Capilano Courier | Vol. 51, Issue 1.

VOLUME 51, ISSUE 1

SEPTEMBER 3-23 2018

The Back to School Guide Featuring travel stories

NEWS

Orientation's brand new look

TRAVEL

Exploring the BC backyard

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Be your own educator

VOL. 51 ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 3–23

COVER: ERIKA MEDINA

4

ONE ON ONE WITH ANNA REMPEL

5

SUMMER SUCKS

CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS

I

News

6

Back to School

Back to School

8

CAPE TOWN'S WATER CRISIS

Travel

10 BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA Travel

11 I WALK THIS LONELY ROAD

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

Travel

STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ART DIRECTOR

Christine Beyleveldt capcourier@gmail.com

Cynthia Tran Vo artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com

MANAGING EDITOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Helen Aikenhead manager.capcourier@gmail.com

Melissa Gibbons pm.capcourier@gmail.com

NEWS EDITOR

COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER

Greta Kooy news.capcourier@gmail.com

Position Available! community.capcourier@gmail.com

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

BUSINESS MANAGER

Annalisse Crosswell associatenews.capcourier@gmail.com

Jessica Lio businessmanager.capcourier@gmail. com

FEATURES EDITOR

Freya Wasteneys specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Juliana Vieira, Laura Pummell, Victoria Steinebach, Cynthia Tran Vo, Natalie Heaman

Nivedan Kaushal arts.capcourier@gmail.com OPINIONS EDITOR

Megan Orr campuslife.capcourier@gmail.com COPY EDITOR

Ashleigh Brink copy.capcourier@gmail.com COLUMNS EDITOR

Rachael D'sa columns.capcourier@gmail.com

INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING?

THE CAPILANO COURIER is an autonomous,

Visit us in Maple 122 on Tuesdays and Fridays or

democratically-run student newspaper. Literary and

email capcourier@gmail.com.

visual submissions are welcomed. All submissions are subject to editing for brevity, taste and legality.

INTERESTED IN ILLUSTRATING?

The Capilano Courier will not publish material

Submit your portfolio or examples of work to

deemed by the collective to exhibit sexism, racism

artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com.

or homophobia. The views expressed by the contributing writers are not necessarily those of the

​We acknowledge that the work we do and the institution we serve happens on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

2

Capilano Courier Publishing Society.

t was during my practicum last year that I realized how much of a learning curve there is to any job, no matter how good of a student you are. That includes this one, which I’ve already been doing for four years.

Despite helping oversee 65 issues of the Capilano Courier from concept through to print, I was way too stressed about rolling the issue you’re holding in your hands now out the door when in hindsight, I shouldn’t have been. But sometimes you have to learn things all over again. Maybe this time it’s different because I can’t turn to someone else when I have questions anymore – now I have to have all of the answers.

Had I gone into my practicum placement at another local publisher relying solely on what I’d learned in class, I would have been going in blind. That’s not to say that I didn’t value what I had learned, but I believe it was the Courier that gave me the necessary experience to adapt to my new work environment.

In this first issue, our editors and the Department of Student Affairs have provided tips on things like making friends and avoiding stress in your first year of university. If this is your first year, this isn’t just a time for study – it’s a time for transitioning into the next stage of your life.

Unlike a semester-long course with a midterm, a final and no chance at redemption, you can’t pass or fail adulthood – most of the time it’s trial and error, and making mistakes is okay. It’s more than okay in fact.

On several occasions throughout my time as a student at Capilano University, my professor, Michael Markwick, invited Trisha Baptie, an activist well known for her opposition to prostitution, to speak

to our class. But it was something she told us during the research stage of the Communication program’s undergraduate thesis that really stuck with me. I remember her telling us last Fall that she hadn’t received a higher education, but she was constantly looking for ways to teach herself as much as she could about the world – something all of us should really be doing. I reckon those who look for opportunities to draw lessons from their own experiences will go further.

I had memorized Hamlet’s soliloquy by the end of high school, but did I know how to file my own taxes?

Not on your life. It was only as I approached my fourth year that I suddenly realized that there were so many things I didn’t know how to do that would be crucial one day.

I have asked for help many times this summer as I’ve prepared to step into the shoes of Editor-in-Chief, not realizing how much I still had to learn about this paper despite those four years. Some of the most important things I have learned have been to always have a backup plan and to find an activity that helps you clear your head – and tidying up your surroundings, I’ve found, is the best thing for it.

I do miss being in school already. It brought structure to my daily routine.

But I’m excited to tackle my new venture, which is learning how to cope with a business and lead others.

Adjustment is going to be a big theme this year, because this time I’ll be in charge of not just this paper, but my own education from here on out.

NEWS

Development of Innovation District Delayed Community hub that would replace CapU’s current student residence put on hold until after municipal elections ANNALISSE CROSSWELL ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

C

Darwin’s partnership with the TsleilWaututh Nation evolved through a long history of existing in the same community, Darwin being a local company, the business side of the partnership began a few years ago when Darwin constructed a community center on Tsleil-Waututh land. "[It’s] an exciting opportunity to bring the two groups together and develop a project," said Webbe, "which can benefit the nation and the future of their community and also the North Shore."

