Best Dog Spotting Locations (When you don’t have a dog)

If you’re like me, you may have a mild obsession with the furry friends we humans call dogs. Dogs are great companions. They make you laugh, they comfort you when you’re sad, they’re great listeners, and they just look so darn cute. Maybe you are one of the blessed people out there that can say they have their own dog, but maybe you’re like me and for whatever reason (cost, time, etc) you love dogs, but can’t have one of your own at the moment.

That’s where dog spotting comes in. There are certain places that you can go where you’re almost guaranteed to see a dog, or a group of dogs, so you can get the cuteness fix you need.

Crescent Beach

While any dog park is generally a good place to run into furry friends, the Crescent Beach area is especially great. They have two separate areas where dogs can run and play off-leash (one dog park and one dog beach). Unlike nearby White Rock Beach, dogs are welcomed on the Crescent Beach trails and public walkway. This makes the Crescent Beach area, what I consider to be one of the best places to spot dogs in Surrey. Live closer to Vancouver? Kitsilano Beach is a great area, similar to Crescent Beach!

Dog Mountain (And hiking in general)

Dog Mountain is a short, low incline trail on Seymour Mountain in North Vancouver. As the name would suggest, the features of the trail make it a great destination for hikers with dogs. Therefore it’s also a great place to spot some good, friendly dogs out in nature. While not all mountains have ‘DOG’ specifically in their name, Lower Mainland hiking trails in general are great places to spot dogs. Just be sure to check the trail information before you leave as there are some trails in the area that don’t allow dogs.

PetSmart

Bad weather, but still want to spot some doggos? PetSmart is another great place! Whenever humans want to get a something new for their dog, they 9 times out of 10 bring the dog along with them. PetSmart also offers grooming and training services, so they may be in the store for their important dog appointments.

Instagram

We don’t all have the time (or desire) to go out specifically to spot dogs. Have no fear! Instagram (and yeah, the internet in general) is a great place to spot some dogs virtually. There are hashtags #DogsOfInstagram #MyDogIsTheCutest you can search, and dog accounts you can follow (I recommend Moooseybaby, Aspenthemountainpup, and Ifitwags. You don’t follow fifteen personal dog accounts? Oh … okay, just me.

Instagram: @Sviacat

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (At certain times of the year!)

Last but not least … yeah, you read that right … you can spot (and cuddle and love) dogs at KPU! While KPU does have a pretty specific pet policy that would deter students and staff from bringing their dog to campus each and every day, at certain times of the year we hold an event where Therapy Dogs are brought on campus. This month we’re doing just that! On November 21st in Richmond (Active KSA Studio from 11am - 1pm) and November 22nd in Surrey (Surrey Conference Centre 11am - 2pm), we’ll be bringing therapy dogs to campus! The therapy dogs are a part of our Stress Relief Holiday Send-Off event. This event will have a number of different de-stress (& fun) activities students can participate during this busy time of the semester.

To all you dog lovers out there, thanks for reading! See you Nov. 21st & 22nd -- let’s cuddle some friendly doggos!

-- Kendell

Council Recap: October 27th, 2017

The last meeting of the Kwantlen Student Association was held on the Langley campus.  It was the first meeting for the new councillors elected in the by-election.

Here are the FIVE things you NEED to know from this week's’ Council:

#5
General Manager Jeremy McElroy promised to shave his beard in a “reverse” Movember if enough money was raised.  Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide. McElroy mentioned that with the number of students and staff at KPU, if everyone donated $.50, it would not take long to raise a large amount of money.

#4

As the meeting adjourned just before 1 pm, many members of Council decided to pay a visit to KPU’s Brewing program, and sample the beer they had available for tasting.  The Brewing program is open for tasting on Fridays from 1 to 5 pm.  The KSA often features KPU Brewing program beers on tap in the Grassroots cafe.

#3

During his report, Vice President, Student Life, Jay Reedy, reviewed some of the ideas for events that were collected at Welcome Week on all four campuses.  He highlighted one of his personal favourites, pug raves.  He is not sure that he will be able to throw a pug rave during his term, but hopes to attend one one day.

#2

The Speaker of Council, Titus Gregory, gave his ruling that Joseph Thorpe will continue to hold the position of Queer Representative on Council.  Thorpe was appointed to the position at the AGM last spring, and the wording of his appointment was that he fill the position until it was filled in by a by-election.  No candidates ran for the position of Queer Representative in the by-election, and so it was not filled.  

Of the other representatives appointed at the AGM, Munir Dossa successfully ran for the Students of Colour Representative position and will continue to sit on Council.  The positions of Richmond Representative, Langley Representative, Design Representative, Science and Horticulture Representative, Aboriginal Representative and International Representative have been filled by new councillors.  

