Welcome to the second Weekly Issue Questionnaire in our series covering the 2026 Vancouver School Board Election.

Every week, we send questions focusing on key election issues to trustee candidates, and publish their responses on our website.

Last week, we sent the following question to candidates:

• What is your stance on the use of Generative AI in schools?

Below, you’ll find candidates’ responses, which were edited only for grammar. In the interest of fairness, the order in which political parties are listed is randomized, and, within each political party, the order in which candidates are listed is also randomized. 

As well, we asked candidates to limit their responses to 250 words. If their responses exceeded the word limit, in the interest of fairness, we’ve only published their first 250 words and inserted ellipses at the end of their response to denote this. 

Please send any queries or concerns to ehnewspaper@gmail.com. Contact us If you have questions that you think we should consider asking candidates in future questionnaires.

OneCity Vancouver

Christopher Lee

Simply put, we don’t fully understand the effects of Generative AI in the classroom and on learning yet. I was in high school when the AI boom first started and, at Helping Hearts, I’ve heard from students especially about their concerns. As a candidate, it’s a priority of mine to give students, parents, and staff a fulsome response to GenAI from the school board. My approach is clear: we can’t give a blank cheque to AI tech; the VSB must take a skeptical, research-informed approach to dealing with GenAI in our classrooms, especially when developing programs related to GenAI. 

OneCity’s policy is that approach. We cannot allow unrestricted, free-for-all access to AI chatbots in our schools — there must be clear rules and policy. We need a new AI policy. On School Board, OneCity will create a committee of students, parents, staff, and administrators to create a well-informed AI policy that truly works for our schools. We’ll push back existing AI programs such that they can be used in senior grades only. We'll also strengthen privacy protections and ensure teachers are equipped to deal with the challenges of AI in classrooms. Most of all, in the midst of AI, we’ll encourage real human work, face-to-face relationships, and continued learning.

Sherry Breshears

I know that students and families are worried that AI is changing education for the worse. We still do not fully understand its effects on learning, critical thinking, and safety. I can relate to those concerns. I have two recently graduated kids who experienced the arrival of ChatGPT without much guidance. As a university instructor, I also had to rethink my teaching because chatbots can now complete assignments that once supported learning.

When I think about AI in schools, I consider: What do students need to know to navigate a world where AI is increasingly part of daily life? And how do we prevent AI from replacing the thinking and problem-solving that help students learn?

I am also concerned about equity. Many young people are already using AI outside of school, but not all students have the same access to safe, reliable tools or guidance. AI systems can also reproduce social biases and affect students unequally. I believe that schools have a responsibility to help students understand these technologies, their environmental and cognitive impacts, and their limitations.

My approach is neither a ban nor a free-for-all. I do not support unrestricted access to AI chatbots in every classroom. However, I do support teachers having the option to use safer AI tools with senior students in supervised educational contexts. Alongside this, the VSB should strengthen privacy protections and support critical AI literacy by providing professional development opportunities and resources for teachers. Ultimately, human work, relationships and learning have to be protected.

Rory Brown

I know that increasingly, an important role of the school system is to teach discretion in the use of technologies, like generative artificial intelligence. To effectively teach this discretion, teachers and students will need to have very regulated and supported access to AI technologies. As an instructor of Technology Education in the post-secondary context, many of my class discussions are focussed on the appropriate use of technologies and the role they play in education. To answer the question of whether AI should exist in schools, we need to carefully examine the purpose of school itself. Is school about the acquisition of content? Sometimes, yes. It is also about how to approach the world as a young adult in a mature, knowledgeable and cooperative manner. I feel that a complete ban on AI will be more harmful than a carefully supported and nuanced approach.  

Krista Sigurdson

While I was a research and writing instructor at UBC in WRDS (Writing Research and Discourse Studies) between 2000-2005, I noticed the enormous impact AI had on how students approached their work. I found myself policing the use of AI rather than teaching students how to live in a world with AI. I wished that I had had the tools to both instill in them the merits of learning without AI (e.g., sitting, reading and digesting an entire book) and the appropriate, safe, and ethical use of AI in research and writing. I have learned from that experience and would like to approach AI as a School Board trustee as something students need to know about, understand, and be cautious about. We do not fully understand the effects of AI on cognition, critical thinking, and mental health and yet, it is here and we need to be able to talk to students about how to best approach it with a critical lens that centers humanity, learning and wellbeing.  

My approach is neither a ban nor a free-for-all. I do not support unrestricted access to AI chatbots in every classroom. However, I do support teachers having the option to use safer AI tools with senior students in supervised educational contexts. Alongside this, the VSB should strengthen privacy protections and support critical AI literacy by providing professional development opportunities and resources for teachers. Teachers and staff need to be properly equipped to handle the challenges and promises of AI in our [...]

Steve Cardwell

Generative AI is already changing how we learn, work and communicate. As a former superintendent and university educator, I believe schools have a responsibility to prepare students for that world, while protecting the fundamental purposes of education. Students need to learn how to think critically, solve problems, communicate, create and develop their own ideas. AI should support that learning, not replace the intellectual effort and human relationships that make learning meaningful.

My approach would be neither to ban generative AI nor allow unrestricted use. The VSB needs clear, age-appropriate guidelines that distinguish when AI can enhance learning and when students need to demonstrate their own thinking and understanding. Students should develop AI literacy, including how to question AI-generated information, recognize misinformation and bias, protect their privacy, understand environmental impacts, and use AI ethically and transparently. They should also have a meaningful voice in developing these guidelines. Recent student-led work on AI policy has shown that young people themselves want both access to AI literacy and clear guardrails around its use.

Teachers also need support, not simply another responsibility added to their workload. I would support strong privacy protections, equitable access to approved tools, and respect for teachers’ professional autonomy. The VSB should work with the Province and build on provincial guidance, professional learning and resources to support educators in navigating generative AI. Above all, technology, including generative AI, should serve students and teachers, not the other way around

Green Party of Vancouver

Julie Strilesky

My fellow candidate and I are aligned on this issue. My stance on generative AI use in classrooms is that we need to pause and take the time to evaluate the use of AI in schools before students continue to access it. As a school trustee, I would request that the use of AI Chatbots in schools be stopped immediately, and paused until the VSB can meaningfully engage with educators, students and parents to review the pros and cons of AI use. 

During this pause, I would request a thorough review of the impacts, risks and equity issues related to AI use in classrooms, particularly focusing on the impacts to our climate, the mental wellbeing and cognitive development of students of various ages, the safety of students and educators, and the ethical concerns. We should also consider how teachers and other staff may seek to use AI, and what guidance can be provided. 

Following the review, I would have the VSB draft AI policies, guidelines, and training recommendations. I would ensure parents, students, and teachers can weigh in before finalizing the plan.

Alisha Masongsong

My stance on generative AI use in classrooms is that we need to take a step back and take the time to truly evaluate the use of AI in schools before students continue to access it. As a school trustee, I would request that the use of AI Chatbots in schools be stopped, and put on pause so that the VSB staff can meaningfully engage with educators, students and parents on the pros and cons of AI use first. 

During this pause, I’d also request for a thorough review of the impacts, risks and equity issues that AI use in classrooms has, particularly focusing on the impacts to our local environment, the mental wellbeing and cognitive development of students, the safety of students and educators, and the ethics of its use in schools. 

Following engagement and a thorough review of the impacts, I’d request that the VSB staff develop policies, guidelines and recommendations for training based on the results received. Before finalizing the policies, guidelines and training recommendations, I would ensure that parents, students and educators have ample opportunity to review them and provide input into the final plan.

TEAM for a Livable Vancouver

Kat Nystedt

I believe that It would be sad to allow generative AI in classrooms before students learn how to write using good grammar, sentence structure and logic. Students need to be given the opportunity to think and create on their own so they can build stronger brains and not be dependent on technology

Environmentally speaking, it puts a strain on our water systems and electrical grids.

AI should be used sparingly and I believe should not be used by students when they are in K - 12 classrooms.

If AI did have any place it would be best left to higher-level learning in post-secondary settings. Critical thinking and questioning need to be learned, and teachers guide students to practice those skills in elementary and secondary.  AI makes it too easy to just accept whatever it spews out!

One of the action items in TEAM's education policy is to "Pause the rollout of Microsoft Copilot 13+ in secondary schools until research shows that the benefits outweigh the risks, and students, families and educators have been meaningfully consulted."

COPE Vancouver

Derrick O’Keefe

The tech billionaires driving the speculative AI bubble have a financial interest in rapidly expanding the use of AI products like Microsoft Copilot and other chatbots. As School trustees, our job is to protect students and their educational and personal development.

COPE Trustee Suzie Mah and COPE’s Trustee candidates are opposed to the VSB’s May 2026 introduction of Microsoft’s Copilot 13+.

The implementation was done without enough consultation with parents, educators, students, and education partners.  VSB Artificial Intelligence guidelines are not sufficient to address potential harms from AI chatbots.  COPE has serious concerns about the impacts AI will have on children' s mental health, safety, privacy, and cognitive and emotional development. 

COPE School Board candidates support a pause on student-facing Chatbots and other Generative AI products, and pledge to conduct a VSB AI Audit which would include broad consultation with parents, educators, students, and education partners.  COPE’s priority is the well-being, safety, and educational development of students in Vancouver. 

COPE candidates recognize the importance of students learning about AI, including “Large Language Models” and other AI applications.  A responsible AI pause should allow for the development of robust guidelines and policies that would allow critical and supervised use of certain AI applications in higher-level secondary courses.

Melanie Cheng

I support pausing the VSB’s district-wide rollout of generative AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot 13+, until clear policies and safeguards are in place. There are significant concerns regarding student privacy and safety, learning outcomes, mental health, and environmental impacts.

Students should learn about AI, including how it works, its limitations and social impacts.  But AI literacy does not require introducing chatbots to all secondary students without adequate consultation or guidelines on their use.  The COPE policy clearly calls for a pause on AI and supports a transparent technology audit and consultation with students, families, educators and experts.

Suzie Mah

• COPE is opposed to the 2026 spring implementation of Microsoft Copilot at VSB, including the use of GenAI and chatbots in Vancouver schools.

• COPE will put a pause on the use of GenAI and chatbots.

• COPE will engage and consult with stakeholders and the broader community to implement a technology audit with a specific focus on the use of AI in schools.

• COPE will engage and consult with stakeholders and the broader community to create VSB policies and procedures to address the concerns below:

• Safety and privacy for students

• Impact of AI usage on learning outcomes and student mental health

• Equity of technology resources

• Need for transparent and robust consultation with stakeholders and community on AI usage and adoption in schools.

• Impact on the use of and validity of results when AI is used for public engagement and consultation.

• Impact on climate and the environment of AI usage and adoption

• Lack of student and staff AI usage policies and procedures

• VSB practises potentially in conflict with proposed Federal Bill C-34, The Safe Social Media Act

As a former teacher, I have seen the lure of technology as being the panacea to addressing the inequities in our system and a fast track to student learning.  Our students deserve safe, equitable, and inclusive education.  They deserve teachers who know them, challenge them, encourage them, and inspire them to think for themselves.  Technology should serve our students - not the other way around.  As trustees, our first responsibility is to our students - not to [...]

Vote Vancouver

Mandy Potter

I understand that AI is becoming a part of everyday life and in the context of schools, I believe it must serve as a research/learning tool, not a replacement for critical thinking, creativity, or educators. It is important to differentiate between the benefits of learning how to use a new technology in a critical manner and the consequences of unrestricted access to generative AI. 

I believe in mandatory consultation with students, parents, teachers, and staff before implementing new tools and suggest an overall restriction on generative AI usage until such conversations can be had. 

It is also important to talk about the use of generative AI by teachers. I believe in strong and clear guidance for teachers on how they may use AI for assessments, feedback, and lesson planning. There should be no direct instructional delivery given by AI, and teachers should only ever use AI to assist, never to generate lesson plans and content. Similar standards should be applied to both teachers and students to encourage successful learning environments throughout the school board.

Amarys Joseph

This is a huge question! Probably the most frequent one I get. My answer to this is, we know that AI is already embedded in our schools with search engines, websites, and lots of different digital tools. In relation to AI Chatbots in classrooms, I believe that this needs a pause until we understand their impact on student learning. AI should be a learning tool, but not replace critical and creative thinking. Nor should it replace independent learning. I will also mention that AI often produces inaccurate and/or biased information, making it important for students to learn how to question and verify what it produces. Any future integration should address privacy, environmental impacts upon usage, and academic integrity when, and if, students are going to use AI.

Tasha Doucas

As a School Board Trustee candidate, I support responsible AI integration with student safety, wellbeing, and privacy as top priorities. Generative AI should NOT be implemented just because we know students are using it at home and that people say AI is the future.

My approach in Corporate — consulting with Litigation Lawyers on Machine Learning (earlier Generative AI tools) — was focused on utilizing the tool for the appropriate task, understanding how to search/prompt and the potential outcomes, weighing risks of missing potentially relevant information. Technology is not a 100% accurate tool; neither are the humans who have created these tools.

