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Self-checkout makes grocery shopping worse

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Peak Web
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A person standing behind a cash register.
PHOTO: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels

By: Manal Kashif, SFU Student

People use self-checkout during their grocery hauls for various reasons, including saving time. Self-checkouts became popular around a decade ago to promote efficiency in the checkout process. However, it’s now being brought to light that this cost-cutting method fails to lead to better experiences for customers, especially when it’s the only option available.

Many Canadians prefer regular checkouts over self-checkout because of the ease of having someone else scan their groceries. Engaging in friendly conversation can also be a highlight during a busy day of errands. For disabled customers like Linda Hause, the lack of cashiers at chains like Walmart can mean it’s difficult to receive assistance. CBC reported on her experience. When all the cashier lanes were closed, Hause asked the self-checkout attendant to scan her items. When they refused, she was forced to get out of her mobility scooter to do it herself. Of course, this isn’t the case at all stores, but this example shows how disabled people get left behind in the name of efficiency. 

Many self-checkouts also aren’t suited for blind or visually impaired shoppers, as they don’t have audio guidance, according to Canadian Affairs. A study in the Journal of Business Research found the rise of self-checkout “shifts the work to customers, [making] them feel less rewarded,” and eventually, less likely to visit stores with more self-checkouts. 

A small conversation in the rush of everyday life or even a smile can go a long way.

Trying to make the grocery shopping experience “self-sufficient” is not only bad for business, but also isolating. The type of conversations people have with their cashiers are known as “low-stakes interactions.” While they might seem insignificant in the moment, University of Michigan professor Toni Antonucci claims they’re “a critical tool for maintaining emotional well-being later in life as social circles shrink.” In a world where online shopping has quickly taken over, implementing machines like self-checkouts in public places is the nail in the coffin. By walking away from regular checkout, we are further falling into the hole of less communication and more individual experiences, contributing to a rise in isolation. 

Speed becomes the overall goal and is most imminent in Gen Z shoppers, who tend to prefer self-checkout. A study showed that those aged 18 to 34 prefer self-checkout over cashier interaction, but the opposite is true for folks aged 55 or older. The appeal seems to decline as there’s an increase in age groups. Still, that does not mean self-checkout is the future, as many stores have started ditching self-checkout options due to technical issues, customer feedback, and theft.

As someone who almost always uses a regular checkout, I find the interaction between the cashiers and I to be part of what makes us all functioning members of a society. A small conversation in the rush of everyday life or even a smile can go a long way. Humans shouldn’t function like robots or AI; we should engage meaningfully with each other in the pursuit of our daily activities. 

Embark’s community garden has a new home behind Maggie Benston Center

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Peak Web
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This is a photo of garden plots, which look like big, tall aluminum cubes, on a sunny day with small trees in front of the plots.
PHOTO: Courtesy of @embarksustainability / Instagram

By: Corbett Gildersleve, News Writer and Hannah Fraser, News Editor

Embark Sustainability’s community Burnaby Learning Garden is moving from outside the Technology and Science Complex (TASC) 1 to the field behind the Maggie Benston Center (MBC). They will transition over the next few years as they break down the current wood plots at TASC 1, buy longer-lasting aluminum plots, and move the soil. The Peak spoke with Marie Haddad, director of engagement, and Pablo Vimos, gardens manager, to learn more about the move and Embark’s gardening cohort program. 

In 2023, Embark celebrated the garden’s 10th anniversary. “All the garden beds are made of wood with a long life of 5–6 years, pushing. But we’ll be extending it by repairing/rebuilding the garden beds,” Vimos said. He noted that lumber became expensive due to COVID-19, making the old beds “not sustainable to keep repairing.” After discussing the gardens with SFU Facilities, they decided to move to permanent garden beds — such as the aluminum ones for their separate Student Union Building Learning Garden — as they would last longer. While rebuilding the wooden beds every three years costs about $950 in materials and labour costs, Vimos noted the aluminum beds cost $1,800 with a “lifespan of over 20 years.”

