfare payments.
A well-managed immigration system is what the Trump administration is working to put in place. After years of neglect by both Democrat and Republican politicians, President Trump is addressing the problem.
President Trump's fair- and free-trade policies are aimed at reducing trade barriers so that American companies and workers can compete on a more level playing field. A strong economy needs both an information and a manufacturing base to offer meaningful employment to a diverse pool of workers.
President Trump doesn't just appeal to "less-educated workers." A detailed analysis of which segments of the population voted for Trump and the reasons they did can be found in the book The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics, by Selena Zico and Brad Todd.
The author suggests that governments regulate Twitter and Facebook. If he were the regulator, would he have censored candidate Trump's tweets and by doing so stifled the democratic process in the United States?
As a Canadian living in the United States, I find it interesting how various groups react to the current administration's policies and results.
Thanks for the article. It's helped me decide to build up to an Ironman.
I love this program! My house has become too big and to expensive for me only, but leaving it is a painful prospect. How can I register to become a host/landlord?
This article is outstanding. I love the reminder that state apologies (such as Canada's apology about the residential schools) do not excuse or replace individual responsibility. Canada has apologized but we continue to seize children for foster care rather than support families; we underfund indigenous schools; we fail to provide clean drinking water; we poison lakes and rivers; we fail to provide adequate health care. Complicity and silence are deadly and pervasive.
Beautiful article, Laura. It reminds me of the Indigenous practice of expressing gratitude in the morning, evening and before each gathering. I was amazed several years ago when a family began a press conference by thanking the police, doctors, media and attendees for their support after their daughter had been brutally attacked and left for dead. Imagine rising above your own grief and anger in such a situation to express gratitude!
This is absolute nonsense. The globalists and open borders advocates are allied with Islam to destroy western civilization. To encourage migration from countries with entirely different world views is not only suicidal for the host country but further destroys the countries these economic migrants are supposedly running away from. This insane policy will only bankrupt the host country paying to care for all these migrants with taxpayers' money but disenfranchise the citizens by imposing the supposed "rights" of the migrants. Wake up.
Laura, thank you. Thanks for sharing with us.
No, social media should not be regulated.
What we should do is go after those people who issue threats against others, the sort of backlash that women often get online. We can't go after them all but if we prosecuted some of them, the others would be more careful.
What do you suppose would have happened to anyone who publicly objected to the Nazi government's policies? Nothing good, I would think. Those who did were exceptionally brave people but I wouldn't have been able to do it.
@Caroline: People stop eating and drinking as part of the natural process of dying. It is one way that we know that the end of a life is approaching.
As a society, if we want to say that we should not abort those fetuses that are less than perfect, then we should be prepared to assist the parents in caring for them once they are born. And that means paying more in tax.
Excellent soul-searching article. The big question for me is what proportion of the German population enthusiastically supported the actions taken against the Jews and other so-called “enemies” of the people. These Germans (and Austrians) may not necessarily all have supported outright murder and extermination but the confiscation and plunder of Jewish assets, removal from official positions, institutions and professions and ghettoisation and deportation were certainly welcomed. In my opinion, 99 per cent of Germans from that time are complicit, whether or not they actually pulled a trigger to kill a civilian or released Zyklon B pellets into a gas chamber.
Loved your article, Laura. I am happy that you found a trick that helped you get back on track. We are overconsumed with tasks, papers, thoughts. Consciously thinking about specific things that we are grateful about can help us shut the mind monkey, relax and focus on happy thoughts! I am buying my own mala today :)
Hi Laura, thank you for this article and shining a guiding light to finding fulfilment. It is easy to let the clouds darken our thoughts, much harder to appreciate the little things.
What a beautiful article. Thank you, Laura, for your vulnerability and sharing what you've learned. Profound.
I've been listening a lot to the American Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron, and your words make me think of some of the things she says that have really resonated with me...on the path to becoming more and more open-minded and open-hearted beings in the world. Thank you for how you are journeying in this way - clearly a great blessing to the world, your own family and community, and your own being.
Excellent article! Thank you.
Like Nazima, I crossed U of T's Convocation Hall stage when I was 34 weeks pregnant with my twin boys. All I wanted to do was make it there and back to my Calgary home to deliver them safely, which happened thanks to a couple of helping hands getting me on and off the stage.
It's been a gift to read this article and identify with another mom who earned her master's degree (mine is from OISE). I also appreciate the cultural importance of raising your family on tradition and food in a healthy way.
Thank you for sharing this story.
It would be interesting to see more hard financial figures to support the claims of this article. Real wages have stagnated across the middle class, while the entrenched government elite, supported by and underwritten by loans from global banking conglomerates, always seem to get salary increases.
What about the national debt? Who is going to pay for that? Are we, like the government, just supposed to ignore that?
See: http://www.debtclock.ca/
This compounding debt is not going to be paid, or simply disappear, anytime soon. Meanwhile, we, and realistically, the next two generations at minimum, are beholden to the escalating interest.
Great story - thanks, Megan and good for you, U of T!
Thank you so much, Laura Alary, for the simple and profound message about working through the "miasma" (Laura's wonderful word) of depression. We all need the reminder to be specifically grateful.
I especially like the proposed solution:
"We need to encourage participation from ALL parts of society in political debate and decision-making processes. In this way, we will temper more extreme views and build trust for the system and its members."
Let's begin with U of T, Canada's largest university, and the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star. To what extent have they nurtured and reflected the views and voices of diverse Canadian communities? How many of the writers at the Globe and the Star and the hundreds of faculty teaching the social sciences and humanities at U of T are non-white or of non-European origin? I suspect the percentage is low -- too low for a country as multicultural as Canada. Is this intended to pre-empt the development and emergence of new voices who may reimagine Canada? Why are all the commentators and columnists in the academic papers noted above white?
Given that Canada's century-long Indian Residential School System was officially abolished in 1996, Canada has a unique opportunity to be a bridge-builder among peoples and countries. The Greater Toronto Area today is one of the world's most diverse jurisdictions, with over half of the population belonging to a visible minority.
Shouldn't this be reflected better in our public sphere?
I am Brazilian. I can say that this article is extremely biased. It also ignores important information, such as the attempted assassination of President Bolsonaro by a militant member of the extreme left.
In addition to receiving popular support from all strata of society, including black and LGBT people, Bolsonaro ran the cheapest presidential campaign in the country's history. The left destroyed Brazil ethically and financially.
Without immigration, Canada's economy—and tax base, and population—would enter free-fall. But of course there are those who would welcome that -- the conservative elites and those they have hoodwinked, who would bear the brunt.
Those who look to the Doug Fords and Donald Trumps of this world to improve life for their citizens should look back on all the previous ultranationalisms and see what devastation they caused. Then they should look at South Korea's economic and educational policies since the Second World War to see one example how it can be done right. All that politicians such as Ford and Trump care about are power and wealth for themselves and their friends, and obedient acquiescence from everyone else. All their rhetoric and policies serve this end.
It is the neo-liberal policies of the past 30 years that have brought the world to its present desperate impasse. Many, if not most, governments have surrendered much of their power to transnational corporations. The real buying power of much of the population has been declining for about that length of time. Those who have benefitted don't care about the rest.
What John Kenneth Galbraith observed two generations ago is as true now as it was then: "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."
I find it telling that Ronald Barrett's comments about "globalists" and "Islam" are exactly the sentiments that, in previous generations, many Canadians (and Americans) believed and publicly stated about Indigenous peoples, about Jews, about Irish, and about Poles—just to name a few. Don't forget that the pioneering industrialist, Henry Ford, distributed, at his own expense, hundreds of thousands of copies of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," that classic antisemitic fantasy, cooked up by the Czarist predecessor to the KGB, and cherished by the Nazis. Scapegoating, the true opium of the people, is a primitive, ignorant ritual no more effective now than it was in archaic Greece.
According to the International Organization for Migration, Yemen has received more African immigrants than Europe. Tell that to these new nationalists.
@Frances:
https://www.ewtn.com/morals/end-of-life.htm
Trump is not a problem. He is a symptom of the deep crisis of western liberalism, which is mistakenly seen by its beneficiaries as the final stage of societal evolution (or at least the elites, including university professors, want you to believe this). Liberalism and its global economic system of oppression is not the end of history. It's replaceable, and what comes next is unavoidable. Read Marx.
Shehna Javeed (MEd 2007) writes:
Thank you for featuring Ms. Qureshi and her reflections on her authentic life and career. I focus on healthy eating myself in the 30 days of Ramadan -- more than I do at other times of year. I appreciate the cover photo as well showing Ms. Qureshi. Some might say, “What does it matter”? But I can tell you that representation does matter.
I talked about my settlement experiences, as well as those of the students I advise, and intersectionality in a TEDx talk at UTSC last Saturday, so it was apt timing to see this article in the magazine.
@Frances
Thank you for your comment. The best person to ask about signing up for the HomeShare program is Raza Mirza. His email address is raza [dot] mirza [at] gmail [dot] com
Regarding the recently elected Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, the author of this article does not cite any sources. He claims that Bolsonaro targeted "minorities, women and the LGBTQ community" but this is not shown in Bolsonaro's social media channels, his official campaign website or his full government program, which was made publicly available at the beginning of the campaign at Brazil's electoral justice website.
Opinion without facts is biased commentary.
I have a suggestion that would help undercut the move toward nationalism. We should implement Universalist Service. Every young person (including citizens, immigrants and refugees) would be drafted at age 18 to serve for two years in environmental, social or military service. Preparation for service would include physical training and literacy and civics lessons in diverse groups that reflect Canada's multicultural makeup. Subsequently, government would cover three years of education and basic expenses for college, university or apprenticeship. It is clear we cannot compete with labour costs in developing countries. Building a highly trained and flexible workforce of engaged citizens is the way forward.
Thank you for what you shared, Laura, and I love your quote from Douglas Wood! The spiritual discipline of thankfulness has a profound effect on us.
I find great value in the sharp distinction between being thankful “in” everything and being thankful “for” everything. No sane person is going to be thankful for disaster. We do not welcome grief. At the same time, in our deep sadness, there are those who care for us, and there are “goodnesses” or blessings we still have.
Giving thanks for each specific provision does help us through the darkness of sad times. So, as St. Paul tells us in his first letter to the Thessalonian church (the fifth chapter, eighteenth verse), we are to give thanks in all circumstances, not for what has gone wrong, but for the grace we find even in our most difficult situations. It is good to give thanks!
This was a really neat idea to share these stories. Good job!
From "Donald Trump Jr.'s 'loser teachers' comment was a 'chilling moment' for educators around the world," Valerie Strauss, Washington Post, 2/16/19: "Jair Bolsonaro’s first education policy in Brazil is to go after the “Marxist” curricula, which bars teachers from talking about feminism and LBGTQ issues."
Our policy-makers are ignorant of history, trying again and again to enact remedies that have already resoundingly failed in the past.
Thank you, Laura, for your shared wisdom.
You nailed it. In my professional life teaching, I always felt like everyone else had it together better than I did. I was constantly measuring myself against them. I didn't really celebrate my successes, but rather focused on the areas that needed improvement. I always felt like a failure, which was confirmed for me when I had to leave the profession. Reading this reiterates what I have been researching over the last few years: that our success lies in our ability to communicate and the ability to assert an argument. Women in particular need to learn to stand up for ourselves, and to support our thinking in a "man's" world.
Switzerland is not an inclusive society. Its laws, languages and attitudes are engrained in rich history of isolationism. While it is convenient to say that Canada and Switzerland "have so much in common", they do not. What they have in common is that they also drive with daylight-running lights like we do - and that's about it. Canadian society and social values are light-years ahead of those in Switzerland.
Thanks for sharing. In the Islamic tradition, believers are "grounded" and anchored in meditational peace through the five daily liturgical prayers. In each "cycle" or "circuit" of each one of these five prayers, one begins with the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah, the Opening Chapter of the Holy Qur'an. The very first words of this prayer are: "All thanks/praise/gratitude is due to Allah (God), the Lord and Sustainer of the Worlds." There is no doubt that people who are grateful are happier people. The quote from Douglas Wood is correct: "We don't give thanks because we are happy. We are happy because we give thanks."
The policies Prof. Scherzer espouses have pushed Western countries beyond where we can sustainably pursue social goals. The drive for ever-larger government is weighing on Western economies, while ill-conceived immigration policies drain government resources.
The best remedy for Canada's 21st century challenges is a vibrant economy and a return to thoughtful immigration and refugee policies. Canada is better than any other country at integrating new citizens, but the backlash has begun and will only accelerate if we remain on the present course. Canadian government spending and debt relative to GDP are approaching the crisis levels of the 1990s. Governments must reduce their share of the economy from the present 45 per cent to well below 40 per cent.
As for anti-democratic policies, we should focus our attention at home. The Liberal government's $600-million, old-media bribe will only serve to promote more and bigger government. The Pravda-ization of Canadian media is a bigger threat to our democracy than "fake news" tweets are to America's. Social media controls and legislation such as Bill C-16 will strangle free speech and Western liberal values.
Good article. What do you think museums can do to help?
Great read. Thank you for the article!
Being specific and thankful for small things works. Thank you, Laura.
Beautiful story. I love it!
Sounds like a win win. This should be rolled out to other universities as soon as possible.
How special and wonderful for these young people from far away places to newly find themselves in welcoming Toronto. I wish them fond memories of their passage through U of T. As an engineering grad of 5T3 I still recall the novelty of entering U of T straight out of Toronto's Parkdale Collegiate in 1949. This was just seven years after being welcomed to Canada in 1942 from the ongoing war in Europe and my Nazi devastated home in Warsaw, Poland.
At the G7 summit in 2018, Trump and agreed to work with the European Union towards ZERO tariffs; do not confuse protectionism with trade negotiation.
A recent two-year Finnish study showed universal basic income (UBI) recipients did NOT have more work days or higher incomes than those in the control group -- despite the UBI recipients now having the better incentive to work.
Votes can also be for a change, a party or repudiation of a candidate (Clinton). On a percentage basis, Trump had fewer white votes than Mitt Romney in 2012 and more Black, Latino and Asian votes than Romney. The decisive factor was urban/rural, not race.
Levels of permanent residencies or citizenship are no different under Trump than for the past 18 years.
Individual publishers should be responsible for content, not platforms. Neither platforms nor government should regulate content short of criminality or defamation.
This is amazing. How do I find out if I can be a part of this program?
@Annette
To sign up for the HomeShare program, please contact Raza Mirza. His email address is raza [dot] mirza [at] gmail [dot] com
From the University of Oxford's Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Planetary Physics department study published February 2019:
Researchers examined available data on the emissions associated with three current cattle farming methods and four possible meat culture methods.
Per tonne emitted, methane has a much larger warming impact than carbon dioxide. However, methane [from cattle] only remains in the atmosphere for a dozen years, whereas carbon dioxide [from the production of cultured meat] can persist and accumulate for millennia.
The scientists' climate model found that over the very long term, depending on production methods, the manufacture of lab meat can result in more global warming than the cattle farming. Cattle production required for very high levels of beef consumption does result in global warming, but it is not necessarily the case that cultured meat production would provide a more climatically sustainable alternative.
What a lovely story! As an expat, I truly relate to this. Congrats and good luck to all of you!
Thank you for this much-needed insight on education. I am from Singapore where the arbitrary divide between the arts and the sciences is enforced strongly in pre-university education through standardized testing.
Such an informative and inspiring story! Nazima has gained another follower on her social media accounts.
From the perspective of someone who comes from a country where speech is regulated, I find the idea that a Canadian is calling for the government to regulate social media too scary to contemplate. I thought the West was a safe haven for intellectual freedom. I never thought we would ever have to watch our tongues so closely to avoid getting into trouble.
Born in Nicaragua, I am now a Canadian living in the U.S. I got my engineering degree at U of T and now own a thriving business here. My business has grown exponentially since Trump has been in power due to his sensible pro-business and inclusive policies.
Every country's first obligation is to its citizens. Immigration needs to be legal, and it should be based on merits to ensure the country benefits. I’m extremely glad leaders such as Bolsonaro and Trump are standing for the rights of the people who elected them.
Interesting topic. A healthy society doesn't mean eliminating cultural cuisines out of our diet but replacing them with healthy alternatives.
Self-flaggelation for crimes committed by previous generations is not healthy for any nation. While it is noble to accept refugees, every social system has a limit. To compromise future generations is a bad course of action.
"We don’t just eat for calories and nutrients; there are social and cultural notions to food." I strongly believe in this. Making traditional foods healthier is the best way to develop sustainable eating habits.
As a Brazilian citizen, I can tell you that Bolsonaro was elected by fake news. It was a campaign without ideas or plans -- just hate, personal attacks and lies.
Bolsonaro's agenda is basically to make Brazilian labour cheap, sell our oil reserves for pennies, and eliminate the rights that were gained over the past 16 years.
A lot of things are wrong here. These are shady times for us.
As a U of T graduate who spent a year abroad, I loved this article. It reminded me of how important it was to keep connected with home while, at the same time, enjoying new friendships and surroundings.
I disagree with this article. Liberal and globalist politics are the sole reason people like President Trump and other nationalist leaders around the world were elected. People who saw their hopes and dreams wash down the drain after the last recession now have to upgrade their skills to compete in a tough job market. This means going back to school and racking up more debt.
I would like to share an example of the sorts of research and publications that need to be encouraged at the School of Cities.
The charter for King's College, the university's predecessor, was issued in 1827. But the University of Toronto was actually founded by a Provincial Act in 1850. While I think it's fair to say that U of T has its roots in King's College, it really isn't true to say that U of T is 192 years old.
Happy 192nd Birthday, U of T! Sadly and apparently, I need to brush up on my knowledge of U of T.
Name the U of T PhD candidate who discovered the drug Premarin, which now has revenues of about $1 billion a year.
Good fun! And I learned a lot too.
@Justin
Nice way to turn the tables! Our answer: J.B. Collip, in 1930.
Great questions and excellent brain teaser!
Happy Birthday U of T!
Will do better, next time.
Miigwech
Happy 192nd birthday, University of Toronto!
It was great to learn U of T history.
To people who have commented that Trump is against only illegal immigrants, I ask: have you heard his actual words? He has stated many times that he believes immigrants from developing countries are hurting the economy. The fact is that there is no correlation between immigration levels and the economy -- or crime for that matter.
On immigration, Trump's purpose is to distract people from other issues, such as the fact that he has lowered taxes for the rich.
For the world to work well, it is necessary to listen to opinions of all beliefs, policies, faiths, groups and classes. But I disagree that the current president of Brazil is ultra-right-wing. What is happening here is that the population was deceived by the left for almost 16 years. Therefore, anyone who speaks the truth seems ultra-rightist.
This article was a very true depiction of the experience I had at Cool School. I was in "D.A.'s" (Dr. Anderson's) class at Cool School in the early 1980s and it changed my view of myself and the world forever. Dr. Anderson was a great man and I thank God I met him.
I smiled throughout this story. You captured the reciprocity of this idea, its financial practicalities, and how it builds our communities. I wonder if U of T and its Faculty of Social Work can connect with other universities and colleges across the country and their faculties of social to make a national impact. I think this idea has great possibilities for positive systemic and cultural changes in Canada!
LOVED this. I don't have a mala but I developed a "blessings journal" seven years ago (to add to my daily journaling practice). Like the author, I try to include the simplest of things as well as those that come to mind more easily. I think it has made me take greater notice of these things and, through the memory of them, the joy that has been a part of each day. It grounds me in the present and give me hope for the future. Thanks for sharing this gift of grace.
The widespread corruption in Brazil might have necessitated the rise of a right-wing government to tidy up the mess and restore law and order. However, an autocratic far-right government in the long term without any policy of inclusiveness might become a breeding ground for bigotry (such as gender bias) and extremism.
The idea of universal basic income has already met with strong opposition from the right. If that scheme is abandoned, the government should at least provide funding for the retraining of workers who have been knocked out of the labour market by advances in technology. This could help maintain the massive base for leftism in politics, which is necessary to counterbalance the power of right-wing politics. The argument against the universal basic income because of budget deficits is a pessimistic view that will steer our society towards stagnation and even regression.
I am going to search out her books. I have many things in common with Edna, and I wish I had known about her earlier. It might have been comforting when I was at my lowest. Thank you for writing this article. It was very interesting.
Excellent article.
I love the revamp. Hearing what experts have to say on a hot topic of the day, is both interesting and useful.
I am interested in continuing my studies in Canada and really like the idea of this program. With their years of good and bad experiences, the elderly can offer useful advice to young people.
I was often a guest host on "Caffeine Free," a morning news and political analysis show that aired on CIUT in the mid-90s. My friend Andrew van Velzen was its driving force. The program was hosted by different people on different days and thus developed its own unique character.
I was disappointed to read that the station toned down its commentary. In his tenure at the station, Andrew drew in political and social analysis through interviews (often live) with university academics and experts, as well as eminent voices from beyond the university community, such as Noam Chomsky, Gabriel Kolko, Edward Said. This should not be forgotten.
So heartwarming! ❤️
Where is the technology in 2019 with the solar ship? Has it been built?
@Michael
The company does seem to have a number of products. You can find more information about Solar Ship here.
This is a very good project. I think it should be expanded so that adults can gain experience from older people, too.
Wonderful! I'm not at that stage yet, but it's good to know this is an option when the time and opportunity come.
I understand from your writing that you did not intend to cause harm. Secondly, you learned from your mistakes. You also own your errors and you talk openly about them. I trust you do everything in your power not to repeat them.
Most interesting articles. I always read the news you provide. Keep up the good work.
A most interesting article.
I certainly agree with the points brought forward in the article. What I think is just as important, if not more important, is that children spend far too much time watching TV or using their devices instead of being active. A sedentary lifestyle as a child sets that child up to be a sedentary adult. We don't need yet another study to determine that people need to move their bodies in order to be as healthy as they can be! Healthy food and exercise equals a better quality of life!
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 brought many valued students and, eventually, professors to U of T. There were four professors from the Kandel family alone: Steven and his wife, Mariann, of pharmacy, their son, Gabor, a professor of internal medicine, and Gabor's wife, Rita, in the department of pathology. (I also arrived in Canada from Hungary with my parents and attended U of T.) Interestingly, I remember a female student who was not permitted to finish her degree in chemical engineering at U of T in 1957 because she was a woman. She finished at McMaster. Now, chemical engineering enrols more women than any other engineering discipline at U of T. In my own graduating class of 60 chemical engineering students, in 1966, there was only one woman.
Great article!
The best examples of artificial intelligence today are only examples of complex automation. There is no intelligence in those systems -- not even in the software that plays Jeopardy. Today, we don't know how consciousness functions in the brain. In the future, when there is an adequate theory of where intelligence originates in the brain and how it functions then there might be some dim hope of implementing an actual artificial intelligence system.
More than 30 years ago, when I started a firm that required "people skills" such as compassion, integrity and value-based vision, many people came to me and described what technology could do for the company. Some ideas were appropriate and helpful. Back then, I thought of it as "high touch vs high tech." AI has its place and we need it to advance our work and our lives. But we also need "high touch." Losing sight of the value of people has harmful everyday effects, and they concern me.
Fascinating article! Good to know U of T is working on this serious issue.
Very important work! Thank you.
Best wishes for this work. The elimination of plastic particles is an international problem that is just coming to the attention of world leaders.
After reading the details I am deeply impressed and convinced that inner strength is always there within each and every single person born with it, but sometimes someone doesn’t know how to utilize it to come out of the most difficult scenario of their life. Thank you for sharing Sabeen’s real life story so others can read and learn the lesson.
Great work! Professor Rochman should get more funding to expedite her research.
Thank you for your work, Prof. Rochman. Reading this article stirs my being. It moves me to do more to help. May your work prosper.
What a powerful and inspiring story from such an amazing person! Thank you Sabeen for sharing your story with us, for letting us be part of your journey and sharing your outlook for the future with us all.
Plastic is everywhere. I have even found it in the soil of potted plants from the local nurseries in the form of small bits of Styrofoam masquerading as vermiculite (a mineral growing-medium). What do I do with that contaminated soil when the plant dies? I would never mix it into my garden. How can we reduce our use of plastic when it invades modern life in such insidious ways? I appreciate Prof. Rochman's research into this issue.
I am privileged to have been Samra Zafar 's English teacher when she was in the UAE. One of a very high level group of pupils, Samra was outstanding - I looked forward to every essay she submitted! I was, however, concerned about her upcoming engagement and marriage at such a young age. A brilliant, beautiful girl was facing a future not of her choice and in no way appropriate to her ability. Years later I am delighted to see how far she has travelled and celebrate her strength, determination and courage.
Fascinating and disturbing. This is important research that hints at action we can take to be part of the solution. Could you publish a follow up article or a web link to instructions for purchasing and installing the filter that traps microfibres from washing our clothes? This is an opportunity for us to think globally and act locally.
Thank you for this article. It gave an overview of the pros and cons of artificial intelligence and answered questions about AI very well.
@Rob Lowry
We passed along your question to Prof. Rochman, and she suggested a product called Filtrol 160, which is available through Amazon.
Wow! I am very impressed with Bahia Marks and how she is helping youth. With all her graduate school work, it's a wonder she makes time for these kids. They are blessed to have her working with them!
For the comment above, you could always consider a medical science liaison career after PhD graduation. Here's a way to develop your transferable skills.
Wonderful job you have done, Chelsea. And very useful of you, Katrina, to spread the message through your writing. I am curious about the initiatives around microplastics pollution in Europe. Are any businesses there assisting in finding a solution?
@Dinar Vasquez
Prof. Rochman provided this link to a European Commission website for more information about what the EU is doing about plastic pollution.
Wonderful but troubling research. I would like to ask Prof. Rochman about the possibility of fish in Nigeria, such as catfish, having ingested plastic particles. Can we rule that out? I'm asking because I don't see a solution coming in my country in, say, the next five years.
This is an excellent and thought-provoking article.
This is a very interesting and inspirational article. Please share it as widely as possible through social media to help change the next generation's mindset toward using plastic.
My copy of the alumni magazine arrived in a single use plastic sleeve. Please stop these kind of mailers. Paper envelopes are just fine. Paper is a much more renewable resource.
@Evelyn
We use a plastic wrap to package some copies of University of Toronto Magazine with other U of T alumni publications, such as UTSC Commons and Window on Woodsworth. This is to avoid the additional expense and resources associated with multiple mailings. These packaged copies represent about one-quarter of our total Canadian distribution. All other Canadian copies are mailed without any packaging.
And, for readers who wish to avoid the use of plastic and paper, we offer the option of receiving only digital editions of the magazine.
There is a concern about AI replacing jobs in every field from teaching to medicine, finance, the military, mining and the service sector. What will happen to people who make pizza for a living if an AI can make 50 pizzas an hour? What will happen to disabled and older workers who may find it difficult to learn how to use AI in their jobs? Measures of success at work should not be just quantitative, but should include values, purpose and culture.
Gideon Forman (BA 1987 Victoria) writes:
Kudos for your article on young activists. It made me think of Fridays for Future, the youth-led organization inspired by Nobel Prize nominee Greta Thunberg, 16, which urges rapid action on climate change. This new mobilization is one of the most potent antidotes to despair. Bahia Marks wondered how residents could help design neighbourhoods. Today, students are hoping to design all of society -- so it's life-enhancing and low-carbon. They deserve our impassioned support.
