Campus Resident June 2012

Published monthly by the University Neighbourhoods Association

Volume 3, Issue 6 JUNE 18, 2012


Youngsters Jakob and Simon Antweiler enjoy festivities at the opening of new UNA playground in the Chancellor Place neighbourhood. More scenes on Page 2.

Fun in New Chancellor Place Playground

The disappointment of some campus residents with the way their community is developing has led them to form an association called OUR (Organization for UTown Residents) whose intention is—in the words of its founders—“to be a force for positive change” in the com-munity. OUR will hold its inaugural meeting June 25 (7 PM) at the Tapestry seniors residence in Wesbrook Place with Haw-thorn Place resident John Dickinson, a co-founder of OUR, saying in an article in this newspaper the meeting will mark “a sea change in the history of our com-munity.”

‘OUR’ Soci-ety Sets up to

Give Residents “Strong Voice on Campus”

Inaugural meeting of OUR is to be held June 25 at

Tapestry seniors centre 7PM

The UBC campus seems destined to be-come the first university campus in Can-ada to have a skatepark. At the June monthly meeting, directors of the University Neighbourhoods As-sociation agreed to fund $100,000 of the $450,000 project out of the 2012 budget. A year earlier, UBC board of governors had endorsed the allocation of $300,000 from ‘community amenity charges’ col-lected primarily from neighbourhood de-velopment. At the UNA board meeting, UBC representative Adam Cooper said the campus and community planning de-partment would provide $50,000. Mr. Cooper also said the design of the skatepark—on a parcel of unused ‘insti-tutional land’ beside Thunderbird Boule-vard between East Mall and Wesbrook Mall—is subject to approval by the UBC advisory urban design panel; i.e. it must meet architectural and landscaping stan-dards set by the panel for public realm development at UBC. Given approval by the panel, UBC would expect to start construction this summer. Another UBC rep said construc-tion should take three months. Project approval—the motion to ap-prove was made by Erica Frank—came at the UNA meeting after a presentation by Kyle Dion, of Newline Skateparks Inc., a consultant to UBC, who said there was “a very good response” to the idea of a UBC skatepark during the public con-sultation phase of the project earlier this year. “There is a common misconception that skateboarding is a fad—here today and gone tomorrow,” Mr. Dion said. On the contrary, he added, “The first skateboards appeared in 1956—the same year as the hoola hoop.) He called the youth-dominated sport of boarding “as much a lifestyle as a sport, influencing our art, our clothes and our music.”

UNA Board Backs Plan to Build Skate

Park on Campus

Cost of first university skate park in Canada

will be $450,000; funds will be provided by UBC ($50,000), UNA budget ($100,000) and neigh-bourhood development

($300,000)

UBC Farm Finds Generous Ally in Royal Bank

The generous hand of the Royal Bank of Canada reached out to the UBC Farm administration with a cheque in it for $8,000 recently. Amy Frye, acting director, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at the farm, explained the donation from the Royal Bank was used to help finance the June 10th Joy of Feeding Fair and other events at the South Campus farm. William Mah, branch manager of the Royal Bank at UBC Wesbrook Village, also in South Campus, said the bank was pleased to make the donation to a cause as worthy as the fair. “Food brings people, and cultures, closer together,” Mr. Mah said. Between 650 and 700 people attended the fair, which Mr. Mah said “had a great community feel to it with people gathering and sharing foods from 16 different parts of the world.” In photo taken at UBC Farm outlet in front of UBC Bookstore, Mr. Mah—surrounded by farm volunteers—holds up large cardboard replica of the $8,000 cheque. Farm operates mid-week market outside store.

OUR continued on Page 5

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 18, 2012page 2

Large Turnout Takes in UNA Playground OpeningThe UNA Community Youth Band played. Bobs & LoLo, the well-known Vancouver-based children’s music duo, performed on stage, and the kids bound-ed here, there and everywhere. June 1st, the first day of summer, did not come to UBC with much in the way of sunshine, but never mind the weather, dozens of kids—up to a hundred by one count—brought all the warmth of youth to Iona Green Park on campus, where a new playground was officially opened for them by the University Neighbourhoods Association. Kids up to four or five years of age will play on the new equipment in-stalled in this pocket park between Iona Drive and Walter Gage Road in the Chan-cellor Place residential neighbourhood. In addition to the onstage performances, a number of The Old Barn Volunteers and Staff were on hand to lead the children in games of soccer, ring toss, and parachute, while many children enjoyed having their faces painted by The Face Painting Fair-ies. Hot chocolate and cookies rounded out the afternoon, bringing smiles to the faces of both kids and adults alike. Keep an eye out for upcoming summer events hosted by the UNA and The Old Barn.

UNA Community Youth Band

The Old Barn Community Centre High School Volunteers

Prod Laquian, UNA chair, declares playground open New Playground in Chancellor Place (Photo taken days before opening)

Children’s music duo, Bobs & LoLo

THE CAMPUS RESIDENT JUNE 18, 2012 page 3

Editor & Business Manager

University Neighbourhoods Association

#202-5923 Berton Avenue,

Vancouver, BC V6S OB3

Published by:

John Tompkins

604.827.3502 [email protected] Page

More Letters to the Editor on page 4

Letters to the Editor & Opinions

Include name, address and telephone number. Maximum lengths: Letters 400 words. Opinions 750 words. We may edit or decline to publish any

submission.

Letters to the Editor

I am concerned with the article “Need for Dog Bylaw...” published in the May 14, 2012 issue of ‘The Campus Resident’. I completely agree with Mr. Beyer that an animal control bylaw is a necessity at UBC and that it has taken far too long to get one in place. While a committee exists to draft a bylaw, it has met only once since October 2009. I feel that the article written inflames the emotional response of the readers, rather than fairly representing the situation at hand. It paints the dog situation at UBC as a large dog vs. small dog issue – placing the blame for the incident squarely on the shoulders of the large dog. The article does not fairly represent the role of the other dog or the owners in the attack. As a long time resident in Hawthorn Place, I have been increasingly concerned by the aggressive behaviour exhibited by small dogs towards other small dogs and also to large dogs. My dog is often harassed by dogs smaller than he is. The owner of the other dog frequently picks it up and gives it a pat, communicating to that dog that bark-ing and lunging at another dog is behaviour that gets rewarded. Aggressive behaviour by a small dog is even sometimes regard-ed as “cute” or “funny”, tolerated because

small dogs are easier to physically control. It is neither, and it is unacceptable. I continue to train my dog to walk calmly by my side while another dog is behaving aggressively towards him. But I feel it is a very unfair thing to expect. He should be able to walk unmolested in our neighbour-hoods. In addition, even well-trained dogs may eventually respond to persistent ag-gressive behaviour by another dog, includ-ing a smaller one. I do not want the risk that a dog responds to such behaviour and is mistakenly labeled as aggressive. We do need animal control bylaws at UBC. But we also need a better understand-ing of our dogs’ behaviours and of our role as handlers in shaping those behaviours. I would like to see the Community Centre of-fering dog obedience courses, particularly those targeted at smaller and aggressive dogs. I would also like owners of barking and lunging dogs to examine their own ac-tions to see if and how they are encouraging their own dog’s poor behaviour.

Shannon MacLachlan, Resident, Hawthorn Place

(Editor’s Note: The Community Centre offered Dog Obedience Classes last year.)

