On January 23, 2025, the SFU Provost office announced the closure of the Vancity Office of Community Engagement and SFU’s Office of Community Engagement, eliminating several key positions in those programs.
SFU has apparently made this decision without a well-communicated plan or approval by the Board of Governors. It was deeply disappointing to many of SFU’s staff and students that SFU did not present solutions on how the work of these vital offices, which evidently continues, will be supported.
One of these critical pieces of work was the SFU Food Pantry. Chris Yakimov and Tara Flynn wrote an article thanking APSA Board members for helping to support the Food Pantry when Tara broke three of her ribs in March 2024. Chris quotes directly from students and supporters on how vital the Food Pantry was for SFU. Tara Flynn was tireless in her support of the Food Pantry, but both Chris’s and Tara’s roles were eliminated when the Provost’s Office closed those offices.
Tara’s former role, which supports every priority in SFU’s What’s Next plan, is a testament to the significant impact of the work done by the entire office. The relationships cultivated by this role, along with their counterparts in Community Engagement, are invaluable to the SFU community.
Food security is a passion for Tara, so she has met with researchers at SFU who are working on Food Security across BC, supporting their work where she can.
As the director of the Burnaby Connect Festival, which is part of an agreement between the City of Burnaby and SFU, Tara played a crucial role in maintaining strong relationships between local governments and community leaders. It was essential to have someone who could continue to nurture this relationship. Choosing someone to take over her responsibilities is not merely an option; it’s a necessity.
Tara supported the Skoden Indigenous Film Festival (SIFF). Tara was collaborating with an in-person screening of Skoden on April 13, 2025, as a part of Connect Fest this year.
The loss of Tara Flynn’s role highlights the impact that one APSA staff member can have on our SFU community. One staff member is responsible for putting food on the tables of 150 people a week. Her work supported people not only within SFU but also locally and globally.
APSA will volunteer to keep the food pantry going on an interim basis. We expect, however, that the University will provide solutions for how to keep this critical program afloat. We strongly advocate for positions such as Tara’s to be reconsidered, given their broad importance to the SFU community. At the same time, the Food Pantry still has the support of the United Way, Burnaby Neighborhood House, and the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Students and other community members who need this program can continue their work and studies without going hungry.
