The Georgia Straight - At Home Happy Hour - May 21, 2020

FREE | MAY 21 – 28 / 2020

Volume 54 | Number 2730

WEALTH CUSHION

Homes provide a backstop

eSPORTS FOOTWEAR Sneakers step into gaming

At Home Happy Hour Takeaway cocktail kits transform liquor lovers into sophisticated mixologists; plus, backyard bars, ciders, and tasty treats to enjoy with drinks

MENTAL HEALTH

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PSYCHEDELICS

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TAMARA VROOMAN

HEALTH

Isolation’s effects vary for introverts

CONTENTS

May 21-28 / 2020

7

by Sadaf Ahsan

COVER

COVID-19 has turned more folks into boozehounds, but they don’t always want to imbibe around others. Here’s to happy hour at home!

By Mike Usinger Cover photo by 5PH/Getty Images

4

CANNABIS

Researchers studied 40,000 Canadians to determine at which age people should be legally allowed to use weed.

By John Lucas

5

REAL ESTATE

Many homeowning Canadians have a wealth cushion that will help them ride out the COVID-19 financial storm.

By Carlito Pablo

6

W

New research suggests the pandemic is exerting a greater toll on introverts than on extroverts. Photo by Engin Akyurt/Unsplash

hen the pandemic began, it seemed— according to social media—that an introvert’s paradise had arrived. We had entered a worldwide lockdown in which, in the words of comedian John Mulaney, “cancelling plans is like heroin”.

He’s not wrong, by the way. As an introvert who needs time to herself to recharge emotionally and mentally, I can relate. Meanwhile, extroverts are people who gain energy from socializing—a clear recipe for disaster when it comes to self-isolation.

As it turns out, though, we’re all suffering. There’s a significant difference between a world where there are a multitude of options and one where there are few. I might find Zoom calls draining, but I also miss going to the movies and seeing my friends for dinner. Meanwhile, my extroverted friends miss, well, everything—and their anxieties now seem much louder than mine.

“This is a difficult time for more people than is being recognized,” says Gordon Flett, psychology professor and Canada Research Chair in personality and health at York University. “Society has clear views on introverts as people who prefer to stay indoors and therefore might have an advantage over extroverts.

It’s more complicated than that. Assumptions about an introvert advantage need to be revised as the pandemic and need for isolation stretch on. It is a very difficult, prolonged, stressful situation, which personality theorists believe can have a stronger impact in ways that can blunt personality differences.”

It’s also worth noting that there is heterogeneity among introverts.

Some crave social interactions but feel anxiety at the thought of making social blunders.

In fact, Flett adds, “Most people are actually introverts. They have a moderate level of introversion-extroversion because it is a trait measured along a continuum and is not an either-or typology.”

A soon-to-be published survey conducted by Flett and fellow psychology professor Avi Besser notes that extroverts are faring better during the pandemic, but only by a slight margin.

The fact is, no matter your “type”, this is a difficult time for people to be able to unwind and to consistently renew their emotional and physical energy. Thanks to continuing uncertainty and disruption to daily routines with no end in sight, and concerns about the safety of family and friends, general anxieties have overridden our usual cures. Even a half-hour video call can’t satisfy our universal need for something more.

With goals and plans on hold and at risk of being abandoned altogether, along with financial worries, stressors are stacking up for everyone—leading to not only new anxieties but also depression. As a result, the few things we can still turn to—TV, baking, art—are also beginning to lose their pleasure, leading many people to feel unlike themselves. If you’ve found yourself perpetually exhausted or spending more time getting familiar with your wallpaper while laying about, this might sound familiar.

Those who were already living with depression or another kind of vulnerability might feel like their struggles have magnified. Others may be feeling a baseline anxiety and sense of stability or calmness after having spent much of their condition catastrophizing.

So how, as an introvert or extrovert, can we cope?

“It is essential that we all maintain a sense of hope and optimism,” Flett says. “We have to remind ourselves that we’ve made it this far and that is an accomplishment, even though it might not feel like it. Take deep, relaxing breaths and stay away from too much pandemic-related news. You can also achieve an emotional boost by showing other people that they matter.”

ESPORTS

A Fortnite charity tournament suggests the NHL no longer sees this game as the next worst thing to an empty arena.

According to a recent paper writ- By Mike Usinger ten by Flett and published in the LIVING Journal of Concurrent Disorders, the 8 concept of “mattering” has always Here are some ways that you can turn your backyard, played a vital role in crisis situations deck, or patio into your personal tiki hideaway. as far back as the Second World War, By Janet Smith as many people begin to feel they don’t have value at a time when world events seem beyond control. That feeling is often in association with e Online TOP 5 being alone, which means it’s more e Start Here Here’s what people are important than ever to reach out to 7 BEER reading this week on friends and family. The more you Straight.com.

7 CIDER disconnect from the outside world, the more you’ll disconnect from 10 CONFESSIONS your sense of self.

Other helpful habits include medi5 FINANCE tation, mindfulness training, and 8 FOOD what Flett calls “pleasant distractions”. These can function like ambi2 HEALTH ent noise and provide easy engage10 ISOLATION DIARIES ment as “contact from a distance”.

Capt. Jenn Casey That could mean playing music at all 10 MOVIES identified as Snowbirds hours of the day, having a TV show on member who died. in the background as you do menial 4 PSYCHEDELICS things, or listening to a podcast while Five foods that you 11 SAVAGE LOVE cooking so that being in the kitchen should be eating on a starts to feel like less of a chore. regular basis.

6 SNEAKERHEADS Introverts can opt for minimal 11 TECHNOLOGY Dr. Bonnie Henry says texting in the evenings and phone managing the virus will calls instead of video calls—which 7 WINE manage the economy. leave little space for reflection and offer little opportunity to take a pause.

TikTok sensation If living with family or roommates, Sarah Cooper’s lipfind a space to call your own or take syncing goes viral. daily walks that provide alone time.

Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly Extroverts, on the other hand, gen- Volume 54 | Number 2730 Bigotry takes subtle erally have better coping strategies, 1635 West Broadway, CLASSIFIEDS: forms, B.C. Human Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W9 T: 604.730.7060 thanks to their affinity for social Rights Tribunal notes.

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Brian Kalish Miguel Hernandez In the end, there really is no batFOUNDING PUBLISHER PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR tle between introverts and extroMike Correia Dan McLeod verts. We’re all looking for ways to SALES DIRECTOR EDITOR connect that sustain us in the ways Charlie Smith Tara Lalanne we need. g SECTION EDITORS ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

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Janet Smith (Arts/Entertainment/Style) Brian Lynch (Books) Mike Usinger (eSports/Liquor/Music) SENIOR EDITOR Martin Dunphy ASSOCIATE EDITORS Gail Johnson (Health/Food/Wine) John Lucas (Cannabis) STAFF WRITERS Carlito Pablo (Real Estate) Craig Takeuchi SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT Jeff Li

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CANNABIS

Rolling a cone joint will MDMA eyed as PTSD treatment tool require skill and practise

by Carlito Pablo

by CannCentral staff

A favourite in Amsterdam, cone joints not only look impressive, they also contain a lot more cannabis than a typical joint. Photo by Ahmed Zayan/Unsplash

R

olling a joint is a skill.

And it takes some determination and practice to progress from rolling smaller cigarette joints to sculpting thick, long bat joints. Cone joints, an Amsterdam favourite, do more than impress: because of their shape, they also contain a lot more cannabis than a typical joint.

So, how to roll a cone joint? Have a look at our step-by-step instructions.

Before you get rolling, you’ll need a few things.

KING-SIZE ROLLING PAPERS

Long papers are essential for rolling a good cone joint. Get some king-size ones, as they’ll make the final result all the more impressive.

FILTER TIPS

These will give your joint shape and stability. You can purchase a pack of filter tips that you can roll yourself, or you can buy a conical filter that’s ready to use. These tips are recommended for your first few rolling attempts.

A GRINDER (OR SCISSORS)

If you don’t have a grinder at hand, a good pair of scissors will do. Just make sure to chop the weed up nice and fine and to leave no stems, seeds, or large lumps.

A CUP, PIECE OF PAPER, OR TRAY

This is where you’ll place your chopped-up weed.

WEED

The star of the show. Make sure you have a good couple of grams of your favourite cannabis strain, because cone joints deserve only the best.

Now follow the simple step-bystep instructions below and you’ll be on your way to cone-joint mastery.

GRIND

First, grind or chop the weed up and place it in the cup or on the tray or piece of paper.

PREPARE THE ROLLING PAPER

Pull a rolling paper from the pack and put it face up on the table (sticky

edge up). Roll a filter in the shape of a cone, or take your bought filter, and place it at one end of the paper, right along the crease.

