Published monthly by the University Neighbourhoods Association

Volume 3, Issue 2 FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Published monthly by the University Neighbourhoods Association

UBC Student Sells UNA Board On Plan to Fund Arts Show

Sum of $1,750 was sought to help fund UBC’s Got

Talent; student Bijan Ahmadian was successful

in obtaining it

University Neighbourhoods Association multicultural committee member Ying Zhou at the UNA office.

New to Canada, Campus Res-ident Rises to Heights as Vol-

unteer Leader

Ying Zhou arrived in Canada from China a few years ago with few English lan-guage skills and no contacts in Canadian society. Ying, who has since become a volun-teer leader in the 7,500-strong residential community at the University of Brit-ish Columbia, recalled her first year in Canada in an interview with The Campus Resident at the offices of the University

Neighbourhoods Association where she now attends monthly UNA community volunteer meetings. “In my first year here, I didn’t see any hope,” she said. “After my first year here, I still felt isolated. You had to wait six months to get into the English as a Sec-ond Language program (run by an arm of government), and then you had to go all the way to Fraser and 43rd to attend it. I didn’t know about the Old Barn Commu-nity Centre on campus. I was depressed with ill-health threatening me. I lost ten pounds in a year.” At the same time, she recalled thinking, “I was a valuable person in China; I can be so here albeit in a different situation.”

Ying Zhou is member of University Neighbourhoods Association multicultural committee; only a short

time ago, Ying was feeling isolated from Canadian

society

VOLUNTEER continued on Page 10. 此文章的中文翻译在第10页

STUDENT continued on Page 6.

Bijan Ahmadian, a UBC student with a talent for raising funds, has convinced the University Neighbourhoods Associa-

tion board of directors to advance $1,750 towards the cost of staging the second annual UBC’s Got Talent performing arts contest. Last year, the board backed UBC’s Got Talent to the tune of $10,000 after a per-suasive plea from Mr. Ahmadian, who was president of the (student) Alma Ma-ter Society at the time.

Exploratory Talks on UBC Governance Take Place With Province Detecting No Thirst

for Change “at Present”Exploratory discussions on the gover-nance arrangement at UBC have taken place between the province and affected ‘stakeholders’, and according to the min-ister with oversight for UBC, no aching thirst for change was detected during these discussions—which took place last year. The Campus Resident understands the list of stakeholders attending these exploratory discussions to include the UBC board of governors, the University Neighbourhoods Association, the Uni-versity Endowment Lands (UEL), the UEL Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and Metro Vancouver.

Ida Chong, minister of community, sport and cultural development, makes the position of her government on UBC governance known in a letter dated late in 2011 to Lois Jackson, then chair of Metro Vancouver. In an earlier letter, Ms. Jackson had pressed Ms. Chong to deliver some concrete action on resolv-ing what has been called ‘the democratic deficiency’ at UBC. “I would ask that you provide an update on time lines and spe-cific steps for a provincial review of local self-governance at UBC,” Ms. Jackson wrote.

TALKS continued on Page 3.

Grant Program PresentsAwards to ‘UTown’ Projects

The UTown@UBC Community Grant program has awarded 11 community grants to projects that contribute to the so-cial vibrancy of UTown@UBC. Over $10,000 has been awarded to fund community building projects in UBC’s residential community.Grant recipients are:● Sharing Youth Experiences, Maria du Monceau and Daniela Welkner - $452● Multicultural Family Resource Fair, Multicultural Family Resource Fair Orga-nizing Committee - $900● Building Bridges Through Storytelling, Hadas Diamant - $950● UBC Africa Awareness Week, Africa Awareness Initiative - $1000● Canadian Social Studies Workshop, Florence Luo - $1000● 3 MT- Bringing Research to the Commu-nity, Three Minute Thesis at UBC - $1000

● Parent Learning Workshop Series, An-gela Low - $1000● UTown@UBC Community Youth Band, Kerri Zhang - $1000● Midsummer Night’s Dream at Green College, Green College Players - $1000● Circle Painting at UBC, Khanh Nguyen and My Le - $1000● Rent, Suite-Style Musical - $1000 The UTown@UBC Community Grant program is a joint initiative between UBC Campus and Community Planning, Stu-dent Housing and Hospitality Services, and the University Neighbourhoods As-sociation. The program was launched in January 2011 and awards grants of up to $1,000 to UTown@UBC residents for projects that build community on campus by bringing residents together.

The Campus Resident presents a selection of articles about the University Endowment Lands

(UEL), which lies adjacent to UBC: Pages 5, 6 and 7.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012page 2

UBC resident Kaine Newton, an 18-year-old busker violinist, is vying for top U.S. music schools

In November, Kaine Newton - her name is pronounced kye-nay - played a series of concerts with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. She was 17. She played second violin, and had been hired for the sympho-ny’s substitute list. “As far as I know,” said VSO concert master Dale Barltrop, who hired Newton after she auditioned for him, “she’s the youngest musician ever to play with the orchestra. Most of the substitutes we take on are professionals or college students, and I believe she just graduated from high school. She’s a remarkable young violin-ist and we were really impressed with her audition.” The VSO was not Ms. Newton’s first professional gig. She began playing for money when she was eight. Her first re-cital was on the seawall in West Vancou-ver, busking. “You can make pretty good money do-ing it,” she said, “especially when you’re

Kaine, who lives at home in Chancellor Place, is

the youngest musician to play with the Vancouver

Symphony Orchestra and a street musician at Robson and Burrard; she hopes to join the music world’s

privileged elite

By Pete McMartin, The Vancouver Sun

young and cute. I guess people saw this little eight-year-old playing violin and thought it was sweet.” She is now 18 - her birthday arrived soon after the VSO performances - and she continues to busk, though her venues have changed. She can be found playing her classical repertoire downtown now, on Robson Street in front of the HMV store, and on Alberni Street in front of Tiffany’s. She makes about $50 on a good day, she said, and $30 on a slow day. Next month, she leaves for the U.S. to audition for spots in four of North Amer-ica’s most prestigious musical colleges - the Curtis Institute of Music, in Philadel-phia; the Colburn Conservatory of Music, in Los Angeles; the New England Conser-vatory of Music, in Boston; and the Cleve-land Institute of Music, in Cleveland. The auditions are gruelling, and whirl-wind - Cleveland on Feb. 12, Philadelphia on Feb. 14, Los Angeles on Feb. 20, and Bos-ton on Feb. 21. “They’re the major schools that people wanting to go into music apply to,” New-ton said, “but they’re pretty tough to get accepted to.” Once accepted, though, a student at a school like Curtis has joined a privileged elite. It not only takes the best and bright-est, but the school’s generous endow-ments allow it to provide tuition and room and board to them for free. Com-petition is fierce. Barltrop, the VSO’s concert mas-ter, knows this personally. “Curtis really attracts the cream of the crop,” he said. “But it’s very difficult to get into. I myself auditioned for Curtis and wasn’t accepted.” Newton will be auditioning on her own

Kaine Newton, 18, the youngest violinist ever to play for the VSO as an extra, plays her $3,500 violin at her UBC home. Kaine, a campus resident, is auditioning for four of the best music schools in the United States between Feb. 12 and 21. Her violin was recently repaired, somewhat altering the sound, but Kaine is confident she will be able to ‘play around’ the changes. Photograph by: Arlen Redekop, The Vancouver Sun

violin, which, compared to the thorough-breds of the violin world, is a workhorse. It cost $3,500. She doesn’t know its mak-er, or age, though she thinks it’s around 150 years old. Its varnish is so worn it’s piebald, and there is a deep gouge on its face next to the fretboard. A few weeks ago, she had to get a crack in it repaired and the sound post readjusted. The repairs have altered its sound - it’s lost some of its resonance in the lower registry, New-ton said - but she remains deeply attached to it: When she brought the violin out to show me, she cradled it with the same ten-derness she might a baby. It looked a part

of her. “I have a friend that is already going to Curtis, and her violin cost $80,000. Will my (violin’s recent repairs) affect my chances of getting in? I don’t know ... but I don’t think so. I think I can play around it.” Her teacher, Nancy DiNovo, believes Newton can do it, too, despite the odds. One year, she said, 97 applicants vied for three spaces at Curtis. “It’s highly competitive, but she has a high level of dexterity. She certainly has the talent to be in the top schools.”Courtesy of The Vancouver Sun.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012 page 3

Letters to the Editor & Opinions

Include name, address and telephone number. Maximum lengths: Letters 400 words. Opinions 750 words. We may edit or decline to publish any submission.

