Humber Et Cetera, Nov. 21, 2025, Volume 70, Number 5

HUMBER ET CETERA

TRANS MEMORIAL MOURNERS

Food service strike averted at Humber

Haley Lynch HumberETC News

The 260 food services workers at Humber’s Lakeshore and North campuses, represented by Unifor Local 414, reached a tentative deal with Compass Group.

This tentative deal reach late Nov. 19 averted a strike slated to begin at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 21. The members voted in favour of a strike if needed on Sept. 20.

The major issue was wages, as many of the workers make just slightly more per hour than Ontario’s minimum wage of $17.60, the union said. The living wage in Toronto is considered to be $27.20 an hour, the union said.

Unifor members work at kiosks such as Tim Hortons, Subway, Starbucks, Booster Juice and Pizza Pizza.

No details of the agreement or when members vote on it have been made available .

News of the deal was announced by Humber , saying a deal had been reached by the two, averting a strike.

Unifor Local 414 members who are employed by Chartwell were set to strike as early as Nov. 21 at 12:01 a.m.

Chartwell is the contracted food server at Humber,

ncluding its residences. And as the negotiations continue, the concern is that a work stoppage can affect thousands of students who rely on the on-campus food services.

Unifor Local 414 president, Gord Currie, said in a statement that Compass Group’s financial success contrasts the low wages for the frontline staff.

“It is outrageous that our members (made) only 15 cents above minimum wage while Compass Group brings in billions,” he said.

Paul Iskander, a Humber residence manager, said in an interview before the agreement that there was

a plan in place in case the strike did happen to ensure access to food services available to student residents and students coming on campus for classes.

“We have a contingency plan in place,” he said. Residences would have been “100 per cent open 24/7 for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Iskander said. At North campus, he said Humber there were plans to open alternative food options not run by Chartwell, which include Gourmet Express, the Humber Room, Ackee Tree and CoCo Bubble Tea.

He said Chartwell could have brough in outside workers if needed.

Iskander said the Humber would be have been open to bringing food trucks on campus.

At Lakeshore campus, he said students would have faced face fewer challenges because of the large number of restaurants in the area.

“The whole of Lakeshore is full of outlets,” he said. “It’s much easier because you have a lot of places across the street.”

Iskander said students have turned to delivery apps, or shop at places like Fortinos and Walmart.

The deadline was at 12:01 a.m. Friday, when workers would have been in a legal position to strike and could form picket lines at the polytechnic.

Humber Et Cetera is the Humber Polytechnic journalism program laboratory newspaper. It is created by journalism students in the Advanced Diploma program. Et Cetera serves to inform the Humber community and give its readers wellrounded coverage on the things that matter to them.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Reet Arora

Julia Ilano

Unifor national president Lana Payne said in a media release the workers were asking for fairness.

“We stand firmly behind our members working to build better job standards,” she said. “Our members deserve decent working conditions and a fair wage.”

The food workers voted in September to strike if necessary.

Aislinn Millette

Ethan Alcaidinho

Julia Sequeira

Nina Kersnik

Luis Miguel De Castro

Harnoor Kaur

Parthvi Patel

Haley Lynch

Matthew Ziniuk

Celine Sy

Annays Medeiros

Rob Lamberti Lara King

Austin

Miguel De Castro

Luong

The Street Cafe at Humber North campus amid a potential Chartwell’s strike. This would impact students options for food places on campus.

HUMBERETC/HALEY LYNCH

HUMBERETC/HALEY LYNCH

Eco Closet thrifting deals for students

Giovanna Apelabi HumberETC News

A fashion sale was held at North Campus as part of a collaboration between Humber Polytechnic’s sustainability office and business students.

Eco Closet was held on Nov. 19, offering different options of used clothes and accessories at affordable prices.

Massage Therapy program student, Emily Ferreira, said she was just walking around campus when she saw this event down in the E-Concourse.

“I just happened to find these amazing pants,” Ferreira said. “I think it’s a pretty good way to get the community together in the school and kind of like talking to them as you’re shopping.”

Mary Jane Fendi, a first-year Media Communication student, said she got a knit sweater for Christmas for just $6.

As someone who loves thrifting, Fendi said she “can find good brands” with cheaper prices.

Organizers collected items from the donation boxes that had been placed around the North campus, encouraging students to donate their used clothes and accessories.

Rachel Paiva, a Fashion Business student who helped organize

the event, said it’s hard to find cheap clothes in thrift stores now because the prices are rising significantly.

“The people looking for cheap clothes are not getting the prices they want there, so we’re hoping that this gives the space for especially college students, young

“Just for people to kind of understand that going through clothes as quickly as we typically do, it’s not great for the environment,” she said. “Fast fashion, it’s very detrimental to the environment.”

Leutri said Humber launched its sustainability strategic vision

parents to come and get cheaper options for clothes,” Paiva said.

Sustainability manager Sandra Leutri said this event builds community around fashion and sustainability and promotes reuse, thrifting and environmentalism.

this year.

“If you look at the website, you’ll be able to see it’s built on three pillars of education, enabling, and engaging,” she said.

Leutri said it’s all about providing sustainable education

widely accessible online to everybody, while enabling a sustainable campus experience for students, staff, and faculty.

She wants people to understand that the buildings they are in are eco-friendly and efficient, and to make sure that people are surrounded by environmentalism.

“Last one is all about providing opportunities for people to have hands-on experience engaging with sustainability. So that’s kind of the vision,” Leutri said.

A statement from Humber’s annual sustainability 2023-24 report said they gave a presentation to Fashion Arts and Business students in 2023, explaining sustainability topics as they relate to the fashion industry.

The students then incorporated what they learned from the presentation into the Eco Closet event.

Leutri said that “in the past, money that’s been collected has been donated back to Humber for the food security fund.”

Paiva said the money raised from the sale this year will go towards the youth.

“All donations are going to help them,” she said.

All profits from the event will be donated to Youth without shelter.

Fourth-year police foundations student Chantal Spalla is captain for the Hawks women’s soccer team.

Spalla said her growth from her quiet first year to a vocal senior team leader reflects the growth and commitment that come from varsity soccer.

“At first I was the shy one, didn’t talk to anybody and kind of kept to myself,” Spalla said, adding her love for her role as captain. “Coming into this, being one of the few vets on the team, I love raising the rookies into a better environment,”

Born and raised in Mississauga, Ont., Spalla began her soccer journey in house league before she was scouted to play rep. She chose Humber, and credits longtime coach Marcelo Capozzolo for guiding her path.

“He was my coach throughout rep soccer, and I just wanted to follow him here,” Spalla said.

Spalla said the team results matter most. This year, the Hawks finished fourth. While disappointing, Spalla said the finish paves the way for improvement.

“It didn’t go our way, but that just gives more room for growth,” she said.

Spalla confirmed she will be returning for another season, extending her Hawks career to a fifth year.

“It’s hard to leave Humber,” she said. “Humber’s home.”

Looking ahead, Spalla said she hopes to build a stronger team culture.

“I definitely want to implement more team-building activities,” Spalla said. “We know what our strengths are, we know what our weaknesses are, and we’ll work from that.”

HUMBERETC/MARCO MORETTO Soccer captain Chantel Spalla was named onto OCAA Second AllStar Team for the 2025-26 season.

A student holding a pair of white linen trousers displayed at the Eco Closet at Humber North campus on Nov. 19, located in the E-Concourse.

HUMBER ETC/GIOVANNA APELABI

HUMBERETC/GIOVANNA APELABI

Students looking around for clothes at Eco Closet event at North campus.

This report is by Marco Moretto, HumberETC News.

Humber Polytechnic recognizes

It was a solemn afternoon at Humber as we recognized members of the Trans community that we have lost.

It started off with a note of remembrance where members of the community and the LGBTQ+ Resource Centre commemorated the day and told the audience why people gathered.

This was followed by a beautiful performance by Solar Siriano and the reading of the names to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia.

The name-reading went on for about 30 minutes, and many in the audience broke down. It was an emotional moment for those present.

The speaker was moved to tears mid-speech and was unable to continue the ceremony on their own.

The LGBTQ+ Resource Centre organized the memorial service, where attendees could write the names or messages of remembrance and recognition for the ones no longer among us.

Trans Day of Remembrance is on Nov. 20, a day that commemorates how far the community has come and acknowledges the ongoing fight and challenges still present.

One of the first things some people want to do when they begin their transition is change their name.

Avery Patterson is a second-year media communications student at The University of Guelph Humber, who lives in residence at North Campus.

Patterson identifies as non-binary. They said cost is a concern for an official name change.

“In Ottawa, it’s about $300 to $500 for the first name change and up to $4,000 for everything involving name change fees,” they said.

Patterson said they feel it’s easier to change names socially than legally.

The process of changing a

name through Humber is free, by notifying the Registrar’s office, and legal documentation isn’t needed. But Patterson said it can be a hassle.

“You have to go in person, and you get a new email, but they don’t transfer over all of your stuff with your program and finance stuff, so currently I don’t know how much is on my meal plan,” they said.

Michael, a 21-year-old design and programming student from Ontario who is in his second year at Nova Scotia Community College, stays at nearby Mount Saint Vincent University because the college does not have a residence.

His case is different from Patterson’s. He described his name change process as “long and complicated.

“I started the process about a year ago. I printed all the paperwork; it was extensive. You had to have a notary. If you make even one small mistake, you must cross it out or remove it somehow,” he said.

“I remember I was about halfway through it and then I made a small mistake, and I was just like it’s over, because I didn’t want to have to do the process all over again,” he said.

Michael, who didn’t want his last name used out of safety concerns, saw a poster for a change your name event in his residence.

“I thought, ‘Oh, change my name through the school, that’s great!’ It was just talking about what you have to do. Which is where I found out you have to get your fingerprints done,” he said.

Michael felt fingerprints were invasive.

“I never really wanted to have my fingerprints in the system or anything like that, so when I found out, I was kind of shocked,” he said

“It’s a lot of work, and it’s very easy to make a mistake. That’s mainly why I haven’t

really started the process again, even though I really need to,” Michael said.

Should schools consider implementing programs to help students with the legal name change?

“It would be really helpful and convenient, I think, if it were more hands-on instead of just telling you, ‘Here, go do this,’” Michael said.

Connecting with the community can also be difficult. It can be hard to find people you are comfortable with in a new space.

When it comes to queer spaces, Michael said he is having trouble finding his footing.

