Patricia Lonergan

‘A singular legacy’: U of T community remembers former Mississauga Mayor ‘Hurricane’ Hazel McCallion

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 16:25:20 +0000

‘A singular legacy’: U of T community remembers former Mississauga Mayor ‘Hurricane’ Hazel McCallion

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 01/30/2023 - 11:25

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Hazel McCallion with U of T Mississauga’s Amrita Daniere and U of T President Meric Gertler during during Carlo Fidani's honorary degree ceremony in 2019 (photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Topic

Meric Gertler

Mississauga

Politics

U of T Mississauga

The ��Ƶ community is mourning the death of Hazel McCallion, a devoted champion for her community and a longtime friend of U of T Mississauga.

The legendary former mayor of Mississauga – nicknamed “Hurricane Hazel” for her bold approach – died on Jan. 29 at the age of 101. She is survived by her children Peter, Paul and Linda, and by granddaughter Erika.

She was an honorary U of T degree recipient and special adviser to U of T Mississauga.

“The ��Ƶ joins in mourning the loss of our great friend, adviser and champion Hazel McCallion,” says U of T President Meric Gertler. “Hazel played a key role in the development of U of T Mississauga as a powerful engine of progress in the western GTA and well beyond. This sprang from her belief in the crucial importance of higher education and her incredibly passionate devotion to the City of Mississauga and its residents.

“Hazel has left a singular legacy, through her lifetime of civic leadership and charitable initiatives. Her accomplishments as a trailblazer will benefit all of us for generations to come. On behalf of the entire U of T community, I offer deepest condolences to the McCallion family.”

The fifth mayor of Mississauga, McCallion was also its longest serving and best known. She held the office from 1978 to 2014, having been elected 12 times – twice by acclamation. She prided herself on never campaigning formally, saying she won her elections one voter at a time in the grocery stores and at hockey rinks.

During McCallion’s 36 years as mayor, Mississauga grew from a suburb of 250,000 people to Canada’s sixth-largest city, boasting more than 50 Fortune 500 company headquarters. Under her guidance, Mississauga developed into a key economic centre, attracting international investment and building a thriving and culturally diverse city that has earned international acclaim.

Hazel McCallion receives her honorary degree from U of T in 2010. McCallion is hooded by Professor Ulrich Krull as she faces then-U of T Chancellor David Peterson (photo by David Cooper/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

In 2010, U of T honoured McCallion, then 89, with an honorary doctor of laws in recognition of her remarkable contributions to public life.

A strong proponent of education and innovation, McCallion understood the value and importance of a university for the development of a city. U of T Mississauga collaborated with McCallion, the city, and other stakeholders and industries, creating active partnerships and links within the community. One such collaboration was the Healthy City Stewardship Centre, a made-in-Mississauga model led by McCallion that, in 2006, won the World Leadership Award honouring exceptional leadership in cities around the world.

When the university was developing the Mississauga Academy of Medicine, an increase in spaces for medical students was needed. True to her unflinching style, McCallion made the necessary phone calls, explaining the value of this expansion – and it worked.

She also helped U of T Mississauga to raise $6 million for her namesake Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre.

After retiring from politics, McCallion took on the mantle of special adviser to U of T Mississauga, where she advised on matters relating to strategic development, consulted with the Institute for Management and Innovation to develop a master’s degree in urban innovation and development, and lent her expertise to a non-credit training course for those aspiring to enter public service.

She also served as a guest lecturer and served as an invaluable mentor, interacting with faculty members and students over the decades.

“Hazel was a dedicated advocate for UTM and a fierce champion for Mississauga,” says U of T Vice-President and U of T Mississauga Principal Alexandra Gillespie. “Strong, outspoken and knowledgeable, her extraordinary contributions as a civic leader and, later, a tireless volunteer, strengthened our community, helping our campus and city grow into the diverse, innovative, global leader it is today.

“This is a tremendous loss,” she continues. “We have lost a valued adviser and trusted friend. Her energy, spirit and unwavering commitment to a brighter future will be deeply missed.”

Hazel McCallion attends the opening of the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre (File photo)

Ulrich Krull, former vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga, remembers McCallion as a leader with a vision.

“Although the world is filled with billions of people, each of them with their individual stories, Hazel rises above the noise with a bright beacon, creating a better place,” Krull says. “She touched everywhere, from our neighbourhood to our province, our country and the globe.”

McCallion described herself as a child of the Great Depression and had no formal education, recalls former U of T Mississauga Vice-President and Principal Ian Orchard. This motivated her to value an education she could not have and support education for others.

Orchard remembers walking with McCallion through the recently opened Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre. Students yelled out her name and asked for selfies. Everyone in Mississauga knew her, he says, and knew they could call her “Hazel.”

“The ��Ƶ Mississauga has lost a true friend,” says Orchard, who describes McCallion as a force to be reckoned with, a force for the better, someone who instilled pride in the city and a role model for many.

“In many ways the City of Mississauga and UTM grew up together, and we mourn the loss of such a wonderful friend and incredible champion of UTM. Her outstanding legacy will live on at UTM.”

Born in Port Daniel, Que., on Valentine’s Day in 1921, McCallion worked as a secretary with the Canadian Kellogg company – first in Montreal and then in Toronto. She settled in Mississauga after her husband Sam’s parents gifted the newlyweds land in Streetsville in honour of their 1951 wedding.

Streetsville was the launch pad for McCallion’s career in politics. She was elected deputy reeve in 1967. She then served as mayor of the village from 1970 to 1973 before joining Mississauga’s city council after amalgamation in 1974.

