It’s 2 am and the TV is blaring static. The blue tint of the faint moonlight pours in and paints the walls of the hallways and rooms you know but don’t recognize. The household is suspended in weightlessness and you have a suspicion deep in your chest that you are not alone. You’ll remember this feeling forever. Why?
Fear is simultaneously my favourite and least favourite feeling. It both keeps you alive, and keeps you from living. The aspects of fear that keep you from danger are undeniably intertwined with the fear that keeps you from taking worthwhile risks. Something that looms so heavily over your life is worth exploring, no? That’s why it’s good to experience fear, even if just a simulated version of it brought upon by horror films or whatever else. You should know what fear is, and you should put your arm around it. Let it wash over you and you might learn something about yourself.
Laura Morales CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM
When it comes to fear, I find we experience it in two opposite circumstances—with lights off and with lights on.
With lights-off fear, our imagination becomes a twisted artist, experimenting with darkness as the new medium for its morbid creations. For a second, the rustling bush is not the neighbour’s dog pooping but a hungry grizzly bear that somehow made its way down from Grouse. In these cases, there’s no need for fight or flight; you can just reach for your phone’s flashlight.
With lights-on fear, however, it is no longer the unknown but rather what we’ve come to know that haunts us. We become aware of real danger and making it go away is no easy task.
That said, turning on the light on topics like exploitative systems, addictions, or AI hallucinations made me realize that fear is an important ally. It makes us alert. It mobilizes us. It makes us come together as a community to surround the beast that no single person could slay.
WRITING CONTRIBUTORS
Alex Luna Naime, Elishiva Phillips, Harsh Sandilya, Kayla Price, Jasmin Linton.
VISUAL CONTRIBUTORS
Lily Jones, Andrei Gueco, Eugene Lee, Leonardo Velazquez, Jasmin Linton, Anya Ali Mulzet, Jordan Richert.
ADDITIONAL PIECES
Cameron Skorulski.
COVER ART
Adam Stothard & Amy Ferguson.
INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING?
Email editor@capilanocourier.com for potential writers, and production@capilanocourier.com for interested visual artists and/or photographers.
Note: Illustrators and Photographers are required to send a portfolio or sample(s) of their work.
Youth Drug Use
In Vancouver
*Resources for youth struggling with substance use compiled by the Courier are listed at the bottom of this page AD Note: You can access the website links for each resource on the online article.*
According to the Coroner’s Services records made publicly accessible via the Government of B.C. website, the leading cause of unnatural deaths among youth in the province during the January 2019 to December 2023 period was unregulated drug overdoses, 83 per cent of which were connected to fentanyl or an equivalent substance.
Jesse Gotfrit, who started working as a front line youth worker at Directions Youth Services in the Downtown Eastside in 2021, says that fentanyl and amphetamines are the most common drugs used by street-involved youth. Sitting down with the Courier to discuss addiction and harm-reduction services in Vancouver, Gotfrit noted how the path from recreational drugs to stronger substances is remarkably brief; “you see [youth] moving really quickly from smoking weed, drinking alcohol or using recreational drugs like coke and molly, and then they get offered fentanyl or they get offered methamphetamines.”
According to Yale Medicine, addiction is caused by an overloading of the brain’s reward system with dopamine—via substance use—to the extent that ‘natural rewards’ become insufficient. Recognized as a disease by the World Health Organization and the Canadian Medical Association, people turn to substances and develop addictions for a variety of reasons. Specifically, Gotfrit recognizes factors such as pre-existing emotional or psychological issues, noting that many of the youth he has worked with face psychosis or are struggling with “serious mental health disorders” in addition to trauma experienced early in life.
Gotfrit regards substance use as a form of coping, addressing stigmas around addiction being a choice and something that is often associated with being “irresponsible or compulsive.” He goes on to say that significant change is needed with how society views and treats people struggling with substance use, explaining that better education is a key part of shifting narratives and increasing social understanding.
Strain theory—a sociological theory proposed by Robert K. Merton in 1938 as a way to examine the causes of criminal behaviour, also applicable to juvenile delinquency and related illicit activity—posits that a person experiencing immense stressors (strain) in their daily life will turn to desperate means to relieve their strain. Aligning with Merton’s research, Gotfrit details how the stress of living on the street is in part what leads people to desperate measures of coping such as substance use.
The Covenant House Vancouver website notes that 40,000 young people in Canada experience homelessness yearly, and in greater Vancouver, youth make up 8 per cent of the total homeless population.
Harm reduction programs aim to support the health of people using substances. Commonly discussed examples include safe injection sites, naloxone distribution and opiate substitution. Further examples listed on the HealthLinkBC website include mental health and wellness support programs, impaired driving prevention programs and substance checking services including drug testing.
“We need to adopt more programs with a harm reduction model,” Gotfrit says, “A lot of youth shelters require an abstinence-based criteria for their program.” He mentions that an exception to this is Covenant House Vancouver’s sanctuary program that allows youth to continue using substances while attending and receiving help. However, harm reduction has its own stigmas.
“People think all we’re doing is creating spaces for youth to use drugs,”
A Discussion with a Front Line Youth Worker
Written by Jasmine Garcha (she/her) // Managing Editor
Visuals by Rachel Lu
(she/her) // Crew Illustrator
Gotfrit says, noting that more available treatment options to complement harm reduction programs would make the existence of those programs—in the context of being one piece in a broader system—more “digestible” in the public view. He lists more long-term housing and youth-based detox programs as significant examples of missing pieces in the system of available support.
Although there has been an increase in access to drug-related treatment— namely in the form of beds—as reported by BC Gov News at the start of the year, many services are not directly targeted toward youth. Gotfrit mentions that the existing youth-based resources are, “underequipped to service the amount of youth that need support.”
He notes that there are not enough spaces where youth can get referred to the support that they need in order to recover or get help with their substance use. “In my own experience, I don’t feel like there are enough resources,” says Gotfrit, who went on to mention a youth-based detox program that previously existed within Directions Youth Services. This program specifically targeted youth, a rarity for detox programs in B.C., and used a non-medication based model to treat withdrawal. The British Columbia Centre on Substance Use reported in 2022 that this program was closed due to the province’s withdrawal of funding.
Regarding the closure of this program, Gotfrit mentions a gap left in the system and that this program was specifically notable due to the lower number of requirements for entry. It was designed, “for youth to just get off the street sometimes for a couple days and take a break from their substance use. . . and they might go back to it.”
There has been a recent evolution in how drug treatment programs approach the idea of relapse, which is a concern when offering temporary detox or harm reducing treatment. As CTV News reported this year, relapse is now expected by treatment program workers; the CEO of Coast Mental Health, Keir MacDonald, even mentioned to CTV News that their programs “now prefer to identify triggers and try to figure out why the resident returned to drugs.”
Global News reported earlier this year that the federal government has cut funding for safe supply programs despite the push for harm reduction programs. The B.C. government continues to run these programs, such as opiate replacement programs, although people involved in these programs have reported receiving lesser dosages.
The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions 2024/25 budget plan, as published on the BC Budget 2025 website, outlines its plan of care for young people experiencing issues with substance use, describing a bed-based approach and focus on mental health care. This report mentions expanding the Foundry network, which offers a holistic approach to recovery and connects youth to external resources that may help with housing or detoxification but does not offer these services themselves.
Funding cuts regarding harm reduction and safe supply in B.C. could be detrimental to the health and well-being of local youth facing substance use issues. The lack of youth-specific resources or funding for such programs leaves a gap and inevitably, youth struggling with substance use are falling through the cracks.
