Innis College

Reel impact: How a U of T alum brought free films to Toronto parks each summer

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 14:54:03 +0000

Reel impact: How a U of T alum brought free films to Toronto parks each summer

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 08/16/2024 - 10:54

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U of T alumna and TOPS founder Emily Reid, right, poses with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow during a TOPS screening this summer (photo by Rebecca Tisdelle-Macias)

David Goldberg

Topic

City & Culture

Alumni

Cinema Studies

Film

Innis College

St. Michael's College

Subheadline

'There are times when I get caught up in the planning and the numbers of it all – but that goes away at showtime. When I look out and see such an impressive crowd, it's very touching and I feel enormously proud of it'

For more than a decade, the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS) has been a staple of the city's summer scene. Whether it’s a cultural touchstone film or something more obscure, the screenings bring thousands of people together.

And it’s all thanks to ��Ƶ alumna Emily Reid.

“TOPS exists at the intersection of community, culture, cinema, public spaces, accessibility and affordability, providing programming that is available to everyone regardless of financial means,” says Reid, who is the artistic and executive director of TOPS.

The venture began humbly in 2011, just a few months after Reid earned her master of arts degree from the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Cinema Studies Institute.

The first screening billed as, “Movies in Christie Pits”, was a small, potentially one-off event, but Reid was determined to tap into something the city craved.

“I think there is such a strong desire for gathering and fostering cultural experiences together,” she says.

Within a few years, however, the park was packed every Sunday night – so Reid added more shows at more locations. After rebranding as Toronto Outdoor Picture Show and registering as a not-for-profit, Reid started running TOPS on a full-time basis.

“I didn't expect it to pay much, and I was right about that. It took quite a long time to take a salary,” says Reid. “And there are times when I get caught up in the planning and the numbers of it all – but that goes away at showtime. When I look out and see such an impressive crowd, it's very touching and I feel enormously proud of it.”

TOPS registered as a charity in 2020, which helped secure new government grants and sponsorship opportunities. This growth made it possible for Reid to hire more full-time staff and purchase better AV equipment to make the organization nimbler and more autonomous.

Thousands of people flock to Toronto parks every summer to catch Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (photo courtesy of TOPS)

Lights, camera, education

Growing up in the 1990s in small-town Quebec, the only movies Reid could watch were the ones she rented from the local video store. Her favourites included A League of Their Own and Strictly Ballroom.

Reid was infatuated with film but realized she wasn’t a born filmmaker. Her true calling was in film curation and supporting other people’s artistic goals. She knew U of T could open the right doors and give her the experience she needed to make an impact.

“Toronto always sounded like a mythical place to be,” says Reid. “I knew its reputation as a city of cinephiles and a city of festivals; I’d never been to the Toronto International Film Festival.”

For the practicum requirement of Reid’s master’s degree, she worked at Toronto’s historic Revue Cinema, where she pitched and curated her first film series. She also learned the ins and outs of film sourcing, marketing and event production – all essential skills for her future startup.

U of T played a pivotal role in expanding Reid’s industry network. She formed close bonds with the 13 people in her cinema studies cohort, some of whom later became her collaborators at TOPS.

Felan Parker, associate professor, teaching stream, in the Book & Media Studies program at St. Michael's College, is a TOPS co-founder who has served several terms on the board of directors and regularly contributes to festival programming.

“Emily is the driving force behind TOPS, having taken it from humble beginnings to what is easily the biggest and best outdoor movie event in the city,” says Parker. “She is probably the most fastidious person I know, and community-oriented public arts is her passion and vocation.”

There’s a strong connection between U of T and TOPS, which draws more than 30,000 movie-goers each year (photo courtesy of TOPS)

Parker and Reid have teamed up to build strong ties between U of T and TOPS. The organization has hosted numerous for-credit undergrad interns.

Isabella Brown, for example, is a U of T graduate who joined TOPS as an intern and is now the organization's program administrator.

Despite TOPS’ success, Reid is tasked with overcoming existential threats year in and year out, citing underfunding of the arts. She says government grants are shrinking while inflation is rising.

“We lost all our sponsorship funding in the first week of the pandemic. And most of that has never returned, even though our festival is so much bigger, so much more successful than it was in 2019,” says Reid.

But Reid is hopeful that TOPS will continue hosting outdoor film screenings for many years to come. She knows the value it brings to the city she now calls home.

