March 2010 Senior Living Magazine Vancouver Edition by INSPIRED 55+ Lifestyle Magazine

MARCH 2010

Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50+ Active Lifestyle Magazine

Bridging the Generation Gap Diabetes

Are you at risk?

STAGE PRESENCE

Actress Judith Berlin

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MARCH 2010 MAGAZINE

(Vancouver & Lower Mainland) is published by Stratis Publishing. Other publications by Stratis Publishing:

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DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

Publisher Barbara Risto Editor Bobbie Jo Reid

27 BBB Scam Alert

4 All the World’s a Stage

editor@seniorlivingmag.com Contributors Doreen Barber, Philippe Brient, Ronald Callender, Goldie Carlow, Brent Cassie, Jane Cassie, William Faith, Gipp Forster, Elizabeth Godley, Nadine Jones, Maggie Kielpinski, Kevin McKay, Chris Millikan, Rick Millikan, Lynda Pasacreta, Barbara Small, William Thomas, Bill Watson Proofreader Allyson Mantle

Throughout her life, Judith Berlin never strayed far from the stage no matter what turns her path took.

28 Crossword 31 Classiﬁeds

7 Tinkertown Museum

Here, one man’s junk is transformed into another man’s treasure.

COLUMNS

10 Vancouver when she and I were girls

Advertising Manager

Barry Risto 250-479-4705 Toll Free 1-877-479-4705 sales@seniorlivingmag.com

2 The Family Caregiver

The city has changed a lot over the years – take a look back.

Ad Sales Staff

13 Faithfully Yours

A late bloomer, Rosemarie Hurst has enjoyed more success with her music in the past decade than all the years leading up to it put together.

Contact Information – Head Ofﬁce

16 Bridging The Gap

The Generation Gap closes for the Cassie family as they hit the slopes on a family vacation.

18 Pen Friends

Phone 250-479-4705 Toll-free 1-877-479-4705 Fax 250-479-4808 E-mail ofﬁce@seniorlivingmag.com Website www.seniorlivingmag.com

8 Forever Young by William Thomas

RaeLeigh Buchanan 250-479-4705 Ann Lester 250-390-1805 Mathieu Powell 250-589-7801 Barry Risto 250-479-4705 Senior Living Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

by Barbara Small

9 Between Friends by Doreen Barber

29 Ask Goldie

by Goldie Carlow

32 Reﬂections: Then & Now by Gipp Forster

More than half a century later, penpals celebrate their 65th birthdays half way around the world.

22 The Tale of Trails

North America abounds with trails open to people looking for an inexpensive and healthy getaway.

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No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Senior Living is an indepdendent publication and its articles imply no endoresement of any products or services. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Unsolicited articles are welcome and should be e-mailed to editor@seniorlivingmag.com Senior Living Vancouver & Lower Mainland is distributed free in Vancouver, North & West Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Delta, Twawwassen, White Rock, Surrey, Cloverdale and Ladner. ISSN 1911-6373 (Print) ISSN 1991-6381 (Online)

24 Old Town Wailuku

The Millikans explore the gateway to Maui’s past.

30 Diabetic and Don’t Know It? Learn the risk factors; take action early.

Cover Photo: Actress Judith Berlin in her character Alice Wedgebottom. Story page 4. Photo: Kevin McKay

Senior Living Vancouver is available at most Recreation Centres and Libraries in the following municipalities: • VANCOUVER • BURNABY • NEW WESTMINSTER • WHITE ROCK • NORTH VANCOUVER • LADNER / TSAWWASSEN • PORT MOODY • COQUITLAM • PORT COQUITLAM • SURREY • RICHMOND • WEST VANCOUVER • LANGLEY • ABBOTSFORD • PHARMASAVE STORES THROUGHOUT BC

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THE FAMILY CAREGIVER

ependent on the health and ability of the person you care for, it is likely that at some point in your role as a family caregiver, you will advocate for that person. You may need to be present at appointments to ask questions, research and access services, resolve problem situations and ensure all care needs are respected and met. The following are some tips to help you be an effective advocate: Communicate with the care recipient: As much as possible keep them involved in decisions that regard their care. Focus on their wishes as you work to advocate on their behalf. Develop an action plan: Set realistic goals and take one step at a time toward reaching them. When tasks seem overwhelming, having a plan laying out each step makes everything seem more manageable. The worst time to figure out what is available and how to access it is during a crisis. Prepare questions in advance: Health care professionals often have limited time to spend with you. Write down your questions in advance so you don’t forget them if you become stressed or upset. Rehearse what you want to say. Decide what information is most important and ask those questions first. Be concise and specific about the information you need. Keep a written record: Write down answers you receive to questions. You may need to refer to this information in the future. Also, keep a log of contacts, phone numbers, names,

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SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Advocating for a Family Member BY BARBARA SMALL

dates and information acquired all in one place, so you can easily retrieve them when needed. In addition, keep a written record of any pertinent details related to your family member’s health condition and behaviour. Remain calm: Believe that the information you seek and what you have to say is important and that you and your family member have a right to the answers. Anger or emotional shutdown will only get in the way of the communication. Communicate clearly and directly: Prepare in advance for any meetings so you can be clear and concise. Ask for what you want and express your feelings. Avoid rambling and don’t expect the other person to guess what it is you are trying to say. Be persistent and follow up: Finding the answers you need may take time, effort and several telephone calls or emails. Don’t give up. Persistence produces results. Keep in mind that even though you are focused only on your family member, the healthcare professionals have many patients. Find the right person: Determine who the key contact is so you don’t waste time struggling to find answers where they are not available. Find an appropriate time: Good timing is essential and can make the difference between managing the problem and making it worse. Wait until you are less anxious, angry or upset before trying to deal with a situation. Arrange to meet and talk at a time when both parties can focus on SL problem solving. Next month: Stress Management Strategies for Family Caregivers Barbara Small is the Program Development Coordinator for Family Caregivers’ Network Society located in Victoria, BC. www.familycaregiversnetwork.org

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All the World’s a Stage

STORY AND PHOTO BY KEVIN MCKAY

ome people take longer than others to figure it all out. Take Judith Berlin. Her 40th birthday was firmly in the rear-view mirror before she received her wake-up call. “I had already earned my teaching certificate in English as a Second Language a few years before when I signed up for this funky New Age course all about getting your life together. After a few days together, I was told by the people in that course that it was obvious I had a brain, but I was not using it,” she says. “I realized they were right, so I took their advice and started using it. I got a full-time job teaching ESL at UBC for that summer.” Prior to embarking on the search for 4

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

regular employment, Judith spent years in the theatre pursuing her passions for acting, comedy and music. One of her acting friends proved instrumental in leading her to her first full-time permanent job. “My friend was on his way to getting his teacher’s degree and was teaching a course for troubled youth at King George High School in Vancouver,” says Judith. “I volunteered with him and discovered they were looking for someone to teach Drama and ESL. I got the position and stayed there for 13 years before retiring. I loved being with the people but hated the [paperwork] involved. It was very taxing for me with the way I think.”

There was little wrong with the way Judith thought when she was young. While attending school on Long Island, New York until she was eight, and then back to Los Angeles where she had been born, Judith advanced a grade on two separate occasions, and wound up enrolling at the University of California at Berkley when she had just turned 17. She does not recommend it. “It was difficult being in class with kids who were older.” A student at Berkley and UCLA during the ’60s, Judith’s university days were interesting. “I wanted to go to some kind of musical comedy operatic school,” she says. “My parents wanted me to get an academic edu-

doing some television work, both in national commercials and for a CBC television series when she had to slow down following the arrival of the couple’s first child. In 1970, a friend named Jim Garrard was contracted by Simon Fraser University to do a summer production. He hired Judith to act in the play and her husband to work on set design. “We drove into town through this valley, and then climbed up this mountain to get to SFU. I looked around in

wonder and asked, ‘Why did no one in Toronto ever tell me about this? This place is heaven!’” Following the summer, Judith and her husband headed back to Toronto to work and save for a move to the west coast. During this time, their second child, a daughter, arrived. Finally, in June 1972, the family left Ontario behind and moved to the Lower Mainland. Soon after their arrival, Judith met Chris Wootton. At the time, Chris was setting up the

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cation. I couldn’t decide if I should major in English or Psychology, so it took about five years for me to graduate. In the end, I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (theatre specialization) from UCLA.” Years later, Judith would come to understand the need for a “real job” but, at the time, she followed her heart when she majored in theatre rather than psychology. Throughout her life, she never strayed far from the stage no matter what turns her path took. From California to Ontario to British Columbia, the bright lights always beckoned. “I clearly remember the first time I was taken to see the Nutcracker Suite,” says Judith. “I looked down at the Sugar Plum fairies on that magical looking stage with all the lights and colour washing over it and decided this is where I want to be. I could not have been any older than six. When it really sunk in that I was meant to be on the stage is when I was given a comic part in a junior high [school] play and I ‘made a meal of it,’ meaning I got the most out of the part I could. I played a spinster librarian and I had her crunching on carrots. My fellow students took to calling me the character’s name at school.” Even though she graduated from school not very far from Hollywood, her quest for stardom took a decidedly northward turn that Judith never expected. The Vietnam War was raging on and the young man she was dating found a draft notice in his mailbox one day. “We had met while attending university and were dating,” she recalls. “You could say the draft notice accelerated our relationship. We got married in Los Angeles. My new husband had an acquaintance in Toronto who was willing to sponsor us, so with a rented trailer, a couple of thousand dollars in cash and the chutzpah of youth, we drove up to the Ontario border. We had an amazing interview with some very sympathetic immigration officers who seemed happy to let us in to Canada. They took me by surprise and I was very grateful.” That was 1968. Judith and her husband settled in the Yorkville area of Toronto. They applied to become landed immigrants and started working almost at once at various theatre jobs. Judith even started

MARCH 2010

new Vancouver East Cultural Centre. He asked Judith and her husband if they would like to move in next door and help get the centre started. “We moved in and discovered the whole situation was nutty as a fruitcake,” Judith recalls. “Here we were, a young, nuclear family of four living on the main floor of this house with three entrances and four single artists living upstairs who had to travel right through the middle of our living space in order to get to their places. It was very challenging to say the least. I started out as a bookkeeper and taking neighbourhood surveys, while my husband helped cre-

ate the theatre. Our home had been a halfway house for people with mental problems and it just reeked of smoke.” Once the theatre was fixed up, Judith performed in it on six occasions over the years, and she continued to find roles and opportunities to get up on stage after separating from her husband. “I was very fortunate to get in on an LIP grant to help create the first feminist media collective in British Columbia, and possibly all of Canada,” she says. “I suggested the name Reel Feelings. We did a lot of work on video, primarily producing work for film and radio. Prior to this project, I had received a grant

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on co-operative radio, where I got to be a journalist and do some recording. It was very wide open and a great experience.” It was following the completion of these grants that Judith realized she needed a real job and pursued teaching. While doing this, however, she kept her hand in the theatre as much as she could. This included improvisational acting for Theatre Sports at the City Stage Theatre on Thurlow before it became professional. She credits Theatre Sports for helping her turn her writing skills to character creation. “My first character, Madam Slava, was featured in Vancouver magazine. I did guerilla theatre with her, pretending to be a fan of Bill Vander Zalm and handing out little shovels. It got me on the Bill Reiter show on CBC. I also developed Alice Wedgebottom and Aunt Spam. Now I’m working on Dee Dee Bartlett, a tough, pro labour motorcycle grandma, and a character who is half Groucho Marx, half seductive ingenue. I also dressed up and impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Harpo Marx on select occasions.” Though she admits to a more colourful history than a focused one, Judith is devoting her energy to a new challenge – trying to get two diverse groups of people to realize what they have in common and how much they can help each other. “I have joined a seniors centre and realized that I missed being with teenagers,” says Judith. “Both groups are marginalized and are not told how useful they are by society. They are made to be consumers and not much else. I am working to develop an opportunity for both groups to create their own joint forum to have their voices heard.” Given her propensity for finding opportunities, Judith’s future is as bright SL and colourful as her past.

Correction Photographs for the Co-Housing article in the January 2010 issue were taken by Miriam Evers. We apologize for the omission.

