June 2012 Senior Living Magazine by INSPIRED 55+ Lifestyle Magazine

JUNE 2012 TM

50+ Active Living Magazine

LOCAL TRAVEL ISSUE • Step Back in Time in Langley • Alert Bay’s Native Pride • Cruising the Alberni Inlet PLUS • Vancouver’s Backstage Dynamo Andrée Karas And more...

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FEATURES 5 Day Trippin’ ‘Round Langley

28 Classiﬁeds 29 BBB Scam Alert

9 Native Pride

COLUMNS

Fraser Valley communities encourage self-guided explorations showcasing rural enterprise. Learn more about Alert Bay’s dramatic First Nations’ culture and history.

by Barbara Small

26 Forever Young

Enjoy a day on the M.V. Frances Barkley cruising along the scenic Alberni Inlet to Barkley Sound.

by William Thomas

30 Courageous & Outrageous by Pat Nichol

16 The Sea-To-Sky

The highway is far more than just a connecting route between Vancouver and Whistler.

31 Ask Goldie

18 Nk’Mip Resort Revitalizes

32 Reﬂections: Then & Now

by Goldie Carlow

Visit a nirvana of getaways situated in the southern Okanagan Valley, overlooking Osoyoos Lake and abutting the Sonora Desert.

by Gipp Forster

22 Backstage Dynamo

Meet Andrée Karas, the driving force behind Vancouver’s United Players.

Cover Photo: Travel writers Rick and Chris

Millikan re-enact barrel-making in the cooperage. The wooden barrels were used to ship potatoes, cranberries, ﬁsh and such from Fort Langley. Story page 5. Photo: Philippe Martin-Morice

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Editorial Oct 2011.indd 1

4 The Family Caregiver

12 All Aboard!

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THE FAMILY CAREGIVER

BY BARBARA SMALL

The Emotional Impact of Caregiving

amily caregivers experience a wide range of emotions in response to the responsibilities of providing care, including anger, grief, guilt and resentment. And, yes, there is joy and satisfaction, as well. All these feelings are normal and will fluctuate, depending on the current situation. It is important to find a way to express and manage these emotions, especially those that drain your energy. Left unexpressed, these emotions can lead to caregiver burnout. All your emotions are valid and real. Trust them as they come up. Take a deep breath and examine what is motivating the emotion and what small change you can make to shift the feeling. Difficult emotions can be a signal that the current situation is not working or that something needs to change. Then, at times when you feel happy and energized, notice what causes this response so you can draw on it in the future. Below are some suggestions to help you manage tough emotions: • Attend a caregiver support group at the Family Caregivers’ Network (FCNS) or through one of the many disease-specific organizations, such as the Alzheimer’s Resource Centre, MS Society or the BC Cancer Agency. • Talk to a friend, a fellow caregiver, a co-worker or professional counsellor. Many community organizations, including FCNS, provide telephone support. • Find time for activities that energize you and bring joy

into your life. Taking time to recharge will make you a better caregiver and help reduce anger and resentment. Everyone will benefit. • Look at the expectations you set for yourself, the person you are caring for and the current situation. Are your expectations realistic or are you setting yourself up for further frustration and guilt? Are you trying to maintain life as it was before any changes in health? • When you feel angry or resentful, take a break and leave the situation, if possible. A quick walk or some deep breathing can quickly help defuse your feelings. • You may feel guilty when you are experiencing “negative” emotions, such as anger and resentment, or when you take time for yourself. It is important to remember that you are doing the best you can, at the time, with what you know. Next month: Are you trying to parent your parent? Barbara Small is the Program Development Coordinator for Family Caregivers’ Network Society located in Victoria, BC. www.familycaregiversnetwork.org

The Family Caregiver column is brought to you by the generous sponsorship of Saint Elizabeth

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Local Travel

Day Trippin’ ’Round Langley: Forts, Farms and Fun

BY RICK AND CHRIS MILLIKAN

pull-down map reveals that the company had developed over 2,000 fertile acres for commercial commodities. In one log building, a cooper re-enacts the making of wooden barrels for such exports as potatoes, cranberries and salmon. Next door, a lady blacksmith hammers out tools, further trade items. During our visit, chief factor Douglas demonstrates Langley’s historic knack of enhancing business potential.

with this local band. Our modern venture begins at Driediger Farms, just off the Trans-Canada Highway. One of Langley’s oldest and largest berry farms, Rhonda Driediger tells how her dad and uncle migrated here from the prairies, starting their family farm with just eight acres in 1954. “By 1963, our farm covered 250 acres; nowadays, we ship our berries throughout North America and

The authors walk toward the Fort Langley cooperage from the white restored administrative ofﬁce and home of the chief HBC trader.

scenic Fort-to-Fort trail leading to this fort’s original riverside site. But today, we enter the Hudson Bay Company outpost perching above the mighty Fraser River since 1839. Inside this landmark stockade, yearround activities re-create B.C.’s past and reflect its prosperous endeavours. A

Recruited from the crowd “to marry” an esteemed Sto-Lo woman, I make awkward, solemn promises to this stranger and her family, exchanging axe-blades and Hudson Bay blankets for cranberries, a dip net and mountain goat hair blanket. Such brokered marriages had cemented the fort’s trading relationship WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

Photo: Philippe Martin-Morice

ust outside Vancouver, several Fraser Valley communities encourage self-guided explorations showcasing rural enterprise. Using Langley’s Circle Farm Tour map, we are able to gain new insights, sip ‘n’ sample… and collect delectable treasures at several of 14 stops. Our tour begins in Fort Langley. We’d previously cycled through its surrounding historic village and along the

Asia from June to October. My mother thought up the “U-Pick” idea. Last year, over 60,000 U-pickers came to pluck our strawberries, blueberries, currents and gooseberries.” Selecting a flat of luscious strawberries and jar of raspberry jam, we head next to nearby Krause Berry Farm.

JUNE 2012

Local Travel Inside their country marketplace, staff shirts proclaim, “You’re in Flavour Country Now!” Soon, we’re sampling tasty corn pizza, berry doughnuts, smoothies and milkshakes. Owner Alf explains to us how crop rotation produces better berries and how plastic covers provide warmth and rain protection. He astutely observes, “Eating homegrown products means fresher, tastier, more nutritious foods… and there’s never been a better time to do it! What’s more, supporting small family farms conserves local agriculture as profitable. Here, you can pick berries in season, stay for lunch and even go for a hayride!” Large side windows allow visitors like us to view the staff adding value to each harvest, utilizing produce in a line of specialty goods. Shelves display delicious results: berry jams, jellies, nonsugar spreads, syrups, vinegars, homecanned asparagus, beans and corn. Freezers stock goodies from corn chow-

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der to berry perogies and oven-fresh pizzas. A showcase refrigerates freshly made mile-high custard-based berry pies. Stowing blueberry and gooseberry jams in our trunk, we depart. Beyond berry farms, horse-dotted pastures, Christmas tree lots and greenhouses, Erickson’s Daylily Garden lies amid a quiet neighbourhood. Having a special love for drought tolerant daylilies, the Erickson’s converted a barren one-acre gravel laden lot into a specialized nursery raising and hybridizing these flashy flowers. Nowadays, 3,000 daylily varieties, 400 hosta species and 300 types of ferns thrive here. Owner Pam tells us how she loves “playing in her own dirt… with a hobby gone wild!” Developing 60 new hybrid daylilies, they first named them to honour loved ones or special events. However, “Crotchless Panties” made their horticultural mark in the flower world, outselling all other creations… and doing particularly well with fellas

