Volume 7, Issue 4 APRIL 18, 2016

Published by the University Neighbourhoods Association

CROSSWALK continued on Page 8

The work of creating a new pedestrian crosswalk on 16th Avenue has begun and is due for completion by the end of May.

UBC Works with MOTI to Refine 16th Avenue Crosswalk Plan while Residents

Express Safety and Noise ConcernsSafety of proposed crosswalk by

Hampton Place is questioned by 27 residents and Pacific

Spirit Park Society; 16th Avenue is within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and

Infrastructure

When complete, the pedestrian cross-ing will connect the Wesbrook Place, Hampton Place and Acadia neighbour-hoods, and in particular will provide an alternative connection to UBC child care facilities and Norma Rose Point Elemen-tary School. Krista Falkner, UBC Transportation Engineer, gave details of the crosswalk project at a March 29 community infor-mation session organized by UBC Cam-pus and Community Planning (C+CP) at Wesbrook Community Centre. The de-tails Ms. Falkner provided included the

following: • Pedestrian-activated flashing lights will be installed at either end of the cross-walk and at the median. • These lights will operate as two sepa-rate signals for eastbound and westbound traffic. • Pedestrians and cyclists will activate the signals two times when crossing 16th Avenue: once on the approach to 16th Avenue (east or westbound) and once in the median.

UBC and Musqueam Indian Band representatives gather at Musqueam Post dedication ceremony. Photo credit Martin Dee. Please see stories on Pages 6-7.

As reported by the UNA Board Chair in his letter to residents in last month’s Campus Resident, the province is going to charge the UNA community for fire protection services. I am writing to draw residents’ attention to two consequences of this charge: it will leave substantially less money for the UNA to spend on com-munity services and it will increase the disparity between the province’s taxation of property owners in our community and its taxation of property owners in the University Endowment Lands (UEL). The province has stated that it will require UNA property owners to pay $500,000 for fire protection services for the 2016-17 fiscal year, $1 million for 2017-18, and increasing amounts there-after. We have been assured that this new charge will not affect the combined amount of rural property tax and services levy that we pay. We are told that, instead, there will be a corresponding reduction in the amount of services levy available to fund our community, either because we will pay a lower services levy (if the new charge is added to rural property tax) or because the fire services charge will be paid from the levy. For fiscal 2016-17, before taking into account the fire servic-es charge, the services levy is expected to yield $3.4 million, of which $2.7 million is to be provided to the UNA. Clearly, the fire services charge will result in a sub-stantial reduction in the amount of money available for the benefit of our commu-nity. The UNA website page on the fire services charge gives the following as a rationale for the charge (response to Fre-quently Asked Question #3): The province recovers a portion of fire protection services costs from UEL resi-dents via a general ‘rural’ tax rate that is higher than that paid by UBC neighbour-hood residents (e.g. in 2015, the Class 1 residential rural tax rate for UEL is 0.8682 per $1,000 assessed value and for the UNA it is 0.5700 per $1,000 assessed value).

Bill HolmesHampton Place resident and retired tax lawyer

UNA Residents to

be Taxed Unfairly by the Province

OPINION

TAXES continued on Page 8

Cedar Post on Campus Points to Growing Partnership between Musqueam and UBC

UNA Directors Decide Iona Green Playground Should Stay in Place

Local residents will be consulted about how noise of children

playing there might be mitigated; board vote was five to one in

favour of retention

Directors of the University Neighbour-hoods Association have decided to retain a playground for children at its current location in Chancellor Place despite the

objections of some local residents about the noise children make there. In a five to one vote with six directors present, the decision came at the April 12 UNA Board meeting of directors af-ter intense and lengthy discussion about whether the Iona Green playground for children should be removed or kept in place. While residents hoping to have the play-ground removed will take no comfort in the decision to retain the playground in

Iona Green, these resident may be en-couraged to know directors at the meet-ing instructed staff to begin a campaign of mitigating the noise problem there. The issue of noise emanating from children playing at the Iona Green play-ground surfaced six years ago when the play equipment was installed there, and in June 2015, the UNA classified it as a priority operational issue.

PLAYGROUND continued on Page 10

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016page 2

MLA David Eby and Family: “Why We Chose to Move to UBC and Why We’re Excited to Be Here”David Eby

Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Vancouver-Point Grey, an area that includes UBC and the University Endow-

ment Lands, as well as West Point Grey and Kitsilano

About a month ago, my family moved from our cozy but very small Kitsilano condo to the University neighbourhoods, and we’re thrilled to be here. While we’ll miss our old neighbours, friends and the local stores near our old place, we’ve been so happy to be part of the family-friendly UNA. Since being elected, I’ve been wel-comed by residents of the UNA to count-less events, from Lunar New Year to group dinners, to Kids for Charity bike parades. No matter what event I’ve been at, I’ve been overwhelmed by the posi-tive, community-centred spirit of UNA residents. The level of volunteer participation, the multicultural community, the mix of faculty and student families with more established families, the diversity of ages and backgrounds—it made me proud to be MLA for this area. It also made our family think of the UNA when we needed more bedrooms after our son Ezra started walking. And needing bigger toys. And running and jumping. The housing market in Metro Vancou-ver is out of control. Affordable housing for families is almost a self-contradic-

tory term. Two bedroom condos start at $550,000 in this constituency, or at least they did a couple of months ago. They’re probably closer to $600,000 by the time this goes to print. With our son in daycare and my wife Cailey a proud UBC medi-cal student after her years as a commu-nity nurse, we were clearly in the rental, not the purchase, market. Thankfully, UBC has been building market rental housing in the Univer-sity neighbourhoods. After a very brief wait on the list, we were able to get a beautiful, professionally managed two bedroom apartment. It’s not affordable housing for everyone—it’s expensive for families earning the average household income in Vancouver—but it’s affordable for us, and we’re very happy to be here and to be your new neighbours. We feel especially lucky that this unit exists in a housing market where more and more families like ours have to choose to leave Vancouver. (Yes, I know technically we have left Vancouver, but we still feel very much part of the city.) I know there are lots of challenges and opportunities in our new neighbour-hood—how the community gets to par-ticipate democratically in the decisions that are made, for example, is a very live issue. I look forward to understanding these challenges better as a local resident as well as working with you to address them. For our family, being able to walk to the community centre, the grocery store and Pacific Spirit Park is convenience de-fined, and helps with our fitness tracker step count. The programs and events that

