Some UBC, SFU classes moved online due to transit strike
The University of British Columbia bus loop that services 15 routes into and out of the campus, including the 99B line, which is Canada’s busiest bus route, was eerily quiet on Monday as Coast Mountain Bus Company workers walked off the job.
“It’s really weird because Monday to Friday, all day, it’s just lines everywhere. It’s one of the busiest bus loops in North America as far as I know. So it’s really weird to see it empty,” said math student Justin Gallant, who added it’s not only learners who rely on transit to get to and from UBC. “Not just the students, but all the workers who work to keep campus going.”
UBC spokesperson Thandi Fletcher said about half of all trips to the campus are made on transit.
“We do know that many of our students, faculty and staff do rely on public transit, so we know this is having a signifiant impact on our community,” said Fletcher.
With buses parked, most classes at UBC have moved online.
“Thanks to COVID, we are in a much better position today to be able to quickly shift online. So that is what we are doing. We are moving as many classes as we can to be delivered remotely,” said Fletcher, who acknowledged not all programs can make the switch to remote learning.
“Some of my classes are going to be moving online, but we do have labs. So stuff like that, I’m not sure what they’re going to end up doing. I think they are waiting to see how long the strike lasts,” said neuroscience student Navneet Gill, who added, “It is kind of good that we know how to do things online, but I think everyone kind of likes going in-person to classes.”
Simon Fraser University is also highly reliant on buses to get students, staff and faculty up to the Burnaby Mountain campus. On Monday, it moved many classes online as well, but that’s not an option for the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
“We do have to have most of our learning be in-person and on campus, because we are very applied and very hands on,” said Jennifer Figner, BCIT’s academic vice president. “Where possible, we do have some activity that can switch to online, and certainly in the short term we have got some flexibility there, but it’s not simple for us.”
So BCIT kept all its classes in-person on Monday, and students who normally rely on buses had to find way to get to campus.
“We are aware of a number of students who are ride-sharing and carpooling. We are fortunate we have two SkyTrain stations nearby, students can walk from there. Not a lovely day to be doing that, but it can be done. So we have some creativity in terms of our students coming to and from campus,” said Figner.
But she said if the strike goes beyond the planned 48-hour job action, life will be difficult for students and staff at all post-secondary schools. “It’s our absolute hope that this can be resolved quite quickly.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6943621.1719510587!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Watch Live Now: Canadian analysis ahead of the CNN Presidential Debate
U.S. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are set to go head-to-head tonight in the first of two planned presidential debates. Here's how to watch the CNN Presidential Debate, Power Play's pre- and post-debate specials, and follow along in our real-time CTVNews.ca live expert analysis and commentary by debate and body-language experts.
'Hanging on for her life': Sask. family desperate to bring home sick niece from Philippines
For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.
'No additional flights will be cancelled': WestJet avoids strike as feds order binding arbitration
A potential strike by WestJet airplane mechanics would upend travel plans for 250,000 customers over the Canada Day long weekend, the airline says — and cost it millions of dollars.
BREAKING Nunavut judge sentences Toronto woman to 3 years prison for Inuit identity fraud
A Nunavut judge has sentenced a Toronto woman to three years in prison in a case of Inuit identity fraud.
Canada's top court rejects appeal from Sask. man who murdered wife
The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected an application from a Saskatoon man who murdered his wife.
Where do new Canadians come from? India and Philippines take top spots
Canada has welcomed more than 3.9 million new citizens since 2005, with nearly one third coming from India, the Philippines or China, according to a CTVNews.ca analysis.
Marilyn Monroe's former Los Angeles home declared a historic monument to save it from demolition
Fans of Marilyn Monroe have won a battle to preserve her mark on Los Angeles and are a step closer to seeing a towering statue of the silver screen icon remain in Palm Springs.
Man charged with threatening to kill presidential candidates found dead as jury was deciding verdict
A New Hampshire man charged with threatening the lives of presidential candidates last year has been found dead while a jury was deciding his verdict, according to court filings Thursday.
AI regulation 'a start,' needs to 'have teeth': Hinton, godfather of AI, says
So-called godfather of AI Geoffrey Hinton says he's 'pleased' governments are starting to take artificial intelligence, and the possible regulations of it, seriously.