28 September 2022

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UMSU president speaks out following lawsuit

U MSU president Jaron Rykiss is speaking out fol lowing a lawsuit from the Can adian Federation of Students over unpaid dues amounting to nearly $1 million.

While he could not com ment on the lawsuit itself, saying that UMSU has still not been served and that the union still lacks information from the federation, Rykiss weighed in on the union’s plans for its relationship with the federation moving for ward.

The Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba requires that once a suit is initiated, the statement of claim must be served within six months of being issued.

In the meantime, Rykiss said that the UMSU board is “ready to start the process of evaluating our membership in [the federation].”

Rykiss reported that dur ing this past Thursday’s board meeting, UMSU passed a motion to hold a student ref erendum regarding whether or not UMSU members wish to stay with the federation. While he said that the board has voted to endorse a side,

According to Rykiss, stu dents currently pay a total of roughly $415,000 every year to “be a part of an organization that we haven’t been getting benefit from in a really long time.”

Rykiss said that if the uni versity was a smaller insti tution, it would be “easier” for members of the union to receive benefits. He said that since UMSU provides its own services, such as the Student care health plan, some of the issues that the federation advocates for add no extra benefit.

“The organization as a whole, advocacy-wise, it’s very hard to get your voice actually be heard when it comes to them making deci sions about what to advocate for,” he added.

While Rykiss expressed his concerns regarding a con tinued membership in the federation, he highlighted the benefits of the union’s rela tionship with the Canadian Alliance of Student Associ ations (CASA).

Rykiss said that because

CASA focuses more on federal advocacy than the federation, they allow the elected student executive to determine how to advocate for their constitu ents provincially.

“It allows us to be in charge of what our advocacy looks like,” he said.

He added that compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that the Canadian Fed eration of Students charges, CASA collects around $50,000 from UMSU members annu ally.

Federation chairperson Marie Dolcetti Koros was unavailable for an interview, but reiterated her previous statement on the issue.

“The Canadian Feder ation of Students engages with member locals in good faith, and has tried to engage cooperatively with UMSU over the past four years to remit collected member dues,” the statement reads.

“The federation calls on UMSU decision makers to remit the outstanding four years of collected student fees, now totaling over 1 mil lion dollars, to the national and provincial student move ment so that we can continue our meaningful outreach and

Rykiss said that right now, the only information that UMSU has been given is that a claim has been filed.

“We’re in this position now where our student body is nervous about what’s going to happen, and we want to be able to quell those con cerns and support the student body,” Rykiss said.

“There’s been no communi cation from [the federation]. It’s putting our student body in a position where now they don’t know what’s going on, and we as the union can’t even support them in that because we don’t know what’s going on either.”

UMSU isn’t the first stu dent union to find itself at odds with the federation, nor is it the first to find itself the defendant in a lawsuit over the past decade.

In 2011, the University of Victoria Students’ Society went to court after submitting a decertification petition to the federation which the fed eration called invalid.

In 2010, students in the University of Guelph’s Cen tral Student Association (CSA) voted in favour of defederat

ing, and the federation again did not recognize the vote.

Over the next two years, the CSA spent $407,000 in legal fees defending its members’ decision.

Back in 2010, a B.C. Supreme Court judge wrote that in light of the amount of cases being fought by the federation, “those students headed for careers in the law should be able to find plenty to do.”

At the U of M, Rykiss is looking forward to the refer endum that the union plans to hold, and said that UMSU will announce the dates once they’ve been confirmed.

“Whatever comes of this referendum, I want students to know that we are going to listen to that,” Rykiss said.

“Whatever comes of this, just know that we’re excited to look to try to save students’ money, to advocate better for them and to provide better routes for advocacy going for ward, and hopefully we can explain our case well enough to students.”

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Sept. 28, 2022 VOL. 109, NO. 7SINCE 1914
protest death of 22-year-old Iranian woman News 4 Mahsa Amini
wage increase past due, inefficient Editorial 8 Bare bones Civic election reveals bleak
of democracy Comment 11 The incumbent always wins Shocking U of M-set erotic fiction Arts & Culture 13 Why not read? More scores Sports 15 More sports
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Sexual Violence Resource Centre reopens in person Centre closed to in-person visits shortly after opening in 2020

The University of Mani toba’s Sexual Violence Resource Centre (SVRC) is readjusting to the return of in-person activities after two years of remote learning.

The centre opened in Janu ary 2020, but was soon forced to shut down in-person servi ces when the COVID-19 pan demic began that March.

SVRC co-ordinator Bre Woligroski said the centre “had to work really fast” to adjust to the rapid transition to remote services.

“We really tried to tell people that we were still avail able to help, and that we were taking remote appointments by phone or by video,” she said.

Although Woligroski said that the move to online was a “relatively quick switch,” the SVRC faced difficulty “get ting the word out to folks” that their services were still avail able.

The pandemic presented the SVRC with particular chal lenges, such as increased intimate partner violence due to stay-at-home orders.

“Some people often would leave and go to the house of a friend or family member, but suddenly there was bar riers for that because of lock down and the rules for where you can go, so mobility was affected,” she said.

Woligroski said that eco nomic factors like unemploy ment prevented people from leaving unsafe partners dur ing the lockdowns as well, as they could not afford new liv ing accommodations.

Additionally, supports like food banks and community centres were shut down at cer tain points in the pandemic.

Although she said it is “really nice to see” everyone back on campus, Woligroski expressed concern about sex ual harassment that may arise at campus parties.

Sexual assault advocacy groups refer to the first few months of university — when numerous parties celebrate the return to campus occur — as the “red zone,” a per iod when more than half of campus sexual assaults occur.

Woligroski said that the SVRC has seen an increase in reports of in-person harassment with the return to campus.

To combat this, the SVRC started a new program called the Safer Social Event Team (SSET).

“We hired a team of stu dents, about 15 students, to attend events on campus like

the UMSU street party or the commerce social to be eyes on the ground making sure folks are safe,” Woligroski said.

SSET works at these events

cate students on how they can help if they become aware of incidents of sexual violence.

The centre also offers a workshop on how to respond if someone discloses that they were a victim of sex ual violence.

ber’s started, the drop-in hours haven’t been that util ized,” she said.

“The vast majority of stu dents who want to talk to us, they prefer to set up a personal appointment and to talk to us first by phone call or email.”

to de-escalate conflict, ensure that harassment is handled in a way that respects the sur vivor and to try to make sure that attendees have safe meth ods of getting home.

The SVRC also still offers the Bringing in the Bystander program, an initiative to edu

Some sur vivors may also struggle with returning to in-person classes and activities with an abuser or assailant who they may have been able to avoid during remote learning.

