The Georgia Straight - Best of Vancouver - November 11, 2021

FREE | NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021 Volume 55 | Number 2804

COP26

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SHORTAGE OF HOMES

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IRIS BAHR

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THE RICKSHAW

CONTENTS

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VANCOUVER

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November 11-18 / 2021

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COVER

The 26th annual edition of the Georgia Straight’s Best of Vancouver reveals our readers’ choices in 174 categories.

4

COMMENTARY

The lack of voices from the Global South is one of many reasons why young people are holding protests in Glasgow at the COP26 meetings.

By Claire Patterson

42 ARTS

Comedian Iris Bahr says that she will deliver her most personal work ever at this year’s Chutzpah! Festival as a result of looking after her mom.

By Charlie Smith

e Online TOP 5

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Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly Volume 55 | Number 2804

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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EDITOR Charlie Smith GENERAL MANAGER (ACTING) Sandra Oswald SECTION EDITORS Mike Usinger (ESports/Liquor/Music) Steve Newton SENIOR EDITOR Martin Dunphy STAFF WRITERS Carlito Pablo (Real Estate) SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT Jeff Li ART DEPARTMENT MANAGER Janet McDonald

Here’s what people are reading this week on Straight.com.

1 2 3 4 5

Calgary police charge antivaxxer Chris Sky with one count of mischief.

Car stolen in Vancouver while mother and baby were sleeping inside.

TransLink says stormrelated UBC bus disruption could last “several days”.

Bright Nights in Stanley Park returns; Lumiere expands to two new locations.

Martyn Brown: A hideous display of wrong-headed hubris from B.C. politicians. @GeorgiaStraight

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

3

COMMENTARY

World’s eyes on COP26 as Global South shut out

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by Claire Patterson

hile official proceedings are being carried out behind the gated security of the COP26 “Blue Zone”—a restricted space where diplomats pursue international negotiations and registered delegates hold events—demonstrations on the streets of Glasgow expose the issues less talked about.

On Friday (November 5), COP’s Youth and Next Generation Day, thousands of youth activists took to the streets alongside Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future movement to contrast leaders’ “blah, blah, blah” with the forceful energy that urgent climate justice requires. This sea of demonstrators from around the globe was estimated to have numbered more than 25,000 people.

With a single voice, the crowd chanted: “This is what democracy looks like.”

The young activists lining the streets used signs and banners to send strong messages to leaders around the globe: “No one is illegal on stolen land”; “Phase out fossil fuels or phase out grandchildren”. This was a moment for their voices to be heard in front of the swaths of media that encircled Greta and other prominent

Because of the difficulties in travelling to the U.K. during the COVID-19 pandemic, activists from so-called red-list countries have been sidelined during COP26. Photo by Shauna Sylvester.

activists in attendance, such as Elizabeth Wathuti and Vanessa Nakate.

But if the eyes of the world are on COP26, then who are we looking away from?

Due to the difficulty of attaining a visa to enter the U.K. from a “red list country” in which the pandemic is still very much a reality, voices from the Global South are grossly underrepresented at this conference. These logistical barriers have left many youth activists from the areas of the world most brutally affected by both cli-

mate change and the pandemic unable to represent the interests and needs of their communities at the conference and in the city. At a COP so supposedly focused on raising funds to support climate resilience in the Global South, many of the most affected voices remain shut out. For all of these reasons, protest as expression is particularly important at this year’s COP. The resulting amplification of western voices continues to reflect the colonially based international systems of power upon

which this whole intergovernmental process is based. Although some media outlets have tried to look beyond the more formal COP processes and shine a light on young and diverse activists, these voices have, for the most part, remained underrepresented and excluded.

Even the youth activists who are able to make it inside the Blue Zone “can feel incredibly tokenized”, explains Ana González Guerrero, cofounder of the Canadian group Youth Climate Lab. She explains that the term youth can be treated as monolithic but, in fact, “every youth group is asking for something different”—expressing diverse and nuanced needs that reflect the myriad and uneven effects of climate change.

We need to move past the assumption that simply allowing youth to be in the room is enough. Young people must have more than a seat at the table: they deserve a space to stand up on the chair and scream. g Claire Patterson is a freelance journalist born and raised on Vancouver Island. Currently, she is studying for her master’s in political communication at the University of Amsterdam.

She is on the ground at COP26.

TransLink is proud to honour our Canadian Veterans Veterans ride free on SeaBus and SkyTrain on Remembrance Day from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and free all day on buses.

Please show your membership card. translink.ca/remembrance Free transit service is also extended to current members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Police Officers (including auxiliaries), Firefighters, Coast Guard Officers, BC Ambulance Paramedics, and Department of Fisheries and Oceans Officers. They may ride for free in uniform, or upon presentation of their badge.

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

REAL ESTATE

Low inventory still pushing up benchmark prices

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by Carlito Pablo

BC Economics doesn’t see Canadian homes becoming cheaper anytime soon.

To the contrary, a report by bank economist Robert Hogue anticipates that residential properties are going to get more expensive, at least in the near term.

It’s all got to do with the lack of available homes. Hogue’s report is partially titled “Wanted: homes for sale”, which basically says everything.

Sifting through October 2021 market reports by real-estate boards across the country, Hogue noted that inventory dropped eight percent.

This brought the number of homes available for sale to 55 percent below “already-thin levels a year ago in some of Canada’s major markets”.

“Tight demand-supply conditions became even tighter,” Hogue wrote. “So much so that home prices—which appeared to be on a moderating path this summer—gathered more steam.”

Hogue noted that the price of a typical home “accelerated for the second-straight month in Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Toronto, and for the first time in five months, in Edmonton”.

“Clearly, this housing cycle is far from

This Vancouver home at 4346 James Street sold for $450,000 over list price in one week.

over and the persistence of bidding wars continues to drive up property values in many parts of the country,” he wrote.

In the Vancouver market, the benchmark price increased year over year in October by 14.7 percent, marking its “fastest pace…in more than three years”.

Based on a report by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, the price of a typical home, which is a composite of all kinds of properties, rose last month to $1,199,400.

Compared to September 2021, this October price represents a 1.1 percent increase.

The REBGV reported that the sales-toactive-listings ratio for October 2021 is 43.5 percent.

As for specific property types, the ratio is 33.6 percent for detached homes, 64.4 percent for townhomes, and 46.7 percent for condos.

A balanced market has a ratio of between 12 percent and 20 percent.

It’s the same story with the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, whose area includes Surrey. Prices of detached properties, townhouses, and condos registered yearly and monthly increases in October.

Single-family homes are the most desirable type of property.

Last October, the price of a typical detached home in Greater Vancouver increased to $1,850,500.

In the Fraser Valley, the benchmark

price for a single-family home last month rose to $1,396,700.

Low inventory is also pushing prices up in Toronto. In his report, Hogue noted that the benchmark price for all types of homes rose year over year in October by more than 24 percent, which was the “fastest pace in four years”.

For Montreal, the economist noted that “price indicators showed a faster rate of increase after easing in the prior four months”.

He wrote: “We expect extremely tight demand-supply conditions will keep prices under intense upward pressure in the near term, though we see such pressure easing significantly by the second half of 2022 as markets achieve a better balance.” g

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

5

FEATURE

Radio host discovered truth about first Filipinos

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by Carlito Pablo

ast summer, Joseph Lopez stood by an unmarked grave at the Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver.

The radio host and freelance print journalist reckons that nobody else must have visited the burial spot in about a century.

The plot is the resting place of Benjamin “Benson” Flores, who Lopez has found was the earliest Filipino on record to have immigrated to and settled in Canada.

“Benson,” Lopez said, “if you can hear me, wherever you are, I want you to know that you are not forgotten.”

Based on an official account by the government of Canada, people from the Philippines began immigrating to the country in 1931 to work in the garment industry in Manitoba.

However, Lopez’s research shows that Filipinos were already in Canada—specifically, in B.C.—about 70 years earlier.

Lopez combed through censuses of Canada as early as 1825 and went through numerous directories and documents.

He established that Flores, who was listed in the 1911 Census, was the earliest recorded Filipino immigrant. Flores came in 1861 and lived on Bowen Island.

Lopez recently concluded a four-part written series titled “First Filipinos in Canada” with Canadian Filipino Net, an online-only publication of the Vancouverbased Maple Bamboo Network Society.

In the series, the host of the Filipino Edition radio program on CKYE RED

BROADWAY PLAN Help shape the future of Broadway: Refined Directions Open House Join us for the Broadway Plan Refined Directions virtual open house that features details on how the distinct neighbourhoods and places in the study area could grow and change in the future:

shapeyourcity.ca/broadway-plan Learn about how different areas in the Broadway Plan might evolve in the future and review 3-D elements which include the kinds of new buildings that neighbourhoods could see. Also available for review are: a high-level strategy for the design of public places and spaces; figures on how much housing and job space could be built; and details on some area-wide policies including housing, jobs and economy, transportation, public benefits and community well-being.

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Check the website for details and updates.

The Refined Directions are the latest phase of the Broadway planning program, which began in 2019. The program is developing a comprehensive 30-year plan for the area of Broadway generally located east to west from Clark Drive to Vine Street, and north to south from the 1st to 16th Avenue.

Visit: vancouver.ca Phone: 3-1-1 TTY: 7-1-1

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

Benjamin Flores came to Vancouver in 1861 and was Canada’s first Filipino immigrant—70 years before what the official records said. Photo courtesy Bowen Island Museum and Archives.

93.1 FM and 89.1 FM shared the findings he has made over the years.

His journey of discovery started in 2011, when he first visited Bowen Island out of curiosity as a new immigrant.

Upon arrival, he went to the local library to find out more about the place, and a librarian gave him a book by historian Irene Howard titled Bowen Island, 1872–1972.

To his astonishment, page 36 of Howard’s book referred to the presence of people from the Philippines around 1898.

“From the Philippines, Benson, Matilda and William Flores (DL 1426), the men beachcombers and fishermen,” the book mentioned.

Page 42 cited a “Ben Flores, who had a float house in the Cove, and liked to play the concertina and sing, could make a little money renting boats.”

As Lopez related in his series, he met Howard five years later in 2016 at her apartment in Vancouver.

Howard told him that she collected information on the people from the Philippines from Bowen Island residents when she was doing her research during the 1960s.

Lopez wrote an account on his blog in 2016. Four years later, when COVID-19 struck in 2020, he received a number of enquiries about the subject. This encouraged him to do more research, this time ploughing through census records and everything he could find.

Lopez found that the 1901 census recorded 19 people “born in the Philippines and whose ethnic origin is Filipino, living in Canada, all residing in British Columbia”.

“There are no records of Filipinos living in other provinces or territories,” Lopez wrote in his series. Moreover, “Those living in British Columbia resided in Bowen Island and the City of Vancouver.”

Lopez noted that for some reason, Flores does “not appear in the 1901 census or the censuses earlier but shows up 10 years later in the 1911 census”.

The 1911 census recorded 1846 as his birth year. “Benson was probably a strapping 15-year-old when he landed, most likely as a young seaman for a foreign vessel docking in Vancouver, B.C.,” Lopez wrote.

Citing Howard’s book, Lopez noted that Flores had a float house in Bowen Island’s Snug Cove, operated the first boat rentals, and was a known for his kindness to neighbours.

From his death certificate, Lopez wrote that Flores died in 1929 at Vancouver General Hospital. “Witness to his death was Madeline Ray, a long-time personal acquaintance of Benson living in Vancouver, who attested and signed that Benson Flores was unmarried, and had no next-of-kin within the province of British Columbia,” Lopez wrote.

In a phone interview with the Straight, Lopez expressed pride in knowing that Filipinos came to Canada much earlier than the official account dating to the 1930s.

“It’s a sense of history. It’s a sense of identity. It’s a sense of citizenship,” Lopez said.

He also said that Flores’s story is very much the story of many Filipinos who come to Canada to build new lives.

“It is a story of perseverance and hope,” Lopez said. g

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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Change someone’s life this Human Rights Day with Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign (This story is sponsored by Amnesty International.)

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ometimes a letter can change someone’s life. This is the idea behind the world’s largest human-rights event: Write for Rights, Amnesty International’s global letter-writing campaign.

Every year around Human Rights Day on December 10, Amnesty International identifies people and communities at risk of human-rights abuses worldwide who urgently seek justice and solidarity.

The organization chooses 10 cases where Canadawide and global action can make a huge difference. Supporters around the world write letters, send emails, and sign petitions in support of those whose rights are under attack.

Write for Rights began with a group of friends and one big idea. A group of activists in Warsaw, Poland, held a 24-hour letter-writing marathon for Human Rights Day, writing letters on behalf of people whose rights had been violated.

From 2,326 letters in 2001 to 4.5 million letters, tweets, and petition signatures in 2020, Write for Rights participants have

Zhang Zhan, a Chinese journalist imprisoned for writing about COVID-19, and Imoleayo Michael, a Nigerian facing jail for protesting, are just two people who need support from Write for Rights.

united to transform the lives of more than 100 people from all over the globe, helping free them from torture, harassment, or unjust imprisonment.

Write for Rights has proven that words have power. Birtukan Mideksa, a former Ethiopian judge who was freed from prison after people around the world petitioned for her release through the campaign, illustrated the importance of using one’s voice.

“Thank you for your hard work and your campaigns to secure my release from prison...Your letters, phone calls, and petitions were my protection during the months I spent in solitary confinement. You were

my voice when I had none.”

HOW TO TAKE ACTION

There are many ways to take action on Human Rights Day, and anyone can participate in Write for Rights. You can register as an individual, join an event in your community, or organize your own letterwriting event. You can also get involved through email, petitions, and social media.

Every year, hundreds of letter-writing events take place across Canada, both in-person and online. You can find local events, including one in Vancouver’s False Creek South, by visiting the Write

for Rights events page. A virtual writing marathon will take place on December 10.

Here are five people who need your support this year: • Bernardo Caal, a Maya Q’eqchi’ Indigenous community leader who is in prison for defending the rights of his people in Guatemala.

• Zhang Zhan, a journalist imprisoned for reporting on the truth about COVID-19 in China.

• Imoleayo Michael, a computer programmer who faces years in prison for protesting to #EndSARS in Nigeria.

• Wendy Galarza, a childcare worker in Mexico who was shot while peacefully protesting violence against women.

• Janna Jihad, a 15-year-old journalist who faces threats for exposing systemic discrimination against Palestinians.

You can choose to act on as many or as few of the cases as you like, and there are plenty of resources available to inspire your own campaign for change. Case sheets, letter-writing tips, videos, and success stories can all be found on the Write for Rights website, www.writeathon.ca/. Whether it’s via letter, email, petition, or Twitter, every word makes a difference. g

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NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

BEST OF VANCOUVER

There are many hidden gems across our beautiful city—and a fair number of them have been revealed by Straight readers in our annual website poll. Photo by James Vancouver/Getty Images.

It’s that time to celebrate the Best of Vancouver

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by Martin Dunphy, Janet McDonald, Steve Newton, Carlito Pablo, Charlie Smith, and Mike Usinger

stirring Christmas concerts at St. Andrew’sWesley United Church. And the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is offering its own set of traditional Christmas performances around the region in December.

There’s a chance that the worst of COVID-19 might be behind us, given that more than 8.3 million vaccine doses have been administered in B.C. And if that, indeed, turns out to be true—and the pandemic’s impact is finally starting to fade— that is truly the Best of Vancouver, as far as we’re concerned.

As you f lip through this year’s Best of Vancouver edition, we hope you learn some undiscovered secrets about the city and enjoy more than a few laughs.

Ideally, you’ll also take time to patronize local businesses and other organizations that have proven to be so popular with so many readers.

shaw Theatre, Mo Tarmohamed, is feeling cheesed about what appears to be a double standard. Rockers can fill Rogers Arena because everyone is seated, but the far smaller Rickshaw had to reduce its capacity because of an order from the provincial health office, even though everyone has to still be vaxxed and masked to get inside the premises.

“The only time I get worked up is when I get hacked on a soccer pitch,” Tarmohamed wrote on his Facebook page, “but the current duplicitous PHO order has me incensed.”

C’mon, Health Minister Adrian Dix and Dr. Bonnie Henry—you can do better than that. Give our buddy Mo a break.

On the upside, Vancouverites can look forward to a bounty of arts and culture this holiday season. This year’s East Van Panto is Alice in Wonderland at the York Theatre.

Chor Leoni Men’s Choir will be back with

or 26 straight years, the Georgia Straight has been dishing up the Best of Vancouver. Longtime readers know the drill by now: readers vote for the winners in dozens of categories in boxes sprinkled throughout this paper. If you see a winner in the “Readers’ Choice” box, that person or business is the people’s champion. And the Straight’s writers pick their bests, sometimes serious and sometimes offbeat, in the items that follow this introduction.

This year’s Best of Vancouver includes a sensational cover illustration by Shayne Letain that captures the joy that many people in the arts and cultural sector are feeling about the return of live entertainment. But not everyone is thrilled, as demonstrated by an article by Mike Usinger on page 48 in this week’s music section.

The popular owner of the beloved Rick-

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Relative to other towns in the Lower Mainland, Mission has the cheapest detached homes. The operative word is relative. Buying a single-family home may soon become mission impossible in this town at the eastern terminus of the West Coast Express. A report by the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board shows that the benchmark price of a single-family residence in Mission increased to almost $1 million ($999,100) in October 2021.

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

from page 9

equally unusual building that has left many downtown residents wondering what the architects were consuming during the conceptual stage. It is so weird that Apple has decided to make it the home of their new local head office. The Deloitte Summit office tower is 24 storeys high, with alternating glass cubes. It required special metal fabrication to support the giant glass structure, which will also have lush green walls peeking out from the abstract geometrics.

behaviour. The regulatory body described it as something that “went beyond mere rudeness”. The person, whose identity was redacted in a decision, called the head of the council at the time, Erin Seeley, the “Worst CEO in History”. Even worse, the guy also claimed in an official communication that Seeley is a friend of disgraced Hollywood producer and convicted sexual offender Harvey Weinstein. Moreover, the applicant called another staff member, the RECBC’s legal counsel, a “piece of shit”.

BEST ILLUSTRATION THAT MORE DENSITY DOESN’T MEAN AFFORDABLE

BEST POCKETS OF HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN VANCOUVER

Vancouver realtor David Hutchinson sold a detached home at 2475 East 2nd Avenue on May 29, 2019, for $1,330,000. The new owner demolished the old home and built a duplex, or two side-by-side homes, on the 49.5-foot lot. In August 2021, the two duplex halves sold for $1,650,000 each, for a combined $3.3 million. That’s 148 percent more than the purchase price of the original home. As Hutchinson observed, “Increased density seems to come with a lack of affordability”.

