Sponsors save cherry blossom festival after coming to the brink of cancellation. P7
Police report filed after two YouTubers disrupted a class to promote OnlyFans. P3
A mobile van aims to reduce waste by refilling household products. langaravoice.ca
Many post-secondary institutions in B.C. are being cautious with TikTok after the federal and B.C. governments banned TikTok on all governmentissued devices.
While dozens of U.S. colleges and universities, including Florida A&M University, have banned TikTok from their schools, most B.C. postsecondary institutions have only issued warnings for the time being. Langara, Douglas and UBC have cautioned their communities about the use of TikTok, citing cybersecurity risks.
On March 14, Langara issued a warning to faculty and staff and said the college would evaluate the risks.
At the moment, there are no plans to prohibit the app on postsecondary institutions’ networks for students, said Melody Wey, communications manager for the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and
The main fears surrounding TikTok are the fact that the app collects data from its users and is connected to China.
“[TikTok] collects as much data as any other social networking apps,” said UBC computer security professor Konstantin Beznosov. “The only difference is that TikTok is owned by a company located in China.”
He said universities and colleges should not panic and that governments are more anxious about what TikTok could do with the collected data versus what they have actually done with it.
“There’s a difference between what the company says they use it for and what they actually use [it] for,” Beznosov said. “TikTok is not
the case of smoking gun, it's the case of loaded gun.”
Instead of banning TikTok from school devices, and students from using the app at school, Beznosov suggested post-secondary institutions alternately “improve the awareness of the risks” of using apps that collect user data.
Currently, the only postsecondary institution in Canada to ban TikTok is Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
Mark Dawson, manager of public affairs for Langara College, said TikTok is popular with Generation Z, so it can be useful to connect with current or future students.
According to Statista.com, over 40 per cent of TikTok users are aged 18-29. This overlaps heavily with the Langara student population, of
which 69.4 per cent are under the age of 25.
Langara’s TikTok account is currently the smallest of its social media accounts and the only one not advertised online or on campus, according to Dawson.
The account has under 600 followers while the college’s Twitter account has nearly 3,000 followers. Its Instagram has 22,500 followers and its Facebook account has 34,000 followers.
“It’s only one of many platforms, and there is significant overlap between the platforms among users,” said Dawson.
Dawson said many colleges and universities are focusing on growing their social media presence on other platforms because TikTok is less educational and informative than others.
“Social media users should pay close attention to the terms of service and how their personal data might be collected or accessed,” Dawson said this week.
guard told them they were engag ing in solicitation and that was not allowed at Langara.
“Which I find very interesting,” said MacAllister, a Langara history and English student and also a member of the socialists club. “What exactly is RBC doing with their little room in the foyer there?”
According to Langara’s website, RBC On Campus is an educational centre, offering banking resources and financial advice to students.
It remained unclear where the directive to shut down Hughes and MacAllister came from.
“I did get an email from a person in the security department saying they would look into this, but nothing further,” Hughes said.
Langara’s security department did not answer why Hughes and MacAllister were told to leave March 6.
In an email to the Voice, Ashamdeep Dhillon, Langara’s protective services coordinator, said the pair was permitted to set up further away from RBC later in the week.
“As per our Respectful Workplace policy, opinions may be expressed freely when done in a reasonable and courteous manner,” she wrote. “Those collecting signatures for a petition were permitted to set up closer to the cafeteria later in the week where their petition would not make other employees uncomfortable.
“TikTok is not the case of smoking gun, it's the case of loaded gun.”
— KONSTANTIN BEZNOSOV, UBC COMPUTER SECURITY PROFESSOR
Mayor says the increased rate will help “close the gap” in funding community needs
Business owners in the City of Langley are bracing for an unusually big property tax increase this year.
Springtime in Squamish means an influx of vehicle residents, and this year Squamish’s controversial camping bylaw will be put to the test once again.
The municipality of Squamish, B.C. is popular with “van-lifers”, those who choose to reside in their vehicles for days, months or years. Many find the area a desirable place to live out of a van, with a temperate climate and plenty of outdoor activities such as rock climbing and mountain biking. In 2021, Squamish created a bylaw to regulate camping in public places, following an uptick of van-lifers since the pandemic.