ADD THE WEED

T

Researchers say they are close to a breakthrough in using MDMA to treat PTSD. Photo by PORTOKALIS/Getty Images.

he synthetic drug MDMA Sprinkle weed into the crease of the is a step closer to becoming paper. Begin at the filter end with a legal medicine. very small amount and move along to An interim analysis of data the other end of the paper, increasing the amount of weed as you go. This will from an ongoing clinical trial suggests that MDMA, which goes by the street help create the cone shape you want. names “ecstasy” and “molly”, is effectTWIST UNTIL YOU FORM A CONE ive in treating symptoms of posttrauHolding the cannabis-filled paper in matic stress disorder (PTSD). both hands, with your thumbs at the The trial involving the chemically front, gently fold the front edge of the derived MDMA, or “3,4-methylenepaper around and tuck it between the dioxymethamphetamine”, is oncannabis and the top side of the paper. going in the U.S., Canada, and Israel.

Twist until the joint is nice and tight. The study is being conducted by the California-based Multidisciplinary ROLL IT, LICK THE GLUE, AND Association for Psychedelic StudSMOOTH IT ies (MAPS). The nonprofit research Once you have a good cone shape in organization announced in a media your hand, gently roll the top part of release the results of an interim anthe paper without crushing the paper. alysis of data from its clinical trial.

Before you completely roll up the cone, According to the MAPS release, lick the sticky top edge of the paper. the analysis “revealed a 90% or Then smooth the cone using your fin- greater probability that the trial will ger, being careful not to create creases. detect statistically significant results when all participants have been ADD MORE WEED IF NEEDED AND treated”.

TAP DOWN MAPS founder and executive Now that you have a cone joint, you director Rick Doblin noted that the may want to add more cannabis to the results of the interim analysis repreend in order to fill it up. Then, using the sent “the most powerful evidence yet end of a pencil or any other thin object, that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy poke the weed into the joint and tap. could help transform the lives of people suffering from PTSD”.

CAREFULLY TWIST THE END AND The MAPS release stated that TIGHTEN the nonprofit has partnered with A small amount of empty space is re- the Psychedelic Science Funders quired right at the end of the joint. Collaborative, or PSFC, to raise a Squeeze this part and twist it. This fund of $30 million to complete the will tighten the joint and ensure no research on MDMA treatment for cannabis falls out.

PTSD sufferers.

PSFC cofounder and president Joe BLAZE IT UP Green said that psychedelic mediSit back, light up, and smoke away. cines “show incredible promise for treating a range of mental health If you want to make a cone blunt, conditions”. just use a cigar wrap instead of a “This first look at data from the rolling paper. You can purchase one first-ever Phase 3 trial of a psycheready to roll or you can take a cigar delic-assisted therapy only makes apart by splitting it open and remov- us more confident that we’re standing the tobacco. Friends, there you ing on the cusp of a breakthrough,” have it. You now have the skills to Green said. roll a legendary cone joint. g Phase 3 clinical trials are gener-

ally required before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the public use of a new drug.

“The approval of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy would be a catalytic event that brings psychedelic medicine into the mainstream,” Green said.

PTSD is a serious mental-health condition among people who have experienced or witnessed a dangerous event or series of events. Traumatic events that cause this disorder include death, violence, and natural disasters.

MDMA-assisted therapy could help transform the lives of people suffering from PTSD. – Rick Doblin

In Canada, MDMA is banned under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Sale, possession, and production of MDMA are illegal in this country unless such activities are authorized for medical, scientific, or industrial purposes.

The Canadian government notes online that MDMA is being studied for its “potential to treat conditions such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder”.

“These studies use medical-grade MDMA in clinically supervised settings.”

Ecstasy and molly are often consumed at parties and music festivals.

The drug makes the brain release serotonin and dopamine, which the Government of Canada’s website describes as “‘feel-good’ chemicals”.

In August 2017, MAPS announced that the FDA had granted breakthrough-therapy designation to MDMA for the treatment of PTSD. The designation allows MAPS to design two Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for patients with severe PTSD. “MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is a novel treatment package that combines psychotherapeutic techniques with three administrations of MDMA as a pharmacological adjunct,” the nonprofit explained at the time.

In the 2017 media release, MAPS founder Doblin noted that this would be the “first time ever” that “psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy will be evaluated in Phase 3 trials for possible prescription use, with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD leading the way”.

For the study, MDMA is administered in three single-dose psychotherapy sessions in a clinical setting.

MAPS explained in its media release this month that once MDMA is approved for public use, patients will neither fill prescriptions at the pharmacy nor take the drug home.

“Instead, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy treatment will only be available through a doctor and only in supervised therapeutic settings from certified clinicians,” the nonprofit explained.

MAPS Phase 3 trials are expected to be completed in 2021.

According to the organization, the FDA could potentially “approve the treatment as early as 2022”. g

MORE CANNABIS ONLINE AT CANNCENTRAL.COM

Study identifies age to begin toking

R

by John Lucas

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esearchers in Newfoundland set out to determine the age at which people should legally be allowed to begin using cannabis. The age they arrived at?

Drum roll, please…

Nineteen.

Why 19? In a blog entry posted to BioMed Central on May 14, Hai Nguyen, an associate professor in health-policy evaluation at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and PhD student Shweta Mital explained.

“We reached this conclusion by looking at how Canadians, who started using cannabis at different young ages, differ in several important outcomes (educational attainment, cigarette smoking, self-reported general and mental health) later in life.”

Nguyen, Mital, and their colleagues studied 40,000 Canadians

Is 19 the right age to start? Photo by diego_cervo/iStock/Getty Images Plus

aged between 21 and 65 during the course of a year. Their results were published in BMC Public Health on May 14 under the title “Too young for cannabis? Choice of minimum legal age for legalized non-medical cannabis in Canada”.

“We found that most later life outcomes are better for individuals

starting cannabis at age 19 than those starting it at age 18 but not worse than those starting cannabis between age 20 and 25,” Nguyen and Mital wrote.

“These results imply that age 19 is the optimal MLA for cannabis use.”

The researchers note that the results of their study differ from the Canadian federal government’s recommendation of 18 and from the medical community’s support for ages between 21 and 25. However, they argue that their conclusion “appears to be plausible: age 19 is high enough to address concerns over potential adverse outcomes associated with using cannabis at [a] young age while low enough to discourage the illegal market for the underage.”

In Canada, the legal minimum age of use varies. It’s 18 in Alberta, 21 in Quebec, and 19 in all other provinces and territories. g

REAL ESTATE

FINANCE

TD says homeowners Credit unions in fine shape: Vrooman can ride a wealth cushion

A

by Charlie Smith

by Carlito Pablo

According to a TD Economics report, homeowner equity makes up 74 percent of the value of real estate among Canadian households. Photo by ALFEXE/Getty Images

C

anadians love their homes for good reason. That’s because many have become rich due to increases in the value of the properties.

Even with COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the economy, homeowners could still emerge wealthy from this pandemic. That is, if home prices do not crash.

A May 14 TD Economics paper outlines forecasts about wealth, savings, and borrowing.

“Barring an outsized home price correction, many Canadian households are expected to maintain a significant wealth cushion, which will help them to ride out the current downturn,” TD Bank economist Ksenia Bushmeneva writes.

Bushmeneva’s paper is titled “Impact of the Pandemic on Key Canadian Household Financial Indicators”.

According to Bushmeneva, Canadian households during the past decade “built significant wealth reserves through asset appreciation”.

The economist notes that household wealth rose 84 percent to $11.7 trillion since the end of 2009. She points out that almost half of this wealth increase is in real estate.

Bushmeneva states that as of 2019, the average net worth of a Canadian household is estimated at $800,000.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, household wealth has taken a “shortterm hit”.

“Given the drop in equity prices in the first quarter and the collapse of oil prices, household wealth contracted sharply in the first quarter of this year,” according to Bushmeneva.

Although “it is far from certain, the worst may be behind us”, the economist writes.

“Meanwhile, home prices have showed resilience so far in the second quarter, as sharp declines in sales have been accompanied by a falling supply of listings on the market,” Bushmeneva states.

This means that home sellers have also taken to the sidelines, keeping the market balanced, so far.

In B.C., the average price of a home in April 2020 was $737,834.

According to the B.C. Real Estate

Association, the average price last month was 7.8 percent higher than the average price of $684,430 in April last year.

But when compared to the average price of a home in March 2020, last month’s price was 6.5 percent less.

The average price of a B.C. home in March 2020 was $789,548.

In the TD Economics paper, Bushmeneva notes that if “job markets start a recovery by late spring, demand should bounce off its lows and support modest gains in home prices and household net wealth”.

Bushmeneva also writes that Canadians fare better than Americans in terms of housing wealth.

