Arthur Newspaper

It's a very special occassion at Radio Free Arthur enterprises Inc. L.L.C., a subsidiary of CSIS (allegedly)—and not for any reason to do with recent celestial phenomena!

This episode marks co-editor Abbigale Kernya's very first absence from RFA! Sad!

However, it is also another cause for celebration: it's our very own Evan Robins' one (but not only) birthday!!! Yay!!!

In celebration of this much-lauded occassion, she and Sebastian spend the bulk of this hour indulging in a perennial topic of Evan's obsession—public transportation and engineering disasters.

Sebastian shares his experiences commuting to and from Toronto, and Evan relays her near-miss flying on a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

The moral of the story, dear listener? Trains. Always trains.

***

After a week away, the editors return with the story of the century: Pickleball is back in the hearts and minds of Peterborans, and it's heating things up at City Hall!

During a heated discussion at April 2nd's General Committee, Mayor Jeff Leal had some choice words for Councillor Alex Bierk—mostly to do with how exactly Leal would prepare him were Bierk a Thanksgiving Dinner (the fact that Easter was the more recent turkey-related holiday is not lost on the editors).

Also, Evan fills her colleagues in on the TCSA's latest election-related antics.

What fun.

***

The girls are sans Sebastian in this episode of Radio Free Arthur and as such, took this opportunity to discuss why they are the way they are via personally curated Spotify playlists.

Additionally, the co-editors recap the recent article from Arthur journalist, Ian Vansegbrook, who presents a compelling argument into why women should—well—date women.

***

All three Arthur Editors are (allegedly) back in the studio and ready to face the Ides of March. With Evan and Sebastian both recovering from an (alleged) curse, the Editors bring a portent of prophetic significance: DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

That's right, dear listener, student union elections are upon us, and along with them one of the most significant decisions you can (allegedly) make! This is the time YOU can make YOUR voice heard in the organization that represents YOU (unless you want to elect a President because they're actually just going to arbitrarily appoint someone instead) [allegedly]!

In the words of our co-editor who has been playing too much Helldivers 2 (guess which one): "Democracy!"

Should you be at a loss for who to vote for, Arthur's got you covered. Listen on to hear our endorsement of each and every TCSA candidate, our respective tales of driving woe, and a soft-launch from our own Evan Robins about her decisions to further her emotional stunting by remaining in higher education (albeit to the tune of a fair amount of money).

***

Having kicked Sebastian off the air for reasons pertaining to feminism, Arthur girl squad members Evan and Abbigale seize the means of radio production to bring you the hard-hitting stories this international women's day.

In addition to the just-released Issue 5, our intrepid co-hosts discuss recent pyrocentric developments on London street, the intricacies of Canadian Home Renovation shows, and the nu-metal persuasions of the late, great, Akira Toriyama.

***

The Editors reunite once again in the studio to bring you the hard-hitting news: creative writing seminars suck and Arthur's beloved Sally Rooney is releasing a new novel.

In an episode largely full of literary criticism, three editors who read too much and have too little in the way of social lives give their unsolicited bookish opinions (this is not a safe space for Colleen Hoover fans) that reveal a lot about their star signs (so we've heard).

In other news, what is going on with the Trent Central Student Association's One Stop Chop Food Pantry? Listen and find out.

***

What a week, eh weary writers?

Despite the previous night's inordinate snow fall, the Arthur editors have endeavoured to drag themselves to Trent Radio House, as there's plenty of news which begs to be talked about.

After a quick refresher on this week in Arthur, they dig into what has been a week among weeks (if ever there was one) of TCSA business—namely said group's decision to put proposed By-Law changes to referendum following their being voted down at the Association's Feb. 14th SAGM.

Sounds democratic to me!

***

This week, the editors have a big announcement.

Thanks to Bill C-18, Arthur's hiring policies have been revamped and starting next volume, all applications and expressions of interest must be made through the paper's Bumble Bizz profile.

Thanks, JT!

Anyways, this week brings audio reports from members of the Arthur staff with David King reporting on the proclamation of February as Black History Month at an event organized by the Community Race Relations Committee and the City of Peterborough.

Following that, Ian Vansegbrook returns to the Trent varsity volleyball beat with more whimsical takes about everything besides what the score was; or in other words, all the important stuff.

***

Co-Editors Abbigale Kernya and Evan Robins stand witness to the proverbial crash course of Trent University in this Sebastian-lite episode, examining the ongoing fallout of the International student visa cap.

The duo also discuss Trent's recent announcement that after a "comprehensive, nationwide," search they settled on ... Trent's own Dr. Cathy Bruce! Three cheers for inside baseball!

ALSO: YOUR FAVOURITE RAG IS UP FOR AWARDS!

We're as surprised as you are, but Arthur is indeed nominated for the Canadian University Press' JHM Student Journalism Award for Best Online Media Presence!

The inimitable Evan Robins has also been shortlisted for no fewer than three JHMs: for Feature Writing, Op-Ed Writing, and Marginalized Community Reporting!