“When we hear that some arts entity is calling it quits, that doesn't mean something else won't come in its place. But it takes at least a decade to create something impactful. And we don’t live in a time where there are many resources available to create new things,” she says, adding that TOPS is grateful to the patrons who keep the festival running summer after summer.

“We need to preserve what we love and what we value as the cultural fabric of this city.”

U of T urban studies course explores wildfire response in Canada's North

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 19:57:57 +0000

U of T urban studies course explores wildfire response in Canada's North

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 08/12/2024 - 15:57

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Clouds of smoke billow into the air as forest fires burn in the Northwest Territories in 2015, leaving trees damaged and charred (photo by Sherry Galey via Getty Images)

Cynthia Macdonald

Topic

Our Community

School of Cities

Faculty of Arts & Science

Geography and Planning

Graduate Students

Innis College

John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Subheadline

As part of a graduate seminar, students and professors visited Yellowknife to study the city's 2023 wildfire evacuation with an eye to informing future policy recommendations

Wildfires such as the one that devastated Jasper, Alta., in July are becoming ever more common in Canada due to increased record-high temperatures and drought conditions associated with climate change.

One year ago, it was Yellowknife that found itself under threat, forcing a near-complete evacuation of its 20,000 residents. Unlike Jasper, Yellowknife's homes and businesses were ultimately saved from destruction, but the Northwest Territories capital is nevertheless reviewing its wildfire response plans so it will be better prepared in the future.

And the city is receiving valuable assistance from the ��Ƶ.

Professors and graduate students from the urban studies program at Innis College recently visited the city to research disaster response policies and make suggestions on possible improvements.

“We ended up designing a course that provided a retrospective on the evacuation experience as it related to government officials and the non-profit sector,” says David Roberts, an associate professor, teaching stream, in the department of geography and planning in the Faculty of Arts & Science and director of the urban studies program.

“The students are now working on projects that will provide policy recommendations for the future.”

The view over Yellowknife’s Old Town (supplied image)

This seminar, which was also taught by Assistant Professor Aditi Mehta, is one of several Multidisciplinary Urban Graduate Seminars (MUGS) being offered by U of T’s School of Cities.

Roberts and Mehta created the class in consultation with Rebecca Alty, Yellowknife’s mayor and a visiting expert, or Canadian Urban Leader, at the School of Cities.

Mehta says that the seminar’s multidisciplinary nature was key to crafting a well-rounded response to the crisis.

“We were very deliberate in picking students from different disciplines so that we could create knowledge and think about what happened from different perspectives,” she says, adding that students who successfully applied came from backgrounds including geography and planning, forestry, anthropology, landscape architecture and public health.

The seminar’s participants pose for a group photo at the Bush Pilot’s Monument in Yellowknife (supplied image)

The 10 graduate students visited sites and interviewed government officials, community organizations, residents and Indigenous leaders. They explored how to build improved communication infrastructure in the city and investigated the connections between a local housing crisis and climate change.

They also studied how Indigenous Peoples, including members of the Dene Nation living in Yellowknife, suffer disproportionate harms due to wildfire. Research shows that while 12 per cent of the entire Canadian population is at risk, that number rises to 32 per cent for on-reserve First Nations communities.

Léo Jourdan, who is completing his master of science degree in forestry at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, says the seminar provided him with an opportunity to examine wildfire science from a different angle.

“The research we do in our lab has to do with wildfires, but from a scientific point of view – in the sense that we try to answer ecological questions about the origins of these fires. So this class was a great opportunity to broaden my perspective and learn more about the human side of wildfires, and I think it did an amazing job.”

Jourdan explains that most wildfires are a natural – and necessary – phenomenon. “A lot of the forest in Canada co-evolved with fires, and their ecosystems would not function without them,” he says. “The issue we’re facing now, however, is that the wildfires are getting more intense and the communities closer.”

The seminar group enjoyed the city’s culinary and cultural offerings (supplied image)

For Lilian Dart, the course offered an opportunity to explore her twin interests in environmental justice and housing policy.

“One of the focuses was to look at how people experiencing homelessness were evacuated,” says Dart, a PhD student in the department of geography and planning.

She notes that in the wake of the wildfire evacuation, a team from professional services firm KPMG conducted an audit that revealed significant holes in the system that allowed vulnerable populations to fall through.

“People without housing, for example, did not have social safety supports that other people did,“ she says. “They also had comorbidities that affected their health, making them even more vulnerable.”

