Richmond News February 19 2014 by Richmond News

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POLITICS

Opposition leader faces KPU students Thomas Mulcair took part in Kwantlen dialogue Graeme Wood

Staff Reporter gwood@richmond-news.com

The Conservative Party’s government is decidedly “anti science” and Canada must do a better job at building the renewable energy sector, according to NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, talking to about 150 students at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Richmond Tuesday afternoon. “It’s real and something that has to be done,” Mulcair said of climate change, adding that Canada is lagging behind the international community when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Mulcair, leader of the Official Opposition and the federal New Democratic Party, was speaking at the inaugural President’s Dialogue Series, hosted by KPU president Dr. Alan Davis at the Melvile Centre for Dialogue. Most of the conversation focused on the environment as the two sat surrounded by strategically placed plants and flowers, which Mulcair joked was a welcome sight after coming from the stormy east coast. Davis asked Mulcair what an NDP government would do with regards to climate change. Mulcair said Canada needs to take more initiative on the international stage and should introduce a “cap-and-trade” system on emissions. He noted that Canada has recently taken a serious hit when it comes to having authority on environmental issues, particularly as it continues to develop the tar

NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, left, met with KPU president Alan Davis and fielded questions from an audience of around 150 students. Photo submitted. hydroelectric power will provide the next sands in Alberta. generation with valuable jobs. “Ask yourself what kind of debt we’re Davis asked how he and others could leaving our children and grandchildren for make a difference, the mess caused particularly since by the oil sands,” Ask yourself what kind of debt most people drove said Mulcair, noting he believes to KPU to attend we’re leaving our children for oil extraction the discussion. the mess caused by the oil sands companies are not Mulcair - Thomas Mulcair held responsible acknowledged a enough for the pragmatic approach damage done to the environment. is needed alongside a push for renewables. For Mulcair said the renewable energy instance, he wants the government to have sector needs more attention in Canada and better environmental regulations on hydraulic that more investment in wind, solar and fracturing, noting fresh water sources are

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being damaged in the name of oil. He noted municipal recycling programs have been a step in the right direction over the last two decades. Mulcair said cuts to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is an example of an “anti-science” agenda in Stephen Harper’s cabinet. An event organizer passed along a question from the audience asking about Mulcair’s willingness to form a coalition government with the Liberal Party of Canada. Mulcair didn’t exactly say yes, but he did say, “we did more than consider it last time,” noted Mulcair. “My number one goal is to make sure Stephen Harper doesn’t become the next Prime Minister,” said Mulcair. Davis also asked Mulcair about marijuana reform. “You’re in B.C., you’re going to have to deal with it,” quipped Davis. Mulcair said he would decriminalize marijuana to get small possession charges “out of the courts.” However, he added that the issue is complex and regulation would be needed, considering it’s a drug. When asked why students should vote for him, Mulcair noted his party’s record on advocating for affordable education and a healthy environment. More importantly, Mulcair insisted they should simply vote. “When young people stay home, the right wing wins and democracy loses,” said Mulcair. Mulcair has been the Member of Parliament for Outremont, Que. since 2007. Davis will continue more discussions this year. “KPU has an important role to play in providing a forum for the exchange of ideas on key issues that face our society,” he said in a news release.

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COMMUNITYForMATTERS the good of our community

NITE OF HOPE™ RICHMOND GALA TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN

or Judi Miller Knapp, turning profound loss into hope for women has been a remarkable personal journey. Losing both her mother, Evelyn, and her sister-in-law, Debbie, to breast cancer, Miller Knapp battled grief with action and founded the Nite of Hope™ Richmond in 1994, and its Gala in 1999, raising more than $2.3 million in support of Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - BC/Yukon Region and their vision of creating a future without breast cancer. “I truly feel in my heart I started the Nite of Hope™ based on a situation of grief and dealing with a sense of loss. I always say I did it to support myself during this time,” said Miller Knapp. “It brought a lot of people closer together and also gave them a way of supporting in a way that people felt they could do something rather than just watching people suffer.” Steadily, with leadership, conviction and vision, Miller Knapp set in motion a legacy

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of hope to inspire countless others to help end breast cancer. Over the next two years, funds raised from the Nite of Hope™ Gala event in Richmond, now in its 16th year, will be used to purchase new diagnostic equipment for the BC Cancer Agency Screening Mammography Centre at Richmond Hospital, something Miller Knapp is eager to achieve for the community here. “The medical staff at Richmond Hospital care so passionately about their jobs and want to do the best. They see women day in and day out. And I think there’s a frustration there because they know they’re not able to do the job to the very best of their ability. They know the newest equipment is out there, but they just don’t have it.” The co-chairs for this year’s gala committee are Rob and Richelle Akimow. Rob has deep roots in the community, growing up and working in Richmond his entire life. Like many who choose to lead and help, it’s close family members

Judi Miller Knapp (right) with Shelley Leonhardt at the 2013 Nite of Hope™ Richmond Gala

who serve as inspiration. “Richelle plays an important role in co-chairing with me. Cancer has touched her family, and that’s one of the main reasons I got involved.” Akimow says he and Richelle aspire to continue the astounding momentum forged by Miller Knapp and the gala committee members. “The committee members are an exceptionally dedicated group, who are passionate about improving health care for women in Richmond and in B.C. Everybody involved has very personal connections to this cause. They’ve done such a fantastic job over the past 15 years, and we are so excited to be playing a role to help.” Miller Knapp says Richmond has tremendous opportunity right now to help women in their community by supporting the Nite of Hope™. “This is their chance to fund the equipment that we so desperately need in Richmond. This will make a difference right at home for them, and women won’t have to go elsewhere for their testing.”

Nite of Hope™ Gala takes place on Tuesday, April 8 at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond and will feature a special performance and talk by Canadian recording artist Bif Naked. The evening includes an elegant dinner, silent auction and an inspirational speaker. Fred Lee will be the Emcee of the event. Tickets can be reserved online at www.niteofhope. com/richmond and special jewellery by Fifth Avenue Collection’s in support of the cause can be purchased by contacting Jeannine Barnett at 604-808-5824.

