Vancouver Courier November 29 2013 by Vancouver Courier

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Asoldier’s struggle BOMB BLAST SURVIVOR NOW RESIDES IN A MENTAL HEALTH CENTRE MIKE HOWELL

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cheque week,” explained Morgan. “It’s next week we need to ﬁll these shelves.” The store allows registered clients of AIDS Vancouver to drop by on scheduled days to “shop” for groceries. Grocery basket in hand, clients can peruse the shelves and choose a limited number of items to take home at no cost. Those who bring their own bag are also rewarded with a treat, such as a granola or energy bar.

he police described it as “a death declaration.” It was written on a small piece of paper that Mike Pehlivanian had in his pocket when a Vancouver police emergency response team arrested him in July at his father’s house near East 54th and Main. Pehlivanian made it clear in his declaration that he wanted his assets turned over to Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, a combat battalion he served with in Afghanistan. Pehlivanian’s plan that day was to kill himself. Court documents reveal how the 37-year-old Winston Churchill secondary graduate set six separate fires in the house and punched holes in the walls and ceiling. He told his aunt, who lives in the basement and confronted him after smelling smoke, that he wanted to die and told her to call police. For six hours, police negotiated with Pehlivanian before he surrendered peacefully. Police found a 10-inch kitchen knife on a dresser in Pehlivanian’s bedroom. His father, Krikor, and brother, Ara, were outside on the street during the ordeal. Krikor was driving a cab at the time and Ara, a Vancouver police officer, happened to be on shift but did not participate in the arrest. “It was difficult for everybody,” said Krikor from the living room of his house, which still has the faint smell of smoke. “I could have taken my son from his room easily, without a problem, but the police didn’t let me do it.”

See FOOD on page 7

See FEATURE STORY on page 16

photo Dan Toulgoet

Joe (JP) Smith is both a volunteer and client of AIDS Vancouver’s “grocery store,” which seeks donations heading into the holidays. To see a photo gallery, go to vancourier.com or scan this page with your smartphone or tablet using the free Layar app.

Shelves bare at AIDSVancouver‘grocery store’ ONE-DAY HOLIDAY EVENT SERVES 800 CLIENTS AND FAMILIES SANDRA THOMAS Staff writer

he shelves lining the tiny “grocery store” located on the main ﬂoor of the AIDS Vancouver ofﬁce on Seymour Street at Helmcken are completely bare. But program coordinator Heidi Morgan isn’t panicking — yet. “We’re actually closed because it’s income assistance

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School closures one way to cut hydro bills says education minister CHERYL ROSSI Staff writer

he Vancouver School Board should consider closing schools if it can’t save enough money by conserving energy, Education Minister Peter Fassbender told the Courier Wednesday. “I’m sure that one of the things that [the VSB] is continuing to do is look at additional savings,” he said. “But I also know if they’ve got schools that are under capacity, closing a school will have a significant savings on a number of fronts including energy costs and so on. So I’m sure that while they may not want to look at those kinds of initiatives, I think they have to look at everything.” His comment came in response to complaints by VSB chairperson Patti Bacchus that cashstrapped Vancouver public schools can’t afford B.C. Hydro rate hikes announced Tuesday. Bacchus noted the Vancouver School Board made B.C. Hydro’s Top 10 list for electricity conservation in the province in 2010 and 2011. “Power Smart is not a program that begins and ends,” Fassbender said in response to this observation. Bacchus found Fassbender’s Power Smart saving suggestions “a bit disingenuous.” “He knows the kind of financial pressure we’re under,” she said. “He knows that we’re $28 million [short] and counting and he knows what his government’s own finance

photo Dan Toulgoet

Sir Richard McBride Annex was one of five schools proposed for closure in 2010. committee report has recommended and acknowledged, and that is that these kind of cost pressures accumulate and have created a real challenge for school districts.” (The VSB estimated a budget shortfall of $24.3 million last December but the shortfall was reduced to $7.9 million.) The school board considered closing five elementary schools in 2010. Staff projected closing all five would save $1.4 million in facility, utility and office and custodial staffing costs. Bacchus said closing schools in a city with

a growing population, where additional residential density is proposed, doesn’t make sense over the long term. She said the board is trying to ﬁnd other uses for underused spaces. “What we heard emphatically is that [nearby communities] depend on those schools,” Bacchus said. “Many of those families don’t have cars, they live in poverty, they rely on public housing, they rely on the childcare that is available there. We would be compounding the challenges of the people who are most at risk in this city if we were to

take away their neighbourhood school.” For signiﬁcant cost savings, teachers, administrators and school support staff would have to lose their jobs, Bacchus said. She said the district pays approximately $3 million annually to B.C. Hydro. Increases have beenroughlyestimatedatanadditional$50,000 to $75,000 this year, $300,000 for 2014-2015 and $450,000 for 2014-2016. “We’ve already budgeted for this year and allocated our money in addition to having to absorb the support staff [wage] increases,” Bacchus said. The all-party Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services recommended in a report released Nov. 14 that the provincial government: “Develop a comprehensive capital plan for educational facilities that takes into account increased maintenance and aging school facility upgrades; and continue the seismic upgrading program.” Bacchus wants the government to implement this recommendation and to increase funding to the 2014 public schools budget to prevent staff, service and resource cuts. “In every sector of our economy, everyone has basically said if you give us more money that’s going to help us manage our way forward,” Fassbender said. He said the government would consider the report’s recommendations while also focusing on balancing the provincial budget. crossi@vancourier.com twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi

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Child poverty increases in B.C.

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he number of children living in poverty in B.C. in 2011 could have ﬁlled Rogers Arena more than eight times, according to a report released Tuesday by a child and youth advocacy coalition. With 153,000 children living in poverty — which equates roughly to one in ﬁve children in B.C. — the First Call coalition reiterated its call for the provincial government to adopt a comprehensive plan to reduce poverty. “When you look at the numbers, it’s stunning,” said Lorraine Copas, executive director of the Social Planning and Research Council of B.C., at a press conference Tuesday. The 77,000 poor children living in Metro Vancouver, combined with 76,000 others residing outside of the region, means B.C. contin-

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B.C.’s child poverty rate is the highest in Canada according to Lorraine Copas, executive director of the Social Planning and Research Council of B.C.

ues to have the highest child poverty rate in Canada. Copas said 34,000 more children were living in poverty in 2011 than in 2010, when 119,000 were counted. B.C.’s child poverty rate in 2011 was 18.6 per cent while the national rate was 13.3 per cent. First Call used a common Statistics Canada measurement to establish the pov-

erty rate. The coalition’s calculations also found that: • B.C. had the worst poverty rate of any province for children living in single mother families — 49.8 per cent. • B.C. had the worst poverty rate in Canada for children living in two-parent families — 14 per cent. • B.C.’s poverty rate for children under six years old at 20.7 per cent is eight percentage points higher than the Canadian average. Ted Bruce, executive director of population health for Vancouver Coastal Health, said the failure to address child poverty is a prescription for a child to be more prone to health problems and a shorter lifespan. “The health impacts are huge,” he said, noting there is a myth that poverty is strictly attached to substance abuse and mental health problems. Bruce pointed out “the working poor” don’t have

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control over their lives the way middle-class and wealthy people do. That financial inequality leads to lower education, poorer quality food and inadequate housing. “Those at the bottom are twice as likely to have a serious illness and die prematurely than those at the top,” he said. First Call made 16 recommendations to government it believes would help reduce the child poverty rate to seven per cent, or less, by 2020. The recommendations include adopting a $10 a day child care plan, increasing and indexing the minimum wage, welfare rates and federal child tax benefits, paying living wages, enhancing employment insurance benefits and eligibility, increasing affordable housing options for families and improving the affordability of post-secondary education. Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux acknowledged in an email to the Courier that families continue to struggle economically. That’s why, Cadieux wrote, the provincial government continues to focus on “growing the economy, creating jobs and providing supports where they are most needed.” She said B.C.’s single digit unemployment rates across every region in the province are a positive sign that government is on track for continued economic growth. “That growth allows government to continue providing targeted supports to low-income families,” said Cadieux, adding that government has raised the minimum wage and invested $3.6 billion over the past decade in affordable housing. She said the B.C. Early Years strategy makes childcare more affordable and accessible for families. Additionally, over the next three years, the government will open 2,000 more childcare spaces, adding to the existing 100,000. “But there will always be more to do,” she said. “That’s why we will continue to focus on growing the economy, creating jobs and providing supports that target the effects of poverty on low-income families.” mhowell@vancourier.com twitter.com/Howellings

news Casa Mia project revised DEVELOPING STORY

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he Southlands Community Association remains concerned about a proposal for a care facility on the Casa Mia property in southwest Vancouver even though plans have been revised and scaled back. Casa Mia, at 1920 Southwest Marine Dr., is designated a Heritage A building. The 20,700-square-foot mansion was built for George Reifel, a liquor magnate and rumrunner during the Prohibition era who opened the Commodore Ballroom. The Care Group, which owns and operates seven facilities including Point Grey Private Hospital, wants the site rezoned from single-family residential to comprehensive development. The Urban Design Panel and the Vancouver Heritage Commission rejected an earlier proposal. City staff advised the applicant to make changes and address issues of scale, form, parking and operations, explained Kent Munro, the City of Vancouver’s assistant director of planning. The Care Group’s latest proposal is being showcased at a Dec. 4 open house. The Spanish Revival-style heritage home would be saved and a two-storey addition would be built. The community care facility would house 62 beds. An earlier proposal featured plans for a 92-bed facility. The building height for the addition is lower than envisioned in the earlier proposal. Parking spaces have dropped from 23 to 16. “It is quite signiﬁcant [the revision]. It’s reduced in scale by about a third in terms of number of beds… The height of the proposed addition has been brought down. The addition, if it’s approved, would be signiﬁcantly lower in height than even the existing Casa Mia build-

ing. So we’re encouraged by the number of changes that they’ve made,” Munro said. The mansion is not protected from demolition, so there’s an appetite to work with the applicant to try and conserve it. The city also sees the need for health care facilities that allow seniors to age in place. “Obviously, it’s a difficult issue. We’ve got a really well known and loved heritage building that is not protected right now and we’ve seen in other areas of the city property owners coming in and wanting to demolish old buildings,” Munro said. “So things like this are under threat. This is an opportunity, if it can be done in a sensitive manner, to a achieve a number of goals — to address needs for seniors in communities, which with an aging population is incredibly important, and to save a heritage building.” Joe McDermid, a spokesman for the Southlands Community Association, sees room for improvement. “We’re still not happy with it. It’s still a private care facility that’s been plunked down in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. The fact that they’ve reduced it to 62 beds down from 92 doesn’t really make a lot of difference to the structure or how it’s going to affect any to the concerns that we had originally,” he said. “Is it better? Sure, it’s better. But it’s still an arbitrary number [of beds] that the city and the developer have settled on, probably from an economic viability standpoint. But basically most of the objections that were originally in place are still in place.” McDermid said residents would prefer something similar to Canuck House “where you’ve got a residential-appearing structure that fits in with the community that wouldn’t have the level of in-and-out traffic that this facility would have.” The open house is from 5 to 8 p.m., Dec. 4, at Ryerson United Church at 2195 West 45th Ave. CallstotheprojectarchitectandTheCareGroup were not returned by the Courier’s deadline. noconnor@vancourier.com twitter.com/naoibh

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sion council aren’t listening to residents. “I do feel some sensitivity around this because I do feel that we’ve tried to keep people engaged and involved every step of the way as we try to make the best decisions at city hall — and we still ﬁnd people are saying we’re not listening,” Robertson said. “But politics is also about leadership, setting those priorities and making a clear call. Sometimes people aren’t happy with that and they can crank up the rhetoric from there.” Robertsontookquestionsonmanyoftheissues he is well versed on and has publicly attempted to advance since he was elected mayor in 2008. Those issues include improving transit and promoting a subway from the Commercial Drive transit hub to the University of B.C., getting more services for mentally ill people, building affordable housing, questioning Kinder Morgan’s oil pipeline proposal and strengthening Vancouver’s technology and innovation economy. Apollconductedduringtheprogramreturned a result of 30 per cent of listeners identifying affordable housing as their top priority. They chose from a list that included homelessness, rapid transit on Broadway, public safety, arts and culture, the economy and a “green” city. Another poll found that Robertson and his Vision councillors had a 62 per cent approval rating among callers and listeners, who were also asked during the program to donate money and get involved in the party. The next civic election is November 2014. mhowell@vancourier.com

