This image of Columbia Bible College Bearcats was posted on the front page of the PACWEST site February 12.
The Columbia Bible College Bearcats women’s basketball team has been in the news lately, though not because they have been playing so well this season (and they have).
Instead, several media outlets are reporting that because of their actions the college will no longer be allowed to host this year’s provincial basketball championships, as had been planned.
Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) – the governing body for collegiate / institute athletics in BC – concluded an investigation last week, releasing a very brief statement to that effect February 4.
CBC News reported February 10:
Last year, Harriette Mackenzie, a Vancouver Island University (VIU) player who is transgender, filed a complaint with PACWEST against Columbia Bible College, alleging she was verbally and physically mistreated by the basketball team’s coach and players.
PACWEST has not released the findings of its investigation, only saying that a “decision has been communicated to the relevant parties, and the matter is now considered closed.”
Harriette Mackenzie filed a complaint with PACWEST against Columbia Bible College.
PACWEST did not respond to requests for comment from CBC News.
In a statement, Columbia Bible College said it’s “deeply disappointed” with PACWEST’s decision.
“We do not believe that a proper process was followed or that the results were fair. As a result, we are taking steps to have PACWEST’s decision reviewed,” the college said.
VIU said in a statement that PACWEST’s decision “reinforces the importance of upholding principles of respect, equity and inclusion with collegiate athletics.”
“At VIU, we proudly stand in full support of our student-athletes and affirm the right of all athletes to compete in an environment that prioritizes their safety and well-being.”
Go here for the full article.
PACWEST had released statements November 1 and January 8 which included this sentence: “All student-athletes deserve an inclusive environment free of harassment where respect and personal dignity are guiding values. Intimidation or harassment of PACWEST student-athletes will not be tolerated.”
Mackenzie said on social media following the fall games that Bearcats coach Taylor Claggett had gone on a “tirade,” yelling at a VIU staff member that Mackenzie should not be allowed to play. Also that Mackenzie had been physically targeted during their second game.
Columbia Bible College addressed the issue at the time, releasing a statement October 31:
On Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26, 2024 the Columbia Bible College (CBC) Bearcats women’s basketball team travelled to Nanaimo, BC to play the Vancouver Island University Mariners for two PACWEST league games. These were physical games, especially Friday night’s game, and as a result CBC female athletes were on the receiving end of several rough plays.
After the Friday night game, CBC’s head coach, Taylor Claggett, had a conversation with a representative of the Mariners’ Athletic Department and expressed her concerns for the safety of the female athletes on the CBC women’s basketball team. These concerns included the play of a 6’2″ transgender athlete.
During the Saturday game, a CBC player was assessed a flagrant foul against this VIU player. CBC does not condone flagrant fouls and strives to encourage sportsmanship and respect for all opponents. However, we recognize that, regrettably in the heat of the moment, emotions can rise during a hard contested game.
Accusations that CBC’s coaches directed its players to intentionally hurt an opponent are simply untrue. We would point out that the CBC player was not ejected from the game, there was no injury on the play and the VIU player continued to play in the game. We would encourage those interested to view the game in its entirety (view Friday’s game, view Saturday’s game).
After the two games, the Athletics Directors of CBC and VIU had a phone conversation in which it was discussed that each school’s athletics program would bring their concerns regarding the weekend events to the PACWEST Board for further discussion. CBC is looking forward to participating fully in these discussions.
The safety of our female student athletes, both on and off the court, is a high priority at CBC. We believe the issue of transgender participation in female college sports is a complex and important discussion. It is an issue that governing sports bodies across the world are wrestling with.
This image of Taylor Claggett was posted on Instagram when she joined Columbia Bible College Bearcats Athletics early in 2023.
On Wednesday, October 30, 2024, the VIU player posted a video to Instagram that accuses the CBC Bearcats program, the women’s basketball team and head coach, Taylor Claggett of “bigotry” and being “transphobes.” It is the view of CBC that this scripted video does not accurately represent all the events that took place.
As a result of the video post, false comments and online harassment have been directed at Taylor Claggett, CBC Bearcat players, along with coaches and other employees. These comments are completely inappropriate and should not happen in college sports. They have created an unsafe environment for our players and employees.
Taylor Claggett was speaking out for the safety of her players like any good coach would do. We stand in support of Taylor Claggett, and all our coaches, in expressing their legitimate concerns for the safety of our student athletes.
Go here for the statement.