2014 Nite of Hope™ Event Chair’s Richelle and Rob Akimow

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

NEWS

Send your story ideas or photo submissions to Richmond News editor Eve Edmonds at editor@richmond-news.com

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Escape from Garden City Interactive game dares people to find ways out of themed, locked rooms Graeme Wood

Staff Reporter gwood@richmond-news.com

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A game that has swept through many Asian cities has landed in Richmond, giving people a chance to become escape artists in a safe, yet relatively realistic, environment. “Exit” is a gaming room located on Garden City Road, which provides four trap scenarios whereby customers try to escape from a series of three rooms. The owner of Exit is Justin Tang, who got the idea after visiting Asian cities where escape games are popular. He also thought there’s a need for more activities like this in Metro Vancouver. “I have heard too many times that nobody has anything to do here. People can go to a movie and after

Justin Tang, owner/operator of Exit, sits in one of his themed escape rooms, a jail cell. Photo by Graeme Wood/Richmond News. Below, an artist’s rendering of one of the other rooms, a laboratory. that, that’s about it; maybe just go drinking,” said Tang, whose game is targeted towards young adults. “I think Canadians will enjoy this game,” said Tang. Customers pay $23 to escape from one of four scenarios. There can be two to six people to a room and they have 45 minutes to escape. Tang said only one per cent of customers have escaped since he opened Exit last

October. “The most rewarding thing is the moment they escape. They look like they just won the lottery; that’s the expression on their face,” quipped Tang, who said the key is to not panic and think critically. The lost ship scenario sees soonto-be victims or the rare soon-to-be escape artists enter a room that’s set up like the outside deck of a ship.

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There are various props in the room, which act as clues to open a box that contains a digital code required to unlock the escape door. The next room is an abandoned ship cabin and the trapped players need to once again think critically about finding the next clue to unlock the door to the third and final room. The Ancient Egypt room has a fake mummy coffin and the floor is covered with sand. Players are given lanterns as the rooms are pitch black. The prison scenario also has several props that will make players immediately feel right in the game. Here, players start in a locked prison cell and once again need to escape before beginning to think about how to unlock the box to access the code. Perhaps the most terrifying scenario is the laboratory, which evokes images of horror movies. On a white board high above the walls (that are splattered in fake blood and red handprints) is a riddle that may or may not provide valuable information for escaping. A dirty bloodied sink sits next to used medical tools and an empty operating bed sits at the centre of the room. A scattered mess indicates something went horribly wrong. All the rooms are cold and dark, giving players a jolt to their senses. “Sometimes the ladies get scared but it only lasts for the first minute and then they start looking for clues,” said Tang. All the rooms have intercoms in them in case of emergencies or if the players require clues (they’re allowed two). “I’ve heard a lot of people say this is the fastest 45 minutes they’ve experienced,” said Tang. While there are only four sets of rooms, Tang says he’s hoping to expand to other locations. In the meantime, he has already changed the themes once and will be changing the present ones soon. He’s careful not to give away too many secrets.

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NEWS

PMV ‘consults’ council Graeme Wood

Staff Reporter gwood@richmond-news.com

The office of Richmond Centre MLA Terea Wat now boasts “Safe Harbour” status after her staff took part in a workshop hosted by Richmond Multicultural Community Services. The decal signals a safe, welcoming place to newcomers, no matter their origin, age or disability. Also pictured are RMCS’s Stefanie Johnston and Taushif Kara.

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227 Marijuana facility seeks rezoning

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Dreary and Izzy

Port Metro Vancouver’s president and CEO Robin Silvester made a brief presentation to skeptical city councillors and Mayor Malcolm Brodie Monday at a general purposes meeting to outline the port’s recent and upcoming activities in and around Richmond. Coun. Harold Steves called it a “nonpresentation” and said it was an “excuse for the port to say it had consulted with the city and the public” on major projects of concern such as three tenant-led initiatives with PMV. First, at the south end of No. 7 Road Lehigh Hanson Materials Ltd. has applied to develop a sand and gravel processing and distribution facility that would include two marine berths on the Fraser River. Construction would begin as early as 2018 after the site is prepared. Second, a yet-to-be determined project will involve the old Fraser Wharves lands, near Riverport entertainment complex, which Silvester said were purchased by the port for future use. Third, Silvester noted the contentious Vancouver Airport Fuel Delivery Project to be built by the Vancouver Airport Facilities Corporation. This project will see a jet fuel offloading facility, also to be built at Riverport but further north, as well as a new pipeline to carry the fuel across Richmond. Port-led initiatives Silvester noted included the planned Roberts Bank Terminal 2, habitat enhancement and a $2 million five-year project to clean up abandoned boats in the river. According to the port, there are 33 such sites identified in Richmond.

Silvester spoke about the need for the port to become sustainable but was questioned on such language by Coun. Derek Dang, who noted that all of PMV’s main projects are directly connected to fossil fuel production. On the issue of land use, Silvester assured council that the port would be looking at ways to utilize existing facilities before expanding to new lands, such as those on the south arm of the river in Richmond, which the port has also purchased. He said there is no “immediate” plan to develop zoned farmland from the Agricultural Land Reserve for industrial and shipping purposes. Brodie noted to Silvester that he would expect farmland not to be developed for perpetuity — not just in the immediate future. Steves said the city would have to challenge the port in court if that happened. “The port has never gone to eradicate local zoning in the past. If they try that, it should be challenged in court to see if they have that ability,” Steves told the News. Steves also said communication between the city and the port has broken down over the years since the regional ports were amalgamated. On the port’s website an interactive mapping tool allows for public feedback through to April 13 on its land use policies. According to the port, it handles more than $475 million of cargo daily and is Canada’s largest gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. PMV is also looking to build a coal transfer facility at Surrey Fraser Docks, which would see coal barges run up and down the river to deliver the product to a storage facility on Texada Island.

City councillors were expecting this week to consider a rezoning application for Richmond’s first medical marijuana production facility. A bid by MediJean, under the operating name of 1348 Productions Inc, to become a licensed Health Canada pharmaceutical production plant was set to go before a city council planning committee Tuesday. MediJean already operates a near 25,000square foot medical marijuana research

facility at 11320 Horseshoe Way, near the Richmond RCMP headquarters on No. 5 Road, just south of Steveston Highway. The city placed tight restrictions on such facilities late last year in a move to control an expected rush by companies cashing in on a federal government decision to move medical marijuana production licensing from homes to commercial enterprises. Check www.richmond-news.com for an update on this story.

