The Georgia Straight - Rezoning for Rental - August 6, 2020

AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020 | FREE Volume 54 | Number 2741

Mayor Kennedy Stewart likes the idea of apartment buildings displacing mansions

SHAME AND PREJUDICE Cree artist’s images of resilience

MEDICAL CANNABIS Legalization shortchanges patients

REZONING FOR RENTAL

FINDING SNEAKERS

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CARNAVAL DEL SOL

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ESPORTS EXERCISE

HEALTH

Infectious-diseases expert debunks antimask myths

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CONTENTS 6

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

COVER

Mayor Kennedy Stewart hopes that the Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Program becomes a permanent policy to deliver more housing units across the city.

by Craig Takeuchi

hile several jurisdictions across Canada and the U.S. have made masks mandatory, resistance to wearing them has been arising, with erroneous claims about them being spread about. To clarify information about masks, the Georgia Straight spoke with Victoria-based Dr. Wayne Ghesquiere, a UBC clinical assistant professor and an infectious-diseases expert for Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria General Hospital, and the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

Confusion may have arisen when Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry changed course after stating during the pandemic’s early stages that mask-wearing wasn’t effective—they’ve since been advising people to wear a mask, particularly when physical distancing can’t be maintained.

By phone from Victoria, Ghesquiere said although Tam was seeking data from clinical trials to prove that masks prevent COVID-19, he believes the usefulness of masks boils down to “common sense”. A cloth mask isn’t as good as a surgical mask, he said, but it’s better than nothing at all.

“The high-tide mark would be N95; the low-tide mark would be nothing,” he said.

“The mask will fi lter the viruses, the particles, the spit.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends masks with three layers: an inner layer of absorbent material, such as cotton; a middle layer of nonwoven material, such as polypropylene; and an outer layer of nonabsorbent material, such as polyester or polyester blend. (Some cloth masks have inner pockets in which to insert filters.)

Unfortunately, antimaskers—whether fuelled by arguments about civil liberties or perhaps by issues such as fears of losing control over their bodies—have been circulating misinformation and creating confusion.

Two claims are that masks reduce oxygen intake or cause carbon-dioxide accumulation. Dr. Susy Hota, medical director of infection prevention and control at Toronto’s University Health Network, told CBC News on July 18 that there isn’t any scientific evidence for either of these assertions.

Ghesquiere said that for some individuals with chronic lung disease—such as cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or asthma—“wearing a mask makes it a little more problematic for them to breathe”. However, he said the vast majority of people can wear masks without any issues. Henry has also stated that masks don’t cause hypoxia, a condition resulting from oxygen deprivation to tissues.

A related argument is that wearing a mask stresses the body, thereby weakening

August 6-13 / 2020

By Charlie Smith

4

CANNABIS

Cover illustration by Julia Galotta

Dispensary operator Dana Larsen maintains that cannabis legalization has made life far tougher for medical users.

By Charlie Smith

5

ESPORTS

Smart gamers know that physical training can yield better results, even if playing ESports competitively isn’t akin to running marathons.

By Mark Judge

e Start Here

Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, changed her advice on wearing a mask.

immune systems and making a person vulnerable to toxins, viruses, and bacteria trapped on the masks.

“That’s ridiculous,” Ghesquiere said of the claim, pointing out how doctors and nurses have been wearing masks for decades. (As well, people in some Asian countries customarily wear masks during cold/flu seasons).

Another common argument against wearing masks is that the virus is tinier than the weave of most masks. However, Ghesquiere pointed out that the virus is carried in saliva or droplets.

“The virus isn’t by itself,” he said. “That’s why these cloth or paper masks will filter out the droplets.” (Some research, however, has shown that short-range aerosol transmission of the virus due to talking or exhalation, instead of coughing or sneezing droplets, may be possible; the WHO, in a July 9 briefing, acknowledged this possibility but said that it requires further investigation.)

He also agrees with Henry that masks don’t replace other measures, such as physical distancing and thorough handwashing.

Although Ghesquiere said he understands Henry’s educational approach to public awareness, he pointed out how seatbeltwearing didn’t become widespread, despite ad campaigns, until it became law to wear one while driving. (Henry did state on July 23 that she may make masks mandatory if necessary.) But because we don’t have a COVID-19 vaccine yet, Ghesquiere said, people practising health measures provides an equivalent for immunization.

For reliable information, Ghesquiere advises consulting the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (covid-19.bccdc.ca/ ) or Health Canada websites (www.canada. ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/ coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html ). g

AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020

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COVID-19 in B.C.: New cases reach levels not seen since April.

Staggering rent hike forces Pear Tree Restaurant to announce closure.

Buyer pays $120,000 over listing price for $17.4-million Shaughnessy mansion.

Proposed Vancouver office tower rejects typical form and goes curvaceous.

Trump talks of banning TikTok—and U.S. comedian responds with TikTok video. @GeorgiaStraight

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3

CANNABIS

Legalization has failed medical-cannabis users

Dispensary operator Dana Larsen claims that emphasis on profit drives up price, creates shortages

by Charlie Smith

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A $1-per-gram tax on cannabis (photo by John Miller) sold from licensed premises has burdened medical-cannabis users, according to advocate Dana Larsen. Photo by Dana Larsen.

ongtime Vancouver cannabis dispensary operator Dana Larsen sees some benefits from Canada legalizing weed in 2018. But he believes that the way the federal, provincial, and municipal governments have rolled it out is having a detrimental impact on medicalcannabis users.

“They seem to have been forgotten,” Larsen told the Straight in a recent phone interview. “Legalization seems to be more about making money and cashing in and big business and stocks.”

Larsen is a director of the Vancouver Dispensary Society, which does business as the Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary. He insisted that since October 2018, Canadian patients have encountered more difficulty obtaining access to medical cannabis.

“Doctors are even less willing to prescribe now, since they say it’s legal,” Larsen noted.

In addition, he pointed out that legal shops don’t focus on medical marijuana.

“It’s been very clear,” he said. “They only sell recreational cannabis.”

In fact, he stated that private licensed cannabis retailers are forbidden from offering medical advice or assistance in this area.

Moreover, according to Larsen, medical users fork out more money for legal cannabis than before legalization. That’s due to a $1-per-gram tariff.

“So medical users are paying for their cannabis with new taxes,” he said. “It’s harder to get. And there are restrictions on things like potency and THC content.”

Larsen also maintained that because licensed producers are focusing on the rec4

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

reational market, that has created shortages of medical cannabis.

“They’re not putting medical patients first,” Larsen declared. “I read a lot of people on Twitter and other social media complaining they signed up with a licensed producer. And now that producer is continually running out of products.

That’s because they’re providing it for the broader market and not holding onto it for their patients.”

In the meantime, the Community Safety Unit within the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General has been cracking down on medical dispensaries operating without provincial retail store licences.

Last October, the CSU raided the Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary, generating a significant amount of media coverage.

“We reopened the next day,” Larsen said.

He said he has observed more dispensaries without provincial licences opening in Vancouver since a new city council came to power in 2018. In his opinion, this is because municipal restrictions and the provincial government have not allowed enough legal dispensaries to meet demand.

“The risks are not that great if you’re brave enough to stand up,” Larsen said.

“Nobody is going to jail for medical cannabis—or for dispensaries.

“Some people have been fined, but fines are very hard to collect,” he added. “So I think they’ve really missed an opportunity.”

Due to COVID-19, the Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary adjusted operations, only allowing takeout service for those who place orders in advance.

However, a June ruling in another west-

AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020

ern province has given Larsen hope.

In a case against businessman Shaun Howell in the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, the accused won a constitutional challenge. This came after the Crown charged him with unlawfully growing about 700 plants and trafficking in cannabis.

Justice Robert Graesser ruled that Howell “is entitled to grow and possess marijuana for his personal medical needs”.

