Tuesday, June 22, 2021

The Honourable Murray Sinclair to speak about the ongoing work of Truth and Reconciliation

A message from the Indigenous Initiatives Office.

As one of many ongoing opportunities to learn and engage during Indigenous History Month, you are invited to attend a virtual event on Tuesday, June 29 at 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., with keynote speaker the Honourable Murray Sinclair: The Truth is hard. Reconciliation is harder. The resources shared by the Indigenous Initiatives Office this month have focused on listening, engaging, and learning how to interrupt anti-Indigenous violence, and this keynote event should not be missed.

The Honourable Murray Sinclair was the first Aboriginal Judge appointed in Manitoba and Canada’s second. He served as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). He has won numerous awards, including the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Manitoba Bar Association’s Equality Award (2001) and its Distinguished Service Award (2016) and has received Honorary Doctorates from 8 Canadian universities. Sinclair was appointed to the Senate on April 2, 2016 and retired on January 31, 2021

This is a free event open to the community, and we encourage you to share this unique learning opportunity with your networks. Find out more and register for the event here.

The talk of the town hall

2Fast2Feridun: President Hamdullahpur pays tribute to his cardboard cut-out at the President's Town Hall on June 15.

The President's Town Hall meeting was held on Tuesday, June 15, with more than 1,200 attendees tuning in via Microsoft Teams. This event was a follow-up to the recent Return to Campus town hall held in May.

Joining President Feridun Hamdullahpur on the virtual stage providing extra context and updates were Provost Jim Rush, Associate Provost, Co-operative and Experiential Education Norah McRae, Associate Provost, Human Resources Marilyn Thompson, Medical Director Clark Baldwin, Director of Safety Kate Windsor, Pharmacy Professor Kelly Grindrod, and Executive Director of Plant Operations Stepanka Elias.

There was also a robust question-and-answer period, moderated by event host and Vice-President University Relations Sandra Banks. Attendees submitted questions in advance and asked some during the event in the chat. Topics included mask etiquette, employee vaccinations, lecture hall capacity, return to work, and vaccinations for international students.

When asked about return to work plans across diverse departments, Associate Provost, Human Resources Marilyn Thompson said, “Managers will have flexibility. We have a diverse set of responsibilities across campus, and in the beginning, our plans won’t look the same. The task force is providing guidelines in determining which roles need to come back in September, for a couple of days a week or for a longer period of time, and those plans are being made in consultation with management groups. We are really looking at roles necessary for September, for pandemic programing, which roles within faculties and departments need to be back on campus."

A question was also asked about student life engagement opportunities for second-year students who missed out on the in-campus experience last year. In response, Associate Provost, Students Chris Read said “It’s a modern double cohort. This is something that’s on the radar for people and we’re excited to have second-year students on campus if they choose to be. All the regular supports will be available and there will be targeted programs."

The event also ended with some reflections from Feridun Hamdullahpur on his years of leadership at the University of Waterloo.

Check out the town hall video recordings and Frequently Asked (and answered) Questions on the town hall website.

W Store, WUSA, Glow gear up for Pride with student-designed fundraiser tee

A message from W Store.

Earlier this year, W Store teamed up with WUSA and The Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity to host a student design contest for the 2021 UWaterloo Pride tee shirt. Students were invited to submit their finished designs or design concepts for a chance for their artwork to be featured on the 2021 UWaterloo Pride fundraiser tee. Out of many impressive submissions, five designs were shortlisted and put to a popular vote among W Store’s Instagram followers to choose the winning design.

The winning artwork that is featured on the 2021 UWateroo Pride tee was designed by Dylan Cheung (@d.ccreates on Instagram), a current Global Business and Digital Arts student. Dylan shared the following statement about his design:

“During the creation of this work, I wanted to highlight a very significant part of the LGBTQ+ community's history, that being the Stonewall riots. As with all minority groups in North America, it is necessary to educate yourself to understand the pain and hardships these communities have gone through to fight for the rights they have today. Although there is still work to be done, it is important to acknowledge these historic events and to remind ourselves that these experiences were real and not to be forgotten. This piece was created to translate the reality of the situation into something beautiful.”