In schools, Generative AI, like any technology, should be seen as a tool. It is not a replacement for critical thinking nor for teaching. For some students, particularly with learning differences, this tool might have significant benefits.

Some of the policies that I would look to see implemented are:

- More frequent consultation: with the information that I have, I do not feel that there has been adequate discussion with students’ viewpoints, concerns, and needs

- Teacher workshops to efficiently reduce administrative burden 

- Education and Guidelines for students and teachers on what falls within appropriate use and consequences when not

- Educational Workshops with parents 

- Consult with IT groups across various Districts along with Microsoft to discuss safeguards 

- Establish periodic reviews and testing along with communication and consultation.

I continue to listen to podcasts, interviews with experts, along with the student voices through petitions, with the goal of hearing various perspectives.

No Response

The questionnaire was emailed to the following candidates and/or the contact email listed on their party’s website, but they did not respond by the deadline:

• Darren Boidman (Vancouver Liberals)

• Joshua Cameron (Vancouver Liberals)

• Alfred Chien (ABC Vancouver)

• Ishi Dinim (Vancouver Liberals)

• Preeti Faridkot (ABC Vancouver)

• Gwen Giesbrecht (COPE Vancouver)

• Maria Kritikos (ABC Vancouver)

• Matt Kroeker (ABC Vancouver)

• Noosha Mehdian (Vancouver Liberals)

• Rob Nijjar (ABC Vancouver)

• Isabel Ochoa (Vancouver Liberals)

• Shirley Sio (ABC Vancouver)

• Lina Vargas (ABC Vancouver)

Bright Future Vancouver was given the opportunity to respond to the questionnaire under their party name, since they haven’t announced the names of any school board candidates, and they also did not respond by the deadline.

The Nest is launching coverage of the 2026 Vancouver School Board Election with a series of Weekly Issue Questionnaires sent to trustee candidates. 

Every week, we’ll send questions focusing on key election issues to trustee candidates, and publish their responses on our website.

Last week, we sent the following questions to trustee candidates:

• Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

• If elected, what are your top priorities for the District?

(Thank you to The Nest’s 2022 Election Reporting Team for developing these questions.)

Below, you’ll find candidates’ unedited responses. In the interest of fairness, the order in which political parties are listed is randomized, and, within each political party, the order in which candidates are listed is also randomized.

As well, our next questionnaire will be published on Sep. 28. Stay tuned to find out about candidates’ stances on AI in schools.

Please send any queries or concerns to ehnewspaper@gmail.com. Contact us If you have questions that you think we should consider asking candidates in future questionnaires.

Green Party of Vancouver

Alisha Masongsong

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I am running for school board trustee because Vancouver schools have been on a decline for far too long and are in need of bold and collaborative leadership to ensure they’re fully funded and have all the necessary supplies and staffing resources to give Vancouver students the best education possible.

When working as a social worker in the Downtown Eastside, I supported many women and children navigating poverty and assisted them with enrolling in Vancouver’s schools and accessing the support they needed. At that time, it was very challenging for families to access meal programs, learning and mental health supports, or even get their child into a school within the catchment area, due to long waitlists. Families had to go across the city to drop their children off at school while they didn’t have a car and often couldn’t afford transit either. This was unacceptable.

When I look at the Vancouver school system now, and see there’s a budget that’s not meeting operational demands, there are less support staff and programs available for students, most meal programs have been cancelled, schools are over capacity and waitlists are still long - things have not changed and in some cases have become worse. 

I have a child of my own who will enter the public school system next year. Therefore, I’m committed to do as much as I can to change things so that she and all children in Vancouver can attend the school in their catchment area, access healthy, nutritious meal programs, get the support they need, and be in a classroom that is safe and well equipped to learn in and thrive.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District?

If elected, my top priorities for the Vancouver school district would be:

• Fully funded public education. A budget that meets the needs of students, teachers, support staff, and schools that are safe, climate resilient, meet capacity and well equipped to learn in.

• All students equipped to learn: All students’ needs are met, this means properly funded mental health supports, like counselors available in every school. Ensuring there are programs, training for teachers and enough Educational Assistants for students with accessibility and various learning needs to thrive. Empowering students to have a stronger voice at the VSB and share what their specific needs are at each school.

• Food security and healthy students: Expanding food security supports to ensure there are accessible, nutritious food programs available at every school for every student

Julie Strilesky

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I am running for school board trustee because I have a deep commitment to public service, and believe strong public schools help set the foundation for a strong society and future.  

I want to bring my experience in policy development, climate action, community building and advocacy to help strengthen public education, support teachers and staff, and ensure students and families have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them. As a stepparent and former student in the local school system, I have seen the myriad challenges firsthand. 

I commit to working tirelessly to find solutions to complex problems, including addressing overcrowding, safety and wellbeing, and protecting access to the programs and spaces that are crucial for strong schools.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District?

1. I will advocate for greater funding from the Province, and ensure funds are being used effectively for the highest priorities. We hear key roles and capacity is being cut - for music, gym, neurodivergent needs etc. We need to show real leadership to reverse the literacy/numeracy decline: back the district's K-12 Numeracy Framework and literacy screening work with real staffing and classroom support.

2. I will advocate for greater transparency and accountability in decision-making and funding decisions so trustees and the public can actually track whether spending produces the outcomes we're promised. I will support an audit of key topics, including senior management roles, and how the VSB is setting targets, measuring performance, tracking outcomes and taking corrective action. 

3. I will protect public land for public good and future generations - while finding ways to leverage this key asset given critical needs. I will also work to address the overcrowding and school safety issues. 

4. I will recommend more innovative, effective tools and processes for parents and all stakeholders to share timely input on decisions that impact them, and help quantify the scale of the needs.

OneCity Vancouver

Krista Sigurdson

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I'm running for School Board because, as a parent and former PAC chair, I have watched the board neglect the issues facing Vancouver families over the last eight years. Families are facing a child care crisis and school boards need to take responsibility for meeting the demand, starting with before- and after-school child care. Kids with support needs are not having their inclusion needs met and we need to keep funding as close to the classroom as possible. Music, library and PE programs are being cut across the district and seen as optional rather than core educational needs. Teachers and staff are facing difficult working conditions and the district is not listening, nor is it improving retention and recruitment methods. I'm running for all Vancouver children so they have access to high quality, equitable education.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District? 

1. Improving access to child care  

2. Improving inclusion and support for kids with support needs 

3. Not divesting of public land through long term leases 

4. Making neighborhood schools the heart of our communities 

5. Reinstating music, library, and PE programs.

Christopher Lee

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I'm running for School Board because the current VSB has failed to adequately support students and youth. As the leader of Helping Hearts, my nonprofit advocacy group, I brought together thousands of students, including students from Eric Hamber to push for stronger communities – from a universal school food program to transparent governments. In that work, I've seen, from the eyes of students, how student needs aren't being met, especially through our educational resources and mental health support, like the lack of universal full-time counselors and librarians in every school. For too long, these needs have been unmet because of Trustees that don’t spend the time to listen and learn from students and parents. The world that young people live in is drastically different than that of students even 10 years ago. It’s critical that we have a trustee voice with recent, personal experience in the K to 12 system, and I would be honoured to be that person. Vancouver's students deserve a strong, voting voice that’ll bring in resources and support for all, and that’s why I’m running. 

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District? 

With the OneCity School Board team, my biggest priority is advancing strong supports and resources that'll help students thrive. I'll push for full-time counselors and full-time librarians at every school, secure well-funded music and arts programs across the district, and promote a diverse set of elective courses for all students. At Helping Hearts, I've seen what happens when students have the resources they need to succeed— it's time the VSB makes this a priority for all students.

Sherry Breshears

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I’m running because my two kids recently graduated from VSB schools, and over the years, I have spent time and energy advocating to ensure that my own children and others received the support they needed, volunteering with DPAC and the Inclusive Education Working Group. Through that experience, I gained a deep understanding of both the strengths of our school system and the gaps that can leave some learners behind. I'm running because I want every student to have access to the support, opportunities, and sense of connection that help them reach their full potential.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District? 

My top priority is to make sure that all kids feel like they have a place at school and that they are challenged and inspired in their learning. I will advocate for more inclusive schools by ensuring that students have access to needed supports like mental health services, learning supports, resources for neurodivergent students, and other services. I also want all students to have more opportunities to discover their interests and strengths. This could be through specialized programs, trades and skills programs, the arts, outdoor learning, culturally appropriate education for Indigenous students, and other learning opportunities. Students should have access to a wide range of pathways that help them develop their talents and imagine new possibilities for their future.

Steve Cardwell

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I have spent more than four decades in public education because I believe deeply in the power of public schools to change lives and strengthen communities. I have served as a teacher, senior district leader, professor, and university vice-president, and had the privilege of serving for five years as Superintendent of the Vancouver School Board. I know this district, its schools and communities well. I am running to put that experience to work for Vancouver’s students, to strengthen student success and well-being, support the people who work in our schools, and ensure students have access to safe, inclusive neighbourhood schools. I also want to help restore open, transparent, and accountable leadership at the school board, where students, families, and employees have a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect them.

In my view, schools are the heart of the neighbourhood and soul of the community.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District? 

My overriding priority is a strong, inclusive public school system where every student is supported and every neighbourhood has a great school. I will work to accelerate seismic upgrades, protect public school lands, and plan for schools in growing communities; advocate for adequate funding, full inclusion, and stronger mental-health and learning supports; restore programs that have been cut, including music and hockey; expand before- and after-school childcare and food programs; and advance Truth and Reconciliation, equity, and belonging. I also want the VSB to recruit and retain more excellent employees, provide sufficient teachers, support staff, librarians, and counselors, support a living wage, and strengthen student voice, public participation, and accountable governance.

Rory Brown

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I’m running for School Board because I think many of the policies, practices, and outcomes of the current VSB are unfair, unsafe, and don’t put equity for students first. I have a good deal of experience working with the VSB as a teacher union representative and I understand how the system works. I believe that an experienced and motivated Board can advocate for students, inspire and include parents, care for employees, and improve outcomes in multiple ways.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District? 

My top priorities are to increase available childcare at multiple sites across the district, advocate and take responsibility for the poor condition of Vancouver school facilities, and to include parent and community voices in Board decision-making. 

COPE Vancouver

Derrick O'Keefe

Why I'm running for Vancouver School Board

I’m running for School Board with the Coalition of Progressive Electors to fight for more investment in our public education system.

I’m a parent of two school-aged kids, a union member, a community volunteer, a writer and researcher, and a life-long social justice advocate. For nearly 30 years I’ve been fighting to protect the public good in Vancouver against the unfair system that puts the greed of the few above the needs of the many. 

The real human cost of the systemic underfunding of public education in Vancouver is paid for by working people -- specifically by parents who have to pay school fees for all sorts of things that should be part of a universal system, and by teachers and other education workers who end up paying out of pocket for the basics and being even more unable to afford to live near where they work. 

The cause of the crisis facing public education is the same as the cause of the housing crisis and the climate crisis: the inequality of wealth and power in our society. We can have beautiful and functional public schools, if we have the political courage to tax the super-rich and give power back to the people.

I have a degree in Education from the University of British Columbia and have worked on curriculum development for K-12 students and post-secondary institutions. I’m also a writer, editor, and researcher with the SFU Institute for the Humanities. This academic and professional background gives me some important perspective on the debates and controversies currently taking place around the use of AI in our public schools. 

My top priorities for the Vancouver School District 

I am a proud democratic socialist and a long-time member of the Coalition of Progressive Electors. As a School Trustee I will fight for fully-funded and safe public schools, equipped with all the supports and opportunities children and students need and deserve. 

I will make sure the District doesn't allow any more giveaways of public land to real estate speculators and the billionaire class. Last year’s selloff of the basketball courts at Fleming Elementary in East Vancouver was outrageous, and led to my deeper engagement on School Board issues. It’s absolutely essential that we elect representatives who will make it clear to real estate speculators that Vancouver is not for sale. 

Along with my COPE colleagues,I will fight to stop the cuts to school support staff, restore a living wage for bus drivers and all VSB employees, expand school meal programs, and prevent school closures. 

Vancouver is one of the wealthiest cities on Earth. It’s time we shared that wealth for the public good and redistributed power to the people. 

As the whole world has seen with the new mayor of New York City, people are fed up with billionaires and the super-rich trashing the planet and making our lives stressful and unaffordable. People are ready for real change, and I hope my time on the School Board will help deliver significant change in Vancouver's public school system.

Suzie Mah

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

As an incumbent, I wish to continue my work towards improving the quality of public education in Vancouver schools.  We need schools where students feel safe, included, and their academic, mental health, physical health, and social health needs met.  Simply put - the work is far from done.  

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District?

My top priorities include:

a) a moratorium on school closures and leasing public school lands to developers

b) increasing public accountability by reducing the number of private meetings and increasing public participation through more meaningful engagement

c) conducting a systems audit to identify areas of cost savings so we can put more money into the classrooms

d) putting more money into supporting inclusive education

e) expanding onsite before and afterschool child care

f) bringing back music and the arts back into our schools

g) expanding food programs to feed hungry students and ultimately achieve a universal meal program in every school

Melanie Cheng

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I’m running because, for more than a decade, I have watched Vancouver families repeatedly fight to protect the schools, programs and public spaces their children depend on.

