April 12, 2013

ON TO MISS CANADA
BIRDS AND BISONS
Niagara teen’s promising
pageant future
PAGE 11
Two teams, fresh faces,
high hopes
PAGES 15, 16
T H E C OM MU N I T Y PA P E R OF N I A G A R A C OL L E G E
FREE
April12,2013
Vol44•Issue14
Are you ready for the summer?
KianaShabaturaswimmingattheYMCAofNiagaraonMarch20.Storyonpage7.
Niagara
students
facing $75
tuition hike
Photo by Christine Demers
Niagara News, Journalism students win big
By NICK FEARNS
Staff Writer
Niagara News, the community
newspaper of Niagara College,
has won two national Canadian
Community Newspaper Awards
(CCNA). Niagara College is the
only college in Canada to win an
award in the competition.
The CCNAs are awarded for excellence in journalism among college and university and community
newspapers.
Second-year Journalism student
Jordan Aubertin won second for
the Best Campus Photography
for his Feb. 17, 2012, photograph
“Playoff bound” of the women’s
volleyball team in competition
action.
“It’s nice to get a chance to
highlight our skills,” said Aubertin.
“Niagara College is competing
with universities because what we
learn is really up to date.”
Graduate Britney Kwacz placed
third for Best Campus News Story
for her Jan. 20, 2012, story “Stu-
dents lobby for free local transit.”
Provincially, this month, the
newspaper won second overall for
General Excellence in the 2012
Ontario Community Newspapers
Better Newspaper Competition.
This recognition is for overall
achievement in editorial, advertising and layout in the circulation
class. Niagara News won first
overall in this category last year.
“We are really excited about the
awards, both in Ontario and nationally,” said Paul Dayboll, program
co-ordinator. “It is a tribute to the
students that the college attracts to
the Journalism program.”
In 2011, Niagara News was
recognized by the CCNA’s awards,
placing second in Best Campus
News story and third in Best Campus Feature story. In 2009, it won
third-place awards in Outstanding
Campus Newspaper, Best News
Story, Best Feature Story and the
second-place award for Best Photograph.
More awards on page 2
Jordan Aubertin
Britney Kwacz
Best Campus Photography
award-winningphoto.
Photo by Jordan Aubertin
By BRITTANY ERWIN
Staff Writer
Most Niagara College students
will pay $75 more for tuition in the
fall.
That increase brings the cost
of tuition to $2,526 for returning
students in regular programs, says
college Vice-President Academic
Steve Hudson.
Hudson says full details of tuition increases have not yet been
released, but increases will differ
for specialized programs. The hike
doesn’t include increases in mandatory fees or any material fees associated with a program or course.
Last month, the Ontario government announced it would allow
colleges and universities to increase tuition by three per cent a
year for the next four years.
“The three per cent tuition increase strikes a balance between
ensuring that access to post-secondary remains affordable and assisting colleges in covering the rising costs of delivering top-quality
programs,” Hudson says.
“Furthermore, colleges must
operate with less funding than
other education partners. Perstudent revenues for colleges
in Ontario are lower than the
per-student revenues for both
universities and high schools.”
Students in Ontario already
pay the highest tuition rate in
Canada, with an average tuition
of $7,180. The second-highest
tuition in Canada is in Nova Scotia, with an average of $5,557.
Hudson adds that some students
are still eligible for a tuition-rebate
program.
“The province’s 30 per cent off
Ontario Tuition program remains
in place, improving affordability
for qualifying students accessing
college programs, ” says Hudson.
This program was introduced
in 2012, and about 230,000 postsecondary students in Ontario have
taken advantage of this grant.
Continued on page 2
Niagara News
Page 2
NEWS
The Niagara College Journalism program held its annual awards ceremony Monday, March 25. This year’s
winners and their awards are, from left to right, Alanna Rice, E.W.N. Morgan Award; Johnathan Tonge, Senator
Keith Davey Award; Jarrod Cunliffe, Niagara Falls Review Award; and Nick Fearns, Chair’s Award of Excellence.
Photo by J.T. Lewis
Award-winning students
By NiCK FearNs
staff writer
Niagara College students will
continue to find work in an industry that is evolving to reach ever
bigger audiences.
That was the key message at this
year’s Journalism Program Awards
ceremony held March 25.
“Print is not dead,” said Paul
Dayboll, program co-ordinator,
who attended the Ontario Community Newspapers Association’s
(OCNA) annual conference last
month. “The industry has decided
that print is not going away. The
best students are getting jobs.”
Dayboll added it was “refreshing” to hear that community
newspapers are still reliant on print
although they know they must
move to delivering content on all
platforms, including online and on
mobile devices.
Dayboll said while it is reassuring to hear that the college’s program is keeping pace and is often
ahead of the industry, the real difference is the students themselves.
“The Journalism program at Niagara College is an award-winning
program,” Dayboll said. “The
program is recognized not just
college-wide but Ontario-wide and
nationally not because of the faculty, but because of the students.”
There was more proof of program success again this year with
the top students finding placements
in newsrooms large and small and
some already securing full-time
jobs.
Johnathan Tonge won the Senator Keith Davey Award, which
included a $1,500 scholarship.
Tonge has taken a job with the Tisdale Recorder/Parkland Review in
Tisdale, Sask.
“It was a huge surprise,” said
Tonge. “Without the award, I
would have to wait for the next job
offer to come along.”
Alanna Rice won the E.W.N.
Morgan Award, which was presented by instructor Phyllis Barnatt.
“Although she might choose a
different word, Alanna has a ‘zest’
for the journalism profession. That
enthusiasm is what English faculty
member E.W.N. Morgan applauded, and each year we honour his
memory by presenting a student
of exceptional abilities with one
of the highest recognitions the program has been able to give since it
began. “Alanna will be travelling
to Kincardine for her field placement, which is being partly funded
through the Ontario Community
Newspapers Association Foundation.”
This year’s Faculty Award was
presented to Jane McTavish.
“From the first day she arrived
at Niagara College two years ago,
Jane was pushing to do more than
what was expected,” said instructor
Charles Kopun, who presented the
award. “She mastered every new
skill in short order, whether it was
page design, graphics or shooting
and editing video.
“But what really impressed
her instructors, who are also her
editors and supervisors here in our
Niagara News newsroom, was her
maturity, reliability and her prolific
output.”
McTavish is on work placement
at the Hamilton Spectator this
month.
Jarrod Cunliffe won the Niagara
Falls Review Award that was presented by Corey Larocque, the
newspaper’s managing editor.
Cunliffe, who is as adept at writing
a clever headline as he is delivering
a crisp, clean news story or a movie
review, quickly “emerged from a
student role to a valued newsroom
employee,” said Larocque.
Cunliffe is on placement at
Postmedia’s national editing and
production hub in Hamilton.
Nick Fearns won the Chair’s
Award of Excellence that was presented by Steve Hudson, Niagara
College vice-president academic.
Fearns, a first-year student, has
already demonstrated the confidence, skills, leadership and maturity needed for journalistic success,
Hudson said.
April 12, 2013
McKenna wins second
term as SAC president
By saMUeL FisHer
staff writer
Katryna McKenna has won a second term as president of Niagara College’s Student Administrative Council (SAC).
She will lead a council that’s a mix of new members and familiar faces.
“We want to reach and engage students by increasing awareness of
SAC,” says Amber Ziomick, who is returning as vice-president.
Ziomick says one of the main initiatives for the next term is to continue
working with the Mental Awareness Campaign of Blue 2013 and the College Student Alliance.
McKenna was unavailable for comment.
The council also includes these members:
Welland Campus
Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus
Amber Ziomick
Shane Malcolm
Executive Vice-President
Executive Vice-President
Conrad Racicot
Jamie Lynn Sterman
Director of Social Programming
Director of Social Programming
Sam Kippen
Vaishnav Mayekar
Director of Clubs and Volunteers
Director of Clubs and Volunteers
Andrew Sterk
Ashley Birnie
Director of Campaigns
Director of Campaigns
Gemma Peters
Stephanie Wouthuis
Director of Student and Community Relations
Director of Student and Community Relations
Matthew Cowell
Director of Media
New energy saving lights
By CHrisTiNa TUrNer
staff writer
For Welland it’s a bright new
idea whose time has finally come.
The city’s switch to more efficent
LED streetlights from traditional
sodium lights will be complete by
the end of the month.
Proposed four years ago, the
project will save Welland about
$2.4 million over the next 15 years,
even after the cost of installing the
new lights is factored in.
“The full conversion program
began in April 2012 and will be
done by the end of the month,” said
David Ferguson, manager of Traffic, Parking and By-Law.
“All of Welland’s lights will be
switched, and presently about 95
per cent of the project has already
been completed.”
Welland teamed up with Trans
Test Ltd., Ground Aerial Maintenance Service Ltd. and SSR Energy Solutions to do the work.
“We agreed to work with the
city to create a project that would
be cost effective and at a lower
than average kilowatt light rate in
Ontario,” said Tanya Rings, vicepresident of SSR Energy Solutions.
The switch to LED will reduce
energy costs by 70 per cent compared to the original streetlights.
Kandi Heerkens, owner of Trans
Test Ltd., said she has noticed
quite a few municipalities calling
out tenders to switch their lights to
LED.
A maintenance contract will
also be part of the project. SSR
Energy Solutions guarantees the
LED streetlights for 15 years and
will provide a labour and service
agreement.
The city can be assured for the
next 15 years that all will be provided to help, said Rings.
“Three to four crews usually
work the day and weekends,” said
Rings.
First Avenue and Niagara College are witnessing this new lighting, as workers are constructing
a new set of streetlights between
First Avenue and Woodgate Drive.
Previous complaints of the new
lights have been reported after
Welland resident noticed the streetlights flickering. The majority of
the problems have been solved and
are not a real issue, said Ferguson.
The cause of the problem was
due to damaged circuit boards, and
all damaged lights are replaced
with new LED models.
For any questions or concerns
about streetlights in your area, call
Welland Street Light services at
905-735-1700.
Three per cent tuition hike affecting students in Ontario
Continued from page 1
There is also the Ontario Student
Assistance Program (OSAP). Because of the increase in tuition, the
OSAP maximum loan was raised
from $11,500 to $12,240 a year.
Asia Hamilton, a 19-year-old
student in the Child and Youth
Worker, has two more years left in
her program.
“I personally think the government is trying to make it appear
as if they are lowering the cost of
tuition when in reality it is being
raised,” she says. “Students should
not have to pay nearly as much as
they do to get an education.”
“With the rapid increase in tuition, many people are becoming
less able to afford to send themselves or their children to post-secondary school. If more and more
people are unable to obtain a postsecondary education, the working
field will start to fall apart.”
Some, like Connor Nijsse, an
18-year-old Electrical Engineering
student, will feel the tuition hike
less than others.
“A three per cent tuition increase
is minimal for me because I only
have one school year left,” he says.
I personally think the
government is trying
to make it appear as if
they are lowering the
cost of tuition when in
reality it is being raised.
– Asia Hamilton
“Students with a longer course will
feel more strain.”
He also questions if the hike will
mean increased value for students.
“A three per cent increase to
every student gives the school a lot
of extra income with the potential
for more when it is increased in the
following years,” he says.
“I would like to know what
changes and benefits we would receive with the increase. Niagara has
about 8,000 full-time students, and
the average tuition cost in Canada
was $2,600 last year. A three per
cent increase will mean $624,000
extra money for the college in just
the first year. That is a huge amount
of money that I would like to see
put back into our programs.”
Nijsse adds, “My education is
paid for by the Royal Canadian
Navy. I am in a program offered by
the Canadian Forces (CF) called
subsidized education. In this program, tuition increases do not affect me the way they do other students. However, I am still paying
for it in other means. This increase
makes me less likely to come back
to college after my job in the CF to
further my education.”
NIAGARA NEWS
April 12, 2013
Page 3
NEWS
Emergency response team to be formed on Campus
SERT program will ensure campus safety and security
By SAMUEL FISHER
Staff Writer
If you are calm in a crisis and
like to help, a great field experience
and volunteer opportunity is on its
way to the college for the fall term.
A Student Emergency Response
Team (SERT) is coming.
“A SERT program is in the planning stage, and the executive staff
have approved the concept. The
goal is to get the program up and
running by fall 2013,” Manager
of Security and Parking Services
David Jastrubecki says.
SERT programs are made up of
30 to 40 student volunteers who
respond to all medical-related incidents on their campuses. The programs offer extremely high levels
of training and care.