That’s because federal limitations on THC concentration violate the guarantee to “liberty and security of the person” in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Howell swore an affidavit that he used cannabis for medical purposes and that he supplied it to a woman named Lisa Kirkman. In turn, Kirkman swore an affidavit that it was for herself and her son as “patients”.

In addition, Howell’s partner, Sarah Wilkinson, swore an affidavit describing how her daughter’s struggle with Ohtahara syndrome was alleviated with cannabis use. Various medical experts also swore affidavits in the case.

“Mr. Howell’s affidavit speaks to the high cost of medical cannabis from LPs, noting the average price of a gram of LP cannabis is about $10,” Graesser wrote in his decision. “He believes that a number of patients are of limited financial means, often living on public assistance, and gave the example of one of his ‘patients’, a person with autism who was on public assistance, sometimes homeless and sometimes living with his family.

“That patient required 20 grams of cannabis per day to treat his autism symptoms

and he simply could not afford to pay for it,” the judge continued. “Mr. Howell says that he provided this person with 20 grams of cannabis per day at no cost, stating that his added cost of doing so was small.”

For his part, Larsen said that the federal government introduced potency and THC limits in an arbitrary manner. And he feels that they shouldn’t apply to anybody, and especially not to medical cannabis users.

“The deficiencies in the medical-access system sort of give us an opening to fill that gap in a legal way,” Larsen said. “And the courts have been quite sympathetic to that.

“As long as the governments and courts acknowledge that cannabis is a beneficial and useful medicine—and that people are not able to properly access it through the legal system—that gives sort of legal justification for us and other dispensaries to provide it to the people in that manner.”

He ended the interview by noting that although he is proud of his dispensary, he is looking forward to the day when it will no longer be needed.

“I would be happy to shut down…if the legal system was providing better quality and lower prices to our patients,” Larsen noted. “But I feel, unfortunately, that this is still a long, long way away.” g

MORE CANNABIS ONLINE AT CANNCENTRAL.COM

ESPORTS

Like all serious athletes, gamers thrive on exercise Physical strengthening gives a crucial edge to those facing the intense demands of ESports competition

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by Mark Judge

re you a gamer? If so, heed this incredibly valuable piece of information: physical training is good for you. It’s good for every part of you.

Now, a piece of advice to go with it: you should be exercising, and you should be doing it regularly.

Without getting needlessly specific, it’s justifiable to say that partaking in regular moderate-to-intense physical activity does wonders for your overall health, no matter who you are or what you do with your time. It also helps you to live longer, which is a nice bonus.

But is it good for your gaming ability? It sure is. Another nice bonus.

While performing competitively in ESports might not be akin to running marathons when it comes to the physical demands involved, gaming is a far stretch from sitting at rest. Most people know that ESports are mentally challenging, but it’s a lesser understood fact that they are also extremely physically demanding. In fact, a study from the German Sport University showed that professional ESports athletes experienced physical strains similar in intensity to “normal” athletes.

All athletes benefit from regular training that prepares them to meet the physical demands they will face at competition time. Without proper preparation, injury, burnout, and suboptimal performance are the most likely outcomes. ESports athletes are no exception to the rule.

Introducing a solid exercise program to your routine won’t just help you to play your best game, either—it’ll help you to keep playing it. With proper exercise training and nutrition, Prof. Ingo Fobröse, the GSU study lead, believes that many ESports athletes could extend their careers by four or five years.

HOW DOES EXERCISE HELP MY GAME?

Exercising induces some pretty incredible physical and mental adaptations. Many of these adaptations translate into noticeable improvements in cognitive and physical ability. These improvements then translate into greater gameplay potential.

Regular exercise improves gameplay in two major ways: by improving physical and mental endurance through increased energy levels, and by increasing overall cognitive function.

ENERGY

Every time you move, whether it be in running track or moving the mouse, you’re relying on tiny cell organelles called mitochondria to supply the necessary energy.

Even though players are parked in front of screens, ESports require enormous physical energy. Photo by Talaj/iStock/Getty Images Plus.

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell; they convert chemical energy from the food you eat into energy you can use.

Regular exercise increases mitochondrial density, making your body more able to produce energy. Oh yeah, your brain too.

And guess what? With more energy comes better physical and mental endurance, both of which are crucial to succeeding during long stints of gaming.

When you can move freely and concentrate for longer than the players you’re up against, you gain a vital competitive edge.

IMPROVED COGNITIVE FUNCTION

Resistance training and aerobic exercise have both been proven to improve cognitive function. Working memory, reaction time, and other markers of general cognitive performance are all improved by physical activity.

It’s no secret in the ESports world that you have to be very sharp and very quickthinking to stand a chance during truly competitive gameplay. In science speak, you need strong cognitive ability. How do you get it? Practice, proper nutrition, good sleep, and—you guessed it—regular exercise.

HOW MUCH EXERCISE SHOULD I BE DOING?

The jury is still out on exactly how much exercise ESports athletes require for opti-

mum performance. Like ESports itself, exercise science is constantly evolving. For now, all gamers would do well to follow the World Health Organization’s guidelines on physical activity, provided below for your convenience: Adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or an equivalent combination. Do muscle-strengthening activities involving major muscle groups two or more days a week.

form a slow stretch of each muscle group, holding for at least 30 seconds at a time. It is important to be warmed up before performing a full stretching routine. This is because warming up with a few minutes of moderate activity increases the temperature of the muscles, making them more elastic. Stretching after a workout is best. Gamers may benefit further by taking a few minutes out to move around and stretch lightly after every few hours of practice. This is particularly important when they begin to feel an uncomfortable stiff ness in their muscles.

A NOTE ON STRETCHING

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE

Have you ever found yourself wanting to put a few more hours of game practice in, only to be hindered by a niggling pain somewhere in your body? Sitting in front of a screen for hours on end is what gamers do; there’s no way around it. Unfortunately, this kind of activity puts a huge strain on the muscles of the neck, back, and shoulders. Fortunately, however, this is where stretching comes in to save the day.

Stretching is exercise’s oft-forgotten cousin. It may be overlooked, but it’s got a lot to give. Stretching reduces tension in muscles, provides better range of motion, promotes circulation, and improves flexibility. It can also lead to increased energy levels.

General recommendations are to per-

By following the WHO’s guidelines on minimum physical activity for healthy adults, you’ll be giving your body and mind the chance to adapt and improve in so many ways. You might well find your game being carried along with them. So get out and move. And, oh yeah, don’t forget to stretch afterwards. g

MORE ESPORTS ONLINE AT ECENTRALSPORTS.COM

AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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REAL ESTATE

Mayor’s housing plan rooted in rezoning for rentals

by Charlie Smith

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Vancouver city council recently voted to rezone two expensive homes in Shaughnessy, including the one above on West 32nd Avenue in Shaughnessy, with a new 81-unit rental apartment block.

hen Kennedy Stewart entered the Vancouver mayoral race in 2018, he made rental housing his top priority. The former NDP MP promised 85,000 new housing units during the next decade, including 25,000 affordable rental units on city land. Another 25,000 units, he promised, would be market rentals, with the remaining 35,000 being homes that would go on the market.

At the time, it seemed far-fetched in a city that has prized strata-title condos over virtually any other form of real-estate construction during the past 30 years. But 21 months after being sworn into office, Stewart appears to be making progress.

“I had a pretty clear idea of why I was elected,” Stewart recently told the Straight in a phone interview. “It was really to move away from displacing folks when we’re building new housing—and to move away from building condos and move toward building rental.”

On July 29, council voted 10-1 in favour of allowing 81 units in a four-storey apartment project at 4750 Granville Street and

1494 West 32nd Avenue. It’s in the city’s posh Shaughnessy neighbourhood, which has traditionally been a bastion for wealthy homeowners.

“To replace two mansions with 81 rental units—in a part of the city where that has not been happening—is great,” Stewart said. “I said last night, ‘I hope to see more of these.’ ” The previous night, council approved nine units of secured market rentals in two new buildings that will be built at 6031 Dunbar Street. To date, this has been an area fi lled with single-family homes.