Bravo! What would seem to be common sense is no longer apparent to many while the bad food options seem to outweigh the sensible ones on the grocery shelves. As with single-use plastics and all the other horrors of our time, we need to tell the people who supply these products that we won't buy them anymore! So educating people about what is not a healthy option is a very good place to start. We are all too trusting that someone is watching out for our best interests. No one is!
Which degree typically comes first? It's just called a degree, right? Then bachelor's, master's, and PhD? Can you only get a master's if you've earned a bachelor's? I'm asking for a little guidance as I'm getting ready to graduate high school.
@Gabriela
The first degree earned by university students is a bachelor's degree, which typically takes four years and would be required to gain entry to a master's program. A master's degree may take another year or two. Earning a PhD can take several more years beyond that.
Good luck!
I am very encouraged and inspired by this work. I would love to learn about its progress and findings. I have been interested in developing teen volunteers at local high school in Portland, Oregon, where teens are transforming the perceptions of their peers with respect to the environment.
I am a U of T graduate and am currently teaching gifted students at St. James School in the Toronto Catholic School Board. My students and I have been looking at the "garbage problem as it pertains to plastics" and would love to find ways to get involved. After reading this article, I am thrilled to know that people in our home town are as engaged as we are in trying to help alleviate this mess. Is there any possibility of getting involved in what you are doing, even in the smallest way? I think my students would love it! This would also encourage them to do much more in their life journey.
As a PHE graduate from U of T, I agree with LM's comment. I believe that regular physical activity is the most important factor in determining a healthy life. Dr. S. Blair's research out of The Cooper Institute in Dallas provides excellent data to support this claim. I would also suggest that instilling an active life in children results in their ability to make healthy lifestyle choices independently, and negates the need for regulation that limits choices or tells citizens what they should or should not eat. That would be an interesting study for the Joannah and Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition to support.
I did not see any comments on what will be the future for the Banting and Best Centre for Medical Research or the Banting and Best Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, or even any mention that they will be displaced by this development. Is the honour of these two gentlemen to be forgotten?
While not detracting from the other comments on this article, I simply point out the lack of an acknowledged philosophic approach to this issue. To my mind, initially a sound philosophic understanding of what it means to be human -- from the perspectives of Western and Eastern cultures -- is required.
This is my favourite article in this issue.
An interesting article. Plastics that are dumped in lakes and even sent overseas in containers may cause people to believe plastics are not that great a problem. More media attention, however, such as this article, can help change this way of thinking.
Very interesting article. I like Prof. Rochman's back story -- from aspiring actress to United Nations, and how it all came full circle from a childhood wish. What a nice twist of fate. I have no idea how to combat micro-plastics. As long as humanity has hope, though, we can do anything.
Thank you for this article and for the research it describes. This is a very important issue for all of us. I, too, am interested in knowing more about the filter, which could trap the particles found in our clothes. We ought to share this information broadly.
@John Banka:
Although the buildings (100 and 112 College Street) are named after the accomplished Drs Frederick Banting and Charles Best, the buildings are not directly associated with their most significant achievements. Heritage consultants retained by the university are of the opinion that these buildings do not meet provincial criteria for heritage value or interest. Drs Banting and Best’s groundbreaking discovery of insulin took place in their laboratory in the old U of T Medical Building, which was demolished in the 1960s. Banting's own scientific accomplishments, including the insulin discovery, will continue to be honoured and represented by the historically designated 1 Spadina Circle and the plaque in front of the Medical Sciences Building, near the site of the original discoveries. The new Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre will continue their legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship and make optimal use of the site’s location in the Discovery District.
Animals can't understand a New Yorker cartoon, but they can live in harmony with the earth and it's rhythm without systematically destroying each other. So, for all of our semiotic fluency, and the capacity it gives us for generating humor, I suppose you might say that the final joke will be on us!
Great article. Now get it out there into the realm of social media and let others know of your study!
Thank you U of T for preserving the work of our master of verse, song, contemplation, and the mysteries of life and longing, Leonard Cohen.
What about, it "calls" for rain? No other English-speaking country says that, I think.
An impressive representation of iconic Canadian images. Is there a basketball image that could be used? I loved the butter tart history. Midland, Ontario, was where I found the best ones.
I particularly liked writer Stacey Gibson's phrase, "the women who ran the clinic cut through the socially constructed shame."
Here are a few lines from a poem composed in 1691 as an answer to another Roman Catholic bishop, in colonial Mexico:
Listless of wing and song
Scarcely heard, even more dimly sensed,
Disgraced Nictimine lurks
In the crevices of sacred doors
Or the most promising gaps in the high window,
Seeking surreptitious breach.
Perpetrating her sacrilegious aim
To extinguish and defile the glowing sanctuary lamps
That hold the sacred flame
And gulp the clear thick oil
Sweated, forcibly surrendered in the olive press
From the fruit of Minerva's tree.
Nictimine was blamed for incest by the culprit, her father. Initially ashamed, she fights back seeking escape, revenge and another path to truth under the aegis of the pagan goddess.
This passage from a poem called "Dream," was written by Sor Juana (I did the translation) in defence of women's right to learn, to write and to tell their truth. The Mexican Clergy hounded her with threats of the Inquisition.
Thank you for sharing this information. There are so many interesting things about our great country. We continue to evolve with so many cultures being part of our makeup!
That's amazing information -- particularly about the national anthem, and the replacement of the Red Ensign, which happened when I was a grad student at U of T.
Having grown up in Toronto, I remember "soaker" and "suck," as used in this article. Here in Texas these last 40 years, nobody knows about "chesterfield" (sofa) or "serviette" (table napkin), although I don't know if these are distinctly Canadian words. Interesting, eh?
A very interesting story. I am unsure why Europeans, who settled much of Canada and the U.S., today have a relatively open attitude about sex, while North Americans tend to want it kept behind closed doors.
What an amazing story!
Finally, someone who is educated and unbiased, and talks fairly about cannabis. Thank you, Prof. Ross.
A sort of reawakened truth about blacks who settled in Canada.
Wonderful article. I love her "damn the torpedoes" attitude. I wonder how she would respond to the rise of these same old barbaric ideas today.
Amazing article. Well done!
What a fascinating tale.
Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw came to my grandfather's home on Bay Street North, in Hamilton, Ontario, usually on her bicycle, to tend to the family. I remember her caring concern. It must have been in the 1930s.
In the 1980s, I taught at Elizabeth Bagshaw School when it was located in the east end of the city, on Albright Rd. Years later, after Dr. Bagshaw retired and moved to First Place, a C.G.I.T group of young girls from St.John United Church were conducting a Christmas service at First Place. There in the front row was Dr Bagshaw. I was so thrilled to see her again. She remembered our family fondly. She certainly was a woman to remember -- and to honour.
The continuing domination of economic, political and social affairs by men and their "needs" is the proximate cause of the continued commodification and exploitation of women's anatomy.
I find it odd that this article doesn't mention the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Perhaps because Oxford decided to stop keeping it updated several years ago.
The proponents of AI seem oblivious to the inescapable fact that their algorithms, based on natural language processing, will inevitably replicate the in-built human biases present in all launguages. It is also seems inevitable that these biases will be amplified in "viral" transmission. AI may not replace human brain capability, but it is certainly doing a good job of drowning out human brain capacity.
A "jambuster" is a jelly-filled doughnut (not donut!) - prevalent in Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba (and possibly other western provinces).
Please give credit to Calixa Lavallee for writing the music to O Canada..
The caring and concern for the people of Nunavut, despite the challenges, are impressive. Anyone needing air transport for medical care in the U.S. would have to pay -- not to mention the medical bills for the un- or under-insured. Keep up the great work!
I keep hearing that "bunnyhug" is a Saskatchewan word, but I grew up in southern Ontario and remember hearing this word when we lived in the Niagara peninsula. A soaker was what we got lakeside from being too close to the water's edge when a wave rolled in or if we slipped on the muddy edge of a pond, not just from puddles or melting snow. I remember having plastic bags for my feet when a soaker had rendered footwear, especially boots, wet and cold.
Having spent a few years now in contact with Saskatchewan's farming community, I wonder if the word "iron," which I hear regularly to refer to large farm equipment, is distinctively Canadian.
I wonder, too, if Prof. Tagliamonte has picked up on "canola," which referred first to an oil developed in Canada from what was widely called rapeseed. The Canola Encyclopedia on the Canola Council of Canada website says the term "canola" is derived from "Canadian oil." The official definition of canola is: "An oil that must contain less than 2% erucic acid, and less than 30 micromoles of glucosinolates per gram of air-dried oil-free meal." Nowadays many farmers and their communities refer to canola crop, canola fields, and canola plants. While the American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd ed., lists "canola," it says its origin is unknown.
Thank you, Stacey Gibson, for your integrity and valour in writing this article. It needs to be told time and again today, since we seem to be regressing to the ethics of when Elizabeth Bagshaw first appeared at U of T. I had the honour of being one of the music teachers at the school named for her in East Hamilton. We knew Dr. Bagshaw and had her visit the school several times. We even honoured her birthday with a special concert. I have several pictures of that evening in my box of treasured memories. During our chats together she relayed many of the details that were included in this article. Keep up the good work. It is by standing on the shoulders of giants such as the fearless Dr. Bagshaw that we move in the direction of goodness.
This is so exciting and so unexpected. I am Jamaican and I attended the University of Toronto as part of the class of 1963. There were so few of us then. When I went off campus and saw another Black person, we'd both look at each other for as long as we could see each other, or so it seemed. I was in residence at Annesley Hall and those were some of the happiest times of my life (apart from having a family of my own and all that goes along with that). I had two "families" in residence -- my "West Indian family" consisting of both Jamaicans and Trinidadians, and my Canadian "friends/family" -- my best friends really. At home again, I became a teacher and educator in the Ministry of Education, and a writer. In the books that I wrote for schools, I told of the ex-slaves from Jamaica who settled in the Maritimes (though many had hoped that they were going to Sierra Leone). I had no idea that there could be Black people anywhere else in Canada. I have also written other children's and YA books (my writing name is Diane Browne). Really, this is such an important article. Thank you for the work that you do, Prof. Karina Vernon.
One important omission: William Davis, who attended U of T in the early 1950s. He was a key player in the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution. And as Ontario's Minister of Education, he oversaw the creation of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and community colleges.
Thanks for this piece, which is richly perceptive. I was a graduate student at U of T from 1969 to 1975, and obtained a PhD in sociology. I hope the writer will be inspired to do work on African students who stayed in Canada after their studies, and find out where they are, what they're doing, why they stayed, and what has been their contribution to Canada has been. It would make for wonderful reading
Hey Canadians, if you know a community that has cool words and expressions, let me know. I go on a field trip every year in May to places far and wide across Ontario to hear local stories. See my website for more information and to find out more about Ontario words and expressions: http://ontariodialects.chass.utoronto.ca/
Thank you for this ethnographic write-up.
I remember Kirk Wipper as a champion wrestler at U of T. He was a champion of the canoe as well. A Canadian champion.
People should be able to choose to have sex that is non-violent without any stigma attached. It should be as acceptable to health and life as food and clean water. We must get rid of the idea that "sin" is involved.
I totally enjoyed reading this. I believe we should respect sex workers as they provide a valuable service. Imagine if there were no sex workers. All those men who buy sex would -- what? As a former sex worker, I know that many of my clients still continue to buy sex and will probably do so for a long time. Let's put up commemorations for those who paved the way for our cities to grow.
Congratulations. This is wonderful. I look forward to reading the book.
Only some maple leaves turn red in the autumn. Otherwise, they are green. The red borders on the flag are intended to represent the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which are blue. Hence, the flag should have a green maple leaf and blue borders. It's red because that's the colour of the Liberal Party that was in power when the flag was changed.
I've worked with a number of hockey players from Durham region who use the word "goer" when referring to a person who will fight anyone anytime.
Loved this article! As a long-time proponent for women to have control over reproduction, I believe this is an important story to share. Dr. Bagshaw is a true inspiration.
Those of us who graduated from the B.P.H.E. program when Kirk Wipper had us travel to his Camp Kandalore will have many fond memories of paddling some of the canoes in his collection. He had just completed his on-site 'museum.' We had the pleasure of a canoe trip with Kirk as part of the program. I was lucky to attend a fund-raising dinner in Peterborough to support the 'new' Canoe Museum and to meet Kirk again. I am happy to see that the museum has grown and will be renewed.
Thank you for memorializing a great human being who happened to be a woman, who happened to be a Canadian. I think she and Norman Bethune would have been good friends and allies.
Way to go! I am an 85-year-old Jamaican immigrant who has been living in Canada for 57 years. It is still difficult not to feel invisible, despite the giant strides that Canada has made in race relations. Work like yours should go a long way to chip away at the problem. Keep on keeping on.
I had to laugh when I read her comment that the strident opposition of the bishop and the Roman Catholic Church made for good advertising. What a courageous, wonderful woman!
I am a retired lawyer in Toronto and a very old and good friend of Xaviera Hollander, who is surely the most famous 20th-century "Madam." I have just emailed her a link to your story about “Big Nelly” Webb, as I expect that she would find it as interesting as I did.
Very enlightening!
In southwestern Ontario, we said "I am all over dirt." And "avenue" is never said completely but always as "ave" such as Brant Ave in Brantford. Regionalisms are always fun.
I have written a narrative The 400th (1619-2019): From Slavery to Hip Hop and I talk about the underground railroad. I mention Bryan's story. I'm trying to build support for commemorating and celebrating the 400th with a cross board encounter as an activity to mark Canada's important role in helping runaway slaves.
What an incredible story!
Any chance this package could be put into print, on paper? The stories are concise and extensive at the same time, the art work captures everything that is said in the story, and it is all positive about this great country of ours.
@Ivanna
We're publishing a few issues a year now in digital formats only -- and this is one of them. But you can print out the story from your browser. Thanks for reading!
@Paul
That's really interesting. What does "I am all over dirt" mean?
"I am all over dirt" means I am covered in dirt. We also said "I am all over snow." My mother would tell us to take off our coats at the door because we were all over dirt or snow. It seems to be limited to the Brantford-London area of Ontario. There is a reporter on CTV Toronto who is obviously from the London area because he sometimes uses the "Ave" short form when discussing a Toronto street. I always wonder if Torontonians notice this. We also used the word "soaker" for getting a foot wet from sinking into a puddle or the edge of a creek.
Thank you for this bit of Canadian history! My thesis supervisor, Emily Seto, sent me the link to your article as I am performing community-based research with Toronto sex workers. The reasons for engaging in sex work during the 19th century are no different than the reasons for doing so in 2019. We need decriminalization. The Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act harms people.
Blockchain alters the nature of a financial transaction as we know it. It is a different way of transacting money that could result in more money laundering and fraud across borders. International standards enforced by an international body that verified the source of funds and reported breaches and to law enforcement agencies might enhance trust. In my opinion, this is an area that needs formal input -- not just from researchers, educators and traders, but also from legal practitioners, bankers, academics and technology experts.
Re "I'm all over dirt": If you would like a literary reference for this construction, I first read this expression in the Robertson Davies novel A Mixture of Frailties (1958). The heroine of the novel, Monica, is studying in London, England. She is invited to dinner at the home of a couple of ex-pats from Saskatchewan. The man of the couple is painting when Monica arrives, and says "I'm all over paint" to explain why he can't shake hands with her.
I am a Canadian ex-pat living in Australia. I went to U of T!
One of my favourite Canadian expressions is "fucking the dog," which means "looking busy while actually doing nothing." Hence, "dog fucking" is a common activity amongst people who do not want to work terribly hard but are too ashamed, or clever, to just sit down and have a smoke and a coffee.
Margaret Malone (MA 1987, PhD 1995) writes:
Thank you to all who imagined and then worked to produce this great Canada Day issue of University of Toronto Magazine. There is so much to celebrate in such a
humane, diverse, multicultural, multiracial, healthy country. It's an amazing place to be.
Aaron Fenton (DDS 1967) writes:
Thanks for the article about these 10 icons, and for a consistently good University of Toronto Magazine. Keep it up!
Kirk Rintoul (BA 1988 UC) writes:
Your entire issue about Canada is devoted to identity politics. Sad. Troubling.
A big thank you to Barb Rowlandson who founded the Ontario's Best Butter Tart Festival. My first go at making butter tarts this spring was a smash hit. No corn syrup, no raisins, but I did add pecans to my sugar, butter and egg filling. Yum yum! was the verdict from several butter tart connoisseur, including my church's new minister.
"Bum" for posterior; in billiards (pool) "dog" for a ball teetering at the edge of a pocket; "blades" for ice skates; "squares" instead of the American "bars" (for desserts like brownies or date squares baked in a pan before being cut into squares or rectangles). Also, if Clee had not beaten me to it I would have said "soaker." In Canadian slang, "suck" can mean a kid who does not participate in rough games or sports. I am a U of T grad who has lived in the U.S. for years and am greeted with blank stares when I say "chesterfield" or "serviette."
I love this list and the illustrations.
What a splendid article. Thanks for bringing this exceptional person to our attention.
What a remarkably brave pioneer of a doctor! She flew in the face of both organized religion and the law, knowing that she and her cause were right and just -- and that the authorities were wrong.
This is a wonderful article. These words should be repeated everywhere and often: "that regardless of what opinions one held, society was not entitled to impose them in a way that impeded the health of another." I'm thinking in particular of the United States, which has demonized Planned Parenthood and effectively banned abortion in some places -- even in cases of rape. The reach of the Catholic Church, even in these secular times, is long and lasting.
Thank you very much for the article. I am in awe of this great human being. Her services were priceless. Canadian women are indebted to her.
எங்கள் அழுகுரலைக் கேட்டதற்கு நன்றி
Thank you for listening to our sorrows.
Great to see another mention of the terrific Prof. Kirk Wipper.
I look at your father's pursuit of the truth as an act of courage and personal strength, particularly as the path essentially led him to reject his own family. As the daughter of survivors, I very much appreciate and respect the path he took, and also your commitment to continuing his legacy in your teaching and writing.
I feel as if I am from Canada. I'm not, but I share the values of freedom, culture, identity and resiliency. I sent my daughter to Canada to get an education and did not regret it. I love Canadians. Having visited Canada a number of times for my daughter's sake, I fell in love with the country and the people. I became close friends with some Canadians. "O Canada! Our fathers’ land of old. Thy brow is crown’d with leaves of red and gold." Isn't it uplifting, edifying? And uniquely Canadian!
Thank you. Articles like this bring me nice memories of my stay at U of T back in 1978
Dr. Lewis has a poor understanding of how the brain works.
It seems ironic, given the debate on banning handguns in Canada, that in Edmonton of that period, handguns and knives were not prohibited while in most U.S. jurisdictions they were. Diversity in the settler population was seldom the subject of any publications, unless it was a sensational trial. African-Americans, who were also cowboys and soldiers, and women get shortchanged in the history books, which are written mostly by male European authors. Can't wait for your book!
Thank you for this terrific article; I enjoyed reading it and the illustrations are most appropriate. The original words of "O Canada" truly capture the spirit of our country; very stirring.
This is a great article, and I think we should be aware of similar things that viruses can do! It's important to talk about climate change. It is a very imminent problem in Canada, as in the rest of the world. We need to take action as U of T grads, as scientists, as engineers, etc. I take public transit all the time, as I want to do my bit for the environment, the earth, my kids, grandkids and other Canadians. I hope they will do the same.
In the Wasaga Beach/Collingwood area, I have heard for many years, "I gapped it" used in reference to forgetting something.
I look forward to reading your book. I have read a lot about the sex trade and brothels in 19th-century Minneapolis and now this story from closer to home. I have long suggested that brothels be permitted now for the same reasons of health and safety but no one listens.
It is amazing how Afro-Americans/Canadians have been left out of the history books for the most part. I read once of a Black Voyageur who would carry up to five 80-pound packs at once across a portage. These were ongoing contests that he usually won. That would be an amazing feat, even today! The history of the Buffalo Soldiers in the US Cavalry is rarely seen in movies or TV. They, however, had some of the best service records in US military history. One third of the cowboys were reportedly Black. One of them is reported to have come up with the concept of the rodeo. Such stories abound, but, are hard to come by. Isn't it about time?
This article, in a nice new format for the magazine, entwines fact, history, conjecture, law and more to form a most endearing narration and pleasant reading. A true picture of what Edmonton was really like emerges.
My favourites are "bungalow" as a one-storey house (different from the Wikipedia descriptions), washroom, two-piece washroom (as opposed to “powder room”), back bacon, peameal bacon, parkette, laneway, inukshuk, Nanaimo bar (not easy to find in Nanaimo — finally found one in a Tim Hortons there), butter tart, Muskoka chair, hydro (for electricity), basketweave (place with simultaneous exchange ramps between express and collector lanes on the 401). (Other local terms: “spaghetti bowl” [Los Angeles] and The Junction [Chicago] to describe intersections on interstate highways.)
Very interesting. Is there any concern that perhaps more physicians are required in the North to provide continuity of care? Are residency positions being made available in northern community hospitals?
As an expatriate Canadian canoeist living in Florida, I've taught many friends a term from my youth: "Lily dipper" is someone who moves their paddle through the water as if propelling a canoe but actually contributing nothing to its propulsion. They could be using a long-stemmed lily instead of a paddle. The term is definitely derisive. Another term from my youth was "breeks" for the breeches worn by all boys when I was in grade 8.
This is a noble endeavour. If the researchers are not already using it as a reference, please get a copy of the latest edition of the Funk & Wagnalls English Dictionary, Canadian Edition, published and edited by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Publishers in Markham, Ontario. They had a team of lexicographers poring over neologisms and Canadian regionalisms for additions to each new edition. The late co-founder Robert I. Fitzhenry loved words, and saw the importance of Canadians having access to an everyday dictionary that included popular, uniquely Canadian expressions. Keep up the good work!
I grew up with the idea that a serviette was made of paper and a table napkin was made of cloth. I don't know if that is just me, or not.
Temagami Dry Ginger Ale is still Canadian , right?
It is all. Have heard this many times in southern Ontario. Meaning it's completed or finished.
Loved the article as I lived through the discovery with Professor Urquhart and Norah as an Insect Migration Associate in the early '70s. After the discovery of the overwintering site, I contacted the professor because I just wanted to hear him tell me about his visit to the site. He did tell me that he went against doctor's orders and the trek up the mountains was so draining on his health and “what if my life’s work may never be realized to see the amazing overwintering site”! I treasure the book by both him and Norah, which he autographed. I have never stopped raising monarchs and have given countless lectures to business women’s groups, church groups and mostly school classrooms, and was deemed The Butterfly Lady at our Harrisburg PA’s Museum of Scientific Discovery back in the late '70s. My children, grandchildren, our neighbours and friends look forward to raising the monarchs every year.
Thank you for this. As a retired nurse, I was interested in the efforts you are making to improve the situation, and in involving the whole family in health care. I commend you on this report.
Well presented! Keep it going!
I've lived in the U.S. for almost 40 years and the thing I missed the most all those years was butter tarts. But these days what I miss most is Canada. And you can probably guess why!
A remarkable story of a remarkable woman. Just think of the learning experience if student nurses had been allowed to attend the clinic. Of course some of us were students in the distant past.The revisions to American law in the Trump era are appalling.
I am the medical director of the oldest abortion clinic in Vancouver -- the Elizabeth Bagshaw women’s clinic. I never knew this history. Did you know about our clinic? This is truly an amazing story of an incredible woman. She’s a hero.
What a remarkable woman. So dedicated and so needed at that time.
I graduated from chemical engineering in 1986 with a second master in industrial hygiene and occupational health. There was still discrimination from some of the male profs, but I stood up to them and went to see the dean about this.
I became the president of my association of industrial hygienists and taught at Ryerson University and George Brown College. I was written up in the engineering alumni magazine at U of T as an example to other women of how to fight and believe in themselves. Keep teaching good courses and believing in and supporting women.
Out east we say, "It's comin' on to rain," meaning that rain is imminent or just starting. "To come on + infinitive" can also be applied in other contexts, but it's more commonly used for precipitation (rain, hail, snow). Does this use of "come on" exist elsewhere in Canada?
We also said "chesterfield" in New Brunswick, but "serviette" sounded weird (and overly formal) to me when I moved to Ontario. We said "napkin."
Also, I remember being surprised that a friend from Windsor, Ontario, often used "anymore" to mean "these days," as in "People are so busy anymore. We used to have time to relax."
I am really in support of you since I am a pediatrics and child health expert.
Very informative and creative!
I love all these Canadian icons, which carry a special meaning about this country and its culture.
You forgot Tim Hortons!
I love all these Canadian symbols, which express special meaning about this country and its culture.
This information can be of great help, especially for newcomers/immigrants, in getting to know different perspectives of Canada.
What about maple syrup and maple trees?
This is beautifully written. Many of us experience depression postpartum, as well as feeling overwhelmed. I was lucky I was treated early for my depression and here I am at 73, with a master's degree in engineering under my belt. I have learned many things about myself and that there is lots of good help out there. Being busy with useful and intellectual things and exercising helped me, as did having good friends, travelling and sitting quiet at times to feel the beauty of nature, summer or winter. Reaching out to get help and speaking up when you have to is very important, no matter what people think or say about you. Self-confidence is very important.
Good luck to all those who are having a rough time. You will come out at the other end feeling good about yourself and realizing your potential.
It is important to all of us, women and men, to recognize that we can be prone to depression and how to handle that. Exercise, reaching out to the proper sources and educating oneself are very important.
We must all hang in there, chin up, take care of our bodies physically and be in touch with kind, supportive people and friends.
Loved the article. Very interesting area of research and lots of potential! You set yourself up for a follow-up article: What did we find about the white matter in the brain? What does it mean for patients with depression? Does this help with addiction too? Thank you for the read.
The Women's Canadian Club of Hamilton, Ontario, is honouring Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw at a luncheon on October 9th. At the same time, we are introducing our 'Women of Spirit' award to a deserving Hamiltonian who embodies the spirit of Dr. Bagshaw. We would love to display your article.
Details of the luncheon can be found on our website at wcchamilton.ca.
Thank you for a wonderfully written article.
The colours of the flag have nothing to do with Liberals or Conservatives. King George V, in 1921, declared that the colours of Canada were to be red and white. Indeed the side bars should have been blue, representing the Atlantic and Pacific. If that had been the case then the Canadian flag would have been the same as the flag of the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron, a beautiful flag.
I agree completely, but I am concerned there is too great a reward for industrialists and their politicians in continuing the war on drugs. I recently read the book Drug War Capitalism, which outlines the way multinationals employ U.S.-subsidized paramilitary forces in Central and South America to clear campesinos off their historical lands. These forces appropriate the land for mining and agriculture, using anti-drug enforcement as an excuse to employ deadly force against villages of simple farmers, ensuring the survivors are too scared to ever return or to make noise about these injustices.
The war on drugs has never been about what's best for society. It's a screen to facilitate lucrative capitalist endeavors at home and abroad.
Most of the concerns raised in this column can be addressed with a sensible regulatory scheme.
And if public health is the primary concern, what could be more concerning than the three to four thousand deaths by unintentional overdose (mainly due to fentanyl-related toxicity) now occurring annually?
This number might fluctuate, but it won't ever revert to the much lower figure of ten years ago because fentanyl is here to stay: it's impossible to stop at the border, and it's vastly more profitable to criminal dealers than heroin.
If legalization produced more addictions, which is far from certain, it's very likely that those addictions would be dramatically less fatal than at current since legalized opioids would rarely cause unintentional overdoses.
You can't treat someone for addiction once they've died.
Great primer. We do indeed need a Green New Deal. JFG may be Canada's AOC!
