January 1, 2025

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 1 2025

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YEAR IN REVIEW4

Fave photos

Check out our top North Shore photos from the past 12 months

WHICH PHOTOS MAKE OUR LIST?

ENTERTAINMENT12

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North Shore content makers building a budding empire

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COMMUNITY SPIRIT

North Vancouver named one of Canada’s most generous cities NICK LABA

nlaba@nsnews.com

The giving spirit is alive and well in the City of North Vancouver.

Thanks to the thousands of donations to local causes throughout the year, GoFundMe has named North Van the second most-giving community in Canada.

According to the platform, more than $1.3 million in total donations were made in the city in 2024. With around 9,000 unique donors in a population of more than 58,000 (per 2021 census), the result is a per-capita donor rate of 15.5 per cent.

That puts the City of North Vancouver just behind generosity rival Victoria, with a donation rate of 21.3 per cent.

Previously, North Van was named most generous in 2021 and 2022.

From small acts of kindness to major community efforts, Canadians are consistently committed to lending a helping hand, said Tim Cadogan, GoFundMe CEO. “People across Canada have exhibited unprecedented kindness and compassion, exemplified by the generosity shown – from supporting a young girl in North Vancouver hoping to train her service dog or donating dollars to keep Continued on A16

Hannah Watt’s service dog Epix has been trained to lay on her for support if she happens to fall. Hannah was able to be paired with Epix thanks to generosity received through a GoFundMe campaign. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

A2 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025

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Harry Greenwood was a signalman on HMS Jaunty, a rescue tug, which sailed in the first wave of D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. NICK LABA / NSN

Kung Jaadee becomes the first storyteller in residence at North Vancouver City Library in March. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

YEAR IN REVIEW

Get your clicks with our fave photos NICK LABA

nlaba@nsnews.com

The year 2024 went by in a flash.

But as the impatient moments ran by, they left behind enough light to be caught by cameras big and small – and eventually echoed on the pages of our newspaper.

It’s true what they say: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s especially true in the news business.

For some, an image of Princess Anne commissioning a Navy vessel in North Vancouver honours the value of tradition and evokes the stability that our tie to the British monarchy provides. To others, it’s

an unwelcome reminder of an antiquated system that affords undue power by birthright to some and not others.

A restored, painted mural on the wall of the Binning Home in West Van is sure to please the many local lovers of heritage architecture. Yet others would prefer the structure replaced by a residence that takes better advantage of the square footage of the lot.

But we can all agree that a magician spinning a Rubix Cube on his finger is cool. Right? Right??

Looking back at the best photos to land on our pages over the past 12 months, Poquito the Harris’s

Hawk made an early appearance in February. His piercing yellow eyes are taken in by handler Katelyn West, who helps to ward off nuisance birds at the North Vancouver Waste Transfer Station.

That portrait was captured by North Shore News ace lensman Paul McGrath, who also took a stunning still of Kung Jaadee, storyteller in residence at North Vancouver City Library in March.

In June, Jane Seyd took a halting wide-angle shot of Alan Bardsley, president of the Old Growth Conservancy Society, passing under a canopy of towering trees among Continued on A6

North Vancouver artist Don Bryan shows off Winestein, the head of a ventriloquist dummy he was commissioned to carve. Bryan is one of thew few remaining artists who makes the talking puppets. BRENT RICHTER / NSN

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025 | A5

Competitive climber Lana Slipicevic practises on a small wall in her coach’s backyard in North Vancouver. NICK LABA / NSN

Come Home to Summerhill PARC Come home to a vibrant, welcoming community where festive gatherings, friendly faces, and a joyous spirit make every day special, including the holidays.

At Summerhill PARC, you’ll enjoy award-winning cuisine prepared by our chefs. Plus, with 24-hour safety and security, you’ll live confidently, knowing we’ve got you covered around the clock.

Our stunning West Coast location offers breathtaking views and a dynamic lifestyle with endless opportunities for social, cultural, and recreational activities.

North Vancouver magician Paul Romhany performs a trick with a Rubik’s Cube. The Academy of Magical Arts awarded Romhany with its Literary and Media Fellowship recognition in May 2024. BRENT RICHTER / NSN

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One-Bedroom suites starting at $4,995.

Plus, ask about our 1-month rent free offer.* *some restrictions apply Tsleil-Waututh Nation veterans Mike Wilson, Celina Dorame and Dennis Owens are honoured during an Indigenous Veterans Day ceremony at Whey-ah-Wichen/Cates Park on Nov. 8. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

Beloved North Vancouver cartoonist Lynn Johnston releases her new kids books series ALottaBotz. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

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A6 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025

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They say a picture is worth 1,000 words

Continued from A4 the 1,937 acres of new parkland designated in West Vancouver.

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France, I had the honour of speaking with and photographing veteran Harry Greenwood in his Ambleside home. The many medals bestowed to him came at a great cost, as he still shudders at the horrors of war, and what they can inflict on all parts of society.

Reporter Brent Richter is handy with a camera too, as seen in his high-contrast portrait of North Vancouver artist and ventriloquist Don Bryan with the head of Winestein, a dummy he was commissioned to carve.

Submitted from outside our newsroom, we enjoyed the photo of NHL playoff champion Sam Reinhart cradling the Stanley Cup in a golf cart at his home course Capilano Golf and Country Club in West Van. He could have shot 100 that day and you wouldn’t know it from his winning grin.

You can see a full gallery with of all our favourite photos at nsnews.com. Thanks for clicking with us.

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, Commander in Chief, Canadian Fleet Pacific, is greeted by Commander Collin Forsberg, Captain of HMCS Max Bernays ahead of the ship’s commissioning ceremony on May 3. CPL. WILLIAM GOSSE / MARPAC IMAGING

Chris Turner hunts for lost rings at Ambleside Beach using his special equipment. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

Katelyn West works with a Harris’s Hawk named Poquito at the North Vancouver Waste Transfer Station. The raptor is used to scare off nuisance birds. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

Alan Bardsley, president of the Old Growth Conservancy Society, stands near an area of second-growth forest which is among 1,937 acres in West Vancouver protected by a new park dedication. JANE SEYD / NSN

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025 | A7

DOWN THE PIPE

Utility rates set to rise for West Van taxpayers ABBY LUCIANO

aluciano@nsnews.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Utility rates are going up for West Vancouver taxpayers again starting in the new year.

In a Dec. 9 meeting, District of West Vancouver council approved the 2025 rates for sewage/drainage, water usage and solid waste.

Here is a breakdown of the rates.

Sewerage and drainage increase 18.46 per cent Sewer and drainage costs are going up from $1,458.03 to an estimated annual charge of $1,859.32, an 18.46 per cent or $343.29 increase from last year for single-family homes.

Multi-family homes will see a $160.50 increase – from $782.06 to $942.56 in 2025.

Most of the cost increase is from the regional sewer and North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant levies. The North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant levy was established to collect construction costs associated with the Metro Vancouver project. The regional sewer levy will

increase from $551.23 to $656.16 – a $104.93 increase for single-family homes.

Other key drivers for increases are municipal sewer operations and maintenance as well as infrastructure and equipment replacement, according to a staff report.

Water utility Water costs for those in West Vancouver will increase $34.41, from $853.69 to $888.10, in the new year for single-family homes.

For multi-family units, they will see an average cost of $316.99, a $12.19 increase from 2024.

In West Vancouver, water utilities are pay-as-you-go, meaning the specific number on the bill will vary between taxpayers.

Staff say primary cost drivers for the 2025 rates are increased operating expenses, infrastructure construction costs associated with the utility, costs of bulk water purchase from Metro Vancouver as well as inflation. However, actual impacts will vary based on metered usage, staff say.

Solid waste Solid waste will see the lowest increase of West Vancouver utilities in 2025.

For single-family homes, solid waste will increase $10.42 from $347.69 to $358.11. Multi-family units will only see a $2.49 increase from $83.16 to $85.65 in the new year.

West Vancouver’s solid waste utility includes services such as curbside garbage and green waste collection, 3rd Street Landfill/Hugo Ray site monitoring, civic building collection program, community waste reduction programs and education and more.

Staff say drivers for solid waste cost increases include increased fuel costs and inflation as well as recycling in parks. Other drivers are new civic and residential garbage, recycling and organics collection contracts beginning July 1, 2025.

All new rates will be in effect starting Jan. 1, 2025.

Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

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C the future?

W

e want to welcome you to 2025. Our crystal ball, unfortunately, doesn’t work any better than yours, but there are some predictions we’re brave enough to make. Donald Trump’s second term in office will be no less an unmitigated disaster than his first (and sequels are never as good as the originals).