As a mother of three teenagers, I know strong neighbourhood schools are essential to whether families can work, access child care and continue living in this city. As an award-winning parent leader, for the past 10 years I helped fight the proposed closure of 12 schools, launched the campaign to save the Graham Bruce Elementary from condo development, brought an inquiry concerning school-site subdivision plans, and led the save Carleton Elementary campaign.

Those experiences taught me that better decisions are made when Trustees listen to students, families, educators, and communities. I am running to bring compassion, experience and accountability to the Board and to help build a better public education system.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District?

My first priority will be the classroom and the services that directly support students. I will advocate for: properly funded inclusive education, stronger mental-health and teacher-counselling support, and thriving music, arts, sports and recreation programs.

I will also fight to protect public school lands and restore strong neighbourhood schools. Vancouver needs coordinated planning for enrolment growth, child care and community programming and not more closures, subdivisions or sell-offs. I will press the province to fund faster school construction, seismic upgrades, clean air and the repair or replacement of aging facilities, while ensuring new and renovated schools meet high environmental standards.

Finally, I will champion transparent, democratic governance through accessible meetings, participatory budgeting and meaningful consultation before decisions are made. I also support pausing the use of generative AI and chatbots in schools until the District completes a transparent public review of their effects on privacy, safety, learning, mental health, equity and the environment.

Vote Vancouver 

Tasha Doucas

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board? 

My 17 year old son has been my inspiration to bring immediate and positive change to the VSB.

The last two years have been increasingly challenging for him moving from another school district to the VSB one.

This experience prompted me to share with friends, where discussions continued to grow to several parents, some teenagers, as well as teachers across different schools. Our public education system needs immediate attention and on all levels.

My name is Tasha Doucas and I feel the skills I have will allow me to bring transparency, governance and accountability to the VSB's school landscape, planning of projects, and getting the important work that needs to get done as a school board trustee.

I served as PAC Secretary for two new elementary schools in District 93 as parents were pulled away from an overcrowded school and placed into an unused English School building. Our focus was to build the community while fundraising for special programs such as gardening and music for our school. We also had to prepare new bylaws for this school. A year later our school community had to move to another physical location. My experience with the school PAC has provided me with the opportunity to learn the importance of a communities voice to bring parents, teachers and families together for a common goal - for our kids future and to thrive in a learning environment.

I have served as board director and as President of a Provincial Sports Organization for five years. My focus was on strategic financial planning, sound governance, and succession planning.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District? 

As a start while orientation on the various aspects of the role of School Board Trustee, these would be the immediate priorities for the District and establishing milestones for the following:

Review and consultation of the role of AI and Digital Safety in our schools to ensure that AI does not replace student's critical thinking when learning. There is also the aspect of digital safety and ability to remained focused while in school. I would want to review and consult on phone use in schools.

Review of the current childcare and afterschool care programs. Based on the numbers I have heard, it doesn't seem like we are making any headway to provide the childcare spots we need in key growing areas. Afterschool programs are another area that should be reviewed to ensure that we are providing the best support to our parents by not having to race across town to pick them up, all while providing care and expansion of learning in an after school environment.

School Liaison Officers and School Safety are a third area for review. I support non-uniformed SLOs that act as a bridge between teachers or administration and students in hallways and school grounds. SLOs are trained to intervene and neutralize potential criminal activity. On the other side, these SLOs have been seen to bring a calm atmosphere that can provide a positive environment in the school hallways and outside areas.

A Universal Food Program and Nutrition Standards provide every child access to healthy, culturally appropriate food at school without stigma or financial barriers, funded as a shared provincial/federal responsibilities. A revisit of the Nutritional Standards guide is another area that will ensure kids are getting the nourishment to support their day of learning.

Review of the building of schools as well as seismic upgrades:

- There is an immediate need for a school in Olympic Village. A quick review of the location should be done and weigh any factors that would impede flow of traffic and accessibility in that area.

- Schools that are on high priority for seismic upgrades and see which ones need to be rebuilt fully or certain parts upgraded. Those that need a full rebuild, determine if there is a way it can be done safely in conjunction with the school remaining open to students.

Amarys Joseph

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

My name is Amarys Joseph, I was born and raised in Vancouver and had the opportunity to attend both private and public schools here. I graduated from Lord Byng High School which at the time was very enriched in sports, including my favourites: rugby, basketball, and volleyball. I also have a child who is in the public school system in grade 7, so I understand first hand how the decisions the VSB Trustees make land on students and teachers. I am honoured to be running with our esteemed team, Vote Vancouver, where I have found my political home. My fellow Vote Vancouver VSB candidates, who are also parents, and I believe we will make productive, memorably positive changes for the Vancouver School Board District.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District

Restore accessible school programs that have been lost in recent years, particularly the Britannia Hockey Academy - a program that operated for nearly 20 years and provided students with a low barrier, affordable opportunity to participate in hockey. I want to explore every avenue to bring programs like this back and ensure cost is not a barrier to students participating in sport. 

Strengthen student supports by advocating for more student and School Support Assistants (SSA's) in our schools. I understand the number of student enrollment has increased yet staffing has not been able to keep up with those needs. I would like to prioritize adequate SSA staffing so students with disabilities and diverse learning needs receive the consistent, individualized support they need to learn, participate and thrive in the classroom.

Parents should not have to choose between having a job or having good quality adequate childcare. Expand child care and before- and after-school care on VSB property. We've already seen this model work- including 69 spaces at Eric Hamber 0-5, Henry Hudson, and another 161 school-age spaces being created through school space conversions at Cunningham, Moberly, Queen Victoria Annex, Cook, Tyee, and Beaconsfield. I want VSB to identify more underused school spaces and work with the Province, City, and non-profit providers to fund and convert them into licensed child care. I also want to adjust mismatched service hours if daycares can offer better service hours and hopefully eliminate child care lottery systems.

Continue seismic upgrades, particularly for H1 schools. I believe in renewing schools; however, if it is possible to preserve some of that history, we will aim to do so.

Mandy Potter

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I’m running for the Vancouver School Board because I know what it feels like when the education system fails you and I know how different a child’s life can be when someone steps in and makes sure they don’t fall through the cracks.

I left school at 16 after the supports I needed weren’t there. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when young people feel like nobody is listening, nobody understands them, and there is nowhere to turn.

Today, I’m a parent, a founder, and someone who has spent my career building organizations and advocating for communities that are too often overlooked. As the founder of Misfits Ventures, I’ve worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and seen the incredible things people can accomplish when they are given opportunity, support, and someone who believes in them.

I’m running because I want every student in Vancouver to have that opportunity.

Our schools should be places where kids feel safe, supported, included and excited to learn, regardless of their background, identity, disability, neurodivergence, family circumstances or academic path.

And as a parent, I want to make sure we are building a school system that works not just for the students who are thriving today, but for the kids who are struggling quietly and may not yet have the words or confidence to ask for help.

I’m not running because I think the system is broken beyond repair. I’m running because I believe we can do better - and because I believe lived experience, fresh thinking and strong advocacy belong at the table.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District?

1. Student safety and mental health

Students cannot learn when they don’t feel safe. We need stronger approaches to bullying, violence and harassment, alongside meaningful mental-health supports for students. That means identifying problems earlier, making it easier for students and families to access support, and ensuring schools have the resources to respond effectively.

2. Better support for neurodivergent and disabled students

Too many families spend enormous amounts of time fighting to get their children the supports they need. I want the VSB to focus on earlier intervention, stronger learning supports and better coordination between schools, families and the professionals supporting students.

3. Making sure every student belongs

Vancouver is an incredibly diverse city, and our schools should reflect that. Students should be able to see themselves in their schools, curriculum and communities and know that they belong. That includes LGBTQ+ students, students of colour, newcomers, Indigenous students, students with disabilities and students from every kind of family.

4. Strong academics and more pathways to success

Inclusion and academic excellence should not be competing priorities. We need to support students who are struggling while also challenging students who are excelling. Schools should provide strong foundations in literacy, numeracy and critical thinking, while expanding opportunities in trades, technology, arts, athletics, entrepreneurship and other pathways.

5. Responsible stewardship of public education

The VSB has a responsibility to make every public dollar count. I want greater transparency around spending, stronger accountability for outcomes and a focus on directing resources toward classrooms and the students who need them most.

Ultimately, my goal is simple: I want every child in Vancouver to have a school where they feel safe, seen, supported and capable of succeeding.

Every student deserves adults in their corner who believe in them. I want to be one of those voices at the VSB.

Vancouver Liberals

Noosha Mehdian

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I’m running because I believe decisions about education benefit from having educators at the table. As an educator, researcher and parent, I want to bring my experience in teaching, academic governance and evidence-informed decision-making to the Board. Most importantly, I want to help ensure that Vancouver students are prepared not only for school today, but for the rapidly changing world they will enter after graduation.

If elected, what are your top priorities for the District?

My priorities are ensuring public funding reaches the classrooms and supports where it has the greatest impact; supporting and trusting educators; and strengthening transparency and accountability in Board decision-making. I also want students to graduate with strong foundational knowledge, critical thinking, media literacy and sound judgment including the ability to navigate emerging technologies thoughtfully and independently, rather than becoming dependent on them.

Ishi Dinim

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board?

I’m running for the Vancouver School Board because I believe wholeheartedly in public education and want to help make our schools stronger, more inclusive, and better able to meet the needs of every student.

I was born and raised in Vancouver and attended Henry Hudson Elementary and Kitsilano Secondary, so I know firsthand how important public schools are to our communities. Now, as a parent of two teenagers, I’ve spent nearly 10 years involved in my daughters’ school PACs. What initially got me involved were experiences of racism, antisemitism, and hatred in VSB schools. I felt that some of these situations could have been addressed more proactively. I also served as a DPAC representative for six years and have been a Member at Large of the Vancouver DPAC Executive for the past three years. These experiences have given me a strong understanding of both how the school system works and where there are opportunities to improve it.

My involvement in student advocacy goes back even further. At Emily Carr University, I was elected to my student union and served as one of two student representatives on the Board of Governors. I learned early on that students deserve to have a voice in the decisions that affect their education.

I’m running in this election because I want to bring that experience to the School Board and work collaboratively with students, families, educators, staff, and the broader community. I want every student to feel safe being themselves at school

If elected, what are your top priorities for the district?

My priorities would be focused on making Vancouver’s public schools safe, welcoming, and well-supported places where every student can learn and thrive.

Student wellbeing and belonging: Every student should feel safe and able to be their whole self at school. I would work to ensure schools have the support students need, including counselling and other mental-health services, as well as access to school food programs.

Resources and supports for students: Students learn in different ways and have different needs. Schools need the right staff, resources, and support services to meet students where they are. One priority of mine is reducing wait times for necessary assessments, including psycho-educational assessments that can help ensure students receive the personalized learning resources they require. 

Strong public schools and public assets: Schools are an important part of Vancouver’s communities, and school land and other public assets should be protected for future generations. We need to make sure there is enough school space to meet the growing enrollment needs while also addressing current needs. I believe that schools that are seismically upgraded should have the same or greater capacity than the school being replaced. 

Meaningful collaboration: Good decisions require listening to the people who experience the education system every day. I would bring my experience working with PACs, DPAC, students, families, and the broader community to the Vancouver School Board, with an emphasis on collaboration and finding common ground.

TEAM for a Livable Vancouver

Kat Nystedt

Why are you running for the Vancouver School Board? If elected, what are your top priorities for the District?

I want to have make an impact for my children and the children of Vancouver. I want to advocate for children to have safe spaces where they can learn, grow and play. I want to make sure kids have adequate arts and physical education and the proper equipment for each age group. I want to make sure parents and residents are heard from and are communicated properly to about policies and plans. 

If elected, my top priorities would be fostering transparency with parents and residents. Focusing on allocating budgets for arts, music and physical education programs. 

No Response

The questionnaire was emailed to the following candidates and/or the contact email listed on their party’s website, but they did not respond by the deadline:

• Darren Boidman (Vancouver Liberals)

• Joshua Cameron (Vancouver Liberals)

• Alfred Chien (ABC Vancouver)

• Preeti Faridkot (ABC Vancouver)

• Gwen Giesbrecht (COPE Vancouver)

• Maria Kritikos (ABC Vancouver)

• Matt Kroeker (ABC Vancouver)

• Rob Nijjar (ABC Vancouver)

• Isabel Ochoa (Vancouver Liberals)

• Shirley Sio (ABC Vancouver)

• Lina Vargas (ABC Vancouver)

Bright Future Vancouver was given the opportunity to respond to the questionnaire under their party name, since they haven’t announced the names of any school board candidates, and they also did not respond by the deadline.

After four years with The Griffins’ Nest, we were overjoyed, motivated, and, frankly, a little terrified, when we were handed down the role of (Co) Editor-in-Chief (EIC). Leading the paper this year has proven to be one of the greatest challenges that we’ve faced, but has yielded the greatest rewards.

