Letter from the Editor:

The return of hockey:

Confessions of a non-fan

woke up this morning to a flood of news that is

usually reserved for natural disasters or the death
of a mega-celebrity: NHL hockey is back. So...this is
a good thing, right?

Look, I’m not really a sports person; while
I appreciate that many of you are super excited
about watching the Canucks play this spring, I can’t
help but feel left out because “hockey being back”
brings me about as much excitement as a trip to the
gynecologist.

I know that this is Vancouver and that loving
hockey (or at least, like, understanding the basic
rules of it) is supposed to be something of a
given. But, I don’t. To me, professional hockey is
a confusing thing that rich people do to get richer.
It’s expensive to go to the games, it’s super time-
consuming to try to thoroughly follow, and it’s has
been the catalyst of two highly destructive riots in
our city within my lifetime (I know you can’t blame
the game for the actions of rioters, but losing hockey
games does seem to spark something weird in
Vancouver, no?).

Don’t hate me, Vancouver! Maybe it’s my
brother’s fault: I can’t tell you how many hours of
my childhood were spent watching his minor hockey
practices and games—but I can tell you that I now
have a physical aversion to the aroma of sweaty
hockey pads and the sight of an ice rink makes
me want to curl into the fetal position to fend off
memories of the (literally!) bone-chilling boredom
and cold.

In any case, while the NHL may not be my cup
of tea, I get that if you’re a fan, this is a happy time
for you, and I wish you the best. While I might not
watch or understand the game, I do appreciate that
some sticks and pucks and ice have the ability to
magically bring all sorts of people together under
the common goal of, well, goals. So, when the games
start, I’ll join ya'll at the bar—just know that Ill only
be there for the beer and socializing. Save your stats
for the next girl.

~ Sharon Miki

 

www.theotherpress.ca

News.

 

HAPPY FUCKING NEW YEAR

ADULT ONE ZONE

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rRaNs/AINK

05979538 -9

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TransLink increases fares for 2013

New rate set to
compensate for inflation

By Keating Smith,
Staff Writer

Ms Vancouver

public transit users
will now have to pay more
to use all forms of public
transportation, as TransLink
increased fares by 10 per
cent on January 1 in order
to keep up with inflation
costs. The fare increases
were approved in 2009 as
part of TransLink’s Funding

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fare increase, according to
TransLink communications
officer Drew Snider.

Under provincially
legislated guidelines,
TransLink is allowed to
increase fares to meet
inflation and operation
costs by roughly two per
cent each fiscal year. 2010
was the last time TransLink
increased transit fares and
this is this first across-the-
board increase since 2008.
Roughly one third or $400
million of TransLink’s
revenue comes from transit
fares each year. With the
installment of the new fare

two per cent each fiscal year.

Stabilization Plan and
according to officials, the
increases will not be paying
for new services but services
and infrastructure already
being operated by the
transportation authority.
The cost of the new No.
555 rapid bus line across
the Port Mann Bridge
connecting North Langley
to Braid SkyTrain station,
current construction on the
Evergreen Line, and the new
Compass card/ fare gate
project are not part of the

gates at all SkyTrain stations
and Compass card payment
system, scheduled to be

up and running towards

the end of this year, fare
evasion on all modes of
transit will be more difficult
for riders and will mean
more captured revenue for
TransLink.

With ridership in Metro
Vancouver up 80 per cent
over the last decade and a
reported 233 million rides
on transit alone last year,
expansion of transit services

and infrastructure is simply
not keeping up with the
influx in ridership.

TransLink also recently
released data that shows
their fare enforcement
initiative enacted last fall
has shown that although
fare checks have increased,
infractions have decreased.
In 2011, Transit Police
and SkyTrain security did
427,073 fare checks yielding
9,221 violation tickets. In
2012, 586,129 fare checks
resulted in 8,898 bylaw
infractions.

Many people are also
expressing concerns of

Under provincially legislated guidelines, TransLink is allowed to
increase fares to meet inflation and operation costs by roughly

just how feasible riding
public transportation in
the Lower Mainland is
becoming, criticizing the
rise in costs as a potential
consequence that may see
a lot of residents using
their vehicles to commute
instead. TransLink, along
with Toronto’s TTC and
Montreal’s STM, have all
lobbied Ottawa for a $1
billion handout in order to
keep up with the rising costs
of inflation to their transit
systems over the past year.

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