The rise of economic nationalism sidelines reconciliation

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March 3, 2025

this is an illustration; the exchange of bloodied money for the canadian flag — ILLUSTRATION: Kristin Lee / The Peak

By: Zainab Salam, SFU Student

On the windy afternoon of January 19, I drove down to Bellingham to go shopping. I wanted some fridge necessities from renowned American grocer Trader Joe’s. The next day, Donald Trump was inaugurated, and since then, it feels as though the world has been thrown off its axis. With one executive order following another, Trump destabilized countless foreign relations, and Canada is no exception. Trump’s proposed tariffs are set out to alter the shopping habits of Canadians, including those who regularly cross the Canadian-American border to shop in accessible American cities. Canadians are after Canadian products, and it’s all over the news.

With support from politicians across various parties, the surge in economic nationalism in Canada is fueled by consumer campaigns such as the “Buy Canadian” movement. The rhetoric is compelling: by buying Canadian, we ensure Canada’s economic resilience in the face of proposed tariffs and put pressure on the American economy. The idea is that we should prioritize Canadian-made goods and protect our industries from American competition, and this quest has seemingly been bringing Canadians together in a shared goal across party and ideological lines.

While it does make sense to avoid tariffs which only exacerbate the high cost of living, these efforts tend to reinforce the colonial structures Canada created to dig its claws into the land. The industries that benefit most from economic nationalism are deeply intertwined with Canada’s colonial past and present. Industries such as oil and hydroelectric power are the lifeblood of Canada’s exports, and they all operate through the exploitation of unceded Indigenous land. The pipelines built atop Wedzin Kwa (Morice River) stand witness to Canada’s exploitation of Indigenous lands. The Wet’suwet’en Nation and their allies protested the Coastal Gaslink Pipeline in 2019, and the resistance to colonial expansion was met with violence.

“The more Canadians understand their economic well-being as dependent on the continued exploitation of land and resources, the more the political will to meet Indigenous demands will further disintegrate.”

Beneath the patriotic fervor lies an uncomfortable contradiction. It does seem incredibly ironic that Canada is fighting to preserve rights over land that was violently stolen. While Canada fights to assert its economic sovereignty, it does so by further exploiting unceded Indigenous land. This is the truer cost of economic nationalism, one that is often ignored in mainstream discussions. As nationalism strengthens, so too does the risk that reconciliation efforts will become little more than symbolic gestures. The more Canadians understand their economic well-being as dependent on the continued exploitation of land and resources, the more the political will to meet Indigenous demands will further disintegrate. Contributing to the local economy by supporting small businesses, specifically those owned and operated by Indigenous people, is a much more meaningful way to use the power which money provides.

Economic nationalism in Canada is a double-edged sword. While it may foster a sense of unity on a volatile world stage, it sidelines Indigenous sovereignty and the importance of reconciliation efforts. If Canadians are truly committed to reconciliation, then we must be willing to question the economic foundation of our country, and by extension, our institutions as a whole. Reconciliation is not something we can put on hold every time there is an economic crisis or a foreign dispute; it has to be central to how we operate our country, not an afterthought. This includes rethinking what national identity means, because if our only sense of it is built on the continued exploitation of stolen land, then what are we truly proud of?

Kwiakah Nation to convert salmon farm into research facility

By

Peak Web

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March 3, 2025

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This is a photo of a man standing on a dock, pointing somewhere with his left hand as he talks to several other people. A mountain in the background and a multicoloured dog are also pictured. — PHOTO: Courtesy of Nature United / Facebook

By: Mason Mattu, News Writer

With 19 members, Kwiakah First Nation makes up “the West Coast’s smallest First Nation.” With territory spanning across the Wənałdəmsa sa Kwiakah (Phillips Arm) and Frederick Arm region, the Nation has made strides toward an Indigenous-led conservation economy. A conservation economy involves communities taking “the lead in deciding how to manage land and natural resources while creating new employment opportunities and stewarding ecosystems for the benefit of future generations.”

The Kwiakah Nation recently announced its plans to open a “floating research facility” by summer 2025. Dubbed the Kwiakah Centre for Excellence, the facility will feature a “dedicated research station, an experimental kelp farm, regenerative forest operations, and its territorial guardian program.” It will also include lodging for researchers. The facility will be repurposed from a decommissioned open-net pen salmon farm.