The rents won’t be cheap in either project.

A report to council indicated that a onebedroom unit in a newer building on the West Side costs tenants $1,999 per month.

The monthly rent for a two-bedroom in such a project would be $3,059, compared to $3,836 for a three-bedroom. However, these rental rates will still enable residents with household incomes of between $79,760 to $155,040 to live in Shaughnessy.

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income of between $207,640 and $342,840, according to the same report.

Stewart said that market rentals like this are important because they provide housing for a segment of the population that might otherwise want to move into more affordable rentals on the East Side.

But he’s particularly enthusiastic about the city’s Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Program, which will enable up to 20 rezonings for new buildings. To qualify, developers must provide 100 percent of the residential floor area for “secured market rental housing”, which means they cannot be converted to strata-title condo units.

In addition, a minimum of 20 percent of those units must be kept permanently in place for households with incomes between $30,000 and $80,000.

“The MIRHPP is just a pilot,” Stewart emphasized. “But I really think it is the way forward and it should be permanent.”

Earlier in July, council narrowly approved 258 secured rental units in a 28-storey tower that will be built on the old Denny’s restaurant site at the corner of Birch Street and West Broadway. According to the city, 22 percent of the residential floorspace will be for units targeted at residents with family incomes of between $30,000 and $80,000 per year. A city document mentions that under the program, a studio MIRHPP unit will cost $1,242 per month; a one-bedroom unit will rent for $1,561; two bedrooms will go for $1,972 per month; and a three-bedroom apartment would cost $2,338 per month.

The first three of these projects were approved unanimously in December 2019.

Stewart said that mayors across the country have contacted him to find out how Vancouver has been able to stimulate the development of affordable housing on private land.

“The old rote is, ‘Oh, well, the city provides land and then the province and feds

kick in the money.’…But the workers in the city have really been falling through the cracks,” Stewart said.

The mayor hasn’t always succeeded in getting his way. In May, NPA councillor Colleen Hardwick managed to win the votes of every member of council except Stewart and OneCity’s Christine Boyle for a motion seeking to reexamine how many housing units needed to be built in Vancouver post–COVID-19. The “Housing Vancouver” targets set by the previous Vision Vancouver–controlled council called for 72,000 new homes between 2018 and 2027. Hardwick’s motion directed staff to determine whether that figure referred to net housing completions or gross housing completions.

Hardwick argued that the target of 72,000 new homes would translate into a population increase of 158,400—more than twice the historical rate. She based this conclusion on an assumption that each home will have 2.2 residents, which was the density rate in the 2016 census.

Whether that materializes in the future is anyone’s guess.

But Stewart has been pleased to see the B.C. government step up and buy three hotels (the American, Howard Johnson, and Buchan hotels) and provide modular housing.

“I expect that we’ll have modular housing coming soon—more modular housing from the province—and that’s very helpful,” Stewart added.

But he’s still looking for help from the federal government. The city has set aside land in the hope that Ottawa will fund 300 units of modular housing for the city’s poorest residents.

“We did have an initial investment of $184 million,” the mayor acknowledged.

“I don’t know how many meetings I had to get that money. That was for deep affordability, but now we just really need help with modular housing.” g

ARTS

Monkman paints missing Indigenous images into history In Shame and Prejudice at the Museum of Anthropology, the artist brings touches of humour to dark subjects

by Janet Smith

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At MOA’s Shame and Prejudice show, Kent Monkman’s The Massacre of the Innocents depicts the slaughtering of beavers, while The Scream features children being taken away to residential schools.

s UBC’s Museum of Anthropology gets used to welcoming visitors again, it’s opening a major new show—one that shakes up the very foundations of Canada.

On the final stop of a cross-country tour that kicked off in 2017, Cree artist Kent Monkman’s provocative Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience finally arrives in Vancouver.

Years in the making by one of Canada’s most exciting contemporary painters, it was originally conceived to mark Canada’s 150th anniversary through an Indigenous point of view. But it’s taking on unexpected new resonance during this year’s upheaval and the global focus on systemic racism.

“This was an opportunity to ask Canadians to think about what 150 years have meant to Indigenous people, and reframe it through my own lens,” the artist says, speaking to the Straight from his studio in Prince Edward County, on Ontario’s picturesque Bay of Quinte, where the largely Toronto-based Monkman has been holed up for most of the quarantine. “Colonial history really intended to remove Indigenous people from view, but also strip us of our culture and our languages.”

To prepare the exhibit, Monkman took a year to travel to museum vaults across the country, digging up artifacts and artworks that had been stowed away. Some of them—such as the moccasins of Chief Pîhtokahanapiwiyin (Poundmaker), and traditional cradle boards—make their way into the exhibit, creating a dialogue with Monkman’s grand, often parodic canvases.

His paintings are presented in the style of the old masters, but capture a history never told by 19th-century paintings: one of killing, starvation, and abduction. The Scream is a deeply distressing tableau of nuns, priests, and red-coated Mounties yanking crying children away to residential school, holding back their distraught mothers—in one case, by grabbing her hair.

The Massacre of the Innocents, alluding to a 17th-century biblical scene by Peter Paul Rubens, finds white settlers slaughtering beavers with clubs, machetes, and shotgun buttstocks across a romantic landscape of rolling green foothills at sunset.

“It really reinforced my belief that painting could be a relevant medium to express Indigenous experience—both historic and contemporary,” says Monkman, who continues to work across other media like film and installations. “And from that moment forward, I really set about engaging with this lost or discarded tradition from western art history and history painting. I think it’s such a sophisticated language of storytelling that I decided to harness the techniques of history paintings to speak about the Indigenous histories and experiences that had been erased from view or never depicted in this art history that is

What I wanted was to depict events, sometimes traumatic, that were erased from history, erased from the Canadian curriculums.

– Kent Monkman

Monkman traces his fascination with Old World painting back a decade, when a trip to Madrid’s legendary Prado awakened him to the expressive emotional power of oils, brushes, and canvas—and how he could use the style to depict a history that had long been distorted.

told in our museums across the continent.

“Over many years, I’ve been looking at that art history, examining it for those gaps in what has been represented and what has been omitted,” he continues. “So, with this project, what I wanted was to depict events, sometimes traumatic, that were erased

from history, erased from the education curriculums of most Canadians, who had no idea that residential schools were this experience that Indigenous people had to survive. So many Canadians graduated from university without having any knowledge of residential schools, so it was an opportunity to insert some of these images into this shared art history, which ended up being quite powerful and troubling to many people. But I felt they were necessary to shock and also engage and educate many Canadians, who still remain largely ignorant of many Indigenous experiences.

That’s the beauty and power of art.”

A character who makes frequent appearances in the Monkman paintings at MOA is Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, his gender-bending alter ego. In The Daddies, she poses nude, in heels, lounging provocatively in front of the Fathers of Confederation, her bare butt planted on a symbolic Hudson’s Bay blanket. It’s Monkman’s own twist on Robert Harris’s classic 1884 painting Meeting of the Delegates of British North America to Settle the Terms of Confederation.

Miss Chief represents Indigenous culture’s fluid, two-spirit approach to gender, but she’s also a kind of trickster or supernatural force who brings humour to some of Monkman’s darker historical reference points. “She lives in this parallel universe as a Cree mythological figure,” Monkman offers, then adds: “I’ve often found that humour is a part of Cree storytelling. But also, just as a strategy, having humour

AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020

see next page

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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Coming soon — Opens August 6

SHAME AND PREJUDICE

A Story of Resilience

By Kent Monkman

Arts STREAM

on August 7 at 7 p.m.) As part of the Vines Art Festival, Afro Van Connect presents Just Above the Horizon, a multimedia digital performance spanning drumming, dance, spoken word, and Indigenous African ceremony. c DIALLED UP: AN ARTS CLUB

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION (August

WHILE SOCIAL-DISTANCING

measures continue, here are some must-watch offerings—streamed and otherwise—for the artfully inclined this week. c FREEDOM: STORIES OF BLACK LIBERATION (Facebook and YouTube

8 to 14 via digital.artsclub.com/) A brand-new online theatre festival livens up the hazy-lazy COVID-crazy days of summer with videos, readings, roundtable discussions, and open-mike nights with local artists.

c TAS: ART TO THE PEOPLE (August 13 to 18 at 348 Water Street) This new pop-up in historic Gastown provides an inviting alternative to stuffy galleries, showcasing the work of young local artists (including Lydia Cecilia, whose piece is shown here). g

Kent Monkman’s Shame and Prejudice marks Canada’s 150th in his own way. It took years to put together, blending his own epic artworks with Indigenous artifacts. Photo by Samuel Engelking.

from previous page

The Daddies (detail), Kent Monkman, 2016.