“Owner’s equity makes up 74% of the value of real estate among Canadian households, nearly 10 percentage points higher than the same metric south of the border,” she states.

According to Bushmeneva, only 16 percent of all active mortgages held by chartered banks in Canada in 2018 had a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio higher than 80 percent.

Household wealth contracted sharply in the first quarter of this year.

– economist Ksenia Bushmeneva

The economist explains that this means that the “vast majority of households” have more than 20 percent equity stake in their homes.

“Owners with less than less than 20% equity in their homes will be most susceptible to a large price correction and also have limited options in terms of accessing home equity to alleviate any financial strain.”

Bushmeneva adds that this applies as well to renters, “who also have limited wealth or liquidity reserves to tap during the crisis”. g

s far as corporate shuffles go, this was a biggie. On May 13, Canada’s largest credit union, Vancity, announced that its popular president and CEO, Tamara Vrooman, would be leaving on June 30 to become president and CEO of the Vancouver Airport Authority.

Vrooman has been heading Vancity since 2007, chose to resign in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic that has inflicted serious financial pain on some of its 543,000 members.

When Vrooman was reached by phone, the Straight asked what she would say to anyone who might wonder about Vancity’s financial stability in these uncertain times.

“Thankfully, we’re in a really good spot, notwithstanding the obvious and significant external events,” Vrooman responded. “If I thought for a minute it wasn’t, I wouldn’t make this change.”

Credit unions are chartered by the provincial government, which has issued a blanket guarantee on all deposits, regardless of whether the member lives in B.C. “Banks and credit unions in Canada enter this period with very, very strong balance sheets—strong liquidity and strong capital—largely because of the support that Canadians have given our sector over the last decade as we’ve recovered from the financial crisis,” Vrooman explained. “So we’ve come into this situation with COVID-19 very, very strong.”

To inject more funds into the local economy in March, Vancity created a one-year, nonredeemable “Unity Term Deposit” with a three percent interest rate. By early April, it had completed 3,898 loan deferrals, including mortgages.

In April, Vancity also temporarily cut credit-card interest rates to zero percent for those whose livelihoods were disrupted by COVID-19.

“Our folks have done the right thing when it has mattered most to people, regardless of whether it was the thing that other people were doing,” Vrooman said. “I’m most proud of the fact that we really have shown that putting people at the heart of the business model is not antithetical to strong business. It’s essential to it.”

From the last annual report, it appears as though 2019 was a tough though not terrible year for Vancity.

Membership increased by 1.8 percent and assets rose 1.2 percent. The credit union oversees $28.2 billion in assets and assets under management.

Last year, lower rates on loans and competition for deposits resulted in a fall in the net-interest margin from two percent to 1.9 percent. That lowered Vancity’s bottom line by $15.2 million, according to the annual report.

“The housing market cooled significantly over the first half of the year,” it stated. “With the majority of Vancity’s loans…linked to housing, these factors had a material impact on our 2019 net income, which was $610 million.”

Vancity CEO Tamara Vrooman says credit unions were ready for a rainy day.

The liquidity ratio, which measures Vancity’s ability to pay liabilities within one year, fell slightly in 2019, to 13.1 percent from 13.4 percent the previous year. This meant it was at the secondlowest percentage in five years.

But the capital adequacy ratio— measuring a financial institution’s capital as a percentage of risk-weighted credit exposures—was 14.7 percent in 2019. That’s significantly higher than the ratio of 13.3 percent five years ago.

In comparison, the Royal Bank of Canada, had a considerably lower capital adequacy ratio of 13.2 percent in 2019. BMO’s was even lower, at 11.4 percent that year.

That could put Vancity on a solid financial footing, notwithstanding a stark warning this month from the U.S. Federal Reserve about the potential for “outsized drops in

asset prices”, including stocks.

“Many financial institutions raise funds from the public with a commitment to return their investors’ money on short notice, but those institutions then invest much of the funds in illiquid assets that are hard to sell quickly or in assets that have a long maturity,” the Fed’s May 15 Financial Stability Report states.

“This liquidity and maturity transformation can create an incentive for investors to withdraw funds quickly in adverse situations,” the report adds. “Facing a run, financial institutions may need to sell assets quickly at ‘fire sale’ prices, thereby incurring substantial losses and potentially even becoming insolvent.”

Central bankers around the world have tried to mitigate this risk by boosting requirements for more liquidity and higher-quality capital, and by imposing new stress-testing rules.

For her part, Vrooman remains upbeat about the future of credit unions.

“I think if you look right across credit unions in British Columbia and certainly right across the country, you’ll see that liquidity is actually up, showing the confidence that their members have in the credit union model, which has always been about members helping members, in particular in times of need,” she said. “I actually see more members in more communities understand the value of their credit union and coming toward it. Credit unions are in a good position to help communities weather this storm.” g

HSBC MUTUAL FUNDS INVESTIGATION Law firm Investigation Counsel Professional Corporation is investigating a potential class action for Canadian investors, including residents of British Columbia, who invested in any of the following HSBC mutual funds: • HSBC World Selection Diversified Conservative Fund • HSBC World Selection Diversified Moderate Conservative Fund • HSBC World Selection Diversified Balanced Fund • HSBC World Selection Diversified Growth Fund • HSBC World Selection Diversified Aggressive Growth Fund • HSBC Equity Fund If you owned any of these HSBC mutual funds, you might not have received adequate disclosure about the fund manager’s investment strategies. You may have paid excessive management fees that lowered your returns on investment and retirement savings.

Canadian mutual fund investors pay amongst the highest fees in the world. Canadians deserve full disclosure about mutual fund investment strategies and the associated costs. Excessive fees should be paid back to affected investors.

If you are a B.C. resident who owned one of the above HSBC mutual funds any time since 2010, please contact the lawyers at Investigation Counsel by email or phone: cdnequityfunds@investigationcounsel.com or 416.637.3152

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MAY 21 – 28 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 5

ESPORTS

Fresh kicks aimed at gamers

Shoe companies are starting to see the eSports world as a lucrative market

by John Lucas

The NHL has changed its tune on playing Fortnite

by Mike Usinger

F

Bo Horvat has made it clear he’s no Fortnite fan. Photo by Bure’s Triple Deke/Wikimedia

T

Last year, Nike partnered with China’s League of Legends Pro League to create team uniforms and this streetwear collection.

he past few months have seen an unprecedented ramp-up in the visibility of eSports on the mainstream cultural radar. It’s a big business. How big?

In a report released in 2018—well before the coronavirus forced us all indoors and boosted eSports viewership on a massive scale—the investment-banking firm Goldman Sachs made a prediction: “As media rights and sponsorship continue to grow, along with the formalization of pro sports leagues, we expect total eSports monetization will reach US$3 billion by 2022.”

All this growth means we will see an inevitable increase in the number of brands trying to get a slice of the eSports pie. You really don’t need a fresh pair of sneakers emblazoned with the FaZe Clan or 100 Thieves logo, but if such a thing were available, you’d probably buy it.

Nor do you really need a set of specialized kicks just for sitting in front of a screen playing Fortnite or League of Legends. Or maybe you do. Who am I to say? The point is, whether anyone wants or needs them, a wave of gaming sneakers is no doubt on its way.

So let’s take this opportunity to look back at the few attempts footwear brands have already made to step into the eSports space.

PUMA ACTIVE GAMING FOOTWEAR

(Released in 2019) Official hype: “Created with console gamers in mind, the gaming sock is the first edition Active Gaming Footwear.

Designed for indoor and in-arena use, it delivers seamless comfort, support and grip so gamers can adapt to different active gaming modes and game their best.” The reviews: Eurogamer’s Will Judd said “I felt no better pre-

company never suggested that these shoes would improve anyone’s gaming. They are basically just React Element 55s with colours selected by members of China’s League of Legends Pro League. Nike also designed uniforms for all of LPL’s teams and partnered with the league for a line of streetwear. The reviews: These shoes were only available in China, so reviews have been impossible to find. Luke Plunkett wrote about the LPL jerseys for Kotaku, though, and he was not impressed: “From an esports perspective, they’re not bad! But then, from an esports perspective, that’s a very low bar to clear. For a line of Nike jerseys, they’re as lazy and cheap as it gets.”

