Trudeau meets with
premiers and First Nations
leaders about carbon tax

> Sustainability conference included First Minister’s Meeting

Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

 

LOBE 2016, a sustainable

business and energy
conference, took place from
March 1-3 at the Vancouver
Convention Centre. The

most prominent event was

the First Minister’s Meeting,

in which Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau met with

several indigenous leaders in

addition to the premiers of

all provinces and territories

to discuss climate change.
The meeting covered how

to address climate change as

a country in an attempt to

harmonize national measures on

ways to reduce carbon emissions.

Prominent announcements
of the meeting included budget
allocations of more than $125
million for sustainable industry
growth. Meanwhile, $75 million
will go towards The Federation
of Canadian Municipalities to
help climate change reduction
in communities. Another
$50 million will be spent “to
improve climate resilience in
design guides, and building
and infrastructure codes,”
according to Trudeau.

Solutions to reduce carbon
emissions in Canada included a
proposed national carbon tax.
This tax may take the form of a

single-payer increase, as is the
case in BC already; an emissions-
trading tax incentive that
provides economic incentives
for reducing carbon emissions;
or some combination of these.

In his opening speech at
the conference on March 2,
Trudeau discussed economic
growth in Canada while reducing
its overall carbon footprint.

“.. We must continue
to generate wealth from our
abundant natural resources
to fund this transition to a
low-carbon economy,” he
stated according to CityNews,
addressing the difficulty of
balancing economic and
environmental goals. “The
choice between pipelines and
wind turbines is a false one. We
need both to reach our goal.
And as we continue to ensure
there is a market for natural
resources, our deepening
commitment to a cleaner future
will be a valuable advantage.”

Evidently, all leaders are
hoping to move towards a
position where Canada is less
dependent on fossil fuels, but
the best way to determine that
outcome varies greatly. At this
rate, the focus is on finding
greener solutions that can
be agreed upon by all federal
and provincial leaders.

Brad Wall, the Premier of
Saskatchewan, has discouraged

any sort of increased price
or tax on carbon, and
heavily supports Canada’s
thriving oil/gas industry.

“We know that fossil
fuels will continue to be
burned around the world... Do
Canadians want to bea part
of meeting those fossil fuel
needs? ... If the answer to that
is yes, then we have to build
some pipelines,” Wall told
reporters at the conference.

Other leaders who
disapproved of a tax included
Yukon Premier Darrell
Pasloski and Manitoba
Premier Greg Selinger.

Pipelines continue to be
a controversial environmental
issue across Canada, particularly
in BC. Trudeau himself noted
in a following conference:
“We all know we have to get
beyond fossil fuels, but we
are simply not there yet...
There is little substitute for
sitting down together.”

Trudeau denied that
the Liberal government has
encouraged an increased use
of fossil fuels, and stated:
“Actually, what we're trying to
do is decrease consumption of
oil and gas. That’s where the
investments in renewables,
the investments in clean tech,
are such an important part of
our vision for the future.”

Image via www.metronews.ca

(¥Y The smaller, the better?

(¥ Lougheed area redevelopments met with speed

bumps

(¥Y The new face of TransLink

And more!

The smaller, the better?

> UBC’s nano suite aims to solve
affordable housing issue

Aaron Guillen
Staff Reporter

 

tudents have seen their
fair share of development
and growth within Metro
Vancouver, as construction
projects strive to improve
the old and build the
new. At UBC, that growth
is taking an interesting
route: smaller rooms.

Back in July 2015, UBC
officials set forth a pilot project
that aimed to encourage more
on-campus residencies, while
saving a couple dollars. The
“nano suite,’ priced between
$675 and $695 and no bigger
than a parking space, is their
solution. Upon entering the
room, a closet is on the student’s
left and a full bathroom on the
right. Just beyond the bathroom
stands a kitchenette, complete
witha sink, fridge, and stove,
and finally a large desk that can
be shifted into a bed.

By 2019, 70 units are
planned to be built in the Gage
South Student Residence atop
the UBC bus terminal. They will
be built around a new fitness
centre, new student union
building, restaurants, and shops.
Ideally, the spaces are meant for
upper level or master’s students
to take advantage of various on-
campus services nearby, while
providing a quiet hideaway for
any individual.

Since it’s unveiling at the
end of February, students have
provided mixed reviews.

“This is a really good price

for having a bed, a desk, a
mini-kitchen, and a bathroom,”
commented a student to a CTV
crew.

“If you're looking for
affordable housing on-campus,
this is a step in the right
direction,” another student
added.

“It’s kind of strange to not
have a table and a bed at the
same time. I’ve seen the prices
online, $675 a month. For not
a lot more you can get a better
room, which shares a kitchen
with three other people. I'd
much prefer those to these
[nano rooms],’ said economics
student Chun Lok Tse to the
Vancouver Sun.

“I really don't like the idea
that you have to pull down your
bed every time you want to work
or sleep, I think that is quite a
hassle. Also there isn’t much
storage space. Although you
have a kitchen and a bathroom,
as an international student, you
have suitcases, and you wouldn't
know where to put them,”
agreed Kennedee Fung, Tse’s
friend.

Understandably, although
there are many concerns
associated with the smaller
spaces, the pull of location ranks
high for many students. The
convenience of waking up 10
minutes before class is an asset.
Additionally, living local makes
friends, activities, and studying
breaks added bonuses.

Currently, a mock-build
for one of the 140 square-foot
spaces is available for viewing on
campus until April 1.

 

Open
space tor
stomps

 
 

Image via ubyssey.ca