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ayor Gregor Robertson’s socalled telephone town hall meeting Tuesday night had up to 10,000 listeners tune in to the 70-minute question-and-answer program, according to the mayor’s political party. Stepan Vdovine, executive director of Vision Vancouver, said the party counted the number of listeners via technology operated by Strategic Communications Inc., a consulting ﬁrm heavily involved in previous Vision campaigns. “It was a good night for us,” said Vdovine, whose party promoted and paid for the event run out of Vision’s ofﬁces at Seventh and Burrard. Vdovine said the party relied on a list of its members and supporters to call in to the program but also used a city phone book to randomly call residents. Participants had the choice to listen in or press a number on the phone that would take them to a phone bank of volunteers, who placed the questions in a queue. Vdovine said the mayor, who sat with host Marcella Munro, chose the questions based on topic. Vdovine said he didn’t know whether any of the 19 callers who posed questions were Vision supporters. None of the questioners criticized the mayor, although “Sandra” in the West End asked Robertson what he will do to “change or correct the perception” that he and his ruling Vi-

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Food donations sought Continued from page 1 “By not just handing them a bag of food from a counter it allows clients some choice and some dignity,” said Morgan, who now has her sights set on a much larger event. Each year AIDS Vancouver hosts a oneday, holiday grocery event for more than 800 clients and their families. In some cases, the food they receive on that day will be the closest these individuals and their families and children will have to a holiday dinner. Morgan is spreading the word that donations are much needed. At the top of her wish list is peanut butter, real cheese, canned ham, granola bars, candy, new or gently used toys and blankets, fresh milk and eggs, and juice. Other muchneeded items include tinned protein, such as tuna or salmon, produce, pasta, canned sauces and chili, and good quality bread. Morgan became aware of the services offered by AIDS Vancouver after her father was diagnosed with HIV in 1996. Her father passed away in 2007, but Morgan said during that time staff and volunteers from AIDS Vancouver provided constant support. “At one time my mom and dad and my brother and I were living in a single room with two beds, so I know how important a program like this can be,” said Morgan. Downtown resident Joe (JP) Smith agrees. Smith said when he ﬁrst discovered he had tested positive for hepatitis C, his world

turned upside down. “But then two years ago I found out I had also tested positive for HIV,” Smith said during an interview at the AIDS Vancouver office Wednesday. “At first I was in complete denial but then I realized the doctor who told me was an expert in HIV and AIDS and had to be right. That’s when I got angry.” Smith said after that initial denial the first thing he did was turn to AIDS Vancouver for support. “I met a lot of people here but then there was a time when I had a reaction to my Hep C medication and I lost three days,” said Smith. “That’s when someone grabbed me and said, ‘Something’s wrong.’ They took care of me for three days and that’s when I realized that they were my friends and that they cared.” Smith, today a volunteer for the organization, is also a client of the grocery program. “It’s great the way they let people shop with a basket,” said Smith. “That means a lot.” To donate to Holiday Grocery 2013 call Morgan at 604-696-4678 or email at heidim@aidsvancouver.org. There are also tickets left for AIDS Vancouver’s Red Ribbon Reception at the Museum of Vancouver Nov. 30, the night before World AIDS Day. The event includes a reception, silent auction and the Red Ribbon Awards. sthomas@vancourier.com twitter.com/sthomas10

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City proves ineffective at protecting heritage sites

ast Tuesday evening during a “telephone town hall” Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was asked about saving the Hollywood Theatre. Here is what he said about the 77-year-old art deco structure on West Broadway: “We’re working on a solution to keep the Hollywood intact. We have to make sure we don’t lose some of our great heritage sites that the community values.” The key word here is “intact.” It means “untouched” and it is certainly a long way from what we heard about the developer’s latest proposal during a council committee meeting Nov. 6. The meeting was to consider a motion proposing a moratorium on development going ahead on the site. The motion, galling for the Vision majority to be sure, was introduced by Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr. The city’s heritage staff reported that after two years of discussion with owner Dino Bonnis, there was a plan to save the building’s façade. But the interior of the 650-seat movie theatre would be gutted, another floor would be added and it would all be opened as a health club. Throughout the meeting Vision councillors Heather Deal, Andrea Reimer and Geoff Meggs spent time attempting to shift the blame for their dilemma away from themselves. They pointed to provincial legislation requiring compensation for developers should their rights be curtailed; the developers’ need to support their families; and the community — in this case the recently assembled “Save the Hollywood Coalition” — for not blowing the whistle on this issue sooner. This is the third time in recent months we have watched this council scramble in the face of threats to heritage structures that the community values. Last summer it was the Waldorf Hotel on East Hastings. By the time Vision got its act in gear the valued cultural components had decamped to other parts of the city leaving only the building. Then there was the Ridge Theatre and the bowling alley on Arbutus north of 16th. Vision simply threw up its hands. The building housing those valued community venues has since been reduced to rubble. Now the Hollywood and we are no closer to having effective tools to preserve some of our great heritage sites. There have been a number of factors at play that have left council so frequently feckless in matters of heritage conservation. The heritage registry, an assessment and listing of valued structures, hasn’t been updated since it was created in 1986. The Waldorf, for example, was not on the register. The tools available to staff to protect heritage sites are quite limited. One tool, a “density bank,” designed to reward developers for restoring heritage buildings by giving them extra density, has proven ineffective because developers have found they can’t sell that density to recover their costs. There has also been a dramatic acceleration of development in the past several years putting pressure on potential heritage sites. And there is one more point. Heritage assessments are based on the building itself. There is no measure that reflects the community value or the social value of a building. Next week a council committee will consider a staff report they asked for six months ago titled “Heritage Action Plan Update.” It will propose several “Quick start Actions including regulatory changes, process improvements, proactive outreach to senior levels of government and updates to the City’s Heritage Register.” We do not know whether that will help save the Hollywood. As for long term-solutions, they will have to wait for a report back next year. Meanwhile the coalition spokesperson Mel Lehan says people are tripping over themselves in a rush to come forward with money and proposals to buy the building from Bonnis. Bonnis bought the theatre in 2011 from the Farleigh family, which built it and owned and operated it from the very beginning. He paid a reported $2.85 million. Lehan says the proposals all include keeping the theatre as a multi-use cultural space, possibly run by a non-profit society. But they also include adding a second floor to house for-profit enterprises. Lehan and his crew have yet to speak with Bonnis. Given Robertson’s pledge, you would think Vision has an interest in helping that happen. Although Bonnis last reported saying he has “no interest in selling.” agarr@vancourier.com

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An absurd November to forever remember

or those who take their humour black, this November turned out to be Trovember — as in treasure trove. The misadventures of Toronto mayor Rob Ford and the imploding Death Star of Toronto city hall momentarily blocked out other news transmissions while bestowing The Farce on late night comics. As of month’s end, the chief exports of Greater Toronto are said to be jokes and puns. In between Ford’s collisions with councillors and the English language, there was Justin Trudeau’s confession of “admiration” for Red China’s dictatorship — suggesting the Liberal leader has all the gravitas of a Spongebob Squarepants lunchbox. But this faux pas had nothing on the federal follies in the Senate, what with Duffy and company running around slamming doors and orating like characters in a bedroom farce. It’s been ages since the cultural coalface has promised so many gems — at least not since the mid-’80s, when a B.C. premier chose to live in a plastic castle in a biblical theme park in Richmond called Fantasy Garden World. It’s been an embarrassment of riches — accent on embarrassment — but I’m not one to look a line of prize stallions in the mouth. JP Morgan’s epic Twitter fail; Gordon Wilson’s about-face on liquid natural gas; B.C. Ferries’ fiscal shell games; B.C. Hydro’s strong-arming on rates and smart meters, the Duffy/Wright/Harper clusterfund: Trovember kept disgorging foolishness like a circus car full of clowns. As an editorial cartoonist, I’ve never had more material at one time, but by mid-month the creative possibilities were outpacing my editorial opportunities. And as the swill and swinery rose to Animal Farm pitch, my satiric enthusiasm was tempered with dark thoughts about the fate of our nation. Luckily, the hijinx from Hogtown saved me from a funk. The Daily Show host Jon Stewart pleaded to the bumptious mayor to get help, saying he thought of him “as a long-term investment.” The late-night oracles welcomed Ford’s ready-made absurdism but “serious” journalists with notepads and microphones had a spot of trouble. Nothing in J-school prepared them for that infamous press conference, which ended with Mayoralty Dumpty insisting he had plenty of something gender-specific to eat at home. The gobsmacked newsunits struggled to parse the bleeped quote without waking the gnomes at the CRTC. Ford has two tribes of apologists, from opposite sides of the political spectrum. On the left, there are those who insist the man deserves our empathy because of his supposed multiple addictions. Really? Certainly every living human being is a work in progress, but the label-and-sticker heir is a public figure. If his misdeeds warrant it, he is entirely worthy of being laughed — no, shamed — out of office. When a guy serially lies, does hard drugs in the company of gang members, is charged with assault, threatens to kill his wife and parades around in a drunken stupour at public events, he is in trouble. When a guy does the above while holding elected office, his constituents are in trouble. Meanwhile on the right, 25 per cent of Torontonians continue to support their stripped-of-powers mayor, according to polls. Back in 2010, Ford leveraged exurb disdain for the wealthy, inner city demographic into a mayoralty win. So what’s a little crack? It seems many in Ford Nation interpreted their leader’s substance abuse as further evidence of his common man touch. The larger context has mostly gone unremarked in the mainstream media, starting with the optics of a politician who could have set himself up for blackmail by criminal networks accessing the crack-smoking video. And what does it say when a significant fraction of voters in Canada’s biggest city have embraced civic leadership worthy of a failed state megaslum? It’s completely absurd, like everything else this month, but imagine the ultimate absurdity: Ford exiting the mayor’s office, doing a tearful tell-all before Dr. Phil or Dr. Drew and, with the help of his trainer (a guy convicted of trafficking steroids), reinventing himself as reformed, ripped representative of the “little guy,” before slouching towards 24 Sussex Drive for all the populism he can eat. The Canadian in me — homesick for a nation that’s gone missing — consoles himself that this is impossible, while the caricaturist in me wishes every month was Trovember. geoffolson.com

GEOFF OLSON

SMART METERS ARE NOT A STUPID IDEA

To the editor: Re: “BC Hydro’s $35 opt-out fee extortion by energy monopoly,” Nov. 22. I had to roll my eyes when I read Geoff Olson’s repetition of tendentious and misleading observations on the subject of smart meters. It just seems as if common sense is lacking and emotions run wild. Let’s look at the objections logically. 1. “Smart meters have not reduced electricity consumption in other jurisdictions.” But why should they be expected to? Would we expect a similar water meter to save water consumption? What smart meters will save are multi-millions of dollars in meter reading costs. I don’t know BC Hydro’s pay rates for meter readers. Let’s assume a union wage of $35 -40, plus pension, CPP, EI, WorkSafe premiums, vacation, statutory holidays, special leave, a 35-hour work week, time allowance for non-meter reading responsibilities. With this pay rate and overhead, I would be very surprised if the loaded cost rate worked was much less than $60 per hour. 2. “Time-of-day billing.” All the objectors I’ve heard from fear that smart meters are

a sneaky way of increasing revenue by charging more for peak hour electricity usage. But BC Hydro doesn’t need to go to the expense when in the past they’ve always raised rates without such subterfuge. The main purpose of time-of-day billing is to shift demand from peak to off-peak periods by making off peak use cheaper than peak use. Surely we’re all aware that we see the equivalent of time-of-day billing all the time. Just look at cheap off-season holidays, red-eye flight fares, cheaper hotel rooms at weekends, and, in some provinces, the institution of “happy hour.” Do we complain about these? 3. “Privacy concerns.” Do people really believe that “consumer-level smart products will tell the grid where and when you shower, fire up your computer, turn on your coffee pot, etc.”? Are manufacturers in Asia going to be commissioned to do that by BC Hydro? I think they have enough on their plate without setting up a whole new business marketing intelligence of doubtful value. I’d like someone to explain how this could be commercially viable 4. “Radio frequency field exposure.” All I can say to people who fear this is that they should give up mobile phones and television which generate far

stronger radio ﬁelds. And for the record neither I, members of my family nor friends work directly or indirectly for BC Hydro.

