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CONTENTS www.cityuniversity.ca
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MASTER OF COUNSELLING INFORMATION SESSION:
17
EDUCATION
If you’re in the mood to reconsider your career options and you’re not satisfied with the status quo, check out these educational options—now is the time to start planning how you can turn your life around, starting this September.
COVER
Chef Christopher Sayegh will discuss finer points of THC- and CBD-infused dining at the Grassroots Expo for the Cannabis Curious. > BY PIPER COURTENAY
27
ARTS
Cherry-blossom viewing is a Japanese tradition, but the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival puts a diverse spin on a city in bloom.
START HERE 9 20 41 8 20 18 35 41 7 43 10 31 32
Books The Bottle Confessions Commentary Food I Saw You Movie Reviews Red Meat Renters of Vancouver Savage Love Straight Stars Theatre Visual Arts
> BY ALE X ANDER VART Y
TIME OUT
37
MUSIC
Phil Elverum lets a little hope shine through the darkness of his grief on Mount Eerie’s new album, Now Only. > BY JOHN LUCAS
41
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MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 5
NEWS
Yaletown angled spots stay > B Y C HA R LIE S M ITH
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I
n early February, Yaletown merchants and restaurateurs were horrified by a City of Vancouver proposal to eliminate dozens of parking spots along Mainland and Hamilton streets. At the time, the city felt it was necessary to eliminate angled parking to enable large fire trucks to gain access to the area in an emergency. On March 27, the city announced that it had come up with a far more acceptable compromise following discussions with local businesses. A new design will retain 117 of the 120 angled spots. There could be even more angled spaces if garbage bins along Hamilton and Mainland are removed in the future. However, these angled parking stalls will be shorter. And that means longer vehicles won’t be permitted in these spots. It’s being launched on a trial basis in early April and will be evaluated for up to a year. “We feel confident that with some innovative signage and on street design, drivers will find it easier to park, and easier to find a parking spot in Yaletown,” Yaletown Business Improvement Association executive director Annette O’Shea said in a city news release.
The City of Vancouver has backed off a plan to eliminate angled parking spaces on Hamilton and Mainland streets in Yaletown—for now. Charlie Smith photo.
“By working with the local businesses, we can improve the public realm in Yaletown.” There’s already a public parking lot on the north side of Nelson Street. The city’s director of transportation, Lon LaClaire, said in the same news release that the BIA wanted to keep angled parking in the neighbourhood.
“While this doesn’t create more parking in the short term, we may be able to work with the BIA to relocate some of the 60 Dumpsters in the area, which would create additional parking spaces in the long term,” he said. “In addition, we will work to increase the amount of short-term parking in the area on other streets and parkades.” -
The Georgia Straight | Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly | Volume 52 Number 2620 1635 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W9 www.straight.com Phone: 604-730-7000 / Fax: 604-730-7010 / e-mail: gs.info@straight.com Display Advertising: 604-730-7020 / Fax: 604-730-7012 / e-mail: sales@straight.com Classifieds: 604-730-7060 / e-mail: classads@straight.com Subscriptions: 604-730-7000 Distribution: 604-730-7087 EDITOR + PUBLISHER Dan McLeod ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Yolanda Stepien GENERAL MANAGER Matt McLeod EDITOR Charlie Smith SECTION EDITORS
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6 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
HOUSING
Renters of Vancouver: “Landlady helped me” > B Y KATE WIL SON
Renters of Vancouver takes an intimate look at how the city’s residents are dealing with the housing crisis. Tenants choose to remain nameless when sharing their stories.
“I
met my current landlady when she came to work for a bit in my country. After a while, we made friends, and I told her about my intentions for the future. I am the eldest son, and in my culture that means I’m the head of the family. I was supporting my mom and my brothers with my salary, but it was my goal that when they had finished their studies, I could go and pursue my dreams. “I always wanted to go abroad to study. I had lived in my country for 28 years, and I didn’t see anything change for me, or for my family. I wanted to do something that would help me to raise my family to the next level in society, so we could have a better life. In my country, we were just surviving. I wanted to experience what it would be like to live, and not just to survive. “My landlady helped me to look into programs for nursing and midwifery. I decided to apply to school in Vancouver, where she lived. I got in. Now she lets me stay in the second bedroom of her apartment for free while I go to school. “I am very, very lucky to have her support. Housing in the city is so expensive, and if I didn’t have a place to stay, it would be impossible for me to study here. If I had to pay rent, I don’t think I would be able to focus on my schoolwork. Right now, as well as going to university, I have a good job. I’m able to stick to my visa requirements, which are that I can’t work more than 20 hours during a pay period. My priority can be school, and my landlady’s help is allowing me to succeed in that. “Most of my paycheque goes towards my family. I send money home every month, because no one is working apart from my younger brother, who is a teacher. His pay is only US$100 a month, and they’re all trying to survive on that. I double that salary working only 20 hours in Canada and give them as much as I can. If I was renting, I couldn’t afford to give them anything. “As well as providing me with a place to stay, my landlady helps me out with other things, too. At one point, I had to go to see a doctor. At home, even though the law says that health care is free, you have to take cash with you to pay people in the hospital. I was talking to my landlady about how the visit would happen and how much money I should bring with me. She helped me through the process. When I found out that all I needed to take was my health card, I was amazed.
This tenant credits a landlady for enabling him to study in Vancouver.
“My landlady also helped me with learning about the banking system. In my country I had a bank card, but it was for my salary only, and we didn’t have anything like online banking. I just used it to take money out from the bank—like an ATM. I got my first credit card here. At first it had a $300 limit. All those things were new to me, and she gave me support to work them out. “It’s thanks to her that I managed to come here to study. When I first tried to get my visa, I was rejected four times. To apply, I had to send in documents that showed I’d been accepted to a school, what my finances were, what my purpose of study was, and my ties to the country. Each time I got a rejection letter, it would say that I wasn’t a bona fide student. My landlady helped me take the government to court to say that they weren’t abiding by their own rules for the visas. There was nothing to show that I wasn’t a real student. She sent in her own finances, and showed that she owned an apartment. She had to say that I wasn’t going to go on income assistance or just disappear into Canada. I just wanted to come here and learn, and she made that happen. “I haven’t decided for sure if I’ll stay here after I’ve finished school. It would be hard to get my nursing degree and go back to my country and then work for nothing. Nurses at home are treated badly. But it would be very difficult to live without my family. “The housing crisis in Vancouver also factors into my decision. I love this city. You can do anything you want—everything is available here. But it’s very expensive. I’ve been thinking of living and working in another place in Canada, but it would be sad to move away and start over again for a second time. I’m still in the process of getting to know people and making friends, and it would be tough to have to go and do it again. “More than anything, though, I’m very thankful to my landlady to have been given this opportunity to experience a different life.” -
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SHOWINGS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 7
Protests are about staving off climate hell
E
arlier this month, Alberta premier Rachel Notley threatened to cut oil shipments to B.C. if the province interferes with Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. That was followed by Coast Salish spiritual leaders and their allies launching a campaign called Protect the Inlet to prevent this project from being completed. The Texas energy giant wants to triple shipments of diluted bitumen from Alberta to B.C. for export on 400 supertankers per year travelling through Burrard Inlet. “Since this pipeline was first conceived, Tsleil-Waututh members have been protecting our territory from proposed oil flowing through our lands, and tankers intruding into our Inlet,” the Protect the Inlet website states. “Now, we are asking you to stand with us in our defence of the lands and waters.” Juno Award winner Grimes supported those being arrested by visiting the Kinder Morgan protest site. Protect the Inlet photo. One of their most vocal allies is Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president B.C. premier Gordon Campbell. its coverage of the dispute over the explained it this way: “We lose control. of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. UBC geographer and climate- Kinder Morgan project. Up till then, we are in complete conHe was among thousands gather- change researcher Simon Donner But the mathematics can’t be ig- trol, if we choose to be, of the emising at Burnaby’s Lake City Station on has also questioned this claim in a nored forever. sions we put into the atmosphere and a weekend morblog post. Donner noted that even in a low- the warming that they cause.” ning recently for He stated: “In end scenario, with the pipeline reAfter the temperature rises 2° C a Protect the Inthe most con- placing diluted bitumen shipments above preindustrial levels, Earth’s let march. “There servative estimate, by rail over just 20 years, “oil sands feedback levels kick in. The loss of Charlie Smith is no jail, injuncwith only 20 years emissions would represent 34% of Arctic Ocean sea ice reaches a point tion, or police or military force that of operation and no incremental Canada’s 1.5° C carbon pie, or 9-37% where the ice cannot reflect nearly as will stop us from protecting our upstream emissions, the pipeline of Canada’s 2° C carbon pie.” much sunlight back into the atmosfuture generations,” Phillip has de- expansion would lock in oil sands The numbers increase sharply if phere. The Arctic Ocean then abclared over Twitter. emissions at a level that would the pipeline is in operation for 50 sorbs more heat. According to Dyer, The Treaty Alliance Against Tar make it challenging for Canada to years, which is expected. it becomes “a planetary-warming Sands Expansion includes 150 First meet its commitments under the In the low-end scenario, according mechanism that you can’t turn off”. Nations and tribes. Paris Climate Agreement.” to Donner, the oilsands “use up virWe had a glimpse of this unPrime Minister Justin Trudeau has That’s because oilsands develop- tually all of the 1.5° C carbon pie, and predictability in late February, when often stated that the Trans Mountain ment would gobble up a higher 21-83% to all of the 2° C carbon pie” temperatures north of Greenland pipeline expansion is in the national percentage of Canada’s share of over a 50-year period. shot up by 20 to 30° C in a week. interest. He has also claimed that the world’s “carbon pie” if the averSo what’s the big deal about the Next, there’s the melting of the Canada’s climate-change objectives age global temperature were to be average global temperature rising permafrost. It’s “a ring of frozen under the Paris climate agreement contained to 2° C above preindus- 2° C above preindustrial levels as a ground anywhere from 10 to 40 metres can’t be achieved without the pipe- trial levels. result of higher carbon-dioxide con- deep, around the Arctic Ocean”. line. That elicited scorn from Georgia The national mainstream media centrations in the atmosphere? Once that accelerates, it will start Straight contributor Martyn Brown, in Canada rarely talks about cliA year ago, in a lecture at SFU freeing massive amounts of meththe long-time chief of staff to former mate change in connection with Woodward’s, author Gwynne Dyer ane, Dyer said. Methane has 85 times
Commentary
the heat-trapping potential of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, albeit over a far shorter time frame. The next problem that can’t be controlled at 2° C above preindustrial levels, according to Dyer, is the warming of global oceans. This will enable massive amounts of carbon dioxide currently dissolved in oceans to escape into the atmosphere. Dyer likened it to beer that goes flat when kept out of the fridge for too long. “The carbon dioxide has come out of the beer because it warmed up to room temperature,” he stated. “That will happen with the oceans as well and all of the carbon dioxide they’ve absorbed in past years will be put back into the atmosphere as they warm.” These scenarios have some fearing for the future of humanity on Earth in the coming centuries. At one extreme is Guy McPherson, a former University of Arizona natural resources and environment professor who has written that human beings could go extinct within the next decade. Gaia theorist and author James Lovelock used to say the same thing. But last year he told the Guardian that anyone who predicts what might happen more than five or 10 years into the future “is a bit of an idiot, because many things can change unexpectedly”. Others, like Grist staff writer Eric Holthaus, have insisted that climatechange scare tactics often backfire. That’s because the stress that comes with thinking the planet will kill us overwhelms the emotional centre of the brain. This inhibits logical thinking, leading to inaction. Noted climate scientist Michael Mann stated last year that he’s also “not a fan of this sort of doomist framing”. In a Facebook post, he declared that a New York magazine article entitled “The Uninhabitable see next page
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BOOKS Earth” “paints an overly bleak picture by overstating some of the science”. “It exaggerates, for example, the near-term threat of climate ‘feedbacks’ involving the release of frozen methane (the science on this is much more nuanced and doesn’t support the notion of a gamechanging, planet-melting methane bomb),” Mann wrote. He insisted that it’s “unclear that much of this frozen methane can be readily mobilized by projected warming”. That said, the New York magazine article by David Wallace-Wells is still enough to scare the daylights out of anyone. Drawing upon numerous scientific references, WallaceWells links a warming planet to heat death—a.k.a. “the Bahraining of New York”—as well as climate plagues, unbreathable air that suffocates millions, perpetual war, permanent economic collapse, the end of food, and poisoned oceans. Th is is what the Coast Salish spiritual people are trying to prevent with Protect the Inlet. They’re supported by many Indigenous and non-Indigenous allies from across North America. When Alberta premier Rachel Notley and Justin Trudeau talk about the “national interest”, they’re speaking a completely different language than those who are prepared to put their personal liberty on the line for the sake of future generations. It’s time for the national media in Canada to wake up to that reality and give these courageous activists the respect that they deserve for trying to protect all that Mother Nature has given us. Even if these national media commentators disagree with their tactics or their beliefs, it’s indisputable that the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is going to have long-term ramifications for Canada’s ability to meet its commitments under the Paris climate agreement. That’s to say nothing of the potential impact of a major oil spill on marine life and the tourism economies of Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria. -
Fu’s explorations find Lost Girls > BY D AVI D CHA U
D
awson City offered sudden inspiration to Kim Fu. Arriving there for a writer’s residency in 2015, the author of the acclaimed novel For Today I Am a Boy wanted to develop a stalled project. A cast of characters had occupied her thoughts for years, appearing in multiple scenarios and sequences, yet she lacked a unifying plot. Progress was further delayed by the success of her 2014 book, which received the Edmund White Award for debut fiction, and Fu hoped the solitude of the Yukon would be a creative boon. During her stint at the historic Berton House, as she hiked through snow and met people who lived in the bush, Fu, a Seattle resident who grew up on Metro Vancouver’s North Shore, began to reflect on survival and vulnerability. “What would happen if I got stuck?” she says now, over coffee with the Straight in downtown Vancouver. “Everybody else knew exactly what they would do, and I’m just a city kid with no idea. I was thinking about that, and those ideas really cracked the novel open.” The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore maps five girls—Nita, Siobhan, Isabel, Dina, and Andee—during and after a harrowing camping trip on a Pacific Northwest island. Ranging in age from 9 to 11 when stranded with scant supplies and no supervision, the girls face nature, of the Mother and human varieties, while searching for a way back to the mainland. “I think if you go through something traumatic at those ages,” Fu, 30, says, “it becomes more solid and all the more traumatic. The dynamics between little girls are very interesting at those ages. I wanted to explore those dynamics in a situation
Seattle author Kim Fu presents womanhood as a wilderness to be navigated in her new novel The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore. L D’Alessandro photo.
where the stakes were higher.” Th is outdoor adventure, set in 1994, is cut with narratives about the individual girls as they pass from adolescence to adulthood, which gives a strobe-lit look at how personaladjust ities—and truths—adjust to circumstance. Revealing the grip of trauma on identity, Fu’s sophomore novel broaches “things that all women go through, or forces,” she says, “that act upon all women, but then manifest really differently in different people.” As their respective futures unfold, Nita confronts being a doctor, wife, and mother; Siobhan works as a child-psychology researcher; Isabel reacts passively to the whims of men;
Dina pursues stardom; and Andee, who attended Camp Forevermore on a scholarship, scrabbles to secure a home and stay autonomous. (To track this particular protagonist after camp, Fu focused instead on Andee’s sister, Kayla, who misconstrues her sibling much as the other characters do. “You circle around who Andee is, and only the reader really knows,” Fu says. “From all these other people’s misperceptions of her is how you actually get to know Andee.”) Consciously and unconsciously, these separate trajectories are governed by spectres of that mutual past. Their later lives expose motives and damages, and demonstrate
Fu’s skill at building characters of marvellous versatility and depth. “She had never left ,” Fu writes of Siobhan, “and everything that had happened since was a dream, a girl’s fantasy of adulthood, a fi lm reel in the afterlife.” Like For Today I Am a Boy, which tells the story of a Chinese-Canadian transgender woman, Lost Girls shares Fu’s interest in gender performance. This also informed How Festive the Ambulance, her 2016 book of verse, which emphasized her measured wit. (Poems are “a great pleasure to write,” she says. “If I was the last person on Earth, if there was no one left to read it, I would still write poems.”) The strength of her writing lies not only in its awareness of body and mind, but in its attention to language and image as ways of unfurling strange splendour. Few conjure the fugue of youth with such power. Each of Lost Girls’ threads presents womanhood as a wilderness needing navigation, and proves Fu to be among the most exciting and talented young Canadian writers today. The ultimate fate of her characters, though, is seldom considered beyond the final page. “While you’re writing, you’re very obsessed with these characters and you want to keep sticking them in different situations and see what they’ll do, and picking at them and poking them, and making them react,” she says. “I’d be thinking about them all the time. And everything I saw would be like, ‘How would they see that?’ And you write and you write, and not all of it makes it into the book. “A day comes when your obsession ends,” she continues, “and that’s when you’ve said all you want to say. It’s all there somewhere. You wake up one morning and you’re not obsessed anymore. And then that means it’s done.” -
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ntering Taurus on Friday, Venus builds a good working rapport with Mars, her relationship counterpart, and Saturn, the reality-check planet. The trio aim to get a better fix on what it’s worth and what must be done to create the desired and necessary gain. At the same time, Mercury in Aries, continuing in retrograde, aims to cut to the chase. Passover Saturday delivers a full moon in Libra. The goal/the issue is one of finding a happy medium, playing the peacemaker, and making everyone happy. Shedding light on competing interests and needs, the art of compromise requires good listening skills and showing respect where it is due. Be first to offer an ear or an olive branch, but also stand your ground. Easter Sunday, Mercury retrograde teams up with the sun. This marks the social high point of the weekend and the midpoint of the retrograde cycle, which continues to April 15. The moon’s opposition to Uranus and Venus puts synchronicity into play. Reconnect; revisit the conversation; say what’s on your mind; try it on for size. Enjoy. Mars in Capricorn joins forces with Saturn on Monday morning. This culminates a cycle that began in August 2016 and launches the next two-year goal-setting agenda. Supplying added fuel, Mercury retrograde squares Mars on Wednesday and Saturn on Thursday. It sets a productive backdrop for surpassing and soldiering on. Mercury’s message is to see the task, the limitation, or the reality for what it is, but rather than let it stop you, find a way to work around it instead. “Can and will� is within the scope of entirely possible.
Gender, Race, and Power in the Academy
ARIES
March 20–April 19
Despite Mercury retrograde, the wrap-up to the workweek and the setup for the holiday weekend can be productive. Friday night, Venus puts a check mark on quality over quantity. Slow down; savour the good stuff. Saturday/Sunday, moderation is key; pacing yourself is wise. Hear them out. Take added time to listen, observe, and evaluate before you respond. Monday/Tuesday are good for sorting it out.
TAURUS
April 20–May 20
Now through the weekend puts everything into full swing. Some things are best to ditch; some things are worth fighting for. Look to the full moon in Libra to make the reality, issues, shortfalls, or options more obvious. Venus in Taurus, starting Friday, enhances your ability to attract. The transit also pumps up your resolve and sense of “I deserve�. Monday/Tuesday, make your power play.
GEMINI
CANCER
May 21–June 21
Holding high expectations for your holiday weekend? Socializing, romance, a getaway, and gifting yourself are top of the pick list. Even so, the full moon can put relationships, finances, or plans under added strain, especially when give, get, and reward are not equal. Don’t hesitate to change your mind, speak up, run with it, or splurge on it. Spontaneity delivers it best.
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10 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
June 21–July 22
Home entertaining, home matters, and family can keep your holiday weekend full to the brim. Saturday/Sunday, the full moon could find you on the short end of the stick. You may have to accommodate, yield, or play peacemaker. Sunday, watch for an unexpected opportunity or reach out. Monday/Tuesday are your best days to take your power back or to get a move on.
LEO
July 22–August 22
One way or another, you’ll get your spiritual fill this holiday weekend. Reconnecting, a getaway weekend, or fresh air offers great refreshment. On the other hand, the full moon can put a damper on things or put you under pressure to fulfill obligations or make an important decision. A friend or sibling may need your help. Take your time to gather all the information.
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
August 22–September 22
Thursday through Monday brings you to a well-timed finish line. By mid–next week, you’ll be in the thick of it again. Grab your moments; let yourself off the hook as best you can this weekend. If you run up against it or them, delay or take a time-out; suspend judgment. Clarity, or a best option or resolution, will appear on its time. September 22–October 23
The long weekend is likely to pull you into more than you intended. The full moon can hit with fuller impact if your birthday is on or near October 2. A deadline, tough decision, or difficult conversation can weigh on you. You’ll soon surpass it. Sunday, an air-clearing, talk, or revisit is opportune. Socializing and spontaneity deliver. Monday onward, you’re on the gain. October 23–November 21
Get it out of the way; finish what you can on Thursday and aim to take a break over the weekend. Even so, be ready to go, do, speak up, or take it on when the moment strikes flint. Saturday/Sunday, the full moon could reopen it or rekindle it. Sunday night through Tuesday, take your best shot; make the most of it. November 21–December 21
For the start of your holiday weekend, take a break; don’t push what isn’t coming naturally. Lay low if you can Saturday morning. If you don’t have to do battle with the world, don’t. The full moon can produce a mixedbag weekend. It can start you off with strain, drain, reluctance, or resistance, but come Sunday, you’re good to go. December 21–January 19
Whether the holiday weekend is a duty call or it gives you a welldeserved break, Mars and Saturn in Capricorn keep you making the most of it. Easter Sunday is the best of the weekend for socializing and for taking full advantage of synchronicity. Monday/Tuesday, you’re onto a fresh and lucrative track. Next Wednesday/ Thursday require more effort. January 20–February 18
Thursday, minimize on the extras; avoid what’s complicated; leaving only one cluster per vine, which, in turn, gets remarkably concentrated, simplify where you can. Aim for quality over quantity this weekend too. Travel or stay put. Mercury retrograde and the full moon can put you back in touch and/or deliver news. Easter Sunday, a talk, visit, or look-see can spark something more, something added. Monday/ Tuesday are opportune action days. February 18–March 20
Saturday’s full moon in Libra could see a relationship or money matter weigh on you. Added time and patience can be necessary. A shift in perspective or opinion can be growing. It can start as an undercurrent and end as a sudden clarity. Sunday can spark something unexpected and/or clear the air. Monday/Tuesday, put your intuitive smarts into play. Book a reading or sign up for Rose’s free monthly newsletter at rosemarcus.com/.