The Kwiakah Nation have titled the floating research facility their “return home.” They were “displaced from its traditional coastal villages” in the early 20th century and did not return for 100 years. The research centre will be anchored in their traditional territory. The Peak reached out to the Kwiakah and the First Nations Centre for Excellence for more information but did not receive a response by the deadline.

The Kwiakah Nation was previously involved in a legal challenge alongside several other Nations to shut down the now–decommissioned open-net pen salmon farm that operated in the Discovery Island area. They “expressed concerns regarding the declines of Fraser River salmon and the impact of salmon farming on wild stocks.” In 2022, the Federal Court ruled in favour of continuing salmon farming. Fast-forward to 2024, the federal government announced a “ban on open net-pen aquaculture” by 2029.

“Eventually, revenue will be created by protecting the environment, by conserving forests and by not cutting them.” — Frank Voelker, manager and economic development officer, Kwiakah Nation

According to the Kwiakah Nation’s manager and economic development officer Frank Voelker, the opening of the Kwiakah Centre for Excellence will continue the Nation’s “path to building a ‘stewardship economy’ that puts the environment first when it comes to economic development.”

The Kwiakah have set a strategic plan to create revenue through regenerative forestry practices. According to Island Coastal Trust, a donor to the Kwiakah Centre for Excellence, an example of regenerative forestry may include “forest farming and non-timber forest product development” such as “botanicals, essential oils, medicinal herbs,” and produce. This is part of the Nation’s vision to create a sustainable economy.

“Eventually, revenue will be created by protecting the environment, by conserving forests and by not cutting them,” Voelker told IndigiNews.

As for the future of the floating research centre, the Nation is looking forward to deepening research with the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria, and the University of Calgary.

Postcards from Congo is an artful graphic history

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Peak Web

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February 27, 2025

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A book lying on a wooden table with an illustrated cover. The top half depicts colourful visuals of people dancing and playing music, while the bottom half shows police and guards trapping people with shields. — ILLUSTRATION: Courtesy of Arsenal Pulp Press

By: Petra Chase, Editor-in-Chief

Content warning: brief mentions of slavery, child soldiers, and war.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the second largest country in Africa, yet its rich, enduring history is often overlooked. Postcards from Congo is an easy-to-digest graphic novel and entry point into everything from the Bantu migrations of 500 BCE to the COVID-19 pandemic. It exposes the violent legacy of colonialism, which persists to this day. It is also a testament to the pride and hope Black and African histories offer through countless stories of resilience, ingenuity, joy, and self-determination.

DRC is often confused with the Republic of Congo. In an introductory map, we see the two countries are connected with the vast Congo River and Rainforest they both touch, as well as the pre-colonial Kingdom of Kongo. While both countries go by the Congo shorthand, Postcards from Congo and this article are solely about DRC, sometimes referred as Congo (Kinshasa), after the capital city, or Zaire, one of its post-independence names.

Knowing African history is often omitted in popular education and culture, Edmund Trueman, a European settler, was inspired to create this novel after learning in depth about Congo’s history. This is while the world is largely ignorant that their technology — like phones and laptops — use coltan, a mineral extracted from Eastern Congo. A country with ongoing corruption and war after a brutal colonial history, the situation is exacerbated by greed for natural resources by western and global superpowers and technology giants. Apple, Tesla, Dell, Google, and Microsoft deny responsibility while continuing to profit off Congolese lives.

Trueman’s art is based on careful study of Congolese visual sources, translating in vignette paneling. Each chapter of history starts with a two-page introduction to the time period, followed by a collection of “postcards” with short descriptions focusing on a specific event, person, movement, community, or place. This pacing, which lets you pause and take in the still drawings after learning the context behind them, makes the book easy to follow, despite covering so much ground.

