All posts by Shannon Moore

BC students want separate society act

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Students in British Columbia want their own Society Act.

In a document obtained through Freedom of Information, the Graduate Student Society at UBC Vancouver stated that they have repeatedly requested a separate act. They believe that student societies are unique, and that the existing laws do not support their individual needs.

Student societies currently fall under the same act that governs more than 27,000 organizations in BC. The act outlines laws and regulations for these institutions.

“We feel that student societies are unique enough to merit a separate statute governing their composition and activities. This solution would more effectively address persistent issues facing student societies,” they said.

This statement, along with those of other student societies in BC, was submitted as part of a consultation process in 2014. The Ministry of Finance is making changes to the current act and wanted feedback on its draft from societies across the province.

Many student societies argued that the best option would be to establish a separate Student Society Act.

Pierre Cenerelli is a University and Government Relations Advisor at UBC Vancouver. He said that student societies are caught between sectors. They are like a public organization, but differ in the sense that their memberships are mandatory.

Any student attending a university is automatically considered a member of the society, unlike public societies that have the freedom to determine and control their memberships. This allows universities to collect membership fees upon student enrolment.

“The Society Act works well with organizations where membership is freely taken on, but ours is not. Anybody going to a school is a member of a society by obligation, so they have to pay fees,” he said.

The new Society Act would allow members the option to resign, putting student societies at risk of losing funds.

Cenerelli said that a Student Society Act would better serve the needs of universities.

“Both our members and us would be better served by a separate act,” he said. “We have mentioned this as something that we would like, but we don’t know if there’s any appetite in the government to do this.”

Other common feedback to the draft included changes to Section 99, which would allow members of the public to file formal complaints against societies. In response to this, the Canadian Federation of Students in British Columbia said, “Student societies are not designed to serve the ‘public interest,’ but rather, the interests of their members.”

If a separate Student Society Act is not possible, they hope to be exempt from this section of the act.

Although the ministry could not be reached for comment, Cenerelli is hoping for a positive outcome.

“We have no idea at this point, but you never know,” he said. “A Student Society Act would be a great solution.”

Access-to-Information Requests:

For informal request #1, click here.
For informal request #2, click here.
For informal request #3, click here.

For federal request, click here.
For municipal request, click here.
For provincial request, click here.

 

Ottawa’s Graffiti Management Program working, officials say

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The City of Ottawa’s efforts to reduce graffiti in the capital are paying off.

The most recent reports released on the city’s open database reveal that graffiti complaints are down dramatically from this same time last year.

More specifically, while 113 complaints occurred in January and February 2014, only 33 complaints have occurred so far this year.

Councillors and city officials are crediting this to the work of the Graffiti Management Program (GMP), which has been in effect since 2003 as a joint effort between the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Police Service. The program aims to educate individuals on ways in which to deal with graffiti-related incidents, including how to properly report and deter it.

The program also seeks to direct the public to legal graffiti walls, and to keep them aware of the punitive laws that surround illegal graffiti activity.

Barrhaven councillor Jan Harder says that the most successful element of the GMP program has been its efforts to have graffiti removed at a low cost.

“I no longer hear complaints. I used to hear complaints from innocent homeowners who were targeted and then stuck with having to clear the graffiti from their property,” she says. “Due diligence in having it removed in a cost-effective fashion made all the difference.”

The Barrhaven ward has only received one graffiti complaint this year.

Graffiti-related incidents in Orleans have also dropped dramatically in recent years. Councillor Bob Monette says, “Graffiti was a major issue when I first came to council in 2006. In fact, there was a proliferation of graffiti throughout the entire ward.”

“Since that time, we have seen a vast improvement in the battle on graffiti. I am proud to say that there seems to be less of an issue of graffiti in our ward.”

The Orleans ward has not received any complaints yet this year.

Monette credits this to the proactive approach of his team, which aims to report and remove graffiti quickly in order to discourage vandals from acting again.

“What I personally do along with my staff is drive through the entire ward, take photos of all the graffiti at all locations and report it directly to 3-1-1. This has been very successful,” he says.

Monette has also built on the GMP’s preventative methods by educating residents on the location of legal graffiti walls- one of which is the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex in Orleans. Monette believes that the key to reducing vandalism without stifling artists’ creativity is to direct residents to these sites.