Megan Latimer, director of public safety for the District of Squamish, said that as the municipality continues to enforce the camping bylaw, they will emphasize education. Latimer says the biggest issues stemming from camping in the surrounding areas are human waste and trash, particularly with wildlife getting into the garbage.
“I have never seen so many reports about poop come across my desk,” said Latimer.
“When people show up and camp for a night or two and leave their garbage behind... if a bear gets into that, the bear is going to hang around
that area.”
Latimer said only one ticket was handed out last year, and ticketing is a last resort for the district.
“Once you get to the enforcement point, that’s almost a failure of being able to educate and connect people with resources so they can recreate
the bylaw.
“Something that I've been advocating for as a local resident... is to put more ‘leave no trace’ education signs everywhere,” said Pidgeon. “Instead, they've hired bylaw officers to kick people out that’re sleeping in their vehicles.”
Adrian Blachut, owner of Zephyr Café in downtown Squamish, has sympathy for van-lifers, though he argues there’s a right way and a wrong way to live out of a vehicle. He said he finds human waste and marijuana on walking trails, both of which can be toxic for his dogs. He also gets frustrated when some vanlife patrons spend excessive amounts of time in his café.
A shortage of affordable places to stay has also exacerbated the problem, he said.
Earlier this month, Langley City council approved a general property tax increase of 11.56 per cent to cover its new five-year financial plan, which covers 2023 to 2027.
Langley City Mayor Nathan Pachal said the increase is to “close the gap” on infrastructure investment.
While some business owners and homeowners are complaining about the big tax hike, Pachal says renewing the 100-year-old sewer infrastructure will benefit local businesses and residents.
“We’re using the money to invest in our community,” Pachal said.
Cory Redekop, CEO of Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce, said the unprecedented tax increase is “a huge challenge for business” as property taxes are just one of many taxes businesses face from various governments.
“That's on top of your payroll tax went up earlier this year,” Redekop said, adding that every dollar counts for small businesses.
“Whenever any tax or fee goes up, that's money that comes out of the business.”
Redekop said businesses are not only competing locally, but with businesses from other provinces, internationally and with e-commerce
organizations like Amazon.
Redekop said small businesses are “not sitting on big pools of money that some people think they are,” and are not able to invest in their own operations such as marketing or hiring full-time employees.
“These are dollars that would go back into the business to make it more productive,” he said. “Instead, it is being pulled … out of the business and into government.”
“They're [businesses] not looking six years down the line. They're trying to get through the next six weeks or six months,” Redekop said. Businesses expect incremental tax increases, like three or four per cent, he said, which would be better than surprising them with something as large as this year’s increase.
Ken Boyce, owner of Kitchen Concepts in Langley, said such a large tax increase – about three times as high as last year’s – could cause some small businesses to shut down.
Boyce said business owners are “busy running their businesses trying to stay alive,” and he has seen a slowdown in activity for the past three months as people are concerned with the economy.
The city is allocating the property taxes in investments such as preparing for SkyTrain, renewing infrastructure, and improving public safety.
Pachal, the mayor, said SkyTrain will help local businesses by driving more traffic which will bring in more customers like other busy transit-oriented destinations, citing the Burnaby neighbourhoods of Metrotown and Brentwood.
The provincial government is distributing a one-time grant of $7.2 million to Langley City. But Pachal said he does not think the city can use that money to lower taxes, and even if it did, “all we would be doing is making a problem for next year.”
responsibly,” said Latimer.
Latimer said the municipality has been putting up more “leave no trace” education signs, particularly in sensitive areas such as the town’s estuary.
Thomasina Pidgeon, director of an advocacy group called Vehicle Residents of Squamish, said the municipality has turned its back on the van-dwelling community with the camping bylaw, which she said scapegoats responsible vehicle residents.
Pidgeon said she knows some van-lifers won’t return to Squamish as they don’t feel welcome after
Bianca Peters, previously a member of Squamish’s Chamber of Commerce, suggests that there needs to be a distinction made between van-lifers who are in town for a weekend and those who live permanently in their vehicles in Squamish.