BEST REMINDER TO BE NICE WITH LICENSING AUTHORITIES

It doesn’t hurt to be pleasant. Especially with people who grant professional accreditations. A man wanting to renew his broker’s licence with the then–Real Estate Council of B.C. doomed his application because of his

Adam Major, cofounder and CEO of real-estate information site Zealty.ca, lists neighbourhoods in Vancouver that may be considered as rare pockets of housing affordability. For the West Side of the city, Marpole is the most affordable neighbourhood for condos or apartments, with a median price as of September 2021 set at $653,000. Marpole is the also cheapest area for detached homes on the West Side, where the median price is $2,445,000. As for the East Side, Major said that apartments or condos are most affordable in Hastings-Sunrise, with a median price of $521,500. For detached homes in East Vancouver, Collingwood is the place to go, where the median price is $1,570,000. see page 14

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1. Brooklyn Clothing Co. 1189 Hamilton Street 2. Hills of Kerrisdale 2125 West 41st Avenue 3. Quorum Fashion 525 West Georgia Street

PLACE TO BUY JEANS

1. Dutil Denim 303 West Cordova Street 2. Mavi Jeans Various locations 3. Aritzia Various locations

WOMEN’S CLOTHING STORE 1. Aritzia Various locations 2. The Latest Scoop Various locations 3. Blushing Boutique 579 Richards Street

Thank you for Voting for us, Vancouver!

FETISHWEAR STORE

1. Deadly Couture 1599 Venables Street 2. Honey Gifts Various locations 3. Womyns’ Ware 896 Commercial Drive

VISIT BEST OF VANCOUVER ONLINE AT STRAIGHT.COM

“Federal Politician category” The Honourable

HARJIT SAJJAN MP Vancouver South 604.775.5323 | Harjit.Sajjan@parl.gc.ca

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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BEST f CITY LIFE LOCAL HERO

1. Dr. Bonnie Henry 2. Alphonso Davies 3. Kid Carson

LOCAL HEROES (GROUP)

1. Nurses 2. Regional Animal Protection Society 3. Vancouver Fire Department

LOCAL POLITICIAN 1. Christine Boyle 2. Kennedy Stewart 3. Jean Swanson

PROVINCIAL POLITICIAN 1. Sonia Furstenau 2. Adrian Dix 3. John Horgan

FEDERAL POLITICIAN

1. Jagmeet Singh 2. Justin Trudeau 3. Harjit Sajjan (tie) 3. Peter Julian (tie)

LOCAL RADIO MORNING HOST

1. Stephen Quinn, CBC 2. Jonny, Holly & Nira, Virgin iHeart Radio 3. Kid Carson, Z95

LOCAL RADIO AFTERNOON HOST 1. Gloria Macarenko, CBC 2. Sutto & Vanessa, Z95 3. Lynda Steele

Help us create anti-racism data legislation.

LOCAL TV NEWSCASTER/ HOST 1. Chris Gailus, Global News 2. Sophie Lui, Global News 3. Mi-Jung Lee, CTV News

HOSPITAL

1. St. Paul’s Hospital 2. Mount Saint Joseph Hospital 3. B.C. Children’s Hospital

UNION

1. B.C. Teachers’ Federation 2. B.C. Nurses’ Union 3. CUPE

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Take the survey.

engage.gov.bc.ca/antiracism

1. Kitsilano West 4th Avenue 2. Mount Pleasant Main Street, between 6th and 16th 3. Commercial Drive between Venables and Grandview

COMMUNITY CENTRE

1. Kitsilano Community Centre 2690 Larch Street 2. West Vancouver Community Centre 2121 Marine Drive, West Van 3. Trout Lake Community Centre 3350 Victoria Drive

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NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

LOCAL EMPLOYER

1. Vancity Various locations 2. Skin Technique 1046 Hamilton Street 3. Olive Fertility 300-555 West 12th Avenue

LOCAL STARTUP 1. Vessi 2. Bowen eBikes 3. Pep & Pup

NEW REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT

1. The Amazing Brentwood 2. River District 3. Cambie Gardens

TECH COMPANY

1. Vorum 2. Bench 3. Cystech Solutions

MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE COMPANY 1. Bowen eBikes 2. EVO Car Share 3. Vancity

YOUTH ORGANIZATION

1. YMCA/YWCA 2. Urban Native Youth Association 3. Big Brothers/Big Sisters

COMEDIAN

1. Patrick Maliha 2. Corey Schmitt 3. Charlie Demers 3. Sophie Buddle

COMEDY CLUB

1. Yuk Yuk’s Vancouver 2. The Comedy MIX (Closed) 3. Vancouver TheatreSports

INDEPENDENT MUSIC LABEL

1. Everything Forever 2. Nettwerk Music Group 3. Mint Records

LOCAL BAND 1. Still Spirits 2. Uncle Sid 3. Hotel Mira

BURLESQUE SHOW

1. Kitty Nights 2. Burlesque Vancouver 3. Nerdlesque

STRIP CLUB

1. No. 5 Orange 2. Brandy’s 3. Penthouse Night Club

VISIT BEST OF VANCOUVER ONLINE AT STRAIGHT.COM

BEST LOCAL RADIO MORNING HOST

BEST LOCAL RADIO AFTERNOON HOST

Congratulations STEPHEN QUINN AND GLORIA MACARENKO

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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from page 11

BEST PROOF THAT SOME KIDS ARE LUCKIER THAN OTHERS

Being born to a well-to-do family fetches a lot of advantages. These extend to homebuying in adult life. A CIBC report estimates that Canadian parents gifted more than $10 billion to help their children buy homes during the past year. In Vancouver, the manna from mom and dad in the first quarter of 2021 averaged $180,000 each for first-time homebuyers. The amount is even larger for moveruppers, or those moving to bigger properties.

In the first quarter of 2021, these Vancouver buyers got an average of $340,000 each.

BEST METHOD TO TEAR DOWN A HOUSE

CIRCLE CRAFT CHRISTMAS MARKET

There’s a way of taking down a house that is Earth-friendly. Unbuilders is a Vancouverbased company specializing in deconstruction and salvage. The company unbuilds homes piece by piece, reclaiming reusable materials, particularly wood. It means that Unbuilders is able to divert about 50 tonnes of material from the landfill on every

residential job. In addition, the company works with Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver, a nonprofit that helps people build affordable housing. The way this works is that a homeowner will donate wood reclaimed from their old house to the nonprofit. The wood’s value is appraised by a third party, and Habitat for Humanity issues a tax receipt in return.

BEST EVIDENCE OF A CLASS BIAS IN HOUSING

Manufactured homes nowadays are superior in design and durability compared to the trailers made during the 1960s and 1970s.

They are also more affordable than conventional homes. However, governments don’t seem to like them. Al Kemp, executive director of the Manufactured Home Park Owners Alliance of B.C., says it’s a form of “class bias”. As Kemp observed, “You talk to politicians and many in the media and all they can think of is, you know, Trailer Park Boys or trailer trash, that sort of thing.” see page 17

BEST f CITY WELLNESS FERTILITY CLINIC

1. Olive Fertility Centre 300–555 West 12th Avenue 2. Dr. Laura Nicholas (Evoke Integrative Medicine) 1420–1030 West Georgia Street 3. Grace Fertility Clinic 210–604 West Broadway

ACUPUNCTURE CLINIC

1. Peakform Wellness Clinic Various locations 2. Acubalance Wellness Centre 208–888 West 8th Avenue 3. Greenleaf Acupuncture & Herb Clinic 1455–409 Granville Street

CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC

November 10-14

Vancouver Convention Centre West Wed. 10-9 I Thu. 10-9 I Fri. 10-9 I Sat. 10-7 I Sun. 10-5

For advanced tickets and show details visit circlecraftshow.ca Photo: Dahlia Drive, Dougherty Glassworks, Laura Van Der Linde Pottery and Joanna Lovett Sterling

1. Peakform Wellness Clinic Various locations 2. The Powerhouse Chiropractic 1675 Main Street 3. Mint Integrative Health 485–1541 West Broadway

PLACE FOR COSMETIC SURGERY

1. Skinworks 3578 West 41st Avenue 2. 8 West Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Skin Clinic Unit 300–1788 West Broadway 3. Dr. Benjamin Gelfant (tie) 3. Dr. Matthew Mosher (tie) 3. Dr. Ritchie Younger (tie) 3. Dr. Nancy Van Laeken (tie) 3. Dr. Christopher Pavlou (tie) 3. Dr. Rebecca Nelson (tie)

DAY SPA

SHOP HANDMADE FROM ARTISANS ACROSS CANADA 14

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

1. Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Pacific Rim 1038 Canada Place 2. The Vanity Lab 1110 Hamilton Street 3. Skin Technique 1046 Hamilton Street

DENTAL CLINIC

1. Main Street Dental 1655 Main Street 2. Aarm Dental Various locations 3. Kitsilano Dental 2705 West 4th Street

DENTIST

1. Dr. Kevin Gee 2. Dr. Kenneth Wu (Cambie Dental Centre) 3. Dr. Kenneth Chan (West Point Dental Clinic)

NATUROPATHIC CLINIC

1. Tandem Clinic 183 West 2nd Avenue 2. Acubalance Wellness Centre 208–888 West 8th Avenue 3. Mint Integrative Health 485–1541 West Broadway

OPTOMETRY CLINIC

1. Mount Pleasant Optometry Centre 104 East Broadway 2. Ollie & Quinn (tie) 2. FYidoctors (tie) 3. Downtown Vancouver Optometry 1440–700 West Georgia Street 3. Shaughnessy Optometry 3955 Oak Street 3. West 10th Eyes 4357 West 10th Avenue

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

1. Dawn Siegel (Hollyburn Physiotherapy) 2. Charlotte Reiher (Physioworks) 3. Alex Abundo (Myodetox)

PRIVATE GYM

1. CrossFit BC 278 East 1st Avenue 2. F45 Oak & Broadway 980 West Broadway 3. Gold’s Gym, Various locations

Olive specialists can help with egg freezing options

by Dr. Areiyu Zhang, MD

(This story is sponsored by Olive Fertility Centre.)

DO YOU WANT A FAMILY BUT AREN’T READY TO HAVE A BABY NOW?

Like many clinics across North America, the team at Olive Fertility Centre has seen a surge of over 30 percent in the demand for egg freezing during the pandemic. Most women who want children, are aware of their reproductive clock ticking after their mid 30s. The pandemic has added to the challenges that many people experience in finding the right partner, and a record number of single women in their 30s have decided to take control of their reproductive future and freeze their eggs.

WHAT IS EGG FREEZING?

The egg-freezing process is the same as traditional IVF. It involves injecting medications that stimulate egg growth to the point they can be harvested. However, instead of fertilizing the eggs with sperm, the eggs are flashfrozen and stored until you’re ready to conceive in the future. At that point, the eggs are thawed in a lab and fertilized so that an embryo can then be transferred into the uterus.

EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE

While fertility experts identify age 35 as when fertility starts to rapidly decline, the

Everyone’s unique, so it’s important to talk with a fertility specialist when considering egg freezing.

fact is, we’re all unique and in some individuals, their egg quantity declines sooner than others. So if you’re considering egg freezing, it’s important to have a complete fertility assessment with a fertility specialist.

HOW TO GET STARTED

Your first step is to get a referral to a fertility clinic from your family doctor or a walk-in clinic (in B.C., your consult and most tests are covered by MSP with a referral).

YOUR FERTILITY ASSESSMENT

A fertility assessment includes a simple

blood test that indicates your ovarian reserve. Ovarian reserve testing helps predict the number of retrievable eggs you would get from an ovarian stimulation cycle.

While ovarian reserve tests can give some insight into the remaining quantity of your eggs, they don’t give information about the quality of your eggs. Lower egg quality leads to a higher rate of infertility, more frequent miscarriages, and a greater risk of chromosomal disorders in the baby.

Until recently, there has been no way to evaluate egg quality. However, there is now a promising new assessment tool called

Violet that uses artificial-intelligence (AI) technology to help patients gain insight into the quality of the eggs they are freezing.

Violet uses an algorithm, based on tens of thousands of images, to assess the probability of each individual egg developing into a healthy embryo and resulting in live birth.

Instead of trying to estimate your chances of conceiving based on just your age and number of eggs frozen, this technology assesses each egg independently.

Your doctor will review your Violet report during your follow-up consultation.

Patients can use this added insight to make an informed decision about whether they want to do another cycle, and if so, how to tailor the next egg freezing attempt to optimize outcomes.

To learn more about egg freezing, signup for a free online discussion: Let’s Talk About Egg Freezing Wednesday, November 17, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

With Dr. Zhang and Dr. Cho To register, go to olivefertility.com or email info@olivefertility.com. g Dr. Areiyu Zhang is a fertility specialist at Olive Fertility Centre.

L to R: DR. TREGONING | DR. ZHANG | DR. YUZPE | DR. TALLON | DR. TAYLOR | DR. CHO | DR. HITKARI | DR. WOOLNOUGH | DR. NAKHUDA

COMPLETE CARE FOR YOUR FERTILITY JOURNEY Thank you Vancouver

FOR VOTING US VANCOUVER’S BEST FERTILITY CLINIC | 7 YEARS IN A ROW + 3 R D F O R B E S T LO C A L E M P LOY E R IVF | EGG FREEZING | GENETIC TESTING

Visit olivefertility.com/appointment

O L I V E F E RT I L I T Y.C O M

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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BEST f CITY LIVING SHOPPING NEIGHBOURHOOD

Canada’s Largest Importers of European Antiques

Thank you for voting us 1 #

1. Kitsilano West 4th Avenue 2. Mount Pleasant Main, between 6th and 16th avenues 3. Robson Street

1. Rona Various locations 2. Home Depot Various locations 3. Home Hardware Various locations

SPECIALTY FURNITURE STORE

MUSIC SHOP

1. EQ3 2536 Granville Street 2. Inform Interiors (tie) 50 Water Street 2. INspiration Furniture (tie) 1275 West 6th Avenue 3. IKEA Various locations

VINTAGE FURNITURE STORE

1. Antique Warehouse 226 Southwest Marine Drive 2. ReFind 4609 Main Street 3. Attic Treasures 944 Commercial Drive

ANTIQUE STORE

1. Source Antiques 929 Main Street 2. Antique Market 1324 Franklin Street 3. Stepback 2936 West Broadway

GARDENING STORE

1. Garden Works Various locations 2. Potters 19158 48th Avenue, Surrey 3. Hunters Garden Centre Various locations

HOME APPLIANCE STORE

1. Appliance Outlet 3618 East 1st Avenue 2. Forum Home Appliance Various locations 3. Midland Appliance Various locations

KITCHENWARE STORE

1. The Kitchen Corner 1955 West 4th Avenue 2. The Gourmet Warehouse 1340 East Hastings Street 3. Ming Wo Various locations

ELECTRONICS STORE

1. Best Buy Various locations 2. The Source Various locations 3. Vancouver Electronic Depot 1790 Boundary Road, Burnaby

Vancouver’s #1 Antique & Vintage Furniture Specialists 226 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC | 604.324.3661

w w w.antiquewarehouse.ca 16

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE

FURNITURE STORE

1. The Brick Various locations 2. IKEA Various locations 3. Creative Home Furnishings Various locations

1. Long & McQuade Various locations 2. Tom Lee Music Various locations 3. Tapestry Music Various locations

RECORD STORE

1. Neptoon Records 3561 Main Street 2. Red Cat Records 4386 Main Street 3. Zulu Records 1972 West 4th Avenue

SEX-TOY STORE

1. Honey Gifts Various locations 2. Womyns’ Ware 896 Commercial Drive 3. The Art of Loving 369 West Broadway

SHOE STORE

1. John Fluevog Shoes Various locations 2. gravitypope Various locations 3. The Right Shoe 1601 West 4th Avenue

SKI AND SNOWBOARD SHOP

1. Comor – Go Play Outside Various locations 2. The Boardroom Various locations 3. North Shore Ski & Board 1625 Lonsdale Avenue

SPORTING-GOODS STORE

1. Sports Junkies 102 West Broadway 2. MEC, Various locations 3. Sport Chek, Various locations

CANNABIS DISPENSARY

1. Buddha Barn 2179 West 4th Avenue 2. Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary 1182 Thurlow Street 3. Evergreen Cannabis 2868 West 4th Avenue

PIPE, BONG AND ACCESSORY SHOP

1. Ignite Smoke Shop 109 West Cordova Street 2. Puff, Various locations 3. CottonMouth Cannabis 1120 Davie Street

VISIT BEST OF VANCOUVER ONLINE AT STRAIGHT.COM

Graphic artist Jag Nagra designed this colourful Diwali-themed Canucks jersey.

BEST f INSTANT COLLECTORS’ ITEM If celebrity endorsements are any indicator, Pitt Meadows graphic artist Jag Nagra knocked things right out of the hockey rink when she dreamed up a special Diwali Festival jersey for the Vancouver Canucks. Built around the team’s classic stickand-rink crest from the early ’70s, Nagra’s design incorporated Diwali lanterns, pinwheels, fireworks, and lotus flowers as a tribute to a festival that celebrates lightness over darkness. The customized V on the shoulder was topped by a flame, with vibrant yellow the main colour. The alternate jersey made its debut on November 5 on Diwali Night at Rogers Arena when the ’Nucks wore it during warm-up. And if the gift shop was swarmed by fans right after that, Seth Rogen might have been partly to blame. The comedian and part-time potter took to Twitter to proclaim: “Will trade a vase for one of these! (Size large? Can only be bought in person in Vancouver).” The response from lifelong Canucks fan Nagra? Posting on Twitter, she kept things concise with “Holy fucking shit”. g from page 14

BEST LOCAL END OF THE TRUMP ERA

The all-caps name is still up at the nowclosed TRUMP Hotel on West Georgia Street, but there are signs of change in the air.

Yellow tape and covered windows adorn the entrance to the former guy’s namesake. No doubt the residents of the luxury apartments would like a rebrand not negatively affecting the first impression of a potential buyer.

BEST PROOF THAT WHEN IT COMES TO VANCOUVER REAL ESTATE, EVERYTHING SELLS

Here in Vancouver, people buy and sell not only homes but parking spaces and storage rooms. Even condos in a declared leaky development on East Broadway changed hands, although no financing is available for such properties.

