Niveja Assalaarachchi

A snowy City of Vancouver and the surrounding mountains are pictured from afar.
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Vancouver City Council rejects motion for transit snow removal priority

Peak Web March 16, 2026

By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On February 4, Vancouver City Council’s standing committee on city finances and services rejected a motion to prioritize snow removal at transit hotspots. The motion, which was brought forth by OneCity Vancouver councillor Lucy Maloney, was defeated 6–2. COPE Vancouver councillor Sean Orr was the lone member who voted with Maloney on the proposal. Maloney’s motion called for the City to collaborate with the Coast Mountain Bus Company to discover areas in the region where buses have struggled during snowy events. The proposal also calls for prioritizing clearing these areas during extreme weather conditions and…

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Our Staff Writer poses curiously while interviewing his professor.
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Cunk on Mountain: SFU professor reveals what politics really are

Peak Web March 3, 2026

By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer They say that politics is real, veryrealpolitiks, I think, is what the experts call it. But does it really feel real right now? Are we living in a simulation — is it all AI? Why…

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Rabbani and Moustafa’s portraits are collaged on top of an image taken in Palestine that has a sign. The sign has a blue arrow pointing to the left, reading, “to Gaza.”
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Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies holds lecture on the path forward for Gaza

Peak Web March 2, 2026

By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On February 4, the Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies held a lecture on the future of the Gaza Strip. The talk highlighted the background of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the origins of the Palestinian…

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A black and white photograph of the London Drugs in Hogan’s Alley, 1968, is pictured. There are two floors above the store of apartments, and this building sits at the corner of the streets its on.
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Hogan’s Alley Society hosts discussion on the importance of Afrocentric values

Peak Web March 2, 2026

By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On February 10, the Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS) hosted an online discussion exploring the impact of Afrocentric values in public spaces throughout the Lower Mainland. The event, which is part of the organization’s “Building Belonging”…

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A collage of Phone and Darren’s portraits, along with a map of Southeast Asia in the middle are pictured.
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SFU’s new Southeast Asian research initiative set to host its first event

Peak Web February 9, 2026

By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer Editor’s note: The Peak’s arts & culture editor, Phone Min Thant, co-led this event. He was not involved in the editorial process of this article.  The School for International Studies’ newly formed Southeast Asian research…

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A group of SFU residence buildings is pictured from a bird’s-eye view. Many of Burnaby Mountain’s trees surround the buildings.
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SFU Residence Hall Association launches petition calling for affordable housing

Peak Web February 3, 2026

By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer On January 14, the SFU Residence Hall Association (RHA) announced a petition calling on Residence and Housing to keep on-campus housing affordable. In the petition, the RHA highlights that “many students rely on campus housing”…

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a photo taken from inside of a car that shows a traffic jam on Davie Street in Vancouver.
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We need to implement universal basic income

Peak Web February 3, 2026

By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer There are many instances where older generations would tell younger people to stop buying lattes and avocado toast. Maybe you haven’t heard this exact version but I can guarantee many young people have heard something…

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David Eby speaks at a podium with a serious look on his face.
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Premier Eby rejects further discussion on proportional representation

Peak Web January 26, 2026

By: 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…

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A thick cloud of light red and orange smoke emerges behind a small mountain of trees.
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SFU professor highlights the danger BC faces from natural disasters

Peak Web January 20, 2026

By: 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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a photo of the door to the Centre for Accessible Learning at SFU’s Burnaby campus.
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Re: SFU’s Centre for Accessible Learning is not accessible

Peak Web January 12, 2026

By: 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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