The Voice • November 17, 2022 • Volume 56 • Issue 3

Feral hops

Homestay risk

Some international students feel cornered, helpless when homestays go bad. P3

Lost letters

Buy low now, buy far later

By RIGO BACALTOS

The potential redevelop ment of the Buy-Low Foods grocery store on Fraser Street could leave many locals without an all-purpose market.

Locals have long relied on the only all-purpose grocery store on Fraser Street between 41st Avenue and Southeast Marine Drive and would be left spending more time and money traveling to further locations to buy food.

Bridgette Cayabyab, a resi dent who regularly purchases her groceries from Buy-Low Foods, is worried about the store’s closure. She said that the potential redevel opment would put immense stress on her and her family.

“I’m kind of scared because my family depends on it a lot, and it has all the stuff that we need,” said Cayabyab, who does not own a car and would now need to take the bus to grocery shop.

Customer Mariam Tang said Buy-Low Foods has specialized selections for produce which she is unable to find in other markets. She said the redevelopment will be a challenge for her.

“It would be a little hassle,” Tang said. She shopped at Buy-Low Foods after “hitting three grocery stores” that didn’t have what she needed to buy. “This store is a little more specialized.”

The proposed development would allow for a seven-story mixed-use building.

An application is in place for the 6095 Fraser St site with the City of Vancouver.

By ANDREA DANTE

As ABC Vancouver takes over Vancouver city hall and moves ahead with a promise to make drink ing in public parks permanent, some Langara students wonder if nearby Langara Park is ready for that.

From June 3 to Oct. 16, the Vancouver park board temporar ily allowed alcohol consumption at Langara Park and in 21 other parks across the city.

According to the City of Vancou

ver, each pilot park had to guaran tee public amenities such as garbage cans and washrooms to maintain cleanliness.

It was the first year Langara Park was included in the project, which also included a pilot in the summer of 2021.

ABC Vancouver, which won a majority on the Vancouver park board in the October civic election, promised to make drinking a perma nent feature in Vancouver parks.

Langara social sciences and humanities students began a study in May on the pilot program to iden

tify its issues and strengths.

The closest amenities for Langara Park are at the college and Langara Family YMCA, neither of which are designed to handle park users drink ing alcohol.

A public park board survey conducted after the first year of the pilot project showed one of the main concerns was littering, said Apsara Coeffic-Neou, a design formation student who worked on the study.

“I can’t remember if they mentioned broken glasses, but that was something I certainly brought forward.”Colin Mills, an instructor

in Langara’s geography department who guided the student study, would not comment on the suitability of the pilot project, but said it would take a long time to update drink ing parks to acceptable standards of cleanliness and hygiene.

He said the success of adapting the parks to public drinking will depend on how seriously the city takes the results of the project.

“It will be many years before all of that gets rolled out and turned into things on the ground,” Mills said.

Kenneth King, the rezoning applicant and architect for the redevelopment, said Buy-Low Foods owners supported the appli cation and the store would even tually move into the new building once construction is finished.

“It’s been a successful grocery store,” he said of the Buy-Low, which has been at that location for the last 20 years.

King said the application process needs to be reviewed by the City of Vancouver, but the public can still voice their concerns and provide feedback.

Langara feral hops project hopes to level playing field for Canadian producers. P2

CAMPUS

Locals might be forced to travel for groceries if Fraser Street's Buy-Low Foods is redeveloped

Hopped up and feral for B.C. beer

Unique hops could change craft beer industry

By SAMANTHA HOLOMAY

In their quest to breathe new life into the local B.C. hops industry, Langara researchers are brewing new feral strains they hope will be a hit on the craft brewing scene.

Ji Yong Yang and Kelly Sveinson have worked on a ground-breaking project for five years. They first identified new species of feral hops in the wild, then grew them to establish their hardiness.

“The ones that we’re working on will perform the same function as other hops, but we're trying to develop hops that are from B.C.,” said Sveinson.

Now, they are testing them for the first time to see whether they make good beer. If the beer is good, they hope to patent the hops and allow B.C. and Canadian farmers to grow them “to give them a competitive edge in this hop industry,” Yang said.