POLITICS BEST FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Many Vancouverites have been heartbroken and outraged as they’ve watched how Chinese president Xi Jinping and his cronies have mercilessly crushed the desire of Hong Kong residents for democracy and freedom of expression and association. Ties between Vancouver and Hong Kong go back to the 19th century, and the bonds remain very deep. It takes tremendous courage for

people of Hong Kong ancestry, in particular, to speak out. That’s because by doing so, they face the prospect of being arrested if they ever return to the city that they love. So let’s tip our hat to local freedom fighters such as Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan, former Sing Tao editor Victor Ho, writer Gabriel Yiu, theatre artist Derek Chan, and Canadians for Reconciliation Society founder Bill Chu. This list is far from complete because there are many others worthy of similar recognition. We salute all of them so they know how much their efforts are appreciated in the local community and by their many friends in Hong Kong.

BEST EVIDENCE THAT THE B.C. GOVERNMENT IS NO FRIEND OF PET OWNERS

Despite popular demand, the B.C. government isn’t moving to change legislation related to keeping pets in strata and rental properties. Strata corporations and landlords can ban pets, and if they allow animals, they can say how many, what kind, and what size these companions will be.

BEST SIGN THAT B.C. FILIPINOS ARE GETTING POLITICALLY ASSERTIVE

Filipino Canadians in B.C. raised a howl when the B.C. NDP won a second term in 2020 and again ignored half-Filipino Mable Elmore, MLA for Vancouver-Kensington, see page 19

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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ATLAS

A NIMAL HOSPITAL & EMERGENCY VANCOUVER OPEN 24 HRS/ 7 DAYS A WEEK

FULL SERVICE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

$30 EXAM AVAIL. DAY & NIGHT

BEST f CITY SERVICES CREDIT UNION

1. Vancity 2. Coast Capital Savings 3. BlueShore Financial

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION 1. TD Canada Trust 2. RBC Royal Bank 3. Vancity

PLACE TO GET A MORTGAGE 1. RBC Royal Bank 2. TD Canada Trust 3. CIBC

REAL ESTATE AGENT

1. Warnett Hallen LLP 2. Krista Simon (Hammerco Lawyers LLP) 3. Kevin McLaren (Hammerco Lawyers LLP)

BIKE LAWYER

1. David Hay, Q.C. (Richards Buell Sutton) 2. Hammerco Lawyers LLP 3. Warnett Hallen LLP

IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT

1. Sophie Yan (Top Consulting Group Inc.) 2. CICS Immigration Consulting 3. One Immigration Consulting

604-301-0300 • atlasvet.ca

18

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

DOGGIE DAYCARE

VETERINARY CLINIC

LAWYER WHEN ACCIDENT STRIKES

Vancouver 5696 Fraser St. (at 41st Ave.)

1. Urban Dog 2. Stellar Petcare 3. Ruff Stuff Dog Services

NOTARY

1. Catherin Sas Q.C. (Sas & Ing Immigration Law) 2. Ryan Rosenberg (Larlee Rosenberg) 3. Daniel McLeod

• In-house Blood Work • In-house Digital X-Ray Machine

DOG-WALKING COMPANY

1. The Pet Shop Club 3080 Cambie Street 2. The Doghouse 105–1833 Anderson Street 3. Urban Puppy Shop 1375 West 6th Avenue

IMMIGRATION LAWYER

• We offer Laser spay, neuter and other soft tissue surgeries

1. Pacific Angler Fishing Charters 78 East Broadway 2. Bowen eBikes Kiosk, 431, Bowen Island Trunk Road, Bowen Island 3. G Adventures 109–1965 West 4th Avenue

1. Jason Lim (RE/MAX Crest Realty) 2. Tim Neame (Sotheby’s International) 3. Jordan Howard (Howard Scott Real Estate) 1. Alexander Ning 2. Cheryl Kwok 3. David Watts

Dr. Bhullar & the team want to thank The Georgia Straight readers for voting Atlas Animal Hospital #1 for BEST Veterinary Clinic!

ADVENTURE TOUR COMPANY

HOTEL GROUP IN VANCOUVER

1. Fairmont 2. Pacific Gateway 3. Rosewood

BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN VANCOUVER

1. Wedgewood Hotel & Spa 845 Hornby Street 2. OPUS Vancouver 322 Davie Street 3. Loden Hotel 1177 Melville Street

GETAWAY DESTINATION 1. Whistler 2. Pemberton 3. Telegraph Cove

1. Atlas Animal Hospital & Emergency Vancouver 5696 Fraser Street 2. Cypress St. Animal Hospital 1889 Cornwall Avenue 3. Olympic Village Veterinary Clinic 189 West 2nd Avenue

PET GROOMING

1. Pet Shop Club 3080 Cambie Street 2. My Fluffy Friend’s Pet Shop 1660 Cypress Street 3. Spa Dog Organic Day Spa 3471 Commercial Street

TATTOO STUDIO

1. Rain City Tattoo 1077 West Broadway 2. Adrenaline Various locations 3. Black Medicine 119 East Pender Street

FUNERAL HOME

1. Glenhaven Memorial Chapel 1835 East Hastings Street 2. Mountain View Cemetery 5455 Fraser Street 3. Forest Lawn Funeral Home 3789 Royal Oak Avenue, Burnaby

HOME-CLEANING SERVICE 1. AspenClean 2. Without a Trace Cleaning 3. Life Maid Easy

RECYCLING CENTRE

1. Return-It Depot 2. Vancouver Regional Recycling Centre 3. Vancouver Zero Waste Centre

VISIT BEST OF VANCOUVER ONLINE AT STRAIGHT.COM

Dank Mart carries weird snacks and unusual breakfast cereals. Photo by Janet McDonald.

BEST f PLACE FOR THE MUNCHIES (A.K.A. THE DANKIEST BODEGA IN THE WORLD)

Dank Mart, 6418 Main Street Has the snack aisle been letting you down? Are you sick of sour cream–and-onion chips? How would you feel about lemon-flavoured Lay’s or a Mike and Ike cherry soda? Dank Mart opened this summer in Vancouver and has been hitting hard with its collectible breakfast cereals and a phenomenal selection of weird and wonderful snacks. Think nostalgic strawberry-shortcake ice cream bars and Migos Rap Snacks in honey, barbeque, and ranch flavours. Since it opened, there’s a new location on Robson Street, and soon there will be another one in Burnaby. g from page 17

for a cabinet post. The community is typically meek, but not this time around.

Leaders came out in the open to denounce what one person, Bert Quibuyen, described as a “slap in the face”.

BEST FEDERAL ELECTION RESULT FOR FILIPINO CANADIANS IN 17 YEARS

Filipino Canadians from coast to coast toasted the election in September 2021 of Rechie Valdez as MP. She is the first Filipina to sit in the House of Commons. Valdez, who won the Ontario riding of MississaugaStreetsville, became the second Canadian of Filipino ancestry to be elected as MP. (Rey Pagtakhan—who represented the Liberal Party in Winnipeg North, later renamed Winnipeg North–St. Paul, from 1988 to

2004—was the first Filipino elected to Parliament Hill.) Valdez’s victory ended the 17-year political drought that had beset the Filipino community in Canada.

BEST MOVE BY THE MAYOR

As Kennedy Stewart celebrated his third year at Vancouver City Hall, he was facing no fewer than four potential opponents on the centre, centre-right, and ride sides of the political spectrum. Mark Marissen, Ken Sim, and John Coupar—all of whom have had or have ties to the NPA—all think that the unassuming Stewart is vulnerable. And a Vancouver councillor who was elected with the NPA, Colleen Hardwick, might also take a run at him. It takes real genius to be the catalyst for such divisions from people who all

LEN’s CATERING

Trust an RBC Mortgage Specialist for helpful advice at every step of your home buying journey.

Thank you Vancouver for voting RBC FIRST PLACE as the Best Place to Get a Mortgage, and to our employees for all that you do.

see next page

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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Kennedy Stewart, backed by many members of council, is the first mayor in a generation to stand up to the Vancouver Police Department’s Hooverlike desire to suck up as much funding as possible. (You can make your choice here: Hoover vacuum cleaners or J. Edgar Hoover.) In addition, Stewart called out fellow members of the Vancouver police board by claiming that there was an “indefensible lack of action on systemic racism” at the VPD. Stewart emphasized that acknowledging systemic racism does not mean that individual officers are racist. It simply means addressing systemic issues so that everyone in the community can feel safer in their encounters with the VPD. BEST CASE FOR VISION VANCOUVER TO FOLD ITS TENT

The Vancouver and District Labour Council plays an influential role in Vancouver municipal elections. In next year’s election, VDLC will not endorse mayoral or council candidates for the once mighty Vision Vancouver, which ruled the city for a decade, from 2008 to 2018. Here’s what VDLC president Stephen Von Sychowski said in a release: “Vision was resoundingly rejected in 2018 and vanished from the pol-

Thank you Vancouver for voting us

Best Bicycle Service Shop!

BEST REASON NOT TO HAVE HELD A FEDERAL ELECTION

Not a single incumbent was defeated in West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster in the recent federal campaign. It was a whole lot of hoopla that led to no changes on the North Shore and where the SkyTrain runs north of the Fraser River.

BEST REASON TO HAVE HAD A FEDERAL ELECTION

Four Conservatives who didn’t want to ban conversion therapy were defeated in Metro Vancouver suburbs. Kenny Chiu, the defeated anti-abortion Conservative candidate in Steveston–Richmond East, blamed voters from mainland China for his loss.

Others with more liberal attitudes toward the LGBT community might be inclined to think that Kenny Chiu defeated Kenny Chiu. But not Kenny Chiu.

BEST EXPLANATION FOR DIVERGENT PATHS OF CHINA AND TAIWAN

At this year’s TAIWANfest, UBC professor of Chinese intellectual history Josephine Chiu-Duke delivered an enlightening talk

see next page

Find out why we’re the top shop.

• timely service on your schedule • detailed billing for no surprises • top quality work, guaranteed

BOOK YOUR SERVICE TODAY!

@sidesaddlebikes

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

AUTO DEALERSHIP

1. Brian Jessel BMW 2311 Boundary Road 2. Carter Honda 2390 Burrard Street 3. Jim Pattison Toyota 1395 West Broadway

PRE-OWNED CAR DEALER 1. Lotus of Vancouver 1918 Fir Street 2. Brian Jessel BMW 1515 Boundary Road 3. Lucky 8 Auto Sales 715 Kingsway

CAR SHARE

1. EVO Car Share 2. MODO 3. Poparide

MOTORCYCLE DEALER

1. Trev Deeley Motorcycles 1875 Boundary Road 2. Carter Motorsports 1502 West 3rd Avenue 3. International Motorsports 3059 Grandview Highway

SCOOTER DEALER

1. Tesla 2. Electra Meccanica 3. Toyoto Prius

1. Motorino 336 West 2nd Avenue 2. Vespa Metro Vancouver 590 Clark Drive 3. Daytona Motorsports 837 East Cordova Street

AUTO-BODY REPAIR SHOP

BIKE STORE

ELECTRIC-HYBRID VEHICLE

www.sidesaddlebikes.com

20

BEST f CITY WHEELS

1. Bridgeport Collision 2700 No. 3 Road, Richmond 2. Boyd Autobody & Glass Various locations 3. Kirmac Collision & Autoglass Various locations

AUTO REPAIR

1. Art’s Automotive, 675 Clark Drive 2. Pawlik Automotive 966 Southwest Marine Drive, #30 3. Peter K. Automotive 1155 15th Street West, North Vancouver

1. Ride On, Various locations 2. Denman Bike Shop 2607 Main Street 3. Reckless Bike Stores Various locations

BIKE REPAIR

1. Sidesaddle Bike Shop 3469 Commercial Drive 2. EBike BC 1685 Ingleton Avenue, Burnaby 3. Bike Repair Centre 47 West Broadway

THANK YOU

FOR VOTING FOR US.

BEST AUTO DEALERSHIP

runner up

BEST SIGN THAT THIS MAYOR DIFFERS FROM THE OTHERS

itical scene for most of this term. The progressive political spectrum is already well represented by an array of parties. We don’t see an attempted return for Vision being constructive to our objective of ensuring a strong, cohesive progressive majority.”

runner up

from previous page

used to support the same centre-right party.

Make them underestimate you. It just might put Stewart on a path to reelection.

BEST MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP

CARTER HONDA

CARTER MOTORSPORTS

2390 Burrard St. at 8th Ave 604.736.2821

1502 West 3rd Ave. 604.736.4547

www.carterhonda.com

www.cartermotorsports.com

A peyote cactus may require 20 years to mature. Photo by Janet McDonald.

BEST f PLACE TO LEARN ABOUT PSYCHEDELICS

Medicinal Mushroom Dispensary, 651 East Hastings Street The Medicinal Mushroom Dispensary has a fantastic collection of books on everything drug-related—from works on the CIA, Contras, and crack to the history of opium to a psilocybin bible.

For adventurous Vancouverites, there are peyote cacti for sale. Before you go rushing down there, you need to know that the plant is a long-term commitment and a hefty investment. A peyote cactus takes a good seven to 20 years to mature before you can slice that baby up and cure it for your next trip. Side note: no matter how green your thumb, don’t even think about showing up unless you’re 19 or older. g

about the differences between “official Confucianism”, as espoused by the ruling elite in the People’s Republic of China, and “classical Confucianism”, which is embedded in the Taiwanese psyche. Whereas official Confucianism prizes order at all costs, classical Confucianism, as espoused by the earliest scholars, supports challenging authority.

Chiu-Duke’s talk went a long way toward explaining why the Taiwanese embrace democracy and free speech so fervently whereas the Communist rulers in China are so quick to throw dissenters in jail.

CITY LIFE BEST PANDEMIC THERAPY FOR COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS

People did a lot of new things when COVID-19 struck and kept them mostly at home. Some learned to bake. Jak King did another thing. The city watchdog and resident of Grandview-Woodland wrote a book. “This is my pandemic cure,” King told the Straight in a phone interview. His book is titled Battleground: Grandview. An Activist’s Memoir of the Grandview Community Plan, 2011-2016.

Thank you for voting for us!

BEST REASON TO CONSIDER A GREEN BURIAL

Because starting in 2022 it’s going to get cheaper to have an Earth-friendly funeral in Vancouver. City council approved a staff see next page

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recommendation to provide a 50 percent discount from the current rate for a green burial at Mountain View Cemetery. A single interment in a so-called sustainable lot will cost only $4,761.90 next year. As explained in a staff report, interment in these areas “requires no use of outer (typically) concrete burial containers, no embalming chemicals and only fully biodegradable caskets, containers or shrouds”.

BEST REASON TO LET EMPLOYEES WORK FROM HOME

There are many reasons why employees and employers are happy with the pandemic-induced trend of working from home. A paper released this fall by Statistics Canada provides a good justification: a full transition to telework by qualified employees could lead to a reduction in annual emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases (GHGs) of about 8.6 megatonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent due to reduced commuting. (A megatonne is one million tonnes.) The 8.6-megatonne reduction represents six percent of direct GHG emissions from Canadian households in 2015.

BEST REASON NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED ABOUT SAVING MOTHER EARTH

The thought of saving the Earth is just too daunting for many. But take heart. A campaign by the Metro Vancouver regional see page 25

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“Best Boutique Hotel” &

BACCHUS “Best Fine Dining” restaurant & lounge

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BEST f CAMBIE STREET HOLDOUT The King Edward Avenue area of Cambie Street seems to have been under construction since before the 2010 Olympics, and more than a decade later we are still seeing rapid change in the neighbourhood. There are a number of homeowners who are refusing to sell to developers, take the money, and run. One corner-lot owner is saying “no” with style and grace by carving a collection of happy faces into the hedges surrounding the home. It’s worth taking a detour to take a peek on the southeast corner of Cambie and West 27th Avenue g

BEST f CITY WELLNESS SKINCARE CENTRE

1. Dermapure Vancouver 3568 West 41st Avenue 2. Plain Jane Skinbar 4387 Main Street 3. Mint Integrative Health 485–1541 West Broadway

BARBER SHOP

1. Scotch & Fades 193 West 3rd Avenue 2. Kona’s Barber Shop 1711 Manitoba Street 3. Hair by Maxim 5345 West Boulevard

HAIR SALON

1. Black2Blonde 3575 West 4th Avenue 2. Artel Salon Various locations 3. Suki’s (tie) Various locations 3. Brush Salon (tie) Various locations

HEALTH SUPPLEMENT STORE

1. Body Energy Club Various locations 2. Finlandia Pharmacy & Natural Health Centre 1111 West Broadway 3. Genesis Nutrition (tie) Various locations 3. General Nutrition Centres (tie) Various locations

BARRE STUDIO

1. Pure Barre Various locations 2. Barre Fitness Various locations 3. Bar Method Various locations

LASH AND BROW STUDIO

1. Prep Beauty Parlour 1305 Burrard Street 2. Frilly Lilly 100–1168 Hamilton Street 3. Bombay Brow Bar Various locations

PEDICURE/ MANICURE

1. Romantique Nails 65 West 2nd Avenue 2. Beyond Nails 2686 West Broadway 3. Yaletown Nail Spa 1260 Hamilton Street

NATURAL PHARMACY

1. Greenleaf Acupuncture & Herb Clinic 1455–409 Granville Street 2. Finlandia Pharmacy & Natural Health Centre 1111 West Broadway 3. Pure Integrative Pharmacy Various locations

NONSURGICAL MAKEOVER

1. Dermapure Vancouver 3568 West 41st Avenue 2. Mint Integrative Health 485–1541 West Broadway 3. West Dermatology (tie) 105–805 West Broadway 3. The Vanity Lab (tie) 1110 Hamilton Street

NUTRITIONIST

1. Sophie Straith 2. Erin Levine Nutrition 3. Priti Suri-Lamba

SPA GETAWAY

1. Scandinave Spa 8010 Mons Road, Whistler, Whistler 2. Spa Utopia, Pan Pacific 1001–999 Canada Place 3. Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Pacific Rim 1038 Canada Place

SPIN STUDIO

1. CMMN GRND Fitness & Social Wellness Collective 121 West 2nd Avenue 2. Ride Cycle Club Various locations 3. Spin Society Cycling Studio 1332 Granville Street

WAXING STUDIO

1. Stripped Wax Bar Various locations 2. Bare Wax + Sugaring Bar Various locations 3. Beauty by Jacqueline & Co. 736 21st Street East, North Vancouver

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YOGA STUDIO

1. Uphoria 88 East Broadway 2. YYoga Various locations 3. Yoga West 2662 West 4th Avenue

Thank you for the votes!