take place almost every weekend at UBC have kept us constantly entertained and engaged. When we can get a sitter, we’ve been at events at the Chan Centre, and when our weekends settle down when I’m back from Victoria, we can’t wait to take in more T-Bird sporting events. Despite all of these wonderful ameni-ties and adventures, one of the most sig-nificant improvements in our day-to-day family life after moving to the Univer-sity neighbourhoods is something that didn’t figure in our original decision to move here. We quickly discovered we have an endless variety of perfect pocket parks for Ezra just steps from our home

in almost every direction. From the new water park (he doesn’t even know how awesome that will be), to the small parks nearby where we meet his pals from day-care, it’s a great chance for us to hang out and have fun. We’re very happy to be your new neigh-bours. We’d love for you to say ‘Hi’ if you see us around the neighbourhood. We look forward to many happy years in the University neighbourhoods. As always, you can reach me in my offi-cial role as MLA at my office if you have any concerns with which I can assist. The contact details for my office are at www.davideby.ca.

David Eby with his wife Cailey and son Ezra at Menchie’s in Wesbrook Place.

The UNA is seeking new programs and instructors at

the Wesbrook Community Centreand The Old Barn Community Centre

If you have an expertise that has empowered you to teach a class, please submit a proposal on our

website, and a coordinator will get in touch with you

New proposals are due June 15, 2016

www.myuna.ca/about-us/join-us ARTS, FITNESS, MUSIC, SOCIAL

EDUCATION, LANGUAGE & MORE!email programs@myuna.ca for more information

WE ARE HIRING!

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016

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.

We are writing to express our concern about the design of a proposed pedestrian crossing at West 16th Avenue and Hamp-ton Place at the entrance to UBC and the current 70 km/h speed limit. While we support the addition of a pedestrian crossing, we believe reducing the speed limit needs to be an integral part of the pedestrian crosswalk design and requires attention before the crossing is complet-ed. The crossing is a project proposed by UBC to serve the residential neighbour-hoods in the area, but because West 16th Avenue is under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), it must be ap-proved by MOTI and comply with MOTI standards. UBC Campus and Commu-nity Planning (C+CP) and residents have requested that the speed be reduced to 50 km/h from Blanca to SW Marine Drive to reflect the high level of pedestrian activ-ity in the area and the residential context. MOTI has not yet confirmed approval of the request. Work on the crosswalk started on March 15, 2016 with the removal of 10 trees in-cluding four 30-year- old fir trees and six cherry trees. When residents contacted UBC C+CP to inquire, planners advised that the tree removal is part of the cross-walk design, which also includes level-ing the berm 135 m east of the crossing. C+CP agreed to temporarily delay further

Changes that Will Make 16th Avenue Safer and Less Noisywork on the crosswalk until an informa-tion meeting could be organized. A community open house meeting was held on March 29 with C+CP staff and the UNA Executive Director attending and at least 14 residents. C+CP staff ad-vised at the meeting that the design of the crossing is based on the current 70 km/h speed limit, and that work on the crossing would resume in one week. Residents presented numerous concerns including the 70 km/h speed limit, the tree removal, the leveling of the berm, the visual and noise impact of traffic and pedestrian safety. Many residents are concerned that the current speed limit encourages drivers to speed for the entire stretch of West 16th Avenue from Blanca to SW Marine Drive and will create a dangerous condition for the proposed crossing. On March 31, a letter was sent to UBC C+CP to summarize concerns that were raised at the meeting and to request con-sideration of the following design chang-es: • reduce posted speed on West 16th Avenue (e.g., to 50 km/h typical and 30 km/h at pedestrian crossings) • minimize regrading of the berm based on a lower speed • reduce westbound traffic to a single lane east of the crossing, up to the infor-mation kiosk, to promote adherence to a lower speed • plant replacement trees at the median and boulevard • install curbs for safety and rain gar-dens for storm water at the boulevards • provide a low wall, berm and hedge, east of the crossing on the north side, to screen traffic noise for residents • in the long term, ask UBC and the Province to consider transfer of West 16th Avenue and other MOTI roads in the area to UBC to simplify and clarify approvals and accountability for roads in

The sketch plan, made by residents and attached to Letter to the Editor above, illustrates proposed crosswalk design changes.

the community. We have attached a sketch plan to il-lustrate our proposed changes in the area of the crossing. The UBC C+CP crossing design we are responding to can be found at: http://planning.ubc.ca/vancouver/projects-consultations/under-construc-tion/transportation/west-16th-avenue-pedestrian-crosswalk-project We are pleased to note that on March 31, a UBC C+CP representative advised that UBC has contacted MOTI about ap-proval of the reduced speed limit on West 16th Avenue, and that C+CP will consid-er the other requests made by residents to increase pedestrian safety and mitigate traffic noise. We believe it is critical to pedestrian safety to lower the speed limit before work on the crossing is complete. A report issued March 31 by the BC Pro-vincial Health Officer further supports our request, as it emphasizes the impor-tance of lower speed limits in reducing pedestrian injury and fatalities (Where the Rubber Meets the Road, PHO, 2016).

We believe the proposed revisions will make West 16th Avenue more pedestrian oriented, accessible, residential, sustain-able and above all, safer for all users. Our hope is that West 16th Avenue will also be designed for people who live here, not just for vehicles passing through. We would welcome opportunities for further discussion regarding measures to improve the crossing and road design and greatly appreciate UBC C+CP’s ef-forts to date.