EDUCATION
Education can open doors and open minds This is the best time of the year to start planning for the fall semester if you want to be accepted into your preferred program
T
he postsecondary school year may be coming to an end for many. But others are already making plans for their next educational foray in the fall. If you’re thinking about changing your career—or simply starting a career— here are 10 options to consider. CAPILANO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Many postsecondary institu-
2 tions like to talk about student-
centred learning experiences. At the Capilano University School of Business, this approach is embedded in its DNA, as demonstrated by its field schools and its participation in a high-profile North American marketing competition. In a phone interview with the Straight, marketing instructor Andrea Eby said that she and another faculty member are taking 24 students to China for two weeks on April 22. They’ll visit Johnson & Johnson’s Asia Pacific Innovation Center in Shanghai, which is identifying and developing opportunities for new products in health care, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. The students will also see a factory near Guangzhou and be exposed to plenty of Chinese culture at other stops along the way. “It’s a jam-packed, eye-opening, really immersive trip,” Eby said. The business school has strong links with the American Marketing Association, which is hosting the 2018 AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans from April 5 to April 7. At last year’s event, Capilano University came second out of 370 chapters of undergraduate students in an annual case competition, which involved responding to a marketing challenge from eBay. This year’s theme is “The Timeless Beauty of Marketing”, and Capilano University’s chapter has again made the top 10 in the preliminary round. This means students from the business school will be allowed to make a presentation in response to a challenge from cosmetics giant Mary Kay. “The amount of work that goes into this is the equivalent of two courses,” Eby explained. “Basically, it’s a business problem and students have to prepare a marketing plan for them.” Capilano University has only 7,000 students, and just 2,000 are enrolled in the business school, yet it’s competing exceptionally well against students from top U.S. academic institutions. Eby said that Capilano’s small class sizes provide a competitive advantage. As a former manager of national brands for large corporations such as Cadbury and the former Ault Foods, Eby has tremendous respect for the impact of metrics on marketing. That’s because when she was overseeing large marketing campaigns, she was expected to deliver results that improved
Capilano School of Business marketing instructor Andrea Eby is an advocate of student-centred learning, but she also pays close attention to metrics.
market share and profitability. She revealed that in a recent course on consumer behaviour, students spent an hour and a half in an Excel lab doing demand forecasting. “My fourth-year course is all metrics,” she said. “It’s applied marketing. It’s a capstone [culminating] course, and there’s an Excel spreadsheet every week.” Eby added that students will sometimes grumble that they hate math. However, she feels that if the numbers mean something, students see the relevance. And there’s certainly a great deal of metrics that goes into presentations at the AMA International Collegiate Conference and other student competitions. The Capilano University School of Business offers a four-year bachelor of business administration degree that combines classroom learning with hands-on training. There’s also a two-year business-administration diploma that enables students to specialize in accounting and finance, general management, international business studies, marketing, and strategic human-resources management. In addition, there are certificate programs in business administration and retail-business fundamentals, as well as diploma and certificate programs
for those who hope to become accounting assistants. When asked how she would describe Capilano University business students, Eby replied that they are “doers” and “multitaskers”. That’s because about 70 percent of the students hold down jobs and many of them are paying their own way. “Being able to manage a multitude of tasks and being organized and being accountable—that’s what I love about Cap students,” she said. CITYU IN CANADA
Tom Culham was trained as an
2 engineer and he worked in busi-
ness for almost 30 years designing major industrial facilities around the world. But in his 50s, he decided to pursue a distinctly different passion: the ethics education of business leaders. His curiosity led him to explore neuroscience, probe the relationship between unconscious feelings and principled behaviour, and write a PhD thesis that was published as a book, Ethics Education of Business Leaders: Emotional Intelligence, Virtues, and Contemplative Learning. “The research I did indicated that the current approach to teaching ethics didn’t match up with how people
actually make decisions,” Culham told the Straight by phone. “The focus was on intellectual effort, doing case studies, and finding logical and rational ways of coming to ethical decisions.” Now the director of the bachelor of arts in management program at the private nonprofit CityU in Canada, Culham is applying his wealth of knowledge to an innovative undergraduate program that develops ethical leaders interested in building healthy communities. Social and environmental responsibility is at the core of its mission. According to Culham, researchers have demonstrated that ethical conduct can be cultivated by practising certain skills, like listening effectively, writing journals, and meditating. “They’ve used magnetic-resonance imaging to look at people when they’re making ethics decisions,” he said, “and they discovered that they make them in the unconscious part of the brain related to the emotions in the body.” This area of the brain is called the limbic system, leading him to conclude that ethics is an “embodied knowledge”. That contrasts with the centre for “intellectual knowledge”, the prefrontal cortex, which is instrumental in performing mathematics and is associated with logical decision-making. Yet most people think that they are relying on logic when they make an ethical decision. What explains this contradiction? Culham said science has demonstrated that when an ethical decision is made, a signal is sent from the unconscious part of the brain to the conscious part of the brain. Then the ego goes, “I made the decision and I made the decision because of x-y-z, which is actually a story.” He emphasized that just because ethical decision-making is rooted in the brain’s limbic system it doesn’t mean that educators should abandon intellect or case studies. Rather, he suggested that mind-body exercises be integrated with traditional methods to engage students. Moreover, he noted that stress can increase the likelihood of someone making an unethical decision. “There’s been work done by the U.S. Army to find out how people respond under a lack of sleep,” Culham said. “What kind of person maintains their ethical stance under those situations? And they found that people with higher levels of emotional intelligence do that—and also people who have meditated. Even a small amount of meditation actually helps them retain their value system.” In other words, ethics can be a learned skill, just like playing hockey, which is another example of “embodied knowledge”. “We know through neuroscience that the brain is plastic—and that you can change some of these aspects of yourself—but you have to want to do it
and you have to be willing to practise.” CityU in Canada’s bachelor of arts in management, a.k.a. the BAM, is a 180-credit program, but people can apply credits that they obtained in two-year college or technicalinstitute educational programs. They can also leverage two years of undergraduate university education. It’s ideal for people with two years of postsecondary education who are in a supervisory position or who have launched their own business. Culham said that CityU in Canada has an agreement with Kwantlen Polytechnic University. This enables KPU students with a diploma in four areas—horticulture, environmental-protection technology, brewery operations, and computer-aided design—to apply their credits toward an undergraduate degree at CityU in Canada. This would yield a diploma and a degree in just four years. In April and May, CityU in Canada is launching a Sustainability Speaker Series to draw more attention to the connections between principled conduct and environmental well-being. It’s yet another example of ethics in action, which is at the heart of the BAM. LANGARA COLLEGE
The “maker movement”, a.k.a. culture, is taking off across North America as indie artists, DIY artisans, and open-sourcesoftware lovers take sheer delight in creating original new objects and designs. At Langara College, these creative dynamos have their own maker space, which still hasn’t been officially launched, in one of the former chemistry labs. Tomo Tanaka, chair of Langara’s creative arts and industries division, told the Straight by phone that he had just come from this space, where there were a dozen students working on various projects. “One of the things I’ve worked hard on as division chair is to have more cross-talk, more interdepartmental and interdivisional discussions,” he said. This maker space will make that much more likely to take place in the coming years. “It’s basically two rooms right now,” Tanaka explained. “We have 11 3-D printers, two laser cutters, and all the hand tools, like pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, and that kind of stuff. We have a very small CNC router machine and four or five computers there.” He said that normally when people talk about maker spaces, the first thing that often comes to mind is 3-D printing. He acknowledged that in the school’s theatre department, one instructor has been trying to print out props from a 3-D printer. Yet when the Langara College community was polled, he noted that there was also a surprising level of interest
2 maker
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in having access to a really good sewing machine. People also wanted sufficient space to spread things out. The maker space is ideal for a division that encompasses a wide range of programs, including design formation, fine arts, film arts, professional photography, theatre arts at Studio 58, and web and mobile design and development. Journalism and publishing are also part of creative arts and industries. And soon, a certificate in art history will be offered. In this division, instructors have a great deal of experience as artists, designers, performers, writers, and photographers. Students graduate with comprehensive portfolios of work to smooth the way to making a living. Langara is known for its university-transfer courses, but it’s not well known that there’s a memorandum between Langara and Emily Carr University of Art + Design. “Students take their first two years of fine arts here and they can transfer into the visual arts at Emily Carr,” Tanaka said. “Emily Carr loves our students because they have absolutely solid studio practices.” In recent years, Tanaka said, Langara has devoted a great deal more attention to helping students in his division learn technical and business skills. It’s manifesting itself in the development of a professional-studio-practice course in fine arts, an entrepreneurial course for journalists, and small-business education for photographers. “If you’re exceptionally skilled as an artist and you have no business savvy, the world is a very cruel place,” he stated. “So we want people to not just survive but thrive with the business skills. That is a critical part here.” Meanwhile, web and mobile design was created as a joint venture between the publishing and computer-science departments. The maker space is the next logical step in promoting more individual initiative, learning through doing, and cross-pollination between departments. “The maker space will, hopefully, officially launch this fall sometime,” Tanaka said. “But I’m hoping to have an event for the college community in May where people can get more familiar with that.” CAPILANO UNIVERSITY BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
The Brown Paper Couture Project is a first-year Langara design formation assignment. Jennifer Oehler/Langara College photo.
which are supported by the school. I went up to Cambridge. I went up to Oxford.” The dean of Capilano University’s faculty of business and professional studies, Halia Vallardes, is an expert in international logistics and trade. Last year, she told the Straight that one survey showed that 53 percent of people who studied and lived abroad said that this experience helped them land a job. “Just by being in this program and living in two countries within a year, you are developing your cross-cultural management skills,” Vallardes said. A Harvard Business Review article last year forecast that a growing number of skilled workers will be crossing national boundaries to do their jobs in the coming years. For Hannah, international experience is essential for anyone working in business, particularly as the world moves away from the hegemonic influence of the United States on the global economy. “This experience with my master’s has me definitely considering an internationally based PhD,” she said. RED ACADEMY
Many postsecondary students spend four years or more to
RED Academy was founded with the objective of offering
elor’s or graduate degree. Sarah Ashley Hannah, on the other hand, managed to collect two sets of letters after her name in just 12 months. She did this in 2014-15 by enrolling in a joint graduate program in international management developed by Capilano University and the University of Hertfordshire in England. Hannah met the prerequisite of having an undergraduate degree; she obtained this in business administration from Capilano University. In the 12-month joint graduate program, she spent the fall semester at Capilano University and the spring semester living in residence with 11 flatmates and attending classes at the British university. “The accommodation was great,” Hannah recalled in a phone interview with the Straight. “We lived on campus two or three minutes from all the classes. You get your own bedroom, your own bathroom. The only thing that’s really shared is the kitchen.” After attending both institutions, she was required to complete a dissertation. Hannah had a choice: do a research-based project on an aspect of international business or prepare a business plan. “I wrote a dissertation on corporate social responsibility as a strategic advantage in the Canadian banking sector,” she said. “I knew I wanted to do a dissertation that was strategy-based, because that’s an interest of mine.” As a result, she received an international management graduate diploma from Capilano University and a master of science in international business from the University of Hertfordshire. For Hannah, one of the joys was meeting students from around the world, both at Capilano University and while studying in the U.K. She recalled forming friendships with students from China, Nigeria, Germany, France, Jordan, and other countries. She believes that anyone who takes the program and is willing to move to another country to study is demonstrating to a future employer that they’re adaptable. Once she was based in England, she was able to travel to a dozen other countries in Europe. “I took trains, I took low-cost air, I even took a cruise,” Hannah said with a laugh. “There are also lots of day trips,
and developers to create a meaningful impact on the world. RED—which stands for Real Education and Development— takes its mission to redefine education seriously at its Vancouver, Toronto, and London campuses, which specialize in technology and design. According to the Vancouver school’s general manager and former lead user-interface (UI) instructor, Julie Tremblay, this is best achieved by embedding experiential applied learning into all of its programs: UI and UX (user experience) design, web and app development, and digital marketing. So, how does this work? Tremblay emphasizes that in the UI and communication-design program, students must adopt proven humancentric principles of design thinking by addressing a central question on all of their projects: “What human need is this product or service fulfilling?” “It’s essential to put the ‘intention’ at the centre of the solution,” Tremblay says. “It’s how we go about creating a solution that will address the users’ real pain points.” From there, students proceed through different phases, whether they’re in the UI- or UX-design, digital-marketing, or web-development program. The first phase involves a great deal of research. Tremblay points out that there are many ways to gather information, including by conducting surveys or going on field trips. She says that as students develop their portfolios, they are also working with community partners—often nonprofit organizations and social entrepreneurs—to create real-world solutions while building a portfolio made of real projects. This is a key element that helps students land jobs quickly, oftentimes before they graduate. “We’ve had students in the past going to Whistler when they had a client there, and they conducted a contextual inquiry, which is a research method we leverage in the UX-design process,” Tremblay notes. “It provides them with the opportunity to go on-site and conduct direct research with people who are
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currently engaging with the service or the product.” According to Tremblay, the second stage of the design process is planning. “This is when all the designers will take in the users’ insights and also the stakeholders’ requirements, understanding business needs and tying the two together.” That leads to the third phase. This involves actually designing a program, product, or service. At this all-important stage, RED Academy students develop prototypes. These are shared with the clients and tested with the users to inform further refinement and measure the usability and desirability of the prototype. “The testing phase is really, really important,” Tremblay explains. “User testing is how we’re able to assess the quality of the solution that was created through that overall design process. It iterates constantly.” The collaborative atmosphere at RED Academy replicates what graduates would find in a design firm or advertising agency. Again, it’s an-
other manifestation of the real-world education that RED embraces. When asked if there are any designers who have inspired her thinking, Tremblay cites Donald Norman, director of the Design Lab at the University of California San Diego. He’s the author of many books, including The Design of Everyday Things and Emotional Design. Norman is the world’s most sought-after expert on user-centred design. This concept is rooted in understanding how design can affect behaviour, improve users’ moods, and increase their willingness to use products or services. “It solves everything,” Tremblay says. “It’s very powerful.” RED Academy also offers students insights into how powerful design can be and how to design ethically with the awareness of the existence of aspects such as “dark patterns”. These are introduced by retailers, game designers, and social-media companies to lure customers deeper into their worlds.
As an example, Tremblay cites how department stores might deliberately design their floors to increase the likelihood of shoppers getting lost amid all the products. Another dark pattern might be inserted by a casino when it makes it a little more difficult to find the exits. Students also learn to communicate an intention through visual language and observe how this affects our emotions and subconscious. Tremblay compares this to the way that music can affect our mood. “There are a lot of musicians at RED Academy,” Tremblay reveals. “We usually wrap up our Friday nights with a jam of guitars in the stairwell. There is really good acoustics there.” Staff at RED Academy take pride in how the school gives back to the community through its partnership programs with nonprofit groups. The school has calculated that since it was created, it has contributed $3.1 million in value to organizations that would otherwise have been unable to afford to hire UI or UX designers or
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pay for digital-marketing programs or web development. According to Tremblay, it can be a moving experience hearing these stories of social impact. “I’ve sat through presentations when the community partners are in tears because they’re so thankful and so grateful for the work that the students have produced—which is going to make a really big difference for them,” she says. One of the newest instructors is Briana Garelli, a highly regarded multidisciplinary designer, illustrator, and writer who specializes in branding, editorial and UI design, and social-impact marketing. “For staff and students alike, when they set foot in the doors here, there’s often big life changes that happen,” Tremblay says. “The intensity of the program combined with our personaldevelopment program triggers some big epiphanies for people—not only in their careers but in their life in general. “That was one of the things that Briana was drawn to: the ability to
be part of something like this,” she continues. “While we do all this, the students get trained and acquire a technical skill set, and we also give back to the community through our community-partner program.” VCC HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Sometimes it’s difficult for
2 people to commit to a four-
year educational program if they’re uncertain about their career choice. At Vancouver Community College, there’s an option for anyone in this situation—they can take a two-year diploma in hospitality management. If they’re feeling after two years that this is the industry for them, they then have the option of laddering that credential into the four-year bachelor of hospitality management. Either way, there’s a plethora of jobs available for graduates because tourism continues to grow in Vancouver. According to see next page
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SIZZLE
Rise above the rest. VCC hospitality programs produce industry-ready chefs, bakers, and hoteliers. Learn how you can get the skills to create unforgettable flavours and experiences at vcc.ca/makeyourmark.
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Education opens doors
from previous page
Tourism Vancouver, the city has set records for tourist visits for four straight years. VCC’s assistant department head of hospitality management, Monique Paassen, told the Straight that the diploma enables people to find entry-level and supervisory positions. “Once you continue with a bachelor’s degree, you have made a decision that this is going to be your full-time career and your goal is management,� she said. There’s also a bachelor of hospitality management (executive cohort) for people with seven years’ experience in the industry who are working in a managerial capacity. It’s offered once a week on Tuesday evenings rather than the three days a week that students must commit to as part of the full-time bachelor of hospitality management program. “It’s exactly the same as the daytime bachelor’s but it’s geared for industry people who have full-time jobs,� Paassen said. “It just takes longer for them to graduate.� Students can enroll in VCC’s diploma in hospitality management every January and September, whereas the bachelor of hospitality management intake only occurs in September. Both programs are offered at the downtown campus (250 West Pender Street), and students have the summer off so they can gain industry experience. Paassen said students in the bachelor’s program take courses in operations management, multiculturalism in business, labour relations, service, marketing, entrepreneurship, and new media. They also do a research project over three semesters. “Sometimes if they are already working in industry, we say, ‘Approach your supervisor or your manager and try to do a research paper that’s linked to your property or the business you work in,’ � Paassen said. That way, she added, the student’s major project can help benefit them on the job.
Magnum Construction Services founder and Syrian refugee Mai Eilia likes paying it forward by hiring other refugees.
“One thing that really makes us stand out from other institutions that offer hospitality management is that there are only hospitality students in each course,� Paassen said. VCC’s hospitality-management programs also host an “interview week� each February for industry employers to meet the students. According to Paassen, at least 90 percent of the students who go through these interviews end up finding jobs. “Lots of different companies are contacting us saying, ‘Do you have any more students?’ They’re still screaming for people out there,� she said. One of the advantages of a hospitality career is the opportunity to work in hotels in other parts of the world. Paassen has firsthand experience finding employment in different jurisdictions, having graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in international hospitality and tourism
management in Switzerland. “There are jobs and jobs and jobs,� she said. “You can go anywhere in this industry. Go to Dubai, if you like. There are a lot of properties there.� To learn more about VCC programs, visit its open house at its Broadway campus (1155 East Broadway) from 3 to 6 p.m. on April 25. FUTURPRENEUR CANADA
Mai Eilia laughs easily these
2 days. And why not? As project
manager and founder of New Westminster–based Magnum Construction Services, she’s making a mark in the booming home-renovation and interior-design industry. She launched her company last year, just four years after coming to Canada as a well-educated refugee from Syria who spoke fluent English, French, and Arabic.
“I want to hire more tradeswomen,� Eilia told the Straight. “This is my objective.� She makes a point of hiring refugees, whether they’re from Syria, Iraq, Somalia, or any other country torn apart by violence. She also volunteers at MOSAIC, a Vancouver refugee-aid organization, as a way of giving back to her community. “I didn’t have experience myself when I was hired in my first company here,� she said. “My boss trusted me.� Eilia is from Aleppo, which has suffered the greatest damage of any city in the Syrian civil war. Fortunately, she was able to bring her father, mother, two siblings, and their families to Canada. “It’s very difficult for me to watch what’s happening or to see photos about my city,� she said. “It’s heartbreaking.� Eilia has a great deal of experience as a marketer, and she’s an
adept researcher. While investigating how to start a business in Canada, she learned about a nonprofit organization called Futurpreneur Canada, which has been fuelling the dreams of young entrepreneurs since 1996. It’s the only national nonprofit group that provides financing, mentoring, and support tools to aspiring business owners. Its loans can be leveraged to borrow more money from organizations such as the Business Development Bank of Canada, Vancity, and the Women’s Enterprise Centre. Eilia spent a couple of months preparing her business plan. “When I submitted it to Futurpreneur, I felt like I was putting a message in a bottle and throwing it in the sea,� she recalled with a chuckle. When she received a call from Futurpreneur requesting a phone interview, Eilia started jumping up and down with joy. She said she then called her mom, saying: “Oh, my god, they picked it. They read it. They want to know more!� Each year, Futurpreneur provides loans to more than 1,000 young entrepreneurs across Canada. It doesn’t take an equity position in the companies it finances, nor does it get involved in the operation of the business. But unlike conventional lenders, Futurpreneur provides mentorship. Eilia said she felt confident about many aspects of doing business but needed help with bookkeeping. So Futurpreneur arranged for her to receive instruction in this area from an expert, Isidro Saguindan. She meets him about every six weeks, and he also responds immediately to questions she sends via email. “I will call him and say, ‘I need help. Can you check my QuickBooks to make sure I’m not doing anything wrong before sending anything to the client?’ � Eilia said. “He’s a very awesome guy.� Eilia pointed out that many refugees in Canada have skills and education, and she’s never met one who see next page
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wants to be on welfare. She’s also aware that North America’s most famous entrepreneur, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, was the son of a Syrian immigrant. At the same time, she recognizes the pain that refugees feel when they’re forced to flee their homeland. She said they are grateful to be given a new life in Canada but they can also be plagued with sadness over what’s been lost. “They have a hole in their heart and it’s showing on their face,” she said. This is a powerful motivation for her. “I want to do well for this country,” Eilia stated. “I want to help as many people as I can along the way. To me, it’s not only about money. “Of course, I want to make money, but I want other people to experience the same,” she continued. “I want to help others. If they’re facing difficulties at the beginning, I tell them, ‘It’s going to be all right. You’re not alone.’ ” CAPILANO UNIVERSITY LEGAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
The convenor of Capilano University’s legal administrative
2 assistant program, Lindy Tucker, is well aware of one of the
biggest challenges facing some B.C. law firms. They simply can’t find enough trained legal administrative assistants—known as LAAs—to fill all the job openings. In a phone interview with the Straight, Tucker said she recently attended a meeting hosted by members of the B.C. Legal Management Association’s human-resources subsection, where this was the dominant topic of conversation. “We can’t graduate enough students to fill the demand,” Tucker said. “They’re coming out of their two-week practicum and they’re getting job offers right away.” To become an LAA, students have traditionally enrolled in a full-time nine-month certificate program at Capilano University’s North Vancouver campus. There, they learn about various legal documents, aspects of the law, and how to do administrative work such as filing documents in court, scheduling trial dates, and arranging meetings. But this fall, Capilano University is launching an online part-time certificate program with the same courses as those offered in the face-to-face program. The online program can be taken over six terms, enabling people already in the workforce or stay-at-home parents to study when it’s convenient for their schedules. “They get an introduction-to-law course to give an overview of the Canadian legal system,” Tucker said. There are also courses on basic conveyance and mortgage procedures, business writing geared to a law firm, corporate procedures, wills and probates, securities procedures, organizational behaviour, and word processing, among other subjects. In addition, students learn about basic litigation procedures and documents commonly used in the legal arena, including affidavits and notices of civil claim. “We also do a virtual legal-office course,” Tucker explained, “which is getting you to work hands-on with a mock legal file, so you’re doing real-life tasks that you would get in an office.” All the instructors either are working or have worked in the legal field, so they bring a wealth of experience into the program. Online courses will have the same instructors as the oncampus program; guest speakers will be broadcast live online. For students who can’t be available at those times, the lectures will be recorded. The online program is well suited to people living in other parts of B.C., as well as to those in entry-level positions at law firms who want to upgrade their skills. Starting salaries for LAAs in Vancouver begin at a minimum of $35,000 per year, according to Tucker. She said that because of the current labour shortage, some students come out of the Capilano program and receive offers of up to $40,000 per year. “It’s a rigorous program, but they’re going to be rewarded in the end with job offers and with really good starting salaries for a certificate program,” Tucker said. “The other great thing is it can be used as a steppingstone to enter the paralegal-certificate program and work their way into the paralegal profession, if that’s what they want to do.” Both the full-time and part-time LAA programs include a two-week practicum at a private law firm or government agency. LAAs learn transferable skills, which can open other doors, like working for a licensed immigration consultant or in other administrative positions. There is no deadline for applying for this fall’s online LAA program. “Our admission requirements are high-school graduation,” Tucker said. “There’s also mature-student status that you can apply for if you didn’t graduate from high school and now you have more life experience.”
