CRD clears the air on the new clean-air bylawsSmoking in Victoria is about to become a lot more difficult. The Capital Regional District (CRD), in collaboration with Island Health (VIHA), has updated the existing Clean Air Bylaw, which currently prohibits smoking three metres from businesses, patios, and bus stops. The CRD is a government-regulated organization comprised of elected members representing the multiple municipalities […] Continue Reading |
Breaking isolation: Victoria’s gaming community is no longer hidingWalking into the recent GottaCon gamer convention held at the Victoria Conference Center, I’m immediately shocked by the severe volume and variety of people. Moms and dads with tiny babies, women in full body armour, teens, tweens, adults, seniors, children, a woman dressed as Sailor Moon… and everybody has a gaming device of some kind […] Continue Reading |
The cheque’s no longer in the mail: what will happen to Canada Post as it struggles to remain relevant?At Canada Post’s Victoria sorting plant, manager Kevin Pearson strides onto the huge facility floor and says, “This is where it happens.” At 3:30 on a Tuesday afternoon, “it” means quite a lot. Long, shiny conveyor belts snake from laser-scanning machines into the caverns of trucks and suck up packages of all shapes and sizes. […] Continue Reading |
Why Victoria mayor Lisa Helps matters to studentsIf you haven’t heard yet, there’s a new mayor in town. Students in particular should heed this development with interest. Victoria’s new mayor, Lisa Helps, is making a concentrated effort to address the questions and concerns of the student body through initiatives and promoting youth involvement. Sworn in on December 4 after defeating previous Victoria […] Continue Reading |
Rain boots and fireflies: a dramatic telling of common eventsBits and pieces of memory spark inside my head like fireflies on a humid Ontario evening. The thoughts drift by, harmless and content, fluttering against the dark backdrop. The bioluminescent twinkles in the darkness show me innocent flashes of random moments: ironing my best friend’s hair on her bedroom floor before school, skidding down a […] Continue Reading |
The other lives of Camosun staff: what you don’t know about these mild-mannered college employeesTo some students, teachers are those people who stand at the front of a class for hours and blab on and on when the students would rather be at home watching Netflix and petting their cat. And to others, they are their mentors, the people who can teach them invaluable skills. But those who think […] Continue Reading |
The imaginary ideal: Current and former Camosun students talk about life with eating disordersI don’t know how many times I’ve looked into my friends’ eyes and told them that they are beautiful and have them not believe me. But I also don’t know how many times the people I love have looked into my eyes and told me that I was beautiful, and I thought they were lying to […] Continue Reading |
State of emergency: the problem with health care in CanadaThe story “I neeeeed soommmee helllppp!” a scratchy-voiced elderly woman called down the hall. “No, you don’t. Now shut up and go to sleep,” I thought to myself. Did I think that I’d ever be the kind of person to be cruel to an old woman, an old woman who perhaps has dementia? Well, no, […] Continue Reading |
Entomophagical entrees: Insects are the next big food revolution… if we can stomach themI tried them for the first time just the other day. Some might call me a brave pioneer, but it was simply a matter of doing my duty. It was shocking how calm I felt. There was little to no adrenaline; there was no fear. I wasn’t even phased by my onlookers, cringing in horror. I […] Continue Reading |
Environmental explorations: taking a look at Camosun College’s sustainability initiativesCamosun College recently released a sustainability report outlining the college’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of operation. The 35-page report is full of interesting projects and governance initiatives happening on both campuses, but college administrators and environmentally conscious students on campus say there’s more that can be done. Understandably, the sustainability report places particular […] Continue Reading |
