Volume 6, Issue 6 JUNE 15, 2015

Published by the University Neighbourhoods Association

University Hill Elementary School students see how B.C. Legislature works

Petitions put future of

Iona Green play station

in doubtOne petition is against

re-location; other is against keeping the play station in Chancellor Place entirely

The Iona Green play station is fast be-coming an unwelcome guest in the Chan-cellor Place neighbourhood. In recent weeks, a petition has sur-faced opposing the re-location of the noisy amenity from its current site on the south side of the famed Iona Building to a site on the north side, and now, in re-cent days, a second petition has surfaced calling for the play station to be removed from Chancellor Place in its entirety. UNA staff received the second petition during the course of the June 9 meeting of the UNA Board of Directors when Gill Adamson stood to address direc-tors as a delegate. Ms. Adamson intro-duced herself as an owner-occupant of the Corus Building in Chancellor Place and presented staff with a petition signed by 62 residents of the Corus and adja-cent Westpoint buildings—two buildings close to the playground. She said, “This petition demonstrates the ‘overwhelming objection to the playground in the present location’ (Iona Green)”. Later, in a brief interview with The Campus Resident, Ms. Adamson said she had collected the signatures in a few hours the day before and “I could have got a lot more signatures if I had tried.” The earlier petition received by the UNA staff had come from 128 residents in four Chancellor Place buildings which lie further from the play station and on the other side of the Iona Building: Chan-cellor House, Chancellor Hall, Folio and Argyll East. These residents said they were alarmed by a proposal to re-locate the play station from Iona Green to the vicinity of their buildings. Following the presentation by Ms. Ad-amson at the June 9 meeting, directors reviewed the proposal made by Chancel-lor Place resident John Bourne in April to re-locate the play equipment to the lawn immediately north of the Iona Building on Iona Drive. Mr. Bourne had said this would address the noise concerns related to the design of the physical space and the impact the use of the equipment has on the space, but the directors found this proposed location is not an appropriate site for a play station.

IONA continued on Page 11

In-person voting is coming to UNA, but maybe not in time for 2015 AGM

Elections Advisory Committee presents report

to the UNA

A significant change is coming in the way elections are run at the University Neighbourhoods Association, but the change may not happen in time for the 2015 UNA Annual General Meeting on September 23. At its monthly meeting June 9, the UNA

Board of Directors adopted a proposal that would see in-person voting instituted at the September and future AGMs given two conditions: (1) approval of UNA lawyers and (2) sufficient time to incor-porate the change from the way UNA elections have always been run. In the absence of time and legal go-ahead, the UNA will employ an enhanced version of its existing mail-in/delivery system of voting in September. UNA directors further moved that, if the UNA Bylaws need to be amended to

allow for in-person voting, such amend-ments be brought forward to the Septem-ber AGM for approval by the UNA mem-bership. The UNA Board thanked members of the Elections Advisory Committee for laying the groundwork for in-person vot-ing with a “comprehensive and thought-ful report” on election reform at the UNA.

VOTING continued on Page 2

UBC Centennial approaches. On September 30, the University of British Columbia concludes the first cen-tury of its evolution as a great institution of learning, research and teaching. It is not by accident that UBC has cho-sen the Roman god Janus to symbolize its coming Centennial. In the world of an-cient Rome, Janus was the god of begin-nings and endings, and he was depicted as having two heads—one looking ahead, one looking back. Like Janus, UBC faces both ways: one looking forward eagerly to the century ahead, one looking back proudly on the

UBC Centennial: two centuries of shaping the future – one past and one to come

century past. Two centuries of shaping the future – one past and one to come. In a recent letter to members of the UBC community, University President Gupta Arvind Gupta wrote, “As we mark the close of our first 100 years, we are entering a new and exciting century of transformation. Through our continuing collaboration with you and the extended campus community, we look forward to another 100 years of extraordinary ac-complishment together.” Please turn to Pages 6-7 to read about UBC Centennial (UBC 100), which is currently in the planning stage.

Janus, Roman god of beginnings and endings, symbol of UBC Centennial.

Students, parents and staff from University Hill Elementary School were welcomed to a tour of the B.C. Legislature May 26 by David Eby, NDP MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey. Photo courtesy David Eby.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015page 2

The Elections Advisory Committee pre-sented its report to UNA Governance Standing Committee at a meeting on May 26. The Advisory Committee recom-mended that the present voting procedure be replaced by enhanced mail-in/delivery for the September 2015 elections. It further recommended that in sub-sequent years the UNA adopt in-person

voting at one or more polling stations with the ability to request a mail-in ballot instead. The Elections Advisory Committee be-lieved that in-person voting procedure re-quires amendments to the UNA Bylaws, and it could not be implemented in time for September 2015 AGM. The Advisory Committee also consid-ered online voting as a possible alterna-

VOTING continued from Page 1 tive to the status quo, but although it was in favour in principle of online voting, it argued the current risks—security, verifi-ability and lack of secrecy— associated with this relatively new technology were too great to recommend it to the UNA. The cry for election reform at the UNA came after widespread loss of faith in the way the election procedure worked in the September 2014 AGM. At the October

Elections Advisory Committee (the Com-mittee) submitted its report on election reform in May. Here are some excerpts from this report: The Terms of Reference expressly state that the Committee’s mandate does not include an investigation of the September 2014 election.

Options for Reform of UNA Voting ProcedureThe Committee developed three options for reforming the UNA voting procedure: Option A: Enhanced mail-in/deliver, a continuation of the current mail-in/deliv-ery procedure, but with a three-envelope voting system—secrecy, certification and return envelopes—and a declaration to be signed by the voter. Option B: In-person voting at one or more polling stations with the ability to request a mail-in ballot instead. Option C: Online voting using a secure third-party software platform.

RecommendationsBased on its consultation with residents and the considerations described below, the Committee recommends that the UNA: 1. Adopt Option A (enhanced mail-in/delivery) for the 2015 election. 2. Adopt Option B (in-person voting with option to vote by mail/delivery) for the 2016 and subsequent elections. Any-one who wishes to vote by mail/delivery of ballots should be permitted to do so. 3. Reconsider Option C (online voting)

Highlights of Elections Advisory Committee report if and when it is implemented for local government elections in B.C.

ConsultationAs a basis for consultation with residents, the Committee prepared a consultation paper which was made available on the UNA website. The Committee held a Town Hall meet-ing in MBA House on May 7 at which Committee members gave a PowerPoint presentation followed by a discussion with residents. Six residents attended this meeting. A comments form was distrib-uted (which most participants completed, in whole or in part). Residents were also invited to provide comments by email to the Committee. The deadline for doing so was May 11. The consultation paper, Town Hall meet-ing and invitation to provide comments were publicized on the UNA website, in the weekly myuna announcements email, and prominently on pages 1 and 2 of the April issue of The Campus Resident. The Campus Resident included the table from the consultation paper.

