Whether it’s supporting older adults behind the wheel, staffing a polling station or leading a Canadawide movement to honour those lost in an act of terrorism, McMaster initiatives brought people together this year. Here’s a look at a few of them:
2,000 little fans with big voices
As the university hosted the country’s best athletes at the USports women’s soccer nationals, McMaster Athletics and Recreation invited thousands of local elementary school students to cheer on the Marauders and visiting teams.
Not only did that give every out-of-town team its own surprise cheering squad, it gave the kids the opportunity to absorb the same message: Everyone is welcome and we’re glad to have you at Mac.
The school kids had been tracking the competition and teams for weeks, through a custom curriculum called the Extended Classroom. The goal was to try and make the experience of nationals feel like playing at home for the non-McMaster teams.
They also created posters, player cards, jerseys, and other fan art to support their designated team as part of the Spirit Challenge. The winning class got to escort the players onto the field — a moment Central Elementary teacher Mark Sinke’s Grade 4 class had been looking forward to for weeks.
“It’s hard for schools to find experiences that are affordable, accessible, and engaging for the kids,” Sinke said. “So for them to come here and see the university players… it’s aspirational for many of them.”
“Many of them said they’d now want to be a player on a team, they want to go to McMaster, and they’re very excited about the whole atmosphere,” Sinke said. “Everyone’s cheering, seeing themselves on the big screen. It’s a big deal for them.”
More than 2,700 Canadians voted at the federal advance poll on campus. Students from the CIVDEM Interdisciplinary Minor hope to make campus voting a regular practice for elections at all levels.
Thousands vote at campus polling station
At some points during the federal election voting period, it was difficult pick your way through the throngs of voters packed into L.R. Wilson Hall to cast their ballot.
Thousands of people showed up to vote at McMaster’s advance polling station during a special “Vote on Campus” period, and were welcomed by a polling station team comprising mostly of student employees hired by Elections Canada.
The initiative was spearheaded by the team from the Interdisciplinary Minor in Civic Vitality, Democracy and Electoral Management (CIVDEM).
“It’s well known that youth turnout in elections has historically been low, but it’s fair to say that McMaster students showed up!”
The new Social Impact Hub at the DeGroote School of Business brings together non-profit organizations, businesses, government, academics and students to co-create solutions to help underserved residents access fair and affordable financial services.
Social Impact Hub explores solutions to financial exclusion
A new learning and action hub at McMaster is working to address pressing social challenges facing Hamilton residents, including barriers to financial inclusion.
The Social Impact Hub brings together non-profit organizations, businesses, government, academics and students to to co-design solutions to problems like financial exclusion, which refers to a lack of access to affordable credit.
It presents a barrier to a significant portion of the Hamilton population, with more than 13 per cent of households reporting they rely on fringe financial services like payday loans.
Financial exclusion disproportionately affects certain groups, including racialized communities, newcomers, single parents, people with disabilities, and youth in precarious work or housing. Racialized households are twice as likely to be underbanked, and gender diverse individuals face heightened barriers to financial services.
“What we are doing here is intensely local and community-engaged,” says Social Impact Hub founder Brent McKnight, an associate professor of Strategic Management at DeGroote.
“There’s a large community in Hamilton that’s experiencing poverty, and we want to catalyze understanding, solutions, and ultimately create a stronger society. We are starting with financial exclusion.”
Forty years after the largest mass murder in Canadian history, Professor Chandrima Chakraborty’s efforts to bring the tragedy into the Canadian consciousness are bearing fruit. (CBC News image)
Professor helps Canadians understand 1985 Air India bombing as part of our history
Forty years after the largest mass murder in Canadian history, Chandrima Chakraborty’s efforts to bring the tragedy into the Canadian consciousness are bearing fruit.
This June marked the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Air India Flight 182 on its way to India from Montreal. All 329 aboard, including 268 Canadians — most of them of Indian origin — were killed when the plane exploded off the coast of Ireland in 1985.
The bombing remains Canada’s worst mass murder, but nine in 10 Canadians had little or no knowledge of the event, a 2023 poll showed.
McMaster Professor Chandrima Chakraborty and her colleagues have spent more than a decade working to correct that deficit through scholarship and advocacy.
Chakraborty and her McMaster colleague Amber Dean organized a conference in May, focusing on remembrance and scholarship. A highlight of the conference was the announcement that McMaster was launching a special library archive featuring physical and digital material related to the Air India bombing and its cultural impact.
The campus conference sold out, and participants included many victims’ family members. As the victims’ family members age, the creation of the archive provides them with assurance that evidence of their loss — and Canada’s loss — will be permanently recorded there, Chakraborty says.
“Establishing this archive alone will not be enough to elevate the memory of Flight 182 to the place it deserves,” Chakraborty wrote this year. “But at least it establishes a rich, permanent academic and personal legacy for the community of mourners, and for the Canadian and global public to find it, use it and learn from its many lessons.”
The hands-on experience offered EcoCAR students, many of whom plan to work in the automotive industry, valuable insights into the specific needs of older drivers.
McMaster EcoCAR Team enhances comfort and safety for older drivers
CarFit, an educational program operated by the Canadian Automobile Association and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, partnered with McMaster for a first-of-its-kind event at the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre to evaluate how well older adults’ cars meet their needs.
Drivers aged 65 and older participated in a 20-minute vehicle evaluation conducted by CarFit technicians — students from the McMaster EcoCAR Team who completed CarFit training.
“This collaboration is especially noteworthy as it involves engineering students working directly with seniors to review and adjust vehicle settings,” said Brenda Grant, CarFit national lead.
The hands-on experience offered EcoCAR students valuable insights into the specific needs of older drivers.
“I truly appreciated the opportunity to attend the CarFit event,” said participant Wayne Poole. “The engineering students were incredibly helpful in ensuring that my vehicle was properly adjusted to suit my needs.
The was part of the Mobility Matters initiative spearheaded by Brenda Vrkljan, a professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science.