Campus Resident Volume 6 Issue 11, November 2015

Volume 6, Issue 11 NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Published by the University Neighbourhoods Association

UNA Urges UBC to

Look into Fraternity

House NoiseLast five years have been relatively quiet; however, complaints about noise by

residents have spiked this year

FRATERNITY continued on Page 9

The University Neighbourhoods Asso-ciation has complained to UBC about the amount of noise coming from late-night student parties at fraternity houses along Wesbrook Mall. This expression of concern to UBC fol-lows the appearance of three Hampton Place residents before the UNA Board of Directors at their October meeting. These residents complained about continuous, late-night alcohol-related noise coming from Fraternity Village on Wesbrook Mall. Since then, the UNA has received an-other complaint about noisy fraternity house parties—this time from students living in the Acadia Park precinct for student families behind the fraternity houses. After receiving complaints from the residents, UNA staff prepared a back-ground report detailing the history of al-cohol-related events, including late-night parties, occurring in the fraternity houses which line the east side of the Wesbrook Mall roadway.

UBC residents (left to right) Bella Zhou, Shan Chen, Florence Luo, Gary Gibson, Laura Cottle, Lucy Wang at the October UNA Community Connection Night. Please see story on Page 4.

UNA Starts Unique Recycling Program

UNA residents and UNA Sustainability Manager Wegland Sit (centre) join executives of United We Can, a charitable organi-zation, for a tour of their recycling facilities. Please see story on Page 5.

Connection Night Inspires UNA Residents

Motion to Open UNA Committee Meetings to Public Narrowly Misses Mark

Three directors were for; three were against, including Resident

Director Ying Zhou, granted extra vote as chair of meeting

A motion to open UNA committee meet-ings to the public failed narrowly No-vember 10 during the monthly meeting of UNA Board of Directors. Six (of eight) directors attended the meeting with three voting in favour of a motion that committee meetings should be open to the public, and three voting against. In the event of a tie vote, UNA bylaws give an extra vote to the chair of the meet-ing. Resident Director Ying Zhou chaired the meeting, and since Ms. Zhou was one of those voting against, the motion failed 4-3 on the strength of her vote. This attempt to have UNA committee meetings opened to the public carried over from the October meeting of direc-tors when it was raised in a motion by Resident Director Charles Menzies, and the persistent Mr. Menzies made sure it was brought back at the November meet-ing. Mr. Menzies, citing the need for “dem-ocratic” governance procedures to be in place at the UNA, urged fellow direc-

tors to vote in favour of open committee meetings. Jenna Omassi, an Alma Mater Society appointed Director, supported Mr. Men-zies, saying she had never served on a public board “whose committee meetings were not open to the public”. Laura Cottle, a Resident Director like Mr. Menzies, added support also—won-dering why UNA committee meetings (unlike UNA board meetings) were not open when the UNA was founded in 2002. In contrast, Ms. Zhou argued that the UNA was not a municipality, and there-fore should not necessarily be bound by the same kinds of rules and practic-es as municipalities (whose committee meetings are invariably as open as their boards meetings). Rather, “the UNA is a society incorporated under the Society Act of B.C.” Mr. Menzies countered by saying one cannot promote the idea of the UNA as a complex governing body of 10,000 peo-ple in one breath and in the next breath hide conveniently behind the idea of it being simply a society. Resident Director Sabrina Zhang and Carole Jolly, a UBC appointed Director, also voted against the motion. As a result of the 4-3 vote against the motion proposing open committee meet-ings, the issue now goes back to commit-

tee where further discussion may take place. Simultaneously, the idea of open com-mittee meetings at the UNA will now also go before a consultant the UNA has en-gaged to study its governance practices.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT NOVEMBER 16 2015page 2

The Wesbrook Community Centre opened in October with a first-class fit-ness centre as part of it. Anthony Evangelista, senior attendant, points proudly to the high vaulted ceiling and large glass windows that generate a feeling of freedom and openness in the new fitness centre. “They create a posi-tive and uplifting space,” he says. The pursuit of physical fitness plays a significant role in the lifestyle of many living in the five residential areas of the UBC campus (Wesbrook Place, Hampton Place, Hawthorn Place, Chancellor Place and East Campus) as well as surround-ing neighbourhoods of the University Endowment Lands, West Point Grey and Dunbar. Anthony and his staff of four have set out on the noble goal of making the resi-dential community at UBC and environs fitter and bringing members of the com-munity closer. During an interview with The Campus Resident, Anthony explained that the fit-ness centre in Wesbrook Place “is com-mitted to cardio and weight training” with equipment including state-of-the-art treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipti-cals. Equipment also includes a full comple-ment of free weights, universal machines and squat racks. Meanwhile, “there is space for stretching activities and other non-weight related regimes.” A friendly and youthful 41-year-old, Anthony was born in Burnaby and has lived in the Lower Mainland all of his

Fitness Centre at Wesbrook Community Centre Welcomes Residents

Anthony Evangelista is senior fitness attendant; equipment at

centre is state of the art

life. Since an early age, he has been in-volved in sports and fitness. He was so physically strong and fit that his friends often asked him how they might improve their strength and fitness—which was how his career in the world of fitness training and coaching started. Anthony has over 30 years training in Kyokushin Karate and currently holds a 2nd degree black belt. He is also a Cer-tified DDP Yoga Instructor. DDP Yoga combines techniques from Yoga, Tradi-tional Fitness, Sports Therapy and Dy-namic Resistance to create a total body workout. Since completing a Diploma in Recreation at Langara College, he has worked in public parks & recreation de-partments across the Lower Mainland. He has also owned and operated his own fitness and martial arts business in Kitsi-lano. The first fitness centre Anthony dis-covered was in Richmond, and he recalls well the circumstances that led to this dis-covery. To the displeasure of his mother, he and his brothers made too much noise having friendly fights around the family home in Richmond. He says, “In search of quiet in the house, my mother sent me to the fitness centre.” Anthony believes everyone should be active and include sports or fitness ac-tivities in their daily lives. The rewards include improved fitness, strength and mental health. He says, “Achieving a healthy lifestyle requires work and com-mitment. Our Fitness Centre provides the tools for achieving an active and healthy lifestyle for anyone, at any fitness level, beginner to experienced. Participating in the programs offered at our fitness cen-tres in Wesbrook and The Old Barn com-munity centres provide the opportunity for everyone to get active, healthy and