Tinkertown Museum O STORY AND PHOTOS BY MAGGIE KIELPINSKI

n my bucket list since a first enchanted glimpse on the Antiques Roadshow in 2003, Tinkertown Museum is tucked away in a canyon off the Sandia Crest Highway on the kindly east side of the Sandia Mountains. I say kindly because the east side is blanketed with conifer forests where residents of nearby Albuquerque can find recreational hiking and biking trails along with winter skiing; on the west side, massive granite walls face the desert providing daunting hang gliding and rock climbing challenges for even the most accomplished. The Sandia Peak Tram does provide an easier ascent of the west face together with vast panoramas across the Rio Grande Rift Valley and beyond. Entering Tinkertown is like turning back time to a wildly wacky nether world of Americana, the breathtaking result of one man’s passion; a joyful celebration of life – unstructured and in miniature; Monty Python in clay-mation – wonky, whimsical and silly, and all with a subtle undercurrent of social commentary. Our magical history tour starts outside at the bottle wall; waves of green, amber and opaque white bottles, cemented together and years in the making, topped by a hodgepodge of metal – old carriage wheels, weathervanes, horseshoes and buckets – an overwrought Dali masterpiece. Found objects are everywhere; a small red wagon is buried in part of the wall, an iron bench of old train tracks is topped with three turquoise tractor seats and colourful hand-painted signs offer directions and homespun advice. From humble beginnings in a fiveroom vacation cottage, the museum has morphed into a labyrinthine 24 rooms. Armed with a fist full of quarters to feed the antique arcade machines, we are serenaded by the sweet vocals of ‘Rusty Wyer and his Turquoise Trail Riders’ through a maze of narrow corridors cobbled together with bottles, old

wormy wood and rusty metal sheets. Every niche and corner is crammed with oddities; whale jawbones, totem poles, carved wooden Indians, a pair of beaded leather gloves and kachina dolls. Painstakingly carved and animated, the western town, country store and three-ring circus are each a masterpiece of absurdity and wit. Crafty details enliven each scene; a drunken stage driver, the temperance league, Chinatown, a rattlesnake coiled in the middle of a dusty western street, Mary Poppins flying across the sky, a dissolute fiddler on the roof of the Monarch Hotel. Old-fashioned arcade machines include a fortune teller and Egyptian snake charmer, which can still be played for a quarter. There are unique collections; Buffalo Bill posters, circus memorabilia – including a suit of Big Louie’s clothes from Ringling Bros. (at 8’4”, then the largest man on earth) posters, clowns, dolls, carousel horses and an unlikely collection of 132 wedding cake toppers. All this is the result of 40 years of collecting and whittling. Imagination piqued early in Ross Ward in the tiny prairie town of Aberdeen, South Dakota. By age 11, he’d

already created his first western town out of cardboard boxes and orange crates. He saved every nickel to buy animals, tin cowboys and Indians at the local Woolworth’s and Newberry’s. Ross’ inspiration was the circus and the itinerant travelling sideshows of the day – some say he was a “carnie” at heart. He painted signs and sideshow backdrops, murals and carousel horses for a living and, in his spare time, he whittled and modelled in clay, collecting miniatures, antiques – indeed, just about anything – as he rambled throughout the west. Together with his wife, Carla, they began work on the museum in 1980 and opened their doors in 1983. Sadly, Ross died in 2002 at the age of 62 but the Tinkertown tradition lives on, lovingly supervised by the Ward family. We return to the parking lot and pause by the wooden lean-to covering a gailypainted Jeep Cherokee. The riddle, posed to us by the young cashier in the gift shop, of how to turn a Jeep into a Lincoln, is SL solved: it’s covered in pennies. Admission is a bargain at $3, seniors $2.50 and children $1. Open from March 15 to October 31, daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www. tinkertown.com -30-

MARCH 2010

FOREVER BY WILLIAM THOMAS

Men as Mothers – Bad Idea

wo things are for sure. First, sometime early in the next millennium the headline on the front page of every newspaper around the world will read: MAN GIVES BIRTH! Second, that man will not be me. Man’s quest to create life from within, to burst the boundaries of nature and be with child, to push the gender bar to heights unheard of, to weep with joy at the sight of his own progeny squealing at first breath and still attached to his umbilical cord – folks, that’s not me. Don’t get me wrong, I like kids. Other people’s kids safely returned to their respective homes according to the time and day stipulated on the rental agreement – I love those kids. But I am opposed to children who could cause my water to break. During those times when I may have considered then quickly decided not to have children of my own, I can honestly say it never once occurred to me to – how can I put this delicately, okay – get knocked up. Let me put it another way. When I’m in the shower singing Having Your Baby, I do think of Paul Anka, but not in that way, okay!? By now, you know medical scientists agree it is possible for a man to have a baby. Recently, in vitro pioneer, Lord Robert Winston of Britain published a book detailing the procedure of planting an embryo in the abdomen of a man who can then carry the fetus to term. Yes, thanks to the best minds in modern medicine, although they’re 8

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

still unable to grow hair on Don Rickles’ head, they can make it possible for him to be “in a family way.” Where new techniques in conception are concerned, it seems like in such a short time that we’ve gone from in vitro to in Victor. No, I’m sorry and I’m going to be very adamant here: at no time do I see myself sitting on the couch next to my brother-in-law, drinking beer, eating popcorn and watching a Stanley Cup final, then suddenly reaching over to put his hand on my stomach and say: “Did ya feel that, Dan, she just kicked!” Surrogate mothers, okay. I’m even in favour of den mothers. But men mothers? Not a chance. No, trust me, when guys kneel over the porcelain first thing in the morning, it must be accompanied by a hangover. That’s the rule. Here then are just a few reasons why a guy should not become pregnant and have a baby: A man could ask every guy on his hockey team and still not come up with a sperm donor. The combination of butt cleavage and breast cleavage could create mass confusion on construction sites. A guy would only crave pickles and ice cream if it came on top of a burger. A guy would insist on carrying a shovel with him when told he was going into labour. A guy would rather wear a tank top and the belly out over the belt than put on a smock. A guy not grasping the embryo/abdomen concept could embarrass himself by trying to buy a uterus at Canadian Tire.

Told about the hCG test in which the “rabbit might die,” a guy would insist on shooting it. A guy could stand the frequent urination and tender swollen breasts, but he could never give up beer and cigars for nine months. A guy would likely incorporate the stretch marks of childbirth into a Formula I racing tattoo. Entering each trimester, a guy would expect some sort of elimination tournament to begin. A guy would only breast feed during the commercials. All pregnant guys wearing Gretzky hockey jerseys would have to change the number to 99 +1. If a guy successfully gives birth, what’s next? Housework? If guys could get pregnant, they’d do it in groups of four so they could golf during maternity leave. And can you imagine the road rage between two pregnant truck drivers both suffering from hormonal mood swings? No, this men giving birth nonsense naturally has to stop. And here’s how: during the Stanley Cup playoffs, run public awareness ads showing a pregnant man on an operating table, a smiling female doctor hovering over him with a very big needle and a one-word caption: amniocentesis. Stupid idea SL terminated, let’s move on. William Thomas is the author of nine books of humour including Margaret and Me about his wee Irish mother. www.williamthomas.ca

Between Friends L

HOPE

ife can sometimes kick us so hard we lose our ability to rationally analyze a situation. Our mind becomes clouded and our perspective wavers. Hope, with its optimism, expectation and anticipation vanishes, and we know our lives have forever changed. I recently heard the story of how hope changed loss into opportunity and a celebration of life. Twin brothers Erik and Aaron enjoyed a close relationship. At the age of 10, Erik’s parents became aware of him falling, sometimes downstairs, for no apparent reason. At first, they concluded he was going through an awkward stage, but he continued to fall with more frequency. They decided to seek medical help. A tumour on his brain was discovered and required immediate surgery. The procedure was successful and the tumour benign. The family was understandably relieved by the outcome, but it wasn’t long before the falling resumed. Another brain tumour was discovered, but this time it was malignant. Erik underwent surgery and cancer therapy, but passed away. Aaron was lost without his constant companion. His brother’s death led to deep grief, and he didn’t want to go on without Erik. His parents became desperate and sought help from a pediatrician. The doctor asked him some questions like, “What is it that you like to do?” He replied, “I like to cook.” The doctor reached into her pocket and pulled out $20, which she gave to Aaron. She told him to go home, make some cookies and start a business. In a month, she

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wanted to see a budget. Antidepressants were not BY DOREEN BARBER prescribed. His mother said Aaron’s smile returned on the way home from the doctor’s office. A month later, Aaron was back for a follow up appointment with the pediatrician. He had prepared a budget, brought cookies for the doctor and returned the $20 she had given him. He told her he had produced a number of batches of cookies and had sold them to family, friends, and strangers. Some of the proceeds from the sale of his cookies went to the charity that supported his brother, Erik, as he had gone through cancer therapy. Aaron was invited to share his story on The Oprah Winfrey Show and his favourite cook, Paula Dean, surprised him with a guest appearance. This little boy found a passion for life, business, and philanthropy and continues to be deeply motivated by the memory of his twin brother. The doctor, who listened to his heart, was able to give Aaron hope and allow him to move forward. “If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.” –Martin Luther King, JR. SL

Doreen Barber is pursuing a Master’s degree in Biblical Counselling at the The Biblical Life College & Seminary.

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MARCH 2010

V ANCOUVER when she and I were girls

BY NADINE JONES

for three square meals a day. Downstairs in the old post office was the headquarters of the Dominion Telegraph Service – people sent telegrams in those days. East on Hastings Street was Spencer’s Department Store. Their escalators were made of wooden slats that caught high heels. A neat system of

was down, and were crushed between the ferry and the dock. I saw it happen. You really couldn’t see your hand in front of your face and I remember once walking in front of a taxi to lead it across Burrard Street Bridge; the other bridges had streetcar tracks to follow in thick fog. Walking east on Hastings from Granville, led to the B.M. Clarke Hosiery

past the Hudson’s Bay and Kresge’s five and dime (or was it the Metropolitan?) and invariably meet a friend. A few blocks north, the present Sinclair Centre, with its mixture of upscale retail shops has usurped the hub corner of Granville and Hastings Streets, where Vancouver’s main Post Office dispensed two- and three-cent stamps. I remember in the late thirties stepping over the feet of the quiet, hungry men who were “sitting in” for honest work until they were dispersed by policemen brandishing sticks. When the Second World War broke out in l939, many joined the army

payment in the meat department downstairs had customers tuck their money for a purchase into a little machine that whizzed on overhead wires and returned with their change. People talk about the fog, but Vancouverites today don’t know what fog is! Many a day and night, the North Van ferries (fare: five cents) tooted their way through the soup across the Inner Harbour. They were always crammed full of shipyard workers during the Second World War – some of whom couldn’t wait for the ferry to dock and jumped off too soon, before the ramp

store and Germaine’s Ladies Wear. On the south side of Hastings was PAINLESS PARKER the depression dentist who charged $1 for extractions and $2 for a filling. We had our teeth pulled, not filled. Who could afford $2? Granville Island, now a tourist paradise, was entirely commercial. Sweeney’s Cooperage made the best barrels in the west and Gerody’s Sawmill quietly accepted discreetly appropriated beachcomber’s logs, which had detached from Davis Rafts broken up in storms. Surprisingly, Ocean Cement, an early resident, is still doing its putzy

Vancouver Public Library, Special Collections, VPL 8666

have known Vancouver since 1935. But my, how she has changed from a tentative teen to a lady who can match sophistication with any city in the world. In l935, Vancouver was a random gathering of citizens of mostly British or Slavic background – a town where a person could walk north on Granville Street