VCC CONTINUING STUDIES HEALTH SCIENCES
It’s not always necessary to take a four-year program to
2 escape the grip of a low-wage job. At Vancouver Community College, there are continuing-studies programs that offer a pathway to a secure future in a fraction of that time. In the health-sciences area, there’s a full-time certificate program for medical-device-reprocessing technicians offered every September and February that only takes four months to complete. These technicians—often called MDRTs—learn how to clean, reassemble, and sterilize reusable surgical instruments in hospitals, private surgical clinics, and dental clinics. For three of the four months, students are on a practicum in a hospital setting, where they are paired with a working technician. “Our instructors are on the department floor for the entire practicum,” VCC continuing studies health-sciences program coordinator Rebeccah Bennett told the Straight by phone. “We’re the only college in Canada that provides that.” According to Bennett, there are small classes of only 14 to 16 students, and the presence of instructors throughout a practicum ensures a high success rate. MDRTs earn about $23 per hour.
Capilano University tourism-management students are prepared when they obtain co-op placements at famous visitor attractions.
“I would say 90 percent of the students get hired within two months of completing the program,” she said. “There is a huge labour market for MDR technicians right now because a lot of the hospitals are expanding their emergency departments. They’re expanding their operating rooms. And all that means they need more surgical instruments, which need to be cleaned and sterilized.” Bennett pointed out that MDRTs play a vital role in patient safety and infection control. That’s because reusable surgical instruments are inserted into the body. She called the MDRT department “the heart of the hospital” because without it, the work would grind to a halt. “We always encourage our students to think of the possibility that the surgical instruments that they’re working on may end up being used on a loved one,” she said. That’s not the only VCC continuing-studies program in health sciences where there’s high demand from employers. Bennett said that there’s a five-week dietary-aide course that includes a two-week practicum at a long-term care facility. This course provides students with knowledge and skills to prepare and deliver nutritious food to people in institutional settings. As part of the course, students go on field trips to hospitals and long-term care facilities, where they can observe on-site kitchen demonstrations. They also become FoodSafe- and WHMIS-certified. “When they finish, a lot of the long-term care facilities pay them $18 an hour,” Bennett said. VCC continuing studies also offers professional-development courses, ranging from one day to one week, for licensed practical nurses and registered nurses. Among the most popular are stand-alone courses in foot-care nursing, IV therapy and insertion, physical assessment for nurses, and nursing leadership and ethics. “LPNs will typically get around $25 to $30 [per hour] on the high end,” Bennett said, “but if they take this weeklong footcare nursing course, they can get up to about $65 an hour doing their own business.” In addition, the health-sciences program in continuing studies offers one-day FoodSafe courses taught by retired publichealth inspectors, with certificates coming from Vancouver Coastal Health. “A lot of people opening restaurants take this course,” Bennett said, “or established restaurants send staff to take the course.”
had a co-op component for as long as Dodds can remember, and she has been working there for almost two decades. Over the years, it’s expanded from a two-year diploma program to include a four-year bachelor’s degree, with specialties in general management, hotel and resort management, and adventure tourism. “I’m really helping my students build their professional brand very, very early in their studies,” Dodds said. One way to achieve that is by ensuring that they go on co-op terms with reputable employers. They can range from destination management organizations—such as Tourism Vancouver or Tourism Whistler—to top hotel chains like Fairmont to established local companies such as Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain Resorts, and Harbour Cruises. As part of the co-op program, Capilano University tourism management students can also transfer to University of California Riverside, where they take courses before being assigned to work at Walt Disney World. In this instance, the student is away from Capilano University for six months. “It’s an international program and they reach out to only a select number of Canadian universities, and we are one of them,” Dodds said. Dodds won an Alumnni Award of Excellence in 2016, in part because she has such a high level of enthusiasm for what she does. “I get energized by my students,” she says in a video on the Capilano University website. “I get so excited when they land positions or co-op placements that they were just really pining for and prepared for and interiewed for. They get accepted and I get to celebrate with them.” -
Jessica grows tomatoes in her rooftop garden, manages an inner-city garden co-op and brews her own Kombucha. BUT HER REAL
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CAPILANO UNIVERSITY TOURISM MANAGEMENT
Capilano University instructor Christy Dodds takes
2 cooperative education extremely seriously. To her, it’s far
more than job shadowing for a few weeks. “It’s monitored, it’s interpreted, there’s a ref lective piece, and there’s faculty support all the way through the process,” she told the Straight by phone. As the coordinator of cooperative education in Capilano University’s tourism-management program, Dodds places between 45 and 50 students on work terms, which are a mandatory component of the program, usually in their second year. Students need to have a certain number of credits before they’re eligible to enroll in a career management course, and then ladder up into the co-op work term. Dodds teaches this course so they can define their skill sets, develop a short-term and long-term vision for their career advancement, and get down to the nitty-gritty of learning how to write résumés and performing well in job interviews. There’s also an astonishing number of interactions with people in the industry before students do their first co-op. “The students in my course this September, had they chosen to attend all of the additional opportunities available to them— such as industry-panel day and a number of on-campus activities where employers came to recruit specifically the co-op students, as well as some off-property networking opportunities—they would have had the opportunity to meet over 100 industry members just in this semester, and literally engage in one-on-one conversations,” Dodds said. “It’s not just meeting strangers in a large networking situation but very specific opportunities. The industry members are aware that these are coop students who have committed to the industry.” Capilano University’s tourism management co-op program is accredited by the Accountability Council for Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning, a.k.a. ACCE-WIL. According to Dodds, this council provides and encourages consistent program guidelines and standards. “There’s a lot of criteria that goes on with providing a substantial co-op program,” she said. Capilano University’s tourism management program has MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 15
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Looking at the photos on his Instagram
B Y PIPER C OUR T E NAY
feed, you wouldn’t immediately see what makes Christopher Sayegh, founder and CEO of catering company the Herbal Chef, stand out amid the flashy innovation of the culinary world. Much like that of any other fine-dining chef, his social media is littered with overhead shots of immaculately plated delicacies like smoked salmon topped with poached strawberries, and spiced meringue drizzled with bourbon caramel. Although his culinary creations are mouthwatering, it takes a glance into their descriptions to learn that most of them are infused with THC and CBD—the two most common compounds found in cannabis. The 25-year-old Los Angeles–based chef says that’s the whole point. “The way I look at it is that people shouldn’t be so fi xated on the THC and the cannabinoids,” he says, adding that he hopes his guests pay attention to things like textures, flavours, and the integrity of the dish over the exhilaration of getting high. “They should be fi xated on the food. The food comes first.”
Cannabis chef looks north
Los Angeles–based chef Christopher Sayegh is the founder and CEO of the Herbal Chef, a catering company that infuses its food with THC and CBD.
ing under top culinary ex- more selfish than anything,” he says about the perts, including Michelin- upcoming dinners. “Under it all, we just genuinely care about bringstarred chefs Josiah Citrin ing people the best-of-the-best ingredients and havand Daniel Humm. For the Herbal Chef’s Christopher Sayegh, the quality of his In 2015, he launched ing it infused with the best-of-the-best cannabis.” Sayegh says that although his dinners are his catering company, and food is an even more key consideration than its THC content it quickly gained momen- stimulating plenty of interest, the bigger picture With an occasional interruption from a rooster tum. In the three years since the Herbal Chef’s often gets lost in the mix. His primary goal rings in the background, Sayegh chats with the Geor- inception, Sayegh has garnered international rec- true of his experience with pot back in college: gia Straight over the phone from Texas, where he’s ognition for being one of the top cannabis chefs destigmatizing the plant to get it in the hands of hosting one of his infamous private dinners: multi- in the world. those who need it most. faceted affairs that have heads turning in both the “[The government is] gouging an industry that “I WAS BLOWN AWAY by the whole experi- is trying to help people,” he says, calling the curcannabis and culinary worlds. While weed would seem to be the natural ence,” wrote Tiffany Soper, a local public-relations rent systematic incarceration of nonviolent cancentrepiece of these fine-dining festivities, it’s specialist who attended one of the Herbal Chef nabis users and the denial of medical access to really just a tool used to immerse the consum- dinners last November. cannabis “a blatant misuse of power”. “By the end of the night, I was having the best er in a carefully designed experience. Sayegh Sayegh and the Herbal Chef team are lobbying says his dinners, which can take up to two time; I felt great and was a little giggly,” she added to loosen laws surrounding edibles in hopes of months of planning, are highly customized to in an email to the Straight. opening their first restaurant, Herb, in West HollyInspired by the experience, Soper approached wood. For the past two years, they’ve pushed to be nostalgic and reflective of each client. Sayegh and his team with the idea of hosting an make on-site-consumption licences available, and “EATING WARAQ DAWALI , the stuffed event in Vancouver. “I thought it would be so well they recently won. Now they are able to apply for grape leaves, when I was a kid,” Sayegh says received and a huge success by Vancouverites, one and are hoping to open by the end of this year. when asked about his earliest food mem- given the culture around cannabis in this city.” Sayegh says he hopes the new restaurant will be ory, one of the many questions he poses to The Herbal Chef—partnering with Canadian his “culinary showcase”. Starting with a history guests before brainstorming their menu. cannabis producers and retailers like the Quarry lesson, the experience will walk guests through “I got yelled at because I touched it before and Aura—will be hosting its first Canadian pri- an immersive cannabis journey as expressed everyone else…but I loved it!” vate dinner April 6 and 7. Shrouded in mystery, through the culinary arts. Guests will be able to Sayegh and his team go well beyond the the two-day event will host 120 cannabis-curious retire to a “decompression lounge” after sampling standard allergy and flavour-preference sur- diners and be held in a private location to be an- a 10- to 15-course infused tasting menu. veys that precede most catered dinners. Cus- nounced only hours before the meal begins. The He is dedicated to the core concept of educatomers are asked to disclose their life goals, ca- one detail Sayegh did reveal, however, is funda- tion, saying that knowledge is what his industry reer pursuits, and childhood memories, all to mental to one of his core values. From Dungen- and the world need right now. His passion for enget to the root of their culinary desires. Once ess crab and prawns to locally foraged herbs, the lightening naysayers is what eventually brought a profile is constructed, Sayegh and his team 10-course meal will feature an abundance of fresh his family back. get to work designing a microdosed feast Vancouver-sourced ingredients. “I persistently educated them. Years later, now composed of eight to 12 precisely timed and exquis“We’re going into the land and getting what’s in they are my number one fans,” he says. itely plated courses accompanied by wine, art, and your back yard,” he says. “We believe in using local He has employed this patient, tactful approach music. These events can range from $200 to $500 per ingredients wherever we go to bring a real sense of with anyone critical of his work, even going so far person, depending on the ingredients, the amount of connection between the diner and the food.” as to offer free tickets to his events to outspoken cannabis extract, and other special requests. The Herbal Chef website indicates that meals haters on Twitter. The caterers also plan actual fishing and foraging can be infused with anywhere from one to 15 “If I could change my grandparents’ minds or excursions in the days leading up to the event to en- milligrams of THC, though the standard hovers my parents’ minds, who were so closed off, then sure ingredients are as local and seasonal as possible. around 10 milligrams. The foods at the sold-out anybody else is going to be pretty easy.” Sayegh—who keeps the THC to a relatively low Vancouver event will be infused with 10 millidosage and trains his staff to recognize signs of grams of hemp-derived CBD oil (the compound Christopher Sayegh will be a featured panelist at intoxication or distress—hopes to draw the can- in cannabis that won’t stimulate a psychoactive the Georgia Straight's upcoming event, Grassroots: An Expo for the Cannabis Curious. Find ticknabis-curious into the fold by creating a safe and response) and only trace amounts of THC. welcoming atmosphere. “This is what I love to do, so, honestly, it’s ets at www.craftcannabisweekend.ca/. Th is desire to make cannabis approachable began while Sayegh was studying biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The more > BY AMANDA SIEBERT A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT he took to smoking recreationally, the more he wanted to better understand what was happenCanadians are getting pretty excited about JOHN CONROY There are few lawyers in ing inside his own body. As he explored what litthe prospect of legal weed—Georgia Canada as well-versed in the realm of cannabis tle research existed at the time on the endocanStraight staff included. It’s why we’re busy prepar- as Conroy, who’s worked on numerous landmark nabinoid system, he realized everything he had ing for our inaugural cannabis event, Grassroots: court cases, including the Allard case (a successful been taught about the plant was wrong. An Expo for the Cannabis Curious, on April 7 and constitutional challenge that now enables approved “I had been lied to,” he says. 8 at UBC Robson Square. patients to grow their own medical marijuana). “Once I started to do more research into it, it With two packed days of educational, enterHe’ll speak to his experience at the forefront of the was really about becoming an activist and telling taining panels and breakout sessions as well fight for legal weed in a panel discussion about people this plant really helps people in a multias a presence from a variety of Canadian canthe history of cannabis in Vancouver with B.C. tude of ways, not only medicinally but the human nabis brands and companies, we’re excited to Compassion Club founder Hilary Black and activist race industrially, as well.” host an event that will speak to the curiosity of David Malmo-Levine, on April 8 (Sunday). Though his passion for cannabis was developVancouverites, no matter what their level of experiing quickly, it was living without his family’s rich ence with cannabis. The almost 50 heavy-hitting PHILIPPE LUCAS With the opioid crisis top of blend of traditional Jordanian and Italian home panellists and presenters we’ve lined up are a mix mind, the topic of cannabis substitution is being hotly cooking that took him down the route of using of academics, industry experts, and regular people discussed. As Tilray’s vice president of patient servifine dining as a form of advocacy. eager to share their knowledge and experience. ces and research, Lucas has been exploring the idea “The thing we gathered around was food. That that cannabis can serve as a less harmful alternative was our sense of love,” he says, adding that often to opiates, alcohol, and other drugs. He’ll be joined AMONG THEM ARE: his family would sit for hours around a meal. by UBC researcher and epidemiologist M-J Milloy “I didn’t want to miss that anymore.” ZACH WALSH A clinical psychologist and asso- and harm-reduction advocate Sarah Blythe. Once Sayegh started pursuing cooking, he ciate professor at UBC, Walsh has an unprecedOther panellists will include veterinarian knew he had tapped into something transformaented scope of knowledge on the topic of mental Katherine Kramer, cancer and palliative-care expert tive. His family, displeased with his decision to health and cannabis. He’ll join MMJ Canada CEO Dr. Pippa Hawley, chef and advocate Mary Jean drop out for a life in the kitchen, kicked him out. Clint Younge and Georgia Straight writer Piper “Watermelon” Dunsdon, drug-policy analyst Scott “It was rough for a while,” he says. Living out of Courtenay—two individuals who have used canna- Bernstein, and Tantalus Labs CEO Dan Sutton. his car and working for free, Sayegh spent 15-hour bis to help treat mental illness—for a panel discusdays working his way up from the bottom rungs sion that will shed light on marijuana’s place in the Check out the full Grassroots lineup and get your of the hospitality industry. From dishwashing and context of mental health, on April 7 (Saturday). tickets now at www.craftcannabisweekend.ca/ serving, he managed to cut his teeth in some of the country’s most renowned restaurants while study-
2
MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 17
HEALTHY LIVING
Don’t sleep on snoring fixes > B Y C A R LITO PA B LO
S
> Go on-line to read hundreds of I Saw You posts or to respond to a message < A BEAUTIFUL BLONDE HAIR WOMAN CALLED LIZ
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MARCH 15, 2018 WHERE: Starbucks on Davie and Seymour Although I will likely never see you again, your smile and the moment that we shared together will be forever etched in my mind... First, we smiled at one another at the Starbucks on Davie & Seymour, and then as fate would have it we bumped into each other moments later on Seymour. You introduced yourself as Liz and I as Jon... You took my breath away as you wore a dazzling pink blouse and matching skirt which made you standout against the late afternoon sun. You told me that I looked like your old teacher Mr. Rogers, this along with your beauty and intelligence captivated me that day. I long to recreate this moment by looking into your beautiful blue eyes once again either over a coffee or better yet by taking for you for dinner at a romantic waterfront rendezvous in the future... ;-)
CITY TOUR
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MARCH 21, 2018 WHERE: Downtown
Me: Nervous fool who babbles non-stop. You: Total babe, total enigma. I’d like to listen to your voice forever instead.
THIS EVENING AT DINNER ...
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MARCH 22, 2018 WHERE: Cambie Street
You took my breath away... I loved watching you with the beautiful little girl, clearly she’s very attached to you... I think she’s your niece... I said hello to you briefly; you shared the child's mixed heritage with me - so beautiful!! The restaurant is ethnic and on Cambie Street... I was on the table behind you having dinner with an older couple. It would be amazing to hear from you... Hope you had a great evening.
BROWN EYES, RED JACKET...GREEN LEEK
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MARCH 24, 2018 WHERE: Young Brothers Grocery On Saturday, we were in line at Young Brothers, and I remarked how tempting it is to add things to the basket while waiting to pay. Next thing you were sneaking a leek into your basket and rolling your eyes. You’re really funny! And really genuine. Honestly, I started chatting with you because you’re so beautiful, but it turns out you’re fun and charming too. Then I stepped outside to join my friend, and found him chatting with your friend! Maybe we should all get together for dinner?
SAVE ON NEW WEST
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MARCH 11, 2018 WHERE: New West Royal Center Save On You with half shaved head and long purple hair, Robin Tattoo on your neck. We glanced at each other in the aisle and then I ended up behind you in line. We looked at each other, I was speechless by your presence and beauty. Please find this. I will forever regret not saying hello.
VANCOUVER ART GALLERY
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MARCH 23, 2018 WHERE: Vancouver Art Gallery I noticed you when you first came into the art gallery. You were there alone and had a security guard take your picture by the staircase also you were wearing a sun hat with a cardigan and jeans (?). I was there with a friend and was wearing a plaid blue shirt and jeans. As we were leaving our eyes met and we both smiled at each other. I wanted to ask you what you thought of the pieces that were displayed but lost sight of you through the shuffle. Maybe over coffee sometime?
RAILWAY CLUB GODDESS
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MARCH 24, 2018 WHERE: Railway Club
Saturday night, you needed my chair for yourself. Not the one I was using as a footstool. You also invited me to join you and your two GFs and one of their BFs. You had quick glass of wine then you all left around 6:30. I heard you say to the server you were going for dinner somewhere but you'd be back. You looked like a billion bucks! I would love to meet you again.
noring often makes for jokes in the family. It sounds funny, but there are times when things get so bad that it’s no longer a laughing matter. One such situation concerns these buzzing sounds getting in the way of intimacy among partners. Sharnell Muir, a North Vancouver dentist, knows a lot about these types of cases. Her practice focuses on dental sleep medicine, which deals with the use of custom-made oral appliances or mouthpieces to manage breathing problems when a person is asleep. “At least half of the snorers that come to me are no longer able to sleep in the same room as their bed partner,” Muir related in a phone interview with the Georgia Straight. “And that’s hard on a relationship.” According to Muir, it’s not just men who seek her help. “I would say before menopause, I probably see three men to every one woman,” she said. “But after menopause, it’s almost one to one. Women start snoring a lot more after menopause.” Muir opened her Sleep Better Live Better clinic in North Vancouver in 2013. Before that, she had been practising in the field of dental sleep medicine for about a decade. “I’ve always been fascinated by it, even when I was in dental school,” said the UBC-trained dentist. “I thought it was very fascinating that we could help patients’ overall health and quality of life…with oral appliances.” Not everyone snores. According to Muir, it is estimated that up to 50 percent of men and 30 percent of women snore. “Some people are very quiet snorers,” she said. “Some people say, ‘Oh, I don’t snore. I only purr.’ ” Muir does not know of a Canadian study on how snoring affects relationships, but she cited a survey done for the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine in 2015. The resulting report, dubbed the Spousal Support Snories Survey, reveals that 39 percent of the respondents consider snoring by the opposite sex to be a turnoff. Forty-seven percent indicated a contrary opinion, 10 percent said it doesn’t really matter whether the other person snores or not, and the remainder either didn’t know or refused to answer. Most of the respondents (83 percent) reported that their bed partner snored. Based on the responses, 43 percent expressed concern about the other person’s health; 35 percent indicated difficulty sleeping; 26 percent
LOS CUERVOS AROUND 7PM - 9PM
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You were helping us with our food and drinks. You were wearing a grey dress. I tried very hard not to look while with my two female companions in the corner. I was mesmerized by you. I’m an older gent. Wavy hair. Somewhat unkempt. Given the disparity in ages, I’m just putting this out there.
In a suburb near you: Ports and waterfronts in metropolitan perspective
CUTEST GIRL WITH DYED BRIGHT RED HAIR AND SFU HOODIE ON THE EXPO LINE
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MARCH 20, 2018 WHERE: Expo Line, Surrey Central Area You: super cute girl, beautiful pale skin, bright dyed red hair, standing listening to music in your SFU sweater, cute black tights and combat boots with woolly socks. Your look is somewhere between punk + student. I was sitting wearing a red white and black baseball hat, blue jeans, black crooks sweater and black work boots, with my cat in a cage. I was taking him to get his nails clipped! We locked eyes for just a moment and I wanted to talk to you but I didn’t want to bother you, then you got off at Surrey Central. I’d love to go for food and talk with you. You seem very special.
Visit straight.com to post your FREE I Saw You _ 18 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
said they got either annoyed or angry; and 21 percent reported that they either wanted to sleep or were already sleeping in another room. The respondents were also asked if snoring ever had a negative impact on their romantic relationships or marriage. Nine percent answered in the affirmative. Snoring sounds are produced when a sleeping person’s airway narrows, causing soft tissues to vibrate with breathing. There are a number of things that people can do on their own to manage their snoring. Muir explained: “Some people lose some weight. That can help reduce snoring. They’ll not drink in the evening, because alcohol being a muscle relaxant, you can snore more. Some people will try sleeping on their side rather than their back, and they might snore less that way. Some people will manage their allergies or keep their nose clearer, so they can breathe without creating air turbulence. And then [for] some people…stopping smoking can help as well. And elevating the head of the bed can help as well.” If these don’t help enough, then the oral appliance is an option, Muir said. Snoring may also be an indicator of a disorder called sleep apnea, which causes a person to have repeated stoppages in breathing and can increase chances of heart failure, stroke, and diabetes, among other
SFU PRESIDENT'S FACULTY LECTURE SERIES
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MARCH 22, 2018 WHERE: Los Cuervos
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Sharnell Muir is a North Vancouver dentist whose practice focuses on the use of custom-made oral appliances to manage breathing problems.
