UVic's longest attending student passes away after 34 years of taking classes
PAUL VOLL SENIOR STAFF WRITER
David MacGregor first attended UVic at the age of 47. Thirty-four years later, without missing as much as a year of study, he walked out longest-attending student. If he had his way, it wouldn't have ended so soon. wasn't restricted to one or two of Fine Arts in 1996, but took courses in everything from Italian and gender motivation.
Mr. MacGregor was a life-long artist, and like any good artist, he was drawn to in abundance at UVic.
Originally from Scotland, and a 1967 graduate of the Glasgow School of Art emigrated to Canada in ‘71 with his young family.
ceramicware at markets across the island.
during the winter, which he would sell at markets over the summer. This income, along with sharing rent with roommates, gave him the ability to attend classes each year.
home and into the basement of a house in Vic West owned by three younger roommates. Considering the
then, his first daughter Suilven was a student at UVic herself. In 1990, Mr. MacGregor enrolled, too.
a degree.
of energy,” said Suilven, who was grinding through her degree in chemistry at the time that her father enrolled. During long library study sessions, Suilven sometimes window of her father, casually strolling
she said.
Mr. MacGregor found a rhythm that
Simon Ting met Mr. MacGregor in the fall of 1991, when their biology class took Sciences Centre. The two students were
MacGregor art history, meaning the two
touch anyways, meeting regularly for
coffee or to attend films together at Cinecenta.
Ting recalled one instance when Mr. because he had to sit an exam, so Ting door, there stood Mr. MacGregor, movie that midway through his exam, he looked
After Ting moved to Vancouver, Mr. MacGregor sent him a yearly Christmas card. The last card Ting received came in mid-January of this year. In the letter, Mr. MacGregor told his longtime friend that he was not well.
MacGregor was diagnosed with colon cancer. As he underwent surgery and received cancer treatments, the 81-yearclass in the fall semester of 2024. David at the age of 81.
told me: ‘You know that I love attending
Those were the things he really loved . . . imbued with creativity, and [his] connection to community,” said Suilven. . . . but he absolutely loved learning and
taught himself leatherworks and sewing took dance and yoga classes and learned
he lived life on his own terms.
is such a cool way of aging,” said Suilven.
Image courtesy of Suilven McGregor.
UVIC LIFE
How UVic (and you) can be prepared for an earthquake A guide following the series of earthquakes that have shaken
RAAMIN HAMID VOLUNTEER STAFF WRITER
The three recent earthquakes that shook the Greater Victoria Area in the span of two weeks are a good reminder that earthquakes do actually happen here. How is UVic equipped to deal with such a situation, and what can students do to prepare themselves?
“There’s always more work to do,” said Rob Johns, UVic’s manager of emergency planning.
Johns has been the emergency planner at the university for nine years. In this role, he is in charge of “everything from earthquakes to chemical spills to natural gas leaks,” he told the Martlet
Johns has a number of teams that deal with particular emergencies. In the case of a more serious earthquake, he calls on an assortment of teams.
The Emergency Operations Centre team, consisting of 60 people, is an all-hazards team that trains throughout the year. If one of the recent earthquakes were to cause damage, this team would manage it.
If an earthquake were to cause damage to a building, the Site Response team would deal with the emergency hands-on. Another group would conduct a rapid damage assessment, following the standards of the B.C. government. These inspections occur to determine whether or not the building is safe to enter. UVic also has teams that help
evacuate buildings when needed.
“Depending on the emergency and what’s needed in the emergency, we determine which of those people we would activate,” said Johns. “We’ve got a fairly robust, fairly wellunderstood management process to actually manage these kinds of events, like an earthquake.”
Johns said that individuals can always do more to prepare themselves
for future emergencies. “My encouragement to everybody is to go and participate in [preparedness talks], learn what you can, ask questions to learn more and to clarify,” he said.
Lucinda Leonard, an associate professor in the Faculty of Earth and Ocean Sciences at UVic, said that the recent earthquakes are a reminder that there is a high seismic hazard in
Image via https://cmscontent.nrs.gov.bc.ca.
the Greater Victoria Area. She says that one way we can prepare for more earthquakes is to practice the drop, cover, and hold method. “I make my students do [it] in classes that I teach,” said Leonard. “It develops muscle memory … [so] when the actual [earthquake] happens, you don’t have to think about what to do.”
According to Leonard, the three
Victoria
earthquakes that residents of the Greater Victoria Area felt in the last two weeks are not connected. The sources of each of the earthquakes
She also said that each earthquake's on the area of the fault. But even with earthquake warning systems or other emergency alerts, if an epicentre is very close to a big population area, there is often not much time to evacuate. It can be important to have a go-bag ready to use in such emergencies.
members can prepare themselves is by taking UVic’s emergency preparedness workshop. The 90-minute practical presentation happens twice a semester, and covers a variety of strategies to prepare for emergencies. The next session is happening on March 25.
In the future, Johns says that he hopes to have modules available on Brightspace that can be accessed by about emergency events and how to be prepared. He recommends a website called prepareyourself.ca, which has a compilation of emergency preparedness resources.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a choice,” said Johns. “If an earthquake happens in the future that causes damage, we can’t stop it. But we can
The post-legalization legacy of UVic's late cannabis club Otherwise known as 'Hempology 101'
PAUL VOLL SENIOR STAFF WRITER
There are three green benches on campus designated for cannabis use. Before they were installed in 2018 — when Canada legalized cannabis — members of a campus club called Hempology 101 met to light up on the Quad.