August 6, 2020 – January 3, 2021 moa.ubc.ca This exhibition is produced by the Art Museum at the University of Toronto in partnership with the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown, and has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Ontario Onttario Arts Council. Lead Sponsor: Donald R. Sobey Foundation.

Media Sponsor

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020

is an important component of my work.

It can bring them [viewers] even closer to other messages in my work that are harder to digest. And also, she’s a way of seducing people into my work. Miss Chief is kind of sexy.”

Though Monkman’s work has been prominently featured in institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Canada, his Shame and Prejudice finds a new kind of meaning at the Museum of Anthropology, with its rich collection of art from elsewhere in the Indigenous world.

The exhibit also offers a thought-provoking perspective on recent anti-racism protests, when statues are being toppled, institutions are being questioned, and history is being rewritten.

“I feel very optimistic. Unfortunately, it takes some kind of horrible experience to shock and enrage and force people out of this state of being idle,” Monkman reflects.

“I’m one artist, one voice, and I believe it’s

my inherent responsibility, if I’m going to talk about what it means to be Indigenous, that I have to sort of keep putting that out there as widely as possible. There are many other people now whose voices are out there. We have to challenge the colonial narratives that have defined us. A lot of the conversations happening right now are doing exactly that: they’re challenging why we have statues that essentially glorify leaders of a genocide against Indigenous people. There has to be conversations about that. And there has to be action taken to move us forward. Otherwise, we are going to end up remaining in this position where we are continuing to be colonized.

“So it’s inevitable, but it’s also important that as many people as possible engage in this conversation and speak out to ensure that the future generations coming behind us are living in a better place.” g Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience is at the Museum of Anthropology from Thursday (August 6) to January 3, 2021.

STYLE

Sneaker enthusiast reveals her tricks of the trade As a new #eBayedits ambassador, artist Briony Douglas knows how to find, flip, and rock her kicks

by Janet Smith

S

Left and right, Briony Douglas’s recent eBay favourites include Melody Ehsani Air Jordan Fearless Ones and Chuck Taylor All-Star 70s Hi Fear of God Blacks; centre, the sneaker-loving artist herself.

neaker collecting requires vigilance and a lot of free time at the laptop—so it’s no surprise it’s been one of the few areas of commerce that’s been humming along during the otherwise crippling COVID crisis.

Major drops have created buzz—the recent release of Off-White Air Jordan 4 “Sail” already commanded over US$1,000 on the resale market at last check. And sites like eBay have provided a welcome distraction for sneakerheads out there.

For Canadian photographer, artist, and influencer Briony Douglas, kick-hunting has been a mood booster during lockdown.

“I want to do things that make me feel happy—and buying sneakers does that,” she says from home in Toronto. “It’s like a game. Or a hobby.”

Her skill at hunting down rare finds, not to mention her eye for Instagrammable style, have led to her being named one of the head curators of eBay’s new #eBayedits, in which Canada’s top tastemakers showcase their favourite finds, from home décor to sports memorabilia.

Douglas brings her knowhow to the Shoes and Collectibles category, with her recent spotlighted finds including Jordan IV Retro NRG Hot Punch basketball shoes in screaming-hot pink and classic-cool Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star 70s Hi Fear of God Blacks.

Douglas has always had a love of all things sneaks, but it kicked into an even higher gear two years ago when she was asked to photograph Anna Wintour’s Vogue x Nike AWOK Air Jordans collab.

The influential editor-in-chief’s iconic

leather-and-tweed style marked a new era of high-fashion takes on athletic footwear.

As for Douglas, she’s been hooked ever since, sometimes working collectible kicks right into her sculptural art: her 2019 exhibit Homage paid pays tribute to symbols like Michael Jordan’s “Jumpman” or Kanye’s Bear through vintage-store and eBay finds, including sneakers themselves.

She also, of course, wears her finds— notable for their vibrant colours—rocking them as often with dresses as she does with jeans.

comes to tracking down and bidding on rare editions—a hunt that’s especially challenging when so many big drops are only released south of the border.

“We don’t have it easy here in Canada when it comes to sneaker drops,” she says.

That’s where eBay comes in—probably one of the first places that coveted pair of Air Jordans or Adidas Yeezys is going to appear.

The resale site has become one of the main hubs for reselling sneakers. There, the most coveted kicks can even command prices in the range of $100,000—think Drake’s spin

Timing is everything....Right now, with the economy the way it is, it’s a free-for-all.

– Briony Douglas

“For myself, I don’t usually wear heels— I don’t feel comfortable in them. I don’t feel like myself,” she explains. “I wear sneakers with gowns. You have to be comfortable.”

Of course, those are just the sneakers in her collection that will actually touch her feet. As Douglas puts it, “You’re gonna have your shoes you will wear forever, and then there are the ones for flipping.”

Douglas knows all the tricks when it

on the highly valued Air Jordan 12.

For the rest of us trying to track down recent U.S. drops, it’s still within the realm of possibility to find an affordable pair. You just need to strategize.

“It is going to be more expensive than the original price, but I can sell an old pair to try to pay for it,” she explains. “Timing is everything. If something drops Saturday at noon I’m not going to buy it at 1 p.m.

because prices will be insanely high. Also the time of year matters; sometimes people will sell for money before Christmas. And right now, with the economy the way it is, it’s a free-for-all.”

Beyond keeping an eagle eye out for coveted styles to turn up on eBay, do your diligence when it comes time to buy, she advises.

“Make sure you look at the person you’re buying from. I look at their history,” Douglas says. “Look into whether that is a shoe that is often a fake. A way to check that is to look for a tag and also look for a tag on the box; make sure the serial number on the box matches the number on the shoe.”

Such skills have helped Douglas nab favourites like her Air Jordan OG Melody Ehsani cherry-themed kicks, or her multicoloured Fearless Ones by the same designer. The latter mismatched pair is featured on her current favourites at #eBay edits, going for about $1,850, complete with old-watch emblems; colour blasts of habanero red, green, orange, and pink; and the hand-lettered quote on the midsole that reads “IF YOU KNEW WHAT YOU HAD WAS RARE, YOU WOULD NEVER WASTE IT.” But there are still sneakers that elude her—including a pair of Jordans by luxury streetwear designer Virgil Abloh that run well into the thousands. “Those are the ones that I’ve had my heart set on for months now,” she laments.

At least the enforced pause of the COVID era allows for a little more time for patient watching and waiting—ever ready to pounce. g

AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

9

in loving memory

Dr. Chinmoy Banerjee (    -     )

Af a long battle with heart failure, Chinmoy Banerjee passed away peaceAfter fully fu on July 29, 2020. He was surrounded by family and friends, listening to one of his friends singing mystic musings, as Glenn Gould’s final performance Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” played in the background. He was also wearing of Ba much-cherished Charlie Chaplin t-shirt. his muc Chinmoy wwas always characterized by good humor, and his tastes were eclectic and wide-ranging, ffrom classical music to the Rolling Stones, and from Charlie Chaplin to Ingmar Bergman.

Bergman In his later years, he became devoted to Indian cinema and co-founded a film society, the South Asian Film Education Society.