These programs exist at most
Ontario colleges and universities. According to their websites,
McMaster University, started its
program in 1982; The University
of Western Ontario in 1989; The
University of Guelph in 1991;
Carleton University in 1999; Ryerson University in 2005; Durham
College in 2007; and Fanshawe
College in 2010.
“Creating an emergency response team is extremely beneficial
to the college community in terms
of confidence and safety,” Dean
of Community and Health Studies
David Veres says.
Niagara News conducted an
informal poll of students in the college’s Paramedic program about
the possibility of SERT coming
here. All said they would love to
volunteer and participate.
“Definitely I would volunteer,
100 per cent. Where do I sign up?”
says first-year Paramedic student
Emma Ash, 18, of Listowel, Ont.
“The more experience we receive, the better, especially learning in a team setting. Yes, I would
A group of possible volunteers from the paramedic program.
volunteer,” says Brandon Barkway,
19, of Jordan, also a first-year student in the program.
According to Jastrubecki, security responds to about 100 medical
calls in a year. He says this type of
resource will give the college the
ability to deliver a different level of
assistance and care.
There is also the Alliance of
Campus Emergency Response
Teams (ACERT). This is an alliance of 14 colleges and universi-
ties across Ontario, Quebec and
British Columbia. According to
the website, “ACERT is a federally incorporated, not-for-profit
organization in place to support,
promote and advocate emergency
care on Canadian post-secondary
campuses.” The alliance sponsors
yearly competitions and gives out
awards for Responder of the Year
Award, President’s List and Team
of the Year.
In a larger university setting,
Photo by Samuel Fisher
such as at Carleton in Ottawa,
Dan Loghin, program manager,
says, “CUSERT [Carleton University Student Emergency Response
Team] provides a valuable link
in the emergency response chain
where there was previously a gap.
Carleton has more than 3,000 students living in residence during the
school year, and CUSERT is able
to provide these people with 24/7
access to medical attention without
the need to call an ambulance and
occupy those resources.”
Loghin says Carleton’s team
responds to 350 to 450 calls annually, with about 150 of those clients
requiring further care and transport
to hospital.
“Funding for the program comes
from a small student levy in their
registration fees,” Loghin says.
“The safety factor for the students is the biggest aspect of this
program,” Trevor White, the communications co-ordinator for Durham College’s response team, says.
According to White, Durham’s
team handles about 240 calls in a
year. About 25 per cent of those
calls require further paramedic and
hospital assistance.
White says the students, through
the Student Association, fund the
service. Students who volunteer
for the team are trained and receive
the designation of Advanced Medical First Response.
“This [designation] allows us
to use equipment such as oxygen,
spinal immobilization devices and
automated external defibrillators,”
White says.
“Our program has grown and developed continually since we implemented the service three years
ago. Those in our community that
were initially skeptical are now our
biggest supporters,” the Supervisor of Campus Security Services
at Fanshawe Bob Earle says. He
adds that Fanshawe’s team handled
about 50 injury, 270 medical and
32 other calls to assist EMS.
Earle says the costs of running
this type of program include equipment, training and student wages.
Fanshawe has two paid positions
for students in the role of team
leader.
“No matter how the costs are
calculated, there is a significant
return on investment if the result is
even one life saved.”
Lockdown tests at Welland and NOTL campuses go off without a hitch
SAMUEL FISHER
Staff Writer
As students sat huddled in corners of dark classrooms, police,
fire and emergency services officials took notes.
It was the first of two lockdown
drills for Niagara College held at
both campuses last week.
The lockdown protocol began at
the Welland campus on Tuesday
April 2, at 10 a.m. The drill was
announced on the public address
system, digital signs and the Niagara College alert system.
By 10:03 a.m. the halls were
clear. That was due to the prior
knowledge of the drill and the help
of about 40 volunteer observers.
The volunteers recorded their observations and were involved in a
de-briefing session afterwards to
discuss the findings.
“We notifed everyone prior to
the drill to have participation without the panic,” Charles Turpin, a
fire prevention officer for the City
of Welland said. “This drill was a
successful starting point.”
During the de-briefing, a few
minor flaws were observed and
pointed out. The announcement of
the lockdown should be on a continuous cycle. There should be an
exterior PA system and a more effective PA system in residence. The
digital signs should flash to draw
more attention to them. Niagara
Transit needs to be notified, and
some classrooms have no locking
mechanisms and doors that open
into the hallways.
“This was more of an education
and information practice in a setting when the college is running a
normal semester cycle to engage
the entire campus,” said Emergency Preparation Co-ordinator
Gary Dagenais.
Jarod Gartner, a student in
the Fitness and Health Promotions Program, was caught in the
lockdown. “The instructor acted
great,” Gartner says. “She told us
all to keep quiet and away from the
doors. It was handled very well.”
The Manager of Security and
Parking Services, David Jastrubecki said “This was a successful
drill, everyone co-operated and we
received some very good observations and suggestions from the
volunteers.” The process is under
continuous review, he added.
Students stay low and huddle at the front of their classroom during the drill on April 2
Photo by Collin Stachura
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 4
EDITORIAL
April 12, 2013
We appreciate it!
T H E C O M MU N I T Y PA P E R OF N I A G A R A C OL L E G E
Editor: Nick Fearns
Associate Editor: Christine Demers
Assistant Editor: Cathy McCabe
Photo Chief: Collin Stachura
Publisher: Greg Unrau
Program Co-ordinator: Paul Dayboll
Managing Editor: Charlie Kopun
Associate Managing Editor: Phyllis Barnatt
Editorial Consultant: Nancy Geddie, Gary Erb
Photography Consultant: Dave Hanuschuk
S302A, 300 Woodlawn Rd.,
Welland, Ont. L3C 7L3
Telephone: (905) 735-2211 Ext. 7750
Fax: (905) 736-6003
Editorial email: [email protected]
Advertising email: [email protected]
2009 WINNER
BNC2009
2009 WINNER
CANADIAN
COMMUNITY
NEWSPAPER
AWARD 2011
A heavy load to carry
The years we spend in college
or university are supposed to be
the best years of our lives.
We spend all our high school
years just waiting to escape,
waiting for our freedom, and
then we have to think of all the
debts we might have after those
college or university years.
As this academic year comes
to an end, we find ourselves
worrying and stressing more
than having fun. We find
ourselves thinking about how
much money we’ve spent this
year and where we are going to
work during the summer to pay
for our next year of college.
Ontario students will soon
be hit with yet another tuition
increase. Many students will
be shocked because education
costs plenty as it is.
Tuition will continue to rise
over the next few years, too.
The government is allowing
colleges and universities to
increase their tuition rates by
three per cent each year for
the next four years. Initially,
it was going to be a five per
cent increase each year, but the
Ontario government announced
the reduction last week.
Ontario already has the
highest tuition rate in Canada,
with an average of just over
$7,000. Tuition in Ontario is
triple the tuition fees in Quebec
and double that of Manitoba.
The tuition fees depend on
the program. Some can be as
pricey as the Dental Hygiene
program,
which
averages
$28,000 in Canada. Current
and future students are not
impressed with the tuition
fees rising, but the increase is
understandable. Post-secondary
institutions need more money to
stay up to date, but it’s unclear
why Ontario students have to
pay almost $2,000 above the
national tuition average.
Many students spend every
penny they have to get a postsecondary education. Even with
those savings, many students
must resort to loans from the
Ontario Student Assistance
Program.
Benjamin Franklin once said,
“An investment in knowledge
pays the best interest.” We
need to spend more money on
a better education to create a
better future.
Students need to pay for
much more than just tuition
when attending post-secondary
school like groceries, rent
and textbooks. Now, with the
tuition increase, it will be more
difficult for students to get a
better education.
No one is ever been excited
about paying more for education.
We spend the beginning of our
life in school and the rest of our
young lives paying off our postsecondary debts.
CHRISTINE DEMERS
Students gather for a free barbeque at the Rankin Technology Centre during Student Appreciation Day.
Photo by Collin Stachura
Harper government
looking more like fossil
Prime Minister Stephen
Harper is making Canada an
international pariah when it
comes to the environment.
Last March, the Harper
government
decided
to
withdraw Canada from the
United Nations Convention
to Combat Desertification
(UNCCD). The program was
intended to fight the effects of
drought and desertification.
Canada’s contribution to this
program was only $350,000,
much less than the millions
the government has spent
promoting
itself
through
its Economic Action Plan
commercials.
Canada will be the only
developed country in the world
not part of the agreement. Every
other country in the United
Nations is onside, except for
Canada. Canada will also be
skipping out on a meeting
billed by the United Nations
Environment
Program
as
“the first ever comprehensive
cost-benefit
analysis
of
desertification, land degradation
and drought.” Could this be
because Harper’s agenda is
at odds with the existence of
climate change?
The Harper Government’s
reasoning for leaving the
agreement is that it is too
bureaucratic and not enough
is spent directly funding antidesertification measures. John
Baird, mwinister of Foreign
Affairs, called it a “talkfest.”
These excuses ring hollow. It
is very important to co-ordinate
research efforts and to target the
most vulnerable areas.
Environmentalist David
Suzuki, in a blog post for rabble.
ca, said, “By abandoning the
UN Desertification Convention,
as well as other important
international agreements such
as the Kyoto Protocol, we’re
sending the wrong message to
the world community. We’re
saying that exporting resources
like oil and timber matter
more to us than contributing
to dialogue and partnership on
global issues.”
“We do not see Harper
withdrawing from trade deals.
The treaties he views as of no
importance are those designed
to protect the environment,”
said Elizabeth May, Green
Party leader, who rang similar
alarms.
Another thing to consider
is that Canada is not immune
to droughts. In 2012, Eastern
Ontario faced the worst drought
it had seen in 10 years. Farmers
suffered crop failure, leading to
increases in the price of food
In 2009, many of the Prairie
provinces, including Alberta,
suffered from drought as
well. The Prairies have a long
history dealing with droughts,
including a drought that helped
make the Great Depression even
more serious. These droughts
caused the government of
Canada to take action to prevent
and mitigate future droughts,
the same kind of actions that
the Harper Government is
withdrawing from.
As a rich country and one of
the highest per-capita polluters,
Canada has both a duty and
responsibility to other countries
to make a positive impact on
climate change.
In 2011, Canada was named
Fossil of the Year for the fifth
straight year.
Droughts affect food prices
globally and will continue to
become a greater issue as global
climate
change
advances.
Sticking our heads in the sand
will not change the future. The
time to act is now. By punting
action down the road, Canada
is leaving the problem to future
generations, who will be less
equipped to solve an even
greater problem.
As with the cancellation of the
Experimental Lakes Program,
the Harper government has
shown that anything that
criticizes the oil industry
must be defunded. Just as
with the UNCCD, the Harper
Government is cutting relatively
small amounts of funding in
pursuit of ideological goals
many Canadians do not share.
NICK FEARNS
NIAGARA NEWS
April 12, 2013
Page 5
OPINION
Click this, save the world? More
debt for
college
students
JAmES
hAtChER
Columnist
“All these moments will be lost
in time, like tears in rain” are some
of the last words uttered by the replicant Roy Batty in Ridley Scott’s
Blade Runner.
These days, you could substitute
“moments” with “social justice
campaigns taken up for a few
days by concerned white people
on the Internet” and it would ring
true. After the Invisible Children
debacle, which culminated hilariously in a video of the founder of
the movement masturbating and
pounding a fist on the sidewalk in
front of midday traffic, it would be
safe to assume that people would
be more selective in the causes
they support.
This is not the case, however,
so we are faced with the latest
slacktivist fad: the red equal sign
Facebook profile pictures. It’s
the newest way to say, “I care the
absolute minimum about the issue
and I would like to be noticed for
this effort.”
The issue in question is same-sex
marriage, no doubt one of the most
important causes facing modern
society. Recognition of same-sex
marriage is not the absolute victory
of social justice as portrayed. In
the same way the election of U.S.
President Barack Obama wasn’t
the end of racism in the United
States, recognizing same-sex marriage won’t end discrimination
against homosexuality.
The Human Rights Commission,
a non-profit charity with large cor-
CollIN
StAChuRA
Columnist
The red equal sign image took over Facebook in a matter of days, only to disappear a week later.
Submitted photo
porate sponsors, created the HRC
Red Equal Sign campaign. One
of the shadier aspects of the HRC
is its awarding bailed-out bankers
Goldman Sachs with a “Workplace
Equality Innovation Award.” To
be clear, Goldman-Sachs is a large
investment firm that spent millions
of dollars on the doomed Republican presidential ticket Romney/
Ryan campaign in the latest U.S.
election. Awarding it for following
New York State employment nondiscrimination guidelines at their
basest level is a clear appeal for
more money from large investors.