Plunkett was more complimentary K-SWISS ONE-TAP about the streetwear collection, writ(Released in 2019) ing that “Nike has just shot straight Official hype: “Our K-Swiss design- at the target demographic, and the ers shadowed professional players results are a lot nicer.” to develop a shoe suited specifically for the performance needs of esports athletes.” The reviews: Writing for Highsnobiety, Ian Servantes opined that “Requirements for a good gaming shoe would seemingly end at ‘not making your feet a concern while sitting down and focusing on a screen’, a bar that K-Swiss’ latest offering certainly surpasses.” Business Insider’s Ben Gilbert test-drove a pair of ONETAPs and concluded, “If anything, I NIKE COD LEAGUE AIR F1 was so preoccupied with the subtle, (Released in 2020) persistent pain in my foot while wear- Official hype: Nike made this variing the One Taps that I probably didn’t ant of its classic Air F1 to complay as well as usual.” In his review for memorate the Call of Duty League’s Vice, Matthew Gault was more en- inaugural season. They were conthusiastic: “The One-Tap is the perfect ceived by artist and shoe designer shoe for wandering around the house Kickstradomis, who said “The colin a daze, making coffee, and killing ours of the league are black, white, and gray, keeping it monochromatic.

Nazis in Wolfenstein: Youngblood.”

So, it’s really cool to be able to use these colours and still make something pop. The Call of Duty logo has three pillars, and they all represent something different. So, in this custom that I’m doing, I’m going to do justice to those three pillars.” The reviews: These were not released commercially, although exactly one pair was given away to a lucky contest winner. They’re Air F1s, though, NIKE X LPL so if you’ve ever owned a pair, you (Released in 2019) can imagine what the COD League Official hype: To be fair to Nike, the ones feel like. g pared with the Pumas on as with any other foot covering—or even none at all.” Julie Muncy of WIRED wondered what the point was: “We take esports as seriously as athletics, but they are usually played sitting down, right?

Like, I’m not imagining that. You just sit in a chair. I don’t really think you need special shoes for that.”

6 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT MAY 21 – 28 / 2020

unny how something like a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown can change everything, including professional hockey’s attitude toward Fortnite.

First, a bit of context. In October 2018, Vancouver Canucks’ forward Bo Horvat let it slip to the media that the team had instituted a full-on ban of the game for the season—at least while players were supposed to be bonding on road trips.

“Yeah, that’s definitely a no-go on the road,” Horvat told Vancouver’s TSN 1040. “No more Fortnite. No more bringing video games on the road. It’s strictly team meals, team dinners, and hanging out with the guys. So we put an end to that.”

Fortnite has been a major obsession of NHL players over the past couple of years, with stars like the Winnipeg Jets’ Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, Ottawa Senator Colin White, and Caroline Hurricane Jake Gardiner all singing the praises of the battle-royale game.

Behind the scenes, NHL general

S neaker HE ADS OUR PICK from the world of kicks. c THE DEETS: To mark the 35th anniversary of the basketballand skate-friendly Dunk, Nike is getting ready to release the “Brazil” in varsity maize and pine green—a tribute to the South American country’s signature hues. The style is part of three new colourways in the “Team Tones” pack.

Check out details like the yellow mesh tongue (a nod to the originals) and the cool green outsole. c RANDOMNESS: Released in 1985, the Nike Dunk was the brand’s original team shoe, part of a deal with schools like the University of Michigan and University of Kentucky to make the high-cut versions their official court footwear.

Embraced by skateboarders, the style would heavily influence the design of Air Jordans. It’s the first time you’ve seen this colourway released since the early 2000s. c STOCKIST: Nike.com, drops May 21 at 7 a.m. c SOUNDTRACK: Emicida’s “Triunfo”. g

managers have been known to question potential draftees about their Fortnite playing habits, which the GMs view, in extreme cases, as a distraction to player focus and development. Perhaps because of that, pro feeder leagues like the Ontario Hockey League have told players that it might be wise to scrub references to Fortnite from their social-media accounts.

Horvat is definitely onboard with that line of thinking.

“In my opinion, there’s better ways to spend time on the road,” he continued in his TSN 1040 interview in 2018, “whether it’s hanging with the guys in the room or going to a movie with the guys. There’s a lot of cool cities we visit, and to be cooped up in your room all night, playing Fortnite, is a waste of your time.”

Then, just in case the point was missed, he added: “Hopefully, a lot of parents and little kids are listening right now. I don’t play it. Nor will I ever.”

One has to wonder if Horvat is reevaluating things today.

This month, the National Hockey League Players Association announced that over 60 players were participating in a Fortnite tournament for charity.

Created by the Maple Leafs’ Zach Hyman and the Colorado Avalanche’s J.T. Compher, the NHLPA Open saw US$200,000 up for grabs, with the winners designating the money to the charities of their choice.

The full roster of players was announced just before the event, which took place on May 18 on Twitch.tv/ espnesports. The winning trio was Vince Dunn, Robert Thomas, and Jordan Kyrou from Team St. Louis.

Hyman—a vocal champion of eSports—served as the colour commentator.

In an NHLPA press release about the tournament, Compher said: “Players across the league are passionate Fortnite players. While we cannot compete on the ice right now, it is important to the guys that we give back in a meaningful way. We are excited to showcase our competitive skills online to an ever-growing audience, and I can’t wait to watch our event unfold.”

Hyman added: “When J.T. approached me about creating the NHLPA Open featuring Fortnite, I was on board right away because I knew teammates and friends around the league who would be thrilled to be a part of this. Many players have participated in a number of outstanding gaming events, and J.T. and I knew players would jump at the chance to come together with such a large group of players like this to unite and compete for charity in a unique way.”

Neither player commented on the availability of Horvat, or whether he still thinks Fortnite is the worst thing this side of Brad Marchand, Matthew Tkachuk, Nazem Kadri, and COVID-19 combined. g

DRINKS

Cocktail kits to make you a mixologist

I

by Mike Usinger

f the spring of 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that there are different ways of coping with a world that’s suddenly and radically been turned upside down.

Some of us have embraced our inner Nancy Silvertons and mastered the art of baking bread. Others have seen weeks of COVID-19 lockdown as a gold-plated opportunity to finally take up guitar, painting, chess, and/ or candlemaking. When all this is over you’ll be like a creatives version of Frankenstein, made up of the best parts of Jack White, Banksy, Magnus Carlsen, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

One thing many of us have in common is that we’ve been using an age-old gift from the gods to cope: namely, alcohol. Government statistics indicate that we’re drinking 40 percent more than normal.

And given that we’re all thirstier then usual, these have been challenging, and quite frankly frustrating, times for establishments that rely on liquor sales to help pay the bills.

People right now are drinking like W.C. Fields, Charles Bukowski, and Ernest Hemingway put together, but serving them in person at brick-andmortar establishments isn’t an option while the world is socially isolating.

Proving that innovation is everything, this has led Greater Vancouver bars and distilleries to think outside the box with takeaway cocktail kits.

Not surprisingly, given it’s been named one of the top destinations for imbibing in North America, Gastown’s Keefer Bar has gone allin, offering five different options for pickup, including the Buffalo Soldier (Maker’s Mark, lemon juice, ginger and tamarind syrup) and the Tokyo Drift (Suntory Toki Japanese whisky and accompanying Tokyo Drift mix made of Ambre vermouth, kumquat gomme, and “tobacco” tincture).

Other kits include the Bold Fashioned, Rosemary Gimlet, and Pineapple Daiquiri. Included are Kold Draft ice and Kokama ice blocks.

The Keefer is famous for its innovative mixologists, who work with everything from seahorse tincture to salted-plum syrup to dragon-fruitinfused gin. The beauty of the kits, suggests bar general manager Keenan Hood, is that all the leg work has been done for you.

“Everything is a two-step process,” Hood says. “All the mixes are batched, and the shaken cocktails are one part to one part, which means the sweet and the sour will be balanced for you. As far as the spirit-forward cocktail, there’s an instruction panel on each of the bottles. Usually, things are a four-step process. We’d

The Keefer Bar’s Keenan Hood knew that there would be tremendous demand for home cocktails during the lockdown.

made it into a two-step one.”

The Keefer shut down operations early—even before health officials mandated the closure of bars and restaurants. After a couple of weeks in isolation, Hood began thinking of ways to connect with the business’s clientèle.

“I wasn’t thinking about doing anything like this, but as time went on, I figured, ‘Well, we can execute this because we only need two people in there to do it, and we can keep our distance from each other.’ We had so many people asking us for drinks we figured we’d try it out.”

Elsewhere, the team behind Juju’s Drink Shack had a challenge with their tiki-indebted cocktail kits.

Never mind keeping an established clientèle engaged—the goal was to help build awareness of a restaurant that doesn’t really exist yet.

Along with his partners, Cody Allmin was scouting for a permanent location for the city’s newest tiki bar when COVID-19 roared into Vancouver, shutting down the city.

With plans for a physical restaurant on hold for now, the company is offering kits that put new spins on tikination favourites. The Mai Tai, Piña Colada, Hurricane, Painkiller, and Navy Grog all come with garnishes, crushed ice, and Flor de Caña rum.