“I feel like when people see me now, they see a male, and I’m happy about that. But I feel like with the queer community, it’s been kind of odd. There’s a lot of fighting going on right now with trans men and gay men, so it’s kind of uncomfortable,” he said.

“It’s good here at MSVU. They have a lot of spaces,” Michael said. “It’s always been known as an accepting place, which is why they have a club, but even still, the club doesn’t have a lot of people in it.”

At Humber, the LGBTQ+ Resource Centre is in Room E140 beside the Lecture Theatre at North campus and is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday for drop-ins. At the Lakeshore campus, it is in the Wellness Centre in Room WEL211.

For Trans Remembrance this year, the Centre is hosting an event at the LRC on North campus. All campuses will fly the trans flag at half-mast to honour the trans people lost to

science student at Humber, works in the LGBTQ+ Resource Centre and said it will host a candlelight vigil on Nov. 20 from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Little said they have a special connection to the day, “seeing all the trans people who decided to live their lives even with the face of violence and be themselves really gave me the courage to come out.”

They will attend the ceremony on behalf of themselves and the centre.

“It’s meaningful work to me, it’s the most meaningful job I’ve ever had,” they said.

Little said one reason why they chose to study at Humber was the community.

“When I was deciding what college to go to, Humber was the only one that advertised their Resource Centre, so I decided a community was something

that was very important to me,” they said. “I could get a biotech degree anywhere, but having people who had my back was very important to me.”

Their journey started with finding community.

“I came to Humber, made a home in the LGBTQ Resource Centre and then decided in my second year that I’d apply and see what happened,” they said. It worked out in Little’s favour. On Thursday’s Day of Remembrance, they will give a speech and have their artwork displayed at the ceremony.

Story by Madison Boynton

Photos by Luis Miguel De Castro Layout, graphics by Julia Ilano

Transgender Remembrance Day

Solar Siriano performing dance at Trans Remembrance Day ceremony.

Journalism panels discuss trust, diversity

Benjamin Steeves Senior Reporter

Humber Polytechnic’s journalism students from every year gathered on Nov. 13 in the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation for the second Trust In Journalism symposium.

First held five years ago, virtually during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020, the symposium was set up by Humber’s journalism program coordinator, Lara King, following a backlash that Humber’s newsroom and newsrooms in general were discriminating against BIPOC individuals and not giving them the same opportunities as their white counterparts.

The symposium gathered together journalists from across the industry, ranging from the Toronto Star, CBC, The Pointer, current postgraduate students, and previous Humber students.

As people took their seats in the morning, the majority with coffee in one hand and notebook and pens in the other, the symposium commenced with Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), and managing director of the national NewsMedia Council of Canada, with a look back over the last several years.

nalism grad Annicca Albano, Donnovan Bennett, Nick Davis, both with the CBC, and freelancer and educator Shenaz Kermalli to speak about their own challenges they face in newsrooms.

“Diversity isn’t only about who gets hired, it’s about who gets heard, who gets promoted, and who gets supported.”

Jolly said research on newsroom diversity has been ongoing since the late 1980s, including two major studies by TMU professor John Miller in 1994 and 2004 examining the Canadian Daily Newspaper Association.

The 1994 report surveyed 2,620 news professionals and found that only 2.6 per cent were journalists of colour, and the follow-up a decade later showed only modest improvement.

Jolly said while there have been increases in representation among Black, Middle Eastern, and other non-white journalists, as well as some narrowing of gender gaps in recent years, progress remains slow.

He emphasized “diversity isn’t only about who gets hired, it’s about who gets heard, who gets promoted, and who gets supported once they’re inside the newsroom,” concluding that connection is journalism’s most important asset right now.

Following Jolly’s discussion around inclusivity, a panel discussed the previous symposium and what has changed in the last five years to make newsrooms more inclusive.

Moderator Mahnoor Yawer, a previous Humber grad, was joined by panellists jour-

- Brent Jolly

“Journalism should be fact-based, and the stories reflect the people it serves,” Albano told Et Cetera, who also works as a freelance journalist and programs and community engagement producer at the Canadian Journalism Foundation since graduating earlier this year.

“It should be reflective of all Canadians and not just the people who have been here a long time,” Albano said. “But also making space for the newcomers, the refugees, the immigrants, and even Indigenous people who are still finding the right platforms to tell their stories without their stories being misconstrued or having different biases or assumptions placed for their arguments to be taken out of context.”

Another panel included one-year post-graduate students, who worked on stories involving community outreach in and around the Jane Street and Finch Avenue area, and helped garner research on the real struggles people face in those areas, and helped build positive relationships with journalists.

Following them, was a panel consisting of moderator Humber journalism professor Mike Wise, joined with Wilf Dinnick and David Micheal Lamb to discuss how as journalists, they can make sure that the information that’s shared with the public is accurate, truthful, and different ways to spot AI driven information as well as best practices sur-

rounding AI use in journalism and how to build trust in the age of misinformation. With the symposium drawing to a close, one final panel of people were brought on to discuss what editors are looking for in new, upcoming journalists.

Moderator Lara King welcomed to the stage

The Toronto Star’s Robert Benzie, Maclean’s Editor-In-Chief Sarah Fulford, Laura Green with the CBC, Pointer found San Grewal and Citytv’s Nick Westoll for one final presentation on what new journalists can do to further sharpen their skills in ways they may now have thought of prior.

While designed to help journalism students become more well-rounded in terms of reporting, King hopes that these skills won’t just apply to journalism but to their actual lives, from communication to spotting the difference in a newly AI-driven world.

Speakers at Humber Polytechnic’s second symposium titled Trust In Journalism talk about diversity, accountability, and the future of the Canadian journalism industry last week.

HUMBERETC/LUIS MIGUEL DE CASTRO

Toronto rental costs hit 40-month low

Laura Rodgers HumberETC News

Humber media communications student and mom Jhade Laidley said she thinks she might be homeless with the current state of the rental market.

She said she rents a one-bedroom for $1,484 near Caledonia and Rogers Roads, but is looking for a two-bedroom for her and her child in the area.

She said paying rent has affected her ability to stay in school “detrimentally, murderously. Some days I don’t even know how I get here, but I get here, so we thank the Lord,” she said.

A press release reported that Toronto asking rent is at a 40-month low.

Urbanation and Rentals. ca reported on Nov. 6 that the national rent report indicated Toronto shows rent is down 13 per cent compared to three years ago.

Laidley said the continuing decrease is more of a headline than a reality.

“A fair rental market would be a studio going for $1,000, a one-bedroom for $1,300, and a two-bedroom, probably for $1,400. Nowhere do I want to see $2,000 unless I’m renting a three-bedroom,” Laidley said.

She said this is, unfortunately, not the reality. She has seen most studios around going for $2,000.

“I’ve been on a housing list since I was 12,” she said. “And till this day, I’m 30 and I still can’t get an apartment.”

Giacomo Ladas, an associate director of communications at Rentals.ca, said the declining asking rent may be due to demand decreasing and supply increasing. Ladas said more supply typically means higher vacancy rates.

He said the more units available for renters means that property managers have a little more competition, and price drops reflect that to interest renters.

“Prices come down in order to get demand up. So, it’s a little bit of both,” he said.

Ladas said he thinks there needs to be more supply.

“The Canadian rental market has been undersupplied for decades. So we still need more coming into the market,” he said. He said rent may continue to decrease in the winter months due to a lack of demand.

“Canada right now is on pace to experience one of the slower winters of rental demand in recent

years,” Ladas said.

He said the national average asking price for rent in Canada cooled down in October.

The press release said October had the smallest national average decline in rent in the past 11 months.

Laidley said even if she saves $10,000 or $20,000 and puts her three months down, it wouldn’t be enough.

“You’re scavenging, you’re struggling all over again. Like, it’s never a breeze or not a worry,” she said.

Ladas said demand is affected by the economic uncertainty in

Canada, where people are having less spending money.

“Usually, their wallets dictate where they move,” Ladas said. Communications director Craig Pickthorne at the Ontario Living Wage Network said the issue is that, despite rent going down, prices for everything are still going up.

“It still makes it so that the living wage is nowhere near a minimum wage, really anywhere in Toronto,” he said.

A press release from Rentals.ca on Nov. 18 said Toronto renters are paying an additional average rent of 1.38 months.

It said if the average rent is $2,559 and extras such as parking, storage, internet and insurance add up to an average of $294, then renters are paying an extra $3,528 annually.

Ladas suggested that students look at the apartments around secondary schools.

“Those prices have come down even more, and demand is even slower for them. So, you might have even more choices,” he said.

Laidley said she is a city girl, but if rent is cheaper closer to school, then she recommends it.

“Lord knows we need the savings somewhere,” she said.

Jamin Etwaroo, a physiotherapy assistant student at Humber, said he lives 20 minutes from Humber’s North campus.

He said he found his place through places4students.com after finding no results in his price range on places like Facebook Marketplace.

Etwaroo said he found a shared home that worked within his budget of less than $800. He said many places he was looking at weren’t within his price range.

“Especially given what minimum wage is, that could barely cover the month’s rent. That’s not including daily necessities,” he said.

The press release from Urbanation and Rentals.ca said that despite the drops in rent prices, rates are still higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There’s still about $260 a month more than they were just six years ago,” Ladas said. He said rentals.ca saw the rent increases become rapid during COVID-19.

Laidley said she doesn’t see a future where the rental market becomes more accessible and affordable. She said people would need to be paid more or food to cost less.

“I think we’re all going to be living with our parents for a long time,” she said.

Students feel that looking for a place to rent feels unattainable in the current rental market despite there being a new 40-month low in market prices.

HUMBERETC/LAURA RODGERS

Minister of Finance and National Revenue Francois-Philippe

Canadian federal budget passes vote

Tait A.M. Graham Senior Reporter

The annual budget is focused partly on housing and infrastructure, but features a huge increase in defence spending.

“You have most departments seeing a 15 per cent cut in their spending over the next three years for operational spending in the next three years and defence seeing a massive 40 per cent increase in its budget, and these are of roughly equal value,” said David Macdonald, the senior economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

MacDonald said it was a “substantial reallocation of funds” that was higher than even the Liberals and Conservatives expected.

Most of the budget seems to focus on the growing imposition from the U.S. government in the midst of high tensions between countries.

