Editorials - March 14, 2025

After nearly five decades of serving its student community, Fanshawe College’s student newspaper, The Interrobang, is being shuttered by the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU). According to the outgoing chair, the executive of the FSU voted unanimously to shutter the paper after the Apr. 4 issue, in order to reallocate the $250,000 budget to other initiatives, despite a growing circulation, according to the paper’s editor. While the ban on news on Meta-based social media platforms has resulted in a 50 per cent dip in online readership, the number of students picking up the bi-weekly paper saw a roughly 10 per cent increase.

 

The journalism team that creates and distributes the paper has started a petition, and is asking students if they would be willing to pay $2 per issue to keep the paper going, independent of the FSU and the movement is gaining traction. The FSU wants to reassign the reporters and editors to create social media content, but the Canadian University Press president has criticized the plan saying, “At a time when independent journalism is under threat, and when the impact of Bill C-18 has already hindered the ability of student newspapers to reach their audiences, this decision only further weakens the state of student media in Canada.”

 

Young people should be encouraged to explore independent news coverage, rather than to rely solely on social media feeds to supply their understanding of the world around them. – DS

A period of transition began for Canadians on Sunday as Mark Carney was chosen as the next leader of the federal Liberal Party, effectively making him the Prime Minister after Justin Trudeau. This period will be a “seamless” and “quick” transition of power from one leader to another, Carney has pledged after his meeting with Trudeau.

 

For some, it doesn’t matter. They will vote for Pierre Poilievre and his Conservative Party, regardless of who is leading the Liberals. But, for a growing group of Canadians, Carney’s time at the helm, between Sunday and the Oct. 20 election (or earlier) will be very important as he works to prove himself as a leader who can stand toe-to-toe with U.S. President Donald Trump amid a trade war and other threats.

 

And yet, in what is sure to be the most controversial paragraph on this page for many readers, there is a sense of sadness for some as Trudeau steps aside. In recent months, he had been the steady, calm leader Canada needs in the face of Trump’s threats and, similar to his support for families and businesses in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trudeau has shown that his leadership thrives amid crisis. There is a feeling of what could have been if this hadn’t happened or if that hadn’t been said and if an imperfect government had found a place in the hearts of more Canadians, but, in the words of Gino D’Acampo, “If my grandmother had wheels, she would have been a bike.”

 

As Canadians stare down the reality that, soon, we will have a new Prime Minister at a crucial time for this country, some have reminisced about Trudeau’s tenure, thanking him for his work, while others clamor for an election. The world is far from what it was when Trudeau was first elected Prime Minister in 2015 and an uncertain future awaits and, one way or another, we will face it together with a new leader. – SL 

Doug Ford campaigned on a promise to protect Ontario. Now, the handily re-elected premier is confronting a serious threat emanating from south of the border. But protection means more than just standing up to Donald Trump. What about the threats already inside Ontario?

 

The province is facing its worst measles outbreak in 30 years. Ontario’s antiquated immunization tracking system is failing to curb the concerning rise in infections. The current system relies on parents manually reporting vaccinations, leading to incomplete data and delays in identifying under-vaccinated populations. The lack of a real-time immunization registry has made it difficult to gauge the full extent of the problem, raising concerns among public health experts. Public Health Ontario reports that only 70 per cent of Ontario’s seven-year-olds were fully immunized against measles last year, a steep decline from pre-pandemic levels. Ontario’s own Immunization Advisory Committee has called for a 21st-century vaccine registry, similar to the one used during the COVID-19 pandemic, with real-time tracking of vaccine uptake. 

 

Parents are understandably confused. Misinformation about vaccines is rampant, and Ontario’s failure to modernize its immunization system makes it harder for families to get the facts. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that many Ontarians lack access to primary care.

 

If Ford is serious about protecting Ontario, he must do more than fight trade wars. Targeted investments in public health and education would help dispel misinformation and ensure families have the tools they need to keep their children safe. The United States is an example of what happens when governments fail to invest in these crucial areas. Ontario cannot afford to make the same mistakes. – SBS