Peter V. Hall Thursday April 5
5:30 PM Lecture 6:30 PM Reception & Refreshments SFU’s Surrey Campus Room 2600
The past three decades have seen substantial growth in Metro Vancouver. And being a community by the sea means our cities’ ports have been challenged to respond to, but also had major influence on, this growth—through employment, land use, infrastructure investment, and governance. Join Professor Peter V. Hall as he traces the evolution of ports and their place in the post-industrial urban economy.
outcomes. Muir also treats sleep apnea with oral appliances. According to Muir, snoring can occur all by itself, independent of sleep apnea, adding that this is a reason why it used to be called “benign snoring”. However, Muir said that evidence has come out suggesting that snoring isn’t as benign as was previously thought. She cited a 2013 study by the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit in which researchers found out that snoring may put someone at a greater risk of having a thickening or abnormalities in their carotid artery system, compared to those who are overweight, smokers, and those with high cholesterol. Carotid arteries supply blood to the brain, and a hardening of these vessels is a precursor to vascular diseases. “We now refer to it as primary snoring rather than benign snoring,” Muir said. Muir noted that the current guidelines produced by a joint task force of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine recommend that sleep physicians prescribe oral appliances for adult patients requesting treatment of primary snoring, rather than no therapy at all. According to Muir, a lot of people mistakenly think that snoring is normal because it’s common. “It should be managed for the overall health and happiness of the house,” Muir said. -
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FOOD
Quail’s Gate Winery has Pinots aplenty
I
t’s always an interesting exer- citrus and stone fruit, and I like to cise when a winemaker is work- follow the winery’s recommendation ing with a certain grape variety to decant before serving to unleash but makes more than one wine all of its potential. from it. Looking at British ColumNow, with Riesling we can see the bian producers, there are numerous desire to make different versions, as examples. There are those like the the scale from bone-dry to, let’s say, Schales family at Summerland’s 8th the ultrasweet nature of an ice wine Generation, who relish their Ger- is pretty long, and different people man heritage, playing around with a will be attracted to different styles. few styles of Riesling. But in the case of Pinot Noir, one If we look at a recent vintage, would think that scale would be a fair there’s their 8th Generation Ries- bit shorter, particularly if a winemaker ling 2016 ($20, www.8thgeneration. is making three different versions com/), which is slightly off-dry but from the same vintage and they’re all buoyed with fresh being treated with acidity, keeping all French oak. of those mango This was top and lime notes of mind as I sat Kurtis Kolt afloat. Their 8th down to look at Generation Riesling Classic 2016 three new releases from West Kelow($20) is a drier take on the grape. na’s pioneering Quails’ Gate Winery. Although it bursts with pomelo, I wondered if winemaker Nikki Callemon, and Granny Smith apples, it laway has actually made three Pinots finishes damn crisp and dry; it’s a discernible enough to warrant havperfect bottling for those fearful of ing three different bottlings, parsweet wines. Rounding out their an- ticularly when two of them are about nual trio is 8th Generation Riesling twice the price of the other. Selection ($25.50), which is easily Let’s take a look. the geekiest of the three. They keep aside 14 rows of Riesling vines that QUAILS’ GATE PINOT NOIR 2016 undergo a green harvest in August, ($26.99, www.quailsgate.com/) The leaving only one cluster per vine; all “regular” Pinot Noir from Quails’ the vine’s energy gets concentrated Gate has always been solid, so I hardly on that cluster through the rest of had a doubt it would show well. After all, this is one of the initial Okathe growing season. After they harvest those bunches, nagan wineries largely responsible for the juice is pressed off and it goes putting the noble grape on our local through a wild fermentation. The re- map. Most of these grapes come from sulting wine is massive, with gobs of see page 26
The Bottle
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Wong’s wanderings inspire The author’s new memoir, Apron Strings, is an international culinary journey > B Y TA M M Y K WA N
THE 18
Jan Wong’s Apron Strings documents a three-month trip she took through France, Italy, and China with her son.
M
ost professions don’t offer the luxury of an extended break. If you’re lucky enough to get one, you take it with open arms, and hopefully make good use of the time off—and that’s exactly what Jan Wong did to complete her latest book. The award-winning author and journalist—who is currently a journalism professor at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick—decided to use her time wisely during her sabbatical. She ultimately embarked on a three-month culinary journey with her youngest son, Sam. The time off also allowed her to document their adventures in her new memoir, Apron Strings: Navigating Food and Family in France, Italy, and China. “As a lifelong journalist, this was my first-ever sabbatical. It was so valuable because I’m used to getting very limited vacation,” Wong told the Straight by phone from her home in Fredericton. “I was handed this time on a silver platter, so I was trying to think of a project that was doable in that amount of time.” She already had a book contract on the table, but it took some thinking for her to decide on the subject of her next paperback. The imminence of her elder son’s marriage made Wong realize she was running out of moments to spend quality time with her second-born. “I realized it was change that I wasn’t ready for,” said Wong. “I thought, ‘Oh, I better grab Sam before he settles down with someone.’ ” Since he has a deep interest in making delicious food, she decided to ask him to join her on a journey through three countries to learn about home cooking. “I’ve always loved food, and I’ve always wanted to write about food, but because I was a business reporter and China correspondent, I never really got to write just about food,” explained Wong. “It was always something I wanted to do.” With their bags and appetites in tow, the motherand-son duo set off on the once-ina-lifetime trip in January 2016— starting in southeastern France before moving on to northern Italy, and ending off on the central coast
of China in April the same year. Wong arranged to stay with a family in each city they visited, which proved to be both fruitful and demanding. On the plus side, she met many individuals who were able to teach her and Sam about regional home-style cooking and cuisine. On the other hand, it became difficult to keep track of everyone she met and all the dishes she learned to make. “The hardest parts [about writing this book] were all the different languages and trying to keep the narrative thread going. I had to get all the terminology, and I had so many characters,” said Wong. “I was going cross-eyed trying to get everything straight. That’s why, in the beginning of the book, I had to have a list of all the characters.” Despite the difficulties of organizing and gathering information for her book, Jan and Sam created lasting memories. In Allex, France, they lived with a family that sheltered undocumented migrants and learned to make classic French dishes like gâteau de foie (baked chicken-liver mousse) from the housekeeper. In Repergo, Italy, they acquired knowledge about Italian food and drink rules (such as never to drink coffee after 11 a.m. and not to dip bread in olive oil) and how to make simple but delicious home-cooked meals—including spaghetti carbonara. “I love Italy, I think it was my favourite country,” said Wong. “I talk about cuisine of the poor, and I think I prefer simple food over fancy, so that’s why I love Italian food. It’s not hard to make and it’s so satisfying.” Jan and Sam finished off their culinary trip in Shanghai, China, where they stayed in high-end housing owned by the newly rich and cooked alongside maids who had migrated to the city from other Chinese provinces. Some of their favourite Chinese dishes included smashed cold cucumbers and white-cut chicken. Apron Strings is more than a memoir—it’s an amusing and informative read sprinkled with historical facts, entertaining anecdotes, and recipes for those curious about the food that Wong and her son learned to make abroad. “I thought it would be fun to
break up some of the type with some recipes. People might want to make some of the foods I talk about,” Wong stated. “These recipes are easy, inexpensive, and delicious. It’s for families who don’t have a lot of time.” There were bumps along the way—like disagreements and arguments stemming from the tension that built up from seeing each other every day for three months— but they ended the journey on a good note. Sam stayed in China to improve his Chinese, and now possesses an impressive degree of f luency in Mandarin. Wong and her son may not be on the same continent these days, but she ref lects back on her trip fondly—especially the Italian food, which she regularly makes at home. “The most memorable part was learning how to relax, [and] cook a great meal without breaking a sweat. That was the big lesson for me,” she added. When we asked the former hardnews journalist about her thoughts on the way that food is covered in Canadian media, she didn’t hold back. “Newsrooms aren’t paying reporters to do real food journalism, it’s just a luxury,” Wong stated. “And it shouldn’t be, because people eat three times a day, and it’s important. Food is a big part of people’s budgets, restaurants are a major industry, and supermarkets. We’re leaving it unreported, and I think we need to focus on this.” Wong has published five other nonfiction bestsellers, including Red China Blues: My Long March From Mao to Now, Lunch With Jan Wong: Sweet and Sour Celebrity Interviews From Her Globe and Mail Column, and Out of the Blue: A Memoir of Workplace Depression, Recovery, Redemption and, Yes, Happiness. What’s on the horizon? She wants to work on the finale to Out of the Blue, to explain what happened when her former employer, the Globe and Mail newspaper, came after her for violating a confidentiality agreement. “I should do that this summer maybe, but it’s hard and I’m so tired,” Wong said with a laugh. “It’s so much work to write a book. Once it’s published, you still need to do a lot of follow-up work. But I highly recommend it.” -
2018 PROGRAM GUIDE
PRES SENTED BY
Petal by Petal... There's more to experience, than just their beauty. VANCOUVER CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL 2018
APRIL 3rd – 29th VCBF.CA
EVENTS FOR EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY Vancouver Sings One Song
presented by
Cherry Jam Downtown Concert
A massed choir event co-presented with Canadian Music Centre and conducted by Kathryn Nicholson. Registration required.
Come out for a lunchtime concert featuring: Tetsu Taiko, Alcvin Ramos, Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble and Vancouver Sings One Song.
Tuesday, April 3, 6:30pm-9:30pm Christ Church Cathedral 690 Burrard St.
Thursday, April 5, 12pm-1:30pm Inside Burrard SkyTrain Station 635 Burrard St.
The Big Picnic
presented by
QE’s iconic cherry blossom bring everyone together to party and enjoy Vancouver Morris Men spring dances, Chinese Fan Dance, Noriko Kobayashi on shamisen and more!
Saturday, April 14, 12pm-3pm TBC Queen Elizabeth Park, 33rd Ave. and Cambie St.
#vancherryblossomfest MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 21
Don’t miss
this incredible eet opportunity to m 40 ver and hear from o d real an industry experts sonal er people sharing p is n n stories of ca ab ur yo et changing lives. G ed er sw an questions e at th
APRIL 7 & 8
UBC ROBSON SQUARE
Jamie Shaw
Government Relations Dir., MMJ Canada
Rosy Mondin
President and CEO, Quadron Cannatech
Steven McKee
Hilary Black
Dir. Patient Education and Advocacy, Canopy Growth
Joanne Crowther
Survivor and Advocate
Annaliese Kibler
Patient Advocate
Regulatory Affairs Mgr, Aurora Cannabis
Danielle Jackson
Elaine Nuessler
(Miz D)
Cannatherapy Consultant
Cam Noble
Founder, Peak Wellness Canada Ltd.
Patient Advocate
Dan Sutton
Founder and Managing Dir., Tantalus Labs
GRASSROOTS EXPO!
Barrister and Solicitor
VP, Patient Research & Access, Tilray
Dr. Philippe Lucas
Christopher Sayegh
Andrea Dobbs
Mary Jean Dunsdon
Adolfo Gonzales
Rob Laurie
David Malmo-Levine
John Conroy
Co-Founder & Brand Mgr, The Village
Philip Kwong
Watermelon
Patient Advocate
Int’l Lawyer, Writer and Speaker
Jonathan Page PhD
Barinder Rasode
Co-founder and CEO, Anandia Labs
Salimeh Tabrizi
Clinical Counsellor
CEO, NICHE
Selena Wong
CEO, Flower of Life Integrative Health And patient advocate
The Herbal Chef
Kirk Tousaw
Barrister and Advocate
Dr. Pippa Hawley
Seminar Leader, CannaReps
B.Med, FRCPC (PM) Division Head of UBC Palliative Care
Siobhan McCarthy
Dr. Zach Walsh
Scott Bernstein
Assoc. Professor of Psychology, UBC
Sr. Policy Analyst, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
William Hayley
David Hutchinson
Patient Advocate
Farrell Anne Miller
Patient Advocate
Dr. M-J Milloy
Industry Advocate
Sales and Marketing Mgr, Northern Vine Labs
Student at Law, Lewin & Sagara LLP
Scientist, BC Centre on Substance Use
Terry Roycroft
Dr. Natasha Ryz PhD,
Amanda Siebert
Piper Courtenay
Clint Younge
Shega Youngson
Dr. Katherine Kramer
President MCRCI & Croft Consulting Inc.
CEO, MMJ Canada and patient advocate
MSc, BSc CSO, Zenabis
Nat’l Community Engagement Mgr, Canopy Growth
Cannabis Editor, Georgia Straight
Veterinarian, Vancouver Animal Wellness Hospital
Cannabis Writer, The Georgia Straight
Travis Lane
Founding Dir., BC Independent Cannabis Association
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY WWW.CRAFTCANNABISWEEKEND.CA • $15/DAY - $12/DAY SENIORS In association with
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24 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS SATURDAY, APRIL 7
(EVENT HOURS: 10AM-6PM)
10:30AM Cannabis and cancer: The last resort
Joanne Crowther, Steven McKee, Dr. Pippa Hawley, David Hutchinson, Piper Courtenay (Moderator)
Despite nearly two-decades of medical legality, we are only just beginning to grasp the full potential of cannabinoid treatment. Frustrated with conventional medicine, patients are turning to alternatives to aid in their recovery. Two outspoken survivors join the conference to share their cannabis success stories and explain how the plant helped them overcome their disease.
11:30AM Kids, caretakers and cannabis: The story of Kyla’s Quest
Terry Roycroft, Elaine Nuessler, Amanda Siebert (Moderator)
Caring for a child with a debilitating medical condition is never easy, but when conventional treatments fail to work and the only remaining option is one shrouded in stigma, the challenges parents and families face can seem insurmountable. In this panel, grandmother Elaine Nuessler speaks to the struggle (and joy) of finding the right treatment for an epileptic child, while local experts weigh on how medical cannabis can be an effective treatment for children suffering from certain conditions.
12:30PM Women and weed: Understanding health and self-care
Siobhan McCarthy, Salimeh Tabrizi, Danielle Miz D Jackson, Piper Courtenay (Moderator)
From a history rooted in feminism down to fundamental biology, women have a unique and complex relationship with weed. Three leading ladies of Vancouver’s cannabis industry take the stage to discuss how the flower can play a role in self-healing, empowerment and overall wellness.
1:30PM A safe alternative: Cannabis and the aging body
Shega Youngson, Selena Wong, William Hayley, Andrea Dobbs, Amanda Siebert (Moderator)
As we age, our bodies become subjected to an increasing number of conditions that ultimately take away from our quality of life. While Western medicine can offer relief, more and more seniors are turning to cannabis to help relieve their aches, pains, and tremors and reduce unpleasant side effects that often come with other drugs. Join caretakers as well as local and national industry experts for a discussion on how cannabis can provide relief, and ultimately, a softer landing for ailing seniors.
2:30PM Marijuana and matters of mental health Piper Courtenay, Dr. Zach Walsh, Clint Younge, Amanda Siebert (Moderator)
Is the jury still out on cannabis and mental health? While some research states that cannabis use can increase a person’s risk for mental illness, many patients struggling with depression, anxiety,
post-traumatic stress disorder, and other related conditions have found significant relief with marijuana. Author of the largest, most up-to-date review of medical cannabis and mental health Dr. Zach Walsh will help explain where this powerful plant fits into society’s ongoing conversation about mental health.
3:30PM The exit drug? The role of cannabis in the opioid crisis Dr. Philippe Lucas, Dr. MJ Milloy, Sarah Blythe, Amanda Siebert (Moderator)
While much of North America is mired in an opioid crisis, Vancouver is at the forefront of harm reduction efforts that are changing the way people think about addiction. In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a number of grassroots organizations have come together to offer users an alternative to hard drugs: cannabis. Two local experts on the subject will join activist Sarah Blythe for a thoughtful but informative discussion on how cannabis can serve as a substitute for opioids, alcohol, and more.
4:30PM Craft growth: Setting the stage for legalization
Travis Lane, Rob Laurie, Kirk Tousaw, Cam Noble
As the buzz for legal cannabis has grown, the growers and cultivators of some of B.C.’s finest craft cannabis have been left wondering where their place in the new market will be. Craft growers, local lawyers and a government relations expert will discuss the transitions ahead for smallscale cultivators who are eager to participate in Canada’s burgeoning legal market.
SUNDAY, APRIL 8
(EVENT HOURS: 10AM-5PM)
10:15AM Cooking with cannabis: The evolution of infusion
Mary Jean Dunsdon, Chris Sayegh (The Herbal Chef), Piper Courtenay (Moderator)
What once was relegated to box-mix hash brownies and pot gingersnaps has transformed into a sophisticated culinary art. We sit down with Chris Sayegh, The Herbal Chef, and Mary Jean “Watermelon” Dunsdon, to discuss the evolution and science behind cannabis-infused cooking.
11:15AM Patients with patience: A journey to better health
Phil Kwong, Adolfo Gonzalez, John De Villa, Amanda Siebert (Moderator)
While Phil Kwong and John de Villa both have very different stories and suffer from very different conditions, a common theme ties them together: When conventional medicine failed to provide them with ample quality of life, they turned to cannabis— but the road to better health wasn’t as simple as smoking a joint. Find out how these brave men used themselves as “guinea pigs” and what they’re doing now to help other, like-minded patients.
12:30PM Relief and reefer: A guide to pain management
David Hutchinson, Hilary Black, Dr. Zach Walsh, Piper Courtenay (Moderator),
With a spectrum ranging from body aches to chronic discomfort, pain relief is one of the most common reasons people turn to cannabis. A panel of experts discuss the science behind why the flower is so effective and how you can incorporate it into your own pain management routine.
1:30PM Leaders in weed: A look behind the curtain
Dan Sutton, Jonathan Page, Rosy Mondin, Jamie Shaw, Dr. Natasha Ryz, Amanda Siebert (Moderator)
To the outsider, Canada’s burgeoning cannabis industry might seem one-dimensional, but on the inside, it’s anything but: Between laboratories, cultivators, lifestyle brands, lobby groups, processors and manufacturers, it’s an industry rich with diverse perspectives, colourful characters and big dreamers who are eager to change the way cannabis is perceived by society.
2:30PM What new laws mean for you: Driving, youth restrictions, and more Farrell Miller, Rielle Capler, Barinder Rasode, Scott Bernstein, Piper Courtenay (Moderator)
At times, the stream of information coming from the recreational legalization of cannabis seems endless. Despite all the talk, many Canadians are still left wondering what to expect after July 1. Our panel of legal experts and policy makers dissect and define some of the most important changes to the federal and provincial legislation.
3:30PM Our roots: Exploring Vancouver’s cannabis history
John Conroy, David Malmo-Levine, Hilary Black, Amanda Siebert (Moderator)
For 95 years Canadians have been fighting to remove the chains surrounding cannabis. It was the perseverance and bravery of advocates from all sectors that managed to gradually shift the culture, community and attitudes toward a more inclusive society. This panel brings together some of Vancouver’s most iconic weed warriors to discuss how the city played a role in shaping the national discourse and ending prohibition.
OVER 40 EXHIBITORS! Meet the industry leaders face to face!
SATURDAY BREAKOUT SESSIONS 10:30AM Cannabis consumer Q+A with lawyer Liam Oster
Bring your best cannabis questions to this interactive session with lawyer Liam Oster of Watson Goepel LLP. Liam will have answers for your questions on everything from drug-impaired driving laws to how to obtain cannabis legally and safely in accordance with the federal government’s plan for legalization.
11:30AM Cannabis 101: A basics course with Sunrise Wellness Join Walter Sorto, director of Sunrise Wellness for this interactive session on cannabis basics. Walter delves into
the origins of the cannabis plant, its historic and contemporary uses, different preparations of cannabis, and how to use them effectively.
2:00PM Know your medicine: How to read a COA So, you went and got your medicinal cannabis tested, and you now have a Certificate of Analysis. But what does it mean? How do you read it? How do you interpret the results? Join Dr. Jaclyn Thomson, Director of R & D at Northern Vine Labs, as she walks you through the nuts and bolts of understanding a COA.
4:30PM Cannabis, CBD, and your pet
Does cannabis have practical applications for your pet? You bet it does, but there are important things to remember when looking for the right products before administering cannabis to your four-legged friend. Join veterinarian Dr. Katherine Kramer of Vancouver Animal Wellness Hospital for an enlightening discussion geared to Vancouver pet owners.
MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 25
The Bottle
PRESENTS
DORRANCE DANCE (USA) TRIPLE BILL “ONE OF THE MOST IMAGINATIVE TAP CHOREOGRAPHERS WORKING TODAY.” THE NEW YORKER
TICKETS & INFO: DANCEHOUSE.CA TICKETS FROM SE ASON PAR TNERS
APRIL 13 & 14, 8PM VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE SPEAKING OF DANCE CONVERSATIONS
Tap Dance and Jazz Music: the Evolution of an Art Form Moderated by Sas Selfjord, Vancouver Tap Dance Society Tuesday, April 10, 2018 • 7pm • FREE Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
26 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
MAT T MURPHY, PHOTO
as apparent. It’s definitely a “bigger” from page 20 wine, but still elegant nonetheless.
West Kelowna vineyards with largely 20-year-old vines and are soaked on the skins for five days, put through a ferment with wild and cultivated yeasts for just over two weeks, then aged for 10 months in French oak barrels. It’s the palest of the three, but the aromatics have some oomph. Cherries, vanilla, and violets, oh, my! On the palate, those cherries are joined by raspberries and strawberries, a good handful of fresh sage leaves, and a fairly distinct dusting of white pepper in its lightly tannic finish. It’s perfumed and pretty, but there’s a definite backbone here, to be sure. QUAILS’ GATE STEWART FAMILY RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2016
($49.99) A fairly similar process: all of this fruit came from 20-year-old vines on Mount Boucherie (right in the winery’s ’hood), a wholly wild ferment took place after a few days of a cold soak on the skins, then, again, 10 months spent in French oak. This more site-specific Pinot has similar cherry fruit on the nose but it’s a touch more opulent, maybe with a little blueberry compote swirled in. On the palate, it’s definitely more dense, with concentrated red and black berry fruit, and the oak lending more of a mocha note. That fresh, herbal sage note isn’t
QUAILS’ GATE RICHARD’S BLOCK PINOT NOIR 2016 ($54.99) From
four single-site vineyard blocks on Mount Boucherie, four different Dijon clones (115, 667, 777, and 828) were vinified separately in steel tanks with a mix of wild and cultivated yeasts, then blended and fermented in French oak for 11 months. The red and black berry fruit on the nose mingles with cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf, with the rich palate echoing those characteristics and an added dose of light umami notes like sundried tomato and hoisin. I get a pinch more heat than the 13.5 percent on the label suggests, and the tannins are a little higher than I’d like, but all of that should fold in after another year or so in bottle, when the wine should start hitting its stride. So, yes, we do have three distinct wines here. While $55 is certainly up there for local juice, the Richard’s Block is an age-worthy wine that rivals similarly priced Oregon and California outings, and I’d venture the same for the Stewart Family Reserve. My big take-away here is the solid value of the entry-level Pinot at $27, and how fortunate we are that Callaway has made enough of it, making it an easy find at most B.C. Liquor Stores. -
ARTS
It’s fitting that Kathryn Nicholson (below) is a choral director with the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, given how taken she was by the city’s springtime flowering during her first few days here. Devonyu photo.
