Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik

The Vancouver City Hall building is pictured on a bright, sunny day surrounded by trees and street lamps.
3 min 0 215

CUPE Local 15 alleges Vancouver bargained in bad faith

Peak Web February 3, 2026

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer A local union is alleging that the City of Vancouver did not bargain in good faith during agreements that were settled in August of last year. Instead, they claim, “the City violated the Labour Relations Code by “Intentionally withholding important information about its plans to implement far-reaching workforce reductions until after bargaining had concluded and the collective agreement had been ratified.” — Santino Scardillo, CUPE Local 15 acting president “CUPE Local 15, which represents more than 4,000 employees with the City, Park Board, and community centres,” believes that Vancouver was aware of the possibility of…

Continue reading Read more
Five grade 8–12 students sit around a table and smile for the camera as they participate in the 2025 Blackathon at Microsoft Offices.
3 min 0 263

Creativity shines at Ethọ́s Lab’s annual Blackathon

Peak Web February 2, 2026

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer On February 27, Ethọ́s Lab will host its Black Futures Month Blackathon. The fourth annual hackathon event will build “on a tradition of honouring Black innovation while equipping youth with real-world problem-solving skills.” Past years…

Continue reading Read more
A student wearing an SFU sweatshirt turns their back to the camera as they stand in the middle of the SFU Stadium stands. The photo is solemn and expresses loss, with the key colour being red for SFU’s Red Leafs.
3 min 0 401

SFU moves forward to leave the NCAA

Peak Web January 26, 2026

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer On September 17, SFU announced that the university was considering leaving the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the collegiate sports governing body of which Simon Fraser is the only non-American institution. The press release drew…

Continue reading Read more
A Surrey Police car pulls up beside a white car. The front view of both cars is shown, with the police car’s lights flashing brightly.
4 min 0 466

Lack of details in pedestrian deaths sparks conversation on police transparency

Peak Web January 19, 2026

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer In December 2025, Surrey police in officer vehicles fatally struck two pedestrians within two weeks of each other. The crashes raised concerns among community members regarding officer readiness and training, but they also rekindled larger…

Continue reading Read more
The Academic Quadtrangle at SFU is pictured on a cloudy day. The grey tone of the building, sky, and pond stands in stark contrast to the dark green grass.
3 min 0 536

January update on SFU’s contract workers

Peak Web January 12, 2026

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer Students returning to campus this week will be greeted by a new year, a fresh semester, and an updated syllabus. For the university’s contracted workers, however, the push for better wages continues. While the idea…

Continue reading Read more
Ten people raise their arms in the air in celebration. Some of them sit in chairs, while others stand near the back of the room.
3 min 0 566

Community-Engaged Research Initiative celebrates fifth anniversary

Peak Web January 5, 2026

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative (CERi) marks its five-year anniversary of “community-driven research.” The organization focuses on “the capacity of SFU’s researchers and students to engage respectfully and ethically with community organizations, Indigenous Nations, community members,…

Continue reading Read more
The outside of West Tower (SFU Residence building) stands tall on a cloudy day.
4 min 0 620

Environmental concerns lead Burnaby to reject off-campus student residence

Peak Web December 20, 2025

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer Securing housing can be a serious struggle for university students, and those at SFU are no exception. SFU recently broke ground on a new residence building, with the additional 445 beds increasing the university’s housing…

Continue reading Read more
Two people extend their arms from opposite sides of the photo and hold hands in the middle. The photo reflects the community support aspect of the study.
3 min 0 468

First Nations Health Authority reports on phase one of “Indigenizing Harm Reduction” study

Peak Web December 20, 2025

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer Content warning: mentions of substance use and death.  Across Canada, the toxic drug crisis persists as a social issue faced by thousands of citizens each year. In BC alone, over 14,500 people have died from…

Continue reading Read more
Four of Freshet’s founders sit at a long white table and smile for the camera. Their table has a small sign saying, “Save Our Local News.”
3 min 0 202

Freshet News flows through community

Peak Web December 18, 2025

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer When snow begins to melt and gives way to spring, rivers in BC rise and rush in response. This high water phenomenon is known as a freshet. Now, in the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas, a new…

Continue reading Read more
The outside of Vancouver City Hall is pictured on a bright day, with trees around it.
3 min 0 295

Vancouver to require exempt staff in-office five days a week

Peak Web December 18, 2025

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer For Vancouver city employees, pyjama bottoms at work may no longer be feasible.  CTV News reported that on October 21, workers received an email from city manager Donny van Dyk informing them that “effective January…

Continue reading Read more