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2020-2021 concert season

Series consists of programs and recordings of events hosted by the Faculty of Music during the 2020-2021 concert season including faculty, student, and guest artists as well as ongoing concert series and faculty ensembles. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, none of these events occurred in person to a live audience. Some were pre-recorded and others were live-streamed from one of the Faculty's two concert halls, Walter Hall and MacMillan Theatre.

Administrative files, University of Toronto

This series begins with a few paper files relating to the activities of the Department of Economics, including Fuss’ employment (1971-1984), recruiting, external reviews, the Department’s economic plan, and two reports of the chair (1993, 1994). Most of the administrative files, though, are in electronic format. as e-mail. They consisting primarily of correspondence, memoranda and reports of an administrative nature after Professor Fuss stepped down as chair of his department in 1990 (he was acting chair in 2000-2001) and continuing through 2006 (compact disc #2). There are also a number of electronic files on student appeals, Fuss’ sabbatical in 1993-1994, and his trip to Israel in 1997 (compact disc #4), and e-mail files (compact disc #5), 2000-2005, grouped in folders and sub-folders under the following categories: ‘Chair memos’ [by the chair of the Department of Economics], and files on ‘Computing’, ‘Economics’ and ‘Recruiting’.

Advocacy

Throughout his teaching career at the University of Toronto, Prof. Rayside has been an advocate on gay, lesbian and feminist issues. His university advocacy activities are numerous. Between 1985 and 1987, he served on the Ad Hoc Committee on the Status of Women, University of Toronto. Prof. Rayside was also a Member of the Sexual Harassment Hearing Panel, University of Toronto, 1988-1992. In this capacity, he heard the first case under the new Sexual Harassment Policy, Torfason vs. Hummel. He was a founding member and coordinator of the Committee on Homophobia from 1989-1991 and remained a member until 1994. In addition, between 1989 and 1994, Prof. Rayside was a member of the Men’s Forum. He also served on the Teach-In Committee and was responsible for organising a university-wide teach-in on sexism and violence against women in 1990. Prof. Rayside also participated on the Ad hoc crisis team to handle the case of a U. of T. residence student with AIDS, 1991-1992, and helped prepare a discussion of report on university AIDS policy. He also assisted in the organisation of the “Queer Sites: Studies in Lesbian and Gay Culture” Conference in 1993.

Records in this series document Prof. Rayside’s advocacy activities and leadership on equity issues relating to gender and sexual orientation. Types of records include: correspondence, reports, briefs, notes, meeting minutes, programmes, and conference posters.

Committees documented in B1998-0029 are: Ad Hoc Committee on the Status of Women; Ad hoc crisis team to handle the case of a U. of T. residence student with AIDS; Men’s Forum, Queer Sites Conference Organising Committee; Sexual Harassment Hearing Panel; and Teach-In Committee.

Groups or committees documented in B2008-0023 include: Committee on Homophobia, Men’s Forum, Positive Space Campaign, Lesbian and Gay Academic Society, Toronto Centre for Gay and Lesbian Studies, Working Group on Policy Issues (response to homelessness) and the Equity Committee for the Canadian Federation of Humanities and Social Sciences. Other files generally document Rayside’s involvement on issues of pay equity, diversity, human rights as well a gay and lesbian rights. There are two files that document the Bent on Change conferences in 2000 and 2002 of which Rayside was a key organizer. Finally, filed separately because of restrictions are two files documenting Rayside’s legal challenges against councillor Betty Disero over election funding.

Groups or committees documented in B2013-0015 include the Bill 7 Coalition, The Body Politic, Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Community Research Initiative of Toronto, Free the Press Foundation, Committee on Homophobia, Positive Space Campaign, Right to Privacy Committee, and the Toronto Gay Community Council. There are also select files related to court cases and affidavits Prof. Rayside was involved in, or wrote, and files related to activism carried out within the University of Toronto, as well as his work related to gender issues, including the Hummel case. Files are arranged alphabetically by name of the group, organization, or person they pertain to, and in rare cases, the name of the issue they concern, if no group, organization, or person name is available. This series also contains one file of photographs and one file of artifacts.

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists

This series documents Dr. Mastromatteo’s activities within the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, which mainly included studying and establishing threshold limit values (TLV) for hazardous workplace materials.

Record types include notes, drafts, papers, correspondence, minutes, reports, memoranda.

Articles and clippings

Series contains articles, clippings, magazines, and interviews that feature or mention David C. Onley as Lieutenant Governor. Also includes “Articles of Interest” material collected for David C. Onley about current events and issues.

Series has been kept in its original order, arranged chronologically.

Assessments and letters of recommendation

These files contain comments by Prof. Armatage on students’ essays and assignments. These are fairly extensive and document her approach to teaching her subject matter. Files are arranged by course number. Also included are three files of letters of recommendation for students and colleagues filed chronologically.

Audiovisual & digital records

Series consists primarily of photographs, audio interviews and video recordings of play performances, interviews, and poetry readings. Records include both analogue and digital audio and video recordings, and well as digital photographs.

Audio-Visual Material

This series contains audio-visual material with contents related to Blissymbolics, BCI, and Bliss users, classrooms and students, including photographs, videocassettes, digital storage media, and other formats.

