Professor Afshin Rezaei-Zare discusses the 1859 geomagnetic storm, and others that have followed.聽Geomagnetic storms are often linked to a "mesmerizing display" of the northern lights but聽carry the potential to wreak havoc on our modern technological infrastructure.聽Rezaei-Zare聽leads a program that received a $1.65-million grant to help mitigate their potential impacts in Canada and the world. "Perhaps most concerning is ," Rezaei-Zare tells Toronto.com. "Modern electrical grids, satellite systems, and communication networks are highly vulnerable to the massive GICs such storms produce."

In an op-ed for The Conversation, Professor Jack L. Rozdilsky writes about the challenges facing recovery from the Jasper Complex Wildfire, which burned an estimated 32,722 hectares in July. Visiting the site as a researcher and to observe recovery efforts, he describes the "" of structures littering the charred landscape and how clean-up efforts will be complicated by snowfall. "Despite best efforts being made, if large tracts of disaster debris become frozen in place over winter, such a situation will impede recovery progress in 2025," writes Rozdilsky.

Professor Joe Mihevc, who served on Toronto City Council for nearly 30 years, comments on the city collecting resident feedback on the 2025 city budget through an online survey. Mihevc says Toronto needs to look for new revenue streams to pay for the priorities identified by residents. Mihevc tells CBC that , like continuing to ask the federal government to help cover the cost of shelters used by refugees or lobbying the province to cover the health and housing costs associated with growing homelessness.

Professor Ian Stedman writes about the looming federal election campaign, accountability, transparency and ethics for The Conversation. "Regardless of which party holds power, a striking flaw in Canada's political ethics framework is ," writes Stedman. "Ethics issues must be kept in public view and political parties should be pressured to offer meaningful reform ideas in their campaign and party platforms."

Ahead of Wednesday's Liberal caucus meeting where some MPs were expected to confront Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about his dropping popularity, Professor Dennis Pilon spoke to CityNews . He says that聽the Liberals have traditionally been less focused on rules around leadership reviews than other parties.

Professor Valerie Ann Preston talks to Toronto Star about a report by Statistics Canada that found international students and temporary foreign workers are paying more in monthly rent than Canadian-born tenants living in the same metropolitan areas. When differences were adjusted for neighbourhood, type of home and household size, international students paid less for shelter but temporary foreign workers still pay more than Canadian-born tenants. " because the rent premium for temporary farm workers persists even after you control for neighbourhood and you control for welling characteristics," says Preston. She adds that individuals in both groups tend to be newer to Canada with less knowledge about local rental markets, which puts them at a disadvantage. International students and temporary foreign workers are also primarily short-term renters. "Housing where you get international students and temporary foreign workers living is also housing that comes back on the market more often," she says. "The rents rise every time it becomes vacant."

91亚色's Markham Campus is prioritizing experiential education through its innovative biotechnology programs. Two standout offerings are the master of biotechnology management and graduate diploma in biotechnology programs. Dan Palermo, the interim deputy provost says the campus was designed to offer students hands-on learning experiences and aligns with the university's broader goal of . "This is what students are asking for," Palermo tells 91亚色Region.com. "It prepares them more effectively for the workforce."

Do you have a new research study or an academic achievement to share? Contact media@yorku.ca with details. For daily 91亚色 in the News highlights, follow on X.

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There are huge obstacles to starting a new business, but when it鈥檚 a Black-led venture, the barriers multiply. That鈥檚 why the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance and partners, including 91亚色, are doing the work to help give Black entrepreneurs the tools and supports they need to achieve success.

Across Canada only 2.1 per cent of businesses are Blacked-owned and that figure falls to about a quarter per cent for Black-women-led business.

鈥淏lack businesses have been historically disenfranchised from access to capital, knowledge and resources to grow their businesses. Less than two per cent of venture capital funding goes to Black founders. The absence of funding for Black-led companies negatively impacts the resilience and competitive edge of the Canadian economy,鈥� says Olu Villasa, program manager at the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance, considered the first Black-focussed entrepreneurship program in northwest Toronto.

Addressing the challenges Black entrepreneurs face takes collaboration and teamwork to break down systemic barriers.

Through the (BEA) 鈥� an initiative funded through the and in collaboration with 91亚色鈥檚 YSpace, TD Community Engagement Centre, and the 鈥� 238 ventures in Black-led tech, food and beverages have been supported so far and growing. The goal of the BEA, which receives funding from Canada鈥檚 Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, is to increase Black entrepreneurship, help break through barriers, reduce inequity, create a sense of community and resilience, invest in those communities and support through resources and tools.

The newest development out of the collaborative initiative will help young Black men under the age of 30 to fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams through the inaugural Alfred Anucha Award in Entrepreneurship (A3E). The A3E was created and funded through an initial donation of $50,000 by the Anucha family and in partnership with YSpace and the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance.

鈥淭he generous donation by the Anucha family will serve as a lasting memory of a loving and brilliant young Black man whose light will continue to shine through the start-ups being supported through this award,鈥� says Black Creek Community Health Centre鈥檚 Executive Director Cheryl Prescod.

Four aspiring Black entrepreneurs recently won the award, which includes $2,500 each and an opportunity to participate in free, specialized entrepreneurship programming through YSpace.

