work must first be approved by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief and the corresponding section editor. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length and will not print any articles or be a platform for any contributor or contractor who has shared racist, sexist, homophobic, or libellous content online in any form. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 200 words. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, The Cascade’s staff and collective, or associated members.
The
Editorial // Procrastinate productively with us
As the semester comes to a close, like a train on the brink of collision, sparks flying, tires screeching, we here at The Cascade are also marking our final issue of winter.
Aside from the horrors, I hope you all can take time to reflect on this winter semester, whether the good, the bad, the truly awful, anything. Enjoy the fact that it’s (almost) over. Finally. Because I’m not sure about y’all, but this semester has felt like I was being karmically punished for slapping someone’s cat in a past life. I digress. I hope that you all have had a better experience, but from conversations I’ve had, it seems like this winter has been a beast for all of us. So with that in mind, take a look through our issue and see if you can procrastinate productively by catching up on some local news, culture, arts, and all that.
Starting with some news, we have a UFV update on page 5 with some changes coming to our campus. Dr. Cherie Enns, UFV associate professor, gave some insight on the upcoming Campus Communities project and what this could look like for students. We have some more on-campus content as our News Editor had an exit interview on page 4 with current SUS President Bilal Faisal Faheem, who has completed his term and will be moving on from UFV come summer.
With Earth Day coming up on Apr. 22, we have a media care package for you from pages 21-22 that gives you the guide to learning more about this wonderful spinning marble we’re all on. Speaking of spinning marbles, while you’re in Arts, take a peek at a review of Project Hail Mary (2026) from pages 20-21, if you want to put off that paper with a highly raved about film.
Shifting back to our current state at UFV, our feature this issue dives into the faces behind the lay-offs that our university is making in response to the deficit. We encourage you to take a minute to read about the actual people affected by these cuts, and hear their stories.
On a lighter note, read how physical media is making a comeback on page 9. You’re already doing your part by picking up our paper, but maybe try shutting off social media for a while next.
If there’s anything you’d like to see more (or less) of, or get involved with the paper in any way, send an email to managing@ufvcascade.ca as we transition into our next season. As always, thank you for being here and we’ll see you in July.
News Editor — Rachel Tait
NEWS BRIEFS
Eby to suspend parts of DRIPA for three years
Following an online meeting between First Nations chiefs and B.C. Premier David Eby revealed that the B.C. government now plans to suspend sections of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). This suspension would last around three years and, according to Eby, would be less aggressive than making permanent changes as previously proposed.
For the B.C. government this would allow time for them to challenge a December court ruling, which found that DRIPA was legally enforceable. According to Eby this ruling flooded the government with an unmanageable amount of litigation and they were forced to suspend it.
“We have to fix it. It is non-negotiable.”
This decision was met with little enthusiasm by First Nations leaders present in a closed-door meeting. According to a leaked transcript obtained by The Canadian Press , several leaders accused Eby of betrayal, negligence, and disingenuous behaviour.
While the government is already swamped with litigation, suspending or amending DRIPA may actually make things worse for Eby, who may face a no-confidence vote. For Indigenous peoples, it means a further setback and continuation of a long fight for land rights and recognition.
Canada Post to stop door-to-door
deliveries
Canada Post has announced the end of their door-to-door mail delivery service to individual home addresses, which will affect approximately one quarter of the Canadian population, equaling around four million homes. Those with door delivery will now receive their mail through community, apartment, or rural mailboxes.
This structural change will take place over the course of nine years, with the majority occurring in the upcoming three to four years.
This initiative is in part led by the Canadian Federal Government, and the Crown Corporation stated that it is to keep up with the needs of Canadian society without affecting taxpayers. The minister for Canada Post, Joël Lightbound, claimed it’s an imperative course of action to protect and maintain Canada Post, as they are experiencing instabilities in operations and finances.
“This situation is not sustainable,” he said. “Canada Post is effectively insolvent, and repeated bailouts are not a long-term solution.”
This change creates a valid concern amongst elderly people and those with mobility challenges. Retrieving mail from community mailboxes may pose an issue, especially during winter when some places like Ontario get significant amounts of snow and ice. However, Canada Post has a service available, called the Delivery Accommodation Program.
Weather // Stronger than usual El Niño to affect Canadian winter
The world braces for warm winter
NATALIA TOSCANO MURUA
On Mar. 25, AccuWeather released their storm predictions for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which will officially start on Jun. 1. It mentioned that El Niño’s strengthening will likely be one of the principal forces affecting the number of named storms that may appear in the Atlantic ocean. This forecast was formed by studying 14 years of similar conditions, where La Niña fades and gives way to an El Niño. It arrived at the prediction that 2026’s hurricane season may see between 11 to 16 storms.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Senior Climatologist, David Phillips, explained that, although weather can be difficult to predict, there is a 15 per cent chance of 2026 experiencing a “super El Niño” if ocean temperatures rise at least two degrees Celsius above average. This signals weak winter weather country wide and means that strong tropical storms will become significantly less probable in the later part of the season, mainly during October and November.
cooler waters of La Niña fade, El Niño is expected to emerge during the summer.
Although the amount of storms and hurricanes — including major ones — change yearly, the average is considered to be 14 named storms, with half of them turning into hurricanes, and seeing three of those become major hurricanes. Out of the 11 to 16 predicted storms for the 2026 season, as many as seven may potentially become hurricanes, with the expected minimum being four. Out of those formed hurricanes, up to four could turn into major storms.
Data indicated that La Niña years have more active weather storms with approximately 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes. This contrasts starkly with El Niño conditions, which typically generate 10 named storms and about five hurricanes. This year started off with La Niña, which is currently fading, and will likely turn into an El Niño. Years with neither El Niño nor La Niña typically see 13 such storms, with the potential of seven hurricanes being formed.
Vancouver holds “No Tyrants” rally
A “No Tyrants” rally was held on Mar. 28 in Downtown Vancouver as citizens gathered together to stand in unity with Americans. Numerous states across America, such as California, Tennessee, Florida, and Minnesota, held “No Kings” protests on the same day against President Donald Trump and his government.
In both countries, demonstrators participated through chanting, holding signs, and communicating the issues they are seeing with the American government. Protesters condemned the current presidential administration and the impacts of its actions which are being seen globally — particularly through the U.S. and Israel’s current war with Iran.
Vancouverites, specifically, were also protesting against Canadian companies, such as Hootsuite, that are known to have links to America’s Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Kalifi Ferretti-Gallon, co-founder of Democracy Rising, detailed Vancouver protesters’ aims as they called for changes at a global and local level.
“We’re asking that these companies end their contracts with ICE. We’re also asking that Mayor Ken Sim — who refused to review a motion that explicitly banned ICE from FIFA this summer — explicitly bans ICE.”
Abbotsford celebrates Easter weekend in style
This past Easter weekend, some events were put on at Abbotsford’s Seven Oaks mall for kids and adults alike. This included the Shooting Star Amusements’ 2026 Spring Carnival that took place from Apr. 2-6, and the Easter Bunny Photos event that occurred from Apr. 4-5.
Located in the parking lot at Seven Oaks Mall, and backed by Abbotsford Agrifair, the 2026 Abbotsford Spring Carnival had various amusement park rides, like the Ferris wheel, food concession stands, as well as games.
Tickets started at $30, with deals on bulk packs ranging from 20 tickets for $30.00 or 40 tickets for $50. The hours varied from 3 to 9 p.m. on Apr. 2, 12 to 9 p.m. from Apr. 3-5, and 12-5 p.m. on Apr. 6.
The Easter Bunny photo event was free of charge and featured a garden setting. It ran from 12 to 4 p.m. on Apr. 4-5, according to an Instagram post by Seven Oaks mall, reservations were preferable, however walk-ins were also accepted.
El Niño and La Niña are weather patterns determined by the temperature of the Pacific ocean’s surface water, with even slight differences in temperature having a big effect on which weather patterns develop. The Weather Network explained that the Pacific ocean directly influences weather patterns worldwide, and that trade winds that move warm surface water westward allow deeper cold water to emerge from below and lower the ocean’s surface temperature. When temperatures shift, so does the atmospheric circulation, creating different conditions for storms to form. As the
In recent history, there have been only two strong El Niño patterns, one in 1997-98, and the other in 2015-16, with the latter being weaker than the greater El Niño from the end of the 20th century.
The last time an extremely strong El Niño affected Canada was in 2015-16 with the hottest year on record since measurements began in the 1800s. The 2015-16 period affected Quebec, Yukon, The Prairies and western Canada in general. This weather pattern usually affects Canada in the winter and during spring, which can indicate a potentially warm winter transitioning from 2026 to 2027 if El Niño is present.
Chai with Bilal for the last time
Leading with the heart
RACHEL TAIT
Bilal Faisal Faheem was elected president of the Student Union Society (SUS) in 2025. As his term comes to a close, Faheem shared with The Cascade the successes and challenges of representing students, team advocacy projects, and his future plans.
How do you feel as your term ends?
“I don’t exactly know how to feel about it, because on one side, it is a monumental time in my life. I’m graduating, I’m done with my bachelor’s, [and] I’m moving on to a new chapter. But on the other, it is the end of one of the most beautiful chapters that I’ve ever had in my life, so it’s a bittersweet moment for me.”
What advocacy projects are you most proud of?
“[As part of CASA] we got $1.2 billion invested in the Canada Student Grants and the Canada Student Loans … [and] that’s a huge win for students, because over 700,000 students all across Canada, use that [fund].
“[Federally] we [also] got $635.2 million invested in [the] student work placement program and work integrated learning over [a] period of three years.
“One of the biggest [wins] that is non-financial … is that international students no longer require a co-op work permit to do a co-op. Now, they can only do it based [on] their study permit.
“I think [the] Fraser Valley Express has been something near and dear to my heart since we’ve started … and we got some wins. The bus hours have been extended. That was one of the biggest concerns, that the last bus used to go back at eight p.m., and now that’s not the case.
“What BC Transit and the Fraser Valley Regional District have done [is] they have reduced the monthly pass fare
from $100 to $85, which means that UFV students are now eligible for the concession pass. And, that’s bigger than it sounds, because now that’s not just a $15 saving every month, that’s a $60 saving every semester.
“At UFV… it was necessary for every international student to take 12 credits … but the IRCC requirement is nine credits, so now UFV is approved to match that to nine credits, and that is a huge financial burden that’s been taken off of students.”
What has been most challenging for you?
“There are two … The first one, people think that I can do way more, but I cannot. You have certain restrictions, because power comes with responsibility, so you have to be a responsible leader, otherwise
you misuse the power. So, A is that point, but B is [that] I know so many things [and] I cannot let everybody know, because some things are confidential.”
What were the highlights during your term?
“One of the biggest things … was when I got the opportunity to emcee the UFV President’s installation ceremony. Dr. James Mandigo, when he took over as president, [asked] me to emcee the entire ceremony. For me, that was a pretty big deal … and one of the other ones that I like to believe is a highlight, is Chai with Bilal.”
Is there anything you wish you had more time to accomplish?
“Everything. 12 months is [such] a short time … if I had more time, I would
love [to finish working on] the Fraser Valley Express. I think we’ve got the ball rolling with the pilot proposal. … [And] that is something that I’m looking forward to [seeing] how the next president would do it.”
What have you learned the most about leadership?
“You’re not a good leader if you don’t have your people around you. That’s it. A lot of people think that leadership is an individual thing … [but] you never get anywhere if you’re running solo.”
Will you continue pursuing politics?
“Yes, I don’t know what exact form it would have … I’m still exploring opportunities to see how I can be a part of the student governance, government affairs in general, and [be] more connected to the community. Don’t be surprised if you see me or my name here and there, working very near to UFV.”
What advice would you give to the new president?
“Lead with your heart. That’s a very important thing to do. Don’t think that you’ve cracked [every challenge] … but, just try to work with [and] learn from people.
“There is always this pressure that, oh, you are the president of the UFV Student Union Society … Take that pressure, because that’s not a pressure, that’s a privilege. Not everybody gets to do that, and just value the privilege, because you’ll miss it when you know that it’s coming to an end. I think the new president has some great ideas and initiatives that they want to accomplish and I wish them the best of luck.”
Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
Photo submitted by Bilal Faisal Faheem
UFV // UFV community voices concerns on new development
UFV community’s thoughts on the Campus Communities project
UFV’s Campus Communities project plans to develop a living community on campus surrounding grounds, akin to a University district. Plans are set to include housing, services that foster a more vibrant atmosphere, and multipurpose spaces for UFV’s community to use. The Cascade had the opportunity to connect with different people in Fall of 2025 from the UFV community to get their perspective and insight on the project.
Gary Morrison, the appointed CEO for the Campus Communities project, clarified late last year that the housing planned to be constructed is not specifically designed with students in mind, but is rather oriented to the housing market by providing rentable spaces — like affordable suites — that appeal to a broader demographic of people.
“Our focus is on market housing now. It’s a very clear fit for both students, faculty, and homes where it’s not going to be dedicated or specifically allocated to them. What we’re hoping to do is, through design guidelines, require developers to include things like lock-off suites, which [people] would rent out.”
Morrison confirmed that the current plan of action is preparing the land, which is currently a parking lot. The planned development areas include University Village — Lots 4/5, Lot 2a, and Portion Building K Lot (33780 King Rd), equalling 6.1 acres of land, for a developer to
begin construction of the habitational units. This means that UFV will not be officially handling the development of the housing and spaces that are being built.
Morrison stated that, even though UFV is not handling that aspect of the development, they are hoping that developers will prioritize applications for housing from students and faculty.
“It’s difficult because we won’t be the ones that develop the units and rent ourselves. What we are trying to do is have those developers who actually build the projects [and] make them available to faculty, staff, students — try and give priority.”
Craig Toews briefly spoke about the Indigenous consultations that were conducted to get feedback on the project. He stated that they reached out to 19 different communities that have a good relationship with UFV, saying that the overall Indigenous consensus was that a positive effect of this development is the expansion of the university’s community.
“They were interested in seeing the plans, but had very little input or questions. They just were very happy to see the university grow.”
Despite that, Toews said that he didn’t hear back from about half of the consulted communities.
Dr. Cherie Enns, a UFV associate professor of Planning, Geography, and Environmental Studies, expressed that she was interested in the potential Campus Communities has for creating
community on campus and encouraging alumni to connect. She also stated that finding a balance for both students and businesses looking to locate themselves near the habitable development is important to ensure both can coexist and nurture each other. They must also offer an experience that is valuable for the general market but one that remains centered around students.
“I’m not in any way critical of the vision. I think it’s interesting and we need to be creative and strategic. I’m hopeful that they can push, if that’s the right word, or look for ways to encourage developers to be more student centered in whatever it is they’re doing.”
She mentioned that through her own conversations with the development board, she learned of challenges when it comes to competing with student housing.
“The reason why they can’t do student housing is because of competition with on campus student housing. What they’re saying is that because we’re still a commuter-oriented campus, and given the downturn in international student numbers, the current housing on campus is not full. So it’s hard to make the case that off campus, student-oriented housing is needed at this time.”
Enns speculated that the proposed development is critical to generate income for the university.
“I’m not sure there’s any money without the development … It’s the process of developing the land that will generate revenue.”
The Cascade spoke to Enns’ PLAN
300: Planning for Housing class about the Campus Communities project. Further reinforcing the results from a UFV conducted survey, where 68 per cent of participants listed better parking as their number one priority, a student talked about their desire for UFV to commit to having at least the same amount of parking space available both before and after.
“They’re going to have [to be] committed to having at least as many parking spots as there were before, plus [space for] any residential additions that might be made as well. We can slowly integrate more and more public transit into our communities, and especially in Abbotsford — like [with] the shuttle bus from Chilliwack to Abbotsford — and then hopefully more city buses as well.”
Some students commented that there is a lack of amenities near campus that would encourage undergraduates to stay after class to connect with more of the UFV community. There was also dialogue around the potential this project has to bring more life to campus and draw in a greater variety of services that may help establish a genuine community on campus.
“You’d also need to incorporate services if you’re wanting people to move to the area and not rely on their cars. You’d need to have things like food stores, doctors offices, where you wouldn’t need to leave the campus at all.”
The interviews in this article were conducted in Fall 2025 by Darien Johnsen
Image of Abbotsford, courtesy of UFV Properties Trust
NATALIA TOSCANO MURUA
International //
Nearly 54 years later, astronauts are revisiting the moon
JASLEEN SANDHU
On Apr. 1, 2026, during the evening of the full moon, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the Artemis II, for a space mission to the moon. This marks the first time that astronauts have travelled there since the Apollo 17 launch in 1972.
The Apollo 17 mission occurred from Dec. 7-19, 1972, and the highlight of the trip was the astronauts landing on the moon’s surface. A little over 53 years later, the Artemis II is NASA’s return trip to the moon. The mission spanned over 10 days, and its four astronauts did not land, but orbited around the moon until their return.
This 10-day orbit ended on Apr. 10,. The spacecraft was then returned back to Earth, and it was estimated to move at 25,000 miles per hour (approximately 40,000 kilometres).
NASA’s first lunar mission occurred in the summer of 1969 with Apollo 11, which had Neil Armstrong, who was the commander, amongst its crew. These lunar missions, which included a crew, ceased in 1972, after Apollo 17, until now, particularly due to budget-related reasons as travelling to the moon is a costly endeavour.
Artemis II had a crew of four: Commander G. Reid Wiseman, AstronautPilot Victor J. Glover, Astronaut Christina
Canada // Artemis II makes history by travelling to the moon
H. Koch, and Canadian Astronaut, Jeremy Hansen.
Three out of the four astronauts have already travelled to space, but this is Hansen’s inaugural mission.
“Hansen, making his first space flight, will become the first Canadian to leave Earth orbit.”
As Hansen made history by being the first Canadian to go to space, ABC News reported that Koch also made her mark by being the first woman in a crew that travelled to the moon.
Alongside Koch and Hansen, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson also played a significant role on this mission as she was the first woman to act as a launch director for NASA.
The Artemis II launch had crowds of people witnessing it live from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, and in the surrounding areas.
The Space Center’s main purpose is to act as the location from where astronauts could be sent to the moon, according to BBC News
Artemis II continued off of the success of 2022’s Artemis I which had no crew members. NASA outlined the initiative of the Artemis II launch.
“[It] will demonstrate a broad range of capabilities needed on deep space missions. The Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew aboard the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket
and Orion spacecraft.”
USA Today detailed the significance of this trip.
“[The crew will] be between 4,600 and 6,000 miles above the surface, and about 250,000 miles from Earth, farther than any human has ever gone in space.”
This mission is conducted with aims to pave a path for future lunar surface missions.
This launch has been considered the beginning of a new space race. According to CBS News, NASA is currently in a space race with China.
“China, which plans to put their own “taikonauts” on the lunar surface by 2030. NASA hopes to win that race by launching one and possibly two Artemis moon
Avi Lewis elected as new NDP leader
A look at the new NDP leader and his platform
(MPs), and has never held an elected position before taking the helm.
The New Democrat Party (NDP) leadership race concluded on Mar. 29, and Avi Lewis won the election by 56 per cent of the vote. The NDP has been recollecting itself since the party lost official status following the 2025 elections. Experts suggest this signals a further turn to the left for the NDP as Lewis’ platform moves to further distinguish the NDP from other mainstream parties with his platform. Lewis, the grandson of David Lewis, one of the original founders of the NDP, has been described as the further left of the five candidates in the leadership race. Before running for leader of the NDP, Lewis was known for his filmmaking and activism. However, Lewis now leads an NDP of just six Members of Parliament
Lewis’ platform “Homes for the many, not the money,” was presented as a solution to Canada’s housing crisis. The plan includes a national rent cap tied
Avi Lewis at a campaign stop in 2025. (Politicsenthusiast06, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
to inflation, stronger tenant protections, taxes and tighter rules for corporate landlords, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and federal pressure on provinces to stop renovictions and close rent-control loopholes. It also calls for a public builder to create one million social, co-op, non-profit, and supportive homes in five years, plus a broader strategy to end homelessness through supportive housing, housing benefits, and youth prevention programs.
Concerning Indigenous issues, Lewis platformed on a housing policy of For Indigenous, By Indigenous, with a call for 20 per cent of federal housing investments to be granted affordable housing projects in Indigenous communities. According to Lewis, this will help to address several Indigenous issues at once, including homelessness, and the funding of cultural
landing missions in 2028.”
One of the intentions of this mission is for the team to observe the far hemisphere of the moon.
“The crew will become the first humans to see large regions of the moon’s normally out-of-view far side.”
On Apr. 6, the Artemis II broke the distance record of 400,171 kilometres, previously set by Apollo 13, as it travelled behind the moon.
CTV News broke down the events of Apr. 10, when the Artemis II crew returned back to Earth.
“The crew members aboard lunar mission Artemis II have landed in the Pacific Ocean to await pickup from U.S. officials, capping off their 10-day voyage around the moon. It’s a soggy end to their descent through the Earth’s atmosphere, hurtling towards home at roughly 40,000 km/h.”
The Pacific Ocean was the splashdown point for the four astronauts and all have been reported as safe and sound.
This historic mission is considered a success. Dr. Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, has announced plans to return to the moon.
“This mission, as we’ve been talking about, is just the beginning. Our first mission to the moon of many more to come.”
and supportive housing.
However, Tanille Johnston, member of We Wai Kai Nation who was third place in the leadership race, explained that the NDP still has a long way to go in securing support from Indigenous people.
“We need to go and sit down and listen to where their priorities are at and listen to where they want us to show up in that space. I really want to see some dedication in that arena as well.”
Johnston won 5,000 votes during the race through grassroots community support, beating Rob Ashton and Tony McQuail. She campaigned for mutual nation to nation engagement with Indigenous communities, support for reconciliation and rebuilding the NDP to benefit the working class. CONTINUED
Illustration by Natasha Zilcosky / The Cascade
LIAM PYPER
Opinion Editor — Natalia Toscano Murua
SNAPSHOT
There is meaning in the
process
I love watching the behind the scenes of movies. I love seeing teams gathering together and working to use their different skills and gifts to make one beautiful movie. Whenever I watch these behind the scenes, hearing the process, hearing what the hard work meant to the team, the movie becomes more meaningful because of the work put in. The finished product and process are not inseparable.
When I visit art galleries, I look at the art, make my initial judgments, read the artists’ statements, and then look at the art again with fresh eyes and appreciation. Because the process matters. Any art that I find engaging is because of the work I know went into it.
But it’s not just art, anything I have done that was worth being proud of didn’t use a shortcut. The diploma I got, the sport I improved in, the grades I earned, the articles I wrote — they would not be something to be proud of if I had skipped the process.
Don’t skip the work, don’t skip the process, do something worth being proud of.
BY KARA DUNBAR
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 06
For combating climate change and lack of job opportunity, Lewis proposed a Green New Deal. It consists of investing two per cent of Canada’s GDP to create more than one million union jobs, focusing on clean energy, building retrofits, public transit, and climate infrastructure. The plan promises free, reliable transit, widespread heat-pump deployment, stronger east-west power grids instead of pipelines, and a Green Jobs Transfer policy to protect workers in fossil-fuel-dependent regions.
Healthcare wise, Lewis seeks to bring all-inclusive pharmacare, dental, vision, hearing, and mental health care into the public system, while bolstering it with more nurses, other support, and healthcare workers. Doctors will also be incentivized to come to Canada by implementing free tuition for post-secondary education to encourage more supply. The drug abuse crisis will also be addressed following the principles of Harm Reduction, a strategy that reduces the negative consequences of drug use and emphasizes respect and care for the people who use drugs.
Lewis’ biggest challenge will be to
prove to both his party and future voters that he can stick to his progressive policies and great ideas, while navigating a party far from its glory days — with no experience in the parliamentary system. It is likely that with this election the party will continue to lean into being a more distinct alternative for voters, rather than its previous strategy of cooperating with the Liberals for incremental policy gains while struggling to clearly separate itself from the broader centre-left.