Voices in full bloom
“Everybody can sing,” Nicholson stresses. “Not everybody can play a guitar or play the piano if they haven’t had the chance to learn that, but everybody can sing—even though, often, they’re told that they can’t keep a tune. So the invitation The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival features pop-up is ‘Wear your T-shirt and concerts that welcome spring with singers of all stripes come on up to the front, or stand up where you are, Like a lot of springtime arrivals to Vancouver, and we’ll sing all these lovely songs together.’ ” Kathryn Nicholson was not only impressed by our The Vancouver Sings One Song repertoire, she city’s vernal beauty, but somewhat overwhelmed. adds, is a little larger than a single ditty. ParticiB Y AL EX ANDER VAR T Y “I arrived ahead of my husband, looking for a pants will actually learn four: Japan’s traditional place to live, and it was right in the spring when the cherry-blossom-viewing anthem “Sakura, Saazaleas, the rhodos, and the cherry trees were all in kura”; the Navajo chant “Now I Walk in Beauty”; bloom,” she tells the Georgia Straight from wintry Ludwig van Beethoven’s anthemic “Ode to Joy”; Burlington, Ontario, where she’s visiting her new and a new number written for the occasion by grandson. “I remember walking down one of local musicians Tom Landa and Robin Layne, those streets in East Vancouver where they “Cherry Blossoms for You and Me”. None will tax have that canopy of cherry trees. You just walk even amateur singers, and sheet music for all four under this archway of pink, and the blossoms can be downloaded from the VCBF website. are all creating this fantastical pink world as It’s no coincidence that the chosen songs reyou walk through it. It was just brilliant—and flect Vancouver’s cultural diversity, representing it was different, because we didn’t have those as they do Asian, European, First Nations, and kinds of cherry trees where I grew up.” Latin strains. Later on, she continues, “My uncle was “I believe that singing is an extraordinary way driving me around, and an odd sort of com- for people to connect with one another,” says ment came into my mind: it was ‘Vancouver! Nicholson, who has firsthand experience with Cover yourself!’ The city was like a woman music’s power to heal: she’s trained as both a nurse wearing too much jewellery, and I was just and a music therapist, and currently works as a like, ‘Whoa! This is just too much!’ ” clinical counsellor with the Vancouver Hospice These days, though, Nicholson has grown Society. “One’s voice is a very intimate expression accustomed to the Lower Mainland’s sea- of who we are. So when one does have the opporsonal shades, and rather than cover our tunity to sing, and to sing in harmony and in the spring blooms she’s about to celebrate company of other people, it’s not just beneficial to them, as the point person for the Vancou- one’s health, it feels good. You feel a sense of bever Cherry Blossom Festival’s Vancouver longing and participation, and it’s very joyful. Sings One Song series of pop-up concerts. The dir“If you read some of the studies on music therector of the Sound Eclectic choir and her core group apy,” she adds, “they’ll say that when you sing of singers will host an open rehearsal and vocal with other people or make music with other workshop at Christ Church Cathedral at 6:30 p.m. people, sometimes your heartbeats begin to be in on Tuesday (April 3); several hundred singers are rhythm with one another.” And at a time when so expected to attend, with the first 400 receiving a free many forces are working to divide us into warring VSOS T-shirt. After that, they’ll disperse through camps, even within our own blossom-bedecked the city, leading public sing-alongs at the Cherry city, who wouldn’t want some of that? Jam Downtown Concert (at Burrard Station next Thursday [April 5]) and Sakura Days Japan Fair (at The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival takes the VanDusen Botanical Garden on April 14 and place at various Vancouver locations from Tues15). Singers of any ability—or even none at all—are day (April 3) to April 29. For a full schedule, visit www.vcbf.ca/. welcome to take part in all four events.
THINGS TO DO
2
Vernal traditions from Japan are in the air
With cherry-blossom viewing being a national pastime in Japan, it’s not at all surprising that many Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival events have a Japanese connection that goes beyond the ritual singing of “Sakura, Sakura”. (A title that, by the way, translates as “Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms”.) Take, for example, the Cherry Jam Downtown Concert at Burrard Station next Thursday (April 5). Yes, the event will feature the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble (with erhu virtuoso Ji Rong Huang), pianist Ken Cormier, and the appropriately ecumenical Sound Eclectic choir, but its dramatic highlight will almost certainly be the collaboration between shakuhachi master Alcvin Ramos and Richmond’s Tetsu Taiko drum troupe. Japanese heritage is built into the VCBF’s Sakura Night Gala, at the Stanley Park Pavilion on April 22. Your $160 ticket will allow you to sample the creations of eight top chefs and mixologists, several of them of Japanese or Japanese-Canadian descent. Among the delights on offer will be gourmet ramen and sushi; harusame noodle salad; savoury mochi with duck and shiitake mushrooms; a venison, wasabi-leaf, and smoked-cherry tartare; a wild knotweed dish; and, for dessert, sake macarons. And then there’s the Sakura Days Japan Fair, at VanDusen Botanical Garden on April 14 and 15, which looks rather like the Powell Street Festival, were that annual celebration of Japanese culture magically transported to a more scenic, if less historically significant, location. Under the garden’s plentiful cherry trees you’ll be able to sample Japanese festival foods; hear Kohei Honda and Keita Kanezashi perform on Tsugaru shamisen and percussion; experience several different forms of Japanese dance; and get up close—but not too close—to handcrafted samurai armour and weaponry. Of course, we won’t judge those who opt to grab a Hershey’s Cherry Blossom chocolate and scarf it down under a neighbourhood tree, but with so many other floral options to choose from, why not explore? > STAFF
ARTS High five
Five events you just can’t miss this week
THE HUMANS (To April 22 at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Theatre) A portrait of an American family that puts the “funk” back into dysfunction. CHELSEA HOTEL (To April 21 at the Firehall Arts Centre) A truly inspired musical ode to the late Leonard Cohen.
Editor’s choice a rare musician who has the honour of being presented by 2 It’s both Early Music Vancouver, purveyors of all things baroque and beyond, and Music on Main, whose focus is on 21st-century innovation. It’s also a rare musician who can perform Persian classical music, Italian art song, and contemporary improvisation with equal aplomb. Combine all of those qualities into a single Venn diagram, and you’ll find Montreal-based Ziya Tabassian at its centre. Just last month, Tabassian and Ensemble Constantinople joined soprano Susie LeBlanc in an EMV program of Venetian music that was rapturously received, and now the setar master is coming back with Estonian singer and violinist Maarja Nuut to play MoM’s A Month of Tuesdays series at the Fox Cabaret on April 3. Expect magic. -
BOBBIE BURGERS (To April 7 at the Equinox Gallery) The local painter shows big, lush blackand-white flowers. BUTCHER (To March 31 at the Cultch) The twistiest, blackest thriller you may see on-stage all year. CULTURE AT THE CENTRE (To October 8 at the UBC Museum of Anthropology) A striking survey of work coming out of five Indigenous centres in B.C.
In the news March 23, Canadian 2 On Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly
announced that the federal government will provide $7 million to the Children’s Arts Umbrella Association for its new home on Granville Island. It’s the largest single amount of funding for B.C. in the history of the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, a federal cultural infrastructure program. The association operates Arts Umbrella, which offers arts education in dance, theatre, music, visual arts, and digital arts to more than 20,000 young people. Each year, more than 9,000 children are able to access its program free of charge or at a reduced rate through outreach programs and bursaries. Lisa Beare, B.C.’s minister responsible for culture, announced on the same day that the province will contribute $1.4 million. The money will go toward upgrading Arts Umbrella’s new 50,000-square-foot facility at 1400 Johnston Street (formerly Emily Carr University of Art + Design’s South Building). The renovated space will be home to seven dance studios; four theatre and music studios; eight visual, applied, and media arts studios; a 160-seat professional theatre; an exhibition gallery; and new workshop spaces. Architect Richard Henriquez will lead the renewal of the building. MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 27
ARTS
Scavetta’s dance goes global > B Y JA NE T S M ITH
D
ance-theatre artist Francesco Scavetta is an Italian who lives in Norway but, these days, his workplace stretches far beyond Scandinavia to the far reaches of the globe. In fact, when the Straight contacts him by Skype, he’s running workshops and performances for his Surprised body project in San José, Costa Rica. Japan, Argentina, and Cuba have all been recent stops, and he reports that this morning he received an invitation to a festival in Egypt next year. “I was just counting the other day and I’ve been in 72 or 73 countries—not just for work,” says the cofounder of Wee, his Oslo-based company. “It makes you laugh sometimes. Very often my friends start a Skype conversation with me by saying ‘Where are you?’ And it’s true: I could really almost be anywhere, like in any hemisphere. “It happened that I was in Montreal at minus-28 degrees and suddenly the next Sunday I was in Senegal and it was plus-35. You’re going from climate change to culture change with this little group.…But I never feel like a tourist, because I am going straight into the reality of the place. I’m connecting with individuals and that’s the beautiful part of the work that we do. It’s teamwork—a sharing of knowledge and experiences.” That highly collaborative, improvisational approach led directly to the creation of the playful Hardly ever, a quirks-out, kitschy ’70s-set group piece that’s coming to the Scotiabank Dance Centre. It grew out of a conceptual work about artifice and reality, Sincerely yours, in which every set piece was made out of cardboard. In Hardly ever, the questions about truth and lies revolve around an elaborate game in which dancers tell you what they are about to do, then
Wee, the Oslo-based company of Italian choreographer Francesco Scavetta, moves through a ’70s-inspired landscape in the fun and complex Hardly ever.
either live up to your expectation or gleefully subvert it. “So I say, ‘I am going to,’ for example, ‘sit down.’ Then I wait for a few seconds so the viewer can imagine the action; it’s necessary to have that few minutes of neutrality. Then, of course, the answer could be matching or mismatching, like lying down,” Scavetta explains. “I’m actually wording my reality and then shifting it.…The audience gets hooked up in this active process and they try to guess what it is before the dancers generate it, and that creates a lot of humour.” Built with text and movement, Hardly ever becomes an ever more complex performance of setting up and overturning expectations. And the set gives it even more of a sense of fun, with its gaudy couch and wallpaper, and polyester-heavy costumes to match. “I have a strong connection with the ’70s, but we were searching very long for the right era that we wanted to create—the right landscape,” Scavetta says, adding that the cutaway
print flooring and wallpaper also suggest a map, reflecting the way the dancers navigate through truth and lies. “And then it looks like a living room, and there are references to the movies of Wes Anderson, with the little [children’s] camping tent. It’s a space that feels homey but a bit artificial.” The creation process for Hardly ever, like so much else of Scavetta’s inspired dance for his company, is never over. The work, he says, has been influenced by all the different places he’s taken it to. In Japan, for instance, with a live translator onstage, his troupe realized certain references didn’t work (“like Pamela Anderson,” he says), so they altered the script to make it more universal. Says Scavetta of the effect of touring so much: “You gain a distance from the work; you can refine different things and rediscover it”—whether it’s 28 below or 35 above. The Dance Centre presents Hardly ever at the Scotiabank Dance Centre from next Thursday to Saturday (April 5 to 7).
“A trio of true stars” - The Daily Telegraph
BENEDETTI ELSCHENBROICH GRYNYUK TRIO
Tickets start at
$25
SUN APR 8 at 3pm I VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE Nicola Benedetti, one of the world’s most sought-after violinists, returns to Vancouver for the Canadian debut of her dynamic trio with cellist Leonard Elschenbroich and pianist Alexei Grynyuk. A not-to-be-missed performance!
SCHUBERT | BRAHMS | TURNAGE | RAVEL TICKETS: 604 602 0363 I VANRECITAL.COM
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28 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
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ARTS
A knock-out mix of R&B, gospel, jazz, and pop!
Madelyn Osborne and Katerina Gimon (from left) say Anne Washburn’s dark comedy shows how our survival depends on stories. Duy Nguyen photo.
Simpsons govern new civilization in Mr. Burns > BY JOHN L UC AS
W
hen the Straight sits down with Mr. Burns director Madelyn Osborne and composer Katerina Gimon, it seems germane to ask each to name her favourite episode of The Simpsons. Osborne picks Season 7’s “Lisa the Vegetarian” for personal reasons, noting that she grew up meatfree herself. Gimon, however, selects “Cape Feare”, a choice she admits likely reflects the fact that the Season 5 episode is central to the plot of Mr. Burns. Anne Washburn’s dark comedy, which is subtitled A Post-Electric Play, is set after an unspecified apocalyptic event. To entertain themselves, a few survivors attempt to remember the details of “Cape Feare”. (For those unfamiliar with the episode, it’s the one in which Sideshow Bob attempts to murder Bart, forcing the Simpsons into the witness-protection program.) “The first act is set only three months after the happening, of the power grid going down, so it’s all still pretty fresh for them,” says Osborne, who is directing Mr. Burns for Little Mountain Lion Productions. “And a couple of people in the group are Simpsons fans, so they really remember it, and then other people just voice in little pieces of it. And then they carry that on into the seven years after in Act 2.” By that time, the characters have formed a professional theatre troupe that specializes in performing their chosen Simpsons episode live, complete with reconstructions of commercials. And by the time Act 3 rolls around, the action has moved forward 75 years, depicting a new society in which “Cape Feare” has taken on the status of popular mythology. Any given Simpsons episode is chock-full of cultural references, but “Cape Feare” contains more than most. The plot is very loosely based on the 1962 film Cape Fear (and its 1991 remake), with nods to Psycho, Friday the 13th Part III, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. One important plot point revolves around Sideshow Bob singing Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore in its entirety.
Osborne notes that while the significance of most of these references is lost on the characters by Act 3, they feel duty-bound to incorporate them anyway. “The communities in the world that they’re living in find it really important to get the details as close as they can,” she says. “They try to keep as much in as possible.” They also include snippets of pop songs from the past. Washburn left the selection of repertoire wide-open, which gave Gimon plenty of freedom. “I did a lot of research, listened to a lot of things, gathered a lot of input from people. There are definitely a lot of my favourite songs in there.” As with The Simpsons, the characters are relying on half-remembered snatches of pop culture handed down from prior generations. “We get the references, but at the same time it’s slightly off—like, words slightly off and melody slightly off as well,” says Gimon. Osborne and Gimon agree that the message of Mr. Burns is that human survival depends on more than just the basic necessities required to sustain life. We need art and we need stories, but most of all we need to come together in like-minded communities. But will it speak to someone who knows nothing about The Simpsons? (And yes, those people are out there, allegedly.) “The most beautiful part about this script is that Anne has so delicately used The Simpsons as a vehicle to tell the story, but on the other side of it, it’s just about people—people trying to survive and have relationships, and communicate and create something together,” Osborne says. “My mom asked me the same thing. She really wants to come and see the show, and she was like, ‘Am I gonna get it?’ If you’re a Simpsons fan, there are a lot of little Easter eggs in there that you’re totally going to be able to catch. But if you’re not, there’s still a beautiful story there about being human, and how art can support humanity.” Little Mountain Lion Productions presents Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play at Studio 1398 from Tuesday (April 3) to April 21.
TAKE 6 in Concert
The most-awarded a cappella group in history.
Friday April 6 | 8pm QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE, VANCOUVER SECTION A $70 | SECTION B $60 | SECTION C $45 | SECTION D $35 $10 STUDENT RUSH TICKETS ONE HOUR PRIOR TO SHOW. Erick Lichte
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MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 29
ARTS “Maturity of expression, at her tender age, in addition to her extraordinary technical abilities, made her performance a breathtaking, outstanding experience.” — The Jerusalem Post
Jon Washburn sought out boisterous bass sounds. Yukiko Onley photo.
Choir takes on dark sonics of Rachmaninoff > BY ALEXAN DER VAR TY
I
es Audienc it’s agree –t-see a mus hit!
YUJA WANG piano
ALMOS T SOLD OUT!
FRIDAY MAY 4 at 7:30pm CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS The newest superstar in the classical firmament! Yuja’s phenomenal talent has astounded audiences in the world’s great concert halls. Don’t miss her Vancouver performance. Hurry… very few tickets remain!
LIGETI | SCRIABIN | RACHMANINOFF | PROKOFIEV
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A stylish murder mystery set in 1920s Kowloon, Hong Kong
BY JOVANNI
SY CRAIG HALL A CO-PRODUCTION WITH VERTIGO THEATRE AND ROYAL MANITOBA THEATRE CENTRE DIRECTED BY
MAINSTAGE | APRIL 12 – 21, 2018 - TICKETS AND INFORMATION GatewayTheatre.com | (604) 270-1812 GatewayThtr
30 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
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t’s getting to be a familiar story: a powerful authority figure has been seen colluding with Russians, and now it seems that one of those Slavs is dead. On the other hand, it’s not like Sergei Rachmaninoff died prematurely, of some untraceable poison; he passed away just shy of 70, in 1943, and as of yet none of Stalin’s agents have been implicated in the chronically ill composer’s demise. It’s also arguable that Rachmaninoff is not dead at all, a point Jon Washburn is getting ready to make when he leads the Vancouver Chamber Choir, with guests the Vancouver Cantata Singers, through the aristocratic Russian’s choral masterpiece, Vespers. Rachmaninoff’s take on Russian Orthodox liturgical music is generally considered to be one of the most demanding, and most rewarding, works in the 20th-century choral repertoire. To present it properly, Washburn is aiming to draw a truly Slavic tone out of the two choirs, something he says is nearly impossible to achieve in North America. “I have a certain sound in mind— a darker sound,” the conductor explains, reached at home in Mount Pleasant. “You know, the voices are darker over there, and especially for the Russian choirs there’s a tradition of being bottom-heavy, of having a lot of bass sounds. And they really like the vodka sounds: you know, the really boisterous basses. I think our performance is going to replicate that pretty well. We don’t have any of those incredibly freakish bass voices, but we have several guys who can make a big sound down there. So I’m saying it’s going to be good.” Russian Orthodox hymnody isn’t the only sonic style to take advantage of low-frequency vibrations; think of the giant ritual trumpets of Tibetan Buddhist music, or the deep synth pulsations of Detroit house. But in writing Vespers Rachmaninoff made particularly good use of Orthodox chant while also incorporating his own, more densely harmonized innovations. “It’s the kind of music that can really get to you,” Washburn says. “It’s very moving, and a lot of the time that’s because of the sonority. It seems like weighty thoughts.” Balancing Rachmaninoff’s intellectual heft on the VCC program will be Washburn’s own arrangement of Gabriel Fauré’s Messe Basse, and American composer Morten Lauridsen’s comparatively ethereal Lux aeterna, itself a late-20th-century classic. For the latter, Washburn and company will be aided by the Pacifica Singers, in another nod to the cooperative depth of the local choral scene. The conductor points out that, this year alone, his ensemble has also worked with the Vancouver Youth Choir, musica intima, and the Elektra Women’s Choir. “I think there’s a lot of good feeling in the choral community these days,” he notes, and any observer of that world would add that there’s much talent, too. The Vancouver Chamber Choir joins the Vancouver Cantata Singers and the Pacifica Singers at the Orpheum on Friday (March 30).
ARTS
Richard Newman and Gina Chiarelli find an easy chemistry in a bittersweet, autobiographical new play by Mark Leiren-Young. Damon Calderwood photo.
Wry repartee brings life to Bar Mitzvah Boy TH E AT RE BAR MITZVAH BOY By Mark Leiren-Young. Directed by Ian Farthing. At Pacific Theatre on Friday, March 23. Continues until April 14
It’s time for Joey (Richard Newman) to get bar mitzvahed. As the play opens, he visits the office of Rabbi Michael (Gina Chiarelli) to discuss his preparation for the big day. He’s a little surprised to learn that the rabbi is a woman. She’s a lot more surprised to see that Joey is in his 60s. The rabbi reluctantly agrees to tutor Joey, whose Hebrew is pretty rusty after a 52-year absence from shul. Bar Mitzvah Boy begins with both characters facing family trials. We learn why it’s so important to Joey to be called to the Torah before his own grandson and that Michael’s daughter is enduring cancer treatments. Their early scenes have a screwball-comedy vibe as they trade barbs about love, death, and divorce. These lively exchanges are offset by monologues, as we watch Joey practise Torah verses and the rabbi speak to her congregation. Chiarelli and Newman are both veteran performers and they have found an easy chemistry in Michael and Joey’s wry repartee. Chiarelli naturally inhabits the role of an overworked community leader, soldiering on despite personal sorrows. I wouldn’t necessarily expect to mention the costuming in a contemporary two-hander, but Kaitlin Williams’s designs were exactly right. Joey the divorce lawyer wears a tired-looking suit with a too-wide tie, while the rabbi is a kind of bohemian soccer mom in her tunic tops and flowered prayer shawl. The actors find their way around the stage with a welcome minimum of pretence and fussiness. But I did wonder if director Ian Farthing might have found a little more in his staging and Carolyn Rapanos’s set. The show runs 95 minutes without intermission. While it’s very watchable, the play’s final scenes might have been enlivened by a little theatrical magic. Leiren-Young’s program notes explain that the playwright was himself bar mitzvahed a few blocks away at Beth Israel synagogue. The play is full of details that were new to this gentile. Along with Joey, we learned about tefillin—the black boxes worn on the head and left arm containing verses of the Torah—and the ner tamid, the sanctuary lamp that burns continuously in front of the ark in every synagogue. Bar Mitzvah Boy is having its world premiere at Pacific Theatre. It’s always a treat to see a brand-new play. This one is a gentle, bittersweet comedy that’s both charming and undemanding—a perfect date show, regardless of your faith.
2
> DARREN BAREFOOT
BUTCHER By Nicolas Billon. Directed by Kevin McKendrick. At the Cultch’s Historic Theatre on Wednesday, March 21. Continues until March 31
A metal desk, a plastic chair, a
2 filing cabinet. The setting for
Nicolas Billon’s Butcher is a grey room full of grey objects, but the action is all red. The room is the office of Insp. Lamb (Daryl Shuttleworth). It’s 3 a.m. on Christmas Day in a Toronto police station and he’s had a peculiar case dropped into his lap. A woozy old man (Peter Anderson) in a foreign military uniform has been dumped at the station. He has a meat hook hung around his neck, along with the business card of Hamilton Barnes (Noel Johansen). The old man only speaks an obscure Slavic language called Lavinian. At Lamb’s invitation, Barnes shows up, but has no explanation of who the elderly man is, or why he has his card. Lamb recruits a translator (Lindsey Angell) and the mysterious game is afoot. The fictional Lavinia fought a gruesome civil war 22 years ago, and we learn that the people in this room are still reckoning with its horrors. There’s a little of Death and the Maiden and Munich in the entertaining riddle Billon has made for us to unravel. It’s complex enough that the reveals are surprising, but not so baroque that we can’t guess our way ahead of the action. Billon worked with two linguists to create the Lavinian language. Peter Anderson has the difficult job of speaking Lavinian, but he conveys so much in this very foreign tongue. It’s hard to write a thriller like this without some clichés. Another rewrite might have dispensed with clunkers like “So you see, this isn’t amateur hour” and “He won’t give in to your tyranny!” Director Kevin McKendrick and set designer David Roberts have staged the show on a raised square. The office furniture means that almost all the action happens on a downstage section no larger than an apartment balcony. I see how this claustrophobic effect might be meant to double down on the show’s tension, but it felt more limiting than effective. The blocking sometimes felt like kids rolling around on the living-room floor. In those tight confines, the performers didn’t manage all the stage business—handcuffs, phones, a manypocketed backpack—as smoothly as I would have expected. This may just have been a symptom of openingnight jitters. Butcher is a classic locked-room thriller. In 85 intense minutes, we watch a deception unravel and the weight of history come to rest on the characters’ shoulders. We’re asked, in the aftermath of genocide: do we want peace or justice? The play argues that we can’t have both. > DARREN BAREFOOT
MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 31
ARTS Two of Cuba’s hottest new artists
SUN APR 15 2018 / 7PM
Daymé Arocena and Roberto Fonseca C H A N C E N T R E AT U B C Tickets and info at chancentre.com
As part of Haida Now, sculptures by renowned Skidegate artist Louis Collison reflect social ranks and oral histories of his people. Rebecca Blissett photo.
