Vancouver Courier January 31 2014 by Vancouver Courier

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2014

Vol. 105 No. 10 • Established 1908

Noize in the hood

WEEKEND EDITION

THE VOICE OF VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS

NEWS: Chinatown connection 8/ OPINION: TransLink going nowhere 10

photo Dan Toulgoet

TAKE A BAO: In the latest instalment of our Vancouver Special neighbourhood series, we look at Chinatown and how Tannis Ling‘s Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie has helped re-

energize one of Vancouver’s most historic neighbourhoods. See our feature story on page 17.

SunYat-Sen Chinese garden finding place in history SANDRA THOMAS Staff writer

he Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and adjoining park are one step closer to being listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places thanks to a statement of signiﬁ-

cance from the park board. Jeannette Hlavach, a board member of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society, said the city must ﬁrst add the attraction to the Vancouver Heritage Register. Support from the park board means a lot towards achieving that goal. “Chinatown was added to the Canadian Reg-

ister of Historic Places in 2011,” said Hlavach, a former heritage planner for the City of Vancouver. “That was very important.” Hlavach was involved with that effort, as well as the Millennium Gate and Keefer Memorial Square projects. The garden was created in time for Expo ‘86 to celebrate Vancouver being the twin

city to Suzhou, China, and for 15 years Sun Yat-Sen was the only one like it in the world outside of China. The garden is named after Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, a nationalist leader considered by many to be the “father of modern China.” See NATIONAL on page 7

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Roy Mah (left) and Daniel Lee at the Chinatown Memorial unveiling ceremony in 2003.

Gone but not forgotten LEE AND MAH HELPED BUILD MEMORIAL 12TH & CAMBIE with Mike Howell

et me again introduce you to Roy Mah and Daniel Lee. I’ve written about these two gentlemen over the years and think of them each time I pass by the Chinatown Memorial Square on Keefer Street. I was thinking about Mah and Lee this week as we at the Courier prepared to put our Chinatown edition together as part of our ongoing series featuring the city’s neighbourhoods. These two men, who served overseas at a time when neither of them were allowed to vote because of their race, were important to Chinatown, the Chinese community and the battle against racism. After living long remarkable lives, both men died within three years of each other. Mah, who was 89, died in June 2007 and Lee, who was either 89 or 90, followed him in January 2010. I was saddened to hear the news of their deaths since I considered the time I spent with them a privilege and an education, learning more about Chinese-Canadian history than I would in a textbook. So, as you read the stories of Chinatown in this edition, I thought it important to remind readers about a day in November 2003 when both men were alive and literally had their day in the sun. Dressed in their traditional navy blue blazers, grey slacks and dark berets, they sat in plastic red chairs at Chinatown Memorial Square on what was one of those crisp, blue sky days in Vancouver. Mah and Lee gathered with about 30 other aging, frail men for the unveiling of a monument to honour Chinese war veterans

and long-forgotten Chinese railway workers of the late 19th century. The monument, as many have seen, has a 20-foot concrete column at its centre, flanked by a six-foot bronze casting of a soldier armed with a rifle and a railway worker resting a shovel on his shoulder. A gold maple leaf relief is at its base. Both men told me they thought the monument was a fitting tribute. Mah was born in Edmonton and grew up in Victoria and Vancouver. He was forced to attend a segregated school, sit in Chineseonly sections in movie theatres and barred from city-owned swimming pools. In one of his many interviews with the Courier, Mah said Chinese people were “a social pariah” outside Chinatown. He and his Chinese friends were the object of ridicule all the time, he said. Lee, who was born in an apartment at Main and Pender, had similar stories. He spent a great deal of his later years writing letters to the federal government, requesting an apology for imposing a head tax on his father and grandfather when they arrived from China. “I’m not asking for money, or any compensation, just an apology,” he told me in 2005. “How hard can it be?” Both men believe their decision to enlist pressured the government to eventually allow Chinese-Canadians the right to vote. The monument, Mah said, was a reminder of his and other Chinese-Canadians’ tireless efforts to see wrongs made right. “This is the dream we were fighting for,” Mah said from a microphone that day. “The statue, symbolizing this dream, will stand as a constant reminder of the tremendous struggles and sacrifices the railroad workers and the Chinese-Canadian veterans had made to ensure that this country, this province and this city is a better place in which to live.” mhowell@vancourier.com twitter.com/Howellings

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Gem Birdie feeding the birds at the vacant lot at Gore and Pender streets in Chinatown.