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Vancouver Public Library, Special Collections, VPL 8666

putzy thing on the Island. Walking down Cordova to the North Van ferry terminal, there were beautiful ladies of the night beckoning from behind heavy drapes in window fronts. They were dressed in floor length coloured skirts and had huge hoop earrings. As a 13 year old, I wanted to look exactly like them when I grew up. It wasn’t until years later, I discovered why they were beckoning! In front of the popular Woodward’s Department Store on Hastings Street, old Indian ladies with brown, crinkled faces sat cross-legged on the sidewalk with exquisite handmade cedar-bark and root baskets for sale for a pittance – now they are worth a fortune. The Theatre District included the Orpheum and Capital on the east side of Granville between Robson and Georgia Streets, and the Lyric and Colonial theatres on the west side, with the Strand around the corner east on Georgia. The price of a ticket to the Colonial was a nickel and I forget which theatre but one of them dispensed boxes of soap with dishes inside and you could collect a whole set. Streetcars were far more reliable than buses. A two-car interurban train ran from downtown Vancouver through Marpole to Lulu Island (nobody called it Richmond in those days), and it was a whole day’s outing travelling to Lulu Island to pick blueberries. Richmond now sports at least six large Asian Malls and the non-Asian population is easily outnumbered but back then, the only Asians lived in the small Japanese fishing village of Steveston. A black blot in our history was when those Japanese (some third generation Canadian) were bundled off to the interior of the province and Alberta with their property and fishing boats expropriated during the Second World War. Expensive extravaganzas have replaced the simple pleasures of the thirties, but Teddy Lyons used to be a big hit for locals and tourists alike. His festooned, open-air, red and yellow streetcar with seats graduating in height from back to front took people

on tours of the city. Blankets were supplied for knees on cold days, while on many street corners, buskers performed for thrown coins as the vehicle slowed down. And still on the subject of streetcars, it was really exciting when a new streamlined red and yellow streetcar wended its way slowly over a rickety trestle to Kitsilano Beach, and forbidden pedestrians, like us, had to stand on outcroppings while it whizzed past. Guys took their gals to the free Kitsilano Showboat or sat way back from

the stage so they didn’t have to pay to listen to the performances at Theatre Under the Stars in Stanley Park. Ivar, of Ivars Acres of Clams fame in Seattle, opened an aquarium in the English Bay bathhouse. It was interesting, but it didn’t last long. And Alex the Greek’s was the hangout at English Bay (my mother forbade me to go there, and I didn’t). There were riding stables in the 1400 block of Alberni Street, and a huge arena, destroyed by fire, at the corner

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of Denman and Georgia, where I watched Gracie Fields do cartwheels across the stage when she was in her 60s. The door-to-door Watkins Spice man, the bread man, the knife sharpeners, the iceman and finally the milkman are things of the past, but the old milk-wagon horses in the West End knew their route as well as their drivers and many times ambled on ahead when the drivers took too long over a customer’s cuppa. Many of the horses were stabled at the southwest corner of l6th and Cambie Streets. No international fireworks competitions were held in the good old days. Sand, ocean and friends were exciting enough. A big old red brick building called Engelsea Lodge was built over the water at the entrance to Stanley Park on Beach Avenue, and the Winter Gardens was a long pier extending into the waters of English Bay. The big raft called Big Bertha with its waterslide was towed from Coal Harbour to English Bay for the summer season. We rollerskated at the Trianon Ballroom and danced at the Embassy on Davie Street or the Alexandra Ballroom above the liquor store at Hornby and Robson Streets (It had a spring floor). Speaking of liquor, during the war, liquor was rationed and we were allowed one 32-ounce bottle of booze a month. Non-drinkers, like me (then), sold our ration for a profit. Milk cost 10 cents a quart, bread 10 cents a loaf and on 99 Cent Day at Woodward’s, a monthly tradition, three pounds of butter sold for 99 cents. My first taste of cyni-

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SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

cism was when I was hired by Woodward’s the day before 99 Cent Day to mark things up from a lower price to 99 cents for the event! I suppose change is sometimes for the better, but I didn’t think so when the old Hotel Vancouver, which stood where Sear’s (and formerly Eaton’s) is now located at the southwest corner of Georgia and Granville Streets, was torn down. It housed so many memories. An old man in a raincoat with rubbers tied to his feet with elastic bands used to wander into the ballroom of the old hotel and play the grand piano with artist’s fingers. We called him The Professor. Veterans and their families were billeted in the old hotel during the war. It had a brownstone facade and a circular driveway. I guess all cities have their “characters” and Vancouver didn’t lack them. A man we called The Mad Russian had five Irish Terriers on leashes. He was dressed in a white uniform with white boots and tramped around the West End. A very old lady was a fixture on Georgia Street and was said to be the mistress of a very wealthy man. She always dressed in black and teetered on high heels down Georgia Street between Howe and Granville Streets. And then there was the old Italian lady with round, rouged cheeks, who stood near the Birk’s clock (where everyone met) at the corner of Georgia and Granville Streets. She had a newspaper stand and yelled loudly “LIBRETY” instead of Liberty, a popular magazine that sold for five cents. (I sold my first story to Liberty Magazine in l959! It was called “My DoIt-Yourself Husband Never Does.”) The drinking hole for college students was in the basement of the Georgia Hotel. Back then, ladies weren’t allowed into Beer Parlours by themselves so the signs above these establishments, at hotel fronts, read Gentlemen Only in one entrance and Ladies and Escorts in another. My memories of the Vancouver I loved as a girl still come back to me now and then amid the hustle and bustle of the city she is today. Newcomers may appreciate the glass and steel impersonal exterior of present day Vancouver, but we old timers were lucky to be part of a small, SL friendly Vancouver, as we peeked into her soul.

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FAITHFULLY YOURS

gift for creativity, a fierce passion for her art and a steely determination to succeed beat in the heart of the otherwise reserved Rosemarie Hurst. A late bloomer, she has enjoyed more success with her creative endeavours in the past decade than all the years leading up to it put together. At the same time, it is easy to see how her love for music, writing and photography developed from her keen interest from an early age. “Music was my favourite class in kindergarten,” she says. “I still remember and can play a piece of music I learned when I was five years old. We sang, but we also had a big box of instruments. There was always a big fight over who would

STORY AND PHOTO BY KEVIN MCKAY

get to play the triangle, and I never got it, but I did learn about rhythm and beat using the other instruments.” Born in Sussex, England, Rosemarie grew up in Norwich until moving to Toronto when she was eight. Music filled their home while Rosemarie and her sister grew up. “When I lived in Norwich, we were in the country and I didn’t have many friends,” she recalls. “We had no television, but we would listen to Glenn Miller and jazz on the radio or the wind up record player. My sister and I would perform for my mother and some visitors, singing songs, doing acrobatics, and presenting it as a play. Our living room had a [pocket] door, which we used as curtains. I loved my childMARCH 2010

hood in England.” Rosemarie did not love the next phase of her childhood in Ontario. Not only did she have to adjust to life in a new country and culture, people driving on the wrong side of the road, and the much colder winters, but also Rosemarie stood out and in elementary school that is not always a good thing. “It was a hard thing for me to go through at such an early age,” she says of the transition. “I went from an all girls’ school where we wore uniforms to a school with both boys and girls, and people wore anything. It was difficult, but it has made me more compassionate today toward people who suffer from discrimination. I will always be a champion of the underdog.” It was during that difficult time that Rosemarie turned to writing as an outlet to express her feelings. She wrote stories and poetry and has continued writing through the years, even when absorbed in other projects. Rosemarie recalls, “In high school, you were allowed to choose music but you had to have science and the arts first, and I didn’t have them yet, so I chose business. Not able to play music, I kept writing and got very good in my stories. I received encouragement from my teachers.” One diversion Rosemarie pursued following high school was running a fan club. On a trip back to visit relatives in England, she stopped by the building that housed the company Brian Epstein ran. In addition to the Beatles, Brian managed a number of other acts, and Rosemarie wanted to be in charge of the fan club for Gerry and the Pacemakers, another Liverpool group. “They told me it was taken already,” she says. “This was not like me because I was quite shy in those days, but somehow I managed to inquire if the Cilla Black fan club was still available. They gave it to me and I ran it until shortly after Brian died. I once took the bus from Toronto to New York to watch Cilla perform on the Ed Sullivan show. After seeing her perform, we were shown to her dressing room. She was

14 PSBCAd7.25x3.1.indd SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND 1

surprised we had come all the way by bus and signed photos for us. It was a real thrill!” Her love for music also showed when Rosemarie left school and worked at various jobs, including modelling, over the next several years. Her first purchase was a guitar. “I just loved Joan Baez and wanted to be like her, even though I don’t sing as well as she does,” Rosemarie recalls. “I bought myself a big classical guitar and taught myself to play. I even wrote a few songs.” Not satisfied with the types of work she was getting, Rosemarie went back to school to learn image consulting, which is all about dressing people and helping them learn their colours. “It was a lot of fun,” she says. “I did it in Ontario for 13 years. It was my favourite job because it involved helping people and allowed me to work by using my creative talents. I had a lot of success helping people learn how to present themselves and put forward their best appearance. When I came out to the coast, I tried to continue doing this by getting into the local music business, but I wound up having plenty of work one week and nothing at all the next.” In 1997, Rosemarie needed a positive change in her life, so she decided to move to Vancouver. Intending to only stay for a six month sabbatical after selling her home and putting most of her belongings in storage, Rosemarie settled in the west end, bought an acoustic guitar and started taking guitar and singing classes at the West End Community Centre. “I met so many people right away and started making friends,” she says. “I just loved it there.” The big break came in the form of a notice in the mail from the BC Festival of the Arts inviting songwriters to send in their material for a contest. “I really stepped out on a limb to try it because normally I would not try anything like that,” says Rosemarie. “I did a little homemade tape and sent it in with my application form. There were only 14 winners out of more than 100 applications, so I was really shocked when they phoned me and told me I was in!”

1/11/10 12:26:38 PM

Along with the other winners, Rosemarie attended a oneweek workshop on songwriting and had to produce a song out of the sessions. At the end of the week, all the participants had to perform in front of 250 people, singing the new song they had created, plus one other. Though she had sung for some children along with a hand puppet at one festival, Rosemarie had never performed on stage in front of an audience prior to this evening. “The show was on CBC radio on the program ‘North by Northwest.’ I was an absolute wreck,” says Rosemarie. “These people were all great songwriters. Some played the guitar, some the piano. I had to go on late, well after the intermission. It was very nerve-racking but I went over very well. It was the highlight of my life, for sure. I received so much tremendous feedback, I decided to go for it and make a CD.” Her first CD, Eyes of the Angels features Rosemarie’s original songs headlining her on vocals, guitar and shakers, and the producer adding some guitar licks. While promoting that CD on her website, at open mics, local cable television shows and by word of mouth, Rosemarie also stayed busy with her photography. She specializes in nature photography, but her biggest accomplishment involved two photos she took of Pauline Johnson’s cairn in Stanley Park. “I took them back to Ontario and presented them to the Six Nations council,” she says. “They accepted them and have placed them in a trophy case in her house near Brantford. This is the highlight of my life as I am a big fan of her and her poetry.” In fact, her next project is a CD dedicated to Pauline Johnson, featuring Rosemarie’s music and Pauline Johnson’s poems. The working title is The Pauline Project, though Rosemarie also likes, Faithfully Yours, which is how Pauline Johnson signed her letters. In all of her creative endeavours, Rosemarie maintains that the process is the same. “When songwriting, I have a tape running and just doodle away on the guitar while some words come out. It’s kind of weird: the song just comes out of the blue. I get in a zone and think, ‘wow, that’s really great,’ but when I hear it the next day, it sometimes isn’t. Editing is important, but I have to keep the critic out whenever I am writing.” The same holds true with her photography. “I just shoot what I feel,” says Rosemarie. “It is what comes into my brain at the time. I am happy and peaceful when it happens. You get in the zone and become oblivious of time and even skip meals.” Rosemarie has recently suffered some health setbacks though she is well on the road to recovery. What she now realizes, however, is that there is no time like the present to work on all her projects. In addition to the Pauline Project, another CD and an upcoming nature photography exhibit in Ladner, she plans to learn how to play an electric guitar and a mandolin. With a laugh, she says, “I will also have to get a triangle one day.” SL To find out more about Rosemarie’s projects check out myspace.com/rosemariehurst

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MARCH 2010

Bridging The Gap

Brient Photo: Philippe

blanket of cloud envelops our chair and the biting wind nips through our toques. We hunker down in silence, seeking refuge in our woolies and Gortex, and secretly think of our wishes. At least one of our kids will be hoping this resort soon lives up to its name. Another is likely dreaming about the stash of fresh powder that waits ahead. As for our hot-dogging son, Shaun, it’ll be the mogul fields and challenging terrain that fills his brain. But my thoughts aren’t on any of the above. Now that our five kids are adults, and we’re nearing our “golden years,” the ability gap seems to be widening. I’m just praying I can still do the descent without having a face plant. The familiar saying, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” keeps coming to mind. But Sun Peaks Resort has the answer. This family favourite, 45 minutes from Kamloops, boasts an impressive lineup of multi-generation adventures and caters to every skill level. During this retreat with our energized offspring (and a couple of significant others), it also grants all of our wishes. Or should I say, nearly all. By the time we reach the top of Sunburst Express, the clouds disperse and rays of sun attempt to burn through. From our scenic summit, a detailed map outlines the downhill offerings at this second largest B.C. ski resort. Etched into its three omnipresent peaks are 122 runs. They scrawl over 3,678 acres and interconnect with 30 kilometres of Nordic track, two alpine bowls, 12 glades and one wicked terrain park. They also come in a broad selection of expert, intermediate and beginner grades – so even us die-hard, grey-haired folk can get down. “You go, Girl,” our daredevil Shaun cheers out as he showers me in a rooster tail of downy powder.

