SFSS election results

Unofficial results are posted on the SFSS election website. Winners for all but the at-large positions have been decided:

President: Derrick Harder
Member Services Offier: Chris Sandve
Internal Relations Officer: Sean Magee
External Relations Officer: Graham Sasha Fox
Treasurer: Adam Lein

The winners for the at-large positions will be determined once all the mail-in ballots are received.

SFU winter break camps & clinics (ages 5-17 yrs)

SFU Recreation & Athletics is offering numerous Winter Break Camps and Clinics for children and youth ages 5-17yrs. NOTE: As the Recreation Office is CLOSED Dec. 25 - Jan. 1, it is recommended that you register before DEC. 22, 2006.

WINTER CAMPS (Jan. 2-5, 2007):
Winter Rec Camp (ages 5-7yrs & 8-12yrs)
Symphony Safari I - Music Camp (ages 5-10yrs)
Counsellor in Training (ages 14-17yrs)

WINTER CLINICS (Dec. 27 - Jan. 6, 2007):
Basketball Game Day Clinics (various ages)
Softball Christmas Clinics (various ages)
Volleyball Winter Skills Clinics (ages 9-16yrs):

All camp, clinic and registration details are online at http://rec.sfu.ca

SFSS candidate debate to be rebroadcast

The all-candidate debate will be rebroadcast on CJSF (90.1 FM) on:

• Sunday, December 17 at 8:30am
• Monday, December 18 at 12:00pm.

SFSS election debate this Thursday

The IEC (Independent Electoral Commission) just ruled that there will be a candidate debate this Thursday at noon in the Maggie Benson Atrium (the area near the Ladle). The IEC will try to have the debate broadcast in some manner for the benefit of students who can't come to campus.

SFSS election candidate statements now available

candidate statements are now posted on the SFSS election website. Click on the name of the positions that are up for election to view the statements.

Development planned inside BC provincial parks

Under it's 2006 "BC Park Lodge Strategy", The BC government has opened 12 protected provincial parks to private developers to build and operate accomodations inside wilderness areas ranging from 10-15 person huts to a 100-bed hotel with restaurant, marina and gift shop. Calls for proposals from developers opened in August 2006, and proposals have so far been submitted for Mount Robson Provincial Park (near Jasper; part of the UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountains World Heritage Site), and Maxhamish Lake Provincial Park (near border to NWT; the only protected area in the Maxhamish Uplands ecosection). Ten other parks opened to development have not yet had proposals submitted by developers. Other parks may be opened for proposals under the Park Lodge Strategy at any time.

There was no public consultation into the BC Park Lodge Strategy, and this initiative has garnered widespead public criticism. For example, at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Annual General Meeting on October 27, 2006, representatives from over 95% of BC's municipalities & regional authories voted to express their opposition to these plans for development inside provincial parks. However, the Province appears to be pushing ahead quickly with this initiative despite its unpopularity.

If you'd like, you can write or email your MLA, or Gordon Campbell about this.

Premier Gordon Campbell
Legislative Buildings
Victoria, BC, V8V 1X4
Email: premier@gov.bc.ca

More information:
Friends of the Campaign for BC Parks
Wilderness Committee
Globe & Mail Article

Openings for students on Faculty Structure Task Force

There are openings for 1 grad, and 1 undergrad. As best as I can gather, the job of this task force is to try to figure out how to implement planned changes to the Faculties structure at SFU (this is "phase 2" referred to in a previous post about this task force). The Board will probably vote to recommend someone, so if you're interested, show up at the next Board meeting (probably Dec 21st), email an SFSS Director, or contact task force chair (& VP Finance) John Waterhouse directly. I hear that there will also be subcommittees formed later with other openings for students. Details: task force will operate from Jan-Nov 2007, and carries a fairly high workload (perhaps a 3 hour meeting every 2-3 weeks, plus reviewing proposals, etc).

SFSS by-election candidate info

[UPDATED] There are 2 more says of voting (Monday & Tuesday, Dec 18 & 19 on Burnaby campus). Here are the updated info sources on the candidates:

1. Candidate statements on are posted on the SFSS election website.
   
2. The candidate debate will be rebroadcast on CJSF (90.1 FM) on Sunday, December 17 at 8:30am and on Monday, December 18 at 12:00pm.
3. Some candidates spoke at the GIC (Graduate Issues Committee) meeting on Dec 6 - for those in Biology, I think Raul emailed out the GIC minutes this morning. Also, I was at GIC, so you can email me (cmoray@sfu.ca) if you have any questions. For those in other departments, ask your GIC rep for more info.
4. Blog commentary on candidates at StudentUnion.ca (mosty facts), and on Xenia Menzies' blog (mostly opinion).
   
5. Most candidates have posters up.
6. There is a Facebook discussion group on the election.