Wesbrook Community Centre’s fitness attendant Anthony Evangelista

involved in our community.” Wesbrook Community Centre Fit-ness Centre Hours of OperationMonday - Thursday: 6 am - 10 pm

Friday: 6 am – 8:30 pmSaturday - Sunday: 8:30 am – 6 pmHolidays: 12 – 6 pm

Program GuideFIND YOUR CENTRE! Wesbrook Community Centre and The Old Barn Community Centre!

PARKS AND RECREATION

www.myuna.ca

REGISTER STARTING: December 3 - Online, December 4 - In Person

LOOK FOR THE PROGRAM GUIDE IN YOUR MAILBOX NOVEMBER 30!

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT NOVEMBER 16, 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: [email protected]

Design ProductionRebecca Indphone: 604.822.9675 email: [email protected]

Advertising enquiriesemail: [email protected]

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.

I find it disturbing that the UNA direc-tors are seeking an increase in remunera-tion considering that there are a number of safety issues I would like to point out that need to be addressed as we head into the winter months and darker periods of the year. In the recent edition of The Campus Resident (October 19, 2015 - Volume 6 issue 10) an article pointed out the sup-posed similarities between UNA direc-tors and councilors of a small city. If this were the case, then UNA would have

Concerns about Road Safety in Wesbrook Villagedirect management over road safety within Wesbrook Village. As a resident at Larkspur House, I am becoming very concerned over the lack of maintenance being provided and the lack of public consultation being presented. Please find attached pictures of the current roadway conditions for your review. 1) Frequently, I find the intersection of Birney Avenue & Wesbrook Mall extremely dangerous due to the lack of roadway paint indicating STOP lines. Upon further inspection, I am finding the conditions within many areas of Wes-brook Village roadways to be consistent-ly poor (including crosswalks). Drivers are failing to stop because the STOP lines have become so visibly poor. 2) New projects such as the streamlin-ing of the south entry to the roundabout at 16th Avenue and Wesbrook Mall have actually made that particular area more dangerous to pedestrians. The old lines were grouted out, and new white paint was put in place. However, during wet/rainy periods, the old lines are more vis-ible to drivers, thus creating confusion.

Lack of roadway paint at STOP sign creates dangerous condition in Wesbrook Village. Photo credit Geoff Ruddick.

Crosswalk paint has become indistinct on roadway in Wesbrook Village. Photo credit Geoff Ruddick.

Playstation in Iona GreenLast month on these pages, Mr. Keith Switzer, a resident who lives “close by” Iona Green, advocated the status quo us-ing a mixture of casual observations and suppositions about noise in the park. I find it presumptuous to make claims and draw conclusions about park noise when one doesn’t even live on the park—it is all too easy to escape to one’s quiet apartment. Adjacent residents have no

such escape— as indicated by the 62 who signed a petition objecting to the playsta-tion in its current location. Comments or decisions based on the perspective of occasional playstation observations fail to account for the cu-mulative impact of all “occasional” us-ers—one after another. Just because Mr. Switzer has “never seen or heard any-thing close to noise” during his walks

Letters to the Editor

OpinionIt’s Time to Open Up UNA Committee Meetings

If directors can’t agree to open up the meetings, they should give

residents the final say

Bill HolmesHampton Place resident

UNA directors conduct much of their business behind closed doors, in the Op-erations and Sustainability Committee and the Governance Committee. This is where information is presented, debate happens, and decisions are made for rub-ber stamping at open Board meetings. At the November Board meeting, a mo-tion was presented to open the meetings of the two committees to the public. The motion failed. Instead, it was decided to have the Governance Committee study the matter. It is unfortunate that the con-sideration of openness—a matter of im-

portance to all residents—will take place in a meeting from which we are excluded. As one reads on the UNA website, the UNA “approximates a municipal council for the local areas on campus”. The UNA even hired a consultant in 2013 (and spent our money) to compare the roles, responsibilities and compensation of the UNA Board to the roles, responsibilities and compensation of local governments for a group of smaller municipalities. Local governments are required by legislation to hold their committee meet-ings in public. Only for certain sensitive matters, such as to receive legal advice or to preserve confidentiality in respect of private matters, can the public be ex-cluded. The B.C. Ombudsperson, in her 2012 report on best practices for open meetings in local governments, gave a terrific explanation of the rationale for this requirement: One of the cornerstones of open and transparent government in British Co-

lumbia is the requirement for local gov-ernments to conduct meetings that are open and accessible to the public. Pro-viding citizens with the opportunity to observe and engage their elected repre-sentatives fosters trust and confidence in decision-making processes and allows for meaningful participation and con-tribution from informed citizens. Open meetings act as venues for education and enable both elected officials and mem-bers of the public to make more fully in-formed decisions. The Supreme Court of Canada, in a case involving an Ontario municipality, said this about openness as a prerequisite for the democratic legitimacy of decisions: [Ontario] municipal law was changed to require that municipal governments hold meetings that are open to the public, in order to imbue municipal governments with a robust democratic legitimacy. The democratic legitimacy of municipal deci-sions does not spring solely from peri-

odic elections, but also from a decision-making process that is transparent [and] accessible to the public. These are powerful reasons for holding open meetings in the conduct of a local government’s business. They apply with equal force to the meetings of our elected representatives. While openness can be of some ben-efit for directors—by enabling them to receive more informed input from resi-dents—it is primarily for the benefit of residents. If directors are not willing to open up the committee meetings, I sug-gest that the matter be put to a vote at the next AGM. As I see it, directors who are opposed would be in a position of con-flict. They would be putting their per-sonal interests as directors ahead of the interests of residents in openness and transparency in the conduct of the UNA’s business. So, if directors can’t agree to open up the meetings, they should give residents the final say.

