Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

🇨🇴 Political Science & Journalism | English, Spanish, and a bit of Portuguese | Public Policy, Global Affairs, Politics, Inequality & Governance. Canada & Colombia (soon the world!)

Worked on 18 assignments, created 0, named on 27 bylines for DC-UOIT Chronicle.

By + 2 others for DC-UOIT Chronicle - 3 min read

Cost of cottages make them exclusive, says Gen Z

Photo credit: Jaime Bishara

As cottage season approaches and waterfront properties prepare to reopen across Ontario, the dream of owning one is not shared by everyone, particularly younger generations facing rising housing costs. Marcus Arias, a first-year Fitness and Health Promotion student at Durham College, said his understanding of cottage life is limited.“Honestly, I don’t really know because I haven’t actually been to a...

By + 2 others for DC-UOIT Chronicle - 6 min read

Wildhood, a queer Indigenous film with striking visuals but no substance

Photo credit: Wildhood (2021)

Wildhood (2021) is a beautifully shot coming-of-age, road-trip quest film with dialogue both in English and Mi'kmaq. Directed and written by Bretten Hannam, the two-spirit, non-binary Mi'kmaq filmmaker reimagines their 2019 short film “Wildfire.”Although visually a stunning piece, full of symbolism and meaning through colour, angles, pace and mise-en-scène, the Indigenous and queer film lacks substance. The film follows Lincoln...

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By (Juan Esteban as photographer) + 1 other for DC-UOIT Chronicle - 3 min read

What the 2026 provincial budget means for Durham Region

Photo credit: Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

Despite billions in provincial spending, Durham Region is seeing limited direct gains from Ontario’s 2026 budget, with local politicians pointing to gaps in transit, health care and education funding. While the Progressive Conservative government frames 'A Plan to Protect Ontario' as a response to economic uncertainty, the impact in Durham centres on infrastructure commitments. However, Ajax MPP Rob Cerjanec said...

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By (Juan Esteban as photographer) + 1 other for DC-UOIT Chronicle - 6 min read

Farm workers 'temporary' but essential: industry experts

Photo credit: Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

Debate over Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has intensified in recent years, as concerns over unemployment, wages and working conditions have collided with growing labour shortages. While some argue the program allows employers to rely on lower-paid migrant labour, potentially displacing Canadian workers and suppressing wages, others point to policy changes tightening eligibility and enforcement. While that debate continues...

By + 2 others for DC-UOIT Chronicle - 4 min read

Students mobilize to defend student loan program

Photo credit: Jannah Shah

Ontario students are organizing walkouts and protests across the province in the face of major changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). OSAP, a financial aid program made up of both loans and grants, was created in 1966 following advocacy from students. The program assisted about 440,000 full-time students in the 2023–2024 fiscal year, according to a report from...

By (Juan Esteban as photographer) + 1 other for DC-UOIT Chronicle - 3 min read

Whitby council unanimously approves motion to report third-party lobbyists

Photo credit: Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

"We have a gap in municipal governance," said the mayor of Whitby, Elizabeth Roy, as councillors debated a motion to establish a public registry of third-party consultants used by city councillors. The motion passed unanimously at Monday's town council meeting in hopes of promoting transparency and strengthening public trust in municipal governance. If implemented, Whitby would join Pickering and about...

By (Juan Esteban as photographer) + 1 other for DC-UOIT Chronicle - 4 min read

Vendors at redeveloped historic building downtown frustrated and indebted

Photo credit: Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

As 'Market at 70 King' comes up to its two-year anniversary, it could face significant changes. One tenant has already left, there's a recent addition, and others say they're unlikely to renew their leases. The redeveloped mixed-use building, formerly the Genosha Hotel, has space for nine vendors on its first floor, and 86 "really nice luxury apartments" above, explained Richard...

By + 2 others for DC-UOIT Chronicle - 5 min read

Cecilia Waldron unites and empowers Latin-owned businesses

Photo credit: Latin Business Network Durham (LBN)

Amid the turmoil of Augusto Pinochet’s “hectic” military dictatorship, a family from Santiago de Chile, parents and three daughters, traded weekends at their grandmother’s small farm and week-long beach camping trips for a new life in Timmins, Ont. Their new home was a town with “very cold, very long winters,” and also experiencing an influx of Chilean migrants arriving to...

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By (Juan Esteban as photographer) + 1 other for DC-UOIT Chronicle - 4 min read

Oscar-nominated director helps locals further understand Indigenous history

Photo credit: Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

Some audience members say a recent event featuring the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat helped them with their ongoing journey to learn about truth and reconciliation. NoiseCat, 32, presented his new book "We Survived the Night" at the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities Dean's Public Lecture at Regent Theatre in downtown Oshawa. Farah Eshraghi and Orquidea Castillo, friends from...

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By (Juan Esteban as photographer) + 1 other for DC-UOIT Chronicle - 4 min read

Controversial provincial Skills Development Fund brings cash to DC, but legal expert questions the politics

Photo credit: Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

Critics continue to question the provincial government's $1.3 billion Skills Development Fund (SDF), a fund that saw Durham College (DC) receive almost $800,000 through a contract with FIRST Robotics this year. It is one of three community partners that received funding from the SDF training stream, a provincial grant under scrutiny after a report from the auditor general said the...