Biographical

B2008-0023 consists of resumes, short biographical notes and activity reports documenting Prof. Rayside.

B2013-0015 consists of records from Prof. Rayside’s time as a university student, with most material documenting his undergraduate degree at Carleton University. This series contains correspondence, notes, drafts, submitted essays, press clippings, photographs and application forms documenting both his academic work and his extra-curricular activities including student council, the Political Science Student Union, the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Teaching and Learning and his work on the student residence constitution. Files are arranged chronologically by degree, and by activity within each degree, with academic coursework at the front and extra-curricular activities at the back. There is one file at the beginning of the series containing souvenirs unrelated to his early education.

B2017-0024 includes two short biographies on David Rayside, one of which was a contribution to MyOntario in 2017.

Biographical information and personal memorabilia

Series consists of miscellaneous memorabilia and biographical information pertaining to Michael Colgrass, including Ulla Colgrass' speech for the celebration of Michael Colgrass at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music (2019); biographies of Michael Colgrass and lists of his works and recordings; letters saved as "Ego boosters"; Michael Colgrass' first passport; a "Wanted" poster for Michael Colgrass; astrological charts for the Colgrass family; humorous drawings and writings; and a certificate for the "Michael Colgrass" star from the International Star Registry.

Series also includes videos from Colgrass' 85th birthday party (2017), obituaries, sympathy notes from friends and colleagues following his death, and videos from the Michael Colgrass Life Celebration Party held at Walter Hall, University of Toronto Faculty of Music (November 2019).

Blissymbolics - International

This series contains a variety of materials related to the international community of Blissymbolics. It includes material from BCIC affiliates and partners, research, teaching materials, and workshops on Blissymbolics, as well as Bliss user communication displays and textual creations. This series also contains children's books written in Blissymbols, some with translations in a variety of languages. The majority of this series consists of non-English material.

Books

This series extensively documents the publishing of books researched, written and/or edited by Prof. Rayside. For each of his published monographs, there exist manuscripts of the book at various stages of writing as well as manuscripts of related talks or papers. His ongoing relationship with publishers and grant providers is documented in correspondence, progress reports and grant applications. There is also extensive research documentation in the form of notes, transcripts of interviews and original recordings of interviewees.

Born-digital records

These born-digital records include professional materials that relate to Greenfield's appointment at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (correspondence with students and faculty, letters of reference, memoranda, and manuscripts), editorial work related to Greenfield's position as Associate Editor of "Curriculum Inquiry," manuscripts and correspondence related to the organization "Gay Fathers of Toronto," manuscripts for "The educational programs and purposes of the Batchewana Band: a management audit,"and personal correspondence and manuscripts relating to finances, politics, and family.

Conferences

This series beings with paper files for workshops at the Brookings Institution (1997 and 1998) and a conference, ‘Hedonistic regressions’, held on 11 November 2002 at the Department of Finance in Ottawa, and a file on the National Bureau of Economic Research (USA) workshops and conferences (2003-2005).

Conferences

The series consists of files relating to various conferences attended or organized by Prof. Eddie. Among the conferences documented is the First Conference on German Cliometrics, a joint project of the University of Toronto’s Joint Initiative in German and European Studies and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Institute of Economic History) held in Toronto September 23 to 26, 1999. Prof. Eddie co-ordinated this conference with his colleague, Dr. Joerg Baten. Among the records documenting this conference are 10 cassette tapes of sessions as well as informal digital photographs of participants at sessions and social activities. Photographs were taken by Prof. Eddie and a student.
Other files document conferences held at the University of Toronto, International History Congress at Leuven (1989-1990), the Economic History Congress (IEHA) in Buenos Aires (2002), and the 2nd Conference on German Cliometrics, Tübingen, Germany (2006) and the Economic History Society at the University of Nottingham (2008). Files may contain correspondence, notes, manuscripts of papers delivered both by Prof. Eddie and others, etc.

Consulting

Professor Fuss has served as a consultant to government and industry for many years, but only two projects are documented in this series, his work as a member of the Price Measurement Advisory Committee at Statistics Canada and a study he did for United Communications Ltd. on long distance telephone service in Canada.

Correspondence

This series consists of files and electronic documents of general professional correspondence covering a period from 1991-2002. It documents various academic and political issues in which Prof. Rayside was involved. Much of the correspondence in this fonds relates specifically to documentation in other series.

Correspondence

This series begins with a single biographical file, followed by correspondence. Much of Professor Fuss’ professional correspondence prior to 1990 has not survived. The paper files in this series are arranged by general correspondence (including by author), followed by references, and then by comments of papers. Much of the post-1990 correspondence is in electronic format, in ‘folders’. These electronic folders are listed at the end.

Correspondence

Series consists of personal and professional correspondence between Ian Hacking and various individuals, including academic colleagues, students, publishers, friends, and family. The records document Ian Hacking’s relationships with both scholars, many of whom provide feedback on his writing, and with administrators. One file includes letters of recommendation for a lectureship at Cambridge University. Personal correspondence includes letters, greeting and postcards. Digital files consist primarily of correspondence in Word files, likely drafts of emails, from 2008-2009.