This is an excellent article. I appreciate that you brought the solution to your readers' attention. I hope it will influence a change in public opinion.
This is a great statement about Alex's bravery and courage!
Thank you. I shall put this information to good use.
"Man" is Farsi (Persian) for "I." There are huge Persian communities in both London and Toronto. Please pass this on to Prof. Denis.
So there are Jamaicans and Somalis living in Toronto. Is there any indication that this slang has spread out of these communities?
Very well written. A question for me that is soft pedalled in this article is: how do countries balance democracy in terms of the will of the people when that will becomes a dictatorship of the majority, like Germany under Hitler? How do nations prevent refugees from becoming scapegoats?
Great article. I volunteer for a charitable organization in Vancouver. We’ve raised more than $250,000 for scholarships for post-secondary education for refugees. This article makes me wonder whether our awards are well named. How do the recipients of these awards see themselves? Maybe naming them “Refugee Awards” has some unintended effects. Food for thought.
Our church sponsored seven families from Syria. They arrived from a Lebanon refugee camp between March and September 2018. It has been a great experience, even with the language barrier. The language of love, care and hope always speaks louder.
The biggest challenge has not been the budget or language, but helping them find jobs -- which will enable them to build their credit score so that they can become independent.
Now that the one-year sponsorship period is over, we are looking for rental apartments. But without a credit score or secure job, it's almost impossible.
The government should dedicate some resources to help with the job search.
I'm looking forward to studying at the University of Toronto!
Thank you for this article. Our church sponsors a Syrian family. You've made me realize how it must feel to be a sponsored family.
Good article. Question: at what angle do you decide to make the "slices"? There seem to be many one could choose. Thanks, from a 1965 industrial engineering alumnus.
I was so glad to read such a well-written, thoughtful article about Rodney, whom I knew as a fellow student at Trent in the 1970s. He was such a kind, bright, funny person to be around. As I was thinking about a dear Ojibway friend who died suddenly last year Rodney came to mind. They, together, showed me, as much as I could understand, what it must be like to face life as an Indigenous person. We lost Rodney far too early.
Been gone from T.O. for years. This is all good and new. Thanks for sharing, and keep it coming.
Open borders for Canada? No way.
Many of the countries from which migrants flow to the U.S. and Canada have very strict immigration policies with very harsh punishments. The solution is to change your home country from within. Stay and fight for yourself and your countrymen as so many have done, rather than abandoning them in their hour of need.
My five siblings and I sponsored a family of four from Syria, after seeing and experiencing our parents sponsor an 18-year old from Vietnam in the 1970s. It has been a transformative experience for me, and I think for the family too. I appreciate the attention to power imbalances in this article, and it's great to hear about Pairity. We wish we could bring the extended families to Canada too. We have the will but not the money. Maybe there could be a program to match the will to money here in Canada.
So many boxes in which to put an immigrant depending on the needs of a country. Forget "immigrant." We should define them as human beings in need of a place to live.
Immigrant groups and newcomers have shaped Toronto's language for generations. I immigrated to Toronto with my parents as a 12-year-old boy from West Berlin in 1956, with four years of grammar school English to my credit. In an attempt to lose my accent, I quickly became aware to what extent "Toronto speak" was shaped by various immigrant groups. While first and second generations of Italian-Canadians would frequently refer to opening or closing lights, instead of turning them on or off, many of the immigrants students from Central Europe referred to the white bread sandwiches of Anglo-Canadian fellow students as "cake bread," as we munched on our hearty rye bread fare.
Also for generations, it seems, immigrant students at Toronto's Parkdale Collegiate mispronounced the first name of the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. They pronounced his forename like "Joffrey" instead of like "Jeffrey." Toronto streetcar drivers coming down Roncesvalles Avenue toward King Street and Parkdale C.I. passed a TTC stop at Geoffrey Street, and called it out as "Joffrey." The pronunciation stuck. I wonder if there is a similar explanation for the quaint Toronto pronunciation of "Spadina" Avenue, rhyming it with "China" instead of with "Tina," as is the practice outside the GTA.
The arguments are based on the idea of collective morality. Actually, because everyone has sovereignty over themselves, they may choose their own morality. Therefore, the proposition that borders should be open should be determined by a referendum. The article omits the idea of a country. It is a part of the Earth claimed by a group of people as theirs. The whole world is now so divided, with about 195 countries claiming sovereignty over their territory. If the claim has meaning it implies that the citizens of a country have the right of approval over any person wanting to enter the country for any reason. People who sneak into the country violate this right. Every country has laws and procedures to deal with people who try to enter their country. Those who violate the laws or procedures can rightfully be prosecuted.
Migrants do not have a right to a handout. The residents of a city pay taxes into the city's account. If the city government wants to give some money away, it should get the permission of residents through at least a vote of their representatives and preferably a referendum.
Another possibility for further investigation is corporate slang. When a work force is multicultural it is quite interesting to see how certain words or phrases get incorporated into daily use -- sometimes to label a device or method that no one has a good word for.
Toronto is a cultural mosaic. I'd like to read more articles like this. Really cool video, too!
I am thrilled to read about this fighter for Native rights. I have just finished a novel, "Friends and Relations," my fourth book, in which I write about the disremembered history of Indigenous Indian Slavery. In it I detail the inhuman conditions that indigenous people had to undergo: genocide, theft of their lands, unfulfilled treaty obligations, and all the horrors of slavery, including removal from their own country and export to the Caribbean to work on plantations there.
From Lawrence Pivick (MD 1971)
I think we need to be careful with immigration to this country. Immigrants need to be more self-sufficient in terms of finances and job skills. Otherwise Canada will become a welfare state for the world.
From Maureen Hay (BA 1973 St. Michael's)
Migrations have occurred for various reasons, such as famine and drought, but countries that do not have borders do not survive. The U.S. and Canada must have borders for reasons of national and economic security.
We should remember that Canada's health care, education, pension, and social programs have all been made available within secure borders.
Israel also survives because of secure borders.
The intrusion of "mans" into the pronoun system (for "I") is interesting and unusual for all the reasons Derek Denis says. Newfoundland English has a similar intrusion with "buddy" for "he/him" (but not apparently "she/her"). Here is a sample from Memorial University files (1982): "and certainly when he jumped in over the fence, buddy's left the grave and he runned for the woods." Dictionary of Newfoundland English has other citations from 1980s but it is certainly older than that in the vernacular.
How about "cu tmro" (see you tomorrow), which I, a septuagenarian, have frequently used since contracting the contagion from my grandchildren, or the death of the apostrophe? Also noteworthy is the inability of my descendants to read anything beyond the first sentence of a text message, or the ultimate eye-roller: a three paragraph text from one of my siblings or other contemporaries?
"Braces" is a common but peculiarly Canadian word for "suspenders," which I have heard commonly in the U.S. "Breeks" I have heard, of late, mainly in the Maritimes, for trousers. I believe it is of Scots-Gaelic origin. I heard it first from my vairry Sco'ish grandfather. "Ge' oot the rrrooad" is similarly a very Gaelic, if less polite way of saying "Excuse me," common among the less sophisticated elderly around me in my youth. Use of this expression appears to have fallen out of favour, as has the Geordie dialect "any road" for "anyway." I remember the wheelchair used by my very elderly maiden aunt was called a "ridey."
Having a country with secure borders is required for self-government to have any meaning. The author and other open-borders advocates completely take for granted why some countries are successful in the first instance. These advocates are modern versions of communists and anarchists. There is nothing moral about open borders.
Thank you so much for this article! I took a course with Rodney Bobiwash at U of T and it was one of the best. I remember doing a pictorial history of Indigenous people in Ontario. My partner and I worked weekly at the Ontario Archives cataloguing every picture we could find. He made learning interesting. The bus tour was amazing, too. What an awesome memorial to an amazing man. I’m honoured to have known him.
Thanks for this enlightening story about Rodney Bobiwash.
Prof. Derek Denis responds:
@ Sara: I didn’t know that “man” was Farsi for "I," but it makes sense. Farsi and English are distantly related (both are Indo-European languages). What we do know about the development of new pronouns is that they tend to develop from nouns for humans. However, I think it’s unlikely that this is the source of Toronto’s “mans." It's an interesting coincidence, though, and possibly a catalyst for its spread among Farsi speakers.
@ Eamon: Yes, there is evidence. In my research, it comes from observation (including use and metadiscourse online), usage and attitudes surveys, and sociolinguistic interview records.
I created a private settlement group with some friends and have settled three refugee families and two students. All the families are thriving. The tweaks to private sponsorship suggested in this article would add unneeded bureaucracy to an already time-consuming endeavour and would likely reduce the number of private sponsorship groups. We have not received any training apart from what is available online and things are fine. We live in a rural area, so mandatory training would be expensive.
Mandatory background checks would also be an unnecessary expense. Many settlement groups are community-based. We have no board of directors, no written policies and no insurance. But we do save lives. This system works and doesn't need added bureaucracy.
The most helpful thing I can think of would be the ability to work with a company like Canada Helps, which would allow us to offer charitable receipts without us being a registered charity. Government funding would also be welcome.
Thank you, Canada, and thank you U of T for creating and maintaining the conditions for multiculturalism and pluralism in a free society under the rule of law.
Prof. Masoud is doing exactly what is needed: planning for future events while dealing with the current situation.
I live in Brooklyn. I recently retired from the board of directors of the Gowanus Canal Conservancy. This, too, is subject to the kind of planning that Prof. Masoud has been applying to Toronto's Port Lands. Redirecting water flows and reducing the amount of surface water is a major effort involving green roofs, bioswales, etc. As we turn more and more unused or misused land into park land, we have been working on joining all this green space with bike and foot paths. But we have found that as we make areas better, the land around becomes more valuable and developers swoop in to build more of everything that contributed to the mess in the first place. It's a never-ending battle.
It is good to know that smart people are paying attention and giving real thought to these problems. I was assistant commissioner of environmental protection for the City of New York. I saw firsthand what happens when there is no plan, much less a coherent plan to deal with land and water use.
What a great article about my brother. He was dearly loved and we miss him to this day. This story really shows the type of person Rodney was, and we see parts of him in our nephews, nieces and grandchildren.
In Latvian slang, from at least the 1930s, possibly earlier, "mans" (being the singular possessive adjective, meaning "my" for a masculine speaker) has been in circulation.
Except that the pronunciation would be more as if it were written "muns" in English.
Could "mans" for I, me, myself have come from Latvian?
Prof. Derek Denis responds:
@Maruta: With Latvian, it's very similar to the Farsi case. Latvian is also distantly related to English as an Indo-European language and the use of "mans" as a pronoun in both Farsi and Latvian seems ultimately to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European *mon- meaning "human" (from where English gets "man").
I noticed that the article doesn't talk about the influence of Cantonese or Mandarin (for example). And it's not like those communities are any less well established than, say, Jamaicans. Interesting
It would be better for many of these refugees to fight for democracy in their own countries. I am not in favour of my tax dollars being put toward programs I have not approved of. For generations, Canadians have built up this country through our taxes and hard work. We cannot afford to support others who have not contributed. To do so comes at the expense of our children's education and our heath-care system.
I have been part of a private sponsoring group in Nova Scotia and found this article most interesting. We began by bringing in one family of seven, and then a second smaller family related to them. Yes, the issue of power imbalance is a real one, requiring much sensitivity on both sides. Our experience has been very positive, but I am aware of other families in our local area where there have been very problematic issues. None of us can solve the crisis in Syria, but it feels good to have done something positive for a few people.
It is sad that the election campaign is producing negative talk about immigration, rather than trumpeting the welcoming of thousands of Syrians as one of the great successes of the past four years. Regarding tax receipts for donations: Although we were a mix of Christians, Jews and those with no active religious commitment, we were able to arrange for donations to be made through the local Anglican Church, which issued tax receipts and then passed the donations on to us.
Did anyone study/research the sponsorship that occurred in Canada after the Second World War? Our family was sponsored by relatives but those who did not have relatives were sponsored by strangers, hospitals, mines, lumber companies. To repay for the trip by boat from Europe, refugees signed contracts to work as maids, miners, lumberjacks for a certain number of years. Housing was apparently provided onsite. After the contract ended they were free to leave and live on their own.
Great article and important questions. It would be very helpful to have training and access to information about mental-health supports for refugees, for adults as well as children.
Great article. Could I have more information regarding how one becomes part of a group to privately sponsor refugees?
I want to suggest that you look into a group called Aura, a joint Anglican/United Church group that assists in the sponsorship process. They help sponsoring groups with training and preparation for their responsibilities. Our churches insist on background checks and include people who cannot necessarily afford to help monetarily. Our group had volunteers who drove our family to appointments, tutored when one of the family got work and couldn’t attend classes, set up opportunities for social interaction with the wider community, ran programs to educate the community.... The list could go on.
This is exactly what I'm going through. As a refugee, I'm struggling to find a job as an architect and give back to the community while doing what I'm passionate about. I tried sending resumes and networking for the past six months without any luck.
Chi-meegwetch to Rodney. He was a hard professor with a strong work ethic. He never allowed for any excuses and pushed his students to always give their best. He also introduced me to a broader, more inclusive North American art history that unapologetically included Native People and our history. He was political, funny, and a general bad ass. He showed me being smart and Indian go together. He was a mentor and is missed.
I am a refugee from the Second World War and was sponsored to come to Canada as a child in 1948 by relatives who lived in Toronto. My family later repaid my aunt and uncle for the cost of the Atlantic voyage. Those who did not have relatives were sponsored by people needing housekeepers. Hospitals, lumber and mine companies also sponsored refugees who had to sign work contracts for a few years until they repaid the cost of the trip.
Open borders are incompatible with a welfare state. Pick one - or neither preferably.
“The sun monster is coming to get you and the only way to stop it is give the left all the socialist policies they have ever wanted.” Forgive me if I’m dubious of your proposals.
I love Canada, and Toronto is the most beautiful city in the world.
I think we should keep government mostly out of it, with the exception of background checks on both sides. This is an issue of humanity and compassion. Also, can we be realistic? There will be inequalities and gaps. Refugees are arriving from a completely different country, with different values, laws and standard of life. And that’s okay. I’m sure they are more than thankful for having the opportunity to come to Canada. I’m a product of a refugee family from the mid-80s.
Our church group has been involved in private sponsorships for more than 30 years. We are fortunate to have an organization (AURA - Anglican United Refugee Association) that oversees our sponsorships and helps with the process. It also provides advanced training for our groups from Anglican and United Churches in the Toronto area and intervenes to provide wise counsel when things are not working well. On one occasion, when a sponsoring group fell apart about four months into the sponsorship year, AURA was able to find another group to provide support for the family for the remaining eight months until the sponsorship period ended. If you haven't already been in contact with AURA, I recommend that you reach out to them. They have a wealth of experience to share.
I am a lay pastor and in this past week I received an email from a 26-year-old Iranian refugee woman currently in Turkey, seeking (along with her family) to come to Canada. How can I find out more about Pairity?
The thing most apparent to me in the world today (and I am no urban development expert) is that when we fight nature, nature fights right back. From fossil fuel use, to agriculture practices, to smart urban and suburban development, to simply eating right -- it all makes a difference. This article and Prof. Masoud give me hope in a world where long-term hope seems unrealistic. Thank you!
Prof. Craig Damian Smith responds:
@Jenny Fehely: Pairity doesn’t do resettlement itself, but works with organizations that do. So the Iranian woman who is living in Turkey would have to go through traditional channels such as the UN High Commissioner there or Immigration and Citizenship Canada.
This article points to several important areas of research to improve the private sponsorship program. Anther potential line of inquiry would be the religious background and commitment of the private sponsors. The first private sponsorship agreement was negotiated with Mennonite Central Committee Canada, for a religious community with embedded history and ongoing commitment to refugee issues. Other religious groups joined the process. It is now a much wider network of civil society groups. There may well be blind spots in relevant religious communities.
From Josée Labrosse (MEd 1995 OISE)
What a novel area of study! I’ve been curious about how language (including body language) influences relationships, based on my personal and professional experiences since the early 1980s. These include an interracial and intercultural marriage, medical education and work in inner-city health and internationally. My son now studies sports broadcasting in Toronto. He introduced us to Multicultural Toronto English through You Tube videos that used Toronto Slang to report on the Raptors. This might be of interest to Toronto "mans" fans.
Thank you Canada, and the University of Toronto for building capacity globally for a better world.
Asian-originated slang was evident to me growing up in Toronto in the 1980s when Asian fast food workers asked "to stay, to go?" rather than "for here or to go?" The phrase was very widely used by the 1990s.
What a lovely and innovative initiative to build a better urban community with contributions from diverse groups. I am eager to learn more about the ideas and details about the School of Cities.
Very interesting article. Thanks for writing this.
Thank you so much for this important article!
Things like this are really motivating for other countries to follow Canada's lead.
"Mans" is almost certainly from or influenced by the Rastafarian "I-mans" for the first person pronoun.
For all those who favour open borders, I have a question: do you have locks on your doors? If so, why? If you feel that caring for illegal immigrants is the moral high ground, then open your house to them and sustain them using your personal resources. You have no right to force me or the government to squander money on those who sneak into my home.
I agree with the Caribbean reference to Toronto Slang. Many words are derived from multiple West Indian countries, especially in music and sports. At the Raptors parade, "soca music" was playing on the trucks. Twenty years ago I would have to "revert to my Canadian accent" and today I can speak Caribbean "patois" at an executive table and everyone understands me.
The word "thing" was being used in Toronto and the Niagara Peninsula as early as the 60s, referring to a cohabiting couple, as in "Are you two a thing now?"
Great article, thanks.
Pronunciation guides would be helpful too.
Canada's increasing diversity is by no means reflected in the social science and humanities faculty at Canadian universities and print media. This is due to the legacy of the century-long Indian Residential School System, which ended in 1996, over a dozen years after the passage of the Charter of Rights of Freedoms in 1982. In the case of U of T, the lack of diversity in the fields that pertain to values and priorities in based on an attempt to silence new Canadians, just as the Residential School System aimed to do with the country's original inhabitants. Sanctimonious and self-congratulatory approaches often hide the largely closed, clubbish, and colonial system that runs Canada's governmental and educational systems.
From Kenneth Mintz (PhD 1972)
Although most Canadians are sympathetic to Indigenous communities for the struggles that they have faced, such as Residential Schools, and have difficulty understanding why the delivery of potable water to some communities has taken so long, the use of the word "settlers" to describe non-Indigenous people is rather unsettling. Worldwide that word has become almost pejorative, referring to people who are occupying land belonging to someone else. The dictionary definition of settler is that of someone who has moved to another place. How can someone, regardless of ethnicity, born in Canada be regarded as a "settler"?
From Shirley Grant (TESL 1986 Woodsworth)
In response to commenter LM, I would heartily recommend that families in Ontario with children join the Bruce Trail Conservancy. It's truly wonderful organization.
The film mentions a centre that tests the body for toxins while using regular products and then again after using clean products. Where can a Canadian in Windsor, Ontario, easily obtain this type of testing?
@Mary: You'd need to contact Environmental Defence Canada, which arranged the tests.
I am a 70-year-old man with darker skin. How many unit of vitamin D should I take? I've also read that it is better to take Vitamin D in oil form. Can you offer any suggestions?
@Jean-Louis: Dr. Vieth recommends taking at least 2,000 units of vitamin D a day. But it's best to discuss this with your own doctor.
What are the current laws regarding detention and violation of human rights?
The only way you can impact the world is to open gates that close people out.
@Vaishali
You'll find some useful information here.
I think it is great that Prof. Masoud is taking action and pointing to the problem before things get worse. We need to move fast to combat climate change and its negative effects.
Would a woman in Toronto use "mans" for "I"?
This is such a fascinating article. Thanks for this.
An earlier slang word for Toronto, is Trawna dating in my recollection to the 1940s. I always think I can detect an person who says Tor-on-to as one not born here. Another, local to U of T, is Skule. It relates to "the little red schoolhouse," which was the home of the School of Practical Science, the precursor to the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.
Prof. Derek Denis responds:
@Peter Cook: Mans is highly gendered but it’s not completely restricted to men. I have overheard women use it but it is rare. This was also found in London with the man pronoun.
From John Friend (BASc 1979)
Prof. Joseph Carens says that regardless of state sovereignty, countries have a "moral responsibility to migrants." He compares the current system of national borders to the feudal system, noting that "to be born into a rich state like Canada, the U.S. or the European states is like being born into the nobility."
May I suggest that it is actually highly immoral for rich states to open their borders to immigrants, thereby poaching developing countries of their most educated, most ambitious and sometimes wealthiest people, so that rich states can fuel their own prosperity. Who better to raise the GDP, living standards, health and education of a poor country's populace than it's own educated citizenry?
Make no mistake, the foundation of immigration has always been for the benefit of the host nation. Even the acceptance of relatively poor immigrants is fundamentally to benefit the host nation. We see that in Canada, which offers jobs to immigrants that Canadians are reluctant to do, and where so much of our economy depends on housing and filling those homes with consumer goods, educating, policing, and providing all manner of consumer services to an ever-increasing population.
Immigration is simply another form of predatory capitalism that is exercised at the state level.
From Ray Woodhams
I taught in U of T’s department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry for 25 years. I was particularly interested in Prof. Rochman’s statement, “Contaminants are everywhere but we don’t know yet the answer to the question ‘how bad is bad?’”
About 20 years ago, I was asked by Health Canada to investigate why a young woman working in an industrial plant suddenly became ill. I was able to examine the composition of a particular detergent the woman was using and became suspicious. The World Health Organization referred me to a study of this agent, an alkaloid that is extremely toxic. This alkaloid was banned for use in New Zealand and Australia. I recommended that Health Canada do the same, but got no response.
This agent is commonly used in most detergents, hair shampoos, shaving creams and other products to kill bacteria. Since it is soluble in aqueous and hydrocarbon media, the alkaloid is able to access most organs in our body, and therefore, over time, cause degradation. In other words, it tends to hasten the aging process.
So yes, it can be bad!
Nothing about South America? Spanish? Portuguese? Weird. I had never heard any of these Arabic/Somalian slang words. I may be in the wrong place.
I’ve always wondered about this. Some gay guys have an effeminate speaking voice, while others have a masculine voice. Then there are straight men who have an effeminate voice. You can’t tell any more. Human beings are complex.
I agree with the comments here praising Canada for being a global champion for pluralism and an open society. But the vision of Canada that President Gertler presents is only partially true. It neglects the fact that many immigrants to Canada have different experiences than those described here.
It's important to recognize Mafinezam's comment that "sanctimonious and self-congratulatory approaches often hide the largely closed and colonial system that runs Canada's governmental and educational systems."
To that, I would add the Canadian legal and justice system. Even now, Canadian policies target specific immigrant communities and treat their families and children in ways that are not unlike the Residential School system. There is an attempt to silence voices and maintain the status quo in Canada.
In Canada, we need to advance minority leaders to real positions of power and decision-making.
I recommend a five-part series of articles from Harvard Business Review about advancing Black leaders (to which I would add Indigenous and other minority leaders). Some of the issues addressed in these articles resonate deeply in Canadian society. Canada is a great country, but still in its infancy. We must all cherish freedom of expression and counter forces that would attempt to silence some communities.
Toward a Racially Just Workplace
The Costs of Code-Switching
The Day-to-Day Work of Diversity and Inclusion
Why So Many Organizations Stay White
Success Comes from Affirming Your Potential
interesting article! As someone in science and engineering, I enjoyed reading it.
Interesting article about great work! As an engineer with an interest in natural sciences, I really enjoyed reading it.
Building a country is a national project. To open the door to anyone, anytime, no matter what they believe, undermines that project. Sovereignty, policing, economics, education and identity all require national cohesion, and this requires borders. We need immigration, but YES that immigration should be based primarily on the needs of the society that is accepting immigrants, and not based on some abstract have/have-not morality. If Canada has no borders then we are defined by the borders of others. If Canada has no borders, Canada ceases to exist. A house has walls, a river has banks.
Open borders and criminalizing illegal migrants are not two ends of a spectrum. Open borders means Canada does not get to decide who lives in Canada. Anyone can walk in. Making our border secure means we can protect Canadian values, like supporting the equality of women and gays, and the separation of church and state -- ideas that billions of people on this planet do not share with us. We must retain the power to decide for ourselves who we allow into our house, and not let intransigent, neo-puritanical morals dictate that our opinions are “racist” because we prioritize the wants and needs of Canadians over the wants and needs of millions of non-Canadians.
This photo was taken by Edie Kerouac Parker.
I remember watching Bruce Kidd race at the CNE. With his seemingly awkward style of running where his left arm would flop to-and-fro, he was attempting to be the first Canadian runner to go under four minutes. His teammates took him halfway in two minutes flat and got him to the 3/4-mile mark at three minutes. In spite of a valiant effort, Kidd was able to finish in "only" 4:01.4. The crowd of 20,000 didn't care. We went absolutely nuts! Bruce's running mate, Bill Crothers finished in an amazing 4:07. Bruce said later that running on the cinders at the CNE was like ploughing through sand. Had his attempt been made on a present-day track he would have made it into Roger Bannister country, under four minutes.
Thanks for this informative and well-presented piece. Yet another medical issue to worry about!
You labelled this movement “anti-immigrant," which shows that you misunderstand it.
If I drank four cups of coffee a day because any more then that made me feel bad would I be pro-coffee or anti-coffee? Would you label me as somebody who liked coffee or disliked coffee?
The Bird Man of Mississauga was my great uncle. I visited his sanctuary since I was very young, and have seen many different birds there, including eagles and owls, which he cared for. National Geographic published articles about his, and he was known worldwide for his work.
Thank you for reposting this article with your decade-in-review roundup. Not mentioned, but well worthy of note, is that "Doctor Frye," as we knew him with enormous respect, was an inaugural and thankfully perennial Senior Fellow of Massey College. His campus office, post-Vic College, was established there, along with his friendly assistant Jane Welsh Widdicombe. Around 1972, Norrie's confronted Massey's master, Robertson Davies, to permit senior fellows' assistants to use the dining hall.
At that time as well, Norrie supported our Junior Fellows' campaign for the admission of women to Massey as full members. Davies fought that tooth and nail for several years. When the Junior Fellows' leadership group created an internal newsletter for advancing the cause, Davies was reportedly furious. Norrie, on the other hand, sent us a personal cheque (from "H.N. and Helen Frye") to support the newsletter's printing costs.
Along with a handful of other supportive Senior Fellows such as Prof. Bill Dobson, Norrie remained one of our champions and academic role models.
John P.M. Court
BA 1970 Trinity College, MA 1972, Massey College 1970-73
Department of Psychiatry (History) and CAMH, Toronto
An informative article. I love learning about new and frightening health concerns.
Thanks for this great interview. I am proud to be Canadian, having been born 90 years after Confederation. I have two of the country's "national pillars" in my own family: the majority of my relatives are English Canadian, and we date our arrival in Canada to the 1840s. Two relatives of mine married First Nations people: my aunt married a man who was part Mohawk, and one of my cousins married a Dene woman from Deer Lake. So I have always been interested in Canadian's Indigenous peoples.
I have also studied the history and language of the "third pillar." I am proud to be a bilingual French- and English-speaking Canadian. Curiously, on two trips to England several years ago, I was approached by staff in various banks to assist French visitors to England. Their assumption was "Well, she's Canadian, she'll speak French as well as English." Luckily for the customers, that assumption was correct.