Heather Nichol, Tom Ainscough, Giselle Lightie, Maria McAllister, Parisa Mehrk-hodavandi, Robert Brain, Alexander Mil-ner, Alla Milner, Lisa Nathan, Eric Mey-ers, Linda Moore, Kathy Griffiths, Janis Gosbee, Irina Lapiy, Susan Moore, James Moore, Julie Mitchell, Dayn Longlade, Barbara Lemon, Dee Dee Sung, Nancy Buchan, Barry Davids, Brenda Lamb, Bill Hooker, Janet Evans, Randall F. White, Lang Wu - Hampton Place resi-dents; Pacific Spirit Park Society Board, Chair Bob Meyer

Referring to your UBC Climate Action Plan story in March issue, please note a simple idea to save energy on campus is to turn off the lights automatically when nobody is in a building or after a certain time of the day. In the Economics building (formerly the Theological building) across my condo, the lights in a number of rooms and col-lege auditoria are on the whole night. I do not know about other UBC buildings, but

Climate Action Plan: Switch off Lights at Night

such low hanging fruit is easy to catch. In the Total (Big Oil) headquarter build-ing in la Defense, near Paris, the lights switch off every day automatically at 6 pm in all rooms, and if you want to work later, you have to switch them back on with a moving sensor. Such installation is not costly and can save lots of energy.

Wouter Raemdonck, Chancellor Place resident

Trees removed from 16th Avenue median to improve sightlines for vehicles approaching the crosswalk at Hampton Place.

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

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016page 4

UNA Volunteer Awards

2015–2016 UNA Volunteer Awards Nominee StoriesNominees in the following categories join the nominees listed in

The Campus Resident March issue. Nominations closed on March 28.

Andrzej is an enthusiastic volunteer and a local garden representative who spear-headed the redesign, upgrades and the new tool shed construction of Hawthorn Community Garden in 2015. With the assistance from Andrzej, the UNA office has been able to source the most suitable equipment to meet local gardeners’ day-to-day operational needs. Andrzej’s industrial design background has proved to be valuable in solving and fixing a number of deficiencies gardeners experienced during the upgrade. His ex-pertise in garden operation and manage-ment is well illustrated in the transforma-tion of Hawthorn Garden. Andrzej also put in countless hours of

Community Development and Leadership

Living in Hawthorn Place for nearly four years, Dorota has never stopped being a volunteer. In fact, every year, she has been enthusiastically taking on more and more responsibilities leading community activities. Women’s Social Club—a weekly pro-gram she started to lead in 2012—pro-vides support for women in the commu-nity to make friends, get to know their neighborhoods and practice English. Community Art Night—a monthly program she started last year—is a com-munity building program for people to do arts and crafts together in a social set-ting. Lunar New Year celebration—she has been a key planner for three years in a row, and her non-Chinese perspective and artistic creativity have helped make the event more inclusive with new ideas. Let’s Cook Club—she and her family have been active participants and fre-

Priscille MichelPriscille lives in Acadia Park, where she has coordinated the Acadia Biking Group for over two years. As a mother of three, Priscille has proven her commitment to organizing the group and taking part as biking leader regardless of rain, sleet or snow. The Acadia families come from all corners of the globe and have many different styles of communicating and parenting. Priscille has demonstrated a strong sense of leadership, communicat-ing with these families in a kind, under-standing and respectful manner—further contributing to the success of the group as a team. Priscille has treated each and every issue or event with equal concern and optimism, making all families an essential and contributing part of the group—which only strengthens our com-

Dorota Mann

quent helpers. Dorota is relatively new to Canada, and she is very welcoming to other newcom-ers to Canada. She accepts new belief systems, cultural habits and behaviors and participates in community activities with great enthusiasm and dedication. Dorota won the 2015 UNA Volunteer Award and has been nominated again this year.

Education, Arts and Culture

Jeannie has been a resident of Wesbrook Place for over four years. She has been an active volunteer both at school and in the community. She participated in the International Lunch at University Hill Secondary School and coordinated the Lunar New Year party at Norma Rose Point School in 2013 and 2014. She also supported the fundraising campaign ‘To Build School Playground’ for Norma Rose Point. Jeannie was one of the key planners for the UNA Lunar New Year celebra-tion in 2015 and 2016. Her passionate in-volvement in the community has helped showcase Korean culture and tradition, and enhanced the active participation of Korean residents in the events. Jeannie is also a member of UNA Multi-

Jeannie Lee cultural Committee. Her unique perspec-tive and valuable input always contribute to building a connected and inclusive community.

Supporting Children, Youth or Seniors

Acadia Biking Group (University Hill Elementary School)The Acadia Biking Group bikes ev-ery morning and every afternoon of the school year back and forth from Aca-dia Park to University Hill Elementary school. Starting as a project to share the burden of bringing the kids to school and picking them up, this group is now achieving much more than its initial in-tention. First of all, the kids have become ac-complished bikers. Not only have they developed strong muscles to master the up-hill ride back home, they also have learned to ride their bikes in a safe way,

Sustainability and Environment

Andrzej Wroblewski his personal time in the operation and management of UNA community gar-dens. Without his involvement, Haw-thorn Community Garden would not be the treasure it is.

showing consideration for the other kids in the group and for the persons they en-counter on their way. In order to help kids to achieve this level of safety, parents have been very intentional in encourag-ing behaviour among the kids that show

respect for others and Nature. Second, a deep sense of community, of belonging and of taking care of each other is part of the ethos of the group. This has also led to some memorable potlucks, the organi-zation of some punctual outings and sport

events. This has also led one dad to start a coding group and another one to start a family soccer event in which most of the families are participating. Thanks to Aaron and Priscille for leading the group and thanks to Ildi, Paulo and Rachel, Ma-rio and Marigold, Eric and Serene, Sonja and Andreas, Roberto and Tatiana, Oona and Justin, Denise, Itai and Jen, Dave and Erin, Laura and Ramon, Sam and Shek-ooh, Jenny and Aaron, Ofira and Ido, Saeed and Nasrime, Priscille and Nico-las, Allison and Dean, Lareina and Jason, Ama and Daniel and Tamara to volun-teering so faithfully with the kids.In the photo from left to right: Priscille, Tatiana, Shekooh, Paulo, Mario, Oona, Itai, Lareina, Denise. Kneeling with the kids: Allison.

munity at Acadia Park. Children get the morning exercise before school while learning about bike safety and respecting the road. Because of Priscille’s leadership and commitment to the biking group, Acadia Park has formed new bonds and friendships that the community is forever thankful for.

