From the travel ban restricting the entry of international students to Canada, to sports seasons reconvening under modified conditions, here is what we saw in the news this week.
International students told not to come to Canada due to travel ban
On Tuesday the federal immigration department said international students who received their student visa after March 18 will be denied entry into Canada until the travel ban is lifted.
According to TheStar, in 2019 more than 650,000 international students were studying in Canadian post-secondary institutions. Between student fees and spending, the students contributed more than $21 billion to the Canadian economy.
International students will be able to count their time in online course work toward their eligibility for a post-graduation work permit.
Local and international students are still required to pay their tuition in full despite the majority of courses being held in an online format.
“International students are disappointed with these announcements,” Sarom Rho of Migrant Students United told TheStar.
“The government’s response is geared towards maintaining international enrolment and fees as a source of revenue to keep schools operating. It’s disavowing its responsibility to the quality of education for these students.”
Students with a valid study permit issued on or before March 18 are still subject to entry restrictions; they will have to prove to border agents that their studies cannot be completed online due to factors such as mandatory in-class labs and workshops, and/or facing low-bandwidth or internet restrictions in their home countries.
All students will have to complete a mandatory 14 day isolation as per Canadian travel guidelines.
“We value the contribution of young people seeking a high-quality education in Canada, and we’re making every effort to minimize how current challenges affect their plans and dreams for the future,” Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino told TheStar.
New pandemics course to be offered at U of G
A new multidisciplinary course about pandemics will be available to students online at the University of Guelph this fall.
According to a news release, Pandemics: Culture, Science and Society (UNIV*2020) is “believed to be the first of its kind in Canada”, and will be a collaboration between four colleges of different expertises at the University: engineering and physical sciences, biological sciences, arts, and social and applied human sciences.
“Pandemics and infectious diseases are complex issues, and it’s therefore necessary to take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding what they mean for the world we live in,” said Prof. Elizabeth Finnis, chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
“Students will gain a broader understanding of the complexities of infectious diseases, how they can become pandemics and what they mean for different aspects of society.”
Students who take the course will learn about COVID-19, as well as past pandemics and infectious diseases that have impacted societies worldwide, from a number of different perspectives, including: technology, communication and misinformation, social inequities, literature, ethics, psychology, nutrition, wildlife biology and mathematical modeling.
“The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted just about every aspect of our lives and is like nothing any of us have experienced,” Prof. Ryan Gregory, chair of the Department of Integrative Biology, said in the news release.
“The idea for the course came from facing this topic head on in a way that takes advantage of and showcases the University of Guelph’s unique strengths as a truly comprehensive university with an exceptional community of scholars.”
Spike in COVID-19 cases causes concern amid Stage 3 reopenings
On Tuesday, Ontario reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases in one day since June.
According to CBC, the province announced 203 new cases with 116 of the cases, or 57 per cent, occurring in people under the age of 40.
The new cases have caused officials to voice concerns and urge the public to keep up their physical distancing efforts.
In a media conference on Tuesday, Premier Doug Ford urged young adults to keep wearing masks, or, if unable to do so, to maintain a six foot distance from others.
“I’m just asking people to just hold off on these parties,” Ford said. “I don’t know why everyone wants to party so badly but, enough… We have to keep this in control, and we will.”
Canada’s Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo said during a news conference that fatigue and an “invincibility factor” play major roles in the rise of cases among young adults.
Njoo also said the reopening of the province is a key factor in the uptick.
“Everyone is trying to reopen at a very – I think, prudent pace,” Njoo said. “We’re slowly opening up bars and restaurants. But everyone recognizes that we would expect to get clusters of cases.”
Njoo said that many of the new cases have been linked to the reopening of restaurants and bars in the region, but also to people who have attended indoor parties.
“All I do is brag about you guys,” Ford said, addressing young adults in Ontario. “98 per cent of all these young folks are following protocol and procedure and it’s a couple per cent who are going a little hog wild. But guys you gotta rein it in, simple as that.”
Wedding videographer refuses same sex couple
Two brides were refused service from a Brantford-based videography company due to the fact that they were a same sex couple.
According to CBC, Mallory Arthur and Kelly Roberts were denied their wedding video request on the very day that same sex marriage was legalized 15 years prior on July 20, 2005.
In the email response to the couple’s request, the owner of Caramount Pictures, Cara Hamstra, denied the couple her videography service, stating it was due to the fact that “(they) do not film homosexual weddings.”
“When I opened the email, my heart just immediately dropped. I felt sick to my stomach,” Roberts told CBC. “It was just so blatant what she said. And usually people will try and dance around it.”
This was not the first obstacle the couple has faced while trying to plan their October 2021 wedding.
Roberts told CBC that in February an officiant also denied to take part in their ceremony.
“Mallory was grabbing us a coffee, and as she sat down and (the officiant) realized it was two women, he said that his beliefs don’t support our marriage, and he would be shunned by the church if he married us,” she said.
However, the couple has received an outpouring of support after their initial Facebook post about Caramount Pictures went viral.
“Thank you so much to everyone who has reached out to us in the last 24 hours. The outpouring of support from everyone has been overwhelming in the most beautiful way,” the couple posted as an edit to the original post.
“It has been amazing to see the recommendations from so many LGBTQ+ and allies owned businesses. Thanks to your recommendations, we were able to find a videographer to film our big day. I wish we could invite each and every one of you to celebrate with us.”
Sports make long-awaited COVID comeback
Baseball, basketball, and hockey game seasons are set to begin again, albeit under modified training and playing conditions, after being put on hold due to COVID-19.
Fans of baseball have been waiting for the sport to reconvene since players arrived at training camps on July 1. The season kicked off with games on July 23 and 24.
However, the fate of the Toronto Blue Jays is still up in the air after Canada denied their request to play at their home field. According to ESPN, the team had bid to play in Pittsburgh, sharing the Pirates’ stadium, but the state of Pennsylvania denied their request.
This leaves the Jays looking for another stadium, with an option to travel to their opponents’ stadiums and play as the home team.
The NBA announced the parameters surrounding its comeback in an F.A.Q on Wednesday, whereby 22 teams will practice, play and live in a restricted bubble in Disney World. The teams will play with no fans in attendance.
According to the F.A.Q, the season will start with eight “seeding games” and eliminate six teams. The other 16 teams would go on to play traditional conference-style playoffs.
Hockey fans will get their kicks as the NHL season begins face-off on August 1.
The NHL has stated that Toronto and Edmonton will be the hub cities for the teams to play in, with Edmonton hosting each conference final, and the Stanley Cup Final.
On Tuesday, the NFL announced there will be no preseason games this year.
However, according to ESPN, NFL training camps will be running in the team’s regular facilities, with physical distancing measures and the use of face masks to be mandatory, along with no fans to be allowed in the facilities during training camps.
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