N OT I C E O F P U B L I C H E A R I N G

UBC Land Use Plan Amendment: Regional Context Statement

The University of British Columbia’s Public Hearing Committee will hold a Public Hearing respecting a proposed amendment to the Land Use Plan for UBC’s Vancouver Campus. The Public Hearing is being held in accordance with Part 10-2010 of the Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act.

Please note, no refreshments or food will be provided at the hearing. For further information, contact: Campus and Community Planning 2210 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 604-822-5350 melissa.pulido-gagnon@ubc.ca www.planning.ubc.ca

This notice contains important information which may affect you. Please ask someone to translate it for you.

West 16th Ave

Unive rsity Blvd

Thunderbird Blvd

e Driv rine Ma SW

Lower Mall

UBC Vancouver Campus Lands

MAP B: PUBLIC HEARING LOCATION

Lower Mall

Public Hearing Location

Marine Drive Ballroom

Agronomy Road

Also starting January 30, the Procedural Rules for the Public Hearing will be available for inspection at the offices of Campus and Community Planning or by contacting the office as noted below.

Main Mall

Wesbrook Mall

n ari

e riv N

Should you have any concerns or comments you wish to communicate to the Committee in advance of the Public Hearing, you can write to: Committee Clerk for the Public Hearing, c/o Campus and Community Planning, 2210 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 or public.hearing.clerk@ubc.ca. To be considered, advanced submissions must be received by noon on Wednesday, February 12, 2014.

The proposed amendment and relevant background material may be inspected at the offices of Campus and Community Planning, 2210 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, except statutory holidays, from January 30 – February 12, 2014.

MAP A: LANDS SUBJECT TO LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENT

nder Lan erla Ob

A speakers list will be available for the public to sign at the entrance of the Public Hearing venue approximately 30 minutes prior to the start of the Public Hearing. Speakers will be asked to come forward in the order of the speakers list and will be allowed up to ﬁve minutes to address the Public Hearing Committee regarding the proposed amendment.

Written submissions received prior to or submitted during the Public Hearing will be included as part of the official public record by the Committee Clerk. Submissions received after the conclusion of the Public Hearing will not be considered by the Public Hearing Committee or the UBC Board of Govenors.

Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 Time: 6:00pm Place: Marine Drive Residence Ballroom, 2205 Lower Mall, Vancouver, BC

University Boulevard

All persons who believe they may be affected by the above proposal will be afforded an opportunity to be heard in person and/or by written submission.

After this deadline, any written submissions must be made, in person only, directly to the Committee Clerk until the end of the Public Hearing.

Chancellor Blvd

The proposed amendment affects the UBC Vancouver campus lands, shown in MAP A. The proposed Land Use Plan amendment is as follows: • Delete Chapter 2 in the current Land Use Plan, titled ‘Regional Context Statement’, in its entirety • Replace Chapter 2 with a new ‘Regional Context Statement’ that includes an Appendix to the Land Use Plan titled: ‘Appendix 1 to Regional Context Statement: UBC Land Use Plan relationship to the Regional Growth Strategy, October 28, 2013’

news

F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

New methadone treatment worries users INCREASED POTENCY RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT OVERDOSES MIKE HOWELL Staff Writer

hen Laura Shaver goes to her local pharmacy Saturday to get her daily cup of methadone, she’ll notice two things: the cup won’t be as full and the liquid will be a different colour. That’s because a new cherry-ﬂavoured methadone formula called Methadose, which is 10 times the strength of the current mix of liquid and powder, will be available at pharmacies Feb. 1. The B.C. government says Methadose, which will come strictly in liquid form, will provide a safer, more consistent treatment for patients seeking withdrawal from drugs such as heroin. “While the current methadone formula needs to be compounded, this new formula does not — which means it will help reduce the risk of errors associated with manual compounding such as the risk of overdose,” said a release from the B.C. Ministry of Health. Shaver, 36, has been on methadone for 12 years and said she stopped injecting heroin four years ago. Her normal dose of methadone