MUSQUEAM SQUAMISH LIL’WAT HEILTSUK HAIDA NISGA’A
CULTURE AT THE CENTRE audainartmuseum.com
OPENING MARCH 30 Visit us in Whistler, BC 4350 Blackcomb Way
604.962.0413
Tsonokwa (Dzunukwa) mask (detail), 2007 red cedar, acrylic, horse hair 133.0 x 65.0 x 40.0 cm Audain Art Museum Collection Gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa, 2015.017
32 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
March 18 – October 8, 2018
Media Sponsor
Beauty and reverence illuminate Haida Now A rich new Museum of Vancouver show explores patterns, forms, and ideas shaped by millennia V IS U AL A R TS HAIDA NOW At the Museum of Vancouver until June 15, 2019
Haida Now at the Museum of
2 Vancouver is a stellar exhib-
ition. Like Culture at the Centre at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, it seeks to rewrite the relationship between First Nations and the colonialist institutions that have, for so long, collected, housed, and displayed their belongings. Two years ago, the MOV’s Viviane Gosselin invited guest curator Kwiaahwah Jones to unpack—literally and metaphorically—more than 450 Haida belongings from its vaults. In turn, Jones invited a number of her fellow Haida, including artists, performers, and knowledge holders, to go through the collection with her and to share their insights and understanding. The MOV also worked with Nika Collison, director and curator of the Haida Gwaii Museum at Kay Llnagaay, who has contributed some text panels to the show, illuminating ideas of respect, repatriation, and intellectual-property rights. As has become exemplary in contemporary museum practice, the MOV show employs not only text but also photographs, maps, a soundscape, videos, and interactive technologies to engage viewers in an experience of cross-cultural learning. These communication aids are built around a rich and visually engrossing array of woven spruce-root baskets and hats, painted bentwood boxes, engraved silver bracelets, inlaid frontlets, Raven rattles, silkscreen prints, and carvings in wood and argillite. In the first gallery, visitors encounter evidence of the Haida people’s seafaring skills and their trading (and raiding) journeys by canoe, up and down the North Pacific coast. Their voyages also took them to the Coast Salish territory on which Vancouver now stands. Displays here include ingenious cargo containers woven out of spruce root and designed to fold f lat for storage, miniature canoes, war clubs, a paddle, and an account of a peace treaty forged in the distant past between the warring Haida and Squamish. Also on view here is a time line that runs from 42,000 years ago to the present and that shifts colour between the late 18th and early 20th
centuries to indicate the dark and painful period during which Haida people and culture were decimated by colonialism and disease. Underlying the historic works is a powerful sense of contemporary resilience and resurgence. Social organization and oral histories are articulated in the show’s next section, which includes old wooden figures of a shaman, a chief, and a high-ranking woman (her status indicated by the labret in her lower lip) created by Louis Collison; three argillite carvings of the Bear Mother story, including one by the legendary Charles Edenshaw; and a contemporary silver bracelet made by Jesse Brillon. The imagery in this powerfully compressed work conjoins Brillon’s real-life story of surviving a shipwreck with accounts of the supernatural Sea-Wolf, Wasco. Among the most impressive works here are the finely woven spruce-root baskets, their intricate pattern work symbolic of natural forms and elements and indicative of weeks and months of labour. Also on display is an array of tightly woven spruce-root hats, some of them painted with family and clan crests. As well, contemporary Haida weaver Isabel Rorick has contributed wondrous works in homage to those made by earlier generations of women. Beautifully made historic objects, including horn spoons, berry baskets, and bentwood boxes for food storage and cooking, reveal, again, the attention and reverence paid to the everyday. As Jones said while touring the Straight through the show, the handling, preparation, and consumption of food are arts in themselves, and evince respect and gratitude for the plants and creatures harvested. They also suggest an ethos that deplores waste. Haida art, Jones added, “communicates who we are and where we come from”, and is the visual complement to the nation’s oral histories. Asked why Haida belongings hold such great appeal to non-Haida viewers, she answered that it’s the humanity that they reveal. There is also the deep feeling in Haida Now that the immense time, energy, and skill invested in the making of so many of the works convey a deep commitment to social, cultural, and spiritual beliefs. They also imbue these works with power—and the spirit of their makers. > ROBIN LAURENCE
ar ts/ timeout THEATRE 2OPENINGS RENT Renegade Arts Co presents Jonathan Larson’s play about a group of
THEATRE DANCE MUSIC COMEDY GALLERIES MUSEUMS impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side. Mar 29– Apr 14, 8 pm, The Shop Theatre (3030 E. Broadway). $29/24/20, info www.face book.com/events/151873275596800/.
2ONGOING
< < < < < <
ENRON United Players presents Lucy Prebble’s play about the Texas-based energy company that ascended to great heights before declaring bankruptcy amid one of the largest financial scandals in history. To Apr 15, 8 pm, Jericho Arts Centre (1675 Discovery). Tix $26/20, info www.unitedplayers.com/. LITTLE MISS GLITZ Original, locally developed musical follows the story of a naive, starry-eyed little girl as she navigates her way through her first beauty pageant. To Mar 31, 8-10 pm, Performance Works (1218 Cartwright St). Tix $25-29, info www.littlemissglitz.ca/.
CHELSEA HOTEL: THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN Creator-director THE CRUCIBLE Director Jessica Anne Tracey Power’s homage to the legendary Nelson puts a 2018 spin on Arthur Miller’s Canadian poet and singer-songwriter, in timeless parable of morality. To Mar 31, which six performers play new arrange7:30 pm, Frederic Wood Theatre (6354 Crescent Rd., UBC). Tix $24.50/16.50/11.50/5, ments of his songs on 17 different instruments. To Apr 21, Firehall Arts Centre info theatrefilm.ubc.ca/.
(280 E. Cordova). Tix from $25, info www.firehallartscentre.ca/.
2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS
BUTCHER Philosophical crime-thriller by Governor General’s Award–winner Nicolas Billon. To Mar 31, 8 pm, The Cultch (1895 Venables). Tix from $22, info thecultch. com/events/butcher/.
THEATRE UNDER THE STARS Performances on alternating evenings of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella and 42nd Street. Jul 4–Aug 18, 8-10:30 pm, Malkin Bowl (610 Pipeline Road, Stanley Park). Tix $50-$70, info www.tuts.ca/.
THE HUMANS The Arts Club Theatre Company presents Stephen Karam’s portrait of an ordinary family at odds with itself and the uncertainties of life in a changing America. To Apr 22, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (2750 Granville). Tix from $29, info www.artsclub.com/ shows/2017-2018/the-humans/. BAR MITZVAH BOY Mark Leiren-Young’s comedy about friendship, ritual, and growing up (at any age). To Apr 14, 8 pm, Pacific Theatre (1440 W. 12th). Tix $36.50/20, info pacifictheatre.org/season/20172018-season/mainstage/bar-mitzvah-boy/.
DANCE 2JUST ANNOUNCED WEE/FRANCESCO SCAVETTA: HARDLY EVER As part of its Global Dance Connections series, the Scotiabank Dance Centre presents a performance of works by the Italian-born, Norwegian-based choreographer. Apr 5-7, 8 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie). Tix $32/24, info www.thedancecentre.ca/.
see next page
WEE/FRANCESCO SCAVETTA
HARDLY EVER
April 5-7, 2018 | 8pm Scotiabank Dance Centre
Tickets ticketstonight.ca Info thedancecentre.ca PRESENTED WITH
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LEARN MORE AND WIN BOOKS AT WWW.BCBOOKPRIZES.CA Thank you to our publishers, funders, and sponsors. We couldn’t do it without your support! Anvil Press, Arsenal Pulp Press, Caitlin Press, City of Surrey, Doubleday Canada, Douglas & McIntyre, First Second, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Groundwood Books, Harbour Publishing, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd., James Lorimer and Company Ltd., Knopf Canada, McClelland & Stewart, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Mother Tongue Publishing, NeWest Press, New Star Books, Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre, Oolichan Books, Orca Book Publishers, Red Deer Press, Second Story Press, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Talonbooks, TouchWood Editions, Tradewind Books
MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 33
Arts time out
from previous page
2THIS WEEK
THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY・WINTER LIGHT・THE SILENCE ALL THESE WOMEN ・A LESSON IN LOVE
ROSARIO ANCER Artistic director of Flamenco Rosario shares work developed during a new collaboration with Michael Heid. Mar 29, 5:30-6:30 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. Free, info www.thedancecentre.ca/.
MUSIC 2THIS WEEK
EASTER WEEKEND TRIPLE BILLS
RACHMANINOV VESPERS AND LAURIDSEN LUX AETERNA The Vancouver Chamber Choir, Vancouver Cantata Singers, Vancouver Youth Choir, Vancouver Chamber Orchestra, and Pacifica Singers perform music by Rachmaninoff, Lauridsen, and Fauré. Mar 30, 8-10 pm, Orpheum Theatre. Tix $21-55 at www.ticketmaster.ca/.
MAR 30, 31 & APR 1
$24 ADULTS ・ $22 STUDENTS & SENIORS
ST. JOHN PASSION Graeme Langager leads University Singers, UBC Choral Union, and the UBC Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the St. John Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach. Mar 31, 8 pm, Chan Shun Concert Hall (6265 Crescent Rd., Chan Centre at UBC). Tix $25/15, info www.music.ubc.ca/.
are
you
QUARTETTO DI CREMONA Young Italian string quartet performs the Verdi Quartet and works by Puccini and Respighi. Apr 3, 8 pm, Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton). Tix $50/55 ($15 students), info friendsofchambermusic.ca/.
COMEDY 2ONGOING THE COMEDY MIX 1015 Burrard, www. thecomedymix.com/. Comedy club with pro-am night Tue at 8:30 pm, showcase Wed at 8:30 pm, and featured headliners Thu at 8:30 pm and Fri-Sat at 8 and 10:30 pm. 2SIMON KING Mar 29-31 2CHRIS PORTER Apr 5-7 2JON DORE Apr 13-14
2THIS WEEK DANNY POLISHCHUK Standup comedian headlines the Rickshaw, with guests Mark Hughes and Morris Bartlett. Mar 31, 7:30 pm, Rickshaw Theatre (254 E. Hastings). Tix $15 (plus service charges and fees) at www.rickshawtheatre.com/.
GALLERIES VANCOUVER ART GALLERY 750 Hornby, 604-662-4719, www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/. 2TAKASHI MURAKAMI: THE OCTOPUS EATS ITS OWN LEG (more than 55 paintings and sculptures are featured in the
first-ever retrospective of Murakami’s work in Canada) to May 6 2BOMBHEAD (thematic exhibition explores the emergence and impact of the nuclear age as represented by artists and their art) to Jun 17
MUSEUMS MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER 1100 Chestnut Street, www.museumofvancouver.ca/. 2HAIDA NOW: A VISUAL FEAST OF INNOVATION AND TRADITION (exhibition guest-curated by Kwiaahwah Jones features over 450 works by carvers, weavers, photographers and print makers) to Jun 15 THE MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT UBC 6393 NW Marine Drive, 604-822-5087, www.moa.ubc.ca/. 2THE FABRIC OF OUR LAND: SALISH WEAVING (a journey through the past 200 years of Salish wool weaving) to Apr 15 2CULTURE AT THE CENTRE (collaboration between six First Nations communities offers insight into the work Indigenous-run cultural centres and museums in B.C. are doing to support their language, culture, and history) to Oct 8
TIME OUT ARTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge. Submit listings online using the event-submission form at straight.com/AddEvent. Events that don’t make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.
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* IMAGINE * CREATE * ENJOY * VIFF’s Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street The Roundhouse, 181 Roundhouse Mews
Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth Regular admission: $7 child/youth/senior; $10 adult Opening Night Gala: $12 child/youth/senior; $15 adult (includes reception)
FF
= Feature Focus
TL
= Talent Lab
Tickets: www.r2rfestival.org | Message line: 604-224-6162
8
13 CANADIAN PREMIERE
CLOUDBOY
SPEAK UP
DIR Meikeminne Clinckspoor | Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands | 2017 | 77 min In Dutch, Swedish, and Sami with English subtitles Reluctantly visiting his mother, and her new family, among the reindeerherding Sami of rural northern Sweden, twelve-year-old Niilas accidentally causes one of the reindeer to escape. He and his siblings set out on an adventure-filled search through Lapland’s scenic and tranquil terrain in an effort to return the missing animal to its mother. Cloudboy is a heartwarming story about the importance of knowing where you come from. Preceded by: Threads | Torill Kove | Canada | 9 min TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 10:00 AM, VCT SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2:00 PM, VCT
FF
À VOIX HAUTE LA FORCE DE LA PAROLE DIRS Stéphane de Freitas, Ladj Ly | France | 2017 | 95 min In French with English subtitles With the art of speech comes influence and power. In this moving, funny, and tightly edited documentary, the students of Saint-Denis are encouraged to find their voice. With the help of coaches, poets, and educators, they discover that language is one of the most powerful weapons anyone can have. Public speaking allows the speaker to make a stand for all. “Most of [these students] have never spoken in public, but by the time the film is over, they could give Charles de Gaulle a run for his money.” -Hollywood Reporter THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 11:45 & 1:20 PM, VCT FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 3:30 PM, VCT
12
TL
8 CANADIAN PREMIERE
A SILENT VOICE
KOE NO KATACHI DIR Naoko Yamada | Japan | 2017 | 130 min In Japanese with English subtitles
Shoko is a new transfer student, and the first deaf person Shoya has ever met. His bullying and harmful taunting forces Shoko to transfer to another middle school. Now in high school, and remorseful, Shoya seeks redemption for his shameful past. Yamada’s work is that exceptional form of anime which invites audiences into a personal, intricate, and intensely realistic portrait of the human condition. A Silent Voice dares us to empathize with the unfortunate behavior of a struggling teenager. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 6:30 PM, VCT FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 12:00 PM, VCT TL
TREASURES
Love, Cecil
TESOROS DIR María Novaro | Mexico | 2017 | 95 min In Spanish with English subtitles
LISA IMMORDINO VREELAND, USA, 2017, 98 MIN.
Siblings Dylan and Andrea set out with their Mexican friends on a journey to discover missing pirate treasure. Along the way they encounter baby sea turtles, caves, and numerous other fauna and flora indigenous to the Pacific coast town of Barra de Potosí, near Acapulco. Blending documentary techniques and animated historical facts with cinematic realism, Tesoros invites us to explore the wonder of this natural paradise through the eyes of curious children. TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 10:00 AM, VCT SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 11:45 AM, VCT
FF
ARE YOU NEW TO SUBTITLED FILMS? Headsets are available for select screenings, for those who would prefer to have subtitles read aloud by an experienced reader. For films listed with the Vocal Eye logo, simply request a headset when you purchase a ticket.
Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth is grateful for the support of:
34 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
SAT 2:30PM | SUN 4:50PM WED 9:00PM The photographer, illustrator and designer Cecil Beaton was an unabashed aesthete, a dandy and a terrible snob. But he was also brilliant, one of the most intuitive and inspired visual stylists of the 20th Century. Beaton didn’t just perceive beauty, he conjured it out of thin air. His glamour shots of Hollywood stars are as famous as his production designs for Gigi and My Fair Lady, but this candid doc also shows his war photography and the artist’s waspish and melancholy sides.
MOVIES REVIEWS SHUT UP AND SAY SOMETHING A documentary by Melanie Wood. Rating unavailable
Shane Koyczan is a gifted wordsmith and
2 a mesmerizing performer who’s won inter-
national recognition inside a field that has produced, as fellow spoken-word artist Mike McGee points out in this brisk doc, maybe five famous names at best. It’s an unlikely career. With its souvenir bebop rhythms and often substance-free wordplay, spoken word has been ripe for ridicule since the ’90s. Yet Koyczan has profited from his charisma and sensitivity, communicated through dispatches from the frontlines of his pain, which we know comes from a childhood blighted by abandonment and bullying. Melanie Wood’s film covers all of this efficiently enough with archival VHS video sitting alongside viral YouTube animations, Ted Talk clips, and footage of other auspicious moments from a soaring career, like the acclaimed Vancouver Opera collaboration Stickboy.
Boy, those words stick
Penticton-based spoken-word artist Shane Koyczan is his own best witness in Melanie Wood’s new film, winner of VIFF’s most popular Canadian doc award in 2017.
disavowal of that piece, “We Are More”, in a 2015 Facebook post that describes Canada as a country “run by criminals and big business”. More of that, please! The intimate documentary Shut Up and Say Something But that’s me, I guess. If the gets inside poet Shane Koyczan’s enormous appeal. film and its subject both tend Of the collaborators who talk on-screen, the to be assiduously apolitical, Shut Up still reminds talented cellist Hannah Epperson bleeds sincerity us time and again that Shane Koyczan means and offers some of the more resonant descriptions something to a lot of good people. Throughout of the Koyczan effect, although it’s the man him- the film, this genuinely popular phenom is apself who provides, in what amounts to a rolling proached on the street or at book signings to re90-minute interview conducted by Stuart Gillies, ceive tremulously delivered thanks for the impact the best insights into Shane Koyczan. If you’re a of his words. Nobody can pretend that doesn’t say something, so with that I’ll shut up. fan, this is all catnip. > ADRIAN MACK Still, since this is a guy who’s already abundantly revealed himself through his public persona, you find yourself wondering if we really need to LOVE, CECIL see how the sausage is made. (Or how it’s lost, as A documentary by Lisa Immordino Vreeland. when he leaves an iPad containing five years of Rating unavailable material on a train.) Shut Up and Say Something Long-vanished worlds are invoked in this incalls its own existence into question more than stantly gripping portrait of the late Cecil Beaonce in this way. What are we learning here except that Koyczan, all protestations about his so- ton, himself a master portraitist who captured souls with camera, brush, and pen. Love, Cecil makes the cial awkwardness aside, seems like a good hang? We meet his grandmother, who raised Koyczan case that his best subject was always himself. Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland, who previand remains the most important relationship in his life, and who reminds him, in one very funny ously profiled art patron Peggy Guggenheim and moment, that his shit still (literally) stinks. The her own grandmother-in-law Diana Vreeland, real meat of the film, however, is Koyczan’s recon- digs deep into Beaton’s acerbic diaries, supported ciliation with his father. To our relief, given such by copious interviews drawn from later in life. a potentially disastrous scenario, Len Koyczan There’s a special emphasis on his youthful ascenturns out to be a sweet and thoughtful man quite sion, between the wars, as dream catcher to the willing to take responsibility for his less admir- Bright Young Things of the 1920s. Born to a middle-class merchant in 1904, Beaable life choices (leading to a genuinely very moving, if perhaps unsettlingly invasive, final scene). ton described himself as a bad student and a worse Being of Cree heritage, he also talks about resi- technician, but he was “horribly driven” and dential school, addiction, and prison time, which taught himself to use various-format cameras to is where the film leaves some inevitable questions bring out the best in his aristocratic betters, who unanswered. With its obstinately Koyczan-like found him an amusing mascot. His luminous and focus on internal landscapes, Shut Up doesn’t highly theatrical stagings displayed these flighty seem too curious about the generational trauma friends as they saw themselves: gorgeous artwe discover being replayed elsewhere, possibly, as nouveau creatures from out of Aubrey Beardsley drawings or plays by Oscar Wilde. with a half-sister and her own fractured family. In the early years, Beaton often depicted himself The film also reminds us, right off the very top, quite uncritically, that Koyczan’s international in women’s clothes and makeup, and did little to celebrity began with a blast of wishy-washy, hope- disguise his sexuality, although he did swoon for drunk nationalism at the 2010 Olympics. Further- certain women. Leslie Caron, who got to know more, there’s no mention of the poet’s subsequent him when he designed sets and costumes for her
2
WEEK IN WIDESCREEN
2 #SaveTheRio AN EVENING WITH KEVIN SMITH There are still
some rush tix left for the filmmaker-podcaster’s special edition #SaveTheRio one-man show, followed by a screening of Clerks, on Friday (March 30). Failing that, comedians Patrick Maliha and Eric Fell channel their inner Jerry Lewis for a sure-to-be-wild 30-hour telethon at the historic theatre, starting Sunday (April 1). More info is at www.riotheatre.ca/ -
3
> KEN EISNER
C’EST LA VIE! Starring Jean-Pierre Bacri. In French, with English subtitles. Rating unavailable
French writer-directors Olivier Nakache and
2 Éric Toledano had a worldwide hit with 2011’s
The Intouchables, with Omar Sy as a reluctant Senegalese helpmate to quadriplegic François Cluzet. It has since been remade in Argentina (as Inseparables), with race taken out of the equation, and in Hollywood (The Upside), with Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston dropping the immigrant thing. The original was a genial crowd-pleaser with some darker undercurrents, but it’s still surprising to find Nakache and Toledano turning out a comedy as calorie-free as C’est la Vie!—an export title that could have been applied to virtually any French movie ever made. The domestic Le Sens de la Fête is hard to translate, but something like Life of the Party would have been a smart nod to its central protagonist and main asset, deadpan sourpuss Jean-Pierre Bacri, best-known for Look at Me and other bittersweet films directed by then wife Agnès Jaoui. Here, he plays Max Angély, a long-time wedding planner who’s just about had it with parties, and with see next page
MOVIES
The projector
1
breakthrough, Gigi (he famously did the same for My Fair Lady), insists that he had a genuine romance with Greta Garbo, and even proposed marriage after she had retired from movies. Garbo laughed. Other interview subjects, including ’60s fashion photog and cockney upstart David Bailey, decry Beaton’s incessant social climbing, while painter David Hockney is still grateful for his early patronage. Indeed, the aging cameraman bathed young Queen Elizabeth and other royals in the most ennobling light to be found on Earth. At the same time, he proved his mettle with little-seen street photography—a highlight in this nicely designed, 98-minute film—and in beautifully humanizing pictures of combat troops in the Second World War. He needed that gravitas after dumb moves that saw him exiled from prewar glory at American Vogue, and he had other ups and downs. What emerges here is a charming, prickly, and deeply self-critical artiste who probably lacked love but put every shade of feeling into his work. Perhaps that’s why Beaton never fell entirely out of fashion.
What to see and where to see it
Akerman
THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY
The first film in Ingmar Bergman’s “Faith” trilogy makes its way to the Bergman100 retrospective at the Cinematheque, on Friday (March 30), Sunday (April 1), and Wednesday (April 4).
WINTER LIGHT Billed with The
Silence—which drew huge receipts in 1963 thanks to its sexual daring. Bergman100 wraps up the “Faith” trilogy with a weekend of screenings starting on Friday (March 30).
LE PETIT PRINCE The Vancity Theatre hosts a free screening of this animated take on the Antoine de SaintExupéry classic, featuring the voices of Marion Cotillard and Vincent Cassel, on Saturday (March 31).
JE TU IL ELLE You have one more shot at seeing the restored
version of Chantal Akerman’s painfully intimate feature-film debut from 1974, in which she also stars, at the Cinematheque on Thursday (March 29). Je Tu Il Elle is paired with Agnès Varda’s no less vital 1977 film One Sings, the Other Doesn’t.MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 35
Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;est la Vie!
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people in general. We soon see why, as Max leaves Paris to oversee a big do at a massive Louis XIV chateau, with dozens of staff members and musicians already at each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throats. His top lieutenant (charismatic Eye HaĂŻdara) keeps cursing at her servers, and especially at the narcissistic singer played by comic highlight Gilles Lellouche. Max is also bugged by the presence of his slacker brother-in-law (Vincent Macaigne), especially since heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trying to leave his wife, the guyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister, for one of his top planners (Quebec veteran Suzanne ClĂŠment). Worst of all is the groom (Benjamin Lavernhe), a young blowhard attempting to micromanage an event destined to go wrong in most of its particulars. At an overstuffed two hours, the movie struggles to find humour in some pretty dull stuff, with frequent jokes built on the older folksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inability to master todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Internet technology. Cool, daddy-o! Oddly, however, things pick up at the end, when some weirdly surprising visuals pay off, and some Sri Lankan workersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;at the very bottom of the catering totem poleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; save the day. Acoustic-bass virtuoso Avishai Cohenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jazzy world-music score also adds a lot of vie to the fĂŞte. > KEN EISNER
THE CHINA HUSTLE A documentary by Josh Rothstein. In English and Mandarin, with English subtitles. Rating unavailable
Although China is the key word
2 here, most of the hustling de-
scribed in this brisk, 80-minute doc is being done by Americans. With its cool graphics and satellite-eye view of global chicanery, this is an easy sit for people who enjoyed the comic fictionalizing of The Big Short. Produced by Alex Gibney, Mark Cuban, and others, The China Hustle was directed by doc veteran Josh Rothstein, guided by the circuitous adventures of investment gadfly Dan David, who wrote a book of the same name.
