"Man in the SUB" has left UBC

RIP Travers

Last week, the UBC community lost a familiar stranger. If you go to UBC, you would have noticed Travers/Trevor, who sat in the Student Union Building (SUB) almost all the time. I've even heard some refer to him as "Chairbo" or the "man in the SUB" but nobody really knew his story as only a handful spoke to him. He would be always sitting in the same chair and reading the newspaper, everyday. At one time, I wondered why a homeless man would be allowed to stay in the SUB basically all day. Then I wondered, why not? He wasn't disturbing anybody, he wasn't asking for money or food. It's probably because of his quietness that most students did not approach him.



I believe that the news of his passing was shocking to every single person who knew of him. There were countless signs of mourning on social media sites and many shared their own memories of him. As I walked by where he would usually be sitting, I was shocked by the number of things that were left for him. Not only were there flowers, but letters to him, newspaper, coffee, etc. I wonder if he knows that his absence has struck so many people and that we actually care.

My friend said, "I never thought he'd leave UBC before me." Many also have said that they wished they talked to him or bought him coffee while he was here. Sometimes, we take things for granted or we don't realize what we have, until we lose them.

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