Published monthly by the University Neighbourhoods Association
Volume 2, Issue 3
March 22, 2011
Full Coverage of Hospice Issue, Pages 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 & 9 Delays Drop Hospice Off Next Agenda— Maybe June as Well February debate was delayed until April; April debate is put off until at least June UBC has delayed for a second time in two months discussion of the proposed hospice project slated for development next door to the Promontory condominium complex in Hawthorn Place. After the UBC board of governors delayed discussion in February, UBC president Stephen Toope predicted the delay would likely last only until the April
meeting, but UBC now reports the hospice will not come up for discussion until the June board of governors meeting— and maybe not then. A UBC spokesman said, “It is not on the April board, and it is my understanding that it is still to be determined when it will go to the board.” HOSPICE UBC continued on Page 9
Campaigns Compete for Signatures For/Against Promontory Site Estimated 100 in favour; about 400 against An impressive number of about 500 mostly-campus residents have signed on to separate campaigns for and against the proposed location of a hospice at UBC. At press time, organizers of a petition whose signatories “strongly agree that the proposed site for a hospice in the Promontory neighbourhood is appropriate” had gathered an estimated 100 signatures, while organizers of a petition whose signatories “strongly urge
UBC to reconsider the location of the hospice facility” next to the Promontory had gathered about 400 signatures. Meanwhile, in an Open Letter to the University Neighbourhoods Association, two members say they are resigning from the association “to protest the position the UNA board of directors has taken on the issue of the location of Order of St. John’s Hospice.” See Open Letter, Page 9.
CAMPAIGN continued on Page 9
Medals Galore Give Young Martial Artists Cause for Pride
Young members of The Old Barn Community Centre Taekwondo Club - Turn to Page 2 for stories
UBC File Flips To Fourth New Minister Since March 2010 New minister is Ida Chong; Ms. Chong was previously in charge of UBC file when community services minister in 2006-07 The parade of ministers responsible for overseeing land use planning decisions at UBC continues with Ida Chong becoming the fourth minister in less than a year to handle the portfolio, but at least Ms. Chong knows the file. She previously handled the UBC file when community services minister 2005-2006. Ms. Chong, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon
Head (Victoria), takes over the UBC (and UEL) portfolio from Stephanie Cadieux, who took it over from Ben Stewart, who took it over from Bill Bennett who inherited it when the provincial government took it over from Metro Vancouver in March, 2010. Fortunately, amid all these changes at the cabinet level, the capable civil servants who deal with UBC have remained the same, namely the Governance and Structure Division led by executive director Gary Paget. Earlier changes of minister have also come with changes of ministry, but this time, the ministry remains the same. Ms. Chong takes over the min-
istry of community, sports and cultural development from Ms. Cadieux, who was given another cabinet post. Previously when Ms. Chong had the UBC file, the University and Metro Vancouver sought her assistance in attempting to either reform the governance structure at UBC or keep it the same. Great expectations followed an announcement by Ms. Chong that she would appoint a facilitator to consult with the public at UBC as to what might be the better governance option, but these expectations faded when no facilitator was appointed. MINISTER continued on Page 9
Ida Chong
page 2
Medals Galore Continued from Page 1 They won seven gold medals and four silver medals, They also won 14 bronze medals. The medals came to children 6 to 16 years old from the Old Barn Community Centre taekwondo program competing in the B.C. Taekwondo championships at Capilano University Saturday, February 26th. Many of the children live at UBC. Supporters claim taekwondo is the most popular martial art in the world in terms of number of practitioners. Taekwondo certainly has a following at UBC where Old Barn Community Centre Stephanie Nesbitt reports classes well-attended. Nathan Ma instructs children 6 to 16 years (and older youths) in taekwondo at the Old Barn centre. Asked what he thought of the team performance at B.C. Taekwondo Championships, Mr. Ma replied, “Perfect, incredible. solidarity.” Medalists are as follows: Seven gold medals: • Poomsae (patterns) 1. Jacqueline Ma; 2.Tony Yu; • Gyoroogi (sparring) 1. Jacqueline Ma; 2.David Wang; 3. ZeYuan Zhang; 4.William Lin; 5.Cyrus Zahir; Four silver medals: • Poomsae (patterns) 1.David Wang; 2. Michael Wu; 3. Juliet Feng; 4.Annie Wu; 14 Bronze medals: • Poomsae (patterns) 1.Derek Liu; 2. Aidan Murphy; 3. ZeYuan Zhang; 4.Cyrus Zahir; 5.William Lin; 6.Nikki Lin; 7.Olive Chen; 8.Aneesa Khan; 9.Gary Xin; • Gyoroogi( sparring) 1.Michael Wu; 2.Tony Yu; 3.Gary Xin; 4.Annie Wu; 5.Nikki Lin; 6.Juliet Feng;
THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011
Taekwondo Teaches “Health and Confidence” Nathan Ma, 43, of Hampton Place, is instructor; children from 6 to 16 are taught at The Old Barn Community Centre Nathan Ma, who instructs children from 6 years to sixteen in taekwondo (a martial art) at the Old Barn Community Centre, lives in Hampton Place. A team of children instructed by Mr. Ma returned home from the recent British Columbia Taekwondo Championships at Capilano University with 24 medals. Born in China, Mr. Ma, 43, came to Canada in October, 2007. What brought him to Canada? “Canada is best country around the world: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, and it is peaceful,” he replied to queries by e-mail. Mr. Ma learned taekwondo in 1999 (in China) He became an instructor in the same year. With Mr. Ma in charge, the Old Barn Community Centre program started up in February, 2010. Before this program, he instructed in the martial art in Burnaby, What does he enjoy out of instructing children taekwondo? His response, “Children are curious, adorable...Oh, I couldn’t even tell you. Even at my worst, I’m best with my students.” He called the performance of his team at the B.C. Taekwondo Championhips,
Taekwondo Instructor, Nathan Ma “Perfect, incredible, solidarity.” In what way does he see instruction in
taekwondo benefitting children? It makes them “healthy, confident.”
THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011
page 3 Published by:
Published monthly by the University Neighbourhoods Association
University Neighbourhoods Association #202-5923 Berton Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6S OB3
Editor & Business Manager
John Tompkins 604.827.3502 JTompkins@myuna.ca
Social Consciousness Comes into Being at UBC Town Roughly 400 people—mostly UBC residents—have signed a petition opposing development of a hospice on the vacant patch of land next to the Promontory apartment building on campus, and roughly 100 people—also mostly UBC residents—have signed a petition proposing UBC was right in deciding this patch of land was the right place for its hospice.
In other words roughly 500 people have expressed on opinion on this issue of where the hospice should be located. No other issue has attracted such a large outflow of opinions and emotions since the first residents moved onto campus to live about 15 years ago. This impressive turn-out of people to express their opinions one way or the other
Vacant Patch of Land An unused and nondescript patch of land beside Southwest Marine Drive (pictured below) may hold the key to solving the contentious issue of where to build a hospice at the University of British Columbia. Located just outside the UBC Botanical Garden and accessible along old Marine Drive, this patch of land—the original preference of the Order of St. John for the site of a hospice—lies away from any residential areas belonging to either students or residents at UBC. A tour of the site by The Campus Resident revealed that with some alterations to old Marine Drive roadway and with perhaps a sliver of space taken from the Botanical Garden parking lot, this patch of land would provide the 30,000 square feet needed for the 15-bed end-of-life facility UBC would like to build with funds provided by Order of St. John. If UBC were to investigate the possible use of this patch of land, it might go a long way towards defusing the hospice issue which has bubbled rancorously to the political surface at UBC in recent months. An opportunity to convert this abandoned patch of land into the site for a hospice would seem best taken sooner rather than later by UBC because off-campus approval for rezoning this patch of land may be required. A zoning master plan for the University sits currently with the provincial government for approval, and perhaps a late amendment to this master
plan would allow for a hospice site on this otherwise unused parcel of land. Few would seem to quibble with this choice of a hospice site: it lies nowhere near Wreck Beach; it is not part of Pacific Spirit Regional Park; it is 200 yards from the Totem Student Residences, and last but not least, it is almost a quarter mile from the Promontory apartment building—next door to which lies the current proposed site for the hospice. If neither ecological, social, domestic, cultural issues or other impediments to development of the hospice stand in the way of developing this site, does it not make sense to consider using it for hospice development instead of the site next to the Promontory?
Letter to the Editor In opinion of writer, hospice issue is most important social issue ever faced by the UNA Board I commend you for your coverage of the issues raised by the proposed Order of St. John’s hospice adjacent to the Promontory and of the UNA Board’s decision. I would have preferred your making it clear that you chose to extract a portion of the UNA’s ESL Committee’s 25 page report and people should read the entire report to put it all in perspective (it’s at www. myuna.ca). I personally think the Board’s decision wise (I should disclose that as Chair of the ESL Committee I wrote the report for the Board to consider) in urging UBC to reconsider its decision. I know all my neighbours do not agree with the Board’s decision. I also commend UBC for having agreed to “pause” its process even before the UNA Board’s resolution. In my opinion this is the most important social issue ever faced by the UNA Board. I think it helpful in this context to divide decisions policy makers have to make into two broad categories – decisions by which we do something to ourselves and decisions by which we do something to someone else.
An example of the first is our deciding here in the UNA on the way to allocate the cost of water and sewage rates between owners directly and our “tax” revenue. When we are collectively doing something to ourselves we are all well aware of all the issues and how they impact each of us. The second group of decisions raises more difficult issues – decisions where we do something to someone else. History shows that the collectivity of deciding humans can get these decisions wrong and make dreadful errors. Here in British Columbia there was virtually unanimous public support regarding both the forcible removal of their children from Russian Doukhobor parents (in British Columbia in the 1950s) and the incarceration of these children in secure “school” camps where their parents could not reach them and the forcible removal, in the 1940s, of Canadian citizens of Japanese ancestry from the BC Coast to concentration camps in Nakusp (in the Kootenays) and, in the process, taking their land, and fish-
bodes well for the future of the residential community at UBC for it shows residents care about their community and the neighbours who live around them including new Canadians. “We want the new Canadians in our Community to feel respected and accepted by their new community” the UNA’s ESL Committee Report on Promontory and Order of St. John Hospice says on Page 16. “We want to fully include our new Canadians in our community”. But, the report reads, “we cannot become balkanized. A particular set of cultural beliefs cannot control planning decisions. This will do no one any good. “Our goal must be to develop a community sharing common goals while at the same time celebrating our differences.
“But at the end, in general, the consensus that we establish requires us to be sensitive to particular circumstances of new Canadians, including things like the unusual set of circumstances applying to almost half of the families of the Promontory and respecting some differences on a continuing basis, while at the same time encouraging new Canadians to come to adapt and celebrate the new consensus. We do not pretend that this is an easy task. Speaking as regards the UNA, in our opinion, while we think that we are on the right track we have not done a sufficiently good job of this to date. We have to do more. We have to be better”. (Please visit UNA website to read ESL Committee Report www.myuna.ca)
Open Letter to the UTown Community From the UNA Board of Directors: The UNA Board has received a considerable amount of correspondence in relation to our consideration of a report from the UNA Board’s ESL Committee on the hospice. A significant amount of this correspondence has requested clarification of the intent of the resolution. The UNA Board’s resolution had two parts. The first part noted our strong support for community hospices, and also recognized that this project is an academic project. The second part of the resolution that urged UBC to “reconsider the choice of the Promontory site and to consider selecting another site” was based on the ESL Committee’s recommendation that more discussion and consultation was needed to ensure the views of some of the households in the Promontory project were clearly conveyed to UBC. The intent of the UNA Board was to convey to UBC that the views of this group of residents is that the choice of the site should be reconsidered. The need to address the ESL
Committee’s report in a timely way was prompted by the fact that the UBC Board of Governors was scheduled to meet in February 2011 to approve the hospice. Some of the correspondence received by the UNA Board seems to be based on articles in the February issue of the Campus Resident. The UNA Board based its resolution on the complete ESL report, which can be accessed on the UNA website (http://www.myuna.ca). The decision of the UBC Board of Governors to defer a decision now provides the opportunity for further discussion on this issue. We urge all interested and concerned residents in the community to actively participate in a forthcoming consultation process and to contact UBC’s Campus and Community Planning (karen.russell@ubc.ca) for more information about that process. Open and respectful discussions are key elements in the development of a vibrant and participatory community.
ing boats, and licenses, and anything else of value leaving them only the clothes on their back. Today, we recognize these as grave errors which constitute an indelible blight on us as humans. We would have been well served if our policy makers had paused and thought. The Promontory issue is not, of course, the same as these situations and not all people in the Promontory hold views that engage my concern. But this is an instance where we propose to do something to a few. And most of us know little beyond press headlines about the few that do engage my anxious concern – largely (almost ½ of the households in the Promontory) mothers alone caring for their children. They are isolated, vulnerable and either very new to Canada or not yet integrated to our community. They have not been forced to choose this living context and they bear a responsibility to themselves to examine that fact. Nonetheless, they genuinely hold (I am convinced after interviewing, one on one, over 30 of them) cultural and religious beliefs that a hospice next door will do terrible harm to them (and in terms of stress, depression, regression of children and in other ways is already doing them harm). Whether one holds these beliefs or not, and I personally
do not, the fact is that these are our neighbours and they are honestly frightened and hurting. Our experience as a community is that our University has, repeatedly, made wise and fair decisions where our and the University’s interests collide – treating “property tax” revenue from institutional-like housing in our neighbourhoods for the credit of the neighbours instead of the University, setting objectively fair rates for water and sewer, etc. I do not think the correct answer is easy. But I applaud both the University and the UNA Board for recognizing that pausing to reflect before deciding minimizes the chance we will do something to a few which we will come to regret. I am confident that the University will pause and think and carefully weigh and get this question as right as possible. If my neighbours will grant me one last thought. As a community I hope we remember when we speak that this issue will pass, one way or the other, but intemperate and charged language, from any perspective, may have a long and troubling life. JIM TAYLOR, Chair, UNA ESL Committee Former Chair, UNA, Resident, Hampton Place
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THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011
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THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011
Hospice Issue As of March 8th, the University Neighbourhoods Association received 48 letters regarding the hospice issue. We provide some letters here to give you the opportunity to see what your neighbours are thinking
Letters For Promontory Site
Pat Carney
Inappropriate Action I am writing to express my concern about the inappropriate action taken by the elected board of directors of the UNA supporting the request by the Promontory condo residents to relocate the site of the proposed hospice on campus because of “cultural sensitivities” expressed by “mostly Asian residents” according to The Campus Resident, the UNA newspaper, This week I had the privilege of attending my cousin, Father Leo Casey, OMI (Oblates of Mary Immaculate), as he died in a hospice. It was a peaceful and moving experience, consistent with the “cultural sensitivities” of many Canadians, including UBC residents. We on campus live in an area of natural beauty, bounded by Pacific Spirit Park and the Musqueam aboriginal reserve, where the cycle of nature, both in birth and in death is part of our environmental and cultural values. It is offensive to suggest that the proposed hospice should be relocated because of the belief systems of newcomers to our country, with suggestions of evil spirits wafting through open windows and fear of dying. I was born in China and share some cherished Chinese values. I suggest concern over real estate values is more prominent among hospice critics than “belief systems”. I suggest the UNA Board retract support or resign. Pat Carney, Senator (Ret.) and Hampton Place resident
Hospice Article I find The Campus Resident article on the Promontory problem, Feb 22, a blatant play on the readers’ emotions to arouse pity for the 30 Asian residents interviewed for the ESL Committee Report. The article also shows the UNA’s bias in favour of these Asians by highlighting their situation as isolated single mothers who find their life “depressing” because
their husbands are away, they “don’t speak English and have to look after the children by themselves.” However, the accompanying photo of the Asians with clenched fists raised in protest belies this situation. Even if the newsletter is a tool of the UNA, I expected it to have some integrity of its own. However, your one-sided article does not mention that these Asians are living in luxurious comfort in one of the most expensive and beautiful buildings on campus – “the only one with a full-time security guard.” Sitting in their million-dollar condos with impressive views, not needing to work for a living, is it any wonder these women have time to worry about bad luck? The article justified the absence of the husbands by saying “their English is poor” and “their professional and business credentials are not accepted in Canada” so they work back home “to support the family and the purchased property.” Should we pity these rich Asians who chose affluence over family togetherness just as we should feel sorry for thousands of marginalized Asian nannies and caregivers who are also separated from families because Canada’s Live-in Caregiver Program does not allow immediate family reunification for them? For the past 40 years, I have been doing research on Asian immigrants in Canada and studies show that almost all of them encounter the same challenges as these Asian husbands. However, majority of them do their best to learn English, go back to school, retrain or take on less satisfactory jobs until they find their own level. Meanwhile, they live within their means. They do not leave their wives and children in Canada and expect their neighbours to look after them. Why do these husbands work in their home countries? Presumably they earn more there. Since their priority is money rather than family, the unhappiness of the Promontory Asians seems to be of their own making. In my interviews with Asian businessmen in BC, they admitted that the main reason they prefer to work in their home countries is that Canadian taxes are too high. They leave their wives and children in Canada because the living conditions here are better with benefits from social and other services, especially good schools, paid for by other tax-payers. At the beginning of this controversy, these Asian women were aggressive and threatening with their demands. Since their defiant tactics seem to have backfired, they are now using tears to get what they want. What a pity that people who are afraid to appear racist are being swayed by crying women whose depression and isolation are self-inflicted through their chosen lifestyle. Eleanor R. Laquian, Hampton Place Resident.
