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NDP announces $3.75 million in graduate research scholarships

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Peak Web
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The photo is of the front of NDP MLA Anne Kang's office. The brick building's window has Kang's name and a photo of her face on it.
NDP MLA Anne Kang hopes the scholarships will help increase accessibility to education. PHOTO: Amirul Anirban / The Peak

By: Pranjali J Mann, News Writer

SFU is set to receive $630,000 in domestic graduate research scholarship funding. The provincial government’s press release notes the scholarships will be awarded based on merit. The focus will be research-based projects in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and business disciplines.

The research funding comes as an effort of the BC government to close BC’s skills and talent gap, under the StrongerBC Economic Plan. This particular “investment will support 250 awards of a minimum of $15,000 each through March 2024.”

“One of the ways we can strengthen our communities is by investing in students so that they feel ready to take on whatever comes their way,” said Katrina Chen, MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed.

To find out more about the grant, The Peak contacted Anne Kang, minister of advanced education and skills training. Kang mentioned the BC graduate scholarship program was started by the government in 2018 with $20 million invested so far. 

She noted throughout 2022–23, the $3.75 million fund will provide domestic graduate scholarships across 10 post-secondary institutions. This includes British Columbia Institute of Technology, University of British Columbia, University of the Fraser Valley, University of Victoria, and SFU.

Kang underlined the funding is coming because the provincial government wants to “work hard to invest in affordable post-secondary education and break down barriers for people by investing in post-secondary institutions.” According to her, these scholarships can be used by graduate students to “cover their life expenses such as tuition, rent, food, childcare, and transportation. The purpose is so they can focus on their studies and be successful.”

For all domestic undergraduate and graduate students, the government offers these grants through the Student Aid BC program. Under this program, $50 million has been invested this year, covering financial assistance for about 4,000 graduate students in BC. 

On April 14, Tuition Freeze Now held a rally outside of Kang’s office in protest of the cost of tuition. International student fees and tuition has increased by 4% within the last year.

Kang added the issue of affordability is being worked on and several steps included a funding review looking into cost of living and tuition for all twenty five post secondary institutions in BC. She also stated, “I am very confident by 2028 that the government and post secondary institutions will have invested in 8,000 student housing. That means there will be more affordable housing and safe housing on campuses.”

Kang said education is being made more affordable in BC by “eliminating tuition fees for former youth in care” and allowing adults to receive free adult basic education.

Government pledges $2 million towards community-based food projects

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Peak Web
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The photo is a close-up picture on multiple piles of fresh vegetables. In the picture are onions, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and squash.
Bibeau toured the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, which has recently increased food storage capacity by 3,400 cubic feet. PHOTO: Mark Stebnicki / Pexels

By: Chloë Arneson, News Writer

On May 25, the federal minister of agriculture and agri-food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced up to $2 million from the local food infrastructure fund (LFIF) will be put towards 38 projects across the province. 

The fund offers grants to charitable organisations, Indigenous groups, not-for-profit cooperatives, and small municipalities. Over the course of five years, $60 million will be put towards sustainable and health-conscience food systems. 

The government of Canada released the news on their website, expressing the need for these community based projects. They stated, “All Canadians, regardless of where they live, deserve to have access to safe and nutritious food.” Pricing varies according to each region and the cost of food can be significantly higher in Northern and remote areas in Canada due to isolation and socioeconomic challenges. Northern areas are geographically disadvantaged because transport cost of food dramatically increases food prices. In Nunavut, where 86% of residents are Indigenous, the same bottle of juice that costs $6.79 in the Lower Mainland costs $34.99. The press release called for regionally tailored solutions. 

By providing the funding for communities to build their own food systems that meet their needs, the government stated they are “committed to working with community-based food security organisations to ensure they have access to the necessary tools that help them to meet the increasing and immediate needs of people experiencing food insecurity.”

The Greater Vancouver Food Bank is one of the organisations that received funding from the LFIF’s previous round of grants. They have recently installed a new walk-in fridge and freezer at their downtown Vancouver location. The Greater Vancouver Food Bank currently serves over 10,000 individuals and families in need of support every month. 

