The Voice • April 8, 2021 • Volume 54 • Issue 7

ARTS AND LIFE

Street artists

Can Vancouver graffiti artists get the same exposure as mural artists? P3

BUSINESS

COVID ventures

The Voice explores whether enterprises made in the pandemic will survive post recovery. P2

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How Studio 58 is continuing to perform through the COVID-19 pandemic. langaravoice.ca

APRIL 8, 2021 • VOL. 55 NO. 07 • VANCOUVER, B.C.

Care package program

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Supply chain derailed amid pandemic bike boom Check out LangaraVoice.ca

While vaccines have begun rolling out in British Columbia, some vulnerable individuals in the South Vancouver region are still fighting social isolation and inaccessibility due to COVID19.

The South Hill Neighbours program “Care Packages for Neighbours in Need” was launched to combat this issue and provide those isolated individuals with a bit of comfort.

While the program was supposed to end Feb. 15, it was extended to compensate for the large number of ‘Neighbours in Need’ in the area.

Amber Hitchen, a resident of South Vancouver, created the program when she noticed how many people around her were struggling.

“It’s just the underlying anxiety that people are experiencing,” Hitchen said.

Sheri Parke, the Community Coordinator at Neighbourhood Small Grants, said the program allows neighbours to take care of one another and know they’re not alone.

“It gives people a little boost and lets them know there are other people out there thinking about them,” Parke said.

Neighbours can nominate an isolated person to receive a care package, which might include tea, a mug, crossword puzzles, treats and a resource booklet to help them keep connected with their community.

— MANAV ARORA

Students: don't fear COVID taxes

Despite stressful financial year, experts say returns should be close to 2019  By MAXINE ELLIS

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lthough many students had taken advantage of CERB, EI and other benefits from the government in the past year, experts are reassuring students they can expect a similar tax return this year.

The COVID-19 pandemic had created many different financial challenges for students in the past year.

Many people were laid off and took advantage of CERB and EI payments.

Some students believe that these allowances which they took advantage of will make for an even more complicated and stressful tax season.

Experts want to reassure students this isn’t the case.

According to the Canadian Revenue Agency website, those who applied for CERB will have each cheque taxed as if it were their regular monthly income, so most students

can expect to owe a similar amount to the one they owed the previous year.

The key for some students will be to make the most of online resources and allowable deductions.

One of the most efficient tools for students during tax season is Turbotax, according to Vikas Darmaraj, a recent business graduate from Simon Fraser University.

“It’s pretty idiot-proof. They can integrate a bunch of information from the CRA website,” Darmaraj said.

“You can import a bunch of information and it's already pre-filled out.”

Students can obtain a T22 form from their school, which outlines exactly how much of their school expenses they can deduct from their total income.

Chantelle Hechanova has been working toward getting her finance licence while she shadows Darmaraj during his financial education sessions.

“Make sure you’re mindful and keep track of things throughout the year, what are big things you will be taxed on and get deducted off. School is a big one of course,” Hechanova said.

For students who are working jobs and are taking classes from home, one benefit students may want to take advantage of this tax season is the new work-from-home tax credit, which allows Canadians working from home to deduct up to $400 from their income for employment expenses.

Marcella Baratta Ribeiro from the Langara Accounting Club said that Langara students can reach out to its members as well through social media for help with their taxes. Ribeiro also suggests students use the free SimpleTax program to file their taxes and emphasizes the importance of being organized before tax season comes around.

“One thing that is key for tax filing is

organization,” Ribeiro said. “Consolidate all your slips or documents in the same place during the year like medical expenses and employment slips. The main thing is to have all your documents together ahead of tax season so you can file them on time,”.

For many students filing taxes on

“One thing that is key for tax filing is organization.”

— MARCELLA BARATTA RIBEIRO, CO-PRESIDENT LANGARA ACCOUNTING CLUB

their own for the first time, this is an excellent opportunity for them to become more financially literate, said Darmaraj, who has been helping young people better understand how to do their taxes and get the most out

of their money.