Editor & Business Manager

University Neighbourhoods Association

#202-5923 Berton Avenue,

Vancouver, BC V6S OB3

Published by:

John Tompkins

604.827.3502 JTompkins@myuna.caEditorial Page

Letter to the Editor

Let the Eagles Land

After UBC cut down the only eagle tree on campus (in the Theology neighbor-hood’s Iona Wood) more than a year ago, complaints were made and a UBC prom-ise was given to modify one of the ex-isting neighboring trees to accommodate

the birds. This has not been done. UBC seems really big on preaching “sustainability” yet this important roost has not yet been provided. The birds fly by occasionally looking for it but never land in the remaining trees because they are too bushy. I also notice recent news articles about the decline in bald eagles in B.C.. This kind of behavior by UBC contributes to the decline. Meanwhile the Province is preparing to declare eagle roosts pro-tected trees. Why the double standard being prac-ticed by UBC toward a bird which they should be using as their emblem rather than destroying its critical habitat, as is currently the case?

Neville West5980 Walter Gage Rd. UBC Campus

Ms. Chong replied to the effect there was no need to rush any review of the governance structure at UBC given the outcome of exploratory talks. “I am aware of the desire by some for local self-governance and I recognize that you have concerns in regards to the current governance model,” Ms. Chong wrote. “However, following exploratory dis-cussions with affected organizations at

TALKS continued from Page 1.

Give Harris the Vote on Mayors’ CouncilIn a January 3rd letter to Blair Lekstrom, transportation minister, Electoral Area A representative Mara Harris argued the case for her to be made a full voting mem-ber of the Metro Vancouver mayors’ coun-cil on transportation. The mayors’ council contains represen-tatives from each of the 21 municipalities (as well as the Tsawwassen First Nation) from within the transportation service re-gion and collectively represents the view-points and interests of the citizens of the region. It appoints the board of directors for TransLink and the commissioner. Currently, Ms Harris attends meetings of the mayors’ council, participates in discussions, has access to staff resources and otherwise behaves as if she were a ‘a mayor’ save that she is not blessed with the right to vote (she is not paid for attend-ing meetings either). In her letter, Ms. Harris presented a strong case for her having the right to vote at meetings of the council, which approves plans prepared by TransLink, including the transportation plan, regional

funding and borrowing limits. She wrote, “The Electoral Area is the only part of Metro Vancouver that is not represented by a voting member on the Mayors’ Council. Yet residents of the Electoral Area pay TransLink tax, and they pay it at the same rate as residents of all other area in Metro Vancouver.” This situation of Electoral Area A dwell-ers (95% of whom live at either UBC or the University Endowment Lands) paying a transportation tax without their elected representative having the right to vote on transportation issues affecting them at the mayors’ council does not seem demo-cratic, and Mr. Lekstrom would do well to consider doing something about. Alas, his tepid letter of early February in reply to Ms. Harris will do little to en-courage residents in Electoral Area A that this case of ‘taxation without representa-tion’ will end soon. Mr. Lekstrom writes, “Thank you for your letter of January 3, 2012, requesting amendments to the South Coast British Columbia Transporta-tion Authority Act to include the Director

of Electoral Area A on the Mayors’ Coun-cil on Regional Transportation. “As you are aware, I’m currently talking with the Mayors’ Council about issues re-lating to TransLink’s funding and gover-nance. If these discussions lead to tabling amendments to TransLink’s legislation, your request will also be considered at that time. “In the meantime I hope you can con-tinue to advise the Mayors’ Council as an ex-officio member and provide the benefit of your local knowledge, especially with regard to the University of British Colum-bia.” Meanwhile, Ms. Harris—who launched her initiative to eliminate ‘taxation with-out representation’ at the regional govern-ment level over a year ago—has faced mixed results in getting support from organizations with which she is famil-iar: while the mayors’ council itself and the UEL Community Advisory Council (CAC) have penned strong endorsements, UBC and the University Neighbourhoods Association have so far not provided let-

ters of support. Please see also article on Page 4

UBC, it was determined there is no con-sensus to change the current governance model at this time. “Moreover, the province will not im-pose solutions on the residents of the area. “There are certain issues which suggest a governance change will ultimately be needed, but at this time, I have not seen strong objection to the status quo.”

Maria Harris

Students and Staff on Campus Seek to Hike ‘Fair

Trade’ Awareness

The first ‘Fair Trade Week’ on the UBC campus, March 5-9, aims to increase awareness and change behavior, its stu-dent and staff organizers say. The beckoning inaugural event follows in the footsteps of certification a year ago of UBC as the first ‘Fair Trade’ campus in Canada. A recent survey conducted by students at the Sauder School of Business focus-ing on the UBC community’s relation-ship with Fair Trade, and what knowl-edge exists around Fair Trade practice, found that of those surveyed, over 25 per cent do not understand the concept and 46 per cent never see any products avail-able on campus. Organizers say the Fair Trade Week events addresses this education gap while highlighting what Fair Trade products are available on campus. UBC is asking the community to sup-port the week’s engaging activities and events which include: • flash mob dance organized by Common

This is first ‘Fair Trade Week’; UBC is first ‘Fair Trade Campus’ in Canada

Energy, UBC and goBeyond;• daily free Fair Trade coffee hours at participating Food Services locations;• campus-wide scavenger hunts;• a trade fair at the UBC Bookstore on March 7, 1130am – 2pm, with Fair Trade Vancouver, vendors and samples, includ-ing a lunch and learn presentation from Engineers Without Borders;• Fair Trade Fun Run on March 8 at 1245pm. For more info, go to http://www.food.ubc.ca/fair-trade-week

Students prepare booth for upcoming Fair Trade Week on campus

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012page 4

OP-ED PAGES

In my opinion, UBC Campus residents de-serve better rapid transit and far better vot-ing representation at the Metro Vancouver (“GVRD”) level. Taxation without voting representation is the current situation for UBC campus residents / UNA members. At the moment, the Electoral Area A rep (currently Maria Harris) is a member of the Mayors’ Council on Regional Trans-portation – but without voting privileges. Why is that? Electoral Area A, which includes UBC & area, with its over 40,000 students, over 10,000 employees and over 8,000 full-time residents is a very large desti-nation within the Lower Mainland. UBC and area is approx. 95% of the Electoral Area A population (see map below). It is the only area in the GVRD area not rep-resented with a voting seat on this very influential GVRD-wide council, yet the residents co-fund GVRD-wide transporta-tion systems via a share of property tax, the BC hydro levy (check your latest BC hydro bill) and the gasoline surcharge at the same rate as other, yet voting GVRD area residents. Other reasons why a voting representa-tion is vital on this GVRD-wide council need to be seen in light of a possible rapid rail link to UBC: Public transport is a major issue, espe-