Dr. Banerjee taught English literature, literary criticism, and postcolonial studies at Simon Fraser University for 35 years. For many of those years he was both voted and celebrated by students as the “best teacher.” His life was dedicated to learning.

He was born on January 10, 1940, in Baidyabati, Bengal, in his grandmother’s house. He was a middle child. After tragically losing his mother at a young age, he went to Sindia boarding school in Gwalior, where he excelled. His success continued at St. Stephen’s college at Delhi University, where he completed both his undergraduate and Master’s degrees in English Literature, and finished with a First-class standing.

At Delhi University, Chinmoy met his future-wife, Aruna, at Miranda House, the sister college to St. Stephen’s. They shared a passion for literature and music. They married in 1963.

In 1966, their first-born Anand, was born in Bombay. Soon after, Chin travelled to Ohio to do his PhD in 18th century English Literature at Kent State University. During his time at Kent State, Chin began his life-long involvement with progressive politics, starting with the protests against the Vietnam War. On May 4, 1970, Chin, while trying to bring his 4-year-old son Anand to campus pre-school, was turned away by nervous National Guardsmen who pointed rifles at the car. A few hours later, four students had been shot dead, and Chin’s perspective—and political allegiances—had crystallized. From then on, there was no compromise for him.

In 1970, the family moved to Canada and Chin began to teach English at Simon Fraser University. In December that year, his daughter Nandini was born.

During his early years in Canada, Chinmoy felt lonely and isolated, missing his native India and his extended family. In 1975, he took a one-year leave from SFU and moved his family to India, with the hope that he could make the move permanent. Unfortunately, at that time, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a State of Emergency, and thousands of people critical of her government were imprisoned and tortured without trial. He then realized that, as much as he felt connected with India, his destiny, and the path of his young family, remained back in Canada.

The family returned to Canada and became naturalized Canadian citizens within a few months. He never regretted this decision.

Chinmoy’s political activitism began in earnest when he co-founded an advocacy collective, Indian People’s Association in North America (IPANA), in 1975. IPANA was an organization of progressive Indians living in North America who opposed imperialism and supported democratic rights and social justice in India. IPANA established chapters in many North American cities including Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and New York. It was then led by Dr. Hari Sharma, Dr. Daya Varma and Dr. Vinod Mubayi. Chinmoy became one of the leaders of IPANA and wrote for its two publications New India Bulletin and India Now. Having engaged in various anti-racist struggles in the 1970s, Chinmoy was one of the founding members and leaders of the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism, which became a prominent anti-racist organization in the province.

Among its significant achievements was to successfully mobilize various groups, from very different sectors, to stand together and oppose the Ku Klux Klan, which was attempting to establish a new base of operations in Vancouver in the early 1980s.

Chinmoy was also one of the strong supporters of the Canadian Farmworkers Union, which took up the cause of (mostly immigrant) farm workers, who had, until then, been excluded from protection under British Columbia’s labour laws. He was also one of the founding members and leaders of the Non-Resident Indians for Secularism and Democracy, which eventually became the South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD).

Throughout his life, Chinmoy remained devoted to the ideals of democracy in India, his homeland. He was outraged by the attacks on democratic freedoms by the government of Narendra Modi. Under Modi’s government, he saw India moving in an anti-democratic direction, with persecution against minorities reaching levels reminiscent of Europe before World War II. Whenever protests arose in India against government authoritarianism and attacks on minorities, he always supported them. He spearheaded local protests in British Columbia against the lynching of Muslims, the attack on the students and professors at Jawaharlal Lal Nehru University in Delhi, and the attack on Dalits.

Chinmoy leaves behind a legacy of activism in the service of the humankind. He inspired many people to fight for a better world of secular democracy and human rights, and his example and inspiration lives on.

Among his philanthropic acts, Chinmoy was the first president of the Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation (HSF). The HSF, in addition to sponsoring cultural events for many local and international organizations, coordinated international conferences and cultural events on migrant labour, Sufi thought, racism, and the environment. The HSF also funded multiple research projects and scholarships.

Chinmoy Banerjee is survived by his wife Robyn Kathleen Banerjee, son Anand Banerjee (wife Beth), daughter Aedon (“Nandini”) Young (husband Rob), grandson Max, and granddaughters Alexandria and Maya, and step-sons Jack Fairey and Joshua Fairey. In lieu of flowers, we request that you make a donation to a charity of your choice in his honour. A celebration of Chin’s life will be held when COVID19 restrictions are relaxed.

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020

DIVERSITY

Latin American fest finds rich heritage in local heroes

P

by Carlito Pablo

aola Murillo’s list of local heroes mirrors the diversity of Latin America.

Murillo serves as executive director of Latincouver, the nonprofit behind Carnaval del Sol. Started in 2009, the Vancouver festival celebrating LatinAmerican culture is the biggest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

Her list starts with Waldo Briño from Chile.

“Waldo Briño worked very hard for the Latin-American community in B.C. to have a voice,” Murillo said to the Georgia Straight about the late advocate and newspaper publisher.

Latincouver’s Inspirational Latin Awards includes a category named after Briño. This prize recognizes people whose work elevates the Latin-American community.

Next comes Antonio Arreaga, honorary consul of Costa Rica in Vancouver.

“He has been one of my strongest mentors,” Murillo said.

She also counts Rosario Ancer from Mexico as one of her heroes. Many consider the Spanish-trained cofounder of Flamenco Rosario as the mother of flamenco dance in Vancouver.

Carmen Aguirre from Chile makes the list. Aguirre’s 2011 book Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter recalls her experience as a child whose parents fought Chilean strongman Augusto Pinochet.

Murillo likewise mentions Laura Cuner from Argentina. Cuner is the founder and president of Avafina Organics, a Coquitlam-based distributor of organic foods.

Another is Pilar Portela from Costa Rica. Portela is the president of Astra Smart Systems, a high-tech company.

The list includes Gabriela Rojo from Argentina. Murillo related how Rojo helped popularize tango as a dance form in B.C. Walter Mérida from Guatemala gets cited as well. Known as a UBC scientist, engineer, and professor, Mérida serves as senior advisor to university president and vice-chancellor Santa Ono. Murillo also mentioned temporary farm workers from Mexico and Guatemala. “They’re the ones that are giving us our food,” she said.

According to the 2016 census, people with roots from Latin America compose the fifth-largest visible-minority population in Canada.

The count tallied 447,325 people of Latin-American heritage. They came after the top four: South Asian, Chinese,

Carnaval del Sol’s Paola Murillo lists sources of inspiration. Photo by Carlos Taylhardat.

Black, and Filipino.

Founded in 2008 by Murillo, Latincouver brings together various Latin-American communities in B.C. The nonprofit estimates the group’s population in the province at around 100,000.

Murillo hails from Colombia. Educated in the U.S. and France, she returned to Colombia to work for the International Committee of the Red Cross. She moved to Canada in 2005.

Murillo noted that Latin America shares many similarities with Canada. She pointed out that people from all over the world call Latin America home.

“We also have our First Nations people, like the Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas,” Murillo said. “This makes us a very diverse and unique mosaic.”

According to Statistics Canada, most immigrants from the Latin America arrived relatively recently. Of the foreignborn Latin Americans in Canada in 2001, 47 percent had come in the previous decade. Another 35 percent arrived in Canada between 1981 and 1990. Moreover, only three percent arrived in the 1960s, and less than one percent came to Canada before 1961.

Murillo said that Latin Americans bring a bright disposition to their adopted country: “Our socioeconomic problems [in Latin America] have helped us build resilience and creativity, and looking at the future in a positive way.” g

FOOD

Carnaval del Sol serves up a festival of flavours

The annual bash in honour of Latin American culture taps local restaurants for a bright, diverse menu

by Gail Johnson

A

The Spanish specialties of Bodega on Main represent just one of the great many culinary traditions being highlighted at this year’s edition of Carnaval del Sol. Photos by Andrea Iñurria.

s part of its 12th annual celebration, Carnaval del Sol is taking to local restaurants this weekend (August 7 to 9). At a time when much of Latincouver’s multifaceted event’s other programming has shifted online, it’s a way of spreading the fest’s joy in person (at safe distances) through Latin-American flavours.

