It’s been almost three years since the horrific van attack on Toronto’s Yonge Street that left 10 people dead and 16 injured. This week, a verdict was reached in the case against the attacker. Despite entering a plea of not criminally responsible — which had advocates concerned about the potential backlash and further stigmatization of people with autism — Alek Minassian was found guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted.

Today, in The Conversation Canada, York University’s Jack Rozdilsky and Edward Snowden write about the implications of the case for ideologically motivated attacks. “While Minassian was held criminally responsible for his action, the trial did not involve terrorism charges, despite the terrorist-like use of a vehicle as a weapon,” they write.

Also today:

All the best.

Nehal El-Hadi

Science + Technology Editor

Survivors and victims, along with their family and friends, share a moment outside the courthouse after Alek Minassian had been found guilty for the Toronto van attack. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Toronto van attack: Guilty verdict, but Canada still needs to tackle ideological violence

Jack L. Rozdilsky, York University, Canada; Edward Snowden, York University, Canada

The judgment document in the Toronto van attack case pointed out that the attacker's motivations were unclear but related to other ideologically informed violent acts.

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5 ways the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed cybersecurity

Michael Parent, Simon Fraser University

The coronavirus pandemic has meant homes rather than offices have become workplaces. Companies need to respond to these new cybersecurity threats.

People protesting the gang rape and killing of a woman in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, hold onto each other as policemen try to detain them in New Delhi, India, in September 2020. The gang rape of the woman from the lowest rung of India’s caste system sparked outrage across the country. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Gang rape exposes caste violence in India and the limits of Me Too

Deeplina Banerjee, Western University

Because of its extreme violence, the Hathras rape sent shock waves throughout India: it is a disturbing reminder of the normalization of rape culture there and should be seen as a call to action.

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How to build support for ambitious climate action in 4 steps

Sarah Sharma, Queen's University, Ontario; Matthew Hoffmann, University of Toronto

Governments must expand the number of people who see themselves as "winners" in the transition to a low-carbon society.

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Profits trump COVID-19 protections for migrant seafood workers in Atlantic Canada

Raluca Bejan, Dalhousie University; Kristi Allain, St. Thomas University (Canada)

Debates about public safety and temporary foreign workers continue without input from those whose health is most affected. Migrant workers themselves are largely invisible amid discussions about risk.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, speaks with scientist Krishnaraj Tiwari at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) Royalmount Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre facility in Montreal, Aug 31, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

How Canada can become a global leader in health innovation during the pandemic and beyond

Sarrah Lal, McMaster University; Jeremy Hirota, McMaster University; Milica Vukmirovic, McMaster University

To continue the fast-paced collaborative research and innovation we have seen during the pandemic, here are five ways universities can support health research that responds to societal needs.

La Conversation Canada

L’eau dévale du barrage hydroélectrique Carillon au Québec. LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Ryan Remiorz

Comment le Canada peut fournir une énergie propre et fiable grâce aux macroréseaux électriques

Brett Dolter, University of Regina; Blake Shaffer, University of Calgary; G. Kent Fellows, University of Calgary; Nicholas Rivers, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Le secteur de l’électricité jouera un rôle clé dans la réduction des gaz à effet de serre. Améliorer le transport sur de longues distances permettrait de distribuer une énergie propre à moindre coût.

De jeunes acheteurs font la queue pour l'ouverture d'un magasin de vêtements le vendredi noir à Montréal, le vendredi 27 novembre 2020. LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Paul Chiasson

La sauvegarde du français passera par l’éducation et un meilleur dialogue avec les jeunes

Christian J. Y. Bergeron, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Nous devons favoriser le dialogue avec la jeunesse québécoise francophone, anglophone et allophone et l’accompagner dans cette découverte de la richesse de la langue française.

The Conversation Weekly

The Arctic is warming two to three times faster than any other place on Earth. Kevin Xu Photography via Shutterstock

Diving in the icy depths: the scientists studying what climate change is doing to the Arctic Ocean – The Conversation Weekly podcast

Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation

Plus, new discoveries about early humans in Tanzania's Olduvai Gorge. Listen to episode 5 of The Conversation Weekly podcast.

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