Woligroski said that although drop-in hours had re-opened this summer, they were under-utilized.

“Even now that Septem

“They can come forward confidentially, they don’t have to tell us their name or student number, they can use a fake name, they can use a burner email,” Woligroski continued.

“We just want to get help to the students who need it, so we’re as flexible as we can be for accessibility.”

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff
“They can come forward confidentially, they don’t have to tell us their name or student number”
— Bre Woligroski, Sexual Violence Resource Centre co-ordinator
3 news@themanitoban.com September 28, 2022 News >
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Students protest death of Mahsa Amini

Also allege lack of support from university after 22-year-old Iranian woman killed

Students protested the death of Mahsa Amini outside University Centre on Sept. 20. After being arrested by Iran’s morality police over how she was wearing her hijab, Amini died in police custody.

Protests quickly erupted in Iran and across the world after Amini’s death was reported.

Iran is a country with a hist ory of violently cracking down on its citizens, and it has been reported that more than 30 people have been killed as a result of the current protests, with hundreds more arrested and injured. The government has also cut off access to the internet in certain places, severely limiting communi cation inside and outside the country. In 2019, hundreds of people were killed protesting the government’s decision to raise fuel prices as high as 300 per cent overnight, as well as high inflation and unemploy ment rates.

An Iranian student at the U of M who requested that they remain anonymous said that they took part in the cam pus protest to show support for family and friends still liv ing in Iran, and also to raise awareness on campus. They chose to speak out anonym ously so that they would not endanger family and friends in Iran.

“I believe that [in] these times, people need to support each other,” they said.

The student said that due to the Iranian government cut ting the internet, they have

been having difficulty com municating with relatives. However, the news has shown them that the situation in Iran is dire.

“People don’t want these mandatory rules,” they said.

“What we hear from our friends and families is that it’s like a war in there. People are trying to show that they are unhappy, but police [are] shooting them, beating them.”

Thirteen years ago was the first time the student remem bered Iranian protesters being attacked by the government, but they stated that this has been going on since the 1979 Iranian revolu tion.

The student explained that the morality police, a unit that enforces strict dress code laws influenced by the gov ernment’s interpretation of Sharia, often drive around in large vans and attempt to lure women into speaking with them. The student said that after questioning, the police often assault citizens while spewing derogatory and abu sive rhetoric towards them.

Women are expected to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothing.

The student emphasized that even if women obey the dress code laws, they may still be attacked. They said that since there is no codified dress law with specific require ments, officers use their dis

cretion to dole out punish ment as they see fit, which often leads to unwarranted arrests and beatings.

They said that they feel conditioned to fear the mor ality police. Upon first com ing to Canada to study at the U of M, the sight of a large van or black car would still stress them out despite being thou sands of kilometres away from Iran.

The Iranian student alleged that when University of Mani toba president Michael Ben

“I know that most of these students are distressed, they can’t concentrate. I couldn’t do anything this week”

“All I want to do is to get a chance to find the connection for my friends and see that they are alive. I don’t expect any human beings to feel like that. I’m happy that most of the population of the world don’t know how that feels, but the least you can do is to, as a president or as someone that has international stu dents in their community, to do something to acknow ledge that pain or distress.”

Novak said that a message from the provost’s office was sent to all deans, asking them to tell instructors and session als who are supervising or teaching a student impacted by the current situation in Iran to exercise compassion.

“The University of Mani toba condemns the tragic and unjust death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody and is committed to support impacted students during this challenging time,” they said in an email statement.

naroch was asked to issue a general statement to students and staff acknowledging the violence in Iran, he did not meet this request. The student said the U of M also failed to acknowledge the violence in 2019.

The student said that with the internet down, Iranian students who rely on tuition support from their families may be unable to receive the funds necessary to pay their bills and student fees. They alleged that when these con cerns were raised with Ben arroch, the only response they received was a referral to the tuition fees page.

“It made me feel alone,” the student said.

A 2021 U of M census showed that Iranian stu dents make up the largest demographic of students from the Middle East, and the sev enth highest by citizenship at the U of M.

When asked for comment, U of M spokesperson Myr rhanda Novak issued a state ment Monday afternoon.

Novak pointed to the U of M Emergency Bursary Fund as a resource for students to help cover tuition and living expenses.

They also highlighted a post from the @umstudent Insta gram page acknowledging the “unjust and deeply troubling situation taking place in Iran.”

The message was posted the same day as the interview with the anonymous Iranian student.

“The university’s vice-pro vost (students) has responded directly to student comments and concerns including shar ing available resources and supports.”

Novak also pointed to a gathering hosted by the Spirit ual Care, which will “offer a safe space for sharing and support” this Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The anonymous student hopes that the protests can lead to Iran becoming a safer place for people of any reli gion. In the future, they wish to see Iran become a coun try that respects all people’s thoughts, beliefs and choice of clothing.

“We would love to see that we are having a government that respects all of human rights.”

photo / Gillian Brown / staff
“We would love to see that we are having a government that respects all of human rights”
— anonymous Iranian student
4 news@themanitoban.com Vol. 109, No. 7News
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Men’s washroom sign replaced by gender-inclusive sign

F or the second time in six weeks, an unknown per son has replaced the sign for a men’s washroom in the Price faculty of engineering build ing with a gender-inclusive sign.

The dean of the Price fac ulty of engineering Marcia Friesen speculated that a stu dent may have replaced the sign to protest the delay in converting some of the build ing’s washrooms to gender-in clusive facilities.

“We have known for a long time that there are a dispro portionate number of men’s washrooms to women’s wash rooms in the building, mean ing there are fewer women’s washrooms than men’s wash rooms,” she said.

“It’s been an issue for women in the faculty for dec ades, frankly.”

Friesen said when she became dean in January 2021, she assured students who reached out to discuss the issue that she had “already reached out to physical plant to explore those oppor tunities,” including con

verting some washrooms to gender-inclusive facilities.

“Physical plant had indi cated that they could certainly see the perspective and at the same time they have a limited budget and a priority queue for renovations, and that a change of use would require a code review as well,” Friesen said.

“Although on the surface it seems like an easy fix, when you get into the details it is a bit of a longer process.”

Alex Rana, UMSU’s 2SLG BTQIA+ community repre sentative, pointed out that the arts building has had gender-inclusive washrooms since his first year.

“I feel like they definitely should have been installing those earlier instead of wait ing until now,” he said.

“They said that they’ve been working for over a year on it, but there’s been students who have needed it for more than the past year, so certainly that could have been done earlier and then this wouldn’t be an issue right now.”