Locally, the new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre is slated to open, although who would be surprised to learn it’s been bumped to 2026? And Metro Vancouver’s independent performance audit will shed some light on how our sewage plant project was so badly botched, but the financial hit to ratepayers won’t change a bit.

And we are officially in an election year, federally. When that election happens, though, appears to be in the hands of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who has announced

he will bring a non-confidence motion soon.

For the last four years, Singh has used his party’s votes to prop up the Liberal minority government while trashing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly at every available opportunity. The decision to force an early election while the Liberal caucus is plagued by infighting suggests Singh is more motived by opportunism than anything else.

But whether Trudeau leads the Liberals or not, and whether the election happens in the winter or in the fall, every poll indicates Canada’s political pendulum is set to swing again, and the Conservatives are going to cruise to an easy majority. When the cost of living has skyrocketed as it has, someone always pays, politically. Barring any scandal or some unforeseen seismic shift in the country’s leanings, Singh is likely just hastening the inevitable.

OK, enough predicting. Back to reporting.

Here are the most-clicked North Shore News stories of 2024 ANDY PREST

aprest@nsnews.com

What topic of public concern is most important to you?

Is it climate? That’s got to be it, right?

A crisis of floods and fires that seemingly grows worse by the month? Or is it politics?

Keeping a close eye on the women and men who have the power to shape your world in ways both helpful or harmful?

Or health care? Housing? Business? It must be one of those, right? Are you sure?

Because we have the numbers detailing exactly what garnered the most attention this year on our website. And friends, it wasn’t politics.

Consider this your last chance to recant before we dive in and see what people REALLY are interested in. OK, you asked for it. Here are the 10 most-read stories of 2024,

counting down. Brace yourself for some hard truths – the clicks don’t lie.

10. West Vancouver Exhibit Offers Rare Glimpse Into Modest Home of Arthur Erickson: Alright, that’s an interesting start!

It ticks a few of the standard boxes for highly read stories: history, celebrity (at least in a nerdy architectural sense) and, of course, real estate. Let’s see if any trends form here.

9. Maps Raise Prospect of Disaster Near North Vancouver Town Site: Well, well, well. This one is a comprehensive piece of journalism put together by no less than three of our finest reporters. It’s honestly quite heartening to see this piece on this list.

Turns out that it’s not just stories about hero dogs, weird court cases and real estate that capture your attention.

8. Judge Rejects West Van Homeowner’s Attempt to Halt Neighbour’s Construction:

Oh. Well. Here’s a weird court case, a neighbourly squabble over real estate. This one went to the B.C. Supreme Court, and somehow found its way into our top-10 most-read stories. I guess we do like peeking over the fence when there’s a fracas afoot.

7. West Vancouver Student Dubbed One of the World’s Brightest by Johns Hopkins Centre: This is neat, and not the typical fare of our most-clicked lists. People like superlatives, and the phrase “one of the world’s brightest” must have helped this story climb the list. Nice to see a smart youngster get some well-deserved kudos. Congrats fella.

6. Luxury Mansion in West Vancouver Hits the Market for $26.9M: Oh yeah, that’s the good stuff. Nothing like some good old real estate porn to really get the clicks rolling in.

Throw the words “luxury” and “mansion” into a headline, top it off with some ungodly

CONTACT US 114-400 BROOKSBANK AVE. NORTH VANCOUVER B.C. V7J 2C2 nsnews.com North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday by North Shore News a division of LMP Publication Limited Partnership. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40010186. Mailing rates available on request. Entire contents © 2025 North Shore News a division of LMP Publication Limited Partnership. All rights reserved. Average circulation for the Wednesday edition is 58,911. The North Shore News, a division of LMP Publication Limited Partnership respects your privacy.

We collect, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Statement which is available at www.nsnews.com.

North Shore News is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please email editor@nsnews.com or call the newsroom at 604-985-2131. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.

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sum of money, and you’ve got yourself a most-read story.

5. Tesla Supercharger Queue Jams North Vancouver Parking Lot: This one also combines a lot of fan favourites. Folks love reading about Teslas for some reason. I think there’s a combination of people who think Elon and his rockets are the greatest thing ever, along with people who think the greatest thing ever would be to see Elon on a rocket fired into the sun. Also, parking gets people fired up. That’s just science.

4. Canada Opens Path to Permanent Residency For Families of PS752 Victims: Bit of a surprising one here, considering that the number of people directly affected by this policy might not even be in the triple digits. But this story got a ton of clicks, offering an informative look at the fallout from a Continued on A9

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WE SHOULD AIM FOR THE ‘GOLD STANDARD’ OF ROAD SAFETY Dear Editor:

RE: Teen Struck By Driver on Capilano Road Has Died, North Vancouver RCMP Confirm, Dec. 16 story In December, a 16-year-old girl was killed by a driver on Capilano Road, struck down while simply trying to exist in her community. My heart goes out to her grieving family and friends. As a volunteer with Vision Zero Vancouver, I am outraged and heartbroken, knowing this was almost certainly a preventable death.

The concept of Vision Zero is simple: no loss of life on our roads is acceptable. Yet recently, District of North Vancouver council rejected a proposed road safety plan for Mountain Highway. Coun. Betty Forbes dismissed the plan, saying the district doesn’t need to aim for the “gold standard” of road safety.

But what does it mean to settle for less?

For the family mourning their daughter, it means living with a pain no one should endure.

Road safety measures like raised crosswalks, lower speed limits with automated enforcement, and protected mobility lanes

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must include your name, full address and telephone number. Send your letters via our website: nsnews.com/ opinion/send-us-a-letter. The North Shore News reserves the right to edit any and/or all letters based on length, clarity, legality and content. The News also reserves the right to publish any and/or all letters electronically.

are not luxuries. These changes save lives and reduce injuries for all road users, including drivers. The refusal to prioritize safety perpetuates a culture that accepts preventable deaths as the cost of mobility.

The tragedy on Capilano Road is not an isolated incident. Across Metro Vancouver, vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists, children, and seniors – face disproportionate risks. Communities that embrace the “gold standard” of road safety have demonstrated that fatalities and serious injuries can be drastically reduced. Why should North Vancouver’s residents deserve anything less?

Leadership means valuing human life above convenience or budget constraints.

It means taking bold action to protect the most vulnerable. Every elected official in the District of North Vancouver must ask themselves: how many lives will it take before safety becomes the highest priority?

Vision Zero isn’t just a policy; it’s a moral imperative. For the sake of every family in our community, I urge municipal leaders to rethink their approach. Invest in the gold standard of safety, and don’t wait for another senseless tragedy to take action. Let’s commit to a future where no one else has to write letters like this.

Rhiannon Fox Vancouver

The Pulitzer Prize goes to....

Continued from A8 tragic issue that has many connections to the North Shore.

3. Explosives Experts Continue Sweep for Bombs Near North Vancouver Trails: This entry in the list really demonstrates some of the randomness of the most-clicked calculations. This isn’t a bad story at all – folks are interested to know that there are old bombs next door to them on an old military site. But we’ve written at least a half dozen variations of this same story over the past few years, and this is the only one that garnered huge clicks. Why this one? I guess stories, like old bombs, sometimes just blow up.

2. North Vancouver Park Ranger Catches Tree Cutters Red Handed in Lynn Canyon: This is an interesting one. We’ve learned over the years that North Shore people really love trees. This one also has the “caught red handed” tease, which certainly ramps up the intrigue. And then I love that it was a park ranger on the case. I picture, like, Chip and Dale, Rescue Rangers tracking down an axe-wielding perp, tripping him up with some ridiculous trap made out of fishing wire, a toilet plunger and chewing gum. Anybody

else picture that too? No? Just me?

OK, moving on to….

1. Canada’s Most-Expensive Home For Sale is in West Vancouver: A ha ha ha ha. Yes. This absolutely nails it. And the numbers were huge! This might be, in fact, the mostclicked story I’ve ever seen in my years monitoring the old nsnews.com. No deep investigation, no political scandal. Just a really expensive house. If the Pulitzer Prize has a Showing You Fancy Pictures of a House category, we’re in the running.

But here’s the kicker – as I was putting this column together, my son happened to glance at the screen and absolutely lost his mind when he saw the headline. “Mostexpensive house?! Here!? How much is it?!

Show me the house! Does it have sports facilities?! Does it have a pool?! Show me!!”

OK, fine. Click the link, look at the house.

You know you want to. In fact, you probably already have. I’ve seen the numbers – if you somehow haven’t clicked on that story yet, you’re the only one left.

