"My name is Simran and I came to Canada to fulfil my dream of becoming a doctor. For this purpose, I completed my undergraduate studies in Applied Life Sciences - giving me a strong science background. Throughout my undergraduate years, I was exposed to different worldviews and also had the privilege of listening to the stories and challenges of students from different walks of life. It was clear to me that various social, economic and political factors were influencing my life along with the lives of many around me. The pandemic further made these social disparities evident. A culmination of these experiences motivated me to pursue my Masters in Social Justice Studies. This program helped me build a strong background on various factors - beyond an individual's control - that influence their overall wellness and health outcomes. I worked on projects that focused on immigrant health in rural Ontario and on challenges faced by International Medical Graduates trying to enter the Canadian workforce. However, it was truly my colleagues and professors in the program whose contributions shaped my knowledge and personal growth the most. As a medical student, I often reflect on the difficult yet important discussions we engaged in during my Masters, to ground myself as they serve as a gentle reminder of why I chose medicine in the first place - to serve."

Debora Cruz (HBASc'21, MA'23) returned home to Portugal in July to launch her first book,  "Defensor, o Estratega Contra a Resignação” ("Defensor, the Strategist against the Status Quo”). 

Cruz, a journalist in Portugal before emigrating to Canada, covered the rise and tenure of Oliveira Moura, a doctor and four-term mayor in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. Moura’s people-centred time as mayor aligns with Cruz’s values and MA in Social Justice Studies she earned from the Orillia campus. 

Moura was the first politician since the end of the dictatorship in Portugal (1974) to win election in Viana do Castelo as an independent running with the support of the center-left of the political spectrum.

After accomplishing his dream of becoming a doctor in his hometown, he adopted social medicine as a tool to improve the well-being of its people and decided to run for mayor. He went on to win the local elections for 4 consecutive terms and transformed the city over 16 years in office. 

In 2025, celebrating his 80th birthday, he describes in the book his life fighting against the status quo, recalling with Cruz some of the battles they both lived and witnessed from different perspectives: the politician and the journalist. Family, friends, and adversaries provided contributions with their testimonies as well.

The book launch in Viana do Castelo on July 18th was very well attended; a week later, the book became available online and in different Portuguese bookstores.

https://www.atlanticbookshop.pt/nao-ficcao/defensor-o-estratega-contra-a-resignacao

SOCJ 5011 FB: Social Justice on the Margins

This course delves into the complex and interconnected issues of structural racism, housing insecurity, and health disparities within the Canadian context to critically examine how entrenched systems of power and exclusion profoundly shape the lived realities of individuals experiencing homelessness, with a particular focus on those from racialized and marginalized communities. Emphasis will be placed on unraveling the historical and contemporary conditions that generate and perpetuate inequality including how patriarchy functions to maintain and reproduce men's power within society, and how white supremacy operates to justify and perpetuate racial exploitation.

In Person Course
Sept. 2nd December 2nd, 2025.
Tuesdays: 8:30 - 11:30 am
Instructor: Ashley Wilkinson

Click here for the Pdf version of the poster.