Friesen sent an email to students in response to the

incident, explaining the delay in providing gender-inclusive washrooms and asking the student who changed the sign to come forward to discuss their concerns.

“Changing signs without warning does not enhance safety, neither for this wash room’s ‘traditional’ users nor ‘new’ users — both of whom may not be expecting to find a new set of washroom users in the space,” Friesen’s email said.

Friesen said that when people talk about safety in gender-inclusive washrooms, they often think of “the safety of female-identifying persons who may feel threatened,” or of trans people encountering transphobic people in the washroom.

“But another safety issue is comfort for everyone involved, so that everybody going into a space shouldn’t be surprised as to what they might encoun ter, in any space.”

Rana said the terms used in Friesen’s email were not appropriate.

“Referring to people as ‘traditional’ versus ‘new’ is

not respectful or appropri ate and there’s definitely bet ter ways that could have been said,” he said.

Numerous buildings on campus do not have any gender-inclusive washrooms.

“The lack of women’s bath rooms or gender-inclusive bathrooms has been causing students to feel unsafe for how many years before this, right? So, they’re kind of only draw ing attention to the safety now

that the sign for the men’s bathroom has been switched,” Rana said.

“It’s definitely an issue in engineering for sure, but the lack of [gender-inclsuive washrooms] throughout cam pus is also a big issue.”

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MAPSS proposes free international student health care

Rally at Manitoba legislature taking place Sept. 28

The Manitoba Alliance of Post-Secondary Students (MAPSS) recently submit ted a proposal to the province of Manitoba calling for the reinstatement of free health care for international stu dents.

In 2018, the province cut universal health care for inter national students in order to save a reported 3.1 million dol lars. Nearly a year later, the Manitoba government esti mated that international stu dents contributed over 400 million dollars to Manitoba’s GDP.

UMSU vice-president advo cacy and MAPSS chair Vic toria Romero said that inter national students are impera tive to the University of Manitoba and the province.

Romero said it is disappoint ing to see a group that contrib utes economically, culturally and intellectually in Manitoba not be valued by the govern ment.

“Since the moment the provincial government revoked international stu dent health care coverage in 2018, this has been something that’s been of utmost priority

for MAPSS and for UMSU as well,” she said.

Romero said MAPSS was unsuccessful in its attempts to sit down with the provin cial government to work out a costed proposal last year.

With a provincial election on the horizon, she thinks now is the perfect time to advo cate for the restoration of fully cost-free international stu dent health care.

Romero said that the pro posal has been submitted for review by Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Jon Reyes.

She stated that due to a lack of engagement from the prov ince, MAPSS is hoping to set up a coalition with the prov incial NDP and Liberal par ties. Romero said that MAPSS plans to present them with the proposal and a petition that she has requested both par ties read in the house. She said the reading in the house will enable the number of petition signees, as well as the govern ment’s decision, to become part of legislative record.

On Sept. 28, MAPSS will be holding a rally in support of international student health care at the Manitoba Legisla

tive Building.

“We‘re going to have rep resentation from all of our member schools, which again is UM, the U of W, Assiniboine Community College and Red River College Polytechnic,” Romero said.

“We‘ve been planning it for a couple months, and this is our opportunity to really show the physical manifestation of the support and how many people this is impacting, so hopefully we send a good message.”

UMSU international com munity representative Kunal Rajpal will also be attending the rally.

Rajpal said that it is unfair to charge international stu dents for health care, as they are still attempting to learn how health care in the prov ince works and are already dealing with the stresses of moving to a foreign country.

He added that he feels inflation, a low minimum wage and the housing crisis have also made Manitoba an unattractive home for pro spective international stu dents and immigrants.

“Health care is a human right,” he said.

“We‘re not asking for any thing new. Before 2018 we had public health care, we had health cards and we were treated like a domestic stu dent[s].”

In the meantime, Rajpal encourages international stu dents to make sure they fully understand their insurance plans. He pointed to resources on the U of M and the Mani toba International Student Health Plan website.

According to Rajpal, the next best thing students can do is continue to advocate

for free international student health care.

“I see it as something that is rightfully ours,” he said.

“The government was giv ing us healthcare in 2018 with less than $3.1 million, and to save that they took it away.

“In my opinion, that was a wrong financial decision, because we’re bringing in way more than compared to what they have to spend.”

news@themanitoban.com

Some speculate this was done to draw attention to lack of inclusive washrooms
graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff
5 news@themanitoban.com September 28, 2022 News

Protein Innovation in the Canadian food industry

Receives funding from Research Manitoba

With Canadian crops becoming more valu able and serving an expanding market, Canada has become one of the world’s largest pea producers, with produc tion estimated at 4.6 million tonnes in 2020 alone.

In 2021, French com pany Roquette made Mani toba the home of the largest pea protein plant across the globe with the unveiling of its facility in Portage la Prairie.

However, according to Uni versity of Manitoba assist ant professor and Canada research chair in food pro teins and bioproducts Nan dika Bandara, the bulk of the protein produced is exported and not processed within Can ada.

While Roquette does pro cess protein in Canada, Ban dara pointed out that they use a traditional alkaline extrac tion method in their plant.

Traditional alkaline extrac tion involves using a high pH to make the protein soluble, followed by a low pH to make it a precipitate. Though this widely used industrial tech nique is simple and suitable for mass production at low cost, it can decrease protein nutritional value. Bandara explained that this process also damages aspects of the protein’s functionality, such as its thickening ability.

Earlier in September, Ban dara received funding through Research Manitoba’s New Investigator Operating Grant Competition for his project “Novel and Sustainable Tech nologies for Protein Ingredi ent Development and Func tionalization from Canadian Crops.” He plans on expand ing protein innovation in the Canadian food industry.

“What we propose in this particular method is a method that we can extract the protein from Canadian crops, with out changing pH to extreme temperatures,” Bandara said. “Theoretically, the functional properties should be retained without any changes.”

“The advantage of using, or developing, this method is [that] then we can develop protein ingredients without damaging the protein func tion,” he added.

Bandara and his research team focus on four major themes in their work. This includes using Can adian-grown crops to develop protein ingredients, modifica tion of proteins and improv ing its functionality for differ ent food and non-food appli cations, he explained.

Bandara and his team recently developed a new pro

tein extraction technology which has not been previously seen in the food industry.

“There was an extraction technology for small molecule compounds for deep eutectic solvents, but it was not used for the large molecules like protein before,” he said.

“So we actually modified that method to suit large mol ecules with larger size and molecular weight.”

