Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón's Camayak portfolio

Ontario’s homelessness bill fails amid growing housing crisis

In Durham Region, Oshawa and Ajax have the highest rates of unhoused people, with seniors being a rapidly growing demographic. Steven and Keno, who have been together for about three years, were evicted this past April, and like many others in the same situation, they can often be seen in ... — Photo credit: Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

A recent bill aimed at ending homelessness in Ontario did not pass in the provincial legislature but its authors hope their recommendations get included in future policies. The bill aimed to establish a provincial strategy to end homelessness within 10 years, as Ontario remains one of the few provinces without such a plan. Instead it has delegated that responsibility to...

Continue →

From neoliberal failure to progressive action

First-year Durham College journalism student Juan Suarez Castrillon. January 17, 2025.

Rising inequality, social unrest and public distrust, among other systemic challenges and socioeconomic crises, are eroding Canada's social fabric and destabilizing communities worldwide. Instead of addressing these inequalities, governments continue to pursue neoliberal economic policies that worsen them. In response, a resurgence of far-right nationalist and populist movements, exemplified by leaders such as Trump, Bolsonaro, Milei, Meloni, and Le Pen,...

Continue →

Bad Bunny’s DtMF celebrates Puerto Rican culture and resistance

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (DtMF) is the sixth studio album by Puerto Rican singer Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known as Bad Bunny, released under the independent Puerto Rican label Rimas Entertainment. Across 17 tracks and just over an hour, the album delivers a cross-generational revival of Puerto Rican music, spanning reggaetón, salsa, dembow, Latin pop, trap and much more. Production...

Continue →

Indigenous activists tell senators it's time to fix the Indian Act

Sharon McIvor, Jeanette Corbiere Lavell and Dawn Lavell Harvard provide testimony to senators during hearing for Bill S-2 in Ottawa on Oct. 21. — Photo credit: Screenshot

Story by Eva Ritchie and Juan Esteban Suarez CastrillónSharon McIvor has fought for changes to the Indian Act for years. On Tuesday, the member of the Lower Nicola Band in B. C. was at it again. This time, she was one of three women appearing before the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples.“We’ve done a lot of talking, lobbying, and...

Continue →

Foreign workers frustrated, worried about lack of status in Canada

The Draw the Line Rally 2025 brought together a coalition of activists in downtown Toronto on Sept. 20 to support each other’s struggles and show their opposition against some of the federal Liberal government’s agenda ahead of the fall budget. — Photo credit: Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

As immigration increases in Durham Region, some labour activists and temporary foreign workers are calling for equal rights, including more workplace protections and access to services available to Canadians. A Mexican woman living in Whitby is one of the 2.5 million people with no status in the country, according to Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC). The woman, who is...

Continue →

FireWolves professional lacrosse team relocates to Oshawa

The Oshawa FireWolves of the National Lacrosse League announced their relocation from MVP Arena in Albany to the Tribute Communities Centre in downtown Oshawa on Sept. 9, 2025. The team also unveiled its new jersey, name and logo. — Photo credit: Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

Professional lacrosse is coming to Oshawa. The FireWolves of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), formerly located in Albany, N. Y., will play their first season in Oshawa this year. The announcement of the new professional team was made at a press conference on Sept. 9 at the Tribute Communities Centre (TCC). The move makes the FireWolves the seventh Canadian franchise...

Continue →

Durham’s labour market faces shortages, uncertainty amid aging workforce, U.S. tariffs

The Regional Municipality of Durham Headquarters, in Whitby, on March 2025. Simon Gill, the Director of Invest Durham and Durham Tourism for the Region of Durham, shared valuable insights on Durham's labor market in light of the potential threat of U.S. tariffs.

Durham Region, like much of Canada, faces labour shortages, especially in agriculture. U. S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump could worsen the situation.“Thousands of local jobs depend on trade with U. S. manufacturers,” said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter in February 2025. Since the COVID-19 pandemic Canada has struggled with labour shortages, stagnant wages, high inflation and an aging workforce....

Continue →

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

Ontario’s post-secondary crisis: Overreliance on international students and the path forward

The International Education Office pictured on the Durham College Oshawa Campus on March 18, 2025. The office is the starting point for all international students, who play a central role in the College's funding strategy. — Photo credit: Juan Esteban Suarez Castrillón

With Ontario’s post-secondary system facing financial pressures, experts are urging the provincial government to increase public funding to at least the national average, as Ontario remains the lowest-funded province in Canada. These concerns have been exacerbated by regulatory changes announced in January 2024 by former Immigration Minister Marc Miller. These include the introduction of mandatory Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs) for...

Continue →