Best in show is the Tropic Thunder, which riffs on a Blue Hawaiian, right down to a housemade mix the colour of the Caribbean Sea. Allmin isn’t a newcomer to the game. He own Twins Sails Brewing, has a stake in the Whip, and is one of the folks behind Published, which will start hosting Juju’s pop-ups on Sundays once restrictions start to lift. The program started with the revisiting of classics from the 1950s tiki movement spearheaded by the

likes of Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber.

“We’ve made them as true to the recipes as we can,” Allmin says. “But we’re trying to put a bit of a twist on them too. It’s pretty fun—we’re making a clear Piña Colada, the idea being try a classic recipe, but try something modern too.”

One of the goals with the takeout program, then, is to prime cocktail enthusiasts for what Juju’s Drink Shack will be offering Vancouver down the road.

“When we take this concept to the next step, we’re not going to be a classic, kitschy tiki bar,” Allmin notes. “We want to be a like if [iconic New York bar] Death & Co was doing tiki—inspiring people by being modern, but still having that classic tiki vibe.”

Restaurants that are already in the game have been quick to pivot to cocktails for home. Tacofino is offering a takeaway kits for Margaritas and Palomas, where—depending on what you opt for—fresh-squeezed lime juice comes with El Jimador Reposado or Cazadores Blanco, Jarrito Grapefruit, an agave syrup mix, and, of course, salt.

Saving you the trouble of sourcing and juicing fresh peaches, the Cactus Club has come up with a one-stop Bellini-with-a-twist package containing Bacardi rum and housemade mix.

Recognizing that the Margarita is a drink limited only by one’s imagination and creativity, East Van’s Dachi has created a Mint-Melon kit with El Jimador and Kodama clear ice cubes that, thanks to the one-toone ratio, is foolproof. Other options include a Coconut and Banana Daiquiri with Appleton Estate rum, and Bella Sparkling Sangria with Bella “B2” Sparkling wine-rum and San-

No need to go too far for cider Here are three cidermakers within 100 kilometres of Vancouver

L

by Gail Johnson

WINDFALL CIDER’S WILD CARD

ocal-minded cider lovers have it made in B.C., with our glorious province being home to so many sun-drenched orchards. The Okanagan is a major producer, but crafty cidermakers can also be found on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast, and in the Lower Mainland. Here are three picks from cideries within 100 kilometres of downtown Vancouver to pour at your next happy hour.

(Check out the BC Cider Way website for a complete guide to all the varieties from these parts.)

FRASER VALLEY CIDER COMPANY’S BLACKCURRANT & CARDAMON

We love the creative flavours coming from local craft cidermakers like the folks at this five-hectare Langley farm with 1,800 trees and 25 varieties of English and French apples.

This off-dry cider, the colour of cran-

Vancouver’s urban cidery opened in 2018, and its Hail Mary dry rosé cider continues to be its most popular. We’re just as fond of the new Wild Card (which was launched just as COVID-19 was hitting B.C.). It’s dryhopped and citrusy but has enough nuttiness to make it a hit with beer lovers, too. Pair it with Mexican food or charcuterie.

THE BRICKER CIDER COMPANY’S FRAMBO

Fraser Valley Cider Company makes a blackcurrant and cardamon beverage.

berries, has a puckery, bright edge.

We’d suggest sipping it on its own in all its bold glory, but it also goes gorgeously with cheese. The company delivers to Vancouver.

Based in Sechelt on a two-hectare family-run farm and orchard, Bricker has three main ciders, plus rotating seasonals and small batches such as Peaches & Cream, Elderberry & Lavender, and Apricot & Ginger.

Bricker’s Frambo is a lip-smacking mainstay made with B.C. raspberries. Check the website to find local stockists or have it delivered via Canada Post. g

gria cocktail mix.

For the proprietors of Roots and Wings Distillery, home kits are a way to stay connected to a community that’s all about locally sourced ingredients and artisanal craftsmanship. The Langley distillery produces small-batch spirits—potato-cornbased Vital vodka and Jackknife gin, and unaged-corn Rebel whisky— using B.C.-grown ingredients. Think farm-to-table with a liquid twist.

When the COVID-19 lockdown closed its tasting room, Roots and Wings quickly moved to kits. Packages feature the option of one, two, or three craft spirits and recipes and ingredients for cocktails like the Sidekick Sour, Gin-Ya-Rita, and San-

ity Sangria. Made-in-B.C. ingredients include Rose Cardamom syrup from Organic Fair in Cobble Hill, salted lime Margarita spice from Simply Delish, and ginger-beer mix from Rootside.

“We strive to buy local and be local, so in partnering with these great artisans we’re able to create fun craft cocktails with a B.C. flare,” says Roots and Wings still master Rebekah Crowley.

In some ways, the kits put a spin on the pre-COVID experience of sitting down at your favourite establishment and putting yourself in the bartender’s hands.

“Let me know your budget and preferences and I’ll create a kit,” Crowley says. “Unless you want a specific cocktail—then you just let me know. Stock is always rotating, so this way I get some leeway on what I have available.”

Looking to the future, Roots and Wings Distillery is hoping to continue servicing those who want to kick back with a craft cocktail without doing the prep.

“Ideally, we would love to continue promoting these boxes after we’ve opened our lounge back up and are serving cocktails again,” Crowley says. “Because, let’s be honest, it’s fun and easy to make tasty craft cocktails at home for your friends and family.”

It certainly is when someone else has done the hard work. And that, ultimately is the beauty of home cocktail kits. They’ve made it easier to cope. g

S plash OF WINE

where south-facing slopes grow grapes that the founders brought in from the Oliver-Osoyoos region, like Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc— the exception being locally sourced Siegerrebe grapes. The 2016 Victoria has aromas of lychee nuts and Asian pears, the flavour of perfumed honey, and a quince-y finish.

BLACKWOOD LANE WINERY’S 2016 VICTORIA SIEGERREBE Known as “the grape of the Fraser Valley”, Siegerrebe (pronounced “see-gah-REH-bay”) is ideally suited to the region’s wet, cool climate. Its origins go back to 1929 in Rheinhessen, a wine-making region in Germany. The name means “victory wine”, and the red-skinned grape is a crossing of Gewürztraminer with Madeleine Angevine.

TECH SHEET: Blackwood Lane is a five-hectare winery in Langley,

FIRST SIP: This dry wine forces you to pay attention: yes, there’s a pleasant, floral bouquet, but this Sigge is no pushover. It has a backbone.

NEXT LEVEL: Serve it on the patio

with spicy food, like Vancouverbased Pailin Chongchitnant’s fried chicken in sweet chili lime sauce from her sensationally popular YouTube channel Hot Thai Kitchen.

SWIRL THIS: Find the wine online at blackwoodlane.ca for $19 (and take 20 percent off during the month of May). g

Beer Buzz: Russell’s Hefeweizen hits the spot

A

by Mike Usinger

s a valuable public service, we taste the latest in Lower Mainland beers and then give you a highly opinionated, pocket-sized review.

ON TAP

Russell Brewing Co. Peach & Apricot Hefeweizen.

THEIR WORDS

“The marriage of peaches and apricots in a Hefeweizen, now some would say that’s a match made in heaven. A match comparable to such greats as Batman and Robin (Clooney and O’Donnell), movie theater popcorn and the extra butter that you have to pay for and the all-time classic combo of apple pie and sharp cheddar cheese. Add a healthy dry hop addition of Citra and the marriage is complete, as is our contribution to the world of fruited Hefeweizens.”

TASTE TEST

As any die-hard Cascadian will tell you, there’s a gold standard in these parts when it comes to beer brewed with apricots. Take a big step forward, Pyramid Apricot Ale, because you’re been revered forever for a very good reason. The highest compliment one can pay is that it’s a serious contender for the throne. The beer smells great— redolent of lazy afternoons in the orchards of the Okanagan, with nothing to do but lie in a hammock with a good book and a great view. Tastewise, subtlety is king here, with the peaches and apricots beautifully intermingled.

DEEP THOUGHTS

The odds are pretty good right about now that the road trip you’d been planning to the Okanagan this summer won’t be happening.

