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Career Exploration Fair a success Douglas College students discover job opportunities

By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer

n March 5 and 7, amid a whirlwind of pamphlets, tables, and students,

the Career Exploration Fair was held at Douglas College’s New Westminster campus and David Lam campus, respectively. At

the fair, students were given the opportunity to learn about the various careers available to them while partaking in popcorn and the chance to win free tuition.

The 22"¢ Annual Douglas College Career Exploration Fair was attended by all sorts of organizations. There was a little something for everyone. From law enforcement and security, there were, among others, the Vancouver Police Department and Paladin Security. A few of the financial groups on hand included the Certified General Accountants of BC, Sun Life Financial, and World Financial Group. Other notables

included Vancouver Coastal Health, St. John’s Ambulance, and the YMCA of Greater Vancouver.

Many of the professional attendees were looking to hire, and there were also several who were offering more specialized education. Co-op opportunities were up for grabs as well as a few summer employment positions. The fair offered a veritable variety of career options to students.

The Douglas College Alumni Association, which serves “to promote the highest standards of academic education, training, development, scholarship and continuing education for students and graduates of Douglas College,” held the Career Fair.

“About 70 per cent of the organizations that I spoke with were in need of Douglas grads,” stated Alumni Relations Coordinator, Andrew Senjack. “The Career Fair helps you explore your options.”

A fairly constant stream of students made their way throughout the fair area, and there was a generally positive consensus among the student population. “It’s a good way to see what's actually available to me, as opposed to hypothetical scenarios,” commented one Douglas College student. “I’m not looking for a job right now, but it gives me that much more incentive to finish up

my schooling.”

Others however, seemed to be there just for a good time, “I just saw that there was popcorn,” remarked an unnamed student.

In a world where employers are increasingly picky about whom they hire, it was evident that this was a room in where Douglas College students were in high demand.

TransLink continues upgrading infrastructure

Construction affecting many stations

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By Dylan Hackett, News Editor

t SkyTrain stations across Metro Aven major construction

is underway to accommodate the new gate entry, electronic card-based fare system, “Compass.” The system is

modeled after many major transit systems worldwide and functions much like the

with the introduction of the proposed

Evergreen Line within the next few years

adding millions of more SkyTrain riders annually,” stated the initial business case for the new faregates.

Construction for the Evergreen Line, which will be equipped with “Compass” electronic fare gates upon opening in the summer of 2016, is starting

“The Evergreen Line includes a terminus stop at David Lam campus, accompanying the currently under construction Douglas-centred New

Westminster station on the Expo-Millennium Line.”

famous London “Oyster” card system where transit users tap their magnetic, wallet-friendly fare cards at entry points and tap off at exit. The gate system then calculates the amount of fare zones traveled and charges the user accordingly. This will null the use of the current paper transfer passes, effective in 2013. The new “Compass” cards also boast the feature of being capable of fare recharges via online and phone updating.

The electronic fare gate project was first proposed in 2009, and in the initial business case released to the public, stated that it was the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the increase in ridership expected to result from future development of SkyTrain routes.

“With the opening of the Canada Line in August 2009, SkyTrain patronage is expected to experience further increases surpassing a combined total of more than 100 million boardings in 2010. This growth in transit ridership, and particularly SkyTrain ridership, is expected to continue

underway this year. Last week, the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announced the posting of the private contracting proposal for the necessary widening of the Burquitlam portion of North Road, the oldest road in the Lower Mainland.

On the issue of the North Road construction, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Blair Lekstorm said, “We are making progress with the Evergreen Line and the widening of North Road will keep us on schedule.

We are working to minimize the impact

of construction on local residents and businesses by keeping them well informed of any potential disruptions ahead of time.”

The Evergreen Line includes a terminus stop at David Lam campus, accompanying the currently under construction Douglas- centred New Westminster station on the Expo-Millennium Line. This will also provide easier cross-campus access for students and staff, and, in most cases, will cut the current 50-minute commute in half.

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