James Pammenter, Vancouver

BARBER STORY CUT THE MUSTARD To the editor:

Re: “Music part of barber’s charms,” Nov. 22. Thank you so much for the great article on Chris the barber! I am so proud of being a neighbour of his business at MacKenzie Heights. We are kind of a new kid on the block in this very friendly community. When [my business] SpiRe Wellness ﬁrst opened two doors down of Chris’ barber shop three years ago, he was one of the very ﬁrst people in the neighbourhood whom made us so welcomed there and has been very supportive ever since. We are very honoured to be in such a cozy and warm community with such great history, heritage and memories. MacKenzie Heights is a wonderful area to be in. Thank you again for a great feature. Danny Lau, Vancouver

ON YOUR MIND ONLINE COURIER BLOG — THE BOOMER BEAT: “White Spot Cookbook a walk down memory lane,” Nov. 22 Nancy Daniels: Sandra, great post! My mom grew up in Canada before marrying and moving to Hawaii. Each year we returned to Vancouver to visit family and we ALWAYS made at least one visit (often multiple visits) to a White Spot to have the Fish & Chips! Happy childhood memories! Jeremy Twigg: A star-studded event indeed! COURIER BLOG — VAN MAN: ‘“Outstanding Inline,” Nov. 24 Lydon: So stoked this video has become popular. He is a brilliant skater and this is an awesome edit. Best of all, this is just the tip of the iceberg, there are plenty of even sicker blading edits out there for people to see who don’t really know rollerblading. COURIER COLUMN: “BC Hydro’s $35 opt-out fee extortion by energy monopoly,” Nov. 20 EnergyGreen: : Geoff Olson the columnist should replace his tinfoil hat with a better model. He forgot to mention that the sky will fall down. COURIER BLOG — VAN MAN: “Blue-eyed Jack Daniel’s,” Nov. 22 Gustavius: Maybe the JD marketing nerds will take your idea and run with it. There’s plenty of history between musicians and Jack Daniel’s. I’m surprised that Wild Turkey hasn’t tried a similar thing with Hunter Thompson. I can almost see the Steadman illustrated bottle now... Oh look there are two bottles now. Mmm, brain-damage. COURIER STORY: “Vancouver shops fight back against Black Friday,” Nov. 22 Mass Abedi: All year everything is overpriced, but for Black Friday normal price level, now that’s the reality in Vancouver. Way too overpriced and unnecessarily expensive. Therefore, Black Friday U.S. is definitely a must because they offer really heavy discounts and don’t make fun of the customer. Follow us on Facebook: The VancouverCourierNewspaper and Twitter: @VanCourierNews

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news Make your choice for 2013 Newsmaker of theYear BARRY LINK Editor

omelessness, the bicycle and social media. The lead-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Civic dissent. All have been past choices for the Vancouver Courier’s Newsmaker of the Year. We’re preparing to make our selection for 2013, and once again the Courier wants to hear from you about your choice. We’ve identified five top candidates for Newsmaker. These are the stories and issues that most affected Vancouver this year. They are: • The Vancouver Park Board’s controversial year. • The pushback by residents against the city’s community plans. • The landmark win by the Musqueam over disputed property. • The surprise results of the provincial election. • Drug policy, from Insite’s 10th anniversary to marijuana activism. We’ll be explaining these choices in this and the next two issues before announcing our Newsmaker of the Year Dec. 11. Reporter Sandra Thomas kicks it off on page 13 with a look back at the Vancouver Park Board’s contentious year in office. How can you participate? Vote and comment. You can vote right now by going online to our web poll at vancourier.com and choosing from among the five contenders listed there.

photo Dan Toulgoet

Neighbourhood protest against city hall was 2012’s Newsmaker of the Year. Scan this page with Layar to vote on this year’s selections. (If you don’t have access to the Internet, send us a letter at the address listed below and we’ll include it in the count.) You can also comment and discuss what you think the Newsmaker should be. You can comment online in the website version of this story at vancourier.com. You’ll ﬁnd a Newsmaker discussion on our Facebook page at facebook.com/TheVancouverCourierNewspaper and on Twitter at #VanNewsmaker. And you can email us at letters@vancourier.com. You can send us an old fashioned letter (yes, we still accept and value them)

through traditional mail to Newsmaker, The Vancouver Courier, 1574 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver, V6J 1R2. Include contact information in case we need to conﬁrm your choice. We’ll run the results of the Reader’s Choice poll in our Newsmaker issue. We’ll also randomly select one commenter from our online and social media forums and relevant letters to the editor to win four tickets to the Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker Dec. 20. Vote and discuss. Win tickets. Tell us what made news in Vancouver in 2013. blink@vancourier.com

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news Is the Park Board this year’s Newsmaker? SANDRA THOMAS Staff writer

he Vancouver Park Board is a key contender for the Courier’s 2013 Newsmaker of the Year. In an unprecedented move, Hastings, Riley Park-Hillcrest, Killarney, Kensington, Kerrisdale and Sunset community centre associations ﬁled three separate complaints against the park board in B.C. Supreme Court, two of which are still to be heard. The associations were not alone in taking the park board to court in 2013. Faster than you can say, “You’ve been served,” the B.C. Supreme Court recently halted construction of a 12-foot wide, paved bike path through Hadden Beach Park, approved by the park board Oct. 7. On Nov. 4, resident Megan Carvell Davis ﬁled a case against both the city and park board arguing the bike violates the conditions under which the land was donated

85 years ago by land speculator Harvey Hadden. The following is a brief timeline of some of the most newsworthy moves by the board in 2013. • Feb. 4: A nine-hour meeting at the West End Community Centre regarding the proposed operating agreement between the park board and the city’s community centre associations continued until 3:30 a.m., despite numerous calls for it to be adjourned. After the park board approved the new agreement, police were called because the remaining members of the initially large crowd demanded the resignation of the Vision Vancouver commissioners. • June 14: Killarney Community Centre Association president Ainslie Kwan complained the universal OneCard was announced to

the press before it was approved by the associations. • July 10: A negotiator hired to help the associations with the proposed agreement was let go by the park board. • Aug. 20: The six associations launched their ﬁrst lawsuit accusing the park board of breaching numerous sections of the current joint operating agreement. • Aug. 29: The park board announced it will take control of the six community centres and issued them eviction notices. • Oct. 7: Vision park board commissioners approved a 12foot wide bike path through Kits and Hadden Beach parks. • Oct. 20: Residents and park users held a rally to protest the bike path. • Oct. 22: The six community centres successfully requested an injunction against the park board to stop the termination of their joint-oper-

ating agreements until their lawsuit is fully heard. • Nov. 8: The Supreme Court of B.C. halts construction of the bike path until a hearing can be held to determine its legality. To participate in our Newsmaker of the Year Reader’s Choice, go to the web poll at vancourier.com, email us your vote at letters@vancourier.com or drop a letter to 1574 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver, V6J 1R2. sthomas@vancourier.com twitter.com/sthomas10

F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Join us to discuss the 2014 Vancouver Budget Come to a presentation of the City’s 2014 Budget. Learn more about what’s being proposed to align spending with Council and community priorities, provide valued services and deliver them efﬁciently. It’s also your chance to discuss the budget with City staff and ask questions before it goes to City Council for consideration on December 10. Monday, December 2, 6:30 - 8:30 pm Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue Town Hall Meeting Room FOR MORE INFORMATION: vancouver.ca/budget

Mable Elmore, MLA

Vancouver-Kensington

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9:30am - 11:00am • in the Review Room at 10:00am - 12:30pm The Tipper Restaurant At my Community 2066 Kingsway (at VictoriaOffice Drive) Community Office 6106 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC 604-775-1033 • www.mableelmore.ca

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Amaryllis thrive in grey and gloomy weather whites take four to five weeks. Faster bloom can be triggered if the planted bulbs stand for a while on gentle bottom heat such as a plant mat or refrigerator top. Amaryllis are especially striking because they produce huge, velvety flowers in rich reds, candy pinks, yellows, whites, orange, lime and mixes of bi-coloureds, stripes, picotees and doubles. Black thumb gardeners would find it hard to

Contributing writer

maryllis and Paperwhite Narcissus are incredibly rewarding bulbs when they’re planted to bloom during the grey, rainy days around the turn of the year. They’re quick too — amaryllis race from planting to ﬂowering in just six to ten weeks. Paper-

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fail with amaryllis especially since some come already planted in a pot and need only water to get started. They make good gifts which are easy to find and don’t have to break the budget. The smaller, inexpensive amaryllis bulbs usually produce a single stem with two or three flowers while the larger bulbs can produce two or three stems with many flowers on each stem. Large bulbs can often flower again dur-

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ANNE MARRISON

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

feature story

Number of PTSD cases AFGHANISTAN VETERAN’S MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES LED TO

photo submitted

Mike Pehlivanian served in Afghanistan with the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. His tour began in January 2008 and ended in September of that same year when he was seriously injured in a bomb blast.

Continued from page 1 The standoff was the climax of a culmination of incidents in which Pehlivanian’s mental health deteriorated since returning to Vancouver in 2009 from Afghanistan. Two days prior to the standoff, he got into a heated dispute with his father after he smashed holes in his bedroom walls and set fire to his mattress. Police weren’t notified. Last year, Pehlivanian jumped from the third floor of a downtown hotel and suffered serious injuries. He has talked to his father and aunt numerous times about committing suicide. So what happened to Mike Pehlivanian? He was, as his father described, a “normal person” before he went overseas. He had a steady job at a government liquor store and played hockey with friends. Now he is in a treatment centre in Burnaby which caters to people suffering from mental illness and addictions. Through his lawyer Patti Stark, Pehlivanian wrote in an email that he voluntarily moved in to the centre because there are no military hospitals and he wanted long-term care.

“I want to feel healthy and I am working on it each day,” he wrote this month. “I have the scars that forever remind me of my suicidal path. I have memories of pride, memories of death and memories of how it was before my injuries. It’s hard on me. Almost everyday, I break down in tears.” Pehlivanian learned earlier this month that he won’t be going to jail for the incident at his father’s house because Crown counsel decided it wasn’t in the public interest to prosecute him. Pehlivanian’s troubles began after a roadside bomb exploded under his armoured vehicle while on a security patrol in the Panjwaii district in Kandahar province. The blast on Sept. 7, 2008 killed his sergeant, Prescott Shipway, and left Pehlivanian with a serious brain injury that his father believes set off his erratic behaviour and drug addiction. He has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, and carries extreme guilt about the loss of Shipway, whom he idolized. Research suggests Pehlivanian is not alone in his struggle: A 2011 Parliamentary report noted an estimated 4,000 veterans were enrolled in rehabilitation programs, with half suffering from a service-related psychiatric disability and more than 70 per cent with mental health needs. The same report said up to 35,000 soldiers were expected to be discharged over the next five years and that an estimate of 2,750 will suffer from a severe form of PTSD. Another 6,500 will be diagnosed with a mental health problem, according to the report that warned how the increase in mental health cases will test services for veterans. “Despite the considerable efforts made over the past 10 years, in particular the establishment of a network of specialized external clinics, as well as a group of affiliated professionals to whom veterans can be referred to as required, the department is having trouble meeting the demand,” the report said. “Under the most optimistic scenarios, these needs will double over the next five years. Furthermore, because health services are involved, coordination with provincial resources will be crucial to prepare health professionals to deal with this specific problem. Veterans Affairs’ capacity to meet the growing demand for services over the coming years will be a major challenge for the Government of Canada.” What Pehlivanian’s father has learned is that government isn’t equipped to deal with his son, whom he has refused to visit in the treatment centre. He is worried that, as a father, he will break down and agree to have his son move back in the house. It’s better, he said, that they stay apart for the time being. “Everybody wants to blame government for this,” Krikor said. “But I don’t think government knows how to deal with my son. I don’t think anybody knows.” THE FAILURE of government to treat Pehlivanian when he returned from Afghanistan was acknowledged by his case worker at Veterans Affairs Canada. After the standoff, Helen Benes met with police to provide background about Pehlivanian’s mental state. Benes told police he was “extremely violent” when he returned to Canada “as he did not receive adequate resources.” In court documents, police summarized the in-

formation provided by Benes, who outlined how Pehlivanian transformed from that normal person his father once knew. She noted the PTSD diagnosis along with “major depressive disorders, adjustment disorder and he commonly suffers from psychosis.” She also provided these details: • He has auditory and visual hallucinations that are managed through medications, although he does not consistently take his medications. • He is unpredictable and cannot control his impulses. • He has a history of drug use which includes cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin. • His hallucinations are exacerbated by his use of illegal drugs. • He tried to quit drugs with Veterans Affairs placing him in a rehabilitation program several times on the Sunshine Coast. • He has remorse about surviving the bomb blast and tried to kill himself several times since the attack. The documents indicate that at one point Pehlivanian “started to stabilize with several setbacks along the way.” Veterans Affairs helped Pehlivanian relocate to Powell River, where he lived last year. But he became unhappy and his father agreed to let him move in his house in January. Six months later, the standoff with police occurred — an incident Pehlivanian discussed in his email to the Courier. “There were no active fires,” he said. “I asked my aunt to phone the police for help but they treated me as a threat because of being an exsoldier. Instead, they cordoned off the area and came in with rifles. It became so unreal to the way it should have played out. I tried to be as cooperative as I could to not get shot.” The day he was injured in Afghanistan, Pehlivanian was riding in the back of an armoured vehicle commonly referred to as a LAV3. He was thinking about the end of his tour. Suddenly, the vehicle launched 30 feet in the air, returned to the ground upside down and rolled several times. “It was shocking. I am still in shock today. My helmet was on but it took a hard hit upside down on the metal floor. And the concussion was big. The hole in the road was huge — like 150 metres. There were gunshots. I lost my rifle. I lost my sergeant. Seven of us were crawling out a small hole.” Pehlivanian took shrapnel to the face through his gums. He broke his nose, suffered a head injury. He could not smile for months upon his return to Canada. HIS REHABILITATION began at the Integrated Personnel Support Centre at the Jericho garrison in Vancouver, one of several across the country for Canadian Forces personnel. Pehlivanian said staff at the centre was “supposed to find my problem” and then return him to Shilo, Man. to re-join the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. “They did not meet their mandate,” he said. “I got worse and worse. All they really did was Band-Aid efforts like paying for blackout blinds to help me sleep. I was so sleep deprived because of the trauma.” He resided in a place where an improvised explosive device cannon was “going off every night and I thought it was the Taliban.” He said he was prescribed six medications, which impaired his judgment. To this day, he is “triggered” all the time.