The open houses offer members of the community an opportunity to see the proposed site – most of which is available online – and to speak with individuals involved in the process to better understand every aspect and give feedback. A key concern for the

CapU Orientation Takes on a New Life Move over CUSP, connection is the theme of this year’s two-week orientation ANNALISSE CROSSWELL ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

“

Connect, engage, take action,” is Capilano University’s new orientation tagline. Returning students will remember orientation as a single-day event, but new students are to be welcomed by a series of events over the course of a twoweek period. Orientation events, some old and some new, including time management and career planning workshops, began on Aug. 27 and will continue with International Student Orientation and Residence Move In until Sept. 7, which is all part of the rebranding process that netted Victoria Miles, the University’s director of

communications and marketing, the Canadian Association of Communicators in Education (CACE) Coup de Coeur Award for her work on the brand story in 2017. With that, CapU administration feels it has more to offer the student experience.

CapU Special Events has organized the majority of orientation events in years past, but this year, Student Affairs is working with other departments on campus to pull the series of events together. The focus of this change is tomake the whole experience more cohesive in a way that not only makes it easier for students to understand what the school has on offer, but also creates a sense of belonging. “What [the University has] done is unified everyone together for a joint Capilano University-wide blending of orientation,” said Student Success Facilitator for Student Engagement, Remy Marlatt.

This cohesive experiment is being achieved through a focus on helping

new students learn to balance academic and personal success through events that are both entertaining and educational. New students will receive a passport, which they will be able to stamp during the two-week period at different events that fulfill “social, wellbeing and academic” requirements. The new structure will be better balanced, and, as Marlatt puts it, “...build that sense of belonging.”

This year, students will be able to participate in orientation before they even arrive at the University with a new Moodle orientation section following what many other postsecondary institutions are doing now.

They will also be able to attend a varsity soccer game, witness a flash mob and attend the new street party, which is no longer known as Capilano University Street Party (CUSP) as it was in past years. Instead, Party for Health will be hosting a consent party.

When asked about the challenges that come with so many changes, Marlatt

commented that the Street Party was the only event where they had experienced any real difficulties because of its new name and the fact that it has moved to primarily be in the Cedar Courtyard.

Those organizing the events have gone to great lengths to ensure no classes will be impacted by the events going on around the school as orientation draws to a close.

All of these events, old and new, are centred around the idea of getting new and returning students to engage the CapU community in a more integrated manner than in years past. It’s all aimed at helping new students ease their transition into university life.

To aid this effort, everything from the welcoming ceremonies to the Street Party will be interactive. “Everything is fun, but there’s also a lot of learning that can happen throughout all the activities that prep you and help you with your transition,” said Marlatt.

3

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

received a fair amount of attention.

This development is one of the largest proposed for North Vancouver, and there is contention surrounding the effects it may have on the community.

Darwin has sought to address concerns about traffic congestion, something many North Shore residents are concerned about, and the housing crisis.

President Oliver Webbe says that these concerns are addressed at the open houses where the current provincial plans for infrastructure are outlined.

Darwin plans to have car-sharing programs available, provide a shuttle to CapU and the company is also currently in talks with Translink about a partnership, which would bring the Berkley Road B-Line from Phibbs Exchange right into the Innovation District, four kilometres away.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

apilano University unveiled a brand-new student residence at 2420 Dollarton Highway in 2017 a mere month before the Fall semester began. With a large percentage of the student population commuting an hour or more to classes on the North Shore and a large part of the CapU community being international students, the residence was a major step for the University. Now Darwin Construction, the company that owns the site, and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation are proposing a long-term plan to develop the location and the surrounding area.

The Innovation District would have trails, restaurants, a hotel as well as a daycare and employee housing for North Shore companies. Darwin is currently looking for feedback on their proposal from the community, showing off their vision for the development through a series of open houses in the on-site gymnasium.

The open houses have been going on all summer and will continue for a short period of time into the fall, dependent on the interest of the community. The project has already

CapU community in this regard is how it would affect students currently living in residence. The proposed 220 units of student and faculty housing would be offered solely to North Shore postsecondary students and faculty.

Earlier this year the proposal was taken to the North Vancouver council for debate. Due to timing issues, an official decision regarding rezoning requirements has been postponed until after the Oct. 20 municipal elections.

Despite this, the developers anticipate beginning phase one of construction, which would continue until 2022.

Students currently living in residence would continue to live in the current space until phase one ends, at which point they would be moved into new residence halls with the space available to accommodate more students.

The province has committed to approximately $200 million in infrastructure, which will be complete before the first building at the Innovation District. With the prospect of 11,000 units of housing, as well as an all-encompassing community infrastructure plan, the development itself is also an effort to bring North Vancouver residents closer to work and home. "[It’s] a model that’s been successfully done throughout the world at other locations,dz said Webbe. DzIt’s really the future of business." The project holds exciting prospects for the community, which will certainly be important for CapU and many of its students.

NEWS

E

ntering university is both the start of a new chapter in life, and a major learning process.

A brand new Centre for Student Success is opening on the ground floor of the Library building this fall, which brings many of the University’s existing resources and services to one easily-accessible location to help new (and returning) students cope with the stresses of academia. Bearing that in mind, here are five tips from the Department of Student Affairs to help you adapt to university life as smoothly as possible.

@CAPILANOCOURIER

@CAPILANOCOURIER

/CAPILANOCOURIER

Anna Rempel

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

Tips for Transitioning to University Life from the Department of Student Affairs Ready, set, go! It’s okay to feel nervous about starting university. It’s different and it’s big, but it’s waiting for you to conquer it.

Stay active! Not only physically by visiting the campus gym or taking a stroll through our beautiful trails, but also by attending CapU events and joining a campus group. This is a great time to meet new people with shared interests.

Sleep is not for the weak! Good sleeping habits will help your mind stay productive and help you feel well rested to take on new challenges.