Vimos explained that the original garden at TASC 1 has 60 garden beds, but Embark will not move all of them, given that the aluminum garden beds are still expensive. The not-for-profit will shrink the number of beds down to 30, with Haddad noting that 10 beds have already been moved to MBC. Embark is waiting on 20 more aluminum beds to transition the rest of the old beds. When asked how long they will be in the MBC field, Vimos said, “with Facilities, we have a three-year lease agreement,” with the lease having to be renewed. 

“The garden cohort programs or any of our other programs are never only for students who are learning about environmental science majors or climate majors; they’re really for anyone.” — Marie Haddad, director of engagement, Embark Sustainability

Embark uses the garden plots to run their learning garden programs. Last year, the program had 25 garden graduates, training up to 12 students per semester. The garden cohort meets once a week for 1.5 hours, with the first 30 minutes having a “teaching element” and the remaining hour being for hands-on experience, according to Vimos. Haddad added that “students learn this practice of sharing. You grow your food, you share it with your own family, you share it with your friends, your cohort members, and then a lot of the harvest also goes to the Food Rescue Program.” This program rescues healthy food that doesn’t meet store criteria for sale, thus distributing the food to students at SFU. Last year, 945 kg of food was rescued from Nester’s Market, providing 1,700 meals according to Embark’s annual report. 

When asked what’s next for the Burnaby Learning Garden program, Vimos said, considering student interest was low for the summer cohort, Embark will be changing the cohort into a gardening stewardship where teaching is more informal. He explained that the gardening stewardship will happen at students’ available time: “They can come anytime, any day of the week [ . . . ] as long as the garden is being maintained.” Haddad added that while students learn from Pablo, “there’s also some new members who are going to help out,” allowing for a “students-teaching-students moment.” 

She also shared, “The garden cohort programs or any of our other programs are never only for students who are learning about environmental science majors or climate majors; they’re really for anyone.”

Organizations raise concerns on lack of rent supplements

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Peak Web
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This is a photo of a totebag, beanie, socks, and chapstick branded by SAJE that are laid out on a greyish wood surface.
PHOTO: Courtesy of the Ministry of Children and Family Development

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer

At the end of last year, the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development reported 4,843 children and youth “in care.” These are children 19 and younger whose “custody is with the ministry or with a Delegated Aboriginal Agency.” Of this number, about 68% of youth were Indigenous. According to their website, the ministry’s focus is to aid BC youth in relationships with their families, communities, and culture. As a part of this mission, they support various programs and services designed to help those with current or past experience in the foster care system. Foster care looks after those “who must be away from their own families.”

The ministry also supports former foster care youth over 19. One initiative designed to do so is Strengthening Abilities and Journeys of Empowerment (SAJE), for ages 19–26, which lists benefits like “planning for [the] future, income and housing supports, mental health benefits, and training and cultural connections.” More specifically, SAJE states it can provide rent supplements designed to support youth formerly in foster care with up to $600 per month for up to two years. The program claims that “50% of the rent supplements are first available to Indigenous young adults” as they assess applications.

However, these supplements have recently fallen under scrutiny. IndigiNews reported in late March that they have not been distributed in over a year. The Peak corresponded with the ministry and the Indigenous Child & Family Services Directors Our Children Our Way Society (OCOW) to learn more. OCOW represents 25 Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies and focuses on “self-government pertaining to the well-being of [Indigenous] children and youth.”

“Youth aging out of government care have had to deal with higher rates of homelessness and mental health concerns,” minister of children and family development Jodie Wickens said. “SAJE offers services like income support of up to $1,250 a month” to cover living expenses, she added. This is separate from the rent supplement program.

“Since the very first contact between settlers and Indigenous Peoples, paternalistic colonial child welfare practices have had destructive impacts on the well-being of our children and families.” — Indigenous Child and Family Services Directors Our Children Our Way Society

As reported by IndigiNews, an individual under the pseudonym Jamal has made three unsuccessful rent supplement applications since February 2024 and highlighted that $1,250 in income support would “barely cover” his rent. 