Food packaging appli cations are the next theme of Bandara’s research. He explained that work is being done on food packaging pro duction using protein and lignocellulosic materials — plant-based materials con taining cellulose.

Bandara explained that

when extracting protein — from a pea, for example — there are materials that are left behind. “We use that left over material, which contains lipids and cellulose mainly, to prepare food packaging tubes,” he said.

Bandara noted that the cel lulose is further broken down into nanocellulose, a tiny par ticle that his team used to enhance the useful properties of the pea protein.

The final two themes of Bandara’s research focus on protein application within the health industry and the development of biomedical materials.

He explained that these proteins are being used to develop nanostructures —

structures ranging between one nanometre to 100 nan ometres — that hold and deliver active compounds such as drugs.

Bandara also mentioned that some of the group’s work involves using ultra-feath ered keratin — a structur ally fibrous protein pro duced naturally by the body — to develop wound-healing materials aimed at accelerat ing skin growth.

In their research, Bandara and his team apply green technology methods by using reusable materials, reducing waste.

All the materials the team uses are food-grade, non-toxic materials safe for direct food contact.

These novel and sustain able technologies being developed by Bandara and his team can be used in additional food applications, benefit ing Canadian farmers and the processing industry and fur ther propelling the Canadian agribusiness scene.

“If you can develop highly functional protein ingredi ents from most commonly grown Canadian crops, that’s an evaluated market,” Ban dara said.

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff
If you can develop highly functional protein ingredients from most commonly grown Canadian crops, that’s an evaluated market”
— Nandika Bandara, assistant professor and Canada research chair in food proteins and bioproducts
6 research@themanitoban.com Vol. 109, No. 7Research & Technology >
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Victoria Brook Tracy
UMSU EXECUTIVE OFFICE HOURS (Fall 2022) Elishia Ratel VP Community Engagement TUESDAY @ 12:00PM Jaron Rykiss President MONDAY @ 12PM
Romero VP Advocacy FRIDAY @ 11AM
Rivard VP Finance & Operations THURSDAY @ 12PM
Karuhogo VP Student Life WEDNESDAY @ 12PM SEPTEMBER 29TH in commemoration of National Truth and Reconciliation Day (September 30, 2022). Wear an orange shirt Say Hello to the next phase of your campus community bar. VW Social Club is THE place on campus to Eat, Drink, and Be Social. Swing by to meet your friends for drinks, party with your dorm mates, have lunch with your faculty and staff cohort, throw your student council’s fundraiser, and connect with your fellow classmates. @vwsocialclub_umsu Degrees is a licensed restaurant that offers an eclectic array of fast yet healthy food, with cuisine ranging from Italian to Indian, and blended with staples like hamburgers and chicken fingers. Degrees also offers comforting made-from-scratch baking. Vegetarian and vegan options are also available. In need of a boost? IQ’s has you covered with your favourite Starbucks drink & food from some of Winnipeg’s favourite spots. We’ve got what you need to fuel your next cram session. Ready for a break? IQ’s has your back! We’ve got top of the line Diamond pool tables, board games, foosball, and ping pong! @degreesdiner @iqscafeandbilliards WELCOME TO UMSU STREET! 3RD FLOOR UNIVERSITY CENTRE WWW.UMSU.CA @MyUMSU WWW.UMSU.CA @MyUMSU

Minimum wage increase too little, too late

Pay raise long overdue, but insufficient for essential workers

Last month, the Mani toba government announced that by October 2023 it plans to raise the provin cial minimum wage to $15 per hour. The announcement was made in part to address con cerns regarding the signifi cant inflation that Manitobans may continue to struggle with in the coming months.

Well, minimum-wage work ers should be thrilled! After all, they’ve finally won that “Fight for $15” that they’re always going on about. Finally a win for underpaid workers, right?

Not exactly.

Don’t get me wrong, a $15 minimum wage is obviously an improvement over the cur rent $11.95 hourly rate. That being said, just because it’s an improvement doesn’t mean it’s sufficient.

There’s a big difference between a minimum wage and a living wage. A living wage is an hourly rate that takes into account how much workers would really need to earn in order to pay their bills and take part in their com munities. In other words, it’s the amount needed to live, rather than simply survive.

The Manitoba office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), an independent, non-parti san research group, calcu lated that the living wage for a Winnipeg family of four with two earners in 2022 should amount to $18.34 per hour. For single parents with one child, this wage was found to be $25.28.

But aren’t these minimum wage-paying jobs just “starter jobs?” Aren’t they just pos itions worked by young people who need a bit of money before they study up, gradu ate from university and get a “real” position somewhere? Why consider wages needed by families and parents, when these jobs are only worked by teens and seniors with too much time on their hands?

These assumptions are of course, incorrect. Minimum wage workers often support families, and as of 2019 nearly half of all Manitobans making minimum wage were over the age of 25. Approximately onethird had already graduated from a post-secondary insti tution.

Well, what about the “Fight for $15?” Why would workers push for a number that isn’t enough?

Way back in 2015 when the “Fight for $15” movement emerged in Canada, maybe $15 was enough. But as the province is aware, there is inflation to consider.

The Bank of Canada’s infla tion calculator can be used to determine that $15 in 2015 had the same purchasing power as about $18 in today’s money. Given this three-dollar dif ference in real value, I guess the provincial announcement could be considered a victory if the movement changed its name to “Fight for $12.”

Considering that Mani tobans won’t actually see their pay increase to $15 for another year, and that the Manitoba minimum wage was already $11 per hour by October of 2015, the actual ground gained seems minimal at best.

But the dollar amount itself isn’t the only reason the announcement doesn’t feel like a meaningful vic tory. Working for minimum wage comes with a feeling of being disposable and deval ued, a feeling put into words by actor and comedian Chris Rock during a sketch on SNL in the ’90s:

“Do you know what it means when somebody pays you minimum wage? You know what your boss was try ing to say? It’s like, ‘hey, if I could pay you less I would, but it’s against the law.’”

This sense of being given as little consideration as is legally possible pervades many aspects of minimum and low wage roles. For instance, due to government regulations that allow employ ers to change their employee’s schedules at any time, min imum wage workers often deal with unstable and incon sistent scheduling, which can mean unstable and inconsis tent income.

Low income earners can also have a difficult time receiving any benefits out side of wages. Currently, the Manitoba government does not require paid sick leave to be offered by employers, and minimum wage workers are those least likely to receive any paid sick leave from the companies they work for.

Additionally, Manitoba’s health plan does not cover services like routine vision care for those ages 19 to 65, or non-emergency dental care.

