CCSS gets over 3,000 students pledging to vote
The Camosun College Student Society has collected over 3,000 pledges from students promising to vote in the May provincial elections. The CCSS worked with the British Columbia Federation of Students to try to get students to vote in the election.
Camosun approves operating budget
The Camosun College board of governors approved a balanced budget of $130,763,519 for 2017/2018 at their April 7 meeting. The budget includes $2 million for investments; infrastructure funding is expected to hit $4.2 million this year.
Construction underway on new Interurban building
Drilling and blasting at the new Health and Science Centre site at Interurban is happening from Monday to Friday until approximately early June. Signals for the blast will consist of 12 short whistles, then a pause of around two minutes, after which the explosives will be detonated. There will be traffic control around the site restricting people and cars from walkways and roads adjacent to the construction site prior to the blasts.
Camosun works with Riverside
Camosun College recently developed a plumbing foundations trades training program to be implemented at Riverside College, located in Mission, BC. Camosun has allowed a Riverside instructor to observe their methods of teaching and has created the online portion of the program for Riverside. A $49,980 donation from the provincial government and the Industry Training Authority launched the program.
Camosun receives two grants
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s College and Community Innovation Program has granted Camosun $350,000 annually for five years to go toward the college’s Technology Access Centre, as well as $143,757 to help fund the school’s composite research and education lab. The money will go toward, among other things, equipment, new technology, and staff. These grants are part of a $37-million investment by the federal government in innovation and commercialization.
Camosun election results in
239 of 649 eligible faculty ballots were put forward by Camosun faculty in the most recent Camosun College board of governors and education council elections. The election—which took place from April 3 to 5—had a participation rate of 38.5 percent, a 16.5-percent increase from their fall election. Student participation rates also increased to 13 percent. Students Dana Campbell and Isaiah Jurkuch have been acclaimed for education council; Melanie Winter was elected for the student seat on the board of governors.
Camosun prof New York-bound
Camosun Mechanical Engineering professor Jeffrey Stephen has been accepted to New York’s Circle in the Square Theatre School, where he will be working in a musical-theatre workshop throughout the summer. Stephen will walk the same stage as greats such as Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino, who have also gone to Circle in the Square.
New Camosun dean announced
Debbie Hlady is Camosun’s new dean of arts and science. Hlady has been active at Camosun for almost 15 years, on the education council, as a faculty board member, as the chair of the English department, and as a teacher.
Camosun Express bus done for summer
The Camosun Express bus, which commutes between the Lansdowne and Interurban campuses, has finished operating for the summer; the last day the bus operated was April 13. The Camosun Express will resume operation in early September.
Camosun students look out for youth
Camosun Marketing Project Management students recently raised over $13,000 for Zambian youth. The money will finance 26 youth in Zambia who will be going to the Women for Change Rural Youth Exposure Conference in Lusaka, Zambia this August.
Victoria approves garden suites
Considering that Victoria currently has a vacancy rate of less than 1 percent, many renters will be pleased to know that Victoria city council recently approved the construction and rental of garden suites. The change is part of the Victoria Housing Strategy, 2016-2025; the strategy aims to improve availability and affordability of housing by diversifying housing types and costs and by educating the public on the housing crisis.
Rock The Shores on hold
The Rock The Shores music festival has been cancelled this year, but organizers said in a press release that it will return in 2018. According to a press release, issues for the 2017 festival included a lack of available headliners and market competition with Canada’s 150-year celebrations happening this year. All ticketholders can visit rocktheshores.com to view their reimbursement options.
Saanich seeking public’s opinion
The Governance Review Citizen Advisory Committee has begun a Saanich governance review that will involve four public meetings focusing on government structure and policies. Citizens have the opportunity to provide feedback for the committee until May 31; visit saanich.ca/governancereview for more details.
Saanich council takes on Shelbourne Valley
Saanich council is moving ahead with the Shelbourne Valley Action Plan, which will involve both short-term and long-term changes to the area to make it more hospitable for pedestrians, cars, and people in general. The plan also includes restoring Bowker Creek, reconstructing 2.3 kilometres of sidewalk, and adding multiple bike paths.