In her first bid for mayor in 1978, she won by 3,000 votes.

A little over a year into her first term, she and the city were thrust into the world spotlight when a string of CN rail cars carrying dangerous chemicals, including liquid chlorine, derailed as they passed over Mavis Road at Dundas Street on Nov. 10, 1979.

More than 200,000 residents had to be evacuated. At the time, it was the largest peacetime evacuation in North American history. The only injury reported was to McCallion herself, who twisted her ankle while surveying the wreckage.

The derailment not only put the city on the international map, but also helped open it up the wider region. During negotiations with Canadian Pacific Rail to recoup the cost of the emergency response, McCallion’s council convinced CP to allow GO trains on their Milton line. The deal opened the line – and the city – to commuters.

Her deft handling of the crisis earned her the moniker “Hurricane” and cemented her reputation as a resolute leader.

Hazel McCallion celebrates at U of T Mississauga's 50th anniversary gala in 2017 (photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

McCallion earned many accolades throughout her political career. They included: Member of the Order of Canada, Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun, first chancellor of Sheridan College and 2005 runner-up for the World Mayor Award.

After retiring as mayor, McCallion continued her busy pace, taking on roles as Chief Elder Officer for the retirement living group Revera Inc. and as business ambassador for the law firm Speigel Nichols Fox LLP.

In February 2022, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the 18-kilometre Hurontario LRT line linking several transit systems (which McCallion had demanded from the provincial government after Toronto received one). It will be named the Hazel McCallion Line.

McCallion also found time for her personal passions. A lifelong hockey fan known for carrying ice skates in her trunk “just in case,” McCallion played professional women’s hockey for the Montreal Kik in the 1940s for $5 a game. As a board member of the Ontario Women's Hockey League, she was instrumental in the construction of the Hershey Centre in Mississauga and helped Don Cherry’s group bring an Ontario Hockey League franchise to the city in 1998.

She also founded Hazel's Hope, a campaign to fund health care for children afflicted with AIDS and HIV in southern Africa.

On her 101st birthday, McCallion shared the advice she would give to her 20-year-old self:

“Think positive, work hard and, if you want to be a success, you’ve got to be independent and you have to realize that you are on this earth for a purpose, so get with it,” she said. “And do your homework.”

Community members who wish to make a gift in memory of Hazel McCallion can do so by visiting this weblink.

Startup lands federal contract to plant one million trees across Canada using drones

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 17:24:42 +0000

Startup lands federal contract to plant one million trees across Canada using drones

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 10/17/2022 - 13:24

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Bryce Jones is the co-founder and CEO of Flash Forest, which has secured $1.35 million from Natural Resources Canada to help reforest wildfire ravaged sites across Canada (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Topic

A Mississauga-based startup with ties to the ��Ƶ Mississauga has received a federal contract under the 2 Billion Trees program to help boost reforestation efforts in areas devastated by wildfire while also combatting the effects of climate change.

As part of a $1.35-million contract from Natural Resources Canada, Flash Forest will use drones to plant more than one million trees over the next two years in wildfire-ravaged locations across Canada.

The startup’s drones can reach hard-to-access areas and plant trees 10 times faster at a fraction of the cost of conventional methods – and on a larger scale.

Co-founder and CEO Bryce Jones underscored the importance of such work by recalling the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fire that consumed over 25,000 hectares of forest and parkland in Kelowna, B.C., where he lived at the time.

“Twenty years later there’s no forest left,” he said. “It’s because we missed the opportunity to reforest the site.”

The contract with Flash Forest – which uses aerial mapping software, drones, automation and advanced seed pods to rapidly seed wildfire-affected sites – was recently announced at U of T Mississauga.

“As we know, climate change is the world’s most pressing challenge as global temperatures rise,” said Mississauga East-Cooksville MP Peter Fonseca, who was joined by Mississauga-Erin Mills MP Iqra Khalid at the event.

Climate change, Fonseca continued, is making wildfires more severe and frequent, noting that this year alone wildfires have destroyed thousands of hectares of forest in Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, British Columbia and Ontario.

“There’s no question that the need for more responsible stewardship of our planet is urgent. There’s no time to waste, especially as we look to achieve net zero by 2050,” Fonseca said. “By using drones, we can plant more swiftly, efficiently and effectively, making it easier to grow our forests, clean our air, support important habitats for wildlife and restore valuable ecosystems.”

Flash Forest uses aerial mapping software, drones, automation and advanced seed pods to rapidly seed wildfire-affected sites (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Jones said that Flash Forest, which he co-founded with his brother Cameron, is focused on restoring severe wildfire sites where the seed pods and cones are lost and “the forest really needs a hand” to regenerate.

He added that he used to plant trees the traditional way – with a shovel and a few hundred saplings – but wanted to get involved with climate technology. The big question, he said, was how reforestation could be automated.

“You really can’t do it from the ground. You can’t do it with robots on the forest floor – there are too many objects and snags and obstacles,” he said.

But, he realized, it could be done from the air. Drone technology was already available, with recent advancements allowing for larger payloads and longer ranges, creating a whole new set of applications, including within forestry. Using drones for reforestation efforts is highly scalable and could have a significant impact toward mitigating climate change.

“It’s also quite cool,” Jones said.