LETTERS FOR continued Page 6 & 9
Letters Against Promontory Site Racial Division
Lin Chengxin
Great Paper I live at Hawthorn Place, and I was pleased to read the ‘A Particular Problem at the Promontory’ by Mr. Jim Taylor in The Campus Resident. Mr. Taylor understands the cultural beliefs of the Chinese. Thank you for his effort of writing this “GREAT PAPER”. Lin Chengxin
Deep-seated Fear The Open House for the proposed hospice site has created a crisis in the Promontory. As recent immigrants from China and Korea, we have deep-seeded fear of living too close to the dying and the dead. In our building, there are forty-one mothers living with their children while their husbands work overseas, and this vulnerable group is especially grateful for UNA’s motion regarding the hospice issue. Thank you very much for the great respect to our genuine cultural belief. These mothers do not speak English well and they do not know much about Canadian culture. We believe that the UNA did an honourable thing helping us communicate with the UBC and address our concerns. We think that the ESL committee’s report on this issue is a commendable endeavour to describe the problems we are faced with. We are also very grateful to see that the resident directors of UNA unanimously supported the ESL report. After reading the articles on this issue of the Campus Resident newspaper, a lot of residents burst into tears, as we feel that we finally received some objective coverage. The media outside campus had twisted our words and therefore we were flooded by racist comments, which have put us under tremendous stress. The UNA’s motion has also helped us believe that we made the right decision to move to Canada, where people’s cultural beliefs are accepted and respected. It also prompted us to think about how we could make more efforts to participate in our community, which in turn will help us to cope in a new environment, and learn to adapt to Canadian cultural values. Keri Zhang, Ying Yap, Janet Fan, UBC
I am a resident in Hampton place and I have worked as an immigration lawyer for many years. I would like to bring your attention to the alarming racial division and anti-immigrant sentiment in our University town caused by the fact that the campus and community planning office had not been careful enough when choosing a hospice site. I was shocked to see several petition letters posted in Hampton place, on which people claimed “this is our community, our province and our country”, and urged the University against “changing the rules to suit new immigrants”. As a person who has been educated and working in North America, I must say that this blunt racism and discrimination are rather disturbing. I did not want to get involved in this controversy, but now I feel the urge to help a large number of my new immigrant friends, whom I had assisted to settle in the south campus lately, to express their dismay to you. I have recently heard my neighbours complaining about “they (the Chinese immigrants) are occupying the south campus”, “they have made it impossible for Canadian people to buy a place here”, etc. The university should be informed that this prejudice against new immigrants has underlying economic reasons. I have noticed the same kind of racist tone exhibited by the mass media aiming at selling their stories. However, I was hoping our highly educated neighbours in university town to have better judgment. Some of them have disappointed me. Fortunately, I see some warm-hearted Canadians have reached out to the new immigrants and help them to have a chance to be heard. For instance, according to a local newspaper, the UNA people have investigated the issue and therefore understood the newcomers’ problems. I understand that the BOG will have a meeting to discuss the hospice issue in April. We believe that the university’s decision should not be based on so called “public opinion” that contains a strong racist undercurrent. I think it would be detrimental to the university if its liberal image is ruined. Please be careful when making such a critical decision which will potentially segregate our community. Name withheld by request.
Article Correct I am a resident of Hawthorn Place. After reading the article called ‘A Particular Problem at the Promontory’ in The Campus Resident, I agree totally that it spells out the facts and beliefs of most Chinese people whose Chinese language standard is up to Grade 7 level or above in China. To build the hospice in our neighbourhood will affect the harmony of our community and our society, and I would not like to see that happen. Ho Yam Chan, UBC LETTERS AGAINST continued Page 7
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THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011 believes the world is flat, it just doesn’t make it so. If someone believes that the ocean never freezes, this doesn’t make it so. If someone believes living near a cemetery or a hospice is “bad luck” doesn’t make it so. 5) Death is part of life. Things are dying all the time: flowers, leaves, grass, trees, mice, dogs, people—perhaps even in the condo besides you. While one doesn’t have to embrace death or celebrate it, one should not be afraid of it, as it is both human and normal! 6) If the proposed new development is not to your liking: sell your condo and move to another site, perhaps to one in an established neighborhood where it is obvious what is around you. And, living on floor #4 is not bad luck, either. 7) Beliefs can change. Just because you believed something in the past doesn’t mean you cannot change it. New information, a new country or new neighbors can and should be used to validate old beliefs and form new ones. UBC should proceed with the proposed development if it thinks it is an appropriate site on the UBC campus. Immigrants: stop your whining and get on with life in Canada. Learn the local language and customs. It is a great country with many choices, many friendly people and much opportunity! Don’t impose your (often wrong or weird or unsubstantiated) beliefs on others that have been here for dozens or hundreds of years! Adapt. Embrace. Learn. Prosper. Grow! Thomas Beyer, UBC
LETTERS FOR from Page 5
Beliefs Irrelevant I am writing this letter as a resident within UNA, but also as an immigrant to this wonderful country 25 years ago. I find it perplexing that UBC considers beliefs of recent immigrants to Canada all that relevant [or relevant at all actually] when considering what developments to allow on vacant land, such as the recent discussion around the proposed hospice near the promontory condo building. Please also consider the following additional points: 1) Immigrants who chose a new country should adopt to policies and culture of this new country and not impose their views and beliefs of their old country on the new one. If the culture, believes or policies of the new country are not to your liking: go home, adapt, or shut up. Don’t complain about it! 2) Views of Canadians have priority over views of immigrants. 3) If you purchase property besides a vacant site, it has risks. A vacant site may have a future unknown use. It could be a garbage dump, a new research facility, a 52 story tower or a new park, all of which could positively or negatively impact your property. Owners of the Promontory [or the Olympic Village or besides any vacant land] should have considered that when purchasing a new home and now complain about the proposed use. 4) Your beliefs [be it as an existing or new resident] may not be relevant as the facts of life may be different! If someone
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Interview with Linda Redmond, campaigning in favour of Promontory site
Linda Redmond
“This issue has got people thinking about where they live.” Linda Redmond sees the possibility of community development arising out of the hospice issue wracking UBC. Ms. Redmond, of Hampton Place, says this heated issue is activating a community that has been politically inert since its inception in the mid-1990s, “I see this as a positive thing.” Ms. Redmond, a retired Calgary businessperson who is deeply involved on one side of the UBC hospice issue, looks forward to the day when UBC residents speak out more resolutely on issues which affect them. She says residents need to find ‘a voice’. “If we don’t have a voice, we might as well stay home.” Clearly, Ms. Redmond has a voice in the hospice issue, and she has chosen to exercise it in recent weeks by urging– “strongly urging”—residents to support the UBC choice of site for a 15-bed hospice on campus. UBC has chosen the patch of vacant land beside the Promontory apartment building for this end-oflife facility, a choice the majority of residents of the Promontory, their supporters both on and off campus, and the University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA) want UBC to reconsider. Stung by the UNA decision in Febru-
ary urging UBC to reconsider its choice of the Promontory site, Ms. Redmond launched a campaign to counter it. Asked during an interview what was driving her campaign, Ms. Redmond said, “The UNA has made a mistake.” The UBC resident—who has served on two strata councils in Hampton Place— said she perceives the UNA as “supporting the Chinese (and Korean) residents of the Promontory”. She asked: What authority does the UNA have to do that? She criticized the UNA for “not consulting with the community at large” before passing its motion urging UBC to reconsider its choice of hospice site. “If there was wider consultation by the UNA, if we knew the facts, there wouldn’t perhaps be an issue here. They should have done some kind of poll. The UNA is clearly not in touch with the residents.” This said, Ms. Redmond predicts a better turn-out at the UNA election of residentdirectors in September than in previous years. Fewer than five per cent of the 8,000 residents living on campus have voted in UNA elections in the past. “This issue has got people thinking about where they live.”