*Resources available to youth struggling with substance abuse: Detox: Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver Detox (not youth-specific) Harm Reduction: Directions Youth Services, Foundry, Vancouver Coastal Health, getyourdrugstested.com
Housing: Covenant House Vancouver, Orca Lelum, St. Paul’s Road to Recovery, Young Bears’ Lodge, Vancouver Coastal Health
THE EXPLOITATIVE SYSTEM DRIVING
How policies based on long-term economic needs are being enacted by institutions focused on short-term survival
The 2024 federal cap on study permits became a turning point for post-secondary institutions (PSIs), ending a period of peak international recruitment and triggering a steep enrolment drop from this demographic. Even though the cap was the immediate cause for this drop, Dr. Dale McCartney, whose research examines international student policy over the past 75 years, argues that the crisis the post-secondary sector is dealing with today has much deeper roots. Moreover, Tim Acton, former president of the Capilano Faculty Association with 32 years of experience teaching at Capilano University, argues that PSIs are also responsible for their lack of strategic planning.
In the 1980s, according to McCartney’s dissertation, there was no difference between international and domestic tuition in B.C. Moreover, the administrations of PSIs were against having what was called ‘differential fees.’ Evidence of this position can be found in an article from the Courier from October, 1980, titled ‘Davis attacks foreign students.’ North Vancouver MLA Jack Davis had distributed a report to local university administrations calling for differential tuition fees for “foreign” students, out of concern for accessibility for “our own people.” Davis stated, “Universities are the last places to consult about whether differential fees are a good idea,” as it was assumed that increasing international tuition would decrease international enrolment, and he considered universities to be biased towards having more students.
So, how did colleges and universities in B.C. go from defending that international and domestic students pay the same to having an average of 5.6 times higher international tuition fees?
According to McCartney’s research, “At first universities opposed these fees, which were widely seen as unjust. But, the economic pressures of the 1970s and 1980s forced institutions to rely on international student tuition.” The professor’s dissertation lays out how this prompted PSIs to reshape themselves—and the federal government to change immigration laws—in order to “increase the number of international students they could attract.” Consequently, as McCartney explained in a recent CBC interview, the federal government introduced the
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AWAY
Written by Laura Morales (she/her) // Co-EIC
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) in 2005 and the Canadian Experience Class in 2008, a combination that granted an official immigration pathway that PSIs could market to international students.
Put differently, new pressures were placed on PSIs to select students that fit with the country’s larger immigration plans, on top of trying to operate with insufficient government funding. McCartney recognized how difficult it is to place responsibility among PSIs and the different levels of government for the consequences of unsustainable recruitment practices; however, he believes that this difficulty is not accidental, but rather an example of policy heterarchy. In a hierarchy, for example, the government instructs institutions on how to recruit students; in a heterarchy, such decisions are left to the institutions themselves, but with a limited range of choices since the government still defines the expected outcomes. “What we discover is that Canada is not a country that accidentally allowed too many international students,” concluded McCartney, “It’s a country that was always interested in exploiting and using international students to advance its national goals, understood very narrowly by a very pro-business government that wants to have a particular kind of tax regime.”
The rationale for higher international tuition is that these students must pay the full, unsubsidized cost of their education. However, evidence now shows their fees exceed this cost, making the original rationale—that they pay the ‘real’ cost— ineffective when it is no longer convenient. If domestic tuition plus government funding was equal to international tuition, it would not be more lucrative to attract international students and the incentive for exploitative recruitment practices would not exist.
Even though the economic rationale behind these policies has been normalized and accepted, McCartney’s research shows how the arguments that initiated them were rooted in racist and xenophobic beliefs. International students that come to Canada with refugee status pay domestic fees because they are considered potential future Canadians, and therefore it makes sense for them to receive subsidized tuition as they will eventually become tax payers. In contrast, even though post-secondary education has been
Visuals by Lily Jones (she/her) & Laura Morales (she/her)
heavily marketed as a pathway to permanent residency— leading to many international students viewing their high tuition fees as an investment for that purpose—the ‘economic’ rationale prevails, as well as the higher tuition fees.
Now, what happens when policies based on long-term economic and labour needs are enacted by underfunded institutions with short-term goals? “I think the government should have known that the institutions weren’t thinking long-term,” stated professor Acton, for whom it seemed that enrolment and revenue were the only two metrics being considered by the administration, instead of questioning, “Is this sustainable? What kind of educational experience are these students having? It was just, how much money can we get and how quickly can we get it?” In an email sent to the Courier on September 10, 2025, the administration explained, “Provincial funding now makes up only 35–37% of our operating budget, down from higher levels in past years. With a 2% annual cap on domestic tuition increases, the university has limited revenue options. The current funding model makes it increasingly difficult to sustain high-quality programs and operations.”
The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE) of BC also addressed this issue in a press release sent to the Courier on September 2, 2025, stating that the provincial government had been encouraging and enabling international student recruitment “as a way of backfilling a lack of public funding.” FPSE President Brent Calvert added, “Now that our members are in crisis, the government has amnesia about setting up this risky, unreliable model of funding.” Moreover, in a press release received on the same day, Debi Herrera Lira, chairperson of the British Columbia Federation of Students (BCFS), announced that “the BCFS is calling on the provincial government to restore public funding of the post-secondary system to at least 75% of operating budgets, returning to the level it was before 2000.” According to the recommendations published by the BCFS in March of this year, “In 2000, provincial funding made up 68% of operational revenue; today, that figure is just 40%.”
With the same interest in getting the percentage of government funding for PSIs back up, McCartney explained where the funding has gone in the last four decades. He stated that, “Since the 1980s, Canada has massively reorganized its tax regime to benefit the wealthy and corporations.” According to a study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which analyzed tax changes between 2004 and 2022, “Canada’s tax system is flat for most Canadians and regressive for the top 20 per cent of households”; moreover, in a 2008 report from the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Finance, “The federal general corporate income tax rate reached a high of 47% in the 1950s before beginning to decline, reaching 36% in 1980, 28% in 1990 and 21% in 2007; according to legislated reductions, the rate will be 15% in 2012.”
Considering that corporate taxes are less than half what they were in 1980 as a percentage, and the percentage of government funding dropped from 80 per cent in 1997 to to 44.5 per cent in 2017—according to a 2018 submission from the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC—McCartney affirms that the math is not hard, as he states, “I’m not trying to oversimplify this because I do understand that tax rates are quite complex, but I think the numbers are really clear.” However, on top of the
neoliberal goals reflected on the current tax regime, McCartney also pointed out that there is no political will to increase funding for post-secondary education; “There’s nobody on the street who’s saying, ‘Let’s save higher ed. These professors look like they’re really starving,’” he acknowledged.
On the other hand, from Acton’s perspective, the fact that colleges and universities were caught so off guard by the federal cap had a lot to do with poor strategic planning on their part. According to the professor, the symptoms of over recruitment and unsustainable growth were impossible to miss, such as international students having to take online courses at Thompson Rivers University and transfer the credits afterwards, as there was no space in CapU courses for the minimum of nine credits needed to maintain PGWP eligibility. With regard to whether the administration considers their growth rate before the government cap to be sustainable, the response sent to the Courier on September 10 reads, “CapU’s Internationalization Plan sets a goal of 30–40% international students. Growth peaked above that, but our Strategic Enrolment Plan has already been curving it down since 2024–25. This fall, our student body is 66% domestic and 34% international.”
In Acton’s experience, CapU has faced periods of shrinkage in the past but the way things are trimmed has changed significantly. Before CapU was a university, “when there were budget
cuts, they would do what they called horizontal rather than vertical,” explained the former president. Each department received their “share of the deficit” and decided which section would go and in what order. Then came the years with vertical cuts, which led to the Capilano Faculty Association taking CapU to court during the fall of 2013 for discontinuing courses and programs without consulting with the senate. Now, according to the minutes of the February 4 senate meeting, the board approved a $6.4 million deficit budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, which includes the additional operating cost from the Squamish campus, the new Centre for Childcare Studies and the two new student housing residences. Considering the precedent with cutting programs and the cap on domestic fees, the higher operating cost will be compensated with a 5% increase on international tuition. Moreover, the minutes of the June 3 meeting reads, “It is now anticipated that the 2025/2026 deficit budget will be approximately $11 million, with further shortfalls projected for 2026/2027.” For international students who are already experiencing financial uncertainty, this forecast is very concerning.
