The Cascade Vol.26 Issue 24

OCTOBER 10 TO OCTOBER 17, 2018

VOLUME 26 ISSUE 24

The hooey hoo cod flaps since 1993

Candidate

Interviews

& Profiles pg. 9-13

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

VOL. 26 // ISSUE 24

Production Assistant Renée Campbell renee@ufvcascade.ca

Opinion Editor Jeff Mijo-Burch jeff@ufvcascade.ca

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca

Features Editor Jen Klassen jen@ufvcascade.ca

Multimedia Editor Mikaela Collins mikaela@ufvcascade.ca Social Media Writer Laurel Logan laurel@ufvcascade.ca Social Media Coordinator Anjuman Grewal anjuman@ufvcascade.ca

Culture & Events Editor Cassie de Jong cassie@ufvcascade.ca Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca Online Editor Jeff Mijo-Burch jeff@ufvcascade.ca

Illustrator Kayt Hine kayt@ufvcascade.ca

Sports Writer Alexander Jesus alexander@ufvcascade.ca

Illustrator Simer Haer simer@ufvcascade.ca

Staff Writer Emmaline Spencer emmaline@ufvcascade.ca Staff Writer Aleister Gwynne aleister@ufvcascade.ca

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Elliot Baye Cover Artwork: Kayt Hine Back Cover: Us

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/UFVCASCADE Volume 26 · Issue 24 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. This means that The Cascade is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley.

The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, and is overseen by the Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a print circulation of 1,000 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.

The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor. Writers meetings are held every Monday at 2:00 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus.

In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved

by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief, copy editor, and corresponding section editor. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous content. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 200 words. As The Cascade is an autonomous student publication, opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, The Cascade’s staff and collective, or associated members.

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OPINION

Jr. News Editor Edina Balint edina@ufvcascade.ca

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6 Pages

9-13 ARTS

Production Manager Caleb Campbell caleb@ufvcascade.ca

NEWS

News Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

CONTENTS

FEATURE

Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca

Managing Editor Cat Friesen cat@ufvcascade.ca

SPORTS

Editor-in-Chief Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

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15 Snapshots.......8

16.......Study Break

Events Calendar.......14

18.......CIVL Shuffle

NEWS Joanne MacLean's first town hall.......3

4.......New NSO strategy

Town hall Q&A.......4

OPINION Editorial: GET VOTIN'.......5

6.......Student Unions

Cannabis Legalization.......6

8.......Copyright changes

CULTURE

SPORTS UFV Golf Sr. Captain Q&A.......15

17.......UFV Blood Drive

UFV Cascades Scores.......15

ARTS Shadow Steps Album Review.......18

19.......Q&A with The Sylvia Platters and Stephen Carl O'Shea

news@ufvcascade.ca Jessica Barclay — News Editor

OCTOBER 10, 2018

NEWS

Town Hall Announcements //

NEWS BRIEFS

shíshálh Nation and BC government sign ‘historical’ agreement

UFV president reimagines traditional UFV values at first town hall

The self governing shíshálh Nation on the Sunshine Coast and the B.C. government have signed a reconciliation agreement that will pave the way for shared decision making on the use of land in the shíshálh Nation. As part of the agreement, the B.C. government will transfer $5.5 million for the purchase of three parcels of crown land adjacent to the shíshálh Nation, to be used for cultural and economic purposed.

"This is a completely new model for true reconciliation in British Columbia. [It] pushes past the obstacles that have caused massive delays, conflict and contention in the past," shíshálh Chief Warren Paull said.

-CBC News

B.C. premier will debate on electoral reform B.C. Premier John Horgan has agreed to debate B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson on electoral reform.

“Wilkinson called for a one-onone debate after his summer tour of the province found many people aren’t even aware a referendum is happening,” reported Abbotsford News.

Horgan has been campaigning over the last several months in favor of proportional representation, encouraging British Columbians to “take a leap of faith” on a new system, with the Liberal leader firmly opposing electoral reform. The debate, if agreed upon, would occur after the completion of municipal elections, but no official date or location has been announced, as of publication.

-Abbotsford News

Abbotsford Town Hall meeting. (Edina Balint/ The Cascade)

EDINA BALINT

JR. NEWS EDITOR

UFV president, Joanne MacLean held her first town hall meeting on Oct. 2, 2018. The initial question period was followed by two announcements: the launch of a strategic planning initiative to create a new, more concise, easily-articulated mission statement for the university and the creation of a new position in the president's office.

Instead of an extensive strategic planning overhaul, as MacLean said often occurs with the installation of a new president, it was announced that the university will instead engage in a several-months-long strategic planning as a collective university body. The goal will be to revitalize the vision statement of the university from the feedback of the UFV community, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the Fra-

ser Valley community with connections to UFV. “I’m inviting your participation in us reestablishing and revitalizing the foundational statements around what it is we do and where it is we’re trying to go, and how we’re going to get there,” MacLean said at the town hall.

The statements formed by the community will aim to be short, concise ones that MacLean hopes will clearly convey UFV’s long-term plans and direction, to be used daily by those at UFV and be front and centre of UFV marketing and communication materials.

“My dream is to walk the campuses and to engage people and say ‘What is our vision and what are we here to do in the long term?’ and for someone to be able to say respond [with the statement],’” said MacLean.

Engagement with the community for the creation of these new statements will

begin in several weeks, and MacLean hopes they will be complete as early as December of this year.

The second announcement was the introduction of a new position in the president's office: special advisor to the president. The position will be filled by Dr. Eric Davis, who will step down from his current position as provost and vice-president academic at UFV to fill this new role, beginning on Sept.

1, 2019.

The new role will mainly be responsible for leading major projects relating to the hiring and retention of a diverse array of staff and faculty at UFV, according to MacLean. The first project will involve the recruitment and retention of Indigenous faculty and staff, including the creation of new positions and the hiring of new Indigenous faculty.

“This is becoming a major priority of Canadian universities, partly in response

to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and partly as a result of recognizing the historical and ethical obligations of universities to right the wrongs of Canadian colonialism in the area of education," Davis said over email.

“I’ve chosen Eric because he is somebody who is integrated into the entire university, he has been here a long time, he’s really passionate about UFV and knows it well, and is also very knowledgeable and very well respected in the local Indigenous communities,” said MacLean.

Davis has worked at the university for 26 years, after initially being hired as a faculty member in the history department in 1992. As provost and vice-president academic since 2009 he has helped "build the structures, systems and culture that being a university requires."

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NEWS

VOL. 26 // ISSUE 24

New Students //

Student Life develops a new NSO strategic plan EDINA BALINT

JR. NEWS EDITOR

Student Life is in the process of developing a renewed New Student Orientation (NSO) plan for the UFV community. The plan will provide a framework centred on learning outcomes and strategic goals that will guide future orientation programming at UFV. The process of drafting the new NSO strategic plan was started because UFV is currently working towards cohesive orientation events that involve all sections of the university. The strategic goals to be addressed at UFV are community, health and wellness, diversity and inclusion, and collaboration.

“The draft plan was developed by the OSP Committee, which includes representatives from units in the university which have early contact with new-toUFV students, such as UFV International, Recruitment, Academic Advising, Office of the Registrar (OReg), and the Centre for Accessibility Services (CAS),” Belinda Karsen, coordinator of student transition and engagement at Student Life, said over email. “SUS was invited to serve on the committee, but declined.”

Student Life hopes to finalize the direction of the strategic plan this fall semes-

ter, and to begin to implement some of its principles in the upcoming winter semester. NSO events will begin in September 2019.

The next stage, the implementation of the guiding principles, will take place over the winter semester. Student Life will collaborate with the SUS and UFV International in undertaking this new initiative.

UFV’s current NSO programming includes events such as the August campus tours, U-Join, and department welcome sessions. Karsen noted that there is consistent student interest in clubs and associations as well as the campus tours, so it is very likely that the all-welcome events from previous years will stick around.

A series of consultations are taking place around campus to gather student and faculty feedback on the current strategic plan. Online forms are available for students to give feedback on the current NSO, and Student Life will be going to department meetings and academic areas, consulting faculty about their suggestions for the NSO strategic plan. There have been four open houses so far with the purpose of collecting student feedback for the new NSO strategic plan.

In terms of recurrent feedback, Karsen said that there was a demand for transi-

UFV Orientation. (UFV Flickr)

tion programming which helps people settle into university life beyond the first year. Other suggestions included soliciting more involvement from the faculty and incorporating ongoing co-curricular programming for second- and third-year students.

The current online component of the NSO strategy will remain, since accessibility is one of the strategic areas that Stu-

dent Life claims must be met. For people who can’t attend in-person events, they will still be able to access orientation remotely; however, the actual content of the online orientation may be revised to align with some of the recommendations from the community.

Town Hall Q&A //

Long-term vision, short-term problems UFV town hall addresses questions on underfunding and underrepresentation ALEISTER GWYNNE STAFF WRITER

& EDINA BALINT JR. NEWS EDITOR

UFV’s president and vice chancellor Dr. Joanne MacLean held a town hall meeting at each of UFV’s two main campuses, first in Abbotsford and later in Chilliwack, on Oct. 2, 2018. The purpose of the town hall was to answer questions from the attendees and announce UFV’s plans moving forward.

The hour-long session began with a question and answer period, wherein the president addressed questions that had been submitted beforehand, as well as ones from the audience.

During the question period, several questions were raised concerning areas of UFV being short staffed. The IT and health & safety departments were both said to hold important vacancies.

It was also mentioned that Chilliwack campus does not have an occupational health & safety officer, which is required by law, and currently does not meet OHS standards.

MacLean responded to these queries by saying that several new staff positions have been opened, but so far, they have had

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trouble finding people able and willing to fill them.

Similarly, one audience member voiced concern over the groundskeeping department, saying that it is short-staffed and underfunded, resulting in the campus becoming unkempt and run-down. They expressed embarrassment when showing visitors around, saying that it puts a bad face on the institution.

MacLean responded that this is a problem that needs to be dealt with, including assessing where resources are being allocated and who is responsible for this area.

“We need to deal with it,” MacLean said. “I would say to you what comes to mind to me is be a part of the solution. If you see things that need to be fixed or changed or you see a spelling mistake on something or if you see garbage somewhere ... then let’s bring it forward and let’s talk to people about it and let’s try to change it.”

Another series of questions was raised by those running the Race Antiracism Network (RAN) at UFV concerning an Employment Systems Review conducted in 2010. The questions concerned diversification, hiring practices, and accountability surround-

ing recommendations that were made in this report and how it was going to be unpacked and accessed, and what sort of action she would take on the recommendations.

MacLean was unable to address the question fully at the town hall due to the extensive nature of the report, but promised she would be engaging directly with those who posed the question.

“The short answer to this question is that yes, I am going to be looking at these reports and engaging with our folks in HR and the provost's office and others in terms of where we are,” MacLean said. “I think there are things within these recommendations that we have achieved or are working towards and there are areas that still require a lot of concerted effort.”

Insufficient funding for the applied and technical studies was another point that was raised. Currently, there is a budget model in which resources are split among departments based on student enrollment. However, the 22 per cent increase in the cost of steel and expensive machinery used in the trades that have a limited life span require extra funding, which has not yet

been accounted for.

MacLean acknowledged this problem and stated that she will be working closely with the finance department to come up with solutions, and the budget model is being reviewed for possible areas to “tweak.”

MacLean confirmed that negotiations are still ongoing for the purchase of a new building at the Trades and Technology Centre in Chilliwack. She hopes the purchase can be finalized within the next few months, citing complexities in negotiating with the provincial and federal governments, as well as engaging in conversation with local First Nations as reasons for the delay.

The university will continue to strive to be part of environmental leadership under MacLean, looking for ways to continue what is already being done, such as carpooling and the addition of electric vehicle charging stations, and to educate those at UFV and in the local community.

