Latest news with #WilfridLaurierUniversity
National Post
4 days ago
- General
- National Post
Letters: Trudeau sneaks around at the throne speech
Article content Few, if any, of those students would question what they were being told by professors and the administration. Their main concern would be graduating and then starting to teach. If they had to endure lectures on decolonization and other controversial issues, they would go along with whatever was required. Article content It takes an older student, and one with real-world experience, to challenge the doctrines being presented in today's universities. Without students like Margaret Munn at Western and Lindsay Shepherd — who became embroiled in a highly publicized academic freedom controversy at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2017, and who was vindicated by an investigation and received an apology — the public would be unaware of how their taxpayer dollars are being used in post-secondary education. Article content Students are not going to rock the boat and demand change. Change will have to come from reductions in government funding going to institutions that are straying from their intended purpose. Article content We live in an 'entitled' world where the losing team seeks to off-load blame onto others. It's never about their own failures but something wrong with the rules, the judging, or the system itself. It now looks like that entitlement mentality, so prevalent among our youth, has crept into the halls of Parliament. Article content The Canadian public spoke loudly in last month's election, reducing the NDP to seven seats and sacking their leader, thereby withdrawing 'official party status' and all the perks that accrue. Surely it doesn't take a Nobel Prize winner to figure out how this happened. Propping up the minority Liberal government through the infamous 'Supply and Confidence Agreement' made the NDP indistinguishable from their already left-trending comrades in Parliament. Furthermore, with high-profile anti-Israel supporters among the membership, loyal NDPers were forced to question the party's moral principles. Article content Article content For interim leader Don Davies to argue that his party is a 'national' party is a bit rich. It has no federal representation east of Manitoba, save for one seat in Quebec. Instead of looking for special treatment from their former partners, in order to avoid the rules that govern 'official party status,' Davies and his party need to look inward and decide how they can become a legitimate, respectable choice for Canadians seeking a leftist alternative to the Liberal party. Article content Article content It is astounding how easily the Canadian electorate can be manipulated. Liberal strategists must be both cynical and self-satisfied to have developed and successfully promoted a false narrative to the public during the election campaign — that we were, in the words of Mark Carney, 'facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes' due to Donald Trump's tariffs and threats. While many Canadians did not fall for this narrative, I wonder if those who did now feel duped.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Filling bowls and stomachs at special event in Waterloo
An empty bowl was cleaned during the Empty Bowls event at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont. on May 28, 2025. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News) The Empty Bowls event returned to Wilfrid Laurier University on Wednesday. Its goal is to make it easier to fill plates and stomachs for those who are food insecure in Waterloo Region. Money raised from the event goes to the Food Bank of Waterloo Region, which then gets passed on to people who need it. More than 600 attendees paid $50, which gets them a gourmet soup or meal prepared by local chefs. It is then eaten from a handcrafted bowl, which attendees get to keep, made by artisans from the Waterloo Potters' Workshop. 'I teach here, but secondly, we used to come to this quite often,' attendee Keith Masterman said. 'It's such an amazing event and it's for such a great cause. Those three reasons are kind of like hitting home runs there.' Angela Trimarchi was another attendee of the 27th annual Empty Bowls event, who said she was thrilled to be a part of it. 'It sounded like an interesting event, and I like to support a local cause,' said Trimarchi. Empty Bowls 2025 Food Bank of Waterloo Region Angela Trimarchi held a bowl at the Empty Bowls event at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont. on May 28, 2025. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News) Since 1998, Empty Bowls has provided over 1.5 million meals for people in need. For every ticket sold this year, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region can provide 100 healthy meals. 'I think mostly what we'd like to do is raise people's awareness around things like food insecurity,' said Scott Gillies, who helped host the event on behalf of WLU. The event far surpassed its $25,000 fundraising goal and hit nearly $30,000. 'The statistics show that 1 in 8 households in Waterloo Region experience food scarcity,' Rebecca Hempey, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region COO, said. 'We've seen in the past year a 25 per cent increase in that need,' So seeing a sold out crowd gives organizers and the food bank a full feeling in a different way. 'Food scarcity is something that needs to be continually brought forth in the community,' said Hempey. 'These types of events show us that this community cares. It's incredible.'
CTV News
21-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Michael
Michael Raletic began his career in journalism at CTV more than 20 years ago as an online news writer for before making the switch to television and CTV Kitchener in 2004, where he had the opportunity to write and produce. He currently works as assignment editor. Michael was born in Waterloo Region and lived there most of his life, attending both Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. Following a short sojourn overseas, he ended up at what was then the University of Western Ontario where he graduated with a Master of Arts degree in journalism.