Reader recommends Community Centre offer dog obedience courses

I would like to thank Thomas Beyer, vice-chair of the UNA, for stepping up to the plate with the UBC board of governors on the issue of dogs on campus and the larger issue of the lack of enforceable bylaws in our community. Hopefully, he will stay on task with the pet issue and with noise con-trol. Little and big dogs alike are defecating all over the place. Many owners are not pick-ing up after them, creating an environment that is a bit like an open sewer. In combi-nation with all the litter spread across the campus, (a lack of trash bins?), this makes the campus the opposite of the ‘green’ com-munity it claims to be. Some dogs are noisy, adding to the already ‘over-the-top’ noise situation on campus, which is noisier than any other community in the Lower Mainland. The supposed draft noise bylaw addresses only decibel levels with a total disregard for the length of time we are exposed to noise. The audiology people right here at UBC will attest that length of exposure time is just as worthy a consideration. In any case, the sound of deafening sit-on lawn mowers every Wednesday in our (north campus) community is worthy of in-tervention. Both UBC and the strata I live make things worse by using the noisiest gardening equipment available (extremely

noisy mowers & leaf blowers) and this is magnified for those who live in highrises, especially within the noise tunnel area cre-ated by Gage Towers and others. Using this type of equipment should be prohibited and any noise bylaw should challenge UBC to actually do something green, instead of just pretending to be ‘green.’ Firstly, UBC should plant native vegeta-tion, such as native groundcover on some of the sprawling dog poop lawns and boule-vards, used only briefly and occasionally by dogs en route to their preferred walk in the park. Leash or not, dogs are frequently ac-companied by owners who feign not know-ing when their pet has dropped his or her goodies. My windows overlook the grass on the north side of the Gage Low Rise, which is mowed every Wednesday. Yet, in the four years I have watched, I have never seen anyone use these lawns. There are no benches or other amenities to invite inter-action. So, why not plant sustainable salal or another easy care groundcover, send the mowers away, save money & reassign the service workers to tasks that might actu-ally make the community a greener, quieter place to live?

Mariette West, Resident, Chancellor Place

Much-needed dog and noise control bylaws would “make campus cleaner, quieter”

The governors of the University of Brit-ish Columbia will soon have the oppor-tunity to make a momentous decision on behalf of the 8,000 residents who have taken to calling campus home. At time of writing (June 14th), no by-laws exist on campus in the way bylaws exist in, say, the City of Vancouver. For example, no noise bylaw exists covering Hampton Place, Hawthorn Place, Chan-cellor Place, East Campus and Wesbrook Place in the way a noise bylaw exists covering Kisilano, or Marpole or Mount Pleasant—all districts of Vancouver. The shocking lack of even one bylaw has prevailed at UBC since Hampton Place first took root in the early 1990s. However, the day draws near when, fi-nally, residents of UBC neighbourhoods will live within the bylaws of municipal (or municipal-like) governance. On June

Count Down to Bylaw Lift-off12th at the Old Barn Community Centre, the University Neighbourhoods Associa-tion board of directors voted unanimous-ly—and enthusiastically—to approve the Enforcements and Disputes Bylaw, the first of what will eventually be a long list of neighbourhood bylaws. Now, all that remains is for the UNA to forward a notice of this bylaw approval to UBC Campus + Community Planning for review and recommendation to the UBC Board of Governors—and then for the governors to approve the bylaw. While counting down the days to when the governors complete this long—and sometime torturous—process, campus residents may wish to congratulate them-selves and the UNA in having persisted in fetching about this major step forward in the development of their community.


Advertise with us!

email [email protected]

By John Dickinson

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, com-mitted citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

The inaugural meeting of OUR – Or-ganization for U-Town Residents – on 25th June at 7 PM at the Tapestry seniors residence in Wesbrook Place, marks a sea change in the history of our com-munity. It is the product of months and years of frustration, feelings of disenfran-chisement and lack of respect by UBC for the interests and views of residents of U-Town. Simply put, we have had enough! Our efforts in the past to influ-ence and change policies, development plans and the way things are done have been fragmented and ineffective. We are disappointed that UNA has been unable to represent us. The time has come for residents to have a stronger voice in our community and we need to band together to achieve this. We invite all residents to join us and lend weight to our efforts. Examples of

Why We Need a Residents’ Associationthe issues that concern us most are over-development of residential areas, ineffec-tive governance, inadequate consultation with residents, taxation without represen-tation and the slow pace of decision mak-ing and implementation of bylaws. In the upcoming elections for the UNA Board of Directors, we will run candidates who support our views and who will truly rep-resent us. We understand, and do not under-esti-mate, the complexities of many of these issues and will advocate and lobby vig-orously for residents’ interests in their resolution. We intend to engage all UNA neighbourhoods, other stakeholders and various levels of government in dialogue about the unique challenges of U-Town. We intend to be a force for positive change. Please join us and give us your support. Our Town! Our Voice!

John Dickinson is a Hawthorn Place resident and one of the founders of OUR.


I write in reply to Bill Holmes’ open let-ter in your May issue. Mr. Holmes’ principal criticism is that the UNA has expressed concern about Metro Vancouver’s interest in survey-ing various persons in our area (includ-ing UNA residents) concerning, as he says, “…what we, the residents, think…” about governance. I entirely support the UNA Board’s caution, set out elsewhere in this paper. I was the initial Chair of the UNA for 6 years and have been an active UNA vol-unteer. I have been a resident of Hamp-ton Place for almost 20 years. I confess a bias. I believe that the unique interests and rights of residents of the UNA neighbourhoods must be recognized and respected as a separate interest and ought to be represented by someone who has our interests in mind as their priority. I make no apology for this. In my opinion, those of us who exclusively pay the property taxes that support the operation of our residential community and who have invested in our residences (for many of us, including my wife and myself, the largest single investment we have) must be separately identified, represented and accorded par-ticular respect and weight when any issue touches directly on our residential life. I recognize that there are a large number of different parties interested in develop-ment here at UBC. From Metro Vancou-ver’s point of view, these have included the (unincorporated) Friends of the Park, the Dunbar Residents’ Association, the University Endowment Lands, the Pa-cific Spirit Park Association, the Wreck Beach Society, students in UBC housing, UBC students generally, UBC’s labour unions, UBC faculty and others. I accept that many different interests have to be considered. However, Metro Vancouver has always referred to this diverse group by the same word that they refer to UNA residents even where the only issue under consideration is how the UNA residential areas should be governed. They call us “stakeholders”. All of us. It does not matter how extenuated the connection these others have to issues dealing exclu-sively with our residential life as com-pared to those of us who actually own the residences in, finance the operation of and live in our community. Metro Vancouver gives all of us the same label. I recognize that there are different issues raised in Electoral Area A. I understand the legiti-macy of many. But I am concerned that Metro Vancouver has never, in any way or in any respect, identified the particular role and respect we as residents should be accorded when considering our resi-dential life. So, I think it critical, that the interests of the residents be represented by someone who has the protection and advancement of those interests as their particular responsibility in determining, as Mr. Holmes says, “…what we, the res-idents, think…” about governance. The Province will be involved but we cannot expect the Province to fill this role. It has broad responsibilities to a number of ac-tors involved in these issues and it would

Letters to the EditorEx-Chair Challenges Open Letter in May

Issue on Role of Metro in UNA AffairsWho speaks for UBC residents if not UNA? Certainly not Metro