does not mean excessive noise does not occur regularly. We found the installation of the playsta-tion three years ago, with no meaningful community consultation, improper and offensive and a huge misuse of money, because no consideration was given to the significant, adverse quality-of-life impact on the many nearby residents. That said, none of the playstation ac-

tivity could be considered inappropriate for a facility of this nature. We all agree, kids need sites for uninhibited noisy play. But, Iona Green is not an appropriate or acceptable location. Moving the play-ground to a less noise-sensitive area can accomplish something in terms of sound, if the UNA and UBC put their minds to it.

John Bourne, Corus Resident

We both drive and walk our children to daycare centers during the morning and afternoon commute. Many other families do the same, including a ‘Walking Bus’ where parents take turns walking large groups of children to and from Norma Rose Point Elementary School. 3) Overall, there is an apparent lack of leadership on roadway design and no consultation with UNA members such as myself who has lived in Wesbrook Place

for three years. As Wesbrook Village has evolved in that time, I have noticed vari-ous trial and error traffic routings which have led to a number of dangerous situa-tions I’ve personally experienced. 4) Signage shows the speed limit of 30 km/hour. However this signage is very small, and it is not noticeable to many drivers, some of whom appear to be trav-elling much faster. Nothing should be more important than safety to everyone living, visiting or tran-siting Wesbrook Village.

Geoff Ruddick, Wesbrook Village resident


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 18, 20157-9pm WESBROOK COMMUNITY CENTRE

RSVP TO QIUNING WANG [email protected] 604.822.3799

CONNECT WITH YOUR FELLOW RESIDENTS!BRAINSTORM PROGRAM & EVENT IDEAS,

SHOW OFF YOUR MOVEMBER MOUSTACHE!

UNA Community Connection Nights Inspire ResidentsFlorence Luo, Bella Zhou

and An Ni‘Community Connection Night’

Volunteers

Building intercultural connections has been a challenge to many multicultural societies. With about 50% non-native English speaking population, the UNA community may have even bigger ob-stacles to overcome, if the much divided controversy on the hospice location in 2011 or the recent debate on Vancouver School Board transgender policy are of any indication. In late 2013, when the UNA Multicul-tural Committee (MCC) started ‘Com-munity Connection Night’, it set the goal of improving social and cultural connec-tions among campus residents through sharing of cultures and mutual learning.

In the past two years, with the dedicat-ed work of the resident volunteers, the program delivered over 30 sessions and drawn about 50 attendants each night. It has become a good community platform of learning and informing, and it has provided needed support to community members, particularly, to many newcom-er families. After one year of experimenting, a pro-gram review was conducted in August this year to further define the purpose and the scope of the program. A group of community members were invited to provide input to the upcoming topics and to the way in which they would be facilitated. It was an interesting discus-sion as the members at the meeting were juggling between the importance of the issues to the community and the appeal of the topics to the residents. In the end, a list of ten sessions was developed. See the list below. The two sessions that were held in Sep-

September 26, 2015 Raising Children in our Multicultural Community October 17, 2016 Secrets to Strata Living at UBCNovember 18, 2015 UNA Guys’ NightDecember 12, 2015 How Multiculturalism Affect Your Life? Personal

Story SharingJanuary 16, 2016 Staying Active and Healthy in Winter: Make

Achievable New Year’s ResolutionFebruary 13, 2016 Understanding Chinese Culture in the Canadian

Context (Lunar New Year on February 8, 2016)April 9, 2016 Sustainable living on a budget (Earth Day)May 14, 2016 Pets, Animals and Cultures: Relationship of people to

animals in different culturesJune 11, 2016 How to Spend a Canadian Summer: Things you must

do and seeDate tbc Circle of Life: Attitudes towards Birth, Living and

Death in different cultures

tember and October were well attended. Florence Luo, Chair of the Multicultural Committee, co-facilitated the discussion. The September session was on Rais-ing Children in our Multicultural Com-munity. We invited three speakers from the UNA community: Rosa Sevy, Anisa Newman-Azar and Roya Bennett. It was an inspiring session touching on how to embrace diversity and challenges of rais-ing children in a multicultural society. For the October session on Secrets to Strata Living at UBC, three long-term strata council members—Gary Gibson, Laura Cottle and Shan Chen—shared their experiences in strata management, recycling and safe living. It was another informative and engaging discussion. We are very grateful to the six speakers who generously came out on these Saturday

evenings and shared their expertise and passion for this program. November will be a Guys’ Night ses-sion dedicated to helping improve men’s participation in community services and programs. In December, we will discuss about how different cultural experience would affect personal life. Two Wes-brook residents, Nidhi Raina and Nata-lie Jatskevich, are invited to share their experiences. We hope more residents can join us for an inspiring discussion. Community support is critical to the continuous success of this program. If you have suggestions for future topics or you are interested to speak at a par-ticular session, please email Florence Luo [email protected]. We are currently looking for two to three speakers for each session from January to June, 2016.