Andy Prest is the editor of the North Shore News. Find links to all the above stories at nsnews.com.

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north shore news nsnews.com YEAR IN REVIEW

Our favourite animal stories of 2024 BRENT RICHTER

brichter@nsnews.com

If you’re an astute reader of the North Shore News, you’ve maybe seen before the unofficial motto of our newsroom: “Dogs, bears, trees. In that order.” It was the observation of a longtime editorial team member who realized that no matter what stories we thought were most important, our readers would always let us know with their clicks, letters and comments that they’d rather be reading about animals.

To that end, we have compiled a list of our favourite North Shore animal stories of 2024.

Freeway rests at home with owner Adam Bale following her adventure in the North Shore Mountains – falling 100 feet from a cliff and spending more than 24 hours lost on West Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain. COURTESY OF ADAM BALE

No gulls allowed: Raptors employed to patrol North Shore dump In February, reporter Brent Richter and multimedia reporter Alanna Kelly visited the North Shore Recycling and Waste Centre where, for the last five years, Metro Vancouver has been using trained raptors to scare off seagulls.

There, they met Poquito, an eight-year-old Harris’ hawk who is the enforcer around the dump.

“Just seeing him, they know that he’s a hawk, and he’s a predator, he’s apex to them,” said his handler. “And he is very good at his job.”

Without any kind of deterrent, the transfer station might look like something along the lines of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1952 classic The Birds, with gulls getting in the way of people and machinery, coating the vehicles and visitors with guano, and creating public health and safety risks. But not with Poquito on the job.

NOTICE OF DISPOSITION In accordance with section 26 of the Community Charter (BC), the District of West Vancouver hereby gives notice of its intention to lease second floor childcare space located at: 220–723 Main Street, West Vancouver, legally described as: PID 031-831-940; Air Space Parcel 4 DL 1040 Gp 1 NWD Air Space Plan EPP113907 (the “Childcare Space”).

The Childcare Space will be leased at market rates to be negotiated with an initial term of five years, with the possibility of additional five year options to extend to be negotiated. The Childcare Space is available for lease by the public. The highest or any offer may not necessarily be accepted.

An information package for the lease of the Childcare Space is available upon request.

ENQUIRIES AND INFORMATION PACKAGES: John Wong Senior Manager of Facilities & Assets 604-921-3420 | jtwong@westvancouver.ca

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The Childcare Space comprises an air space parcel SUBJECT LAND having an internal floor space of approximately Park Royal North 3934 sq ft and an outdoor play area of approximately 3523 sq ft. The location of the Childcare Space is approximately as indicated in blue on the map. All measurements are approximate, and the Childcare Space will be leased “as-is, where-is”.

CHILDCARE SPACE Main Street Park Royal South

‘Magical experience’: Kayaker stunned by orcas in North Vancouver The only thing that might make a Metro Vancouverite more envious than telling them you won the lottery is telling them you had an up-close encounter with whales.

Scott Suffron got to do just that in August when, while he was out on Indian Arm in his sea kayak, two killer whales came within three metres of him. Suffron pulled out his phone to record part of the 10-minute encounter and to call his wife.

“I’ve never felt more at ease. It was just incredible. And I knew it was a super rare occurrence, so I just tried to stay in the moment and just really enjoy it,” he said, adding that his wife was “so jealous.”

Barking sea lions take over West Vancouver bay Decidedly less serene was when a raft of California sea lions took up lodgings on a private float in West Vancouver’s Garrow Bay in the spring and proceeded to bark incessantly for days.

“Are they ever noisy,” said one neighbour. “We’ve got all the windows and doors closed, but you can still hear them pretty loud and clear.… They pretty much go all night long.”

While some within earshot speculated the non-stop barking may have been an indication of mating behaviour, a Vancouver Aquarium expert informed us that wouldn’t be the case as all of the visiting sea lions were male, here to feed. The massive marine mammals are more common at that time of year on the west side of Vancouver Island, but clearly they were finding plenty of fish to feed on in Howe Sound.

As for the reason behind the non-stop barking: They just like to do it.

“They’re very gregarious – very vocal all the time and have large personalities, that’s for sure,” she said.

‘Fearless’ dog reunites with owner after surviving 100-foot cliff fall in West Vancouver Few dogs will ever have a tale has harrowing a tale as Freeway, the three-year-old lab-mix that disappeared after falling off a 100-foot cliff at Cypress Mountain in April.

As a general rule, North Shore Rescue doesn’t get tasked with going after lost pets but, every once in a while, they make an exception. The volunteers were concerned the dog’s owner or other friends might put themselves in danger trying to get to the bottom of the cliff.

When an NSR search manager repelled down to the bottom, he found what appeared to be blood but nothing else. They returned the next morning with a helicopter and found tracks, which led to a day-long scramble by Freeway’s owners, their friends and even perfect strangers trying to chase down and nab the errant mutt all over Cypress Mountain. Her owners managed to corral her into their car the next day.

Whale poop in West Van lab sheds light on orcas at risk of extinction Much as we love our southern resident killer whales, they are in a tight spot, with just 74 remaining. Scientists in West Vancouver’s Pacific Science Enterprise Centre are getting their hands dirty in a bid to save them and their northern resident cousins.

Continued on A11

north shore news nsnews.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025 | A11

Sea lion bachelor party makes a ruckus in West Vancouver

Continued from A10 Researchers have been tailing the endangered species to collected their endangered feces, which contains critical information about their diets as well as DNA samples.

The hope is that, by taking action to boost the cetaceans’ food sources while reducing environmental stressors, populations can recover.

‘Chill’ marmot takes up residence in busy North Vancouver neighbourhood In April, we began receiving reports of a marmot moving into a small patch of brush near the corner of East First Street and St. Georges Avenue.

A rodent living in a bush wouldn’t normally result in a news story, but marmots ain’t from around these parts.

WildsafeBC told us it was likely a yellow-bellied marmot – a species typically found in the Interior. It wasn’t clear if the marmot had been born here or if it had somehow made the trip west.

In any event, neighbours dubbed him Morty.

“We’ve kind of bonded,” one said. “He’s very, very chilled.

He’s very protective over his burrow, which is very cute, but other than that he is very easy going.”

North Vancouver comedy show is for the dogs, literally Maybe you’ve heard about Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. But what about comedians with dogs getting beer?

In May, North Point Brewing hosted Big Dog Energy, a comedy show that invited guests to bring their (ideally well-socialized) canines with them.

For the most part, dogs who attend the comedy nights get excited to see each other at the beginning and then settle down for a snooze, the organizer told us. Much like hecklers, there is the occasional bark from the audience.

“I know, it sounds weird, but it works,” she said.

Steve the cat rescued from 90-foot tree in North Vancouver After surviving almost three full days stuck up a 90-foot tree, Steve the cat was rescued thanks to help of a kitty-loving arborist.

His owner speculated he might have been scared up the tree by a bear that frequents the Pemberton Heights area.

After first finding that District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service’s tallest ladder couldn’t reach him, his owner hired an arborist who used spurs and a rope to shimmy up to Steve, lured him with treats into a backpack and then lowered him back down to the ground.

Steve, clearly stressed, put on a bit of a display, his owner said.

“Oh, he was freaking out during the whole time. He was doing a bunch of ninja moves I’ve never seen him do before, standing on two feet. It was pretty interesting,” she said.

“The bag finally came down and his nose was poking out.”

Four cougars spotted hanging out in Deep Cove backyard Most years, we don’t run any stories about cougars because the big cats are experts at making sure they aren’t seen. So when someone sent us a tip about four of them hanging around together in Deep Cove, we – at first – didn’t believe it. After all, cougars are solitary aren’t they?

The Conservation Officer Service confirmed though that they had received numerous reports describing a family unit of three kittens and one adult female cougar. Cougars are more likely to stick near semi urban areas when they have

The sight (and sound) of a large group of male California sea lions attracts onlookers to West Vancouver’s Garrow Bay near Whytecliff Park in the spring. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN Amy Walsh with retriever friend Miller share a laugh outside North Vancouver’s North Point Brewing. Walsh hosted Big Dog Energy, a dog-friendly comedy show, at the brewery in May. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN young because of the concentration of prey species such as deer, and raccoons, said the COS, “They were so majestic. They’re really amazing animals,” one neighbour said. “The chances of spotting a single cougar is so unlikely. Oh my gosh, to see all four together like this, what are the chances?”

Tired of having his fence bashed down, North Van man builds a ‘bear door’ Living in a wilderburb such as ours inevitably means there’ll be a bear wandering through your yard soon or later.

