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VOLUME 74 // ISSUE 19 // FEB. 27
Special
Circus
r
UWSA re eport:
sp
online a onds to
llegatio
ns
P14
Play!
The performers keeping circus arts
alive in Winnipeg
Royal MTC's new One year of library Dismantling
season P7 security P13 'Corona-phobia' P17
T h e o f f i c i a l n e w s pa p e r o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f W i n n i p e g
UWSA GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES
CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT
UWSA
MAHLET
CUFF
KIRT JIBRIL
HUSSEIN
GENERAL
HAYER
DEVOTE AWARENESS ENVISION 2020 ELECTION
CANDIDATES FOR VICE-PRESIDENT EXTERNAL AFFAIRS CANDIDATE
SPEECHES
SHAWNA ALEX BREANNA M. February 24 & 26
PÉLOQUIN ILESANMI BELISLE 12:30PM
DEVOTE AWARENESS ENVISION 2020
The Hive
CANDIDATES FOR VICE-PRESIDENT STUDENT AFFAIRS VOTE
NOELLE REZA MELANIE MARCH 2
WILLIAM
SAGHER
DEVOTE
SAKER
AWARENESS EVNVISION 2020
MARCH 3
MARCH 4
9AM - 6PM
2SLGBT* DIRECTOR ACCESSIBILTY DIRECTOR ARTS DIRECTOR RIDDELL HALL
RICHARDSON CENTRE
MERCHANT’S CORNER
JACOB K. SARAH WESLEY
ANTMAN ANDERSON FALLIS WITH A
MOBILE
STATION @
BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS DIRECTOR COMMUNITY LIAISON DIRECTOR
10AM - 3PM
WII CHIIWAAKANAK
(MARCH 2)
HARSIMRAT S. CELINA
MALHOTRA CLEMENTS
9AM - 6PM
BUHLER CENTRE
(MARCH 3)
GRADUATE STUDENT DIRECTOR CANDIDATES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ DIRECTOR
9:30AM - 11:30AM
BUHLER CENTRE
(MARCH 4)
HARSHLEEN SINGH
12PM- 4PM
3RD FLOOR
CENTENNIAL HALL
(MARCH 4)
ALEXANDRA K. NYCHUK & NADIA
M. CHAHARSOUGHI (Co-Directors)
RACIALIZED STUDENTS’ DIRECTOR
BRING YOUR
UWINNIPEG
ELLA
TAYLOR STUDENT ID
ELSA OWUSU & ONYINYE F. IDIGBE
(Co-Directorship) TO VOTE!
CANDIDATES FOR SENATOR
QUESTIONS?
Email the Chief
ADA CHETA D. Elections Commissioner
CHUKWUDOZIE AKALUKA at cec@theuwsa.ca,
and read Candidate
Bios at theuwsa.ca/
elections!
VOTE YES/NO ON THE U-PASS REFERENDUM QUESTION AT POLLING BOOTHS!
The City of Winnipeg has made a fee increase mandatory to continue offering the U-Pass. Are
you in favour of a U-Pass fee increase of $24.50 per term, amounting to a total U-Pass fee of
$160.75 per term (adjusted annually for inflation), to continue providing unlimited access to
Winnipeg Transit services for students?
A note on
the editorial
on the cover
Circus performer Atom Dzaman
process
demonstrates his juggling prowess. Around 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 25, The Uniter received
a news tip regarding allegations against current
Read more on page 9. and former members of the UWSA executive,
which were published anonymously online.
With the help of the entire staff of our city and
campus section (city editor Lisa Mizan, city
reporter Alex Neufeldt and campus reporter
Callum Goulet-Kilgour), we managed to put
together as comprehensive an article as we
could on the shortest possible notice.
It can be frustrating to build a complex story
in 24 hours, especially when talking about a
subject that probably requires two weeks of
work to do it justice. It’s always true that there’s
never enough time, but it feels especially true
today. The article appears on page 14 of this
newspaper.
It’s fair to ask, “Why report on anonymous
allegations with no corroborating evidence?”
The editorial decision to publish this piece was a
complex one. But with the online attacks directed
at the UWSA coming just days before the general
election, it would have been irresponsible for
The Uniter to leave these claims unexamined.
Investigating the claims, who is making them and
giving the UWSA and all other relevant parties a
chance to respond is of paramount importance,
especially in an age when anonymous claims
floating in the social media ether can evolve from
disinformation to opinion to assumed fact within a
couple of retweets.
These allegations are not facts. Their veracity
hasn’t been verified. But the students going to
the polls deserve to be as informed as possible
before casting their vote. Building as complete
a picture as possible for students means letting
them know that these allegations exist. It also
means ensuring that those allegations are
scrutinized, rather than existing as idle gossip or
unchecked statements.
Whether these allegations stem from genuine
concern, misunderstandings or deliberate
attempts at campaign smears remains a
mystery. What we do know for certain is that this
campaign season just got a whole lot uglier.
—Thomas Pashko
follow us
on social media
photo by daniel crump
People gather at the Millennium Library one year to the day that stronger security measures, including bag searches and metal detectors, were implemented. Read @TheUniter @TheUniter facebook.com/
more on page 13. theuniter
UNITER STAFF Staff photographer
and online content co-ordinator contributors contact us Submissions Corrections
Managing Editor Callie Lugosi » callie@uniter.ca
Thomas Pashko » editor@uniter.ca STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER comic General Inquiries Submissions of articles, letters, In the Feb. 16 article “Reframing
Keeley Braunstein-Black » keeley@uniter.ca Keegan Steele 204.988.7579 graphics and photos are austerity,” we stated that,
Business Manager
Olivia Norquay » businessmgr@uniter.ca STAFF Illustrator Photographer editor@uniter.ca encouraged, however all new according to a Manitoba Health
Gabrielle Funk » gabrielle@uniter.ca Carly Boomer www.uniter.ca contributors (with the exception of report, seven Manitobans
Creative director letters to the editor) must attend died due to inadequate air
Talia Steele » creative@uniter.ca Features REPORTER writers Advertising a 45-minute volunteer orientation ambulance access, then later
Keesha Harewood » features@uniter.ca Lys Botsula 204.786.9790
Arts & culture EDITOR Christina Hajjar workshop to ensure that the incorrectly stated the number
Beth Schellenberg » culture@uniter.ca » For inquiries email: volunteer understands all of the of deaths as 30. There were
Arts & culture Reporter Michelle Karlenzig businessmgr@uniter.ca
Naaman Sturrup » naaman@uniter.ca publication’s basic guidelines. 30 incidents recorded in the
features EDITOR
Katherine Cao » featureseditor@uniter.ca Room ORM14 Next volunteer workshop takes report, with seven resulting in
Arts & culture Reporter place Wednesday, March 4 at 5 deaths of patients. The Uniter
Hannah Foulger » hannah@uniter.ca University of Winnipeg
City EDITOR 515 Portage Avenue p.m., in room ORM14. Please email regrets the error.
