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91��ɫ‑designed tool eases pressures facing French-language teachers

alexhuls — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 23:06:24 +0000

91��ɫ Professor Muriel Péguret and her team have created a new, open resource‑sharing platform to help address persistent challenges facing French as a Second Language (FSL) teachers across Ontario.

As a member of 91��ɫ’s Glendon College, where she works closely with current and future FSL educators, Péguret has seen a clear trend emerge in recent years: growing strain and burnout among educators who face increasingly complex classroom demands.

“Much of that strain comes from the time it takes to find and adapt classroom resources,” says Péguret, who is jointly appointed to 91��ɫ's Faculty of Education. "Teachers often navigate a mix of textbooks, digital platforms and supplementary materials that may be outdated, costly or not aligned with Ontario’s curriculum."

These challenges are compounded by a fragmented online landscape, where materials vary in quality and rules around how they can be used and shared are not always clear. This can result in an overreliance on American-based marketplaces, says Péguret, which rank materials by popularity instead of quality or local relevance, leading educators to resources that can be inappropriate or ineffective.

To address this, Péguret collaborated with co-lead and research associate Mirela Cherciov to create , an open, Canadian platform for teachers to share, discover and adapt classroom materials. Educators can upload their own materials, find resources created by colleagues and adapt them for their classrooms, with clear guidance on how content can be used and reshared.

Muriel Péguret

The goal, says Cherciov, is to ensure “teachers no longer need to reinvent the wheel before each class.”

The building of K‑12 Studio began after introduction to the open education movement by 91��ɫ’s Associate Dean (Digital Engagement and Strategy), Sarah Coysh, and Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Associate Professor Dominique Scheffel‑Dunand.

To better understand what could work in an Ontario K‑12 context, the team of linguists, educators and librarians examined similar initiatives and connected with Learnful Labs, a technology company with experience developing open education tools.

An early prototype, funded by Ontario Ministry of Education and Canadian Heritage, was developed to clarify specific needs of K-12 FSL teachers. Through consultations and testing, the team gathered insights to guide how the system should function and feedback to help define guiding principles.

The result is a platform built for instructor preparation, with clear licensing, straightforward language and quick access to Ontario‑aligned resources. Features such as an AI‑assisted submission process, and tools to support collaboration, make sharing and adapting materials faster and more accessible.

The effort was not without its challenges. Because K‑12 Studio relies on teachers contributing and sharing their materials, it required a shift in how those resources are typically managed. Resources stored within internal school board systems limit access, and creates accessiblity challenges for others.

As well, some educators hesitate to share lesson plans more widely, unsure how to do so in ways that allow reuse while still crediting their work. This uncertainty – particularly around Creative Commons licensing – can limit participation and slow collaboration on the platform.

To address these barriers, the team focused on building educators’ confidence and capacity to share resources more openly. They offered training on open education tools and Creative Commons licensing, and partnered with school boards – including Halton and Thunder Bay Catholic – to support broader contribution and sharing, helping build early momentum for a more collaborative approach.

Since launching in March 2026, K‑12 Studio has gained traction. The repository reports more than 1,000 teacher‑created lessons covering upwards of 80 topics. The team reports hundreds of resource downloadeds as educators begin to build on and adapt these shared materials.

The platform continues to evolve based on how it is used. “We made it a priority to develop an AI‑supported submission form that takes teachers less than a minute to complete. This element is crucial if we want teachers to start contributing and building the sharing system,” says Péguret.

Partnerships have also played a key role in the platform’s development. The team collaborated with the international non‑profit competition Manie Musicale – which brings together thousands of French teachers to explore French‑language songs – to create a dedicated hub on K‑12 Studio, making it easier for the Manie Musicale community to distribute and access content.

School boards are also increasingly partnering with the team and inviting them to present the platform to teachers. “Seeing school boards become more open to new ways of sharing and publishing resources is one of our recent successes,” says Cherciov. “It’s a significant step toward changing how resources are created, used and shared.”

Future work on K‑12 Studio could include new AI applications and building partnerships with school boards and professional associations. Over time, the team hopes to extend the initiative beyond Ontario, and into other subject areas, while working toward a sustainable funding model.

“Above all, we would like to pioneer open education for the K‑12 community in Canada,” says Péguret. “This includes adding our voice to federal and provincial policy discussions around the role of open education in K‑12 contexts.”

Ultimately, the goal is to address pressures documented in FSL classrooms. “We hope to have a positive impact on the K‑12 teaching community, so that teachers feel more valued by their colleagues and supported in their day‑to‑day course preparation,” says Péguret.

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Graduate research at 91��ɫ U drives real-world discovery

ashleygc — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:39:04 +0000

From plant defence in soybeans to epidemic modelling, 91��ɫ graduate researchers are tackling urgent scientific and social questions.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies recognizes outstanding research annually through its thesis and dissertation prizes.