This statement from the college was referred to very briefly by CBC News and not at all in a Global News story. The latter report showed the ‘flagrant foul’ (Mackenzie fell to the ground after a Bearcats player grabbed her shirt) six times during a two minute clip, and linked the situation to President Trump banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
(Rebel News did offer, as they like to say, “the other side of the story,” for example, showing Mackenzie knocking over Bearcat players and giving other evidence of her physical dominance in the league. It would be gratifying to see evenhanded coverage by all, for a change.)
In a January 7 statement, VIU Mariners refused to go to Columbia Bible College to play two games scheduled for January 10 and 11, with all their players saying they would not feel safe playing at the college. The PACWEST decision did not address this unwillingness to play, and has not indicated whether the games will be made up in the future. VIU are currently in first place and the CBC Bearcats are in second.
Columbia Bible College responded the next day, saying:
We understand this decision was made in response to a letter that the players of the VIU Women’s Basketball Team released to VIU and PACWEST accusing CBC of being an unsafe place to play. CBC stands for safe play for all. Accusations that CBC, its coaches, players and fans are a safety threat are simply untrue and misinformed.
Claggett was warmly welcomed by Columbia Bible College when she joined the Bearcats as a coach in the spring of 2023; an Instagram post stated:
Claggett has a long history with the Abbotsford sports community having attended MEI where she was a multi-sport athlete. She went on to play post-secondary basketball at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), where she excelled as a student athlete from 2015 to 2020. . . .
Columbia Bible College hosted the PACWEST Basketball Championships in 2022.
A PACWEST preview notes that the Bearcats will be playing the Douglas Royals this week, in “the battle for second place and ultimately a first-round bye at the PACWEST championship tournament,” which will be held February 27 – March 1 at an as yet undisclosed location.
It is not clear whether Claggett will be behind the bench, but CBC News states that Columbia Bible College “said Claggett ‘remains a vital member’ of the basketball program and that it looks forward to having her back at courtside as soon as possible.”
St. Thomas More Collegiate settles
CBC News reported February 11 on the settlement of a long-standing legal case which involved a Catholic high school in Burnaby:
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George, B.C., says it hopes a $3.4 million settlement gives an alleged victim of sexual abuse by a school teacher “some degree of restitution for the harm that was so unjustly inflicted upon him by his abuser.”
The settlement by the diocese and St. Thomas More Collegiate, a Catholic school in Burnaby, B.C., was announced in a statement released by lawyer Sandra Kovacs, who represented the anonymous man in the lawsuit.
Also named in the lawsuit was former teacher Alfred Patrick Quigley, who the anonymous plaintiff said sexually abused him in the 1990s.
Quigley taught at O’Grady Catholic High School in Prince George, and one of the alleged assaults was said to have occurred at St. Thomas More Collegiate.
Go here for the full article.
Wagner Hills: Oak House
I may have been a bit tough on Global News above, so I will take this opportunity to thank them for another of their reports (February 9), which allowed Jason Roberts, Executive Director of Wagner Hills Farm and Langley-Walnut Grove MLA Misty Van Popta to let people know about their need for donations to complete Oak House, a new home for men in recovery who are now living in trailers on the Langley property.
A post on the Wagner Hills Facebook page describes the project:
The vision has been years in the making. Our new Men’s Campus residence will be a three-storey building that will sleep 50 people and replace our temporary trailers. The project will cost roughly $14,000,000 to complete. The three-storey building will replace our temporary trailers.
The upper floors will house the residence spaces, while the main floor will consist of a new weight room, a games room and an entertainment room. Each space is designed to create opportunities for men to experience recreational activities that promote healthy, sober living.
Global News host Jennifer Palma asked about the project.
This is a picture of the Oak House project last May.
Roberts said: “It feels like getting to that last $2 million became a challenge.”
Van Popta said Wagner Hills is thankful to the Jim Pattison Foundation for agreeing to match donations dollar for dollar (that is, to contribute $1 million).
She added: “It’s a personal story for me also. My family has been touched by addictions, which is not unlike many thousands of British Columbian families.”
Wagner Hills has not received government funding over the years. Roberts said, “We’re abstinence-based; that’s part of how we lost our [government] funding in the beginning – that’s going back years ago.– because we wouldn’t become part of the safe supply.”
I wrote about the ministry last spring in ‘Wagner Hills and UGM share vision as Women’s Centre changes hands.’