Lisa Mizan » city@uniter.ca city Reporter volunteer@uniter.ca for more
Mouseland Press Board of Winnipeg, Manitoba In the Feb. 3 article “The many
COMMENTS EDITOR Alex Neufeldt » cityreporter@uniter.ca Directors: Kristin Annable (chair), R3B 2E9 details. Deadline for advertisements
is noon Friday, six days prior to confusing paths to Canada,” we
Haley Pauls » comments@uniter.ca CAmpus REPORTER Anifat Olawoyin, Larissa Peck, Treaty One Territory
publication. The Uniter reserves referred to Oumer Ahmed as
COPY & STYLE EDITOR Callum Goulet-Kilgour » campus@uniter.ca Andrew Tod and Jack Walker Homeland of the Métis Nation an employee of "the Manitoba
» For inquiries email: board@uniter.ca the right to refuse to print material
Danielle Doiron » style@uniter.ca VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR submitted by volunteers. The Uniter Network of Newcomer Serving
Tamika Reid » volunteer@uniter.ca will not print submissions that are Organizations." He is actually
PHOTO EDITOR
Daniel Crump » photoeditor@uniter.ca homophobic, misogynistic, racist or an employee of the Manitoba
libellous. We also reserve the right Association of Newcomer
to edit for length/style. Serving Organizations. The
Uniter regrets the error.
4 The Uniter // February 27, 2020
Whose
House?
n a Chigbo’s
Ugon use
ho
photos by keeley braunstein-black
Ugonna Chigbo in his home
A warm family
home
KEESHA HAREWOOD
FEATURES REPORTER @KEESHAHAREWOOD
For Ugonna Chigbo, the volunteer
1 2
co-ordinator at CKUW, the best part of
the job is meeting volunteers and bringing
their ideas to life.
“Many people, when they come to the
radio station, are like ‘oh, I want to make
a radio show,’ and I’m like ‘yeah, you’re in
the right place!’”
Chigbo first started out at CKUW
as a volunteer during his first year at the
University of Winnipeg.
“It all started in my first year and just
3
trying to find out what groups to be part of,”
he says. “This was something my dad did.
He did college radio back in the day, mostly
French, and it was just amazing. I like to
kind of follow in his footsteps.”
On top of producing various radio
shows, Chigbo spends a great deal of
time recruiting volunteers. At times,
encouraging people to participate can be
a challenging aspect of the job.
“Some people are thinking ‘the radio’s dead,
the radio’s dying, it’s a dying medium,’ and so
we’re keeping that alive.
“Not everyone wants to stay in that radio
tradition.” 4 5
This doesn’t stop Chigbo from reaching 6
out to both high school and university
students all over Winnipeg to keep the 1) A dense textbook 3) The ideal study 6) A momentous
radio tradition alive. “I find those ways “I had to do the whole space souvenir
really helpful to spread the knowledge and training for this course, “A friend of mine says a clean “This was from my time in New
let people know the radio exists, and (they) desk is a sign of a sick mind.” Orleans, and believe it or not, it
and so it was like a whole
should definitely be a part of it.”
weekend of practice and was once filled up to here with
For anyone who might be apprehensive
about volunteering, Chigbo encourages people then exams as well.” 4) It’s always worth margarita, and man, it was a
to “just try it out (and) come have fun.” it for the uniform fun night. In New Orleans, they
He says “people listen to the radio, but 2) Now that’s “This is one of the cool things know how to party.”
people don’t always see themselves making creative I wear with pride.”
the radio. People assume that there’s this “My brother, he made this for 7) A couple of
‘radio voice,’ and you need to have this our parents. It’s duct tape.” 5) A beautiful family awards
radio mentality. Honestly, there’s no “As you can see, my eyes are “These awards are from
such thing as a ‘radio voice.’ Everyone is CKUW.”
closed. I think I was tired
unique in their own sense, and so I always 7
emphasize that message especially.” that day.”
ARTS The Uniter // February 27, 2020
5
‘Unique and irreplaceable’
Remembering Andris Taskans: rock of the Winnipeg literary
community
Margaret Sweatman, a U of W pro-
fessor and author, says, “when he edited
hannah foulger @foulgerscovfefe your work, it was with the intention of
making it the best it could be, and this
arts and culture reporter impersonal, scrupulous attention to
detail brought us all to seek a professional
attitude to our writing.”
Writer Carolyn Gray took the reins as “He was also invested in making sure
editor of literary journal Prairie Fire at that writers got paid,” Bitney says. Where
the end of 2019, taking over from the the Manitoba Arts Council was con-
legendary Andris Taskans, who died on cerned, Prairie Fire was “a labour of love”
Sept. 27, 2019. Taskans, whose parents according to Bitney, but Taskans fought
were post-war Latvian immigrants, was for funding to pay the writers a profes-
a born-and-raised Winnipegger who sional wage for their work.
“became, at some point, Mr. Winnipeg,” But Taskans was more than a great
his wife, Katherine Bitney, says. editor. He was a force of nature who
A champion of Winnipeg and Man- made change and knew where change
itoba writers, Taskans founded Writers was coming from.
News Manitoba with Bitney and some “Editorially, he was really good at cre-
friends in 1978. It was later reborn as ating special issues and seeing what was
Prairie Fire in 1983, the Winnipeg-based coming and who needed to be supported
literary journal which has published the and needed to be celebrated. It was his
early works of Vern Thiessen, Catherine baby to support cultural groups,” Bitney
Hunter, Margaret Sweatman and Joshua says. “There was a Jewish writing issue,
Whitehead. two francophone issues, three Indige-
He also was a driving force behind the nous issues, and he was very supportive,
creation of the Manitoba Writers’ Guild particularly of Indigenous writers.”
and the Manitoba Magazine Publishers’ “Andris was unique and irreplace-
Association. able. He was crucial to the creation of a supplied photo
He wrote poetry and published a writing community and brought to the
chapbook with Turnstone Press called Prairie Fire founder Andris Taskans, who died on Sept. 27, was a major figure in Winnipeg's literary world.
arduous and very often thankless work
Jukebox Junkie, but Taskans loved and a lucid objectivity and his quiet generos-
prioritized editing. He started editing ity of spirit,” Sweatman says. “He would experienced authors alike with respect “His last issue that he sequenced, he
in high school with a small paper and attend readings by unknown writers (like and genuine interest in our work,” poet sequenced in the hospital. And he looked
during his days at the University of Sweatman, in 1980) and suggest that we Angeline Schellenberg says. at me, and he said ‘I love doing this!’ He
Winnipeg (U of W), he edited Mandala, submit to Prairie Fire.” Taskans was tireless in his commit- was editing to the end,” Bitney says.
the precursor to Juice Journal, in which “What sticks in my mind is the hum- ment to the craft of editing and the sup-
his poetry was also published. ble way Andris treated brand-new and port of writers.
