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Media Matters How SFU fared in the news for the week of 17 Apr i l 2009
Media Matters, a report on SFU in the news, is released every Friday
and is compiled by SFU Public Affairs & Media Relations.
Mark Jaccard, energy guru and adviser to governments, created an instant BC election issue this week with a report
concluding the BC NDP’s cap-and-trade plan would eliminate 60,000 jobs.
Other SFU profs were also in the media as the election campaign got officially under way: Cara Camcastle, Richard
Smith, Doug McArthur, Blaize Horner Reich, Neil Boyd and Rob Gordon.
And SFU Contemporary Arts got big coverage as it told media about its move to the Woodward’s project and about
its inaugural cultural program.
I don’t believe Mr. Jaccard has an independent view on
BC Election: Jaccard this.”
To that, a popular BC environmental blog (www.desmogblog.
• The Province, Vaughn Palmer of The Vancouver Sun and com) countered: “It’s insulting to an academic like Jaccard
the Globe and Mail were quick to move on an SFU news to be accused of dishonesty and being in collusion with
release on how energy-and-resources prof Mark Jaccard government. What makes it even worse is that Simpson
predicts the NDP’s environmental platform would eliminate fails to mention that Jaccard has also been an advisor to
60,000 jobs around BC. Then his findings became an previous NDP governments—so much for his conspiracy
election-campaign issue. theory.”
• Thanks to Veronica Aarstad in SFU’s office of Public • Meanwhile, charts produced by three major environmental
Affairs and Media Relations (PAMR), these media leaders groups showed 76% of B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions
got the release in time to pursue Jaccard, and to note that are currently covered by the carbon tax compared to 32%
he had run the NDP’s proposal, as outlined in its platform, covered by the NDP’s proposal, which would largely target
through his computer model. The Province story, for one, industry.
said: The Green Party candidate running against Carole James
“’It is the smelting, the aluminum, zinc, lime, cement, pulp in Victoria-Beacon Hill leaped on that—and on the Jaccard
and paper, these are the industries where there would report—to attack the NDP. That story we saw as far from
be production decreases and in some cases shutdowns Victoria as the Quesnel Cariboo Observer.
would occur’, said Jaccard. Under the NDP’s election plan, • And National Post then ran an editorial that said in part: “Mr.
Jaccard thinks there would be 30,000 direct and another Jaccard’s numerical assumptions might be questionable,
30,000 indirect job losses within 11 years. If the Liberal but his unimpeachable broader point is that there can be
government’s existing carbon tax stays after the May no such thing as a free lunch when it comes to emissions
election, Jaccard said, he estimates there would be about reductions.”
5,000 job losses by 2020.”
Meanwhile, a Gary Mason column in the Globe and Mail
cited Jaccard’s forecasts. “This is not someone from the
BC Election: Others
right-leaning Fraser Institute talking. He has no political axe
to grind whatsoever. He just believes, as do I along with As the election campaign got officially under way, SFU’s office
so many others, that the NDP policy is wrongheaded and of Public Affairs and Media Relations issued an updated list of
dangerous.” SFU experts who are willing to help media with their election
Vaughn Palmer cited Jaccard’s numbers on CKNW. And coverage. And then:
in a column in Surrey Now, GlobalTV’s BC legislature • CBC Radio interviewed political scientist Cara Camcastle
reporter, Keith Baldrey, called Jaccard “credible” on the on the NDP’s opposition to the carbon tax, environmentalists’
issue. Baldrey’s column also appeared in the Richmond criticism of the NDP, and the positions of the three provincial
News, New Westminster Record and Coquitlam Now. parties on environmental issues.
The SFU release and the story then made their way into • Camcastle also talked to the Surrey-North Delta Leader
a number of blogs. And it all became an instant election about why the BC Greens are having difficulty finding
issue: candidates for 18 ridings in BC.