Dart’s final assignment for the course is a policy paper that examines this issue. “My recommendations are mostly to do with how the municipality can better support service organizations in their collaboration with one another. How can resources be co-ordinated? And how can people work together to ensure a more organized response?”

Jourdan, for his part, is proposing that Yellowknife adopt the principles of FireSmart, a national program that leads the development of programs and resources to help Canadians increase their resilience to wildfires.

Mehta says Yellowknife’s mayor provided the group from U of T with some recommendations of her own. “She gave an important critique of planning education in our country, noting that people rarely study the problems that cities in northern Canada are facing,” Mehta says. “Instead, we are overly focused on big cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.”

Roberts says that the policy recommendations written by Dart, Jourdan and the other students will be offered “not just to the mayor, but to everyone else we talked to – those working in the non-profit field and at the territorial level, as well as those who work with the Dene.

“We’re now thinking about other ways of presenting this information, such as returning to Yellowknife to ensure that the dialogue we’ve started is able to continue.”

Innis Town Hall

laurie.bulchak — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 04:34:18 +0000

Innis Town Hall laurie.bulchak Tue, 07/30/2024 - 00:34

URL

https://townhall.innis.utoronto.ca/book-a-venue/innis-town-hall/

One of Canada’s most eminent filmmakers, Sarah Polley receives U of T honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 20:35:44 +0000

One of Canada’s most eminent filmmakers, Sarah Polley receives U of T honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 06/17/2024 - 16:35

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(photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Scott Anderson

Topic

Our Community

Convocation 2024

Faculty of Arts & Science

A celebrated actor, director, author and Academy Award-winning screenwriter, Sarah Polley has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s most thoughtful and influential filmmakers. She explores themes of intimacy and memory, loss and resilience, and uses her platform to speak up against injustice.

Today, for her prodigious talent in the arts and her steadfast commitment to equity and fairness, Polley will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the ��Ƶ.

Born in Toronto in 1979, Polley began her career in entertainment as a child actor. At age eight, she was cast as a lead character in Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. But the experience – which she says involved working 18-hour days and at times left her frightened and in tears – influenced her acting journey: it soured her on big Hollywood productions and led her to focus on smaller, often Canadian projects. “Baron Munchausen really defined me in terms of never really wanting to be on huge films ever,” she told the New York Times in 2007.

Polley came to widespread attention in 1990, starring as the lead in the CBC series Road to Avonlea, for which she was nominated for three Gemini Awards. Simultaneous with the success, though, came profound loss: shortly after the show’s debut – and just two days after she turned 11 – her mother, Diane Polley (also an actor), died of cancer. A few months later, Polley developed scoliosis, leaving her wearing a brace and undergoing an operation.

After a lengthy recovery, she continued acting but was uncommitted to it as a career. (She once called it a “frivolous thing to do with your life.”) By age 17, she dropped out of high school and left the entertainment industry to devote herself to political causes. Already involved with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, she became a member of the Ontario NDP.

(photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Within months, she felt her singular focus on activism was making her, as she said in the New York Times interview, “boring, dogmatic, narrow,” so when director Atom Egoyan offered her the lead role in The Sweet Hereafter, she accepted, thinking it would provide a short break from her advocacy.

But the film was a critical success – and Hollywood came calling. She took roles in Go and Guinevere, then dropped out of Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous during rehearsals, feeling like she had taken the part by mistake. “Every day, it felt less and less like something I could pull off,” she told the New York Times.

She took some time to consider her next move and then, in 2001, at age 22, enrolled at the Canadian Film Centre, where she directed two shorts. The experience set in motion a transition from acting to writing and directing.

Polley’s debut feature, Away from Her (2006), adapted from an Alice Munro short story, tells the affecting story of an elderly couple whose marriage comes under strain as the wife develops Alzheimer’s disease. It earned Polley an Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay and established her as a force in filmmaking.

Her next two films, Take This Waltz (2011) and the documentary Stories We Tell (2012) cemented her reputation as a director with a deep empathy for her subjects. Stories We Tell delves into Polley’s own family history, using interviews and re-enactments to reveal a long-held family secret.

In 2019, Polley was approached to adapt and direct a film version of the novel Women Talking, by Miriam Toews, inspired by a true story about the horrific sexual abuse of women and girls in a Mennonite colony. She said in a New Yorker interview that the hardest part of the Women Talking shoot came during a scene when one of the characters talks about how men in the community got the women to doubt themselves. “That came from the experience of talking to so many women, and that feeling of being made to seem, or feel, crazy.”