Canada is good enough
Young artists highlight just how supportive the flourishing
Canadian music industry is
naaman sturrup @naamansturrup and I would love for this city to always be
my home base.”
arts and culture reporter Lindsay Thomson is a Winnipeg-based
artist and the leader of the indie band
Although Canada may have a smaller LLUX. After the group’s performance
music industry than the United King- at the Good Will earlier this year, the
dom or the United States, there are a band released the singles ‘The Drive’ and
variety of opportunities to grow here, ‘Molly.’
and there are young artists taking advan- Thomson recently moved to Winnipeg
tage of them. and after taking a songwriting program
Matthew V, a young pop artist based in Ottawa, the artist is ready to spread
in Vancouver, B.C., has an upcoming her wings in Manitoba.
Canadian tour opening for the synth-pop “Winnipeg is a perfect city to come in
singer Ralph. The tour starts in Victoria, and learn some new music,” she says.
B.C. on March 10 and, after travelling “I feel so grateful to be in Winnipeg. carly boomer (supplied)
British Columbia and Alberta, stops in Everyone is so supportive.”
Matthew V says that the last two Local musician Lindsay Thomson, singer and guitarist of LLUX
Winnipeg at the Good Will Social Club
on March 16. years have been eye-opening for him,
Matthew V has trained in classical as he discovered just how vast the music
industry is in Canada. He reveals one Though these artists are based in dif- did not like, I do not think I would take
music since childhood, and though he ferent provinces, create music in differ- that opportunity. I am very lucky to have
went to London, England to pursue a of the main influences behind career
growth and success: ent genres and appeal to different audi- a team that lets me make things that I
four-year musical program, his priorities ences, one commonality that shines in want to make.”
quickly changed after coming back home. “We live in the age of the internet, and
people can really get the ball rolling from both is humility. Thomson concurs and says, “I would
“When I came home in the summer Matthew V says, “as I have had more love for this to become a career, but you
after my first year abroad, I ended up wherever they are,” he says.
“Once you have a good product people experience in this industry, I have found do not have to reach a crazy level of star-
signing a record deal with 604 Records that I am now less focused on the amount dom to have a career.
in Vancouver,” he says. can connect with, anyone can get started
from wherever they choose to. There is of success that I have and more focused “Having a nice, humble fanbase would
“At that moment, I decided to stay on making things that I am proud of. be great.”
here and pursue a musical career on no roadblock that can inhibit an artist’s
career in Canada, especially in 2020.” “If a big record company offered me
home turf. Vancouver feels like home, guaranteed stardom to make music I
6 The Uniter // February 27, 2020
arts BRIEFS
CKUW top 30 beth schellenberg // arts and culture editor @bethgazellenberg
January 27—February 2, 2020
TW = This Week // LW = Last Week // ! = Local content // * = Canadian Content
Pop Up Drag Show Sea Moya (Germany)
TW LW C Artist Album Label
1 4 ! Cantor Dust Too Many Stars Self-Released
Don your finest threads and head down to Club 200 Catch kraut-beat-indie rockers Sea Moya at the
(190 Garry St.) on Friday, Feb. 28 for a pop-up drag Handsome Daughter (61 Sherbrook St.) on Tuesday,
2 1 ! Mariachi Ghost Puro Dolor Sugar Gator show! The lineup will feature local sweethearts and March 3. Special guests, including local electronic/
3 26 ! William Prince Reliever Six Shooter secret, oh-so-special guests and is sure to be a house act French Class, are opening, and the show is
4 NE * Andy Shauf The Neon Skyline Arts & Crafts fabulous time. The show starts at 11:30, and cover is an early one, with doors at 7 p.m. Music starts at 7:30
$5. p.m. sharp, and cover is $10.
5 NE * The Quivers Nice To Meet You Transistor 66
6 NE Rez Abbasi And Isabelle Olivier Oasis Enja/Yellowbird
7 15 * Wolf Parade Thin Mind Royal Mountain
8 5 Los Straightjackets Channel Surfing Yep Rock
9 18 Various Artists Desert Sessions Vols. 11 & 12 Matador
10 13 Various Artists Back From The Canigo: Garage Punks Staubgold Micah Erenberg/Slow Urban Ecology Walk:
Vs Freakbeat Mods Perpignan 1989-1999
Leaves Energy and the Cosmic
11 12 * Booster Fawn Psychic Laundry From Smoke Self-Released
And Mirror World Local songwriting darlings Micah Erenberg and Slow Whole
Leaves will play tunes at the Times Change(d) High
12 RE * The Flamingos Pink Kustom Kreme Label Étiquette Barbara and Clarence Nepinak, Allen Sutherland, Dave
and Lonesome Club (234 Main St.) on Saturday, Feb.