According to McCartney, the federal cap was so problematic for most PSIs because it was an exception to how immigration policies were usually implemented; “Policy was crafted informally at the institutional level, or by non-governmental actors, and then formalized by institutions or governments when convenient.”
For example, PSIs early stages of international recruitment between the 1980s and early 2000s demonstrated how differential fees could “partially offset cuts to institutional budgets” and—to the eyes of the federal government —became an efficient filter to bring immigrants with a certain language proficiency level, area of study and economic status. Then, in 2012, the government released a report which envisioned doubling the number of students Canada had at the time; in other words, formalizing what PSIs had already been doing.
However, this was not the case for the federal cap on study permits which, according to McCartney, explains why PSIs were caught so off guard; “they didn’t have the pre-existing ad hoc, informal policy system to formalize. There wasn’t anybody trying to lower the [international enrolment] numbers or take any control over it.” Still, McCartney considers the timing for this policy to seem convenient to the federal government at the time, not in terms of what’s best to advance its national goals, but in the context of the election. “I think the Liberal government looked at the backlash they were facing around housing. They couldn’t fix that,” he says, “But because they didn’t want to blame immigration as a whole, they chose to blame international students.”
To understand the way Canada grapples with immigration, McCartney refers to Robert Harney’s political science article from 1988, titled ‘So Great a Heritage as Ours,’ which addresses how the views on immigration as both a necessity and a threat have been a difficult needle to thread for the federal government. Moreover, it stresses how the importance of immigrants for Canada’s survival goes beyond bringing in large numbers of people, but rather, as McCartney understands it, “the country can only exist as long as it can successfully integrate immigrants.”
The federal government’s study permit cap has been the policy equivalent of doing “surgery with a hammer,” as former Immigration Minister Marc Miller predicted. However, blaming the federal cap and subsequent policy changes for the current crisis on the post-secondary sector fails to recognize the role that the provincial government and PSIs themselves played in shaping the exploitative system that is driving international students away; a system fueled by an artificial demand for international students amassed through unethical recruitment practices—enabled by Canadian policies— that allow institutions to exploit how much students are willing to pay for a chance at permanent residency. After the painful period of shrinking comes to an end, PSIs have an opportunity to grow in a more sustainable way, but as noted in McCartney’s introduction to the latest issue of the Comparative and International Education Society of Canada, “to do so requires an honest conversation about our entanglements with both the neoliberal era of internationalization and the neocolonial era that preceded it.”
The Precariousness of Trusting AI in Professional Settings
Written by Ben Taylor (he/him) // Crew Writer
Visuals by Andrei Gueco (he/him)
As LLMs (large language models) like ChatGPT continue to make their way into all sectors of our lives, strange phenomena known as AI hallucinations have begun to occur. An AI hallucination in this context refers to when LLMs confidently present false, often fabricated information, as fact. These mishaps can have major repercussions, especially when AI is being used in situations with real-world consequences.
One such instance occurred in early 2024 at the B.C. supreme court In a high profile divorce case, lawyer Chong Ke cited two cases as evidence that her client should have been able to take his children to China. The only problem: the two cases didn’t exist. Ke, having turned to ChatGPT, had presented false evidence in court which, if missed, could have had a considerable impact on the lives of the children. This has not been the only incident involving AI in the courtroom. A year prior, New York based lawyer Steven Schwartz was sanctioned for submitting hallucinations in a personal injury suit. While the hallucinations were caught in these two cases, the potential for catastrophe is apparent.
An article in the MIT AI research hub sheds some light on the causes of AI hallucinations. The biggest reason AI is able to invent false data and present it as real is due to the location generative AI gets its data from in the first place: the internet Because these systems are trained on the internet, the data they pull from is not always accurate, hence the hallucinations. Another reason for AI’s misuse of data is because of the method in which it comes up with answers to a user’s question. LLMs work like a hyperintelligent autocomplete; essentially using a massive pool of information to predict a reasonable answer, not necessarily a truthful one. Moreover, researchers at Open AI suggest that “guessing when uncertain improves test performance” and that LLMs tend to hallucinate because they are designed to be good test takers. This means that the use of LLMs in critical situations
poses a big risk, but despite this, many professionals are still putting their trust in ChatGPT. In any context —professional or otherwise— the use of potentially made up data is irresponsible, but unless new legislation is introduced, the expedience of LLMs will likely prove too attractive to dissuade their use.
But, lawyers are not the only professionals being tempted by the precarious convenience of AI, doctors have also begun to use a new AI called Whisper. Developed by Open AI, the creators of ChatGPT, Whisper is an automatic speech recognition software used to create transcripts of doctor-patient interactions. However, according to an article from PBS, Whisper has begun hallucinating text, leading to a higher possibility of misdiagnosis among various other complications. Hospitals are using this tool as a way to increase efficiency, but the risk it presents is evident; basing medical care off of hallucinated patient-doctor interactions is a recipe for disaster. OpenAI has stated that they recommend manual verification of transcripts in “high risk domains,” but with a lack of regulation, it is doubtful hospitals will forgo the efficiency and ease that Whisper provides.
AI simply isn’t ready to be utilized in situations with stakes as high as a courtroom or a hospital, as human analysis is still required to differentiate fact from fiction. However, as these programs continue to evolve, it becomes difficult to imagine a world where AI isn’t being used in most professional settings, regardless of the risk it presents.
CAPU HAS A NEW SAFETY APP
Building a safer community
CapU Safe Alert is the new official safety app launched by Capilano University to keep the community informed about emergencies, weather incidents, power outages and campus closures. According to the university’s announcement on September 3, the new app allows community members to report incidents, request a SafeWalk and get notifications for campus and student housing areas that matter to them. In an interview with the Courier, the Manager of Safety and Emergency Management Systems
Jon Arason, along with the Manager of Securty Technology and Access Darren Broder, shared additional details on the reason for this change, the key advantages of the new system and recommendations for a safer campus.
This new app, powered by AlertAware, is not to be confused with CapU Safe, the old app originally deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic that is scheduled to be phased out by the end of November. According to Broder, after reviewing the options used at other universities in the area, they found that AlertAware was the best option; not only for the features it offers, but also because it integrates seamlessly with Alertus, the emergency notification system they had already been using. The advantage of this integration is that important alerts will be delivered to the app and, “potentially to employee and student desktop computers that are in our computer labs and in the offices,” he explained.
Written by Laura Morales (she/her) // Co-EIC
maintenance problems or wildlife sightings. Arason shared a successful example where a user reported a cracked sidewalk through the old app. The report was forwarded to facilities that same day and led to the repair of the sidewalks between the library and the birch building.
What happens after you report an incident?
Say a student saw a bear on campus and used the report feature on CapU Safe Alert to take a picture and send the location of the sighting. All the reports submitted through the app go to the safety department inbox, which is monitored by multiple staff members—including on weekends—and collaborates with the security manager, parking advisor, contracted security guards and other departments to address the reports.
Beyond receiving alerts, the app empowers users to actively participate in campus safety by allowing them to report incidents. This feature allows members of the community to submit photos and GPS coordinates for issues like tripping hazards,
Another key feature of the new app are the various opt-in groups, which provide updates specific to their group members. For example, students with accessibility needs, campus neighbours or parents with children attending daycare at CapU are able to join a unique group that is geared to their needs. Arason also commented on the importance of improving communication with the broader community; “The neighbors also look to us in an emergency,” he noted, “There is supplies for disaster response being stored on campus from the North Shore Emergency Management Office […] If there was a major earthquake, I would strongly suspect that people in the neighborhood would be looking to the university for assistance.”
