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SFU350 hosts The Intersectional Environmentalist book tour

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Leah Thomas is standing, looking into the camera, while holding her book, the intersectional environmentalist. She is standing in front of a wall of large green plants.
Thomas notes the BLM movement changed her understanding of the environmental movement. Image courtesy of Sanetra Longno

By: Chloë Arneson, News Writer

On May 11, 2022, SFU350 hosted a virtual book tour to promote Leah Thomas’ new book, The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet. 

Thomas is the founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, an organisation that seeks to highlight the often overlooked overlap of racism and climate change. Thomas, a writer based in California, describes herself as an eco-communicator. 

Her book highlights the racism and privilege present in mainstream environmentalism and the interconnected systems that harm both minorities and the planet. Thomas discusses how aspects such as age, race, ability, spirituality, and sexuality often compound and influence how one experiences the world around them. 

Thomas first coined the term “intersectional environmentalism” when she created a pledge that reached over 1 million people. Her website explains “social and environmental justice are intertwined and environmental advocacy that disregards this connection is harmful and incomplete. Thomas coined the term intersectional environmentalist based on Kimberlé Crenshaw’s framework of “intersectionality.” 

“I decided to take a stand because there was a real disconnect in the mainstream environmental movement, where only some people were given a microphone,” said Thomas. She noted a majority of the activism she saw was centered around the future of white children. “There wasn’t also a focus on the urgency of the present for people of colour.”

Black Americans are 75% more likely to live in areas with facilities that expose them to toxic waste. In Canada, Indigenous peoples are also exposed to hazardous waste at disproportionate rates. “People of colour globally are facing the brunt of the environmental crisis,” said Thomas.

She described how the Black Lives Matter movement impacted her as she was studying environmental science. “I felt a sense of guilt being so far away in California, and beautiful Orange County, meanwhile back home there was suffering,” she said. Thomas is originally from Florissant, Missouri, close to where protests broke out in 2014 over the police shooting of Michael Brown. 

“I felt really cynical because I was learning about these significant pieces of environmental legislation, but as one of the few students of colour in my classroom, realising that these same laws were not being equally enforced for all people in the United States and across the world.”

Thomas expressed the need for institutions to include environmental justice as part of their curriculae. “I knew that people of colour, even if they weren’t reflected in the textbooks I had, I knew that my culture practices sustainability in our own way,” she said. “I want all the world’s people to see themselves reflected in environmental education and movements.”

You can follow Leah Thomas for more information about her new book via her website, Instagram, or the Intersectional Environmentalist website.

SFSS holds meeting to discuss impeachment of three Council members

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The SFU student union building can be seen. The sky behind is blue and cloudy. You can see the sky reflecting off the windows of the student union building.
This is the second time in four years the Council has impeached a member.

By: Isabella Urbani, Staff Writer

Editor’s note: This article was updated on May 27, 2022 to clarify that only one Councillor was impeached. Originally, it was stated that all three censured Council members were impeached. The article also has been updated to note the report can be found on the SFSS website once its published — rather than their Instagram as previously stated. Lastly, the policy change to censures were made on April 26, 2022, whereas we originally said April 27, 2022.

The article was updated on June 16, 2022 to clarify censured councillors cannot serve on any committee outside their faculty Caucuses, specifically when censured for breaches of confidence. 

During the March 30, 2022 Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) council meeting, three councillors were censured and one was subsequently impeached based on the recommendation of the Committee on Councilor Breaches of Confidence (CCBC).

In an interview with The Peak, acting president Corbett Gildersleve discussed the incident during the February 16 meeting wherein a private SFSS document was reportedly leaked. Following the event, Gildersleve noted the CCBC conducted an investigation and found screenshots of a document SFU sent to the SFSS about the Student Union Building closure had surfaced on Reddit. The Peak could not verify the document was published on Reddit. 

According to Gildersleve, the councillors allegedly included “false statements that the SFSS was violating its lease with SFU in relation to the SUB.” Gildersleve did not specify what the false statements were.

By leaking the documents councillors Zaid Lari and Graham Rich, and councillor alternate  Shariq Ahsan’s violated their confidentiality and fiduciary duties, Gildersleve explained. All three of the censures on the councillors were carried unanimously. A censure is a “formal rebuke of a person’s statements and/or actions by council,” added Gildersleve. 

“Each person on the SFSS council — who are the organization’s Board of Directors — has to follow our bylaws and policies and have a fiduciary duty to act honestly and in good faith with the best interests of the SFSS in mind when exercising their powers,” he added. 