Daily records

This series provides a detailed overview of David C. Onley's daily activities as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. Activities include events hosted by the Lieutenant Governor, events in which he appeared, community visits, special visits, royal visits, convocation and honorary degree ceremonies, and annual office holiday activities. The series includes daily calendars, detailed daily agendas, and electronic daily records. The daily calendars contain schedules showing dates and times of Onley's appointments and events he attended. Daily agendas include time schedules as well as detailed documentation of Onley's appearances related to duties as Lieutenant Governor. Types of files include 'event scenarios' (instructions and reference information for Onley and staff), event programs, correspondence, speaking notes, objects and mementoes from events (albums, badges, stickers), computer printed contact sheets, photographs and snapshots, and computer disks with photographs and occasionally video. The electronic daily records contain copies of the aforementioned material, including documentation of events in which Ruth Ann Onley appeared or spoke at, and may not be accessible at this time; please contact the Archivist. Series has been kept in original order with exception of oversize material.

Family records and correspondence

Series consists of copies of photographs and documents pertaining to Johnstone's family. Documents include correspondence between Mary F. Williamson and Helmut Kallmann of the National Library of Canada; a copy of the petition for divorce filed by Catherine (McGregor) Johnstone against her husband John Francis Johnstone, which was later withdrawn (January 8, 1979); a copy of an article in the Toronto Star (November 26, 1927) regarding Amelia Hart and her seven husbands (Johnstone was the fourth); a copy of a letter from Mary F. Williamson to Professor Carl Morey at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto regarding Johnstone and performances of his songs; a copy of Johnstone's obituary (February 25, 1913); and a copy of scanned portraits of Johnstone. The series also consists of electronic records, including scanned images from the Johnstone family photo album (ca. 1900).

Floppy disks

This series contains digital files from 41 3.5 inch floppy disks which include personal documents as well as official administrative documents of the Sioux Lookout Program. Some printouts from these files will be found in the above series.

General files

Series contains files related to associations that David C. Onley was a part of as Lieutenant General, as well as events he attended, and material sent to the office from others gaining his interest. Files include promotional material from companies, annual reports, papers and articles, magazines, speaking notes, correspondence, invitations, and business cards. Series has been kept in original order, arranged by company or association in alphabetical order. Some material is in French.

Interviews

This series begins with two interviews that were not recorded by Mr. Grenville but were collected by him as a part of his research. The first, “Ten minutes with O. M. Solandt", was a CBC television production recorded on 13 December 1961 when he was vice-president of research and development for Canadian National Railways, and broadcast on 3 April 1962. The second, with interviewer Robert F. Legg, is undated but was recorded when Dr. Solandt was chancellor of the University of Toronto (1965-1971), is described as “his personal reactions…to the situation he finds himself involved both as a Director of a commercial corporation [Electric Reduction Company of Canada]..., also as Chancellor of the University of Toronto and also as Chairman of the National Science Council [sic, Science Council of Canada]…”

A central part of Mr. Grenville’s research on Dr. Solandt was the series of interviews (66 cassette tapes) that he conducted in 1985, 1986 and 1990, including nine with Dr. Solandt. The others were with people who had known him well and/or worked with him at various stages in his long professional life. Accompanying these interviews are two notebooks which contain dated entries on his research activities. There are notes on contacts and sources, brief biographical notes about the interviewees along with detailed notes on Mr. Grenville’s interviews with Dr. Solandt and shorter notes on other interviews. There are also tape summaries prepared by Jason Ridler for each of the interviews. The latter were compiled as a condition of Mr. Grenville’s loaning his material to Mr. Ridler for use in his doctoral thesis on Dr. Solandt. The summaries vary in the amount of detail but provide a very useful guide to the interviews. A cautionary note to researchers is that they contain numerous typos, mostly as a result of Mr. Ridler having a limited amount of time to make the summaries and not having a list of names to compare spellings against, many of whom he was unfamiliar with.

Of all the interviewees, Laurie Chute probably knew Dr. Solandt best, certainly the longest. He was a boyhood friend, fellow student (along with his wife, Helen Reid) and, during World War II, was with the Physiological Research Laboratory at Lulworth in Dorset, England, and, from 1943, commanded the No. 1 Canadian Medical Research Laboratory where he specialized in the medical hazards of tank warfare. He was dean of medicine at the University of Toronto (1966-1973) during much of the time Dr. Solandt was chancellor. Another fellow medical student was Reginald Haist who became a professor of physiology at the U of T. All three had interesting observations on Dr. Solandt’s formative years, including his relationship with Charlie Best. Barbara Griffin, the widow of his brother Donald, provided detailed information about the Solandt family generally and the relationship between the brothers in particular.

Charles Crawley; Anne Ellis Lewis whose husband ‘Tel’ had worked with Dr. Solandt, Wilhelm Feldberg, and Lancelot Fleming, were all Trinity Hall, Cambridge friends and interviewed for their recollections of him while at Trinity and in England generally. Maggie and Patrick Mollison reminisced about their work with him at the South West Blood Supply Depot at Sutton, Surrey. Donald Kaye, George Lindsey, Tony Sargeaunt, Ronnie Shephard, and Ted Treadwell all provided information on their work when Dr. Solandt was director of the Medical Research Council’s Physiological Laboratory at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle School at Lulworth (1941-1942) and subsequently with the Army Operational Research Group there and elsewhere (1942-1945).