“Carnaval del Sol is really beautiful celebration of so many different diverse cultures and always a good time,” says Natalie Rivas, co-owner of Bodega on Main (1014 Main Street), a tapas restaurant. “While the festival may look a little bit different this year due to COVID-19, it’s amazing to be able to still celebrate Latin culture in any form. We are honoured to be a part of this year’s festivities.”

Several restaurants are offering promotions as part of Carnaval del Sol, with Bodega on Main taking $10 off its paella mixta (saffron rice with seafood, chicken, and chorizo); paella negra (squid-ink rice with prawns, calamari, baby squid, mussels and clams); and paella jardinera (saffron rice with Padrón peppers, oyster mushrooms, asparagus, grilled fennel, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and artichoke hearts). “Paella takes its name from the wide, shallow, traditional pan used to cook the dish,” Rivas says.

“It’s one of our signature dishes, and one of our most popular because it really offers a true taste of Spain.”

It’s amazing to be able to still celebrate Latin culture in any form.

– Natalie Rivas

Boteco Brasil (2545 Nanaimo Street) draws its naming inspiration from the Portuguese word for a casual night spot or pub where people go to eat, drink, and hang out. And, naturally, it focuses on authentic Brazilian fare. To celebrate Carnaval del Sol, the restaurant is putting feijoada on special. The thick black-bean-and-pork stew is served with sautéed kale, farofa (toasted cassava flour), basmati rice, and vinaigrette salsa. Boteco has a vegan version of the traditional stew as well. Make it a combo by ordering a caipirinha to go with either, the cocktail consisting of cachaça (a Brazilian spirit that, much like rum, is made of fermented and distilled sugarcane juice), lime juice, and sugar.

Plus, all desserts are discounted to $4.50; try the mousse de maracujá, with passionfruit, cream, and condensed milk; or the tiramisu-like pavé, the ladyfinger cookies

covered with chocolate or lime cream.

La Casita Mexican Restaurant (101 West Cordova Street) is serving nachos for $7.50 and draft beer for $4 all day, while Palomas are on special at Zócalo Modern Cantina (646 Kingsway) for $8. The restaurant is named after Mexico City’s central square, but now the term zócalo is commonly used to refer to any place where people gather.

Made with fresh grapefruit juice and soda, Palomas are widely considered Mexico’s most popular cocktail.

If it’s a margarita you seek, head on over to Tequila Cocina in North Vancouver (1933 Lonsdale Avenue), where the drinks are going for $5 all weekend; if you get

peckish, the Carnaval del Sol deal has you covered with three meat tacos for $10.

For every $20 spent at Los Cuervos Taqueria (603 Kingsway), you’ll get a complimentary plate of churros, while it’s a fullmeal deal at Sal y Limon’s Surrey location (2428 160 Street), with $25 getting you two burritos, two cans of soda, tortilla chips, and pico de gallo.

Other participating restaurants include the Cambie Bar & Grill, Cafeoca Brazilian Bistro, Provence Marinaside, Charqui, and more. Some venues will have live music and performances. Reservations are required by Thursday (August 6). Full details are at carnavaldelsol.ca/restaurants/. g

NEW MENU

FREE DELIVERY or SPECIAL 20% DISCOUNT FOR PICK UP

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AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020

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11

LIQUOR

Scotch is kind of like having a favourite band

C

by Mike Usinger

anada is home to Glasgow-raised Bryan Simpson these days, but when it comes to liquor there’s little doubt where his allegiance

lies.

“For me, I truly believe that Scotch whisky is the best drink in the world,” states the proudly Scottish brand ambassador for Ardbeg and Glenmorangie, speaking on Zoom from his adopted base of Toronto. “I think there’s a huge amount of history and heritage that kind of goes in line with Scotland.”

Some of those things—kilts, haggis, and caber tossing—haven’t exactly taken root around the globe. Scotch whisky most cer-

Scan to conffess

tainly has.

“The community of people around the world who love Scotch whisky is phenomenal,” Simpson says. “I don’t really know any other type of spirit where you’ll get these passionate fans. They’ll follow whisky from Scotland in the same way that people will talk about their favourite band—merchandise and all. I’ve seen people in my travels across Canada with Ardbeg tattoos.”

For reasons that have everything to do with heavily peated offerings from Ardbeg, Laphroaig, and Lagavulin, Scotch is often considered a liquor for advanced imbibers.

Like oysters, caviar, and sea-urchin sushi,

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.

Don’t bother job shaming me Sure, I don’t make a lot of money and my current job may not seem like the most glamorous, but before you decide to judge or pity me consider this: I am not being micro-managed all day by some crazy boss and I am not getting constantly bullied and belittled in front of others. I don’t have a 2 hour commute to and from work every day, and I am allowed to work from home. I get to avoid the all too common office politics, and am still able to have good relations with positive management and coworkers. I am not in a bad place.

I miss my mother, but I’m glad she’s dead She died during Covid, not of covid but isolated in an assisted living building. By now, she would have hated been cooped up in her room with nothing to do. By now, she would have become too lonely not having anyone allowed to visit her. So, I’m glad she’s gone. She died in April with her dignity intact. Still, I hold her in my heart and hope that wherever she’s gone, it’s a good place.

Is this a joke?

People don’t have money in Vancouver, but now they’re all paying for food delivery? Even people on EI eat out more than I do. I’m seriously a grinch, eh? I don’t see why anyone bothers try anymore. This is all gonna blow up in our face and hard-working people will have to cleanup the next recession mess.... but on the scale it might occur at, I am doubtful we can really do the heavy lifting next time.

Help meeeeee.... *squeaky mousey voice* I work for the government and my life is completely meaningless.

A website form could replace me.

Visit 12

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

to post a Confession AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020

it’s something that requires a bit of working up to.

But Simpson notes that not all Scotch has the kind of smokiness made famous by distilleries in Scotland’s Islay region. For those who want a drink that lets them play connect-the-dots with American, Canadian, and Irish whiskies, Glenfiddich, the Balvenie, and Glenmorangie are easy to appreciate.

“Flavour-wise, Glenmorangie and Ardbeg are on opposite sides of the flavour spectrum,” Simpson says. “One of the lines you’ll have in Scotch whisky is if the whisky is going to be peated or unpeated— smoky, or not smoky. All Glenmorangies are unpeated. All the Ardbegs are heavily peated.”

Let’s do a quick Scotch-whisky guide for dummies. First, peated whiskies. The process starts with barley that is steeped in water and then heated up right before germination starts.

“Hot air is used to dry the barley,” Simpson relates. “Underneath where the barley is drying there’s peat, which gives off a huge amount of smoke which kind of wraps itself around the barley. It’s not enough to dry the barley—it’s just to add a smoky flavour.”

As for unpeated whiskies, there are different varietals. Grain whisky can be made from corn, wheat, or barley. Malt whisky comes from 100-percent malted barley.

When it’s from a single distillery, it’s single-malt, whereas blended malt whisky is a mix from different distilleries. Blended Scotch makes up over 90 percent of all Scotch whisky sold.

A single-malt Scotch whisky has to mature for a minimum of three years in oak casks, where it picks up subtle flavours.

Peated offerings often skew perspectives of what Scotch whiskies are.

“When it comes to unpeated single-malt whiskies, I personally think they get a bad rep,” Simpson offers. “A lot of people think it’s going to be a strong spirit. But some of the most popular brands of North American whisky are actually more aggressive than what you’ll get with a Glenmorangie, which is very approachable.”

As with many things in life, the more you push yourself, the more you’ll be open to new experiences. Cocktails are a great way to ease yourself into things.

