Volume 6, Issue 5 MAY 18, 2015

Published by the University Neighbourhoods Association

Student tower at UBC takes wood to record height

Tall wood building will be built across road from

Chancellor Place

John TompkinsThe Campus Resident Editor

In an ambitious project that requires pro-vincial government approval, UBC pro-poses to erect a student residence which might well be—at the time of its comple-tion in two years—the tallest wood build-ing in the world. The 18-storey building—called simply the tall wood building at this stage—would stand 53 meters high and house 408 upper year and graduate UBC stu-dents. At an information session on April 23, Andrew Parr, Managing Director of Stu-dent Housing and Hospitality Services, gave an overview of the demand for stu-dent housing at UBC. Mr. Parr, who is also a UBC appointed Director of the University Neighhourhoods Association, said one goal of the tall wood building at Brock Commons is to address a list of 3,500 students waiting for on-campus housing. Ten thousand students already live on campus, and Mr. Parr said the wait list will only grow unless UBC re-sponds to demand for more residences. Russell Acton, of Acton Ostry Archi-tects which is designing the tall wood building for UBC, said another goal of

the project is to demonstrate the applica-bility of wood in B.C.’s development and construction industries. The architect said the hybrid structure is proposed to be 17 storeys of mass wood combustible construction above one sto-rey of noncombustible concrete construc-tion at grade level, with two concrete exit stair and elevator cores serving all floor levels. “The challenge and objective for the project team is to determine if a project utilizing a hybrid mass wood and con-crete structure can be constructed for a cost similar to that for a building using a typical concrete or steel structure. “If determined to be viable, the proj-ect is to be a Living Laboratory in which UBC faculty and engineering and forest-ry professionals will collaborate with op-erations staff and industry partners on the design, development and construction of the project. “UBC intends to monitor and evaluate the project to provide reference knowl-edge for possible changes to the 2020 Ca-nadian National Building Code for mass wood structures.” Currently, the British Columbia Build-ing Code prohibits the development of residential wood buildings higher than six storeys—up from four storeys only a few years ago. However, Mr. Acton ex-plained in an interview with The Campus Resident at the Open House, the B.C. Building Code allows for exceptions, and UBC has requested the Province issue a site-specific regulation.

Walking School Bus led by community volunteers safely navigates 16th Avenue roundabout at Wesbrook Mall on way to U Hill Elementary School and Norma Rose Point Elementary School. More photos on Page 12. Photo by Andy Fang.

TOWER continued on Page 11

UTown@UBC: Walk ‘N Roll to School Residents discuss UNA

election reform

Elections Advisory Committee will send recommendations to

UNA directors

At a Town Hall meeting held in MBA House at Wesbrook Place May 7, a group of residents discussed three possible op-tions for reforming UNA voting proce-dures. The meeting, attended by ten residents, followed the publication of a consulta-tion paper on the election reform pre-pared by the UNA Elections Advisory Committee. The UNA Board appointed the eight-member advisory committee in January 2015. The committee—led by Max Cameron, resident of Hawthorn Place—conclud-ed that should UNA members wish to change the voting procedures by which UNA directors are elected annually, they have three possible reform options—(A) enhanced mail-in/delivery, (B) in-person voting or (C) online voting. Three members of the UNA Elections Advisory Committee presented the op-tions. Option A is a continuation of the current mail-in/delivery procedure, but with a three-envelope voting system—secrecy, certification and return envelopes—and with a declaration to be signed by the voter. Committee member Bill Holmes, resident of Hampton Place, said in his presentation, “Option A retains a mail-in/delivery method for voting, but with a tighter procedure than at present.” Option B is a system of in-person vot-ing at one or more polling stations—with the ability to request a mail-in ballot in-stead. Committee member Mike Feeley, resident of Hawthorn Place, said, “Op-tion B is similar to the procedure for lo-cal government elections (such as the one used in Vancouver).” Option C is a system of voting online using a secure third-party software plat-form. Non-resident committee member Pierre Cenerelli said, “Option C involves online voting and is similar to the voting procedure used by UBC’s Alma Mater Society (the undergraduate student soci-ety) and Graduate Student Society.” A question and answer session followed these presentations with lively debate about the pros and cons of each option. Some residents expressed a liking for the potential ease and convenience of the online system (Option C).

ELECTION continued on Page 10

Crosswalk construction comes next

on 16thChanges to Wesbrook

Mall/16th Avenue roundabout are wrapping up

Campus residents and UBC held a Com-munity Conversation event about trans-portation recently, and lowering the speed limit on 16th Avenue from Blanca to Marine Drive was one of the major is-sues discussed. Up to 30 people, including 15 residents, most members of the eight-member UNA Board and eight to ten UBC plan-ners, attended the Community Conversa-tion event. The event was co-hosted by the University Neighbourhoods Asso-ciation and UBC Campus and Commu-nity Planning department and designed to share information and hear residents’ interests and concerns around transporta-tion issues on campus. This discussion about lowering the speed limit on 16th Avenue comes at an opportune time for UBC has signaled that changes to the Wesbrook Mall/16th Avenue roundabout are wrapping up this month with potential refinements—in-cluding a crosswalk at Hampton Place—due to come later this year or early next year.CROSSWALK continued on Page 6

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015page 2

Open letter to campus residents about Organic Waste BanDear UNA Resident, The Metro Vancouver Organic Waste Ban has been gradually phased in since the beginning of 2015 and is expected to be fully enforced by early 2016. Organic waste (mainly food scraps) will no longer be permitted in the garbage as part of a Metro Vancouver disposal ban. I am sure there are a lot of questions and doubts about this new regulation, and I will help guide you through the facts. Why is organic waste a problem?When we send food scraps to landfills, they: • Block out oxygen, stop the natural composting process from occurring and cause the production of methane gas. • Use up a lot of precious landfill space. Over 30% of what we send to the landfill in our region is compostable organics. • Create methane, a powerful green-house gas that adds to global warming. 67% of all the methane generated within Metro Vancouver regions comes from landfills. Do you know?Methane is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted from human ac-tivity in North America. It is 25 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon diox-ide (CO2) over a 100-year period and has a life span of 12 years in the atmosphere. What is Composting? Composting turns organic waste into hu-mus which is dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal mat-ter decay. This process requires natural organisms like fungi, bacteria and oxy-gen. What are the benefits of composting?The humus returns nutrients to the soil. It also significantly reduces space required for landfills. We can also capture meth-ane produced during the composting pro-cess and turn it into electrical energy.

