The McGill Tribune Vol. 02 Issue 6

Page 1

Published by the Students’ Society of McGill University

Vol. 2 No. 6, Tuesday, October 12, 1982

Strathcona Case Goes to Court This Week Jean-Pierre Blais & Keith Schmidt McGill University will be in the S u p e r io r C o u r t o f M ontrea l this week to o b ta in a p e r m a n e n t in ju n c tio n to force the builders o f Place M erc an tile to re­ build S tr a th c o n a Hall, alleging th a t it was d em o lish e d in c o n t ra v e n tio n o f the ag re em e n t o f sale. S tra th c o n a Hall with its c o m m a n d i n g p o sition at the c o rn e r o f S h e r b r o o k e an d McGill College fac­ ing the R oddick gates has long been consid ered o f im p o r ta n c e t o the U niver­ sity. but. m ore recently, m a n y d evelop­ ers w a n te d to exploit this v aluable p r o p ­ erty. T h e B oard o f G o v e r n o rs o f the University always refused offers until an a p p r o p r ia t e one was made. An o p tio n to p u rch a se was g ran te d to the developers o f Place M ercantile, subject to the U ni­ versity’s right to a p p r o v e th e overall plan. A n offer to p u rc h a se an d a p r o ­ posed plan was accepted by the Board of G overnors. McGill directed its th ree million d o l­ la r suit against Petrifond F o u n d a tio n C o m p a g n ie , Louis D o n o lo Inc., M B C R ealty C o r p o r a t i o n an d th e M ercantile Bank o f C a n a d a w hen Place M ercantile d ism a n tle d S tr a th c o n a Hall in July. The developers claim ed th a t they fo u n d the fo u n d a tio n s unstable. T he McGill suit was instituted in A ugust follow ing an a b n o r m a lly long six-week d em olition period d u rin g w hich the University seemed inactive. It is suspected, h o w ­ ever, th a t the s to n e w o rk o f the facade

has been preserved, thus m a k in g r ec o n ­ struction feasible. T he Board o f G o v e r n ­ ors has refused the a l te r n a te plan p res­ ented by the builder consisting o f a glass an d m a so n ry stu c tu re utilizing p a rt o f the original stone w ork. Legal pro ce ed ­ ings w ere instituted w hen the builders refused to accede to the University’s request for th e co n s tru c tio n of a fac­ simile. In its suit, McGill alleges th a t it is an d has long been conc erned for aesthetic, visual a n d historic reasons to preserve a n d inte g rate as m u c h as possible the a p p e a r a n c e an d a r c h ite c tu r e of the so u th side o f S h e r b r o o k e facing the c a m p u s. T h e M e m o r a n d u m o f A gree­ m ent o f N o v e m b e r 1980 was entered into by McGill an d the developers with the aim o f preserving b o th S tr a th c o n a a n d the G re y sto n e Houses. A t the outset all co n c e rn e d h o p ed th a t such an inte­ grated c o n s tru c tio n plan w ould have a positive influence on future dev e lo p ­ m ent in the area and help prevent the d e s tru c tio n o f som e o f M o n tr e a l’s his­ toric buildings. M e m b ers o f H eritag e M o n tre a l agreed w ith th e need to preserve and integrate but arg u e d th a t only in c o rp o ­ ratin g the facade o f the fo rm e r building into Place M erc an tile c o u ld n o t be seen as a valid c o n t r i b u tio n to the p rese rva­ tion of o u r a r c h ite c tu r a l past. A tta ch in g a n d re -a rra n g in g fo rm e r elements to the new c o n s tru c tio n they said, “relève

plu tô t de la fa b ric a tio n de dec or que d ’un effort sérieux de co n s e rv a tio n ” , a n d m ay even lead to fu tu re g en e ratio n s m is u n d e r sta n d in g the original architec­ ture. T hey give as a n e x a m p le the G reys­ to n e H ouses w here the first flo o r stairs have been rem o v e d an d the. en tra n ce s are now situated at street level. S tr a th c o n a was not originally ow ned

Students Show Spirit Patrick H .F . Baillie F o r at least so m e c a ring students, the label o f a p a th e tic ju st d o es n ’t fit. W ith the Blood D rive a n d th e T erry F o x R un, a n u m b e r o f M cG ill’s finest have been d e m o n s tr a tin g an a d m irab le spirit. It is the G iving Spirit an d has led to success for bo th o f these projects. T he second a n n u a l T erry F o x R u n was held Set. 19th w ith ru n n e rs, w alkers a n d o th e r active stude nts m a k in g their respective ways along th e 10 km M o u n t R oyal jo g g in g path. W ith sp o n so rs or e n tra n ts fees, th e M cGill co ntingent of 600 ru n n e rs raised over $10,000. A fu rth e r $2700 was c o n trib u te d to w ard s ca ncer research u n d e r the n a m e o f T erry F o x as a result o f the T erry F o x P ub N ight w hich occurred o n th e F riday afte r the R u n . S p o n s o re d by the u n d e r ­ g r a d u a te societies fro m Engineering, M a n a g e m e n t a n d A rts a n d Science, a l o n g w ith t h e P r o g r a m B o a rd , th e

b a llr o o m bash c o n tin u ed the spirit of T erry F o x ’s M a r a t h o n o f H ope. M o r e recently, the a n n u a l Blood D rive collected 2701 pints o f the v a lu ­ able, life -supporting liquid. W ith a goal of 2600 units w hich was itself u p from last y e a r’s 2200 m a rk , the organizers, R o n n ie P russick a n d G erry T isse n b au m set high hopes. V olunteers, p ro m o tio n s an d the new reserve-a-bed service all helped to bring in m o r e d o n a tio n s. A slow sta rt to th e week changed as the c h a ritab le e n th u sia sm o f the McGill c o m m u n ity em erged, leading to a oned ay F rid a y tota l of over 700 units. Once ag a in , th e Blood D rive staff, the Red C ross a n d the S tu d e n ts’ Society w ould like to t h a n k all th o se w h o to o k th e tim e to give the gift o f life. Y ou d o n ’t have to wait till n ex t year to give again, th o u g h , as E ngine ering a n d M edicine will be s p o n s o r in g th e ir o w n b lood drives later in the year.

by the University. It was designed by D .J. S pence an d originally erected in 1904 by a g r o u p o f influential M o n trea l citizens, including Lord S tr a th c o n a and W .M . Birks, as a h e a d q u a r te rs o f the Y M C A in McGill University a n d the S tu d e n t C h ristia n M ovem ent. It proved to o expensive for its original religious continued on page 2

Inside Fraternities: N ew M em bers A re Always W e l c o m e ................... W h a t’s Up At T he Archives? . . S .A .T . Scores Inch U p w ard s . . . O n H u m a n Rights In G eneral an d H u m a n Rights on C a m p u s . Get R e a d y ! ........................................ S o m e th in g T o T h in k A b o u t . . . . C lubbed! ............................................. Rough and Rugged— T h a t ’s McGill R u g b y ..................... B-Ball Preview: H ave We G ot A S how F o r Y o u ............................

. .4 . .5 ..5 ..6 . .8 ..9 . 10 . 11 .11

Features: D ialogue on I s s u e s .......................... T h e a tre Review ............................... R e c o r d s ............................................... S p o tlight o n C l u b s .......................... C o m m e n t .......................................... T rib S c o r e b o a r d ..............................

..2 . .3 ..3 ..9 . .9 .10


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.