Analysis: Jagmeet Singh wins NDP leadership 1n historic victory > New Democrat Party faces the future after surprise landslide Greg Waldock Staff Writer agmeet Singh has won Jicadersnip of the NDP. The Ontario MPP and former criminal defence lawyer is the first person of colour to hold leadership of a Canadian federal party. Singh won in a strong victory over the other candidates, earning more than 50,000 votes compared to the runner-up, Charlie Angus, who won only 12,000. His election shows a continued NDP focus on social issues, as Singh has been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ rights and protection of religious minorities. Singh was a frontrunner choice soon after he started, but a viral video of him refuting an anti-Muslim citizen at a town hall went viral the week before the election, helping secure his position as a charismatic favourite. During his campaign, Singh talked less about the NDP’s historically socialist economics than his competitors, instead focusing on his and the party’s social justice activism, as did Nikki Ashton in her bid for NDP leadership. This is also similar to Singh’s 20u1 run for the Bramalea-Gore-Malton riding in Ontario, which he flipped for the NDP from an incumbent Liberal MPP. The new leader of the party has been criticized within the NDP for being too moderate and not engaging in the working-class socialism that influenced the party at its beginning. The economic issues that the NDP has traditionally engaged in were sidelined in Singh’s campaign, with few mentions of minimum wage increases, cooperation with unions, or the concept of basic universal income. Leadership candidates Guy Caron, Peter Julian, and Charlie Angus leaned more on economic arguments during their campaigns, with Angus specifically calling out Singh for being supported by his personal charisma and likeability, not party policies supported by average Canadians. Ina speech earlier in the year, Angus said that the NDP has previously won “by putting supporters on the ground, not by having someone come in and say ‘I can do this all by myself” Meanwhile, New Westminster MP Peter Julian endorsed Singh shortly after his victory, and expressed admiration at the success of Singh’s campaign. “What Jagmeet did,” said Julian, according to a report by the National Post, “is he ran ina no-hope riding and built it up into a very strong NDP riding” Julian also praised Singh’s ability to recruit new NDP members, referring to and supporting Singh’s controversial claim that he raised 47,000 new supporters for the party over the course of his campaign. Guy Caron, who lost the leadership race to Singh, also voiced his support for the new leader. “T think people, getting to know him, will adopt him very fast. He’s very likeable. He strikes the right chord with the population,” he said, according toa report by the National Post. During a debate between the NDP candidates earlier this year, Singh refused to automatically oppose the Kinder-Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansions, unlike the other candidates Toronto doctor awarded $100k to continue mental health research > Studies suggest link between bipolar disorder and heart issues Jake Wray News Editor D r. Benjamin Goldstein, a researcher at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, has been awarded $100,000 to continue his research. Goldstein is the 2017 recipient of the Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research, an annual award given to Canadian mental health researchers by the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada, a medical grant organization, and The Royal, a mental health advocacy and research organization affiliated with the University of Ottawa. Studies led by Goldstein have shown that teenagers with bipolar disorder face higher risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a press release issued by The Royal. Goldstein’s research shows that bipolar teenagers have a much higher risk of engaging of behaviour that increases their risk of heart disease, such as leading a sedentary lifestyle or being obese. Additionally, risks like sedentary lifestyle and obesity are thought to exacerbate bipolar disorder. “My hope is to get to adolescents early. We want to reduce the number of poor outcomes,’ Goldstein said George Weber, President & CEQ, The Royal; Or. Benjamin Goldstein, 2017 recipient of the The Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research; Or. Zul Merali, President & CEQ, The Royal's Institut of Mental Health Research; and, Scatt McLean, Chair, The Royal's Board of Trustees €¢ We want to find evidence that proves it’s not all in your head,” Dr. Benjamin Goldstein in the press release. “One thing that particularly drew me to the treatment of bipolar disorder is there is the capability to lead a totally fulsome life if symptoms are properly controlled” Goldstein is now studying whether there are any biological connections Photo by BGM Riding Association via Wikimedia on stage. BC Premier John Horgan and Singh have not yet commented on their level of cooperation for the pipeline project or similar environmental issues. It remains to be seen how Singh will work with the unique political situation in British Columbia today and in the run-up to the 2019 federal election. His leadership skills will be put to the test as his election- winning charisma and charm begin to butt against that of Justin Trudeau, his main political rival for the next two years. between brain conditions and heart conditions, according to the release. It’s possible, the release said, that the research could prove some treatments for heart conditions may also be effective for treating bipolar disorder. “The world has moved from the belief that mental illness is all in your mind to recognizing it is in your brain. We're taking it a step further and saying that mental illness could be a multi-system disease that affects both brain and body,’ Goldstein said in the release, adding that there should be more attention devoted to teenagers’ cardiovascular health. “Not only would that be in service of their long-term physical health, but also in service of their current emotional and cognitive health” Goldstein said in the release that he hopes to combat stigma against mental illness by studying underlying biology. “We want to find evidence that proves it’s not all in your head,” he said. Chris Carruthers, chair of the Mach- Gaensslen Foundation of Canada, said in the release that Goldstein’s work is special. “Dr. Goldstein’s unique approach could have a huge impact on research and clinical care for many people suffering from bipolar disorder, in Canada and around the world,” he said.