STUDIO 58 GRADS PERFORM wxssssseeceseeseeeeseeeeneeseesensAl Graduates from Studio 58 are starring in comedic play The Odd Couple until Feb.23 at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. Decades of talk finished After years of nego- tiations, Vancouver signs services deal with the Musqueam Indian Band By EDRICK DUDANG usqueam Indian Band mem- Mi: are breathing a sigh of re- lief after signing a new agree- ment with the City of Vancouver that has been 20 years in the making. Before the agreement, the band would meet with the municipality to discuss services on a year-to-year ba- sis. These services include police, wa- ter, electricity, garbage disposal and many others the city provides at a mar- ket rate to the Musqueam Indian Re- serve located south of Marine Drive. The city and the band are separate governments because First Nations are under federal ju- risdiction. r4 4 While the pro- posal fora perma- []t’s been nent agreement «ze started in 1994, the a] ridi- framework was cously long laid out 10 years later. Due to the p rocess, Olympics and gov- but I think ernment shuffles + from both parties, ul really the agreement was Speaks to signed on Jan. 27. 7 “[It’s been a] ri- the chal diculously —_ long leng e of process, but I think reconcilin g it really speaks to the challenge of reconciling in the past to the present. It’s not a simple process to figure out [how] to move for- ward together,” said Coun. Andrea Re- imer. Before the deal, the city had most of the power on how it negotiates servic- es to the Musqueam people. At any time, the municipality could legally turn off all services it sells to the band. The new deal gives more certainty and optimism to the Musqueam people so that they can invest in the commu- nity’s growth. “Td rather have an agreement than not have one,” said Arlene Guerin, Lan- gara alumna and an elder to the Mus- queam people. Doug Raines, Musqueam Indian Band manager, said he is pleased that Vancouver has been willing to negoti- ate with the band for more than 20 years, adding that it’s a “good example” of how municipalities and First Nations can work together. ANDREA REIMER & CALL FOR REGULATIONS ON E-CIGARETTES ALISSA CRANE photo Kevin Murray, manager of City Cigar Emporium, smokes a disposable e-cigarette made up of a vapour system inside the store. The e-cigarette comes in six flavours. See story on page 5. Human rights debate on mining A recent human rights forum draws an unusally large crowd featuring former Langara teacher By KARLY BLATS former Langara instructor, who now works in one of the world’s largest mining compa- nies, recently spoke at a PeaceTalk ses- jon. A discussion about how the mining sector can support human rights was held at the HiVE on West Hastings Street this month, and it drew a large audience of interested Vancouver residents. PeaceGeeks, a global non-profit, and BC Council for International Cooperation hosted the event. According to the PeaceGeeks’ website, Canadi- an mining companies have faced a recent rise in criticism from non-governmental organizations for their human rights records. “There are a number of companies, and per- haps most of the bigger ones, that really care for their reputation,” said former Langara instructor Federico Velasquez. The forum was open to anyone interested. Sebastian Merz, who moderated the discussion, said, “I’m pretty pleased with the event overall, we had a really good turnout. Usually when we have these kinds of events we have like 15 to 25 people.” Merz said this time there were close to 70 peo- ple, and that the talk “definitely struck a nerve with people.” The guest panel included representatives from the Responsible Minerals Sector Initiative, Am- nesty International and the Mining Association of Canada. Velasquez, a member of the governance team in the Mining Assocation of Canada, said he was there to represent personal views and not those of Anglo American, where he is the director of exter- nal affairs. It was a gathering for everyone to have a “good discussion,” he said. Mining industries have positive and negative impacts, and communities may be driven by a po- litical agenda when they’re deciding whether or not the company is needed, added Velasquez. During a question period, the crowd challenged the panel and voiced their opinions. A UBC student enquired about veto powers of communities, asking, “What if this is not our idea of development and we don’t want to be a mining community?” The panel and audience agreed that there needs to be improvement in human rights activities among mining companies. Gardens hyped for benefits Ever heard of permacul- ture? Langara offers a program that could bring neighbours closer together By ASHLEY LEGASSIC ticide-free gardening practice, may help Vancouverites promote healthier lifestyles and create new friendships. Permaculture combines knowledge from indigenous cultures with modern science in an effort to mimic nature. “T think the biggest challenge is the separation from nature. There’s con- crete everywhere, there’s roads. . . it separates not only us from each other, but us from nature as well,” said Lang- ara permaculture instructor Kym Chi. One technique permaculture uses is placemaking. Placemaking creates a better com- munity by taking “a small area of pub- lic land and claiming it,” said Portland’s community guru Mark Lakeman at a recent permaculture forum in Vancou- ver. Lakeman said this technique of claiming a small area benefits not only the environment, but also residents. Through this, communities can cre- ate community gardens and libraries to interact, and get to know their neigh- bours better. According to Metro Vancouver, 35 per cent of residents are renters, and Chi said placemaking is a great way for them to meet their neighbours. Vancouver’s Kerrisdale Community Garden on 60th Avenue and Angus Drive is an example of placemaking. It charges fees for small plots of land for residents to grow produce. Dana Wilson of Village Vancouver said, “placemaking is our future,” and it teaches students how to be leaders and work sustainably with the land and community. ’ vel a fame oa bes £59) & Prisieree™ a herbicide- and pes- ee ‘2. a” ie fence ASHLEY LEGASSIC photo Mark Lakeman shows road artistry that Portland residents have cre- ated on city roads.