Anglais

Ryerson’s student union facing forensic audit of $700K in questionable expenses

Published

5 années ago

février 3, 2019

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The dollar figure at the heart of a spending scandal at Ryerson University has now soared beyond half a million.

During an emergency meeting at the downtown Toronto campus on Friday night, the board of directors for Ryerson’s student union passed a motion approving a forensic audit that will review nearly $700,000 in questionable spending over a nine-month period.

The board of directors for Ryerson’s student union have approved a forensic audit that will review nearly $700,000 in questionable spending over a nine-month period. (Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo)

In addition to thousands of dollars charged to the student union credit card at a Toronto nightclub and other potentially problematic expenses totalling $273,000, the audit will also review $415,000 paid to stage a music concert at a nightclub on January 19, 2019.

“I was told we would get $350,000 in sponsorship,” Dharshini Jay, the student union’s financial controller, said to the board. “Nothing came through.” She said the “$50,000 to $60,000” promised in ticket sales also never materialized. Student union executives had been expected to submit all receipts related to credit card charges on Friday. Jay, a professional chartered accountant hired to work for the union in June 2016, told the meeting she has not yet seen the receipts, which are expected to detail how the expenses relate to line items in the approved budget.

Ryerson’s student union has an operating budget of $2.7 million. The group is run by a five-member executive elected from the student body that oversees more than 90 campus groups and runs various programs, including free legal aid and tax clinics. The money the union uses comes from mandatory student fees.

Daniel Lis, chair of the meeting, began the session by addressing the hundreds of students who waited outside of the auditorium for more than an hour to hear what the board and executive members had to say. Lis explained that the executive’s elected president, Ram Ganesh, refused to attend the meeting because he feared for his safety.

“I understand that many of you are frustrated … and angry,” Lis said, but “there is absolutely no justification for death threats or threats of violence. None of that will be tolerated today.”

Another student executive resigned before the meeting, leaving three elected representatives to address concerns raised by board members and students. For the most part, they had little to say.

Edmund Sofo, vice-president of student life and events, told the audience he had no idea how many tickets were sold for last month’s Loud Fest concert at Rebel nightclub in the industrial Port Lands.

Sofo said Ganesh “chose to be” the executive’s “main point of contact” with the company, which is within his scope as president.

Ganesh’s lawyer and the student union did not respond on Saturday to the Star’s requests for comment following this board meeting.

A campus newspaper, The Eyeopener, reported that Ganesh had explained the union’s credit cards can be used by any part-time or full-time union staff member.

The board said it recognized that the student union’s events committee and full-time events planner were not involved in organizing the concert. It voted to obtain a breakdown of concert expenses and revenues, as well as an overview of free tickets distributed.

Ryerson spokesperson Johanna VanderMaas told the Star the school takes allegations of financial mismanagement “very seriously.” She noted the union is a separate corporate entity from Ryerson with its own governance structure and board of directors so the university “has no ability to conduct an independent investigation into RSU finances.” She said the school’s president, Mohamed Lachemi, has requested a meeting with the union’s executive members.

On Friday, the student union’s board voted to give itself “clear jurisdiction” to review the executives’ financial documents, including credit card statements and receipts.

Earlier this week, Jay showed the union’s student group director Maklane deWever union expenses dating back to May. DeWever’s role is to represent students’ voices to the board. He said all the credit card bills have been paid. He had told the Star “many of the expenses” were legitimate but others sparked concern.

The statements, obtained by Ryerson student newspaper The Eyeopener, showed thousands of dollars spent by the union on food, alcohol and places like clubs and shisha bars. Photos of the credit card statements were published on the Facebook page of a political student group called the Rhino Party, as well as The Eyeopener. The Star has not verified the authenticity of these photos. The statements have not been provided to the Star.

Raneem Alozzi, a Ryerson student and reporter at The Eyeopener, described Friday’s meeting as “tense.”

Reporters not affiliated with the university were not permitted to attend the meeting. Toronto Star reporters viewed livestream and recorded broadcasts of the meeting posted to Facebook.

“I think students want answers, and they want answers overnight,” Alozzi said. “But it’s going to be a much longer process.”

With files from Isabel Teotonio and Premila D’Sa.

Diana Zlomislic is an investigative reporter working the weekend shift covering breaking news. Follow her on Twitter: @dzlo

Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

Published

3 années ago

août 10, 2021

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline.

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors.

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity.

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement.

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level.

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet.

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

Published

3 années ago

juillet 23, 2021

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

Published

3 années ago

juillet 23, 2021

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.