Vancouver, says Jim Taylor

be impossible for the Province to advo-cate for our particular interests. The same is true of UBC. While, as I say below, I think UBC has been a good partner to us in what we have developed, UBC has its own institutional interests. As well, it has to give weight to a broad range of other interests within UBC. One cannot expect that in this process that UBC will be our advocate. Certainly, as I detail below, it cannot be the GVRD! So the question is “Who will speak for us”? In my opinion, the only existing body that can do that is the UNA and I trust the UNA to put our interests as residents first and recognize, define and represent those interests. I start by saying that I object to Metro Vancouver presuming to control the tim-ing of any consideration of these issues as they affect, in any way, our residential life. At a recent UBC widely advertised town hall meeting (with the UBC VP re-sponsible for governance matters from UBC’s side) nine residents (of about 8,000) attended. I know the UNA is in the process of developing a survey to identify the particular interests of resi-dents on a range of issues (including gov-ernance). I prefer to let someone who has my interests at the forefront provide the information to me that I need concern-ing the timing and the nature of a con-sideration of the governance issues that either exclusively or directly affect me as a resident. I have no concern with Metro Vancou-ver playing a strictly limited role in any consultation regarding governance for our residential life that we as residents decide should proceed and at the pace and timing we choose. While Metro Vancouver has recently made, in my opinion, grossly exaggerated and in some cases simply false claims about their le-gal authority to participate, I agree with Mr. Holmes that they should participate. They are our regional service provider. Some of their regional policies impact us and we have an obligation to observe those that do. My concern is with giving Metro Vancouver any sort of lead role in this process. I have several reasons for this concern: 1. I first came to know real detail of Metro Vancouver and how it operated during the Governance Study which the Province and Metro Vancouver spon-sored in the late 1990’s (I was one of seven persons involved in that study).

Jim Taylor

Prod Laquian

CHALLENGES continued on Page 6

In an Open Letter to the UNA Chair (Campus Resident, May 14, 2012), Bill Holmes, a Hampton Place resident, made a number of assertions about the UNA‘s role in local governance. I am responding to his comments in the order they were stated: 1. Mr. Holmes’ letter asserts that the UNA “can never fulfill the role of a fully empowered local government” and that “it will never be able to enact bylaws, set tax rates, and so forth.” The UNA and UBC are in the final stages of passing an “enforcement and appeals bylaw”. After this is approved by the UBC Board of Governors, bylaws on noise, parking and animal control (al-ready drafted) will be enacted. Because of the need to control parking in the UNA neighbourhoods, the Minis-try of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) approved interim parking regu-lations last March. These are managed by the UNA. When MOTI transfers jurisdic-tion over local roads to UBC by legisla-tion and UBC delegates the authority to the UNA, a UNA parking bylaw will be enacted. Mr. Holmes’ judgment that the UNA will never function as a governance mechanism is contradicted by provi-sions in the UNA Constitution, the 2008 Neighbours Agreement and the Univer-sity Act that gives UBC the authority to delegate governance powers to the UNA. When the UNA was set up in 2002, UBC had complete control over local governance on campus. A unique gov-ernance system has been evolving since then based on delegation of authority by UBC to the UNA and assumption by the UNA of governance functions. At pres-ent the UNA Board with four elected Resident Directors sets governance poli-cies (a fifth seat for a Resident Director will be open in September 2012). The ongoing UNA effort to craft an appropri-ate governance system in the community is a logical stage in this evolutionary pro-cess and it is a bit premature to say that this will never happen. 2. The UNA’s opposition to Metro’s initiatives are not on consultation but on Metro’s claim to be the legal local gov-ernment in our community. If Metro’s purpose in the community consultation is simply “to determine the views of the residents,” the UNA has no objection to that. However, on April 27, 2012, Metro Vancouver Chair Greg Moore stated in a letter to the UNA Chair that “Metro Vancouver remains the local government for UBC and continues to provide some local government services” in the area. That claim puts Metro’s con-sultation initiatives in a different light. The UNA strongly rejects Chair Moore’s claim because Metro had already relin-quished its role over UNA governance under MEVA (Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act of 2010) which placed the UBC-UNA area under the direct ju-

Reply from UNA Chair Raps Open Letter in May Issue from Hampton Resident

“Metro’s roles are regional in scope -- they do not include being the local

government in the UNA-UBC area,” says

Prod Laquian

risdiction of the province. Metro’s roles are regional in scope -- they do not in-clude being the local government in the UNA-UBC area.To date, most local services in the UNA area have been provided by UNA, UBC, RCMP, strata councils and volunteer groups. UNA delivers municipal-like services such as sanitation and storm sewers, waterworks, street lighting, road-ways, parks and signage through special arrangements with UBC and other enti-ties. It runs its own community centre, parks, playgrounds and other services through licenses and other legal instru-ments. 3. Mr. Holmes’ letter says a UNA sur-vey on governance is not needed at this time. Interested UNA residents know that governance has been a regular topic of discussion in the community for many years. Governance options such as amalgamation with UEL or Vancouver, a regular municipality, a special municipal-ity or an enhanced status quo have been debated in community forums and news-papers. Two referenda, in fact, have been conducted on amalgamations with UEL or Vancouver and residents voted both down. Now that the UNA population is more than 8,000 and some residents are voic-ing some concerns, a survey is worth doing at this time to ascertain people’s views and gather new information on the changing nature of the community. 4. Metro’s role in restructure planning grants may not be needed by the UNA. Restructure planning grants are gen-erally requested by smaller communi-ties under the direct control of regional authorities (like the Cowichan Valley Regional District). The GVRD situation is different in that Metro does not have direct control over many local units in the region. Asking the province for a restruc-turing grant is discretionary on a local unit. If the UNA does not apply for such a grant, Metro will have no role as a con-duit for the grant in UNA’s restructuring. 5. Mr. Holmes’ letter claims that the UNA has no “authority” to study local governance reform.

RAPS continued on Page 6


The persistent efforts of a charitable or-ganization whose motto is ‘For Faith, for Service to Humanity’ have paid off in raising funds to pay for the construction of a hospice at UBC. The Order of St. John Palliative Care Foundation set out four or five years ago to develop the hospice, and on May 25, af-ter lengthy delays and a bitter controversy about location of the hospice 15 months ago, the Order of St. John held an event at the site of the hospice on Stadium Road to both officially launch construction of the 15-bed, end-of-life care facility and recognize donors whose generosity made this $4.5 million development possible. Welcoming guests at the event, John Norton, foundation chair, paid tribute to the prolific abilities of the fund-raising team led by Vancouver chartered accoun-tant Ken Mahon. “Ken Mahon led the team,” Mr. Nor-ton said. “All the money has been raised...Funds were raised from people at all income levels.” Mr. Norton also said he was pleased to announce that Vancouver Coastal Health—the regional health provider—has agreed to provide annual operational finding of approximately $1.6 million and manage the hospice for a minimum 20 years. On behalf of the University, Stephen Owen called the event “extremely impor-tant.” Vice-president, external, legal and

Funding Success Sets St. John Hospice at UBC on Road to Completion

Generous donors are recognized at ground-breaking ceremony;

construction of 15-bed hospice is due to be

completed in fall of 2013

community relations, Mr. Owen said “an-other piece of the complete community at UBC is starting out to completion.” On behalf of BC Housing, a provincial government agency, MLA Colin Hansen referred first to the fund-raising abilities of the foundation. “Ken (Mahon) is per-sistent,” he said. Mr. Hansen also referred to his experi-ences visiting hospices around the prov-ince. “Many people think a hospice is a sad place, but in my experience, it’s quite the opposite. I have always left a hospice feeling full of the life there, the love there, the compassion there.” On behalf of Vancouver Coastal Health, Mary Ackenhusen, chief operating officer, said the St. John Hospice “was an obvious one for us to fund.” Chair of the hospice funding team at the Order of St. John Palliative Care Founda-tion, Ken Mahon spoke modestly of not only the success of this team in raising $4.5 million but also in the amount of valuable knowledge gained about hospic-es in the process. The controversy involving location of the hospice erupted in January, 2011 when mostly Asian residents of the Promon-tory condo building adjacent to the site asked UBC to reconsider its location. The residents and other Asian residents in the Hawthorn Place residential neigh-bourhood (of which Promontory is part) said they opposed this close location of the hospice to their homes as inconsistent with their views on death and dying. They also said UBC had not given residents suf-ficient notice of this institutional develop-ment next door to them. Faced with op-position to the location, the UBC board of governors delayed approving the project for four months.