THE ENVIRONMENTALIST: five environmental news sources to know
Hopeful, investigative, grassroots, and Indigenous-led reporting
FABIOLA
CRUZ ALDERETE
Welcome to The Environmentalist, your column for understanding the natural world. Today we will be talking about environmental news sources.
These days, keeping up with the news can feel like pushing a rock uphill forever, like Sisyphus, but with a Wi-Fi connection. And finding environmental news? Somehow even harder. Too often, when I finally find them, it is all disaster, doom, and bad headlines, leaving me feeling more hopeless than informed. I am tired of that. Staying informed should not feel like a choice between panic or disengagement. So, I found five news sources that can make your news experience better..
If environmental news feels overwhelming, Happy Eco News is a refreshing place to start. Based in Vancouver, they focus on positive environmental stories that highlight solutions, progress, and the people working to make a difference. It does not ignore the seriousness of climate and environmental issues, but their coverage uses a lens of hope rather than despair. That makes it a great option for staying informed without feeling crushed by constant negativity.
For readers who want deeper, more investigative reporting, in my opinion The Narwhal is one of the strongest options in Canada. As an independent non-profit newsroom, they go beyond quick headlines and explain the larger context behind environmental issues. Their reporting often covers climate change, conservation, forestry, wildlife, and Indigenous rights, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters.
The Tyee is useful because it shows that environmental issues do not exist on their own. This B.C. based independent news outlet covers environmental
topics alongside politics, housing, energy, and public policy. Their broader approach helps readers see how environmental questions are tied to everyday life and decision-making. It is a reminder that the environment is not just about ecosystems, but also about people and communities.
Watershed Sentinel has a more grassroots feel, which I believe is part of what makes it valuable. With strong roots in B.C. and Western Canada, it has long covered issues such as climate change, water, conservation, and Indigenous rights. Its work often reflects community-based activism and local organizing, bringing environmental journalism that feels grounded and action-oriented.
IndigiNews brings an essential perspective to this list. As an Indigenous-led publication, it centres Indigenous voices and approaches environmental stories through land, water, governance, culture, and community. This matters, because many environmental issues in B.C. cannot be fully understood without Indigenous perspectives.
At the end of the day, the way we read environmental news is important. If all we consume is doom, it becomes easy to feel powerless, and powerless people rarely act. But good environmental journalism can do more than scare us; it can inform us, challenge us, ground us in our communities, and remind us that change is still possible. And honestly, that matters a lot, because caring for the environment starts with paying attention to it. As the Lorax once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.” So, let’s care.
Illustration by Iryna Presley
UFV to start jestering
A completely plausible solution for the $20 million deficit
In light of UFV facing increasing financial hardship, as evidenced by the 20 million dollar deficit caused entirely by a drop in international student enrollment and nothing else, the university is exploring new ways to bring in recurring revenue to help lessen the effects of their financial conundrum.
As proposed by the executives’ reliable, favoured, and cost efficient tool, ChatGPT, the first steps suggested to ensure UFV would thrive in the future were to gut a discretionary part of their faculty and departments. This initial adjustment is set to help relieve UFV of a part of its financial burden, but does not offer a lucrative angle to help bring in more revenue.
To help solve the university’s understandable lack of funds, they plan to invest an undisclosed amount of money into turning UFV’s most under utilized asset — land currently being used as a parking lot — and convert it into developer-ready building lots. Although this offers the possibility for more funding in the future, the immediate aspects of the deficit’s affectations require action to be taken as quickly as possible.
Executives recently announced, after careful prompting and consideration, that they would be launching a new initiative that would offer employment
Social Media //
Satire satire satire // Wait — what even is encryption?
opportunities exclusive to students, staff and faculty. The initiative consists of integrating UFV’s greatest strength — their community — and nurturing their creative spirits with the help of an adequate platform that would increase their reach and impact on the greater Fraser Valley community. Through this new platform of creative entertainment, UFV’s community will be offered the opportunity to perform, or jester, on the official account of the institution.
The project, which is also referred to as Capital Cirque, is set to be closely led by the institution’s executives who will directly influence the creative entertainment methods that will be used to draw in public interest and generate revenue. In preparation for this, several courses that have already been cancelled will be replaced by jestering masterclasses imparted by UFV’s executives themselves, strengthening relations between alumni, faculty, staff and them. This will not only help reduce costs by slashing the resources needed for other highly requested courses, but will also result in UFV’s community gaining the capacity to become lucrative assets themselves.
Public jestering events give the community at large an opportunity to connect and align with new UFV values, offering a chance to turn completely planned and intentional embarrassment into profit. One idea being considered will
involve the physics department making the remaining parking space exponentially more efficient. To do this, they plan to calculate the amount of cars that can be stacked on top of each other, this both reduces the space needed for underutilized land being used for parking and also inspires public curiosity, drawing in more engagement and, hence, money.
This genius initiative will help set UFV apart from other institutions, as no other university is currently exploring the potential of providing high-quality entertainment as a means to generate more revenue from engagement and events, all while offering students the unique opportunity to graduate with work experience stemming from mandatory participation in Capital Cirque.
Preparations for the implementation of this strategy are already underway, with executives constantly finding new ways to entertain both the UFV community and the public at large. To kickstart Capital Cirque and help the project develop in its initial phases, a lump sum payment of $670 per student would be required upon registration to cover the costs of the work program. The project is finalizing its last revisions before being passed to the board for approval, and should the proposal be accepted, could be implemented effectively immediately.
Feel fear and do things anyway
And what does Instagram removing it mean?
In the past couple weeks, I saw word going around the internet about Instagram removing optional encryption in direct messages starting May 8, and this being a concern for users’ privacy. As I sifted through the discussion, I realized that there were many, including myself, wondering how encryption worked in the first place, and why it was important.
As explained by Instagram’s help centre, every device that has an end-toend encrypted chat has a special key that’s used to protect the conversation. When you send a message in an end-toend encrypted chat, that message and its content — whether it be text, images, or video — is locked and can only be opened by a device with the correct key for it. End-to-end encryption ensures that chats
and calls are only visible to the people that you are directly communicating with and no one else, not even the host companies like Meta, can access the conversation’s content.
On Instagram, end-to-end encryption has never been the default, instead, users could opt-in manually on each chat they wanted secured. But in May, this option will disappear. Meta’s initial justification was low-uptake, with the company saying only a small number of users ever enabled the feature, though it was also never marketed, so many were not aware of this option. After the removal of encryption on Instagram, all messages will be stored on the apps servers as plain text, which allows Meta to scan for harmful content. This was a concern for several law enforcement agencies and child safety groups who had criticized Meta
for including the feature initially, arguing that it could weaken the ability to keep children safe online.
Due to its social media products being free to users, a majority of Meta’s revenue comes from advertising. Meta already uses conversations with AI and content posted on Meta products to train generative AI models.
The head of Digital Rights Watch, Tom Sulston, told The Irish Examiner that money could be a factor for Meta potentially being able to use messages to train chatbots and for advertising purposes.
“They may not be doing that now, but the commercial pressure to do it is huge, so it feels inevitable that they will if they’re not already,”
Oftentimes, we don’t do things out of fear. But whether that fear stems from embarrassment, rejection, or something else entirely, it’s necessary to challenge it. When I was first learning how to drive I was terrified of getting out onto the road, so I decided that I just wouldn’t drive. Quickly, I realized how ridiculous that was. I didn’t have to get on the highway right away, but if I just made it onto the road, practiced and believed in myself, eventually driving wouldn’t be so scary. Now, I drive all the time.
It’s okay to be scared, but if we never push past the things we’re afraid of, then we’ll just be defined by them. It’s important that we challenge ourselves in order to grow.
Take caution, but don’t restrict yourself. Be safe, but also have fun.
Courage isn’t born by staying in comfortable places, instead it comes from being afraid and doing things anyway.
BY JASLEEN SANDHU
KARA DUNBAR
CASS KAID
Illustration by Iryna Presley
SNAPSHOT
Your legacy
Iryna Presley
I will never see you again. I had never been able to put that deep rooted fear into words, until recently… But now that I did, I’ve begun to heal.
I now know you knew I was there with you. My sister told me of how your paw reached for me, the voice inside the phone, every time I spoke.
I do not want to say you are gone, because in my heart I know that is not true. You are not gone — I have memories of you, I see you everywhere, I still feel so strongly for you, and I sense your spirit with me. I know you came to visit me that day beneath the sun, I just know it.
I believe energy doesn’t disappear, it transforms. I think your energy now accompanies me wherever I go.
I cherish every moment I had with you. I know I can’t even write them all, so I won’t, but you know them all. Every single one.
Chai, I will not see you again… but I know you are not gone. You are with me, you are a part of me. And as long as I live, your legacy will too.
BY NATALIA TOSCANO MURÚA
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 08
Meta advised users looking for messaging with end-to-end encryption to opt for apps like WhatsApp, which has encryption on by default. Although WhatsApp’s former security chief’s lawsuit against the company citing user security concerns was dismissed, the chat app remains a more secure messaging platform than places like Instagram.
I believe we can ensure our conversations are more secure by remembering that communication online is at risk of
Lifestyle
privacy breaches, and that it may be best to take personal issues offline into conversations in person.
But what if we have nothing to hide? Why should we still be concerned about privacy? In Chapter 14 of On Tyranny (2017), Timothy Snyder writes: “We are free only insofar as we exercise control over what people know about us, and in what circumstances they come to know it.”
Protecting privacy and freedom go hand in hand.
// Remember mixtapes and magazine catalogues?
It’s really important to be kind and rewind
I think physical media is the best. I love the pop of opening a Blu-Ray or DVD case, the smell of books, and the crackling of a vinyl record right before it begins playing music.
I’ve been hearing so much about how people born in the 2000s only know iPhones and irony, but that’s not true (at least not for me)!
I grew up with VHS tapes, digital cameras that filmed home videos, landlines (which I still use), and cassette players. All of these “ancient relics” made me who I am and seeing the resurgence of physical media is making my heart swell with nostalgia.
Whenever I open up Pinterest, I’ve been noticing pins dedicated to the analogue world. I recognize the irony of it, but it’s still something that, I think, is positive. Seeing these pins brings me immense joy. Looking at images of a small TV set in someone’s kitchen? Sign me up!
This turn back toward physical media hasn’t been overnight, but I think it may have something to do with our desire to make things simpler so that we can slow down as opposed to the hustle and bustle of our capitalistic society.
The rise of social media and, unfortunately, of AI, have made us far more reliant on technology and we tend to take things for granted. I’ve noticed the rise in technological dependency has diminished our abilities to put in more effort with our work and relationships.
This turn back in time may be beneficial for us.
The box TVs and stereos that were ubiquitous in the 90s and 2000s aren’t going to erase the anxieties of modernity, but this shift back to older technology can help us with being more intentional with how we live. Of course, past decades
Saying you don’t need to protect your right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is, in my view, akin to saying that you don’t need to protect your right to free speech because you have nothing to say. This right must be maintained and practiced for everyone, for the moment when you do need it and when it will protect you. So let’s take a second look at the privacy policies and practices of the technology that we use, and make sure that you know who has access to your information and conversations.
weren’t without problems, but there is still a difference between the world then and the world now.
Streaming, in particular, has made everything too convenient and overwhelming in my view. When opening Netflix, we’re presented with too many options that it can be hard to choose what to watch, so we just look at previews for 30 minutes and don’t watch anything at all. Music streaming, too, has made us less intentional. So many genres and songs are right at our fingertips that, often, we don’t take the time to actually listen.
Paperbacks and hardcovers can’t be replaced by a Kindle. I strongly feel that Nintendo console video games are far superior to games downloaded on your phone. Sorting through a CD collection is way more fun than scrolling through a streaming service to decide which music to play.
Don’t even get me started on the difference between taking photos on your phone as opposed to a film or digital camera. As the youngest in my family, I’m fortunate that I grew up around people who have preserved analogue ways of life. Yeah, I use modern technology and it can be great. I’m grateful for the Maps app and not having to outline a route with a pen. My Music app is the main reason I
use my phone. But, I still watch cable TV and I get magazine catalogues in the mail, which I love flipping through.
