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Pipe Dream

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EIC
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pipe
The Enbridge Pipeline’s questionable safety measures

By Marcus Waddington

When Michelle Barland Smith woke up one morning in July 2010 in Battlecreek, Michigan — a small town overlooking the Kalamazoo River — the first thing she noticed was an unusual odour in the air, something you might get from a mix of “gasoline, tar, and nail polish remover.” The next day a neighbour told her there had been an oil spill somewhere in the vicinity. Sure enough, when Michelle went out that evening to check on the cluster of emergency vehicles gathering on a nearby bridge, she could make out a sheen of oil on the river’s surface. There was confusion on the bridge: two men had capsized their canoe while trying to find out what was going on, and no one knew if they were safe or not. As it turned out, the canoeists were all right, but no one would find out “officially” that a major oil spill had occurred until they heard about it on CNN later that night.

As it transpired, Enbridge was responsible for the spill of almost a million gallons of oil. A few months ago, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published an Accident Report itemizing the many failures that characterize Enbridge’s role in the accident. Yet Enbridge continues to maintain that it has both the competence and safety record to earn public trust.

The Accident Report was filed in October 2012 and found that Enbridge had failed in essential safety issues: pipeline construction, maintenance, control operations, response, and community awareness. Enbridge was found to have a “systemic” problem and was plagued by a “culture” of disregard for key issues. The report tells us that Enbridge employees displayed incompetence, not only in diagnosing a problem, but also in ignoring protocol. Their training proved to be grossly deficient; their resources were completely inadequate; sometimes they didn’t know what to do, or if they did, they didn’t act appropriately. Enbridge had known about the corrosion and “the 51.6 inch crack-like feature” that led to the rupture in Marshall for five years leading up to the spill, but hadn’t done anything about it.

Enbridge applied “a lower margin of safety” than was required, increasing the “inherent risks” of system failure, the report summarized.

When the rupture in the pipe occurred, a large gap opened up, six feet long and five inches wide. But when alarms went off in the control room, operators misread them, management in Chicago misread them, and orders were given to start pumping. They mistakenly thought that a big drop in pressure was due to “column separation,” or a “bubble,” that could be pumped through, so even when several hundred thousand gallons of oil escaped into a wetland, the operators were ordered to continue pumping.

The people of Marshall were calling 9-1-1 and complaining about the smell of oil. Yet no one knew where it was coming from, because the community had never been informed as to the whereabouts of the pipeline. When a town utilities man called Enbridge control directly and told them he could see oil on the ground, pumping finally stopped. The spill had gone undetected for 17 hours.

By this point, the spill had reached Talmadge Creek and a response crew — consisting of only four people and two trucks — was sent out. Even after locating the spill, the crew didn’t know how to proceed further: they applied improper retaining techniques, they didn’t know how to set up an underflow dam, and they couldn’t stop the oil from getting into the Kalamazoo River. It had been raining and the water was high, the oil was travelling far downstream. The spill was out of control and they needed more help, but help was hours, even days, away.

The spill proved to be a disaster. The community was evacuated, leaving many scared, upset, and dealing with health problems as a result. More than two years and almost a billion dollars later, they’re still cleaning up the mess. Bitumen oil is a hazardous, highly toxic material that sinks right to the bottom. Enbridge has been ordered to dredge the river bottom because bitumen doesn’t just go away; it permeates and contaminates the river sediment and the wetland mud.

The billion dollars for this clean-up is more than half of the projected revenue that BC could expect from the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline over the next 30 years.

That’s the cost of only one spill. Just two of these could wipe out any revenue gains and put taxpayers on the hook for a lot more money way into the future.

The Enbridge Joint Review Panel Review recently left Vancouver. So far, over a thousand residents from all over BC have taken the time to say “no” to the project. In his Feb. 22 campaign speech, Adrian Dix addressed a packed audience at the Burnaby Hilton and, acting on these concerns, he promised he would take the steps necessary to block the Northern Gateway Pipeline if elected premier.

The spill in Marshall was one of the largest inland spills ever recorded in the US Northwest. They were also responsible for spills of over a million gallons in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and in Pembina, North Dakota. Enbridge attributed the Marshall accident to “a series of unfortunate events” and to “circumstances” beyond their control. Wasn’t it enough that their employees were “trying to do the right thing?”

On their website, Enbridge claims to be a leader in the industry. Yes, they are a leader, but in disasters, not safety.