“We have worked with the youth of our community, providing them with a legal graffiti wall, as well as using graffiti artists to create three murals in the Orleans community,” he says.

Rideau-Vanier councillor Mathieu Fleury says that it is important to create a feeling of trust within the community, where artists can feel comfortable coming forward and requesting legal graffiti sites.

“If a graffiti artist comes to me and shares a location that they’re interested in, we’ll work with them to make it permissible for them to do it,” he says.

Kanata-North councillor Marianne Wilkinson agrees, stating that graffiti problems will never go away but can be managed through legal sites.

Individuals who place graffiti in illegal areas can be fined up to $615.00 under the City of Ottawa’s bylaw; but graffiti is considered vandalism under Canada’s criminal code. If caught, individuals can be charged with “mischief under or over $5,000” and face community service hours as punishment.

Often, graffiti vandals who are charged are left with criminal records from their actions.

Graffiti Complaints: January to February 2014
Source: City of Ottawa Open Data Catalog

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Graffiti Complaints: January to February 2015
Source: City of Ottawa Open Data Catalog

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Sears Canada struggling, despite efforts to turn a profit

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WEB-sears25rb01
(Source: The Globe and Mail)

By Shannon Moore

Despite efforts to improve its business, Sears Canada continues to struggle financially.

In its most recent quarterly report, diminishing sales, lost revenue and reduced profit revealed a continuous struggle for the company. Year after year, quarter-by-quarter, Sears Canada is losing money.

The company’s year-to-date earnings were down $357 million (or 12.7%) from 2013. Its third quarter revenue was just as disappointing, having dropped $147 million (or 15%) from this time last year.

At first glance, this drop in revenue can be attributed to the large number of store closures that occurred this year. Sears Canada is said to have lost $38 million in revenue from this move alone; but the report reveals that earnings dropped 9.5% in its existing stores. This is primarily due to disappointing sales in all of its major departments including apparel, appliances, electronics and more. The company’s net income also experienced a significant hit. Last year, Sears Canada made a profit of $72.8 million. This year, the company lost $215.2 million. To put this into perspective, its profit is down 395.6%.

Emily Gray (Source: Carleton University)
Emily Gray (Source: Carleton University)

Carleton University business professor Emily Gray says that this can be attributed to fewer sales, and in some cases, lower sale prices.

In addition to this, the company’s gross margin dropped from 37.2% in 2013 to 34.3% this quarter. This means that Sears Canada is earning almost four cents less on every dollar sold.

Not surprisingly, Sears Canada’s shares are also down, with the average transactions jumping from 69,051 in 2013 to only 26,728 this year.

Each of these numbers points to a continuous struggle for the company. Despite closing stores and losing employees, Sears Canada’s finances are dropping at an alarming rate. Previous financial reports confirm that this decline has been occurring for several years.

Ronald D. Boire (Source: Huffington Post)

Ronald D. Boire was recently appointed president and CEO of the company. In a media release this week, Chairman of the Board William C. Crowley said, “The Board of Directors believes Ron has the capabilities, experience, and leadership that Sears Canada needs at this time. He is assembling a team, developing an approach, and instilling a culture that is necessary to improve business.”

Boire is Sears Canada’s third president in four years.

In response, Boire noted that he is prepared to address the company’s financial “challenges” and lead it to “future success.” He said, “I am aware of the challenges facing the evolving Canadian retail marketplace, and Sears Canada in particular.”

“I am confident that our associates are engaged and focused on the drivers of our future success.”

Regarding the third quarter statement, Boire said, “These results are disappointing, and the management team is focused on making Sears Canada successful.”

“The Company has done well at managing expenses year to date and maintaining a strong balance sheet,” he said. “We are now working at growing our top line to have our sales match the high level of loyalty and support that Canadians have for the Sears brand.”

In the wake of these challenges, it comes as a surprise to many that the company is offering discounts and job opportunities to axed Target employees. Sears Canada’s own lease terminations are still fresh, and have cost the jobs of several of its employees.

Target has been a major competitor of the company since its arrival in 2013.

With sales on the decline and more and more stores shutting their doors, the future of Sears Canada remains uncertain. To date, its efforts to turn a profit have been unfulfilling.

But the company is hopeful.

As Boire stated, “We are all working together to deliver the level of value and service that have made us successful for six decades while operating within an increasingly competitive retail marketplace.”