INTEGRATED HEALTH CLINIC

1. Peakform Wellness Clinic Various locations 2. Greenleaf Acupuncture & Herb Clinic 1455–409 Granville Street 3. Acubalance Wellness Centre 208–888 West 8th Avenue

MASSAGE THERAPY CLINIC

1. Peakform Wellness Clinic Various locations 2. Focus Physio + Wellness 109 West 2nd Avenue 3. Broadway Wellness 610–2525 Willow Street

VISIT BEST OF VANCOUVER ONLINE AT STRAIGHT.COM

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Thank you for your love and support!

Term & Condition's: Minimum purchase $50 applies. EXPIRES: Nov. 30th, 2021. Limit one per customer.

Thank you Georgia Straight readers for voting us

Best Naturopathic Clinic in the Lower Mainland!

Our patients come see us (also virtually!) for general naturopathic medical concerns as well as support with Complex Chronic Disease (Lyme Disease, environmental illness, CFS, FM). We provide therapeutic IV’s and naturopathic skin care, including neuromodulator and microneedling.

183 W. 2nd Ave. Van. | 604.670.0590 | 24

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@tandemclinic

@tandem_clinic_lyme | tandemclinic.com

from page 22

spring and fall—with anywhere from 350 to 1,500 Fraser Valley rainbow trout of immediately catchable size. (All applicable provincial fishing regulations apply, and etiquette tips are posted at the only place on the pond where fishing is permitted: a dock at its north end, near the PNE agriculture barns.) It’s not a huge body of water, so the trout don’t last too long, but enough of them stay away from the dock’s catch area to survive to feed the cormorants, great blue herons, and belted kingfishers that frequent the pond and make great photo subjects for keeneyed visitors.

government shows that you can become an ecowarrior right in your laundry room simply by switching to cold water. This practice will reduce the amount of microfibres produced while doing laundry. These fibres—including beads and fibres that are less than five millimeters in size—contribute to microplastics pollution in oceans and are harmful to aquatic life.

BEST EXAMPLE OF CHANGES IN WASHROOM HABITS

Bidets are washroom fixtures that do the same job as toilet paper, and they are widely used in Asia and Europe. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver noticed that more locals are beginning to have a liking for bidets, particularly the handheld sprayer type. In an online post, the board noted that bidets require “comparably less water than it takes to produce toilet paper”. In short, it’s environmentally friendly.

BEST URBAN FISHING SPOT TO HEAR TEENAGERS SCREAM

No, it’s not Crystal Lake. It’s the hiddenaway Sanctuary Pond in Hastings Park, where the shrieks from Playland’s thrill rides next door regularly penetrate the foliage of the serene and green oasis. The pond is stocked by the nonprofit Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C.—usually two or three times per year, in the

Jody Wilson-Raybould just wrote a book called Indian in the Cabinet.

BEST f UNDECLARED MAYORAL CANDIDATE Kennedy Stewart can’t be complacent in the face of a potential challenge by a First Nations women with a huge social-media following and a reputation for straight talk. Jody WilsonRaybould hasn’t declared whether she’ll enter the increasingly crowded mayoral race, but if she decides to run, it could be lights out for Stewart’s political career. Fortunately, he has a good job to fall back on: a cushy position as an SFU professor of public policy. He’s been on leave for more than a decade as he’s pursued his political career. g

Best of Vancouver

BEST SIGN THAT A PIGEON JUST DIED

If you are walking a residential neighbourhood and occasionally notice a small pile or scattering of downy white feathers on the grass, usually between the sidewalk and the street, look up. If you are lucky, you will spot an urban hawk, often a Cooper’s, with its limp prey on a boulevard tree’s suitable butchering branch, daintily plucking the breast feathers before devouring the meat. Sometimes you will be alerted to the raptor’s presence by the first of the feathers to fly, drifting down like an incongruous summer snowfall. This is a common occurrence in East Van residential neighbourhoods between Commercial Drive and Renfrew Street, but it can happen almost anywhere. Often the beautiful hunter is close enough to take a picture with your phone.

Just don’t make too much noise or it might leave the table without asking permission.

BEST RETURN TO NORMALCY

Aright, let’s admit that things were still far from normal this year. But at least you didn’t feel like the luckiest person in Vancouver every time you saw a 24-pack of asswipe sitting on a supermarket shelf.

BEST DEATH VALLEY IMPERSONATION

In most years Vancouver isn’t the kind of city where one walks around asking their fellow citizens “Hot enough for you?” This past summer wasn’t most years, especially for a sun-scorched stretch in late June where temperatures hit 32 ° C by the water, and closer to 40 ° C inland. For four days—June 25 to 29— sensible folks decided against leaving the house and instead opted for daily ice baths and repeat viewings of wintery classics The Thing and A Simple Plan while camped out in front of the Utilitech oscillating three-speed fan. It felt like hell on Earth, to the point where even the most belligerent of climatechange deniers found themselves wondering if, maybe, Greta Thunberg is perhaps onto something. Things were only moderately less sunbaked days, weeks, and months that followed, with Vancouver clocking its second hottest summer on record. The daily average temperature was 18.9 ° C, well above the normal 17.2 ° C, and second only to a sweltering summer of ’58. As for single-day summer records, the city has actually been hotter than it was this June, with the thermometer hitting 34.4 ° C on July 30, 2009. A time, it should be noted, that didn’t feel the end of times in a see next page

Thank you for voting Dermapure Vancouver as the #1

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NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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Death Valley way, which is anything but the case today.

From Brazilians to Brows

& Everything in Between

barewax.com

Thank you for voting us runner-up

Best Waxing Studio • 1828 W 1st Ave., Vancouver | 604.558.1338 • • 2065 W 4th Ave., Vancouver | 604.732.8017 •

BEST ENOUGH-OF-THAT-SHIT

For years and years and years, the best part of going to the Templeton swimming pool in East Van was the endlessly vandalized Vancouver Park Board sign in Templeton Park. On a good day, that sign would read “Templeton Park and Pool”. But because Templeton Secondary School happens to be right next door, there weren’t many good days. Instead, pretty much any day you snickered at it, the sign read “Templeton Park and Poo”.

Every time the “l” was added back, it would be gone again in hours. You can be against teenage vandalism, but you can’t deny that teenage vandalism can be funny. Evidently tired of the Sisyphean task of repairing the sign, the Vancouver Park Board decided to play dirty pool a couple of years ago by changing the sign to read Templeton Park & Aquatic Centre. The joke being that Templeton Park Poo, err, Pool is no more an aquatic centre than Britannia Ice Rink is a state-ofthe-art winter sports centre. The big opportunity here for some old-school fun?

Still painted on the outside of the building are the words “TEMPLETON PARK POOL”. Grab a ladder, some grey paint to remove the “L”, unleash your inner Bart Simpson and you’re guaranteed to be a legend—at least at Templeton Secondary.

ARTS BEST PLACE FOR LIFE DRAWING CLASSES

These are not your typical life drawing classes. Students sign up for Tuesday night sessions at Catfe in International Village (2035-88 West Pender Street) to work with an artist for 1.5 hours sketching the onsite cats. Due to their “pawpularity”, cat life drawing classes now run weekly, every Tuesday at 7 p.m., and we highly recommend booking ahead (catfe.ca/reservations), as they fill up quickly. Instructor Erin Green also teaches at Emily Carr University of Art + Design and runs her own art school through Children of the Craft. The classes are a really fun way to interact with the cats, which are so used to being showered with affection that they sometimes seem to wonder why people are just standing back and observing them.

That often piques the curiosity of the newbies and shyer cats and encourages them to come out. Some of the kitties like to get involved with the drawings, often deciding that paper is the perfect place for them to sit or that the pencils are new toys.

BEST COMMUNITY COMEDY STAGE

American social networking platform Nextdoor has its problems, including attracting neighbours who love to fight with their fellow neighbours. Just because the grasshole

#1 CULINARY SCHOOL #1 CONTINUING EDUCATION

THANK YOU, VA NCOUVER!

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Come see what makes VCC stand out.

Sign up for an upcoming free info session. vcc.ca/info

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across the street waters his lawn eight days a week all summer, there’s no need to rat him out to the entire hood. But Nextdoor can also be endlessly amusing, as those signed up on the Templeton thread know. Sprinkled between posts about everything from car breakins to where to find Polish-style pickled eggs on Commercial Drive is occasional comedy gold. Some are surreal—a June post featuring what looked like a miniature sasquatch crawling out from under a porch was accompanied by the cryptic “Have you seen him?”.

Summer brought an angry octogenarian named Santos White complaining about East Vancouver’s “tree problem”. (The problem? That would be there’s too many trees.)

Such posts are usually nuked by Nextdoor watchdogs after a few hours, but some slip under the radar. Take a bow Cedar Cottage’s Kevin Hand, who on October 1 took the stage with “Hi again everyone, not sure why my last post was deleted, but anyway, something a little serious…I don’t want to alarm anyone but there are a couple of guys or boys riding in a bright white sports car, waving their arms in the air and I wonder who do they think they are, and where did they get that car?”

BEST COMMUNITY MAKEOVER

As Canada’s official Hollywood North, Metro Vancouver has long been called on to double for other locales, usually ones found in America. Remember the Bates Motel and gothic home popping up in Aldergrove a few years back? And the Vancouver Trade and

admit it—is kind of a drag given that the supernatural American-gothic community of Crockett Island was more fascinating than super-natural Garry Park will ever be.

BEST f CITY SERVICES UNIVERSITY FOR POST-GRADUATE DEGREE

SCHOOL FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION

1. University of British Columbia 2. Simon Fraser University 3. Kwantlen Polytechnic University

1. Vancouver Community College 2. University of British Columbia 3. Langara College

VISUAL EFFECTS/ ANIMATION SCHOOL

INDOOR CLIMBING GYM

1. LaSalle College 2665 Renfrew Street 2. Lost Boys School of Visual Effects 1825 Victoria Diversion 3. Vancouver Film School 198 West Hastings Street

DIGITAL-TECH SCHOOL

1. Vancouver Film School 198 West Hastings Street 2. British Columbia Institute of Technology 3. Simon Fraser University

Convention Centre playing a Tokyo airport in Godzilla. Astute viewers might have noticed that the beginning car-crash opening of the Netflix horror hit Midnight Mass looks suspiciously like it was shot in Stanley Park. From there we flit to the weatherbeaten fishing community of Crockett Island for the series’ main setting; while the locale is never specified, everything screams Maine,

FOOD & DRINK BEST INSIDER INTEL YOU DON’T NEED

1. The Hive Bouldering Gym 520 Industrial Avenue 2. Cliffhanger Vancouver 670 Industrial Avenue 3. Climb Base5 Various locations

CULINARY SCHOOL

1. Vancouver Community College 250 West Pender Street 2. The Dirty Apron Cooking School & Delicatessen 540 Beatty Street 3. Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) 101–1505 West 2nd Avenue

U.S.A. As Steveston residents know however, the battered shacks and early 20th-century church were all built in Richmond’s Garry Park. Production crews built an elaborate creepy-looking village on the site, with filming taking place—after a brief COVID-19 pandemic shutdown—over three months in 2020. And then, like the Bates Motel in Aldergrove, it was suddenly all gone, which—

David Hay Q.C.

Spend any amount of time on Commercial Drive and you’ll quickly learn that The Downlow Chicken Shack isn’t a restaurant as much as a cult. Nine evenings out of 10, the lineup stretches from the takeout window down the alley to the Britannia Ice Rink, with the main attraction being, of course, fried chicken, fried chicken sandwiches, and fried chicken tenders. As regulars will attest, the goodness at Downlow doesn’t stop with the official menu. Frequent flyers know there is also a secret range of off-menu items available on the downlow—best in show perhaps being Fries on the DL, where sweet pickles, pickled onions, coleslaw, a small mountain of cheese, and special house sauces are piled on top of crispy crinkle fries. But why play it safe when going into a world only the cool kids know about. Next time you’re at Downlow, wink while ordering and then ask for a side of the Reaper fries. Yes, they come coated in some combination of spice that makes eating more than one mission impossible unless your name happens to be Man Vs. Food’s Adam Richman or Sean Evans from Hot Ones. We’re talking fries that you might see page 29

| BEST BIKE LAWYER

Advocate for the cycling community for 30+ years, powered by an exceptional team of lawyers dedicated to protecting your rights, Chair of the Road Safety Law Reform Group, and fighting for legislative and infrastructure change to support cyclists.

Dare to dream of a better world for environmentally healthy modes of travel.

Great Minds RIDE A BIKE David Hay dhay@rbs.ca | 604.661.9250

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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Thank you for voting us 1 Pet Grooming & # 1 Doggie Daycare #

◆ Daycare ◆ Adventure Beach Run ◆ Home Boarding ◆ Grooming

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www.sanmarcojewellers.com 28

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from page 27

as well sit on the toilet and eat while blasting Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” on repeat, because that’s what the future holds six hours after consuming them. The positive here?

That would be, by proudly ordering Reaper Fries, you’re announcing the fact that you’re part of the Downlow cult. As for the negative, say goodbye to your innards.

BEST LOCAL LATE-PANDEMIC COPING TOOLS

At this point in the never-ending COVID-19 shit show, there’s only one thing that’s still helping us cope: liquor. Hand’s up if you’ve been calling in sick and then promptly heading to Yeast Vancouver for impromptu brewery crawls from Parallel 49 to Strange Fellows to Powell Street to Bomber to Andina to Luppolo, and then starting all over after a quick noon-time nap. Sometimes, however, the days call for something a little stronger. To that end, this tail end of another weird year is bringing a couple of new ways to support local distillers while taking the edge off. Sticking with the East Van theme for a second, Odd Society has rolled out two superior Canadian Single Malt Whiskies. While both are titled Peat & Smoke, one is made with Scottish peated malt, and the other (for the hard-core Cascadians out there) Washington peated malt, with both bold yet beautifully nuanced. Across the bridge on the North Shore Sons of Vancouver has produced its first impossibly cool Whisky Advent Calendar where you can celebrate the upcoming Christmas season with 12 miniature bottles of blended whiskies and another 12 of whisky liqueurs; as always the challenge is to not open all 24 windows on Day 1.

BEST SQUID GAME INSPIRATION

The River District has become a regular hangout spot for some of Vancouver’s more than 300 food trucks. During the week, you get an ever-changing choice of wood-fired pizza, Thai, Vietnamese, or Lebanese food options, to name only a few. One recent new addition to the lunchtime crowd is Dog Eat Corndog. These deep-fried, crunchy corn dogs are not what we ate growing up at the PNE. They’re authentic Korean-style, cooked slowly with your choice of secret sauce. The outside is a little sweet and the inside is salty, for the perfect midday blood-sugar drop. If you need to stalk your favourite food truck, try streetfoodapp.com/vancouver.

ings like their Heavy Fruit Berry Blend (part beer, part fruit smoothie), Orange Cream Fountainbier (Creamsicle meets soda-shop float), and Candyland (think pink, starting with fresh raspberries). You know how some breweries will promise a Belgian-chocolatecheescake-with-Persian-cherries porter, and somehow it tastes like a less-satisfying Guinness? The beauty of Superflux is that its beers are not only out there, but they’re every bit as fantastic as the art that accompanies them.

Now pass that can of Coconuts. And don’t forget to admire the label.

BEST CHRISTMAS-SEASON KICKSTARTER

There are countless ways to steel yourself for the insanity that is the Christmas season. Spend the last week of November getting your liver tuned up for December with a bottle of Baileys for breakfast, a six pack of Granville Island Lions Winter Ale, and a 26er of Sailor Jerry for dinner—eggnog strictly optional. Having all your Christmas shopping finished by December 3 is never a bad goal, and remember that few movies say “Christmas is coming soon!” like Silent Night, Deadly Night. But what really makes a statement that the most wonderful time of the year is here is bringing home the perfect tree. To make things truly memorable skip the big-box stores, load up 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire wagon, and unleash your inner Clark Griswold at a tree farm. Maple Ridge’s Alouette Tree Farm is close enough to the city that you don’t feel like you’re driv-

WINNER

Best Community Centre:

KITSILANO

COMMUNITY CENTRE

The Kitsilano Community Centre Association would like to express heartfelt thanks to our Program Instructors, Park Board staff, our volunteer Association Directors, and the amazing voters who made this e ep possible. We will keep working hard to give you the best programs and see rvices e in the City.

City Ci tyy. services

BEST COMMUNITY ANSWER TO FOOD INSECURITY

Former Calgarians Mary-Jane Cox and Jessica Kokott moved to Vancouver and brought the idea of a community fridge with them.

Concerned about food-security issues, and aware that most food banks do not distribute fresh fruit and vegetables, they checked out a couple of similar Vancouver operations earlier this year, then installed a donated outdoor fridge (named LOAF, for “local open-access

fridge”) for perishable food on a restaurant property in East Van this past summer, near Hastings and Nanaimo streets. The generous restaurant owner donates the space and electricity, and employees unlock and lock the fridge when they open up and close the business. Postering the neighbourhood and setting up social-media pages brought the pair dozens of volunteers to make fridge checks and keep things clean, and cash and material donations enabled them to construct a sheltering shed with a chest freezer and shelves for dry goods. It proved very popular with the neighbourhood, for both donors and recipients, who are urged to “Bring what you can and take what you need,” with no policing.

Lots of surplus fruit and vegetables from neighbourhood gardens filled the fridge in the late summer and fall, but it is dependent on store-bought and donated food for the winter. Feel free to purchase a few loaves of bread (freezes nicely) or an extra bag of potatoes, apples, or peppers at one of the local stores and drop them off! g

Thank You

Vancouver!

Thank you for voting Vancouver's Best Immigration Lawyer for 10 YEARS STRAIGHT!

sasanding.com

BEST BEER-BRANDING STRATEGY

The beers of East Vancouver’s Superflux get a lot of attention for the way they look, with the labels of brewery cofounder Matt Kohlen part pop-art funk (hello, Swirl!), and part abstract-chic cool (step forward Nova!).

Sometimes you pick up a can of something so perfect-looking you want to frame it on the wall instead of drinking it. What gets lost in all the fuss over Superflux’s visual aesthetic is the product inside the packaging.

Kohlen and partner Matt Henderson were determined to push boundaries when they first started brewing together. They’ve done just that with well-outside-the-box offer-

ing to 100 Mile House, and far enough from the East Van cross that the air feels fresh and clean. Basically you pull up, grab a saw, pick your dream tree, and then start making like Paul Bunyan. The big bonus is that your Grand fir tannenbaum will last the entire month—big-box Xmas trees tend to be cut back east in early November and then shipped west, which means a reduced shelf life. A freshly cut tree, meanwhile, is pretty much guaranteed to last the whole Christmas. Unlike your liver.