Hops are the key ingredient in brewing craft beer and significantly impact the beer's flavour and profile.

The number of craft breweries in B.C. has almost quadrupled in the last decade, according to the BC Craft Brewers Guild.

The explosion in the number of craft breweries initially led to many new hop farms emerging. However, because the Americans patented the most popular strains of hops, B.C. breweries turned to the U.S. to source their hops. As a result, many of the province’s farms were forced to shut down.

Ken Beattie, BC Craft Brew

invested in the Langara feral hops project as a commercial partner.

Island Hop Company is presently growing the same feral hops from the Langara project on their farm. Mayich said he is waiting to see how the varying weather climate affects the hops growth and flavour profile.

“In Canada right now, we don't have a variety of our own that's truly born and bred here. This will be a nice stepping stone to start getting it,” said Mayich.

Ken Malenstyn, the co-owner of Barnside Brewing Co., said that as they brew larger batches of the feral hops in the future, they will have good indications on how they perform.

Library lets down learners

College and students not on same page

By MARCO SHUM

Students at Langara wish the library was open longer.

Wyatt Orbeil, a secondyear student in the recreation stud ies program at the college, was frustrated by the operating hours and recently was told to pack up and leave the library while he was work ing on a dead line.

“It doesn't cost a lot to keep the space open and available for students longer. Instead, it creates more frustration where many other post-secondary institutions are actually open 24/7 for students to be able to work and study,” Orbeil said.

The opening hours for the library are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., from Monday to Thursday. On Fridays, it is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on week ends, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The library hours have been a frequent topic of discussion by students at the college board of governors.

Maria Alonso Villela, an inter national student and student repre sentative on the board, said that

considering the tuition fees that students pay, they are not getting a return on services.

Villela said she's made it her mission at board meetings to advo cate for expanding the library hours for students. “They did listen, and we sometimes discussed it for a few minutes, but it never had the rele vance compared to other issues,” she said.

Debbie Schachter, interim direc tor of the library, said the operating hours are based on demand. She said the staff walk around the library at closing time, and count the number of students still using it.

“It's based on the evidence of use,” Schachter said.

The Voice informally surveyed 30 students at the library this week on library hours, and more than two-thirds of those surveyed said they wanted longer hours.

Daniela Matheu, an internet and web technology student, said the library is always full due to the return of in-person teaching, after the college campus was closed during the pandemic.

“They can ask more students, they will be surprised how many people actually need to use the library in our extended schedule,” Matheu said. “Maybe they just didn't consider it because they don't really know how many people need it.”

ers Guild executive director, said producing beers with fresher ingre dients is crucial to the success of the hop growing industry.

“People will wait with bated breath to get the latest fresh hop beer,” he said.

Since the craft brewery industry's resurgence, the focus he says has been on brewing fresh local hops. He suggested that B.C.’s hop farm ing market needs to attract interest by promoting local products.

Josh Mayich owner and operator of Island Hop Company in P.E.I.

“You're tasting a local flavour that’s developed by mother nature, by terroir, by the soil, by the climate,” he said. “That's something that you’re not getting when you’re all buying ingredients from the same distributor.”

As B.C. approaches peak season for fresh hops, partners of the feral hop project, like Mayich, hope to keep the local beer conversation alive.

“It's a cool thing that we’re trying to do here, and I hope it works out,” Mayich said.

Barnside Brewing Co. employee fills a glass with beer. PHOTO: SAMANTHA HOLOMAY

Students inside the library, taken from outside at night. PHOTO: MARCO SHUM

“You’re tasting a local flavour that’s developed by mother nature, by terroir, by the soil, by the climate.”

— KEN MALENSTYN CO-OWNER OF BARNSIDE BREWING CO.

“Many other postsecondary institutions are actually open 24/7 for students to be able to work and study.”

— WYATT ORBEIL, LANGARA STUDENT

Homestays: haven or hell?

Hostile and insecure conditions scare students into leaving homestays

By JOYCE LIEW &

JAY SCHNELL

Blood drops on the floor, external padlocks on doors and video monitoring were the last things one student expected to encounter upon arrival at their homestay.