Before this year, a censure was the lowest form of disciplinary action. Above that are fines, request of resignation, and then impeachments. “Any of those disciplinary options could be chosen, potentially multiple ones if it’s a particularly bad situation,” said Gildersleve. 

However, as of April 26, 2022 councillors censured for breaches of confidence are now unable to serve on any committee outside of their faculty Caucuses, which poses a new series of issues. 

“This has a major impact as [much] of the SFSS’s work can occur through committees,” said Gildersleve. Essentially, this disciplinary action leaves a censured member unable to meet the responsibilities to participate fully in their position as a council member. 

At the council meeting, there was an impeachment following the censures. An impeachment removes a councillor from being on the Board of Directors and ceases their voting power. Gildersleve noted the impeachment process varies depending on whether an executive or non-executive councillor is the one being voted upon. Regardless, the SFSS membership has the ability to impeach an SFSS council member at an annual general meeting or referendum. The executive Board on its own cannot vote to impeach or censure. 

Since the councillor was not an executive, an impeachment could be granted through a 4/5 majority vote. Councilor Lari was impeached. Rich was originally up for an impeachment, but the motion was amended to request his resignation instead. Ahsan was not an elected member for the 2021/22 term so could not have been impeached at that time. His term began in the 2022/23 period. The Council has recommended him for impeachment when his term begins. At the time of publication, no action has been made towards an impeachment. 

“This is the first time we’ve used that rule to remove a non-executive councillor,” Gildersleve added. “ I believe that shows how thorough and informative the CCBC’s report and recommendations were to council that they unanimously agreed to five out of six motions.” 

This is the second time in four years that the Council has impeached a member. Previously, SFSS president Jas Randhawa was removed from their position in 2018. When asked what measures have been put in place to keep future impeachments — particularly multi-impeachments — from occurring, Gildersleve pointed to the changing by-laws. 

“The impeachment of the SFSS president in 2018 was under a different set of bylaws — Council was separate from the Board of Directors and was an advisory body at the time,” he said. “We now fall under new bylaws with a new governance model where council is the Board of Directors, and there’s now additional rules and procedures for certain types of impeachments.”

In addition, new training will be made available for new councillors and executives “around [confidentiality and fiduciary] responsibilities and what can happen if they’re breached,” revealed Gildersleve. 

The Peak reached out to impeached councillors Lari and Rich for a statement, but both declined to comment until a public version of the CCBC report is made available online. Ahsan did not respond by the publication deadline. The report will describe the investigation and breached policies, along with the “harm this has caused not only to the SFSS but to some of its members,” said Gildersleve. He anticipates the report will be released shortly. 

To view the report once it’s released, visit the SFSS website.

SFU servers beg to be understood

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Illustration of a black square set against a white background with a pixelated sad face
PHOTO: Pixabay

By: Kelly Chia, Humour Editor

Dear SFU student body,

We’re not bad servers. Really. But I understand that for a healthy student-server relationship (like the one we don’t have), you need an apology. Or at the very least, an explanation. You cry and blame me for your data breaches, even claiming psychological distress in a lawsuit! Everyone complains about fragile SFU servers and they never stop to think, “Say, maybe these fragile networks just need a conversation!” No one asks how I feel about all this! So let me tell you the truth: all these data breaches — they’re really for your good, you just have to see it.

See, this is all happening for an endearingly human reason: I’m lonely. I don’t meet a lot of other people in this field, and those hackers just seemed so kind. I mean, they wanted personal information. Doesn’t that mean they want to know me for who I am? They wanted to know everyone’s personal addresses so we could all go on a nice group date. Unfortunately, none of them have followed up on this date, but it doesn’t mean we should give up on the opportunity to be social. You’re always complaining about this school being a commuter campus. So what if I’m extra vulnerable? It just means I have a lot of love to give. You know what they say, girlboss, gaslight (my favourite), and get hacked! I’m a girlboss!

Speaking of lots of love to give, you are not grateful enough for everything I do for you. You know how tiring it is to see students use everything I give — Wi-Fi, SFU Snap, their precious personal information — and complain that I’m not doing it well enough?! Okay, you try hoisting information across a mountain. I’d love to see you try. I’m SFUNET-insecure over here, and you’re texting your friend that you’re late for a tutorial because you can’t navigate the maps on SFU Snap. I’m not to blame for your messiness. From the moment of your enrollment, you should have accepted me for who I am. My ups and downs. I’m only a server hosting about 30,000 undergrad students, after all.