In style and content, Trueman also critiques the well-known Belgian cartoonist Hergé, creator of the children’s Adventures of Tin Tin comic series. With this series, Hergé invented ligne claire, the pleasant cartoon style Trueman uses, characterized by simple lines and a lack of shading. Tin Tin au Congo (1930), Tin Tin’s patronizing second book, sent the “adventurer” to Belgian Congo to game hunt. It depicted the Congolese through a dehumanizing and colonial gaze of needing to be “civilized.” Postcards from Congo flips the narrative on its head. There are multiple scenes where Congolese fight back. In one postcard, a Tin Tin lookalike, a Belgian soldier with a gun, gets killed in a revolt by a member of the Pende Indigenous tribe.

The smooth, bright colours of ligne claire also make depictions of Congolese culture, urban life, and natural landscapes especially vibrant in the novel. This is a fitting representation for underrepresented Indigenous tribes, including the Mbuti, who traded and shared skills with the pre-colonial Bantu civilization, and have maintained a complex hunter-gatherer lifestyle in the rainforest. We learn that recently, they fought for their right to stay on part of their ancestral lands of Itombwe, and are working with conservationists to protect it.

“The smooth, bright colours of ligne claire also make depictions of Congolese culture, urban life, and natural landscapes especially vibrant in the novel.”

Lively tapestry-like illustrations feature the spirit of Congolese rumba music and dance, joyful jazz clubs, art, and “évolués” — Black, educated middle-class men in Congo who learned fluent French and conformed to western culture in hopes of achieving equality. However, they continued to be treated as the rest of the Congolese, segregated from whites, barred for high-skilled positions, and heavily controlled while Belgians lived in luxury. Soon these men and the country began rallying the cry for independence.

As Central African historian Didier Gondola writes in the novel’s foreword, “Colonization afforded [the Congolese] opportunities to carve out agency in a context of a state of violence and white supremacy.” One of the most well-known exemplifiers of this was évolué Patrice Lumumba, a Congolese man who climbed the ranks at a postal office, wrote in local newspapers, and eventually stepped up to achieve equality and basic rights. He founded his own political party and wrote compelling speeches that resounded across ethnic lines, calling for unified, free Congo.

Belgium reluctantly handed over power in 1960, making Lumumba the first prime minister. However, in the concession ceremony, Belgian King Baudouin commended the “humanitarian” work of his late King Leopold II. Lumumba, who was not scheduled to speak, took to the podium to deliver a powerful speech that has immortalized him as a hero. He called attention to Belgium’s violent mistreatment of the Congolese for 75 years, including a dark period in which gruesome acts of violence and coercion were used to extract valuable rubber to fuel Belgian wealth, which the King tried to hide from the world. Lumumba also made sure everyone listening knew that independence was achieved by the demand of the Congolese, who persevered through these hardships. Too powerful a figure for the US empire during the Cold War, Lumumba was assassinated by the CIA a year later, but he will always be remembered for his courage.

Since then, the country has seen a slew of corrupt leaders and civil wars, propped up by colonial powers. Ever since the country’s borders were drawn up by Belgian settlers in 1885, without consideration for the hundreds of ethnic groups that existed there, Congo has endured crisis after crisis. In some areas, child soldiers grow up in rebel groups, institutionalized into violence. China has not yet fulfilled its promise of improving the country’s infrastructure in exchange for heaps of coltan and cobalt which it owns and profits from, extracted through slave labour. From rubber to minerals, oppression and greed continues to decide the fate of the population of 100 million.

Meanwhile, the people of Congo are resilient and take agency, and the book features countless postcards of Congolese inventors, activists, and humanitarians. We learn about heroes like Balezi Bagunda, a former child soldier who became a boxer and advocated for boys’ rights. Congolese continue to resist and advocate for change, and support and awareness are needed. In one of Congo’s darkest periods, the 19th century, the international community put an end to the violence of the rubber trade when they found out about Belgium’s crimes against humanity and protested. This is one example of history acting as a blueprint for the future.

Trueman ends the novel with a depiction of a bar in Goma, a city which has survived volcanic eruptions, Ebola outbreaks, and has lived amid rebel wars for three decades. Despite these conditions, they continue to live life, finding culture and joy, commodities which cannot be stolen from them.

Get a copy of Postcards from Congo from an independent bookstore.

To learn more about Lumumba’s legacy, watch the moving spoken word poem, “The Rise of Patrice Lumumba | What REALLY Happened?” by George the Poet on YouTube.