We both started off at The Nest in eighth grade, a little wide-eyed, extremely passionate, and unequivocally proud to show off our navy blue Nest crewnecks. 

Near the end of our grade 10 year, we collaborated on our first (of many) articles together: an investigation into course cuts at the Byng Arts program. This was only the beginning of our notorious journalistic partnership.

We continued to work together as executive editors for Volume 14, spending our weekends editing articles, drafting last-minute editorials, and polishing our journalistic intuition.

Each issue of Volume 15 was a whirlwind of sleepless nights and narrowly met deadlines, but we reveled in every second of it. Somewhere in between drafting requests for comment, assigning reporters articles, and re-reading editorials together, our brains smushed into one. Together, we grew into better reporters, better editors, and ultimately, better people.

The Nest has been an unparalleled learning experience for us both, teaching us how to report with integrity, emphasize ethical decision making, and fight for what we believe in. 

We could not report as we do today without all the reporters who came before us.

Our first and foremost thank you is owed to Addie Guan, the 2023–2025 Editor-in-Chief of The Nest. Having now served in this role as a duo, it’s hard to imagine doing it solo, but Addie took on every issue with dedication, passion, and her Subway Surfers soundtrack playing in the background. Addie showed us that beyond correcting syntax and fact-checking, the role of an editor encompasses the key responsibility to mentor and uplift the future generation of reporters. We couldn’t be more grateful for everything she taught us, and for leaving us to co-parent her favourite child. We hope we’ve made her proud. 

Throughout Volume 14, Sara Maya Budhiraja, who served as Managing Editor, provided a steady backbone for our editorial team and always kept everyone’s spirits high. We continue to be inspired by the amount of commitment and time she gave to The Nest, and how she was able to change the dynamic of our team from an editorial board to a family. 

One of the most unique aspects of The Nest is not only the community it creates at Hamber, but the long-lasting alumni network that is fostered by editors even after their graduation. Past Editor-in-Chiefs Spencer Izen (2020-2022) and Stephen Kosar (2022-2023) provided us invaluable guidance throughout this year, and were always willing to hop on a FaceTime call with us to advise on the latest newspaper dilemma. Thank you for your kindness, knowledge, and continued passion for the paper.

Furthermore, we would like to thank the editors from Volume 13 and 14 that stuck alongside us throughout the journey from beginning reporters to experienced editors: Andre Chen, Katja Radovic-Jonsson, Gina Hallensleben, Anthony Lu, Max von Dehn, Austin Witter, and Izzy Jang. 

Mr. A. Wightman (Social Studies) has been a constant source of support for our club as teacher sponsor, and has shown great respect for the challenge that is student journalism. While neither of us have ever taken a class with him, our experience through The Nest has shown us the level to which he cares for each and every student, and the betterment of education as a whole.

An additional thank you goes to Mr. J. Lauzon (Administration), Mr. N. Despotakis (Administration), and Ms. N. Gates (Administration), who took the time to understand the core values and principles of The Nest, and have shown respect for us not just as students, but as journalists.

As the leaders of Volume 15, we have had the privilege of guiding a team of incredibly talented and hard-working editors. It’s been an absolute pleasure seeing you grow into competent and fearless journalists.

Design and Layout Editor, Natalie Kosar (12), has been the creative genius behind the paper for the past two years, piecing together each issue with innovation, logic, and an admirable work ethic. Her passion for journalism is evident in every page she produces, and her attention to detail is unmatched. We could not be more grateful for her steady support and InDesign savviness.  

The 2026–2027 Editorial Board will be led by current Managing Editor Zak Tucker (11). Zak has a gift for language and a knack for editing, always ready to get to the bottom of the latest scoop. With his 2000 word investigative reports and hyper fixation on the AP Style Guide, he has fully integrated himself into the world of journalism. We are thrilled to watch him take the reins of the paper as Editor-in-Chief, and know he will lead with integrity and professionalism. We can’t wait to see what he will accomplish, and will be cheering him on every step of the way. 

 Evîn Jaaf (11) will take on the role of Managing Editor next year. She has been an exemplary editor throughout her first year on the board, and always brings her infectious positivity to every issue. Along with a passion for photojournalism, Evîn has a special appreciation for the aspects of The Nest that make it so special for students. She is a role model for other journalists, and we know she will take on this role with excitement and invention. 

Over this year, it’s been an absolute pleasure to see Nara Harvey (10) grow as both a reporter and editor. She has consistently stepped up to fill in any needed gap, and has an innate sense of curiosity that fuels her reporting. Nara will be continuing next year as an Executive Editor, and we have no doubt that she will serve as a vital mentor for incoming editors and continue to pour herself into every project she takes on.  

Although Salena Sharma (12) was not able to continue the full year as an editor, we are continually grateful for her contribution, dependency, and years of dedication to The Nest. 

Junior Design and Layout Editor Trisha Tan (11) has taken on a daunting role with an open mind and a dedication to learning. Her quiet productivity has greatly contributed to the success of each and every issue this year. As the lead Design and Layout Editor next year, we are confident that she has the skills and eye for design to keep the paper flawless.

The Nest’s 2026-2027 Editorial Board will also include Executive Editors Sophie Lee (9), Leah Levine (10), Eleanor Stiem (9), and Junior Design & Layout Editor Ariel Lai (10).

Our words would be pointless without those who read them. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, engage with, and support our paper.

Additionally, the generous guidance that we’ve received from professional journalists has continued to enhance our work, and the trust the community has placed in this paper is what has laid the foundation for our informative, impartial, and independent student journalism. 

The power of The Nest lies in the unique ability that student journalists have: to investigate, question, and challenge the world around them. It is a right that must be protected and built upon by each new Editorial Board. Our advice to you: keep reporting, keep learning, and keep striving to grow as a publication. The Nest is only as strong as those who continue to believe in its importance. We implore you to never stop believing. 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve in this role over the last year. It has been an absolute honour and privilege to be your Editors-in-Chief.

Disclosure: Alex Ma is a reporter for The Nest, but was not involved in producing this article.

Secrets, suspicions, and scandals sizzled in the auditorium with Hamber’s rendition of The Crucible. Arthur Miller’s 1953 classic was adapted by Hamber’s Theatre Department and ran from May 26-29, following an escalating witch hunt in Salem, Massachusetts, and exploring themes of reputation, action, and consequences. 

“[We are] at a pivotal time in history where this play is very, very relevant to what I see going on in the world […] which is kind of mirroring the climate that Arthur Miller first wrote this play in the 1950s,” Mr. P. Beharry (Fine Arts) said when asked why he chose to put on The Crucible this year. His interest in directing this play began in 2003. “The world is complex […], and so this play challenges you to decide who is right and who is wrong.” 

The Crucible follows three central figures: John Proctor, a proud, hardworking farmer played by Phoenix McCarthy-Undem (12); Abigail Williams, the rebellious and manipulative minister’s niece played by Eloise Lee (11); and Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor’s guarded and upright wife played by Kendra On (12). However, what made the play a “great vehicle for high school,” according to Mr. Beharry, was the “great distribution of a lot of roles and lines for more people.”

The Crucible debuted to a bustling crowd of friends, family, teachers, and students in the auditorium. The curtains opened with the lively notes of a fiddle and a group of village girls dancing and invoking spirits in the woods. This eerie opening scene was choreographed by Michelle Molina, Hamber alumni and recent Langara Theatre School graduate. 

“Before the play, I was excited, but I was also nervous,” said Audrey Hershman (12), who played the timid servant Mary Warren. “I didn’t expect it to go as well as it did, and I didn’t expect the audience’s feedback to be as good as it was.”

To portray The Crucible’s complex characters, actors applied careful thought to their character interpretations.

“The thing I love most about my character is how strong she is. She has a lot of heart,” On said about Elizabeth Proctor. “I think she was [one of] the harder characters to play because [...] a lot of her emotions [are] not really prominent in the way that she expresses herself. It took a little bit of time for me to try to capture that.” 

To portray John Proctor, McCarthy-Undem explained that he explored his character’s motivations. “[Proctor] really puts his family in front of everything else, and that takes a lot of strength,” he said, “so that’s where I was sort of coming from. [But] even in that strength, there’s weakness [when] he hurts the people that he loves.”

Alex Ma (11), who played Reverend John Hale, sought to understand his character by exploring the historical context that the play derives its plot from. “I spent a lot of time doing research, figuring out, like, oh, this is what the belief was upon witches [at] the time,” Ma explained. “I had a lot of fun, but it was a very tedious and long process.” Ma described The Crucible as “deep”, and likes that Hamber’s Theatre Department is “not shy to stray away from more difficult material.” 

A key element of the production was the era-appropriate costumes that actors wore. Muted earthy tones and simple, modest garments reflected 17th-century Puritan fashion. The costume department took great care in this aspect of the play, making sure characters were assigned costumes that reflected “their age, their role, their job, and the time period,” according to head of costumes Pat Sincraian (11). 

However, opening night did not come without a hitch. When almost all of the actors’ mics very briefly cut out, the cast was forced to think on their feet to keep the show running. “We had to end up just using our voice[s], yelling [and] projecting our lines,” explained Sizakele Mkasi (12), who played Tituba. “In the end, we adapted.” Despite initial challenges, On said, “We had a really great show, and I’m very [...] proud of everyone.” 

Rehearsals for The Crucible began at the beginning of March. Although Mr. Beharry said that he felt that their process started late, he was nonetheless “amazed that we were able to put this challenging show together.” 

Hamber has put on lengthy productions in the past, such as Romeo and Juliet, which was spoken entirely in Shakespearean English, but for McCarthy-Undem, The Crucible came with a different set of challenges. “I’d say the biggest challenge was memorizing all the lines,” he said. 

Lee added that her perspective on The Crucible changed from when she read the play in English to after she performed as Abigail, as she “got to understand more [of the play’s] depth [and] about character motivation by acting in the play.” Lee said that her experience in The Crucible helped her gain confidence in her acting. “I haven’t been [in] any big roles before, so this is the first time I really got a role that required me to push [myself].” 

Behind the scenes, Hamber’s theatre crew worked constantly to make the play the best it could be. Max Moore (11), head of the running crew, explained that each of the set changes became very complicated and required a lot of planning. Olivia Leung (9), head of the props department, said that “because [she’s] working in the wings, [she] really appreciated all the work that [...] all the other departments do.” 

Throughout the production, cast members were able to enjoy humorous moments. Mkasi recalled that after they finished “physical and […] vocal warmups, [they] would do the Irish jig just for fun.” Lee told a story about auditioning for her role as Abigail Williams, in which Mr. Beharry told her to do a “one-minute improv of what you think it would be like to be possessed by a devil.” 

Multiple cast members shared that their favourite part about working on the spring play was its community. “You grow as people, and you get to see everybody [else] grow, and you get to bring in new people and [...] serenade them with your traditions,” Ma said. 

“With how many different genres of art there are in the world, it’s hard for [...] people to get together and enjoy one thing, and that was really a privilege that we have,” said McCarthy-Undem.

Most of the cast agreed that the inviting community of the theatre department is what drew them to join the spring play. On shared that her decision to audition for The Crucible was spurred by the sense of belonging the theatre department created. “I’ve been doing theatre since grade 8, so it was just kind of like, how could I not? I love theatre, and I love this community.”

Three people died, and several others fell ill after an outbreak of Hantavirus on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius between mid-April and early May, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Word spread quickly, raising concerns for the passengers and the public.

After the outbreak, the cruise ship ended up docking in Tenerife, located in the Canary Islands of Spain. From there, passengers were sent to their home countries, including four Canadians who were required to isolate for 21 days, as per The New York Times. An additional 32 crew members set sail for Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where the ship was disinfected, and where the crew entered a quarantine period.

The four Canadian passengers were flown on a plane chartered by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Global Affairs Canada to Victoria, where they immediately entered isolation.

“These Canadians have been through a very difficult number of weeks, and it showed last night. They were tired, I would say exhausted, but very relieved and grateful to be back here in Canada,” Dr. Bonnie Henry told reporters during a May 11 press conference.

Henry said that the Canadian passengers didn’t have any confirmed close contact with people who were sick on the cruise ship, but she cautioned that in close environments, like cruise ships, “it’s very difficult to know for certain.”

When they landed in Victoria, the four passengers didn’t show any symptoms. However, on May 16, Henry reported that one of the passengers tested “presumptive positive.”

After online speculation, health experts have assured the public that the Hantavirus outbreak will not become the next COVID-19 pandemic. “People are still reeling from [COVID-19]  trauma, and a lot of people who experienced that still have a degree of PTSD. So it’s very hard to not spiral,” said Boghuma Titanji, an infectious disease physician and assistant professor at the Emory School of Medicine, according to The Guardian.

Health experts continue to emphasize that the risk of Hantavirus infection to the general public is low. 

“I need to stress again and again, even those who have been sharing cabins don’t seem to be both infected in some cases [...] it’s not spreading anything close to how COVID was spreading,” said WHO representative Christian Lindmeier, according to UN News.