F R I DAY, NOV E M BE R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A17

among veterans to rise SIX-HOUR STANDOFF WITH VANCOUVER POLICE

photo Dan Toulgoet

Krikor Pehlivanian holds a photograph with images of his son, Mike Pehlivanian, who was injured in a bomb blast in Afghanistan in September 2008. He suffered a serious brain injury and now resides in a treatment centre for people suffering from mental health and addiction issues. “In the infantry, we are drilled and yelled at while we eat, walk, march, jog, run, in a classroom — everywhere — to make the perfect soldier for Afghanistan. We are trained to hear and see what normal people don’t. They forever imprinted these memories.” Pehlivanian said he experienced fighting almost every day of his tour, which began in January 2008 and ended nine months later when the bomb exploded. Life lost meaning to him after he was injured. “The pride of being a good soldier and going into war for my country starts to slowly go away with each day, month and year that passes from when I left my battalion. Our friends and family go away.” Before he joined the military, Pehlivanian worked at Canada Post and numerous government liquor stores in Vancouver, including branches on Main Street, Cambie Street and at Kingsgate Mall. Outside of work, he played hockey and helped his father maintain his house. But he wanted more out of life. He joined the military in 2005 “to fight for Canada and the human race in Afghanistan” and fulfill a

desire to be more physically and mentally challenged. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and was trained in seven specialities. In Afghanistan, he was a LAV3 driver, communications specialist, machine gunner, rocket launcher, rifleman and was used in “many vital roles in Afghanistan for our country.” WHEN HE RETURNED to Vancouver, one of the medical professionals he relied on to understand his situation was Dr. Greg Passey, a psychiatrist and former soldier. Pehlivanian described him as “a good man” who advocates for veterans. Passey works out of the B.C. Operational Stress Injury Clinic on Broadway. The clinic is one of 10 across Canada funded by Veterans Affairs to offer assessment and treatment services to serving Canadian Forces members and veterans, as well as RCMP officers past and present. Passey served 22 years as a medical officer in Canada, Norway, the United States and Rwanda. He has a patient list of 80 peo-

ple at the clinic, including Pehlivanian and other Afghanistan veterans. He wouldn’t discuss Pehlivanian’s case for privacy reasons. While counselling and treatment are available for veterans suffering from a mental health issue, Passey said there is a lack of resources devoted to overseeing a soldier’s transition from the battlefield. He’s blunt in his assessment of Veterans Affairs’ commitment to ensuring veterans of battle zones are being trained to re-integrate into Canadian society. “How much time has our government spent on training them to be civilians again?” he said from his office. He held up his right hand and cupped it to make a small circle. “Zero. There isn’t a program that does that, and that’s a problem.” The New Veterans Charter, which was introduced in 2006, aimed to provide veterans “with the help they need, for as long as they need it,” according to information posted on the website of Veterans Affairs. The charter promised rehabilitation programs to “stabilize physical and psychiatric conditions.” Those who are most injured get the most help, the charter added. Passey’s reading of the charter is that it is used to determine whether a soldier has a medical diagnosis related to military service that entitles that soldier to financial compensation, treatment or education. “That’s all the charter is about,” he said, adding that long-term help for veterans suffering from severe mental health issues is not consistent across the country. “It depends on where the veteran wishes to settle as to whether or not they have access to programs. A lot of the veterans with mental health issues, particularly PTSD, don’t want to be in the big cities. They typically will go off into either small towns or even isolate out in the bush and farmland. So it’s difficult for them to obtain consistent, longterm treatment.” Pehlivanian’s father agreed with Passey’s assessment of the charter, saying the money his son received from Veterans Affairs went to drug dealers. Pehlivanian said himself that Veterans Affairs “is set up mostly to financially reimburse us.” Passey pointed to the Veterans Transition Program at the University of B.C. as providing “some pieces” to the puzzle of re-integrating soldiers to civilian life. “But the reality is, if you’ve got severe PTSD or some sort of other condition, then they typically won’t put you through the program,” Passey said.” So it’s got its limitations.” Passey recently testified at the coroner’s inquest into the death of veteran Greg Matters, who served as a peacekeeper in Bosnia and was diagnosed with PTSD. RCMP shot and killed Matters at a rural farm near Prince George in September 2012. Police responded to the farm over allegations that Matters assaulted his brother. Passey said Veterans Affairs didn’t begin to provide services for Matters until Passey diagnosed the veteran with PTSD after a jail visit in early 2012. Matters was in jail for allegedly uttering threats. His research has shown that allowing

mental health issues for veterans to fester only makes life more difficult for the person and those trying to help. “Unfortunately, the longer you wait, the harder it is to treat and the more negative effect it has on your life. Often, individuals can lose their job, they can lose their friends, their family, their marriage.” The chances of a veteran with PTSD committing suicide is also greater than a veteran without the diagnosis, said Passey, pointing to research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry that showed 19 per cent of veterans in the United States with PTSD had killed themselves. Veterans Affairs Canada doesn’t track suicides. Passey said it would be a helpful statistic to give context to the type of suffering veterans endure when they return from duty. He spoke to a peacekeeper who served in Sarajevo who knew of 12 soldiers from his tour who committed suicide. “So that’s just him and he’s aware of 12,” he said. “There’s 12 people who probably died as a result of their military service and there’s no recognition at all for those people. They’re what I like to call the unknown fallen.” The Courier made repeated requests over five days with Veterans Affairs to speak with a representative to answer questions related to this story. The department failed to respond. THIS MONTH marked Pehlivanian’s fifth Remembrance Day since the bomb blast. Four years ago, he thought it important to spend Nov. 11 in Saskatchewan with the parents of his fallen sergeant, Prescott Shipway. “It was nice because you don’t want your son forgotten,” said Susan Shipway by telephone from Saskatoon, recalling the visit by Pehlivanian and a fellow soldier. “I think he idolized my son, the way he talked about him. He has a lot of guilt, saying he should have died instead of Prescott.” Shipway said she knew during the visit that Pehlivanian wasn’t well, often lost in his thoughts. She was saddened to hear of his struggles. “I hope that he can get fixed because he’s a nice boy and I hope it works out for him,” she said. Prescott Shipway and Terry Street, another member of the 2nd Battalion killed in Afghanistan, were on Pehlivanian’s mind this Remembrance Day. So was the rest of his platoon. “In addition,” he said in his email a few days before Remembrance Day, “all the soldiers, their families and friends that suffer from their traumatic experiences in theatres like Afghanistan. You need a big heart for this. I accept it like a mission.” To his father, who doesn’t know when he will next see his son, Pehlivanian had this to say: “Thanks for fighting for me. I could have been another unknown soldier. But, most importantly, I’m sorry for the way it turned out. However, be happy that I am alive. I could have died in Afghanistan many times, almost every day.” mhowell@vancourier.com twitter.com/Howellings

A18

THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

Tree of Giving

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the island of Borneo after a 40-year absence. He is holding his copy of the Courier near oil rigs located off the South China Sea. (Send your Exotic Courier submissions with your name, travel destination and a short description of the highlights of your trip to fhughes@vancourier.com.

Next Friday the Vancouver Courier continues ourembark series Vancouver Special– On January 18th the Vancouver Courier will upon an ambitious year-long journey through twenty-seven neighbourhoods Vancouver Special—an ambitious year-long journey through that make up the city of neighbourhoods Vancouver. We willthat report on the character the changing face forty-eight make up the city ofand Vancouver. ofOver eachtwelve neighbourhood, what report makes it and how and it is responding to the months we’ll onunique the character the changing challenges of being part of our rapidly changing city. Next Friday we visit face of each, what makes them unique and how they are responding Gastown, to advertise this part special call 604-738-1411. to the challenges of in being of section a rapidly changing city.

community

F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A19

EVENT OR COMMUNITY NEWS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? 604-738-1411 | sthomas@vancourier.com

SantadropsbyAuntLeah’sTreeLots COMMUNITY CALENDAR

with Sandra Thomas

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

A non-proﬁt group dedicated to helping youth is offering free photos with Santa at three of its Christmas tree lots this weekend, starting with its Vancouver location. Aunt Leah’s Place is offering the free photos at St. Stephen’s United Church, located at the corner of West 54th Avenue and Granville Street, from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29. The lot’s regular operating hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Aunt Leah’s Place is a charity dedicated to prevent young mothers from losing custody of their children and ensuring youth in foster care don’t end up homeless. Aunt Leah’s provides supported housing, job training and coaching on essential life skills to foster youth before and after they “age out” of government care at age 19. The Aunt Leah’s Tree Lots program is the society’s biggest fundraiser each year and all proceeds from the sale of Christmas trees at four locations help fund youth programs. Other lots offering free photos with Santa include Aunt Leah’s locations in Burnaby on Saturday and Coquitlam on Sunday. Aunt Leah’s also runs a Christmas tree lot at the Lonsdale Quay. The society started selling Christmas trees in the 1990s in response to

government funding cuts. For more information, visit auntleahs.org.

SHAUGHNESSY The British Columbia Boys Choir presents Christmas Magic — a celebration of the choir’s 45th anniversary Christmas concert — at St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church, 1490 Nanton Ave., Sunday Dec. 8 at 2:30 p.m. The choir is a four-part, secular boys choir — one of the few remaining in North America. Over its 45 year history, the choir has trained more than 900 members who have represented Canada on 30 international tours, performing a repertoire spanning centuries, from Gregorian chants to contemporary works. For ticket information, call 1-888-909-8282 toll free or visit bcboyschoir.org.