Dr. Solandt’s years at the Defence Research Board (1947-1956) were thoroughly reviewed in the interviews with Alec Fordyce, Geoffrey Hatterley-Smith, George Lindsey, Archie Pennie, and Elliot Rodger, and Graham Rowley. His years with the Canadian National Railways (1956-1963) were covered by Herb Bailey, at deHavilland (1963-1966) by Philip Lapp, at the Electric Reduction Company of Canada (1963-1970) by Lloyd Lillico, and science policy generally and Dr. Solandt’s years as founding chair of the Science Council of Canada (1966-1972) by James Mullin. In November 1967 Dr. Solandt accompanied the National Science Foundation (USA) expedition to Antarctica and the South Pole. Raymond Aidie, a geologist from South Africa and an expert on Antarctica, was interviewed about this trip. One of Dr. Solandt’s passions was the Canadian wilderness. Dennis Coolican, president of the Canadian Bank Note Company, and Elliot Rodger were two of the ‘voyageurs’ who made numerous canoe trips with him; both were on the famous 1955 Churchill River trip.

Lectures, talks, and conferences

Series consists of records documenting lectures and presentations given by Hacking as both a lecturer and invited speaker. Records consist of primarily lecture notes and drafts from the 2000s, however series also includes records from early in Hacking’s career and those for the Tarner Lectures at Cambridge University. Subjects of the presentations include autism, the body and corporeality, ultracold atoms, mathematical proof and reasoning.

Legal case files

This series documents legal cases Dr. Mastromatteo was involved in, usually in the form of providing testimony as an expert witness. All of the cases in this series are related to workplace illnesses and injuries.

Record types include reports, medical records, correspondence, papers, transcripts, court documents and notes.

Letters of Recommendation and Evaluation

The records in this series from B2008-0023 document Prof. Rayside’s roles as both a mentor to students and colleagues, as well as his role as a peer reviewer. This series consists of letters of recommendation written for students applying to scholarships, graduate schools, and employment. The correspondence covers the period from 1974 to 1995 and is grouped alphabetically. A second set of files including electronic files contain mainly reviews and evaluations. They include: letters of support for grant applications, awards, tenure and promotion; reader’s reports for peer review journals such as the Canadian Journal of Political Science as well as reviews of monographs and articles for various publishers; evaluations for both teaching assistants and Ph.D. students; and comments and evaluation for proposed research projects by peers.

The records in this series from B2013-0015 contain material documenting his academic staffing and promotions recommendations, his grant reviews, letters of recommendation he has written for students, research assessments, and research reviews as well as person or publication-specific files.

Manuscripts and publications

This series documents Professor Lang’s writings, unpublished and published, over a forty-year period. He has written two books, Financing universities in Ontario (2000) and Mergers in higher education: lessons in theory and practice (2001), which was translated into Chinese and published in Shanghai in 2008. He has contributed chapters to eleven books, and had numerous papers published in refereed journals, along with review essays, other publications, papers, and reports. The research files (some contain original documents) for and a copy of his doctoral thesis, are also present in this series. The titles, where they exist, to these research files were those used by Professor Lang.

The listing of manuscripts and publications is not complete. For a complete listing of Professor Lang’s publications, see his curriculum vitae in B2011-0003/001(01). Some of his reports not present in this series can be found in other series.

Digital files from B2018-0001 include correspondence and drafts for his book Mergers in higher education: lessons in theory and practice (2001), as well as a report for the Atkinson Foundation, A Primer on Formula Funding: A Study of Student-focused Funding in Ontario (2003).

The files contain a combination of correspondence, drafts, background and research material and notes. The arrangement is chronological by date of document or date of publication.

Microgravity, Sleep and Immune Functions in Humans (SWIF)

This series documents Dr. Moldofsky’s research activities, in particular, his two major research projects on Microgravity, Sleep and Immune Functions in Humans (SWIF) with the Canadian Space Agency and NASA, funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The first project (1995-1999) studied the influence of gravity change on sleep and the immune system in astronauts. The aim of this research was to further advance the studies of disordered sleep and altered immune functions observed in distressing circumstances, and in patients with psychiatric (major depression) and medical conditions (i.e. fibromyalgia, post febrile chronic fatigue syndrome). This experiment was conducted during the Mir 23/NASA 4 and Mir 24 missions in 1997-1998.

The second project of the same title (2000-2003) involved experiments carried out in space but then subsequently lost during the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. This second phase aimed to understand bone loss in astronauts in space as well as osteoporosis on Earth, believing that chemical changes in the human immune system – possibly triggered by sleep deprivation – could instead be a major cause of bone loss in space and on the ground (as opposed to just microgravity).

Included in this series: grant applications; correspondence; files related to visits to the Russian Space Agency in Star City and the Johnson Space Center in Houston (including photographs); baseline data collection (BDC) data sets; and final reports. Also included are EEG electrode caps used by American and Russian astronauts aboard the MIR space station.