The student, who asked to remain unidentified for safety reasons, booked the homestay last summer through Qual ity Homestay, a Vancou ver-based agency which connects international students with host families. In another case, a Langara international student from Indonesia named Michelle, who has no last name, went through the Langara Homestay Program. She said she was left home alone for a month with her host family’s daugh ter and son, both under 25, while the hosts were away.

When they move from another country, often without family or friends, finding a safe, comfortable place to stay can be a gamble, accord ing to some students. “The first day that I arrived, there was blood on the floor in the front,” the Quality Homestay student said of the host family’s apartment.

The student said the Burnaby homestay host told them the people who lived there before “were crazy.” Photos taken by the student showed cameras that monitored the premises inside. They said one pointed towards the bathroom and their bedroom door. “If the bedroom or the bathroom was open then the cameras could see inside,” the student said. Another

photo showed locks on the outside of the doors and notes taped to a wall.

One read: “has camera, we can see you, what you doing.” Another note read: “This is not hotel.”

The student recounted a day when they were followed home by a man and arrived home in tears. Accord ing to the student, the host, Eliza beth Fernandez, poked fun at them, asking, “oh, have you seen your boyfriend again on the street?”

The Voice reached out to Fernan dez, who initially stated she did not have time for students, then abruptly hung up the phone. .

Michelle was initially understand ing of her hosts' extended absence, but soon realized their responsibili ties were not being met. She also felt uncomfortable with her hosts, whom she described as often being “mad” at her. “Their behavior made me stay at school from morning until close almost every day,” Michelle said. “It

ara Homestay intervene. Reluc tantly, Michelle chose to talk to the hosts herself because she feared they would get angry with her if Langara Homestay got involved.

“I was too afraid about what they [would] do, given I have no housing options at that time and still living in their house,” Michelle said. “They can do anything to me, anytime, since I live in the house, they provide food, and my room has no lock.”

The Voice asked Peters about whether it was allowable for Michelle's hosts to be absent for that amount of time. Peters initially refused to comment on the student's case, citing confidentiality but also insisted the student wasn’t “left alone in the house.”

On its website, Quality Home stay states that “we look for homes where a guest will feel welcomed and safe.” The Voice tracked down Qual ity Homestay, the agency listed on the homestay contract between the student and Fernandez. However, a call to the agency’s phone number went directly to voicemail and the primary email address was invalid and bounced back.

The company’s office on Robson Street was found vacant, with people working in neighbour ing businesses saying they hadn’t seen anyone for two months.

was awful to bear with the house situation.” She said she reached out to Langara Homestay Program staff for help.

Valerie Peters, manager of the Langara Homestay Program, told the Voice they always give students the option of speaking to the host family themselves, or have Lang

Opengovca.com — a site that provides open access to data issued by Canada government agencies — listed Quality Homestays’ status in the 2022 fiscal year as “gone out of business.”

Sarah Hicks, the City of Vancou ver’s chief licence inspector, told the Voice in an email that home stay businesses are required to apply for licences to operate rent als in Vancouver. Applications are reviewed and processed by the city’s

licensing office. In the requirement, host families are responsible to maintain a safe physical condition of property.

Host families are not required to undergo background checks. “Police information checks are not a routine requirement for residential rental type business licences,” Hicks said.

Kimberly Liu, operator of the agency

Homestay Vancouver, said it is the agency’s responsibility to main tain quality and check in with hosts and students frequently. Liu said it is very important that the agency maintains an active relationship with the host families. “I visit every

host family that registers with me,” she said.

According to the B.C. govern ment, the Residential Tenancy Act "does not apply to living accommo dation in which the tenant shares bathroom or kitchen facilities with the owner of that accommodation.” Michelle said her talk with the host family made the situation worse and her family eventually flew in from Indonesia to help her find a new place to stay.

The Quality Homestay student also sought a new homestay. “This homestay seems really cool,” they said. “They’re so nice to me.”

A Quality Homestay student is welcomed with a pad lock on their bedroom door, leaving them unsettled about their homestay living conditions. SUBMITTED PHOTO

“The first day that I arrived, there was blood on the floor.”