When happiness hinges on hope.

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

NEWS

AWARENESS

Responsible gambling not an oxymoron: BCLC director Graeme Wood

Staff Reporter gwood@richmond-news.com

This week is Responsible Gambling Awareness Week in Richmond and residents may notice numerous gambling “mythbusting” kiosks set up in public spaces around the city. It’s the first public relations outreach event of its kind in the city and will, in part, end with a free public skate, courtesy of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, at Minoru Arenas this Saturday from 2-5 p.m. The goal of the events is to raise awareness for responsible gambling as well as the support services available in the community. The kiosks have information in several languages on responsible gambling practices. On Monday, BCLC and the B.C. Responsible and Problem Gambling Program also announced the Community Sponsorship for Health and Wellness programs whereby non-profit organizations that promote health and wellness can receive an additional $5,000 for their programs. “The sponsorship is a way for BCLC to demonstrate its commitment to healthy communities,” said Susan Dolinski, BCLC vice-president of communications. David Horricks, director of the responsible

problem gamblers still remains relatively gambling program, said B.C. is among the low in B.C. and the province is right at the leaders of North American governments that provincial average for gaming related revenue. operate gaming corporations. His job is to Horricks said his department is regulate the industry and provide services and already implementing some of the 17 information throughout communities. recommendations Kendall made in his report. “We believe people have the right to He said the key is to strike a balance choice in terms of gambling and we want between regulating and preventing to support them in terms of being able to problematic gambling gamble recreationally that can result in health and responsibly,” said We believe people have and social problems. Horricks, who added “The issue that that problem gambling the right to choice in responsible gambling has held steady in recent terms of gambling... is an oxymoron years. - David Horricks — I understand that’s A study released late a common statement last year by Provincial — but I don’t think it Health Officer Dr. Perry makes sense because 95 per cent of people Kendall noted that in 2007 about 160,000 gamble recreationally and we support that. It — or 4.6 per cent — of British Columbians is the five per cent that we want to make sure have a gambling problem or are at risk of having one. From 2002 to 2007, the number of are covered,” said Horricks. River Rock Casino Resort opened in severe gambling addictions rose from 13,000 Richmond in 2004 and has since given the city to 31,000 while the percentage of British 10 per cent of revenues to be used by the city Columbians gambling in any form actually for various budgetary needs. Gaming revenue went down from 85 per cent to 73 per cent. represents 3.5 per cent of city revenue. This Meanwhile in 2012, gaming revenue year, the city’s cut is expected to be about $15 generated about $2 billion for the province, million. according to Kendall’s study. In 2003, gaming “Responsible Gambling Awareness Week grossed $1.1 billion. is all about being healthy and mindful Kendall noted the prevalence rate of

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citizens while enjoying the entertainment of gambling,” noted Mayor Malcolm Brodie in a news release. In the fiscal year 2012/13, organizations based in Richmond received about $5 million in gaming grants. The majority of the grants went to sport, arts and social services groups as well as parent advisory committees. On Thursday at the Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel, BCLC, in conjunction with the city’s problem gambling steering committee and River Rock Casino, will host a free seminar and workshop on responsible gambling. The application deadline for the sponsorship program is June 30.

Five gambling myths: 1. Slot machines don’t get ‘hot’ 2. Lucky numbers don’t actually exist 3. If you lose you aren’t ‘due’ for a win 4. There are no lucky charms 5. Playing more doesn’t increase your odds

2012/13 gaming grants went to: ! Richmond Minor Hockey $120,000 ! Richmond Addictions Services $100,000 ! Richmond Girls Soccer $120,000 ! Ferris Elementary PAC $10,400

A6 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

NEWS FRASER RIVER

Toxic silt eats into dredging fund $10 million well expected to run dry after first run according to MP Findlay

By Sandor Gyarmati Delta Optimist

The silt will build up again in Steveston Harbour and the Fraser River’s secondary channels, but there’s no money set aside to

deal with that eventuality. That bit of news was one of the many issues covered during a media roundtable with Delta-Richmond East MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who’s the minister of national revenue, and her

guest, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea, at Findlay’s constituency office in Ladner Monday. After years of lobbying by different groups to have local channels of the river cleared, dredgers finally

OPEN HOUSES: LANG PARK REDEVELOPMENT

got to work last month on a $10-million project, a collaboration between Port Metro Vancouver, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the City of Richmond and the Corporation of Delta. The project was also supposed to include funds for maintenance dredging for up to the next 10 years, but now it looks like there won’t be enough money for that component. Findlay explained Monday the original cost estimates included money for ongoing dredging contingency funding, however, the amount of

touring the province since last week to discuss fisheries issues, and Findlay had a busy schedule following the media roundtable, meeting with members of the Richmond and Delta chambers of commerce, followed by a closed-door roundtable SCAN PAGE back at TO SEE Findlay’s DREDGING VIDEO office with members of the local fishing community, scientists and Mayor Lois Jackson. Noting 2010 saw a record sockeye run for B.C.’s fishing industry, Shea said there’s a lot of confidence in the industry moving forward. She noted most of the 75 recommendations by the Cohen Commission were

Date: Saturday, February 22 Location: Lang Park (under the tent) 8211 Saba Road Time: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Date: Wednesday, February 26 Location: Lang Centre (City Centre) 8279 Saba Road Time: 5:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Delta-Richmond East MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay, along with Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea, held a media round-table on dredging in the Fraser River. Gord Goble/ Delta Optimist

www.richmond.ca

Lang Park SABA RD

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Your input will be used in the development of new park designs that will be the focus of a future open house this spring. For more information, contact the Parks Division at 604-244-1208 or visit www.richmond.ca/parksprojects.