photo Dan Toulgoet

Laura Shaver has concerns about a new cherry-ﬂavoured methadone formula. is 150 milligrams per day and the new formula will mean she will ingest only 15 milligrams. Still, Shaver said she’s nervous about taking Methadose because of its potency and the effect an extra milligram or two could have on a person. “One or two extra milligrams is no longer one or two, it’s 10 or 20,” said Shaver, president of the B.C. Association Of People on Methadone and the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. It’s common knowledge among drug us-

ers, she added, that some pharmacies “water down” methadone, which means a person is not actually getting a full dose. “It’s not even watering it down but not being very careful with the proper measurements,” Shaver said. “And we’re worried that the people who have been getting their methadone watered down, that they will now be getting their real dose and could get high.” Another concern for Shaver is that — as is the case with methadone — there will undoubtedly be people illegally selling Metha-

dose on the street. Users unaware of the drug’s potency could lead to overdose, she said. The government says doctors and pharmacists have been provided with additional education and training in preparation for the transition and will advise patients. Mykle Ludvigsen, spokesperson for the College of Pharmacists of B.C., said complaints about pharmacists mentioned by Shaver should be directed to the college for investigation. “If we find that pharmacists are doing things that are untoward, we want to know about them,” said Ludvigsen, noting more than 4,000 pharmacists have been trained in administering Methadose. The training has been coupled with a B.C.-wide public awareness campaign involving health agencies and City of Vancouver building inspectors leaving leaflets under doors and in lobbies of single-roomoccupancy hotels. “We’ve really tried to get the word out to everyone we can but it is a hard-to-reach audience,” Ludvigsen said. To be sure all methadone users understand the change, Shaver and friends spent part of Wednesday putting up “think before you drink” posters on the streets and in pharmacies and clinics. More than 13,000 people were on methadone in B.C. when the Office of the Provincial Health Officer released a report in February 2013 on the province’s methadone program. mhowell@vancourier.com twitter.com/Howellings

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ision Vancouver park board commissioner Constance Barnes was at city hall Wednesday afternoon for the launch of Black History Month, celebrated each February in cities across North America. Vision Mayor Gregor Robertson presented a proclamation to Wayde Compton, recognizing his work to preserve the memory of Ho-

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gan’s Alley. The neighbourhood is a culturally signiﬁcant part of the early history of the city’s black community. Following the proclamation, Canada Post unveiled two new postage stamps celebrating Black History Month 2014, including one dedicated to Hogan’s Alley. Short ﬁlms from Black Strathcona, an interactive new media project produced by Creative Cultural Collaborations Society, were also part of the program as were musical performances by Thelma Gibson and Obediya Wonderful Jones-Darrell.

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has raised awareness of the issue.” Stevenson has reason to feel apprehensive. There have been two major suicide bombings in the last month near Sochi, which have raised concerns about security during the Olympic Games. Stevenson wants to meet with members of the Russian Orthodox Church, which played a large part in the creation of Putin’s antigay law. He’s sent letters to members of the American representatives for the Games, including gay former tennis star Billie Jean King, in hopes of meeting. Stevenson and Douglas will write blog posts during their stay at hostcitypridehouse.wordpress.com. On a personal note, Courier sports editor Megan Stewart is in Sochi on leave reporting for the Olympic News Service and my niece leaves for the Games today (Friday) to help coordinator international media, so I’ll deﬁnitely be keeping a keen eye on events taking place in Russia. sthomas@vancourier.com twitter.com/sthomas10

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I had a chat with Vision Vancouver Coun. Tim Stevenson Monday, the day before he left for Sochi, where he’ll represent the city prior to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Stevenson said he and former Vancouver Winter Games ofﬁcial Maureen Douglas would land in Sochi at about 5 a.m. Feb. 1. During their stay they hope to meet with the International Olympic and Paralympic committees in an effort to ensure a communityled Pride House will be a mandate of every games moving forward. A Pride House is a temporary, safe space for local and international members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities to gather. The trip was initiated after Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a bill classifying “homosexual propaganda” as pornography in June 2013. The new bill criminalizes public discussion of homosexuality, especially with foreigners. Since then, members of the Russian LGBT community have attempted frequent peaceful protests, many which have ended in bloody clashes with police. Stevenson, the ﬁrst openly gay person to be ordained in North America, described his mood as mixed on the day of the Courier’s interview. “I’m excited, curious, hopeful and a little apprehensive,” said Stevenson. “I’m also worried I won’t be able to do any of the things I hope to. But regardless, I already consider the trip a huge success because it