While The Peak asked for confirmation on this lack of payment, Wickens did not address the question. “Over 1,800 young adults from care received rent supplements since the introduction of the program in fall 2022,” she said. If demand for the supplements exceeds funding, SAJE “would work closely with frontline staff and our colleagues in other ministries to explore alternatives so that the greatest number of young people are covered.” 

OCOW also emphasizes that these welfare systems are essential to Indigenous self-determination, yet the government has failed to adequately support them, particularly in ways that are culturally grounded. “Since the very first contact between settlers and Indigenous Peoples,” the organization’s site reads, “paternalistic colonial child welfare practices have had destructive impacts on the well-being of our children and families.” OCOW added, “It’s time for that to change.” The Indian Act, “first proclaimed in 1876, gave the federal government control over most aspects of Indigenous people’s lives,” OCOW writes. “In 1951, the federal government amended the Indian Act to include Section 88, which gave provinces the power to enforce their child welfare laws on-reserve.” 

Tracy Lavin, OCOW manager of policy, research, and engagement presented some potential insight into SAJE’s struggles. For services off-reserve, she explained that Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies are funded through the ministry. “Those services are desperately underfunded and do not support the delivery of prevention/least disruptive measures,” said Lavin. Regarding SAJE specifically, “OCOW has repeatedly articulated numerous concerns about the SAJE program raised by the Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies,” however, there has been “very little response from the ministry.”

Breaking free from the screen

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Peak Web
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ILLUSTRATION: A university student with a bunch of papers trying to study, but with a laptop open, an ipad playing Modern Family or some other comfort show, and the student looking at their phone rather than the papers
ILLUSTRATION: Cliff Ebora / The Peak

By: Zainab Salam, Staff Writer

In this digital age, screens are central to nearly every aspect of our lives: work, education, entertainment, and socialization. While technology offers unprecedented convenience and connectivity, it also brings the risk of screen addiction.

While not officially classified as a disorder, there are various types of screen addiction, ranging from social media addiction, gaming addiction, streaming and video addiction to multi-screen addiction. These are very real addictions that go beyond enjoying a few hours of screen time a day. According to a certified addiction professional, screen addiction “is identified by a compulsive need to use these electronic devices, regardless of the negative impacts on daily activities and obligations such as work, school, or social relationships.” Some symptoms of screen addiction are being irritable, anxious or angry when you step away from the screen, spending beyond your means on screens (buying new devices or new games for example), and not being honest with other people in your life about how much time you spend on screens.  

Like most things in life, screen addiction rarely exists in isolation. Often, it serves as a coping mechanism for other, more profound challenges. Many people turn to their devices not out of mere habit but to escape stress, loneliness, or feelings of inadequacy. For example, video games provide a sense of accomplishment that might be missing in real life. Understanding the root causes, potential harms, and triggers of screen addiction can help us take more deliberate control over our screen use. 

As a budding psychologist, I observed how professors frequently highlighted marketing psychology as a potential career path. Applying psychology to marketing and branding underscores how principles of this science can be harnessed not just for well-being but also for profit; a reality vividly illustrated by the phenomenon of screen addiction. Screen addiction can be understood as a byproduct of the “attention economy,” where platforms are designed to captivate users’ attention for profit. Profit which is gained through selling ads — the more we scroll, the more data companies collect about our likes and spending habits, which they sell to advertisers. This economic model manipulates human psychology, keeping users hooked while often worsening their mental well-being.

Social media platforms are designed to keep users engaged. Through analyzing user data, software engineers, with the aid of psychologists, design algorithms to “create customized feeds, recommendations, and experiences that keep users on their platforms.” Studies have shown that interactions such as likes or mentions stimulate dopamine release, creating reward cycles. These bursts of dopamine are frequent in short-form media content, which is why platforms like TikTok “drive the formation and sustenance of addictions to the platform.” However, prolonged exposure to fast-paced, highly stimulating content can also lead to cognitive impairments, reducing attention span and making focused thinking more challenging. Time distortion is a significant issue where users lose track of how long they have been engaged with a device. 