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• what you like about Lang Park • what you do not like about Lang Park • what would you like to see in Lang Park

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The City of Richmond is looking to redesign Lang Park to better serve the needs of the community. We invite you to attend one of the drop-in style open houses to share your ideas about:

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sediment build-up turned out to be much higher than expected. Adding to the cost was the discovery of certain pockets that had toxicity, so that sediment has to be barged further away and not dumped at the mouth of the river with the rest of the material. That means the $10 million budget will be entirely used up for the first round of dredging. “The issue of maintenance dredging going forward is going to have to be a topic for another day,” said Findlay. “As you know, the dredging just started a couple of weeks ago and we’re very pleased to see it start. It was an over-arching issue in the riding and continues to be.” Shea, who has been

directed at her department and those recommendations are being implemented, including further investment in habitat restoration, continuing a moratorium on new fish farms in certain areas of the province, as well as more scientific research on the interaction between farmed and wild fish. Asked for her response regarding complaints from environmental groups that the DFO will be significantly weakened with the federal government supposedly watering down the environmental assessment process, Shea said she doesn’t see that as the case. She noted the assessment process has been simplified to make more sense, but larger projects will always be subject to rigorous reviews.

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

NEWS EDUCATION

Teachers sent to China to forge ‘friendships’ By Tara Carman Vancouver Sun

Most Canadian teachers would find it strange to spend time with their students on weekends or be included in their family outings, but it was a common experience for Richmond teacher Jennifer Kugelman while on exchange in China. Kugelman, who spent two years in Shenzhen, said students there tend to think of teachers almost like surrogate parents. “The bond ... between teachers and students is so strong that (after graduation) they come back just to visit,” said the McRoberts secondary teacher. The Richmond school district hopes that bond is strong enough to reach across the ocean and attract international students willing to shell out tens of thousands in tuition for an Englishlanguage education. The district’s exchange program with Shenzhen started seven years ago with a single teacher and this year has expanded to 15. Teachers are paid by Richmond to give instruction in English to Chinese students and the schools there reimburse the district. It is not a direct peer-topeer exchange in that there are no Chinese teachers in Richmond classrooms, however, groups of students

McRoberts’ Jennifer Kugelman is one of the teachers that participated in an exchange program in Shenzen, China. Photo by Jenelle Schneider/PNG

Chinese parents push their children so hard in their studies and why students who recently immigrated from China are so fixated on their numerical grades. It’s because Chinese students take a huge, multiple-choice test in Grade 9 that determines whether they will be allowed to continue in high school at all

In the long-run I expect to see more and more students coming to us.” The program has the added benefit of giving Richmond teachers a better understanding of Chinese culture, an advantage given the relatively large proportion of Chinese students in the district. Kugelman says she understands now why

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CITY HALL

Park input needed The City of Richmond is holding two open houses to get public feedback on the redesign of Lang Park, a small urban park at the corner of Saba Road and Buswell Street and adjacent to the Richmond Public Market and Lang Centre. The park includes a water feature, plaza, public art, benches and cherry trees. The community is invited to attend one of two drop-in style open houses and provide comments on what they like and don’t like about Lang Park and what they would like to see in the park in the future. The open houses are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 22 at Lang Park, 8211 Saba Rd. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the Lang Centre, 8279 Saba Rd. from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. City staff will be available to discuss the project and information boards will be on display. Feedback forms will be available to record comments. To learn more about Lang Park and other city parks projects, visit www.richmond.ca/parksprojects.

do that now, too, because of course in China, the mark is everything,” she says. “They need to stand out. They need to be exceptional to even make it into high school, to make it into Grade 10.” ! Full story at www.richmondnews.com ! More stories at www. vancouversun.com.

Awesome Nails No. 2

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and teachers from Shenzhen visit the city and its schools each year. The district’s international programs director, Richard Hudson, describes it as more of “an exchange of ideas.” The Chinese students benefit from a higher standard of English instruction from the Richmond teachers, and in time, Hudson hopes the district will benefit from international students with a better grasp of English. Richmond charges the Chinese schools for the teachers’ services, so the district ends up with a small return on the program. “This piece of what we’re doing isn’t a huge revenue generator for us. It’s the longterm program we’re focused on, which is working quite well I think.

and if so, which high schools they can attend. “A lot of teachers find that it’s the Chinese students who always care about the marks and come report card time they want to know if they can bump their mark up maybe one per cent, two per cent, because it makes such a big difference. And I can understand why they

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A8 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

OPINION

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

Send your story ideas or photo submissions to Richmond News editor Eve Edmonds at editor@richmond-news.com

EDITORIAL OPINION

Stories behind the gold

here are the Games we watch and there are the Games we remember. Four years on, most folks would be hard-pressed to recall the scores of the blowout hockey games, or exactly who placed where on the podium. It’s the stories behind the competition or off the podium that make the Olympics memorable. Who won gold in the women’s figure skating in Vancouver in 2010? Without doing a web search, we couldn’t tell you but everyone remembers the story of Joannie Rochette, the Canadian bronze medalist who skated to the podium just days after the death of her mother. In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Canadian sailor Lawrence Lemieux took himself out of a medal position in a race to rescue the capsized Singapore team.

A little more than a week into the Sochi Olympics, several golden moments have us collectively gushing. There’s Gilmore Junio, who selflessly dropped out of a race to let his teammate Denny Morrison compete. Morrison went on to win silver. There was cross-country ski coach Justin Wadsworth who ran onto the course to offer a ski to Russian Anton Gafarov who, after a crash, was limping toward the finish line on one good ski. There was skier Alex Bilodeau running to share his triumph with his disabled brother after his gold-medal run. These moments exemplify what sportsmanship is all about. Even the cynics who spit on the Games for their wastefulness and scandal can feel when spectacle is outshone by the moments that capture everything that is right about the Olympic spirit.