13 2 ! Begonia Fear Rex Baby 29. Erenberg will play with a full band, and Slow Pancoe, John Wyndels and Cary Hamel will lead an
14 8 * Fly Pan Am C'est Ca Constellation Leaves as a duo comprised of Grant Davidson and evening walk-and-talk on Saturday, Feb. 29 from 5 to
Rej Ricard. The show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 7 p.m. The walk will focus on the connection between
15 NE * Destroyer Have We Met Merge
and can be purchased at Eventbrite. urban and ecological systems and will end around a
16 21 Various Artists Symphonic Plunderphonic Silber fire at The Forks. For more information and to reserve
17 NE * Alex Cuba Sublime Caracol a free spot, visit Eventbrite.
18 30 ! Greg Rekus & The Inside Job Death & Taxes Self-Released
19 NE Bleach Day As If Always Birdwatcher
20 29 Mr. Elevator Goodbye, Blue Sky Castle Face
21 RE * Geoff Berner Grand Hotel Cosmopolis Coax
22 NE ! Hut Hut Hut Hut Hut
23 27 ! Smoky Tiger The Premium Qulaity: Royal Rumpus
Self-Released
Transistor 66
Keynote: Dr. Otto on Decolonizing Lens: Art and
24 NE * L'electrique Brelant Le Ciel D'hiver Arachnidiscs ”Gender, Sexuality, & the Activism
25 NE CEL (Felix Kubin & Hubert Zemler)
26 NE ! Hearing Trees
CEL
Bones
Bureau B
Self-Released
Bauhaus“ The Decolonizing Lens is hosting a screening of Invasion
at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (300 Memorial Blvd.) on
27 RE Paint Fumes What A World Get Hip Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (MAWA) and the Thursday, Feb. 27, followed by a discussion about the
28 RE Little Fyodor Pithy Romantic Ballads Self-Released
School of Art are co-presenting a keynote lecture Wet’suwet’en Nation’s efforts to protect traditional
by Dr. Elizabeth Otto on Friday, Feb. 28. Otto is an art territory and the role art can play in political activism.
29 NE Jon Hassell/Farafina Flash Of The Spirit Tak:Til/Glitterbeat historian and the author of numerous books, and her The event is free, but 100 per cent of all donations will
30 NE Oiseaux-Tempete From Somewhere Invisible Subrosa work focuses on gender, sexuality, queer identites, go toward the Wet’suwet’en Nation at the Gidimt’en
occult spirituality and architecture. Otto’s lecture will Access Point. Doors open at 6 p.m., the film screens at 7,
take place at MAWA (611 Main St.) at 7 p.m. and the panel discussion starts at 7:30.
Allthe
All thebest
bestininthe
the
2019/2020 academic
2017/18 academic year!
year!
ARTS The Uniter // February 27, 2020
7
supplied photo
A promotioal image for Children of God, the musical written by Corey Payette. Payette will direct Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre's production of the play in 2021.
Theatrical shift
“It is such a gift to have a play like nights at the Warehouse. The festival
The Wolves, because it is the ensem- will also feature a series of panels and
ble of nine soccer players and one soc- cabarets but won’t feature the indepen-
cer mom,” Thornton says. “I love the dent theatres that the Master Playwright
opportunity. We are going to (cast) nine Festival did.
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s new season reveals new young women, local Winnipeg actors, “I’m seeing the gap now for indepen-
priorities next-generation actors, and really show
their stuff.”
dent theatre,” Sami Desiree, the artistic
director of Beau Theatre Co., says. “The
Calpurnia by artistic associate director
Audrey Dwyer. “The last goal is ‘connecting with our Master Playwright Festival has always
hannah foulger @foulgerscovfefe The second was “captivating our community,’” Thornton says. This is been a great opportunity for indepen-
audience (by) creating a balanced play- most apparent with The Bridge, a new dent theatre or community productions
arts and culture reporter bill that has beloved classics,” Thorton festival which will replace the Master to mount something and still get some of
says, like The Sound of Music, which has Playwright Festival, which ran from that audience base that goes and makes
salient and contemporary themes. “The 2000 to 2020. The festival featured one these houses full. (Often) it is really hard
The Royal Manitoba Theatre Cen-
von Trapp family were displaced. They RMTC production and a non-juried to reach those audience bases.”
tre (RMTC) launched its season pro-
were wartime refugees ... this is a story selection of plays produced by indepen- Thornton says The Bridge is not meant
grammed by new artistic director Kelly
which sadly continues to resonate.” dent theatre companies in the commu- to be “a cookie-cutter replacement” for
Thornton. There is a clear shift in direc-
Another classic, The Three Musketeers, nity. Each year focused on a particular the Master Playwright Festival. She
tion from previous seasons, highlight-
adapted by Catherine Bush, will con- “Master Playwright,” including John plans on doing some kind of town hall
ing stories from and about women and
quer the mainstage. “My mandate with Patrick Shanley, Caryl Churchill, Ste- to engage with smaller theatre compa-
BIPOC.
that one is to bring some of the most phen Sondheim and ending with 2020’s nies to find out what their needs are.
“When I was still going through the
exciting swordplay onto our stages,” ShakespeareFest. “I do have ideas in terms of what I see
hiring process (to become) the artistic
Thornton says. “The Bridge is a new initiative, (an) as the needs of the community. (RMTC
director at RMTC, I articulated three
This season will also have a large annual festival that unpacks some of has) a responsibility for people’s liveli-
priorities,” Thornton says. “One is ‘cul-
opportunity for young women actors. the issues that are on our stage. In 2021, hoods, which is why I’m trying to get as
tivating our voices’ ... I really believe in
Sarah Delappe’s The Wolves, the Pulitzer (the theme is) Art and Reconciliation,” much local Winnipeg talent onstage (as
putting Canadian playwrights on our
Prize-nominated play about a girls’ soc- Thornton says. Children of God, a musi- possible), including local designers. I’m
stage and as many local playwrights as
cer team, will be produced at the Tom cal about an Oji-Cree family in a resi- interested in helping build capacity for
possible.” Seven of the shows this season
Hendry Warehouse. dential school, will play the mainstage, independent companies,” she says.
are by Canadian playwrights, including
and two shows will play on alternate
Feature Words and Photos by Keeley Braunstein-Black Staff Photographer @ keeley_image
Circus play!
The performers keeping circus arts alive in Winnipeg
Charles Lauder, who performs as Sleepy the Clown, hard at work with a giant balloon
Charles Lauder whole gamut of disciplines depending on what you want “People, as adults, we wear what we present to the
(Sleepy the Clown) to focus on.” Sleepy enjoyed acting as a child and as a world. It's not necessarily our own proper true selves.
teenager met “a clown minister.” There is the version of ourselves that we show to the people
Winnipeg Circus Club – president
“He would travel across Canada doing clowning at work, there is the version we show to our parents, there
workshops and presentations and summer camps. is the version we show to our friends, and, as a clown,
Charles Lauder (Sleepy) is the current president of the Meeting him and learning from him in his workshops what I like to say about clowning is it is an exaggeration
Winnipeg Circus Club (WCC). This is the third time over the course of four to five months hooked me on the of the human spirit.
