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.”

On Oct. 17, Vancouverites will take to the polls to vote in the 2026 Municipal Election, which includes the highly contested positions of mayor, City Council, and Park Board. However, more voters tend to overlook another key aspect of the election: those running to govern the education of Vancouver’s student population, the Vancouver School Board (VSB) trustee candidates. 

VSB trustees are responsible for setting the district’s strategic vision, approving the annual budget, establishing educational policies, and hiring the superintendent. Voters will elect nine trustees to represent public education across the district. 

The Nest has highlighted four relevant issues governed by the VSB that affect student experience: artificial intelligence (AI) use in schools, monetary matters, enriched programs, and school capacities. Voters, take notes. 

AI In Classrooms

Recently, Copilot 13+ was made available to all VSB students aged 13 and older. Access to Copilot comes through an integration into students’ board-provided Microsoft 365 accounts. In a May 28 email to parents, VSB Associate Superintendent Pedro da Silva stated that Copilot offers a “much more protected environment than other familiar generative AI platforms,” including content filters and protection of users’ data.

On their website, the VSB encourages students to familiarize themselves with the tool, stating that they support “students in developing the judgment to use AI responsibly, ethically and with purpose.”

Additionally, the VSB’s website states that AI can have significant benefits to educators, who could use Copilot to assist with lesson planning and cut hours on administrative tasks.

Utilizing collaboration across the district and input from 138 elementary and secondary educators and 63 secondary students, the VSB published two guidelines for AI usage —  AI Guidelines for Students and AI Guidelines for Educators — dated May 27. However, as of Jun. 8, no other specific policies have been publicly released by the VSB about AI usage in schools.

Each of the AI guidelines pages is less than 200 words, and includes mostly general suggestions and vague language, like the recommendation that students “use AI to grow — not to replace [their] thinking.”

Voters will have to decide: to what extent should AI be endorsed by the VSB, if at all? Should trustees be involved in implementing AI policy, or should decisions be left to individual teachers? As AI becomes a more prevalent tool within secondary schools, pay attention to how aspiring policy-makers strike the balance between promoting digital literacy skills and regulating AI platforms.

Fiscal Matters

As the school board enters a period of fiscal strain, the trustees that voters elect in October will have to make some tough financial choices.

Budget pressures will likely become increasingly intense, and provincial funding could remain stagnant. The VSB projects a 330-student decline in enrollment during the 2026–27 school year.  This includes the loss of 300 international students, who each pay the VSB $17,000 a year, according to the VSB website. As a result, the VSB may lose out on a total of $5.1 million in international tuition fees.

The VSB currently receives funding from the province for each student enrolled. This funding was allocated at $9,015 per student in 2025–26, and will remain the same in 2026–27, according to The Tyee. However, this represents an effective cut, since inflation has led to rising costs while funding has not increased.

Since school boards in BC are not allowed to run deficits, the VSB must make do with what they have. 

Recently, the VSB has seen a significant increase in the amount of money that flows to trustees and senior management staff. On May 27, the current VSB trustees approved large pay increases for the incoming school board.

As per the minutes from the May 27 board meeting, the new board chair will get a salary increase of 34 per cent, from $40,310 to $54,100, and trustees will see a 12 per cent raise, from $37,215 to $41,600.

Furthermore, despite a slight decrease in the total number of students, the number of senior administrators in the VSB has ballooned, according to an analysis from The Tyee. In 2014–15, there were 54,340 students and 24 senior administrators in the district, while in 2024–25, there were 53,077 students and 44 senior administrators.

Not only has the number of administrators increased, but their salaries have gone up as well. In 2024–25, the VSB’s superintendent role was awarded almost $200,000 more than they were making in 2014–15, and positions such as directors of instruction and district principals recieved $40,000 to $50,000 more than they made in 2014–15, according to The Tyee. 

However, these increases have come amidst cuts in other areas. In the 2026–27 budget, trustees cut the district teacher librarian position, as well as student support workers at Britannia Secondary and David Thompson Secondary, according to CBC. In the 2025–26 budget, trustees halted a program that provided a wage top-up to contracted staff to ensure that they met the living wage threshold established by Living Wage BC. For example, contracted bus drivers saw their hourly wages fall from $25.68 to less than $20, according to previous reporting from The Nest.

As pressures grow, trustees will have to make more difficult decisions. Should senior staff and trustees’ salaries be prioritized over student support workers? How will the school board make ends meet when costs rise and funding slumps? Voters will have to decide on Oct. 17.

Enrichment Programs 

In recent years, the VSB has made several changes to enriched programs, including the cancellation of honours programs in secondary schools and a pause on admissions to the University Transition Program (UTP).

In June 2021, all honours programs were officially phased out of high schools. In the years leading up to the cut, English honours was the first to be removed, followed by science and math courses. The VSB explained that honours programs create inequities between students, and "by phasing out these courses, all students will have access to an inclusive model of education," as per CBC. They added that honours courses don’t have a unique curriculum and “do not provide enrichment,” but instead push students through classes at a faster pace. Additionally, the VSB shared that students who are seeking further enrichment still have mini school programs as an option.

