Latest news with #UNB
CBC
6 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
How Pascal Siakam supports the dreams of fellow Cameroonians attending UNB
Erick Mbianda wasn't planning to attend university this past year because his family in Cameroon couldn't afford to send him. They had endured a decade of disruption due to the armed conflict that began in 2016, forcing them from their home in the northwest to the more centrally located capital Yaoundé. Then Mbianda received an email from the University of New Brunswick offering him a scholarship through the River Philip Foundation and the PS43 Foundation, operated by fellow Cameroonian and former Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam, who's now playing with the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. "I pray I can meet him one day to thank him. It was a life-changer," Mbianda said. "My dad wasn't in the country when I got the news. I called him and he started crying, saying, 'God bless Pascal Siakam' over and over again." Last fall, Mbianda arrived at UNB to study chemical engineering on an $8,000 entrance scholarship. He is the second Cameroonian student to receive the scholarship since the program began in 2023. Cedrick Tahmo, the first recipient, is now entering his fourth year studying computer science. At the time, UNB flew him to Toronto to meet Siakam on the court after a Raptors game. "After they won the game, they told us to wait on the court for him to come out. Just seeing him was just so amazing," Tahmo said. "He is a great guy, he was very chill. We have a colloquial language in my country. It's like a modified English or French. He spoke that with me and it was just an amazing experience. Just seeing someone at that level who still holds tight to his roots was so amazing for me to see." Tahmo says Siakam made him feel like he wasn't alone in his experience of building a life in a new country. "He told me he came here as a student as well," said Tahmo. "He knows my struggles. He knows how it is to be in a different country without your family around. Just sharing that experience with me made me realize that I'm not alone here." The partnership between UNB and Siakam's foundation began after a meeting in Toronto between Siakam and Frank McKenna, deputy chair of TD Bank and a former New Brunswick premier. "Frank had heard about his passion for education and particularly the digital [skills component]," said Adrienne Oldford, the executive director of the McKenna Institute. "So they met for lunch and really found they had this shared connection to make a difference." Oldford said the scholarship could be a first step in a broader partnership. The McKenna Institute has committed $1.3 million to digital education programs in New Brunswick schools. The PS43 Foundation, based in Ontario, runs programs like Coding for Champions, which provides digital literacy and technology training for under-served youth, said executive director Dakota Whyte. "[Our] mission is all around advancing youth education," she said. "We do this through the lens of digital technology, STEAM learning [science, technology, engineering, art and math], life skills and mentorship for underrepresented and marginalized groups." 'We're all driven by education' Siakam's foundation has remained based in Ontario even after he left Toronto in a trade to the Pacers shortly after the UNB partnership was announced. Vanessa Siakam is his sister and manager of programs with PS43. She said their father, who died in 2014, always told them education was important, even as her brother pursued his dream to be a basketball player. "We're all driven by education because that was the only speech that my father would give you every day," she said. "That was the main inspiration [for the foundation]. We knew he loved everything about education." PS43 has two core programs that have educational and sport components — an annual basketball camp in Cameroon where they're also taught lessons in leadership, resilience and personal growth, and a program in Canada called Data Dunkers where students in grades 5 through 12 learn data science skills through studying and analyzing basketball statistics. "Our father loved sport and the fact that Pascal was drafted in the NBA and my father wasn't able to witness that dream of his, I think it's just a normal thing for Pascal to join everything that he loved," Vanessa said. "We're going to help [realize] my father's dream since he wasn't there to experience it." Siakam wants to help UNB students pursue their dreams Whyte said Siakam was well supported as he pursued his dreams through programs like Basketball Without Borders, so it's natural for him to want to support others. "We look at Erick and we look at Cedrick and we want to feel a part of their development of anything that they are able to achieve," Whyte said. "It has started off with one opportunity and hopefully Pascal could be an inspiration to them that they can make any of their dreams happen." Mbianda is studying chemical engineering and his dream is to return to Cameroon and help the country move from fossil fuels to renewables like solar power, which can also help people suffering from "energy poverty" in rural areas that aren't connected to existing power grids.