What is organic waste and how can you help?Food scraps is anything that comes from your plates, such as fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, eggshells, cheese, bones, coffee grounds and filters, etc. It also includes papers like newspaper, brown paper bags and paper egg cartons. Collect your food scraps in a kitchen catcher. We have them available for sale at The Old Barn Community Centre.Please remember plastic bags (including biodegradable plastic bags) are absolute-ly not allowed. How to keep odour away?Line your kitchen catcher with newspa-pers or brown paper bag: they will help drastically reduce moisture content with-in your food scraps. It is also important to regularly empty and clean your kitchen catcher, this will help minimize odour is-sues inside your house. What are acceptable items?Food scraps • Dairy products, including cheese and yogurt • Egg shells • Fruit and vegetable scraps

• Meat, bones, fish and seafood shells • Noodles, rice, beans, grains, and bread • Small amounts of oil and fat (soaked in paper towel or newspaper) • Teabags, coffee grounds, and filters • Tissue paper (no blood or fecal matter)Food-soiled paper products • Empty cereal boxes (no plastic liners) • Paper bags (for lining kitchen containers, such as Bag-to-Earth) • Paper napkins • Parchment and wax paper • Pizza boxes • Newspaper (for wrapping food scraps or lining kitchen containers) • Used paper dishes (no plastic coating)What are unacceptable items?Fecal matter • Animal waste • DiapersLarge or heavy items • Branches or prunings over 10 cm thick and 50 cm long • Lumber or other wood products • Rocks, soil or sodPlastics • Compostable or biodegradable plastic bags • Plastic bags, wrap or containers

The UBC Organic Waste Collection Program We would also like take this opportunity to introduce the UBC Organic Waste Col-lection Program offered by UBC Waste Management. This closed loop compost-ing program will turn organic waste pro-duced on campus into nutrient-rich soil for our local community gardens. One of the major advantages that dif-ferentiates the UBC Waste Management service is their bin washing service. This bin washing service will help address and minimize odour and insect issues that are often associated with organic waste bins inside your building’s recycling room. Come join us, we are here to help! My goal is to help you smoothly trans-fer to food scraps recycling. The UNA will offer five Food Scraps Recycling Workshop sessions from late May to July to get you familiarize with the Food Scrap Recycling Program. To register and to get more information please con-tact us by email: reception@myuna.ca or call (604) 827-5158.Regards,Wegland SitUNA Sustainability Manager

Wegland Sit, UNA Sustainability Manager

The UNA Board has filled the two execu-tive positions vacated by Resident Direc-tor Charles Menzies when he resigned in April as UNA Secretary and Chair of the UNA Governance Standing Committee. At its May 12 meeting, the eight-member Board passed separate motions appointing directors Tanner Bokor as the Secretary of the UNA Board and

UNA Board appoints new Secretary and Chair of Governance Standing Committee

Richard Alexander as the Chair of the Governance Standing Committee until October. Mr. Bokor was appointed to the UNA Board by the Alma Mater Society (the UBC undergraduate society). Mr. Al-exander is a Resident Director (elected by UNA members) who is both Chair of the UNA and Chair of its Operations and

Calvin CheungDirector, Operations and Risk

Management, University Neighbourhoods Association

Alert System for UNA Residents

Sustainability Standing Committee. Mr. Menzies, a UNA Resident Direc-tor, resigned from the two executive posts saying he is “no longer able to support the majority direction of the Board”. He re-mains a UNA Director. The UNA Board in May also confirmed cancellation of the August Board meeting and the July Governance Standing Com-

Imagine if there was a significant emer-gency or disaster on campus. Imagine the following scenarios: a major inter-face fire at Pacific Spirit Park, an active shooter on campus or the Cascadia Sub-duction Zone Megathrust Earthquake

(aka the Big One). How would you be getting the latest updates about the event and information on what to do? Don’t be the last to know… Resulting from the UNA’s efforts in working with UBC on an integrated Emergency Management Plan, UBC Alert, a texted-based emergency notifi-cation system, is made available to UNA residents who are UNA members or who have a UNA Access Card and have pro-vided their cell phone number in their ap-plication.

UBC Alert is intended to serve as the primary method of disseminating impor-tant information out to residents, faculty, staff and students during a major emer-gency or disaster on campus. It should be noted that depending on the scale and impact of the emergency or di-saster, residents should expect that notifi-cations can be delayed or may not arrive. The UNA and UBC recognize the im-portance of timely communication and will strive to utilize other communica-tion methods that are available during the

mittee meeting. This reduces to four the number of Board meetings and to three the num-ber of Governance Standing Commit-tee meetings before the Annual General Meeting of UNA members and election of directors on September 23, 2015.

time of the event. If available, the UNA and UBC will post emergency notifications on their main websites and other social media. The UNA/UBC Emergency Manage-ment Plan will evolve as our community and technology changes. The UNA will continue to work with UBC and other stakeholders on many upcoming facets of emergency management to increase the overall level of readiness on campus.

Are You Ready for

We are here to help!Food Scraps Recycling? May 27June 10June 24

July 8July 22

workshop dates: held 6-7pm at The Old Barn Community Centre

Register for a free workshop by phone 604.827.4469, or online with the program code 10871 at www.myuna.ca/registration

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015

Published monthly by the University Neighbourhoods Association #202-5923 Berton Avenue, Vancouver BC, V6S 0B3

page 3

Editor & Business ManagerJohn Tompkinsphone: 604.827.3502 email: jtompkins@myuna.ca

Design ProductionRebecca Indphone: 604.822.9675 email: rind@myuna.ca

Advertising enquiriesemail: advertising@myuna.ca

Letters to the Editor

Include name, address and telephone number. Maximum lengths: Letters 400 words. Opinions 750 words. We may edit or decline to publish any

submission.

UNA analyzes resident-proposed play station re-location Staff will make

recommendations to UNA directors

The proposal to re-locate the Iona Green play station in Chancellor Place has emerged as an issue facing the UNA. At the April UNA Board meeting, Chan-cellor Place resident John Bourne pre-sented the idea of play equipment being removed from Iona Green to somewhere else in Chancellor Place, saying residents in the buildings surrounding Iona Green found the noise of children playing on the playground intolerable, especially in the summer months. In written material presented to the UNA Board, Mr. Bourne refers to the need for the Chancellor Place community as a whole to bear the load of supporting children’s play “more equitably”. After some discussion, the UNA di-rectors agreed to refer the proposal to Standing Committee on Operations and

Sustainability so that “options to engage with the wider community” could be dis-cussed. The re-location proposal has not gone over well with some residents. A Chancellor Place resident telephoned The Campus Resident to say that neigh-bours in his building were “all up in arms” about the possibility of a play sta-tion being located in their midst. Another Chancellor Place resident wrote to the UNA with a copy to The Campus Resident, saying, “I read the ar-ticle on page 10 of the April issue, which speaks of the UNA directors’ decision ‘to consider a proposal to re-locate the Iona Green play station’. “I note that this decision is only ‘to con-sider’. However, I wanted to make sure there was awareness that there would be at least one resident in opposition to the specific proposed site (were the re-loca-tion to advance beyond simply a consid-eration). Actually, I believe the current location is almost optimal (for a number of reasons) but if a new location must be found, it should be somewhere other than Theology Mall or the entry area to the Iona Building.” A UBC executive reported he had re-ceived comments from residents about their opposition to the proposal. Executive Director Jan Fialkowski said UNA staff is analyzing the proposal and will make a recommendation to directors of the UNA Board. Children playing on Iona Green playground.

