Niveja Assalaarachchi
Premier Eby rejects further discussion on proportional representation
January 26, 2026By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer In BC, the debate around adopting a different electoral system has been ongoing for two decades. To this end, the New Democratic Party (NDP) set up a legislative committee in April 2025 to examine the province’s transition from the first-past-the-post system to proportional representation. The committee was one of the many concessions that the NDP agreed to as part of their confidence and supply agreement with the BC Greens following the 2024 election results. Eby’s party achieved a narrow majority in the legislature in that election. However, in December 2025, the Vancouver Sun reported that…
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SFU professor highlights the danger BC faces from natural disasters
January 20, 2026By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer 2025 was one of the most destructive years on record for natural disasters. Though much of the damage to infrastructure and human lives was seen in the Global South, much of the economic cost was…
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Re: SFU’s Centre for Accessible Learning is not accessible
January 12, 2026By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer In 2021, The Peak featured an article detailing an SFU student’s attempt to get accommodations at the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL). The author recounted their experience facing a significant mental health condition and not…
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Calls emerge for increased program funding for BC sex workers
January 5, 2026By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On December 16, 2025, 10 organizations — including sex worker-led groups, feminist organizations, and First Nations groups — released a statement marking the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers. In their statement, the…
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Students express frustration over Canvas outage during finals season
January 5, 2026By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer From 11:00 p.m. on December 14 to 4:00 a.m. on December 15, 2025, SFU Canvas experienced a service outage that left students unable to upload assignments or access course materials. Students took to the r/simonfraser…
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The coverage of Global South’s news is biased
December 20, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer A few months ago, two news stories caught my attention. On September 3, a funicular in Portugal’s capital Lisbon derailed, killing 16 people. This horrible tragedy, caused by a steel wire breaking, was reported across…
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Metro Vancouver passes pared-down budget
December 20, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On October 31, the Metro Vancouver Regional District passed its budget for the 2026 fiscal year. It focuses on “drinking water, waste management, solid waste management, regional planning, regional parks, and more,” according to a…
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Cultural appropriation isn’t quirky, it’s deeply problematic
December 20, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer What is a culture? Various things: customs, food, language, and among many other significant aspects — clothing. Clothing visually represents its people and is shaped by the environment it’s crafted and worn in, in addition…
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SFYou: Dr. Shivaji Mukherjee
December 19, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi Editor’s note: In the printed version of this article, The Peak mistakenly noted that Mukherjee is an assistant professor at SFU. This is incorrect, as he is an associate professor at SFU, and the piece has been…
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Art exhibition protests Canada’s oil industry on campus
December 19, 2025By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On November 6, the “Banks Off Campus Day of Action” art exhibition was held at the Student Union Building social stage to showcase George Rammell’s art. Rammell is a Gambier Island-based artist whose work focuses…
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