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Strike imminent
By Joe Ayres

Official bus services in
Metro Vancouver will be
shutting down for three
days next week if a deal is
not reached between Coast
Mountain Bus Company and
the union representing its
drivers and mechanics.

If the labour dispute is not
settled by Nov. 27, Unifor said
its bus drivers and mechanics
would escalate current strike
action by refusing to work on

Wednesday through Friday.

‘Not a stunt’

Gavin McGarrigle, the
western regional director
of Unifor, told reporters at
Unifor’s New Westminster
regional office, “This is not a
stunt. This is real. These are
members, men and women
who are putting their own
families on the line to fight
for a better transit system in
Metro Vancouver.”

In a written statement,
CMEC said it is “alarmed”
by the announcement, calling
the action “drastic.” CMBC
president Michael McDan-
iel was quoted as saying, “It is
completely unacceptable our
customers are being dragged
into this dispute.”

Coast Mountain offer

In the statement, CMBC
revealed it offered a wage
increase over four years that
would raise the top annual
salary to $69,900 for drivers
and $88,000 for mechanics.

The strike began on Nov. 1.
Job action began with drivers
wearing civilian clothing and
refusing to work overtime.

THURSDAY, NOV. 21,2019 |

usiness student Sophie

Slater said the equal

gender balance in the

federal cabinet helps her to
find hope in a world where she said
women are still underrep-
resented and underappre-
ciated.

For the second time
in a row, Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau unveiled a
50-50 gender-balanced
cabinet he said in a
statement to media will
improve Canada moving
forward.

Trudeau retained his
position as prime minis-
ter after the Liberals were reelected
Oct. 21, this time with a minority
government.

Slater was looking for a cabinet
she said that is fair for everybody, in
order to balance out a world that isn't
always fair for women.

For her, that meant a 50-50 gender
split.

“There is still that old guy at
the office who thinks his secretary
should be paid $12 an hour,” Slater
said.

“It’s ridiculous, its almost 2020. Is
this seriously still an issue?”

Eleanor Fast, executive director of
Equal Voice, said she’s happy to see
Trudeau keep his promise of another
gender-balanced cabinet.

“We're very happy to see that once
again we're going to have a gender-

SOUBHIK CHAKRAB-
ART! PHOTO

EDITOR AGAZY MENGESHA

balanced cabinet with an equal
number of women and men,” Fast
said after watching the ceremony at
Rideau Hall on television Wednes-
day.

Equal Voice is a non-partisan
organization that is dedicated to
equality in gender representation

in all facets and levels of Canadian
government.

“We're also very interested to see
the integration of a new portfolio of
diversity and inclusion, that will be
headed by Bardish Chagger.”

Waterloo MP Bardish Chag-
ger, appointed Minister of Small
Business and Tourism in 2015, was
named Minister of Diversity and
Inclusion and Youth Wednesday,
after winning her riding with 48 per
cent of the vote.

A record 98 women were elected
to Parliament in this year’s election,
this is however a far cry from actual
gender parity in the house. Out of
the 338 members, women represent
a mere 29 per cent of all seats in the
House of Commons.

Lisa Sundstrom, an associate

“Tt's ridiculous, it's
almost 2020. Is this

LANGARA BUSINESS STUDENT

professor of political science at UBC
said that assigning women to impor-
tant cabinet portfolios is something
Trudeau excels at.

Historically, she said, women have
been given a less crucial portfolio to
manage and in turn have had less
power.

“Women tend to be
appointed to cabinet port-
folios that are either not
very powerful, not very
important, or they're all

* * in what we call the ‘caring
seriously still an policy’ area like Health or
* eli Welfare,” Sundstrom said.
Issue: “Whereas [in 2015] you
— SOPHIE SLATER

had a strong foreign minis-
ter, Chrystia Freeland.”

Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Chrystia Freeland
played a prominent role in the U.S.-
Canada trade negotiations with
replacing the NAFTA deal. Freeland
also represented Canada during its
brief tumultuous diplomatic affair
with Saudi Arabia over the use of
Canadian-made military vehicles
by Saudi forces.

Freeland was named deputy prime
minister (only the third woman and
tenth overall MP to assume the
position since its creation in 1977
by Pierre Trudeau) on Wednesday,
as well as Minister of Intergovern-
mental Affairs.

Her colleague, Frangois-Philippe
Champagne, succeeded her as
Foreign Affairs Minister.