Let Russell's Peach & Apricot Hefeweizen transport you there—hammock optional. g

MAY 21 – 28 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 7

FOOD / LIVING

Deluxe happy-hour snacks abound

Eateries in the region have pivoted to takeout and pickup, providing gourmet late-afternoon nibbles

W

by Gail Johnson

LET’S TACO ‘BOUT IT

hether you’re pouring bubbly, serving Negronis, or cracking open an ice-cold craft beer, happy hour isn’t complete with-

It’s baaack! Tacofino’s food trucks are rolling again, and some of its brick-and-mortar locations are open for takeout. The Tofino-born business’s tacos stand out for their heft. Make it a flavour-bursting buffet with cauliflower and achiote-onion tempura tacos; tacos with soft and crunchy carnitas, cabbage, and pickled poblano; fish tacos with white beans and crispy rice…

The list goes on. With the freshest tortillas in the land, Chancho Tortilleria offers carnitas tacos (pork shoulder and/or belly), as well as veggie versions, all straightforward and supreme, every order accompanied by pickled red cabbage, salsas, pinto beans, and limes. Tacomio’s DIY Taco Extravaganza Kit for two or four comes with your choice of three fillings (chicken a la diabla, pork carnitas, beef salpicon, roasted cauliflower, chiles asados, or frijolitos); three salsas; pickled jalapenos, red onions, and veggies; fresh cilantro; and then some. And at Earls Kitchen & Bar are corn-and-bean or Yucatan street-chicken taco kits. Made for two, they come complete with roasted jalapeno crema, Pico de Gallo, white cheddar, shredded cabbage, fresh lime, and Valentina hot sauce.

out fun food.

With local restaurants having pivoted to pickup and delivery and with their reopening in the works, there’s no shortage of options of locally made fare for you to serve and enjoy.

Here are some to consider for your next installment of late-afternoon happiness.

URBAN GROCERS MAKE THINGS EASY

Say you don’t feel like cooking but you want to do more than put out a bowl of potato chips or a plate of raw veggies and dip. Order some appies off Urban Fare’s Gourmet Entertaining Guide: spicy chicken satays, Ocean Wise wine-poached jumbo prawns, tomato and basil-pesto crostini, prosciutto-wrapped grilled asparagus, and West Coast sockeye-salmon crostini with capers and herbed cream cheese. Or get a platter from Fresh Street Market, like Just Add Wine (with Camembert, Brie, and Parmesan Reggiano alongside grapes, walnuts, dates, crackers, and croissants) or the Smoked Salmon Sensation (which has sockeye candy strips, wild sockeye lox, maplesmoked wild spring nuggets, all Ocean Wise, with cream cheese, red onions, and capers).

MORE MEAL KITS

KISS: KEEP IT SIMPLE WITH SUSHI

Stem Japanese Eatery is open for takeout, with beautiful dishes by chefs Tatsuya Katagiri and Yoshiaki Maniwa like miso-marinated Haida Gwaii sablefish collar, B.C. uni and ikura hand rolls, B.C. albacore tuna gomaae, and local tempura zucchini blossom stuffed with prawn pâté.

(It has wine and sake to go, too, and 10 percent off pre-orders by email or phone.) Longstanding Kits favourite Octopus’ Garden dishes up twofor-one uni donburi—according to its Instagram account—every Saturday. That’s in addition to ever-popular items like its jumbo negitoro roll, Dungeness crab roll, and customers’ choice sushi and sashimi platters. The West End’s Tom Sushi is offering 10 percent off phone-in orders for dishes like grilled black cod, spicy chopped scallop roll, asparagus tempura roll, oyster motoyaki, and its new salmon amaebi zuke don (marinated, glistening salmon and shrimp sashimi on rice).

JUST POKE-ING AROUND

Fresh Ideas Start Here (FISH) will deliver beautiful poke bowls from its fresh daily FISHbar to your door. The B.C. bowl features sustainable wild salmon, octopus, cucumber, seaweed salad,

At Fresh Ideas Start Here (FISH), the B.C. bowl features wild salmon, octopus, seaweed salad, oshinko, and more; Chancho Tortilleria’s takeout tacos include condiments. Photo by Chancho Tortilleria.

from the new Pastificio di Luigi (Luigi’s Pasta Factory, from the same team behind Ask for Luigi and Pourhouse, among others). You’ll find sopressata, triple-fennel-and-ale salami, housemade foie-gras torchon, sour Tuscan salami, and other Italian deli selections (in addition to noodles, sauces, Veneto-style meatballs, soups, salads, and individual bottled cocktails like Negronis and Biciclettas). Two Rivers Speciality Meats has you covered with its packed charcuterie case: selections range from duck noisette and smoked fennel sticks to coppa and guanciale.

Hit Sebastian & Co Fine Meats in West Van for CHARCUTERIE FOR REVELRY jamón Ibérico pata negra, prosciutto, salchichón, Happy-hour nosh doesn’t get any easier than a lomo, buffalo pepperoni, beef jerky, and other DIY charcuterie board. Check out the selection fine cured meats.

and oshinko, with your choice of sauce; there are plenty of others to choose from, or build your own. Besides abundant bowls with ingredients such as Ocean Wise ahi and sockeye salmon, Pacific Poke has two types of chicken bowls: sweet shoyu (with ginger jicama, pesto pineapple, wasabi peas, and more) and spicy gochujang (with kimchi, cucumber, corn salsa, and pickled red onions). Cactus Club Cafe’s tuna poke bowl comes with sesame-ginger Ocean Wise ahi, mango, avocado, edamame, cucumber, radish, jasmine rice, and tempura.

Say you want to cook without a ton of effort.

Move over, pre-COVID-era meal kits distributed by national companies. Now we have some of the city’s top restos coming up with their own take on these pre-prepped boxes. Toptable2U (Blue Water Café, Elisa, CinCin, Thierry) recently launched with some of its group’s greatest hits (à la carte items like Holstein striploin, Snake River Farms wagyu striploin, prawn-and-scallop paella, and wild Pacific halibut with oliveoil-lemon sauce and tomato pearl pasta). Then there’s the Elisa Burger Kit. It comes with four juicy, premium beef patties; individually packaged condiments and brioche buns; and gem lettuce and fresh tomatoes, every last detail nicely presented. Add the excellent banana cream pie for an especially happy ending. Duck confit with mushroom ragout is one of multiple meal kits available at Provence Marinaside. DIY ramen is the deal with Miku’s shoyu tonkotsu kit, complete with house-made broth, tare, chasu, koshi noodles, and egg. Commercial Drive’s Livia has come up with spaghetti carbonara and lasagne meal kits for comforting Italian fare made easy.

The noodles are freshly made in house, and each kit comes with local greens, vinaigrette, and the bakery’s outstanding rosemary focaccia and pistachio frangipani tart. g

Build your own patio tiki hideaway

by Janet Smith

F

Left to right, an Easter Island mug in seafoam green (Cocktail Emporium); cocktail umbrellas (Amazon.ca); a tiki-head torch (Canadian Tire); a retro drink-menu tray (Zazzle.ca); and pineapple string lights (Canadian Tire).

Vic’s collectibles (a hand-painted ceramic coconut runs about $38.50 on Etsy.com), you’ll need the right authentic-looking vessels for lovingly crafted Zombies and Scorpions.

Options range from the relatively affordable seafoam-green or black Easter Island mugs at Cocktailemporium.com ($12) all the way up to the cred of the Beachbum Berry Bora Bora Bum ($66.99 at cocktailkingdomcanada.com), in blue, orange, or green—the same version the cocktail legend and tiki-culture historian has used at his bar Latitude 29 in New Orleans. (Set them off with matching screaming-pink Beachbum Berry’s Tiki Cocktail Picks, $34.99 for 144.)

For those with no time to mix, Final Touch clear tiki shot glasses pay tribute to four great Polynesian deiINTO YOUR CUPS Unless you’ve ties ($19.99 for a quartet). As much spent years acquiring vintage Trader as hardcore purists will argue that

or the foreseeable future, you won’t be able to set off the Shameful Tiki Room’s smoke machine after ordering the Mystery Bowl. You won’t be sipping a Mai Tai under the palm trees and Edgar Leeteg blackvelvet paintings of the Tiki Bar at the Waldorf. And forget about you and three friends slipping straws into a communal Scorpion bowl at Sneeki Tiki.

COVID-19 social distancing has ensured that, to enjoy your exotic cocktails of choice, you’re going to have to turn your own backyard—or deck or patio—into a personal tiki hideaway. Here are some pieces to help you create your own #StayAtHome Polynesian paradise.

8 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT MAY 21 – 28 / 2020

pink and orange umbrellas are for tourists from Milwaukee, we found paper parasol picks, picture-perfect for your pineapple slices and housemade maraschinos (144 for $8.73 at Amazon.ca).

LIGHT THE NIGHT Those with a backyard can pretend they’re at a Kauai beach bar with tiki torches; we like the double-duty mosquito-repellent citronella tiki-mask versions at Canadian Tire ($16.96 on sale), where old-school bamboo versions go for just $6.99. More balcony-friendly are lanternlike tropical bamboo outdoor patio lights ($58.63 for a string of 10 at Amazon.ca), or the warm-glowing Canvas pineapple string at Canadiantire.ca ($39.99 for nine feet’s worth). But basically any twinkle lights—raid your Christmas storage bin if you have to—are going to give

you a night-on-Waikiki-Beach vibe.