In 2023, the film won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay and was nominated for best picture.

Polley continues to support causes that are meaningful to her. She has used her platform to speak up about income inequality and sexual abuse in the entertainment industry, and to argue for filmmaking that is informed by feminist principles. In her Oscar acceptance speech, she alluded to the need for change in the male-dominated film world: “I just want to thank the Academy for not being mortally offended by the words ‘women’ and ‘talking’ put so close together like that.”

At today’s convocation for the Faculty of Music and Innis College, Polley told graduates about her experience recovering from a severe concussion and shared the life-changing advice she had received from a doctor to “run towards the danger.”

She encouraged graduates to face their fears as a way to move past them. “Have a beautiful life and don’t always avoid the edges,” she said. “Ask for help. Admit your terrors to someone you can trust. Don’t assume you aren’t equal to what you want. It’s okay to be scared, and to feel like a fraud – most of us do. Go try to do it all anyway. And if your anxiety tells you that you can’t? Thank it for trying to protect you, and tell it that it’s allowed to come along for the thrilling ride – it’s just not allowed to block the driveway.”

Over her nearly four-decade career in entertainment, Polley has received numerous high-profile honours for acting, writing and directing. She is also an Officer of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the National Arts Centre Award.

Anne Innis Dagg, renowned zoologist and feminist, remembered as ‘the woman who loves giraffes’

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 19:33:32 +0000

Anne Innis Dagg, renowned zoologist and feminist, remembered as ‘the woman who loves giraffes’

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 04/05/2024 - 15:33

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(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Topic

Anne Innis Dagg, a renowned zoologist and feminist, is being remembered for her passion for her long-necked research subjects.

The Waterloo, Ont.-based scientist, conservationist and feminist whose story was chronicled in the award-winning documentary, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes died Monday after a brief illness, CBC reports. She was 91.

Innis Dagg was celebrated for her foundational contributions to giraffe science and advocacy for women in academia – and she leaves behind a deep and decorated legacy at the ��Ƶ.

Even before she enrolled to study biology at U of T, her family name was a familiar presence around campus. Her mother, Mary Quayle Innis, served as the dean of women at University College, and her father, Harold Innis, was an esteemed professor of political economy and the namesake of Innis College.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Innis Dagg won a gold medal – and a $500 prize – for graduating first in her class in 1955. After staying at U of T for another year to earn a master’s degree in genetics, she used the prize money to underwrite her first trip abroad to study wild giraffes.

In an interview ahead of her Snider Lecture at U of T Mississauga last year, Innis Dagg recalled the skepticism about her solo 1956 trip to South Africa, where she became the first Western scientist to observe the world’s tallest mammal in its natural habitat.

“I just wanted to see them and be near my beloved giraffe,” she said. “I didn’t really think about it being unusual.”

After receiving a PhD in animal behaviour from University of Waterloo, Innis Dagg was hired as an assistant professor in the University of Guelph’s zoology department in 1968.

But even as she gained recognition for her scholarship, Innis Dagg struggled to secure a tenured faculty position. “My career was sidetracked by the institutional sexism that was rampant in academia,” said Innis Dagg.

Despite career setbacks, Innis Dagg went on to publish more than 60 scientific articles and more than 20 books – and, alongside naturalist Bristol Foster, co-wrote what is considered to be a seminal text in the field of giraffe science, 1976’s The Giraffe: Its Biology, Behaviour and Ecology.

In 2019, Innis Dagg was named an honorary member of the Canadian Society of Zoologists and a Member of the Order of Canada.

She was awarded an honorary degree from U of T in 2021. In her address, she urged graduating students to chase their curiosity even in the face of challenges.

“Find another way. Reach out to others who will help you. Look for those mentors who will bring out your best – and shine,” she said.

“Finally, be kind to nature and the animals with whom we share the world. It is my everlasting hope that people will treat animals and their environment with the same respect as we treat each other.”

Watch Innis Dagg receive her U of T honorary degree

Remembering Norman Jewison, one of Canada's most celebrated filmmakers

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 20:50:38 +0000

Remembering Norman Jewison, one of Canada's most celebrated filmmakers

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 01/23/2024 - 15:50

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(supplied image)

Sally Szuster

Topic

Our Community

Alumni

Faculty of Arts & Science

Subheadline

The acclaimed director was a U of T alumnus and former chancellor of Victoria University in the ��Ƶ

The ��Ƶ community – and film fans around the world – are mourning the death of alumnus Norman Jewison.

