From the renaming of the U of G’s police service, to Canada appointing its first Indigneous governor general, here is what we saw in the news this week.
U of G campus police service has been renamed the Community Safety Office
On July 6, the University of Guelph renamed the Campus Community Police service to the Community Safety Office.
According to a U of G news release, “the name change reflects Bill 68, adopted in Ontario in 2019, which altered the Community Safety and Policing Act and included a provision that defined use of the term ‘police.’”
Special constables of the Community Safety Office will be called community safety officers, though their responsibilities will remain the same.
Community safety officers “perform the same functions as police officers,” states the release. They respond to emergencies, conduct investigations, and carry out arrests.
However, the university’s safety officers do not carry firearms.
Logos, vehicles, uniforms, programs, and other items related to the community safety office will be updated to reflect the name change.
Community Safety Office services are located in the Trent Building on campus at 32 Trent Lane.
For emergencies, they can be contacted by calling 519-840-5000 or with the extension 52000 if using the campus telephone number. For non-emergencies, the office can be called at 519-824-4120 extension 52245.
For more information on Bill 68 and definitions around police terminology, see here.
Miami condo collapse: Search efforts switch from rescue to recovery
The search for those who had been residing in the 12-story surfside condo building that partially collapsed on June 24 has transitioned to the recovery stage, meaning that those left unaccounted for are presumably dead.
Rescue efforts have been ongoing, with 64 dead and 76 missing as of this week.
Medical Manager Christopher Valerian, whose team was deployed to the collapse site, told CBS News that while building collapses often leave “void spaces” between debris that allow survivors to wait for rescue, the force of the condo’s fall would likely not have left such spaces.
Further, no survivors have been found since the first few hours of the building’s collapse.
Among the victims are four Canadians, including former Montreal resident Ingrid Ainsworth who was found and confirmed dead along with her husband Tzvi on July 7.
Ainsworth leaves behind her mother, a Holocaust survivor living in Miami, and her daughter, Chana Wasserman.
“Every person she encountered, ever in her life, became her friend. Everyone was treated as equals,” wrote Wasserman in a Mother’s Day blog post. “I know I will never be able to match my mother’s pure enthusiasm for life but it’s inspiring to watch.”
Before the condo collapsed, engineers reported evidence of “major structural damage” at the site in 2018, according to The Guardian.
Namely, failing concrete slabs on the building’s pool deck as well as “cracking and crumbling” in the underground parking garage, which necessitated repair work that was never carried out.
The Florida government has provided tax relief for building residents and is also “work[ing] toward an outpouring of charitable donations to families affected by the collapse,” reported CTV News.
The incident is now under a grand jury investigation by local authorities and no less than six lawsuits have been filed.
Mary Simon named Canada’s first Indigenous governor general
Inuk leader and former ambassador Mary Simon was named Canada’s 30th governor general on July 6, making her the first Indigenous person to ever hold the role.
She succeeds Julie Payette, who resigned following an external review that accused her of presiding over a toxic work environment.
Simon comes from Kuujjuaq, a village in northeast Quebec on the Ungava Bay coast. She was assigned as governor general by recommendation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The role of governor general has historically been to adjudicate constitutional disputes, a responsibility Simon is familiar with as she was “on hand” during the constitution’s repatriation in the 1980s, according to CBC News
“I can confidently say that my appointment is a historic and inspirational moment for Canada and an important step forward on the long path towards reconciliation,” said Simon during a statement at the Canadian Museum of History.
In light of the most recent tensions between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian government, some Indigenous associations have mixed feelings about Simon’s appointment as governor general.
Monica Ell-Kanayuk, the president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, said in a statement that Simon “understands the challenges faced by Inuit and other Indigenous peoples in Canada,” and that Canada has effectively chosen a governor general who will “contribute to the reconciliation process Canada is engaged in.”
Meanwhile, the Native Women’s Association issued a statement that Simon was appointed to a role that is “still a colonial system of governance,” and to truly achieve reconciliation, the Canadian government must re-examine all of its ministers in lead departments that significantly affect Indigenous communities. Nonetheless, they congratulated Simon for being appointed to her new role.
As of yet, the federal government has not announced when Simon will formally take on the role of governor general.
Tampa Bay Lightning claim the Stanley Cup title against the Montreal Canadiens
The Tampa Bay Lightning brought home the Stanley Cup title for the second year in a row during their fifth game on July 7 following a 1-0 game against the Montreal Canadiens. The title marks Andrei Vasilevskiy’s fifth consecutive shutout in a winning game.
The Lightning’s first Stanley Cup victory was won during the 2020 postseason, which they spent in Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were the first team to claim the Stanley Cup title on home ice since the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015.
This season, Tampa’s Amalie Arena was “packed” with a crowd of 18,110 as thousands more celebrated the Lightning’s victory outside the building, said CNBC News.
While Montreal home games were initially reduced to a capacity of 3,500 by the Canadian government, crowd limits were gradually lifted as the games progressed.
According to CNBC News, Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos was not only glad to win in front of fans, but also family and friends, despite hopes of winning the Stanley Cup title in game four at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
“Our family has been there supporting us since day one,” said Stamkos. “We can’t wait to celebrate with them.”
Meanwhile, outside the Bell Centre thousands of Canadiens fans stood despondent as their team lost.
The Canadiens had defied the odds after all, making it to the finals after winning only one game during the series.
““[It’s] the worst feeling in the world,” Canadiens fan Vincent Barakatt told Global News. “[It] feels horrible, but we came a long way.”
Guelphite receives award for saving drowning man’s life
After rescuing a drowning kayaker, 17-year-old Guelph resident Jamey Klassen will be receiving an award for her act of bravery and selflessness.
According to Guelph Today, a North American Carnegie Medal will be presented to the teen in-person this fall, or shipped, depending on the status of the pandemic.
It was on July 26, 2020 when Klassen, an aspiring lifeguard, jumped into the Georgian Bay at a Collingwood-area beach to pull a man out of the water after his kayak had overturned. Using one arm to hold him, she was able to swim them both close to shore where she was met with help by a paddleboarder who took the man the rest of the way.
The man was revived by paramedics shortly after.
“Last I heard he was doing well. There was no brain injury or anything,” Klassen told Guelph Today, noting he had called her at Christmas and New Year’s to say how grateful he was.
“He seemed really thankful to be able to enjoy the rest of his life.”
Klassen will be pursuing university studies this fall, attending McMaster in Hamilton for nursing. Along with the award, she will be receiving a $5,500 grant which she plans to put towards her education.
She also aims to finish the qualifications needed for her lifeguard certification.
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