MARTLET THE
UVIC LIFE
Lowandno-costfitnessoptionsto stayactiveallsemester PG. 2
FEATURE
HowieRichardson'sclimbingcareer washistethertocommunity PG. 6-7
NEWS
UVicstudentawardedKingCharles medalforcommunitycontributions PG. 5
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
At a meeting on Sept. 10, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission (VRTC) approved a proposal to reinstate Route 76 Swartz Bay/UVic. Route 76 is expected to return in January 2025, so long as sufficient resources are available.
The direct route used to provide a connection between UVic and the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, but was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic due to low ridership.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, BC Transit saw a significant decline in patronage on a number of “tourism-based routes,” said Levi Megenbir, a Senior Transit Planner with BC Transit.
“The 76 was definitely one of those, especially when the lockdown happened and people were essentially required not to be travelling,” Megenbir told the Martlet
“We did our best to maintain service levels … but this was just one of those routes [that]
was carrying almost nobody.”
Since the route’s cancellation during the pandemic, tourism and regional travel have both increased, and current bus routes to Swartz Bay have seen crowding and sometimes pass-ups. A UVic spokesperson told the Martlet that around 4 100 students come to UVic from the lower mainland.
Historically, the 76 ran on Fridays and Sundays during peak times in order to meet the 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. sailings from Swartz Bay. Megenbir said that, due to BC Transit resource constraints, the 76 would have to operate outside of peak times on Fridays, while Sunday service would remain the same.
The University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) ran a petition in April and early May calling for Route 76 to be reintroduced, which garnered around 620 signatures.
Isabelle Easton, UVSS Director of Campaigns and Community Relations, told the Martlet she was contacted in August by BC Transit staff about these constraints, namely availability of buses
and drivers.
The UVSS then ran an Instagram poll, asking students what times would be most convenient for the 76 to run, which they took into account when making a recommendation to BC Transit.
"around 4 100 students come to UVic from the lower mainland"
“We [ended up] recommending that we go with the service for students trying to catch the 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. sailings on Fridays,” Easton said.
Hannah Penner, a fourth year public health student at UVic, told the Martlet that the lack of an easily accessible bus route has made travelling
back home to visit family “kind of a pain.”
“I live quite close to campus,” said Penner, “which means I’m having to take the transfer, [either] the 26 or 39 … and then hop on the 70 or the 72.”
Penner estimates her trips from near UVic to Swartz Bay take between an hour and a half and two hours — roughly the same duration as the ferry ride itself. Driving from campus to the terminal directly takes approximately 35 minutes without traffic, according to Google Maps.
Wesley Rollins, a fourth year writing student at UVic, said he’s noticed that buses to the Swartz Bay terminal have become increasingly busy — especially around holidays.
Penner also emphasized the issue of overcrowding on existing routes, which means less available seats. This is an accessibility issue for people who may require a seat when taking transit, said Penner.
Rollins told the Martlet that there are few options, aside from buses like the 70, 71, and 72, for students who
don’t drive.
“I know [there are] sometimes the shuttles, but those are once a semester I think, and if you’re not planning to go home on that exact day you’re kind of screwed,” he said.
Both Penner and Rollins are looking forward to the return of the 76 from UVic to Swartz Bay.
“Even if I wasn’t on campus I would consider busing up and going from there, said Rollins, because I feel like that bus would be less busy. It’s not that long of a bus [and] I’d rather go another ten minutes out of my way than stand on a crowded bus with a bajillion people.”
Photo by Ethan Barkley.
ETHAN BARKLEY
UVic researchers are revolutionizing syphilis diagnosis amidst global crisis
Dr. Caroline Cameron's team tackles diagnostic challenges
with
promising new program
FERNANDA SOLORZA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
UVic researchers, led by microbiologist Dr. Caroline Cameron, are on the frontlines of diagnostic research for syphilis — a bacterial infection that remains a global health crisis. Cameron’s lab, in collaboration with American and Spanish institutions, has secured $352 124 USD in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a new syphilis diagnostic test, designed to overcome the limitations of current methods.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Different subspecies of Treponema cause various types of syphilis, such as venereal and endemic syphilis, as well as other infections like pinta and yaws disease.
Unfortunately, Treponema subspecies are so similar that blood tests cannot distinguish between them. Even more problematically, current tests are unable to differentiate between a current infection and a past one, meaning that a person will continue to test positive regardless of whether they’ve already received treatment.
The bacterium is notoriously difficult to diagnose, especially in the early stages of infection, which is why Cameron’s research to improve syphilis testing is so crucial.
“Currently used tests detect the antibodies that are made against the pathogen,” wrote Cameron in an email to the Martlet, “and not the bacterium itself.”
These suboptimal tests pose significant challenges, as people in the early stages of infection might test negative, and people who have been reinfected might not realize until the last stages of infection.
Syphilis progresses through four distinct stages — primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary. The primary stage usually manifests as a local reaction to the infection in the form of a chancre — a painless, round ulcer.
The secondary stage often manifests as skin lesions, fever, headaches, and joint pain, among other symptoms. If left untreated, the symptoms will disappear, but the infection will persist in a dormant state, entering the latent stage. Lastly, the tertiary stage can cause severe damage to the heart, brain, and other organs.
The lack of optimal testing is particularly challenging for congenital
syphilis — the transmission of syphilis in utero — because antibodies are transferred to the developing fetus during pregnancy, and the newborn will test positive regardless of whether they are infected or not. If not treated, congenital syphilis can lead to miscarriages, preterm birth, and stillbirth.
According to the Canadian government, syphilis cases have increased by 109 per cent in the last four years, and according to the BC Syphilis Action Plan, over 90 per cent of infectious syphilis cases in 2022 are among females of childbearing age (15-49 years old). In Canada, rates of congenital syphilis have increased by 599 per cent.
“Our goal is to create a point-of-care test that can be used with easily collected samples, such as urine,” said Cameron. These tests would be easy to perform and interpret, allowing people to self-test at home. The biggest challenge Cameron and her team are facing in creating these tests is that the peptides needed to detect the infection are present at low concentration, so sensitivity is an issue.
“It is similar to looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Cameron.
“Dr. Cameron’s work supports [UVic’s Aspiration 2030 Research and Creative Works Strategy] the plan, including collaboration with international partners and mobilizing knowledge to address societal challenges,” wrote Fraser Hof, Interim Vice-President, Research and Innovation in an emailed statement to the Martlet
“Funding of this magnitude and prestige helps position UVic as a leader in research with a direct and positive impact on public health,” said Hof.
“NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world and
these investments reinforce confidence in her research program to respond to the syphilis epidemic.” This groundbreaking research may prove crucial in the ongoing fight against syphilis, offering hope for millions worldwide. If successful, new tests will not only allow syphilis to be accurately and easily diagnosed but will help in the fight against this devastating disease all over the world, including resource-limited places where syphilis cases are higher.
Low and no-cost fitness options to stay active all semester Gyms, spaces, and classes to keep your body and bank balance healthy,
SARAH ROBERTS VOLUNTEER STAFF WRITER
Are you still reeling from the loss of McKinnon Gym? Look no further — you can still get your fitness fix with this guide to budget-friendly workouts. We’ve gathered some of the city’s best free and cheap fitness resources to release stress and improve your well-being without paying a premium.
LACE UP WITH THE UVIC RUN CLUB
Running is one of the cheapest ways to get active, and Victoria’s stunning trails make it the ideal place to start. The UVic Run Club is an inclusive community of runners whose goal is to build connections in a non-competitive environment. Beginners are welcome, as the focus is on fun.
Meet them at the Shelbourne and Feltham 7-Eleven on Tuesday mornings at 6:30 a.m., and take in the glorious sunrise as you scale Mount Doug or try a road run on Thursdays which begins at 5:30 p.m. outside McPherson Library. Follow them on Instagram @ uvicrunclub for up-to-date meeting times.
TAKE A FREE YOGA CLASS AT THE MULTIFAITH CENTRE
Take a breath between classes with yoga at the UVic Multifaith Centre. “Yoga for Recharging the Mind” is a free guided session every Thursday from 3:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. This gentle class focuses on movement with breath, relieving stress, improving flexibility and cultivating greater body awareness. You don’t even need a mat; equipment is provided!