One of Canada’s most celebrated filmmakers, Jewison received many awards and accolades for his artistic vision that challenged the status quo and brought a deep humanity to the characters and stories he told.

Jewison, who graduated from U of T in 1949 as a member of Victoria College, served as chancellor of Victoria University in the ��Ƶ from 2004 – 2010. One of U of T’s most distinguished graduates, he also received an honorary doctorate from U of T in 1985 and from Victoria University in 2001.

The Jewison stream of Vic One, the award-winning first-year program at Victoria College, is named in his honour. There is also a Norman Jewison Fellowship in Film Studies at Innis College.

Norman Jewison (photo by Peter Bregg)

“Norman Jewison embodied a dazzling sense of curiosity and creativity that is such a big part of the Vic U ethos,” says Rhonda N. McEwen, president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University in the ��Ƶ, which is planning to lower its flag to half-mast to honour Jewison’s legacy.

“He was an inspiration to others while he was a student on campus and continued to evoke a sense of awe in generations of students, alumni, staff and faculty who watched as he went on to make films that are now an indelible part of our cultural landscape.

“He showed his gratitude for his university experience with generous donations to Victoria University throughout his life. I had the pleasure to meet his son and granddaughter recently and we enjoyed recounting his Vic U adventures. He will always be remembered here.”

Victoria University Library (E.J. Pratt Library) holds a large collection of Jewison’s photographs and publicity materials, papers and correspondence, shooting scripts and schedules primarily for films directed or produced by Jewison between the years 1975 and 2003. Materials related to the films Fiddler on the Roof, …And Justice for All, A Soldier’s Story, Moonstruck, The Hurricane, The Statement and others are held in this collection.

As a student, Norman Jewison was involved in various theatrical productions, including the Vic “Bob Revue,” Canada’s longest-running collegiate sketch comedy show (supplied image)

As a U of T student pursuing a bachelor of arts degree, Jewison was involved in writing, directing and acting in various theatrical productions, including the All-Varsity Revue in 1949 and the Vic “Bob Revue,” Canada’s longest-running collegiate sketch comedy revue, which was founded in 1874.

Ira Wells, director of academic programs at Victoria College, wrote the biography Norman Jewison A Director’s Life in 2021.

“Norman Jewison was among the greatest film directors of his generation,” says Wells. “His films were animated by a profound social conscience and commitment to civil rights and human dignity – and by a belief in the integrity of film itself. He believed that film could change its audience, even in a small way.

“Mr. Jewison was fond of saying, ‘film is forever.’ His unwavering support for Canadian talent through the Canadian Film Centre, and for Victoria College and ��Ƶ students, made concrete differences in the lives of many. His abiding belief in the power of cinema will inspire generations to come.”

U of T Mississauga event to spotlight Anne Innis Dagg, the founder of giraffe science

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 17:20:53 +0000

U of T Mississauga event to spotlight Anne Innis Dagg, the founder of giraffe science

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 10/10/2023 - 13:20

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Widely considered the founder of giraffe science, U of T alumna Anne Innis Dagg is a passionate advocate for equity in academia (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Topic

Subheadline

This year's virtual Snider Lecture includes screening of an award-winning documentary about the esteemed zoologist followed by a Q-and-A

At the age of 23, as a recent ��Ƶ alumna, Anne Innis Dagg defied the naysayers and set off alone for South Africa.

The year was 1956 and a young woman travelling solo overseas was unusual. She faced multiple obstacles, but Innis Dagg was driven by her lifelong curiosity about the world’s tallest mammal: the giraffe.

“I just wanted to see them and be near my beloved giraffe. I didn’t really think about it being unusual,” Innis Dagg said recently during a conversation at her home in Waterloo, Ont. “It was just something I wanted to do.”

Today, she’s widely considered to be the founder of giraffe science.

Innis Dagg will be the focus of this year’s virtual Snider Lecture at U of T Mississauga, which includes the screening of an award-winning documentary – the Woman Who Loves Giraffes – followed by a pre-recorded question-and-answer session with the esteemed zoologist.

Anne Innis Daag (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

“We are excited to bring a special presentation to our remote audience,” says Lawrence Switzky, associate professor in the department of English and drama at U of T Mississauga and chair of the Snider Lecture Committee. “For the past 49 years, the Snider Lecture Series has brought together members of our community to learn about, question and reflect on some of the most important issues around us.”