Peters said public facilities are lacking throughout the town and are insufficient for the massive influx of summer tourists.
“Where are the garbage cans on the Crown land? Where are the garbage cans in downtown? Where are the toilets?”
As the weather warms up, tensions have increased once again between local businesses and people living in vehiclesThomasina Pidgeon, director of Vehicle Residents of Squamish, in her van in Squamish, B.C. SETH FORWARD PHOTO By JOYCE LIEW Langley City recently approved a property tax increase of 11.56 per cent for their 2023 financial plan in March. JOYCE LIEW PHOTO
“I have never seen so many reports about poop come across my desk.”
— MEGAN LATIMER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR THE DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH.
In a digital age where competition is fierce, a South Vancouver bookstore takes an old-school approach to business.
Atsuko Yamashita, the owner of Half Moon Bookstore on Main Street near Marine Drive, hasn’t changed her business strategy since she opened the store in 1999 selling manga, anime comics and promotional products.
“I usually don’t deal with things that I don’t know,” Yamashita said.
“I could learn it but I’m busy dealing with [the] store, so I think I’m sticking with a website on Facebook right now.”
Yamashita stays away from social media and instead takes a traditional approach in building oneon -one customer relationships. Her bookstore is among similar businesses in Vancouver that don’t use social media heavily even as they face increased competition online.
Yamashita said that she is “technologically illiterate” and doesn’t know much about social media. She uses a Facebook account and an incom-
plete website to post products, but
customer who was a student to help her set up a new website for free.
“We are lucky that we have really dedicated customers,” Yamashita said.
She said that the ideal situation is to have a complete website, but she doesn't have the time to build it.
“I don’t think we touched 20 per cent of what we have, but hopefully we will complete the website in the future,” said Yamashita.
ple tools, so some businesses can get away with not using it.
“The decision to be on social media or not should be driven by an understanding of the situation,’’ Hoegg said.
Patrick Shaughnessy, owner of Golden Age Collectables in Vancouver, said that he is not dependent on social media, but his business is still thriving.
“We do the Facebook, we do the little bit of YouTube stuff, and the others, but we’re not a huge player in that,” Shaughnessy said.
He said there was a time when businesses were happy when the competition went out of business, but now comic book stores are disappearing.
“At this point, you’re sad when your competition goes out of business because you don't want the comic book collecting or reading culture to go away,” Shaughnessy said.
“It’s good to have good competition. Our competition tends to come more from people who are interested in other things or online.”
Yamashita said competition is getting severe. Previously, her store faced limited competition for Japanese-oriented English comic books in mainstream book stores, but now they are top sellers everywhere and manga is becoming more mainstream.
She said that competition is good for her business.
“I think if you sell manga or sega more people will be involved with manga,” said Yamashita.
1. Location
The bookstore is the only one in South Vancouver that sells manga & anime books.
2. Opening
The bookstore opened in October 1999.
3. Owner Owner Atsuko Yamashita is a computer science major, but had a manga passion as a kid.
both were built by her friends. She lost access to her original website when a friend with the passwords passed away, so she relied on a
JoAndrea Hoegg, professor of marketing and behavioural science at UBC, said social media is a critical tool, but it’s only one of the multi-
By EMMA SHULAR
Following an incident where two men interrupted several classrooms for a social media prank, Langara security has reported the incident to the Vancouver Police Department with details that include the identity of the two men.
Ashamdeep Dhillon, protective services coordinator, said in an email they believe the men were creating video content to promote an online site that contains pornography.
“We obtained clear photos and video of the individuals and have shared this evidence with the police. The identities of the individuals,
including their social media platforms, were also provided to VPD [Vancouver Police Department],” Dhillon said.
On March 7, two men entered three different Langara classrooms to film a YouTube prank video. The nine-minute video they posted online shows one of them coming onto Langara campus, going up to multiple students and asking inappropriate questions before interrupting the classrooms. One man had gone into classes ahead of time in order to film, posing as a student.
In the video, a man identified as Melcolm Dass entered a classroom after it had started and told the instructor that he was “authorized to be there.” He handed out pieces of paper to the students telling them they should join OnlyFans, a subscription-based content sharing site, with much of its content being
pornographic in nature. The two men also interrupted classes at UBC that same day.