Speaking in favour of in-person votingQiuning Wang

Wesbrook Place Resident

I attended a Town Hall meeting on May 7 to discuss UNA election reform and pos-sible options to the status quo presented by UNA Elections Advisory Committee. Among the three proposed voting op-tions—enhanced status quo, in-person voting and online voting—I would go for in-person voting. I don’t base my reason-ing on the pros and cons of each choice but on my voting experience last year. I took the oath of Canadian citizen-

ship on Sept 19, 2014. It was a Friday, the end of a busy week when the iPhone6 was launched, the Scottish independence was vetoed, the Chinese tennis player Na Li retired, and two Chinese celebrities were surprisingly reunited after ten years of marrying and divorcing other people. The day that I became a Canadian citizen was not only exciting but quite amusing, and I remember all the details. It was a good time to become a citizen: local elections were two months ahead. I picked a date and a nearby polling station to cast my vote for the Vancouver School Board Trustees. Many candidates were unknown to me. I scrolled down the list and found the names of those who I had

planned to vote for. I read their names carefully before I ticked the boxes. From the moment of entering the poll-ing station, I referred each step I took to what I had learned from the study guide for the citizenship test. It was quite a novel experience—I was not only check-ing my own steps but also those of the polling station. As soon as I stepped out of the room, I posted “I voted” on my WeChat page—it was a proud moment. Without the in-person voting experience, my citizenship would be incomplete. I don’t think that the other two op-tions—enhanced mail-in/delivery proce-dure and online voting—would provide the same memorable experience for new

Canadians as the in-person voting does. When everything can be done easily in a remote way, it is worth keeping some personal touch on important decisions that matter to everyone. Having a UNA Voting Day would gen-erate excitement among the residents to collectively celebrate their democratic right. So I went to the Town Hall meet-ing in person and spoke in favour of in-person voting! Editor’s Note: Qiuning Wang is the UNA Community Engagement and Vol-unteer Coordinator. The opinions ex-pressed here are those of the writer alone and are not to be inferred to represent UNA policy.

Last Chance to Vote!Have you voted in the 2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite?

Elections BC must receive your completed ballot packages before 8pm Friday, May 29.Mail in your completed package today!

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015

Published monthly by the University Neighbourhoods

Association

Advertise with us! email

advertising@myuna.ca

or view www.myuna.cafor details

page 4

UNA celebrates community volunteers

2015 UNA Volunteer Awards

Every year during National Volunteer Week—the largest celebration of civic participation in Canada—the University Neighbourhoods Association holds a cer-emony to recognize, celebrate and thank volunteers who offer their time and talent to make our community better. On April 21, about 80 volunteers gath-ered at The Old Barn Community Centre for the 2015 Volunteer Awards ceremony. UNA Board Chair, Richard Alexander, rose to thank all volunteers who contrib-uted their time and expertise serving the UNA community in so many ways. “Volunteers are often called stars or gems in their community,” Mr. Alexan-der said. “So, this must be Oscars Night.” This year, the UNA received 40 nomi-nations, highlighting the work of 31 nominees. 13 winners received awards in six categories. And the winners are:

Community Development and Leadership

Connie ChenServing on the U Hill Elementary School PAC for five years, Connie has coor-dinated many school programs and ac-tivities that have benefitted the learning, health and well being of over 400 stu-dents at U Hill Elementary. Such initia-tives have included the Young Natural-ists’ Club, School Garden Project, UBC Farm Friends and the Open House for K-5 transition. Coming from a Chinese background, she consistently bridges cul-tures, helping to engage Mandarin speak-ing families and celebrating the broader multicultural diversity of the school and community.

Maram Babsail Since introducing the Hot Lunch Pro-gram to Norma Rose Point School (for-merly Acadia Road Elementary) students in 2011, Maram has devoted a tremen-dous amount of time to running the Pro-gram. From recruiting and managing par-ent-volunteers, communicating with food service companies and finalizing orders from parents to receiving and distributing lunch to each class every week, she has demonstrated strong leadership skills and dedication to the school community. The program provides affordable hot lunches to over 200 families and raised more than $10,000 to build the school’s first play-ground.

Sustainability and Environment

Veronica Ignas, Mankee Mah and Linda QuammeVeronica, Mankee and Linda have been volunteers with the UNA Children’s Garden since its inception in the spring of 2009 and served as Co-Chairs of the Plant Stewardship Committee since 2013. They have contributed countless hours maintaining the garden and have organized Saturday morning markets. This year, Veronica and the team have made particular efforts to reach out to more parents and children by creating a garden blog and organizing workshops. By providing gardening experiences and interactive learning on land and food, they are helping raise the community’s awareness for a sustainable living.

Education, Arts & Culture

Alice BradleyStarting as an volunteer English instruc-tor at The Old Barn Community Centre in 2011, Alice has become one of the most active and committed volunteers in the community. She makes deliberate ef-forts to improve cultural awareness and mutual understanding among community members during her classes and has pro-vided a wide range of support to new volunteers. In late 2013, Alice joined the Seniors Working Group and contributed significantly to the planning of the three seniors’ events. In 2015, she became a member of the UNA Multicultural Com-mittee to advise on the policies and pro-grams that facilitate the integration of different cultural groups on campus.

Dorota MannIn nominating Dorota, many people have spoken of her open and friendly manner, her incredible ability to engage residents from different cultures and their overall enjoyment of her programs. In addition to leading the Women’s Social Club since 2012, Dorota has served on the UNA Multicultural Committee and run the Community Art Night program, utilizing her cross-cultural experience and artistic creativity. She was also one the key plan-ners for the 2015 Lunar New Year Cel-ebration. Dorota is a catalyst in the com-munity who brings people together and bridges cultural differences.

Supporting Children, Youth or Seniors

Jane KangJane has been a member of the UNA Se-niors Working Group since its establish-ment in the fall of 2013. In the same year she started the Seniors and Friends Pro-gram. In 2014, Jane ran over 50 program sessions and helped to build connections between newcomers and local seniors. Jane has continually demonstrated pa-tience and care when working with our senior participants. She also worked closely with the Seniors Working Group members in delivering three social events for seniors in 2014. Jane co-hosted the 2014 Winter Concert for Seniors and the 2015 UNA Lunar New Year Celebration.