The effect of winning the award is
as though the HRC is saying “send
us more money and we’ll help you
repair your reputation among the
socially conscious.”
When I started writing this column, the red equal sign campaign
was in full effect. I saw the images
everywhere. Now, just a few days
later, they’ve almost completely
vanished. The images, like the concern for lesbian/gay/bi/trans/queer
(LGBTQ) rights, have most likely
been replaced with the latest photo
of people and their friends having a
night out at the bar.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t
care about defending or promoting
the rights of the oppressed peoples
in our society. I’m saying that
rather than tell a bunch of your
friends that you care, you actually
do something that shows you care.
You could donate to the Kids Help
Phone, which takes calls from
many young homosexual people
who aren’t accepted by their peers
or family.
You could donate your time to
an organization that helps LGBTQ
people who need help after being
abandoned by their support groups.
You could donate your time to
a political candidate who wants to
stand up for their rights.
Changing your Facebook photo
and calling it a day won’t help
anybody, and doing so to support
a group that stands against what
you’re trying to accomplish actually hurts, in the long run.
Self-advocacy is key to success for disabled students
BRIttANy
ERWIN
Columnist
When you enter the fourth grade,
you are usually starting to learn
to multiply and divide. When I
entered fourth grade, I learned the
reason I couldn’t read or write or
learn my times tables.
When you are in Grade 12, you
find out which colleges and universities have accepted you or who is
taking you to the prom.
When I was in Grade 12, I found
out why I could never hear my
teachers when I sat at the back of
the classroom and why I always
had to ask someone to repeat the
things they were saying.
Going to college is a big deal
to most people, but it is, by far, a
greater deal to attend college when
you have a disability.
School is hard for everyone:
making friends, staying on top of
your homework, getting assignments in on time and writing tests.
It is even more difficult for students who mix up their Bs and Ds
or for students who can’t do simple
multiplication or addition.
Being one of these students, I
know what it’s like.
Being dyslexic and partially
deaf, my transition from high
school to college wasn’t the easiest
road to travel. There is still a social stigma for students who walk
through the doors of the Student
Success Centre (SSC), and it’s a
big reason many students with disabilities do not bother going in and
getting help.
Moving five hours away from
home to come to Niagara College
was the best choice I could have
made for my education. Not all
schools have as great a SSC as
Niagara College does.
Here, the SSC is unlike any
other I have ever experienced. The
counsellors are always available to
offer help and advice. They only
have one rule: you must advocate
for yourself.
What does it mean to advocate?
It means to speak, plead or argue in
favour of something. Advocating is
the key to success when you have a
disability. It is imperative that you
stand up for yourself and for your
needs.
A college student living with a
disability has rights, one of which
is seeing a counsellor who can assist you in any way possible. Once
you are self-identified (meaning
your disability is verified and
known by the school) by the SSC,
you are then eligible for a Letter
of Accommodation (LOA). This
letter identifies your specific needs.
The accommodation is only useful if you advocate for yourself and
hand it out to your professors and
to the test centre. You must keep
in mind your professors have a lot
of students to keep track of. They
aren’t going to remember which
students have learning disabilities
unless you personally make sure
that your professors know and you
must educate them on what you
need them to do for you.
Many students who see learning
disabled students getting extra time
or other accommodations think
those accommodations are unfair. I
have been told countless times that
getting an extra hour and a half to
write my exam is unfair.
To them I say this: you know
what is unfair? Not being able to
read my exam or not being able to
write fast enough.
There is a stereotype that having
a disability makes you less intelligent, but we are as smart as any
other college student. Some of us
just need a little bit of help succeeding.
Go to high school, then go to
college and you will get a good
job. You’ve heard that same advice
from your parents your whole life.
Up to a few years ago that saying
still had some merit.
But in today’s world with a
struggling economy and a fragile
job market, it’s no longer true. If
the Ontario government has its
way in the next couple of years,
college tuition will increase by at
least three per cent a year.
The sad part about all of this is
that the only ones standing up and
saying anything to governments
are students in Quebec. Tuition
in Quebec is among the lowest in
Canada, with an average cost of
$2,774. Quebec students, some
who are very militant, might not
always be doing it in the right way,
but at least they are saying something.
Ontario students pay the highest tuition in Canada, averaging
$7,180. If you want a scary number
it’s the amount of student debt in
Canada: more than $15 billion.
Over the last few years, students
were promised there would be
no more increases in tuition fees.
Again it is no big surprise that the
Ontario government has decided to
raise them again.
Every year colleges and universities release numbers on “student
success.” Niagara College, according to the 2011-2012 annual
report, states that “85.4 per cent of
students are employed six months
after graduation.” This is a number
that I don’t doubt. The real question you have to ask is this: Are
they employed in their field or are
they just employed?
Most students have only six
months to start their repayment
plan to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), and let me
tell you from experience, OSAP is
not nice when you can’t pay them
back.
The way it looks now, as tuition
edges up each year, tens of thousands of college and university
graduates will have no choice but
to start paying back their student
loans.
The scarier scenario is that some
students will find themselves defaulting on their loan repayments.
Niagara News
Page 6
April 12, 2013
A Special Message to
STUDENTS Living
OFF-CAMPUS
As the School Year
comes to a close...
...many students will once again be
packing up and moving out. In the
spirit of good neighbourliness,
Niagara College’s community partners
– which include Police, Fire and City
Services, and Niagara Region’s Public
Works Department – wish to remind
you of the following rules and tips:
TRAFFIC SAFETY:
As the neighbourhood surrounding the college
includes a diverse mix of residents – seniors,
children, families with pets, and shift workers
– student drivers are asked to drive carefully
on residential streets, respecting posted speed
limits, parking and other traffic rules that apply.
WILL YOU HAVE NONPERISHABLE FOOD LEFT OVER?
The on-campus Food Bank is happy to accept
donations. Just drop them off to the Student
Administrative Council (SAC) office where
they will be stored and shared with fellow
students in need throughout the year.
TERM-END PARTIES AND
GET-TOGETHERS:
Students are reminded to respect the city’s
noise bylaw, which states that there shall be no
excessive noise at any time of day. This includes
loud music, honking of horns, loud shouting or
swearing. Keep all noise inside each day to avoid
fines or other charges by police. Don’t let a bad
night of partying ruin a clear record or cause
additional expenses because of fines. The fine
for violating the noise bylaw is $360. Please
help your guests to understand and abide by these
rules. If things do get out of hand, call police.
GARBAGE COLLECTION:
Weekly pick-up is limited to one bag per house.
Additional bags require a special tag, which may
be purchased for $2 each at various locations.
To find the location nearest to you, visit
niagararegion.ca/living/waste
(and click on ‘Garbage & CFC Tags’).
FIRE SAFETY:
Any outdoor cooking must be closely supervised
and fires extinguished when you’re finished
cooking. Campfires are not allowed.
RECYCLABLES:
For more information on
off-campus living, please visit
niagaracollege.ca/ocl
Recyclables, organics and household hazardous
waste will not be collected if mixed in with
regular garbage. A weekly recycling pick-up is
in place – blue box (plastics, Styrofoam, glass,
etc.), grey box (paper, cardboard) and green
bin (food waste and organic material) – all on
the same day as regular garbage pick-up.
LARGE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
(SUCH AS FURNITURE) AND
APPLIANCE COLLECTION:
Collection is available year round.
You must call your garbage
collector at least two
working days
before your
regular collection
day to have these
items picked up
on your regular
garbage day.
Refrigeration units
(fridges, freezers, air conditioners) require a special
CFC sticker, available for $20 at locations listed at
niagararegion.ca/living/waste/large-items.aspx
STORING GARBAGE AND OTHER
REFUSE UNTIL COLLECTION DAY:
For fire safety reasons, please keep garbage and
other trash away from the sides of buildings. A fire
started among the garbage can quickly become
a fire hazard to the house and its occupants.
For more information, call the Waste Management
Services Info-line: 1-800-594-5542
or visit niagararegion.ca/living/waste
Enjoy your
summer!
Student
Services
ext. 7689
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 7
April 12, 2013
NEWS
Trash turned into treasure
Charity helps those in need find furniture and appliances
By COLLIN STACHURA
Staff Writer
Charity sometimes begins at
someone else’s home.
Each year thousands of college
and university students move into
residences and apartments without
any furniture or household items.
When they move on 10 months
later, many don’t know what to
do with belongings they can’t take
with them. The problem is even
bigger for international students.
One solution is charities such as
Matthew 25, a Welland non-profit
group established 10 years ago.
Matthew 25 has been and is now
run by Erika Church and a handful of volunteers. In a virtuous
circle, the group takes unwanted or
abandoned items and donates them
back to students or others in the
community who need them.
“Landlords normally contact
us at the end of the month,” says
Church. Last year, Church was
awarded the Diamond Jubilee
Award for the work she has done
with Matthew 25.
For the past four years, Matthew
25 has had a relationship with the
International Department at Niagara College, helping students who
come from overseas with nothing
to get basic household furniture
such as couches, chairs, desks and
household items. Unlike some
other organizations that provide
the same services, Matthew 25
doesn’t have set requirements for
who is in need.
“I’m safe in saying we have no
red tape,” says Church. Matthew
25’s warehouse, at 25 Welland St.,
is open to anyone in need.
Niagara College English faculty member Erika Church stands in front of
the not-for-profit charity she started and has run for 10 years in Welland.
Photo by Collin Stachura
“If we don’t have something,
we pray, and it usually works out,”
says Church.
Brenda Bronson, the International Housing co-ordinator at
Niagara College, has been helping
international students find their
way to Matthew 25. Many of the
students have e-mailed Bronson
back to express their appreciation
for what she and Matthew 25 have
done for them. “They’re helping at
many levels,” says Bronson.
Matthew 25 is not the only
organization in the region that
can help. The Niagara Furniture
Bank, in Niagara Falls, has been
collecting donations of furniture
and has helped more than 1,400
families over the past four years.
In the past two years, its executive
director, Gillian Kemp, has linked
with the Brock University Student
Union club called ENACTUF.
The campus group has started an
end-of-school-year-event at Isaac’s
pub. Students from residences and
those living off-campus can bring
household items to be donated to
charity.
At Niagara College, there still
seems to be a supply of items abandoned at the end of each school
year. Come the end of May, curbsides along First Avenue and other
streets surrounding the Welland
campus and streets in Niagara-onthe-Lake near the campus are filled
with furniture and other castoffs.
According to Bob Vanyo, contract manager with the Niagara Region Waste Management, in 2012
the City of Welland saw a 12 per
cent increases in curbside pickup
in May.
“With May being the month
when the college term ends, we
normally see an increase due to
students [leaving] and spring
cleaning,” says Vanyo.
For more information on Matthew 25, contact Church at 905732-5555. For information about
the Furniture Bank, visit http://
niagarafurniturebank.com/.
Zoo welcomes furry friends to Canada
By CARLIE CHERNENKO
Staff Writer
For the first time in more than
20 years, the Toronto Zoo has officially welcomed two giant pandas,
Er Shun and Da Mao, from China.
The furry animals travelled more
than 12,000 kilometres, making
their journey to Canada in a FedEx
plane on March 25, 2013.
With this new exhibit, the hope
is that the relationship between
Canada and China will be greatly
strengthened and that Canadians
will be able to learn more about
Chinese culture and where the
pandas come from.
However, the new exhibit has
come at a great cost to Canada.
It will cost about $1 million annually just to keep the pandas
in Canada, not to mention the
costs for exhibits at the Toronto
Zoo and the Calgary Zoo, and
the costs of food for animals.
On the flight to Canada alone,
the animals consumed about 200
kilograms of apples and 200 kilograms of bamboo.
Some Canadians don’t believe
the new exhibits should be a
Er Shun enjoying his home habitat
in China before coming to Canada
Submitted photo, Facebook
Toronto Zoo
priority for the Canadian government. Candice Cunningham,
a second-year student at Brock
University, says she doesn’t believe in the tourist entertainment
industry.
“Why spend money on going
to the zoo when some people
can’t afford to eat and some can’t
afford school? It’s stupid.”
The Toronto Zoo is expecting
the exhibit to bring in at least
300,000 new visitors to the zoo
in only the first year, and the zoo
is well stocked with merchandise
for those new visitors to purchase.
The zoo hopes to completely sell
out of all the merchandise after
the pandas complete their fiveyear stay and move on to Calgary.