The trouble in Curt Scheewe’s case was that the bears kept taking out his fence. So he engineered a solution: a swinging “bear door” heavy enough to keep his dog in but light enough for a bear to mosey through.

Within a few days of its installation, Scheewe’s home security camera captured footage of the bear making his way up to the door and pushing his way through “like it was second nature.”

The North Shore Black Bear Society shared the video widely and held Scheewe up as an creative example of how we can better co-exist with bears.

Marine rescue volunteers save young eagle, get surrounded by orcas One close encounter with wildlife in a day is incredible.

But two? In February, the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 1 crew spotted an eagle floundering in the water off Bowen Island and getting blown out to the Strait of Georgia. The bird immediately took them up on their offer of a rescue.

“As soon as I put the boat like within about a foot of him, he, right away, tried to climb on board. He knew what we were there to do,” the unit chief said with a laugh. “We go out to rescue people, normally, right? Not eagles.”

On their way back to the dock, the team had to cut their engines and drift as a pod of orcas surrounded them, which they recorded on video. The experience left them in awe.

“Everybody was just kind of glowing and beaming,” he said. “You just feel so good about where we are in British Columbia and being members of the West Vancouver community and being able to go out and train and do the things we do. It just felt like such a such a reward.”

A juvenile bald eagle dries out onboard a Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue vessel in Howe Sound on Feb. 24.

RCMSAR volunteers saved the distressed eagle and gave him a ride back to the beach. JUSTIN KING / RCMSAR 1

Age 55+ welcome to apply

Below market rental housing in North & West Vancouver for adults 55+.

Rents start at $1200 for studios and $1400 for 1 bedroom units.

See kiwanisnorthshorehousing.org for more info or call 604-926-0102

A12 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025

north shore news nsnews.com

NEW MEDIA

YouTubers rack up massive views from North Van studio NICK LABA

nlaba@nsnews.com

When Kimia Ravangar started streaming herself playing video games in her native Persian tongue nearly eight years ago, there was no promise that her content would ever be a meaningful source of income, let alone a career.

Now, she’s a full-time YouTuber with more than 630,000 subscribers on her channel, which has racked up around 340 million total views.

And things are only going up.

Ravangar, along with her creator teammates Kourosh Zarandooz and Iman Dastpak, have launched a new custom studio in North Vancouver, where their empire of lifestyle and food videos, podcasting and music making is growing by the second.

Ravangar’s “Mia Plays” channel, as well as Zarandooz and Dastpak’s “Kouman” account, are not merely one-hit wonders of the internet age of virality.

With the eyes of their dedicated audience, each new video draws in hundreds of thousands of views immediately following release.

For example, a trivia-style video titled ‫( ؟؟ام ای هرتشوهاب ایم‬translation: Is Mia smarter or us?) has more than a million views after going live on Dec. 13. That post, where the three friends face off in a quiz competition to win the Kouman championship belt, has also generated 39,000 likes and 8,164 comments since release.

When you put up numbers like that, YouTube partners Ravangar, Zarandooz and Dastpak can put numbers in their bank accounts. According to research from Oxford Economics, YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed more than $2 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2023, and supported more than 35,000 full-time-equivalent jobs.

At their studio in late November, the trio hosted a mixer with other well-known

Canadian YouTubers including food vlogger Tim Lee, van-life expert and builder Morley Kert, and West Van DIY home renovator Jenna Phipps.

What does it take to make it in the YouTube biz?

One of the most important ingredients is consistency, Zarandooz said.

“We always try to upload on a certain day at a certain time, and we haven’t missed it for years now,” he said.

Another key to success is always trying to level up their content.

“We see what people like, what our audience likes, and we try to do it better and better each time. So we never say, ‘OK, it’s good enough,’” Zarandooz said. “We always try to upgrade, from our equipment to our videos to ourselves.”

The crew didn’t arrive at their current style of content creation overnight. While her career started with online multiplayer video games like Overwatch, now most of her videos tackle day-to-day topics like what she normally eats in a week, or trying novel activities like doing yoga with goats.

Much of the content on the Kouman channel is related to food, by way of either food-related challenges or review content.

A lot of what they choose to feature are cultural items related to their Iranian heritage.

“We have a rough formula for what content we like and what we don’t, but it’s not super narrow,” Zarandooz said. “It just has to be entertaining.”

But often it’s the characters, not the content, that viewers tune in for, Dastpak said.

“Sometimes they want to know what Kourosh thinks about this food, or what Mia thinks about a challenge that we doing,” he said.

Unlike traditional media like television, YouTube allows the crew to film in North Van and immediately reach a worldwide audience. Most members of their audience

Kimia Ravangar (a.k.a. Mia Plays), Kourosh Zarandooz and Iman Dastpak (a.k.a. Kouman) are building a content empire based in North Vancouver that has garnered more than a combined 620 million views on YouTube. NICK LABA / NSN are Persian speakers living internationally and in their native Iran.

But the global nature of YouTube content isn’t unique to them. More than 90 per cent of watch time for content made by Canadian creators comes from outside the country, according to the platform.

Ravangar, who would be prohibited from making most of her content if she still lived in her hometown of Tehran, said she has some mixed feelings about her current home and career.

“I feel very fortunate to be here and to be able to do what I do, which is something that I could not have done freely back in Iran,” she said. “But at the same time, you feel really close to home at the end of the day.”

While living in Canada, they’re separated from friends and family back in Iran, but their channel allows them to connect with Persian speakers around the globe.

“We try to engage with the people back in [Iran] as well with polls … like, what do we want to test?” Zarandooz said. “We get snacks and food shipped from there, so we

can try them – stuff that right now people are eating in Iran, so it’s more relatable.”

As their online content business grows larger, more opportunities are opening up for Ravangar, Zarandooz and Dastpak.

Andrew Peterson, head of Canada at YouTube, said the trio are at the top of their game in what he calls “the new Hollywood.”

“They’ve grown to a scale where they have a partner manager at YouTube, which helps them to evolve their channel strategy to build a thriving business,” he said.

Having their North Vancouver studio gives them more flexibility to film a range of content with high-quality production value.

“Here we have the opportunity to do whatever you want,” Zarandooz said. “Being here has been a big opportunity for us, and we’re really grateful for it.

“The beauty of the North Shore, North Vancouver and Canada – it’s so nice that every time we just take a camera and whichever way you would point the camera, it’s so beautiful,” he said. “We can make the nicest blogs here and nicest content here, so it’s amazing.”

north shore news nsnews.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025 | A13

ARTS | ENTERTAINMENT | FOOD | HOME |

| HEALTH | COMMUNITY

HOLIDAY MAGIC

Church helps save beloved school tradition after fire ABBY LUCIANO

aluciano@nsnews.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Cheerful screams filled a West Vancouver elementary school when students found out their beloved holiday tradition would be saved.

In early December, a small fire damaged the gymnasium at École Pauline Johnson Elementary, seemingly putting an end to the school’s annual Santa’s Workshop event.

But nearby St. Stephen’s Anglican Church wasn’t going to let the kids go without their Christmas cheer. On Thursday, Dec. 19, the church welcomed class after class to experience the holiday magic of their annual event.

“It was very emotional and just filled my heart because I knew that the children were going to be so excited,” said principal Tara Zielinski. “It was incredible, the joy, you could just feel it in the whole church.”

Santa’s Workshop has been a long-running tradition at the school for more than two decades. The school’s parent advisory council collects donated items like books and toys and brings them to the “workshop.” Students are then let loose on the goodies, but not for themselves. They bring a toonie for each gift that they would like to buy as a gift for a family member. When they’ve picked the perfect items, they enter a wrapping room where parents and student volunteers wrap each item for them to take home and place under the tree.

Half of the proceeds from Santa’s Workshop go back into the parent advisory council, while the other half go to a charity of their choice. The proceeds help

Mahtab Salari and daughter Elika wrap gifts at École Pauline Johnson’s Santa’s Workshop event. This year, the event was hosted by West Vancouver’s St. Stephen’s Anglican Church after the school gymnasium suffered fire damage in early December. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN the school fund athletic and arts programs, expert talks, transportation for field trips and parent education sessions.

The small fire in the parent advisory council’s kitchen, which is in the gym, lead to some burnt items and water damage from the sprinklers. West Vancouver Fire &

Rescue responded to the fire and nobody was hurt, Zielinski said. But that area is crucial for the school’s annual Santa’s Workshop event, and the damage was too severe for the festivities to proceed there.

“It’s always been a real historical event at Pauline Johnson,” Zielinski said. “So, we

were worried about that, and we were going to have to cancel it.”