Fast said that while Equal Voice
is happy with the balanced cabinet
Trudeau delivered, she's hoping for

Atlarge
Balancing a federal gap

New cabinet reflects Trudeau's promise of gender equity

= By SOUBHIK
CHAKRABARTI

more women to be represented in
Parliament as a whole in Canada's
future.

“It’s extremely important to have
[women] in high profile positions,”
Fast said.

The first session of the 43rd Parlia-
ment will begin on Dec 5th.

WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT
A LOOK AT FEDERAL NUMBERS

In 1921, Agnes Campbell Macphail
was elected as Canada’s first
female Member of Parliament.

Only 5 per cent of women can-
didates in 2019 were elected as
Members of Parliament.

Out of all federal elections since
1921, women only comprise 15 per
cent of the total candidate pool.

SOURCE: LOPPARL.CA

Forging a path in fashion

Indigenous artist
and model! talks
about her bumpy
road to success

m= By PALAK KLAIRE

local Indigenous artist said
she believes in creating a
difference in the lives of

those looking for an identity.

Jolene Mitton, an Indigenous fash-
ion artist and model, said she hopes
to help shape and promote = ;—

My mum was a teenage mother, a
lot of my time I grew up spending
with my grandmother, she took the
duties of raising me until she passed
away,” Mitton said.

Growing up, Mitton’s interest in
fashion was sparked by her love of
drawing. As she had plenty of time
to herself when her mother was busy,
her hobby started to grow.

“When the adults were partying,
nobody really paid attention to me
so I kind of grew in my own thing,”
Mitton said. “I kind of created my
own world.”

Mitton is the founder of the
Vancouver Indigenous Fashion

[Indigenous Fashion Week].”

Pam Baker, an artist who worked
along with Mitton in Indigenous
fashion week, said Mitton has made
efforts to uplift young girls, and
speaks highly of her dedication.

“T have enjoyed watching her grow,
her interest in working with young
girls.”

“Every time I have contacted her
for a fashion show, or coordinating
work she has always said yes,” Baker
said.

Jolene says that in her community,
she’s seen Indigenous people feel-
ing a stronger sense of belonging and
identity.
= “They are now feeling

Indi Iture. “I = * * fortable after th k
think getting Indigenous “[For Mitton], it’s not | [have been doing in the
Peeks. to people. feel justabout clothes | ye ee hoe work
comfortable about who and fashion, it's *. a fashion aroignes
they are,” Mitton said. . itton additionally wor
Mitton said her upbring- about community with the Urban Butter-
ing was very different, flies Day Camp for indig-
being surrounded by and awareness. ” enous children, as well 3,
people from all walks of —OKALANILEBLANC manages a Indigenous
life. She was exposed to A BEAUTIFUL CRE- FASHION DESIGNER women’s basketball team.
ATION PHOTOGRAPHY “ :
party culture at a young PHOTO ‘They are feeling proud,

age.“Tlivedinahouse with '‘—
a lot of people, it was near Granville
Island. We had people from every
nationality, it was simply like the
party house,” Mitton said.

"It was a good time, and it made
me appreciate the gathering.”

However, Mitton said it also made
her feel isolated and lonely.

“It was a pretty cool time but prob-
ably not the best place to raise the
kids,” Mitton said. “Everyone was
kind of passed out, and little me
running around making sure every-
one is breathing because they partied
so hard.”

“My childhood wasn't the best.

Week, which launched for the first
time in 2017 to promote Indigenous
fashion and culture.

Mitton said that providing a way
for Indgenous people to enter main-
stream media as models was essen-
tial for the wellbeing of Indigenous
people.

“I've never seen any Indigenous
person or someone on any commer-
cial or any kind of product,” Mitton
said.

“It's really fun to me to watch,”
Mitton said about seeing the models
enjoy themselves.

“And I guess that’s just the goal of

— figuring out more about
their roots and who they are.”

Okalani Leblanc, a fashion
designer and model who’s worked
with Mitton for six years, says
Mitton has a unique ability to keep
herself grounded and remember her
audience in the world of fashion
design.

“She’s awesome,” Leblanc said.
“I think she’s a good person with a
good heart, that doesn’t get lost in
whatever she’s doing, she keeps that
at the core.”

“[For Mitton], it’s not just about
clothes and fashion, it’s about
community and awareness.”

Vib im /

Joleen Mitton, an Indigenous fashion designer and model, founded the Van-

couver Indigenous Fashion Week, saying it was important to provide a path
for Indigenous people to enter mainstream media. Jol EEN MiTTON PHOTO