Back row, from left: Alexandra Gillespie, Peter Fonseca, Iqra Khalid and Ignacio Mongrell. Front row, from left: Cameron Jones, Bryce Jones and Angelique Ahlstrom (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Shortly after Flash Forest was launched in 2019, the founders turned to U of T Mississauga’s ICUBE incubator for support. Jones said ICUBE, which specializes in social entrepreneurship, assisted Fast Forest with funding and helped them bolster their research. That includes providing the founders access to U of T’s greenhouse, where they conduct the bulk of their research and development on their seed pods and germination. Fast Forest also hires undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral reseachers from U of T Mississauga.

Alexandra Gillespie, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga, said the university is well-suited to support the kind of work undertaken by Flash Forest.

“We lead Canada’s largest, most diversified, and most integrated network of robotics and AI talent, who show the power of enabling technologies and transform multiple fields at once: from health care and mobility to sustainability and green economies,” she said, adding that U of T has created an entrepreneurial community that has earned more than $1.5 billion in investment over the past 10 years.

One of Flash Forest’s goals is to plant one billion trees by 2028, reaching areas that would otherwise not be reforested. The contribution from Natural Resources Canada is also creating jobs for Canadians. The company, which currently employs 30 people, is expected to double its workforce over the next two years. Jones said he anticipates employing hundreds, if not thousands, in the future.

Jones said he’s honoured to partner with Natural Resources Canada.

“It’s a dream come true. It’s something we’ve been pushing for,” Jones said. “We intend to have [Natural Resources Canada] as a long-term partner.”

U of T accepts all recommendations of sexual violence and sexual harassment policy review

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 20:25:29 +0000

U of T accepts all recommendations of sexual violence and sexual harassment policy review

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 07/15/2022 - 16:25

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(Photo by Daria Perevezentsev)

Patricia Lonergan

Topic

Our Community

Kelly Hannah-Moffat

Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre

Cheryl Regehr

Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

Meric Gertler

Sexual & Gender Diversity Office

The ��Ƶ is taking steps to boost its supports for those affected by sexual violence or harassment, address barriers to reporting and take a leadership role within the university sector to address sexual violence and sexual harassment in academia.

The changes respond to recommendations made in the final report of U of T’s sexual violence and sexual harassment policy review, which was released Friday. The university has indicated in its response to the report that it has accepted all 12 of the report’s recommendations and will begin to implement them immediately.

Co-chaired by Professor Linda Johnston, dean of the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, and Allison Burgess, director of the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office, the review involved extensive consultation with students, staff, faculty and librarians over the course of almost half a year.

“In our conversations and consultations, we heard a great deal of appreciation for the work that is both historic and ongoing in the area of sexual harassment and sexual violence,” says Johnston. “We also heard frustrations and calls for the university to do better when it comes to fostering a culture of consent, accountability and respect.”

Burgess adds that the review’s call to action aligns with U of T’s mission to foster an academic community in which every member may thrive.

"The recommendations outlined in the report are offered with the sincere hope that the university can enhance those supports, improve processes and policies, and build a community of care on our campuses,” Burgess adds. “We have an institutional obligation to ensure that members of our community affected by sexual violence and harassment receive necessary supports so that they, too, may flourish.”

Carried out every three years, the review looks for ways to improve the current Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment and strengthen supports and services. As part of this year’s review, the co-chairs facilitated a total of 54 consultation sessions across the three campuses. They also received responses through an online form and formal submissions from student groups.

President Meric Gertler says he is grateful to those who participated in the review process and shared their experiences.

“U of T is committed to building the best systems and practices to protect all members of our community from sexual violence and sexual harassment, to support survivors and ensure that the university is safe for learning, research and other activities,” he says.

“I commend the authors of the final report for their clear and thorough discussion of complex and challenging issues. I look forward to seeing their important recommendations implemented across the university’s three campuses.”

While many of the recommendations will be enacted swiftly, others will require appropriate consultation and thoughtful planning.

To help co-ordinate and manage the various aspects of the reporting process under the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment, the university will prioritize hiring new case managers. These case managers will be responsible for taking reports, tracking the progress of reports through the process, and communicating relevant university decisions to participants. This will allow the staff at the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support (SVPS) Centre responsible for supporting survivors to better focus on trauma-informed support and will also assist the university with its commitment to moving reports through in a timely manner.

The university will also increase counselling supports in partnership with U of T’s existing Health & Wellness offices, as well as community-based organizations that offer longer-term, culturally specific and after-hours counselling and support.

Meanwhile, the Student’s Guide to the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment will be simplified to increase its clarity and ease of use, and a companion guide will be created for faculty, librarians and staff.

Steps have also been taken to broaden education on sexual violence and sexual harassment, a common theme found throughout the report. The SVPS centre recently hired an assistant director of education and communication who will oversee the centre’s tri-campus educational curriculum.

“We are continuously looking for ways to improve our policies, reduce barriers to reporting and strengthen our supports,” says Cheryl Regehr, vice-president and provost. “The actions we are taking on these recommendations reflect our ongoing commitment to prevent sexual violence and promote a culture where any member from our community who has experienced sexual violence or harassment feels safe and supported sharing their experiences.”

To increase institutional accountability, the university will provide more detailed annual reporting on sexual violence and sexual harassment beginning next year. The reporting will be readily accessible to the public but will still protect the privacy of all those involved.

“I’d like to thank all the members across the tri-campus community who provided feedback during this process,” says Kelly Hannah-Moffat, vice-president of people strategy, equity and culture. “It can be incredibly challenging to engage in these discussions.

“I can see how your participation and insights have enriched the recommendations thoughtfully proposed by the co-chairs. Based on the recommendations of the review, we will continue to improve not only our processes but also how we educate and train our community about sexual violence prevention and supports.”