The documentary the Woman Who Loves Giraffes recounts Innis Dagg’s time in Africa and her subsequent publications, which formed the basis of giraffe study. The film also details her struggles as a female academic in the 1960s and 1970s, which prompted her to call out sexism in academia and champion feminist causes.

Innis Dagg’s ties to U of T are numerous and enduring, dating back generations. Her mother, Mary Quayle Innis, was a former dean of women at University College. Her father, Harold Adams Innis, was a renowned political economist and the namesake of Innis College. He was interested in biodiversity and was an avid adventurer and explorer, once travelling by canoe to the Arctic to observe beavers, moose and bears.

“I inherited those traits from him,” Innis Dagg said.

Innis Dagg earned an honours bachelor of biology degree from U of T in 1955 and later went on to earn a master’s degree in genetics from the university. She also has a PhD from the University of Waterloo.

During U of T’s spring 2021 convocation season, she was recognized with an honorary degree. The same year, she was named an Alumni of Influence at University College.

In her convocation address, Innis Dagg recounted the “demoralizing” experience that helped propel her passionate advocacy for equity in academia.

In 1968, she was hired as an assistant professor in the zoology department at the University of Guelph, where she taught courses on mammals and wildlife management – but she did not receive a tenured faculty position.

“My career was sidetracked by the institutional sexism that was rampant in academia,” said Innis Dagg, who has tackled gender issues in several of her more than 20 books.

She acknowledged that the fight for equality isn’t over. “Women should continue to demand their place in science. I encourage them to reach out to mentors and peers to develop a support network and continue to push forward, even if it feels uncomfortable.”

Now 90, Innis Dagg is working to ensure the future of giraffes via a foundation she runs with her daughter, Mary Dagg.

“One of the philosophies of my foundation is that education equals conservation. The more people know about giraffes, the more they want to become engaged in their survival.”

For children aged seven to 17, the Anne Innis Dagg Foundation offers the Junior Giraffe Club to engage and inspire a new generation of giraffologists.

More importantly, she wants to instil a sense of determination and engagement: “Get involved in whatever your passion is.”

U of T Faculty of Law hosts screening of film celebrating 'the supreme life of Rosalie Abella'

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:56:10 +0000

U of T Faculty of Law hosts screening of film celebrating 'the supreme life of Rosalie Abella'

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 09/27/2023 - 09:56

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A U of T alumna, Rosalie Abella was the first pregnant woman appointed to the judiciary in Canada, the first refugee appointed to the bench in Canada and the first Jewish woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada (photo by Polina Teif)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Subheadline

"Rosie has been motivated by the pursuit of justice and a steadfast, infectious belief in the power of individuals, institutions and the law to be forces for the good"

Equal rights champion. Innovator. Icon.

For her many accomplishments, retired Supreme Court of Canada justice Rosalie Silberman Abella, a dual graduate of the ��Ƶ’s University College and the Faculty of Law, is the focus of a new documentary about her life, Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella.

U of T Law will host a special screening of the film Thursday, which had its debut premier at Hot Docs International Film Festival this spring. The event will be held at the Jackman Law Building in the room that honours Abella: The Rosalie Silberman Abella Moot Court Room.

“Rosie has been motivated by the pursuit of justice and a steadfast, infectious belief in the power of individuals, institutions and the law to be forces for the good,” says University Professor Jutta Brunnée, dean of the Faculty of Law and James Marshall Tory Dean’s Chair. “She's inspired generations of students and young lawyers.”

Abella’s is an especially storied legal career.

Her father graduated with master’s degree in law from Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, but war broke out before he was ever able to practise. Her parents were married on Sept. 3, 1939 – the day Britain declared war on Germany following the invasion of Poland – and both survived several years in different concentration camps during the Holocaust.

Abella was born after the war on July 1, 1946 in a displaced persons camp in Stuttgart, Germany. The family came to Canada as Jewish refugees in 1950. But as a non-citizen, her father could not practise law.

“It's one of my earliest memories in Canada, of his coming home and saying, 'I can't be a lawyer here’. I remember saying – ‘Then I'm going to be a lawyer’ – I had no idea what it meant. But I was four years old and could see how disappointed he was,” she told a U of T audience in 2019 when she received U of T’s Rose Wolfe Distinguished Alumni Award.

“I just stayed on that course. I was going to be what he couldn't be. What was amazing was that he never complained. Neither of my parents or grandmother ever complained. They thought that this is a country of opportunities, but you have to make them happen.”