Ugh, sorry. I know I shouldn’t be aggressive in an apology. I just find it really hard to connect with you these days. SFU is even encouraging people to use their hoity-toity VPN, but I think we’re a bit more old fashioned than that. I mean, you appreciate the give and take of our relationship, don’t you? I offer you shabby internet service and protection, and in return, you offer me your bank information. That’s our deal. Don’t run away into the arms of some VPN (which secretly stands for virtually petty narcissist) that doesn’t understand you. I admit I’ve done some wrong, but is that worth throwing three years of data breaches away over?

Just . . . think about it.

Think about me.

Plea—

This message has been (lovingly) intercepted by Hackers Anonymous. For whereabouts on the SFU servers, we are escorting this body of work to the date of their life. Buh-bye!

Political Corner: Hold your nose and vote

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Canadian Parliament during the day
It’s time we stop respecting the saying “they’re all the same.” Photo: Tetyana Kovyrina / Pexels

By Luke Faulks, Opinions Editor

We all have that friend. The one who, come election day, will sit it out. Whether it’s a federal, provincial, municipal, or school-based election, you hear the same rationale for abstention. 

“They’re all the same.” 

Except they’re not. And it’s time we start calling out the expression for the careless and false cynicism it represents. Fortunately, using this tactic, everyone, from the politically inclined to the idle cynics among us, can find solace. 

Let’s get this out of the way at the top: Not every citizen who sits out an election does so purely out of an inability to distinguish between party platforms. There are other ways that political engagement is undermined in Canada, from a voting system that disenfranchises large swaths of the country to a prohibitive voting schedule. Those are important issues that deserve and require legislative amelioration. 

The “they’re all the same” fallacy, however, doesn’t require the same amount of legislative firepower. Mostly because it’s an issue that voters can address themselves through a simple act of investigation. 

Let’s take climate change as an example. During the 2021 federal election, only 76% of Canadians turned out to vote. The number shrinks to 66% for young people. A tragedy considering what’s at stake for younger generations. Looking at each party’s climate platform helps rebuke the fallacy this piece raises. 

Here’s the easy part: the platforms of the furthest left (Green) and furthest right (People’s) parties that have polled higher than five percent. The 2021 Greens pledged to exceed Canada’s Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Accords for 2030 by 15 to 20%. They also planned to “cancel pipeline projects, ban fracking, and slap tariffs on imports from countries with weak climate policies,” in addition to halting fossil fuel subsidies. On the other hand, The regressive People’s Party, in its official platform, denied that a “scientific consensus” on climate had been met. Between both parties, a gulf. On one side, a party that offered Canada the best chance to contribute to a global effort on climate change, on the other, a party that condemns Canadians and the rest of the world to an unlivable future. 

Neither party was ever going to earn more than 10% of the vote, however. So let’s look at the big guns. 

The Liberal Party pledged to extend its price on carbon — a program that had earned global acclaim — by increasing the price for polluters to $170/tonne of CO2 by 2030 — which is on the high-end p of what climate economists recommend. The party had just come off passing Bill C-12, which codified a net-zero by 2050 target for Canada. Under a Conservative leadership, the pricing model goes away. The long-dead Northern Gateway pipeline would be inexplicably revived. The net-zero by 2050 law would be called into question. On climate, degrees of difference represent a real difference of degrees. 

But climate change isn’t the only area where distinctions shouldn’t be denied. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see the long-term slow-motion train wreck that is the overturning of Roe v. Wade. While the plot to overturn Roe dates back decades, we can turn back just a few years to the 2016 election to see what made it possible.

Clinton’s 2016 loss directly led to the appointment of three Supreme Court justices — one filling a stolen seat, one an ill-tempered credibly-accused rapist, and another a part of a religious sect that treats women as chattel. Those three critical votes in the recent elimination of a woman’s right to choose, could have been Democratic judges ruling on everything from contraception to workplace discrimination to, yes, challenges to Roe. But no, the demographics Clinton counted on stayed home.

Here, though, we can find some hope. There are meaningful differences between candidates’ platforms. Challenging people who claim “they’re all the same” is the start of meaningful political participation. Getting politicians with decent platforms elected is the first of several necessary stepping stones. Elect them, then call, write, and protest. You just have to cast the ballot.

If you live in BC, you’ve got an election this October! Municipal elections might not get high-profile coverage, but they’re important, and worth taking the time to research. Or, run for office yourself! 