LETTERS FOR from Page 5
Dangerous Precedent Now, I’m not only appalled, but shocked too, after reading last week’s Campus Resident to find that the UNA and Jim Taylor support the relocation of the proposed hospice site in response to complaints from some residents of the Promontory. If the Asian residents at the Promontory are having such a difficult time living here, their situation begs for assistance
in the form of counseling and other supports, not pandering to irrational and unkind beliefs. The position the UNA has taken sets a dangerous precedent and would be abhorrent to most Canadians who value their elderly and their dying family members and who want to keep them close. Kathy Griffiths, Hampton Place, UBC
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THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011
PHOTO: Don Erhardt
“UNA makes Right Decision”: Brian Collins
Brian Collins LETTERS AGAINST from Page 5
Asian Community
I am a resident of Clement’s Green in Hawthorn Place at UBC. I am writing to express my appreciation for your support and understanding of the traditional belief of the Asian community at Hawthorn Place regarding the proposed hospice site. Nobody objects to the decision to build a hospice at UBC. The concern is the location of the hospice. By acting as the bridge between the university and the residents, hopefully we can mange to create a win-win situation. I came from the north part of China.
My parents told me to be away from the dying or deceased people as much as possible when I was a kid. Not that we don’t love them or care about them, it is the deep rooted fear of death that keeps us away form them. Later on I took my higher education, and I work in the field of Science, I still bear the same thought toward death. It takes time to change. I fully understand the concerns of the Promontory residents. Lingyun Zhang, Hawthorn Place
Suffering Mothers
some have problems with their husbands due to the long distance. If they are all that rich, I don’t think they would like to have this kind of arrangement. We can’t accept the fact a hospice be-
I am writing on behalf of the Korean residents in the Promontory building to thank the UNA for helping us express our concerns about the hospice. Media have pictured us as rich Asian millionaires, which has generated a great deal of hatred from other people. I would like to tell you my story. I was a banker back in Korea, but my English is not very good. We immigrated to Canada for the sake of my daughter’s education, and that’s why we chose to live on campus. I had to work in Korea to support my family here at first. After three years’ separation with my family, I could not take it anymore. I decided to move here no matter what. I am now a taxi driver in Vancouver. I wake up at 3 AM every morning to go to work. I have met many nice Canadians every day and I hope some day my daughter will become one of them. It is this hope that motivates me everyday. I think it is important for my daughter to learn how democracy works in Canada. I believe we have rights to stand up for our belief and fight against the unfair treatment. I see a lot of suffering mothers in our building whose husbands are working outside of Canada. Some of the newcomers do not speak English but have to take care of everything by themselves, and
I would like to take this opportunity to express my support for the recent motion passed by the UNA Board of Directors, which urges UBC to reconsider the choice of the Promontory as a site for the proposed hospice and to consider selecting another site. This was the right decision to make and for the right reasons. The UNA Board of Directors was able to make this correct decision because they had the wisdom to direct their ESL Committee to study the matter, prior to making this decision. The ESL Committee did study the matter….at length and in depth, and produced a detailed and thorough analysis which pinpointed the substantial flaws in the selection process to date. Not the least of these flaws was the total lack of consultation by UBC with the Promontory residents, nor was any notice given to these residents, prior to the formal final decision to go ahead. This is all the more difficult to accept when one is aware that there was no lack of consultation with those directly affected at the sites chosen for the hospice at UBC prior to the Promontory site. At one of the previous sites, concerns were raised by students adjacent to the proposed location, with some of the concerns being similar to those later expressed by the Promontory residents. UBC listened to the concerns of the students and abandoned the chosen site. When I was the Chair of the UNA Board a few years ago, I signed the first formal agreements with UBC which stated the terms under which the residents and UBC would deal with each other. These agreements were designed to facilitate relationships and minimize conflict. In the case of the Promontory, UBC could and should have done a better job. The Promontory was not the first choice for the hospice site, neither was it the second. It is a poor choice for a number of rea-
sons, the noise from the stadium and the bright lighting in the area being two obvious examples. Up to this point, I have not mentioned the cultural aspect of this, because frankly, the choice of site is flawed without any need to add this, but we do not need to avoid this issue. During my time on the UNA Board and in particular when I was chair of any committee, I would make a point of reminding committee members that we should leave our bias’s, prejudices and self interest at the door, because we were there to make decisions on behalf of all the residents that we represented. We could not always consult each resident before we made a decision and sometimes, most times in fact, some people would question the decision. They would be looking at the issue from their personal perspective and self interest….a perfectly understandable and reasonable thing to do. We, on the other hand, were required to look at the bigger picture. I believe that, in this case, it is right for the UNA Board of Directors to support the residents of the Promontory with their objections to the proposed site of the hospice at the Promontory, with some of those objections being the honestly and strongly held cultural beliefs of those residents. Our goal must be to develop a community sharing common objectives, while at the same time celebrating our differences…..a new consensus. The trick is to avoid fracturing our community. In time, as the next generation matures and becomes part of the fabric of our community, differences such as this, are going to blur. Subsequent generations will wonder what on earth we were all fussing about. Now is the time to encourage all residents to join the new consensus. Brian Collins, Hampton Place Resident and Past Chair of the UNA