COLUMN

Family Day’s over; time to tackle poverty

ow Family Day results in, at the very least, is over, let’s take students arriving at school with some real action nourishing food in their bellies, GuestShot to reduce family poverty in ready and able to learn. Laura B.C. B.C.’s child poverty rate is Track When MP James Moore once again the worst in the asked a Vancouver reporter country — one out of every five whether governments have an obligation children in BC is living in poverty. to ensure kids don’t go to school hungry, That’s 153,000 kids — enough to fill his comments were rightly criticized by the stands at a Canucks’ game eight times Canadians across the country as callous over. and cruel. First Nations, immigrant, and racialized They were also incorrect; the Canadian families, as well as families with children Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well with disabilities, tend to be especially as international human rights treaties poor. that Canada has committed to uphold, Astoundingly, half of all children living require governments to protect our rights in families headed by single mothers are to equality, life, and security of the person, poor, living an average of $9,000 below the and to do everything they can to ensure an poverty line. Poverty among single mother-headed adequate standard of living for all. families arises from a number of factors, Yet our governments have failed to ensure that our nation’s great wealth not least of which is the difficulty single

moms face finding quality, affordable child care that allows them to sustain paid employment. One policy that actively undermines parents’ ability to support their children is the clawback of child support payments. When a single parent on social assistance receives child support from the child’s other parent, the government takes that money away from the child, clawing back the entire amount from the family’s social assistance cheque. Social assistance rates in B.C. are already incredibly low and haven’t risen since 2007, despite the rising cost of living. As a result, families on welfare struggle to survive on incomes that are well below the poverty line. Vast amounts of research demonstrate the toxic role poverty plays in undermining healthy childhood development, as well as the huge

Our Commitment to You Published every Wednesday & Friday by the Richmond News, a member of the Glacier Media Group. 5731 No. 3 Road, Richmond, B.C. V6X 2C9 Phone: 604.270.8031 Fax: 604.270.2248 richmond-news.com

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additional costs in health care, education, the justice system and lost productivity we are already paying by allowing poverty rates to remain so high. Fortunately, most British Columbians don’t share Mr. Moore’s dismissive view that we have no collective responsibility for the well-being of our communities’ children. Eighty seven per cent of British Columbians think the Premier and Prime Minister should set concrete targets and timelines for reducing poverty. Yet B.C. is now one of only two provinces left without a poverty reduction plan. Now Family Day’s over, we need real action on family poverty. Laura Track is the legal director for West Coast LEAF, an incorporated B.C. nonprofit society and federally registered charity working to end discrimination against women using equality rights litigation.

The Richmond News is a member of the Glacier Media Group. The News respects your privacy. We collect, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Statement which is available at www.richmond-news.com. The Richmond News is also a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body. The council considers complaints from the public about conduct of member newspapers. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint, contact the council. Your written concern with documentation should be sent to 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. www.bcpresscouncil.org.

Reporters: Alan Campbell acampbell@richmond-news.com | Graeme Wood gwood@richmond-news.com | Philip Raphael praphael@richmond-news.com Sports: Mark Booth mbooth@richmond-news.com Integrated Media Consultants: Adhil Naidu anaidu@richmond-news.com | Angela Nottingham anottingham@richmond-news.com | Austin Nguyen anguyen@richmond-news.com Danny Cheng dcheng@richmond-news.com | Lee Fruhstorfer lfruhstorfer@richmond-news.com | Lori Kininmont lkininmont@richmond-news.com | Lynette Greaves lgreaves@richmond-news.com Digital Sales: Olivia Hui ohui@glaciermedia.ca Sales Administrator: Joyce Ang jang@richmond-news.com

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

LETTERS RANDOM ACTS

ECOLOGY

Accosted with kindness The Editor, While my wife and I were walking in Steveston on Valentine’s Day, we were “accosted” by two students from McMath school. They presented my wife with a rose and wished us “A happy Valentine’s Day.” The note attached to the rose said, “A

random act of kindness.” From such small deeds, much goodness grows. Thank you to the students of McMath. I urge others to do “random acts of kindness.” Lawrence Price Richmond

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Craig Smith holds a sign on the lawn of the Legislature in Victoria to protest the continuation of the trophy hunting of grizzly bears in British Columbia. Photo submitted

www.westrichmondsmiles.com

No justification for grizzly kill The Editor, Last Saturday, I joined other demonstrators at the provincial Legislature in Victoria to protest the continuation of the trophy hunting of grizzly bears in British Columbia. Several hundred permits are issued each year to resident and non-resident hunters whose expectation is to kill a grizzly bear and then remove its head, paws and fur for trophy purposes. The carcasses are not commonly used as food. There is no economic justification for this hunt. Tourism related to grizzly bear viewing brings more than ten times the revenue to the provincial coffers than trophy hunting. There is no ecological justification for this hunt. Grizzly bears play a critical role as an apex predator in the forests. And there is no ethical justification to allow hunters to slaughter an animal simply to obtain some perverse thrill. Killing for food is one

thing, but killing because you like to see such a magnificent animal die is just plain sick. Provincial statistics suggest that there are an estimated 15,000 grizzly bears in the province, but the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Resource Operations claim that the hunt has no significant impact on grizzly bear numbers, despite the fact grizzly bears have been eliminated from at least 35 per cent of the province. The species has been essentially eradicated from the lower U.S. states where hunting is now banned and it has been assigned “threatened” status under the Endangered Species Act. In this day and age, killing animals for fun is simply wrong. If I decide to go outside and kill a stray cat for fun, I go to jail. Yet if I slaughter a magnificent wild animal for fun, the provincial government asks me if I’d like to do it again next year.

Modern society simply does not condone trophy hunting anymore. A recent poll of British Columbians by Insights West, a local market research firm, confirms this assertion. The poll found that 90 per cent of B.C. residents are opposed to trophy hunting. What with pipelines and oil tankers putting our waterways at risk and pine beetles destroying our forests, the government says it is concerned about our environment. Well, it’s time Minister Thomson actually does something about it and stops this hunt. Craig Smith Richmond

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A10 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

HEALTH&WELLNESS

BLOG

Mom shares daughter’s eating disorder agony A Richmond mom is one of 28 bloggers taking part in the 2014 launch for the Provincial Eating Disorders Awareness (PEDAW) campaign. Throughout February, guest bloggers from Canada and the U.S. have been sharing their perspectives on a variety of topics relating to eating disorders, body image and more.

Tracey Todd’s post, “Fighting For Avery,” is a deeply personal piece that shares some of her experiences after her daughter was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa in 2013. The process of writing the blog proved to be no easy task, one which she details in the blog’s opening. “I am going to be honest and tell you I

Please join us at our ﬁrst Open House for the Riverview Lands. Two Open Houses have been scheduled to serve as an introduction to BC Housing, the project team and the Vision Process. Identical information will be available on both dates.