2690 Larch St., Vancouver, BC (604) 257-6976

@kitsilanocc Jointly operated by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation & the Kitsilano Community Centre Association NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

Theories and philosophy and a tale of two parks

F

by Martin Dunphy

amed contemporary urban theorist, activist, and author Jane Jacobs had a definite idea of what urban parks should look like.

So did the celebrated 19th-century naturalist, philosopher, and author Henry David Thoreau.

But their perceptions of parks for people were as different as the visionaries themselves.

That two such contrasting concepts could be reflected in a pair of neighbouring East Vancouver parks—recreation spaces scheduled to be linked by yet another park surrounding a resurrected watercourse—is a nod to the city’s inclusive parks planning.

Two distinctly different parks that share a common purpose: to enrich city dwellers’ lives, albeit in different ways.

One of the parks is the four-hectare Hastings Park Sanctuary, known to most Vancouverites as that bunch of trees they see behind the fence between the PNE’s Playland and Renfrew Street as they are speeding west on East Hastings Street.

The other is the larger New Brighton Park, 10 hectares in area and a bit more than a kilometre north of the Sanctuary, hemmed in between the Hastings Race-

The east side of Vancouver’s New Brighton Park features a restored saltmarsh near the pool, with Hastings Park Sanctuary’s trees just visible at the top right. Photo by Port of Vancouver.

course, the Alberta Wheat Pool grain elevator, the working port, and Burrard Inlet.

The two influential American cam-

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US BEST SPA GETAWAY. RESERVE YOUR RELAXATION AT SCANDINAVE.COM SCANDINAVE.COM

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paigners (Jacobs against so-called urban renewal; Thoreau against slavery) were no strangers to militancy to get their messa-

ges across. Jacobs was an advocate of what she termed “civic resistance”, and Thoreau championed “civil disobedience” almost 100 years earlier.

Jacobs, who eventually moved from New York to Toronto, even got herself arrested and briefly jailed (for inciting a riot, among other charges); Thoreau did the same (for tax evasion due to moral objections).

In Jacobs’s most famous work, 1961’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities, she expounded upon her ideas of how cities’ downtowns should be designed for people, including the importance of sidewalks and a diversity of surroundings for neighbourhoods—residential, cultural, industrial, and retail—to create safe, lively, and interesting spaces.

Parks, she said, should have a multitude of uses to bring visitors back, should be near places of busy human traffic, and should be enclosed by an assortment of structures while still being large and open enough to allow plenty of sunlight.

“The more successfully a city mingles everyday diversity of uses and users in its everyday streets, the more successfully, casually (and economically) its people see next page

thereby enliven and support well-located parks that can thus give back grace and delight to their neighbourhoods,” she wrote.

New Brighton Park would appear to fit the theorist’s conditions almost perfectly, what with its proximity to high-volume roads and its popular heated outdoor pool, concession stand, benches, washrooms, paths, educational signage, wide-open spaces for picnics and sports, beaches, and even a dog park.

Its amazing views of the inlet, the Port of Vancouver’s industry, and the North Shore mountains are a beautiful West Coast bonus.

A shoreline restoration project, an initiative between the park board and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, was completed in 2017 and saw the addition of paths, viewing decks, and a pier; a restored saltmarsh area on the park’s east side; and the planting of thousands of native shrubs and trees.

The renewed wetland is already attracting fish—including juvenile salmon—and other wildlife, among them migratory birds and waterfowl.

Perhaps the only thing missing is pedestrian traffic from a mix of urban users, but the park is easily accessible by bike, car, and foot, and two of the city’s oldest neighbourhood mixes of retail, residential, and industrial uses are just blocks away to the west: Hastings-Sunrise and Grandview-Woodland.

And immediately to the east is the hill up to Burnaby Heights, a residential area with a vibrant southern retail boundary on

When Playland is open, the distant shrieks of young thrill riders punctuate the silence…

– Martin Dunphy

Hastings Park Sanctuary loses much of its greenery in the winter. Photo courtesy PNE.

Hastings that attracts shoppers from kilometres away.

New Brighton’s bustling vibe on a sunny day is a testament to Jacobs’s prescription.

The nearby hidden, tree-filled (and shady) Sanctuary, on the other hand, would seem to fit her slightly disparaging description of parks that are “too ill-located, and hence too dull or too inconvenient to be used”.

But that dovetails nicely with Thoreau’s preference for a somewhat tamed but quiet wilderness, close to the cultural amenities of civilization while still allowing one to commune with pastoral nature.

Thoreau, famously, lived on a wooded property called Walden for two years. It was located on a pond near Concord, Massachusetts, and it was there, while living frugally in a hand-built cottage, that he penned 1854’s Walden, his best-known work, a paean to self-discovery, spiritual growth, and the simple life.

In it, he said that people “need the tonic of wildness”. Writing in his journal, he declared that every town should have “a park…where a stick should never be cut for fuel, a common possession forever, for instruction and recreation”.

The Sanctuary—created on paper in 1996 by the city and park board after years of lobbying by community volunteers—started life in earnest in 1998, when PNE buildings and blacktop disappeared and landscaping began in the bowl-shaped depression.

A large upper pond drains into a smaller one, and groundwater, rain, and surface runoff collects in the bigger lake, which is stocked with trout twice a year.

A path circles the main pond’s wooded

margins, where footbridges, a small marsh boardwalk, and elevated viewpoints allow serene contemplation of local and migratory songbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and other wildlife.

More than 140 bird species have been recorded there or passing through, and a bobcat wandered the woods a few summers ago. Woodpeckers drill, owls and hawks hunt, and belted kingfishers can be seen diving for fish from their favourite island perches. Bald eagles nest nearby, and great blue herons wait patiently for a sushi lunch to come within striking range.

But only on the nicest days will a visitor pass more than a dozen people while making the rounds beneath the cooling shade of the now tall trees.

When Playland is open, the distant shrieks of young thrill riders punctuate the silence, but that only underscores the almost preternatural wilderness feel. Hastings Street’s nonstop traffic is never more than a few hundred metres away, but it can’t be seen and can hardly be heard.

How fitting that an unseen creek, covered in a culvert a half-century ago, is scheduled to be “daylighted” within a thread of green space and used to connect these two disparate Vancouver parkland gems.

And how apt as well that it will also tie together, in a sense, the rural and urban recreational philosophies of two visionary thinkers born a century apart but both well ahead of their times. g

The best way to support a community is to be part of it.

Thank you for voting RBC one of the Best Financial Institutions as part of the Georgia Straight’s 2021 Best of Vancovuer. And to our employees for all that you each and every day.

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

As borders reopen, now’s the time to revist Quarantine Act

by Sarah Leamon

Lanes are again open on both sides of the Peace Arch border crossing. To make sure things go smoothly, there are COVID-19 rules to be followed. Photo by jamesvancouver/Getty Images.

I

t comes as no surprise that international travel has changed in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now that our borders with the United States are open again for discretionary travel, many Canadians are wondering what requirements they will have to comply with in order to cross the border.

The Quarantine Act lays out the rules and regulations with respect to entering Canada from a foreign country, whether it is by land, air, or sea. The objective of the Quarantine Act is to reduce the introduction and further spread of COVID-19 and new variants of the virus into Canada by decreasing the risk of introducing new cases from outside the country.

But it is a dense document, that can be difficult to understand—and getting it wrong can come with some serious consequences. This article answers some of your most frequently asked questions about the Quarantine Act. 1. Who is considered to be fully vaccinated under the Quarantine Act? Fully vaccinated travellers may have fewer requirements and restrictions than those who are unvaccinated.

In order to be considered fully vaccinated, you must have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and you must have received the second does at least 14 days before entering Canada.

2. What is the legal definition of a COVID molecular test?

You must have proof of a COVID-19 molecular test prior to entering the country.

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According to the law, a COVID molecular test is a screening or diagnostic test carried out by an accredited laboratory. Both the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and the reverse transcription loop-mediated test, otherwise known as an RT-LAMP test, are accepted.

It is important to note that test results must be presented to a border guard in either French or English. If they are not in one of our official languages, then they must be translated by an accredited translator or translation service and proof of such accreditation must be shown.

3. How can I make a suitable quarantine plan before reentering Canada?

Before crossing the border, you need to have a suitable quarantine plan in place should you need it.

A suitable quarantine plan needs a few things to pass muster. Perhaps most importantly, you must be able to provide an address to a place where you can quarantine for the 14-day isolation period, if required. You must also provide your contact information.

The location where you plan to quarantine must allow you to avoid contact with all persons, unless you travelled with them.

It must also have access to a bedroom and all of the necessities of life without having to leave the location.

4. Who is considered exempt under the Quarantine Act? Not every traveller is subject to the Quarantine Act. Some people are exempt see page 34

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far as we currently know, these tickets will be heard by Provincial Court judges in provincial courts across British Columbia.

from page 32

from many of the requirements under the Quarantine Act, including the requirement for undergoing COVID-19 molecular testing prior to entering the country.

People under the age of five years are exempt, as are crew members on flights, trains, and other modes of transport.

Other examples include a person permitted to work in Canada as an emergencyservice provider—such as a firefighter, peace officer, or paramedic—who is returning to Canada after providing emergency services in a foreign country.

Those who enter Canada regularly to go to their place of normal employment or who are returning from their place of normal employment in a foreign country are also exempt—subject to some restrictions.

5. If I get a ticket while crossing the border or after entering Canada, can I dispute it?

Yes. You have a right to dispute any allegation made against you by the state, and Quarantine Act tickets are no exception!

Generally speaking, you have 30 days to file your ticket into dispute. However, you should check the fine print on your ticket in order to be certain. If in doubt, contact a lawyer to assist you.

6. Can I be represented by a lawyer?

Some legal venues, like the Civil Resolution Tribunal, preclude people from being represented by legal counsel. That’s not the

9. What happens after the first court date?

Although procedures are still being developed, it seems as though tickets will be adjourned for 60 to 90 days after the firstappearance date. This will allow time for you or your lawyer to get disclosure material from the Crown prosecutor and to read and understand the case against you. When your matter appears back in court again, it will be either for trial or to enter a plea.

Should you end up in trouble with the law for violating the requirements of the Quarantine Act, there are numerous options for fighting your ticket. Photo by SergeyChayko/Getty Images.

case here. You have the right to be represented by a lawyer for any COVID-related allegations. However, if you feel more comfortable representing yourself, you can choose that route as well.

7. What happens after I dispute my ticket?

After disputing your ticket, you can expect to receive a confirmation of the dispute. You should get that right away. After that, it’s a bit of a waiting game.

A court date will eventually be assigned to you. You will need to keep a close eye on your mailbox in order to get this date and make sure not to miss it. This is an initial-

appearance date. It is not a trial date.

If you are representing yourself, you will have to attend court yourself. If you have a lawyer, it is likely that your lawyer will attend on your behalf, but you should be sure to discuss this with them ahead of time.

8. Who prosecutes my ticket and where will it be heard?

Although police officers and bylaw officers often prosecute their own tickets under various provincial legislative schemes, Quarantine Act tickets will be different.

They will be dealt with by lawyers at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. As

10. What kind of penalties could I face?

Penalties under the Quarantine Act can be severe. Travellers who contravene the act could face fines up to $750,000 or spend six months in jail. These, however, are extreme examples. The vast majority of people ticketed under this act will face lesser penalties.

11. How can I avoid getting a ticket in the first place?

You should take all necessary steps prior to travelling in order to make sure that you understand what is required of you upon your return to Canada and what you need to do to bring yourself into compliance with the act. g Sarah Leamon is a Vancouver criminal lawyer and founder of Sarah Leamon Law Group.

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

Vancouver’s arts leaders on the city’s best things Artistic directors, curators, and venue owners sound off on what they love so much about this place

V

by Steve Newton

ancouver’s arts and cultural leaders are no slouches when it comes to bringing us their best performances. So for our annual Best of Vancouver issue, we decided to ask them what they like most about the city.

VSO’S OTTO TAUSK HAS TAKEN TO VANCOUVER SWIMMINGLY

You could say that the Vancouver Symphony’s music director Otto Tausk is all wet.

Or at least he would like to be.

When asked to pinpoint what he thinks is the best thing about Vancouver, the affable Dutch conductor doesn’t hesitate at all. He picks Kits Pool.

“This is number one for me,” Tausk says on the line from the Sutton Place Hotel, where he resides when he’s in town and working with the VSO. “For me, that’s an incredible swimming pool. Anywhere I go around the world, I always visit swimming pools, and I had a number-one swimming pool, which is at Singapore airport—you can swim when you’re changing flights—but once I have actually now swum in Kits Pool, that’s my

The next time you’re at Kits Pool and you see a curly-haired swimmer go speeding by, it just might be VSO music director Otto Tausk. He says that it’s his favourite place to be in Vancouver.

very, very favourite place in Vancouver. It’s saltwater and it’s huge, and it’s the most gorgeous location. And I really love swimming.”

“The only sad thing is they always close it very early,” he adds, “somewhere

in September, I think, because I’d love to swim there all year-round.”

When he isn’t ripping through the water like a mako shark, one of Tausk’s other favourite things to do in Vancouver is to

check out the cultural scene.

“Of course, there are areas in Vancouver where I feel there’s a lot of culture going on,” he says, “areas where you can feel something’s happening. Ballet BC is another favourite performing organization that I love to go to. I love Ballet BC. But, of course, my very favourite arts organization is the VSO.” Speaking of the symphony, when asked to pick what he thinks might be the best thing about its current season, he’s pretty adamant. He chooses the November 19 performance at the Orpheum Theatre of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.

“We are doing the complete ballet music,” Tausk says, “and it’s always been a dream of mine to do the entire ballet music—but actually without the ballet. So we’re giving full attention to the score, and I think it’s one of the most beautiful scores ever written. It’s very rich and very colourful, and an orchestra hardly gets to play the entire score, and the concert audience, all they hear is the suites but never all the movements. So I’m really looking forward to that.” see next page

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RESTAURANT GROUP As the T-shirt attests, Rio owner Corinne Lea was forced to change the venue to a sports bar in order to survive the pandemic. Now it’s back to being the cool place she always wanted it to be.

RIO THEATRE’S CORINNE LEA WANTS TO MAKE VANCOUVER A COOLER PLACE

Back in 1996, when she was still in her twenties, Rio Theatre owner Corinne Lea cofounded Havana Theatre on Commercial Drive. Her goal was to make Vancouver as cool a place, artistically and culturally, as Montreal.

“That’s why I created Havana with my partner at the time,” Lea says on a call with the Straight, “and that’s why I do the Rio. My whole goal is to… l mean, I’m not movin’, so I wanna make Vancouver as culturally rich as I can. There’s lots of these different pockets of communities—the comedians, the poets, horror-movie fans, the burlesque performers—so I feel like we have a scene here, and we have the potential to make it richer.”

Lea points to the work being done at arts hubs like Beaumont Studios and Red Gate Arts Society as impressive. Another thing she would put on her personal Best of Vancouver list is Mount Pleasant’s La Fabrique St-George Winery.

“It’s a winery on 7th and Ontario and it’s just this really cool Montreal-vibe kinda place,” she says. “High ceilings; they make their own wine; it’s picnic-style food—you go in and buy your own charcuterie and sit

down. When I go there, I feel like, ‘Yeah, Vancouver, it is cool.’ ” As far as the Rio Theatre goes, the best thing about it, she feels, is the community.

“I didn’t even realize how important the community was in my life until it was taken away,” she stresses, referring to the effects of the pandemic. “Every time we have a show here, it brings different communities, and so many people tell me that the Rio feels like home to them, or it’s like their church, ya know? ’Cause the purpose of church—other than talkin’ to God—is having that regular connection with your community, and so for a lot of people that don’t go to the regular churches, coming here and sitting in the dark and enjoying a show, connecting with art and connecting with other people in a communal way, it goes beyond just hanging with your friends or Netflix and chilling. It’s really something that I think gives us more purpose and meaning in our lives.”

Offered the opportunity to plug one of the “best” upcoming Rio events, Lea goes with the Rio Grind Festival, which runs from November 25 to 28.

“The Rio Grind Festival is all about genre films like thriller, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, ac-

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VAG’S GRANT ARNOLD DOESN’T MISS SASKATCHEWAN WINTERS

from previous page

tion, and all the stuff that you’re not gonna get so much at regular film festivals, and it really suits our branding. For people who can’t make it to the genre film festivals in Austin, or Montreal for Fantasia, we bring those films to the Rio for four days. That’s all we play, and it’s a great opportunity for people to see fresh new indie films.”

RUMBLE THEATRE’S JIVESH PARASRAM IS BIG ON PUBLIC ART

When Rumble Theatre artistic director Jivesh Parasram answers the phone on a rainy Vancouver weekday, he’s in the midst of setting up a performer’s tent in Oppenheimer Park.

As part of the Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, he’s helping rice & beans theatre prepare for a concert called Made in Canada: An Agricultural Song Cycle, which blends mariachi influences with lyrics sourced from the words of seasonal temporary foreign workers.

So when asked what he thinks are the best things about Vancouver, it’s no surprise that he cites the amount of public art amenities that are available.

“To me it’s like, coming from Toronto to Vancouver, it’s so much better, the ability to be outside and do stuff outside. Not just outdoorsy stuff, but just walking down the street and there it is—like a show happening. What we’ve noticed from working throughout the summer, and putting stuff up in the past few weeks, is the kind of openness to more guerrilla-style art. It’s like, ‘Let’s just do the thing.’

Rumble Theatre’s Jivesh Parasram (left) and the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Grant Arnold like the city’s public art and mild climate. Photos by Graham Isador (Parasram) and Amanda Siebert.

“So, generally speaking, it’s this kind of attitude of, ‘Let the art be,’ ” he adds.

“Engage the community, engage people around you, take up public space—and do it respectfully. I think that’s kinda great, in a lotta ways. To me, that’s one of the best parts of Vancouver right now.”

As far as Rumble Theatre’s upcoming events go, Parasram is psyched about the digital game/theatre hybrid New Societies, conceived by Brian Postalian for Re:Current Theatre, which will be developed in December for a planned online performance in June.

“It’s kind of a strategy game where you’re

basically on a new planet: you’re gonna settle the planet; you’re gonna come up with a way to govern it. The trick of it is that there are not actually any rules to it, so the way that we form the governments of these societies is just based on what the players bring into it. So it’s an interesting piece in that you make these decisions and then there’s consequence for it from the other societies on the planet. It’s a fun way of looking at a kind of internationalism, and what a settlement society might be like—with the extra caveat of it being a little sci-fi too.”

Grant Arnold currently holds the position of Audain Curator of British Columbia Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and he’s pretty happy about that. For one thing, he doesn’t have to deal with severe Prairie winters anymore.