According to UN News, Hantavirus is primarily carried by rodents. Humans can catch it through contact with infected rat saliva, droppings, and urine. Human-to-human transmission is also possible from close contact with an infected individual.

This disease can vary from severe illness to fatal infection. In North and South America, some strands of the Hantavirus have been reported to have fatality rates of up to 50 per cent. However, experts explain that they are relatively uncommon to catch, especially in places like Asia and Europe.

Hantavirus is particularly hard to identify in the early stages, as symptoms can take up to eight weeks to appear. These symptoms usually include: fever, muscle ache, fatigue, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and even gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal pain, as per the WHO. The symptoms resemble other diseases such as COVID-19 or influenza. Although these diseases might seem similar, health officials emphasize that they are very different illnesses and carry very different biological components.

Shivam Lnu has pleaded guilty in US federal court to charges regarding his involvement in an illegal trafficking ring smuggling Indian migrants across the Canada-United States border. According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Lnu pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and three counts of alien smuggling for financial gain.

His court sentencing is scheduled for Sep. 4, with a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. As per court documents, Lnu was involved in operations from October 2024 to June 2025.

“WhatsApp messages between one of the drivers and a number connected to [Lnu] allegedly revealed coordination of smuggling illegal aliens into the US from Canada on numerous occasions,” said the DOJ in a news release.  

On Jan. 25, Lnu instructed his co-conspirator to smuggle 12 migrants from India and the UK across the Canadian border to the US. Lnu paid his co-conspirator $100 USD for each person transported.

The following day, US Border Patrol agents attempted to stop two vehicles near the border, each transporting 12 undocumented immigrants. Both vehicles accelerated to avoid the agents, resulting in one vehicle being immobilized after it veered off the road. The other one was stopped in Mooers, New York.

After undergoing a bone marrow transplant to treat cancer, a 62-year-old man from Toronto has become Canada’s first case of sustained Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remission. 

HIV is a virus that attacks the human body’s immune system. If left untreated, it can develop into Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a severe stage of HIV. HIV is acquired through the transmission of certain bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. It is commonly transmitted through unprotected sexual contact or by sharing drug injection equipment like needles.

Since HIV’s formal recognition in 1981, researchers and scientists have worked tirelessly to find medications and therapies to combat the disease. Although modern medication, like Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), can successfully control HIV by suppressing it to controllable levels, it has no widely accessible cure. However, although not a cure, ART effectively stops HIV from replicating, thus preserving HIV patients’ immune functions, allowing them to live long and healthy lives, and preventing sexual transmission of the disease.

The Canadian breakthrough in sustained HIV remission began in 2021, when a 62-year-old Toronto man was diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancer and received subsequent chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. He had been living with HIV for 27 years, taking ART throughout that time to suppress his disease.

His donor cells for the bone marrow transplant contained a rare “delta-32 mutation” in the CCR5 gene, a specific mutation that inhibits HIV from entering and infecting immune cells. After his bone marrow transplant, doctors noticed a significant decline in his HIV levels. The patient discontinued his ART in the summer of 2025, and as of April 2026, his HIV levels remain undetectable with no HIV-specific immune responses detected.

His case was reported by a team of clinicians and researchers at University Health Network (UHN), making him the first Canadian case of sustained HIV remission. The case was co-led by Sharon Walmsley, director of the HIV facility at UHN, and Mario Ostrowski, a clinician at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Dr. Sharon Walmsley reported to CBC that, “not only has [the patient] survived this cancer, but now he appears to have eradicated his HIV.” In addition to that, Dr. Sharon Walmsley mentioned that while there is no “magic number” of years that can define when a patient is cured of HIV, “if you go out to three years, some mathematical modeling suggests that you are probably cured at that point.”

Not yet including the Toronto patient, ten other patients globally are considered cured of HIV after experiencing long-term sustained HIV remission. These patients were also diagnosed with different types of blood cancer and underwent a stem cell transplant. Recently, a patient in Geneva was the first person cured using stem cells without the delta-32 mutation in the CCR5 gene. 

However, this method of HIV remission is not recommended. Bone marrow transplants are not only incredibly invasive but also carry immense risk. Only when a patient has a rare combination of both blood cancer and HIV should this treatment be provided.

Still, the case provides a new sense of hope and optimism as it proves that finding a functional cure is biologically possible. “This case offers critical insight into how HIV can be eliminated from the body, informing safer approaches in the future,” said Dr. Tommy Moya, a doctor involved in the Toronto patient’s post-transplant case, according to the UHN. 

Using this newfound data, scientists are finding and brainstorming ways to engineer a more accessible cure with non-transplant therapies, such as modifying T-cells or gene therapy. According to the International AIDS Society, “the ultimate goal is to develop broadly applicable cure strategies that do not require stem cell transplantation.”

As the 2025/26 school year comes to a close, Hamber’s department heads, counsellors, and administrators have begun building the timetable for classes by choosing next year’s course offerings, based on students’ needs and funding requirements.

According to Ms. B. Panesar (English), a department head, the process begins with “a committee of department heads, administrators, and staff [representatives], and we look at what students have chosen.” From there, each department head receives a list of numbers outlining the courses that students have selected within their department.

“[Course selection] mostly comes down to whether or not students sign up for it […] that's the main thing, a class will only run if there are enough students to take it,” explained Mr. A. Stevens (Science), the head of Hamber’s science department.

Ultimately, the course-planning process varies between each department, said Mr. Stevens. According to him, it is up to the head of each department to determine which courses they offer next year. “So if for some reason, [the science department] decided we should not offer AP Chemistry next year, we could just remove it from the course planning booklet,” said Mr. Stevens. 

Department heads typically decide what courses they want their department to offer by considering factors such as student interest, teacher experience, and availability. Some departments purposely alternate their course offerings each year, providing for a more diverse offering of elective courses.

Once the timetable is built, students’ schedules are fully computer-generated. This randomization of courses is why counsellors say it is essential that students have their class selections confirmed by the deadline.

“The numbers dictate how many classes run in the school […] that's why it's very important to have your selections confirmed before a certain date,” explained Mr. A. Kwok (Counselling). 

In June, counsellors receive a first draft of student timetables from the course-selection system, and they look at scheduling conflicts and review students' specific requests, making changes when necessary. 

In September, after students have received their schedules, counsellors receive course requests through an online form in the first week of the month and take in-person requests, as well. 

The course-change process in September is often challenging for counsellors and students, as it is not easy to accommodate everyone’s specific needs.

“When we make a change, it's like [a] puzzle; we can really only move one piece at a time,” Mr. Kwok said.

Handling course requests is a complicated process, as class spots must be allocated based on the number of requests per course, the number of teachers available, and the number of rooms available. This is especially applicable to speciality classes that require specific spaces, such as Foods, Metalwork, and Electronics.

Ultimately, when it comes to course changes in the fall, counsellors prioritize needs over wants. As such, requests for classes needed to fulfill graduation or university entrance requirements are prioritized. 

“[Students often] think that they have to be the first person in line to get what they want. That doesn't always work because there's a lot of movement happening. It's changing minute by minute. So, it's a game of luck. Right? You have to be in the right place. And more often than not, we are able to give students what they want. It just requires patience,” explained Ms. N. Sandhu (Counselling).

Additionally, when it comes to student requests, it’s practically impossible to curate custom timetables for students. This includes students requesting to be placed in a certain teacher’s class.

“We avoid these issues with a school policy of not allowing [specific] requests unless the student has had the teacher before [… but] we are happy to have conversations about it on an individual basis,” said Mr. Kwok.

The counsellors advise that if students want to end up with their ideal timetable come fall, it’s important that during course planning time in the winter, they have a very good idea of what they want to take and don’t modify their requests. This can include doing some preliminary research into courses and university program requirements, particularly for senior students.

“At the same time, we recognize that it's challenging to choose in January […] that's hard to do when you've not had semester two classes, another glitch in the semester system, right? And yet it's got to be the best guess possible,” said Ms. J. Henning (Counselling).

Students are not the only ones anticipating their timetables for next year. “Normally, [the departments] take into account what teachers want and are able to teach […] but often, it comes back to how many of each course is available that year,” said Mr. Stevens. From there, if there is something else they wish to teach, department heads look to see if there is additional availability, for example, if another teacher is retiring, leaving, or can teach in a different department.

Recently, course planning has undergone several important changes. Ms. Panesar reflected on her past 20 years of helping plan events, sharing that one aspect of course planning that has changed significantly is class cutoff limits.

“In the past, it used to be [around] 18, 20, or 22 students,” she stated. This year, the cutoff for class size is 25, meaning that if less than 25 students are enrolled for a course, it will not run.

“In a perfect world, 28 kids sign up for a class, and that class will run. This year, though, the [school] board has […] created a timeline that we have to follow,” Ms. Panesar explained. The timeline is set to prioritize student numbers in classes, as having full classes with large student populations is a main focus for administrators overseeing timetable building.

Changes to provincial graduation requirements have also resulted in differences in course selection within Hamber’s student body. For example, the English department has seen a great increase in the number of students enrolled in English First Peoples Writing 10 and Literary Studies 10. 

The course was introduced during the 2023/24 school year in response to the Indigenous-Focused Graduation Requirement, first put into effect that year, which stipulates that all students must complete four credits in Indigenous-focused coursework in order to receive their Dogwood Diploma.

As Hamber’s school population has increased since the move into the new building, the counsellors have faced increased complications in the course planning process.

“In the old school, you would have approximately 1,550 kids, and this school is now well over 1700 […] so we're close to 200 kids more in this school. So that makes difficulties there,” explained Mr. C. Smith (Counselling). 

Furthermore, the counsellors find that the semester system causes additional complications when it comes to course planning.

“The semester system complicates the timetable because students want balance,” said Ms. Sandhu. “They don't want all their hard courses in one semester, but it's not always possible to move things around.”

On May 6, Eric Hamber’s Senior Ultimate Team defeated Burnaby North 15–5, capturing first place at the BC School Sports Provincial Championships. The win came after a season of perseverance, hard work, and focus from the team, who surmounted countless challenges to get the banner.

Logan Poon (12), a returning player on the senior team, shared that they had a particularly difficult provincial quarterfinal match. “We had a really tough game the first game of day two, where we ended up going down three points at the very beginning, but we were able to push through and come back and win.”

AJ Liu (11) shared how the people watching the game were instrumental in that difficult match to help secure the win. “Our quarterfinals were really tough because we were down the entire game, and the sideline really stepped it up, pumping up the people who were playing, and I think it made a real impact.”

Krista Shum (11), who managed the team and took photographs, shared that throughout the tournament, the team persisted by staying focused on their goals and keeping their energy high. “It was definitely a very competitive environment, so everyone was quite focused throughout,” said Shum.

Upon obtaining the provincial first-place banner, Liu and Poon shared that the team atmosphere was very positive. “It was really rewarding, especially, as I said, at the quarterfinals, we were a little worried that we would have to be playing for fifth,” said Liu. “Getting the banner at provincials revalidated the fact that we are the best team in the province, and it felt good.”

Meanwhile, Poon acknowledged that they “had a great coach.” According to Liu, their coach, Matthew Berezan, placed a new emphasis on mindfulness and mental health, encouraging kindness and helping cement a positive team dynamic throughout the season.

On May 8, the opening of Hamber’s Art Gallery took place. Over 300 of Hamber’s visual arts students were involved, collaborating on artworks to display in the new space.

The gallery, named the Gathering Space, is located in the first-floor main stairwell entrance,
so that enormous numbers of Hamber students walk through it each day to reach their classes. “It's at the bottom of a staircase, sort of in that area where there's […] extra space,” Ms. T. Seeliger (Visual Arts) explained. Its purpose is “to have an art gallery so that [Hamber can] display student creativity, create a community where art is valued, [and] allow for students to possibly do their own shows.” Ms Seeliger explained that “the display cases in the new building aren't really made to display artwork,” so the gallery was a new place to do just that. 

Joy Wang (11) thought the addition of the gallery was “really nice, because we don't have a lot of space where people can put up their art.” 

An art student, Vaughn Gamble (12), explained how “it's meant to be a space that is [...] in some semblance, run by students, and not by teachers.”

The Gathering Space provides students with the opportunity to showcase their work and have a space dedicated to their art. It also helps “display art as an important part of an education,” according to Ms. Seeliger.

“We often make work on our own, and it's just in our sketchbooks. And this is kind of an extra step so that you can show it,” she said. For Ms. Seeliger, the main idea of the gallery was to “build community and forefront the amazing abilities of the artists and the work that they do at the school.” 

An event was held to celebrate the opening of the Gathering Space, featuring a specialized land acknowledgement, speech, music, and portraits — all led by students. 

Faith Leung (10) and Sydney Chan (10) both made portraits for attendees, which they found a bit stressful due to the number of attendees. However, Leung found the opening event gave “a sense of togetherness.” Gamble, who spoke for the opening event, described it as busy but fine. Wang did the land acknowledgement and found that the event had a “very nice setup,” adding that “it was a pretty formal and good ceremony.” The event also included “collaborative art tables [where] students could try making different kinds of artwork,” according to Ms. Seeliger.