Notebooks

Notebooks contain mainly analysis of films reviewed by Prof. Armatage in her capacity as a programmer and curator of the Toronto International Film Festival. There are also some notes relating to meetings and appointments. The notebook in B2012-0002 is largely related to her administrative activities at Innis College between 2010 and 2011.

Official Souvenir Concert Programs

Concert program books for many of Murray’s concerts from around the world, including some in Japan, Australia, the United States, and Canada.

Oral history interview with Ali Kazmi conducted by Zahraa Syeda

Ali Kazmi is a Pakistani-Canadian actor and director, as well as a Toronto Film School alumnus who migrated from Pakistan to Canada in 2007 to pursue his career in film and television. Kazmi’s parents, Rahat Kazmi and Sahira Kazmi, were two of the pioneers of Pakistani television content in the 1980s.

In his oral history with interviewer Zahraa Syeda (UTM undergraduate student at the time), narrator Ali Kazmi speaks about his transition from Pakistan to Canada, his experiences and struggles in pursuing his cinematic career, his Oscar-nominated film, stereotypes regarding gender roles within his culture as well as the taboo attached to mental health and sex education within the South Asian diaspora. Additionally, he sheds light on his ideas and views of religion and spirituality, and where they stem from.

Oral history interview with Amanat Kaur conducted by Khushpreet Virk

Amanat Kaur is an international student that came from India. She is originally from India and was raised in India. Amanat currently resides in and works at an immigration office in Brampton. Amanat immigrated to Canada in 2014 and she is currently in her early 20s. The interview covers several themes such as religion, education, work, mental health, immigration, and general lifestyle in the Peel Region.

In her oral history with interviewer Khushpreet Virk (UTM undergraduate student at the time), narrator Amanat Kaur goes in depth about the immigration experience and her experiences with racism, religion, and community involvement. Furthermore, the interview goes in depth and talks about the mental health of international students and the struggles international students face when they immigrate to Canada.

Oral history interview with Andy Ramgobin conducted by Prashil Gandhi

Andy Ramgobin is a member of the Shiv Ganesh Mandir in Brampton where he plays the harmonium during various prayers and live events. In his oral history with interviewer Prashil Gandhi (UTM undergraduate student at the time), narrator Andy Ramgobin speaks about what role religion plays in his life and how music was what brought him closer to religion. Andy also draws upon the differences around the aspect of what religion means to him, his parents, and family back home in Guyana.

Oral history interview with Bill Gardner conducted by Ruth Belay

Bill Gardner, CEO of CRM Dynamics, was a former University of Toronto student at the St. George Campus who was actively involved in student government from 1985 to 1989. Serving as president of both the Arts and Science Student Union (ASSU) and the Students’ Administrative Council (now the University of Toronto Students’ Union), Gardner discusses his focus on addressing concerns specifically relevant to UofT students, the dynamics present internally within both groups, as well his approach in working with the University’s administration, external groups and political figures. He touches on a number of issues and activities including frosh programming and planning, the production of the ASSU’s Anti-Calendar, and the adoption of digital technology at the University. Gardner reflects on his own career to highlight the benefits of the leadership experience he gained during this time, as well as the long-term effects of a shift away from student-led organizing within post-secondary institutions.

Organizations

  • Arts Science Student Union (ASSU)
  • Students’ Administrative Council (SAC)
  • Canadian Federation of Student (CFS)
  • Office of the President, University of Toronto
  • Investment Club, UofT
  • Economics Course Organization, UofT

Subject Topics

  • Student governance
  • Student fees
  • Student services
  • Student elections
  • Anti-Calendar
  • Institutional response
  • Frosh Week
  • Course unions
  • Changes in post-secondary education
  • Computerization and automation

Oral history interview with Bonte Minnema conducted by Ruth Belay

Bonte Minnema, a digital media and marketing consultant, was an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus in the mid-1990s where he was actively involved in advocating for the LGBT community. Minnema shares some of his background growing up and coming out in southwestern Ontario, why he was drawn to UofT, and his initial experiences at Trinity College. He describes some of his involvement in equal rights activism taking place outside of the University, and then focuses on the start of his advocacy on campus. Initially looking at discrimination in the provision of student services, for example in UofT’s Health Services, and within curriculum, Minnema also describes the revival of a student organization aimed to build support and social infrastructure for LGBT students on campus. He recalls a number of different initiatives in both respects, as well as solidarity networks between different student groups, allies in various roles, and the dynamics of activism at the University. Minnema reflects on the complex and continued impact that activism has had through his career, how he has navigated the public persona that developed with this, and the type of social value he sees in activist perspectives and approach.