BY JANE CASSIE

Albeit, it’s been years since I’ve gone by this title, while donning my new rocket-red Heads and scarlet beacon-like helmet, I’m starting to feel that familiar surge of adrenaline. For the sake of family togetherness, and capturing the perfect photo moment, we agree to do a few laid-back cruisers in sync. And, before I have time to worry about my weak knees, we’re off to the races! While my husband and I glide on the groomers, two of our guys head for the untracked fringes and create their own squiggly lines on Old Man Winter’s face. Our daughter gravitates to the glades and carves through the frosty evergreens, and overactive Shaun gets big air when soaring over every bump in his path. Powder flies, giddy yee-haws are declared, and all have a youthful foray. From Sundance to Morrisey Express and up the higher reaches of Crystal, we start and finish together, yet always customize our own way down. The fresh dump is feather-light, subtly surreal, and every line is effortless – even the ones at the base of each chair! It helps to have more direction from the acclaimed gold medalist/Senator, Nancy Greene, later in the day. At 1 p.m. on most weekends, this Sun Peaks ambassador can be found meeting and greeting any skiers who want to tag along. “Let’s give Burfield a try,” Shaun suggests, after getting a few tips from this pro. “I’ve heard it has lots of double black diamonds.” I can vouch for this fact when recalling the old Tod Top,The author (far right) with daughter Emily and son Kyle ready for lift off. Left, Mushing 101 – the author takes the reins, trailing her son Dan. Top, page 17, Just a couple of kids – Jane and Brent Cassie. Centre, page 17, Easy cruisers – the author leads her children down the slopes. Bottom, page 17, Sons Shaun, Daryn, Kyle and husband Brent get tips from Olympic pro Nancy Greene. Photos: Brent Cassie and family unless otherwise noted.

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Mountain. Back in my teens, it was the longest chairlift in North America – and one of the toughest. Maybe the speed has been geared up a notch since then, but there’s no way of changing Mother Nature. It’s undoubtedly just as vertical. I quickly pass on this pitch and do an about face towards the village. With any luck, our hot tub will be vacant. We’ve booked into the Kookaburra Lodge, the newest kid on Sun Peak’s block. As well as being centrally located in the quaint Bavarian-style village, our spacious suite has all the perks to please any large clan. Slate floors, gleaming granite, and contemporary décor find their way into this Zen-like gem. Before the bags were even unpacked, the steam showers, supersized TVs, and pillow-top beds were put to the test. The village bistros, bars and eateries are a short stroll away, but home cooking is a breeze in our upscale kitchen. Did I mention the soothing hot tub? My rubbery ski legs can hardly wait! “Wanna go dog sledding, Mom?” I forget about our two nonskiers, and when I return, my youngest son is flipping through a brochure. The other family member has booked herself in for a bit of bliss at the lower level Sun Peaks Spa. Although I’d like to find some solace, I can’t recall the last time my 22 year old asked me to do something with him. Here’s the chance. From skating and snowshoeing to snowmobiling and sleigh rides, there’s a gamut of non-slope activities. Even though I don’t have much muscle-power left, how hard is it to be pulled by a six-pack of Alaskan Huskies? Not as easy as you may think! Our experienced guides, Philippe and Leandra Brient teach us everything from harnessing to handling, but this activity is not your typical walk in a dog park. These canines really move! “They love to serve,” Leandra explains, while introducing us to their pack of 40. “They’re bred to mush and

want to be chosen.” It’s easy to see. Every time she leashes up one of the animals, the entire pack goes into a howling frenzy, as if to say, “Pick me, pick me!” After one demonstration, my son proudly harnesses his team. But my mind’s still on all the commands – keep back from the sled ahead, don’t let the ropes slack, brake here, and push there. I’m starting to wonder if this quintessentially Canadian experience is something I can muster. Or musher! But before I change my mind, Philippe revs up his guiding snowmobile, and there’s no holding back. I let ‘em rip! Snow flies, tails wag, I sweat. We traverse over snowy golf greens, cross country trails and snowshoeing tracks. Our narrow route is flanked by snow-clad evergreens, and aside from the huffing pups, the air is still, serene. By the time we do the return loop, I’m feeling like Eskimo Jane – and a lot more connected to my son. Meanwhile, my husband is spending slope time with the others – mainly Shaun. On his final run, our daring dude gets a little too much air for his own good and ends up spraining his ankle. “I guess I’m getting too old for these tricks,” he says, when claiming couch space back in our suite. I chuckle at this comment when bringing out his lit up birthday cake, a special celebration that doubles with this family getaway. Then, I reflect on a few revelations from the weekend. First and foremost, family time takes precedence over anything else. Secondly, the generation gap between the kids and us isn’t very wide. And lastly, Sun Peaks has granted all of our wishes. SL Or should I say, nearly all! MARCH 2010

PEN FRIENDS

The author with her long-time pen friend Karlyn Edwards at Sydney Harbour, Australia.

n 1954, when I was nine years old and going to elementary school in North Vancouver, I began writing to Karlyn Edwards, a girl my age who lived in Kandos, a rural community in New South Wales, Australia. Last December, more than 50 years later, I flew to Sydney to visit her, her son and daughter, and her son’s two-year-old, Penelope. As Karlyn (now Robinson) recalls, her teacher in Kandos – population 1,000 – had suggested pupils should try to find pen friends, perhaps in Canada. This would not only help their writing and composition skills, it would give them an idea of the larger world. Somehow, Karlyn’s request for a pen pal turned up in The Province, where my mother pointed it out to me. I had already had a couple of pen pals – a boy in the Gold Coast, Africa, who wrote to me about the momentous changes as that country gained its independence and became Ghana; and a girl in Broken Bow, Nebraska. But for some reason, as I lost touch with these others, Karlyn and I kept writing to each other. Who knows what we found to write about – none of our letters remain. But write we did, and the sight of an Australian stamp on a letter arriving at my home in North Vancouver was just as exciting for me as it was for her to find a letter from 18

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Photo: Bill Watson

BY ELIZABETH GODLEY

Canada in her post-box. It’s hard to imagine now, in the days of cheap jet travel and the World Wide Web, but in the 1950s, Australians were extremely isolated. Five weeks by ship from England – still thought of as the “mother country” – Australia was an English-speaking outpost whose closest neighbours were Asian. As Karlyn tells it, to her I was the epitome of glamour. While her father laboured in a coal mine and sheared sheep for a living, mine had a white-collar job and travelled regularly to Eastern Canada on business. We went to California and Arizona for holidays – I had even been to Disneyland. She still has my postcards, sent from exotic destinations such as San Francisco and Death Valley, in a shoebox. On the other hand, I envied her for having a sister. I was an only child and always longed for a sibling. At some point, according to Karlyn, I sent her a subscription to what was then my favourite magazine, Seventeen, a compendium of all the things a teenaged girl should know about what to wear and how to comport herself at the high school dance. I was a studious child, and usually had my nose in a book. Karlyn, on the other hand, was not a scholar and played a

