Congratulations to Hannah Ma, Communications Designer
Please join us in congratulating Hannah Ma, Communications Designer with Marketing and Communications, and her husband Yicong Cai on the birth of their daughter Emma. Emma Cai was born on February 24, 2024, weighing in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces. View a photo of Hannah, Yicong and baby Emma.
Indigenous training: UBCO Residence Advisors
On Sunday January 28, the UBC Okanagan Residence Advisor team had the opportunity to explore the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada and hear a presentation orienting staff to the host nation, the Syilx Okanagan Nation. This guided session with Educational Facilitator Naim Cardinal, from UBC Okanagan’s Indigenous Programs and Services, allowed all 85 Residence Advisors to explore the massive, 11 metre x 8 metre atlas in the Nechako Residence Commonsblock gathering room. View a photo from the session.
Hydrogen Hub update
UBC Parking is excited to announce that the hydrogen hub—the hydrogen production, storage and fuelling station—near Thunderbird Parkade, part of the UBC Renewable Energy Hub that we covered in April 2022, has successfully passed a number of key commissioning requirements. With these milestones reached, we now have hydrogen on site, and the hub is nearly ready to open for fuelling commercial hydrogen vehicles.
Not Myself Today (NMT): February lunch and learn recap
On February 6, our Not Myself Today ambassadors hosted an informative, in-person lunch and learn session about emotional intelligence, delivered by Dr. Thara Vayali, ND, an internationally known speaker and writer and the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of hey freya. Nearly 40 staff from across SHCS attended the lunch and learn session, which covered positive ways to harness emotional intelligence and offered practical tools for enhancing our emotional skillsets.
Get your pair of “Shoes for Crews”
Our Occupational Health and Safety team is excited to announce our new “Shoes for Crews” program. Through this program, SHCS employees in Vancouver and the Okanagan receive a discount—an average of between 15% and 20%—on orders through Shoes for Crews, the leading supplier of slip-resistant work boots, clogs and athletic shoes.
To order your pair, visit our Shoes for Crews partner site, click “log in” under Employee Credit Card Purchase, then “log in” again on the next screen to view footwear with our discount applied. Each month will feature an additional promotional offer: for orders in February, use promo code “A32002” for free shipping; for March orders, use promo code “A34002” for a free hot/cold pack. Shoes will ship direct to your home and returns are easy. For any questions, contact the SHCS Occupational Health and Safety team.
Get your shirt for Pink Shirt Day at UBC Bookstore
The UBC Bookstore carries pink t-shirts in support of Pink Shirt Day (Feb 28, 2024). This year, we’re featuring the Kindness is Power design by Francis Horne Sr., Coast Salish Artist, which features an eagle forming a heart. Three dollars from every pink shirt sale will benefit the Native Northwest Reconciliation Fund in support of Indigenous people and families who continue to be impacted by Residential Schools and intergenerational trauma. Learn more.
UBCO Child Care: second facility under construction
To expand much-needed child care access at UBC Okanagan, a new facility is currently being built next to the existing centre. This addition will increase the number of spaces child care spaces from 56 to 93. Construction of the building is well underway, with concrete work completed in late-January and framing started in early-February. We look forward to continued progress and opening this building to families in fall 2024. Learn more.
Congratulations to Krista Power, HR Manager
Join us in congratulating Krista Power, Manager, Recruitment and Attendance in HR, and her partner Leon on the birth of their son Otis. Otis Eeli Power was born on February 11, 2024, weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and they are pleased to report that everyone is health, happy and doing well. View a photo of Krista, Leon and baby Otis.
UBCO RA sets world record at Ironman triathlon
The UBCO Residence Life team shares the wonderful news that Zach Bernier, one of our Residence Advisors in Nechako residence, set a world record at the Ironman Arizona triathlon on November 19, 2023. Finishing fourth place overall, he set a new U20 (i.e., under 20-years old) Ironman Triathlon world record, with a time of 8 hours, 44 minutes and 56 seconds. Read more.
Ena Point (UBC Child Care) publishes two new children’s books
Please join us in congratulating Ena Point, the Indigenous Relations Engagement Pedagogist at UBC Child Care, on publishing two new children’s books. This fall, Ena published The Sounds of My Body in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, which is available for purchase online and in select bookstores in Vancouver, including Massy Books, Iron Dog Books and the UBC Bookstore. Ena’s second book, Once We Were Trees, is currently available for pre-order online and will be coming out soon! Learn more.