“When it comes to cocktails, you don’t have to use too much. Some people want the smoke, but not necessarily the intensity of having it neat,” Simpson says. “Then, once you get used to having a smoky cocktail, you can work the back end to having it neat with a little bit of water or maybe over ice—whatever it takes to get over that hurdle.”

And even if you’re not quite ready to

Glenmorangie is an unpeated Scotch that is more mellow than many American whiskies.

tackle that hurdle, it’s okay. There’s a Scotch whisky for everyone.

“I say this all the time: it’s not that you don’t like Scotch,” Simpson says with a laugh, “it’s just that you haven’t found the right one.”

Here are two drinks you can make with Scotch whisky: ARDBEG DAIQUIRI 1 oz. Ardbeg Wee Beastie 1/2 oz. apple juice 1/5 oz. fresh lime juice 1/4 oz. vanilla syrup Shake over ice, strain into chilled coupe glass.

GLENMORANGIE GINGER LEMON HIGHBALL 1.5 oz. Glenmorangie Original 10 Year Old 1 dash lemon bitters 1 dash aromatic bitters Top with ginger ale Stir the ingredients together and serve in a highball glass with a twist of orange and a touch of crystallized ginger. g Mike Usinger is not a professional bartender. He does, however, spend most of his waking hours sitting on barstools.

FINANCE

BMO Capital lists REITs worth considering Sustained low interest rates aren’t necessarily bad news for yield-seeking investors

by Charlie Smith

DOCKS stocks offer distinctly Canadian version of FAANG

by Charlie Smith

Shopify has electrified Canadian investors.

Photo by Paul McKinnon/Getty Images.

B

T

BMO Capital Markets chief investment strategist Brian Belski says the relationship between real estate and interest rates is complicated.

here’s a widespread belief that there’s an inverse relationship between stock prices and interest rates. But Brian Belski, managing director and chief investment strategist of BMO Capital Markets, doesn’t always subscribe to this point of view.

“I think it’s too simplistic to say stocks go up when interest rates go down and stocks go down when interest rates go up,” Belski told the Straight by phone.

“Yield” refers to earnings generated on investments over a set period of time. And this can come in the form of a rise in the price of a stock or dividends received since it was purchased. Or it can be the interest paid on a bond.

“I think your readers need to understand that when yields go down, bond prices go up,” Belski said. “And we’ve had this huge move out of equities and into fixed-income [securities]. It’s really been going on for the betterment of the last 20 years.”

He noted that during the past 10 years, there’s been a positive correlation with respect to the performance of stocks and bonds. But when stock prices go up, that is traditionally accompanied by lower yields on bonds.

The Bank of Canada’s overnight rate is at 0.25 percent. Last month, new Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem declared that interest rates will remain near historic lows for a long time.

Then there are REITs, a.k.a. real-estate investment trusts, which pool the

capital of many investors. This can generate a steady income stream. Shares in REITS can also be traded like stocks.

“There are so many different parts of REITs,” Belski said. “There’s health-care REITs, there’s industrial REITs, there’s technology REITs.” One example of a tech REIT is American Tower Corp., which has 180,000 communication sites in its portfolio. This enables investors to cash in on the proliferation of cellphone use around the world.

According to Belski, utilities are very similar to REITs from the perspective of dividends and yields.

It’s too simplistic to say stocks go up when interest rates go down.

– Brian Belski

In a July 30 report looking at real estate and utilities in a low-yield environment, Belski and BMO Capital Markets investment strategist Ryan Bohren concluded that the “thirst for yield” will increase once the uncertainty over companies’ cash flows subside. They forecast that this will occur

even though BMO Capital Markets expects that the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Canada will keep interest rates low until at least 2022.

Belski and Bohren are more optimistic about real estate over utilities because the latter group tends to perform well in the earlier part of recessions when interest rates are rapidly declining. According to Belski, the economic recovery from the COVID-19 shock is already well underway, though he thinks it will be the slowest comeback from a recession on record.

That’s because of how low interest rates are at the moment.

“We still have another stimulus package coming from the United States government,” Belski said.

At the back of the report, Belski and Bohren listed 16 Canadian-based REITs that they believe will outperform the market. Among them are Altus Group Limited, Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust, Granite Real Estate Investment Trust, Killam Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust, and Colliers International Group.

They emphasized that the relationship between real estate and interest rates “is more complicated compared with the more traditional high yield sectors given its less defensive and more economically sensitive operational composition”.

At the same time, they see a “strong risk/ reward opportunity for investors seeking yield” in certain REITs. g

ig Tech has recently been in the spotlight for several reasons.

In late July, the CEOs of Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Amazon, Apple, and Facebook all appeared before a congressional subcommittee.

The following day, three of these four companies reported impressive financial results. And the stock prices of Apple, Amazon, and Facebook rose significantly, making their shareholders even richer by the end of the month. (These are four of the socalled FAANG stocks; the fifth is Netflix.)

But what about poor old Canada? Which companies are our high-tech equivalents of the FAANG club?

Most of us have heard of Shopify, the Ottawa-based ecommerce company whose share price seems to defy gravity.

Its stock shot up by 158 percent in the first seven months of 2020, reaching the stratospheric figure of $1,369.78 on the TSE. Shopify is one of the DOCKS stocks—the Canadian version of FAANG. The others are Descartes Systems Group, OpenText Corp., Constellation Software, and Kinaxis Inc., which are also listed in Toronto.

Shares in Kinaxis, which is also headquartered in Ottawa, rocketed up by 96.4 percent from January 2 to the end of July.

Meanwhile, Waterloo-based Descartes’s shares have increased by 32.4 percent over the same period.

OpenText, also based in Waterloo, has been the laggard. It has seen its stock rise by only 4.6 percent from the start of January until the end of July.

And Toronto-based Constellation Software’s shares are up 24.4 percent over the same period.

None of these DOCKS companies are based in any province but Ontario.

Perhaps one day, Vancouver-based Absolute Software can be added to the acronym (DOCKSA?).

After all, Absolute’s share price rose by 81.9 percent through the first seven months of 2020. That means it has beat the gains posted by all three DOCKS companies not based in Ottawa. g

AUGUST 6 – 13 / 2020

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

13

SAVAGE LOVE

Painted toenails kink small price for relationship

by Dan Savage

b I’M A GAY guy who’s involved with a guy I met a few months before COVID-19 took off. He’s a great guy: smart, funny, hot, healthy, and easy to be around. It started as a hookup, but we have chemistry on several levels and, without either of us having to say it, we started seeing each other regularly. We both live alone and decided to be exclusive due to the pandemic. I honestly don’t know what we’re doing here. It’s some combination of friends, fuck buddies, and married couple all at the same time.

I wanted to just keep a good thing going but he just threw me a curveball that I need help figuring out how to handle. Out of the blue, he told me he held back telling me about his foot fetish. He says he’s had very bad experiences with guys who weren’t into it. He’s been keeping it to himself and looking at stuff online. I’m pretty vanilla and not into it, but I know kinks are a thing for a lot of guys and I’m willing to help out a good guy. I’m a longtime reader of yours, Dan, and being GGG is important to me. So I asked him to tell me what that means and what he wants to do. He wants to massage, wash, and kiss my feet and suck my toes. Okay, that’s not hot to me, but it’s probably doable once in a while. He, thankfully, doesn’t need me to do anything with his feet.

But there was more. I can’t believe I’m writing this: he asked if I would let him paint my toenails sometimes! WTF? He could barely say it and looked kind of sick after he did. We’re both conventional cis men. Neither of us are into fem stuff. He claimed it’s not about making me femme.

He says it’s just a hot thing for him. I know there’s no explanation for why people have kinks, but do you have any ideas what this is about? I didn’t respond at all and we haven’t talked about it since. I’m not proud

of that. I’m freaked out by this and not sure what to make of it. I don’t want to ask him directly if this is the price of admission, because that seems too big a price to pay and I really don’t want it to be his price.

