n the eighth of October, our rugby team sponsored a pub ight on the third floor of the Btudent Society Building that ept the college rocking all ight long. Liquor prices were taggeringly low and were just he right price for our starving tudent population. The sound ystem in the Student Society Building is really powerful and berfect for college crowds. Keith Cavie, the rugby team’s president, said that the dollar ARY VALLIS ICTORIA (CUP) — A recent bcuffle between a group of omeless people, their dogs, and focal law enforcers has heightened oncerns aboubylteiuse of pepper pray by authorities. Municipal bylaw enforcers used bepper spray earlier this month luring a scuffle with about 20 omeless people and their dogs bver the impoundment of one of he dogs in the city’s Centennial bquare. The incident began when two nforcement officers found about ive dogs to be in violation of city bylaws, says Miles Drew, chief bylaw enforcement officer of the apital Regional District. When one of the officers moved in to impound one of the logs, a man attacked a police bfficer from behind, Drew says. Dne of the officers then drew his bepper spray as he was swarmed” by the group, spraying em slightly in self-defense. “There was no pepper used on dog, and there was no pepper sed to distract the owner while e took the dog,” said Drew. [But the officers] used reason- ble force to protect themselves.” In the end, one dog was pounded. But the Society for Prevention or Cruelty to Animals says the og may in fact have been pepper prayed. “The dog was obviously agitat- d, arid it suffered from some [of he} effects from being pepper prayed,” said Lynn West, execu- ve director of the society. Mike Yeager, a media relations fficer with Victoria Police, says epper spray can travel through e air quickly and can affect ani- als and people that weren't irectly targeted. Charges were being pursued in onnection with the Oct. 6 inci- ent, he added. The scuffle has raised concerns bout whether the enforcement fficers are targeting the homeless d whether they should be carry- will help the rugby team get to Ottawa, Quebec City and Montreal in the upcoming semester. He also said that the team might fly over to Europe next year if they raise enough money. These parties occur every Thursday, hosted by different Douglas College sports teams. They take place either in the Student Society Building or at Club Mardi gras on Seventh Street. Support our athletic department by drinking without cease! ing pepper spray. Drew says the bylaw enforce- ment officers carry pepper spray Fall elections The Fall 1998 DCSS elections are going on this week. Here are the nominations: Treasurer Darryl Flasch Athletics Representative Andrew Harrison Kelli Semple Business Representative Jack Shehadeh David Lam Representative Ivy Fong Developmental Studies Representative Peter MacDonald First Nations Representative Amanda Doran Maple Ridge Representative Helen Hamzavi-Targhani Representative for Students with Disabilities Jerry Laidlaw Social Services Representative Lilliana DiAntonio Terra Stonehouse Theatre Representative Daniel Goldberg Shane Azam University Transfer Representative Keith Cowie Denny Eddy Elliot Fox-Povey Salim Mitha Nichole Okum Sara Shamsuddin Omar Tapia Liebowitz suggestion follows a long list of new bylaws, including one that gives officers the right to ticket anyone “sitting, kneeling or lying” on the street. Fleck says she will pursue scuffle heightens concerns about pepper spray charges against the officers through the BC Civil Liberties Association. to defend them- selves against potentially harmful animals, But others won- der whether, by doing so, homeless people and their dogs are the ones being put at risk. West says that in the past year, she knows of four dogs that were impounded from the downtown core—all of which belonged to home- less people. She added the bylaw enforcement tactics used by the force are new. “Our society has provided a control service to 10 municipalities for over 20 years, and they've never had a need for pepper spray,’ she said. After the recent incident, Victoria Mayor Bob Cross spoke in favour of making downtown a “dog-free zone,” but denied allega- tions that the plan targets the home- less. “Everyone has the right to use public space with- out feeling intimi- dated or obstruct- ed,” he said. Sandra Fleck, a street outreach worker, says Cross is On a campaign to flush the home- less out of the downtown core. Cross’ dog ban Tw DOES IT MEAN To ME? THE NISGA'A TREATY Is private property on the table? — PeMCM CUB CMCelm rename meee Nir oem atte! uae Agreement and won't be on the table in any treaties the B.C. Government negotiates. Will my taxes go up to pay for this? B.C, taxpayers are only paying one fifth of the total cash cost — the rest will be paid for by all Canadians. Will the Nisga’a pay taxes just like me? YE The Nisga’a will be subject to all provincial and federal taxes and are the first aboriginal group in Canada to agree to give up their Indian Act tax exemptions. FoR YOUR COPY OF THE NisGa’A TREATY OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL: UU WU http://www.aaf.gov.bc.ca/aaf/ a BES COLUMBIA It’s important for all British Columbians to have the facts UT II rae