Fashion Flatline

By
EIC
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                                                                                                                                                      Vancouver’s Dying Fashion Industry

Van Fashion

By Caroline Brown
Illustrations by Ariel Mitchell

Several years ago, I developed a passion for fashion that slowly began to exceed everything else in my life. Like most things that one falls in loves with, I was obsessed, and my desire bled into full-blown fashion idolization. I surrounded myself with fashion as much as I could: I volunteered at fashion weeks throughout the city, attended fashion school, and spent my Sundays on the seventh floor of Vancouver’s Central Library, flipping through designer profiles on Salvatore Ferragamo, Christian Dior and Chanel. I started to look around Vancouver to see what my future could entail: the harsh realization is that my dream job simply does not exist in the city that I love.

It is hard to work in Vancouver’s fashion industry. There are a handful of labels and even less events and fashion advocacies. Unless one goes searching for the industry, it merely exists on the sidelines, contributing very little to the overall lifestyle of the average Vancouverite. What happened to Vancouver’s fashion industry? Why isn’t it thriving as well as our east coast siblings, Montreal and Toronto?

Historically, Vancouver has at points had a bubbling fashion industry. Until 1995, there were tailors that produced bespoke clothing and factories that
produced clothes for the masses. However, Canada’s garment manufactures soon began to experience the negative effects of liberated borders. The World Trade Organization, (WTO) comprise of over 150 countries, changed its Multifibre Arrangement (MFA) to the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC). The former arrangement had allowed importing countries to place quantitative restrictions on certain textiles and clothing products to protect local production. However, once the latter was implemented, countries could no longer apply quotas and tariffs on imported textile and clothing products.

As a result, local apparel manufacturing shut down or was relocated to low wage countries. Prior to 1995, Winnipeg was home to Canada’s largest manufacturing sector and was the province’s second largest industry, with 115 companies and employing over 9,000 workers. Since then, over 4,000 jobs have been lost and a major training center for sewing machine operators was closed. The loss of this large sewing training facility — and a massively decreased manufacturing sector — have contributed to Canada’s industry dilemma: a lack of skilled labour.

The problem is an also overarching one in Vancouver specifically: Nicole Bridger, who owns a local company of the same name, and Tom Duguid, creative director of Arc’teryx, are two Vancouver fashion designers and, in our conversations, both concurred that there simply weren’t enough skilled sewers in the city.
The simple problem is that Canadian children are not bred to be tailors and seamstresses. This fact is reflected in The Political Economy of Manitoba: in 1980, which was Manitoba’s manufacturing heyday, 70 per cent of the industry’s workers were immigrants. In Vancouver, Arc’teryx, a local multi-million outdoor apparel company, had to stop producing all of their products locally in 2003.

To keep up with their sales and their competition, Arc’teryx opened plants in China, Vietnam and New Zealand. Today, 30 per cent of their products are made at their factory in Burnaby, while the rest is outsourced. As for Bridger, whose company is worth a million dollars, 90 per cent of her garments are made in Vancouver, while the other 10 per cent are produced in oversea fair trade factories.

So how does this problem affect Vancouver’s small fashion industry? It creates a barrier for new designers by restricting them to producing designs with their own hands. For first-time designers, a small line is beneficial for showcasing a small range that emphasizes a unique skill or direction that will entice buyers; however once a label expands, more hands are needed.

For new designers and small companies, outsourcing is painful: the fabrics, finishings and garments must be ordered in very large quantities and can create oversupply. Furthermore, outsourcing causes environmental degradation through the shipment of textiles and garments, and the ethics surrounding the work environments of overseas factory workers are often brought into question.

Despite the 12 sewers that Nicole Bridger currently employs, she is looking for another five, and acknowledges that when employable labour in Vancouver is low, some local designers find women who work out of their houses. This labour void in Vancouver’s fashion industry reduces its potential to help foster new designers, and further reduces Vancouver’s chances of creating a garment district like that found in New York City. Since reducing skilled labour, Vancouverites mainly dress in American designs, which are made in Asia. All the proof we need is a look at the corporations that are housed up and down Robson Street; better yet, read the labels on your clothes and dwell for a second on the geographical distance your garment travels.