In a 2020 CCPA Manitoba research report, only one out of 42 minimum wage work ers interviewed had any bene fits at their job, with many having difficulties affording health-related services like dental care.

This devaluing of low wage earners was highlighted by the shift in discourse sur rounding them during the pandemic. Suddenly, the gov ernment classified many min imum wage workers as “essen tial,” working in “critical servi

ces.”

How can the province call these workers essential while leaving them at the mercy of their employers for vision and dental care? Does the govern ment consider eyes or teeth to be non-essentials? Should “critical” workers be forced to choose between losing out on a paycheque and going into work sick?

While the minimum wage increase is better than noth ing, it comes too late and does too little to drastically change the quality of life for min imum wage earners.

If it is truly concerned with improving the lives of minimum wage employ ees, the province should work to institute a living wage for all workers. Fur ther, it should amend the legislation around employee scheduling to require notice of a schedule change, and require man datory paid sick leave and den tal and vision coverage to be pro vided to all employ ees.

While the minimum wage increase is better than nothing, it comes too late and does too little to drastically change the quality of life for minimum wage earners
8 editor@themanitoban.com Vol. 109, No. 7Editorial >
editor@themanitoban.com graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff

theWHAT’S BIG IDEA

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The end of an aura and one candidate’s pledge for change Mayoral candidate announces plan to revitalize Winnipeg nightlife

I took a four-month hia tus from Winnipeg this summer, working in four dif ferent provinces across Can ada.

As a native Winnipegger of 20 years, I hold a certain gratitude and admiration for this city, as it raised me to be who I am today. Though upon return, much of my prior appreciation for the city and its character has vanished.

Seemingly in a blink of an eye, the aura Winnipeg once gave off — that of a lively home for local artists, restau rants and exhibits — had dis appeared.

In gauging public compla cency regarding Winnipeg’s declining nightlife scene, a political studies student told me, “you don’t realize how little there is to do here until you go somewhere else.”

He took the words out of my mouth. Seldom after a soirée elsewhere do I think to myself, “Winnipeg does it better.”

Students are not the only ones who have growing con cerns with our nightlife downturn. Mayoral candi date Shaun Loney has plans to, upon election, appoint a “nightlife mayor.”

The idea for the position came from Thomas Sparling, executive director at Creative Manitoba, who has been a long-standing advocate for

Winnipeg’s arts and culture scene.

The duties of the nightlife mayor, according to a news release from Loney’s cam paign, are to accelerate the licensing process for busi nesses, create safe hubs where Loney’s proposed Metro Mobility transit service can offer safe late-night transpor tation and improve working conditions for shift workers, such as performers, bus driv ers and bartenders.

On a macro-scale, Loney explained in a press release that he will ask the “night life mayor” to get commun ity feedback about establish ing a dedicated nighttime dis trict, closed to vehicles on a seasonal basis, with a variety of venues including art gal leries, theatres and co-work ing spaces, as well as bars and clubs.”

The merits of implementing this position would be threefold: it would produce a more vibrant nightlife for Winni peg’s residents and increase our tourism economy, all the while supporting Winnipeg’s local entertainment, art and cultural communities.

This position is not the first of its kind. The role ori ginated in European cities, namely Amsterdam, Paris and Zurich. Canadian cities have taken notice of the role’s suc cess and are in the process of

implementing similar pos itions.

In fact, earlier this sum mer, mayor of Vancouver Ken nedy Stewart announced his plans to enact an “office for night time economy,” which includes the hiring of a “night

advocate” next fall.

Loney hopes to bring this role to Winnipeg upon his election as mayor.

With the chance to revital ize Winnipeg’s nightlife, per haps a “nightlife mayor” is the way for Winnipeg to move for

ward, especially after the pan demic has messed with poten tial efforts at rekindling the fun aura of our city.

comment@themanitoban.com

graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff
10 comment@themanitoban.com Vol. 109, No. 7Comment >

Is it time for term limits?

Civic election leaves much to be desired in candidate slates

As the civic election heats up with the finalization of official candidates this past Tuesday, all levels of electoral races remain wanting.

When Winnipeggers go to the polls on Oct. 26, they will have a choice between nine candidates for mayor that are men, and only two candidates that are women. If we are to believe the Probe Research poll, the front runner is a can didate who resigned mid-term the last time he was mayor of Winnipeg to run as a member of parliament.

Most bleakly for voters, many candidates are border line if not outright career pol iticians, with backgrounds ranging from failed civic and federal races to already poor political performances.

Worse yet, their campaign promises have been made without the existence of or proposals for infrastructure to back up their plans.

The mayoral race is uninspiring to the point of disillusionment.

And yet, the mayoral race isn’t the only disturbing cat egory in this civic election. The race for councillors isn’t much better.

Out of Winnipeg’s 15 wards, two incumbent councillors are already acclaimed hav ing reached the candidate deadline unopposed — Devi Sharma of Old Kildonan and Markus Chambers of St. Norb ert-Seine River.

Even for the wards with competition, there are incum bent councillors who may as well be running unopposed as they have become such a part of the fabric of Winnipeg pol itics. Their runs are basically, to use a golf term, gimmes.

Long-time incumbents Jeff Browaty of North Kildonan (councillor since 2006), John Orlikow of River HeightsFort Garry (councillor since 2009), Ross Eadie of Mynar ski and Sharma (councillors since 2010), Brian Mayes of St. Vital (councillor since 2011), Matt Allard of St. Boniface and Janice Lukes of Waverley West (councillors since 2014) will be nearly impossible to unseat.

Moreover, Russ Wyatt, whose term as councillor of Transcona ran from 2002-2018 and who faced a sexual assault charge in 2018 that was stayed in 2019, has once again put his name down on this 2022 elec

tion ballot for a fifth term. In a recent interview he was unironically quoted as saying “I think we need a change.”

While Sharma — who’s running for her fourth con secutive term — made hist ory in her first term as the first woman elected by city coun cil to be speaker of the coun cil, she was quoted recently expressing her disappoint ment in running unopposed, because competition in pol itics for a seat is “democracy in action.”

My question to these incum bents, some of whom are run ning for their fourth consecu tive term, or even fifth term as

councillor, is this: is running for a political seat term after term after term after term “democracy in action?”

If the incumbent or most recognized name always wins, isn’t it undemocratic to not step aside and let other unknown candidates take over the job?

With these long haul coun cillors, then, is it not time for term limits to be introduced in Winnipeg civic politics?

On the subject of term lim its, if elected, this will be Glen Murray’s third term as mayor, regardless of the fact that he quit halfway through his second term. This begs

the question: should there be a two-term limit on all civic candidates?