TRIVIA
MAKE A SPLASH AT THE LOCAL RECREATION CENTRES
Victoria’s community recreation centres offer accessible, affordable fitness right in the community with no commitment required. Each location offers a variety of classes, such as HIIT, Cycle Fit, and Core&More. There’s something to suit everyone’s preference. Drop-in rates in Saanich are $7.50 for weight-room access or a class. You can also take advantage of a bargain swim with Saanich’s "Splash Savings" program on select days ($3.25 for any age). Students benefit from an additional 10 per cent off with proof of registration.
Oak Bay, Saanich, and the City of Victoria all operate regional services; schedules, rates and facilities vary.
YMCA: A LOW-PRICED GYM IN THE HEART OF VICTORIA
If you get your fix by lifting heavy, then check out the YMCA for commercial gym access. Rates for monthly memberships are just $42 (+GST) for young adults 18–25. Detailed rates and hours are on their website, and a wide range of classes are offered, as well as a fully equipped gym and options for day passes. Lowincome households can benefit from their financial assistance program.
GREET THE DAY WITH NOVEMBER PROJECT
For those who want to kick-start their day with exercise endorphins, November Project is for you. Meet bright and early on Wednesdays at 6:29 a.m. by Beacon Hill Petting Zoo for a free all-levels outdoor fitness session. November Project is a
KARAOKE
multi-city movement that creates nonintimidating opportunities to exercise and find community at free weekly sessions. No sign-up is necessary; you only need to sign a waiver before your first session. Check their Facebook group “November ProjectVic”orInstagram@novemberprojectvic for more information.
Before starting any new exercise program, remember to consult with a healthcare professional to ensure the activities are appropriate for your health and fitness level — and always listen to your body and choose workouts that meet your individual needs. Now get out there and have fun!
Photo via University of Victoria.
UVIC LIFE
How to
gain research
experience
as an undergraduate student From research assistantships to field schools, there's an opportunity for you
KIERA CLARK VOLUNTEER STAFF WRITER
Hoping to gain research experience but not sure where to start? It can be challenging to find opportunities to engage in hands-on work in your field as an undergraduate student with no prior experience — but it’s not impossible. Whether you want experience for grad school applications, or the opportunity to pursue independent research in your field, here are five ways to get research experience as an undergrad.
LOOK INTO HONOURS PROGRAMS
If you’re particularly interested in pursuing your own topic, honours programs are an excellent opportunity for more intense, independent study while still collaborating with likeminded students. UVic offers honours programs in many departments and schools, including English, Psychology, Visual Arts, Biology, History, and more. These programs often require students to do a larger project towards the end of their degree, such as a thesis or research study, under the supervision of a faculty member. Honours programs are also a great step before grad school, offering smaller, seminar-style classes and opportunities for independent research.
FIND AN RA POSITION
A great place to start when considering research experience is looking for Research Assistant (RA) positions in
your department or area of interest. RAs work under the supervision of a faculty member on a specific project, initiative, or research inquiry. One of the best places to find RA jobs is through UVic’s Work Study program. Eligibility is based on financial need and students must complete a budget sheet along with their application. Available job postings are organized alphabetically by department, making it easy to find a position in your research field. Departments will also occasionally send out emails with RA opportunities on behalf of faculty members. However, these positions are sent out infrequently, so it’s always worth reaching out to your professors or departmental advisor about possible RA positions.
APPLY FOR A JAMIE CASSELS UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AWARD (JCURA)
The Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA) are a chance for students across UVic to undertake a project of their choosing to present at a research fair. According to UVic LEARN (Learner Empowerment and Academic Resource Network), under the mentorship of a faculty supervisor the JCURA program “encourages undergraduates to pursue innovative and original research and enhance learning while providing a valuable preparatory experience towards graduate studies or a research related career.” JCURA is open to full-time third and fourth year undergraduate students. Successful applicants will
PARTICIPATE IN FIELD SCHOOLS
If you’re looking for some hands-on experience outside of UVic while still getting credit towards your degree, field schools are a great option. These experiential, short-term courses take students beyond the classroom to conduct research in various areas across Canada, as well as internationally. UVic often offers a variety of field schools in the summer term, though this may vary depending on the course’s content and location. Some of the summer 2024 programs offered included the
I-witness Field School (GMST 489), the Karst Geomorphology Field School (GEOG 391), the Tl’ches Ethnoecology Field School (ES 481), and the Cuba Ethnographic Field School (ANTH 381 and 382). If you’re interested in a field school, reach out to your department for information about what’s being offered in 2025.
CONNECT WITH UVIC’S RESEARCH CENTERS
UVic is home to numerous research centers, which the UVic website describes as “promot[ing] collaboration on research, ranging from fundamental sciences to societal innovation.” With
over a dozen centers and entities, they cover a wide range of research fields. These hubs for innovative research include the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), the Centre for Indigenous Research and Community-Led Engagement (CIRCLE), the Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health (IALH), and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS). UVic also has two corporate entities related to research: Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) and Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC). Many of these organizations have ways for students to get involved, including through volunteering, the co-op program, and research awards.
A guide to the many current construction projects at UVic What's being built on campus, and what's to come?
HANNAH LINK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Like anyone on campus lately, we’ve noticed the many construction projects happening as we make our way to classes. We’re also curious about other endeavors still in their early stages. Here’s a round-up of what’s being built on campus and what to expect in the future.
The newest project to break ground on campus is the expansion of the Engineering Computer Science (ECS) building and a new, separate structure dedicated for laboratory space. The lab is set to be named the High Bay Research and Structures Lab, and UVic says these buildings are designed to meet the needs of the growing disciplines.
The High Bay building will house engineering-specific laboratory features, like a gantry crane designed to lift heavy engineering projects, and structural shake tables used to simulate earthquakes for test models. The ECS building expansion will also hold dedicated social spaces on each level with large windows and exposed wooden beams.
The project website notes that Indigenous elements including landscape design and indoor art features are planned, but little detail is given to what these might be and whether local First Nations have been consulted in the construction process thus far.
DIALOG Design, the firm in charge of architecture on the project, is a company that’s also responsible for the design of major institutional buildings in Canada, like UBC’s student union building, and Calgary’s main public library.
Construction began early this year, and the project website states that both
buildings will be complete by 2026. In the meantime, expect delays when entering campus via Foul Bay road.
Another source of construction noise on the other end of campus is the Fraser Building expansion, which is designed to house the National Center for Indigenous Laws. The planning process for this addition began one year after the launch of UVic’s joint degree in Canadian Common Law and Indigenous Legal Orders, which started teaching its first cohort in September of 2018.
Indigenous involvement in the project began at its inception, according to the site website, which states that consultations to garner feedback were conducted with Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ leaders during the planning stage for the building.
The project will also include upgrades to the Fraser building, like showers and changing facilities for those who cycle to campus, along with a general facelift to the building which was built in 1980.
Based on the design renderings provided by UVic, the building will feature tall ceilings, exposed light wood, and ample natural light. Large trees adjacent to the building were intentionally protected during construction, and windows will face them to allow those inside a view of the greenery on campus.
The project is led by Two Row Architect, an Indigenous-owned and operated firm based in the Grand River reserve in southern Ontario. Founded in 1992, the company bases its methodology on incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing into its designs.
Construction was set to be complete this fall, but the project website now states that the building will be ready for use this coming March. Traffic
delays and noise will affect adjacent buildings, such as David Turpin, until then.
One element of construction that’s being completed in stages all across UVic is the implementation of the Campus Cycling Plan. Most recently, work is being done on McKenzie and into McGill Road, which leads to the Fraser building and Parking Lot 4. Traffic has been slowed entering campus via McKenzie as vehicles merge to make way for this work, which is set to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety.
Separated pathways and crosswalk improvement is also underway at the intersection of McKenzie and Vikes Way, connecting the Center for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA) to Dawnview
Crescent north of campus. This is a high-traffic area for students living in Gordon Head who commute by foot and by bike.
UVic’s 2023 Real Estate Strategy document details plans for new multiuse housing communities located at the perimeters of campus. The three areas targeted for these real estate developments are the Ian H. Stewart complex on McKenzie Ave, the Queenswood Campus on Arbutus Road, and Cedar Hill Corner, near Mystic Vale.
The university first plans to redevelop the Ian H. Stewart complex and nearby administrative buildings into a community titled the University District.
Two stages of public consultation have been conducted thus far, with
reports from the second stage of community feedback stating that the project is currently in its “master plan & design guidelines” phase and will move to a rezoning application this winter.