Date:

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Time:

4:30pm - 7:30pm (drop-in)

Place:

Burquest Jewish Community Centre 2860 Dewdney Trunk Road, Coquitlam

Date:

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Time:

10:00am - 2:00pm (drop-In)

Place:

Centennial Pavilion, Centennial Room 620 Poirier Street, Coquitlam (Beside Dogwood Pavilion, entrance off Winslow Avenue)

If you cannot attend the open house in person, please visit our website, www.renewingriverview.com, where you can participate in our online open house starting February 28, 2014. You can also contact us at: t: 604.439.8577 | e: questions@renewingriverview.com

thought writing this would be easy, that it would flow from within — from my heart... I never had any problem conveying what it was I wanted and needed to say...until now,” Todd wrote. Todd details some of her fears in writing the post, but it is her passion to spread awareness that overruled that fear. And she speaks of how “heart wrenching” it was to find out from the doctor the severity of her daughter’s illness, but goes on to reinforce the reasons for bringing awareness to it. “What drives me to raise awareness and allow myself to be vulnerable in sharing our experience is the absence of knowledge about eating disorders. “My shock at the lack of compassion while being in public with Avery, as well as the comments and questions I received

Tracy Todd put fingers to the keyboard to share her and her daughter’s experience in dealing with a serious eating disorder. Photo submitted from others when telling them of Avery’s illness. There were also the jaw dropping stares and comments that were innocent, but misinformed and hurtful.” To read the full blog, visit http:// loveourbodiesloveourselves.blogspot. ca/2014/02/fighting-for-avery-by-tracey-todd. html

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

A11

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A12

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

YVR

INSIDER

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

A MONTHLY LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW AND NEWSWORTHY AT YVR.

ISSUE NUMBER 17 FEBRUARY 2014

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON SEA ISLAND LUXURY DESIGNER OUTLET BRITISH COLUMBIA’S FIRST LUXURY DESIGNER OUTLET CENTRE IS SET TO OPEN IN THE SPRING OF 2015, with construction now underway at the 30-acre site. McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport – a partnership between Vancouver Airport Authority and McArthurGlen Group, Europe’s leading owner, developer and manager of designer outlets – will offer 35,000 square metres of luxury, designer and lifestyle retail on the northeast corner of Sea Island near the Templeton Canada Line station.

THE PROJECT THIS PROJECT REINFORCES THE AIRPORT’S ROLE IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF OUR REGION. Not only will the Designer Outlet

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THE DESIGN MCARTHURGLEN DESIGNER OUTLET VANCOUVER AIRPORT WILL FEATURE TWO LUXURY PIAZZAS, AND IS DESIGNED AS AN OPEN-AIR VILLAGE, with pedestrian-friendly walkways and tree-lined streets. Design elements are inspired by iconic Vancouver architecture, including the city’s ﬁrst post-ofﬁce building, the Vancouver Rowing Club and the distinctive brick facades associated with historic Gastown.

QUESTIONS? Email us at community_relations@yvr.ca or ﬁnd us on Twitter @yvrairport

A13

A14 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

ART&LIFE

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

Send your story ideas or photo submissions to Richmond News editor Eve Edmonds at editor@richmond-news.com

GATEWAY

Vancouver Opera lands in Richmond Boyd Reynolds

The cast of the Vancouver Opera will be returning to Richmond next month. Photo submitted

Special to the News

ancouver Opera has left its cozy comforts of Queen Elizabeth Theater in Vancouver and landed for the first time in Richmond. Last Saturday night, Vancouver Opera played Opera’s Greatest Hits – and More to a full house at Steveston London Secondary school. The VO will be returning on March 22 at 7:30 p.m. for another live show at the Gateway Theatre. For over 35 years, Vancouver Opera has taken opera to communities around British Columbia. Usually, these events are performed at elementary schools, spreading opera to curious children. But Vancouver Opera’s new initiative in Richmond is one of the rare times adult programming has gone beyond the confines of downtown Vancouver. It offers “opportunities for audiences to sample opera right in their own communities,” said Doug Tuck, Vancouver Opera director of marketing. The experience is great for newcomers to

opera, as they can “sample it on a smaller scale, at a lower price and without having to make the big commitment of a big journey downtown,” Tuck added. Tickets to experience the Vancouver Opera at the Gateway Theatre are priced $20 for adults. Seniors, students and children under the age of 18 cost $10. With the purchase of

a ticket, patrons also receive a $20 Opera Bucks voucher. This voucher can be used toward the purchase of any Vancouver Opera ticket this season at Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The Richmond show will highlight four young singers: soprano Sheila Christie, mezzo-soprano Kristin Hoff, tenor Rocco Rupolo and baritone Aaron Durand, all from the VO’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program. It will also showcase many well known operatic numbers from such classics as The Barber of Seville and Carmen but also some surprises. Once people love opera they want more of it, said Tuck. And the upcoming Gateway Theatre setting will give opera lovers a much more intimate operatic experience, he added.

Part of the reason for the Vancouver Opera going into communities like Richmond and most recently Surrey is to break preconceived notions and beliefs about opera. No longer does one have to be an opera aficionado to appreciate the timeless art. Tuck said opera is a “rich, theatrical experience that has everything. It’s got classical music, poetry, beautiful singing and then the spectacle of sets and SCAN PAGE costumes and lighting.” TO BUY As opera tries to find its TICKETS place in today’s modern and highly technical world, Tuck argues it remains a thriving art form because it “continues to be about the things that everybody encounters in their lives. It’s about the big things in life: love, disappointment, betrayal, jealousy. The raw basic human emotions expressed in beautiful, direct ways.” Tickets for the March 22 Vancouver Opera show can be purchased at the Gateway Theatre box office, on their website www. tickets.gatewaytheatre.com or by phone at 604-270-1812.

