September 6th 2024

Letter to all members of Carleton PIRG 

To all members of Carleton PIRG:

The board of directors of Carleton PIRG (formerly “OPIRG Carleton”) have unanimously endeavored to resign from the Ontario Public Interest Research Group Provincial Network, rebranding as Carleton PIRG the original name that this organization was founded as.

Unfortunately, the Network has faced allegations of racism, white supremacy, a failure to uphold democratic mandates, and other improprieties that made it impossible for Carleton PIRG to reconcile our relationship with the Network. We expect pushback from the Network, where close to $10,000 of membership fees are provided every year. However, we are excited about the opportunity to pursue an independent, Carleton focused approach to Public Interest work, while trying to effect change for the benefits of students and community rooted here and across Turtle Island. While there are many reasons for this decision, we wish other PIRGs who are part of the Network the best of luck in their future endeavours.

We continue to take inspiration from the work of PIRGs in the 70s, 80s and 90s, who pioneered efforts for nuclear safety regulation, environmentalism, active citizenry, securing peace in the world, and ensuring successful change through sustained efforts. Carleton PIRG was created with a mandate for “research and popular education”, which is where we would like to continue to put our efforts, along with our work to build effective action on campus. We commit to hosting engaging and relevant events for the community.

Our Next Steps - We will be holding our first General Meeting as Carleton PIRG to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of the students, community and campus. We will also be taking direction from our members to reduce reliance on membership fees. Our fees were democratically voted on and approved more than any other fee at Carleton University, yet we still are proactively working to ensure more sustainable funding methods.

At our last Annual General Meeting, individual members came together and voted unanimously to support a proposal on the development of Canada PIRG. This independent organization will work to develop fundraising, secure donations to build new PIRGs, promote campaigns, and hopefully in the long-term work to ensure PIRGs can rely less on student fees, among other issues.

Carleton students have been asking for change and here it is! We hope that without the influence of the provincial board, we will be able to better serve the student body. For a long time, we have had to tip-toe around what we can and cannot do as a chapter - this ends now. Carleton PIRG will now be able to dedicate all of our efforts to our base and our student body’s needs.

Should you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, or wish to get involved in our new invigorated work, please email the board at: Board@opirgcarleton.org

Please see the FAQ below for more information regarding some key questions.

Sincerely,

The Carleton PIRG (formerly “OPIRG Carleton“) Board of Directors

Q: Will student funding be affected?

A: No, the network does not provide any direct funding to individual members of PIRG. the network provides funding to PIRGs, but the Carleton chapter did not qualify for these funds as we have more resources available than many other PIRGs.

Q: Will students be consulted on this decision?

A: While this decision needed to be made, it will continue to be discussed with members of Carleton PIRG. We are more than happy to meet with members of Carleton PIRG and concerned parties to reconcile any concerns.

Q: Who is on the Board of Directors?

A: Our board of directors is composed of dedicated volunteers, including undergraduate and graduate students from Carleton University, alumni, and community members. Each member is deeply committed to promoting social and environmental justice.

Q: Will we continue to work with other PIRG chapters?

A: Of course! We have consistently collaborated with various PIRG Chapters, including those outside of Ontario, such as QPIRGs, APIRGs, and chapters in the United States. Departing from the Ontario provincial network will not hinder our outreach objectives.