Events & Jobs
Events are listed below, but there is also an Events page and a Jobs page on the Church for Vancouver site.
Feb 2025
A Doll's House: Part II – February 5, 2025 - February 23, 2025 at All Day
1525: Reform & Revolution – February 6, 2025 - February 21, 2025 at 12:00 am
Jonathan Anderson: In/Dwellings – February 6, 2025 - March 27, 2025 at All Day
Mission Fest 2025 – February 13, 2025 - February 15, 2025 at 12:00 am
AI & the Church Gathering – February 13, 2025 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Post-COP29 Debrief: Climate Finance & Canada’s Contributions – February 13, 2025 at 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
6th Annual Charity Scotch Tasting Reception – February 13, 2025 at 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Book Launch: The Routledge Handbook of Christianity and Culture – February 13, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Biblical Telling: By-Heart Training (2 sessions) – February 15, 2025 - February 22, 2025 at 8:00 am - 9:30 am
Doubt & Desire Conference: A.J. Swoboda – February 15, 2025 at 8:30 am - 2:00 pm
Primer on Memory Loss and Dementia Care – February 15, 2025 at 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Free Community Dinner – February 15, 2025 at 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Taizé Service – February 16, 2025 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Lunch Program – February 19, 2025 at 12:45 pm - 2:00 pm
Launch Webinar: Jubilee 2025 – Turn Debt into Hope – February 19, 2025 at 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Run Alpha – February 20, 2025 at 10:00 am - 11:00 am
To Heal, We Must Remember: Reconciling the Palestine-Israel Past in Order to Look Forward – February 21, 2025 at 10:00 am - 11:00 am
WomanCare's 14th Annual Trivia Night – February 21, 2025 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Dr. Carolyn Muessig: Preaching Under the Radar – February 21, 2025 - February 22, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 2:00 pm
The Coldest Night of the Year – February 22, 2025 at All Day
Love Without Borders: Welcoming Refugee Claimants Orientation – February 22, 2025 at 9:15 am - 3:00 pm
Free to Fly (Nepal / Docu-drama) – February 22, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Jazz Vespers with Leora Cashe – February 23, 2025 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Business by the Book: Jenn Ennis – February 26, 2025 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Dr. David Henderson: Redemptive Work – the Encounter of God in Daily Labour – February 26, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Defend Dignity: Roundtable Discussion – February 27, 2025 at 9:30 am - 11:00 am
2025 Fundraising Dinner: Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times – February 27, 2025 at 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Gather25: an epic gathering of the global Church – February 28, 2025 - March 1, 2025 at 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Freedom Worship Night – February 28, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pmMar 2025
Partner Visit to Logos Hope, 2025 – March 1, 2025 - March 8, 2025 at 12:00 am
500: A Celebration of the Anabaptist Mennonite Story – March 1, 2025 at 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
LOL:A Comedy Fun(D)Raiser (for Pacific Theatre) – March 1, 2025 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Lead Pastors Retreat – March 3, 2025 - March 6, 2025 at All Day
Quentin Genuis on Medical Ethics of the Good – March 4, 2025 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
National After Alpha Training – March 4, 2025 at 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
'O Lord Most High': Michael D. O'Brien's By the Rivers of Babylon – March 6, 2025 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Nigel Biggar: Colonialism Revisited: Did the British Empire Promote Human Welfare? – March 6, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Business As Mission Vancouver Conference 2024 – March 7, 2025 at All Day
Apologetics Canada Conference 2025: Theology of Technology – March 7, 2025 - March 8, 2025 at 6:30 pm - 2:00 pm
African Children's Choir – March 7, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Dementia Care: Foundation and Practicum (2 days) – March 8, 2025 - March 15, 2025 at 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
African Children's Choir – March 9, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Arnold Sikkema: The Cosmic Drama Unfolds – Science & the Biblical Story – March 12, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
African Children's Choir – March 14, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
African Children's Choir – March 16, 2025 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
AI & Faith: A Christian Contribution to Ethical AI – March 19, 2025 at 12:30 pm - 1:50 pm
Gender Light Bulb Moments in Ministry: Canadian Women Pastors’ Experiences of Gender Inequality – March 21, 2025 at 10:30 am - 11:00 am
Peace & Chaos: Journeying with Christ through It All – March 28, 2025 - March 30, 2025 at All Day
Vivaldi Chamber Choir: Brahms – A German Requiem – March 30, 2025 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm