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SFU Student Updates: May 10–16

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"Student Updates" text in SFU red
You’ve already made it farther through the article than 97% of the student population. ILLUSTRATION: Siloam Yeung / The Peak

By: Clarence Ndabahwerize, SFU Student

Key Updates

We’re making the Burnaby campus a bit greyer

SFU is committed to being one with nature, and we like the fact that most of our buildings mimic our most beloved sombre weather throughout the year. However, we recently decided that was not enough. All buildings will be repainted a shade of grey greyer than the exposed concrete that is a hallmark of our Burnaby campus. Talk about “cementing” an overall aesthetic!

All buildings going forward will have several underground levels and labyrinthine layouts

    We heard Robert C. Brown Hall gets students talking, so we thought to ourselves, “Why shouldn’t we make all campus buildings like it?” Too dreary to go outside? Have fun finding your bestie’s room in residence. And if you want to get there in time, plan your route! It’ll either be good practice for driving with your N, or you’ll get lost and only emerge from the building after seven years have passed— only to find that construction has begun on SFU’s first-ever residence building for raccoons.

Announcements

We heard construction is a noisy affair for you, so . . .

We are most committed to your safety, health, and wellbeing. We recognise that frequent noise stemming from construction may be rather detrimental to that. This is why we’re launching SFU-branded ear mittens for all students affected by construction noises. Worry not: like you, we’re thinking ahead about the weather. Summer ear mittens will be lighter than winter ear mittens. Wondering how we’ll finance this? We won’t, but you will. Please expect a tuition-related announcement soon.

New ‘Raccoon Therapy’

Dog therapy’s been getting a bit old, we heard, so we thought that we ought to change things up. We’ve been lurking in your online meme forums and we’ve seen that there is a particular liking for our beloved campus raccoons. We’ve installed cameras in the AQ so you may have some serotonin in the form of raccoons usurping the owner of the campus Menchie’s and creating an oligarchy in its place. We’ve also hired David Attenborough to narrate this feed between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT during exam season.

Employment and volunteer opportunities

Volunteers needed!

We have the honour of being ranked Canada’s most comprehensive university; however, questions have been raised about what exactly a comprehensive university is. Well, we too do not know, which is why we are looking for volunteers to explain to us and our students what it means. Necessary qualifications include: the ability to dim the sun, experience parting the Pacific Ocean and creating a dry path to Australia with a diversion to Hawaii, as well as alchemy. We’re looking forward to your responses.

Researchers needed!

Given that the gondola is gaining some steam, now would be a good time to go ahead with an idea that’s been sitting at the backs of our corporate minds for a while. We believe that a gondola should equal a ski resort, which is why we are considering opening Canada’s first university-owned ski resort at Burnaby Mountain. We’re looking for entrepreneurial minds (read: Beedie students and girlbosses) to look into this. Science majors are also needed to figure out how we can get a whole dump of snow on the mountain since it doesn’t get any most of the season.

Quiz: Which SFU entity is your soulmate?

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Courtesy of the Toronto Zoo

By: Carter Hemion, Staff Writer

It’s the second biggest question on everyone’s mind at SFU right after “when will we get a tuition freeze?”: which entity at SFU is your soulmate? SFU’s timeless concrete walls are home to some of the most romantic construction views, with loose tile walkways that inspire even the most cold-hearted students to check their email for Joy Johnson’s lifeless smile. As we wait to return to in-person schooling, find out which SFU entity you should be fantasizing about seeing again.

Question 1: When was the last time you went outside?
A. Last night! I climbed a tree just to screech at a passerby who didn’t see me.
B. Ahaha . . . the better question is when I last went inside.
C. Of my own volition? Or because I had to?

Question 2: What Beedie-branded SFU accessory would you wear?
A. A stolen fanny pack — for snacks.
B. An obnoxiously red scarf that my mom makes me wear all winter (send help).
C. I’m not even sure what Beedie students study. Graphic design? Pyramid schemes? Late-stage capitalism? The psychology behind why Robert Pattinson is the way he is?