“If I gave you $1,000 and you had to pay $500 away in taxes or you [could] pay $400 in taxes, which one would you choose?” Darmaraj said. “Essentially the government has created vehicles for us that we can use to acquire tax efficient growth with our money, we just don’t have the education to know what those vehicles are because our schooling system doesn’t teach it to us.”

Sarah Fleming is a second-year Langara photography student who has her parents help her file her taxes. She’s thinking of running her own business some day.

“I think it would be useful as a small business owner to learn how I have to file my taxes when I start making enough income [to create a small business],” Fleming said.

“It would be cool if there were free classes or videos on how to apply for those things.”

Businessnews Some small businesses thrive despite COVID-19  By ALAINA SAINT AMOUR

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espite the economic recession caused by the pandemic, more British Columbians are turning to entrepreneurship.

According to a Royal Bank national survey, 112,000 Canadian small businesses closed between January and May 2020, and by January 2021 the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reported one in six business owners were considering permanently closing. However, recently there has been a surge in entrepreneurship in British Columbia.

Andrea Welling, the regional director for Futurpreneur B.C., anonfor-profit organization that offers entrepreneurs capital and mentorship, said it’s seen a 25 per cent increase in applications and 15 per cent increase in grants and loans given to start-Nups over the past fiscal year. “[Entrepreneurs] have got a little bit of extra time to finally kind of decide to execute that business that they've been thinking about, and that's what they're doing,” Welling said.

In March 2020, when the first wave of pandemic restrictions occurred, Ryan Parfitt of Luppolo Brewing in East Vancouver co-founded BeerVan alongside Chris Charron of Slow Hand Beer Company. BeerVan is a mobile craft beer service that makes food and beverage deliveries across Vancouver, offering a safe way of getting a cold one.

“We were sure that we didn't want to start using one of those services like DoorDash and SkipTheDishes.

They just take such a large percentage of sales, don't provide a great service, and they don't treat their employees very well,” Parfitt said.

BeerVan delivers daily throughout Metro Vancouver and processes as

EDITOR MEG MCLACHLAN | THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021 | THE VOICE

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BIZ RISK PAYS OFF

Ryan Parfitt takes a break from delivering food and beer for customers with his new company BeerVan in East Vancouver. (ALAINA SAINT AMOUR/PHOTO)

many as 50-60 orders a day. Parfitt said the supportive local community and collaborating with other breweries has been key in BeerVan gaining success.

“The biggest element of our success was working together. I think if I tried to do this on my own it never would have would have worked [out] and it never would have been anywhere near as successful,” Parfitt said.

Deland Jessop, a Langara College instructor in the school of management, encourages those who wish to become entrepreneurs to be prepared.

“I'm hoping a lot more students are realizing, [they need to] be responsi-

ble for my own success,” Jessop said.

“Maybe launch[ing] a business might be the best way to go. It might hurt, but it might make them stronger.”

When the pandemic hit and the restrictions on restaurants were implemented, Parfitt said it was difficult being in the hospitality industry.

BeerVan has been a way to help keep Luppolo alive and thriving, especially during the months it was closed.

“BeerVan’s probably been the driving factor for our success, or rather, [Luppolo Brewing] not going out of business. So it's been really awesome,” Parfitt said.

SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY

B.C.'S OVERVIEW

65% Of B.C. small businesses are fully operational

SOURCE: CFIB SURVEY MARCH 2021

45% Of B.C. small businesses are at or above normal staffing capacity

35% Of B.C. small businesses are at or above normal revenues

Campusnews

Unemployment won't last long for grads Experts predict swift turnaround after dire pandemic job loss  By HANNAH SNIDER

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ne year into the pandemic, post-secondary graduating students fear they are entering an economy of unprecedented unemployment and a financial recession.

As of March, the national unemployment level rose to 9.4 per cent.

The highest rate since August 2020.

British Columbia closed out the year at 8.8 per cent unemployment, nearly doubling from 2019.