The main takeaways from Arason and Broder to the CapU community are: 1) download the app; 2) tell your friends to download the app; 3) if there is an emergency always call 911 first; 4) if you have a safety concern make sure to report it through CapU Safe Alert.
Visuals by Eugene Lee (she/her)
CULTURAL DAYS : HOW CAN ARTS AND MENTAL HEALTH COME TOGETHER?
Metro Vancouver is holding the BC Cultural Days, a gathering with more than 250 events with this year’s theme as “mental health”
Written by Cami Davila (she/her) // Crew Writer Visuals by Jasmin Linton (she/her)
Nowadays, in a world so overwhelming, it’s difficult not to struggle with mental health. If you search through the long list of how to be ‘okay,’ it’s very rare to find the word ‘arts’ or anything related to it. According to an article published in Human Brain Mapping, engaging with art impacts brain structure, function and well-being. Still, no one would typically think to say, “Oh, you’re feeling bad? Go to an art show!”
Fall Foliage Oil Painting
Have you ever wanted to learn how to paint using oils? This will be a class where a professional artist will teach different techniques to create a fall foliage painting. All the materials are included.
Hill Strategies reports that 62% of Canadians who participate in the arts are more likely to have “very good or excellent” mental health. In fact, when we immerse ourselves in an art-related activity, the brain sets aside worries and releases endorphins, serotonin and dopamine. So, with proof that art has beneficial effects, it prompts the question: Why aren’t there more spaces that promote art?
The main goal of the BC Cultural Days is precisely that. According to their website, the event aims to promote the “appreciation and exploration of arts and culture—so that every person in the country has a deeper connection with themselves.” From September 19 to October 12 across Metro Vancouver, there will be more than 250 art-related events that explore the theme of mental health. These showcases are free and follow a ‘pay what you can’ model, with all donations contributing to local charities focused on mental health and equity.
With concerts, exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, performances, open studios and more, BC Cultural Days is aiming to create a safe space that encourages the community to connect through arts.
According to Shoja, “When we shine a spotlight on the many ways people can engage with arts and culture close to home, we rediscover a deeper appreciation for their role in strengthening community life and economic vitality—encouraging greater investment from both funders and the public.”
For Capilano University students, this will be a great opportunity to take a break from our regular weekly schedule between classes and work. It will allow those with school stress to hang out in different environments, connect with new people around Vancouver and engage in the local arts community.
To spare you folks some time on TikTok searching for, “cool plans around me this month¨ here are some of the events that are happening in North Vancouver.
Date and time: October 3, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at John Braithwaite Community Centre, 145 West 1st Street, North Vancouver, BC.
Not Your Butter Chicken: Film Screening & Director Q&A
North Vancouver filmmaker Priyanka Desai will attend BC Cultural Days with her new documentary series Not Your Butter Chicken. The production honors the recipes, untold stories, and wisdom of South Asians living in Canada through the perspective of the renowned Vancouver chef Shiva Reddy.
The filmmaker will be taking questions from the audience after the screening.
Date and time: October 8, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at North Vancouver City Library, 144 14 W St, North Vancouver, BC.
Gentle Glory: Performance, Artist Talk and Workshop
Seeking to explore “empathy as pathways to liberation” and motivated by her personal experiences with mental health, the artist Rachel Helten created ‘Gentle Glory.’ The performance will be followed by a talk-back and a creative movement workshop that will last 45 minutes.
This event will explore compassion, emotional intelligence, healing, vulnerability and transformation.
Date and time: October 11, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at Civic Plaza, 126 West 14th Street, North Vancouver, BC.
Looking forward to knowing more about BC Cultural Days? Check out all the information on their website.
Sweet Dead and Remembrance:What is the Day of the Dead and why is it meaningful?
When it comes to Mexican traditions, the first one that comes to mind is often the Day of the Dead, or El Día de Muertos. This celebration—known for its colorful flowers, skulls and candles—is a well-known representation of Mexican Culture. What is this all about? What is the Day of the Dead?
Día de Muertos is a celebration of life, death, family and heritage. It is a day in which Mexican families gather together to remember their ancestors, especially the family members that have passed away. According to prehispanic folklore, when somebody dies their soul transcends to the Mictlán (the land of the dead) where they reunite with their ancestors to live in tranquility forevermore. However, the souls of the dead are allowed to visit the land of the living every year, during two main dates: November 1, which is the Día de Todos los Santos (Day of All Saints), and it is dedicated to the small souls (the children); and November 2, the day of the Fieles Difuntos, dedicated to the adults.
Written by Alex Luna Naime (she/her)
Visuals by Leonardo Velazquez (he/him)
Even though there are variations within the celebration depending on the region in Mexico, some of the elements remain consistent throughout all: the creation of an altar called an ofrenda to honor their loved ones. These ofrendas include personal items that were meaningful to the deceased, such as clothing, photographs, their favorite foods (fruits, traditional Mexican food, like mole and sweet bread) and drinks (usually tequila or mezcal). It is believed that when the spirits come to visit, they are able to find their way from their tombs to the altars as they work like a beacon for the deceased. Ofrendas are an invitation back to the homes of their family, to enjoy the things the spirit once loved.
For families, erecting the altar is a reminder that they are still remembered and loved, while honouring how much time has passed since their deaths. To help the dead easily find their way home, the altars also include candles, incense and Cempasúchil flowers
(Mexican Marigolds), since their light and smell are believed to beckon the dead. Another key element of the ofrendas are the colorful papel picado (perforated paper) which will have different motifs depicting portrayals of death. Alongside them, they will also have sugar skulls, sometimes with the name of their loved ones written on the forehead. Although these skulls can easily be found at any market near the dates, some cities have entire festivals dedicated to the making and selling of them.
The images of death—especially skulls—exist in the Día De Muertos ritual to portray death as a welcoming celebration for spirits and their loved ones alike. Across the country, some people even disguise themselves as Catrinas, the Mexican representation of death, and walk in big processions that end at the local cemeteries where they decorate the tombstones of their loved ones. Sometimes, people will even stay in the tombstones all night to accompany their families during their time in the land of the living. Others remember them quietly at home, enjoying their comforting presence.
The Day of the Dead is a very meaningful celebration in Mexican culture because it keeps people connected to their loved ones; it reminds families that their love is limitless, going beyond the barriers of life and death. It keeps them connected to their heritage and roots; creates a time and place to remember those who are no longer here and reminds all that they left a mark on the world. It paints a picture of love and companionship, of color and warmth that makes all feel less lonely and grim, as the souls of both, the living, and the dead, will exist connected, even across the afterlife.
As International Students, being far from home on such a familiar holiday can be a bit lonely. It can make you homesick, but it also serves as a great reminder of the place that´s left behind; it can be a reassuring moment to reconnect with one’s roots and to feel the merge of the culture left behind with the new traditions from another place:
“Celebrating Day of the Dead in Canada is a bittersweet sensation: I feel proud of celebrating a tradition from my culture, but I’m also missing, not just the family that is no longer in this world, but the one I left behind, too. It’s like holding a photo to your chest, feeling close to something yet knowing it’s not here.”
–Jeanette Lopez, BA in Creative Writing
“Existing far from home sometimes creates a detachment between who I am and where I come from. Celebrating the Day of the Dead from afar can be isolating but also serves as a reminder of where I come from and what I carry: all the love of my family; knowing they are always watching over me. It makes me feel less lonely.”
–Fernanda, BA in Business
We learn, through remembering our roots, something very important: caring for the past, the people that came before, the love that surrounds life, the connections made with other humans, is what forges the meaning of life, and it is important to cherish them while there is still time. This is what is needed to nurture the souls of all humans.