I believe this revert back to older technology not only serves as nostalgic reminiscence, but it can help us live a more balanced life, so that we don’t desire the constant stimulation that newer technology provides. Hitting shuffle and connecting to Bluetooth is so cool, I won’t deny it, but each day I lament the fact that my car doesn’t have a CD player. As the world keeps spinning and technological developments keep arising, we can appreciate new inventions, but it’s also okay to resist them or dislike them.
I miss the sense of community Blockbuster and Rogers Video brought. I miss when my parents would play their mixtapes when they drove me to school. We can’t exactly go back to a time that’s passed, but we can revisit it and implement some of those ways of life into how we live now.
If you don’t have your own collection of physical media, guess what? The library does! I urge you to go to the library where you can rent movies, books, CDs, and so much more for free.
If you’re reading this physical copy of The Cascade, thanks for doing your part.
Illustration by Natasha Zilcosky / The Cascade
Illustration by
JASLEEN SANDHU
Student protest at UFV shut down; questions raised
Protest culture at UFV, then and now
On Apr. 1, around 2:30 p.m. a protest was run by a small group of theatre students on the UFV campus on the outdoor bridge between Buildings A and B. The protest was primarily focused on raising awareness about the decision to axe the Wardrobe Manager position, currently held by Heather Robertson. I understood the outrage of the students as this decision will have an extremely negative impact on UFV’s Theatre Department, which has already faced severe cuts in the past. As a result of this, theatre students put on a peaceful protest to make their voices heard. They were set up with a table and a megaphone, and according to some of the protesters, they seemed excited to garner support from fellow students as they handed out pamphlets and guided people to scan a QR code of a petition to save Robertson’s position.
Now, to me this seems like a pretty mild version of students extending their right to free speech, however UFV security was sent to shut down this protest because of the usage of the table and megaphone. This classified it as a school event, which needs SUS approval. Personally, it seems a bit counter-intuitive to need permission to protest. Initially, they only took the table, but later on security also prohibited usage of the megaphone as it was “disturbing the people indoors”. Now, I don’t know if you know much about protests, but disturbing people is a large part of it. How else can students put pressure on their universities and get them to take their voices seriously?
students, some of whom got shoved. All this happened while UFV security “monitored” the situation. As a result of this, many reported feeling extremely unsafe on campus. But sure, shut down the peaceful group of students.
So I wonder, UFV, does this mean that hate speech is allowed but free speech isn’t?
I thought it might be interesting to take a look at what protest culture was like at UFV in the past. I was lucky enough to get an interview with Sandra Hakanson, UFV’s first student union VP external, from 1995-1997. I also chatted with UFV’s first Student Union President, Robin Price 1995-1996 — and, for clarity and transparency, I’d like to disclose he is my dad, so the interview was more informative than formal.
I find it particularly interesting that security had no problem shutting down a peaceful student-led protest, yet allowed a racist and homophobic group of demonstrators to campaign on UFV property earlier this year. On Jan. 20, a group of residential school deniers invaded UFV’s campus, spreading racist and transphobic hate speech, and harassed multiple UFV
During 1994-1995, student protests happened all across Canada as a part of the Earth to Ottawa movement, during which extreme financial cuts were underway — sound familiar? This was before the Student Union started to work toward more rights for students. Rallies, marches, and speeches were all a large part of student protest efforts.
In 1995-96, the Student Union led many of these protests, advocating for the rights of UFV students. You may find this hard to believe seeing as our current Student Union hasn’t even put out a statement about the funding cuts. In both of these cases, students never needed to get permission to protest, and the university never shut the protests down. Even though these protests were 100 per cent more disruptive than the one that happened in April, in my opinion. At that time, UFV was more centralized, which meant that the library, the registration office, the bookstore, and the president’s office were all in the same building, and student protesters would march up and down the halls chanting. Another big difference was the media coverage. According to Hakanson, local news both covered and came to student protests, such as the Vancouver Sun This made a huge difference in terms of support. Alongside this, the UFV President at the time, Dr. Peter Jones, listened and collaborated with the students. Finally, they had government support. Hakanson had a direct line to B.C.’s 31st Premier Glen Clark, and he was willing to listen to student voices. However, I will say that this last one likely has less to do with UFV, and more to do with Hakanson being a force of nature. One of the main takeaways both Hakanson and Price had were for future protestors to work with other departments. If cuts are happening in your department, chances are they are happening elsewhere. Students are stronger together! And if you have a free minute, do me a favour and email our Student Union president at president@ufvsus.ca to take action and advocate for students’ rights in this time of financial uncertainty.
SNAPSHOT
The phantasmagorium of the political party wonder emporium
Despite our province being led by so-called NDP leadership, they’ve rolled out conservative policies the past year, including the approval of Ksi Lisims pipeline, the abandonment of drug decriminalization policy, and now, plans to partially suspend the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
DRIPA, instated in 2019, mandated our government’s intention to work towards reconciliation. To suspend it and treat it as a burden directly contrasts with the social democratic values the NDP was founded on.
Don’t even get me started on the hypocrisy of the Liberal party (who are pretty much conservatives at this point). They welcomed the recent floor crossing of former conservative Marilyn Gladu to their caucus, even though she is known for her harmful, socially conservative views on abortion, vaccines, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. And the Liberals were just like, “fuck it,” I guess?
The bar for political parties is in hell, folks
BY DARIEN JOHNSEN
Illustration by Hannah Bricknell / The Cascade
LEXI PRICE
Features Editor — Caitlyn Carr
THE HUMAN COST OF THE DEFICIT
UFV employees share their experience as part of the first wave of layoffs
There’s a certain kind of sadness on campus lately. Yes, finals are around the corner, but this grey-hued heaviness stretches far beyond last-minute assignments and end-of-term stress. If you’ve been here long enough, you feel it — the absence. The heavy silence. That quiet isn’t just emotional — it’s structural.
It’s far easier to say that 45 employees were laid off to address the deficit — once $21 million, now $2.4 million — than it is to give a name and a face to those numbers. They’ve been called “positions,” “reductions.” But the campus feels the loss of people.
People who held the institutional memory that doesn’t fit neatly into a spreadsheet.
This is the story of the few who chose to speak about being part of the first wave of layoffs.
THE UNQUANTIFIABLE HUMAN VALUE
Aakash Dean, a Study Abroad Coordinator at UFV International, supported both UFV students heading overseas and international students arriving in Abbotsford — everything from applications and safety briefings to course registration, orientation, and the kind of intercultural support that helps students feel less alone in a new country.
Dean told The Cascade that while his kind of work didn’t bring in revenue, it built relationships, trust, and helped make UFV feel like a place that cared — something he deeply appreciated.
“I put more than a 100 per cent into what I did, and I really enjoyed it. [I] always used to say that I feel like I have the best job.”
When the cuts came, his role was among the first to go.
This was his first professional position after graduating from UFV in 2022, and he spent years learning the nuances of supporting exchange students. Dean shared that students trusted him enough to come to him with homesickness, culture shock, and personal challenges that might feel intimidating to voice elsewhere.
“We’ve tried to become their support system … We can’t solve all the problems, but at the same time, we had that trust with the students that they felt it was easier to come to us before they would go to other resources.”
He also noted that exchange programs are often misunderstood as a financial loss for the university. In reality, each incoming exchange student opens a spot for a UFV student to study abroad while still paying UFV tuition.
“Even when a UFV student is studying in Barcelona on exchange, they are still paying UFV tuition. Which is why there’s no revenue loss in that case.”
The reciprocal model allows students to access international learning without it being financially out of reach, while fostering the kind of intercultural understanding that Dean sees as essential in our diverse communities.
The university is keeping the program running, as they’ve chosen to maintain Dean’s partner on the roster. But Dean explained that the impact is still inevitable and immediate with his partner’s workload doubling overnight.
“We were a team of two,” he explained. “Now it’s only one person who is going to do all [that] we both did.”
LOSING MORE THAN A JOB
Before he could make sense of what the layoff meant for the program, Dean had to face the moment it became real — the morning he returned from vacation and found a meeting with HR waiting for him.
“Even while I was listening, my mind was thinking, ‘What am I ever going to be if not this?’”
SKY S. TERRONES
Photo submitted by Aakash Dean
“I walked into my office in the morning, 8:00 a.m. … [and] within the first hour I was notified that there was a calendar invite about a meeting with HR. That’s when I kind of put [it together].”
Dean recalled that he went in already bracing himself, but hearing the words out loud still hit hard.
“Even while I was listening, my mind was thinking, ‘What am I ever going to be if not this?’ … This position sums up 90 per cent of my professional working experience. I don’t know what else I can be other than a study abroad coordinator.”
As HR outlined his options — severance, recall, or bumping a less-senior employee — Dean commented that his thoughts spiralled toward something beyond employment: his ability to stay in the country.
“I’m on a closed work permit with UFV,” he said. “If I lose my employment with UFV right now, then I’m not able to work in Canada anymore … Would I have to go back home? Would I just be unemployed and [unable to] work anywhere else?”
Dean explained that he remembers the moment in fragments.
“Nothing much was happening, but it felt like too much was happening around me.”
Navigating a new system had already been overwhelming when he first arrived in Canada, and the job had become an anchor — a place where he knew what he was doing and felt grounded.
Despite the fear, Dean claims he doesn’t regret any of it.
“I always tried to do the right thing by caring [and] doing the job as best as I could, and I truly, thoroughly enjoyed the last three and a
half years I’ve done this job. Every day was so rewarding.”
The role had influenced him in ways he didn’t expect. Dean said that the job even shifted his academic path. He began taking communication courses — advanced public speaking, mass communication — to better support students from different cultural backgrounds.
“I understood how important communication is when you’re talking to audiences outside of Canada.”
Dean also claimed his role deepened his interest in travel. On his recent vacation, he went to South Korea, a country he’d grown curious about after sending and receiving students there.
“[I] learned so much about that country. I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to use it in this role anymore, because I just have a few days left, but it was still worth the experience.”
DECADES OF CRAFT BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Dean’s experience is not an isolated one. All across campus, others are carrying their own versions of this loss, each shaped by the work they love and the futures they now must reimagine.
For some, that loss comes after decades of service. Heather Robertson, the wardrobe manager of the Theatre department, has been at UFV since the fall of 1999.
Asked what it was like in her early years at UFV, she described a very different era.
“When I first got the job, we had a theatre in Chilliwack. We did very large productions — casts of 18, 19, 20 students.”
Back then, Robertson said she only had herself and a team of community volunteers helping build the shows. They produced three shows a season, a large fall production, a Shakespeare play every spring, and a smaller January show with a cast anywhere from four to 12.
“I was a lot younger then,” she added.
Robertson shared that when her youngest child started school, she returned to her own studies, taking art and theatre classes while sewing costumes for community productions — something she’d grown up around through her mother and mother-in-law, both of whom worked in costuming.
“My mother-in-law worked in professional theatre for a company in Vancouver as their dresser, and my mom, when I was a kid, used to make ballet tutu’s so that I could afford to take dance lessons, so [I’ve] always been around costumes.”
Before UFV, Robertson held a mix of creative roles: coordinating volunteers for the Harrison Festival of the Arts, curating annual exhibits, and even building props for film and TV. That extensive experience, along with her IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) union card, made her a natural fit for UFV, who was looking for someone to help students bridge into professional film and theatre work.
“I was tired of getting up at four o’clock in the morning and driving into Vancouver, so I was quite happy to take on a job where I was needed from September to the end of April; I got time off to spend with my kids and be close to home.”
When asked how she would explain her job to someone outside theatre, Robertson gestured toward the racks of garments around us. Much of UFV’s costume inventory, she noted, grew out of community donations in Chilliwack, where the department was once based. Families brought in antique dresses, suits, and even military uniforms — some dating back to the Korean War — creating an immense collection rich with history.
“There are some beautiful vintage pieces of dresses and suits, and many stories that go with them.”
As wardrobe manager, Robertson shared that she has spent years caring for that legacy: cataloguing and preserving the pieces, repairing what time has worn, and knowing exactly which garments can be washed, steamed, or even delicately “French cleaned” to keep them from deteriorating.