mean game of tennis. She says now, that she was just wait- zine. Did I know a Karlyn Edwards, they wondered? If so, ing until she finished school, so she could leave Kandos. I would I contact her in Toronto at such-and-such a number? I was thrilled, and immediately picked up the phone. She was destined for university – my mother’s dream for me. At 17, off to my first year at UBC, I informed my pen pal that I offered to fly out to Vancouver to see me, combining the trip would be far too busy to write to her in future and wished her with one to Victoria, so she could say her final goodbyes to her mother-in-law. We enthusiastically arall the best. ranged to meet for lunch. No, it wasn’t kind of me, but Karlyn apparWe both had tears in our eyes when we ently took it in stride. She was off to Sydney, settled into a booth at a small South Granville some 500 kilometres east of Kandos, to train as restaurant. Opening her purse, she brought out a nurse and then – along with so many young a cotton hanky, printed with pink and red valAustralian women and men of her generation entines. I had sent it to her in the 1950s. – to travel. Her first stop would be the United Since that day in 1996, hundreds of e-mails Kingdom. have travelled across the Pacific Ocean, as Both unaware of the fact, she and I lived in Karlyn and I renewed our acquaintance, talked London around the same time. I went there in about old times and caught up on our lives. 1966, and worked in offices for several years. This past January, we both turned 65. So, I returned to Vancouver late in 1970. Karlyn Edwards, 1956 it seemed fitting for me to travel to Australia Also, in 1966, Karlyn set sail for Southto join Karlyn and her family for Christmas ampton, via the Suez Canal, looking forward to five weeks of rest and relaxation on board. A year later, ex- and celebrate our birthdays. On January 15, to cement our ploring the Tate Gallery, she met her future husband, Gerald long friendship, we climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a Robinson, a Canadian journalist. Their first child, Elizabeth, two-and-a-half-hour guided excursion that took us up into the bridge’s superstructure. was born in 1972 in London. Looking down at Sydney Harbour, busy with ferry traffic, In 1973, Karlyn’s childhood dream of visiting Canada I thought back to 1954. had never expected then that, came true, when she, Gerald and the baby moved to White Bob and Teresa Marshall, the Idriver/escort and owners of more than half centurytolater, letters to an Australian schoolgirl Rock. Six months later, Gerald was offered a job in EdmonPitmar Tours, are aexcited offermy this program of coach tours would bring me half way around the globe. ton, where their son Mark was born. Later, they moved to for 2010. Come and join us! For the full 2010 brochure call us SL Toronto. In 1993, Gerald passed away, and Karlyn decided she Home �� Pi would return to Australia, where her mother and sister were up an ck �� living in Dubbo, New South Wales – a town not far from KanRetur d ns! Olympic Peninsula -May 9th 4 Days Springafter WarmElizabeth up in San Diego, Springs from and Las Vegas dos. So three years later, had Palm graduated The Washington Olympic Peninsula is diverse in March 30th - 16 Days landscape and home of many of the world’s largest the University of Toronto hadThis finished high school, Time to warmand up as Mark we head south. tour is a favorite trees. Join us as we explore the temperate Hoh as we experience the desert cactus in bloom. Highlights Spring Warm up in San Di Karlyn began packing up. rainforestOct and15-18th. the Makah nativeWhat culture Neah Bay.of color we experienced include a stay in Old San Diego, San Diego Zoo, Sea WOW! aninexplosion March �� nights in Palm Living Desert Park,day spent As she recalls, World, one four evening afterSprings, an exhausting Discoverlast Portyear Townsend as aWe local guide the reveals on this trip. enjoyed serene beauty of the resort Time to warm up as we head south. Thi Joshua Tree National Park, the Follies Show, Las Vegas, their historical treasures. 4 meals $685 Cdn PP Dble at Lake Chelan so much we decided to add an extra day and �� preparing for the Reno, move, daughter – noticing tired Scotty’sher Castle, Virginia City. Join us and explorehow ! as Stehekin we experience the desert cactus in take a cruise up theand lakeWaterton and explore the Valley and Southern Rockies Lakes National Park 17 meals $2,295 Cdn PP Dble Occ �� Karlyn looked – offered to run her a bubble bath. And, as include a swing stay in Old San Diego, San Rainbow Falls. The June Oktoberfest will still be in full on 28th - 7 Days World, four nights our in Palm Springs, Li Festival andshe moresoaked - June 9thand - 5 Days �� a special treat, Karlyn Portland decidedRose that, while last night in This the isBavarian town of Leavenworth where you can a great trip as you discover the best of the Canadian This trip takes in many aspects of this 102nd historic Rose Parade Joshua Tree National take in the Rockies activities and Osoyoos, browse Cranbrook the many shops.Park, the Follies �� through andEuropean into the World relaxed, she’d read the new issue as wellof as aCanadian night at the nativeHouse resort with aand special “Bird in a Clay” Reno, Scotty’s Castle, $855 Cdn PP based on ofDble Occ. Lakes No GST - 7 Park. Meals Heritage site Waterton National Take a boat tourVirginia City. Join �� Enjoy the parade in the comfort of your reserved indoor Home, which had just arrived indinner. the mail that day. 17 meals $2,295 Cdn PP Dble Occ on Waterton Lake and find out what Head Smashed Buffalo seating at the Memorial Coliseum, a stones throw from your luxury “I flipped through the magazine, looking at the pictures,” Jump is all about. Explore Fort Mcleod, birthplace of the North accommodations. Please compare to other Rose Festival Tours. Portland We have so much fun ! 4 meals Cdn PP Dble Occ. West Mounted Police. Return over Rogers Pass with a final Rose Festiva �� she remembers. “Then, I just happened tomore notice the $829 byline This trip takes in night at the Three Valley Lake Chateau. 6 meals $1135 Cn plus GST PP Dbl occ. 10-13, 2009. 4 Days. We have taken your favorite Christmas tours and ‘By Elizabeth Godley.’”Whistler Suddenly, contacting me seemed - Barkerville - Kamloops - July 7thur- 5 Days Dec as well as a nigh �� combined them into one Inlet fabulous Christmas experience. itinerary is Alberni & Pacific Rim Park - July 27This - 4 Days thought it would be great this year to travel to Whistler, dinner. Enjoy t gent – she’d been We living in Canada for 24 years and was about �� guaranteed to liftferries, yourships spirits sendareyou into for you on Trains, andand a coach in store home to the 2010 Olympics. You will view some of the seating at the M this tour over to the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Take the Christmas season with joy in your hearts. We venues as well as explore British Columbia’s Gold Rush town to return to Australia. It was now or never. �� accommodation a boat tour from Port Alberni atalong the West Coast, of Barkerville. Also included is a visit to BC’s Wildlife Park in have included; a Dinner Theatre a camp “I jumped out of the tub, with �� the Broken Islands to Ucluelet on the MV Francis Kamloops wherestreaming you can view over 65 BCwater, species in and a 50 shouted We have so muc covered inthrough dazzling light displays and holidays Explore Pacific Rim Nat’l Park, hectare park. 4 ‘I meals $725 Cdn pp Dble Occ. plus �� to my children downstairs, think I’ve found myHST pen-friend!’ sounds ofBarclay. Victorian Carolers, a horse drawndiscover the Maclean Mill National historic site riding the rails of the ride, the Valley lighting festival the 4Bavarian Whistler - Barkerville �� After all these years, I couldn’t I’dNew found her.” Cruise andbelieve Coach the Orleans, Branson & Texassleigh Alberni Pacific SteamofTrain. meals $785 Cdn pp town of Dble Leavenworth, Washington with a plus HST Sept 18 - 23 Days We thought it would be great this year to �� The next morning, Karlyn called the magazine and tried traditional Get ready for Cruising down the Pacific Coast, coaching across Bavarian dinner. $715 Cdn PP based home to11the 2010 Olympics. You will vie Queen Charlottes Explored August 16 Days �� onWalk DbleinOcc. No GST. 6 meals. California, Texas and they Louisiana. Stroll along the River to explain our story. “I was so emotional that probably venues as well as explore This tour explores the diverse Haida heritage of the Queen British Columb San Antonio, explore the Houston Space Center, rediscover Charlotte/Haidi in the spectacular scenery thought I was a blithering idiot, the butrevitalized they city didof agree to pass of Barkerville. Also included is a visit to Bob and Teresa MarshallGwaii as Islands. Driver Revel and Escort New Orleans, including the devastated through the inside passage on theKamloops ferry, The Northern area from the Katrinawas flood living and a special whereExplorer. you can view over 65 B Call to book now! my telephone number on to Elizabeth, who in Plantation tour. Discover the ancient Skedans village site on Louise Island in a Branson, Missouri delivers first rate entertainment with Mickey park. 4 Return mealsvia $725 Cdn pp Dble Zodiactoll boat free with interpretive talks hectare and wild life stops. Vancouver.” 1-877-596-9670 Gillies, Shoji Tabuchi, Yakov Smirnoff and more. This trip is packed with entertainment, 604-596-9670 the Yellowhead Highway through the rugged wilderness of historyIand a load fun. Make suresomeone you book early! at 32 meals Cdn pp Dble teresa@pitmartours.com www.pitmartours.com Shortly after that, got a ofcall from the $3595 magaNorthern Region of BC and the ranchlandsCruise of the Cariboo and Coach the N

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Victorian Country Christmas - Dec 3 - 3 Days

This itinerary is guaranteed to lift your spirits and send you into the Christmas season with joy in your hearts. We have included a Dinner Theatre, dazzling light displays, a night at the 5 star Tulalip Hotel, the Victorian Christmas Craft fair in Puyalip and

Region. Tour limited to 36 passengers so book early! 7 meals $1995 Cdn PP Dble plus

Sep 19 Get ready fo Hosted by Bob and Teresa Marshall - November 6th - 11 Days 18 Meals California, Te Four times larger than the Grand Canyon, Mexico’s Copper San Antonio

Copper Canyon - Mexico

MARCH MARCH2010 2010

Canyon is a spectacular area filled with beauty and unique

Senior Living Vancouver & Lower Mainland Distribution Locations

ABBOTSFORD DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOC ABBOTSFORD REC CENTRE ABC RESTAURANT - MARSHALL FV REGONAL LIBRARY GREYHOUND BUS STN IGA MEDICHAIR MSA GENERAL HOSPITAL PEOPLES DRUG MART SEVEN OAKS MALL SHARES SHOPPERS DRUG MART TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTRE ZELLERS BURNABY ABC RESTAURANT AMICA @ RIDEAU MANOR BOB PRITTIE PUBLIC LIBRARY BONSOR COMMUNITY CENTRE BREAD GARDEN BRENTWOOD SKY TRAIN STN BURNABY GENERAL HOSPITAL CAMERON RECREATION CENTRE CANADA WAY LODGE CHOICES MARKET IN THE PARK CONFED COMM CNTR FOR 55+ EASTBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE EDMONDS COMM CENTER FOR 55+ EDMONDS PUBLIC LIBRARY EDMONDS SKYTRAIN STN EILEEN DAILEY FITNESS CENTRE GILMORE SKYTRAIN STATION HILTON HOTEL HOLDOM SKYTRAIN STATION IGA INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL HEALTH & VACCINATION CLINIC KENSINGTON ARENA LANCASTER MEDICAL LAKE CITY SKYTRAIN STATION LOUGHEED SKYTRAIN STN MCGILL PUBLIC LIBRARY MEDICHAIR METROTOWN BUS LOOP MULBERRY SENIOR’S RESIDENCE NORBURN MED CENTRE OLD ORCHARD MEDICAL CLINIC PATTERSON SKYTRAIN STN PRODUCTION WAY SKYTRAIN STN REGENCY MEDICAL SUPPLIES ROYAL OAK SKY TRAIN STN. SAFEWAY SPERLING SKY TRAIN STN. SFU LIBRARY SPERLING SKYTRAIN STATION STATION SQUARE MEDICAL CLINIC TIM HORTON’S WILLINGDON COMMUNITY CENTRE

COQUITLAM BREAD GARDEN CHIMO POOL & SOCIAL REC CENTRE COQUITLAM CITY CENTRE LIBRARY COQUITLAM LIBRARY DOGWOOD PAVILION DUFFERIN SENIORS CENTRE GLEN PINE PAVILION PARKWOOD MANOR POIRIER COMMUNITY CENTRE PARK & RIDE RESIDENCES AT BELVEDERE SHOPPERS DRUG MART DELTA DELTA HOSPITAL GEORGE MACKIE LIBRARY INSIDE RACK - RICKY’S KENNEDY SENIOR’S REC CENTRE KINSMEN ASSISTED LIVING LADNER COMM CENTRE LADNER PIONEER LIBRARY LADNER PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT MCKEE SENIORS RECREATION CENTRE NORTH DELTA REC CENTRE NURSE NEXT DOOR PINEWOOD LEISURE REC CENTRE SOUTH DELTA LIBRARY SOUTH DELTA RECREATION CENTRE SUN GOD RECREATION CENTRE THE WATERFORD WINSKILL AQUATIC CENTRE FORT LANGLEY FORT LANGLEY LIBRARY IGA LANGLEY AI WHEELCHAIRS ALDERGROVE MALL BROOKSWOOD LIBRARY DOUGLAS REC CENTRE HARRISON LANDING LANGLEY LIBRARY LANGLEY SENIORS CENTRE LANGLEY SENIORS VILLAGE LIFEMARK HEALTH CENTRE MAGNOLIA GARDENS MARKET PLACE IGA MAIN SPOT NEWS THE RENAISSANCE RETIREMENT RESORT TIMMS COMMUNITY CENTRE WALNUT GROVE COMM CENTRE WALNUT GROVE LIBRARY MAPLE RIDGE MAPLE RIDGE HOSPITAL MAPLE RIDGE LEISURE CENTRE MAPLE RIDGE LIBRARY NEW WESTMINSTER 22ND ST SKYTRAIN STN BRAID SKYTRAIN STATION CARE POINT MEDICAL CENTRE

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CENTENNIAL COMMUNITY CENTER CNTR OF INTEGRATION FOR AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS CENTURY HOUSE COLUMBIA ST STN EDWARD JONES HYACK HOUSE NEW WESTMINISTER QUAY NEW WESTMINSTER LIBRARY NEW WESTMINSTER SKY TRAIN STN QUEENBOROUGH COMMUNITY CENTER ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL

MINORU ARENA MINORU SENIORS CENTRE RICHMOND ADDICTION SERVICES RICHMOND CENTRE FOR DISABILITY SEAFAIR MEDICAL CLINIC SHOPPERS DRUG MART SOUTH ARM COMMUNITY CENTRE STEVESTON COMMUNITY CENTRE THOMPSON COMMUNITY CENTRE VOLUNTEER RICHMOND INFO SERV WEST RICHMOND COMMUNITY CTR

NORTH VANCOUVER CAPILANO LIBRARY CHURCHILL HOUSE EVERGREEN HOUSING ADMINISTRATION KIWANIS LYNN MANOR KIWANIS TOWERS LION’S GATE HOSPITAL LONSDALE QUAY LONSDALE QUAY BUS LOOP LYNN VALLEY MEDICAL CLINIC MEDICAL CLINIC - 1940 LONSDALE AVE MOUNT SEYMOUR MEDICAL CLINIC NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY RESOURCES NORTH SHORE NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE NORTH VANCOUVER CITY LIBRARY NUTRITION HOUSE PARKGATE LIBRARY PEMBERTON & MARINE MEDICAL CLINIC QUEENSDALE MARKET SILVER HARBOUR MANOR SUPER VALU THE SUMMERHILL WAL MART WESTVIEW MEDICAL CLINIC

