Douglas College offers new accounting program > Chartered Professional Accounts of Canada supports program Colten Kamlade Staff Reporter Da College is now offering courses that will qualify students for the Advanced Certificate in Accounting and Finance National Exams (ACAF.) The college already offers a bachelor of business administration in accounting, an accounting diploma, and an accounting certificate, but the new program is being offered through a partnership with Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA). The ACAF is a nationally-standardized exam developed by CPA Canada. CPA Canada used to offer ACAF training directly, but they are phasing that training out by 2018 in favour of ACAF courses at various post-secondary institutions, including Douglas College, according to the CPA Canada website. The ACAF will be an asset to anyone looking to gain intermediate skills in the industry, according to a Douglas College press release. “Certified professionals will be equipped with the advanced technical accounting skills demanded by many of Canada’s top employers, plus hands- on experience with industry-specific software,’ the press release says. The CPA Canada website also oon Ee || 1} lh i) oe Transit.review.enters air ansLink moves closertowards updating fare pricmag Jillian McMullen Staff Writer Trannk has begun phase three of their fare review plan by posting an online survey where commuters can weigh in on how the company should implement fare pricing that better reflects distance travelled. TransLink first began the review midway through last year with the goal of increasing ridership while also improving system-wide efficiency, according to their website. Between the first two surveys, they have received input from over 43,000 members of the public, most of whom felt the current system is not working well. The first phase of the review found that customers were dissatisfied 1 cee discusses the potential for education beyond the ACAF designation. “If at some point any you want to pursue the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation, your ACAF training will be recognized toward the undergraduate degree and specific knowledge requirements needed for admission to the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP),” the website states. The BC government predicts there will be thousands of job opportunities over the next decade in the accounting field, according to a report published by the Georgia Strait March 1. “There are expected to be 1,600 openings over the next nine years,” the article states. “CPA Canada’s most recent compensation survey puts the median salary for CPAs in B.C. at $100,000.” Douglas College students will have plenty of chances to enroll in classes, according to the Douglas College website. “There will normally be multiple offerings of all entry level and technical level courses in each of the three semesters, with students usually being able to choose between day and evening classes. Applied level courses will be offered starting Winter 2018 in the evenings with a minimum of one course available every semester,’ the website says. with the current system, according to TransLink’s phase one summary report. “The primary source of dissatisfaction with the current fare system relates to perceptions of inequities around how we price by distance today,” the phase one summary report says. TransLink attributes the dissatisfaction to the archaic three-zone system. “[The three-zone system was] originally adopted in 1984 [and] has remained largely unchanged for more than 30 years,” the phase one summary report states. “In this time, the region has grown by over one million people. We have grown from a system based entirely on buses to one that includes an extensive rail rapid transit network.” The second phase of the review 7 —— == i ———— ” ect Lost streams found in New Westminster > Geography instructor works alongside students Colten Kamlade Staff Reporter M* McPhee, a geography and environment instructor at Douglas College, has discovered several “lost streams” in New Westminster, according to a press release issued by the college. McPhee and his research team spent the past two years poring over old maps, photos, books and other historical records to map streams that were destroyed as New Westminister developed over the years. The team working on the project includes McPhee, local historian Archie Miller, and students Sarah Lison and Nedene De Guzman. McPhee said he was eager to involve his students in his research, according to a report by the New Westminster Record published in 2015, when the lost streams project began. “I was aware of other municipalities that had done this sort of thing, so I approached the city and they were really keen,” McPhee told the Record. “T had this idea for a while and I just thought it was a great opportunity to get some students involved to give them some experiential learning.” The project started in McPhee’s classroom, according to a statement by McPhee published on the official website of the lost streams project. “The origins of the Lost Streams of New Westminster project are my proposed options for how TransLink could price their fares to reflect distance: By eliminating zones altogether, modifying zone boundaries, or measuring trip distance. It found most respondents felt zone elimination was appropriate for buses, while measured distance was more appropriate for rail service. This new phase suggests shortlisted options for distance-based fare pricing. The current survey proposes two main options: The first would see prices determined by kilometer on rapid transit with a flat rate for buses; the second would see all forms of transportation priced per kilometer. While both options would cap prices after a maximum fare is reached, the different options would affect fare prices differently. The review’s discussion guide claims the first option geography classes at Douglas College and my interest in natural history,’ McPhee said in the statement. “I thought it would be interesting to engage students and the community in trying to locate and map the ‘lost’ streams of New Westminster.” McPhee also said in the statement that tours inspired the project. “In my classes I have students visualize what New Westminster would have looked like prior to its settlement by Europeans,” he said in the statement. “In doing walks through downtown New Westminster with students, our guide, local historian Archie Miller, would often point out where bridges were built and if one listened carefully, you might hear water running beneath buildings.” McPhee said in the statement that it wasn't easy to find the lost streams. “Finding lost streams is like detective work,” he said. “I originally thought it would be straightforward— find old maps, old photos, and other historical records and locate the streams. However, it proved to be challenging.” Jaimie McEvoy, a New Westminster city councillor, said the data uncovered by McPhee and his team will be useful in city-planning endeavours, according to the Douglas College press release. “This work will help guide future separated storm systems as well as mimic the environmental function of streams and watersheds that pre-date development,” McEvoy said in the press release. Photo by Analyn Cuarto would lower prices for SeaBus trips, shorter two or three-zone SkyTrain trips, and short SkyTrain trips across current zone boundaries but raise prices for longer SkyTrain rides. The second option would lower most short trip pricing while raising the price of trips over five kilometers. Updating pricing will also affect how riders calculate their fares, so the review also addresses options for fare products, particularly with frequent riders in mind, as well as expanding fare discounts to low-income citizens. TransLink is urging anyone who is interested in sharing their ideas and opinions to go to the discussion forum located on their website. The deadline to give feedback to the survey is December 8.