Challenge accepted! During this transition time, you will encounter challenges. It is important to embrace them, as they will help you grow.

This means choosing classes based on what is best for you, and your goals – not just on what is easy or fun.

Keep swimming! Sometimes you might feel overwhelmed or nervous about the changes ahead. Make sure to consider how much you are taking on and know when enough is enough.

"Me time" is always a great option to relax and reflect.

4

definitely had a lot to do with the fact that we brought in online voting for our last election," said Rempel. "So that made it much more accessible for CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT students, especially on our Sunshine EDITOR-IN- CHIEF Coast campus, where we really haven’t seen a lot of active participation fter serving as a Global and beforehand but now we actually have a Community Studies faculty Sunshine Coast representative." representative last year and Matthew McLean steps into the volunteering her time on the Capilano shoes of Sunshine Coast campus Students’ Union (CSU) Finance and representative this year, the first Audit Committee, Anna Rempel is student to fill the position in several excited to be stepping into a new years. Rempel hopes to improve position as the CSU president for the communication between the North 2018-19 academic year.

Shore campus and the Sunshine Coast "I’m really excited about the team now that the CSU has this vital link. that we have this year," she said. The As for the remaining vacant five executives have more experience positions, two students were appointed under their belts going into this to the fill the Students of Colour and academic year, and two executives – newly incorporated Mature and Parent Vice President External, Noah Berson, Students Liaison positions, but to and Vice President Student Life, Yats honour democratic process, the CSU Palat – are reprising their roles from last year. "We’re really trying to make is holding a fall by-election to fill these seats. "We want to provide an sure that we’re working well as a opportunity for as many students as team, that we know what we’re doing possible to be effectively represented," and that we’re holding each other said Rempel. accountable doing our best for the Among Rempel’s priorities this year students." is the Let’s Get Consensual campaign.

In addition to serving as president, The campaign, which addresses Rempel is the vice president equity sexualized violence and consent, and sustainability for the upcoming was kick-started last year but took school year. Part of her mandate is several months to get underway due to oversee the collective liaisons and ensure they are well supported in their to scheduling conflicts. Before the CSU could begin hosting workshops, roles and fulfilling their individual several board members needed to go mandates. The collective liaisons meet through training with members of with their constituents – minority the University of Victoria Student groups on campus or those in need of Society (UVSS), who developed the support, including students of colour, original campaign. The CSU partnered international students, First Nations, women and mature students or parents with CapU and rolled out the first workshops in the spring, but going – regularly.

However, the CSU board of directors into a new term, Rempel is doubling down her efforts to educate the CapU is short-staffed, with three vacant liaison positions and five vacant faculty community about consent and prevent sexualized violence. representative positions. The March Because there is no Women Students election had an unprecedented turnout, nearly 1,500 students voted, but fewer Liaison at the time being, Rempel is spearheading the campaign going into students ran for positions on the board. "The high voter turnout I think the Fall semester. "It’s taking up a fair

A one-on-one with the new CSU president

A

amount of my time. But I’m trying to make sure that I’m balancing everything and delegating tasks as I need to, but raising awareness of sexualized violence is under my own mandate so I’m really happy to be working with passionate people," she said. As the CSU hosts each workshop, they are looking for feedback so they can tailor the campaign to address students’ needs and concerns in the future when someone else inevitably steps into the role to run it.

However, Let’s Get Consensual is far from the only campaign the CSU is focusing on this year. With the municipal elections in October fast approaching, there's the possibility of allcandidates forums on campus leading up to the election so students can register to vote and become familiar with the candidates and election issues. Also in the Fall semester is a provincial referendum on the topic of proportional representation – something Premier John Horgan made central to his platform in 2017. The referendum will take place between Oct. 22 and Nov. 30 by postal ballot.

Mental Health is also a hot button topic at the CSU. Owen Siggurdsson, the vice president equity and sustainability whom Rempel took over the position from, spent most of the prior year developing a Mental Health Strategy. The CSU is beginning the year with a Social Advocacy Faire on Sept. 5 and Mental Health Advocacy Month later in the semester to raise awareness about challenges students may face and provide opportunities for self-care and rest as midterms approach.

"Everyone is really passionate about what they’re doing," said Rempel, referring to the other members on the CSU’s board of directors. And that passion will serve them and students well.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Unpopular Opinion: Summer Actually Sucks

Why you should be glad to be cool and going back to school MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR

L

importance of striking a balance as fall approaches. “Striking a balance is about setting priorities and molding them in a way that your schedule incorporates a flow between life, work and everything else in-between,” wrote Hagan.

So as we pack our summer clothes away for the year, and with it the hopes of ever achieving our #goals summer bod, we can also say farewell to a disappointing season of false expectations. Not to mention that the cold air means less smoke, smog and

sweat and we can finally whip out our cozy fall wardrobes.

However, as spring gives way to clear skies next year, it’s okay to hope for better from #summer2019.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

ike so many hazy, rose-coloured memories from childhood (Christmas, New Year’s and birthdays before we realized what getting older actually entailed) summer months seem to always fall short of our expectations. We spend eight months of the year in Vancouver begging for sunshine and warmth.

It’s our reward for putting up with the cold and dreary weather all year round. Summer: it’s not to say that it can’t be filled with some of the best memories of our lives, but generally it’s overrated. To sum it up, summer is sweaty, smoky and stinky.