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F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Continued from page 1 According to the garden’s history, he stayed in Vancouver for three extended visits while travelling the world raising money and support for the Chinese nationalist movement. The large number of Chinese nationalists who lived in Vancouver helped finance the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Sun Yat-Sen became the first president of the Republic of China. Funding for the garden came from the provincial, Canadian and Chinese governments, as well as Vancouver’s Chinese community. Later, when more money was needed, organizers turned to the city’s affluent West Siders and businesses. Architects Joe Wai and Donald Vaughan designed the outer park, while architect Wang Zu-Xin conceived the inner garden with help from the Landscape Architecture Company of Suzhou. In total, 52 master craftsmen travelled to Vancouver from China to create the attraction modelled after a scholar’s garden from the Ming Dynasty, which dates back to the 15th century. The men brought with them 950 crates of materials and constructed the garden using traditional methods, which excluded the use of glue, screws or power tools. In 2011, National Geographic listed the attrac-

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Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden was created in time for Expo ‘86 to celebrate Vancouver being the twin city to Suzhou, China. tion as one of the top 10 city gardens in the world, and in 2012 it was named Canadian Garden of the Year by the Canadian Garden Tourism Council. Hlavach said the fact the garden is somewhat hidden makes those awards more special. She added Ming Dynasty-style gardens are extremely complex and typically aren’t as manicured or picturesque as gardens found in Japan, France or England. “They can look a little higgledy-piggledy, but then you realize there’s a symmetry to them,” said Hlavach. “There are small details worked in and the idea of yin and yang plays heavily so every time you see something round, somewhere nearby will be something angular.” Hlavach said that same principle applies when smooth items are combined

with rough and dark with light. “It’s the universe in harmony,” said Hlavach. Hlavach explained because the garden will be “listed” a heritage site rather than “designated,” means it will be business as usual when it comes to the day-to-day operations of the attraction. Once the city lists the garden on the Heritage Register, the next step is for the provincial government to recommend it for the Canadian Register of Historic Places. “There’s a long road ahead of us, but being added to that list will raise our proﬁle,” said Hlavach. “We want the garden to become an attraction for tourists and some people do plan their itineraries around national historic sites.” sthomas@vancourier.com twitter.com/sthomas10

Olympian Silken Laumann talks to Hal Wake about her revealing new memoir, Unsinkable. Wednesday, February 5th | 7:30pm FREE! Alice MacKay Room | VPL Central Library writersfest.bc.ca

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news

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Const. Wes Fung is in the 29th year as a police ofﬁcer, with his last four years as the neighbourhood cop in Chinatown and Gastown.

Chinatown cop comes home BRUCE LEE FAN HONOURS FAMILY HISTORY MIKE HOWELL Staff writer

f what a police ofﬁcer keeps in his ofﬁce gives any sense of who he is, then what to make of a poster of martial arts’ master Bruce Lee on a wall and the costume head of a lion on a desk? Const. Wes Fung can explain.

First, what he does. “I’m like an outreach officer for the VPD,” he said from his office at the Chinatown Community Policing Centre on Keefer Street. For more than four years, Fung has worked as the neighbourhood cop for Chinatown, Gastown and is a liaison officer to six single-room occupancy hotels. Unlike his colleagues on patrol, who

are “run off their feet going from call to call,” Fung said his job allows him to spend more time getting to know people and discuss what’s on their minds. “I have the luxury to sit down with merchants or community groups and listen to their concerns and issues and try to help them,” he said, noting property crime committed by people with continued on next page

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F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