CBC
10-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Fredericton council hears opposition to more apartment buildings on College Hill
Residents expressed concern to Fredericton councillors that proposed zoning changes could increase traffic and decrease the appeal of the College Hill neighbourhood. A handful of people showed up to Monday night's meeting to speak against a plan by city staff to allow more multi-unit buildings in the neighbourhood adjacent to the campuses of the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University. "I think we need to be clear that we're not NIMBYs," said Joseph Pagé, one of five people who spoke against the proposal. "I think we're, we're all for change and we're all for increasing or sharing our neighbourhood with others. I think it's the process," he said, adding that he felt residents like him weren't consulted early enough about the changes. The College Hill area includes properties within the boundary of Beaverbrook, Windsor, Montgomery and Regent streets, and its development has been governed for the past 30 years by a municipal plan that city staff say has become outdated. Adopted in 1994, the College Hill secondary municipal plan sought to address neighbourhood concerns about non-owner-occupied homes, and thus significantly restricted the permitted uses for properties in that area. That means despite the growth in student and non-student residents, housing options in the area have been primarily limited to single- and two-unit detached homes. Under city hall's proposal, the College Hill plan would be repealed, and the zoning for dozens of properties would be changed to allow the construction of denser buildings. The plan would see the largest buildings allowed on properties on Graham Avenue and Windsor Street between Beaverbrook Street and Kings College Road. There, properties would be rezoned to MR-4, which allows buildings of up to six storeys with a maximum of 100 units per hectare. Properties on other streets, like the eastern sides of Regent and Windsor streets between Kings College Road and Montgomery Street, would be rezoned to MR-2, which allows for buildings up to four storeys with a maximum of 62 units per hectare. Properties on the western side of Graham Avenue and Windsor Street, as well as the northern side of Montgomery Street, would be rezoned R-5, which allows semi-detached and townhouses. Traffic concerns not addressed, says resident Pagé said he's lived on Grandame Street since 2018, and is familiar with the raucous off-campus parties that are "not conducive to a nice quiet neighbourhood." He said he went to a public engagement session the city held in May to offer staff feedback about the proposed changes. He said he raised concerns about a potential increase in traffic, which he doesn't feel have been addressed. "If we're going to increase density and there's going to be more traffic and more people wanting to avoid Regent [Street], there's going to be more, more cars travelling down [Grandame] Street," he said. David Clark said he's lived on Kitchen Street for 35 years and is "deeply moved and deeply concerned" by the proposed changes. "The College Hill rezoning proposal is problematic as it fosters larger buildings, overdensification and increased traffic, noise and risk to pedestrians and therefore diminishes the quality of life for College Hill and makes the area less attractive to prospective neighbourhood-minded homeowners," he said. Woven into the concerns by Clark and other residents was the possibility the proposal could lead to more homes owned by absentee landlords in the neighbourhood. Another concern was that UNB wasn't doing enough provide on-campus housing, prompting the need for off-campus options. "From staff perspective, I don't think it would be fair to say the university is disinterested in this issue. There is interest," said Ken Forrest, Fredericton's director of planning, in response. Forrest also told councillors the city plans to increase its bylaw enforcement capabilities next year, which should help with ensuring any new developments follow the city's rules. Coun. Jason Lejeune introduced a motion asking city staff to prepare a report analyzing the impact of removing the amendments that would remove the changes to allow R-5 zoning. That report is expected at the next meeting on June 23, when councillors are scheduled to take a final vote on the proposed changes.
CBC
03-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Free legal advice for tenants available at summer clinics across N.B.