“There was no physical harm or threats of harm made during the interactions; however, their behavior was disconcerting. In addition to disrupting classes and filming others without their consent, they made sexual comments to students,” said Dhillon.
The video they posted online shows Gary Harder, a second-year kinesiology student at Langara, confronting them in the lobby of the campus’s A Building.
Harder said in an interview that he didn’t plan what he was going to say.
“When I was walking down to the cafeteria, I was kind of thinking you know, I wish I had been a bit more active rather than just sitting there,” Harder said.“When I was in the [cafeteria] and I saw them walk by I [was] like ‘OK, I’m gonna do it.”
Harder said that no one was really sure exactly what was happening when Dass and the other man, identified as Landon Ozirny, first came into the class.
“It eventually clicked where it’s like OK, these guys are just doing
some online thing,” said Harder. “I don’t know, the whole thing was just so smarmy and manipulative and weird.”
While Harder said he wasn’t affected by the intrusion, his instructor was impacted greatly.
UBC economics professor, Catherine Douglas, said in an email that she had to pause her class halfway through a lecture when the men entered her classroom.
“We were waiting for the campus security people to arrive,” she said.
The video showed Langara security confronting the two men. Dhillon said Langara campus security will respond to an incident depending on its severity.
“Responses will vary depending on the situation and will follow emergency protocols which may include shelter in place and lockdown procedures,” she said.
By MILICA ANIC
“We are lucky that we have really dedicated customers.”
ATSUKO YAMASHITA, OWNER OF HALF MOON BOOKSTORE
“The whole thing was just so smarmy and manipulative and weird.”
GARY HARDER, KINESIOLOGY STUDENT AT LANGARA COLLEGESOURCE: YAMASHITA
MEHARWAAN MANAK
n increasing number of Canadians are turning to home gardening to offset the price of fresh produce in the face of spiraling inflation.
More than 5.8 million Canadian households experienced some level of food insecurity in 2021, according to the latest Household Food Insecurity in Canada report,
A Statistics Canada report, 2022, indicates Canadians feel they cannot keep up with the rising
B.C. Premier David Eby said earlier in March, 2023 the province is investing more than $200 million in
Theresa Couture, an urban gardener, started a home garden in 2020 during lockdown. Since then, she has expanded the proj ect in order to contribute produce
“As a child I grew up with … food insecurity as far as where our next meal was coming from,” she said. “I wanted to grow stuff and give it to people who couldn’t get fresh
According to Canada’s Food Price Report 2023, an average family of four will spend $16,288.41 on food this year — an increase of $1,065.60 over
“You can literally save hundreds,”
Couture said. “If you’re able to freeze and preserve (food), your savings continue over Couture even extended her garden to include the front yard “to maximize how much” she can give. She estimates she donates about three quar ters of her fresh grown produce to local food
Fresh produce donations to food banks are “very weather dependant,” according to Amanda Smith, coordinator of agriculture initiatives for the non-profit Langley Environmental
In 2020, LEPS established a student-run “Learning Farm” in collaboration with the Langley Sustainable Agriculture Foundation.
Although there was slow pollination caused by the prolonged rains last year, LEPS “donated a lot of vegetables” produced by the Learning Farm, said Smith.
Angela Ng, a Vancouver gardener, expanded her home garden during COVID-19 but continued as inflation climbed.
Initially she found gardening quite expensive but said “over time you start to learn the tricks of the trade and start saving money.”
“In the summertime when the food is abundant [from the garden], you save a lot more not running to the store to get vegetables and greens,” she said but added that food security is more than just feeding your family. “It’s helping your community as well.”
Melany Yeap, another experienced Vancouver
A 2022 Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture report suggests more than a million households in Canada intended to garden for the first time in 2022.
gardens, whether it’s on the balcony or in the backyard,” Smith said.
“Gardening used to be therapy but it’s actually turning into something a bit more substantial.”
By MEHARWAAN MANAK
Seed exchange events — critical in helping gardeners and farmers grow vegetables and perpetuate the seed supply — have experienced a huge uptick since the pandemic.