“This is a reaction to Trump, and what his priorities are is he wants to see us spending a lot more on defence,” MacDonald said. “We didn’t have to do what he liked, but we certainly did in this budget.”

So far, life for average Canadians hasn’t changed much, but those with problems are facing cuts from essential services.

“Our international development budget will be cut substantially. There were big hits on the environment front, so as the greener homes grant for energy efficiency for people’s homes, or the two billion trees planted fund, the public transit fund. These are all casualties of this budget,” MacDonald said.

“These are the programs we know about, and so there’s plenty of programs that we don’t know about,” he said.

One of the new developments from this budget is that the federal revenues are higher than expected.

The PBO said that the government entered the budget cycle with more wherewithal because the previous cycle ended with higher-than-average revenue.

“The revenue forecast came in a bit higher than what we were

AI implementations for office work.

“There’s a lot of vague talk about efficiency and AI and so on, but not necessarily individual lines, individual budget lines saying look, these big ways to cut this program,” MacDonald said.

“That’s really missing,” he said.

“THIS IS A REACTION TO TRUMP, AND WHAT HIS PRIORITIES ARE IS HE WANTS TO SEE US SPENDING A LOT MORE ON DEFENCE, WE DIDN’T HAVE TO DO WHAT HE LIKED, BUT WE CERTAINLY DID IN THIS BUDGET. ”

Even though programs are being cut, the office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) projected a declining debt-to-GDP ratio. They also warned that Canada may be unprepared for unexpected crises.

“For example, if there are any kind of risks, another pandemic or a recession or anything like that, they have less room to maneuver those risks with the current fiscal framework that they have in place,” said the director of fiscal analysis at PBO, Kristina Grinshpoon.

expecting, and that’s largely because the 2024-2025 year came in higher than we’re expecting,” said Grinshpoon.

“We didn’t have the public accounts; they came out only after the budget, and then, looking at the public accounts for the fiscal year 2024-2025, revenues came in stronger than we were expecting,” she said

The budget cut many things, but there is nothing that actually gets detailed. Indeed, many plans have

- DAVID MACDONALD

“We may see more of that in the coming months, particularly some of the spring departmental reports, but at this point, there’s still a lot of programs, a lot of details we don’t know about how these cuts are an impact to the programs that Canadians need,” he said.

The cuts that former prime minister Steven Harper introduced in the early 2010s apparently had the same effect.

“The Harper cuts of the early 2010s are similar size in terms of percentage loss as we’re seeing here,” Macdonald said.

“One of the outcomes of the Harper cuts was the Phoenix pay disaster, so they cut back substan-

tially on the pay. The folks that ran the pay system turned the whole thing over to brand new technology in the hopes that technology could save money and be more productive, and it crashed and burned, and we spent billions fixing it,” he said.

Diarra Sourang, the director of Economic Analysis at the PBO, says it’s impossible to really understand the budget without acknowledging the economic climate in which it was built.

“I think it’s important to understand the context in which the budget is developed, and currently, it’s moderating economic growth. So there are some economic pressures there, and that environment is what shapes the government’s fiscal room. So basically, what they have the ability to invest in and for how long,” she said.

Sourang said the government’s ability to deliver on its commitments depends heavily on how the economy performs in the next couple of years.

“So if the nominal GDP will stay as is, by definition, you’ll be increasing your debt-to-GDP ratio,” she said.

For the average Canadian, the minutiae and effects of this budget remain to be seen in the coming months and years.

Champagne rises in the House of Commons as members vote on the federal budget at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday, Nov. 17.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/ADRIAN WYLD

Why Hurricane Melissa was so devastating

Samuel D. Brito Salas Senior Reporter

Hurricane Melissa, the Category 5 storm that tore through the Caribbean in late October, was the last and strongest storm so far from the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.

Everything from its formation, strengthening, trajectory and structure was astonishing for experts monitoring the hurricane.

As of Nov. 10, around 90 deaths have been reported across the Caribbean, while thousands of people were displaced.

The hurricane reached sustained winds of almost 300 km/h with a central pressure of 892 millibars, one of the lowest registered in the Atlantic.

The season has seen a total of 13 named storms so far, which is a little bit below normal; however, out of those, five were hurricanes, with four of them being Category 3 or more.

According to the National Hurricane Centre (NHC), a hurricane forms when a storm’s sustained winds reach 120 km/h.

National Hurricane Center’s Hurricane Specialist Unit Chief Daniel Brown remarked on how historic the storm was due to multiple factors.

“It essentially was one of the strongest hurricanes on record, as well as one of the strongest hurricanes at landfall,” he said.

The storm, which reached Category 5, the strongest of all, found extremely favourable conditions for intensification and made landfall at maximum intensity, Brown said.

He highlighted the rainfall the storm caused, which affected areas far away from the landfall locations in Jamaica and Cuba, such as Hispaniola, where catastrophic flooding was reported.

“Across parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, they were more in the outer fringes, but they did get heavy rainfall for several days,” Brown said.

A full report of the storm will be available for next year, he said.

Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, said the fact that almost no storms moved through the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico contributed to some of the atmospheric conditions to be that favourable in the area.

Extremely warm waters at the surface and below acted as fuel for the storm to rapidly intensify.

“Melissa was really able to just sit over those waters and do whatever it wanted,” Modestino said.

She said how important the track of the storm is regarding the public’s perception of a storm,

ment was good and we knew that we were likely looking at a major hurricane, if not Cat 5, just based on the environment,” she said.

Wind shear, when the wind

“IT REALLY GOT TO A POINT WHERE IT WAS ALMOST AS STRONG AS METEOROLOGY CAN GO ON EARTH,”

especially since there were three more major hurricanes this season that moved away from land and didn’t affect any country or territory significantly.

For Melissa, steering currents, which determine where a hurricane will move or go, were weak and allowed the hurricane to move slowly to take advantage of the environment surrounding it.

“We knew that the environ-

- Rachel Modestino

strength changes with height, was a decisive factor in the environment that avoided the storm from intensifying initially became more favourable as the storm moved south of Jamaica, causing its explosive intensification, Modestino said.

“It was definitely probably a worst-case scenario for a lot of the Caribbean islands this year.”

She also said that for this spe-

cific storm, weather patterns directed the storm towards the Caribbean instead of curving it out to sea, as it occurred with the rest of the hurricanes of the season.

Senior Climatologist with ECCC, David Phillips, said while it’s almost impossible to point out if a specific storm was so intense because of climate change, at the time a storm forms, it will take full advantage of atmospheric conditions.

“Any (storm) that develops could be monstrous,” he said. “If you get fewer, then more of those fewer are going to be forest fires.”

With a warmer climate, more moisture is available in the sea and the atmosphere for storms to take advantage of, especially if previous storms don’t form, so

they don’t benefit from these conditions, he said.

“Water temperature is so high that it is keeping these storms alive longer,” Phillips said.

He also pointed out that the human factor over land is also contributing to a more favourable environment for storms.

“We cut down trees for farmland. And so therefore, the forest is not there to absorb the rain and prevent the landslides,” he said.

A lack of trees will make hurricanes hazards such as storm surge, combined with sea level rise, even more impactful in the future.

He finally said it’s very likely that Melissa’s name will be retired next year, so its name won’t be used ever again to name a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean.

Antony Anderson looks for salvageable items in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in Black River, Jamaica. Melissa hit the Caribbean nation with sustained winds of almost 300 km/h.

THE AMERICAN PRESS/MATIAS DELACROIX

Patients are being tended to in a hospital after the Category 5 Hurricane Melissa swept Black River, Jamaica.

THE AMERICAN PRESS/MATIAS DELACROIX

Students show solidarity after protest

Emma Randall HumberETC News

Several Toronto Metropolitan University students say recent tensions on campus have shifted how they interact and express their political beliefs; Not out of fear but because solidarity among students is more important than ever.

An alleged Nov. 5 attack on a TMU student at an off-campus event by Elm and Bay Streets by an IDF soldier at an event hosted by the SSI (Students Supporting Israel) was posted on Instagram.

Toronto Police arrested six protesters at the event organized by TMU's branch of Students Supporting Israel. No charges filed against the IDF soldier.

Police said a protest group of Palestinian supporters entered the private event area without permission, and one individual sustained minor injuries.

First-year student Ahmed Al-Sodani said incidents at TMU, like the incident of the security guards tackling a student in Sep-

tember and another in October, reflect a pattern students have learned to anticipate.

“Each time students do a protest, there's always someone getting arrested or attacked by someone,” he said. For him, student safety now feels like something students provide for one another, rather than something that's guaranteed by the institution.

“TMU doesn't do anything to stop these incidents from happening. Usually, they escalate before TMU has a response, if they do at all,” Al-Sodani said.

The incident has drawn attention from Kristyn Wong-Tam, Toronto Centre MPP, where the TMU is located.

Wong-Tam stated it remains unclear whether “the Canadian Border Service Agency has conducted interviews with the Israeli soldiers involved in the ‘Combat on Campus’ tour across Canada,” or whether federal authorities have investigated Canadians who may have travelled to serve in the IDF.

They said failing to do so “would

contravene Canadian law as well as Canada’s duty to uphold our international legal and human rights obligations fairly, consistently and equally.”

Wong-Tam also referenced reports of protesters being hospitalized from the violence after the event with the IDF soldier, in her written statement.

“Publicly funded institutions must not turn a blind eye to genocide, including by welcoming potential participants in genocide,” they said.

“Our public institutions have moral and social duties of care for students and the public. This includes protecting the students from violence and upholding Canadian law,” she said in the statement.

TMU said it is “deeply concerned” about the off-campus confrontation and that police made multiple arrests after the demonstrators entered the building to protest IDF soldiers being at TMU.

“TMU condemns the acts of

aggression, intimidation, or violence. The actions that took place on Wednesday are unacceptable and do not reflect the values of our community. Our thoughts are with any students who may have been injured.”

The university said safety remains a priority and that it "will apply our policies as appropriate," stating its commitment to “inclusion, free expression and mutual respect.”

TMU student, Agape Sheik, said political expression on campus now depends heavily on the environments students create for each other.

“I can understand not feeling safe if I were to be open about my political beliefs. There hasn't been protection for students,” she said.

Sheik said students frequently rely on peers for assurance and safety.

“You just have to be really cautious about what you share with people you're just meeting on campus,” she said.

Her experience in the Faculty

of Arts suggests that some classrooms have become informal spaces of solidarity. “People are very open with discussion, professors… are willing for open discussion and they never really turn it down,” Sheik said.