Question 3: What would you be caught singing loudly in the shower?
A. “I’m hungry for cheese like Hungry, Hungry Hippo,” from “Ballers” by Project Pat.
B. “There’s a picture on the wall of Kanye West / He’s staring at me, he’s staring at me,” from “Freaking Out” by The Wrecks.
C. “I have never known peace,” from “In a Week” by Hozier.

Question 4: What was your worst first date like?
A. They said we were going to their favourite restaurant, but it was just stale bagels at their place. They put ketchup on theirs. I cried.
B. We went on a walk — which would’ve been fine if he didn’t just keep walking. I lost track of him in Langley, but I hear he’s still out there somewhere.
C. I never wanted to know that she could play “My Heart Will Go On” on the saw, but, uhh, I guess it was cool?

Question 5: What’s your go-to comfort meal?
Literally anything. Yesterday I got sad and ate the spaghetti I’d already spilled in the sink and left there for an hour.
Comfort meals? No, I just vibe.
I’ve packed a PB and J lunch every day for 23 years. I don’t think I could taste anything else if I tried.

Question 6: Would you ever shave your head?
A. I’ll do anything, bro. Don’t even test me. I’ll do it right now. Just watch.
B. I did not go through four tubes of Manic Panic within an hour just to shave off my 2000s-scene-kid hair now.
C. I’m trying to grow my hair back from a buzzcut, but people tell me it’s looked exactly the same for the last four years.

Question 7: What are you secretly doing just off camera in your lectures?
A. Hitting a vape every time my biology professor shortens the word to “bio.”
B. Just standing there. Watching. Waiting.
C. Wait, you had synchronous lectures? With organized professors?

Results

If you answered mostly As . . . your soulmate is the dog-sized raccoon who takes automatic doors into the AQ every night. You, too, can bask under buzzing overhead lights next to an under-watered plant instead of going outside. And besides, the raccoon will never judge you for the dark circles under your eyes or the late nights eating garbage just to get through the term.

If you answered mostly Bs . . . your soulmate is the statue of Terry Fox. This statue will never give you up, let you down, run around and desert you, or, quite frankly, do a single thing. He’s literally a statue. He even has the same cold, dead eyes that Andrew Petter always gave you. What’s not to love?

If you answered mostly Cs . . . your soulmate is the construction worker who has been working on the same part of the AQ for a decade. I’m not even sure what they’re doing anymore, but at this point, I’m too afraid to ask. Making eye contact every Tuesday at Renaissance Coffee is bound to lead to something! Even if they’re not as loud and dirty as their work, they’re probably good with their hands (nudge nudge, wink wink!).

SFU’s enrolment process is unfair to student groups

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The enrolment process doesn’t support all students equally. PHOTO: Tim Gouw / Unsplash

By: Nancy La, Staff Writer

SFU’s enrolment process, especially the availability of classes and enrolment dates, has been a hot topic of debate and criticism for a while now. Various online forums and social media posts point to the flawed system and its repeated failure in helping students get the classes that they want or need, and with so many complaints of closed classes and late enrolment dates, this cannot be a coincidental one-off event.  

With enrolment dates playing a pivotal part in students’ success, the system must work efficiently and equitably, yet despite its importance in a student’s academic career, SFU’s enrolment system creates an environment of discontent among students. Problematic prioritization of student-athletes, poor logistical planning, and supposed lack of funding all play an important role in the creation of an inefficient and unfair enrolment experience.

An aspect that highlights the arbitrariness of the enrolment process is the priority varsity-athletes have over almost every other student group at SFU. While sports add school spirit and play a part in student life, it is unfair to consider them in higher regard, particularly when this privilege impacts the availability of classes for the rest of the student population. Giving student-athletes priority over any other students is unreasonable, but it is especially problematic that even students with disabilities are not deemed a higher priority. 

