The Journalism program is losing one of its best as senior instructor John Balcers is retiring at the end of this semester.

Balcers, who is also the publishing editor of the print Journal, has brought his education and vast journalism experience to Mount Royal students for 35 years.

Balcers’ past jobs include work for the Albertan, the Calgary Herald and Time magazine.

At first glance, the Currie military barracks across the street from Mount Royal may not seem like much, but another look may provide students with an interesting summer job. 

The barracks are home to movie and television production sets, several private production companies and Calgary film union offices. 

According to film technicians union president Damien Petti, “right now, there really isn’t a better site in Calgary for this kind of work.”
 

Almost 17 years after the federal Access to Information Act was introduced some journalists are still questioning if the act helps them get the facts. 

“To some degree it has opened up new avenues to stories and allowed journalists to get stories they may not otherwise have been able to find such as the spending habits of politicians,” writes Bryan Cantley, from the Canadian Newspaper Association, during an e-mail interview. “But the Act contains so many restrictions and exemptions that it also hampers journalists who find requests so riddled with censored material that the information is often useless.”