2 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, FEB. 25, 2015 EDITOR KATHRYN WU Attacks not a South Van trend Random violent attacks are not typical of the neighbourhood, according to Vancouver police By JORDAN MACDONALD area are not indicative of a trend in South Vancouver’s neighbour- hoods, according to police. The random attacks took place on Jan. 23 and Feb. 4. Police have yet to lo- cate suspects, raising concerns for stu- dents over safety and whether violent attacks are a growing trend in the area. Chelsy Lee is a first year history stu- dent at Langara College. “It’s kind of surprising it’s happen- ing in such a residential area,” said Lee. Violent crime in South Vancouver— categorized as sex offences, assaults and robbery—represents only 11 per cent of all violent crimes in Vancouver. The South Vancouver neighbourhoods of Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Marpole, Oakridge, Sunset and Victoria-Fraser- view make up five of Vancouver's 24 neighbourhoods. David Aucoin, the manager of safe- ty, security & emergency management at Langara urged students to check out the Safe Walk program online. Aucoin’s tips include walking with confidence, carrying a cell phone, stay- ing away from unlit areas, not walking alone and downloading emergency phone apps. Lee said she was aware of some of the services counseling and security offered on campus, but thought more awareness was needed. She suggested safety awareness campaigns in the col- lege’s main hall could be useful. “It would be a good idea, especially for students who are new to Langara to find out information on what’s avail- able to them to feel safe and how to ac- cess those resources,” said Lee. Const. Brian Montague from the Vancouver Police Department issued a press release stating that the attacks were not typical of the Oakridge neigh- borhood. “There have been no additional inci- dents of random violence in the Oakridge area,” said Montague via email. He suggested people be aware of their surroundings and to report suspi- cious people and activity to the police. T: recent attacks in the Oakridge OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES. ‘REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED. the lifestyle expo for the 45+ .MOLUNTEERS NEEDED Volunteer at the Vancouver ZoomerShow, STRTIAW FAMIET NEED OUR HELP SVNH IS SEEKING DONATIONS OF = nents WELCOMING EVENT SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 4:20-7PM, FREE Donation ai Y WE ARE ACCEPTING ponarion SATURDAY, FEB 20, 94m-4? ONL ER cu un ENGUsy 10 9 oUISH !0 Sen Shopping Shuttle G) “thy tanua ow = Wills ang Estate m ia LINDA NGUYEN photos Top: Syrian refugees check out a Vancouver Public Library information booth at the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House last Saturday. The VPL provided free library cards to refugees. Left: A bulletin board from the event with notices for donations and Arabic-speaking volunteers to help new refugees looking to resettle in South Vancouver. Local event highlights the need for Arabic translators in Vancouver 66 IfI goand help, they wouldn’t be having the same feelings Thad.... when we came, no one [spoke] Arabic MOHAMED AHMED TRANSLATOR By LINDA NGUYEN or newcomers, joining an estab- lished community can be daunting, especially if they speak a different language. On Saturday, South Vancouver Neigh- bourhood House hosted the Newcomer Welcoming Event for Syrian refugees at their community centre. Over 80 Syri- ans attended the event but were not al- lowed to talk to media. For Arabic- speaking refugees, Vancouver may not have enough languange resources to accommodate their needs. Interpreters at the event said the Syr- jans’ main concerns were finding per- manent housing and finding Arabic- speakers in Vancouver to help them learn how to integrate into Canadian society. Translator Mohamed Ahmed recalls coming to Canada as a new immigrant and having no welcome reception. “I decided if I go and help, they wouldn’t be having the same feelings I had. Because when we came, no one [spoke] Arabic,” said Ahmed. Koyali Burman, the community de- velopment coordi- nator, also said there are not enough Arabic re- sources at the cen- tre. “One of the things which we are looking into creating, [is] a pool of volunteers who can speak different lan- guages,” Burman said. “We are creating KOYALI BURMAN South Vancouver Neighbourhood House commu- nity development coordinator a translators-interpreters group, so that is our first step to do that.” The event consisted of a general info session in their main ballroom, along with information booths from the Van- couver Public Library’s South Hill branch, giving away free library cards. Naz’s Pharmacy provided free blood sugar tests. The refugees were also giv- en a tour of the facilities and picked up donations. They are currently living in temporary residences provided by the Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia. According to Saleem Spindari, the manager of MOSAIC’s refugee settle- ment support services, the number of refugees expected to settle specifically in South Vancouver is still unknown. “So far, the number [in Vancouver] is 1,440,” Spindari said. “In addition to those, 41 are privately sponsored.” LUIS MINA photo The wage increase may minimally affect students. Wage hike too low: experts The minimum wage increase is set to be an- nounced in March, but many say it’s not enough By LUIS MINA crease is too little to offset the cost of living in Vancouver, say some students and experts. B.C.’s minimum wage will increase by 20 cents to $10.65 an hour in Septem- ber; Shirley Bond, B.C.’s minister of jobs, tourism and skills training, is set to announce this increase in March. For students working 20 hours a week, that will amount to an extra $4 a week. This is an “insignificant increase” for working students, said Aaron Ek- man, the secretary treasurer of the B.C. Federation of Labour, a workers Te: upcoming minimum wage in- advocacy organization. Ekman said the minimum wage in- crease means very little to students working part-time. “Tt means they'll make a few extra dollars on their paycheque every pay period, so not a lot,” he said. Liam Pollard works at McDonald’s and is a first year computer science student at Langara. He says the mini- mum wage is still “too little.” “Vancouver is still the most expen- sive city to live in, in Canada,” said Pol- lard. “It doesn’t really help us.” Krishna Pendakur, an economics professor at SFU, said via email, “Rais- ing the minimum wage is unambigu- ously good as a redistributive tool.” Pendakur said there is evidence that increasing the minimum wage to even $12 an hour will not affect the demand for low-wage workers. “This very small increase in the min- imum wage is almost certainly good,” said Pendakur. Chad Hortelano, a second year com- puter science student, said the mini- mum wage hike “could backfire and make everything more expensive.” “When you increase minimum wage, the problem is sometimes to make up for it, the guys who have to pay their employees will jack their prices up. It basically renders it moot,” said Hortelano. LOWEST PROVINCIAL MmInimum wages 1 New Brunswick 4 Saskatchewan ($10.30) ($10.50) 2 British Columbia 5 Quebec ($10.45) ($10.55) Source: The Government of 3 Prince Edward Island ($10.50) Canada: Labour Program