UNA Community Connection Night in session

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT NOVEMBER 16, 2015 page 5

UNA and Partners Initiate Unique Plan to Recycle Refundable Containers

Plan is economically sound, socially responsible and economically sustainable

Wegland SitUNA Sustainability Manager

UNA Sustainability

The University Neighbourhoods Asso-ciation (UNA) has agreed to collaborate with Encorp Pacific and United We Can (UWC) to develop a refundable container recycling program that makes social, en-vironment and economic sense. Encorp Pacific is a federally incorpo-rated, not-for-profit, product steward-ship corporation with beverage container management as their core business. United We Can is a charitable organi-zation established to create economic op-portunities (through environmental ini-tiatives) for people with multiple barriers to traditional employment. As consumers know, deposits are charged on all refundable beverage con-tainers at the time of purchase. Retailers hold these deposits and refund them to consumers when the empty containers are returned to the store. When consum-ers do not return beverage containers to the store (discarding them instead), they forgo the refunds (which remain with the stores). In collaboration with UWC and Encorp Pacific, the UNA has developed a bever-age container recycling program which any UNA building can join. The program enables UNA buildings to recover part of the deposit refunds on a monthly basis (or they can choose to donate 100% of the refunds to UWC charity). The donations go directly to UWC in support of their operations helping to create recycling job opportunities for people in need. It is important to note that the buildings themselves—not the individuals living in the buildings—will receive up to 50% of the refunds back. So, building stratas can spend these refunds to support other sus-

tainability efforts or recycling programs within their buildings, or to donate to the charity. Participation in this program means that every time you recycle a refundable beverage container in a UNA-designated bin you will be contributing to a worthy cause that is: Economically sound: The UNA build-ings will receive up to 50% of the depos-its back while the other 50% supports the UWC professional pickup service. (The UNA encourages the residents of build-ings to make a 100% donations towards the UWC charity.) Socially Responsible: The program will help to create recycling job opportu-nities for people with multiple barriers to traditional employment in the Downtown Eastside and give them a chance to be-come more independent. Environmentally Sustainable: The program will save energy and raw mate-rials. One less container in the landfills of our province, and one more container that can be recycled into new materials! United We Can pickup service of the refundable containers will proceed as fol-lows: The yellow bins will be stationed in-side the existing recycling rooms of all buildings. UWC drivers will require key access to the bins for pickup, or building caretakers can roll the bins out in prepa-

Encorp Pacific yellow collection bin for refundable containers

ration for pickup. On an on-call, weekly basis (Wednes-days)— depending on actual volume— the UWC truck will drop by the UNA neighbourhoods to pick up full bins and leave new empty bins. Bins which are collected will be closed and marked with tags to indicate their origin. Once a bin arrives at the UWC facil-ity, a worker will scan the tag to iden-tify which building the bin came from. Then, each bin will be emptied, and the contents will be segregated by hand; lat-

er, the numbers will be inputted into the computer system. On a monthly basis, UWC will issue cheques to stratas for their refunds. The UNA believes that happiness is not all about how much we have; it is about what we can give back to our society. Come join and support us in this mean-ingful program. If you want to know more about this recycling initiative or how to participate, please contact Wegland Sit [email protected] or 604.822.3263.


Tall Wood Building will Become “Living Laboratory for UBC Community”

Construction of 18-storey student residence near Chancellor Place

residential neighbourhood is underway

One of the tallest wood buildings in the world will soon be constructed at UBC, providing housing for hundreds of stu-dents. When completed, the $51.5-mil-lion residence building will stand 53 me-tres tall (about 174 feet). “This beautiful, new tall wood build-ing will serve as a living laboratory for the UBC community,” said Martha Piper, Interim President. “It will advance the university’s reputation as a hub of sus-tainable and innovative design, and pro-vide our students with much-needed on-campus housing.” Construction of the 18-storey Brock Commons (Tall Wood) student residence, which is set to open in September, 2017, began on November 9. The 18-storey tower will house 404 students in 272 studios and 33 four-bedroom units, and feature study and social gathering spaces. There will also be a ground-floor lounge and study space for commuter students. “This project shows that when it comes to building with wood, B.C.’s innovation can’t be beat,” said Steve Thomson, Min-ister of Forests, Lands and Natural Re-source Operations. “By taking advantage of new building technologies, we’re also expanding our markets for B.C. wood products and supporting jobs in the for-est sector.” In addition to its primary function as a student residence, the building will serve as an academic site for students and re-searchers who will be able to study and monitor its operations. The tall wood building will consist of a mass timber superstructure atop a con-crete base. Wood is a sustainable and ver-satile building material that stores, rather than emits, carbon dioxide. UBC aims for the building to achieve a minimum LEED Gold certification, a rating sys-tem that evaluates how environmentally friendly a structure is in its design and energy use. UBC’s Student Housing and Hospital-ity Services, the Binational Softwood Lumber Council, Forestry Innovation In-vestment, Natural Resources Canada and B.C.’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations are contrib-uting funding for the building.

Any additional costs related to de-sign and construction have been funded through external sources. Students will pay the same for rent at the tall wood building compared to similar accommo-dations at other student residences on campus. UBC Properties Trust is managing the project. The project’s architect, Vancou-ver’s Acton Ostry Architects, is working in collaboration with tall wood advisor Architekten Hermann Kaufmann from Austria. Fast + Epp, another local firm, is the structural engineer. The proposed location for the tall wood building is in an open area north of the North Parkade and adjacent to Walter Gage Road. Other wood structure buildings on UBC’s Vancouver campus include the new AMS Student Nest and Engineer-ing Student Centre, the Centre for In-teractive Research on Sustainability, the Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Facility, the Earth Sciences Building and Wesbrook Community Centre. Earlier this year, the B.C. government passed the provincial Building Act, which enables innovation in building construc-tion. The Building Act enabled the Prov-ince to develop a regulation to allow con-struction of UBC’s new tall wood student residence, with rigorous health and safety standards. The regulation was developed with the project design team, UBC’s chief building official and an indepen-dent building code consultant. “When we introduced B.C.’s Build-ing Act this year, one of our goals was to encourage innovation by creating an ap-proval process for groundbreaking proj-ects like this one,” said Rich Coleman, Minister of Natural Gas Development and Minister Responsible for Housing. “As a result, we have been able to ap-prove UBC’s tall wood building, while ensuring it meets rigorous health and safety standards.” “We’re thrilled to partner with UBC on this exciting project,” said Cees de Jager, General Manager of the Binational Soft-wood Lumber Council. “The residence is a showcase of innovation and ingenu-ity that will contribute greatly to trans-forming how we develop taller wood buildings in the future. Lessons learned at UBC will stimulate increased use of wood throughout North America and be-yond, benefiting our industry, our com-munities and our environment.” “The Canadian Wood Council con-gratulates UBC on its commitment to

