The Voice, April 2, 2025 • Volume 58, Issue 7

ARTS & LIFE

Being Boys

Studio 58 production examines the desire for stardom – and the dark side of fame. P15

AT LARGE Pet Protection

Animalcompanionshipiscostlier thaneverandexpertssayowners needbettersupport.P7

Carbon consequences Province passes responsibility to college



By OKSANA SHTOHRYN

As B.C. scraps its carbon tax and Langara College cuts environmental courses, educators worry climate action is losing priority, in policy and in the classroom.

The provincial carbon tax, introduced in 2008, was designed to reduce emissions by making fossil fuels more expensive. It also came with a tradeoff, in the form of quarterly payments to help low-income households manage the added costs. As of April 1, the tax and those payments are gone.

The province says the move will help make life more affordable. But some instructors and students at Langara College say the change could have long-term consequences, both for students’ finances and for climate education.

Drew Egan, a geography instructor at Langara College, said many students likely met the income threshold for the rebate, which means they’ll now lose that support.

Egan said that the tax helped fund sustainability efforts through rebates

and grants.

“Some of those grants would lead to research, support of certain initiatives that have to do with climate change,” he said.

Those grants, according to Egan, helped municipalities hire summer students, supported local environmental projects and allowed students to attend climate-related conferences.

With the its cancellation, he said, “there will be less opportunities for students to work in those fields.”

In a statement to the Voice, the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills said that decisions about courses and programs are made by Langara College, not the province.

“The removal of the carbon tax does not undermine the importance of environmental education in B.C., and our Ministry continues to support and promote environment-focused education,” the statement said.

Langara student John Craig said the loss of quarterly payments could make it harder for low-income students to manage basic costs. He said losing the rebate means students on tight

FEATURE

Colouring Calm

Langara's De-Stress Fest offers students free on-campus resources to take the edge off of exams. P8

budgets could struggle more, because even a small amount like $25 can make a noticeable difference.

“I’m quite annoyed that it’s been taken away from us,” Craig said. “The rebates are helpful, but it needs to stop being such a big issue.”

While the government has said it will continue targeting large industrial polluters through other mechanisms, Egan said getting rid of the consumer carbon tax is a step backward in climate policy.

“Universally, almost around the world, economists agree that the carbon tax was what we consider to be a net benefit to climate change,” he said.

The changes also come as Langara College faces program reductions. Egan said fewer students are enrolling in geography courses, and noted that reduced support for environmental initiatives may make it harder to promote climate-related education.

Egan said that although the carbon tax was unpopular, it provided a considerable amount of social benefit, adding “since students are part of society, they’re going to lose out.”

Pointing fingers at the Broadway Plan

Housing on the

minds of voters getting out early to the polls

 By MARC GUIDO BOLAN

On the last day of advance voting before the April 5 byelection, housing and the Broadway Plan were top of mind for many voters – and candidates.

Waiting in line at City Hall on April 1, voter Sarah Mcleod said the biggest byelection issue is the Broadway Plan.

Mcleod, a renter who has been displaced by the plan, called it “frustrating,” and said it affects affordability.

The Broadway Plan, approved by Vancouver city council in 2022 under former mayor Kennedy Stewart, will extend the Millennium Skytrain line to Arbutus St., and promises to add 43,000 new homes over the next 30 years.

But voters Nancy Gabor and Cam Mathewson said that the current council is moving too quickly on the plan and that there is a lack of public consultation.

“None of us are against densification,” said Mathewson, adding, “it’s the way it’s being done.”

Voter Jeanine Longley said she wants her “progressive” voice to be heard.

“My suspicion is that my votes won’t make a difference,” Longley said. “We already have a majority with ABC. But I do think there is power in holding a majority to account.”

Longley also said that more work needs to be done to help people in the Downtown Eastside that doesn’t involve the controversial street sweeps.

In March, Sim announced plans

to pause all “net new” supportive housing and announced $5 million in funding to the Vancouver Police Department for Task Force Barrage, to “restore safety” in the DTES.

“Evicting someone from the tent on the side of the road when they don’t have anywhere else to go just means that they’re gonna go find another tent,” Longley said.

The A Better City Party, led by mayor Ken Sim, holds a majority in council and is not at risk of losing the balance of power in this byelection.

However, prospective candidates from other parties say they will make a difference if elected.

Annette Reilly, the Green Party candidate, said her party may not hold a majority on council, but if elected, she and current Green Party Pete Fry can hold the governing party to account.

“Pete’s done a phenomenal job of holding ABC accountable,” Reilly said. “It will be even better with two.”

Reilly said that housing is the biggest issue facing Vancouverites.

“Ultimately, we’re in a housing crisis and have been for two decades,” she said. “There hasn’t been actionable progress towards solving this problem.”

The Green Party is the only other party sitting in council besides ABC. TEAM candidate Theodore Abbott said the by-election is a referendum on Mayor Ken Sim and the Broadway plan.

[The Broadway Plan] is a redevelopment plan that’s going to displace thousands of residents across the city, build a bunch of high-rises in place of currently affordable housing,” Abbott said.

COPE candidate Sean Orr said tenant protections in the Broadway Plan have been “watered down.”

“We need density around transit, but we need density without displacement.” Orr said.

The last chance for people to vote in the byelection is Saturday, April 5 at locations across Vancouver.

PRODUCED

Geography instructor Drew Egan says that getting rid of the consumer carbon tax is a step backward in climate policy and the loss will be felt "universally". PHOTO OKSANA SHTOHRYN

Mayor Sim's ABC Party holds a council majority but voter Jeanine Longley says there is power in "holding a majority to account."

PHOTO MARC GUIDO BOLAN

Surrey jumps on Juno stage

City hosts music Juno award-related festival to help energize its music industry

By IANNE MIRAMBEL

Hosting a festival associated with the Juno awards this year was part of Surrey's strategy for its music industry.

The city started its music strategy in 2023 as a cross-department and industry tool to develop its music industry. The festival, held March 15 at the Surrey Civic Plaza, was the Surrey leg of a six-city B.C. tour associated with the Juno awards, hosted in Vancouver this past weekend.

Amy Kim, the senior special events marketing coordinator for Surrey, said the community wanted to have a free public event based on

a survey and feedback.

“That's kind of where this came from, our direction and guidance. And it was even highlighted in the story music strategy that the city of Surrey should be a part of Juno week,” Kim said.

The music festival was held in Surrey Civic Plaza with six different stages and was attended by hundreds of people listening to Canadian musicians.

According to the city’s website, there are seven “strategic pillars” to support Surrey’s music industry and one of them is encouraging its music tourism. Kim said that when they learned that Junos were coming to Vancouver, the city recognized the opportunity to bring

the festival to Surrey.

“The Juno host committee recognized that Surrey is a great opportunity to highlight music ahead of the Juno Awards,” she said.

Kim said that the city will gain recognition of local talents as the city is “becoming a vibrant entertainment district.”

Although Kim didn’t disclose the exact numbers the city cost to support the event, she confirmed that the city invested in the event saying, “it supports our [Surrey] story.”

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke described the event as the beginning of the entertainment industry.

“It’s part of the vision, the beginning of the vision,” she said.

Coun. Linda Annis said the festival would help the city in its economic development as people will get together and order from restaurants.

“It gives an opportunity for economic growth for the city,” Annis said.

RÄEDIAMËNDZ, the stage name of a DJ born and raised in Surrey, said that she didn’t hesitate to agree when asked to perform for the city.

She said that she is proud representing her Fijian background especially as a female DJ.

“Everyone needs happiness and music is what makes us so happy.

That's what I want to give. I want to put smiles on faces [and] get bodies

moving,” she said.

Rising pop artist Glisha, who also performed at the event, said that although she is familiar with the Junos and has been following the awarding body for the past years, she is more focused on it now because it came to Vancouver.

“I think it’s wonderful that the JUNO Awards provide an opportunity for Canadian creators to shine,” the singer-songwriter said.

Headlined by Tyler Joe Miller, the Surrey festival was one of Surrey’s ways in developing its music industry, according to Locke.

“It's all about who we are as a city, who we are as a country and celebrating Canadian artists,” she said.

Delta fuming over hospital ER closure

Council says it has not received answers from Fraser Health about its concerns

Delta Mayor George Harvie and city council have sent out letters expressing “urgent concern” over the recent shut down of the Delta Hospital emergency room.

On Feb. 22 and 23, the hospital shut down its emergency room overnight in what was called a “service interruption” due to staffing shortages. The interruption,

announced at 5:30 p.m. the day of the shutdown, left over 100,000 Delta residents without immediate access to urgent care.

The Ladner-based hospital holds “10 acute beds, 10 observation beds, three ambulance bays, two negative pressure rooms, two fast track chairs and a trauma room” according to its website, with the beds providing “24 hours, seven days a week service.”

The letters were sent to Premier David Eby, B.C. Minister of Health Josie Osborne and Dr. Lynn Stevenson, interim president and CEO of Fraser Health Authority. In these letters, council urgently requested “detailed information on what specific measures Fraser Health is implementing to prevent further closures.”

City council isn’t the only organization calling for immediate action to solve this problem.

The Friends of Ladner Village, a group of Delta residents who work together to advocate for less density in the city, called for city council to “institute an immediate moratorium on all Delta high rise developments” until the situation regarding health care in the city is under control.

“We see a connection between what's happening in health care and the push from [the government] to increase density and build high rises,” said Bev Yaworski, a member of the group. “How do you want to add more and more people to our community, but they don’t have health care?”

She said that at this point, she wouldn’t use the Delta Hospital due

to the “six or seven hour wait time.”

“I would have to be extremely sick and in a near death situation before I would go there these days,” Yaworwski said.

Coun. Dylan Kruger didn’t link the rising density in Delta to the closure, but rather Fraser Health itself.

“It’s just complete incompetence when it comes to staffing,” he said, “We have trained medical doctors living in Canada, with international credentials, who are driving taxis and Ubers because they can’t get their credentials to transfer to work in B.C facilities. This is about recruitment and staffing. The ER would have been closed for those two days whether Delta had 100,000 or 100 million people because they did not have the doctors to operate it.”

He also expressed his dissatisfaction with city council not being

notified before the closures were announced.