Education, Arts and Culture

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016 page 5

Outstanding Youth Volunteers

Alice HongAlice has been a core member of the CRAZI Youth Club Dance Crew since its founding in 2012. Her passion for danc-ing has influenced many youths in our community. She is an amazing dancer and choreographer. Since she started to

David has been a committed volunteer since he moved to Wesbrook Place in 2012. He has helped many community programs and events including Commu-

David He nity Connection Night, Let’s Cook Club, Barn Raising, Lunar New Year celebra-tions, Wesbrook Outdoor Movie, etc. In 2013, Eric took the call of presenting a crosstalk show for the Lunar New Year celebration within one month. He found a partner, worked together on the script and rehearsed tirelessly. What they delivered was an impressive show that brought huge laughter and applause from the au-dience. David has demonstrated ability to be a passionate and efficient volun-teer to serve the community. In the past three years, David has volunteered for a total of 140 hours for the UNA commu-nity. David is also the current leader of the Pop Dance Group at University Hill Secondary School and the leader of the school fundraising campaign for Down-town Eastside Women’s Shelter. He is the winner of 2016 Citizenship Award at school.

UNA Volunteer Awards

The UNA Board of Directors has created a five-member Volunteer Recognition Committee to review the nominations and determine the 2015-2016 UNA Vol-unteer Awards winners. At their meeting April 12, the directors also appointed the four members of the Volunteer Recognition Committee. Hampton Place resident John Lin, Wes-brook Place resident Leonor von Baer and Hawthorn Place resident Shahrzad Khaiat will sit with UNA staff repre-sentative Qiuning Wang, Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator. Shahrzad Khaiat has been a resident of Hawthorn Place for five years. She

Directors Approve UNA Volunteer Recognition

CommitteeFive members of committee

are appointed; they will select the 2015-2016 UNA Volunteer

Awards winners

is a research assistant in UBC Depart-ment of Physiology. Shahrzad has volun-teered extensively at UBC and has a good knowledge of volunteering. Her volun-teer experience includes: urban farmer at UBC Farm for one complete season; vol-unteering for Canadian Blood Services at NetCAD (UBC) clinic; a member of the UBC Emergency Medical Aid Team for on-campus events and community team leader for the Liberal Party of Canada. Leonor von Baer has been a resident of Wesbrook Place for five years. Her in-volvement with the community includes the organization of the first neighbours’ potluck in her building (which has turned into a yearly event), Wesbrook Kids Club and the Fitness Fun bootcamp program funded by the UTown@UBC Commu-nity Grants. Leonor also participated in community programs like Emergency Preparedness and Zero Waste Challenge. Most recently, she has become part of the UFASTA executive (University Faculty

and Staff Tenants Association) to repre-sent the residents of Faculty/Staff hous-ing. John Lin, who has been a resident of Hampton Place for several years, is an ac-tive volunteer in the community. John is the co-founder of LaPower Running So-ciety that organizes local runs and works on Vancouver major events (such as Sun Run, BMO Marathon and Scotia Vancou-ver Half Marathon). He has served as the Executive Secretary on the Parent Advi-

Living on UBC Campus, Jessie has been a very active volunteer since 2015. She helped 12 community events in the past year, including Barn Raising, Canada Day, Christmas Crafts, Draw Down Event, Lunar New Year celebration, Eas-ter event, etc., and delivered a total of 75 hours to the community. Jessie also volunteers her time in our Green Depot, UNA’s first community recycling depot. She is one of the main supporters who educate local residents about recycling and help extend the De-pot’s operation hours. At the Wesbrook Festival event, she and other Green Team volunteers worked under heavy rain, windy and cold outdoor environ-ment to direct residents how to trash and

Jessie OuA recent immigrant youth living on cam-pus, Eric has actively sought volunteer-ing opportunities in the community. From late 2014, he volunteered for almost all the major community events of the UNA and delivered a total of 46 hours of vol-unteering services to the community. Eric is also a strong and consistent supporter of the UNA Green Team. He helped out in a number of key events in-cluding Community Yard Sale, Vancou-ver Organic Waste education and training sessions, and Organic Waste lobby events in local residential buildings. Regardless of rainy and cold weather, or hot and sun-ny, he was always there ready to lend a

Eric Luo

co-lead the Dance Crew last year, they have given a series of impressive dance performances at 2015 UNA Christmas concert, 2016 UBC Centennial Lunar New Year celebration, 2016 UNA Lunar New Year celebration and 2016 UBC Storm the Wall festival. They have also successfully performed at many off-cam-pus events. The Dance Crew provides a great opportunity for youths to build con-fidence, develop relationships and skills, and contribute to the community. Alice has also volunteered for the So-cial Fitness program for the last two years. She is very reliable, consistent and has never missed a session. She makes conscious effort to connect with partici-pants and develop suitable routines for the group. Her leadership, dance talent and commitment have led to the success of the program which promotes healthy living in our community.

recycle properly at waste station. Jessie has demonstrated her passion for sustain-able development of the community.

hand to UNA recycling efforts. This spring, you will find him helping the Floor Hockey program at the Wes-brook Community Centre.

sory Committee of University Hill Sec-ondary School for the last two years. One of the selection criteria for the UNA Volunteer Recognition Committee members is the ability to present a non-biased perspective when deciding on re-cipients for the awards.

Please see nominee stories on Pages 4-5 of both this issue and March issue of The Campus Resident.