UVic history student Meghan Jones — who published her honours thesis on cannabis legalization in Canada — said it’s important that current UVic students know of the club. UVic and Victoria, Jones explained, “was a centre of [cannabis] activism” leading to legalization in 2018. Hempology 101, which ran for over 20 years, was a part of that history.
Ted Smith, an icon in Canada’s cannabis culture and founder of the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club — Canada’s oldest medical cannabis dispensary — founded Hempology 101 in 1995. He knew students would be a critical demographic for cannabis activism.
“Four-twenty” meetings on the Quad quickly grew to “layers of students,” said Jones. Lore also suggests that UVic professors even attended.
Smith wanted the group to be about more than just getting high. Even though Hempology 101 had its student leadership, Smith consistently attended sessions, encouraging safe cannabis practices, and emphasizing the plant’s healing properties. Meetings also began with 42 seconds of silence for those incarcerated for cannabis possession.
According to Jones, the club gained international attention through the distribution of branded postcards that international students mailed home to friends and family. The pictures of large groups together in public haloed
in smoke, during a time when cannabis was widely criminalized, were likely enticing.
“At one point it was the biggest club on campus,” said Jones.
But the club’s presence on campus wasn’t always welcomed by campus security or the Saanich police.
In November 2000, Smith was arrested by Saanich police after a club rally in which Smith passed out marijuana cigarettes to students —
A condition of his release for bail was that he stayed away from UVic. It took until 2005 for Smith to be permitted back on campus. He was greeted with cheers upon his return.
For the next decade, the club
continued. But in 2016, things changed for good. Smith’s longtime partner Gayle Quin was battling cancer, so Smith stepped back, and less than a
“Once Ted’s involvement wasn't there anymore the club pretty much fell apart,” said Jones.
Then, a year after Hempology 101 dissolved, the final version of the Cannabis Act was passed in Canada. However, Jones says legalization is the reason why she wants students to remember Hempology 101.
“People are thinking about [cannabis] less like a dangerous substance, which is good,” said Jones. But, she added, “I by the way that legalization went down.”
Jones is adamant that legalization for it for decades. Instead, she argued, the cannabis industry is captive to corporate organizations.
“[They’re] not the people who had been running the compassion clubs for years before [legalization]. Many of those people were women and people of color,” she said.
Furthermore, Jones, who works at a dispensary, is frustrated by the lack of awareness that “big weed” companies show toward cannabis being more than an intoxicant. This was a core tenet for the Hempology 101 club.
Jones said that the majority of people she serves as a “budtender” say they are using cannabis for medicinal
purposes. However, Jones is not trained to consider customers’ health needs when selling cannabis. “I’m trained to work the iPad algorithm and [sell] three packs [of joints],” she said. While the compassion clubs of prelegalization specialized in cannabis’s medicinal potential, Jones explained that dispensaries only “want a beautiful plant that they can advertise on Instagram.”
The history of activism and community that Hempology 101 created at UVic should, Jones added, be a reminder to current students that there’s still room for change in the cannabis industry.
“People are not having their [needs] met by the current system … [but] if there was any place where the system could change, it would come out of [Victoria’s cannabis] culture.”
the cannabis symbol on UVic’s green benches, which at the time she thought was “awesome.” But Jones feels metaphor for legalization,” she said, which in her opinion has been less
And like the industry as a whole, cannabis use at UVic is now regulated. No longer permitted to smoke on the Quad like Hempology 101 did every week for over two decades, students are restricted to the three green benches scattered across the campus.
Illustration by Sona Eidnani.
Free public transit for youth proposal gains momentum in BC New resolution calls for expanding fare-free transit to K-12 students
FERNANDA SOLORZA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A new resolution proposal brought by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) and sponsored by the Sunshine Coast Regional District is calling on the B.C. government to expand its fare-free transit program to include all students in the province up to grade 12.
Because this initiative has been approved at the UBCM level, the proposal will be formally presented to the province for consideration.
B.C. currently offers free public transit for children under 12, meaning students can ride transit without cost until around Grade 6. Additionally, many programs — such as the U-pass for students at the University of Victoria, the BC Bus Pass Program for low-income seniors or people with disabilities, and the adult monthly pass — offer discounted passes to regular transit users, and those who face barriers to mobility.
The proposal, titled “Free Transit barriers for youth to encourage lifelong transit use, as well as to promote low-carbon methods of transportation.
Christina Clemente, Chair of the Victoria Transit Riders Union, said in an interview with the Martlet that with the increasing cost of living, families and communities are struggling — especially children.
“[They] are some of the more vulnerable members of society,” Clemente said. “They usually don’t
have access to their own funds. So, having the ability to move freely around the city and get to places … is just invaluable for youth.”
The City of Kingston, Ontario, was the co-winner of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Sustainable Community Award in the transportation category in 2018, for an initiative which provided a transit orientation guide for high school students.
The collaboration between school boards and the city resulted in a program that allowed students to familiarize themselves with the transit system, drastically increasing the
amount of trips teenagers took from 30 000 to 600 000 in the project’s
High schoolers have been riding for free on Kingston Ontario public transit since 2012, and the economic and environmental impact on parents and the city has been massive — Kingston’s Transit High School Buss
by “[learning] a life skill that gives them more freedom and helps them remain physically active.”
Kingston is not the only city in Canada that has been investing in free transit for youth. Other Ontario cities
like Belleville and Burlington have started similar free transit initiatives for youth, beginning in 2023.
In B.C., the St. Albert’s City Council of the Sunshine Coast unanimously voted to provide free transit for youth in 2020, and the city of Victoria implemented the Youth U-Pass in 2022 that allows youth up to 18 to travel for free on the Victoria Regional transit system. All these initiatives across Canada have shown a steady increase in bus ridership.