ing built in front of us especially because we were told only research facility can be there in our disclosure contract. When the university tried to put the hospice in the other previous sites, the hospice was not
defined as research facility, and suddenly now it turned into a complete research center. It is very bizarre. We deserve an explanation. Daniel Jung, Promontory
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THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011
Sustainability Corner Eco-Strata Guide for Multifamily Homes Are you a strata resident or renter that wants to make a difference environmentally in your home or building but don’t know where to start? There are resources available to help you. For the focus of this month’s column I’d like to profile one particularly valuable resource developed by The One Earth Initiative, a local nonprofit. One Earth has created the Ecostrata Guide, a green guide for multifamily dwellings in Metro Vancouver with many recommendations and resources for owners and renters. The Eco-strata Guide, available from the One-Earth website (www.oneearth.retrix. net), includes sections with recommendations for reducing electrical consumption, reducing water usage, improving recycling services and provides advice on landscaping practices. The guide includes advice for stratas to manage their buildings and common areas, and for residents to apply in their own home. Some examples include advice about common area lightning upgrades, automated controls, hot water management and building maintenance designed to help the environment and save money. There is also advice on improving recycling and landscaping practices including information on finding ‘eco’ landscaping companies. In-home recommendations focus on laundry practices, gas fireplaces and electricity use. Finally, there is helpful advice on how to organize a strata sustainability committee and work with your strata to institute changes. While
Ralph Wells
Recyclers
the guide is intended for stratas, it can be very helpful to renters who wish to make changes in their home or work with their building manager to institute changes in common areas. If you plan to start taking action, there are some unique opportunities for UNA residents to be aware of. For example, if it hasn’t already, your strata can sign up for compost service, or if your building already has composting service, you could get involved in encouraging more residents to participate. As part of our upcoming involvement with BC Hydro’s Sustainable Communities program, we will be promoting incentive programs for building upgrades (such as common area lighting), and our partnership with the UBC Botanical Garden will allow us to develop sustainable landscape maintenance guidelines. To find out more about UNA programs and ways you can participate contact me at rwells@myuna.ca or 604.822.3263.
Residents Respond Well to E-Waste Drop
SUSTAINABILITY CONTEST Are you a UNA resident who would like to provide a practical tip on how each of us can contribute to sustainability? Be sure to submit your idea to the UNA Sustainability Contest at sustainabilitycontest@myuna.ca. The author of the tip selected will receive a $25.00 gift certificate (courtesy of Save-On) for use in our local Save-On Supermarket and at the end of the year there will be a significant prize for the year’s winner. This month’s tip is: “Metro Vancouver recommends using as little as half the recommended amount of detergent or soap for cleaning because our soft water produces cleaning suds far easier than hard water found in other locations. This will save money, leave less detergent residue on skin and clothes, reduce excessive surfactants at our wastewater treatment plants and protect our aquatic ecosystems.” WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT OF ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY’S PARTNERS IN SUSTAINABILITY, WESBROOK PLACE’S SAVE-ON SUPERMARKET.
Drop-off zone was in SaveOn-Foods parking lot; two large bins of waste collected Over 60 campus families and individuals brought an assortment of old computers, stereo equipment, batteries, cell phones and more to the UNA E-Waste event Saturday, March 5th. The four-hour drop-off event took place in the parking lot at Save-On-Foods in Wesbrook Village, and those dropping off e-waste items received a complementary Save-On-Foods re-usable shopping bag. Ralph Wells, UNA sustainability manager, said, “Weather cooperated and the event was well attended and well received, with lots of positive comments
Recycled Items from residents.” In all, two large bins of e-waste and a box of batteries and cell phones were collected. As well, Save-On-Foods put on a barbecue (with sustainable chicken, turkey and vegi-dog choices). Proceeds from the barbecue went to the Children’s Hospital. Mr. Wells said, “Thanks go to UBC Building Operations for providing cages and picking up and processing e-waste, to Save-On-Foods for helping to move and store the bins, and to Village Gate Homes for providing access to the parking lot. “Special thanks to UNA board member Mankee Mah and daughter Zoe for volunteering to help at the event.”
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THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011
Plays Package Stories In Fifteen Minutes
Do you have a short attention span when watching a play in the theatre? If you do, then you might want to take in a play at
the upcoming 25th annual Brave New Play Rites festival at UBC. The March 30th-April 3rd festival at the Dorothy Somerset Studio, offers ‘five action-packed days’ of plays. None of the plays last longer than 15 minutes. Clare Middleton, festival producer and a playwright, says, “It’s a great format for those of us with shorter attentions spans. If you’re not all that into one show, you know that something completely different will come along in no time!” Ms. Middleton says short-play festivals (such as Brave New Play Rites) are “a fun way to take in theatre. “They get straight to the point. With only 15 minutes, there’s no time to include anything that is not extremely necessary to the story. “So, most of the lines in a short play must do double duty. It has to both let
MINISTER from Page 1
CAMPAIGN from Page 1
Perhaps Ms. Chong will enjoy more traction on the UBC file this time. Not the least, an immediate task awaits her in approving—or rejecting— an amended land use plan for UBC. Ms. Chong has served the people of British Columbia as a relatively highprofile Liberal MLA in the last six months, being named the first target of a provincial recall campaign stemming from her support of the harmonized sales tax. The campaign failed. Ms. Chong became an MLA in 1996, and has previously been in charge of eight other ministries including, most recently, science and universities.
