Iranian filmmaker and Langara alum brings movie making dreams to Canada . P4
Student demographic could change course of vote focused around housing crisis. P2
Instructors fight for job reinstatement as college makes cuts. bit.ly/420mE07
The Langara Faculty Association says it remains frustrated that the college has not responded to its claim that more than 200 instructors have lost work.
LFA president Pauline Greaves said she had not received answers from the college this week about questions raised from a recent college board meeting and town hall.
“They’re trying to play down the fact that we’ve lost a lot of faculty,” Greaves said Wednesday.
Greaves said the LFA’s estimate of 200 members losing work came from comparing the number of faculty who paid union dues in September 2023 to September 2024 for a decline of 165 members. The association added to that number the 22 faculty who received layoff notices last month and 15 who took early retirement as part of a college attempt to reduce expenses in the face of a large budget deficit.
Langara College is expecting to finish the fiscal year, ending March 31, with a $2 million deficit due to a sharp reduction in international student enrolment from abrupt changes in federal and provincial policy. In response, the college has cut budgets, laid off faculty and cancelled courses.
Langara College spokesperson Adam Brayford said by email to the Voice Tuesday that 21 permanent faculty received layoff notices in 2025. Of those, he said 12 received a
partial reduction in work.
He said temporary faculty are facing uncertainty as their contracts conclude at the end of their term and that overall reductions have affected many instructors.
He said the college offered approximately 180 fewer course sections in 2024-25 compared to the previous year, reducing teaching opportunities.
His email did not mention the LFA’s estimate that over 200 staff have lost work.
Greaves expects another wave of layoffs in the next few weeks.
She said the college’s layoff process is “incredibly insulting” with many faculty receiving layoff notices by email.
Greaves said temporary faculty are being hit especially hard by the decline in work.
“These are faculty who cannot feed their family. They can't buy groceries, pay their rent, pay their mortgage or transportation,” she said. “But they are not entitled to severance because they have one continuing or two continuing sections.”
Greaves said the process highlights administrative weaknesses in the college. “They're a bad employer,” she said. “They don't take the necessary steps to really engage in a productive, positive way.”
Emotions ran high last Thursday when nearly 80 faculty members attended the college’s board of governors meeting where Greaves asked the board for clarity on job losses.
Limited space meant some faculty
could not enter the board room, and some banged on the doors after they were locked. Eventually, the administration provided a Zoom link to view the meeting.
Board chair Mary Lynn Baum said at the meeting the college is engaging in a number of initiatives to reduce the current deficit of $2 million. These include eliminating vacant positions, seeking supplier discounts, an 11 per cent cut in the strategic transformation office budget and reducing the college’s administrative travel and entertainment budget by 25 per cent.
The board recently approved a two per cent tuition hike for both domestic and international students, effective in May. This follows on a two per cent tuition increase in May 2024.
The Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills said in an email to the Voice Wednesday that it has approved the college’s request to run a deficit, which B.C. colleges are prohibited from doing. It said other post-secondary institutions have also been granted approval to run deficits.
Addressing the board directly at last Thursday’s meeting, Greaves said the “ship has hit the iceberg, the ship is sinking and people are drowning.”
To loud applause from faculty, she asked when the administration would
reduce the over 170 managerial positions, which she said cost the college over $21 million annually.
Baum thanked Greaves for her passion and research. “I can admit that we struggle with the exact numbers.” she said.
Baum apologized for any miscommunications around the strategic plans. “We will go back and make sure that we do that work,” she said.
Various instructors spoke at the meeting, saying they were frustrated, sad and concerned about the direction of the college.
Niall Christie, an LFA board member and the chair of the department of history, Latin and political science, said he was shocked the college was unable to provide numbers about staff affected by layoffs.
“If your HR department isn’t able to tell you how many faculty have been lost, I think you seriously need to look at your HR department,” he said.
After Thursday’s meeting, Brayford said the college is working to provide more details about faculty job loss and has not had a chance to review the LFA calculations. “Once we have accurate data we will share that,” he said.