Recreation and Health

Paulyn LimIn 2012, Paulyn joined The Old Barn’s Walk & Talk Club to regain her physical fitness and explore our neighborhoods. She began to assist program leader, Ben Seghers, to collate the growing email list and organize social gatherings. As the program became popular and members wanted to walk more than once a week, Paulyn started to lead a Wednesday Walk & Talk from Wesbrook Place. The group continues to grow- to date, the club meets three times a week with walkers from be-yond campus. This year, Paulyn helped coordinate a fundraiser for Ben and suc-cessfully raised over $500. Paulyn’s work has created opportunities for residents to enjoy the beauty and health benefits of walking and helped foster good neigh-bourliness in the UNA community.

Outstanding Youth Volunteers

Anna WuAnna has demonstrated strong organiza-tional skills as a leader of the UTown@UBC CRAZI Youth Dance Crew since 2012. She is an instructor, a choreogra-pher and a coordinator for a team that consists of over 20 youth dancers. In ad-dition to coordinating weekly rehearsals, Anna has facilitated a great number of performances beyond the campus which provide opportunities for youth to dis-cover their passion, improve dance skills and work as a team. Her approachable personality and ability to engage youth in the community make her a great vol-unteer.

Daniel RyuDaniel has been reliable and committed youth volunteer since 2012. He has as-sisted with over 25 community events and programs in the last two years and provided a total of 226 hours of volun-teer services to the community. Daniel has a great work ethic and always dem-onstrates a great responsibility to his assigned tasks. From a fresh volunteer two years ago, Daniel has grown into a thoughtful and capable volunteer who continually looks for new challenges.

Iva JankovicIva started the Kids for Charity Project in 2013, devoting herself to raising funds for the BC Children’s Hospital. Within a short of period of one year, Iva has or-ganized numerous events and workshops designed for kids and youth of all ages. She has organized a Holiday Card-Mak-ing event, Easter Crafts workshops, bake sales and portrait painting sessions for Canada Day and the Barn Raising. Iva created a website (www.kidsforcharity.org) and various posters to engage more community members to join the project. Iva has done a remarkable job and con-tinually demonstrates compassion and thoughtfulness for others.

Yunie FuchiokaIn the past two years serving as the Con-ductor for the UNA Community Youth Band, Yunie has consistently showed pas-sion, leadership and commitment to the Band. In addition to conducting weekly rehearsals, he selects repertoires, plans the rehearsals and prepares for the per-formances. Last season, the Youth Band won the ‘Most Inspiring Performance Award’ in the Kiwanis Music Festival and raised over $1000 for the Food Bank. Yunie has taught the members valuable musical skills and has brought youth around the community together.

2015 UNA Volunteer Award Winners L-R: Mankee Mah, Linda Quamme, Anna Wu, Daniel Ryu, Yunie Fuchioka, Connie Chen, Iva Jankovic, Dorota Mann, Paulyn Lim, Maram Babsail and Alice Bradley.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015 page 5

University Boulevard sidewalks are not safe for walkingJohn Percy

West Point Grey resident, retired civil engineer

The two-kilometer bus or car ride into the University of British Columbia from ‘THE GATES’ at Blanca Street offers a beautiful, welcoming vista of tower-ing trees, a blossoming landscape and the peacefulness of a lush top-class golf course. Along the way are two churches, the fine restaurant and meeting facilities of the University Golf Club, a secondary entrance to the new Norma Rose Point Elementary School and several public walking trails into the adjoining Pacific Spirit Regional Park. All these facilities are heavily used and accessible from University Boulevard. As a 22-year homeowner in West Point Grey near the Blanca entrance, I—along with many neighbours, students, resi-dents of the UBC community and visi-tors—walk this corridor to and from UBC daily. However, the sidewalks on both sides of University Boulevard from Blanca to Acadia Road are treacherous. Each trip, whether on dry or wet and icy days, is a formidable challenge to able-bodied walkers and joggers, but an im-possible trip for some seniors and those with sight or mobility issues. Take a close look at my photographs on this page and walk the distance on broken concrete, patchy asphalt, muddy ponds and projecting tree roots. To the best of my knowledge, there has been no attempt to maintain or im-prove these important thoroughfares for decades. Surely, the employees of the government department responsible for maintaining these terribly neglected walkways have documented their seri-ously poor condition. I further suggest that these sidewalks are in no way com-pliant with the intent of Provincial Con-struction Guidelines and are a potential source of civil liability to the Province and perhaps others, should anyone suc-cumb to the multiple tripping hazards. Clearly, some attention and resources are expended to maintain the critical bus, vehicle and bicycle lanes along this route, including some handicapped ac-cesses at street intersections and golf cart crossings. How is it possible, then, that the pedestrian sidewalks could be so ne-glected given the current public focus on accessibility and pedestrian and cyclist improvements throughout the City of Vancouver and the Province? In addition to the urgency of providing safe, well-drained and widened walkway

pavement, there are some other basic is-sues to be addressed. For example, there is inadequate light-ing in the area that includes the TransLink bus stop, the entrances to both the golf course and St. Anselm’s Church as well as a pedestrian crosswalk on University Boulevard. Anecdotal stories of commut-ers trying to wave down bus drivers with lighted cell phones and bus drivers un-able to see passengers in the dark hours indicate a high need to protect vulnerable individuals, given recent frightening at-tacks around the forest and UBC campus. Also, bus shelters along the length of this route are rudimentary, unlit open metal structures of varying appearances, and having no waste containers for the un-sightly debris blowing around. Should the argument be raised that the tree roots prohibit repairs of the side-walks, this is not true. Clearly, there is always a way to solve such issues and ensure safe travel. An example of what can and must be done is the recently im-proved forest walkway along the north side of 16th Avenue running from Blan-ca to Wesbrook Village. It is a pleasant, wide, safe and compact gravel trail that is very heavily utilized.

A preferred example of what these path-ways could and should look like can be seen in this picture of a recent installa-tion of a meandering 2” flexible rubber walkway that is both permeable and re-silient, and would highlight and celebrate the spectacular entry to THE GATES on University Boulevard as well as attract University Neighbourhood Association residents to the Point Grey Village shops and services. The University Boulevard sidewalks to and from UBC should be considered

as important a link and safe access as are all the other municipal sidewalks, wa-terfront seawalls, dike trails, forest trails and UBC campus walkways. Numer-ous representative persons and agencies agree with me this is a matter of elevated concern. This is not a single user issue: It is a community, City and Provincial embar-rassment and urgent safety warning. Editor’s Note: The roads and side-walks of University Boulevard are under provincial jurisdiction.