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looking for unique gifts for their gals. The latest hybrid, “Bare Boobs in the Garden” could be even more popular. Open daily in July, daylilies can be seen then in full splendor. For our own garden, “Red Suspenders” and “Jenny Kissed Me” are tucked behind the seat. JD Farms fabulous fowl bistro stands a few blocks away. Like thankful pilgrims, we settle under a red umbrella and feast on scrumptious turkey-chowder and turkey-cranberry sandwiches. A splendid panorama of green hills and snowcapped mountains extends before us. Behind, huge barns are said to contain 4,000 turkeys being plumped to perfection. These turkeys are scrupulously well tended in these spacious, well-ventilated abodes with plenty of water and a natural diet of grains. Inside the store, shelves overflow with Langley-made organic breads, sauces, spice mixes and condiments to complement the array of turkey products. After more nibbling, we choose smoked turkey sausages as souvenirs. A South Langley wine tour culminates our daytrip. At Domaine de Chaberton, guide Margo recounts the development of local vineyards. “An extraordinary couple selected this area’s dry microclimate to develop Langley’s first estate winery!” “With 60 per cent less rain than Vancouver, they could grow seven white wine varietals. Also appreciating the demand for reds, they brought in select grapes from B.C.’s Okanagan. As descendants of German and French winemaking families dating back to the 1600s, they applied this skillful heritage to produce awardwinning wines.” After checking out rows of lush vines, Margo takes us into the processing area. One sassy soul wants to strip down and stomp grapes! Replacing that jolly tradition, stainless steel machines mash and screen the pulp. Their vintages age in oak kegs at ideally cool temperatures in a well-insulated building. At a long bar in the tasting lounge, Margo instructs us in proper swirl-

Local Travel ing techniques for checking the wine’s “legs,” fully nosing aromas and vigorously sloshing to prepare our palates for the sipping finale. The Cuvee Blanc proves delicious! So… as tasting ends, two bottles are stashed with our farmland treasures. We next pop into Township 7 Vineyards. Already familiar with their other winery on Okanagan’s Naramata Bench, where they cultivate red grape varietals, we learn that it’s perfect here for growing chardonnays, pinot noirs and merlots. Their première chardonnay is aged in toasted French oak barrels costing $1,000 each. Sipping slowly, we savour the results: a velvety caramel flavour with wondrous, lasting aftertastes. Township 7 enhances wine tasting experiences by presenting Art in the Vines; a lighthearted drama: Wilde at the Winery, musical performances and a Fall grape stomp. Our last stop, Vista D’Oro proves unusual. The farm’s co-owner greets us with small glasses of D’Oro, their signature vino. “Following an old-world recipe that can be traced to the 1700s, we created an aged-to-perfection blend of fauche grapes fortified with green walnuts.

As you’ll discover, this produces an exclusive, port-like brandy.” Yum! We add D’Oro… plus artisan date and fig preserves to our bounty. Our explorations conclude at nearby Select Roses, whose history is as surprising as Langley’s wineries. Who’d expect ranchers to be growing roses? It all began when the rancher’s son Brad took agronomy classes and transformed his love of “rosacea” into a business. Now selling more roses than any other Canadian retailer, Brad explains, “Roses have become increasingly popular. That’s because new shrubs and climbing roses are simpler to grow. Due to our efforts in creating ideal hybrids for local conditions, roses no longer need spraying or much maintenance.” Buying two sweet smelling rosacea, we return homeward toting our treasure trove of goodies. Unique nurseries and vineyards, farms and gardens lie just beyond the big city. Langley’s agri-tourism not only educates us, it’s fascinating, fun… and SL yes, filling!

The authors enjoy a glass of Langley wine.

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WHEN YOU GO: www.tourism-langley.ca for Langley’s activities and attractions. For full details of the Fraser Valley’s Circle Farm Tours: www.circlefarmtour.com

JUNE 2012

Coach Jim Bindley died in 2002.

This summer, he’ll send four kids to soccer camp. Jim loved to coach, not just because he soccer, but because he believed sports teach important lessons. To continue lessons, Jim placed a bequest to fund scholarships in his will.

loved could those camp

Thanks to Coach Bindley, a few more kids will reach their goals. Include your favourite cause in your will or estate plan. Contact a charitable organization, lawyer, financial advisor or local LEAVE A LEGACY™ program to learn how.

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Local Travel

NATIVE PRIDE

BY RICHARD NEAL

In the 1870s, some entrepreneurs leased Cormorant Island from the federal government and opened a salmon saltery. A settlement was constructed and, by the 1890s, Alert Bay was the central coast’s largest commercial fishing centre. Canneries employed First Nations women while the fisheries hired native men. The new settlers and the locals remained on good terms for a while, but the aboriginal workers practice of their ancient potlatch rituals would soon cost them dearly.

Dancers in vibrant masks perform elaborate rituals, accompanied by one or more feasts. The host bestows gifts on guests; the word potlatch means literally “to give.” Today’s potlatches last up to 24 hours, but in the past they could continue for weeks. Documents in the centre tell how settlers were initially tolerant of the potlatch, but missionaries and government agents later rejected the ceremony as “uncivilized.” Pressure mounted to ban the ceremony. The federal government passed a vaguely worded

Memorial totem poles can be seen at the ‘Namgis Burial Grounds. The native cemetery is closed to the public but the totem poles are easily viewed from the roadside.

I delve into this tragic phase of Alert Bay’s past at the nearby U’mista Cultural Centre. Archeologists say the wealth of a culture can be determined by the art it produces. Surrounded by exquisitely carved masks and other invaluable artifacts on display inside the cool, cedar-scented building, I realize those who created these treasures were rich beyond measure. These are symbols of the potlatch, a ceremony held to commemorate important occasions such as the naming of children, marriage and the mourning of the dead. WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

Photos: Richard Neal

s my ferry cuts through the choppy waters of Broughton Strait toward tiny Cormorant Island and the village of Alert Bay, I snap postcard shots of snow-dusted mountains on nearby Vancouver Island. A pod of orca whales skims across the frigid ocean, while bald eagles as plentiful as pigeons float through the ominous clouds above. However, I haven’t travelled here to explore this area’s wondrous natural attractions. I’ve come to learn more about its dramatic First Nations culture and history. As we approach the crescent-shaped island, I catch my first glimpse of Alert Bay. Brightly painted wooden buildings along the shore provide warm contrast to the stark natural surroundings. A gate adorned with native carvings greets visitors with the ‘Namgis word for welcome: Gilakas’la. For a community with fewer than 1,500 residents, Alert Bay is a lively place. On the main road, a brawny man grunts over a sculpture he carves from a block of wood. Two words emblazoned across his t-shirt proclaim what Alert Bay is all about: Native Pride. My first stop is the Alert Bay Library/Museum, whose walls are covered with brilliant native artifacts and historical photographs. With assistance from helpful staff, I navigate the countless manuscripts and develop an understanding of Alert Bay’s long, and sometimes sad, history. The musty pages reveal that for millennia this region has been home to the proud ‘Namgis people, who thrived on the bounty provided by the surrounding forests and waterways. All that changed in 1792 when some paleskinned men on a tall wooden boat dropped anchor nearby. That ship was the H.M.S. Discovery; its captain was George Vancouver. Relations with the newcomers were cordial, at first. Opportunistic European traders bartered for timber, coal, whales and fish, while they hunted a teeming otter population to near extinction.

law to that effect in 1884, but it was seldom enforced. They later revised the law and after a large potlatch at nearby Village Island in 1921, police arrested 45 people. The authorities told the participants they would receive suspended sentences if they gave up their masks and regalia. Twenty refused and served prison sentences, but others acquiesced and surrendered their artifacts. William Halliday, the Indian Agent in Alert Bay, had all potlatch regalia shipped to Ottawa, an act that tore the heart out of the native community. The government divided