Brayford said the college has offered all administrators a “voluntary departure incentive” and will be finding out at the end of this month how many have taken advantage of it.
He said the college is also working on student recruitment and retention.
Slower rollout could've avoided "all this trauma"
By SAGE SMITH
Langara is not alone in suffering financial losses and layoffs as a result of rapidly implemented international student caps.
Frank Cosco, president of the Vancouver Community College Faculty Association, said that they are expecting nearly 60 layoffs to occur this week, narrowly avoiding a deficit. Kwantlen Polytechnic University announced on March 10 that it will be issuing “full or partial layoff notices to approximately 70 faculty members.” It projects a decline of $49 million in revenue, but is not projecting a deficit this year.
Cosco said that he sat down with the VCC president Tuesday morning to discuss these layoffs, adding the college has been transparent and communicative.
Cosco said the federal government had a “knee-jerk reaction, a way overreaction, and just started cutting and slashing left, right and centre.” He said post-secondary institutions could have avoided “all this trauma” if they reduced the numbers much more slowly.
“[The federal government] just started cutting and slashing left, right and centre.”
—FRANK COSCO, VCC PRESIDENT
Kwantlen and Langara College were hit by new provincial caps restricting international students to 30 per cent of total enrolment. According to various sources, in the 2022-23 school year, Kwantlen was at 40 per cent and Langara at 38.6 per cent.
Adam Brayford, Langara College spokesman, said that post-secondary schools across Canada are working together to lobby the provincial and federal government.
He said they want governments “to understand the impact that the rapidness of their policy changes has had on us.”
Brayford said all schools are grappling with reduced enrolment, adding “it’s a real struggle to survive.”
By AMBER MONIZ
An increase in the number of post-secondary students casting a ballot could impact the outcome of a byelection in which housing is a major issue, says a Langara instructor.
According to Terri Evans, Langara College’s urban government specialist, the student demographic is typically missing from the polls.
This is “problematic,” Evans said, because municipal elections traditionally receive such a low turnout. Vancouver’s last municipal byelection was in 2017. Only 11 per cent of eligible voters in the city cast a ballot.
The April 5 byelection was called to fill two council vacancies after Christine Boyle of the OneCity party was elected as the VancouverLittle Mountain MLA in 2024, and Adriane Carr of the Green party resigned in January.
Independent candidate Jeanifer Decena said she values and encourages students to vote.
Voting is one of the most power-
ful ways for students to be part of the political landscape in the city of Vancouver, Decena said.
“I don’t want students to feel like politics is happening to them,” she added.
Green Party candidate Annette Reilly said low student turnout at the polls is a complicated issue with no clear solution.
“I think if we knew the answer to this question, we’d have more engagement,” Reilly said.
Evans said many students don’t vote because they don’t “connect the dots” between their concerns and what municipal government controls, such as housing.
take responsibility for the action we know we can take,” she added.
Multiple candidates referenced the Broadway Plan when speaking to the Voice on the housing crisis.
Approved by the previous Vancouver City council in 2022, the plan provides a “30-year framework to integrate new housing, job space and amenities,” from Vine Street to Clark Drive.
“Just slow it down. Don’t throw people out until they have housing.”
— GUY DUBÉ, INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE
OneCity candidate Lucy Maloney said students are experiencing “the pointy end of the housing affordability crisis.”
“It alienates young people when they see their adult leaders failing to
Independent candidate Karin Litzcke said the Broadway Plan is a “complete disaster.”
But candidate Ralph Kaisers said that, to combat the housing crisis, “we need to build more homes throughout the city.”
Candidate Jaime Stein said the plan is targeted to help students, and that density and affordability go “hand in hand.”
Both Stein and Kaisers are running for the ABC Party, which currently holds a six-seat majority
on city council.
Independent candidate Guy Dubé said he’s concerned about the people currently living on Broadway who will be displaced by the plan.
“Just slow it down. Don’t throw people out until they have housing,” Dubé said.
TEAM candidate Theodore Abbott also said that the plan is damaging to the current housing on Broadway.
“It will destroy a huge swath of Vancouver’s currently affordable rental housing,” he said.