What the Committee HeardSix residents provided comments in emails, and four residents indicated their preferences on the comments form dis-tributed at the Town Hall meeting. There appears not to have been any overlap be-tween those submitting comments in an email and those submitting comments on the form. The following summarizes the com-

ments from residents: 1. No one supported retaining the cur-rent voting procedure. Those who com-mented on it are opposed to it. 2. Only one person indicated support for Option A, but that person’s support for Option B was stronger (agree vs strongly agree). One person strongly disagreed with this option. Two people indicated support for this option only as an interim reform. 3. Seven people supported Option B. One person was opposed to it because of the inconvenience for UBC employees at a time (September) when they are in-tensely busy. 4. Three people supported Option C (one of whom also supported Option B). Three people expressed opposition to it, two because of security concerns and one of the two also because of the lack of se-crecy when casting votes (potential for coercion). One person indicated a neutral position on this option. 5. One Option C supporter said that there should be a choice to obtain a mail-in ballot and expressed concern about bal-lot packages with PINs left in mailrooms. 6. One of those opposed to Option C is a UBC computer science professor who strongly warned against it and sent a link to an article about security issues with online voting.

DiscussionCurrent Voting ProcedureThe current voting procedure is consider-ably less formal than that for the election

of mayors and councilors in municipali-ties. It lacks adequate safeguards to en-sure the integrity of voting and it permits practices (such as the photocopying of ballots) that create the perception that the procedure is open to abuse or falls well below the norms for voting in a democ-racy. Furthermore, there is less assurance of secrecy on the counting of ballots than there is with mail-in ballots in local gov-ernment elections and referenda. The UBC neighbourhoods have reached a size such that, in the Committee’s view, the UNA should adopt a voting procedure that adheres more closely to the standards underlying the voting procedures for lo-cal government elections. The outcry after the 2014 election and the lack of any support for the cur-rent procedure in the consultation dem-onstrate that a significant number of residents are dissatisfied with the current procedure. This is a further reason why the Committee has concluded that the current procedure should be replaced.

AcknowledgmentThe Committee would like to acknowl-edge the able assistance provided by Jan Fialkowski, UNA Executive Director. Jan kept the Committee organized and aware of its deadlines, and was there to help whenever anything needed doing. Also, she was a valuable source of infor-mation regarding the UNA’s current vot-ing procedure.

A member of the Elections Advisory Committee Bill Holmes filed a Minor-ity Supplement to the Report of the UNA Elections Advisory Committee. In the document, Mr. Holmes drew at-tention to the widespread concerns of In-ternet experts on the use of online voting. Problems include the ability of malicious actors to intercept Internet communica-tions, log in as someone else and hack into servers to rewrite or corrupt code. Mr. Holmes, a Hampton Place resident, writes,

Faith in online voting not strong enough for use by UNA“It is important that the

community have complete confidence in the integrity

of UNA elections”

“It clearly would not be possible for an organization such as the UNA to dem-onstrate that the concerns are unfounded. That is one reason why I supported the Committee’s recommendation that the UNA defer consideration of online vot-ing until the time, if ever, when it is im-plemented for local government elections in B.C. The approval of online voting for such elections would create a level of confidence that the UNA itself could never create. “One could take the position that UNA elections aren’t important enough to be concerned about the security and verifi-ability of online voting. In all likelihood, the risk of issues with such elections is negligible compared to the risk with elec-tions in the City of Vancouver or in pro-vincial and federal elections. “Furthermore, one could point to the

fact that online voting is used in some ju-risdictions, including some of the smaller Ontario municipalities (although not as the only voting method). My view, how-ever, is that it is important that the com-munity have complete confidence in the integrity of UNA elections. “Some community members—how many hasn’t been determined—would not have confidence in online voting for

UNA elections. In-person voting gives us a traditional voting procedure that is widely used and accepted and meets the highest standards. The supposed ad-vantages of online voting—and some of these are questionable or not proven—are not compelling enough in my view to cause it to be preferred over in-person at this time.”

2014 UNA Board meeting, the directors agreed to conduct a review of the UNA elections policies and procedures with the intent of improving the process in time for the 2015 UNA Elections. A Terms of Reference was approved at the December 2014 meeting of the Board and the members of the Elections Advi-sory Committee were approved in Janu-ary 2015. (Please see stories below.)

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015

Published monthly by the University Neighbourhoods Association #202-5923 Berton Avenue, Vancouver BC, V6S 0B3

page 3

Editor & Business ManagerJohn Tompkinsphone: 604.827.3502 email: jtompkins@myuna.ca

Design ProductionRebecca Indphone: 604.822.9675 email: rind@myuna.ca

Advertising enquiriesemail: advertising@myuna.ca

At its June 9 meeting, the UNA Board of Directors adopted the following UNA Purpose Statement developed by the UNA Governance Standing Committee. The University Neighbourhoods Association acts as the Civic Administrator to:• Promote a distinct University Town• Be an Advisory Body to the UBC Board of Governors• Engage with residents & stakeholders to understand needs• Represent the interests of the Neighbourhood Residents• Manage funds received from UBC and Residents• Maintain the public realm within the Neighbourhoods• Provide amenities, services and facilities• Deliver cultural, recreational and community services• To encourage sustainable practices within the community

The UNA Board of Directors has voted in favour of a UBC proposal to make future residents of University housing in the University Boulevard Precinct eligible both for membership in the UNA and to receive UNA recreational and cultural

Residents of University housing on academic land

will be eligible for UNA membership and services

Rental housing is under development in University

Boulevard Precinct

services. All Neighbourhood Levies col-lected from the residential buildings will be remitted to the UNA, and UBC will provide the municipal services to the neighbourhood at no cost to the UNA. The University Boulevard Precinct is bounded by Wesbrook Mall, University Boulevard, East Mall and Iona Drive and is considered academic land for planning purposes. While the number of potential non-student residents in the University Bou-levard Precinct is not high (less than 1,000), the addition of academic-land residents to UNA neighbourhoods resi-dents as eligible members of the UNA is significant in that it shows collabora-tion and growing understanding between UBC and the UNA on housing matters. The UNA has always anticipated rep-resenting all campus residents who were not living in student housing—as well as market residents. However, for the last

Letters to the Editor

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

submission.

UNA Purpose Statement

University Boulevard Precinct.