Social Sharing As director of the University of New Brunswick's legal clinic, Jeannette Savoie says some of the most common legal questions she's asked are about how the province's rent cap works. Among the questions: Is the cap mandatory? What if a landlord raises rent more than three per cent? "A lot of time, when we answer questions for people, it's like, 'Huh, I didn't know I could do that.'" Savoie said she has seen even the most experienced renters taken advantage of by landlords, or paying unnecessary fees because of a lack of understanding of how rental laws work. For instance, she said, many people don't know there are costly consequences for improperly notifying a landlord of a lease termination. "I've seen people leave their tenancy without giving notice and then end up getting charged a fee or three months rent." She said a lack of knowledge about legal evictions is also common. "Tenants will come to us and ask questions, 'My landlord slid a note under the door saying I am evicted a certain day. Is that legal?' Well, no, it isn't." It's why she and several UNB law students have partnered with Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick on a tour of the province, answering questions about issues such as evictions, unit repairs, having pets in apartments and other common concerns. "It makes a huge difference," said Amber Chisholm, associate director of the legal education service said. "Being well-informed in a situation of crisis or stress can really help somebody make strategic decisions about their situation and also make decisions that are actually going to be effective for them." The clinics offer free, 30-minute sessions with a law student, who provides summary legal advice, and are supervised by a practising lawyer. The clinics are now underway in northern areas of the province and are scheduled to make stops in the south, ending in Saint John on July 21. Chisholm said the clinics can enable tenants to get legal advice early on during a tenancy to help them gain negotiating power with landlords and to avoid conflict before it escalates further. "Especially with tenants, there is often a sense of a power imbalance or a sense of urgency involved with kinds of legal problems that are affecting somebody's housing." Bridging a gap in rural areas with little pro-bono services Savoie said the clinics were strategically scheduled in areas where New Brunswickers can't easily access free legal help. "If I look at New Brunswick, the northeast probably has the least access to the services that you could find in Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John … just because of the rurality of everything," she said. Most of the pop-up clinics are located in areas that are open to the public, such as community centres and libraries. Nichola Taylor, chair of ACORN's New Brunswick chapter, said legal clinics like these are also crucial for renters with low to moderate income who might not be able to afford someone who can advocate on their behalf during a legal crisis. "There's no one there really to help them," Taylor said. "I'm sure often they feel like they're forgotten." Taylor said newcomers and other first-time renters should inform themselves about tenants regulations that are specific to the province -- but that can be difficult. "If you're a newcomer who may have a language barrier, for example, that's even harder to do," she said. While Chisholm said the clinics don't have official translators on site, they do offer services in English and French. She recommends people who might need assistance in another language bring someone who can help facilitate the conversation between them and the law student. To Savoie, helping tenants become empowered through these clinics is rewarding for her students. "They're there because they want to make a difference, and I think it all comes down to that." The next sessions are happening on Tuesday in Shippagan, and will travel through Tracadie, Campbellton, Bathurst, Miramichi, Edmundston, Woodstock and end at Saint John on July 21. A full schedule of the clinics is available here. As for the two commonly asked questions Chisholm referred to, she said landlords are obligated to comply with the cap in place in New Brunswick that makes it illegal to raise rent prices higher than three per cent per year. Tenants can file a request for assistance with the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office within 60 days of receiving a notice of a rent increase that does not comply with the rent cap, she said. Landlords can defend themselves before the office to justify the need for a greater increase.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Moncton Wildcats coach Gardiner MacDougall seeks yet another trophy at Memorial Cup
One thing is crystal clear when you look at Gardiner MacDougall's coaching career: he's a winner. The former University of New Brunswick coach racked up more than 700 varsity wins and nine Canadian titles. He's also a Memorial Cup winner and a gold medallist on the international stage. In just the past 14 months, he's guided UNB to a national title with a perfect 43-0 record and helped Canada's under-18 team capture gold. And in his first season behind Moncton's bench, MacDougall led the Wildcats to a Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League championship. Now he's seeking another Memorial Cup triumph. 'There's been a lot of positive things,' he said. 