David Long, CEO of Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, expressed the donation from the LFIF was urgently needed. “We are seeing a record-breaking number of new clients seeking our support each month,” said Long. “This infrastructure support from the federal government came at a time when we needed it the most.”

Because of COVID-19, many Vancouver residents faced food insecurity that continued throughout the course of the pandemic. In addition to limited delivery options, many of the city’s food services were shut down, which restricted access to affordable healthy food. Losing employment as well as inequities that disproportionately affect disabled people and BIPOC individuals contributed to the effects of this insecurity. According to The Cloverdale Reporter, the pandemic caused mostly low-wage workers to lose their jobs. These jobs are primarily held by women and people of colour. 

Applications for funding from the LFIF are being accepted until July 15, 2022. 

For more information about the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, you can visit their website or call 1-877-246-4682.

What Grinds Our Gears: We’re not in a state of perpetual panic over the tank farm

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Peak Web
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The Burnaby Mountain tank farm
“Look Ma! The poorly designed, dangerous energy tech of the past!” PHOTO: Amirul Anirban / The Peak

By: Luke Faulks, Opinions Editor

We complain, but SFU’s Burnaby campus is a uniquely beautiful spot for a school. Secluded at the top of a mountain, we’re as close as you can come to a literal ivory tower of education. But thanks to the Burnaby Mountain tank farm, our stunning locale becomes a death trap for SFU students and staff — and for some reason, we’re not up in arms about it. 

A simple scroll through the City’s 2015 report on the farm will send your blood pressure through the roof. Thanks to the installation, we’re all put at risk of massive fires and poisonous hydrogen sulfide emissions. And because the goons over at Kinder Morgan decided to plonk the farm on the side of a mountain, we’re doubly at risk of fire and fumes when an earthquake occurs.  

“But surely,” one thinks, “an institution that lined up to denounce the project in 2016 has prepared extensive evacuation and disaster relief protocols in the event of an explosion?” Wrong.

SFU did issue new policies for emergency responses, including amendments to the school’s mass evacuation and shelter in place plans. But neither set of plans addresses the fact that both points of egress (Gaglardi Way and University Drive East) intersect right above the tank farm! So, in the event of a fire, go closer to the start of it! In the event of toxic emissions, swing by and take a whiff! 

Every day, thousands of SFU students learn on a campus that’s straddling a ticking time bomb. Beyond the implications for climate change and beyond the implications for the sensitive environment of the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area, we need to be losing our collective shit over the tank farm’s potential to burn or choke out our campus.

A talk on Palestinian leadership under the British Mandate

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Peak Web
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The photo shows the city of Palestine Israel. The buildings are condensed and in close proximity to each other. No people can be seen.
The talk was a part of the larger three day event — Palestinian Days at SFU. PHOTO: Amal Abdullah

By: Yasmin Vejs Simsek, Staff Writer

On June 1, SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies (CCMS) held an event at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in collaboration with The Caucus. Educator and activist Bassam Abun-Nadi explored the absence of military academies in Palestine and its effect on the country’s anti-colonial struggle. 

The British Mandate for Palestine started after World War I and lasted until 1948. It saw British rule over Palestine after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The British Mandate was “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” When talking about Palestine’s history, Abun-Nadi, explained, there are three antagonists — The British imperial project, the Zionist movement and the Palestinian leadership, being the urban notables.

Abun-Nadi explained the Mandate resulted in the notables (an urban and elite social class) of Palestine becoming parliamentarians — which could be thought of as government officials. This, however, came to an abrupt end with the Nakba — which refers to the displacement and ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians from their home country. Following the Nakba, the urban notables became the Palestinian leadership. Abun-Nadi explored the notables’ responsibility in losing Palestine and their anti-colonial struggle.

Being an educator himself, Abun-Nadi focuses on the impact of education on Palestine’s history. He observed the absence of military academies in Palestine, a free school to train men for the Ottoman army. This was important as several of the officers who came out of the academies in other parts of the Middle East went on to become anti-colonial figures and leaders of their home countries. Because Palestine lacked military graduates, the urban notables were forced to adopt leadership. 