build a tall wood students’ residence,” said Michael Giroux, President of the Canadian Wood Council. “We are enter-ing an exciting time for the Canadian and North American wood products industry. As the tallest wood building in Canada, this project will serve as a great exam-ple of the research and technology that is involved in taking wood construction to new heights – resulting in innovative solutions that are safe, sustainable and viable, and meet or exceed the require-ments of the building code.” Wood is suitable as a beautiful finish-ing material and a structural material that meets safety and performance re-quirements. Wood structures, as with any building material, must meet build-ing code requirements. Safety measures, such as sprinkler systems and fire resis-tance-rated wall and floor/ceiling assem-blies, ensure tall wood buildings are built to meet and exceed fire safety and struc-ture performance requirements. FPInnovations, a forest sector research centre, conducted tests on the UBC building’s wood structural components. The building’s safety measures include enhanced fire protections and back-up systems, a building-monitoring system and an upgraded building core, the first

in B.C. to be specified to the new 2015 National Building Code of Canada for seismic design. A number of tall wood projects have been completed around the world in re-cent years. Today, the concept is gaining traction in North America as a safe, sus-tainable and cost-effective construction option. The world’s current tallest wood build-ing is a 32-metre (105-foot), 10-storey apartment building in Melbourne, Aus-tralia. Prince George’s Wood Innovation and Design Centre, completed in Octo-ber 2014, is the tallest wood building in North America, standing at 29.5 metres (97 feet). A 51-metre (167-foot), 14-sto-rey apartment building is now under con-struction in Norway. Two other tall wood projects have been announced for New York and Portland. UBC’s Student Housing Growth Strat-egy is an aggressive plan to meet the growing demand for on-campus student housing. The strategy will add more than 2,000 beds by 2017 and an additional 640 beds in 2019. About 10,000 students cur-rently live in university-operated student housing on UBC’s Vancouver campus which offers more student housing than any other Canadian campus.

Artistic rendering of the Tall Wood Building at UBC. Credit: Acton Ostry Architects.

music, arts social, fun!

7PM, FREE ENTRYWESBROOK COMMUNITY CENTRE, UBC

NOVEMBER 18Featuring Don Alder Acoustic finger style guitarist


WESBROOK LECTURE SERIES

Monday, December 7Dr. Glenn LandryDr. Glenn Landry, PhD, is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at UBC focusing on circadian rhythms, sleep, aging, and cognition.

FREE 7-9pm Wesbrook Community Centre,

5998 Berton Ave @ UBC

UBC Unveils Construction Schedule for ‘Tall Wood Building’

Work is underway; disruptions to residential neighbourhood

are expected

The residents of Chancellor Place may ex-pect some disruptions over the next two years as construction of one of the most unique buildings in the world takes place near them. In the north part of campus, the Chan-cellor Place neighbourhood lies near the site of the Brock Commons (Tall Wood) student residence on Walter Gage Road. Construction of this 18-storey wood building began on November 9, and when it is ready for 400 students to occupy in September 2017, UBC expects it to be one of the tallest wood buildings in the world. In a statement about construction up-dates and impacts to the area released online, UBC pledges, “A key objective during construction of Brock Commons is to minimize the impacts to adjacent resi-dential and academic buildings.” UBC states the disruptions due to con-struction—should they come—will occur during regular work hours: 7:30 am – 7:00 pm. In this time period, residents may ex-pect to hear noise of such standard con-struction activity such as drilling, cutting and pounding. Disruptions will also occur due to road closures and the movement of truck traffic. UBC has issued the follow-ing advisory in these regards: Road ClosuresA section of Walter Gage Road next to the construction site will be closed, between St. Andrew’s Walk and the Allard Hall parking lot. Access will remain open to the Allard

Hall parking lot from East Mall, and to St. Andrew’s Walk from Wesbrook Mall.Pedestrians and cyclists will have a detour along the north side of the street, but oth-erwise not be impacted.Construction signage will be installed to direct vehicle traffic, cyclists and pedes-trians appropriately. Traffic Control Personnel will also be on site every day to manage traffic through-out the construction period. Truck TrafficSmaller trucks (dump trucks and concrete trucks) will access the construction site from East Mall to Walter Gage Road, then leave the site via Student Union Boule-vard in the first six weeks of construction (November 9 to December 24). During the first six weeks excavators will be digging a hole in preparation for pouring the foundation, and smaller dump trucks will haul materials off site. Once the excavation is completed, the founda-tion will be poured. Both processes will take approximately six weeks. Site and roads will be swept daily as needed. Starting January 2016, larger flatbed trucks will need to use Walter Gage Road via Wesbrook Mall to access the site for safety reasons. Travel along Walter Gage Road will en-sure that trucks do not impact safety on the construction site. The large flatbed trucks, also known as tractor trailers, are not able to make the turn off of Walter Gage Road or along the west side of the Gage Towers to Student Union Boulevard due to their size. Ad-ditionally, trucks along this route would have to travel through the active construc-tion site. To prevent issues associated with

both of these factors, the safest route was determined to be a one way route from Wesbrook Mall onto Walter Gage Road then onto East Mall to NW Marine Drive. Other routes were considered in an at-tempt to minimize truck traffic beside residential buildings, however, none of alternatives met the safety and logistical requirements required. The roundabout on Walter Gage Road—one of two main roads in and out of Chan-cellor Place—will also undergo change to accommodate construction of the tall wood building. UBC states that in prepa-ration for construction, the roundabout on Walter Gage Road will be altered to better accommodate trucks during construction in the following manner: • The existing curb and grass of the roundabout will be removed to reduce the

size of the roundabout to allow larger ve-hicles to navigate it. The existing pavers and curb will be replaced with a level as-phalt surface. • The hedge, plants and trees will all be kept, with a new curb being poured next to the hedge. • UBC will monitor speeds of regular traffic following these changes and make modifications if necessary. Meanwhile, following the completion of Brock Commons construction, the round-about will be redesigned to meet the needs of the UBC community. UBC currently spends money every year repairing the roundabout, so this is also an opportunity to find a more optimal layout. For updates on construction, please go to http://transportation.ubc.ca/brock-com-mons-construction/

The UNA Parks & Recreation department is looking for talented individuals to join our team.