“I found out on the news with everybody else three hours before the closures were to happen. So obviously very disappointed by the lack of notice, not just that Delta council got but that the community got, for these closures that obviously Fraser Health knew were going to be a possibility for a number of days leading up to the event,” he said.

As of Match 31, city council has not received a response from Fraser Health.

In a statement to The Voice, Fraser Health, wrote: “Physician schedules are dynamic and can change for a variety of reasons in real time. It is important to note our efforts to fill shifts, and prevent emergency department service interruptions, is almost always successful and Fraser Health’s average prevention rate is 99 per cent.”

Hundreds came to the Surrey Civic Plaza to hear Canadian musicians March 15 as part of a festival to promote the Juno Awards, held last weekend. PHOTO IANNE MIRAMBEL



 By RICK GOODE

Dylan Kruger COUNCILLOR, CITY OF DELTA

Dogs banned at Sea to Sky school

Parent’s plea to allow untrained ‘emotional support dog’ for child refused

By ENZO GALLARDO

Aparent’s request to pause a policy banning dogs in school was denied by the Sea to Sky School District, preventing her daughter, who the parent says relies on her emotional support dog to manage anxiety, from bringing the animal to school.

During a 15-minute presentation to the district board at its Feb. 12 meeting, the Pemberton parent outlined dog types and how schools in rural areas lack mental health resources.

“I'm here to speak specifically regarding the critical role dogs have as a disability accommodation … and how the policy as it stands is a barrier to my daughter's education currently,” the parent said.

Walking School Bus offers calm

North Van volunteer program walking students to school seeks to reduce traffic chaos

 By SAGE SMITH

As schools in the District of North Vancouver battle dangerous traffic, congestion and confrontational parents, the district is hoping that its new Walking School Bus Initiative will help calm the chaos.

A Walking School Bus is a free program where parent volunteers walk with students to school along a designated route with pre-set stops. The initiative follows a 2023 pilot project in the district that began with two schools.

Last year the district received grants from TransLink, the BC Alliance for Healthy Living and the province to expand the program to 10 schools in coordination with the Society for Children and Youth of BC.

According to Kulvir Mann, North Vancouver school board trustee, nine schools have signed up.

determine school rules. Updated on Dec. 11, 2024, after an incident where a child was bitten by a dog, the district’s policy added stricter rules to reduce liability, allergy concerns and emergency risks. Its most recent update excludes students and others with anxiety or learning challenges who rely on dogs for mental health support.

Celeste Bickford, a board trustee, praised the parent’s action while explaining the reasons that led to the recent policy review.

“We came to this decision to revise the policy in the first place, not because we don't want to support children, but because we had to make the difficult decision about how to protect everybody,” Bickford said.

“Therapy dogs provide psychological or physiological comfort to individuals other than their handler.”

The district’s policy regarding animals on school property bans dogs inside schools at all times and outside during school hours. Only certified guide or service dogs under B.C. law and therapy animals with approved educational plans are permitted.

— QUILLE KADDON, GENERAL MANAGER, ECOVILLAGE

Superintendent Chris Nicholson said that even though the policy was tightened, there are specific pathways that allow for the presence of certain dogs in schools designed to balance student needs with legal and safety requirements.

The family’s untrained family dog doesn’t meet district certification standards. Provincial law, like the Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, sets certification standards, but districts

“The board will be holding to the current policy as is because we don't have the safety questions answered. I would just say I don't think we can put a pause on the policy. That puts us in very precarious position,” Nicholson said.

Dog experts mark distinctions between dog types.

“Therapy dogs provide psychological or physiological comfort to individuals other than their handler,” said Quille Kaddon, general manager of Vancouver ecoVillage, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing therapeutic services and mental health wellness.

She said therapy dogs are trained to provide comfort and affection to multiple people in group settings, such as schools or hospitals.

Emotional support dogs, however, focus on offering companionship and emotional relief to their owners, helping with conditions like anxiety, depression, or panic attacks.

“The concept of an emotional support dog is very ambiguous, and it’s not recognized in the therapeutic community,” said Stanley Coren, a University of British Columbia psychology professor emeritus and dog expert.

He said such dogs lack formal status and are often misused. He suggested a certified therapy dog with a canine good neighbour certificate from the Canadian Kennel Club as a solution. Coren said if the parent’s request is in fact a legitimate case — where the dog serves as an emotional support animal, backed by a therapist confirming, “this dog is not going to bite,” and an evaluator confirmation of its training and safety with minimal certification — he’d expect the district to allow it.

The parent did not reply to the Voice requests for comment. Her name was withheld by the Voice to avoid identifying her daughter.

“Small kids are unpredictable,” she said, “so we just need the adults to start to behave better, and for more and more of us to elect to walk to school.”

Robertson said neighbours have complained about the traffic congestion that daily pick-ups and dropoffs create in the quiet residential neighbourhood, including reports of drivers speeding, not stopping at stop signs, vehicles blocking private driveways and other bylaw violations.

Mann said that schools in the district face aggressive behaviour from parents.

A recent article published in North Shore News about abusive and illegal behaviour happening during schooldrop offs was “eye-opening for a lot of people, but not for some of us that see this everyday,” she said. “The problem exists at every single school.”

In response, some schools in the district have hired paid crossing guards.

The district is working in coordination with the Society for Children and Youth of BC to hand out surveys to understand families needs better, find parent volunteers and figure out the route maps.

“Small kids are unpredictable, so we just need the adults to start to behave better, and for more and more of us to elect to walk to school.”

She said the program is fun, engaging and builds community between the children. It allows children to get much needed exercise and arrive at school ready to learn.

— GLENDA ROBERTSON, NORGATE XWEMÉLCH'STN COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Another important benefit for the district is traffic reduction and increased student safety.

“It just gets busy for like that 10-minute window and everybody wants to park in the parking lot. They want to park all on the street, but it's just not safe,” Mann said. “Kids can get hurt.”

Glenda Robertson, principal at Norgate Xwemélch'stn Community Elementary School, said there have been “a couple of close calls” between students and cars.

She hopes the Walking School Bus will help the kids get to school “with a little less traffic chaos.”

Margie Sanderson, operations manager at the Society for Children and Youth of BC, said that walking school buses “have existed organically for a while” and are active in various communities in the Lower Mainland, but what the district is doing is unique. It is the first municipality to fund a kilometre matching program, giving schools $1 for each kilometre walked per student, said Sanderson.

She also said the district is one of few municipalities implementing a volunteer-based model instead of paying walk leaders, something that will make the initiative more financially sustainable.

On March 6, the District of North Vancouver held its eighth informational pop-up inviting families to get involved in the program, this time at Norgate Xwemélch'stn Community Elementary School.

Mann said she hopes parents take advantage of spring break to “take a look at the walking school map that is for your school and, you know, make better choices.”

Dog expert Stanley Coren: “The concept of an emotional support dog is very ambiguous, and it’s not recognized in the therapeutic community.” PHOTO COURTESY STANLEY COREN.



Students at Norgate Xwemélch'stn Community Elementary School in North Vancouver learn about the Walking School Bus. PHOTO SAGE SMITH

Nick and Lise Springate have operated a bed and breakfast in Port Moody for the past 20 years, abiding by strict government guidelines "since day

Port Moody curbs short-term rentals

New city bylaw reclassifies Airbnb and VRBO short-term suites as bed and breakfasts

 By B.W. HOMER

Darren Marcoux is concerned about how the future of his Airbnb will be affected by new rental bylaws in Port Moody.

Marcoux said that for the past five years he has built a small business around the lack of hotels and motels in the area. He said he is trying to work with the city and province to comply with the new regulations, but admits he finds the new changes frustrating.

“We’re concerned about that at the moment, so we’re going to try and get legal, but we don’t know what it’s going to take to do that,” he said.

Marcoux is one of many property owners facing the same situation after Port Moody recently reclassified short-term rentals to include accommodations listed on Airbnb and Vacation Rentals by Owner, better known as VRBO, as bed and breakfasts. In doing so, the city also

amended a zoning bylaw to allow short-term rentals in designated bed and breakfast areas of the city.

The aim is to ease some of the housing strain by returning shortterm rentals to the long-term rental market.

On May 1, 2024, the B.C. government implemented new regulations for shortterm housing in the province. The regulations aim to return shortterm rentals to the long-term rental market.

government guidelines “since day one.”

“We are a bit different than most of the properties,” said Springate. “We are a true B&B, in which there aren’t that many left, where we actually do serve breakfast to our guests.”

“I’ve had bad luck with long-term tenants in the past and have no desire to do that.”

— DARREN MARCOUX, AIRBNB HOST

Illegal operators, such as those operating without a business licence or outside of designated zoning areas, could face a hefty fine of $3,000 per day if they are caught.

Nick and Lise Springate have operated a bed and breakfast for the past 20 years, abiding by strict

Parents want a date for new school build

Port Coquitlam primary school to be rebuilt after fire, but timeline remains elusive

Since Hazel Trembath Elementary burned down in October 2023, parents and students at the Port Coquitlam school have been left in limbo — relocated to a temporary school, dealing with deteriorating conditions, and longing for stability.

The provincial government has finally confirmed that the school will be rebuilt. But without a concrete timeline, parents are concerned that their children may never step foot into the new school before they move on to higher grades.

The fire destroyed Hazel Trembath and forced students to relocate to Winslow Centre, a shared district building serving as a School District No. 43 administrative and meeting centre in Coquitlam. In the months following the relocation, parents voiced growing concerns over the facility’s conditions and the disruptions it caused to the 215 children who attend the school.

coming out of the taps, discoloured water and smells from certain areas of the building because of the plumbing.”

Comey also said there are many parents who are concerned about strangers. Winslow Centre is a shared district building, so there are other people in the building.

Port Coquitlam Coun. Glenn Pollock said he finds the rebuild announcement delay situation strange.

“I, like many people, assumed insurance would kick in and insurance would pay for it and we’d get the school built quite quickly,” said Pollock. “I still haven’t gotten an answer to why that isn’t the case.”

Pollock said that the school board was “as strong as they could be” in advocating for the rebuilding of the school and that it pressured Mike Farnworth, NDP MLA for Port Coquitlam, for the school to be rebuilt.