Ground is broken for construction of St. John Hospice at UBC. From left to right: Colin Hansen, Mary Ackenhusen, Kenneth Mahon, Stephen Owen and--under tent--John Norton

Wesbrook Place resident Claire Robson, another co-founder, said in an interview, “OUR will give residents a legitimate voice.” Ms. Robson and Mr. Dickson have emerged as two of the most vocal crit-ics both of UBC policies respecting de-

OUR continued from Page 1 velopment of the residential community on campus and of the performance of the University Neighbourhoods Association in representing the interests of campus residents. A retired business executive, Mr. Dick-inson writes, “We are disappointed that the UNA has been unable to represent us.”

An editor and writer, Ms. Robson said formation of OUR and the holding of its inaugural meeting is the product of months and years of frustration, feel-ings of disenfranchisement and “lack of respect by UBC” for the interests and views of residents of U-Town. As well as explain the mission and policies of OUR at the inaugural meet-

ing, OUR founders—who set up their organization under the BC Society Act (the same act under which the UNA is set up)—will introduce prospective candi-dates for election in the upcoming (Sep-tember) UNA election of three directors. Commenting on the emergence of OUR as potentially a strong voice in the devel-opment of the campus community, now counting 8,000 residents, Prod Laquian, UNA chair and president, said, “Based on the OUR flyer announcing its inaugural meeting on June 25, I think the organiza-tion will help greatly in enhancing devel-opment in our community. “Its concerns are clearly stated and its goals, admirable. Its objective of having residents have a stronger voice in com-munity affairs is laudable. Its plan to field candidates in the upcoming UNA elec-tion for resident directors is exactly what is needed in our community to achieve greater civic engagement. I hope it re-sults in a higher voter turnout.” Mr. Laquian noted that for the past de-cade or so, the UTown community has been “growing and evolving. “The UNA has been acting more and more like a municipal-like government. It needs help from voluntary residents organizations like OUR to achieve better communication and community partici-pation. “Personally, I believe an organization like OUR is great for all of us. I welcome it and wish it well.”

Please turn to Page 3 for article by John Dickinson.


The Governance Study involved con-sidering various governance options for those of us living on the tip of Point Grey. Metro Vancouver made it clear early on that it had a settled preference on what Metro Vancouver called “amalgama-tion” with Vancouver. I fully understand Metro Vancouver’s interest in getting rid of troublesome parts of electoral areas that have no or atypical forms of gov-ernance. We are a bother to them. We take time. They would prefer to have our status regularized as a municipality. And “amalgamation” with Vancouver is one option that we should look at. But I am concerned that a Metro Vancouver with its mind made up would now presume to take any initiating role in choosing the timing of a process, drafting a survey, asking questions, fairly selecting cohorts, creating a study and a process. 2. During the past decade there have been two referenda conducted by Metro Vancouver in our area. I do not remem-ber the precise questions but I do remem-ber that they related to future governance and that in the first (pre-Hampton Place) referendum the only option put forward was amalgamation with Vancouver and in the second (in 1995) the only options put forward was our then status quo or creating a new municipality involving the UEL. 3. In 2000, Metro Vancouver and UBC entered into a formal written agreement (called a Memorandum of Understand-ing (“MOU”)) regarding the develop-ment of our residential areas. Article 4 refers to the governance structure that the MOU contemplates in the absence of a municipal government in our area. In an appendix to the MOU, this governance structure is stated to be the to-be-incor-porated UNA providing “…for the estab-lishment, advancement, and perpetuation of any services and facilities…provided at a level…comparable to those provided by a municipal or similar type of local governing body in” British Columbia. When I, as the first Chair of the UNA, started out, I took this goal assigned by Metro Vancouver and UBC seriously and I worked hard as a member of the Board (now a resident controlled Board), along with many others, to try to achieve this goal. In this process, I was repeatedly disappointed, over a very long time pe-riod, by Metro Vancouver’s conduct to-wards the fledgling governance structure Metro Vancouver had, in part, set on its course. I give some examples: a. No senior politician or staff from Metro Vancouver with any ability to positively help us achieve the goal they helped set for us ever sat down with us to attempt to work our way through the issues the fledgling UNA encountered early on and still encounters. b. Metro Vancouver has itself conduct-ed two studies on governance since the UNA’s creation and the goal set out in the MOU. These both explored the options for the governance of our residential ar-eas. Metro Vancouver never involved us in any way, to any extent in these stud-ies. There was no consultation before Metro Vancouver staff tabled the result of the studies. Indeed with the second (I believe) the UNA Board only became aware of it when it was already on an agenda of a meeting of a Metro Vancou-ver Committee. And we got notice of this report going to this meeting after the time for requesting permission to speak at the meeting (by being placed on the speak-ers’ list) had expired! c. The MOU established a commit-tee, the GVRD/UBC Joint Committee

CHALLENGES continued from Page 4 (“Committee”). Amongst other things this Committee discussed residential zoning and planning arrangements here at UBC. As the past UNA Chair I was asked to attend the November 25, 2009 meeting of the Committee. I was on the speakers’ list. I told the Committee how we operated as a community and what we did together as residents. The Commit-tee’s chair that evening was Maria Harris (our Electroal Area “A” Director). Di-rectly after I spoke Ms Harris recognized the then immediate past chair of Metro Vancouver, Derek Corrigan (the mayor of Burnaby). Mr. Corrigan was not on the speakers’ list. However, the Chair permitted him to speak. This was un-usual because Metro Vancouver could be sticky about permitting people to speak only if they were on the speakers’ list. Mr. Corrigan spoke from prepared notes. Given his role as a Metro Vancouver rep-resentative I was astounded to hear him describe all that the hundreds and hun-dreds of UNA resident volunteers had done to try to meet the goal that Metro Vancouver and UBC had set for us as be-ing creating something like a “Kiwanis Club”. He said, ‘Either you figure out a different way to govern yourself or we (then the GVRD) will do it for you’ (or words to that effect). On the agenda of that meeting was consideration of a draft GVRD bylaw which provided that the governance structure that we had devel-oped in our community, which featured by then clear elected resident control of much done in our community, would be taken over by the Metro Vancouver’s bu-reaucrats in Metro’s head office in Burn-aby and we would be “run” from there. No Metro Vancouver representative on the Committee said one word in reproof of any of this. A senior Provincial em-ployee was at this meeting and shortly after this meeting the Province stepped in to remove Metro Vancouver from any zoning or local services role here (taking on that responsibility itself). And inci-dentally, within days of the Province as-suming this role the Province contacted at least the UNA, UBC and the UBC students to sit down with each of us (the Deputy Minister and another senior offi-cial attended) to discuss how our present, or other, governance models might play out for our particular constituents (some-thing Metro Vancouver never did). d. When the Province decided to col-lect an additional tax on rural taxpayers (such as we are) the Province left the method of collecting in our area up to Metro Vancouver. The UNA asked Met-ro Vancouver to take into account this fact – under the rural tax UNA residents pay a huge sum for policing (now over $500,000 per year). On the other hand, the UEL’s special rural tax requires them to pay nothing (zero) for policing. This seems an odd financial benefit to give to a community where the average assess-ment (as of 2011) of single family homes is $3,569,000 compared to an average assessment of $832,000 in our commu-nity. We asked Metro Vancouver to start to work toward property tax parity within Electoral Area “A” by having the UEL bear the new tax until such time as all of us in all of Electoral Area “A” were pay-ing, based on our assessments, a compa-rable amount. Metro Vancouver showed no interest in what I thought then, and think now, was an equitable, if partial, solution to start to create a fairer property taxation regime across all of Electoral Area “A”.