True to her vow, Abella graduated from U of T Law in 1970. She was one of only seven women in a class of 150 law students.

She became the first pregnant woman appointed to the judiciary in Canada at age 29. She was also the first refugee appointed to the bench in Canada, as well the first Jewish woman appointed to Canada’s Supreme Court.

Among her many contributions to legal thought and jurisprudence, Abella created the term and concept of employment equity when she was the sole commissioner of the 1984 federal Royal Commission on Equality in Employment. Her definition of equality was adopted by the Supreme Court of Canada in its first decision under Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“Our generation revolutionized how the law worked for people,” says Abella in Without Precedent.

Rosalie Abella with her late husband Irving Abella in a still from the film (image courtesy of Melbar Entertainment Group)

Following the screening, Abella, the distinguished jurist-in-residence at U of T Law who received an honorary degree from the university in 1990, will be joined in conversation with the award-winning filmmakers of Melbar Entertainment Group.

"In a long career of documenting the famous and the infamous, the rare opportunity to focus on an individual with the insight, humanity and power to change history and lives was one of the great highlights of my career," says director and producer, Barry Avrich, a graduate of Woodsworth College whose previous credits include Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz and David Foster: Off the Record.

"This film is a testament of an infinitely inspiring journey that will be remembered for generations."

Producer Mark Selby, a graduate of the cinema studies program in the Faculty of Arts & Science, says he's thrilled to have the documentary screened at U of T.

“Canada does not make celebrities out of its Supreme Court justices, but if ever there was someone who should be renowned across the country for her incomparable achievements and devotion to helping people, it’s Rosalie Abella,” Selby said.

In photos: Students settle into their new homes across U of T's three campuses

bresgead — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 21:56:14 +0000

In photos: Students settle into their new homes across U of T's three campuses

bresgead Tue, 09/05/2023 - 17:56

Cutline

(photos by Don Campbell, left, and Nick Iwanyshyn, centre and right)

Topic

Undergraduate Students

University College

Subheadline

From instant ramen noodles to lengthy goodbyes, it was a busy – and emotional – Labour Day weekend 2023 at U of T residences

Incoming students from across Canada and around the world made the ��Ƶ their home over Labour Day weekend, pulling up to their residences across the three campuses with boxes of belongings, preferred snacks and plush creature comforts in tow.

Returning students and residential staff welcomed U of T’s newest community members with enthusiastic cheers and a helping hand in hauling suitcases, boxes and appliances through the hallways and to their rooms.

Parents ticked off items on their to-do lists as they prepared to say goodbye, some admitting they were saving their tears for the trip home, while siblings and friends helped figure out how to decorate new quarters.

First-year students, meanwhile, settled into their surroundings and looked forward to writing an important new chapter in their lives.

Interactive Digital Producer Nick Iwanyshyn and Staff Reporters Adina Bresge and Don Campbell were on hand to capture the emotions and excitement of move-in day in photos at each of the three campuses.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

New arrivals at University College on the St. George campus were greeted with signs and cheers as they unloaded their cars outside Morrison Hall.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Like many students, U of T Mississauga’s Diore Thorpe stocked her dorm room with all the essentials – including a ready supply of instant ramen.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Crystal Zhang, a first-year student at Trinity College, says she felt “mildly terrified” but “very excited” about living on her own for the first time.

While she’s comfortable doing her own laundry, she’s less confident in her cooking skills. “I’m glad I got a meal plan,” said Zhang, who is beginning her studies in Rotman Commerce.

(photo by Don Campbell)

Hundreds of students moved in to U of T Scarborough’s new sustainable student residence, Harmony Commons, which is built to passive house standard – a type of building designed for energy-efficient heating and cooling.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Sahil Basra, who is studying computer science, battled the heat as he lugged his desktop and monitor up to his room. “I’m exhausted,” Basra said, bracing himself for several more trips up and down the stairs.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Mya Thompson brought an armful of plushies – a shark, a frog and a dinosaur – to keep herself cozy at Innis College.

While the life sciences student was thrilled to be in the big city, her mother admitted that she was holding back tears for the drive back to Port Dover, Ont. “I’m excited for her, though, to chase her dream,” Eva Thompson said.

photo by Don Campbell)

Luggage carts helped with the heavy lifting as students got to know one another at U of T Scarborough.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Staff and volunteers at U of T Mississauga’s Erindale Hall residence ferried students’ belongings to their rooms in giant plastic bins.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Esmé L. Wilson’s parents flew in from San Francisco to get her set up in her room. While she was ready for classes to begin, Wilson felt less prepared for the coming Canadian winter. “I have no idea what kind of jackets I’ll need,” she said. “I’ll probably have to buy a lot of new things.”