The events help expand their knowledge on producing veggies and add to the seed supply as people continue to grow and harvest their garden produce.
‘Seedy Saturdays’ are events across the Lower Mainland promoting the exchange of seeds. They help to educate the public about seed saving and environmentally responsible gardening practices.
“These types of gardening events are really important because they help all people, whether they’re new or experienced gardeners, to figure out exactly how they want to grow food,” said Amanda Smith of Langley Environmental Partners Society.
With the rising cost of food, people are happy to talk about and engage in “doing more home
Local seed companies saw their sales balloon up significantly after COVID-19, according to David Catzel, BC Seed Security Program manager at Farm Folk City Folk.
“Searches on Google for things like home gardening,” also increased he said. “We think there are a lot more gardeners now.”
Many companies stopped shipping seeds during COVID-19 and after last year’s flooding as well as unpredictable crops “farmers became fairly desperate for seeds,” said Catzel.
“The more people we have growing seeds the more secure that system is,” he said.
Events allow gardeners to share seeds and learn about cultivation
On March 6, Bradley Hughes and Amaranta MacAllister of the Langara socialist club were petitioning against the presence of RBC on Langara’s campus when security asked them to leave. While they have since been able to resume petitioning in the foyer unfettered, the have been asked to move away from the bank's lounge, for the sake of the RBC employee's comfort.
This was not a drama-filled scenario: no fireworks, no arrests, no violence. However, the underlying implications of this incident should be of concern to Langara students.
Freedom of expression on campus is a slippery slope. Hughes claims he has been advocating at the same spot for 20 years and never had any problems before this incident. So what changed? Is Langara’s partnership with RBC more important than free speech on campus? Or perhaps accommodating an RBC employee over members of the Langara community is deemed a priority?
Unfortunately, the relative silence from security and the college means these questions remain unanswered. Hughes and MacAllister have reason to criticize Langara’s relationship with RBC, one of the worst enablers of climate change in Canada.
If the guard simply overstepped, then perhaps we don't need to worry too much. But if he acted under the instruction of the RBC employee or the college, we do.
By prioritizing the comfort of an RBC employee over the rights of a member of the Langara community, the college would have shown where its allegiance lies.
According to a 2021 report by a group of environmentalist organizations, RBC financed over US$200 billion in fossil fuel projects, earning fifth spot in the muchmaligned “dirty dozen” list: 12 banks that stand above all others in their ability to destroy the planet.
RBC declared it “will lead and take action to build a more inclu-
sive and sustainable future.” Not to be outdone in the greenwashing competition, Langara claimed it is “deeply committed to being part of a sustainable society.” By partnering with RBC, it appears as though the college’s commitment is about as deep as a kiddie pool.
MacAllister said the security told them to pack their bags because they were “soliciting,” but she made a good point: along with free advertisement, RBC actively solicits at one of the highest-traffic areas on campus.
While higher education campuses increasingly look like corporate boardrooms, they should still be spaces for debate and critical thinking. By removing — or even moving — Hughes, security and Langara set a precedent where freedom of speech is secondary to the interests of the college and security.
In its statement of principles on freedom of expression, Langara suggests it “urges all members of
the college community to redouble their efforts to create a culture that celebrates robust and vigorous debate within an academic milieu.”
If Langara had given a reason for Hughes' removal, perhaps we could have a robust and vigorous debate.
Sadly, this debate is unfortunately unavailable to students. We have been left to wonder: was security acting of its own accord or was it under instruction from the top brass of the college?
You may not agree with the socialist club. You may even find them annoying. But to restrict their reach then refuse to disclose the reasons has a hint of authoritarianism. There are limits to free speech; thin lines that divide passion from hatred. There has been no indication that the socialist club crossed this line. Perhaps a more apt freedom of expression statement would be, “We value critical debate, as long as you’re not critical of our partners.”
When successful pranksters like Jake and Logan Paul gained wealth and notoriety in the YouTube world of “pranktainment”, they spawned an army of minions trying to replicate their style. But instead of amassing fame and fortune these copy-cats simply harass people, get minimal views, and earn almost nothing.
