“Canada’s federal government recently announced $14 billion in new funding to help municipalities repair and replace aging infrastructure,” co-wrote Faisal Moola, an adjunct professor of environmental sustainability at York University, in the Toronto Star March 17. “About $1 billion is dedicated to smaller communities, but most of the funding will target urban areas, which makes sense. Despite being a vast land of mountains, forests and ice, Canada is an urban nation. More than 80 per cent of us live in large centres like Montreal, Toronto and Calgary, as well as rapidly growing communities like Regina, Surrey and Markham.” Read full story.
Leal tech course launched
Osgoode Hall Law School and the University of Victoria will offer a new course on legal information technology next year, reported Law Times March 17. The course is the first of its kind, according to James Williams, a Google Inc. software engineer who’s part of the faculty that will teach it. The course, which centres on technology, legal services and justice, is timely, said Williams. Read full story.
Reporter compounded mistakes in story, Press Council finds
A complaint by York University Professor Blake Martin about a story in the Star that misrepresented statements he made regarding homosexuality following his lecture at a session sponsored by the organization Living Waters, has been upheld by the Ontario Press Council, reported the Toronto Star March 18. Read full story.
Chief justice celebrates pro bono work with students
Aspiring law students heard from Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin last week that the volunteer program they are a part of, Pro Bono Students Canada, is something she wishes was available when she was a law student, reported Canadian Lawyer March 17. . . . In a discussion moderated by Osgoode Hall Law School Dean Lorne Sossin, McLachlin shared her perspective on the current state of access to justice in the country and regaled the students with stories from her career. Read full story.
York U president and student switch roles
York University student Emanuel Ebrahim and President Mamdouh Shoukri will walk in each other’s shoes March 19, reported the North York Mirror March 17. Read full story.