Lauder has been elected to the position. whole clowning thing,” Sleepy says. “As a clown, it is all about the emotional connection
One of the reasons Sleepy loves being a clown is “There is an essential truth to being a clown in front with the audience, whether that audience is one person or
“because you can dabble your giant tippy-toe in pretty of people. That kind of negates it being a mask. There is 500. As a clown, you do the simple things that everybody
much anything,” including juggling, balloons, comedy, truth of character between you and the audience that you does, just more exaggerated or more ridiculous.”
stage shows and birthday parties. need to let go of yourself and become one with what you Sleepy says “being a clown is awesome!”
Clowning is a “whole thing in itself. It encompasses a are doing.
COVER FEATURE CONTINUES | NEXT PAGE >>
: continued Circus Play!
Ezra Lazar - treasurer of the Circus Club – juggler Karrie Blackburn - professional hula hooper
Ezra Lazar is a juggler and bounced off the ground. Lazar’s Karrie Blackburn is a professional hula narrow-minded and singular. There
member of the International favourite thing to juggle is hooper who has been performing for are so many things you can do with a
Jugglers’ Association (IJA) and bouncy balls, because they “let 10 years. She started out for fitness, and hoop. By design, it’s infinite.
is currently the treasurer of the you do more tricks.” then it became about travel and learn- “Even just having a young child, they
Winnipeg Circus Club. He is a member of IJA Con- ing around the globe. She then came can spin the hoop like a top, with older
Lazar started juggling while tinue, a program where kids can home to “share my passion for the hula kids they can spin it on the arms. It gets
in high school. The biology learn to juggle and get a button hoop with others.” rid of that playground shaming and
teacher, who was also a juggler, when they learn a new trick. Blackburn started hooping when she invites everyone to play. The only wrong
took it upon himself to teach “We want to encourage kids to met a woman on a camping trip who way to do it is if you are not smiling. It’s
everyone. While Lazar started learn,” he says. had “four hoops, rocked out and did all a hula hoop. You can’t do it wrong if
performing with a prop called Lazar will perform on March of these amazing things.” She vowed to you're smiling,” Blackburn says.
a Diabolo, he switched to jug- 8 as part of the annual show- learn to hula hoop and “lost 75 pounds Blackburn has been an instructor
gling because his friends were case while juggling apples. “(I’ll) in two years and traveled to 18 differ- for six years. “If people give me a min-
doing it. hopefully not get too much apple ent countries with my hoops after that, ute of their time, I can have them hula
He recently started learning juice everywhere!” Lazar says. because what’s next when you are given a hooping around the waist.”
stilt-walking and bounce-jug- whole new lease on life?” Blackburn performs with some fire
gling, where the balls are “It really does bridge the gap of play hoops, ambient animation with LED
between all generations. When we hoops, single, multi and double hoops.
think of hula hooping, we think of it “There is so much variation within it,”
spun around our waist. But that is very she says.
Gabriel Wendt - amateur - rope dart – first performance coming up!
Gabriel Wendt is a member of the Winni-
peg Circus Club and practices rope dart,
an adaption taken from martial arts.
Wendt joined the club because of an
interest in juggling and says “I came
with the understanding that I would
learn juggling. I had no idea about the
rope dart until I got here.”
Wendt was looking for something that
provided more exercise. “With juggling,
I found it was a lot of upper-body work
(not like lifting weights or anything),
but with rope dart, you have to move
your whole body.
“I think the circus arts are very valu-
able for children and for adults. It’s good
exercise. It’s fun. It’s something entirely
new and different that you wouldn’t be
able to get from the internet.”
While “just a learner,” Wendt has vol-
unteered to be in the annual showcase
on March 8.Atom Dzaman - professional juggler – has juggled April - amateur – stilts, slackline, juggling,
a kitten hoops, etc. – Here for fun!
As a professional juggler, Atom juggling and fell in love with it,” he April is just getting comfortable was about five years ago. The kids
Dzaman’s favourite thing to juggle is says. on stilts after attending a work- on stage were so articulate, and
balls, even though one time he jug- Dzaman has travelled with jug- shop about a year ago where everybody had something to offer,
gled a kitten. Yes, it is still alive! gling and more. Today, he is doing participants made stilts. “I didn’t and everybody was having a good
He works mostly with his moth- mostly online videos and is a “farm- practice very much until a few time and in a good mood. So I
er’s company, where “she makes jug- ing artist,” Dzaman does juggling months ago.” decided to check out the club.
gling balls by hand.” and art, and in the summer farms April does slackline, juggling, “Part of it is where they have it.
Dzaman started juggling at the organic produce in Ethelbert, Man. poi and hoops. “I don’t do any of They let the neighbourhood kids
age of eight and was raised in a fam- them expertly. I am here for fun,” in and let them use props,” April
ily circus of sorts. “I saw my dad April says. says. “It’s a whole lot of fun.”
“The first showcase I went to
Mahlet Starr
Tiauni Cuff -(she/her)
performer -and
“I’m starting to give less of a shit”
teacher
Tiauni Starr has a background in The flow classes consist of 30
dance (jazz, ballet, tap) and “it to 60 second dance routines that
just felt like a natural progression. participants build. According to
I went to my first festival, which Starr, “one of the most common
was Summer of Sound, and a cou- questions that I get is ‘why can’t I
ple of mutual friends had a hoop, flow? I know all of these tricks, but
and I was like ‘WOW! That's so I can’t put them together.’ The flow
cool!’ And I thought to myself, classes help you combine them.”
‘I could probably do that,’ so six Performing regularly, Starr
months later, I bought myself my does single, double and cir-
first hoop.” cus-style hooping (with four to six
Starr is a self-taught hooper hoops). Eventually, Starr would
who learned a lot of her skills by like to incorporate aerial hooping
watching YouTube videos (by cre- into her performance.
ators like Deanne Love) and on Starr performs at weddings,
websites like hoop-trix.com. corporate events, raves, birthday
Starr teaches three different parties, fundraisers and festivals.
technique levels and a flow class “I love sharing what I can do with
and says “coming from a dance other people, and hopefully I can
background, I find that many dif- inspire others.”
ferent hoop and flow artists lack According to Starr, the com-
the fluidity of dance. They know munity is welcoming, friendly,
all of the tricks really well. They helpful and supportive, even
just lack the dance. worldwide. “You can go anywhere
“Everyone has a different flow, in the world, and there are tons of
but with my classes, I really want hoopers,” she says.
to incorporate technique and flow.”: continued Circus Play!