“It’s important to develop a healthier relationship with screens. Where they serve rather than dominate. This balance is essential to preserving mental and physical well-being.”

Screen addiction doesn’t just consume time; it has measurable physical, social, and psychological impacts. Socially, the excessive use of screens can erode relationships. In situations where a person is highly focused on their screen while ignoring those around them, it can lead to damaging personal connections. Mentally, it can lead to anxiety, depression, and loneliness. The constant influx of information, combined with the social comparison often inherent to social media use, can lead to a deterioration in self-esteem. Physically, it can cause eye strain, disrupted sleep, and a sedentary lifestyle. Screen addiction can also interfere with interpersonal interactions, reducing face-to-face communication skills. 

Overcoming screen addictions requires a multifaceted approach that addresses both the triggers of excessive screen use and the underlying emotional or psychological factors. Recognizing personal triggers is a crucial step, whether it is stress, boredom, or loneliness and replacing screen time with healthier activities can significantly reduce dependency. Setting clear boundaries, such as scheduled “screen-free” periods or using apps to monitor and limit screen time, can help us become aware of our habits. We can also benefit from digital detox periods, where we consciously disconnect from devices. This can be especially effective when combined with offline activities that provide a sense of accomplishment or social connection. 

In addition to self-regulation strategies, social support and alternative therapeutic approaches can be transformative. For example, nature-based therapy, where time spent outdoors not only reduces screen use but also enhances mental well-being through natural sensory engagement. In other words, enjoying nature can help you exist in the moment and not focus on your screen as much. In more severe cases, cognitive-behavioural therapy can help people recognize negative thought patterns and develop healthier coping mechanisms. Lastly, engaging in digital literacy, learning to critically engage with content and understand the manipulative design of apps, can help us make intentional choices about our screen use. 

Screen addiction often reflects deeper issues rather than a mere love of the screen. Understanding this addiction requires us to look beyond the device to our stressors, habits, and environment. By acknowledging the root causes, recognizing the signs, and consciously managing leisure screen use, we can take back control from our devices and live more balanced lives. 

Instead of defaulting to passive scrolling or binge-watching, consider strategies like mindful scheduling, where you allocate time for entertainment, and digital hygiene, which involves turning off non-essential notifications. It’s important to develop a healthier relationship with screens. Where they serve, rather than dominate. This balance is essential to preserving mental and physical well-being.

Pack your summer with community at Slice Vancouver

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Peak Web
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PHOTO: The exterior of the Slice of Life Photo Studio, including their sign at the entrance (address: 1636 Venables St, Vancouver, BC V5L 2H2).
PHOTO: Emily Le / The Peak

By: Noah Jozic, SFU Student

Looking for a new hobby this summer? Hoping to meet artsy friends? Trying to develop your art practice, but lacking studio space? Look no further!

Slice of Life Vancouver, or “Slice,” is a community-oriented studio and gallery space in East Vancouver. From Monday to Sunday, visitors are welcome to browse the gallery free of charge and dig for unique handmade items in the gift shop. If you’ve ever been to one of Metro Vancouver’s “Makers” markets, you’ll be familiar with the set up: local artists submit their collections — fiber arts, handmade trinkets, prints and paintings, or buttons and stickers — to be displayed and sold at the shop, and returns are split between Slice and the creators.

Maybe that’s all you’re interested in. You might browse, take some cute pictures of yourself or with your friends in one of the photo booths, and head across the street for a little treat at Uprising Breads. But Slice offers much more!

Want to work on your illustration skills? Try signing up for one of Slice’s weekly life drawing sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Admission fees are only $10, and includes drawing boards and easels. If you are looking for a discount, consider going for Slice’s monthly passes. 

Looking for a new hobby this summer? Hoping to meet artsy friends? Trying to develop your art practice, but lacking studio space? Look no further!

If drawing’s not your bag, no worries. Slice has all kinds of workshops, including weekly pottery meet-ups on Mondays. These are a great option if you want to try sculpting but don’t have access to a kiln, or just don’t want to turn your house into a mudroom. Different sessions cost between $10 to $40, depending on the activity. 