The annual prizes – valued at $2,000 for doctoral dissertations and $1,000 for master’s theses – honour work defended in the previous calendar year that demonstrates originality, excellence and impact.

This year’s awards highlight six projects that explored pressing questions with implications for food security, AI, public health, aging, air quality and workplace accessibility. Together, the projects show how graduate research at 91��ɫ connects scientific inquiry with real-world challenges.

Doctoral recipients – dissertation prize

Jie Lin

Jie Lin (PhD, biology) examines how phytoalexin biosynthesis is regulated in soybean plants in her dissertation, Identifying missing glyceollin transcription factors in soybean.

Her research identifies and characterizes a network of transcription factors that control plant defence responses and introduces an improved soybean root transformation protocol that supports gene expression studies and research tools to the plant science community.

“Altogether, her work transformed the current views of regulatory networks controlling phytoalexin biosynthesis and introduced better tools that benefited the plant research community at large,” says Associate Professor Peter Cheung.

Matthew Kowal

Matthew Kowal (PhD, electrical engineering and computer science) studies how computer vision models interpret images and video in relation to AI.

His dissertation, Disentangling visual concepts across space and time: from image hierarchies to video dynamics, examines how visual concepts are represented, connected and evolve across data and time. His work introduces new frameworks for analyzing learned representations, helping researchers better understand how AI systems make decisions.

“His dissertation represents an exceptional and cohesive body of groundbreaking work on interpretable and concept-based representations in modern computer vision models,” says Professor Michael Brown.

Congjie Shi

Congjie Shi (PhD, mathematics and statistics) developed the Information–Cognition–Epidemic (ICE) model, a multilayer network framework that integrates mechanisms of information flow, including rumour transmission and correction. Her dissertation, Integrating cognitive factors in network models of epidemiology with applications to disease control, examines how these dynamics affect disease spread.

The findings show that warning individuals and correcting misinformation can improve epidemic control while accounting for variation in behaviour and access to information.

“In every way – originality, methodological skill, academic impact and relevance to societal challenges – Dr. Shi's thesis surpasses expectations,” says Professor Dong Liang, graduate program director.

Master’s recipients – thesis prize

Yashar Ebrahimi-Iranpour

Yashar Ebrahimi-Iranpour (MSc, chemistry) developed a one-dimensional atmospheric chemistry model to investigate the origin and distribution of nitrous acid, a key factor in air quality.

His thesis, Vertical structure and surface interactions of nitrous acid using a 1D model, integrates surface interactions, meteorology and atmospheric transport to better understand atmospheric processes.

“This thesis substantially exceeds the normative expectations of an MSc degree and approaches the level of our strongest doctoral work,” says Professor Ryan Hili, graduate program director.

Patrick Hewan

In psychology, Patrick Hewan (MA) examines how age-related differences in brain structure affect decision-making in older adults. His thesis, Prefrontal brain microstructural integrity is related to an exploitation bias in older adulthood, explores the relationship between prefrontal brain microstructure and exploitation bias using cognitive neuroscience approaches.

The findings contribute to understanding how brain changes influence behaviour in ageing.

“His committee went so far as to say this was ‘groundbreaking and even paradigm-shifting for the broader field of cognitive neuroscience,’” says Professor Adrienne Perry, graduate program director.

Grace Pawliw-Fry

Grace Pawliw-Fry (MA, geography) studies how neurodivergent workers navigate precarious labour markets in Ontario. The thesis, Teetering on the edge of surplus: neurodivergent work, social reproduction and bodyminds in the Ontario labour market, examines the intersections of work, disability and social reproduction.

It contributes to scholarship in labour geography, critical disability studies and workplace accessibility.

“This is a sophisticated and beautifully argued MA thesis, which integrates several literatures with very rich empirical data,” says Professor Alison Bain, graduate program director.

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Ray Gupta reminds 91��ɫ grads to put people at centre of leadership

ashleygc — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:25:47 +0000

Business leader Ray Gupta received an honorary doctor of laws from 91��ɫ and shared the importance of building success through resilience and humility with the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) graduating class.

Gupta is chairman and CEO of Sunray Group, one of the largest privately owned hotel operators in Canada. From humble beginnings as an immigrant, Gupta transformed his company into one of Canada's fastest growing hospitality and development enterprises. A dedicated philanthropist, Gupta along with the Sunray Foundation has donated more than $1 million in recent years to numerous causes, including the Scarborough Health Network, Northumberland Hills Hospital and Positive and Progressive Educational Support Canada, which funds girls' education in rural India.

Kathryn McPherson, interim dean, LA&PS, introduced Gupta as “a true embodiment of the values represented by a 91��ɫ honorary doctorate,” during the June 16 convocation ceremony.