'I just hope there's something left in the back pocket for this series coming up.' The Wildcats play their first game at the top Canadian junior hockey tournament Saturday against the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights in Rimouski, Que. The tournament's round-robin began Friday with the host Oceanic facing the Western Hockey League champion Medicine Hat Tigers. MacDougall arrived in Moncton one year ago after 24 sparkling seasons with the UNB Reds, where he recorded the most regular-season wins in Canadian men's university hockey. When the 65-year-old from Bedeque, P.E.I., took over at UNB in 2000, he said it felt like the big leagues. 'And for 24 years it was. It was just a dream come true for me,' he said. 'And when I took the job in Moncton last spring, I said, 'This is my new NHL.' When you walk in the arena and our facilities in Moncton, it's a mini-NHL, it's spectacular.' The Moncton job also gave him a chance to team up with his son, Taylor MacDougall, who joined the Wildcats as general manager. Together, they hit the ground running in Moncton. A well-rounded team headlined by NHL draft prospect Caleb Desnoyers, the Wildcats paced the QMJHL with a 53-9-2 regular-season record in their first season under the MacDougalls. Then came a 16-3 run in the playoffs en route to the league title, Moncton's first since 2010, marking a special moment for the father and son duo. 'It's one of those exhilarating lifetime moments,' Gardiner MacDougall said. He describes his team's playing style as 'fast and faster.' 'We want to be fast with the puck, either passing it or skating it,' he said. 'When we don't have it, we want to be faster to get it back.' Off the ice, Taylor MacDougall said his father is a master of getting players to buy in. 'He's just so passionate,' said Taylor MacDougall, who played five seasons at UNB. 'He's got so much enthusiasm that I think it's contagious.' Dyllan Gill, a New Brunswick-born defenceman who joined the Wildcats midway through this season, was well aware of Gardiner MacDougall's legend in the province when he arrived in Moncton. Growing up, Gill attended UNB hockey camps in Fredericton. His father once told MacDougall he wanted his son to play for the Reds — a moment the coach still remembered years later. 'That was one of the first things that he brought up to me,' Gill said. 'He takes so much pride in remembering everything about little details from all these little kids and all these camps. 'That's what makes him such a special person.' MacDougall also has a reputation for his catchphrases. 'Just getting started' — or 'JGS' for short — is one common refrain. When MacDougall led the host Saint John Sea Dogs to the Memorial Cup as a pinch-hitter coach in 2022, he often thanked a figurative force called 'Lady Mo' — short for momentum. 'We all have special ladies in our lives, grandmothers, our mothers, our wives,' he said during that tournament's round-robin. 'But the key to success tonight was a lady called Lady Mo — Miss Lady Momentum. 'Sometimes she's hard to find. You don't know how long she's going to stay with you. We're lucky tonight that we found her and she stayed with us for a while.' The question now is whether she can find her way from Saint John to Rimouski. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'Let's hope she can travel, and hopefully she finds the right bench here,' he said. MacDougall's success has some saying he should coach Canada at the world juniors after the program's back-to-back quarterfinal exits. There are also rumblings that NHL teams are taking notice. Those opportunities may loom, but for now, MacDougall's sights are set on just getting another win. 'Our goal is to be the best we can on the opening shift on Saturday night,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
India.com
21-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Italy's PM Georgia Meloni can visit India's neighboring Muslim country... it is not Pakistan
Italy's PM Georgia Meloni can visit India's neighboring Muslim country... it is not Pakistan Italian Prime Minister Giordano Meloni may make an official visit to Bangladesh in the last week of August. Her visit will take place a few days after French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly refused to meet Bangladesh government's chief advisor Muhammad Yunus. It is being said that Bangladesh and Italy are considering more cooperation in key areas to strengthen relations. High-level meetings are being held between officials of both countries to prepare for Meloni's visit. Preparations continue for Meloni's Bangladesh visit Officials from both sides are now finalising things to make the visit a success, reports UNB. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who visited Bangladesh earlier this month, told Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus that Italy is ready to hire more people from Bangladesh and will take steps to ensure safe migration from the country. Italy's Home Minister confirmed the visit Matteo told the chief adviser that Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni may visit Bangladesh sometime before September as Rome is keen to 'renew' and 'restart' its bilateral cooperation with Dhaka, the officials said. The chief adviser said Bangladesh is eager to work with Italy to prevent illegal migration and human trafficking. 'Bangladeshis living in Italy are very grateful to the host country and appreciate the way they are treated in Italy,' Muhammad Yunus said. Meloni and Yunus met in September 2024 In September last year, during the High-Level Week of the 79th UN General Assembly, the President of the Council of Ministers, Giordano Meloni, met with Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. During the meeting, Meloni expressed Italy's support for the reform process in Bangladesh and its main goal of improving the social and economic conditions of the population. The meeting also discussed migration, expressing the intention to strengthen cooperation on this issue.