cially the missing rapid transit rail link. The buses to and from UBC are frequent-ly overcrowded in the mornings and af-ternoons during the school year, despite a frequency of every 5-7 minutes. Wait times of over 3 buses are not uncommon just to get a connection from the SkyTrain at Commercial and Broadway in the morn-ing. The bus is often full when connecting at the Canada-line on Broadway with wait times occasionally over 4-5 buses. There are approx. 100,000 trips a day or about 30,000,000 trips a year to or from the UBC area, with too many by car, that would be vastly reduced with faster rail based technology. UBC is the largest employer in the Low-er Mainland, with over 10,000 employees, many of whom commute. There are approx. 16,000 residents in the UBC area (about 50% students and 50% non-students, like the writer) who have deep ties into the wider GVRD area or work away from UBC Campus. The resident UBC population is repre-sented by the UNA (University Neigh-bourhoods Association), a quasi-munici-pal government with 4 (soon 5), elected representatives. Maria Harris reports on a regular basis to the UNA board, usually monthly, to update the UNA directors or interested residents attending board meet-ings on relevant GVRD-wide issues, but neither group has a vote on GVRD-wide

transportation issues. Why? The number of UBC area residents is expected to double in the next 10-12 years due to the recently adopted UBC Cam-pus & Community Neighbourhood Plan which has densified UBC land dramati-cally. UBC has a large endowment fund that might be available for co-funding of new transportation initiatives to UBC, and as such a strong linkage between the prov-ince, this Mayors’ Council, UBC and UNA is beneficial. Affordable housing is a major issue for students and lower-paid employees such as cleaners, food servers, entry level em-ployees, lab technicians, nurses, etc. Thus, a fast, environmentally friendly rapid tran-sit line is vital for the sustainable growth of the Vancouver metroplex, with a tie-in into the Canada line and the Skytrain, for faster access, to reduce pollution, to make affordable housing accessible for UBC based employees or students and to make transportation more sustainable in GVRD incl. UBC area. The extension of a rapid transit line along the Broadway corridor to the UBC campus is a clear example of a sustainable transit choice. It will help to achieve the Metro Vancouver 2040 strategic objective to “promote best practices and develop guidelines to support local government actions to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases, and improve air qual-ity related to land use and transportation infrastructure.” (Strategy 3.3, Metro Van-couver 2040, p 38). The corridor is one of the busiest thoroughfares in Greater Vancouver. It is lined with a great variety of commercial enterprises, services, res-taurants and other establishments. A rapid transit line on the corridor, therefore, will respond to an already high travel demand. One of the main attractions of UBC to both students and residents is its closeness to beach, nature and Vancouver, yet UBC

is this “far away island” because UBC is not a municipality in the eyes of many elected GVRD representatives. Let’s work together more, shall we? Extending the rapid transit line to UBC will greatly enhance the role of UBC as a significant economic development gen-erator for the region. About 1 in every 100 employees in the Vancouver census met-ropolitan area (CMA) work at UBC. UBC contributed over $10 billion to the provin-cial economy in 2008-2009 (about 5% of the BC economy). UBC research has gen-erated 137 spin off companies with 95% of these located in the province, generating more than $4 billion in sales and generat-ing 40,000 person-years in employment. Directly linking the UBC campus to other parts of the region through a rapid transit line will greatly enhance the university’s role in fostering economic development even more. Many UBC residents look forward to rapid transit, and to far better representa-tion concerning their taxes, and as a next step, to have a voting representative for the UBC area residents on it, namely the Electoral Area A representative as the most logical choice (although other op-tions could certainly be explored). Interested residents are encouraged to write their view on this rapid transit link and taxation without voting representation issue to either Hon. Blair Lekstrom (Min-ister of Transportation & Infrastructure) and/or Mayor Richard Walton (Chair, Mayor’s Council on Regional Transporta-tion) and/or Ian Travis (CEO, Translink). Thomas Beyer is a condo-owing, car-driving, electricity-using, tax-paying and under-represented GVRD & UBC resident, but also a recently-elected di-rector of the UNA board and its vice chair. As such this opinion piece shall not be construed as a UNA board opin-ion, but a personal opinion.

Yet another Case of Taxation without Representation – This Time at the GVRD Level

By Thomas Beyer

TransLink and the Province are sponsoring a multi-phase study, in partnership with the City of Vancouver, UBC, Musqueam Indian Band and UEL, to evaluate alternatives for rapid transit service in the Broadway Corridor between Commer-cial Drive and UBC. The study is considering a range of rapid transit technologies: Bus Rapid Tran-sit, Light Rail Transit and Rail Rapid Transit along the corridor. It has involved a detailed evaluation of the costs benefits and impacts of a range of alternatives and an open consultation process with stakeholders and the public throughout. The findings will support decision-makers in determining the rapid transit solu-tion for the corridor. The study is due to be complete and the findings reported to the public in early 2012. Below are some examples of the alternative routes being considered.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012 page 5

University Endowment LandsWhat is the UEL, and why do UEL residents pay less

property taxes than do UBC residents?

For UNA residents, our general residential property tax (and please see the Post Script below) consists of the rural tax that we pay plus our Services Levy. UEL residents pay a special rural tax (called a rural tax but not the same as the rural tax that we in the UNA pay). The UEL’s special rural tax is determined each year by a budgeting exercise – they add up all of the direct costs they need to run the UEL for the year, divide this by the total assessed values and come up with a mill rate. The general residential mill rate that we pay (2011) based on our rural tax and our Services Levy is 2.12628 per $1,000 of property assessment. As best I can tell, the mill rate UEL residents pay is 1.0891 per $1,000 of property assessment. That is, in the UNA we pay almost double the gen-eral residential property taxes of residents in the UEL. While we pay different rural taxes (and in our case Services Levy) we both pay the same line items on our tax bills: see de-tails in the table following this paragraph. As these line item amounts are based on assessed values this has an impact on the total property tax equivalent paid by folks in the UEL as compared to us in the UNA. Factoring these figures into the equation a UEL resident paid (2011) total property taxes of 3.1428/per $1000 compared to a UNA resident’s (2011) total property taxes of 4.17998. Even using these total “prop-erty taxes” figures, UNA residents still pay about 1/3 more in property taxes than do UEL residents. I thought it might be helpful to show this in a table (below) in which I include Vancouver.

A New DevelopmentRecently the Province transferred certain property to the Musqueam. Some of the property is within and will be administered by the UEL (the parcel of land immedi-ately across Acadia from UBC’s married student housing). Approximately 1,500 multiple family units will eventually be

By Jim Taylor, Hampton Place

developed (meaning approximately 3,000 more UEL residents).

A Little HistoryThe UEL was established in 1907. The first lots were sold (in fee simple, not leasehold) in 1925. The UEL residents incorporated the UEL Ratepayers Associa-tion early on. One rule of the Association was that only landowners could become members and participate in its affairs. This excluded all UEL tenants (all UEL rental accommodation is located south of University Boulevard). The UEL’s under-standing with the Province was that UEL property taxpayers would pay the special rural tax they pay. The UEL is administered directly by the Provincial ministry responsible for mu-nicipalities. The ministry appoints a UEL manager, a ministry employee. The man-ager runs the UEL from an office in the UEL. From the incorporation of the Asso-ciation to the mid 2000s, the UEL manager consulted with the Board of the Associa-tion as to the residents’ views of how to run the municipal amenities of the UEL. The exclusion of tenants in this arrange-ment raised eyebrows and eventually the UEL adopted an official community plan (“OCP”) which creates an advisory coun-cil as the body that consults with the man-ager. Tenants have the right to participate in the advisory council.