“[Mike] assured us he was fighting on his side as well to get it rebuilt,” said Pollock. “We were a little surprised when it wasn’t mentioned in the [provincial] budget specifically, but then it came out shortly after that the Hon. Bowen Maw, minister of infrastructure, said it was being built.”

The Springates designed their suite for a traditional bed and breakfast, making it unsuitable for long-term rentals.

“We have some guests that may stay up to two weeks,” said Springate.

Port Moody has no hotels or motels. The Springates wonder where people will stay if they want to come for short visits, especially with these new bylaws.

Diana Dilworth, Port Moody city councillor, said that like most bylaws, short-term rentals are investigated based on complaints.

She said Port Moody’s bylaw amendments to short-term rentals are consistent across the Tri-Cities.

Marcoux said if complying with the new bylaws becomes too difficult, he would rather take the unit off the market than make it available as a long-term rental because of problems with prior tenants.

“I’ve had bad luck with long-term tenants in the past and have no desire to do that,” said Marcoux.

Dilworth said that many people will not follow these new regulations.

“They may look at not registering and continuing their short-term rental illegally, or they will just shut it down and reclaim that portion of their home because they don’t want to deal with the potential negative impacts of having renters.”

“For the longest time, the kids were losing educational time,” said Shawna Comey, a parent who has been advocating for a rebuild since the fire. “They didn’t have a playground at their school or a proper library.”

Comey said the students gather at Hazel Trembath Elementary School to wait for a 20-minute bus to transport them to the substitute school. The travel time cuts into students’ breaks and study time.

She said parents are worried about the facility’s deteriorating state as it is scheduled for demolition.

“In the last couple of months, there’s been some plumbing issues,” said Comey. “In a few of the classrooms, there was coloured water

According to a social media post made by Michael Thomas, chair of the region's board of education, Thomas has received notice from the minister of infrastructure that the provincial government has finally approved the capital plan “for the replacement of Hazel Trembath Elementary School as part [of] budget 2025,” but there has yet to be any official announcement as Thomas also noted in the post that “some details remain while we await the formal approval letter.”

“Our principal hasn’t even heard anything,” said Comey. “But now that they have announced it … It’s great news that they’re rebuilding, but are they going to take their sweet time?”

The Voice has reached out to the School District No. 43 and chair Thomas for comments but did not receive a reply before the deadline.

one." PHOTO B.W. HOMER

A temporary school has opened in Coquitlam since the closure of Hazel Elementary School due to a fire in 2023. PHOTO TUAN TRAN

View of the Burrard Inlet from the patio of Nick and Lise Springate's bed and breakfast in Port Moody in March. PHOTO B.W. HOMER

 By TUAN TRAN

Study Hubs help before exams

New student-led sessions provide study support throughout the semester

As exam season approaches, some students struggle to find the right support they need to avoid getting stressed.

A new Langara initiative is hoping to change that with the library’s first ever round of “Study Hubs” events.

Joyce Wong, the associate director of the Library and Academic Success Centre, said as many as 50 students took advantage this semester. The events provide a space for students to manage their schoolwork and have tea, coffee and snacks for energy.

Langara student leaders facilitate the “Study Hubs” by creating atmosphere, checking in with participants, and helping them use goal setting strategies. Events take place both

in-person and online.

One of the main principles of the events, Wong said, is helping students feel motivated by working in a group. Another main principle is goal setting. Wong said students can choose to share, or not share, but “sharing provides a sense of accountability.”

“You don’t have to stick to it but it’s something you plan for yourself for two hours,” said Wong.

Although these sessions just began this semester, the event attracts many students each week. “We’re looking at 50 attendees overall but it ranges from four to nine students per session,” Wong said.

In addition to the Study Hubs events, there are other options for students that might be helpful depending on their challenges.

“There is the De-Stress Fest and the

New signs up for gender inclusion

Langara’s washroom signs encourage respect and privacy

By MILENA BAAK

New signs have been posted on Langara’s washroom doors to encourage an inclusive space for people of diverse gender identities.

“Respect privacy and identity,” the sign reads. “Trust people to know where they belong.”

Former Langara student Jacob Aron Leung identifies as trans, and said he noticed there was little education and measures for students about trans-rights and gender identity.

“Langara doesn’t really showcase

that kind of support,” Leung said.

He said compared to Langara, campuses like Douglas College tend to be more inviting for the LGBTQIA2S+ community. One example that Leung cites is that the Douglas New West campus had booths to educate people on March 31, the International Trans Day of Visibility.

“I feel like [Langara] doesn’t really put those kinds of measures in,” Leung said.

The Gender and Sexualities Alliance club at Langara, which supported trans-rights and gender identity for students on and off

Writing Tutoring Centre. There’s also tutoring by subject,” Wong said.

Julian Ang, a Langara student who currently studies accounting, said he had never heard of the events. He said he gets distracted while completing his schoolwork.

“I think the sessions would’ve been beneficial because part of why I get distracted is just being on my own and I work best in group settings,” Ang said.

to get stressed is their discomfort with the available technology.

“One of the reasons why I work from home is because I have my monitor. If there was an additional display keyboard that you could plug in, that to me would be helpful,” Ang said.

“All of our courses are pretty intense, and so it does require some good study habits to be able to succeed in a lot of the courses.”

HRUSKA,

— KIMBERLY

BIOLOGY INSTRUCTOR

Another factor that leads students

Langara biology instructor Kimberly Hruska said she has advertised the Study Hubs events, and other similar opportunities, to her students. She pushes “active recall”

as a study habit for students.

“All of our courses are pretty intense, and so it does require some good study habits to be able to succeed in a lot of the courses,” Hruska said.

Lily Griffin, a Langara political science student, said she might consider attending a future Study Hubs event. She said her study style can vary. “Sometimes in groups, sometimes all alone. Mostly, when I have friends around, I just study with them,” Griffin said.

Jamie Taylor, a Langara film studies student, said students should remember why they are in school when struggling to study during exam season.

“Remember why you’re passionate about what you’ve chosen,” Taylor said. “And it doesn’t last forever, so put in the time.”

campus, is not offered anymore.

UBC professor Annett Henry, an expert in gender, race and culture in education, said institutions want to reflect their student population.

Henry said the sign in the washroom reflects efforts to show inclusivity and safety when it comes to gender identity.

“Everybody needs to feel safe, and they need their privacy,” she said Tuesday.

Certain places on a college campus have a particular importance and need more protection, according to her.

“Bathrooms are very vulnerable spaces,” Henry said. “A person has the right to use the bathroom that they feel aligns with their gender identity.”

Henry said she believes the Langara bathroom signs are an attempt by officials to re-emphasize the rights for people to use the washrooms that aligns with their gender identity, and for the community to respect their privacy.

An email from Langara’s office for equity, diversity and inclusion on Tuesday, said that a 2023 survey found that students expressed

concerns about gender discrimination regarding washrooms on campus.

In the email, director Joy WalcottFrancis stated that students should be mindful about the usage of the single stall washrooms located around campus, as they are in demand for members of the trans community that are not comfortable in multistall washrooms.

She said that everybody is welcome to use those washrooms, but its important to keep them accessible for individuals who have fewer options.

Joyce Wong, associate director of the library and academic success centre, points the way to a Study Hub room at the Langara College library on April 1. PHOTO DANIEL BUMANGLAG

A sign posted on the door of a Langara College washroom on April 1. PHOTO MILENA BAAK

 By DANIEL BUMANGLAG



Vancouver Fashion Week's garbage choice

After swift and substantial criticism on social media, Vancouver Fashion Week walked back on its decision to include Shein as a designer in its opening show. But the fact that they were planning to include the fast fashion giant in the first place speaks to a much larger issue.

Shein is a massive online marketplace that sells heavily discounted clothing, accessories, housewares, and electronics at alarmingly low prices. Think $8 for a shirt and $20 for a pair of pants.

NPR reported in 2023 that the retail behemoth lists over 600,000 items on their website at any given time, adds up to 10,000 new items per day, and can bring a garment from design to delivery in 10 days.

They are the fastest of the fast in the fashion industry, and with that dubious distinction have also taken the top spot for environmental harm.

Yale Climate Connections reported that Shein is the single largest polluter in fast fashion, which is no small feat. According to a

Business Insider analysis, the fashion industry accounts for 10 per cent of yearly global carbon emissions— more than the entire European Union—and approximately 85 per cent of textiles end up in landfills.

In a city that is well-known for slow fashion and eco-conscious consumption habits

(think Anián and Londre Bodywear), you would think the inclusion of Shein in VFW would not even be considered, let alone given the greenlight.

junk clothing purchased in one year, 85 per cent of which are statistically likely to end up in the dump.

Between the one-two punch of stagnant wages and a relentless attention economy that makes everyone feel like they need to turn themselves into a brand, it’s easy to understand why young consumers are flocking to Shein.

“Shein is a virus in this world and particularly in the world of fashion.”

— @OWEN .UNRUH, TIKTOK

And yet, they were booked.

The swift rebuke VFW received for including Shein is encouraging, but the criticism only tells part of the story, the numbers tell the other. And the numbers paint a grim picture.

Shein is popular. Very, very popular.

Shein’s TikTok hashtag, #sheinhaul, features millions of posts of mostly young, mostly women showing off their “hauls.”

Shein’s sales in 2024, according to Reuters, were $38 billion. At an average item price of $10, that’s about three billion 800 million pieces of

But is the short-term gain of a cheap shirt or summer dress worth the long term planet pain of rivers clogged with last week’s styles?

It is said that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism, and maybe so, but there is certainly more ethical consumption, and less ethical consumption. And Shein is firmly, undeniably the latter.

Vancouver Fashion Week made a mistake and they faced the consequences of that decision.

But their mistake was not made in a vacuum, it’s the same one that millions of consumers are also making every single day, and we’re all the worse off for it.

Langara's support for trans students falls short

Monday was International Day of Trans Visibility and post-secondary institutions around B.C. proudly posted in support of their trans students.

To mark the day, SFU and UBC hosted multiple events and produced social media posts, with UBC also raising the trans flag in place of its own flag. Douglas College Library posted the blue, pink and white trans flag on its web page with three words overlaid: “We see you.”