"It’s all of our jobs to make this a priority, and it's probably incremental change and incentivization that will help us to move forward," MacLean said.

In terms of government funding for post-secondary institutions, MacLean noted that there

will be more targeted spending from the provincial government but universities will not necessarily receive more money to invest in education.

"There are priorities that are amongst the ministries and amongst the government more generally in Indigenization and a variety of different areas in terms of economic growth. That will be parts of the areas which they are looking to invest in," MacLean said.

When questioned about the university’s relationship with the SUS, and the effects of the Canoe closing on both faculty and students, MacLean asserted that the universities relationship with the SUS is a strong one, and there is open communication between the SUS and the university.

“The student union has a particular take on their activities within the building, and what they’re looking to achieve and I think we’ve got to come to a place where we can understand what it is their looking to do and mesh it in a reasonable way with what we’re looking to do,” said MacLean.

OPINION

opinion@ufvcascade.ca Jeff Mijo-Burch — News Editor

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2018

Editorial //

You should vote Yeah, you.

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

General voting day is Oct. 20. That’s what you need to know.

But you should consider what Edwin Godkin, journalist and founder of The Nation wrote about in “The Problems of Municipal Government”: that the enemy the public contends with are those whom it elects — those whom it could avoid electing and, generally speaking, those whom the majority of voters are opposed to.

In 2014, the last municipal election, 25.6 per cent of Chilliwack’s population voted. Mayor Sharon Gaetz received 68.4 per cent of that vote, meaning, 17 per cent of Chilliwack voiced support for the city’s incumbent mayor.

Similarly in 2014, 35.1 per cent of Abbotsford voted. That equates to roughly 47,000 people, out of Abbotsford’s population of 140,000. Mayor Henry Braun beat Bruce Banman by 0.8 per cent — less than 600 votes.

“The point to which I wish to draw your attention is, however, that these rulers, such as you see them, enjoy their power through the votes of a minority of the population,” Godkin writes.

Originally published in 1894, the sentiment hasn’t much faded.

This is to say that you should vote.

UFV students could very likely turn the vote. There’s a massive chunk of voters, made of diverse groups, who don’t seem interested in participating in the municipal process. It would be great if that changed.

The municipal level of government

garners the least amount of public interest despite it forming the closest relationship with citizens. Their purview includes water and sewer utilities; garbage and recycling removal; road infrastructure maintenance, including snow removal and street lighting; fire prevention/suppression; municipal parks; land use planning and regulating; and bylaw maintenance and enforcement.

In British Columbia, municipalities are defined by the Local Government Act and Community Charter. Municipal governments are made up of a mayor and council. Municipal staff fulfill the duty of putting policy into action. They work in community development, planning, engineering, recreation, parks, and culture.

This week’s feature in The Cascade is a series of interviews with mayoral candidates for both Abbotsford and Chilliwack. The intent is to provide a platform for all candidates to voice their intentions and opinions on several key topics.

In most municipalities, you’ll vote for a mayor and councilors. Their office is held for a four-year terms. The Cascade avoids endorsing candidates in all elections, but we do encourage our readership to consider themselves participants in municipal and civic concerns.

Interested in voting? You must be 18 or older, a Canadian citizen, and for at least the past six months, a resident of B.C. You must also bring two pieces of official ID. Now go vote. General voting day is Oct. 20.

Email cat@ufvcascade.ca For info.

JOIN THE REVOLUTION.

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OPINION

VOL. 26 // ISSUE 24

Mary Jane //

Light up, or lights out?

How does cannabis legalization affect UFV’s smoking policy?

ALEISTER GWYNNE

STAFF WRITER

As of Oct. 1, UFV has gone completely smoke-free. From that date forward, smoking will not be allowed anywhere on UFV campuses. This policy change comes less than a month before recreational cannabis usage will be legalized across Canada. The timing isn’t a coincidence, and it raises the question of how these new laws will affect one another.

UFV’s new smoke-free status applies to smoking and vaping of all kinds, including both marijuana and tobacco. In contrast to UFV, UBC announced that they will allow marijuana to be used on their campus when it becomes legal. An email has been circulating on student accounts with information on cannabis, but it is simply a poster with basic information that pretty much everyone who is old enough to be a student here already knows. To be safe, it is best to assume that any regulations against smoking apply to all substances, unless otherwise specified.

It remains to be seen how strictly these new regulations will be enforced. I suspect that, much like smoking, selling, and growing pot in B.C. in the past, enforcers will generally be willing to turn a blind eye, as long as one isn’t too open about it.

Already, smokers may be finding ways to bend the new rules. Earlier this month, a passenger on the shuttle pointed out two

individuals who were supposedly lighting up just beyond the road on the edge of the parking lot, and therefore just slightly off campus. I couldn’t see them from my vantage point, so I do not know if that is what they were doing. Either way, I am certain people will find ways to get their fix on the sly, rules or no rules. Here in B.C., where pot has long been illegal but tacitly accepted by society in general, people have plenty of practice.

I have also seen the changing attitudes to smokable drugs over time. When I was growing up, society had shifted to a separate but equal division. Bars, planes, restaurants, etc. often had smoking and nonsmoking sections, as one can see in some old movies. As the years went by, the nonsmoking areas swallowed up and kicked out the smoking ones, leaving those still needing their nicotine ever more frustrated. In contrast, laws against marijuana have gradually eased, becoming decriminalized or outright legal in one place after another, even in parts of the United States of all places. It’s Canada’s turn now.

It would be a bitter irony if we at last shed one prohibition only to adopt another. It is not as far-fetched as it may sound.

The United States re-legalized alcohol in 1933, only to ban cannabis four years later.

Something similar could happen with tobacco in coming years, and the signs of the times suggest it very well might.

Tobacco is not good for you. Neither is

The devil’s lettuce. (pixabay)

alcohol or any other recreational drug.

For that matter, junk food is not good for you, and neither is sitting around staring at a glowing screen all day, and that is one vice we are all guilty of. You may say that second-hand smoke is toxic, and unfairly affects non-smokers. The same is true of car exhaust. It too is toxic, and it unfairly affects me, even though I don’t drive. Driving of course is a necessary evil, especially here in the Fraser Valley. Relaxation is also necessary (although I hesitate to call it an evil). I doubt it has escaped your attention, but university life is incredibly stressful.

We all have our ways of taking the edge off, and most of them are bad for us. In cases where there can be collateral damage, as with smoking, certain regulations, like forbidding smoking too close to doors and vents make sense. Ostracizing an entire group of people, who cannot exactly just discard their habit on a whim, seems like overkill.

New rules come into place, and other rules are made to nullify them. In and around UFV, we seem to be taking one step forward, two steps back.

University Societies //

Putting the union in disunion The significance of student unions

EMMALINE SPENCER STAFF WRITER

We are just over a month into the fall semester. Complaints about the Student Union Society (SUS) are still coming in as per usual, like how what used to be the Canoe is still sitting empty. However, they don’t compare to the complaints about the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS).

Recently the student body voted to impeach the SFSS president. There was talk of alleged racism and sexism, though the official reason for the impeachment was incompetency. I am left shell-shocked by this event.

A student society is meant to be by the students for the students. When the leaders of a student society begin to bicker and blame each other, much like grade schoolers in the principal’s office, how can they claim to be leaders? Before be-

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ing impeached, the SFSS president had been gathering a petition to impeach five other board members for various reasons, everything from embezzlement to drinking alcohol in the SFSS office. Perhaps this was a last ditch effort to take a few others down before the president was voted out, or maybe it’s a sign of failure in the system.

A collective of students require more in their leaders than just friendly smiles and gracious high fives in the hallways. There needs to be a transparency between what goes on within the student society board and the students. Discovering through a school newspaper isn’t enough. Students should be able to have knowledge of any internal affairs that are relevant to them.

SFSS is a prime example of what happens when there is a lack of transparency.

Students become unsure when they hear second-hand allegations about the higher ranks of their student society. I would de-

scribe the current predicament as a mess and that the students don’t know what’s going to happen next. Students are so confused by the entire situation that they choose to be ignorant.

Throughout the past month of overhearing the SFSS events, I have done some of my own reflection on our own SUS. There will always be ups and downs. The downs may lead to a change of leadership, but we need to remember the ups. Our SUS has made some unsavoury changes, like taking away club spaces, but they also hear our complaints and do their utmost to be amiable to said complaints. For example, I have seen the SUS executives come out to chat with random students and find out what our thoughts are about UFV as a whole and what we would need to help us succeed here.

A student society works best when there is communication between the student

mass and its leaders. We made it clear that the campus connector needed to be improved and the next thing we know, it is improved. At times it seems like the SUS is ignoring what we say, but more often they are simply working as hard as they can to find a solution to any given problem as soon as possible.

So, how do we assure ourselves that the events of the SFSS never happen here at UFV? We keep the line of communication clear. We make frequent requests to get the information on what is happening in the SUS office. We stay united and be active students. Don’t let yourself become ignorant to the events at school. Stay informed and when voting season comes around, vote intelligently for the candidates and choices that will best continue the improvement of UFV on the whole.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2018

Trade deals //

Copyright changes are anything but right JEFF MIJO-BURCH OPINION EDITOR

After a lot of complicated negotiations, Canada, the United States, and Mexico have signed a new treaty that will take the place of the old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Now the three countries’ trade relations will be governed by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. The effects of this agreement are large and multifaceted, and have been covered extensively in the media.

But one of the smaller concessions Canada made for USMCA will have a major impact on the creative arts in the coming decades.

Under USMCA, copyright laws in Canada will protect intellectual property (that is to say, the results of creative work) for 70 years after their creator’s death, rather than the current 50. With the old number, we were in line with the least restrictive copyright laws in the world — now we share the same duration as our American neighbours.

While this may sound like a dull subject, that’s 20 years longer that our artists of to-

day have to wait to (legally) release their own takes on preexisting works. Works released into the public domain give artists freedom to create and sell their work that incorporates any aspect of the original, under the understanding that those older texts are now treated in a similar way to legends that can be freely passed around, rather than as a commercial product owned by one person or entity. A prime example of this kind of adaptation is Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2009 book (and the subsequent film adaption), Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The character of Sherlock Holmes also recently entered the public domain (after a lengthy legal battle from Arthur Conan-Doyle’s estate), meaning that anyone can freely write, market, and sell works involving the character.

Copyright law is incredibly complicated, as rights can be sold to corporations which enables them to last longer, and different countries have different rulings on what is and is not allowed. But I’m of the strong belief that 50 years is more than enough time after an artist’s death for their work to enter the public domain. What new inno-

vation will musicians of the future be able to come up with once the popular music of the 1960s and 1970s starts to become freely available for use? What could it mean for video games as that industry ages? By extending copyright an extra 20 years, we’re just delaying artistic innovation.

The argument in favour of longer copyright is that it protects the legacy of works, and ensures the families of creators continue to receive payment for their work.

Disney is notorious for fighting to increase copyright laws, as the threat of their intellectual property (namely Mickey Mouse) entering the public domain clearly terrifies them.

The internet has been a strong driving force in favour of the free sharing of content and information, both legally, through the widespread adoption of opt-in licenses like Creative Commons that allow authors to easily offer their work up for sharing, reuse, and adaptation, and through the sharing of content without its owner’s permission (which some see as a way to weaken the grip of corporations over artistic content).

Speaking as a writer, it is a difficult tightrope to walk — obviously if I sell a book, I want to make money from it, and if it keeps selling after I’m dead, I want it to keep helping my family. But a reasonable limit has to be set. If corporations like Disney keep succeeding in having government change the rules, it’s possible none of our contemporary media will enter the public domain in ours, our children’s, or our grandchildren’s lifetimes. And what are we losing by holding that back?

While creators can choose to release their work for adaption and reuse, the onus shouldn’t have to be on creators.