The major flaw with summer is that we still apply our childlike innocence to it. We’re done school so that means we get to have fun, right? Wrong. It means finding a full-time job, working our butts off till we’re so tired that we don’t want to do anything, and then feeling guilty because summer is wasting away while we watch Netflix in our underwear with a fan blowing at our sweaty bits. When the weekend rolls around, we overbook ourselves to make up for a week of

mundanity, and end up feeling stressed and experiencing fear of missing out (FOMO) when we can’t honour all of our engagements (and we can never fit everything in).

While the Millennial sense of humour tends to allow for a great deal of self-deprecation, FOMO is no laughing matter. “Anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by social media posts,” is its official description. It was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013. It’s really a flaw of our generation. We work extremely hard and barely make ends meet, only to be barraged on social media with images of people living their best lives. It’s hard to feel like we aren’t missing out on something all the time. How will people even know you’ve had a good time if you don’t take a bunch of pictures and at least one cool boomerang? It doesn’t matter if it’s even something we are interested in. If it looks cool, surely it’s something we should be doing?

The truth is, the routine that comes with going back to school should be quite welcome. Having a set schedule and set responsibilities is good for us. A 2016 Huffington Post article

by Maureen Hagan discussed the

-NATALIE HEAMAN

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

JUST BECAUSE THEY SWIPED RIGHT DOESN’T MAKE IT RIGHT. Sexual violence and misconduct can never be part of student life.

It will not be tolerated.

Make campuses safe for everyone, play your part.

5

BACK TO SCHOOL

@CAPILANOCOURIER

@CAPILANOCOURIER

/CAPILANOCOURIER

Socializing 101 It shouldn't take a workshop to learn how to make friends NIVEDAN KAUSHAL ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

S

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

eptember marks new classes, new faces and a new city for some. Whether you are a seasoned university veteran or a rookie freshman straight out of high school, it’s time to face the challenges of building friendships in a new environment. Assuming you understand basic social etiquette and practice good hygiene, here’s what you need to know about making friends at Capilano University.

-JULIANA VIEIRA

Get involved

Go where the people are The communal spaces across CapU are comfy, colourful and full of people. The Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) Members Centre (Library 195) and the Maple Lounge (Maple 115) are popular spots, offering foosball, billiards and cozy seating to anyone on campus. As the year progresses, watch out for various events like home sports games, competitions, street parties and faculty gettogethers – you never know who you might bump into.

"Being where people are" also relates to the classroom. You’ll close yourself off from new people if you choose a desk too close to the walls. Sit too far to the front and you’ll mostly be alone, making it difficult to chat with fellow students. A desk in the center, however, is prime classroom real estate.

More people sit there in general, and the instructor is still audible.

Getting involved with clubs and other organizations is a fantastic way to meet people with similar interests. CapU has more than 20 clubs catering to karaoke enthusiasts, League of Legends lovers and anime fans alike. If you’ve hunted through the CSU club directory (available on their website) and haven’t found your niche, try launching a club yourself.

You only need three members to receive up to $200 in funding. Or, swing by Maple 122 on Tuesdays and write for the Capilano Courier! Trust us, we won’t bite.

Keep your options open "A first impression is the last impression" is awful advice for making friends. Jay Panchal, an Animation Fundamentals Citation student, recalled meeting someone he thought was very annoying early in the term. "Turns out, this guy’s creative ideas are wild, he's open to interesting discussion and is fun company." While it’s okay to be selective about companionship, don’t discredit people unfairly simply because they aren’t your type.

Things to watch out for: Being under 19 At some point or

Start small "Making small relationships is a great way to go," according to Mac Christison, an Acting for Stage and Screen student. Keep your initial interactions with new acquaintances short and light-hearted – jokes and small talk are key to getting things rolling. "I made friends that invited me to birthday parties and brunch by the end of the year just because I chatted with them on occasion," said Christison.

Choose interactive courses If you’d rather jump off a bridge

6

than make small talk, consider enrolling in courses that force you to converse with others. Devon Sacre, a Communications student, found that he doesn’t often interact with strangers. "I don’t usually talk to people I don’t know if I don’t have to ... but I took French, and you have to talk to students in that class. I made some of my best friends because of it," he said.

another, you'll be invited to a bar or a club for an event, like the CSU’s Captivate, or by a group of new friends. It can be awkward to decline an invitation, especially if you'd like to join the crowd. Unfortunately if you’re under the age of 19, you can’t do much other than wait it out.

Being impatient "Creating a friendship takes a long time. Don’t rush it,"said Communications student Connor Macklam. Between work, school, essays, grocery shopping, commuting and oodles of other tasks, most people can't spend time with you. In other words, meeting people is easy, but making friends is hard.

It’s different from high school where students see each other every day.

At CapU, the majority of people are not living in dorms together so the process will naturally take longer.

"Putting yourself out there can be a nerve-wracking, embarrassing and sometimes disappointing experience.

Do your best to not take things personally and give up on building relationships. So long as you can be friendly with others, someone will return the gesture. After all, the best friendships are organic ones that spark with just a little bit of effort.

Good luck!

THE CAPILANO COURIER

PEPPERONI CHEESE VEGETARIAN MEAT LOVER’S HAWAIIAN MEDITERRANEAN DEMOCRACY.

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

Grab a slice, help us out.

Quorum is 15. Pizza is delicious.

Capilano Courier Annual General Meeting + Board of Directors Election Tuesday, September 25 at Noon Maple 122 7

TRAVEL

Day Zero Cape Town’s water crisis is the first of its kind in history, and residents are pulling through to conserve their most precious resource

BY CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT LAURA PUMMELL ILLUSTRATOR

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

F

or a city currently experiencing its worst drought in 100 years, Cape Town is remarkably green.