“What sets Mr. Gupta apart is that his success extends far beyond business achievements. It is his deep commitment to philanthropy and community impact that truly defines his legacy,” she said.

Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, Ray Gupta and Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Lisa Philipps

Gupta’s speech reflected on his journey immigrating to Canada in 1976. He shared how he arrived from India with limited resources, no clear plan and a strong work ethic.

“I did not arrive with a master plan," he said. "I was simply trying to figure out how to take the next steps."

In his early years, Gupta worked multiple jobs across Ontario, often taking on any task available. From retail jobs to manual labour, these experiences shaped his discipline, humility and deep appreciation for opportunity, reinforcing his belief that hard work can build a better future.

He noted that success rarely follows a predictable path, and encouraged graduates not to feel pressured to have everything figured out.

“Life rarely works that way. Most of us move forward one opportunity at a time, one difficult day at a time,” he said.

Gupta also spoke about the importance of taking risks, and recounted his first time overseeing the construction and operation of a hotel – a career he had no experience in. This endeavour taught him that growth often comes before confidence, and it takes a leap of faith and trust in your abilities.

“Sometimes life throws you into the deep end before you feel ready,” he said. “If you wait until you feel 100 per cent prepared, you’ll be waiting forever.”

As his career progressed and his company, Sunray Group, grew into a leading hospitality and development firm, Gupta turned his focus toward giving back. He explained that his philanthropic efforts centered on three pillars: education, community and health care.

Notably, the Gupta family strongly supports 91��ɫ’s Markham Campus, describing it as a place where future leaders, community builders and innovators can come together.

Throughout his address, Gupta returned to the idea that success is rooted in people and relationships, not individual achievement. Drawing on his experiences in leadership, he emphasized that the way individuals treat others leaves a lasting impact.

“People don’t remember the outcome, they remember how you make them feel,” he said. “True leadership is never about authority; it is entirely about people.”

He also credited his family, colleagues and mentors as central to his success, emphasizing that no accomplishment is achieved alone. He highlighted the importance of showing gratitude for those who opened a door, offered guidance and believed in his potential.

“Success is never an individual sport. No successful person builds a monument entirely alone,” he said.

In closing, Gupta encouraged graduands to focus not only on achievement, but on character, and reminded them that long-term success is shaped by values as much as ambition.

“Your degree will open doors, but it is your character, your resilience, your humility and the way you treat others that will determine what happens after those doors open,” he said.

He urged graduating students to move forward with confidence, kindness and a willingness to create opportunities – not only for themselves, but for others.

“Time changes, technology evolves, but the human connection remains the same,” he said. “Please remember that your journey does not need to be perfect.”

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Howard Sokolowski to 91��ɫ graduands: it’s never too late

ashleygc — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:36:27 +0000

Property developer and philanthropist Howard Sokolowski returned to 91��ɫ June 15 to receive an honorary doctor of laws during the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) convocation ceremony.

Sokolowski is a leader in Canada’s development industry, having overseen the construction of more than 50,000 homes shaping residential communities nationwide. He is the founder and principal of Metropia, a firm focused on large-scale, master‑planned communities, and is also a former co-owner of the Toronto Argonauts.

A dedicated philanthropist, he has supported organizations including Sinai Health Foundation, the Art Gallery of Ontario and 91��ɫ.

Howard Sokolowski delivering an address to Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies graduands.

“What makes Mr. Sokolowski stand out is not only his support, but his dedication to lead and thrive,” said LA&PS Interim Dean Kathryn McPherson. “We affirm the values of leadership, community building and generosity that we seek to inspire in each of our graduates.”

In his address to graduands, Sokolowski highlighted his deep and decades-long connection to 91��ɫ, which began when he enrolled as an undergraduate student in 1970. While he went on to build a successful career, he shared that he left university before completing his degree, a decision that stayed with him over time.

“Today marks the first time I am receiving a university degree,” he said. “Most degrees take four years. Mine took 50.”

Reflecting on that experience, he spoke candidly about the sense of unfinished business that followed him throughout his life and the significance of returning.

“I stand here with gratitude and humility to finally complete that journey,” he said.

Sokolowski used his own story to remind graduating students that life rarely follows a predictable path, and emphasized that success is often shaped as much by detours and setbacks as it is by achievement.

“The truth is, no one’s life follows a straight line,” he said.

His journey was heavily influenced by the story of his parents, who survived Auschwitz and immigrated to Canada, and witnessed first-hand the importance of resilience and making the most of opportunity in difficult circumstances.

“When you are given an opportunity – however unlikely – you do not waste it,” he said. “You repay it by contributing, by building and by leaving something that lasts.”

Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Lisa Philipps, Howard Sokolowski and Chancellor Kathleen Taylor

That belief has guided his longstanding connection to 91��ɫ, including contributions to the development of The Village near Keele Campus, the Tribute Communities Recital Hall, and more recently, the Metropia Student Centre at the Markham Campus.