SFU presents new mental health companion: the puppy microwave

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Illustration of a microwave with googly eyes and golden retriever ears
ILLUSTRATION: Stella Nguyen / The Peak

By: Olivia Visser, Staff Writer

Dear SFU students,

You know what time of year it is. Your two weeks of freedom after the Spring semester have somehow trickled away. Piles of reading and homework seem to have unfortunately made their way into your agenda once again. Not to worry, the pages will be blank in a week’s time, because does anyone really keep up with agendas once things get busy? Yup, you’re burnt out. I mean, you already were last semester. And the one before. Finding time to relax and take care of yourself is difficult as a student, which is why SFU is proud to offer their new installment of animal therapy: a microwave!

That’s right, these puppies (heh) will be rolling down the campus near you.

Erm, not just any microwave. It got wheels, a bushy golden tail, and two floppy ears that almost resemble TV antennae. Yes, a real golden retriever would certainly have gotten the job done, but we’re a bit . . . over our budget this semester. We promise you won’t be disappointed in this innovative new approach to mental health days.

Yes, we know SFU’s mental health resources are already pretty state of the art. Short-term solutions galore, some might say. Student insurance has got you covered for about six therapy sessions a year! And we’re sure this is news to you, but we even have an APP! It’s not just myssp, it’s yourssp. We’re clearly overspending in this avenue, which is why we must scale back, but we couldn’t turn down this opportunity to show we’re still engaged with our students.

And besides, microwaves can check off all the boxes that a dog normally would! First off, they’re incredibly loyal. This thing has wheels, but you won’t catch it escaping unless you’re terrible (and we mean terrible) at keeping track of your things. They’re also much warmer than your average dog. So much so, you can heat up meals in your new furry friend, slobber not included!

When was the last time you put a pizza pop in your dog’s mouth and got it back? It feels like WEEKLY we must learn this lesson. He barely gets it beyond lukewarm, and by that point our cat has already finished warming our dessert. Appetite gone. Years of training down the drain.

We can only imagine this problem is a shared experience for many students, and not a highly specific example only relevant to us. Dogs are expensive, hard to care for, and clearly hard to train. This could be the start of something wonderful. Please, just listen to us. This will work. Just pretend it’s a dog. Pretend they’re all dogs.

 

Sincerely,

SFU’s Student Wellness Initiative

 

Gabe Liosis and Corbett Gildersleve reflect on their year as SFSS president

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Photos of Gabe Liosis and Corbett Gildersleve standing outside, smiling directly at the camera.
Liosis stepped down during his term, leaving Gildersleve as acting president. Image courtesy of Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak

By: Nercya Kalino, Staff Writer

The SFSS has elected their new executive board, revealing the new SFSS president, Helen Sofia Pahou. The Peak conducted an interview with former SFSS president Gabe Liosis and former acting president and vice-president internal & organisational development Corbett Gildersleve to discuss the end of their terms.

Liosis resigned during his presidency due to mental health challenges. “I don’t regret for one second stepping down,” he explained. “After I stepped down I had an opportunity to rest and to engage in self care, and put up personal boundaries,” said Liosis. Gildersleve fulfilled the role of acting president until the end of the term.

During their time on the SFSS executive team, they took action to change the form of advocacy and decision making on behalf of the student body. Before the change made in May 2021, the primary governing body was the Board of Directors consisting of 16 people and Council operated separately from the Board. 

Liosis shared with The Peak it was important to shift the dynamic of decision-making between Council and the executive board members. He noted this was done in order to create more participation in the SFSS’s decision-making.

He explained that by changing the systems of governance, power shifted from 16 people in the Board of Directors to the Council consisting of 60 people representing all programs at SFU. 

The by-law changes were made so “Council, in a legal sense, was our Board of Directors and is now responsible for making decisions on behalf of the SFSS’s 26,000 members,” said Liosis. 

“When it came to the governance changes over the year I was president, it gave people the opportunity to be involved with their student society,” Liosis explained. “Because not only was there increased representation on the Board of Directors — which is now Council — but each of those Councils represents a student union.”

When asked about the important initiatives that inspired Liosis to run for presidency, he elaborated on the task of officially opening the Student Union Building (SUB). Liosis explained the logistics of providing access to the Student Union Building for the student body was challenging due to new COVID-19 variants delta and omicron. 