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The goateed, bearlike David first smelled a hustle after 2008â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s massive financial collapse, which left investors scrambling. He found it bizarrely easy to â&#x20AC;&#x153;shortâ&#x20AC;? companies with Chinese connectionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that is, to guess when stocks were hugely overvalued and to trade them before they sank. Another investor, Carson Block, noticed how many â&#x20AC;&#x153;reverse mergersâ&#x20AC;? were happening, with dubious Chinese companies getting attached to American outfits virtually dead but still listed on U.S. stock exchanges. He became particularly suspicious of a company called Orient Paper that claimed assets of at least $15 million. Unlike his colleagues, Block actually went to the plant in China and found a decrepit enterprise with a few rusty machines and piles of mouldy cardboardâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;an apt metaphor for the whole enterprise. Propping up cardboard on this side of the water are respectableseeming Wall Street ratings outfits like Rodman & Renshaw, whose former figurehead, retired general Wesley Clark, appears here and then walks out when he realizes thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no good way to spin what these companies do. Because there is zero oversight over such capitalist ventures in Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Wild Westâ&#x20AC;?, as one investor calls itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;American counterparts simply accept whatever paperwork theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re handed, and the ratings giants rubber-stamp them, taking a cut from every transaction. There is no incentive to investigate further, and same goes for the Federal Trade Commission, in Washington, D.C. Hustle follows David there, to a congressional hearing in which only Elizabeth Warrenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;surprise!â&#x20AC;&#x201D; shows any interest in the reversemerger scam. Even talking heads critical of the movieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s muckraking stance admit that this boondoggle is now entangling banks and small investors across North America. Since the movie was finished, by the way, Trump has appointed a new head of the FTC: the lawyer who handled the IPO for the biggest bubble of all, Alibaba. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say you werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t warned.
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MUSIC
Earlier this month, Phil Elverum released BY JOHN LUCAS
a new Mount Eerie album, Now Only. It follows last year’s A Crow Looked at Me, and is something of a sequel to it, thematically. Both records are made up of songs Elverum wrote and recorded in the aftermath of the passing of his wife, Geneviève Castrée, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2016 in the house she shared with Elverum and their then one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. Created in the very room where Castrée died, using some of her own instruments, A Crow Looked at Me is an unflinching document of Elverum’s bereavement captured in small moments: the artist holding Castrée as her last breaths escape, finally throwing out his late wife’s toothbrush three months after she has gone, watching his now-motherless daughter sleep and wondering what fills her dreams. In some ways, Now Only is more of the same, but with glimmers of light and hope piercing the fog of Elverum’s grief. When he’s asked if the act of channelling the most difficult chapters of his life into his work has been cathartic, Elverum pauses to consider what the word catharsis means. According to Merriam-
Some light in the darkness
Phil Elverum has used the two most recent albums—2017’s A Crow Looked at Me and this year’s Now Only, to document his grief over the death of his wife.
Now’] that’s also really plainspoken about death, and a few other things— that just sort of opened up this idea of ‘Oh, I’m Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum on mortality, legacy, allowed to just say things and the liberating power of plainspokenness as they are. I don’t have to Webster, it’s a purging of emotions, usually through interpret or be wise or creative. I can just describe art, but in Elverum’s view, it also entails some sort life.’ That was kind of a liberating idea, and that of violent upheaval. Reached at home in Anacortes, came from Benji, among other things.” Washington, he offers the following story: Just as Benji found its way onto many a music “After Geneviève died, I went on this really crazy critic’s year-end list in 2014, A Crow Looked at Me trip about a month later, to Haida Gwaii, and I got was pegged as one of last year’s best records by really sick on the way. I rode the ferries up through everyone from Pitchfork and NPR to Paste and the Inside Passage with my daughter, who was one- Spin. As someone who has toiled proudly in the and-a-half. It was a really extreme trip. I got super musical underground since the mid-1990s, Elsick with some kind of virus or food poisoning or verum was somewhat bemused by his suddenly something, so I was vomiting and diarrhea-ing heightened profile. Via Twitter, he wryly noted that everywhere, and I was incapacitated. the New York Times naming his album as one of “I was out in this remote place, and it was so 2017’s best resulted in six actual sales. It no doubt extreme—and Geneviève had just died, and I was also increased his Spotify streaming numbers exweeping,” Elverum continues. “It was catharsis. I ponentially, which at least suggests that Mount was like a human volcano, both physically and emo- Eerie’s music is reaching a wider audience, even if tionally. And I knew when it was happening, like, ‘If that audience isn’t ordering the records on vinyl. I survive this, then I’ll be transformed, and some “I know they’re listening,” Elverum says. “It big steps toward healing will have taken place.’ ” would be nice to receive a living from it rather That journey informed the lyrics to “Seaweed” than mere attention. Yeah, the system is definitely and “Ravens” from A Crow Looked at Me. The lat- broken, and streaming is definitely a major probter includes the lines “You had cancer and you lem, but that’s a whole other conversation.” were killed and I’m left living like this/Crying on It is indeed, and the conversation Elverum the logging roads with your ashes in a jar/Think- would rather have is one about legacy, both his ing about the things I’ll tell you/When you get own and that of his late wife, who was also a musiback from wherever it is that you’ve gone/But then cian and a visual artist. It’s a theme he touches I remember death is real.” upon on Now Only’s penultimate track, “Two Those lyrics are devastating in their directness, Paintings by Nikolai Astrup”. The early-20thand are emblematic of Elverum’s desire to avoid century Norwegian artist of the title died at 47, couching his experience in metaphor. As he sings right after building a painting studio in his home, on “Real Death”, “When real death enters the where, Elverum suggests, “he probably intended house/All poetry is dumb.” to keep on painting his resonant life into old age/ Elverum cites Sun Kil Moon as an influence But sometimes people get killed before they get to on this new attitude toward songwriting, in par- finish/All the things they were going to do.” ticular the 2014 LP Benji, on which Mark Kozelek Later in the same song, Elverum wonders “Does takes a matter-of-fact approach to documenting it even matter what we leave behind?” the tragic ends of his uncle and cousin, among “I think about it a lot, especially now that I’m other ostensibly grim topics. surrounded by Geneviève’s things that she made, “I thought I was done with music,” Elverum and trying to decide what means anything and reflects. “I didn’t understand how it could make what’s valuable,” he tells the Straight. “What is it all sense to make art of any kind in the context of for? Why do we make stuff? And for a child that this death. But hearing that record, and a couple has to live in the aftermath of their parents, what do of other things—this one Gary Snyder poem [‘Go they need? How best can I make her unburdened,
and yet equipped? It’s a hard question.” Mount Eerie’s recent output suggests that Elverum is unafraid of asking hard questions, or of sharing the uncomfortable truths he discovers when he does. If A Crow Looked at Me and Now Only represent some sort of catharsis for him, here’s hoping he finds more of the same—but not necessarily of the visceral sort he found at Haida Gwaii. Mount Eerie plays the Vogue Theatre on Friday (March 30).
in + out
On mainstream recognition: “From doing this for 20 years, and knowing how the machine of publicity works, I know that I hired a publicist who negotiated with these prestigious institutions to get them to even listen to my thing. Other people made brilliant records but couldn’t afford to hire a publicist, so I don’t know. I don’t put that much weight behind it, because it is this machine that isn’t perfect. It’s a lot about perception.” On his newfound focus on posterity: “That’s what my life is now, asking these questions, and it’s really hard. It’s really hard, because it’s so deeply philosophical, it’s existential, and it ties into what we’re doing when we’re alive, as well, and what it means. And I have this threeyear-old child. I’m creating the world for her, and I’m creating this idea of her mother for her, and it’s all up to me to decide the subtleties, to what degree I create her or keep her present.” On pushing the boundaries of the quotidian: “With Benji, I feel like it was so good because it created this very deep, nuanced, and broad portrait of his relationship with mortality, and all the people he knows that have died, and mass shootings in the news, and just death itself. But then when you spin that writing technique out to where you’re just talking about, like, eating a frittata and the frittata costs $3.75, and then you go and shop for lampshades, or whatever—I wonder how extreme you can push it into banality.” -
54-40 SHAKES OFF MAL AIS E AND K E E P S O N RO CK ING >>> Fun fact: even after 13 years 54-40, multi-instrumentalist Dave Genn is still “the new guy”. So maybe it’s not all that surprising that he’s the one bringing new ideas to the band, like the sonic revisioning that sparked its 2016 release, La Difference: A History Unplugged. That album featured acoustic versions of some of the long-running quartet’s greatest hits and, according to bassist Brad Merritt, grew out of a brief conversation Genn had with singerguitarist Neil Osborne about one of them, “Crossing a Canyon”. “Dave had a little aside with Neil and said, ‘Tell me about this song, because it’s this major-chord, power-pop kind of thing and that doesn’t really jibe with the lyrics, which seem kind of down,’ ” Merritt explains, speaking to the Georgia Straight from his Victoria home. “So Neil tells him the story, which is
2 in
After more than three-and-a-half decades, 54-40 is still capable of reinvention, as it demonstrates on the just-released Keep on Walking.
essentially that the song is about his father dying of cancer. Both Neil’s mother and his wife said, ‘Well, you’ve got to have that talk with your dad.’ So he tries to broach the subject as he’s driving him to the hospital for chemo, and his dad is like, ‘You don’t have to say anything; I understand.’ It was a very emotional thing,
so Neil called the song ‘Crossing a Canyon’ because it’s about crossing the chasm between generations, and particularly between men of those two generations.” Genn, Merritt continues, chewed that information over for a while and then came back and sat down at a keyboard. “He said, ‘I’m going to
Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum sounds off on the things that enquiring minds want to know.
play some chords on the piano here, and you just sing. Here’s your note.’ And they did it, just kind of off the cuff, and it was just a whole other way of looking at that song.” It was an opportune time for reinvention, says Merritt, who founded the group with Osborne and drummer Ian Franey in 1981. (Franey left in 1983 and was eventually replaced, in 1986, by Matt Johnson, who’s still with the band.) Not only did it lead to the sessions that eventually resulted in La Difference and to the acoustic tour the band is on this spring, but it also brought some urgency to the making of the just-released Keep on Walking. Merritt reveals that the new record’s title track also emerged from one of Osborne’s heart-to-heart chats, this time with someone close to the band who was struggling with substance-abuse issues and an impending divorce.
☞ “Neil, without trying to be flip, just said, ‘Well, when you’re walking through hell, keep on walking,’ ” the bassist explains. “And then the guy came back to him afterwards and said, ‘What you said was really helpful. You should write a song about it.’ And, 14 years later, he did.” But the song could also be Osborne’s advice to himself. Keep on Walking, as a whole, is really concerned with 54-40’s own struggle with what Merritt frankly describes as “malaise”. “That’s quite evident in the first song, ‘The Waiting’, which references that specifically,” he says. “And it just goes on until it gets to ‘Keep on Walking’, which is like ‘Okay, we’re going to forge through this.’ And then the last song, ‘Life Goes On’, is about acceptance. It’s about, ‘Okay, this is the way things are, this is the way things go, and these are the see next page
MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 37
54-40
from previous page
people who are with me in my life. So we’re going to get on with it.’ ” In other words, Keep on Walking is mostly about perseverance—the kind of patience and stamina that lets a band maintain a 37-year career.
> ALEXANDER VARTY
54-40 plays the Abbotsford Arts Centre on Thursday (March 29).
Brasstracks duo cement status as rap producers If it hadn’t been for a man driva moving truck, Conor Rayne, one half of jazz- and hiphop–inspired duo Brasstracks, might never have made the choice to become a musician. “I was about 10 or 11 maybe, and my family got a house in a different part of New Jersey,” he tells the Straight on the line from a Toronto tour stop. “One of the people helping lift the boxes saw my drum set, and he found out that I was an aspiring drummer. He gave my mom a bunch of jazz CDs. She started getting really into jazz, and so did my family, and then I started to pursue it after hearing those records. I really felt the freedom in the music. That’s what drew me into playing it.” After winning a place at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, he met Ivan Jackson—a fellow jazzschool student and trumpeter by trade. First playing as session musicians for various groups, the pair later decided to develop their own side project that would mix brass stabs with live drums and heavy synth lines, offering their own spin on future bass. To their surprise, it took off—but they weren’t fully satisfied with their output. Recently making the pivot into creating energetic jazz-infused hiphop, the duo was responsible for writing and producing Chance the Rapper’s Grammy-winning single “No Problem”, and locking down high-profile collaborations with Vancouver boy Pomo and superstar Anderson .Paak. “SoundCloud is a huge future bass platform, and that was especially true when we first started,” says Rayne. “If you’re trying to make a name for yourself and get your music heard, and if your platform caters to future bass and electronic music, why not try to follow it? One thing we both learned early on is that it’s easier and better to build a fan base first, and then to stop compromising and start making the things you want to make. That was hip-hop for us.” Proving they’re more than just hired guns, the launch of the pair’s 2017 EP For Those Who Know Part
2 ing
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Brasstracks pivoted from making future bass into creating jazz-infused hip-hop, writing and producing for the likes of Chance the Rapper and Anderson .Paak.
1 cemented their status as firstrate rap producers in their own right. Boasting two features from double-Grammy winner Robert Glasper, the pianist responsible for writing the seminal Black Radio jazz album as well as hip-hop giant J Dilla’s best beats, the six-track record showcases Rayne and Jackson’s versatility. The feel-good, R&B–inspired “Brownstone”—replete with Hammond organ and silky vocals—proves Brasstracks’ aptitude for unexpected chord changes, while instrumental “When You Say That” sports agile and lively trumpet choruses. “We envisioned Part 1 to be like the aftermath of a New York City rooftop party gone wrong,” Jackson tells the Straight, taking over the conversation from his bandmate. “There’s one guy left on the rooftop, sitting on top of the water tower, wondering how the fuck he got there. That’s the vibe we envisioned when we tried to craft this record. We were feeling really weird about where we were in our lives, personally and musically. There was a lot of uncertainty, and we wanted to translate that. “We’ve always felt like our music doesn’t fit in anywhere,” he continues. “But I wouldn’t have that any other way. When I listen to our recordings, I can’t pin it down. It’s not like other jazz-inspired hip-hop artists like Kaytranada or BadBadNotGood. We love those guys, but none of them are fucking with us. Hopefully, they’ve heard of us, and I don’t think they’d have anything bad to say about us, but we’re not connected. When you fit in with a clique, it’s really easy to go places. We’re carving out our own path— but we don’t feel sad about that.”
Williams is happy with his newfound vulnerability The last time the Georgia Straight
2 spoke to New Zealand folk-pop
phenomenon Marlon Williams, he had just about finished writing what would become his second album, Make Way for Love. And he readily admitted that he was nervous about stepping away from his habit of assuming a persona in each of his songs, rather than writing from the heart. “I have so many singer-songwriter friends, and they pour their hearts out into this music, and that puts you in a certain place, psychologically, that I was always a little bit afraid of confronting,” he told us then, adding that his next release would be a biographical treatment of “some personal life changes” he’d been going through. He’d recently experienced a painful breakup, he went on to say, and was feeling cautiously optimistic that “being left to try and make sense of it all.…through music” would have a positive result. Now that Make Way for Love has hit the streets, that optimism seems fully justifiable. The record describes the classic arc of infatuation, uncertainty, rejection, jealousy, depression, and reawakening that is one of the most basic human experiences, and while the subject matter is the stuff of cliché, Williams’s treatment of it is fresh. Whether it’s the murderous snark he sends a potential rival in “Party Boy” or the piano-ballad suicide note that is “Love Is a Terrible Thing”, Williams fully inhabits each tune, his vibrato-laden voice summoning up both classic pop balladeers like Roy Orbison or k.d. lang and the soaring Polynesian anthems of his Maori heritage. But what does it feel like for Wil> KATE WILSON liams now that he’s venturing onto the concert stage without the beneBrasstracks plays Fortune Sound Club fit of the mask he used to wear? on Friday (March 30). Reached at a Brooklyn, New York,
CLOSURE IN MOSCOW, THANK YOU SCIENTIST
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The Vancouver Folk Music Festival presents Marlon Williams at the Biltmore Cabaret on Thursday (March 29).
Liza Anne’s Fine but Dying is bleak yet beautiful of the most magical things 2 One about art is the way it can be a
tool with which to work through dark times. Liza Anne had plenty of those leading up to her brilliant and harrowingly honest third album, Fine but Dying. “I had felt sick since I was a kid, like seven, but I always thought that it was normal,” the singer and guitarist says, speaking on her cellphone just outside Memphis. “To get sick after eating and constantly nauseous was something I normalized. When I was 19 I started touring really heavily. The more I was gone, the more I was eating food that was different and eating at all times of the day. I started to have intense fiery burning in all of my joints and intestines. It was constant and I felt completely outside of my body. I also had hormonal symptoms like panic attacks four or five times a day. Everything > MIKE USINGER was derailing, so I knew that something was wrong.” It should be noted that the artist Liza Anne plays the Biltmore Cabaret born Elizabeth Anne Odachowski on Saturday (March 31).
DAS MORTAL, FM ATTACK, GALACTIC HOBOS
NORTHERN FACES, (CD RELEASE) 11 ELECTRIC SIX SMALL TOWN ARTILLERY 28 HEAD BORG QUEEN, GARRETT APR HYPERSPACE METAL MAY IRON KINGDOM, ODINFIST, 13 FESTIVAL 2018 (NIGHT 1): ARKENFIRE, MEDEVIL, APPRENTICE 2 ALICE GLASS & ZOLA JESUS PICTUREPLANE HELION PRIME, SCYTHIA, PRE-ALBUM RELEASE PARTY APR HYPERSPACE METAL MAY RAVENOUS: ETERNAL HUNGER, CAPE, KILLER DEAL, 14 FESTIVAL 2018 (NIGHT 2): TANAGRA, 4 LA CHINGA SATAN’S VALYRIA, ELYSIUM ECHOES MISSISSIPPI LIVE AND THE DIRTY DIRTY
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> ALEXANDER VARTY
relates all this info in a manner that is anything but self-pitying, her enthusiasm for life palpable whether she’s talking about recording Fine but Dying in Paris, France, or the genius of Sylvia Plath. She notes that she’s doing much better today. Part of that is due to her having traced her various medical challenges to an autoimmune deficiency. She has been able to get on top of things to the point where’s she’s stabilized. Her improved physical health has her out on the road again after she was sidelined for much of 2017. But what might be going best right now for Anne is the reality that she’s responsible for one of the most powerful and essential albums of 2018. As one might infer from its title, Fine but Dying is the kind of release you want to reach for when the blackness starts to creep in and you need to know you aren’t alone. Anne has been there, a fact that bleeds through lines like “I think I wanna die, but I guess I know I’m fine” (from “Panic Attack”). All this is set to indie pop at its most majestic, Anne breaking out the sugarswirled guitars on tracks like “Small Talks” and stomping the distortion pedal for the ferocious “Paranoia”. During the recording process Anne was aware she was making something that had the potential to reach an audience well beyond that for her first two releases, The Colder Months (2014) and Two (2015). The record is as beautiful as it is thought-provoking and statementmaking. Even when she’s at her most vulnerable, Anne’s message is that you have to be strong. “I didn’t think that people would have gravitated towards the topics on their own,” she says. “Once I started working it out sonically and soundwise, that’s when I started to realize this had the opportunity to be heard like my previous albums didn’t. I figured I could sneak up on and manipulate people that wouldn’t normally experience a record about things like panic disorder and feminism.” For those willing to take the journey, Anne’s greatest hope is that they’ll take away something that will get them through a rough patch. “I wanted the album to have a duality—of darkness and light coexisting,” she says. “Yin and yang or sun and moon. The last year, I’ve spent so much time realizing those two sides exist every day. And that’s amazing, because when I wrote the album I don’t think I was totally aware of that. Every aspect of our lives has two sides, and we can literally choose to live in one or both of them at the same time. That’s been an interesting lesson.”
AT TH WISE HAELL
WEBER, SOPHIE BUDDLE, 21 THE GATEWAY SHOW MYLES 6 SAQI APPLECAT, JOSHUA JAMES HOST ERIN INGLE APR APR COMEDY SHOCKER SIMON KING, BYRON BERTRAM, VAUDRY, COLIN LAMB, SAM TONNING, 27 KHRUANGBIN THE MATTSON 2 SOLD OUT! 7 XVI: SWEET 16: RON HOST MARK HUGHES
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tour stop, he says it feels good, and right, and not as nakedly vulnerable as he might have expected. “As soon as I wrote those songs, those things became sort of superficial, in a way,” he explains. “Not in a bad way, but maybe that’s how I’m used to treating the characters in my songs. And there was something so cathartic about writing those songs that I gave up a bit of heaviness between them, or something. Now I feel comfortable doing them, despite the weight of the subject matter.” Writing this more personal material was therapeutic, he adds, and proof of that extends beyond the record itself: he’s now in a happy relationship with his fellow Kiwi songwriter and Make Way for Love guest artist Aldous Harding—whose own songs suggest that she knows a thing or two about heartbreak. But will Williams be able to offer audiences the same kind of uplift he has experienced? “I think so,” he says confidently. “I don’t see any reason why myself and the audience wouldn’t be looking for exactly the same kind of relief, when it comes to the tension that gets set in those songs. You know, there’s an obvious way through for everybody, so my relief is the audience’s relief. As long as I can find my own resolve in terms of what got me stuck in that spot in the first place, then it seems like a mutually beneficial interaction.”
WITH GUESTS NEEDLES//PINS & STORC
WEST COAST THURSDAYS W/ MIKE WETERINGS MARCH
DOORS 8PM SHOW 9:30PM - $5
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
THE BACKSTAGE LOUNGE PRESENTS
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DOORS 8PM SHOW 9:30PM -$10
30 THE DAWNING 31VALTER DAILY SPECIALS: MONDAY
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BACKSTAGE LAGER(10OZ) $2.75 HEY Y’ALL ICE TEA $5.75 SOMERSBY & JAMESON SMALL $7.50 POUTINE $8
RED TRUCK LAGER OR PALE ALE $5.75 / JUGS $15 DOUBLE HIGHBALLS $8.75 NACHOS $8
FRIDAY
TUESDAY
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
BIG ROCK DRAFT $5.75 / LONG ISLAND ICE TEA $5.75 • CHICKEN TENDERS $8
CARLSBERG DRAFT $5.75 OR JUG $16 RED TRUCK LAGER OR PALE ALE $5.75 / BACKSTAGE LAGER(10OZ) $2.75 JUGS $15 • CAESARS $5.75 BURGER & CARLSBERG BEER $12 (VODKA, TEQUILA, OR GIN)
WEDNESDAY PARKSIDE DAWN PILSNER $5.75 / JUGS $16 • HIGHBALLS $5.25 WINGS $6
EVERY DAY: $ 5 DRINKS…
FOOD. DRINK. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. *** VISIT US ONLINE FOR UP TO THE MINUTE LISTINGS, DRINK SPECIALS AND MORE www.thebackstagelounge.com ***
38 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
MARCH 29 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; APRIL 5 / 2018 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 39
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CONCERTS 2JUST ANNOUNCED SWEET AND HOT: JAZZ IN SPRINGTIME The VCC Jazz Orchestra performs classic songs by Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald, with guest vocalists Tim Everett, Adri Lake, and Caralyn Taylor. Apr 9, 7-8:30 pm, Vancouver Public Library, Central Library, Alice MacKay Room, Lower Level. Free, info www.vpl.ca/events/. DAYMÉ AROCENA AND ROBERTO FONSECA Cuban musical ambassadors combine for a double bill evoking a hypnotic night in Havana. Apr 15, 7 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (6265 Crescent Rd., UBC). Info chancentre.com/ events/dayme-arocena-roberto-fonseca/. JEREMY ALLINGHAM Vancouver rock ’n’ roller performs tunes from new album Run Wild, with guests Lady Mystics and Old Soul Rebel. Apr 21, 7 pm, Fox Cabaret. Tix $19.99, info jeremyallingham.com/.