But at Langara, students might have mistaken the day for any other Monday. The college posted on Linkedin — the statement gaining four likes and one share — and did not host any event.

Despite statements that suggest the college supports and includes trans people, on a deeper level, it is clear it does not.

On the college website, students were invited to drop by the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion on Monday to pick up a pronoun sticker as “one small act of empowerment you can take for yourself this TDOV.”

To be fair, Langara repainted the pride stairs last year to include the intersex flag colours, said Langara senior EDI advisor Erin Smith. It also offers a pronoun course and says the library is expanding the trans literature section.

But the most glaring example of lack of support is the lack of a designated safe space for queer and trans students. It can be as simple as a room with a couch or a small library, manned by members of the community, a haven from the discrimination that is still too common in general society.

Trans inclusion is more than a safe space and more than a pride flag. It is more than kind words written on a sign. It requires a profound dedication to protecting trans students that allows them to see themselves represented and protected in meaningful ways.

Having a safe space to go after encountering discrimination on campus would be a great step, but creating a campus culture that actively responds to discrimination is even more important. And this is where the college is frankly failing.

Smith said in a 2023 survey “students expressed concerns about intolerance toward people with diverse gender identities. We’ve also heard from students who have encountered gender discrimination when accessing washrooms around campus.”

The college responded by putting new signs on bathroom doors in February, encouraging people “to trust people to know where they belong” so that everyone can use the bathroom that works with them “without hassle or worry,” said Smith.

As a person who has experienced transphobia, I wonder what the experience has been like for these students after they have “encountered gender

discrimination.” Because these moments can be deeply scary and immediate community care is crucial. Queer and trans students have no designated safe space at the college.

At institutions like Kwantlen and SFU, there are active clubs and a dedicated safe space for the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

On Monday, Langara’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club responded to the Voice by email saying the club is currently “defunct” as the main organizer will be graduating.

Worst of all, the college is inconsistent with how it responds to comments it considers inappropriate or outright discriminatory.

While the college released a response within weeks to the statements made by former instructor Natalie Knight in 2023, it has remained silent about comments made by Bryan Breguet, an instructor and department chair of economics. Knight was fired in 2024 after comments deemed as supporting violence after making statements supporting Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023.

In a speech on Oct. 28, 2023, Knight described the October Hamas attack, which killed nearly 1,200 Israelis, as “an amazing, brilliant offensive.”

During his campaign for the Conservative party last year, Breguet was criticized for what people said were transphobic, racist and sexist posts on social media. He apologized for the tweets on social media.

In a tweet that remains up, Breguet posted a picture of pride books and flags at an elementary school and said “school is there to teach knowledge like math, English etc. The co-opting of school by some woke progressives to teach values is wrong and something we need to fix.”

Breguet is encouraging the antiwoke idea that trans children do not exist, and worse than that his social media posts foster vicious commentary that he allows to go unchallenged on his feed. Comments on the posts often refer to trans people as “sick” and “like a cult,” and worse.

The college made clear it would not stand for discriminatory speech against one community, and remained silent about it for another.

Langara is not a safe space for the trans community. It doesn’t provide a physical safe space, or the more important general atmosphere of safety and inclusion.

Pronoun stickers are great, but I don’t feel safe wearing them around the college.

Journalism

The high cost of cheap clothing: according to earth.org, 92 million tonnes of textile waste end up in landfills every year. That's the equivalent of one full dump truck per second. HILARY ANGUS ILLUSTRATION

Specialinvestigation

The high costs of pet ownership

Ongoing housing discrimination in B.C. puts pet-owners in the dog house

By YEORGIOS PRONTZOS

When Olha Byrledianu fled the war in her native Ukraine in 2022, she was relieved to find temporary housing in Gastown. The only family Byrledianu had on her journey to B.C. was her pug Roger, with whom she shared an inseparable bond.

With a high number of drug users nearby, Roger got sick multiple times after he ate traces of harmful substances on the street outside their home.

Byrledianu knew she had to find a more suitable place to live but learned firsthand the difficulty securing affordable pet-friendly housing in Vancouver.

according to the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA). Between 2022 and 2024, the BC SPCA saw a 24 per cent increase in the total number of animals surrendered to their shelter and a 24 per cent increase in animal surrenders due to housing concerns.

Rising costs are a major contributor to animal separation. In Canada, the average cost of dog ownership climbed 23 per cent between 2021 and 2024. Those costs include basics like adoption fees, spaying or neute ring and food. The price of veterinary services has risen even more dramatically, heavily outpacing the rising cost of living.

friendly housing due to the cost,” Preston said.

Prepare a CV for your dog or cat Lawyer Victoria Shroff has focused her practice on animal rights for 25 years and is the author of Canadian Animal Law.

Shroff recommends that anyone struggling to find pet-friendly housing should prepare a resume for their pet, so landlords can view the tenant as an attractive option. The resume should include details like the animal's medical history and temperament.

“I was devastated because it took me like two to three months, but I couldn't find a place,” she said. “They didn't want to rent a place for me because I'm a newcomer, because I don't have credit history, because I have a dog, and a lot of people actually don't want to share a room with you if you have a pet.”

After four months of searching with the help of her host and WorkBC, Byrledianu found a small basement that would house her and Roger.

“I

Reflecting on her experience, Byrledianu said she wishes landlords would be more open to allowing pets and show more trust in people.

She reached out daily to every resource she could find, including community groups, landlords and rental agencies and still found nothing.

Byrledianu, a filmmaker who produced War Tails, an awardwinning documentary highlighting the toll the war in Ukraine, was not alone in her plight.

Approximately 31 per cent of British Columbians have encountered difficulties securing pet-friendly housing, with low-income households being especially affected

“Where I'm from, it's much easier to find a place. People just love pets, and they are totally okay even if you have a couple of them, so for me it’s something totally new,” she said.

Animal welfare experts say the core of the issue is caretakers lack the support they need to look after their companion animals.

Alexandra Protopopova, Assistant Professor in UBC’s Animal Welfare Program said society needs to “move away from is the concept of responsible pet ownership.”

“We really need to move into what parts of society make it essentially impossible for people to retain their

bonds with their pets.”

Protopopova said research shows that “tenants who have pets stay longer in their housing because they appreciate the opportunity more.”

“There is not a difference in costs to landlords. The idea that a lot of landlords might be worried about pets destroying property is not founded, and so that that is something I think landlords need to be educated on,” she said.

Most people who give up their animal companions only do so as a last resort, Protopopova said.

“We stigmatize giving up companion animals. If there is a situation where an animal will be better off in a different environment, we should be assisting people to find that correct environment for their animal, not necessarily shame them into keeping the animal, which will make it quite difficult in terms of the well-being of the person, as well as the welfare of the animal,” she said.

Cassie Preston, “No Pet Left Behind” program manager at Paws for Hope, witnesses firsthand the challenges animal caretakers in B.C.

are facing. Their organization helps people in crisis situations who are at risk of surrendering their pets.

Preston and her team recently helped a single mom who couldn’t afford the $2,000 treatment for her cat’s urinary blockage. “The cost of veterinary care is a huge one, we get calls every day about that,” Preston said.

Preston also said the rising cost of housing as a major deterrent.

“We have people who volunteer in our foster programs who have said that the cost of pet-friendly rental housing is going up, so it's not affordable for them anymore and they've had to move into rental housing that's not pet-friendly,” she said.

The lack of resources and the affordability crisis are common reasons for owners to surrender their pet.

“Whether it's requiring an extra 50 per cent of a security deposit to have a pet, or the basic rent being higher, people who are looking for housing end up surrendering their pet, because it just doesn't look like they're going to be able to get pet

Shroff said there are minimal protections in B.C. that help animal companions. To enable more petfriendly housing, the greatest impact will be amendments to the law, especially at the provincial level.

“Under the Residential Tenancy Act, a landlord in B.C. can refuse to allow a pet to reside with the family. They don't have to give a reason, they can just say no.” Shroff said.

Shroff was instrumental in the Family Law Amendment Act in 2023, which classifies companion animals as family members for the first time in British Columbia.

“That's so 1950s to say that your dog is a property, it just doesn't resonate with anybody anymore,” Shroff said, “We're finally seeing animals as more than a toaster, under family law.”

Shroff said there is a key disconnect in B.C. law that defines companion animals as family, because the law only applies in marriage situations. Shroff hopes to see future laws that show more compassion for animals, not only in family law, but beyond.

“We are starting to acknowledge animals as more than property under the law, and that is a tremendous win for animals and for the people who love them because you're talking about instead of having an animal being looked at as something and transforming into someone.”

Cassandra Greve with six-year-old Grizzly, a Bernese mountain mix. Grizzly is one of many animals without a home at the Surrey Animal Resource Centre. March 21, 2025. PHOTO YEORGIOS PRONTZOS

One-year-old Zara is up for adoption at the Surrey Animal Resource Centre. Animal surrenders are on the rise in B.C.. March 21, 2025. PHOTO YEORGIOS PRONTZOS

Students colour their

Students use art to unwind at Langara’s De-Stress Fest

By HAZEL LOVE

Langara students are revisiting their youth in a colourful way to relieve stress leading up to final exams.

Held as part of Langara’s De-Stress Fest, the colouring lounge is more than nostalgic fun. It’s part of a growing campus-wide initiative focused on student wellness and creating low-barrier ways to reduce stress through simple mindful activities.

De-Stress Fest has been running on campus since 2016, according to Xandi Capistrano, manager of Langara Student Life. Capistrano said the event was created “to give students an opportunity to relax, recharge, and address their physical and mental wellbeing a little bit before the stress of the exam season.”

ness.

Capistrano said one of the reasons De-Stress Fest is so well received is that it doesn’t demand extra time or effort. “It’s not necessarily a commitment,” she said. “But it’s an opportunity for students to still engage with other people.”

Beyond colouring, Langara Student Life has also offered popular pet therapy sessions and, for the first time this semester, free tea, which Capistrano said the students have been enjoying.

Capistrano said the dogs are always a big hit.

“An opportunity to relax, recharge, and address their physical and mental wellbeing.”