Nevertheless, some people argue that public transit shouldn’t be free, because it is already subsidized. Such is the case of one Reddit user, who
stated under a post asking Victoria residents to promote the proposal: Like a bus pass. Or a bike. Cars aren't free. Nothing is free. The youth are capable people that don't need to be coddled.”
Another Reddit user, CanadianTrollToll, also stated: “It blows my mind how much "free" things people expect. There is only so much money in the pot...There is no secret to halving the funding and [maintaining the] same service levels someone else pays for it.”
Expanding free transit to all students on a provincial level would come with financial challenges, because BC Transit already relies on both government subsidies and fare revenue to help fund operations. The Sunshine Coast Regional District’s resolution asks the provincial government to step in with additional funding, in order to support the initiative.
With the future of the resolution still unknown, transit advocates continue to push for a system that prioritizes accessibility and
“Youth aged 13-18 in the crucial developmental stage of adolescence need basic mobility more than ever to thrive in every aspect of their lives,” stated the Centre for Family Equity, who also supports the resolution. “BC needs a universal approach to public transit that ensures no youth is left behind.”
The growing role of petitions in advocacy Are widely-signed statements of grievance the key to concrete action?
FERNANDA SOLORZA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Petitions have become a popular tool for civic engagement, allowing Canadians to voice their opinions on issues ranging from political accountability age, petitions have the possibility to go viral and acquire nationwide support. But do these petitions actually lead to legislative action, or are they simply symbolic gestures that fade into obscurity?
Petitioning is actually a centuriesold tradition which started in the British Empire in the thirteenth were written to the Crown in order to put forth the grievances of the people. Although there have been multiple changes in how petitions operate, for example the transition from “grievances” to requests for law amendments, petitions have long been a part of Canadian politics. Today, parliamentary petitions in subject to government consideration. According to the Clerk of Petitions at the House of Commons, the petition must clearly identify the addressee (the House of Commons or the government), the petitioner (who is making the petition), a statement of and addresses of the petitioners. On top of that, the petition must address matters under the authority of the House of Commons or the federal government, and the subject line should not violate sub judice convention — which legally restricts the publication of statements that
An electronic petition must be certified with a minimum of 500 signatures, while paper petitions only parliament can present the petition to the House of Commons, triggering a 45-day period for the government
Some of the most recent viral e-petitions include e-5345 and e-5353, which call for Canada to refuse entry to the American President Trump, and for Canada to revoke Elon Musk’s Canadian citizenship, respectively. Member of Parliament Charlie Angus has moved both petitions forward —
and the second has over 370 000 signatures.
These petitions and others on independent platforms such as Change.org and Avaaz only allow citizens to rally public support for in the House of Commons, rarely lead to policy change — they merely ensure public awareness of an issue, since petitions certified by the House of Commons require a government response.
Many petitions that gain massive support fail to achieve meaningful outcomes. For example, e-petition e-4649, signed by over 286 000 people, called for the Canadian Prime
Minister to “take the necessary measures to address the Israel–
with a statement, saying that “Canada remains committed to working with allies and partners toward a just and enduring peace in the form of a twostate solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognized borders.”
Even if a petition reaches decisionmakers, there is no mechanism that forces them to act upon it. Although petitions may not directly change laws, they can apply pressure on policymakers by bringing issues into public discourse. Some petitions,
such as those advocating for human rights and environmental protections, have been able to contribute to legitimate policy change — for example, the Ecojustice petitions, which helped pass the Canadian NetZero Emissions Accountability Act into law in 2021, and helped strengthen the federal Impact Assessment Act and new Fisheries Act in 2019. These petitions, according to Ecojustice,
demand statements and targeted those who had the power to act on the demand.
Petitions are best used in conjunction with other advocacy strategies, such as direct engagement with Members of Parliament, media campaigns, and grassroots organizing. For example, the petitions by Ecojustice were also backed by campaigns.
According to the House of Commons, “Petitions today may be described as a vehicle for political policy-making and legislation and also, judging by their continued popularity, a valued means of bringing public concerns to the attention of Parliament.”
While they are not a platform that guarantees legislative reform, they
Petitions might not rewrite laws alone, but they can help set the stage for meaningful change.
Illustration by Sona Eidnani.
UVic club's design wins initial phase of national drone competition
ETHAN BARKLEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER
UVic AERO — a student club that designs, builds, and tests unmanned
(AEAC).
design has to meet. Last year, UVic AERO President Alex Rome said
you can see smoke or something,
From there, the drone returns to the Martlet that the drone is not designed to combat like design with six motorized has integrated, which makes it able scenarios.
Rome, whose hometown is and interesting, but directly
bucket with a hose, or dragging the
Rome says the team is “blown Canada.
UVic AERO at that time graduated, and the online semesters gave and rebuilding our knowledge, and involved with UVic AERO. “We AERO team is hard at work
drone, but making sure the code works, too.
Teachers and administrators are struggling
competencies are written into teacher
struggling to keep up with AI as it
each new AI model functions. always learning,” he says. key to actually reducing extra grappling with AI plagiarism is to address students. tracking changes to Google Documents but that this also has the capacity mistrust.” bit of labour involved.” alternative method of avoiding the work. One way to do this is by student's learning, rather than only process-based questions, like “When “What made you think that way?” gave you that new idea?” using AI as a shortcut, since a foundational questions throughout the environmental and ethical concerns AI computing. He says that it’s behind many of the large language using, such as ChatGPT.