Problems with the UEL OCPWhen the UEL’s proposed OCP was cir-culated for comment, the UNA Board for-mally objected to two aspects. First, the OCP proposed to create four “areas” which would elect representatives to sit on the advisory council. Three of the areas are divisions of the UEL single family residential areas (the “single fam-ily areas”). The fourth was the area of then exclusively rental housing south of University Boulevard. Over the last short while some of this area has been re-devel-oped as multiple family and rental housing (the “multiple family area”). The advisory council has seven elected members who decide issues by major-ity vote. Four are elected from the single

family areas. Only three come from the multiple family area. I say “only” because even at the time of the OCP the population of the multiple family area was greater than the combined population of the single family areas. While I can only estimate this it appears that the population of the single family ar-eas was (as of 2009) approximately 1,350 residents and that of the multiple family area was approximately 2,700. This popu-lation disparity has increased (particularly with the re-development of part of the multiple family area) so that as of 2012 the total population of the single family areas remains approximately 1,350 and that of the multiple family area is likely some-what greater, approximately 2,900. Once the UEL Musqueam property is de-veloped there will be approximately 1,500 new multiple family housing units (mean-ing approximately 3,000 more residents). When this new area is developed, the population disparity between those who control the advisory council in the single family residential areas and those who are locked into a permanent minority in the multiple family area will increase. After build out of the new Musqueam UEL development the numbers will be ap-proximately 1,350 residents in the single family areas and approximately 6,000 residents in the multiple family area. The UNA submitted that making the over-whelming majority of the residents in the UEL a permanent minority was undemo-cratic and unwise. Second, the UNA objected to the UEL’s OCP proposing to maintain the system then in place which does two things to which the UNA Board objected. First, while our general residential rural tax in-cludes a contribution to policing (as of 2012 we pay about $500,000) the UEL does not make any contribution to polic-ing in their general special rural tax (and in that way they do not pay over $750,000 they would pay if subject to the rural tax that are we; and everyone else in the Prov-ince in an unorganized territory like the UEL). Second, the UEL OCP assumes no obligation to provide recreational services or public space within the UEL. The UEL OCP in effect says that this is not neces-sary because these services are available to UEL residents who, without making any contribution, simply use these services in Vancouver, at UBC and as provided by the UNA.

A Modest Proposal to Make a Start on a FixFrom all of this we know why UEL taxes are less than those we pay in the UNA. They do not pay anything in their general special rural tax for policing (as we do in our rural tax) and the UEL does not tax it-self to provide community centres, playing fields, skateboard parks, basketball courts, all weather fields or anything of this nature simply taking the position that they can use the services that are made available, paid for and maintained by the UNA’s residen-tial neighbourhoods, UBC and Vancouver. In the UEL the average assessed value in the single family areas that control de-cisions about UEL expenditures is (as of 2011) $3,596,000. In my opinion, it is odd that a community such as ours where the average assessed value is $832,000 pro-

vides community and recreational services and amenities that in effect subsidize a neighbouring community where the single family areas decision makers, who by de-sign poach off the services we provide, live in single family properties with a average assessed value more than four times ours! In my opinion, it would be wise for the UNA Board, as regards the new Mus-queam UEL housing, to work to persuade the Province (which, after all, runs the UEL) that for this new housing, in addi-tion to the regular UEL special rural prop-erty tax, that there be a special assessment so that, with all these purchasers knowing this from the beginning, this new housing ends up paying the same total mill rate that the approximately 600,000 surround-ing residents in Vancouver and the UNA neighbourhoods pay and that the money generated from this special assessment be set aside in a fund to be shared on some equitable basis between the UNA, UBC and Vancouver as a contribution to the cost incurred in supplying community services used by but not paid for by UEL residents. Indeed, the UNA might even provide its Community Services Card to these new residents (being compensated for this out of the fund) so that these new residents can enjoy all the community services we do. One would think that UBC, Vancouver and the Province all ought to support us in this.

Post ScriptI have had some questions from neigh-bours regarding the two recent articles I have written regarding property taxes. I tried to be careful in what I wrote to distin-guish between the general residential mill rate (the amount that we, and the other municipalities to which I referred, levy as taxes so as to run our day to day municipal lives) and other charges included on our property tax bill (called line items). I used the general residential mill rate for com-parison purposes as it represents what mu-nicipalities decide they have to spend to run all their local day to day municipal af-fairs. While in the UNA our general resi-dential mill rate (consisting of the Services Levy and the rural tax we pay (the rural tax pays for our policing and fire costs)) is fixed, it also represents the amount we have to spend on all our local day to day municipal affairs. In addition to our general residential mill rate we pay other taxes (line items) to oth-er government emanations: the Province (a separate amount for Police Tax); the Vancouver School District (we are in the Vancouver School District and pay our full share of the costs of our educational sys-tem); the GVRD; Translink; etc. Between all these bodies they tax pretty much ev-erything one could think of. These line items are a substantial part of our total property tax bill. In our neighbourhood our general residential mill rate (services levy and rural tax) is 2.12628 per $1000 of property assessment. However, when the line items are added, our total mill rate is 4.17998 per $1,000 of assessed value. Vancouver’s total mill rate is identical, 4.17998 per $1,000 of assessed value. I concluded that using only the general residential mill rate leads to the most help-ful and fairest comparison. I still think that is so.

*This includes nothing for policing; does include fire protection**This includes approx. $500,000 for policing; also covers fire protection***For UNA, this is in addition to the amount in General Residential Rural

Levy/ $1000 Taxable Value (Residential, 2011) Vancouver UEL UNA

General Residential 2.12815 N/A N/A

Special Rural Tax* N/A 1.0891 N/A

General Residential Rural** & UBC Services Levy N/A N/A 2.12628

Sub-Total of General Tax/ Levy 2.12815 1.0891 2.12628

School 1.54202 1.4446 1.4446

BC Assessment Authority 0.06629 0.0621 0.0621

Municipal Finance Authority 0.00021 0.0002 0.0002

TransLink 0.3736 0.3500 0.3500

Police*** incl. in Gen. Res. 0.0789 0.0789

GVRD 0.06971 0.1179 0.1179

Total 4.17998 3.1428 4.17998

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012page 6

University Endowment Lands

UEL Council Calls for Volunteers to Join ‘Working Groups’

The Community Advisory Council (CAC) has undertaken to form an assembly of ‘working groups’ rather than sub-commit-tees to help it better serve residents of the University Endowment Lands (UEL). In a news release issued after its January 16 meeting, the CAC—which advises the provincial government on how it believes the UEL should be best managed—said, “The purpose of these focused and spe-cially-staffed working groups is to enable the CAC to better serve the residents of the UEL by being able to put more effort into those areas of work that it identifies as needing attention.” The CAC, whose seven members are elected every three years, has established the following six working groups to start with: budget review; zoning bylaw revi-sion; communications; UEL Heritage Fire Hall (restoration); governance; rela-tions with UBC and the University Neigh-bourhoods Association.” The news release, which describes the

Groups (rather than sub-committees) are designed to give energy to governance process; six groups have

been formed so far

CAC as having a number of responsibili-ties, says that to “discharge all of these responsibilities to a high level of achieve-ment will require more effort and a broad-er collection of skills than the seven elect-ed members can provide.” It further says that one way to multiply the energy and effectiveness of the CAC “is to create working groups that can fo-cus on one area of concern and include more people on these groups than just the CAC members.” The CAC makes a fine point of distin-guishing between its new system of work-ing groups and the traditional system of ‘sub-committees’ mostly found in the field of local governance. It says, “The term ‘working group’ has been selected rather than sub-committee to emphasize that these groups are intended to set and achieve goals and that the group is not just a committee for which the attendance at a meeting once in a while is sufficient in-volvement.” The CAC gave updates on formation of the working groups as follows: 1. Budget Review: This is the highest priority as the budget process is starting now. There are now sufficient people in this group to get going and the work is starting on the budget due to be submitted to the Province in April. 2. Zoning Bylaw Revision: Discussions

can start now in terms of creating a pro-cess to complete the stalled bylaw revi-sion process. The working groups should be carefully selected as this will likely in-volve contentious issues. 3. Communications: Establishing a vi-sion to improve the two-way process of communications among the various par-ties (CAC, Advisory Development Panel, UEL residents, UEL administration) can begin now. 4. UEL Heritage Fire Hall: The vision study for the fire hall renovation is com-plete and is posted on the website. A new working group needs to be created to move the project to a complete feasibil-ity study. (See story on UEL Heritage Fire Hall on Page 7.) 5. Governance: A long term look at pos-sible modifications to the governance of the UEL. This can start now, but is not an urgent priority. This could involve major

governance changes, or minor tune-ups to the current system. 6. UBC/UNA Relations: We have big neighbours and we need to understand what they are up to. This activity will likely be required long into the future. Pri-marily this is attending open houses and certain committees and groups that the UEL is invited to sit in on, meeting and becoming familiar with the people and groups with both UBC and the UNA.Volunteers wishing to help the CAC by joining one of its working groups should heed the call of Ron Pears, CAC chair: “The Community Advisory Council is actively seeking people to help with the various working groups. Please don’t be shy; contact us to talk about how you can get involved.” If you are interested, please contact: Ron Pears: ronald.pears@gmail.com or Dave Forsyth: forsyth@paceinn.com

EnChor Choir in concert at St. Anselm’s

Date: Saturday, March 24, 2012Time: 7:00 PM to 10:00 PMLocation: Pacific Spirit Regional Park (entrance 4915 West 16th Ave.)