This is so fascinating to read -- and contemplate other potential uses. I’m a U of T grad and a vascular and skull base neurosurgeon. One of our challenges is to decipher which aneurysms -- weaknesses in blood vessel walls -- will eventually rupture and potentially kill one-third of the patients affected. Wouldn’t it be nice to use quantum physics to look into vessel-wall abnormalities and wall-motion abnormalities to predict which flow turbulence patterns precede an imminent rupture? I’m certain that certain structural defects lead to different turbulence patterns. Quantum physics and AI could help develop a predictive model that would help guide the treatment paradigm in this deadly disease.
I read your article with interest. It is definitely symbiotic to merge residences with services and commercial ventures in the same building or area. However, the idea is only relatively novel. This model has existed in most cities in Europe for many decades and works very well.
I had the pleasure of hearing some of Eliot Britton's music at a recent free concert of electric jazz - part of the U of T Faculty of Music New Music series. It was very interesting, challenging to listen to, but quite satisfying in the end. So much there to decipher and interpret.
Amazing concept! Thank you for your informative report.
It warms my heart to see good-old UTEMS (U of T Electronic Music Studio) alive and well after all these years, now with some attention and love. Thanks for the article. It made my day.
Great article. I recently travelled through Australia and New Zealand. I met several young chemists and engineers from around the world. They were working on ways for AI to solve the problems that humans ask of it, but also for ways to have the computers ask the questions that could lead to solutions in medicine, commerce and many other fields.
It is reassuring to know that talented academics from around the world are choosing Canada as an accepting and safe environment to raise a family, and to do the work that will help address the ill-conceived, close-minded decisions of the past. I have been fortunate to travel extensively since I retired. The more I travel, the more I realize how well-respected Canada is around the world -- something most Canadians take for granted.
These are some wonderful innovations, but if these upgrades are being funded by income from coal and gas investments, does it really make us leaders? What progress has been made in convincing the university to divest from fossil fuels?
Definitely NO to making all drugs legal. For 25 years, I was a narcotic auditor and inspector, headquartered in Vancouver for 12 years and responsible for staff in B.C., Alberta and the Yukon. I walked East Hastings in Vancouver every two weeks or so between 1961 and 1972. My job involved the pharmacies in that area, but I saw many young people standing on that street asking for handouts. Usually, they were gone within several months -- not home but dead. To take all controls off hard drugs is too easy a solution. The legalization of cannabis alone has left Canadians at risk on our roads and highways of serious injury and death.
The ramifications of making all forms of cannabis legal remain unknown. The police do not have an accurate way to tell if a driver is impaired from cannabis alone, or from cannabis and alcohol. No breath test for cannabis is available at this time. And while alcohol leaves the body relatively quickly, THC may be detected days and even weeks later.
From Jacqueline Allain (BA 2015 New)
If U of T wanted to do its part to combat climate change, President Meric Gertler should have approved divestment from fossil fuels when he had the chance in 2016.
Here's a Beatles song that explored this concept: "Revolution 9" is a sound collage that appeared on the Beatles' 1968 eponymous release (popularly known as the "White Album"). The composition, credited to Lennon–McCartney, was created primarily by John Lennon with assistance from George Harrison and Yoko Ono. Lennon said he was trying to paint a picture of a revolution using sound. The composition was influenced by the avant-garde style of Ono as well as the musique concrète works of composers such as Edgard Varèse and Karlheinz Stockhausen.
@Mira, Jacqueline
The University of Toronto is advancing research and education related to climate change and sustainability, and is committed to significantly reducing its own carbon footprint at its three campuses. As well, the University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation has assumed a prominent role in the global investment community, incorporating environmental, social, and governance factors into its investment decisions. These efforts are all part of the university’s multi-pronged approach to meeting the global challenge of sustainability. Read more here.
It's about time! Mixed-use condos are a bigger version of co-housing, which for a long time I've hoped would become more common. All levels of government need to encourage these flexible approaches by reducing some of the red tape that currently prevents such developments from happening.
My name is Rogério. A friend of mine had one of his legs amputated recently. His friends are trying to help him, and he will need an artificial leg. How much does one of these legs cost?
Excellent writing. I really enjoyed this article. I graduated from U of T in anesthesiology in the 1970s. Thank you for sharing this advanced knowledge.
It will be interesting to see how these discoveries -- those that have true merit, in particular -- are brought to the marketplace to serve the public. For example, the Alberta Research Council has developed, with taxpayer support, viable products from research -- only to see them sold to the U.S. because there was no investor interest in Canada. Working with Merck is appropriate to access resources, but I would be concerned if our tax dollars are contributing to these studies without any future return and recognition.
@Rogerio:
The knee (called the All-Terrain knee) is now available through Legworks. Contact information is provided on the website.
Email: sales [at] legworks [dot] com
Great work. I’m looking forward to seeing the differences uncovered in mapping women, children and people of different races!
I found this article very informative and interesting because of its relevance in my research on the ethics of organ transplantation in a globalized world. It reinforces my conception of the unity of humanity -- notwithstanding differences in language, race, gender and the multitude of competing political and economic agendas.
Thank you for this article. Could you provide the names of software tools that Prof. Eliot Britton and his students are using to do their fantastic work? I am a U of T alum and very interested in music as a hobby.
Thanks for this insightful article. The question that I have asked myself pertains to the way algorithms are employed in AI. Does AI predict future actions of individuals based on their past activities? If so, is it more likely that more or better innovative predictions could be made for those with longer historical activities than those with shorter ones? So if the historical data contained more information about men, the AI's predictions would be more relevant to men?
Amazing, forward-thinking innovations!
I am very pleased to know that you are reducing the carbon footprint at the U of T campuses.
What’s the total volume of the water in all the geothermal tubes? Have you considered the possibility of the water being overheated in summer? Steam build-up might wreak havoc, though to what extent I don’t know. The reverse should also be considered: frozen pipes during winter.
@Kam
Ron Saporta writes:
The temperature of the water in the geoexchange system typically falls between 10 and 27 degrees Celsius, changing seasonally. A heat pump in our proposed mechanical room would extract heat from this water in winter and reject it in the summer. The water inside the pipes remains in this temperature range, so there is little risk of ice or steam within the geoexchange system. As well, the pipes sit well below the frost line, and therefore are not at risk of being frozen during winter conditions.
@Gerardo
Prof. Eliot Britton responds:
At the Faculty of Music, students learn:
Protools HD, for mixing and surround mixing
Wavelab, for audio batch processing and mastering
Max/MSP/Jitter, for live electronics and video processing
Logic/Cubase/Reaper, for production and sound design.
Komplete Ultimate, for synthesis and instrumental libraries
Adobe Creative Cloud, for asset creation
Students also like using:
Ableton Live, for production and performance
Resolume, for live video processing
Each student typically has a laptop filled with their favourite tools.
The King's College Circle project looks to be impressive. However, the article doesn’t state the estimated construction cost. Also, what is the estimated annual cost saving for heating and cooling the buildings this project will serve? And what is the inside diameter of the 400 pipes to be installed?
This is fascinating stuff. Please keep me in the loop.
@Richard
Ron Saporta writes:
Since this will be part of a public procurement process, the university does not reveal capital costs. The project will offset an estimated $1.5 million in annual operational expenditures. The diameter of the pipes will be 40 mm.
Many thanks, Alice Taylor, for this work. It's historical but still relevant.
This is good news. However, we need lower carbon emissions standards for cities and institutions to meet our targets. Even net zero is not sustainable because there is so much heat already locked in to the planetary system. We need to be sequestering carbon rapidly.
Interesting and bringing hope...
I'm very proud that Canada has welcomed Prof. Alán Aspuru-Guzik. He will help shape our scientific future and teach many young people to carry the torch of excellence.
Peter Russell's book is immensely relevant. In reading it last year, I was truly shocked by how little I had understood Canadian government history. There is so much to make up for. We need to get a better grasp of the lack of communication between governments and Indigenous peoples.
How did I not find U of T Magazine before. Really great articles.
I listen to Bach all the time so this was a fairly easy test.
It makes me proud to know that such important research is going on at the university from which I graduated in 1970. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed the article, and I will look forward to hearing more in the future.
These ideas represent a remarkable vision to lead the world in economic, environmental and social sustainability. I would love to collaborate to export these ideas and local technologies to address the challenges in Asia.
I was a tutor at Cool School for over 10 years. I’d never before nor have since met a more complex, engaging, intelligent person than Jim. Working with him was a joy in my life that I hold dear in my memories.
Dennis Smith was one of my lecturers at Manchester University dental school in the U.K. He was a brilliant communicator and impressed on me the importance of questioning all we were told before accepting.
Thanks, Laura. I just discovered your site. Your ways of coming through your depression are helpful for me. During these more troubling times, I'm thinking of you and so many others. Be well. I am so grateful for your creative, reflective words in your books, theology and educational workshops.
I was lucky enough to have two chances to work with Jim Anderson and his staff -- once as a summer student in the original building in the late 1970s and then as a student teacher in the early 1980s in its last building. Dr Anderson, in addition to being one of McMaster Medical School's co-founders (among many other personal achievements) was a true innovator in inclusion and special-needs education. I was privileged to get to know him and see this remarkable place from the inside. I learned more there about how to teach than any Teacher's College. In many ways, current boards of education have taken on much of what they did. But there is still much more that could be learned from what "Cool School" was. I have to echo that the tutors -- Ted, Virginia, Bev -- and others who worked there were equally remarkable and special people, and I have to thank them for their kindness and inspiration! Thanks for the article! It is good to see that the school is receiving recognition for something that was truly unique and important.
Great article I really appreciate it; thank you for sharing it.
Great thinker, compelling theory. The data he bases his theory on is available to everyone. Biology of Desire resonated with me.
Please republish this excellent article, including the comments. Its time has come around again. It will help speed up the system response to building public health care after Covid-19.
I'm a licensed speech therapist. My perspective of "gay speech" is that it has to do with acceptance and integration into a culture/community you seek or feel a part of.
When we listen to others, that's receptive communication. We gain most information about the speaker's message by observing the use of intonation, prosody, body language, etc. It's how we project our personalities and our message. We can say the same sentence but change intonation to make it "sound" angry, happy, sarcastic, etc.
We make judgements and determinations about a speaker based on those markers. Think about how voice inflection, volume, even dialect and accent affects your perception of a person. We stereotype others (positively or negatively) by dialect and all of these other factors.
I explained it to my grandma this way, when she asked "why do gay men sound like that." If you were a smaller subgroup of individuals and you wanted to find other people in your community, speech is a no-fail, no-guesswork way to communicate your "membership" to and of that group.
So basically, I feel "gay male speech" is cultural, just like dialect (think Southern drawl), accents (e.g. a British person) or other cultural speech like African-American vernacular. Bottom line: interesting topic and hopefully we can all respect other speech patterns and vernaculars within communities.
Excelente articulo!
Thanks for sharing your story, Brenda Wastasecoot.
Tears, and I love you.
Excellent piece in its content and diversity. Well done.
Great article - very enjoyable read. Wondering if kids tested would show same results if one substituted the Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy for Santa Claus. I suspect so.
Congrats to Dr. Dale on recognizing the advances in dental care.
I would enjoy talking to Dr. Dale. My father, James Robson, graduated from U of T dentistry in 1928. I have a few dental tools with his red and green colours on them, and his graduation yearbook. I would love to tour the dental museum.
Thank you for sharing your story, Brenda Wastasecoot. It is so important to share and encourage empathy.
Once again, thank you for sharing your story, Brenda.
So very inspiring. Fascinating reading.
Many years ago as a new dental sales rep, a retiring dentist gave me his modelling kit from when he was a student in the 1930s, as well as a denture vulcanizer and a vulcanized denture. I donated these to this museum. Congratulations to Dr. Dale for caring about dentistry's past.
From an old moonias, thank you for sharing your story. It will help us all heal. Ekosi.
Thank you for this publication. It was very uplifting and a testament to the essential need for truth over power.
How wonderful! I'm a history grad from U of T, and have always fascinated by the dentistry building; I knew there was rich history there to be unfolded. U of T Dentistry has led the way in many dental innovations and discoveries. I'm so glad Dr. Dale is preserving the faculty's rich past.
I can certainly attest to the truth being important. Tahmid is extremely brave and I am glad U of T helped him.
I went through an experience of false news, generated by a vindictive former employee who smeared my reputation in the media while I was working as a professor in the European Union. Even after my complete exoneration, the attacks from this ex-employee continued. Thankfully, my husband and I decided to return to Canada. My Canadian university, Universite de Montreal, determined the truth and gave me the support I needed to keep going.
Individuals who start lies -- in Tahmid's case and mine -- have no conscience. You cannot expect them to care. My ordeal, although long (spread over four years), was in no way comparable to the horrific experience he went through. I share my experience as a fellow U of T alum, as further evidence of how fake news is extremely destructive, and how the truth can prevail. I am sure there are many others affected by fake news and I hope they too will find the support they need for the truth to shine through. Thank you for sharing your story. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
So much truth spoken in such a very small space. I am happy for Tahmid Khan in that the harrowing saga has ended reasonably well for him. It could be better, but such is life. We are grateful for what we receive and accept that some things will forever be out of our reach such as Tahmid's wishing a better outcome for his relatives, and quite possibly, a wish to have his reputation restored.
Every story here had an impact on me. It is heartening that good, caring people with passion and compassion are sharing their voices and leadership.
Very interesting to learn how DCB entries are updated as new facts emerge. On outdated language and assumptions: I hope you are careful not to be led by political correctness and related pressure groups. Please advise how I can provide some new factual data for an entry I wrote in Vol V, oh so many years ago. It sounds as though the very rigorous editorial process of my day continues to drive the process. Keep up the good work!
"A study found that people who identified as very conservative shared fake news at higher rates than liberals. Maybe Stephen Colbert was right to say, “Reality has a liberal bias.”"
A 2011 study by cognitive neuroscientist Ryota Kanai's group at University College London, published in Current Biology, found a correlation between differences in political views and differences in brain structure in a sample of university students. The researchers performed MRI scans on the brains of 90 volunteer students who had indicated their political orientation on a five-point scale ranging from "very liberal" to "very conservative." Students who reported more conservative political views tended to have a larger amygdala, a structure in the temporal lobe that performs a primary role in the processing and memory of emotions. In addition, they found clusters in which grey matter volume was significantly associated with conservativism in the left insula and the right entorhinal cortex.
There is evidence that conservatives are more sensitive to disgust and the insula is involved in the feeling of disgust. On the other hand, more liberal students tended to have a larger volume of grey matter in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a structure of the brain associated with monitoring uncertainty and handling conflicting information. It is consistent with previous research suggesting that individuals with a larger ACC have a higher capacity to tolerate uncertainty and conflicts, allowing them to accept more liberal views. The authors concluded that, "Although our data do not determine whether these regions play a causal role in the formation of political attitudes, they converge with previous work to suggest a possible link between brain structure and psychological mechanisms that mediate political attitudes."
Your inspirational words, always expressed so eloquently, provide your readers with some much needed comfort. Thank you, Meric Gertler!
Very interesting article, an eye opener.
Great write-up. It's made me consider my approach with my kids when they're talking back. Perhaps more questioning than direction, when appropriate. Thanks!
I am impressed with the research done by a mother to help her child, to capture a way to communicate with her senses.
Dr. Anne Dale taught me histology in the early 1960s in dental school. She soon became the heart and soul, indeed, the embodiment of curatorial decisions made at the Faculty of Dentistry museum. Her historical knowledge of the profession is unsurpassed. The profession owes her a great debt of gratitude.
A snapshot and symbol of "all hands on deck" including U of T's students, teachers, faculty and researchers! Please do not forget to add some of the folks who look after or resource mental, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of people in Canada and beyond.
This is fascinating! Would it be possible to take a tour (probably next year)? Would you consider being part of Doors Open Toronto?
I am so glad you finally told your story publicly. I am originally from Bangladesh and have a close connection with U of T. Good to know it played such a pivotal role in your fight for truth. Pursuit of truth without bias should rightly guide us, I believe that very strongly. Hopefully your story will motivate some to that end.
You never publish any criticisms within your comments section and for that reason alone you aren't to be taken seriously.
I enjoyed seeing the faces of people the university helped to inspire. I too was inspired to work in areas that had social good for Canadians. I worked as a psychiatrist and team leader in a university-led family court clinic. I also led the mental health program at Sioux Lookout aboriginal hospital for decades, chaired and helped found The Canadian Native Mental Health Association, developed a maximum security mental hospital for mentally ill and dangerous youth. My programs have received two American Psychiatric Association Gold Awards for programme excellence and innovation. I received wonderful support from U of T during my training.
For many people, it does indeed take courage to speak up for what they believe. For speaking out, many people have been assaulted, beaten, tortured, exiled and made refugees, or even put to death.
I am a Canadian Army veteran. I have seen many acts of true and authentic courage in which speaking the truth brought violent persecution. My father-in-law bears the scars of when he was tortured by the police of the Islamic Republic of Iran -- a country where, to this very day, conversion to Christianity is a crime punishable by death. My father-in-law is a real hero, who showed true courage in the face of violent persecution.
The University of Toronto has many alumni who have actually showed real courage in the face of violence and oppression. This article should have been about them.
As an educator I found this a very good article. My classroom and my home sound just like this! I would really love to see the actual study results. Is this possible? I was curious though: isn't 'talking back' something done rudely I.e "go do your homework" which is responded to by a "no, I don't want to to"; versus questioning/contradicting truth which is what this article is implying? I believe there is a difference. Perhaps the actual research begins by defining this variable but as an article, the sub-heading is a bit misleading.
A good representation of some of the many U of T alumni making this country a better place. An excellent piece, in a consistently high calibre publication.
Very interesting article, especially regarding the "talk back" as most children are taught to never talk back to a parent or elder.
I followed all these guys, especially Bill C. when I ran the 880 and mile during my school years 1960-66. I loved to run and still am heavily involved in triathlon and speed skating, along with coaching youth. I hope they will catch the passion that I did for sports. Abby Hoffman was also a runner that I admired and always will. Great article and great memories.
I appreciate the diversity of voices, cultures and issues represented in this article. It reminds me that as a social worker and psychotherapist providing culturally sensitive psychotherapy, I am not just providing a safe space for people to share their story but a vehicle where personal truths can be discovered, reconciled and honoured.
Well done! One of the most self-contradictory statements is the claim, "There's no such thing as truth." Ironically, the person making it expects to be believed and credited with saying what is true!
Similarly, claiming there is no such thing as "absolute truth" collapses on itself when the right questions are asked, such as, "What does that say about what you just stated?"
It is good to see the term "objective truth" being used once again. Sadly, the distinction between facts, interpretation, truth and opinion often is missing. An interesting exercise is giving priority to each of those words by putting the least important first and the most important last, an exercise not done here but worth attempting.
And little children have a great desire for truth and honesty. They take no delight in being told they can have an ice cream cone only to have that denied. Yet they do not have to be taught to be dishonest with their parents. It seems to come very naturally to them - and to us!
At the same time, we are told, "... unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 18:3); and the same Person said, "... you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (Jn. 8:32). Well worth thinking about!
As a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Spiritual Director, I find adults are deeply hurt because the truth is missing in some way from their relationship with another person or group. As they learn to stand up for the truth, others may learn to accept the truth of what they are saying, or turn against them because of their honesty.
Great discernment, wisdom and courage are needed, along with love rooted and grounded in truth. That includes love even for our enemies - not natural to us, yet necessary. May we grow in these qualities.
John, thank you for your positive comments. Please send us the new information you have for Samuel Andrews (I'm assuming that's the one), and we'll make the corrections. The easiest approach would be to go to our website, www.biographi.ca, click on Contact Us, and leave a message. Thank you very much!
Fred Kan (BASc 1964, JD 1967) writes:
I think it is important to speak up for the truth. But it is equally important not to create and spread falsehood or fake news. We must understand and assess the benefits and damages offered or incurred by social media.
Wayne Mackenzie writes:
You mean, all the truth that is politically correct.
George Heighington (BA 1972 UTSC) writes:
In 1980, I was raising a family in the Malvern area of Scarborough when we discovered that our property was contaminated by radioactive waste.
I helped bring together 53 culturally diverse, lower socio-economic families in the area who were affected by this. UTSC history professor John Moir was very helpful, though the university itself didn't want to be involved.
We succeeded in reducing our property taxes at the Ontario Municipal Board and writing case law in Canada as it applies to waste on (or in) land. After 1990, banks would not mortgage a property until it had been checked for waste. Land could not be developed until checked for waste. If waste was found, it had to be cleaned up. After 1990 Atomic Energy Canada began to clean up historic waste sites.
Matthew Jocelyn writes:
It’s interesting to note that in all the images of women, they are looking straight at us. All the men are looking elsewhere.
I’m a Cool School graduate of 1976. It was a remarkable experience and played a significant role in my educational and life path. I went on to earn a BFA, MFA and MEd, and am now a professor. One of my favorite quotes of Dr. Anderson's to use when encouraging my students to complete their course work and strive for excellence was, “There are 24 hours a day and then there are the night times.”
One source for this magical thing called Cool School was Hermann Hesse's Magister Ludi, which Jim Anderson held in high esteem. Jim opened doors to a lot of things for all of us, but for me his stress on personal responsibility for one's own learning, and for the learning of others, had its roots in the imaginative and visionary world of that book. He could have had a very lucrative and rewarding career as an academic scientist, but instead poured his remarkable energy into this educational project that brought many young people out of confusion and darkness. Tutors Ted, Bev and Virginia -- and others I did not know -- were essential to this project and all infused with Anderson's spirit. May we never forget!
This is amazing! I fell in love with Ron Husmann when I was a teeny-bopper, after seeing/hearing him in a performance at the San Bernardino Civic Light Opera. It must have been a horrifying experience for him to have lost his voice. Now that he has it back, do you know if he makes appearances anywhere? Thank you so much for helping him!
Thanks for your story, Brenda! I used to feel so sad when your siblings left. I was glad you were with us. Yes, it was a difficult life.
Thank you for sharing. I love this.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing.
Greg Keilty (BA 1970 St. Michael's) writes:
This is a fresh, clear discussion of an increasingly important issue. I would support the view that social media platforms must be held accountable for misinformation that they publish. But that adds a cost of doing business (one they could easily bear) so they will continue to resist it. Serious pressure from government will be required. Government regulation and enforcement have been out of fashion for a generation, with quite negative consequences in many areas -- most notably now in long-term care homes.
Regulation isn't a punishment. it's a necessary aspect of having a healthy society and healthy businesses. We've just had this pointed out at a terrible cost with long-term care homes. Ontario, where I live, has a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. I believe there are specific laws requiring that a certain standard of care be met. I assume the corporations who dominate this business have also successfully resisted any serious enforcement. The best we can say is that the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care didn't care enough to play their, admittedly difficult, role. As a result, the price -- paid by others -- has been very high.
The lesson for social media regulation is to get on with it in a serious fashion before there are more serious consequences.
This an excellent article. Thank you for the colourful and human aspects of J.A.D. McCurdy's adventures. Wonderfully done!
Beautiful writing. Thank you, Brenda.
Thank you so much, Brenda, for your powerful writing and truth-telling. I hope this piece is widely read.
Gwynneth Evans (BA 1962) writes:
Thank you for sticking to your decision to have a theme issue on "speaking the truth" -- despite the changes in our world in the last few months. This issue has brought an authentic and dynamic sense of the breadth and depth of teaching and scholarly activities at the University of Toronto.
While some of us now have more time in self-isolation, we need stimulation and a change of channel from the current preoccupation with the pandemic. This issue provided this through various perspectives on searching and speaking the truth. I was pleased to read about the DCB, which exposed the challenges of a multi-year, multi-faceted, bilingual publishing project.
There are many sources (some reliable) to learn about our collective COVID-19 experiences and the resulting needs of our societies. I hope universities will continue to express the distinctive characteristics of multiple areas of knowledge in the arts and social sciences, as well as bringing us news of scientific discoveries and their impacts.
There are some very strong comparisons here to the use of firearms. There’s a underground market of smuggled guns. When used improperly, people get hurt. The legal system wastes its resources on ineffective “treatment” for illegal use. As long as we have safe shooting zones... Oh wait, we do. And we foster an educational mentoring system for their safe use... Oh wait, we do. We should make all of them legal for those who choose to participate in the sport. We already have a stringent licensing system and controlled buying system in place, so this sport is already ahead of the drug game.
2018 Statistics Canada:
# of deaths from drugs: 9,000 in the first half (Jan-Jun)
# of homicides from guns: 249 (Jan-Dec)
Please let's talk about this, let’s become educated together.
I was a student at the faculty and would admire the collection of the museum before entering the dental library. Now I've got a handle on the interesting objects displayed there. Thanks, Dr. Dale.
Thank you for this excellent summary. I was a graduate student in the Johns lab in the mid-1970s, and he was a driving force for all members of the physics department at the Ontario Cancer Institute at Princess Margaret Hospital.
I have one small correction to the article. The second commercial model of the Cobalt unit (Eldorado A) was designed by Donald Green and Roy Errington of the Eldorado Mining & Refining company (later Atomic Energy of Canada). It was shipped to Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario, where Dr. Ivan Smith administered the world's first Cobalt-60 treatment to a cancer patient on Oct 27, 1951. This was to the dismay of the hard-working SaskatoonpPhysics team led by Johns. They delivered their first treatment on Nov. 11 -- just a few weeks "too late" to be the world premiere.
We have much work to do for caregivers. I am a full-time caregiver for my 98-year-old mother with advanced dementia. I've cried for help for last 12 years. The more I ask for help, the more I feel isolated.
We will succeed with strenuous effort against COVID-19. I salute the heroes who are working to combat this threat.
I think @Stacey hits it spot on, but there is an issue with the linguistic register argument. A linguistic register is a type of language used for a specific purpose. Think of how you may speak more professionally in one setting and also have a more casual register around your friends and family. This is just one example, there are plenty more.
As a gay man, I know my speech patterns vary depending on the situation. Sometimes this is a conscious decision: I use to protect myself. If I am in a group of younger men I am not familiar with, for example, I will dampen my "lavender" language. On the other hand, I've noticed that while in the company of women or gay men, my speech more stereotypically "gay."
As many professionals in the fields of linguistics and socio-linguistics will tell you, this phenomenon is not unique to gay men. It shows up in Reese Witherspoon's character in the movie "Sweet Home Alabama."
Interestingly, I did not code switch at all when I was younger. Before I knew exactly what gay was, I always sounded gay no matter the circumstances. It wasn't until my mid-teens that I can recall my speech patterns changing depending on the circumstances.
Now 35, I am still very curious as to how and why a child who didn't even grasp what a gay person was, or had any exposure to gay men, would speak with stereotypical and identifiable gay speech characteristics. I had male and female peers as friends so it's not as if I acquired a feminized speech pattern from an exclusive exposure to one gender in my social groups.
I am happy and proud to be how I am. But I think a lot of gay men, including me, want to know why. Why do we speak with the stereotypical gay speech? Where did it come from? I'm sure this is a natural response to possessing an observable variance of the majority population. It's frustrating not having an answer!
I enjoyed this article on Dr. Johns. I knew his mother Myrtle in Hamilton, Ontario, in the 1970s. She was the family historian and was very proud of the achievements of her children. She and I were distant cousins, both being descendants of the Whitlocks of Langtree, Devon. She was also an amazing lady.