“It completely shifted our advocacy capacity because once again we were trying to call on SFU to implement a bunch of safety measures that were not coming from the province, such as vaccine mandates for all community members, students, faculty, and staff. We were calling for access to high quality masks, social distancing in lecture halls, hybrid learning,” Liosis explained the executives had to change their plans in order to maintain safety of the working members in the SUB. 

Photos of Gabe Liosis and Corbett Gildersleve standing outside, smiling directly at the camera.
Image courtesy of Jade Andersen

Gildersleve’s first experience with the SFSS was as vice-president of finance. His initial drive to participate in the SFSS came from believing the members of the SFSS could benefit from increased administration and financial training to better apply themselves to the SFSS. 

Gildersleve worked “with SFU to finally get a system in place for SFSS executives to have the option of declaring their time as a co-op for up to three terms.” He explained this meant “they would no longer have to take full-time classes [which] would definitely help international students.

“It would help students that were in honours programs or special scenarios like scholarships. They would go on co-op and not have to try to be a full time executive and full-time student,” said Gildersleve. 

Similarly, Gildersleve said he realized whilst serving as vice-president of finance that the pay for these members was under the minimum wage — the amount of compensation had not increased for 13 years. He knew changing the stipend would likely motivate students to take the chance of becoming a member of SFSS Board and inspired them to be responsible in how they tackled issues pertaining to the student body in SFU. 

Gildersleve felt there is still much more work ahead, especially now that the system within SFSS has shifted. He noted he would be returning after his break to continue mentoring members of the SFSS in order to progress the foundational work of the restructured by-laws.

He mentioned one of the achievements was the new collective agreement with the CUPE union which increased student employees’ wage to a living wage. However, it is still important for these new policies to be set for the future members. “There are still a lot of little things that I think need fundamental improvement,” Gildersleve said.

 

Forget owning a house, just build your own!

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Humour
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An illustration of some people giving a huge grin at the camera next to a pile of firewood
ILLUSTRATION: Amy Guo / The Peak

By: Clarence Ndabahwerize, Peak Associate

Victoria, BC —  In light of the housing affordability crisis, policymakers from the Government of Canada pulled a bit of a Marie Antoinette by coming up with a subsidised chainsaw training program for young Canadians. The program was unveiled by officials from Ottawa on the steps of the BC Parliament Building, from which the provincial government had just been renovicted!

This program will teach youth how to log, complete with an instruction manual for building their own house. A source was quoted saying, “It’s our best work! It outlines which trees are good for the exterior, and which trees do the drywall bits!”

Unfortunately, in a shocking turn of events, the program didn’t gather as much steam as policymakers hoped! Instead, youth turned out in droves, protesting such abhorrent activities for the environment and wondered why housing prices simply couldn’t be brought down. The officials had no response to this but reiterated that their choice of chainsaw for the program was 100% ethically sourced and created many well-paying Canadian jobs! The protesting youth then asked why they couldn’t afford to live today if jobs were “well-paying.” The officials responded by barricading themselves in the Parliament buildings to convene a conclave which would yield an appropriate answer. Other concerns from the youth included whether the whole program and announcement was insensitive since the government is already cutting down old-growth forests.

When the officials returned from their conclave a few days later, they were shocked to find the youth still outside protesting. The officials wondered how they had the time for such shenanigans, and the youth responded, “Haven’t you heard of working from home? Duh!” To their dismay, the protesting youth had set up camp with a dedicated Local Area Network, garbage sorting station, and avocado toast trucks! No Emergencies Act could sort this out, they’d have to consult William Lyon Mackenzie King’s crystal ball to reach an entity that could appropriately advise against such organisation! This consultation led to lawmakers tabling a motion to abolish remote work.

No one quite has the heart to tell the youth that the chainsaw company is responsible for driving up real estate prices through its shady investment practices or the government about what might happen when they find out. Will the party in power be voted out? Will they form an alliance with another minority party to cement their hold to power? Or will Parliament be politely raided? Only William Lyon Mackenzie King knows! He’s the only one who saw this whole thing coming!

Horoscopes: May 16-May 22

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Humour
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An illustration of a girl with long flowing hair. Astrological signs and stars shine around her.
ILLUSTRATION: Marissa Ouyang / The Peak

By: Isabella Urbani, Staff Writer and PhD in predicting your entire life

Aries

Sweet Aries, you’re toootally not a summer semester person. I know you want to get a move on your degree and more importantly, stop yourself from streaming every Netflix movie possible, but it isn’t working. You already missed your first week of classes and tried to order a Pumpkin Spice Latte at the campus Starbucks. Who does that in summer? Go home and try again in the fall.