• Liberal leader Gordon Campbell cited Jaccard’s estimates • GlobalTV interviewed communication prof Richard Smith
of job-loss in a story carried by Black Press newspapers. about the use of Twitter, Facebook and other social media
NDP leader Carole James struck back in the Victoria Times as campaign tools. “Having a presence online is really
Colonist with: “Mark Jaccard’s assumptions are wrong.” crucial,” he said. Global also interviewed three students on
That story we saw as far afield as the Calgary Herald. the Burnaby campus, but did not identify them.
And earlier, NDP environment critic Shane Simpson told • And CBC Radio pursued public policy prof Doug McArthur
The Province: “He (Jaccard) has been a critic of ours, and to talk about BC-STV, the proposed new balloting systemPage 2
Me dia Matters
that will be submitted to voters on May 12. be led by international superstar of theatre Robert Lepage,
• Speaking of BC-STV, TheTyee.ca and the Kitimat Northern astride The Blue Dragon.
Sentinel reported that online support for BC-STV “is growing “At the heart of SFU’s richly diverse new cultural complex
daily.” They cited support on Twitter and Facebook. Both being built into the burgeoning Woodward’s site on Hastings
quoted SFU Business prof Blaize Horner Reich, with the Street, the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre
Sentinel quoting her as saying: “The desire for change is a is to be christened in February, 2010, by Lepage’s latest
powerful force and we are seeing a groundswell of British landmark play, a co-presentation with the 2010 Cultural
Columbians coming together online to demand a fairer Olympiad and Theatre le Seizieme. Heading the school of
electoral system in our province.” contemporary arts, Martin Gotfrit knew the opening of the
• McArthur was also on CBC-TV’s national news, saying Wong Experimental Theatre would demand a debut by no
politicians across the country will be watching as BC less a luminary of the arts.”
premier Gordon Campbell is the first to hold an election • Miss 604, Vancouver’s ace blogger (a.k.a. Rebecca Bollwit)
during the recession. “We know that anger is there about has more than 4600 followers on Twitter alone—and many
the economy. . . . They’ll all be watching. They’ll be watching more who check into her daily blog (http://www.miss604.
what happens in British Columbia for sure.” com). Invited to the reception by Ovenell-Carter, Miss 604
McArthur also wrote a guest column in the Georgia gave lots of detail about the school and its new home, and
Straight questioning the BC government’s promotion of added:
private hydro projects. “The truth is . . . that we don’t need “It’s nice to see so much happening in a space that had
vast amounts of new power. . . . Instead the government such a slow and somber demise as it faded from a swinging
sells us the idea that we need a lot of new power. Private shopping destination with glittery holiday window displays
hydropower producers have responded with enthusiasm. . to a decrepit cry for help and action from the community.
. . A virtual gold rush has been set loose.” This property will be open and full of public spaces for
• Criminologists Neil Boyd and Rob Gordon were in a story those who are already in the Downtown Eastside, and will
in The Vancouver Sun on a Green Party proposal to replace welcome others to bask in the glow of its inspiration that will
the RCMP with an “accountable” provincial police force. stem from all levels. The SFU Contemporary Arts facility
Boyd said politicians would do better to focus on a regional . . . has the potential to be a true cornerstone of arts and
police force in Metro Vancouver. “Toronto and Montreal culture—glossy and gritty, local and global—for our city.”
have regional forces in place, so we are a little behind the • For details of the inaugural program (and Early Bird ticket
times.” Meanwhile, Gordon said: “What we have to do is bonuses) see http://www.sfu.ca/woodwards
look at the structure of policing and whether what we have
is the most efficient and the most effective form of policing BC News
available in the province, and if it is not, then we need to
work out an alternative.”
• And Milt McLaren, education prof emeritus, talked with The • A blog from Metro Vancouver reported: “Vancouver
Vancouver Sun about education issues in the platforms of Magazine recently published a wide-reaching interview
the major parties. with Anthony Perl, the director of the urban studies
program at Simon Fraser University. . . . His perspectives
are a welcome, and nuanced diversion, from the usual civic
SFU Contemporary Arts cheerleading or prescribed nay-saying.”