The university is also establishing guidelines and processes to share information with other institutions to help address sexual violence and harassment within academia.

In 2021, U of T signed on to the principles of the Association of American Universities (AAU), which recommend that, when considering whether to hire a faculty member, institutions contact prior employers to determine if the faculty member has been found to have engaged in sexual harassment or misconduct while at that institution. The university is committed to developing processes to implement this recommendation in the 2022-23 academic year.

U of T will also bring the AAU recommendation forward to various post-secondary organizations with which it is affiliated and will consult with international groups and peer institutions about how to expand the recommendation more broadly within the sector.

Work has already begun on new policy language in line with those changes recommended in the report. All proposed changes to the policy will go through U of T’s governance process this November and December. Members of the community will have an opportunity to provide additional feedback in September and October via the university’s consultation website.

The Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre serves students, staff, and faculty at the ��Ƶ who have been affected by sexual violence and harassment.

If you are in crisis or immediate danger, call 911.

Consultations are available by phone, e-mail, in-person, and video conferencing. Email svpscentre@utoronto.ca or call 416-978-2266 to set up an appointment.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault or harassment, 24/7 crisis support is also available from these community resources.

Alumna Roberta Bondar marks 30th anniversary of historic space flight

geoff.vendeville — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:24:27 +0000

Alumna Roberta Bondar marks 30th anniversary of historic space flight

geoff.vendeville Fri, 01/21/2022 - 11:24

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This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of U of T alumna Roberta Bondar's space flight during which she circled the globe 129 times (photo by Don Dixon)

Patricia Lonergan

Topic

Our Community

Three decades ago, Roberta Bondar gained a whole new perspective of Earth, one few have an opportunity to experience. Making history as the first female Canadian astronaut, the ��Ƶ alumna circled the Earth 129 times during an eight-day mission.

Tomorrow, Jan. 22 – exactly 30 years from the day she blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center, travelling about 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 km/hr) to remain in orbit – Bondar’s historic space flight will be celebrated with a ticketed online event hosted by the Roberta Bondar Foundation.

Bondar earned a PhD in neurobiology at U of T studied under the supervision of Professor Betty Roots at Erindale College (now U of T Mississauga). She helped Roots set up an electron microscope facility at Erindale. Prior to studying at U of T, Bondar earned a bachelor of science degree in zoology and agriculture at the University of Guelph and a master of science in experimental pathology at the University of Western Ontario. She also holds a doctor of medicine from McMaster University.

When she rocketed into space, an Erindale College crest was nestled among the limited personal belongings she was allowed to bring.

One of seven astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery’s January 1992 mission, Bondar was also the first neurologist in space. The shuttle was outfitted with the Spacelab module and one of the main goals of the mission was to study the effects of microgravity on a variety of organisms.

Roberta Bondar, payload specialist representing the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), works at the International Microgravity Laboratory's biorack while astronaut Stephen Oswald, pilot, changes a film magazine on the IMAX camera (photo courtesy of NASA)

Bondar conducted dozens of experiments for 13 different countries in the first microgravity laboratory, a precursor to the International Space Station. She researched the nervous system, inner ear balancing system, eye functions and blood flow during weightlessness.

Following her groundbreaking mission, Bondar returned to Earth and headed an international research team that partnered with NASA to better understand how human bodies recover from space travel.

The information gathered during the space flight continues to help astronauts survive longer flights. Bondar's journey into space, which led her to see Earth from a whole new vantage point, inspired her to combine medicine, scientific research and knowledge of the environment to build hope for the future of humanity.

“The highlight was seeing Earth,” says Bondar. “It was a unique moment that not only changed the way I understand our planet, but it also helped frame how I view Earth and approach life on it.

“The experience encouraged me to embrace conservation of our natural world and work to protect our home.”

Roberta Bondar in Tanzania (photo courtesy of the Roberta Bondar Foundation)

Bondar returned to school to study photography at the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif., becoming a dedicated nature photographer. Her pictures have been displayed at the National Gallery of Canada and were published in photo books, including Touching the Earth, which showcases her photos of Earth from space and her thoughts on the environment. She is the author of several bestselling books featuring Canada’s National Parks and other ecologically significant environments.

In 2009, she co-founded the Roberta Bondar Foundation, a not-for-profit charity that aims to inspire interest in the environment through art. Roots, her PhD supervisor at U of T Mississauga, was a founding director. The foundation offers several programs that help cultivate a sense of awe, respect and appreciation for other lifeforms that share our planet.

Bondar continues scientific research on endangered and threatened birds and has designed the Protecting Space for Birds project, which focuses on how natural and human-inspired changes impact the safe passage of migratory birds.

She also continues to connect with U of T Mississauga students. The Roberta Bondar Graduate Student Excellence Award, through the department of biology at U of T Mississauga, recognizes outstanding PhD candidates for their research excellence and contributions to extracurricular activities that enhance community life on the campus.

A pioneer and Canadian icon, Bondar has earned many distinctions during her distinguished career, including Companion of the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, the NASA Space Medal, induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and the International Women’s Forum’s Hall of Fame. She holds numerous honorary doctorates and even has her own star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Mass vaccination clinic hosted by U of T Mississauga winds down after more than 335,000 doses

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 14:12:34 +0000

Mass vaccination clinic hosted by U of T Mississauga winds down after more than 335,000 doses

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 07/28/2021 - 10:12

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Alexandra Gillespie, vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga, celebrates the success of a Trillium Health Partners vaccine clinic that was hosted at U of T Mississauga's Recreation, Athletics, & Wellness Centre (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Topic

The final dose has been administered at one of Peel region’s first mass vaccination clinics, marking yet another milestone in the collaborative effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

As vaccination rates continue to rise across Peel and community-based vaccine clinic options become more easily accessible, Trillium Health Partners (THP) and U of T Mississauga have closed the clinic that was located at U of T Mississauga’s Recreation, Athletics, & Wellness Centre.