“I’ve made these investments because I know that whatever success I’ve had has never been mine alone. It is rooted in the opportunities this institution – and this country – gave me.”

Throughout his address, Sokolowski returned to the theme of responsibility, acknowledging that individual success is never achieved alone and carries an obligation to give back.

He encouraged graduands to recognize the contributions of those who supported them and to extend the same generosity to others as they move forward in their careers.

“No one reaches this milestone alone. Success is always shared,” he said. “And with it comes a responsibility: to give back, to lift others and to leave things better than we found them.”

Sokolowski recounted an experience from his first job, using humour and humility to describe how he worked persistently to secure a building permit for a project that ultimately failed, illustrating the inevitability of setbacks and the importance of perseverance.

“Some of your efforts will fail,” he said. “But what matters is how you respond – with humour, with resilience, with perspective and with the courage to keep going.”

He concluded by urging graduands to return to what matters most over the course of their lives and emphasized it is never too late. Follow-through is a defining quality that builds character and earns trust, he said.

“Unfinished things have a way of staying with us. But so do the things we see through to the end,” he said. “Choose to be someone who finishes.”

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Future changemakers receive Governor General’s Silver Medals

alexhuls — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 18:07:22 +0000

Three students at 91��ɫ have been awarded the Governor General’s Silver Medal, which honours excellence in scholastic achievements and academic merit among undergraduate students across Canada. This year’s recipients are Faisal Ahmed Alakoozi, Joshua Max Levine and Vanessa Otello.

The Governor General awards are the country’s highest academic honour for Canadian post-secondary scholars. This year's recipients represent the University's dedication to empowering students to achieve academic excellence across disciplines.

Faisal Ahmed Alakoozi

Faisal Alakoozi

Alakoozi graduates with an honours bachelor of arts in political science. His academic work in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) explored the intersections of law, policy and social justice. A focus on migration and refugee governance, as well as critical political economy was especially meaningful to him.

“As the child of Afghan refugees, my academic work has been shaped by both personal experience and intellectual curiosity,” says Alakoozi.

At 91��ɫ, Alakoozi found an environment that encouraged critical thinking and intellectual growth. He credits the support of professors and teaching assistants for challenging him to deepen his analysis, while opportunities for research engagement helped him grow as both a student and a thinker.

“Receiving the Governor General’s Medal is incredibly meaningful to me,” says Alakoozi. “It represents not just academic achievement, but a much longer and more difficult journey defined by persistence, discipline and overcoming significant physical and mental barriers.”

He adds that the recognition offers a moment of reflection and a source of motivation to continue pursuing questions of justice, inequality and belonging with even greater commitment.

This fall, he will begin a master's degree in criminology and social justice at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he plans to continue his research on migration, borders and governance.

Joshua Max Levine

Levine graduates with a degree in statistics, after pursuing his interest in how mathematics is applied to real-world applications. During his studies in the Faculty of Science, he explored differential privacy, an approach that allows researchers to draw insights from data while safeguarding personal information.

He did so, in part, through an Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Award, allowing him to conduct research under the guidance of Assistant Professor Kelly Ramsay.

While Levine was first drawn to the University for its proximity to home and strong student support, he found a wide range of opportunities for academic and professional growth. He was actively involved in the Actuarial Student Association, serving as director of education, and credits his mentors, including Ramsay and Professor Ed Furman, for encouraging him to challenge himself and expand his ambitions.

“It is an immense honour to be awarded the Governor General’s Silver Medal,” says Levine. “I see it as a reminder of what I can achieve with many years of hard work and commitment.”

Levine recently joined Canada Life Reinsurance as an actuarial analyst and is working toward becoming a fully credentialed actuary. Looking ahead, he is eager to continue his learning journey and gain experience across a variety of teams and projects within the actuarial profession.

Vanessa Otello

Otello completed her undergraduate studies in LA&PS, combining coursework in sociology and business with a bachelor of education. As an aspiring educator, she developed an interest in the role of technology and AI in student learning and its impact on educational environments.

Throughout her time at 91��ɫ, Otello found a supportive and engaging community. She credits her professors for inspiring her to continue her studies and pushing her to reach her full potential.

“I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people who supported me throughout my academic journey and inspired me to continue my education,” Otello says.

In addition to academics at 91��ɫ, she was a work-study student for four years, where she connected with peers and contributed to enhancing the student experience. She also received several academic scholarships recognizing her dedication to her studies and involvement in the 91��ɫ community.

“Receiving this award is an honour and a representation of years of dedication, hard work, growth and the connections I’ve built along the way,” says Otello.

This fall, she will begin a master’s of education at the University of Toronto, specializing in higher education. Looking toward the future, she hopes to build a career empowering students in post-secondary settings and remains committed to continued academic exploration.