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Local Travel the artifacts between various museums, while a few were sold to private collectors. Some were acquired by Duncan Campbell Scott, Superintendent General of Indian Affairs. It seems supremely ironic that high-ranking government officials coveted potlatch regalia while they banned the ceremony itself. For years, native leaders fought to have their ceremonial objects returned. Finally, in the 1970s, the National Museums Corporation agreed to give back part of the collection provided that the First Nations communities build museums in Alert Bay and nearby Cape Mudge. On November 1, 1980, the U’mista Cultural Centre opened in Alert Bay. In that centre, DVD footage depicts the emotional opening ceremonies, when native elders who witnessed the confiscation of their treasures 60 years earlier were moved to tears. I enter the display area from the right, as a dancer does at a potlatch. I can only imagine the sense of loss felt by the indigenous community when these superb works of art were taken from them. The first objects are groups of coppers, pieces of metal hammered into the shape of a shield and decorated with intricate de-

and brotherhood. The thunderbird shoots lightning from its eyes and creates thunder by flapping its wings, while its dandruff falls to earth as hail. The killer whale mask contains elaborate hinged parts that simulate the movement of the fins and jaw. Other masks represent mythical or supernatural creatures. One of the most striking, hamsiwe, the man-eating bird, sports a long hinged beak trimmed with shredded cedar bark. Atlak’im, the forest spirit, comes from a dramatic story about a young boy mistreated by his father who ran away to commit suicide. Attempts at drowning and starvation instead resulted in his selfpurification. The sympathetic spirits of the forest then bestowed him with supernatural powers. Dzunuk’wa, giant, human-like creatures with deep-set eyes and hairy bodies, are the basis of the Sasquatch legend. In most accounts, dzunuk’wa is female. She is often used to discipline children, who are told that if they wander from the village, she will carry them to her mountain home and devour them. The spiritual energy here is palpable. I half expect these masks to Alert Bay’s busy harbour offers complete marina facilities and access to ﬁshing, whale watching, and eco-tourism excursions.

signs. Some are several feet in length. Coppers represent an ancient banking system and increased in value each time they were sold by the chiefs and nobility. In earlier times all feasts and potlatches were financed by the sale of coppers. Today, they symbolize ancient wealth and the license to hold potlatches. Nineteenth century traders would sometimes swap thousands of Hudson’s Bay Company blankets for a single copper. In 1922, the Department of Indian Affairs appraised the entire potlatch collection at $1,495 when they removed it to Ottawa, while the ‘Namgis people valued the coppers alone at over $35,000. Following the coppers are the masks, many decorated in a swirl of vivid colours. Some represent the raven, bear and wolf, creatures that are sacred to the ‘Namgis. Several headdresses depict the horns and orange beak of the thunderbird. Sent by the creator as the protector of man, this “ruler of the sky” symbolizes family unity 12 10

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start dancing before me. After leaving the cultural centre, I visit the ‘Namgis Burial Grounds, one of the few places on the B.C. coast where undisturbed totem poles are found on their original site. Others have been gathered elsewhere and placed here. A sign asks visitors to stay off the sacred grounds, but I can easily view the poles from a nearby sidewalk. Some are badly decayed from hundreds of years of exposure; a few have been left to decompose and return to the earth. Back on the ferry, I catch a final glimpse of Alert Bay. A bald eagle soars above the mist-shrouded town. I understand now that the physical size of a place and the dimensions of its soul don’t necesSL sarily go hand in hand. For all the IF YOU GO information, visit www.seniorlivingmag. com/nativepride

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Local Travel

ALL ABOARD! A day on the M.V. Frances Barkley

BY MARGARET GROWCOTT

ancy a cruise anyone? For those not inclined to spend a week or more on a huge cruise ship, packing a gigantic wardrobe in order to dress up for dinner every night, here is the perfect answer – a day on the M.V. Frances Barkley cruising along the scenic Alberni Inlet to Barkley Sound. A solution for those who hate to leave their beloved canine friends behind, dogs are allowed on this trip, as long as they are on a leash and remain on deck for the duration of the voyage. The Frances Barkley, a small freighter, can carry 200 passengers and 100 tons of cargo. Built in Norway in 1958, this sturdy vessel transports building supplies, groceries, fuel, equipment and mail for residents and businesses such as logging camps, tree planters, fish farms,

fishing guides and the Native Community. In 1990, the ship came to B.C. and was renamed after the truly remarkable Frances Hornby Trevor, a young English woman. Her story, showing her strength of character and sense of adventure when she married Captain Williams Charles Barkley in 1786 and came to B.C.’s West Coast, is legendary. Port Alberni with its beautiful Inlet is named after Pedro de Alberni, Lieutenant Colonel of the Spanish army, stationed at Nootka from 1790– 1792, although it is MV Frances Barkley doubtful he ever actuin Alberni Inlet. ally set foot in the Alberni area. As soon as they’re on board the Frances Barkley, passengers can relax with breakfast, while the crew loads freight at the Port Alberni dock. Once under way, the voyage emu-

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Local Travel lates the slower pace of bygone days: there is plenty of time to look for wildlife, as well as make the acquaintance of fellow passengers. On any given journey, travellers from all over the world climb on board. Time, also, to chat to the ship’s crew when they are not engaged in handling or unloading cargo at a float or wharf. About an hour after leaving Alberni harbour, presided over by towering Mount Arrowsmith, first stop on the Bamfield route is at the floating Kildonan Post Office. Pylons that once supported the former fish cannery can still be seen jutting out of the water behind it. Some enterprising West Coast residents have built their homes and businesses here, and receive mail on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays. Kildonan is the name of a small town in Scotland, where the Wallace brothers came from; they started their fish canning business, Wallace Fisheries, at this site in 1910. The Post Office

owners, Peter and Pam Horton, take their mail and supplies and wave as the Frances Barkley pulls out again. Next stop is Haggard Cove, where there is a development of recreational homes, as well as a fishing lodge and marina, and roads that lead nowhere in particular. Sometimes, the Skipper slows down in mid-channel, decreasing the throttle to await a dinghy speeding out from an oyster farm for an unorthodox mail

pick-up at a pre-arranged rendezvous. A crew member hands over the parcel to the smiling recipient, who waves to the Frances Barkley and then heads back to shore. Occasionally, a cruise ship is encountered en route to Port Alberni from Seattle, creating waves between the small and the much larger vessel. Before reaching Bamfield, a stop is sometimes made at the former site of another cannery built in 1919, now the home of the San Mateo Bay Salmon Hatchery.

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Local Travel ing station, where many passengers boxed goods to us at the harbour. We disembark with canoes, kayaks and offload to most residents at their own camping gear for the Broken Group Is- private dock if possible.” lands. The “Broken Group” consists of over 100 rocky islands located in Barkley Sound, a haven of sand-fringed bays and sheltered coves with the majestic backdrop of coastal forests. Arriving in Ucluelet, there is an hour to visit the shops or take one of several interesting walks. This charming coastal town, MV Frances Barkley leaving Bamﬁeld, Alberni Inlet. whose economy has Every day, the boat leaves Port Albeen based mainly in fishing and forestry, has a thriving tourism industry. berni Harbour at 8 a.m. Return time Its proximity to the Long Beach sec- differs each day depending on freight, tion of the Pacific Rim National Park, but can be around 5 p.m. from BamBarkley Sound and the Broken Group field or 7 p.m. after the longer trip to Islands is a mecca for beachcombers, Ucluelet. Booking is recommended by phone or email in the summer months. sports fishermen and whale watchers. Breakfast and lunch are available on Mike Surrell, owner of Lady Rose Marine Services, which operates the all sailings. On the leisurely voyage, daily sailing says, “We offer tourism there is ample time to enjoy the scenand freight, giving service to the Al- ery with plenty of indoor and outdoor berni Inlet and all the outlying commu- seating, and spontaneous comments nities towards the ocean. Without the given by the Skipper on points of inFrances Barkley, it would be difficult terest and wildlife. Common sights are for them to function. Residents in more various whales, including orca, gray remote communities of the Alberni In- and humpback, sea lions and seals, let phone their grocery orders to Safe- sea otters, bears, bald eagles and many way or Quality Foods that deliver the other coastal birds. Bring your binoculars, camera, and wear casual clothes for a thoroughly enjoyable day aboard MOVING • PACKING • UNPACKING • SORTING • DOWNSIZING • CLEARING a working packet freighter. Because of the early start each day, Does the thought of downsizing or moving overwhelm you? a number of hotels and B&B establishLET CHANGING PLACES TAKE CARE OF EVERY DETAIL. ments in Port Alberni offer special rates Not moving? We can adjust your home to age in place. and packages to coincide with sailings, Whatever the task, you can depend on our professional even providing transport to the harbour, team to get the job done. where there is limited parking. SL CALL JANE TODAY FOR