Non-Black minorities need to stop using the N-word

By

Peak Web

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February 27, 2025

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By: Kamal Nagi, SFU Student

Black contributions have helped shape much of contemporary pop culture. Instead of recognition, however, non-Black influencers continuously take credit for its introduction to the mainstream. True appreciation is not just consuming Black culture, but addressing anti-Black racism in everyday life, including the exploitation of Black culture. One example of cultural aspects being stolen and exploited is the casual use of the N-word by non-Black individuals, particularly within some South Asian and Latinx communities. Appropriation ignores the history of anti-Black oppression and the efforts of Black communities to reclaim their identities.

African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is often pirated by non-Black people who overlook its cultural significance; it is a language system that’s constantly evolving, with strong historical origins in Black American communities. Just as AAVE is more than internet slang, the N-word has a derogatory history that can’t be disconnected from its roots. Many non-Black people of colour use the term casually, justifying its use with references to hip-hop culture or shared racial discrimination. The word’s frequent use by Black artists does not grant listeners permission to use it with the excuse of singing along. Black communities have reclaimed the word as an act of resistance against their shared experiences of oppression, and non-Black people’s ignorance of this renovates remaining structures of white supremacy.

Black communities have reclaimed the word as an act of resistance against oppression, and non-Black people’s usage of it renovates remaining structures of white supremacy.

Social media has become a faceless space where AAVE words and Black cultural markers such as clothing, music, and language often lose historical importance and become trends. Non-Black people who use the same language are quick to claim and dismiss it as slang and are seen as “cool” among peers, yet Black people are discriminated against for using AAVE in legal, professional, and educational contexts. This worrying trend of stealing AAVE without acknowledgement turns into more than language appropriation; it reinforces oppression and the silencing of Black voices rather than solidarity.

Though Black culture through music, fashion, and social movements have had a tremendous impact on global pop culture, the lack of recognition or credit leads to casual appropriation. White supremacy produces a dichotomy of whiteness and non-whiteness; non-Black youth gravitate towards Black culture, which is markedly “othered” in North American society, in search of belonging or to position themselves as anti-establishment in relation to white people. Still, recognizing the cause does not excuse appropriation, especially considering the violent history of slavery, segregation, and anti-Black oppression behind the N-word.

Criticizing this rising norm is sometimes met with mockery or scorn alongside labels of being “too sensitive” or “overreacting.” Below the surface, gaslighting those who call out this offensive behaviour is a refusal to hold themselves accountable. Despite the uncomfortable conversation, holding each other responsible for using the derogatory term is the first step to acknowledging the issue. The next step is to educate ourselves and show real solidarity by respecting the boundaries set by Black communities. We must challenge those around us and advocate, as true allyship isn’t just listening and learning, but also taking action.

CONFESSIONALS: I work out from home so no one can see me fall

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Peak Web

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February 26, 2025

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Woman in black workout clothes, squatting in her living room. She is surrounded by plants and she looks very focused. — PHOTO: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels

By: C Icart, Humour Editor

Health and fitness trends come and go. If you’re old enough, you start to see them repeating. Look me in the eye right now and tell me that Naughty Girl Fitness is not just a sexier version of Jazzercise (which still exists, BTW!). So, I was scrolling on the socials, and almost every fitness influencer ever was trying to catch my attention by focusing the camera on their shorts tucked in alllllll the way up their crack like their booty hole is a black hole just sucking allllll the fabric in. Obviously, once I am bootymatized, it is easier to sell me supplements and TV dinners rebranded for gym rats. Of course, there’s also the misogynistic gymbros who are definitely not on any “enhancers” who speak to you condescendingly while showing you their meals that look like WWII rations that have been chewed up and spat back out. Finally, we cannot forget about the people standing in the grocery store aisles pulling random packaged food off the shelf and arguing that every single ingredient in them is a poison that the minister of health himself put in there while cackling evilly.