Having the annual workshop is a magical experience for many at the school, and parent Ally Gradley wanted to find a way to continue the tradition after the fire. Gradley and her husband, who have been attending the church since 2020, reached out to St. Stephen’s leadership, asking if they could host the event. Within an hour of the request, the church moved things around to have the holiday workshop for the school.

“It was just really important for me to keep that alive for the kids, because I know how special and important it is for them,” Gradley said. “I wanted to make sure that they didn’t lose out on the Christmas magic this year.”

Gradley has two children that attend École Pauline Johnson – one in kindergarten and another in Grade 2. They were both happy to have Santa’s Workshop saved, she added.

There was lots of commotion during the workshop Thursday, with laughter and chatter, said Trish Schonbrun, office administrator of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church.

Schonbrun helped put the event together with the principal.

“As part of St. Stephen’s, we are here to support the West Vancouver community, even in small ways,” Schonbrun said.

“We’re just thrilled as a parish to be able to support our community, and this fulfills us greatly.”

Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News.

This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

Shylo Wishes At the holiday season our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our success possible. It is in this spirit that we say: Thank you for over 44 43 years of loyal support. Best wishes for a happy & healthy new year!

44 years!

Celebrating 45

RidesByShylo.ca • 604-985-6881 • ShyloHomeHealthcare.ca

A14 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025

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CANYON LIGHTS AT CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE PARK NOV 22ND - JAN 19TH From Friday, November 22, 2024 to Sunday, January 19, 2025, the Park will be aglow with millions of holiday lights, filling the air with festive cheer, seasonal treats, and fun for the whole family.

Stroll across the world-famous suspension bridge, illuminated by a mesmerizing display of multi-coloured lights that span the canyon, creating a breathtaking glow from end to end.

For more info: tickets.capilanou.ca THE PIPE SHOP SATURDAY, JANUARY 25TH, 2025 • 12PM – 3:30PM Discover essential services and opportunities at the Newcomer Expo! Connect with local businesses, organizations, and service providers in North and West Vancouver, all in one place.

COAST MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL FEBRUARY 7-9, 2025 Don’t miss out on 20+ incredible North Shore films in 2024!

Purchase your tickets today to experience world-class local talent, diversity, and creativity in an intimate theater setting. http://tickets.centennialtheatre.com

A Dec. 14 landslide took the lives of two Lions Bay residents and closed Highway 99 for close to 24 hours. MATT GUNN

LIONS BAY TRAGEDY

Body of second person swept away in landslide recovered JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@squamishchief.com

Meet Me at The Gallery

Art Experiences for Seniors Wednesday, Jan 8 at 10am

Sponsored By

Photo: Alison Boulier

The Polygon Gallery 101 Carrie Cates Court Territories of the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Natons, and the Musqueam Band @polygongallery | thepolygon.ca

The body of the second person who was swept away in their home during the Lions Bay landslide on Dec. 14 has been recovered, RCMP confirmed.

The slide occurred on Highway 99 beside the Brunswick Road exit ramp early in the morning of Saturday, Dec. 14, taking with it one house.

One of the two occupants in the residence when the slide hit was found dead on Dec. 15. The search for the second person continued for several days.

At approximately 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 21, the body of the second resident was found by emergency crews.

The Village of Lions Bay released a statement that evening, identifying the deceased as David and Barbara Enns.

“David Enns was found on Dec. 15th.

Barbara Enns was found, Dec. 21st, following an intense co-ordinated and skilled search,” the release stated, noting that the names were being released with the permission of the family.

“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones during this devastating time,” reads the release, which was signed by Lions Bay Mayor Ken Berry.

“This is a profound loss for the family, friends, neighbours and all of the Village of Lions Bay residents. We join together in our

sorrow and send our love to the family.”

Resources, including counselling services and financial assistance, are being made available to those who need it.

The municipality, which has a population of about 1,500 residents, has been working with provincial authorities since the slide, according to the release.

“The recovery was made possible through the tireless efforts of search and rescue teams, local volunteers, and emergency responders who have worked around the clock under challenging conditions. This has involved a co-ordinated emergency team from Lions Bay, Metro Vancouver and the Province of B.C., including extensive personnel and equipment.”

While the cause of the slide remains under investigation, the release states that the Battani Creek debris flow originated in Electoral Area A, just outside the northerly border of Lions Bay. The State of Local Emergency declared on Dec. 15 remained in effect as of last week. “[It] will continue until further notice to ensure ongoing access to needed resources and expertise; the assistance of geotechnical and structural engineers onsite daily,” the release said.

Two homes on Goldenrod Avenue remained under evacuation order as of North Shore News press time.

north shore news nsnews.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025 | A15

THE FINE PRINT

Block Watch captain resigns over police check requirements NICK LABA

nlaba@nsnews.com

A decades-long community volunteer is calling it quits over what he says are unacceptable terms in his contract.

Moody and West Vancouver, are the employees of their respective local governments, and are governed by a police board, he said.

But municipalities that contract police services to the RCMP, such as North Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby, are federal employees and not governed by a police board.

“Therefore, the indemnification clause is moot in respect to members of the RCMP, and a police board, which is non-existent,” Sahak said.

“The RCMP is bound by a duty of care in safeguarding private information, and will always bear responsibility for negligence and gross negligence,” he said.

However, the North Vancouver RCMP detachment does have municipal police support service staff, including front counter clerks and records managers. The liability release applies to those employees, Sahak said.

He said the detachment empathizes with and appreciates the concerns brought forward by Dunne.

“As a result of his concerns, we conducted a thorough review of the PIC process we currently use, including consulting with RCMP representatives who were part of the working group, and confirmed we are following the correct procedures,” Sahak said.

“The working group meets regularly and reviews processes to ensure best practices and alignment with BC Policing Standards and applicable legislation such as the Privacy Act,” he said.

For his part, Dunne said he would consider rejoining if the contract language were to change.

“I think it’s a great program,” he said. “I just scratch my head when the lawyers get involved, covering their butts 17 ways from Sunday.”

Damian Dunne, who’s been a Block Watch captain in North Vancouver for nearly 30 years, has handed in his resignation. His reason is some of the language in the police information check, which all Block Watch members are required to complete.

In particular, Dunne takes issue with the liability release portion that related to how his personal information is handled.

The form reads: “I agree not to bring any legal actions, claims or demands, for losses or damages … against the City or District of North Vancouver, their associated Police Board and any employees thereof, and to release them each from any and all liability and any actions, claims or demands, even if arising from their negligence or even gross negligence.”

That means if they’re checking his information and somehow screw up and tarnish Dunne’s good name, they’re not liable for damages even in cases of gross negligence.

“I just think that’s wrong,” he said.

As someone willing to volunteer his time and energy to make our neighbourhoods safer, Dunne calls the liability requirement “despicable.”

“There shouldn’t be a release of liability there at all,” he said. “You’re volunteering and they’re doing a criminal record check, which is fine.

“I’m in favour of that, but to release them from all liability, including negligence, and gross negligence, is just over the top as far as I’m concerned.” he said.

Dunne brought his concerns forward at an annual Block Watch meeting in November, where members of North Vancouver RCMP’s community policing services were present.

Dunne said he’s hopeful that with some pressure, there could be changes made to the information check.

The police information check is used by all law enforcement agencies in B.C., said Const. Mansoor Sahak, spokesperson for North Van RCMP. But the legal implications differ depending on the municipality.

Municipalities with their North Van RCMP say they are following correct procedures own police departments, with their police information check system. NICK LABA / NSN such as Vancouver, Port

Longtime Block Watch volunteer Damian Dunne is concerned about the liability release wording in a contract with North Vancouver RCMP. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

A16 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025

north shore news nsnews.com

Campaigns provide life-altering help for North Shore residents Continued from A1 the beloved Toronto Santa Claus Parade alive, an unbreakable spirit of solidarity defines Canadians,” he said.

Suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis and mast cell activation syndrome over the past couple years, Hannah Watt was beginning to doubt if she’d ever feel better.

Together, these conditions make Hannah extremely tired and susceptible to dizzy spells. Earlier this year, she had to get five stitches in her head after passing out at school.

But hope came to Hannah after a visit to Canine Valley in Squamish, where she learned of the possibility of getting a service dog. Amazingly, a dog came on the couch beside

her, resting his muzzle on her lap.

“I could just see the hope in her eyes and as we were driving home, she said to me that this was the first time that she’s ever felt hopeful that she will feel better,” said her mom Rebecca Watt.

But service dogs come at a high price. At upwards of $26,000, the bill wasn’t possible for Hannah’s parents to cover. That’s when Rebecca set up a GoFundMe. In the following weeks, the family was stunned by the support Hannah received.