As someone who grew up in the 1990s and early 2000s in Regent Park in Toronto, where this dialect was spoken, I can shed light on this. Jamaican youths have talked this way for some time now. It's something we made popular in our inner-city communities that has now been adopted by everyone else. The word Manz comes from the Jamaican slang "man" (pronounced "mon"), which is used almost exactly like Manz is. It must be stressed that at one point it was only the inner-city kids (in Regent Park, Jane-Finch, Scarborough) that spoke this way, until it became the popular form of slang in the city.
As a mother of a non-verbal son with Autism, I found this article and research very interesting. I would be very much interested in the details of the study.
Miskeen is a word from Amharic the language of Ethiopia.
As a cancer survivor, I suspect that exercise was a factor in my post-op success and recovery. I am now helping Canadian university students start cancer clubs to provide support and help raise awareness among youth.
I heard them last year (pre-COVID) and they were fabulous!
I met Ron at a civic theater in Rockford, Illinois, in 1967. I wonder how he would feel about some recognition by his home town.
I am so sorry for the loss sustained by your family and other Indigenous families whose lives were uprooted so heartlessly through the process of so-called assimilation and conformity. I pray you find strength in the resilience you and other survivors have displayed and use that resilience to carve out a brighter and more celebratory future.
Thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom. Our hearts open thanks to your strength. To learn more each day about the lies of the federal government, tears flow. I pray for the improvement of the living conditions of loved ones. The land is not a possession, just part of the whole. The ignorance of this natural law is the source of such pain and is man's own creation.
I agree. I want to help end the so-called war on drugs.
I was walking along Tower Road behind University College one bitterly cold morning to get to an 8 a.m. class. Oddly, there weren't any other students around. I was listening to my music with one earbud on low volume when I heard someone singing. I took out my earbud. It sounded like a woman's voice singing an old-time children's rhyme like "ring-around the rosie."
As I got closer to the building entrance, I saw a woman walking toward me with a grey, dingy blanket around her neck that covered her entire body. Her face was so pale I thought she was wearing makeup. As she sang, her voice sounded as if it was cracking, like she was trying to hold back tears. I thought she might have been practising for a play (although I did think it odd to be "in character" at that time and place). She didn't look in my direction or acknowledge me. She just walked by slowly, singing in her high-pitched, shaky voice. I went inside and didn't look back. At the time, I hadn't heard the stories about UC being haunted. But a week later I did, and I remember feeling a cold chill run down my spine.
I suggest you change the image on the lead of this story. Sir John A is hardly a recommendation for the DCB.
@Ceta
Thank you for your comment. In fact, we chose Sir John A Macdonald precisely because the historical perspective on him has changed in recent years, illustrating the main point of the article.
A great article. It brought back vivid memories of Sister Frances Nims, who used to teach Old and Middle English (in the 1960s) when the Centre was the Pontifical Institute for Mediaeval Studies. Several of us used to sneak into her classes on Chaucer. I had the privilege of living with her for a number of years. Thanks for posting this.
Excellent article!
On the East Coast of Canada, it's a "sook" rather than a "suck", someone who's whiney, reluctant, ie. "Don't be a sook." It's also used more endearingly with animals, "Aw, you're a little sook, aren't ya?"
Apparently "get out," as in "get out of here" might be a regional expression as well (at least I encountered someone recently on Toronto who'd never heard it).
According to my mother and my grandfather, my grandmother was the patient at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario, to receive the first Cobalt-60 treatment on Oct 27, 1951.
It was good to read about the farmerettes of the First World War on November 11. I recently published a book called Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes. Finding farmerettes who were mostly in their late 80s and 90s and collecting their stories and photos into a book, which has been nominated for a women's history award, was an amazing journey.
I heard the CBC lecture series and was quite impressed. My sister heard the re-broadcast and gave me a call as she remembered me talking about Ursula Franklin’s original programs. I feel I was quite lucky to find this info online and will be telling everyone to check it out.
Great article. Very well written!
I have huge respect for the inspired leadership from U of T Scarborough and the Faculty of Social Work. We greatly look forward to reading -- and building upon -- the National Charter.
Just because humans can use other animals to test on does not mean we should. We need to consider that, after thousands or even millions of animals have suffered, researchers still need to conduct human trials.
Humans consider themselves the most intelligent species on Earth. Surely we can come up with accurate ways to test the effectiveness of drugs or do other kinds of biological research without harming other species.
As a black 7T4 MBA from Jamaica, I salute the efforts of all involved in trying to eliminate racism at the university. Our numbers were much smaller then, on campus and in the society at large, and the prospect of a black principal was as remote as the U.S. electing a black president. Keep up the struggle.
I'm very impressed with the innovations taking place in medicine and related fields. I am also impressed with the philosophy shared by the Faculty of Medicine and the generous donor. How fortunate we belong to such a marvellous university.
Professor Gertler's thoughts are very welcome. I can speak as a child survivor of the Second World War in England, during which time we were buoyed by the optimism of better days ahead. The first Canadians I met were the brave soldiers of Princess Patricia's Light Infantry from Hamilton, Ontario, where by coincidence, I found myself years later -- as a postdoctoral fellow in chemistry at McMaster University. I came to U of T's chemistry department in 1961, and in 1965 became principal of what is now UTM. In my experience, the values of patience, perseverance, good humour, and kindness are essential tools in surviving difficulty in order to enjoy the better times that are surely to come.
Please continue to urge our politicians (including our local Members of Parliament) to attack the systemic racism that exists in our criminal justice system. My respectful suggestion (I am a male, white lawyer in my 60s specializing in criminal law) is that our politicians stop giving police new broad discretion to search, detain and arrest. Our criminal law has been amended many times in the last few years to give police more investigative tools, gear and powers. This trend needs to stop. Police powers need to be limited, not expanded. Police powers need to have bright lines that circumscribe them. The public also need to be educated about the dangers in turning a blind eye to police abuse of their powers. Unfortunately our politicians, media and entertainment glorify police "toughness" on "crime" and "criminals," thus oppressing ordinary people doing lawful things, who may simply, be a target of police racism.
What is the date of this information?
Really great piece. Thank you!
Don't give up. The gains may be incremental but every bit helps. When I, a Black woman, attended university in the 1960s, I had a psychology professor who never once recognized my raised hand when I wanted to ask a question. I would raise my hand several times during a session just to see if I was assessing the situation right. He never saw me. Keep on trucking.
You missed the chance to share colour photos of a real zebra fish or two. They are handsome and friendly looking.
As with businesses, why not reward police management for reaching certain goals -- and of course, discipline for not meeting goals. Start at the top. Don't just blame the beat cop. Promotion and positive reward should be part of the process. Make goals public and report results to the public. Hold people accountable. The goals for de-escalation should be clear.
Based on recent articles, it seems like the problems could be systemic for a small sub-set of officers. Where is the discipline for dealing with the problems? Are police unions too powerful?
Let's have some honest assessments and solutions.
An excellent and inspiring article. The world needs more understanding and compassionate people like Mr. Flores, who are making a difference.
As a retired former police officer, on both armed and unarmed forces, I find it interesting how police have reacted to some recent potential use-of-force situations. Police shootings that create collateral damage are a reality. The lack of knowledge about how to control one's action while influenced by adrenaline is a prime suspect. Stress-response training and physical training would go a long way to help overcome this.
I offer training in shooting sports, including to many police officers. I am often astounded by how many officers are unfamiliar with handguns and carbines. They receive minimal training with weapons and next-to-no support for practice due to budget constraints.
Ayisha's story is an inspiring one to the younger generation. Soar higher, girl. The sky is the limit.
I am bemused at the tone of some of the comments: rightful indignation at open borders, closed borders, what-have-you.
We are all immigrants in Canada. The people to whom this country belongs by moral right are the many "Native Peoples," whom we, the immigrants persisted over a long period in calling "Indians." These are the people who ought to be deciding where any borders should be.
This is beautiful. Thank you, Raquel, for capturing this moment in U of T's history. I hope these conversations bring about actual systemic changes.
Aaniin. I am a 1977 graduate of the University of Toronto. My time at the university was a trip into the world of Euro-Canadian culture, history and law. I did not have many fellow "Indian" students to make the journey with me. My language and worldview is pre-Columbus, so it was hard for me to articulate my experience to my professors and non-Indian classmates. Today, the academic community is coming to understand that our ways of knowing are unique to this land. Indigenous House, as a community meeting place, will give us an opportunity to share our solutions and gifts with other perspectives who now occupy Turtle Island.
I read this story with interest and can attest to the many challenges of continuing to persevere in spite of adversity. The programmer father can confirm!
@Margaret
The information for this article was gathered in October 2020.
Wendy Burton (PhD 2016) writes:
It was so nice to see this short piece about award-winning computer science teacher Dan Zingaro.
On top of everything else, Dan has a great sense of humour. My son was one of his “seeing eye students,” which is how he described the many students who hung around his office, seeking coaching -- or companionship with a kindred spirit.
Dan is a wonderful mentor. He encouraged my son to become a TA, an experience that he now puts to use as a scrum master and team lead at a tech firm.
The world needs more Dans!
This is brilliant!
This is a fantastic and very relevant topic!
I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to not only meet Dr. James Anderson ("DA") as a student, but to call him a close and dear friend.
I studied at Cool School in the early 1980s, and it was truly was one of the best times of my life. Jim understood that you cannot expect people -- especially teens -- to want to be better if you act superior.
He understood that learning is participation, not regurgitation. That failure and making mistakes should be encouraged rather than punished.
Jim realized (to the benefit of "the Coolies") that teens, or anyone seeking knowledge, can be encouraged to learn by exploring something they themselves are passionate about -- not just reading about how someone else did it, but actually doing it themselves.
Even today, in the middle of a historic global pandemic, teens of this generation are not taught that much differently than I was in public school. It's a shame that Jim’s legacy has disappeared.
My schoolmates of 1983-84 cheer and miss you, Dr. A.
This is a great article by Megan Easton. It really touched the heart and spirit of Rodney Bobiwash.
Thank you for this important and inspiring article. I will look forward to learning more about Mr. Flores' work with Indigenous women - his methods, his findings and his recommendations. I will watch for publications that describe his work.
An impressive and moving account of how education can empower us. Knowing there is a right way (through encouragement) and a wrong way (through fear and coercion) to become educated is a powerful tool.
Great read. When's the book coming out?
As a use-of-force instructor I would love to read Professor Andersen’s research. Where can I find it?
@Marc-Andre
You may find some relevant materials at Judith Andersen's HART Lab website
My husband is involved with a group who have developed an app to screen and eventually diagnose Covid-19. Please go to Voicehealth.ca for more information. There is even more hope!
There's also a wonderful movie called “When Night Is Falling" that was filmed on U of T campus.
Katherine (Hauke) DuGarm (BA 1983 St. Michael's) writes:
Regarding the chart showing fatal police shootings by country, my thought is that much greater number of shootings in U.S. and Mexico is related to the prevalence of guns in the general population. That is, police are more likely to shoot first, thinking that the person they stop is carrying a gun. This speaks to a need for gun control as well as police training.
Far overdue in Ontario. With the help of social-work trained advisers and counsellors, the rate of violence in domestic issues and mental health cases could be dramatically reduced I believe.
A very nice sculpture with a much friendlier expression of Norman Bethune, compared to the one in Montreal.
Thank you for this article, Raquel A. Russell. Some of us are thinking about how changes can happen in approaches to writing and reading pedagogy at U of T writing centres and in classes. How can our pedagogy reflect anti-racist approaches to teaching and learning? Thank you for the work at UTSC and beyond.
I loved reading this article about Canada and Canadians. You have such a lovely rich culture! I’m curious about why poutine wasn’t mentioned. It’s supposed to be delicious and a Canadian favorite. Can’t wait to try it!
@Jane Rubino
All the items included in this story have a connection to the University of Toronto. As much as we'd like to claim responsibility for creating poutine, the dish seems to have originated at a restaurant in the Centre-du-Quebec area in the 1950s.
Happy birthday
Happy Birthday!
U of T is my dream university and I'm going to be there after two more years of high school. Happy Birthday U of T!!!!
Informative!
Thanks!
This was fun
This was fun - thank you! I started undergrad at U of T in 1988
Interesting trivia!
A balanced and thought-provoking article. Thank you to the university for making a conscious effort to correct what has always been a dark spot on the fabric of humanity. I believe the university and the country will be better for it. I agree with Dexter Voisin that racism is a structural problem where Blacks are systematically denied opportunity to grow.
Like some of your students looking forward to seeing their first Black professor, I await my first Black manager. My prayers go to the younger generation of Black men and women -- for them to gain new opportunities through the determined efforts of sensible countries and institutions championing equity and racial equality.
Well written, insightful, hopeful article. Glad to see U of T making a difference
I founded a bursary for persons with disabilities at U of T. I hope it is still being accessed. It is the Allen Angus Rodgers Wheelchair Athletes Disability Bursary.
U of T's first statement on Disability and Accessibility, approved in principle by Governing Council on March 26, 1981, is pasted below in whole.
The University and Accessibility for Disabled Persons
The University of Toronto, with a very large number of old buildings and sprawling urban campus, can present a formidable challenge to disabled persons. Adaptations have been made to Erindale and Scarborough, but the situation on the St. George campus remains difficult. The task of reviewing the University’s facilities in terms of physical accessibility, assigning priorities for improvements, and finding funds for the changes that will be necessary is equally formidable. The financial aspect is particularly troubling at a time when the University’s needs in so many areas are acute, its resources eroded and its prospects for relief in the near future dim.
Given these constraints, it must be recognized that progress will be slow. However, the University has made a beginning, and intends, to the extent that is possible, to take the following steps toward improving accessibility in the months and years ahead.
1. The University endorses in principle the objectives of the United Nations General Assembly resolution proclaiming 1981 as the International Year of Disabled Persons.
2. The University will continue to develop administrative procedures to facilitate the integration of disabled persons into the University community including academic, administrative and support services.
3. The University will encourage faculty and staff to make accommodations for the requirements of disabled persons.
4. The University will seek funding with a view to ensuring that its buildings, services, and programmes are made accessible where feasible. The goal shall be a major improvement in accessibility within ten years according to a list of priorities established in consultation preferably with recognized groups of disabled persons at the University of Toronto, or failing such groups, with disabled members of the University community. When significant structural alterations are made or new facilities are built the needs of disabled persons will be considered.
5. The University will consult and work with other academic institutions in the province in the belief that the needs and issues require a co-operative effort on a system-wide basis.
6. The administration will place before the Budget Advisory Committee on an annual basis an appreciation of the University’s progress in making the campus accessible to the physically handicapped and a set of recommendations for continuing improvements.
Office of the Vice-President –
Personnel and Student Affairs
February 12, 1981
Thank you for this article. As a person with hearing disability who cannot read sign language, I have relied on e-mail and closed captions for online communication during COVID-19. Closed-caption options that do not require prerecording have been available on TV for many years. Surely, with the technological brilliance at the university, it should be possible to increase accessibility to online courses, talks, etc. by devising a closed-caption option that does not entail prerecording.
This is just brilliant! May I suggest a combination of two devices (like a surgeon's two hands). One robot could probe a tumour with a hot or cold or mechanical knife and the second could suction the debris. Many possible iterations!
My teenage sons will be up by noon this Sunday, and they'll find I've texted them this article highlighting "trading up the chain ... our collective ruin ... restraint." I hope my thanks go viral, as they say these days.
Net-zero carbon is a fallacious idea. Building off-campus solar farms that would provide clean energy to the power grid does not cancel out the carbon emissions that would still be produced on-campus. Reducing emissions ought to be an end in itself, not a license to emit carbon somewhere else and call it "net zero."
Carbon capture and storage has not been shown to be a scalable technology to the extent required to offset industrial-scale carbon burning. Even if it becomes scalable, "net-zero" is not a low enough target because it would merely keep our already excessive levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide at the same level. Ultimately, it makes no sense to continue burning fossil carbon while trying to figure out how to sequester carbon from the biosphere. It's like trying to put the genie back in the bottle. Leave fossil carbon in the ground!
Great article! Way to go, Austin.
"Mitigate the ills of technology"? As a member of the scientific community, I take exception to this characterization. Many of the people abusing social media are inciting a culture of anti-science. Anti-vaxxers are only the tip of the iceberg, and it is members of the scientific community we should rely on for fact-checking. Politicians and the media often fail to understand the science, which makes it even easier for those who manipulate social media.
Both this article and "Clearing the Air" are amazingly well thought-out and bring hope and direction. They need wider circulation.
If I could, I would send you copies of two articles written by Lee McIntyre in regard to his book Post-Truth, from the MIT Essential Knowledge Series. They discuss cognitive dissonance and the difficulty of negating a lie. Using the idea of an ecosystem is good. This is not just a single problem, but a social one that must be handled on a broad front.
Three points that this article could address further:
- Attracting top talent should work alongside nurturing strong talent.
- Evidence is missing for immigration barriers being a loss for talent.
- Other than talent in AI and health sciences, do we need talent in the basic sciences whose economic potential are less evident?
And I really agree with the statement "this includes major investments in both private and public sector research and development, innovation partnerships that connect producers of know-how to homegrown companies that can harness breakthrough technologies, and public procurement that leverages the domestic market to support this innovation-based economic activity" because to me an investment in the knowledge-based economy is a long-term investment.
Canada needs to face the fact that Americans do not want to live in Canada. And we cannot clearly justify drawing in the brightest from lower-income countries when it disadvantages those countries. So what remains is to use our own strengths. Canada has top-tier education, engineering and health, along with many other disciplines. Alberta, for example, could stabilize its economy by creating a genomics institute. It could add a vaccine institute with a level 4 lab and an AI hub -- all of which could collaborate with universities in each province. Let the international talent follow. We have not been able to even coordinate medical data across our own country. If such institutes could get it done, we could become a medical powerhouse.
This is a biased article. Unfortunately, there is disinformation and misinformation on both sides. When one side dominates and controls the narrative, there is a loss of trust in society's institutions.
@Allen Angus Rodgers
The bursary is indeed still being offered. Details can be found here.
So, environmental sustainability isn't the goal, but rather a smart business model? Interesting.
Excellent article, thank you!
From Jennifer Angus (BA 1994 Innis):
Thank you SO much for advocating and allowing space for the voices of differently abled students to be heard on such a broad platform.
I’m very glad the university has spent a lot of time and funds to improve accessibility. Yes, there is always room for expansion and, as the article notes, a shift in perspective is needed from the default “ableism.”
I graduated from U of T in 1994 when I was not disabled. Somewhat recently I became significantly disabled. I’ve often wondered how I would have been able to attend many of my classes had I been disabled at the time. I wonder if I would have been able to graduate.
Many doors to exciting opportunities are shut to people with varying disabilities. The students you profiled are true champions in my view. I wish that more organizations -- both private and public -- would learn to understand and appropriately acknowledge these profound successes.
Excellent goals. As someone who teaches and also does small-scale investments, I believe teaching is fundamental.
Thank you for this article. It is good to learn that the definition of what constitutes a "disability" is widening in scope.
My son has been ill with an autoimmune disease that is invisible to the rest of us other than the debilitating pain we see him suffering from time to time. When he was in high school, it was a constant struggle to fight for him to have extra time to complete exams, tests and assignments because of his disease. Now at U of T, he is having a great year with classes online. If he has to miss a class because of illness, he can watch it and catch up. Course materials are all accessed online. I hope that this will continue even after going back to in-person lectures.
I am a graduate of U of T. When I started my program, in 2006, I had a six-month old baby. I was still breastfeeding. I asked if it would be possible to have a quiet private space with a sink for 10 minutes a day so I could pump milk. I was flatly refused. There were at least five other lactating mothers in my year, too.
A change in attitude was definitely needed. A careful and respectful consideration of what people need when they come forward would be helpful. My incident was especially infuriating because at the time our courses all preached how we had to be more inclusive, respectful and accommodating. That was not the way I was treated. So I am happy to hear things are changing to enable all people to be successful in their learning environment.
I graduated in 2007 and was registered with accessibility services throughout my university years. As a coma survivor (acquired brain injury), accommodations such as extra time on tests and peer note-takers were integral to my success. Congrats to U of T for developing accessibility services since then and creating opportunities for students who otherwise face substantial obstacles.
The way to deal with the disinformation is not to deplatform people. Deplatforming enrages and entrenches people. The solution to misinformation is open debate. That is the Canadian way: laws are not passed without parliamentary debates; criminals are not convicted without a chance to defend themselves, scientific papers are not published till they have been peer reviewed. Even religious organizations such as the Christian church have a long history of calling councils to debate issues. Of course, debates do not always end up supporting the truth, for people are only human. Furthermore, not every individual is won to the side of the majority. But open debate remains our best avenue to stop misinformation. Sadly, how rare it is for two opposing sides to meet publicly and discuss an issue rationally.
I'd like to mention the Main Source. They were Canadian DJs/producers along with L Pro (USA). They gave us Nas.
So wonderful. I love how he has adjusted to the recognition. That is so good !
From Allan B. McMillan (BScPT 1974):
As a cancer survivor who was treated with the DaVinci Robot at the London (Ontario) Regional Cancer Clinic in 2020, I have a great appreciation of the benefits technology can provide. Prof. Jessica Burgner-Kahrs and her team at the Continuum Robotics Laboratory are on the leading edge of an exciting time in robotic development.
In the future, surgical methods that are more precise, less invasive and widely available will provide improved outcomes across a number of medical situations. I expect the human-to-robot interface to become more user-friendly as the application of the technology expands.
Keep up this exciting area of research and development!
From Maria (Moncada) DiDanieli (BSc 1992 St. Mike's):
I applaud efforts to attract international talent in order to optimize our potential for developing solutions to global challenges. But I feel we have more than adequate talent within our own country, and that leveraging this talent should be our first priority.
Improving equitable opportunities for education, training and advancement would be job one. Building programs that send our talent to other countries to collaborate and learn from thought-leaders and then bring this knowledge home to leverage in locally sustainable strategies is another approach.
Finally, we could expand our talent pool by lowering barriers for foreign-trained professionals to ply their trades upon immigrating to Canada, rather than relegating them to work that does not reflect their training and knowledge. Canada has world-class talent already. We need to get better at recognizing, cultivating and rewarding this talent. I feel universities should be stronger advocates for this.
From Paul Cosgrove (BA 1957 St. Mike's):
Prof. Steven Farber's perspective on fairness in Toronto public transportation service echoes my own underlying convictions and motivations in transit planning through the past 50 years, including my term as mayor of Scarborough, from 1973 to 1978.
My view is that the current plans for subway extension in Toronto are not only unfair to many residents but border on the irrational. The article offers a positive solution of expanded bus service.
Ron Saporta, chief operating officer for property services and sustainability at the St. George campus, responds:
@Jeff White
@Maddy
Thank you for your comments. It is important to highlight how offsite generation of renewable energy complements our climate positive strategy. On its own, our climate strategy does not create a net-zero (or carbon negative) outcome. The plan to use offsite renewables is strongly coupled with our commitment to completely eliminating fossil fuels as a primary source of heating. By 2050, any remaining carbon emissions at the St. George campus (from grid electricity, for example) would be “offset” by generating our own 100 per cent renewable electricity.
Our plan to reduce carbon emissions from now to 2050 are aligned with the definition of regenerative sustainability -- to leave things better than how we found them, from environmental and financial perspectives.
Our Climate Positive Plan, to be released later in 2021, will be accompanied by a full technical briefing that will demonstrate how we plan on achieving our goal. I look forward to sharing this with the U of T community.
From Zach Morgenstern (BSc 2015 Victoria):
I was pleased to read about the incredible sustainability initiatives being pursued at U of T. From the machine designed by members of the department of mechanical and industrial engineering to capture carbon dioxide to the building of Canada’s largest urban geoexchange project on the front campus, U of T is, once again, leading the way and setting an example to other universities across the country.
It’s a shame, however, that this hasn’t translated to success for the fossil fuel divestment movement. The pension and endowment portfolios are still investing millions of dollars in the very fossil fuel companies that are producing the carbon dioxide that is destroying the environment. The real power of universities in the environmental movement, is not in the small scale changes they make to themselves. Rather, it’s in the intellectual message they send to the world. A fossil-fuel-free world is possible and U of T should use its intellectual influence to send that message to the world.
I think speech patterns are mostly unintentional. In my case, I wouldn't know how to change my voice to sound more "straight." This is how I've always talked and always will -- unless I were to actively try to change my voice.
This article is evidence of the bias that exists within universities and media. It does not bode well for society when a very small privileged group (academia and media) use their power and influence to stifle dissenting views about what "the truth" is. There's a presumption in this article that all smart U of T alumni must agree on one "truth." No counter viewpoint is presented.
Fighting disinformation is tough, especially in this retweet, repost, BCC world where anonymity and unaccountability thrive. Trust is turning to distrust. We do need to reexamine the algorithms that can nurture the spread of falsehoods. While artificial intelligence is being explored to identify disinformation, I suggest we look at ways to "slow down" the spread; maybe using tools from blockchain technology or employing multi-step transaction/authentication in social media. If we cannot stop the spread of disinformation, by slowing it down we can give time to rethink our online actions -- especially if we are unwitting, innocent partners to the problem.
Very timely and informative!
I am a proponent of building resilience and critical-thinking skills, which to me is much more sensible and rewarding, with a lot more upside, than doing what we typically do in a liberal democracy: play "whack-a-mole" or "fight." This is silly.
"Fighting" disinformation is not necessary if we confer the critical-thinking skills on our youth through education. Any university that has graduated people who believe and spread disinformation needs to be asking and answering, "Why and how are we failing?"
But, as we well know, the process needs to start in youth.
Thank for this article. My daughter has a learning disability. This article is comforting, since she will be making a decision about university next year.
As much as I appreciate this article, I cannot help but notice that there are no representations of Black bodies who must negotiate this system. As a person with a disability, I have yet to receive a warm reception in this same space. How do you account for that? This is not to say that I am not happy for those who do get acknowledgment; it's good to know that the system works for some of us. I'm just not sure it works for all of us.
I'm on the hunt for film locations at U of T in the 1973 film The Paper Chase. Some I've been able to spot, but some still elude me. I don't think Old Vic was the Harvard Law Library. Perhaps it was the medical library beside Sig Sam.
Very interesting article! I discovered it while trying to find out how many women attended U of T in 1905. My grandmother was Lucy May Rankin, a U of T graduate. She married Charles Montgomery Teasdale, another graduate.
Great story. Also a very nice guy.
@Zach Morgenstern
The University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation (UTAM), reports that as of December 31, 2020, it has achieved a 37 per cent cumulative reduction in the carbon footprints of the university's pension and endowment portfolios, compared to 2017, and the pension portfolio’s absolute carbon emissions are 21 per cent lower over the same time period. UTAM’s president and chief investment officer, Daren Smith, says that less than two per cent of the pension and endowment portfolios' equity investments are currently in oil and gas companies, down from between five and six per cent five years ago.
From Will Steeves Mancini (BA 1991 UC):
I was surprised to read that the author considers the belief that the current pandemic was invented in a Chinese lab, to be not only extreme, but just plain false. While I can't prove that this belief is true, the author can't simply declare it a falsehood either. There actually is a military laboratory in Wuhan, and the possibility of an accidental release can't simply be brushed aside.
Similarly, if a pandemic were ever to appear to originate in north-central Maryland, the possibility that the pandemic was an accidental release from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Frederick, Maryland, could not simply be dismissed as implausible.
With this in mind, I have to ask: In our zeal to root out online extremism and falsehoods, who gets to decide what's true and what's false? Or, what's extreme or moderate? In light of the upcoming passage of Bill C-10, I'm not sure I like where this slippery slope is headed.