CHALLENGES continued on Page 10

The UNA’s Constitution and By-Laws, the 2002 and 2008 Neighbours Agree-ments, and UBC’s delegated authority under the University Act clearly indicate that the UNA has the authority to study local governance. The UNA Constitu-tion mandates the organization to pro-mote and create “a distinctive ‘university town’ community that will support ... the common good of those residents within the local areas.” In the 2002 Neighbours Agreement, it was understood by both UBC and UNA that the “initial agree-ment would be replaced once develop-ment within some of the local areas had progressed to a point where the UNA was able to more formally assume responsi-bility for certain services and facilities.” The 2008 Neighbours Agreement added another UNA function which is “under-taking community-building measures to develop a healthy and vibrant com-munity” (Section 3.2). These provisions clearly show that the UNA has the au-thority and the responsibility to study governance reform in the light of chang-ing conditions on the UBC campus. 6. Contrary to Mr. Holmes’ view, the UNA Constitution allows the use of the Neighbours Fund to study local gover-nance. Section 2(a) of the UNA Constitution specifies that one of the purposes of the association is “to promote a distinctive university town” and that in the process the UNA is enjoined “to establish, ad-vance and perpetuate information man-agement and liaison systems” (section 2.e.i). This provision encompasses the authority to conduct surveys and engage in community consultations. The 2008 Neighbours Agreement also states the “scope of the municipal-like services, facilities and amenities which the UNA has agreed to manage, operate or under-take...” (Section 2.1.c) and specifies “the sources and management of funds for the activities and services... which the UNA agrees in this Agreement to provide.” (Section 2.1.d). These provisions clearly allow the UNA to use the Neighbour’s Fund to study local governance reform. Although money in the Neighbour’s Fund is not actually received by the UNA, the use of these funds is now completely under UNA control. The UNA’s annual budget, formulated and approved by the UNA Board after community consulta-tion, is not approved by the UBC Board of Governors but submitted to it simply for information. 7. The UNA Constitution allows the use of funds to finance a survey. By its very nature, a Constitution is a basic and general document that does not cover all the details on what an organiza-tion can do. However, Section 2(e) of the UNA Constitution clearly mandates the use of funds to conduct a survey as part of UNA’s function of information management. In fact the UNA financed a survey of residents in 2008. The 2012 survey will gather demographic, eco-nomic and social data as well as resi-dents’ views on governance. It is a legiti-mate UNA expenditure. 8. Metro’s role in an open and in-formed discussion on local governance. The UNA shares Mr. Holmes’ view that community support and open and informed discussion are necessary when exploring future governance options. It adheres to the principle that “the consent of the governed is a requirement for le-gitimate governance.” The UNA Board was directly elected by the residents pri-marily to govern our community. Ulti-mately, the UNA residents, not Metro or

RAPS continued from Page 4 other stakeholders, have the final say on the best form of governance for our com-munity. 9. Mr. Holmes’ letter says the UNA has failed in “civility, fairness, good faith, respect and understanding” in its dealing with Metro. I disagree. The UNA may not always agree with Metro officials or its Electoral Area A representative but disagreement, even in contentious debates, is not rude-ness. To be fair, Metro has not exactly been a model of “civility, fairness, good faith, respect and understanding” in its past dealings with the UBC and the UNA. In fact, it was precisely Metro’s negative attitude toward the UBC and the UNA which led to the province’s decision to place the UBC-UNA area directly under its jurisdiction. (See April 2012 issue of Campus Resident, page 7 for remarks by Metro’s Derek Corrigan about UBC and UNA.) In future the UNA-Metro rela-tions as in other dealings, it may be use-ful to remember that respect is a two-way street. 10. Mr. Holmes’ letter and the headline of the article advise the UNA to “deal more respectfully” with Metro Vancou-ver and “set a good example by acting co-operatively with governments”. This advice is uncalled for. The UNA has always acted respectfully and co-op-eratively with governments. It accepted the 1997 GVRD Official Community Plan (OCP) for Electoral Area A that in-cluded the UBC campus. It conformed to the 2000 MOU signed by GVRD and UBC that established the UNA as the governance structure in the OCP local ar-eas. It complied in 2002 when the UNA was incorporated and given the mandate to “promote the development of good neighbourhoods and to provide, operate and maintain services and facilities on behalf of the residents.” (2008 Neigh-bours Agreement, Recitals, sections B and C). In 2009, however, GVRD requested the Province to relieve it of its respon-sibilities on the UBC campus. GVRD initiated the separation and the Province agreed by passing MEVA Part 10 (June 2010). By agreeing to these changes and conforming to MEVA, the UNA has co-operated with governments from the very beginning. It is Metro that clouds the is-sues now by claiming that it is the legal local government in the UBC-UNA com-munity. In previous discussions with the Min-istry of Community, Sport and Culture, top officials have assured the UNA that the responsibility for designing a gov-ernance mechanism that fits the unique conditions in our community rests with the UNA residents and UBC. The UNA and UBC accept this challenge. In fact, the UBC Board of Governors has already struck a UBC-UNA Working Group to look into this task. In our search for an appropriate gov-ernance mechanism, we in the UNA are committed to the civic vision of a “direct democracy.” In partnership with UBC, we have been developing a governance system that is located closest to the peo-ple directly served by it. In our view, this democratic principle will be undermined by Metro’s efforts to impose an external local government structure – an unneces-sary bureaucratic layer – between our di-rectly governed community and the prov-ince. We find these efforts undemocratic, inefficient and unacceptable.

Prod Laquian, UNA Chair and President


UBC Library’s ‘Great Reads’ program has been expanded and enhanced for the reading pleasure of residents and others who are non-academics. Last fall, the Library launched the Great Reads program at Koerner Library to provide campus residents, community members, faculty, staff and students easy access to leisure-reading materials rang-ing from Canadiana to popular fiction. The program has been such a big hit that it’s now also featured in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, where the col-lection focuses on topics such as popular art and architecture, non-fiction science best-sellers and more. In addition, the Great Reads website – found at http://greatreads.library.ubc.ca – has been updated. Visitors to the site may discover available books by loca-tion, scan the carousel for new titles and Google book reviews, and check out rec-ommendations. UNA residents who buy annual mem-berships at UBC Library should take their receipts to the UNA, which will re-imburse them. Regular community rates apply when purchasing Library cards (please see http://services.library.ubc.ca/borrowing/library-cards/unaffiliated/ for more infor-mation). Readers can also call Koerner’s Circu-lation Desk for more information –

UBC Library Lengthens List of Leisure Books for Residents400 popular books - includ-ing best-sellers - are now on ‘Great Reads’ list; UNA members can borrow for free

Great Reads collection in Koerner Library

604.822.2406. UBC Library staff report that readers have been highly receptive to the Great Reads program – recent figures indicate that 62 per cent of the Koerner collection (328 titles) were checked out, while near-ly half of the Learning Centre’s collec-tion (69 titles, many more to arrive soon) had been borrowed. Popular reading collections, a staple in public libraries, aren’t as common at their academic counterparts. However, 94 per cent of respondents to a recent sur-vey stated that they might, or definitely would, use a leisure reading collection at UBC. Collection use steadily rose during the post-launch pilot program, and at-tracted a high number of non-traditional academic library users, such as staff and community users. The Great Reads collection is located on the main floor (level three) of Koerner Library and the main floor (level two) of the Learning Centre, adjacent to the Cir-culation Desk.