#1

The three new councillors who were in attendance at Council swore their oaths of office.  Emily Haugen, Damanpreet Garcha and Bilan Hassan swore and signed their oaths, which state:

In view of the trust that the students of Kwantlen Polytechnic University have vested in me, as well as my own personal sense of honour and duty, do solemnly affirm to fulfill my responsibilities as a Councilor of the Kwantlen Student Association. I will do everything in my power to uphold and respect the Constitution,

Bylaws, Regulations, and Policies of the Kwantlen Student Association. I am aware that my primary reporting responsibility is to Council, and that Council has the authority to reprimand me if I fail to perform my duties in a satisfactory manner. If a conflict of interest arises in which I, as a Councilor, have the opportunity to exercise an official power or duty in ways that can lead to personal gain or advantage of any kind, I will relinquish my right to participate in the decision-making process. I will engage in open and honest debate in a process where I am guided by truth and fairness. I will never purposely misrepresent facts in dealing with constituents, other representatives, and the Kwantlen community in an effort to achieve my goals. In executing my office, I will seek out and voice effectively the interests and concerns of the student body, so as to offer the student body a vehicle through which to address issues and improve the quality of life at Kwantlen for all students.

The full minutes of this meeting, and all other KSA Council and Committee meetings, are available after approval on kusa.ca/committees.

- Kelsey (KSA Records Coordinator & Archivist)

Check back each week post-Council for Kelsey's list of 'The FIVE things you NEED to know from Council.'

Haunted University Bathroom

We all know that things that go bump in the night aren’t real. Or, are they?

For the KSA’s special Halloween blog post, we’ll be investigating the (allegedly) haunted women’s washroom on Surrey campus across from the KSA office. Paranormal enthusiasts Tia and Nicola chat with John Rupert, the resident dark arts English instructor, about demons and Ouija boards before doing their own investigating.

Join KPU’s very own paranormal investigators in their quest to speak with ghosts…if you dare.

- Nicola & Tia

A Note About Mental Health.

October is Mental Health month. Mental health is something we want to talk about, not just in October, but every month and every day. While the month of October comes to a close, we want to continue to have conversations, provide resources and improve services related to mental health. As the KSA's Policy & Political Affairs Coordinator, Nicki has spent the last month hosting workshops and supporting our A More Mindful U Mental Health campaign. From this month, she has a few words about fall, mental health and the ways you can be supported on campus...

So if the recent turn towards terrible weather is any indication, we are definitely getting into fall. This means a lot of things: Pumpkin spice lattes *insert joke about being basic*, cosy sweater weather, and Thanksgiving. But it also means shorter, darker days, probably midterms and all the stress that comes with that. It can be a tough time. October is also mental health month which means that we will do what we can to be here for you through the good (pumpkin flavoured everything) as well as the bad (anxiety, seasonal affective disorder etc).

Talking about mental health is important and if you can reach out to someone, even just to share stories, that has the potential to help both of you. But sometimes talking isn’t enough, and you will need some more specific medical or professional help. We want to make sure that everyone is getting the kind of help they need, so we are going to take a moment to talk about all the different resources you have access to.

If you are having some trouble dealing with anything, you are definitely not alone. 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness throughout their life, but so many people don’t receive the help they need. If you think you might need help there are so many places to go to, and almost all of them are free. If you don’t know where to start, all KPU students now have access to MyWellness where you can take a free and completely confidential mental health assessment. The site also features a bunch of other resources including online counselling.

If you want to see a specialist, you can make an appointment with KPU counselling here. If you just need to talk, you can also drop by Peer Support and talk to a student to get one-on-one support and referrals to other resources. There are so many other resources available online here and here ranging from referrals to apps that will help deal with anxiety. There are also more specific things like Active KSA, where you can go on hikes with other students and make sure you’re exercising regularly, that aren’t listed as mental health resources but that will help you take care of yourself.

Seek out these programs, talk about them to your friends to make sure that everyone knows what to do when they need mental health services. We have also been writing letters to the government to ask for targeted funding for mental health services on campus. If you think there should be consistent and reliable funding for counselling then sign the letter here: http://www.kusa.ca/currentcampaigns.html

Make sure that you’re taking care of yourself this fall

-Nicki

Club of the Month: Kwantlen Pageturners

It's October... (in case you didn't know that already) which means it’s time to introduce another beautiful KSA Club.

Every month we (try to, yes sometimes it just doesn’t end up happening, we’re sorry, please forgive us) feature a KSA club and highlight the fun/cool things that make their club different from the others. It’s a chance to get a little inside information, and see what events and meetings they have coming up.

Without further ado, I present the Kwantlen Pageturners Club!

Something that makes our club unique is how we really listen to our members and value their opinions, integrating them into any decisions we make. There is always a poll set-up, so everyone can vote on the next book to read, along with what times for meetings are best suited for each member.

We started our club in June 2017. It was initiated because we missed the joys of reading. With classes, work, and busy schedules in general, we couldn’t remember the last time we let our minds relax and dive into a good book.

We’re hosting our first event on November 16th, and we’re hoping to make it a regular thing. It’s a movie night where the movie will have a book counterpart. After watching we can discuss likes and dislikes about each mode. We’re hoping to have more events in the future, such as book exchanges. As a new club, there’s so much potential and room to grow with everyone being able to share their ideas.

As said above, our first event will be held on November 16th. Our meetings are held once a month to discuss the current book being read. As members have busy schedules, we thought best to give two months per book.

You totally want to join this club now, right? I know I do! And you’re in luck, you can join the club by emailing them about your interest at kwantlenpageturners@gmail.com OR you can join their FB group here → http://ow.ly/UTb930g0e0Q

Until next time…

Kendell