It quoted Perl as saying, among other things: “By treating
• Media turned out for an SFU Contemporary Arts reception the train station as a kind of down-and-out skid row zone,
for Vancouver’s cultural community to preview the school’s we’re turning our back on a significant part of the Canadian/
move to the Woodward’s complex and to launch its European heritage that brought people to Vancouver in the
inaugural cultural program. first place. . . . This should be the face of our city; instead
Julie Ovenell-Carter of PAMR invited media, and Susan we’re presenting visitors with a very different part of our
Jamieson-McLarnon of PAMR hosted reporters from anatomy.”
The Vancouver Sun, CBC-TV, the Globe and Mail, CBUF Earlier, Perl was interviewed at length on CBC Radio,
(CBC French radio), the Vancouver Westender, Vancouver which largely focused on his co-authored book Transport
Courier, Talk Radio 1410, Georgia Straight, World Journal, Revolutions: Moving People and Freight Without Oil.
Asian Times, and Minkei News online. • Business ethicist Mark Wexler was on GlobalTV in a story
Two excerpts from media coverage: about e-mail ethics. This after disciplinary action against
• The Vancouver Sun: “Summoning the most powerful some BC public servants for misuse of government e-mail
symbol in Chinese mythology, Simon Fraser University and internet access.
descends from its mountain in Burnaby led by the roar of • Psychologist Joti Samra was on the On the Coast show
a dragon. In a Wednesday announcement, SFU revealed on CBC Radio, talking to host Stephen Quinn about
that the much-anticipated move to downtown Vancouver the psychology behind Canuck Fever and the fans’
early next year by its School for the Contemporary Arts will bandwagon.Page 3
Me dia Matters
• Michael Geller, former president and CEO of SFU Cultures, was broadcast on the Ideas program on CBC
Community Trust and an adjunct prof at SFU’s Centre Radio. Ramadan is the author of Radical Reform: Islamic
for Sustainable Community Development, wrote a guest Ethics and Liberation,
article in The Vancouver Sun saying the city could use • A John Allemang column in the Globe and Mail decried
some spring-cleaning: “While we have managed to contain bad manners—and bad cellphone behavior—in Canada.
graffiti, we are failing when it comes to controlling chewing Among those he quoted on cellphone manners was SFU
gum, cigarette butts and other litter.” Communication prof Richard Smith:
• Arvind Gupta, scientific director of the SFU-based “Keep in mind that when it comes to a new device, no one
MITACS Centre of Excellence (Mathematics of Information knows what the rules are—they have to be worked out.
Technology and Complex Systems) continued his six-week The cellphone is a challenge, because it’s seen to be like
series for The Vancouver Sun on the importance and beauty the original telephone, which we were taught to answer
of mathematics. Among careers that use math, he noted: whenever it rang. . . . Now the cellphone puts us in situations
“Criminology professors Paul and Patricia Brantingham where that’s not the right thing to do. But if you look around,
at SFU work with the School of Computing Science and the I think you’ll find that cellphone manners have become a lot
mathematical modellers at the Interdisciplinary Research better than they were in the space of 10 years.”
in the Mathematical and Computational Sciences Centre to • Canwest News Service sent to clients across the country
maintain a repository of past and current crime data to answer a story quoting economist Krishna Pendakur as saying
questions and identify patterns in crime around Vancouver homelessness initiatives that focus on the “usual culprits”
and other real and simulated urban environments.” of mental illness, family breakdown, addiction, crime and
• Third-year biology student Aman Sundher wrote a guest violence are missing the biggest causes. He said the main
article for the Georgia Straight: “A new study published in reasons people end up on the streets are straightforward
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has revealed that but often overlooked: low income and high rents.
the declines in the northern and southern populations of We found this story in and on 15 media outlets, including
killer whales found along B.C.’s coast can be attributed to National Post.
environmental contaminants known as persistent organic • U.S.-based Salon.com carried a story saying the U.S.
pollutants (POPs) . . . . What this illustrates is that there is Centers for Disease Control and Prevention withheld
never a ‘quick fix’ for environmental damage.” or covered up evidence that contaminated tap water
in Washington DC caused lead poisoning in kids. Salon
National & International News quoted Bruce Lanphear of SFU Health Sciences, an
expert on lead contamination, as saying: “It is critical to
investigate how and why these earlier studies failed to
• The Canadian Press reported how changes to the show any increase in children’s blood-lead levels.”