But some experts say graduates entering the workforce, have nothing to worry about. And compared to other recessions throughout Canadian history, economically the coun-

try is in good shape. a substantial amount of recovery COVID era is hard to say because According to W. Craig Riddell, happen [and again] during Septem- the downturn and recovery is just so an economics professor at UBC ber and October.” different than other previous receswho studies economic displacement As a third wave of COVID-19 sions.” and unemployment, the decline infections makes its way across According to Jesse Rothstein, econin the economy is a direct omist and professor at the response to the decline in University of California, demand since the start of Berkley, theose who grad“The return of the the pandemic. uate and start their careers economy during While many employees in recessions generally have stopped going into the office worse economic outcomes the pandemic and worked from home, than those who graduate has been other sectors such as tourin times of growth. ism and hospitality, were In his paper, "The Lost extraordinary.” affected more directly.

Generation? Scarring after — W. CRAIG RIDDELL “It’s been extremely the Great Recession", SUBMITTED PHOTO UBC ECONOMICS PROFESSOR uneven across the economy published in May 2019, and that is very different Rothenstein said, "Gradthan other downturns,” Riddell said. the province, it may still be a while uates who started their careers in the In many ways, it has made recov- before life returns to normal, but immediate aftermath of the Great ery far more predictable and swift Riddell believes graduating students Recession of 2008, for instance, had compared to other economic crises shouldn’t be as affected long term as lower employment rates and lower Canada has seen. graduates of previous recessions. earnings all through their first decade “The return of the economy during “People graduating during a reces- after college compared with people at the pandemic has been extraordi- sion don’t do as well in the first few the same age who graduated before nary. We [saw] a huge, enormous years. They take longer to get a foot- the recession hit." drop in March and April last year. hold in the job market,” Riddell said.

Saige Flaumitsch is graduatAnd by even July or August, we saw “Whether that will be true in the ing from the family and commu-

nity counselling diploma program at the Native Education College in Vancouver. She is concerned the lack of proper, in person training, might make her less desirable to a potential employer.

“My teacher will tell us not to go in person, so we don’t get a lot of [client] interaction.”

There has been a demand for counselling services during this time, however Flaumistch says there are still barriers to obtaining a job right away.

Especially in the beginning of the pandemic when Flaumistch said the staff at counselling centres were working from home and getting training was nearly impossible.

Flaumitsch is hopeful as the demand for counselling and outreach services continues to rise over the next few years, there will be a job for her.

“I live on the downtown east side myself and with the f irst wave of COVID, there was no supports for me. I think they are realizing there needs to be more supports in place,” said Flaumitsch.

Arts&life

EDITOR CAROLINE EGAN | THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021 | THE VOICE

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Top left photo: Graffiti mural combination piece by Def3, Vancouver, B.C. Right

SUBMITTED PHOTO DEF3

Below: Hyperrealistic mural piece decorates an alley wall behind Main street in Vancouver, B.C. PHOTO TESSA BARTHOLOMEUSZ

Bottom left: "Waggle Dance"mural piece by Jennifer Clark for the Vancouver Mural Festival 2020, Vancouver, B.C. SUBMITTED PHOTOS JENNIFER CLARK

Bottom right: Def3 signing his artwork in Vancouver, B.C. SUBMITTED PHOTO DEF3

Graffitists want legit walls for their art Creating a platform to help tell artists' colourful stories, and to show that they aren't all vandals  By TESSA BARTHOLOMEUSZ

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man who goes by the artist’s name Def3, has been doing graffiti-style murals in Vancouver for the past 17 years. He said the reputation given to graffiti artists is an unfair depiction.

“There is kind of an archaic way of thinking about graffiti where people thought lettering and things like that [were] gang-related,” Def3 said.

The frustration and the divide between mural and graffiti artists come from graffiti artists feeling left behind by the people in charge of commissioning the public workspaces to paint in events like the Vancouver Mural Festival.

“There are often people who do mural fests, and they don’t include any of the street artists,” Def3 said.