COPE candidate Sean Orr said that too many people in positions of power in Vancouver work for their own benefit, instead of trying to improve the city.
“We’re building too often housing that is out of reach for many people, because that’s what makes developers the most profit,” Orr said.
Independent candidates Charles Ling, Gerry McGuire and Rollergirl were contacted for interviews but did not respond by press time.
Advance voting for the byelection will be held on March 26 and April 1, with election day on April 5.
>>
Theodore Abbott
Do you think increasing the VPD budget will increase safety?
“An increase in the VPD budget means further traumatizing our most vulnerable people, the unhoused Indigenous folks in the Downtown Eastside. It means a neverending cycle of criminalization and prohibition, which never will get at the root causes of homelessness, of drug use, of any of those things.”
“We’ve seen over the last two years, and over the last several years, that this problem will not be ameliorated by simply increasing the amount of cops in the street.”
“Public safety is not solely about increasing police presence; it is about addressing the root causes of crime and social instability. While law enforcement plays a role in maintaining order, real safety is built through proactive investments in mental health services, addiction recovery, housing security, and economic opportunities.”
INTERVIEWS BY AMBER
Spring break camps offer families relief, but can be costly with limited spots available
By DANIEL BUMANGLAG
Students who are also parents face unique challenges in securing childcare over spring break, but camps can be an advantageous option.
Michael Murray works at Southlands Heritage Farm, which offers two spring break camps for schoolage children. Murray said their camp brings out personality.
“I have seen some difference in some of the kids that come that would be a bit introverted and shy, and then within the next two or three weeks they’d have really opened up and they’ve met a lot of
friends here,” Murray said.
Kimme Russell is a single mother of four. She will be finishing her Bachelor’s degree in education in 2026 at Vancouver Island University. Russell said she thought about sending her children to spring break camps.
“They’re expensive and they fill up really fast. So, it’s just hard to get in. But also, it’s a big expense when you’re a single mom,” Russell said.
Russell is an interior designer and photographer. She offers those services to friends in exchange for childcare.
Tomilola Fadeyi Donkor is a mom of three and a full-time counsel -
“Buy Canadian” movement could have unintended consequences
By ELLIOT MOFFAT-
SHOJANIA
Two Vancouver business association leaders say they’re worried that local franchisees of U.S.-based companies may get caught in the crossfire amidst the growing trade war, U.S. tariffs and a push to buy Canadian.
Kerrisdale Business Association
executive director Terri Clark said consumers seem more interested recently in supporting local businesses. However, she said, people should “think twice” about boycotting businesses like McDonalds or
Home Depot, where the local franchises are owned by Canadians.
“These are franchises that are owned locally. So they employ local people and the money stays in Canada most likely,” Clark said.
Neil Wyles, the executive director of the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association, said Vancouverites should be careful not to inadvertently “punish” franchisees and that “they are our local businesses as well”.
Wyles said he understands the sentiment and importance of buying from Canadian companies, and is glad to see the city doing that most of the time. He said municipal officials have told the Business Improvement Associations that 95 per cent of the city’s purchases are locally made.
“At the end of the day, their money is actually our money, so we want our money being used for good and not for evil,” Wyles said.
A Business Improvement Associa-
ling psychology master’s student at Athabasca University. Most of her classes are online.
Donkor and other moms take turns hosting play dates for each other’s children over spring break, and she has help from her family. She said affordable childcare is needed for working mothers.
“I think we’d be celebrating if it was affordable for a lot of us that have to work,” Donkor said.
Katy Finlay is the owner and founder of Vancouver Performing Stars, which offers a spring break camp. Finlay said she feels like their camp is affordably priced, compared to other camps.
“We do everything we can to keep it affordable for families, but we also have to pay our instructors and our space rental,” Finlay said. Finlay said they also assist families who may need a “little extra help” with the cost.
Mike Starchuk works at Tomorrow’s Top Kids Childcare Society. Their camp offers an $80 monthly fee for parents whose children are part of their full-time out of school care program, and costs $225 per week otherwise.
Starchuk said securing a spot in their camp can be difficult.