There are several reasons there are no military academies in Palestine, according to Abun-Nadi. The first being “the Ottoman Empire did not design its institutions with the collapse of the empire in mind” and therefore did not plan for new borders. 

Secondly, military academies were only located in regional capitals. Holy cities and their surrounding areas were exempt from being drafted, leaving Jerusalem unable to have military academies. “What that meant is that Palestine barreled into the Mandate era without any institutionalized knowledge on how to resist an occupation,” said Abun-Nadi.  

This left the country with no one but the notables and peasants, who had no military training or no education at all, respectively, added Abun-Nadi.  

“In analyzing the anti-colonial struggle of the Palestinians, one would imagine had they had military officers it would have decisively changed the way that they were able to engage with the British empire,” said Abun-Nadi. The absence of military academies, and therefore officers, left the notables in charge. 

“The urban notables were not incompetent. They were not. The urban notables were supremely competent in all the wrong things.” The notables’ lack of leadership training may have enabled the occupation, but it was not a fault of their own. 

“The game had changed in such a way that the tools they had at their disposal just didn’t work anymore. They were playing chess while everyone else was playing rugby,” said Abun-Nadi.

Abun-Nadi ended with encouraging people to forgive each other and the urban notables for their share of the responsibility of Palestine’s past in the spirit of truth and reconciliation.  

Abun-Nadi is an SFU alumni and the founder and president of the grassroot organization RECLAIM, which works “to bridge the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims through education.” This talk marked the first of three Palestine Days at SFU, hosted by CCMS, MENA film festival, Institute for the Humanities, and other groups, at SFU. The Palestine Days lasted from June 1–3 and included film screenings, lectures, and workshops all surrounding Palestine and its peoples.

You can learn more from Abun-Nadi on his podcast “PreOccupation: A Not-So-Brief History of Palestine” and attend the next Palestine Days events. A Sky with no Stars will be available soon on CCMS’ Youtube channel.   

For more information on the Palestinian occupation, visit Amnesty International’s website or United Nations’ Human Rights Comission’s website.

Something for everyone: The online learning debate is way more convoluted than it needs to be

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Opinions
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Cup of coffee in front of a zoom meeting
Everyone learns differently. PHOTO: Chris Montgomery / Unsplash

By Meera Eragoda, Features Editor

We’ve all got a take on hybrid learning. Too few options for it. Too much to ask of instructors. Not worth what we pay in tuition. We’re also blowing the problem out of proportion. A fully dual system, offering fully digital and fully in-person versions of the same class, helps us tackle the best and worst aspects of each system. 

In a recent piece about hybrid learning, assistant professor of publishing Hannah McGregor told The Peak, “an ideal hybrid class would have two professors to engage the two groups [in-person and online] of students.” McGregor implemented hybrid learning in her publishing seminar classes and is an overall supporter of the accessibility hybrid learning provides. If hybrid instruction has already been likened to teaching two classes, then why don’t we just offer two classes? One remote and one in-person. This seems like an easier way for students and instructors to get the best of both worlds without stressing out one group for the benefit of the other. 

Accessibility and flexibility seem to be the primary reasons why people support hybrid: it’s a format that allows students to choose what format they’re most comfortable with. However, given the critiques from instructors and students alike that a hybrid system leads to instructors being overextended and being unable to give students their full attention, why are we insisting on hybrid being the new gold standard for learning?

Instead, why not consider easier alternatives such as just increasing the number of remote classes available? It would mean SFU would have to increase its teaching staff but their constant tuition increases and the surplus profit they gained during the pandemic should make this feasible. What’s the purpose of our tuition if it can’t go towards improving options for students?  

Remote options are generally lacking so it makes sense why people see hybrid learning as the best of both worlds. However, not only has the pandemic shown that remote learning can be done more creatively than before, but it also offers the flexibility and accessibility that students are fighting for. 

Additionally, the pandemic forcing all instructors to teach remotely means that some may have discovered they prefer it and others might have discovered they absolutely loathe it. Just like students can learn in the way that best suits them, adding more remote options should theoretically also allow instructors to teach in a style that best fits them.