Extending the duration of copyright is a step in the wrong direction, a concession that will hinder Canada’s creative people for decades down the line. Copyright has a critical role to play, but it needs to have limits, and by agreeing to this clause of the USMCA, the Canadian government is telling us that it values corporate profits over creative expression.

THE CASCADE IS LOOKING FOR A Production Manager Contact: cat@ufvcascade.ca for more details

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OPINION

VOL. 26 // ISSUE 24

S S S N S N N S A h A A h P o P P o t t s Simer Haer s Illustrations by:

Weakened weekends

Long weekends are nice, but there’s something profoundly disappointing about when one doesn’t benefit you personally. This semester, all of my classes fall in the Tuesday–Thursday stretch of the week, which means I don’t get a week off from anything for either Thanksgiving or Remembrance Day. This is the first semester I’ve had that happen, and I have to say, it’s surprisingly disheartening. In the midst of the weather turning dreary, the assignments piling up, and the coursework getting heavier, it’s al-

ways nice to have that guilt-free reprieve of skipping class for a week. Somehow that bonus day feels so much more restorative and productive than taking a day off for any other reason.

Still, it’s Thanksgiving, so in the spirit of the holiday, I’ll give thanks to the wonderful week that is the winter reading break. It’s still months away, but I’m already excited for it. Thanks for existing, winter reading break.

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I have a habit of studying or working on my assignments for hours upon hours, until my mind turns to mush, or I feel overwhelmed. I have to remind myself to take a break in order to feel refreshed.

I could play video games, but then I find it hard to quit halfway through story mode, or get lost in random YouTube videos that are suggested to me, and procrastinate. So to alleviate those issues, I go to the movies! It’s the perfect

way of giving yourself a mental break and getting out of the house (or library): you get a two-hour break to just focus on the film and enjoy some delicious, buttery popcorn, and don’t have to think about your classes and deadlines. You can consider it as being a “break,” or an opportunity to reward yourself for not procrastinating, and actually getting work done.

Anjuman Grewal

Jeff Mijo-Burch

Obituary for a spider plant

Summer, how I miss you so I’m having a difficult time transitioning into the fall season. It’s not that I don’t think the colourful leaves and the crisp air aren’t wonderful, but I wanna remain living in the warm, sunny, daydream world that I had been creating in my head all summer. You know, laying in the soft grass, basking under a sunset, while wearing cream-coloured linen culottes and a pale yellow crop top. Sleeping in until whenever and only getting out of bed to go swimming, read piles of books, bike down country roads, or listen to jazz music out on a patio while sipping

Keep calm and watch a movie

lavender-infused sparkling lemonade all day. Oh, and you don’t even have to wear a watch in this world. Time? Never heard of her. I mean, I know none of this really happened to me this summer, and I know it may seem like I could probably continue to live out this dream in my head; but I gotta tell you, the rain, the shorter days, and the cloudy skies are making it difficult for me to think about those kind of things anymore. I love you fall, I do, but I really want my unrealistic summer daydreams back.

Laurel Logan

It brings me great sadness to announce the passing of Shelob the Spider Plant on Oct. 4, 2018. Shelob started her life just like any other charming young Chlorophytum comosum when she was purchased from a local nursery in Abbotsford this past spring. She was the largest and brightest of all the $1.99 clearance plants. However, even though she was adopted into a loving home, carefully planted, and given tender loving care for the following seven months, she was the one little seedling that love couldn’t save.

Shelob the Spider Plant was loved by many, and shall be missed dearly. Her very presence was described as soothing, and she was a kind and gentle soul despite having been named after the terrifying offspring of the primordial spider in The Return of the King.

Shelob leaves behind her three sisters, Tauriel the Echinocactus, Éowyn the Zebra Haworthia, and Galadriel the Aloe Vera, all of whom are devastated, but will carry her memory with them with heavy hearts.

Cassie de Jong

Mayoral Election: Candidate Profiles Abbotsford Candidates Voting information: On October 20, 2018, Abbotsford voters will elect: 1 Mayor 8 Councillors 7 School Trustees Abbotsford residents may vote if they are: 18 years of age or older on Election Day; Canadian citizen; Resident of British Columbia for at least six months before Election Day (April 19, 2018); Resident of Abbotsford for at least 30 days before Election Day (September 19, 2018); and Not disqualified from voting by any statute or law.

Scroll below for information regarding Non-Resident Property Electors.

Why are you running for mayor?

I’m a game-changing candidate when it comes to politics. I’m not a politician — I am a regular resident who has developed my own leadership skills working in the community here. It’s a bit of a different background, but I feel that it’s a broader representation. I feel people could come up to me unbiasedly based on my experiences in life and have conversations with me, and I would genuinely take them to the right people in the right leadership groups when making those decisions for the community. I want to be a pillar and change things by having an actual voice be heard for everybody across the board, whether they’ve been here with the current direction or are just starting out in Abbotsford, and trying to build something for them.

I think that leadership in general, that experience, will definitely help. And I’m tying into that being a wrestler, which could take an expansive explanation. Really with wrestling, I’m at the forefront. We were there to serve a purpose, to make the people happy. You also have to be accountable to the people who are running the business as well too — you’re trying to make everybody happy all at once. As a politician that’s useful. You want to make as many people happy as possible. You do that by listening to people, reacting, and engaging people. The variety of managerial leadership skills I learned throughout Abbotsford can be applied to the job. Leading and being a mayor go hand in hand, but are also two separate roles.

Trevor Eros

What are your thoughts on affordable housing?

Voting locations: -Abbotsford Christian Elementary School 3939 Old Clayburn Road -Abbotsford Middle School 33231 Bevan Avenue -Aberdeen Elementary School 2975 Bradner Road -Exhibition Park (Ag-Rec Building-Main Floor) 32470 Haida Drive -Bakerview Centre for Learning 32622 Mashall Road -Bradner Community Hall 5305 Bradner Road -Columbia Bible College (Columbia Place/Gymnasium) 2940 Blearbrook Road -Eugene Reimer Middle School 3433 Firhill Drive -Harry Sayers Elementary School 31321 Blueridge Drive -Jackson Elementary School 33165 King Road -Matsqui Elementary School 33661 Elizabeth Avenue -Mountain Elementary School 2299 Mountain Drive -Sandy Hill Elementary School 3836 Old Clayburn Road -Terry Fox Elementary School 3071 Babich Street -Upper Sumas Elementary School 36321 Vye Road -Yale Secondary School 34620 Old Yale Road -City Hall 32315 South Fraser Way

I think that they need to develop areas where — whether it’s incentives for developers and landowners so that they will take into consideration lower rental rates — to something that’s more affordable as it is when they’re developing. Even working now with current owners that might be in the general area that would be really up for that idea. I think that’s a step in the right direction — that’s step one. I’m in the same boat; I’ve always rented and seven years ago I was paying $800 for a four-bedroom house in the city, and now I pay more than that for a two-bedroom apartment.

I definitely feel that pinch. It’s one of the hardest things. So not only for students, but I think for low- and middle-income families and individuals.

How should the city combat homelessness?

I think reaching out needs to be more of a priority. There’s a lot of different community groups and organizations that want to help, but I constantly see homeless people out there and I feel that physically going out regularly and letting them know where our resources are and what options they have for addiction, recovery, or for shelter. I’d also like to work and figure out what the bylaw structure is that might be preventing other groups and nonprofits from being able to open their doors.

Not just as an emergency shelter, but even just temporarily until we get the ball rolling. I’m happy that the province is developing the new property out on riverside — that’s at least a step in the right direction. But there needs to be more immediate options. I’m really concerned because this is always a hot topic during elections, but there isn’t ever a resolution. Nothing has been planned for winter months. What are we doing two months from now? What is our city going to do in two months when it’s freezing? There needs to be an area for them to set up and live temporarily, where they can have resources in a more immediate area. And then I’m utilizing the buildings we may already have that are underutilized that we can put to good use.

What is the municipal role in reconciliation?

I think locally we should all be accepting to everything that’s going on, regardless of anyone’s background, creed, orientation, or decisions in life. It’s appalling, the variety of things that have happened in government over the years in regards to how people have been treated in school systems and in public settings. Government should always be accountable for those things and I think the government will always feel inclined to be accountable for these things. If I was an elected official I would strive to do the same. I think there needs to be a constant show of respect that we’re all Canadians in the world here. Being accountable for previous actions, I would definitely speak up on behalf of our government and take responsibility for those things. It’s responsible now to set the tone as role models to ensure those kinds of things don’t ever happen.

Do you have an interest in improving public transportation?

Abbotsford mayor candidate Moe Gill denied interview requests.

Absolutely. Public transportation is my main mode. I have a class five license, but I parked my vehicle. I haven’t driven since December of last year — I’ve only taken public transportation. The problems right now are that we are already not ready for the people that we have, and it’s great that we’re planning for 200,000 people and it’s great to head in that direction. I know they’re going to open a new maintenance hub and add four new buses, but right now that doesn’t help us regularly.

Buses are late and they don’t show up. And those are the two biggest things. As a commuter, you can’t get to work on time. I think they need to make a few short-term decisions about routes and accessibility that will work and implement them right off the bat. There’s no sense in waiting five, 10 years to try things out and think of what might come. I know they’re changing different routes every year or so, but realistically, we can fix some of the problems now. If it’s not working, then we can change it up, but we won’t know unless we actually try, and they’re not trying as hard as they should.

Why are you running for mayor?

Why are you running for mayor?

Abbotsford is the only home I’ve ever known and it’s the only place I am ever going to be. The decisions that we’re making today will affect Abbotsford 20 years from now and it’s because of that. I’ve got a young family. Our businesses are in town.

There are issues that I’m very passionate about that I don’t see being addressed, and I’m here to make that difference. Politics has always been something that I very much loved. I intend to throw myself into this job and hope to offer great service for Abbotsford.

The city has been good for me and my family for 64 years. I sold my business and this is my way of giving back to a community that’s been very good to us. What I wasn’t happy about is that we didn’t seem to have a plan as a city. With some of the things that were going on I thought maybe some of my skill set would be helpful to the community, to get a plan in place that get us out … at least 25 years, instead of just until the next budget year.

Why should someone vote for you?

I’ve taken the time to go out and listen. Abbotsford has had a competent government, but there have been so many issues, whether it be funding for social infrastructure, whether it be something even just so basic as glass recycling. There are enough of these issues that are percolating, or that have kind of just fallen through the cracks.

My guess is that when the votes are all counted, there will probably be, maybe even a mayor candidate, but at least one or two counsellors that will look at their slim margin of losses and say, “Man, I never saw that one coming. If I would’ve gone out and got more social engagement, even well before the campaign …” And we’ve done all of that.

Eric Nyvall

What are your thoughts on affordable housing?

Abbotsford is basically crunched, as we all know. Mountains, U.S. border, land reserve, river — you name it. But we can look to other examples for where cities have gotten ahead of this.

And a great example is Seattle, they used the free market. They got ahead of it, they sped up their zoning and approval process. And that’s a city with lots of tech companies there. They have actually far more economically going on than we do. Now if you were to sign a lease in Seattle, you probably would get a $1,500 Amazon gift card as an incentive. But the answer is government needs to be permissive. We need to have a strong process, but we need to be quick, predictable, and allowed to be built what the market will bear. And right now we have a rental crunch. I believe that we should actually be prioritizing that. If there’s a company out there that wanted to build a 200-unit, rental-only building, I think we should prioritize that in the queue. I think somebody that wants to come forward and do a good project, that project should maybe even go front of the line, because we have a far greater social need there.

How should the city combat homelessness?