Photos: Courtesy of Lady Rose Marine Services

At noon, Bamfield comes into sight, a quaint fishing village, tucked into the southwest corner of Barkley Sound. It is home to a branch of the Canadian Coast Guard, as well as the Bamfield Marine Station, a western Canadian Universities Marine Biological Research Facility. Also housed here is the Rix Centre for Ocean Discoveries, a combined marine/coastal science laboratory, classroom complex and conference centre. In the summer months, tours can be arranged to see this impressive institution. Whilst in Bamfield, walk the picturesque boardwalk on one side with its cafés and art studios; then take the water taxi over to the other side of town. Here, hikers of the famous West Coast Trail disembark for their rugged trek, and supplies are unloaded for the Bamfield Grocery Store. For more time in this jewel of a village, described as a diver’s paradise, a fisherman’s dream and a nature-lovers delight, travel on a Sunday when there is a two-and-a-half-hour stopover, or stay a few nights at the Bamfield Lodge, until the Frances Barkley calls again. Summer sailings give an option from the beginning of June to midSeptember, when a slightly longer voyage is offered to Ucluelet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Sunday sailings go to Bamfield and Broken Group Islands during summer months. En route to Ucluelet, a stop is made at Sechart Lodge, a former whal-

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Local Travel

The Sea-To-Sky: Not Just a Highway!

BY VALERIE GREEN

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Photo: Valerie Green

here else in British Columbia can you enjoy spectacular scenery, pan for gold at an historic mine, observe eagles in their natural habitat, relax at a magical resort or ski and snowboard on superb powder – and all in one day? A trip along Highway 99, better known as “The Sea-to-Sky” makes all this possible. The highway is far more than just a connecting route between Vancouver and Whistler, one of Canada’s world-renowned ski resorts. Since having received its official designation number “99” in 1942, the highway has improved and re-invented itself. The total length from the U.S. border at one end, to the Pemberton/ Lillooet junction at the other, is 409 km, but the section between Vancouver and Whistler, known as the Sea-to-Sky, is the part that is full of interesting surprises. In 2006, the U.K. newspaper The Guardian officially listed it as the fifth best road trip to take in the Pacific Northwest. As you head north, you can easily visualise those historic routes (the Pemberton Trail and the Gold Rush Heritage Trail) that once linked the coast with the interior of British Columbia. Long before the days of the automobile, Coast Salish First Nations people traded along those routes and, in the 1850s, gold prospectors used them to head towards the Cariboo gold fields. A century later, a growing interest in skiing on London Mountain (since renamed Whistler Mountain) prompted the provincial government to construct a better road by the mid-1960s, from Horseshoe Bay (near Vancouver) via Squamish to Whistler. A major update of the Sea-to-Sky prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics made the route a much safer one. Nonetheless, during extreme winter weather conditions, sections of the highway can still be treacherous, despite improvements like rock scaling, passing lanes, concrete separation barriers and bridge reinforcements. After leaving Horseshoe Bay, the highway travels parallel to Howe Sound for 21 km towards the community of Lions Bay and then continues north for another 21 km through some breathtakingly scenic vistas. Less than five minutes past the Furry Creek Golf Resort is the community of Britannia Beach, where a visit to the well-signposted Britannia Mine Museum is a must. The museum was first opened to the public in 1975. Today, guided 45-minute tours are offered, but it is best to allow at least two hours for a visit to the museum. This gives enough time to pan for gold, ride a train underground into the bowels of the earth, see all the frequently changing exhibits and watch a 15-minute film.

The Britannia story began in 1888 when a Scottish doctor, Alexander Forbes, visited the area hoping to find his fortune in Howe Sound. He was shown some interesting rock samples by a local prospector who then took him on a hunting trip during which they noticed the hoof prints of a buck deer had exposed some mineralized rock beneath the moss. Further clearing of the undergrowth revealed what would soon become one of the largest copper deposits in the world. That was the beginning of the Britannia Mine, although, at first, progress was slow. In 1889, mining engineer George Robinson managed to get some financial backing to form companies. The Britannia Mining and Smelting Company, a branch of the Howe Sound Company, eventually took control of the site. By 1904, ore was being shipped out and the mine achieved full production the following year with a processing plant – Mill 1. This was also the beginning of the community of Britannia Beach. The complete story of the gradual growth of Mills 2 and 3, tragedies through the years caused by rock and snow slides, the growth of thriving nearby communities, the extraction of zinc, gold and silver in addition to copper from the 150 miles of mining tunnels, and the unionization of the Britannia Mines in 1946, is a fascinating one. Between 1904 and 1974, the Britannia Mines became the largest producers of copper in the British Empire. Prior to 1956, when a rail line was built to the area, Britannia Beach was only accessible by boat. A road was built in 1958. During the Mines’ 70-year existence, 60,000 people of many dif-

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ferent races were employed. In 1974, due to increased costs and taxes, the mines were closed down. One year later, the museum was opened on the site to honour and preserve its history. In 1988, Mill 3 was designated as a National Historical Site, and the museum was designated a British Columbia Historic Landmark the following year. In the years since, both Britannia Beach and the Britannia Mines have been used as locations for many feature films and TV series, including Insomnia, Double Jeopardy, The X-Files, Free Willy II, Intersection, Friday the 13th and Journey to the Centre of the Earth – to name a few. Continuing along the highway, the town of Squamish is the next stop. Situated at the head of Howe Sound and with a population of only 16,000, the town is overshadowed by the mountain The Stawamus Chief (The Chief) towering 700 m above the town. It is claimed to be the second largest granite monolith in the world. For many decades, Squamish enjoyed a peaceful isolation from the rest of British Columbia but, today, it is a thriving community. Currently, there is a division of opinion about the possibility of constructing a gondola, which would climb between The Chief and neighbouring Shannon Falls. Although this would increase the tourism industry and enable people to enjoy spectacular views in all directions, some believe it could also destroy the serene atmosphere of the town. Brackendale, a residential community centred on local art, is situated a few miles to the north of Squamish. The Art Gallery includes a theatre, a teahouse and many ongoing exhibits. But most folk come to Brackendale for one reason only – the annual bald eagle count, which happens between November and January. In 1994, over 4,000 eagles were counted there along the Squamish River on Government Road. Sadly, numbers have dwindled yearly since then. Continuing along the highway, the next stop for exploration is one of the biggest surprises offered by the Sea-to-Sky. The Brew Creek Centre is a resort of unparalleled magical beauty, and can be found just past the sign for Pine Crest. Secluded in 12 acres of deep forest, it is an oasis of delight; the ideal setting “far from the madding crowd” for those special occasions such as weddings, retreats, conferences or business gatherings. Finally, you reach Whistler, the wonder of it all. Over two million people visit Whistler annually and most come for the alpine skiing and snowboarding in winter or the mountain biking in summer. Despite the growth of Whistler, the pedestrian-only section of the village has been retained. The “village” has won many awards and, since the mid-1990s, has been voted among the top destinations to visit in North America. The 2010 Winter Olympics certainly put Whistler on the world map, but the unsurpassed beauty of this Pacific Northwest destination has always been there to enjoy. In fact, this entire area makes one realize why the road trip along the Sea-to-Sky is rated so highly – and why, once bitten by the many delights offered along the way to that delightful alpine village in the mountains, so many people return. SL