Organizations

  • LGBTOUT
  • Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario
  • Centre for Women and Trans People, UofT
  • Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG)
  • Muslim Students’ Association
  • Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies
  • Health and Wellness – Student Life, UofT
  • Nobel Knights

Subject Topics

  • UofT Sexual Diversity Program
  • Homo Hops
  • Positive Space Campaign
  • Equity and inclusion in curriculum
  • Homophobia
  • Solidarity networks
  • Student health services
  • Financial barriers
  • Scholarships
  • Privacy

Oral history interview with Ceta Ramkhalawansingh conducted by Ruth Belay and Daniela Ansovini

Ceta Ramkhalawansingh is the former Equal Opportunity Director at the old City of Toronto, later becoming the Corporate Manager, Diversity Management and Community Engagement in the new City of Toronto after amalgamation in 1998. She is a prominent community activist and was a founding member of the student-initiated teaching collective at UofT in one of Canada’s first women’s studies course. Her family moved to Canada in 1967 from Trinidad and Tobago. Ceta reflects on her time as an undergraduate student from 1968, recounting her political involvement through the Student Administrative Council (SAC), and her work in establishing, participating in, and advocating for the inclusion of women’s studies and feminist methodologies in curriculum at the University. She discusses some of her positions at the City of Toronto and the Toronto school board, particularly around diversity and equity work, and her continuing connection with UofT through the Women and Gender Studies Institute, New College and Innis College. Ramkhalawansingh, as a dedicated community and housing advocate, also describes the negotiation and resistance to key developments in the neighborhoods surrounding UofT, particularly in the downtown Toronto Grange neighborhood, as well as the University’s position and response. She recalls a number of different groups and initiatives that she has been involved with, including on issues of heritage preservation and range of human rights issues.

Organizations

  • Women and Gender Studies Institute, University of Toronto (WGSI)
  • Student Administrative Council (SAC)
  • Labour History Collective and The Women’s Press
  • New College, University of Toronto
  • Innis College, University of Toronto
  • City of Toronto
  • Grange Community Association
  • University of Toronto Community Liaison Committee
  • Art Gallery of Ontario, AGO
  • MATCH International Women’s Fund
  • Ontario Advisory Council of Women’s Issues

Subject Topics

  • Student governance
  • Women and gender studies programmes
  • Social responsibility
  • Reproductive rights
  • Toronto city planning
  • Toronto development
  • Neighborhood advocacy
  • Heritage conservation
  • Social housing
  • Financial access to education
  • Institutional response
  • Equity, diversity, and human rights

Oral history interview with Dena Taylor conducted by Ruth Belay

Dr. Dena Bain Taylor, a retired faculty member in the Department of English at the University of Toronto, attended the University at its St. George campus as both an undergraduate and graduate student. While the interview touches on the early experiences Taylor had as a student, it focuses on the period between 1968 to 1973 when she was a resident of Rochdale College. She describes the foundation and structure of the residence, including identifying key individuals, concurrent initiatives, funding sources, and the external issues that shaped the residence. Throughout the interview, Taylor reflects on the philosophical underpinnings that were central to the collective ethos of the space and its genesis as a centre for experiential learning, activism, arts, spirituality, experimentation and place-making. The interview captures aspects of Rochdale’s impact, including the activities of involved individuals, the influence of American political thought, as well as the organizations and initiatives that were developed there. Taylor speaks to some of the issues that surfaced in the residence such as sexism, sexuality, and mental health, as well as how these issues were portrayed in the media. In discussing her own experiences and reflecting on the broader significance of the College, Taylor details and questions how the residence fundamentally challenged the status-quo.

Organizations

  • Rochdale College
  • Hart House, University of Toronto
  • Indian Institute
  • Campus Co-operative
  • Toronto Community Housing

Subject Topics

  • Experiential learning
  • Alternative education
  • Co-operative and collective models
  • Housing
  • Counter-culture
  • Arts
  • Back-to-the-land movement
  • Financial access to post-secondary education
  • Sexual freedom
  • Draft evasion
  • Spadina Expressway

Oral history interview with Harleen Sawhney conducted by Chashanjot Sidhu

Harleen Sawhney is a Punjabi Sikh social media professional. Born in India, she migrated to the Middle East, England, and at last, Canada. She currently resides in Mississauga.

In her oral history with interviewer Chashanjot Sidhu (UTM undergraduate student at the time), narrator Harleen Sawhney speaks about her immigration process, as well as some of the challenges she faced as a newcomer to Canada. She touches upon her childhood experiences, specifically growing up in a different environment compared to someone that would have been born and brought up in Punjab. As well as talking about her immigration challenges, she talks about certain things that were expected from her in terms of her future career. Although she did pursue an education in a career she was interested in, she could not use her qualifications to build her career in Canada due to certain hardships, which she talks about in her oral history interview.

Oral history interview with Harvinderpal Sandhu conducted by Prabhleen Purewal

Harvinderpal Sandhu is currently a resident of Brampton, and he immigrated to Ontario (Brampton), Canada from Punjab, India with his family at the age of 15. Upon arrival, Harvinderpal was living with his family and was enrolled in high school in the Canadian school system. He later went for post-secondary education in Ontario, and later worked a diverse range of jobs which altogether allowed for him to learn valuable lessons.

In his oral history with interviewer Prabhleen Purewal (UTM undergraduate student at the time), narrator Harvinderpal Sandhu talks about his experiences immigrating to Canada, in the school system as an ESL student, being South Asian in adulthood (college and workforce), and his struggles/lessons along the way.