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The rising cost of events: why fans are paying more for live entertainment

ashleygc — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:38:51 +0000

As FIFA World Cup tickets for games in Toronto circulate in the resale market at soaring prices, they offer a glimpse of a broader challenge facing sports and music fans: demand outpacing supply and access to entertainment becoming a luxury.

And, that pressure is not limited to global and limited-time events. Across concerns, festivals and sports, getting through the venue gate has become a costly and frustrating experience for fans as tickets vanish instantly only to reappear at inflated prices.

Recent examples illustrate the scale of the problem. When Coldplay performed in Toronto in July 2025, fans watched seats disappear on Ticketmaster while waiting in online queues, only to reappear on resale sites for up to $1,600. During the Blue Jays’ World Series run later that year, game tickets surged from roughly $400 to $2,000 within hours.

The trend has proven significant enough that earlier this year the Ontario government stepped into the fight over soaring ticket prices.

Blue Jays fans outside of Rogers Centre (image: Wikimedia Commons)

“We’re putting ticket scalpers on notice: your days of ripping people off are done,” Premier Doug Ford posted on social media, announcing the proposal of new consumer protections that would make it illegal to resell tickets above face value. The Putting Fans First Act, he proposed, would apply to any platform handling ticket sales – Ticketmaster, StubHub and SeatGeek, for instance – ending what he called the “digital wild west.”

For fans, the message resonated with feelings of being exploited – and not just by the resale market driving up the price of admission.

Pollstar reports that average ticket prices for the top 100 global concert tours rose from $96.17 in 2019 to $132.62 in 2025 – an increase of nearly 38 per cent, compared to average inflation in Canada of about 21 per cent over the same period.

91��ɫ scholars say that outrage over ticket prices touches something deeper – a marketplace built to capitalize on scarcity, not serve audiences. Their research on cultural economics and digital labour shows the real bottlenecks sit with the ticketing system itself, where platform algorithms feed the frenzy they claim to fix.

While policymakers continue to debate how to respond, there is no clear consensus on how to rein in costs without disrupting the system that funds live events.

Scalpers are part of the equation, but they are not the whole story. Large promotors, ticketing platforms, artists and even fans all play a role in sustaining the current model.

So what caused the market to move in this direction?

Markus Giesler

Markus Giesler, a professor of marketing at 91��ɫ’s and former music producer who studies how markets shape human behaviour, points to a shift in how the industry makes money.

Prior to the death of the CD and birth of streaming services like Spotify, concerts were largely viewed as a way to promote and support record sales. As streaming platforms reshaped the economics of music – where artists went from earning tangible revenues from CD sales to making a fraction of a penny per stream – touring and selling “merch” became the primary source of income for many artists.

Giesler says this shift in economics, paired with a growing popularity over the last decade of “scaled-up, social media-mediated, massive concert spectacles,” also explains the rising cost of live entertainment.

“The industry noticed large festivals and live music events could be priced differently and be designed at a much larger scale,” he says, noting the bigger the event, the higher the cost, which translates to more dollars in the pockets of artists.

His observation is backed by data from the American Economic Liberties Project, which shows touring rose from 82 per cent of artists’ income in 2010 to roughly 95 per cent in 2022.

However, as touring revenues increased, so did the complexity of how tickets are priced; artists, agents, event promotors, venues and ticketing companies all take a share. Promotors compete for tours based on projected sales, while players like Live Nation – the largest concert promoter worldwide that not only promotes shows, but also operates venues and owns Ticketmaster – can capture revenue at multiples stages of the transaction.

What this means in practice is that the same company can book the show, control the venue and manage ticket sales. Regulators in Canada and the U.S. are now scrutinizing that concentration of power, arguing it may limit competition and continue to drive up costs.

Within this system, ticket prices are set by the artist and their management team. Ticketing platforms sell those tickets on the venue’s behalf and add service fees. A 2019 Competition Bureau review found that, in Canada, those fees exceeded 20 per cent and, in some cases, reached 65 per cent of the original price.

Additional pricing tools have further influenced the market, including Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” model introduced in 2022. This tool – framed as a way to deter scalpers – adjusts prices in real time based on demand, and is widely used for large scale tours.

91��ɫ economist Matthew Brzozowski, an associate professor at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, says limiting resale markets does not eliminate financial risk – it shifts it.

The risk has to land somewhere, he says, noting if it cannot be absorbed through resale, it may show up as higher base prices, additional fees or premium tiers.

Those premiums increasingly are seen at the checkout as priority access, VIP packages and add-ons that resemble insurance.

Despite higher costs, demand remains strong. Researchers say the for many fans, live events can be tied to identity and belonging, making price sensitivity less predictable.

“Desirability is the be-all-end-all,” Giesler says. “We have to get tickets... life is short. Everybody wants to go and everybody wants to be able to talk about it and post about it.”