“It just depends on how prepared parents are in trying to find the
programs that are out there, and just being on the ball,” Starchuk said.
Sharon Gregson is the spokesperson at the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C.
Gregson doesn’t think that childcare is accessible during school breaks.
She said parents should send an email to their local member of the legislative assembly, or their local federal member of parliament to say that childcare is a problem for them.
“We really need more political will to solve this problem,” said Gregson.
tion (BIA) is a group whose job is to promote businesses in a specific area. Business owners pay a fee that will be added on to their property taxes to the city, and then the city gives it to the BIA. The BIAs provide services like night-time security, street beautification, events and event promotion for businesses.
Vancouver City Councillor Pete Fry said council is looking to support Vancouver businesses facing potential impacts of tariffs from the U.S., despite having limited tools compared to other levels of government. One such tool is a temporary fee reduction for patio permits, as businesses pay fees to the city to operate patios
on sidewalks, city property, or private property.
Fry said that providing “a little bit of relief” through the temporary fee reduction is one way to offset the volatility faced by restaurants that struggle with their profit margins and are anticipating supply chain disruptions.
Fry said the challenge is to scale the response more urgently.
“I’m a little frustrated that we’re not moving a little faster on activating,” Fry said.
On the topic of the broader response, Fry said it’s about being prepared and enabling the city to have the necessary nimble response as things change.
Restaurant owner Kelly Gordon said the restaurant business is tough these days, but a patio brings in business.
“Any relief we can get on any fees, be it patio or any other things we get charged, is obviously going to help us,” Gordon said.
Ian Tostenson, president of the British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association, is involved in discussions around reducing patio permit fees.
“When it comes to things like regulation and policies … we’re at the forefront of that working with the government to make sure that those are fair and sensible,” Tostenson said.
Nina Zarabi is an Iranian filmmaker who left her home country to pursue dreams of creative freedom after years of facing strict censorship.
“It is very hard for a female director to break through on their own,” said Zarabi, a Langara’s film arts alumni. “No freedom of speech, anything could be a red flag for them if it’s out of the Islamic ethics or it portrays political issues.”
In October 2021, Zarabi arrived in Canada from Iran and enrolled in Langara’s film writing program which started in January 2022 and film directing in January 2023 before graduating in August 2023.
Zarabi’s filmmaking journey began in her home country of Iran where she enrolled in film school. Iran is a country with a renowned history of filmmaking, today, however, Iranian visual storytellers face numerous restrictions placed on their creative process.
Zarabi’s first film was a school project in 2017 titled, the Lonely Cat Meowing . After the film was completed, she was able to access distributors outside Iran, allowing it to be screened at the Seattle International Film Festival.
“I am going to be forever thankful
of my experience in Iran,” Zarabi said. “Reading all those poets and books in Farsi made my vision possible.”
The Pink Line released in 2019, was Zarabi’s second movie and more ambitious than her first film. The film toyed with ideas of infidelity by a married woman, a sensitive and forbidden subject throughout Iran.
“It was a very tough project because it was hard to find actors for the storyline,” Zarabi said. “This is something that carries a death penalty in my country. It was a very big risk.”
She said she eventually found actors and crew members among the indie filmmaker community in Iran.
“I worked for a couple of years and spent my money on the film. That was the story of funds. I never received any funds from any government,” Zarabi said.
In order to have creative freedom and avoid restrictions, Zarabi shot the majority of the movie indoors.
Although Zarabi received many positive reviews from her peers after the Pink Line was completed, the film could never be screened or distributed in Iran because of the subject matter.
Zarabi’s final film before leaving Iran in 2021 is titled, Go Back to the Sky , released in 2024.
The film follows the story of a girl who sees the world upside down due to a traumatic event affecting her brain.
The film is inspired by the real-life missile attack on Ukraine Interna tional Airlines flight PS752 during take off from Tehran en route to Kyiv, Ukraine on Jan. 8, 2020. The attack killed all 176 aboard, includ ing Zarabi’s cousin with 138 passen gers who were connected to Canada.
The Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later took respon sibility for the missile attack. The main character is a fictional person who lost relatives on flight PS752 and is experiencing severe trauma as a result.
“The idea stayed with me until I thought I should do something about it. I was there and that was how this story was created,” said Zarabi.
Although a country wide notice was sent out by the government prohibiting any depiction of the incident, Zarabi went ahead and brought her project to life.
“I knew it was going to be my last project in Iran, so I never cared what was going to happen to me after that,” Zarabi said. “I took the risk and funded it myself after working for a couple of years.”
In February 2025, Go Back to the Sky earned international recognition
espite Vancouver’s reputation as a thriving film hub, financial support for independent projects is scarce, leaving emerging filmmakers struggling to bring their vision to life.
For actor and producer Erin Purghart, funding challenges became evident early in her career. “I started producing my own show as a comedian, which led me into film production,” she said.
Purghart was involved in Crazy 8’s, a Vancouver short film competition that provides funding for select projects each year.
Purghart was the lead producer on DTF, a short film that finished in the top six at Crazy 8’s last year. “Usually they don’t recommend that your first time lead producing is a Crazy 8’s project. But it worked out great for me,” she said.
However, with a stringent process put in place for grants and sponsorships applications, many independent filmmakers who are just starting out, often have a hard time accessing these funds. “I applied for many years and in my first three to
five years of applying for grants, my success rate was zero per cent,” said Arnold Lim, award-winning film director and producer.
“I wish funding was more accessible for the individual,” Purghart said. “It’s a lot easier if you’re a nonprofit organization. Or a production company.”
Check out our community gardening podcast story at langaravoice.ca
Levon Kendall, former member of the Canadian national basketball team and current CEO of FoodScape, said he believes that anyone can start an at-home garden with minimal resources. With dedication, he said, a small effort today can grow into a garden that thrives for years.
Levon Kendall, a former member of the Canadian national basketball team and represented Canada at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, enjoyed a successful career playing professionally in Europe before retiring from the sport. Seeking a new passion off the court, he turned to at-home gardening. Over time, he found that growing his
own produce not only significantly reduced his grocery bills but also gave him confidence in the quality and origin of his food.
Drawing from years of experience, Kendall advises Vancouverites who are new to gardening to start with low-maintenance “come-again” vegetables—plants that grow back every season.
Kendall said options like lettuce, kale and asparagus provide a steady supply of fresh produce without requiring extensive upkeep.
Pooya Nabei explores the experiences of newcomers as they transition to a new journey in Canada through photography
Langara’s 2025 Artist in Residence, Pooya Nabei, shares stories of immigrants as they transition to a new life in his new project, An Old Reverie
Having immigrated from Iran to Canada when he was 17, Nabei’s experience served as an inspiration for this project. In the duration of his career as a photographer, he wanted his personal story to reflect his art, which motivated him to create An Old Reverie.
“As I’m getting older, I’m trying to connect with who I am, where I come from, and being an immigrant was a profound experience in my life and in my career. I’m trying to connect [my personal projects] with who I was and who I am,” Nabei said.
Langara College opened the Artistin-Residence program for photographers and writers to have a chance to create personal projects and get students to engage with professionals. The college is planning to expand categories in the future, hoping to involve the Studio 58 program for a playwright in residence.
“This exposes our students to working professionals in the creative sectors helping them better hone their craft,” said Simone Le Blanc, the executive director of the Langara College Foundation.
Eric Stewart PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY, DEPARTMENT CHAIR
Eric Stewart, the department chair of the Langara photography department said that commercial photographers rarely get the chance to create personal projects.
He said that Nabei’s project is an art form that sheds light on timely stories.
“This one is based around community and global citizenship and social conscience. I’m really glad that Langara sponsors it. It’s important,” Stewart said.Hargun Preet Singh Kambo, an international student who studies photography at Langara College had the opportunity to work with Nabei.
He stated that this experience made him reflect on his time as an immigrant while learning technical skills.
This was my first time assisting
Federally funded immigration organizations are closing due to fewer expected immigrants
An important immigrant support centre in Vancouver is being forced to close due to budget cuts. Since 2008, the Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre (SIIC) has been assisting newcomers navigate employment opportunities in Canada. It is closing at the end of March, leaving new immigrants to find other networks of support.