13 years since UNA was formed, it has drawn its members only from those liv-ing on areas designated by UBC for resi-dential development—Hampton Place, Hawthorn Place, Chancellor Place, Wes-brook Place and East Campus. The unique development of non-student rental housing on academic land changes this.While housing plans for the precinct are still under design, UBC says hous-ing there will—when completed in five years—be a mix of University housing and non-market rental housing priori-tized for faculty and staff. There will be no market housing (con-dos or townhouses) in the University Boulevard Precinct. At its website, UBC states that its goal is “to provide a diversity of housing op-tions for students, faculty and staff along with access to a range of services. Hous-ing in the University Boulevard Precinct is critical to the mixed-use approach needed to create a sustainable, safe and vibrant gateway area.” UBC proposes to build 600-650 beds of student housing in the precinct, ap-proximately 300 units of rental housing prioritized for faculty and staff and ap-proximately 150 units of university rental housing for those who study and work on campus. Michael White, Associate Vice-Presi-dent, Campus and Community Planning, said there are several reasons UBC pro-poses to build housing in the University Boulevard Precinct. The General Ser-vices Administration Building and D.H. Copp building (which provides labora-

tory and research space) are being rec-ommended for redevelopment due to seismic risk, and because they are at the end of their useful lives. On these sites, UBC is exploring combining academic programs, research and student programs with non-market rental housing, priori-tized for faculty and staff. UBC sees broad benefits to this ‘com-plete community’ approach, Mr. White says. • Academic and social vibrancy would be enhanced by having a critical mass of university community members residing in the area year-around. • Housing options will be increased for faculty and staff who may want a more vibrant, urban university living experi-ence and proximity to transit. • Housing commitments from the Hous-ing Action Plan will be supported. • Complete community goals will be achieved by allowing people to live close to their work and study and having a large enough population to support much needed shops and services for the campus community. Thousands of residents in the university residential neighbourhoods who joined the UNA over the years have found that membership in the UNA has its advantag-es. Being a UNA member is the best way to become involved in the residential community on campus. UNA members are eligible to vote in UNA elections and to run for the UNA Board which makes decisions that affect the day-to-day lives of all residents. UNA membership is free.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015page 4

Volunteers

Volunteerism at the University Neigh-bourhoods Association has enjoyed an-other successful year. In the Annual Volunteer Report present-ed to the UNA Operations and Sustain-ability Standing Committee on May 26, Qiuning Wang, Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator, states, “The UNA’s volunteer involvement in 2014-2015 is strong and dynamic, and it has emerged with some new features.” Ms. Wang presented some enviable facts: • Number of Volunteers: 261, including 87 adults and 174 youth • Total contribution of the volunteer ser-vice: approx. 3,680 hours • Volunteer–led Committees: 5• Volunteer Supported Community Events: 15 • Volunteer-led Programs: 20 This is on par with that of the previous year with a small increase in the num-ber of adult volunteers. These numbers compare well to other communities of the same size. These programs, most of which are offered free, vary in size and serve community members of different ages. The volunteers’ profile continues to diversify, and here Ms. Wang points to the need for more male adult volunteers. “Presently, male adult residents partici-pate the least in volunteering (as well as participation in programs overall),” she said. Of the 87 adult volunteers, only 14 were men. “Even though research has shown that women usually have higher rate in com-munity service participation than men, this number can certainly be boosted.” Ms.Wang gave the following as pos-sible reasons for men’s lower partici-pation: being too busy with work and family, unmatched individual interest/ex-pertise with the needs of the community, few male-oriented programs, dominating female participation in certain programs, cultural and language barriers, and con-straints of the current facility. “Hopefully with the opening of the new Wesbrook Community Centre, op-portunities will open up for developing programs and activities that appeal to male residents, so that the UNA will have a well-represented volunteer composi-tion.” The UNA has found that most of the volunteers are UNA residents living in the five neighborhoods. They are diverse in age, ethnicity, culture and professional

UNA volunteer involvement is “strong and dynamic…”Male participation, training

opportunities and networking are the goals for 2015-2016

backgrounds. Youth volunteers are the major resource for delivering community events and celebrations. English speak-ing residents undertake the volunteer-led programs in language learning and edu-cation, and the newcomer volunteers lead the programs that facilitate community connection and social integration. Ms. Wang said, “From late 2013, an increasing number of senior residents has been working with the UNA staff and planned a series of events that improve social connection and engagement of se-niors.” She added that the volunteer network on campus is growing and gave the follow-ing reasons for this growth: the UNA’s continuous support to volunteer involve-ment; UBC’s outreach activities to the UNA community; implementation of the UTown Community Grant Projects in the past three years and activities organized by the PACs (parent advisory councils) and the schools. “These concurrent activities in the com-munity have created increasing opportu-nities for volunteers on campus to con-nect, interact and collaborate. We have seen that the volunteers from different projects starting to work together, and that intercultural links among volunteers are improving. In this year’s volunteer nominations, some parent volunteers were nominated by the PACs for their support to school activities and the fun-draising campaign.” Given these emerging signs and needs of the volunteer involvement, staff will focus on three areas of improvement for next year: 1) Enhance male participation in community service; 2) Provide train-ing opportunities to volunteers; 3) Estab-lish a volunteers’ support network. “As the volunteers have started to form their own ‘bubbles’ of networking, it is time for the UNA to formalize a volun-teer support network, so that their col-lective efforts contribute to the overall objectives of the UNA,” she counseled. “Facilitating the intercultural connec-tions among the volunteers is also a part of the networking process. Some of our most successful programs have shown that the mutual support the volunteers in those programs have provided to each other is a key factor that sustains the dy-namics of the programs as well as the in-terest of the volunteers. “Therefore, staff will host a monthly ‘Volunteer Tea’ to be held when the new community centre is open, where volun-teers meet regularly, share experience, receive community updates and provide support to each other’s work. Orientation and training will also be part of it.” Volunteering has always been an im-portant part of the campus residents’ life. It’s a good way to meet new people, learn new skills, gain some work experience and contribute to the UNA community your talents and expertise. Please visit the link www.myuna.ca/summer-volunteer-opportunities to learn about current volunteer opportunities at UNA. For more information about volunteer-ing, please contact Qiuning Wang, Com-munity Engagement and Volunteer Coor-dinator, at qwang@myuna.ca.

Volunteers at the UNA’s annual Barn Raising festival

Volunteer-Led Committees • Community Garden Committee• Civic Engagement Committee• Emergency Preparedness Committee• Multicultural Committee• Children’s Garden Committee

Volunteer Programs • Story Time• Family Movie Night• Homework Help• Parent and Pre-teen Book Club• UTown CRAZI Youth Club• UNA Community Youth Band• Community Social & Fitness• English Conversation Clubs• Spanish for Beginners• Mandarin Conversation Club• Sudoku• Book Club• Community Connection Night

2014 - 2015 UNA Volunteer Facts• Let’s Cook Club• Women’s Social Club• Community Art Night• Seniors and Friends• Walk & Talk Club• Walk ‘n Roll Project• UTown Community Grant Projects

Volunteer Supported Events• Lunar New Year• Easter• Earth Day• Canada Day• Community Yard Sale• Barn Raising• Halloween• Skating Party• Christmas Events• Social Events for Seniors• Outdoor Movie• Spring and Summer Camps

Adult volunteers are needed to help with the Old Barn’s Summer Programs:

English Volunteer InstructorsVolunteer instructors are needed to run the Old Barn’s summer English Conver-sation Clubs from July 9 and August 28, 2015. Thursday class runs from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm; Friday class runs from 12:00-1:30pm. If you have experience in teach-ing and would like to help those in the UNA community,

Parent and Pre-teen Book Club Volun-teer FacilitatorA native English speaker is needed to co-facilitate the Parent and Pre-Teen Book Club for the fall. Responsibilities include jointly planning for the reading list and facilitating the discussion sessions in the fall. Knowledge and interest in children’s literature is an asset.