In a sea of reformer Pilates, marathon training, and before and after content, the word “mobility” kept sticking out. Everyone is talking about how training mobility will help you prevent injuries and help with everyday movement and holy moly, I fact–checked it, and they’re right! So, I went on YouTube and looked up mobility exercises (we do fitness on a budget, a $0 budget, to be more precise, in this house). Practicing several times a week has taught me that I don’t know how to move at all. You know that feeling when you meet someone who can wiggle their ears, so then you try to wiggle your ears, but you just look constipated because you don’t even know what part of your brain you’re supposed to use to communicate with your ear muscles? That’s me doing mobility in my room. The YouTube person is demonstrating the exercise and I am fully locked in attempting to follow along, but I am not moving.

My main focus right now is getting my deep squat. If people are taught to poop in this position, how hard can it be? Well, if there were secret cameras in my house, whatever creep would be operating them would be able to make an epic compilation video of me crashing to the ground. In fact, the Toronto Zoo has a compilation video of giant pandas falling that perfectly encapsulates what happens to me when I try to straighten my spine in a deep squat. Long story short, I’m not getting a gym membership anytime soon, no one can see me like this!

Local Black businesses

By

Peak Web

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February 26, 2025

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A cute red-brick storefront with a black, yellow, red, and green sign reading “The Lion’s Den Cafe.” — PHOTO: Kate Connor / The Peak

By: Phone Min Thant, Staff Writer

Whether you’re shopping for clothes or dining out with your loved ones, what better way is there to celebrate Black History Month than by supporting local Black-owned businesses? A good thing about Vancouver is that there are many such places — these ones are all accessible by transit! So, put on your jackets and winter boots, and get ready to check out these treasure troves.

Miscellany Thrift and Vintage

323 E Broadway, Vancouver
Opening hours: Monday–Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. and Sundays 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Closest bus stop: WB E Broadway at Scotia St. using bus 009 (Alma)

Not to be confused with Miscellany Finds (which is also a fantastic option for Black-owned thrifting), this cozy and unassuming store offers you a huge range of clothes and trinkets, as well as household and decorative items. These aren’t just any clothes — Miscellany stocks brands personally chosen by their staff. Their founder, Zainab Bernard, is a well-recognized figure in the Hastings-Sunrise community for the “safety and support” she provided to them before that location was forced to shut down for development projects. The store has been a provider of employment opportunities for women and others who struggle to find jobs due to issues such as addiction or past-incarceration. They also donate a part of their earnings to local community initiatives such as “local elementary schools and local businesses.”

Ethos Myth Jewellery and Design

736 Granville St., Vancouver
Opening hours: Wednesday–Saturday, 1:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Closest SkyTrain Station: Granville Station

Looking for personal, hand-crafted jewellery for birthday or anniversary gifts? Founded by Michella Domo, a goldsmith with over a decade of experience, Ethos uses ethical raw materials with their own mastery of goldsmithing to create rings, bracelets, necklaces, and many more. Ethos also has a repair and recycling service where you can bring in your own jewellery and family heirlooms, as well as reimagine “company logos, concept prototypes, family crest collections, and bespoke wedding bands” using their traditionally modern jewellerymaking methods. So, the next time you’re looking for handmade gifts that will last a lifetime, support a local jeweller like Ethos.

Kasandy

1660 Duranleau St., Granville Island, Vancouver
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Closest bus stop: 2nd Ave. at Anderson St. using bus 050 (Waterfront)

Located on the busy Granville Island, Kasandy is an artisan business selling fair trade hand-crafted items made by local craftspeople from Kenya and East Africa. Kasandy is not only a business, but also a social effort to bridge small-scale crafts trade from Africa to the rest of the world. While the majority of their products are sourced from East African artisans, 20% of the products they sell are produced in-house. Kasandy offers a huge range of items, from clothing and footwear to furniture, tea, and coffee. They also have a non-profit initiative aimed at promoting artisan exposure, education opportunities for Black women, and support for child adoption.

