Shelter from the storm

The University of Calgary has taken in over 300 flood evacuees from across southern Alberta, housing them in the campus’ residence buildings, which have more space in the summer semester.

Since the massive flooding that began on June 19 and has forced over 100,000 Albertans from their homes, there has been a continuous flow of evacuees into U of C residence. According to City of Calgary community development worker Zorian Klymochk, what was “supposed to be a 72-hour response [has] turned into a three-week response.”

With funds provided by the municipal and federal government, evacuees have been given rooms and access to different services on campus, including internet access and food cards for the residence dining services. However, all evacuees will soon be moved again, as new students begin moving into residence in August.

With files from The Gauntlet

Guerrilla gardening gunning for greenspace

Trent University alumnus Nicholas Weissflog is combatting the neglect of unused land with a new project called guerrilla gardening. This socio-ecological initiative capitalizes on unused land to create vegetable gardens and plants that are free to the public.

These guerrilla gardens have sprouted up in six locations around Peterborough since Weissflog found the project in his third year of Ecological Restoration at Trent. For Weissflog, the importance of the project lies not just in creating green spaces, but growing vegetables that “are for the public to enjoy freely, addressing poverty and access to fresh and local produce.”

With files from Arthur

Queen’s professor victim of hate crimes

History professor Karen Dubinsky received two threatening letters earlier this July telling her and her same-sex partner to move from Kingston or be subject to “deadly serious consequences.”

The letters, which were sent by members of a Christian group based in the “Deep South,” claim to have relocated other “people like you” from the Kingston area, and tell the women that they “are not going to be safe at home, office, or anywhere else” if the message is ignored.

Since receiving the letters, Dubinsky and her partner, Susan Belyea, have received lots of community support, culminating in two rallies held the weekend after receiving the letters. “It’s like a symphony of love here, it’s crazy,” said Belyea.

With files from The Journal