Another issue with the Vancouver fashion industry is the lack of support and funding that it receives. In the 80s, the cigarette company Manatee gave out fashion grants annually to local designers. Between the years of 1989 and 1996, Rozemerie Cueves — founder of local company Jacequline Conoir — was awarded an annual grant between $10,000 and $30,000, to which she has in part attributed her success as a Vancouver designer. This grant no longer exists since the Tobacco Products Control Act was put into place in 1995 by the federal government; tobacco companies didn’t see the need to continue to award local designers when they were no longer allowed to advertise their involvement.

Both the federal and provincial government were unable to find a replacement for these grants and young designers became sorely unsupported by our government. To this day, our federal government does not consider fashion an art, and therefore, designers are not able to apply for government art grants. However, recently, some provincial governments have acknowledged the need for funds and are starting to reallocate money to the fashion industry.

In 2009, Montreal’s provincial government gave a $1.5 million dollar grant to two fashion companies — Rudsak and Harricana — to expand their exports. BC’s government does not consider fashion an art and has yet to supply government funding to fashion houses for a financial boost. This past winter, however, BC’s government, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and Lululemon’s founder Chip Wilson and his wife Shannon came together to fund a $36 million dollar project for a new School of Design at the university. The website describes the development of the school as a way to “solidify the future of BC’s technical apparel industry.”

While at first glance, this school seems as if it will remobilize Vancouver’s apparel industry, some are skeptical: there is criticism in the industry that Lululemon is building a design school to further develop their company by hand crafting technical designers to their needs. Whether or not this is true, an influx of capital and community moral would do well for Vancouver. The School of Design and its graduates could change the average Vancouverite’s perception of the local fashion industry and help it regain the credibility it needs to survive.

The City of Toronto provides recent graduates with an option to apply for a spot in the fashion incubator, a design space with sewing equipment. Designers pay a low rental fee of $275/month and are also provided with a mentor who helps the designer develop business and professional skills to survive in the industry. The incubator is a non-profit organization that is sponsored by the likes of the City of Toronto, Industry Canada, and FLARE Magazine.

The program boasts a 75 per cent survival rate among its alumni after three years in business, compared to the 37 per cent rate among those that go out on their own; it counts designers such as David Dixon and Wendy Wong/House of Spy as alumni. In recent years, Vancouver fashion advocates have tried to develop a similar opportunity for new fashion graduates in the past. Unfortunately, they could never raise the necessary funding.

In the 1990s, Apparel BC — a non-profit organization — put on local fashion events, supported local designers, and acted as a lobbyist and fashion liaison between the industry and the local government. Its agenda was to create communication within the industry, while providing support outside of it. However, in the early 2000s, local fashion companies could no longer allocate funds to the NGO because of increased competition from WTO’s open borders agreement, and so Apparel BC had to shut its doors.

Since then, the local fashion industry has dispersed, and there is far less community support. For example, BC Fashion Week — a media event for local designers — was dismantled a couple years ago. As for Vancouver Fashion Week, it is highly frowned upon in the industry; no local designers will show at the event, causing the organizer to seek out naive foreign designers to present. Recently, two other new fashion events have come up in Vancouver: Eco-Fashion Week and Vancouver Alternative Fashion Week. However, without one event that can consolidate all designers, community support is mixed and divided, a problem that such a small industry should not be facing.

Another non-profit advocate for the apparel industry is the Canadian Apparel Federation. However, they predominately focus on east coast designers, leaving Vancouver with little support. When you look at their website, the kind of dated clothes that were shown at your mom’s tupperware-style parties in the 90s look back. It makes it seem like the Canadian Apparel Federation is run by a bunch of older women who have a dated eye for fashion and are advocating for the wrong brands — not what Canada’s already waning fashion industry needs.

The last issue contributing to Vancouver’s weak fashion industry is the way designers develop their business. Since the advent of open borders, Vancouver designers should be developing a niche business that will complement the daily lifestyle of the average Vancouverite or Canadian. This niche would hopefully set them apart from their foreign competitors and build them up as a recognizable brand. Successful local brands like Nicole Bridger, Arc’teryx, Lululemon, and Aritiza embody a certain characteristic of a typical Vancouverite and have built their companies around these values and traits.

Vancouverites are individuals who define themselves, as yogis, die-hard skiers, devout recyclers, all the while being conscious of their fashion choices. New designers who understand this complex leisure lifestyle can develop a brand that combines this paragon of function and ethics. Creating a fashion industry that centers on the ideologies of versatility, functionality and strong ethics could grow a local industry and gain the respect of the government and bankers — and Vancouver’s fashion industry could sure use their help.