XANDI CAPISTRANO, MANAGER

Hosted this semester from March 31 to April 3, the festival includes a range of events, such as chair massages from Langara’s RMT students, a button-making station with free snacks, and the drop-in colouring lounge located in the library lobby.

Xandi Capistrano said the colouring lounge is an opportunity for students to step away, clear their minds, and do something more mindful.

For many students, the chance to pause and focus on something nonacademic is a welcome relief. Langara student Ramandeep Kaur, who participated in the colouring lounge, said she arrived feeling anxious about her exams. “After the session, I felt more relaxed and further away from stress,” she said.

Kaur said she believes these activities benefit students so they can feel more comfortable focusing on their exams.

Student Ashleen Jassar said she likes to take breaks in between studying to help manage her stress. “It [colouring] helps you focus on something else for a minute instead of your work, she said.”

“And it’s fun,” added her classmate Khaled Marzouk.

Research supports the theory that colouring is beneficial for reducing stress in students. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Integrated Social Sciences found that college students who coloured for 20 minutes daily over 7 days reported lower stress and increased mindful-

“We’ve had really good feedback, people want them to stay longer,” she said.

Langara Student Life gathers feedback through quick surveys and monitors attendance to track the impact of the events. “There seems to be more of a desire to have more campus life and things for students to engage with while they’re here,” she said.

Capistrano said Langara is a particularly challenging environment in which to create a sense of community, as it is a “commuter college” with students coming and going quickly. She said the desire for greater community is there, and it would be great to expand things like the De-Stress Fest to offer more opportunities for connection.

Ramandeep Kaur engages in mindful colouring, a low-barrier activity targeted at relieving stress and organized by the student services

Ramandeep Kaur proudly displays her finished on April 1, 2025 - PHOTO PHILOMENA OKOLO

Therapeutic colouring activities set up in the library at Langara College by Langara Student Life, April 1, 2025. PHOTO PHILOMENA OKOLO

Xandi Capistrano posed for a portrait at the student engagement hub in Langara College, April 1, 2025. PHOTO PHILOMENA OKOLO

OF LANGARA STUDENT LIFE

their way to calm

DE-STRESS FEST EVENTS THIS WEEK

» Colouring lounge

Monday, March 31 - Thursday, April 3, 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Location: Library Foyer

» Tea Time at the Hub

Monday, March 31 - Thursday, April 3, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Location: The Hub (a140)

» Pet Therapy with Pets and Friends

Wednesday, April 2, 11:30a.m. - 1 p.m.

Location: LSU Upper Lounge

» Button Making and Snacks

Thursday, April 3, 12 p.m. - 2.30 p.m.

Location: Library Foyer

» Movie Screening –Inside Out 2

Thursday, April 3, 2:30pm – 4:30pm

Location: A122b

services department at Langara College library, Vancouver, April 1, 2025 - PHOTO PHILOMENA OKOLO

display board in the Langara library

Ramandeep Kaur said colouring at the Langara Library helped to relieve her exam stress on April 1, 2025 - PHOTO PHILOMENA OKOLO

Ramandeep Kaur uses a variety of colours to bring her art project to life at the Langara Library on April 1, 2025 - PHOTO PHILOMENA OKOLO

Scam victims lament lost cash after Marketplace fraud

Buyers should be wary of pushy posters and dubious

Prince Delos Reyes and his mother, Mherzie, found themselves among a growing number of unsuspecting buyers falling prey to online scammers lurking behind fake listings.

Months before arriving in Vancouver as an international student in the fall of 2023, Delos Reyes and Mherzie searched through Facebook Marketplace for affordable housing.

After finding a one-bedroom apartment, his mother sent a deposit of $600 to the landlord to secure the place. Mherzie flew to Vancouver with her two weeks before his semester at Douglas College to help him settle in.

“We were supposed to check the place first before we moved in. There were red flags everywhere. She showed us the apartment, but she said the wrong room number from the post,” Delos Reyes said.

The move-in date kept getting pushed back, and the explanations made no sense. They were told the existing tenants were in a “car accident,” and needed to “keep their addresses for a police report.”

“I’m not used to the laws here so we believed her,” Delos Reyes said.

They were starting to get suspicious when they found a Facebook post from someone who went through a similar circumstance. Mherzie connected with the poster and found out that there were multiple victims of the same scam.

“Once we all started talking, we realized that we were all scammed by the same person and made a group chat,” Delos Reyes said.

The similarities were uncanny. All of the victims fell for the same excuses made by the scammer. They

never heard back from the scammer, but collectively submitted a report to police.

Delos Reyes and Mherzie jumped between various short-term rentals waiting for the place they were promised. They were out of pocket more than $4000 because of the scam.

Delos Reyes is not alone. According to Statistics Canada, scams have been on the rise in recent years. While the data does not look specifically at online scams, overall fraud cases are increasing.

In StatsCan’s 2019 General Social Survey of all crimes, fraud was the most common. That year, 2.5 million people reported being a victim of fraud in the past year. In the five years before the survey, the financial losses of all fraud amounted to over $16 billion.

buy the couch.

After setting up a time to meet, Milka asked for a $50 deposit, which he promptly sent via e-transfer. As the minutes approached their meeting time, Mohammed tried contacting her, only to be “ghosted.”

He said that looking back, there were “signs” that the posting was a scam. While the profile contained pictures of a woman and her family, it was only made a few months prior. In his previous Marketplace experiences, both as a buyer and seller, Moham-

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Among all crimes recorded by the police, fraud saw the largest increase. Since 2011, fraud rose from 87,174 incidents in 2011 to 168,483 incidents in 2021. Police-reported fraud rarely led to charges, with 90 per cent of the cases remaining unresolved.

Scammers use a variety of methods to obtain money. One method is requesting a deposit and never delivering the product. Last year, Nadeem Mohammed found this out the hard way while attempting a Facebook Marketplace purchase.

After moving to a new house in Gibsons, he turned to the popular site to furnish his house. Mohammed found the perfect grey couch for just $100 being sold by “Milka.” She was a mother - her profile was a picture of her smiling at her baby in a carrier. She was offering free delivery, an “incentive” for Mohammed to

deals through online forums

up as of March. He thinks that Facebook owner Meta should “implement monitoring systems” on Marketplace to prevent scams from happening.

“Facebook has seller ratings, which works decently. But I think they should at least verify a profile before they’re allowed to post to Marketplace,” Mohammed said.

Apart from cheating people out of their money, scammers also sell fake merchandise to turn a profit. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reports that fake merchandise accounted for $400,000 in loss for victims in 2024.

“I think [Meta] should at least verify a profile before they're allowed to post on Marketplace.”

— NADEEM MOHAMMED

med only exchanged money after meeting the seller in person.

“In hindsight, the couch looked too good,” Mohammed said. “It looked brand new. The fact that they asked for a deposit was definitely a red flag.”

Mohammed reported the Facebook profile, however, it remained

David Tran, a fashion enthusiast, frequently uses online marketplaces to source his clothes. Tran found a special edition VlonexPlayboy shirt being sold on the Vancouver Streetwear Community Facebook group.

After meeting the seller in person and paying him $130, Tran’s friends saw inconsistencies in the shirt’s tags when compared to an authentic shirt.

“It turns out the shirt was a fake, which I didn’t learn until after I had bought the T-shirt already,” Tran said.

He said that he was inclined to trust the seller as they had shown him a receipt for the shirt.

“People can make fake receipts very easily,” Tran said. “They can fake merchandise. They can fake emails.” Tran said that despite the fact that Facebook warns against sending money online, the site has few safeguards for fake merchandise.

“Facebook does absolutely nothing. They’re completely useless when it comes to stuff like this. They don’t really have a support for users in that regard,” said Tran. “It’s pretty concerning actually.”

As an avid buyer and seller on Marketplace, Tran has been scammed three times on the site.

While he said the situation was unfortunate, he highlighted a community aspect of avoiding scams amongst fashion enthusiasts. “How we did it back in these community groups is that, if they had bought something from the person before and they see them selling again, they throw a comment under the post so others can see they’re legitimate,” Tran said.

With the community taking things into their own hands, Tran said he would see specific people getting “blacklisted” from groups for scamming buyers.

“The community became aware that these people were not to be trusted,” Tran said. “It was a pretty cool thing to see.”

SOURCE: STATSCAN 108,000

David Tran bought a PlayboyxVlone t-shirt before finding out it was a fake. While the experience was frustrating, Tran still uses the shirt today. "I essentially just spent my money on a really good fake," Tran said. March 21, 2025. PHOTO SOFIA MOHAMED

 By JEAH DIÑO &  SOFIA MOHAMED

Specialinvestigation

Released from prison, barred from a normal life

Stigmatization and little post-release support lead to high rates of recidivism

By TUAN TRAN

For individuals released from prison, the end of a sentence is rarely the end of the struggle, but the start.

Criminal records create lifelong barriers—locking people out of jobs, housing, and even travel— while systemic failures in rehabilitation and society’s stigmatization perpetuate a cycle of recidivism that traps many in the justice system for years.

Jessica Buffalo, academic director at UBC’s Peter A. Allard School of Law, said the challenges begin the moment someone is released.

“Having a criminal record impacts you,” said Buffalo. “It’s difficult for [ex-convicts] to find employment because you have to disclose that to your employer, and an employer has every right not to accept you. If you can’t find meaningful employment, you fall back on what you know.”

According to Statistics Canada, 50 per cent of adults released from full-time custody or community supervision are reconvicted within three years. For those with 10 or more prior convictions, the rate climbs to 79 per cent.

Behind these numbers lie systemic barriers—employment discrimination, housing challenges, and limited rehabilitation support—that make reintegration into society a challenging task.

More than a third of offenders released from custody or community supervision are reconvicted within one year, StatsCan data shows, while 45 per cent are back before the courts within two years. By the third year, half of those released have reoffended.

possession of an illegal substance in the 1970s, said he is still facing challenges for having a criminal record, despite receiving a pardon seven years after his conviction.

“The U.S. does not recognize Canadian pardons,” said Smith. “It costs around $1,400 to apply for a US Entry Waiver application every time I want to go into the U.S..”

Smith’s struggles extend beyond travel. Finding employment with a criminal record would have been difficult if it wasn’t for the kindness

Those who serve prison sentences are reconvicted more quickly and more frequently than those who serve community sentences.

