My Experience at BCI
I had the privilege of completing two co-op terms at the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) headquarters in Victoria, B.C. During this time, I worked closely with key internal stakeholders to develop impactful and strategic communications. Although confidentiality restrictions prevent me from sharing specific deliverables, the experience significantly enhanced my ability to convert high-level subject matter into easy-to-understand content.
Term #1 - Internal Stakeholder Engagement
Sep 2024 - Dec 2024
Developed compelling messaging and implemented internal communication strategies that were informal, engaging, and aligned with the company’s culture and purpose. This included drafting and executing news articles, and designing and managing content for the company intranet to boost employee engagement and foster a connected, informed workplace.
Term #2 - Technology Research & Communications
Jan 2025 - April 2025
Executed comprehensive technology research initiatives while conducting in-depth interviews with subject matter experts and key stakeholders across the organization. Crafted diverse high-impact content including technical white papers, award nominations, and intranet articles, while strategically amplifying communications through various channels to enhance department visibility and thought leadership.
Emergency Planning Secretariat
The Emergency Planning Secretariat supports 31 Mainland Coast Salish communities in strengthening local and regional emergency planning and preparedness. I had the privilege of joining EPS in the summer of 2024 as a Communications Student, and delivered multiple communication initiatives during my employment. Featured below are a few of the initiatives I led and supported:
Preparedness Series
The Preparedness Series promotes resilience in First Nations communities by fostering emergency readiness through focused discussions on emergencies and disasters. I piloted and developed the first four instalments of the series on forest fires, extreme heat, drought and evacuations.
Social Media Designs
After developing a posting plan and schedule, I designed and executed a number of different social media campaigns featuring custom images and strategically crafted messaging.
Check out the gallery to view some of these initiatives.
By: Jacob Van Luven
June 13, 2024
*THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN FOR JRNL 4900 UNDER A THREE-HOUR DEADLINE*
The Surrey RCMP responded to a major accident yesterday near the Semiahmoo Shopping Center that left a 60-year-old woman with serious injuries.
The accident occurred on the corner of Martin Dr. and Southmere Cres. at around 2:00 PM. All traffic along Martin Dr., north of 16 Avenue and south of Southmere Cres., was halted for the investigation. By 6:00 PM, the RCMP announced the re-opening of the roads.
The driver remained on scene and is cooperating with authorities.
If you have any information about this investigation, contact the Surrey RCMP non-emergency line at 604-599-0502 and quote file number 2024-84295.
This area has a long documented history of pedestrian strikes, dating all the way back to 2013 when a 45-year-old woman was hit crossing Martin Dr. at 16 Avenue.
On May 16, Surrey RCMP responded to a hit-and-run of an elderly female pedestrian at the exact same intersection as yesterday's collision.
By: Jacob Van Luven
June 13, 2024
*THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN FOR JRNL 4900 UNDER A THREE-HOUR DEADLINE*
The Vancouver Police Department have made an arrest following a six day investigation into the stabbing death of a renowned Japanese-national chef.
Timothy Isborn, 32, is charged with second degree murder in connection to the death of 32-year-old Wataru Kakiuchi.
Shortly before 3:30 AM on June 5th, Kakiuchi was found with stab wounds near Main St. and Union St. Police do not believe that Kakiuchi and Isborn had previously known each other.
Kakiuchi was a longtime chef at Hapa Izakaya, a popular Japanese restaurant in Yaletown.
Justin Ault, owner of Hapa Izakaya, told Global News that Kakiuchi was out with co-workers in Gastown on the night of his death.
If you have information regarding this ongoing case, contact the VPD Homicide Unit at 604-717-2500.
*THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN FOR JRNL 4900 UNDER A THREE-HOUR DEADLINE*
The Prince George RCMP is asking for the public's assistance in locating a 38-year-old wanted man.
Jesse John Braaten is wanted for multiple charges including assault, extortion and three counts of assault with a weapon.
Braaten is described as a six-foot-three caucasian male, weighing 221 pounds. He has blue eyes and balding blonde hair.
Braaten is considered dangerous and should not be approached. If located, contact police immediately.