West Point Grey resident John Percy points to one of many hazards on the sidewalks of the University Boulevard.

Subsidence on the sidewalk of Univer-sity Boulevard.

Broken tarmac on the sidewalk of University Boulevard.

Tripping hazard on the sidewalk of University Boulevard.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015page 6

Meanwhile, Jan Fialkowski, Executive Director, told the UNA Board meeting in May that discussion about lowering the speed limit from Blanca to Marine Drive is being scheduled with B.C. Min-istry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI). MOTI is the approving body that will determine the type of control at the crosswalk. In a letter sent to Minister Todd Stone late fall 2014, UNA chair Richard Alex-ander expresses UBC community con-cerns about excessive speeds on 16th Avenue. “We request that the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure lower the speed limit on 16th Avenue between Blanca Street and Wesbrook Mall from 70 km/h to 50 km/h. The outcome would be a consistent 50 km/h speed limit be-tween the City of Vancouver and UBC.” The speed limit on 16th Avenue and other Ministry roads around UBC was set at a time when there was no residential community on campus. Now, however, there is a growing and thriving commu-nity of 10,000 residents. These residents use elementary schools, a high school, daycare, commercial and retail properties and playing fields. “It is time to reduce the speed limit to support and match the needs and activity of our community,” the UNA chair says in his letter to the Ministry. On its website, UBC Campus and Com-munity Planning says the design and type of control of the crosswalk at Hampton

Place is “not yet confirmed.” The depart-ment also states, “It is not anticipated at this time that this crosswalk would allow for cyclists to ride across the crosswalk, but instead require cyclists to dismount and walk their bikes similar to the mid-block crossing at the U Hill Secondary School and the crosswalks at the round-abouts.” Finally, the UBC website confronts the issue of noise on 16th Avenue from traf-fic. Will the crossing result in more noise from vehicles accelerating and decelerat-ing on 16th? “There will be some additional noise generated from vehicles starting and stop-ping for pedestrians using the planned crossing on 16th Ave. However, noise levels from this activity will not exceed typical accepted noise levels for an urban residential neighbourhood.” UBC says once details are known they will be posted at www.planning.ubc.ca/binning.

CROSSWALK continued from Page 1

Join us on FACEBOOK!

The Old Barn Community Centre

The University Neighbourhoods

Association

and

Have a safe and sustainable transportation month!

Krista Falkner, Transportation Engineer,

UBC Campus and Community Planning, answers key questions

What transportation changes or im-provements are coming in the follow-ing year to increase safety? The improvements to the Wesbrook Mall/16th Avenue roundabout are wrap-ping up this month (May) with potential refinements later this year or early next year. Planning is underway for a pedes-trian crossing at 16th Avenue at Hampton Place and Binning Road to connect the Wesbrook, Hampton and Acadia neigh-bourhoods and in particular, to provide an alternative connection to child-care facilities and Norma Rose Point Elemen-tary School. The University is also completing a ma-jor project in the public outdoor spaces around University Boulevard/East Mall. This is a main entry point for many peo-ple, so once this area is complete in the fall pedestrians and cyclists will have a much improved experience entering and exiting the campus with the new space (and no construction)!

Jurisdiction around UBC’s roads can sometimes be confusing. What entities are involved and who’s responsible for what? Although there are multiple jurisdic-tions for UBC’s road network, the key thing to note is that the Motor Vehicle Act applies to all of them. The different enti-ties for the roads west of Blanca Street are UBC, the BC Ministry of Transporta-tion and Infrastructure and the University Endowment Lands. Each group is responsible for maintain-ing the roads themselves or assigning re-sponsibility for the roads to others. On all the roads, the RCMP enforces the Motor Vehicle Act. On UBC roads, UBC Park-ing is able to enforce UBC’s Traffic and Parking Rules.Where do I go to find construction in-formation and how it impacts getting around campus? The road closures and construction in-formation map http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/closures/UBCRoadClosuresMap.pdf is updated weekly with road closure information. The goal of the map is to be as user-friendly as possible and to pro-vide enough detail to help people plan ahead when getting around campus.You don’t see many other roundabouts in Greater Vancouver. Why do we have them at UBC? What are the benefits? Are they safe? Whenever there are intersection im-provements on Ministry Roads it is their requirement to first consider a round-about as the intersection control. 16th Avenue is a Ministry roadway so the Uni-versity was required to follow this stan-dard. Roundabouts are growing in popu-larity across Canada and the US as they have been found to reduce vehicle speeds and virtually eliminate severe collisions like “t-bone” and head-on collisions. As a result, roundabouts improve safety for all road users—pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. If you’ve got a question about transpor-tation you’d like answered, email info.planning@ubc.ca.

Reprinted from UBC Campus and Com-munity Planning May, 2015 Newsletter.

Krista Falkner

Children cross 16th Avenue at Wes-brook Mall on the way to school.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015 page 7

RESEARCH SUBJECTS NEEDED FOR BALANCE PERFORMANCE STUDIES

Neural Control of Posture and Movement Lab at UBC – Dr. Mark Carpenter

We are looking for healthy young adults (age 19-40 years) and healthy older adults (age 55-85 years) to participate in research studies investigat-ing how the nervous system controls upright standing. Balance perfor-mance will be tested in our laboratory at UBC using simple balance and walking tasks. Please contact Dr. Carpenter (mark.carpenter@ubc.ca or 604-822-8614) if you are interested in participating in research and would like more information about the studies that are currently ongoing in our

research lab at UBC.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015page 8

Voice of Campus Youth

University Hill Secondary School tennis got a boost from a new partnership with Tennis BC and the UBC Tennis Centre this April. Over 300 U Hill students trooped across UBC to the UBC Tennis Centre where they spent half a day learning the best

U Hill students hit tennis courtsWith no courts at school,

students are invited to UBC Tennis Centre to play

way to volley, proper feet positioning and how to properly swing a racket. The kids also got a chance to rally and received lessons from some of UBC’s top tennis coaches. Vancouver School Board (VSB) Direc-tor of Instruction Denise Johnson says the program was the result of a pilot program aimed at getting students more physically active and helping them dis-cover the world of athletic opportunities available in their backyard. “With their new school, there is no ac-cess to tennis courts,” she says. “So by

Winny SunUniversity Hill Secondary

Grade 11

“We are knitting together the yarns of equality to create one huge powerful scarf, sparkling

with girls’ rights.”

“If I could knit anything I would knit so many scufflers that I would be able to raise enough money to make every girl in the world have

gender equality, education and peace.”