Storytime LeadersVolunteers are needed to lead the Sto-rytime every Thursday from 10:00am -10:30am at The Old Barn Community Centre from July 9 to August 27, 2015.

This is a weekly program where commu-nity volunteers share stories with neigh-bourhood children aged birth to 3 years old and their caregivers.

The Old Barn Walk & Talk Club LeaderA volunteer is needed to lead the faster paced walking group for the Walk & Talk Club which departs from The Old Barn Community Centre every Mon-day at 10am from July 6 to August 24, 2015. Responsibilities include leading the walking group, planning and devel-oping weekly routes and communicat-ing with the group members. Experience with power walking and knowledge of the trails in the Pacific Spirit Park forest is an asset.

Family Soccer Co-FacilitatorA Volunteer is needed to help with Fam-ily Soccer running from 1-3pm on Sun-days from July 12 to September 13, 2015 at UNA Community Field. Experience of playing soccer is preferable. Please contact qwang@myuna.ca or phone 604.822.3799.

Summer Volunteer Opportunities

UNA Summer Meet-n-GreetFor Seniors (55+) and Their Friends!

SUN

SUN

Sunday June 28 2:00pm - 4:00pm

UBC Botanical GardenReception Centre6804 SW Marine Dr.

Free entry, refreshments provided!

RSVP by June 24 qwang@myuna.ca or 604.822.3799

www.myuna.ca

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015 page 5

Some of the key planning principles for Block F stated by the MCC are: pro-tection and enhancing open spaces and community connections to Pacific Spirit Park; sustainable living; community in-tegraton, respect and striving to be good neighbours. The proposed development would in-clude a three-acre forest park surrounded

• Colliers International applied to the University Endowment Lands on be-half of Block F Land Ltd., a holding company of Musqueam Indian Band, in December 2013 for amendments to the Official Community Plan and Land Use, Building and Community Administration Bylaw to rezone the Block F lands from Multi-Family Residential (MF-1) zoning to Comprehensive District (CD) zoning. Colliers International submitted a revised application in May 2015. • Block F is approximately 8.5 hectares in area. The Province of British Colum-bia transferred the land to the Musqueam First Nation in 2008 as part of a Recon-ciliation, Settlement and Benefits Agree-ment. The land was transferred with Multi-Family Residential 1 (MF-1) zon-ing in place, permitting only residential development with a maximum density of 1.45 FSR (Floor Space Ratio) and a max-imum building height of four (4) storeys. • The revised rezoning application pro-poses 1,216,684 sf of residential multi-family development and 30,000 sf of commercial development. A range of rental and ownership residential build-ings are proposed, including townhouses, 4-6 storey low rise apartments, and 12 and 18 storey high rise apartments. Pro-posed building densities range from 1.09 to 3.0 FSR. The proposed Block F site density would increase from 1.45 FSR to 1.75 FSR. The estimated population of Block F when complete would be 2,159 to 2,478. • The Musqueam First Nation Recon-ciliation, Settlement and Benefits Agree-ment requires that three acres of the

Block F site be transferred to the UEL for a park. The application proposes a neighbourhood park including mature evergreen trees, open activity areas, trails and walkways, and children’s play areas. • Other proposed community amenities include a UEL community recreation fa-cility, a village square, a childcare centre, and publicly accessible wetland, trails and open spaces. • The UEL rezoning process involves a comprehensive review of the proposal by the UEL Administration and its pro-fessional consultants, including urban design, traffic analysis, servicing im-plications, and environmental impact assessment. The process also includes consultation with the Community Advi-sory Council and Advisory Design pan-el, circulation to the appropriate public agencies for their review and comment, and community consultation including a neighbourhood event to inform the pub-lic and solicit comments on the proposal. • If the outcome of the technical review is supportive of the proposed rezoning, draft bylaws are prepared as appropriate and the application referred to the UEL’s Community Advisory Council and Ad-visory Design Panel for further input. A formal public meeting is held, and the re-sults and recommendation of this process referred to the Minister for consideration. • Whether the lands are rezoned or de-veloped under the existing zoning, each building will require a development per-mit, which controls the form and charac-ter of the proposed development.

Source UEL administration website

Quick facts about Block F rezoning application

by a 15,000 square foot community ame-nity building, an enhanced and accessible wetland and a village plaza with retail shops, restaurant and coffee shops with outdoor patios. The trails connecting the community with these amenities will also be enhanced and accessible for all to en-joy. MCC submitted the original rezoning package in September 2013, and Mr. Lee said the revised master plan is a result of input from a series of community infor-mation meetings, discussions with the Community Advisory Council Block F Working Group and extensive meetings with UEL Administration. The rezoning application reads as fol-lows: “The resulting master plan concen-trates development onto a smaller pro-portion of the site than would be the case under the current zoning, and protects a significant stand of trees and creates open space for the direct benefit of the overall community. It also provides outdoor and indoor amenities for the community that would likely not be possible under the current zoning. “The Block F master plan has concen-trated a significant portion of the overall development program into slender tower forms which allows for a greater propor-tion of parks and open space at grade.”

Dave Forsyth, President of the UEL Community Advisory Council (CAC), said the CAC Block F Working Group had a presentation from the applicant on June 3. “The new application is much im-proved from the last one, but there are still some major issues to be resolved,” Mr. Forsyth said. After full discussion of these issues, members of the Working Group plan to publish a report. Three Open Houses have been held so far on the Block F project: December 2012, February 2013 and April 2013. A fourth Public Open House was planned for June 17 at Norma Rose Point School (4–8 pm). The Block F rezoning application by the Musqueam Capital Corporation says: “The land is the headwaters of the Sal-ish and Cut Throat creeks and streams that flow through the Pacific Spirit Park. Block F as it is known today will develop its identity as the heart of the UEL com-munity which reflects the heritage, its culture and embraces the environment that brings life not only to the natural surroundings but to the people that live within the UEL community and to those who will choose to make UEL their home”.

Block F: Musqueam Band submits revised proposal Plan for hotel dropped, maximum

height of high-rises reduced

Musqueam Capital Corporation (MCC) has submitted a revised application for the right to develop Block F in the Uni-versity Endowment Lands (UEL). Among other things, its original ap-plication to the UEL administration in-volved a plan which would have seen a 120-room hotel and high-rise residential buildings of 22 storeys on the 22-acre site beside University Boulevard—across from the Musqueam-owned University Golf Course. In the revised bid, submitted to the UEL in May, the MCC has eliminated the hotel as part of the Block F master plan, and the maximum height of high-rise build-ings has been reduced to 18 storeys. Steve Lee, Chief Executive Officer of MCC, the wholly-owned subsid-iary which the Musqueam Indian Band formed in 2012 to manage its business activities, said on the phone, “The hotel use was replaced with purpose-built rent-al residential uses.” Mr. Lee said the band has sought to instill “reduced density” in the revised master plan for Block F. Forested land, Block F lies bounded by University Boulevard, Toronto Road, Acadia Road and Ortona Road. The Province of British Columbia transferred the land to the Musqueam Indian Band in 2008 as part of a Reconciliation, Settle-ment and Benefits Agreement.