Feelings of pride took centre stage as the clinic prepared to close July 27. At a morning huddle with clinic staff, senior leadership from THP and U of T Mississauga thanked everyone who had volunteered to serve at the clinic since it first opened in March.

“At the peak of the pandemic, we put out a call for help and hundreds of you responded,” said Simone Harrington, THP’s vaccine program lead. “I’m grateful to each and every one of you for answering this call.”

“For months, we’ve fought this together,” added Dr. Maithy Tran, site clinic lead. “It’s now time for us to step back. We’ve all done a great job and can be proud of what we’ve accomplished for the community.”

(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Since the clinic opened on March 1, staff have administered more than 335,000 doses.

“On behalf of UTM, I want to express my tremendous gratitude to our partners at Trillium Health Partners, and thank the vaccine clinic staff and volunteers, including our outstanding UTM staff, for making such an incredible difference in our community,” said Alexandra Gillespie, vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga. “The vaccine clinic represents an outstanding collaboration with THP and the Region of Peel.”

Complementing THP’s Mississauga Hospital J-Wing COVID-19 vaccination clinic, which launched in December 2020, the U of T Mississauga clinic opened at a critical time during the third wave of the pandemic, providing the community access to vaccines as part of Peel’s Community Mass Vaccination Plan.

After the clinic launched, staff moved quickly to deliver 2,000 doses a day, seven days a week. As supplies increased, the clinic ramped up its capacity – administering over 5,000 doses a day at its peak. As a result, the clinic was able to achieve its goal of providing first and second doses to residents well ahead of schedule.

“We are deeply grateful for UTM’s partnership and support in vaccinating the community we serve during this pandemic,” said Karli Farrow, president and CEO of THP. “Together, with the Region of Peel we were able to expedite administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, resulting in quicker community access to first and second doses, and, ultimately, protection against the virus.”

(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Uniquely equipped to support the COVID-19 mass vaccination campaign, U of T Mississauga not only provided an accessible facility that was easy to reach by car or public transit, but also supplied specialized freezers, typically used for scientific research, to store vaccines safely and securely. At the same time, U of T Mississauga staff shared their time and expertise to support the clinic in areas that included human resources, environmental health and safety, information technology, facilities management, site security and communications

“The university is pleased to have supported these exceptional efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of our community and usher us closer toward an end to this pandemic,” Gillespie said.

Vaccine appointments will still be available at THP’s Mississauga Hospital J-Wing clinic as THP supports the region’s transition to a longer-term approach for vaccination, which includes primary care facilities and pharmacies.

Women face 'double-bind' when applying for jobs in male-dominated fields, U of T researchers find

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 16:18:05 +0000

Women face 'double-bind' when applying for jobs in male-dominated fields, U of T researchers find

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 12/15/2020 - 11:18

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A U of T study found that attempts by women job-seekers to overcome anticipated gender bias can backfire because they clash with deeply entrenched cultural stereotypes (photo by EyeEm via Getty Images)

Patricia Lonergan

Topic

Breaking Research

Graduate Students

Research & Innovation

Rotman School of Management

U of T Mississauga

Women

Women applying to jobs in male-dominated fields often try to overcome sexism by altering their cover letters so they sound less feminine. But that practice may actually be hurting their chances of landing a job, a new University of Toronto study finds.

Examining real cover letters to a variety of actual jobs and analyzing applications to an MBA program, Joyce He, a PhD candidate at U of T’s Rotman School of Management, found that women applying for jobs in male-dominated fields would respond to anticipated bias by using less feminine language to deliberately manage gender impressions.

While the female job seekers did not use more masculine language, they did try to conceal their femininity by avoiding words that are stereotypically associated with women, including “sensitive,” “interpersonal,” “empathetic,” “helpful,” “warm” and “friendly.” Examples of words that people associate with masculinity, meanwhile, include “competitive,” “ ambitious,” “confident,” “outspoken” and “entrepreneurial.”

Notably, words identified as masculine hold higher value in the business world. That’s why associations are made with respect to gender and probability of success, says Sonia Kang, an associate professor at U of T Mississauga’s department of management and co-author of the study published in the Academy of Management Journal.

“When we see those kinds of words, it’s a cue not only to the fact that this is going to be a man, but also that this person is going to be better suited to this particular position,” says Kang. “That’s why language in all these application materials is so important. They cue to more than just identity.”

Research suggests women’s identity is devalued when they apply for male-dominated jobs and they tend to anticipate discrimination or bias in the selection process, according to He.

“They need to hide the devalued part, the feminine side, which is why they use this strategy,” she says, adding that men do not engage in the same behaviour when applying for female-dominated roles.

Attempts by female applicants to manage gender impressions can actually backfire because they clash with deeply entrenched cultural stereotypes.

He says that there’s an unspoken rule regarding how men and women should act. “Men should behave competitively and dominantly, and women should behave more friendly and communal,” she says. “When you go against the rules or expectations, women especially can receive this backlash or penalty.”

She notes that women who behave counter-stereotypically are seen as more competent but also less likable, which, in turn, means they are less likely to be hired or even promoted.