$5 from the sale of every tee shirt will be donated directly to the Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity. Glow is the oldest continually-running university-based LGBTQ group in Canada. Run entirely by dedicated student volunteers, it offers a wide variety of discussion groups, social events, advocacy opportunities, awareness campaigns, resources and peer support. The Glow Centre is currently hosting a series of Virtual Pride events, which you can learn more about on their Instagram (@uwglow).

The tee shirt is available now from W Store at https://bit.ly/UWaterlooPride2021 for delivery or free curbside pickup.

Waterloo alumnus is first Indigenous leader of the Canadian Bar Association

By Elizabeth Rogers. This article was originally published in the Spring 2021 issue of Waterloo Magazine.

Brad Regehr’s (BA ’93) journey to become the first Indigenous president of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) began while working a shift at the Turnkey Desk, at what was then called the Campus Centre.

Regehr, a history and religious studies student, saw Elijah Harper, a politician and Indigenous leader, help block the Meech Lake Accord in 1990. That same year, he watched Indigenous people blocking development on disputed lands near the town of Oka, Quebec.

So, when a friend stopped by the Turnkey Desk with a study manual for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) Regehr began to seriously think about the impact he could make as a lawyer. His own grandfather was a survivor of a residential school and he himself was adopted during the Sixties Scoop, a large-scale removal of Indigenous children from their homes in the 1960s.

“I see Indigenous people as resilient. They were attacked physically, culturally, sociologically and psychologically for decades. It was government policy to assimilate them or to get rid of them,” he says. “And it didn’t work. There’s a lot of damage done, but those cultures, those societies, are still here.”

Regehr, named CBA president in fall 2020, has dedicated more than two decades to working on Indigenous issues and has seen how the perseverance and resistance of Indigenous people is strengthening Canadian society.

Reconciliation in the legal profession

However, Regehr is calling for systemic change too: Indigenous peoples – First Nations, Métis and Inuit – are disproportionally represented in the criminal justice system. The CBA’s Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) implementation plan seeks to educate all lawyers about Indigenous issues, building cultural competence and addressing trauma.

For instance, a new CBA online program called The Path has been very popular, educating more than 1,700 lawyers. The CBA is also supporting two podcasts – one featuring Regehr focused on the TRC and another called The Trauma-Informed Lawyer.

Mentorship's importat role in building resilience

Regehr says mentorship is also critical. “I like to challenge senior members of the bar who are Indigenous to ‘act as that mentor, be that mentor,’” he says. “Mentoring opportunities are so important to finding future opportunities.”

For example, the British Columbia branch of the CBA has an Aboriginal Lawyers Forum. “I’m hoping that will gain more interest and become a cross-country phenomenon,” Regehr says. “We could see opportunities for people from other BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) communities as well.”

He’s also encouraged by the work of initiatives such as the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre, of which he’s a proud supporter. “When I was at Waterloo, there was nothing for Indigenous students. You had to try and find each other so I’m really happy to see the support for students.” 

Learn how to commercialize your craft with Kyne Santos

A message from Concept by Velocity.

In a world of uncertain job prospects, many of us have chosen to create our own destinies by pursuing our passions to generate an income while showcasing ingenuity. The question is, how do you successfully monetize your passions and make the most of your hobbies? Concept is running an event called Commercializing Your Craft hosted by Canada’s Drag Race star and Math alumnus Kyne Santos to help show you how you can achieve success while working on projects you are passionate about.

Kyne will be sitting down with fellow UWaterloo entrepreneurs Trisha Abe, Sam Jones, and Shaza Tariq Hassan Elnour to discuss their experiences juggling the rigours of university with their side passion projects. They will share the ups and downs on their entrepreneurial journey so far and how to start or grow your own endeavour. This will be an honest and open discussion about how to challenge industry norms and leverage your intersection of experience to empower yourself and others to define and achieve personal success.

Whether you are interested in Commercializing Your Craft and need a little push, craving some extra inspiration to keep going, or simply want to hear from these talented folks, this is the perfect event for you. We will also be holding a short Q&A after the panel, so this is a great way to get some first-hand advice. Secure your spot today to join the discussion with this amazing panel.

For more information and to register, visit the Concept website.