The argument against term limits is often the “lame duck” opinion, meaning that if a pol itician knows they will not be able to run again, there is no guarantee that they will per form their duties in the second term of their elected tenure.

Is having an elected official in their fourth or fifth con secutive term, who is often times elected simply for name recognition’s sake, any better?

What if there is a better candi date than the incumbent, but with the downward spiral of democratic interest from the

public in recent years, they are not elected?

I don’t believe democracy in action looks like a person vying for their second decade in the same civic seat they’ve always held.

All this being said, the school trustee part of the bal lot should be making just as many headlines — now more than ever — as teachers con tinue to work through this pandemic.

It may just be that with the voter turnout last election being the lowest since 2006 at 42 per cent, and with the lack of inspiring candidates, that Winnipeg will hold the most apathetic civic election to date.

graphic Dallin Chicoine staff
The mayoral race is uninspiring to the point of disillusionment
I don’t believe democracy in action looks like a person vying for their second decade in the same civic seat they’ve always held
11 comment@themanitoban.com September 28, 2022 Comment
comment@themanitoban.com
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Call to all poetry

Through the Eyes of a Woman by Savannah Olson

We’ve been taught a woman’s body will cause men to sin. We’ve been taught since we were little girls to cover up our skin. In school we’re told to hide our shoulders or else the boys will be distracted. But what about our education? We should not have to be redacted.

When a man abuses we ask “Why would she stay with him?”

Instead, we should be asking why he would abuse her every limb. Every woman is oh so tired, we’ve been fighting this war for centuries. We will not stand for this anymore, no matter how many times we must fight our enemies.

We’ve been enslaved and broken down, we will not be held down by these chains. We’re breaking free from this jail cell and we won’t stop running until we reach the great plains.

Walking, bussing driving, or biking. There is no escape from stereotyping and harassment.

Previous

SUDOKU

phdcomics.com

We’re catcalled, yelled at, and so much more. It’s not a compliment, it’s just your entitlement.

We’re taught that women are made to have babies. But what about the risk, time, and pain?

8 1 5 76

Our bodies are only seen as a capsule and not a body with a brain. Laws are being placed to stop abortion. “Abortions are murder, you can’t kill a baby.”

867543 975862134 673452 5867243 34821 4329786 214389 523146798 123687

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box con tains every number uniquely

583691742 917234865 246875931 638152479 725943186 491768253 852317694 379426518 164589327

In Hidato, fill the board by continuing the chain of numbers from 1 to 100 mov ing any direction or diag onally to the next number.

If you get an abortion you could get the death penalty but that isn’t murder cause she’s just a lady.

How to beat Str8ts –

People have given feminism a bad name but we just want equality. Women are people, just like men, but we’re a long way away from any autonomy.

Savannah Olson is a student at the University of Manitoba.

Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ are formed.

Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ are formed.

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org

If you like Str8ts check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

In Straits, like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But rows and columns are div ided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a “straight.”

A straight is a set of num bers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5].

Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how “straights” are formed.

673452 5867243 34821 4329786 214389 523146798

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org

If you like Str8ts check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

are formed.

Sudoku Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles Hidato Puzzle by M.J.D. Doering Straights Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles
12 graphics@themanitoban.com Vol. 109, No. 7Diversions > 89 2 36 6824 56 3 57 51 1 9 5 4 3 8 6 © 2022 Syndicated Puzzles 14 6483 219 845 74 195 639 3867 28 © 2022 Syndicated Puzzles
STR8TS No. 614 Easy
9
solution - Medium
You can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com No. 614 Tough Previous solution - Medium Answer to last issue’s Hidato xkcd.com 89 2 36 6824 56 3 57 51 1 9 5 4 3 8 6 © 2022 Syndicated Puzzles 7 STR8TS No. 614 Easy 867543 975862134
123687 9 8 1 5 76 How to beat Str8ts –Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’
Previous solution - Medium SUDOKU The solutionsYou can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com No. 614 89 36 56 1 9 © 2022 Syndicated Puzzles 14 6483 219 845 74 195 639 3867 28 © 2022 Syndicated Puzzles 583691742 917234865 246875931 638152479 725943186 491768253 852317694 379426518 164589327 STR8TS 614 Easy 867543 975862134 673452 5867243 34821 4329786 9 8 1 5 How to beat Str8ts –Like
Previous solution - Medium SUDOKU
The solutions will be published here in the next issue.can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com No. 614 Tough Previous solution - MediumAnswer to last issue’s Sudoku 89 2 36 56 3 1 9 4 3Puzzles STR8TS No. 614 Easy 867543 975862134 673452 5867243 34821 4329786 214389 523146798 123687 9 8 1 5 76 How to beat Str8ts –Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set Previous solution - MediumAnswer to last issue’s Straights
A CALL TO ALL THINK YOU’RE A POET? THEN SHOW IT! Send your poetry and short stories to the Manitoban today! Contact: me@themanitoban.com From our archives 100 years ago

’Toban turntable

Booter — ‘10/10’

With a 10/10 name that connects its music scene to the prairie experience, local Winnipeg band Booter’s debut album 10/10 is a fantastic first entry.

In a world of overproduced music, Booter is a refresh ing return to the simplicity of voice, drums, guitar and bass. Even its guitar solos are not overproduced, but actually sound like guitars — as they should — compared to radio hits where the guitars are so heavily processed, they sound like kazoos.

Every song on 10/10 is so perfectly tempered and crisp in its recording, it almost sounds like a live show was recorded as an album, minus the audience noise.

Most importantly, each song doesn’t outstay its wel come. With songs averaging

just under two-and-a-half minutes a piece, Booter show cases its talent of knowing that the length of a song does not dictate its quality.

Every track on the album compliments the last with a through-vibe of mellow listen ing.

Vocalist Alannah Walker also has a unique voice in the current climate of music. It stands out as an instrument of its own — as it should — and adds depth in its timbre to the chords beneath it.

Fourth track “Seventeen” is the exception, with guitar ist Brendon Yarish on vocals and Walker as backup. How ever, this does not feel jarring or out of place. Booter’s sound is so consistent, “Seventeen” simply joins the flow of the other tracks.

If anything, it is the lyrics of “Seventeen” that stand out the most as a bittersweet, nos talgic lament of how even

The new Fifty Shades?

though we age, there is a part of all of our lives that we gravi tate to as a cemented moment in time.

With lines like “now my best days are behind me” and “I’m trying to remember what it feels like to just forget,” the lyrics of “I will always be seventeen living a nightmare” are the haunting constant of the song, perfectly encapsu lating the difficulty of moving forward in our lives.

