UFV opens new agricultural facility

UFV’s new Centre of Excellence in Agriculture officially opened on Saturday, Feb. 15. The centre will provide a place for those interested in agriculture to study and receive training relevant to the industry.

Located in Chilliwack, the centre is in “the heart of the bread basket of BC,” — the heart of the agricultural industry. The hope is to involve the industry so that students can study the technology as well as learn in the classroom.

UFV facilities and campus development executive director Craig Toews told The Cascade, “If we don’t have industry involved, we don’t really have a real check and balance in terms of [whether or not] we are training students with the skills that the industry really needs for jobs.”

With files from The Cascade

UBC student swims to raise HIV awareness 

Haley Pipher, a fourth year UBC student, will swim 10 kilometres in three hours to raise funds for HIV awareness.

Pipher, a former member of the UBC Thunderbirds swim team, told The Ubyssey: “[The swim] has been something I’ve wanted to do for quite a few years now. There’s a lot of stigma against this disease, so I’m just trying to raise a little bit of awareness.”

The swim will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 18 at the UBC aquatic center with proceeds going to the Positive Living Society of British Columbia, an organization for HIV/AIDS support and awareness.

With files from The Ubyssey

McGill students protest fossil fuels conference

Around 30 McGill students and community members organized a blockade at a conference held by the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) on Feb. 7 to discuss fossil fuel usage.

Mona Luxion, a protester, stated, “[MISC has] to understand it is a very political decision to have a conference that debates the role of the tar sands in some sort of ‘both sides are equal’ way, rather than acknowledging [that] the tar sands and global warming are killing people right now, and will continue to do so.”

Justyna, a Concordia student, voiced her dissent with the protest, saying, “I understand their position; however I think blocking the door and not letting people into a conference that is supposed to be about open discussion and rational debate isn’t a very productive way of supporting or representing your opinion.”

With files from The McGill Daily