Tolls

Bing, bong, the summer’s dead

Gurinder Singh Gill Named Federal NDP Candidate 

University of Regina business faculty graduate Gurinder Singh Gill has been named the NDP candidate for the federal election in the Calgary Skyview riding. Gill, a former Housing Services staff member and Enactus president, was nominated on Aug. 27. After graduating with an accounting degree, Gill went on to be a staff accountant for KPMG Enterprises. 

The current MP for the riding is Darshan Singh Kang. The former Liberal now sits as an independent after being found to have sexually harassed a staff member, an accusation he denies. In polling predictions, 338Canada.com has the seat listed as a safe conservative bet. 

Gill isn’t the first University of Regina graduate to enter politics recently. Former business student Miranda Rosin was elected as part of the United Conservative Party (UCP) in Alberta’s provincial election. Rosin’s role as MLA for the newly created riding of Banff-Kananaskis includes being a member of two standing committees: one on public accounts and the other on resource stewardship. She was criticized for her stance on public healthcare in the lead up to the election. 

U of R Announces Alumni Awards 

The recipients of the 2019 Alumni Crowning Achievement Awards have been announced. Six people have been named as winners: Gary Drummond, Janine Windolph, Trudy Stewart, Brianne Urzada, Tyler Willox, and Paul McLellan.  

The winners come from a diverse set of backgrounds; among the winners are two documentarians, an educator/artist, a lawyer, and two business leaders. Their extensive bios are available on the alumni relations‘ webpage. In short, Drummond was part of the first days of Direct Energy as a founder. Windolph and Stewart are documentary filmmakers who bring Indigenous issues to the forefront, Urzada is a cancer survivor who started a project that raised thousands for cancer patient care; Willox, the largest single donor to the Saskatchewan Party in 2018 and one of the directors of the right-wing Canada Growth Council,  started the Regina chapter of 5 Days for the Homeless which is the least he could do, and McLellan served on the university’s board of directors.  

The event will be held Oct. 10. Tickets are $75 a person or $600 for a table of 8.  

Bed, Bath, and Beyond Gives Student Discount  

Large homewares chain Bed Bath & Beyond offered students a discount on all their dorm room essentials during the month of August. Each store had a shopping list from each major Canadian institution and shopping events were held throughout Canada to get students ready for the semester.  

With hundreds of students moving into the University of Regina’s residence buildings, a specific event was held on Aug. 31 to accommodate their needs. According to the University of Regina’s own statement, 150 members of staff were available to help students make the University of Regina their home base for the next eight months. President Timmons was quoted singing the praises of living on campus.  

“‘From personal experience, I know how important it is for new students to experience a welcoming and inclusive environment right from day one […]Our job as a University community is to set the stage for student success from the moment a student decides to call the U of R home.” 

Living on campus isn’t cheap. Rooms range in cost from $539 a month for a double dorm room with no cooking facilities to $1258 for a one–bedroom apartment that has all of the amenities expected of a regular living arrangement. The newly renovated College West hosts apartments with up to seven roommates. For those requiring dining plans, that can mean up to another $460.75 a month.