 

Taurus

My Taurus child, your birthday has come and gone and so has the care for your degree. Are you even sure you’re in the right class right now? It might help if you start taking notes instead of filling your online shopping cart with clothes that are way beyond your budget for a non-existent vacation. But, happy belated birthday, I guess??? gingerly showers you in confetti

 

Gemini

I like your style, Gemini. You take on a realistic course load that allows you time for yourself this summer.You wake up early enough to have breakfast and dress to impress on campus. How the hell are you put together and cheery at a school that looks like a prison? And trust me, I’m not the only person taking notice (winky face emoji). In fact, you’re the cat’s meow on campus.

 

Cancer

What made you think you could read the student newspaper while you’re on vacation? You’re NOT one of us. You’re getting lost venturing the city, and I’m just lost, period. Classes? Don’t know, haven’t found them yet. Let me take a rain check on that. Oh, and did I mention, it’s still raining!? IN MAY. AT LEAST GIVE ME SOME SUNSHINE! shakes fist angrily

 

Leo

I put in a good word with the people upstairs to make sure the summer bucket list you created with your middle school friends finally comes true. You may be an attention seeker, but the only person getting your attention lately is your bed. And not for those kinds of reasons, you nasty.

 

Virgo

Learn how to say no more, Virgo. Look at the mess you’re in! You’re accompanying your friend to all their summer classes when you aren’t even enrolled in any. Don’t tell me — OH MY GOSH, YOU DON’T EVEN GO HERE TOO! Are you seriously taking notes? Put that pen down. Don’t make me rat you out to the professor! Get a grip, go for a walk, and make it far away from all school campuses.

 

Libra

Libra, Libra, Libra . . . I don’t even know how you’ve found the time to read your horoscope in between the three jobs you’re working this summer. Bless your little heart. They’re all in retail. It’s like you’ve never worked those types of jobs before. Here’s a tip: make them seasonal. I heard Subway is hiring in the fall.

 

Scorpio

Scorps, take a breather! It’s been one class and you already have the syllabus memorized front and back — all 13 pages. You know the course material better than the professors themselves. That assignment due at the end of the semester isn’t going anywhere. Kick your feet up, but make sure to move the textbooks half-haphazardly scattered around your room — that’s pretty reckless of you tbh. Keep it up.

 

Sagittarius

So you decided to get a job over the summer and landed on working for the student newspaper? One, ew. Two, you haven’t quit yet? Double ew. What did you say you do again? Write horror stories? No, that’s not it. Something with an “h.” Come on, people only read The Peak for the crosswords, sudoku, and horo—OHHHHH, that’s what you do!

 

Capricorn

Oh, no Capricorn. Hate to be the one to break it to you, but that one professor you wrote a really bad — but fair — review for has cursed you! Your punishment? You get to take another one of their classes this summer! Seriously, did you even look ahead of time to see who the instructor was? The stars are not on your side. Get out while you can.

 

Aquarius

Aquarius, you’re going to put the WHORE in HOROSCOPES this summer while respectfully masking up. Who says you can’t do it all with just your eyes? It’s about time you get back on the prowl. Leave your number all over campus — and yes, even in the avocado. Sorry, it’s just that kind of year.

 

Pisces

Ugh, it’s you again. For the last time, I do horoscopes! I can’t and will not give you the answer key to that upcoming test. It’s easy really: have a night in and stream all your unwatched lectures like they’re the newest season of your favourite tv show. My oh my, does McSteamy from Grey’s Anatomy ever look different!

 

Political Corner: The quieter, systemic ways Canada puts up barriers to abortion

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Opinions
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black and white photo of a pro-abortion protestor holding a sign that says “my body, my choice.”
Canadians still aren’t guaranteed hassle-free access to abortion. Photo: Duané Viiljoen / Pexels

By Kelly Chia, Humour Editor

On May 2, POLITICO released a leaked draft majority opinion revealing the US Supreme Court had provisionally voted in favour of overturning Roe v. Wade. By striking down the landmark case, the Court will delegate abortion rights — and restrictions — to the states. It is no exaggeration to say that this decision will have immediate and devastating consequences for people who can get pregnant. The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research group, notes that 23 states already have laws either banning or challenging the legal status of abortion. In fact, 13 states have laws in place that ban most abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned. 