SURREY AQUATIC CENTRE ARBOURSIDE COURT BUENA VISTA LIBRARY BUY RITE FOODS CHOICES MARKET CLOVERDALE LIBRARY CLOVERDALE REC CENTRE FLEETWOOD COMMUNITY CENTRE FLEETWOOD LIBRARY GATEWAY SKYTRAIN STN GUILDFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY GUILDFORD SENIORS VILLAGE IMPERIAL PLACE KENT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRE KING GEORGE SKYTRAIN STN KIWANIS PARK PLACE LIFEMARK PHYSIOTHERAPY MEDICHAIR NEWTON ARENA NEWTON GENERAL STORE NEWTON LIBRARY NEWTON WAVE POOL N SURREY REC CENTRE OCEAN PARK LIBRARY PEACE ARCH MEMORAIL HOSPITAL PHARMASAVE 10654 KING GEORGE PHARMASAVE 9558 - 120TH ST PHARMASAVE 15280 - 101ST AVE ROSEMARY HEIGHTS SENIORS VILL SAVE ON SCOOTERS SCOTT RD SKYTRAIN STN (N) SCOTT RD SKYTRAIN STN (S) SEMIAHMOO PUBLIC LIBRARY SHOPPERS DRUG MART SHOPPERS HOME HEALTH SOUTH SURREY ARENA SOUTH SURREY INDOOR POOL SOUTH SURREY REC CENTRE STRAWBERRY HILL LIBRARY SUNRISE PAVILLION SURREY GARDENS / SURREY VILL SURREY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL SURREY CENTRAL SKYTRAIN STN THE CHEMISTS PHARMACY TOM BINNIE PARK COMM CENTRE WESTMINSTER HOUSE WHALLEY LIBRARY WHITE ROCK/ S SURREY PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT

PITT MEADOWS PITT MEADOWS LIBRARY PITT MEADOWS REC CENTRE SHOPPER DRUG MART PORT COQUITLAM AMICA AT MAYFAIR TERRY FOX LIBRARY WILSON REC CENTRE PORT MOODY EAGLE RIDGE HOSPITAL PORT MOODY COMM SERVICES PORT MOODY LIBRARY PORT MOODY SOCIAL REC CENTRE RICHMOND BRIGHOUSE LIBRARY BUS STOP - 6390 #3 RD CAMBIE COMMUNITY CENTRE CAMBIE PUBLIC LIBRARY GARDEN CITY MED CLINIC HAMILTON COMMUNITY CENTRE IRONWOOD LIBRARY LANG CENTRE MINORU AQUATIC CENTRE

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MAINLAND DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS - CONTINUED VANCOUVER 1 KINGSWAY LIBRARY 29TH AVE SKY TRAIN STN 411 SENIOR’S CENTRE AMICA AT ARBUTUS MANOR ARBUTUS MALL BARCLAY MANOR BC WOMENS HOSPITAL BREAD GARDEN BRITANNIA ARENA / LIBRARY BROADWAY & BURRARD WALK IN BROCK HOUSE SOCIETY BURRARD SKYTRAIN BUS STOP - 750 BROADWAY CAPERS - 2285 4TH AVE CAPERS - 1675 ROBSON ST CAPERS MARKET CARE MEDICAL CENTRE CENTRAL MARKET - 830 THURLOW CHAMPLAIN HEIGHTS COMM CNTR CHAMPLAIN HEIGHTS LIBRARY CHOICES MARKET - 1202 RICHARDS CHOICES MARKET - 3493 CAMBIE ST CHOICES MARKET - 2627 16 AVE CITY SQUARE FAMILY PRACTICE COLLINGWOOD HOUSE COLLINGWOOD LIBRARY CROFTEN MANOR DENMAN COMMUNITY CTR DENMAN MALL DIAMOND HEALTH CARE CENTRE DOCTOR’S OFFICE 777 W BROADWAY DOUGLAS PARK COMM CENTRE DUNBAR COMMUNITY CENTRE DUNBAR PUBLIC LIBRARY FALSE CREEK COMMUNITY CENTRE FIREHALL LIBRARY

FRASERVIEW LIBRARY FROG HOLLOW NEIGHBORHOOD GF STRONG REHABILITATION CTR GRANDVIEW TOWERS GRANVILLE ISLAND MARKET GRANVILLE MEDICAL CLINIC HASTINGS COMMUNITY CENTRE HASTINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY HOME INSTEAD - VAN, NORTHSHORE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE JOE FORTES LIBRARY JOYCE SKYTRAIN STN KENSINGTON COMMUNITY CENTRE KENSINGTON LIBRARY KERRISDALE ARENA KERRISDALE SENIORS CENTRE KERRISDALE LIBRARY KHATSALANO MED CLINIC KILLARNEY COMMUNITY CENTRE KILLARNEY MARKET KITSILANO NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE KITSILANO PUBLIC LIBRARY KIWASSA NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE LIFEMARK HEALTH CENTRE LIFEMARK PHYSIOTHERAPY LITTLE MOUNTAIN NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE LONDON DRUGS - 1187 ROBSON MAIN ENTRANCE RACK MAIN ST SKYTRAIN STN MAPLE MEDICAL CLINIC MARPOLE COMMUNITY CENTRE MARPOLE LIBRARY MEDICAL CLINIC - 1280 GRANVILLE MERCATO MALL MID-MAIN COMM HEALTH CENTRE MT PLEASANT COMMUNITY CENTRE MT PLEASANT NGHBRHD HOUSE NANAIMO SKY TRAIN STN

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OAKRIDGE LIBRARY OAKRIDGE SENIOR’S CENTRE O’KEEFE SENIOR LIVING APT PARKVIEW TERRACE PHARMASAVE 595 BURRARD PLATINUM CARE RAYCAM COMMUNITY CENTRE RENFREW COMMUNITY CENTRE RENFREW PUBLIC LIBRARY RENFREW SKY TRAIN STN RICHMOND/VAN HEALTH UNIT RILEY PARK COMMUNITY CENTRE RILEY PARK LIBRARY ROUNDHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE ROYAL CENTRE MEDICAL RUPERT SKYTRAIN STN SHANNON OAKS SHOPPERS DRUG MART SIDNEY MANOR SINCLAIR CENTRE SORRENTO MARKET STADIUM SKYTRAIN STN S GRANVILLE PARK LODGE S GRANVILLE SENIOR’S CENTRE SOUTH HILL LIBRARY SOUTHVIEW HEIGHTS AND TERRACE ST PAUL HOSPITAL STRATHCONA COMMUNITY CENTRE STRATHCONA LIBRARY THUNDERBIRD COMMUNITY CENTRE TROUT LAKE COMMUNITY CENTRE UBC HOSPITAL VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY VGH EMERGENCY WATERFRONT SKY TRAIN STN WEST END AQUATIC CENTRE WEST END SENIORS NETWORK WEST POINT GREY PUBLIC LIBRARY YMCA COMMUNITY SERVICES

WEST VANCOUVER AMICA AT WEST VANCOUVER BUS STOP 2002 PARK ROYAL BUS STOP 2051 PARK ROYAL GLENEAGLES COMMUNITY CENTRE HOLLYBURN HOUSE SUPER VALU WEST VAN MEMORIAL LIBRARY WEST VANCOUVER COMM CENTRE WHITE ROCK HOME INSTEAD PACIFIC CARLTON SUNNYSIDE MANOR THE PENINSULA RESORT RETIREMENT LIVING

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Recommend a Distribution Location Near You! Senior Living is looking for convenient, high trafﬁc distribution locations throughout the Greater Vancouver region. If you know of a place of business or activity centre that would be a convenient location for interested readers to pick up our magazine, let us know. Email: ofﬁce@seniorlivingmag.com Phone 1-877-479-4705 MARCH 2010

The Tale of Trails BY WILLIAM FAITH

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

arley-Davidson was the brand of excitement for boomers in years past, but now the more active old-fashioned, two-pedalled bicycle is gaining ground due to an abundance of beautiful and level, off-road trails that are safe and quiet. Folks who are healthier and living longer want inexpensive, easily available leisure activities that allow for exercise in the fresh air. The recreational cyclist has no ongoing costs or limitations like the golfersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; annual dues and reserved tee-off times.

Bicycling is a beneficial form of exercise that improves general health, while being gentle on joints. The newest bikes have multiple gears that permit the rider to choose easy or more strenuous cycling with fat tires that grip the trail surface. Shock absorbers and extra wide, padded seats make the ride smooth. The lightest and most uncomplicated two-wheeler to ride is the easy-boarding aluminum one. This bike is perfect for the person who can’t swing that leg over the bar easily enough. Lift a foot only six inches off the ground and step through. Riders should get the best bike they can afford: a wise investment because it will support them safely for years. A hitch bar with two arms fixed to the back of the car will safely carry a rack of up to four bikes. It’s very simple to lift the bikes onto the structure secured with special locking mechanisms. Traillink.com provides the cyclist with quick facts on locations of trails in the U.S., but the larger paths have their own websites. The Rail-Trail Conservancy’s directory, aptly named 1000 Great Rail-Trails, lists locations by state. One can see lengths, endpoints, type of surface (paved, dirt, etc), wheelchair accessibility, and information on how to contact trail supervisors. No fees are charged for these lanes and they’re open all day, every day, and managers often put up guideposts identifying historical attractions such as old stations, barge canals, tunnels and the ruins of railroad equipment. Other signs demonstrate various types of trees, wildflowers and birds. In Canada, the website canadatrails.ca is a wonderful source of valuable information. The Matsqui Trail, British Columbia’s beautiful path running along the Fraser Valley, is flat and easy to traverse. It meanders for 10 km showing off the snow-capped Cascade Mountains and the lush green farms that border the river. Cycling through Matsqui Park, there are plenty of tables for a picnic (but not during spring runoff) and the quaint old historic town of Mission has all the fixins for Left, the author’s wife Karen takes a break in the shade on Centennial Trail, near Seattle WA. Photo: William Faith

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it. The trailhead is at the south end of Mission Bridge and for those who would rather bus or train their way there, the West Coast Express Commuter has convenient schedules between Mission and Vancouver. The famous Kettle Valley Railtrail (KVR) between Princeton and Penticton claims to be the most spectacular pathway in B.C., cruising along the Tullameen River with the red ochre cliffs and hoodoos stone pillars alongside. It was voted one of the top 50 best cycling routes in the world by Bicycling Magazine. Part of the Trans-Canada Trail System across Canada, the KVR is actually 600 km long, but the best part is east of Princeton, and along the Myra Canyon. It’s difficult to keep pedalling with so much to see from the trestles hanging precariously on the sides of the canyon to the many tunnels and thick forests. The CPR built the railway in 1899 to bring silver and coal to market and then passenger service started soon after. By 1964, the last passenger train had travelled the route but there are a few stations and ruins still standing. Free parking, good washroom facilities and paved surfaces make Centennial Trail in Washington a wonderful carefree track. This trail follows an old rail right-of-way between Snohomish and Arlington through agricultural land and forests crossing pristine creeks on solidly built bridges. This area is quite serene since there were hardly any other cyclists, only chirping colourful birds in the rural surroundings. Everyone on the trail should bring a bike-fitted saddlebag full of helpful items. Cold water is important, even when it’s not hot outside. A light stainless steel bottle is recommended now for holding water, instead of the old soft plastic ones. Bike tools and an air pump are compulsory. A tool kit with everything in it (Allen keys and small wrenches for adjusting the handlebars and seat, and a small seven-inch-long pump, which weighs five ounces) is all that’s required. Finally, a helmet with a visor, ultraviolet-protected sunglasses and sunscreen are needed to block out the harmful rays of the sun whether it’s cloudy or sunny. “Life is like riding a bicycle,” said well-known former Florida Senator Claude Pepper. “It doesn’t end until you SL stop pedalling.”

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MARCH 2010

Old Town Wailuku: BY CHRIS & RICK MILLIKAN

Gateway to Maui’s Past

aui’s shores provide regular sunny escapes from dreary winters. This time, our getaway begins with several magical days in Wailuku, a charming town minutes from the island’s international airport. Settled comfortably in a heritage inn, we soon discover Central Maui’s natural beauty, investigate its compelling past, and even savour culinary delights along the way, starting when local friends host a family-style dinner: delectable green papaya salad, succulent shrimp in a steaming Vietnamese hotpot, crisped whole fish and garden-fresh vegetables on delicate noodles. At breakfast in the enclosed lanai next morning, everyone tucks into cheese-stuffed French toast sprinkled with mac-nuts; one guest gushes, “Some of us book stays according to Janice’s gourmet menus!” While lingering over aromatic Ulupono coffees, our innkeeper introduces her town, “When Westerners arrived, this was the favourite place of island royalty; thousands lived here in traditional thatched dwellings. Ancestors fished in outrigger canoes and extensively farmed taro, the root crop for making poi – still an important food for Hawaiians. For years, 24

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

The authors at Heritage Park.