Buffalo said the lack of support for those with criminal histories creates a “revolving door” effect, where individuals are repeatedly drawn back into the justice system.

And she said, Indigenous and Black offenders are also disproportionately affected, as systemic barriers like housing insecurity and employment discrimination exacerbate their struggles.

Even minor conviction can lead to life-long issues

Dwayne Smith, convicted of

“We

call going to prison 'school for crime.' They come out learning new tricks, making new connections and often worse than when they went in.”

— JESSICA BUFFALO

ACADEMIC DIRECTOR AT UBC'S PETER A. ALLARD SCHOOL OF LAW

of his employer.

“It was technically not legal for me to work where I did,” said Smith. “My boss appreciated my work, so he let me keep on working and told me to keep a close lid on it.”

A criminal record creates a web of challenges that extend far beyond employment.

Buffalo said individuals are often barred from volunteering, working in care homes, or finding stable housing due to being deemed a “safety risk.” These barriers prolßong the punishment long after

a sentence is served.

“When someone goes to prison for an offence, they are taking responsibility by serving time,” said Buffalo.

“Because of what happens afterwards, it’s almost like their sentence is prolonged, and they end up spending more time on more punishment than should have been imposed in the first place.”

Kirsty Gordon, supervisor for JustKids Initiatives and Woolwerx Fibre Arts Studio at Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver, said she agrees that stigmatization creates definite barriers to basic needs for people, especially women, with criminal records.

Gordon said at Woolwerx Fibre Arts Studio, a social enterprise created by the Elizabeth Fry Society to provide training and employment to marginalized women transitioning out of the legal system, some women who stayed in the program longer than intended due to the difficulty of finding jobs outside of their programs.

“There is one [person] that was trying to find housing, and as soon as she mentioned that she had been incarcerated, they withdrew their [offer],” said Gordon. “They had accepted her, and then they withdrew it because they found out.”

Gordon said one of the factors that lead to crime is the role of Adverse Childhood Eßxperiences (ACEs)—traumatic events like parental separation, abuse, or neglect.

“If you didn't have great nurturing yourself as a child, the more ACEs you have, the more likely you are to be involved in substance use, be incarcerated, or have poorer

health outcomes,” said Gordon.

Women offenders face even more challenges upon release

Another prevalent challenge for incarcerated women is the separation of parents and children for short-term incarcerations.

“When they have children, their children can be taken into care and have ministry involvement,” said Gordon. “When these kids go into the foster system, if their parent is serving a very short prison sentence, it's really difficult for the mom to get the kids back again.”

This separation creates rippling effects on the next generation and increases the number of ACEs that children of incarcerated people experience.

Gordon said she believes a woman could be serving short-term sentences in the community instead to mitigate the ripple effects affecting family units. Buffalo said she believes the classification system in federal peni -

tentiaries is another barrier to rehabilitation. Convicts are placed in low, medium, or maximum security based on factors like education level, poverty, and housing instability. Those in maximum security are often excluded from rehabilitation programs, further entrenching the cycle of crime.

“We call going to prison ‘school for crime,’” said Buffalo. “They come out learning new tricks, making new connections, and often worse than when they went in.”

While organizations like the John Howard Society and Elizabeth Fry Society provide critical support, Buffalo said she believes there needs to be significantly more efforts put into support systems to “make a dent in what’s going on right now.”

“If you can’t get housing, there’s going to be the incentive, the need to survive,” said Buffalo. “The only way you know how might be by breaking and entering, by committing robberies, and then you find yourself back in this rotating door.”



Jessica Buffalo, academic director at UBC's Peter A. Allard School of Law, said current wraparound services provided for convicts after serving their sentence fail to adequately support the person. PHOTO TUAN TRAN

Homemade treats and illegal meats

A look into the world of underground food sales on Facebook Marketplace

An increasing number of Vancouverites are selling food online to earn a little extra cash or test the market for their products, but strict government health and safety regulations pose problems for these oftenillegal businesses.

B.C.’s Home-Based Craft Food act allows certain foods to be sold out of home kitchens without restaurant permits, but producers must still maintain certain health and safety standards like food safety training and a basic business licence.

Permitted foods are very limited, including items like baked goods, candy, honey, noodles and similar products that are considered lowrisk due to either their low water content or their high-temperature processing methods.

Meat, dairy, home-canned goods, hot meals, frozen food and fresh ingredients are strictly prohibited.

But a quick search of “food” on Facebook Marketplace will produce a wide variety of listings that fall well outside of the craft food regulations.

Testing the market while testing the limits

Adan, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym in fear of being shut down or fined, said he began selling food on Facebook Marketplace in 2018 as a way to supple -

ment the income he earns working in a warehouse.

He sells pork marinated “traditional Filipino style,” which customers can order a few days in advance, and pick up frozen in two-kilogram bags that he sells for $35 each.

Adan said selling food on Marketplace is hard. Customers will message him to place an order, he said, but then once he’s purchased and marinated the pork they’ll stop texting back, or fail to show up when they said they will.

He also finds the seasons challenging for his particular product, as his pork skewers are best grilled and “people don’t grill in winter here.”

But overall, he said it’s worth it. During busy weeks in the summer, he can get orders for up to 50 kg of pork at a time for events like birthday parties.

He takes an enormous amount of pride in the quality of his food and said the community – both Filipinos and the wider community – have supported his products.

But the work is not without its risks, and Adan understands them well. He said he is on the radar of Vancouver Coastal Health, who have contacted him numerous times over the years about his business.

He agreed, under VCH’s direction, to take his FoodSafe Level 1, and he moved his operations from his apartment to the licensed kitchen in a store his friend runs.

Now when he meets customers, he meets them at the kitchen, but he admitted that he often still mari-

nates the pork at home.

Adan said he follows FoodSafe guidelines when preparing his food, and he would be happy to legalize his business if it was feasible, but the costs of running a legal food business are prohibitive.

In Vancouver, renting a station in a certified commissary kitchen costs between $800 and $3,000 per month. Combine that with business licence fees, insurance, marketing, and wages for staff, and even a tiny food business can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars per year.

He said many of the people selling food on Marketplace – most of whom, by his observation, seem to also be immigrants – are probably making the same calculation.

FoodSafe, and VCH did not agree to an interview by press time.

From Facebook to Foodtrucks: some vendors have found success

Raymond and Hannah Yamelst of Big City Bannock said they began their now-flourishing business by selling food in a group on Facebook.

In October 2023, the couple began selling Indigenous taco kits in an Indigenous food and trading Facebook group, and found immediate success. “It seriously just went crazy,”

“It seriously just went crazy ... people started ordering over and over, nonstop.”

— RAYMOND YAMELST, BIG CITY BANNOCK

He said VCH now wants him to take FoodSafe Level 2, the designation for foodservice owners and kitchen managers, and a higher designation than the requirement for regular kitchen staff.

He is happy to do so if it enables him to keep selling his food without the significant investment it would require to register a legal business.

The Voice was not able to independently verify Adan’s interactions with

Raymond said. “People started ordering over and over, nonstop.”

Raymond said he used his personal Facebook page to sell tacos for a couple more weeks, but quickly realized they would need a professional page and opened the Big City Bannock Facebook page.

They began to advertise their food, and the 15 orders a day increased to nearly 60 in less than two months. They also began to cater.

This was when they realized they might have a problem. As their business was taking off, they started receiving warnings from other community membeers in the

form of comments on their Facebook page: “You guys better stop doing business because you’re not permitted.”

Raymond said they responded by shutting down the majority of their sales for nearly nine months.

“When we started we didn’t know the rules,” he said. “As soon as we did find out what the rules were, we shut our business down.”

The Home-Based Craft Food Act of B.C. permits bread sales, so they continued selling bannock.

Raymond said he did a lot of research and applied for the necessary permits. “It took a long time, and it was tough.”

“We did have to turn down jobs,” he said, “But most of that business still stuck around because we were honest with them.”

The couple now have a full business licence, are expanding their business with a new food truck and hope to have a brick-and-mortar restaurant within the year.

Their advice to people using Facebook to sell food is to “Understand your local health authorities. Because it’s serious.”

He said the potential risks are not worth it, adding “If someone were to get sick, that’s a lot of liability on yourself.”

He also said getting caught operating without a licence can have serious implications on your future.

“Go for it, but be very safe. Because you can get fully flagged, [and then] you're never going to get a health permit.”

Adan occasionally prepares his marinated pork at home, in the basement rental he shares with his wife and two daughters. PHOTO HILARY ANGUS

 By ANGUS HILARY AND  SAGE SMITH

Specialinvestigation

B.C. women can wait years for proper diagnosis

Healthcare system built on gender bias

 By HAZEL LOVE

Katey Da Silva had hundreds of medical visits, with dozens of doctors across two provinces. For years, her extreme pelvic pain and fatigue were dismissed as “normal for women” by health professionals.

Da Silva, originally from Ontario, lived in British Columbia when she first experienced a myriad of health issues. At first, her symptoms were diagnosed as fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome. However, these conditions were merely a symptom of a much larger problem rather than the root cause.

Eventually, when she moved back to Ontario, she was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition that affects one in ten women but often takes nearly a decade to identify, as well as Lyme disease.

Her story is not unique. Despite making up more than half the population, Canadian women often face significant barriers to adequate medical care and diagnosis.

A system built on bias

Cheryl Warsh, a medical historian and professor at the University of Victoria, said gender bias in healthcare has been embedded in medical history for over two millennia. Ancient Greek physician Galen believed most female health issues stemmed from the uterus, coining the term hysterum, which later became hysteria.

The impact of systemic bias is felt acutely by women across Canada, many of whom spend years seeking answers for debilitating health conditions, only to be dismissed, misdiagnosed, or given inadequate treatment.

When Da Silva experienced an ovarian cyst rupture, she was met with condescension.

“One doctor brushed off my pain, saying, ‘So many women come in here with pelvic pain.’ Another compared my agony to a cyst in his ear. I was in excruciating pain, and he was equating it to that,” she said. Historically, medical research has been centred around male bodies, leaving gaps in knowledge that persist today. The result is a healthcare system that frequently fails to recognize, diagnose, and treat conditions that disproportionately affect women.