-Maria King’s class at Queen Mary Elementary School

A scuffle for girls’ education and equality

The Scuffler Project is a fundraising cam-paign started three years ago by a retired teacher, Val Hemingway, to promote and fundraise for girls’ education and equal-ity. Val invented the scuffler— an unique neckwarmer that is half scarf and half muffler—not only to provide comfort and warmth to people on a cold winter day, but most importantly, to fight for girls’ education and equality. Making scufflers and selling them, Val donated all the pro-ceeds to various charities. Originally an individual plan, the Scuffler Project had now expanded to include many volun-teers at schools and community centres throughout Vancouver, including Queen Mary Elementary School in West Point Grey. Val came up with the idea of the Scuf-fler Project when she was teaching her granddaughter to knit. However, she had long been thinking of ways in which she

could contribute to girls’ education and rights. In 1973, Val and her family started trav-elling around the world. Years of travel and thousands of miles across huge con-tinents opened the door for her not to a sugarcoated world, but to a world where poverty, gender inequality and lack of ed-ucation still exist. For Val, this travelling experience was transforming. The documentary “Girls Rising” again affirmed Val’s resolution to help provide educational opportunities to girls. Grate-ful to live in a peaceful environment blooming with opportunities and baffled by the fact that even in the 21st century there are countless girls who are never educated, Val was more determined than ever to do what she could to help girls obtain an education. In the wake of Ma-lala’s incident, Val finally launched her project, a project where she would fight with needles—knitting needles. In December of 2014, Val brought her project to Queen Mary Elementary School. She taught teacher Maria King’s class how to knit the unique patterns of scufflers and to sew buttons. She also shared her own stories with the kids hop-ing to motivate them to make a difference in their own communities. After several months of hard work, the students have crafted many beautiful and creative scufflers. Soft, colorful and styl-ish, these neck warmers are the students’ proudest achievement. “Would you like to take a photo of my scuffler?” a student asked expectantly. Another joined in, “I want to be in the picture with my scuf-fler too!” “Of course!” I said and smiled, amazed and moved by their energy and enthusiasm. In front of the camera, the kids proudly held up their projects. They smiled hap-pily as if their fundraised money had al-ready helped the girls learn how to read and write. While the amount of their fun-

draised money was limited, it neverthe-less meant the entire world to them. From having no knowledge at all of knitting scufflers to finishing their own unique neckwarmers, from not being aware of countless uneducated girls around the world to doing all they can to help these girls go to school, the class learned and matured. An amazing knitter who excelled at hands-on projects since her childhood, Val Hemingway has used her skills and passion to make a difference. Scuffler means to fight, and Val is going to fight alongside with many others to give op-portunities to girls. Her journey to change the lives of girls in poverty-stricken areas has just began, and yours could start at any moment.

Happy and enthusiastic students at Queen Mary Elementary School are proud to display the scufflers they knitted in a fundraising project to provide educational opportunities for girls around the world. Photo by Winny Sun.

The Scuffler Project founder Val Hemingway (left) and teacher Maria King display the scufflers knitted by students. Photo by Winny Sun.

partnering with UBC and Tennis BC, it is a way to broaden our access to these athletic resources.” Kyle Cupido is a director of the UBC Tennis Centre. Mr. Cupido says he’s hop-ing the kids playing at the courts will “catch the tennis bug” like he has. “It is fulfilling to see all these young kids playing a game I love,” he says. “I’m hoping it will build from there. They al-ways reference tennis being a sport of a

lifetime. We would love to duplicate this with other schools and not just limit it to the campus facility. We want to teach ten-nis out in other VSB schools.” Mr. Cupido says 14 of his instructors spent the day working with kids. The equipment the students used were do-nated by Rackets and Runners and sup-ported financially by Tennis BC.

Reprinted from VSB News.

BOOK A TABLE TO SELL YOUR ITEMS - $15.00 + TAXESWWW.MYUNA.CA/REGISTRATION WITH CODE 10839

RECEPTION@OLDBARN.CA 604.827.4469

U Hill Secondary students at UBC Tennis Centre. Photo courtesy of VSB.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015 page 9

As some of you may be aware, the UBC communities are not immune from thefts of opportunity. This month’s article will focus on tips to prevent theft from auto and theft of bicycle. Theft from AutoUniversity RCMP would like to remind the residents of the UBC and UEL com-munities of some tips to avoid having their vehicles broken into and belongings stolen. Remember, if a car door cannot be opened and the contents removed in a few seconds, a thief generally will not bother. University RCMP recommends the fol-lowing tips to prevent theft: • If shopping, avoid making multiple trips to your vehicle to store recent pur-chases. Potential thieves look for these obvious opportunities to target vehicles. • If you must leave something in your car, lock your items in the vehicle trunk instead of in plain sight in the cabin of the vehicle. • Try to park in well lit parking lots or streets. • Stay alert to your surroundings. • Do not leave valuables (for example, wallet, purse, handbag, mobile phone,

Crime Prevention Tips

Community Policing

laptop computer, camera, CDs, radio, shopping and luggage) in your vehicle. If you do need to leave them in the vehicle, make sure they are hidden from view, preferably in the trunk. It is best to con-ceal items discreetly before you park, in case you are watched. • Close all windows and lock all doors and the trunk. • Don’t leave house keys, garage door opener and your address or accommoda-tion information visible inside your ve-hicle when unattended. • Never hide a second set of car keys anywhere in your car. University RCMP volunteers patrol the communities regularly and observe and report suspicious activity. These dedicat-ed volunteers deploy informative crime prevention notices to vehicles which dis-play vulnerability to theft. If you hap-pen to receive one of these notices, please take note and engage in the above recom-

Cpl. Brenda Winpenny

Cpl. Brenda WinpennyCommunity Relations,

University RCMP brenda.winpenny@rcmp-grc.

gc.ca Tel: 604-224-1322

mended prevention tips.Bicycle theft prevention While a theft of your investment can take just moments, the inconvenience and financial loss will last much longer. The University RCMP offers the biking community the following preventative measures they can take in helping reduce their chance of being a victim: • Record SERIAL NUMBERS (regard-less of the value of the bike) so that they can be added to police computer records, helping bikes be identified if located. • Photograph your bike as a reference to assist police in identification. • Never leave your bike unlocked in pub-lic. If securing your bike in public, use a high quality lock. • In the same breath, don’t trust locks as

they can be removed with minimal effort. Take the extra step and remove the seat or a wheel as an extra deterrent. • Most bike stores keep serial numbers and information of your purchased bike. Check with your local bike shop to ob-tain that information if your bike does get stolen. • Secure underground parking lots at apartment-condo complexes are continu-ally targeted every year and in all sea-sons. Avoid leaving your bike on or in your vehicle as thieves find ways into the secure underground parking lots. If you are required to store your bike in a des-ignated area, such as a bike locker, use a high quality lock as well and take the ex-tra step of removing the seat or a wheel.

