Letters, July 22
Open Letter to the VP of Student Affairs, Amy Hammett
IT IS MY understanding that for the G20 Summit on June 26th and 27th, the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa organized for at least one bus load of students to go down to Toronto to protest the summit.
My concern is that it has been alleged that funds were taken from the budgets of at least four student services—the Women's Resource Centre, the Pride Centre, the Student Appeal Centre and Foot Patrol—in order to fund to this adventure. I think we can all agree the last two services in particular are crucial to student life and safety on our campus and have nothing to do with political activism. As the SFUO executive member responsible for these services I am wondering if you can answer a few questions:
Were resources taken out of these services to fund G20 protests? If so how much money was taken from each service? What cuts will be made to front line student services as a result? Who authorized this misuse of funds? Was there an executive or board vote on this issue?
What were the funds spent on: food, transportation, accommodation, protest materials or other expenses? What tactics did students engage in? Were any of these unlawful? Was there anything identifying the protesters as representatives of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa?
How many students were involved? What specifically was being protested? What concrete benefits will these activities have for all undergraduate students at the University of Ottawa?
I look forward to hearing your responses to these questions at the next Board of Administration meeting.
Laura McLennan | Fourth-year political science student
Open letter from the candidate for city councillor for the Rideau-Vanier
As we approach the municipal elections, we begin to hear more and more about the issues that are affecting the residents of Ottawa. It plays a much larger role in everyday life than most people see, yet few make the effort to stay on top of the issues that are being debated in City Hall. Election time offers a refreshing sense of engagement among the population of Ottawa.
One thing that we have consistently seen over the course of the last few elections is little involvement by the youth of Ottawa. This is the case across Canada where municipalities struggle to engage youth in the political process. Many factors contribute to this regrettable situation. Having taken my fair share of political science classes during my time at the University of Ottawa, I have seen how often municipal politics are neglected in discussions about political institutions. The basis for the lack of participation of youth is often attributed to a vicious cycle in which underrepresented youth avoid voting because they do not see the point—and politicians do not see the value of accommodating the needs of youth because their inconsistent voting makes them a small demographic to want to please. In order to break this cycle, there must be some fundamental changes in the way policy is created at City Hall, one that would force youth interests into public debates. This could be done through a concerted effort from our City Council and Mayor, or through a transition by appointing young people to municipal positions or through engagement from youth in general. The interests of young people can only be protected if they are properly represented. This is the reason why I am running for city council for the Rideau-Vanier community because I believe that I can offer a voice to many of the young people who live in this city.
Having grown up in this community, I feel like I have a strong understanding of the current issues. I did both my undergrad and master’s studies at the University of Ottawa where I developed the leadership skills needed to adequately serve as a city councillor. I understand the needs of students and I know that they have rarely been met by city council. The U-Pass is a step in the right direction, but it is still coming at too expensive of a cost for students. While seniors are paying $36.00 per month for access to all routes, students continue to pay $73.25 for a regular bus pass. This is precisely the kind of favour that is awarded to the people who take the time to go out and vote. It is no coincidence that two segments of the population who both generally live on fixed incomes have such disparity in the costs of transit: seniors often vote it much larger numbers than young people and elected officials must cater to them to keep their positions.
On October 25th, I invite you to join me in voting for a new voice for our community. It is only through efforts from students will we start to make progress in having true representation in City Hall. To find out how you can help volunteer in my campaign, please send an email to volunteer@mathieufleury.ca or visit mathieufleury.ca By helping our team, you are supporting a change at City Hall. Let your voice be heard.
Mathieu Fleury | U of O alumni