[AI programs are] also run by the corporations. They’re not unbiased,” he says.
ChatGPT used when I asked it to create — I didn’t ask it to do that. matter of time” before advertisements platforms, pointing to companies like guidelines from the ministry are good They often need examples or ideas of how this could work,” he adds. Martlet, a B.C. Ministry of Education says that other school districts guidelines as well, to strengthen
knowledgeable. We have to be aware, and then we have to use
balance things a little bit,” he adds.
“international jurisdictions have learn from [our] approach, adapting their own contexts.” available to us,” says Paskevicius, of AI to the invention of the eventually integrated as part of be productive, creative, and
comes into play when deciding and addressed in education. document on Jan. 28 called “Antiqua which has a dedicated section education.
Mitchell feels that the ministry should provide more guidance regarding AI detection policies and academic integrity guidelines. He says that AI-based learning competencies should be added to the provincial education curriculum as well.
use these platforms and are passionate about teaching themselves, you’re going to have pockets where teachers know what they’re doing, and then a
While he looks forward to AI teaching workshops at Claremont next year, he feels that there aren’t enough resources for teachers.
“A lot of educators are clamouring — like, we need this yesterday,” he says. “I don’t know of anyone at my school that’s looking [to] the ministry for their leadership on this.”
a tricky time with a lot of uncertainty,” says Mitchell.
He says that some students are already using AI to extend their learning, whereas others are feeling a decrease in writing ability from overreliance on the tool.
“I’m hoping that in the end it will be something that will
It’s clear that AI has already disrupted the teaching landscape, for better and for worse. If I were to ChatGPT my interview transcriptions right now, it could rewrite this
Paul Rossetti, superintendent of that this document helps guide his schools’ approach when it comes to AI.
“I like that it isn’t prohibitive,” he tells the Martlet
in contemporary society.
“We can’t stick our heads in the ground,” he says. “We have to be
“beautiful opportunity” for students with learning disabilities. He says that AI platforms allow accessibility tools that are already popularly used — like speech to text — to be even more
Mitchell says that AI is also a great tool for incoming teachers. he says, adding that AI tools can help to generally reduce teacher
“In a period where teachers are always being asked to do more work with less time, I think it’s going to be something that helps
growing and learning as a student journalist.
Michael Paskevicius thinks that good will come from this disruption. “If we can enable students to make good use of [AI], ethically and sensibly and justly, to thrive and live a good life, that would be the ultimate outcome.”
It’s an interesting paradox, which is beginning to play out in every busy classroom across the globe.
Five things to do while waiting for grad school admissions Take this advice if you want to make the wait as nerve-wracking as possible
ETHAN BARKLEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER
With the end of the semester in sight, many graduating students are looking whether that means visiting family and friends, hitting the beach, or just zoning out at the TV for a month or four. Others, however, can’t wait to do it all again next year — this time at the graduate level.
Does this sound like you? And if it does, have your friends started getting their offers, while your inbox is still looking empty and a little sad? Here are five ways to pass the time while you wait.
CHECK YOUR EMAIL OBSESSIVELY
Ever heard that old adage, “a watched pot never boils?” No? Me neither. To make sure you minimize time spent enjoying the last stretch of your undergrad, keep your email open and in front of you at all times. You wouldn’t want to miss anything.
Bonus points if you can work in a glance at your email every few minutes while you’re supposed to be doing other things — like working on final projects, studying for exams, going to classes, or socializing. Your friends and professors will agree: this is a surefire way to manifest an offer.
DOUBLE DOWN
It’s possible that, after only one application, the admissions team won’t realize how great a candidate you are for the program of your dreams. To prevent this, you can maximize your chances of making a good impression by sending weekly — or daily — emails, explaining why you deserve to be admitted. Take it from me, this can only help your chances.
COMPARE, COMPARE, COMPARE
Everyone knows that comparing yourself to others is the best way to make yourself feel better. Especially in university, where academic achievement is never tied to self worth. While waiting for your acceptance letter, it’s a really good idea to ask all your grad school-bound friends if they’ve heard back from their programs yet.
If they have, spend as much time as possible wondering why they were already accepted while you are still waiting. And if they haven’t, tell them that that’s weird and wait for them to join you on your spiral.
Friends stick together.
DON’T PREPARE FOR THE WORST
Nobody likes to think that they won’t make the cut — so, don’t. Convince yourself that you’re guaranteed to get in, and make sure you bring this up around your friends as frequently as possible. That way, when you do get in, they won’t feel so bad about you leaving.
This also makes sure that, if you aren’t accepted, it comes as a total surprise to you and hits twice as hard.
DOOM SCROLL ON REDDIT
Reddit is, famously, the best place to go when you’re feeling uncertain or unsure about major life decisions. No matter the subject, the people of Reddit are always sunny and full of optimism. As everyone knows, they never have any harrowing experiences or depressing personal insights they’re just aching to share.
If you’re worried about your chances — definitely pay r/ GradSchool a visit, and soak up all the pessimism you find there.
PAUL
VOLL SENIOR STAFF WRITER
On March 9, the Vikes men’s hockey club secured their first British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) championship since 2017, shutting out Vancouver Island University (VIU) in a 3-0 win.
For the past two seasons, UVic and the VIU Mariners have been the strongest teams in the league. Last year, the Vikes fell to the Mariners in the championship game — and this was fresh in the mind of Vikes’ head coach Alec Dillon when preparing for this season.
“When you have a small league like them,” said Dillon. “We knew we were
preparing pretty much all season for that.”