The Greater Vancouver Horror Writer’s Association
A blood-soaked and supportive writer’s community
Written by Elishiva Phillips (She/her) Visuals by Lily Jones (she/her), Anya
To the uninitiated, horror can seem a strange genre to want to write. Why would anyone want to spend time writing about people being dismembered and eaten? What joy does one gain from describing in graphic detail how a chainsaw can turn them into a bloody pulp? Yet, many out there do just that, committing every inventive, blood-soaked word they can to the page. Unsurprisingly, this interest can become very niche and consequently becomes an isolating hobby. People who don’t write can have a difficult time understanding the amount of effort and tenacity it takes to keep putting your work out there again and again, making the experience even more isolating. Because of this, finding a supportive community can be a benefit to helping writers develop their skills, build connections and find publishing opportunities.
One of the oldest professional associations in North America is the Horror Writers Association (HWA). According to their website, their goal is to “encourage public interest in and foster an appreciation of good horror and dark fantasy literature.” To that end, they present a major literary award—the Bram Stoker Awards—recognizing the best in horror every year. The HWA also offers scholarships and grants to help aspiring writers’ creative development. Additionally, they put on panels and book readings and showcases for the work of their members, as well as connecting with authors at various literary conventions including their own biannual convention called StokerCon. For members living in the States, the association worked out a partnership that helps members access health insurance. It’s an impressive array of pies to stick your fingers in and a boon to any writer in need of support.
Beyond all of that, one of the best features of the HWA is that it has local chapters all over North America. Here in Vancouver, one can join the Greater Vancouver Horror Writer’s Association (GVHWA) whose members are all writers living and working in the region. According to GVHWA Member Bebe Bayliss, “Having a community of people who are in the same space is encouraging, because you hear about their challenges and struggles [as well as] their successes.” An active member of not only GVHWA, but also Science Fiction Writers of America and Crime Writers of Canada, Bayliss noted that all of these organizations have benefits, but the GVHWA is the most active as a community. “It’s really supportive and it gives you a place to go to ask questions where nobody will point and giggle,” she notes.
One of the biggest benefits of being a member is the frequent opportunity to engage with guest speakers. According to Bayliss, that education is a big part of what she gains from membership. The local chapter frequently hosts guest speakers on an array of different topics. “One time it was a taxidermist,” said Bayliss, “Another one of our members talked about screenwriting and screenwriting competitions.” As for Bayliss herself? She says, “I used to own a product development company, so I talked about how to license IP for writers.” She goes on to express how the group feels like a safe space for asking questions and getting helpful tips, because of the familiarity they all have from these shared online meetings.
Being a part of a community so passionate about the same things as you can also lead to discovering new ways of thinking about genre. For example, Bayliss speaks about the malleability of horror as a genre and tells me one of the finest horror novels she’s ever read is not technically a horror novel at all: it’s Richard Preston’s best-selling book The Hot Zone, a creative nonfiction recounting the origins of the Ebola virus. Bebe describes it as an incredible horror book precisely because it hones in on, “all the ways that humans are trying to annihilate civilization by not paying attention.”
“I love learning from other writers,” says Bayliss. “We’ve all experienced rejection, but we take it in really different ways; the successes, the challenges, all of that. Having a reason to get out and talk to more people about a craft that you all love, that’s powerful.”
To join the HWA, you can find membership information on their website or Facebook Page.
Ali Mulzet (they/them)
Dear Microbes,
I admit that I am afraid of you. You have shut down cities and nations. You have broken down massive healthcare systems. I know our relationship is not straightforward, but we survive on mutual benefits. Millions of you live and thrive in my body, especially in my guts where I get those butterflies as you break down those macromolecules, including lactose and others for me to get nutrients and ATPs.
Sometimes, I think you are like the superior individual they refer to as god in many religious philosophies; and similar to that you are also everywhere, from the deepest sea beds, tallest mountain peaks, driest deserts to the darkest caves and, still, you are invisible to the naked eye. . . Though you have made a significant contribution in the evolution of life on Earth, you have endangered the human population from time to time. But, look at us now. We are also fighters. We have overcome tragedies created by you. I know we have had this love-hate relationship for so long and I predict it will be continuous, where you threaten us with some new variant of yours; on the other hand, you turn milk into cheese, grapes into wine, flour into bread and those grains into beer. You are the secret chef in our kitchen. You recycle death into soil, stitch nitrogen into roots and even fill the atmosphere with oxygen.
You may have many admirers, yet, there are many who fear for their life from some of your crazy variants. Like any other powerful lover, you can wound as easily as you can heal, maybe fear is just another name of respect. To fear you is to recognize your strength and to work hard in scientific development to contain your ruthlessness.
So, I write to you not just in fear but in love, you tiny, tireless eternal thing. You remind us that life is not only ruled by what we see but also what we don’t see. It’s true that now we have to live together on this planet and we have to face each other, so I believe fear alone cannot be the way ahead. Hence, I would like to end this one-sided conversation by quoting the poem ‘Fear’ by Khalil Gibran.
“The river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean because only then will fear disappear, because that’s where the river will know it’s not about disappearing into the ocean, but of becoming the ocean”
I hope we keep crossing our paths in good faith, and I would be terrified to hear back from you.
With love and fear, Harsh
Visuals by Jasmin Linton(she/her), Cameron Skorulski (he/him)
Written by Harsh Sandilya (he/him)
Tiny Terrors, Eternal Lovers: Why our smallest companions deserve both caution and admiration
BREAKING: Terrifying Apocryphal Sightings in Local Woods with No Authority Intervention
Multiple Reports of a Violent Creature, Officials deem it ‘Non-Threatening’
Written by Kayla Price (she/her/they)
Drinking with friends in the bird sanctuary is a common activity for bright-eyed freshmen living in residence, but things are not all as they seem in our local forests. Rumours have circulated about a ‘solitary creature’ with ‘an otherworldly stare’ living in North Vancouver for some time, and those who’ve lived to share their sightings have described an unruly entity of the night.
Last year, Lynn Valley resident Peyton Bridgers was riding through the C32 bike trail loop just after 9 o’clock when she bore witness to a pair of “piercing white eyes” from the far end of the woods. She thought it was just a large bear moving in the distance until the two made eye contact. “That was no bear I was staring at… Hell, that was no animal I’ve ever seen before, and I’ve lived here all my life!” Peyton described the strange creature’s stare as “rivalling a car’s headlights” with their brightness, and looking at her “with no visible pupils” for a long moment before the large mass darted off into the night. She filed a wildlife report with a provincial conservation officer shortly after the encounter, but was promptly dismissed as having seen an unrelated reflection. No one was sent to search the area as the alleged anomaly was deemed a non-threat.
Another sighting was reported in January of this year, but authorities failed to find any trace of the encounter Sam and Donna Stevens described to the Courier in an interview. The couple was driving along Mount Seymour Parkway through mild snowfall, “about a half hour after getting off [the evening’s] last ferry,” as Sam described, going on to say, “That deer came out of nowhere! It jumped in the middle of the road, right from that trail entrance at the foot of Lillooet Road, near the University… The snow was fresh, and with how slippery it was, I just couldn’t react fast enough to dodge it. The poor thing...”
The couple turned into the Superstore parking lot and walked back to assess the injured deer when they witnessed an i ntensely disturbing altercation. Donna described the dreaded cryptid as standing “at least 8 feet tall” and that it was attacking “what looked like a bobcat” over the deer carcass. “That poor cat didn’t stand a chance against that mutated bear! It was ginormous,” she said, adding that the creature acted “very aggressive for a black bear so close to humans.” To the couple’s horror, the being reared up on its back legs and “slammed its paws down” into the bobcat’s back, “ripping the predator to shreds” before their very eyes.
by Rachel Lu (she/her) // Crew Illustrator
The two reported the violent scrimmage and drove back the next morning to investigate further, but the road had since been snowed over and subsequently plowed, leaving no trace of the blood spilt the night before. No police or conservation officers were ever sent to explore the area.