Maybe straight men lower their voice to project masculinity, rather than gay men raising their voice to do the opposite.
This is a great initiative for students facing problems with housing and finances.
I totally agree with Dr. Zhou on the effects of income on health care. Think about the health improvements we could achieve if everyone in society could see a health-care provider regularly, have their basics checked, history reviewed, and prompt action taken to keep them healthy. Thank you for bringing a more humanistic approach to medicine again. Keep up the good work!
I think this initiative is brilliant and helpful for students who typically are faced with a huge financial burden.
This article only provides sources of what is perceived as "right-wing" falsehoods. Where are the left-wing examples? The article indicates that about 90 per cent of those charged with crimes from January 6 did not have any connections to right-wing organizations, but the event is still characterized as "right-wing." Gabrielle Lim promotes "deplatforming" and thus censorship. Giving the readers the facts and letting them make their own judgment is preferable.
While I applaud the strategies endorsed and the ideas, many of which are important solutions, I was disappointed in one thing: the year 2050 is far too far away. Organizations that make claims about 2040 or 2050 seem to be completely missing the dire urgency of the situation.
Probably happens the same way as picking up any local accent. You end up sounding like the people you spend time with.
From Brian Chang (BA 2009 Innis)
I have microtia, but it was only when I started attending university and had classes with more than 200 students that I struggled to hear what was being said. Many professors refused to use microphones in large lecture halls, thinking their voice was loud enough.
In second year, I went to accessibility services for help. They told me I needed a report from a specialist about my disability. I remember being confused. I had never seen a specialist. My disability just is. It doesn’t get worse or better. Accessibility services wouldn’t talk to me about options.
After obtaining a referral from my family doctor, I waited months to see an otolaryngologist. When I eventually saw him, he was confused about what I was asking for. I said I just wanted my professors to use a microphone. He didn’t understand why I needed his opinion.
In the end, I was able to give accessibility services what they needed. They reviewed the file and told me they would cover the cost of someone to take notes for me in class – an accommodation I hadn't asked for.
I gave up at that point, feeling truly unseen and not listened to. I didn’t need or want someone else to take notes. I wanted professors to pick up the lapel mic at every teaching station and use it. Accessibility services took away my agency, so I rejected the help.
In third year, things improved. Classes were smaller, and in smaller rooms I felt more confident asking a professor to use a mic if I needed them to. But I will never forget how disempowered accessibility services at U of T made me feel.
From Arjun Kaul (BSc 2020 St. Michael’s)
I love U of T, but my experience as a disabled student here has not been great – even with the assistance of accessibility services, which has saved me on countless occasions. I think U of T (and academia in general) has to reconcile that prioritizing abstract concepts such as “rigour” and “academic excellence” actually means designing an environment hostile to disabled students. Accessibility services is a wonderful organization, but I can’t count the amount of times that professors have just said “no” when I’ve requested accommodations in order to be “fair” or to keep to deadlines.
From my own experiences I truly believe this. I have been a compulsive exerciser since my teens. Throughout my 30s and 40s (I'm now 50) I have had cognitive decline. At the same time, I have developed this issue where the veins in my palms become very visible like a horror movie because they are constricting. Estrogen is a vasodilator. I have lost my period although am not in menopause. Everything is better if I take flax oil which contains phytoestrogens.
This is such a cruel predicament for women. We want to be slim and athletic. I have fought my body composition all my life since puberty (I have lipedema). So my choices seem to be exercise hard to optimize my body composition and get dementia, or accept a less than optimal body composition, have less energy etc.
This article is comforting and encouraging. I love that it addresses accessibility for disabilities that are not normally visible.
This is staggering! I will use these ideas for my work in neuromusicology. Music is nothing if not "pattern recognition." Many thanks to Dr. Hinton. He is a massive inspiration.
There is hope for all of us to have that "aha moment." I love the the history on Paul McCartney and "Yesterday." Thanks to writer Dan Falk for all his research on this article.
Given the scientific expertise at the university, I would have expected this initiative to already have concluded. I realize some of the technology, such as modern solar panels and battery banks, didn't exist a decade ago. Still, it's a shame to have waited so long for ambitious leadership on this issue.
I wish I'd had access to this program as a new immigrant in 2006. I would have benefited immensely from an older person's knowledge of Canadian culture and way of life. It would have been financially and socially beneficial as well.
Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw did a wonderful job for the world's women. If her soul can hear me, I salute her from the bottom of my heart. And Stacey Gibson did an amazing job writing this article.
When my husband went to Moose Factory as part of his medical residency in 1974, a pound of hamburger cost 38 cents in Toronto. At the Moose Factory Hudson Bay Post, a head of moldy lettuce cost $10. Doesn’t sound like things have improved.
"This array, atop the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre at U of T Scarborough, reduces the building’s energy use by 10 to 15 per cent."
Does it actually reduce energy usage or result in energy consumption from renewable sources? I would expect it to achieve both but would be interested in knowing how much energy reduction is associated with energy dispersion away from the structure resulting from panel presence.
Great article, but in the meantime, is there anything we can do to help short-term? What is the best organization to support with donation dollars to improve matters?
I'm pleased to see you referenced Frederick Banting's First World War experience.
Most enjoyable. A fascinating individual, a fascinating subject, and a very well written article by Dan Falk.
If geochemistry can merge into biochemistry on Earth (metabolism + membrane + memory = life) then I think it's a high statistical probability that it can do so on some exoplanets. Good luck, Dr. Seager.
The universe did not have a beginning, nor does it end. Our species runs into the epistemological limitations of the human brain which cannot understand in any profound way concepts like "eternity" or "infinity" and then we impose our limitations on the stupendous colossal dynamic process we call "the universe" when we say "it began" X years ago.
We recognize quantum phase changes and phase changes at the human Newtonian scale. What happened X years ago was a cosmic phase change in which the existing state of the dynamic process metamorphosed into the current physical state with the constants and properties we observe and with which construct our current models. Note: "current" and "model"; not "permanent" and "reality."
The universe is an endless process, like the surface of a Möbius strip.
The recent loss of my dearly loved wife after 70 years of happy marriage has caused me to think deeply about life, death, creation and the existence of something after life.
I wonder what today's science has to say about the idea of a continuous, ether-type of "force" after death. From where does the "spark" of life emanate? Would that same spark endure after death?
There are lots of goldfish in my local stormwater pond in Richmond Hill, Ontario. I noticed them first about four years ago.
A most interesting article!
However, it would have been nice to see the author mentioning the book The Discovery of Insulin by Michael Bliss who was a U of T grad and long time history professor!
I would hope that the author consulted that award winning book!
In Dundas, Ontario, on the McCormack Trail, there is a pond with thousands of goldfish. The area is accessed from Governor's Road, just past the entrance to the Dundas Conservation Area.
I read the article with a great interest. Psychology has substantially changed since I studied it as an undergraduate at Hokkaido University. I went on to graduate studies in psychometrics and mathematics at the University of North Carolina in the 1960s. Your article reminded me of my younger days.
Thank you for this article. The information was presented in a way that was interesting and easy to understand.
Thanks for sharing this amazing discovery. I heard about Banting and Best from one of my professors at Ramsay. Wishing U of T success.
This is beautiful. I love it. Thank you, U and T, for helping student and seniors mentally and financially.
I am 87 years old. I graduated from U of T as an actuary in 1955. My mother's father, Abraham Sherman, was one of the first people to be saved by the Banting and Best discovery. He decided to retire at age 44, and spent a lot of time with me, taking me to Toronto, Michigan, Lake Simcoe. This was wonderful because my mother and father worked hard and didn't have much time for me. He even taught me to drive a car and how to operate a boat -- none of which would have been possible without insulin.
My son attended U of T for two years. During his time there, we were able to visit both the U of T exhibit and the Banting House Museum in London, Ontario. Banting House Museum goes into more details about Banting’s life. I highly recommend both!
Thank you for your interesting article. Gladys Boyd, my mother's first cousin, graduated from the University of Toronto in 1918 with a Bachelor of Medicine. She was appointed the head of Endocrine Services at the Hospital for Sick Children in 1921 and held this position until 1950.
Fredrick Banting stated in his Nobel Prize Lecture, “With the improvement in the quality of insulin, the increased knowledge of its physiological action and the increased quantities at our disposal ... a clinic was established ... at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children in association with Dr. Gladys Boyd” in 1922.
In that year alone, 18 diabetic children benefited greatly from insulin treatment in the clinic she oversaw.
On p. 103 of the Frederick Banting biography by Michael Bliss, it states, “One notable case at Sick Children’s was an eleven-year-old Canadian girl, Elsie Needham, diabetic for six months, who gorged herself on grapes and olives one day in October [1922] and was brought into the hospital in coma. Comatose diabetics died. Banting and Dr. Gladys Boyd gave the girl insulin. It drove her blood sugar so low that Banting got cold feet and gave her sugar. After days of insulin, enemas, fever, delirium and roller-coaster changes in her condition, Elsie Needham regained consciousness.”
The Discovery of Insulin, also by Michael Bliss, notes, “By January [Elsie] was back in school, to all appearances a healthy, normal child, with years of life ahead of her.” Dr. Banting recorded that “She was the first child to recover from coma by the use of insulin."
Three of six diabetic children who were in comas recovered with the use of insulin in 1922.
The Manual for Diabetics (1925) was authored by Gladys Boyd and Marion Stalsmith (with an introduction by Banting). It was provided to all patients/parents attending the Diabetic Clinic at Sick Kids. It also became the standard text for the public.
As one of the first physicians worldwide to treat diabetic children with insulin in the clinical setting, Dr. Boyd became an early international authority on the management of this disease in children.
Dr. Boyd’s legacy is reflected in the fact that, according to Defining Moments Canada, the SickKids Endocrine Department now assesses close to 100 children and adolescents with new-onset diabetes annually, as well as over 800 who receive comprehensive tertiary care.
I have had Type 1 diabetes for 63 years and have followed all the treatment changes. Your article was very interesting and I especially appreciated the summary at the end. Improvements in monitoring have helped to make life better for people with diabetes but they are not a cure. This anniversary helps reminds us that there is still a long way to go.
How can the invasive species be eradicated? I noticed nets being used. Do these remove the invading animals?
Thank you for this refreshing outline of the historical research and development to alleviate diabetes, as well as information about other medical breakthroughs.
During the pandemic, this story helps underscore the importance and promise of scientific research.
If their numbers are too high and they are a nuisance, then why not make a business out of fishing and selling them? If not, surely there are still herons around that could reduce their numbers in the small ponds scattered throughout the Toronto area.
This is a very well written article about a superstar U of T alum! I studied astrophysics in a U of T course in 1972 after completing a year of engineering. I went on to study medicine at U of T, graduating in 1977, and became a family doctor.
I have had a lifelong interest in the stars and in the possibility of the existence of other life in the universe. I congratulate Dr. Seager on her stellar accomplishments and I look forward reading her book. I wish her luck with setting up Starshade and with her atmosphere studies. She is an inspiration to so many, and her work with others who have Autism Spectrum Disorder is most commendable.
Another milestone: the January 1939 patent for protamine-zinc insulin, which was developed at Connaught Laboratories in the 1930s by Dr. D. A. Scott and Dr. A. M. Fisher.
"The effect of protamine-zinc insulin is characterized by a relatively retarded lowering of the blood-sugar level and maintenance of a low level for an extended period. In a very large number of instances this prolonged effect is of great benefit and reduces or eliminates the need for multiple daily injections." Jamieson et al, Cdn Med Assoc J. 65, 1951, p.20-23.
Drs. Scott and Fisher also developed crystalline insulin, which replaced amorphous insulin by 1940. Patent royalties, administered by the university's Insulin Committee, were a major source of income to support further research at Connaught. Dr. Albert Fisher was my father.
Wonderful and inspiring! I often think as I view the stars that there must be life of some kind in the galaxy besides us. I'll be watching with anticipation and hope as Sara Seager's research continues.
Prof. Nick Mandrak responds:
@Shirley: Unfortunately, there aren’t enough native predators to sufficiently control goldfish. The most likely candidate is the cormorant, but in large numbers these birds can become pests. Their impact would likely be as destructive as the goldfish itself.
The best and most cost-effective way to manage aquatic invasive species is to prevent their introduction in the first place. If they are found, they should be removed as quickly as possible. Removal methods include manually (by net, for example) or through the use of chemicals (for good reason, this is rarely approved). Once aquatic invasive species start to reproduce, they are very difficult to eradicate unless a body of water is entirely drained.
@Erin: There are several risks with selling goldfish. They could accidentally be released during transit or deliberately released somewhere else. A goldfish trade might also encourage additional illegal introductions to other ponds and in the wild to develop fisheries.
This has been attempted for invasive carps in the U.S., but supply has far exceeded demand. It’s just not profitable to harvest them for human food, pet food or fertilizer. The wholesale price of goldfish would be too low to support a successful business.
A fine article. Not mentioned however was the significant partnership U of T has with Defining Moments Canada who are leading the national commemoration for "Insulin100" under contract with the Ministry of Canadian Heritage and multiple other partners across Canada. We were proud to share the stories of Dr(s) Banting, Best, MacLeod & Collip, but also very proud to feature the stories of Dr. Gladys Boyd and many lesser-known but equally significant leaders in insulin research over the last century. All freely available at: www.definingmomentscanada.ca.
This is great. I have been in Canada just two weeks and it's really amazing how my level of thinking and approach to things have changed. Canada is indeed a peaceful place to study. There are beautiful and creative people everywhere, especially in the Faculty of Music. I grow each and every day both in and out of my area of study. I am glad to be here!
Banting, Best, Collip & Macleod decided insulin belonged to the world and sold the patent to U of T for $1. What happened? Why are people all over the world denied insulin because they cannot afford it?
This is really cool! I'm a 13-year-old who loves biology and I just wanted to ask why you chose zebrafish. There are other fish that are transparent in their early stages, such as eel, that can also grow bigger. I don't know if that would make it easier or harder to study but I was just curious.
Prof. Tod Thiele responds:
@Kotaro: Thanks for your question. Yes, many fish are transparent at young stages of life. We would love to study more different kinds of fish. We have actually generated transparent African cichlids and are trying to image their brains.
Zebrafish have many advantages -- mostly because so many people study them, and there are great techniques to genetically modify them. CRISPR opens up new horizons for studying other fish species. Important considerations are whether a species lays eggs or gives birth to offspring and how easily the fish can be maintained in the lab in large numbers.
Anita McGahan, a professor of strategic management of the Rotman School of Management and a professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, responds:
@Clive: Thank you for your question. Insulin today is often synthesized rather than drawn from animals. But, either way, there are costs related to its extraction, purification, packaging, distribution, marketing and administration.
There are also bottlenecks to distributing insulin in under-resourced areas where there are shortages of both physicians and diagnostic tests. Diabetes and other diseases for which insulin is a treatment are chronic, which makes follow-up care essential and, in turn, exacerbates those shortages.
One of the greatest challenges in health care today is overcoming the system-level barriers to the administration of essential medicines, including those for which patents have expired or were committed to the public domain.
Prof. Suzanne Stewart is a brave person and I commend her very much. Her work is immensely valuable for Indigenous women everywhere. As a new Canadian originally from England, I feel doubly ashamed of the racism that persists in Canada against Indigenous women and men and children.
Thank you for this excellent article. As a U of T astronomer, I knew Sara well. Just two days ago, I heard her give a very well-received lecture to a large group of skilled amateur "citizen scientist" astronomers in the U.S. about her work and how they could collaborate with her. She is a super science communicator, as well as a super scientist.
Anne Thackray (MA 1974) writes:
This article revived memories of when I visited U of T in the 1970s to enquire about applying for law school.
I am Canadian. After attending high school in Ontario, I got my first degree (a BA in history) at the University of Cambridge in England. In those days, Canadian students were usually required to obtain a BA in Canada before Cambridge would accept them. But I'd written the entrance exams (required for women applicants to Cambridge), and got in.
The U of T law school official said my academic background was "hazy," and then informed me that the law school didn't need to take students from outside Toronto, let alone outside Ontario,
How times have changed -- for the better.
Allan Levine (MA 1979, PhD 1985) writes:
There is a glaring omission in this otherwise excellent article: any mention of the late Prof. Michael Bliss’s ground-breaking 1982 book, The Discovery of Insulin.
A long-time member of the university’s history department, Bliss’s prodigious research confirmed that Frederick Banting, Charles Best, James Collip and J.J.R. Macleod all played key roles in the miracle. The book also became the basis for the acclaimed 1988 Canadian film, Glory Enough for All.
I suspect the writer, Marcia Kaye, must have used The Discovery of Insulin as a reference. If so, the article might have noted that.
The Undergrads, 1985
Another board game that increases language acquisition and attainment is Jabuka.
A well written article. I especially admire the tenacity and ambition of the researcher to explore the possibility of life elsewhere.
However, I think we have more than enough problems on this planet to address before we can invest millions of dollars, as well as the time and energy of talented researchers, into exploring extraterrestrial existence.
We face a climate crisis of unprecedented proportion that is already wreaking catastrophe globally, particularly on the poorest and most vulnerable populations and ecosystems. It is expected to get a lot worse if we don't direct most of our resources (money, talent, time and energy) to addressing the consequences of this crisis.
We need to stop this obsession with "life elsewhere" and urgently shift our focus on the well-being of all life on this planet now and for the future generations.
I'm very impressed by Dr. Zhou's outlook on life and how she translated this to her medical practice.
@Roger: I understand your point. However, I think you undersell the value of studying other worlds, even and perhaps especially hostile ones. For example, we learned of the existence of the greenhouse effect from Venus and about nuclear winter from Mars. These are examples of comparative planetology that aid in our appreciation of the delicate knife’s edge upon which our own planet’s equilibrium is poised.
The “millions of dollars” invested in this pursuit is a small fraction of global wealth, much of which is sunk into far more destructive activities than the search for comparable worlds elsewhere.
We don't need to search for another Earth. What we need to do is take better care of the beautiful Earth we already have.
@Anne
Prof. Tracey Galloway suggests that the best way to help is by becoming more informed about Inuit-led solutions to hunger in the north. More information, including contact info for ITK (Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami), is available here.
It’s shockingly clear from the comments that many people do not understand the questions, even once they’ve read the answers. The only ccriticism I agree with is that it would be better to state that the virus “infects” 1 in 1,000 people, because infection and disease are not the same. But 2% is the correct answer. Anyone answering 95% would likely not do well on a public health exam.
What a beautiful interview about the world of Rohinton Mistry.
So good to read such a summary of Rodney's heart and work. Twenty years gone and still missed.
I have never lived with a senior or elderly person outside my immediate family. But I think this should be encouraged. By sharing meals together and providing companionship, this kind of arrangement offers a tremendous advantage for both the elderly person and the student, including mental health benefits.
U of T should host an orange shirt day!
This happened at a pond in Shakespeare, Ontario, about 40 years ago. I was about 10 years old and we lived less than a mile away, so it was one of our favourite spots. I remember there were giant patches of the pond that were orange. At the end, one look and everyone said “omg." They drained the whole pond to kill them.
I love this. My class at school needs facts and you gave me a billion! Thank you!
It was a pleasure to read the article. The question could be, when do we have to start thinking seriously about daring the almost impossible adventure and actually making a journey to other, hopefully habitable, planets?
Fantastic idea!
First-rate stuff. As a long-time mental health worker with a master of social work degree, it is great to see the student co-leadership.
This is such a wonderful approach to teaching. Students are learning not just the subject matter, but how to learn and grow after struggling. For this to work, someone with Prof. Rawle's attitude and compassion is key.
This is so encouraging. I would like to see U of T to continue to do more to connect African and Canadian institutions. It is good for Africa and it is good for Canada.
Harolyn Panetta (MEd 1974 OISE) writes:
I am a retired teacher and agree that compassionate teaching leads to success. Elementary and secondary teachers should read this article. For students to come out of junior high (or middle school) having confidence in themselves, knowing that a teacher sincerely cared about them and their success, is truly important.
Prof Rawle's approach to teaching is innovative and truly compassionate -- especially for students of colour who are the first in their family to attend a post-secondary institution. For students to know that their professor values their well-being above all makes a huge difference in their motivation to learn. Thank you to Megan Easton for this beautiful interview with Prof. Rawle.
The Covid -19 pandemic has been devastating. Preventing the next pandemic is the responsibility of researchers. The initiative shown by University of Toronto is very much appreciated.
This is an issue that must be addressed. As an educator (formerly associate director of a large school board) who has provided leadership coaching and mentorship support to schools, system leaders, students and families over the years, I understand the increased levels of anxiety, frustration and even trauma noted at all levels of the sector today. I congratulate you for tabling this critical issue.
Great efforts, Prof. Rawle!
Sharleen Treleaven (BScPhm 1989) writes:
The truck convoy, and anti-vaxxers have demonstrated that there is less respect for authority, education and science than in previous times.
Professor Fiona Rawle talks about how compassionate teaching can be the bedrock for student success. I would suggest that compassionate teaching can also be the bedrock for responsible citizenship.
When people have good experiences with authority in their youth, they will have more respect for authority, and education, for the rest of their lives. This may have the added benefit of making people aware of their role in the electoral process.
Anne Dale has always been a great supporter of the dental school. She and her husband Jack Dale and Dr. Joe Bielawski were instrumental to encouraging so many students' love and passion for dentistry. The three of them were amazing.
Dr. Levinson is such a gift.
VERY interesting and worthwhile discussion. I'm an old geezer and this has taught me something brand new.
Very sadly, about a month after this article appeared, Bruce Stonefish very suddenly passed away from this world.
Juvénal Ndayiragije writes:
I am saddened to hear about Bruce’s sudden passing. I knew that he was going through health challenges but his picture here gave me hope. Now he’s gone!
As the old African proverb goes: “An elder who passes away is like a library that burns.” We lost a great man and a dedicated ally in preserving Munsee. The future of our project is uncertain without him. Yet, we won’t give up.
Judith's story prompted me to reflect on the people who left Hungary during a terrible time, and how these conditions may soon resurface in Europe if we in the West don't take a stand.
Thank you for taking the time to bring forth these small illustrations of people's lives.
Really interesting and informative article. Beautiful photography. I used to live in Old Crow and I know it was being studied about 30 years ago for archeological reasons. Some believed it was the oldest places in North America to be inhabited by humans. Now, it's leading in science and technology. I wonder what a dig there will show in 30,000 years.
John Duyck (BEd 1972) writes:
President Gertler points out the troubling truth of today’s increasingly polarized culture, writing that “we are retreating into insular silos with seemingly irreconcilable worldviews.” Have Canadian universities contributed to this polarization? Prof. Gertler believes we can “bring people together to learn from each other through dialogue.”
Could University of Toronto Magazine model this kind of dialogue? On matters of potential difference, could informed commentary include alternative viewpoints – even respectful dialogue or debate between those who embrace very different worldviews and “facts”? Demonstrating leadership in this area would benefit us all.
I'm 15 and I'm looking at universities and colleges already. I came across this article and it's very fascinating to me. I love all things science and this is very well-written. I truly believe this will help many people. Keep up the good work and amazing writing!
@Aaron Clark
There's no such thing as a "YY" embryo. Every embryo has at least one "X" chromosome. Females are typically XX and males are typically XY.
Sometimes you get an anomaly like "XXY" but I don't think YY is a possibility.
Thanks for doing all this research. I enjoyed the read. My father, if he were still alive, would have loved to read more about Douglas, as he was a huge fan of family history.
There is a lot of hypothesizing from "professionals" here. I was born gay, and with a gay voice. Period. It was this way before I was even aware of what "gay" was. It has nothing to do with wanting to be a part of a group, or "signaling," or what have you. It is a biological attribute. The fact that this is even being discussed is bizarre.
Did the research look at who raised the person? Were the "gay-voiced" men raised without fathers, or in households with only women? A friend of mine spent most of his formative years with his grandmother and mother, possibly acquiring their feminine patterns of behavior and voice. His older sister spent a lot of her time with her father whom she idolized. Both also came out as gay.
When can you get started?
Are we evolving ourselves out of jobs? What then will be the value to life? Are we destined to be useless? Once the genie is out of the box, we will not be able to put it back in -- unless our society crashes and we go back to life as it was centuries ago. Do we want that?
This article has been a long time in coming. As of late, universities have been known to be echo chambers. We must guard against discrimination, but healthy debate of sensitive topics is required for democracy to flourish. Note that topics are not persons!
The Scarborough General Hospital, a U of T teaching hospital, has been a global centre for diversity and health for 30 years, with this article highlighting that much more needs to be done. The generous gifts by the Orlando Corporation and the opening of the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health will add to this foundation and help reduce disparities further. The 30-year experience included groundbreaking published research on ethnicity and health, extensive community engagement, lectures, and networking and sharing across U of T, as well as nationally and globally. This research was reported as a book chapter and has been taught as complex dynamic interactions among social, biological and other determinants of health.
As a U of T Music grad (BMus 1972) and former Peel District School Board music teacher and principal, I appreciate Darren Hamilton's fresh perspectives on how music teaching needs to adjust to the realities of our ever-changing society.
Fascinating and very scary! I wonder if the AI could deliver with rhyming poetry? Thank goodness it can never duplicate the music I composed and performed on my latest album, L.O.V.E
It's such a good idea to acknowledge other musical traditions. We are a much more diverse country now.
Excellent points about dialogue, debate, diverse opinions and tackling contentious issues.
I would like to see the faculty solve the problem of medical waste as it relates to medications (eg expired drugs, single use packaging) to make the pharmaceutical industry more sustainable and strive to be part of the circular economy. This would be cutting edge for the pharmacy of the future!
This article was a good read the first time and an even better read the second time.
“Structured academic controversy” is a teaching strategy designed by David and Roger Johnson (researchers and writers in cooperative learning) in which students take turns debating both sides of an issue. We did this with Grade 4 students in a project with the Ministry of Education in Tasmania about 25 years ago. The students, who had been taught how to suspend judgment, disagree agreeably, accept and extend the ideas of others, and consider all factors, debated whether students with AIDS should come to their school. In the end, most students were in favour. Debating, like playing the violin or volleyball, requires a certain set of skills. It helps if those participating debate both sides of an issue – not just to understand each perspective, but to “feel” them as well.
Will AI ever be able to answer what I really want to know? For example, what is reality? Are we living in a computer simulation? How was the universe created? Is time real? What happens when we die? I won't hold my breath.
Inspiring content and observations. Leaving the research to AI, frees humans time to strategize, leads to best practices and maximizes our potential. I'm looking forward to exciting advances!
Mary-Anne Draffin (BA 1993 UTSC) writes:
Have today's students learned how to deal with challenges and adversity? Or has the parenting style of doing everything for your kids left them emotionally unequipped when they suddenly have to “go it alone” in a world where expectations are high? I think this is worth looking into. When I went to U of T, the term “helicopter parents” did not exist. A different world today, no question, but I don't recall mental health being such a big issue when I was a student. Parents seem to be unaware that love can sometimes be tough and a “hand up” is quite different to a “handout.”
One more thought: how many of today's students part of a faith-based community? How does the belief that God will be a support during challenging times affect their situation? I see no mention of this in the study. I believe it could be another important factor in mental health.
Anne Thackray (MA 1974) writes:
This article includes what are by now familiar statements to most of us: "...both Hadfield and Sutskever recognize that AI will likely displace people from certain jobs...Sutskever notes that AI will also create skilled jobs, in fields such as data and computer science..."