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Sustainability Corner

UNA Community News

Ralph Wells, UNA Sustainability Manager

Sunny Brar

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UNIVERSITY NEIGHBOURHOODS ASSOCIATION

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The UNA has hired Sunny Brar, a UBC Clean Energy Engineering masters stu-dent, as a summer intern. Sunny was hired through the UBC Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC) Co-op program and his internship qualified for a BC Hydro Power Smart subsidy which will cover half of his salary. Working with Ralph Wells, the UNA Sustainability Manager, Sunny will help the UNA ad-ministration—along with strata councils and individual residents at home—to con-serve energy, reduce gas emissions and save money. After completing his undergraduate de-gree and working within the chemical en-gineering profession in London, England, for the last four years, Sunny decided to move to Vancouver to use his skills and experience to complete a master’s in Clean Energy Engineering. Sunny says this decision was fueled by “my personal desire to pursue a career in sustainable energy development. “I believe the consensus to curb global emissions of greenhouse gases to tackle climate change is an opportunity as an en-gineer to make a positive difference in our world on this multidisciplinary issue.” As part of the energy efficiency and con-

servation course of the Master’s program, six energy audits were conducted on resi-dential buildings around UNA neighbour-hoods. The information gained from the audits has shed light on energy efficien-cies, utility cost and green house gas re-ductions. “By building on the work conducted by my colleagues, I’m able at the UNA to effect real change in the community and investigate where viable prospects for implementation can be achieved from a neighbourhood wide perspective. “I see my work as an opportunity to demonstrate to residents and strata coun-cils the benefits of energy conservation not only from an economic perspective but one held on moral values about sus-tainability and the environment we live in.”

Last month, I highlighted the contribu-tions of volunteers and community in-volvement in programs and public events related to sustainability. I thought it would be appropriate to focus on another important group – our partners in sustain-ability at UBC. If you’ve followed this column, you know that UBC contributes to UNA sustainability programs in many ways. Composting and e-waste services are possible because of the involvement of UBC Building Operations. The 2010 campus wide waste audit that incor-porated the UNA neighbourhoods was coordinated out of the Campus Sustain-ability Office but involved a number of UBC departments. Not surprisingly, the Campus Sustainability Office has been a key partner, working with the UNA on many initiatives including the Waste and Water Action Plans, a review of the Residential Green Building Program and the development of a Community Energy and Emissions Plan. More recently, the UNA has engaged with the UBC Sustainability Initiative (USI) via a Memorandum of Understand-ing (MOU) that I have covered exten-sively in previous columns. We’ve also had recent success in engaging with the UBC Clean Energy Engineering (CEEN) program, working with engineering stu-dents on energy audits of UNA residen-tial buildings and hiring a CEEN intern to help develop energy conservation programs for the UNA (these will be the topic of a future column). None of these successes would be pos-sible without the people who make it all happen. While I can’t acknowledge ev-eryone here, I’d like to highlight a few key individuals who have been very in-volved in supporting UNA sustainability initiatives. They include Darren Duff, the Manager of Municipal Services for UBC Building Operations and Kyle Re-ese (our Community Energy Manager), Waleed Giratalla (former UBC Waste and Water Engineer, now with City of Surrey) and Brenda Sawada (SEEDS Co-ordinator) of the Campus Sustainability Office. Eric Mazzi, BC Hydro Power

Smart Instructor for the CEEN program and Alberto Cayuela, Associate Director of the UBC Sustainability Initiative have also been very engaged in supporting UNA initiatives. Finally I’d like to ac-knowledge Waste Free UBC, a commit-tee of UBC managers, students and the UNA that works towards a zero waste future on campus. These are of course only some of the UBC people who have worked with the UNA to support sustainability, and I will try to recognize others in future columns. I think there is little doubt that the UNA sustainability ambitions benefit greatly from the support of these individuals and our association with a world class univer-sity that is committed to sustainability.

UBC Partnerships

UNA Intern Intends to Help Residents Cut Home Energy BillsUBC masters student is in-

terning at UNA for summer; 50% of salary is covered by

BC Hydro program


If you rent out space in your condo or townhouse to help pay the mortgage, or for any other reason, make sure your in-surance broker knows! This advice comes from Alia Hender-son, marketing coordinator, Westland Insurance which has branches at both Wesbrook Village, UBC, and West Point Grey. “To ensure proper coverage is in place, it is important that unit owners advise their insurance brokers of any tenants living in their unit,” says Ms. Hender-son. “Whether the tenants are boarders or they live in a self contained suite, it is essential information to the insurance contract.” Although the policy may not be to in-sure the tenants liability or belongings, there is still a liability exposure to the condo owner. Insurance companies need to be made aware of this risk and may need to extend liability accordingly. Ms. Henderson says, “It is important insured condo owners discuss their needs with their insurance broker to make sure they have the appropriate coverage in

Undisclosed Suites/Renters can Void Condo Owners’ Insurance

Insurance agents are emphatic on this point

Operations Director

The University Neighbourhood Association (UNA) is a unique nonprofit society created to provide Municipal-Like Services (Streets, Streetscapes, Parks, Playfields, Playgrounds, Community centers, Social Services and full range of Recreational services) to residents living in designated neighbourhoods on UBC Vancouver Campus. The

The second annual Original 16 Grand Prix will take place July 10 at UBC with Mahony & Sons sponsoring a cycling event expected to attract some of the best male and female riders in North America.

Grand Prix Riders Race On UBC Course

Prize money of up to $10,000 is at stake; kids’

race is part of July 10 event

Starting line for the Kids’ Race, at UBC Grand Prix 2011

Consider a Career with the UNA

combined Neighbourhoods are expected to become a community of approximately 20,000 residents in the next decade. We invite you to bring your skills and passion, and apply your expertise to guide our Association through the process of Development, Operations and Maintenance of our community neighbourhoods. To view the full job posting, please visit www.myuna.ca/about-us/join-us/employment/

place. Misrepresentation or withholding a material change in the risk, such as a rental suite, could result in no coverage in the event of a loss.” Daniel Mirkovic, of Square One Insur-ance agrees. “Absolutely you have to disclose if you have more than one family living in a condo or townhouse,” says Mr. Mirkovic, adding that failure to disclose can lead to problems if and when an owner makes an insurance claim. Mr. Mirkovic said condo owners with secondary suites should be neither hesi-tant nor reluctant to disclose information about secondary suites. “We are not go-ing to report you (illegal suites); we just want to protect you.” Furthermore, despite the fears of some home-owners, premiums for disclosed secondary suites—legal or otherwise—are relatively small. He reckoned no more than $100 a year. UBC has made ‘co-development’ town-houses with secondary suites part of its building plan since co-developments al-low faculty and staff more opportunity to buy homes on campus. Only faculty/staff may purchase homes in co-developments (joint housing projects between faculty/staff and UBC).