After their loss to the Mariners in last roster by recruiting players like defenseman Edward Wruck from Grant MacEwan University, Jake Westhaver from the Vancouver Island Hockey League, and Connor Nolan, who played for the Vikes in 2022-23, leading them in scoring before transferring away for one season.
The Vikes roster faced significant challenges over the course of this season, key players.
Booker Daniel was sidelined from October to February, Connor Nolan
year standout Jack Westhaver only played four games, and last season's to retire from hockey after a serious concussion.
into the lineup every game that I didn't see happening at the beginning of the season. But they handled it really well and stepped up in big games throughout Dillon.
Regardless, the Vikes coasted through in 20 games, led by the consistent play of defenseman Kyle Crewe, who scored a team-high 30 points. Meanwhile, VIU
Adversity followed the Vikes into the
game, meaning they needed to beat the Logan Lake Miners for a chance at a Mariners.
Logan Lake stormed out to a 3-0 lead
pull his starting goaltender Hunter Tarves for rookie Eric Clark. The goalie change sparked a comeback for the Vikes, capped by Crewe playing the hero in overtime and scoring the winning Sunday, March 9.
Coach Dillon says the key for the Vikes frustrate them.
“They didn't have to face a lot of adversity throughout the regular season,
game and shut down their power play, of shots early on in the game, and they
Backup Vikes goalie Eric Clark got the making 34 saves. The line of Booker Daniel (who recently returned from Strange all played key roles in the game as well, combining on two of the team’s three goals.
as head coach of the Vikes — something he’ll likely cherish forever.
“It's completely surreal. You think about it, you dream about it all the time,
of my life,” said Dillon.
ERIC KWAKERNAAK VOLUNTEER STAFF WRITER
That’s not to say that the WHL regular season is out of their minds entirely. The schedule — March 21 and 22 against division rival Prince George Cougars — are undoubtedly important. They provide the lineup and system tweaks and, crucially, would mean a home-ice advantage for round one. So yes, those last few tilts are boosting blowouts would be nice. But with the Ed Chynoweth Cup that the Royals want. They’ve put in the work. They clinched ready.
ERIC KWAKERNAAK VOLUNTEER STAFF WRITER
The last time the Vikes men’s soccer team won the Sam Davidson Memorial award, it was in front of a crowd of over 3 000 of their own fans. Next year, they’ll have a chance to do it again.
Just like they did in 2011, the Vikes men’s soccer team has won their bid to host the 2026 USports Championships. In
comes with the arrival of the eight best university soccer teams in the country, but also the ability to pit themselves against those squads, as host universities receive an automatic place in the championships.
"This is obviously a huge opportunity, and it's really exciting for our program and our current players," head coach Larry Stefanek said in a press release. And he’s right. This is a big deal for the Vikes, whose last appearance in the USports Championships came in 2021. It historically meant for the team.
trophies have been won in Victoria. This past season, they went undefeated in Centennial Stadium. The year before that, they lost only a single game.
In 2022–23, they once again lost only
swords and spears. But there are ways to mitigate those dangers — armour, if you
STAY OUT OF THE DUNGEON
At 72.9 per cent, the Royals have the fourth worst penalty kill in the league, and the second worst among playoff teams. Special teams are always important. But they become critical in the playoffs, when defenses start playing tighter and trailing by a goal can feel like an insurmountable barrier. Luckily for the Royals, playoff refs tend to wear blinders and swallow their whistles, so they may end up getting away with more than they usually do. But they’re bound to take penalties eventually, and when they do, they better hope they can shut the door.
GET YOUR NEWEST SOLDIERS INVOLVED
It was a busy trade deadline for the
former assistant captain Tanner Scott Isogai and Brandon Lisowsky. Those forwards scoring at a point-per-game pace since their move to the Garden City. That has to continue in the postseason. Lisowsky, especially, needs to be an active voice in the locker room, because he’s been here before, having two seasons with Saskatoon. Chemistry combinations will mesh and which will miss. But the newcomers seem to be the warhorses.
PROTECT YOUR PRINCES
The Royals have two players in the top-25 of the WHL scoring race. Cole Reschny, a top prospect in the upcoming NHL draft, and Teydon Trembecky, who has exploded seasons. The easiest way to hurt a good team
is to hurt their best players, and you better believe opposing teams will be sending their hardest hitters after those two. The Royals will have to counter with a physical game of their own. Lay the body, get into the dirty areas — don’t be afraid to drop the gloves and set the tone. Those are the little things expected of the bottom-six grinders on this team, like Reggie Newman and Escalus
FORTIFY THE BARRICADE
percentage as last year’s backup, Royals goaltender Jayden Kraus has chosen a season, he’s been a solid presence in the net.
percentage and has even played himself onto Central Scouting’s NHL draft board. But Kraus will need to be more than a wall if the Royals are to upset cup favourites Spokane. He’ll need to be a battlement. Preferably one with hot lava. Maybe a moat.
a single home game, but somehow managed to put up an absolutely abysmal 0–7–2 record on the road, en route to a in the division and miss the playoffs entirely. It’s clear that island living agrees with the Vikes men’s soccer players.
The beauty of a host berth in the championship is that tournaments are consistently unpredictable. In a single elimination knockout, anything can
happen. The cup favourites can have the worst game of their lives, the underdogs have the potential to play their hearts out, and anyone can end up hoisting a banner.
In 2011, the Vikes were knocked out by Alberta in the semifinal round of the Canada West Final Four. To make matters worse, one of their veteran defenders, Bobby Eng, sustained a season-ending Victoria team. But, against all odds,
Centennial Stadium worked its magic, and the Vikes went on a Cinderella run all the way to the USports Gold Medal Game, where they cruised to a 3–1 victory against the St. Mary’s Huskies.