Andrew, a Grade 10 student at the Uni-versity Hill Secondary School, has been volunteering as the head coach of the Math Challenge Club at Norma Rose Point School (NRP). He piloted the Club in April 2015 and is continuing until this day. The Club consists of over 40 stu-dents from Grade 5 to 8, and they meet once every week from 3:15 pm to 4:30 pm. Andrew also created a blog where updates for each week are posted. On top of the regular club meetings, last November to January, he provided extra help (1.5 hour) each week to the Math Challengers team training, helping 20+ students to prepare for the Math Chal-lengers Regional at SFU. On the day of the competition, Andrew took the NRP

Andrew Lin

team to Math Challengers Provincial, and the team placed first in the Province! Check this awesome blog: http://nrp-mathchallengeclub.wordpress.com.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016page 6

UBC Centennial Events

Cedar Post on Campus Points to Growing Partnership between Musqueam and UBCDedication ceremony was one of the closing events of UBC Centennial year; carved by

Musqueam artist, Brent Sparrow Jr., the post welcomes visitors to

UBC and tells an original story of the Musqueam involving a two-

headed serpent

A 34-foot aboriginal post now stands at the main entrance to UBC: symbol of the growing engagement between the Uni-versity and Musqueam First Nation on whose traditional, ancestral and unceded lands UBC has stood for a hundred years. On April 6, the Musqueam people and the University of British Columbia ac-knowledged this growing engagement by dedicating the striking-looking Mus-queam Post in a 45-minute ceremony at Money and Raymond M.C. Lee Square. Musqueam artist Brent Sparrow Jr. carved the cedar post which tells an orig-inal story of the Musqueam involving a two-headed serpent. Speaking on behalf of Mr. Sparrow, Musqueam Band Councillor Gordon Grant related the story about the serpent. “This qeqən (post) tells the story of the origin of our name xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Mus-queam). The old people spoke of a small lake called xʷməm̓qʷe:m (Camosun Bog) where the sʔi:ɬqəy̓ (double-headed serpent) originated. They were warned as youth to be cautious and not go near or they would surely die. This sʔi:ɬqəy̓ was so massive, its winding path from the lake to the stalə̕w̓ (river) became the creek flowing through Musqueam to this day. Everything the serpent passed over died and from its droppings bloomed a new plant, the məθkʷəy̓. For this reason the people of long ago named that place

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam – place of the məθkʷəy̓). “This qeqən represents our xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) ancestors and our ongoing connection to them and this land through their teachings. The figure is holding the sʔi:ɬqəy̓’s tail to showcase this sχʷəy̓em̓’s (ancient histo-ry) passage through generations, relating how we became known as xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people – People of the məθkʷəy̓ plant. The scalloping reflects the sʔi:ɬqəy̓’s path and trigons represent the unique məθkʷəy̓ plant. The sʔi:ɬqəy̓’s stomach is said to have been as big as a storage basket, designed here as an oval. I drew upon these traditional design ele-ments to depict this rich history.” Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow said, “We cherish the relationship between the University and the Musqueam. As UBC is on our traditional territory, it’s im-portant that we work together closely to share our culture and look for opportuni-ties to work together.” The Musqueam Post is installed, fac-ing east towards the new Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre and the campus entrance, at the foot of a cascading water feature at University Boulevard and East Mall. “This beautiful post will serve as a per-manent welcome to all visitors to these grounds and as a reminder of our rela-tionship with the Musqueam people who were here long before UBC’s history be-gan,” said UBC Interim President Martha Piper. “Its dedication, one of the closing events of UBC Centennial year, points towards renewed—and stronger—rela-tionships in the future.” The land upon which UBC and the post are situated has always been a place of learning for the Musqueam people, where culture, history and traditions have been passed from one generation to the next. Other significant milestones in Mus-queam-UBC history are:

1927: A pair of Musqueam house posts are presented to UBC. 1993: The First Nations Longhouse, built in consultation with Musqueam and many other Aboriginal groups, opens as a gathering place for Aboriginal students and a place of learning for people from the broader community. 2006: The University of British Colum-bia and the Musqueam Indian Band sign a historic Memorandum of Affiliation to further develop sharing of knowledge

and advancement of Musqueam and Ab-original youth and adults in post-second-ary education. The dedication ceremony, led by UBC Professor Linc Kesler, Senior Advisor to the President on Aboriginal Affairs, in-cluded a traditional Musqueam greeting from Elder Larry Grant, blessing of the Musqueam Post by Elder Thelma Stogan and Musqueam Song by musician Carl Point. Musqueam Band member Jordan Wil-

A 34-foot Musqueam Post was permanently installed on UBC campus April 6. Photo credit Martin Dee.

Musqueam Elder Thelma Stogan (in red) prepares to bless the Post on behalf of the Musqueam Indian Band.

Musqueam 101Musqueam Indian Band and

UBC work together educating the public on Musqueam

culture and history

The Musqueam Indian Band and UBC have a long history of partnership. After signing a historic Memorandum of Affiliation in December 2006 to further the sharing of knowledge and advance-ment of Musqueam and Aboriginal youth and adults in post-secondary education, the University and Musqueam embarked on several joint initiatives. Current initiatives include Musqueam 101, a weekly non-credit university level seminar held at Musqueam. Musqueam 101 is a community meal-and-speaker series that helps build greater cross-cultural understanding and awareness of Musqueam’s rich cultural and historical legacy. It also provides an opportunity for Musqueam people to meet educators and participate in the aca-demic culture of UBC.