Those campaigning against the UBC plan to locate a hospice on 30,000 square feet of land next to the Promontory building at Stadium Road and West Mall started collecting signatures on their petition January 7th almost immediately after residents of the Promontory—the large majority of them Chinese or Korean—heard that UBC planned an Open House on the proposed hospice project January 10th with approval by the UBC board of governors possible at a meeting barely two weeks away. Those campaigning in favor of the UBC plan to locate a 15-bed end-of-life facility next to the Promontory started collecting signatures on their petition in late February after learning the University Neighbourhoods Association had resolved to urge UBC “to recon-
15th annual Brave New Play Rites is set for March 30thApril 3rd at UBC; playgoers with short attention spans will be interested
Open Letter to the University Neighbourhoods Association Please accept our resignation from the University Neighbourhoods Association. We are resigning to protest the position the UNA board of directors has taken on the issue of the location of Order of St. John’s Hospice. We have been members of the UNA for several years, being among the earliest residents of Wesbrook Village as well as members of the UBC academic community for several decades. In the January 2011 issue of the Campus Resident (vol. 2, issue 1), executive director Jan Fialkowski was quoted as saying the UNA has not taken a position, but rather “the UNA is trying to act as a bridge between the University and the residents,” regarding the objection of some residents of the Promontory high rise apartment building to the proposed location of the palliative care facility near their residence. This, we feel, is the appropriate role of the UNA – a bridge to let our voices be heard. However, in the meeting of February 8, the UNA board contradicted this position in a motion that “urges UBC to reconsider the choice of the Promontory site and consider selecting another site.” Thus the UNA is taking a partisan and inappropriate stance in what we feel is a shameful rejection of a facility whose purpose is the compassionate care of dying persons. We no longer feel the UNA represents us, hence our resignation. The proposed hospice is also a valuable resource for learning and research at UBC, and we question the right of people, whose only apparent connection to the University is residing on campus grounds, to dictate its location. The UNA should certainly not reinforce that position. Dale and Gloria Rolfsen
HOSPICE UBC from Page 1 Clearly, controversy surrounding choice of the vacant patch of land adjacent to the Promontory as site for the proposed hospice has delayed UBC from voting on it. In the midst of this controversy, an organized campaign has got underway urging UBC not to go ahead with hospice development at the site on the grounds that it clashes with the “cultural sensibilities” of Chinese and Korean families living in the Promontory, and more recently, an organized counter-campaign has got underway urging UBC to go ahead with hospice development at the Promontory site on the grounds the site is “appropriate.” Professor Toope told governors in February that UBC considered the current deferment of formal discussion about the project to be only “a pause, one in which we make sure we understand the cultural sensitivities of residents.” Prof Toope said, however, that in this learning process, UBC will seek to understand only “those (cultural sensitivities) which are genuine.” According to the president in February, the controversy over whether UBC had paid enough attention—or should have paid more attention—to how residents of the Promontory and other apartments and town-house complexes in Hawthorn Place feel about the proposed Promontory location for the hospice “seems to have died down.” In fact, the controversy seems far from dead, possibly because the 3,000-member University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA) has resolved to ask of UBC to do precisely what the Promontory group has asked, namely to reconsider the choice of the hospice site.
the audience know something about the characters and the situation they are in while also furthering the story. “In longer plays, playwrights can split these jobs up.” Clare Middleton has a BFA in acting and has been working in theatre for over a decade as an actor, producer, teacher and playwright. She hails from the Saskatoon and is currently working on her MFA in Creative Writing with a focus on playwriting. Opening Night Wed. March 30th-April 3rd 8 PM; Matinee at 2 PM Sun. Apr. 3rd; Staged Reading Sat. Apr. 2nd 2 PM (by donation) Tickets: $10/$15 Box Office: 604-822-2678 Full details: www.bravenew.ca
sider the choice of the Promontory site and consider selecting another site”. A spokesperson for the campaign in favor of the Promontory location said at press time they intended to gather signatures until the end of March. A spokesperson for the campaign against the Promontory location said they had delivered their petition (with about 400 signatures) to UBC president Stephen Toope but “we are still collecting names.” The campaign against the Promontory site seems to be run mainly by younger, new Canadians of Chinese and Korean extraction living in the 94-unit Promontory building which is part of the Hawthorn Place neighbourhood on campus. The campaign in favor of the Promontory site seems to be run mainly by
Clare Middleton
older Canadian-born or European-born residents of Hampton Place, the first residential neighbouhood built on campus. As well as strongly agree that the proposed site for a hospice in the Promontory neighbourhood is appropriate, the petition-in-favor reads, “We were not consulted by the UNA board about its resolution to support the Promontory Asians. Since the UNA is not correctly representing the residents’ wishes, we hereby express our own views.” Meanwhile, a preamble to the petitionagainst reads in part, “Last but not least, a significant proportion of our community members are Asian originated. It is a big issue from their original culture that a home is never close to a facility like a hospice.”
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THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011
The official groundbreaking ceremony included (from left) Pierre Ouillet, UBC Vice President Finance, Resources and Operations; Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification; UBC President Stephen Toope; Honourable John Yap, Minister of State for Climate Action; and Professor David Wilkinson, Clean Energy Research Centre Director. Photo credit: Martin Dee
Bio-Mass Plant Pulls in Serious Funding
Pioneering UBC clean energy project gets $11.2 million in new government support; both levels of government are involved A first-of-its-kind clean energy project that will generate enough clean electricity to power 1,500 homes at the University of British Columbia has received $11.2 million in new federal and provincial government funding.
The plant at the northwest corner of Lower Mall and Agronony Road will reduce natural gas consumption at UBC by up to 12 per cent, and eliminate up to 4,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year – the equivalent of taking
www.beatymuseum.ubc.ca
1,100 cars off the road. The $27-million UBC Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Project (BRDP) is a partnership with Vancouverbased Nexterra Systems Corp. and General Electric Co. (GE). When it opens in 2012, it will be the first biomass-fueled, heat-and-power generation system of its kind in the world. The project will eliminate up to 4,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per year from UBC’s Vancouver campus – the equivalent of taking 1,100 cars off the road – and is part of UBC’s bold plan to reduce institutional GHG emissions from 2007 levels by 33 per cent by 2015, 67 per cent by 2020 and total GHG emissions by 2050. Using Nexterra’s gasification technology and a GE Jenbacher engine, BRDP will produce two megawatts of electricity – up to six per cent of the campus’s average electrical demand – and the heat produced will provide up to 25 per cent of the campus’s steam requirements. The project will be powered by biomass, including tree trimmings, wood chips and other urban wood waste diverted from local landfills. “Investing in clean energy technologies stimulates the growth of a domestic clean energy industry, creating high-quality jobs for Canadians,” said Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, who announced $10.2 million in federal support during a ground-breaking ceremony at the site.