We are currently posting for

Recreation Program Coordinator Front Desk Attendants

Please visit our website for full job descriptions

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Donation of Plastic Caps Brings Joy to Hearts of ArtistsA colourful mural is created for

Wesbrook Community Centre

United We Can, a charitable organiza-tion established to support environmen-tal, social and economic improvement in the inner city of Vancouver, has donated to the UNA a massive bag of plastic lids and caps to be used in a community art project called Convergence. Visual artist Mary Cutbill and graphic designer Nidhi Raina are collaborating to design abstract images for a 3-dimen-tional mural made from plastic caps and lids. “This project is about sustainability and collaboration.” The artists have expressed their appre-ciation to the United We Can executives

Gerry Martin, General Manager, and Jack O’Halloran, Director of Business Development, for helping to collect plas-tic caps and lids. UNA Sustainability Manager Wegland Sit said that United We Can Recycling Depot went an extra mile to support the Caps4Art Program—removing all the caps from bottles they received. Mr. Sit said, “This program will help us not only converge within the UNA commu-nity, but also connect with the Downtown Eastside community.” Reflecting the unique identity of the UNA community, the completed mas-terpiece Convergence (height 1.5m and width 6m) is scheduled for installation on two walls separated by a laminated wood column on the main level of the Wesbrook Community Centre.

United We Can executives Gerry Martin, General Manager, and Jack O’Halloran, Director of Business Development, with UNA Sustainability Manager Wegland Sit.

On November 11, Resident Director Ying Zhou represented University Neighbour-hoods Association at the Remembrance Day Ceremony on UBC campus. On behalf of 10,000 campus residents, Ms. Zhou laid a wreath during the solemn 60-minute ceremony at the War Memo-rial Gym. Wreaths also were laid by UBC Interim

Remembrance Day Ceremony at UBC

War Memorial Gym was packed, wreaths are laid

President Martha Piper on behalf of the University, Member of Parliament Joyce Murray on behalf of the federal govern-ment and Member of the Legislative As-sembly David Eby on behalf of the Leg-islative Assembly of British Columbia. This year marked sixty four years that UBC has hosted a Remembrance Day Ceremony. This special ceremony is an opportunity for faculty, staff, students and members of the community to hon-our and remember all those who served in times of war, military conflict and peace.

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Advertise with us!email - [email protected]

Published monthly by the University Neighbourhoods Association

page 9

In celebration of UBC’s Centennial, the UBC Centennial Committee and the UBC Opera Ensemble welcome members of the Beijing Central Conservatory’s Opera Centre to the Chan Centre for the Per-forming Arts on Wednesday, December 2 at 7:30 pm. Members of the Beijing Central Conser-vatory’s Opera Centre and Orchestra will perform an exciting program of operatic excerpts, including some of your favou-

World of Music at UBC Welcomes Chinese Orchestra

Seating for this free event is by general admission

rite arias, Schubert’s art songs and a piece from Verdi’s La Traviata. The UBC Opera Ensemble will also perform. The Beijing Central Conservatory is China’s premier performing arts institu-tion and has produced some of the finest instrumentalists and singers in the world. The Central Conservatory’s Opera Cen-tre has performed throughout China and toured many parts of the world. It has won many international prizes and awards for its outstanding performances. Please join UBC in welcoming its friends from China and for this very spe-cial musical celebration of UBC’s 100th anniversary! Book your free tickets at www.tickets.ubc.ca.

Education Grants Available for Children of B.C. Families

David EbyMember of the Legislative

Assembly of British Columbia, Vancouver-Point Grey

Education is a foundation for the future strength of the British Columbia econo-my, and it’s also a path to economic and career success for our children and grand-children. Unfortunately, most of us also know that post-secondary tuition fees and vari-ous ‘faculty’ fees in B.C.’s colleges and universities are getting more and more expensive. Costs are also spiking for ‘out of province’ students if your child plans to head outside of British Columbia to at-tend university or college. Tuition fees alone for professional programs like medicine and dentistry at UBC are $17,000 per year, exceeding the maximum student loan amount a student can receive. This $17,000 doesn’t include textbook costs or extra fees or equip-ment charges. Tuition fees for popular programs like law ($11,000 per year) or undergraduate business ($7,300 per year) also continue to rise. The cost of living for a student is in-creasing too. In 2015 alone, UBC in-creased student residence rents by 20% and added a $285 ‘capital improvement fee’ to already expensive meal plans. Increasing public concern about unaf-fordable post-secondary education led the B.C. government to introduce a mod-est new program for children who will be starting university in 2018 and later. Every family in British Columbia with a child born in 2007 or later can apply for this $1,200 credit as soon as their child turns six. This grant is not income-based and is available to your child if:1. The child was born in 2007 or later, and is at least six years old.2. Both you and your child are residents of British Columbia.3.Your child is the beneficiary of a Reg-istered Education Savings Plan (RESP) with a participating bank, credit union or investment company. You can learn more about RESP ac-counts and how to open them at www.canlearn.ca.