RCMP Campus Statistics for theft of bicycles and thefts from vehicle April 13–May 10

Theft of bicycles: 6200 block of Logan Lane, 6400 block of Agronomy Road, 5900 block of Student Union Blvd., 5800 block of Hampton Place, 2300 Main Mall, 6300 block of Thun-derbird Crescent, 2500 block of West Mall, 2400 Wesbrook Mall, 6000 block of Iona Drive, 2200 block of Lower Mall, 6300 block of Memorial Road, 5900 block of Berton Ave., 6100 block of Student Union Blvd.Thefts from vehicleAcadia Beach parking lot (passenger window pried open and purse stolen), Acadia Beach (vehicle broken into while parked and purse stolen), 6300 block of Larkin Drive (vehicle parked in underground), 4700 block of Chancellor Blvd. (passen-ger window smashed and laptop bag containing several items taken), 4900 block of West 16th Ave. (window smashed and wallet and phone stolen), 6300 block of Hawthorn Lane (window smashed while parked in underground parkade).

CRAZI dance club perform at BC Youth week celebration on May 3, 2015. Photo by Dorota Mann.

Throughout British Columbia, the week May 1-7 is BC Youth Week. It is a week of fun, interaction and celebration intend-ed to build a strong connection between young people and their communities and to profile the issues, accomplishments and diversity of youth across the prov-ince. Here, at the Old Barn, I have been fortunate to work with some great young individuals who are inspired to become future leaders in their community. The members of the UTown@UBC Youth Leadership Program meet weekly on Fridays from 4pm to 7:30pm from January to April and again from Septem-ber to December. As the facilitator of the program, I try and encourage each partic-ipant to find their true voice so as to ex-plore the subjective nature of leadership. The group has successfully accepted my

UNA youth inspired to find their true voicepersonal challenges to pull themselves out of their comfort zones, to listen when they feel they should speak and to speak up when they feel shy. One of the events that the leadership group is responsible for is planning and executing the BC Youth Week Celebration. This year we held the event on Sunday May 3 from 4pm to 7pm and featured several of our communities talented youth performers. The Youth Leadership Group was re-sponsible for the organizing and delivery of our BC Youth Week Celebration, in-cluding securing sponsorship from Save-On-Foods, advertising and marketing by creating a poster and promoting the event through social media channels as well as catering and audio and visual set up. The afternoon was kicked off by David Eby, our NDP MLA representative for the Vancouver Point Grey constituency. Mr. Eby delivered a few encouraging words and acknowledged the hard work put in by the youth performers. The Crazi Club

Dance Crew followed with a couple of numbers which really stole the show. This group of young performers has re-ally come a long way in the last couple of years. Their costumes and choreography were really first class. Next, the Crazi Club Pop Band provided us with a cou-ple of tunes they executed superbly. The sound was just right for the quartet which included two vocalists, guitar, drums and keyboard. Next up, the UNA Youth Documentary Team screened their short film “Fandom”. These UNA Community Grant Award recipients outlined the ex-pansive and at times all-encompassing notion of being a Fan. After a short intermission in which snacks were served, about 15 of the Youth Leadership members took the stage to briefly summarize their personal goals and future aspirations. It’s exciting to see the group speak publically about how they are planning on personally changing the world. Shortly thereafter, the UNA

Youth Band performed three songs that were magnificent. Every time I hear them, they sound better and better. We concluded the afternoon with 18 large pizzas that were delivered for all parents and participants. We all left feeling full of inspiration…and pizza! I was extremely proud of the leader-ship group and all the youth performers for showcasing their exceptional talents to provide the community with a great afternoon. I look forward to some more exciting youth events that are happening this summer: for instance, The Outdoor Adventure Club, which was a great suc-cess last year, features bi-weekly hikes and outings to the North Shore Moun-tains. The cost is around $20 for UNA residents. The first hike goes July 11. Stay tuned for some more exciting youth events that will be happening in the coming months and don’t forget: we will have our very own Teen Centre in the new Wesbrook Community Centre!

Andrew ClementsUNA Youth Program Coordinator

UNA Youth Leadership group at Lighthouse Park during Outdoor Adventure Club in 2014.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015page 10

Site studies start on Jericho Lands (East)

Canada Lands Company addresses West Point Grey residents at packed meeting

John TompkinsThe Campus Resident Editor

At an April 29 meeting in West Point Grey, a Canada Lands Company (CLC) executive provided local residents with an overview of the work to come on Jeri-cho Lands (East) over the next three to six months. Deana Grinnell, Senior Director, Real Estate, BC Region, told over 400 resi-dents packed into the Jericho Gymna-sium on 4th Avenue the CLC will be moving ahead with planning and public consultation. “Formal public consultation about the Jericho property is expected to begin in the fall, likely September, and could take 12-18 months or more, working in con-junction with the City of Vancouver for-mal policy planning process,” Ms. Grin-nell said. In the meantime, site studies would be underway, and residents should expect to see CLC employees on the Jericho Lands property. Bob Howald, CLC Vice-President, Real Estate, made a presentation at the meet-ing, introducing residents to both the joint venture agreement for the Jericho Lands (East)—formerly owned by the Depart-ment of National Defense—and the in-vestment in extensive public consultation “that is a hallmark of the Canada Lands Company development process.” Mr. Howald described how Jericho Lands (East)—jointly owned by the CLC and three First Nations—will be devel-oped on a day-to-day basis. “The First Nations sit on the Joint Ven-ture Management Committee with CLC,” he said. “Day-to-day project management is done by CLC, which must respect and address a long list of City of Vancouver policies including the West Point Grey Vision plan, which speaks to a desire for community consultation regarding future planning for the Jericho Lands.” Mr. Howald described the CLC as a self-financing, commercial Crown Cor-poration which paid the Federal Govern-ment outright for Jericho Lands (East). “The CLC, which will develop the lands, will return corporate dividends back to the Federal Government until the land is disposed of,” he said.