For other events, you can stay tuned by following @slicevancouver, or by browsing their website. There’s always something new coming up! Maybe you’re looking for a more obscure hobby? How about an early form of analog photography? You can get a taste for cyanotype printmaking on May 19 with host @hazelzhangyh. Admission for these workshops can cost a little more, running from $30 to $70, but materials are covered with admission and you benefit from the instruction of experienced artists.

Slice is a great resource for artists at any level. The studio has established itself as an accessible, inclusive hub for professional artists and those enthusiastic to build a career out of arts. The studio has rentable spaces for film and photo shoots, silk screening, clay firing, or even plain-old meetings. Creatives of all stripes are welcome to book the space for solo studio time and co-working. At the same time, workshops and meet-ups are beginner friendly, perfect for casual hobbyists hoping to work on their art skills while having fun and socializing. If either of these sound like you, check Slice out, sign up for a workshop, or simply try your hand at the gift shop!

Guy Who Knows it All advice column: Parking purgatory

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Peak Web
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PHOTO: A picture of a guy dressed in business attire standing in front of something in West Mall Centre that clearly indicates that he's a Beedie student. His hands should be in this position and a cocky grin. The idea here is to show his cockiness as the piece is "written" by a Beedie bro who thinks he knows the answer to everything.
PHOTO: Audrey Safikhani / The Peak

By: The Guy Who Knows it All

I have a humongous problem on my hands. And I heard you’re the best at solving those since you’re a Beedie student! I mainly have classes on the Burnaby campus, and parking here is an absolute nightmare. I spend more time searching for a spot than I do in class. 

I’ve tried everything: arriving early, bribing friends, and even contemplating teleportation. Nothing works. What’s your expert advice on scoring a parking spot without going into road rage mode?

Sincerely, 

Frustrated in the Forest

Yo, Frustrated in the Forest, 

Ah, parking at SFU Burnaby, the true Hunger Games of higher education. A challenge so legendary, my macroeconomics professor provided extra credit on the syllabus to those who provided proof of proficient parking. But worry not! As the Guy Who Knows It All, I am here to bestow upon you a comprehensive and foolproof strategy that would make even the most seasoned valet weep with envy. 

I’m a Beedie Bro, so sit back, relax, and just trust me, bro. 

First, avoid arriving early. That’s what everyone expects. Instead, show up precisely 30 seconds before your class starts. This guarantees maximum chaos and will make any spot you find feel like a miracle.

Next, do not circle the lot. That’s a beta move. Instead, park creatively like an alpha. Tree branches in the north lot? Extra shade. Sidewalk? Think of it as elevated parking. Fire lane? Those are just VIP valet spots that the university is hiding from us. And if all else fails, simply park in a random UniverCity parking spot next to a townhouse; it’s not trespassing if you look confident. 

And who would I be if I don’t tell you about my homie, the raccoon valet? He can manage your parking needs for as little as twenty cents (he has e-transfer). He usually takes in new clients every Sunday, right by the lower staircase by the Recreation Center. And sure, your car might come back with mysterious scratch marks and smell faintly of pizza, but isn’t that just part of the university experience? 

If even one of those flawless tactics fails, it’s time to unleash the secret weapon: the overnight camping method. Set up a small but sturdy tent in your preferred lot. Make sure to decorate to uplift your spirit. I am a big fan of  “Grind, Conquer, Park” signs for aesthetic and thematic appeal. I usually set the vibe with my “Vibes Under the Moonlight” playlist, which I linked below. You just need to pay 50 BTC (Bitcoin, baby!) to access this curated glory. It begins with a slowed and reverb version of none other than the hit classic, “Eye of the Tiger.” Make friends with the resident raccoons, and toast to the fact that you’ve ascended beyond the concept of mere studentship, and now you are now a parking pioneer. 

The ultimate secret is this: make peace with the fact that parking at Burnaby is less about getting a spot and more about self-discovery. Who are you when all seems lost? Your mother’s disappointment? Or a true alpha male conqueror of concrete jungles? 