But her work goes far past maintenance. She helps students design and curate costumes for productions, fits garments to actors of every
Photo submitted by Aakash Dean
“Everybody who goes on stage deserves a costume that fits them well and they feel comfortable in, so that they can do their job as an actor.”
shape and size, and builds new pieces when the inventory can’t meet a show’s needs.
“Everybody who goes on stage deserves a costume that fits them well and they feel comfortable in, so that they can do their job as an actor.”
Heather laughed as she explained that a friend once told her she should never call herself a “wardrobe manager.”
“A wardrobe is a piece of furniture,” the friend insisted. “We’re costumers.”
It was a title Robertson claims she wore with pride, teaching students everything from basic sewing to the backstage skills that keep a production running.
“Students learn all sorts of funny things that might be considered old-fashioned in today’s world because again, the costumes suit the era of the shows.”
Beyond the fittings and the sewing machines, Robertson explained that her role carried a quiet kind of intimacy, often meeting students at vulnerable moments. Sometimes that meant navigating insecurities around measurements — asking what they were comfortable with and offering to keep numbers private; other times, it meant helping them find clothing that aligned with how they identified.
“I have, on a couple of occasions, had a student walk by and say, ‘I’m transitioning, but I don’t know what size I am in this gender’s clothing. Could you help me?’ And I will just give them measurements and say, ‘Okay, if you wanna buy a dress, I think that you’d be this size.’”
Part of her work, she insisted, meant continually evolving — unlearning preconceptions so she could hold space for every student’s needs.
“It’s really important to meet every student where they’re at,” she said. “Just because
someone presents this [way] in my mind, doesn’t mean that’s how they see themselves.”
THE FRAGILITY OF CARE IN THE SYSTEM
There is an element of care — who gives it, who receives it, and what happens when the people who hold the institution together are treated as expendable. For Robertson, that truth became painfully clear when her own position was cut.
The way the news was delivered caught her off guard. She had anticipated cuts, but not the complete removal of her role or the shift to contracted labour.
“I had thought that these cuts might impact our area, but I thought that it would be reduced hours over the couple of areas that go backstage, not that one area would be eliminated … I’m no longer a costumer.”
What troubled her most wasn’t just the loss of the job, but the way the decision was made.
“I’m surprised [that] in this day and age these cuts are being made in such an un-decolonized, very colonial, patriarchal way … that we weren’t, as [SOCA] or as a theatre department, told, ‘You guys need to reduce your budget by this amount of money’ [or] ‘Let’s collectively solve the problem.’ … It was done in that very old-fashioned way of ‘the something entity out
there who [knows] better than you, [is] going to tell you that this is what you’re gonna do.’”
Robertson said she doesn’t believe the people who delivered the news were the ones who decided her job would disappear.
“Someone whose face I don’t even know [made that decision].”
To Robertson, the moment underscored the distance between the values she practiced every day — care, reuse, community — and the way the decision about her role was made. The Theatre department has long practiced sustainability out of necessity — reusing garments, preserving pieces that date back to the 1980s, caring for an inventory built through decades of community generosity.
“There are things in this costume shop that have been here as long as I’ve been here and older … It is a museum.”
When asked what would happen to the inventory she’d spent decades caring for, Robertson shook her head. Anything she could offer, she said, would only be speculation.
Robertson felt the choice came from people far removed from the work itself, people who might not even know where these historic garments came from or what they represent.
Losing the position, Robertson commented, won’t just change how costumes are made — it could
Illustration by Chelsea Isbister @chelseaji.art
shift the culture of the program, whether in big productions or last-minute confidence boosters.
“Getting costumes on a show is only a small part of what this shop does for people. There are so many other problems we solve here …
The number of times [students say] ‘I need this, I need a hat for this’, or [ask] if they could wear a hat that shades part of their face or put on a cape that makes them feel not so vulnerable. They can do that presentation in a class in a different way with that security blanket.”
Dean sees a similar kind of transformation in his work — students who walk into his office unsure, anxious, or overwhelmed, and return from studying abroad with a different sense of themselves.
“Sometimes they come in not even knowing we exist,” he said. “By the time they come back, you can hear the confidence in their voice. They’re ready to conquer the world.”
Whether Robertson remains at UFV or not, the role she built over 27 years — the costumer position and its accumulated work — has been removed from the department.
THE AFTERMATH OF QUIET CUTS
The loss of the costumer position does not stand alone. Across UFV, programs and people are feeling the strain: six of 11 staff positions in SOCA were cut with six more in UFV International, MOLA (Modern Languages) faces 55 per cent reductions, 40 early-retirement agreements made across the institution. Taken together, these shifts can paint a picture of an institution slowly and quietly thinning out — not just in budgets, but in the kinds of care, culture, and community it’s able or willing to sustain. In the end, Robertson described the time as both sad and strangely fulfilling.
“It’s been a great honour … Not many people get to be excited about going to their job every day.”
“It’s been a great honour … Not many people get to be excited about going to their job every day.”
Being around young people, watching them make things, it’s the kind of energy that kept her feeling, as Robertson put it, “21 forever,” adding that being paid to create alongside students felt like a blessing.
“I get to be around young people, and they get to make things, and they pay me for it. That’s crazy … Now I don’t. And it’s weird.”
In the middle of his own uncertainty, Dean kept circling back to the people around him — the co-workers suddenly carrying double workloads, the colleagues doing quiet mental math about who might be next, the atmosphere of worry that settles over a department when information arrives without reassurance.
“It’s hard to see other colleagues or other co-workers being stressed out … I hope that people who are impacted … are able to connect with others and are able to feel better. Because I can see that everybody around me, even the people who are not being laid off, are still impacted by these changes.”
When asked why he agreed to speak, Dean answered that he hoped it would be a way for others who are struggling to feel seen.
“There are so many people like me who are impacted, but it’s hard to talk … If ever somebody reads [this, and] they are able to not just relate to it but also feel like they’re able to see the real picture and themselves in me, [maybe] they’ll feel that they’re not alone and in the end, it’s all going to be fine.”
Out of 45 people invited to share their experiences with The Cascade, two came forward. In an institution that celebrates community, people should feel safe to tell the truth about what is happening to them.
As more cuts roll out, the weight of these decisions is already being carried by the people who remain. If students believe this won’t touch them, they may feel it soon enough: fewer advisors, fewer course offerings, longer wait times, more pressure on the staff who stay, and a campus that feels like it’s shrinking around them.
THE FUTURE AS A COLLECTIVE CHOICE
There is a way through this that doesn’t hollow out the heart of the university. It requires pressure — from students, from departments, from the communities that make this place livable. It requires standing with the people whose work holds everything together: the advisor who remembers your name, the instructor who made you believe you could finish your degree, the staff member who supported you on a bad day.
When those people are treated like numbers, the responsibility falls on the community to change that. Students inherit the consequences of decisions they never got to vote on — and they are the ones with the power to demand something different.
If the university hopes to survive these cuts without dismantling the community that makes this place worth being in, it must lobby harder. Fight for the people who hold your students together. Protect the programs that give this campus its character.
A learning institution is only as strong as the care it invests in its own people. Community isn’t maintained by slogans — it’s maintained by action.
Photos by Anjali Randhawa / The Cascade
SLAPSHOT
Millennial at heart
Illustration by Iryna Presley
The quarter-life crisis is real. Some people travel the world hoping to find themselves, others spend their first paycheck on a car they can’t afford, while I decided to take up playing pickleball.
If you have never heard of pickleball, it is basically a cross between tennis and ping pong and played in a miniature tennis court either in singles or pairs. And while people my age may be more into basketball or golf, I started playing the sport your parent’s middle-aged friends or that one co-worker that makes their own granola won’t stop talking about. And it is an absolute blast.
I was introduced to pickleball last year and was hooked right away. From the fast-paced hits to serves with some serious spin, pickleball is everything that I want in a sport. And at the end of the day, pickleball is a social game and is easy to pick up and play with friends. The best part is that you need little to no experience playing to have a good time! So, if you are bored this summer, give pickleball a try because you never know what sport you will fall in love with next.
BY ETHAN PAULSON
Golf // Getting back into the swing of things
Cascades make their mark in spring golf
ETHAN PAULSON
The local greens are revved up and ready to go! Coming off a five-month break from the Canada West Championships, UFV Men’s and Women’s Golf played in the Cascade Classic and BC Matchplay tournaments in Chilliwack in March, with each team taking home a second and third place finish. UFV Golf Head Coach Eli Greene sat down with The Cascade recently to discuss his team’s performance across the two tournaments.
Where did you see the most growth between the Canada West Championships in October to the two tournaments in March?
“I would say the whole entire team technically got better. We had a lot of athletes, especially on the women’s side that were newer to the game, so they had a huge exponential growth in their technical ability.”
How did your team deal with the elements in the Cascade Classic?
“It was miserable, it was cold, it was wet [and] it was mentally difficult because the rounds were long. Leading up to it … we wouldn’t cancel practice if it was raining like that, so they were used to it.”
In that tournament, you had a one-two punch of Andrew Biggar and Brett Bateman who finished second and third respectively. What did you think of their play in that tournament?
“[With] Andrew Biggar, he’s been doing a lot of work behind the scenes and in front of everybody, and it shows in his game. I don’t think he brought his best stuff that week or those two days. Obviously, the elements were difficult [but] for him to post scores like that and be right there in second place was impressive. And then Brett Bateman, he’s just so steady. He’s mentally resilient, and he showed that in the weather.”
Coral Hamade led the way on the women’s side, shooting four over par and took home third place. What impressed you about her performance in Cascade Classic?
“She’s putting in so much work, not only in herself, but also the team’s culture. What’s impressed me so much is just her growth. Over the past year, it’s been instrumental to our team, and she’s put in a lot of work in the mental game [and] her technical abilities. And it showed on those days that she deserves to be up at the top and competing for first place.”
What was the emphasis on in practice between the two tournaments?
“A big focus was honing in on our short game. We did work with our wedges that was productive. We also did a lot of work with shaping our irons and the ability to play different shots. We just reiterated what we had been working on, gave people some anchors to hold on to and kept going from there.”
Zach Auramenko took on his brother Hunter in BC Match Play, how was it seeing that family dynamic on the golf course?
“They’re obviously siblings [and] are different, but very similar. It was super respectful [and] wasn’t any more casual than you’d see any other tournament. They kept it professional [and] respectful. But they’re both stoic to their own, they don’t really care what’s going on around them. There [are] no egos, just pure sport.”
The men’s team had their best round in the BC Match Play against Victoria. What was clicking for them in that round?
“That was our second round … [and] we just started to play some good golf. We got into a flow after that. First round, you kind of get the nerves out, get the feel of the game. I think [the] second round showed our course knowledge.”
On the women’s side they got three out of their four wins against UBCO, what went well for them in that round?
“I know Gabriella Gobbato was like two over through 10 holes, so she was playing some good golf. In reflection we did today, she said she found her game, trusted it, and got into a flow. A key contributor Maya Gidda was sharing that her short game was on fire. So, there was a testament to the short game work we had been doing with the women’s team and dialing in not only the technique, but also the knowledge in terms of those shots.”
What have you learned in the first nine months of being the head coach of Cascades golf?
“Man, you think university prepares you to be a good scheduler, but this job does it even better. You have to be on top of the ball!”
Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
Photo courtesy of UFV Cascades
CULTURE
Local //
My experience at the Abbotsford Film Festival
Local filmmakers talk self-advocacy, persistence, and respect
VERONICA POWELL
As the semester was reaching its end, I got to turn my brain off for a while and celebrate the local film community by visiting The Reach Gallery to attend the 2026 Abbotsford Film Festival (AFF). Taking place Mar. 26-28, the first day had 14 showings of short independent films from around the world directed by industry professionals. The second day showed a collection of 48 hour films, with the third day having workshops on documentary filmmaking, editing, and cinematography. Although I was only able to attend the final day, I gained valuable insight on the inner workings of making a film, the art of promoting, and connections that are built behind the camera.