Mateo Lopez - fire performer
Mateo Lopez uses a wide variety of requires knowledge of safety. “The
props for fire spinning. “I myself danger in fire spinning is very real,
have many, such as poi, whip, staff, and there is a high risk of injury
sword and my favourite, rope dart.” when fire spinning. People should
Lopez further demystifies fire only learn if they are very serious
performance by saying “we set fire about performing and should look
to wicks made of a fiberglass/Kev- to learn from someone experienced
lar blend material that is soaked in and knowledgeable in under-
a flammable fuel, such as naptha, standing the bylaws and the safety
kerosene or lamp. Depending on requirements involving any fire
the performer or performance, arts practice.
fuels may be mixed to add dura- “In the summertime I hold
tion to the burn time of the prop.” weekly meet-ups in the park to teach
Lopez started six years ago in those seriously interested about the
Tofino, B.C. “I was telling a friend I city bylaws regarding fire safety and
made (who spun fire), how I wanted performance, as well about the use
to learn, as I was inspired by seeing of different fuels and the hazards
my friends spin fire in the park here regarding fire spinning and the gear
in Winnipeg. She then told me she required to spin fire safely. I can be
was going to pop my fire cherry, and reached either through the Win-
the next night, I spun a fire staff for nipeg Circus Club Facebook page
the first time. From there, I soon or the Winnipeg Fire & Flow Arts
made my own staff and rope dart to Facebook page or on Instagram
practice with.” @freespiritfire.”
While he loves fire spinning, He also comments on the commu-
“the sound the fire makes as it nity in Winnipeg. “I feel blessed to be
moves through space, there's some- a part of the fire community here in
thing almost therapeutic about it; Winnipeg and to be able to collabo-
the feeling of being connected and rate with the many talented people in
comfortable with something that this city. It’s like a dream come true,
instinctively we as humans fear”, and I continue to look forward to my
Lopez cautions that fire spinning career as a fire performer!”
Upcoming Events:
Eccentric Performing Workshop WCC Festival Weekend Circus Jam Winnipeg Circus Club 8th Annual
with Iman Lizarazu Saturday, March 7 from 6 p.m. Showcase
Saturday, March 7 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, March 8 from 2 to 5 p.m.
to 2:30 p.m. Winnipeg Circus Club Jubilee Place, 180 Riverton Ave.
195 Collegiate St. 185 Young St.
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The MTax advantage mtax.cacity The Uniter // February 27, 2020
13
Winnipeg for All
Budget for All and Millennium for All one year after library
security measures
Winnipeg both at a ward level and at a
alex neufeldt community level.”
Sarah Broad, who lives downtown
City REPORTER @alexejneufeldt and has been a member of Millennium
for All since its inception, says the group
began as an email chain organized
Feb. 25 marked the one-year anniversary through Facebook after the Millennium
of the introduction of private security Library introduced stringent security
guards using metal detectors and per- measures.
forming bag checks at the Millennium “The first thing that we seized on
Library. was the library management had not
Millennium for All, a group dedicated consulted with the community at all
to “organizing against the forced bag before implementing the security. They
searches and metal detector scans at the had consulted with the police, a private
Millennium Library” and Budget for All, security company and the library work-
a “coalition of communities, organiza- ers’ union,” she says.
tions and folks against the proposed cuts The group held a community consul-
to the 2020 Winnipeg budget,” are mark- tation, which also engaged the library
ing the occasion with a week of events to workers, and began attending city coun-
photo by daniel crump
raise awareness of the militarization of cil meetings to discuss how “weird it had
downtown and the funding cuts many People gather at the Millennium Library one year to the day that stronger security measures, including bag
been to have no consultation with com- searches and metal detectors, were implemented.
Winnipeg libraries face. munity members before doing some-
In two weeks, Budget for All will host thing so drastic and so unprecedented,
transit-related events, and there will be a nationally. This is not done across Can- Broad says. The cuts included the fund Cuts to community services are pro-
day of action on March 14. ada,” Broad says. for an alternate response among many posed for every ward except Waverly
Chantale Garand, who manages Over the summer, while the City pre- deep cuts to community services. “I West. A full list of cuts is available at
social media for Budget for All and helps pared a report on the security measures, think that really helped mobilize peo- budgetforall.org.
plan events, says organizing around the Millennium for All created their own ple who could see that this was going to “We’re taking away from our core,
municipal budget has brought many report to be released the same day and really gouge everybody.” from our marginalized and vulnerable
groups within the city together. broadened their base. The City’s Com- Gerand says the first meeting of Bud- folks, and putting that into the most
“Trying to organize around the bud- munity Services branch voted to fund a get for All drew 70 participants from affluent neighbourhood in the city
get might seem difficult to some folks, decrease in library security and work on dozens of organizations across the city. (Waverley West), which isn’t to say that
but it’s very grassroots-oriented and alternative solutions to the concerns of While this might seem like a lot of dif- that community doesn’t need resources,
focused on individuals and how they library staff. ferent interests, Gerand says they think but is to say that we have a problem if we
relate to community,” they say. “With “Then the budget talks started, and “there comes a general understanding aren’t able to provide those services to
the City planning to cut all community they were so drastic and frightening,” and respect for one another, and that the rest of the city,” Gerand says.
services, it really does impact the core of we’re all there for the same reason.”
Fast Pitch hits home run
Winnipeg Foundation provides charities with funding and
training
alex neufeldt
viduals and community organizations of
City REPORTER @alexejneufeldt African heritage. Susan Berthiaume is
the director of child and youth care pro-
gramming at Ndinawe, a not-for-profit
The Winnipeg Foundation’s fifth annual organization dedicated to helping at-risk
Fast Pitch competition concluded this youth in Winnipeg. Both say the train-
week, with winners announced the eve- ing has been incredibly valuable.
ning of Feb. 25. The event features “12 “I’ve been able to articulate our work
charitable organization finalists deliver- in a concise way and clearly state what
ing powerful, high-energy cases for sup- the needs are,” Kuet says. “It’s a long-
port – in three minutes or less – with term investment in terms of not only
$26,000 in prizes at stake.” the awareness you bring to the organiza-
Jennifer Partridge, the strategic proj- tion, but also yourself as a leader and the
ects associate with The Winnipeg Foun- skills you gain.”
dation, describes Fast Pitch as “a warm “You could use that in other plat-
and fuzzy Dragon’s Den for the charita- forms, but also the individuals that you
ble sector.” speak to may not come in contact with supplied photo
“We pair 12 executive leaders from you without this platform. Having the
charities in Winnipeg up with coaches opportunity to make those relations can For charitable organizations that need to pitch themselves to potential donors, The Winnipeg Foundation's
from the business community, and help you to really connect with them Fast Pitch event provides valuable training.