The namesake of the album, “10/10,” may be the best track, not only because the song is such a bop, but also because it best highlights Booter’s estab lished sound. It’s the type of track where if you heard the opening chords, you could immediately locate them to the band.

Again and most impres sively, final track “The Most” has the same energy as opener “In Control,” creating a nice bookend to a truly cohesive

album that never dulls or dips in its track list.

With such a breakthrough performance in a debut album, Booter’s 10/10 is a must listen, and with every listen, the anticipation for what the band will do next grows.

Awkward, icky, accidentally hilarious erotic fiction set at the U of M

Why Not Sin: In order to change society they must betray everyone is an erotic novel written by Australian sports journalist and former sports editor for the Mani toban, R.G. Chapman. The book follows the winding romance of Greg, an Austral ian writer and track star, and Cynthia, or “Sin,” a good prai rie girl. The two meet at the U of M, fall in love and navigate an on-again-off-again long distance love affair that spans decades.

Why Not Sin is the funniest sort of novel — erotic fiction in first-person from a woman’s perspective, as written by a man. This results in many strange patterns in the writ ing, like Sin’s obsession with her “small, perky breasts” and their inadequacy when com pared against the “big bouncy boobs” that “jocks” prefer.

The writing in general is stunted, awkward and littered with grammatical mistakes. But surprisingly, it is still a rather smooth read — simplis tic enough to take down in an afternoon and descriptive in a plain spoken, almost awk wardly direct way.

The novel supposedly draws on bits of Chapman’s life, with Greg seemingly being a self-insert character for Chapman. But, given how much Chapman flatters him

self through his descriptions of Greg, I would take the real ism with a grain of salt.

This autobiographical aspect does mean that U of M and Winnipeg landmarks are namedropped constantly. Much of Sin and Greg’s romance in the early chap ters progresses in the Max Bell Centre. The two frequently hang out in the U of M cam pus bar of the time, Umzoo, or go out for drinks at the Yellow Dog Tavern in the exchange.

The romance between Sin and Greg is incredibly flimsy. Their conversation — like all dialogue in Why Not Sin — is cramped and robotic, and descriptions of their non-sex ual outings and activities are kept to a minimum, but it is taken as a given that they are hopelessly and forever devoted to each other.

Largely, the characters’ romance is developed in the numerous graphic sex scenes, written with a leering, lum bering, slightly unsettling horniness. Imagining Chap man writing these explicit scenes from the perspective of an 18-year-old woman is a bit skin crawling.

But what these scenes lack in eroticism, they make up for in hilarity. All of them follow the same path, mostly involv ing vulgar displays of Greg’s ultimate sexual prowess as he shows Sin untold pleas

ures with grace and style, and each scene is described using a strange, distinctly unsexy diction.

Greg is presented as a ster ling, unblemished genius in virtually all aspects of his life. His career in writing, begin ning with his stint at the Manitoban — a job which the book notes made him very attractive to other students — is especially illustrious, cul minating in a crazy meta-nar rative in which his own auto biographical book titled “Why Not Love: Imagine if sex could actually heal the world” sells nearly 50 million copies and is adapted into a film that gener ates $687 million at the global box office.

Greg’s only flaw is his emo tional demons, which are completely vague and seem to mostly manifest through his propensity to leave Sin at random and sleep with other women, and somehow even that habit endears him to Sin.

Sin meanwhile is not developed at all. Somehow her own inner monologue fails the Bechdel Test — she has no thoughts or aspirations other than to love Greg. She even tually strays and marries the hapless, kind cuckold Craig when Greg is deported to Aus tralia, but Chapman makes it very clear that Sin’s undying love for Greg never fades.

If it sounds like I am sim

ply insulting and piling onto Why Not Sin, let me say that I had the time of my life read ing this book. It is one of the most insane things I have ever read, and an absolute thrill ride through the psy che of a strange, egoman iacal, horned-up but ultim ately sympathetic man. And as a student at the U of M, its hyper-specific setting really immersed me in the story. It isn’t a “good” book, but it is a great one.

Why Not Sin: In order to change society, they must be tray everyone is available on

Booter’s 10/10 is available for streaming on major plat forms.

arts@themanitoban.com

Lost and Found

E-Scooter found on Fort Garry campus Sept. 21, 2022.

If the item belongs to you, please get in touch with Security Services at 204-474-9312. You will be asked to provide proof of ownership.

All found property turned into Security Services is fully documented and held for 60 days.

image / Ric Chapman / provided image Midwest Debris provided
13 arts@themanitoban.com September 28, 2022 Arts & Culture >
amazon.ca.
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UM Campus
arts@themanitoban.com

’Toban tracks — fall vibes

An hour-plus of folk and indie to soundtrack all yr fave fall festivities

Fall is perhaps the sea son with the most dis tinct, unified vibe. Summer has vibes to be sure, but a multitude of vibes too numer ous to encapsulate. Winter in Winnipeg is too long to have a single vibe, especially once the holiday season passes and we are left in a dark limbo. And in my view, spring gets its vibe mostly from its proxim ity to summer — it’s all in the anticipation.

Fall is just short enough that it can stay unified, but long enough to feel distinct. There are unique worldly character istics — the falling coloured leaves, brisk temperatures, death and rebirth swirl ing in one. We start to reflect on the fast-moving summer now firmly behind us, begin a school year anew and start our gradual slowdown to the forced hibernation of winter.

It’s transitional, but static.

As such, fall vibes are all about comfiness and warmth, with a slight hint of haunt ing spookiness or bittersweet nostalgia. Most of this playlist is made up of folk-adjacent music, a palette that I asso ciate pretty heavily with fall. Acoustic guitars just sound like autumn, the crisp strum

ming with the warm timbral body is like stepping on the crunchy top layer of leaves on a forest trail.

The purest folk songs on here come courtesy of a few Canadian legends — Buffy Sainte-Marie’s gorgeous “The Dream Tree” from her revel atory, hypnotizing psyche delic-folk detour, Illumina tions, Gordon Lightfoot’s light and lovely “Approaching Lav ender” and Willie Dunn’s star ry-eyed “The Dreamer.”

In other places the def inition is stretched a bit more. Fog Lake and Alex G’s respective Elliott Smith-in debted indie pop styles still carry a lot of the warmth and sincerity of good folk music. Artists like Dear Nora and meadows take that warmth and apply it to their own fra gile, lo-fi recordings.

Beyond the acoustic stuff, there are some other genres that I think have distinct fall vibes, including jangle-pop, soul, dream-pop and alt-coun try — all very autumnal.