In a statement issued by Mary Rose Sabater, a communications advisor with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), she said that services like the SIIC are being reduced due to fewer newcomers expected between 2025 and 2027.
“Available resources have been reduced to match this decrease, and this has resulted in a reduction in service providers,” Sabater said.
Jacyntha England, an English language teacher with the YMCA, said that IRCC is also cutting funding for other groups supporting immigrants including YMCA, MOSAIC, S.U.C.C.E.S.S, and DIVERSEcity.
For the YMCA, losing funding means their team will go from a staff of almost 20 to about five employees, England said, which means less support for newcomers.
The changes have forced organizations to make hard choices about which programs to fund, England said. “They have to prioritize.”
“It’s something that never needed to happen,” England said. “It’s like you’re watching a train wreck in slow motion.”
England said she grew up thinking of Canada as an inclusive country with a government that looked out for its most vulnerable populations, but after these program cuts, she’s become disillusioned.
“I see our country changing so quickly... this is not the Canada I recognize.
The SIIC hosted their final event on March 14, a newcomers resource fair at the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) where immigrants can connect with local organizations to get support for employment, legal advice and more.
The centre’s final event was “incredibly sad” for the team that ran it, said SIIC coordinator Emily Corley.
Maki Kobayashi is a newcomer from Japan hoping to become a health assistant in Vancouver. She said she would have wanted to use the SIIC if it were not closing. Instead, she has been attending a language class provided by the nonprofit MOSAIC and the conversation club at the YMCA.
a photographer on set, so it was a good opportunity to see how the set works, how the ethics are,” Kambo said, “Watching people get emotional telling the stories and listening to the stories was a really beautiful moment for me, because being an international student myself, it was easy for me to relate to the stories.”
Vernon Macaraig, an international student from the political science program said he hopes this project gives justice to the stories of immigrants.
“Every day is just another day of surviving, I am sure anyone else in Vancouver knows this story for themselves well enough, I’m hoping this project portrays both the highs and lows,” Macaraig said.
Nabei said that immigrants go through struggles and hardships which are difficult to put into words, and he aims to capture their stories through photography.
“If I can interview different ethnicities, different nationalities, and ask them what they’ve experienced and share that with my viewers, they have a better understanding of what it’s like to actually immigrate from one country to another,” Nabei said.
England fears that as of March 31, newcomers without protection, advocates, or translators will “fall through the cracks” leading to dangerous situations as they work in unprotected and unmonitored jobs. “When you’re coming from a war-torn country...you’re in shock. You’re not always capable of picking up a phone and calling a landlord to negotiate a rental,” England said.
Bita Seifi, an embryologist from Iran who came to Vancouver with her daughter last year, is searching for new opportunities in her career.
“I want to volunteer with healthcare first... then find a job where I can help everyone,” Seifi said.
Seifi said the SIIC’s newcomer fair helped her learn about employment pathways in Canada.
With limited resources available about the employment system, the SIIC’s closure would send her back searching for a community that offers the support she needs.
By SOFIA MOHAMED & NEHEMIAH
Vancouver adults are struggling to access sports across the city, according to Ivan Augustine Yaco.
Yaco, a youth leader and program assistant at Kitsilano Community Centre, said that access and finances can be a barrier for adults who want to play sports.
“Before it would be more of an open-gym situation, where people can just come in and play basketball,” Yaco said. “But nowadays, everything is drop-in and everything costs money.”
He said that while the centre offers open-gym times for youth, it doesn’t offer similar access for adults.
Only 27 per cent of adults participated in a sport in 2024 according to the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Institute. In 2023
play different sports. For example, there’s squash courts not being used and just used as a storage room.”
Langara student Oliver Hum said he also found it difficult to play sports at an adult level. He grew up playing volleyball, but once he was too old for the U18 level he found himself with limited options. Langara has no official volleyball team, so Hum took it into his own hands and created a volleyball club.
