Alumni

Jennifer Welsh Receives the 2026 NDG MNA Medal

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:04:33 +0000

April 10, 2026 | Jennifer Welsh was among ten recipients honoured at the second annual NDG MNA Medal Ceremony, hosted by Désirée McGraw, Member of the National Assembly for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, at Villa Maria College. The medal recognizes leaders, builders, and changemakers whose work helps shape the NDG community and, in many cases, leaves a lasting mark on Quebec.

Pearl Eliadis on Religious Accommodation Under Quebec's Secularism Laws | HRReporter

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:16:30 +0000

April 20, 2026 | Pearl Eliadis spoke to HRReporter on how Quebec's Bills 94 and 9 are reshaping religious accommodation. The "sleeper" issue for HR teams, Eliadis argues, is Bill 9's replacement of the "undue hardship" threshold with a "more than minimal hardship" standard, letting employers refuse religious accommodation on the basis of minor inconvenience.

Pearl Eliadis on the Future of the Notwithstanding Clause | Canadaland Politics

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:10:16 +0000

Arpil 7, 2026 | Pearl Eliadis joined Canadaland Politics to break down what's at stake as the Supreme Court of Canada wraps up its longest-ever hearing on Quebec's Bill 21, the province's law restricting religious symbols in public-sector jobs.

Elijah Maubert on Algorithmic Pricing | CBC Listen

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:47:46 +0000

April 2, 2026 | MPP'25 Elijah Maubert spoke to CBC about algorithmic pricing as Manitoba moves to ban the tactic under Bill 49. Drawing on a 2025 Max Bell Policy Lab project co-authored for the Competition Bureau of Canada, Maubert weighs both sides: AI pricing can help smaller firms compete, but it can also produce unintentional collusion when competitors rely on the same software.

Vincent Rigby on Expanding Canada’s Foreign Intelligence Capabilities | The Canadian Press

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 20:58:49 +0000

April 10, 2026 | Vincent Rigby weighs in on renewed debate over whether Canada should expand its foreign intelligence capabilities following the release of an internal CSIS memo. He notes that shifting geopolitical dynamics, including strained relations with key allies, make it timely to revisit how Canada gathers intelligence abroad. Rigby calls for a comprehensive review and public debate on the issue and emphasizes the need to define what role a Canadian foreign intelligence service should play while balancing effectiveness with accountability and oversight.

Pearl Eliadis on the Supreme Court Challenge to Bill 21 | CJAD Radio

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:38:14 +0000

March 30, 2026 | Following four days of hearings at the Supreme Court of Canada, Pearl Eliadis spoke to CJAD Radioabout the key legal questions at the heart of the challenge to Quebec’s Bill 21. She outlined three central issues before the Court: whether there are limits to the use of the notwithstanding clause, how minority language rights under Section 23 of the Charter intersect with the law, and whether other constitutional provisions could reinforce Charter protections.

Aengus Bridgman on How Algorithms Perpetuate Disinformation | Savoir média

chantay.alexander@mcgill.ca — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 20:28:49 +0000

MEO Director Aengus Bridgman was recently featured in Savoir média's digital series La guerre des cerveaux (War of the Mind), in an episode titled, Les algorithmes comme armes de guerres (Algorithms as weapons of war).

Pearl Eliadis on the Challenges of Systemic Racism Complaints | CBC News

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:50:24 +0000

March 26, 2026 | As questions grow around how systemic discrimination is assessed in Quebec, Pearl Eliadis spoke to CBC News about the realities of bringing forward race-based complaints in the workplace. She notes that the burden of proof remains very high, particularly in cases where discrimination unfolds through subtle, cumulative interactions. Eliadis underscores the importance of documenting experiences in real time and seeking legal advice early, pointing to broader concerns about how such cases are investigated and the barriers individuals face in having them recognized.

Taylor Owen on AI and the Failure to Credit News Sources | Nieman Lab

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:18:25 +0000

March 19, 2026 | Taylor Owen, in coverage by the Nieman Lab, discusses new research from ɬ�﷬'s Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy, examining how major AI models handle news attribution. The study finds that models rarely credit original news sources despite demonstrating extensive knowledge of Canadian journalism. Owen notes that the gap between content use and attribution raises concerns about transparency and the sustainability of journalism in an AI-driven information environment.

Pearl Eliadis on the signifiance of Quebec's Bill 21 SCC hearing | CTV News

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:02:13 +0000

March 22, 2026 | In an interview on CTV News, Pearl Eliadis discusses the Supreme Court of Canada's hearings on Quebec's Bill 21, describing the case as one of the most significant in recent years for its implications on constitutional interpretation.

She notes that the court will examine key issues, including the use of the notwithstanding clause and broader questions about the structure of the Constitution and limits of provincial authority.

Gisèle Yasmeen on Inclusive Urban Food Systems | The Conversation

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 19:03:19 +0000

A co-authored article by Gisèle Yasmeen, alongside MPP students Julian Tayarah and Umme Salma, has been published in The Conversation. The article, titled "How street vendors and waste pickers can help cities manage growth," examines the often-overlooked role of informal urban livelihoods in building sustainable and equitable food systems.

Alexandra Ages on Canada's Rental Crisis | Maclean's

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 17:26:01 +0000

March 24, 2026 | In a feature for Maclean's, Alexandra Ages MPP'21 reflects on her experience of Canada's increasingly precarious rental market.

Through a personal account of housing instability across multiple cities, she highlights the structural challenges facing renters, including aging housing stock and limited policy attention. Ages argues that current housing policy continues to prioritize homeownership, leaving renters increasingly insecure. She underscores the need for reforms that improve stability and housing quality across the country.

Pearl Eliadis on Supreme Court's Hearing regarding Bill 21 | Global News

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:48:21 +0000

March 24, 2026 | Pearl Eliadis joins Global News to comment on the Supreme Court of Canada's hearing of a legal challenge to Québec's secularism law, Bill 21. She speaks to the limits of judicial review of the Notwithstanding Clause and notes that courts may be constrained by constitutional language, even as concerns grow over its broad application.

Vincent Rigby on Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and NATO Priorities | BNN Bloomberg

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 20:18:10 +0000

March 4, 2026 | Vincent Rigby joins Bloomberg to discuss Canada’s evolving defence and foreign policy priorities as NATO considers a greater focus on the Arctic. Moderating a panel on Canada’s role in the Indo-Pacific, he notes that Ottawa has struggled to find its footing in the region and suggests the current strategy may require stronger alignment with broader defence priorities, including the Arctic and Europe.

Vincent Rigby's Canada-US Experts Group Report

keith.baybayon@mcgill.ca — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:35:45 +0000

February 11, 2026 | In a new report for the Canada-US Experts Group, Vincent Rigby and Lawrence Herman examine the implications of renewed U.S. expansionist rhetoric for Canada's Arctic sovereignty.

They argue that Donald Trump's annexation threats to Greenland highlight broader strategic risks for Canada, and Washington's longstanding rejection of Canada's claim that the Northwest Passage constitutes internal waters. Rigby and Herman argue that the United States must respond urgently by increasing its Arctic presence and meeting its NATO and NORAD commitments.