Wailuku remained Hawaii’s largest taro-growing town. This residence was built later, during the sugar industry’s heyday – as a wedding gift!” Inspired, we head into Iao Valley, known as a sacred burial place for royalty and famed for legendary battles. Illustrated storyboards describe the decisive Battle of Kepaniwai. In an effort to unite the islands, the Big Island’s King Kamehameha swept through Kahului and Wailuku in 1790, challenging powerful King Kahekili’s supremacy – and ultimately annihilating Maui’s courageous forces. Legend recalls, “Iao stream ran red, carrying the blood of many brave warriors.” Mark Twain loved hiking here. Robert Louis Stevenson even invented the word “viridescent” to describe its lush grandeur. A paved pathway leads us upward through this tumultuous greenery to a viewpoint offering spectacular vistas; Iao Needle rises 685 metres over the historic stream and verdant valley. Used as an early lookout and altar, this enduring volcanic pillar aptly marks the site of countless fallen warriors. An amazing 10,000-millimetre annual rainfall creates this

luxuriant landscape – and dangers. Prominent signs warn: FLASH FLOODS HAPPEN WITHOUT WARNING! A shaded lower path guides us past the normally murmuring creek, calm pools and tempting swimming holes. Though some hikers follow the dirt-side trails higher into the mists, our pathway loops gently back to the restored native gardens. Mid-valley, we investigate Hawaii Nature Center’s natural history exhibits and, crossing a narrow bridge, take an interpretive walk into the rainforest. Sunlight filters through high leafy canopies evoking a mystic aura; golden guavas perfume the warm air. Winding along reconstructed footpaths, our guide comments, “I pick wild fruit here, those tiny mountain apples above us are delicious, and red ginger’s bud cups offer natural shampoo.” Noting stony remains of ancient habitation and re-established taro patches, she pauses to explain that according to island lore, Hawaiians were created from taro, making nutritious and tasty poi a sacred part of daily life. At adjacent Kepaniwai Park, seven pavilions celebrate Hawaii’s multi-cultural population: a tiled Portuguese villa and outdoor oven; thatch-roofed native hale; Filipino bamboo house; New England saltbox home; decorative Korean gates; Chinese pagoda; Japanese teahouse and garden. Bringing unique traditions, waves of these settlers arrived to work the sugarcane fields. Like other families gathered in streamside picnic shelters for lunch, we nibble our fresh sushi as scarlet cardinals and mourning doves compete for tasty tidbits. Next morning, we walk back in time, Re-Discover Wailuku Walking Tour maps firmly in hand. A block from our inn stands the island’s handsomest public school, constructed in Iao Valley stone in 1904 and the 1928 Wailuku Library, which started as a small reading club. Across the street, we admire the courthouse built in 1907 when Wailuku replaced Lahaina as county seat; down the way, the 1927 County building sits beside a large banyan tree commemorating settlement of a 1930s strike. At the corner is Maui’s oldest stone church, named for Queen Ka’ahumanu an early Christian convert. It recognizes that Kamehameha’s preferred wife was instrumental in establishing Christianity through-

Street poet

out Hawaii. Beginning as a grass shack atop King Kahekili’s old heiau temple, this New England-style church and lofty white spire symbolizes quashing old beliefs while advancing the new religion; hymns here are still sung in Hawaiian.

On these grounds every third Thursday, Poki of KPOA radio sponsors free Hawaiian performances for large lunch crowds. Lining up with locals at tiny Ichiban Okazuya, we pick up plate lunches, a takeout staple since the plantation era.

MARCH 2010

Picnicking on grilled mahi-mahi and teriyaki salmon under a centuries-old monkey pod tree, we listen to lilting Hawaiian melodies and watch story-telling hulas. Nearby, Bailey House Museum reveals wonderful artifacts portraying ancient Hawaiian life: primitive weapons – sling stones, spears, swords and clubs – stone and shell tools and dishes; bone fishhooks; ornaments made from feathers, kukui nuts and whale teeth; tapa cloth and woven mats. In 1837, the Kamehamehas and their chiefs granted land adjacent to Kahekili’s old royal compound to missionaries, encouraging them to organize schools for instructing their people to read. Arriving to teach at the girls’ boarding school, Missionary Edward Bailey lived in this lava rock and ohia timber house until 1889. The spinning wheel, writing desk, organ, koa bed, quilts, armoire, dressers, delicate bone china and Hawaiian Bible help us visualize mid-century missionary life – and subtly hint at changes in Hawaiian lifestyles to come. In his sitting room, Bailey’s paintings reflect early landscapes. In the back garden, we marvel at an 1800’s fishing outrigger made from a single koa log, and a century-old redwood surfboard belonging to Duke Kahanamoku. This Olympic swimmer popularized surfing, previously an exclusive sport for royalty. Downtown on Market Street, restored buildings and new blend together, integrating low-rise offices and eateries, unique galleries, boutiques, clothiers and antiques shops. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1928 Iao Theater continues producing quality live shows from October to July. Perfumed plumeria trees and hedges of flowering hibiscus abound along winding backstreets and surrounding neighbourhoods. Shiplap plantation-style bungalows reflecting the prosperity of the ’20s still outnumber modern homes. Indulging in the unique Tour da Food on our last day, an expert foodie exposes us to a wide range of ethnic foods. Culinary surprises include Malasadas, mouthwatering Portuguese doughnuts; Mochi, traditional rice flour cake; crunchy taro chips and Miso butterfish a.k.a. Black Cod, a favourite. At a supermarket, the “great wall of Spam” surprises us: turkey-Spam, bacon-Spam, cheese-Spam, hot and spicy Spam, hickory-flavoured Spam, garlic Spam and Spam lite! Original Spam recalls childhood comfort breakfasts, usually pan-fried with eggs and toast. Down another aisle, there’s Musubi, a “sushi” snack made from sticky rice, seaweed – and thinly sliced teriyaki Spam! An entire glass case displays poke, ahi-tuna marinated in a myriad of specialty sauces, often enjoyed as sunset suppers on the beach. Just outside Wailuku, we stop at 60-acre Tropical Plantation for an overview of Maui’s current agriculture. Our narrated

Modern conveniences – poke and beer! Old-world charm.

tram ride loops through sugarcane and orchid fields to orchards growing tasty avocados, guavas, mangos, pineapples, coffee and macadamia nuts. In the shop, we buy sweet apple-bananas, luscious dried papaya and Roselani ice cream, Maui-made from scratch since 1932. Licking creamy mac-nut and pineapple-coconut cones, we reflect on days filled with riveting encounters and gastronomic experiences, agreeing that old town Wailuku offers a SL memorable way to start a Maui holiday!

WHEN YOU GO: Maui Visitors Bureau – www.visitmaui.com for planning information. Old Wailuku Inn at Ulupono – www.mauiinn.com - historic award-winning B&B accommodations. Find walking maps at Wailuku Main Street Association Resource Center – email: wmsa@maui.net Tour da Food – www.tourdafoodmaui.com for an illuminating custom experience. Maui Nature Center – www.hawaiinaturecenter.org Maui Arts & Cultural Center – www.mauiarts.org A Saigon Café – for a menu of delicious food in a casual atmosphere. 26

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

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BY LYNDA PASACRETA

Hiring a Reputable Tax Preparer

he deadline for filing your income tax return is fast approaching. By doing a little homework now, before you hire a tax preparer, you can save yourself the hassle of being ripped off or having to deal with an erroneous income tax return. It is well worth the time to look for a qualified, dependable and trustworthy tax preparer to ensure your private financial information stays private and the information included with your tax return is accurate. You are responsible for the contents of your return, regardless of who prepared it. BBB suggests the following tips for choosing a reputable tax preparer and avoiding problems: Check on qualifications. Ask about their training, experience and knowledge of current tax law, and whether they are members of a professional organization with continuing education requirements and a code of ethics. Learn about their service terms in advance. Find out whether they guarantee the accuracy of their work and amend the return if there’s a mistake.

Ask for references. Get referrals from satisfied clients. Check with BBB (mbc.bbb.org) to determine if the tax preparer has a reputation for reliability and trustworthiness. Request a quote. Ask for an estimate of the preparation fee before authorizing the work. BBB advises consumers to steer clear of tax preparers who sound too good to be true. Beware if they: Boast they can obtain larger refunds than their competitors. Pressure you to sign up for immediate payment of your refund. This involves a loan that typically carries a high interest rate. Base their fee on a percentage of the refund amount, rather than the complexity of the tax return; or Don’t ask to review your records and receipts, or discuss whether you qualify for expenses and deductions.

Once your income tax return is prepared, make certain the preparer has signed it and get a copy and payment receipt for your records. Also, review the return before signing it and ask for clarification of any entry you don’t understand. A tax preparer is acting illegally if they encourage you to claim inflated personal or business expenses, false deductions or excessive exemptions; manipulate your income level to obtain false tax credits; ask you to sign a blank or incomplete form or guarantee you will not be audited. To learn how to file online and other information about Canadian tax law, go to the Canada revenue Agency website: SL cra.gc.ca March is Fraud Prevention Month. Get educated. Stay Informed. For tips on protecting yourself from becoming a victim of fraud, visit mbc.bbb.org Lynda Pasacreta is President of the Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C. www.mbc.bbb.org To contact Lynda Pasacreta, e-mail president@mbc.bbb.org

MARCH 2010

Crossword PUZZLE

Mind GAMES

Across 1. Obscenity 5. Sumptuous meal 10. Lows 14. Trickery 15. Plentiful 16. The villain in Othello 17. Skin eruption 18. Cornerstone 19. Stalk 20. Vagrants 22. Make smooth 23. Stallion 24. Brass wind instrument 28. Molecular weight of a substance in grams 30. Rub vigorously 34. Color 35. Michael -----, English actor 37. SE Ontario city 38. Sparkle 39. Flavor

40. Frozen water 42. Thorax 43. Be in debt 44. Pertaining to the nose 47. Incident 52. Paved road 56. Newspaper executive 57. Examination 58. Personification of fate (Myth) 60. State of USA 61. Too 62. Stage items 63. Catalog 64. Sharp 65. Having a tang 66. Hotshots

Down 1. Ridge cut by a scythe 2. Extremely small 3. Relating to the ulna

4. Swarms 5. Frequently asked questions 6. Large flightless bird 7. Follower of Christ 8. Slender 9. Male voice 10. Indistinct 11. Profane expression 12. Double curve 13. Drowsy 21. Small stones 25. Small hard particle 26. Borders 27. Covered with frozen drips 28. Microscopic arachnid 29. Singles 30. As it were 31. Crop 32. Ascend 33. Of the month preceding 36. Powdery residue 41. Care 45. Fiend 46. Entice 48. Tenor violin 49. Moral precept of conduct 50. Sound 51. Followers of Trotsky (Abbrev) 53. Wheel shaft 54. Urn 55. Female given name 56. Not difficult 59. Role-playing game ANSWERS

