From the discovery of another 160 unmarked graves in B.C., to the return of varsity sports at the U of G, here is what we saw in the news this week.
WDG region moves into Step 3 of reopening plan amid declining COVID-19 case numbers
As of today, July 16, at 12:01 a.m., Ontario has moved into Step 3 of its Roadmap to Reopen plan and will remain there for at least 21 days until 80 per cent of the eligible population aged 12 or older has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 75 per cent have received their second.
As per Step 3 guidelines, access to indoor settings has been expanded with restrictions to areas where there are large numbers of people and where face coverings can’t always be worn.
All sectors, including but not limited to general gatherings, religious services, retail, restaurants, fitness and training centres, and cinemas, are permitted to open with restricted capacity.
“A huge part of the reason we’ve gotten to stage 3 reopening is the work our community has done to stop the spread of COVID-19, by getting vaccinated and keeping our distance,” said Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie in a GuelphToday article.
“As more local businesses set to reopen [today], let’s support them by shopping local and showing them how happy we are to see their return.”
The Guelph Farmers’ Market will be open on Saturdays with a capacity of 265 people both indoors and outdoors. All local libraries will be open with regular summer hours, and Guelph museums such as the McCrae House and the Guelph Civic Museum will reopen with a limited capacity before August.
Additionally, the Sleeman Centre has 1,000 seats available to host spectators for the Guelph Nighthawks in-person home game on July 19.
Although the province has reopened to Step 3, it continues to battle the Delta variant, which is considered more transmissible than the earliest strain of the virus.
Six cases of the newest variant, Lambda, were confirmed in Ontario last week. Right now, Lambda is the most prevalent strain in South America, according to the National Post.
Fortunately, the province reported only 114 new cases and no deaths related to COVID-19 on July 12, the fewest in a single day since Sept. 6, 2020. Cases throughout the week remained under 200 per day.
160 unmarked graves found near former Kuper Island Residential School
A B.C. First Nations group in the Southern Gulf Islands has found 160 undocumented and unmarked graves.
The Penelakut Tribe announced the discovery on July 12, and the area was where the Kuper Island Residential School once operated.
According to CBC News, the tribe provided no details relating to how the graves were found, or whether the individuals buried there were discovered with the use of ground-penetrating radar. However, locals had knowledge of missing children being buried on the land but were unsure about the exact location of the graves.
Officials have yet to release more information at this time.
The former residential school was in operation between 1890 and the 1970s and was run by the Catholic Church with federal government funding. The building was demolished in the 1980s and has since caused unrest among researchers and the surrounding community.
Steve Sxwithul’txw is a member of the Penelakut Tribe, and was forced to attend the Kuper Island Residential School shortly before its operation ceased. He says work is still being done to determine whether the graves hold the remains of residential school students.
Additionally, he told CBC News there are likely other locations around the island that were used as burial grounds by the Catholic Church that have yet to be searched.
“I know some families want to identify their lost loved ones and bring them home in a proper way,” said Sxwithul’txw.
“And personally, for me, I have relatives that have died over there, so I would like to know, and I think it’s important that they get the proper respect and burial that they deserve.”
On July 13, Bishop Gary Gordon apologized on behalf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria, saying he was committed to “the process of healing and reconciliation and that the diocese is ready to help Indigenous communities search for loved ones who were lost at the Kuper Island facility.”
According to Gordon, the Kuper Island Residential School’s archival records were handed over to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Varsity sports to kick off at U of G for the first time since the pandemic
After a year and a half, Ontario University Athletics (OUA) has announced that fall and winter intercollegiate sports will be taking place at the University of Guelph again.
Gryphon varsity teams to play during the 2021-22 season include rugby, football, soccer, field hockey, hockey, basketball and volleyball.
The Gryphons men’s rugby team will be the first of U of G’s varsity athletes to play on home turf. They will be hosting the Waterloo Warriors on Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. and will play a four-game schedule as opposed to their usual six games. Meanwhile, the women’s team will remain at a four-game schedule as they did in 2019.
As for football, the Gryphons will begin the season at the Alumni Stadium against the Western Mustangs at 6 p.m. on Sept. 25, a week later than the other 10 OUA teams.