Food Services’ local supplier spotlights continue
This term, Food Services Vancouver continues to feature local suppliers on Instagram and in our residence dining rooms, including Save Da Sea, Kula Foods, West Coast Bannock, Panela Lemon and Solecito, with many more to come. Check it all out on the UBC Foodie Instagram. And while you’re there, check out the great Chef Q&As with Johnny Bridge, Andy Chan and more.
Child Care Vancouver spaces approved for $10 a day
On February 9, 2024, the BC government announced that over 700 spaces across BC would move into the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program. More than 300 of those are group child care spaces at UBC Child Care in Vancouver. Congratulations to the Child Care team on successfully applying for and receiving this approval, which means that all our pre-Kindergarten spaces are now $10 a day. Read the province’s announcement.
UBCO Commuter Student Hostel now open
The housing team at UBCO is excited to announce that late-last term, they opened up the doors to their new Commuter Student Hostel, Nicola Residence, which gives students who commute to UBCO from elsewhere in the Okanagan valley a place to stay on campus, if needed. In addition to regular bookings, one room in the hostel is being used by the Emergency First Response Team to support the 24/7 operation of on-call first aid and it came in handy during a cold snap in January, when several residents needed to be relocated due to frozen pipes. Learn more.
Congratulations to Gloria Sun, Manager, Nutrition and Wellbeing
The Food Services Vancouver team is pleased to announce that Gloria Sun, who has been our Manager, Nutrition and Wellbeing, on contract for the past year, has accepted a permanent position in this role. Please join us in congratulating Gloria. Congratulations also to Melissa Baker-Wilson, who held this position for the past seven years, on her new position with the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, where she is now an educator with the Dietetics program.
UBC Bookstore: Featured collections
For Black History Month (February), the team at UBC Bookstore put together an extensive in-store display and online listing of brilliant books by black authors, from classics to contemporary, nonfiction to sci-fi. Plus, in honour of Freedom to Read Week (Feb 18–24), they also put together an in-store display and online listing of banned books. Visit the store until the end of February to check out these great displays. Throughout March, visit the store to check out the display in celebration of International Women’s Day (March 8).
Welcome Chanakaya Shabnavees to UBC Bookstore
The UBC Bookstore team would like to welcome Chanakya “Sha” Shabnavees, the new E-Commerce, Special Events, and Assistant Retail Floor Supervisor. Sha comes to the Bookstore and SHCS team from his most recent external role as an E-Commerce Manager and started at the Bookstore in early-January.
Welcome Ruth Situma to C&A
The Conferences and Accommodation (C&A) team would like to extend a warm welcome to Ruth Situma, who is the new Meeting Planner and started on January 22, 2024. In her role, she will primarily support academic conference hosts with planning, registration services, abstracts, website management and social events. A UBC employee since 2012, Ruth was most recently the Program and Communications Manager at the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Science.
UBCO Parking: February Food for Fines
Under the leadership of Jeff Joyce, the UBCO Parking Food for Fines program is operating again throughout February 2024. This year is the first that they are running the program twice during the academic year. In November 2023, the program brought in over 1,700 items, which were donated to the SUO pantry. Watch the UBCO Parking website for this term’s results!
Learning and development: upcoming opportunities
Check out these great opportunities for developing health, wellbeing and more this spring: Heart Health Webinar (Mar 7). UBC Conflict Theatre: Community Lunch and Learn (March 20). Wellbeing Foundations (virtual, self-paced). Plus, watch for info about upcoming workshops just for SHCS staff on the topic of boundaries, which will be open to Vancouver and Okanagan employees.
Spoon at UBCO back up and running
It’s official! Spoon, one of our UBC Okanagan food outlets, which serves delicious soups and stews, plus rice and focaccia bread, has reopened in the Arts and Science building—for the first time since 2020. Just in time for winter! Many thanks to superstar Sales Attendant Fred Guigue, who eagerly took on the big challenge of getting Spoon cleaned up, stocked and ready for service after a three year closure and who is now serving up both soup, stew and smiles to our hungry customers. Check out this Instagram Reel showcasing Spoon.
Linzi Wong receives industry recognition award
Congratulations to Linzi Wong, Manager, Residence Life Administration, on being awarded the 2023 President’s Recognition Award by the Ontario Association of College and University Housing Officers (OACUHO). This award is given to an individual “who has demonstrated outstanding qualities within their role and goes above and beyond expectations.” Andrew Quenneville, Associate Director, Residence Life and Administration, who nominated Linzi, shares that “for those who work closely with Linzi, it’s not difficult to understand why she is incredibly deserving of this recognition. Linzi leads first-and-foremost with a service-first attitude. She consistently looks for opportunities to uplift her colleagues and lend a helping hand.” Learn more.