“I grew up in Saskatchewan,” Arnold says on the phone from his East Van home, “where it can be 40 below. Even if it’s raining here, it’s better.”

As well as enjoying the mild climate since moving to Vancouver in 1990, Arnold has been impressed by the arts and culture scene here.

“The work that’s made here is up to a very high standard,” he claims. “There’s a lot of really interesting artists working here, and a number of really important Indigenous artists working here as well.

“So that’s one of the things that keeps me here,” he adds, “how vital the art scene is. And the diversity of people. It’s great to be part of such a cosmopolitan place.”

Having lived in East Van for 17 years, it’s no surprise that Arnold points to the “energy” of Commercial Drive as best-of material. As far as his own place of work goes, he’s proud of what the VAG offers local art lovers.

“I think the exhibitions are really vital,” he says. “It’s been a bit of a struggle the last while because of COVID, but we’ve kind of persevered in producing really interesting programming, and the public-programs department has done a really amazing job.” see next page

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the Vancouver Playhouse on October 30.

When asked to pick one VAG exhibition that he might classify as “best”, Arnold goes with Vancouver Special: Disorientations and Echo, which is on display until January 2.

“That exhibition includes work by 32 artists, mostly from the Lower Mainland,” he explains. “Much of the work is brand new and was actually made for the exhibition, and there’s an incredible diversity of forms in the exhibition. So that’s one that immediately springs to mind.”

CHOR LEONI’S ERICK LICHTE SAYS THAT THE BEST THING ABOUT VANCOUVER IS THE PEOPLE

VANCOUVER ASIAN CANADIAN THEATRE’S DONNA YAMAMOTO LOVES CULTURE AND THE CULTCH

When the Straight contacts Donna Yamamoto, producing artistic director of Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre, at her home in Squamish, she sounds excited about new developments at vAct. The day before, on November 1, her company had issued a news release announcing that it had hired a new managing artistic director, Derek Chan.

“He was former co-artistic director of rice & beans theatre,” she says, “and he’s got extensive background in new works.”

Yamamoto’s tenure at vAct runs out at the end of 2021, but she plans to stay on next year as a consultant.

“It is a huge honour to follow Donna’s footsteps in facilitating and presenting new work that is invigorating, captivating, and representative of the Vancouver Asian community,” Chan was quoted as saying in the release. “I look forward to guiding the company towards a bright, innovative future, while re-

Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre’s Donna Yamamoto (left) and Chor Leoni artistic director Erick Lichte love Vancouver. She’s a big fan of the Cultch, while he says it’s all about the people.

specting vAct’s roots and the immense, hard work of those who have come before me.”

Yamamoto is also proud of what Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre has accomplished since she took the artistic reins in 2013. She thinks the company—which has won Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards for 1 Hour Photo and The Ones We Leave Behind— is one of the best things about Vancouver.

“The other thing I love about Vancouver is the Cultch,” she states, “for their innovative, diverse presentations.”

It’s no surprise, then, that when asked to choose one upcoming vAct presentation

that she thinks will be the best, Yamamoto picks Bad Parent, a coproduction with Winnipeg’s Prairie Theatre Exchange and Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre Company that will have its West Coast premiere at the Cultch in April of 2022.

“It’s written by Ins Choi of Kim’s Convenience fame,” she points out.

Other things Yamamoto believes are “best” in Vancouver include dim sum in Chinatown, restaurants in Richmond and Steveston (“for the best food you could possibly find”), and the performance of Alonzo King LINES Ballet that she saw at

When you ask Vancouverites what they think the best things are about their city, the most common replies usually have to do with the beautiful scenery or the mild climate. But for Erick Lichte, artistic director of Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, it’s all about the people.

“The people of Vancouver are just extraordinary,” Lichte raves on the line from his East Van home. “I know we’ve got the mountains; I know we’ve got the sea. But to me, it’s the people. And nothing has been clearer to me on how truly wonderful the people are than how they have reacted to this pandemic.

People have been kind, people have at every turn tried to pull together and tried to do the right thing, and that just feels amazing. I feel so lucky to be adopted here into this place.”

Although he has worked with Chor Leoni for eight years now, the Americanborn singer and conductor has only lived in Vancouver full-time for two years. But that’s definitely been long enough for Lichte to develop a powerful bond with the many members who make up the choir.

“The best thing about Chor Leoni is how there can be this group of people that care and love each other so much,” he says, “but also want to work so hard and be the best at what they can do. Sometimes those things can be mutually exclusive, but not so with Chor

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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the arts practice that I’m doing, by being in a climate that is diverse. There’s lots of food and areas that I enjoy, and I do like that there is some diversity in food.”

FIREHALL ARTS CENTRE’S DONNA SPENCER SAYS VANCOUVER ISN’T JUST A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COME TO SHOOT MOVIES

Vancouver Moving Theatre’s Savannah Walling (pictured with husband Terry Hunter), the Falling Company’s Marissa Wong (centre), and the Firehall Arts Centre’s Donna Spencer have their own reasons for loving Vancouver. Photos by (l-r) David Cooper, Belen Garcia, and Pedro Meza.

from previous page

Leoni. And I just always admire how they can do both those things at the same time.”

Lichte notes that those best intentions will be on full display when the choir performs its annual Christmas With Chor Leoni concerts on December 17, 18, and 20 at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church, which recently underwent a major makeover.

“It’s our biggest event of the season,” he says, “and being in our newly renovated digs at St. Andrew’s-Wesley, that space becomes another character, I think, for those performances. And I think after this time apart from one another, it’s gonna feel particularly sweet.”

VANCOUVER MOVING THEATRE’S SAVANNAH WALLING ADMIRES THE CULTURAL WEALTH OF THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE

If you want to find out what the best things are about Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a good person to ask is Savannah Walling.

She’s lived there for 45 years and is artistic director of Vancouver Moving Theatre, the company behind the annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, which just finished celebrating its 17th year.

On the phone from her Strathcona home, Walling points to CRAB Park at Portside, the living presence of free First

Nations surrounding Vancouver, and the rich culture of the Downtown Eastside as particularly worthy of “best of” mentions.

“The cultural wealth of the Downtown Eastside is something that’s just really excited me and kept me engaged,” Walling offers.

“And another is this growing interest in art that connects with and engages with community and is successful..”

When it comes to pinpointing the best things about Vancouver Moving Theatre—which Walling cofounded with her husband, VMT executive director Terry Hunter, in 1983—she cites the decades of collaborations with artists of many genres, traditions, and ancestries.

“We’ve been honoured to have that opportunity to engage with the Downtown Eastside community, where we were founded, on projects for and about the neighbourhood— including the Heart of the City Festival,” she says. “Delivering professional service with an attitude of partnership, cooperation, respect for community needs, and their cultural protocols: those are things that I really value about our company and its history.”

THE FALLING COMPANY’S MARISSA WONG THINKS VANCOUVER’S DIVERSITY IS ITS BEST THING

Vancouver dance fans might know Marissa Wong best from the work she did

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with TWObigsteps Collective, but now she’s making a name for herself as artistic director of The Falling Company.

She started the dance company earlier this year, after Amber Funk Barton stepped down as artistic director of the response and handed the company over to Wong, who renamed it. But as Wong told the Straight on the phone from her home in Mount Pleasant—to where she recently moved from Kits—she plans on keeping some of the best elements of Barton’s former company in her new one.

“One of the things that has been passed on from the Response Dance Society in terms of the legacy that we carry forward as a company is supporting the next generation of artists,” she says, “prioritizing and making sure that we have sustainable practices that really support the well-being of the artist.

Making sure that we have meetings and we set up breaks in-between processes, making sure that the artists that are working for the company are not burnt out, and making sure the resources are available for the art.”

When asked what she would say are the best things about Vancouver, Wong cites Left of Main—the Chinatown arts hub where her new company will be entering into a residency in January—and the diversity of the city.

“As a city to live in, it’s wonderful to have access to such close, diverse nature,” she says, “and I think that informs some of

Donna Spencer has been the artistic producer of the Firehall Arts Centre for almost 40 years—39, to be exact—so you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone more qualified to comment about the current state of the Vancouver arts scene than her.

“We have many, many professional artists—many dancers, actors, directors, and designers—so it’s a very vibrant arts and culture scene,” Spencer says by phone from her office at the Firehall. “A bit of it seems to be unknown by many people, but we’re not just a place where people come to shoot movies.”

For someone to work at the same location for almost 40 years, it really helps if the surroundings are impressive. Spencer checks that box with the Firehall Arts Centre—and a few others as well.

“Well, first of all, our theatre is fabulous,” she declares, “but also the work we do is very diverse. We’ve been involving Indigenous, BIPOC artists for many years, so our patrons know that when they come to the Firehall, they’re going to see something that’s different, they’re going to see something that’s provocative, they’re going to see something that’s entertaining. And it’s a wonderful little building; it’s a heritage building. I guess if you want to say, it’s the oldest theatre in Vancouver, although it wasn’t originally a theatre: it was a firehall, of course.”

Given the opportunity to plug one upcoming Firehall event as “the best”, Spencer nominates Paddle Song, a one-woman musical about trailblazing Mohawk poet and performer Pauline Johnson. The performance runs from November 10 to 21.

“I think people should try to get out and see it,” she urges. “Cheri Maracle is magnificent [as Johnson]. Pauline Johnson travelled in the late 1800s to the U.K. and across Canada and the U.S., and a lot of people have forgotten her connection to this city. Her ashes were actually spread at Siwash Rock.” see next page

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THE VANCOUVER BACH CHOIR’S LESLIE DALA THINKS VANCOUVER IS THE PERFECT SIZE

Leslie Dala grew up in Toronto, and one of the things he liked best about Vancouver when he moved here—apart from the mellower climate—was the size of the city.

“The city’s small enough that people actually get to know each other really quickly,” relates the Vancouver Bach Choir’s music director during a call to the Straight, “and that was something that really appealed to me.

“You forge strong relationships,” he adds, “and out of that come opportunities and a lot of dreaming about things and putting together projects that you kinda just wish together.”

Dala admits that it doesn’t hurt when the artists you’re connecting with are some of the most talented in the world.

“We see time and time again award-winning chefs, choreographers, writers, musicians, and everything in this city,” he says.

“On any given week, you can check out a whole lot of contrasting shows and plays that are really first class.”

As for his own company, one thing Dala appreciates about the Vancouver Bach Choir is that it represents a cross-section of the city’s residents.

“We have doctors, lawyers, judges, schoolteachers, you name it: people who in their professional lives do all kinds of things, but what brings us together is their love of singing. And it’s an auditioned choir, so

Vancouver Bach Choir music director Leslie Dala (left) and Indian Summer Festival artistic director Sirish Rao both rave about Vancouver and love the fact that the city is relatively small.

people sing at a high level, and they’re really committed to the repertoire that we do, so it makes it a joy to work with them.”

Dala and his choir, along with other groups, will be spreading that joy around on November 30 with a performance at the Orpheum Theatre of Benjamin Britten’s St. Nicolas.

“What blew me away,” he says, “is that when we were looking through our history, it turned out that even though this piece was kind of perfect for the choir, it had never been programmed by the Bach Choir. So we’re bringing together all ages of choirs to perform

this beautiful seasonal piece for the first time.”

INDIAN SUMMER FESTIVAL’S SIRISH RAO SAYS THAT WITHOUT THE ARTS WE’D BE LOST

Indian Summer Festival artistic director Sirish Rao lives in Kitsilano, which—as local sushi freaks know—is also home to Kibune Sushi. Rao describes it as one of the most beautiful sushi joints anywhere.

“It has that wonderful thing of people, mountains, ocean, sushi,” Rao says in a call to the Straight. “Couldn’t go wrong.”

The tasty morsels at Kibune are just

one of the many things Rao cites as best in Vancouver.

“One of the things I love most is how it has enfolded and how it enfolds nature,” he explains. “This is by far the smallest city I’ve lived in, and so it feels like it still has lots of memory of the natural world. I mean, you have orcas coming into the harbour for God’s sake. It’s amazing.”

Rao’s fondness for Vancouver, not surprisingly, also extends to its arts and culture scene.

“I’m seeing a lot of storytelling of things that weren’t that present, I see a strong resurgence of Indigenous art. I see the Chinatown Storytelling Centre just got launched on Pender Street, and they’re telling the stories of the Chinese community. You know, there’s Hogan’s Alley, the Black community. Those are signs that people haven’t forgotten some stories, and that’s important for me.”

Rao describes the Indian Summer Festival as “a gigantic longtable”, noting that feast is the root word of festival. And he’s inviting local arts lovers to take a bite.

“We’re launching a project in a few weeks that brings artists and medical professionals and healers together to create a kind of culture lab,” he reveals, “a lab where artists can imagine vaccines against despair, or remedies against despair. I think it’s important to see local artists as healers. I mean, we all like looking at Netflix for escape during the pandemic, or reading books, or listening to music. Without the arts, we’d be lost.” g

lasallecollegevancouver.com/events

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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NEWMONT MASTERWORKS GOLD

NOV

12/13

Bronfman, Tovey & Beethoven TOMORROW! Fri & Sat, 8pm | Orpheum

VSO Music Director Emeritus Bramwell Tovey is joined by the great Yefim Bronfman, who brings his deep and passionate playing to Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto.

ARTS

Comedian Iris Bahr plans to get personal at Chutzpah!

by Charlie Smith

Stewart Goodyear

Hear it. Feel it.

There is no shortage of characters that Iris Bahr plays in her stage appearances, but at this year’s Chutzpah! Festival she is going to premiere a show that’s centred on her own experiences.

MUSICALLY SPEAKING

Romeo & Juliet

NOV

Fri, 7pm | Orpheum

19

Romeo and Juliet like you’ve never seen it before!

An innovative mix of shadow puppetry and live digital video brings to life the timeless love story as Maestro Tausk leads the VSO in Prokofiev’s lush and romantic ballet score. This is something very special.

Limited seating. Don’t miss out!

ASSANTE VANCOUVER CENTRE MASTERWORKS DIAMOND

NOV

26/27

The Valkyries Ride Again

Fri & Sat, 8pm | Orpheum

From Apocalypse Now to Bugs Bunny, Wagner’s music is sewn into popular culture. Discover his greatest symphonic moments with Maestro Tausk and the VSO. Plus, Principal Cellist Henry Shapard plays the gorgeous Lalo Cello Concerto.

Traditional Christmas DEC

1–19

Christopher Gaze

NOV 5 & 6, 26 & 27 MASTERWORKS DIAMOND SERIES SPONSOR

Dec 1–4 | Across Lower Mainland Dec 18 | 4 & 7:30pm | Orpheum Dec 19 | 4 & 7:30pm | Orpheum

The annual tradition returns this Christmas with host Christopher Gaze. Performances take place around the Lower Mainland the first week of December and at the Orpheum Theatre December 18 & 19.

NOV 12 & 13 MASTERWORKS GOLD SERIES SPONSOR

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CONCERTS ENDOWED BY

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SHEAHAN AND GERALD MCGAVIN, CM, OBC

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604.876.3434

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

A

t last year’s Chutzpah! Festival, comedian and producer Iris Bahr delivered a zany pandemic treat over Zoom. Adopting the personas of some of her most famous characters— brash and obnoxious southern American podcaster Rae Lynn Caspar White, the crude and colourful limousine-company owner Moti, and the unforgettable Soviet-era mailorder bride Svetlana Maximovskaya—Bahr charmed her audience with uninhibited and riotously funny chatter.

This year, Bahr will deliver a very different show when she takes the stage of the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 23 for her solo show.

In a Zoom call from Tel Aviv, where she’s been living since March, the New York– born performer says she’s going to present something “somewhat experimental”.

“I am going to come out with some of my characters and do some crowd work akin to what I did last year,” Bahr revealed, “but I am also going to be presenting a very personal story that I am developing into my new one-person show.”

She described it as the most personal thing she’s ever done: “very raw”, “kind of the world premiere of it”, and a “work in progress”.

Without giving away too many details, Bahr said that it will revolve around some dramatic personal and family events that led her to move from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv at the height of the pandemic.

“As usual, I find the humour in all the tragedy, because that’s the only way I know how to cope,” she said. “So I’ll be kind of telling that story.”

Later in the interview, Bahr disclosed that her mother “underwent, um, a brain

event, which I will talk about”.

“I came here to take care of her and that has brought up a lot of stuff, some very emotional, some very challenging, all very challenging,” she added. “It’s about resilience and pushing through and…trying to make it into art that can resonate with people.

“I was not sure I was going to do it at first,” Bahr continued. “As the months went by, I went, ‘This feels right.’ ” She described her mother as a “loving, anxious human”, noting that the upcoming show in Vancouver deals with codependency, humour, guilt, and enmeshment— “everything Jewish mothers and daughters and sons can relate to”.

“It will be different from my previous works,” Bahr promised. “I’m incorporating movement and dance.”

Bahr is familiar to viewers of the hit series Curb Your Enthusiasm as the Orthodox Jewish girl stuck on a ski lift with Larry David.

Prior to her mother’s health issue, Bahr already had tremendous insights into the structure and functioning of the human brain as a result of studying neuroscience as an undergraduate. She retains a fascination for the subject, occasionally interviewing neuroscientists on her podcast.

“It’s kind of amazing how we really are just our brains, you know,” Bahr quipped.

“That’s it. I mean, obviously, I consider myself a spiritual person. And, yes, we all have souls and auras and things. But at the end of the day, we’re grey matter.” g The Chutzpah! Festival: The Lisa Nemetz Festival of International Jewish Performing Arts presents Iris Bahr at 7 p.m. on November 23 at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre.

CHILL.

Enjoy stress-free reading without the noise on CreatorNews.

ARTS | CULTURE | LIFESTYLE ,QWURGXFLQJ WKH ŦUVW QHZV DJJUHJDWRU GHGLFDWHG WR WKH DUWV JOREDO FXOWXUH OLIHVW\OH DQG FUHDWLYH QHZV /HDYH GLYLVLYH SROLWLFV FULPH DQG IDNH QHZV EHKLQG ZLWK H[SHUWO\ FXUDWHG UHOD[LQJ UHDGV

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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ARTS

Art gallery superdonor Audain writes his memoir

T

by Charlie Smith

his month, the public learned that the chairman of the Audain Foundation had made the largest cash gift to an art gallery in Canadian history. Michael Audain handed over $100 million to support the creation of a new Vancouver Art Gallery building on the block-size parking lot on West Georgia Street near Stadium Station.

