Students surveyed on mental health

Queen’s Health, Counselling and Disability Services (HCDS) recently launched a student survey to better gauge mental health attitudes on campus.

The 75-question survey, which was distributed to approximately 40 per cent of Queen’s students at random, will be conducted as part of the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) Student Health Survey.

It will be open from Feb. 6 to March 1 and can be accessed through the chosen students’ Queen’s e-mail.

Approximately 30 Canadian Universities are participating in the survey, which will benefit Canadian reference data on student health, habits and perceptions.

Results from the Queen’s survey will help HCDS improve services and programs that support physical and mental health.

Everyone who completes it will be entered in a draw to win one of 10 $50 gift cards to the Campus Bookstore.

— Vincent Matak

Student honoured for bravery

Laura MacDonald, Nurs ’13, received the Governor General’s Medal of Bravery last week for saving a young woman’s life in March of 2010.

MacDonald and some friends were out for a late night walk in Kingston when they came across a woman drowning in the cold Lake Ontario waters.

Without hesitation, MacDonald jumped in to pull the woman out of the water with the help of her friends on land.

The ceremony, honoring 50 other Canadians, was held in Rideau Hall.

Principal Woolf said he was inspired by this Queen’s student’s actions.

— Rachel Herscovici

Pet Stores prohibited from selling certain animals

Local pet stores will no longer be permitted to sell cats, dogs and rabbits, City Council has decided.

Councillors voted in favour of a ban that saw local stakeholders arguing both for and against the sale.

Representatives of Kingston Animal Rescue and the Kingston Humane Society spoke in favour of prohibiting the sale, expressing concern animals being sourced from unsavory breeders — such as puppy mills — as well as the possibility of animals not being spayed or neutered.

Local pet store owner Sarah Perry argued that some pet stores, her own included, are responsible with pet sales and mostly accept pets from homes that had unexpected litters. The president of the Kingston Humane Society, Janice Saunders, said the organization is able to take care of any and all unwanted pets in the city, according to the Whig-Standard.

Eight councillors voted in favour of the ban, with three against and two not in attendance. Kingston is the third city in Ontario to impose such a ban.

— Holly Tousignant

Professor up for Medical Association role

A Queen’s professor is up for the presidency of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA).

Dr. Christopher Simpson, Chief of Cardiology at Queen’s, is running for the position against one other candidate, child psychiatrist Dr. Gail Beck of Ottawa.

Simpson, who is also the Medical Director of the Cardiac Program at Kingston General Hospital/Hotel Dieu, engaged in a Twitter debate with Beck. They answered questions from other Twitter users.

Simpson told the Queen’s News Centre he hopes to use the presidency to position Canadian doctors as leaders and makers of change.

Members of the CMA will vote for president until Feb. 27.

— Holly Tousignant