This is related to the double-bind women face, according to Kang. She says stereotypes suggest men should be in charge because they’re assertive, decisive and get things done. When women take on that role, they’re seen as competent but are less likely to be liked. At the same time, women contend with the stereotype that they should be more nurturing and communal. When women act in line with those gendered stereotypes, they end up being liked but are seen as less competent.

“You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Kang says, adding that men don’t have to navigate the same no-win situation. “If (men) are super confident, people don’t care if they’re likable.”

He says the onus shouldn’t be on women (or minorities for that matter) to try to navigate biases in the labour market. The onus should be on organizations to reduce bias, which is the root of the problem, she says.

He is now shifting her research focus to design interventions that help de-bias the selection process. That could include anonymized evaluations or reviewing applications in sets instead of individually.

But such systemic solutions take a long time to implement and job seekers can’t wait.

Kang says women forced to contend with existing biases in the labour market should approach job applications like an experiment and find what works for them. That might mean changing how different activities are presented or how you present yourself.

“The work really shows it doesn’t help to pretend to be something you’re not,” Kang says. “I know it sounds pithy, but be yourself is the takeaway here.”

Using tree rings, U of T researchers measure history of mercury contamination in Yukon

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 17:06:30 +0000

Using tree rings, U of T researchers measure history of mercury contamination in Yukon

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 11/09/2020 - 12:06

Cutline

Researchers at U of T Mississauga examined tree rings in Bear Creek, a former mining site near Dawson City, Yukon, to trace the history of mercury contamination in the area (photo by Trevor Porter)

Topic

Research & Innovation

Sustainability

U of T Mississauga

Yukon

By examining clues hidden beneath tree bark, a research team from the ��Ƶ Mississauga is recording the history of pollution in Canada’s North.

Paleoclimatologist Trevor Porter (pictured), an assistant professor of geography, geomatics and the environment who uses tree rings to understand past climate, recently teamed up with Igor Lehnherr, a fellow assistant professor who studies contaminants, and master’s student Sydney Clackett to investigate annual pollution levels at an old gold mining site in the Yukon. They were particularly interested in the “heavily polluted” Bear Creek area, a busy gold mining town that operated from 1905 to 1966 just outside Dawson City, Yukon.

One of the methods used in the past to extract gold from river gravel was to add mercury, which binds to the gold to help separate it from the sediment. The deposits were then heated to separate the gold and mercury. The process of burning off the mercury meant some of it was diffused into the atmosphere, where trees would “breath it in” during their growing season, according to Porter.

“Especially in the north, trees are growing in this really temperature-limited environment so we can look at the rings and almost interpret it like a climate record, going back in time,” he says.

Porter and the other researchers took core samples from 15 trees growing in the area to see if the rings could provide a year-by-year account of atmospheric mercury levels created by past local mining operations. Core samples from an area unaffected by local mining operations were also collected as a control site.

The team found that the trees at Bear Creek not only hold a record of mercury levels, but those changes in levels match, precisely, the known activities at the site. Their findings were recently published in Environmental Pollution.

U of T Mississauga master’s student Sydney Clackett collects a bore sample from a tree at Bear Creek, a former gold mining site in the Yukon. The samples were used to measure past concentrations of atmospheric mercury in the area (photo by Trevor Porter)

“We were just amazed when we saw this big spike in mercury take off, especially when operations at the site started expanding,” Porter says. “Trends on this site were just orders of magnitude greater than what was happening naturally.”

In 1923, for example, there was a merger of all major Klondike mining operations and more ore was brought to Bear Creek for processing. That year, researchers observed a “rocket ship” trend in the mercury data. By contrast, as operations started to wind down in the 1940s and 1950s, there’s a precipitous decline in mercury concentrations. The fastest rate of decline appears in 1966, when the site closed.

“I was amazed at how closely it corresponded to what we could gather from the historical record,” Porter says, adding the research provides compelling evidence that this is a reliable method to track concentrations of local atmospheric mercury. “It elevates the idea that tree rings are an important archive for studying past changes in mercury.”

There’s not a lot of global data about changes to atmospheric mercury, Porter adds. While there is some monitoring in highly urbanized areas, the data only goes back about 30 years. U of T Mississauga researchers, meanwhile, were able to analyze 151 years’ worth of data using tree rings.

The “Gold Room” at the Bear Creek site where mercury was used to extract fine gold from the placer ore (photo by Trevor Porter)

Although levels of mercury recorded at Bear Creek slowly came down to baseline levels, those baselines have been increasing over the past decade. Porter says that an uptick in atmospheric mercury has been observed in two other sites in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and has recently been confirmed by other records, including lake sediment in Alaska. That increase in mercury has been linked to rising emissions in Asia (mercury is not used in modern mining practices in Yukon).

Porter says there are international treaties to reduce mercury pollution and, while there’s been a lot of progress, “we know that’s not happening everywhere. Some still use dirty energy sources and other industries emit mercury.”

A larger network of sites is needed to better understand these regional increases and determine what is happening, according to Porter. He says he’s already looking additional sites in Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

“We’re scaling up our efforts to better understand recent trends in the environment.”

Armed with 3D scanners, U of T anthropologists ready hundreds of fossils for virtual labs

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 16:16:09 +0000

Armed with 3D scanners, U of T anthropologists ready hundreds of fossils for virtual labs

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 10/15/2020 - 12:16

Cutline

Anthropology student Lavania Nagendran scans a cast of a skull using a handheld scanner as part of a cross-campus project to digitize specimens for virtual labs (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

In a small room at the Terrence Donnelly Health Science Complex at the ��Ƶ Mississauga, a cast of a hominin skull is carefully being scanned. Its prominent features, distinguishing characteristics and even the smallest surface details are all replicated in exacting detail as part of a project that’s bringing fossils into the digital realm.

