Next stop: Phase One

> TransLink Board votes to approve plan

Mercedes Deutscher
News Editor

 

Px Fassbender, the Minister

of Community, Sport, and

Cultural Development, announced

on November 23 that the TransLink
Board of Directors and Mayors’ Council
voted in approval of the first phase

of TransLink’s Ten-Year Vision.

“T would like to congratulate
the Mayors’ Council and TransLink
on its hard work and collaboration
in developing a comprehensive
Investment Plan that now allows
the region to move forward on these
important Phase One transit projects,”
Fassbender said in a press release.

The first stage of the plan will be
to increase bus service (such as adding
new bus routes and increasing service
on existing routes), and improve the
frequency of HandyDart, SkyTrain,
Seabus, and West Coast Express services.
Renovations and improvements will also
be made to exchanges. Outside of the
public transportation networks, TransLink
will also be making improvements to
pedestrian and cycling pathways.

The plan is expected to be put
into motion in January, with $246
million worth of funding coming
from the provincial government,
and additional $370 million worth of
funding from the federal government,
and $1.3 billion from TransLink.

Additional funding for future projects
will be coming from homeowners, who
will be taxed approximately $3 annually.
Those who use TransLink can also expect
to see fare increases in the near future.

However, mayors are concerned that
some of the required funding sources
have not yet been confirmed, and that
this may lead to delays in the plan.

Discussions surrounding Phase
Two—which will introduce new rapid
transit options, like the Broadway
Corridor and Surrey-Langley, and
replace the Patullo Bridge—will be

 

taking place in 2017, with hopes to
get the next phase started in 2018.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us in
the next few months,” said Mayor Gregor
Robertson to the Vancouver Sun in regards
to the next phase of the plan. “We need to
see a commitment from the provincial and
federal government for the big piece of the
plan. Those big projects need to be funded
in the next phase and the next couple of
months is when that needs to happen.”

While it remains to be seen how
much the federal and provincial
governments will be contributing towards

Students say healthy eating 1s
too expensive, inaccessible

> Socio-economic factors that lead to unbalanced diet

Tyler Main
The Aquinian

 

he common myth that ramen
noodles make up the bulk of
students’ diets may be true after all.

Meal Exchange, a non-profit
organization seeking to “eradicate hunger
in Canada,” published a study which
stated nearly half of all post-secondary
students have limited or inadequate
access to food due to low finances.

Over half of the students who
completed the survey stated they
skip buying healthy foods in order
to afford shelter and tuition.

Sarah Copper, a third-year
student at St. Thomas University, is
not shocked by these findings.

“Because food is extremely
expensive,” said Copper.

Copper said she doesn’t always know
what she is going to eat each week, and
works hard to form a budget including
necessities like tuition, rent, and food.

Copper, like many other students,
purchases fast food from on-campus
restaurants like Subway. She said she feels
guilty each time she buys a sandwich
because of the money she spends on it.

However, she said when a student
forgets their lunch or has to stay on
campus all day because of classes,

fast food can become alluring.

“It’s so seductive,” Copper said.

Michelle Lajoie, a registered dietitian
who works for Loblaws, said she sees this
all the time. She meets with students
who are looking for quick and easy
meals, but also those who do not know
how to budget or which foods to buy.

She often meets with students
who are living on their own for the
first time, and sees them opting to
eat junk food instead of vegetables.

“Many students are not skilled
at [...] cooking bigger meals,
such as chicken,” Lajoie said.

She speculates this could be the
biggest reason why students lean
towards unhealthy food items.

Anna Jackson, a registered dietitian
at the University of New Brunswick,
agrees that students do not know
how to cook large meals, but she
believes money plays a bigger part
in why students don’t eat healthy.

“Most just don't have the time to work
while going to school,” Jackson said.

She said that another problem is
when students who live on campus have
access to all-you-can-eat buffets where
burgers, pizza, and garlic fingers are
readily available, and the healthy choices
are pushed into the background.

Emily O’Hearn, a third-year

pe
Oe Par

 

student at St. Thomas University, said
she hates having to purchase a meal
plan because she lives in residence.

“The food is icky, and there isn’t
much for healthy food,” she said.

O’Hearn said even though she doesn't
like the meal plan, she does not have the
finances or the time to cook a wholesome
meal. Instead, O’Hearn orders pizza and

Photograph by Analyn Cuarto

Phase Two, some are speculating that
mobility pricing—which would charge
motorists a toll to cross into major
and busy areas—may be implimented.
However, mobility pricing remains a
problematic issue. For one, the provincial
government would need to approve it.
Whether or not that occurs before the
provincial election in May remains to
be seen. Potentially, the government
may hand the decision to BC voters
through a referendum, similar to the
transportation plebiscite in 2015.

Image via nationalgeographic.com

\

cooks Mr. Noodles when she doesn’t
want to step foot in the school cafeteria.

Lajoie said the best way to start
eating healthy is to buy items when they
are on sale, take advantage of student
deal days at supermarkets, avoid eating
fast food, and, most importantly, take
time out of the day to cook meals.