q & SPOTLIGHT: Jai Hind (Long Live India)! Find refuge at RainCity ¥ Atime for Metro Vancouver to remember And more! Will the Brunette interchange see dramatic changes? > New Westminster sees rising ventures Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter M etro Vancouver's roads hope to take a turn for the better with their BC on the Move initiative, the 10-year plan proposed by the provincial government to improve how citizens get from point A to point B. The latest project being dealt with is the Brunette interchange area. According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, reported by Tri-City News, over 60,000 vehicles pass through every day. Multiple concerns have been raised by residents in the local area regarding accessibility to the local hospital. “Improving the Brunette overpass is critical for moving people and goods in this area and for emergency vehicles trying to get to and from Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH),” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone in a recent press release. “Right now, this interchange is often a bottleneck on the Highway 1 corridor through Metro Vancouver, especially at peak times. We are ready to get working on a revamp to break the bottleneck and get traffic moving again, and will continue to work closely with New Westminster and Coquitlam on plans moving forward.” On top of the overwhelming need for an effective route to RCH—especially for those in time-sensitive situations— the traffic that is caused during rush hours is unbearable for many. The provincial government hopes to ease concerns by providing three routes they could take to diminish congestion. Option A will see Highway 1 crossing with separated corridors: four lanes for regional and provincial traffic, and two lanes for local traffic. Option B will extend Blue Mountain Street over Highway 1, connect it with United Boulevard and have it become the primary route to the highway. Option C will replace the connection between Brunette Avenue and United Boulevard with a two lane tunnel under the Brunette River, connecting Blue Mountain Street to Columbia Street. Recently, two open houses confirmed the estimated price tags for each project: Option A at $530 million, Option B at $510 million, Option C at $620 million. A final open house is planned for early December, with more details being released closer to the event. “We are definitely taking the approach that this discussion provides an opportunity for us to create something that is better than the existing situation and help alleviate some of the transportation challenges we face here in New Westminster, but i ” also on the Coquitlam side of things, said Mayor Jonathan Cote to the New Westminster Record. “We are certainly very happy to be engaged in this discussion and hoping to find a solution, but we also want to caution that we need to protect community livability and the neighbourhoods that will be most ee COQUITAR Image via glaciermedia.ca impacted by this type of a transportation infrastructure project. | think it’s important for residents across the city, particularly residents in the Sapperton neighbourhood, to pay close attention to this and have a good look. I think their input is definitely going to be important in this process.” DCBA hosts CPA and ACAF Information session > Opportunities in accounting and finance Carlos Bilan Staff Writer n November 8, the Douglas College Business Association (DCBA) will hold the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) and Advanced Certificate in Accounting and Finance (ACAF) Information Session in room Ni200 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. The event will feature special guest speaker Stephanie Snowden—Business Development Assistant at CPABC—who will be discussing the CPA and ACAF designations. There will also be MNP representatives in attendance, including Joan Wild, CPHR, RPR (Human Capital Advisor/Manager); and Douglas College alumni Damian Craig, CPA; Tyler Cordero, CPA student (Writer); and Karen Ramage, CPA student (Writer). DCBA President Milan Sagar, Treasurer Ahmad Sayeedi, and Neil Calder are spearheading the event. “The goal is to inform accounting and/or finance students of the different career opportunities available to them, as a majority of students want to become CPAs. The ACAF is a Certificate Program being introduced to students at Douglas College in 2017, and gives students another option in the accounting/ finance industry,” said Sagar, who is in the BBA Accounting Degree Program. “Being one of two CPA Campus Ambassadors for Douglas College, I didn’t know Stephanie personally but used my role as a CPA Campus Ambassador and DCBA President to reach out to CPABC to come speak at the event. CPABC is DCBA’s premier sponsor and their support has been amazing these past few years—we'e really excited for Stephanie’s first visit to Douglas College,” he said. Sayeedi, a third year student in the BBA Accounting program, said, “After [...] attending the Fall Recruit this past September, | noticed very few [...] students participating, even though we have an accounting program. Having gone through the interview processes, I believe I have a better understanding of how the accounting firms want to recruit new graduates and what they are looking for.” Calder spoke to his hopes about the program. “I am planning to enrol in the CPA program. I wanted to play a more active role in giving students the opportunity to learn more about the CPA designation and to meet industry professionals who can talk first-hand about being enrolled in the program.” Sayeedi highlighted time management as a challenge in organizing, promoting, and coordinating the event with other involved parties. Another was the hasty addition of the discussion on the ACAF program. “Once you become a CPAD, doors open for you. Not only will Stephanie talk about CPA, but the ACAF presentation will be helpful to so many students, and open up so many more doors for domestic and international students,” said Sagar. “The attendees will be able to get accurate information regarding CPA and ACAF designations directly from the CPA representative we have invited. There will be an opportunity to network. For those who are pursuing or interested in an accounting career, it will paint a picture of what’s expected of them when they finally graduate,” Sayeedi said. Calder agreed that the event is a great opportunity. “Building strong relationships between Douglas College, CPABC, and MNP benefits all those involved and creates an opportunity for students to really hit the ground running when they graduate,” he said. Sagar advised those attending the networking event to come early to get food and avoid registration line-ups. Students should dress business casual or business formal, come in with an open mind, and bring questions to ask during the Q-and-A session. “The MNP Representatives will definitely remember you if your questions are engaging and provoking—and CPABC will definitely love you! Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone,” he said.