Upon receiving these fragments of information, our trail began to run dry on this white-eyed cryptid of the night, until another anonymous witness reached out to us via Facebook to share his story, saying, “That creature you’ve described? It’s known as the Fir Forest Detritivore, and I’ll tell ya one thing, it’s fuckin’ real.”
The man went on to describe a familiar scene he watched unfold: “I don’t want my family knowin’ I got back into drinking, so you better keep your fuckin’ mouth shut on who I am… but I was at Seymour’s ‘til closing for the night, a couple drinks in but still walkin’ straight. I went outside for a dart before heading home. I’ve been in plenty o’ fights, a bit of blood never bothered me, but I still hear that damn growl at night, and the sound of flesh being ripped from bone, right there on the fuckin’ street corner. The Detrivore was like nothin’ I’ve ever seen before, and nothin’ I’ll ever see again if I can help it. With its thick, feline-like claws, and an unhinged jaw to match its snarling maw… the beast had no trouble at all with that cougar. The thing pounced up and slammed it into the ground, before digging at its meat like a starved carnivore, wit’ the ease of rippin’ up a piece of paper. ”
Despite all of the guts and gore he endured, he says, “The scariest part of it all was when that Fir Forest Detritivore turned back and stared at me, with that blank, bright stare… I ain’t religious, but I swear t’god seein’ the white light in its eyes like that, I was beside myself for days afterward, thinkin’ it had to be some sorta sign… I quit drinking cold turkey, just like that.”
In regard to a police report he filed about the incident, he says, “The cops wrote me off ‘cause of my criminal record, I’m sure of it.” Much like the other alleged witnesses, this Fir Forest Detritivore has been repeatedly overlooked and ignored by park staff and law enforcement. “But, I know what I saw,” he finished, “and them pigs can’t tell me any different. I wish I’d ‘ave made up such a thing, it wouldn’t still be keepin’ me up at night!”
Visuals
Stormtroopers, the Night Stalker and nowhere to go
A true crime inspired nightmare
Written by Jasmin Linton (she/her)
Visuals by Lily Jones (she/her)
ICW: mention of violence and physical assault
t turns out binge-watching true crime during COVID is less about distracting yourself from schoolwork and more about inviting your subconscious to host its own horror marathon. That’s exactly what I faced when I came across the Night Stalker documentary. Now, true crime is not for everyone. I am someone who can’t do horror movies because I’m too anxious, but I still believe I’m a reasonably logical person. When watching a documentary about a murderer, I’m able to rationalize that I’m not part of the victim profile. The issue was, the Night Stalker, Richard Ramirez, had no victim profile, he would go after anyone and everyone. The fact that two of his victims, Mabel Bell and Florence Lang who were sisters in their eighties, really got to me. I couldn’t stop thinking about my own sister. This thought, paired with the fact his victims had to be frightened before he assaulted them—the only way he got a thrill— absolutely terrified me. All logic—like the fact that his spree was in the 80s and he literally died in 2013—went out the window. I was scared. I couldn’t sleep on my back for weeks, not being able to look at the door.
This all came to a climax when I started dreaming about the murderer. I went to bed as usual, then woke up in a cold sweat from a god awful nightmare featuring the one and only Night Stalker. I was on a train going at top speed through a beautiful lush forest. I remember seeing the sun through the trees. I knew I was running from someone and jumping through train cars. I was leaping over the knuckle couplers and weaving between cargo. I never saw the Night Stalker in this dream, I just knew he was there stalking me. I ran into multiple Stormtroopers on the way, asking for help to no avail. Which is strange, considering that to this day, I still haven’t watched Star Wars.
One thing that scares me is needing assistance or help in a dangerous situation and not being believed. This feeling was amplified in the dream with the lack of passengers and the presence of the Stormtroopers. After what felt like endless running, I finally made it to the control room. I thought I’d be able to stop the train and continue running away, trying to find some help. As I arrived, both my sister and my dad were there waiting for me to take charge and stop the train. There were too many buttons on the control panel, so many colours, all flashing lights and intimidation. I was stuck, no ideas on how to stop the train. That sense of being out of control made my anxiety flare, and the Night Stalker was only getting closer and closer. If that wasn’t enough, I now had to worry about my family being in harm’s way.
What started as a harmless true crime binge ended with my own mind turning against me, blurring the line between logic and fear. This was indeed a wakeup call to take a break from true crime (especially before bed!).
FALL 2025 STYLE GUIDE Fitspo for the chilly weather
Written by Ben Taylor (he/him) // Crew Writer
Illustrated by Jordan Richert (he/him)
School is back in session and the question on every student’s mind is simple: Is my closet ready? Fear not! Today, we’re going to take a look at the hottest new trends hitting campuses this fall, so you can up your fashion game and stay one step ahead of the competition.
Our first look is totally workwear chic, inspired by the gritty fall vibes of mechanics or lumberjacks! The first thing you’re going to need is a pair of big heavy boots—dark colours are preferred—as these are good for the fall mud. We’re going to be pairing that with some light blue vintage Carhartt coveralls, and a minimalist white mask on top. Think Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut. What a SLAY ��.
The second look I have for you today is going to be a little cozier and has some Christmas vibes! So, for all you Halloween haters out there, feel free to put this one on October 1st! Obviously, the first item is a nice red and green striped sweater, classic fall aura right there. For pants, you can go with dark coloured work trousers, and throw on some worn-in work boots too (workwear is seriously all the rage this fall). Now, everyone knows that fedoras have been poised to make a comeback for years; that year is 2025. Spice up this fit with a fedora to give fall earth tone vibes. While we’re at it, throw on a leather glove, too. But. only on one hand! People will be dreaming about you in this fit for sure.
Next, we have something a little more promiscuous, perhaps for those still needing to bag a fall bae for cuffing season. Start with a ruffle blouse, just sheer enough to show your Victoria’s Secret black lace bra underneath. Then, a pleather (#savetheanimals) miniskirt. As was best said by Fashion Icon Paris Hilton, “Skirts should be the size of a belt. Life’s short, take risks.” A fun twist: a garter pulling up some thigh high socks. Oh shit, the weather’s looking a little dreary this week… On second thought, drape yourself in a big, cozy black cloak, catching a cold won’t do you any good. And, why not, another mask? This time, go with something more artsy with an expressionist vibe, sort of like the famous Munch painting The Scream. Much better. Who are you kidding? Your face card is probably declining anyways.
So, whether you’re hitting Cactus happy hour for bellinis with the squad, or just trying to take cute pics for your Hinge, these looks are to die for. Don’t be scared to let loose a little! Grab a PSL, hit the pumpkin patch or maybe cop a candle at Bath & Body Works. But, above all, just know you’ll be looking drop dead gorgeous with these killer looks.
The Shining : What A Movie! But, What? A Movie? What a movie?
Written by Adam Stothard (he/him) // Co-EIC Visuals by Andrei Gueco (he/him)
It’s about time someone sunk their teeth into this underdiscussed film and asked for the first time, what’s really happening in The Shining?
For those who don’t know, The Shining is a film directed by Stanley Kubrick (director of Fear and Desire) based upon a book of the same name written by Stephen King (director of Maximum Overdrive). It’s a movie that’s chock full of metaphors, themes, similes, references, iconography and other things, too. But what is it really about?
The film opens much in the same way the novel does: aerial camera angles following a car set to weird music. What does this mean? Well, I, for one, interpret it as a metaphor. Are we not all cars following down a winding road that is life? Being looked on from above by God’s camera? Some say, “No.” But, to them I say, “Yes?”