DOWNTOWN Board members of the Odd Squad Production Society are inviting the public to drop by, say hello and help support the work these retired police ofﬁcers are doing in helping youth through reality-based education. A Very Odd Winter Party is described as an evening of fun, food and music beneﬁting the Odd Squad. The party takes place Dec. 2 at the Caprice, 967 Granville St., from 5 to 8 p.m. For ticket information, visit oddsquad.com.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS The School of Groove is hosting two fundraising events in support of music education.

photo submitted

The Aunt Leah’s Tree Lots program is the society’s biggest fundraiser each year and all proceeds from the sale of Christmas trees at four locations help fund youth programs. The school, founded in 2011 by Michelle Cormier and Robin Layne, teaches kids skills on a variety of instruments through the repertoire and traditions of Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and West Africa while working towards live performances. It’s hoped the two fundraising events will raise enough money to create bursaries and subsidize the cost of bringing the program to elementary schools. Three of the school’s youth groups will perform, including the Youth Mariachi Band,

guest musicians and members of Mariachi del Sol. There’s also a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses and individuals. The ﬁrst show takes place Dec. 7 at Our Town Café, 245 East Broadway, and the second is Dec. 13 at the Wired Monk, 2610 West Fourth Ave. Both shows are at 7:30 p.m. and admission is by donation. For more information, visit schoolofgroovevancouver.com. sthomas@vancourier.com twitter.com/sthomas10

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A20

THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

news

Problem park prompts 900 calls to police since 2008 12TH & CAMBIE with Mike Howell

hen I think of Victoria Park near Commercial Drive, I think of bocce players. I think of warm summer days, families in the park, etc. On the park board’s website, the slice of green heaven at 1401 Victoria Dr. is described as being tucked into a vibrant neighbourhood and being almost always full of activity. “Stop to enjoy a lively game of bocce, or sit quietly under the trees and listen to the birds,” goes the write-up. Enticing, right? Heck, the park even got redeveloped in 2008 and features pathways, lighting, picnic tables, a new playground, an arbour and new drainage. But, apparently, Victoria Park isn’t the oasis it seems. As I often do, I checked the Freedom of Information request section on the Vancouver Police Department’s website and discovered this week a different tale about the park. As resident shutterbug Dan Toulgoet is prone to say upon discovering some potentially shocking news: Ay caramba!

photo Dan Toulgoet

Police have responded to about 900 calls to Victoria Park between October 2008 and October 2013. The nature of the calls included drugs, ﬁghts and “annoying circumstances.” The VPD has posted 15 full pages of calls it responded to at the park between Oct. 1, 2008 and Oct. 1, 2013. I couldn’t be bothered to count every call — my eyes can’t take that — but with about 60 per page… multiplied by 15… well, that’s 900 calls. Yep, 900. The description of the calls included: drugs, check well-being [of person], weapon, ﬁght, assault in progress, liquor act, in-

decent act, robbery in progress, intelligence information, suspicious circumstances, theft, man down, breach the peace, domestic in progress, suspicious vehicle and threats. By far, the most popular calls were for “annoying circumstances” and “disturbances.” The reports, unfortunately, don’t say whether the calls came in during the day or at night. Whether the call load is unprecedented or normal for a park, I don’t know that, either.

So I called up Adrian Archambault, the program coordinator of the Grandview-Woodland Community Policing Centre. He wasn’t aware of the stats, so I pointed him to the VPD’s website. He had a look and had more questions than answers, although he described the park as safe — for a six-foot white guy, he added. “I guess it depends who you talk to,” he said, when asked whether the park has lost its purpose. “The park, hopefully, should be for everybody and we want to address the concerns for people who live around it.” Archambault and a police ofﬁcer have visited with neighbours whose homes look out onto the park. They were told to call police if they had concerns about activity in the park. “There are people who live near the park who are what I would describe as hypervigilant and would call about anything,” he said when asked to put 900 calls into perspective. “For one thing, I want to know who made the calls because some of these people would call the police every day. But is the activity anomalous? I’m not sure.” Without a breakdown of police calls for all parks in Vancouver — something that would require another Freedom of Information request — Archambault probably won’t get an answer to his question anytime soon. In the meantime park-goers, do enjoy the birds and the bocce. mhowell@vancourier.com twitter.com/Howellings

F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

Special Advertising Feature

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

Get in the �pirit

Dunbar Residents Give Generously to Support the Needy by Helen Peterson

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he 19th annual Dunbar Christmas Food Bank Drive has begun. Last year Dunbar realtor Michael Andruff and his team (pictured) collected more than 1,146 pounds of food and $1,695 in cash donations to help feed the hungry. This year, some 40 merchants and service providers in Dunbar are working hard to beat that goal. Between Dec. 7 and 20, you can help support Vancouver’s local food bank this Christmas, while donating non-perishable food items on your next visit to participat-

ing Dunbar merchants displaying the Food Bank poster. Andruff says: “We offer a special acknowledgement of our ‘Four-star Performers’ in last year’s drive: Enmark Jewellers, All Nations Stamp and Coin, Vancity Credit Union, and Royal Bank – Dunbar Branch.” Donations or food pickups can be arranged by calling 604-264-7444, says Andruff, who adds: “No contribution is too small, all we want is for the community to come together and show their generous spirit!”

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F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A23

Book Your Company Christmas Party at

Brock House Restaurant

Deck the halls with less stress this year ost would agree that the holidays are great, if only it wasn’t for the shopping. Spending time with friends and family, getting a well-earned break from work, and enjoying a winter wonderland are all the things we love about the season, but stressful gift shopping can bring that relaxing vacation to a screeching halt. The perfect present is elusive, and until you ﬁnd it, nothing seems good enough. Before you start fretting over the ideal gift, just remember, it’s the thought that counts. This old saying still rings true today, and it reminds us that the right gift shows that we are thinking of the person, not reading their minds. So when you look at your giftlist, keep these ideas at hand. The entertainment junkie. They always see the newest movies, and they’re out on the town every weekend. Think about getting them movie passes or concert ticket vouchers. How about a reservation at a new restaurant for you and them? If you show that you know your friend loves a fun night out, you’ve proved you spent the time to consider their personality. The music lover. Give the gift of music to a friend who’s always plugged in to the music scene. Don’t stop at just one album, these days, satellite radio has something to keep everyone entertained. It has many advantages over AM/FM radio, including com-

December Events

Holiday Brunch Buffet ADULTS $39.95 / KIDS 6-12yrs $18.95 (available Sunday, December 1st, 8th, 15th & 22nd)

Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet

Adults $54.95 / Kids 6-12 yrs $24.95

New Year’s Eve Murder Mystery & Dinner

mercial-free music. A Canadian favourite is SiriusXM radio, which offers access to more than 120 channels including music, news, sports, entertainment and comedy. Super mom or super dad. Being a parent is a delicate dance of time management and patience. Early morning hockey practice, ballet recitals, and play dates; 15 minutes of silence can be a vacation all on its own. Think about time-saving, spacesaving or sanity-saving gifts to help parents in need to bring a little calm to the chaos. Make a home-made coupon for three days of babysitting, or offer to cook a home-style dinner for the whole family. Tips courtesy newscanada.com.

Act of giving

Please visit our website to view all our menus www.brockhouserestaurant.com Reservations: 604-224-3317 or catering@brockhouserestaurant.com 3875 Point Grey Rd, Vancouver (3 blocks west of Alma at Jericho Beach)

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A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver. ~Thomas á Kempis

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. ~Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

The only gift is a portion of thyself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is bought is cheaper than a gift. ~Portuguese Proverb

Tickets $95/person plus 5% GST *Tickets must be pre-purchased Includes: 4 Course Dinner, complimentary glass of sparkling wine & noise makers @ midnight, DJ by ‘Man About Town’

We do not quite forgive a giver. The hand that feeds us is in some danger of being bitten. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays

CHILDREN’S VIDEOS will be playing in the Santa setting 11:00 am-5:00 pm December 5th until Santa arrives on December 14th. TV courtesy of The Source and videos courtesy of Lely’s Books

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

NATIVE

CRAFT

FAIR

DECEMBER 7 TH & 8TH 2013

1607 East Hastings Street

Local resources bring the green on to the scene

604-251-4844 to book a table

by Nancy Wong & Helen Peterson

Planning your

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vancourier.com …get caught in our web

BC Botanical Garden is holding its annual Wreath Sale, which began on Nov. 27. Continuing through the weekend, from 9:30 am - 5 pm at the Shop in the Garden, it offers up a bevy of beauty at a fraction of the cost you’d expect. No two wreaths are alike! These wreaths are handmade with love by the dedicated Friends of the Garden volunteers, and they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Also available are door swags, seasonal baskets and table décor. These handmade items will brighten homes with holiday spirit. There’s also a Wreath-Making Workshop taking place on Nov. 30. Go to botanicalgarden.ubc.ca for all the details! For do-it-yourself of ready-made, you’re sure to find the perfect, pre-made décor accent at your local florist, the Winter Farmers’ Market and some grocery chains. In addition, both VanDusen Botanical Garden will hold sales of wreaths, botanical centerpieces and ornaments. Check their web sites for dates. Everyone can enjoy some natural beauty in their home this holiday season!

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F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

“Selling Hope in Shadows gives me a way to earn money, meet new people and share stories about my community.” Peter, Hope in Shadows Vendor

Connect with a vendor To buy your copy of the 11th Annual 2014 Hope in Shadows Calendar

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Happiness in the long run

DAVIDICUS WONG

t was the ﬁrst Christmas without my mom, who had died in April, and we dreaded the grief and longing that would come with what was once the happiest of times for our family. The pain of loss slowly ebbs over time but surges with special occasions such as Thanksgiving, birthdays and anniversaries. My young children were a great consolation. In each of them, I could see some of my mom; she had touched and influenced them in different ways and the love I shared with them was a continuation of my

mother’s love. My daughter was five and my sons nine and 11. Their joy would bring me joy. We decided to go away that first Christmas, and because they were young we would make it a surprise. One night just before Christmas, my wife and I packed each of their little suitcases and loaded them in our van. On what they thought would be another lazy day at home, we woke them up early and told them we were going on a mystery trip. At the airport was the first surprise. Grampa was there with Auntie Lisa and Uncle Barry. The kids picked up clues along the way and each of them guessed where we were going at different points on our journey. The magical moment was when we drove past the Magic Kingdom and I saw my son’s dimpled smile as he said, “We’re going to

Disneyland!” The third surprise was going to Denny’s the next morning before our first day in the park and meeting my brother, his wife and their children. As we entered the “Happiest Place on Earth,” I told the kids to note how much happier all the families were once they entered the gates. Of course, we saw grown-ups arguing, some screaming at their kids and kids throwing tantrums. It was a gentle reminder that happiness can’t be found in another place where everything is perfect and you get everything you want. There is no such place. Happiness can’t be found in a perfect relationship with a perfect partner because none of us are perfect. We all travel with baggage though we could choose what to pack. Ten years later, my children are much older and their lives too complicated

for us to pack their bags and wake them up for another mystery trip. Happiness can’t be found in the things we buy, the clothes we wear, the vehicles we drive or the places we live. It cannot be found in an amusement park or at an exotic destination. All these things can bring pleasure but no lasting happiness. Happiness can only be found in the present and in our own hearts. It requires acceptance of the past and the present and appreciation of what we have, particularly the people in our lives today. To be happy is to graciously make the most of what we have. Dr. Davidicus Wong is a family physician at the PrimeCare Medical Centre. His Healthwise column appears regularly in this paper. You can read more about achieving your positive potential for health at davidicuswong.wordpress.com.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

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F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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GOT ARTS? 604-738-1411 | events@vancourier.com

OUR

PICKS NOV. 29 - DEC. 3

For video and web content, scan page using the Layar app.

1 2 3 4

Once again MINT RECORDS sets the bar high with its annual RIDICULOUSLY EARLY XMAS PARTY. This year’s winding Nov. 30 at the Ukrainian Hall features Jay Arner, NARDWUAR AND THE EVAPORATORS, Renny Wilson, Tough Age, The Ramblin’ Ambassadors, Fake Tears, Shawn Mrazek Lives! and perhaps a few surprise guests. Tickets $10 at Red Cat, Zulu, online at brownpapertickets.com or $13 at the door with partial proceeds supporting SAINTS (a sanctuary for senior and special needs animals) and Girls Rock Camp Vancouver. More info at mintrecs.com. Canadian indie rock veteran and founding member of Broken Social Scene, BRENDAN CANNING performs Nov. 29 at the Media Club in support of his new latest solo album You Gots 2 Chill. Dinosaur Bones and Hark open. Tickets at Red Cat Records and Highlife Records and ticketmaster.ca. Visual artist DAVID WILSON’s new exhibit CONSTRUCT/DECONSTRUCT looks at local landscapes from a different angle. See for yourself Nov. 30 to Jan. 11 at Winsor Gallery (258 East First). Opening reception is this Saturday, 2 to 4 p.m. More details at davidwilson.ca.