Artworks featured in The Gathering Space’s first exhibition, Assemblage, included a garden, radial relief prints, yarn art of Vancouver, a recreation of a tree branch, and more. Ms. Seeliger explained that for the garden, titled Garden of Ourselves, “Each flower or flowers […] were created by each student to represent their personal identity.”

She said that they were then put together “in order to show that all these plants that symbolize individuals become a garden.” Ms. Seeliger also explained how each class working together to form the pieces was a struggle, but rewarding in the end. “As we all know, collaboration is hard. So, it was definitely a challenge.”

Wang was one of the artists creating this piece, and described it as a “community garden of flowers, like a canvas with a bunch of paper flowers on top.”

Ms Seeliger also mentioned one of her class’s radial relief prints, Community Quilt, explaining how it symbolizes “how quilts are comforting, usually handmade, made by the community for somebody in the community.”

Moses Moes (11) loved the gallery, but wished “there were more projects, just because [he] got to only work on one.” Gamble, Moes, Chan, and Leung all worked on the food collage, Cravings. Each artist “put up a piece of food [...] related to their culture,” explained Chan. Moes created “a little lasagna painting” for the collaborative piece.

Artists gave their thoughts on others’ artworks, with the food collage and Vancouver yarn being popular favourites. Referencing the Vancouver yarn, Gamble explained that she thought “that one was really cool. That was my favourite.” Another art student, Cooper Evaschesen (8), shared that he likes “the food one, where it’s like 3D food.” Leung found the piece by the photography students “really showed so many different [and] unique styles that other students have.”   

Students spent around two weeks working on their pieces, and the planning process started in October for teachers. After receiving funding and installing railings, the Visual Arts department “decided [the gallery] should be about community and collaboration,” according to Ms. Seeliger. 

Gamble said she found making the gallery to be stressful since she was “on a time limit.” Chan also commented on the timeline, saying “there were a few days of the week where [she] had to stay after school for a few hours to finish it off.” 

Contrasting with Gamble and Chan, Evaschesen thought that “It was a pretty good experience, [and] it wasn’t that stressful.” Wang found that “making it was pretty fun because it was a community art piece, so you really had to kind of change or think about what you could do to your own piece.”

Ms. Seeliger explained that the gallery will remain open, and the next show will be a Grad show in June. As well, there is planned to be “a show every six weeks or so, and it should be this ongoing, changing thing.” She also explained how the art gallery is a potential risk. “If somebody decided that they wanted to wreck a piece of artwork, they could, [...] but we think this community can handle it.”

The Eric Hamber Senior Girls Badminton Team concluded its 2026 season with a fourth-place finish at the BC School Sports Badminton Provincial Championships, which were held in Burnaby from May 27–29. The result marks the team’s second consecutive year finishing fourth in the province, reinforcing their position amongst the province’s strongest secondary school badminton teams. 

The team’s provincial run came after a strong stretch of victories in early to mid-May, when the senior girls captured the City Championships title before advancing through the Sea to Sky Zone playoffs at Sentinel Secondary on May 13, where they also received first place.

While the senior girls moved on to provincials as city and zone champions, the senior boys also had a strong competitive season, finishing second at the City Championships before being eliminated in the zone playoffs.

For Jaimie Lee (8), competing as a Grade 8 student at provincials was both exciting and intimidating. As one of the youngest members of the senior team, she described the opportunity as a significant milestone. “I was really excited, because as a Grade 8, it was an awesome opportunity to be able to play for Eric Hamber on the senior team,” Lee said. “I was also a little nervous because I was facing new opponents and I didn’t want to let my team down.”

Those feelings were shared by many players, including Rylie Chew (12) and Victoria Tsang (12), who entered the tournament with high expectations after a season spent building toward provincials. 

“I was pretty calm,” Chew said. “I think there was a lot of anticipation because our whole season was sort of building up to provincials, and I think we had really high expectations. So for me, I was a bit nervous, but also really excited.”

Tsang shared that her nerves increased as the tournament advanced. “As each day progressed, we got more nervous,” she said, describing it as a feeling similar to stomach butterflies.

At provincials, Eric Hamber faced some of the strongest badminton programs in the province. One of the tournament’s defining moments came during the match against Fraser Heights Secondary, where third place was on the line, and many of the games stretched into three sets.

“I feel like the most challenging moment was our fight for third [or] fourth place in the tournament because the team we played was decent and most of our games went to three sets,” Lee said.

For the graduating players, the match carried additional significance. “[It was] the last game against Fraser Heights,” said Chew. “[Also,] it was our last game on the team as Grade 12s, and we’ve been on the team since Grade 8.” 

Tsang said the pressure of competing for a podium finish added to the pressure of the match. “It was pretty intense,” she said. “Physically, we were also really tired from the last three days.”

Despite ultimately finishing fourth, the players reflected positively on their performances throughout the tournament and emphasized how competitive their last game was. “It was a very close game, and it could’ve gone either way,” Chew said.

Another memorable moment came during a matchup against Steveston-London Secondary, the defending provincial champions. During the tournament, Tsang and Chew had the opportunity to play together in doubles, something they had not done for a while in school games. “We got to play together, and I don’t think we’ve played together in a school game in years,” Chew said. 

The pair won one of their matches against the defending champions and nearly won another against players with national-level experience. “It was very exciting and also very intense,” Chew said. 

For the two seniors, the opportunity to share the court one final time served as a fitting conclusion to their final provincial tournament together after five years with the program. 

Looking back on the season as a whole, the players expressed pride in both the team’s achievements and the effort that went into reaching them. “Overall, I’m proud of how far we’ve come as a team,” Lee said. “We all became good friends and supported each other the whole time.”

That sense of connection and unity extended beyond tournament results. Throughout the season, players uplifted one another through demanding practices, difficult matches, and championship competition.

“I think it was really supportive,” Tsang said. “We always say we started playing badminton for the badminton, but we really stayed for the people.” Lee described the same atmosphere from her experience as a younger player on the team. “It was electric,” Lee said. “Exciting and nervous. Friendly and fun.”

Throughout the school year, Hamber students have participated in a variety of intramural sports, including basketball, ultimate frisbee, and handball. The program is open to all students regardless of athletic experience.

Intramurals are recreational sports leagues organized within the school. Students compete against one another in a structured, but low-pressure setting. No tryouts are required to participate, and support from students and teachers is fully voluntary. 

The program requires significant coordination from organizers. At Hamber, student volunteers and teachers from the Physical Education department manage scheduling, promotion of the events, standings, and refereeing across the school year.

Karim Bousmina (12) has had an exciting and busy year with intramurals, getting involved as both an organizer and a player in the intramural ultimate tournament. "I helped out with organizing ultimate intramurals, as I am on the senior ultimate team at school, and I really enjoy playing the sport," he said.

For him, one of the most enjoyable parts of intramurals was getting to compete against some of his closest friends. "It was fun playing against the people I would normally be playing with on the school team," he said. Bousmina also said that many of his friends on his team had never played ultimate before, so it was exciting to think of winning the tournament with the new teams.

For Bousmina, the impact of intramurals goes far beyond the wins and losses, encompassing the overall meaningful experiences he had, on and off the field. "Exposing people to a positive environment with the intramural sport can help create a new hobby for others who would like to play the sport more often,” he said. 

Each of the three main sports drew participation from multiple grades. Basketball ran throughout March during “March Madness” season in the school gymnasium. These teams were created by players who signed up with their peers to compete. Ultimate frisbee took place mostly in May, while handball, which does not have a competitive team at Hamber, was held at the beginning of the year.

Brooke Nichol (11) has participated in intramurals twice before and expressed how much she enjoyed the experience. “It was extra practice, but [...] also just a fun opportunity to play my favourite sport and hang out with my teammates and friends,” she shared. 

Nichol said that she would tell anyone who was thinking of joining that they should, stating, “Intramurals are so fun, [and] it is an easy way to meet people and a great way to practice or try a new sport.”

Matteo Liberatore (11) has found his time as an intramural athlete this year exciting and light-hearted. “I played basketball and handball, and I’ve played both sports before. I decided to join because my friends and I wanted to make a team for March Madness,” he said. “I also joined just because I enjoy playing sports.”

Like Nichol, he also encouraged students to join intramurals, because “it's exciting to do with others and gives you something to do at lunch and FIT.”

The wait is finally over for those looking forward to Vancouver’s newest addition to the shopping scene. At 11:00 AM on May 28, the new Oakridge Park hosted its ribbon-cutting ceremony after roughly eight years of construction.

The history of the mall stretches back to the 1950s, when it was one of the last areas in Vancouver to be developed, according to developer Westbank. Between 2007 and 2014, the owner of the mall, Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc., completed a rezoning application to redevelop the site. 

However, the increased popularity of online shopping and the uncertainty of the future of retail prevented the project from moving forward. During the rezoning application, local developer Westbank and architect Gregory Henriquez had been brought on board to work with Ivanhoé. However, Ivanhoé told Gillespie, the founder and owner of Westbank, that the Oakridge plan was “just not the right vision.” Determined to see the project through, Gilespie convinced Ivanhoé to sell the project to QuadReal, a growing real estate development firm, for nearly $1 billion. 

Oakridge is one of the largest mixed-use development projects in Canadian real estate history, according to Henriquez’s website. Of the 650,000 sq. ft. of retail space that is part of the first phase of the mall, 500,000 sq. ft. was open to the public on the mall’s opening day, according to The Daily Hive.

Stores include popular luxury retail outlets such as Chanel, Harry Rosen, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Versace. Vancouver-based brands such as Lululemon, Arc'teryx, and Aritzia will also be featured in the mall, while wellness retailers include Alo and Sporting Life.

The gourmet food court is open from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Restaurants consist primarily of local businesses, with the current lineup including Beaucoup Bakery Café & Creamery, Feenie’s, Lunch Lady, SANTO TACO, Kishimoto, Mello Doughnuts, and many more.

 “Honestly, most people seem to go there just for the food. I didn’t really see many shoppers—if any at all—but all of the well-known brands are still gathered in one place, which gave it a nice, familiar sense of luxury,” shared one review on TripAdvisor.

During this year’s spring sports season, Hamber’s Senior Girls soccer team advanced to the BC School Sports Provincial Championships for the first time in history. The tournament was held from May 28-30 in Kamloops, and the team placed 14th overall in the AAA category. The players advanced from Tier II to Tier I this season, which opened up the possibility of the team qualifying to play at provincials.

Despite advancing to Tier I, however, the Senior Girls still had to win many decisive games to qualify for the provincial championships. They made it to the semi-finals in the city championship and qualified for the Vancouver Sea to Sky Zone championships, where they won their first game against Handsworth. 

“It was really exciting because we had to win a really big game against Handsworth to get [to provincials], and [...] that was a really good win for us because it was really down to the wire,” Ashley Warren (12) shared.

After the win against Handsworth, the Senior Girls lost their next match against Kitsilano, which would have eliminated them from playing at provincials. 

However, a team in another zone chose not to use their berth at provincials, so it was redistributed to the Sea to Sky Zone. Hamber played against Howe Sound Secondary School for the empty provincial spot, winning 4–0. 

“It was a lot of pressure, because we didn’t know what to expect,” said Madi Wong (12). 

The team’s coach, Ms. J. Polukoshko (English), echoed Wong’s sentiment, emphasizing the sizable challenge that her team faced. 

“We're always hopeful to make it to provincials, which is the highest you can go, so that's really exciting,” she said. “We always try to stay positive and optimistic about doing stuff like that, but we had a really tough road ahead of us.”

Moving up from Tier I to Tier II also created challenges for the Senior Girls, after they won the City Championships in Tier II last year. 

“Moving up to Tier I, we were playing way better teams, and we were losing some games, when in Tier II, we were just dominating,” said Olivia Harris (9).

In total, the team played five games in provincials, losing the first three and the last, but winning the fourth 3-0, against Charles Best Secondary, which players felt was a big win for the team.

“Whenever we scored, we all ran up and congratulated each other, and everyone was so happy,” shared Emmy Abramson Rogers (8).  

However, the tournament was not without challenges for the Senior Girls. “A challenge was definitely continuously keeping the morale high with the results we were having," said Isla Caskey (11).

Not only does the team communicate with each other, Natalia Kurzecki (9) shared, but “we also had a lot of great coaches that were giving us a lot of good advice, so I think with all of those components combined, it was a very easy-hearted yet high-level of soccer.”

Although officially known as the Senior Girls’ team, grade 12 students are the minority on the team. Younger players who spoke to The Nest emphasized how the multi-grade dynamic contributed to their experience.

“If I were to play in a junior age group, I feel like we’d be worse," Harris said. She shared that her experience on the Senior Girls’ helped her improve over the season. “Playing against older people and stronger people [...] makes me stronger [too].”

Some players on Hamber’s team are also a part of club teams, or have previously played for other schools. 

Kurzecki shared, “At my old school, we did not have this level of community [...] Everybody was kind of playing for themselves, and here at Hamber, everybody plays as a team. We're more connected. [...] Even though it's my first year here [...] I felt really welcomed.”