The Vikes look to be in a good place for a real 2026 push. They were a solid club this season. Though their Canada West tournament ended in a heartbreaking double overtime loss to Mount Royal, there were real positive takeaways from the year.
ACT LIKE YOU’VE WORN THE CROWN BEFORE
teams in the WHL right now whose players have a combined 3 200+ games
the team with the least amount of games played, the Moose Jaw Warriors are dead last. The Royals are sixteenth on that list, among the lowest for a veteran team. So the mantra of these
Regardless of what happens this Royals are going to be fun to watch. And, with players like Reschny, Kraus, and rookie next year, they’ll be fun for a while. So strap in. It’s time to see what kings are made of.
Not only were they a force at home, but they went undefeated against UBC, the steamroller of a squad who would go on to win their 14th national title this year. However, most notable was the rapid growth of young players like Matthew Pearse and Mattheus Achadinha, the duo scoring leaderboards.
In 2026, Pearse — who is already the star of this Vikes team — will be in his fourth year. So will Achadinha, whose attacking style of defense is only getting more lethal. And Callum Weir, the Vikes’ second-year goalkeeper who took home posting 11 clean sheets in only 15 games, should be an absolute brick wall as a senior player.
The USports championships are far from the biggest tournament coming to B.C. in 2026. In June and July, Vancouver will play host to some of the best players in the entire world, as the FIFA World Cup makes its way to North America. The World Cup will hopefully inspire and energize Canada's soccer community, and could lead to some of the most intense university soccer we’ve seen in years. And at this rate, the Vikes should be right in the centre of it all.
Bookmark your calendars for November 2026. It’s banner-raising time.
Illustration by Sona Eidnani.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Taqsiqtuut Research-Creation
Lab uses Indigenous art practices to foster creativity
New space in the Visual Arts building is 'a place for experimentation'
A unique collaboration space has just opened in the Visual Arts building at UVic. The Taqsiqtuut ResearchCreation Lab is the newest project from Dr. Heather Igloliorte, UVic’s Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Decolonial and Transformational Indigenous Art Practices.
This Indigenous arts-based research space focuses on work with an artistic outcome, rather than producing a traditional paper or publication. The lab’s name, Taqsiqtuut, comes from the Inuktitut word for patterns and designs, reflecting the Indigenous knowledge and art practices at the site’s core.
According to a UVic news release, the lab is incorporating the key pillars of Igloliorte’s role as CERC: “developing digital skills, creating exhibitions, training and mentoring of students and youth, and developing new policies and best practices for institutions that engage with Indigenous art and artists.”
Prior to taking on her roles both as a professor in the Visual Arts Department, and the inaugural CERC in Decolonial and Transformational Indigenous Art Practices, Igloliorte was the Tier 1 University Research Chair in Circumpolar Indigenous Arts, as well as an associate professor at Concordia University.
While at Concordia, Igloliorte and her colleagues started what they referred to as “incubators” — creative spaces for artists working across different disciplines at various points in their careers. “The artists would produce new work by sharing skills with each other,” she explained in an interview with the Martlet. “We’d mash them together and see what they came up with in a concentrated period of time.”
The Taqsiqtuut Lab was inspired by these creativity incubators.
Igloliorte hopes this space will foster an exchange of ideas and artistic practices. “It’s a place for experimentation,” Igloliorte said. “[We’re] trying to transfer our current skills and knowledge and see how they translate into other disciplines.”
Igloliorte hopes this will be a space for creativity and experimentation, where students can be inspired by artists working in new and exciting ways, while “developing an appreciation for Indigenous peoples and their customary and contemporary art practices.”
Igloliorte felt that Victoria was an excellent location for this lab. “My research involves the circumpolar world and also the Pacific, so we’re kind of at a great intersection between those two places,” she told the Martlet
Igloliorte’s research focuses on Indigenous arts and knowledge in international art contexts, with emphasis on Indigenous perspectives and creativity. For over a decade, Igloliorte has been working with a network of people in international circumpolar communities, as well as curators and artists in places like Australia, and Samoa. “It’s really exciting to be here, and be a little bit of a hub for where these things are happening,” she said.
The lab is run by full-time staff and students. “[The students] get to be involved in the research, they help to select workshops as well, [and] they have ideas for programming we can do. We’re very non-hierarchical in that way. We want to make sure that everyone’s voices are heard,” Igloliorte told the Martlet
The lab had their official launch on Friday Feb. 28, which included art installations, panel discussions, and a film screening, along with a demonstration of Witness Blanket VR, a project by Carey Newman, UVic’s Impact Chair in Indigenous
Art Practices and Visual Arts professor.
The event was a huge success, according to Igloliorte. “It was incredible. I think we had the most people at a panel — certainly [the most] that I’ve ever seen.”
They also displayed Qiaqsutuq, a large digital media installation on climate change made by an Arctic Inuit group of artists. The installation included video, audio, and sixteenfoot sculptures; it was one of the many projects born from the same incubators which inspired the creation of the lab.
The Taqsiqtuut Lab is open to students and Indigenous community members, as well as visiting artists and scholars. “It’s not exclusively for Indigenous students,” Igloliorte said. “It’s for all students at the university and certainly anyone who fancies themselves an artist … but the knowledge that is at the centre of it all is going to be Indigenous knowledge.”
Igloliorte plans to have regularly scheduled workshops, activities, lectures, and drop-in sessions at the lab when the fall term begins, all of which will be free to attend.