Block F is bounded by University Boulevard, Toronto Road, Acadia Road and Ortona Road.

Artistic rendering of Acadia Road upon completion of Block F development.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015page 6

UBC 100

UBC Centennial starts September 30 with planning well underway

History was made June 5 at UBC as the last graduating class of the university’s first 100 years crossed the stage to re-ceive undergraduate and graduate de-grees. Nearly 10,000 degrees were con-ferred at 29 graduation ceremonies May 20 – June 5 at UBC’s Vancouver and Kelowna campuses. More history will be made September 30 when UBC celebrates the start of its Centennial – one hundred years to the day (September 30, 1915) after 379 stu-dents became the first class of the Uni-versity of British Columbia. Of those 379 students, 41 had already completed three years at the preceding institution, McGill University College of BC, and so they graduated as UBC’s first alumni on May 4, 1916. Fully one third of this first class were women. UBC will mark the Centennial of these historic events from September 2015 to May 2016, launching on September 30, 2015 and coinciding with the official opening of the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre. The Centennial will close officially at Alumni Weekend on May 28, 2016.

The University welcomes campus resi-dents and Metro Vancouver neighbours to both join in the celebrations and vol-unteer to help organize them. The last graduating class of UBC’s first 100 years is a momentous occasion as the university gears up to celebrate its Centennial says UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Arvind Gupta. “As we mark the close of our first 100 years, we are entering a new and exciting century of transformation,” says Professor Gupta. UBC’s Centennial will be about re-newing connections to its communities: 300,000 alumni; 59,000 students; 15,000 staff and faculty; campus residents; neighbours in Metro Vancouver and the Okanagan; and partners in British Co-lumbia, Canada and around the globe. “Through our continuing collaboration with our wider communities, we look forward to another 100 years of extraor-dinary accomplishment together,” says Prof. Gupta. The Class of 2015 now joins UBC’s community of alumni living in 120 coun-tries around the world.

Last graduating class of first 100 years at UBC

Significant milestones with Grad 2015A number of significant milestones are being celebrated with Graduation 2015. UBC’s Faculty of Medicine Aboriginal Admissions program has graduated 50 Aboriginal MDs since 2002 — a target they had unofficially set to reach by 2020. The first class of 30 physicians gradu-ated from UBC’s Faculty of Medicine’s Southern Medical Program (SMP), based in the Okanagan. The first UBC MasterCard Founda-tion Scholars graduated from a program designed to foster the next generation of

African leaders. The first class graduated from the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies program, which was created as part of a tribute to Japanese Canadians who were forced to leave the West Coast during the World War II, including UBC students who were unable to complete their stud-ies. At Graduation 2015, UBC also con-ferred honorary degrees on prominent community members including a former UBC president; a 95-year-old woman

Mark this historic occasionTo properly mark this historic occasion, UBC will incorporate ideas and sugges-tions received from staff, faculty, stu-dents and alumni over the past year:• collaboration with students• alumni engagement• recognition of Aboriginal history and future promise• UBC Okanagan’s expanding role• academic speaker series and workshops

Banner flies beside Canadian flag at UBC Plaza. Banners populate UBC Campus and downtown Vancouver.

lawyer; a celebrated Hollywood screen-writer and producer; and an internation-ally renowned paleontologist. Notable honorary degree recipients from UBC’s first 100 years include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, actor and ac-tivist Michael J. Fox and 76 Japanese Canadian students who were unable to complete their education during World War II. Since UBC opened its doors on Sep-tember 30, 1915, more than 300,000 de-grees have been conferred.

focused on research, teaching, learning and innovation• completion of UBC’s landmark start an evolution fundraising and alumni en-gagement campaign• solicitation of proposals from the cam-pus communities through the Centennial Initiatives Fund• recognition of UBC’s federal, provin-cial and municipal partnerships.

First President of UBC Frank F. Wesbrook circa 1915. Photo courtesy UBC Archives.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015 page 7

UBC 100

UBC Centennial starts September 30 with planning well underway

Centennial initiativesUBC reports that the response from the university community to the call for ‘Centennial Initiatives’ has been over-whelming—from alumni, students, fac-ulty and staff on our campuses and in our communities.

Initiatives range from a Centennial speaker series to workshops, perfor-mances, narratives and websites covering everything from Aboriginal narratives to research, to performance art and to vi-sioning the future.

Several ‘soft launch’ initiatives underway

Several ‘soft launch’ initiatives are al-ready underway:• Centennial messaging in President’s speeches and media interviews• UBC100 banners installed at both cam-puses and downtown Vancouver• www.ubc100.ca preview site now on-

line; fully-fledged website• President’s column in Spring 2015 Trek issue is on a “Century of Community”• Centennial messaging on the first day of school (Sep 8) at Create and Imagine• UBC100 merchandise on sale at Book-store in both campuses.

How you can get involvedBookmark the Centennial website www.ubc100.ca for regular updates and to learn more about the Centennial program of initiatives. The full Centennial site with the same URL will soon launch. Submit a pin and share your story at the Centennial website to help us visually capture UBC’s footprint in BC, Canada and the rest of the world.

UBC’s social media channels will feature Centennial content (e.g. videos of Cen-tennial events)—more info will be pro-vided in the Centennial website. Attend an event and visit the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre. For more infor-mation on the UBC Centennial, please contact centennial.office@ubc.ca

Directors have agreed that the UNA will reserve a table at the UBC Centennial Community Feast at a cost of no more than $1,500. The Operations and Sus-tainability Standing Committee on May 26 felt the Centennial Community Feast would be an opportunity for the UNA Board to again further recognize the valuable contributions of its volunteers. UBC Centennial Community Feast will celebrate the UBC Centennial, and orga-nizers are hoping to attract 1,000 partici-pants on Thursday, September 24. UNA staff members are on the organiz-ing committee, and Richard Alexander, UNA Board Chair, said, “Our main focus will be to encourage residents who are not affiliated to UBC to take part.” The guest list would be developed clos-er to the date. In September 2014, UBC held Harvest Feast as part of campus animation. The premise behind Harvest Feast—the first event of its kind at UBC—was to bring faculty, staff, students and residents to-gether to celebrate and build a sense of community. Over 700 people participated in this ‘white tablecloth’ community din-ner sharing food, drinks and stories under

UNA to fund table at UBC Centennial Community Feast

candlelight and enjoying the wonderful music provided by students at the UBC School of Music. Delicious meal was prepared in collab-oration by chefs from UBC and the Alma Mater Student Society and served family style on long tables set up on Main Mall. The UNA sponsored a table of 14 with Mr. Alexander hosting UNA volunteers and other distinguished guests. “By all accounts, everyone enjoyed themselves,” Mr. Alexander said.