Experience the magic of nature under moonlight. Discovery stations along 2 km of lantern-lit trails will illuminate the life of nocturnal creatures. Join the commu-nity for a night of entertainment, bonfires and Girl Guide snacks. Dress warmly and bring a flashlight and smart phone for the QR code quest (allow 1 hour to complete). Bring a mug to use at the Girl Guides’ concession. Info: 604-224-5739 This event is wheelchair and stroller ac-cessible.

The celebrated EnChor Choir will per-form at 3 PM on March 24th at St. An-selm’s Anglican Church. Founded by Artistic Director Diane Loomer, the group is now 55 voices strong and includes some of the region’s most seasoned vocalists. The performance will be followed by a complimentary reception with the choir. Tickets are available by calling 604.224.1410. For additional information visit the church website www.stanselms.ca.

Night Quest

STUDENT continued from Page 1.

Addressing the UNA board at its Feb-ruary 14 meeting, Mr. Ahmadian recalled how considerate the board was when he called upon directors for financial assis-tance in 2011. “You generously donated $10,000,” he said. This donation did wonders for UBC’s Got Talent, then in only the planning stage. “It got us off the ground. The UNA played a crucial role.” The student explained that this year he requested a smaller UNA donation to cover expenses since the UBC Bookstore had stepped in with a generous offer of assistance—he mentioned a UNA dona-tion of $1,750 as one the board might like to consider. Mr. Ahmadian offered that UNA fund-ing of UBC’s Got Talent brought about a friendlier perception of the UNA “in the eyes of students.” He said it goes against the grim idea—popular with some stu-dents—that the UNA is waging “a war on fun” against them. “It (the donation)

helps brand the UNA in the minds of stu-dents.” The timing of the UNA board meeting on February 14th, St. Valentine’s Day, obviously did not hurt his cause, Mr. Ahmadian said in obvious good humour. “This donation would be a Valentine’s gift to prove the UNA loves students.” Mankee Mah, one of four members of the seven-member board at the meeting, said she hoped that this year the students would better inform the residential com-munity of how to be included in audition-ing for the show. “There were complaints too few residents auditioned last year,” Ms. Mah said. Erica Frank, who chaired the meet-ing in the absence of board chair Prod Laquian and vice-chair Thomas Beyer, joined other directors in judging a dona-tion of $1,750 to be reasonable. “I agree we don’t want to be seen as grumpy old people,” Ms. Frank said. UBC’s Got Talent is scheduled for March 29 at the Old Auditorium, cost $5 (at the Bookstore).

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012 page 7

University Endowment Lands

UEL Council Considers Saving Heritage Fire Hall on Acadia Road

The UEL Community Advisory Council (CAC) is reviewing a study that pro-poses a new vision for the UEL heritage Fire Hall that would save it from disuse and uncertainty and provide a repur-posed building for community use. The heritage Fire Hall is located on Acadia Road adjacent to the UEL Ad-ministration Office building. It was built in 1929 to service the growing resi-dential population in the University En-dowment Lands, and originally housed both the Police Station and Fire Hall functions. With the support of both the UEL ad-ministration and the UEL CAC over the past year, a volunteer committee of resi-dents worked with Don Luxton & As-sociates, a group of highly qualified and respected architects and heritage consul-tants, to prepare a condition analysis and proposal entitled the UEL Heritage Fire Hall Revitalization Study. The study can be viewed on the CAC community web-site www.uelcommunity.com. A printed copy of the report can also be viewed at the UEL Administration Office. The Luxton study confirms that the building structure is solid and does in-deed provide an excellent proposition for renovation and repurposing. Luxton has concluded that the project has value and makes sense. However, because it has been unoccupied for several years with only basic maintenance, the heri-tage Fire Hall will not be suitable for any function unless it is renovated. UEL res-idents are currently paying for heat, light and basic repairs through their taxes, but get no value from these expenditures. During the study process, careful con-sideration was given to need and how the community might use the building. Finally, three options were proposed for a multi-purpose facility with a mix of of-fice and community space and rental ac-

New vision is proposed for Fire Hall built in 1929;

community use of renovated building is considered

commodation (the building currently has two suites). One larger meeting room in the fire truck bays, several smaller meet-ing rooms and offices for CAC business and other community use are proposed. Also, space for storage of public records and archival material could be provided, a function that has long been lacking. Residential rental units have been pro-posed to provide income to support the maintenance and operation of the build-ing. A goal is to have the building be self-supporting in terms of maintenance and operations. Basic costs for both capital costs and operations are included in the study. Parking for the heritage Fire Hall could be created at the rear of the building with public access through the Works Yard entrance off Chancellor Blvd. It is proposed that the current driveway off Acadia Road be closed and replaced by a hedge and landscaping, leaving Acadia Road as a quiet zone. It is envisioned that the renovated heritage Fire Hall would provide a pub-lic heart for the UEL community with a much-needed home base for its elected representatives on the CAC and the Ad-visory Design Panel (ADP). The Fire Hall would provide a focus for the UEL community and an attractive place for community functions. It is thought that the UEL would be a healthier commu-nity if there were some spaces for com-mon functions, from meetings to sea-sonal events to a place to maintain our common memories in an archive. The UEL community needs a public fa-cility of its own where people can gather for a public meeting, without borrowing or renting space from others as they do now. Without such a place, it has been difficult for residents of the different ar-eas within the UEL to develop a sense of being socially connected. For years, members of the UEL community have shown interest in saving the heritage Fire Hall and repurposing it for commu-nity meetings and other uses. This issue has also been discussed at public meet-ings. Clearly, residents have recognized that this old building with an interesting

Current photo of the front of the Heri-tage Fire Hall

UEL Heritage Fire Hall, circa 1930. Fire Brigade and BC Police Chief

UEL Heritage Fire Hall Study Committee,: Kathleen Ferns, Malcolm Tait, Ron Pears

character has intrinsic meaning for the UEL community, and have wanted to explore ways to keep and reuse it for community benefit. Saving the heritage Fire Hall for fu-ture generations has a significant public value. Not only will one of the oldest buildings in the area be preserved, but it will provide a much needed centre for the UEL CAC and other community functions. A new CAC Fire Hall Working Group has been created to move the project

to the next step - a complete feasibil-ity study - that will look more carefully at the design, particularly factors that might affect cost, such as fire separa-tions and the mechanical and electrical systems. It would also further develop the capital and operating costs. For more information see www.uelcommunity.com. This article was prepared for The Campus Resident by a group of UEL volunteers, including Kathleen Ferns, Malcolm Tait and Ron Pears.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012page 8