Meghan McBurney, a Hospitality Hotel and Restaurant
Management student at the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus, says
that from a business perspective
having the pandas is a good idea,
but doesn’t think it’s a smart idea
to move the animals.
“It’s a lot of money to spend
for five years of them being
there,” she says.
The new exhibit will no doubt
bring in great business for all
the restaurants and hotels in the
area surrounding the zoo, since
people will likely travel from all
over Canada to see this amazing
new edition.
Ally Guillemette, a student
from Brantford, Ont., doesn’t
believe the pandas should be a
top priority of the governments,
or even a priority at all. She says
that the government should be
helping the students of Canada
instead. “One day, we’re going
to be depended on to support
the country by our tax dollars
and will need to be spending to
keep us from falling into another
Great Depression, but our generation won’t be able to spend
money in excess because we will
have large loans to pay back, as
well as our own expenses.”
Guillemette says that she relies
heavily on OSAP, like most other
students do, and will likely be
paying back her loans for a very
long time.
“If the government helped us
students out then we might actually be able to afford to live after
graduation and in the long run
would be much better off.”
“The Canadian government
should really reconsider what it
wants to invest its funds in. Too
many students remain in debt
right out of college, and some
never recover.
“Everyone would be much
better off if the government put
more focus on the education of
its students, rather than a new
zoo exhibit that will generate a
substantial amount of business.”
It’s
time to
shape
up
YMCA offers deals
for students and
community
By CHRISTINE DEMERS
Staff Writer
Want to stay in shape over the
summer? The YMCA of Niagara
and the Niagara College gym can
help you get there.
Students have access to many
different methods of working out
and staying in shape.
Niagara College Athletics and
Recreation Co-ordinator Ray
Sarkis says the gym at Niagara
College is open to all full-time
students all year round, including
summer.
“The YMCA offers a three-time
guest pass to students and nonmembers as a way to introduce the
facility,” says YMCA manager Sally Southern-Grice. The three times
guest pass is available to anyone in
the community, including Niagara
College students.
The YMCA has two pools, a
fitness facility that includes cardio
machines, weights and resistance
machines, and a gymnasium. The
Niagara College gym has cardio
machines, weights and resistance
machines and a gym for a variety
of activities.
Every guest has access to all the
facilities, including the sauna and
fitness classes, during their three
guest pass days.
The YMCA offers memberships
monthly, so students can have access to the facilities all year round.
Many students use the school gym
because it doesn’t cost them extra.
Mackenzie Dubniczky, a student
in the Pre-Health program, has
used her three guest pass days, and
she says the YMCA has many activities to take part in. Because she
is a student, Dubniczky says, “the
Niagara College gym is the more
feasible option.”
For the summer, the YMCA offers a young adult membership for
students ages 18-23 that lasts up to
four months.
The YMCA also offers financial
assistance to anyone who needs
help paying for a membership.
Many students have tried the
facilities at the YMCA to compare
them to the gym at the college.
Carina Ribeiro, a Personal Support
Worker student, got a membership
at the YMCA because she says she
had heard good things and wanted
to try it. Ribeiro says it is worth the
money. “It is much bigger and has
better equipment.”
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 8
April 12, 2013
WORKING
Employment after graduation
Career Services can help you prepare for job interviews
By CATHY MCCABE
Staff Writer
If you’re nervous about finding a
job after graduation, Niagara College can help you track down a job
and even find a career.
Sandra Huppe, the associate
registrar, says about 3,400 students
will graduate from Niagara College this June.
Career Services and Employment and Training Solutions are
two services here that can help
alumni and students find a job.
Career Services is located at the
Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake
campuses. Sarah Barth, a graduate
consultant for Career Services at
the Welland campus, says students
and alumni can make an appointment to come to talk to her about
job searching.
Barth, 24, says she can help them
with their resumés and cover letters.
“I can go over job search strategy. I can do mock interviews to
get them prepared for an upcoming
interview.”
Barth says students and alumni
can come in weekdays between
8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. without
an appointment and talk to a job
coach.
She adds that current students
can use the Career Services’ website within Blackboard by choosing My Apps and then My Career.
Barth says graduates can register
as alumni on their website.
“On there, they’ll have access to
all the job postings from employers
that post with us.”
The other resource, Employment
and Training Solutions, is at 1 St.
Paul St. in downtown St. Catha-
Niagara College Employment and Training Solutions on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines.
Photo by Cathy McCabe
rines and provides assistance to
anyone looking for a job.
“Our purpose here is to help
people who are unemployed and
looking to get into the labour force,
but they don’t have to be just Niagara College students,” says Clara
Fisher, manager of Employment
and Training Solutions.
“It’s anyone looking for fulltime work.”
Fisher says anyone can come to
the St. Paul Street resource centre
and use the computers for job
searching.
She says Employment and Train-
ing Solutions also offers workshops.
“Every month we offer a variety
of different workshops that are
open to anyone, and all they have
to do is call and say I want to come
to this one.”
Some of the workshops offered
in April are Resumés for Beginners,
Smart Serve and Interview Skills.
Fisher says if you register with
Employment and Training Solutions, you then can meet regularly
with an employment consultant
who can check your progress and
help match you with an employer.
She says through funding from
Employment Ontario, the staff
can sometimes offer incentives to
employers to hire.
She says that helps employers
“offset the cost of hiring and training” new workers.
Gaetan Beauregard, a Police
Foundations student, says he is
concerned about finding a job after
graduation. Beauregard, 19, of Port
Colborne, says he did not know
about services provided by Niagara
College but adds he may consider
using them if he cannot find a job
on his own.
Options open for your summer job search
By ALEXANDRA MONTANA
Staff Writer
Summer is quickly approaching,
and for most students that means
working. For those who don’t
know where to look for a summer
job, there is still some time to find
one. Job fairs, the Employment
Crawl, and Niagara College’s Job
Centre are just a few of the resources students are using to find
work this season.
Some students at Niagara have
already prepared for the summer
break. Laura Carranza, of Fort
Erie, Ont., says, “I am looking forward to the summer as I am starting an internship. I am finishing
my HR [Human Resources] program and I’m excited to gain some
real-world experience.” Carranza
says she is also looking forward
to returning to Safari Niagara for
her fifth summer at the admissions
booth because she missed the animals there over the winter.
Chantelle Henszke, of Niagara
Falls, says, “I will be working at
the Outback again for my second
summer in a row, and maybe at a
retail pharmacy.” Henszke says she
will be graduating from the Pharmacy Technician program this year
and hopes to find a job in that field
after the summer since her job at
Chantelle Henszke working at her summer job at the Outback
Steakhouse in Niagara Falls.
Photo by Alexandra Montana
the Outback Steakhouse will keep summer break.
her busy for most of the season.
However, Bobig says, if all else
Many students are still looking fails, he can work at his family’s
for summer work, however. Mat- local business as a supervisor sellthew Wiltshire, of St. Catharines, ing clothing products and managsays, “I am currently looking for ing the store.
some outdoor work for this sumAlthough many job fairs and
mer.” Wiltshire says he was work- recruitment opportunities have
ing at a call centre but can’t see passed, a few are still left. On April
himself sitting indoors at a desk for 14 at Amici’s Banquet and Conferthe summer.
ence Centre, Seven 2 Hospitality
William Bobig, of Fonthill, says will hold an open house from 2
he too is looking for a job for the p.m. to 4 p.m. for the purpose of
hiring full-time and part-time servers, bartenders, cocktail servers
and kitchen help. There will be
representatives from Gord’s Place,
Amici’s, Stella’s and Moose &
Goose.
On Thursday, Niagara College’s
Employment Crawl offered students the chance to tour different
business locations in Niagara and
to get information about potential
careers within the region. The
guided tours included businesses
such as Meridian Credit Union,
Eurocopter and the Niagara Health
System.
The Employment Support Centre
is available for students to receive
help through resumé reviews,
cover letter revisions, interview
skills and job search strategies in
order to successfully obtain a job.
The centre is open throughout
the summer and offers its Summer
Jobs Service to students between
the ages of 15 and 30 who are returning to school in the fall.
This service includes several
benefits such as Optimal Resumé
access and workshop information
and registration. For more information about the Niagara College
Job Centre, sign into Blackboard,
choose My Apps and then My
Career.
Yes, there
are jobs
out there
By JAMES HERBERT
Staff Writer
It’s not easy paying college
tuition. The cost seems to rise
every year, and students don’t usually have a lot of money. As well,
finding work in Ontario is getting
harder and harder.
According to the CBC, the
unemployment rate for young
Canadians as of December 2012
was 14.1 per cent, a 3.1 per cent
increase from 2008.
Fortunately for students, there
are programs like Summer Jobs
Services (SJS) around to help. SJS
is a program offered by Niagara
College to help students find work
in the community.
“We provide employers with
monetary incentives to hire
students aged 15 to 30 who are
eligible to work in Canada,” says
Nicole Ford, an SJS consultant.
“There are jobs available at the
college itself, but the program isn’t
limited to just the college.”
Kristina Dawson, manager of
Niagara College’s Co-op Education and Graduate Employment
department, says the program
helps students immensely.
“We offer job coaches and
workshops to students, as well as
programs to help students build
their resumé.”
Dawson says students aren’t usually an employer’s first choice, especially with so many out-of-work
professionals looking for jobs.
“Employers are hesitant to hire
students because they [students]
don’t have experience. With the
program, we help students get the
experience they need,” says Dawson.
‘Students should
take advantage of
the assistance we
can offer.’
— Kristina Dawson
Ford says if students want work,
it will be a challenge. “Students
are competing with out-of-work
professionals who also need work.
Students don’t generally have
much experience.”
She says students have been
stereotyped as lazy and unreliable,
making them much less desirable
to potential employers.
She says that in order to find
work, students need to start early
and be prepared. “It’s important to
have a resumé ready.”
Dawson says students should
use the available resources.
“We have three locations in the
Niagara region available, as well
as online resources where students
can get information. Students
should take advantage of the assistance we can offer.” For more
information on SJS and other
employment opportunities, visit
mycareer.niagaracollege.ca.
NIAGARA NEWS
April 12, 2013
Page 9
NEWS
‘Fought for what he believed in’
Peter Kormos, a great politician and beloved friend, will be missed by all
By MEAGHAN MITCHELL
Staff Writer
Former Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) member of
provincial parliament (MPP) and
cabinet minister Peter Kormos
spent his life standing up for the
rights of those in his community.
He died last week at the age of 60.
Kormos was found dead the
morning of March 30 in his
Welland home. The cause of death
has not been made public, but police indicated the death was “not
suspicious” after an autopsy was
performed.
Kormos was born Oct. 7, 1952, to
a working class family in Welland
and attended Eastdale Secondary
School. He got his first taste of
politics and political activism there
when he became president of the
student council and was later expelled for organizing and carrying
out a student strike.
He went on to study at Niagara
College in Welland, and at York
University and Osgoode Hall Law
School, both in Toronto. In 1980,
he was called to the bar, became a
barrister in the Niagara region and
started practicing criminal law. In
1985, he was elected to Welland
city council.
Mel Swart, a veteran NDP MPP,
retired from his position in 1988
because of poor health and supported Kormos’s run for office.
Kormos won the election and all
others, for 23 years, until 2011.
The NDP won the 1990 general
Ontario election, and Bob Rae, Ontario NDP party leader, appointed
Kormos to cabinet as Minister of
Consumer and Commercial Relations and Minister of Financial
Institutions. Within a year, Kormos
was removed from Cabinet for not
going along with Rae’s position
on public auto insurance and voting against Rae’s social-contract
legislation.
“He was somebody who was
instinctively happier in opposition
Peter Kormos
Submitted photo
to authority than being subject to
it,” Rae said last week. Rae is now
the interim federal Liberal Party
leader.
In a press release, Ontario NDP
leader Andrea Horwath said, “I’ve
lost a mentor and friend.” Kormos
supported Horwath’s bid for the
Ontario NDP leadership position
in 2009. She says, “He made a difference in people’s lives and left
behind a pair of cowboy boots that
will never be filled.”
Kormos’s signature attire in
the legislature was a pair of dress
pants, a blue open-necked shirt
with the sleeves rolled up and pair
of cowboy boots. In 2003, another
MPP tried to have a dress code put
in place and Kormos responded by
organizing a caucus protest. Other
NDP MPPs dressed as Kormos
regularly did, and he showed up
one day in a tuxedo but with cowboy boots on. Kormos said at the
time, “Don’t lecture us about dress
codes because we believe that it’s
the substance that’s far more significant than the style.”