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

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A16 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

ARTS&LIFE

Send your story ideas or photo submissions to Richmond News editor Eve Edmonds at editor@richmond-news.com

VOCABULARY

Who’ll be moving the mail?

wonder, will Canada Post’s announced changes have any effect on our country’s InOtherWords unemployment rate, which Sabine Eiche hovered around 6.9 per cent for the last few months of 2013? Official reports state 8,000 jobs will disappear – probably only a drop in the national bucket. However, the story doesn’t end here. Ironically, the elimination of one kind of worker (the letter carrier) is expected to drive up the numbers of other kinds of workers (thieves and vandals). We’ve read many letters in newspapers about the feared consequences of Canada Post’s decision to replace the letter carrier with vulnerable community mailboxes. The possibility that in the future we’ll be bandying about the terms thief and vandal disturbingly often drove me to look up the various words we use (and misuse) for people of that calling. Those who act on the wrong side of the law, damaging and taking the property of others, have been around for a long time. The quantity of terms in Latin referring to malefactors suggests that in ancient Rome they went in for specialization. The law breakers were called “ereptor,”“fur” (which gave us furtive) “latro” (ultimately the source of larceny) “clepta” (from the Greek, like our kleptomaniac). And on the seas the ancient Romans were at the mercy of the “pirata,” a word likewise from the Greek. But there are also old Germanic and Anglo-Saxon words at the root of some of our English terms for such offenders. Robber, for examples, grew out of the Germanic “raub,” referring to booty, spoils, which then usually included such prized possessions as clothes. Our English word robe comes from the same source. A robber is, strictly speaking, a plunderer, despoiler. The Anglo-Saxon “peof” is the source of the word thief. According to the Oxford English Dictionary definition, a thief is one who takes portable property from another without the knowledge or consent of the latter. The verb commonly used to describe this action is steal. There is a verb to thieve, but it’s as rarely used as the noun stealer. Burglar, first recorded in 1541, has its origins in the 12th century Anglo-Latin “burgulator,” describing someone who by night breaks into a house with felonious intent. Burglar is both noun and verb, though in the 19th century to burgle was used as well. In Dickens’s Dictionary of London, 1879, we find reference to “a gentleman of the burgling persuasion.” In his Germania, the Roman historian Tacitus mentions the Germanic tribe known as “Vandali,” who, a few centuries later, invaded western Europe and northern Africa. The Vandali, powerful and feared, sacked Rome in 455. Since at least the 16th century, the name vandal was associated with anyone who wilfully or ignorantly destroys what is worthy of preservation, particularly monuments and art. Canada’s labour force surveys (for example, that of Haver Analytics) does not include thieves, vandals and others of that ilk. Perhaps one of these days perhaps they’ll have to – in which case, “Other Services” might be a suitable category. And then, keep an eye open to see if the official unemployment rate sinks to an all-time low. Sabine Eiche is a writer and art historian. (http://members. shaw.ca/seiche/)

Richmond author Kay Gregory has been churning out romantic novels for almost 30 years. Photo by Philip Raphael/ Richmond News

WRITING

Stoking flames of romance Philip Raphael

Staff Reporter praphael@richmond-news.com

ith the rush of Valentine’s Day behind us, what’s one way of keeping the embers of romance glowing warmly? Why not pick up a book about love and relationships? No, not a selfhelp tome, but a good old-fashioned romance novel, the kind Richmond author Kay Gregory has been turning out for close to three decades. But what makes a good romance story? “The characters, mainly, is what carries people along, as well as the aspect of hope at the end,” said Gregory who has had more than 30 titles published, many by romance publishing house giant Harlequin. “You know, it’s the happy ending that readers look for which we hope will turn into a happy beginning.” So, do all of her books have happy endings? “Of the last two, they have satisfactory endings,” she said. “The future of the characters is not entirely sure.” That’s what makes her stories stay closer to true life rather than a whirlwind of emotions revolving around a plot thin on reality. To do that, Gregory searches for

ideas and inspiration wherever she goes. “I get inspiration from just about everywhere,” she said, adding she prefers to write a single story at a time. “It might be something that someone says to me, something I read in the paper, or some memory in the past. It varies enormously. “But I am a good people watcher, and that can be done just about anywhere,” she said. “Some of my friends who also write prefer to do it at the airport because of the wide range of emotions you see there.”

I get inspiration from just about anywhere. - Kay Gregory Armed with a variety of ideas, Gregory said she starts the writing process by, “sitting down with a pencil and paper, jotting down the beginning and then go on the computer and carry on from there.” When using everyday occurrences as a basis for a story, is she sometimes surprised what ends up in print? “Oh yes, I go back and look at some of the stories and think, goodness, did I write that,” Gregory said, adding

the most satisfactory part of her job was, at first, just seeing her work published. Now, after dozens of titles to her name, Gregory said she takes pride in being able to take more time in developing her stories, as well as charting the new waters of publishing her work directly for e-books, something she never envisioned at the advent of her career. “Publishers today are not quite sure what they are doing yet with e-books, and nor are many writers,” she said. “But there still remains a need for material, absolutely. And there are a lot of people out there providing it now.” A group Gregory belongs to — the Greater Vancouver Chapter of Romance Writers of America — has about 70 members who meet monthly to trade story ideas, take part in writing workshops, and generally offer support to one another. She also gets plenty of feedback from readers, many of them younger women. “It’s funny, I don’t write specifically for a young audience, but I tend to get a lot of letters from that group,” she said. “Usually, it’s just thank you for making them feel better when they were going through a bad time in their life. That sort of thing.”

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

SPORTS

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Send your story ideas or photo submissions to ‘Richmond’ sports Mark Booth at mbooth@richmond-news.com

City teams take aim at B.C. berths VIEW MORE PHOTOS WITH LAYAR

Palmer and MacNeill are favourites at this week’s Mainland AA tournament Mark Booth

Staff Reporter mbooth@richmond-news.com

RC Palmer Griffins and MacNeill Ravens are hoping to renew their rivalry on Thursday night with B.C. berths already in their back pockets. The top 10 ranked Richmond schools are favoured to meet in the final of this week’s Lower Mainland AA Boys Basketball Championships which take place at MacNeill. The Griffins are the top seed in the six team tournament after winning their eighth consecutive Richmond championship last week. They will likely play Britannia tonight (7:30 p.m.), while the second seed Ravens are destined to meet third seed Notre Dame in the other semi-final at 5:45 p.m. MacNeill took a perfect record into the city tournament before falling 78-66 to Palmer in the the semis. They rebounded to edge McNair 81-79 in the third place game. “Ourselves and MacNeill are the favourites (this week) and now we have to make sure we get it done,” said Griffins head coach Paul Eberhardt. “If we both play to our ability then we are moving onto (the Langley Events Centre for the provincials).” For the third straight year, the Griffins were not the favourite at the city championships yet still found a way to get it done. They capped a memorable week with an 84-69 win over top 10 3A ranked