“This idea, that women’s symptoms are ultimately linked to their reproductive system, has shaped medicine for 2,000 years,” Warsh said.

Even as medical understanding has evolved, biases persist. Warsh said that it was only 30 years ago that the medical community began recognizing that women present symptoms differently than men. However, medical equality still has a long way to go. Training, research, and treatment remain predominantly based on male bodies, she said.

The financial disparity raises fundamental questions about how medicine values bodies differently. Beyond the philosophical concerns, there are real-world consequences. Lower reimbursements for female patients may contribute to disparities in access to care, longer wait times, and resource allocation decisions.

“How do they justify that?” Warsh said.

Surgical intervention for endometriosis is often prioritized for individuals experiencing infertility. This focus on reproductive poten-

Women in Canadian healthcare face a dual burden, first as professionals and then as patients. Female surgeons earn less than their male counterparts, but an even more troubling statistic is that surgeries performed on female patients receive, on average, 28 percent lower reimbursement than those performed on men.

A 2023 study in the Canadian Journal of Surgery found that this issue is most pronounced in Saskatchewan, where the fee discrepancy reaches 67.3 per cent, in British Columbia, where it is 61.2 per cent, and in the Yukon, where it is 41.8 per cent.

The psychological toll of medical dismissal

Da Silva’s experience with medical gaslighting was no different when it came to her Lyme Disease. She began experiencing near-fainting spells, later diagnosed as Lyme carditis, a condition that weakens the blood vessels to the heart. Her doctor dismissed the symptoms as panic attacks.

“I was scared … but I didn’t feel anxious at all,” she said.

Eventually, after repeated dismissal, she started to believe that maybe it was anxiety. She agreed to try medication and was prescribed Effexor, an antidepressant often used to treat anxiety and chronic pain.

“I was told by friends that the only way they got the surgery was because they were trying to have a baby."

— KATEY DA SILVA

tial frequently leaves women suffering without treatment if they are not actively trying to conceive.

Da Silva said she felt she had no choice but to lie about wanting children in order to receive surgery for her endometriosis.

“I was told by friends that the only way they got the surgery was because they were trying to have a baby,” she said. “So I told my gynecologist that my boyfriend and I were getting serious and wanted to start trying soon. After that, I was finally put on the waitlist.”

This experience highlights a troubling pattern in women’s healthcare, where pain management and quality of life are deprioritized in favour of fertility outcomes.

“It wasn’t helping my pain. So they kept increasing it and increasing it until I was overmedicated,” she said.

She was also prescribed sleeping pills but still wasn’t sleeping. Then, she started experiencing withdrawal symptoms and hypomania.

“I looked up the risks, and given my family history of mental health conditions, I was shocked my doctor even prescribed it to me,” she said.

She ultimately decided to stop taking the medication but withdrew too quickly, experiencing suicidal thoughts.

“I made it through, but it was awful,” she said, describing this as an extremely dark period of her life.

Women who seek second opinions or advocate for themselves are often labelled as difficult patients.

“The more sick I got, the less doctors wanted to help me,” Da Silva said. “Eventually, I was flagged in the system. If you go too often, they stop taking you seriously.”

Da Silva began travelling to hospi-

tals in different regions so that she could see new doctors who hadn’t already dismissed her as a hypochondriac or pain medication addict.

Medical misogyny and the cost of ignorance

Jess Finnegan, a B.C. resident, experienced a range of symptoms for years, from irregular periods to persistent migraines. Her doctor repeatedly dismissed her concerns, advising her to stay on birth control.

“There’s too many people and too much waste in this world. If you aren’t ready to have a child, stay on the pill,” her doctor said.

Years later, she switched to a naturopath and was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, which the contraceptive pill can mask.

“Had I been taken seriously years ago and not had my hormones dismissed as “normal” and [doctors] put a contraception Band-Aid on it, I would have a much healthier body at this point of my life and not be navigating all of this in my mid-30s,” she said.

» Endo halts learning 9 in 10 young people who miss school due to endo symptoms do so because their periods are too painful

» Dismissed before diagnosis

8 in 10 people with endo were initially told their pain was normal before diagnosis

» Years without answers 5 years is the average time, and sometimes much longer, before a diagnosis is made

SOURCE: ENDOMETRIOSISNETWORK.COM

Many women in B.C. report facing systemic challenges when seeking medical care for complex health issues. PHOTO UNSPLASH

Vancouver renters struggle with evictions amidst sky-high rents

More housing is the real solution to the city's housing crisis, activist says

By MAJENTA

BRAUMBERGER

Mary Shin thought she was lucky when she signed a four-month lease for a threebedroom apartment in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver with two other women in April 2021.

She signed the lease at a time when market conditions were favourable for renters, and managed to negotiate a shorter contract and lower rent for the unit. But after moving in, relations soured with her landlord, and her housing situation took a turn.

Despite new provincial initiatives to protect tenants, Vancouver renters continue to grapple with unfair evictions as they navigate high rents and low vacancies, leaving many without stable housing.

With rent for a one-bedroom in the city sitting at an average of $2,522 as of Feb. 2025, living alone is out of reach for most Vancouverites.

And for renters who have managed to secure an affordable apartment, they face the looming threat of eviction.

Data corroborates eviction fears

The evidence is more than anecdotal; data shows B.C. leads the country in no-fault evictions.

According to national data from the 2021 Canadian Housing Survey, 85 per cent of evictions reported by renter households in B.C. were no-fault evictions, compared to only 65 per cent nationally. No-fault evictions occur when a landlord asks a tenant to leave their unit, not because the tenant has violated the law, but because the landlord wants to renovate, move into the property themselves, or have a family member move in.

Rates of at-fault evictions, evictions due to tenant violations, are similar in B.C. and the rest of Canada.

In B.C., 10.5 per cent of renter households in the province reported being forced to move between April 2016 and early 2021, compared to only 5.9 per cent across Canada.

Shin moved into her Kitsilano apartment on May 1, 2021. At first, “everything was fine for the most part,” she said.

But at the end of the four months, Shin and her two roommates decided they wanted to stay put.

“The (Residential Tenancy Act) says that after a fixed-term lease, you are automatically converted to a month-to-month lease. And so, we were like, ‘Okay, we’re month-tomonth. We haven’t given notice to vacate’,” she said.

Shin also noted that her and her roommates never signed a mutual agreement to leave after the four months with the landlord, so they had every right to stay in the unit if they wanted to.

They told the landlord they were no longer planning to vacate at the end of August. In September, it didn’t seem to be a problem, but when Shin and her roommates said they weren’t planning to leave in October either, tensions erupted.

“Suddenly we were accused of being in illegal possession of the house and that we had all mutually agreed to vacate the residence, which we did not,”.”

— MARY SHIN, TENNANT

“Suddenly we were accused of being in illegal possession of the house and that we had all mutually agreed to vacate the residence, which we did not,” Shin said. What followed was a barrage of emails, text messages and 6 a.m. phone calls, with the landlord threatening to take legal action and hurling insults, calling the tenants “COVID refugees.” In one email the landlord said, “You have ille-

gally taken possession of our property.”

The same email said that Shin and her roommates would need to pay $500 dollars more a month until March 1, 2022, or $1000 more if they wanted to stay in the unit until Sept. 1, 2022.

Legislation without teeth

If a tenant suspects they were evicted illegally, they can apply to

the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) for additional compensation.

According to B.C. law, landlords must be able to prove they used the rental unit for the reasons stated in their eviction notice. If they can’t, and the tenant has filed a case with the RTB, they are entitled to up to 12 times their monthly rent.

But in practice, it isn’t easy for tenants to hold their former landlord accountable for money owed.

In an emailed statement, the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs said they “know evictions initiated under false pretenses continue to happen.”

To combat this, the ministry launched the Landlord Use Web Portal in 2024. The portal is now required for landlords who want to issue an eviction for landlord use.

It also gives landlords information about the requirements for these types of evictions, and the risk of illegal landlord use evictions.

Since the portal was launched last July, 5,819 evictions were issued across the province for landlord use. Of those, 20 per cent were for properties in Vancouver. Seven per cent of Vancouver tenants disputed their eviction. Of the cases resolved to date, 25 per cent of cases were ruled in the tenant’s favour, nine per cent were settled, and 28 per cent were withdrawn.

Data gathered through the Landlord Use Web Portal also allows the RTB to conduct post-eviction audits to ensure landlords aren’t evicting tenants under false pretences. Is further action needed?

Daniel Oleksiuk, a director of Abundant Housing Vancouver, said he doesn’t believe that better rules are enough to improve things for renters given the current conditions in the housing market.

Initiatives like the Landlord Use Web Portal also only address situations where tenants are issued with a formal eviction notice.

In Shin’s case, her landlord technically hadn’t evicted her.

“We even thought about filing a claim against them, but it’s like, what can we file a claim against them for?” she said. “It’s just this kind of weird psychological torture that you can’t do anything about.”

Shin said that even though she knew the landlord had no legal grounds to remove her and her roommates from the unit, the situation became too exhausting.

“Living under constant threat was so stressful that eventually all of us didn’t want to have to deal with it anymore,” she said.

Shin and her roommates moved out of the apartment on Oct. 31, 2021.

“It was just clear that they had this record of illegal behaviour where they’re willing to screw anyone over, especially young people who are looking for housing, for financial gain,” she said.

Though Oleksiuk thinks rent controls are good for long-term tenants, he said they also create incentives for eviction.

“A lot of the incentive for eviction is that there’s rent-controlled type tenancy and when the [market] rent goes up past the tenancy, you’re just looking at that extra 500 or 800 bucks a month, and the landlord has that incentive and might do unscrupulous things to get that money,” he said.

Oleksiuk said the focus needs to shift to housing supply.

“We need to build so much more housing it’s ridiculous, and we need to build it in the rich neighbourhoods,” Oleksiuk said.

Mary Shin stands in front of her former apartment at 2138 W. 13th Ave. in Kitsilano. PHOTO MAJENTA BRAUMBERGER

Creative collaboration pays off

Theatre production team unites to create Studio 58's We Are Boy Band.

 By AMBER MONIZ

Many hands make light work might just have been the mantra behind Studio 58’s current production, We Are Boy Band.