Well, I’ve come up with a very strong plan for homelessness. It’s ambitious and bold. You need to be aware of what can we actually do and what are we allowed to do in the city. We’re very philanthropic, we’re generous, there’s a lot of people of faith in this community that would maybe even get behind it, but the city has no authority to go out and build houses for homeless people so that even if you wanted to do it, apart from the fact we don’t have the money, it’s right off the table. So then you look at it and we have homeless people getting chased out of parks by the bylaws staff at 8 in the morning, leaving behind a mess, needles, everything.

That’s not working for the residents and that’s not working for the homeless because that makes them very transient … If we get all the homeless people in one suitable piece of land, they’re no longer transient. They can have basic core services there and it makes it better for the city as well. Now with that, is that a band-aid solution? Yes, but when you’re bleeding, you’d rather have the band-aid than not have it. And I believe in our generation, there will be a progressive or — I shouldn’t even give a term to it — there will be a government, provincial or federal that will apply the adequate resources across Canada to really take a run at homelessness. Until that’s done on a provincial or national level though, as a city, we just can’t do this.

I mean, Henry Braun has been totally right on the mark. If we came out with great, amazing services, we’ll just displace the homeless people from other communities to come here … The courts have said that we have no right to chase the homeless people out of the parks if they have nowhere to go. If they have somewhere to go it’s a different story. And again, I think both homeless and the tax paying residents of Abbotsford would be better satisfied with the process like that.

What is the municipal role in reconciliation?

We do have a couple of reserves in Abbotsford, and people on the reserves also attend Abbotsford schools. They use the same services. They are people of Abbotsford. I think if there are past grievances, we need to be aware of those, and if an apology is warranted, one must be given. I do believe that nearly all of the issues are to do with the federal and provincial government — but we’re compassionate people here in Abbotsford. And if there are issues that need to be brought to the forefront, then absolutely, I’d be welcomed to it. And I would speak to it with confidence.

Do you have an interest in improving public transportation?

To be transparent, I’m not a bus user. My family has three cars: one for me and my wife each and one for our nanny to get the kids around in. But as our city grows, the roads will only get more congested. And air pollution is a huge issue. I’m looking at transportation from a different angle than what the other candidates might have been. I believe by getting many, many more people into the transport system, you can then have more money coming into it. With more money, then the cities will allocate better service. It’s like looking at what comes first, the chicken or the egg.

I’ve looked at it and said, I think our issue is as much to do with people getting from Abbotsford to Chilliwack, Abbotsford to Surrey. The reality is the province of B.C. owns the passenger right of way on the existing rail track that runs from Chilliwack all the way through the flats, through Abbotsford, Fort Langley, Langley City, and Surrey. I believe the province of B.C. should be utilizing that, reactivating that service that we had decades ago and bringing it back. And when you have people legitimately using the rail service for commuting, once they get off that train, they’re going to need to take a bus to UFV or the airport or wherever it is that they’re going. And I think you’d have many, many more people, probably myself included, would be using the system and then it would make it better for everybody.

Why should someone vote for you?

I’ve been a mayor who was very strategic in coming up with a strategic plan, then the four cornerstones: fiscal discipline, organizational alignment, complete community, and a vibrant economy. We’ve made very good progress on the first two. With fiscal discipline, without your financial house being in order you can’t do anything. Why? Cause you don’t have money to do it. That’s where we were when I came to council, our net financial position was 17 million in the red. We have turned that around so that we are now 193 million in the positive. And that’s a big number, but that’s not free money or unrestricted money. Of that 193, 160 million — give or take a million — is designated for things that aren’t so sexy. Sanitary sewers, storm sewers, water, roads — that sort of stuff. We can’t touch that money. So what’s left is that we have about 35 million, which is about 35 million more than we had when I came to council, to do the kinds of things we should have been doing for the last 15 years. So I’m focusing in this term on complete community, quality-of-life issues, things that people are asking for, that they’re crying for. More sports fields, or more arts and culture, a black box theatre, a performing arts centre, an olympic-sized swimming pool. I want all of those things for our community. But it comes back to the money — if you don’t have the money, you can’t do it. We have a plan, and we’re going to work that plan. It’s going to take us another four years to get to the point where I feel I could step away and let somebody else carry on from there.

Henry Braun

What are your thoughts on affordable housing?

We have addressed that in our official community plan, and more specifically in our Plan 200K, which is a densification of our city centre, about 5,600 lots where people can subdivide them into two, build smaller homes — so now you’d have two houses on the same land as you had for one house before, but in addition to that the plan allows for garden suites, about five or six hundred square feet, coach houses, granny suites, so that, theoretically, you could have six families living on a piece of ground that had one — or two, if it had a secondary suite. So that densifies our city, but it also creates smaller houses that people can afford, because younger people coming out of university, going into the employment sector, can’t afford to buy big lots with a great big house on it that sells for eight or nine hundred thousand dollars. We are doing that intentionally through our plan, we are allowing smaller suites — we have as low as 320 square feet — because not everyone wants to live in a 3,000 square foot house, or even a 1,500 square foot rental apartment. We’re laying a foundation for the private sector, for the marketplace to come in and build some things that they could never build in Abbotsford before.

How should the city combat homelessness?

We had no supportive housing four years ago when I became the mayor. We now have 70 units of supportive housing and the provincial government has just given us another 83, to the tune of their funding at 12 million dollars, because housing is not the purview of local government, it’s the provincial government, and federal in some cases. (Not for homelessness, for affordable housing.)

We’re a country that doesn’t have an affordable housing strategy, or a national housing strategy.

The prime minister has said he’s going to do that, and I take that at his word and he’d better do that or I’m going to start harping on him soon.

But there’s another 60 units of supportive housing coming from another non-profit. So within the end of next year we will have probably around 240 supportive housing, where we had zero four years ago. And we continue to pound that home with the province that we need more. You know, even at 240 it’s not enough; our homeless population — not just ours, everyone’s — is increasing.

And were losing more and more people at the bottom of the economic sector of our community.

And they tell me there are 4,000 people in Abbotsford that are one paycheque away from being homeless.

What is the municipal role in reconciliation?

One of the very first things I did when I became the major was to sit down with both Sumas First Nations and Matsqui First Nations and to build a bridge, because I thought that we were not doing all that we should be doing there. So I built up a very good relationship with Dalton Silver, who is the chief of Sumas First Nations. We get together quite regularly for breakfast or lunch and talk about things. We are actually working closely with them to help them achieve some of the things they would like to see, especially as it relates to Sumas Mountain, Lightning Rock, and the Thunderbird Caves, because it has significant heritage and spiritual value to them. We’re actually making very good progress with Sumas. Matsqui has taken a little longer to develop that relationship; I’m not sure why, but I will keep at it.

But yes, reconciliation is something that is near and dear to my heart. I totally get where they are because my parents fled from the Ukraine during the Second World War and under the communist regime everything they owned was taken away from them. So I am empathetic to where they are.

Do you have an interest in improving public transportation?

Following on the heels of Plan 200K was an update of eight master plans. Parks and rec is one, transportation is the second one. We’re going to increase the frequency of our transit system from High Street down to Maclure, Old Yale, downtown, South Fraser Way, historic downtown Abbotsford, up to the university. That is our main spine. And that’s where the densification of the 5,600 lots is on that spine, in a direction of about two or three hundred metres on either side. That’s where we want the densification, and run those intervals every 10 or 15 minutes, so that people will actually jump on transit and use it. Right now it takes three or four times longer if you take a transit bus, rather than if you get in your car and drive. That’s not acceptable. We have to get some vehicles off the roads. One bus has 40-50 people in it — the benefit to the environment is is a no-brainer. We just have to do it. But that transportation master plan has only been approved a few months ago, so now comes the implementation stage. All of these master plans, that’s why I’m running for mayor again. I want to see the implementation. I don’t want a new mayor and a new council coming in and saying “We don’t like this, we want to go a different direction,” because then we’re right back to where we’ve been for too many years.

Why are you running for mayor?

Why are you running for mayor?

Well, I’m 74 years old and in the past two years we fought so hard to preserve our neighbourhood, and in that journey I became very angry at a lot of the things that we encountered. So I said I’m going to do what I can do. This is an anxiety in some of the older communities. People who bought there wanted to live there until they died, and they’re seeing their neighbourhoods being gutted, ripped apart.

When Henry Braun ran last time, I really liked him.

I really supported him. I would have run for mayor because there’s all these issues that mattered to me and I said, if Henry Braun runs for mayor, I won’t.

If I got 10 votes and there was 10 votes difference, I didn’t want to be that 10 vote difference. I didn’t want to in any way block his journey, because I thought he would be a wonderful mayor. And a lot of my friends who tend to be sort of left-wing said, “Oh don’t vote for Henry, he’s pro-development.” I’m free market mentality. And I said, “Well, what’s wrong with pro-development?”

You know, pro-business. You need to have a vibrant economy, you need to have businesses.

But now I get it. He’s pro-development. My town is being gutted and I don’t like it. I told you the reason I first got involved was when I found Grant Atchison and said, “I’m so angry at what I’m seeing here.”

Gerda Peachey

Why should someone vote for you?

For me, the issue is we have a mayor and council. They make the rules. Then they need to enforce those rules across the board to everyone, and if the scofflaw happens to be very wealthy and very powerful and says, “Oh, well I’ll get a lawyer and I’ll fight you in court,” that’s a huge issue. I talked to city staff over the years and I think Henry Braun said it again last night at the debate. It’s not that we’re not doing anything, but they take us to court and tie us up in court for three years and then we lose anyway, that’s what city staff said. They said even if we managed to get it to court, we sometimes get laughed out of court and we lose. So we’ve spent all that money and time and we lose anyway. So over the years, once in a while, city hall will tell me, we know that you’re right, but we’ve given them some fines, and I say to them, show me that the fines have been paid. On occasion under FOI I do get some of that information.

Sometimes they get paid, but city hall just sees that as the cost of doing business and they’re allowed to go on and on and on doing things illegally that are very lucrative. Stop it. What does the word illegal mean? That’s all I care about. Let’s have a town that has rules that are sensible, doable, and enforceable, and then enforce them. That’s not a hard concept.

What are your thoughts on affordable housing?

You see that you need affordable housing and that’s the thing: this mayor and this council have been gutting Abbotsford of the existing affordable housing with the goal of densifying and making us bigger and making this more like Surrey and Vancouver. We’re taking away affordable housing for the goal of bringing in 60,000 more people so that we have 200,000 people by 2040. Does that make sense? It was an affordable city, and people from Surrey and Vancouver were coming out here because it was affordable, but this current council is gutting our city.

I don’t know if you can ever reverse anything, but you can sure slow down this crazy determination to make us bigger at the expense of the existing residences. I would be all in favour of people being able to have one or two suites. I’m not opposed to that. I’m only wanting a level playing field. I want the rules clear and then let’s all abide by them.

How should the city combat homelessness?

I have two friends who really care and have really been involved. And you know what, nobody’s got an answer. I’ve gone to some of their big hooey hoo confabs, I call it the misery industry. I went to one not too long ago. One of the rooms at the Agricultural Rec Centre was full of people and they all drive good cars and they’re making a living. There’s a lot of people making a living on homelessness and drug addiction and mental illness. I have called it the misery industry for a long time because a lot of people do very well by the broken bodies of society, but you know very well you guys do that. This is not an issue that is supposed to be under the mandate of the municipal government, it’s supposed to be taken care of by the provincial government. We’re talking about mental health and addictions, but the fact is that it’s costing Abbotsford a lot of money. Given the harsh reality that the province isn’t stepping up the phase and carrying it — and I don’t know if they can — the only way you could cure it would be to take the attitude of back in whenever, the ‘40s, ‘50s, whatever. Vagrancy wasn’t allowed. It was against the law and so there was a very harsh sort of attitude to that, but what we’ve done is we’ve gone too far the other way, and so now we have the provincial government saying, “No, no, no, you can’t make them leave your parks and too bad if they’re in your back 40, you can’t mistreat people and take away their homes and the stuff,” but that’s crazy.