The men’s soccer team will kick start their season on Sept. 22 in Windsor. The women’s team will subsequently begin on Sept. 26 at the Gryphon Soccer Complex. Both teams will be playing on a shortened 10-game schedule this year.
At a reduced 12-game schedule is the Gryphon field hockey team who will be opening the season in Hamilton against the McMaster Marauders on Sept. 24.
The winter schedule includes the men’s hockey team which will begin their title defence on Nov. 4 when they host the Laurier Golden Hawks on home ice. The women’s team will debut the day prior, also on home ice against the Laurier Golden Hawks. Both teams will be playing at a reduced 20-game schedule.
For basketball, the women’s team will open the season against the Windsor Lancers on Nov. 3 while the men’s team also play against Windsor that same day. They will all be playing on a 16-game schedule as opposed to their usual 22 games.
U of G’s volleyball team begins Nov. 6 when the Guelph Gryphons play against Brock with both the men’s and women’s teams on the road. They will be playing on a regular 14-game seasonal schedule.
As of yet, no announcement has been made as to whether fans may attend Gryphon home games in person, but U of G’s Department of Athletics is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and public health guidelines.
Hillside Homeside to virtually host art workshops and musical acts next week
Presenting music, dance, art, and more, Hillside Homeside is returning for another year of virtual festivities from July 23 to 25.
According to a news release, this year will introduce interviews with past Hillside performers, such as Tim Baker of Hey Rosetta!, and will include livestream performances, interactive features, and “some special surprises” for viewers to enjoy on hillsidefestival.ca and on Hillside’s YouTube channel.
Performers will include The Sadies, Basia Bulat, Dan Mangan, Steven Page, Tim Baker, Nefe, and more.
Attendance is free, and Hillside festival is offering online versions of its Main Stage, Island Stage, Lake Stage, and more, by way of ‘Stage pages’ on its website.
The festival is being dedicated to the memory of Graham Franks, Sarah Randall, and Lisa Simard, former Hillsiders “whom we loved and cherished,” according to the Hillside website.
Hillside festival contributors hope to bring viewers a “sampling” of activist artists, thinkers, musicians, and crafters in an attempt to feature the many stories created on this land during uncertain times.
“Historically, pandemics have compelled people to pause, look differently at the past, and reimagine the world for the future,” reads the website.
“This one appears to be no different. It is a threshold, a doorway between one world and the next. And the artists we offer here this weekend are choosing to cross that threshold, ready more than ever to imagine a new world.”
The festival begins at 6 p.m. on July 23. Visit Hillside Homeside’s lineup page for more artists and workshop presenters who will be participating in the festival.
Pixar to feature Toronto in upcoming animated film, ‘Turning Red’
For the very first time, Disney Pixar is featuring the city of Toronto as the setting for its latest animated film.
Turning Red tells the story of Mei Lee, a young girl who transforms into a red panda whenever she gets excited.
The film is directed by Toronto native Domee Shi, who won an Oscar for her animated short film Bao. Having attended animation school at Sheridan College, her feature film is described as a “love letter to Toronto and Canada” by Greg Mason, VP of marketing for Walt Disney Studios Canada.
Preview clips and images of Turning Red show Canadian-themed items scattered throughout the film, such as Canadian flags and a maple leaf toque. Ottawa native Sandra Oh voices Mei Lee’s mother, and Mei Lee is voiced by newcomer, Rosalie Chiang.
According to The Star, Canadian cities are rarely the set of large productions, and media specialists don’t anticipate the film to spark much of a “tourism boom,” due to its animated nature.
Kenneth Wong, marketing professor at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business, told The Star that American audiences don’t frequently respond well to “non-American references” unless the features are highly recognizable like if the setting took place in Paris or Rome.
However, Wong also notes that having grown up in Montreal, seeing the Olympics, the World’s Fair, and the Expos made him believe anything was possible for his hometown.
“Maybe this one will have the same effect for kids in Toronto,” said Wong.
Shi’s Turning Red is set to release this coming March.
Please visit www.theontarion.com/submit to find out how you can share your work with The Ontarion.