“There hasn't been any acknowledgement of the incidents that have happened in the past month. There isn't a guarantee that you will be safe when saying what you want to say,” she said.

Both students said they want TMU to take a more active role in ensuring student safety at events.

Al-Sodani said security presence should be reliable and intentional.

“There should be some sort of security guards stationed at these events so there's no excuse for TMU to say we didn't do enough to protect these students,” he said.

Sheik said students shouldn't have to be pushed into zones to speak freely.

“In all honesty, you'd think that campus was a safe space. We shouldn't be boxed in a little corner,” she said.

A ‘shameful’ loss of measles immunity

Ontario and 1,919 in Alberta this year.

The news that Canada has lost its measles elimination status is a “shameful situation” for the countryside, a communicable disease expert said.

Professor Emeritus at Toronto Metropolitan University, Timothy Sly, said that public health has failed to ensure the message about the importance of vaccination reaches people.

“I think we have failed, officially, in public health, and we have failed to make sure that our message was not getting out as much as it should have been,” he said. “And we need to address this in the future.” Toronto Public Health stated in a press release that the status change is caused by the huge number of measles cases over 12 months.

Data from PHAC shows the outbreak began in New Brunswick in October 2024 and continued to spread in several areas.

A Toronto Public Health press release said measles continues to circulate locally, nationally and globally, while Ontario’s outbreak was declared over in October

PHAC said of the 5,162 measles cases reported since 2024, 4,800 are confirmed and 362 are probable, with 2,375 cases identified in

Canada’s public health reported 23 new measles cases, 22 confirmed and one probable, between Oct. 26 and Nov. 1, 2025.

It said these cases were identified in Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba.

Canada’s public health data reports that there have been two deaths in Alberta and Ontario. The report said they were from congenital cases of measles born preterm.

Sly said social media has become one of the factors why people are hesitant to get vaccines, and the public health has failed to make sure that their message is getting through to people.

He said that it’s okay to feel hesitant about vaccination, but people need to “stop feeding themselves with conspiracy theories” and instead talk to experts if they have doubts.

Sly said that measles is “the most easily transmitted person-toperson of all viruses that we know.”

He encourages people to conduct real research and ask real experts.

“For goodness’ sake, get your child vaccinated. It’s a win-win situation if you do, and it’s a real problem if you don’t,” Sly said. “Vaccines are saving kids. They’re

saving millions of kids every year.”

Toronto public health officials say they work closely with local school boards, primary care providers, and community and health care partners.

They work together to provide scientifically supported health promotion messages about the benefits of vaccination.

The Public Health Agency of Canada briefed health ministers from across the country in October about the status removal and is working on strategies to fight the outbreaks.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist and associate professor at the University of Toronto, said in an email that access to a family doctor is important for routine childhood vaccination.

Bogoch also said building trust among patients, their families and the community can be one of the solutions to fix this problem, and public health units need funding to facilitate public trust in public health and promote routine childhood vaccination.

Amid the outbreak, public health units conduct community outreach to under-vaccinated communities, as well as having clinics in locations that administer routine childhood immunization, he said.

The federal government said the country can regain its elimination status once the spread of the mea-

sles strain associated with the current outbreak is interrupted for at least 12 months.

Two people walk by a warning sign informing those who are experiencing suspected measles symptoms as they head into Woodstock General Hospital in Woodstock, Ontario.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/NICOLE OSBORNE

Giovanna Apelabi

Humber ETC News

Winter village brings holiday magic

The Distillery Winter Village opened its gates for its sixth annual holiday market, and for vendor Nicolle Thow, it is her third year of what she describes as an “incredible” experience.

“It’s a great market, very well organized, well attended, it’s my third year here, definitely worth coming, the people who run it are great, and as you can see, big crowds that come out,” said Thow, owner of Sugar & Iced cookie shop.

Thow said she makes up to 1,000 cookies a day.

“Come here and check out everything," she said. "I wouldn’t even know where to begin. There are so many food options, and the restaurants are great as well. The different markets are incredible,” Thow said.

It’s Vincent Salaris’ first visit to the Winter Village, an annual event at the district which comprises 40 Victorian buildings and 10 streets in the Parliament and Front Streets area.

“It definitely brought the Christmas season out of me, that's for sure. It's awesome over here. They put tons of

work into it all. I’m happy to be here,” Salaris said.

Hannah Kim, who is from South Korea, stopped by Toronto’s winter village during her last days in Canada.

“In my country, we also have a kind of Christmas market, very similar. It’s my first time here, though, and I love it. It is so nice.” Kim said.

Punnisa Chueajard, working for Japan Tacos, is a vendor for the first time.

“It's fusion food, serving Mexican and Japanese food. We make tacos that have deep-fried seaweed, with panko breadcrumbs and flour,” said

Chueajard, who is also a second-year Early Childhood Education student at Humber Polytechnic.

“We normally do vendor pops out throughout the summer across Ontario. I would recommend to people to come try different foods, we make everything with our heart and want you guys to be happy,” Chueajard said.

Peter Van, a manager at multiple locations of the artisanal ice cream café Demetres, said it is his third year at the winter village.

“We want people to come and experience the cabins," he said. "We

have three new cabins here at Demetres, (selling) Monkey Bread, Dubai Chocolate and Brûléed Crepes. We are doing something new where people can experience all three. It’s really cool to expand ourselves."

Van said he enjoys the holiday feeling of the market.

“It has been really

HUMBERETC/MIA BADJU

Left, Song Park, right, Hannah Kim.

Mia Badju HumberETC Culture

magic back to the Distillery District

nice to see everyone come by and be in the festive spirit, and the tree lighting ceremony was so nice, as well as seeing people’s faces light up watching the tree,” Van said.

Song Park said she has been feeling rather jolly this holiday season and has been awaiting the market to open.

“I was really

excited for this market. I really wanted to do this, this Christmas, it’s my first time here, but I have been to the Distillery District,” Park said.

Park came here with her best friend and can’t wait to explore the village.

“Today I got a hot chocolate, and we went to some of the stores here as well,” Park said.

Luwam Yonas, with Dacasto Gran Pasticceria, said they are selling panettone and cannolis, with everything made fresh and all ingredients imported from Italy.

“This is our first time at Dacasto

doing the Winter Village. I love coming here every year with my family. This year I am working it, so it’s really nice,” Yonas said.

“The tree lighting ceremony was beautiful, people were taking photos, videos, it was so pretty," Yonas said.

Birvah Shah, assistant manager at Skin Treats, said this is her third year at the winter market.

“I have been working here as an assistant manager for the last couple of years. This year is my third year in the Christmas market. We are selling skin care products such as soaps, scrubs and more,” Shah said.

Shah said they are placed in the perfect spot, facing the market’s almost 17-metre (55-foot) Christmas tree.

“It's everyone's dream place to work here, because you can see the big Christmas tree, you can see everything from left and right.

Upstairs, we also started a photo booth, like a photo station area,” Shah said.

The McGregor Carollers sang and strolled throughout the market and will be performing for the duration of the Winter Market from Nov. 13 to Jan. 4, 2026.

The distillery is located at 55 Mill St. in Toronto. Ticket prices range from $15 to $30, depending on the type of ticket. Check for ticket pricing here.

TTC provide service to the pedestrian-friendly attraction with the 504 King streetcar from the King subway station to the Distillery loop, the 65 Parliament bus from the Castle Frank station and the 121 Esplanade-River bus from Front and Bay Streets.

“All I can say to people is come for yourself, walk around, there’s a lot of stuff to see, eat, try new things,” Yonas said.

HUMBER ETC/MIA BADJU Distillery District elf employees.

EDITORIAL

Baby steps towards accessibility is not enough

For students with mobility challenges, getting to class at Humber can be a frustrating test of endurance.

On the surface, Humber's campuses appear to be accessible. Most buildings have elevators and ramps, as well as exterior push-button entrances. Yet these structural features only go so far when the daily experience of moving across campus still feels like an obstacle course.

Campuses are required to follow the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, but this allows for classrooms with doors under a certain weight to not require a button. Or ramps that may not seem so steep but are to someone who has to wheel themselves up after a long day.

Humber is given a budget of $250,000 annually to spend on accessibility upgrades, with smaller upgrades, typically under $50,000, being simpler to approve. While upgrades more expensive usually have to go through the board of governors, Scott Valens, the Director of Capital Development at Humber, said.

There are challenges that make it difficult for people with physical difficulties to navigate once

EDITORIAL

they arrive to campus.

Like North campus’ WheelTrans location. The stop is a several minute walk from the main building entrance, which can take several minutes to cross, even longer in bad weather.

The same pattern is evident at Lakeshore. While the cottages add charm, they also pose serious challenges for mobility. Most often, travel between them requires going outdoors.

In winter, this becomes a real challenge, and for students with physical disabilities, this may be the difference between attending classes comfortably and not at all.

Accessibility isn't only about compliance with the AODA, it's about being able to access spaces in the same ways that everyone else does. That requires proactive design, not reactive fixes.

To Humber’s credit, improve-

ments have been made in recent years. North, Lakeshore, Carrier and the Downtown campuses have all been retrofitted with accessible washrooms.

The college’s largest initiative so far has been the installation of tactile warning pads at the top and bottom of all ramps and staircases. That change stemmed from a large accessibility audit conducted in 2019, where Humber identified and ranked areas for

Accessibility must be compliant with AODA standards. There are challenges for students with physical disabilities.

improvement into four categories of importance, Valens said.

The college is now nearly finished addressing all four ranks. If a student has a barrier getting to class, that accommodation request is handled as fast as possible, and money is allocated from the college to make that a possibility quickly, Valens said.

But Et Cetera feels this doesn’t go far enough to address the larger things that aren’t necessarily a full barrier, but simply make day to day more challenging, like a further pick up location, no buttons for classrooms, and steep ramps.

Humber has an opportunity to set an example for other post-secondary institutions by rethinking accessibility from the ground up. Accessibility should not be an afterthought in design but embedded in every part of how Humber builds and renovates its spaces.

Every student deserves to come to campus feeling welcomed, not reminded of the distance between intention and execution. True accessibility is more than ramps and elevators. It's about each student, regardless of mobility, having equal ease of access to the same opportunity.

As cold looms, mental health must be prioritized

Winter is a season that brings various types of emotions and moods to people.