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JUNE 2012

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Local Travel

Nk’Mip Resort Revitalizes BY JAMES ELLSWORTH

hen one thinks of getting away to the Okanagan, it is usually for some golf and wine and, maybe, some beach and harvest time. One destination offers it all and more. Situated in the southern Okanagan Valley, overlooking Osoyoos Lake and abutting the unique arid Sonora Desert, is a 4.5 star resort that is like a nirvana of getaways. Get ready for a stay that is more than relaxing. If you let it, the 200-acre Nk’Mip Resort attends to all one’s senses and needs. Nk’Mip (pronounced inn Ka meep, meaning “bottomland”) is an antidote to a frenetic life. To relax, stay in one of the 226 luxury condo-style suites of

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also try re-evaluating.

the Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort, one of the almost 400 recreational vehicle sites, or camp lakeside. But go beyond mere accommodation. Try re-energizing at the on-site Solstice Spa or fitness centre or the Nk’Mip Cellars winery. Enjoy recreation by golfing at Sonora Dunes or hiking the desert pathways to nearby Osoyoos. Soothe yourself with some swimming in a pool or warm lake, or paddling nonmotorized watercraft. Explore via horseback or bikes or even helicopter tour. But most importantly, reconnect with the environment. The Osoyoos Indian Band and its 10 partners aim to give visitors a balm for a busy life with an added dimension. While one is reinvigorating, one can

The Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre

Opened in 2006, the $9 million centre is a marvel of culture and environmental awareness. Built into the hillside, the ochrecoloured strata of the rammed-earth Wall of Discovery beckons you. Inside, guests are gently embraced by the Osoyoos culture; it even may be the iconic coyote trickster’s design, which is the theme of one of the brilliant films. Outside and inside comingle with the Chaptik legends of the four animal chiefs depicted in metal sculptures and the Osoyoos language embedded in familiar places, like restrooms. The tasteful and manageable museum attests to the Osoyoos’ foresight and connectedness to their ecosystem. For instance, they established a Day School in the 1930s, avoiding the excesses of an off-site residential school program; and, nearby, there are glassed-in protected rattlesnakes, an osprey nest, and a teaching and performance amphitheatre, which is part of their pledge to be stewards of the land. Keeping the culture alive, helping visitors to become aware, saving endangered species, and mixing past, present and future are special features of the centre. A visit will certainly get you thinking. Charlotte Stringam, General Manager of the centre is also an elder of the Osoyoos Band and four-term Councillor. She says, “Bringing back the culture is my proudest legacy,” which

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includes native and non-native interpreters, the archaeological re-creations of pit houses, sweat lodges, tule (bulrush) mat teepees, and Chaptik connections. She is planning new “come-back activities” like ropes programs, cliff rappelling, and salmon-fishing excursions. “We have to think of our children’s children, and the activities will not only help us to care for the land, but also provide jobs,” says Charlotte. Perhaps it is that forward thinking that brings approximately 18,000 people here each year. The Cultural Centre is an ideal way to begin relaxing and give you pause to consider your surroundings. But don’t pause too long because there is lots to explore.

Golf and Wine

Photos: James Ellsworth

The Sonora Dunes 9-hole golf course is situated above the resort units. It is a par-35 and only 2,500 yards, so “you can put your driver away,” says Assistant Course Manager Mary Bourne. However, it is a tight course, target golf even, nestled in the desert and below awesome rock cliffs with panoramic views.

The rammed earth wall of the Desert Centre designed by Saltspring Island’s Meror Krayenhoff.

Open year-round, a Snow Bird Tournament is held each March called Battle of the Provinces. When looking for an errant ball in the desert, watch for quail or the occasional deer. Come summertime, Mary advises playing in the early morning or at dusk to avoid the desert heat. It can be a tiring walk around the course, but Nk’Mip Cellars is less than 100 metres downhill from the pro shop. Nk’Mip wines have a wonderful reputation and awards to prove it, winning 76 international awards in 2011 competitions alone. Nk’Mip vineyards started in 1968, and have some of the oldest vines producing a full range of varietals on various terroirs set on reserve land from Oliver to Osoyoos. The Nk’Mip Cellars Vineyard and Winery is located just past the Hunter Sculpture and offers a pictorial history, knowledgeable servers for wine-tasting, and a patio view overlooking Merlot vines. Their reserve wines are called Qwam Qwmt, a name devised

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Local Travel by Band elders (pronounced quam quempt, meaning “achieving excellence”). Focusing on quality, not quantity, the 2008 QQ Merlot and Syrah won gold at the 2011 Canadian Wine Awards, as did the 2009 Pinot Noir. Justin Hall, the young assistant wine maker, was educated in Oliver and New Zealand. He started working at Nk’Mip Resort as a golf course keeper, so mixes vocation and avocation. His favourite wine is the Syrah, but for golf at Sonora Dunes, he advises using your seven-iron and celebrating a good score with Pinot Blanc, the wine he makes, which won silver at the 2011 West Coast Wine Competition. Whether it’s natural sights and fragrances in the desert or the bouquet of a fine wine, Nk’Mip seems to raise the question, “why are we here?”

Nk’Mip: Considering the Seventh Generation

Charlotte Stringam may say it was the coyote trickster spirit at work. However, after some time gazing at the sunset silhouettes, smelling the wild sage, or sipping wine while listening to lapping wavelets you may feel yourself waxing philosophical or at least becoming reflective. Everywhere, there is evidence that we are stewards of the land, and we must consider our children and grandchildren and their grandchildren, a value called the seventh generation by aboriginal peoples. Certainly, the Osoyoos Band practice this value whether it is the vintners using minimal and natural

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Smoker Marchand sculpture of the warrior.

additives and monitoring water, the RV Park having sewers and pumps tied into the town system, the re-introduction of salmon fry to river spawning, or the establishment of financial trusts for children of the 480-member band from land claim settlements. Your reflections may be on a personal level or larger canvas, but contemplating the idea of the seventh generation tops up your destination stay before you re-enter the fray. Consider yourself revitalized. SL For more information and directions to the resort, visit www.nkmip.com

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Arts & Entertainment

Backstage Dynamo BY JOHN THOMSON

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Andrée Karas embraces Richard Stroh backstage at the Jericho Arts Centre.

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Photo: John Thomson

“T

he Playhouse is a major loss in this city,” says Andrée Karas, the President and Artistic Director of United Players, Vancouver’s oldest community theatre at 53 years and counting. “Removing their funding makes us realize how vulnerable we all are in the arts community.” Andrée is a zealot when it comes to the arts, especially performance. For the past 30 years, she’s been the driving force behind one of the city’s more active venues. And while everyone is pursuing the same theatre-going audience, she says the loss of one theatre company affects them all. “I’m not here to compete against other companies,” says Andrée. “I feel that theatre and the arts in general should be an inclusive thing not a competitive one. If you’re in trouble, I will help you. If I’m in trouble, I feel you should help me.” And the Playhouse certainly helped Vancouver’s community theatres, lending out its wardrobe and props to United Players and others at reasonable rates. Community theatre is amateur theatre and it counts its pennies.