Who says length doesn’t matter? Local burlesque luminaries Lola Frost, Burgundy Brixx, Melody Mangler, Lydia DeCarllo, Voracious V and APRIL O’PEEL put their feathered boas and pasties into overdrive for the second annual BURLESQUE LONGFORM Nov. 30, 9 p.m. at the Rio Theatre. Instead of the usual three to ﬁve minute sets, performers must entertain for 10 minute stretches. More details at aprilopeel.com.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

arts&entertainment

Berner puts down accordion to write book MICHAEL KISSINGER Staff writer

ancouver singer-songwriter Geoff Berner is known around these parts for his wry lyrics and adeptness on his trusty accordion. For his latest endeavour, Berner put his nimble ﬁngers to another use — writing a book. Festival Man is billed as a “found memoir” following the escapades of music manager Campbell Ouiniette “as he leaves a trail of empty liquor bottles, cigarette butts, bruised egos and obliterated relationships behind him.” Prior to his Nov. 30 show at the WISE Hall, Berner talked to the Courier about his people skills, being big in Scandinavia and why he won’t be writing his own memoir anytime soon. As a touring musician you interact with far more people than the average person. What kind of skills have you developed because of that? I know when a bar ﬁght is going to happen seven to 23 minutes before it happens. In two minutes of conversation, I can tell when someone is a real music business pro who is true to their word, I can tell when someone is a fraud, and I can tell where on the spectrum between those poles most people fall. I can distract and pacify drunks and four-year-olds. People tell me their secrets between three and four in the morning. I am good at foosball. I know when to walk away, and when to run. In terms of your book’s subject matter, you

haven’t strayed too far from your own realm of experience. Do you think it’s important to stick to the adage “write what you know”? Any time there’s fiction about a particular profession, those who practise the profession find themselves scoffing at stuff that would never happen. So far that hasn’t been the case with this book and musicians. That pleases me. Would it be accurate to say that playing accordion has opened some doors for you and led to musical opportunities that you wouldn’t have been afforded if you were some dude with an acoustic guitar? Festivals like to book acts like they’re laying out a buffet table. So when they see the accordion singer/songwriter, they sometimes say, “Oh, we don’t have one of those.” That’s been helpful. Also, when I started out, the accordion was so maligned in North American pop culture that the simple fact of “Oh look, he plays the accordion! What?” was enough to get stunned articles in the newspapers in the cities I played. Why do you think you have a particularly strong following in some Scandinavian countries? That’s where I got my first foothold in Europe. Largely because one of their biggest bands, Kaizers Orchestra, championed my work and had me open for them a lot. They recently did a nine-night run of sold-out shows at a stadium in Norway, playing to 8,000 people a night. I was an opening act at three of them. So that’s a stroke of good fortune. Scandinavians have high income tax and

high corporate tax rates. That means that they live better lives, with a bigger middle class, higher life expectancy, wider and better education, long fully paid parental leave. It’s that simple, folks. So with a bigger, leftier, better-educated, English-speaking demographic of folks with money in their pocket, that’s a pretty good market for a guy like me who’s a weird lefty folksinger trying to write with some degree of literacy. I imagine you have enough colourful anecdotes as a musician to write your own memoir. Does that interest you? No. I like being licensed to lie. * A longer version of this story appears online at vancourier.com/entertainment.

Geoff Berner performs songs and reads from his new book at the WISE Hall Nov. 30.

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F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

arts&entertainment

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Royal City Youth Ballet Company Society proudly presents, for the 25th season, the full length ballet, the Nutcracker.

Beaucoup to love at this bakery

The longest running Nutcracker ballet performance in Canada!

Don’t miss your opportunity to see this unique show that delights audiences of all ages.

RCYB th

n i 25 s a ver

SWEET SPOT

with Eagranie Yuh

efore Jackie Kai Ellis opened the doors to Beaucoup Bakery, she had a backup plan. “I felt like, you know what, if this fails, I am very hireable. And Starbucks has a really good health plan.” She needn’t have worried. Beaucoup Bakery (2150 Fir St.) has quickly established itself as one of the top pastry shops in the city. Not that you’d expect anything less from the former graphic designer who had the guts to do what many only dream of: quit her day job, go to Paris to study pastry and return to Vancouver to open a bakery. “I wasn’t that interested in French pastries… I ﬁgured I’d got to Paris and I’d get a lot of great French techniques,” she says. “But when I went there, it was so inspiring to see the level to which they create their pastries. The respect that they treat it with.” She came back with a cadre

photo Dan Toulgoet

Artistic Director Dolores Kirkwood, OBC

Jackie Kai Ellis puts a lot of love into her French-inspired pastries at Beaucoup Bakery. of French techniques, fondness for North American flavours and memories of growing up as a Chinese-Canadian. You can see all those influences at Beaucoup, whether the salty-sweet kouign amann, the elegant peanut-butter sandwich cookies or the black sesame religieuse: two creampuffs filled with pastry cream that are meant to resemble a nun (or, if you ask me, an unFROM

$29! “Laughout-loud funny” —John Jane, Review Vancouver

ﬁnished snowman). Your appreciation of Beaucoup can end there, with a straightforward appreciation of the food. But look a bit closer and you’ll notice the little details, like the local suppliers that are proudly highlighted on the menu. Or that the staff are genuinely friendly and happy. Continued next page

Michael J. Fox Theatre, Burnaby Friday, December 6 7:00 pm Box Office: 604-664-8875 www.michaeljfoxtheatre.ca

For more information, and a full list of performances, please visit our website:

www.royalcityyouthballet.org

TSTAND “AN OUELIGHT FIONG PRODUCTION.. RPRISE . SU LLOW ON AND D E AFTER ANOTHER”

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arts&entertainment Bakery cooks up Xmas campaign

ENJOY A SEASONAL, SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF HOMES ON VANCOUVER’S WEST SIDE

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Continued from page 31 Notably, the blackboard tucked around the corner invites you to answer a soulbaring question, like “What scares you?” or “What’s the one thing you would do if you couldn’t fail?” What’s surprising is how overwhelming positive the answers are. People comment on what others have written before them, offering support and encouragement. It’s refreshing, especially when Internet trolls have given anonymity a bad name. “People are strangely intimate with their answers… When I read them it causes me to reflect and say yeah, that is scary. Or yeah, that is something that I want,” Kai Ellis says. I posed that week’s question to her: “What inspires you?” She cites colour, nature, sunsets and flowers (“that’s why Beaucoup is so flowery,”) before arriving at her final answer — people. “When I see someone trying so hard to just do life well, with integrity and honesty, that to me is probably the most inspiring thing. Because Beaucoup is nothing without its heart. We’re just a business if we don’t have heart.” Spoken by anyone else, that statement would send my cynic meter off the chart. But there’s something about Kai Ellis, how she manages to balance acute business sense with honest intentions, that makes the whole thing palatable.

photo Dan Toulgoet

Beaucoup launches its 12 Days of Christmas with a number of gift packages available as of Dec. 1.

Though Beaucoup Bakery opened on Dec. 21, 2012, this is arguably its ﬁrst actual Christmas. To celebrate, they’re doing the 12 days of Christmas, with the full line available by December 1. Highlights include the highly addictive candied Marcona almonds; rich, creamy spiced pear cheesecakes; and butter tarts with an assertive kick of salt that will make you sit up straight. You might also consider squirreling away some of the packaged items — gift sets, homemade syrups and jams — for last-minute hostess gifts. And how will Kai Ellis celebrate Christmas? She used to do a giant Christmas dinner for family and friends, but she knows things are different now. “It’s a matter of making new memories and new traditions.” twitter.com/eagranieyuh

F R I DAY, NOV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

FRED

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EMAIL: yvrﬂee@hotmail.com TWITTER: @FredAboutTown

UNLEESHED

SKYPING TO THE FUTURE: Philanthropists Richard and Heidi Coglon hosted an intimate $250-a-ticket beneﬁt to raise funds for Chat to the Future, an orphanage in Uganda. Founded by educator Adam McKim, the non-proﬁt educates, cares for and provides for orphaned Ugandan children through the generosity of Canadians and school children. Along with fundraising, the students interact online regularly with other children at the orphanage.

OUT ON THE STREET: More than 30 community leaders and celebrities slept outside in solidarity with the hundreds of young people who call Vancouver’s streets home, to raise funds for Covenant House Vancouver’s crisis shelter program. The group braved -3 degree weather as part of Covenant House’s Sleepout, to get a glimpse into what it must be like for youth who sleep outside every night. The sleepers called upon their friends, family and business associates to sponsor their night on the street and raised upwards of $340,000 for the non-profit agency. CHOWDER KING: Forage executive chef Chris Whittaker was once again crowned the champ of the sixth annual Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown. His wild B.C. spot prawn chowder finished with a soft-boiled quail egg and pork crackling took first place, besting a dozen competitors that included Vancouver’s Fairmont and Four Seasons Hotels, Edible Canada, Coast and C Restaurant. More than 550 guests attended the soup soiree in support of the marine centre’s sustainable seafood program.

Actress Alana Lamalice shared her inspired story of love and support from her daughter, Michaela, at A Loving Spoonful’s annual World AIDS Day Luncheon beneﬁt.

Fashionista Rachel Kapsalis and North Vancouver mayor Darrell Mussatto saw more than $100,000 raised for the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art.

Chat to the Future founder Adam McKim, a high school teacher, hopes an online chat can change lives, especially for an orphanage in Uganda.

Richard and Heidi Coglon hosted an intimate fundraiser to raise funds for Chat to the Future, an orphanage in Uganda.

Chris Whittaker’s spot prawn chowder once again took ﬁrst place at the Vancouver Aquarium’s annual Chowder Chowdown fundraiser.

Richard Broderick, James Reynolds and Jason Broderick’s Trail Appliances was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Richmond Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Awards.

Faye Wightman (Lifetime Achievement) and Bob Lee (Philanthropist of the Year) were feted by Scotiabank’s Grace Kim at the Giving Hearts Awards.

From left, FASHION editor Joy Pecknold, publicist Carine Redmond and designer Jillian Harris participated in the Covenant House Sleepout.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

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3 Canadian Winter Beauty Products

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A Brunch to Remember

Lise Boullard

Sarah Bancroft

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How to Dress for a Power Lunch

Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

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Photo Finish Cosmetics

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Sigh. I guess it’s time to start writing the “Year Ahead” forecasts. So, Aries, the ﬁrst half of 2014 will continue to deliver good luck and opportunity in your food and shelter zone. Much of this luck will come March onward, rather than in January/February. (These two months, give some time to your career, for someone up there likes you.) Until July, it’s a superb time to sell and/or buy real estate, to set your children on a good course for life, to renovate, to give birth or become pregnant, to landscape, renovate, etc. This ﬁrst half also contains an unusual amount of “adjusting” to another’s ways, power and personality. You have either an enemy or an ally — and, hint, even the enemy wants to be a partner instead. This applies to both love and business spheres. Someone who is irascible, or laughs too loud, or who pushes you now, is attracted. This is a tough one, because it can lead to real love, life mating or to a link of constant challenge and argument. Partly, this is timing; if you meet (or met) your new lover, or a potential business partner or friend between Dec. 7 and 31 or April 21 to June 14, the relationship is likely to be rocky or simply to suddenly, quietly die. If you meet otherwise, it could last as a vibrant link, even a lifetime love. The accent remains on far travel, higher learning, religion/life philosophy, understanding, the “big picture,” cultural venues, dealings with foreign-born people and gentle love. If you’re pursuing someone, or in a young love affair, the other person seems inclined to end it. Though he/she would probably be willing to live together – in other words, it’s all or nothing — seemingly.

The weeks ahead feature errands, communications, short travel, siblings and acquaintances, paperwork, details, and daily business, especially Monday and Tuesday. A new travel, ofﬁce system, communications or similar project might start these two days. Earlier, Sunday’s for shopping or earning money — charge ahead, some bargains await you.

This week and the next two emphasize secrets, research, sexual urges, ﬁnancial dealings, hunches, major lifestyle and health decisions. It’s a time of commitment and consequence. These themes are highlighted Monday/ Tuesday. Do not act alone. At the very least, seek advice. Independence = trap, loss. Interdependence = treasure chest, perhaps a ﬁnancial one but more likely a treasure of emotions and friendship and life understanding.

Chase money for the next few weeks. A new earnings (or spending) project might begin Monday or Tuesday — avoid machinery purchases. Earlier, your energy and charisma shine Sunday — start something, grab someone’s attention. Talk, emails, errands, siblings, casual friends, short trips, paperwork ﬁll Wednesday/ Thursday — though Wed. morning is abrupt, perhaps nervous.

The accent lies on face-to-face relationships, now to late December and especially this Monday and Tuesday. Be diplomatic, co-operative, emphasize others’ desires, goals, interests, rather than your own. Two unusual factors inﬂuence your relations over the months ahead. One, Venus, your love planet, brings affectionate responses and mild luck in sexual and ﬁnancial links through early March.

Your energy, charisma and effectiveness continue to soar, Sage! You’re in charge, you hold the aces, so use this time (especially Monday, Wednesday and Thursday this week) to start signiﬁcant projects, to take a chance, to enter unknown waters bravely. Rest Sunday: contact allies, information sources, government agencies. Your energy surges Monday/Tuesday; impress someone!