TABLE SERVICE You need to serve up drinks in style. For something more playful, check out Zazzle.ca’s selection of tiki-inspired trays, emblazoned with an array of Polynesian mask illos; our favourite is the Cocktail Time, a retro menu of oldtime drinks like the Witches Brew and the Nui Nui (with a price list to match—$2.25 for a planter’s punch; $89.40.) Bamboo always gives a tropical feel to a patio; look for a bamboo version that has collapsible TV-traystyle legs so you can pack it away for winter (they start at about $124.99 at Wayfair.ca). And for a classic basic, check out Crate and Barrel’s sturdy wooden, rectangular Willoughby tray, which travels easily from your inside bar to your outdoor deck and looks retro-suave with a vintage

shaker, ice bucket, and glasses on it ($79.95 and up, depending on size).

THE BAR IS OPEN If money’s truly no object, entire tiki bars, complete with thatch panels and umbrellas, bring the Tonga Room to your backyard. Wayfair.ca’s Waite or Waller versions by Bayou Breeze (starting at $869.99) come with an L-shaped bar emblazoned with bamboo designs, and a grassy umbrella to throw shade; there are shelves and an in-shelf cooler for up to one case of drinks. At last check, the site also had a smaller thatched-roof mini-bar for $499.99 that, at a 38-inch width, could probably fit on a covered patio—and keeps you safely socially distanced behind the bar. As for the fog machines and Edgar Leeteg black-velvet art—sorry, you’re going to have to source your own. g

Fill your garden with colour for summer

Summer annuals and perennials are ready to plant

WAVE PETUNIAS 4 INCH POT

$3.99 each

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MOVIES / ARTS

Pandemic spurs return of the drive-in

F

by Janet Smith

or your grandparents’ generation, the idea of drive-in theatres conjures memories of first dates in the front seats of Chevy Bel Airs and Chrysler Plymouth Furys, listening to Beach Party or Attack of the 50 Foot Woman on a scratchy speaker. For your parents, it brings to mind wearing pyjamas and piling into sleeping bags in the back of the station wagon, waiting for the dancing hot dog to cue snack time on-screen. And for you? It’s back to the future: the drive-in is now seeing a return you’ll forever associate with COVID-19.

At the drive-in’s height, thousands dotted North America. But thanks to the rise of the multiplex, digital projectors, video stores, and streaming—not to mention the decline of car culture—the number here in B.C. had been reduced to just three: the Starlight Drive-In located in Enderby; the Park Drive-In Theater in Prince George; and the Twilight Drive-In in Aldergrove.

Throughout the pandemic, the Twilight has been drawing people in droves (with new capacity limits, plus a requirement that everyone must be in a car). But now as many as three different groups are trying to secure large parking-lot areas in the heart of Vancouver for a new style of pandemic-era movie-watching.

And the plans being bounced around go beyond nostalgic fare and into everything from screening culturally diverse programming to live events like concerts and grad ceremonies.

At press time, all that stood in the way was health-authority approval and city permits.

VIFF, Point Blank Shows (headed by Howard Blank, past chair of Variety BC, working with Famous Artists Ltd. president Bill Allman and HiKu Productions’ Scott Hinde), and Fresh Air Cinema (a group known for staging outdoor screenings in Stanley Park each summer, and one that’s already held a drive-in in Pemberton since COVID lockdown hit) are all proposing concepts to get up and running by June.

For VIFF, the drive-in offers a viable way of continuing to operate during social distancing and the temporary shutdown of its Vancity Theatre downtown. Though it’s already offering streaming of international art films on its website, “the drive-in is closer to what we love

VIFF and other local groups want to revive the drive-in for a new generation. Photo by Markus Distelrath

doing: giving audiences a collective and communal experience,” explains Charity.

For its part, VIFF doesn’t have the approval it needs to name the specific location it’s considering. “We’ve looked at every park, every parking lot, and every development site in the city and the margins of the city, and we’re doing mountains of research on who owns these lots,” Charity says. “We’re hoping to find the right space that will allow us the right capacity to bring in the right amount of vehicles that will allow us a break-even proposition.”

Blank’s team is openly looking at the PNE, plus other sites near Vancouver, including a prominent location in Burnaby. Though all are reporting a positive response at the civic level, and though drive-ins are operating elsewhere in the province, Blank reveals the complexity of getting the project started within Vancouver: “It’s a bit of a Catch-22: the health authorities say you need city approval and the city is saying you need health approval,” he says. “If we can find a property long-term over the summer, then we can build a screen for a six-figure cost.”

THE PROPOSALS ENVISION drive-ins with better screening technology than your parents or grandparents had, with FM-receiver sound.

VIFF is working with events producer Promosa to build a high-calibre, 46-foot LED video

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screen, large enough to captivate an audience of 400 spectators (based on 200 vehicles with an average of two occupants per car). It would be bright enough to operate in full daylight, allowing VIFF to program matinées for families with young children. “That’s a big plus point, because we feel one of the underserved audiences is families,” Charity explains. “And parents are desperate to do something with their kids and get out of the house.”

VIFF’s idea would be to operate Thursday through Sunday, with two screenings per day on weekdays and four on weekends.

“The costs are tens of thousands of dollars,” Charity adds of the setup, echoing Blank. “It’s not possible as a one-off.”

Where the fun comes is in programming.

At VIFF, Charity admits regular festival-house fare might not play as well at a drive-in. “I don’t think people are interested in reading subtitles for two hours or pondering the mysteries of Andrei Tarkovsky,” he says.

Big Hollywood releases are likely not an option. “I don’t think it’s going to be possible to do first-run movies,” explains Blank. “It would be a fortune; you can’t monetize it, probably.”

“For the moment, Hollywood has put new movies on hold,” Charity adds. “We would definitely be offering cult-classic American movies interspersed with the Canadian fare

that will work there. We were brainstorming what we might open with: Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum, a First Nations zombie movie that didn’t get the theatrical release it deserved.

And it speaks to the pandemic we’re in.”

Amid his other brainstorm list: Deadfall, Blade Runner, Bridesmaids, Drive, To Live and Die in L.A., Wild at Heart, and American Graffiti.

Blank is considering ideas that would play off the nostalgia of the format—retro fare like The Blob, Creature From the Black Lagoon, and Grease, alongside Bollywood features that would bring in a more ethnically diverse audience. He’d also love to see classic-car nights.

Perhaps the most compelling argument for the drive-ins is that other programming suffering from shutdown could use the venues. At VIFF, that may mean finding ways to give other film events like DOXA and Reel 2 Real a new venue.

The proposals include a stage with the screen— allowing for concerts, comedy shows, festival performances, and graduation ceremonies.

As far as food concessions go, VIFF envisions a popcorn tent and food trucks. Meanwhile, Blank’s proposal has White Spot trucks delivering food to the hood of your car. In all cases, you’d order eats ahead on your phone.

“There would be minimal physical interaction between occupants of cars and staff—people are buying tickets in advance,” Charity stresses.

“There would be no reason that people would get out of their cars except to go to washrooms, and we can keep sanitizing them in a timely manner.”

Though none of the proposals have gone before city council, at least one representative there was generally supportive—with one concern. “My first thought would be it’s not exactly like we’ve been prioritizing cars in the city of Vancouver,” commented Green Party Coun. Pete Fry. “My question would be ‘Is it accessible to people who don’t have cars? Is it accessible to someone on a bicycle?’ ” Whether you’ll need two wheels or four, and whether you’ll be able to pull out a lawn chair in front of your car—like your parents did—remains to be seen. What the drive-in theatre might look like during pandemic times in Vancouver is a movie that has yet to be written. g

Isolation Diaries: Davies stays hopeful

W

by Janet Smith

Scan to confess

ith theatres and other performing-arts venues shuttered to flatten the COVID-19 curve, the Isolation Diaries reach out to members of Vancouver’s creative sector to find out what they’re watching, how they’re coping, and where they’re finding inspiration.

THE ARTIST

I ignored it the rst time After I tipped the coffee barista with no acknowledgement from her. No problem, it’s a crazy time, our minds are all a bit distracted these days. Then I tipped the same person a second time, no reaction. I know it’s only $1 on a $2 cup of coffee but that’s a 50% tip for 30 seconds work pouring a black coffee. If every customer tipped you $1 that would be a pretty good shift. I’m just sayin, a simple thank you goes a long way.

Next Crochet Project A vulva tea cosy, because why the fuck not?

Out of the Millenials out there Who can afford a home? I certainly cannot. Science major, OK salary. Chance to own a home? Hell no

Fun House Walking I notice that people sometimes don’t move aside on the sidewalk. I don’t take it personally. I just pretend I am in a Fun House with cardboard figures carrying the coronavirus coming at me and I have to dodge and swerve around them.