Banner flies beside Canadian flag at UBC Plaza. Banners populate UBC Campus and downtown Vancouver. Students in “UBC” formation as part of Great Trek, October 1922. Photo cour-tesy UBC Archives.

UBC President Arvind Gupta.

Community engagement is not new at UBC. It has been a part of the fabric of the university since the institution was founded. Building respectful relation-ships between communities and UBC is core to the university’s mission and foun-dational to excellent teaching, learning and research. Some initiatives on community engage-ment:• The Centennial Community Celebra-tion and Art Grant and the Community Building Grants will enhance commu-nity building programs offered and orga-nized by the University Neighbourhoods Association, some in partnership with Campus and Community Planning.• Centennial Community Feast is a community building event that brings together the UBC community, fosters social sustainability, celebrates the part-nership between UBC and University

Centennial Initiatives: Community Engagement

Neighbourhoods Association and ad-vances opportunities for collaboration.• New Perspectives on Learning in the Downtown Eastside will examine and showcase practical examples of innova-tive learning practices that are effective in the Downtown Eastside.• Continuing Studies will offer free, non-credit, One Day @ UBC Centennial Courses which will raise awareness of and provide community access to some of the world-class research at UBC.• Roots and Shoots in spring 2016 will offer children from underprivileged ele-mentary schools an unforgettable experi-ence and education in global music.• A Conversation with Branford Mar-salis, NEA Jazz Master and Grammy Award winning saxophonist, is a free, student and public outreach event that will explore the role of arts in society.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015page 8

At its June meeting, the UNA Board of Directors moved that a set of increases related to the compensation of elected di-rectors be brought forward for approval by UNA members at the September 2015 Annual General Meeting. The increase to the annual UNA operat-ing budget in 2015-2016—if the proposal is approved by the UNA membership at the AGM—would be below $10,000.The Board moved as follows: • That the annual stipend for the UNA Board Chair be increased to $11,000 an-nually. • That the annual stipend of the Resident Directors be increased to $6,000 annu-ally. • That the annual stipend for Officers of the Corporation (The Treasurer and Secretary) be increased by $1,500 annu-ally, in addition to the Resident Directors stipend, to reflect the additional respon-sibilities and time commitments of the Officers in fulfilling the Secretary/ Chair of the Governance Standing Committee

UNA members to vote on Board compensation

Total proposed increase is under $10,000

and the Treasurer/Chair of the Audit and Finance Standing Committee. • That Operations and Sustainability Committee Chair receive an additional stipend of $1,500. • That the Human Resources Standing Committee Chair receive an additional stipend of $500 per year given that the Standing Committee meets occasionally but at minimum once per year. • That all of the annual stipends for the Resident Directors in their various posi-tions be increased in future years by the annual percentage of the CPI increase as per current policy. In 2014, the UNA Board of Directors engaged Fletcher and Company to under-take a Municipal Comparison Study that compared the roles, responsibilities and compensation of elected UNA directors to the roles, responsibilities and com-pensation of municipalities or local gov-ernments that were similar in size to the UNA. One of the recommendations that resulted from the study was to review the compensation of the Elected Directors. See June UNA Board package, Page 87, for table of current compensation to members of the UNA Board and pro-posed compensation.

UNA directors have agreed to allocate $1,500 towards the 2015 UBC Grand Prix Kids Race, a level of support which has not increased since the inaugural Kids Race in 2011. The UBC Grand Prix is part of BC Superweek www.bcsuperweek.ca/ubc-grand-prix/ held in the Lower Mainland with professional cycling races held in various communities. Starting in 2011 at the first Grand Prix, the UNA partnered with UTown@UBC to sponsor the Kids Race. It was a very successful community engagement event for both the UNA and UTown@UBC that attracted a number of children to partici-pate. The partnership has continued for four years. The Kids Race has attracted over 200 children. The UBC Grand Prix 2015 Kids Race organizers expect at least 250 children to register for the race this year given the success of the last four races and the in-creased registration numbers from 2011

Grand Prix Kids Race sponsored for 5th year

$1,500 will be donated towards cost of kids’ race

to 2014. UTown@UBC is unable to contribute financially to the Kids Race this year, but has committed to in-kind contributions to the overall event. The total commitment for the Kids Race sponsorship is $3,000. The commitment by the UNA would be $1,500. The organizers of the UBC Grand Prix will be responsible for seek-ing out the uncommitted balance of the sponsorship. The UNA directors considered a staff report on the request for Kids Race fund-ing at its meeting on May 26. Although sponsorship resources have decreased from $10,000 in 2014 to $6,000 in 2015, and the UNA Board of Directors has not resolved some outstanding funding re-quests, the directors felt this was an op-portunity for children on campus to take part in a community event on campus and a significant opportunity for the UNA to be recognized in an international sporting event. The standing committee recommended that the UNA continues its commitment to sponsor the 2015 UBC Grand Prix Kids Race.

UNA directors have voted to contribute $5,000 towards the cost of engaging a consultant to assist in the development of 5-Year Financial Plan for the UNA. The directors earlier approved the de-velopment of a 5-Year Financial Plan that would be undertaken jointly with Campus + Community Planning (C+CP) as part of the Board List of Priorities for 2015-2016. UBC Campus and Community Planning has recommended engaging Vann Struth Consulting Group to assist in the devel-opment of the 5-Year Financial Plan. Vann Struth Consulting Group undertook

Funding approved for financial planner

Cost to UNA will be $5,000; cost to UBC will be $15,000

a similar project in 2007 for UBC / UNA. Staffs at Campus and Community Plan-ning and the UNA will develop a scope of work that will direct the work of the consultant. Campus and Community Planning estimates that the cost of the consultant will be approximately $20,000 and has requested that the UNA contrib-ute $5,000 towards the project. UBC will contribute the remaining $15,000. The UNA Finance and Audit Standing Committee considered the proposal and recommended to the UNA Board of Di-rectors that it approve the contribution of $5,000 towards the cost of the consultant. The UNA contribution towards this project would come from the allocation of up to $65,000 for consulting fees that was approved in July 2014.

The UNA Board has approved engaging Johnsen Archer LLP to perform the UNA financial audits at the cost of $9,770 in 2016 and $9,870 in 2017. The UNA received a proposal from Johnsen Archer LLP for an agreement lasting two years starting with the 2016 audit and ending with the 2017 audit. The proposed professional fees increase by $100 in each year with expenses in-creasing by $20 in 2016 and remaining

Auditor engaged for another two years

the same for 2017. In previous agreements with Johnsen Archer LLP the increase year over year was $300 with an expense rate that re-mained the same. The UNA Board of Directors approved the appointment of Johnsen Archer LLP as the auditors for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. For the 2015 audit, the professional fees ($9,200) and expenses ($450) nego-tiated remained the same as in 2014.