— QUALITY HOMESTAY STUDENT

A

Quality Homestay student was left this message in their room by their host, Elizabeth Fernandez. SUBMITTED PHOTO

“Their behviour made me stay at school from morning until close almost every day.”

— MICHELLE LANGARA HOMESTAY STUDENT

JOYCE LIEW PHOTO

Nationals return to Langara after 16 years

Humber triumph, Falcons fifth in riveting tourney

By NICK NAYLOR

For the first time in 14 years, Lang ara College hosted the men’s soccer national championship this month, with teams from all six Canadian Collegiate Athletic Associa tion conferences.

The Humber Hawks of Ontario preserved their crown, defeating the Seneca Sting in an all-Ontario final to clinch the title a third time in five years. The Langara Falcons finished in fifth place.

Langara journalism’s department covered the elite event, which ran Nov.

9-11 at the Langley Events Centre, and used professional-grade telephoto lenses provided by Sony Canada. Students from the college’s registered massage therapy program, the office for student engage ment and the VOLT volunteer program were also involved in the championship.

The full-fledged tournament was welcomed after two years of COVID-19 disruptions and restrictive protocols.

“Student-athletes will be able to live the full national championships experi ence this season with opening and closing ceremonies, banquets and a complete game schedule,” CCAA CEO, Sandra Murray-

MacDonell told the Voice.

With Langara as host — and its journal ism department providing daily coverage of the event — the CCAA soccer cham pionship returns to B.C., the home of the tournament’s inception.

It began in 1983, with Seneca College of Toronto, Ontario defeating Nanai mo’s Malaspina College 1-0 at Capilano University in North Vancouver.

This year, the league switched to Derby Star for its official tournament ball. Stone says Derby Star is used by the Canadian Premier League, where players will often transition to after graduating.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Langara Falcons' Kazuki Nakanishi challenges two Nomades De Montmorency players in bronze semifinal at the CCAA men's soccer championships in Langley

ANDREA DANTE PHOTO

TOP: Nomades De Montmo rency's Omar Elkalkouli is narrowly blocked by Hurricanes goalkeeper Keegan Mckinnon.

JUAN RAM REZ RESTROPO PHOTO

BOTTOM-RIGHT: Nomades player Yassine Taitah challenges for posses sion against Trojans player Jacob Hunter in the bronze medal match.

JORDAN COPP PHOTO

BOTTOM-CENTRE: A yellow card is given to Humber Hawks player Damion Kaye. CORVIN VASKI PHOTO

BOTTOM-LEFT: Marko Ilich from SAIT launches a kick in the bronze medal game against the Nomades.

CHRIS HARCOURT PHOTO

Hawks edge Sting to retain crown

By SETH FORWARD

The Humber Hawks beat the nine-man Seneca Sting on Saturday 2-1, preserving their title as CCAA men’s soccer national cham pions after a dramatic overtime battle that came down to the wire.

The Hawks, who have swept seven of the last 10 national champion ship titles, capitalized on a two-man advantage, after two Seneca players were ejected from the match.

Humber midfielder Federico Leal shattered Seneca hearts in the 105th minute, scoring the game-winning goal from close-range.

The Hawks were relentless in their search for victory. “We did what we needed to do, and we got the win,” said Hawks coach Michael Aquino.

Aquino, a five-time winner of the CCAA finals, said winning champi onships “never gets old.”

It took just 10 minutes for the allOntario contest to become conten tious.

A collision between Sting forward Alex Lewis and Humber keeper Holger Xhameta ended with Lewis getting sent off, putting Seneca down to 10 men.

The Sting bench was enraged, with head coach Patrice Gheisar earning a yellow card for letting the fourth official know how he felt. A whopping 15 cards were shown throughout the combative final.

The red card drastically changed the game, forcing Seneca to drop deep and soak up pressure, barely

getting the ball out of their own half.

In the 54th minute, Sting defender Steven Janjicek latched onto a loose ball, driving it past a helpless Xhameta to give Seneca a surprise 1-0 lead.

In another controversial call, Fran cisco Thomas-Cerros from the Sting was sent off in the 70th minute after getting a second yellow card for simulation. Gheisar said the second red card “broke our back.”