Scary doesn’t even begin to cover the inhumanity of a decision that undermines the autonomy of people seeking abortions. It also draws our attention to the state of abortion in Canada. 

In Canada, abortion is legal, and there are no laws restricting abortions, but it isn’t a constitutionally guaranteed right, either. R. v. Morgentaler decriminalized abortion in 1988. The ruling found that criminalizing abortion would violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for people who could get pregnant. 

But by not having federal legislation that ensures accessibility to abortion, provinces can still refuse to fund the services because abortion is managed under provincial regulations. Lack of funding becomes more likely because abortion isn’t always considered a “medically necessary” service, as opposed to an elective procedure, by federal lawmakers. This means that abortion services and accessibility are disparate in Canada. 

In New Brunswick, there are only three hospitals performing abortions, restricting a large portion of the province from accessing safe abortions. In fact, up until 2016, Prince Edward Island did not offer any legal abortion services. A report on abortion services in Canada from Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights suggests there are numerous barriers to abortion accessibility across the country: lack of abortion providers, hospitals needing referrals from other doctors (despite abortion being a time-sensitive issue), and individual discrimination based on a patient’s race, sex, gender, age, and more. Lack of clinics means people face long wait times, which only adds to an already-stressful situation for a pregnant person seeking an abortion. Other compounding issues, like systemic racism towards Indigenous women in healthcare, mean patients may assume that it would be risky for them to visit a hospital. There is no abortion clinic in Canada providing abortion care beyond 24 weeks. 

Lack of abortion access in Canada may mean patients seeking an abortion would need to travel to the United States to get services. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, this would further limit the bodily autonomy of pregnant Canadians because it will become much more difficult for them to access the services they need. 

We shouldn’t face barriers to a medically necessary service. Unfortunately, we don’t have any guarantee that our leaders consider it essential. CBC notes that the Liberal party campaigned on passing regulations under the Canada Health Act to fund and protect abortion as a necessary medical service. They’ve yet to follow through. 

We need to be vigilant to protect and advocate for our rights to abortion at all stages, because while R. v. Morgentaler is active, it has been challenged before. This means voting for parties who campaign on protecting sexual and reproductive rights and education, and advocating for open access to abortion care. We as Canadians need to strike while the iron is hot and insist, upon pain of electoral defeat, that our leaders live up to their word and codify abortion into Canadian law. It’s the only way to make sure that Canada becomes safer and healthier for people who can be pregnant. 

The future of MAiD has the disability community worried

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A woman holding out her hand with three circular pills in it.
Disability community advocates for systemic change over facilitation of death. PHOTO: Michelle Leman / Pexels

By: Serena Bains, Peak Associate

Content warning: discussions of medical assistance in dying (MAiD), suicidality, ableism, eugenics, anti-Indigenous racism, and self-harm

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, disabled people are not only experiencing an increased prevalence in ableism, but are also facing the increasing threat of Bill C-7. Bill C-7 is an act which amends the criminal code, specifically the section that addresses medical assistance in dying (MAiD). MAiD is where a person “seeks and obtains medical help to end their life.” Bill C-7 has generally been widely criticized for its impacts on disabled and low-income people.

Currently, Bill C-7 contains a clause which prevents mental illness from being the sole qualifier when accessing Bill C-7. This is set to end in March 2023 unless the bill is amended. Disability advocates are concerned about the options this will lead the government to take:

  1. They let the clause expire which would mean people could access MAiD with only a mental illness, 
  2. They amend the bill to include “mature minors” (also known as children), among other changes, or
  3. A combination of the above. 

Additionally, any of these changes could take effect as early as March 2023.

 

Initial expansion

The concern for the upcoming expansion comes from seeing MAiD be expanded once before on March 17, 2021. This removed the “reasonable foreseeability of natural death” clause amongst other changes that expanded the availability of MAiD to Canadians. The removal of the foreseeable death clause means that one’s natural death no longer has to be expected in the near future to be approved for MAiD. 

The 2021 expansion also created two tracks for MAiD requests: 

  • Track one for people who do have a foreseeable death, where the previous 10 day “reflection period” (gap between approval and procedure) was removed, and 
  • Track two for people who do not have a foreseeable death who have a 90 day waiting period between initial approval and procedure.

I’ve been waiting close to a year to see a psychiatrist in Surrey. If I were to seek MAiD, once I was approved, I would only have to wait 90 days to access it if my death is not foreseeable. If my death is foreseeable, I wouldn’t have to wait any period of time. The government will fund our death, but will not fund our being and healing. 