Shortly after, some parents spoke to CBC and voiced concerns that instead of promoting equity, the cuts took away an important learning option for motivated students, especially those who cannot afford out-of-school enrichment opportunities.   

In 2024, the VSB, the Ministry of Education, and the University of British Columbia (UBC) paused admissions to UTP, a two-year program for students aged 13–15 years old to fast-track secondary school education and prepare for UBC. UTP paused admissions after concerns were raised about the effects of the program on students’ mental health. Additionally, an external review was conducted on the program by Deetken Insight, a consultancy firm. Some parents considered Deetken Insight unfit to conduct the review, as the firm has no expertise in gifted education or adolescent psychology, as per CBC.

UTP has not announced that admissions for the 2026–27 school year are reopening.

Whether these programs are revived or shut down for good, it could affect thousands of students. Before Oct. 17, voters should weigh the importance of enriched education programs and consider candidates’ views on this matter.

Managing School Capacity 

A key responsibility of trustees is facilitating the creation of schools within the district. Capacity issues at certain schools have highlighted the need for new school facilities to be constructed.

According to 2024–25 VSB enrollment records, out of 18 secondary schools and 87 elementary schools (including 10 annexes), there are 26 elementary schools, one annex, and two secondary schools that are overcapacity. Currently, the VSB is set to open two new elementary schools, but has no publicly-known plans to open any high schools. 

Plans are in motion to open cəw̓as Ch’elxwá7elch Skwuláw̓txw Seaside Elementary, a new school in Coal Harbour. The school’s purpose is to alleviate long waitlists in nearby catchments, according to CityNews. It will be operational by the 2026–27 school year.

However, Seaside Elementary is experiencing unprecedented waitlists itself — in fact, the highest in the district, as per CityNews. Although the school hasn’t been opened yet, it is already over its capacity of 317 students, with 15 students on the waitlist. 

The second new school is being built in Olympic Village, a long-promised project that has been in the works for years. According to the VSB website, the VSB and the City of Vancouver officially planned the project back in 2005.

However, only in 2020 did the NDP make an election promise to officially fast-track the project.

In April 2024, the Ministry of Education approved a $150 million budget to fund the Olympic Village elementary school. In February, City Council approved a rezoning application, allowing the development to move forward.

Construction is set to begin in 2027, and the school is targeted to open in 2029. According to the VSB website, the new school building will have a total capacity of 630 students.

Currently, the catchment school for the Olympic Village neighbourhood is Simon Fraser Elementary, which is 92 per cent over-capacity. Simon Fraser has a capacity of 176 students, but in the 2024–25 school year, 339 students enrolled, according to public VSB enrollment records. 

When schools face capacity issues, students, staff, and families ultimately pay the price. Operational money is diverted away from learning services to pay for portables. Families have to travel out-of-catchment to drop their kids off at school. Waitlists leave parents anxious about which school their children will end up attending. Before heading to the polls, voters should follow candidates’ views on school capacity issues.

Summer is upon us, and what better way to spend time with friends than to go thrifting? Fun and accessible for many Hamber students, Main Street is bustling with secondhand stores for all your summer and back-to-school outfit needs. With so many spots to pick from, how are you supposed to choose? Well, there’s no need to stress — because we’ve done the selecting for you! We visited nine thrift stores and vintage shops along Main Street on a mission to find places fit for Hamber students. We reviewed each one based on our own experience. Please note that our ratings were based on one-time trips rather than multiple visits. 

WOO VINTAGE CLOTHING — 7.5/10

Our first stop on the thrift crawl, Woo Vintage Clothing,has a huge variety of unique items, ranging from eye-catching 70s flower rompers to flowy Y2K bohemian tops. They even have a colourful selection of vintage dresses perfect for prom season or cute Halloween outfits. In addition to clothes, Woo Vintage also stocks a lot of whimsical jewelry and accessories, such as waist chains with charms, simple bangles, gem rings, and more. However, despite some pieces being marked as inauthentic or “faux” (Gap, Guess, Bebe, etc.), most clothing prices range from $30–$60, with many coats, handbags, and shoes soaring well past that range. Overall, Woo Vintage Clothingis fantastic if you’re looking for unique, standout additions to your wardrobe that feel like a blast from the past, but only if you don’t mind the expensive prices.

Changing room(s): Woo Vintagehas a somewhat small changing room.

STILL FABULOUS THRIFT SHOP — 8/10

Just a one-minute walk from Woo Vintage, Still Fabulous Thrift Storeis well-curated, spacious, and airy, with a clothing selection ranging from Lululemon workout tanks to vintage leather jackets. In contrast to Woo Vintage, Still Fabulous’ racks are stocked with many modern and recognizable brands such as Nike and Aritzia’s Wilfred line. Still Fabulous doesn’t just have clothes — they also have a bookshelf filled with written works and board games in excellent condition, each for $4. Clothing prices generally range from $15–$30, though shoes are priced significantly higher, with high-value brands sitting at around $150. With its rack of bootcut jeans, wall of assorted patterned ties, and store corner dedicated to vintage pumps, heels, and sneakers, Still Fabulous’ name really does ring true.

