BUNNY AGILITY. ..0s0cesesseeeseseeeseesessees4 Hundreds of rabbit enthusiasts hopped on over to the Scottish Cultural Centre to watch the 11th annual Rabbit Festival. Watch the video at www.langaravoice.ca 20 YEARS STRONG JOURNALISM arper in hot seat Marijuana deregulation is just one of several issues that are piqu- ing students’ interest leading up the fed- eral election on Monday, Oct. 19. For more on the major par- ties’ platforms, check out The Voice’s election primer on P2. ANNA DIMOFF photo illustration 66 Tobacco is a product that does a lot of dam- age. Marijuana is infinite- ly worse... STEPHEN HARPER PRIME MINISTER over pot PM’s controversial pot claim further divides voters ahead of election By ROSEMARY NEWTON ith regulation of marijuana a hot-but- W:: issue leading up to the Oct. 19 fed- eral election, some experts are refut- ing claims made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper earlier this month that cannabis is “infinitely” more harmful than tobacco. The Liberal Party of Canada and the Green Party of Canada have both promised to legal- ize and tax cannabis, while the New Democrat- ic Party have promised to decriminalize it. The Conservative Party of Canada remains staunchly opposed to either. “There’s just overwhelming and growing scientific and medical evidence about the bad long-term effects of marijuana,” Harper said an Oct. 3 campaign stop in Montreal. “Tobacco is a product that does a lot of damage. Mari- juana is infinitely worse and it’s something that we do not want to encourage.” Dan Reist, assistant director at the Centre for Addictions Research of BC at the Universi- ty of Victoria, disagrees. See HARPER POT, page 7 See ELECTION PRIMER, page 2 City eyes TransLink land for new Marpole park Vancouver hopes to build park over vacant lot owned by TransLink along the Fraser River By TESSA VIKANDER Marpole resident wants a 10-acre park Ay: of Cambie Street along the Fraser iver, but he said the city and TransLink are dragging their heels in the transfer of the desired park land. The Marpole Community Plan, released in April 2014 provides policy for a park “of up to 10 acres near the foot of Cambie and as close to the Fraser River as possible.” TransLink, who owns the land, must sell a portion to the city in order for the park to take shape. Don Larson, a lifelong Marpole resident, said he first asked for a park at the foot of Cambie Street at city hearings in 2011, and is growing impatient. Larson was the driving i) force behind the creation of the Downtown Eastside’s Crab Park in the ’80s. “Tt’s a land deal, so I get that there has to be an element of secrecy, but with Vision Vancou- ver and TransLink, they don’t feel like they have to tell you anything,” he said. Susan Haid, assistant director for Vancou- ver South at the city’s planning and develop- ment services, who said the policy in the Mar- pole plan is largely due to the work of Larson and his fellow citizen-advocates, noted the funds are there and the city is working hard to buy the land. “We've got the resources, and we just need a site,” said Haid. “It’s a matter of time.” In August of this year, TransLink began parking its HandyDART fleet on a portion of the land tract. Haid said this is temporary and that the city granted TransLink a one-year permit. Haid said the city’s real estate negotiators have been speaking with TransLink and searching for alternative sites that would meet TransLink’s needs. The hope, she said, is that TransLink will sell some of the land to the city for a park space. Chris Bryan, TransLink media relations ad- visor, confirmed by email that TransLink pur- chased the land “several years ago” as a po- tential future bus facility, but otherwise declined to comment on real estate activities due to “commercial sensitivity.” All India Sweets has to go Neighbourhood classic headed for demolition to make room for rental units By KATE RICHARDSON Ihe owner of a South Vancouver restaurant is feeling the pres- sure of steering his well-estab- lished business through a period of uncertainty. A rezoning application is currently under review that would see a portion of Vancouver’s Punjabi Market on the 6500 block of Main St. demolished to make way for a six-story structure with 75 units of rental housing. To make way for the new building, Peter Chand, owner of All India Sweets & Restau- rant, has to find a new location for the neighbourhood landmark. Chand said he’s known about plans to redevelop the property for years and welcomes what it will do for the neigh- bourhood, despite the disruption to his business. “When develop- tne ment happens, | people will come } back here,” Chand said. The real chal- lenge, he said, is holding on to his customers and staff, some of whom have worked at the restaurant for over 17 years. “The staff feel really scared.” Chand said, “They have been here for a long time.” According to Susan Haid, assistant director for Vancouver South at the city’s planning and development ser- vices, the proposal is part of the city’s Rental 100, which offers incentives to developers building rental units, and is designed to increase density in mixed- use multi-family neighbourhoods close to transit and traffic arteries. “Those locations are good for rental. They tend to be places where you don’t rely on the car and are more transit ac- cessible,” said Haid. Gagan Sanghera, a resident who was born and raised in South Vancouver, said she agrees the reasons for devel- opment are clear, but wonders if it is worth the loss of cultural history. “There’s a lot of Indian people in Vancouver, and they should have some- thing that’s catered towards them.” Sanghera said. Sanghera said just a few years ago the market was a destination for the region’s Indian population. Residents can voice their opinions at an open house on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 5-8 p.m. at 6511 Main Street. PETER CHAND Owner, All India Sweets