GSS annual general meeting held last week

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EIC
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By Alison Roach
Photo by Alison Roach

Last Tuesday, the SFU Graduate Student Society (GSS) held their annual general meeting (AGM), hosted in the GSS offices in the Maggie Benston Centre. The AGM was the first in the history of the GSS to reach quorum, drawing 103 members of the student society. The full quorum set in the GSS bylaws is 100 members. This amount of members is required to make an proposed law changes in general meetings.
A year-end review was given by coordinating and external relations officer Julia Lane. After a brief overview of the structure and functions of the GSS itself, Lane launched into highlights from the past year.
Emphasis was placed on the GSS’s continuous struggle for independence. An incident was recalled where the official SFU website stated that the SFSS is the only SFU student society, and represented all SFU students. After the GSS pointed out the error, the misinformation was quickly taken down. “We continue to work to be recognized by the university as independent, and it’s an ongoing struggle,” said Lane.
Other highlights included advocating for more student space at SFU’s Surrey and Vancouver campuses, improving communication with the GSS membership, more GSS funded caucuses organized than ever before with a proposal in the works to change the current caucus funding model, and cleanup of GSS bylaws following a large overhaul last April.
Part of the proposed amendments to GSS bylaws addressed changing the caucus funding model, removing the stipulation that at least 10 per cent of GSS general membership fees must go to caucus funding. The funding model to be put in its place is currently being developed.
A financial report for 2012 was given by auditor Tompkins, Wozny, Miller & Co., with Gary Wozny presenting. The report found that total expenses for the GSS were just over $225,000 more than in 2011. This was due in part to an increase in salaries and wages, which jumped from $138,260 to $208,260. The increase in revenue from 2011 to 2012 was $52,045, and a deficit of $178,555 was seen in the operating fund.
Addressing this deficit, the GSS has created a referendum question that proposed changes to the capital levy, a fund established in 2007 that collects a fee from each member for the purpose of construction and maintenance of the society’s current space, and investing in future planning and development of space. The fund now sits at $1,237,836.
With no specific plans for the fund in the future, the GSS Finance and Audit Committee recommended the discontinuation of the capital levy, and the reallocation of the levy amounts to the GSS membership fee, addressing the issue of the budget deficit and planning for future growth of the society and their services.
Lane explained, “One of the things that we saw at council with the deficit budget was that we were actually reducing programs . . . We want to be able to see the GSS grow if we can without raising membership fees wherever possible.” However, she continued, “Eventually membership fees will have to go up, that’s the reality of increasing services.”
Another upcoming issue discussed was the U-Pass referendum, which the GSS will be holding concurrently officer elections and the SFSS referendum on the same question. The referendum question is whether or not to continue participation in the TransLink U-Pass program, accepting fees of $35 in 2013, $36.75 in 2014, and $38 in 2015.
Concern was raised that failure to pass the referendum, either a vote of no from the membership or insufficient voter turnout, will result in the termination of the U-Pass program for GSS members. Polling for both the officer positions and U-Pass referendum will be held online from March 11-14.
The meeting concluded with all motions carrying with few objections and abstentions. The motions carried were the receival of the financial statements for the 2011-2012 financial year, the appointment of Tompkins, Wozny, Miller & Co as auditor for the current financial year, and all proposed amendments to the GSS bylaws.

Canada’s new Office of Religious Freedom raises concerns

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EIC
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1