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THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015 page 9

UNA Community Youth Band

3rd Annual Musical Miracles Charity Concert June 21 at the Old Barn Community Centre, 6-8 PM

The Musical Miracles Charity Concert is an annual fundraising event to benefit the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. The concert will feature the UNA Community

Youth Band as well as guest performers from the community.

The UNA Community Youth Band was founded in 2011 to encourage youth to bond through playing music and performing together at community events. It is the

only musical ensemble in the Vancouver area that is run by youth, for youth!

Half of the admission proceeds from the Musical Miracles Charity Concert will be donated, while the other half will benefit youth band operations. Donations of non-

perishable food items will also be accepted at the event.

Please see www.youthband.org for more information.

Elections BC has said that it expects to announce the results of the transit fund-ing plebiscite by the end of June. Many people have asked me why it will take so long. To find out why, I contacted Don Main, Communications Manager for Elections BC. As Elections BC has received ballot packages over the course of the voting period, staff have machine opened the outer envelope, manually removed the certification envelope, checked that the birth date on the certification envelope matches Election BC’s records and con-firmed that the certification envelope is signed. Also, they have sorted certifica-tion envelopes according to municipality. Two days before the close of voting on May 29, this process was completed for 698,900 ballot packages. At the close of voting, it remained to be carried out for ballot packages received in the last few days of voting, including those received at Plebiscite Service Offices. The next stage, which commenced after the close of voting, is to open the certification envelopes and manually remove the secrecy envelopes. This is then followed by the third stage, which

Why Will It Take So Long to Count the

Plebiscite Ballots?Maria Harris,

Member, Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation and

Electoral Area A Director, Metro Vancouver

involves opening the secrecy envelopes and removing the ballots. With the num-ber of ballot packages expected to exceed 700,000, this means opening and remov-ing the contents of more than 1.4 million envelopes. In the last stage, ballots are electroni-cally scanned and then counted. Ballots with issues are reviewed by Elections BC staff. Mr. Main noted that Elections BC has 55 staff working on the processing of bal-lot packages. By comparison, for a pro-vincial election, Elections BC employs over 32,000 election officials, two per ballot box of about 200 ballots. According to the statistics published by Elections BC on May 27—the last to be published before the results are announced—there were 1,562,474 reg-istered voters and 698,900 ballot pack-ages had been screened (birthdates and signatures reviewed), a response rate of 44.7%. The statistics for Electoral Area A (98% of whose population is in the UBC and UEL communities) were: registered voters 6,436; ballot packages received and screened 2,505; a response rate of 38.9%. I should point out that Elections BC is an independent, non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for adminis-tering provincial elections, referenda and plebiscites, and certain other processes. Elections BC was directed by the pro-vincial government to conduct the transit funding plebiscite.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015page 10

Summer is upon us and it’s getting hot out there! We have seen an increase in the number of windows left open at resi-dences while the owners are out, thus leaving your home vulnerable to criminal activity.Below are some safety tips as a reminder on home security.Apartment Building Security Lobby Security • Refer unknown or suspicious people trying to get into the building to the man-ager, superintendent or security. • Do not allow strangers to enter the building as you are leaving or entering. • Cooperate with all other tenants in keeping the main outer doors locked at all times. • Do not buzz anyone into the building that you were not expecting or do not know. • Use only your first initial (not your full first name) on the lobby directory, door-bell, mailbox and phone directory. • Do not leave notes on your apartment door or on the lobby directory. • Change locks if keys are lost or if you move. • If you see a stranger carrying items out of a neighbours apartment, call 911.

Home SecurityCommunity Policing

Elevator Safety • Look to see who’s in the elevator be-fore entering. • If there is someone in the elevator that makes you uncomfortable, wait for the next one. • When you are in the elevator, stand beside the control panel. • If a suspicious person enters the eleva-tor, exit before the doors close.General safety tips if you are away… Create the Illusion of Occupancy • If you are going on vacation or are going to be away from your home or apartment for several days, create the il-lusion that someone is occupying your residence. • Leave your home in the care of some-one you trust and let them know where you can be reached in case of emergency. • Arrange to have your mail and newspa-pers picked up, your grass cut, the leaves raked or the snow removed as necessary. • Have a neighbour check both inside

Cpl. Brenda Winpenny

Cpl. Brenda WinpennyCommunity Relations,

University RCMP brenda.winpenny@rcmp-grc.

gc.ca Tel: 604-224-1322

and outside the house every few days. • Use timers on interior lights when you are going to be away or just out for the evening. These can be set to turn the lights and radio or television on and off intermittently to give the appearance that someone is home. • Have a neighbour park their car in your driveway or your designated park-ing stall. If you have a garage, keep the door closed and locked so no one can see if your car is gone. • Turn the ringer on your telephone off or set your answering machine or voice-mail to pick up on the second ring and do not leave specific information about your absence. • Install security lights around the pe-rimeter of your house. They are relatively inexpensive and are a great deterrent, es-

pecially if they are set with motion de-tectors. If you already have non-motion lights, battery operated add-on motion sensors do exist that simply screw into the existing light socket and mount near the fixture. • Never leave a note or a voicemail mes-sage indicating you are not at home. • Leave shades, blinds and curtains in normal positions. • Do not share your vacation plans in social media, like Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy the weather everyone and be safe! University RCMP welcomes the VPD Women’s Safety Seminar scheduled for July 9th. Go to www.DiscoverWesbrook.com for more information about the seminar and how to register.

RCMP Campus Statistics May 11- June 7Theft of bicycle: 5700 block of Univer-sity Blvd., 5500 block of Kings Road, 5800 block of West 16th Ave., 2100 block of West Mall, Allison Rd/Uni-versity Blvd., 1800 block East Mall, 2100 block of East Mall, Agricultural Rd/East Mall, 6300 block of Hawthorn Lane, 2700 block of Osoyoos Cres., Ross Dr/Wesbrook Mall, 6000 block of Iona Drive, 1900 block of East Mall, 2000 block of West Mall,6300 block of Thunderbird Blvd.Theft from vehicle: 2100 block of Lower Mall, 5600 block of Montgom-

ery Place, 5600 block of Fairview Pl., 2500 block of Melfa Lane, 5700 block of Toronto Road, 6000 block of Iona Dr., Old Marine Drive, Old Marine Drive/SW Marine Drive.Theft of wallet: 2100 block of Health Sciences Mall, 2206 Lower MallTheft of laptop: 2 x Vanier residences.Attempt Break and Enter: 6000 block of Iona Dr.(underground FOB access damaged but not entry gained).Break and Enter: 5700 block of Agron-omy Road, underground parkade, bicy-cles stolen.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015