After their second red card, the Sting were holding on by a thread, essentially playing with eight defenders and a keeper.

“We did all we could,” said Ghei sar, while Sting defender Aaron Toniolo said playing down two play ers was “always going to be hard.”

The Hawks were finally able to break down the resolute Sting defense, equalizing in dramatic fash ion with one minute left in regular

time. A silky Hawks passing move forced Taniolo to deflect a teasing cross into his own net. Toniolo, who was nursing injuries on both his ankles, was visibly distraught after the goal.

A goal at the end of the first half of extra time put the Hawks in dreamland. Hawks midfielder Luca Uccello put in a driven cross which was saved by Anthony Guir rieri from the Sting, only for Leal

to pounce onto the loose ball and smash it into an empty net.

Toniolo, irritated with the calls throughout the match, skirted reporter post-match questions about the refereeing: “I don’t know if you want me to answer that.”

Humber coach Michael Aquino sympathized with Seneca’s red card woes: “I’ve been on that end, too.”

Though Toniolo was disappointed with the loss, he was proud of the team.

“Silver’s better than nothing,” he said.

In a team full of experienced play ers, it was rookie defender Danny Medeiros who won player of the game for the Hawks.

“I was crying,” said an ecstatic Medeiros. “Feels amazing. Hope fully I can do it again.”

Humber Hawks player kicks the ball while the Seneca Sting players try to block the shot. JUAN RAMĺREZ PHOTO

Humber Hawks players celebrate their gold medal win against the Seneca Sting. JUAN RAMĹREZ PHOTO

Falcons edge VIU in fight for 5th

Team says it wasn't the result it wanted but was glad to win its last match

The Langara Falcons managed to save face Saturday, capping a disap pointing tournament with a nervy 4-3 victory over the VIU Mariners in a battle for fifth place at the CCAA men’s soccer nationals.

Considered medal contenders when they arrived in Langley, B.C., both teams under-performed at the championship.

The Falcons, who lost the PACWEST final to VIU and only secured a nationals berth as hosts, had topped the PACWEST regu lar season standings. The Mariners — national champs in 2017 and silver medalists in 2019 — had been counting on the team’s adaptability and teamwork to land them on the podium again.

“It’s good to finish as a team,” midfielder Takumi Ota said, but added the results were still “not what we were looking for.”

In an action-packed rematch of the PACWEST final, the Falcons pulled ahead early, but a pair of late Mari ners’ goals provided a dramatic fight to the finish.

After 26 minutes, Mariners’ winger Hirotaka Nishikawa finished a dazzling run with an excellent finish to open the scoring.

The Falcons were finally rewarded for their dominant play two minutes later, tying the game after a blister ing shot by Athos Michellepis de Siqueira hit the post, leaving Ota an open net to score.

Two minutes into the second half, midfielder Ben Crowther dispatched a first-time shot into the bottom corner, giving the Falcons a 2-1 advantage.

In the 57th minute, a smooth Falcons counter attack orchestrated by Ota was finished by de Siqueira, who slipped the ball past VIU goal keeper Matteo Chirico to extend the hosts’ lead to 3-1.

Ota then breezed past the VIU

defense in the 75th minute, finishing his run with a deflected shot which looped into the net.

In the 79th minute, VIU striker Vasilis Bagiopoulos showed his class, netting his fourth goal of the tourna ment to make it 4-2.

He then doubled his tally from a corner only two minutes later to set up a nerve-wracking final 10 minutes for the Falcons.

The Mariners battled hard to try to complete a late comeback.

“The boys always want to win all the time,” said VIU head coach Kevin Lindo.

Mariners captain Michael Heppelle was given his second yellow card right before the final whistle. Lindo acknowledged, “it got a bit testy.”

However, he said the two teams have a “mutual respect” for each other.

Both teams are young with plenty of potential. Lindo said he “sees success and longevity,” in the Mari ners’ future.