Arts & Entertainment Few, if any of the cast and crew, are paid but the plays are as ambitious and the performances as spirited as those experienced downtown. United Players is a small but successful troupe. It enjoys a subscriber base of over 700, a secure and stable workspace and a reputation within theatrical circles for unique and challenging plays. Andrée is the face behind the enterprise. She meets the funders, presses the flesh and argues her case, whether it’s for a community gaming grant or the rights to a London comedy. As a result, United Players enjoys longevity and stability, no easy feat in today’s economic climate. Andrée was born in Shanghai, China in 1942. Her father was a Greek carpet manufacturer and her mother an Italian opera singer. It was a tumultuous time for the family as China was embroiled in an ongoing civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists. The family was living on tenterhooks not knowing what would happen next. Although a child of seven, at the time, Andrée remembers the Communist siege of Tientsin and subsequent attack. “We went through Mao Tse Tung’s revolution,” she says. “We saw what it was like to be running away from home, hiding in the basement of the Greek consulate during the battle in the city, where we were protected with other people as Mao was coming into Tientsin.”

After China fell to the Communists in 1950, the family fled to Japan. It was a difficult and stressful time. Having lost all their wealth in China, they learned to conserve and make do with less – a lesson Andrée would apply to United Players later in life. In 1956, the family immigrated to Vancouver, where Andrée’s brother was attending UBC and, in 1964, she married and started a family. This didn’t leave much time for outside activities but, as Andrée puts it, “after 15 years of staying at home, I wanted to get back into the workforce.” A friend took her to see community theatre, and she was hooked. Andrée joined United Players as an amateur actress in 1982 and, one year later, became its president. She has presided over many changes during her tenure. Founded in 1959 by Gwen and John Crowe, the company originally performed amateur theatrics in the basement of St. James United Church, winning prizes and praise along the way. Today, it’s the resident theatre company in a performing arts centre owned and operated by the city’s Parks Board. “Andrée’s definitely a magnet,” says Richard Strachan of her ability to draw talent, audiences and money to United Players. Richard is the president of the Friends of Jericho Arts Centre. Their first task together was to make sure United Players had a home. “We got a lease from the Parks Board and then created

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a Society to run the Centre,” says Richard. This secures the community theatres. United Players also attracts professional venue and allows United Players to rent out its facilities to actors anxious to hone their chops between engagements. other troupes. Equity, the actors’ union, helps out by allowing union ac“It keeps the revenue in the building,” he says. tors to work alongside their non-union colleagues under a United Players also supports itself with season subscrip- special amateur contract. tions and box office receipts augmented by arts and gaming “There’s no ‘take two’ as in the land of film and TV,” says grants. Richard Stroh, one of the leads in the United Players producAndrée mounts five plays per season, a mix of contempo- tion of Burnt by the Sun. Like other actors who flit between rary tragedies and comedies originally perthe stage and the camera, he likes the visformed on the New York or London stage ceral experience that comes with performwith a Greek classic thrown in for good ing in front of an audience. “I don’t feel old. measure. She doesn’t do Shakespeare, she “Not only are you sharing your story I never think about says, because others do it well. with cast mates, but with an audience who “The key is to have professional direcis emotionally invested in your journey. my age.” tors. That is where I will not compromise,” They are there to be swept away into an–Andrée Karas she says. “I pick the plays and I hire the diother world, to be entertained and moved. rectors, and I’m told the reason they direct Theatre audiences are different, and I love for us is our choice of plays, so I feel proud how, as an actor, you can use that energy.” of my choices.” “Andrée’s selection of plays is geared to challenge actors,” She buys the rights at amateur rates and then mobilizes says Alexis Kellum Creer, another United Players alumnus. an army of volunteers, many with professional experience, to She says emerging actors, in particular, like working with Anhelp with lighting, sound, wardrobe and props. drée because it can lead to future work. “She has the reputa“We try to fill our roles with non-Equity actors, if we can,” tion of creating quality productions that attract professional she says. That includes Langara College grads from Studio companies looking for talent.” 58, UBC, SFU and Capilano, as well as veterans from other Andrée loves her actors and her directors, but she’s been

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known to butt heads with prima donnas. She gets things done, but she’s also aware she ruffles feathers. “Oh yes, I’m sure I do. I try to be generous and understanding with people, but I have to protect our interest,” she says. “That’s the bottom line. We take our business seriously and we take our audience very seriously.” Andrée is very serious, indeed, about United Players. It consumes her 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sure, there are days when the pressure gets her down. Leaving her post would give her more time to spend with her two daughters, Christina and Irene, and it would allow her to travel more often with her husband, George, but Andrée has no intention of retiring soon from her unpaid and all-consuming position. “I don’t feel old. I never think about my age,” she says. “I just think of myself as still being able to be active and to still have my brain with me.” And the brain says to keep fighting for community theatre. She says her biggest challenge – meeting the budget – is also her greatest accomplishment, thanks to those desperate days in the Far East. “This is where I learnt how to do a lot with very little,” says Andrée. “I take pride in being able to put on a play with as little expense as possible… It’s an art and I’m proud to be SL able to do that.”

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ears ago, I wrote a book – Never Hitchhike on the Road Less Travelled – that in hindsight, was mistitled. It should have been tagged, I Hate It When She’s Right. The book was a collection of humorous travel stories, the kind of “holidays from hell” we’ve all been through, except I took notes. Good book according to the reviews; a solid seller according to the publisher; wrong title. Here’s why: Monica and I arrived at Pearson Airport for our flight to Lisbon two hours prior to takeoff. Four hours later, we were still in line with several hundred anxious passengers staring at the Air Transat counter employees, who were staring back at us. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the Portuguese. Portugal is a vibrant country of postcard seascapes and breathtaking mountain vistas, a country with outstanding food and wine. However, under what they consider to be the very broad category of check-in

luggage, Portuguese returning home will often include refrigerators, central heating systems, motorcycles and sofas. This flight’s luggage, which ton for ton equalled all the military hardware shipped to Desert Storm, broke the conveyor belt at Pearson Airport behind Air Transat’s check-in counters. The staring contest ended when an Air Transat supervisor came up with a brilliant idea: carry the luggage 20 feet to where the belt was still working! By unanimous vote, he became our choice for Air Transat’s “Employee of the Month.” Everybody was in a bad mood as we left late, arrived late and then spent an hour at Lisbon airport watching luggage go around a long, snaking carousel. The bad news? Our luggage was not to be seen. The good news? Hey, their conveyor belt was working. Apparently, the luggage that refused to board in Toronto later

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refused to get off the plane in Lisbon. Our luggage went to Oporto, 340 km north, a lovely city, I’m told, and a favourite jumping-off point of my clean underwear and tennis racquet. Looking at one suitcase circling around the ramp for an hour, I thought, “I wonder what size that guy is?” I’m here two weeks, I can wear anything. We spent another hour waiting in line with a disgruntled group of passengers, filling out lost luggage forms. Then, we went down to the lobby of the airport to pick up our rental car, which, suspiciously enough, was ready to go. It was dank, dreary and pouring rain in Lisbon. After being up for 34 hours straight, I was slapping myself on the back of the head to stay awake as I drove up the narrow streets of Lisbon towards our hotel at the top of the highest hill in the old Graca area. The Senhora do Monte is small, clean and quiet, with terrific views of St. George’s Castle and all of downtown Lisbon. I couldn’t wait to drop our passports on the front desk and pass out between the sheets. Oddly, people on the street were waving to us from under umbrellas and inside doorways. Although I couldn’t remember exactly what I had done on my last trip here, I had obviously made quite an impression on the locals. They were genuinely excited to see me. And that’s why I love Portugal! The people are the friendliest in all of Europe. As the streets got narrower and steeper, the rain pounded harder and the people kept waving. Finally, one guy jumped straight into the path of the car with his hands raised. I hit the brakes, stopping in front of him. Travel tip: in Portugal, when people shout “Bomberos!” it is not an endearing term meaning “frequent foreign visitor.” It means “Firemen!” That’s right, concerned citizens of Lisbon were waving because our car was on fire. Driving up the steep streets, I could not see the smoke coming out the bottom of the car. They could. The good news is it’s raining so hard that as soon as I popped the hood the fire was extinguished. We abandon the car. That’s now somebody else’s problem. The bad news is it’s raining so hard I can barely see the Castle St. George at the top of the mountain, which is next to our hotel. I estimate we have 50 minutes to trudge uphill through the stinging rain. Thoroughly drenched we plod ever upward one foot in front of the other when Monica says something rather diabolic. “This,” she says, “could be worse.” You have to understand I am jetlagged, sleep-deprived, soaked and cranky, so I will clean up my response to Monica. “How in the … heck, could this … gosh darn situation be worse … Dear?” I said. And Monica said something that I will never forget, she said: “We could have luggage to carry!” As I said, I hate it when she’s right … which would have been SL an excellent title for my book on travel.