Finally, remember that true victory is psychological. Surrender to disorder. Don’t just park. Embody chaos. Screech dramatically whenever you see an open spot, even if you have no intention of parking there. Confuse your competitors (those sleazy students who are trying to get to their exams on time!! So selfish of them). Sabotage is just a fancy word for strategy. 

Happy hunting, 

The Guy Who Knows It All

My Summertime Classes by Sarah Sorochuk and Lana Del Rey

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Peak Web
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PHOTO: Of a student who looks emotional/overwhelmed standing at the SFU lower bus loop with a bunch of books in hand. We should be able to get the vibe that they really don't want to be on campus during the summer.
IMAGE: Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson / The Peak

By: Sarah Sorochuk, Peak Associate

Going to bed with a DIY spray tan,

Summertime classes.

Waking up for an 8:00 a.m.,

My summertime classes.

 

I’ve got my backpack on today,

Dreaming of a day when I could be away.

Anywhere, but here in this lecture hall,

I’m listening in, but I’m just dreaming during it all.

 

Oh, my gawd. I see it in the air, they got the alc-o-hol, 

The summer parties are for all.

But none — for me — I’m stuck alone you see. 

Nothing changes in my life now.

 

My friends are partying on the beach with a bonfire, 

Smokin’ a cigarette or three. 

All the while, I’m sitting here in this lib-rary.

Writing notes on the pages, 

While my besties are living it up at rages.

 

I’m living this summertime, summertime sadness, 

While I’m doing these boring summertime classes.

Classes consuming all of me, 

Instead of my friends saving me.

Heeeeeeellllp, please just help me. 

 

I’ve got these summertime, summertime classes,

Dying in my summertime, summertime classes.

No, nooo no no-ohh. (send help please).

Fossil fuel companies shouldn’t influence education

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Peak Web
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photo of a k-12 classroom, kids raising hands or writing while a teacher stands at the front
PHOTO: CDC / Pexels

By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer

A recent report from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment revealed that 39 different fossil fuel companies across Canada have significantly influenced youth’s climate change education —  that is 39 too many. Enbridge, TC Energy, and Fortis BC were among the companies named. Young children are our future collaborators and leaders in a climate that is rapidly changing in harmful ways. Children are especially vulnerable to pollution as they breathe more and have smaller airways; pollution increases their chances of respiratory infection. Still, the education surrounding pollution is hardly ideal — it’s funded by the very companies that profit from it. Young people deserve a wiser approach to a factor that will not only impact but dictate their futures.

“Petro Pedagogy” is used by the report to describe the different messaging strategies employed by fossil fuel companies. Since the 1990s, the industry has shifted from climate denial towards climate delay. The industry initially focused on attacking climate science, but soon realized that growing activism and public doubt in fossil fuels meant they needed a new approach to combatting climate change evidence. They resorted to strategies like “greenwashing” and “bias balance” to exert their influence. Greenwashing is the use of misleading information to make a company’s product appear sustainable, and a biased-balanced approach ensures that lesson plans are framed to include the industry’s perspective to appear less “biased.” This false neutrality positions the industry’s right to destruction as equal to our right to sustainability. Among these approaches peddled to Canadian classrooms, there is also a focus on lessons that shift environmental responsibilities to the individual consumer rather than addressing harmful policies and corporations. 

The curriculum successfully uses greenwashing to make oil extraction seem sustainable, while also shifting the blame to consumers for needing and being economically dependent on fossil fuel energy.

For example, Imperial Oil has hosted workshops for tree planting in Sarnia, Ontario, a community they have actively harmed with pollution from their oil refinery. The company gloats about sustainability on its website while polluting so heavily that Sarnia has an area known as the “chemical valley.” Through educational sponsorships and “opportunities” like these, companies build a seemingly respectable rapport with educational institutions and in communities. They appear charitable as a way to divert criticism. In 2014, Suncor partnered with Alberta’s provincial government to create curricula for kindergarten to grade three students, while Cenovus partnered to take care of grades four through 12. As of 2024, the province’s curriculum is to include that Alberta has a “reputation as the most ethical producer of oil in the world” while also reinforcing that energy is essential for the economy. The curriculum successfully uses greenwashing to make oil extraction seem sustainable and further shifts the blame to consumers for needing and being economically dependent on fossil fuel energy. What if instead, we encouraged our youth to innovate alternatives in the face of ecological disaster?