While the breaking of ground seems far away, we can certainly expect these projects to define the next decade of life at UVic. The other buildings and transportation improvements nearing completion will also drastically change our campus — hopefully for the better.
receive $1 500 credited to their UVic student account.
Photo via University of Victoria.
Photo via University of Victoria.
Where do B.C. parties stand on student issues? A housing, cost of living, education, and climate platforms analysis
PAUL VOLL SENIOR STAFF WRITER
As we anticipate the upcoming provincial election in B.C., students may be wondering how the various party platforms will affect them. Issues like housing, the cost of living, education and social issues, and climate change are important to university-aged students. Here’s what each platform plans to do about those issues.
HOUSING
BC NDP
Since they formed government in 2017, the BC NDP has addressed housing affordability, in part, through Housing Hub and BC Builds — programs that subsidize developers to build with the intention of offering units at below market rent.
However, some have criticized the success of these programs, after it came to light that many of the units on the lower mainland, Vancouver Island, and B.C.’s interior were being rented at or above market rates. However, the NDP’s federal website maintains that they intend to work with B.C. to increase affordability by supporting more non-profit and co-op housing developments.
BC Greens
BC Greens leader Sonia Furstenau wants changes to the province’s housing market, including the implementation of vacancy control, which would limit how much landlords can increase rent by between tenants, and expanding the Rental Protection Fund to help nonprofits that prioritize affordable rent purchase and manage residential buildings.
In a recent press release, the BC Greens announced their housing plan would build 26 000 affordable rental units annually through targeted investments in non-market housing providers and housing cooperatives.
Conservative Party of BC
BC Conservative leader John Rustad says housing is a priority. According to the Conservatives’ website, they plan to stabilize the province’s housing market by “promoting the development of new housing supply while cracking down on illegal money laundering that has inflated prices and facilitated criminal activity.”
In a press release from Sept. 11, Rustad blamed part of the housing crisis on the federal government “forcing B.C. to accept 22,000 asylum seekers without [financial] support,” saying it was “irresponsible, especially during a housing and cost of living crisis.”
COST OF LIVING
BC NDP
Steadily raising minimum wage, making prescription birth control free, and introducing a new Renter’s Tax Credit are some of the recent initiatives the BC NDP championed during their term. The party also froze BC Ferry fare increases to 3.2 per cent annually, and kept BC Hydro rate increases below the rate of inflation.
Conservative Party of BC
The BC Conservatives platform to address the cost of living includes the following items — Ending the “ICBC monopoly,” getting gas prices under control, stabilizing the housing market, and providing more choice in daycare. By ending the ICBC era, Conservatives say they could provide more inexpensive insurance options for drivers.
BC Greens
The BC Greens want “fast, frequent and free transit.” Furstenau said their plan of providing free public transit province-wide, and doubling the number of city buses within four years, would save families thousands of dollars each year on vehicle and transportation costs.
UVic students
If passed, this initiative would likely allow universities to cut bus pass expenses from their student fees.
EDUCATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES
BC NDP
The NDP federal website states they intend to advocate for the LGBTQ2S+ by adding sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression to the Employment Equity Act. They also promise to “make sure social media platforms are legally responsible for the removal of hateful and extremist content.”
The NDP platform aims to make education more affordable. In 2024/25, the BC NDP government committed to invest $3.5 million in one-time funding to high-demand career programs at 12 public postsecondary institutions, including Camosun College.
The NDP website promises to “cap and reduce tuition fees . . . move away from loans, and permanently double non-repayable Canada Student Grants.” In B.C., the NDP’s Loan Forgiveness Program forgives the B.C. portion of eligible students’ Canada-B.C. integrated loan debt. Students with debt, however, must be employed in eligible sectors at a publicly funded facility in an underserved community or working with children to receive loan forgiveness.
BC Conservatives
The BC Conservatives have made it clear they want to depoliticize education in B.C., stating on their website that “schools must be places of learning — not for activism and indoctrination.”
They vow to protect free speech on campuses by defunding universities and colleges that do not support and defend freedom of expression.
They also plan to reallocate
government funding within postsecondary institutions to promote and incentivize training in essential fields such as medicine, engineering, and trades.
BC Greens
The BC Greens’ education platform mainly emphasizes elementary and secondary school objectives, such as a permanent universal school food program, expanding access to school psychologists, social workers, and guidance counselors, and laptops for all middle and high school students.
CLIMATE ISSUES
BC NDP
Premier David Eby recently adopted the Conservatives’ position on the consumer carbon tax, stating that the party would drop the tax “if the federal government decides to remove the legal backstop requiring [it].”
According to the federal NDP website, however, the party is still committed to stabilizing the global temperature rise to 1.5 C. The party also wants to continue supporting Indigenous-led nature conservation and climate planning efforts, by growing the Indigenous Guardians program and prioritizing the restoration of wild Pacific salmon populations in B.C.
BC Conservatives
The BC Conservatives continue to assert that they do not prioritize climate policies over affordability issues, with Rustad stating in an interview with Power and Politics that climate change is “not a crisis [or] existential threat.” The party supports scrapping the province’s current carbon tax, and instead “making infrastructure more resilient to climate-driven extreme weather.” Rustad also recently promised he would review how wildfires are being managed in B.C.
The Conservatives' website promises to “dramatically expand
B.C.’s natural gas production and LNG export facilities,” including the TMX, Coastal GasLink, and Northern Gateway projects.
BC Greens
The BC Greens are now the only one of three main parties that still support keeping the carbon tax. In a statement issued on Sept. 12, Furstenau said the price on carbon pollution should be “transparent and fair” and used to benefit people and communities, instead of “giving sweetheart deals to the oil and gas industry.”
The Greens also propose adopting the Clean Air Act, which is intended to safeguard communities from wildfires through air quality monitoring, expand access to portable air filters for indoor spaces during wildfires, and support prescribed and cultural burning to reduce wildfire intensity.
The party also announced a $100 million investment to create Water Stewardship Councils in every community across the province. The Greens say these councils would “empower communities to take control of their water management,” and “bring together First Nations, farmers, local governments, industry, and environmental groups to collaboratively manage water resources.”
This summary of each parties’ platforms is by no means exhaustive; and there are key issues beyond the ones included here that are important. So, if you’re a UVic student gearing up to vote, make sure you do your own research and watch for B.C. election related news as voting day fast approaches.
face a 4.4 per cent rise in unemployment
since last summer
Students struggle to find jobs; experts say fluctuation is normal
FERNANDA SOLORZA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
This summer, the unemployment rate for B.C. students aged 20 to 24 was 9.7 per cent. In summer of 2023, it was only 5.2 per cent. Students — including those at UVic — are starting to feel the effects of a tougher employment landscape, but if it’s any consolation, the dramatic change is within a normal range of historical fluctuation for Canada.
“[The 2024 unemployment rate] is not historically super bad when you are looking at an overall trend,” said Allison Benner, Associate Director of Career Services at UVic. “But that is not much comfort to you if the previous summer you found [a job] really easy.”
Justin Wiltshire, doctor of economics and UVic professor, points out that this decline is partially due to the unusually high number of youth who were working after the pandemic, when there was high demand to cover and fill positions. Now that social life is returning to “normal,” many
students are no longer needed to fill those roles.
“Workers should not expect that we will return to that state of affairs again any time soon,” Wiltshire told the Martlet in an emailed statement.
Benner continued that unemployment rates tend to be cyclical, and while a drop-off like the one B.C. saw in the last year is concerning, it is by no means unprecedented. In Canada in the 1950s, youth unemployment started low but rose significantly by the end of the decade. Unemployment then continued to fluctuate between five and 12 per cent, reaching its highest point in 1983 when nearly 20 per cent of young workers were unemployed. These patterns repeated after economic recessions in the early 1990s and again after 2008. While the numbers have been increasing overall, the cycle of rising and falling youth unemployment has been following a consistent pattern over the years.
“[Students] might not know that it has always been a challenge,”
said Benner. “The relatively steep increase from 2022/23 to August 2024 is what [students] will experience, both emotionally and practically.”
Benner explained that the current situation is an effect of the COVID19 pandemic. In 2020, Canada’s unemployment rate hit a historic high of 13.7 per cent. Now, things are starting to stabilize again. Data from 1966 to 2024 shows an annual average unemployment rate of 7.54 per cent in Canada.