CHINATOWN continued from previous page a drug habit is the biggest concern for merchants and residents. At 52, Fung is in his 29th year on the job and may retire next year. So this Sunday’s Chinese New Year’s parade in Chinatown could be his last as a cop … and, possibly, as a lion dancer? Fung sat down with the Courier this week to talk about the VPD’s lion dance team (who knew?),hisadmirationfor BruceLee(“myidol”) and his historical connection to Chinatown. Why did you choose to work in Chinatown? “I jumped at the opportunity because it was like coming back full circle. My great grandfather came to Chinatown in 1913, my grandfather in 1919 and then my dad in 1950 when he was 14 years old. And my wife’s family, we trace back to the turn of the last century. There’s a lot of history down here for me. So I thought it would be a great way to finish my career here in Chinatown.” That history of Chinese immigration and struggle is captured right outside your office door at the Chinatown Memorial Square, where a monument was erected in November 2003 to remember the sacrifices of Chinese-Canadian soldiers and railway workers. What does it mean to you? “When I look at the monument and I think of the history, if it wasn’t for the hardships and the sacrifices of those people and the people before them, I wouldn’t be a police officer right now. Everything I have, I owe to them and our history.”

I understand that history inspired you and another officer (Const. Randy Inouye) to form a Vancouver Police Department lion dance team. “Our motto is honour our past, inspire the future.” This will be the team’s ninth year at the Chinese New Year’s parade. From what I’ve seen of lion dances, the performances can be demanding. “We’ll be taking turns. It’s tiring. I’m hoping for six of us, so three pairs of two. We’ll take turns rotating in and out of the lion because it gets quite hot and exhausting.” Do you speak Cantonese or Mandarin? “Very poorly. I speak the old village dialect. The guys who built the railroads spoke my dialect. It’s called yin ping. But you don’t need to be Chinese to be effective down here. I think for any police officer, the biggest asset is to be able to communicate, no matter what the language.” I count one poster and two drawings of Bruce Lee in your office. Tell me about your connection to the martial arts superstar. “I remember when I was 10, my parents told me and my brother to go get cleaned up because we were going to a movie. We showed up at the local Capitol Theatre and almost every Chinese family in Port Alberni was there. It was lined up around the block. The movie was the Chinese Connection, starring Bruce Lee. I saw him up there on the screen, this ripped Asian guy and he was kicking ass. For me, that made a real impact because up until then, we always got our butts kicked in the movies and we were cast as negative stereotypes.”

photo Dan Toulgoet

A Chinese market along Main street in Chinatown basks in the late afternoon sun. In the time you’ve been on the job in Chinatown, the community has added new businesses and the area seems to be thriving more than it was a decade ago. “I think it’s changed for the better. There’s a new energy coming back into the area. For years, Chinatown was in stagnation. You didn’t have the fresh blood like you did years ago where people came from villages to replenish.

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Those generations have died out and retired. But new people are moving in, young families — it’s good to see. There’s a lot of competition with other Asian communities expanding, but what Chinatown has that places like, say, Richmond and other cities don’t have is a soul and a history and character.” mhowell@vancourier.com twitter.com/Howellings

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4

THE VANCOUVER COURIER

1574 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver, BC V6J 1R2 604-738-1411 Twitter: @vancouriernews vancourier.com

