Â鶹¹ÙÍø

Principal Patrick Deane shares statement on accident involving child at summer camp on July 31.

Yesterday afternoon, I was deeply concerned to learn a young child was struck by a car while returning from a Â鶹¹ÙÍø's camp outing at City Park. The child was immediately taken to hospital by ambulance and placed under the care of physicians for non-life threatening injuries.

I want to personally extend my deepest sympathy to our camper and the camper’s family.

To all members of the Â鶹¹ÙÍø community:

Today, Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s students are gathering on campus to participate in a climate change rally and many staff and faculty will join them. Institutions of higher education have the capacity to affect great change, to be places where ideas can be discussed freely and issues of the day debated. Our students are using their voices to bring to the world’s attention one of the greatest challenges of our time. I both applaud and deeply respect their protest.

This morning, a racist, homophobic, and threatening poster was discovered attached to the door of a common room in one of our student residence buildings. There is no place at Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s for racism, hatred, or threats of violence as expressed in this poster.

I will not give voice to the message by repeating any of the language it contained. Suffice it to say it was a cowardly violation of human rights and the dignity of individuals, and sought to intimidate and foster hate toward, and fear in, Indigenous and Queer identified members of our Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s family.

The following is a letter from Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane to all students at Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s:

Dear students,

This weekend will see thousands of Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s alumni and friends return to campus for our annual Homecoming celebrations. I hope you can join in the festivities and share in the spirit and energy of this quintessential Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s event.

Â鶹¹ÙÍø is mourning the loss of one of its students who was on board the plane that crashed in Iran on Wednesday.

Amir Moradi was enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Â鶹¹ÙÍø's contacted the family to offer support and condolences.

The university has recently learned that despite their best efforts, Kingston Police have been unable to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators of the racist and homophobic incident in Chown Hall last October. No charges have been laid and the police now regard the file as closed unless new information presents itself.

On behalf of Â鶹¹ÙÍø, I wish to convey our deepest sympathies on the presumed loss of six Canadian Armed Forces members in the recent crash of the military Cyclone helicopter in the Ionian Sea.

On February 19, 2020, Â鶹¹ÙÍø released Steve Boyd from his role as track and cross-country coach. Mr. Boyd held this volunteer position for 10 years. During his time with the University, Mr. Boyd worked with many student athletes and helped the track and cross-country programs achieve considerable success.

I have just been made aware that a number of flags hanging outside the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre have been vandalized. Representing the Indigenous communities from which many Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s students come, and including the rainbow flag that celebrates LGBTQ+ members of our university family, these flags were hung last year in the wake of, and in a statement against, racism and homophobia in the Chown Hall residence.