Students with disabilities face different challenges that varsity-athletes do not, and the priority system does not take that into account in its enrolment order. This action from the school prevents equal access to education for students who need extra consideration when it comes to course scheduling. Despite all the bells and whistles regarding SFU being an NCAA school, SFU is still an academic institution, and I do not see why sports should be placed above other student groups.

To make the enrolment process equitable, there needs to be a serious reassessment of the current priority level. Right now students with disabilities are being offered accessibility tools such as the Center for Accessible Learning (CAL) while being placed below student-athletes in terms of enrolment priority. SFU needs to ensure that it is paying attention to all students’ needs, not just the ones that play sports. 

Another side to this enrolment issue is the lack of seats in classes. As a third-year student myself, I have had my fair share of required classes fill up with no waitlists available. Had they been elective classes, I would be more understanding, but these are classes that SFU dictates I must take to graduate. If the administration already knows that students have to take these classes, then the low seat numbers do not make any sense. 

Having the student body take a course planning survey for the upcoming semester could be a solution to this demand-and-supply problem, while also helping SFU determine how to divert resources to classes that have high enrolment demands.  

While a survey can fix some aspects of the problem, there is a more serious underlying issue. The school’s inability to meet its students’ most basic educational demands is out of place with the annual tuition hikes that are supposed to be “significant investments” for both staff and students. While the increase in school revenue is achieved, class offerings continue to decrease in size and quantity, especially during summer semesters. Students have paid for their side of the bargain, but SFU remains absent in its deliverance.

SFU needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with a better way to ensure equitable enrolment for students. Elements of the issue such as the lack of student input on course offerings and an increase in the investment of teaching staff are important first steps in ensuring that SFU is a fair and efficient educational institution for all of its students. The school needs to take its head out of the sand and start acknowledging that the system it offers does not work from both the standpoint of efficiency and equity. Taking these suggestions into account is the first step of many towards a better educational experience for everyone.

DIY boba: recipe for tapioca pearls

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Take your home cooking skills to the next level. Photo courtesy of The Spruce Eats

By: Nancy La, Staff Writer

Don’t want to leave the comfort of your own home for a cup of bubble tea? Do not fret, for pearls are actually quite easy to make at home. During the earlier phase of the pandemic, I would make boba pearls while taking a break from baking sourdough bread, and the results were surprisingly good. It may take longer than you would think, but you can make a big batch, freeze them, and then you’ll have pearls ready anytime you have a craving for some bubble tea! 

Bubble tea pearl recipe (adapted from Nino’s Home YouTube video)

135g or 1 cup tapioca starch (don’t replace with any other starch, it will not work)

70g or ½ cup dark brown sugar

80ml or ⅓ cup water

Additional tapioca starch for dusting and rolling

*Make sure all ingredients are weighed out before you start cooking

 

  1. In a small saucepan, add 80ml of water and stir in the 70g of dark brown sugar. Mix well.

2. From your 135g of tapioca starch, take out a tablespoon’s worth of starch and add it into the pot. Mix until homogeneous.

3. Put the pot on low-medium heat and cook the mixture, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Mixture will thicken up quickly. Once it is thick enough for you to draw a line through the mixture and you can see the bottom of the pot, take it off the heat.

4. Dump the remaining tapioca starch into the pot. Mix the starch and the sugar mixture together. It will look very pasty and crumbly, and that is okay. Just keep mixing until the mixture cooled down enough for you to touch with your hands.

5. Turn the entire mixture out onto a work surface and knead. It will be quite dry, but that will go away once the starch is hydrated by the water. Dust the surface of your work surface with starch as needed. Knead until the dough is smooth. 

6. Using a bench scraper (or a knife), cut the dough into four sections. Take each section that you just cut out and roll into a long rope. Keep the ropes at about the same length and place them next to each other.

7. Cut the ropes into little pieces. Keep the pieces small, at around 0.5cm, otherwise you will have a hard time cooking the pearls.