Part of a series called BC Superweek, the UBC Grand Prix for professional rid-ers will have close to 200 riders in atten-dance, says race director Mark Ernsting. Many of the riders will have represented their countries at international events such as the World Championships, Olympic Games and Grand Tours. The Grand Prix event will also feature a kids’ race that Mr. Ernsting says will al-low “our future Olympians” to do one to two laps of the course depending on their age. In the inaugural race last year, a hun-dred children took part. “When one sees them go, it’s a real highlight of the eve-ning,” the race director said. As well, a Corporate Challenge race will take place this year for the first time. Mr. Ernsting calls the Corporate Challenge more than just a race. “It’s an experience which provides businesses the opportu-nity to use the race as a platform to bring work colleagues together outside of their regular environment. “This experience is meant to bring the team together using an activity that every-one enjoys - riding their bicycle.”


I have other concerns based on other experiences but these suffice to indicate that I have reasons for my concerns. So personally, I have no confidence in the evenhandedness or integrity of Metro Vancouver – either its politicians or processes – to commence a process only when required by the residents, to recognize and respect our special posi-tion as residents, to lead an evenhanded review of our governance options and to fairly conduct surveys of fairly chosen populations for the purpose of looking at governance issues, some of which exclu-sively, others primarily, affect us as resi-dents. But even more to the point, Metro Vancouver no longer has any claim to a role in leading or determining the future of local governance on the UBC campus. Metro Vancouver was relieved of all its responsibilities related to this, at Metro’s request and, in my opinion, as a result of its conduct, in 2010 by the Province. Metro is now a regional service provider and as such, I believe they are entitled to comment on local governance options from that perspective, once we as UNA residents (and to the extent it touches upon UBC, UBC in all its various parts (including other campus residents)) have decided that we want to make some change. And if any change requires leg-islation then the Province has to decide whether it will give us the necessary leg-islative mandate. In my opinion our present “gover-nance” model – with a UNA Board con-trolled by elected residents, with UBC having assigned to us in a written agree-ment much authority and many rights but with UBC’s Board of Governor’s controlling parts of our “municipal life” - is not perfect. But if you consider the work that we have done and are doing here and the partnership set in motion by Metro Vancouver’s and UBC’s direction to us in the MOU then, while we have not always agreed with UBC as to how the University should deal fairly with a large residential community on its campus and how rights and responsibilities should be shared, UBC has been a good, contem-plative partner; and an outstanding one when compared to the deprecation, dis-interest, non-consultation and bullying that Metro Vancouver has showed. And while I disagree with Mr. Holmes that our existing model has no or little room for growth to the benefit of residents, I do agree with him that we will never be a true municipality using the existing mod-el. I think that we as residents should be looking at all our options which, in my opinion, include working to continue to improve our present model, examining amalgamation with Vancouver and con-sidering various forms of true municipal status. But all of these options present real challenges and risks and known or knowable costs and benefits. We should carefully examine them all (as, I under-stand, the UNA Board is in the process of doing in preparation for public consulta-tion within our community). As residents we should have as objective information as we can so that residents can make the best and most informed decision they can concerning determining our residential life going forward. I am entirely with Bill Holmes in supporting this as a goal. I am entirely and intractably opposed to giving Metro Vancouver anything other than the most circumscribed and limited role in the process.

Jim Taylor, Resident, Hampton Place

CHALLENGES continued from Page 6

Biodiversity in your backyard

This month, we’re taking a break from our regular format to tell you about the abundance of programs we have planned for this summer, including an exciting an-nouncement for campus families. This spring UBC Biodiversity Collec-tions partnered with Campus and Com-munity Planning to create the popular UTown@UBC Nature Club. This was a monthly club for campus children aged 5-12 and their families. Registra-tion filled quickly, so we are pleased to announce that this summer the club will meet weekly! Join us Saturday mornings to explore ocean, urban, forest and wet-land ecosystems through hands-on activi-ties and games. In July, sessions will meet at the Beaty Museum for activities inside and outside of the Museum. In August, sessions will take place within the UBC Botanical Garden. Visit botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/utown for information and to reg-ister! Over the summer the UBC Biodiver-sity Collections will investigate the over-arching theme of “Biodiversity and Food” through dynamic programming and exhibits that explore the relationships humans have with our food as well as who eats who in the natural world. The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is in-vestigating the diversity of predator-prey relationships through interactive guided tours that take visitors on a journey to dis-cover the many different ways that plants, animals, fungi and microbes have come up with to nourish themselves and avoid being devoured. Other new activities in-clude a puppet show, scavenger hunt, crafts and activity stations throughout the museum. Until July 22, you can also check out “Feast”, a photo exhibition that presents an intimate look at animals noshing in the wild through stunning photographs by in-ternationally acclaimed nature photogra-pher Brad Hill. Beginning in July, the UBC Botani-

By Katie Teed, Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications, UBC Biodiversity Collections

cal Garden will explore the origins and diversity of human food. A drop-in tour will focus on edible biodiversity (visit botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/tours for times). Tour participants will discover plants that belonged to traditional First Nations diets, digest information about wild ed-ible plants, and study the wild relatives of agricultural plants in our food system. The tour will also discuss interesting sto-ries about how some of these wild plants became major contributors to our dinner plates. A new self-guided tour will lead visitors to edible plants in the garden and learn about uncommon vegetables, heirloom varieties, as well as native plants that have been consumed for thousands of years on the British Columbia Coast. Family visitors can embark on a child-friendly scavenger hunt to discover the amazing diversity of edible plants, uncover which parts of plants we eat, hunt for weird veg-etables, and learn the importance of bees in food production. Children ages 7-11 can also join the UBC Botanical Garden’s Young Explor-er Summer Day Camp. There are two programs to choose from: Eco Explorer investigates the remarkable link that hu-mans have with the environment. Kids will explore how different cultures inter-act with nature, learn about wild and cul-tivated foods, and discover how to safely cohabitate with wildlife. Garden Explorer teaches skills and knowledge to become a

friendly gardener. Campers will get their hands dirty catching squirmy insects, conjure up (almost) magical potions, and cook up a storm with weird vegetables! And last but not least, the UBC Bo-tanical Garden is pleased to announce a new provincially-accredited Horticulture Training Program. Running from Septem-ber to May, this full-time program will give students the skills and experience necessary for entering the field of horti-culture. We are hosting information ses-sions on Tuesday June 26th at 7 p.m. and Sunday July 8th at 3 p.m. at the UBC Bo-tanical Garden. The application deadline is July 15. For complete details visit the garden’s website at botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/horticulture-program.

Adventuring through the Garden, campers pose for a photo

High above the forest floor, kids tra-verse the Greenheart Canopy Walk-way at UBC Botanical Garden


Dorothy’s Story:“I marvel at the diversity of the birds, the continuity of birdlife through the year...”

Like Sue, I walked the woods and fields of the South Campus long before devel-opment there started and eagerly took up the challenge to preserve the Farm and its forest. Some of us at Nature Vancou-ver thought it would be a good project to initiate bird surveys at UBC Farm and so we’ve been at it once a month ever since, rain or shine...even snow. (One December when we were out doing the Christmas count, it was hard to concentrate on the birds, it was so intriguing watching the coyotes hunting; tracking and pouncing into the snow for the voles.) Aside from the sights and sounds of the birds it has been wonderful to watch how the farm and the birds have adapted to each other. Specific birds gravitate to vari-ous crops moving around from year to year and with the monthly calendar. We see the killdeer when the fields are freshly plowed and seeded, then they move on once the crop grows. Maturing buckwheat and the drying over-wintering stalks attracted large crowds of sparrows (about six dif-ferent species) and then, as Sue described, the year they did a large sunflower study, the birds—finches, chickadees and even woodpeckers and towhees—were hard at work cleaning up the spent crop. We were happy to interact with the farm folk and thrilled when they planted luxu-rious hedgerows of native plantings, just what the birds ordered! (Such hedgerows are vital for protection and nesting for the smaller birds).The hop growing structure with wires and poles made a fantastic perch the winter the kestrel visited, and in the spring when the coast was clear, the barn swallows and their families used it as a gathering place before their fly-catching flights. For myself, I marvel at the diversity of the birds, the continuity of birdlife through the year, each spring and fall migration, who elects to over-winter.