From 2001 to 2011 Kormos was
the House leader for the Ontario
NDP caucus. Since stepping down
from in 2011, Kormos was elected
to Niagara Region Council in 2012
Supporters leave flowers on the steps of the Peter Kormos home in Welland along with his trademark
cowboy boots.
Photo by Collin Stachura
Kormos’s passing.
Pleasantview Funeral Home and
as a representative for Welland.
“Peter will be deeply missed. He Reception Centre in Thorold on
In February 2013 he began cohosting a talk-radio show called always fought for what he believed May 11 at 1 p.m.
On the porch of Kormos’
The Region with fellow regional in and was a strong voice for his
council member Andy Petrowski, constituents, his region and his Welland home is a memorial to the
province.”
man who tirelessly advocated for
on NewsTalk 610 CKTB.
NDP Welland MP Malcolm AlA memorial tribute and recep- the little guy: flowers and a pair of
len is deeply saddened to learn of tion will be held for Kormos at the cowboy boots.
Canadian Cancer Society celebrates 75th anniversary
By JUSTIN REID
Staff Writer
It can be the scariest moment
of life learning you have been diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately,
over the past 75 years, there has
been somewhere those affected
could go to seek support and solace
while battling the disease. The society provides a place for support
and information while fighting the
disease and searching for a cure.
On March 28, the Canadian Cancer Society celebrated its 75th anniversary the same day it launched
its Daffodil Month campaign.
The society is a national organization of volunteers who aim to
eradicate cancer and enhance the
lives of those living with it. They
host various fundraising events every year, including Daffodil Month
during April, as well as the Relay
For Life, which raised $51 million
across Canada last year.
According to cancer.ca, on average, 500 Canadians a day are diagnosed with cancer. The Niagara
Region has even higher rates than
other municipalities.
James Tracey, of Niagara Falls,
has a family history of the disease
and is a supporter. “Any organization that finds a cure for
a deadly disease is definitely important.”
Dorothy Jessome, of
St. Catharines, says
she thinks the society “does very
good work and
is very helpful to
people with cancer.”
During Daffodil Month, Canadians are asked to wear a daffodil
pin and make a financial donation.
The pin follows a tradition started
by volunteers in Toronto in support
of cancer patients.
Last year the sales raised more
than $2.4 million. Angela Daley,
manager of the Niagara Unit, serving the Niagara Region and Dunnville, says the campaign is known
as a signature
fundraisi n g
period
and
it’s when
the society enjoys its highest
annual level of awareness with the
public. Daley joined the organization 12 years ago following her
treatment for breast cancer, with
a desire to give back to the community.
Kim Spiessman,
volunteer
engagement co-ordinator of the
Niagara Unit and cancer survivor,
speaks highly of Daffodil
Month. “It says we will fight
back and we will beat cancer. For cancer survivors,
the wearing of a daffodil pin
shows visible support,” she
says. “[It shows] that there
are people out there who
care both about them
and about fighting back
against cancer.”
However, misconceptions still
exist. According to Daley, one
common misconception is that cancer is one disease and should have
a cure by now with the amount of
money put in for research.
“There are over 200 types of
cancer. Therefore, one cure is not
possible,” Daley says. “There have
been many successes in the treatment and early detection of cancer,
and survival rates have climbed
dramatically.” These improvements highlight the importance of
the organization. Also many people
see the Canadian Cancer Society
as an umbrella organization for
all others, which, Daley says, is
not the case. While it is the most
visible cancer charity, Daley says
there are more than 220 charities in
Canada with the word “cancer” in
their name.
The Canadian Cancer Society
will hold a ceremony for the anniversary at the Stair Climb for Children’s Cancer event on April 13 at
11:30 a.m. at the Skylon Tower in
Niagara Falls. Daffodil pins will
be sold throughout April leading to
Daffodil Day on April 27.
For information about the Canadian Cancer Society visit www.
cancer.ca.
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 10
Target
coming to
Welland
By KAITLIN TIESSEN
Staff Writer
The American retail giant Target
has now made its way north. Target
will be opening 124 stores across
Canada in all 10 provinces this
year, including one at Welland’s
Seaway Mall.
“In March we completed the
opening of 24 locations across
Ontario, and the response from our
guests has been overwhelmingly
positive,” says Tamar Nersesian,
public relations specialist for Target Canada.
Target will be soon arriving at
the Seaway Mall, with the grand
opening anticipated for summer
2013.
Kitchener already has a Target,
which opened in March. Kelsey
Ferren, of Niagara Falls, Ont., attends Conestoga College in Kitchener. Ferren says she has not been
the store yet, but she says most of
her friends have shopped there and
like the new store. “They all say
they prefer it over Zellers. My one
friend frequently buys shoes and
clothes there and says she loves
how affordable it is,” Ferren says.
Ferren says the Target franchise
coming to Canada is a good idea
because it allows Canadians to
have access to different brands and
it will also bring in a lot of jobs.
“I think Target will become very
popular in Canada.”
Some of Target’s fashion brands
include Nate Berkus, Sonia
Kashuk, Giada De Laurentiis and
Shaun White, as well as a limitedtime-only collections from Kate
Young and Roots Outfitters.
“We’ve worked with more than
100 partners and brands over the
years, from high-end fashion designers to small boutique owners,”
says Nersesian.
Erzajoie Tutanes, of Niagara
Falls, Ont., is a shopper always on
the search for the best deals. “I’ve
only gone to Target once and that
was in North Carolina about four
years ago. I know Target is cheaper
than other popular stores such as
Wal-Mart,” says Tutanes. “I don’t
mind at all. A lot of Canadian
stores are dying out, so I believe it
was just bound to happen.”
Some shoppers just want to see
the newly designed stores. “Target
stores in Canada feature the very
best that Target has to offer and
reflect our latest thinking on store
layout, fixtures and design. Also,
Target Canada stores will be among
our most sustainable collection of
stores to date, as we seek LEED
certification for all Canadian stores
opening in 2013,” says Nersesian.
Target stores feature a “racetrack”
aisle that helps customers shop efficiently.
Nearby Target store locations
that are set to open soon include the
Seaway Mall in Welland, the Pen
Centre in St. Catharines, Niagara
Falls at 7190 Morrison St., and in
Hamilton. For additional information, visit www.target.ca.
April 12, 2013
NEWS
Handcuffing your future
Recent grads and students say finding employment difficult with tarnished records
By JESSE COLE
Staff Writer
With so many students preparing
to graduate in the coming weeks,
students are beginning to focus
on the realities of life after college. For some of these soon-to-be
graduates, this includes dealing
with a criminal record gained
while attending college. For those
charged as a result of bad judgment
or simply bad luck, finding a job is
that much harder.
It’s a fact of life for many students that partying and studying go
hand in hand. However, with strict
bylaws in place in Welland, some
students have found themselves on
the receiving end of tickets, fines
and even criminal charges.
Chrisden DeFreitas, a student at
Niagara College, says his roommates found themselves each fined
$300 for noise complaints.
These offences seem more or
less benign, albeit inconvenient,
for college students since they do
not carry any lifelong consequences. However, once students realize
the true limiting potential of finding a job if they do have a criminal
record, the problem becomes much
more serious.
Tom Garbutt, a graduate of
Algonquin College’s professional
writing program, has dealt firsthand with the consequence of a
criminal record. When Garbutt was
Criminal records are cause for concern among new grads.
Submitted photo
18, he was convicted of a minor because so many of the jobs in this
drug offence, and now at 23, with city are with the government, and
an honours diploma, he still can- you can’t get on [with] them with a
not find a job in his field. “Since record,” Garbutt says. “Aside from
I live in Ottawa, it does affect me that, it also bars me from other jobs
which require levels of security
clearance.”
Michelle Swaerdens, a professor in the Community and Justices
Services program at Niagara College, says a criminal record carries
a number of consequences. “It does
limit your long-term placement
choices and future career goals,”
Swaerdens said.
Having these convictions expunged is a lengthy and expensive
process conducted by Pardon
Canada, the federal department
that deals with reviewing cases.
“If it happens — and it does happen — you need to go through the
pardon process,” Swaerdens said.
“That process really does help in
the future.” Service Canada and
the Parole Board of Canada also
state that there is a waiting period
of anywhere from five months to
10 years, depending on whether the
offence is summary or indictable.
In addition to a lengthy waiting
period, submission applications
include a fee of $631.
Swaerdens added that it’s not
just about having a clean criminal
record, but also about the choices
you make in day-to-day life. ”I
think people need to be aware of
their choices in general, not just
whether or not they’ve been arrested,” she said. “It’s not just the
end result. There are all the little
choices along the way.”
Underage students left out of the fun
Event age limits exclude large portion of student body
By BRITTANY ERWIN
Staff Writer
There seem to be two worlds in
the social life of Niagara College:
one for those under 19 and another
for those over 19.
About 43 per cent of students
enrolled in a first-year full-time
program at Niagara College are directly out of high school, as of fall
2011 and 2012, says Eric Silvestri,
the associate registrar in the Admissions and Financial Aid office.
The college pub, The Core, at
the Welland campus, runs many
events throughout the school year.
Some include an X-rated hypnotist,
a Latin dance, a country night and a
comedy night.
Valarie Ceko, a second-year
Broadcasting – Radio, Television
and Film student, says that of the
events she attended, one was for
students over the age of 19 and one
was for students over the age of 18.
Ceko says, “The hypnotist was
for students 18 years old and over,
and I found it more fun since there
were more people there. I truly
think all events at The Core should
be all ages. There are a lot of young
students and just because they
aren’t 19 years old doesn’t mean
they can’t have fun with all of us
that are.”
She says that at the events, students under the age of 19 should
get a stamp on each hand because
they legally can’t drink, and students over 19 should get a wrist
bracelet indicating they are of legal
age for events.
Cassondra
Mackenzie,
an
18-year-old first-year Police Foundations student, feels limited by the
current rules.
“The one event I was really
excited for was the country pub
night. I really wanted to go and I
had friends that wanted to go until
I looked on the flyer and saw that
it was for student who are 19 years
old and over,” she said.
“I was upset because I really
wanted to go and I got excited for
nothing. I wanted to have a good
time and listen and dance to
country music with friends, but I
couldn’t.”
Mackenzie says that she has attended three all-ages events, but
the ones she really wanted to attend
were for students over 19.
Almost half of Niagara College
students who come here right out
of high school are under 19, according to the registrar.
Kesh Staffen, a first-year Police
Foundations student, just recently
turned 19. Staffen couldn’t attend
any events that were for students
over 19 for most of the year.
Staffen says, “I think first-year
students attend more events because they are always trying to
make new friends everywhere they
Dillon Erwin, an employee of The Core, stands in front of the studentrun facility at the Welland campus.
Photo by Brittany Erwin
go. Also, you are only a first-year
once, so I think first-years go all
out,” he says. “With second-year
students or third-year students,
they already had that experience,
so to them, it’s old.”
Why does The Core put certain
age limits on events? Student
Administrative Council Social
Programmer Chelsea Van Hoffen
says that the Alcohol and Gaming
Commission of Ontario (AGCO)
sets age limits at events. It is responsible for administering the
Liquor Licence Act that upholds
these laws detailing requirements
for sale and service of alcohol in
the province.
Dillon Erwin, a employee at The
Core, says most events at The Core
are for students over the age of 19
because when there are all-ages
events, people who are underage
tend to sneak in alcohol and this
can put The Core’s liquor licence
at risk.
“We’d rather just run events that
are for students over the age of 19,
so we don’t take the risk of students who are underage bringing in
alcohol. This way, all our bases are
covered.”
April 12, 2013
Niagara News
Page 11
ENTERTAINMENT
Local band’s future looking ‘Bright Black’
Heavy metal group turning heads, both at home and abroad
By amBer-LyNe Bricker
staff writer
ReverbNation.com has named
Bright Black, a band from Niagara,
third in a very long list of new
metal bands.
Lucas Spinosa, 18, who joined the
band two months ago, is the newest member of the four-piece band.
Matthew Gibb, 20, the band’s
drummer, answers every question
with such composure it’s hard to
believe he spends his time behind a
drum set, pounding out heavy beats.
Gibb says the band started in
January 2012 when he and Chase
Jackson, 24, the band’s guitarist,
met their now-lead singer, Dan
Post, 20. For a while it was just
the three of them, with temporary
bassists coming and going until the
guys finally found the right fit in
Spinosa.
“We’ve known Lucas for a
while and he’s trustworthy,”
Gibb says. “So collectively we
decided to ask him to join.”