“GoFundMe made it possible to where we are today with this absolutely life-changing experience,” Rebecca said, adding that she and her husband have continued to update

FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING at the Regular Council Meeting of

Monday, January 27, 2025 at 6:00pm

Draft 2025-2029 Financial Plan

Watch the meeting online at cnv.org/LiveStreaming or in person at City Hall Pursuant to Sections 165 and 166 of the Community Charter, the City of North Vancouver’s Draft 2025-2029 Financial Plan will be presented for consideration at the Finance Committee Meeting, that forms part of the Regular Council Meeting.

Provide written input: Starting January 3, 2025, share your thoughts on the City of North Vancouver’s Draft Budget at www.cnv.org/budget2025. The survey runs online from January 3 to January 17, 2025.

Alternatively, a print copy of the survey and a briefing document can be picked up at CNV City Hall, North Vancouver City Library, or at John Braithwaite Community Centre from January 6th to January 17th. Written submissions may be mailed or delivered to City Hall and addressed to the Finance Department, or emailed to finance@cnv.org.

All submissions must be received at City Hall no later than 11:59pm on Friday, January 17th. All addresses will be removed before any materials are published.

Speak at the meeting: In person at City Hall: On the day of the meeting, a sign-up sheet will be available in the lobby, outside the Council Chamber, between 5:30-6:00pm. Enter City Hall from 13th Street after 5:30pm.

By Webex or phone: Pre-register online at www.cnv.org/PublicMeetings, or by phoning 604-990-4234 to provide contact details. Login instructions will be forwarded to you. All Webex/phone pre-registration must be submitted no later than noon on Monday, January 27, 2025.

Non-registered speakers: Once all registered speakers have spoken, anyone who did not pre-register will also have an opportunity to provide input.

View the documents: Review the Draft 2025-2029 Financial Plan at www.cnv.org/Budget, available as of 9:00am on Friday, January 3, 2025.

Questions? Finance Department, Finance@cnv.org 141 WEST 14TH STREET / NORTH VANCOUVER / BC / V7M 1H9 T 604 985 7761 / F 604 985 9417 / CNV.ORG

the page with news about Hannah’s journey.

“It’s become a very passionate thing for us, creating awareness through the GoFundMe to other parents of other kids that have struggled with chronic illness,” she said.

Now, with Epix – a specialty Tamaskan-breed service dog – at her side, Hannah’s quality of life has Hannah Watt says her dramatically improved. service dog Epix has had a “He’s been game changdramatic impact on her life.

PAUL MCGRATH / NSN ing,” Hannah said. “The comfort of Epix being there, and knowing that he has my back, doing things like getting around school and going up the stairs, having him being able to assist me, it’s just indescribable the type of relief it brings – physically and emotionally.”

Many other stories of generosity have touched our readers in 2024.

One of the most powerful GoFundMe campaigns this year was started in support of Caileigh Koppang, a 15-yearold pro mountain biker who suffered a devastating crash while training near Whistler in October.

With head injuries and spinal fractures, the outlook was bleak following the crash, said her mom Ashleigh Koppang.

But the worst-case scenarios were avoided, as Caileigh began to emerge from her coma, and doctors confirmed she had no spinal cord damage.

To help support the North Vancouver athlete’s long recovery journey, a GoFundMe page was launched by a fellow rider. As of mid-December, the campaign had generated an incredible $85,698.

According to a Dec. 9 update, Caileigh is in stable condition while recovering from several intense surgeries. Her family is exploring specialized rehab programs in the U.S. A heartwarming campaign came in May, after a vehicle smashed through the front window of Special Moments Flowers and Gifts at the Park & Tilford shopping plaza just as the shop was preparing for Mother’s Day. Shocking dashcam footage of the crash showed a vehicle weaving through the parking lot at high speed, before it smashed into a parked car that was sent flying into the floral shop.

But a bloom of support came to owner Jennifer Sullivan, after a fellow florist in Surrey launched a GoFundMe. As she scrambled to remake orders, Sullivan said she was “overwhelmed” by the touching response.

Another inspiring story came from Ken Birkin, with his incredible recovery from a life-changing fall in 2015.

After being told he may never walk again, Birkin wasn’t hearing it. Though he suffered through multiple surgeries and infections, eventually he got back on his feet and taught himself how to walk again.

Now, with his hiking sticks in hand, Birkin can be seen walking more than three kilometres daily in the Seymour area of North Van. Through his GoFundMe, Birkin said he’s buying new clothes as he seeks to rejoin the workplace.

Birkin says to give him a honk of support if you see him walking on Mount Seymour Parkway.

north shore news nsnews.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025 | A17

‫ﺧﻮ‬

‫شآ‬

‫ﻣ‬ ‫ﺪﯾﺪ‬

Join us for the North Shore’s inaugural

newcomer EXPO

THE PIPE SHOP

Saturday, January 25th, 2025 • 12pm – 3:30pm We are excited to invite you to join us for the first annual Newcomer Expo, connecting newcomers to North and West Vancouver with each other, local businesses, service providers, and community organizations.

VISIT BOOTHS INCLUDING: 88 West Realty | Academy of Learning Career College | Amie Family Care | BC Search and Rescue | Canada West Immigration Capilano Community Services Society | Family Services North Shore | Hafez Exchange | Highlands United Church | Kimia Social Arts Society Lonsdale and 3rd Pharmacy | NDP MLA Bowinn Ma/NDP MLA Susie Chant | North Shore Mitsubishi | North Vancouver City Library Pax Law | Save On Foods | Soroptimist “Best Women” North Shore Division | West Vancouver Community Centres

A18 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025

north shore news nsnews.com

TIME TRAVELLER

A weekly glimpse into North Shore’s past from MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver

GARDEN TO TABLE

Permaculture seems complex, but core principles are simple LAURA MARIE NEUBERT

Contributing writer

As 2024 drew to a close, I looked back and ahead in equal measure, to evaluate my world and sphere of influence and make plans for the future.

New Year on the mountain

Photo: NVMA, F222-A1-02-005

Why bother spending the last few days of the year sleeping when you can wake up at 6 a.m. on the slopes of Grouse Mountain at the BCMC Cabin?

Here are mountaineer Neal Carter and friends waking up “too early” around Christmas time, before they make their final ascent of Grouse in 1920… as well as their first ascent of Grouse in 1921!

If you are planning on any holiday hiking and climbing, please be safe – the North Shore Rescue team needs a holiday too. Have a Happy New Year from the MONOVA team.

Visit monova.ca for more information about the history of the North Shore and to learn about MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver, now open at 115 West Esplanade in The Shipyards. MONOVA: Archives of North Vancouver is located at 3203 Institute Road in Lynn Valley. Contact: archives@monova.ca

THE "TIME TRAVELLER" SPACE HAS BEEN GRACIOUSLY DONATED BY THE ADVERTISER BELOW. #LOCALMATTERS

Your news your way We’re introducing more newspaper boxes across the Shore than ever before Visit www.nsnews.com/other/contact-us for a full list of newspaper boxes

Contact mblack@van.net to arrange a box for your neighbourhood

The lens through which I observe my progress as a person has changed over the years, as they warned me it would during my permaculture design education.

Permaculture, while enjoying a relative boost in popularity, or awareness at least, is not easily understood. The original tome and required pre-reading – Permaculture, A Designers’ Manual by Bill Mollison – was for me, uninitiated as I was then, an overcomplicated introduction to a mind-blowingly simple set of ideals.

Touted as the ultimate blueprint for holistic living and land use, the yawn of a textbook was neither inspiring or enlightening to a city dweller following natural instincts honed over decades linked intermittently to ranches, farms, rainforest and Indigenous ways of knowing.

I stuck with it regardless, learning to build houses from mud, calculate the height of a tree using a stick the length of my arm, mentally estimate the flowrate of a stream, tolerate yurts, and yes even dance in a circle in a field with complete strangers.

I have since used the flowrate and trigonometry learnings, but I struggle deeply with reckless abandon, and the yurts to be honest. Can someone tell me how to fit right-angle furnishings into a yurt, or keep a mud home standing upright in the rain?

After a decade struggling to understand why I just didn’t get it, I now know the very basic and actionable truth. A truth that was cloaked in hubris, jargon and academia, and a one-size-fits-all design course that definitely does not fit all.

Mollison has original three foundational ethics: earth care, people care and fair share, plus his 12 design principles: Observe and interact; catch and store energy; obtain a yield; apply self-regulation and accept feedback; use and value renewable resources and services; produce no waste; design from patterns to details; integrate rather than segregate; use small and slow solutions; use and value diversity; use edges and value the marginal; and creatively use and respond to change.