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MOTOWN MELTDOWN Fundraiser for Seva Canada’s international eye-care work features Motown music by over 30 artists, including Marcus Mosely, Dawn Pemberton, Jane Mortifee, and Warren Dean Flandez. Hosted by David Wills (Stonebolt) and Angela Kelman. Apr 21, 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $32.75 (plus service charge), info www.seva.ca/events/. ANTOINE DUFOUR, KRIS SCHULZ, SEAN DE BURCA Local acoustic-guitar wizard Kris Schulz performs at a release party for new album Chasing the Light, joined by Antoine Dufour from Montreal and Sean de Burca from England. Apr 27, 8-11 pm, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (1100 Chestnut). Tix $40 advance, $50 at the door, info www.KrisSchulz.ca/.
VINCENT HERRING QUARTET Hardswinging saxophonist performs with pianist David Kikoski, bassist Yasushi Nakamara, and drummer Carl Allen. Jun 25, 7:30-9:30 pm, Pyatt Hall (843 Seymour). Tix $34, info www.coastaljazz.ca/event/ vincent-herring-quartet-early-show/. SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA Thirteen-piece New York salsa band led by Grammy-winning pianist/composer/arranger Oscar Hernández, with guests Rumba Calzada. Jun 25, 8 pm, Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Tix $44, info www.coastaljazz. ca/event/spanish-harlem-orchestra/. ST. PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES Birmingham, Alabama-based soul band featuring frontman Paul Janeway. Jun 27, 8 pm, Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Tix $44, info www.coastaljazz.ca/event/st-pauland-the-broken-bones/. PANIC! AT THE DISCO Rock band from Las Vegas, with guests Hayley Kiyoko and Arizona. Aug 11, 7 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix on sale Mar 30, noon, at www.ticketmaster.ca/. MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD American hip-hop artist leads his band, with guests Ahi & Hirie. Aug 16, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix on sale Mar 29, 10 am, $49.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. ISLAND UK rock band plays tunes from debut album Feels Like Air. Sep 12, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Fox Cabaret (2321 Main). Tix $15 (plus service charge) at www.ticketweb.ca/. NEEDTOBREATHE Christian rock band from South Carolina, with guests Johnnyswim and Forest Black. Sep 16, doors 6 pm, show 7 pm, Abbotsford Centre (33800 King Rd.). Tix on sale Mar 30, 10 am, $65/46/33.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. LEON BRIDGES American gospel and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer, with guests Khruangbin. Sep 16, doors 6 pm, show 7 pm, PNE Amphitheatre (2901 E. Hastings). Tix on sale Mar 30, 10 am, $55 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. RISE AGAINST Melodic hardcore band from Chicago performs on its Mourning in Amerika Tour, with guests AFI and AntiFlag. Sep 23, doors 6 pm, show 7 pm, PNE Forum (2901 E. Hastings). Tix on sale Apr 6, 10 am, $62.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
2THIS WEEK INEKE VANDOORN AND MARC VAN VUGT A Dutch duo known for their dazzling original compositions—with Vandoorn’s vivid vocals at centre stage—in a special “A” Band and NiteCap collaboration. Mar 29, 8 pm, BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts (2055 Purcell Way). Tix $32 at www.capilanou.ca/centre/.
LA CHINGA Vancouver hard rockers play a pre-album release party, with guests Satan’s Cape, Killer Deal, and Mississippi Live & the Dirty Dirty. May 4, 8 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. Tix $15 (plus service charges and fees) at www.rickshawtheatre.com/.
AUSTIN BASHAM AND HOLLOW COVES Texas indie-folk singer-songwriter coheadlines with Australian indie-folk ensemble. Mar 29, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Fox Cabaret (2321 Main). Tix $15 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
THU MAR 29 THE LONG WAR w. ANDREW PHELAN, KURI & ZAAC PICK
POLYRHYTHMICS Eight-piece soul-funk band from Seattle, with guests Coco Jafro. May 12, 8 pm, WISE Hall (1882 Adanac). Tix $17.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.rickshawtheatre.com/.
FRI MAR 30 JAKE TOUZEL BAND W. GUESTS
WASHED OUT American electronic musician performs material from latest album Mister Mellow. May 13, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $30 (plus service charge) at www.ticketmaster.ca/.
BRANDI CARLILE American folk-rock singer-songwriter tours in support of latest studio album The Firewatcher’s Daughter. Mar 29, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Note: moved from original date of March 3. Tix $46 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
Live Acts present
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1pm-4pm
SAT MAR 31 Blues brunch w. rob montgomery 4:30pm-8:30pm
saturday sessions the original jam session Live Agency presents
DANIEL JAMes’ BRASS CAMEL w. GUESTS The Live Agency presents
TUE APR 03 THE LAZYS W. THE FALLAWAYS Apr 6 Railway 85 Year Weekend ft. FRICTION PROJECT Apr 7 Railway 85 Year Weekend ft. SAID THE WHALE Apr 8 Railway 85 Year Weekend ft. HEY OCEAN!
RUSS American rapper performs on his I See You Tour Part 1. May 20, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Pacific Coliseum (Hastings Park, 100 N. Renfrew). Tix on sale Mar 30, 10 am, $59.95 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. JOE SATRIANI American hard-rock guitar virtuoso (“Surfing With the Alien”) performs tunes from new album What Happens Next. Jun 1, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix on sale Mar 29, 10 am, $69.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. ELISE TROUW American alt-pop singersongwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Jun 5, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $18 (plus service charge) at www.ticketweb.ca/. SOCIAL DISTORTION Punk-rock band from California, featuring frontman Mike Ness. Jun 9, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix on sale Mar 29, 10 am, $55 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. JONATHAN RICHMAN American singersongwriter, founder of the Modern Lovers, performs with Tommy Larkins on drums. Jun 12, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, The Imperial (319 Main). Tix $25 (plus service charge) at www.ticketweb.ca/. ROBERTA GAMBARINI QUARTET Italian jazz vocalist leads her quartet, with guest Emmanuele Cisi. Jun 22, 7:30-9:30 pm, Pyatt Hall (843 Seymour). Tix $34, info www.coastaljazz.ca/event/robertagambarini-quartet-early-show/. KAMASI WASHINGTON Jazz saxophonist mixes hip-hop, classical, and R&B elements. Jun 24, 8-11 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza (650 Hamilton). Tix $50-55,
40 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MARCH 29 – APRIL 5 / 2018
SEASONS MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018 Twoday electronic-music festival features performances by Rae Sremmurd, Zhu, Muru Masa (DJ set), Petite Biscuit, Smokepurpp, What So Not, Giraffage, Drezo, Said the Sky, ails, So Loku, and MYNXY. Mar 30-31, doors 7 pm, PNE Forum (Hastings Park, 2901 E. Hastings). Tix at www.ticketleader.ca/. OUR LADY PEACE AND MATTHEW GOOD Canadian alt-rock band coheadlines with Canadian alt-rock singer-songwriter on their cross-country tour. Mar 31, 7 pm, Abbotsford Centre (33800 King Rd.). Tix $86/60.50/46 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. LIZA ANNE American folk musician performs on her Fine But Dying Tour. Mar 31, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward). Tix $15 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. PROTEST THE HERO Canadian prog-rock band performs on a tour in honour of the 10-year anniversary of album Fortress. Apr 1, 8 pm, Rickshaw Theatre (254 E. Hastings). Tix $25 (plus service charges and fees). SOLD OUT. JAKE BUGG English indie-rock singersongwriter tours in support of fourth studio album Hearts That Strain. Apr 1, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $39.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. NILS FRAHM Berlin-based modern classical-electronica composer and producer. Apr 1, 2018, 9 pm, Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Tix $35 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketfly.com/. THE BRONX Los Angeles hardcore-punk band, with guests No Parents and NEEDS. Apr 2, 7 pm, Rickshaw Theatre (254 E. Hastings). Tix $22.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.rickshawtheatre.com/.
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The Georgia Straight Confessions, an outlet for submitting revelations about your private lives—or for the voyeurs among us who want to read what other people have disclosed.
Scan to confess SMART CARS JUNGLE London-based modern soul collective. Apr 3, 9 pm, Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Tix $30 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketfly.com/.
SOB x RBE. Apr 27, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix $84.25/64.25/54.25/44.25 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
KATE NASH English indie-pop singersongwriter tours in support of upcoming release Yesterday Was Forever. Apr 4, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, The Imperial (319 Main). Tix $30 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketweb.ca/.
TDE: THE CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR Rap show featuring Kendrick Lamar, SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, SiR, and Lance Skiiiwalker. May 4, doors 6:30 pm, show 7:30 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix $149.50/89.50/49.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
MAYA RAE Fifteen-year-old Vancouver vocalist performs originals inspired by life at school and home plus jazz standards and unique renditions of her favourite pop songs. Apr 4, 8 pm, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (6450 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby). Tix $40, info https://tickets.shadboltcentre.com/. THE STRYPES British rock ‘n’ roll band performs on its Spitting Image Tour. Apr 4, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward). Tix $15 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. ALVVAYS Canadian indie-pop band tours in support of latest album Antisocialites. Apr 4, 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $22.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS GARY SMULYAN Multi-Grammy Awardwinner performs a special tribute to collaborator Bob Belden—a large ensemble project with lush 10-piece string section. Smulyan has played with Joe Lovano, Dizzy Gillespie, and the Mingus Big Band. Presented by Coastal Jazz. Apr 6, 7:30 pm, Pyatt Hall (843 Seymour). Tix $34 at www. coastaljazz.ca/. GLOBAL CITIZEN LIVE VANCOUVER Free-ticketed advocacy event to celebrate action on gender equality and climate change features performances by the Sam Roberts Band, with guests the Elwins, Crown Lands, and Horsepowar. Apr 12, doors 7 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Music fans and activists are invited to sign up at globalcitizen.org and take action to earn free tickets to the event. Info www.globalcitizen.org/en/ca/. PARTY FOR THE PLANET The City of Surrey hosts an Earth Day celebration featuring performances by Canadian rock singer-songwriter Sam Roberts, children’s musical duo Bobs & Lolo, pop/R&B group Star Captains, DJ and production group the Freshest, children’s entertainers Rockin’ Robin, the Colin Bullock Duo, and the Smile Band. Apr 14, 10 am–6 pm, Surrey City Hall (13450 104 Ave., Surrey). Free, info www.surrey.ca/partyfortheplanet/. POST MALONE American rapper performs material from new album Beerbongs and Bentleys, with guests
EMPLOYMENT
DOMESTIC/HOME SUPPORT HOME SUPPORT - NON TRADITIONAL 70 year old retired single physician specialist and artist with Parkinson's disease living on Mayne Island needs home support 2-3 hours daily, 5 days/ wk in exchange for accommodation +/- salary.You are of either gender aged 25 to 60 years with care-takingexperience or a caring manner. Look at Craigslist domestic gigs for details with ad no. 6540030106 Includes light house keeping, handyman, gardening or cooking duties button personal care with minimum commitment of staying one year. If interested after reading full Craigslist ad, write me at ironhills2@gmail.com and tell me about yourself including relevant past experiences and personal qualities to convey why you think you are interested/suited for this job. State expected salary recognizing exchange of living accommodations.Provide 3 references. Start timeis flexible. As negotiated.
BON IVER Indie-folk band from Wisconsin. May 26, doors 5:30 pm, show 7:30 pm, Deer Lake Park (6344 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby). Tix $49.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. BREAKOUT FESTIVAL Outdoor hip-hop and R&B festival features Migos, Tory Lanez, 6lack, Lil Pump, A-Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Ski Mask the Slump God, Ybn Nahmir, Kodie Shane, Pressa, Wondagurl, Brevner, Manila Grey, Illyminiachi, Mcevoy Withinroots, Acdatyoungn****, Daamcp, and 2hunnit. Jun 9-10, doors 2 pm, show 3 pm, PNE Amphitheatre (2901 E. Hastings). Tix $269/149/129/99 (plus service charges and fees) at www.breakout-festival.com/. MACY GRAY Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning soul/R&B vocalist from the States. Jun 28, 8 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tix from $50, info www.coastal jazz.ca/event/macy-gray/. ROBERT PLANT AND THE SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS Former Led Zeppelin singer fronts his current roots band. Jun 29, 8 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). $150-230, info www. coastaljazz.ca/event/robert-plant-and-thesensational-space-shifters/. FVDED IN THE PARK Two-day music festival headlined by Atlanta rapper Future, Norwegian super-producer Kygo, and Chicago house kingpin Kaskade also features A$AP Ferg, Kehlani, Rezz, Brockhampton, Illenium, and Duke Dumont. July 6-7, Holland Park (King George Hwy. & Old Yale Rd., Surrey). Tix at www.fvdedinthepark.com/. LOGIC American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer performs on his The Bobby Tarantino vs. Everybody Tour, with guests NF. Jul 15, doors 6 pm, show 7 pm, PNE Amphitheatre (2901 E. Hastings). Tix $69.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. BURNABY BLUES + ROOTS FESTIVAL The 19th annual celebration of blues and roots music features Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. Also includes familyfriendly activities and local food vendors. Aug 11, 3 pm, Deer Lake Park (Burnaby). Tix $180/50/40 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketmaster.ca/.
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SUPPORT GROUPS Healing Our Spirit B.C. First Nations AIDS Society has volunteer opportunities for hospital visitation, information booths, office assistance & preparation of pamphlets & condoms for distribution. We offer volunteer orientation, training & recognition & bus tickets. If interested, please call 983-8774 Ext. 13. We are dedicated to preventing and reducing the spread of HIV in the aboriginal communities of B.C. GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS Has gambling taken over your life or the life of someone you know? Call 1 855 222 5542 to take back your life. Gamblers Anonymous is a non-profit fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem. 1-855-222-5542 Website: www.gabc.ca Email: friend@gabc.ca
SKOOKUM FESTIVAL Three-day music festival features performances by headliners the Killers and Florence + the Machine, plus Metric, Arkells, the War on Drugs, St. Vincent, Father John Misty, Blue Rodeo, Mother Mother, Chromeo, Bahamas, Stereophonics, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Cold War Kids, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Matt Andersen, Matt Mays, Current Swell, Dear Rouge, and Said the Whale. Sep 7-9, Stanley Park. Tix at www.skookumfestival.com/, info www. skookumfestival.com/. WESTWARD MUSIC FESTIVAL Multiday arts and music showcase features Blood Orange, Kali Uchis, Rhye, Poppy, Angel Olsen, Honne, Kelela, Metz, Saba, Ravyn Lenae, Ella Mai, Mudhoney, Odds, We Are the City, Tei Shi, Ramriddlz, Pell, Duckwrth, Buddy, Fatima Al Qadiri, Roni Size, Hannah Epperson, Jordan Klassen, Milk & Bone, Nehiyawak, and Close Talker. Sep 13-16, various Vancouver venues. Tix at www.westwardfest.com/. CHILDISH GAMBINO Singer, songwriter, and rapper from the States, aka actor Donald Glover, with guest Rae Sremmurd. Sep 30, 8 pm, Rogers Arena). Tix $139.50/89.50/59.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. JAY-Z AND BEYONCE American hiphop/R&B superstars perform on their On the Run II Tour. Oct 2, 7:30 pm, BC Place Stadium (777 Pacific Boulevard). Tix at www.livenation.com/. LUKE BRYAN American country singersongwriter performs on his What Makes You Country Tour. Oct 13, BC Place Stadium (777 Pacific Boulevard). Tix at www.livenation.com/. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE American pop– R&B singer-songwriter and former NSYNC member performs on his Man of the Woods Tour. Nov 8-9, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix for Nov 8 show SOLD OUT, tix for Nov 9 at www.livenation.com/.
look at that little fucker go, you’re going places little car! it’s so funny watching these things go down the road. it’s like watching a chiwawa run alongside normal sized dogs
Don’t go breaking my heart Ok it’s a little late for that. Help me out here - know where at least where I can find some crazy glue? Duct tape?
Get over yourself Not everyone has to like it the way you like it. Not everyone has to like you either. You’re not the only one, and it’s not all about you.
I wish ... I wish I had the drive and focus for school when I was in my 20s but I am in my 30s and I feel like I can accomplish what I set out to do. I believe I have to continually evolve myself in this tough and ever changing job market. But I am also afraid of missing out on watching my baby boy grow.
Ready for weed Oh baby I’m ready for weed
Can’t watch the news from the US anymore Every time I hear that orange-haired troll babbling some new sleazidiocy, I feel like I’m being splashed with sewage. Waiting for the day when his mind collapses completely and they lead him away in his pyjamas.
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OUT OF TOWN
UPCOMING ISSUES
2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS PEARL JAM Legendary Seattle grungerockers, featuring frontman Eddie Vedder. Aug 8 & 10, 7 pm, Safeco Field (1560 1st Ave. S., Seattle). Tix from US$92 to US$112 (plus service charges and fees) at www. ticketmaster.ca/.
TIME OUT MUSIC LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. Submit listings online using the event-submission form at straight.com/AddEvent. Events that don’t make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.
Infertility Awareness Assoc. of Canada (IAAC) provides educational material & support to individuals or couples experiencing infertility. Meetings: 7 pm the 2nd Wed of the month. Richmond Library & Cultural Centre, 7700 Minoru Gate. Info 523-0074 or www.iaac.ca
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Support, Education & Action Group for Women that have experienced male violence. Call Vancouver Rape Relief 604-872-8212
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savage love I’m in a D/s relationship. I’m not
submissive around the clock, but my partner owns my cock. We’ve purchased several male chastity devices, but I can pretty easily get my cock out of them. My partner did some investigating and learned that the only effective devices work with a Prince Albert piercing—a ring through the head of the penis that locks into the device, preventing the sub from pulling his cock out. My partner now wants me to get a PA. I don’t want to get my cock pierced and I’ve said so, but I haven’t safe-worded on it. I would very reluctantly do it to please her. My partner made an appointment for a piercing three months from now, on our second anniversary. She told me that we can cancel it if I can find an effective chastity device that doesn’t require a piercing. Do you or any of your contacts in the fetish world know of any devices that are inescapable? > PIERCING APPENDAGE UNNECESSARILY SCARES EAGER SUB
“I’ve never come across a standard male chastity device I couldn’t pull out of,” said Ruffled Sheets, “so PAUSES’s partner has obviously researched regular chastity devices well.” Sheets is an IT consultant who lives in the United Kingdom with his partner of 15 years. Male chastity devices have fascinated him for more than two decades and, as of this writing, he owns 37 different kinds of cock cages. His partner frequently keeps his cock locked up for weeks or months at a time—and if there were such a thing as a commercially available male chastity device that was inescapable,
Sheets would know about it. “However, all is not lost,” said Sheets. “Piercing is one of two ways to ensure the penis cannot escape. The other is a full chastity belt. Now, full belts aren’t without their drawbacks: they are generally more expensive, are harder to conceal under clothes, and take longer to get used to, especially at night. But they are secure. I have three custom-fitted chastity belts and, once properly fitted, they’re inescapable.” Sheets’ chastity belts were made for him by Behind Barz (behindbarz.co.uk) and Fancy Steel (fancysteel.com.au). But if most commercially available male chastity devices aren’t inescapable, what’s the point? Why would a person bother to wear one? “You can only partially escape,” said Sheets. “It’s possible to pull out the penis but not remove the device,” which is anchored around the balls and base of the shaft. “And a partially removed device is awkward and uncomfortable.” For many male subs and their Doms, the symbolism of a male chastity device is what matters most, not its inescapability. And as with other forms of sex play and most aspects of healthy relationships, the honour system makes it work. “As in any negotiated relationship, you can cheat,” said Sheets. “But why cheat? They’re easy to keep on if you’re genuinely interested in submitting.” Fun fact: locking a guy’s cock in an inescapable device doesn’t prevent him from coming. “A device can be locked in place with a belt or a piercing, but orgasms are still possible,” said Sheets. “I’ve
> BY DAN SAVAGE yet to discover any kind of device that can prevent the wearer from achieving orgasm if he’s holding a powerful wand massager against it, especially after weeks without coming.” So if your Dominant is locking up your cock to prevent you from coming, PAUSES, she’ll also need to lock up her vibrators. There are two other things Sheets wanted you to be aware of as you begin to explore male chastity, PAUSES. “Lots of men are shy about being submissive,” said Sheets, “so they’ll say things like, ‘I’m normally dominant in real life,’ kind of like PAUSES opened his letter by saying he isn’t submissive ‘around the clock’. I just wanted to make sure he understood that chastity is a long-term game. For most of us in chastity devices, it’s a 24/7 affair—literally around the clock.” If you said you weren’t submissive around the clock because you didn’t want to admit that you are, in fact, submissive around the clock, PAUSES, chastity play won’t be a problem. But if you meant it—if you’re not capable of remaining in a submissive headspace for more than a few hours—you’ll need to ask your partner, before the padlock clicks shut, just how long she intends to keep your cock locked up. “Being locked also has another side effect that you wouldn’t perhaps anticipate,” Sheets added. “Whenever you become turned on, you feel your cage or belt against your penis. It can be anything from a gentle reminder to a vicelike grip, depending on your arousal level. And whenever this happens, your mind automatically turns to
your key holder, even if they’re not around.” Ruffled Sheets blogs at ruffled sheets.com, where he reviews male chastity devices and other sex toys. Follow him on Twitter @ruffledsheets.
My girlfriend of four months
has unofficially moved in with me. We began as a long-distance thing; I live in New York City and she lived in the Deep South. What began as her visiting me for the holidays ended up with her staying with me indefinitely. She comes from a very poor family, and going back home means sleeping in her grandma’s living room. Things are going well, but we are moving fast. I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I’m loving it and loving her. On the other hand, I feel like she could be using me. She has found part-time work. She hasn’t pitched in for rent—I also have a roommate—but she has pitched in for groceries. Do I ask her for rent money? Do I send her back to her grandma’s place? I don’t know what to do because I feel like I am housing a refugee.
from someone she’s been seeing for only four months. Tell her you appreciate the ways she’s kicking in now—helping with groceries—but eventually she’ll need to start kicking in on rent, too, and then set a realistic date for her to start paying rent. You should also encourage her to think about getting her own place. Not because you want to stop seeing her—you’re loving it and loving her—but because a premature commitment (and cohabitating is a commitment) can sabotage a relationship. You also don’t want her to feel so dependent on you that she can’t end things if she needs to. You want her to be with you because she wants to be with you, not because she’s trapped.
You ran a letter from a man whose wife wouldn’t let him spank her. I’m a woman whose husband won’t spank me. I found a man like WISHOTK, and we meet up for spanking sessions. Neither of our spouses know. It’s only spanking, no sex. How bad should I feel? > REALLY EROTIC DALLIANCES BUT, UM, MARRIED
> SHE’S HERE INDEFINITELY NOW
Instead of ending things now to protect yourself from retroactively feeling shitty about this relationship if it ends at some point in the future, SHIN, you should have a convo with your girlfriend about rent, reality, and roommates. Tell her that it can’t go on like this indefinitely—living in your apartment rent-free—as it’s unfair to your roommate and that kind of support is too much to expect
Very bad. In fact, REDBUM, I think you should be spanked for getting spanked behind your husband’s back—then spanked again for getting spanked for getting spanked behind your husband’s back. And then spanked some more. On the Lovecast, the urologist is IN: savagelovecast.com . Email: mail@ savagelove.net. Follow Dan on Twitter @fakedansavage. ITMFA.org.
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