together they work on a three-minute down the road or strengthen relation-
pitch to tell us what they do, why they ships between organizations,” he says. tale has been challenging but in the best in Winnipeg lack the kind of marketing
do it and what $10,000 would do and Berthiaume says that compared to the way,” she says. platform that Fast Pitch provides. “They
why it matters.” prizes, “the bigger draw was to be able to This process includes networking also don’t always have the opportunity
The training takes place over six participate with and speak to an entirely with the business sector and between to meet people from other backgrounds
weeks, culminating in a showcase different group of people than I’m nor- charities. like lawyers or marketing and commu-
where winners can receive grants of up mally able to speak to. We preach to our “Already, Mandela is coming to speak nication professionals or accountants.”
to $10,000. But even if they don’t score choirs often, and this is really unique, to our classroom,” Berthiaume says. She says the initiative was inspired
the grand prize, taking part in six weeks to speak to people who don’t have that “I’m not one to naturally want to (net- by a Fast Pitch event she attended in
of pitch training and networking is context.” work), and the majority of us are pretty Calgary several years ago. “What I saw
rewarding for participants. “I’m not sure you could take a course shy or introverted and focused on our was incredible, because all the charities
Mandela Kuet is the acting executive that would teach you what I’ve learned work, so this is valuable in a lot of dif- came together and were really support-
director for African Communities of in the past few weeks. To be able to ferent ways.” ing one another, and I learned so much
Manitoba Inc., a non-profit, non-sectar- distill our 13 years into a three-minute Partridge says many smaller charities about the community.”
ian organization, bringing together indi-CAMPUS special
reporT
supplied photos
Left to right: Mahlet Cuff (vice-president external affairs), Meagan Malcolm (president), Natasha Reimer Okemow (former vice-president internal affairs), Noelle Sagher (vice president student affairs)
Election mudslinging manager got the mail, she basically said,
‘What the hell is going on?’ And that’s
how things started to get out.”
dents any money.
When reached for comment, the Man-
itoba NDP said, “The Manitoba NDP
He claims that, at this point, rather cannot comment on unverified allega-
Online attacks prompt response from UWSA than announce the mistake, the UWSA tions. Political donations are publicly
had people with knowledge of the inci- reported and accessible. We're proud that
thomas pashko dent sign non-disclosure agreements. many Manitobans volunteer and work on
A subsequent tweet read, “Two of the He says he has not received a response our candidates' political campaigns.”
managing editor @thomaspashko UWSA executives responsible for this are from the UWSA. The @stopuwsacorruption account
now running again. If they want our votes “Kerman” also claims that he con- only had 17 followers, one of whom was
shouldn’t they be transparent and tell us fronted vice-president of student affairs Kirt Hayer, a candidate for UWSA pres-
The University of Winnipeg Students’ what really happened instead of wasting Noelle Sagher about the allegations, and ident who is running on a slate opposing
Association (UWSA) is denying anony- student money and then hiding it from that Sagher expressed doubt that the stu- Cuff and Sagher. Another account that
mous allegations that its current executive everyone?” The account was removed dent body would care if he were to take (until recently) followed @stopuwsacor-
covered up embezzlement by a former col- from Twitter the afternoon of Feb. 26. the information public. ruption belongs to a campus group called
league who was removed from office. With An Instagram account with the handle “Kerman” says he is upset that “rather the Cultural Celebration Club (CX3).
the allegations coming just days before Uni- @stopuwsacorruption was created on Feb. than coming clean and saying, ‘A mistake Hayer is the founder and leader of CX3.
versity of Winnipeg (U of W) students go 25 and repeated the claims made on Twit- was made. This is what happened,’ they In a phone conversation with The
to the polls for the 2020 campus election, ter. The account was deleted on Feb. 26. try to cover it up. They try and continue Uniter, Hayer said that he does not know
it’s indicative of a messy campaign season. In an emailed statement to The to maintain their oligarchy. who is behind the online accounts.
On Sept. 30, 2019, the UWSA Uniter, the UWSA categorically denied “Frankly, it disgusts me, as someone “I feel like (the current UWSA exec-
announced that Natasha Reimer the allegations. whose money is going towards this. I utive) kind of lacked in a few ways, but
Okemow, the vice-president of internal “We can confirm that the accusations don’t know how much of my money actu- I wouldn’t go so far as to say that they
affairs, had been removed from her posi- are completely false,” wrote UWSA chief ally went into it because of the lack of were actually corrupt,” Hayer says. “(The
tion in a motion ratified on Sept. 24 by operating officer Karolya Vargscarr. “No transparency.” anonymous Instagram) followed me.
the UWSA board of directors. funds were embezzled or donated to a In an emailed statement to The Uniter, Lots of people have been following me
“The removal was due to Conflict political campaign. As publicly disclosed the UWSA stated that “No student/ (during the election), so I’ve just been
of Interest, that is through violation of in social media and on our website in UWSA money was donated to (the) NDP. following everyone back. I didn’t think
UWSA Bylaw 7.6,” the announcement October 2019, the VPIA was dismissed We have no affiliations to any political it would be an issue, but I’ll probably
read, adding, “As an elected Executive due to a conflict of interest, and person- party. We didn’t receive any handwrit- unfollow it now that that’s the case. I
Director of the UWSA, the Vice Pres- nel matters are subject to confidentiality ten note from Wab Kinew or donate any didn’t really think much about it. I just
ident Internal Affairs role is a full time, obligations on both sides and cannot be money to the NDP. The VPIA’s dismissal hit the ‘follow’ button.”
salaried term position. For confidential- disclosed publicly. was not related to Wab Kinew and/or In addition to the allegations, “Ker-
ity and privacy reasons, the details of the “The UWSA is taking legal action the NDP. None of the directors signed man” also retweeted statements from
conflict of interest are available only to against those making these defamatory an NDA. They legally can’t discuss any- another user that were critical of the
the Board of Directors.” and false statements.” thing said in Closed Sessions of the board UWSA executive’s support for local
Okemow ran on a slate alongside cur- In a phone conversation with The meetings because of confidentiality agree- protests in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en
rent UWSA president Meagan Malcolm, Uniter, the person behind the Twitter ments and Acknowledgment of Responsi- land defenders. When asked if he was
vice-president external affairs Mahlet Cuff and Instagram accounts, who admitted bility agreements that were signed when motivated to make allegations against
and vice-president student affairs Noelle to using “Anthony Kerman” as an alias, they started as Board of Directors. No the UWSA because of political disagree-
Sagher. Cuff and Sagher are currently expanded on his allegations, claiming meeting (with Noelle Sagher) took place ments, “Kerman” did not respond.
running for president and vice-president that his source for the information is ... No exchange (like the one described by The Uniter stresses that we were
student affairs, respectively. someone currently under a non-disclosure “Kerman” with Sagher) took place.” unable to find any evidence substanti-
In recent days, anonymous allegations agreement. At press time, The Uniter was unable to ating any of the claims made by “Ker-
have appeared online alleging that the “Kerman” claims that student funds verify the identity of the person behind man.” Okemow did not respond to The
dismissal came as a result of embezzle- were misused by Okemow independently the Twitter account or whether it actually Uniter’s request for comment by press
ment. A Twitter account created on Feb. to make a donation to the provincial New belongs to a U of W student. Their claims time.