In this context, 2024 has not been an especially difficult year for job searching, especially not for people living in B.C., which is among the provinces with a lower general unemployment rate, standing at 5.8 per cent as of August 2024. In comparison, Ontario has an unemployment rate of 7.1 per cent, Alberta’s unemployment rate is 7.7 per cent, and Nunavut has the highest unemployment rate, with an unemployment rate of 11.1 per cent.
“Unfortunately, it's worth reiterating that this labour market
is probably closer to normal than ‘difficult’ for youth,” said Dr. Wiltshire. “But fortunately it's also worth reiterating that things will get better for current students as they graduate and gain work experience.”
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, employment recovers more slowly than output after recessions, as employers remain uncertain about the permanence of increased demand and initially rely on their existing workforce. Recently, though, labor demand has grown faster than supply, tightening the labor market.
“I'm a student, with about a year of admin experience under my belt,” wrote user 1KindStranger in the VictoriaBC subreddit. “I'm working towards getting a [BA] in business. I work as a housekeeper at the moment because I have not for the life of me been able to get a call back for any kind of office work.”
Career Services at UVic offers a wide range of support for students
and alumni as they navigate the job market. Students can access one-on-one appointments, drop-in sessions at the library, workshops, and a new asynchronous course on Brightspace. This support doesn’t end at graduation, as Career Services continues to assist alumni with post-graduate support, providing guidance on job searches and career planning, regardless of graduation year.
“University allows you the opportunity to have a lot of access to free support,” said Karae White, Engineering and Computer Science Career Educator. “Your student fees are what actually pays my wage, so come use me. You paid for me.”
Finding work will require strategic planning and leveraging the available support. It is not easy, but with the right skills and preparation, UVic students can still thrive in this evolving job market.
UVic student awarded national medal in recognition of community contributions
'I didn't get here on my own,' says award winner
HANNAH LINK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Sophia Vaillant, a second year UVic business student, is the recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal, an esteemed award designated for outstanding contributors to their community.
Vaillant was nominated for the coronation medal by CourtenayComox MLA Ronna-Rae Leonard, who had connected with her when she won the TD Community Leadership Scholarship in 2023. Vaillant was one of 20 highschool graduates in Canada to receive the prestigious award, which is given annually to students who make a positive impact in their communities.
The medal was designed to commemorate the coronation of King Charles, which took place on May 6, 2023. Across Canada, 30 000 of these medals have been awarded, and the recipients were given the honour based on having made a significant contribution to the country.
Vaillant told the Martlet that her mom helped to make the ceremony for her medal a complete surprise. She said that she was told to dress nicely to take family photos at the Comox Marina for her grandpa’s birthday. Little did she know that her friends, family, and mentors would be waiting to watch her be presented with the award that commemorates
Community
years of contributions to her neighbourhood.
When she was in grade ten, Vaillant used her 3D printing knowledge to produce healthcare training equipment for the emergency department at Comox Valley Hospital. She spent months coordinating with the hospital to order specialized plastic filament and figuring out the tools she needed to produce the model, which was designed to look like a human trachea.
Staff would then use the model to practice a procedure where tubes are
placed in the windpipe to breathe on behalf of a patient. The project took Vaillant all summer to complete, and her ingenuity ultimately saved the hospital $12 000.
Vaillant’s other big high school project was the creation of Zenius Labs, a program for young students to work collaboratively on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) projects. Vaillant, who was enrolled in a hybrid robotics homeschooling program, felt that the competitive robotics teams didn’t match her desire for teamwork and
fights to save trees set to be removed from Centennial Square Petition grows as plans remain to redevelop the public area
HANNAH LINK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A petition to save trees in Centennial Square has garnered over 2 000 signatures following the City of Victoria's decision to remove them as part of a revitalization project.
The petition, created by Sasha Izard, a member of the Community Trees Matter Network, aims to prevent the removal of a sequoia and other adjacent trees which the city says cannot be salvaged during the construction of a new, multi-use gathering space.
The network says these trees are essential to community health and irreplaceable by new growth. Sequoia are one of the oldest living organisms on Earth and are labeled as endangered in their homeland of California and northern Oregon.
Council voted to approve this proposal in July, and another petition was formed and closed prior to the creation of Izard’s in late August.
Brooke Stark, the City of Victoria Assistant Director of Parks and Open Spaces, acknowledges the petition and its goals.
“We hear the concerns of the citizens very loud and clear,” she told the Martlet
“What’s important to understand is that council is moving forward on the redevelopment of Centennial Square, and there are some impacts and tradeoffs which they have evaluated,” she said, describing the project as a “strategic priority.”
She also said that the city consulted the public regarding the redevelopment, and that the project’s design team employed an arborist to
assess the condition of the tree. It was then decided that the trees would be removed so that the “goals of the project could be met and achieved,” she said.
Stark noted that the plans for redevelopment include the planting of new trees, which she says are suited to the space and designed to grow to maturity.
Ryan Senechal, an urban forestry professional and sessional lecturer at UBC is concerned about the removal of the trees.
In an interview with the Martlet, Senechal emphasized that the tree is in good health, but that the environment surrounding the square would make it difficult for the city’s proposed replacement trees to thrive.
“You have a tree that is adapted to the conditions it’s presently in — it’s working,” he said. “You’re not guaranteed to reproduce that and see a tree on the other side.”
There are mental, physical and public health benefits to urban trees, along with benefits to the biodiversity of the area, according to Senechal.
Senechal said that a tree as large as the sequoia has the ability to regulate temperature on a hot day by providing shade, but also through a process called evapotranspiration, which he explained happens when trees release stored moisture through their foliage.
Large trees can also prevent flooding by reducing runoff, he added, emphasizing that it would take years for the new proposed trees, assuming that they grow successfully, to produce the same effect as the ones slated for removal.
Ultimately, Senechal feels that the
city is devaluing its communities by prioritizing redevelopment.
“By severing the links between the community and the tree, we actually assign more value to other elements of the city, which are, by nature, hurting us in public health and mental health,” he said.
Ava Hagreen Leblond, secretary of UVic’s Environmental Sciences Student Association, has signed the petition.
“I’m really happy that they’ve got so many people who have signed on,” she told the Martlet. Hagreen Leblond recognizes that the city sees a benefit in redeveloping the square, but she feels that other options to keep the trees were not explored thoroughly enough.
creativity. Together with her mother, teacher, and homeschool parent advisory council, she developed Zenius as a way to give kids interested in STEAM a chance to succeed.
Zenius was incredibly popular, and Vaillant went on to tour the south island and the lower mainland delivering the program to other homeschooling communities as far away as Surrey.
Vaillant’s latest project is a TaylorSwift-themed fundraising event and concert ticket raffle.
She planned the event in
collaboration with the Lake Trail Community Education Society (LTCES), located in Courtenay, with the hopes of raising money for children’s programming like the ones she’s organized in the past.
Vaillant said she’d like this event to serve as a way for her to provide others with the opportunities that she says helped her to become the communityminded person she is today.
“I absolutely would not be where I am today — as articulate and confident in who I am today — if I hadn’t had community programming growing up,” said Vaillant. “I didn’t get here on my own,” she said.
The young changemaker credits her mother, best friends, and mentors in high school as the “foundation” that supported her throughout the ups and downs of being such a high achiever.
“It was hard for a really long time to keep up with the expectations I had set for myself,” she said, explaining that now she’s comfortable letting herself take breaks.
When she’s not inspiring young scientists and hosting fundraisers, Vaillant enjoys crocheting, sewing, and “goofing off with [her] friends.”
She says that the best thing students can do to spread awareness about issues like this is sharing information with people in their immediate circles.
“I think that’s the nature of some of these charismatic species — they cause a stir, they cause a conversation,” she added.
Petition organizers aim to present their signatures to council before construction of the square is set to begin in 2025.
Photo courtesy of Carissa Norsten.
Photo couresty of New Democrat BC Government Caucus.
Howie Richardson's pioneering climbing Now, the thriving Victoria climbing scene
ERIC KWAKERNAAK VOLUNTEER STAFF WRITER
It’s a Thursday evening at CragX climbing gym in Victoria, B.C. Located on one of the busiest streets in the downtown core, the gym’s floor to ceiling windows and colour-marked walls cut a dramatic figure in the dusk.
Almost every rope is occupied. Legions of climbers wait patiently for their turn on the lines while others sit, chat, and chalk up before trying their hand at the newest bouldering route. It’s a perfect glimpse into the Victoria climbing scene — a network that seems to never stop growing, and one I’ve been a part of for the last year, though it already seems like a lifetime.