Its creation took a collaborative approach, one that incorporated movement and had the cast create the performance together.

Director and choreographer Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg came up with the concept for the play, which features Studio 58 student actors.

We Are Boy Band follows a boy band as they pursue stardom and navigate the dark side of fame.

It is a piece of devised theatre, also known as collective creation, a method of theatre-making where actors and other members of the production team create the performance as a team, often through improvisation.

The process was a unique experience for the cast and crew.

Friedenberg, who has worked in theatre and dance for around 30 years, said the cast all gathered to discuss their differing viewpoints and would improvise to garner ideas for the production.

“There was a lot of back and forth and a lot of play,” Friedenberg said, noting that the first few weeks of production involved playing with ideas and seeing what they liked.

Izel De Lara, a student actor in the play, said that the rehearsal process was “such a fun experience.”

“We were pretty much kids play-

ing on a playground,” De Lara said.

She said Friedenberg was “such a joy to work with,” and that the process allowed everyone to form opinions and contribute their ideas.

“Just having a room full of creatives, and our fantastic dramaturgists, and our stage management team, it really feels like our show from beginning to end,” De Lara said.

With this production, Friedenberg wanted to explore a non-traditional form of storytelling by incorporating dance and telling a nonlinear story about the mistreatment of celebrities, specifically those in boy bands.

She said she wanted to showcase the storytelling abilities of dance, and “how much we can communicate with our bodies, even more than we can with words.”

Friedenberg said her idea for the show came to her years ago, and that she had already worked on a shorter dance production using the same concept.

“The performance of masculinity is definitely something I've been really super interested in all my life and continue to be,” Friedenberg said.

Student actor Kathryn Kerby said that it was “very fascinating and a lot of fun” working with Friedenberg.

Kerby said the dance aspects of the show helped them reconnect with past experiences.

“It really grew that part of me that can trust the process and trust my body to move in different ways,” Kerby said.

They said the story reminded them of their start in acting.

“We Are Boy Band reminded me of the risks that are necessary to take in order to successfully reach your goals,” Kerby said.

Performances of We Are Boy Band began on March 27, and will continue until April 6.

Can fast fashion be high fashion?

Vancouver Fashion Week's announcement to spotlight Shein draws ire from the public.



By ROSE LEUNG

Vancouver Fashion Week’s decision to name fastfashion giant Shein as one of their featured designers has sparked outrage among some members of the fashion community.

Shein has a well-documented history of complaints for allegedly copying designs and mass-producing low-cost imitations, which critics say is at odds with Vancouver Fashion Week’s commitment to showcasing local and Canadian designers.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University fashion marketing student Marciana Romero, who has formerly volunteered for Vancouver Fashion Week, said that it is “unbelievable” for Shein to be shown on a platform “that is primarily for small designers,” especially given that “Shein is notorious for stealing from small independent designers.”

“It felt really like a spit in the face for all of the designers that spent a lot of money to be there, to have their work platformed alongside work that is most likely stolen from other designers,” Romero said.

In the days following the public backlash, the brand was quietly removed from the Vancouver Fashion Week schedule, though Shein’s designer page is still active on the Vancouver Fashion Week website.

Vancouver Fashion Week has not yet issued a public statement addressing the controversy and did not respond to a request for comment. Shein also did not respond to the Voice’s request for comment.

Beyond copyright concerns, Romero said Vancouver Fashion Week’s decision to feature Shein was confusing due to the nature of the brand.

“Shein isn't a designer. I don't know the inner workings of Shein very well, but like it's not a Marc Jacobs, like a big brand with like a creative director and like a designer name,” Romero said.

Raman Singh, who owns a

contemporary clothing line called Esthique, said that giving Shein a platform at Vancouver Fashion Week will hurt small businesses and designers.

“Compared to other fashion weeks, Vancouver has been pretty limited to small business owners,” Singh said.

Though Singh doesn’t believe there should be an outright ban on fast fashion companies attempting to show at fashion weeks, he said SHEIN is a different case because of their history of inhumane practices.

“They have had multiple compa nies or multiple designers suing them because they copied their designs,” he said.

Vancouver Fashion Week has historically partnered with local schools, including Vancouver Community College, student designers on the Vancouver Fashion Week runway.

Sarah Murray, Vancouver Community College’s program coordinator for fashion and creative courses, said she feels lucky that Vancouver Fashion Week exists, espe cially since most cities in Canada don't have a fashion week.

"Vancouver Fash ion Week is a really great platform for our students to be showcased. They bring in media from around the world, the indus try’s there,” she said.

She said that stealing and copyright infringement are common in the fashion industry, noting that fast fashion is built on watch ing what happens on the runway and recreating it for a cheaper price point.

“As soon as you put your stuff out there, there's always

the possibility of it being copied. It’s just part of the industry. Shein most certainly isn't the only one guilty of that,” Murray said.

She said taking on larger brands allows Vancouver Fashion Week to obtain the money needed to produce the event and feature local designers.

“If it was all Vancouver brands, Vancouver Fashion Week wouldn't have existed for 25 years.”

Murray said that Vancouver Fashion Week remains an essential part of the industry in Vancouver.

ABOVE: Anne Osborne's costume drafts for a Studio 58 production, which took an estimated 35 hours. BELOW: Raman Singh posing with a specially designed jacket from his clothing line Esthique. PHOTOS ROSE LEUNG

An advertisement for Studio 58's production We Are Boy Band, which runs until April 6, 2025, at Langara College. PHOTO AMBER MONIZ

Pickleball court derails skaters

Two West Van recreational communities are locked in an accidental battle

Aproposal to replace the Gleneagles skatepark in West Vancouver with pickleball courts has sparked tension between skateboarders and pickleball players as both groups seek community space.

Brian Bull, one of the key advocates for the pickleball community at Gleneagles, said that originally, the pickleball community believed three courts would be built beside the skatepark, causing no significant impact on the skaters.

Instead, the district proposed four pickleball courts and an additional pump track for children’s bikes in place of the skatepark, unintentionally causing a misunderstanding

between the groups.

“The skateboarders and the pickleballers could get along very well if it’s left as a skateboard (park),” said Bull.

Ally Dafoe, an employee at Saplings Preschool which is hosted by the Gleneagles Community Centre, said neither staff nor parents wanted the pickleball courts.

“We come here all the time with the kids. It’s one of the only skateparks in West Vancouver, so the kids who use it, where are they going to go?” said Dafoe.

pickleball courts are in high demand across the region.

According to West Vancouver city council, the Gleneagles skatepark is

“I think it’s a great way to connect with older people.”

— MACKONNER DY, SEMI-PROFESSIONAL PICKLEBALL PLAYER SUBMITTED PHOTO

She said her father, who works with Tomko Sports Systems on the Gleneagles skatepark project, said

Lifestylenews

undergoing consultation rather than moving directly to construction. The pickleball club said while players do not want to displace skateboarders,

they also need a dedicated space to play together without disrupting the social aspect of the sport.

Mackonner Dy, a 15-year-old semi-professional pickleball player with the Richmond B.C. Pickleball Association, said players in Metro Vancouver could benefit from more courts, as existing spaces are at maximum capacity.

Dy, who started playing in August 2020, described pickleball as a mix of athleticism and strategy. As a devoted junior player who has competed in the U.S. nationals for pickleball, he said Richmond’s current ratio of six courts for an estimated 500 players

makes it difficult to find playing time in community spaces.

“So, your next choice is what? Private, expensive courts, or, like, community centres? As an underaged 15-year-old, I cannot play in community centres. It’s a policy they have,” said Dy.

With pickleball typically being seen as a senior-dominated sport, Dy said the sport is becoming more popular amongst younger demographics. He said he is talking with high schools in Richmond about adding more pickleball in their school communities.

“I think it’s a great way to connect with older people, and it’s very inspiring to see 70-year-olds being able to do more push-ups than me,” said Dy.

Craigslist Good Samaritan giving drivers a brake

Man’s past drives his mission to fix cars for free

Driven by difficult past experiences, Chris English decided to take a turn and assist others without cost.

“Helping people is a very passionate thing for me. It just has been my whole life,” said English, a Vancouver resident.

English offers free lessons on vehicle maintenance for car owners, marketing his service online through Craigslist. He arranges to meet people in public car parks to make them feel comfortable and to learn something about fixing engines.

English said he has a past criminal record after being involved with

the drug trade. He said even then, people took advantage of his generosity. “I didn’t have a good filter on who I should help versus who I shouldn’t,” English said.

English said that the idea of helping people fix their cars occurred when he saw a person in a gas station who did not know how to check the

fluids of their car, and he thought it was something he could assist people with.

“The best feelings that I get in the world are when I know I’ve made a little bit of a difference,” English said.

Jessica Beck, manager of Lordco Auto Parts in Metrotown, said she

would be skeptical of a Craigslist post offering free vehicle help unless it was an automative student.

“The odds of anybody doing anything like that for free are very, very slim, but you never know,” Beck said.

English acknowledges the stigma around individuals with a difficult

background. “The thing is the public is still scared of criminals. They got to stop, have a little bit of faith,” said English.

English encourages young people to learn the basics of their cars, because it is a lifetime skill.

Lal Grewal, an accounting student at Langara, said that it would be helpful to learn the essentials of checking cars. “Either you are in a situation where there is no mechanic available or it’s too expensive for the basic repairs,” said Grewal.

English said that mechanic prices can be high for a simple thing that will not take much effort. He said a simple windshield only requires two clicks into the place. “Are you going to pay a mechanic to do that? No, but I swear, no one knows that thing,” English said.

English said that he does not consider himself a mechanic. He said all the knowledge that he gained is because of his dad, calling him the greatest man in his life.

“He didn’t just teach me. He said, take the keys, take the tools, make a mess” he said.

Ally Dafoe (LEFT) and Carolina Oldoni (RIGHT) posing for a photo in front of the Gleneagles skatepark on April 1, 2025

PHOTO EHRIN LOPEZ

 By EHRIN LOPEZ

 By JUAN DIAZ LOPEZ

Chris English explaining a car’s internal components at a parking lot in Lougheed on April 1, 2025 PHOTO JUAN DIAZ LOPEZ