That’s enabling and now it’s a free-for-all and everybody can do it and evade rent and still get money from the government for food and so on. So this is crazy. This freedom to park wherever you want to park and it’s degrading. It’s degrading to them and it’s degrading to this city.

So if there’s going to be a cost to Abbotsford anyway, I say build housing for them. It’s going to cost money, but at the end of the road I don’t think it’s going to cost as much as it is now. Build clean, decent housing for them. But that housing has to have security because they are afraid of one another, too. And that’s why often they won’t stay in the shelters — they hurt each other if they’re high on drugs or mentally damaged. So I think the city has to provide housing.

Do you have an interest in improving public transportation?

We live out on Oak Ridge Crescent and at night when we see a bus we think we’re seeing a phantom. Thankfully we can still afford cars, but no busing. We don’t have enough houses out there to warrant it. But I’ve heard a lot of people say that. The City of Abbotsford doesn’t really control that, right? That’s B.C. Transit, isn’t it? It’s not entirely something Abbotsford can decree. In some sense you can’t fault mayor and council. I went to one of the transit meetings many years ago that was held in Mission. It was very interesting. But I don’t really know how much the mayor and council can actually increase that.

And of course there’s always a cost, and how much is the public willing to pay? But if we’re striving to get 200,000 people, then you have to have more transportation. John Vissers is a guy that you probably know that it’s been agitating for that for years. I just thought it was a wonderful idea, but when they were first talking about it, it was doable. Right? There was that beautiful green strip on the freeway all the way from Chilliwack to the top of Surrey there.

And you could have just punched that rail line straight down there and it was there. There was almost no cost to that, that the green strip was there. Now, I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s possible anymore. It was a good idea though.

Nadine Snow

I’m running because I think that we need to become more community-minded and less single-minded.

And I believe that if people could open their minds a little bit more to other people’s perspectives and conglomerately [sic] get information. Information sharing is the biggest problem that I see when I read the official community plan is 200 pages long.

A lot of people are not going to take the time to read it, will not understand a lot of the context of it, and therefore it’s kind of “It’ll be what it is.” So if people could come together to make it more accessible, easier to understand for everyone instead of only people that wrote it or were involved in the process of doing so, I think more people would care a little bit more, and more people would voice their opinions, more people would share their ideas, and I think that’s where we need to go.

Why should someone vote for you?

Because I believe that as a community, as a group of concerned citizens, we can make positive changes in Abbotsford, in many, many issues. The issue of homelessness, the issues of affordable housing, the issues of growth of the city; we all can play a part in that and we all should.

What are your thoughts on affordable housing?

I noticed in building a city plan, they have this midtown connection they’re making across the highway to these apartments or condos, whatever you want to call them. Looking at the rents for these places, a two-bedroom running at I believe it said $1,795. I couldn’t afford to live there. I don’t think most students could afford to live there and if they did, it would require three or four of them to be able to pay the rent in a two bedroom. That to me is not really affordable for most students or anybody other than perhaps professional people or people that have established a career of some sort. When you’re a student and you’re young and you’re trying to find out “What am I, where am I going, what do I want to be?” and you’re taking courses, and you have a great deal of stress, you may be working two jobs after school just to try and pay for your books. We need to have an affordable housing system, as I said, dispersed throughout the city. So if you happen to be a student here and you work at the Starbucks in the mall for extra cash to buy your books, how about an affordable housing project where that student can live close by a transit system that’s going to get them to their classes but also get them home safely at night after their shift at Starbucks.

How should the city combat homelessness?

Key goals would be to reduce the amount of homelessness in the city. Part of that is going to come from affordable housing. Just because somebody is on the street does not mean that they are suffering from either a mental health issue or drug issue. Sometimes it’s a set of circumstances that causes a person to be there. I have almost had that happen to myself.

I lost my job by no fault of my own. The business shut down, the windows were papered over, there were no separation slips. There were no paychecks and there I stood with two children on my own. I went to the Salvation Army and they helped me. Other than that, I would have been homeless with two children, so coming from that point of view, if there were affordable housing for everyone to access based on a percentage of their income then these people would not be in that state of stress. It’s terrifying to not know if you’re going to have a home to go to. If we can solve, or at least reduce, that issue in our city by doing something such as asking each developer that’s going to create a housing complex, “Give us one unit, one unit for subsidized housing in your building,” they’re still going to get their revenue and somebody’s going to get a home that needs one.

That’s a community-involved situation and also would disperse these people. You don’t want everybody living in one particular space, so each person that was seeking a home, say they work in Clearbrook. They need a home and Clearbrook building; a subsidized housing unit downtown isn’t going to necessarily help that person, especially with the problems we have with transit. Have them dispersed throughout the community. Let these people feel a part of the community and take the stress away. You save literally millions of dollars in healthcare, in homeless issues that arise from that. People are hungry. People are scared. Give them a home.

What is the municipal role in reconciliation?

I am Indigenous. I think that what I’ve seen in the past, I would have to disagree with the way it’s being handled. Throwing money at a problem doesn’t solve the problem. A friend of mine went to residential school with eight of her brothers and sisters. She told me some horrific stories of things that happened in that particular place and the damage that was done to her mentally; you couldn’t possibly put a dollar on that, you could not. And oftentimes when people have suffered some form of abuse in a situation, they either perpetuate that abuse or they turn to a substance to wash it away or what have you. So to me, throwing money at a situation when somebody may already be suffering from a drug addiction or other addictions isn’t going to help them … I do know when the residential school settlement came out, there were cheques issued to individuals that suffered at the hands of whatever that particular institution was and that to me was pointless and derogatory. You can’t pay me for my suffering.

You can’t make it right by doing so. I think that, again, being an Indigenous person, I’ve lived most of my life not involved in that part of things, but I do have some very different belief systems based on that, which I think is why I’m a little more open-minded to a lot of things than other people may be. I’m not saying that people aren’t, but generally speaking, a lot of people have a belief system that’s very, very rigid. I did not. I accept people for who they are and what they are and if you’re respectful to me, I’ll do the same to you. And I think that’s the way we should all live. We have a charter of rights and freedoms for a reason ... Just being involved, going to their meetings, seeing what their concerns are in their community and let’s work together. We all have many of the same concerns in regards to homelessness. Sadly the largest percentage of people that are homeless are Indigenous people. So if we all share a common issue, maybe we could all get together and solve it.

Do you have an interest in improving public transportation?

If there was a bus service that could get me to my work and home from my work at a time that was useful to me, that would get me to my job on time, yes, I would take it, absolutely I would. But many days I may start at 5 in the morning. There’s no bus service at 5 a.m. or 4:30 when I need to get there, and a lot of people that I’ve spoken to that work out in more industrial areas, the service is very, very, very limited and does not run at a late enough time at night and in an industrial area, that’s what you need. People work on shifts. They weren’t random hours well into the night and very early in the morning, so we need to look at what services we can provide and again that’s going to cut down on emissions.

Chilliwack Candidates Why are you running for mayor?

To bring a different form of leadership to the table. I put my time in, I’ve been involved in volunteering for the past 30 years. I love my city. Our mayor has brought us to this point and you know, with a lot of great expansion on an economic side, transportation side, but more can be done and my strength is bringing people together, and I feel that’s what it’s lacking at this point. So for me, I know it’s challenging. Mayor Gaetz has a lot of support, but I’m willing to take on the challenge.

Voting information: On October 20, 2018, Chilliwack voters will elect: 1 Mayor 6 Councillors 7 School Trustees 2 Cultas Lake Board comissioners Chilliwack residents may vote if they are: 18 years of age or older on Election Day; Canadian citizen; Resident of British Columbia for at least six months before Election Day (April 19, 2018); Resident of Chilliwack for at least 30 days before Election Day (September 19, 2018); and Not disqualified from voting by any statute or law.

Scroll below for information regarding Non-Resident Property Electors.

Voting locations: -Chilliwack Middle School Gymnasium, 46354 Yale Road -Evergreen Hall, 9291 Corbould Street -Greendale Fire Hall, 6485 Sumas Prairie Road -Promontory Heights Community School Gymnasium, 46200 Stoneview Drive -Rosedale Traditional Community School Gymnasium, 50850 Yale Road -Sardis Elementary School Gymnasium, 45775 Manuel Road -Watson Elementary School Gymnasium, 45305 Watson Road -Yarrow Community Hall, 4670 Community Street

Ken Popove

Why should someone vote for you?

I’ve been involved on city council for the last seven years. Prior to that I was on the Business Improvement Association, for 12 years — the last five of that as president. I’m experienced, I’m in the know, I’ve been involved. I volunteered for the last 30 years in our beautiful city, by way of event organizing. I like where I live, I love my city, and if I can give back to the city with my knowledge, with my leadership skills, I think that’ll take us a long way as a whole, as a city … I would bring a different style of leadership to the table. My strength is in the collaboration and innovation to bring groups of people together. My strength is with people and I’m all about people and I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished, and we need to keep the foot on the pedal and keep going.

What are your thoughts on affordable housing?

Well, that’s a tough one for sure. I would be working with other layers of government, and the development community as well too, because they’re the ones that are going to be building it. City’s got to come on board by ... reducing costs to build these units.

We’re in a little bit of a tsunami here with house prices. Young families would be renting a house for a thousand bucks a month. The person that owns a house sells it, next guy comes in and he wants to charge $2,000 bucks a month. Well, it’s a problem. Through collaboration, with the work that the city does and with our development community, I think we can work together and with the province; I think we can tackle that problem.

It’s not an easy one, but it’s something that has to be worked on. Absolutely.

How should the city combat homelessness?

Well, I would stay on the same path as I’ve been on. There are services that are going to come to Chilliwack. They’re in the works. I know it’s not a solvable issue, it’s a manageable issue. If there was a single silver bullet to solve this problem, I’m sure it would have been shot out of a gun already. But at the moment there is nothing. It’s just how you manage it. And I feel that we have done a great job and it’s going to come through … with the supportive housing units that we have slated to be built currently. This is something that we need.

An example of that is the RCMP, if they happen to pick somebody up who’s mentally challenged, addicted, they take him to emergency. They have to sit with that person until they’re admitted. Well, we have a doctor shortage, so a police officer could be sitting there for up to three hours. Well, that is not a good way to use our resources. The supportive housing units will allow these officers to drop these folks at these facilities and get looked after, so it will lighten the load of the RCMP. I’m excited for how it’s all going to unfold. It’s going to be baby steps. We’re going to have to learn how the system’s going to work, but I’m very, very confident that it’s going to make a change for Chilliwack.

You’ve got to put these people into places with a roof over their head. I’ve gotten to know a lot of these guys and their next meal is unknown. They don’t know where they’re going to sleep that night or the next night. Talking to Tim Bohr, Salvation Army, a lot of times there are still beds available for these folks, but they don’t want to go. It’s terrible up there. I’ve got empathy. I want to help the people that want help and we’re doing that.

It’s going to get better.

What is the municipal role in reconciliation?

It’s a huge role. And quite frankly, we have fallen down with that in the last seven years.

We’ve sat down with the nine chiefs that touch our borders twice. It all starts with collaboration, sitting down, sharing a meal, having a conversation. And that has been lacking. I talked with the younger chiefs that understand the past, but understand they have a future if they’re doing a development on whichever road it is, the city has a responsibility through service agreements to make sure there’s enough water going into their subdivision, and sewage coming out. It’s a partnership and it’s been broken and it needs to be fixed, and it’s going to take baby steps, but I am willing to do that. Through Chilliwack Healthier Communities, we’ve enacted a task team, called “The Opening Doors Task Team.” So that’s through the health and social side of the house and that’s working really well, just with working with Stó:lō health and First Nation’s health. For me it’s not about us and them, it’s we. And we have to work together.

Do you have an interest in improving public transportation?