If you have a child or a grandchild in your life who qualifies for this grant, make sure that child benefits from this RESP contribution from the provincial government. Far too many families will miss out on this grant simply because they don’t know about it. Learn more about the grant online at http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/edu-cation-training/k-12/support/bc-training-and-education-savings-grant.You can also ask your financial advisor or ask someone at your local bank or credit union. My post-secondary degrees opened doors for me across Canada in many dif-ferent occupations, including as a techni-cal writer, a federal prosecutor and the ex-ecutive director of a national human and democratic rights non-profit organization. None of these jobs would have been pos-sible without years of post-secondary training. As a parent, I’m working hard to ensure my son enjoys the same opportunities I did, thanks to education. As your MLA, I’m working hard to ensure the opportu-nities that come with high-quality, acces-sible post-secondary education are avail-able for people across British Columbia. For more information on this or on any other community issue, please don’t hesi-tate to contact me at [email protected] or 604.660.1297.

The UNA report notes that issues re-lated to noise and excessive partying are not new to campus, nor are complaints about the noise from residents who live near the Fraternity Village. It further notes that residents as a whole expect increased noise associated with student parties at the start and end of semesters. “However, residents in Hampton Place and East Campus (both of them near to Fraternity Village) are affected by exces-sive party-related noise coming from the fraternities throughout the year.” As the UNA report indicates, the Fra-ternity Village is a strata corporation that was formed when the Fraternity Village buildings were developed over a decade ago. The land on which the strata corpo-ration is located is owned by UBC, and in 2003, a Conduct Agreement was entered into by the Fraternity Village strata cor-

poration and UBC. Under the terms of this agreement, the obligation of the strata corporation is to “do all things reasonably necessary in order to prohibit and prevent Unrea-sonable Noise, Nuisance or breaches of UBC’s Rules and Regulations occurring on, within or emanating from the Frater-nity Village…” The UNA reports the Mandatory Terms of Residency for the Alpha Delta Phi Fra-ternity Residence at 2880 Wesbrook Mall are as follows: Noise: Loud music, yelling or other boisterous noises which bother room-mates, other residents or neighbours in the community are unacceptable ANY-TIME. Inside the House, after 11:00 pm in the evenings (12:00 am weekends), en-tertaining in your assigned room should be limited to quiet conversation and soft background music with the door closed. As sound carries in the Village, a similar 11:00 pm curfew is applied to the front

FRATERNITY continued from Page 1 porch, patio and common area—minimal quiet conversation between 2-3 people isall that will be tolerated during quiet hours (larger groups will face fines and/or eviction). The Resident is expected to abide by University of British Columbia and City of Vancouver noise ordinances as well. Disregard for noise rules (par-ticularly strata violations or noise com-plaints to the RCMP) will lead to conduct fines and/or eviction of any and all resi-dents involved. In 2009, noise and alcohol issues within the Fraternity Village resulted in a letter from the RCMP to UBC Legal, copied to the UNA, requesting that Section 4 of the Code of Conduct Agreement: Miscon-ducts, Fines and Probation be invoked. Since 2009, there have been fewer con-cerns reported to the UNA, but this year, the complaints have spiked. Moreover, the UNA notes that Fraterni-ty Village is not the only source of noise about which residents have complained.

Its report refers to such other sources as summer rental evenings at the Museum of Anthropology and the potential for noise related to recent liquor applications for extended hours of operation for the McGavin Rugby Pavilion and Frederick Wood Theatre. The UNA Noise Bylaw was authorized several years ago. However, this bylaw does not apply to areas outside the UNA neighbourhoods. The UNA background report, delivered to directors at a recent meeting, con-cludes that residents on campus, both in UNA neighbourhoods and on academic lands, are negatively affected by the lack of oversight on noise issues. “As the population of the campus com-munity grows, UBC needs to consider regulations that would assist in meeting its obligation ‘to maintain a quiet and stu-dious atmosphere’.

David Eby

Beijing Orchestra


University Endowment Lands

Hopes have arisen that the University Endowment Lands is on the cusp of new political era. This vision of a bright future comes after a meeting in downtown Vancouver in October between leaders of the UEL community and Peter Fassbender, who was appointed minister responsible for the UEL in August. Following the meeting with Mr. Fass-bender, Dave Forsyth, President of the seven-member Community Advisory Council (CAC), said that “a breath of fresh air” was blowing across the land-scape. The meeting was called to im-

‘Breath of Fresh Air’ Blows Across Political LandscapeMeeting between Minister

Peter Fassbender and leaders of UEL community is held

in Vancouver

prove relations between UEL communi-ty and the government, and the minister promised greater transparency, Mr. For-syth said. Ron Pears, former president of the CAC, said, “We came away from the meeting feeling pretty good.” There are grounds to be “hopeful but cautious” about potential changes in UEL gover-nance, Mr. Pears said. The recent meeting with Mr. Fassbend-er, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development (as well as Trans-Link) helped ease frustrations experi-enced by the CAC in trying to meet with his predecessor Coralee Oakes. Mr. For-syth, Mr. Pears and other CAC members sought an audience with Ms. Oakes in the two years she was minister in charge of the UEL without success. Specifically in this time, the CAC wait-ed in vain for a response from Ms. Oakes and her senior officials about an applica-

tion the CAC submitted to B.C. govern-ment for a study of possible incorpora-tion of the UEL. According to Mr. Forsyth and Mr. Pears, Mr. Fassbender acknowledged that the current system—in which a B.C. min-ister in Victoria acts virtually as ‘mayor and council’ of UEL—does not work, and that he is open to discussions about change. The UEL leaders who attended the meeting with Mr. Fassbender said they took comfort in learning from the min-ister that a consultant engaged to inform the government on the possibility of UEL independence from Victoria was working under a renewed contract for a year. They said they knew what had happened to an earlier report from this consultant: it was so heavily redacted by officials in Victoria that it was barely readable when received locally. “It was useless,” Mr. Forsyth said.