Nutrition and Wellbeing team update
Melissa Baker-Wilson recently returned as our Manager, Nutrition and Wellbeing from maternity leave raising her twin sons Rowan and Hudson. We are very excited to have Melissa back to UBC. Since then, Melissa accepted a new one-year secondment position with central HR as a Workplace Wellbeing Practices and Learning Consultant, which she began in mid-October. In Melissa’s absence, we would like to welcome back Gloria Sun as our SHCS Manager, Nutrition and Wellbeing.
The Great United Way x Thrive Bake Off
Get ready for the Great United Way x Thrive Bake Off, organized in part by Food Services! At this inaugural event, which takes place November 28, 12 pm–2 pm, bakers will showcase their culinary skills—while making a difference in our community. Join the event for free hot chocolate, cool beverages, treat tasting (with donation), and a chance to determine the winning baker, alongside our celebrity judges. Learn more.
Coming soon! UBC Okanagan Commuter Student Hostel
A new Commuter Student Hostel at UBC Okanagan is coming soon—an exciting opportunity for students who commute to UBCO from elsewhere in the Okanagan valley to stay on campus, if needed. The hostel will offer 12 newly renovated, single bedroom spaces for commuter students to book occasional, short-term stays. The UBC Okanagan Student Housing team looks forward to offering this valuable service to students. Watch for more info!
New “Zen Den” for staff at UBCV Child Care
Thanks to a successful grant application to the UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Fund, submitted by Sahil Nandal, Residence Life Manager at Place Vanier, UBC Child Care Vancouver has secured funding to create a space—a Zen Den—at the Child Care Administration Hub where Early Childhood Educators can decompress and re-energize away from their child care settings. Many thanks to the team who is working to set up this exciting new space, which we anticipate will be complete early in the new year: Sahil Nandal and Matthew Lim, Residence Life Managers, Melanie Walters, Program Manager, UBC Child Care, and Diana Sanchez Toscano, Senior Early Child Educator, UBC Child Care.
Congratulations to Susan Kelly, re-elected JOHSC rep
Congratulations to Susan Kelly from Food Services, who was recently re-elected to the SHCS Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) as Committee Worker Co-Chair Representative. Susan has been a key contributor to SHCS’s safety success through her proactive leadership on the committee. Many thanks to Susan for her continued efforts and dedication to the SHCS JOHSC Committee. Learn more about the SHCS JOHSC.
Kelly Swallow from UBCO Food Services in art show
Congratulations to Kelly Swallow from Food Services at UBC Okanagan, whose work will be part of the upcoming Under 200 Exhibit at the Lake Country Art Gallery from December 2 to Dec 21. If you’re in the Okanagan, be sure to stop by and check out Kelly’s artwork, alongside pieces by other Lake Country Art Gallery members.
Big thanks to the Pho Real team
Pho Real is our newest Food Services Vancouver outlet—located in the Computer Science building off Agronomy Road—where we’re serving up the flavours of authentic Vietnamese street food, including comforting bowls of pho (noodle soup), fresh and crisp bun (vermicelli salad), and popular sides, such as salad rolls and edamame. A big shoutout and thank you to the entire team at Pho Real for their incredible work, notably Norman Wong, Third Cook, and Agnes Lui, Retail Commissary Chef, who have both been instrumental in providing consistent and fresh product for our guests.
Paramedical extended health benefits
A reminder that we have significant coverage for a variety of paramedical services—from massage therapists and dietitians to acupuncturists and clinical counsellors—which you should keep in mind as we approach the end of 2023. Learn more about your extended health benefits and what services and costs are covered or partially covered.
Plus, don’t forget to check into your Health Spending Account (HSA) before the end of the year—in case you have unused amounts from a previous year that won’t be carried forward to 2024.
Also, if you’re newer to UBC or would like a refresher, don’t miss the upcoming Benefits@UBC Webinar, which takes place over Zoom on Nov 29, 10:30 am–11:45 am.
Welcome back to Valerie Leung, OHS Associate
Welcome back to Valerie Leung, Occupational Health and Safety Associate, who recently returned from maternity leave. Valerie is a valued team member who we’re glad to have back in support of Student Residence, Conferences and Accommodation and Parking Services. Learn more about SHCS Occupational Health and Safety, meet the team and find out who to contact if needed.