It's cold, gloomy and windy days affect our bodies and mental health in many ways, from positive to negative reactions.

It’s necessary to be aware, even knowing winter will always come eventually, of the factors that can influence how an individual may go through this season, especially since many things can influence people's moods.

Here in Canada, a country with one of the coldest winters in the world, it’s very difficult not to be affected by the winter blues at least once.

According to the University of California, this “winter depression” is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and produces multiple symptoms such as loss of interest, lack of energy, feeling sad, among others.

The main causes of this type of depression are the lack of

sunlight and Vitamin D (which we usually get from the sun) and the cold weather, common conditions of winter.

This affects people no matter their background or country of origin. However, it is certainly more noticeable in newcomers not used to cold weather coming

from countries with no winters or cold weather at all.

Two or three per cent of Canadians experience or have experienced SAD, and around 15 per cent have felt the winter blues in the country, according to CIC News.

Two weeks ago, the city of

Toronto registered its snowiest Nov. 9 in more than 50 years, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The reality of a cold winter is finally hitting us hard. Because of all of this, we must acknowledge that this happens and that people suffer from

it, and while it doesn’t exempt us from our responsibilities, empathy and understanding of the issue can make a difference. This is also a reminder to keep yourself active as much as possible. Any kind of distraction and activity will help to reduce any symptoms, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) say 20 per cent of people experience mental health problems, with 60 per cent of people not seeking help due to fear of being labelled. We, as individuals, need to be more empathetic with those suffering from this depression. We don't know if we’ll be dealing with depression in the future.

As with many things in life, this is eventually a temporary condition that will decline as the season ends and spring arrives, accompanied by warmer temperatures and more sunlight, but since the cold season is just starting, there’s still a long way before getting to that point.

HUMBERETC/AISLINN MILLETTE

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is common during the winter due to a lack of sunlight and vitamin D.

HUMBERETC/SAMUEL BRITO

Oakville Remembrance transcends ceremonies

Mason Kossak

Oakville residents filled George’s Square on Tuesday to honour veterans on Remembrance Day. The scene made me think about my family during the war. My grandmother was born in Tykocin, Poland, in 1943. That fall, German forces took her father to the Gross-Rosen concentration camp, now called Rogoźnica. He never returned.

more than 2,600 Canadians were killed or wounded in one month of fighting. The Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, with 1,375 Canadian graves, shows the scale of sacrifice that still shapes how families remember the war generations later.

One of those people was Drill Sgt. Sebastian Petipal, a Humber Polytechnic student, who was the guard commander at the ceremony. He told me his family’s history is what brings him back each year.

“My grandpa served, my great-grandpa also served, and I just want to pay it back for them,” he said. “My great-grandpa died in the service, and yeah, it just means a lot.”

He hopes young people show up, wear a poppy and understand the weight behind it.

“The only thing we can do is be thankful and do all we can to try to thank them for that,” he said.

I also spoke with Steve Thomas, president of the Royal Canadian Legion Oakville Branch 114. He said the turnout proves the community still understands the meaning of the day.

OPINION

Social media negatively impacts body image

Once upon a time, social media was a platform where people connected by sharing what was going on in their lives in a positive way.

But it’s changing now.

Today, social media has a substantial influence on many things, including how we see ourselves and how we feel about ourselves, which influences our confidence. This is noticeable in how social media affects our body image.

Now people are comparing themselves to others through social media. And beauty lenses and filters are giving an unnatural and unreal view of how we appear on social media, and instead of seeing the person, we see those filters.

The filters and their beauty lenses make us prettier on social media. We also have the option of editing our photos to make us look better. But we don’t need to do that.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences, led by PhD candidate Karen Hock, found that in their 2014 study 55 per cent of teens say they are “dissatisfied” with their appearance. The research indicates the main problem is social media.

recorded 55 per cent of 27,277 youth expressed dissatisfaction with their bodies, with a marked increase as social media use ramps up.

University of Waterloo’s School and Hock’s team also say that about “35 per cent of the teens report being larger than ideal” and “20 per cent said they were thinner than ideal.” This reflects the picture social media puts in users’ heads which pressures them to strive for a perfect body. It shouldn’t be like that.

In my experience, social media’s influence has left me struggling to accept my looks. As I grew up, I would compare myself to others on Instagram and TikTok. That experience affected my mental state, leaving me always wishing to look like someone I saw on social media.

Families and friends told me to change my perspective. They would say, “Everyone is their own person, and you are too.” But I did not think that could be true. It took me a while to do that, but eventually I did.

Finally, I realized I could not keep living my life heavily influenced by social media. That pushed me to do something about it.

One day, my mom said to me, “Let’s go to the gym.” I decided to join her.

After going a few times, I started to enjoy it and that motivated me to go more. It has helped me to love myself more and build my confidence in my body image. It taught me you’re the only one who can change your self-love and get rid of the unhealthy relationship you have with your body image.

My habit of going to the gym, instead of going on social media, changed my life for the better. I am developing a healthy relationship with my body.

Her mother was spared only because she spoke German and was told to stay inside and keep the baby quiet. Most of the village was not that lucky. The men were forced into farm labour and the women into sewing uniforms for the German army. My grandmother grew up with the silence that follows fear, and later left communist-era Poland for Canada in 1959. That history shapes how I see ceremonies like the one in Oakville. Standing in the cold, I watched families gather and a parade of veterans who carried their own decades of memory. It reminded me that remembrance comes from real people and real loss, not symbols from a calendar. It also made me think about the Canadians who fought in Italy, particularly at the Moro River in 1943, where

“We always have a good time, the local community supports us well, and the place is packed,” he said, pointing out the range of people who came.

Listening to him, I thought about my grandmother’s story again. Her uncle fought with the Polish forces under Gen. Bernard Law Montgomery and Gen. Władysław Sikorski, travelling through Italy and surviving battles. He was later resettled in Canada by the British government and helped my grandmother immigrate years later.

That small act of survival made my life possible. Remembrance Day is not only about soldiers. It is about the families who held on, the children who grew up without fathers, and the communities that still gather in the cold to make sure none of it disappears into history.

At George’s Square, the quiet moments between the speeches mattered most. They reminded me that remembrance is a shared responsibility carried by people who lived it, people who inherited it and people who still learn from it.

Mason Kossak, he/him, is a senior reporter at Humber Et Cetera. He is a journalism post-graduate student.

Hock, the study’s lead author, told University of Waterloo News she is concerned about teens using social media.

“Previous research has found that youth know using social media is not good for their mental health, but they find it really hard to stop,” Hock told the News.

Hock said young children are “developing an unhealthy relationship with body image,” and this shows in recent statistics. University

At the end of the day, we are all human beings. We are all beautiful just the way we are, and we should never doubt ourselves by thinking of the worst version of ourselves by comparing ourselves to people on social media.

Social media has many benefits, but it often creates barriers between appearance and beauty for young people using it as a comparison tool, feeling like they must change to fit in because social media is telling them to do so.

Don’t focus so much on social media. Put down the phone and learn to love yourself.

Olivia Masztalerz, she/her, is a news reporter at Humber Et Cetera. She covers

Ceremonial guards stand at attention beside the George’s Square cenotaph with wreaths.

COURTESY/MATTHEW KOSSAK OPINION

Olivia Masztalerz

HUMBERETC/ JULIA SEQUEIRA

HUMBERETC/OLIVIA MASZTALERZ

Kimerley Facey, a Humber student , agrees social media can influence how we see ourselves.

OPINION

Comedy laugh track bias ruins audience experience

Sitcoms are comfort shows for millions of people around the world. They are made with a sort of relatable feeling that attracts viewers of all ages and interests.

The first laugh track was incorporated into The Hank McCune Show in 1950, and the formatting of sit-

OPINION

coms changed forever.

CBS sound engineer Charles “Charly” Douglass introduced laugh tracks to stop live audiences laughing at the wrong parts of the show.

He would hear the audience laugh at a certain joke, and if it did not get the “correct” or “desired” amount, he would add more laughter to persuade the audience that the joke was supposed to be funnier than they thought.

Even from the start, the laugh track was controversial.

Erskine Johnson, a well-known Hollywood gossip columnist, wrote about the possible impact and drawbacks of “canned” laughter in 1952.

“My theory is that if it’s funny, I’ll laugh,” Johnson wrote. aid.

I agree with Johnson. If you think a certain line is funny, you will laugh.

The viewer does not need a loud,

obnoxious snippet of an audience laughing to tell you what is funny.

Laugh tracks have ruined and continue to ruin sitcoms. Douglass’ innovation (or ruination) became synonymous with sitcoms.

During the late ‘80s until the late 2000s, every popular sitcom was full of loud howling of audience laughter.

Any major show you can think of from that era used a live audience, which was told what was funny, when to laugh, and for how long.

Seinfeld, Friends, Full House, and many others used the infamous track. “Hollywood has been filming comedies for years without 'canned laughter.' Laughs never made an unfunny comedy funny,” Johnson wrote.

Laugh tracks not only tell the audience what to say, but also make

the actors wait for the laughter to subside before they say their next line.

In 2020, writer Jordan Fraser argued that laugh tracks should be removed because they ruin any chances for spontaneous reactions.

“When you watch episodes of Big Bang Theory on YouTube with the laughter tracks taken away, the jokes suddenly seem stale, dated, and sometimes mean,” Fraser said.

Many parts of sitcoms are funny when the writing is well-paced, and you find yourself laughing along, not because the laugh track is telling you to, but because you think the joke is genuinely funny.

My personal favourite sitcom is How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM), and I love the comedic writing.

The inside jokes and callbacks make me feel like a part of the friend

group at the bar.

I find myself laughing at most of the jokes, but sometimes a line will be said, and the laugh track will ensue, and I will be sitting there questioning where the joke was.

Many shows have moved away from laugh tracks and have begun to transition to a more The Office-type comedy.

Fast-paced, quick jokes, with no laugh track to tell you what is funny.

Some other shows that have adapted to this are Modern Family, Arrested Development and Parks and Recreation.

At the end of the day, jokes are meant to be funny, but not every joke that is supposed to be funny is funny.

Food ranking systems are partial to Eurocentrism

As easily overlooked as Toronto is compared to the bigger metropolises of the world, its rich and unique culture is undeniable.

Its culture, however, isn’t the countless sports teams that the city parades every other year, or the monumental tourist attractions on Yonge Street. It’s the food that truly defines Toronto.