Langara Falcons' Athos Michellepis de Siqueira and VIU Mariners' Travis Brown struggle to hold the ball at the Langley Events Centre on Nov. 12. RIVER KERO PHOTO

By SETH FORWARD

VIU Mariners' Hirotaka Nishikawa moves in on Langara's opposing defensive line. RIVER KERO PHOTO

Student Voice reporters leave nest

Journalism program goes live, provides Canada-wide coverage of national soccer tournament

 By SAMANTHA HOLOMAY

The Langara journalism and athletics depart ments have formed a partnership to bring cover age of the upcoming Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Soccer National Champi onships that Langara is hosting.

Langara was chosen to host the soccer tournament that will bring eight teams from across the country to compete for four days in Novem ber at the Langley Events Centre.

Jake McCallum, Langara director of student engagement and athlet ics, said the tournament offers many opportunities for anyone interested in writing or sports.

“When the journalism students are there, they're going to see these

student-athletes, the elation, the excitement, the pain, the loss, and emotion,” he said. “It’s an excel lent opportunity for students to get involved.”

the same time zone. Erica Bulman of Langara’s journalism department says it's a great opportunity to learn the basics of covering live sports.

“Their stories are going to be posted nationwide,” she said. “It’s a very rare experience where they get to cover a national sporting event and be part of that and experienc ing it first hand.”

Bulman JOURNALISM INSTRUCTOR, LANGARA COLLEGE

This partner ship will deliver stories, photos, and other forms of media to the CCAA and for the Langara Voice to use in publish ing. The asso ciation also gives students new opportunities on a national level of media coverage and unique learning experiences.

The Langara Falcons have some advantages by hosting, such as a short travel distance and staying in

Wade Kolmel, director of athlet ics at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, also hosted the CCAA Men’s Tournament coming out of the pandemic. He says the most challenging part about hosting a tournament is for the students.

“You're dealing with your own home environment, your own fans, your own friends, and balancing a school schedule while you’re hosting your own tournament.”

Montmorency captures first-ever medal

medal drought.

Seventh in the CCAA season rankings and having never climbed the nationals podium before, the Nomades did not figure among the hot contenders arriving at the tour nament.

Vela.

By SETH FORWARD

The Nomades de Montmo rency captured their firstever medal at a CCAA men’s national soccer championship, defeating the SAIT Trojans 2-0 on Saturday to clinch the bronze.

Two solid goals and a strong defense that shut out the Trojans helped the Nomades end their

They lost their opening game against Seneca, pushing them into the “backdoor bronze” consolation bracket.

But with its 11 starters and a strong stable of substitutes, the Nomades rallied to win the next three against Holland, Langara and then SAIT.

“So much work for the past two years to get one medal,” said Nomades head coach Francisco

After 90 minutes of scoreless action, the game went to overtime where the Nomades made quick work of the Trojans. Ali Tebbai broke the deadlock, notching the first goal of the game to put the Nomades ahead 1-0.

Montmorency’s Yassine El Moutaouakil added to that score 10 minutes later when he buried an insurance marker against the Trojans to solidify his team’s chances.

“I’ve been telling them how it felt

last year to leave without a medal, so they knew how important this was and it was very important to them,”

Vela said, recalling the Nomades’ fourth-place finish at last year’s nation als.

The SAIT Trojans entered the bronze medal contest with out their head coach Connor Brady, after he was suspended for receiving two yellow cards for protesting calls.

Brady was prohibited from being present at the match, leaving the team in the hands of assistant coach

The loss is a bittersweet ending for the Trojans, who upset North ern Alberta Institute of Technology in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference regional championship to secure their spot at nationals.

“The group’s been great,” said Trojans player Soliman Aria. “My first year at SAIT been absolutely phenomenal.”

Filled with confidence after their landmark win, the Nomades have even loftier goals now.

“The goal is to come back with the experience we got here this week and get something better next year,” said Montmorency’s Shaloom Chimpuki.

ABOVE: Student reporter Lauren Accili interviews a player from the Nomades de Montmorency. TOP-RIGHT: Student reporter Andrea Dante captures the action during the Langara Falcons vs Nomades de Montmorency match at the Langley Events Centre. BOTTOM-RIGHT: Journalism students Jordan Copp and Corvin Vaski work with instructor Erica Bulman to file post-game stories.

JESSE WINTER PHOTOS

Eduardo Filho.

Erica