Camosun students named all-Canadian academics
The Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC) and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association has named six Camosun Charger student athletes Academic All Canadians for the 2012 – 2013 season. “This is a great accomplishment by our student athletes,” says Camosun College recreation and athletics coordinator Graham Matthews. “It is a testament to their commitment both on and off the court.” Basketball players Jordan Elvedahl, Ella Goldschmid, Elyse Matthews, Jarred Callbeck, golf player Alex Sadowski, and volleyball player Hillary Graham were recipients of the prestigious awards for their achievements in collegiate athletics and academics. In total, 130 students across the country were named All Canadians. “The student athletes who have achieved excellence in both athletics and academics are role models for the youth of today and destined to excel in their future careers,” Debra Gassewitz, SIRC president and CEO, said in a press release.
United by tragedy
Parents Carol Todd and Barb Kozeletski are speaking out in support of parents who’ve suffered the tragedy of children’s mental health issues, including endorsing Kelly and Owen Bradley’s petition for better emergency care for children in crisis. The Bradleys claim their 11-year-old daughter was recently sent away from Victoria General Hospital three times while having a serious, violent bipolar episode. “Since we launched our petition we’ve realized there is a whole network of families with children with mental illnesses across BC supporting each other when the health system and the government fails them,” says Kelly Bradley. “It’s a comfort, but it again proves that the Ministry of Health needs to step up and support us.”
BC encourages public to stay active
Key elements of the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) recently completed Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan (PCMP) will soon be implemented thanks to a contribution of $780,950 from the Government of Canada’s gas tax fund transfer. A series of projects will be undertaken over the next two years to increase walking and cycling in the community. To encourage residents’ use of sustainable transportation, the PCMP will implement pedestrian and cycle-friendly infrastructure, such as bike-activated warning signals, advisory bike lanes, and traffic calming for bike boulevards. Other elements include solar-powered signage, automated count stations, and secure lock-up systems that support dual-mode trips such as cycling and transit. The CRD will contribute an additional $87,600 to complete the project. Since 2006, the Government of Canada has made unprecedented investments in infrastructure. Through the Gas Tax Fund, municipalities across Canada received over $10 billion in transfers for local priority initiatives.
Federal budget ignores student debt crisis, says CFS
The mission to make postsecondary education affordable for Canadians isn’t being helped by the federal budget, according to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). “Continuing to download the cost of postsecondary education onto students is a short-sighted policy that will harm Canadaʼs economic recovery,” said Adam Awad, national chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students, in a press release. “The 2013 budget is not an economic action plan for students and recent graduates.” If the current trend continues, student debt is expected to surpass $19 billion before 2016. Simultaneously, the federal government has written off over $700 million in unpaid student loans in the last three years. Unfortunately, the 2013 budget contains no new student financial assistance measures to address the increasing student debt loads carried by students and their families.
Permaculture club launches
Spring marks the commencement of the Permaculture Design Club at Camosun. Meeting three times a week running from May 7 until June 20, students and participants will be learning the fundamentals of permaculture design. Instructor Chris Norseth will be offering the course at a highly discounted and subsidized rate, for students and non-students alike. Topics covered in the class will include, among other things, the principles of natural systems, sustainable design methodologies, patterns in nature, culture and society, reading the land and understanding natural processes. Permaculture is a branch of ecologically minded design that seeks to offer sustainability in all human endeavors. The movement is gaining traction internationally in large part as a practical response to the present threats faced by humanity and the life systems on earth. Through mimicking and working with nature, permaculture designers seek to implement systems that are economically viable and ecologically sound.
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