When you think of February, what do you think about? Is it the frigid temperatures and annoying slush, or is the promise of romance with Valentine’s Day right around the corner? In Canada, this month means celebrating two unique and special cultures. February marks the African (Black History) and Chinese Heritage Month.
Historically, these groups have contributed to Canada in a myriad of ways and had to survive many hardships, such as racism and discrimination. However, their cultures today are still thriving, with their contributions impacting our daily lives. From sports to music, our Canadian culture has been greatly influenced by both African and Chinese heritage.
African Canadians have contributed to the development of Canada dating back to the earliest European Settlements. From the Underground Railroad to modern-day immigration, Black Canadians have played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural landscape of Canada.
Similarly, Chinese Canadians have played vital roles in the development of infrastructure through contributions dating back to Canada’s Canadian Pacific Railway. These endeavours have worked toward culminating the rich history and cultural heritage of Chinese Canadians, which in turn have influenced various social aspects of Canada.
At Mackenzie, we proudly celebrate Chinese and African (Black History) Month. Throughout February, our school community is working together to plan several events and activities.
What’s Happening at WLMAC?
-> Black History Month Assembly on Feb 13th
-> Black Student Alliance Symposium Feb 27th
-> BSA Meetings
-> RoShamBo - A School-wide game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, a game originating from China
-> Assorted Equity Activities

December 6th marks the observance of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. This occasion unites communities throughout Canada to commemorate the tragic event of December 6, 1989. On this day, we remember the 14 women who lost their lives, and the other 14 injured, in a violent act of misogyny and hatred at the engineering school of Montreal's École Polytechnique.
The horrific events of the Montreal Massacre forced Canada to address the issue of gender-based violence. In the perpetrator’s suicide note, he attributed the downhill spiral of his life to feminists and outlined a list of 19 notable Quebec feminists to be targeted, showing that this event stemmed from a larger social issue—violence against women.
December 6 is part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global initiative aiming to put an end to gender-based violence. The campaign starts on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and continues until December 10.
As a school community, we must take a stand against all forms of gender-based violence. This occasion not only serves as a reminder but as a call to action that prompts us all to reflect and continue to push for change and improvements. This issue shouldn’t be a polarizing one, but an opportunity for us all to move forward together and join the collective fight against gender-based violence.
Bearing all this in mind, make sure to wear your white and don your white ribbons on Wednesday, December 6th to show your support and support the cause.
How to show your support:
-> Wear a white ribbon. You can make one or get one from SAC from your first-period teacher!
-> Check out local vigils and other commemorative programming in your community
-> Take some time to educate yourself on the causes and impacts of gender-based violence
-> Learn more about the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV campaign and how to get involved
-> Check out the White Ribbon Campaign website for more information
-> Spread the word and encourage your friends and family to take part in the movement
-> If you ever feel like you need any support, there is help available!
-> Government of Canada Support Resources

“Gender equality is critical to the development and peace of every nation.” - Qingrong Ma

In Canada, education is a right that we are granted, allowing us to discover and pursue our passions and interests. We have a collective right to have a voice and be equitably represented in education. As this month comes to a close, it is pertinent that we realize the importance of Indigenous education, and more specifically, the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation .
On Saturday, September 30th, people across the nation will be clad in orange to recognize the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. This day acknowledges the residential schools in Canada, honours the countless young lives taken and serves to uplift the voices of survivors, families and their communities. As a school community, we will recognize this important day on Friday, September 29th.
How can you participate?



Stay tuned to Student Council Instagram stories for a chance to win a free orange shirt to show your support!




Wear orange on Friday, September 29th, to commemorate the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation with the TDSB!




Click here to access resources to learn more and get involved!




WLMAC will be hosting an Indigenous author, Karen Chaboyer. Click here to learn more about her and her story!



Wear your ORANGE Mac!

Hey guys, new blog dude here. First post of the year so whether you’ll be seeing more of me later on or not will highly depend on how this one goes.
Recently I’ve been hired to produce a piece of writing about bubble tea for Project Metropolis. That's all they told me, “Just write something about bubble tea.” This is possibly more agonisingly open ended than those university application questions that are all essentially variations of, “Tell me about yourself.” But I digress, back to bubble tea.
Bubble tea is pretty awesome. As with most East Asian things, it comes in about fifty million different flavours. Now, as with many things, when you have way too many flavours, there’s going to be more that are not so good than ones that are actually good. In fact, that’s probably why bubble tea shops tend to have a maximum of five drinks that have images and 90-pt font descriptions, and then there’s the rest of the menu that's written in 3-pt font and you have no idea what any items are gonna look like. It’s basically their version of realising that they have to extend their one paragraph into a 3000 word essay.
Personally, I’m a pretty big fan of bubble tea. If this was supposed to be a promo for selling bubble tea, this is where I would start talking about how awesome it is and why everyone should try it. But I don't feel like doing that. What I will tell you is that I have tried at least five drinks from every bubble tea shop on Yonge Street (other than Machi Machi because I am not paying $20 for a bubble tea), and I have made a mental tier list that includes every single one. Is that concerning? Probably. Am I going to stop? Probably not. Yes, I know it’s not extremely healthy for me or my wallet, but what better experience could one ask for when commissioning another to “just write something about bubble tea”? With that in mind, I’m going to start talking about some notable bubble tea shops and my opinion on them. Before I begin, I would like to make clear that this is purely my personal opinion without intent to offend or shame anyone and especially everyone who is not in agreement.


Shuyi: one of the better bubble tea shops I have ever had, and I will fight to a reasonable extent about it. At my peak I knew the cashier on a first name basis.


Chatime: easily one of the most questionable because their seriously overpriced drinks taste like watered down juices to my tastebuds.


Real Fruit: I don’t like this place very much because their idea of ‘bubble tea’ sometimes seems to be putting tapioca pearls into every drink they serve (No, I do not like tapioca in my Mango Slush). Not as huge of a red flag as Chatime and I’ll deal with it because their slushies and smoothies do taste nice.


Kung Fu Tea and Yi Fang: their fruit teas are so good that they are the sole (or duo?) reason that fruit tea is at the top of my drinks tier list.


Coco: easily the best bubble tea shop I have ever had - I believe that everyone should definitely give it a sip. Project Metropolis also happens to be selling it for Food Day this Friday.


Remember when I said I’m not following other promos’ tactics? I meant it. I am not being threatened. This is my own opinion. Project Metropolis works for and shares with our community with love, and here’s a way you can interact with them person to person, a refreshing drink for a resourceful cause. Please h̸̺̲̫̬̤̠͔͋̇e̶̡̞͎̼̭᷂̙᷂̞̾᷁͜l̸̰͇̂᷉̄̉͘p̴̡̞̰̟̀͠ buy.