Jack Torrance (played by golf pro Jack Nicholaus) is hired as the seasonal caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, meaning he can finally get some time to work on his novel. But, what’s this? His family has to come with him? Oh boy, that’s not good. You see, his son Danny is a total fuckin’ freak. He speaks in this spooky voice and acts like it’s his finger saying it. And don’t even get me started on his wife Wendy. She is a real piece of work, lemme tell ya. An enragingly fragile and meek woman, basically Olive Oyl from Popeye.
After their nice scenic drive, the family finally gets to the Overlook Hotel where they meet the head chef, Dick Halloran (played by none other than Scatman John). Here’s where things start to get wacky: Dick Halloran can telepathically communicate with Danny. It’s never explained why, but it’s not hard to see the reason if you see the right clues as I did. You see, Ol’ Dick is but a figment of lil’ Danny’s imagination. This takes me over to my main theory: lil’ Danny Torrance is insane.
Danny is constantly seeing all kinds of weird shit that isn’t actually there. He sees these two little girls and then imagines their bloody corpses laying everywhere.
It’s really a disturbing thing for a child to create in their imagination. It concerns me. It gets so bad at a certain point, it starts to really make his dad Jack angry because it’s taking up his precious writing time. It even seems Wendy is starting to humour Danny’s nonsense.
Meanwhile, Jack is fantasizing his beautiful ballroom full of fun, trying to just have a dang drink. But, there’s only one obstacle: his stupid family. Seeing as his family is insane and losing their grip on reality, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He’s gotta shock them back down to earth. Maybe then, he’ll finally be able to get some damn writing done! After all, Danny’s insanity is starting to permeate and make everything bad. So, what then? Of course, Danny brings his imaginary friend Dick to the hotel to fend off his dad. But, what’s this? No more imaginary friends! Jack beats Dick, and Dick is done. No more Dick!
The film’s ending features two bold choices. Firstly, the good guy loses. In a shocking twist, Jack Torrance is frozen to death, meaning he’s never able to complete his hard-earned novel (or teach his family the lesson they so desperately need). Secondly, as the camera zooms in on an old photograph displayed in the hotel, you learn that the ENTIRE film takes place in the year 1921. This really threw me for a loop, seeing as they had cars from the 1970s and more modern technology. But, I guess what they’re saying is: What is time, anyways?
In conclusion, I want to answer the big question: What is the WHOLE film about? What’s the thesis? Well, to me, it was obvious: It’s about World War I. Jack Torrance represents the United States (the good guy), Wendy represents France (the annoying one) and Danny (the little shit) represents Germany. And, the hotel? It’s where the war is fought, of course, so it is somewhere in Europe.
In conclusion, thank you for reading my critical analysis of The Shining. My only question left is: What’s next for Stanley Kubrick? One can only hope he’s working on his next masterpiece. I personally would love to see his take on Ant-Man or Free Willy.
If you want to share your thoughts on what box office blast ol’ Stan Kubrick ought to tackle next, send us a message on the internet!
Written by Jordan Tomlinson (he/him)
// Humour Editor
ONE NIGHT at Seymour Hall
Comic also by Andrei Gueco (he/him)
CAPU’S ADMINISTRATORS RESPOND TO AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY THE VANCOUVER SUN ON THE STATE OF THE DORMS BY SPENDING 24 HOURS LIVING THERE
Capilano University’s dorms have always been a point of contention, with some claiming them to be unlivable and others arguing that they are extremely unlivable. Needless to say, the hot-button topic made its way around campus and after being amplified by a Vancouver Sun article, the school was forced to make a statement.
‘Maybe you’re all just a bunch of babies?’
said Student Life Administrator Rob Lovett in an official letter to the student body, announcing that he and two other members of CapU’s administration would be spending 24 hours living within the dorms. ‘I think everyone is just being a little bit dramatic,’ he continues, ‘We look forward to setting the record straight.’
That evening, with no time wasted, he and his colleagues Rob Mills and Rob Largo entered Seymour Hall. Being greeted by the kind security guard, held back by three layers of plexi-glass—for his own protection, of course —the three are escorted by their resident advisor (RA) to a single room with two beds. She explains that they are, ‘lucky they even got a room.’ ‘Everyone’s a bit cramped, sometimes with four to a bed,’ the RA stated, ‘I try not to get into the logistics of it, you know. Not really my place. Students tend to work that stuff out themselves.’
After unpacking and encountering mushroom-rat hybrids native to the dorm’s crawl spaces, Largo and Lovett begin to make their way across to the dining hall for their first dinner. When asked the whereabouts of Mills, the pair got quiet. ‘He used the washroom on the first floor about an hour ago and never came back.’ stated Largo, ‘Could’ve sworn I heard him speaking in tongues in there.’ Tonight’s feast greets them before even opening the doors as a second-year dorm resident sprints out the doors covering his mouth with a special green tint to his face. ‘That’s the third time today,’ Largo comments. ‘I guess green is really in this year,’ retorts Lovett. They move
through the empty hall, soaking in the still air and the sounds of a haunting poorly-played communal piano. They arrive at the cafeteria and receive their meal for the evening: Chicken sandwiches. ‘See? Just a normal grilled chicken sandwich,’ Lovett exclaims. ‘There’s no grill marks,’ Largo notices, ‘It’s a bit pink actually. And, I think it’s twitching.’ Lovett encourages his coworker to try the sandwich, saying, ‘Stop talking. Just eat it.’
Largo takes a large bite out of the sandwich and a small squeak can be heard. He swallows with pride as Lovett begins to boast, ranting and raving about the top notch food. Within a minute or so, Largo excuses himself to use the washroom. He returns with a green wash and a nosebleed, rambling about a bathroom sighting of Christ. Suddenly he stops before making a final statement saying, ‘I need to see him again.’ He exits to the bathroom once more where he remained for the rest of the stay.
Lovett seems relaxed and ready for bed as he retreats to their shared room alone, muttering, ‘See, this place is a bona fide paradise. You’ve got everything you need. Now goodnight to you all!’ The door shuts behind him.
The next morning at 7 a.m. sharp, we went back only to find Lovett’s room empty with the door wide open. His bags remained as did his formal wear and shoes. We asked his neighbours if they had seen his exit and were told, ‘We heard teeth chattering and scared whimpers until we fell asleep. Probably just homesick or something.
Or, the creature got him.’
It’s been three weeks since their stay and there has been no word on the whereabouts of the administrators. No plans to renovate or improve the dorms have been made public. The only new edition has been a cork community board which has been said to boost morale and promote student life.
Visuals by Andrei Gueco (he/him)
Written by Jor dan Tomlinson (he/him)
RORY KETTING-OLIVIER
CANADIAN FEAR
R
ory Ketting-Olivier was five years old when he first visited a haunted house. He recalls the ticket booth attendant asking him if he was sure that he wanted to go inside, and his mom pointing out to him that the attraction was rated 13 plus. He said that he was sure, but admits to being horrified afterwards. He says that the only things to really freak him out now are obnoxious air cannons. Now at the age of 21, he has been living his dream of owning an animatronics company, Canadian Fear.
Ketting-Olivier was born in Surrey to a Canadian mom and Dutch, Indonesian and French dad. He grew up in Abbotsford (or Abby, as affectionately called by its residents) and went to the Abbotsford School of Integrated Arts from kindergarten until the end of high school. This is where he learned about different creative avenues and became involved in theatre. He recalls that his favourite was playing Miss Trunchbull from Matilda in senior year, on which he comments, “I really learned how to master certain vocal techniques in that endeavour.”
His education in theatre led him to do voiceover work and audio for attractions remotely; now, his voice can be heard all over the world. He was asked to work on a project for the film industry over the Labour Day weekend in the same 24 hours that the Courier had asked to feature him.