That dynamic helps explain why costs continue to soar. Even when fans recognize prices as excessive, the draw of shared cultural moments keeps them in the queue.

That kind of momentum is hard to break, even if dynamic pricing is outlawed or companies like Live Nation are taken to task.

“A fan’s identity has always been about devotion,” Giesler says.

And increasingly, showing that devotion means paying the price.

With files from Andrew Seale 

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Making history: 2026 census expands data on 2SLGBTQIA+ communities

ashleygc — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:29:27 +0000

PRIDE Month feature

In a historic first, Canada’s 2026 long-form census asks respondents about their sexual orientation, adding vital demographic evidence to the mandatory survey used to guide public funding and infrastructure planning.

For Nick Mulé, it is a shift that has been decades in the making.

"Many of us feel this is long overdue," says Mulé, professor at 91��ɫ's and Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. "I was one of many people who have been advocating for this, going back to the 1990s."

Nick Mulé

The question – which asks respondents to identify as heterosexual; lesbian or gay; bisexual or pansexual; or to write their own answers – appears on the long-form questionnaire sent to roughly 25 per cent of Canadian households. While Statistics Canada has collected sexual orientation data through smaller specialized surveys before, adding it to the census gives the findings a broader national reach and a different level of public visibility.

"The census is much larger. It goes right across Canada, and it's also mandatory," says Mulé. "It lends legitimacy to these populations, raising their visibility."

But Mulé says visibility alone is not the point, and the more consequential argument is about evidence – and what its absence has cost.

When community organizations doing frontline work with 2SLGBTQIA+ populations have approached governments and funders to address their clients' needs, they have often been told the same thing: without data, resources cannot flow.

"The government acknowledges they believe you, that it probably is true there is a struggle out there, but asks us to give hard evidence," Mulé explains.

That evidence gap is central to Mulé's research. He is project director of 2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Canada: Improving Livelihood and Social Wellbeing, a 91��ɫ-hosted national study examining poverty among 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Early findings from this project's national survey reflect what frontline workers have long reported: these populations face significant and compounding hardships.

Census evidence on sexual orientation could deepen that picture considerably. Mulé points to housing, health care, employment, education, income and social services as areas where 2SLGBTQIA+ people face disproportionate challenges due to discrimination, stigma and bias – barriers that differ meaningfully depending on life stage, from youth to seniors.

"Not everyone experiences those things the same way," he says. "It's important that those links are made between one's social location and the kind of challenges they're facing."

The categories included in the census question, Mulé says, are reasonable, and the write-in option is an important safeguard for those whose identity does not fit the options. He acknowledges, however, that open-ended responses create complexity on the research end, as analysts must decide how to group and interpret varied self-descriptions.

More pressing concerns involve privacy, trust and the particular vulnerability of young respondents. Many 2SLGBTQIA+ people have not made their sexual orientation public, and disclosing such information on a government form is considered risky by some.

Those ages 15 and older can fill out the long-form census; however, in most households, an adult who completes the form on behalf of all members. This raises concerns that younger individuals may not be accurately represented if adults are not aware of their sexual orientation.

"Those are some of the conundrums," Mulé says. "It's great on the one hand to include it, but Statistics Canada needs to be aware that there is a sensitivity attached to this when it comes to people's comfort level with disclosing this information."

Mulé frames the census change within a longer arc. Sexual orientation has long been protected under human rights legislation in every province and territory, and federally, for years. Yet, legal recognition has not brought an end to discrimination.

For Mulé, having these communities counted in the census – and having that data inform policy, funding and services – is part of closing that gap.

"It really elevates the recognition and legitimacy of these groups in Canada," he says. “By gathering data specific to the realities of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, governments can get a clearer picture of what these communities are facing and what resources, supports and services are needed to equitably meet those needs.”

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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91��ɫ U talent takes centre stage at Canadian Screen Awards

alexhuls — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 19:15:09 +0000

The biggest night in Canadian screen-based entertainment saw over 20 91��ɫ community members celebrated as being among the country's top creative talent.

At this year's Canadian Screen Awards, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, 91��ɫ’s excellence in Canadian screen-based storytelling was represented across the (AMPD), the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) and Glendon College.

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie led several film-related wins, with 91��ɫ alumni involved across multiple categories, including Best Motion Picture. Matthew Miller (MFA ’16) was part of the producing team recognized for the top prize, alongside Matt Greyson (BFA ’08). Matt Johnson (MFA ’16) received honours for Achievement in Music – Original Song as well as Performance in a Supporting Role, Comedy. Craft recognition for the film also included Adam Clark (BFA ’11) for Achievement in Sound Mixing and Luca Tarantini (BA ’13) for Achievement in Visual Effects.