McMath Wildcats in front of a packed gym at Burnett secondary. The Griffins used a huge second half performance from Antonio Jhuty to pull away after taking a 38-34 lead into the locker room. The Grade 12 guard showed why he is one of the most prolific scorers in school history by putting on a shooting clinic from the perimeter — hitting a number of deep threes en route to a 34-point performance. Point guard Gurjit Pooni was also terrific, finishing with 23 points and 13 assists. “I didn’t think we were playing that well to be honest with you and was little surprised we were ahead (at the half),” said Eberhardt. “We were missing a lot of shots and we usually don’t do that for four quarters. Antonio decided ‘I’m going to end it’ and hit like three 40-footers in a row. “We also got our tempo going in the second half which makes us pretty tough when we get into full court.” In arguably the deepest playoff tournament in its near 20-year history, the eight team event lived up to the hype with some closely contested games from start to finish. The Griffins opened with a 90-87 quarterfinal win over the Richmond Colts, then got past the MacNeill. The Wildcats also had a tough road to the final, outlasting Hugh Boyd 65-60 in the opening round, before cooling off the red hot McNair Marlins 67-54 in a battle between a pair of top 10 ranked 3A teams. McMath joins the Marlins, McRoberts Strikers and Boyd at this week’s Lower Mainland AAA Tournament. The No. 3 seed Wildcats will host the winner of No. 6 Byrne Creek and No. 11 Gladstone tonight at 7:30 p.m. An all-Richmond quarter-final match-up is also looming as the No. 4 Marlins could be entertaining the No. 5 Strikers, also at 7:30 p.m. The No. 9 Trojans played No. 8 Point Grey

A17

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RC Palmer Griffins Gurjit Pooni works the ball up the floor against McMath Wildcats Thaddaeus Melaku during the Richmond Senior Boys Basketball League championship game played last Thursday in front of a sold out crowd at Burnett secondary. The Griffins won 84-69 for their eighth straight city title. Photo by Mark Booth last night with the winner moving on to face top seed St. Thomas More. The Richmond Colts are the city’s lone entry in the Lower Mainland AAAA Tournament. The No. 5 seed hosted No. 12 Burnaby Mountain last night, with the winner moving on to meet No. 4 Kitsilano in today’s quarter-finals. Both the Lower Mainland AAA and AAAA Tournaments will conclude next

week at the Richmond Olympic Oval with the semi-final games being held on Feb. 19. At the buzzer.... Coaches had high praise for the staff and students at Burnett for their efforts in hosting the championships for the second straight year. They have taken the event to another level complete with team posters, a tournament program and even game hosts that welcome spectators to the school.

Regular season champion Sockeyes open playoffs Thursday Richmond Sockeyes are Pacific Junior Hockey League regular season champions for the fifth time in six years and it took a near perfect run over the last three months to pull it off. The Sockeyes defeated the North Delta Devils 6-3 on Saturday night to finish with

a 34-5-2-3 record and set-up an opening round playoff match-up with the Grandview Steelers, starting on Thursday at Minoru Arena (7 p.m.). Since Nov. 7, Richmond has lost just twice but it still took until the final week of the regular season to edge out the Aldergrove Kodiaks for league honours.

Rookies John Wesley and Ayden MacDonald led the way against North Delta with two goals each. Wesley then made his Western Hockey League debut Sunday in the Vancouver Giants 7-2 win over the Kamloops Blazers. The 16-year-old led all rookie scorers in the PJHL this season with

HOCKEY NIGHT IN RICHMOND! MISSION ICEBREAKERS STEELERS SOCKEYES VS GRANDVIEW Richmond's Premier Sports Team Since 1972

57 points in 44 games. Icing... Game two of the Sockeyes/Steelers series goes at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday before the series shifts to the Burnaby Winter Club for games three and four on Sunday and Wednesday.

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A18 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

SPORTS

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

RICHMOND CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wildcats get early start on expected girls hoop dynasty Mark Booth

Staff Reporter mbooth@richmond-news.com

McMath Wildcats got a head start on their expected dominance of the Richmond Senior Girls Basketball League. The Wildcats continued their strong play over the second half of the season by capturing the city championship Thursday afternoon with a 56-44 win over the host MacNeill Ravens. With an outstanding group of juniors that will be among the favourites at next month’s provincial championships, the Wildcats are expected to dominate Richmond over the next two seasons. However, the current squad, which features a number of outstanding multi-sport athletes, also proved it can more than get the job done with three dominant performances en route to the title. McMath opened the tournament with a 76-46 win over the Cambie Crusaders, then rolled to 64-44 win over a Hugh Boyd team that went 6-1 in the regular season and handed them a 68-39 defeated back in early December. The final opened as a tight affair as both

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teams struggled to find the basket and were tied at 16-16 at the half. The Wildcats then took over the final two quarters as their perimeter game heated up and their full court pressure began to wear down the Ravens who were trying to win the school its first-ever senior basketball city championship. “I think little bit of the crowd and the pressure got to the girls in the first half. It was a tough atmosphere and they made it tough on us by playing very good defensively,” said Wildcats coach Bik Chatha. “We had to get it to halftime and change our strategy a little bit. Once we were able to do that we were on the run. We also got some open looks and started to make our shots.” “We went full court pressure for the very first time in the playoffs. We pulled it out against Boyd in semis in order to beat them and pulled it out again. We are very athletic. That’s our strength. We are usually more fit than other teams too.” The Wildcats now turn their attention to the Lower Mainland AAA playoffs. The defending champion StevestonLondon Sharks were the team to beat after a perfect regular season but dropped a 52-43 decision to MacNeill in the semi-finals.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

THEPULSE WE’VE GOT OUR FINGERS ON IT

The “Immersed in the Arts — Reach to Teach” program, hosted at the Arts Connection, held its closing lunch/auction celebration Friday. Students, teachers and principals from the two participating schools, Westwind elementary of Richmond and Admiral Seymour of Vancouver, were there along with Arts Connection’s Linda Shirley, Community Arts Council of Richmond members and city councillors Bill McNulty and Linda McPhail. The program, now in its second year, brings together students from different backgrounds to experience the arts and learn from one another. Photos by Alan Campbell/ Richmond News

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