8. Take a couple of pieces of dough into your palm and roll them into little pearls. Do this to all the pieces, while keeping them under a damp towel or plastic wrap to prevent drying out.

9. Once all the pieces are rolled out, coat them in tapioca starch. At this point, you can take the pearls and freeze them in a Ziploc bag for later use. Just follow the instructions below to cook them.

10. Put a pot of water to boil. You need over half a pot of water to cook the pearls.

11. Add the pearls into the pot and cook for 20 minutes, stirring once in a while to prevent clumping. After, take the pot off the heat and cover it with a lid for 30 minutes. This cooks the insides of the pearls thoroughly.

12. After 30 minutes, drain the pearls. Rinse them under cold water for a minute to cool down. Tadah! You just made pearls! Now you can put the pearls into a milk tea of your choice, or even a smoothie!

Local bubble tea stores you can turn to amid the boba shortage

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Homemade toppings will elevate your bubble tea experience! Photo courtesy of SHOTT Beverages

By: Nancy La, Staff Writer

Remember the Suez Canal (and all its good memes) that stuck with the internet last month? Well, after this delay in international shipments, there’s simply not enough boba to fuel Vancouver’s desire for chewy tapioca balls.

Thankfully, we need not look far for solutions. I present to you: Vancouver bubble tea stores that make their own boba!

OneZo Tapioca 

Photo courtesy of OneZo Tapioca

A quick scroll on OneZo’s website proves that they are serious about the craft of tapioca. The brand has stores across Canada and they are leaders in the fresh handmade boba scene. Before their arrival in the bubble tea world, most stores would only sell the standard dark brown boba pearls. With OneZo’s diverse selection of boba flavours like mango, sesame, and even cactus, they will surely keep you on your toes when it comes to both taste and sight. Their Burnaby location is open for takeout and delivery.

Xing Fu Tang

Photo courtesy of @nomsyyc via Instagram

If you have been around the Vancouver food and drinks scene for the past couple of years, then the name Xing Fu Tang is a familiar one. Known for their signature pearls that are stir fried in a wok with brown sugar, Xing Fu Tang definitely lives up to its name as the “Hall of Happiness” by serving up warm, syrupy tapioca in its signature brown sugar pearl milk. If you want to take a break from the pearls and try something new, their bunny jelly mango smoothie is a refreshing option for the hot summer days. They are open at multiple locations in Metro Vancouver for takeout and are also available via delivery apps.

The Alley

Photo courtesy of See the City

The Alley’s signature deer logo is a popular sight around Vancouver — and with good reason. Their drinks range from the classic brown sugar to newer mixes such as “Apple of My Eyes” and “Penguin on the Ice,” giving a twist to well-known fruit drinks. The Alley’s dedication to the bubble tea definitely shows, since they make their pearls — adorably named Deerioca — and their own cane syrup in house. One of their most popular drinks is the Deerioca Puff. The crunchy topping plays off of the soft chewiness of the pearls. It is definitely a fun textural experience. The Alley is open for delivery and takeout, and their online shop is also available if you want some deer-themed bubble tea merch.

Need to Know, Need to Go: May 10–16

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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: Gurleen Aujla, Peak Associate

prOphecy sun: GSWS Acts Artist Workshop | May 14, 12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m. | FREE | Online

The SFU gender, sexuality and women’s studies department is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the GSWS Acts series, highlighting those advancing “causes for social justice, meaningful community development, and solutions to the challenges of our time.” Their next event is Sonic Compositions for the Fraser Lowlands featuring Dr. prOphecy sun, a queer interdisciplinary artist, scholar, and ecofeminist. Her work explores the overlap between “new technologies, humanity, and the environment.” The event will feature several compositions of urban and rural environmental sounds coupled with smartphone technology and voice. Eventbrite registration is required.

Seeing Anew: Earthly Presence | Runs until May 12 | FREE | PoMoArts | Online and In-Person

The Port Moody Arts Centre is currently presenting the work of Garrett Andrew Chong, a fourth-generation Chinese-Canadian media artist. His photographic collages depict iconography and the landscapes of his travels. Chong has spent a considerable amount of time journeying through Southeast Asia, Peru, and Mexico. He invites viewers to “witness our majestic earth anew by remaining present, by quieting their mind and by reflecting upon our human search for being.” Viewers can check out the complete exhibit and the gallery’s hours on PoMoArts’ website.

Sur/Veil: Who’s Looking, Whose Watching | Runs until May 12 | FREE | PoMoArts | Online and In-Person

Valerie Pugh, a Coquitlam-based visual, ceramic, and mixed media artist reflects on communication in a subtle yet startling manner. She exposes the difference of communication in a self-determined manner versus being surveilled by others. In this exhibit, Pugh focuses on the “subjectification and/or objectivization involved in the ‘act of seeing’” through paintings and sculptures. Viewers can visit the PoMoArts Gallery website for operating hours or to view the exhibit virtually.

Independent theatres left out of the picture in Canada’s 2021 budget

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Local venues like the Rio Theatre are voicing their concerns. Photo courtesy of the Rio Theatre

By: Marco Ovies, Features Editor

Movie theatres have been hit hard during the pandemic, and most have been forced to shut down entirely under current public health orders. Some local cinemas have redesigned their businesses to operate and generate some sort of income — like the Rio Theatre, which is now temporarily known as the Rio Sports Bar. Unfortunately, while creative measures like the Rio Theatre’s are resourceful, many independent theatres remain in dire need of financial assistance. It came as a shock to venues across Canada when it was revealed that they had been left out of Canada’s 2021 budget.

The budget does go into detail about how Canada will be “supporting Canadian TV and Film Productions through COVID-19” and outlines that they will be “funding up to $100 million so that, during the peak spring and summer production period this year, filmmakers and producers have access to this critical backstop that reduces the financial risk productions face amidst ongoing COVID-19 shutdowns.”

While the support for local TV and film productions is a good start, the question still remains: where will we be able to watch these once COVID-19 is over?

The Network of Independent Canadian Exhibitors (NICE) has similar concerns. In a blog post, they said that “Too often, cinemas are lost in the conversation between commerce, and publicly funded cultural projects. It is time for that to change.”

Venues like The Cinematheque, located on Howe Street in Vancouver, have been around since 1972, while others like the Rio Theatre have been around since 1938. Not only are these venues pillars of their communities, but they are also vital for showing local Canadian art.

Independent cinemas play a critical role in ensuring the public has access to a diverse range of Canadian and international stories, highlighting marginalized artists like those who identify as BIPOC or as LGBTQIA2S+. And as neighbourhood attractions, these venues continue to foster a sense of community. Sadly, more and more theatres are being forced to close their doors. Most recently in BC, Vancouver’s Kino Café shut down; and theatres like Powell River’s historic Patricia Theatre, the oldest theatre in Canada still in operation, are struggling to stay afloat.

“Venue closures to reduce community transmission of COVID-19 have hit cinemas hard this past year,” said NICE. “Canada is at risk of losing its independent cinemas if directed support is not provided. We are an important Canadian sector, and it is time we are recognized.”

You can donate to help keep the Patricia Theatre open online at https://patriciatheatre.com. You can also support the Rio Theatre online at http://riotheatre.ca.

Osob Mohamed reflects on her year as SFSS president

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PHOTO: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak

Written by: Carter Hemion, Staff Writer

As the 2020/21 Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) Board closes their year, outgoing president Osob Mohamed reflected on her time at the SFSS.  

Accomplishments 

Mohamed told The Peak one of the things she was most proud of was the student turnout at the annual general meeting. She said, “About 800 students attended and more than 600 participated in our tuition condemnation vote — and that in particular for me was important because it felt like a step in the direction of getting SFU to acknowledge the tuition burden on students.” 

She said The SFSS has taken strides in listening to student feedback. Recalling the struggles  students faced with COVID-19, Mohamed highlighted some of the SFSS’ solutions: providing emergency financial aid, leading the elective pass/fail grading scheme, and supporting initiatives like the “Don’t Forget Students” movement. 

“I also feel proud because I think we’ve tried to really make an effort to support marginalized students in a number of different ways this year.” 

She noted the SFSS is hiring for a Black Student Support Centre and recently hired a coordinator for the First Nations Student Association, which creates support for student groups.

Challenges

In addition to working remotely, making resources like the Women’s Centre, food bank, Out On Campus, and in-person events accessible was challenging, but she said the SFSS managed to adapt. 

With remote learning, student advocacy also changed. Mohamed noted the SFSS has been learning “digital organizing tactics and how to really get students together and mobilize on certain topics.” 

She said despite challenges, the university’s student population of over 37,000 holds the most power. Mohamed recognized that “if we were to really band together [ . . . ] we can definitely get what we want.” 

Notable moments

Mohamed said virtual club days and welcome days were enjoyable with the use of virtual booths. “A notable moment for me was having that feeling of getting to see what people were up to and what different groups were out doing.”

She also reflected on concluding a long-standing battle of clubs looking for space in the new Student Union Building (SUB). “This year we kind of were able to put an end to the very long — and I think very painful for a lot of people — fight for space in the SUB, particularly for the groups in the Rotunda like Students of Caribbean & African Ancestry, Embark, and CJSF [radio]. We were also able to allocate space to the Disability and Neurodiversity Alliance.” 

Future changes

Looking to the future, Mohamed said the SFSS will move away from making decisions as a Board of Directors, composed of 16 people, and instead towards a Council structure. With this change in May, “departments and faculty, student unions, and constituency groups make up the Board of Directors and have a direct say and vote at the Board table.” She said she hopes this change will bring more balance to the Board’s decision-making powers.

At SFU, Mohamed would like to see a tuition freeze, and for SFU to “commit to active lobbying of the BC government in their current review of the post-secondary funding system.” 

Another thing she would like to see more of is a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) from SFU. “I know that with the new president and some of the new university administration, they’re taking a very different approach to EDI and trying to centralize that in their messaging about what they want to do. 

“But then when it comes down to it — and we’re having those conversations with them about what we’d like to see to make the university more equitable and to take on these anti-oppression initiatives — it became clear to me that it’s very surface level. And so we want to see commitments tied to tangible action.”

Significance

Mohamed said that in her two years with the SFSS, there has been progress in increasing advocacy. 

As her time as president comes to a close, Mohamed reflected that through mobilizing and supporting grassroots organizations, students have the power to change SFU.

“I think we are more powerful than we think we are and that we can make the decision makers listen.”

Council Meeting — April 28, 2021

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Image: Irene Lo

Written by: Karissa Ketter, News Writer

Update on SFU’s security measures since recent ransomware attack 

SFU chief information officer Mark Roman presented security updates to the SFSS Council. In light of the recent ransomware attacks, Roman reported SFU’s new security approach is “safety over convenience.”

Part of the new security system includes enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all faculty and staff by the end of May 2021. By the end of the year, all students will be required to use MFA. Students can switch to MFA at any time. Failing to do so before the deadline may result in account restrictions.

They are also introducing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to all faculty and are hoping to extend the VPN to all students. 

Part of reimagining SFU security will include bringing SFU faculty who are experts on criminology, computer security, and privacy into a committee to guide decision making.

“We’re dealing with professional criminal organizations [and] nation-states. In other words, parts of nations’ armies now do cyber warfare and they’re attacking us,” said Roman. They added that attacks are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated.

“Universities are institutions of national significance but we are culturally open [ . . . ] and that makes us vulnerable.”

Prior to social distancing protocols and off-campus projects being implemented, security perimeters used to exist around the university. “In IT, we used to have a data centre and some people on campus — and that was our perimeter. We could put firewalls around it and protect it,” said Roman. Now, creating a defense to cyber-warfare is growing increasingly complicated.

Roman noted over 12 cyber attacks on established Canadian post-secondary institutions since last February. Additionally, they said in the first week of April 2021, there had been multiple high security threats to major American universities such as Stanford University, University of California Berkeley, and Harvard Business School.

French student union representative Kylee Pocrnich questioned why it was necessary for students to provide their social insurance number on goSFU as it puts students at higher risk of identity theft. Roman did not comment, explaining it wasn’t in their expertise — but said they would update Pocrnich with more information at a later date. goSFU states that “SFU is required to collect your Canadian SIN/ITN or US SSN/ITIN for government reporting purposes and/or student financial assistance.”

In effort to protect data, Roman recommended students do not wait to sign up for MFA but so do immediately. They also said, “When we do open up VPN for everyone, I’d strongly suggest that [students] use VPN to access systems.”

Roman said SFU will be running a student advisory council for IT which is currently seeking volunteers. 

Donation of remaining funds

As the last Council Meeting of the 2020/2021 term, the Council decided to donate the remainder of their funds. This was introduced by Disability and Neurodiversity Alliance representative Serena Bains, who requested the funds go to an anti-Asian racism organization. 

Council voted unanimously to donate the $520 remainder of their budget to SWAN Vancouver: a local advocacy group for immigrant/migrant sex worker Asian women.

Sikh Heritage Month Recap

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Discover our province’s hidden history through literature, podcasts, and more. Image courtesy of Sikh Heritage Month BC

By: Alea Mohamed, Staff Writer

In Canada, April is Sikh Heritage Month. This year’s theme was Finding Sehaj – A Journey to Peace and Tranquility. Even though April has come and gone, it is important to continue recognizing Sikh heritage. The following event highlights show how vibrant Sikh culture is and how significant the community’s contributions to BC are.

On Thursday April 15, the Vancouver Maritime Museum hosted a presentation about the tragedy of the Komagata Maru. There shouldn’t be anyone in the Lower Mainland who has not heard of this tragic 1914 event where Canadian immigration authorities turned away Indian immigrants who did not possess extreme wealth. Tragically, 20 passengers were killed by Indian authorities upon returning to Kolkata. Hosted by Dr. Renisa Mawani, this presentation told the story of tragedy, alliances, inter-faith collaboration, and revolution that resulted from the Komagata Maru. The presentation was based off of a chapter in Dr. Mawani’s upcoming book titled Viapolitics: Borders, Migration, and the Power of Locomotion (out in December).

Studies have shown that art therapy can have direct positive impacts on personal wellness, along with other benefits like social skill improvement and emotional exploration. With that in mind, the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) hosted an event with art therapist, Rapinder Kaur on Sunday April 25 to provide a healing art space for the Sikh community. For many, this past year has been a traumatic one, especially in the face of the pandemic and the #FarmersProtest movement. 

Also on April 25, The Nameless Collective, a podcast hosted by a group of South Asian Vancouverites, discussed the long, hidden history of the Sikh community in the Lower Mainland. This virtual walking tour took people from Vancouver all the way out to New Westminster, stopping to feature the history and stories of the beginning of the Sikh community in the Lower Mainland. The story takes us back to where the roots of the Sikh community were laid in Vancouver — starting in the Kitsilano area, moving Downtown, and settling in South Vancouver. 

Then, the tour works its way through South Vancouver’s Punjabi Market neighbourhood, a neighbourhood that started really flourishing in the 70s and hasn’t stopped since.

The Sikh community is an integral part of BC’s — and Canada’s — cultural fabric. There are over 500,000 members of the Sikh community in Canada, which is the second-largest community outside of India. So keep your eyes peeled for future events and mark you calendars for Sikh Heritage Month 2022!

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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