The Jericho Lands, bounded by 4th Av-enue, Discovery Street, Highbury Street and 8th Avenue, are half owned by the federal government (East) and half by the provincial government (West), and will be developed over the next decade. On October 1, 2014, the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations and Canada Lands Company announced that they had completed the acquisition of three former Government of Canada properties in Vancouver—one of the properties is Jericho Lands (East). The First Nations and Canada Lands Company also announced “an historic joint venture partnership” and equal ownership interest in the lands with 50% collectively held by the First Nations and the other half held by Canada Lands. Prior to the April meeting, organized by the West Point Grey Residents Associ-ation, NDP MLA David Eby, Vancouver-Point Grey, sent out an e-mail—widely read by constituents—where he attacks the provincial government for allegedly reneging on a pledge to consult with West Point Grey residents prior to develop-ment of the western half of the Jericho Lands, which it owns. In the letter, the MLA says, “I’ve just found out that the province’s negotiations to sell their half of the lands are progress-ing rapidly, and that they plan to break their promise to consult our community before the land is sold.” At the April meeting, residents quoted the West Point Grey (WPG) Vision State-ment, which was approved by Vancouver City Council on September 23, 2010. This Statement, which took several years to compile and get approved, promises “significant public consultation” if the redevelopment of the Jericho Lands is proposed. The Statement reads, “Consistent with the approach taken to create the WPG Community Vision, workshops and oth-er consultations – including a survey of WPG residents – should be held to help determine the neighbourhood’s view on issues related to the development of the Jericho Lands not covered in the WPG Community Vision.” In his letter, Mr. Eby wrote, “The future of those lands is of major significance to residents, local businesses, schools, com-munity centres and so many others. How and when these strategically located pub-lic properties are developed will shape the future of the west side of our city.” “We already have one Coal Harbour in Vancouver; we don’t need another at Jericho.”

Counselling

Elizabeth Demeter, Ph. D., R.C.C.Registered Clinical Counsellor

Welcomes new clients for individual, couple or family counselling

Careville Medical Clinic and Pharmacy3317 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6S 0B1

Please call 604 873 - 1280

www.careville.ca

Others preferred the “community af-firming” aspect of the in-person system (Option B). A resident referred to elec-tion day at the UNA as “an exciting day” in the life of the community. In any event, residents learned that only Option A would be available for use in the 2015 UNA election of directors for Options B and C would require a change in the UNA constitution—which could not be accomplished immediately. The Elections Advisory Committee—whose membership includes also Al-lan Graigie, Hawthorn Place resident, Sandy Song, Hawthorn Place resident, non-resident Chris Fay and non-resident Michel Jaworski—will now report back to the UNA directors at a May 26 com-

ELECTION continued from Page 1 mittee meeting. This report will contain a set of recommendations about the three options. Jan Fialkowski, UNA Executive Direc-tor, said, “The expectation is that a new voting procedure can be in place for the September 2015 elections.” Fittingly perhaps, the May 7 UNA Town Hall meeting on election reform took place at a time when election fever was in the air around the world. The British election took place the same day as the UNA election reform meeting. The Alberta election took place May 5. The Prince Edward Island election took place May 4. You may read the consultation paper on reform of UNA voting procedures prepared by the UNA Elections Advisory Committee online at www.myuna.ca

The UNA are looking to hire instructors for the

new Wesbrook Community Centre opening in the Fall!

If you are an experienced instructor and have skills to share in

ARTS, FITNESS, MUSIC, EDUCATION, NUTRITION

or other areas, please view our website for job postings.

WE ARE HIRING!

www.myuna.ca/about-us/join-us

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015 page 11

Biodiversity in your backyard

April showers bring May flowers. Some of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum favou-rites in bloom are tulips, rhododendrons, and bleeding hearts.

Want to preserve these beautiful flowers to look back on during the rainy months that follow summer? Keep reading to find out how. What you’ll need: A heavy book, parchment paper and a pretty flower. • Collect flowers on a bright sunny day when they aren’t wet from rain or dew because the moisture will cause them to mold. • Don’t pick rare plants or things that don’t belong to you. You cannot pick

plants in parks – stick to your own garden or ask permission. • Select a flower that is in full bloom and hasn’t been damaged with bruises, wilt-ing or insect bites. • Open your book and put two pieces of parchment paper in. • Place flower face down in-between the two pieces of parchment paper. • Close the book and leave it undisturbed for seven to ten days. How is this different from how we preserve plants for our museum collec-tion? We use special paper and glue that helps to preserve plants for hundreds of years. Regular paper has a bit of acid in it, which can damage plants over many years, so we use something called archi-val paper that is acid free. When we press plants, we try to posi-tion them so that they are easy to identify rather than showing off their beauty – showing off things like their flower parts, roots and both sides of the leaves. We use a professional plant press that has blot-ters allowing plants inside to dry really efficiently because the blotters take out all the moisture. Lots of pressure can be applied to this wooden case with straps making the plant nice and flat. We are able to press multiple plants with this one press. Sometimes scientists will press plants where they find them (we call that “in the field”), or they can bring them to us and we will press them here in the museum. These plants get added to our collection, and scientists can study them for years to come. Our Vascular Plant Curator is running a

Mairin KerrMarketing, Communications & Events Coordinator at the Beaty

Biodiversity Museum

Bleeding hearts from @beatymuseum instagram taken in the Museum’s Herbarium.

workshop on plant pressing for members on Sunday May 24th. For more informa-tion, visit: www.beatymuseum.ubc.ca/sneak-peek/plant-pressing. In the CollectionCelebrate International Biodiversity Day on Friday May 22nd. The Beaty Biodi-

versity Museum has FREE general ad-mission and a new spotlight exhibition 34 Wonders of the World on display. UBC Botanical Garden has a full lineup of workshops, lectures and tours. Visit botanicalgarden.ubc.ca for more infor-mation.

How to Press Plants

The architect also said Europe leads North America in development of a tall

wood construction industry, but signs have emerged this may change. He re-ferred to a ten-storey wooden condo building under construction in Quebec.

TOWER continued from Page 1

Artistic rendering of tall wood building for student housing which would be con-structed across the road from Chancellor Place.

UBC organized the information session in St. Andrew’s Hall located in the Chan-cellor Place neighbourhood. Ying Zhou, a Chancellor Place resident and a UNA Board Director attended along with a few other residents. After the hour-long event, Ms. Zhou said, “The fact that only a few residents attended the information session might suggest a lack of awareness of this issue.“Residents I have talked to have concerns about the noise and pollution both dur-

ing and after construction. The non-stop construction in Chancellor Place during the last few years has seriously impacted the quality of life for the residents. “Residents are also concerned with the effect the building will have on their ex-isting views, including the blockage of sunlight.” Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by Ying Zhou are those of the Ms. Zhou alone and are not to be inferred to represent UNA policy.

The Beaty Biodiversity Museum Herbarium’s plant press.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MAY 18, 2015page 12

Student rolling to school on her scooter. Photo by Michael Chen.

Year-round Acadia Biking group going to U Hill Elementary School. Photo by Michael Chen.

Students heading to Norma Rose Point Elementary School. Photo by Andy Fang.

Wesbrook’s Walking School Bus, which runs all year round. Photo by Andy Fang.

UTown@UBC: Walk ‘N Roll to School