Sue’s Story“After 60 monthly walks

on the farm I still find new surprises on every visit.”

As I rode my bike down the last stretch of Wesbrook Mall road to the UBC Farm in early Spring of 2007, I knew I was in the city, but I felt like I was in the country. For several years cycling this roadway I had seen Cedar Waxwings, thrushes, hawks, warblers, Ravens, and many other birds. Approaching the farm to do my first vol-unteer work, (pulling weeds), I wondered at all the sounds coming from forested borders as well as thick hedges of plants in and around the farm. Dozens of swal-lows soared above while a resident Red-tailed Hawk always seemed to be perched on a tall snag like a sentinel at the farm entrance. When I heard the farm was slated for development I joined two groups of peo-ple to record life diversity on the 24 hect-are farm; a plant group and a bird survey group. The first group did several walks to record plant life growing around the culti-vated plants. We counted 32 species of na-tive plants on the farm edges, 16 types of mosses, and 6 types of fungus and lichens as well as countless numbers of wild herbs such as mints, clovers, and mustard plants. Over five years our bird count group has recorded 105 species of birds including more than 20 nesting species. In that time the Red-tailed Hawk on the snag raised young on the farm edges, as did the Barred Owls, and two Bald Eagles have built a nest in a tree on the farm edge, saved from developers by members of the walk. We see coyotes playing at the farm, one with such thick light fur that I thought it looked a bit like a well-fed wolf, and young pup coyotes watching, curious and alert only a few feet from us as we stood in the path.

Members of the UBC Farm bird survey group look at the eagle’s nest high above the farm gate. From left to right: Dorothy Woodhouse; Bev Ramey; Bill Ramey; and Sue Kay-Downs.

Survey of Birds at UBC Farm Spurs Expressions of JoyFor over five years, a group sponsored by Nature Vancouver has been conducting bird surveys at the UBC Farm. The Campus Resident asked members of the group to reflect on what gave them

pleasure in surveying birds. We present two personal reflections here.

One day, three species of hawk, one fal-con, and one kestrel were on the farm on the same morning. That day was quieter as most birds huddled in secret safe spots. Then one tiny Annas Hummingbird rock-eted up into the sky and chased away the Peregrine Falcon. The Peregrine Falcon is known to be the fastest animal on earth reaching speeds of over 200 miles an hour in a dive. The tiny hummingbird moving at 50 mph still moves a daunting 383 times its body length in a second which was enough to chase the falcon away that day. In our five years of bird walks we have heard a sometimes confusing symphony of sounds at the farm ranging from the ethereal music of the Swainson’s Thrush

to the maniacal call of the Pileated Wood-pecker, as well as the hoots of the owls, with the tree frogs and Douglas squirrels sometimes making bird-like sounds that surprised me. We have seen the bril-liant orange of the Rufous Hummingbirds and rusty oranges of thrushes and gros-beaks; the sunflower yellows of warblers, Western Tanagers, and Goldfinches, the blues of the jays and nuthatches, reds of the House and Purple Finches, brilliant greens of the Violet- Green swallows and hummingbirds. High above we have seen swifts flying, and low to the ground Fox Sparrows and Towhees. After 60 monthly walks on the farm I still find new surprises on every visit.

Spring is a great time to cook with fresh, seasonal and local ingredients. It is the best way to enjoy the flavour and nutrients of any food. Rhubarb is one of spring’s first harvests; it is now being harvested at UBC Farm. Rhubarb grows well in the cooler cli-mates of the northern United States and southern Canada. At this time of year, local rhubarb can be found in many backyards throughout Metro Vancou-ver, and in your neighbourhood super-market. Choose firm, good-coloured stalks; they stay fresh for two weeks in your fridge.Although rhubarb is a vegetable, it is often used as a fruit. Rhubarb makes a delicious stew by itself, and it can be cooked down quickly. Simply cut one pound of rhubarb into cubes, stir in ¼ cup of water, ½ cup of sugar, and, if de-sired, add one or more of your favourite seasonings. Cinnamon, vanilla, carda-mom, star anise, orange zest, ginger, lemon grass and dried fruits all go well

Recipes from the UBC Farmwith rhubarb. And don’t forget rhubarb’s best companion, strawberries. Here are some great rhubarb ideas are:• Duck breast with rhubarb compote• Rhubarb strawberry crêpes or waffles• Rhubarb coffee cake• Rhubarb blue cheese toast One of my favourite rhubarb recipes is Goat Cheese Spinach Salad with Rhu-barb. Ingredients for salad:60 gm Goat cheese – feta 80 gm Spinach10 gm Thinly-sliced red onion40 gm Caramelized rhubarb cubes 20 ml Rhubarb dressing Ingredients for Rhubarb Purée:2 pounds of rhubarb200 ml sugar Ingredients for dressing:90 ml Rhubarb purée 60 ml Canola oil40 ml Champagne vinegar15 ml HoneyCracked pepper and seasoning Directions for Rhubarb Purée:Stew 2 pounds of rhubarb and 200 ml of sugar for about ten minutes. Purée until

smooth. Cool. Directions for dressing:Mix 90 ml Rhubarb purée with canola oil and Champagne vinegar. Add honey and season with salt and pepper. Directions for salad:Toss the spinach with the thinly-sliced red onion, crumbled goat cheese, cara-melized rhubarb cubes and dressing. Season to taste.

Josh McWilliams is chef at the Point Grill Restaurant, UBC

By Chef Josh McWilliamsThe Bird-Survey Group meets on the third Sunday of each month at the UBC Farm gate. Time varies according to season: March - September 0800, October - February 0900. A spokesperson for the group, said, “We are a relaxed and conge-nial group who welcomes anyone, novice or expert alike.” You may check out their bird list at the UBC Farm gate notice board.

More information, go to www.naturevancouver.ca.

Goat Cheese Spinach Salad with Rhubarb.

Strawberry Tea at ChurchEnjoy a delicious Strawberry Tea at St. Anselm’s Anglican Church

June 23rd , 2 PM - 4:30 PM.Tickets are $10 adults, $5 children over four years, available at the door. Call 604 224 1410, or visit church website www.stanselms.ca

Biodiversity in your backyard


EVENTS IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD THIS SUMMER!

July 13 - Jim Taylor Park July 27 - Iona Green ParkAug 10 - Michael Smith Park Aug 24 - Jim Taylor Park

Evening in the Park Friday Concert Series

5pm - 6:30pm

free!

For more information, please contact The Old Barn Community Centre 604.827.4469 www.oldbarn.ca

Keep an eye out for details aboutBarn Raising - September 8, 2012!

Keep up to date with the latest news, events, and programs!

Join us on FACEBOOK!6th annual6th annual6th annual

Barn RaisingBarn RaisingBarn Raising

Canada Day

July 1st10:00am - 1:00pm

join us for a 20 minute group

family fun run/walk

at The Old Barn Community Centre

bring a picnic and enjoy the day!

Documents

Campus Resident June 2012