If you have any information about Braaten’s whereabouts, contact the Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Top 5 scams you need to avoid
By: Jacob Van Luven
May 30, 2024
*THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN FOR JRNL 4900 UNDER A THREE-HOUR DEADLINE*
Scamming has long been a practice that has affected millions of consumers worldwide. The inception of the internet dawned a completely new era of scamming, making it easier for criminals to steal your data while remaining anonymous.
However, despite internet scams becoming a prevalent fixture of internet use over the last 20 years, more people are falling for them than ever before. A study done by TransUnion revealed a 39 per cent growth rate in suspected digital fraud attempts in 2023. The same study also revealed a 258 per cent increase in the rate of suspected fraud attempts within the telecommunications sector from 2022 to 2023.
Here are the five most common scams, as identified by the Better Business Bureau, so you can protect your data:
5. Romance Scams
Popularized by the Netflix series The Tinder Swindler, romance scams occur when the victim believes they are in a romantic relationship and agree to send money or personal information to the perpetrator. Romance scams are typically initiated through social media or dating apps.
4. Home Improvement Scams
One of the oldest scams continues to be one of the most common. Home improvement scams are often initiated through door-to-door solicitors who offer quick, low-cost work. They then take payment without returning or “find” issues with the work that dramatically raises the price. Home improvement scams are extremely common after natural disasters.
3. Online Purchase Scams
Sometimes a deal is too good to be true. Online purchase scams occur when an attractive offer is made via online marketplaces. The victim then places their order and no product or service is delivered. Sometimes the product is delivered but it is low-quality or counterfeit.
2. Employment Scams
Employment scams target those who are actively seeking a new job. There are many variations of this scam. In some instances, the job listing is completely fake and is used to farm your personal information. In others, recruiters may explain to the victim that they require paid “training” for the position. Employment scams also occur when someone is “overpaid” and asked to then send the difference to a different account.
1. Investment/Cryptocurrency Scams
Identified as the most common scam of 2023, this method pressures investors to purchase, trade or store cryptocurrency with fraudulent exchanges. Oftentimes the victim is promised near-instantaneous wealth that requires little-to-no monitoring. Another version of this scam is known as a “pump-and-dump” or “rug pull,” where a group will inflate the price of a cryptocurrency and then sell off all of their holdings which drastically deflates the price.
Trial delayed for three Surrey men charged with the 2022 murder of an Abbotsford couple
By: Jacob Van Luven
May 30, 2024
*THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN FOR JRNL 4900 UNDER A THREE-HOUR DEADLINE*
The trial for three Surrey men charged with the 2022 murder of Arnold and Joanne De Jong has been delayed by one year.
The trial of Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Kushveer Toor was supposed to begin on May 27, 2024. Jury selection has now been moved to May 14, 2025, and the trial is meant to begin on May 20, 2025.
All proceedings are expected to occur at the B.C. Supreme Court in Abbotsford.
The bodies of Arnold, 77, and Joanne, 76, were found on May 9, 2022 inside their Abbotsford home on the 33600 block of Arcadian Way.
Abbotsford Police and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced charges against the accused for the couple's murder on Dec. 16, 2022. All men were in their early-twenties at the time of their arrest and none of them had prior criminal records.
“We have never heard of them. We do not know them, had never seen them,” said daughter Kimberly Coleman in an interview with CTV.
The motive behind the couple’s murder continues to remain a mystery. IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Pierotti announced at a press conference that only one of the men had known the victims prior to the murder.
The couple owned their own trucking company, De Jong Transport, where Arnold personally traveled almost $2 million miles transporting produce, eggs and flowers.
Arnold and Joanne leave behind grandchildren and three daughters.
“They were great parents,” said Coleman.
Surrey man wanted on multiple charges
May 23, 2024
Surrey RCMP/Photo
By: Jacob Van Luven
*THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN FOR JRNL 4900 UNDER A THREE-HOUR DEADLINE*
The Surrey RCMP is asking for the public's assistance in locating 27-year-old Riley Lafontaine of Surrey, B.C.
Lafontaine is facing charges in jurisdictions policed by the Surrey RCMP, Delta Police Department and the BC Transit Police. His charges include multiple counts of breaching release orders, breaking and entering and failing to comply with probation orders.