Ketting-Olivier’s fascination with ghoulish creatures started when he was three years old and begged his mom to buy him a witch spirit ball. He was born into the first generation that grew up on YouTube, so his fascination only grew with the things he’d find online, prompting him to Google search animatronics. It was through those searches that he discovered haunted houses. From there, his parents helped him open his first haunted house around 2008 and the only visitors were his classmates. Ketting-Olivier created Creepstone Haunted House free for all to see, when he joined forces with his friend, Michael Davey and his dad, Kevin Davey who already had experience with their own Halloween attraction.
// Crew Writer Visuals by Cameron Sko rulski (he/him) Rache l Lu (she/her), & An dy Poystila (he/him)
From ages 16 to 20, he had the opportunity to work for Drew Avinger, one of the main designers at Gemmy Industries, who also designed the witch spirit ball. Ketting-Olivier was also fortunate to work with the voice actor and the packaging designer of the witch that he got when he was three, which he looks back on as a full circle moment.
Ketting-Olivier has an estimated total of 200 animatronics. When he could no longer fit them at Creepstone, he rented out four different storage lockers just to store them. When asked how many pieces he has in his entire collection, he answered, “10 commercial grade animatronics, at least 50 heads, small props, probably 150 small collectibles, decorations, 30 retail market Halloween animatronics, 20 masks and costumes and then boxes upon boxes of lights, sound equipment, fabrics, miscellaneous stuff.”
One of his favourite animatronics is the Krazy Kristen—a popular red-haired, green-eyed animatronic that thrashes around in a straitjacket—that he first saw in 2009 on ‘How It’s Made.’ He purchased the 2013 version of Kristen—which currently finds a home in one of his storage lockers—from the North Vancouver store, Thomas FX when he was in middle school. But, his absolute favourite is the Pumpkin King that was originally at Potter’s House of Horrors in Surrey. He stands 17 feet high, weighs over 1000 pounds and his limbs have a lot of different movements. After many visits to Potter’s (now named Cougar Creek’s House of Horrors) Ketting-Olivier was finally allowed to purchase it last year. The Pumpkin King was the animatronic that started it all. He has been restoring the King’s head because the latex had melted.
Ketting-Olivier has many projects on the go, one of them is networking with other animatronic collectors at conventions all over the world, renting out pieces from his scary collection to raise funds to operate Creepstone all-year-round instead of just on Halloween.
and selected dates throughout October. He started travelling the world at the age of 16 and it was then that he started working with factories in China and designing and developing products for retail. Ketting-Olivier recounts that because they had to keep costs low, the pieces were mass produced and therefore the work lost artistic integrity. As a result, he lost interest.
He turned his attention to his haunted house and invested all of his time, money and heart into it. This is when he started going to tradeshows in the U.S. One of the biggest is TransWorld’s Halloween & Attractions Show in St. Louis, Missouri. Everyone in the haunted house industry attends this annual event. Ketting-Olivier goes to visit his friends that he has had since he was 10 years old and is able to hang out with them two or three times a year.
He credits his friends from the industry as being the biggest wealths of knowledge in the industry: Brandon Fuges and Max Mastropierro from Screamfitters, Shane Kenyon from Traumatic Studios, Christopher Pater from Valley Vacuform, Jacob Williams from Don Walker Productions, Aidan P. “Macabre Middleman” Finnegan and Donald “Propguru” Dean. Finnegan and Ketting-Olivier have their own podcast, JustHauntedHouseThings. His network of industry friends learn and teach other tricks of the trade; Ketting-Olivier learned how to sculpt and make moulds at Williams’ shop in Wisconsin. Lately, he’s been hard at work with his friends—Matthew Hutchings and Anthony Priest—on day-to-day projects restoring animatronics.
Two years ago, he went to Salem to speak with Tim Dunne—the owner of Fright Kingdom, a haunted house in New Hampshire—because Ketting-Olivier wanted to purchase a piece from him and had messaged him on Facebook. Dunne did not know what he looked like. While Ketting-Olivier was getting ready to get back on the bus to return to his hotel and 400 people were going through the haunted house tour, industry legends including Dunne were standing outside in a huddle. Ben Armstrong, from Netherworld Haunted House in Georgia, told him that Ketting-Olivier wanted to buy his quagmire piece. All of a sudden, Dunne recognized him and called out, “Rory!”
On the same Legendary Haunt Tour in Salem, Massachusetts 2023, Ketting-Olivier had the cameras from Spooky Kisses TV surrounding him to interview him for their show. Most would be nervous in this situation, and although Rory was taken completely by surprise, his theatre background helped him with good public speaking skills.
Ketting-Olivier was determined from a very young age, took smaller steps to reach his bigger goals and continued to focus on his passions. He succeeded in making his dreams of owning a haunted house, curating a collection of animatronics, designing them and doing voiceover work for Halloween attractions around the world come true. Now, he is working on having Creepstone to be a professional Halloween attraction open every day of the year.
“Year round I’m working on turning the vision into a reality. I travel the world going to conventions for the haunt industry. I get private tours of very well respected establishments. Networking with the best our industry has to offer.”
METRO VANCOUVER UNITED FOR PALESTINE - MVUP WEEKLY RALLY
@mvupalestine
Join Metro Vancouver United for Palestine for 15 Days of Action @ 12-4
Vancouver Art Gallery (Georgia St Side) - OCT 4th
OCT 5th-10th:
Poetry night, webinar, postering & tabling. - OCT 11th
OCT 12th-17th:
Walk for Gaza documentary film & forum, banner drops, postering & tabling.
- OCT 18th
DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATION IN BURNABY: burnabyhalloween.com
OCT 18 & 19th @ 12pm Brentwood Mall Plaza
THE PARADE OF LOST SOULS
“a grass-roots festival planned, organized and performed by, and for, the community that it serves.”
- NOV 1st workshops are Sundays OCT 5, 12, and 19th
($5 is the recommended donation)
SMALL FILE MEDIA FESTIVAL 2025
smallfile.ca
“Too Small to Fail!”
@ The Cinematheque - OCT 17-18th
MOBILIZATION AGAINST WAR AND OCCUPATION MAWO PROTESTS AND BI-WEEKLY BANNER DROPS:
www.mawovancouver.org
EVERY THURSDAY @ 4:30pm
Stanley Park Overpass (before Lions Gate bridge, Vancouver.) - OCT 2nd - OCT 16th - OCT 30th
INDIGENOUS PARTNERSHIPS SUCCESS SHOWCASE
www.indigenoussuccess.ca
“an annual event that provides practical guidance for Indigenous partnerships across Canada—featuring guest speakers from Indigenous business leaders, community advocates, and distinguished keynote speakers.”
- Apply by OCT 16
VANCOUVER WRITERS FEST writersfest.bc.ca
Exceptional Books, Ideas & Dialogue in 85+ Events including:
Protest through writing:
10. Pen and Ink: Illustrated Resistance
30. You Will Not Kill Our Imagination: Saeed Teebi in Conversation (Gaza) Horror themed:
06. Paranormal Activity: Ghost Stories for YA
67. Building Suspense
87. The Crime Scene - OCT 20-26th
CAPILANO UNIVERSITY is located on the traditional unceded territories of the LíỈwat, xʷməθkʷəỷəm (Musqueam), shíshálh (Sechelt), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and SəỈílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
We recognize our presence here as guests on this sacred land and deeply appreciate the privilege to work, study, and reside in this remarkable place. The Capilano Courier acknowledges that this gesture is just a starting point on the path to reconciliation, and we are committed to amplifying Indigenous voices and sharing their stories.
THE CAPILANO COURIER is an autonomous, democratically-run student newspaper that encourages literary and visual submissions. However, all submissions undergo editing for brevity, taste, and legality. We are committed to not publishing material that the collective deems as promoting sexism, racism, or homophobia. The views expressed by the contributing writers are not necessarily those of the Capilano Courier publishing society.
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