Creating art (even with the help of computers) is part of what makes us human. Computer-generated illustrations for children's books may reduce opportunities for children's book illustrators. Do Sutskever and his colleagues (working in a field dominated by men) sufficiently value the children's book field (dominated by women)? Should computer science displace humans in all work fields ? (Anybody prefer a chatbot to a human receptionist?)
As climate change reminds us daily, the "because it's there" attitude toward scientific development -- nowadays bolstered by the prospect of great wealth -- is no longer enough. I'd like to have learned more about Sutskever's thinking on the societal issues raised by OpenAI.
Scott Brooker (BSc 1979 UTSC) writes:
I'm not interested in AI-produced newsletters. Just because something can be done I’m not of the opinion that it should be done.
Thanks for this article. Prof. Hare was my first professor in university, and I've been in love with economics ever since!
This is an inspiring article and I love the emphasis on well-rounded musicians who value aural skills, such as those frequently showcased in music with African roots, as much as the notation skills typically associated with European traditions.
Was the capitalization of every ethnic identity in the second paragraph except "white" deliberate? The image of equity as a crate for historically marginalized folks to stand on is powerful, but diminuative treatment of an an ethnic group seems a problematic way of accomplishing the desired effect.
Good discussion here. I think that both genetics and learned behaviour contribute toward the development of gay-sounding speech patterns. The learned aspect includes both conscious and subconscious processes. And the relative importance of acquired, innate, conscious and subconscious factors will vary from person to person, and even among different situations. Physiological aspects like pitch are bound to have a genetic basis, and it would be surprising if testosterone levels didn't influence both voice and sexual orientation. But some stereotyped "gay" speech patterns are clearly learned in the same way that other kinds of accents are learned. The development of accents in people exposed to multiple types of voices during their childhood and youth is amazingly varied. Some accents seem to crystallize at an early age; others blend together in unique cocktails. Still others can be put on or taken off, like clothing. Lots of us modify the way we speak to fit in with, or to signal to, our tribe -- and this can be both calculated and instinctive.
Ruth Ferguson (BA 1984 Victoria) writes:
Darren Hamilton's story is truly inspiring because he blazed a trail where there wasn't one before. His joy in making music is written all over his face!
Shiri Rosenberg (MBA 2004) writes:
I thought your readers might be interested in a complementary article about an urban farming project we at Colliers Real Estate Management Services have launched at many commercial office towers in Toronto, including at Royal Bank Plaza and 150 Bloor Street West, at Avenue Road.
Gwen Farrow (BA Victoria 1959) writes:
Our roof in Scarborough is 21 storeys high, so subject to wind challenges. But we have learned what crops do best. We are lucky that our roof can support raised beds with wooden sides and real soil. Two hoses are available and gardeners supply their own tools and crops. I have many flowers plus strawberries, peas, radishes, carrots and tomatoes. Other gardeners have had successful projects, too. Green roofs can work; we've proved it for over 40 years!
@Bruyere
Editor Scott Anderson responds:
Following Canadian Press style, University of Toronto Magazine capitalizes Black in reference to a person’s race to reflect a shared sense of identity, history and community. (Regional affiliations such as East Asian or North American are also capitalized per CP style.)
White remains lowercase – in part because this group lacks a similar shared culture and experience, and because of the risk of lending legitimacy to white supremacist ideology. This decision reflects efforts by news organizations across Canada and elsewhere to recognize systemic anti-Black racism, and work by Black journalists and activists who requested this change for years.
Read more about the rationale here.
“His style of improvisation would seem to have combined the highest reaches of instrumental virtuosity with the most tensely disciplined melodic structure and the most spontaneous emotional expression, all of which in one man you must admit to be pretty rare.”
“Anybody could learn what Louis Armstrong knows about music in a few weeks. Nobody could learn to play like him in a thousand years.”
Why these two quotes about Louis Armstrong? The first is from American composer/critic Virgil Thomson’s Swing Music (1938), and the second from Benny Green, jazz saxophonist.
Both eloquently pinpoint the essence of Louis Armstrong’s musicality.
When AI can ‘produce’ a Louis Armstrong (as just one example of numerous artists one could call upon) then professor Hinton may be on to something. Until then…
I have read the same research and find that it is more of a cultural expectation that limits how women subjectively view arousal. An example that might make this clear is a female executive vs a male executive. The female would be less likely to admit arousal by a male who is under her authority. This would give him an advantage over her. A male would do the opposite because it would give him an advantage over the female under his authority. Simple cultural norms keep women from expressing their sexual arousal, not a difference in actual arousal levels.
This a nice article for discussion. I would like to have a workshop on this issue.
Are researchers seeing this across different languages and cultures? Do, for instance, people who speak Spanish or Chinese also use the same type of higher pitch and slower cadence? That would be interesting to find out.
A few corrections are required:
Alexander Pride's correct name was Archibald Pride (my great grandfather).
He was not a porter but the curator of the museum; he later became a professor.
The elephant you refer to was Jumbo and he died in St. Thomas Ontario, not Toronto.
Hello,
Thank you very much for writing and compiling this fascinating and wonderful article.
Would you please, when there is time, correct the statement "The next head of zoology, J. R. Dymond, brought an activist’s spirit to the department. A passionate member of the Ontario Federation of Naturalists, he added ecology to the curriculum." to include the historic name of Ontario Nature as the following ;
"The next head of zoology, J. R. Dymond, brought an activist’s spirit to the department. A passionate member of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, he added ecology to the curriculum."
@Noah
Thank you for the information. This has now been corrected.
The expression "Mans" is a short way of saying (replacing) "di man dem," as used in many English-Caribbean languages for expressing more than one man. The term "mens" has a completely different connotation. The term "Man dem" refers to more than one man -- it also holds the unspoken connotation that all are one and equal
Sounds interesting and rewarding.
62% is pretty high. I'm not buying that it's subconscious. A popular gay actor has the ability to sound "straight." But when he's not acting, he can definitely be correctly identified as gay. My point is, people can change their speech if they want to.
Fantastic article. Congrats to Darren Hamilton on his award.
This is cool.
My partner and I are both widowed. We are seven months into our relationship. We often talk about our past, present and future. I see that we are naturally developing these vows. I am appreciative of the tinme and energy you took to share them.
Thank you for sharing your story.
This was a good way to get to know about U of T.
Very interesting quiz.
I completely agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the world, affecting millions of people's health, livelihoods and overall well-being. It's important to take measures to prevent future pandemics, and researchers play a crucial role in this endeavor. The University of Toronto's initiative in this regard is certainly praiseworthy, as it demonstrates a commitment to finding solutions to this global challenge.
I can certainly affirm that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is becoming increasingly common, with potential to revolutionize the field. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of medical data much more quickly and accurately than humans, allowing doctors to make more informed diagnoses and treatment decisions. This can lead to better health outcomes for patients, as well as more efficient and cost-effective health care overall.
AI can be particularly useful in situations where there are large amounts of data to be analyzed, such as medical images or genomic data. For example, AI algorithms can analyze medical images to identify patterns and anomalies that might be missed by human doctors. In addition, AI can help doctors tailor treatments to individual patients based on their unique genetic profiles, increasing the effectiveness of treatment and reducing side effects.
That being said, it's important to note that AI is not a replacement for human doctors. Rather, it is a tool that can help doctors make better decisions and provide better care to their patients. It's also important to ensure that AI algorithms are designed and tested rigorously to ensure that they are accurate, reliable and fair. With proper oversight and regulation, AI has the potential to significantly improve health care and help us achieve better health outcomes for all.
In the context of AI, protecting patients' privacy will likely require a combination of technical measures (e.g., encryption, access controls) and ethical guidelines (e.g., informed consent, data minimization). The research team may examine existing regulations and standards and explore how they can be adapted to address the unique challenges posed by AI. They may also investigate how different stakeholders (e.g., patients, healthcare providers, researchers) perceive and prioritize privacy concerns.
The benefits of AI in healthcare could be wide-ranging, from improved diagnosis and treatment to more efficient and cost-effective care. However, the research team may also consider potential downsides, such as exacerbating existing health inequities or creating new ones. They may examine who stands to gain the most from AI (e.g., patients, healthcare providers, insurance companies) and how these benefits could be distributed fairly.
The consequences of AI errors can vary widely depending on the context. The research team may explore different types of errors (e.g., false positives, false negatives, bias) and how they can be detected, prevented, and mitigated. They may also examine the legal and ethical implications of AI errors, such as liability and accountability.
Machine bias is a well-documented problem in AI, particularly in healthcare. The research team may investigate different sources of bias (e.g., data bias, algorithmic bias, cognitive bias) and how they can be addressed. They may also explore best practices for designing, training and validating AI systems that are fair and unbiased.
AI has the potential to transform health-care delivery, but it could also have significant implications for health-care workers. The research team may examine how AI could change the roles and responsibilities of different health-care professionals, as well as how it could affect job security and career advancement. They may also explore how health-care workers perceive and adapt to new technologies.
Finally, the research team may consider the broader ethical implications of AI in health care, including potential unintended consequences that may not be immediately apparent. They may investigate how to anticipate and prepare for these consequences, as well as how to balance the benefits of AI with its potential risks. They may also explore different models of governance and oversight for AI in healthcare, such as ethical review boards and regulatory frameworks.
Fingers crossed!
I would have been completely embarrassed if I hadn't gotten the UTM question right! My home campus.
Thank you for mentioning my book. For more information about Mr. Bayly, check out The True Intrepid or the Intrepid's Last Secrets. When Alan Turing came to North America during the Second World War to work at the Bell Labs, he stayed at Bayly's place in New York.
LOVE U of T!
I have come across many young souls who have been damaged for decades due to substance abuse. Decriminalize the use of drugs? Yes, absolutely. Legalize it? No. There is widespread agreement among professionals that the long-term use of weed, alcohol and other drugs even in moderate quantities is damaging to health. Plus, these substances are addictive.
We should teach youth what is right and wrong, and follow this up with laws that reflect the dangers associated with drugs. I just tried to help a friend end their marijuana addiction. There is no government-assisted rehab spot anywhere in Canada. The problems of addiction far outweigh the benefits offered by the freedom to smoke and drink whatever we want.
Great article. Misdirection and giving the illusion of free will are also common practice today for charlatans, narcissists and gaslighters. I wonder if these topics were touched on during the discussion on free will?
I am so glad that Jaivet Ealom finally made it to Canada. The people there are amazing and caring. And thanks to University of Toronto Magazine for running this incredible story.
I thank Jaivet Ealom for sharing his story of inspiration and strength. He is a phenomenal person. Wishing him all the best in the future. I hope one day he can reunite with his family.
Very interesting!
I am so impressed by the work that’s being done regarding food insecurity and by the vision shown by caring, well educated, hard working visionaries, entrepreneurs and social activists.
What an incredible story. I was saddened yet inspired by Jaivet Ealom's experience. Canada needs him as much as he needs Canada. I wish him all the best in whatever he takes on and considers in his future.
An excellent article that emphasizes the importance of having a good mentor and the will to succeed.
What a change-maker. Darren Hamilton's vison for how to improve the way students experience music makes me proud to be a U of T alum.
I once worked at William Lyon MacKenzie House on Bond Street in Toronto. My job there was to give short lectures about the printing press used by MacKenzie himself, and to demonstrate how it worked. It was extremely interesting!
I'm curious how you can extrapolate back 1,000 years from this study. I don't see the correlation information.
Having written a dissertation on a 17th-century bishop who published some 250 books, it is great to see print culture given such care in what is thought of as a digital era.
Thanks for this article. Bravo, Jaivet Ealom!
This young man will be a change-maker and inspiration in whatever country he works. I hope that the University of Toronto will continue to update us on his life and progress. What an amazing and wonderful story this is!
As a Master of Library Science graduate who is now long-retired, I found this article fascinating! Reading suggestion: The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish.
Thank you for this admirable story!
I worked for a small publisher in Toronto for many years and spent many inky hours in the proofreading room at the printer. I enjoyed interacting with the printer's staff and with the other customers. We would help each other proofread the final page proofs to catch any errors that may have been missed. I witnessed the shift from hot type (male typographers) to cold type (young women and men). The printer kept a hand press for special projects until they went out of business.
I was fascinated by the story of Jaivet Ealom, not only for the courageous way he faced the obstacles that he encountered on his life's journey, but also because I, too, turned my life around after reading Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning.
I wish him all the success in the world as he embarks on his missions, and advise him never to forget Viktor Frankl's tenet that "the last freedom anyone has is the freedom to choose how you deal with any situation" (abbreviated text).
It seems that the single most effective thing that can be done at the individual level - eating less animal food products, beef and dairy in particular - has been left out. Both are large sources of methane emissions in particular (1 kg of methane being equivalent to 26-85 kg of CO2, depending on the time horizon under consideration).
An inspirational story of courage, will and determination.
U of T President Meric Gertler is clearly not afraid to handle the challenging task of exporting Canadian education to distant countries and to delve deeply into diverse systems and cultures. This takes a thoughtful and determined leader. He is on course to be one of the greatest presidents of the University of Toronto.
Thanks for this article. Sometimes Canadians (myself included) underestimate our ability to change the world, so we are pleasantly surprised to see just how creative, resourceful and ingenious we are. These are amazing accomplishments.
This is a nice story by John Lorinc. Is there a way to get more information about the private games museum in Brantford, Ontario. Can one visit it, and when and where?
Jaivet Ealom such persistence! It is hard to imagine that he pushed through such daunting obstacles and horrors. He will do well in life. I congratulate him on his university endeavours and plans to help the Rohingya. So timely that Victor Frankl's book became available to him in the midst of a stage of deep suffering in Manus.
Who knew! Just another of the many reasons to be so proud of my alma mater!
Good luck to Jaivet! And welcome to Canada and U of T. I hope he gets all he deserves after his heroic and herculean effort to come to Canada. I wish him well and hope he remembers to bleed blue!
The Chronicle Telegraph of Quebec City claims to be North America's oldest newspaper, having published since 1764. It is now a weekly but when I was growing up in Quebec City in the 1940s and 50s it was a daily.
Hi Matthew - great question. Yes, we discuss the consequences of these phenomena beyond their applications to magic. For instance, we talk about "psychic reading" and mentalism. We discuss how false memories can be planted, e.g., by using leading questions in interrogations. In the end, many forms of stage magic are benign forms of gaslighting. Typically, students are quite interested in applying these newly found insights to their own lives and society more generally.
@Peter
Syd Bolton closed his private museum, but the materials have a new home at the U of T Mississauga Library.
Members of the University of Toronto community and the general public can make an appointment to visit the collection in person at the archives and special collections reading room on the ground floor of the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Find out more about the collection here.
@Paul
This is explained in the section of the article under the heading “Dread Trees Help Extend the Chronology.”
When a researcher removes a core from a living tree, they can precisely date the rings because they know the year of the outer-most layer. Let’s say the living tree is 300 years old and it has a particular sequence of wide and narrow tree rings near its centre -- say, 250 years ago. That sequence is like a barcode and can be compared with samples from dead trees. If that same barcode occurs near the outer edge of a dead tree (preserved in mud or at the bottom of a lake) that lived for 200 years, then that provides a date for the outer rings of the dead tree. In this example, the outer rings in the dead tree date back 250 years, which means the inner rings of the dead tree indicate what occurred 450 years ago. By repeating this process of matching sequences, or barcodes, in older and older dead trees, Prof. Porter can extend the climate chronology further back in time.
It’s important to note that many living and dead trees from an area are used to build this climate history.
This is a great article by Phill Snel!
What an inspiring story. We could all learn from Jaivet Ealom. What a brave and resilient human being.
My father oversees a printing museum in a small town in southern Manitoba (Crystal City). Last summer, we were excited to discover Gianni Basso and his printing shop in Venice, Italy. Such an amazing glimpse into Venetian printing history. I highly recommend reading about his background or visiting his stamperia in person!
Jo-Ann Mandát (BA 1982 UTSC, MEd 1992 OISE) writes:
The alarming thing is both the Scarborough Food Security Initiative farm and the warehouse, located in Scarborough Junction, are situated on land that is part of a huge redevelopment master plan. Both are scheduled to be replaced by condos. The area is also losing its one and only grocery store to another condo development.
I look forward to a follow-up piece on food insecurity in Scarborough after all of this happens. The hunger pains can only get worse.
On the face of it, the new technologies discussed in this article appear impressive. But this sentence troubles me: “They are building on genetic and biomarker research to reveal the underlying mechanisms of heart failure and to identify new treatments.”
Is anyone still interested in the nutritional origins of disease? Is anyone being screened for omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies, magnesium, vitamin C or elevated insulin? There is a lot of research on how these are connected to heart health.
Does a visit to a primary physician or cardiologist include a comprehensive review of dietary and lifestyle practices? Or is it more financially lucrative to look at treatments and sexy tech wearables?
I think the University of Toronto should take a leadership role and mandate the medical curriculum to include a genuine focus on nutrition and lifestyle. There are many benefits of modern medicine, but these need to be used judiciously and wisely.
Amazing story of courage, determination and focus. A true inspiration for all of us. Thank you for sharing.
Great article. For female friends of mine who started in science decades ago, the problem was not just the shortage of female mentors in science. It was active opposition from their male colleagues. Being discriminated against was more than a "feeling"; it was reality. As in many other fields, it's crucial to change the minds of men. As an art historian, I'm still encountering younger female art historians dealing with gender discrimination -- in a field where women hugely outnumber men.
This is a remarkable story, showing human resilience, strength and courage. I wish Jaivet peace, happiness and success with all of his future journeys. He has already succeeded and will continue. Thank you for sharing this story.
I took a one-year multimedia program at Algonquin College and I wish we'd had this kind of setup. From the lead-letter pressing, students can learn how to design fonts and everything in between and beyond. Printing and assembling books can be so much fun, and it helps even young learners appreciate printed books. I hope U of T uses this for a "create-a-book workshop" for high school students. This could become a pipeline of creators!
This is a great idea for both parties involved. I wish they offered this in my city as it would be a great experience for my children to participate in.
This was a very touching and moving story. What an amazing concept for both parties.
Is this program only for Scarborough students or is it for all students in the Toronto District School Board?
@Sissi
Thank you for your message. The "SEE U of T Scarborough" program currently works with the following five Scarborough high schools:
--Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute
--Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute
--David & Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute
--West Hill Collegiate Institute
--Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute
A warm salute to our wonderful neighbour, Christina Guzzo. How fortunate we were to have an expert to consult when we had questions about the pandemic. We wish her every success.
Gideon Forman (BA 1987 Victoria) writes:
No doubt U of T and its partners benefited from President Gertler’s recent trips to India and Africa. But his column should have noted that jetting across the globe is problematic because it’s a significant -- and fast-growing -- source of carbon. According to Transport Canada, from 2005 to 2019 greenhouse gas emissions from our airlines rose 74 per cent.
No one denies the value of meeting face-to-face. Everyone knows video-conferencing can have a one-dimensional quality, making full expression and authentic engagement difficult. But given the climate crisis it may now be the only ethical way to connect with colleagues overseas.
How President Gertler gets around matters because, as a community leader, he helps establish social norms. When he flies instead of using a video platform he suggests that non-essential air travel is morally acceptable. I’m not sure that’s the case anymore. But I admit it’s a legitimate topic for discussion. That’s the debate we needed to see in his article.
Jaivet Ealom, thank you for sharing your heroic story -- the struggle and the success of which is repeated every day in the world. Canada truly is the recipient of extraordinary people.
What an incredible story. Jaivet, you inspired me with your resilience and sheer determination. In Canada, we take for granted many things. Real people, with real life stories like yourself remind me to be grateful to be Canadian. I wish you the very best in life.
@Farida
Thank you for your feedback on our story about cardiac research at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, and for your comments on the nutritional origins of disease.
The undergraduate medical curriculum at the University of Toronto includes a focus on nutrition and lifestyle medicine. Medical students learn about nutrition in a week devoted to health promotion, which includes content on exercise and health-behaviour change. Students also participate in a ‘culinary medicine’ workshop, which includes a kitchen scavenger hunt, budget and meal planning lecture, and virtual cooking class. Self-learning modules on nutrition supplement content on diabetes and other disorders, throughout the curriculum.
For physicians and health professionals, U of T runs the Food as Medicine Update, a symposium on established and emerging nutrition research with relevance for clinical practice. And recently, the university launched the Child Nutrition Digital Series, a practical approach to paediatric nutrition for physicians and health-care providers. Both these initiatives are accredited by national Canadian, U.S. and European physician organizations.
In terms of basic research, the Ted Rogers Centre supports studies on several factors that contribute to cardiomyopathy and affect heart health. These include genetics, thought to play a large role in hereditary cardiomyopathy, but also co-morbidities, inflammation, and molecular and cellular factors. Researchers at the centre also work with stem cells, biomaterials and monitoring technologies, some which hold promise for eradication and prevention of heart disease, but also better lifestyle management.
Ron Saporta, Vice President, Operations (Acting), responds:
U of T is taking decisive action against climate change through education, research and operations. We also know we can have a bigger impact by working with universities around the world. As we forge the relationships necessary to address global challenges, we are conscious of our environmental impact.
This year, U of T became the first Canadian university to institute a mandatory, in-house carbon offsetting program – avoiding controversial third-party offsetting programs – for university-funded, business-related air travel. We are charging a fee for every kilometre flown and reinvesting that money into local projects that provide sustainability benefits.
We are also taking giant leaps toward the goal of becoming Climate Positive by 2050 on our St. George campus in the heart of downtown Toronto. Our ambitious transformation of one of Canada’s largest and oldest district energy systems, and numerous deep building retrofits, will dramatically reduce our on-campus carbon emissions, provide learning opportunities, and supply clean energy to the broader electrical grid.
There is an error in this piece. It says “ The team sold the patent to U of T for a dollar, and the university then licensed it royalty-free to pharmaceutical companies around the globe.” The university did in fact receive ample royalties as reported by the Washington Post in 2016. Here is an excerpt: “"It has come to be universally recognized over all the civilized world that the university has performed a great service for humanity," the Scottish biochemist John J. Macleod, who shared the Nobel Prize for insulin, said in 1924. In a statement to Toronto's Insulin Committee, he praised the scheme the university had developed prevented the 'commercial exploitation' of the essential drug. But with a 5 percent royalty on insulin, the university had already amassed $10,000.”
@Erin
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The error has now been corrected.
Does Irwin Adam ever visit Australia? I'd love to meet him, if he does. I live in Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland.
The Bib Room is a treasure! Printing is an art and fundamental to culture. It's wonderful that these techniques have not been not lost in our age. The knowledge of creating the printed page will endure thanks to Massey College.
The printing industry provided a fertile base for the emergence of trade unions in Canada. You had to be literate to work in this field, which contributed to the emergence of a dynamic, articulate movement. The Toronto Printers' Strike of 1872, in which workers sought shorter (nine-hour) workdays, contributed to the legalization of trade unions in Canada. This had repercussions across the country during the Conservative government of Sir John A. Macdonald. The trade union movement grew, and in 1891 the Roman Catholic Church adopted a favourable position toward the working classes in the 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum.
We need to see more of Justine Wong's illustrations! They're beautiful.
When I was a visiting professor at the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing working with then-dean Sioban Nelson, I was fortunate to be able to contribute to some of the thinking about that faculty’s international strategy, especially in India, about which I had particular knowledge having worked on such an initiative for the University of Leeds.
I can’t help but think that there would be benefits in having top international universities combine their efforts into a joint portfolio of offerings. Initiatives such as these lay the foundations for long-term co-operation in research and teaching, and developing and sharing knowledge around the world.
I appreciate this respectful discussion. I have a brother who has been gay for 50 years but does not have a gay-sounding voice. His (younger) partner of 20 years has developed the gay voice in the last five years or so. This lends support to the idea that gay voice can be learned in response to company kept -- the theory of dialect. My brother and his partner socialize mostly with gay friends. The idea that it is subconscious signalling fits in this case, where one partner has a subconscious need to signal, while the other partner does not.
Young legend indeed :)
Whenever I hear a recording of my speaking voice, I panic because it doesn’t sound as masculine as I would like it to. But when I speak a language other than English, such as Italian or Spanish, I do sound masculine. I am a tenor. I feel attracted to women and men for different reasons, but sexually prefer women. I was married to a woman and we had a child together. Reading this has made me more self-conscious about being perceived as homosexual by others; I have never been in such a relationship.
I think this smart traffic system will help in reducing waiting time -- even in small cities, provided it is cost-effective.
I would like to add to the responses about how we can help mitigate climate change:
1. Buy local food and grow your own in a backyard (if you have one)
2. Repair and recycle, creating less waste
3. If you need a car, drive a hybrid or fully electric one (if it's affordable to you)
4. Eat less meat
5. Conserve heat, hydro and water
We can all contribute to a more sustainable future by doing a small amount!
Very interesting article. No mention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, unfortunately. Something these doctors and scientists should note: folks with this disorder often do very well in recovery and manage to stay sober in spite of their brain damage. It's time for separate studies for these folks. Suggested reading on this topic: The Thirteenth Overdose, by Ruth Spencer.
No mention was made of alternate fuels such as hydrogen. Is there a reason why this technology is not being pursued?
Significantly more electricity generation will be required with the increasing use of electric vehicles. Even though we have excess overnight capacity today, daytime fueling will become a reality. Since it takes 10 years or more to add new nuclear power capacity, Ontario could encounter significant problems.
One potential solution might be to develop plug-and-play technologies that would allow homeowners to add solar capacity themselves without the cost of an electrician. Developing systems that regulators can approve, and that homeowners could plug into existing circuits or panels while keeping those working for the electric utilities safe, could create a path incremental to other initiatives.
I would like to receive more information about the extraction of critical minerals from recycled li-ion batteries.
@Robert Bell
You can find a U of T News story about the work of Prof. Gisele Azimi's lab, including a link to an academic paper on the topic, here.
Reducing global temperatures is an incredibly complicated topic. Your article presented these complexities in an organized, easily understood manner. I will share your article with many people.
I'm glad to see many factors were discussed here, such as particulates and the environmental impact of mining. Yes, we should worry about mining's impact but in light of the threat that climate change poses, we also need to prioritize. Using the statistic that EVs in coal-dependent West Virginia generate six per cent higher emissions than conventional vehicles of the same size should have been contrasted with, say, an EV in Manitoba where at least 95 per cent of electricity is generated by renewables. Those figures would tell a different story.
I'm interested in this particular section of the article: "Do they want to use a large-language-model AI system to help generate ideas for characters or plot for a play they’re writing? That’s there, too." It seems like an invitation to student writers to use AI, but when I sign a publishing contract, I have to tick the box that says I did not use AI to generate my book. I want to be able to sell my writing and get it published. I want to be eligible for grants. Right now, we're being told by the industry that they do not accept work that has been generated by AI.
How all this will affect middle and senior schools is another big question. The teaching methodology there has traditionally been governed by university practice, i.e. teaching lessons to classes. Absenteeism and disengagement have been huge deficits in that model from the start. For students to always do the teacher's work is disengaging. Doing one's own work is very engaging. Now we have to add serious anxieties and stress. So is the exercise now how to help the teachers cope or to help the students learn?
@Laurie
There is a trend in some organizations towards banning AI content. This also happens in the visual art and design space. It is an understandable response as it is not hard to imagine people feeling threats to their jobs or livelihood from AI.
But also there is a large concern about litigation. The copyright status of the training data used to train large language models is unclear, which publishers may feel leaves them open to future litigation.