The Vancouver Mural Festival does commission both mural artists and graffiti artists. However, a lot of new artists that have never painted a mural get hired over experienced graffiti artists, Def3 said. This is a part of the conflict between the two communities, he said.

“Same thing with city funded projects. Often the true graffiti artists are

left out of the equation,” Def3 said.

“The beauty of graffiti art is that it’s just out there and can range from trains where it started in subways in New York,” Def3 said.

When Dulux Paints was approached to donate paint and their store wall by the Vancouver Mural Festival, they saw it as a chance to bridge the divide

"Often the true graffiti artists are left out of the equation."

— DEF3, GRAFFITI ARTIST

between mural artists and graffiti artists.

Colleen Crawford, store group manager for Dulux Paints at 2630 Main St. in Vancouver, said graffiti is challenging because the City of Vancouver penalizes business owners and artists for illegal graffiti.

Illegal graffiti is any letter, symbol or unauthorized art not sanctioned by the property owner.

“So, it really was a perfect fit,” Crawford said. “Not only could we supply and support the project, but

we could also be a beneficiary of it.”

Crawford said she wishes there was a better avenue for graffiti that wouldn’t be disruptive to business property.

“It’s an indication of frustration and people are really just trying to express themselves,” Crawford said about the excessive tagging of graffiti vandalism on the garbage bins outside of her business.

Dulux Paints donated its store wall and supplied paint to both mural and graffiti artists. In 2020 the festival created 60 new murals across the city and hosted online art shows.

Nick Collinet, project manager of the Vancouver Mural Festival, said graffiti has a purpose in the community. The roots of graffiti in public art have been an important part of taking back public space and telling influential stories.

“We’re just going to keep painting to brighten up our neighbourhood,” Collinet said. The festival commissions both mural and graffiti-style art.

Jennifer Clark, a Vancouver-based mural artist, said the festival is a chance to showcase her work.

“It’s an honour and a dream to have one of your pieces be up within a space in your community because it gives you a voice,” she said.

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Sciencenews

TYSON BURROWS | THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021 | THE VOICE

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Compost this coffee pod, just not in Vancouver

City facilities unequipped to process bioplastics like the Nexe Pod's inner liner

Zachary Hudson has been working with Nexe Innovations for three years to achieve a coffee pod which fully composts in as little at 35 days in the proper facility. PHOTO COURTESY OF UBC MEDIA RELATIONS  By SENA LAW

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new compostable coffee pod has been created by UBC’s Zachary Hudson, though things may not be as green as they seem. In the right facility, the product can be fully composted. In Vancouver, our green waste facilities are unable to do the same.

Hudson, a Vancouver-based chemist, launched the Nexe Pod along with Nexe Innovations in February, marketing it as a fully compostable coffee pod that will keep coffee fresher for longer, which other recyclable coffee pods have struggled to achieve.

The pod is made up of a bamboo outer jacket and a bioplastic inner capsule — the latter making it possible

to be properly composted only in special organic waste facilities, like Surrey Biofuel which was opened in 2018.

In these facilities, the new coffee pods turn into compost in as little as 35 days.

But in Vancouver, biodegradable or bioplastic products, such as the Nexe Pod, are nearly guaranteed to end up in the landfill, according to Kai-lani Rutland, a representative from Vancouver Landfill. Rutland said this is due to the fact that bioplastics are labelled as contaminants and cannot be processed properly.

“Contaminants are most likely to be removed from composting and recycling streams and then disposed of at landfill or incinerator,” Rutland said. The city encourages food vendors

and residents to choose reusable alternatives wherever possible.

Michael Levenston, executive director of City Farmer, a group that operates the city's compost hotline, said bioplastics are labelled as contaminants because of the majority of facilities’ inability to distinguish between them and conventional plastics.

“You’re dealing with the garbage world, which is a mysterious world,” Levenston said. “You want to think all the green waste does go to a compost

facility, but unless you’re on the trucks, you don’t know where it’s going.”