The blended learning style SFU started offering in 2021 as a compromise to hybrid learning, reduces but does not eliminate the number of in-person sessions students have in a course. Blended learning alternates between remote and in-person classes on a “set schedule”. However, if a class is remote, all students are expected to attend remotely and if a class is in-person, all students are expected to attend in person. While this is a helpful option, it is an imperfect one for immunocompromised students who may prefer not to come in, even at a reduced rate. Increasing remote options, when the pandemic has ensured the infrastructure is available, is the most obvious solution.

Political Corner: The thin blue line patch is a betrayal of public trust

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Peak Web
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A thin blue line patch
The “thin blue line” patch is a symbol of social division in policing. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

By: Olivia Visser

Content warning: police brutality, racism, and anti-Indigenous violence

Amid calls for police accountability, the thin blue line patch has emerged as the subject of heated debate. Police, even those in Vancouver, argue the symbol represents innocent camaraderie among police officers, but a growing number recognize the badge for what it is: a symbol for a dynamic that pits officers against their communities. 

The thin blue line patch represents the role some officers feel they play in society. The line, representing the police, is intended to serve as a bulwark between order and chaos. It’s a manifestation of a problematic type of policing — one in which cops view themselves as soldiers fighting a war, and where attempts at holding police accountable are seen as impediments to the “war” effort. 

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is, sadly, still mired in thin blue line-type narratives. In a recent Vancouver Police Board meeting, police chief Adam Palmer responded to a complaint about an on-duty officer wearing the thin blue line patch, saying the “patch has a deep-rooted meaning with police officers.” Palmer explained many officers view the patch as a way to connect with their community and respect coworkers who died in the line of duty. 

Except it’s not that. Others — even other officers — disagree with Palmer. In March, the Calgary Police Commission (CPC) issued a directive to discontinue the use of the thin blue line patch while on duty. Their statement acknowledged the symbol “has a contentious history with roots in division, colonialism, and racism.” The CPC is right. 

The Northwest Mounted Police was created to control Indigenous Peoples and establish colonial rule over Western Canada. This is a history we should be acknowledging, and policing is a a strain of law enforcement that should be actively held accountable. The CPC’s acknowledgment of policing’s colonial history is only a small starting point for adequately policing all Canadians, but it’s still ahead of Vancouver’s weak stance on the problematic patch. 

The thin blue line upholds an “us versus them” dichotomy between police and community members. It tells citizens that officers are serving their own interests when they should be acting within the best interests of those they work to protect. It’s a violation of an already volatile power dynamic. 

When the thin blue line appears as a response to activism supporting historically marginalized groups, it suggests that officers don’t view themselves on the same side as social justice. Case in point is the police response to Indigenous activists. Last June, RCMP officers were seen wearing the patch at old-growth logging protests despite official orders not to. In July, Saint John police officers were criticized for wearing it at a demonstration against residential schools. How are you supposed to trust someone with your life when they display on-duty support for an ideology that dismisses the violence committed by its subscribers?

It’s not just in response to marginalized communities standing up for themselves. Police abuse is an everyday issue. Adjusted for population, a CTV News analysis found that 1.5 out of every 100,000 Indigenous people had been killed by the police since 2017, compared to 0.13 out of every 100,000 white Canadians. Indigenous people are also grossly overrepresented in Canada’s prison population, which pokes a hole in the country’s peacekeeping façade. 

The thin blue line is not simply an ideological slogan — it’s representative of real systemic corruption. With incredibly strong unions that often act against public interests, police officers have the freedom to abuse their power. One study from York University found that Canadian police unions are contradictory because they “contribute to entrenching police as a (relatively) privileged sector of the working class.” Because police already have elevated rights and responsibilities compared to other labourers, allowing them to unionize only upholds their inflated privilege by giving them a legal advantage over regular citizens. 

A CBC News investigation found that of 461 fatal police encounters over 18 years, only two ended with an officer being convicted. Attorney and past police officer James Lowry said that as an internal investigator, most officers were reluctant to disclose any information that would put a coworker at risk of criminal charges. This suggests a huge problem in the way officers are situated within the criminal justice system. It’s also emblematic of the way the “thin blue line” mentality manifests itself in concrete policy: police are protected because of the nature of their jobs; fighting a “domestic war.”