The freshly baked Jamaican patties found in every other corner store, the upscale, fusion eateries that occupy every other street. Even the chain restaurants that live on Sankofa Square have their own place in Toronto’s history.

Food has, and always will be, a symbol diversity that represents the countless communities that bring life to the city. Therefore, it’s no surprise

that the same people who occupy Toronto hope to uplift the food that defines them. However, it’s difficult to uplift your food and culture if the chance was never given in the first place. Within the restaurant world, people look up to food critics to learn what's new and fresh. Others look up to the advice of high-ranking French food guides... specifically, one that specializes in tire produc tion.

This food guide only began recognizing Toronto restau rants in 2022, despite coming to

North America in 2006. In an article by blogTO posted in 2021, Nora Vass, the director of Food and Travel Experiences, said that cost was a major factor as to why they avoided Canada.

As loaded as that response was, the restaurants they chose to award with, oh, you know, let's

supposed to showcase high-end eateries, the food scene they uplifted was minimalist Japanese sashimi and contemporary French-Italian fusion.

consists of contemporary Indian cuisine, Chinese fusion, or Spanish-South African fusion.

WHAT IS THE REALITY THAT DIFFERENTIATES THE HIGH-END FRENCH RESTAURANTS FROM THE UPSCALE INDIAN EATERIES? EUROCENTRISM

is far from simple. The “simple food” in question

Even worse, only one Blackowned restaurant is acknowledged by this guide, out of the hundreds in Toronto: Conejo Negro. ByBlacks Magazine writer, Marcus Medford, called out the French guide for only showcasing predominantly white restaurants, and received a response from an anonymous chief inspector.

“[It] was established in France, so it’s natural that there’s that perception, but our global selection of restaurants features nearly 200 cuisine types across more than 60 Guides,” they said.

Not only is the actual diversity snubbed off to the side, but it’s referred to as simple, cheap eats. What is the reality that differentiates the high-end French restaurants from the upscale Indian eateries?

Eurocentrism.

Maybe these food guides are an actual reflection of the issues in the food industry. Or maybe it’s just another excuse for entitled white men to look down on minorities.

Julia Ilano, she/they, is the news editor at Humber Et Cetera. She covers esports, food and news.

Julia Ilano

HUMBERETC ILUSTTRATION/JULIA ILANO

Sean Moniz

Sean Moniz, he/him, is a news reporter at Humber Et Cetera. He covers sports and news.

Taking two minutes to remember veterans on Remembrance Day

Mia Badju HumberETC Culture

There was a time when Canadaian Forces infantryman Martin Tarnoci didn’t think much about Remembrance Day when he was younger.

That changed, however, when he joined the Canadian Forces about a year ago.

“When you are actually here, serving and hearing the stories from those that came back who are survivors or the memorials for those who weren’t, it just hits your soul a lot deeper,” Tarnoci said.

Tarnoci is one of the millions of Canadians who unite annually on Nov. 11 to remember those who fought for the country.

The two minutes of silence on the 11th hour of the 11th day, the moment when the First World War ended, becomes a moment of reflection.

Theresa Rose, the vice-president of the Ladies Auxiliary, a part of Branch 139 of the Canadian Legion in Streetsville, Ont., joined two years ago to give back to the community through her sobriety journey.

“I am responsible to give back to the community,” Rose said. “Also, because my grandfather Frank Newby joined the army at the age of 30, in the First World War and so I thought what better way to honour his legacy.”

“He was raised in an orphanage and immigrated to Canada from London, England. He was known to be very strict and tough in his teachings,” she said.

Rose said Newby, who died in 1991, had a quiet but confident manner. He was born in London and immigrated to Canada with the help of the Salvation Army when he was 16.

He was placed on a farm and became a farm labourer before he joined the army and intended to use his earnings and reestablish his credit. This would help pay off his mortgage on the house he purchased.

Once his time in the army was complete, he was confident that his readjustment to civil life would be an easy one, he wrote in his discharge certificate.

Rose said that every year the number of

veterans declines and soon their generation of veterans will be gone. That’s why Remembrance Day remains so important, especially for younger generations, she said.

“Once all veterans have passed, it will be up to us to carry their legacy forward and ensure that the significance of their sacrifice continues to be honoured for generations to come,” Rose said.

Rose said that the Ladies Auxiliary has fundraisers throughout the year and funds raised are given to assist the local Legions across the province.

Clare Ivancic, a retail worker and recent graduate of George Brown College in early childhood education, said she wears her poppy to show her gratitude.

“I think once the younger generations get older into high school, they more so understand the First World and Second World War,” Ivancic said.

She said workplaces should do more to honour the lives lost.

“I know workplaces typically have donation boxes where customers can buy a poppy, but I think they should do more. Take some time to honour lives, stop working services and show your respect,” Ivancic said.

Tarnoci wants Canadians to be more empathetic toward the people who fought in the wars and to appreciate the sacrifices they made for the benefits Canadians enjoy today.

“Remembrance Day means a lot to me,” the Mississauga native said. “Usually, those who I served with and I get together, go down to one of the memorial statues. We lay a wreath down and say prayers together and then we go out and celebrate that we are still here and are able to have our country and freedoms.”

“I wish Canadians had more pride in the people who lay down their lives,” Tarnoci said. “I have seen a lot of people brush it to the side and not really care, which is hurtful, knowing what other families have gone through.”

“I know everybody has a busy life, but put it to the side for just a couple of hours and pay respects and think about the people who never made it home,” Tarnoci said.

First Nation Remembrance Day honours Indigenous veterans in Hagersville

display of war memorabilia, including uniforms, letters, photographs, flags, books and medals.

Under the season’s first snowfall, the Mississauga’s of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) gathered in Hagersville, Ont., on Nov. 9 to honour Indigenous veterans and fallen soldiers in a heartfelt Remembrance Day ceremony.

The outdoor ceremony began at 10:30 a.m. within a tent with two heaters, where the performance of the Men’s Drum Group, Ninjiichaag, opened the ceremony.

Several wreaths were placed in front of the Veterans’ Memorial Monument during the moment of silence.

After the ceremony, guests approached the monument to pay their respects and honour the sacrifices of those who gave their lives serving Canada.

The ceremony’s speaker, Councillor Jesse Herkimer of the Mississauga’s of the Credit First Nation, said the annual event is a time to remember loved ones.

“I have a grandfather that served in the Second World War,” he said. “There were a lot of Herkimers in there, so a lot of my relatives fought in wars to serve this country.”

Councillor Herkimer said the ceremony also reflects the broader impact of war on families and communities.

“We were all affected by this in some way,” he said. “It’s to remember the people that have come before us and the path they tried to lay out for us here today.”

Post-ceremony, guests gathered in the MCFN Council House to view a

Carolyn King, a member of the Mississauga’s of the Credit First Nation and Chair of the Public Library, placed the artifacts in the Council Hall.

“The artifacts share the stories of the Mississauga’s of the Credit. As a small Anishinaabe First Nation, they signed up to the war, in all the wars,” she said. “These are items to commemorate those through pictures (and) different things.”

The Mississauga’s of the Credit First Nation community have endured hardships that once threatened their culture, continuing to remember and honour those who came before them.

The annual Remembrance Day ceremony highlights the contributions of MCFN members to past wars.

“Recognizing Indigenous people for what they contributed to the war in a big way,” King said. “Reconciliation is just, you know, recognizing that we are a big part of saving this country.”

The Canadian government says Indigenous Peoples had a fundamental part in the four major wars and in current-day operations. In the 20th century, it is estimated that more than 12,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis members served Canada.

For members of the Mississauga’s of the Credit First Nation, the ceremony is also a time to honour their history while embracing healing and reflection.

“We’re part of the picture,” King said. “We’re included as part of the story, not just an afterthought.”

Martin Tarnoci, with Canadian Forces is marking coordinates on a map during training.

COURTESY/ MARTIN TARNCI

Alexandra Shank HumberETC Culture

Poppy wreaths placed at the Veterans’ Memorial Monument in Hagersville, Ont.

HUMBERETC/ALEXANDRA SHANK

Humber celebrates Remembrance Day

Ann Snaggs, Kaku Kenyi HumberETC Culture

The president and CEO of Humber Polytechnic, Ann Marie Vaughan, told about 200 people how her great-grandmother was known to be one of the most bereaved mothers in Newfoundland in the Great War.

Vaughan spoke with pride about her family’s legacy of service in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Four of her great-uncles enlisted in the army.

Oscar and Francis were two of the first 500 Newfoundlanders to join the regiment at the start of the First World War.

They both served in Gallipoli, and Francis also served in Western Europe. They were part of the iconic Blue Puttees, an intrinsic part of Newfoundland’s history.

The Blue Puttees was a nickname given to this group because of their blue uniforms, which they had to wear as there was a shortage of green fabric at the time.

Oscar and Francis returned from the war but later died from their injuries. Oscar died in 1917, and Francis died in 1918.

Vaughan said her great-uncles Joseph and Herbert enlisted in 1915 and served at various locations in Europe. On Apr. 14, 1917, Joseph was only 17 years

old when he was one of more than 800 Newfoundland soldiers slaughtered, their bodies never returned to their families.

Herbert was taken as a prisoner of war on the same day. He was later released but perished in 1939 due to injuries sustained during the war.

the service of the country.

“Each poppy that we wear symbolizes a story: a story of bravery; of loss; of commitment to something greater than oneself,” she said. “Through these stories we remember, and we give thanks for the freedoms we’re privileged to enjoy.” Vaughan said Humber

barriers to success.

“In doing so, we honour their service, not only with words but through actions,” she said.

The land acknowledgment was read by University of GuelphHumber (UGH) student Rachel Lyn Balintec.

UGH student, and IGNITE stu-

Vaughan said she has two uncles who served in the Korean War and other family members who tried to enlist but were declined for medical reasons.

She said she often thinks about her great-grandparents and the sacrifices her family has made in

Polytechnic, as a member of the Alliance of Ontario Military-Connected Campuses, will help military personnel, veterans and their families transition back to civilian careers by recognizing and respecting skills gained through military service and removing

dent advocate, Emily Edwards, read the war poem, In Flanders Fields by John McCrae.

The Last Post and The Rouse were played by Humber music student and trumpet player Derek Healey.

These songs are traditionally

played at war remembrances. During wars, The Last Post was played by bugle and signified the end of the day. The Rouse was typically played to awaken soldiers and now represents a symbolic awakening.