The three weeks ahead hold work, drudgery, and health concerns. (Monday/Tuesday show this, might start a new work/health project — Monday better.) But all won’t be dull — your relationships in general remain affectionate until March. If you’re single, someone’s approachable. If married, your spouse could not be nicer. Be gentle with kids. Look at ambition potentials in real estate.

Sunday’s for friends, social affairs, happiness. Don’t overbook, though — your energy is low, as Monday/ Tuesday will show. Retreat these two days: rest, eat sensibly, reconnect with your spirit, be charitable, contemplate and plan. This is a good prescription for the entire three weeks ahead. A love or philosophical disagreement Tuesday supper time is not worth arguing.

The weeks ahead feature romance, creative surges, pleasure, beauty, nature, teaching children, and risk/ reward. (The risk/reward ratio favours you — you’re on a winning streak.) Your work place remains pleasant, even affectionate. Sunday’s for home, rest, garden, kids, etc. — all’s good, affectionate. Those romantic, pleasurable themes ﬁll Monday/Tuesday — a new love, or creative project, could begin.

Wishes can come true, Aquarius! The three weeks ahead bring popularity, social delights, entertainment, light romance, optimism and happiness. Be ambitious Sunday — interface with prestigious people. (If nothing else, take a walk/drive thru the ritzy district.) Monday/ Tuesday bring that popularity, optimism and delight — and could begin a group project.

The weeks ahead draw you ever closer to home. You’ll feel sluggish, in need of a rest — take power naps, garden, hug family, especially Monday/Tuesday, when a new realty or home project might begin. You won’t feel as sluggish this week, as you’re still “running” after mysterious people or things. You could hardly ask for a better romantic atmosphere.

The accent lies on your skills, ambitions, your ability to hobnob with bosses and VIPs, your prestige and community reputation. This trend lasts to late December but is highlighted Monday/Tuesday, when a new career project might begin. Earlier, use Sunday to contemplate all this, and where you want to go in future — it’s a good day for love and learning, too. A wish could come true Wednesday/Friday, especially in home, real estate, security, friendship, mail and travel.

Monday: Nelly Furtado (35). Tuesday: Ozzy Osbourne (65). Wednesday: Jay-Z (45). Thursday: Little Richard (81). Friday: Judd Apatow (46). Saturday: Terrell Owens (40). Sunday: Nicki Minaj (31), Drew Doughty (24).

MORE AT ASTRALREFLECTIONS.COM

F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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GOT SPORTS? 604-738-1411 | mstewart@vancourier.com

photos Dan Toulgoet

UBC Thunderbirds head coach Graham Thomas runs a hockey practice Nov. 27 at the Doug Mitchell Sports Centre. At right, Katie Zinn transferred to UBC from Penn State and must sit out this season. New eligibility rules mean students returning to Canada from an NCAA school will not have to miss a year.

Women’s hockey nets full-ride scholarships MEGAN STEWART Staff Writer

or the first time in Canadian varsity sports, women’s hockey teams will offer full-ride scholarships in an attempt to compete with NCAA programs in the U.S. and entice athletes to stay closer to home. All 33 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) women’s hockey programs, including the University of B.C. Thunderbirds, will enlist in the five-year pilot program, which was announced Tuesday and endorsed by Hockey Canada. The ability to offer student-athletes more money to fund their education and power their competition means Canadian programs will retain more homegrown talent, said Tbirds head coach Graham Thomas. “It’s huge. It’s been a long time coming and there’s been a lot of people fighting for it,” he said Wednesday. “It may only be one player right now or one scholarship, but I know for sure we’re going to be able to compete with the U.S. NCAA schools and keep the top Canadian student-athletes here in Canada and that was the whole goal. We want to have them stay here because they excel in their sport but also because they’re great leaders.” Schools can currently pay for all or part of an athlete’s tuition but not her housing or food; likewise, each program across the country, such as hockey, basketball and football, is limited by the number of full or partial scholarships it can award. The pilot-program will see what happens

when all costs are covered by the university, but each hockey program will still be bound by a specific scholarship cap. “We’re excited that they chose our sport to do it out of all the sports that could have been picked,” said Thomas. Haneet Parhar, a five-foot-five forward recruited from the Pacific Steelers junior hockey team, works a job teaching ice skating and manages four classes in her second year at UBC. More funding will mean fewer distractions for elite athletes and a higher level of team commitment, she said. “It will change a lot. A lot of us come to school to play hockey, we don’t really care about the money,” she said. “We’re here because we want to be here but with money backing us up, there is even more of a reason for us to be here.” Women’s hockey was selected for the trial because the CIS found Canadian women in this sport were among the likeliest to leave their NCAA program for a team in Canada. The CIS could not say how many women have returned but will begin keeping tabs next year. Similarly, an unknown number of athletes who wanted to return to Canada have remained with their NCAA program because they did not want to sit out a year, as CIS eligibility rules require. Katie Zinn, however, is one athlete who dropped off her NCAA team at Pennsylvania State half way through the 2011-12 season to return to Canada. She transferred to UBC. The promises made in an effort to recruit her weren’t delivered, she said. Her devel-

opment stagnated when she didn’t see ample ice time and the rookie also felt spurred by her coach for reasons he could never explain. “I was really unhappy,” said Zinn. Returning to Canada and being closer to her home town of Coquitlam meant Zinn had to forfeit a year of eligibility, a big price for an elite athlete. The ﬁve-foot-seven forward trains with the Tbirds but can’t compete. She will be eligible to play for UBC on Jan. 12, 2014 — a date she thinks about frequently. If she dresses, she’ll compete in playoffs come March and will have three years eligibility remaining. If she waits until the 201415 season, she will have four full years to play in the CIS. “I have to make that choice,” she said. “There are a lot of pros and cons. It’s going to be a game-day decision.” Zinn, 20, is red-shirting with UBC and does not regret her to decision to leave Penn State. “I’d rather be here with a great team and great coach rather than not be happy — even if I’m not playing,” she said. “It’s hard. I focus a lot on supporting the girls where I can. If feel like that’s my role right now, to push them to do better in practice and help them if they need anything because I have the time and the energy. “Every day I can’t play, it ﬁres me up a lot more so it makes me appreciate being able to play.” Zinn will be among the last student-athletes forced to sit out one year. The CIS also announced Tuesday that it

will retire the “eligibility reparation rule” that requires athletes returning to Canada from a foreign athletic program to sit out an entire season. The new rule — which the CIS dubbed “a game-changer” — was passed with 98 per cent support from member universities. The rule will take effect next September. “I’m ecstatic that they’re changing it but I’m a little annoyed that it was after the year I came back,” said Zinn. “I missed it by a year.” She said the women’s hockey scholarship program coupled with the new transfer rule will increase the level of competition in Canada. “Coming back to the CIS, you realize how great of a place it is to get your education and the sport levels are much higher than I expected,” she said, noting the CIS does not get enough credit. “Players are so NCAA-focused, but in the long run we’re here to get an education and the CIS sets you up. Here in my home town, it sets me up to work at home, which is something that I want.” Women’s university hockey was expanded in 1997 when the CIS held a national championship. Since the University of Montreal joined in 2009, there are ﬁve teams in the Quebec conference and the largest conference, Ontario, grew from 10 to 13 teams in the past decade. Canada West counts eight teams, which is also an increase since Calgary joined in 2009 and Mount Royal signed on last season. mstewart@vancourier.com twitter.com/MHStewart

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

sports&recreation

My bike: I cycle to push my limits NEW TO CYCLING, TAMAKI KANO WILL RIDE 1,200 KM TO BANFF WHEEL WORLD with Kay Cahill

amaki Kano isn’t your average roadie. Until she purchased her new Specialized Dolce this September, she hadn’t been on a bike in over a decade and never found cycling easy or even that enjoyable. But next summer, Tamaki will ride 1,200 kilometres from Vancouver to Banff and raise $5,000 for an annual fundraiser for cystic fibrosis. Tamaki Kano Age: 40 Wheels: Specialized Dolce Comp Time on these wheels: Two months Favourite ride: Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood to Horseshoe Bay Quote: “I’m finally ready to test myself.” What inspired her to take on such a huge challenge? Cystic fibrosis a disease that’s not far from any of us: one in 25 Canadians has the CF gene and those who develop CF currently have a median survival age of just 35 years. Her personal connection with CF began in 2011 when people with cystic fibrosis supported her hockey team through the Longest Game, an endurance test that had her team playing for an exhausting 243 hours to break the Guinness World Record for longest ice hockey game in the world.

photo Dan Toulgoet

Tamaki Kano will cycle to Alberta to raise money for cystic ﬁbrosis. “We would have broken down emotionally, well before the completion without their inspiration and continuous support,” she said. “They truly were there for us every day. I really feel I owe them.” Each year since 2006, a group of very dedicated cyclists cycles in the annual GearUp4CF ride and in addition to covering a tremendous amount of distance and elevation during their days in the saddle, riders commit to raising a minimum of $5,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Since its inception, GearUp4CF cyclists

have ridden over 190,000 km and raised more than $1.25 million for the cause. Tamaki will set out on this nine-day cycling marathon on June 21, 2014. Her primary motivation is to raise both awareness of and funds for cystic ﬁbrosis research. And the GearUp4CF ride is her opportunity to repay the people who supported her hockey team. She made a point of choosing a sport that is a very difﬁcult activity for her. “I’m not good at fundraising, so I have to do something absolutely crazy to get

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people to want to donate, like taking up an unfamiliar sport and riding a distance that should be left to those who have the training and experience.” When she signed up for the ride, Tamaki didn’t even own a bike. With the help of James from Obsession:Bikes, she picked a Specialized Dolce Comp to accompany her on her cycling adventure and now she’s doing everything she can to prepare for next summer. “I’m riding as much as I can — even if I get 15 minutes of free time, I ride. The most challenging thing for preparation is finding the time,” she said. As well as the training, other hurdles include her fear of a relatively unknown activity and uncertainty about what to expect from the ride itself. “Riding three hours to Horseshoe Bay and back to East Van actually made me start to enjoy road biking,” she said. “The hardest thing on the ride will be being alone. Everyone else will be so much faster than me, and I’ll need to rely on myself alone to keep going.” I’m full of admiration for Tamaki for taking on GearUp4CF. In order to raise funds for a cause close to her heart, she’s prepared to confront her personal fears and push far beyond her own limits. “I’m the type of person who lives with a lot of fear when it comes to physical activities. I just really think, turning 40 this year, it’s time I got over myself and lived a little. I’m finally ready to test myself.” You can support Tamaki on her ride by visiting her fundraising link, which you can find online at vancourier.com/sports. Kay Cahill is a cyclist and librarian who believes bikes are for life, not just for commuting. You can contact or send a comment to kay@sidecut.ca.

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F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN TODAY’S HOMES? Contact Linda Garner:

604-738-1411 | lgarner@vancourier.com

Approved plan will spark West End revitalization: BIA JEN ST. DENIS biv.com

West End business group is “thrilled” that a community plan for the area was approved this week by Vancouver city council. “We need to revitalize the neighbourhood, and we think the plan lands a pretty good balance for the community,” said Stephen Regan, president of the West End Business Improvement Association (WEBIA). “It’s going to set the foundations for us to promote and revitalize the commercial streets in partnership with the city.” The plan calls for new residential high-rises to be allowed on the Georgia and Burrard Street corridors, as well as Alberni Street and Lower Davie. New residential developments will not be allowed in the West End’s three commercial “village” areas, on upper Davie Street, Denman Street

photo Richard Lam

Stephen Regan, president of the West End BIA, is pleased city council approved the new community plan earlier this month. and Lower Robson. New zoning will allow for inﬁll development behind existing apartment buildings, such as townhouses and laneway houses, that would be rental only.