The first panel, “How to Get Funding + Pitch Your Film,” was a presentation from award-winning Telefilm filmmaker, Melanie Jones, and award-winning writer and actor, Tanya Jade. They shared their advice and personal experiences in the film industry, and when discussing how to get funding for films, Jones said promoting a film starts with always believing in your idea.
“You have to be your champion, your advocate. You have to fight. You have to be a little bit delusional about [your project], because nobody else is gonna do it for you.”
Promotion is about the film itself and the artist. Jade mentioned that whether you’re being approached with a project or you’re advocating for your own work, it’s
Theatre //
important to understand the project inside and out and the people involved.
“I think just being intentional with what you’re trying to achieve and being respectful of people’s time and where they’re at [is important].”
Jones discussed how pitching is very much an art form, and shared a simple tactic to elevate your pitching skills that, personally, I feel like many people overlook.
“You have to practice and listen … so many times I’ve had casual conversations with other filmmakers who are like ‘oh god, I hate pitching.’ It’s hard, we all admit that … it’s scary every single time, but it’s also just telling your story.”
Jones said to be distinguishable from other filmmakers when pitching, it starts with being able to answer the most commonly asked question “why you?” Jones’s strategy is having agency and looking at your power differently.
“I do not like feeling desperate in a pitch. ‘Please give me money, please like my project.’ I hate feeling that way, and that question I think triggers the power dynamic … if you’re coming to the table [saying] … ‘I have something to offer you,’ it’s a much [stronger] position to be approaching people with.”
Director and founder of Colla Films, Matej Balaz, hosted a workshop titled “Documentary Filmmaking: Tackling Human Stories,” and I enjoyed learning about his process in making his documentaries “Letisha’s Well” (2018) and “Laina & Mantis” (2018). The former film is about a tragedy that took place
in Abbotsford in 2016 when Letisha, the young daughter of a local family, was lost. Letisha was a continuous participant in Run For Water, an internationally recognized organization that raises funds for communities who don’t have access to clean water by staging a running event in Abbotsford every year. The documentary is the family’s journey to building a well in Ethiopia in Letisha’s name. Balaz explained how important it is to respect the subjects and the community in order to convey a story in an appropriate way. The last thing a filmmaker wants to do is turn the story into a spectacle.
“[We went] somewhere where [we] wanted to respect a certain level of ethics. We had a lot of conversations about ‘what are the things that we shouldn’t be doing?’ … we don’t want this to turn into this white savior story. I don’t want to come in and [say] ‘pose for me over there’ and
‘can we get a sad looking shot of you in a window?’”
Documentary filmmaking can’t be successful if you view your subjects as shiny things rather than real people. A key takeaway is the importance of being authentic and genuine off screen as the filmmaker, not just on screen.
“You’re asking people to be vulnerable … if you want to be the person who’s telling a story, you have to also be there to protect that subject.”
The best thing I took away from the festival besides these workshops was getting to see how passionate these filmmakers are. They care so much about the story –– not just money –– and the people inside it much more. That’s what will encourage me to watch independent films.
Reviewing Anastasia: The Musical
Local community theatre brings a classic
RACHEL TAIT
Gallery 7 put on a spectacular rendition of Anastasia: The Musical that ran from Mar. 13 to 29 at the Abbotsford Arts Centre. Based on the novel by Terrence McNally, that became a Broadway hit, this musical focuses on Anastasia Romanov, a young Russian princess who was rumoured to have escaped the execution of her family by soldiers during the Russian Revolution. The play was directed by Kate Muchmore Woo, and starred Sara Mayfield as Anya/Anastasia, Nikola Trotzuk as Dimitri, Brady Moore as Vladimir, Tamara Charman as the Dowager Empress, Deanne Moore as
to life
Countess Lily, and Garrett Kidd as the villain, Comrade Gleb Veganov. The musical is about a young woman named Anya, who has amnesia, and is haunted by flashbacks from her past. Dimitri and Count Vlad are con men who wish to pass her off as the missing princess for the reward money.
As they journey to Paris from communist Russia, they are pursued by Comrade Gleb, with orders to bring Anya back or kill her if she is in fact Princess Anastasia. As Anya comes closer to finding out who she is, she also falls in love with Dimitri, a man she may never see again if she is officially recognized by the Dowager Empress as the lost Princess.
The play included familiar songs like “Once upon a December,” “Journey to the past,” and “My Petersburg,” from the 1997 animated movie. However, the musical also had some amazing new songs like “In a crowd of thousands” and “The Neva Flows,” which brought a sense of freshness to the timeless classic. The songs, while not in the same order as the movie, were well executed by the actors who had a wide range of voices and talent. Mayfield and Trotzuk do an incredible job of bringing the main protagonists to life through their strong on-stage chemistry and vocal talents, B. Moore and D. Moore, who played Vladimir and Countess Lily, offered memorable comic
relief in their number “the Countess and the Common Man.” Charman channeled the emotional depth and pain of the Dowager Empress well, and the scene where Anastasia and she are finally reunited was powerful and moving.
While the evil sorcerer, Grigori Rasputin, from the animated film was noticeably absent, the villain in the musical was someone far more complex. A Soviet soldier named Gleb Veganov, whose father was responsible for shooting the royal family, is much more human as he grapples between right and wrong. Anya stirs something in his character that
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makes him question his actions more so, and he is unable to kill her because he
decided to do the right thing in the end. Kidd did an amazing job of capturing the vulnerability of Veganov, while also singing powerful ballads that illustrate just
how flawed and broken his character truly is. He made for a far more believable and powerful character than the over the top magical villainy of Rasputin.
A lot of thought was put into the costumes that were heavily inspired by the animated film while still making it unique. The set designs were beautiful, and transitions between the scenes were flawless. The special effects of leaves falling and fog misting the stage helped give the production a fairytale aesthetic that suited the themes well.
The lighting was soft and radiated a golden hue for the present day and a cool blue was masterfully used when she was revisited by her dead family in her memories and dreams. The live orchestra did an excellent job of capturing the music and setting the tone. All in all, the special effects, music, and lighting helped showcase Anya’s journey as she regained her memories of who she truly is.
Campus Fashion: the power of streetwear
Legendary fits are promised with this style
This is Campus Fashion, your source of inspiration for seasonal trends, cool finds, and wardrobe basics to keep you looking stylish throughout the year.
Streetwear is a style I will never get tired of wearing, and one I can always count on to feel good in. In my mind, streetwear is the ultimate fusion of collective culture and individualism, old to modern, and a masterpiece of storytelling. It’s one of the most creative and limitless forms of fashion. I mean, clothes are limitless in general, but what I love the most about streetwear is the exploration factor and the energy it creates in styling.
When I refer to culture, I primarily mean streetwear’s origin. Its roots are grounded in the late 1970s and early 80s when hip hop culture, primarily spearheaded by Black communities, grew among urban youth. Just imagine breakdancers in a sick dance battle on the streets of New York. Streetwear embodied the freedom of self-expression, and wearing the style was seen as an act of rebellion. It brought about community where even in competition or rivalry, people were connected through style and not just activity. I believe it played a definitive role in how we saw an individual artist too. Artists like The Notorious B.I.G’s influence carved out staples in the streetwear style, like the “Jesus Piece” and Rolex watches, for the global market. Because of that, hip-hop artists created an identity for themselves that distinguished them from other musicians.
Streetwear stands out against other styles because you can mix any texture, pattern, or colour together and you will find a combination that somehow looks sick. Supreme, Stüssy, and Off-White are a few brands that took streetwear by storm, but one person that always comes to mind
as a beast in streetwear fashion is Pharrell Williams. In 2002, he teamed up with NIGO and launched his clothing brand Billionaire Boys Club. It propelled streetwear that was colourful and uniquely printed which stood out against minimalist trends. Some of the defining matches of a streetwear look that Williams brought to life were sideways ball caps paired with fuzzy jackets, camo hoodies with baggy jeans and graphic sneakers, and of course, giant chainlink necklaces with custom icons on them. But even just a plain muscle shirt, baggy pants hanging just off the hips, and a bomber jacket or jersey was streetwear at its finest. Look at Jay-Z’s legendary fits for reference.
The early 2000s was an iconic time that shaped a lot of the streetwear style, and it hasn’t died out. Streetwear is still, and I believe it will always be, as relevant as ever, and the evolution of the style has been so cool to see. The oversized look is the everyday fit now, and the patterns and colours get more wild every year. I think of Billie Eilish’s style when I refer to additions of streetwear. She’ll mix vintage with modern, thrift-like clothes with higher fashion twists, and grunge with vibrant colours. That’s what I mean when I say exploration –– anything goes.
I believe a streetwear look that channels visual storytelling is strengthened by the culture and environment a person comes from. The clothes can reflect personal experiences and traditions, providing individualism rather than just fitting into the trends of the generation or market. They can advocate for a certain social, cultural, or environmental issue. For example, the red box logo of Supreme was advertised just by skaters putting stickers all around Manhattan and it established an understanding of the skate culture throughout the city, and eventually globally. The brand chose to focus on supporting the smaller communities of everyday skaters over large, publicized celebrity athletes and because of it, they’ve gained authentic relationships.
The ending stayed true to historical events, as the real Princess Anastasia did not escape her horrible fate. While the ending felt a bit rushed in the sudden change of events from wanting to find her identity to leaving it all behind for true love, it still ended on a powerful note. All the actors gave a great performance up till the curtains closed.
Overall, Gallery 7’s Anastasia proves that one doesn’t have to go see Broadway plays to experience real talent. There was a strong level of professionalism and talent amongst the performers, no matter how minor or major their characters were. It stayed true to the plot, and sentiment of the original while adding unique freshness to a beloved classic. As the song suggests, it really was a wonderful “journey to the past!”
Another brand that took a really interesting approach to storytelling was Nike. They used vulnerability to establish their narrative when they released their “Why So Sad?” Dunks. They used colour combinations that communicated emotional states and initiated conversation about mental health, which invited communities and individuals to acknowledge and address these issues.
Of course, I love to wear streetwear because it makes me feel swaggy, but it’s also the kind of style that doesn’t make me feel like I have to be perfect. Like I have to worry about what I look like or who I am. Street style is not categorized by gender, shape, or size. The style is functional, non-conforming, imperfect, and it’s got no boundaries when it comes to personalization or conveying cultural identity. My personal favourite aspects of the streetwear look are the bottoms and accessories. I love jeans that combine multiple different materials or colours, and layering necklaces and bracelets. That’s the kind of style I’ll always invest in.
VERONICA POWELL
STUDY BREAK
Horoscopes //
By: Lilith of Rhiannon
Aries - Mar. 21 to Apr. 19
Look, there are a lot of shiny objects to chase. The thing is, they’re sometimes ouchy. You can simply not and stop getting hurt, but where’s the fun in that? A little self destruction now and then never hurts, right? Can’t heal if you don’t bleed, I always say.
Taurus - Apr. 20 to May 20
Oh, so you hate yourself, huh? You’re the worst person to ever exist and everyone would be better off without you, right? God, how narcissistic of you. Everyone else is suffering so just join the club and wallow with friends already.
Gemini - May 21 to Jun. 21
Well Gemini, looks like you took enough mushrooms that your ego has completely died. All that soy-boy liberal lefty advice has certainly paid off well. Keep it up.
Cancer - Jun. 22 to Jul. 22
Doing good deeds for others out of the kindness of your heart is what keeps communities healthy and whole. Time to cash in and monetize your kindness. Gotta pay the bills somehow and those schmucks in need better be ready to pay up cuz you’re coming to “bitch better get my money.”
Leo - Jul. 23 to Aug. 22
Inner children are a pain in the ass. Always crying, in need of attention. You never asked to parent this incessant, broken child. Alas, she’s in there. And it’s not a good look to neglect her. Maybe give her a cookie or something because she’s not going anywhere and if she keeps crying you’re gonna get a headache.
Virgo - Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
You and Leo are walking hand in hand, except instead of resenting your inner child, you’re the mom that gives mom. She hydrates between tequila shots, goes home before the bar closes, doesn’t sleep with that toxic ex. Maybe give Leo a hand, they’re not doing so great at this.