Elsewhere in film, Iris Ng (BA ’01) earned Best Cinematography in a Feature-Length Documentary for There Are No Words and Best Photography, Documentary or Factual for Exclusion: Beyond the Silence. Madeleine Sims-Fewer (BFA ’08) and Heather Hedley (BFA '26) earned Achievement in Costume Design for Honey Bunch.

Documentary and factual programming also earned wide recognition. The documentary Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story saw Alison Duke (MFA ’20) awarded for Best Direction, Documentary Series and Best Writing, Documentary, while Elma Bello (BFA ’95) received Best Sound, Documentary or Factual.

Howard Shefman (BFA ’10) was honoured for Best Factual Series for Dark Side of the Ring, and Francine DiBacco (MA ’15) received Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series for Blue Rodeo: Lost Together. Mark J.W. Bishop (MA ’12) was awarded for Best Children’s or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series for Old Enough!.

Matt Greyson (BFA '08) and Matthew Miller (MFA ’16) arriving at the Canadian Screen Awards.
Iris Ng (BA '01) with AMPD Professor Keira Loughran (left), director pf Exclusion: Beyond the Silence.
Adam Clark (BFA ’11) with his award for Achievement in Sound Mixing, and his wife, Cherie Tsang
Heather Hedley (BFA ’26) holding her Canadian Screen Award for Achievement in Costume Design for Honey Bunch

Television comedy and drama categories included several additional honours. Amanda Brugel (BFA '00) earned the Spotlight Award for Best Performance for The Handmaid’s Tale. North of North was recognized as Best Comedy Series, with Teresa M. Ho (BFA ’95) among its creative team. Casting recognition for Heated Rivalry went to Jenny Lewis (BA ’94). For This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Stacey McGunnigle (BFA ’08) earned awards for Best Sketch Comedy Show & Ensemble Performance as well as Best Writing, Variety or Sketch Comedy, with the latter category also featuring Bita Joudaki (MFA ’21) among the winners.

In animation and television film categories, Arnie Zipursky (BFA ’78) was recognized for Best TV Movie for Dying in Plain Sight, and Art Mullin (BFA ’98) received Best Sound, Animation for Unicorn Academy.

In unscripted entertainment, Justin Stockman (BFA ’96) earned two awards for The Traitors Canada and Drag Brunch Saved My Life. In other areas, Afua Baah (BA ’13) was recognized for Best Local Reporter for CityNews Toronto. Tracy Galvin (BA ’85) and Del Cowle (BA ’97) were both part of the team behind The 2025 Juno Awards, which was named Best Live Entertainment Special.

Digital and creator-focused work was led by Julie Nolke (BFA ’12), named Creator of the Year for her work producing comedic, character-driven digital videos on her YouTube and social media platforms. Jen Pogue (BA ’12) received two honours for County Blooms: A Flower Powered Adventure, including Best Web Program or Series, Non-Fiction and Best Host, Web Program or Series.

Among other 91��ɫ-connected winners, Ryan Goldhar was honoured for Best Comedy Special for People of Comedy and Graham Chittenden earned Best Writing, Factual for Still Standing.

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Inaugural fellowship studying early visual storytelling goes to 91��ɫ scholar

ashleygc — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:48:54 +0000

A 91��ɫ scholar will examine how Lewis Carroll’s Alice books taught children to read through words and visuals more than a century before graphic novels and film adaptations emerged.

Alison Halsall, associate professor at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, is tracing back to the books’ original pages to map out how they helped shape the field of children’s literature.

Alison Halsall

This research will be the focus of her work as the inaugural at the University of Oxford, Christ Church in the U.K. for the month of August.

Awarded by Christ Church and Bodleian Libraries, the prestigious research fellowship provides access to unique archival materials.

During her fellowship, Halsall will study newly catalogued manuscripts, illustrated editions and adaptation materials to show how Alice pioneered visual, collaborative and cross-media storytelling. Her interest lies specifically at the intersection of archival study, visual narrative and childhood readership.

“Lewis Carroll’s Alice did more than tell a story,” says Halsall, who is also coordinator of 91��ɫ’s Children, Childhood & Youth program. “From the playful typography to the illustrations, Carroll helped invent visual, interactive storytelling and taught children (and adults) to read across words and images.”

Her project will use materials held at Christ Church Library and the Bodleian Libraries to explore how Carroll and illustrator John Tenniel developed foundational visual storytelling techniques together.

Halsall is excited to dive into the Jon A. Lindseth Lewis Carroll collection, including the first edition 1865 Michelson Alice, which was Carroll’s personal edition, to analyze how typography and illustration might guide readers.

“This collection offers a rare opportunity to examine how Carroll orchestrated meaning at the level of the page,” says Halsall. “These materials make it possible to trace how Alice developed from manuscript to printed page, showing how Carroll and Tenniel worked together to create visual pacing strategies.