Sustainability Corner

UNA Community News

Ralph Wells, UNA Sustainability Manager

Modo (previously known as The Car Co-op) is launching a new incentive program exclusive to UNA residents (co-funded by UBC Properties Trust) to coincide with the expansion of its carsharing service in the UNA neighbourhoods. Soon, new car-share members with a UNA Community Services Card will be able to receive up to a $100 credit on usage. Modo mem-bers will have access to seven Modo cars in UNA neighbourhoods (and a total of nine on campus) with the addition of new vehicles in the Hawthorn neighbourhood and Chancellor Place neighbourhood. Modo is established in our neighbour-hoods in part because carsharing is sup-ported by UBC’s Residential Environmen-tal Assessment Program (REAP). Since 2006, REAP has required that a carshare vehicle is made available for every addi-tional 100 homes added to the community. The REAP program has been administered by Paul Young of UBC Properties Trust, who chose to work with Modo since they are Vancouver’s oldest and most estab-lished carshare. Young feels that Modo’s status as a not-for-profit made it a good fit for the UNA. Tanya Paz, the Business Development Director for Modo, says that

support from the REAP program was im-portant to establishing carsharing at UBC. Having Modo cars at UBC has allowed some campus residents eliminate the need to own a car. Tom Berkhout, his wife Claire and their two children manage all their local transportation needs through a combination of cycling, taking transit and carsharing with Modo. The Modo car pro-vides an option for special trips, when cy-cling or transit is not convenient. Nancy Smith found that having local Modo cars allowed her and her three children to give up car ownership and lower all car related expenses to less than $50/month (a 2005 Transport Canada study reported average costs of $125 month for carshare users). Both Berkhout and Smith expressed that it is the combination of easily avail-able public transit and local Modo cars that made it possible to not own a car. Paz agrees, citing Modo’s success being dependent on both frequent transit and higher density housing, a condition that will likely continue to improve with future housing development and improvements to transit at UBC. Paz is optimistic that the new UNA in-centive program offered by Modo and UBC Properties Trust will help UNA resi-dents make the decision to try carsharing as an alternative to car ownership. Young believes that carsharing will become a popular concept for residents at UTown, and anticipates that as the use of carshar-ing increases, Modo and other carshare providers will all be present in the com-munity.”

Modo Car-Sharing Program Provides Incentives,

More Cars for Neighbours

Tanya Paz, Paul Young and Ralph Wells with the new Modo car in the Hawthorn Place neighbourhood.

Seven Modo cars are slated for UNA neighbourhoods; UNA community services

card is good for $100 credit

By Ralph Wells

This month, we continue my series of columns on the UBC-UNA MOU on Sustainability with a review of the focus area for sustainable transportation. This focus area commits UBC and the UNA to work together to increase access for UNA residents to sustainable transportation op-tions, including walking, cycling, transit and carsharing. The intention for this focus area is to identify and implement sustainable transportation initiatives. The development of options will be supported by transportation studies and surveys of community members. For today’s column, I’m focusing on one transportation alternative available to UNA residents that you may not be famil-iar with yet. As reported elsewhere in this issue, the not-for-profit Modo carshare is expanding its vehicle offerings in our UNA neighbourhoods and offering an ex-clusive incentive to UNA residents. Car-sharing programs (not to be confused with ‘ride sharing’ or car pools where people share rides, primarily for commuting) are

MOU Focus Area: Transportationbecoming increasingly popular in urban centres around the world. By joining a carshare program, a member gains access to a fleet of cars (generally distributed in urban residential areas) that are available to be booked on a 24 hour basis. There are three carshares operating in the Metro Vancouver region, Modo, Zipcar and car-2go. Access to carsharing can allow residents to avoid purchasing a second vehicle or avoid car ownership entirely. A 2005 Transport Canada study estimated that nearly half of the members got rid of a vehicle after joining a carshare organiza-tion and more than 20% were able to put off purchasing a vehicle. Savings can be substantial. The Transport Canada study reported an average monthly cost of $125 for carsharing (including fuel costs), a substantial savings over the total costs as-sociated with car ownership. There are also significant environmental benefits. A 2010 US study that surveyed nearly 10,000 carshare members across

North America determined that house-holds that joined a carshare reduced their annual greenhouse emissions by nearly a tonne. Carsharing can also significantly lower the number of vehicles in a neigh-bourhood: the Transport Canada study estimated that one car typically served 20 members. The availability of carshare vehicles in our neighbourhoods should play an important role in reducing parking pressure as our community grows. The provision of dedicated carshare parking locations within our neighbour-hoods are one way the UNA is working to make sure this transportation option is available to UNA residents. Ultimately, it’s not any one transportation option that is important. Rather it’s the effective in-tegration of multiple modes of transpor-tation that will provide a transportation system that could make car ownership optional for UNA residents. Be sure to watch future editions of this column for more on this topic.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012 page 9

UBC Properties Trust is helping ease the housing squeeze on campus by building more rental suites specifically for faculty and staff. Two new rental buildings will be com-pleted this summer, providing one-, two- and three-bedroom homes for 107 UBC faculty/ staff and their families. UBC is currently working to put to-gether a “Housing Action Plan” to iden-tify additional housing options for fac-ulty and staff, and Paul Young, director of planning and design for UBC Proper-ties Trust, said in a telephone interview that purpose-built rental housing, as one component of UBC’s housing strategy, provides a security of tenure and the con-venience of an on-campus location. “It thus provides a desirable alternative for UBC-affiliated residents,” Mr. Young said. UBC, through UBC Properties Trust, has been a demonstrable leader in the region in providing purpose-built rental housing. Over 630 units of rental hous-

UBC Properties Perceives Rental Apartments asVital Part of Housing Strategy

Over 630 units of rental housing have been built on UBC campus over the past

decade; 373 of these are specifically for faculty

and staff

ing have been built on UBC campus over the past decade, with 373 of these being specifically for faculty and staff. “Rental housing opportunities have been and will continue to be a significant component of UBC’s work force housing strategy,” Mr. Young said. The new rental buildings, Dahlia House and Magnolia House, are located in Wes-brook Place, two blocks south of shops and services in Wesbrook Village. The Wesbrook Place neighbourhood is al-ready home to many faculty, staff and students, along with other residents. With a secondary school under con-struction and a community centre in de-sign, Mr. Young says the neighbourhood is already a hub providing the activity, di-versity and services desired by residents. A direct bus route to the heart of campus and to off-campus destinations will be provided this spring by TransLink, via a re-route of the #41 bus. Dahlia House will be the first pet friendly faculty and staff rental residence offered by Village Gate Homes. Both buildings will back onto a semi-private courtyard area which will contain a fully landscaped outdoor common area with picnic and BBQ facilities. Mr. Young said that to ensure as little an impact on energy use and the environment, Dahlia House and Magnolia House will use local materials, high efficiency appliances and various measures to make certain the best

air quality for a healthy home. Dahlia House and Magnolia House will be ready to move into this July. Advance

suite selection is available by contact-ing the Property Manager, Village Gate Homes at villagegatehomes.com.

Rendering of new rental homes for faculty and staff at UBC

What do these parking signs mean? As the new parking enforcement prac-tices started in January and as brand new signage was installed in the neighbour-hoods, are you clear about where you can or cannot park? See the image below and table to the right for a detailed list of each sign and who can or cannot park in the allocated spot.

Who is doing what?The new parking rules and regulations are enforced by the Ministry of Trans-

Parking Signs in the UNA Neighbourhoods

What does it mean?무슨 뜻입니까?

这个停车标志是什么意思？

Who can park?주차 가능한 차량은?谁可以在这里停车？

Who cannot park?주차 불가능한 차량은?谁不可以在这里停车？

1. Reserved parking for Modo vehicles only. Modo is a carshare program (more details on p8).

Modo 전용 주차구역입니다. Modo는 단기간 사용을 위한 차 공유 프로그램입니다. (자세한 내용은 페이지 x를 참조하세요)

Modo专用车停车位（Modo是一个汽车共享的租赁模式用于人们短期内租车）

Only modo vehicles.

Modo 차량만 가능합니다.

只限Modo专用车.

No other vehicles.

Modo를 제외한 차량은 주차할 수 없습니다.

其他非Modo专用车

2. Reserved parking for people with disabilities.

장애인 전용 주차구역입니다.

专用残疾人停车位.

Vehicles displaying handicap permit (a SPARC) permit.