Bright Black’s sound is reminiscent of the biggest names in metal
like Metallica and Iron Maiden, but
the members also are influenced by
bands like Avenged Sevenfold and
glam-metal band Crashdiet.
With a name like Bright
Black, which Jackson came
up with, people can expect
to hear something different.
“Our name is an oxymoron. It represents our sound. It’s not simply
one thing or another,” Gibb says.
When it comes to practices, the
band gathers at Gibb’s, where
the equipment is set up, usually getting together once a week.
“When I’m not slaving away
on music, I’m up all night trying to finish school work,” says
Spinosa, who’s enrolled in the
Pre-Media and Design program
at Niagara College. When it
comes to practices, the routine
usually remains the same. “Coffee is number 1,” Spinosa laughs.
Bright Black members from left to right, Lucas Spinosa, 18, Matthew Gibb, 20, Chase Jackson, 24, and Dan Post, 20.
“If we’re just playing, it’s more
of a run through, but writing is different,” Gibb added.
Gibb says writing lyrics can
come any time the inspiration
hits, usually at night, but it’s always easier with another person.
So far the band has 10 songs
almost all recorded for the upcoming album Chemical City,
which is to be released in June.
The band has spent a little over
a year in the studio working on a
debut album, Gibb said the band
has played at least 10 shows with
its current lineup.
When it comes to pre-show rituals, the band keeps it simple. “Coffee, hair spray and hanging out with
new friends or fans,” Gibb says.
Hairspray is a must. “It’s all in the
hair,” Spinosa adds, his own hair
reaching for the ceiling behind a
white bandana.
Judging from the response on
their Facebook page, the guys know
how to put on a good show, full
of energy and excitement. “Com-
pared to an everyday practice,
shows are easier. There’s more energy. It’s more fun,” Jackson says.
Gibb says the band’s biggest
challenge is finding like-minded
musicians in the area to complete
the lineup.
“Many bands don’t take music
as seriously as we do. It’s not
just a hobby for us,” he says.
The feedback each of the guys has
received has been nothing but supportive.
“I keep hearing people say that
Submitted photo
even though it isn’t their type of
music, it’s amazing,” Spinosa says.
Recently, the band held a contest on its Facebook page, getting
its fans to spread the word and
it brought new fans to the page,
some from even as far as Europe.
The album will be available on
ITunes, at Amazon.com and at each
show. The band plays April 27 at
The Mansion House in St. Catharines, opening for Die Mannequin.
Check out the band at https://www.
facebook.com/brightblackband.
All the world’s a stage for Grimsby’s Miss Teen Niagara
Brock student to compete for Miss Teen Canada title this summer
Mackenzie White, Miss Teen
Niagara, will compete for Miss
Teen Canada this summer.
Submitted photo
By JaNNessa BecHarD
staff writer
With lots of hard work and
dedication, Grimsby’s Mackenzie
White won the Miss Teen Niagara
Region title, placed third at Miss
Teen Ontario and will now compete for Miss Teen Canada this
summer in Toronto.
White, 19, is studying kinesiology at Brock University in St.
Catharines. One of the important
competition requirements in July’s
Miss Teen Canada World pageant
is explaining what the contestant
believes in, her platform. As she
has always lived a healthful and
active lifestyle, White’s platform is
to promote physical activity.
“To place top three at the Ontario
pageant felt amazing. I couldn’t
believe it. I was and am very
grateful to have this opportunity to
show girls that beauty comes from
within.” White continues, “If I had
any advice for anyone wanting to
participate in pageants, it’d be follow your dreams because anything
is possible if you work hard, stay
positive and believe in yourself.”
While attending Beamsville
District Secondary School, she
participated in cheerleading and
gymnastics. “I have been active my
whole life, and it has impacted me
in so many great ways, and I would
love to change and inspire others’
lives too,” says White.
She is preparing for the upcoming
Miss Teen Canada World pageant.
Preparations include fundraising
for the Free the Children pageant
charity, finding sponsors to cover
pageant costs and volunteering in
the Niagara Region. White says she
finds it hard at times to juggle her
university coursework and pageant
preparation, but she says the effort
is well worth it.
White’s first and only pageant
was Miss Teen Ontario, held in
January. She says the experience
was exciting because she placed
third and won the Miss Teen Niagara Region title.
Since the pageant, White’s life
has changed, and she says winning
has been the best thing that has
happened to her. She says she is
looking forward to seeing what life
has in store for her.
White says being in the pageant
has allowed her to step out of her
comfort zone and to learn more
about herself. She says she has
supportive friends and family who
encourage her and remind her daily
about how proud they are of her.
“I’m very excited for Mackenzie. I wish her all the best and
I hope she gets far in the pageant
world,” says Montana Collina, 19,
of Welland.
Ever since she was young, White
says, she has always been interested
in the modeling. She says one of the
main reasons she started participating in pageants is that they are a
great way to get experience and
confidence for a career in modelling. The six months of preparation include making appearances,
promoting yourself, creating a blog,
finding sponsors and photo shoots.
To learn more, or to help support
White, visit her Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/MissTeenNiagara.
Page 12
NIAGARA NEWS
ENTERTAINMENT
April 12, 2013
Band moves forward after tragedy
By KYLE MELANSON
Staff Writer
Matt Mays and his band are carrying on after a devastating loss.
Guitarist Jay Smith, of Cape
Breton, N.S., died on March 27, in
Edmonton. Smith was found in his
hotel room the morning following
a show. No foul play was suspected
in his death and, at this time, no
other details about his death have
been released.
Mays and his band members
posted on their Facebook page that
“he was our brother and he will live
in our hearts and song forever.”
The band played its scheduled
show that night. In his memory,
they placed a candle where Smith
would have been playing. The
band played the show and one
band member said, “In our hearts
of hearts, we know that we need
to play on. Jay’s family, as well
as the band, knows he would have
wanted it that way.”
Smith was originally part of
his own band, Rock Ranger, from
1999 to 2007. He joined forces
with Mays in early 2007.
Mays wrapped up the tour on
March 28 with the proceeds from
the last two shows going to a
trust fund set up for Smith’s two
children. A memorial concert was
held last Sunday to raise money for
Smith’s family, with local artists
Joel Plaskett, Bruce Guthro and
Mays himself paying tribute to the
late guitarist. The memorial raised
over $20,000, with total proceeds
exceeding over $100,000 for the
trust fund. The band still plans
to begin a short tour of the U.S.,
opening for New Jersey rockers
The Gaslight Anthem, set to begin
on April 16.
Smith’s memory will carry on
with the band, and those who saw
some of his last shows could attest to the intensity of his playing.
One of these shows took place in
Hamilton, Ont., Mays’ hometown,
on March 24.
A crowd of nearly 200 crammed
the Molson Canadian Studio. Mays
and his band took the stage at 9
Matt Mays and his band will continue to tour, with proceeds going to a trust fund set up for the children of
late guitarist Jay Smith.
Submitted photo Sonic Entertainment Group
The band tore through new songs ions on where the band should go
p.m. for the 90-minute rock show.
“How’s Hamilton doing?” asked like Stoned and the soon-to-be after the show for drinks after it is
Mays before launching into the classic, Take It On Faith, with ease. was asked of them.
Ryan Brown, 37, of Hamilton,
Mays was born in Hamilton and
crackling Indio, off the band’s
newest album Coyote. That album lived there until he was the age of couldn’t get enough. “This is my
had picked up Album of the Year six. The members of the crowd sixth time seeing them, and it alat the East Coast Music Awards a were more than willing to listen ways gets better.” Brown said that
and eager to shout out their opin- even though the members of the
week prior.
band looked “tired,” they were still
giving it their all.
The band continued its Coyoteinfluenced set with Dull Knife,
showcasing spacey Bowie-esque
keyboards and a guitar solo played
at breakneck speed. The band was
going to show Hamilton that rock
‘n’ roll was still alive, whether
Hamilton wanted it or not. Mays
got the crowd into the show even
more with set staples Travellin’ and
Tall Trees.
Alex Cameron, 23, of Stoney
Creek, Ont., said the show was her
first time seeing the band. “He was
so nice to the crowd, and I liked
how he talked to the audience.”
The band finished the set with
the Halifax-themed City Of Lakes,
but weren’t able to stay off the
stage for long, before the crowd
demanded an encore.
The band delivered with elongated versions of their hit breakup
song Terminal Romance, and the
now-anthem-like Cocaine Cowgirl. Mays and the band thanked
the crowd and left the stage with
the famous rocking words of “till
next time.”
When the lights came back on
at 10:35, it was clear the show was
over, but the crowd wanted more.
“They didn’t play my favourite
song tonight, but the show was still
great,” says Jacqueline Smyth, 29,
of Hamilton. The Smith’s song she
wanted to hear was On the Hood,
a track from Mays’s second album,
Matt Mays + El Torpedo.
The band won over the firsttimers as well. “I loved the show
and will definitely come back,”
says Cameron.
At one of his last shows, Smith
showed his talent and passion for
making music.
The crowd in Hamilton clearly
enjoyed the performance. The place
left by Smith will never be filled,
but anyone who had the chance to
watch him play will never forget
the intensity and sound he brought
to the band and, most importantly,
how much he enjoyed playing music for his friends, family and fans.
Eleven Past One hopes album will break new ground
By AMANDA-SUSAN CARSON
Staff Writer
With a second single and a music
video on the way, small-town band
Eleven Past One is working on a
new album for fans.
This band from Bowmanville
isn’t new to the music scene; it has
been pushing to get a song out on
the radio for five years.
“We got our start by packing
up our back[pack]s and touring
all across the country and playing every single place we could,”
says guitarist Stephen Richter. The
band also includes brother Daniel
Richter (vocals), Steve Patenaude
(drums), Kyle Bykiv (guitar) and
Dan Beattie (bass).
The band was formed when
Richter and Patenaude met when
there was a fire at Bowmanville
High in late 2005.
“I went over to his house, and
we started jamming because he
had drums and a guitar in his basement,” says Richter. “My brother
sings, ‘Let’s start a band.’”
Manager Jordyn Elliot says,
“They weren’t just a boy band.
They are all musically talented and
trained.”
Sadie Brillinger, a diehard Time
Bombs, a nickname for the fans,
became a fan because “they made
really catchy music, they seemed
really sweet and plus they give
great advice.”
“They were humble and stick
to their morals and values,” Elliot
says. “I watched them interact with
fans and family and they had equal
respect for everyone.”
These boys are humble and care
as much about their fans as they
do their family, qualities any artist
From left Dan Beattie (bass), Stephen Richter (guitar), Daniel Richter
(vocals), Steve Patenaude (drums) and Kyle Bykiv (guitar).
Submitted photo
should have.
“We packed up our back[pack]s
and flew down to Cuba with Ben
Knechtel who did Call Me Maybe
for Carly Rae Jepsen,” says Rich-
ter, about the band’s first music
video, The World Is Ours, released
late last year. “We had no idea what
we were doing down there. We just
winged it and came back home
with a killer video. One of the best
times of my life.”
Elliot, who has been the band’s
manager for more than a year, has
“big things” planned for Eleven
Past One. “I’d like to see them go
international.”
What is next for Eleven Past
One? Elliot says, “We are hoping
to soon be signed with a record
label and produce/write more hit
tunes in the upcoming months.”
“We do a lot of writing, but for
our singles we co-write with Brian
Howes. He is a top writer/producer in the industry, and we are so
blessed to have the chance to work
with him,” says Richter.
With high hopes and even bigger
dreams, Eleven Past One is working its way to the top.
For more on the band, go to
www.elevenpastonemusic.com.
April 12, 2013
Niagara News
Page 13
ENTERTAINMENT
Microsoft and Sony to duel at next E3
Sony to unveil PlayStation 4 while Microsoft showcases its new version of Xbox
By MiCHaeL sOrge
staff writer
Onlookers will be cheering for
first blood at the next Electronic
Entertainment Expo (E3), where
Microsoft and Sony compete for
console supremacy.
This year’s E3, held in Los Angeles in June, promises to be one of
the biggest and most important of
its history. The annual video game
trade event of the year has attracted
millions of people since its humble
roots in 1995.
Each year, E3 hosts an array
of highly anticipated features,
including conferences highlighting the future of video games on
each gaming console, as well as
game- and studio-specific booths
where gamers can play demos of
soon-to-be-released games. You
may be one of the lucky few to
have some time on an unreleased
gaming console.