TransLink solution remains stalled out

on’t hold out much hope that the olive branch being offered by Transportation Minister Todd Stone to Metro’s mayors will bear much fruit. But first: Premier Christy Clark appears to be backing off her plans to hold a referendum on TransLink funding originally promised to coincide with next November’s municipal elections. “I know the mayors have been saying they need more time,” she said. Actually that puts the resistance she has been facing rather mildly. Meanwhile Vancouver has been digging in its heels on the referendum and pointing to the example of Denver, a city which ended up taking two runs to get its transit referendum passed. Because of an unfocused, poorly organized and poorly funded first run (does that sound familiar?) there was a seven-year break to allow them to gather their forces and succeed. The final ballot question (published this week by The Globe and Mail) weighed in at 300 words, which may be the longest single sentence ever reproduced by our national daily paper. So, we can now turn our attention back to just how TransLink is governed. That’s what the olive branch is all about. I realize that for most transit users, if their bus arrives on time and they can squeeze their way in, there’s not much else to be concerned about. But the question of governance has been more than a minor annoyance for the mayors for the past six years, ever since then-Liberal transportation minister Kevin Falcon stripped them of their powers over transit and turned it over to an appointed “professional” board most closely controlled in terms of composition by Victoria. At the time the TransLink board, made up of a number of the region’s mayors and councillors, was in a difficult debate over a demand by Victoria. The province said that the Canada Line, tied to the 2010 Winter Olympics, should be placed at the head of the region’s priority list and push back to second spot the long promised Evergreen Line for the area’s northeast. It took three votes to agree on the Canada Line as a part of a complex plan for infrastructure development and funding. Meanwhile Falcon continued throughout to loudly stamp his foot in frustration denouncing what could be considered the board’s careful consideration over a divisive matter as a “disaster circus” and “dysfunctional” and bound up in their own petty parochial interests. Falcon won the public relations war on that one. He convinced many who were willing to pay attention and those who have subsequently turned their minds to the matter that the TransLink board could not agree on anything. Nor could they come up with any funding proposals. None of this was accurate but when Falcon brought in sweeping legislation to effectively neuter the local mayors many observers said it was about time. When the dust settled though, he had removed the authority to govern by local officials and left the region with the financial accountability for the transportation system. Any budget overruns would have to come from Metro’s property taxpayers. And, to no one’s surprise, the mayors have been resentful of that move ever since. Before the last provincial election, the TransLink Mayor’s Council commissioned an outside consultant’s report on TransLink’s governance structure that compared it with similar structures in “leader regions” around the world. The $74,000 report was released in March. The report concluded the governance structure is “unique in the world and not in a good way, in that the governance arrangements in other ‘leader’ regions, while showing a considerable diversity, have common features to ensure accountability, effectiveness and efficiency in decisionmaking and service delivery that are not found in Metro Vancouver.” Instead of a discussion on TransLink’s governance, as a result of that report, what we got was an ill-thought out commitment from the premier for a referendum on funding which now appears to be going sideways. That brings us to today’s standoff on the funding referendum and the continued intransigence on the part of mayors who want their authority over the region’s transportation infrastructure returned. At this point they are in a most cynical mood believing what Stone will offer on governance will be minor tinkering rather than a significant fix. agarr@vancourier.com

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F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

WE WANT YOUR OPINION

Hate it or love it? We want to know... really, we do! Reach us by email: letters@vancourier.com

Working class gets no cultural respect

hatever happened to the “working class”? A recent search on Google News Canada netted 176,000 hits for the term, with the first few pages listing sources like The Guardian, BBC News, Jamaica Observer, Al Jazeera America, and the World Socialist Website. There were only a scattering of North American news outlets. In comparison, the term “middle class” nets 166,000 hits from sources closer to home, including The National Review Online, Salon, New York Magazine and the Prince George Free Press. Media-wise, the people who harvest our food, clean up after us, and take care of our ailing kids and grandparents occupy a Twilight Zone of pity and parody, when they get any attention at all. This is particularly true for television: Larry the Cable Guy, Honey Booboo, and a range of nasty reality shows in Britain like Benefit Scroungers offer viewers funhouse mirror images of working class lives. (And how many times have we seen store clerks, shelf stockers, and employees in store mascot suits represented as bumbling fools in TV commercials?) According to the Media Education Foundation, television frequently portrays working class people “as either clowns or social deviants — stereotypical portrayals that reinforce the myth of meritocracy.” Years ago, it wasn’t unusual for broadsheets and broadcasters to have labour reporters on their beats. No longer. As unions have shrunk in number and influence, those who rely the most on protection from corporate exploitation have seen their pop culture profile descend from Roseanne to Shameless. It’s like the working poor live in a different country. Yet most of us find comfort in believing that that upward mobility offers everyone opportunities for advancement, through hard work, networking, or a winning lottery ticket. Yet this Horatio Alger plot line has lost its lustre for millions in the new millennium. Stats from the U.S. show social mobility is at its lowest ebb since the turn of the 20th century, in the first Gilded Age. Canada has also drifted in that direction (particularly B.C., the province with the highest child poverty rate), though not as far as our neighbour to the south. There are no shortages of editorials and commentaries insisting — correctly, I believe — that a strong economy and resilient democracy depend on a large middle class. Yet the fortunes and misfortunes of the working class rarely figure into the media mix. The tough times for U.S. homeowners after the credit crisis of ‘08 were widely observed, but only a few American journalists, notably Barbara Ehrenreich, have pointed out that what’s been difficult for those in the middle has been a catastrophe for those on the bottom. Only when the problematic outliers of the bottom tier start acting up — with mental health or drug abuse issues that spill into the streets — are we treated to the predictable puzzlement of well-compensated commentators. That holds true from Vancouver, B.C. to Venice Beach, California. Yet do class distinctions even hold like they used to? A plumber in Vancouver can pull in a six-figure income, while a graduate with a master’s degree can be burdened with student debt of half that size — along with limited prospects of work in his or her field. Canada’s workforce is now largely defined by three groups: overworked information workers; lowpaid service-sector workers labouring at multiple part-time jobs; and those displaced by outsourcing or automation, with little prospect of work appropriate to their background. With lifelong careers and company loyalty a distant memory, a surplus population of workers is confronted with new challenges and new opportunities. That includes discovering the virtues of unalienated labour. In his book, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Enquiry Into the Value of Work, Matthew Crawford describes leaving a white collar cubicle farm for a motorcycle repair shop. He finds mechanical puzzles engage his hands while exercising his brain. As an added bonus of developing “manual competence,” Crawford gets positive feedback from pleased customers, something he never experienced when he wrote summaries of academic papers for a Washington think tank. In today’s information age, the road to riches is paved with ones and zeroes. Yet there is dignity in getting one’s hands dirty in the non-virtual world, if only because the outcomes are often more difficult to fudge. Either the lights come on, the taps flow, the motor starts up... or not. geoffolson.com