The night begins with a catered meal, and then a guest speaker presents a sub-ject relevant to the Musqueam commu-nity or First Nations in general. Each presentation is followed by a question period and discussion. Guest speakers come from a wide variety of disciplines and careers: visual artists, academics, lawyers, marine biologists, authors, an-thropologists and archeologists. The program is offered to Musqueam community members, their guests and interested visitors from UBC or other in-digenous communities. The Musqueam people have descended from the cultural group known as the Coast Salish. To maintain their liveli-hood, they have moved throughout their traditional territory using the resources the land provided for fishing, hunting, trapping and gathering. Today, the Mus-queam people still use these resources for economical and traditional purposes. The Musqueam are a community of over thousand members who live on a portion of their traditional territory known as the Musqueam Indian Reserve, located south of Marine Drive near the mouth of the

Fraser River. As part of public education and out-reach, the Musquem Indian Band offers historical, ecological and cultural tours. The Musqueam historical tour will take you through the land the Musqueam peo-ple have occupied for 4,000 years. Your guide will introduce you to the contem-

porary landscape of the Musqueam In-dian Reservation and explain the changes over time.

Information credit: UBC Vancouver Ab-original website www.aboriginal.ubc.ca and Musqueam website www.musqueam.bc.ca

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016 page 7

UBC Centennial Events

Cedar Post on Campus Points to Growing Partnership between Musqueam and UBC

General Principles12. UBC and the Musqueam Nation ac-knowledge that this Affiliation is based upon the following principles: • Recognition of the autonomy of the Musqueam Nation, its mission and re-sponsibilities • Recognition of the autonomy of UBC, its mission and its responsibilities • Respect for the people of the Mus-queam Nation and their interest in the protection and enhancement of their cul-ture and language • Recognition that the Musqueam Na-

UBC-Musqueam Memorandum of Affiliation

tion maintains ownership over all cul-tural material for which it has intellectual property rights • Recognition that any intellectual prop-erty rights created through collaboration should reflect the respective contribu-tions of the parties • Recognition that UBC Vancouver is on the traditional and ancestral territory of Musqueam people. The Memorandum of Affiliation be-tween the University of British Columbia and Musqueam Indian Band was signed in December 2006.

A 34-foot Musqueam Post was permanently installed on UBC campus April 6. Photo credit Martin Dee.

UBC Interim President Martha Piper and Musqueam artist Brent Sparrow Jr. who carved the Musqueam Post. Photo credit Martin Dee.

Musqueam artist Brent Sparrow Jr. at work. Photo credit Martin Dee.

son thanked UBC for the skills he had learned at UBC as an undergraduate and graduate student. “UBC has helped me find who I am and where I come from.” In turn, he said, these skills have assisted him in being helpful to his community. Other band members spoke about rec-onciliation underway between aboriginal and non-aboriginal members of the Ca-nadian community with one band mem-ber foreseeing that “for reconciliation to happen in Canada, it will grow out of

events like this one today.” Another band member added, “Recon-ciliation is starting to happen.” Lindsay Gordon, UBC Chancellor, re-minded attendees of the ceremony that the ability to further develop engagement between aboriginal peoples and non-ab-original is among the qualities expected in the next UBC president, whose ap-pointed will be announced at the end of June.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016

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• Two sets of lights are included in the design to: maximize safety; minimize the impact on the surrounding landscape (no requirement to further remove green space on the median); and reduce the im-pact to traffic flow and potential driver confusion if lights are flashing with no pedestrian or cyclist crossing. Two dozen campus residents attended the community information session. The majority of those in attendance expressed concern about the safety of the new crosswalk and lack of public consultation in the planning of it. Pointing to the high volume of high-speed traffic on 16th Avenue throughout the day, a resident objected to the absence of a full set of traffic lights over the new crosswalk. “Where is the red light?” he asked. Another resident spoke of the similari-ties between the proposed 16th Avenue crosswalk and the dangerous crosswalk in a different jurisdiction where her sister was “struck and killed by a motorist.” Yet another resident predicted that users of the proposed 16th Avenue crosswalk will feel as unsafe when using it as they feel today using the intersection of 16th Avenue and Wesbook Mall 200 meters to the west. “No one feels safe in that inter-section,” she commented. In an April 1 letter to residents who at-tended the information session, Gabrielle Armstrong, Senior Manager, Consul-tation, Campus and Community Plan-ning, summarized “the concerns and suggestions we heard (at the meeting)” and outlined “how UBC Campus and Community Planning, working with the University Neighbourhoods Association, will respond to them and when.” • Continue to advocate with the Min-istry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI)—which has jurisdiction over 16th Avenue—for a reduction in speed limit along the roadway from 70km/h to 50 km/h (beginning at Blanca and stretching west). • Work with MOTI on signage at—and leading up to—the crosswalk to indicate that there is a new crosswalk/traffic pat-tern change, that children are crossing and that cars are entering a residential neighbourhood. • Work with MOTI on pavement mark-ings that indicate a crosswalk is ahead and for motorists to reduce their speed.

• Request that MOTI reconfigure 16th Avenue road design to taper from two lanes to one from the roundabout past the crosswalk and that curbs be added. • Request that MOTI consider imple-menting a three-coloured signal at the crosswalk. • Request that regular speed enforce-ment by the RCMP takes place along 16th Avenue, along with behaviour change/education programs to support pedestrians in crossing safely. Ms. Armstrong also wrote to say UBC heard at the meeting “the suggestion that options for sound buffering along 16th Avenue at Hampton Place (e.g., with a hedge or stone wall).” Regarding the removal of trees along the median,” the UBC spokesperson said, “Please note that all tree removals for im-plementation of the crosswalk have been completed. “The removal of the trees along the me-dian was done to support clear sightlines for vehicles approaching the crosswalk and as a required safety measure.” Though the period for public consulta-tion is past, the UBC spokesperson said UBC will convey to MOTI comments it receives from residents about the road-way improvement plan. “We’ll continue to refine the plan,” she said. The 16th Avenue crosswalk is the last of three projects designed to improve safety on 16th Avenue. In the first project a year ago, MOTI cut through forest south of 16th Avenue, thereby allowing Binning Road in Wes-brook Place to join with 16th Avenue across from Hampton Place. In the second project a year ago, MOTI implemented safety enhancements to the Wesbrook Mall roundabout. An update on the 16th Avenue crosswalk will be in-cluded as a topic for the upcoming UBC Community Conversations in May. Further details about the construction of the crosswalk and updates to the schedule can be found on the Campus and Com-munity Planning website http://planning.ubc.ca/vancouver/projects-consultations/under-construction/transportation/west-16th-avenue-pedestrian-crosswalk-proj-ect

Please turn to Page 3 to read Letter to the Editor from 27 Hampton Place res-idents and Pacific Spirit Park Society regarding crosswalk.