BIG

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William Thomas is the author of nine books of humour including Never Hitchhike on the Road Less Travelled. For comments or ideas or to purchase books, visit www.williamthomas.ca WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

JUNE 2012

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CLASSIFIEDS THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU of Vancouver Island is located at 220-1175 Cook St., Victoria BC V8V 4A1. Toll-free phone line for Up-Island 1-877-826-4222 (South Island dial 250-386-6348). www.bbbvanisland.org E-mail: info@bbbvanisland.org SAANICH VOLUNTEER SERVICES seeks receptionist/dispatcher for Fridays 9:00 – 12:30. Book drives, greet people and enter info in database.. Call 250-595-8008. WANTED: Old Vancouver or Victoria Chinatown documents, photographs, advertising, correspondence (in Chinese or English). Wanted: Canadian missionaries, travellers, or diplomats in China: diaries, photographs, paintings, antiques. Call Mr. Tokerud 250-3812230 bjarnetokerud.com COLLECTOR SEEKING vintage/collectable cameras, binoculars and microscopes. Nikon, Leica, Contax, Rolleiﬂex, Zeiss, Canon, etc. Mike 250-383-6456 or e-mail: msymons6456@telus.net SUCCESSFUL AGING with Home Instead Senior Care: “You’ve lived in your home for years. With a little help, maybe you still can. We’re a little help! Call us for a free consultation at 250-382-6565. HEALING CONSULTANT / FACILITATOR Specializing in Health Assessment in Home. Helping You Find Your Way To Be Well. Call 250-686-3081. WE COME TO YOU Earth’s Option – Cremation and Burial Services, low cost cremation and burial services. 778-440-8500 www.earthsoption.com CEDAR SENIOR FIDDLERS Serving Ladysmith, Cassidy, Cedar, Chemainus & South Nanaimo Fridays 3:15 - 4:15 for New Beginners. Fridays 4:30 - 5:30 for Upper Beginners who can play 8 tunes or more. Instructor: Geoff Horrocks. $30/month. Location: Cedar United Church Register now for September 2012 start. Phone Cindy 250-245-5778

WANTED: OLD POSTCARDS, stamp accumulations, and pre-1950 stamped envelopes. Also buying old coins, medals and badges. Please call Michael 250-652-9412 or email fenian@shaw.ca DRIVING MISS DAISY Vancouver Island Victoria 250-588-4638 - Sidney/Peninsula 250-507-2336 - Westshore 250-813-0440 - Nanaimo/Qualicum/Parksville 250-714-5980 - Comox Valley 250-650-2010. HEALING FOOT CARE by Nurse Foot Care Specialist Marcia Goodwin R.N.,B.Sc.N. 35 yrs. Nsg. Experience • Caring • Comprehensive • Professional • Gentle 250-686-3081. (Victoria Area) PROFESSIONAL CAREGIVER/COMPANION skilled with families, eldercare & dementia. Strong work ethic. Compassionate and reliable. Light housekeeping, gardening & outings. Call Katrina 250-370-7830; 250-5981846 (cell). RUTH M.P HAIRSTYLING for Seniors in Greater Victoria. In the convenience of your own home! Certiﬁed Hairdresser. Call - 250893-7082. MOBILE FOOT CARE NURSE Ladysmith to Qualicum Cutting, ﬁling of thick and fungal nails. Calluses, dry skin (peeling). DVA client’s no up front cost. Katherine Evans, LPN 250327-0749. CUBA – ‘Spanish Studies in Cuba’ (Havana), $2,500.00 Can. for 4 wks. Hotel with breakfast and dinner, tuition fee. (Air fare not included). 250-478-0494 ssic@telus.net

Come out and enjoy a FREE celebratory open-air concert for the city of Victoria’s 150th birthday! Saturday, June 2nd 12 noon - 4pm Market Square

BSEKASDTEAL

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Y ! WL TED NE OVA N E R

ALA

EAR! OF THE Y

DEBI’S MOBILE HAIR SERVICES in the comfort of your home for everyone in your family. Serving the Victoria area. Please call Debi at 250-477-7505. PROFESSIONAL, RELIABLE, EFFICIENT HOUSE CLEANER Victoria & Surrounding area. $18-$20/hour. Can use eco-friendly products. Weekends only. Please call Nicole 250686-0603. ARTHRITIS YOGA IN VICTORIA Powerful gentle therapy for arthritic joints. Build strength and stretch out of pain with ease. Call 250-3600704. FOOT CARE NURSE John Patterson LPN Providing mobile footcare in Nanaimo. 18 years of nursing experience. Home, facility, and hospital visits. Qualiﬁed nursing foot care for toenails corns and calluses. Direct billing for DVA clients. 250-390-9266.

If you had Cancer...

which healing method would you choose? Chemo & Radiation, or Alternative Medicine?

Make a well-advised decision. Visit www.CayoAlernativeResort.com or call 250-713-5622

We Treat the Cause - Not the Symptom

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING $45 for 20 words or less. $1.75 per extra word. BW only. Red spot color 10% extra. Boxed Ad - Small (2.2 x 1.2) $125. Plus tax. Ads must be paid at booking. Cheque / Credit Card accepted. Ph. 250-479-4705, Toll-free 1-877-479-4705. Email: ofﬁce@seniorlivingmag.com Deadline: 15th of the month. Make cheque payable to: Senior Living, Magazine 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

14-NIGHT ALASKA CRUISE Vancouver Roundtrip

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OCTOBER 2009 39

SCAM ALERT T

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Timeshares: Know the Facts Before You Buy

imeshare vacation ownership provides an excellent way to visit both domestic and international destinations. However, scams and highpressure sales proliferate in this industry. Before buying and selling a timeshare, it is important to know all the facts, in order to avoid costly mistakes. A timeshare gives you the right, along with other timeshare holders, to own or use property at an allotted time. Usually, this is at a highly sought-after travel destination and the timeshare owner is buying rights to use a resort condominium at a certain time in the year. There are typically two types of timeshares – traditional and points based. With traditional ownership you purchase access to a single property for use during a specific time frame (i.e. one week) each year. With points-based ownership you purchase points you can redeem at differing resort locations each year. This option often comes with flexibility in regards to when you travel and for how long. Often consumers consult with the BBB after they are offered a free trip or other gifts from a timeshare telemarketing company. The trip is a marketing manoeuvre to have consumers do a site inspection of a resort condominium and attend a timeshare sales presentation. At this point, you have to ask the telemarketer if you will first be required to sign a contract and make a down payment before your receive your prize? Will you receive the gifts if you decide not to buy? Are there any other conditions or fees for the “free” trip or prize?

Essential information about timeshares: Do your research. Before impulsively buying into a timeshare opportunity, think about what types of destinations and accommodations you would enjoy most. Shop around before settling on one opportunity. Know your rights. According to the BC Real Estate Act, a consumer has a seven-day rescission period to cancel a contract for real estate timeshare packages. To learn more about your rights, consult with the Financial Institutions Commission (ficombc.ca). Understand costs. Getting involved in a timeshare contract can typically include monthly maintenance fees and other expenses that will impact your travel budget. Before buying, calculate your annual cost over the term of the deal and compare that to the cost of other vacation options or other uses of your money. Get the details. Find out if the timeshare is a title, lease or a club membership, how many years you are buying and if you are buying specific, revolving or floating weeks. Get it in writing. Verify that everything the seller has to do is covered in the contract. Get ALL verbal promises IN WRITING. Do not sign a contract unless you understand it, and do not sign a contract with blanks in it. Check out timeshare companies from across North America: vi.bbb.org (Vancouver Island); mbc.bbb.org (Mainland).