Most important, on this year’s
E3 agenda is the unveiling of the
next-generation consoles: Sony’s
PlayStation 4 (PS4) and Microsoft’s new-but-unnamed Xbox.
Some details of the PS4, including
its controller and some services
and abilities, have already been
unveiled during a Sony conference
earlier this year, but not much at all
is known about the next Xbox.
Nintendo will have to work hard
to impress because most gamers
will undoubtedly be paying attention to what presentation they
thought was best between the other
two console juggernauts.
Steven Terreberry, 25, a longtime gamer and musician from Fort
Erie, Ont., says he thinks there will
be a huge focus on the battle between Sony and Microsoft. “What
each company needs to do is show
how they stand out above the other
competitors and how they can innovate to make for better gaming
experiences. They need to listen to
their fans and give them what they
want, to ensure they keep their respective fan base.”
Dan Doan, also of Fort Erie,
agrees the battle will “definitely be
the biggest focus of all. However, I
still think Sony has the upper hand,
title-wise, so the PS4 should have
better titles, even during its initial
release.”
“I am looking forward to what
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed show-floor section during E3 2012.
Submitted photo by Chris Yunker
Microsoft has been doing,” says
Zack Hussey, a 17-year-old hardcore-gamer from Niagara Falls,
Ont., “because I haven’t heard
anything about their new console,
so I am excited to see what they
will come up with.”
On the topic of Nintendo, Terreberry says, “I feel like Nintendo
and their Wii U doesn’t really try to
compare to the other two. They try
to innovate and come up with original ideas, and I feel like they cater
to a whole different demographic.”
Doan says, “As for Nintendo’s
Wii U, it’s all about the innovation of the controller. I truly think
it’s on its way out because, even
though the innovation is good, it
will not match up to the likes of
the Sony and Microsoft systems
graphically. Also, in regard to the
least exclusivity of games titles,
the Wii U will not do as well when
E3 comes around.”
Hussey’s view is even bleaker.
“When it comes to Nintendo, I
think they are going to stand in the
dark, unfortunately, until they create another system everyone will
be more focused on than the Wii U.
It isn’t fair for them, but we’ll see
what happens.”
“I think the biggest focus will
be Microsoft and Sony,” says
Danielle Mitchell, 21, of Welland.
“Yes, the Wii has something to offer, especially to families, but the
majority of players interested in E3
are older.”
One of the biggest offerings
many gamers look forward to
during every year’s E3 week is
the games, whether they are confirmed, unconfirmed or rumoured
to appear, or a complete surprise.
One game sure to cause excitement
among gamers is the just-rumoured
Batman:Arkham Origins, a prequel
to the recent and highly regarded
Batman games that may be revealed
at E3. Another sure to make a big
splash will be the much-anticipated
Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV).
“I’ve been a fan of the GTA
series since the late ’90s,” says
Terreberry. “The games have given
me the freedom to do what I want
to do, and I look forward to seeing
what Rockstar Games can do with
their next instalment. Expectations
are high!”
Hussey is also looking forward
to GTAV but mainly has his sights
on Destiny, a next-generation, firstperson shooter from the studio best
known for the Halo series, Bungie.
“I’m sure Destiny will be a lot
like my favourite series, Halo.
Now PlayStation and PC gamers
can also experience Bungie’s incredible creations.”
Mitchell says inFamous: Second
Son is the game she’s most excited
for. “The graphics are amazing, the
story invigorating. It’s a series that,
once I start, I won’t stop until I’ve
played it through completely.”
Doan says he’s looking forward
to Ubisoft’s impressive, next-gen
game, Watch Dogs. “It seems like a
new, innovative title with interesting story and appeal.”
Overall, Hussey says he has high
hopes for this year’s event. “This
year’s E3 will probably be the biggest yet, with the two new systems
and huge titles to showcase.”
Terreberry’s view is just as optimistic. “This year’s E3 should be
one to remember. The unveiling of
new consoles is something to look
forward to and something that big
doesn’t happen every year. The
gaming industry is so huge, and every E3 turns out to be a huge event,
and I don’t see this year being any
different.”
This year’s E3 will be held from
June 11 to June 13 at California’s
Los Angeles Convention Center
and other venues in the downtown
area. For more information on
E3, visit the official site at www.
e3expo.com.
Pick your poison: Comic Con, Anime North or FanExpo
By NYaMeKYe HeMMiNgs
staff writer
If you are a fan of anything from
science fiction to anime or even
video games, these three upcoming
conventions will interest you.
Anime North runs from May 24
to May 26. Niagara Falls Comic
Con is slated for June 8 and June 9
and Fan Expo Canada will be from
Aug. 22 to Aug. 25
Anime North is at the Toronto
Congress Centre, Comicon is at the
Scotiabank Convention Centre and
Fan Expo will be at the Toronto
Metro Convention Centre.
Eriko Nakamura, a Japanese
voice actor, will be a guest of honour at Anime North.
David Prowser, who is better
known as Darth Vader from the
original Star Wars trilogy, will be
at Niagara Falls Comic Con to sign
autographs and take pictures.
Stan Lee, the chairman of Marvel Comics, will be returning again
this year at FanExpo Canada.
Conventions now are simply
never a single genre. Even if it’s
Anime North, a lot of American
cartoons, comics and science fiction will be present.
Comic Con will have anime and
manga cosplayers (fans who dress
in costume) and merchandise as
well.
It wasn’t always this way. There
are a few people that don’t like the
genre crossing, such as seeing a
Superman cosplayer in an anime
convention. Superman is from an
American comic, so most people
are OK with it. “As long as everyone is having a good time, I don’t
even see a problem with it,” said
Dillon Pinder.
Even non-anime fans go to Anime North. They may be fans of a
particular series, but don’t care for
the genre as a whole.
Tyrone Williams is excited for
Anime North, but he only watches
Naruto, a Japanese magna series.
“I don’t even know or get half of
the characters here, but it’s always
a good time.”
FanExpo is the one convention
that is multi-genre, and there’s
even horror. Cosplaying is becoming more and more popular. Naruto
is the most popular anime in North
America since Dragon Ball Z, and
Anime North will have an extremely high percentage of Naruto
cosplayers.
Whether you like comics or
video games or even are a hardcore
fan of one particular thing from a
genre, conventions are a place for
everyone.
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 14
SPORTS
Rugby roughing its way into the
hearts of Canadians everywhere
By MICHELLE ALLENBERG
Staff Writer
Rugby has been played for more
than 100 years and continues to
grow in popularity around the
world. Canadian rugby in particular has grown and become more
popular in the last few decades.
The same is true in Niagara.
The first appearance of rugby
in Canada was during the 1860s.
Rugby was at first isolated to
Ontario and Quebec, with the first
game played in Montreal. After a
few years, it spread to Canada’s
east and west coasts.
The Canadian Rugby Union,
now known as Rugby Canada, was
incorporated in 1974. Bryan Kelly,
the national program communications co-ordinator for Rugby
Canada, says, “I believe the sport
of rugby is growing in Canada.
Canada has competed in every
Rugby World Cup since its inception in 1987, and interest continues
to grow.”
As a sport, rugby has grown so
vastly around the world that the
rugby game of sevens is now an
Olympic sport.
The Canada men’s sevens team
has become a strong team in the
world, and it is becoming one of
the best. Kelly says, “I think the
game is growing, and our men’s
and women’s sevens and 15 teams
play a huge role in the growth.”
Many high schools in the Niagara region are beginning to participate in rugby and have boys’ and
girls’ teams, including Eden High
Eden High School’s girls rugby coach Lindsay Warner, 30, holds ball
signed by some of the players.
Photo by Michelle Allenberg
School in St. Catharines.
Lindsey Warner, 30, the girls’
rugby coach, says she started the
team six years ago and there are
about eight to 10 schools against
which Eden girls’ rugby competes.
Warner says the first year the program started, the teams had to play
short with only 12 to 13 players.
This year more than 60 girls are
interested.
“With 60 girls interested, we
have to figure out how to balance
playing time,” Warner says. She
is considering having a junior and
senior team.
The Eden’s boys’ rugby team
was started 13 years ago. Dave
Hunter, 52, the coach, says when
the boys’ program started there
were maybe 20 athletes. Now there
are about 60.
He says there are about 30 students on both the junior and senior
team, adding there are four or five
teams in the area that the boys
compete against.
Warner says part of the reason rugby has grown at the school is there
has been an increase in flag rugby in
elementary school in the area.
“I feel that Canadians have a passionate love for the game of rugby,
and through the club and regional
level the game is growing through
Canadian-born players,” Kelly says.
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April 12, 2013
Lakers not living up to
hype from the fans
By MASAUNI MASAUNI
Staff Writer
Following another tough National Basketball Association (NBA)
playoff exit, the Los Angeles
Lakers made huge additions to the
team during the off season.
Fans are asking, “Is this the
year?”
The Lakers have added Steve
Nash, Dwight Howard, Jodie
Meeks and Antawn Jamison. With
this roster, expectations are higher
than ever. If the Lakers don’t win
the title this season, the season will
be a bust. Getting that title will be
tough, as both conferences have
some tough competition.
One of the reasons the Lakers
are one of the most-anticipated
teams of the year is Steve Nash.
A two-time NBA most valuable
player, Nash has been regarded as
one of the best players at his position during his career.
Nash who was raised in Vancouver spent the early part of his
career with the Dallas Mavericks.
In Phoenix in 2004, Nash won
back-to-back NBA MVP awards,
cementing his place in NBA
history.
With the regular season about to
end, the Los Angeles Lakers are
one game ahead of Utah for the
battle for the eight seats. At the
beginning of the year, not many
people would have predicted the
Lakers, with all the added talent
they have, would be fighting for a
spot in the playoffs instead of being one of the powerhouses of the
Steve Blake talking strategy with
Kobe Bryant.
Submitted photo
league.
What do Lakers fans say as the
playoffs approach?
Moe Ismail, who plays basketball at the University of Ottawa
and is one of the Lakers’ biggest
fans says, “As much as I love Kobe
Bryant and the Lakers, I don’t think
they have enough young, healthy,
fresh legs to finish off the rest of
the season strong. They started the
season way too horrible.”
“They have disappointed millions of fans worldwide. They have
not lived up to any of the promises
and the hype of the off-season.”
Thomas Walker, a former high
school basketball coach at Orchard
Park Secondary School in Stoney
Creek, Ont., also has doubts.
“At the start of the year, I had
high hopes in this team, but now
I feel ashamed to admit that this
might be the final playoff run the
Lakers will be able to push for.
Their time is over.” Those are
strong words from a very passionate fan and respected coach.
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NIAGARA NEWS
April 12, 2013
Page 15
SPORTS
Leafs playoff chances at ‘99.8 per cent’
Fans ecstactic about playoffs
for first time since 2004
By STEVE AULD
Staff Writer
Some dispassionate observers
say the Toronto Maple Leafs won’t
win the Stanley Cup this year
because too many good teams are
ahead of them.
Just don’t tell that to any of Leafs
Nation, or you’ll be victim to the
mob of fans that pop up anywhere
you go.
“I think people say stuff like that
because they dislike the Leafs so
much that they don’t want them to
do good,” says Andrew Marinelli,
21, of Niagara Falls, Ont.
“But the [National Hockey
League] playoffs are a whole different story. Any of the 16 teams
can win, depending on who wants
it more, so you can’t really judge
until you see them in the playoffs.”
Marinelli is just one of a strong
contingent of Toronto diehards
who get loud and proud every time
the blue and white are doubted
or berated. Unlike in many years
previously, this year there’s a good
reason to be proud. Going into
Wednesday’s game against the
New York Rangers and with nine
games remaining in the lockoutshortened 48-game schedule, the
Leafs look firmly entrenched in a
playoff position for the first time
since 2004.
It says something about Toronto’s streak of futility when the
last time they made the playoffs
their goaltender was Ed Belfour.
Since the streak started, Belfour
played one more year for Toronto,
one year with the Florida Panthers
and one year in Sweden. He retired
five years ago.
Leafs fans don’t have to look
over their collective shoulders
and wait for the season to go the
way of “an 18-wheeler going right
off a cliff,” as famously said by
former General Manager Brian
Burke last year. A good indication
of Toronto’s chances is that, as of
Wednesday morning, the Maple
Leafs sit in fifth-place, four points
ahead of the sixth-place Ottawa
Senators and eight points ahead of
the ninth-place New Jersey Devils.
Sports odds calculations sites
have even started predicting the
Leafs’ cup chances, an example
being www.sportsclubstats.com,
which on April 9 gave Toronto a
99.8 per cent chance of making the
postseason.