Food for Fines returns: UBCO and UBCV Parking
On both campuses, the Parking teams are once again running their valued Food for Fines programs, which raise significant funds and donations for our two campus food banks annually, the SUO Pantry and the AMS Food Bank. In the Okanagan, the program runs November 1–30; in Vancouver, the program runs November 20–24. Learn more: Okanagan | Vancouver.
HR team changes
With Krista Power starting her maternity leave at the end of January 2024, Amy Shin, HR Coordinator—who is currently backfilling Laura Nolan’s maternity leave—has accepted the opportunity to now backfill for Krista. As such, the HR team is now hiring for a temporary HR Coordinator position until Laura returns in May. Additionally, the team recently completed recruitment for an HR Specialist, Attendance and Accommodations, and is pleased to share that Shana Menon, who is joining us from UBC’s Integrated Renewal Program, Student, will be starting on November 30.
Nutrition booths in residence
For Thrive month, the UBC Food Services Nutrition Education Team will be hosting nutrition booths at the three Vancouver residence dining halls to engage students on the subject of stress eating through fun games, prizes and more. Staff are also welcome to stop by and participate! Learn more and find the dates and locations.
Welcome to Tarreisha Agard, RLM, UBCO
Join us in welcoming Tarreisha Agard, the new Residence Life Manager (RLM) for Cascades and Monashee residences at UBC Okanagan. Most recently, Tarreisha lived in Kingston, Ontario, where she served as a Residence Life Coordinator at Queen’s University, her alma mater. Between studying Film and Media at Queen’s and returning to work in Residence Life, she pursued studies in social service work at Humber College. Interested in music, reading, crafting, the outdoors and travelling, her most recent adventure took her to Saudi Arabia.
Sage Catering holiday feasts
Sage Catering is looking forward to a busy holiday season this year, with plenty of bookings for holiday gatherings at the University Centre and other partner locations. The team has once again planned a deliciously festive menu, with herb-butter roasted turkey breast, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, house made turkey gravy, and much more. Dates are filling up quickly, so if you are interested in booking, contact the Sage team today! Learn more.
Food Services: local supplier spotlight
This fall, in our residence dining halls and online, Food Services has been showcasing the local suppliers we work with, including Susgrainable, Big Mountain Foods, Brightside Foods, Save Da Sea, Grandpa J’s Seasoning, Living Tree Foods, Panela Lemon, Bonus Bakery, The Workshop Vegetarian Café, The Indian Pantry, and oomé. These suppliers align with the Food Services vision and values, and this series shows our commitment to sustainability, quality food, and supporting our local partners to help make UBC’s campus dining experience exceptional. Learn more.
New UBC Child Care setting receives Board 1 approval
The UBC Board of Governors Property Committee has now provided stage 1 approval for a new child care setting to be built next to Orchard Commons student residence, with the proposed site between the courtyard and West Mall. This new location will provide a number of spaces for children under 3 years of age, along with spaces for children 3 years to school age. Watch for more info as this exciting project progresses!
Learning and development opportunities: fall 2023
Take one of UBC’s free online courses, including the refreshed land acknowledgments course, a decisiveness workshop or Braving Trust with Self and Others. Plus, register today for the fall offering of Coaching Conversations, our long-running and highly-valued SHCS course, which helps leaders develop their ability to have coach-like conversations with their staff. One past participant wrote, “I think this course was hugely beneficial and I know my team will definitely benefit from me having more communication tools to draw on. I already see a difference in the questions that I ask them.” Learn more and register.
UBC Bookstore supports student and alumni entrepreneurs
Did you know the UBC Bookstore carries a wide range of fun and innovative products created by UBC student and alumni entrepreneurs? This long-standing initiative was created to align with the bookstore’s goal of supporting student entrepreneurship on and off-campus. Managed by Ruzzle Co and Joanna Ke, the program aims to inspire students to launch their business and creative projects by highlighting the success stories of their peers. The bookstore currently carries more than 30 student and alumni-created brands—everything from natural candles and healthy snacks to reusable bubble tea cups and porcelain jewelry—and is always on the lookout to discover more. Learn more.
Welcome Back Staff BBQ: back in a big way!
On September 13, the Welcome Back Staff BBQ in Vancouver returned after a 3-year hiatus. A big thank you to our Food Services culinary team who catered this event and fed roughly 4,000 UBC staff—a lineup that stretched from Flagpole Plaza all the way to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum—in just two hours. Many thanks to the other volunteers from across SHCS who helped out too! Check out this Instagram reel of the event from our very own Juliana Campbell.