I don’t personally have a hard and fast position on whole question, as I think from the lab’s perspective, it is important for creative thinkers to explore this challenge more fulsomely than just rejecting it without a deeper grasp of what is at play.
I applaud the recent success of the writers guild, as it is clear that many large corporations are ruthless in taking advantage of existing contractual loopholes to use creators’ IP to train models in the hope that they can reduce costs.
There is also, of course, a difference between what author Stephen Marche is setting out to do, wholly intentionally and relatively transparently writing with AI, as an example, and the general use of AI as a writing tool within the mainstream of writing given traditional assumptions about the human writer imagined behind the writing.
We are in for an interesting and challenging ride. Currently, the largest AI companies are struggling to find an economically viable model for these systems despite the high popular visibility of things like ChatGPT. There is a mismatch at this point between what these systems can do and what we can find ourselves convinced they can do, and we have not, as a culture, really had time to think through what makes writing writing… since we always used to just accept the whole process as something a human did. Do shortcuts offered by AI remove pain points in the process that might turn out to be the truly productive points of struggle that make human writing what it is?
We have already seen ample evidence in the lab that working in conjunction with AI can be a very creatively productive engagement, but the most exciting successes have generally come from surprising or unanticipated. These systems are remarkable and unprecedented on one hand and deeply flawed in unanticipated ways on the other. We as a society are at the start of a very steep learning curve. BMO Lab is working to expand the scope of explorations and discussions as navigating the road ahead is going to require an unprecedented level of highly interdisciplinary collaboration, since this technology seems destined to touch on so many aspects of our lives.
Excellent article with important information for the public and decision-makers to understand, such as the amount of increased electricity production needed for EVs. I hope that there is a way for the article, or another version of it, to be distributed beyond the U of T community.
Climate "shifting" to various degrees has been -- and will always be -- a reality. It's a complex topic. Think about the carbon contribution from volcanoes and military conflicts. If carbon is the issue with respect to climate shift, then how do we neutralize it or remove it from the Earth's atmosphere? I am sure that manufacturers of equipment using fossil fuels can find ways to reduce carbon emissions. In my opinion, moving to electric vehicles will have no effect on climate shift, as the percentage difference in emissions will be minimal.
Vehicle congestion and usage is a whole other topic that has to be considered for both urban and rural areas.
Excellent article. EVs will have little effect on emissions unless the electricity grid is green, and that is a huge problem in Ontario and elsewhere. Claiming that the Ontario grid is 90 per cent green is irrelevant, since the additional generation will come mostly from natural gas. Likewise, the chart showing emissions from EVs appears to use the current U.S. average, even though new generation must come mostly from fossil fuels. A realistic estimate of emissions from EVs should be very close to that given for hybrids.
Thanks so much for this. It was fascinating to think of all the things we now take for granted that they didn't have - from transport to atomic clocks. And so appropriate on this day of another eclipse.
We spent $150,000 (of our own money - no subsidies) installing 40kW of solar panels and two heat pumps, as well as upgrading our home with low-energy consumption devices. This saves us $10,000 a year -- equivalent to a taxable investment that guarantees 10 per cent return per year.
Then we bought a Tesla for $90,000. This purchase saves $6,000 in fuel and maintenance over a conventional vehicle. The incremental cost of the Tesla over a comparable car (without the performance) is $40,000. Therefore the savings over 10 years is equivalent to a taxable investment of six per cent.
Bottom line: even without subsidies, going green makes economic sense
It is great to see this even-handed discussion. I am an early adopter and have had a VW eGolf for three years (I bought it used - a 2016 model). I am very pleased overall, despite its limited range compared to new models. Pleasantly, using a home level 2 charger with off-peak power, I hardly notice a change in my electric bill.
However, the limits to broad adoption of EVs that you outline must be remembered. Better urban and transportation planning could limit the need for cars and reduce pressure on resources.
Written: “On the other hand, electric vehicles still create some ground-level pollution in the form of airborne particulates. These come from the grinding of brake pads and rotors…”
A huge benefit of EVs is regenerative braking. This means that traditional brakes are rarely used, hence there is a significant reduction of these particulates compared to conventional vehicles.
The biggest polluter globally is the Chinese power generation system. You make absolutely no mention of that!
The number of objects in the universes has always been infinite. There could be infinite planets, and other environments, which will be able to support life as we know it. A belief that such a planet or environment exists is really a statement of fact. How likely do you think it is for an habitable place to be found outside the Earth?
There has been a complete focus on EVs across the globe with the associated pollution, limited range and charging times for batteries. It is surprising there is not more focus on hydrogen-powered vehicles, like the one Toyota produced as a limited-sale prototype.
@M. Deemar
Hydrogen as a power source is being developed, especially for heavy duty transportation. CPKC (formerly Canadian Pacific) has built several hydrogen fuel cell locomotives for testing, and they're also being tested on large transport trucks. The Toyota Mirai is being test marketed but the current cost of fuel cells makes them more costly than battery-powered cars.
Technology and costs are improving for both batteries and fuel cells, and it's possible that fuel cells might become the preferred option -- especially for vehicles such as taxis, which you want to keep on the road the maximum number of hours per day.
Balanced piece. I am all for harvesting the low-hanging fruit, but not if it makes us a lot poorer. Canada is responsible for 1.6 per cent of global CO2 emissions. Ours are a drop in the bucket. Whatever we do is virtue-signalling. We have offloaded industrial production to developing countries such as China, which is producing EVs and electric bikes to reduce pollution in cities.
For most drivers, using a full EV is a misuse of resources. Why push around a 1000-pound battery pack when it is rarely utilized? For 80 per cent of drivers, a plug-in electric hybrid vehicle with an 80km range would be a more effective solution.
The challenges are a bit scary which, hopefully, will encourage some real discussion. One challenge that's glossed over here is the mining and metals impact. When that is figured into the equation, EVs generally pollute more than conventional vehicles during the first 60,000 miles of driving. Read Electric Vehicles for Everone? The Impossible Dream, by Mark Mills of Manhattan Institute.
EVs are also heavier than comparable conventional vehicles, resulting in more road wear and tear and more frequent repairs. Plus, EV drivers don’t pay fuel taxes, resulting in municipal and regional revenue shortages.
U of T has been doing a great job of promoting interdisciplinary research, as seen by the many quotes within this article. Still, more is needed.
How about investments in public vs. private infrastructure? Air quality has suffered ever since public transit systems moved away from electric streetcars and trolley buses to dirty diesel buses. Getting back to cleaner and quieter public transit will require greater investment in public infrastructure, while the savings in health and quality-of-life are harder to measure. In the meantime, please don't say "good old diesel bus"! EVs are clearly better for everyone (both inside and outside of the vehicle).
How about an article on smart grids with vehicle-to-grid and other energy storage? Why is this taking so long to materialize in Ontario? Electrified fleet vehicles, such as parked school buses, could help stabilize a community microgrid -- also providing emergency backup during extreme weather.
With regard to EVs putting an extra demand on the grid, I find that my modest rooftop solar array (3.5 kilowatts peak) is more than enough to provide all the energy needed by my EV, on an annualized basis. Admittedly, I need to be tied into a smart grid, with more grid-scale storage, to make this work in actual practice.
There was experimentation with battery-powered vehicles that had solar panels on the roof to provide some of power needed. Solar and wind power are cheap alternatives when charging stations are not available. Why are new EVs not equipped with solar panels? Is hydrogen fuel an option to consider in the immediate future?
Steven Farber is correct. Improving the public transportation system will be much more efficient.
Rooms Coffee? Where’s that?
@Camille
There are three locations in Toronto: on Dufferin Avenue, Ossington Avenue and Dupont Street.
I'm disappointed that this article puts a negative spin on EVs. It could have been written with the same information while still promoting the need for an energy transition.
Fully 65 per cent of the total energy used on Earth is wasted. Much of that is because fossil fuels are so energy intensive to produce, refine and transport. The mining required for batteries and electric motors pales in comparison to the social problems and health costs association with fossil fuel extraction.
And I can't let the point about particulates from braking cars and trucks go unchallenged. EVs hardly use standard braking.
In large cities such as Toronto we are also being challenged by limited power distribution capacities. In the case of our residential high-rises, the need to upgrade our transformers and related equipment will add significant costs to condominium corporations and landlords, among others. In many cases, the physical space needed to accommodate these upgrades is problematic.
We have much work to do.
Unreliable transit, unaffordable lifestyle. Cost of living is too high.
“Mining tends to to displace people and contaminate environments.”
This is such a general negative statement that it makes me wonder if Teresa Kramarz has been to a mine in the last 10 years. Responsible mining companies design the mines and mills to be zero discharge. Yes, people may be displaced, but mining creates employment and bolsters the local economy -- an overall win.
It would be really important to include the impact of family participation in the treatment process for this longitudinal study. I don’t know if the treatment centre that has been partnered with for this research offers family programming, but this is a huge factor in the comprehensive recovery oriented system of care needed to sustain long term recovery.
Advocates of accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles don't appear to be tuned into today's reality.
Transformers, which are used in charging stations, are in short supply. Multiple media sources (outside of Canada) have written reports that the delivery time for transformers has gone from months to years and prices have doubled. Fast chargers, data centres, wind turbines and solar farms all need transformers. Without a major increase in the supply of materials such as electrical steel, it is unlikely the grid can expand to meet EV proponents' dreams.
U of T, keep up the groundbreaking and challenging work! Bravo.
Alexander Forest (BASc 1972) writes:
As an engineer and car enthusiast, I read this story with interest. The headline, however, perpetuates a common fallacy: the planet is definitely not in need of saving. Earth has existed for billions of years and will continue to exist for billions more. A more appropriate headline might have been: "Can Electric Vehicles Save Humanity?"
In the short term, there are a few simple, if politically unpalatable, ways to limit the use of traditional vehicles and encourage the use of public transit, as the article recommends. Besides dramatically increasing the cost of fuel, governments could substantially raise the cost of parking. They could impose so-called congestion fees to enter a city's downtown core, exempting EVs. The revenue collected could be used to improve public transit and the electrical infrastructure.
One thing that people often overlook is that the price of electricity will dramatically increase once EVs dominate the roads. Currently, gasoline taxes pay for road construction and maintenance. With the increase in demand for electricity and the addition of new taxes, the price will go through the roof.
I am disappointed you did not expand on the real problems with cars -- and on the solutions that already exist.
Among the problems: Safety. Cars still kill thousands of people a year, mostly young inexperienced drivers.
Congestion. The Toronto Chamber of Commerce estimates lost productivity of more than $1 billion annually because people and goods are stuck in traffic. Multiply this by every major city in the G7.
Resource waste. Most cars are used for only a small fraction of the day. They are built with the ability to go twice the legal speed limit and have load-carrying and towing capacity that is never used. This is a huge waste of resources.
Land use. Cars promote urban sprawl; roads replace farmland.
You mention in passing that EVs will not solve these problems, and, in fact, will continue to deplete natural resources. But, as you also mention, the solutions are already here: buses, public transportation, trains, bicycles, good urban planning. No new technology is needed, only better public policy.
I urge U of T to use its position of authority to push for this.
I enjoyed this article, as it covers a lot of points that most news articles do not.
I agree that the enviromental damage from mining is a huge cost. In addition, many households currently cannot afford an EV, since there are few inexpensive options.
Another consideration is the time it takes to charge the batteries and the lack of charging infrastructure in condo buildings (in particular). I can't imagine spending hours at the mall waiting for my EV to charge versus the three minutes it takes to fill a gas tank!
There must be thousands of existing condo and apartment buildings across Canada that will need to be retrofitted with charging infrastructure before many Canadians will buy EVs. A recent audit of my own condo indicated that the power supply to the building is incapable of supporting more than a handful of charging stations. If we are going in the direction of EV technology, we are going to need additional power infrastructure and millions of charging stations across the country with probably several dozen fast chargers at every current gas station location.
For those wanting to travel long distances, we will need improvements in the range of EVs. Prices of EVs and hybrids will have to fall drastically. The charging infrastructure will be expensive to install and maintain. The increased demand for electricity could equire costly new power plants.
This year, I bought a new car. Given that I live in a condo building with no charging infrastructure, I bought a hybrid. In terms of reducing CO2 emissions, this may not have helped much. But I didn't have much choice. If Canada is really going to require all new cars to be EVs by 2035, then where are the planned new power plants? Where is the rapid increase in charging and power infrastructure? We've only got 12 years.
Susan Griffin (BA 1970) writes:
Gideon Forman's comments on President Gertler's air travel are perfect. Ron Saporta's offering of carbon offsetting as an alternative, I think, is not enough. Flying is still adding to the carbon load.
Completely missing from the discussoion in this article are hydrogen fuel cells and solid state batteries. Bicycle delivery in Canada in winter? Mass transit is an alternative to one person using their own vehicle to drive to work, but the transit regime needs to be rethought. We need to consider what we are trying to achieve, then optimize.
Nice article. I've imagined what I think is a better overall solution to our transportation woes -- pollution, safety, land use. I call it "portation," and you can read about it here.
The author makes good points, though many of them have been well known for the last half-century. But there is a flaw in the numerical analysis.
The article states: "[By 2050, the U.S.] would have to increase the electricity it generates ... by about 40 per cent of its total production in 2021."
My goodness, that sounds like an awful lot, doesn't it? However, it would require a steady annual increase of just 1.2 per cent for those 29 years.
According to the American Public Power Association, in the year before February 2023, the U.S. added 27,755 MW of generating capacity to a base of 1.3 million MW. This is a 2.1 per cent increase -- or almost twice the annual increase required. And much of this additional capacity is not due to fossil fuels.
Of course, Canada and the U.S. still have to move away from coal completely -- and natural gas as much as possible. But the challenge of increasing generating capacity is a red herring.
When I write a play, my three-dimensional characters have at least two strata. Deep down, they are archetypal and intended to resonate with any actor playing them. The actor brings the "finish" -- a hoped-for wondrous, insightful and personal "topping off." This veneer is critical for the character's authenticity and emotive honesty. It continues to surprise me how gthe actor's contribution changes and improves what I imagined. A play will be timeless if you get the archetypes right (though a good theme, solid construction and some wit also help).
What about AI? I've often mused to colleagues about how great it would if a few electrodes attached to my skull could capture the play in my mind and present it to an audience as a holograph. But that's way too ghostly. The holograph would have a good use, though, as a directing tool. Or would that be good? A written play can also be imagined by others in a new way, free from my mental imposition.
Who knows where we're going? Modern pop music is very technological and it pales in comparison to 1950s to 1990s band-made, group creations. There's my worry: theatre can already be solipsistic. Will it worsen with AI?
You must consider that many people live where there is no public transit and population densities cannot support buses and trains. An EV gets a commuter to and from work. Most charge during non-peak hours when jurisdictions typically have a significant surplus of electricity.
The notion that riding the bus will solve the pollution problem is simplistic. If you live in Toronto, taking public transportation makes sense. But the transit system in Ottawa is notorious for its unreliability. Ridership is dropping, not increasing. This is not a solution for every place.
Here is another solution: government and corporate employers should maximize the use of hybrid work. We did it during the pandemic, and we had zero traffic, a massive reduction in air and ground pollution -- even the animals noticed and came out. Or better yet, combine hybrid work arrangements with a four-day work week and adopt Europe's laid back, slower pace of living. It's this drastic change in the way we live and work that will make the most significant impact.
I never hear anyone mention the amount of minerals and materials that will be needed to build the new EV bodies. I would like to see technology developed so that new EV engines could be put into existing cars, thus saving resources.
Thank you for doing this study. Very insightful.
An excellent and well-balanced point of view!
I live in a rural area east of Huntsville, Ontario. We have more power outages in our local power grid now, in 2023, than my family experienced in 1950. Our solution when the Ontario Hydro service fails is a Generac propane-powered generator. The grid must be improved in a major way to deliver the power required for this massive proposed change to EVs. A discussion about new technology to generate power and distribute uninterrupted electricity would be welcome.
What research is being conducted regarding stored mechanical energy? Wouldn’t this be a partial solution to urban transportation?
Interesting read. I was cramming for a psychology exam and searched for information about "eureka moments." Thanks for giving me a couple of examples I can use. Now I have to pray it will be a question on the exam.
We all accept that greenhouse gas emission should be reduced and that EVs generate less CO2 than fossil fuel cars. However, the transition to EVs doesn’t fully make sense.
Gut instincts and simple physics lead me to think the process of developing more complex systems, such as large batteries (i.e. capturing, refining, harnessing, delivering, recharging and disposing/recycling materials) would require more energy consumption than using fossil fuels and thus create more overall environmental pollution (if we assume energy consumption equals pollution).
If our goal is to save the environment, should we not include all the factors in this equation? What are the overall costs and damage to the environment (land, water, air) with EVs? And if the government is enacting policy to encourage the transition to EVs, why not enact policy for more reasonable and simpler solutions, such as working from home to reduce unnecessary travel?
I was a student in Ms. Schiff's Physics of Flight course back in the 1990's and have been searching the internet, all these years later, to try to find her name so I could pass it on to my daughter as a woman who inspired and continues to inspire me.
Another take: https://energycentral.com/c/cp/real-efficiency-electrical-vehicles
@Esther Cox poses an interesting question. I've lived as a gay man in five linguistic cultures: North America, francophone Québec, Ireland, Germany and Italy. I just returned from a weekend trip to Toronto, where I was struck by the preponderance of "gay voices." In Montreal, it's a relatively rare phenomenon (among French-speakers). In Berlin and Tuscany: almost never. Dublin and London: yes. This makes me wonder: is the "gay voice" specific to anglophones? Most of what I've read suggests that it's a worldwide phenomenon rather than a local one.
Two things About this "very Canadian" piece:
1. In the 1960s, more than 50,000 young Americans came to Canada as "draft dodgers." I was one. Today, we would be called "war resisters." My paternal grandfather, a Franco-Ontarian, was Canadian, born and raised on a farm in River Canard, now part of Windsor. He persuaded me to come. The country is even more wonderful than he said. I love this country. Merci, grand-pere!
2. I wondered why insulin was not in this list, but then I found an entire article about this Canadian gift to the world in an earlier issue of the magazine. Untold millions of people have been saved, and continue to be.
Readers might also be interested to see other projects across the country. For example, the IGA store in Montreal that has an organic rooftop farm:
https://livingarchitecturemonitor.com/articles/award-winning-iga-organic-rooftop-farm-sp22
Australia is the sunshine country. Not counting the carbon emissions from manufacture, my EV, charged by solar panels, emits and costs nothing. Even its brakes last due to regenerative braking. After 60,000 km, there is no excessive tire wear and its range seems to have improved: 333 km from a 38KWH battery.
Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll needs to be included in the high school curriculum. Many of the lifestyle choices we make are so entrenched by second- or third-year university that they are difficult to turn around. We need to help prevent folks from getting into a downward health spiral.
Thank you for this article. I would love to attend Prof. Doug Richards' course. Would it be possible? I graduated from U of T with a BA in 2000 and an MA in 2004. I’ve been an athlete for several decades and train with the masters division of the U of T Track Club. I’m fascinated by Prof. Richards' course content.
I am lucky. I have always liked to move. I have reached 86 and still do a fitness class and yoga at the Y. My worry is my daughter who is 60 this year and who has developed melanoma, which has recurred and seems to be moving very rapidly through the lymphatic system. I am sending out requests for information in all directions. Any news of resarch or new treatments would be welcome.
I’m 73 and a U of T alumna. May I audit Professor Richards' course?
I love cold plunges. I am also the founder of a national youth mental health charity called Jack.org. (My wife and Jack.org co-founder, Sandra Hanington, is a member of U of T's Governing Council). Cold plunges are known to be good for your mental and physical health. Each December, we do a fundraiser for Jack.org called BrainFreeze. In 2023, 712 participants plunged together. True, it’s not for everyone, and the Wim Hof breathing method is very helpful while you are plunging. But even a two-minute cold shower can be very invigorating. I highly recommend it!
I wish this was a course in secondary school -- and mandatory.
Dr. Richards taught me when I was doing my sports medicine fellowship at U of T. Almost 10 years later, I think about him and his approach frequently when teaching my own students. A wonderful article about a wonderful educator.
Thank you for this article. In a world in which many of our current leaders are descending into the darkness of hate, anger and discord, it helps to know that there is a younger generation of leaders who are carrying the flame of equity and inclusion into the future.
Is this not pretty well all old-school thinking? Get active, don’t smoke, drink less, sleep well and eat well. Prevention over intervention. I would expect today’s university students to know this already, whether they are studying medicine or the arts. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with reinforcing the obvious in a university environment. I spent eight years at the University of Toronto and there’s no doubt in my mind why it is so often rated number one.
As one who practices what Richards is sharing, I thoroughly enjoyed this article. I’m not in university but I am a lifelong learner and I’d love to know if this course is available to anyone, including online as I’m not in the Toronto area. Thanks for sharing such an important message!
I'm glad to see that Doug Richards has made such a strong impression on his students. Early in his career, Doug came to work at U of T's student health service. This started a long association with the university, during which time he has contributed in many ways to supporting student health. He was a primary-care physician, dedicated to sports medicine (where he was a pioneer), but also an administrator and outstanding teacher in the Faculty of Kinesiology. Doug has been a truly extraordinary member of the U of T community, deserving of the accolades set out in this article. I rode my bike to work at U of T till age 85. Our motto was "OYA" [off your ass]. Movement is always beneficial!
Moving heals; sitting kills.
Our innovative approach in:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37416490/
indicates that the addiction problem is far more serious than is generally believed. Simply, self-assessment is inaccurate. It is best illustrated by asking an alcoholic if they are an alcoholic. The outcome of such an assessment is poor, since hardly any addict sees their disorder as a problem. We are prepared to analyze data and publish with any U of T researchers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldemar_W._Koczkodaj
Scientific citations, please!
Doug is a wonderful mentor and friend. Having one's maximal oxygen consumption (Vo2max) in the 99.9th percentile of one's age group reduces all-cause mortality by about 90 per cent, greatly increasing longevity. High-intensity interval (HIIT) training or 4x4 training helps. Now add sauna. More info:
Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality
A Case for Fitness as a Clinical Vital Sign
Aerobic fitness
Periodic life table
I had the honour of working with Dr. Richards for 30 years at the David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine clinic. A brilliant clinician and an outstanding educator with a gift for transferring knowledge in both settings. Very glad to see this article which gives the wider community an opportunity to learn from him as well.
Sheila Gallimore (1971 grad) writes:
I just finished reading Bruce Grierson’s article about Professor Doug Richards course on healthy living. Is it possible to audit his course and, if so, what day and time does this course occur?
Super article by Bruce Grierson! As his 84-year-old mother-in-law, I'm delighted to learn that "the health benefits, especially for older women, appear to max out at 7,500 steps a day." Aquafitness rocks!
@Ruby Goldberg
This article, provided by Greg Wells, has many citations.
Motion is lotion.
Northern Canada is not a homogenous place and different communities can have different circumstances, although there may be some commonalities. In Moose Factory, for example, where I first worked as a physician in 2004 and continue to visit (and where I am writing from now), the local grocery store has recently been partially renovated and an ice road means that food is more easily shipped in the winter. One can find most of the goods that would be expected in a Toronto supermarket, including fresh meat, fruits and vegetables. Generally, the further north one goes the more expensive store-bought food becomes. Quality can be variable but is often good. I do believe that retaining access to traditional or "country" foods has physical benefits as well as the mental health benefits associated with preservation of knowledge, skills and culture.
Exercise is important.
What is the formal name of the course and is it available to alumni?
For information on auditing Dr. Richards’ course, KPE 162: Physical Activity & Healthy Lifestyles, visit the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education’s admissions webpage, or contact the faculty’s Office of the Registrar and Student Services at undergrad.kpe@utoronto.ca.
A fun and thoughtful article. I like that Richards challenges his students and is open to being challenged -- in fact, encourages it. It is fundamentally important that we be proactive about our own well-being. Professor Richards knows this and says it.
While genetics certainly plays a role in health, what we do with our mind and body is up to us. Functional fitness, mind stimulation and social interaction let us enjoy our community and environment to the fullest.
What amazing young leaders! Your words and actions are motivating others to change, which is needed in our world. Keep instilling hope in those you meet.
I would love to engage in this program. Clone Prof. Richards and start teaching this course in public school. Do not wait until secondary school. Our health-care system is in need of resuscitation and it would be a great help if we were proactive about health rather than reactive.
Congratulations to Doug Richards on such a brilliant teaching and clinical career. I know you have many more lessons to teach! Wonderful article on a kind and compassionate colleague. He bridges all generations.
I was shocked by my recent diagnosis of stage 1 breast cancer, which quickly developed into stage 2. I have eaten a combined high fibre and Mediterranean style diet for more than 40 years -- since my UTSC days. My family on both sides has no history of breast cancer. I am the first in five generations to contract it. I have had two partial mastectomy surgeries and a lymph node biopsy; next comes chemotherapy. I am in such overall good health that I am going to negotiate my schedule for chemo to every two weeks (instead of three) at a 75 per cent dosage so I will finish the complete cycle in just under four months instead of nearly five. I really enjoy food, and the high fibre, Mediterranean eating plan has been easy to follow. I highly recommend it. I am also active, as I walk, figure skate and swim as often as possible.
Ginny (Virginia) Hutton (Diploma in Physical and Occupational Therapy, 1969) writes:
Dr. Doug Richards’ approach to his students includes the body and mind. I believe this is the way every medical practitioner should work. At 76, like many seniors, I am dealing with multiple conditions. Some physicians say these are simply age related, so learn to live with them. I think this is unacceptable and leads to further mental health issues. “Rock ‘n Roll” is the way to go!
I do wish that other universities across the country would share their findings and approaches to teaching. ❤️
Dump bridge - a road or causeway across a stream or swampy area made by dumping fill.
Flow - a flooded backwater area created when a dam raises the water level in a river system.
Feedbed - branches collected and stored underwater by beavers near their lodge as a food source.
Thank you for all the very kind comments. I am humbled by those from my colleagues, with whom I enjoyed working, and from whom I learned much!
I read this with great interest, and am grateful to Deirdre Macdonald. It is really a wonderful story.
I consider David Pelletier a lifelong friend. He was the first person I met at the Ontario College of Art and one of the nicest people. That day and those that followed at the college were the happiest days of my life. I'm so pleased for all success he has achieved
I found this article fascinating! I'm especially interested in the idea of using physical activity to improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Thank you for sharing this insightful post!
My meditation technique is 10 slow, relaxing belly breaths, while making a sound such as do, ray, me. Sound can help distract us from what I call the knock, ping and run on of the mind.
Great university! Happy birthday!
The vast majority of my friends and family knew I was gay before I came out, and they mentioned that I sounded gay.
I love the sound of this course but the university level seems too late. How can rudiments of this course be integrated as the base of all schooling from kindergarten up? It is a whole philosophy rather than a one-time course.
I too was there. Took a train from my home in Michigan. If I am doing the math right, I was 17. Stayed in the Royal York Hotel. So did the star runners: Peter Snell, Ron Clarke, Bob Schul, Albie Thomas, Billy Mills, Ron Larrieu and more. I have the autographs to prove it.
What I lost is the front-page photo in the newspaper of Crothers beating Snell at the finishing line. I am in that picture. My seat was right on the finish line. The timers were right behind me.
Ron Clarke broke the listed world record for the three-mile distance that night, but a week earlier he ran two seconds faster in L.A. which was a pending world record.