The skull is one of hundreds of specimens being added to an online 3D digital database for anthropology students who can’t access bone casts and fossils in person due to the pandemic.

Lauren Schroeder, an assistant professor of anthropology, says knew she had to find a way to get lab specimens in the hands of her students after classes moved online. She and her TA scoured the web for resources they could use in a virtual lab, but found it difficult to find all the material in one place – and many specimens simply weren’t available.

That’s when she and her colleagues decided to create their own digital database from their teaching collection. Fortunately, U of T Mississauga’s anthropology department had recently purchased a handheld 3D scanner capable of rendering complex objects in fine detail. Her colleagues at St. George had access to one, too.

“We were really lucky,” Schroeder says. “Things just fell into place.”

Bence Viola and Michelle Cameron, who each teach similar courses at the St. George campus where they are both assistant professors in the department of anthropology, are also scanning their teaching collections. The three colleagues are using a shared spreadsheet to track scans so they can spread the workload and avoid duplicating efforts.

“We’ve spent more than 100 hours scanning specimens already,” says Viola, whose graduate student has already scanned a full male and female skeleton, bone by bone. “It’s a significant investment, but it’s important. It’s the only way to teach this year.”

A skull is carefully scanned using a handheld 3D scanner. The process is slow because the high-resolution models need to show the smallest surface details (image by Johnny Guatto)

Viola explains that the scanning process is slow because the high-resolution models need to show the smallest surface details. While some models can be shared with a broader audience, scans of real bones and some other fossils will only be available to students.

Hundreds of specimens from U of T Mississauga’s teaching collection – mostly consisting of casts of hominin skulls and primate post-cranial material (such as leg bones) – are being scanned for Schroeder’s upcoming second year anthropology class, Biological Anthropology: Primatology and Palaeoanthropology, which starts in January.

“The course provides an overview of skeletal anatomy across multiple species of primate, including us,” Schroeder says, noting the course has a significant lab component that consists of activities using bone casts.

Hundreds of specimens from U of T Mississauga’s teaching collection are being scanned for a class that begins in January (photo by Johnny Guatto)

The 3D digital models imitate the casts students would normally work with during an in-person lab. Students can interact with the virtual models, turning them, zooming in on points of interest and noting surface details. The models are also annotated, drawing attention to certain features students will need to recognize.

While the pandemic spurred the project, both Schroeder and Viola see opportunities to use the newly digitized teaching collection in conjunction with hands-on learning when labs resume normal operations. Students can use the digital models for review, special assignments or even as a way to virtually take a specimen home for further study – something not possible with the real objects.

Viola refers to the database as a “virtual textbook” that is always available to students. The 3D digital models can also be used by professors for tests and exams, and even by researchers out in the field.

The 3D digital models imitate the casts students would normally work with during an in-person lab.

Creating a cross-campus digital collection also has the potential to broaden what students can access. Each campus offers different anthropology specializations and slightly different courses. With that comes access to some specialized collections. By creating a digitized database, specimens unique to one campus can be scanned into the system for use across the university.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for students to see what other people do and learn from experts on other campuses,” Viola says.

Rhonda McEwen named special adviser on anti-racism and equity at U of T Mississauga

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 20:06:58 +0000

Rhonda McEwen named special adviser on anti-racism and equity at U of T Mississauga

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 09/23/2020 - 16:06

Cutline

Associate Professor Rhonda McEwen, director of U of T Mississauga’s Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology, has spearheaded or become involved in numerous equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives (photo by Paul Orenstein)

Patricia Lonergan

Topic

Our Community

Alexandra Gillespie

Diversity and Inclusion

Equity

U of T Mississauga

When University of Toronto Mississauga associate professor Rhonda McEwen was growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, most of the people in her life – her neighbours, university teachers, senior executives, politicians and even the prime minister – were either Black or people of colour.

“I didn’t have this idea, growing up, that things could be limited for me because of the colour my skin or because of my gender,” she says, adding she was a STEM student at an all-girls school.

It wasn’t until McEwen moved to England for her first master’s degree that she experienced what it was like being in a minority group.

Since moving to Canada about 18 years ago, McEwen has spearheaded or become involved in numerous equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives, including U of T Mississauga’s Black Table Talks, a networking opportunity for Black students, faculty and staff, and Visions of Science, which engages youth from low-income or marginalized communities in STEM subjects. As a member of the U of T Mississauga research council, she helped develop a policy to support female researchers on parental leave. McEwen was also instrumental in bringing Black colleagues at U of T Mississauga together.

In recognition of the work she has already undertaken and in an effort to build on that progress, McEwen was recently appointed the vice-president and principal’s special adviser on anti-racism and equity at U of T Mississauga.

The creation of the position comes at a time when the world faces a moment of historical reckoning. Alexandra Gillespie, vice-president and principal at U of T Mississauga, says that, while the injustices are not new, we are confronting them in different ways.

“It is important that, as a university, we recognize that and create new mechanisms by which we can listen to racialized members of our communities and hear from them what the university needs to do to address systemic racism locally and globally,” she says.

While McEwen’s role is to directly advise Gillespie and members of her executive team, Gillespie stresses that it is not up to McEwen and other racialized members of the community to do all the work.

“Her position is to speak and for us to listen,” Gillespie says. “It’s our job to do the work, to put new structures in place, to provide education where it’s missing, to open up new opportunities, to put funding where it’s not, to hire people where they weren’t and to change the way we do business.”