“Some of [the activities] will be open to the UVic community, some of them will be for the public, some may be just for Indigenous peoples, and some might be just for a specific group,” she shared. Igloliorte added that as space is limited in the lab, the events will require registration.
“I think what’s really important is that people come away with a positive experience of the work,” Igloliorte said. “Success is not just in the quantitative data that we conduct, but really [in] the quality of the experience that people have.”
The Weather Station's newest album cements their presence in the indie scene
Humanhood is disorienting — and that is its strength
The Weather Station’s seventh studio album, Humanhood, is as beautiful as it is disorienting. The Toronto-based artist behind the project, Tamara Lindeman (or Tamara Hope), has never shied
most recent record, released Jan. 17 via Fat Possum Records and Next Door Records under her artist name The Weather Station, follows her critically acclaimed, climatefocused album Ignorance (2021), and live companion album How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars (2022).
Humanhood does not aim to please. But, by confronting shared feelings of disconnection, contemporary uncertainty, and self-reflection, it does so anyway. Flitting between folk, jazz, and rock, Humanhood is thick with the delicate instrumentation of Kieran Adams, Philippe Melanson, Ben Boye, Ben Whiteley, and Karen Ng, embodying the comfortable elegance of a band that has finally perfected their craft.
While Lindeman’s earlier work focused on storytelling through careful sonic arrangements, this album is a raw, chaotic confessional. Humanhood gradually builds and releases tension with haunting mediations like “Descent,”
“Mirror, and “Ribbon,” breathless and danceable interventions like “Neon Signs,” and “Window, and electronicallyinfluenced ambient tracks like “Passage” and “Aurora.” The result is a lush and atmospheric sound that allows fans to feel like they are both discovering something new, and returning home.
Humanhood feels like a coming of age for The Weather Station as an artist. In a world where we’re constantly chasing higher highs and louder noises, Humanhood stands confidently in its patient restraint. Released less than a month into the new year, this album sets the tone for what’s to come. It is hopeful, fragmented, and deeply cathartic, cementing The Weather Station as a consistent and necessary presence in the indie scene. The title captures the essence of the album – fleshy and real – and suggests that accepting life’s uncertainty is the only way through.
KIERA CLARK VOLUNTEER STAFF WRITER
Photo via University of Victoria.
BIANCA VASILE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo via UVic on LinkedIn.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Have you met UVic's campus busker?
GRACE ASHDOWN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Luke Asher Murphy spends his Wednesday afternoons on UVic’s campus, busking in the MacLaurin courtyard. If you’ve walked through the area midweek, chances are you’ve seen him there yourself. Over the course something of a campus staple.
Murphy is a second-year student at UVic, working towards a degree in biology and psychology. He finds balance through playing guitar and singing on campus. He also channels his musical talents at the UVic Live Music Club, where he is a member of the executive team.
“I think that music in a communal aspect is really important and something that we miss a lot,” says Murphy.
Murphy recalls one Wednesday afternoon when a student left him a note. They said they had sat and listened to him perform for two hours news earlier in the day. A little music, they said, was exactly what they
NEWS OPINIONS
needed.
“There is beauty in the mundane things in our life,” says Murphy. “Music is something we can add … to help [highlight] those mundane things.”
Motivated by a love for performing and a need to practice his skills, Murphy began singing near the stairs between MacLaurin’s A and D wings — a safe spot sheltered from unpredictable winter weather.
“It's easy for people to think that
they need to be on a stage, or they need a microphone to perform,” he says.
”[But] you can come and sit in the courtyard and play, and if people walk by and hear you, and they connect with it, then that's a successful day to me.”
Murphy’s sound is influenced by various genres, and inspired by his family, friends, and teachers. His set list is composed of country, acoustic pop, and singer/songwriter covers as well as originals. From Luke Combs
and Chris Stapleton to Lord Huron and Leonard Cohen, Murphy aims for a mix that pleases everyone. Murphy was born in Huntsville, Ontario. He began singing in church, and around age nine he got involved in musical theatre. At 13, Murphy started teaching himself guitar. When he moved to Victoria for university three years ago, he knew he needed to find a way to continue his musical journey in a new city.
“Victoria's a great spot for music. The nature … can inspire a lot of art,” he says.
In addition to busking at UVic, Murphy plays open mics and in local bars. Over time, his passion for busking has grown, as has the reception of his public performances.
“It's not a case of a natural talent or anything. It's just a lot of hours [singing],” says Murphy.
Currently, Murphy is working towards recording songs of his own, though he admits writing does not come easy for him. “With school being so busy and stressful, and the ups and downs and all of that, I think [performing] offers this piece of connection to people,” he says.
Performing on UVic’s campus has allowed him to bring small moments of joy to those who walk by. With any luck, he says, he’ll inspire some more musicians to follow in his footsteps.
“I want to build the community [in are willing to play on a set of stairs,” says Murphy.
Canadian identity is at risk, and only you can save it
FERNANDA SOLORZA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Canadian goods, we have experienced a renewed concern about supporting Canadian businesses — particularly those in the food and manufacturing industries.
While these industries need critical support right now, Canadians must also prioritize and consume Canadian arts and culture. Canada prides itself on being distinct from the U.S. — however, without a strong cultural identity, that distinction won’t last.
Canadian artists and creators — from authors and musicians to filmmakers, dancers, visual artists, and more — are consistently overshadowed by American artists. This creates a monopoly of consumption where it becomes increasingly stories and art, weakening Canadian culture as a whole.
Beyond economic survival, consuming
Canadian culture is an investment in a nation is, having the ability to capture its particular political and natural landscapes, histories, and perspectives. In light of the worsening relations with the U.S., strengthening Canadian identity is long overdue.