For their part, the grade 12 players on the team reflected on their last year of high school soccer.

Wong said, “It’s weird to be the oldest people and it's kind of weird to think that [...] I'm leaving next year [...] It means that I don't get to watch any of them grow. [...] so it's kind of a bittersweet thing.” 

Warren has played on the girls’ soccer team throughout all of her high school career. She shared, “I remember the grade 12s were kind of scary when I was there [...], but then when I was going into this season I want[ed] to make sure that the grade 8s and 9s all feel super comfortable.”

During provincials, the players stayed at a hotel together, and they described having a very fun experience. Abramson Rogers shared that “after every game, we would go back to the hotels and we would just have fun together [...] so there wasn't really a moment when we felt like there was no energy.”

However, Warren shared that some of her teammates from previous years never got the chance to go to provincials. “I feel like it's a really nice ending that we got to go to provincials for the first time ever, in my senior year,” she added.

Ahead of Vancouver’s municipal election this October, mayoral candidates from ABC, COPE, OneCity, Vote Vancouver, Vancouver Liberals, TEAM Vancouver, and the Green Party have begun campaigning. To help voters navigate the upcoming mayoral ballot, the overviews below outline each candidate’s past experiences and key campaign promises, specifically regarding the housing crisis. 

Ken Sim, ABC Vancouver

Among the candidates is incumbent mayor Ken Sim of the ABC Vancouver party. Before entering office, Sim was as an accountant and investment banker before co-founding two businesses: Nurse Next Door and Rosemary Rocksalt bagels. He first ran for mayor in 2018, but lost to Kennedy Stewart by 957 votes. Then, in 2022, his political party, ABC Vancouver, won a majority government on a platform emphasizing public safety and affordability.

Sim credited Vancouver’s recent lower crime rates to his council’s actions. “We made those investments,” Sim said, according to CBC. “We put it out there that we're going to hire 100 new police officers [...] we've doubled down in terms of going after organized crime with Task Force Barrage, and the results show it.”

Furthermore, on Nov. 25, 2025, Sim and his ABC Majority passed the 2026 Zero Means Zero Budget, which delivers Vancouverites a 0 per cent property tax increase for 2026. 

One of the defining financial promises of Sim’s re-election campaign is granting another property tax freeze for 2027. According to CTV News, Ken Sim announced in a news release sent from the Office of the Mayor that if he was re-elected with a majority on council, “taxpayers would receive a second consecutive zero per cent property tax increase in 2027, with tax rates returning to the rate of inflation in the years following.”

Beyond the tax freezes, Sim’s platform plans to allocate $400 million in his next capital plan to go toward investments in infrastructure. With this particular agenda, he hopes to use the money to rebuild five community centres in Vancouver. 

On development and environmental policy, Sim promises to grant developers the personal choice to implement natural gas heating in new projects, pushing back against the city’s existing restrictions.

Kareem Allam, Vancouver Liberals

Kareem Allam enters the race as the nominee for the Vancouver Liberals, a new political party that he founded last year. Allam brings along 25 years of political experience and a history of assisting on 40 political campaigns, notably serving as the campaign manager for Ken Sim and the ABC party during the 2022 civil election. 

He briefly served as Sim’s chief of staff before being fired after accusations of an alleged impaired driving cover-up involving Sim were tied back to Allam, according to The Tyee. Following this dispute, an ongoing defamation lawsuit was filed by Sim last year against Allam and Vancouver real estate investor Alex Tsakumis; it is unlikely to conclude before election day in October.

In an interview with The Tyee, Allam emphasized his interest in scrapping the Vancouver Building Code in favour of the provincial code. Furthermore, to tackle the housing crisis, he plans on reducing the number of departments that low, mid, and high- density projects need to get approval from, bringing it down from the current 12 departments into just one. Next, he plans to launch a full bylaw review to ensure that there are no conflicting bylaws, in order to ease the burden of builders who have to navigate a “maze of bureaucracy and bylaws,” as per The Tyee.

On infrastructure and transit, his top priority is securing the Broadway Line Skytrain extension to UBC, formally incorporating the university campus into city boundaries. For social services, Allam promises to bring back the Renters Office, which was a dedicated city office that went toward helping tenants navigate Vancouver’s difficult job market, and repeal Sim’s supportive housing ban.

Finally, Allam has been very outspoken against Sim’s policies, particularly with how the East Hastings decampments have been handled. Kareem told The Tyee that Sim previously committed to offering housing to everyone decamped, but then “[Sim] decamped before that housing was ready.” To bolster frontline services, he intends to implement a 72-hour incarceration policy for individuals experiencing meth-induced episodes, drawing from Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew’s approach.

Pete Fry, Green Party

Vancouver’s Green Party has chosen two-term sitting city councillor Pete Fry as its mayoral candidate, marking the first time the party has selected a member to run for mayoral office in 30 years. Fry ran unsuccessful city council campaigns under the Green Party in 2014 and 2017 before successfully winning in the 2018 election. 

One of his campaign focuses is criticizing Sim, denouncing the incumbent’s “backroom style and lack of transparency” in a comment to CTV News.

Fry’s platform advocates for shifting public safety toward peer-based crisis intervention, heavily supporting the Car 87 program, which pairs police officers with mental health professionals when responding to crisis calls for those with mental illness. Furthermore, Fry supports BC adopting Oregon's CAHOOTS program. The CAHOOTS program is where a two-person team, a crisis worker and a medic, are dispatched through 911 to assist those in a behavioural health crisis, but emergency services are on speed dial if needed.

Fry also advocates for leveraging city-owned land to supply below-market housing tailored specifically to median-income earners.

Stephanie Allen, COPE

Stephanie Allen serves as the mayoral nominee for the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE), automatically securing her candidacy on May 11 after running uncontested and meeting the party’s filing deadline. This race marks Allen’s first experience running in an election, though she has an extensive professional background in housing, urban development, and non-profit governance. She is the co-founder of Hogan’s Alley Society and operates Arinka Strategies, a consulting business.

Professionally, she served as a development manager at BC Housing from 2011 to 2017 and as Vice President of Strategic Business Operations from 2019 to 2023. According to CBC, Allen believes that this is a “critical moment” for Vancouver and feels that “it’s a time to step up and get in the fight.”

Allen’s campaign is built upon three distinct priorities: increasing affordability, enhancing city hall transparency, and building systemic tenant protections.

To achieve these goals, her housing strategy focuses heavily on reserving public lands for non-market developments and assisting with community land trusts so that workers can afford to build a life in the city. 

Furthermore, in cases of eviction due to redevelopment, Allen plans to ensure that those who are evicted can find a comparable new home instead of settling for an unsuitable one.

William Azaroff, OneCity

William Azaroff stands as OneCity’s confirmed mayoral candidate, winning his nomination in February after a two-month internal public party vote. Azaroff claimed the nomination after defeating internal opponent Amanda Burrows.

His initial campaign platform zeroes in on specific local infrastructure and community projects. His early commitments include modernizing Vancouver’s aging traffic light systems and fast-tracking an upgrade of the Britannia community centre. Furthermore, according to the Daily Hive Urbanized, Azaroff plans to build 4,000 affordable homes on City-owned land in Vancouver.

Additionally, Azaroff’s overarching campaign narrative centers squarely on collaborative opposition. According to CBC, he noted that “the most important thing is to defeat [ABC Vancouver’s] Ken Sim,” so that it is in OneCity’s interest to work together with COPE and the Greens.

His campaign received a major boost on May 20, when he secured an official mayoral endorsement from the Vancouver and District Labour Council (VDLC). Alongside this endorsement, the VDLC asked that Pete Fry and Stephanie Allen, the other left-wing candidates, consider stepping down from the election. 

Colleen Hardwick, TEAM Vancouver

TEAM for a Livable Vancouver is running Colleen Hardwick, who won the party’s mayoral nomination on Apr. 12. This marks Hardwick’s second run for mayor, having previously served on Vancouver City Council from 2018 to 2022 and placing third in the 2022 mayoral election behind Ken Sim and Kennedy Stewart. Most recently, she contested a vacant council seat during the April 2025 by-election, where she finished in third place.

Hardwick frames her campaign around a deep sense of personal obligation, stating that she has a strong sense of responsibility to apply her “background, knowledge, and experience to fixing what is broken in the city,” as per Business in Vancouver. She wants to ensure that her future children and grandchildren can afford to live in the city of Vancouver. 

Her platform is built upon three core priorities: planning for livability and affordability, community representation, and safety for all.

In order to connect directly with voters, she has committed to personally visiting each of Vancouver’s 22 individual neighbourhoods to listen to residents’ concerns.

Rebecca Bligh, Vote Vancouver

Vote Vancouver enters the civic campaign trail under its founder, city councillor Rebecca Bligh, who serves as the party’s chosen mayoral candidate. Bligh’s political trajectory began when she was elected to City Council in the 2018 election. Initially running as a member of the Non-Partisan Association (NPA), she severed ties with the organization to serve as an independent midway through her first term. 

For the 2022 municipal ballot, she aligned herself with Ken Sim’s ABC Vancouver party and successfully won re-election. However, she was removed from the party in early 2025. In addition to her roles at city hall, Bligh has expanded her political experience to serving as president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Regarding the housing crisis, Bligh told The Tyee that she pledges to leverage “every square inch” of public land for below-market housing until the housing gap is filled. She also plans to embed child care into each of those developments.

Hamber’s spring hockey team has just finished its first-ever season in the BC High School Hockey League. The team capped off their run by reaching the semi-finals in Vancouver’s City Championships, and coaches and players say the team’s future looks promising.

The team was in a co-ed league, which meant it was open for anyone in grades 10–12 to join. Hamber’s team was in a pool with three other teams, and each team played each other once in a round-robin format. In total, there were 24 teams in the league, including teams from Richmond, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, and Williams Lake.

It was a slow start to the season for the team; they lost their first three games in their pool, including a 6-2 loss to Windermere. However, later on in the season, Hamber won against  Windermere in a shootout during the quarterfinals, which allowed the Griffins to play in the semi-finals.

Head coach Mr. J. Overgaard (PHE) noted that the team struggled at first with point production, but they were eventually able to come together. 

“We initially had a hard time scoring goals,” said Mr. Overgaard. “But once we started getting a bit of a team game going, our leading point-getter was Matteo Liberatore (11). Nick Harris (11) was also a big offensive driver [and he] scored some really big goals. And Keenan Mak (10) was also a dynamic player for us throughout.”

Looking at the formation of the team, “it's been a long time coming,” Mr. Overgaard shared. “We have tried in years past to start one up. Hockey is a sport that traditionally hasn't been in our school [...]  We went through and decided this was the [...] make-or-break year.”

Typically, Hamber only has a Girls Ice Hockey team that plays in the winter season in the Vancouver Secondary School Athletics Association league, but boys haven’t had the opportunity to play. “Our athletics association never had a boys league. This league is run through BC Hockey, so it's separate from BC School sports,” explained Mr. Overgaard. “It runs in the springtime so as not to conflict with student athletes' regular hockey schedules.”

Ice availability for practices, however, was a challenge that the team faced. “Practices were wherever we could get ice,” said Mr Overgaard. “[They were] often on Tuesdays, but we were at the mercy of when the ice was available and booked for us by BC Hockey.”

Players on the team had a blast during its inaugural season. “Being able to represent the Hamber Griffins on a different stage was something I’ve never done before. I was honoured and had a terrific time doing it [...] wear[ing] that EH on the chest, I'm happy I represented that,” said Harris.

Harris scored the winning goal in the shootout in the quarterfinals against Windermere.

“I came in, [made a] nice slow move on the left side, saw the five hole right open, and gave [the goalie] a little backhand forehand, tucked that in five hole, celebrated with all the buddies in the stands,” Harris shared.

Other players, such as Liberatore and Jenna Chiu (10), also enjoyed playing on the team. “I’ve played hockey for my whole life, and any opportunity to play more I would take it [...] I thought it would be a fun experience playing with all the friends from school,” said Liberatore. “It's an honour to represent your school at anything, but it being the first season of [spring] hockey ever for this school, it was [really] an honour.”

“It was great, especially with it being the first time having a school team like this, it was good to be a part of it,” shared Chiu. She was also proud of how the team was able to come together so quickly in the first season. “The progress we made throughout the season, starting off as a brand new team, we didn't really know what to expect, so having the success to come together as a team was pretty good.”

When it came to deciding to join the team, players said it was a very easy decision for them to make. “Im pretty yuck at puck [...] but hockey, it's just what I do, playing puck with the team. It's just what [I’ve done] ever since I was young,” said Harris.

“I wanted to participate in another team for the school, and my friend and I decided it would be good competition [for us],” added Chiu.

Mr. Overgaard was also very pleased with the on-ice performance and flow of the season. “I’m proud of the players for their commitment [...] the majority of the group chose to stick with it and make sure they were coming to practices and coming to games [...] [I’m] proud also of the players and how they stuck with it after a couple early losses.”