CROSSWALK continued from Page 1

Campus and Community Planning sketch of West 16th Avenue crosswalk at Hampton Place.

View North across West 16th Avenue where the new crosswalk will be located. Photo credit UBC.

This rationale, which came from the province, is seriously flawed. UEL prop-erty owners do not pay a general rural tax rate. They pay a special tax rate de-termined pursuant to the University En-dowment Land Act. The rate is set so as to cover the costs of running the UEL (including an amount for fire protection services), just as in a municipality. While the tax is collected as if it were rural tax, it is completely different from the general rural property tax that we pay. Apart from the approximately $400,000-500,000 that UEL property owners pay for fire protection services, their “rural” tax does not remain in Victoria. Rather, it is applied for the benefit of their commu-nity, to pay salaries, maintenance costs, capital costs and so forth, and hence is analogous to our services levy. The full amount of rural property tax that we pay—about $1.9 million in 2015—stays in Victoria. The $1 million fire services charge will increase the amount we pay to the province by 50%, i.e., to $2.9 mil-lion (based on the 2015 amount of tax). Thus, we will be paying about 6 times as much money into the provincial coffers as UEL taxpayers even though aggregate

assessed property values for our commu-nity are lower than for the UEL and we have only 2-1/2 times the population of the UEL. How is that fair? A further rationale given for the fire ser-vices charge is that it puts us in the same position as residents in other unincorpo-rated parts of the province. Such resi-dents pay general rural property tax and, in addition, a fire levy (generally to their regional district) to fund fire protection services for their community. This ra-tionale also has problems, which I don’t have space to describe in this letter. In any event, it doesn’t address the inequity of taxing us much more heavily than our neighbours in the UEL. If the province were concerned about the inequity, it would allocate a portion of our general rural property tax to the cost of fire protection services rather than impose an additional charge on our com-munity. That would still leave us paying more tax into the provincial coffers than our neighbours in the UEL—whether measured by reference to assessed prop-erty values or on a per capita basis—but we have lived with that disparity for years and it is unrealistic to expect a decrease in our rural property tax rate.

TAXES continued from Page 1

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016 page 9

A group of trainee architects and engi-neers from Portland, Oregon, visited Wesbrook Community Center, recently, illustrating how the new facility in Wes-brook Place is becoming quickly—and widely—known for its use of innovative wood technology as well as for its role as a first-class family facility. Corey Griffin, Associate Professor at Portland State University, led the group, and in a brief interview, Professor Grif-fin explained how the idea for the trip to UBC came from students. “They had heard about the Wesbrook Community Centre and other ‘green buildings’ at UBC, and they wanted to see them.” Professor Griffin, who teaches archi-tecture, said the visiting students are en-rolled as ‘Green Building Scholars’ in a program at Portland State funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, and are studying how to reduce the environ-mental impact of buildings. Following a guided tour of Wesbrook Community Centre organized by staff from the University Neighbourhoods As-sociation, students had high praise for the Wesbrook Place facility and the way cross-laminated pine wood and pine-bee-tle wood—manufactured in Penticton, British Columbia—is used there. “It’s brilliant…a wonderful building…mar-vellous.”

Trainee Architects Applaud Innovative Use of Wood in Wesbrook Community Centre

Group is drawn to visit UBC from Portland, Oregon; students are

‘Green Building Scholars’

Green Building Scholar Sonya Mecham said, “It was such a pleasure to tour the Wesbrook Community Centre and to hear from the architect, Julien Leger (Project Architect for Walter Francl Architecture of Vancouver) about his building. “Vancouver, B.C., has so many great examples of innovative wood structures. They show us how we— as architecture and engineer students—can continue to push a sustainable material like wood further to create beautiful buildings with a smaller carbon footprint. “The Wesbrook Community Centre exposes impressive wood beams that are harvested thoughtfully and create a warmth that other materials could not. It was a pleasure to take a look at it in person along with other massive wood structures throughout UBC and the City of Vancouver.” Green Building Scholar Kristin Tra-vis said, “I really enjoyed the tour of the Wesbrook Community Centre and the other CLT (cross laminated timber) buildings on UBC campus. “The best way to understand a new technology is to see it in person and talk to those involved in the building’s de-sign, construction and operations. We are learning how wood can be a sustainable building material alternative to concrete. This is because the growing of trees re-moves carbon from the atmosphere and sequesters it in the wood, where the pro-duction of Portland cement for concrete releases carbon into the atmosphere. “I hope I can work with CLT technol-ogy in my future career in the construc-tion industry. Thank you to everyone who

made our trip and tours possible, it was an incredible learning experience!” Professor Griffin also complimented UBC on its leading role in the use of ‘green’ wood as a building material. “As these types of mass timber struc-tures become more common in the Pa-cific Northwest and beyond, our students in the Green Building Scholars program at Portland State University will be at the forefront of this movement,” he said. “They will benefit from the opportunity to learn from those in Vancouver that are ahead of us with these new structural ma-terials.” As well as the Wesbrook Community Centre, the group from Portland toured other UBC buildings, including the Cen-tre for Interactive Research on Sustain-ability—considered one of the most sus-tainable buildings in the world. The visit of the Green Building Schol-ars to Wesbrook Community Centre fol-

lowed visits to the centre by other groups from near and far. Recently, a group of engineers and architects from Europe came for a tour. Before this, a delegation from Port Metro Vancouver toured the centre. This expression of professional interest is consistent with predictions made by UBC Properties Trust at the time of the official opening of the cen-tre in October 2015 that it would become famous for its use of innovative wood technology as well as for its superb com-munity facilities. UBC Properties Trust developed Wes-brook Community Centre on behalf of residents of UBC. The UNA manages it.Jan Fialkowski, Executive Director of the UNA, Joe Stott, UBC Director of Planning, and Philip McKeen, Wesbrook Community Centre Project Manager, as-sisted Mr. Leger, Project Architect, in showing the Portland scholars around the Wesbrook Community Centre.