Artistic rendering of Bio-Mass Plant
“Moving forward aggressively with investments in clean energy technologies will help us balance our need for energy with our need to protect the environment.” “This is an incredible example of partnership that helps establish British Columbia as a leader in the development of creative energy solutions,” said John Yap, B.C. Minister of State for Climate Action, who announced $1 million dollars in new support, adding to the $4.5 million B.C. allocated for the project last year. “The UBC project shows we can build momentum in the clean energy sector and create new economic activity while reducing the carbon footprint left by our public buildings.” The facility, in addition to supplying clean energy for the campus, will advance clean energy research and development. Researchers will conduct applied research on bio-energy systems, other green technologies and best practices and policies. “This project is an example of UBC’s concept of the university as a living laboratory for research, action and leadership on global sustainability issues,” said UBC President Stephen Toope. “With this crucial support from government, UBC will generate clean steam and electricity, provide valuable new knowledge for the clean energy sector and inform new global standards for bio-energy system performance.” The four-storey, 1,886-square-metre facility will be the first North American commercial application of cross-laminated-timber (CLT), a European building system adapted for BC lumber and manufacturing facilities. CLT is a renewable, low-carbon replacement for steel or concrete in multi-storey residential and commercial buildings up to, and potentially higher than, 10 stories.
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THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011
Staff-Sergeant Kevin Kenna
Parting Interview with Staff-Sergeant Kevin Kenna “UBC has been a fun place to work, I must say.” The ‘town’ at UBC has undergone significant changes in the last five years, and Kevin Kenna has enjoyed a unique view of these changes. Staff-Sergeant Kenna commanded the University detachment of the RCMP in this time, and days prior to his retirement on March 11th (after 38 years a policeman), the popular Mountie reflected on what changes he has seen at UBC in an interview with The Campus Resident. Ironically, for someone who displays a great thirst for life and a sharp sense of humour, Mr. Kenna faced criticism in his early days as the ‘top cop’ on campus for diminishing the opportunities of others to enjoy life at UBC. By ‘others’, we mean members of the student body. Word went round student circles early during his stay here that the RCMP had “declared war on fun.” Mr. Kenna visibly recoiled when uttering the ‘war’ word during the interview. “It’s not a word I like,” he said. But he used it anyway to set the record straight. “There was no war on fun; there was a war against lack of safety.” Back in 2006, when Mr. Kenna took charge of the RCMP detachment on Wes-
RCMP Picks One ‘Kevin’ to Take Place of Another S/Sgt Kevin Kenna departs; S/Sgt Kevin Jones arrives One ‘Kevin’ departs the University detachment of the RCMP at 2990 Wesbrook Mall. Another ‘Kevin’ arrives. The Campus Resident has learned that Staff/Sergeant Kevin Jones, who currently works at the RCMP detachment
brook Mall, nothing exemplified ‘lack of safety’ on campus better than a student event called Arts County Fair. This event, since abandoned, would give the Mountie some grievous concerns—and residents saw why. Held on the last day of the school year in April, Arts County Fairs consisted of all-day rock concerts at Thunderbird Stadium, binge drinking by up to 20,000 students and some serious accidents such as the case of a boy falling off the roof of a fraternity house and becoming permanently disabled. The RCMP regularly arrested and detained 50-60 students for drunken and unruly behaviour at Arts County Fairs. Early residents of the Hawthorn Place neighbourhood will remember Arts County Fairs with horror since a small army of students—many inebriated—passed through it en route to and from Thunderbird Stadium. Meanwhile, residents of the Hampton Place neighbourhood half a mile away faced a little less disturbance during Arts County Fairs since location of the RCMP detachment on Wesbrook buffered them in part from student parties in the fraternity houses to the north. Other issues related to alcohol also surfaced with Staff-Sergeant Kenna invariably in the thick of them. For example, UBC wanted—and still wants—RCMP
in Coquitlam, will take command of the 19-member University detachment shortly. S/Sgt Jones takes over from departing Staff/Sergeant Kevin Kenna who was detachment commander at UBC for the last five years—and who has retired from the RCMP after 38 years of service. S/Sgt Kenna said shortly before press time, “I spoke to Kevin (Jones) late yesterday and will be meeting with him today. At this point he does not have a firm date as to when he will take over here. My best guess is in about a month. I have offered to take him around and introduce him once he gets here.” S/Sgt Kenna also said, “Sgt. Brian Decock will be the acting detachment commander until S/Sgt. Jones gets here.”
support for alcohol to be sold at rock concerts and other musical events in the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Arena on Wesbrook Mall at Thunderbird Boulevard, but for fifteen months, Staff-Sgt Kenna has steadfastly declined to offer this support. “I don’t want thousands of young people coming out of a rock concert at the Thunderbird arena where alcohol has been purchased and onto the streets of UBC at 2 AM,” he says. In brief, the police officer has “struggled with licensing issues” during this tenure at UBC. Mostly, his iron will has prevailed in the resolution of these issues. These many issues related to the excessive consumption of alcohol by students and excessive noise made by them late into the night have proved to be major points of friction between the emerging ‘town’ at UBC (residents) and the established ‘gown’ (students), and here the veteran Mountie sees grounds for optimism that town and gown will come together at UBC in a harmonious relationship—though it be strained at times. “Five years ago, the University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA) was expanding rapidly. Since then, students have had five years to adapt to the presence of residents on campus.” In other words, growth in the community and growth in student understanding of
why 8,000 residents live among them will lead to a more harmonious social order at UBC. Perhaps the recent UNA funding of a student-organized talent show called UBC’s Got Talent epitomizes this harmony. “When I came, things were looseygoosey, out of control. Something needed to be fixed. More controls were needed to be put in place. There was a lot of animosity between students and residents.” The decline in this animosity speaks volumes for the work Staff-Sergeant Kevin Kenna has done in helping build relationships between the various parts of the communitymix at UBC. Former police officer Kevin Kenna, now plain Mr. Kenna, will head for Hawaii shortly for a few weeks to celebrate the start of his retirement years. Then he will head back home to do some pottering around the house where he lives in Burnaby with wife Maureen English and “getting back to the gym” before deciding how to spend the rest of his retirement years. “UBC has been a fun place to work, I must say,” he says by way of a parting comment. “You’ve got to be able to enjoy life and laugh. At the same time, you’ve got to have social order.”
2576 West Mall (Sold in 17 days, sold at 99.3% asking price) 6-1863 Wesbrook Mall (Sold in 5 days, Sutton Group) 3887 W 16th Av. 702-5639 Hampton Place
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THE CAMPUS RESIDENT MARCH 22, 2011