The thin blue line underlines a disconnect between community values and policing agendas. To visibly marginalized groups, the symbol is an affront to the historical and continued victimization that their communities live with. If the police want to improve public trust, they should begin by abandoning the thin blue line.

Food for Thought: Seaweed Soup

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Peak Web
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Bowl of seaweed soup served on a brown table with a bowl of rice
South Koreans honour our mothers on our birthdays with this ancient tradition. Photo Credit: Republic of Korea / Flickr

By: Yelin Gemma Lee, Arts & Culture Editor

On your birthday, your friends and family often celebrate you for coming into this world and continuing to age well. The older I grew, the less this made sense to me. I didn’t really do much to be born, whereas my mother went through being pregnant for nine months, giving birth to me, and raising me selflessly. In South Korea, there is a historical food practice we’ve integrated into our culture to recognize this and honour our mothers on our own birthdays. This is seaweed soup. You may have seen it being served in Korean dramas, during someone’s birthday. 

The origins of seaweed soup began in the Goryeo dynasty when people noticed that after giving birth, whales would eat lots of seaweed. Seaweed is rich in vitamins and minerals and has properties ideal for postnatal mothers. They began serving mothers seaweed soup after giving birth to strengthen both the mother and baby.

It became customary to put seaweed soup “next to a pregnant woman’s pillow on the week before birth.” This was an offering to Samsin Halmoni, “the three goddesses of childbirth and destiny in Korean mythology who assist in childbirth and blesses newborns.” 

In modern society, children often grow up with their mothers making seaweed soup for them on their birthdays as a token of thanks for being born safe and healthy. When the child grows up, this is done for them by their close friends, family members, or partners. 

When I became an adult, I began to make my mother the seaweed soup on my birthday to signify my thanks for her giving me life and raising me. In the west, it’s common to celebrate mothers on Mother’s Day but I feel that special connection to her most on my birthday. I treat it as such by setting a Korean breakfast for her featuring seaweed soup. The historical and cultural origins of the soup represent honour for the mother.

I’ve found it difficult to find seaweed soup being sold at Korean restaurants here in Vancouver, but luckily it is so simple to make at home. The more obscure ingredients like dried seaweed or bonito soup stock can be found at Korean supermarkets like Hannam, H-Mart, or Assi Market. I usually make a simple bachelor version of it with instant dried seaweed, the way my father taught me.

Monday Music: Black women artists to crush mental barriers

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Peak Web
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“Monday Music” in orange block text on a yellow rectangular background with rounded corners and an orange border.
Monday Music: your weekly themed playlist. Image courtesy of The Peak.

By: Nercya Kalino, Staff Writer

Summer is a time when many of us do our best to come out of our shells and enjoy the sun. We have a need to be closer to the light before mentally preparing ourselves for the cold and gloom of the fall. To me, summer is about living and movement, to bring in the light of who you are. These songs hold so much weight for me that my fear of being seen evaporates and I’m reminded to take up space, prioritize joy, and live my purpose. I hope they do the same for you.

 

“Forever” by Sa-Roc


Image credit: Rhymesayers Entertainment

Make this your morning song. It will help you stay grounded and exhale the anxiety that comes with facing the world each day. Sa-Roc has an edge and this is why I love her music — sometimes the soul needs a strong and powerful voice to affirm its human flaws. Her raps draw on her own life and this song particularly reminds me that I am good enough. The line, “And mom told me ‘Stay woke’ ’cause all gold ain’t glistening,” reminds me of my mom telling me how the world will hurt me but I need to keep faith in myself and my purpose. 

 

“Energy” By Sampa the Great


Image credit: Rahki & Silent Jay

Have you ever felt nervous about hanging out in the sun? I sometimes find myself feeling like my presence in certain spaces is disjointed. This song breaks me free from that fearful mentality. Sampa the Great’s poetic writing focuses on tuning into the mind and soul to cultivate your own identity. She often vocalizes these thoughts with heavy instrumentals that amplify the impact of her words. She says, “Feminine energy almost mathematical, you can’t really sum up what is infinite and valuable.” This is your call to embrace femininity in its pure form and take as much space as you need, especially this summer. 