Makes it more fun.

Nerdy Gamer Thoughts Just by looking at the long line up at Michaels everyday, I imagine that by the time the current pandemic is over, a lot of Vancouverites will have leveled up to level 99 in Crafting.

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10 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT MAY 21 – 28 / 2020

O.Dela Arts’ Olivia C. Davies is a dance artist, choreographer, community-arts facilitator and emerging curator of Anishinaabe, FrenchCanadian, Finnish, and Welsh heritage. She has created works like “Crow’s Nest and Other Places She’s Gone” and curated the Matriarchs Rising program as the Dance Centre’s Artist-in-Residence. Since lockdown, she’s been busy bringing projects online, including cocuration of the 2020 Made in BC—Dance on Tour program, which presents a free, online symposium bringing together dance artists, choreographers, and directors who share a passion for creating atypical dance interventions from May 26 to 29. On May 30, she presents interviews and clips from Matriarchs Uprising Festival and other repertoire here for Virtualian Festival from 4 to 5 p.m. on Zoom; and keep an eye out for new offerings on O.Dela Arts as part of her ongoing #homeourwaylive, a new performance and conversation platform via Zoom.

NO. 1 THING THAT’S GETTING YOU THROUGH

O.Dela Arts founder Olivia C. Davies is a Vancouver dance artist, choreographer, community-arts facilitator, and emerging curator who listens to a lot of Rock 101.

COMFORT FOOD

“My partner makes the best homemade salsa so it’s been my go-to with blue corn chips. I’m no baker so I’ve also stocked up on store-bought croissants and my local bakery’s delicious muffins. Go find Black Rook BakeHouse now.”

QUARANTINE SOUNDTRACK

“Rock 101. I think I’ve heard ‘Highway to Hell’ over 100 times in the past few weeks and it still doesn’t get old. Also, the new LAL album, Dark Beings, plus Run the Jewels 1, 2, or 3 to keep me motivated through the darker days.”

STREAMING NOW

“Currently binge (re)watching The Office as I can have it playing in the background while I’m puttering around and the jokes never get old.

And recently tapped into Talking Sh*t With Tara Cheyenne podcast for her interview with Justine A. Chambers. Most memorable quote: ‘Wait, should I be baking right now?!?’ ”

“Getting my hands dirty in our shared household garden patch. I’m trying to take a few minutes each day to tend to the plants and shrubs as a form of meditation, and to get away from my screen. Going for walks around the block and witnessing all the beauty that is in bloom right now is motivating me. Also, remem- CREATIVE OR LEARNING OUTLET “Ocean and Crow Yoga Studio has bering that this too shall pass.”

kept me moving with their online classes. I also try to keep up a practice of having a living-room dance party once a week, until I can get back into a studio and have a true freakout without worrying about injuring myself bumping up against walls and furniture, or stumbling over cats. I’ve learned a lot about hosting Zoom meetings; doing this for the Arts Council of New Westminster and Made in BC—Dance on Tour. And one of my colleagues over in Australia, Mariaa Randall, set up a group on FB for other Indigenous artists to come together and share weekly provocations for creative response. My heart has been set on fire by the powerful responses we are sharing each week.

It’s feeling like the seeds for future creative acts and collaborations are being planted here.”

SURVIVAL TIP

“Breathe, deeply and often, and keep hope alive in your heart. A human can live (approximately) three days without water, three minutes without air, but only three seconds without hope.” g

SAVAGE LOVE

TECH

Stop eavesdropping on sex next door Software company readies for post-pandemic returns

by Dan Savage

b I’M AN APARTMENT DWELLER in a dense urban area. Last night, I overheard my neighbours having sex—no big deal, right? I consider myself a sex-positive person and have always held and espoused the belief that if you can’t have loud sex in your own home, where can you have it? But the sex I overheard last night was fairly kinky. Someone I read as a cis man was dominating someone I read as a cis woman. They were in the apartment right across from mine—about 20 feet away—and my bedroom window faces theirs. There was a lot of derogatory talk, hitting, name-calling, giving orders, and some crying. I could tell it was consensual—she was very clearly having a good time— and I eavesdropped long enough to witness the post-coital return to equilibrium. Everything seemed great. But, physically, I experienced this as overheard violence. I was shaking and had a hard time getting to sleep afterward. I’m glad I stuck around until the end. It helped me feel better. I guess what I’m saying is that I needed some aftercare. I’m still thinking about it this morning, and I’m concerned that being triggered by my neighbour’s sex is going to become a regular part of my life.

I’m wondering about the ethics of the situation: do kinky folks have an obligation to muffle potentially triggering sounds? Or is any overheard sex potentially triggering to someone and am I therefore applying a double standard here? What do you think?

- The Vanilla Neighbour

You went from overhearing kinky sex to eavesdropping on it—meaning you went from accidentally hearing your neighbours fucking to intently listening as your neighbours fucked.

And you needed to do that. You heard something that sounded violent, but hearing more led you to guess it was consensual sex, and listening all the way to the end—all the way through the aftercare—confirmed your guess was correct. So for you own peace of mind, TVN, you needed to keep listening. But you don’t need to listen next time. If it triggers you to hear your neighbours fucking, don’t lis-

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by Charlie Smith

T

Traction Guest’s platform enables staff to be screened without human contact.

It’s easy to drown out the sounds of kinky lovers. Photo by Maru Lombardo/Unsplash

ten. Close the window and crank up some music or go for a walk and listen to a podcast.

That said, TVN, you raise an interesting ethical question: are kinksters—particularly the kind of kinksters who enjoy verbal abuse and impact play—obligated to keep it down? While I think people should be considerate of their neighbours, people are allowed to have sex in their own homes, TVN, and it’s not like vanilla sex is always quiet. But if the sex a couple enjoys could easily be misinterpreted as abuse or violence by someone who accidentally overhears it, that couple might wanna close the window and turn up some music themselves—not only to avoid alarming the neighbors, but to spare themselves the hassle of explaining their kinks to a cop.

For the record: I would tell a person who enjoys a good single-tail whipping to find a soundproof dungeon to enjoy that in (because that shit is loud), but I wouldn’t tell a person who screams her head off during PIV intercourse to find a soundproof box (even though her shit is just as loud). Instead, I would urge her to fuck at 8 p.m., when most people are awake, rather than 2 a.m., when most people are asleep. (It can be annoying

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listening to someone screamfuck, but it’s even more annoying to have your sleep ruined by a screamfucker.) Is this a double standard? Perhaps. But it’s one I’m willing to endorse. b 1. IS IT SAFE to hook up again?

2. Will it be safe to hook up again soon? 3. You’ll tell us when it’s safe to hook up again, right?

- Getting Really Impatient.

Need Dick. Really.

• It isn’t.

• At some point.

• I will.

Hey, Everybody: Me and Nancy and the tech-savvy/at-risk youth will be doing a special Savage Love Livestream on Thursday, June 4, at 7 p.m. You can send your questions to livestream@savagelovecast.com or ask them live during the event. I’ll answer as many as I can in one funfilled Zoom meeting! Tickets are $10 and all proceeds from the Savage Love Livestream will be donated to Northwest Harvest, a nonprofit that distributes food to more than 370 food banks in Washington state.

Go to savagelovecast.com/events to get tickets! g Email: mail@savagelove.net. Follow Dan Savage on Twitter @fakedansavage.

raction Guest often says it has taken visitor management beyond the lobby and into the cloud.

And this month, the Burnabybased tech firm announced that its ZeroTouch contactless screening system enables organizations “to safely manage the return of employees and visitors to the workplace and better protect open locations amidst the COVID-19 crisis”.

“Organizations must prepare for the unexpected by perceiving visitors and employees as one universal risk management challenge,” Traction Guest CEO Keith Metcalfe said in a company news release. “Employee and visitor safety is a first priority and must be managed proactively according to the regulations for different regions and a facility’s levels of risk tolerance at a given time.”

Its visitor-management system platform provides a real-time view of who is visiting an organization’s facilities anywhere in the world.

Employees and visitors can be prescreened, preregistered, and even receive printed ID badges without coming into contact with people inside an office.

According to the chief technical officer, Cameron Wiebe, its system will help organizations implement access strategies should a second wave of COVID-19 cases break out.

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“One of the core design challenges of building an enterprise-class system for on-site population risk management is that not everyone can download an app,” he said. “Our engineering team solved this dilemma, eliminating the need for anyone to touch a communal device.”

It’s also possible to customize location-specific registration through its portal.

This has taken on greater urgency as COVID-19 outbreaks might be occurring in one part of a company’s operations but not in others.

“Traction Guest has long helped regulated industries such as food manufacturing and healthcare meet stringent compliance and safety requirements for people entering regulated worksites,” CEO Metcalfe said.

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