The golf course at Sea Point maintains lush lawns, and the lower slopes of Table Mountain are dotted with blue gums, oaks and maples. However, a scenic drive along the coast reveals something of a very different nature.

Entire hillsides of scorched earth, a fine layer of soot coating the ground and gnarled tree branches blackened by wildfires that blazed through the countryside last year, reveal that this city has been met with a crisis. A poignant sculpture erected in Camps Bay with words from William Sweetlove reads, “Water is temporary. Extinction is forever.”

It serves as a stark reminder to Capetonians that every drop counts.

Day Zero, the day Cape Town turns off its taps, splashed across international headlines in January.

“We have reached a point of no return. Despite our urging for months, 60 [per cent] of Capetonians are callously using more than 87 litres per day,” Mayor Patricia de Lille tweeted. “We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water. We must force them.” Two weeks later on Feb. 1, Level 6B water restrictions went into effect, limiting Capetonians to just 50 litres of water per person per day for a 150 day period. Day Zero would hit on April 21 if residents didn’t take immediate action, and it sparked a panic.

When I arrived in Cape Town on April 28, a week after Day Zero was scheduled to occur, there was no panic, in fact there was a profound sense of normalcy. The actual date had already been pushed several times and is now scheduled for 2019 thanks to conservation efforts. I was greeted at the airport by a display of bottles of drinking water hanging from the ceiling –a very visual representation of the amount of water Capetonians were restricted to for personal use.

Cape Town’s drought began four years ago, and with each successive year, the skies remained cloudless and the city’s water supply fell to a critical level. Politicians urged residents to reduce their water consumption.

In 2016 they were collectively using one billion litres of water every day.

Their goal: to cut that figure down

8

@CAPILANOCOURIER

to 450 million litres. After the Day Zero announcement, people scaled back tremendously, although they were consistently just shy of their target and consumed roughly 500 million litres per day. For months, Jade and Mauro Longano couldn’t get bottled water because others were stockpiling it, and the companies where they work sought contingency plans.

Some blame de Lille for not treating the water shortage with the urgency it required until it was almost too late.

“The city’s taking an immense amount of criticism for not being morevocal.

The reason they haven’t been more vocal is because we think they don’t know how,”criticized Mauro.

“The dams couldn’t have been at more than 25 per cent [capacity] at most when things started happening,” said Chris Keet, a winemaker who lives an hour outside of Cape Town in Somerset West.

The city’s first desalination plant in Strandfontein came online in May and was soon contributing seven million litres of water to the municipal water system every day.

By June, a plant at the Victoria

@CAPILANOCOURIER

demand for electricity, or maintained existing stations properly. From 20092010, Eskom embarked on a project to increase the supply of electricity, but Capetonians became more energy efficient in order to cope with prolonged blackouts.“So [we’ve] had additional supply come online without more people needing it,” said Mauro.

In October 2013, São Paulo, the biggest city in the Western Hemisphere, faced a similar crisis when its main reservoir slipped below four per cent capacity, leaving over 20 million inhabitants with less than a three week supply of water. Jakarta, Bangalore, Istanbul, Cairo, Mexico City and São Paulo are all in danger of running out of water according to BBC World News.

What sets Cape Town apart from São Paulo is that this water crisis isn’t temporary. “If we do switch off, we’re not switching on again for a very long time,” Mauro remarked.

“We think that’s why the city went through such a big scare to try and get people to reduce water [consumption], because they knew that they would never be able to turn the

"On my first night, I was shown the bucket I had to place over the shower drain to collect the dirty water and the sponge I would use to mop up any excess from the floor and squeeze back into the bucket. Later, I’d use it to flush the toilet without engaging the flush mechanism". and Albert Waterfront was contributing two million litres of water, and by July, a third plant in Monwabisi – an additional seven million litres per day.

Despite the additional water supply, the crisis is far from over. Zambia native Nick Sloane, a marine salvage expert best known for salvaging the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship off the coast of Italy in 2013, proposed a wild idea: to tug an iceberg drifting off the coast of Antarctica over 4,000 miles to the drought-stricken city. There, it could be cut and the slurry would be melted into drinking water. Sloane has estimated that even if 30 per cent of the iceberg were to melt en route, it would still be able to supply 135 billion litres of water.

This is not the first time Cape Town has dealt with a crisis. And it certainly wouldn’t be the first city in the world to run out of water. “We’re used to resource scarcity,” said Mauro, referencing the blackouts that have plagued Cape Town for years. “We’re the most efficient users of water anywhere in the world by half.”

Eskom, South Africa’s national energy provider, hasn’t built enough power stations to keep up with the

water off,” said Jade. Infrastructure would simply collapse. The city is already slipping into a deficit because revenue from water tariffs has halved to match consumption.

De Lille noted that Cape Town’s taps would run dry when the water supply fell below 13.5 per cent, and the city came dangerously close in May, when the reservoirs were at just 20 per cent capacity.

Residents were urged to limit their consumption to just 50 litres per person per day. To compare, the most recent statistics from Metro Vancouver show that most Vancouverites use over 430 litres of water per day.

British Columbia is a temperate rainforest, and the Lower Mainland has one of the largest supplies of fresh water on the planet. As someone used to having unbridled access to clean water, readjusting to 90-second showers was by far the most difficult aspect of the water crisis to overcome, but Capetonians have pulled through it remarkably well. “If it’s 30 litres, if it’s 25, tell us that we need to do it, we can’t get to that point,” said Mauro. A 10-minute shower consumes 70 litres of water, nearly 50 per cent more than

/CAPILANOCOURIER

the daily allowance.

