Long before the age of online news feeds and social media, campus newspapers provided the first place where students saw their own stories in print. These papers document protests, advocate for change and share important stories that defined their eras. The University of British Columbia Okanagan has had its own student voice for more than three decades: The Phoenix News.

Founded in 1989 at Okanagan College, The Phoenix emerged after earlier Kelowna publications like The Goliard faded. When the college became Okanagan University College (OUC) in 1993, the newspaper adapted, covering the growth of a new university in the B.C interior. The most dramatic shift came in 2005, when OUC was dissolved and UBC Okanagan opened.

The OUC board itself was not warned of its closure in advance, and the transition left students with fewer services and a rapidly changing campus identity. Through this upheaval, The Phoenix continued publishing, providing continuity in a time of uncertainty.

In its first years after UBCO opened, The Phoenix reflected the realities of a small but growing campus. Its layouts were dense, text-heavy, and advocacy-oriented, sprinkled with grainy photos and black-and-white comic strips. As the campus community expanded, the paper diversified into opinion pieces, arts and culture sections, and student-submitted columns.

By 2009, The Phoenix was capturing big campus changes: the Students’ Union Okanagan’s (UBCSUO) “drop fees” campaign (aimed at mitigating additional costs for students), the installation of two resource centres in the new University Centre, and the closure of the original Well Pub in our Admin building – later reopened in the UNC with much excitement.

Between 2011 and 2012, our newspaper captured a blend of serious reporting and lighthearted stories. This included sustainability initiatives like the new geothermal system to heat and cool campus buildings, alongside stories of the first steps toward implementing the U-Pass and food bank support as well as major improvements made to the transit system – specifically the launch of Route 4 linking campus to Pandosy Village.

In a 2012 issue, there’s an entire page dedicated to the “Bieber fever”, a phenomenon that swept through campus and advertisements for a new section of private student residences that we all now know as Academy Hill.

Like most student newspapers, The Phoenix has always operated on a thin budget. That vulnerability became clear in 2014, when the UBCSUO announced plans to remove the paper from its long-time office in the UNC. The union argued that the space was not being used efficiently and that the paper had become a financial burden, running annual deficits that exceeded $16,000 at one point.

The consequences were immediate. The budget fell by nearly one-third, from $81,000 to $58,000. Staff positions were cut, pay scales reduced, and the number of print issues dropped from 16 to 14 per year, with shorter page counts and fewer colour pages.1 Without an office, writers worked out of apartments or coffee shops, making it difficult to coordinate event coverage or recruit new contributors.

This episode revealed the precarious place of student journalism. The Phoenix remained vulnerable to shifting priorities and financial pressures within the SUO.

Despite these difficulties, The Phoenix has been a vital training ground for students. With no journalism program offered at UBC Okanagan, the paper often provides the only space to learn the basics of reporting, editing, and layout design.

A 2016 feature on women in Canadian campus newsrooms noted that of the 16 staff members at The Phoenix, 11 were women. Coordinating editor Alexandra Barberis described the experience as her first exposure to professional journalism, calling the newspaper “UBCO’s only source of journalism training.” That year was also notable because it marked the first time in nearly a decade that the paper operated without a deficit.

This pattern reflects a wider trend across Canadian universities. Campus newspapers often give students their first bylines, instill editorial independence, and prepare them for careers in media, even if journalism courses are not available on their campuses.

Over the decades, The Phoenix has reflected the changing priorities of UBC Okanagan’s student body. While print runs of approximately 3000 copies continue, the paper also maintains an online archive and digital distribution. This gradual evolution shows its effort to adapt to new reading habits while preserving the permanence of print. Each era of design and tone reflects not only campus events but also the generational voice of students at any moment in time.

The struggles and persistence of The Phoenix mirror those of student newspapers across Canada. Rising costs, reduced advertising, and competition for attention have forced many campus facilities to scale back or move entirely online. Some have folded altogether.

The fact that The Phoenix continues to print in 2025 is a testament to its resilience and to the commitment of students who keep it alive, often on volunteer hours, too. At its core, the paper has always been more than budgets or page layouts. It has been a voice for students in Kelowna, offering a unique record of student voices across institutional change. From activism to tuition fee hikes, the paper has truly chronicled the rhythms of the campus community.

Over three decades, The Phoenix has recorded the lives of Okanagan students – from the days of OUC to the halls of UBCO today. It has faced financial crises, lost offices, rebuilt itself, and continued to publish. Even in 2025, the paper continues to speak for students. True to its name, The Phoenix rises again for yet another exciting academic year.