According to Statistics Canada, 62% of Canadian youth agreed climate initiatives should be a top priority. Organizations like Climate Education Reform BC have also emerged as youth mobilize — clearly, they are concerned. However, only 34% of educators feel confident when it comes to teaching about environmental issues. Provincial budget cuts to education are a major factor when it comes to addressing the gap in climate education. Because of these cuts, schools lose valuable funding which would otherwise go to strengthening educational plans. This makes room for the fossil fuel industry to invest in education. Sustainability within the curriculum can only be achieved once schools do not rely on funding and sponsorships from private corporations. Instead of allowing industries to influence and damage our futures, the provincial government should focus on providing adequate resources for educators to tackle the issue. But first, that means we need to convince our peers that education is worth voting for.

An alternative perspective on small businesses

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Peak Web
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Illustration of a row of small businesses including a barber shop, coin laundry, bookstore, and farmer’s market.
ILLUSTRATION: Cliff Ebora / The Peak

By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer

Small businesses contribute to local economies by offering unique products, innovations, and creating job opportunities. In Canada, they employ over five million people throughout the country and make up nearly 98% of all businesses. However, the narrative around small businesses often focuses on the owners, and ignores the employees. 

CEOs and small business owners have some key differences. CEOs are often chosen by a Board of Directors, which is made up of investors who oversee a company’s entire vision. Small business owners are those who create and manage a business at a smaller scale, and tend to be more “hands on,” as they take charge of hiring, payroll, and other administrative roles. Both positions share a key similarity: they rely on the labour of others to grow their companies. Employees are the ones putting in the labour to sustain and grow the business. Businesses are built on the backs of the workers, who are often subjected to lower wages and limited benefits. While the growth of small businesses is important, emphasis must also be placed on improving conditions for the workers who are directly responsible for their success.

Conditions for employees

Although small businesses open up new job opportunities for locals, that doesn’t inherently mean they ensure the best labour conditions for employees. While there are obvious exceptions to this idea, there is clear evidence that small businesses don’t provide better work environments compared to large businesses. This doesn’t excuse the fact that many large corporations engage in unethical practices, but it does provide perspective into how small businesses are part of a capitalist system that relies on the control and exploitation of workers. 

Small business owners have a tendency to micromanage, monitoring their employees day-to-day tasks. Micromanagers often focus on critiquing instead of providing productive feedback. A small business owner wanting to micromanage makes sense because most small business owners are hard workers, who want to ensure everything is up to standard. The problem lies in the fact that micromanaging can cause a drop in job satisfaction and morale. While it is understandable for business owners to prioritize quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, constant micromanagement can be extremely frustrating for their employees. At the end of the day, workers remain the driving force to success. In order to succeed, a team of competent employees is needed, and most importantly a manager who can allow their employees to display such competence. Micromanaging can often lead to employees feeling like the owner has doubts about an employee’s competency. It can be condescending and devaluing, as it shows the owner’s lack of trust in his employees capabilities.

Business blogs such as First Reference and CFIB have made the argument that minimum wage increases can be harmful to small businesses. As minimum wage increases, small business owners may struggle to keep up with paying their employees the legally required amount set by the province. While this is a valid argument, it ignores a crucial component of the discussion — the employee. This rhetoric prioritizes the well-being of the business while neglecting the employees who drive the business forward. While it is important for small businesses to receive support when minimum wage is increased, ensuring employees receive fair and adequate pay should take priority. 

Minimum wage is increased to improve the standard of living. It’s important workers are supported through a rising cost of living. Even then, minimum wage does not equate to livable wage. A livable wage is one that guarantees employees, live a comfortable life, not having to worry about whether they will be able to afford food, make rent, and have access to social benefits and education. This should be considered the bare minimum. The average liveable wage in BC is currently $27 per hour. The minimum wage, however, is only $17.40 per hour. So, those making less tend to have more difficulties with affordability. 