By Leah Bjornson

The Conservatives’ newly revealed vision for an Office of Religious Freedom in Canada has caused many to question the intention behind the office’s creation.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Andrew Bennett, the previous dean of Augustine College in Ottawa, has been appointed as ambassador to the office. In the official announcement, Harper stated, “Dr. Bennett is a man of principle and deep convictions, and he will encourage the protection of religious minorities around the world so all can practice their faith without fear of violence and repression.”
In November 2012, when the office was first announced, the federal government stated that the ORF would promote religious tolerance by “protecting, and advocating on behalf of religious minorities under threat; opposing religious hatred and intolerance; and, promoting the Canadian values of pluralism and tolerance abroad.”
Despite the government’s claims that the $5 million office will support pluralism and an individual’s freedom of religious choice, the office itself and foreign affairs minister John Baird have been accused of having a Christian bias.
When citing instances of religious violence, Baird referred exclusively to Christian victims: Baha’i practitioners in Iran, Coptic Christians in Egypt, Roman Catholic priests in China, and Catholics in Nigeria. Furthermore, Baird had only consulted western authorities like the Vatican and the Aga Khan during the creation of this office.
“We have tried to participate,” wrote Doug Thomas, the president of Secular Connexion Seculaire (SCS), in an article in the Huffington Post. “I tried to present our case to the minister of foreign affairs, John Baird, at the time of the original announcement. Months later, Mr. Baird, or rather one of his minions, responded by repeating passages from the original announcement that did not mention persecuted atheists at all.”
Liberal foreign affairs critic Dominic LeBlanc has voiced a concern that the ORF may hold religious rights above others. “In regions where this office is likely to be active, religion often conflicts with our understanding of other important human rights, including LGBTQ and women’s rights,” LeBlanc said in a recent press release. “This government must explain how it will guarantee that it does not feed a perception that religious rights are supreme.”
In Canada, anywhere from 19 to 30 per cent of citizens classify themselves as atheists or agnostics. While discrimination against non-believers is not a prominent issue in Canada, it occurs around the world, including in the US, where atheists are restricted from entering public office. For such individuals, the ORF may represent a government initiative from which they are excluded.
Concerning questions of bias or Christian-centrism, Bennett made his position on the matter explicit at his first press conference. “All people of faith and, again, those who choose not to have faith, need to be protected, their rights need to be respected,” Bennett said. “That’s what this office is about.”
Bennett’s colleague, Augustine College administrator Harold Visser, reinforced this in an interview with Global News: “There’s nothing in me that says Andrew is going to be, as some would suggest, some kind of Christian fundamentalist who’s out there to bang the Christian drum.”
The ORF is currently facing its first challenge in the form of a call from Tibetan exile Lobsang Sangay to send Bennett to Tibet, a move that would no doubt anger huge Canadian trading partner, China.
Meanwhile, the intention behind the office continues to be called into question. “Elevating religious freedom above other freedoms . . . violates the principle of the separation of church and state,” wrote iPolitics columnist Tasha Kheiriddin. “Religion and politics don’t mix — not in Canada, at any rate.”

University Briefs – March 4, 2013

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EIC
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By Amara Janssens

UBC student found dead in LA hotel’s water tank

Los Angeles police have confirmed that the body of missing UBC student Elisa Lam has been found inside Cecil’s Hotel’s rooftop water tank. Lam, 21, was reported missing on Feb. 1, after being last seen in the hotel on Jan. 31. Investigators do not yet know the cause of death, or how long she has been in the water tank, but are awaiting test results. LAPD are also unsure how she got onto the hotel’s roof, as the door to the roof is locked and alarmed, leaving the fire escape as the only non-alarmed route. In the meantime, health officials have warned not to drink the hotel’s water.

With files from The Ubyssey

Quebec language police and the word “pasta”

On Feb. 20 the Office Quebecois de la Langue Francaise (OQLF) told a Montreal italian restaurant that the english word “pasta” needed to be removed from the menu. According to the OQLF, the menu needed to have the french translation of “pasta” as it was violating Quebec’s Language Charter. The restaurant owner, Massimo Lecas, questioned their methods. “The fact they didn’t circle pizza, it heightens it to another level where it was absurd because why would you circle one but not the other,” said Lecas to The Concordian. After public outcry, OQLF released a statement saying that the word “pasta” is acceptable..

With files from The Concordian

Teen pregnancy rates up 35.7 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador

Sex Information and Education Council of Canada has reported an increase of 35.7 per cent in the number of teen pregnancies in NL between 2006 and 2010, compared to the national increase average of 1.1 per cent. Planned Parenthood Newfoundland and Labrador’s Sexual Health Centre state that socioeconomic factors play a significant role in the rising numbers, citing a provincial lack in education and career prospects for young women. Access to birth control is an ongoing problem in rural areas of NL, combined with the lack of abortion clinics, with only two in the province.

With files from The Muse

Clan secure first-round GNAC Championship bye

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EIC
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WEB-pink basketball-Adam Ovenell-Carter
After honouring their senior players, women’s basketball beat NNU

By Jade Richardson
Photos by Adam Ovenell-Carter

After four very different seasons as members of the Simon Fraser University women’s basketball team, Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, Kristina Collins and Carla Wyman are preparing to retire their Clan jerseys at the end of this season.