GEOFF OLSON

PREMIER SHOULD SHOW SOME CLASS ON BCTF RULING

To the editor: Re: “Court sides with B.C. Teachers’ Federation on bargaining,” Jan. 27. No, Christy. No appeal. Just implement Justice Grifﬁn’s ruling. Your government illegally tore up teacher contracts. The judge told you to rewrite the legislation and ﬁx the problem. You refused, and just passed the very same law again. What were you thinking? It is time to restore the guarantees of smaller classes and proper support for students with special needs. This is what the public wants, and what

students deserve. Give schools back the money you removed. Don’t waste a single more taxpayer dollar on continued legal appeals. The ﬁght you started in 2002 is over. The court ruling blames your government for the harm done to the public school system for the last twelve years. Put aside your rigid ideology and really put kids and families ﬁrst.

Geoff Peters, Vancouver

CITY LIVING COMES WITH SACRIFICE To the editor: Re: “Honesty would be a welcome development,” Jan. 27.

People try to conceal their anti-development feelings for good reason — those feelings are hypocritical and selfish. This article is an ode to egotism. If you live in an underdeveloped but central neighborhood, where there is pressure to develop parcels of land that you do not own, you have no right to try to use the legislative power of the government to “preserve your neighborhood in amber.” It halts growth in the economy, drives up housing prices for everyone, generates suburban sprawl, all so you can see bunnies in the empty lot near your house? When you live in a city, you have to accept change. Ryan McLaughlin, Vancouver

ON YOUR MIND ONLINE COURIER STORY: “Court sides with B.C. Teachers’ Federation on bargaining,” Jan. 27. Yvar: Disappointed in the decision? There was a publicly released document directly from the government that indicated they were trying to push teachers to strike. There is countless data supplied by the government themselves that shows that B.C. students have some of the largest class sizes in the country with one of the highest amounts of special needs students. Beyond anyone’s distaste for the BCTF, the government broke the law. The government... you know, the people we elect to UPHOLD the law. They did it TWICE. So much for accountability. Judi Sommer: The Liberals deserve to be in the glue — and let’s not forget who was the bright button that is responsible for this-one Ms. Clark who was the Education Minister at the time! COURIER COLUMN: “Honesty would be a welcome development,” Jan. 27. Neil21: There’s such a thing as good growth Stagnation — while humans age, and therefore demographic mix changes — is not an option. Growth or decline are the only choices. COURIER COLUMN: “Hooped up on licorice,” Jan. 23. FFENN: Quinoa waffles AND hula hoops? It’s a hippie-fire dancer’s dream come true! That’s it, I’m moving to Vancouver! Tristin Hopper @TristinHopper: Vancouver’s most unsustainable hipster business plan: The hulahoop, liquorice and waffles store.

photo Dan Toulgoet

Opinions vary on the commercial viability of a new licorice, wafﬂes and hula hoop store.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters may be edited by the Courier for reasons of legality, taste, brevity and clarity. To be considered for publication, they must be less than 300 words, signed and include the writer’s full name (no