On my first night, I was shown the bucket I had to place over the shower drain to collect the dirty water and the sponge I would use to mop up any excess from the floor and squeeze back into the bucket. Later, I’d use it to flush the toilet without engaging the flush mechanism. Most public restrooms have already disconnected their faucets and replaced soap with waterless hand sanitizer. In restaurants and cafés, the wait staff urge customers to drink out of takeaway cups so they don’t have to wash their glassware and to not ask for ice. People have dug up their gardens, laid down artificial turf and replaced vegetation with succulents, which fare better in the dry conditions. For Keet and his wife Leanne, the water crisis doesn’t hit as hard, but they’ve allowed their pool to evaporate and have dug a borehole to increase their own supply. Scores are boring into the ground to tap into the aquifers. At the beginning of 2018, over 22,000 boreholes were registered in Cape Town. But with so many eking out a larger supply, people are waiting months.

De Lille chastised consumers in January whom she said appeared to believe the city’s augmentation projects would produce enough water to offset the effects of the critical shortage, but Jade believes the time for pointing fingers is over. Mauro suggests everyone needs to learn to live with less regardless of the outcome. “The thing is it’s going to take more than one winter to fill the dams so we’re going to be scarce of water for a number of summers still,” added Jade.

“From a domestic point of view you learn how to deal with water and use of greywater,”said Keet. “Before we had our borehole connected here you showered in a tub and used a plastic bucket.”

Jade and I take a walk down the street to the nearby spring where a group of armed police officers supervise the flow of people. Families with their young children and elderly parents are lining up along the block in Newlands, an upmarket suburb that receives higher than average winter rainfall.

Some have towed flatbed trolleys, but all of them have come with empty containers. The police are there to ensure no one takes more than 25 litres at a time without returning to the back of the queue.

Jade and Mauro have walked down to this spring every couple of weeks to collect drinking water. The rest, they try to take from their two 1,000 litre rainwater collection tanks installed this year that put less of a burden on the municipal water supply. “Water is owned by the state, it’s not a public resource, so the legality of boreholes has actually been challenged,”said Mauro.

“It also teaches one a lot, you know from an agricultural point of view,” said Keet. Generally, he explained, people working in the agricultural sector over-irrigate. With low rainfall most farmers readjusted their irrigation schedules and changed their systems, for example, switching from sprinklers

to drips. Timing and improved efficiency of water application produced more consistent harvests and, in some cases, better quality fruit. “And you suddenly realize we can do with a lot less.”

The city has installed smart water meters to restrict every household to 200 litres. After that, the taps are turned off for the day. “The implicit assumption is that a household is four people,” said Mauro. “So we directly benefit. We can actually use 100 litres.

We don’t.”

Days after my visit, the Kildare Road spring, which has flowed for 100

years, was shut down and the water redirected to the Newlands swimming pool along with a water source near the Newlands Brewery. Kildare Road was experiencing a bottleneck with so many people coming to collect water, whereas the pool has a parking lot that can accommodate more people.

Even Cape Town’s “wettest” suburb isn’t unaffected.

If Day Zero does arrive, de Lille’s course of action would have water trucked in from all over the country to 200 collection points where Capetonians would line up to receive a daily allowance of 25 litres. “What do you

do with the old and the sick? What do you do with theyoung? 25 litres of water is 25 kilograms. That’s heavy. I struggle to carry it probably 30 metres away,” criticized Mauro. Cape Town is home to over four million inhabitants, which means each collection point would have to serve 20,000 people every day. The police wouldn’t be able to cope, and even Mauro doubts military intervention could keep violence from breaking out at collection points or prevent hijacks on water transports.

The New Zealand Herald and the Washington Post report that the water crisis shows the pervasive inequality

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

9

THE CAPILANO COURIER

in South Africa. A recent World Bank Study found that South Africa is still the most unequal country in the world for people of different races and economic standings. While the wealthy dig boreholes the impoverished are stretched thin. But with a resource as precious as water, scarcity affects everyone. Even among those who already have boreholes, people are pulling undrinkable salt water out of the ground, and others are finding that their groundwater supply is already running dry.

Cape Town has over 35 townships, but Khayelitsha is its largest, and it’s growing every day as more and more people arrive in the city. These “informal settlements” were originally squatter camps. In the last two decades the government has gone through, bringing electricity to the some two million people living in these tin shanties, even replacing some of the structures with proper concrete buildings.

But Khayelitsha’s residents have never had piped water or the basic infrastructure to support it. Every day is Day Zero in the townships.

Women, children and the elderly collect water from taps. They go to central locations with small buckets to collect water every day, and they’ve been doing this for years.

In the last 10 years, only one reservoir has been built – the Berg River Dam in Franschhoek – to accommodate the growing population. Between one and five million Zimbabwean migrants have resettled in Cape Town since the turn of the millennium. With the population on the rise, supply simply can’t keep up with demand.

Cape Town is one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

Without water, there would be major civil unrest. “The important thing to remember here is that we can not get to Day Zero,”said Mauro. “Security will be the least of our issues. There will be a massive health crisis, you’ll get spread of diseases that love that kind of waterless environment.”

Cholera would be rampant. Schools and businesses would be forced to shut down. People working in buildings would be sent home because the absence of water in the sprinkler systems would pose a safety risk.

Weeks after I left Cape Town, water poured in rivulets down the slopes of Table Mountain. “It’s all about when it rains this winter,” said Jade, and at last the rain fell.

By August, the dams had reached 63.5 per cent capacity, but it’s still too early to celebrate. Cape Town has averted a crisis this year, but let this serve as a reminder to everyone that water truly is our most precious resource.