The three seniors on the women’s basketball squad have been through countless changes and hardships in their time at SFU. They became the leaders and stars of this year’s team, who, in their first official season in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, are nationally ranked, and in contention for a berth into the NCAA championship tournament.

It was with great sadness and emotion that the trio played their final home match for the Clan in front of a huge crowd in SFU’s West Gym on Feb. 23, in a game marking many exciting moments and events for the Clan.

It was the team’s annual Pink Zone game, where funds were raised for the BC Cancer Foundation’s breast cancer research as the team hosted silent auction, 50/50 draw and collected donations throughout the night.

The game against Northwest Nazarene was a highly anticipated match, as the Clan had never beaten the Crusaders since joining the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2010. Earlier this season they had come closest to a win, falling 60–59 on the road, and the ladies were grinding at the bit in hopes of coming out with a win.

The Crusaders led only once, just as the game began where they took an early 4–0 lead, but the Clan answered quickly and never looked back.

The Clan were tight on defence, effective on offence, and although NNU pressed and got back into the game at certain points, the home side was not prepared to let them take the lead.

As the minutes died-down Langford called three consecutive time-outs, subbing out his seniors one-by-one as the home crowd took to their feet to salute the three players.wv

The game ended in a 73–52 victory for the Clan, improving their GNAC record to 13­–3. The Clan secured the second place spot in the conference standings providing them with a first-round bye into the GNAC championship tournament in early March.

The win also marked Head Coach Bruce Langford’s 300th career win with the Clan. Langford has coached the SFU women’s program for 12 years, in a run that included five Canadian Interuniversity Sport Championships before the program shifted to the NCAA.

“I guess it’s an appropriate time to get 300,” he explained. “I’m happier about clinching second place than anything else. NNU is a team we haven’t played well against and we played well tonight.”

And that good play was led by the Clan seniors, who in their final home game posted some impressive numbers. Raincock-Ekunwe recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, while Wyman and Collins added 12 and 11 points respectively. Collins also had an outstanding eight assists and zero turnovers on the night. Clan sophomore Erin Chambers added 18 points to the cause.

Following the match, Turkish freshman Belce Yoruk had her head shaved by teammate Becca Langmead in support of the evening’s cause, as the 2013 team gathered for the final time on the hardwood floors in the West Gym, marking the departure of an important group of players, but also the admittance of a new generation of Clan spirit.

Protection of shark species under scrutiny

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EIC
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As global shark populations continue to decline and commercial fishing grows in popularity, Lindsay Davidson remains determined to improve shark fisheries management through analyzing fishery policies and taking conservation action.

Late last year, the journal Science published Davidson’s letter urging other scientists and government bodies to recheck the strength of global shark sanctuaries. These sanctuaries protect some types of sharks from commercial fishing by blocking off a portion of a nation’s waters from fishers.

Normally, these boundaries are implemented by small island nations like the Maldives or the Seychelles. While the formation of sanctuaries is a positive step towards protecting shark populations from further shrinking, Davidson warns others to be wary about unspoken specifications written into sanctuary policies. This includes protection from “commercial fishing” exclusively, a lack of coverage for some species, and variation in the size of sanctuaries.

“[Positive media] may give the illusion that the sharks are completely protected now. In reality, we don’t know how small island nations can implement shark sanctuaries or if they have the money to enforce them,” said Davidson. “I don’t want the creation of shark sanctuaries to prevent scientists from implementing more effective shark management.”

Davidson completed her bachelor’s of science in geography with a concentration in environmental resource management at the University of Windsor. She is presently studying at SFU towards a master’s of science in marine biology while working as a biology teaching assistant.

Her work examines the underlying causes of declining shark catches to authorities in commercial shark fishing. “Countries could be implementing better fishery management and therefore not catching as many sharks, or it’s possible that we’re seeing a global decrease in shark catches due to shark population decline,” says Davidson.

On average, 26 to 73 million sharks are killed each year for their fins, and even low levels of fishing may cause species to become endangered or potentially extinct. Out of over 1,000 different species of sharks, rays, and skates, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species has marked 25 species of sharks, rays, and skates as critically endangered and 41 species as endangered.