Many Vancouverites know Audain as the founder and longtime chair of Polygon Homes. Others salute him as the most generous patron of visual arts in B.C. long before the $100-million donation. Still others are aware that he worked for the NDP government in the early 1970s, playing a pivotal role in the creation of B.C. Housing.

But not nearly as many know that his great-great-grandfather was the ruthless 19th-century coal baron Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant and industrialist.

Audain writes frankly about this and many other fascinating aspects of his life in his new autobiography, One Man in His Time. He points out that the fortune from the Dunsmuir side of his family was “reduced to a smoking ruin by the time I arrived”. That was due to “several generations of internecine wrangling and bad living”.

Polygon Homes chairman Michael Audain’s new book, One Man in His Time, tells about hardships he experienced as a child and why he was jailed for battling segregation in the Deep South.

“For much of my life I was at pains to avoid identifying with my Dunsmuir ancestry,” Audain reveals in the book.

His grandmother married a Sandhursteducated officer, Col. Guy Audain, who lived the high life on her money. His father, the hard-drinking Jimmy Audain, retained a fondness for local Indo Canadians in Victoria, a leftover from his father’s time serving in the British Army in India.

Audain, an introvert, bluntly describes his rather unhappy childhood. It included

escaping a Channel island in the Second World War, experiencing brutal corporal punishment in a British school, and failing to impress his teachers with much academic or athletic prowess. It was only in university that he figured out how to succeed on exams.

One of the most fascinating parts of the book concerns his experience as one of the Freedom Riders. These were groups of white and African American civil-rights activists who travelled by bus through the Deep South to challenge racist laws. Audain sat in

the back of the bus with Black passengers, declining offers to move to the front. He sat in the “Coloured” section of a bus stop in Jackson, Mississippi. And for doing that, Audain was arrested.

A detective demanded to know whether he was a member of the Communist party.

“No, I actually voted Progressive Conservative in the last Canadian election because I wanted to support John Diefenbaker,” Audain replied. This landed Audain in a Mississippi prison, which he describes in fairly graphic detail. When he was released, he was greeted by an angry crowd.

One Man in His Time includes many other dramatic and amusing moments, including the time NDP Leader Tommy Douglas encouraged him to remove a photo of Fidel Castro from Audain’s table at the founding NDP convention.

He describes his “transformation from a reform-minded social worker to a large-scale residential developer” as a “natural progression”.

“Certainly in that role I have been able to create far more affordable homes for ordinary BC families than I ever could have had I remained in the government or nonprofit sectors,” he writes. g

EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL

a visual arts, design & crafts festival

open studios nov 12-14 by appt. & nov 18-21, 2021

44

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

The Lisa Nemetz International Jewish

Performing Arts Festival

ON STAGE

NOVEMBER 4 TO 24

NOW!

Live Performances at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre & other venues at the JCC | Plus Digital Streaming

C O M E DY Avi Liberman | November 20 | 7pm Israeli-American’s quirky style has made him a comedy club favourite. W/ guest Jacob Samuel and host Kyle Berger.

Iris Bahr | November 23 | 7pm Award-winning Israeli-American writer, actor, director, producer and podcast host performs her new solo show.

T H E AT R E / S T O R Y T E L L I N G The Flame – Home at Chutzpah! | November 17 | 7pm

Real People share their personal true stories in fiery, grassroots storytelling series. With special musical guest Anton Lipovetsky. Presented by RBC

Surplus Production Unit | A Timed Speed-Read of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Trial Transcript November 21 | 6pm and November 22 | 11am & 7pm

With only a stopwatch and a stack of paper, and some theatrical magic, this true story comes to life in an immersive experience. Sponsored by Actsafe Safety Association

DANCE Shay Kuebler/Radical System Art | world premiere of Momentum of Isolation (M.O.I.) November 13 & 14 | 7pm

MUSIC

Promising to be dynamic, active, and reflective of our current moment.

Alexis Fletcher | Vancouver premiere of light in the rafters Ne.Sans Opera & Dance | world premiere of Solo for Orpheus November 16 & 18 | 7pm Chutzpah Artists in Residence dance companies

return with two stunning solo performances.

Josh “Socalled” Dolgin with Strings | Di Frosh | November 19 | 7pm Rediscovered Yiddish songs with Dolgin accompanied by string quartet!

Guy Mintus Trio | A Gershwin Playground | November 24 | 7pm Magnificent Israeli jazz combo channels the legendary George Gershwin.

Artist Conversation Series Throughout the Festival

M U LT I M E D I A

Iris Bahr co-curates conversations with influential artists and intellectuals.

Tamara Micner – Old Friends November 8-12 Theatre, Installation | Intimate,

one-on-one experience inspired by the music of Simon and Garfunkel.

Israeli artists are sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel

Tickets and Event Details: chutzpahfestival.com Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

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ARTS LISTINGS

ONGOING

A SEAT AT THE TABLE Exhibition explores historical and contemporary stories of Chinese Canadians in B.C. and their struggles for belonging. To Dec 31, 10 am–4 pm, Museum of Vancouver. $10.

DRIFT: ART AND DARK MATTER EXHIBITION Exhibition of works by artists Nadia Lichtig, Josèfa Ntjam, Anne Riley, and Jol Thoms. To Dec 5, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery.

CANOE CULTURES :: HO'-KU-MELH Work of 20 Indigenous artists and carvers curated by Indigenous artist and cultural historian Roxanne Charles. To Jul 3, 2022, Vancouver Maritime Museum. $13.50 adults/$11 seniors.

CHARLENE VICKERS | ANCESTOR GESTURE Painting, sculpture, performance, and installation by Charlene Vickers. To Jan 2, 2022, Contemporary Art Gallery.

SHO ESQUIRO: DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY Solo exhibition by designer, artist, and activist showcases meticulously crafted couture gowns, textiles, paintings, and photographs. To Jun 5, 2022, Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. THE ERASER: ESCAPING THE FUTURE Exhibition

centers on a Black man revisiting experiences that have been normalized in critical reflection of internalized supremacy. To Nov 13, Monica Reyes Gallery.

FRUITS OF MY LABOUR Fruit-shaped jewellery objects made from decorative plastic fruit covered in recycled swimsuit lycra, displayed on mirrored surfaces. To Nov 25, Craft Council of B.C. Gallery. Free.

THE ODD COUPLE Classic Neil Simon comedy centred around the antics of uptight, neat Felix Unger and easygoing, dishevelled Oscar Madison. To Nov 14, Metro Theatre. Adults $34, seniors $31.50.

EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL : SURFACING The Pendulum Gallery hosts one part of the Eastside Culture Crawl's multi-venue curated exhibition, Surfacing. To Nov 26, 9 am–6 pm, Pendulum Gallery. Free.

OG PUNK Dina Goldstein's photographs of key figures from the punk scenes of the late 1970s and 1980s in Vancouver and Victoria as they are today. To Jan 2, 2022, The Polygon Gallery.

SANKOFA: AFRICAN ROUTES, CANADIAN ROOTS Exhibition explores the relationships between traditional and contemporary African art and Black Canadian art. To Mar 27, 2022, 10 am–5 pm, Museum of Anthropology at UBC. RAMA VAIDYANATHAN + ENSEMBLE New work

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wvml.ca/Signature

SIGNATURE Series Bringing the very best in books + music to your screen

choreographed by Indian Bharatanatyam artist Rama Vaidyanathan. To Nov 15, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $15.

PADDLE SONG One-woman musical tells the story of Mohawk poet Pauline Johnson. To Nov 21, Firehall Arts Centre. Tix from $15.

CIRCLE CRAFT CHRISTMAS MARKET Western Canada’s largest craft market features hundreds of craftspeople and artisans. To Nov 14, Vancouver Convention Centre. Adults $15.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11 SCRAWNY SHOW Standup comedy show features headliners Sean McDonnell (Nov. 11), Aaron Read (Nov. 25), Graham Clark (Dec. 9), and Yumi Nagashima (Dec. 23), ANZA Club. $8 advance/$10 at the door.

THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE A science-fiction thriller adapted by Noah Smith and directed by Tracy Labrosse. Nov 11-27, 8 pm, Deep Cove Shaw Theatre. $22 ($20 seniors/students).

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL The 25th annual Culture Crawl takes place in person and online over two consecutive weekends. Nov 12-21, various Vancouver venues and online.

THE WEATHER STATION Canadian folk-music band fronted by Tamara Lindeman. Nov 12, 7 pm, Hollywood Theatre. $18 (plus service charge).

CITY AND COLOUR Canadian singer-songwriter Dallas Green performs tunes from latest album A Pill For Loneliness. Nov 12-13, 8 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13 FISH SKIN LEATHER WORKSHOP Learn the process of transforming raw fish skins into a durable textile that can be used to make clothing, wallets, footwear, and art. Nov 13, 9:30 am–12:30 pm, Museum of Vancouver. $130 for non-members.

JOAN CHITTISTER - THE MONASTIC HEART Joan Chittister presents her new book The Monastic Heart.

Nov 13, 11 am–12 pm, Online, banyen.com. Free.

TATSUYA NAKATANI AT NIKKEI NATIONAL MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTRE Avant-garde percussionist and composer, with guest Mark Haney on bass. Nov 13, 2:30 pm, Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre. By donation.

POLYRHYTHMICS Seattle band performs a mix of funk, soul, psychedelic rock, R&B, progressive jazz, and Afrobeat. Nov 13, 7:30 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $20 (plus service charge).

LIVE FROM THE HIVE: DESIRÉE DAWSON Singer, songwriter, and baritone ukulele player from White Rock. Nov 13, 7:30-9 pm, The Hive Vancouver. $12-$22.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 VANCOUVER COMICON Comic-book convention featuring vendors selling new and collectible comics, with guest artist Douglas Wheatley. Nov 14, 11 am–5 pm, Heritage Hall. $5 (kids under 14 free).

PJ PERRY Canadian jazz saxophonist performs with pianist Chris Gestrin, bassist Neil Swainson, and drummer Ethan Olynk. Nov 14, 8-9:30 pm, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Limited in-person $30.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16 MARTHA WAINWRIGHT Canadian singer-songwriter performs tunes from fifth album, Love Will Be Reborn. Nov 16, 10 pm, Massey Theatre. $45.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 FARM TO FABLE Cook along with Nadine in this made-for-Zoom show! Nov 17-21, online, thecultch. com. Tickets from $29.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18 IRONFEST: A FALL JAZZ CONCERT SERIES Six performances over three nights by local jazz and soul artists. Nov 18-20, Ironworks. $25.

DOLLY PARTON'S SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS CAROL A musical rediscovery of joy and compassion through understanding the true wealth that comes from connection. Nov 18–Jan 2, 2022, Stanley

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MICHELLE GOOD in Conversation with Waubgeshig Rice

Saturday, November 13 2 – 3:30 p.m. PST KELLY YANG I All Ages Tuesday, November 16 1:30 – 2:15 p.m. PST

Come celebrate with us!

50 th ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE CONCERT

RAFFI I All Ages Tuesday, November 16 6 – 6:45 p.m. PST HARRY MANX Friday, November 19 7:30 – 8:45 p.m. PST Presented by

604.925.7400 | info@westvanlibrary.ca westvanlibrary.ca 46

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

th

Friday, November 19 , 2021 www.vancouverchamberchoir.com

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19 DEER LAKE CRAFT FESTIVAL 2021 The Burnaby Arts Council presents the largest annual craft market in Burnaby. Nov 19-21, 12-4 pm, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Free.

THE MIXTAPE Standup showcase featuring a diverse array of local comedians. Nov 19, 7 pm, Biltmore Cabaret. $18.

FOREV CIRCUS Former Cirque du Soleil circus performers Santé D’Amours Fortunato and Alexandr Yudintsev perform their gravity-defying act. Nov 19, 20, 8 pm, Metro Theatre. Adults $35.15, children $29.

UNBOUND Reading series and conversation inspired

by Black speculative narratives. Nov 19, 8-9:30

pm, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. In-person $30, livestream $15.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20 PORTOBELLO WEST HOLIDAY MARKET 2021 Sales of works by more than from 60 local B.C, artists, designers, and producers. Nov 20-21, 10 am–5 pm, Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre. $5 adults (12-and-under free).

STEVEN SHEARER Exhibition curated by Polygon Gallery director Reid Shier marks the first major Canadian survey of Shearer’s work since 2007. Nov 20, 2021–Feb 13, 2022, 10 am–5 pm, The Polygon Gallery.

By donation.

BLOODFEUD: ONE LAST RIDE Long-running standup and improv comedy show. Nov 20, 7:30-10 pm, Little Mountain Gallery. $15.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21 KITS CLASSICS: THE 24TH SEASON Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds, k. 452, is performed by pianist Mark Anderson, oboist Emma Ringrose, clarinetist Johanna Hauser, bassoonist Jesse Read, and French hornist Richard Mingus. Nov 21, 4-5:15 pm, St. James Community Square. Free.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 SPEED AND SPLENDOUR: BY SEA TO ASIA Exhibition explores western perceptions of Asia through travel posters and ephemera from early- to mid-20th century. Nov 23, 2021–Feb 27, 2022, Vancouver Mari-

BEST f CITY ARTS CLASSICAL MUSIC ENSEMBLE

1. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra 2. Turning Point Ensemble 3. Hard Rubber Orchestra

CLASSICAL VOCAL ENSEMBLE

1. Vancouver Chamber Choir 2. Chor Leoni 3. musica intima 3. Elecktra Women’s Choir

MUSEUM

1. Museum of Anthropology at UBC 2. Museum of Vancouver 3. Vancouver Maritime Museum

PERFORMING-ARTS FESTIVAL

1. Bard on the Beach 2. Vancouver Fringe Festival 3. Vancouver Queer Arts Festival

PROFESSIONAL DANCE COMPANY

1. Ballet BC 2. Shay Kuebler Radical System Art 3. Kokoro Dance

THEATRE COMPANY

1. Arts Club Theatre Company 2. Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival 3. Carousel Theatre (tie) 3. Vancouver TheatreSports (tie) 3. Touchstone Theatre (tie) 3. Theatre Under the Stars (tie)

PRIVATE ART GALLERY

1. Catriona Jeffries Gallery 2. Ayden Gallery 3. Heffel Gallery

PUBLIC ART GALLERY

1. Vancouver Art Gallery 2. Contemporary Art Gallery 3. Museum of Anthropology at UBC

THEATRE OR DANCE VENUE

1. The Cultch 2. Queen Elizabeth Theatre 3. Scotiabank Dance Centre

LITERARY FESTIVAL

1. Vancouver Writers Fest 2. Word on the Street 3. Jewish Book Festival 3. Vancouver Comic Arts Festival

time Museum. $13.50 adults/$11 seniors.

O CHRISTMAS TEA: A BRITISH COMEDY OffBroadway Comedians and James & Jamesy present a Christmas comedy. Nov 23, 7:30 pm, Kay Meek Arts Centre. $19-44.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 DANCE IN VANCOUVER The Dance Centre presents a celebration of B.C.'s contemporary dance talent with a wide-ranging selection of events. Nov 24-28, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $15-30 (some events free).

EAST VAN PANTO: ALICE IN WONDERLAND Theatre Replacement's ninth annual East Van Panto sees Alice follow the White Rabbit into a topsy-turvy version of East Vancouver. Nov 24–Jan 2, 2022, York Theatre. Tickets from $35.

BACH'S SONS Of J.S. Bach’s children that survived into adulthood, four became composers whose music is still performed. Nov 24, 7:30 pm, Early Music Vancouver.

RED SKY PERFORMANCE PRESENTS TRACE Dance work inspired by the ancestral celestial legends of the Anishinaabe people. Nov 24-27, 8 pm, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25 KRYSTLE DOS SANTOS Vancouver-based soul, jazz, and R&B singer. Nov 25, 8-9:30 pm, Shadbolt Centre

for the Arts. In-person $30, livestream $15.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26 SHARI ULRICH & JANE MORTIFEE Double bill of Vancouver folk-music legends. Nov 26, 8 pm, Mel Lehan Hall at St. James. $25 in person, $10 streamed.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27 VOICES FOR HOPE Live performances by blues singer Dalannah Gail Bowen and hip-hop, soul, and R&B duo Laydy Jams, with all proceeds to support women fleeing Afghanistan. Nov 27, 7:30 pm, The Cultch. $49.50 (plus fees) in-person/$10 online.

THE GARBAGE SISTERS Improv and sketch-comedy show. Nov 27, 10 pm, Little Mountain Gallery. $10.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29 STAND-UP AT HOLLYWOOD THEATRE Standup comedy with DJ Demers, Charlie Demers, Maddy Kelly, and Malik Elassal. Nov 29, 8 pm, Hollywood Theatre. $35 (plus fees).

ARTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. Submit events online using the eventsubmission form at straight.com/AddEvent.

Events that don't make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

Paddle Song A Firehall Arts Centre Presentation

Produced and Performed by

Cheri Maracle

DANCE STUDIO

Directed by

1. Harbour Dance Centre 2. Formation Studio (tie) 2. Van City Dance Connection (tie) 3. Arts Umbrella

Dinah Christie Co-written by

Dinah Christie & Tom Hill

COMMUNITY FESTIVAL

Music by

1. Vancouver Folk Music Festival 2. Main Street Car Free Day 3. Powell Street Festival (tie) 3. Vancouver Mural Festival (tie)

Tom Hill

NOV 9 - 21

MUSIC FESTIVAL

1. Vancouver Folk Music Festival 2. Vancouver International Jazz Festival 3. Bass Coast

LOCAL FILM FESTIVAL

1. Run N Gun 2. Vancouver International Film Festival 3. Vancouver Queer Film Festival

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

Cheri Maracle

Industrial Alliance Stage. Tix from $43.

DISCOVER DANCE! V’NI DANSI’S LOUIS RIEL MÉTIS DANCERS A celebration of the rhythms and images of the Métis spirit. Nov 18, 12 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $15/13.

THE PILLOWMAN A dark comedy by Martin McDonagh about a morbid writer facing charges for murders depicted in her children's stories. Nov 18-28, 7:30 pm, Performance Works. $27.50.

LEGENDS SLAM Slam poetry by RC Weslowski, Magpie Ulysses, Johnny MacRae, Johnny Trinh, and Brandon Wint. Nov 18, 8 pm, Vancity Culture Lab. $10/$15/pay-what-you-can.

MARIEL BUCKLEY Country singer-songwriter from Calgary. Nov 18, 8-9:30 pm, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. In-person $30, livestream $15.

47

MUSIC

Church folk highlight idiocy of COVID venue rules

A

by Mike Usinger

s everyone who’s lived in British Columbia for any extended amount of time is keenly aware, this province is—for all of its natural charms—quite frequently fucked where big decisions are concerned.