- Freaked Out Over Terrific Person’s Erotic Revelation Vibe

From your panicked response, FOOTPERV, you’d think this poor guy wanted to cut your toes off and masturbate while you bled out. Dude. He just wants to paint your toenails—as prices go, that’s a very small price to pay for smart, funny, and hot.

Yeah, yeah: you’re both conventionally cis and presumably conventionally masculine.

Since we’ll never know what caused him to have this particular kink—kinks really are mysteries—let’s just run with that: he thinks

this is hot—or his dick thinks this is hot—because guys like you aren’t supposed to have painted toenails and guys like him aren’t supposed to paint toenails, FOOTPERV, and this small transgression against gender norms makes his dick hard because it does.

While it’s not always the case with all kinks, in this instance the most obvious explanation is the likeliest explanation. Moving on…

You say he’s a great guy; you say you enjoy being with him; and you say you’re a longtime reader. So you had to know that I was gonna say this: buy some fucking nail polish already and leave it on the nightstand where he can see it and let him paint your fucking toenails.

And if you really hate it, FOOTPERV, if it freaks you out to have polished toenails— or if your masculinity is really so fragile it

shatters under the weight of toenail polish—then you don’t have to do it again.

But I also gotta say that as off-the-wall sexual requests go, this is a small ask. If you were claustrophobic and your boyfriend wanted to mummify you, FOOTPERV, or if he wanted to use you as a urinal and you weren’t into piss, I would totally give you a pass. Some sexual requests are big asks, and the third G in GGG (“good, giving, and game”) has always been qualified: “game for anything—within reason.” Some sexual requests are huge asks; some prices of admission are too steep; and some desires can only be accommodated by people who share them. But this request—what your COVID-19 spouse wants to do to you—is a small ask and a small price, FOOTPERV, in no way comparable to being turned into a mummy or used as a urinal. So smoke a little pot, put your feet on the nice man’s lap, and try to take pleasure in the pleasure you’re giving.

If I sound a little impatient, FOOTPERV, I apologize. We live in a deeply sex- and kink-negative culture and our first reaction when a partner discloses a kink is often a knee-jerk negative reaction to the idea of kinks at all. In the moment, we can fail to distinguish between the big ask/steep price and the small ask/small price. And I hope you can see the compliment this great, smart, funny, hot guy was paying you when he asked. He felt safe enough to share something with you that other guys have judged and shamed him for. Take the compliment; buy the nail polish; pay the price. g This week on the Savage Lovecast, Mistress Velvet schools us all: www.savagelovecast.com. Email: mail@savagelove.net. Follow Dan on Twitter @ FakeDanSavage.

Employment EMPLOYMENT Careers

ERC Wallcovering Inc.

is looking for a PAINTING & WALLPAPERING CONTRACTOR to start as soon as possible in Vancouver, BC. Full-time, permanent position.

Salary: $22.00 - $26.50 hourly. English required. Minimum Education: High School.

Job Description: Secondary education required or equivalent, 2-3 years experience, ability to supervise up to 3-4 people. Steel-toed safety boots, hard hat, safety glasses and tools required. Need to be willing to travel or have own transportation, ability to work under pressure, overtime required. Need to be organized, a team player, reliability and excellent communication skills and experience and familiarity with commercial and residential related fields.

To apply, please email: ercides@telus. net

Amra Bakery Inc.

o/a European Breads Bakery is hiring Bakers.

Shifts, Weekends, Perm, Full-Time (40 h/w) Wage: 15.00 $/h Job requirements: Good English, Previous experience as a baker is an asset. On-the-job training will be provided by employer.Education: High school Main duties: Measure and combine flour and other ingredients according to recipes; Prepare dough for breads and other baked goods; Prepare and operate equipment for baking;Set and monitor temperatures and bake items;Ensure product freshness and food safety; Keep work area clean and tidy.

Company’s business address and job location: 4320 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC V5V 4G3 Please apply by e-mail: european.breads.amra@gmail.com

GEORGIA STRAIGHT JUNE 25 – JULY 26/–2020 14 THETHE GEORGIA STR AIGHT AUGUST 13 / 2020

Eurohouse Construction Inc.

is looking for Purchasing Manager.

Perm, F/T (30 h/w) Wage - $ 44.00 /h Extended medical benefit package.

Main duties: Plan, direct and control purchasing activity of the company; Evaluate suppliers of construction materials; Negotiate cooperation policies with suppliers; Evaluate and control contracts; Analyze price proposals, financial reports; Attend meetings, trade shows, and conferences; Maintain and review various records; Determine key requirements for employees, hire new personnel; Process claims against suppliers.Requirements: 3-5 years of experience, Good English, College diploma. Bachelor degree would be considered an asset.

Company’s business address and job location: 2474 Marine Dr, West Vancouver, BC V7V 1L1 Please apply by e-mail: admin@eurohouse.ca

POLAR EXTERIOR INC.

is looking for Construction Project Manager, Greater Vancouver, BC. Perm, F/T. Wage - $ 38.00/h Requirements: experience 3-4 years, good English, college diploma in civil engineering or construction technology.

Main duties: Manage construction projects; Perform budget estimates;Oversee construction contracts;Hire and supervise subcontractors; Direct and control daily operations;Monitor project schedule;Negotiate project revisions; Direct the purchase of materials, manage project's budget;Implement quality control procedures;Oversee compliance with legal requirements.

Company’s business address: 1265 Benneck Way, Port Coquitlam BC, V3C 5Y8 Please apply by e-mail: polarexteriorinc@gmail.com

Secret Of Beauty Trading Ltd.

is hiring Retail Sales Manager Job location: "Secret Of Beauty" store in Metropolis, 4720 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4N2. Perm, F/T (35 h/w), wage - $ 32.70 /h. Requirements: high school, good English, experience 1-2 years Main duties: Organize, direct and evaluate day-to-day operations; Plan budget, develop and implement price and credit policies; Determine merchandise to be sold; Order and receive goods; Assign duties to employees, manage and co-ordinate staff;Interview, hire and oversee training of staff; Resolve customer complaints; Develop and implement marketing strategies.

Company’s business address: 4602-1480 Howe St. Vancouver BC V6Z 0G5 Please apply by e-mail: secretofbeautystorebc@gmail.com

Zodiac Glazing Ltd

is hiring Glaziers.Greater Vancouver, BC. Perm, F/T, Salary: 25.00 $/h Requirements: experience 3-4 years, good English, high school education Main duties: Read and interpret blueprints and specifications; Prepare layouts of frame and window wall position; Measure, mark andcut glass; Fabricate, fit and install frames for glass installation;Position and secure glass; Assemble and install panels on exteriors of building;Install panels to form exterior walls of buildings;Repair and service windows, doors and other window components; Replace damaged glass or faulty sealant; Assemble, erect and dismantle scaffolds, swing-stages and hoisting equipment.

Company’s business address: 156-2721 Atlin Place, Coquitlam, BC, V3C 5B1 Please apply by e-mail: zodiacglazing@gmail.com

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Mind EMPLOYMENT Body & Soul Support Groups A MDABC peer-led support group is a safe place to share your story, your struggles and accomplishments, and to listen to others as they share similar concerns. Please Note: Support groups are not intended to provide counselling/therapy.

Please visit www.mdabc.net for a list & location of support groups or call 604-873-0103 for info.

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Please call Barbara 604-737-8337 Battered Women's Support Services provides free daytime & evening support groups (Drop-ins & 10 week groups) for women abused by their intimate partner. Groups provide emotional support, legal information & advocacy, safety planning, and referrals.

For more information please call: 604-687-1867 Distress Line & Suicide Prevention Services NEED SOME ONE TO TALK TO? Call us for immediate, free, confidential and non-judgemental support, 24 hours a day, everyday. The Crisis Centre in Vancouver can help you cope more effectively with stressful situations.

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Parkinson Society BC offers over 50 volunteer-led support groups throughout BC. These provide people with Parkinson's, their carepartners & families an opportunity to meet in a friendly, supportive setting with others who are experiencing similar difficulties. Some groups may offer exercise support.

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