“Sharks grow so big, take a long time to mature, and they don’t produce a lot of pups. There is quite a high demand for their fins and shark meat, so that has raised a lot of concerns throughout the scientific community about these populations drastically decreasing,” explained Davidson.

Davidson also worked with the IUCN Shark Specialist group — which is based in Vancouver and co-chaired by SFU professor Nick Dulvy — to pinpoint areas of shark species richness through a series of distribution maps. She has also collaborated with them to read through policies for shark fishing countries, and to identify the effectiveness of the tools they use to manage shark populations — this will allow the IUCN and other groups to take effective steps towards improving shark conservation.

“One of our main goals is to highlight areas where policy or shark fishing management could disproportionately benefit the population. Areas with lots of fishing or threatened species might be a good place to help that area boost their shark fishing management,” she concluded.

Clan get swept in Alaska

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EIC
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SFU men’s basketball fail to pick up second conference win

By Bryan Scott

The Simon Fraser men’s basketball team were in action last week for their second last game of the season. They were in last place heading in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference heading into their game against the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks.

These two teams battled it out for the entire game. There were a total of 10 lead changes (five for each team), and the game was tied six times.

After the Nanooks went out to a four-point lead, the Clan’s Anto Olah, and Matt Raivio hit consecutive three-pointers to give SFU a 6–4 lead.

Over the next 10 minutes of the half, both teams sunk some great shots and found themselves tied at 24 with 5:29 to play. SFU was great in the paint in the first half, getting 14 points to the Nanooks’ eight. Ibrahim Appiah hit two clutch free throws with one second on the clock to give the Clan a one-point, 36–35 lead at halftime.

It was the Nanooks who came out firing to start the second half, regaining the lead just 19 seconds in. They maintained the lead for the next seven minutes, matching SFU bucket for bucket. SFU tied the game at 46 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the game.

SFU went on an 11–4 run after that to take the lead, 57–50, with seven minutes left. Unfortunately, the Clan could not keep the lead, and earn their second conference win of the season.

UAF finished the game outscoring SFU 13–4 to finish the half, and pulled out a comeback, 63–61 victory.

Despite the loss, SFU had some shining moments. They went perfect from the free throw line, and nailed half of their shots from behind the arc.

Olah and Appiah both registered double-doubles for the Clan. Olah had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Appiah logged 10 points and 10 rebounds in the losing effort.

SFU finished off their regular season last Saturday against the first-place Western Washington Vikings.

Broncos can’t buck Clan

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EIC
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WEB-lacrosse-Vaikunthe Banerjee
SFU lacrosse wins big on home field over Boise State

By Bryan Scott
Photos by Vaikunthe Banerjee

The Boise State Broncos headed north of the border last week to play the Simon Fraser lacrosse team on Terry Fox Field. The Clan were looking to avenge their first loss ever to Boise State, which happened last season in a 15–14 overtime thriller.

Head coach Brent Hoskins wasn’t letting his team forget about last year. “We always try and keep our focus looking forward, but I know that there were a couple opponents from last season that our returners had circled on their schedules this year to try and earn some redemption,” he said.

The game had a relatively slow start. Both teams looked to hold possession and take quality shots on net. It was Clan midfielder Alex Bohl that got the ball rolling for SFU when he took a pass from Eric Ransom and fired it home.

After the Broncos tied the game at one, Sam Clare buried a hockey-like goal, shoveling the ball off the ground into the net. Shortly after that, Ward Spencer made it 3–1 SFU with a great play from behind the net.

Boise added another goal before the end of the quarter that cut the lead back to one. That is as close as the Broncos got for the rest of the game.

It was the usual suspects of Clare, Andrew Branting, and Spencer who scored the goals in the second quarter as SFU’s stingy defense led by Mark Hilker, Ryley Wanzer and goaltender Kyle Middleton shut down any attempts the Broncos threw their way. The Clan enjoyed a 6–2 lead at halftime.

In the second half, SFU’s superior skill was evident. They pumped in eight more goals, and only allowed four against to win the game 14–6. Long-stick midfielder Wanzer scored an impressive goal while shorthanded to solidify the win for the Clan late in the fourth quarter.

Clare continued his scoring ways, leading the team with four goals and adding an assist. Freshmen Bohl and Branting were essential in the win, providing five goals and three assists between them.

Long-stick midfielder Wanzer scored an impressive goal while shorthanded to solidify the win for the Clan.
Middleton made his five saves in his second win in as many starts for SFU. SFU outshot Boise State 60–19, and scooped up 35 loose balls to tame the Broncos.