He is described as a Caucasian man with a slender build. He stands 5-foot-11, and weighs around 150 pounds. He has short brown hair and blue eyes.
Lafontaine has specific tattoos including a wolf tattoo on the front of his neck, teardrops under both eyes and a crucifix tattoo on his forehead. He also has multiple other tattoos on his hands and arms.
If you see Lafontaine, the Surrey RCMP advises you to not approach him and call the police immediately.
If you have information on Lafontaine’s whereabouts, please contact Crime Stoppers or the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502. To report anonymously, please call 1-800-222-8477 or visit www.solvecrime.ca.
Re-thinking EV's
Mar 15, 2024
In this video that I made for JRNL 3270, I explore who is driving the demand for gas powered vehicles to all-time highs, while the switch to EV's is looming overhead.
Poland - Slovakia -
Hungary
May, 2023
A fun video that I put together documenting my trip to Eastern Europe.
Tricky Transit
Exploring how Surrey residents commute.
About this story
My story for JRNL 2230 focuses on the difficulties the average Surrey resident endures while commuting. Living in North Delta/Surrey my whole life, I have personally experienced a myriad of difficulties and frustrations when trying to commute in and out of town.
Podcast/Audio Story
November 7, 2022
In this podcast, I talk to Surrey nurse Sherrie Budai about the struggle of commuting downtown and also discuss the newly announced Langley-Surrey SkyTrain project. Click the link above to listen!
Q&A With a frustrated Surrey commuter
October 26, 2022
Sherrie Budai is a nurse from Surrey, B.C who commuted daily from her home in Newton to
her workplace in East Vancouver for over ten years by means of bus, SkyTrain and walking.
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Where would you depart from and where were you going?
2. How long on average would you spend waiting for the bus or the train?
So I would depart from the bus stop on Scott Road and Wade, and the endpoint would be the Main and Terminal Skytrain station and then I'd walk from there to work.
[On the way there] if the bus was on time, it would be about five minutes because I would time it right. On the way back, it could be anywhere from five minutes to like 20 minutes or longer.
4. Describe the route you took, including the buses/trains:
5. Would you take this same route home?
To get from the house to the bus stop I would walk, it would take about five minutes. Then I'd take the 340 bus to the 22nd Street Skytrain station… and then from there, it would be about like between 30 and 40 minutes on the train and then another 20 minute walk.
Yeah in reverse.
7. How frequently did you encounter delays while en-route?
8. On average, how long would you spend commuting each day?
At least once a week.
10. Why did you choose to take transit instead of other options like driving or Uber?
On the way in, it was about an hour and 15. On the way back it would be an hour 50, sometimes two hours.
11. How would you commute for other trips like running errands or going out?
Uber was too expensive. [My workplace] wouldn't give me a parking spot that I didn't have to pay for so I'd have to pay like 90 bucks a month to park where I work.
I drive or I walk.
3. What time would you leave home in order to arrive on time?
I'd have to leave the house at 20 after five in the morning
6. What was your least favorite part about this daily trip?
I think my least favorite would be the frustration, like the bus would frequently be canceled. I mean, if it showed up on time, that was great but it would be canceled. I signed up for alerts and a lot of times you didn't get the alert, you would get it like half an hour after.
9. How much would your commute cost you each month?
I think it was about like $40 a week I paid so multiply that by four [that’s] $120 a month.
12. Would you say Surrey’s public transit has improved, gotten worse or remained the same since you began commuting downtown for work?
I think that it's gotten better, however the amount of ridership has increased. I think they've added in more routes and they've added in more frequency, but it hasn't managed to keep up with the amount of people, especially the amount of people that commute from Surrey. And so while they might have made improvements, I think the overall experience has gotten worse in my opinion.
October 19, 2022
Commuting in Metro Vancouver
October 12, 2022
By analyzing data published on metrovancouver.org, we are able to visualize which Metro Vancouver residents have the lengthiest vehicle commutes. Maple Ridge residents travel the farthest by car while out of all municipalities in Metro Vancouver with a population over 100,000, Township of Langley residents travel the farthest by car.
Using data taken from the same dataset, we are also able to visualize where residents are travelling the farthest by transit. Langley Township residents travel the farthest by transit on average, followed by White Rock and Delta residents.