New website announcement: C&A Vancouver
After many months of hard work in collaboration with the Marketing and Communications and IT teams, Conferences and Accommodation (C&A) Vancouver is pleased to share its new website—hostatubc.com. The new site provides more in-depth information on UBC’s venues, our accommodation options, planning services, catering options and more. C&A is excited to begin a new sales season with this beautiful new website.
Jump-starting our year at UBC Bookstore
The Jump Start sale on August 31 at UBC Bookstore’s Vancouver location drew crowds like the bookstore hasn’t seen in several years, with students eager to get their UBC hoodies and other merch to kick off the school year. Throughout the day, cashiers put through 3,300 transactions—which turned out to be great preparation for a very busy back-to-school season—and 92% of business that day was in-person. The latter statistic is especially notable considering an average of 40% of bookstore sales are now done online. What a great level of energy and excitement as we start the 2023/24 academic year.
New Food Services locations and menus
Congratulations to the Food Services Retail team, under the leadership of Sam Wellman, on the recent opening of Pho Real, a new Vietnamese street-food outlet in the ICICS building, plus new offerings at Ike’s Café, including Pearl Fever bubble tea. Congratulations also to the Food Services’ Catering and Restaurants team, under the leadership of Levi Semadeni, on some exciting changes at The Point: a revamped menu, plus new murals, furniture and other renovations to create a more casual and student-friendly atmosphere. Learn more on Instagram at @ubcfoodie and @thepoint.ubc—and at Food at UBC Vancouver.
Residence Mindful Market a big success!
This year’s residence Mindful Market was held on Sunday, September 3. A collaboration with UBC Sustainability, the goal of the market is to help achieve our sustainability and climate action goals by supporting a circular economy on-campus. Items for sale—including small kitchen appliances, mini-fridges, dishes, hangers, pillows, clothing, footwear and more—were donated by residents during last year’s move out. With over 200 students in attendance, we sold 350 items and raised $2,600, which will be deployed in support of campus food security. Many thanks to Ricky Biring, Gillian Wallis and Andrew Quenneville for their leadership on this project, and also to the student volunteers from the UBC Student Environment Centre. Learn more at Mindful Market and check out some photos!
Thank you to UBCO staff: Kelowna wildfires
The Kelowna wildfires presented an immense challenge for our staff and colleagues at UBC Okanagan. SHCS leadership would like to acknowledge the incredible efforts of, and offer a big thank you to, many of our staff there for their remarkable work to ensure a safe evacuation of student housing residents, conference guests and hotel guests, and in turn to provide accommodation for roughly 800 fire fighters and fire personnel—all while managing personal evacuation alerts and orders.
Brock Commons North now open
In mid-August, we opened Brock Commons North, our newest residence building, adding 316 more beds for students. A big thank you to many individuals in SHCS—specifically in Residence Life and Administration and Facilities and Building Services—for their significant efforts at every stage of the project, especially the immense team effort in recent months getting Brock Commons North ready for occupancy, moving students in, and helping make it a home. Learn more.
Welcome to Venisha Williams, Overnight Mobile Team Manager
A warm welcome to Venisha Williams, the inaugural Manager of Overnight Mobile Unit Services for Student Housing and Community Services (SHCS). Venisha started in July 2023 and will be leading a dedicated team of eight Overnight Mobile Unit Service Representatives, responsible for providing essential overnight services for students living in residence. Learn more about this new team and changes to Residence front desk services.
C&A receives Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice awards
Congratulations to our Conferences and Accommodation Vancouver team! Recently, the West Coast Suites and Gage Suites both received a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award for 2023. While West Coast Suites has received the award previously, this is the first win for Gage Suites. Recipients must have at least four stars and be rated among the top 10% of all Tripadvisor listings. Learn more.
Let’s eat! New All Access Dining video
Food Services and SHCS Marketing and Communications recently commissioned UBC Studios to create a new video about our All Access Dining program in Vancouver—back for its second year in 2023/24. The team at UBC Studios delivered an informative, high-energy video, which will help our incoming first year residents better understand the meal plan, where they can eat and what kind of food they’ll enjoy once they arrive. Published just a few days ago, you can check it out today!
Summer Sizzler success!
On June 7, from noon to 1 pm, Food Services kicked off summer with this year’s Summer Sizzler event, which took place in conjunction with the first UBC Farm Wednesday Bookstore Market of the season. Chef Darren Clay, Executive Sous Chef for Residence Dining, showed a full house how to make a delicious Nicoise salad with fresh produce from UBC Farm. Find more Food Services summer events.