On March 7
Melcolm Dass interrupted a B Building Langara classroom poorly impersonating a Langara Instructor while his accomplice filmed him handing out pieces of paper with an account for OnlyFans – a site used primarily for adult content – and chugging water from a bottle of vodka.
The students and faculty were not impressed. They were upset and most refused to comment about the incident to the Voice
This is not surprising. When a stranger in a large dark coat – which Dass was wearing – barges into a classroom mid-instruction, the school-shooter news coverage south of the border inadvertently comes to mind.
Students were fortunate that the provocateurs were just cringey, cloutseeking man-children who apparently took no issue in ruining the day for an entire classroom of tuition paying students.
Their video later posted on YouTube by Dass had all the viral-video-seeking characteristics seen on many if the successful youtubers accounts, including the constant barrage of text and jarring photos flying on the screen at least
every three seconds with exaggerated voiceovers and – of course –someone provoking or harassing the public, in this case Langara faculty and students.
The comments below the
YouTube video are critical and more than a few times mention the word “cringe.”
The video has been up for two weeks and so far a thousand views.
But the Langara Pranker’s payout
for scaring and upsetting a classroom of people is likely a disappointing $18. This amount is based on the average U.S. 18 cents per view that YouTube creators earn according to Influencer Marketing Hub, a social
media marketing review site.
The fake instructor prank is not original, scrolling past the Langara video on YouTube there are dozens of other creators with almost identical prank videos all pretending to be instructors at universities or colleges.
Similarly these videos dont have many views which means little money earned to merit the trouble caused or time put into making them.
Becoming YouTube famous is no longer a realistic endeavor according to a German university study.
The study found that even if a youtuber reaches the top 3.5 per cent of the highest viewed YouTube channels, the advertising revenue generated would only amount to US$12,000 to US$16,000 a year.
The Paul brothers – Jake and Logan – earned US$58 million in 2022 according to Forbes Magazine but most of that money was earned outside of YouTube and was largely a result of their public reach and reputation in podcasting, boxing promotion, merchandise, cryptocurrency and fashion among other endeavors.
If aspiring prank-content creators imagine their wealth coming solely from ad-based YouTube payout they may be disappointed.
While some pranksters may try to emulate their success, they often settle on anything provocative or stimulating, creating video junk food.
Surely there are more wholesome ways to go about becoming YouTube famous. Two things are clear and people should know them before making prank content on YouTube: the chances of making it big on YouTube are slim to none; It is likely that you will harass innocent members of the public for little financial gain if you do.
“By partnering with RBC... the college's commitment is about as deep as a kiddie pool.” OPINION
NICHOLAS NAYLOR
Faced with the threat of cancellation of some of Vancouver’s most iconic festivals, government and local companies jumped into the breach to keep the festivals alive. Long-standing festivals, such as the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, faced possible delay or cancellation due to financial trouble.
“Our board had cancelled the festival and had put forward a motion to the membership to consider dissolving the society because the finances were that bad,” said Erin Mullan, president of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival.
According to Mullan, the music festival’s announcement prompted the provincial government to set up a $30 million fund for festivals and fairs. The music festival has received a $100,000 from that.
“[It] is a real game changer for us,” Mullan said.
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival, which serves as one of Vancouver’s iconic events was also significantly affected by the
pandemic as were many other festivals. The organizers called for help from the public saying the summer event was on the brink of cancellation. Mullan said public donations have helped to ease the financial strain for festivals.
“We heard loud and clear from the public that people want the festival to survive,” Mullan said.
Aside from government and public support, local companies stepped up as sponsors to provide vital funding for local festivals.
In March, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival announced Edge Construction as the new main sponsor. Yaletown Business Improvement Association and several car dealerships from Gain Group also pitched in with funding.
"We see this festival as a great way for the city to celebrate spring, to celebrate the beauty of Vancouver,” said Richard Whitehead, a client executive for business development
with Edge Construction. “And we just want to add to that beauty, we want to add to that celebration.”
Linda Poole, the creative director and founder of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, said the local financial support provided was a testament to the value that the festival has to offer to the community.
“Having our big problem this year showed just how much people value us,” Poole said. “They expressed it and they put their money behind it.”
