On March 9, 2020, the Canadian government introduced Bill C-8 to ban conversion therapy, a discredited practice that attempts to change the sexual orientation and gender identity of the LGBTQ2 community through various means, including therapy and medication.  This bill is premised on the fact that conversion therapy undermines the dignity of the queer community… Read more »

The most recent AUSU Council Meeting took place on Thursday, March 19, 2020 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm MT. All Councillors were in attendance, with the exception of Councillor Melinda Goertz and Member Services Coordinator Donette Kingyens, with the addition of the incoming council observing.  Also in attendance was The Voice’s Council Meeting Reporter Natalia… Read more »

Canada has experienced increased changes in its distance educational model amidst 2019’s significant upheavals and 2020’s COVID-19.  On June 17, 2019, the Canadian Virtual University-Université Virtuelle Canadienne (CVU-UVC) officially disbanded.  Originally created to highlight and promote online education across Canada, the consortium allowed universities to work together to allow easier transfer of credits across institutions. … Read more »

In recent months, students and teacher associations have continued to decry provincial governmental policies by Alberta’s United Conservative Party (UCP) under Jason Kenney and Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government under Doug Ford amidst cuts to education. Early this month, the Alberta provincial government announced its plans to not renew Alberta Distance Learning Centre’s (ADLC) service agreement… Read more »

For many students who do not fit the traditional educational mold, whether as a result of work commitments, family duties, or even identity, alternative schooling options offer a sense of hope.  Although uncommon, over the years, innovative schools with unique philosophies have quietly educated generations of graduates worldwide.  Notable examples include distance education options, such… Read more »

The most recent AUSU Council Meeting took place on Thursday, February 27, 2020 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm MT. In attendance were President Brandon Simmons (Meeting Chair), Vice President Finance and Administration (VPFA) Brittany Daigle, Councillor Sarah Blayney Lew, Councillor Darcie Fleming, Councillor Christine Hudder, Councillor Amanda Lipinski, Councillor Alice Namu, Councillor Lisa Oracheski, Councillor… Read more »

Canada’s recent federal election revealed an increasing intolerance, with cries of “Wexit” separatism, anti-immigrant diatribes, and overt xenophobia.  However, this is not a new phenomenon.  The Social Credit Party first introduced Albertans to the concept of secession in the 1930s.  Unrest re-emerged once again during the 1970s, as Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s initiatives of bilingualism, the… Read more »

Recent reports reveal that, despite violence, 2019 was statistically much safer for journalists than previous years.  Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a Paris-based NGO, reported the deaths of forty-nine journalists worldwide, the lowest death toll in sixteen years.  Founded in 1985 in Montpellier, France, RSF defends and promotes freedom of information in the journalism industry.  2020’s… Read more »

Albertan travel brochures frequently attract visitors to the province with glossy images of aquamarine waters, majestic snow-capped peaks, and roving wildlife.  This marketing technique has proven effective, as thousands of visitors, myself included, flock to Banff, Canmore, and Lake Louise each year.  Although I settled in Calgary in 2012, and Edmonton in 2015, my fondest… Read more »

Beginning on January 6, 2020, as part of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)-funded national research project, Athabasca University will be conducting migrant worker-related field research in and around Calgary.  As a federal research-funding agency, the SSHRC “promotes and supports postsecondary-based research and training in the humanities and social sciences.” Coordinated by Jason… Read more »