He hopes the club can create
Statistics Canada reported that 24.4 per cent of survey respondents said that age was a barrier to sports recreation, and 11 per cent said that cost was a barrier.
Yaco said while community centres offer many programs, they could introduce more variety.
“I think sometimes other community centres are very fixated on just keeping the top sports, and that’s what they’ve been doing for the past 20 years,” Yaco said. “But a lot of people
is that there is no gym availability at this time.
“I’ve kind of just given up on the idea of practices here at Langara,” Hum said.
As the club has been unable to find practice time, Luk said they can’t hold regular team practices, limiting them to tournaments and scrimmages resulting in a lack of team chemistry during tournaments.
Though the volleyball club is officially recognized at Langara, it’s also not part of a league, but Hum and Luk plan to join the Volleyball BC men’s league this month.
“It’s a great opportunity to join the volleyball community and to meet new people”
— KELLEY LE, LANGARA VOLLEYBALL CLUB TREASURER
opportunities for Langara students to participate and compete at a high level. Unfortunately, Hum found himself facing another obstacle - finding the space to play.
“It’s very hard to get a gym time here because everything’s booked out,” club vice president Austin Luk said, According to Hum, team members sent multiple emails to Langara’s events and facilities coordinator, but the only response they received
Despite challenges finding a practice space, treasurer Kelly Le said the club is always looking for more people to join.
“It’s a great opportunity to join the volleyball community and to meet new people,” she said.
Kevin Bastedo, operations at Vancouver Curling Club at Hillcrest Community Centre, also said sports are a great way for adults to foster connections.
“There’s not a lot of opportunity for adults to get out there and make friends,” Bastedo said.
He said the curling club offers flexibility to ensure adults of different levels of ability can participate.
“If [people] are interested in going for competitions, or just a weekend for some recreation, curling is a great option for individuals of any skill or accessibility level,” said Bastedo.
Despite new innovations in research and development, the cannabis industry still faces challenges from legalization.
Gillian Vandermeirsch, the research and development director of Delta-based cannabis producer Pure Sunfarms, said that “the industry is definitely changing.”
“Over time it’s gotten tougher. There’s competition,” she said. “The regulations in this industry are very tough. So compliance is a very big part of the business. Taxes are heavy.”
She said outsourcing research and development helps save time and cut expenses.
In January of this year, Langara College and Pure Sunfarms partnered to research pre-rolled joints. It is part of a five-year project established in 2021. Backed by almost $4 million in funding, the project aims to research and develop innovations for cannabis use and production.
“As a company that is actually having to generate revenue and make money, you don’t have a lot of time for research,” Vandermeirsch
said. “Having a partner that is dedicated to doing research and learning is an ideal marriage.”
Recreational cannabis has been legalized in Canada since October 2018. The new laws have made it easier to obtain licences and permits for research while also indirectly creating barriers.
Michael Milloy, professor in cannabis studies at UBC, said that his research has faced difficulties securing partnerships as a result of regulations. His research on medical cannabis relies on making deals with private companies to provide materials, but the current industry climate has proven difficult.
“There are definitely companies that are interested in doing research for research’s sake. We did have a company that had initially agreed to provide the cannabis we needed for our trial. But between getting the money from the government and getting all of the permits, they backed out,” Milloy said.
Regulations have made it difficult for businesses to profit and many research.”
“I think it’s really just more of a symptom of the larger problems in the cannabis industry in Canada,” Milloy said. “I hope [it] will be solved once more groups are making money and willing to invest some of their profits in expanding knowledge about cannabis and its impacts on Canadians.”
Despite these barriers, institutions like Langara College have been successful in making themselves an appealing partner for research opportunities.
Nathan Jones, the assistant director of Langara’s Applied Research Centre, said that Langara offers a “generous intellectual property stance,” creating fewer barriers for partnerships between private companies and Langara College.
“When an external partner engages with Langara to conduct an applied research project, all of the [intellectual property] that’s generated as a direct result of that project belongs outright to the partner,” Jones said.
He said that this policy paired with Langara’s success in obtaining large amounts of funding, has made it an attractive business partner for many companies.