Sabina Magliocco, an UBC professor of anthropology who specializes in the study of ritual, festival and religion, said many residents are willing to provide the funds to keep festivals running despite high inflation rates and financial setbacks from COVID-19.
“It is one of the ways that communities tell the world who they are and what values are important to them,” Magliocco said. “And a second
The Cherry Blossom Festival will run from April 1 to 23, 2023 to celebrate the 43,000 cherry trees & the Japanese cultural tradition of hanami.
Vancouver will celebrate traditional & contemporary music with its Folk Music Festival from July 14 to 16, 2023, at Jericho Beach Park.
Treatment methods for people who are hearing voices have become more progressive than in previous decades, says a social services instructor at Langara. “In the 70s, you would never engage with people that were hearing voices about those voices,” said Jeanette Robertson. “I've heard from one colleague that they even had to sign a paper that they would not speak to people directly about these voices or engage with them in a way that
would support these voices.”
The B.C. Hearing Voices Network was established in 2013 in North Vancouver. It provides a decentralized platform for people who experience hallucinations and hear voices
pate in running the support groups. She said the non-medical model of treatment could be as beneficial as the medical model. Robertson said the medical model “places the expertise in the practitioners, and not the people living their experiences.”
She said with fewer steps put between people and attending a group session, the lower the barrier becomes. “No registrations required … the only step you need to do is to get there,” Robertson said.
Julia Sharron, a former Langara student, said she once experienced hallucinations from a medication she was trying out with her psychiatrist.
“I would think people were talking about me, saying
things about me that weren’t true, but then I would check in and I’d be like oh wait no it’s not that,” said Sharron.
Sharron said if she knew a service like the B.C. Hearing Voices Network existed at the time of her hallucinations, she may have considered using them for support.
Rory Higgs, the coordinator of the B.C. Hearing Voices Network, said the network has allowed change in the mental health system in B.C. and helps people to connect with others who have gone through similar experiences.
Higgs said sometimes group attendees will tell them that they didn’t know other people heard
voices. “They didn’t know that anyone else had this experience,” Higgs said, adding that the sense of connection people experience within the groups makes them feel less alone.
Fernanda Juarez Hernandez, a former support group organizer, said peer support groups are a beneficial way to get people together.
“I think [peer led support groups] work because in this case for example, there were specific cases where these people were really scared to talk to a psychologist. And this made them realize there were others like them around. It was really cool as this allowed them to make friends,” said Hernandez.
“We need community... It's medicine for our soul.”
—LINDA POOLE, FOUNDER CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
“It's more than just a support group.”
— GILL WALKER, HEARING VOICES MOVEMENT
field on campus makes it more difficult to organize.
Enthusiasts in South Vancouver say expanding the number of pickleball facilities in the area to keep pace with the sport’s rising popularity isn’t easy due to limited real estate and the paddle sport's notorious noisiness.
While a 2022 Pickleball Canada survey showed the number of players almost tripled in two years, there are only three pickleball facilities in all of South Vancouver. This leads to long wait times or having to drive long distances to play.
“ We have to drive to Surrey, we have to drive to North Vancouver,” said certified pickleball instructor Mona Lee.
Lee said municipalities like Delta, Whistler, Surrey and Langley, have many courts, often decked out with bleachers, benches and water fountains.
“There is no real estate, there is nowhere to build more courts,” she said. “Surrey and Delta, they have more land, they can build a beautiful facility."
Pickleball also has limitations about where courts can be placed due to noise concerns.
“I think the greatest problem in pickleball is the sound of the ball, that people don't like it in their area,” Stan Fryer, a pickleball player from South Surrey said.
Lee said that as a player, she doesn’t even notice the sound but acknowledges that passersby will have a different response to it.
“They're gonna say ‘What's that clack, clack, clack sound?’” said Lee.
The president of Vancouver Pickleball Association Greg Feehan said
courts per 100,000 residents is over four times the number in Vancouver, according to data provided by Ronith Cogswell, Vancouver Pickleball Association media person.
Surrey pickleball player Jeffery Chan said the court at South Surrey Recreation & Arts Centre has long wait times in the summer.
Pickleball BC board member David Snell said many pickleball clubs are no longer taking new members because of this.