My first experience climbing in Victoria was an introductory lesson at the CARSA Climbing Centre at UVic. There’s a small library tucked away to one side of the space with no more than fifteen or so books. One in particular grabbed my attention: Skaha Rock Climbs , a 250-page paperback guidebook authored by Howie Richardson. The cover features a lone man, sunglasses on, hat worn backwards, calmly clinging to the side of a rugged crag.
Richardson, now 80 years old, has spent more than half a century climbing and mountaineering. His journey started in Bristol, England, at a time when climbing was an unconventional sport.
“There weren’t many people climbing then,” Richardson tells me over Zoom, his gravelly voice crackling through my speakers. “I only knew one other climber, and I asked him if he ever took people out, and he said, ‘No.’”
Despite that initial setback, Richardson persevered. He found ways to immerse himself in the sport, first through the Loughborough University climbing club, and eventually through his almost twentyyear career as an Outward Bound instructor. Before long, he was travelling the globe and climbing in some of the most iconic and remote regions on earth — the Himalayas, Patagonia, and the Swiss Alps.
However, Richardson is best known for his establishment of Skaha Bluffs, an outdoor recreation capital in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley that
consistently ranks as one of the top climbing locales in Canada, and where Richardson recorded the first ever climb in 1987.
“I started purely selfishly,” says Richardson. “I was just looking for a place where I could go climbing.”
Richardson consistently dodges attempts to label him a trailblazer or a pioneer. But when the Bluffs first started to grow in popularity, Richardson was the central cog of the entire machine. He opened up his home to climbers from around B.C., who camped on his lawn before setting out to climb routes that he discovered and set.
He was also the first chairman of the Skaha Climbers Association, and when local hunting guides attempted to remove climbers from the area, he helped secure a deal with Mountain Equipment Co-op (now Mountain Equipment Company), who pitched in the first funds to buy access to the Crown land the Bluffs stand on.
Despite this, Richardson is reluctant to acknowledge the enormity of his influence.
“My biggest contribution, probably, was parking,” he says, matter-of-factly, of his hand in establishing the Skaha Bluffs car park in 2007.
Whereas Richardson has spent much of his life as a loyal Okanagan Valley climber, many Victoria natives feel similar pulls to their city as a thriving hub for the sport. Why do certain places emerge as nerve centres for climbing and mountaineering? Is it solely geography?
The appeal of climbing towns like Squamish, dominated by granite cliffs on every side, and Canmore, nestled among limestone bluffs and Rocky Mountain glaciers, is no mystery. These places boast world-class natural features that inherently draw in outdoor enthusiasts. But Victoria presents a more complex case. Why has it become so synonymous with climbing, despite lacking the dramatic and numerous outdoor routes that define other Canadian climbing epicentres?
For Richardson, it all comes down to the people — the cities and the community feeding into one another.
“It’s positive reinforcement in lots of ways,” he says. “Climbers are just amazing ... they're smart, entertaining, interesting people, and to not want to bring those people into your community would be kind of foolish to me.”
Climbing, at its core, necessitates collaboration. At least for beginners, the sport makes you inherently dependent on others. You cannot belay yourself. You need someone to anchor you, someone to guide you. At any given moment on the rock, you are quite literally putting your life into someone else’s hands, and when you trade roles, they are entrusting you with theirs.
It isn’t just an exercise in teamwork — it’s a shared responsibility that cuts deeper than the sport itself. The bond between climber and belayer transcends skill level, background, or personal differences. It’s a sport that requires community, even when it’s difficult, and fosters a culture of inclusivity that is rare in competitive sports.
Brandon Lowe and Jamie Borthwick, co-presidents of the UVic Climbing Club, echo this sentiment.
“I started climbing I felt welcomed,” Lowe was judging me. Everyone of there to help.”
Both Lowe and Borthwick recently, after practising competitive sports for and were struck immediately collectivism that makes When considering his moment, Lowe recounts surpassed the friend who him to the sport.
“I just felt that sense he remembers. “And he wasn’t upset. He was felt really good, and really In a university town culture of climbing particularly well with sense. Many of us have the first time. We’re intimidating environments. not fitting in or not palpable. And in a world feel fragmented, isolated, lonely, climbing can offer all that chaos. When the only thing that matters the rope, the next move to make.
“It’s a stress relief member Grace Decker. on the wall and nothing that was what compelled it.”
For some climbers, who first immigrated Malaysia seven years ago, a way to feel at home in
“I’ve been climbing Canada,” Homsi says. it’s made me make friends in the industry, in a the first way I started
As the current community CragX, Homsi knows better important it is to foster of acceptance.
“Our gym is more climbing oriented,” Homsi explains. the end, climbing is two to build this trust into And it’s obvious that has been working. On there’s a large space write their name and themselves, so that can find them and get The chalkboard is as I look around the but groups, working together puzzles of the walls. Individuals absorbed, something Gibb cites as one of his of the sport.
“I never feel like I am says Gibb as he belays. of climbers ... they’re
While climbers like Gibb highlight the inherent in the sport, remind me not to get Climbing is not without Richardson has had his misses and close calls unavoidable aspect of a sport that puts so much
“When I was at college, feet ... a couple of times,”
climbing career was his tether to community scene offers a similar promise
over at CragX, and Lowe explains. “No one Everyone was just kind
Borthwick found climbing practising other high level for most of their lives, immediately by the makes climbing unique. his favourite climbing recounts the day that he who first introduced of accomplishment,” for once in a sport, was proud, and it just really kept me on it.” town like Victoria, the seems to resonate with students. It makes have left our homes for entering new, often environments. The fear of making friends is world that can often isolated, or downright offer a reprieve from you’re on the rock, matters is the climb, move you’re planning for me,” says CragX Decker. “You can just focus nothing else ... and I think compelled me to keep doing
like Khaled Homsi, immigrated to Montreal from ago, climbing offered in a new environment. climbing since I came to says. “I like it because friends in the country, new city ... and it's finding jobs as well.” community manager at better than most how foster this environment climbing community explains. “Because, in two people. You need into the community.” that CragX’s approach On their chalkboard, where anyone can and a description of other solo climbers get together. practically full, and gym, I see nothing together to solve the Individuals have been something that climber Brett his favourite aspects am climbing alone,” belays. “The community all very inclusive.” Decker, Homsi, and sense of belonging Richardson’s stories get too sentimental. without its risks, and his fair share of near calls — perhaps an of a life dedicated to much on the line. college, I fell about 60 times,” Richardson tells
me. “Each time, I hit the ground just as the rope caught me on a piece of manky gear that was placed in a crack ... I was either going to die or I was going to be okay, and when I hit the ground, I realized I was okay.”
Richardson’s stories are those of a man who has lived three or four lives. He once hitchhiked from England to Kolkata on his way to Hong Kong, where he had been offered a job — a trek over 8 000 km long. He recounts the four years he spent researching Northwestern Crows on Mitlenatch Island for his PhD — entire summers on an islet less than half the size of UVic’s campus, equipped with nothing but a small wood cabin and no radio. Or once, being caught in a midnight avalanche in Patagonia with ice blocks the size of refrigerators raining down on him and his ice axes piercing into his side.
“Nobody knew where Patagonia was in those days ... we were hundreds of miles from any help with no phone or anything,” Richardson says. “So that was a bit grim.”
Richardson leaves me feeling like I should burn my laptop and replace it with a compass and a paper map. He makes me want to sell my TV and use the money to buy a good travelling pack. When he speaks, it is as if adventure is calling through the screen.
While Richardson is a climbing pioneer, he is by no means the only one. If you look back far enough, you can find individuals like him in almost every major climbing hub in B.C.
In Victoria, it was people like the legendary Jim Sandford, one of Canada’s most celebrated climbers, who grew up in Victoria and started bouldering at Fleming Beach. Climbers like Greg Foweraker, Peter Croft, and Hamish Fraser also frequented climbing spots in Victoria, and it was that same crew who would eventually help grow the climbing scene in Squamish in the late 1970s. But they never forgot their Island roots. And, like Richardson, they never stopped looking at climbing as a way to connect with others.
“I was essentially a college boy from Victoria who would parachute in for short intense periods of climbing,” Foweraker, a UVic alum, once said in an interview with Gripped magazine. “My best memories are the sense of mental and physical creativity, with the enormous level of fun that climbing gave us.”