The award commemorates former 91亚色 student Alfred Anucha, a visionary, young entrepreneur who passed away at the age of 26, whose mother, 91亚色 Associate Professor Uzo Anucha, the 91亚色 Research Chair in Youth and Contexts of Inequity, teaches at the School of Social Work in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped by earlier on award day to speak with competitors and was greeted by 91亚色 President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton and Black Creek Community Health Centre鈥檚 Executive Director Cheryl Prescod, while Member of Parliament for Humber River-Black Creek Judy Sgro and MP for Hamilton West, Ancaster, Dundas and Minister of Federal Economic Development Filomena Tassi, along with the BEA team and leadership staff from Black Creek Community Health Centre, were also in attendance.

As Alfred鈥檚 sister Adanna Anucha says: 鈥淏et on Yourself. Bet on the Future. This was Alfred鈥檚 mantra and encapsulates the vision of A3E鈥�.We hope this award will serve as a living tribute and memorial to honour Alfred's legacy as a true innovator and dreamer.鈥�

Another way 91亚色 and the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance is helping to nurture Black entrepreneurs is through the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance and YSpace鈥檚 Investment Bootcamp program to support Black founders navigate key stages in their startup journey. It鈥檚 a four-month program designed for early-stage and capital ready, Black-led startups ready to secure funding through access to bridging capital, educational workshops on navigating pre-seed and seed stage financing, mentorship, one-on-one coaching, advising on fundraising strategy, and connections building between ventures & investment network.

鈥淲e know that historically, less than one per cent of investments go to Black founders in North America. Our hope with this program is to create a greater pipeline of Black-led ventures that are investment ready as well as build a network of investors that are committed to investing in Black-led ventures,鈥� says David Kwok, director of entrepreneurship and innovation at 91亚色鈥檚 YSpace

By joining together, the next generation of Black-led initiatives can aspire to more on their way to success.

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With the , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will appoint his sixth Supreme Court judge. That amounts to nearly one new justice for every year Trudeau鈥檚 been in power.

Canada鈥檚 Supreme Court is . Donald Trump鈥檚 three appointments during his single term as president dramatically shifted the court鈥檚 decisions, especially on abortion rights.

Nonetheless, the people who serve on the highest court in Canada also wield significant influence over the lives of Canadians.

Cases reach the Supreme Court because the laws passed or decisions made by politicians cannot account for every possible eventuality.

Rulings by the Supreme Court can therefore directly impact Canadians in many ways, running the gamut from same-sex rights to Indigenous treaty rights, private health care, the right to medically assisted death and the ability of the federal government to set carbon taxes.

The Supreme Court also provides advice on the constitutionality or interpretation of federal or provincial legislation that dramatically affects the country. An example is the Supreme Court鈥檚  and its .

Cementing his legacy

Trudeau has been granted an unexpected opportunity to cement his legacy. Supreme Court justices serve until age 75, when they must retire.

Justice Michelle O'Bonsawin, the most recent Trudeau appointee, could serve until 2049. Mahmud Jamal, appointed by Trudeau in 2021, could serve until 2042. By then, Trudeau will be long gone from the political arena, but his priorities and values will continue to shape the nation.

In fact, the Supreme Court already bears Trudeau鈥檚 stamp given O'Bonsawin is the first Indigenous Supreme Court justice and Jamal is the first racialized Canadian to be named to the court.

Brown, from Alberta, filled one of two seats on the court historically allocated to justices from western and northern territories and provinces.

Given the fraught relations between Ottawa and Alberta, Trudeau may be unlikely to nominate an Albertan. He might appoint , which has not had a representative for half a century.

Selection process begins

Trudeau .

Only judges and lawyers from western and northern Canada can apply to the  that will soon provide Trudeau with a list of three to five candidates.

Trudeau is not obliged to select a name from the list, but he鈥檚 previously always drawn from it. Unlike earlier prime ministers, Trudeau has already specified that .

There are currently four women and four men on the court. Trudeau could make history by naming a woman, which would create, for the first time, a Supreme Court with more women than men.

The Supreme Court has long been a bastion of male privilege, with the first woman, Bertha Wilson, only appointed in 1982 after . The prime minister who facilitated that shattering of the court鈥檚 glass ceiling was Justin Trudeau鈥檚 father, Pierre.

The Charter鈥檚 influence

Many cases that reach the Supreme Court require justices to decide whether to interpret a law in a literal sense or to also ponder the social, political and economic context that gave rise to the legislation. That includes the intentions of the lawmakers.

The enactment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 dramatically increased the role of the Supreme Court. That鈥檚 because the Charter outlines the rights and freedoms of Canadians in general terms, but then goes on to note .

These inherent tensions in the Charter gave the court an activist role in public policy. Prior to the 1980s, the Supreme Court had mainly dealt with the  鈥� specifically, which level of government had been granted responsibility for what in 1867.

After 1982, the Supreme Court often had to determine which laws were consistent with the Charter and to clarify central aspects of the Charter. In doing so, many decisions relied in some measure on the justices deciphering the intent of the politicians who enacted the legislation in question.

In 1995, for instance, the Supreme Court ruled that sexual orientation is constitutionally protected under the equality clause of the Charter, even though there is no mention of sexual orientation in the document.  to those listed in the Charter: race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

In the decades to come, Canada鈥檚 Supreme Court will undoubtedly issue rulings related to climate change, Indigenous Peoples, individual rights, the impact of technology, international relations and much more.

As with past rulings, these will shape the lives of Canadians in matters large and small. And Trudeau鈥檚 foresight will likely be evident in some of those decisions.

By Professor Professor Thomas Klassen, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, 91亚色.

This article is republished from 

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