24 under the handle @KermanAnthony, Democratic Party (NDP). have not been verified, and our research
which claims to belong to a University “She made (a political donation) with- yielded no evidence that a political dona- Voting for the UWSA general election runs
of Winnipeg education student, tweeted out the consent of the rest of the union, tion was ever made to any political party from March 2 to 4. Polling stations will be
that the “UWSA caught their VPIA and the only reason that the union found by either Okemow or the UWSA. open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Riddell Hall,
embezzling student funds and donat- out was because it was a substantial There is evidence suggesting that the Richardson Centre and Merchant’s Cor-
ing them to a provincial political party. enough donation that (provincial NDP Okemow may have volunteered for MLA ner. Mobile voting stations will also be open
Instead of making this public, they fired leader) Wab Kinew sent a handwritten Uzoma Asagwara’s campaign for the on March 2 at Wii Chiiwaakanak from
the individual and forced everyone to sign letter thanking the union, and he sent it NDP nomination for the riding of Union 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on March 4 in the
an NDA (non-disclosure agreement). Not to the union mailbox, because the NDP Station. While that volunteer work may Buhler Centre from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and
only did they misuse student money, they thought it was all above board, that it have violated the UWSA’s conflict of in Centennial Hall from 12 to 4 p.m.
tried to cover their tracks completely.” was a regular thing. So when the general interest clause, it would not have cost stu-The Uniter // February 27, 2020
15
Andrew Forbes
Instructor, Department of Theatre and Film, U of W
Keesha Harewood perspective on filmmaking.
“I was able to look at a lot of things
features reporter @keeshaharewood
initially through the lens of the cine-
matographer,” he says. “But I found
Although Andrew Forbes has taught that since I started teaching, I have
at the University of Winnipeg since become ... a smarter storyteller.”
2006, it was only recently that he In particular, Forbes has grown to
started teaching full-time for the appreciate “being part of the storytell-
Department of Theatre and Film. ing team as opposed to highlighting
Forbes says “it’s a change” and “the the photography of one specific part of
switch to full-time was a surprise.” the process.”
Despite his experience working for In terms of creating a story, Forbes
12- to 16-hour stretches doing produc- always reminds his students that “the
tion, Forbes says teaching full-time best camera you have is the one you
presents its own unique challenges. He can shoot with, so make a movie with
compares it to being in the prep stage your phone.”
of filmmaking without ever progress- “It’s doable now,” he says. “The
ing to the actual shoot. technology is there in service of story.
However, despite adjusting to a It’s always about that. I’m just saying
different pace, Forbes has found that what every other artist is saying.”
being in the classroom changed his
If you could have any If you could only watch
superpower, what would three movies for the rest
it be? of your life, what would
they be?
“Time management would be a good
superpower.” After careful deliberation and
significant anguish, Forbes concluded
that his three movies would be: Monty
What was your worst Python and the Holy Grail, The Tree of
grade in university? Life and Last Night.
supplied photo “A solid C+ average.”
‘Reconciliation
& its Discontents’
U of W hosts timely panel discussion
callum goulet-kilgour nous Canadians,” he says.
This discussion surrounding reconcili-
campus reporter @cgouletkilgour ation is timely, especially amid the ongo-
ing work of the Wet’suwet’en Nation land
defenders in northern British Columbia
On Friday, Feb. 28, the University of Win- and national solidarity protests.
nipeg (U of W) will host “Reconciliation “I do believe that our understanding of
& its Discontents,” a panel discussion on reconciliatory practice has been troubled
the state of reconciliation with Indige- recently in ways that have a lot to do with
nous peoples in Canada. This event, held decades of unresolved abuse, mistrust and
from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in room 3C01, indifference suffered by Canada’s Indig-
is part of the Department of Political Sci- enous peoples, particularly in relation to
ence Speaker Series. questions of land and natural resource own-
The panel will feature Dr. Jacqueline Roma- ership, use and stewardship,” Muller says.
now, Dr. Allen Mills and Dr. Adam Muller. “I’d like to suggest that, as a nation, we
Muller, professor and director of the are really only now starting to understand
Department of Peace and Conflict Stud- how and why reconciling will remain so supplied photo
ies at the University of Manitoba, says challenging,” he says.
Dr. Adam Muller, professor and director of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of
in an email to The Uniter that “events One of the other panellists, Dr. Allen Manitoba, will be one of three panelists taking part in the "Reconciliation & its Discontents" panel.
like this one provide an opportunity for Mills, is a retired professor of political sci-
interested persons to gather together in a ence and senior scholar at the U of W. He
supportive environment, share their per- believes that, over the past few decades, much has happened and how deep has it larger process and discussion.”
spectives and work with others to become there has been progress in terms of recon- penetrated the wider society,” Mills says. The third panellist, Dr. Jacqueline
clearer about what reconciliation means ciliation with Indigenous peoples. He believes that free and public events Romanow, is chair of the Department of
and how to achieve it.” “There has been in the last 30 or 40 like this panel discussion are beneficial. Indigenous Studies at the U of W and has
“It’s so important that we get a better years a political awakening among Indig- “Any decent society is better off if we experience working “directly with First
understanding of what we all need to enous leaders and a greater awareness of have an honest and candid discussion Nations governments for almost 10 years,
do – and it is clearly much more than we the history of Indigenous issues in Can- about these important issues as much as providing economic development and
are currently doing – in order to prop- ada,” he says, noting, however, that this possible,” Mills says, adding that even management advisory services as well as
erly align the needs, interests, hopes and progress is “not fast enough.” though events like these may appear small comprehensive program and project evalu-
desires of Indigenous and non-Indige- “Like all change, the question is how and insignificant, they are “part of the ations,” according to the university website.You can also read