 

“FEMALE” By Sampa the Great


Image credit: Godriguez

I dedicate this song to all the Black women that sometimes forget to put on their crowns; summer is creeping up on us and the last thing we want is to see a queen without her tiara on. Let this song remind us of “big bold women.” As we walk into summer, let that crown stay on. Let’s not underestimate our own abilities and avoid getting in our own way because of doubt and fear. 

 

“3AM” Baauer, AJ Tracey, Jae Stephens


Image credit: Baauer

This song screams summer sunset drives and parties with its mix of hip-hop and Caribbean and UK grime undertones. Jae Stephens collaborated with musician AJ Tracey and producer Baauer. This song is a good listen on bright days at the beach surrounded by good friends who know how to vibe to good music. What drives the song is how well AJ Tracey’s rapping complements Baauer’s instrumentals and Jae Stephens’ mellow voice, achieving a balance in the song. This collaboration has attracted a lot more much-deserved attention to Jae Stephens’ soulful music. I suggest that if you like this song you might want to listen to “got it like that,” where we get to experience her approach to R&B.

 

“Blessings on Blessings” By Oshun


Image credit: OSHUN

We have to maintain our pace in the summer. The party life is nice but we do not want to get carried away. What better way to get things done on a summer work day than to listen to music that reminds you that you are awesome? Oshun sings, “Everything will manifest because I wrote it / I’m hella sweet because I spoke it, notice I / am the sugar, honey, ice tea.” This is the part when you realize blessings on blessings come to those who stay in their lane, even in summer. Yes, we want to have fun, but let’s not forget our responsibilities and kickstart the summer with the right attitude.

Need to Know, Need to Go: June 12–18

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Peak Web
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Illustration of a blue calendar, with "Need to Know, Need to Go" written on top
Arts & Culture events to catch around the city. Image courtesy of Brianna Quan

By: Yelin Gemma Lee, Arts & Culture Editor

Summer Repertory Festival / Ensemble Theatre Company

From June 15–July 2, come enjoy Ensemble Theatre Company’s (ETC) Summer Repertory Festival on Granville Island! They feature two thrilling productions: Marjorie Prime and Pass Over. Marjorie Prime follows an 85 year old woman living out her final days with her late husband — the computerized version of him, that is. The chilling and thought-provoking drama “explores poignant issues of memory, grief, aging, depression, and our relationship with technology.” Pass Over is perfect for those who love existential storylines and dark humour. It follows two young Black men who navigate a night of danger in Chicago. Pass Over “unflinchingly confronts racism and police violence, but does so with a deft and witty hand.” Single tickets for shows are $25 for students and $35 for adults, with a pay-what-you-will showing (door sales only) on June 27 at 7:30 p.m. Masks are mandatory and ETC asks that audience members be fully vaccinated, though vaccine cards will not be checked.

When: June 15–July 2, various showtimes 

Where: Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island (1412 Cartwright Street, Vancouver)

 

True to Place: stímetstexw tel xéltel / Bill Reid Gallery 

Bill Reid Gallery is crossing a milestone by presenting their largest exhibition of Northwest Coast Indigenous artists this month! This exhibition features the creative processes of 10 Northwest Coast Indigenous artists “who merge contemporary expression with traditional narratives.” At this exhibit you will see many different mediums, such as “canvas, wood, paper, sculpture, traditional basketry, and digital.” There are no capacity limits but masks are required.

Where: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art (639 Hornby Street, Vancouver)

When: June 15, 2022–March 19, 2023, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday–Saturday 

 

Vancouver Greek Film Festival / The Cinematheque

Are you a big film buff but having a difficult time finding new things to watch? Does Cineplex not have anything interesting going on right now? If yes, this film festival might be the remedy to get  you out of that funk. The Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC and The Cinematheque are co-presenting the first Vancouver Greek Film Festival. Whether it is new films or classic films you’re interested in, this film festival has it all including silent films, debut film features, documentaries, and Weird Wave films. This festival “aims to introduce a more contemporary experience of Hellenic culture, and share the contributions that Greek filmmakers have made to film history and culture.” Single tickets are $10 for students and $14 for adults. 