The game was chippy, and the yellow flag was thrown at will by the men in stripes. Both teams combined for 25 minutes in penalties, and the Clan scored five times while up a man.

They move to 4–1 on the season, but a difficult stretch lies ahead. All of their next six games are against ranked opponents, including the number one-ranked Colorado State on March 9, 2013.

Residential School Awareness Week at SFU

By
EIC
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By Rachel Braeuer and Ljudmila Petrovic
Photo by Rachel Braeuer

Feb. 27 marked the end of Residential School Education Week at SFU, which consisted of a three-part speaker series featuring Commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Marie Wilson; SFU’s Chair of the First Nations Studies Department, Dr. Eldon Yellowhorn; and Dr. John Milloy, professor of Canadian and Indigenous History at Trent University. All events were free and open to the public, hosted at the Convocation Mall theatre and the Wosk Centre for Dialogue downtown.
Each event began with the acknowledgment of territory and a song played on a traditional flute played by Dr. Vicki Kelly, an associate professor at SFU. The song both mourned and honoured the survivors and their healing journeys.
Residential schools operated in Canada for 150 years and saw approximately 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Metis children removed from their homes and forced into attendance. It is estimated that 80,000 of these attendees are still alive today.
“[The] events are aimed at raising society’s general appreciation of what went on in residential schools, why they continue to impact Aboriginal people and what could be done to help mitigate that impact,” said William Lindsay, the director of the Office for Aboriginal Peoples (OAP) at SFU.
In 2008, 12 years after the last residential school closed its doors, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was established with the goal of learning the truth of what happened in the schools and inform all Canadians of this. The TRC made use of documents from the schools themselves, and testimonies from those who survived the residential school experience — whether they attended the schools first-hand or simply felt the lasting impacts left on Indigenous communities.
Speakers elucidated unique aspects of the impact of residential schools and the effectiveness and shortcomings of the TRC. One of the talks concluded with a panel of residential school and intergenerational abuse survivors who offered stories of their experiences, healing journeys and collective community efforts to repair the traditional social infrastructures the institutions of colonialism broke down.
Frank Wallace, one of the panel members and a representative of the Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society (IRSSS) talked about his recovery from addiction that stemmed from being abused sexually and physically in a residential school.
“We’re here trying to get our lives in order, so that we can carry on out of the dark days of our past, to move on, to help others, to start learning how to leave all of that stuff in the past . . . it’s not easy,” he managed to say with a cracking voice. “But I’m here.”
Adeline Brown, a Haida elder, spoke of feeling lonely and isolated from her family while she attended a residential school in Edmonton. Dr. Milloy stated that many children were sent to residential schools by families experiencing institutionalized poverty. In the process, they forgot their language and culture, and were thus unprepared for reintegration in their traditional communities when finished school. They often felt a conflict between their Aboriginal culture and the culture they had been taught.
These common experiences have travelled down as intergenerational trauma — most often presenting themselves as family abuse, substance problems and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). But bearing witness to these traumas in first-person accounts is not an attempt by a community to dwell, but rather to move forward.
“This is not [a place] where we’re going to have to remain. My story is just that: a story,” said Angela White, IRSSS workshop coordinator, whose parents attended residential school. “We’re not letting that story define who we are to this day.”
And yet Milloy stated that “we are further away from reconciliation than we have ever been in this country.” He pointed to Bill C-45 as the “persistence of hypocrisy, a distance between the rhetoric of care and the reality of policy.” Milloy noted that although Canada’s residential school apology addressed and apologized for horrors past, it did not acknowledge its results, look into the future, nor outline principles for a national healing process. “It’s been a progress into the past,” he surmised.
The global context of the history of Canada’s treatment of its first peoples was a component of many of the speeches, but came to a head during one question period. Attendee Michael Marker, an associate professor at UBC, spoke to the differences between the US’s residential schooling system and Canada’s. “The sexual abuse is on this side of the border, and not on the other,” he insisted, shaking in anger. “There can be no reconciliation, only restitution.”
Nevertheless, Lindsay remains optimistic about. “I think the will is there to learn about residential schools by teachers and young ones, and it’s going to be part of that healing process . . . hope sessions like the ones we’ve had over this past week can be a road to healing in this process.”

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024