Citizenship Act restore citizenship to thousands of “lost • Design Engineering magazine carried a story on the work
Canadians”. But a new rule means no citizenship for that Neil Branda and Byron Gates, Canada research chairs
children born outside Canada to Canadian parents who and material scientists, will be doing with the $884,106 they
were also born abroad, or for children adopted abroad. received from Western Economic Diversification Canada.
That led SFU economist Don DeVoretz, who specializes The funding is to enhance SFU’s capability for materials
in immigration issues, to protest: “We’re putting the cost of design and development at 4D LABS. Carol Thorbes of
our concern about overseas Canadians on kids who aren’t PAMR sent the magazine a selection of photos.
even born yet.”
We saw the story in and on 26 media outlets across the
country. Police Beat
• Marketing prof Lindsay Meredith spoke with the Globe
and Mail about the global downsizing of Starbucks. “The • Criminologist Ray Corrado was on GlobalTV in a story
marginal stores—the ones that were limping along when about the murder last week of a homeless and disabled
times were good—are going to be the first to go over the man. Corrado speculated that the killers could have been
falls.” Scripps Howard News Service sent the story to young men—“likely teenage boys (who) get into a bullying
papers across the U.S. exchange or some kind of exchange that escalates.” He
• McGill University issued a news release about its part in a said the fact that victim Michael Nestoruk’s pants were
collaborative study—also involving Robert Hogg of SFU taken and discarded is the kind of “humiliation” often seen
Health Sciences—that was published in the New England in such incidents.
Journal of Medicine. The study found that that starting • The Canadian Press looked at incidents across Canada
antiretroviral treatment earlier than usual in HIV cases where police invite media to watch police video or pictures
could reduce the risk of death by up to 94%. of crimes—but have themselves seized news cameras. The
• A February 23 lecture by Tariq Ramadan, presented by story said in part: “Simon Fraser University criminology
the SFU School for International Studies and the SFU professor Neil Boyd says it appears police are more
Centre for the Comparative Study of Muslim Societies and concerned about public perception, but in this video age,Page 4
Me dia Matters
no one has the right to privacy in a public place.” Brianna Kane, Helen Crofts and Jessica Smith) posted a
We saw the story in and on 31 media outlets. meet record of 3:50.38. The mark qualified the team for the
• Gary Mauser, prof emeritus and gun guru, was in a Globe 2009 NAIA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
and Mail story on the seizure in an RCMP raid near Nanaimo Crofts also won the 800m.
of an arsenal that included a machine-gun. “It’s almost Other SFU winners: Ryan Brockerville (steeplechase),
certainly a smuggled weapon. Most of the illegal weapons Tyson Unruh (400m), Adam Newton (200m), and the
like this are military surplus that have been obtained by SFU 4x400m relay team of Newton, Unruh, Andrew Boss
legitimate military groups and then sold illegally.” and Mitch Culley.
Mauser was also in a Province story about a Vancouver • Brockerville then went on to claim the 1500m title at the
jewelry storeowner who fired a shot as three would-be first annual Bryan Clay Invitational, hosted by Azusa Pacific
robbers smashed his display cases. “In the light of the University, Azusa CA, this morning. Clan members are
recent black eyes of Tasering people instead of talking to competing at three separate California meets in preparation
them, it would not help the image of the police to get into for next weekend’s Achilles Cup dual meet against UBC.