장애인 주차허가증이 있는 차량만 주차 가능합니다.

只限标志残疾人停车证的车辆.

Any other vehicles that do not display a handicap permit.

장애인 주차허가증이 없는 차량은 주차할 수 없습니다.

任何其他未标志残疾人停车证的车辆.

3. Reserved parking for short-term use by vehicles when loading or unloading goods in the course of business.

영업상 짧은 시간 짐을 실고 내리는 동안 주차할 수 있는 구역입니다.

临时装载/卸载区.

Any vehicles actively loading or unloading goods.

짐을 실고 내리는 차량만 주차 가능합니다.

只限正在装载或卸载物品的车辆

Any vehicle parked and not actively loading or unload-ing.

짐을 실고 내리는 차량을 제외한 차량은 주차 할 수 없습니다.

任何不在装载或卸载物品的车辆.

portation and Infrastructure (MOTI), as it has jurisdiction over neighbourhood roads. Commissionaires BC has been hired as the enforcement officer and Drake as the towing company. Mainroad Lower Mainland has been authorized to process dispute claims, and the UNA office is authorized to issue parking decals and permits to residents in Hawthorn and Wesbrook. If you think your vehicle has been towed, please call Drake at 604-251-3344.

Images of some of the parking signs installed in the UNA neighbourhoods

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012page 10

A Hampton Place resident at the time, Ying then came across a brochure pub-lished by the community centre on Thun-derbird Boulevard. Reading this docu-ment, Ying—whose husband lives and works in China and whose two daugh-ters (aged 12 and 3 ½) live with her in a suite she has since bought in Chancellor Place—noticed an advertisement for the UNA Sudoku Club, and she decided join-ing the club might help her develop her English language skills. “I’m good with numbers,” she said. This turned out to be an excellent idea since it put Ying in the mix with long-standing Canadians whose common in-terest largely extended to numbers (and then only the numbers one through nine). One Canadian-born member of the cam-pus Sudoku Club says, “The language barrier regarding numbers is not really a problem.” In fact, this turned out to be such a good idea that Ying now runs the Sudoko Club—which meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the community centre and which has become popular in partic-ular with new Canadians.

While going to Sudoku sessions, Ying came to learn of a great Book Club that was run out of the community centre—and decided that joining the Book Club might help further develop her English language skills, which by now were defi-nitely improving. At this point in her career of reaching out to make contact with the campus community, Ying also heard about the UNA, which was holding an election of directors at the time. She became inter-ested to the point that she signed up to be a UNA member, voted in the election and got neighbours to vote in it also. Subsequently, Ying volunteered to be-come involved as a member of the UNA multicultural committee (formed from a merger with the ESL committee). “Canada has exceeded my expecta-tions,” she said. “In response, I help peo-ple in community. I want to do something for the community. If we are not involved in society, how can we expect our chil-dren to be involved.” Jim Taylor, former UNA chair who chairs the multicultural committee which Ying joined, has this to say about his new-Canadian colleague. “I think that Ying is an interesting example of a new

初抵加拿大的校园居民跃升为志工领袖

周瑛现任大学邻区协会 (UNA) 多元文化委员会的

委员;但在不久前，她还自觉被孤立于加拿大社会之外

周瑛是在几年前从中国来到加拿大，当时几乎不会说写英文，也没有任何加拿大的社会关系。 现在已经成为卑诗大学里7500多位住户社区的志工领袖，同时每个月都会到UNA办公室参加UNA社区志工会议的周瑛，在接受《校园居民》(The Campus Resident) 在这个办公室里的访谈时，回想起她初来加拿大的头一年。 周瑛说：“在这儿的头一年里，我看不到任何希望。过了一年以后，我还是感到孤立。那时得等六个月才能上ESL(政府部门办的英文课)，然后还得老远跑到Fraser街夹43大街去上课。当时我不知道校园里有Old Barn社区中心。因为身体不好，我很沮丧。一年里瘦了10磅。” 但她回顾，那时她也想着：“我在中国是个有用的人；在这里尽管情况

不同，我一样能行。” 当时周瑛是住在Hampton Place，她在无意间看到了一本由Thunder-bird大街社区中心印行的小册子。读了这份文件后，周瑛-她的丈夫目前在中国生活和工作，而她的两个女儿 (12岁和3岁半) 和她一起住在她在Chancellor Place买下的一套公寓里-注意到一个UNA数独俱乐部 (Sudoku Club) 的广告，她判断加入这个俱乐部可能有助于培养自己的英语能力。她说：“我的算数很好。” 结果这显然是个很好的主张，因为它让周瑛能和久居加拿大的人共聚一堂，而他们的共同嗜好主要就是算数 (当时只用一到九这几个数字)。一位出生于加拿大的校园数独俱乐部会员说：“关于算数的语言障碍基本不是问题。” 事实上，这个主意好到让周瑛目前自行主持这个数独俱乐部-每个月的第一个星期二在社区中心聚会，同时这个活动对于新移民来说尤其广受欢迎。 在参加数独聚会当中，周瑛得知了一个非常好、在社区中心运行的读书俱乐部，并且判断加入这个读书俱乐部可能会更进一步加强她的英文能力 (当时她的英语能力已在明显进步)。

在她努力向外接触校园社区的这个阶段，周瑛也听说了UNA，它当时正在举行理事会改选。周瑛十分热衷，甚至决定加入UNA成为会员，参加了投票，并且让邻居们也参与投票。 随后，周瑛自愿义务担任UNA多元文化委员会 (和ESL委员会合并组成) 的委员。她说：“加拿大比我想象的更好。作为回报，我去帮助社区里的人。我想为社区做点事。如果我们都不参与社会，怎么能期盼我们的孩子参与。” Jim Taylor是周瑛加入的多元文化委员会的现任主席，也是前任UNA主席，他对周瑛这位新移民同事表达了这样的看法：“我觉得周瑛是新移民当中一个有趣的例子，她在很短的时间里就真正对社区做出了贡献.” “她是一个很好的典范, 在不会英文、没有社会帮助的情况下来到这个国家，却在几年内就成了社区里一位真正的志工领袖。” “关键在她一开始就努力去参加一些英语活动 (数独俱乐部)，逐渐培养出英语能力，然后在短短的两三年里她就从孤立于社会转变成让我们的社区成为更好的居住地的骨干。” 周瑛在一篇短文的结论里慷慨提供了有关她在两三年之间就能够从“孤

立”的新移民过渡为从中国、韩国、亚洲其他地区、乃至世界各地来到本国定居者的志工领袖的看法。 “首先，我是受到Jim (Taylor) 和社区里其他善心人士，像在这个社区的会话社担任老师长达5年的Kay (Trenker) 和Kathy (Regelous) 的启发而想要做义工。他们的精神对很多新移民产生了深远和重大的影响。 其次，我想激励新移民克服他们的自怜，从阴影里走出来，奔向阳光，加入社区。你可以通过帮助需要的人而找到自己的价值。 第三，我想分享我在追求职业生涯方面的经验。如果努力学习并且不论被拒绝几次都不放弃努力的话，在加拿大找到工作不是不可能的。要坚信：有志者事竟成。目前对我而言，加拿大是我和我孩子的天堂。” 成功修完加拿大的金融证券课程后，在中国毕业于大学商业专业的周瑛现正期盼着长期在加拿大担任财务顾问的生涯。她在中国曾任股票市场客户经理 (她的先生目前仍在中国从事此行业)，并且已在最近任职加拿大皇家银行的道明证券，打算在加拿大金融市场从事相同的工作。

VOLUNTEER continued from Page 1. Canadian who is within a very short while really making a contribution to the community. “She is a great example of someone who came to this country, with no lan-guage skills and no level of social facil-ity, and in a few years she has become a real volunteer leader in the community. “The point is that she made the effort to come out to some English language programming initially (the Sudoku Club) as she was acquiring English language skills and within a period of a couple of years, she has gone from being isolated from our community to being right at the heart of making our community a better place to live.” In a written note, Ying kindly offered some final thoughts on her transition over two or three years from ‘isolated’ new Canadian to volunteer leader among those arriving to live in this country from China, Korea, elsewhere in Asia and in-deed elsewhere in the world. “First, I got the motivation of being a volunteer from Jim (Taylor) and other great people in our community like Kay (Trenker) and Kathy (Regelous) who have been instructors of the Conversation Club in this community for five years.