***

The Editors reconvene to discuss the newly announced cap on the number of International Student Visas issued by the federal government—a decision which promises to have some rather marked impacts on a certain university of note to them.

Along the way, they discuss everyone's favourite student union, and the latest in news from the very-real not-fake place that is Cleantech Commons.

SOMEONE WHO IS GOOD AT BUDGET PLEASE HELP MY UNIVERSITY IS DYING #satire

***

It's just one of those days, but nevertheless, we Arthur.

The Arthur crew are back, beleaguered, and in the studio for the first time this year. With a busy week of ReFrame reviews bogging them down, they discuss the entries for this year's documentary film festival, some exciting new about Cleantech Commons, and a brand new segment from the courts, courtesy of Arthur's own sports correspondent, Ian Vansegbrook.

***

NEW YEAR. NEW TIME SLOT. SAME OLD SHENANIGANS.

2023 may be so over, but the Arthur team is so back it's like we were never gone! In this remote start to the radio season, Co-Editors Abbigale, Sebastian, and Evan discuss the pressing matters of their weekly newsletter playlist, as well as the recent full enforcement of Bill C-18.

More importantly, however, our intrepid trio have recently reacquired their literacy, and by consequence deign to offer a lit crit of the curatorial selections of a certain student union...

***

The City of Peterborough has a Budget! Council adopted the 2024 City Budget during a meeting on December 11th which includes a property tax rate increase of 7% - down from 9.59% in the original draft budget proposed by City Staff.

In this final episode of this collaborate series between Arthur Newspaper and Peterborough Currents, Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay, Abbigale Kernya, and Will Pearson examine the last minute motions which saw Councillors land on the final figure and some possible implications for future budgets and the City of Peterborough overall.

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Why does a major street with three schools nearby not have sidewalks to begin with? Can the city really not afford to build one? And what does all of this say about the way Peterborough has been developing in recent decades?

With the Arthur team tied up in print deadlines, Will Pearson and Brett Throop from Currents explore these questions in the latest episode of this special podcast series on the city’s 2024 budget deliberations.

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It's a big news day in Peterborough—Nogojiwanong, and no, we're not talking about budget week. It is, of course, Spotify Wrapped week, and the ever-intrepid Arthur editors have undertaken the great endeavour of debriefing this most sacrosanct of cultural moments.

Not only that, but two-thirds of our trinity have taken it upon themselves to plomb the uncharted depths of a mysterious new network domain—the TCSA's mobile app.

Between that and a heated discussion about municipalities in Southeastern Ontario, the agenda is brimming with soundbites and—as ever—hijinks ensue.

***

Peterborough city councillors went through the municipality’s draft budget for 2024 page by page and line by line last week. Sitting as finance committee for three nights in a row starting on November 20, they were staring down a potential 9.59 percent increase to residential property taxes next year and were on the lookout for ways to reign in spending.

Arthur has teamed up with Peterborough Currents to cover the municipal budget deliberations in a limited-run podcast series. Episode three focuses on the November 20 to 22 finance committee meetings.

In particular, we focus on five stories that emerged during council’s budget deliberations. From a proposed funding cut for social assistance medical benefits, to an airport that loses millions every year, these are five budget items that provoked debate among councillors.

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Arthur's editorial team are back and bedraggled, having spent the weekend packin' the shack and the better part of the week paying far too close attention to Peterborough City Hall. However, the news waits for no mere man, and so long as the busses keep runnin' and the river don't rise, our editors will be here to heed their divinely-ordained compulsion to disseminate the news.

Now, back in the hot seat, they're here to debrief the weekend's transit negotiations and the narrowly avoided ATU Local 1320 strike.

In other news, Trent is getting a new college, amongst other things! The editors discuss Gidigaa Migizi college, Trent's varsity volleyball home-opener, and the perennial favourite, The Game of Life.

ALSO: Arthur's AGM is this week! Come if you can! It's a great way to engage with the paper (and get free food to boot). Fri. Nov. 24th at 5:00PM in the Sadleir House Lecture Hall.

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Will Pearson, Evan Robins and Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay sit down to discuss the latest on the 2024 Peterborough City Budget news. Last week, representatives from a variety of community groups addressed city councillors on Tuesday, November 14 to ask councillors to reverse a proposed cut to the municipal grants they receive.

Peterborough’s draft budget proposes cutting the Community Service Grants it gives to 14 local non-profits by between 3.5 percent and 5.2 percent in 2024. The Community Service Grant program provides funding to non-profits that deliver programs to improve the quality of life for residents in Peterborough, according to the city’s budget documents.

Representatives from many of the groups facing the cutback — including the New Canadians Centre, Peterborough GreenUP, and Artspace — were present at the November 14 finance committee meeting to ask councillors to reverse the proposed cutback when they debate the budget starting on November 20.

If the grant cuts to the 14 non-profits are approved, the city would spend $29,132 less on all the groups combined next year compared to 2023. That works out to savings of $0.67 for the median household in the city.