From the oil sands to politics: New grad Eli Rose aims to use his voice to empower others

siddiq22 — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 20:29:21 +0000

From the oil sands to politics: New grad Eli Rose aims to use his voice to empower others

siddiq22 Tue, 06/20/2023 - 16:29

Cutline

Eli Rose says his undergraduate experience taught him how to articulate his ideas as an advocate (photo by Shayla Anderson)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Innis College

Political Science

Student Life

Subheadline

Getting involved in student leadership helped underscore U of T political science graduate's interest in building community

Eli Rose has a reputation for asking challenging questions – and he intends to continue asking them, as an advocate for those who cannot.

A longtime mentor and community organizer, Rose – a member of Innis College – graduates this week from the ��Ƶ with a degree in political science.

As he leaves the undergraduate life and prepares for graduate school, Rose spoke with Faculty of Arts & Science writer Cynthia Macdonald about how his many leadership activities have prepared him for his ultimate ambition: a career in politics.

How did you come to study at the ��Ƶ?

I had a full life before coming to U of T, having graduated from college with a marketing diploma. I worked in the oil fields of Alberta, then went back to school for another certificate. But it was always my dream to go to U of T. When my mom’s sister, to whom I was close, passed in 2018, I decided to dedicate the next part of my journey to honouring her.

You’re going to do a master’s degree in political science in the fall. Why did you decide on that field?

I have my own political aspirations, actually! Being in government has always seemed very interesting to me. I grew up in Malvern, in the northeastern part of Toronto. It’s a part of the city with many issues such as street violence and a lack of essential services. I was advocating for solutions to problems like that even before I knew that I could be an advocate professionally. I was already thinking about different ways to make life a little more just for people there, supporting communities that needed a bit more help.

But it wasn’t until I came to university that everything came together. I started to see who I am and what I wanted to do – the kind of change and impact I’d be able to create.

You’re the winner of a student leadership award and you’ve improved the student experience at your college and beyond. What initiatives did you participate in?

I first got involved with the Association of Political Science Students. That led me to get involved with the undergraduate chapter of Black Future Lawyers, where I was vice-president of finance and helped the founder recruit the rest of the board.

But where things really took off for me was when I became a student mentor at Innis College at the tail end of my second year. I helped with training and offered support. I met a lot of good people and found I was able to empower others, especially first-year students. From there, I started building relationships and worked on the Innovation Hub to help redefine the student experience.

All these experiences gave me the confidence and the courage to go after things I wanted, or even just to voice my opinion. One of my ideas was to create an identity matching system for mentors: aligning students with mentors who matched their backgrounds and interests. I was also one of the first two Black orientation coordinators and was on the working group of the Black Student Experience at Innis, making a point of ensuring that the group would be sustainable after its founders had graduated.

You seem to have a real focus on empathy, identity and the empowerment of individuals, whether at school, work or elsewhere.

I think that comes from my own experience of feeling undervalued – showing up to the workplace in a way where I’m not bringing my true self. There’s a lot of overlap between my working world and my academic world – it’s just different language.

As a young teenager growing up in my neighbourhood, I saw how power dynamics could negatively affect my friends. Now that I’ve gone through university, I’ve been able to better articulate and visualize ideas in order to find solutions.

Why have you decided to pursue a future in politics?

My senior thesis really changed me. I chose to research political career structures – in particular, how identity conditions people’s lived experiences and careers. Working on that gave me the clarity to proceed with where I’m going next.

We’re in an era of political mistrust and multiple truths – and that’s a barrier for those who might consider a career in politics. But if you really want to effect change, the political arena is the best place to do that. We elect people to represent us, and those are the people making the decisions. Why wouldn’t I want to have a seat at the table, especially to act for those who haven’t been represented?

Opening myself up to criticism will be difficult – but that’s okay, because I’m coming at public service from a space of truth and care and support. And I want to use my experiences – as a mentor, as a team lead, as a facilitator of discussions around identity – to help empower others and give them a voice. And this is the way I know how to do it.

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In photos: Students settle into their new homes across U of T's three campuses

From the oil sands to politics: New grad Eli Rose aims to use his voice to empower others