news // no. 4

North Vancouver begins legalizing public drinking

» New bylaw passed in North Vancouver

Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor

V2rcouventtes can look forward to a big change; the City of North Vancouver passed a bylaw legalizing public drinking in some designated parks. The bylaw was passed on June 1 and has been in effect as of June 22.

As Vancouverites’ social pressure with loneliness and isolation during COVID-19 continues, the news comes as a response to the pandemic as the council aims to make life a little easier in these trying times. “We all want to live in a connected, vibrant, and inclusive community,’ said Mayor Linda Buchanan ina press release.

The passing of this bylaw means that the City of North Vancouver is the first municipality in BC to legalize drinking in specified public outdoor areas.

Vancouver has had a reputation for being a “No Fun City” for years. Vancouver Councilor Pete Fry had recently pushed a motion to legalize public drinking to no avail. The Council vote ended ina 5 to 5 tie; however, the motion required a majority vote to move forward. This, once again, opened wide discussion on the ethics and safety issues concerning liquor and public

drinking, while also reinstating the “no fun”

reputation of the city.

“I don't see Vancouver being a no fun city. I believe that there is so much one can do in the city especially in the

downtown Vancouver area, ” Douglas College student Jozae Martinez said. “I think it’s fine with the new law because I’ve seen cops waste so much time giving out tickets for people drinking in public when they can do better things.”

On the issues concerning irresponsible drinking, Martinez said, “T wouldn't trust college students or teenagers, but I feel like the older adults

can be trusted more. Usually when I see people get tickets for drinking in public it’s always the younger groups of adults. lam for the new law of public drinking only because my friends and I can finally have a few cold ones on the beach, but then at the same time I’m not because all I can think about is all the rowdy teens and young adults acting out in public.”

The new bylaw is in effect from June 22 through October 15 as a pilot program. The bylaw allows public drinking from u am through 9 pm on all seven days of the

theotherpress.ca

Photo by Billy Bui

week at the following locations:

+ *Waterfront Park (north and south of the train tracks, excluding the playground) *Victoria Park (west)

*Mahon Park (behind Fen Burdett bleachers)

*Civic Plaza

*Grand Boulevard (13th St. to 19th St.) *Ray Perrault Park (north west corner) *Kings Mill Walk Park (Harbourside Pl. to Fell Ave.)

‘Shipbuilders Square at The Shipyards *Cates Deck at The Shipyards

Canada loses in its bid for a United Nations Security Council seat

» Trudeau's high-profile bid fails

Craig Allan Staff Writer

I 2010, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada failed to garner Canada a non-permanent residency in the UN Security Council for the next 10 years. The seat, which allows Canada

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to be on the front lines for maintaining world security through the UN body, is given on a two-year term basis. It has been occupied by Canada six different times; one for every full decade that the UN had existed. It was viewed as an indoctrination of Canada’s failure on the international affairs under Prime Minister Harper by

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Canada not only failed to get a seat, they also got fewer votes this time than back in 2010

the opposition Liberals. 10 years after that defeat, it is now the Liberals who are feeling the same sting of failure, as Canada will once again be shut out of a seat on the Security Council for the next 10 years.

When the Liberals were elected in 2015 under Justin Trudeau, they vowed to fix the damage the Stephen Harper's Conservative party had done to Canada on the international stage. However, the Liberals were starting behind in the race fora seat, as they started campaigning fora seat in 2016, six years behind Ireland and Norway’s bids were announced. This combined with the fact that last minute politicking in person was out the window due to COVID-19 and the Wet’suwent’en protests earlier in the year. Ireland and Norway both won seats on the council. Canada not only failed to get a seat, they also got fewer votes this time than back in 2010; they did not even get out of the first voting round. It was determined that this was going to be a tighter race than the one in 2010, but that will likely not quell critics of Trudeau's government in regards to the Liberal’s international policies.

The criticisms of Canada’s international policy have centered around foreign aid and peacekeeping. Canada’s foreign aid has been half of what Norway’s

is, which is notable because Canada’s population is nearly 38 million, to Norway's 5 million. As for peacekeeping, Canada currently has fewer dedicated peacekeeping soldiers out in the world now than it has had in 60 years, and this statistic matters to the UN.

For Trudeau this is especially damaging. This no doubt looks bad on him, and with Trudeau still trying to get over the backlash he had in regards to his disastrous India trip in 2018, this will likely add another failure to his international record.

What may be the most damaging for Trudeau is the fact that in order to curry favour from nations Trudeau had to sacrifice Canada core beliefs to get the vote of some nations. Such as the African nation of Senegal. Trudeau was able to get Senegal’s vote, but many criticized Trudeau for not calling out Senegal’s ban on homosexuality.

Canada will now have to plan when it will next campaign to win a seat at the table; regardless of when Canada wins a seat again, it will have remained absent from one of the biggest organizations on the world stage for more than two decades. Until then, Canada is on the outside looking in.