All his tenets can be summed up in one very simple statement: defer to nature’s logic and environmental science, and limit consumption.

There is no single problem or set of

Making friends with a raw milk jersey cow at OUR Eco-village on Vancouver Island.

COURTESY OF LAURA MARIE NEUBERT

problems – environmental, political, societal, philosophical – that cannot be solved by deferring to existing natural systems and natural logic, there just is not.

Thousands of scholars, scientists and knowledge keepers before Mollison published how-to manuals for living sustainably and regeneratively. Sadly their wisdom has been, as Henry David Thoreau eloquated, lost down the steam of time.

English geologist and biologist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), botanist Sir Albert Howard (1873-1947), agronomist Eve Balfour (1898-1990) and countless other thought leaders published extensively, guidelines for deferring to natural logic and environmental science.

And while their research was celebrated and awarded, their teachings and cautions were not heeded. For centuries, knowledge keepers have warned of disrespecting natural systems and poisoning the earth.

A proverb from the Sanskrit Vedic Scriptures of around 1500 BCE reads: “Upon this handful of soil our survival depends.

Husband it and it will grow our food, our fuel and our shelter and surround us with beauty. Abuse it and soil will collapse and die, taking humanity with it.”

Hubris defines us as human. It has without question been our downfall, and acknowledging it can be our salvation.

My new year’s resolution is to park my ego deeper in the woods and dance with abandon, with strangers who share my values and hope for people and planet.

Laura Marie Neubert is a West Vancouverbased urban permaculture designer. Learn more about permaculture by visiting her website upfrontandbeautiful.com, or email hello@ upfrontandbeautiful.com.

north shore news nsnews.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025 | A19

Have questions?

I can help. I have been navigating the North Shore real estate market for over 35 years.

Happy to discuss your plans.

Life Member 35 Years

Al Sutton | 604-720-4889 | alsutton.org CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Egyptian snake 4. Upper limbs 8. Blemish 12. Also 13. Ooze 14. Mama’s fellow 15. Possessive pronoun 16. Financial officer 18. Ready the oven 20. Ordinary language 21. Footed vase 22. Ballet skirt 23. Salon treatments 26. Vegetable holder 27. Embroider 30. Gather in 31. Sleepy’s roommate 32. Slangy assent 33. On in years 34. By way of

HOROSCOPE WEEK OF JAN 1, 2025 - JAN 7, 2025

35. Like seawater or tears 36. Chilled 38. BPOE member 39. Look hard 41. Neighboring: hyph.

45. Possession 47. Seek to persuade 48. Kind 49. Fog 50. Misspeak 51. Phase 52. Notable periods of time 53. Lay eyes on DOWN 1. At the peak of 2. Rotten 3. Skin opening 4. Purplish flowers 5. Telecast again 6. “____ the Press”

7. Luxurious resort 8. Spew 9. Carnival ride 10. Makes like 11. Occasional 17. Whirled 19. Camel’s feature 22. Muscle twitch 23. Amateur’s opposite 24. Slippery as an ____ 25. Brightness 26. Large snake 28. Have a bite 29. Child’s question 31. Achieved 32. Babbles 34. Swerve sharply 35. Inclines 37. Oaf 38. Doolittle of “My Fair Lady” 39. “____ and Lovers” 40. Tease 41. Singe 42. Fleecy females 43. Pierce with a drill 44. Time past 46. Ship’s pronoun Crossword puzzle answers use American spelling

ARIES March 21-April 19

If you’re on holiday, take the opportunity to explore outdoor activities with family or friends. You may feel an intense urge to get active.

Even alone, you’ll want to go on outings to feed your adventurous spirit.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

You may plan a spontaneous trip or getaway. You’ll be thrilled about the prospect of starting a new apprenticeship.

If you’re going back to school, you’ll take it very seriously.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

You’ll start the year off with a TAURUS April 20-May 20 powerful surge of emotions.

You may feel confused and You’ll dive into a whirlwind easily distracted this week. of thrilling challenges, both Fatigue will catch up with you. in your professional and Make sure you take advantage personal life. Brace yourself of your days off, if you have for a fresh beginning. You any left, to recuperate. You may be congratulated for an may also take on a heavy achievement. workload this week.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

GEMINI May 21-June 20

Stay on your toes this week. A misunderstanding with someone close to you could disrupt your daily routine. You may have to tread carefully around certain individuals, feeling as if you’re walking on eggshells.

CANCER June 21-July 22

It’s time to put aside distractions and focus on housework. The holidays are over, and you need to get down to business. At work, an amazing opportunity will open up after a colleague’s unexpected departure.

The party goes on! You still have plenty of opportunities to celebrate, and you’ll be invited to many events. At work, you’ll have to deal with demanding clients, and you’ll find time is a precious commodity.

Make every moment count, and don’t neglect your responsibilities. Your boss may ask you to come back to work during your vacation.

Your family may also put a lot of pressure on you this week.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Now is the perfect time to prioritize self-care and self-respect. You’ll discover what you’re passionate about and start taking the first steps toward an incredibly rewarding challenge.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Whether you’re on vacation or not, you’ll spend a lot of time with your family or in the home. Take advantage of the next few days to refresh your decor and reorganize your furniture to declutter your home and mind.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

You feel under pressure and are concerned about your finances. It can be tough to find balance in times like this. You might find yourself surrounded by people when you crave solitude, yet feeling lonely when you’re on your own.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

Take advantage of this quieter time to handle your returns and exchanges either online or in store. You’ll stumble upon some exciting deals and promotions and won’t hesitate to treat yourself to some well-deserved rewards.

SUDOKU HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

Each 3 x 3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started.

Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column or 3 x 3 box.

A20 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025

north shore news nsnews.com

Your Community

MARKETPLACE classifieds.nsnews.com

Call or email to place your ad, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

604-653-7851 nmather@glaciermedia.ca Book your ad online anytime at

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REMEMBRANCES Obituaries

Obituaries

Funeral services

North Shore’s Only Family Owned Funeral Provider TOTZAUER, Franz Xaver October 31, 1937 − December 09, 2024

COOK, Barbara Gwen May 5, 1926 - December 2, 2024 Barbara loved meeting people of all cultures and delighted in forming long lasting friendships. After Alleyne died in 2019 she continued with the grace of God to make friends from the end of her driveway. She loved helping others, was a popular member of the community and the worldwide friend of so many. She had the ability to fit in with people of all nationalities and enjoyed the beauty of all nations. Her love of nature was foremost and teaching others came so easily. She enjoyed writing to everyone and her letters, poems and notes will be treasured and also missed.

Survived by her children Nigel and grandchildren Jack, crystal, Merlin and Al.

Briar

and

A Celebration of Life will be held at North Lonsdale United Church on February 8, 2025 at 1:00 pm.

All are Welcome!

To place an Obituary, In Memoriam, or Memorial Service, please call Nadia at

604-653-7851 or email

nmather@glaciermedia.ca TODAY'S PUZZLE ANSWERS

It is with great sadness that we announce Franz Totzauer’s passing on December 9, 2024, surrounded by his family, at Burnaby Hospital.

Franz was born October 31, 1937, in Theusing, Germany. After the war, borders changed, and his family was forced to relocate to Illerberg (Ulm), Bavaria. He started his apprenticeship as a baker in Ulm, then later in Lucerne, Switzerland, as a journeyman baker.

Through his father, he was inspired by the sea. At age 20, he joined the German merchant navy as a baker and later as a chef and travelled the world.

He visited Vancouver six times on the ship before deciding to immigrate to Vancouver, Canada, in 1963. Here, he met his first wife, Gisela, and they had two children, Roland and Sabina. The family settled in Lynn Valley, North Vancouver, where he stayed for 49 years.

He was also a dedicated businessman and owned two bakeries with his business partners in Vancouver and Prince George. Through life’s circumstances, he found himself alone again and then met Heidi in the Alpenclub, who was to become his second wife in 1981. They travelled, worked and enjoyed sports together.

His love for the sea never left him, so he bought a charter boat and loved his fishing. Other passions included hunting, hiking, and skiing Whistler/ Blackcomb and later, Grouse Mountain.

He loved his life at Seton Villa Retirement Home and said often, "I am on holiday every day." He looked forward to his Saturday morning happy hour with his friends Hassan and Frank. Enjoyment was also to be had each Tuesday with dancing upstairs.

He will be dearly missed by his wife, Heidi; children Roland (Jessica) and Sabina (Terry); and grandchildren Rudiger, Tanja (Reid) and Marcus.