The Lion’s Den Cafe

651 East 15th Ave., Vancouver
Opening hours: Wednesday–Friday, 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Closest bus stop: WB Kingsway at Fraser St. using bus 019 (Stanley Park)

The Lion’s Den Cafe is a “Japaribbean” (Japanese Caribbean) fusion restaurant, owned and run by Ken Brooks (who was born in the Bahamas) and Junko Tanabe (Brooks’s Japanese wife). The mosaic of what are seemingly two different cuisines brings out the best in both of them, making this local gem a community favourite in East Hastings. Although it may be cliché to recommend the jerk chicken in a Caribbean restaurant, I am going to do just that for Lion’s Den — it’s that good! Lion’s Den is not only a hidden gem but also a rallying point for locals, as seen back in 2017 when the community helped the owners keep the doors open after Brooks suffered a stroke. It’s still running strong in 2025.

Comic: Stix the burnt out candle issue #3 Deck: Bamboozled

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Peak Web

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February 26, 2025

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The epic highs and lows of SFU football

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Peak Web

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February 25, 2025

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A football sits on the armrest of a seat overlooking Terry Fox field. — PHOTO: Shirlyn Zobayed / The Peak

By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer

For over 50 years, one of SFU’s shining athletic qualities was the school football team. For much of its history it was the only Canadian university to play in American gridiron football competition. That all came to a grinding halt on April 4, 2023, when SFU president Joy Johnson announced SFU’s football team would become a relic of the school’s past.

The team was one of SFU’s inaugural athletic programs, starting play in 1965, the year the school opened. This was the second collegiate football program in BC, and the only to compete with American rules over the Canadian version. For the first 37 years of its existence, SFU participated in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) competition, primarily playing against American opponents.

From 1965 until 2001, SFU played 337 games in the NAIA, with a 0.439 win percentage. The NAIA era was when SFU arguably had its most success, as the program earned their only undefeated season while playing in the American competition in 1970. The team also had 12 seasons out of 37 with winning records — a feat they only achieved twice after leaving the NAIA.

While the team spent a lot of their time playing American organizations, 1967 saw the first edition of the Shrum Bowl — the cross-town rivalry between SFU and BC’s only other collegiate football program, the UBC Thunderbirds. SFU holds the advantage in the all-time record with 17 wins to UBC’s 16, with one tie in 1969.

In 2002, SFU left NAIA competition to join Canadian Inter-University Sport, now known as USports. With this move, SFU switched its play to the Canadian rules of football, along with primarily competing against Canadian schools for the first time in program history.

SFU’s time in Canadian competition was a roller coaster of playoff participation matched with winless years. The team’s 2003 season was arguably the most successful in program history from an awards standpoint, as SFU won the Hardy Trophy — earned by the champion of the Canada West conference — by defeating the University of Alberta Golden Bears. The only other time the team earned a postseason appearance — along with a winning record — was the 2008 campaign, when SFU lost in the Hardy Cup matchup for the Canada West championship trophy to the University of Calgary Dinos.

The team’s time in Canadian competition was also the first time the program went winless for multiple consecutive years. In the three seasons between October 23, 2004 and August 23, 2008, SFU’s football team did not win a single game out of 25 attempts. In eight years of Canadian competition, SFU had a 0.279 win percentage, with one Hardy Trophy to show for it.

When SFU was granted NCAA Division II eligibility for 2010–11, the football program joined the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), returning to American competition and American football rules. The team had 12 seasons in the NCAA until the program’s cancellation, in which they managed 18 wins and 101 losses.

“The team’s 2003 season was arguably the most successful in program history from an awards standpoint, as SFU made it through to winning the Hardy Trophy — earned by the champion of the Canada West conference — by defeating the University of Alberta Golden Bears.”

The program also had their second years-long losing streak while in GNAC competition, after going winless from October 18, 2014 to September 1, 2018. Even then, the 2018 win was against a non-conference opponent, meaning SFU did not claim a victory against a GNAC program until over a year later on October 19, 2019 — almost five years to the day since their last GNAC victory.

The 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19, and when GNAC football resumed in 2021, there were only three schools left to participate in the conference competition — SFU, Central Washington, and Western Oregon. The 2021 campaign saw SFU earn only one win, though the team made history in another aspect, with kicker Kristie Elliott becoming the first Canadian woman to play and score in an NCAA football game. When the GNAC stopped sponsoring football at the conclusion of the 2021 season, the three football programs moved to the Texas-based Lone Star Conference (LSC) as football-only affiliate members.

