6
Pay
parking

Pays
off

here are valid reasons for pay
parking to be implemented
along Fraser Street, but
concerns raised
by small business
owners should
not be ignored.
In 2019, the
City of Vancou-
ver, with support
of the South Hill
Business Asso-
ciation, dissolved

THEVOICE |

OPINION

the South Fraser ~ KRISTEN _
Street Collective HOLLIDAY

Parking Project.

For 60 years, this

project ensured 260 free parking
spots along Fraser Street, between
43rd and 49th avenues. According
to a City of Vancouver report, free
parking cost neighbourhood busi-
nesses over $300,000 in annual fees.

According to the business associa-
tion, it was difficult for patrons to
find places to park.

Implementing pay parking is a
strategy to reduce the number of
vehicles in the area, and to ensure
steady turnover of cars that park
along the street.

In 2013, a report was published
by IBI Group and Nelson Nygaard,
two urban planning companies,
for TransLink’s Regional Trans-
portation Strategy. The report said
free parking increases neighbour-
hood traffic congestion and is tied
to increased vehicle ownership and
increased vehicle use.

Driving impacts the rate of climate
change and environmental damage.
In Vancouver, there are alternatives
for transportation. South Fraser is
rated as a highly walkable area, with
high bike and transit scores, accord-
ing to walkscore.com. When alter-
natives are available, it’s a healthy
and forward-thinking decision to
encourage other ways of commuting.

The urban planning report also
emphasized that space and main-
tenance for parking isn’t free. Why
shouldn't drivers contribute to the
cost of the assets they use most
often?

All this being said, rising prop-
erty taxes and redevelopment have
already negatively affected small
businesses. In light of this, the city
should be open to altering the rate or
type of parking management system
especially if business owners consis-
tently report a loss of customers.

THURSDAY, FEB. 13,2020 |

EDITOR KRISTEN HOLLIDAY

Viewpoints

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Look KID, WEVE SURVIVED SARS,
ANTHRAX, BIRD FLU SWINE FLU,
MAD cow DISEASE ,ANR EBoLA...
T THNK You BE ALRIGHT.

LANGARA SAFETY
ApvisoRey

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control said the risk of contracting COVID-19 in B.C. is low, but some students are still concerned. /1/.USTRATION BY JACOB HOHEISEL

Led by panic, not passion

he idea of young people

pursuing environmental

studies seems wonder-

ful but this betrays a sad
reality. The danger stemming from
climate change is forcing young
people to make life choices out of
fear, not necessarily out of true
passion or interest.

The action and initiative that
young people are taking against
climate change is inspirational and
unprecedented. But the reality is
that environmentalism has become
increasingly popular because we
don’t really have another choice.

According to a National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration
study, 2019 was the second-warmest
year on record, with nine of the 10
warmest years
having occurred
since 2005.
If tempera-
tures continue
to increase
on a global
scale there will
be changes
felt locally.
This includes
coastal erosion,
an increase
in wildfires

“OPINION

SAFOURA
RIGI-LADIZ

and insect outbreaks and diseases,
according to the Canadian Public
Health Association.

At this point, none of this is really
a surprise to anyone. Some young
people, myself included, are pledg-
ing to not have children due to the
severity of the climate emergency.
This illustrates the bitter truth of
climate change action.

Langara’s Canadian Studies coor-
dinator and biologist Frank Williams
is right when he says that the
increase of environmental depression
is asad outcome of the reality of just
how severe the climate emergency
is. Max Keller is a Langara student

who chose to enrol in environmental
studies because he feels “existential
terror” due to climate change. Most
young people can relate to this anxi-
ety, environmental majors and others
alike.

In a perfect world, environmen-
tal studies shouldn't be a career path
to pursue out of fear and uncer-
tainty of the planet’s capacity to
host humans. Instead, it should be a
career to pursue out of genuine inter-
est, like all other majors. Pursuing a
career out of fear adds another layer
of unhealthy anxiety.

Unfortunately, this feeling is only
becoming more widespread.

Current risk low but

oronavirus, now named
COVID-19, is dominat-
ing the headlines. People

are nervous and at times fearful of
the potential for disease outbreak
in Canada. However, the anxi-
ety surrounding the issue may be a
bigger problem.

At Langara, the fear is as much
about missing class due to illness,
and the impact this can have on a

19 virus seem to be similar, if not the
same, to that of the worry of catch-
ing the flu.

Stress causes
sleeping issues
and trouble focus-
ing, and the threat
of a major illness
sweeping any
place, be it a coun-
try or a college,

OPINION

virus fear spreading

website, there have only been seven
cases of COVID-19 confirmed in
the country, as of The Voice’s publica-
tion date. Three cases are in Ontario
and four are in B.C. The probabil-
ity that the virus could be infecting
as many people in Canada as it has
abroad is still very low. To panic at
this stage would be wildly irrational.
Many major health organizations are
monitoring the spread of the disease,

necessary as some may believe.

Langara is following suit with
most post-secondary institutions by
suggesting practical ways of limiting
the spread of disease.

This includes washing your hands,
practising proper sneezing etiquette
(sneeze into your elbow, not your
hands) and taking a break from
classes if you're feeling sick.

So please wash your hands and

Ultimately, it’s important for allto | semester. Anyone who has caught can be terrifying. and the status of anyone infected. take a few days off if you're not feel-
be open to change. It’s uncomfort- | the flu during the school year can According —W__ Still, many students have been ing 100 per cent, but don’t panic.
able now, but in time, it may just be | attest to the stress this causes. The to the Govern- LUCAS wearing face masks, and while this This probably isn’t the beginning
the new normal. feelings surrounding the COVID- ment of Canada’s J ORNITZ does limit the spread, it is not as _ of the end.

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