Oral history interview with Ike Okafor conducted by Ruth Belay

Ike Okafor, currently the Senior Officer for Service Learning and Diversity Outreach at the University of Toronto’s (UofT) Faculty of Medicine, was a founding member and former President of the Black Student Association (BSA) at UofT. In the interview, Okafor provides a rich account of community and advocacy work aimed to specifically address systemic barriers to higher education for Black students. He discusses his experiences seeing the under-representation of Black students at UofT, the founding of the BSA in 1999, and re-establishment of the Fourth Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. He speaks to the dual interests of these groups: to create community and support access to post-secondary education, and describes how these aims were supported through the activities of a number of closely aligned initiatives.

Okafor describes how his later professional roles at UofT, in the Office of Student Recruitment and the Faculty of Medicine, have focused on leveraging the institution’s resources to better support and attract a diverse student body. He discusses the role of public institutions and the necessary urgency to recognize the social contract by which they are underpinned. This reorientation would emphasize responsibility of public bodies to significantly serve the public, require collaboration with community partners, and meaningfully support equity objectives.

Organizations

  • Black Students’ Association (BSA)
  • Annual Black High School Conference, Black Students’ Association
  • National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
  • New College – University of Toronto
  • Black Medical Student Association (BMSA)
  • Huron-Sussex Residents Organization
  • Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (AΦA)
  • Tan Furu
  • Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA)
  • Toronto District School Board (TDSB)

Subject Topics

  • Mentorship
  • Racial justice
  • Access to post-secondary education
  • Fraternities
  • Equity in education
  • Discrimination in education
  • Community partnership
  • Institutional transformation
  • Institutional response

Oral history interview with Ikem Opara conducted by Ruth Belay

Ikem Opara, currently Director of National Learning Partnerships at the Rideau Hall Foundation, was an international student at UofT’s St. George campus. His active involvement at the University included executive roles with Black Students’ Association (BSA), playing Varsity football, and membership in organizations such as the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the African Students’ Association and the Nigerian Students’ Association. Opara describes the personal impact that these organizations had in forming deep social connections, while emphasizing throughout the interview their commitment to create spaces of belonging on campus that reflected both racial and ethnic identities. He recounts many of the BSA’s and Alpha Phi Alpha’s activities, including mentorship initiatives, talks, social events, and discusses their underlying goals, particularly regarding the strategic use of space to highlight Black presence at the University. He reflects on the BSA’s engagement in issues such as representation within curriculum and broader community activism around police violence in the city, while also reflecting on challenges faced at UofT.

Organizations

  • Black Students’ Association (BSA)
  • High School Conference, Black Students’ Association
  • BLACKLIGHT, Black Students' Association
  • African Students’ Association (ASA)
  • Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (AΦA)
  • Nigerian Students’ Association (NSA)
  • Tan Furu
  • UofT Korean Students’ Association (UTKSA)
  • Hart House, UofT

Subject Topics

  • Acculturation
  • Varsity sports
  • Mentorship
  • Equity in education
  • Community engagement
  • Solidarity networks
  • Social networks
  • Food
  • Organizational memory
  • Institutional response
  • Institutional racism
  • Funding of student groups

Oral history interview with James Nugent conducted by Ruth Belay

Dr. James Nugent, currently Lecturer at the University of Waterloo, received his undergraduate degree in 2006 from UTSC and continued with his graduate work at UofT’s St. George Campus. Nugent shares his early experiences of student activism and involvement at UTSC, particularly through Resources for Environmental and Social Action (RESA), while also reflecting on the larger societal and political shifts following 9/11. Nugent remarks on the unique student environment at UTSC, noting events, initiatives, as well as the cross-cultural learning he experienced there. In describing his participation in the anti-globalization movement and peace action, through to his later work on climate justice and social policy, Nugent discusses the impact of service learning and community engagement in education. He reflects on the pressures faced by current students and questions how these will shape youth activism, as well as considering the effects of social media and the breadth of issues in which students are engaged both here and abroad.

Organizations

  • Resources for Environmental & Social Action (RESA)
  • International Development Studies Association (IDSA)
  • University of Toronto Scarborough College (UTSC)
  • Grrl Fest, University of Toronto Scarborough College
  • The Meeting Place, University of Toronto Scarborough College

Subject Topics

  • Anti-globalization movement
  • Protests and demonstrations
  • Anti-war movement
  • International development studies
  • Fair trade
  • Climate / environmental justice
  • Community partnerships
  • Social media
  • International students

Oral history interview with Jeejna Mandavia conducted by Mukti Patel

Jeejna Mandavia is a teacher who now lives and works in the Peel Region. In her oral history with interviewer Mukti Patel (UTM undergraduate student at the time), narrator Jeejna Patel speaks about the role of faith in her and her family’s life, her dependence on her guru, her father’s passing, her experiences with racism as a child, and her experiences as a mother.

Oral history interview with John Foster conducted by Ruth Belay

John Foster, Sessional Lecturer in International Studies and Justice Studies at the University of Regina, formerly in interdisciplinary studies, Carleton University, completed his graduate studies at the University of Toronto in the late 1960s (M.A., 1973, Ph.D. 1977). In his interview, Foster comments on how the growing social consciousness of the era shaped student organizing, protest movements, and interest in cooperative models. He discusses his early experiences with student activism both in Saskatchewan and Toronto, including with the Student Union for Peace Action (SUPA) and the Christian youth movement.