"I hope to prove what I have long suspected: that this Carroll-Tenniel collaboration demonstrates visual storytelling in formation – one that anticipates modern graphic narrative logics.”

By also studying translations for stage, film, photographs and other visual materials, the study aims to show that Alice spread across stage, screen and other media, challenging the idea that adaptation is a modern practice.

“Materials from early stage and film adaptations, along with objects like the Wonderland postage stamp case, show that Alice was adapted almost immediately,” says Halsall. “Together, these archives and collections demonstrate that Victorian children’s literature was highly adaptive in shaping how readers experienced Alice over time.”

Focusing on the text, Halsall will look variations across manuscripts to examine children’s literature as process rather than product. Carroll’s revisions reveal experimentation with tone, humour and forms of address to child readers, she notes.

“From the first British edition to The Nursery Alice and beyond, the manuscripts and editions suggest a model of participatory reading grounded in play and readerly interaction,” says Halsall. “I will consider the manuscripts as artifacts designed for a child demographic and analyze how they construct Victorian-era child readership and visual literacy.”

The opportunity to study these newly available Carroll manuscripts, editions and ephemera in Oxford, she says, allows her to “trace a clear line from Victorian page design to multimodal storytelling practices that shape contemporary media culture.”

This research will result in several academic and public-facing outcomes, including a peer-reviewed chapter on Carroll’s page design and graphic narrative logics in The Routledge Handbook to Children’s Literature and Graphic Narrative and a larger monograph project titled “Lewis Carroll: Early Transmedial Storyteller."

Findings may also be shared through a public or academic lecture at Oxford and will be included in Halsall’s archive-based teaching, extending its impact to students.

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University Fund supports new programs, student learning at 91��ɫ

alexhuls — Thu, 28 May 2026 19:45:39 +0000

91��ɫ’s University Fund is supporting cross-Faculty projects, new learning spaces and expanded student programming in 2026.

Like many universities in Canada and around the world, financial challenges facing 91��ɫ stem from external pressures and public policy resulting in significant strain. Despite this, the University is committed to advancing priority projects that invest in students’ academic experiences – from new programs and formats to improved learning spaces – through the University Fund (UF).

The University Fund was established to support strategic institutional initiatives, provide operating funding support to Faculties where needed, and enable emergency funding.

This year, the UF prioritized Faculty submissions supporting cross-Faculty collaboration and focused on improved teaching and learning experiences for students such as new active learning classroom spaces.

“The UF investment will help convert underused spaces into larger capacity, active learning classrooms that represent an important shift in curriculum delivery that is responsive to the evolving needs of 91��ɫ students,” says Chloë Brushwood Rose, vice-provost, teaching and learning. “These new flexible, technology-enhanced environments will support our mission to foster inclusive, innovative and high-impact teaching and learning.”

The UF is also advancing access to entrepreneurial supports and programming through the YSpace Network, the pan-University innovation hub.

“The network ensures entrepreneurship and innovation at 91��ɫ reach all students, researchers and faculty members with an idea worth building,” says David Kwok, director, entrepreneurship and innovation at YSpace. "This financial support from the UF will accelerate the development of the YSpace Network, co-designed in collaboration with the , to build a unified and connected voice for entrepreneurship that reaches every Faculty and every campus through expanded activities and initiatives at 91��ɫ.”

In addition to active learning classroom expansion and the YSpace Network, other supported projects include:

The implementation of the proposed new undergraduate degree framework (pending Senate approval) through funds to support a new degree audit tool, revisions to the undergraduate calendar and the development of advising resources.
Collaborative curriculum development between (AMPD), Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) and Markham Campus to explore a communications and digital media production degree.
A collaborative and unified Faculty of Science- approach to a broader pan-University integrated outreach and access program for children and youth that can strengthen student pathways into 91��ɫ’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine and Health programs.
Hiring of a dedicated Indigenous student recruitment officer.
Within the , integration of non-degree studies offerings with undergraduate programs to bridge academic and professional learning.
BorderPass, an immigration management platform to support the study permit process for all incoming international students requiring a Provincial Attestation Letter.
Modernization of the 91��ɫ booth at the Ontario Universities’ Fair.
A two-year pilot program to increase the availability of the Markham-Keele shuttle during peak periods to better match service with class start and end times.

“The innovative, new curriculum development project between AMPD and LA&PS is a top priority that has the potential to support more students in a program that will position them well for the future,” says Brandon Vickerd, AMPD dean. “91��ɫ has long been recognized as a leader in interdisciplinarity, and this new collaboration, along with other cross-faculty projects like the Science-Lassonde collaboration also funded this year, builds on a strong foundation that supports today’s and future students.”

The UF does not spend funds directly but, through the Fund Council’s advice and recommendations, allocates them to Faculties and divisions in support of time-specific strategic initiatives.

Visit 91��ɫ’s University Fund website for more information.

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