We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for their care and support at Burnaby Hospital.

Special thanks to his friend Hassan Bani−Sadr for his help and support during this difficult time.

George & Mildred McKenzie

604-926-5121 • mckenziefuneralservices.com 200-100 Park Royal South, West Vancouver

taking care of each other

is what community is all about.

Hollyburn Funeral Home 1807 Marine Drive, West Vancouver Thank you for continuing to place your trust in us now and always.

Proudly serving the north Shore for over 80 years

604-922-1221 HollyburnFunerals.com Dignity Memorial is a division of Service Corporation International (Canada) ULC.

ExEcutor SErvicES

Westcoast Wills & Estates

Probate made easy.

Let our experienced lawyers help you.

604-230-1068 | westcoastwills.com 604-210-2211 *A law corporation

As you share the stories and the memories of how they lived their lives and how very much they meant, may you find comfort...

Each Loss Each loss is very different, The pain is so severe.

Will I ever stop missing This one I loved so dear?

Good times we had together, The moments that we shared We didn’t have to tell each other How much we really cared.

I never dreamed you’d go away, Never thought of sorrow.

So sure you’d always be here Took for granted each tomorrow.

Now my life is all confused Since you went away.

You took a part of me And for help I daily pray.

But when God sent you to me He never said that you were mine, That I could keep you always – Only borrowed for a time.

Now, He’s called you home, I’m sad and I shed tears.

Yet I’m glad He loaned you to me And we had these many years.

north shore news nsnews.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025 | A21

COMMUNITY

HOME SERVICES

Announcements

cleAning

Found Found − Toyota Key Fob Dec. 11 on Mahon Park track. Other keys & charms attached to key ring.

604−980−6004

L E A K Y R O O F?

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Fully licensed www.maiditbloom.ca

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renos & Home improvement

concrete All advertising published in this newspaper is accepted on the premise that the merchandise and services offered are accurately described and willingly sold to buyers at the advertised prices. Advertisers are aware of these conditions.

Advertising that does not conform to these standards or that is deceptive or misleading, is never knowingly accepted. If any reader encounters non-compliance with these standards we ask that you inform the Publisher of this newspaper and The Advertising Standards Council of B.C. OMISSION AND ERROR: The publishers do not guarantee the insertion of a particular advertisement on a specified date, or at all, although every effort will be made to meet the wishes of the advertisers. Further, the publishers do not accept liability for any loss or damage caused by an error or inaccuracy in the printing of an advertisement beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred. Any corrections or changes will be made in the next available issue. The North Shore News will be responsible for only one incorrect insertion with liability limited to that portion of the advertisement affected by the error. Request for adjustments or corrections on charges must be made within 30 days of the ad’s expiration.

For best results please check your ad for accuracy the first day it appears. Refunds made only after 7 business days notice!

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Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a Sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

Gutter Specialists. Licensed. WCB Insured.

604-724-5493 • 604-721-0372 • a1guttersltd@gmail.com

Please recycle this newspaper.

ACROSS

Check oa.org for local meetings. “We are not a diet club.

SUDOKU

rooFing

1. Americans’ “uncle” 4. Chair 8. Ancient kingdom 10. Egyptian city 11. Alaskan glacier 12. One from Somalia 13. Ancient alphabets

24. Satisfaction 15. Relating to 25. A person’s vocabulary 16. Small mongrels brother or sister 17. Natural settings 26. Folk singer DiFranco 18. Weekend 27. The Blonde entertainments Bombshell 21. Line from 34. Kids’ school which light seemproject ingly streams 35. Bluish greens 22. Your own 36. Classifying private code 37. Cube-shaped 23. Swiss river

DOWN

Struggling with food?

moving

1.Counterbalancing debt 2. In slow tempo 3. Glamorous city 4. Japanese lute 5. Makes law 6. Informative book 7. Animal’s body part

9. American playwright 10. Blood poisoning 12. Angels 14. Sino-Soviet block (abbr.)

15. Written account 17. Unwelcome pest

19. Saddle horses 20. Type of gibbon 23. Delta is one 24. NE Massachusetts cape 25. Soup cracker 26. Yes vote 27. Muddy ground 28. Physics apparatus (abbr.)

29. Type of drug

38. Choo-choos 39. Indian religious god of dissolution 40. French department 41. Leak into gradually 42. Foundation 43. Midway between south and southeast

30. German city 31. Animal disease 32. Martini ingredients 33. Get away 34. Spanish municipality 36. Thrust a knife into

A22 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025

north shore news nsnews.com

BOXING WEEK SALE AT FORERUNNERS CONTINUES! SALOMON RIDE 5

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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 1 2025

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YEAR IN REVIEW4

Fave photos

Check out our top North Shore photos from the past 12 months

WHICH PHOTOS MAKE OUR LIST?

ENTERTAINMENT12

YouTube stars

North Shore content makers building a budding empire

LIFESTYLE13

Holiday save

Church comes to the rescue after fire at school puts event in jeopardy SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DAILY EMAIL AT

Coast Mountain Film Festival February 7-9 Centennial Theatre, North Vancouver www.coastmountainfilmfest.com

MICHAEL THOMA

, PHD CAPILANO UNIVERSITY CHAIR, SCHOOL OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS

nsnews.com/newsletter

F2 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025

north shore news nsnews.com

Coast Mountain Film Festival www.coastmountainfilmfest.com

Join us in celebrating local filmmakers as they showcase their work to hometown audiences

LOCAL FILM CELEBRATION MATINEE SATURDAY, FEB 8 • 4:00PM An intimate opportunity to meet filmmakers who call the North Shore home and celebrate their work alongside their cast and crews.

The second annual Coast Mountain Film Festival will play host to more than 20 films, many of which have a North Shore connection.

• Chat4U (Comedy)

While many of these films have been screened at prestigious festivals around the world, this event offers our filmmakers a chance to celebrate their work with the community in which it was made.

• The Third Person (Comedy) • Dear May (Drama w/Animation) • Jackie’s Haven (Drama w/Animation) • Milk Loser (Comedy) • Tumbleweed (Comedy) • Gaby (Documentary)

Reserve your tickets before they’re gone.

www.coastmountainfilmfest.com 604.984.4484

BIG MOUNTAIN NIGHT FRIDAY, FEB 7 • 7:30PM

ADVENTURE NIGHT SATURDAY, FEB 8 • 7:30PM

British Pacific Properties presents our first ever Big Mountain night! In addition to showing, THE HARVEST, a local ski film shot largley in Whistler’s backcountry, your evening will include a screening of CALM BENEATH CASTLES, an awe-inspiring ski movie that delves into the heart, soul, and mind of skiers driven by an insatiable thirst for adventure and discovery.

In addition to a short film showcasing athletes exploring the Sea to Sky region’s outdoors, our feature film, CIRCLE OF MADNESS, features star athletes Markus Eder (ski) & Victor de Le Rue (snowboard) returning one more time to the legendary spine walls of Haines, Alaska. In the place where extreme free-riding movies were born, standing on the shoulders of their peers, their friendship will help them push it to the next level.

• Calm Beneath Castles • The Harvest • Prize Giveaways from North Shore Ski and Board and Vancouver Island Brewing

• Circle of Madness • Skookumchuck Narrows: Surf & Kayak the Tidal Rapids with Dylan Graves • Prize Giveaways

www.coastmountainfilmfest.com 604.984.4484

www.coastmountainfilmfest.com 604.984.4484

ENVIRO MATINEE SUNDAY, FEB 9 • 4:00PM Pacific Salmon Foundation presents several short films, shot locally, that encourage us to think more deeply about what we can do at the individual level to protect our forests, create awareness about waste and think more critically about our daily choices. Follow surfers, mountain bikers and fisherman as they share their personal journeys in creating a better world for the next generation.

• The Squamish Poacher • Emerald Edge • Revolutions: A Film on Bike Waste • Beyond the Green Veil

www.coastmountainfilmfest.com 604.984.4484

ENDURANCE NIGHT SUNDAY, FEB 9 • 7:30PM Endurance Night delves into feats of absolute courage, testing the limits or what our bodies and minds can achieve. Whether it is pushing to complete 15 Grouse Grinds in one day, or grappling with blindness while backcountry skiing, this evening will provide insight into how we overcome the challenges we set for ourselves. Our feature, FEEL IT ALL, chronicles professional skier Drew Petersen’s journey from the depths of depression to finding purpose through running the Leadville ultramarathon.

• Feel it All • Snow Blind • Fifteen: A Multi Grouse Grind Story www.coastmountainfilmfest.com 604.984.4484