 

Where: The Cinematheque (1131 Howe Street, Vancouver)

When: June 16–19, various showtimes

Yellow Fever brings old school detective films back to Firehall Arts Centre

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Peak Web
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Darkened stage set with warm spotlights cast on a checkered floor decal with 5 stools set up for a Q&A. Behind them is a glowing projection of a pink cherry blossom branch extending out horizontally.
A murder mystery unfolds for detective Sam Shikaze. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy of Kelly Chia / The Peak

By: Kelly Chia, Humour Editor

Content warning: anti-Asian racism

Yellow Fever is Firehall Arts Centre’s dedication to the film noir era and Japanese Canadian experiences on Powell Street. It stars Hiro Kanagawa as the cynical but charming private eye, Sam Shikaze, investigating the disappearance of the Cherry Blossom Queen. Narrating the story, Shikaze contends with racism post-World War II. The play stayed generally true to the original version written by playwright Rick Shiomi but deviated in the beginning, connecting racism facing Asian Canadians then and now.

Set in the 1970s, director Donna Spencer writes in the program that this play was first put on 34 years ago. When it was performed again as a radio play in 2020, the cast found themselves grappling with anti-Asian sentiment due to the pandemic, paralleling the play’s backdrop which was set against the anti-Asian attitudes of 1970s Vancouver.

This tension remained in Spencer’s iteration. The play starts with a CBC news clip of Dr. Bonnie Henry instating lockdown procedures in March 2020. Soon after, another clip plays, discussing a 92 year old Asian man’s assault in April 2020. For many people in the Asian Canadian community, including myself, this incident weighed heavily as one of many news incidents of anti-Asian hate crime in Vancouver 2020. 

This more contemporary section of the play comes in the form of a flashback to 2020. Nancy Wing (Agnes Tong) hurries onto the stage, lamenting that she was verbally assaulted on a SkyTrain ride, an experience that resonated with my fears when riding the SkyTrain two years ago. The other cast members comfort Tong, talking about similar experiences. While I sympathized with Tong’s experiences, I found this section abrupt. I wished it had been more fleshed out so we could hear more about how the systemic racism featured in the play also translates to issues of the model minority myth and anti-Asian sentiments, today. 

The play then moves onto Kanagawa narrating the beginning as Sam, stroking his brimmed hat thoughtfully monologuing about Japanese Canadians dispersing from Powell Street after World War II. Sam is every bit the gruff, life-hardened detective that you’d expect from an old-school film noir. He is witty, charming, and carries several chips on his shoulders, but he cares deeply for his community. 

Sam navigates the deep-seated racism and corruption within the police force as he investigates the disappearance of the Cherry Blossom Queen. This is where Yellow Fever delves into model minority attitudes, like the tensions between the independent Sam and the rule-abiding police captain Kenji Kadota (Jay Ono), as well as their challenges navigating racism from white officers.

Although the set of the play is only a set of chairs, a window, and sound equipment, the play was so vivid. On the left of the set of chairs, sound foley, Evan Rein, was creating the bubbling woks, door chimes, and the sound of chopped vegetables. I delighted at every auditory clink of the glass, every cup of tea poured. You could close your eyes and picture the world of a film noir set in 1970’s Powell Street: Sam’s dingy office, the warmth of the set’s cafe, and the rounds fired off at smoky late night stand-offs. Rein’s sound brought the world to life, and what an intriguing world it was. 

The play blends film noir with the larger theme of tackling the nuances of racism well, especially in the case of Kenji whose unquestioning loyalty inadvertently traps him in a white supremacist conspiracy. One thing’s for sure: the cast and crew of the show are immensely talented. Come see the show, and immerse yourself in this aloof murder mystery.

Yellow Fever is in theatres May 28–June 12, 2022. Tickets are sold online at firehallartscentre.ca.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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© The Peak Publications Society

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society