Meanwhile, at the November 15 2023 finance committee meeting, Chief of Police Stuart Betts made the case for a 15.3 percent increase to the police budget for 2024 — that increase would cost the median residential taxpayer $106 more next year.

We cover these two stories and more in the latest episode of our 2024 Budget Podcast, which Arthur is producing in collaboration with Peterborough Currents.

Links:

In this episode of Radio Free Arthur Abbigale, Sebastian, and Evan discuss their plans to help "pack the shack" for an upcoming series of home games for Trent's Varsity Volleyball Team.

Arthur and Peterborough Currents have teamed up to cover Peterborough's budget deliberations in a podcast format. We’ll be releasing podcast episodes as city council’s budget deliberations progress.

In this first episode of the series Will Pearson, Brett Throop, and Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay discuss their initial reactions to the draft budget. They also check in with Harry Kitchen, a retired Trent University economics professor with an interest in municipal finance.

Kitchen argues that of all the taxes we pay in Canada, municipal property taxes offer the most bang for your buck. He says it’s the “lowest of all the taxes you pay, and you’re getting the most services for that tax.”

Links:

With two weeks having passed since the editors last properly sat down together, there is so much to catch up on. From several new articles from Arthur journalists, a breakdown on the latest from Peterborough City Hall—including the new waste collection program—and the much awaited 2024 budget, there's much to talk about and only so much time to talk about it.

Tune in for Sebastian's piping-hot budget takes, Abbigale's appraisals of Arthur's new authors' work, and Evan's impromptu evisceration of that classic piece of capitalist realism, Love, Actually (2003).

***

With Sebastian off on a busman’s holiday to Québec, Co-editors, Abbigale Kernya and Evan Robins come to you live from a cabin in the woods where they give you a rundown on new articles from Arthur journalists and discuss an odd looking book found in said cabin. 

In other news, the two discuss University of Ottawa’s radio station, CHUO, who has recently had their $4 levy fee defunded in a controversial referendum brought forth by a singular UOttawa student. 

Tune in for a breakdown of inconsistencies of the referendum, student union inaction, levy solidarity, and the importance of speaking up against injustices on campus.

***

All three of Arthur's editors are back in one room again as they discuss the Trent Central Student Association's new strategic plan which includes plans for demonstrations and protests in front of City Hall regarding transit and a notable lack of details concerning their demands for Senior Administration.

Sebastian is in his element discussing the finer points of union organizing efforts, noting the importance of constant and transparent communication and consultation with the membership on demands and responses from the employer, or in this case - Trent Executives.

The discussion then turns to the Trent Board of Governors' response to the Head of the Trent debauch which saw them fall back on old favourites such as "our beer garden was the best" and "it wasn't just Trent students.

***

Sebastian and Abbigale discuss the six hour Peterborough Council General Committee meeting of October 10th, 2023 and try to makes sense of the theatrics and grandstanding of Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith. Along the way, they try to make sense of the Peterborough Police Service's plan to implement a "no-tolerance" approach to open air drug use in the City alongside community partners.

***

This week Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay returns from his sick bed to join fellow Arthur editors, Abbigale Kernya, and Evan Robins to discuss the debauch of last week's Head of the Trent Homecoming weekend here in Peterborough/Nogojiwanong.

This week we have arranged interviews with the candidates for the TCSA Spring Elections! In all honesty, this has been the most difficult audio-project we have embarked upon. In making this podcast - in conducting the interviews, and throughout the audio-editing process, we had to balance our obligations towards fairness and objectivity, while still making this podcast listenable.

If you want to jump to specific candidates:

10:33 - VP Campaigns and Equity: Morgan Carl and Zoe Litow-Daye

37:35 - VP Health and Wellness: Teika Viducis, Carter Tongs and Brook Bartlett

59:05 - President: Wendy Walker

*We had conducted an interview with the candidate for VP University and College Affairs, who has since dropped out of the race. We have yet to hear from the TCSA about what will be done to fill this role for the upcoming academic year, but we will be sure to keep you in the know.

In the early hours of January 1st, 2021, Prof. Thomas Henry Bull Symons died peacefully at his home in Peterborough, ON. As the founding President of Trent University, his legacy is rich and far-reaching. This podcast tells the story of how Prof. Symons established a small, collegial, interdisciplinary university, and went on to devote his life to teaching and learning. Through the words of his students and friends, we attempt to articulate his humility, curiosity, and love for students.

Many thanks to our interviewees: Professor Michael Eamon, Kathryn Matheson, and Dr. Brendan Edwards for their time and their words.

Thanks also to Professor David Tough, and Chancellor Stephen Stohn. Hearing about Prof. Symons, vision, values, and legacy stirred in us joy, respect, gratitude without measure.

Above all, thank you Professor Symons.

If you liked this podcast please consider supporting our work through a monthly donation: trentarthur.ca/donate.

A special edition of What's the Point! This week: a very hefty COVID Update - we talk vaccine equity, the pandemic provincially and in Peterborough, how Trent and Fleming are responding (or not responding) to cases an intro to the Lands Plan!