Global News
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Canadian university QB to attend Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills rookie minicamps
Wilfrid Laurier University quarterback Taylor Elgersma may have gone undrafted by the NFL over the weekend, but his hopes of playing in the league are not finished. The university has confirmed the London, Ont., native will be attending the Green Bay Packers rookie minicamp from May 2 to 4 followed by the Buffalo Bills rookie minicamp from May 9 to 11. After leading Laurier's football team to the Vanier Cup, where they lost to Laval, Elgersma was named the Hec Crighton Trophy winner as Canada's top football player. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He finished the season by throwing 20 touchdowns, 330.4 yards per game and 2,659 total passing yards, all tops at the Canadian university level. Then in January, he was invited to play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., which is a showcase for many of the top NFL draft-eligible football players south of the border. Story continues below advertisement Following that appearance, Elgersma headed to the University at Buffalo's Pro Day, where members of the Bills staff were in attendance, before also making a visit to Green Bay to meet with staff. Although Elgersma went undrafted over the weekend, Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke, of Oakville, Ont., was selected in the seventh round by the San Francisco 49ers. Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, who is an Alberta native, went in the fourth round. While Elgersma may be in tough to continue his playing career south of the border despite the pending opportunities, the door will remain open in Canada for him as well. The CFL draft will take place on Tuesday night, and he is the 14th-ranked prospect on the CFL scouting list so he should hear his name called early.
Hamilton Spectator
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Classrooms are ‘increasingly diverse' — Educators in Brantford are working to make sure teachers are, too
At 16, singer Q Quimado — who also plays piano, guitar and drums — already knows she wants to share her passion with others as a music teacher . Q, who is Asian and visually impaired, has struggled to identify with educators. 'I always had a very specific idea of what a teacher looks like and that doesn't look like me,' the W. Ross Macdonald School for the blind student said. It's a reality professors at Wilfrid Laurier University are working to address through an initiative aimed at diversifying Ontario 's educators. On Wednesday, the university's Brantford campus hosted its first Increasing Teacher Diversity event, which drew more than 60 students from local schools to campus to explore careers in education through guest speakers, booths with career and funding information, and campus tours. The same event has been held in Waterloo for the last three years. The initiative, hosted by the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Coalition at Laurier's faculty of education, is intended to engage and inspire Black, Indigenous, racialized and LGBTQ students, as well as those with disabilities. 'Our classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse,' said assistant professor Pam Malins, a member of the queer community. 'In addition to preparing teachers to teach … we also know the power of seeing yourself represented in your classroom.' Professors Jennifer Straub, Pam Malins and Keri Ewart are part of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Coalition at Wilfrid Laurier University's faculty of education. Representation can affect confidence, self-esteem and sense of belonging, experts say. In Hamilton, a 2022 public board census showed that students are far more racialized than staff , and nearly a third of students said they don't identify as heterosexual — a far greater number than staff. Asked about their race, 62 per cent of students described themselves as being white — again, well below the 88 per cent of staff who did so in the 2019 employee census . 'The HWDSB's hiring practices include 'targeted efforts' to 'reach a broad and diverse audience,' such as advertising jobs on platforms dedicated to groups, like Indigenous peoples,' executive officer of human resources Jason Alexander said in an email. In 2019, 88 per cent of staff at Hamilton's Catholic board identified as white. It's unclear if the Brantford-area Catholic board has conducted a similar census. At the Grand Erie District School Board, which includes the city of Brantford, as well as Brant, Norfolk and Haldimand counties, 88 per cent of staff identified as white in 2024, compared with 62 per cent of students. Twenty-one per cent of students said they weren't straight (or declined to answer), compared with six per cent of staff. Progress has been made since the last workforce census in 2021, the report reads, but there's still work to be done. The board, whose area is adjacent to Six Nations of the Grand River, saw a 25 per cent increase in Indigenous staff, but the overall proportion was small at one per cent. Seven per cent of students identified as Indigenous in 2024. Director of education JoAnna Roberto said creating a 'strong connection' between students and their schools is a priority. The board's human resources and leadership teams are working to attract staff from diverse backgrounds and offer relevant professional development. 'We need to enhance our practices,' she said. The staff 'is not as diverse as it could be,' said Carmen Davis, a teacher at Assumption College School. At the Brantford school, 13 per cent of students spoke a first language other than English, five per cent were newcomers and 16 per cent received special-education services in 2023-24. 'It's not reflecting our student population,' Davis said. Wilfrid Laurier University education students Zia Balaj (left) and Samantha Terpstra, both 25, volunteered to help dozens of Brantford-area students to explore careers in education at the first Increasing Teacher Diversity event on Wednesday. Aspiring educator Grayson Dela Rosa said most of his teachers have been women, and he wants to see more men in the field. Classmate Ella Da Silva, 17, agreed, and noted that leadership positions tend to be male dominated. Laurier's efforts could have significant local impact, as more than 85 per cent of education students who graduated between 2021 and 2023 work in schools within 100 kilometres of Laurier campuses, an employment survey found. The initiative, which was launched in Waterloo three years ago, came after the education faculty noticed a trend: Their own cohorts and placements lacked diversity, said assistant professor Jennifer Straub. She said kids often comment: 'I've never had a teacher that looks like me.' 'If we want more teacher diversity, then we need to do something about it,' she said. 'The best way to do that is to reach out to secondary students to say it is possible.' Born and raised in Brantford, Samantha Terpstra's elementary teachers were 'predominantly white.' The 25-year-old bachelor of education student hopes to be part of diversifying the Ontario school system. 'Your school is supposed to reflect your students,' she said. 'I want to be there to represent a teacher of colour, so students can see themselves in me.'