TRAVEL

@CAPILANOCOURIER

@CAPILANOCOURIER

/CAPILANOCOURIER

Hitting Close to Home

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

Travel destinations you may have missed

BY FREYA WASTENEYS

Crest Creek Crags

VICTORIA STEINEBACH ILLUSTRATOR

With goliaths like Squamish in our backyard, most climbers flock to the Smoke Bluffs to climb the same Burgers and Fries route repeatedly.

Stop. If you’re a climber with a few days to kill, hop on the ferry and make your way towards Gold River on Vancouver Island. There isn’t much of a town to see, but the climbing network is extensive.

This rock-haven on the western edge of Strathcona Provincial Park has existed in near obscurity for about thirty years. Up until 2017, this area didn’t even have a guidebook. Now, thanks to Chris Barner and Ahren Rankin, locals no longer have to rely on the photocopied hand-drawn topos and can instead refer to the glossy pages of the "heathens’ guide to Vancouver Island’s coolest climbing area." Make the trek and experience the cruisey climbing, excellent views and meticulous trails. Don’t forget to take advantage of the blissfully cool lakes and jump in at the end of the day. Bring a tent, some brews and your closest climbing pals.

I

f you spend your summer scrolling through newsfeeds wishing you were somewhere else, that makes you and I – and at least 52 per cent of Facebook users – according to an AdWeek survey. But while most of us waste our time experiencing fear of missing out (FOMO) looking at the sun-bronzed, parachute-pant-wearing travellers exploring exotic locales, we rarely take advantage of our own highly explorable backyard.

BC destinations are often just a few hours or a ferry ride away, and generally provide some sanctuary away from the hordes crowding the Sea to Sky. They are often a little out of the way, but the travel time is a relatively small inconvenience compared to traffic jams and masses of people haunting the more popular destinations (I’m looking at you, Whistler). Bonus: there’s no need to blow the bank on a one-way ticket, quit your job or leave loved ones behind. Oh, and you won’t require immunizations, which, to be quite frank, are the absolute worst and require oh so much pre-planning.

As the popular BC spots become rapidly overrun with tourists, it’s time to get a little more creative with our exploring. Summer may be over, but if you’ve planned wisely and have a few free Fridays begging to be used, there are plenty of overlooked areas to discover. Most of us don’t really need to add to our already extensive travel bucket lists, but here are a few hidden gems, all close to home, underrated and ripe for exploration.

EC Manning Provincial Park Home to the Cascade Mountain range and over 70,000 hectares of wilderness, Manning Park is well loved by those who know it best.

About a three-hour drive from Vancouver, both park and resort are a sanctuary for those who have grown tired of Whistler’s crowds.

There are ample opportunities for hiking and paddling in the spring, summer and fall, and the park is a quaint and quiet wonderland in winter. At the resort, lucky lookers will find a small downhill ski area, a Nordic ski network, plenty of backcountry to explore, camping and glamping (camping in luxury) opportunities, a pub, a restaurant, a small store and accommodation for up to 450 people in rustic cabins and hotel-style rooms.

The rest of the area isn’t highly developed, which is part of the draw for reclusive curmudgeons like myself, but the area provides plenty of scope for adventure. Hikers looking for a challenge can follow the 74 kilometre Hudson Bay Heritage Trail

Strathcona Provincial park

10

from Tulameen River all the way to Hope. The trail has been under restoration since 2009, the loving labour performed by volunteers, and is a historic fur-trading route that was once taken by the Hudson’s Bay Company’s horse brigades.

Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre Just seven kilometres outside of Strathcona Provincial Park, Strathcona Park Lodge seems destined to forever be mistaken for the park information centre. "The Lodge," as it’s affectionately known, serves this purpose often, but is not actually associated with the park, despite its name and proximity.

However, it’s a leading centre for outdoor education and recreation that’s relatively well known in the outdoorsy community.

In the spring and fall, school groups flock to northern Vancouver Island to learn leadership skills, camp craft and everything from paddle strokes to scaling rocks. In the summer, the whiz of the zipline and the sound of families splashing in the boat bay are common. With weddings, guiding, outdoor leadership training and other tomfoolery, there is something for everyone and rarely a dull moment. The view isn’t bad either.

Accommodation ranges from rustic to luxurious, and the food is wholesome, delicious, and all you can eat (necessary after all of the vigorous activities). If you decide to visit over the weekend in the fall, you can enjoy the mecca of activities at the Lodge and in the surrounding area. Oh, and enjoy ignoring important emails and phone calls with the unapologetic refrain of, "sorry, no cell service".

Riding Solo Being alone doesn’t have to mean being lonely

BY RACHAEL D'SA CYNTHIA TRAN VO ILLUSTRATOR

M

THE CAPILANO COURIER

tactics that worked for me in Montreal lost their effect and I found myself stranded in the hustle and bustle of downtown.

I’m no stranger to the practice of mindfulness but it was only halfway through my time away that I realized I hadn’t been listening to my body and following my heart in what I needed to do in order to feel comfortable. Taking the time to slow down or even stop to breathe and reflect on internal conflicts had never seemed more important. I found myself with a frown on my face despite the immense privilege I had.

Aside from independently funding the expenses, the position I was in made for the experience to be possible – and I completely and selfishly overlooked it. My health, my upbringing, my confidence and supportive individuals around me made it all possible – and I hadn’t even reflected on it enough to appreciate and savour my good fortune. Permitting myself to sleep in and take extra time getting ready without putting pressure on myself to even leave my Airbnb, helped me take the step towards being more present. I started making the conscious decision every morning to venture out of desire and not out of feeling the need to, practicing gratitude with each experience I submerged myself in.