The WEBIA had advocated for mixed-use development and for improvements to the retail streets, such as building façade renovations, better lighting and a consistent look and feel throughout the three com-

mercial areas. The advocacy group also called for improvements to bus service. Regan said the WEBIA can now move forward to work with the city on plans to spruce up the village areas. He noted that $1 million of community amenity contribution funds from the Beach and Howe development has already been earmarked for public realm improvements to Davie Village. NPA councillor George Affleck said he voted against the plan because he did not believe it was detailed enough. “People wanted more time,” Affleck said. “The two or three weeks to look at the full document, which is over 200 pages, just wasn’t enough.” While the majority of yesterday’s speakers were in support of the plan, Affleck believed the speaker list was “stacked,” he said. Many of the speakers who sup-

ported the plan were from groups like the WEBIA, he said, who are “funded by the city.” He warned that a vague community plan can lead to delayed development applications and neighbourhood angst further down the road. “This is the challenge we’ve seen in Mount Pleasant,” he said, referring to the controversial Rize Alliance development, which has sparked backlash from residents. Regan said the WEBIA will continue to work with the city and with TransLink on improvements to bus service, especially on the lower end of Davie Street where buses currently stop at a bus loop instead of continuing directly on to Denman Street. The City of Vancouver and TransLink are currently working on a downtown bus service review. jstdenis@biv.com twitter.com/jenstden

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

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INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN DASHBOARD? Contact Janis Dalgleish:

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Posh high-performer is the Acura assessment

DAVID CHAO

onda was the ﬁrst Japanese car company to bring its luxury division to North America with its Acura brand back in 1986 with the debut of the Legend sedan and the Integra coupes. Both cars garnered a lot of praise and attention. Today, Acura faces many competitors in the luxury market and therefore has a more difﬁcult time differentiating its cars. This is especially true of the mid to higher end luxury market where Acura sells the RL model; a model that has become outdated and no longer relevant. The RL’s biggest competition was actually its stable

mate: the smaller and more affordable TL. As long as you were willing to sacriﬁce a little rear seat legroom, you could get a TL equipped with many of the same luxuries as the RL, such as Acura’s SH-AWD and an even more powerful V6 engine. Acura seeks to change that for 2014. Renamed the RLX, the ﬂagship model has a new look, a new name, a lot more interior room and some impressive new technology. This new mid-size luxury sedan is certainly worth a closer look.

DESIGN The 2014 RLX is the most luxurious performance oriented sedan Acura has ever offered. It appears a lot more modern than the old RL. Also, it looks larger as well, which is deceiving as it is actually not any longer. Overall, it is an attractive — if somewhat bland — looking car that looks updated but not necessarily leading edge. The new jewel-eye headlights are beautiful, but they alone are unlikely to draw too many

customers into dealerships. The cabin is a major improvement over the RL. The fit and finish is excellent with expansive use of leather and soft-touch materials. It’s very modern, very luxurious and you feel very pampered inside a RLX. Under the hood, the RL’s 3.7-litre V6 has been replaced by a smaller 3.5-litre six cylinder. However, horsepower has gone up to 310-hp from 300, thanks to direct injection and numerous other changes. The RLX is also the first Acura to use Variable Cylinder Management, meaning it can run on just three cylinders to conserve fuel. As a result, fuel economy is good with a combined rating of 8.6L/100km. On the safety front, the RLX is built using the brand’s ACE body structure and comes standard with a forward collision warning system, a lane departure system and seven airbags. Blind spot information, collision mitigation braking, and lane keep assist systems are available on the higher trim levels.

PERFORMANCE

Behind the wheel, the ride is smooth and quiet — perhaps not all that different from cars costing twice its price tag. However, something to keep in mind is that all

of the cars in this segment have become softer over the years, and the Acura is no exception. The RLX is not a high-performance sedan by any means and feels different from, say an Audi A6 or

BMW 5-series. The electric power-assisted steering is very light and you could easily control the car with one ﬁnger if you wanted. See RLX on page 42

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The Hyundai names, logos, product names, feature names, images and slogans are trademarks owned by Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. Offers end December 31, 2013. Coupon(s) must be presented at time of appointment.*Limit one per coupon. Offer only available with purchase of $114.95 Fall Maintenance Special. $10 additional for V6 and V8 engines. Environmental handling charges may apply. Synthetic oil extra. Hyundai vehicles only. ‡Electronics and alloy wheels not included. **Rotor replacement and machining extra.

Employee Pricing

photos submitted

The 2014 RLX is the most luxurious performance oriented sedan Acura has ever offered.

1502 West 3rd Ave., Vancouver, BC l 1-888-415-2205 l www.carterhonda.com All offers and promotions are available only at Carter Honda from November 22nd, 2013 to December 14th, 2013 while stocks last or otherwise stated. Information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to change without prior notice. Some images presented herein are for illustration purposes only; the actual appearance of the items may differ from these images. In the event of any dispute,, the decision of Harter Honda is ﬁnal. Other terms and conditions apply, see dealer for details.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

dashboard

RLX excels over the RL Continued from page 41 Even in sport mode, steering response doesn’t feel dramatically different. I wish Acura built-in a bit more sporting feel in the sport mode, especially if it wants to capture audiences from the likes of Audi and BMW owners. In terms of corning though, the car remains very ﬂat and composed even when driving aggressively through mountainous corners. This is thanks to Acura’s revolutionary P-AWS system. No, this doesn’t mean it’s pet-friendly — it stands for Precision All Wheel Steering. This system helps eliminate one of the major drawbacks of front-wheel drive cars, understeer, by turning the rear wheels independently. This is an amazing system and it makes driving an RLX especially unique. The new engine is very smooth and u feels like a larger V8. In manual transmission mode, the paddle shifters change gears remarkably quick and can provide that extra sense of sportiness that is in contrast to its light steering feel.

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Acura designers created a welcoming environment by focusing on little things that add up to larger themes. Minor surprises like the door handles lighting up at night as you approach the vehicle make you smile and feel comfortable. One of the most important features of a luxury car is the infotainment system, and the RLX has a brilliant one. Gone is the old, cluttered dash with far too many buttons. In its place is a very clean-looking centre consol. On top is an eight-inch colour display screen which displays the multi-angle rearview camera and optional navigation system. Below is a seven-inch display unit for the radio and climate controls. This unit fea-

tures haptic feel, which provides comforting feedback when you touch the screen. While the RLX is a mid-size car, Acura designed the cabin to feel more like a fullsize sedan. It is a comfortable ﬁve-passenger car and leads the class in rear legroom and shoulder space. Cargo space is also very generous and will easily carry your entire travel luggages. For audiophiles, the optional Krell audio system is quite possibly one of the best stereo systems available in the automotive industry.

FEATURES The RLX is available in three trim levels. The base has a starting price of $49,990, the RLX Tech starts at $55,990, and the RLX Elite has a sticker price of $62,190. Standard equipment includes power tilt and telescopic steering wheel, keyless entry with push-button start, automatic climate control, heated front seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror, heads-up warning, power moonroof, HomeLink, and Bluetooth. Additional features, available as options or on higher trims, include navigation system with voice recognition, heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats. Fuel efﬁciency numbers for the RLX are 10.5 city and 6.4 highway (L/100km).

THE BOTTOM LINE The RLX is substantially improved over the RL. It boasts an amazing amount of technology and comfort features for a reasonable price. The big challenge for the RLX is convincing buyers of BMW and Audi to give the Acura a test drive as it doesn’t look overly luxurious from the outside and its overall feel is on the softer side. david.chao@leansensei.com

ON YOUR SERVICE HERE’SHOWITWORKS:

You spend: $50.00-$99.00, You save $5.00 You spend: $100.00-$199.99, You save $10.00 You spend: $200.00-$299.99, You save $20.00 You spend: $300.00-$399.99, You save $30.00 You spend: $400.00-$499.99, You save $40.00

You spend: $500.00-$599.99, You save $50.00 You spend: $600.00-$699.99, You save $60.00 You spend: $700.00-$799.99, You save $70.00 You spend: $800.00-$899.99, You save $80.00 You spend: $900.00 or more, You save $100.00

WITH GENUINE HONDA OIL CHANGE $

WINTERMULTI-POINTINSPECTION • Oil & ﬁlter change. Check for ﬂuid leaks • Battery load/charging test • Inspect coolant level and freezing point • Check cooling system, inspect hoses and clamps • Inspect all brakes for wear % and condition • Inspect brake calipers, wheel cylinders and parking brake • Inspect tire wear and pressure and tire rotation • Inspect drive belt condition (if applicable)

88*

• Top-up washer fluid • Inspect transmission fluid level, power steering fluid level (if applicable), brake fluid level, clutch fluid level (if applicable) • Inspect windshield wipers, washer jets and blades • Inspect all lights and bulbs • Inspect and lubricate door locks, latches and handles • Wash and vacuum, plus shuttle service

Reg $169.95

Ultra fuel-efﬁcient vehicles that require 0W20 oils are additional cost.

FREE SERVICE SHUTTLE (DOWNTOWN CORE) COURTESY CAR WASH FOR ALL SERVICE CUSTOMERS * All offers are effective until December 31, 2013. Taxes not included. Environmental levies extra. ˚Not to be combined with other offers. Please consult Kingsway Honda for more details. Please present coupon during write-up. Valid at Kingsway Honda only. Limit one per person. Coupon does not apply to prior purchases.

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An eight-inch colour display screen displays the multi-angle rearview camera and optional navigation system. Below that is a seven-inch display unit for the radio and climate controls.

SCAN WITH LAYAR TO SAVE ON YOUR EVERYDAY PURCHASES

A48

THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 3

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY 100% BC Owned and Operated Prices Effective November 28 to December 4, 2013.

We reserve the right to limit quantities. We reserve the right to correct printing errors.

Grocery Department Natur-A Soy, Rice and Almond Non Dairy Beverages

Meat Department Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Potato Chips

48% 2/2.98

The Granola King Granola

gourmet or hazelnut hemp

SAVE

35% 7.99

SAVE

33%

assorted varieties

2/3.98

SAVE

assorted varieties

SAVE from

25%

SAVE

43%

WOW!

PRICING

Cocoa Camino Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Bars

reg from 3.99

100g product of Canada

Pearl’s Frozen Perogies

SAVE

2/6.98

40%

500-750g product of Canada

2.99

All Muffins

600g product of Canada

4/5.00

43%

45-51g

product of USA

WOW!

2/4.00

assorted varieties

5.99

3/9.99

4L • product of Canada

Sunflower Kitchen Fresh Hummus, Dips or Pesto assorted varieties

from 2/4.98

170-226g • product of USA

Stahlbush Island Farms Frozen Vegetables

product of Canada

3/3.99

Alba Hair Care Products

1.00 off

Flax or Hearty Scandinavian Bread

1.00

off regular retail price 530g

Rice Bakery

Wholesome Flaxseed Bread

6.99

Desert Essence Facial Wash and Body Lotion

from 6.99

237–240ml

Harness the nourishing power of natural desert botanicals. Beauty blooms in the desert.

retail price 454-525g

946ml

Genesis is 100% pure, wild harvest, organic and kosher. The 4,000 year-old recipe also ensures it’s free of gluten, soy, corn and ginger.

WOW!

Happy 23rd Anniversary West 16th !

PRICING

(2627 W. 16th Ave, Vancouver)

Saturday, November 30th from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Look for our

Stop by and enjoy a piece of Anniversary cake and a cup of coffee while shopping for our many in-store specials. See you there! 2010 - 2013 Awards. Your loyalty has helped Choices achieve these awards. Thank you!

348-350ml

Alba products contain natural, organic and cruelty-free ingredient alternatives which are 100% vegetarian.

34.99

1.00 off regular

300-400g • product of USA

assorted varieties

Genesis Today Organic Mangosteen 100 Juice

regular or sandwich size

assorted varieties

227g

20% off regular retail price

price package of 6

398ml • product of USA

Popcorn Indiana Popcorn, Chipins or Indulgent Snacks

Island Farms Ice Cream

bags or bins

regular or mini

assorted varieties

SAVE

Holiday Baking Products

PRICING regular retail

Wolfgang Puck Organic Soup assorted varieties

Bulk Department Health Care Department

Bakery Department

assorted varieties

1 dry pint product of Mexico

PRICING

reg 14.99

2.99/100g

1.98

WOW!

each

regular, light or smoked

2/5.98

35%

10.99

2/3.00

product of USA

Red Grape Tomatoes

Jarlsberg Cheese

assorted varieties

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PRICING

Choices' Own Tourtiere’s Family Size

120g • product of USA

35%

California Grown

WOW!

Deli Department

2/4.98

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from

Larabar Energy Bars

4L product of Canada

assorted varieties

product of Canada

Liberté Organic Yogurt

7.99

Blue Diamond Nut Thins

1L • +deposit +eco fee

29%

3/3.00

product of Mexico

Organic Black Kale from San Miguel

5.99lb/ 13.21kg

skim, 1, 2 or 3.25%

1L jug product of Canada

Sun Rype 100% Juice

PRICING

value pack

Dairyland Organic Milk

750g

15.99

Mexican Grown

WOW!

Organic Lean Ground Beef

product of Canada

Uncle Luke’s Maple Syrup Medium

397g • product of USA

35%

946ml • product of Canada

4.99lb/ 11.00kg

2/6.98

SAVE

Fair Trade Organic Ruby Grapefruit from Pragor Co-op

value pack

assorted varieties

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Produce Department

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

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