another brouhaha with trying to charge a legitimate person • The Kelowna Capital News reported that assistant coach
with self-defence.” Clint Schneider of the Clan men’s soccer team will take
• Rob Gordon, director of SFU Criminology, was in a over as head coach of the Okanagan Challenge squad. In
Vancouver Sun story about the protection police are giving that role he replaces Clan head coach Alan Koch, who has
witnesses in the Surrey Six murder case. “Getting somebody accepted a coaching job with the Vancouver Whitecaps
to actually give evidence under oath at a trial in these women’s team.
kinds of situations is known generally to be problematic. • Media across the country and into the U.S. reported that
Obviously what police are doing is developing a strategy UBC is deferring a decision on applying for NCAA Division
for managing not only the people they want to protect at the II membership until next year at the earliest. “Simon Fraser
moment but also others who might come forward.” University confirmed last month that they will apply for NCAA
By way of Canwest News Service, we spotted this story in Division II membership by this year’s June 1 deadline and
14 Canadian media outlets. plan to move all their teams there in the next three years.”
Athletics The Arts
• The Province carried a feature on Marcie Bruder of the • The Calgary Herald featured Hiromi Goto, writer-in-
Clan softball team, winner of SFU Athletics’ annual Rick residence at SFU, and her book Half World. “Goto creates
Jones Memorial Award, recognizing the student-athlete worlds of striking detail that hook readers even as they
who has best overcome adversity in their playing career. threaten to ensnare the author.” Goto gave public readings
Bruder has suffered from concussions three times, and from the book in Calgary this week.
survived a four-car pileup. She can no longer risk playing as • TheScientist.com featured hip-hop artist (and SFU grad)
a catcher, but helps out with her bat. Coach Mike Renney Baba Brinkman and his performance of The Rap Guide to
noted: “She has really had to give up more than half of the Evolution, which uses remixed beats, comedic storytelling,
game. . . . But she is still there for every one of our 6 a.m. and rap poetry to make the science behind evolution
practices to help work out our pitchers.” accessible and interesting. TheScientist.com, after a
Bruder herself said: “Turn to the next person and chances show at SFU Burnaby, quoted Arne Mooers, an SFU
are they’ve had it worse than you. But I am really proud of evolutionary biologist: “He (Brinkman) noticed we all had
myself for getting to my senior year. I would never have our mouths hanging open, and it was indeed gobsmackingly
considered getting an award for something that is just mesmerizing. You just don’t expect witty lyrics over a hard
second nature to me, to keep coming back.” beat railing against post-modernist waffle on the scientific
• Coquitlam Now told readers how Basketball BC has method. I raved to everyone I bumped into for days.”
named Bruce Langford, head coach of the Clan women’s • The Vernon Morning Star promoted a presentation there
basketball team, as University Coach of the Year—and his of the Judith Marcuse Project’s EARTH = home. The
national-champion squad Team of the Year. story added that JMP is partnering with SFU to create the
As well, the Now reported, high-school guard Kristina International Centre of Art for Social Change, designed to
Collins, selected as High School Outstanding Female, will nurture and support the growing global community of arts
joined SFU in the fall. (And, incidentally, Langford’s brother for social change.
Paul won the High School Coaching Award of Excellence.)
• Scott McLean, the media, broadcast and sports information Education
director in SFU Athletics, told media how SFU set a meet
record and won six events at Ralph Vernacchia meet at
Western Washington University, Bellingham. • The Vancouver Sun looked at the impact on academe of
The Clan 4x400m women’s relay team (Traci Boss, the end of mandatory retirement at 65. Among other things,Page 5
Me dia Matters
it wrote:
“At Simon Fraser University, about three-quarters of
Second Run
the professors who have turned 65 since the university
abolished its mandatory retirement policy—just before the • The Abbotsford News and the Aldergrove Star picked up
government did 15 months ago—are still there, according from the Surrey-North Delta Leader a story from last week
to Dario Nonis, SFU’s executive director of human in which Rob Gordon, director of SFU Criminology, said
resources.” arrests in the Surrey Six gang-slaughter are a high-profile
• Burnaby Now carried in full an SFU news release on how coup for police—but “if people think that this is in some way
SFU is getting $49.4 million from Victoria and Ottawa to going to affect organized crime operations in this province
renovate its chemistry building on the Burnaby campus. then they’re sadly mistaken.”