While businesses may take a hit when it comes to increasing minimum wage, we must ask what’s more important — the business or the quality of life of the employee? The latter is both the most reasonable and the most morally just choice.

The responsibility

So, while small businesses provide society with benefits, they have a responsibility to ensure their employees are put first. Small businesses aren’t perfect, or entirely ethical either. Ultimately, the entire point of a business is to generate revenue. So, when there is discourse about protecting small businesses, it often focuses on the owners, and less on the employees. The accomplishment of a business is communal, which means that discourse about supporting businesses should include, first and foremost, advocacy for the workers.

Monday Music: When soft weather brings hard feelings

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Peak Web
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ILLUSTRATION: A person with headphones contemplating the various aspects of life, in a state of wonderment (but not sad).
ILLUSTRATION: Noah Jozic / The Peak

By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer

Driving through X̱wáýx̱way (Stanley Park) this morning, I noticed something that jolted me out of my usual daze of cherry blossoms and sunkissed daydreams: trees, felled and fallen. The ones standing didn’t look much better, thin and brittle with decay. Their slow death is thanks to hemlock looper moths. Some have been removed. Others stand with abated breath, one spark away from igniting, a few moments away from decomposing and breathing new life into the soil. They stand there, witnessing their own undoing. 

The quiet horror of the remaining stumps of the once majestic trees mirrors the disquiet brewing in my mind for months now. Spring time in the city is a renaissance of pink confetti and community. But one thought has always clung to me like floating pollen during these few months. Are we also standing in witness to our own undoing? 

If you find yourself filled with a gnawing existential dread this spring, know that you are not alone. In the spirit of indulging in the absurdity of it all, I offer a soundtrack for sitting with your discomfort. These songs might not soothe you but they will offer you company as you look into this beautiful and broken world, and prepare for all your battles ahead. 

“Fruits of Disillusion” by Yves Jarvis 

To start, “Fruits of Disillusion” is a slow and meditative unraveling. Montreal-based multi-instumentalist Yves Jarvis creates music that feels like watercolour running across Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, the famously unreadable guide to human consciousness. Whether you are sitting watching a dying tree or staring at the bumps and cracks in your ceiling, Jarvis helps you get in touch with what it feels like to watch the world bend out of shape. 

“Room Full of Human Male Politicians” by Ruby Gill  

Born in South Africa and raised in Australia, Ruby Gill’s music is sharpened by her classical training and feminine rage. In “Room Full of Human Male Politicians” she disarms you with acoustic guitar strings and follows it with gut-punching lyrics. At once confessional and furious, she captures the all too familiar feeling of unbelonging. 

“The Big Machine” by Angélica Garcia 

With Salvadoran and Mexican American heritage, Garcia stirs dread and hope with her every note. Blurring genres, “The Big Machine” combines a Latinx futurism with haunting synths in both protest and prayer. Otherworldly with hypnotic vocals, this song recalls Bob Dylan’s “jingle jangle morning” if the Tambourine man were a cyborg. 

“I am a Mountain (don’t be afraid)” by Thanya Iyer 

Blending jazz, chamber pop, and experimental textures, Iyer’s songs are like spells. “I am a Mountain (don’t be afraid)” offers a slow burn of revolution — a reminder that sometimes resilience is all about allowing the flow of change. Iyer invites us to ground ourselves but also to reach up, to come to terms with our fears but not be ruled by them. 

“Nada” by Lido Pimienta 

Colombian Canadian artist Lido Pimienta’s influences vary from traditional Indigenous to Afro Colombian, part electro to part soul. With grief and the grit of survival, “Nada” is a quiet anthem of soft and stubborn strength. 

Instead of finding in the spring blossoms a mockery, let us learn from their stubborn survival. Let these songs remind you that sometimes resistance looks like embracing absurdity in the face of collapse. As Camus has said, “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” I hope these songs help you achieve just that.

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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