The interview focuses on his involvement in the establishment of accessible and affordable childcare at U of T that provided students and working parents with the necessary supports to pursue their education. Foster connects the founding of the Campus Community Cooperative Daycare Centre to the women’s movement, as well as with new and developing ideas around early childhood education. For example, the cooperative approach used at the daycare was challenged by the provincial government’s daycare branch who were critical of the model. Foster recalls key moments in the Cooperative’s history, including the sit-in at Simcoe Hall and occupation of 12 Sussex Ave., the second centre on Devonshire Place, his personal experiences as a parent-volunteer, and the coordination of member’s contributions to the collective.

Organizations

  • Campus Community Cooperative Daycare Centre
  • Student Union for Peace Action (SUPA)
  • United Church of Canada
  • Student Administrative Council (SAC)

Subject Topics

  • Child care
  • Early childhood education
  • Cooperatives and collective models
  • Peace movement
  • Women’s movement
  • Institutional response
  • Community engagement
  • Institutional response

Oral History Interview with Julie Mathien conducted by Ruth Belay

Julie Mathien, a long-time childcare reform advocate and former public servant, was an early member of the Campus Community Cooperative Daycare. Established in 1969, the collective developed the childcare centre at 12 Sussex Ave. at the St. George Campus of the University of Toronto. Mathien recounts her experiences as both a volunteer and staff member providing insight into the underlying philosophy, membership, and organization of the collective. She describes the history of negotiations and tensions with UofT’s administration, including what led to the 1969 occupation of Simcoe Hall, as well as the shifting media coverage on the centre. Mathien explains the evolving discourse on approaches to childcare that have been part of her research and later work with the municipal and provincial governments. The interview also covers Mathien’s work with the Huron-Sussex Residents Organization, where she describes past confrontations with the University and their jointly developed plans for the future of the neighborhood.

Organizations

  • Campus Community Cooperative Daycare Centre
  • Daycare Reform Action Alliance
  • Office of the President, University of Toronto
  • Canadian National Advocacy for Childcare
  • Toronto Board of Education
  • Province of Ontario
  • City of Toronto
  • University Planning, Design and Construction, University of Toronto
  • Huron-Sussex Residents Organization

Subject Topics

  • Child care
  • Early childhood education
  • Cooperatives and collective models
  • Protests and sit-ins
  • Women’s movement
  • Institutional response
  • Community engagement
  • Neighborhood advocacy
  • Toronto city planning and development

Oral history interview with June Larkin conducted by Ruth Belay and Daniela Ansovini

Dr. June Larkin, former Director of Equity Studies and professor in the Women and Gender Studies Department, completed her graduate studies at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) in 1993. Larkin describes her involvement in the creation of OISE’s Sexual Harassment Caucus, a group formed to address sexual harassment at the institution through policy and education. With seventeen years of prior experience as an elementary school teacher, Larkin shares how this advocacy shifted her doctoral work to focus on sexual harassment in high schools and also led to developing educational toolkits and workshops to support school boards looking to implement their own policies. In discussing her research, community-based initiatives, and teaching, she reflects on the definition of activism and many forms it can take. Within the context of the Equity Studies Program more broadly, she notes the ways in which she and other professors have worked to respond to the shifting interest of students, particularly to support their engagement in issues at and beyond the University.

Organizations

  • Ontario Institute of Studies for Education (OISE)
  • Sexual Harassment Caucus, OISE
  • Sexual Harassment Resistors Everywhere (SHREW)
  • Equity Studies Program, New College, University of Toronto
  • Women and Gender Studies Institute, University of Toronto

Subject Topics

  • Women’s movement and feminism
  • Sexual harassment policy
  • Violence against women
  • Equity in education
  • Intersectionality
  • Equity Studies
  • Sexual health
  • Community engagement
  • Institutional response
  • Occupy! Movement
  • Activist scholarship

Oral history interview with Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam conducted by Ruth Belay

Dr. Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam, currently a Professor in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, graduated from the University of Toronto with his PhD in 1987. Dr. Ponnambalam shares his experiences as an international student, reflecting on what brought him to UofT and some of the challenges he faced in attending the University. In particular, he focuses on the financial and workload pressures placed on students. He recalls some of the support networks that were created on campus, both through social activities, for example through residence and the International Student Centre, academic collaboration, and demonstrations. These networks also extended outside of the University, in particular between Tamil-speaking communities. Dr. Ponnambalam describes the impact of differential fees as a UofT student and his continued response as he now observes the current financial barriers faced by international students. At the request of Dr. Ponnambalam, this oral history interview is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Sinnathurai Vijayakumar who played a profound role in Dr. Ponnambalam's life, particularly while at UofT.

Please note that this interview contains a racial slur used when Dr. Ponnambalam describes racial harassment he faced [approx. 00:22:15].

Organizations

  • International Student Centre, University of Toronto
  • Graduate Student Union (UTGSU)
  • University of Waterloo

Subject Topics

  • Differential student fees
  • Education affordability
  • International students
  • Canadian South Asian communities
  • Sri Lankan Tamil (Eelam) independence movement
  • Engineering
  • Student residence
  • Student labour
  • Academic hiring practices
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