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For more information, contact BBB Mainland BC at 604-682-2711 and mbc.bbb.org or BBB Vancouver Island at 250-386-6348 and vi.bbb.org WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

JUNE 2012

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BY PAT NICHOL

Know When to Hold; Know When to Fold

Photo: Frances Litman

COURAGEOUS and OUTRAGEOUS

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” –Ecclesiastes 3:1

verything we do, every creative process, has stages of growth. Some we may never notice, others have clear defining points. How do we know when it is time to quit? Some of the things we do have external deadlines but, often, the choice is up to us. This is when we must learn to listen to the inner voice that guides our lives. When the going gets tough or a solution seems to be out of reach is not the time to quit. We do, however, need to be able to recognize when we have done all we can or should. Sometimes, we don’t quit when we should because we fear the future. If we give up this thing, we will have to deal with that thing. Or if we move on to something else, we may fail or it may be too difficult. Quitting seems to have a negative connotation for many people. But quitting does not mean giving up. It simply means to cease an activity; freeing you up to begin something new. Sometimes, it is a good idea to quit an activity temporarily

and return to it later, refreshed and with a new viewpoint. Other times, stopping completely is the best course of action. The most important consideration is to do what feels right for you. Attempting to second guess what will happen in the future – whether six months or 10 years out – is pointless. While most of this is referring to unfinished projects, sometimes it becomes equally as difficult to let go of a finished one. It is easy to get immersed in what you have been doing that you can’t imagine being without it. The cure is to begin something new. Let the past go, live in the present and work toward the future. Control your creations and decisions; don’t let them control you. Kenny Rogers said it best, “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know SL when to run.” Pat Nichol is a speaker and published author. Reach her at mpatnichol@gmail.com or visit www.patnichol.com ��

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Est. 1944

Photo: Jason van der Valk

ASK Goldie

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BY GOLDIE CARLOW, M.ED

Dear Goldie: After our family had grown and gone, my wife and I moved to a small apartment. We have three children, four adult grandchildren and five lively great grandchildren. We love them dearly but find it exhausting when all of them visit on the same day. We hate to complain when we are so fortunate to have them, but there must be some way to approach this without hurting feelings. –W.L. Dear W.L.: As people age, they have less tolerance for crowds and noise. At some point in the near future, arrange for your children to visit without their children. Explain that you tire more easily now that you are older and would like smaller groups of them to visit at a time. This will not offend them. They are adults and will realize adjustments can be made so the visits are less exhausting. Dear Goldie: My wife and I like to travel and we take a six-week vacation every summer. A problem seems to be developing about our destinations. Since we have been to so many wonderful spots, our choices for new locations are narrowing and it causes conflict. As a result, we seem to be losing something in our relationship. The problem seems trivial, but neither of us wants our marriage to fall apart. We will appreciate your advice. –R.C.

Relining a denture fills the base of the denture where the gums have shrunk and changed. A denture that was made two to three years ago can usually benefit from relining. Generally speaking, dentures older than this have more than fit surface issues to address. Tooth wear affects jaw relationship or the bite. This must be fixed or a reline will not be affective.

�� Over time, the cusps or “bumps” on the teeth can become flattened or smooth. Flat surfaces don’t cut very well. Edges or “spillways” can be cut into the teeth to simulate cutting edges but often there’s a more important element that needs to be addressed. If you have lost tooth mass, your teeth are no longer holding your jaws apart at the right distance. Your jaws are “over-closing” which compromises the muscle strength of your jaws which, in turn, reduces your biting force. This makes it feel like your teeth are dull. The proper solution is to first re-establish correct jaw position to maximize muscle strength resulting in greater biting and chewing efficiency. Whether you need your current dentures to fit more comfortably, or you are getting your first set of dentures, Tracy invites you to contact her for a free consultation.

Dear R.C.: Any problem that causes conflict in a good marriage is not trivial. It is fortunate that you both realize this is a threat to your relationship. You need to make an appointment with a marriage counsellor and be prepared for at least a few sessions. The counsellor SL will help you find a solution.

Tracy Merkley ��

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. Senior Peer Counselling Centres – Island

Senior Peer Counselling Centres – Mainland

Campbell River 250-287-3044 Courtenay/Comox 250-890-0099 Duncan 250-748-2133 Nanaimo 250-754-3331 Port Hardy 250-949-5110 Salt Spring Island 250-537-4607 Sidney 250-656-5537 Victoria 250-382-4331

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

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Central Park ��

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Reﬂections THEN & NOW

ave you ever heard someone say, “I’ve changed my mind”? How can a person change their mind? Changed it for what? A year’s subscription to Reader’s Digest? A dozen grapefruit? We can change our plans, our socks, even, at times, our desires, but we can’t change our minds. Or how about when someone moans, “I think I’m losing my mind”? Have you ever seen or heard of a lostand-found for misplaced minds? We can perhaps challenge our minds, can allow our minds to be put under severe pressure, even neglect to use them to their full potential, but we can’t lose them. Even under extreme testing, the mind might shut down for a time, but it’s still there – even if it’s enjoying a holiday! I said something to someone recently and they responded with, “Boy, that’s a mindbender!” We can’t bend our minds. I suppose we can stretch them a little, but not bend them. I sure wouldn’t want to end up with a bent mind.

I have heard a group say, “We are all of one mind.” Twelve or more people in a room with only one mind? BY That’s scary! How about, “I have a mind to punch him in the nose.” A mind can’t punch anyone in the nose. But then, if it could, his mind might out-punch my mind. That would be really embarrassing. So, I’d better mind what I’m saying. There are, of course, legitimate things we say about our or others’ minds: a “brilliant mind”; a “creative mind”; a “productive mind.” But when I hear someone say, “Wow, man, that blows my mind!” or “That’s mind blowing,” I get upset, especially when their heads don’t explode. Ah, don’t mind me. I just had a mind to gripe about the mind for a while. I guess I should just be minding my own business; or minding my manners. I think we should be able to purchase mind insurance, especially when our kids are maturing. If they flunk out

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of Grade 8 or 9; or dye their hair blue or purple or orange; or wear lip rings, tongue rings, nose rings and more earrings that they’ve already got – Wham! – Collect 10 grand for a defective mind that didn’t function properly in the first 14 or 15 years. I think that’s a great idea! I’m going to keep it in mind. Once, I said, “I don’t mind…” and before I could finish my sentence, my wife said, “You’ve got that right!” I’m still trying to figure out what she meant. She refuses to tell me – she just said, “Never mind.” Never mind? I don’t think we should be so looselipped about our minds. I don’t think we should be changing them or losing them or groups thinking with just one of them. I’ve a mind to write to our Prime Minister to be mindful of what’s going on around him. He probably wouldn’t pay it any mind though. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll close now. My wife just said, “Good, now don’t go changing your mind.” Oh boy, here we go again! SL

Photo: Krystle Wiseman

DO YOU MIND?

The North Shore’s Newest Retirement Residence

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MOVE IN THIS JUNE!

ith a range of suite sizes, views and monthly rates, take the opportunity to select your preferred suite today. Perfectly located in the heart of Seymour – so you can do your shopping, banking or visit the library right across the street – even go for a nature trail walk near by. Visit us today. Presentation Centre 118-1151 Mt Seymour Road North Vancouver | 604.986.3633 info@cedarspringsresidence.ca cedarspringsresidence.ca

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