Yesterday, the Students Needs Committee (through councillor Jillian Merrick) proposed 6 ideas to City Council regarding ideas that students from UNBC, CNC, and SD57 wanted to see implemented. The Committee itself is made up from leadership students selected from each institution, and they meet multiple times over the school year to discuss what they would like to see in their education systems. Some of the points they brought up to Council were; better housing for students along with the addition of student housing in the downtown area, an improved transit system, and an increase in student engagement in the community along with adding more services and accessible facilities through the U Pass. Transport was one of the biggest issues the student committee addressed and it came up more than once in the meeting. The council saw the amount of people pushing for a boost in the quality of the transit system and approved a proposal to increase bus service during evenings, weekends, and stat holidays. The proposal is still waiting approval from BC Transit, but it should be implemented in September, just in time for the school year. However, it's not just about students, as some of the councillors brought up, but for all those who rely on transit. The Council unanimously voted in favour of both the transit and the 3 of the points the student needs committees brought up (the ones mentioned in this article) in hopes to help out the community some more.
Merrick stressed to council the importance in a quick approval, so the committee may receive some budgeting for the upcoming school year. She stated that the students of the committee believed that their next goal should be to take a more active role in the community. They want to not only give ideas but as well put on events that may fundraise for students groups/activities/etc , or simply get students out into the community. Merrick as well said that she didn't know exactly what the future holds for the group, but knows it gives a important perspective to issues in PG and is excited to see what happens when the group reconvenes in the school year.
-Laura Smith, Twitter: @lasmith98