Andrew Bennet, chair of chemistry, and President Michael • The Vancouver Sun picked up from the Ottawa Citizen of
Stevenson were quoted. The Burnaby NewsLeader also two weeks ago a story on the business of bottled water—
carried a story. and the number of municipalities that are moving to ban
• Burnaby Now also carried a story, from an SFU news it. The Citizen wrote: “Mark Jaccard, a professor with the
release of February 23, on an agreement between School of Resource and Environmental Management at
Fraser Health and SFU to work together. The agreement Simon Fraser University, is all for any measures that in
establishes a relationship to work towards collaborative some way ‘reduce the throughput of energy and materials
training, education and research programs. These include in our economy. It has to start somewhere. So bravo to
training opportunities for SFU students with Fraser Health. those municipalities who are taking action.’”
• The Tri-City News featured two SFU Education students
who will head for New York in June to work as volunteers Also in the News
in a tough neighbourhood in the South Bronx. It will be
the fourth such trip for Vanessa Aguira and Rosemary
Cristiano. • The Vancouver Sun featured Alison Lawton, entrepreneur,
• South Asian Post and the Asian Pacific Post reported the philanthropist and human rights activist. Among other
SFU team of Kevin Wang, Ivan Ma, Patrick Low, and things, the Sun noted: “Lawton has long been concerned
Awin Ye won the business case competition of the Certified by unrestrained free markets. In her 2005 masters’ thesis
Management Accountants Society of BC. Students had to at Simon Fraser University on the mass media and the
come up with solutions to the declining profits of a fictional financial industry, Lawton presciently concluded—using
company. neo-Marxist analysis—that ‘the blind belief in the power of
capitalism may be leading our economy into an abyss.’”
• The Vancouver Sun also ran a feature on Grade 12
SFU Releases student Linda Liu of Delta, winner of a contest for research
suggesting rhubarb extract could preserve the structure
• By way of PAMR, SFU Contemporary Arts announced to of a protein identified as a factor in neurological diseases,
media that Robert Lepage’s theatrical masterpiece, The including Alzheimer’s. “She conducted a series of trials
Blue Dragon/Le Dragon Bleu, will headline the school’s earlier this year at Simon Fraser University, where she
inaugural cultural program in February 2010. It’s one of was provided laboratory time and help from a graduate
several events planned to mark the school’s move to the chemistry student.” (The student was not named.)
Woodward’s redevelopment project in January 2010. • India’s Punjab Newsline reported D.J. Sandhu has been
(Details at: http://tinyurl.com/cxud9l) appointed the BC government’s B.C. business investment
• Carol Thorbes of PAMR told media how SFU’s 4D LABS and skills liaison representative in India. Sandhu is a
nano-tech laboratory will be a model of environmental business prof at University of the Fraser Valley who also
responsibility when it is fully operational later this year. It teaches at SFU. He has BBA and MBA from SFU.
will meet semiconductor industry standards for ensuring • The Vancouver Sun’s business pages featured Diana
personal safety as well as protecting the environment Sorace, communications adviser with the Certified General
protection from combustible and toxic gases. Accountants Association of Canada. The item noted she
• Also via PAMR, SFU’s Krishna Pendakur, co-director has a BA in history and political science from SFU.
of Metropolis British Columbia centre of excellence for • The Prince George Citizen reported the city of Quesnel has
research on immigration and diversity, told media about a new finance director: Kari Bolton. The paper noted she
a one-day film festival exploring homelessness and has a BBA from SFU.
intersecting issues. (Sunday April 19, at noon, 1:45 p.m., 5
p.m. and 6:45 p.m., all at SFU Harbour Centre.)
• And Janet Moore of SFU’s sustainability advisory
committee, via Fiona Burrows of PAMR, told media about
the theme for this year’s Summer Institute in Dialogue:
exploring food, community and urban sustainability.You can also read