The first — and only — season SFU used the Red Leafs moniker saw the team earn just one win through 10 games in 2022. Out of the nine played against LSC competition, SFU would net its singular win hosting West Texas A&M for what would evidently be its last-ever conference match. The Red Leafs played their final game on December 2, 2022, in a BC Lions-backed revival of the Shrum Bowl, in which UBC bested the Burnaby Mountain hosts 18–17.

Once again, the Red Leafs were meant to compete in the LSC for the 2023 campaign. The February 1, 2023 announcement when SFU revealed the school would not be offered an LSC affiliate agreement past the 2023–24 season still mentioned the then-upcoming 2023 season, even while the team was without a conference for the prospective years following. UBC was meant to host the 35th Shrum Bowl that December, a historic marker for the longtime rivalry.

On April 4, 2023, all of that hope was dashed.

Varsity football’s time on Burnaby Mountain had run out, the Red Leafs falling without a competition to play in. After 57 seasons of triumphs and tribulations, SFU football was coming to an unceremonious end.

There was, and still is, a push to revive and revitalize this historic program, though none without significant barriers. Returning to USports or NAIA competition would create issues due to SFU’s NCAA affiliation, and the NCAA regulations wouldn’t allow for the team to switch to Division I or Division III.

After 524 games played, SFU had notched 185 wins across three different collegiate divisions, two different sets of gridiron rules, and nearly six decades. Though the program has officially come to a close, its near-60 year legacy cannot be forgotten in SFU’s athletic history. Even though the program has come to a tumultuous end, it’s still an important marker on SFU’s overall athletics history. SFU was the only Canadian team playing American rules against the southern country built on college football, putting Burnaby Mountain on the map for kilometres, or miles, to see.

Need to Know, Need to Go: Month of March

By

Peak Web

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February 25, 2025

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A standing microphone overlooks a blurry crowd. — PHOTO: Bruno Cervera / Unsplash

By: Osna Hadef, SFU Student

Treat Show Comedy
China Cloud Studios, 524 Main St., Vancouver
March 1, 7:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $18 online via Eventbrite, $20 at the door

If you want to start the month with laughs, you shouldn’t miss out on this comedy show. Treat Show Comedy is a series of improv shows occurring on the first Saturday of each month, with shows listed until June. These specials are co-produced by Blind Tiger Comedy, which aims to bring underrepresented comedic voices to light.

Ramadan Fest BC
Cloverdale Fairgrounds, 17607–17905 62 Ave., Surrey
March 5–9, 4:00 p.m.–3:00 a.m.
Tickets: $6.64 through Eventbrite

This is the West Coast’s first Ramadan festival, put on by Salaam Events. With over 130 vendors of all kinds, expect to have difficulty choosing what to eat among all the Halal food options from many cuisines. For five nights, experience a full Ramadan festival complete with decorations and a bazaar. The event is not only for the Muslim community and those who are fasting, but to everyone who wants to try the diverse food options and check out Ramadan lights.

CelticFest Vancouver: St. Patrick’s Day Ceilidh 2025
Hellenic Community Centre, 4500 Arbutus St., Vancouver
March 14, 7:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Tickets: $30 for ages 19 to 64, find out more via Eventbrite

Kick off your St. Patrick’s weekend and celebrate Irish heritage and culture. Hosted by Vancouver’s longest-running Celtic band, the Blackthorn, this event will include music and dancing featuring the O’Brien Irish Dance, and Shot of Scotch Vancouver Company. The St. Patrick’s Day Ceilidh is one of many electric events featured as part of CelticFest Vancouver, which will run from March 7 to 17.

Glam Retro Roller Skate — All Ages Skate Party
100 N Renfrew St., Vancouver
March 22, 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. for all ages, 8:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m. for adults
Tickets: $25.29 through Eventbrite

Want to experience a taste of the ‘80s? This retro-inspired skate party is perfect for you. Whether you’re going with a group, on a date, or by yourself, be sure to have a blast with DJ Prototype at the rink from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. For those who have a birthday around that time, this is an amazing idea for a celebration as you can also book your own party table.

