news // 4 RCMP presence on Wreck Beach this summer Angela Espinoza News Editor Minews @theotherpress.ca A s of May19, RCMP officers ave committed to placing a temporary tent each day on Wreck Beach this summer until Labour Day (September 1). Wreck Beach, known pop- ularly as BC’s nude beach, has a long-standing history with public alcohol and drug use. Located near UBC down a 465-step staircase ona tree-covered cliffside, the Wreck : Beach area is more secluded than Vancouver's many other beach areas. The location has thus been cause for anumber of police calls over the years, as the seclusion of the area has made beachside alcohol and drug sales more rampant. Back in January, Alana Thomson was arrested for frequently selling However, UBC RCMP Sgt. Drew Grainger has publicly stated that the RCMP’s main concern is not hunting down folks like Thomson. Rather, the RCMP’s presence appears to be based on halting public sexual activity and aiding individuals who may be too inebriated to : make it back up the staircase. “There’s about 465 stairs : to that beach, and that’s really : the only point of access unless : you come in from the water,” : Grainger told the National : Post back in May. In regards : to being notified of inebriated : beach goers via emergency alcoholic “freezies” on the beach. : calls in the past, Grainger : said, “It’s an enormous burden : on us and other emergency : services to deal with that.” Ina sense, the RCMP : tent, which will house two : RCMP officers each day, can : be viewed as filling more of a : “lifeguard” role. The goal is : not to create an intimidating : presence on the beach. “It’s not : going to be the arms crossed, : sunglasses on, overlooking : the crowd,” said Grainger. the past, the RCMP has had to : rely on the coastguard to deal : with issues such as heavily : intoxicated beach-goers. “It’s an ; enormous burden on taxpayers : to have to activate those types : of resources for something : as simple as aman or woman : who’s had too much to drink or smoke,” Grainger told CBC. Grainger stated that in In addition, Grainger : know drugs and alcohol will : be sold on the beach no matter : how heavy-handed we are. The : idea is to proactively enhance : our presence on the beach [...] If : it gets to the point where youre : risking yourself or putting : others at risk, we will move in.” Despite Grainger’s state- ments though, many of Wreck : Beach’s frequent patrons have : voiced concern over the RCMP’s : presence. In response, Judy : Williams, chair of the Wreck : Beach Preservation Society, : spoke to both the National : Post and the Province as well. : informed the Province that, “We : theotherpress.ca : anon-verbal message that our : beach is unsafe, and our beach is : more safe than any other beach : in this whole Lower Mainland,” : Williams told the National Post. Williams also stated to : the Province, “We have a good : relationship with the police, : but we disagree on this.” The National Post and the : Province have also published : editorials on the subject. The : Province’s editorial states, : “The whole RCMP tent is a : poor use of resources. Wreck : Beachisa little slice of count- : er-culture escapism from the : rest of the authoritarian world. : Putting a bunch of cops down : there will ruin the mood.” The National Post’s editorial : states, “I have no doubt that Sgt. : Grainger is accurately convey- : ing the difficulty of hauling a : drunken person up the equiva- : lent of'a small office tower, and : [can sympathize with wanting : to avoid the effort, but making : life easier for officers is not : generally a sufficient reason for : establishing a semi-permanent : police presence in a community. ” Whether the Wreck Beach community will accept the UBC : RCMP tent will have to be seen , . : : as the summer months progress. ‘A continued presence gives ! DSU representatives attend legislature, defend ESL programs » Reps debate BC’s controversial elimination of ESL programs Angela Espinoza News Editor M4 news @theotherpress.ca n May 28, representatives from the DSU, Douglas College staff, and EASL students attended the legislature for question period in Victoria to discuss BC’s recent issues with ESL programs. Vancouver Community College is the most recent BC school to eliminate its ESL program (as of December 2014), one of the largest in Canada, which happened on May 30. “As representatives for students who will be directly affected by these cuts to fund- ing, we felt we needed to show as much support as we could,” said Greg Teuling, member-at- large for the DSU. “[Douglas : College relations and outreach : coordinator] Tracy Ho received : an invitation from Jane Shin, : MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed, : for the DSU to attend question : period at the legislature as her : guests. Tracy Ho, [internal : relations coordinator] Lorna : Howat, [women’s liaison] : Anni Thiele, [college relations coordinator] Ruab Waraich, ; and myself all volunteered to : attend accompanied by one of : the speakers from the earlier [representative] meeting.” In 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada decided : to dismiss the Canada-BC : Immigration Agreement as of : 2014, meaning that ESL pro- grams in post-secondary institu- : : tions would no longer continue. : Douglas College offers an EASL : program in place of ESL, as EASL : ; programs are not dependent on : government funding., and can : the provincial government steps : up and funds these ESL pro- : grams, if the federal government : : isn’t willing to,” says Teuling. “Canada prides itself on being a ; country that is open and accept- : ing to new citizens, and without ; the ESL programs that legacy : will be in jeopardy. The amount : of funding these programs : require is a drop in the bucket : for the provincial budget and the : : effect these programs have on : people’s lives is immeasurable.” that he and his fellow reps had : to wait until after legislature to : get discussion on the topic of : little to no productive conver- : sation during question period,” : our group met with MLAs in : aboard room, we were able to : thus continue despite the ruling. ! : : and share stories about how the : ESL program helps empower : people in our society. “Ideally I would hope that However, Teuling states ESL programs going. “There was says Teuling. “Afterwards, as engage in great conversations “They shared our frus- : tration that without these : programs, many new Canadian : citizens will have difficulty : being included in Canadian : culture, have trouble accessing : job opportunities, and many : may not even be aware of : their rights, as was evident in the migrant worker problem : recently discovered in Victoria.” Likely recent Canadian : immigrants will be hit the : hardest by these program : cuts. EASL programs are one : of the few alternatives, greatly : affecting potential students’ : decisions on which post-second- : ary institutions they’l] attend. “To be able to represent our : students at Douglas College in : the legislature was an amazing : honour,” says Teuling. “We : were also joined by a group of : ESLstudents from Camosun : College in Victoria along with : the Camosun College Student : Society and some of the teachers : from their ESL program as well. : After a rather heated question : period we had an opportunity : to meet many MLAs that form : the opposition. They heard : and shared our concerns, [but] : it was disappointing that the : current government did not : send anyone to speak with us,” “The battle for long-term : commitments for the funding : of ESL programs is long from : over. We need to keep dis- : cussing how important these : programs are and I strongly : encourage every student to : keep up the momentum. Write : your local MLAs, share your : stories, share your concerns.”