Their spirit has impacted many new im-migrants deeply and dramatically. “Secondly, I want to inspire new immi-grants to overcome their self-pity, come out from the shadows, run for the sun-shine, get involved with the community. You can find your own value through helping others in need. “Thirdly, I want to share my experience in pursuit of a career. It is not impossible to find a job in Canada if you study hard and do not give up the effort no matter how many times you will be refused. Be-lieve strongly: where there is a will, there is a way. For me, right now, Canada is a paradise for my children as well as for me.” After taking—and passing—the Cana-dian financial securities course, Ying—who gradated in business from a univer-sity in China—looks forward to a lengthy career in Canada offering financial ad-vice. She managed stock market accounts in China (her husband still does this in China), and having recently secured a position with RBC Dominion Securities, she now means to do the same in the fi-nancial markets in Canada.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012 page 11

Biodiversity in your backyard

Patrick Lewis, director UBC Biodiversity Collections

World-class pipe band will be brought in;

Shakespearian play will be put on at UBC in March

Patrick New aspires to make the upcom-ing UBC Theatre production of Macbeth as authentically Scottish as possible. Mr. New, a UBC master of fine arts student who is directing this production of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, has backed away from the idea of his cast speaking their lines with a Scot-tish brogue; with 25 actors in it, the play

Pipes Provide Macbeth With Sounds of Scotlandabout the murder of a Scottish king has too large a cast for its director to spend enough time and energy on speech coach-ing for full Scottish authenticity, he says. Hoping to more than compensate for this deficiency, Mr. New has arranged for a “world-class pipe band” to play dirges and other pieces of music during the per-formance. In enterprisingly assembling the band, he has engaged bag-pipers from Simon Fraser University (whose band has won world championships), UBC and New York. “It will be a world premier of a set of new tunes for bag-pipe.” As an example of where in the play

the pipes will sound, Mr. New refers to a scene following the murder of Duncan by Macbeth at the foul urgings of his wife, Lady Macbeth. “A lone piper on the battlements will sound as the body of the king is carried out.” Scottish authenticity aside, Mr. New describes Macbeth as “a dark play” about greed and gross ambition. Date: Mar. 22 – 31, Preview Mar. 21 Tickets: Reg. $22 / Senior $15/Student $10 / UNA Residents 2 for 1 Tickets: 604.822.2678 or Onlinehttp://ubctheatre.universitytickets.com

Patrick New

Traditional Scottish piper

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In any 24-hour period, there can be sig-nificant changes in an organism’s natu-ral environment. Rain, for example, can decrease the foraging time available for many species. But unlike irregular events such as heavy rains, there is an environ-mental change that happens every day that has profound effects on nearly all or-ganisms: the cycle of day and night. During clear days, the intensity of di-rect sunlight is between 32 000 and 130 000 lux--a unit of measure similar to the traditional “foot-candle”. An overcast sky or one lit only by stars at night, may only have an intensity of 0.0001 lux. Or-ganisms have to contend with a 1.3 bil-lion times difference in the intensity of light between darkest night and brightest day. Few other measurable environmen-tal changes vary as much. While the difference between direct sunlight and an overcast day likely has little effect on organisms primarily active in the day, a small difference in light at night can have a major impact on noc-turnally-active organisms. A well-doc-umented effect of artificial night light-ing is the disruption of the behaviour of

nighttime migrating birds. For reasons not entirely understood, some species are attracted to lights associated with tall buildings either crashing into the build-ing or exhausting themselves by circling it endlessly. A study by researchers of Chicago’s Field Museum found a single building with lights kept on at night was respon-sible for the deaths of over a thousand birds in one year. Chicago is along the Mississippi flyway, one of the continents main bird migratory routes (Vancouver is along the Pacific flyway). In order to re-duce bird deaths, a collaboration between the City of Chicago, the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago, the Audubon Society and the Field Muse-um led to the development of “Lights Out Chicago” when 25 tall buildings in the city are dimmed during the five months when migratory land-birds are present. It is estimated that this prevents the death of over ten thousand birds annually. Small-scale efforts to reduce night-lighting can also have success. Many in-sect species are attracted to streetlamps where predation and exhaustion can re-

sult in a significant decline in local insect populations. The use of high-pressure so-dium lighting instead of mercury vapour lamps reduces the attractiveness of these lamps to insects by roughly half. Other organisms known to benefit from a reduction in artificial night lights in-clude frogs and toads, fish (particularly young salmon traveling to the ocean), and stream invertebrates. There is still much to learn, but if we adopt the pre-cautionary principle and make efforts to reduce nighttime lighting, not only will we be saving energy, but we will benefit our local biodiversity as well. Visit the Beaty Biodiversity Museum until March 9th to experience our an-nual FestEVOLVE programming. This year find out how evolution happens, how long it takes, and how it helps us to understand and explore the biodiversity that we see today. We will also be launch-ing some exciting new programming all about birds for spring break. More infor-mation can be found on the Beaty web-site, www.beatymuseum.ubc.ca

Lights Out for Biodiversity

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT FEBRUARY 20, 2012page 12

UBC Graduate Engineering Students Learn in UBC

Neighbourhoods

UBC graduate engineering students on the Vancouver campus are contributing to a greener future through energy as-sessments in University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA) developments. Their projects are demonstrating clean energy solutions that could potentially be used by other communities on campus and be-yond. Student Mike Hoy is helping home-owners in the Hawthorn Neighborhood (located south of Thunderbird Blvd. on Main Mall) interested in implementing alternative energy systems and energy ef-ficiency upgrades to reduce consumption and greenhouse gases (GHGs). For the project, Hoy is monitoring en-ergy data, performing an audit and re-searching efficiency improvements and sustainable solutions, including solar and geothermal for 20 units in the complex. He will also survey 10 homeowners and align their preferences with results from his technical analysis. “Buildings are responsible for 30 per cent of GHG emissions in North America, so it is important to make them more en-ergy efficient,” says Hoy, 31. “UBC pro-vides a unique environment that enables us to learn from real data and positively influence a real community.” Senthil Rushya, another student in the program, is studying residential buildings in the Sitka high-rise development that is going up on the corner of Agronomy Rd. and Wesbrook Mall, slated to be com-pleted by fall 2012. He is assessing the environmental and economic aspects of installing a heat recovery system of grey

Engineering a Green Futurewater from dishwashers, laundry and household sinks. Since any hot water that goes down the drain carries energy away with it, capturing this energy and recy-cling it to preheat cold water will reduce energy consumption. “We strive to help students work on real-world energy problems for their master’s projects,” says Eric Mazzi, Power Smart® Instructor with UBC’s Master of Clean Energy Engineering program. “UBC’s living laboratory provides our students

with valuable learning that they carry for-ward to their future jobs.” Launched at UBC in 2009, the Masters of Engineering in Clean Energy Engineer-ing is intended for those with an under-graduate degree in engineering with inter-est in advanced training in energy efficient technologies and policies. It graduated its first class of 24 students in May 2011 and as many as 90 per cent are now employed in energy-related positions, Mazzi says. “It is our goal to inspire innovation in

our students so they can take that knowl-edge forward and effect positive change,” Mazzi adds. “The UNA is fortunate to have access to the talent of the Clean Energy Engineer-ing students,” says Ralph Wells, UNA Sustainability Manager. “This is a win for the community and the students, and we hope these are the first of many projects to come.”Courtesy of UBC Reports

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Graduate engineering student Mike Hoy