Visitors from Portland, Oregon, at the Wesbrook Community Centre.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016page 10

The boardroom debate on the Iona Green playground issue follows a public consultation session held March 10 and publication of a report on the session by its facilitator Tom Fletcher (the Fletcher Report). In his report, Mr. Fletcher suggests that “if the Board does decide that the play-ground should remain, that it would be important to encourage the community building approach to addressing some of the noise problem, and to consider some design solutions to help manage the use of the park space.” Also in his report, Mr. Fletcher points out, “As the location and specific play equipment went through an extensive consultation and approval process, and as active play for children is a widely recognized benefit for their overall well-being, staff is recommending that the Iona Green play equipment remain in its current location, with a provision that the UNA might explore possible noise reme-

diation measures that could be recom-mended by subject matter experts and the neighbourhood itself. “These could be explored and imple-mented by staff, and if there was a signif-icant cost involved, brought to the Board for consideration and approval.” John Bourne, a Chancellor Place resi-dent who has spear-headed the cam-paign to have the Iona Green playground equipment removed, attended the UNA Board meeting. Following the meeting Mr. Bourne commented on its outcome. “Naturally, I am disappointed,” he said. Mr. Bourne wondered—as did Chancel-lor Place residents Tom Adamson and Jill Adamson who also attended the meet-ing—if UBC could be petitioned into providing a small parcel of academic land near Chancellor Place for the Iona Green playground equipment, much in the manner that UBC provided a small piece of academic land near Hawthorn Place neighbourhood for a basketball court and a skate park a few years ago. “The play station is inappropriately lo-

PLAYGROUND continued from Page 1 cated,” Mr. Bourne said. Prior to the UNA Board reaching a de-cision at its meeting, Jan Fialkowski, Ex-ecutive Director, presented highlights of the Fletcher Report. According to the Fletcher Report, Ms. Fialkowski said, residents who attended the March 10 public consultation meet-ing concluded that: (1) The playground should remain; and (2) Some actions should be taken to mitigate the noise. Such actions include: • Undertaking community building ini-tiatives such as improving strata to strata communication to address disruptive be-haviours. • Reaching agreement on some minor physical improvements to Iona Green to make it less amenable to noise generating activities. However, Ms. Fialkowski alerted di-rectors to the fact that in regard to “im-proving strata to strata communication”, the UNA “has no mandate” in the strata buildings, and she also alerted directors to the fact that any noise rule which might

be established for use of the playground “might be difficult to enforce”. The Fletcher Report also includes the results of a UNA survey of Chancellor Place residents on the playground issue. These results indicated 56% of those who participated in a survey would like to see the controversial playground in Iona Green be kept in place while 44% would like to see it removed. An estimated 1,500 people live in 588 suites in Chancellor Place. Sixty one of them participated in the March survey with 19 participating in person at the March 10 public consultation while 42 participated in an online survey. At the UNA Board meeting, directors voted as follows: Richard Alexander, Ying Zhou, Sabrina Zhang, Jenna Omas-si and Andrew Park voted in favour of re-taining the Iona Green playground equip-ment; Laura Cottle voted against, while Carole Jolly and Charles Menzies were not able to attend the meeting.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016 page 11

Biodiversity in your backyard

Stop and Draw the Roses

Slow down! You’re looking too fast. That is the message of Slow Art Day, a global movement that took place earlier this month. This celebration is dedicated to helping us discover the joy of look-ing at art. The organizers encourage the public to visit a local museum and look at five works of art for 10 minutes each, then meet up to discuss what they experi-enced. Find out more at www.slowartday.com. Another great method to slow down and look at art is to sketch it. Drawing helps you notice patterns, textures and other details you may not have seen. This care-ful looking also has the benefit of helping you to remember that piece of art long after you have left the museum. This doesn’t just apply to art. A lot can be learned by observing plants and ani-mals closely. Many scientists have used sketching as a way to observe what they are studying. Charles Darwin and his companions sketched as a way to record the things they were seeing far from home. Cameras didn’t exist, so they had to draw in order to remember what they were seeing. When Darwin was back home in England after his voyage to the

Mairin KerrMarketing, Communications & Events Coordinator at the Beaty

Biodiversity Museum

Galapagos Islands, he realized that the finches he saw were related members of the same species by looking at those sketches. This is how he began to work out his theory of natural selection. How can you start sketching nature? Find a plant or animal that interests you, in nature or in the museum, and then find a place to sit or position yourself. Draw-ing takes time, so make sure you are comfortable. Pay attention to the lines, shapes, shadows and textures. Remember that the final result is not the objective.

The point is to take time to look—not create the next Mona Lisa. One method is to do a contour line drawing. This is where you make a con-tinuous line following the shape of your chosen subject. Spend more time look-ing at the object than you do looking at your hand. As you move your eyes along the subject you are drawing, match the movement with your hand. Here at the Beaty Biodiversity Mu-seum, we have been working with an artist, Brigitte Potter-Mael, who looked

at plants in our collection and created delicate watercolours as well as striking woodcuts. These are on display in our current feature exhibition From Mead-ows Woodlands Far and Near. In the Collections: Visit the Beaty Biodiversity Museum to sketch plants and animals. Bring your own sketchbook and pencil and request to borrow a stool. UBC Botanical Garden has kicked off a new series of workshops, tours and lec-tures including many that have special discounted pricing for UNA members. Check them out on our website at botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/workshops.Don’t miss our annual spring plant sale A Growing Affair which takes place May 7 from 10 am to 4 pm.

Photos credit Beaty Biodiversity Museum

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT APRIL 18, 2016page 12