 

Consequences of another expansion

Any of these expansions in isolation would already be concerning. But if another expansion passes with the inclusion of “mature minors” and mental illness as a sole qualifier, it makes it possible for a scenario where a child whose only condition is major depressive disorder and who does not have a foreseeable death is eligible for MAiD. This would be beyond negligence, it would be eugenics in action. 

As someone with psychiatric disabilities who will be eligible for MAiD under the proposed expansion, I am fearful that the government is lowering my life expectancy in front of my eyes. I experience recurrent suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviour, and feelings of hopelessness (amongst other symptoms) as a result of my conditions. It’s more than possible that I may request MAiD in the future because of my suicidal ideation. 

With previous expansions, the government showed their prioritization of capital over the ability of disabled people to live. In fact, a 2020 report by the Parliamentary Budget Office stated that the 6,465 medically assisted deaths scheduled for 2021 would save the government a net $86.9 million in healthcare costs. Expanding the criteria again for who is eligible for MAiD would save the government an additional $62 million. Thus, not only does the government get to enact eugenics, it’s also a great way to save money. 

If you happen to be disabled, these expansions to MAiD not only feel like a threat, but a promise. A promise that the government is coming to kill us and that they’ll make it happen by any means necessary. They will deny us accessible housing so the only option left is MAiD. They will force us to live below the poverty line so the only option left is MAiD. And if we do not give into their coercion, they will make our lives unlivable.

The government will cover the costs of the medications needed for MAiD, but they won’t cover the cost of medications needed to live. They’ll make MAiD available in every health authority but if you need specialized care, you’ll have to commute to a large city like Vancouver. They’ll provide an email that will connect First Nations communities to a MAiD coordination team but won’t address the suicide crisis in these same communities. 

The government claims MAiD is an issue of autonomy and that it’s unconstitutional to not provide all disabled Canadians the choice of MAiD. But disabled folks are not being provided any choice in the matter. We don’t have the ability to choose housing, living above the poverty line, employment, marriage, having a family, living in community, healthcare, rehabilitation, healing, or even existence. None of these “choices” are accessible to us except MAiD. Therefore, in practice, many of us only have one choice: MAiD

The state of so-called Canada pushing a bill based in eugenics is not surprising given its history. The Sexual Sterilization Act of the 1900s aimed to prevent the transmission of disability from childbearer to child. There’s also the ongoing practice of forced sterilization of Indigenous women, among countless other examples of Canada’s long and ongoing eugenic practices and legislation. Not to mention, the government has re-opened non-essential services and removed pandemic precautions, such as mask mandates despite the disability community’s objections. It has become clear that Canadians largely do not care about disabled people and the government is capitalizing on this. The incentives from the government perspective seem numerous: reduced healthcare costs, less people registering for disability assistance, and no longer having to address systemic inequalities in housing.

 

Creating an accessible world

Medical professionals admit that people who seek MAiD for mental illness might want to live sometime in the future. It is clear that attempting to determine who is incurable will result in premature deaths to those who may have otherwise improved if provided the opportunity. Even if medical professionals believe they can determine who is suicidal and deny them MAiD, it is incredibly naive to believe that folks who experience suicidality haven’t determined what questions to say “yes” or “no” to when we’re asked the exact same series of questions to determine risk. 

Not to mention, even my diagnoses have been debated by healthcare professionals. BIPOC, folks of marginalized gender identities, poor people, people who use substances, etc. all have different experiences of diagnosis, disability, and treatment according to their intersectionality. Some groups are over or underdiagnosed dependent on their identity. If a diagnosis can change depending on the medical professional, using this as a tool to decide MAiD eligibility becomes fallible and problematic. Another expansion of MAiD will disproportionately impact marginalized communities who have less access to resources and thus are more prone to coercion from the state.

I am wholeheartedly fearful of what the future holds if these further expansions are implemented. The MAiD contagion has already begun. We continue to witness and mourn the deaths of disabled community members during the pandemic. I don’t know how we will be able to cope with the inevitable increase in loss we will be forced to experience if this expansion is successful. The loss of our friends, family, our community members, and ourselves. I’m scared for all of us.

To help fight this expansion, readers can support the Disability Filibuster which creates awareness about why the disabled community is against Bill C-7, keep up to date on opportunities to speak at or send in statements to the Special Joint Committee on MAiD, and call and email your local MP to let them know your opinion on Bill C-7.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024