Changing rooms: Still Fabuloushas two changing rooms that provide ample space, with mirrors inside.

HOUNDSTOOTH SECOND HAND BOUTIQUE — 6/10

Stroll a few blocks down, and you’ll come face to face with Houndstooth,where the old and new harmonize in an artsy thrift store. Houndstoothhas everything from vintage wedding dresses to graphic tees to a whole shelf of knick-knacks stretching from wall to wall, filled with artisan items like vases, floral telephones, and even skincare sets. They also sell CDs for $2 and vinyl for $10, and employees there are friendly and kind. Though the pieces found here are more aimed towards the 20-and-up crowd rather than teenagers, Houndstoothis still worth checking out for anyone interested in vintage curios. 

Changing rooms: There were no changing rooms at Houndstooth.

CARSON BOOKS & RECORDS – 9/10 

If physical media is more your cup of tea, head over to Carson Books & Records. From titles such as Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass series to the Billie Eilish photobook, this cozy store is filled not just with classics, but with recent bestsellers and limited edition books as well. In terms of music, the store stocks vinyl in a variety of genres, most prominently records from well-known rock bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, The Clash, and more. With tall shelves piled high with novels and bins stuffed with vinyl, Carson Books & Recordshas something for everyone.

MY SISTER’S CLOSET — 6.5/10

My Sister’s Closetis a two-floor, curated secondhand boutique, with all its proceeds going toward Battered Women’s Support Services. The store has a clean and organized interior, and is full of both affordable garments and luxury-brand pieces. In terms of types of clothing, My Sister’s Closethas a wide selection of bags, sweaters, tops, jeans, dresses, interesting jewelry, and shoes. On the first floor, you can find brands such as Bebe, TNA, and more for low prices. Luxury pieces are stocked on the second floor, with items like a Marc Jacobs minibag and Valentino pumps for $40, plus others ranging as high as $150. Although the store offers excellent prices, the overall look of the clothing wasn’t desirable. If you prefer stocking your closet with clothes that prioritize quantity over quality, head to My Sister’s Closetfor some great deals.

Changing rooms: There were two changing rooms at My Sister’s Closet, each with a fair amount of space.

LINES — 2/10

Out of all the thrift stores we visited on our trip, Lineswas by far the most unwelcoming. Upon entering, a thick, cloying scent is immediately noticeable, along with its internal humidity and lack of ventilation. The people running the store seemed a little unhappy with our arrival, with no acknowledgement whatsoever. It’s also good to note that Linesonly takes cash, not debit or credit.

Changing rooms: We aren’t sure if there are changing rooms at Lines or not.

FRONT AND COMPANY — 7.5/10

Less of a thrift store and more of a high-end, curated consignment shop, Front and Companyhas an expansive interior stocked with pieces ranging from everyday athleisure wear to Louis Vuitton sunglasses. This store is notably more similar to a boutique than a typical thrift store, with well-organized racks and a good store layout. They also have a trendy selection of beauty products, as well as jewelry and other accessories. Clothing was on the pricier end of the scale, with roughly $45 being charged per top — but if you’re a fan of name brands like Aritzia’s Babaton and JNCO Jeans, Front and Companyis the perfect shop for you. 

Changing rooms: There is a row of changing rooms at Front and Company.

C’EST LA VIE — 6.7/10

If you’ve ever wanted to go somewhere that has the same ambience as Professor Trelawney’s Divination classroom from the Harry Potter book series, C’est La Vieis the right store for you. The store’s moody, quirky atmosphere sets it apart from the other secondhand stores we visited. With a pink interior and warm lighting, this store stood out because of its bright pieces and racks of fur items. We noticed corsets, leg warmers, rings, sweaters, vests, and more in stock. However, items inside of C’est La Viewere on the pricier side, which made sense because it felt more like a retro or vintage store than a true thrift store.

Changing rooms: C’est La Viehas a few changing rooms, each decorated a little differently.

THE SALVATION ARMY THRIFT STORE — 9/10

Although not on Main Street, The Salvation Armywas where we found the pieces we liked most. This location was fairly clean during our visit, and the women’s tops section was stocked so full that we could hardly look through the racks. It does take a fair amount of time to find good clothes, since clothes from fast-fashion brands such as SHEIN, Ardene, and Zara are scattered throughout the store. However, we did find garments from in-demand brands such as The Wet Seal, Anthropologie, and TNA. The prices at the SalvationArmywere significantly lower, although it should be noted that the clothes sold at this store are donated and not curated, meaning that the quality of items can be lower as well. 

Changing rooms: There were no changing rooms at the Salvation Army.