Before arguing that, ask yourself why you can buy beer at the grocery store in Bellingham, Belfast, Havana, Athens, Ho Chi Minh, Istanbul, Glasgow, Beijing, Tokyo, London, Montreal, Speightstown, Singapore, and Scotland’s charmingly named Twatt village. And then why you still can’t in Beautiful British Columbia.

Ever been to the Netherlands, China, Vietnam, or Denmark—countries where cycling is so deeply woven into the fabric of society that babies learn to ride bikes before they walk? No one wears helmets. In British Columbia, some flaming nanny-state idiot decided to make them mandatory in 1996.

They remain so today, giving us something in common with a small minority of other notoriously backwards countries that require all cyclists to wear helmets. Like Australia.

In addition to such legacy-like acts of idiocy, British Columbia is a province that’s always up for making new decisions falling under the umbrella of totally fucked. Which brings us to the current bizarre rule for concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

First off, let’s give credit where a whole shit-ton of credit is due. Take a bow, Mo Tarmohamed of the Rickshaw Theatre, for having the cojones to stand up and call bullshit on some current live-music regulations that make zero sense.

Pretty much universally, Tarmohamed is regarded as one of the most fundamentally decent people working in the often-indecent business known as the music industry. In a time of endless corporate takeovers and strategic mergers, he’s also a rarity—a musicvenue operator who’s remained committed to going the independent-owner route.

But, as famously nice as he might be, that doesn’t mean that Tarmohamed isn’t above getting righteously pissed. And, right now, that’s exactly what he is.

Blame the case of outlaw-country shitkicker Eric Church. Or, perhaps, more accurately, the office of British Columbia’s provincial health officer. Actually, mostly the PHO office.

Let’s start by revisiting a Facebook post that Tarmohamed put up on October 30.

Sometimes someone will write something perfect, there’s no point trying to get them to recapture the magic a second time, so we’ll quote him directly. Tarmohamed’s post begins like this: “I am having a tough time of letting this go. Most of you know me as that chill guy who generally likes to stay in the background.

The only time I get worked up is when I get hacked on a soccer pitch. but the current 48

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

Rickshaw Theatre owner/operator Mo Tarmohamed has some difficulty understanding why music fans can stand at Rogers Arena but not at smaller venues. Photo by Mike Usinger.

Take a bow, Mo Tarmohamed of the Rickshaw Theatre.

duplicitous PHO order has me incensed. So incensed that I have had to use this horrible social media platform to air grievances.”

In the interest of not making Tarmohamed do all of the work, let’s take a second to sum things up. What got him incensed was social-media photos and videos of Church performing for half the Fraser Valley at a packed Rogers Arena on October 29, 2021.

Cowboy hats were evidently mandatory.

Face masks, based on all available evidence, were not. Social distancing was not exactly a thing, with fans of the Granite Falls shitkicker jammed together at Rogers like rush hour on Tokyo’s Ginza Line.

Which, one might argue, was their doublevaxxed prerogative. There’s got to be some reward for doing the responsible thing and getting double vaxxed. That reward, for some people, is clearly a maskless evening bellowing along to “Smoke a Little Smoke”, “The Joint”, and “I’m Gettin’ Stoned”.

How does all this involve Tarmohamed?

The stands at Rogers Arena were allowed

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

to be packed because there was a seat for every patron. That those patrons were up dancing, instead of passively sitting there tapping their toes to “Mixed Drinks About Feelings”, was irrelevant. All that mattered was that they had seats had they chosen to use them.

Let’s clarify why that’s important to B.C. health officials. An October 25 release from the provincial health officer reads: “Up to 100% of the seated operating capacity of a place may be used for the purpose of a seated inside event, and up to 100% of the standing operating capacity of a place may be used for the purpose of a standing inside event.”

That was followed by: “Subject to section 6, if the event is described in paragraph (a), (c), (d) or (e) of the definition of “inside event” (a) There is seating available for each participant, and each participant is provided with a seat. (b) Participants are seated throughout the place in such a way as to use all available space.”

Confused yet?

Tarmohamed, who’s obviously had more time than the rest of us to process this mumbo-jumbo, broke things down on Facebook.

Because he didn’t have enough seats for patrons to stand in front of—err, sit in— he was forced to cancel a sold-out October 30 albumrelease show for Vancouver’s Archspire.

“So what does Vancouver Coastal Health have to say about that?” Tarmohamed continued on Facebook. “I quote you verbatim: ‘...the key is that all patrons have seats and are assigned seats. When they are at their seats, standing isn’t as much of an issue.’

“Because of the Rickshaw’s configura-

tion, I can only have a seat or chair for about 80% of our patrons,” he continued. “In other words, because I could not give about 80 attendees a seat or chair that they could point to, we had to cancel our show tonight, even though they were going to stand anyway regardless of whether they had a seat assigned to them or not; much like those people who attended the Eric Church concert last night. Who even thinks up these head spinning mandates anyway??”

Probably the same idiots who remain convinced British Columbians have no desire to be able to buy beer in a grocery store like the rest of the civilized world. And who think the province’s cyclists enjoy ruining their perfect hair days with mandatory bicycle helmets.

To sum up, again: you can stand and dance if there’s a chair behind you at Rogers Arena, regardless of whether you’re wearing a mask or not. Anyone think that the corporate lobby had something to do with getting the greenlight for mega-concerts, not to mention full-capacity hockey games?

Meanwhile, if there’s no chair behind at venues like the decidedly non-corporate Rickshaw, tough shit for 20 percent of you—stay home.

The doubly insane thing is the lengths that the Rickshaw has gone to to ensure the safety of, well, everyone that wants to see live music again.

Tarmohamed wrote: “Ironically, I have actually gone over and beyond the health mandates. I have insisted that anyone attending the Rickshaw be fully vaccinated, regardless of whether they are patrons, staff or performers. I firmly believe in public safety. So, just in case there are any antivaccination conspiracy theorists itching to comment, take a hike, I’m not on your side.”

So even if the Rickshaw could come up with enough seats, nobody would be linedancing maskless in a cowboy hat to “Stick That In Your Country Song” by Eric Church.

Desperate to have some someone, anyone, acknowledge that the government is blowing it, Tarmohamed included a simple request in his Facebook post.

“All I ask is for everyone who agrees with me,” he wrote, “is to write a letter to your MLA asking them to engage the PHO and the Health Minister to come up with public health orders that are not hypocritical and not punitive to smaller live music venues like ourselves. All we want is to operate to our GA capacity while still maintaining all of the commonsense health measures: only fully vaccinated people allowed inside live music venues and masking at all times unless consuming a beverage. That’s all that’s being asked for.”

So get writing. And resist the urge to start things with “Dear _____: Your recent big decision is, like so many others in B.C., totally fucked.” g

MUSIC

IronFest concert series jazzes up the fall scene

C

by Charlie Smith

oastal Jazz & Blues Society programmer and guitarist Cole Schmidt has noticed a difference between “being great on an instrument and being great at music”.

In a recent phone interview with the Straight, Schmidt explained that those who are great at music are not only talented instrumentalists but also have a keen interest in communicating with fellow musicians on-stage. This is what he was seeking in programming his society’s new fall jazz concert series known as IronFest.

“I’m always excited to hear what the music sounds like inside the minds of these great musicians,” Schmidt said.

IronFest kicks off next Thursday (November 18) with the Bill Coon Quartet with Campbell Ryga (saxophone), Miles Hill (bass), and Dave Robbins (drums). The event’s name is a play on the society’s Gastown venue, the Ironworks.

“It’s just a great-sounding room and it’s got a lot of energy,” Schmidt noted.

They’ll be followed on the same evening

by Emad Armoush’s Rayhan project. Armoush is vocalist who plays the oud, ney, and guitar. He will be joined by François Houle (clarinet), Jesse Zubot (violin/ef-

Bass player and bandleader Jodi Proznick was named jazz artist of the year at 2019’s Western Canadian Music Awards and has won several National Jazz Awards. Photo by Michele Mateus.

fects), JP Carter (trumpet/electronics), and Kenton Loewen (drums).

“His collaborators are people who can do pretty much anything,” Schmidt said.

“So it’s exciting to see that in a live setting.”

The two shows on the opening night reflect Coastal Jazz’s ethos, which is to serve audiences with straight-ahead jazz along with more experimental forms of music.

The same spirit infuses the second night of IronFest next Friday (November 19).

Krystle Dos Santos, a two-time Canadian Music Award–winning vocalist, will deliver her classic and neo-soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz. She will be followed by the avantegarde Handmade Blade, which features Peggy Lee (cello), Aram Bajakian (guitar), and JP Carter (trumpet). Schmidt said that

Handmade Blade offers “a real intensity in the quiet spaces, which I think is harder than it sounds”.

“It really pulls you in,” he commented.

“They’re just great listeners; they’re great, open-minded musicians.”

The final night of IronFest, next Saturday (November 20), features two bass players who lead bands. Jodi Proznick’s New Horizons project includes Chris Davis (trumpet), Tilden Webb (keys), and Nick Bracewell (drums). Proznick won Jazz Artist of the Year in 2019 at the Western Canadian Music Awards. Her band will be followed by James Meger’s How to Do Nothing, with Lisa Cay Miller (piano), Sam King (guitar), Andromeda Monk (no-input mixer, saxophone), and Jesus Caballero (drums).

“It’s two bass players who are both greatly admired for their collaborative efforts,” Schmidt said.

IronFest is, indeed, straight-ahead and experimental. It’s a sign that jazz is back on its feet in Vancouver in just the form that its devotees love to experience. g Coastal Jazz & Blues Society presents IronFest: A Fall Jazz Concert Series from next Thursday to next Saturday (November 18 to 20) at the Ironworks.

SUNDAY, NOV 21 ST, 2021

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

49

SAVAGE LOVE

Self-saboteur seems a little too far up his own ass

by Dan Savage

b I’M A 44-YEAR-OLD gay male and I’ve never been in a serious relationship. I would like to find my way into an LTR, but I have a series of overlapping dating issues that I don’t know how to navigate.

First, due to my career, I move around a lot and often don’t see the point in dating when I know I am going to be moving again; I have another potential move on the horizon in six months. Second, I find online dating apps to be awful. I have encountered more ghosts on apps than I did in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

Last year, one date I arranged through an app turned out to be the setup for either a mugging or a hate crime. I managed to escape physically unharmed, but I did delete all the dating apps after that.

Third, I’m a beefier guy, but I have never really fit into the bear community. I hate wearing leather; I can’t stand growing facial hair; and don’t have any kinks—and leather, beards, and kinks seem to be prerequisites for joining the bear club. Also, most bears are older guys, and older guys don’t really do it for me. And younger guys always seem to be looking for a sugar daddy.

Fourth and finally, I’ve lived a big life. Due to a parent in the entertainment industry, I grew up with backlot access. I have literally travelled all over the world. I can tell stories for days. But it makes dating hard when the other guy has only his work or cats to talk about. I’ve gone on more than one date where the guy told me he didn’t have anything interesting to say about himself and that he just wanted to hear about my life. Am I destined to be either a spinster or a sugar daddy?

- Lost And Can’t Keep Investigating New Guys

see any point in dating because you’re always on the move, LACKING, it’s not

1. If you don’t

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a long-term relationship you should be seeking but a nice string of fulfilling short-term relationships. STRs can be serious, they can be loving, and with more people working remotely than ever before, a successful-if-geographically-challenging STR has a much better shot at becoming a successful LTR these days.

2. Dating and hookup apps are awful.

People on the apps sometimes lie about who they are, ghost on you, and block you without explanation. But bars are awful too. People in bars sometimes lie about who they are; they excuse themselves “for a second” and never return. And just as people have been mugged, assaulted, and murdered by people they met on apps, people have been mugged, assaulted, and murdered by people they met in bars—and at work, at church, through friends, et cetera. So wherever we’re meeting people, online or off, we need to be careful.

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3. Not all bears have beards or kinks or wear leather. At any big event for bears, LACKING, you’re likelier to see guys in jeans, T-shirts, and trucker hats than you are to see guys in leather—unless it’s a fetish party.

4. I’d rather listen to a charming guy tell me a funny story about his cat than a conceited guy drone on and on about some famous actor he saw on a backlot pocketing granola bars from the craft services table. I’m not saying you’re conceited or boring, LACKING, but if I were a betting man and only had the last paragraph of your letter to go on, I’d put my chips on conceited and boring. Look, if a guy tells you halfway through a date there’s nothing he wants to share with you about himself and invites you to carry on talking about yourself, that doesn’t mean he’s so enthralled by your stories he just wants to listen. That means he’s bored and/or annoyed and has already made

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up his mind that you’re not gaining access to his backlot.

Zooming out, LACKING, can you see the pattern in your letter? You say you want a relationship but you don’t see the point of dating because you’re always moving. You say you want a relationship but the apps are a waste of time because some people are sketchy. You say you want a relationship but you don’t wanna go to places where people might be buying what you’re selling (bear nights, bear parties) because you don’t wanna wear the kind of clothes you’re required to wear at those events.

You say you want a relationship but guys who didn’t grow up with wealthy and connected parents bore you—which is going to make finding someone next to impossible.

Viewed together, LACKING, the above looks less like “this dude is just unlucky in love” and more like “this dude is engaged in some serious self-sabotage”. So, the problem isn’t the apps or the job-related moves or leather pants or scratchy beards or guys who insist on boring you with stories about their cats when you’ve got a much better story about Mariska Hargitay’s dog walker.

The problem is you. I’m not saying you’re an asshole or that you’re unworthy of love.

You’re not an asshole; you’re just a little up your own ass. If love and commitment are what you want, LACKING, then I want you to find them. But you’re going to need to get out of your own ass and out of your own way.

So, although dismissing every guy with a boring and/or low-paying job means you won’t wind up briefly dating a boy who just wants a sugar daddy, LACKING, never giving a regular guy with a regular job a chance could wind up costing you a lot more in the long run. g Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage. Email: questions@savagelove.net. Website: www.savage.love.

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604-957-1030

HOT

MING, Nice & Mature.

blonde

GENTLEMEN

DISCREET ATTRACTIVE MATURE EUROPEAN LADY OFFERS DELIGHTFUL RELAXATION SESSIONS.

Brooklyn Wilde

spa

10am m - 10pm

A DREAM COME TRUE!

#3-3490 Kingsway

NEAR TYNE ST. NEXT DOOR TO SUBWAY

FRI & SAT

MIDNIGHT - 10AM ONLY!

778.858.2896

BEST BES S RELAXATION

604.998.4885

NOW HIRING

Celebrating 25 Years! Best Experience!

Best Service! Best Choice! Steam Room & Infra Red Sauna.

2525 Arbutus Street Van.

604-738-3302

Hailey 604-518-3169

W E L L N E SS S PA

Bodywork

Filipino/East Indian Lady Burnaby. In/Out Calls & All hotel service Mina 604-512-3243 No Text!

(Incl. 45 min. Hot oil massage)

75 MIN

Reg 130

$

NOW

80

$

COMFY WELLNESS SPA

3272 W. Broadway (& Blenheim)

604-558-1608 WWW.

COMFYSPA.CA

NOW HIRING

Blue Ocean

Tantra

Absolutely wonderful, joyful, healing, nurturing, Tantra massage.

Zara 604-222-4178

& >> ^W / > BODY SCRUB

HIRING

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 10AM - 10 PM

straight.com

EAST VANCOUVER

FREE Parking at Rear •

I SPA

Yo Persounral P ★ OR N STA R ★★

856 Kingsway, Van. • 10am- 10 pm

5281 VICTORIA DR.

5 VISITS - 1 FREE 10 VISITS - 3 FREE

8263 Oak St. Van

778-881-9992 • HIRING

ĂŶĂĚƵ

604.568.1112

236.991.2288 604.256.4568

• Thai, Japanese, Chinese & more!

• Relaxation Massage EE FR • Variety of Girls (19+) PARKING

X

872 Seymour St. Downtown, Vancouver

$80/30 min (incl. tips)

with this ad

Massage

BEST MASSAGE ♦ BEST SERVICES

No charge for the room, only pay the tip!

$10-20 off

I am FULLY VACCINATED and carefully resuming my availability.

$28 / 50mins

PROMO

Call 604-568-2248

604-451-0175 www.EuropeanLady.ca

PARTY GIRLS ESCORT OUTCALL INC.

BIRTHDAY

Newly Renovated.

New management & staff.

Validated parking at rear.

Outcall + male massuese avail.

Pls. call for Appt. & Details.

VIP SPA

with this ad

LADIES - Due to multiple Client Requests WE ARE BACK & HIRING! Are you Attractive, between the ages of 19 & 45, Reliable and Fun?!

Not satisfied where you are? Need to make a change? Please CALL/TEXT ASAP for details!

Include a recent pic and your experience if you have worked in the industry before.

We can provide screening & confirmed appointments. Receptionists & Drivers with many years of experience.

Fair industry splits & wonderful clients.

CASH CASH DID WE Mention CASH??????

Work as much or as little as you want.

MOST of ALL we have Respect for our employees.

WE HAVE WORK FOR YOU!!! CALL IF YOU WANT TO MAKE $$$$ and are RELIABLE!

Green Spa

Totally Renovated!

✁

Volition Consulting Inc. is looking for an Office Administrative Assistant Perm, F/T job, wage: $22.00/h. Requirements: Clerical exp. 1-2 years, high school, excellent English. Main duties: Provide administrative and clerical support; Conduct telephone conversations; Create and maintain documents, filing system; Compile data and co-ordinate the flow of information; Consult customers; Assigns advisors, prepare schedules; Schedule appointments; Establish office procedures, may supervise other staff.

Job location and business address: #200, 171 Water St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1A7 Please apply by e-mail: employment.volitionconsulting@gmail.com

604.436.3131 w w w.greatpharaoh.com

5-3490 Kingsway, Van. NEWLY RENOVATED! E S T A B L I S H E D 19 9 3 HIRING: 778.893.4439

ING! GRAND OPEN

Chinese Meridian Massage Relaxation Massage Body Scrubbing Reflexology Cupping Pedicure • Manicure Facial Waxing Eyebrow Tinting Eyelash Tinting

#201 – 1789 Davie St. | 604-423-5828 JUNE THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 51 3 NOVEMBER 11 –25 18–/JULY 20212 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

WE'RE LE AL Open every day from 9AM to 11PM 2868 West 4th Ave. Kitsilano (604) 900 1714 Evergreen Cannabis is a private retailer of legal, non medical cannabis. You must be 19 years of age or older to purchase cannabis. ID is checked on premises.

52

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 / 2021