Healey, who has been playing the trumpet for 11 years, said he has a personal connection to Remembrance Day.

“Actually, my great-grandfather on my mother's side fought in World War II. As (did) my great-grandfather on my father's side,” he said. “I suppose it's something that drives me to play at my best and sound my best for everyone who is watching and listening.”

The national anthem was sung by Humber music student Minhee Seo.

Seo said that although she wasn’t born in Canada, she loves the anthem and has performed it many times over the years, including with a band at the Presidential Breakfast last year.

“Everyone loves Canada,” she said. “I can definitely feel the empathy and love (here).”

At the end of the ceremony, Vaughan thanked all for attending.

“May we always remember the sacrifices made for our freedom by the women and men in uniform,” she said. “And may we always strive to create a world worthy of their legacy.”

Snowy Remembrance Day with Ford

Rexdale resident Abdul Basit joined the small group for Remembrance Day at his area legion hall. He said the ceremonies shouldn't just be about soldiers, but also include doctors and others who gave their lives in the line of duty.

His father-in-law, Abdul Qadir, fought in the Second World War in Northern Italy. He says he recalls the times when Qadir shared experiences with him about the war.

Basit recalled all the times Qadir told him about how his ship got attacked by submarines. Basit said that Qadir overcame his trauma through the power of prayer.

Basit said he believes Remembrance Day should be extended to remember doctors and others who gave their lives to bring peace or help humanity.

“Remembrance Day is actually

remembering all those who sacrificed their lives for their country,” he said. Remembrance Day at Royal Canadian Legion Coronation Branch 286 on Irwin Road in Rexdale was marked with reverence and decorum. It was a small group of about 75 veterans and veterans’ family members who attended this ceremony.

The proceedings included a moment of silence, and several war poems were read out by Legion Hall members. It ended with a dedication at the cenotaph outside and the ceremonial laying down of poppies.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford visited the hall to speak with the members. He spoke about the importance of the younger generation remembering the sacrifice of service members.

“We have to make sure the younger generation remembers,” he said. “We have to educate them throughout our school systems, bring in some veterans to speak to them.”

Faye MacLachlan, who works for the Royal Canadian Legion’s Coronation Branch 286, helping veterans in the Etobicoke area, said she believes that veterans must go to schools and speak on the heavy price they paid for liberty.

“We have to have veterans go to the schools and ... explain to them why they went and served. And again, your freedom is not free. Liberty was very dearly paid for by many young people,” she said. Lauren Barkley preserves memories of the veterans attached to Branch 286. “We all know our private histories,” she said.

Barkley’s grandmother maintained a garden for the “Land Girls,” or the Women’s Land Army, during the Second World War in Edinburgh.

Now suffering from Alzheimer’s, she no longer remembers much, except for the time that she served her country.

Sebastian Ribeiro, sergeant-at-

arms at Coronation Branch 286, said it's important to educate the next generation. He is a veteran of the Seventh Royal Canadian Artillery, serving between 1989-1983. Ribeiro was part of the United Nations’ Operation Snowgoose, serving in Cyprus between 1992-

1993. He said working in a foreign country was an eye-opening experience.

“Remembrance Day is an opportunity to educate the younger generation – to tell what has been lost in order to have what we gained for our freedoms,” Ribeiro said.

HUMBER ETC/ANN SNAGGS

President of Humber Polytechnic, Ann Marie Vaughan, at the North campus Remembrance Day event.

Doug Ford at Rexdale Legion Remembrance Day snowy ceremony

Adrian Peries

HumberETC Culture

Humber hosts FIFA 2026 volunteer centre

Fernando Bossoes Senior Reporter

The City of Toronto and FIFA26 Canada picked Humber’s Lakeshore campus as the FIFA World Cup 26 Toronto Volunteer Centre.

Located inside the G Cottage, the volunteer centre will serve as the primary hub for recruitment, training, accrediting and outfitting volunteers for the tournament taking place in June and July 2026.

The FIFA World Cup 26 features 16 host cities across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, and Humber is the only host city supporter sponsor across all host cities that is directly supporting the volunteer program.

Toronto’s volunteer program will recruit about 3,000 volunteers to assist with fan experiences, accessibility services, media operations, event logistics and more.

Humber will help manage the local delivery of the volunteer program, including volunteer recruitment, training, scheduling and recognition.

Humber President Ann Marie Vaughan said the polytechnic’s students will also benefit from the partnership, gaining hands-on experience in areas such as media production, event management and data analytics that are needed to support the tournament.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for Humber to be lifting and providing our experience across the city, but it’s equally an opportunity for our students to be volunteers and to participate in many levels with the games,” Vaughan said.

The G Cottage has been revitalized to accommodate volunteers over the next year. All candidates will have a 90-minute experience across the building’s four floors.

The second floor has been transformed into an exhibition space, featuring historic FIFA milestones, facts about the volunteer program and memorabilia from FIFA, Canada Soccer, Soccer Hall of Fame Ontario and the City of Toronto.

Highlights include tickets from the 1986 FIFA World Cup match between Canada and France, a 1986 soccer ball featuring portraits of Canada’s World Cup squad and the pennant from Christine Sinclair’s final FIFA Women’s World Cup match.

Volunteers can explore the memorabilia rooms before heading into the video room, where a series of videos outlines the volunteer experience and the important role volunteers will play in bringing the tournament to life.

Mayor Olivia Chow, Councillor Amber Morley (Ward 3 Etobicoke-Lakeshore), Ontario’s Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden, Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden and FIFA Chief Tournament Officer Peter Montopoli attended the Nov. 13 event at the campus. Local MPP Lee Fairclough and MP James Maloney were also present.

Van Koeverden said this is a historic opportunity to showcase Canada to the world as a vibrant and inclusive country.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Canada Strong Budget 2025, which passed 170-168

on Nov. 17 and avoided a holiday election, includes $100 million to help ensure the success of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

“It’s a major boost to both sports culture and our country, and that’s why budget 2025 includes an increase to the amount that we are investing to ensure that everyone enjoys the event,” van Koeverden said.

Chow said Toronto led all 16 host cities with 248,000 volunteer applications. The mayor described the tournament as a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity, not just for the matches but also for the connections the city will build with visitors from across the globe.

“That sense of connection that comes from helping each other out, from caring and cheering together, that’s at the heart of who we are in Toronto,” Chow said.

Starting lineup volunteer Alex Salvadori said the chance to be part of the tournament is especially meaningful to him, given his lifelong passion for soccer.

“I think it’s going to be a surreal experience welcoming so many different cultures. Canada is known as a really diverse nation, so it’s going to be great to show how we are able to welcome all these cultures and different fans and teams,” Salvadori said.

Players and members of the coaching

staff from the Humber Hawks men’s soccer team also attended the event. The Hawks were crowned Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association champions for the 11th time last month.

G Cottage is home to the Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship (CfE) and the Humber Idea Lab. Longo CfE bookings are unavailable through 2025 and 2026, and the Idea Lab has reopened at a temporary location in H206.

Toronto will host six FIFA World Cup 26 matches, including the first-ever men’s FIFA World Cup match to be played on Canadian soil.

Three volunteers wearing neon green and orange shirts playing foosball table top soccer at Humber Lakeshore’s FIFA volunteer centre.

Humber men’s soccer team pose by the Trionda ball alongside MPs, the Secretary of State for Sport and President Anne-Marie Vaughan. HUMBERETC/FERNANDO BOSSOES

Vancouver Rise FC wins gold in first season Financial boost from federal government inspires upgrades

Nina A. Kersnik Senior Reporter

On a cool afternoon in November, raindrops dripped off the Diana B. Matheson Cup once the Vancouver Rise players lifted it in celebration, as the inaugural champions of the Northern Super League (NSL) with AFC Toronto applauding in the distance.

Samantha Chang, Rise FC midfielder, said the result wouldn’t have ended in a win unless the girls worked together.

“We knew that that was what it was going to take to beat a really good team like Toronto,” Chang said. “It was going to take every single one of us stepping up in our moments, and that’s exactly what happened today.”

Vancouver Rise FC secured the inaugural Diana B. Matheson Cup at the Northern Super League Finals, overpowering AFC Toronto 2-1 on Nov. 15 at BMO Field in Toronto, Ont. The league, founded by Diana B. Matheson, features six clubs: AFC Toronto, Calgary Wild FC, Halifax Tides FC, Montreal Roses, Ottawa Rapid FC, and Vancouver Rise FC.

Chang said she gives all the

credit to the league’s founder, Diana Matheson, for bringing in people who care about women’s sports, growing the league, and eventually setting it in motion.

AFC Toronto topped the standings with a 16-6-3 record in the regular season, with a total of 51 points, whereas their opponent, Vancouver Rise, ranked third with an 11-8-6 record and 39 points.

The home team controlled most of the first half, taking the advantage in the 19th minute with a goal by Kaylee Hunter, on an assist by teammate Sarah Stratigakis. Hunter punted the ball from inside the box on the right wing, angling it perfectly to deflect off the foot of the Rises’ keeper, Morgan McAslan.

at the minimum. Once the game resumed, both sides created multiple chances for a shot on target but couldn’t create a clean finish.

After the break, Vancouver slowly built their momentum back up as the home team seemed to have lost it all as the half continued.

In the 54th minute, midfielder Nikki Stanton came through for Vancouver Rise with the equalizer,

and punted the rock to the right goalpost, sending the crowd into complete silence. Ward finished fifth in the league in goals with eight, three behind Toronto’s Esther Okoronkwo with 11.

Toronto would create many more chances until the end of the game, but none resulted in goals.

Even with the loss, Emma Regan, captain of AFC Toronto, said she believes they will come back even stronger for next season.

“THEY’VE DONE EVERYTHING I’VE ASKED THEM TO DO ALL SEASON. I COULDN’T BE PROUDER OF THEM AND I THINK THEY KNOW THAT, ” - Marko Milanovic

The 17-year-old first signed with the club on Jan. 29 and has become one of the youngest players to sign a professional contract before the inaugural Northern Super League season.

Eventually, the match was stopped seven minutes before half-time due to a weather delay, resulting in a thirty-minute wait

curling the ball in from a corner for it to redirect itself into the net.

Unfortunately for Toronto, it looked like luck wasn’t on their side, with the Rise teaming up to attack just fourteen minutes later. This time, it was Holly Ward who sprinted down the left sideline

Head coach Marko Milanovic also stressed the same idea when talking to reporters in a post-game press conference.