Most Canadians take pride in having a distinct culture from Americans. They are proud of their kindness and their healthcare system — but to non-westerners, the clear.
As a Mexican, I often hear conversations from non-Canadians who also wonder what the real difference is between Canadian and American culture. Whether in food, movies, art, or books — American and Canadian cultural products are often so interconnected that it can be hard to distinguish. This is because Canada imports so much of its media from the U.S., that its own artistic output gets overshadowed.
It’s important to remember that a
country’s cultural sovereignty is as important as its economic sovereignty. Canada’s lack of national art and other media has put the nation at risk of losing its distinct cultural voice. The stories we tell and consume shape public discourse, influence policy, and reinforce shared values. A country that neglects its own culture risks cultural homogenization, where its artistic identity becomes indistinguishable from an international monoculture.
Canadian government to stop the country’s cultural identity blending with American media. One such initiative is Canada Reads, which celebrates national literature and encourages Canadians to read Canadian authors.
Funding institutions such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) can help ensure that Canadians are not reliant on outlets from other countries for their news. Policies such as Bill C-18 aimed to support Canadian journalism by requiring tech giants such as Google and
Meta (both American companies) to compensate Canadian news organizations.
to maintain a distinct cultural presence in a globalized media landscape.
In times of political uncertainty, it is crucial that Canadians unite in their identity and shared values, or risk losing their distinct cultural perspective. Engaging with and supporting Canadian artists and culture is not just a matter of preference at this point — it should be an essential act of national preservation.
There is still a long way to go for Canada
Indigenous values and perspectives, including implementing the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action, but joining the American melting pot will do nothing but regress and diminish all Canadian cultures.
From the storytelling traditions and practices of Indigenous communities to the indie music scene in Montreal, Nova Scotia’s Gaelic dancing traditions, and the invention of modern peanut butter,
Canadian culture is already so rich and diverse. Supporting art and culture is not only about “patriotism," but also valuing the wide range of cultures and narratives that comprise a nation.
While the tariff threat will affect Canadians’ livelihoods by making goods more expensive, it also brings an opportunity for Canadians to rethink their consumption habits. This moment can be used to rediscover and uplift Canadian work, voices, and talents. Whether through food and manufacturing, or literature, film, theatre, and music, investing in Canadian-produced goods and culture is a choice that will strengthen the creative and political ecosystem of the nation. It will also ensure that future generations can continue to tell their own stories — not just those of the American monopoly. Now is the time to act. The next time you are looking for entertainment or cultural enrichment, consider choosing survival of Canadian identity and culture depends on it.
Patriotism in Canada meant one thing following the Freedom Convoy — not anymore
ADRIAN ORD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On March 4, Trump imposed 25 per met with disdain by most Canadians, and also a pleasantly surprising rise in Canadian nationalism. As a result of this sense of betrayal from their American counterparts, many Canadians have formed a political community based on their shared resentment towards the U.S. A poll from the Angus Reid Institute found that Canadian national pride rose ten per cent, from 34 per cent in December to 44 per cent in January after the tariffs were announced.
and formal structures of Canada. However, I do think that it creates room for social solidarity and disobedience among citizens,” said Krissy Kloss, a political science student at UVic.
Canadian nationalism has existed for as long as we have been neighbours with the U.S. Students who have taken POLI 101: Canadian Politics may remember watching a Molson beer commercial in which a man walks on a stage and passionately yells: “I have a prime minister, not a president!” and “It's pronounced Zed, not Zee! ZED!” This commercial demonstrates how as Canadians, one of our main sources of pride comes from the fact that we aren’t American.
“I don't think I come from a place of having a lot of national solidarity to begin with,” said Anna, another UVic student. It's important to remain critical of universal Canadian nationalism — there isn’t much pride to be taken in a country that exists on stolen land, was founded in genocide, and where the average salary isn’t enough to buy a house.
In addition, Canadian nationalism became even more unattractive to many after the concept was hijacked by the farright “Freedom Convoy” — truckers protesting the vaccine mandates imposed by the Canadian government — a few years ago.
so much of a public demonstration and articulation of Canadian nationalism as
there had been before, which left it vulnerable to be co-opted by the Freedom Convoy,” said Dr. Justin Leifso, a political science professor at UVic who specializes in Canadian politics.
During the protest, truckers were seen
“You would have these superficial symbols of nationalism that were being advertised next to reactionary American the confederate flag, and the Trump campaign flag. That is completely contradictory to what Canadian nationalism had [previously] been, which always had been about distinguishing ourselves from the United States. And I thought this was the way it was going to
said Leifso.
As America continues to make unpredictable political moves, it is now more important than ever that Canadians so that we don't end up with unelected billionaires running our government, and discriminatory policies based on arbitrary fears.
“How do we build an idea of what Canada is that doesn’t erase and displace … Indigenous peoples and nations?” said Leifso.
“It is crucial as we … resist … to always be mindful of exactly what it is we’re defending, exactly what it is we’re standing for, and what is the foundation upon which these new expressions of nationalism are being built,” Leifso said.
Photo by Grace Ashdown.
FUN STUFF
ACROSS
Someone from Muscat
Adventuring musicians, in Dungeons and Dragons
Served, as a look
Buck or rooster, for example
Bumpin' and grindin'
Pixar's "Finding ____"
Got work, as a cosmetic procedure
What imaginary friends (usually)
of insects
"The Raven" author
Exchange goods
Prohibit growth
Substance used to make pans nonstick
Italian