Libra - Sept. 23 to Oct. 23
Banging your head repeatedly into a wall may feel good, sometimes it even breaks the wall right open and you don’t have to use the door. However, this is not one of those times. Use the door.
Scorpio - Oct. 24 to Nov. 21
That ChatGPT psychosis is peak rn. Use it to your advantage, yes, you are God, yes, you are about to give birth to the child who will serve as the vehicle for the return of Christ. Use it wisely.
Sagittarius - Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
“So, okay, like right now, for example, the Haitians need to come to America. But some people are all, “What about the strain on our resources?” But it’s like, when I had this garden party for my father’s birthday, right? I said RSVP because it was a sit-down dinner. But people came that, like, did not RSVP, so I was, like, totally buggin’. I had to haul ass to the kitchen, redistribute the food, squish in extra place settings, but by the end of the day, it was, like, the more the merrier! And so if the government could just get to the kitchen, rearrange some things, we could certainly party with the Haitians. And in conclusion, may I please remind you that it does not say “RSVP” on the Statue of Liberty?”
Capricorn - Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
Ran out of space in this column covering sag (duh, it’s Cher), so only three words for you: punch him again.
Aquarius - Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
You shouldn’t have to do this! Unfortunately, you have to do this. Don’t worry, it’ll all be over soon.
Pisces - Feb. 19 to Mar. 20
No one likes working and I know you’re waiting around for your sugar mommy but her ferry has been delayed and sadly this means you’re going to have to get the fuck up and do it yourself. I know, life is so unfair for a pretty girl like you.
Visual Arts // Opening Exquisite Exhibition
All photos were taken at the opening of The Exquisite Exhibition on Apr. 2, 2026, at Abbotsford Downtown Open Space, an Photos by Anjali Randhawa
exhibition curated by Jennifer Shepit. It featured UFV students and artists from the community.
Podcasts // Talking shit about the news with Canadaland
On why I (still) love a controversial media company
DARIEN JOHNSEN
For months now, The Cascade’s arts editor has been bugging me to review my favourite podcast, Canadaland. And for months, I’ve refused. For one reason and one reason only: the controversy.
The editor, publisher, and founder of Canadaland, Jesse Brown — a former CBC journalist — has received plenty of criticism, and I can understand why. He’s far from perfect, but he not only created a revolutionary media company, he’s also done some genuinely impressive journalistic work.
Before getting into the criticisms, you might be wondering what the hell Canadaland is. So, a very brief overview: Canadaland is an independent news-podcast company focused on media criticism, it features conversations and interviews with journalists, politicians, and experts. Every major Canadian news story isn’t just reported — it’s dissected, debated, and spoken about in a way that’s interesting, nuanced, and full of personality.
Launched in 2013, it fought its way through a struggling news industry by betting on podcasting as a platform, asking listeners to actually pay for journalism, and spearheading a new model of journalism that was largely focused on criticising the media. It was groundbreaking.
They’ve done years of expert reporting
Movies //
— like their five year investigation into Indigenous deaths and politics in Thunder Bay. Brown himself did groundbreaking work back in 2014 when he broke the Jian Ghomeshi sexual-assault scandal, kicking off an infamous, years-long trial.
But for its founder, these career highlights have unfortunately been overshadowed in recent years by his remarkable ability to attract criticism and controversy.
The most recent controversy surrounding Brown stems from his insistence on speaking about the rise of anti-semitism that has come on the coattails of the Israeli genocide of Palestinians — an insistence that some interpret as detracting from the very real atrocities happening in Palestine. Canadaland lost nine per cent of its followers after what Brown himself called a “public meltdown” following the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre on Israeli citizens.
Yet, late last year, Brown continued to speak about it in a new series on the Canadaland platform called, What is Happening Here, — an analysis of the rise of anti-semistism in Canada which also focused on dissecting these issues within the Free Palestine movement. While much could be said about this (and has been said), I don’t see this as a case of absolutes. Anti-semism is rising, and Palestinians are being brutally attacked by Israel. We can hold those two truths
at the same time. Brown isn’t perfect — he’s a reporter with bias, and I don’t think he’s ever shied away from that. What I appreciate about Brown and Canadaland is that they challenge the dominant narrative, that’s what the podcast is all about. What is Happening Here was heartbreaking and it deepened my understanding of the Jewish community itself, but I can recognize that it’s not a perfect example of journalism.
The reality is,Canadaland isn’t just Brown. It’s also Noor Azrieh, Sam Konnert, Julian Abraham, and all the other editors, producers, and members of the Canadaland team. While I can appreciate why Brown takes risks like this, I also understand that unfortunately, it puts his whole team at risk. Still, my love for this podcast hasn’t disappeared.
Konnert and Azrieh are two of my favourite hosts, bringing a young, infectious energy to the show and toCan adaland Politics. The episode “Carney So Nasty,” began with a remix — added beats and all — of Donald Trump calling our prime minister “nasty” after their October 2025 meeting in the White House. It’s so unserious, so clever, and it had me absolutely on the floor, proving politics doesn’t have to be boring.
Canadaland is currently running a “crowd-finding” campaign, featuring a starter kit, or “mixtape,” of some of their
Lost in translation, found in space
A starry film that proves even awkward communication can save the world DEK
favourite episodes. This month’s mixtape includes an interview with UFV’s very own Dr. Wade Deisman, associate dean of social sciences, speaking on the Bishnoi gang and the extortion crisis in B.C. It’s not the first time a UFV professor has been a guest on the show: Dr. Noah Schwartz, associate professor of Political Science, was on “Guns N’ Greenland” discussing the national gun buyback program.
The Canadaland team even visited UFV back in 2017, when they recorded an episode of their series The Imposter in B101 in collaboration with CIVL, our campus community radio station.
So what do I like most about Canadaland? It’s the storytelling and the personality. We don’t need to bleach our news; it doesn’t need to be just a list of facts. Canadaland has made me a better journalist and citizen in this wild microcosm of the world that is ever-evolving Canada. It’s a breaking of the fourth wall of reporting and a lesson in media literacy. In a time of fake news, polarized critics, and news deserts, Canadaland is my imperfect friend who is damn intelligent, damn informed, and damn entertaining.
I finally watched the sci-fi flick critics have been raving about, and now you get to join me in exploring why this movie is somehow both a masterpiece and a mess.
Because Alien (1979) is my mom’s forever number one, I grew up fully marinated in starry films (official term, don’t fight me). So naturally, I walked into Project Hail Mary (2026), wondering, “Is this the one I’ll force my mom to watch next?” And what hit me first wasn’t the story — it was the tone, unexpectedly warm for something set in the cold vacuum of space.
Friendly-alien stories exist, sure, but ones that actually stay in space are rarer than you’d think. Project Hail Mary leans into the charm and becomes a delicious cheese fest.
Right off the bat, we start strong, SKY S. TERRONES
thanks in large part to Ryan Gosling’s ever-charismatic, magnetic presence as Ryland Grace, science teacher extraordinaire, turned accidental astronaut, wakes up alone on a space station with no memory of how or why he’s there — a set up that lands even harder because Gosling makes full-tilt disoriented panic weirdly endearing.
I’d say he carries the movie, but even though he’s left alone for much of it, the beautiful relationship he builds with his alien co-star Rocky (James Ortiz), shares the weight of what could’ve been a standard isolation narrative à la The Martian (2015) (no shade, love that film, this one’s just a different vibe).
Visually, the film is stunning. The contrast between the sleek, futuristic space sequences and the grainy, old-film
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Jonathan Olley / Amazon MGM Studios
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vibe of the Earth flashbacks grounds the story. It feels like rifling through childhood tapes, hoping they’ll reveal some secret that explains who you are and maybe — just maybe — how to fix everything.
This movie has a little bit of everything, making it a well-rounded, popcorn-worthy theatre experience. What starts as a mission to prevent the sun from dying turns into two bros in space trying to save the world, and I was so here for it. It gave me a full throwback thursday to Enemy Mine (1985) — a buddy space-opera where sworn enemies become besties out of sheer survival.
Not quite the same here, though; this one is more like love at first science thought.
What surprised me most was the communication arc. The film reinforces the idea that science isn’t just numbers — it’s creativity, patience, and the willingness to think sideways, the same curiosity that fuels both good teaching and good science. Despite moments of solo self-reflection, Grace shines when he steps into this pocket of mutual understanding and cultural exchange — though I’ll say it seemed hell of a lot easier than the language gymnastics in Arrival (2016), a film I adore for its own beautifully complex take on connection, with both stories, in their own ways, turning language itself into an act of devotion.
I swear this film is basically a love story in space.
My favourite scene? Easily the hilarious-but-heart-squeezing karaoke moment where the famously stoic, hyper-practical Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) unleashes her entire soul on Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times.” I walked out fully convinced this needs to be my next karaoke go-to song.
The soundtrack overall is fantastic — great song choices, great sound editing, great score.
But let’s be honest for a second. If all
this sounds amazing, why is the film still kind of a mess?
Because for all its strengths — the character work, the visuals, the music — the structure falters. Plot points and character realizations get over-explained. The setting lacks the awe-filled stillness of space you’d find in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). And the music, while gorgeous, sometimes leaves no room to breathe, filling every moment instead
Media Care Package //
Your Earth Day survival guide (library card required)
Learn about our home and our place in it with these resources
Apr. 22 marks Earth Day, a tradition that began in 1970 as a nationwide call to protect the planet. That first Earth Day, 20 million Americans protested environmental destruction in the wake of the Santa Barbara oil spill. In 1990, Earth Day went global, and it has since been observed by more than 140 countries.
The first Earth Day was designed by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson and organizer Denis Hayes as an “environmental teach-in,” a day meant to educate people about environmental sustainability and conservation. In the same spirit of this “teach in,” let’s find some resources that deepen our understanding of the natural world we call home, how human activity impacts it, who is working for a more sustainable future, and how we can join them.
From Devils Breath (2023) is a documentary about the 2017 wildfires in Portugal, the community that survived them, and their fight to ensure no one goes through what they did. The documentary also shares the story of a scientific discovery that could help protect us from increasing natural disasters. Here in Canada, with our own wildfire struggles, one doesn’t have to reach very far to sympathize with those in the documentary.
For a Canadian story, the short documentary Water Warriors (2017) chronicles a New Brunswick community’s successful fight to protect their resources. When an energy company began searching for natural gas near their homes, Indigenous and non-Indigenous families came together to defend their water and their way of life.
As of July 2024, 74.8 per cent of
Canada’s population lives in a metropolitan area, and population growth trends remain on an uptick. But city life can create an illusion of human life being separate from nature. The Nature of Cities (2010) documentary explores projects reconnecting cities and citizens with nature. How are cities around the world integrating nature in urban infrastructure — and what can we learn from them?
Turning to books, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World (2024) by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a short read filled with actionable steps you can take with you long after finishing it. Kimmerer uses the Serviceberry, a native North American berry tree, to illustrate how the natural world operates under the principles of reciprocity, how it leads to mutual thriving, and what we can learn from the plants who have been on this earth longer than
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of letting the quiet ones land. Climactic beats only work when you feel the rise and fall — rollercoasters have turns for a reason; it’s easy to lose dynamism if you only ever go up.
And like Interstellar (2014) (a great film despite this), Project Hail Mary doesn’t quite know when to end. Emotional beats drag just long enough to dull their impact, which, over time, might hurt its rewatchability. If you’re expecting action scenes and constant space walks, it might not be the movie for you either.
That being said, this one’s actually funny, guys, I swear. And that humour creates a great contrast with the emotional beats that pull at your heartstrings. Like, this space rock has no business making me cry three times.
It’s a crowd-pleaser for good reason, and the cinematography alone is worth the ticket.
Verdict: It won’t dethrone my go-to space film (WALL‑E (2008) supremacy forever), but I’m absolutely recommending it to my mom. It’s also officially joining the space-marathon lineup alongside heavy hitters like Gravity (2013), Contact (1997), The Fifth Element (1997), and Apollo 13 (1995).
Omg, Houston — should we do a listicle of the best starry movies of all time next? Don’t tempt me.
humans have. If you’re looking to deepen appreciation for the natural world and our place within it, any of Kimmerer’s books is a good place to start. She’s an author who has captivated me again and again.
Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet (2023) by environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb examines the ecological transformations that roads bring — far beyond the familiar tragedy of roadkill. Goldfarb travelled across the U.S. and around the world, talking with road ecologists, conservationists, engineers, animal rehabilitators, and community organizers about how roads have altered the natural world and how we can design better ones for every living being.
If you are looking for a more narrative book, Finding the Mother Tree:
Jonathan Olley / Amazon MGM Studios
KARA DUNBAR
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Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest (2021) by Dr. Suzanne Simard is part science, part autobiography. It details the story of how Simard’s research led her to discover that trees are not solitary beings, but communicate and cooperate for the protection of the forest, with Mother Trees connecting and sustaining the trees
around them. Simard also writes about her own life growing up in the logging world of British Columbia. And if you are interested in the subject but don’t have time for the full book, she also has a TED Talk discussing the subject. All of these resources are available for free through our public library system. Using the library supports a culture of
lower consumption, which in turn reduces pressures on our natural resources. Sometimes the greenest choices are as simple as using your library card!
While these resources are grounded in science, you don’t need to be scienceminded to learn from or enjoy them — each one approaches the concepts in an accessible way. In fact, it was several
of these works that helped me understand how the sciences, humanities, and arts are not as disconnected as our courses often suggest. Everyone has something to contribute to building a more sustainable future, and education is part of that continual process of understanding how we can best care for each other and the place we call home.
Cascade Rewind: the ultimate cancer comedy
Why 50/50 is this cancer survivor’s favourite rewatch
CAITLYN CARR
After I got diagnosed with cancer, one of my favourite things to do was rewatch Jonathan Levine’s 50/50 (2011). That’s why, for its 15th anniversary, I thought I’d share why it belongs on everybody’s Letterboxd watchlist.
Full disclosure: this isn’t the first time The Cascade has reviewed this movie. Back when it was first released in 2011, one of our past writers described it as, “nothing but a series of contrivances and shallow behaviour that is less a tragicomic exploration of what happens to people in moments of accelerated mortality than an excuse for sexual antics with the seriousness of a cancer patient as its protagonist to fall back on, with the assumption that it validates the sophomoric ineptitude that pervades the movie.”
If you actually read all that, I applaud you. While I can’t speak to the movie’s “contrivances,” as a cancer survivor myself, I can say that 50/50’s accuracy and genuine emotion made it my top comfort film during chemotherapy.
Right off the bat, 50/50 stands out from other cancer movies with its otherwise healthy 27-year-old protagonist, Adam Lerner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). After being diagnosed with schwannoma neurofibrosarcoma (yes, I did check the spelling about 50 times), Adam’s relationships with his mother, girlfriend, best friend, and (for some reason) therapist are put to the test, with some bonds coming out stronger and others breaking altogether.
Ignoring some outdated tropes from the Judd Apatow era of filmmaking — Knocked Up (2007), This Is 40 (2012), Step Brothers (2008) — 50/50 is not only entertaining as both a comedy and a drama, but also true to what going through cancer treatment can look like. Much of that realism comes from writer Will Reiser loosely basing the story on his own experience as a cancer survivor. In an interview with Global News, Reiser explained that his and Seth Rogen’s — a longtime friend who also plays Kyle in 50/50 — approach to the movie came from a desire to challenge the assumptions people often have about cancer.
“Everybody thinks when you have cancer … you’re going to give a checklist of all these things you now have to do because there’s such limited time. But in reality, I just felt horrible and I just wanted to sleep and watch baseball all day.
“So we just had this idea: ‘No one really has done … [a film] about a young person going through something like what Seth [Rogen] and I were going through, and our way of dealing with it.”
While all cancer survivors have different experiences — and I’ll admit this movie definitely takes some creative liberties — many scenes felt like they could have been taken from my own life: hearing the word ‘tumour’ for the first time and the world suddenly slowing; the jarring transition after Adam’s first round of chemo from feeling surprisingly good to depressingly nauseous; the newfound sense of otherness in social situations — and, of course, people asking to touch his bald head.
Another element that captures what cancer treatment can feel like is 50/50’s cinematography and music. The film’s slight desaturation in certain scenes, mixed with its somehow chill yet somber soundtrack, mirrors the melancholic numbness that treatment can bring — as you almost mindlessly carry on doing what you have to do to stay alive.
As far as acting goes, Gordon-Levitt knocks it out of the park. Since a cancer diagnosis comes with a free subscription to an endless catalog of complicated emotions, his range is on full display as Adam shifts in and out of feeling numb, angry,
happy, alienated, excited, and, most of all, exhausted. I’ve seen this movie countless times, and I still sob like a baby at Gordon-Levitt’s performance during an especially emotional scene with Adam’s mother (Anjelica Huston) in the third act.
As for Rogen, he (unsurprisingly) plays Seth Rogen. While I usually criticize actors who wind up just playing themselves (looking at you, Dwayne Johnson), it works in 50/50 because Rogen is essentially playing himself. His role as Adam’s best friend draws directly from his real-life experience supporting Reiser during his cancer treatment. So although I can’t speak to Rogen’s lack of range in other movies, I found his performance in 50/50 to be ultimately entertaining — his character’s dated humour aside. 15 years after its release, 50/50 stands firmly in my Letterboxd top four — despite its supposed “sophomoric ineptitude” or whatever — because of how accurately it depicts the emotions I felt during my own cancer treatment. By encouraging audiences to reconsider their assumptions about cancer, the film shows how differently people cope when it becomes part of their lives, whether directly or indirectly. 50 per cent drama and 50 per cent comedy, 50/50 remains a compelling and genuine exploration of the emotional rollercoaster that is living with cancer.
Photo by Courtesy of 50/50
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Video Games // The CGA gem hiding in plain sight
From camcorder tapes to Tamagotchis, Bloom & Rage is the perfect summer game
SKY S. TERRONES
It’s that magical time of the year when the Canadian Game Awards (CGA) nominees drop, and we all collectively point at our screens like, “Yes, Canada, look at you go.” The CGAs may not have the blockbuster glitz of The Game Awards, but for anyone studying or working in game development, they’re a compass — a reminder that the industry’s world-class work is being crafted right here.
And listen, maybe I’m biased because my favourite game is Canadian. Maybe I’m simply correct. Either way, in the spirit of spotlighting a nominee that might’ve slipped under your radar, let’s talk about a game that plays like a mixtape of memory, mystery, and the kind of teenage intensity you pretend you outgrew but you absolutely didn’t.
This game is DON’T NOD’s Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (2025).
It follows Swann Holloway, a 43-year-old filmmaker who returns to her hometown, Velvet Cove, in 2022 after receiving a mysterious package addressed to “Bloom & Rage” — the punk band she formed with three friends during the fateful summer of 1995.
The game flips between 1995, where teenage Swann meets Nora, Autumn, and Kat; and 2022, where the now-adult women reunite after 27 years to confront the long-buried secret that nuked their friendship. Insert gasp here.
The ‘95 timeline is all camcorder footage, garage-band dreams, late-night confessions, and the creeping sense that something in the forest is watching. The present day is quieter, heavier — with these women trying to piece together the past and reconcile who they were with who they became.
If the studio name rings a bell, it’s because DON’T NOD is the team behind the OG Life is Strange (2015) (LIS). They’ve built a reputation for narrative-driven, choice-heavy adventures that feel raw and human, and Bloom & Rage is no exception.
You play exclusively as Swann, often anchored in her perspective through her camcorder — a mechanic that’s both a collectible system and the thematic spine. It reinforces its focus on lost memories and the intensity of our teenage years — when time freezes the love and the loss that lingers long after. These clips later become part of Swann’s “memoir,” underscoring the game’s fixation on what we choose to remember, and what we try to bury. Memory, after all, is a kind of
filmmaking: selective, shaky, tender, and often unreliable.
And yes, this game is gay as fuck, and not in a token, checkbox way. You can romance one of the girls, and the writing treats queer first love with respect, innocence, and emotional honesty. DON’T NOD has always been quietly excellent at queer storytelling, and Bloom & Rage continues that tradition.
At its core, though, this is a story about friendship — that specific teenage bond built on the belief that you and your friends could conquer the world, the certainty that they’d be in your life forever, and the heartbreak when reality proves otherwise.
The story doesn’t shy away from heavy themes — abuse, bullying, discrimination, sickness, death — but it handles them with care. Even when the girls drift apart, the game insists that some connections never fully disappear. They just change shape.
The art direction is gorgeous, with character designs that actually look like real people — diverse body shapes, distinct features, lived-in clothing. The environments feel immersive, from the sunlit forest to the cluttered garage where Bloom & Rage first rehearses. And the music… gosh, the music. Their punk tracks capture the messy catharsis of teenage rage, while the score leans into DON’T NOD’s signature indie-chill vibe. It’s nostalgic without being derivative — and yes, it made it onto my playlist.
There’s this misconception that 90s-set games only resonate with people who lived through the era. Sure, if you’re an 80s or 90s kid, this game will hit you like a Nokia to the head — my millennial sister ranks it in her top three games ever. But as a Gen Z heart, I’ll argue this: younger players will still find joy in discovering this analog weirdness — rewinding tapes, memorizing phone numbers, trying not to kill a Tamagotchi — and in the universal parts of growing up that transcend generations.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a game that makes you feel seen. It’s a love letter to friendship, to the summers that shape us, to the memories we carry whether we want to or not.
With five CGA nominations, it deserves every bit of recognition — maybe even more. And while the story isn’t finished yet, with a fandom hungry for answers, rest assured we have not seen the end of it just yet. After all, some summers never really end.
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CIVL’s Aaron Levy brings you some seasonal selections of mostly-Can Rock royalty for the April edition of the shuffle! Touch grass, enjoy the sunshine, and be excellent to each other!
The Gandharvas - “The First Day of Spring”
This is a song I learned was a huge hit in the 90s for the London, Ontariobased grunge rockers, but one that never actually made its way to my mind until I started revisiting the era’s Canadian Classics last year. Featuring lyrics that include words like “catatonic” and “decompose”.
The Killjoys - “Rave + Drool”
Another big hit for a band that I was at least vaguely aware of but not as completely familiar with as others, the song “Today I Hate Everyone” was the one I always remembered, while this was the one inserted into the Big Shiny Tunes legacy, first edition, at that!
Oliver Tree - “Jerk”
Not a Canadian track, but it qualifies as an “other” because the original and more notable public representation of this tune is in the banger Robin Schulz remix, entitled “Miss You,” which gives a different impression than the title of this one does. Different vibe, different mood, similarly very good.
I Mother Earth - “When Did You Get Back From Mars”
In honour of the recently heralded “NASA’S lunar comeback,” and Gosling being in that kind of sequel to the Damon flick, this one is a good ‘ol East Coast classic ballad that no one ever asked for and I’m so glad we got, once Edwin (unfortunately) ditched their Mother Earth compatriots.
01. THE SYLVIA PLATTERS Will Tomorrow Be Enough [Ep]
02. SLIP-ONS Overtime
03. VIA CASTELLO
She’s My Type (Single)
04. DAVID IVAN NEIL
I Can Still Hope
05. MIKE VAN EYES BAND Ain’t That Loving You, Baby
06. CHARLOTTE DAY WILSON
Patchwork
07. COOTIE CATCHER
Something we all got
08. DOMINIQUE FILS-AIMÉ
My World is the Sun
09. RAQUEL COLE Fire Child
10. SEYBLU Day Dream
11. SAVANNAH JADE Savannah Jade
12. BOY GOLDEN
Best Of Our Possible Lives
13. KATIE SLY
Forgotten Memories EP 14. KATIE TUPPER
Greyhound
15. ORA COGAN
Hard Hearted Woman 16. DANA SIPOS
Golden Molten 17. MITSKI
Nothing’s About to Happen to Me
18. RATBOYS
Singin’ To An Empty Chair
19. SOFTCULT When a Flower Doesnt Grow
20. STATUS/NON-STATUS
Big Changes
Where your music taste matters by CIVL’s Music Director, Stephen Munga.