“I thought we played really well most of the game and created a number of opportunities that we just didn’t put away, and sometimes in football that’s what happens,” Milanovic said.

“I’m very proud of my group, very proud of my captain,” he said. They’ve done everything I’ve asked them to do all season. I couldn’t be prouder of them, and I think they know that.”

McAslan earned Player of the Match for contributing several key

stops to give her squad the win. McAslan leads the league in saves with 83, eight more than Ottawa Rapid FC’s Melissa Dagenais with 75.

In addition to the milestone of the inaugural final, the federal government also announced its plan to provide up to $5.45 million toward growing the league before the match began.

Evan Solomon, the federal minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and the minister responsible for FedDev Ontario, said this money will give “transformative” upgrades to facilities from coast to coast.

Soloman said it will include investments in Southern Ontario to improve stadiums and training sites for teams like AFC Toronto, while also improving player and fan experience.

“When I heard about it, I knew that it was something I wanted to be a part of, and I’m so grateful that we got the opportunity to be a part of the first-ever league,” Chang said.

“We hit a lot of milestones this year, playing in the first-ever game, and now winning the first trophy, like it does feel so full circle for us,” she said.

The Vancouver Rise team posing with the Diana B. Matheson Cup and their gold medals after the Northern Super League (NSL) final against AFC Toronto at the BMO Field

Men’s rugby repeats gold medal form

Denny Luong HumberETC Sports

Humber’s men’s rugby team captured its ninth gold medal — its second in a row — defeating the Durham Lords in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) final on Nov. 16.

Hawks rugby head coach Fabian Rayne said he was proud of the effort the team put in throughout the season, including the final.

“They put the work in all season, and it’s nice to see all that work come to fruition,” he said. “I’m really proud of the guys; they left it on the field today.”

The game at Thompson Rugby Park in Oshawa, Ont., was played in snowy and

windy weather, and they had a significant role throughout the match.

Humber was ranked second in the regular season with a record of 5-1, with the single loss coming against Durham, who were ranked first and undefeated at 6-0.

Ahead of the game, Lords’ head coach John Watkins said he expected this match to be a challenging one.

“I think that this game is going to be very competitive,” he said. “Our last match was a really good contest, and we’re expecting kind of the same today.”

Watkins said Humber’s defensive structure was one of the biggest challenges heading into the final.

“I think Humber’s defence, their tendencies

are very strong,” he said. “We’re going to have to work really hard, create phases to attack them.”

Rayne said he wants his team to focus on playing strong rugby from start to finish.

“Our focus today is [on] playing 80 minutes of good rugby and playing as a team,” he said. “I think if our guys go out and do their jobs and do it well, we’ll be just fine.”

The OCAA announced its rugby awards on Nov. 12., with two Hawks players, James Robb-Kennedy and Jayce Kroes, earning the Defensive and Rookie Player of the Year.

Despite these individual accomplishments, Watkins said winning a championship really matters the most.

“Listen, individual awards are great, [but] winning a championship is what we’re really about,” he said. “A guy doesn’t win ‘Defensive Player’ on his own. It takes a whole team of guys to put him in that position.”

“We’re just focused on playing a championship game and trying to win and win a gold medal.”

The first half of the final saw the Hawks struggle early as Durham’s momentum gave them the early lead with the opening try and a successful conversion.

Humber would bring the game tied up later in the half, with first-year back row Ashton Burton providing a try and third-year fly Michael Min slotting in a conversion.

The end of the half would see the score tied at 7-7 as both teams prepared for another 40 minutes of rugby, with the snow continuing to fall heavily.

At the beginning of the second half, the Hawks committed a foul play, leading to a penalty try awarded to the Lords to bring it back to a seven-point deficit.

Humber would immediately respond in the

48th minute with its attack pushing through Durham’s defence and scoring its second try. Min successfully slotted in his second conversion of the game, hitting the inside of the goalpost to tie up the game.

The Hawks’ momentum carried throughout the entire second half, with another try in the 69th minute and a successful conversion.

Shortly after, in the 73rd minute, Humber brought in another try to extend the lead to 12 points.

The match ended with Humber defeating Durham 26-14, securing the Hawks their second OCAA gold in as many years.

For Robb-Kennedy, emotions were everywhere for him as this was his last season in the OCAA.

“I’ve been part of the OCAA for five years,” he said. “[I] played three years with Georgian and was lucky enough to finish my last two years with the Humber Hawks. It’s just emotional.”

Robb-Kennedy said that winning in Thompson Rugby Park was a great way to finish off his season since he had never won a single game at the park in his entire career.

“I’ve never actually won a game here,” he said. “It’s pretty sweet to cap off [my] OCAA career with a win here and be doing it with all my brothers.”

This championship victory brings Humber to nine provincial championships, the most in the OCAA men’s rugby history and Rayne’s sixth under his tenure.

Rayne said for next season, he wants to take every game one at a time as his team looks to secure a third in a row OCAA championship.

“We just go one game at a time,” he said. “Losing to Durham was probably the best thing that happened to us because these guys understood that we had to play an A game to win.”

Third-year wing Cooper Markou is charging with the ball as he heads towards the Durham Lords’ side at Thompson Rugby Park in Oshawa, Ont., during a snowy gold medal match.

HUMBERETC/DENNY LUONG

HUMBER ETC/DENNY LUONG

First-year back row Ashton Burton celebrates his goal with third-year fly Michael Min.

Women’s volleyball defeats Condors

Luca Agostino HumberETC Sports

Humber Hawks women’s volleyball team beat Conestoga for its 30th time since their first meeting in October 2010.

The Hawks, ranked number 1 in Canada, continued that streak by defeating the Condors in a 3-2 set victory on Nov. 12 at the Hawks Nest.

Fifth-year player Hannah Manners led the way with 22 kills in her first game back from injury.

She talked about how good it felt to be back after being sidelined with an injury.

“Honestly, it feels good just coming off as an injury, coming back into my first game, it felt good to play well,” she said.

It was a see-saw contest that needed five sets between the two teams.

Head coach Chris Wilkins said the team did not play as well as he expected they would, but he credited the players with sticking

together to get a win.

“Obviously we didn’t play very well today, but we found a way to win, and I think the one thing that was nice is that we stuck together, you know, we stuck together as a team, and you know, we were just off, but everyone sort of support each other and just kind of got it through it,” he said.

The Hawks were up by three at the start of the first set, but Conestoga came back strong, maintaining a five-point lead.

Humber lost the first set 25-20.

However, the Hawks turned it around in the second set, pulling ahead for as much as eight points.

The Condors were still trying to rally, but by the end, the final ball was hit out, and Humber secured the 25-13 victory to tie the game at a set apiece.

The battle continued in the third set, both teams exchanging one-point leads until the Hawks took the lead with an 18-17 score.

The Hawks are also scoring their most kills – 13 – in a set in the match.

The fourth set stayed close in the beginning, but then Conestoga took the lead and won the set 25 -20.

That took the game to sudden death.

The Hawks came out flying in the fifth and won 3-2 despite tense play that included two timeouts. They kept the advantage throughout the fifth and final set.

Manners received the player of the game.

Teammate middle blocker Amy Connelly had high praise for her Manners’ performance.

“I think that she played extremely well. She was killing the balls. She didn’t really make any errors,” Connelly said. “She totally deserved it.”

The women are currently on a 55-match win streak against OCAA opponents, dropping only 10 sets. The streak began on Feb. 11, 2023.

Hawks men’s volleyball falls to Conestoga

Marco Moretto HumberETC Sports

The Conestoga Condors blanked the Hawks men’s volleyball team 3-0 at the Humber Athletic Centre on Nov. 12.

The Hawks, coming off a 3-1 win against Redeemer, faced a tough Conestoga team, which currently has a 5-2 record and is third in the OCAA West standings.

All the Condors’ wins have been sweeps.

“I think a lot of the strategy we put in a lot of our games, really just taking care of our side of the net, we can’t really worry about what they’re going to do,” Hawks coach Wayne Wilkins said.

“We’ve been practicing very well, we had a number of days off, we’re coming into this pretty healthy, which is good, and it’s been a ton of energy and a ton of effort,” he said.

The Hawks’ victory against the Redeemer Royals on Nov. 1 was boosted in a big way by rookie Enzo Endres’ stellar performance. He recorded 19 points with 16 kills. Endres said he was looking to follow up on his big game against Conestoga.

“With the same energy, I’m going to be crazy on the court, going to be yelling a lot and having fun,” Endres said. “Give it our all, destroy everyone that’s in our path and show them why

we are the champs.” The Hawks took the first lead of the first set against Conestoga with fifth-year outside hitter Teyven Blackmore getting a kill.

Both teams were trading points early on until the Condors took an 11-7 lead guided by back-to-back kills from Conestoga left sider Tyrell Belgrove, which led to the first timeout of the game by Humber.

After another Humber timeout late in the set, they were down 23-18 after two Hawks errors. Conestoga took the first set with a score of 25-18 after another pair of errors from the Hawks.

The second set stayed tight with the Hawks and Condors trading blows and leads.

Despite keeping it within one point for the majority of the set, the Hawks were unable to build a lead.

Condor outside hitter Evan Kritz made the final kill, winning set two 25-23 and taking a commanding 2-0 lead.

In the third set, it was back-andforth again. A valiant effort from Blackmore was not enough, and the Hawks dropped the third set 25-21.

After the game, outside hitter Kyle Gray-Phillips said it was a tough home loss to take.

“We have to move on and have a short-term memory. Definitely a learning opportunity from the game, but what’s done is done, and we have

to shift our focus to the weekend,” he said.

“We didn’t take care of the ball as well as we’d like on the service line and the reception. Just have to go back to the drawing board

and work hard Friday night so that we’re prepared for the weekend,” Gray-Phillips said.

The Condors took the win three sets to none, becoming the first Conestoga team to win ever at Humber.

The loss dropped the Hawks to 2-2, but they managed to move up in the OCAA Western Conference to fourth place after beating the Niagara Knights 3-0 on Nov. 15.

Amy Connelly (12) goes for a high server in game against Conestoga

HUMBER ETC/LUCA AGOSTINO

Dante Sugarman (7) and Aiden Newton (4) attempt to block a spike attempt from Conestoga Condors.

HUMBER