When asked about the future of spring hockey at Hamber, Mr. Overgaard showed heavy optimism. “We're going to keep growing. I’ve already got plans for next year [...] I suspect next year there's going to be an even larger number of players [...] and we're going to have to have some tryouts and get on that.”

“I’ve been playing hockey for more than 45 years,” he added. “So, it's fun for me to share my love for hockey with the kids at school and [it’s] a way for me to coach my true sport. [...] Looking forward to continue growing it.”

On May 15, Drake’s latest album, ICEMAN, dropped, and the whole world stopped. Ears were blessed, and a review was made.

“Make Them Cry”

Drake opens up ICEMAN with his struggles of being an only child raised by a single mother lacking a father figure. “Make Them Cry” sets the tone for the album, touching on his battle with his record label. He puts the man in manifestation and manipulation like the REAL GOAT he is. With the number of bars that occur in this song, someone would have thought he was spitting about a jail cell.

“Dust”

The Big T, also known as Tung Tung Tung Sahur, gets dissed as the tone shifts halfway through the song. Drake takes shots at Triple T, telling him to go blow the dust off his plaques and that his raps are irrelevant and unrememberable. The big Sahur better be sending that cease-and-desist ASAP, no Rocky. 

“Whisper My Name”

Upon whispering his name, Drake seemingly takes shots at Jordan Carter — aka Baby Boi, aka Guapo, aka King Vamp, aka Mr. Anti Himself, aka Mr. Narcissist, aka Playboi Carti — attempting to put him in the food chain. Speak poorly of the Iceman's name, and he WILL make you freeze. 

“Janice STFU”

As the new number one Vancouver anthem, “Janice STFU” is for the beautiful Vancouverites of our city. Again, he critiques many individuals while having the most relatable flow. The theme of wanting to be let go from his label is evident in the chorus, as he says, “swear my label gotta free me, baby.” Drake really gave Vancouver an egoboost by name-dropping our city in this song. 

“Run to Atlanta” 

Drake, Future, and Molly Santana might be one of the best co-signs of 2026. “Run to Atlanta” is top tier for hyping up for a test or a sports game. When Drake says, “I went Laurie Lynn Stark on my pants,” he's got Chrome Hearts jeans on, as the company’s co-owner is Laurie Lynn Stark. Owning Chrome Hearts pants/jeans is seen as a financial flex, especially having the co-owner on speed dial, as they sell for upwards of $30,000. Plus, the addition of Molly Santana on this track is phenomenal. 

“Shabang”

One of the zestier songs on ICEMAN, “Shabang” is all summer vibes. Need something for prom, grad, and just transitions in general? “Shabang” is it. What is he saying? Who knows? But is it fire? Yes. Drake makes so many good allusions over this beat, like Bryson Tiller’s “Don’t” and Polymarket. 

“Make Them Pay”

Aubrey flows from notion to notion like it's the motion of the ocean. In the line “I rack up a tab in Chanel 'cause I do buy everything like I'm Middle Eastern,” Drake raps a triple entendre. As many know, Chanel is expensive fashion, and he's saying he racks up a bill because he spends big. Eyes were opened on the first listen. 

“Burning Bridges”

Drake paints more on the idea that he, in fact, is a modern-day Kris Kringle in the song. As one never beats the situationship final boss allegations, he mentions his decade-long situationship with Rihanna. Where she at? 

“National Treasure”

The most anticipated song off of ICEMAN, as it was leaked in 2025, “National Treasure” is the Toronto anthem of ICEMAN, being spiritually Canadian with references to Canadian culture. With all the hype surrounding the song, some of the lyrics are corny: “ICEMAN was a nice man now I'm hot and cold.” Drake’s the typa guy to say “no more Mr. Nice guy.”

“B’s on the Table”

Drake and 21 Savage are put into the Bee Movie, as they find themselves on the table of Vanessa Bloome. The song navigates them trying to flee, which they explain is difficult. They have lots of motion, flapping their little bee wings, finding a way to escape this fantasy world where they spawned.

“What Did I Miss?”

This began the ICEMAN era as the lead single for the album. “What Did I Miss?” was a monumental drop in summer 2025. It signals his comeback era, saying, “I was gone, so what did I miss?” Classic flow, great for a comeback post on social media after a long hiatus.  

“Plot Twist”

Is he playing Twister? The only good part of this song was the feature of Twitch streamer Yonna Jay and her conversation with BenDaDonnn. Yonna Jay is one of the funniest streamers on the internet right now, and her feature on ICEMAN is just the beginning of a legendary career. 

“2 Hard 4 the Radio” 

Out of all the songs on this album, this will be THE summer anthem. Windows down, volume on, this song is too hard for the radio. Influx of performative Chrome Hearts fit pics will be seen, and Mr. Stark will be wondering why everyone's wearing his brand when he’s only sold ten shirts. 

“Make Them Remember”

The owl only wakes up to seize the day, carpe diem; he is a fan of the Dead Poets Society. The whole song is just him spitting bars, trying to meet the word count of his research paper. Some lyrics are poetic like: “No wonder why they been ducking Drake.” His opps are ducking him, and a male duck is called a drake, so they're avoiding him. 

“Lil Birdie”

Finally, Drake is able to get out of being an insect, but is still transformed into a little bird. A little birdie did him dirty because when he was a bee. He got eaten by a small sparrow. Super unfortunate for Drizzy, yet now he gets to go up vertically because he's a bird. 

“Don't Worry” 

As one of the most relatable songs off of ICEMAN, Drake gives his best daily affirmation: “I WANNA SEE A BOY BEG ON THE PAVEMENT,” telling us to never settle for less. Also, this will be another summer anthem as “Please stop askin' me, ‘When are we linkin'?’ It's ICEMAN season.”

“Firm Friends”

Narrating his struggle with friends after the Rap Civil War, he disses his fake allies. This is an ode to the individuals who stuck with him through the trenches. 

“Make Them Know”

In the fourth and final “Make Them” song title of ICEMAN, Drake begins to end the album off on a more serious note. “Til the R switched place with the I,” he says. He’s getting tired of being in the spotlight as he's getting older. People want the old Drake, yet he's grown from being a 22-year-old spitting poetry about failed relationships. Chills were experienced, and tears were shed when “Iceman baby why you so cold” was first heard. Drake did his big one and made them know. 

A strong El Niño is predicted to emerge this year, which is expected to drive up temperatures around the globe, including in Canada, and increase the risk of extreme weather events. This comes after Environment and Climate Change Canada predicted that 2026 will likely be one of the hottest years on record, as per Global News.

An El Niño appears approximately every two to seven years and lasts about 12 to 18 months. A standard El Niño occurs when ocean temperatures in a particular region of the tropical Pacific are about 0.5°C above the long-term average. A Super El Niño is an exceptionally strong version of an El Niño, and occurs when ocean temperatures rise to about 2°C above the average. 

During an El Niño, the Pacific Ocean releases heat into the atmosphere, increasing global temperatures. In contrast, during a La Niña, the ocean is colder and absorbs heat from the atmosphere, leading to cooler global temperatures.

The European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) found that half of their forecast models pointed towards a temperature increase of over 2.5°C by autumn of 2026, as reported by BBC.

Additionally, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a special agency of the United Nations (UN), predicted on Jun. 2 that a moderate or possibly strong El Niño will cause a significant increase in temperatures across the globe, as per CTV News. 

According to CTV News, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo also suggested that the upcoming El Niño is a reminder of the need to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy. “The world must treat [El Niño] as the urgent climate warning it is. [Its] conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world,” said Saulo. 

Furthermore, according to a report from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an El Niño is 82 per cent likely to emerge in the Northern Hemisphere from May to July 2026. They further stated that an El Niño is likely to continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter from 2026–27, with a 96 per cent chance of continuing from December 2026 to February 2027. 

According to Global News, a Super El Niño can make already hot conditions in Canada even hotter, leading to an elevated risk of wildfires and drought. Additionally, warmer winters result in reduced snowfall, causing more precipitation to fall as rain across Canada. As such, this heightened rainfall could lead to higher rates of flooding across the country.

However, according to Vancouver is Awesome, meteorologist Brian Proctor says that Environment Canada’s weather models suggest that Metro Vancouver will have a “very dry and fairly warm summer,”  but that their models don’t credit that to the El Niño. 

On the other hand, the potential impacts of an El Niño differ greatly around the world. According to Global News, the effects of the El Niño are predicted to be most severe in places such as Peru, Ecuador, East Africa, Central Asia, and southern North America. It is also predicted that it will increase the risk of drought and wildfire in Australia, Indonesia, and parts of South America. 

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and Uganda, a new outbreak of Ebola was discovered on May 16. As of Jun. 8, in the DR Congo, there are 598 confirmed cases and 115 confirmed deaths, and in Uganda, there are 19 confirmed cases, two confirmed deaths, one probable case, and one probable death according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

It is the third-largest outbreak of Ebola by case count ever, as per The Wall Street Journal, only behind the 2014 Western African epidemic and the 2018 Kivu epidemic.

The Ebola disease is caused by a group of six known species of the viruses known as orthoebolaviruses. The first strain of the virus was discovered in Zaire (what is now known as the DR Congo) in 1976. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the average case fatality rate (CFR) of Ebola disease is around 50 per cent, but it has ranged from 25–90 per cent in past outbreaks.

This current epidemic is not caused by the Zaire ebolavirus, but instead the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, according to the WHO. Both the 2014 Western Africa epidemic and the 2018 Kivu Epidemic were caused by the Zaire ebolavirus, making this the largest ever outbreak of Bundibugyo ebolavirus in history. This complicates efforts to treat the disease, as most Ebola treatments only work for the Zaire ebolavirus strain. 

Currently, there is no approved vaccine for Bundibugyo ebolavirus, unlike Zaire ebolavirus. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) — a non-profit organization that accelerates vaccine development and was founded in 2017 by the governments of India and Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust — announced on Jun. 1 that it will “urgently accelerate” the development of three potential vaccines for the Bundibugyo virus. The three vaccines are currently being developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Moderna, and the University of Oxford, and the CEPI has committed $3.2 million, $50 million, and $8.6 million USD to the institutions developing these vaccines, respectively. The vaccines will be manufactured at the Serum Institute of India (SII).

The earliest known suspected case was a 59-year-old man who developed symptoms on Apr. 24 and died three days later, according to AP News. By the time the Africa CDC had become aware of the outbreak on May 5, there were 50 suspected deaths.

However, according to sources close to The Telegraph, local medics informed several non-profit organizations — including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Action Aid and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) — that the first case of this current epidemic may have potentially been as far back as January.

Local medics theorize that the outbreak could have started with an individual who was treated at a hospital in Rwampara, a town in Ituri Province of the DR Congo, in January. The patient infected eight healthcare workers before dying in February. If confirmed, it would mean that the virus was allowed to spread for nearly five months before being detected. 

On May 17, the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). In that announcement, the WHO reported that as of May 16,  there were 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri Province of the DR Congo, as well as two cases and one death in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. 

A PHEIC is the highest warning that the WHO can issue. This is the ninth time Ebola has been declared a PHEIC since the designation was created in 2005. 

On May 29, the DR Congo Ministry of Health removed suspected cases and deaths that had tested negative, were duplicated, or could not be tested or verified, pending further investigation, according to the CDC. Before this, on May 27, as per the WHO, there were 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths. Afterwards, though, on May 29, the WHO reported a total of 134 confirmed cases in the DR Congo, including nine in Uganda, with 18 deaths among the confirmed cases.

However, in a statement released on Jun. 1, the US-based International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that the epidemic is “likely significantly larger” than official figures suggest. They added that response efforts are struggling due to delayed detection and low levels of contact tracing. Finally, the IRC said that only about 20 per cent of contacts are currently being traced, suggesting that local health authorities are struggling to identify and isolate new chains of transmission.

In early May, international popstar Dua Lipa filed a lawsuit against Korean tech giant Samsung for a minimum of $15 million. The singer alleges that Samsung unlawfully used a copyrighted image of her on a cardboard box used to package the company’s televisions. 

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California on May 8, details allegations of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and exploitation of her valuable image and likeness. 

The image mentioned in the lawsuit was registered with the US Copyright Office under Registration No. VA 2-479-685. It depicts Lipa backstage at the Austin City Limits Festival back in 2024.

According to the lawsuit, Lipa’s knowledge of the usage of her image came to light in June 2025 when fans took to social media posting the “Dua Lipa TV Box.” According to BBC, the lawsuit points out two comments made on Instagram in response to the packaging: “if you need anything selling just put a picture of Dua Lipa on it” and “get that TV just because Dua is on it.”

Lipa is selective about which brands she partners with, according to ABC News. In the past, she has endorsed brands such as Versace, YSL, and Porsche. By using her image, the lawsuit states Samsung “has deprived her of the ability to control and monetize her assets.”

In response to the lawsuit, Samsung told BBC that they deny any allegations of intentional misuse, because they used the image "only after receiving explicit assurance from [the image's] content partner that permission had been secured, including for the retail boxes."

“Samsung has great respect for Ms. Lipa and the intellectual property of all artists,” the company shared. “We have actively sought and remain open to a constructive resolution with Ms. Lipa’s team.”