Chiliwack mayor candidates Dave Rowan and Brigida Crosbie decined interview requests.

I would like to see an increase of the amount of buses, especially up the major corridors going north and south bringing students to the school here. If they’re living on the north side because of affordable housing, that’s all they can find, you know, it’s gonna work kind of hand in hand with them to get folks from side to side. I’d like to look at the transit systems; you know, what drives me nuts is you see a bus in a neighbourhood with nobody on it. Why are we doing this? So, you know, maybe reconfigure the routes for these buses, and add more services to the main arterial roads that are needed.

Why are you running for mayor?

I decided to run for mayor because I’ve sat on council for the last four years and in that process I think I’ve come to understand that our city has been missing some very real opportunities and certainly needs to modernize its approach. We’re a city that has changed rapidly over the last decade and I don’t think that the way the city operates and the way we deliver services and programs has kept up with that pace of change.

Why should someone vote for you?

Four years ago, the voters of Chilliwack put their trust in me when they elected me, and they elected me with the most votes of any city councilor in the election. I’ve felt that responsibility very heavily. I’ve also realized that I now have to deliver on these ideas that I had talked about and show action on these files. So since I’ve been on council, I have been instrumental in getting a public art committee established, and I was the first chair of it. I’m getting a parks and trail committee established, and I was the first and current chair of that as well. I’m chairing the transportation advisory committee and launching a new transit rollout, the largest in our city’s history. I’m launching our first-ever cycling plan. We’re currently working on our first-ever pedestrian plan.

Some of our needs today are different, so I am talking about different things in this election.

We’re four years further down the road, and some of those successes are now behind us and we can rest on those, but the challenges today are real around housing and public safety, around our homelessness challenges, and around growth and economic opportunity, and I’m promising some very bold things in this election campaign. But I also think that my plan as I’ve sorted it out and as I’ve laid out the vision for where we’re going, I’m confident that in the same way that I delivered on my promises for council, I’ll be able to deliver on my promises as mayor, and that’s going to take a team.

Sam Waddington

What are your thoughts on affordable housing?

Affordable housing takes many different forms. To me it comes down to a diversity of housing styles and housing stock. And that’s not just about affordability, that’s also about lifestyle. Some people do not want to live in a single-family home. They’d rather live in a condo and lock up the door and wander down to park space or use our trail networks as their backyard and I think that that’s an awesome model. It also changes lifestyle because of access to transit and walkability, and those sorts of things in dense neighborhoods. Chilliwack needs to do a better job of incentivizing development in our urban cores, and that’s the downtown and that’s the Garrison Crossing, Sardis/Vedder area, and then the corridor that connects the two, because as we add density, it will increase affordability. It’ll give you greater access to a variety of housing stock, but it also makes running things like transit programs far more efficient, and so we know that the cost of delivering services to somebody who lives in a single-family home is far higher for police, for sewer and water, and cleaning your roads and doing all these things than doing it in a building, so we can provide a higher level of service to you.

If you live in a tower, then we can. If you live in a single-family home, buses will run on a greater schedule. And ultimately for many Chilliwack residents, I think it’s a better lifestyle for them. And so those are the kinds of things we need to look at when we build the city, is make sure that it’s a city that has a diversity of options because our community is diverse and it’s getting more and more diverse over time.

How should the city combat homelessness?

Homelessness is near and dear for me. I lived in the downtown core right at Five Corners in a studio loft apartment for the last four years. And in that process I came to get to know a lot of the folks who call the streets their home. The doorways and the stairways of our downtown specifically. We’re seeing that in every single neighbourhood. And the challenge for me is that there are different cohorts of homeless populations, and some of it is mental illness related and drug addicted, and some of it is truly housing market pricing and being pushed out because of an inability to afford housing. Some of it is people who choose a street lifestyle for lots of other reasons. So our approach needs to be broad and needs to be comprehensive. One solution is not going to fit all but we need to tackle our affordability crisis. We need to work on the mental health care file, which we can. We can fund services very differently than we are. We can fund addictions care, we can do these things that ultimately will be savings down the road from a cost perspective. But it’s also the more human approach, because it’s not making me feel good when I wander through our community and I see people living in dire straits when they could be productive members of society and live a much healthier lifestyle for themselves.

What is the municipal role in reconciliation?

We have a huge role to play. And so when we look at this reconciliation framework, obviously it’s a societal shift. It’s a mental shift. The challenge being where do we even start with this process?

The general status of this topic to me is to start anywhere, start with a conversation, pick a couple of action items and move forward on those. And so I sit on the Aboriginal relations committee at the Fraser Valley Regional District, and we coordinate and work with and create policy with the 32 independent First Nations bands throughout the Fraser Valley. That’s from the border with Abbotsford and Langley to the north end, the lake to Douglas Band all the way up the Fraser Canyon and all the way to the east gate of Manning Park. In that though, Chilliwack has this huge role to play because we’re central to all of that, and the health of Indigenous communities within our municipal boundaries and surrounding us and also urban Indigenous populations that don’t live on reserve … We can find a future together that benefits both communities, that recognizes a culture and practice and all these other pieces, and recognize past wrongdoings. The ultimate goal is that we need to have a mental societal shift, and I believe my role as a mayor is to be a leader, not just in policy, not just to fund transit differently or to fund a park, but to help shape a social narrative around what kind of community we want to be.

Do you have an interest in improving public transportation?

When I got onto council it was one of my main files that I wanted to focus on. And so I’ve actually chaired the transportation committee at the city for the last three years. We’ve initiated the largest rollout to transit programs in the city’s history. So I’m really proud of that work and we’ve taken really long delays on the Vedder Corridor, on Route 1, and decrease those wait times. But we have a long way to go. The next step is looking at GPS-tracked buses with reader boards at transit stops so that you as a transit rider could know that your bus is going to be 10 minutes, so you have time to go grab a coffee or you’re not sitting out in the rain waiting for your bus.

Ultimately transit is about reimagining how people can get around our community. That takes all forms. That’s cycling and that’s walking and that’s transit. Transit is the future for our community for sure. It is a bit of a “build it and they will come” model because if you don’t have buses running on a frequent schedule, then people can’t rely on that service. So those are all things that we’re going to continue to work on. I’m excited about watching what happens when these last three years of transit rollouts truly come to fruition because we’re just at the infancy of that program that we rolled out over my last term.

Why should someone vote for you?

Well, first of all, I have done this for 22 years. I was a city counselor for 12 years and then 10 years as a mayor.

And in that time I have learned so very much. I have been elected by my peers to represent them as a president to the Lower Mainland Local Government Association. I sat as the chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District. I am now currently the second vice president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities. I know all of my staff. I know the issues that the city is facing. I know the growth when I came on, there were 60,000 people living in the City of Chilliwack and now our official count is 92,000, but we’re hearing that it’s closer to 100,000 people, so our city has really grown. I know what needs to be done to help with the growth issues that we’re experiencing. I think I exemplify integrity and a proven leadership … I think it’s only positive and the reason I do is, you know, when someone is working in a job, you want someone who is seasoned, someone who understands what we can and what we can’t do under the legislation that we are under, the community charter, someone who understands our policing system, someone who understands housing, someone who understands how pipes go in the ground, someone who has a clear vision.

Sharon Gaetz

What are your thoughts on affordable housing?

I think it’s really important to look at the whole housing issue and the province of British Columbia is doing that right now to find out why our house price is increasing so much. And I think that they’re coming to the conclusion that it’s because of the speculation; we do know that in the big city, 20 per cent of condo presales are bought by foreign investment.

We’re really in a critical time in housing in British Columbia. I’m on this. And you know, one of the things that we did right now in the City of Chilliwack is we had a move to legalize secondary suites. So in the past, secondary suites were called illegal, and non-conforming, and the way that we reacted to secondary suites was if we had a complaint, then we had to go in and close them down and we had to remove the stove. Whoever was living in there was displaced, quite frankly.

So our city tried to think about what kind of accommodation our young families are using right now and many of them are in suites, and as long as the owner is cleaning out the garage and making sure that there’s parking and not everyone is fighting for spots on the street, and as long as they are looking after the kind of simple requirements, like put up a smoke alarm and do all the safety things, then the city is saying it’s okay and you can apply now when you build a home to have a secondary suite and it will be approved.

I can’t say it enough that we really have to get a handle on housing in British Columbia, and I have faith and I have hoped that the province, whose responsibility it is, is taking incremental steps to make it so that the next generation can enjoy the same choice as I did as a young mom. I had a single-family home. I was blessed to be able to have that.

How should the city combat homelessness?

The thing that keeps me awake at night is the homeless situation. So people who understand rules and responsibilities of government will very clearly understand that that falls within the purview of the province, first of all. The province looks after housing, the province looks after mental health and addictions, the province looks after poverty reduction — it’s all part of their mandate.

The city gets eight cents on a tax dollar and the other two levels of government receive 92. So we can’t take on the provincial government’s responsibilities, but we do.

My view is you get them a home and that’s what I’ve been advocating for. I’ve been sitting in Minister [Selina] Robinson’s [MLA Coquitlam] office and Minister Shane Simpson’s [MLA Vancouver] and Minister Judy Darcy’s [MLA New Westminster] asking for exactly that and that’s why you’re seeing modular units coming to the City of Chilliwack. They’re not fancy because there are people in our community, they feel like, “I worked for my home. Why are you giving people who are not working a home?” Well, I’d like to say there’s a really good economic reason, first of all, why we do that, and there’s also a compassionate reason. I don’t know if anybody has tried camping out in inclement weather and not having a bathroom and not having the things that we take for granted. It’s human kindness and it also makes sense economically to do that. So these are the things that are happening in our city right now because I’ve been advocating and so has my council and so have my staff. We built relationships with B.C. Housing, whose responsibility it is; we’re able to get 80 units for affordable housing off of Yale Avenue. We’re able to get 35 units at “Ruth and Naomi” which is for families with small kids. We’ve got 46 at Salvation Army and another 15 for women by themselves. We had 46 that are going on the old Trader’s Inn site, we have 46 that are going on Trethewey Avenue, and we have the ones that we already put in place, the ones down on School Street, there’s 33 units there. Seventeen for youth with mental illness who are at risk and 17 for people that have have a risk of mental illness or are struggling with mental illness right now. And then we have the 22 units right across from City Hall. So we’re working really hard.

What is the municipal role in reconciliation?

That is a very important discussion we need to have, particularly in Chilliwack because in Chilliwack boundaries alone, we have 11 Aboriginal bands, and then outside in the region there are 21, so it’s very different than Vancouver, than Surrey, than a few that just have a few spattering, maybe two or three.

I honestly believe that it starts with relationship. I really do. And my first experience with working with an Aboriginal band was with Squiala. So when I came on as a counselor, we talked a lot about taking a road — that’s Evans Road — and going through to get to the north side of the City of Chilliwack. And as we started to talk about it, the chief of the day, who was Sam Jimmie, he decided for whatever reason that he wanted to work with me on it. And we forged a relationship.

Do you have an interest in improving public transportation?

When I first came on counsel, we had buses that ran every hour. If you miss the bus, you were hooped because you had to wait for two hours to get home. It certainly wasn’t a convenient way to get around. And the only reason, there were two reasons why people took transit. One is that they didn’t drive and the other was that it was cheaper than riding in a car. And so we had to think about that and think about the wear and tear on our streets, the kind of damage that could be done to the environment when you have an entirely car-driving kind of population. So we looked at how we can expand our transit. So right now, we decided that we would have a line that went straight down from right here at the university down to downtown Chilliwack and there would be a transit hub in there as well.

And the buses were running every 20 minutes. Now they’re down to every 15 minutes. I think they’ll go less than that as more money comes in and there is more ridership. Our buses are packed. People see them at odd times of the night when they’re empty. And they say, “Mayor, why are these empty buses?” In the peak times, there’s standing room only on lots of the buses. They may not see it. The school district also supplements their students’ rides by using public transit.