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Photo: Jason van der Valk

ASK

Goldie

BY GOLDIE CARLOW, M.ED

Dear Goldie: I just read your answer to K.H. in the Oct/09 issue of Senior Living about being independent. I cannot see what is so great about cooking, dishwashing, cleaning, shopping and maintaining a current house. I live in Assisted Living where we have 185 suites. We are independent to come and go, invite friends overnight as well as for meals. (Right now, we have a special deal – three months free rent!). We have first-class meals, weekly cleaning and change of linen, free use of laundry room and service, and a full-size insuite fridge. There are entertainment, bus outings, parties and fun. We have volunteer drivers and taxis. We can also be alone in our suites, if we choose. If health conditions change, home care is available. Those who stubbornly stay by themselves into their 80s, thinking they can keep old age at bay, are missing out. Better to plan and move, while you are still in good health, and make new friends. If you stay on your own for Senior Peer Counselling Centres (Lower Mainland)

too long and your health declines, you could suddenly end up in 24-hour care, a very big change. Here, you are all in your own suites, with your own stuff and home care, as long as possible. –W.P. Dear W.P: Thank you for a very informative letter about your new residence. It is unusual to hear a senior respond so positively to a change of living conditions. You seem to have made the perfect choice for you. Age and health are two important factors in making a satisfactory change of residence. It is easier to accept new routines and relationships when we are mentally and physically active. This should be the determining reason rather than age. I agree that it’s important to plan early while choices are still available to lessen the impact of change. W.P., your letter is an encouragement to anyone contemplating a move into Assisted Living. Dear Goldie: I am a 67-year-old male in good

health, divorced 12 years ago. I have three daughters and two sons, and five grandchildren living in the city. We have a good relationship. So, why am I writing? Well, after 10 years in a wonderful relationship, my partner is leaving me. She says nothing is really wrong, but she wants to be free. This is really shaking me up. I had no idea she wasn’t happy. What can I do? –R.L. Dear R.L.: It sounds like this break-up is unexpected and a great shock to you. Perhaps she has taken some time to make the decision, and kept you unaware. You haven’t commented on your communication with your partner. This may help you to get to the heart of the problem. Make a time and place where you can have a long uninterrupted discussion. If this does not work for you, then consider counselling. Both volunteer and registered counselling is available. Break-ups are not usually over new problems but, rather, concern longstanding issues. Has there been an issue over the years that has not been satisfactorily resolved? Somehow, it impresses me that you have so little detail. Be prepared, a counsellor will deal with every aspect of your relationship. For satisfactory results, there should be no hidden SL agendas!

New Westminster 604-519-1064 North Vancouver 604-987-8138 Burnaby 604-291-2258 Richmond 604-279-7034 Vancouver West End 604-669-7339 Coquitlam – Tri-Cities 604-945-4480 Vancouver Westside 604-736-3588

Goldie Carlow is a retired registered nurse, clinical counsellor and senior peer counselling trainer. Send letters to Senior Living, Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria, BC V8T 2C1. MARCH 2010

Diabetic and Don’t Know It? BY RONALD CALLENDER

“I

f I knew then what I know now, I could have delayed the onset of or avoided diabetes,” says Steve Drinkwater. In spring 2003, Steve was living a sedentary lifestyle in France when he got a wake-up call: a pre-diabetes diagnosis. Since that life-changing moment, he began volunteering for the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA), hikes mountains, and enjoys kayaking and cycling. Another CDA volunteer Petronella “Nel” Peach observed 27 years ago that she had some diabetic symptoms, headed to the doctor, and said, “I think I have diabetes,” but she was misdiagnosed. Later, Nel was diagnosed as diabetic. Today, she walks at least eight kilometres daily. Additionally, as a member of Team Diabetes, Nel participates in marathons in Canada and the U.S. She carried the 2010 Olympic torch in Salmon Arm on January 27. Dr. Marshall Dahl, an endocrinologist and a clinical associate professor at UBC, will shed light on some of the diabetic risk factors.

Steve Drinkwater before his wakeup call (above) and today, enjoying a healthier lifestyle.

Family History “Type-2 diabetes is mostly genetic, so it’s common to find a family history of diabetes,” says Dr. Dahl. “Traditionally, about half the people who have diabetes don’t know it.” Nel’s family history of Type-2 diabetes includes her father’s sister, and her daughter (Nel’s cousin) and Nel’s brother. Yet, Nel has Type-1 diabetes. Waist Measurement The waist measurements of both genders are related to being overweight and indicate who is at the greatest health risk. Men’s waist: 102 cm (40 inches) or greater Women’s waist: 88 cm (35 inches) or greater “When I was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes, my trousers size was 42; today it is 38,” says Steve. Waist size is also connected to body mass index.

The data also show that people with below normal or normal BMI have also been diagnosed with diabetes, most notably Asians. BMI = (weight in kilograms) divided by (height in metres x height in metres). For adults older than 20 years, the World Health Organization categorizes BMI as follows: Normal: 18.5 - 24.9 Overweight/Pre-obese: 25.0 - 29.9 Obese: 30.0 - 39.9 Very obese/Morbidly obese: At least 40

Body Mass Index (BMI) BMI uses a person’s weight and height to determine their degree of body fat. BMI applies equally to both genders and can be a Type-2 diabetes risk factor. In fact, a BMI of 25 or greater is a pre-diabetic risk factor for some people. “Not all obese people develop diabetes; you must have the diabetes gene,” says Dr. Dahl. “Diabetes isn’t only about lifestyle, it really is a genetic thing.” When Steve was diagnosed with diabetes, his BMI was 36; today it’s 30.”

Blood Pressure “Blood pressure does not trigger diabetes. It just happens to the same person,” says Dr. Dahl. “People who get diabetes often have the genes for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and abdominal weight as well. If I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, I should want to know my blood sugar reading because they often go together.” Nel says that for the past eight years, her blood pressure was maintained by the lowest dosage of medication, but recently her blood pressure was high.”

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Fruity Smelling Breath Fruity breath is an indicator of ketoacidosis – acid in the urine, and diabetes. See a doctor if breath fragrance is a concern or if someone comments adversely about it. Twenty-seven years ago, Nel was diagnosed with ketones, which result when the body burns its own fat and is a common diabetic complication. If left untreated, it can lead to ketoacidosis, which can result in coma or even death. Blurred Vision Nel works hard to maintain good blood glucose levels because high levels once blurred her vision, which cleared up when the levels returned to normal. Vision blurs when high glucose levels cause the lens of the eye to swell. See an ophthalmologist at the first sign of blurred vision, because glaucoma, cataracts, and retinopathy are the three leading eye problems that afflict diabetics. Diabetes is the main reason for blindness in people aged 20 to 74 years old. Yeast Infections Yeast infections are related to Candida (fungal) infections. For both genders, frequent bouts of these infec-

s d e ﬁ i s s Cla LEARN COMPUTERS AT HOME with a patient and supportive woman. Professional with 25 years experience. Vancouver only. Maryse 604-694-0790 www.learncomputersathome.com CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING $30 for 20 words or less. $1.25 per extra word. Boxed Ad - Small (2.2 x 1.2) $110. Boxed Ad - Large (2.2 x 2.4) $210. Add Logo - $25 extra. Red spot color 10% extra. Plus 5% GST. All Classiﬁed ads must be prepaid. Cheque or Credit Card accepted. Toll Free 1-877-479-4705 Deadline: 15th of the month. Make cheque payable to: Senior Living, 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave.,Victoria BC V8T 2C1

tions can lead to a diabetes diagnosis. “When I was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes, I had a yeast infection,” says Nel. Some genital symptoms for yeast infections are common to both genders: itching, burning, irritation and painful urination. Because these infections could be related to other diseases, a medical examination is in order to find out the cause. Eating Frequency A voracious appetite is another risk factor. This is particularly true if there’s been no increase in physical activity. Nel thought her “diet was under control,” but her ravenous appetite caused her to eat all the chocolates she received at Christmas in short order. Increase Thirst and Frequent Urination An insatiable thirst for sodas and other fluids alone or combined with frequent urination are pre-diabetic or diabetic risk factors. “When I was in France, I was very thirsty and drank lots of Evian water,” says Steve. “It resulted in frequent urination, and I felt tired a lot, so much so that I thought I was just getting older. Later, during a routine examination, I was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes.” Dr. Dahl says, “Diabetics might start

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urinating frequently when the body tries to reduce high-blood-sugar level. This effort removes lots of water from the body through urination. As a result, they get very thirsty and that causes them to drink and urinate frequently.” Erectile Dysfunction This risk factor can affect men in varying degrees. See a family doctor or urologist at the first sign of erectile dysfunction. Life-Long Irregular Menstruation Dr. Dahl says, “There is a female hormonal condition characterized by lifelong irregular periods called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). It has a very strong association with Type2 diabetes.” Besides symptoms, diabetes has many complications. Poorly managed diabetes can cause blindness, kidney disease, amputation (due to poor circulation), heart disease and stroke. Symptoms can drastically affect lifestyle or shorten lives. People, who have a family history of diabetes, or other risk factors, should be screened for diabetes to find out their diabetic profile. Knowledge is the best defence against this debilitating and SL chronic disease.

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RESOURCE DIRECTORY Areference concise reference guide A concise guide of services and products offered by businesses and organizations throughout the BC Mainland of services and products

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Advertising in the Resource Directory is an affordable way to keep your business name before consumers all year long. Call 1-877-479-4705 for prices and details. MARCH 2010

Reﬂections THEN & NOW

BY GIPP FORSTER

hen I was in my midforties, I would go to the gym to work out two and sometimes three days a week. I was trying to rearrange some of the fat that had begun to creep up on me and see if I could make it look like muscle. I was surrounded by young guys that would make Charles Atlas look like Mortimer Snerd. I tried to breathe like they did – with a kind of hiss – as they lifted weights of 100 to 200 pounds or better. But no matter how I tried, I still sounded like a beached whale. I was only lifting 35-pound weights, but they felt like the better part of a Greyhound bus. Like an elephant in the midst of a herd of gazelles, I noticed the physiques that surrounded me. The gym had floor-to-ceiling mirrors that these guys worked out in front of – admiring their progress – telling each other how great it was and how much they enjoyed “working out.” I was the only guy in the gym who worked out with his back to the mirror and wondered if all these guys had all the strings on their banjos. I longingly stared at the door that led to the street – and freedom. How could anyone “enjoy” torture and self-mutilation? But I didn’t dare ask them. I wasn’t that brave! These guys looked at excess fat like it was leprosy on Shirley Temple. So, I just grunted and groaned along with them hoping, sooner or later, I would once again be able to see my feet. I knew they were there. I just needed to see them with my eyes. 32

I remember one guy with bulging biceps and a flat stomach, lifting weights that King Kong would hesitate to contemplate, glaring at me while I smiled weakly at him with a five-pound weight in each of my hands. I felt very vulnerable. But, I kept going. I don’t know why really. I didn’t have dreams of kicking sand in someone’s face or being a stand-in for Arnold Schwarzenegger. I practised my grunts at home so I would at least sound professional when I went in for my weekly torture, swimming and nearly drowning in a sea of perspiration. The “fun” part I enjoyed, like carrying my Adidas bag and telling people I was off to the gym to work out. It was the agony I couldn’t stand. The day I liked best, though, was Sunday. The gym was closed that day! Now, these 20-odd years later, whenever I pass a health spa or gym, my body protests violently and even, at times, shakes. But it needn’t worry. I won’t venture back! I still can’t see my feet, but I no longer gasp, groan and grunt (unless, of course, I’m sleeping) and no longer feel I need to compete. I never really enjoyed hanging around gyms anyway. I can feel macho in so many other ways. I can still open a door for a woman or walk on the curb side of the sidewalk when strolling with a lady down the street. I still know how to wink and, now and then, chew gum. I can still belch loudly and unscrew the lid on a pickle jar. I may not look like Charles or Ar-

SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Photo: Krystle Wiseman

WORKING OUT

nold, but I don’t have to go to the beach or run for governor of California. I guess the secret is that I’m no longer trying to impress anyone. I don’t know why I ever thought I had to in the first place. It’s nice to step off the carousel and jump out of the circle game. I may not try to lift heavy weights anymore and I may puff from just watching television, but I can still think heavy thoughts and sometimes stay up until midnight! (Well, maybe not midnight, but at least until 10.) Many of the young and younger are not only devoted to bodybuilding, but also body tattooing and body piercing, as well. There seems to be something for every generation. Mine was pegged pants and Brylcreem. At least I could wash the Brylcreem out! Oh well! Who knows what tomorrow will bring. The gyms and spas will always be here, I suppose. A home for grunts, groans, and sighs. I haven’t given up totally, though. Every morning when I wake up, I do my 100 push-ups: first the right eyelid, then the left. It keeps me young! SL

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