Reflecting on my conversation with Richardson and the stories of climbers like Sandford and Foweraker, I am struck by the quiet power of those who build communities. They do not seek credit, yet their contributions shape the very fabric of the sport that so many of us have the privilege to enjoy. When new climbers hear about Richardson’s story, they are inspired to follow in his footsteps.
“I definitely want to stick with it, as long as my body allows me to,” says Jamie Borthwick, speaking amidst a busy crowd of other students. “And when my body doesn’t allow me to anymore, I will come support the climbing community like the mom that brings orange slices to soccer practice. I will be there.”
As the B.C. climbing scene continues to grow, it’s important to remember
the pioneers who laid its foundations. People like Sandford, Foweraker, and Richardson didn’t just open up new routes — they created spaces where people could come together, share experiences, and build structures that would endure long after they stopped climbing. And they were, in turn, gifted with memories that have lasted them a lifetime.
“Standing on the top of Mount Sir Donald with my sons, Robin and Tony, after we soloed up the classic southeast ridge” is Richardson’s favourite climbing memory.
“Just an awesome day, starting at dawn, and we just moved up there so, so easily, so steadily.... If there were other ones, they would all involve my family.”
Reflecting on the ways that climbing has impacted him, Richardson pauses for some time. His eventual answer is measured.
“Climbing changed my life,” he says, “because it took me to places that I would never have gone before.”
Sport is unique in that way. It can shape lives and rewrite histories. In Richardson’s case, it brought him to breathtaking pinnacles and remote places, but more importantly, it built a life of connection. First with the legion of climbers that slept outside his front door in the early days of the Bluffs, then with his family, and now with the countless newcomers who hope to follow in his footsteps — myself included.
Richardson reminds us that it isn’t just about the summits we reach; it’s about the people we trust to hold the rope, the friends who cheer us on, and the communities we build, one handhold at a time.
Photos courtesy of Howie Richardson.
Members of the UVic community should all learn to use naloxone It's one of the best tools we have to combat the overdose crisis — and training is easy
ETHAN BARKLEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Earlier this year, I attended one of UVic’s monthly naloxone training sessions held in the Student Wellness building. The sessions are a harmreduction resource to combat the ongoing overdose crisis.
Students and faculty members alike turned out for the session, which took a little over an hour. The nurses running the session didn’t assume any prior knowledge, and patiently explained how to identify different types of overdose, answered any questions we had, and then taught us how to administer naloxone via injection.
British Columbia first declared the overdose crisis a public health emergency in April 2016. Eight years later, more than 15 000 British Columbians have died as a result of toxic drug overdose.
According to the most recent statistics published by the provincial government, from July 2024, deaths due to overdose are estimated to be 6.2 per day.
While 2024 has seen an overall decrease in toxic drug-related deaths compared to 2023 — which saw a record-breaking 2 572 — the number is still far too high.
According to B.C. government statistics, 1 365 people have lost their lives this year as a result of toxic drug overdose.
Statistics like these can be
difficult to visualize in human terms, and the prospect of solving a systemic problem like the overdose crisis can seem totally out of our hands as individuals. Implementing proactive, evidence-based policies like safe supply and decriminalization, safe use, and expanding treatment options are critical if we hope to stop this crisis. However, there are also ways we can help on a smaller scale, as individuals, to prevent toxic drug-related deaths in our communities.
One of these options is being trained to use naloxone.
Naloxone is known as an opioid antagonist. Put simply, it temporarily reverses an opioid overdose by targeting the receptors in our brain that opioids affect and binding to them instead, preventing the opioid from taking effect.
Naloxone only works on opioid overdoses — it does not prevent overdoses on substances of other kinds, like cocaine or methamphetamine — but it is completely safe to use, whether the recipient has an opioid in their system or not.
Opioids — substances like fentanyl, heroin, morphine, and codeine — are strongly correlated with the overdose crisis in B.C.
Fentanyl was detected in 85 per cent of drug-related deaths in 2023, while other opioids were detected in around 20 per cent,
according to B.C. statistics.
Whether you personally know people who use opioids or not, learning to use naloxone makes sense. Overdoses can take place in any setting, and being prepared in the moment to take action can be the difference between life and death. You should always call first responders if you suspect someone is overdosing, but it’s rarely clear in the moment how long someone has been overdosing for. Administering naloxone in situations like these can buy crucial time until emergency services can arrive.
At UVic, one of the ways you can learn to administer naloxone is through on-campus training workshops, which are run about once a month by the UVSS in partnership with the Student Wellness Centre.
Another option is to book a private training session with a UVic nurse.
The training session I attended was the former option. Prior to the workshop, I was worried I would have to practice giving naloxone to a real person — one of the other attendees, or a nurse. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case. Nurses instead had us practice giving injections to a DIVA Cup, which is supposed to feel similar to giving a real injection.
This made the training significantly less stressful than I expected, though I do wish they
had advertised that fact up front.
Students like myself, who are made somewhat squeamish by needles, might be more inclined to attend if they knew they did not have to give another person an injection as part of the workshop.
At the end of the training session, we all received a free naloxone kit. While these kits are available for free at two locations in the Student Union Building (SUB) — the Harm Reduction Centre (SUB B002) and the Campus Pharmacy — the hands-on training from UVic nurses on how to use naloxone kits made the procedure feel approachable.
Kennedy Halwa, a fourth year creative writing student at UVic, and Piper Elliot, a second year music education student, also took naloxone training sessions offered by UVSS and Student Wellness over the summer.
Halwa said she was motivated to take the training in part by the tragic death of Sidney McIntyreStarko in January, as well as by a general sense that it was useful training to have.
“I wanted to make sure I had my naloxone training, so that should I ever be in that situation where I suspect someone is overdosing, then I can [do something],” she said.
Elliot told the Martlet about an experience they had in first year, where their bus driver stopped to
help somebody who was overdosing at a stop. This experience was part of their reason for taking a naloxone training session.
“I don’t know if he had naloxone,” said Elliot, “but if I had some at that point I could have said, ‘Hey, I have [this].’”
The overdose crisis impacts everyone, but as students and members of the UVic community, we may find ourselves more frequently in situations where substances are being used — parties, clubs, and concerts, to name a few. As such, we need to be prepared in case we find ourselves in a situation where someone is overdosing. Free naloxone training workshops, like the one I attended, are an incredible resource which all members of the UVic community can benefit from.
Join local disc wizards this semester in ultimate frisbee Intramural sports are the ultimate place to meet people this semester
COOPER ANDERSON VOLUNTEER STAFF WRITER
Ultimate frisbee might just be UVic’s quirkiest sport. From now until Nov. 19, join teams like the “Disc Wizards,” “Whiskey Discs,” and “Masters of Disc-guise” in a semester of no-experience-required ultimate frisbee on campus.
Ultimate frisbee runs from Sept. 17 until Dec. 20, with all activities taking place on UVic’s campus fields and gyms.
The Recreational Division meets on Tuesdays from 6:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m., and the Advanced Division meets at the same time on Thursday nights. Sign up online at vikesrec.ca to make sure you get
to the first few practices.
Do you have a band of ultimate-hungry friends, consisting of at least seven members? If you’d rather spend your $40 entrance fee on starting your own group rather than joining one, invite all of your friends and create your dream team. You can even assign yourself a quirky team name, following in the footsteps of other students on teams like “Beaters inc.,” “The Disctators,” and “Pull n Pray.”
UVic intramural sports offers a wealth of different casual team opportunities this semester, including hockey, basketball, softball, pickleball, volleyball, and soccer. Intramural sports at UVic are open to UVic students and staff, alumni, and even community members. UVic’s
intramural program is one of the largest within B.C.’s post-secondary institutions, and offers activities to anyone on or off campus.
Intramurals at UVic are proudly accepting of all ages, gender identities, and skill-levels, which helps to create a stronger community on campus, according to the Vikes website. Intramurals are a great choice for incoming or returning students who are looking to meet new people, stay active, pick up a new sport, or simply just take a break from classes to get outside once a week.
This year, many of UVic’s popular intramural sports are offering two “tiers” within their programs rather than just
one, so don’t worry if you don’t have sports experience. If you’re looking for community-building and a place to make friends while never having played ultimate frisbee before, join the Recreational Division where students can “[enjoy] the game without the pressure of high-stakes competition,” according to the Vikes Intramurals website.
However, if you do happen to be a master of the disc, the Advanced Division is perfect for athletes who “have a strong background in the sport and are looking for a challenging and competitive atmosphere.” In ultimate frisbee, both tiers are “open” rather than co-rec, creating a safe environment where students of all gender identities can
This fall, give the Victoria Royals a chance
participate.
Ultimate frisbee is certifiably one of UVic’s most well-loved sports — there is also a club league in addition to the multiple tiers of intramural leagues. The club league began in 2005, making it much older than the more recent intramural leagues, and both the women’s and men’s teams tour the west coast participating in tournaments at elite universities such as Stanford and UC Santa Barbara.
So, if you are at all interested in ultimate frisbee, there is almost guaranteed to be an option at UVic that is catered to your skill level. Now get out there and start slingin’ discs!
The WHI, hockey team looks toward a vibrant season — and hopefully a larger student audience
ALEISHA WOODMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Victoria’s hockey team, the Royals, started their season last weekend with a win and a loss in two games against the Tri-City Americans at the Save-onFoods Memorial Center.
After a disappointing first-round exit last season in the team’s first playoff appearance since 2020, the Royals’ management is looking forward to a more successful year with support from a key demographic in Victoria — UVic students.
“Community is one of [the] pillars of the organization,” said Kurtis Fischer, Royals manager of fan experience, in an interview with the Martlet. The team has a strong base of older fans, but Fischer is working to make Royals games one of the
go-to activities for younger Victoria residents. “We’re really trying to encourage students to come out to games.”
Unfortunately, many UVic students do not know about the Royals.
“I had really not heard anything about them as a UVic student,” said fourth year student Hannah Penner. Penner, a lifelong hockey fan, wants to start a Vancouver Canucks fan club on campus, but knows little about Victoria’s team. “I’ve seen signs that say ‘Victoria Royals,’ but I didn’t really know what league they were in,” she said.
The Royals play in the Western Hockey League (WHL), a major junior-level league consisting of players aged 20 and under in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the western United States.
Many WHL players consider their time in the league a stepping stone on their way to the NHL, so Royals games give fans a
chance to catch tomorrow’s stars while they’re still rising.
In the 2024 NHL draft, five of the top 20 first round picks came from the WHL — more than any other development league internationally. The list of famous WHL alumni includes retired Calgary Flames superstar Jarome Iginla, Vancouver Canucks legend Trevor Linden, and current Chicago Blackhawks phenomenon Connor Bedard.
“[He] came through town a couple years ago with Regina,” said Kurtis Fischer, referring to a game Bedard played against the Royals in 2022, months before being drafted first overall. “We have players that are projected to be NHLers one day, so you can see them at the ground floor.”
Since WHL players are young, the hockey is exciting, but also offers a sense of relatability to UVic students. Fischer
hopes students will want to come to games to watch their peers.
“Our [players] are 16-20,” he said. “There’s overlap.”
According to Penner, one reason for students’ unawareness of the Royals is that there seems to be little discussion about the team at UVic. “It’s just not talked about,” she said.
Despite the lack of conversation on campus, some UVic students are regular attendees of Royals games.
“[Games] are really fun when I go,” said fourth year student Sarah Keegan, who has attended a few games. “For students it’s really nice because it’s a relatively inexpensive activity.”
The lowest price for a Royals ticket is $13, making it a more affordable alternative for those who may not want to pay the $115 starting price to sit in the nosebleeds
at a Friday night Canucks game.
This year, the Royals plan on being proactive in getting more students interested in the team.
“One thing I want to do this year is some sort of student night,” said Kurtis Fischer. His plans may include operating a shuttle from UVic to the arena for a game, and partnering with local businesses to offer discounts for the night to students with tickets.
“We want to bring in students and young people who are going to bring the energy and bring up the atmosphere inside the arena,” he said.
If you’re looking for an indoor event to kick off the fall/winter season, find tickets and more information about the team on the Royals’ website.
Women's rugby is UVic's next varsity dynasty
'We're playing the most exciting rugby we ever have'
PAUL VOLL SENIOR STAFF WRITER
If you didn’t know, Vikes Women’s Rugby is currently in beast-mode. Their quick start to the 2024 season — an opening win over rival UBC, followed by back-to-back blowouts against Lethbridge and Calgary — is continuing their momentum after last year’s runner-up finish at the national U Sports championships. But the program’s recent ascent to success has been building for much longer.
Brittany Waters, now in her tenth season as head coach for Vikes women’s rugby, said the program began prioritizing team culture three seasons ago, and the change is showing dividends on and off the pitch.
Like most modern-day teams or organizations, Vikes women’s rugby has a list of values: connection, dedication, respect, passion, and trust. But fostering culture within a group, regardless of the buzz words painted on a locker room wall, begins with relationships, said Waters.
“Time spent together, enjoying each other as people, more than just athletes, has been really important,” said Waters. The program has allocated more funding toward team events and meals in recent years, with the goal of fostering those relationships and trust between Vikes players and staff.
Waters — a Vikes rugby player herself, earning U Sports All-Canadian honors in 2005 — is also impressed with the way veteran Vikes players take care of the rookies on the team.
Vikes rookie wing Maya Addai said she didn’t know what to expect after transferring from Carleton University to play her fifth and final collegiate season at UVic this fall. But Addai said the Vikes’ rookie-vet system made her feel supported in the transition.
“Even if you're shy or nervous [about asking a question], there is someone on this team who always has an answer,” said Addai
While Addai is technically a Vikes rookie, she is also part of an injection of high-end skill that was added to this season’s roster. Addai, along with Vanessa Chiappetta and Angie Olukunmi, transferred to UVic to play for the Vikes this season after training in the summer with the Maple Leaf Academy — a development program for the national senior women’s team.
The Academy is located at the Rugby Canada headquarters in Langford, which has helped UVic draw high-end recruits in recent years, said Waters.
Part of the attraction for players like Addai, Chiappetta, Olukunmi, and Team Canada Rugby 7s silver medalist Carissa Norsten, is that they can take part in national development training in Langford while still playing for the Vikes and attending UVic.
For Vikes fans, though, the bonus is getting to watch elite rugby players — with national team and Olympics aspirations (even Olympic experience) — play up close and personal for their school.
“That's definitely a shift from when I was a rookie here. There was a hierarchy, and you had to make your way up. [It was] more fear based, and that's something we've eradicated. I want everyone to feel safe and supported . . . that's how we're going to be the best version of ourselves.”
The caveat of the Vikes carrying players
affiliated with Rugby Canada is that sometimes, the athletes are withheld from being released for Vikes games. This was the case for the four players previously mentioned, who were taking part in a national camp when the Vikes hosted Lethbridge on Sept. 12.
But Waters sees these instances as important opportunities to give other players a chance to play.
“Creating depth and making sure that a lot of players are ready to go has been our MO for a long time,” said Waters.
An example of Waters’ case in point came last season when, due to an injury, fly half Hadley MacPherson — who’d only started one game of Vikes’ regular season play — was flown out to join the Vikes in Quebec City for nationals. MacPherson then started in the all-important gold medal match versus Laval.
Four Vikes players made their debut in the win against Lethbridge on Sept. 12. All seven try-scorers for the Vikes recorded their first tries of the season, including freshman Ivy Poetker, who scored not one but two — resulting in a raucous eruption of cheers from the Vikes players’ sideline.
The lopsided win against Lethbridge, with many of the Vikes' most experienced players not playing, shows the depth of skill this team currently has throughout their roster.
“We’re playing the most exciting rugby we ever have,” said Waters, who acknowledged the team’s sights are set, once again, on a national championship.
The Vikes have outscored their opponents 131–36 through three matches.
Looking ahead, fourth year prop Soleil Brooks said she expects a physical match up in the Vikes’ next home game versus Calgary on Sept. 29.
“Alberta teams are always tough . . . similar to a lot of the teams out east, just a different style of rugby, so it tests our skills a little bit,” said Brooks. “It's hard physically when they're punching up the middle and just want to smash rather than play it out wide. It's a different stylistic matchup.”
While some teams rely on what Brooks refers to as “rugby by erosion” — a physical strategy of offensive play that aims to wear opponents down by initiating contact — she says that the Vikes’ brand of rugby
by
leans more toward speed and creativity. Because the Vikes’ forward group, which is typically the bigger players on a rugby team, is so mobile, it allows the team to play a kicking style of game, which focuses on moving the ball down the field quickly through the air and relying on their speed to retrieve it.
“It was something that really helped us last year,” said Brooks. “We're a very defensive-focused team, so if we can put pressure on [the other team] and get the ball back through defense, I think that's something that we really value.”
With only one more opportunity to see the Vikes play at Wallace Field before they leave for the Canada West Championships in Calgary and nationals in Charlottetown, PEI, Brooks said any support from UVic students at their games “means the world” to them.
“It's been a big year for women's sports in general, and I just think the more we support women’s sports the better.”
The Vikes women’s rugby team’s next game is on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1:00 p.m. Tickets can be found on the Vikes website.
Photo
Paul Voll.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
'Eyes of the Beast' explores devasting consequences of climate disasters
The testimony-driven play is a masterclass in the power of empathy
BRIANNA BOCK VOLUNTEER STAFF WRITER
In late June 2021, 619 deaths were attributed directly to the western heat dome that settled over much of B.C.
In the same month, the town of Lytton burned to the ground after breaking record high heat in B.C. for three days straight, reaching 49.6 C at its peak. Three years later, the town has yet to be rebuilt.
In November 2021, an atmospheric river triggered fatal mudslides and floods that resulted in critical damage to highways, homes, businesses, and agriculture in southern B.C.
When faced with climate disasters as devastating as these, it can be difficult to conceptualize the actual lived experience of the disaster survivors behind the statistics. Eyes of the Beast: Climate Change Disaster Survivor Stories , a Neworld Theatre Production in association with the University of Victoria’s Department of Theatre, offers insight into the tangible, human toll behind these tragic events — which are caused or exacerbated by the effects of climate change.
Eyes of the Beast is adapted from the work of the Climate Disaster Project, an international teaching newsroom based at the University of Victoria that shares the stories of those affected by climate change, founded by Sean Holman. The play, directed by Chelsea Haberlin, considered over 200 testimonials from the Climate Disaster Project, and brought a number of them to the stage at UVic’s own Phoenix Theatre.
Each story is introduced with a projection of the person whose real-life testimony was being portrayed, and followed up with performances by a cast of four who play multiple roles each.
The direction is simple, but extremely effective. The minimalistic set dressing allows for intimacy and directness in the telling of each story. Subtle
effects — such as haze during a story of the Lytton disaster combined with projected cellphone footage of a survivor driving through smoke — drag the audience directly into the scene, entrusting them with the full emotional weight of what it means to have survived these climate disasters.
Eyes of the Beast is structured around four main testimonials: Edith from Lytton, Dian from just outside of Princeton, Carter from Victoria, and an Anonymous source from the Fraser Valley. Through these stories, other testimonials of survivors who faced the same or similar climate disasters naturally branched out to cast a wide net. Through this structure, the play emphasized just how broadly these climate disasters affect people.
In one testimony, a survivor recounts the apologue about the boiled crab who, dying a slow death in gradually heating water, never notices that it’s dying. But, he says, “We don’t speak crab. What if it is screaming?”
Recalling the day during the western B.C. heat dome when his own internal temperature rose to unbearable heights, the survivor, staring up at a spotlight, cries, “I’m boiling alive.”
One man sought refuge in a tunnel while the Lytton fire raged around him. A woman's car was picked up by the flooding Fraser River with her still inside it. Another survivor travelled industrial Vancouver streets monitoring the health and wellness of sex workers during the heat dome. Each individual story builds on the last to impart the true breadth of the effects of each climate disaster. The folks whose stories were shared in the play reflect the actual demographics of those who are affected by climate disasters — which is, of course, all of us. Through the trauma, heartache, and humour of the show — which depicts some of the most dramatic days of its subjects’ lives — it never feels like the point of the
On his new record Wild God, Nick Cave’s melancholy is transfigured into joy. In order to fully comprehend the self-mythical madness of Wild God, one must first understand its place as an end-point in a trilogy of records charting Cave’s grieving process following the sudden death of his 15-year-old son, Arthur, in 2015.
The centrepiece of the record, “Joy,” begins with the wistful piano and ambient textures of Cave’s 2019 album Ghosteen, before introducing a hymnal trumpet part that seems to represent the heavenly presence of his late son. He opens the song without beating around the bush: “I woke up this morning with the blues all around my head; I felt someone in my family was dead.”
show is to shock the audience. Through first-person testimonials, the audience learns about the lives and personalities of these disaster survivors first, and their often-traumatic experiences second.
The play highlights the unimaginable losses associated with fire, flood, and extreme heat — but more importantly, that these are real stories from real people, people who lost everything in an instant. They had lives before, which they continue to live, however differently, after. A student reaches out to Edith and tells her it’s going to be okay. Dian moves into a trailer after losing everything but her memories. Carter’s mother spends days by his side nursing him back to health after he suffers heat stroke.
The focus of this production is not tragedy, it’s humanity. And the ethos of Eyes of the Beast is not shock. It’s empathy.
Eyes of the Beast is also clear that the testimonies it presents aren’t isolated incidents, nor are they uncommon. These few stories were chosen from a catalogue of hundreds of devastating experiences with climate disasters. Eyes of the Beast says: these disasters happened, these are the people who lived through them, and every day, others face similar horrors.
Cave is visited by Arthur, in the form of a gargantuan “flaming boy” with “giant sneakers.” He begs the figure for mercy, as his vocal delivery swings further and further from beat, before this haunted figure offers him relief: "We’ve all had too much sorrow, now is the time for joy." A choir joins the song, as the trumpets’ angelic but melancholic noodling is remediated into joy. “Joy” is a choice Cave is finally allowed to make.
Arthur’s passing haunts the avant-garde darkness of Cave’s 2016 album Skeleton Tree — which was in production at the time of Arthur’s passing — while 2019’s minimalist masterpiece Ghosteen is a grief-stricken eulogy of scriptural proportion. While Cave is never one to shy away from biblical platitudes and affected melodrama, the tragedy of his son’s death richly bolsters his alienating, hypermasculine, histrionic yet literary songwriting.
On his earlier records, Cave revealed a falsetto when he stripped away the stadium-ready arrangements he’s thrived on for the past two decades. The effect, in Ghosteen, was that the record evoked more than empathy; it evoked grief in totality. It makes the insertion of oneself into the records seem pointless in the face of Cave’s epic grief.
After the release of Ghosteen, it seemed that Cave, who once yelped gothic bluesrocky poems of blowjobs, blasphemy, and Byron over industrial noise, had evolved
into an artist of distinct vulnerability in exchange for his bombast — and in exchange for his late son.
But, five years after Ghosteen, Cave has found harmony with the ghost that haunts him. On Wild God, Cave finally turns his epic melancholy into a new polytheistic joy — not to be confused with happiness (as he wrote on his blog, Red Hand Diaries #298). Wild God is filled with pomp, passion, rock and roll, and an ageless artistic spark; not without abandoning the carnage that made his previous two records with the Bad Seeds so markedly powerful.
From the outset, “Song of the Lake” hits with the off-kilter vivacity his best songs are known for; like a late-era Scott Walker crooning over Suicide instrumentals arranged by a stoned George Martin. The moody ambient synths of Ghosteen are upgraded into full-on orchestra sounds. Cave, who’s active touring life was curtailed by tragedy and pandemic, has carved out a sound begging to be played live with the Bad Seeds in full-band formation.
“Nevermind, nevermind,” he refrains throughout an interpolation of “Humpty Dumpty” — both unsure whether he’ll ever be put back together and blasé about whether a rebuilt self is even worth pursuing. He’s gonna deliver his off-beat punk-tenor through a dazzlingly massive art rock song, regardless.
As much as Wild God is a triumphant ascension from the abyss, it does not want the faithful listener to forget its context, even if throwback Abattoir Blues-esque single like “Frogs” suggest otherwise.
Wild God is not as cathartic as Ghosteen nor as chilling and prophetic as Skeleton Tree, and veers much closer to the cryptic ballads and gothic gospel rock of his earlier catalogue. But Cave refuses to return to form outright, instead offering listeners a window into a hopeful after-part; not acceptance, per se, but coexistence with calamity — allowing the pain and euphoria of the past to blur together.
Not many artists are gifted with such strong late-period work. Cave, however, has always been as brash as a disenfranchised teenager with the wisdom of a bookish elder. Now, on Wild God, he uses his wisdom and provocative ways to express something open-hearted, vulnerable, universally human and, finally, joyous once again.
Photo via University of Victoria.
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