Published monthly by the University Neighbourhoods Association

Advertise with us! email advertising@myuna.ca

page 11

Biodiversity in your backyard

A mild winter and warm spring brought on an early display of cherry blossoms followed by dogwood flowers. They put on quite a show, and now with summer well on its way, we are seeing many other kinds of flowers. If you’re one who is fa-miliar with the annual patterns of flowers blooming, bird migration or the emer-gence of butterflies from cocoons, you may have heard of the term “phenology.” Phenology is the timing of annual life-cycle events. This study has a long his-tory, particularly in agriculture where phenological calendars date back to 1700 BC. These calendars have long been used to judge whether a particular year’s climate was different in relation to a so-called normal year. Phenological research has taken a more recent renewal in the context of climate change, and may provide insight on its potential impacts. With a growing interest in phenology, there has been an upsurge of published studies on the topic. Phenological studies are often long-term (up to 100 years), and are directly observational in nature, al-though some use satellite imagery. Plant phenology studies often look at how phe-nological trends have changed according

to a region’s climate, as plants often rely on environmental cues to trigger internal changes between developmental stages, such as a shift from vegetative to repro-ductive growth. Many studies looking at plant phenology have found that as glob-al temperatures rise, annual plant growth stages—termed phenophases—are oc-curring on average earlier in the calendar year. At the UBC Botanical Garden and Cen-tre for Plant Research we’ve been doing our own phenology study with Magnolia trees. The volunteer group known as the Friends of the UBC Botanical Garden (FOGs), has been recording the flower-ing dates of many Magnolia trees each spring since 1991. They observe five different flowering phenophases. In the study, the first date of Magnolia flow-ering was compared with climate data from the UBC Climatological Station adjacent to the UBC Botanical Garden. It was hypothesized that the Magnolia trees would show an earlier flowering date over time. After analysis however, it was found that since 1991, on average, the trees are now blooming about eight days later. This trend is best explained by the two climate variables—cumulative degree-days (CDD) and aerial tempera-ture (CDD is a measure of the number of heat units above a base temperature in a 24-hour period, in this case between January 1st and the date of flowering). A

Taisha MitchellUBC Botanical Garden

Former work-study student

Magnolias located at UBC Botanical Garden. Photo by Taisha Mitchell.

plateau in the overall increasing regional temperature trend since the 1990’s is the likely explanation of the unexpected later bloom date results, reinforcing the im-portance of long-term studies. With an understanding of the relation-ship between plants and climate, we can better predict how species and ecosys-tems may respond to a changing climate. This will allow us to also better select new plant cultivars and manage species for production, pests and ornamental dis-play. If you’re interested in phenology and would like get involved with monitoring phenophases for selected species, there are many phenology networks that wel-

come citizen scientists to contribute to their database. In Canada, you can par-ticipate with PlantWatch at the websitewww.plantwatch.ca. In the Collections: In celebration of Na-tional Garden Days Take 5 with the Van-couver Gardens Pass and visit 5 spectac-ular gardens in 3 days for as low as $25 June 19-21! UBC Botanical Garden will also feature a pollinator scavenger hunt throughout the weekend! Visitwww.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/events. On Monday June 29th visit the Royal BC Museum’s travelling exhibition Spe-cies at Risk in the Beaty Biodiversity Mu-seum’s Courtyard & Green Roof. www.beatymuseum.ubc.ca/species-at-risk

Phenology and when the magnolias bloom at UBC Botanical Garden

It is at the front of the Iona Building, an academic facility that is the new home of the Vancouver School of Economics. The site is also very close to Iona Drive at the head of Theology Mall, the two primary roads that service the neighbourhood. Directors learned the proposed site would require remediation of $100,000 to accept the play equipment. This would include approximately $50,000-$60,000 for the construction of a retaining wall; another $7,000-$10,000 for excavation and $20,000 to $25,000 for the purchase and installation of cushioning fall ma-terials. The cost of dismantling the play equipment and reinstalling it as well as the cost of landscaping and fencing around the site would be extra. For these reasons, the Operations and Sustainability Standing Committee at its meeting in May recommended to the UNA Board of Directors that it not pur-sue re-location of the play equipment as proposed by Mr. Bourne. As well as the petition from 128 resi-dents opposed to re-location, UNA staff received two emails from residents in support of the Bourne proposal and 15 emails from residents who were con-cerned about the proposal. Residents expressed a range of concerns from the safety of the proposed site to the inappro-priateness of the site as well as for the im-pact it might have on their own buildings or the potential loss of the playground in general. Ms. Adamson said massive opposition to the re-location proposal was certainly fully anticipated. “What I hope the Board appreciates and understands from current

input on this matter, both from re-location site residents and Iona Green residents, is that it demonstrates very emphatically and very clearly, in spades, that no one in Chancellor Place wants this playground in their immediate vicinity. “Iona Green residents don’t want the playground. The noise impact on our residences is extreme and well docu-mented. Residents anywhere near any proposed re-location site don’t want the playground. “The bottom line is that in the densely populated and tightly built Chancellor Place Neighbourhood there is no reason-able and acceptable site for a noisy play-ground, including the acoustic canyon of Iona Green.” Ms. Adamson argued that the original decision to install the playground was a flawed process. “I accept the decision of the UNA to not pursue relocation of the playground to the proposed site north of the Iona Building. But, in retrospect, I would hope it is now obvious to all that the original decision to site a playground in Iona Green was a community planning mistake that demands reconsideration.” Ms. Adamson called for the UNA Board to propose practical solution to the Iona Green noise problem.

IONA continued from Page 1

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 15, 2015page 12

EVENING

MUSIC SERIES

IN THE

PARK

5:30-7pm

FRIDAY JULY 10 - JIM TAYLOR PARK

FRIDAY JULY 24 - IONA GREEN PARK

FRIDAY AUGUST 7 - MUNDELL PARK

6308 thunderbird blvd, hawthorn place @ UBC

WALTER GAGE RD, CHANCELLOR place @ UBC

BRING A PICNIC AND ENJOY SOME FREE LIVE MUSIC WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS IN UNA PARKS!

WEBBER LANE AT Birney ave, WESBROOK place @ UBC

FEATURING

JENNY RITTER

FEATURING

CHRIS RONALD

FEATURING ROCKLINE

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Transport and snacks will be provided. Meet at The Old Barn Community Centre (6308 Thunderbird Blvd) at 9:30am for a 10:00am departure, returning by 6:00pm. Please bring lunch, water, and dress appropriately for each activity.

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RESEARCH SUBJECTS NEEDED FOR BALANCE PERFORMANCE STUDIES

Neural Control of Posture and Movement Lab at UBC – Dr. Mark Carpenter

We are looking for healthy young adults (age 19-40 years) and healthy older adults (age 55-85 years) to participate in research studies investigat-ing how the nervous system controls upright standing. Balance perfor-mance will be tested in our laboratory at UBC using simple balance and walking tasks. Please contact Dr. Carpenter (mark.carpenter@ubc.ca or 604-822-8614) if you are interested in participating in research and would like more information about the studies that are currently ongoing in our

research lab at UBC.