TMU students “Draw the Line” with tens of thousands across Canada

By Simran Sidhu

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students joined thousands on Sept. 20 at Draw the Line, a protest that took to the streets of Toronto and several major cities to protest the Canadian government’s policies under prime minister Mark Carney.

Protesters called for changes to policies favouring corporate interests and urged action on climate change, economic justice, recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and “full immigration status for all,” according to Draw The Line’s website.

Nathan Liem, a first-year film student who attended the protest, said, “This protest is just a general protest. It’s all about us being sick of the current state of the world.” Liem connected the issues to common student concerns, citing the housing and the job market as products of the same system.

“We never recovered [from] the 2008 financial crisis, and we never recovered [from] the pandemic,” Liem stated. “So right now, these are the issues of a system that’s not worth saving.”

Construction near campus might cast shadow over Kerr Hall Quad

By Molly Simpson

Shadow projections publicly available on the City of Toronto’s website show large shadows potentially being cast over the Kerr Hall Quad due to construction of a new condominium at the intersection of Yonge and Gerrard Streets.

Students at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) are concerned the shadows may disrupt a campus green space and a frequent gathering spot for students.

“The quad should be an open place. We’re all in class all day, we just chill there, get our vitamin D,” said Nasra Khalif, a first-year professional communications student.

Despite this, Derek Waltho, a senior planner for the City of Toronto, believes the shadow from this new development on Yonge and Gerrard won’t be a problem in the quad.

The neighbouring buildings have the “right height permissions” and the new building shouldn’t change what shadows fall in the quad more than what is already there, said Waltho.

The buildings in the area including the new development are all within their allowed height permissions.

Waltho said the city is particularly concerned with a shadow when it falls on parks, as well as “informal” open spaces like sidewalks.

Parks are separated into two categories with ‘signature parks’ considered more when looking at shadow reports. Kerr Hall Quad is not considered a signature park, however larger locations such as Nathan Phillips Square and Allen Gardens are.