According to the City of Vancouver’s Doug Thomas, the city’s compost has two destinations.

Green waste is routed to GFL Environmental in Delta, while yard trimmings head to the Vancouver Landf ill. At both sites, the material is turned into compost, but neither is fully equipped to process b i o pl a s t i c s . W h e n included, these products degrade the quality of the finished compost.

Vancouver has no plans to develop an organics processing facility, Thomas said.

Currently, a Keurig-compatible

K-Cup is available online, and Nexe Innovations plans to have Nespressocompatible pods out for late 2021.

Over 40 billion similar coffee pods find their way into landfills per year.

Each pod takes around 100 to 150 years to fully decompose, Hudson said.

Hudson said that he believes the Nexe Pod is thriving because of its convenience when it comes to recycling, and that even if the product ends up in a landfill, “it’s not going to be any worse than a regular plastic pod.”

“All of the regular plastic pods are going to landfill anyway,” he said. “The recycling rate is less than one per cent.”

“We are looking to displace all kinds of single-use plastics,” Hudson said.

“Coffee is really just the first sort of target market that we have.”

New UBC network to localize data on air pollution Data collected to look at B.C. air quality closer than ever before  By CHRISTI WALTER

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team of UBC experts wants to measure Vancouver’s air quality in finer detail than what is currently possible to help combat localized pollution issues.

A coalition of researchers from varying disciplines have teamed up as the Rapid Air Improvement Network (RAIN) to test local air quality for quick data collection.

Using sensors ranging in size from that of a cell phone to that of a loaf of bread, RAIN plans to gather highly specific air quality research to

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compare air pollution and emissions across regions. They will also study the impact of new technologies on the air we breathe.

Steven Rogak, one of RAIN’s principal investigators, said localized differences in air quality are difficult for existing networks to pick up because they’re too sparse. RAIN will be able to make up for this gap.

The team wants to analyze and collect data from local areas, which can be coupled with local developmental policies and issues of social justice, according to Rogak.

“Some communities are more affected than others, for example,” he said. “These are things that the existing networks can’t typically pick up on because there just aren’t enough sensors.”

One of their first projects will be

measuring the air quality in some newer buildings at UBC with different HVAC systems. But Rogak said their goal is to expand their research quickly to other areas.

“Often [the sensors] are battery operated, so you could put them on a streetlight or a moving vehicle.

Imagine putting them on police cars or taxis,” said Michael Brauer, a RAIN team member and a professor of medicine at UBC. “They’re actually moving and they’re computing data into a server, but it’s real-time information and it also gives you much more granular information — like right here, right now.”

They also plan to monitor the impacts of wildf ire smoke which might inspire communities to do things like offer local clean air shelters when heavy smoke hits the area.

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“We want to test new technologies or, let’s say, policy actions, repeatedly evaluate whether they work or not, and then sort of scale up,” Brauer said.

An estimated 15,300 premature deaths per year can be linked to air pollution in Canada, according to a 2021 Health Canada report.

Michael Brauer The World Health UBC PROFESSOR OF O r g a n i z a t i o n MEDICINE reports that worldwide, nine out of 10 people breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits for pollutants. Low- and middle-income countries are most at risk.

Brauer says air pollution has been found to affect everything from Sena Law Emily Lyth Etuviere Mrakpor Alaina Saint Amour Hannah Snider Patrick Wachter Christi Walter WRITE TO US langaravoice @gmail.com

birthweight to neurodevelopmental diseases.

The team has an eye to expand their research globally.

“We’re seeing now around four million deaths globally every year that we would say are attributable to air pollution,” said Brauer. “If you took away air pollution, we would see four million less deaths that year.”

RAIN will receive $2 million in funding for its upcoming research from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.

Mark Lagacé, Senior Programs Officer at CFI, said the organization aims to invest in new research that’s going to provide a benefit to Canadians.

“Things that have a direct impact on air quality will have a direct impact on everybody,” Lagacé said.

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