For McEwen, it’s about actively listening to the community and bringing their ideas and concerns forward. It’s also about using her voice to move the needle on important issues. She is already setting up a listening tour where she’ll meet with every U of T Mississauga unit head to gather any information she can relay up the line.

There is also a plan for an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office retreat that will bring a diverse mix of people at campus together to determine simple but meaningful and effective initiatives that can be immediately accomplished.

With advice from McEwen, Gillespie’s team is putting together a series of actions that focus on Black, Indigenous and racialized faculty and staff, with other actions focused on the needs of staff and the community to come. Gillespie says they are not only examining issues around anti-racism, but targeting matters related to equity and seeking opportunities where women, people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community can thrive, grow and rise up the ranks.

“There’s a lot that needs to be done and there’s a lot going on,” Gillespie says, adding that she’s currently focusing on the university’s existing strengths and relying on structures already in place because of the pandemic.

“I am enormously grateful to Rhonda for her willingness to provide this advice.”

As for why she has taken on this important, yet monumental task when she’s also a Canada Research Chair in Tactile Interfaces, Communication and Cognition and director of U of T Mississauga’s Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology, McEwen explains: “I, myself, had to come to understand what (the Black) experience was like; I am open to the time it takes for others to get there too. I have the energy, the capacity, the patience and the hope that we will get there.

“I have a very positive outlook on this role."

Predator loss, climate change combine to devastate Alaskan reefs: U of T study

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 15:40:39 +0000

Predator loss, climate change combine to devastate Alaskan reefs: U of T study

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 09/17/2020 - 11:40

Cutline

Massive reefs, built slowly over centuries to millennia, are now rapidly eroding because of overgrazing by sea urchins amid predator loss and climate change (photo by J. Tomoleon)

Topic

Alaska’s living reefs – which house an entire ecosystem – are collapsing thanks to climate change and the disappearance of sea otters, new research published in the journal Science reveals.

Weakened by warming waters and increased acidity, the centuries-old reefs are being ground down by sea urchins, whose population has exploded following the functional extinction of their predator, the Aleutian sea otter.

“It’s basically a top down relationship,” says Jochen Halfar, a paleoclimate and paleontology professor at the ��Ƶ Mississauga who studies sea floor algae and was one of the study’s authors.

He says that, with the loss of their original food source due to hunting, orcas now prey on sea otters, seals and other smaller marine animals. The adaptation has, in turn, led to the removal of sea otters from the system and their main food source – sea urchins – are now proliferating unchecked.

“It’s amazing the amount of sea urchins on the sea floor,” Halfar says, noting there were sometimes layers of urchins stacked on the seabed when he was diving. “I had to use knee pads to get down to the sea floor so the sea urchins wouldn’t puncture my dry suit.”

Bioeroded alga with numerous sea urchins of different sizes grazing on the dead tissue (photo by Jochen Halfar)

Sea urchins prefer to eat kelp, but with so many dining on the once-abundant underwater forests, they’ve had to turn to an alternate food source: the coralline algae that form the reef.

Attached to the sea floor, the algae grow over thousands of years, one calcified layer after another, much like tree rings, with the living tissue on the surface. Halfar says the massive reef-like structures cover the Aleutian sea floor at a depth of between 10 to 30 metres.

This isn’t the first time the sea otter population has plummeted and sea urchin numbers have spiked. Halfar explains that, during the fur trade in the late 1700s and early 1800s, sea otters were hunted almost to extinction. By 1840 the population had declined so much that hunting them was no longer economical.

Yet, the reefs were nevertheless able to hold their ground against the urchins.

What makes the loss of sea otters so devastating this time around are changes to water temperature and acidity.

Oceans are warming and, according to Halfar, the acidity is rising with increased concentrations of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels.

To test the impact of temperature and acidification, the researchers put live algae and urchins in controlled environments that replicated preindustrial and current seawater conditions, plus those expected at the end of the century. Halfar says they found that the density of the calcified algae skeleton decreased and the urchin bites were deeper with higher levels of C02 in the water.

“The sea urchins, which might not have been able to attack the algae so easily maybe 50 years ago when it was colder and less acidic, are now able to inflict deeper bites,” Halfar says.

Experiments were performed to test how climate change has altered the intensity of sea urchins grazing on algae (photo by D. Rasher)

He explains that algae are built for grazing. They are able to repair their wounds and regenerate tissue. But if the bites are deep, large or numerous, the algae can’t heal.

Researchers found that lethal grazing under current conditions was about 35 per cent to 60 per cent greater than in preindustrial conditions. The rates grew by an additional 20 per cent to 40 per cent under future conditions. The results confirm that climate change has recently allowed urchins to breach the algae’s defences, pushing the system beyond a critical tipping point.

“You get what’s called bioerosion,” Halfar explains. “The entire surface of the algae is eroded and the algae ultimately die.”

The coralline algae play a vital role in the Aleutian Islands’ marine ecosystem. Different species depend on the algae substrate to live in, find shelter and reproduce.

“These structures house millions of organisms. If these reefs disappear, we’re changing the entire ecosystem – bottom up,” Halfar says.

An end of whaling could see orca shift back to their original diet, leading to the return of sea otters, which would help reduce sea urchin populations and mitigate the bioerosion that’s taking place.

That, however, is only part of the puzzle.

“Obviously temperatures are going to keep increasing,” Halfar says. “And as long as we use fossil fuels, acidity is going to keep on increasing.”

The research was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada.