the
Queen’s University
Queen’s still relying on monkeys for research
journal
Vol. 146, Issue 22
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Since 1873
Facing significant revenue loss, the AMS restructures
The Journal obtains correspondences detailing non-human primate use in research, transportation H annah S tafl Features Editor If Air Canada wasn’t going to fly the monkeys, Queen’s would find another way. In 2012, the University faced a problem: Air Canada had stopped shipping non-human primates used for research. While closely guarded, Queen’s animal research program had to continue receiving these animals. It would get its monkeys, either through competing airlines or trucking. Air Canada’s decision followed calls from animal rights organizations, and the policies other airlines that ended research animal transportation, including Delta, Virgin, and Northwest. Meanwhile, Queen’s University and the Public Health Agency of Canada were among the few voices to protest the airline’s change. In letters from Queen’s University to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) in 2011, which were obtained by The Journal via a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FIPPA) request, then-Vice-Principal (Research) Steven Liss wrote to the CTA it was “unacceptable that Air Canada would make this request.” In the letters, he argued the changes by Air Canada would “result in unnecessary stress, distress, and discomfort to the animals in transit which may potentially cause lifethreatening conditions.” Rather than shifting to non-animal research methods, the letters indicated Air Canada’s actions would force Queen’s to reroute the animals “from Shanghai to Beijing, a much colder city in the winter with increased risk of cold exposure.” Alternatively, the animals could also be “rerouted up to 5,000 km by truck through the U.S.”
READ THE ENTIRE FEATURE ON PAGE 6
Incoming AMS executive team observes emergency assembly on Feb. 7.
PHOTO BY TESSA WARBURTON
Municipal, Academic Affairs Commission combined following changes R aechel H uizinga Assistant News Editor Ontario’s student unions are cutting operation costs after the Ford government announced major changes to university finances last month. Announcing its new structure on Monday, the AMS wasn’t immune. “We needed to focus on things that were going directly to students,” Society President Miguel Martinez said in an interview with The Journal regarding the changes. “We focused on perception surveys, we focused on cost mitigation followed by the financial impact to the AMS and ensuring we can still be financially sustainable.” The President will now oversee the Secretary of Internal Affairs, a position Martinez said was modeled after what used to be known as the Commission of Internal Affairs. This new position will be responsible for the elections team, the Assembly speaker and scribe, and the judicial committee and affairs office. “This also allows the judicial affairs office to remain more at an arm’s length from the executive while falling into a portfolio that reports to the executive,
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the board of directors, and Assembly,” Martinez said. He added this will allow more autonomy for the judicial affairs office. The Vice-President (University Affairs) will now head three commissions—social issues, campus activities, and external advocacy—as well as the clubs office. The Commission of External Advocacy will include the housing resource centre and community service agents, combining the municipal and academic affairs commissions. Martinez cited this as one of the Society’s biggest changes. “One of the things that we’ve seen over the last few years is there’s a great deal of overlap between the two commissions,” he said. “By reducing a significant amount of the committees that used to be under both of these commissions, that maybe weren’t pointing directly to students, we can focus on keeping as [many] of those relationships with the city and with the province the same while reducing our personnel costs.” According to Martinez, this overlap between committees and programming is one of the areas the Society looked at while making the restructuring decisions. “Unfortunately, we’re not in a place to double services or double programming if they’re already being provided elsewhere,” he said. He maintained the Society wants
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
“to keep as many employment opportunities” as possible and day-to-day programming won’t be heavily affected. “However, programming throughout the school year is likely to be more affected,” he said. Martinez cited the Society’s Feb. 7 emergency Assembly as one of the ways the Board of Directors was informed about which areas of the Society hold social value for students. He said several students at large sent their thoughts and questions to Mikela Page, chair of the board of directors, following the Assembly. He added, however, only Sagal Sharma, Arts and Science Undergraduate Society president, sent a report to Page detailing her concerns and recommendations to the Board. At the Assembly, Martinez repeatedly stated the Society would make some mistakes during the restructuring process. He told The Journal he stands by those statements. “Mistakes are definitely a possibility with the Board and with our current executive team,” he said before adding the Society is “comfortable and confident” with its decisions. “Unfortunately, if mistakes did happen it’s not something we’re going to see for another year,” he said. “There’s always a chance to revisit decisions and undo what’s been done.”
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