Marinelli says the Leafs’ chances
and recent play have left him feeling “pretty damn good.”
Joe Pagliaro, 21, a Port Colborne
native and former Niagara College student in the Health and
Fitness Promotion program, also
thinks that Maple Leaf fans have
something to look forward to this
season.
“Don’t be surprised if they have
success in the playoffs. Coach
[Randy] Carlyle has these boys
fired up and team chemistry seems
to be at an all time high. Not to
mention the success of [Nazem]
Kadri and [Joffrey] Lupul, as of
late.”
Pagliaro goes beyond just being
hopeful about the playoffs and
thinks Toronto has a legitimate
chance to contend for the Stanley
Cup this season.
“If the top line can find their
groove again, we will have an
amazing top six [forwards] with
all the grit and truculence – yes, a
Andrew Marinelli shows off his Maple Leafs pride as Toronto gears up for what he hopes is a long playoff run.
Photo by Steve Auld
Burke term – we need coming from
our third and fourth liners that past
winners have used to eventually
hoist the cup.”
On the other hand, Toronto’s
Stanley Cup chances look fairly
bleak, especially if it means playing the Pittsburgh Penguins to get
out of the Eastern Conference.
Even though Sidney Crosby is injured indefinitely and the Penguins
recently lost two in a row, they
were still coming off a 15-game
win streak before the two losses
and have now won 16 of 18, as
of press time. The streak was two
wins off a league record set by the
Penguins in the 1992-93 season.
Another team the Leafs might
have to get past is the Ottawa
Senators, who are in sixth despite
playing a large chunk of the season
without arguably their best four
players: Norris-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson, top centre Jason Spezza, sniper Milan Michalek
and starting goalie Craig Anderson.
The Senators’ chances only look to
improve with Anderson returning
to the lineup last Sunday.
Greg McIntyre, 21, a Renovation
Construction Technology student,
has grown up hating the Leafs.
He’s a Senators fan, but he respects
the Leafs’ growth.
“Despite my hatred for the
Leafs, I thought they would have
made it [to the playoffs] sooner,”
he says, “but I don’t think they’re
good enough for me to be too worried and upset about yet.”
McIntyre thinks some Toronto
fans are unrealistic and expect the
turnaround to happen more quickly
than it actually will.
“Maybe when they finally get
[Roberto Luongo] – and what every Leaf fan says: ‘We just need
one good first line centre’ – because they come around so often.
“I hate the ignorant fans more
than the team.”
Whether a fan of Toronto or not,
you can expect Leafs Nation to
start waking up from the sevenyear playoff slumber and come
out in droves. Lock the doors and
hide the key or run out and join the
crowd because the party’s going on
until the Leafs are out.
One Montreal Canadiens fan put
it rather bluntly: “They’re idiots
now. God help us if they win.”
‘We’ll be bringing home the World Series title this year,’ Jays’ fan
By ETHAN FAHEY
Staff Writer
The Toronto Blue Jays’ 2012
off-season was even more exciting
than the regular season, and fans
are ecstatic.
The Blue Jays added five allstars and two more key players to
their roster in the off-season. All
the action and trouble that General
Manager Alex Anthopoulos went
though has paid off, according
to most fans. It is the most-anticipated season in 20 years, when
the Blue Jays won the 1993 World
Series. But, after winning only two
of the first six games the Jays are
still looking to impress. Fans hope
the new pieces of the puzzle fit in
sooner rather than later.
Making the biggest splash was
probably the trade for and subsequent signing of knuckleballer
Robert Allen (R.A.) Dickey from
the New York Mets. The righthanded pitcher has what could be
considered the most-feared pitching repertoire in baseball. Along
with two-seam and four-seam fastballs and a changeup, Dickey has
the best knuckleball in the game.
The former New York Met won
the Cy Young Award in 2012 and
the team and its fans hope he continues his major league dominance
in Toronto. After a disappointing
first week, fans still have had to
give Dickey some leeway though.
Dickey has lost both of his starts
so far this year, including a 13-0
drubbing from the Boston Red Sox
in which he surrendered 8 rubs in
five innings.
Another prize of the Blue Jays’
off-season is Jose Reyes. The
four-time all-star is a triple-hitting,
base-stealing threat. The switch
hitter has won multiple stolen base
titles, National League (NL) batting titles and NL triples titles, as
well as a Silver Slugger award in
2006. After Reyes cooled off a bit
in the 2012 season, fans are hoping that all the player needed was
a change of scenery and that Toronto will be that change. Reyes
came over in a trade with the
Miami Marlins that involved
12 players.
Two other key compo-
nents of the trade with Miami were
Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle.
Johnson and Buehrle
will be added to the
Blue Jays’ pitching rotation as well as Dickey.
The two all-stars earned
their spot in
the
lineup during the pre-season exhibition games.
With the new additions, former
Jays’ starter Ricky Romero was
bumped out of the rotation and sent
to the minors.
Re-joining the team after spending two seasons in Miami, John
Buck will provide catching
backup for Jonathan Paul
(J.P.) Arencibia behind the
plate.
Fans couldn’t be much
more excited for the
new additions to the
lineup and to
get the season
started,
but are
s t i l l
looking for the
team to gel
after the first six
games. Heading into
Jose Reyes hopes to regain his allstar form in Toronto.
Photo: Toronto Blue Jays
Tuesday’s game with the Detroit
Tigers, Toronto sat last in the
American League (AL) East with
a 2-4 record.
“I watched all the exhibition
games that were televised,” said
Nathan Summers, a long-time Blue
Jays fan. “Me and my dad watch
every game we can, but when
there’s 162 of them, it can be hard
to catch every one.”
“We’ll be bringing home the
World Series title this year, just
like we did back in 1992 and
1993,” said Gary Park, 44, from
Niagara Falls. He says he remembers watching the Toronto Blue
Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies
in the final game on Oct. 23, 1993.
As some have pointed out, the
Blue Jays’ looking good on paper
does not mean their potential will
translate to successful play the
field, as fans have already seen.
The Jays will still need to follow
up on the high expectations of their
new powerhouse team if they want
to keep fans happy.
Luckily for both fans and team,
they have another 156 games.
NIAGARA NEWS
Page 16
April 12, 2013
SPORTS
Jays fans take over Bisons’ territory
Buffalo Bisons, the new triple-A affiliate of the Jays
By BRADY CULP
Staff Writer
Don’t be surprised to see a lot
more Jays fans in the seats of Buffalo Bisons’ baseball games this
season.
The Buffalo Bisons became the
triple-A affiliate of the Toronto
Blue Jays over the off-season.
Twenty-three of the Herd’s 25-man
roster have played a combined
3,229 games in the major league, a
statistic that might warrant a drive
to Buffalo, N.Y.
Brad Bisbing, head of public
relations of the Buffalo Bisons,
says there has been quite the atmosphere surrounding the team.
“We’re just super excited. This
new partnership with the Toronto
Blue Jays is something all the fans
are excited about, and it’s going to
be great for Buffalo.”
Seven Bison players are on the
Blue Jays’ 40-man roster. With the
Jays’ triple-A affiliate in Buffalo
instead of Las Vegas, Jays fans in
the Niagara region will be able to
see the farm team in action this
season.
The Bisons’ home stadium,
Coca-Cola Field, is in Buffalo.
The field is closer to all five cities
(Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, St.
Catharines, Thorold and Welland)
in the Niagara region than the Rogers Centre.
Mitch Lutz, an International
Business student at the Niagaraon-the-Lake campus, is a lifelong
Jays fan. He says he is excited
about the affiliation with the Jays.
“I’m definitely going to go to
some Bison games this year now
that they’re the Jays’ farm team.
“I still think Anthony Gose shows
a lot of promise and could possibly
get called up to the Jays at some
Buffalo Bisons stand for the national anthem at their first game of the season.
point in the season,” says Lutz.
Gose, an outfielder, appeared in
56 games for the Jays last season.
In 166 plate appearances, he had
a .223 batting average, one home
run, 11 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.
He has 228 stolen bases in 566 career games. Moises Sierra will also
be in the outfield for the Bisons.
During the Jays’ spring training,
Sierra had a .333 batting average in
12 at-bats. Sierra played 49 games
for the Blue Jays last season. In
147 at-bats, he had a .224 battingaverage with six home runs, 15
RBIs and one stolen base.
Brendan Keeping, of Fort Erie,
says Sierra is a big reason he’s excited about the Bison this season.
“He has a lot of potential, and
I think he’s going to be a key part
of the Jays’ organization one day,”
says Keeping. “With the Jays’
star-studded farm team right in my
back yard, of course I am going to
go to a good amount of games this
season.”
Aside from an experienced outfield, the Bisons also have a few
veteran pitchers in their rotation.
The Bisons’ starting pitchers, consisting of five right-handers, have
a combined 817 major-league appearances.
Justin Germano, opening-day
starter, would have pitched at
Coca-Cola Field in the 2012 tripleA all-star game if he had not been
called up by the Boston Red Sox.
Germano started 16 games for
Boston’s farm team, Pawtucket,
last season. Coincidentally, Germano beat the Bisons on opening
day last season in Buffalo.
Veteran, Ramon Ortiz will also
be in the rotation this season. The
39-year-old won 16 games with
the L.A. Angels in 2002 and also
won a World Series title with them
in 2003.
Dave Bush, a 2002 Blue Jays
draftee, will also be part of the
Bisons’ rotation this season. Bush,
33, spent two seasons with the Blue
Jays and five with the Milwaukee
Brewers and appeared in 15 games
with the Texas Rangers in 2011.
In his major-league career, Bush
has 187 starts with a 56-69 record,
767 strikeouts and a 4.70 earnedrun average.
He pitched 13 innings in spring
training for the Blue Jays, compiling six strikeouts, six walks and a
6.23 earned-run average.
Claudio Varges, who has seen
Submitted photo
major-league action with Milwaukee and Arizona, and Todd Redmond will round out the Bisons’
rotation.
“With the veteran rotation pitching for the Bison this year, I’d really like to get out there and catch
a few games. It’s definitely more
affordable than a Jays game,” says
Ryan DiCenso, a Child and Youth
Worker program student at the
Welland campus.
“Between paying for school and
paying for rent, I barely have any
extra money, let alone money to go
to Toronto for a Jays game.”
Bisons games are an affordable
alternative for local baseball fans.
A general admission ticket for a
Bisons’ game costs US$9, while
the average ticket price of a Blue
Jays game is C$44.
Ladies enjoy experience of the national curling championships
By ETHAN FAHEY
Staff Writer
Shortly after making Knights’
history, the women’s Niagara
College Curling Team travelled to
Edmonton to compete in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association
(CCAA) National Curling Championship.
The team, consisting of Katie
Spanton, Tess Brown, Hilary Minor, Melissa Borowski and Karen
Aitken, competed in the CCAA
National Curling Championships
March 20 to March 23.
The tournament was hosted by
The Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology.
The trip comes just over a month
after the team won the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA)
Championship gold medal, a Niagara College first.
The Knights’ first game of the
tournament in round robin action
was against a familiar foe, the Confederation College Thunderhawks,
of Thunder Bay, Ont.
After beating them in the gold
medal game of the OCAA Cham-
From left to right, MP Welland Malcolm Allen presents awards to members of the Niagara Knights curling
team: Melissa Borowski, Katie Spanton, Tess Brown, Hilary Minor, Karen Aitken and Head Coach Scott Brown.
Photo by Ethan Fahey
pionship, the women were unable
to continue the streak and lost a 4-6
decision.
The team was up against some
fierce competition in the tourna-
ment, facing off against the nation’s best. They played hard and
came up just short on multiple
occasions. They had very close
games against both the MacEwan
University Griffins, of Edmonton,
Alta., and the Douglas College
Royals, of New Westminster, B.C.,
losing just 7-8 and 4-5.
“We had a chance to win three
or four games, but we just couldn’t
get that final rock in place,” said
Head Coach Scott Brown.
Although the team was unable
to produce a victory in the tournament, he says they played well and
were able to gain some valuable
experience.
Brown added, “It’s all about the
experience.”
All of the women on the team
agreed the whole trip was an
amazing experience and especially
exciting to compete at a national
level.
The final match of the eightteam event featured London’s
Fanshawe College Falcons against
the Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology Ooks.
The Falcons were able to prevail
and won the championship.
Just a week after the tournament,
the Niagara College team was back
on the ice practicing for its future
endeavours.
For scores and results from the
2013 CCAA Curling Championships, visit http://ccaa.ca/curling2013/.