Over the past 15 months, members of the Community Advisory Council (CAC) on the University Endowment Lands have grown increasingly frustrated by the al-leged failure of the Vancouver School Board (VSB) to lessen the amount of in-dustrial noise coming from Norma Rose Point School. Evidently, this noise bombards a nearby residential development to the acute dis-comfort of residents living there. At their October 26 meeting, CAC members decided that complaints about the noise were getting them nowhere with the VSB. So, led by Dave Forsyth, President, they unanimously passed a motion raising the prospect of legal ac-tion against the school board if studies support it. In a brief interview with The Campus Resident following the meeting, a resi-dent who lives adjacent to Norma Rose

Point School explained that while indus-trial noise from the new school building no longer comes at night, it still does through the day. “It comes from 7 am to 5 pm,” the resident said, adding that the noise originates from a mechanical heat pump atop the school and, when in op-eration, this pump “roars like an engine.” According to Mr. Forsyth, the Van-couver School Board does not feel it is exceeding the noise limit mandated by the UEL noise bylaw during the day. The CAC does not agree. “The UEL noise by-law is being infringed upon,” Mr. Forsyth said. Evidently, the noise has given the resi-dential community adjacent to the school a giant headache. It has caused at least one person to move away, according to a report. “The noise is affecting people’s lives…there are health issues, men-tal (health) issues and a bunch of other things,” Mr. Forsyth said. The CAC has become well-informed about noise issues locally and globally thanks to an excellent report by CAC member Pete McConnell, a retired physi-cist and engineer who has been monitor-ing noise levels on the UEL.

Peter Fassbender

Maria Harris, Electoral Area A Director on the Metro Vancouver Board, and Bill Holmes, Alternate Director, also attended the largely upbeat meeting with Mr. Fass-bender.

Council Considers Law Suit to Silence Noise from School Heat Pump

School board is said to be infringing UEL noise bylaw;

noise from school is likened to “roar of an engine”

Mr. McConnell has judged complaints about loud noise from Norma Rose Point School by residents living nearby to be justified. Moreover, the physicist says he knows from his studies that these resi-dents are being assaulted by noise levels far in excess of what the World Health

Organization would consider tolerable. In June, the University Hill Connections newspaper—which circulates among the 2,000 homes on the University Endow-ment Lands—published a long article on the McConnell report titled ‘Noise is Killing Us!’

Team up with our fun and energetic leader for an action packed party!

Birthday Parties at Wesbrook Community Centreand The Old Barn Community Centre

Please [email protected]


Biodiversity in your backyard

Mushroom Season

The fall rains have brought a wonderful variety of mushrooms to our backyards. What are mushrooms? They are the fruit-ing bodies that are made by some fun-gi. Fungi live below the surface of the ground, and they produce mushrooms to pop up above ground and spread their spores when they are ready to reproduce. Some mushrooms are edible while oth-ers are poisonous to us. You should never eat wild mushrooms that you have picked yourself unless you are a mycologist (mushroom expert). Mushrooms and the fungi they come from are mysterious creatures. We used to think they were plants but discovered

Mairin KerrMarketing, Communications & Events Coordinator at the Beaty

Biodiversity Museum

that they are actually closer to animals when looking at their DNA. We only know about as little as five percent of the 1.5 million types of fungi out there. Here are a few facts about the mush-rooms you can find around UBC campus: Pilobolus fungiThese guys can eject their spores faster than a speeding bullet. LactariusThis mushroom can lactate even though it isn’t a mammal. PuffballsThese cute little round mushrooms can release up to a million spores when they puff. Inky CapsThey start out as white mushrooms that over time start to look like they are melt-ing. They turn black and ooze. Amanita muscariaThese are the red mushrooms with the white spots. They are the mushrooms featured in Lewis Carrol’s Alice’s Ad-ventures in Wonderland – Alice eats some and becomes very big or very small. It’s the same mushroom in Super Mario Brothers that makes Mario get bigger. This is because the hallucinogenic prop-erties of this mushroom alter a person’s sense of perspective, making things ap-pear very small or very large. Do not eat this as it will make you very sick. Other weird things about mushrooms are that although they aren’t fish some have gills. These gills are used to spread

spores. They are also pretty handy when it comes to trying to identify mushrooms. You can find the gills on the underside of the mushroom cap. If mushrooms had a super power, it would be Super Recycler. Fungi release enzymes that break down dead plants and animals into nutrients that they can absorb. Many mushrooms have symbiotic re-lationships with trees. “The fungi helps the tree absorb water and minerals, and it also produces chemicals that helps the tree resist disease and other threats. In return the tree provides nutrients (made through the process of photosynthesis) to the fungi.”

Keep your eyes open while you are walk-ing around campus and see how many mushrooms you can spot. In the Collections: Join the Beaty Biodiversity Museum for a Walk of Wonder around UBC campus to learn about conifers (leafy trees) on Nov 21. http://on.fb.me/1MPYqfaUBC Botanical Garden invites UNA members to join us for great discounts at our annual Members’ sale in our Shop in the Garden on November 28 and Decem-ber 2. Fresh handmade wreaths, swags and table décor will also be available in our shop November 25 to December 2 as supplies last. More info: botanicalgarden.ubc.ca

Inky Cap. Photo by Mairin Kerr. Amanita muscaria of Alice in Won-derland fame. Photo by Mairin Kerr.


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UNA COMMUNITYCHRISTMAS CONCERT

FRIDAY DECEMBER 11, 20155PM AT WESBROOK COMMUNITY CENTRE

PERFORMANCES BY UNA PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, ART DISPLAYS & COMMUNITY CHEER!

FREE ENTRY, REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Campus Resident Volume 6 Issue 11, November 2015

Documents

Transcript of Campus Resident Volume 6 Issue 11, November 2015