“It’s a problem now,” Snell said.
An easy sport to pick up for people of any age and ability, pickleball has emerged as an attractive sport for many, according to Fryer, who is 96 years old.
in a blog post, “If courts are placed at least 100 m away from the closest residence, the problem is solved.”
Members of the Vancouver Pickleball Association have been pushing for more courts, including one in Memorial South Park.
Lee said she went through a five year process just to get the city of Vancouver to build a dedicated pickleball court in Queen Elizabeth Park in South Vancouver.
In order to do so she had to get a 3,000 person petition signed, provide testimonials from her students, and do multiple TV spots to raise awareness.
Even cities that have pickleball facilities are feeling the pinch. In Surrey the number of pickleball
“I think it’s popular because anybody can play,” Fryer said. “And because it’s so easy to learn. You know, older people can play.”
Chan, 26, said younger players are also picking up paddles.
“Right now as the younger generation come in it’s become more and more intense and fast-paced,” he said.
The Pickleball Canada survey estimated that eight per cent of Canadian households report at least one member plays pickleball once per month.
“No other sport’s like that,” said Surrey player Matthew Annan. “It’s blowing everything away.”
The lack of a campus sports field at Langara is presenting challenges for the Falcons, including coaches having to host recruitment camps all across Metro Vancouver, and scheduling problems for student athletes.
With a new soccer recruitment session coming up in April, Falcons’ coaches are gearing up to travel outside of Vancouver to recruit new players.
Marc Rizzardo, head coach of the men’s soccer team, said the team uses fields all over Metro Vancouver for recruitment, practices and games because soccer pitches in Vancouver are rarely available to book. He said booking fields through the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has been a problem for him for the past 34 years.
“Vancouver’s Park Board is noncommunicative,” he said. “Whatever the reason is, they won’t allow us to book fields in Vancouver.”
In the PACWEST conference, Langara College is the only school without a soccer pitch on one of its campuses, or access to one within a couple of blocks.
“They [Vancouver Park Board] just don’t understand that there's only one college in Vancouver that has an athletic program and that they should be supporting it,” said Rizzardo.
During the 2022-23 regular season, the Falcons soccer teams played home games in Burnaby, with half played at Swangard Stadium in Central Park and half at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.
Alvin Prasad, head coach of the women’s soccer team, said he has been meeting potential recruits around the region.
The women’s team has not hosted an official recruitment session this year and Prasad said the lack of a
“If you're waiting for city parks and things, there's always a process,” Prasad said. “You're still at the mercy of the city.”
It would be a lot easier if Langara had a field on campus, Prasad said.
Both coaches say they are often able to recruit players despite the lack of a campus field, but Rizzardo said the school needs better athletics facilities overall.
“The building's old. The gym is outdated. It's actually small and dangerous,” Rizzardo said. “They should be taking a blowtorch and blowing up the athletic building and put in a proper building including a weight room.”
Falcons
right-winger Bella Johnston said last fall the women’s soccer team practised at Memorial South Park near Fraser Street and East 41st Avenue. The field was only available at 7:30 a.m., forcing some athletes to choose between practice and class
“We had people who would have to leave a little early from practice to be able to get to campus on time,” Johnston said.
She said for a school like Langara, where students don’t live on campus, it would give the athletes more time to gel.
“I think that will really change the tide in terms of our results as well,” Johnston said.
The women’s soccer team did not win a single game this past season.
Chris Laxton, coach of Douglas College’s women’s soccer team, said an agreement with the City of Coquitlam gives them reliable access to a turf field next to their Coquitlam campus. New players getting the support they need has been key to their team’s success over the past decade.
“It makes it easier for us to schedule around what we need to do,” Laxton said.
With recruiting season in full swing, coaches and athletes must look outside Vancouver for a fieldHaving access to a dedicated sports field allows for ease in organizing practices and matches. ERIN CONNERS PHOTO By ERIN CONNERS
“I think the greatest problem in pickleball is the sound of the ball, that people don't like it in their area .”
“They should be taking a blowtorch and blowing up the athletic building.”
— MARC RIZZARDO, HEAD COACH LANGARA FALCONS MEN'S TEAM