So yes, we need to increase that. We need to keep getting more and more public transit. I have to tell you that the university was absolutely instrumental in making sure that we had transit down the highway. We didn’t have anything that connected us other than Greyhound, which no longer exists.

The Cascade Note: Some of these events require tickets, most are on Facebook.

If something catches your eye, take to the internet for more details.

Community Events are in UFV Events are in Music Events are in Art Events are in Cultural Events are in

Blue Green Red Purple Yellow

Oct 11

Oct 12

Oct 13

Beyond the Blues: Mental Health Screening Day @ Room S1111 (Abb. Campus), 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

18th Annual West Coast Women’s Show @ Tradex (Abbotsford) 1:00 - 9:30 p.m.

Rainbow Run for Neurodiversity @ Mill Lake Park (Abbotsford) 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Paint N’ Take Acrylics w/ Nan Newman @ House of Fine Art (Abbotsford) 11:00 am - 2:00 pm Every Girl Matters Day in B.C. @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Cultus Lake Fire Department Open House @ Cultus Lake Volunteer Fire Department (Chilliwack) 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Oktoberfest @ Steelhead Hall (Mission), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Fraser Valley Purple Light Nights Gallery Opening @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Applelooza @ Lepp Farm Market (Abbotsford), 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

18th Annual West Coast Women’s Show @ Tradex (Abbotsford) 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Piano Extravaganza with the CSO @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Oct 15 De-Stressing Event @ UFV Library (Chilliwack Campus) 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Oct 16

Ink Line Colour w/Glenn Tait @ House of Fine Art (Abbotsford) 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

GSN Meeting @ Gender Support Network (Chilliwack), 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Oct 17

Oct 18

Raven-Making Workshops @ UFV Library (Chilliwack Campus) 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Trauma Informed Yoga @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

A Streetcar Named Desire @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

2018 Chilliwack International Fall Film Series @ Cottonwood 4 Cinemas (Chilliwack) 3:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Brothers Osborne with guests The Wild Feathers @ Abbotsford Centre, 8:00 p.m.

President’s Leadership Lecture Series presents: Paul K. Chapell @ Room B101 (Abbotsford Campus), 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Oct 19

Ballet Kelowna Masterclass @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

14

Applelooza @ Lepp Farm Market (Abbotsford), 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Arabic Language Exhibition Tours @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 10:00 a.m. - Noon

Derby Town and The Unbranded @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack) 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

UFV Blood Donation Clinic @ Evered Hall (Abbotsford Campus) Noon - 7:00 p.m.

Sharon & Bram @ Abbotsford Arts Centre, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

October Pop Up Shoppe @ Dwtn Abby Pop Up (Abbotsford) 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Mariel Buckley @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Oct 14

18th Annual West Coast Women’s Show @ Tradex (Abbotsford) 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Stephen Carl O’Shea, The Sylvia Platters, Energy Slime @ I-Lead Abby (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 11:00 p.m.

TEDxAbbotsford 2018 @ Room B101 (Abbotsford Campus) 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

MHM Gallery Exhibit Opening Reception: Edith Krause @ Mennonite Heritage Museum (Abbotsford) 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Salt Thief @ Acoustic Emporium (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Viper Central @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Randy Oxford Blues All-Star Slam @ The Stage in Mission 7:00 - 11:59 p.m.

Piano Extravaganza with the CSO @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Oct 20

Chinese Tea Ceremony @ Fraser Valley Regional Library (Sardis), 10:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.

No Good Dancer Left Behind Fundraiser @ Army of Sass (Chilliwack), 6:00 - 10:30 p.m.

Casinos “People Watching” Album Release Show @ Vicinity Lounge (Abbotsford), 6:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Mike Plume and Dan Tait from Tiger Moon @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 10:00 p.m.

An Evening with Ryan McMahon @ The Railyard (Mission), 7:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Stand Up Comedy Night @ The Stage in Mission, 7:00 - Midnight

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2018

Athlete Profile //

Interview with UFV Men’s Golf Senior Captain Zach Olson ALEXANDER JESUS VARSITY WRITER

When the 36-hole 2018 UFV Invitational wrapped up, the UFV men’s golf team added a sixth straight PACWEST tournament win to a storyline already sporting great achievements. Along with the 22-stroke team win and the extension of the conference winning streak, UFV men’s golf team’s senior captain Zachary Olson picked up a men’s individual win by four shots, his first individual win in three years.

“I started when I was about four or five. My grandparents lived right on a course when I was growing up, so I wanted to go see them and play and my dad was just starting to get into golf,” Olson said. “I kind of started playing tournaments when I was 14 or 15. I was a little bit late, being more into hockey growing up than anything else.

Then I just changed over to golf once I got into high school.”

From there it wasn’t long until Olson realized that there could be a future in the sport for him.

“When I first started playing tournaments I had some decent rounds … I had never really taken it that seriously before. I got into practicing and started to really like it … I slowly got better at it than anything else and I knew I wanted to play a sport somewhere at the university level. Golf was going to be my best shot so, I decided to give that a go.”

Currently, Olson is working on a business administration degree with a major in marketing.

Speaking on golf as a sport, Olson said he appreciates both the individual accountability and the team focus at UFV. This has been demonstrated by the team’s success as a group and in Olson’s recent success in the men’s individual category.

“There’s a team aspect here, so it’s fun when the team is going good, but then in the individual tournaments as well, it’s pretty much the amount of work you put into it is what you’re going to get out of it. So, kinda like anything I suppose.”

When asked if he watches golf, Olson was quick to respond, “Yeah, all the time.” On whom he likes to watch, Tommy Fleetwood, Tiger Woods, and Dustin Johnson come to mind. “Those would probably be my top three.”

When it comes to his own game, Olson described it as a consistent one.

“I don’t typically go crazy low, but I also don’t usually blow up super high.

Kind of a steady level, for the most part I guess.”

And then with a smile, Olson added, “It would be nice to get a few more low ones in, but we’ll see if we can work on that.”

Speaking like a true captain, Olson had much to say about the team at UFV and what it means to him.

“The team aspect is fun. I get along

with all the guys really well. We have a pretty good group of players, so it’s fun,” Olson said. “With all the different opportunities we’ve got here, we get to travel and go up and play courses that I would never have gotten to play if I didn’t come here, so it’s pretty awesome.”

Up next for Olson and the team is the PACWEST Championship, an important game for the team.

“I mean, you know it’s a big event, for sure, but when you’re actually out playing, it definitely helps if you can tell yourself, ‘It’s just another tournament, you’re just playing another round of golf’ and go out there and try and get it done, I guess.”

When it comes to other future goals, the tournament ahead is the one on the minds of Olson and the team. “We’re focused on the conference championship coming up this weekend, and then move on to nationals after that.”

It’s safe to say that the UFV men’s golf team still has goals and aspirations they wish to achieve, but if recent times are any indication, the future is bright for senior captain Zachary Olson and the team as they look to win the PACWEST Championship, and then set their sights on the PING CCAA Golf National Championships.

Zachary Olson at UFV Invitational. Chilliwack Golf Club, Chilliwack B.C. Sept. 29, 2018 (UFV Flickr)

UFV Cascades scores: Men’s Soccer UFV Versus TWU Oct. 5th, 2018 Result: Loss (2-1)

Women’s Soccer UFV Versus TWU Oct. 5th, 2018 Result: Loss (3-1)

UFV Versus TWU Oct. 7th, 2018 Loss (3-2)

UFV Versus TWU Oct. 7th, 2018 Loss (3-2)

Women’s Basketball UFV Versus UBC Oct.4th, 2018 Result: Loss (74-57)

Men’s Golf VIU Invitational Oct. 5th, 2018 Result: 1st place

15

STUDY BREAK Crossword //

CULTURE Made by Cassie de Jong ACROSS

DOWN

6: A tusked wild pig which all domesticated pigs are descended from.

1: An ancient numeric system developed in Italy that is still used in some instances today.

7: An alcoholic beverage made from fermenting yeast with various hops and malts.

2: A person who develops algorithms or ciphers to encrypt sensitive information.

8: An overwhelming feeling or effort of patriotism.

3: Water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone are all examples of this phenomena which has a massive effect on our environment.

9: An American rock band from Arkansas featuring singer/songwriter Amy Lee.

4: Individuals who were advocates for putting an end to African-American slavery in America.

10: A succulent plant that is known for its moisturizing properties, and is often found in sunburn medication.

5: The act of marketing goods or services by making telephone calls.

11: A heavily-armoured combat vehicle armed with guns that moves on a continuous track.

LAST ISSUE’S

ANSWERS:

Across: 1: Yorkshire 4: Armoire 6: Gym 7: Naive 9: Amulet 11: Wasabi 12: Nacho 14: SOS 15: Scalper 17: Dachshund

Down: 1: Yam 2: Stein 3: Epidermis 4: Almanac 5: Outlaw 6: Greenland 8: Incisor 10: Tassel 13: Oasis 16: PhD

BREAD CRUMBS

Horoscopes //

16

Astrological mysteries interpreted weekly by Morgana the Mystic.

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 Miscommunication will get you nowhere, Aries. Honest conversation is your specialty, so why not utilize it? Sit down with someone and talk it out. You’ll all feel better afterwards.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 Someone being quiet doesn’t mean they’re not happy. Your concern, while well-meaning, is unnecessary. We all have different ways of demonstrating emotions, so why not try their way once in a while?

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 You miss a lot when you’re only concerned with the “big picture.” Enjoy the little things in life, Sagittarius! The process can be just as rewarding as the product.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 Materialism seems to be getting the best of you right now. Try to focus your attention somewhere more practical. Avoid buyer’s remorse and leave your Amazon cart empty.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Take a break, Virgo! Your fixation on being organized is exhausting you; there’s nothing wrong with leaving something for later. Leave spring cleaning for, well, the spring.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 Not everything is as cut-and-dry as you want it to be, Capricorn. Embrace irrationality for once; you’ll find yourself happier for it!

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Do you constantly feel as if you’re struggling to catch up? Your perspective of yourself is skewed right now, Gemini. Don’t worry so much — you’re doing just fine. Better than fine, in fact!

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Can’t seem to make a decision? This isn’t a situation you can dawdle through, Libra — time is of the essence. If you’re truly stuck between two options, flip a coin.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 You’ve been a little reckless lately. It won’t hurt to make a plan before your next venture.

Spontaneity only works when you’re not in danger of combusting.

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 Your irritation is justified, Cancer, but that doesn’t mean people will react well to it. Take a moment to collect your thoughts and you’ll have an easier time communicating your troubles.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Apologies work best when the person actually knows what you’re trying to do. One for actions and not words, you’ll have difficulty with this. Don’t overthink it! Sometimes all you need to say is, “I’m sorry.”

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Crying over spilled milk might not fix anything, but it sure is cathartic! Ignore those who tell you to repress your emotions, as that will only cause more problems in the end.

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2018

culture@ufvcascade.ca Cassie de Jong — Culture Editor

Gallery opening //

UFV blood drive donation clinic CASSIE DE JONG

CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

On Wednesday, Oct. 17, UFV will host Canadian Blood Services for a blood donation clinic. Those interested can join the UFV Alumni Association, the Student Union Society, and Biology and Chemistry Student Association (BCSA) in Evered Hall in the Student Union Building from noon to 7 p.m. to participate. The event is open to all students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the public.

This annual blood drive celebrates six years this year, and has been run by the BCSA at UFV. These students are resourceful opportunists, and have been able to establish an incredibly successful reoccurring UFV event.

However, a problem they have encountered is the inevitable turnover in leadership of the organization as students graduate.