So, take a walk around a for est, jump in a big pile of leaves, go on a wagon ride, explore a corn maze, go bird watch ing, visit an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch and listen to this playlist while you’re out

’Toban turntable

there. It’s good music!

Hold Me in Your Mind – Living Hour, Someday Is Today

On to September – Dear Nora, The New Year Sheets of Grey – Ducks Ltd.

Heart Like a Wheel – Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Partner – Ada Lea, one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden Cards – Alex G, Boring Ecstasy

Cooking – Duster, Contem porary Movement

New Partner – Palace Music, Viva Last Blues

Any Other Way – Jackie Shane honeytea – meadows Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow – Felt, The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories

The Dream Tree – Buffy Sainte-Marie, Illuminations Dakota – Fog Lake, Tra gedy Reel

Here’s Where The Story Ends – The Sundays, Read ing, Writing & Arithmetic Houses – Elyse Weinberg, Elyse Beneath the Leaves –Julie Doiron, So Many Days

The Dreamer – Willie Dunn, The Pacific Approaching Lavender – Gordon Lightfoot, If You Could Read My Mind Cherry Coke – OMBIIGIZI, Sewn Back Together Dust – You’ll Never Get to Heaven, Wave Your Moonlight

Hat For The Snowfall Train September Song – Amos the Kid, No More New Ideas Ugly Little Victory –Friendship, Love the Stranger

arts@themanitoban.com

Status/Non-Status — ‘Surely Travel’

4/5 Stars

Rock is played out. This is the elephant in the room dur ing any discussion of rock music. Every corner has been explored, and rock’s days of cultural dominance or even relevance are well behind us. All that is left to do is repeat and reimagine rock’s past, applying it to new issues, new emotions and fusing together new combinations of influen ces.

In the case of most indie rock, this leads to a lot of non committal shoulder-shrug ging, a sort of embarrassed withdrawal to the margins.

But Status/Non-Status is not embarrassed. In fact, one gets the feeling that the pro ject is still pretty excited to get to work, digging up the best bits of rock’s recent past and blowing them up to strato spheric proportions with an infectious enthusiasm.

Whereas Status/Non-

Status’s last album (not count ing this year’s OMBIIGIZI album, a collaboration with Zoon), Warrior Down, was a knotty, difficult, dark album which drew largely from apocalyptic post-rock and blown-out noise rock, its new album, Surely Travel, draws from much more easy-going influences — more Pearl Jam than Sonic Youth or Slint.

Without letting up on the ambition and assertive vol ume, the band goes about reappropriating the sounds of ’90s alt-rock, grunge and col lege rock with reckless aban don and tight songcraft.

Opening track “Blown Tire” is a stomping, wideopen power-pop slammer that begins at full-blast and doesn’t let up from there. Singer Adam Sturgeon’s vocal is by turns sincere and snotty, adopting a sort of Billy Corgan-meetsJeff Mangum bleat through out the album.

Lead single “Mashkiki Sun set” rips pages straight from

the old R.E.M. handbook, with a rollicking sea shanty pace and arpeggiated guitars. But like the entirety of Surely Travel, everything is cranked up loud and given a massive feeling of scope.

Other familiar sounds pop up throughout, with “Mainly Crows” bringing the Tragic ally Hip to mind, while “When They Were” has the same insane outsider delivery and blown-out dynamics as one of Neutral Milk Hotel’s more hyped-up songs.

Some of Warrior Down’s more experimental ten dencies pop back up on the expansive title track, “Surely Travel.” The song is built around a hypnotizing, slowly building middle section, with assured gang vocals deliv ering the repeated manifesta tion of “I will surely travel.” It’s a comforting sentiment to end the album on, encapsulat ing a hard-won optimism and assurance that runs through all these songs.

Surely Travel is a really refreshing listen, circling back on the past with an invig orating joy. The songs are anthemic and strong, and delivered with a kind of pomp and ambition that is hard to come by these days.

Status/Non-Status’s Surely Travel is available on major streaming platforms.

image graphic / Dallin Chicoine / staff
14 arts@themanitoban.com Vol. 109, No. 7Arts & Culture
/ Killbeat / provided
arts@themanitoban.com

Sports teams’ schedules

U of M Bisons — Women’s Basketball

Bisons @ Cape Breton Capers Sept. 30 — 4 p.m.

Bisons @ UNB Varsity Reds Oct. 1 — 6 p.m.

Bisons @ McGill Martlets Oct. 2 — 10 a.m.

U of M Bisons — Women’s Hockey

Bisons @ Minnesota State University — Mankato

Sept. 23 — Final: 1 – 5

Bisons @ Minnesota Golden Gophers Sept. 24 — Final: 0 – 13

Bisons @ St. Thomas Tommies Sept. 25 — Final: 1 – 4

U of M Bisons — Women’s Soccer

Saskatchewan Huskies @ Bisons Sept. 23 — Final: 2 – 1

Regina Cougars @ Bisons Sept. 24 — Final: 1 – 1 MacEwan Griffins @ Bisons Oct. 1 — 12 p.m.

Alberta Pandas @ Bisons Oct. 2 — 12 p.m.

U of M Bisons — Men’s Football

Calgary Dinos @ Bisons Sept. 24 — Final: 4 – 46

Bisons @ Saskatchewan Huskies Sept. 30 — 8 p.m.

U of M Bisons — Men’s Golf

Gustavus Twin Cities Classic Sept. 24 – 26 — Team Final: Sixth place overall Canada West Championships Oct. 3 – 4

U of M Bisons — Men’s Hockey

Lakehead Thunderwolves @ Bisons Sept. 23 — Final: 6

Regina Cougars @ Bisons Sept. 25

Bisons @ UND Fighting Hawks Oct. 1

Bisons @ Bemidji State Beavers Oct. 2

U of M Bisons — Cross Country

Final: 4

6 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

Sled Dog Open Oct.

Valour

Valour

Valour

York United Sept. 23

Cavalry Oct. 2

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Blue Bombers Sept. 30

Winnipeg Jets — Preseason

Final: 1

2:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

Jets @ Edmonton Oilers Sept. 25 — Final: 0

Ottawa Senators @ Jets Sept. 27 — 7 p.m.

Jets @ Montreal Canadiens Sept. 29 — 6 p.m.

Edmonton Oilers @ Jets Oct. 1 — 7 p.m.

Calgary Flames @ Jets Oct. 5 — 7 p.m.

*

The Bisons men’s football and women’s soccer teams played the Calgary Dinos and Regina Cougars, respectively, Saturday at Homecoming. photos / Matthew Merkel / staff
15 sports@themanitoban.com September 28, 2022 Sports >
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