Vancouver Pop-Ups: Spring Market
Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St., Vancouver
March 30, 11:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Tickets: Free

To celebrate the spring, Vancouver Pop-Ups has organized a market bringing together over 40 local businesses and vendors. You will find a vibrant collection of handmade goods and crafts from local artisans and designers. There will also be food vendors where you can buy snacks and refreshments. If you end up being one of the first 30 customers after opening, you’ll receive a $10 voucher.

Trump’s anti-DEI military initiative blatantly attempts to erase Black American contributions

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Peak Web

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February 25, 2025

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this is an illustration of the Tuskegee airmen; three Black soldiers looking up to the skies. — ILLUSTRATION: Winnie Shen / The Peak

By: Phone Min Thant, Staff Writer

In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s personal vendettas, obsessions, and destructive thinking lies the sputtering corpse of one of his longest-standing victims: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) policy. Every aspect of DEI in the American workforce was collectively termed “illegal” and terminated just days after the inauguration.

DEI helps combat discriminatory regulations in daily workplace processes. It has been around since the mid 1960s with the passage of anti-discrimination laws and supports striving for a more equitable labour environment. Apart from hiring, it also incorporated important issues such as paid maternity leave and respecting pronouns, and allowed for the celebration of non-Christian traditions.

As alarming as it may sound, one particular item on the Trump administration’s DEI purge list has been the history of the Tuskegee airmen, the first African American aerial unit in the US Armed Forces. Following a comment from defence secretary Pete Hegseth that there will be “no more DEI” inside the US defence sector, the US Air Force scrapped basic training material for new personnel containing a documentary on the Tuskegee airmen.

Trump and his supporters no doubt brand themselves as patriots. Still, they are so willing to dismantle and erase a critical part of the country’s military history. If the administration is patriotic, then shouldn’t the armed forces celebrate and learn from the victories of its forefathers? The issue is, and has always been, one of ignoring the contributions of Black people and re-narrating the concept of American history as an all-white affair.

The issue is, and has always been, one of ignoring the contributions of Black people and re-narrating the concept of American history as an all-white affair.

In the same vein, Trump also signed an executive order scaling back racial education in K–12 schools, citing the dismantling of “radical, anti-American ideologies.” Books containing themes of race and racism have been pulled from the shelves of school libraries. Since the 2020 election, Trump has also scrutinized the 1619 Project, a landmark book aimed at remerging the contributions of Black Americans to US history, labelling it as “toxic propaganda” and “ideological poison.” All this effort goes towards targeting Critical Race Theory, which studies the legal production and prevalence of racism in institutions and national history. The executive order was followed by Hegseth cancelling celebrations of Black History Month (as well as other events celebrating diversity) inside the defence department.

This effort at combating the discussion of race is one of self-defense, an attempt to maintain the unwavering patriotic image of whiteness in America. Hegseth recently changed the name of US military base Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg, in commemoration of a Confederate leader), back to Fort Bragg. Hegseth was able to overturn the 2023 decision by claiming the new name honours Private Roland Bragg, a distinguished soldier during World War II. This stands in stark contrast to the banning of the documentary on the Tuskegee airmen — both important to the country’s history, the white figure honoured and the Black figures neglected. In the name of “American Greatness,” Mount Denali (an Indigenous Athabascan word meaning “the tall one”) has also been renamed to Mount McKinley, another prominent white figure from history.

Although the decision to take off the curriculum materials containing the Tuskegee airmen has been reversed following much criticism, the initial decision, as well as the banning of diverse educational materials show this whole issue has never been about sustaining the military or national “unity.” In his latest book, Hegseth explicitly stated that “all the ‘diversity’ recruiting messages made certain kids — white kids — feel like they’re not wanted” and implied that racism inside the military is a “lie.” Trump’s views on racism and xenophobia have been recorded since his first term, and his latest racist and ableist remarks of those “responsible” for the Washington aviation accident show that his views have not changed. He will take no accountability as a leader and has no qualms scapegoating the people he cares the least for.

This attempt at erasing and minimizing Black history shows that the new administration cares deeply about institutionalizing racism in national policy and reinforcing the white-washed portrait of America. Not only this, the further marginalization of women, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, immigrants, and disabled people through taking down DEI only spell an anxious outlook for four more years.

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