Caption: The launch of the urban renewal project of Little Burgundy in July 1968.

Credit: The Montreal Gazette

Usage Rights: This graphic is available for use by media outlets with appropriate attribution. It may be used for editorial purposes related to coverage of the Little Burgundy Community Rally and the urban renewal project.

Caption: A map outlining the proposed areas of Little Burgundy at risk of the effects of the urban renewal project.

Credit: National Film Board of Canada

Usage Rights: This graphic is available for use by media outlets with appropriate attribution. It may be used for editorial purposes related to coverage of the Little Burgundy Community Rally and the urban renewal project.

1. Rally Date: June 7th, 1968
2. Rally Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm
3. Rally Location: Front Gates of City Hall
4. Hosted by the Little Burgundy Citizens Committee
5. Who is invited to the rally?
   • All residents of Little Burgundy and neighbouring communities
6. The purpose of the rally is to unite our residents and advocate for our voice and rights in the future of the urban renewal project.
7. What are we advocating for?
   • Rent-scale Changes
   • Lease Changes
   • Future of Citizen Participation in the urban renewal project
8. What is the urban renewal project?
   • A project by the City of Montreal to redevelop the town of Little Burgundy.
9. Little Burgundy is home to 14,000 residents at risk of expropriation.
10. As of May 1967, 300 families were expropriated from the section of St. Martin’s Blocks.

Unite Our Community: Little Burgundy Citizens Committee Rally’s for Change

The Little Burgundy Citizens Committee Organizes Community Rally to Fight for Equal Advocacy

On June 7th, 1968, the Little Burgundy Citizens Committee is hosting a community rally for residents affected by the current urban renewal crisis. The rally is set to take place at the front gates of City Hall from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. This rally will serve as a place for residents to unite and advocate for an equal voice in the future of citizen participation during the urban renewal of Little Burgundy.

Since May of 1976, the City of Montreal has begun initiating its plan of Urban Renewal in our home town Little Burgundy, with the section of St. Martin’s Blocks being the first affected. To date, this project has forced countless residents and families displaced and without safe or stable housing options. 

When asking a local resident if they wanted to stay in Little Burgundy, they responded “yes, but under good conditions. We prefer our shacks to these houses because they feel like home. At least we don’t have to sell our freedom to have things a little better”. Along with this, countless displaced residents commented on seeking “freedom” above all else.

This community rally will serve as an opportunity for residents to unite and advocate for a voice in our future home. Throughout the event, there will be an opportunity for residents to tell their story. Additionally, members of the Citizens Committee will be sharing updates regarding the urban renewal project and advocacy efforts, and proposing a petition for all residents to sign demanding community-led development.

The Little Burgundy Citizens Committee of St. Martin’s Blocks is an organization, led by residents, to advocate for our rights. Over the years, the committee has made efforts to make our rights known in expropriation, marched to city hall and held public meetings, defined our aims and objectives and marched to the City Hall to discuss a housing plan. The efforts of the committee have shown signs of progress, but there is still work to be done when it comes to our rent-scale, leases, and the future of citizen participation. In an interview with a spokesperson from the committee, they noted that they “believe there should be joint management. The residents should have an equal voice in its administration. We hope this will lead to an urban renewal that is not only physical, but human”.

We urge all residents and neighbouring communities to come together to ensure our voices are heard and our rights are respected. Bring your friends, neighbours and any signs you may want to create in support of our cause. 

Karisa Barker

barkerk20@mytru.ca

Press Release:

Revitalizing Student Journalism: TRU relaunches The Omega on April 10th Thompson Rivers University Celebrates the Relaunch of The Omega after a 3-year Hiatus, Unveiling a Fresh New Focus

On April 10th, 2025, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is hosting a special event to announce the highly anticipated relaunch of the student newspaper, The Omega. The relaunch event is planned to take place at The Den, located on the second floor of the Campus Activity Centre (CAC), from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm. The event is free and open to all TRU students, faculty and staff. Food and drinks will be served at no cost to attendees.

During the event, The Omega’s Editor and Chief, Sean Brady, will provide a speech highlighting the history of the newspaper, as well as revealing exciting future plans. Following this, there will be an opportunity for the TRU community to ask questions and engage with the team through an interactive Q&A session. To celebrate this exciting milestone, the evening will end with live music and dancing.

After a 3-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Omega is finally returning to campus for its first full year of publication. Not only is the newspaper revamped towards a younger audience, but the newspaper now incorporates additional coverage of arts, culture, and sports. Prior to its hiatus, The Omega was very well-known on campus and provided students with media coverage and stories about events and local news.

The process of planning this event started in September 2023. Since this time, the team has grown to include three staff editors, three staff writers and six contributors. When asked about the importance of the newspaper, Sean Brady, the Editor and Chief of The Omega, stated, “The Omega is going to be here long after we are gone. We all want a legacy, we all want to be remembered for something”.

The team aims to print between 500 and 1000 issues of The Omega per month. Copies of the publication can be found on racks throughout campus and within the shops of local companies. In addition to the printed issues, stories can also be found on The Omega’s website, theomega.news. 

TRU students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend this free event to join the TRU community in celebrating the relaunch of The Omega. For more information or to pitch a story, please visit theomega.news or attend a pitch meeting in Old Main 2622 every Monday at 5 pm.

Karisa Barker

barkerk20@mytru.ca

Distribution Plan:

To maximize outreach and engagement for promoting the relaunch of The Omega, the press release will be distributed across a variety of platforms such as local media outlets, TRU platforms, social media and email campaigns. Using the four local media outlets listed below, the press release can be distributed to the larger Kamloops community. Additionally, the local radio station can provide information on the event to those who prefer listening to news rather than reading. The four TRU platforms listed below will allow the press release to be distributed among the internal TRU community. TRU’s social media pages and bulletin boards are some of the most efficient ways to get information to students regarding news and events. A TikTok account for The Omega will also be created to promote engagement to a younger audience. Finally, the TRU staff and faculty listed below can be contacted to distribute an email campaign to students in each faculty. Through my current work at TRU, the faculty and staff identified below are known to be very enthusiastic about participating in engagement and events on campus.

Distribution List:

Local Media Outlets

1. Castanet Kamloops
   • castanetkamloops.net
2. CFJC Kamloops
   • cfjctoday.com
3. KamloopsBCNow News Website
   • kamloopsbcnow.com
4. Radio NL – Kamloops News
   • radionl.com

TRU Platforms

5. TRU Newsroom
   • inside.tru.ca
6. TRU Social Media Pages
7. TRU Campus Bulletin Boards
   • All campus buildings
8. TRU Marcom – Marketing & Communications
   • https://www.tru.ca/marcom.html

Social Media & Email Campaigns (Through Faculty & Staff)

9. Create a TikTok for The Omega Newspaper
10. Elizabeth Reimer – Associate Dean, Faculty of Arts
    • ereimer@tru.ca
11. Kevin Adamson – Marketing & Events Support Specialist, Faculty of Science
    • kadamson@tru.ca
12. Yasmin Dean – Dean, Faculty of Education & Social Work
    • ydean@tru.ca
13. Kasahra Atkins – Events & Marketing Specialist, Faculty of Business
    • katkins@tru.ca
14. Baldev Pooni – Dean, Trades & Technology
    • bpooni@tru.ca
15. Tina Matthew – Executive Director, Office of Indigenous Education
    • tmatthew@tru.ca

Welcome to the assignments section of my portfolio! In this section, you will find all of my assignments and projects completed throughout the semester!