By the time I had made it to New York, I had gotten used to eating

alone.

The difference between wining and dining myself and simply grabbing a quick bite for energy became apparent to me during my time in the Big Apple. With no one to talk to, when I felt the need to express my affection towards the light-as-air ricotta that created marbled landscapes in my gnocchi, or simply to make light small talk to fill the silence between bites, I turned to my own thoughts for entertainment. Reflecting on how much I had grown in terms of independence and maturity, I was able to practice a little bit of self-love. I no longer felt upset with myself for forcing the spontaneity of everything.

I briefly passed through Times Square on the last day of my trip – a final salute to the days of total independence. I noticed a young girl holding a sketch of her own head, a forced smile plastered across her face, with her mother squatted low to the ground with a camera in hand. All my family road trips and vacations ran through my head. The memories of yelling at my dad to stop taking pictures, and complaining to my sister about my sore feet, came flooding back – and so did the times that I’d hold my mum’s hand in a lively crowd and feel an instant sense of security. For the majority of my trip, I’d acted off

of impulse spurred by the fear of missing out, and from what I later discovered was more so the fear of feeling lonely than actually being alone. There were many times when, much like my adventures featuring my obnoxious family, I needed a hand to hold, but this time I needed to know when to let go. Mindfulness doesn’t need to be taken on a vacation to be practiced and loneliness doesn’t have to manifest from being alone. Whether you need to cry over leaving your cat in order to leave the house, or you can find it in yourself to walk out in the world purely out of an urge for adventure, finding confidence in your independence is courageous enough.

11

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

y solo trip began late this past July with a solid crying session over leaving my kitten at home. My mum had to pry him away from me as she waved for my dad to open the car door so I could load in quickly, haul myself to the airport and make my flight. I was upset. Upset about leaving my cat, but more upset that I had gotten myself into this stressful situation during finals season a few months prior when escapism seemed pleasurable, and I was happily booking this trip.

What initially started off as a week-long motorcycle track racing trip, turned into a full-fledged Eat, Pray, Love ordeal. At the time of booking, I had been feeling suffocated by my life in Vancouver, and felt the need to seek out inspiration elsewhere. After much deliberation, I settled on a mini tour of North America – Montreal, Toronto and New York.

I spent the first few hours of my trip in a Tim Hortons near my Airbnb calling friends and family, waiting for my room to be ready for check-in. The three-hour time difference meant that I was trying to get a hold of people at 5 am. My biggest fear as someone who constantly struggles to initiate conversation with those outside my immediate social circle is that I would wind up in my own thoughts the entire trip.

Back home in Vancouver, there is always the option to go back to the comfort of what and who I know. But the fear of feeling alone ultimately overrode my uneasiness towards socialization with the unfamiliar, and this newfound motivation resulted in making friends with a supposed retired neurosurgeon, my tattoo artist and my bartender. These unexpected companions led me to spontaneous dinners and techno shows where I met even more friendly, warm individuals.

While befriending locals kept me diverted from the pang of homesickness, I found my nights to feel empty. I felt like a complete stranger to myself without outside distractions.

Toronto felt like a skeleton of a city to me upon my arrival. The socializing

CABOOSE

@CAPILANOCOURIER

@CAPILANOCOURIER

/CAPILANOCOURIER

HOROSCOPES VIRGO (AUG. 23 – SEPT. 21)

We all know you like to be the centre of attention but that just isn’t happening this week.

LIBRA (SEPT. 22 – OCT. 23)

I sense you’re battling to strike a balance between doing well in school and partying into oblivion.

You do know which way to tip the scales, don’t you?

SCORPIO (OCT. 24 – NOV. 21)

You’ll atone for your lack of experience with your positive attitude. Except you’re in university now and they don’t give A’s for effort.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 – DEC. 21)

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 – FEB.18)

Stop suppressing your emotions.

It makes you come off as a bit of an ice queen.

PISCES (FEB. 19 – MAR. 20)

Holy shit, you’re so out of it! Do you even know where you are?

ARIES (MAR. 21 – APR. 19)

You will spend this week trying to impress all of the new people you meet. Most of them will encourage you to take risks, secretly hoping you’ll make a fool of yourself. Unfortunately, you’ll make it all too easy for them.

TAURUS (APR. 20 – MAY 20)

Your studious and well-organized temperament will take you far.

Friends won’t follow.

GEMINI (MAY 21 – JUN. 20)

Pace yourself. Your liver will thank you later.

CANCER (JUN 21 – JULY 22)

Keep your pessimistic opinions to yourself. Nobody cares what you think anyway.

LEO (JUL. 23 – AUG. 22)

Your partner is wondering why you haven’t answered their text yet. C’mon, it’s been three days.

What’s your excuse?

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 1

Hey you. Yeah, you with your foot in your mouth. Tread lightly.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 – JAN. 19)

Did you even look in the mirror before you went out today? Yikes.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018 1:00 pm - 6:30 pm Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver

30+ Law Schools From Around North America HOSTED BY:

REGISTER NOW

VanLawFair.com

VanLawFair #vanlawfair

TO ADVERTISE in the Courier’s pages, please contact us by phone at 778-996-1079 or email Christine Beyleveldt at capcourier@gmail.com. We are proud to offer discounts to non-profit organizations and North Shore customers. A full media kit with sizes, rates and deadlines is available on our website, CapilanoCourier.com. Classified advertisements up to 50 words are free for students.

12