ssues & ideas ASH KELLY THE DAILY VOICE, THURSDAY, NOV. 28, 2014 7 , = - * avn ASH KELLY photo An simple wooden map of Vancouver may not do justice to the complex rainy city, full of both naural beauty and personal hardships. A great place to get an education This ts the place for students to call home according to new ranking TED TOPPING photo Vancouver's scenic views and plenty of arts and culture are a few of the reasons the city scored well in a recent global city ranking. By SABLEEN MINHAS t seems that studying in Van- couver isn’t so bad; the city was just named the 12th best city for students in the world. Both Montreal and Toronto ranked higher than Vancouver at eighth and ninth respectively. The QS World University Rank- ing named the University of Brit- ish Columbia Vancouver's top in- stitution, it currently sits as the 43rd best university in the world. Simon Fraser University garnered a special mention for its “unique study setting.” Vancouver’s moderate weather and multiculturalism are two ma- jor appeal factors that attract hun- dreds of international students to the city every semester. Angela Liang, manager of inter- national marketing and recruit- ment at Vancouver Community College said international students choose Vancouver because it is a vibrant city. “There are lot of entertainment options and the weather is mild. In terms of geographical location, it is one of the most comfortable cities to live in the world,” Liang said. Vancouver’s scenes. She said that another reason that students prefer Vancouver to other cities is its multiculturalism. “Since there are people from various countries, it gives interna- tional students a chance to learn about different cultures,” she said. Karanveer Dhariwal, a Langara commerce student from India said he chose Vancouver because of the good weather and for Langara. “Toronto is already so crowded and the weather gets really bad in winters,” he said. The QS rankings also recognize scenic views and access to outodoor rec- reation, including some of the world’s best skiing. For those who aren’t so sporty, the survey also praises Vancou- ver’s nightlife, music and theatre mountain Chow Pei, a Langara arts stu- dent from China said that Vancou- ver was his “first and only choice,” and that he came for the climate. “It is one of the best cities to study,” Pei said. The daily Journey Is half the fun Rural commuters and those who bike or walk have the most enjoyable communtes in Canada By SABLEEN MINHAS dreadful commute, for the rest of us it’s an opportunity to reflect and relax according to a recent report. Bensimon Byrne, an advertising agency based in Toronto, commis- sioned the report. It found that more Canadians look forward to commuting than “dread it.” “We can confidently lay to rest the myth of the gruelling, unhealthy, and soul- crushing Canadian commute,” the report said. Three quarters of Canadians said they prefer to com- C C 0: one in ten Canadians have a mute alone. Not surprisingly, driv- ing is still consid- We can ered the ideal . mode of transport confi dently when cost is not a lay to rest consideration. Antonio Ruzza the my th who commutes by of the bus and bicycle ev- r ; eryday agrees. grueling, “I get to talk to Unhealthy, people on the bus gynd soul- and then I ride my . bike from Burnaby crushing Meirotown Station Canadian to Cambie and it feels great.” commute He said that geNsiMON BYRNE commuting gives ¢ONSUMEROLOGY him an opportunity REPORT to interact with new people. Though most commuters feel posi- tively about commuting, those who face a commute of over one hour do not experience the same elation. “IT strongly disagree with the report,” said Chelsea Brown. She said it de- pends on the method of transportation she chooses, but generally she finds commuting back to home from work stressful. Bensimon Byrne conducted the study to examine how Canadians inter- act with media and advertisements during their daily travels. One third of respondents felt they saw too many ads while the rest saw an acceptable amount or very few. 96,000 at risk of homelessness as resources diminishing The homeless aren't the only ones in need of help in Vancouver; many others live on the brink of poverty By VIVIAN CHUI arpole community groups and Mires for low-income resi- dents have been displaced after Marpole Place Neighbourhood House closed earlier this month. Marpole Place was forced to close after a flood that caused extensive damage needing expensive repairs. “Marpole is a place where a lot of people don’t have a lot of money,” said Reverend Andrew Halladay of St. Au- gustine’s Anglican Church in Marpole, “sS if they’re not homeless, there are a lot of people that are verging on it, like $50 away from rent this month.” The 2014 Metro Vancouver homeless count estimates that 56,000 people are at risk of becoming homeless and are spending at least 50 per cent of their monthly income on shelter. The neighbouring St. Augustine’s Anglican Church is trying to fill in where Marpole Place left off. They host community groups, neigh- bourhood dinners every Thursday for $6 donation per plate. Halladay said many community groups that used to meet at Marpole Place have been call- ing him looking for space. “The churches, non-profit organiza- tions, the library, and the local Vancity Credit Union branch are all in touch to work together to make life better for people, said Halladay. “But because it’s a poor neighbourhood, none of us have tons of money either.” Mike Johnston, who works as a chef in Yaletown has lived in the Marpole neighbourhood for five years. “Tt’s an economic area to raise a fam- ily,” said Johnston, playing with his two toddlers in front of the recently closed Marpole Place building. Some residents are concerned densi- fication will result in the loss of afford- able rentals in the area. Vancouver councillor Kerry Jang said part of the answer to preventing people from becoming homeless and lowering rent is ensuring adequate supply of housing, “You get a lot of opposition when you want to densify the neighbourhood,” he said. In April, a city-proposed plan that minimizes housing densification was in a public hearing, where many Mar- pole residents expressed their support. “It’s a big issue in the Marpole area. Nobody wants it in their backyard,” said City Councillor Kerry Jang, who said he recently recieved a complaint from a woman living next to a shelter. VIVIAN CHUI photo Reverend Andrew Halladay of St. Augustine’s Anglican Church is helping to fill a void left after the closing of Marpole Marpole Place Neighbourhood House.