Canadian Blood Services prefers to book their blood clinics over a year in advance, and student associations such as the BCSA often don’t know whom the next president of the student association will be that far in advance. This has made it quite challenging for Canadian Blood Services to navigate the booking, planning, and promotion processes. Therefore, as of last year the UFV Alumni Association has stepped in as a partner in the annual event, in order to ensure it runs smoothly.

When asked how successful last year’s event was, manager of

alumni relations Whitney Fordham said that last year’s goal was to collect 101 donations. They successfully met that goal, collecting 102 blood donations as well as 50 stem cell donor registrants. Since the first event in 2012, there have been a grand total of 696 blood donations collected at UFV. Fordham also elaborated on the newest development in UFV’s relationship with Canadian Blood Services. Partners for Life is a nationwide program that allows community organizations to work with Canadian Blood Services to help save lives. According to the UFV event page for the drive, this program will give individuals in the UFV community the opportunity to make a difference by donating blood, platelets,

and plasma. By pre-registering to donate online while using a Partners for Life ID code, participants can label their donation as attributed to the UFV Alumni Association’s Partners for Life team.

“The benefit to signing up as a Partner for Life is to see the impact that our UFV community is having, to track how many lives we save each year, to challenge ourselves, etc.,” Fordham said.

“We are starting small this year, but as we roll out the program over the next few years we hope to offer incentives such as prizes.”

The Alumni Association encourages all members of the UFV community to take part in this potentially life-saving opportunity by registering to donate online using the ID number

UFVA480702. One does not have to pre-register in order to donate blood and walk-ins will be accepted. However, in order to avoid potentially long wait times, it is recommended that those interested book an appointment ahead of time online at https:// myaccount.blood.ca/en/donate/.

If you are unable to attend the blood drive, or are unable to donate, you can also assist Canadian Blood Services by making a financial donation on their website, or applying to become a volunteer.

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17

arts@ufvcascade.ca Martin Castro — Arts Editor

ARTS VOL. 26 // ISSUE 24

VOL. 26 // ISSUE 24

Album Review //

CHARTS 1

JOYFULTALK Plurality Trip

2

Lié Hounds

3

Suuns Felt

4

Colin James Miles to Go

5

Stephen Carl O’Shea / Sylvia Platters (Split 12”) Shadow Steps

6

Guerilla Toss Twisted Crystal

7

Frontperson Frontrunner

8

Frigs Basic Behaviour

9

Fucked Up Dose Your Dreams Snail Mail

10 Lush

The Lytics

11 Float On 12

Deb Rhymer Band Don’t Wait Up

Red 13 Pale Heavy Petting

14 Tirzah Devotion Moss 15 Jessica Entanglement Good 16 Brian Good as Gold

17 Chastity Death Lust 18 Boxcutter PNW

Reap What You Sow

19 Kara Grainger

Living with Your Ghost

Cottrill 20 Ben Red Lines

18

SHUFFLE AARON LEVY

One way or another, Shadow Steps will have you moving

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy wants to draw your attention to the Western Canadian Music Awards this weekend in Kelowna as part of Breakout West, and in honour of the occasion, here are four Western Canadian recommended listening items.

The Rascalz “Northern Touch” Depending on whom you ask, this could either be a nondescript ‘90s style hip-hop song, a jingle that’s been developed utilizing the names of current (and some now recently former) Toronto Raptors NBA players’ names as a playoff promotion for the team, or the definitive patriotic Canadian party anthem.

Carolyn Mark “The One that Got Away With It” On a recent drive down the States-side of this temperate Western rainforest that we inhabit, I was waxing on about this singer-songwriter, whose been a staple on the Island and across the country as a touring artist for at least a decade. Think Neko Case but more cheeky.

Rae Spoon “You Don’t Do Anything” Taking aim at environmental politics on their most recent record, there are like 10 of them to date, and each of them is rich with personal and poignant storytelling, and musical compositions that excel both as pieces of songwriting, and opportunities to experiment with the traditional constructs of folk songs.

Matthew Good Band “The War Is Over” A song that puts a period (plus the eventual epilogue/secret song) on the first full-length recording released under the name Matthew Good Band, and was at the time a record-setting independent album thanks (or so I understand?) to ubiquitous Vancouver rock radio station CFOX. Still warrin’, though.

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

The Sylvia Platters have been kicking around the Fraser Valley for a while. Last year’s MELT saw them stand out as a punchy dreampop foursome, sometimes downcast, sometimes energetic, always vaguely idiosyncratic in the sense that their releases came in the tradition of bands like Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine. Shadow Steps, The band’s split EP with New West-based Stephen Carl O’Shea, sees them embrace melancholy in a more direct fashion while not entirely shedding their power-pop origins. The Platters compliment and are complimented in turn

by O’Shea’s contribution to the project: 5 tracks that are a little unsettling, incredibly danceable, and surprisingly charged with an electricity that is undeniably cold one moment, tangibly sexy the next.

O’Shea’s range is on full display on Shadow Steps. “World of Tears”, one of the singles released in support of the record, is pensive and consciously uses the gaps between instrumental elements to springboard O’Shea’s withdrawn vocals to the forefront. Later, with tracks like “Fear is my Companion”

and “Foreign Province” O’Shea turns that formula on its head and delivers two tracks that offset their more depressive predecessors with instrumentals punctuated by the pendular swinging of a bass line that’s hypnotic in execution.

The Sylvia Platters, on the other hand, start things off on their end with three tracks that highlight just how much of a 90s-throwback pop powerhouse the foursome really is, all swooning vocals, victorious yet reserved guitar licks, and a certain boy-band charm that’s perhaps best exemplified by “Blockhead”, a single that sees the band come into their own not by doing things differently than they had in the past, but by throwing themselves into a pop soundscape that’s simultaneously escapist ear-candy and incredibly bittersweet. Whether you’re excitedly singing into a hairbrush microphone before a big date or driving home in the rain after having been stood up, the Sylvia Platters have got your back.

The band’s progression is perhaps most clear on the latter half of the record, where “And Miles”, and “TV Light” emerge unassuming up out of the jangly echoing landscape of the record’s first half. At just under

two minutes, the instrumental “And Miles” shimmers as a landmark wherein the Platters adopt a common language as a group. More so than had been apparent on their earlier releases, “And Miles” succeeds as it does mainly due to the fact that the Platters seem to have finally arrived at a synchronicity that allows the foursome to act as one in pursuit of its sonic ambitions. “TV Light” is also notable as perhaps the most dramatic Platters deep cut to date, specifically because it exists demonstrably as the result of a band that’s begun to craft and speak its own language.

On his end, O’Shea weighs the record down with an incredibly precise vision, one that relentlessly holds listeners’ attention towards the end the record. Writhing with an energy that’s always kept just in check, Shadow Steps sees the You Say Party member steering the uneasy tension that permeated YSP’s last two releases right off a cliff, and into a vessel that’s much more intensely personal, and which accordingly strikes listeners with a slow terror that is only ever surpassed by the urge to dance.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2018

Interview //

Stepping Out of the Shadows/Shadow Stepping Forward: a conversation with The Sylvia Platters and Stephen Carl O’Shea

ally stepped on it and got things going a lot quicker.

It was a great opportunity, If you follow the Abbots- obviously to collaborate ford music scene whatsoever, with the Platters, but also you’ve probably heard of You to have this release, that I Say Party and the Sylvia Plat- was like, ‘I’m going to finters. Since the beginning of ish these songs, and I’m go2018, You Say Party’s Ste- ing to perform and support phen Carl O’Shea has been them.’ It’s been an exciting, working with the Sylvia Plat- if not exhausting, 2018. ters to release a new album, Shadow Steps. I had the What are the pros and chance to sit down with Ste- cons of this collaboration? phen Carl O’Shea, and Nick and Tim Ubels from the SylTim: Being able to throw via Platters, and discuss the some demos back and forth unique process with them for between Stephen and our over an hour. band. There are two sides

ELLIOT BAYE CONTRIBUTOR

How did this collaborative project come about?

O’Shea: Abbotsford needs a lot of inspiration, and Abbotsford takes a lot of inspiration from CIVL FM. I think a lot of credit goes to [Station Manager] Aaron Levy, who was the very inspiration to put us together to do this release.

Nick: That’s definitely the catalyst for the inspiration … When Aaron reached out to us to discuss this with Stephen, we were excited to push forward.

O’Shea: My half of the songs on the album were written back in 2012, 2013.

When Aaron came along with this opportunity I re-

What was the process itself like?

O’Shea: It was pretty exciting, just to get to see the coffee-fueled exhaustion they had to go through, day after day. Before we were even working on the process, Nick and I set aside a common vision for it, and how we could collaborate beyond even the release itself: the tour dates, the promotion.

Nick: By the end of six days, the record was more or less complete, whereas of a vinyl release, so they on Stephen’s side, he was can be on the same physi- chipping away at his recal release, which I think cord over a couple months. makes sense that way.

I think both of those are O’Shea: I think we, as a very different and interestgroup, managed to come ing ways to record. together around a common vision. The only con — it’s What would you say has not a con, but we could’ve been the biggest challenge written a song together but in making Shadow Steps? there were time constraints that prevented that from O’Shea: I found myself happening. Overall we needing sounds and needwere able to come up with ing musical ability that a cohesive look and feel for I didn’t possess — there the album. were intentional decisions Nick: I think what Ste- to shape the aesthetic to phen is talking about is be more minimalistic, more of a missed opportu- more with the consistency nity. It’s nice to put together of what my own abilities something that represents were. It was a fun experiboth of our music, that isn’t ment, making sure the viin a competitive spirit. sion didn’t exceed the con-

fines of reality.

Nick: We did a lot of takes of every song. So many songs, we spent hours and hours until we got one that everyone was really happy with. We were in the studio for 12–13 hours a day, for five or six days in a row.

Tim: I feel like for our other two releases, we’ve had more time. Whereas this one, we had time constraints, so I think there were a little bit of nerves going into the recording process, but the result was something we’re very happy with.

on the inside, and channel those feelings into art.

If you put something out, someone will listen to and connect with what we’re expressing.

Tim: I feel like this album represents the band in its correct form. Sometimes you have old material and you present it to someone, then they see us live and it’s a completely different beast, so this one feels very current and very telling of our new lineup.

Stephen, do you feel like you had something to teach, or some wisdom to share with them?

What do you think is the most important thing to accomplish with your O’Shea: I think the remusic, and do you believe lationship between us is that you succeed with one of mutual respect.

Shadow Steps?

It’s not based in who has more knowledge or experiO’Shea: This is really a ence, because I think what beginning point for me. these guys have done is I’m a generally pretty out- really valid and valuable, going, pretty happy guy, and I can tell, working and people who know me with them, that they know will be surprised, I think, things I don’t know. Their to hear the feelings in the band is really quite inspirsongs and the lyrics them- ing for me. It’s been a pleaselves are pretty genuine; it sure getting to work with is genuine. They’re the con- them. flicted, complicated feelings that I have that I don’t Do you feel that they often express. taught you something?

Nick: Music is a way to process and turn what’s O’Shea: Definitely. Ab-

solutely. Everybody just streams online and that’s vastly different than the music industry I was a part of only 10 years ago. The Sylvia Platters do know a lot and they’ve also confirmed a lot of things that I’ve known ... and it’s great to see it be reaffirmed, like, ‘Oh good, some things haven’t changed.’ I guess I’ve learned that there are still good people out there.

Nick: Likewise, it’s been amazing to have the opportunity to work with Stephen. Working with him on this record, his democratic principles, and [he makes] the music scene more accessible to everybody. That’s been refreshing, his commitment to his values, in terms of making music. I think we have a lot to learn from that as well.

Tim: It’s also nice to work with Stephen because the Abbotsford music scene probably wouldn’t exist without him and You Say Party; they kind of created it in the mid- to late- 2000s.

When we were first starting to play in Abbotsford ...

You Say Party was the pillar of the Abbotsford music community.

19

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