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initials), home address, and telephone number (neither of which will be published), so authorship may be veriﬁed. Send to: 1574 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver BC V6J 1R2 or email letters@vancourier.com

community A12

THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4

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

Lunar New Year celebrations include parade COMMUNITY CALENDAR

with Sandra Thomas

CHINATOWN While some Lunar New Year events have already taken place, the celebration ramps up considerably this weekend. The largest event by far is the Chinese New Year Parade celebrating the Year of the Horse, which starts at 11 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 2 at the Millennium Gate on Pender Street. The annual parade, organized by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver, draws thousands to watch colourful lion dancers, marching bands, martial arts acts and ornate ﬂoats. For a parade map and schedule, visit cbavancouver.ca. That same day, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is hosting the Year of the Horse Temple Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with admission by donation.

The event is fashioned after a spring festival fair organized annually for friends and families to gather and trade, greet, celebrate and pray for a prosperous new year. Also included are traditional Chinese games and activities, fortune telling, live music, food, drinks and a children’s corner where kids can run around and yell to scare evil spirits away. The Year of the Horse is also being celebrated at International Village Mall on Abbott Street, now through Feb. 2. The mall has created a festive Chinese New Year Heritage Village on the upper level offering displays of traditional livelihoods, arts and culture and “culinary delights.”

DOWNTOWN LunarFest at the Vancouver Art Gallery takes place Feb. 7 to 9 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. The free, family-friendly festival includes Asian arts and culture events featuring live theatre, drum performances, story-telling,

2014 Bus Service Optimization Open House

workshops, games and traditional food and drink.

COAL HARBOUR Flyover Canada is celebrating the Lunar New Year with a special virtual experience that includes a spectacular look at China’s landscapes and culture, complete with wind, scents and mist. FlyOver Canada is an all-ages, flight simulation ride where riders take off into a huge domed screen with the latest in projection and ride technology creating a true flying experience. The ride film Flight of the Dragon debuted at FlyOver Canada and is on now through March 2. The theatre is located at Canada Place. For ticket information visit flyovercanada.com.

YVR This event takes place today, so anyone reading the Courier online or is lucky enough to enjoy early morning delivery still has time to get out to the Vancouver Airport for Chinese New Year celebrations from 10

a.m. to 1 p.m. This free event features live musical entertainment, calligraphy demonstrations, fortune telling and a traditional lion dance. YVR restaurants will also trot in the Year of the Horse with $8.88 lunch specials — the number eight is considered lucky in Chinese culture. While there, visit the free public observation area where kids and adults can explore interactive displays and enjoy views of the busy airfield through floor-to-ceiling windows or one of several telescopes. To mark the holiday, YVR is offering a special parking rate of $5 for five hours between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Jan. 31. Pick up parking vouchers at the customer care desk in the International Terminal — Departures Level three. Or begin your Chinese New Year adventure aboard the Canada Line and you’ll be here in 26 minutes or less from the city. The celebration is concentrated around the Spirit of Haida Gwaii jade canoe sculpture and nearby food court. sthomas@vancourier.com twitter.com/sthomas10

We invite you to attend a 2014 Bus Service Optimization Open House to learn more about the proposed changes and how you may be affected, ask questions and review alternative travel options available to you.

OPEN HOUSE

Date: February 4, 2014 Time: 5:00pm – 8:00pm Location: Holiday Inn Express – Metrotown Salon A 4405 Central Boulevard Burnaby

PROPOSED ROUTE CHANGES 116 Service Redesign Reroute the 116 along North Fraser Way and Marine Way to better serve the Big Bend area. 49 Service Redesign Adjust the portion of the current route which travels along 54th Avenue. The new route will remain on 49th Avenue.

Service optimization is the process of reallocating “bus service hours” from areas of low productivity to where customer demand is higher. It’s a critical part of TransLink’s ongoing program of managing the transit network to become more efficient and effective.

translink.ca/serviceop

For further information on route changes visit translink.ca/serviceop and for event details please contact Vincent Gonsalves, TransLink Community Relations Coordinator, at Vincent.Gonsalves@translink.ca or 778.375.7661.

news

F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Vancouver

BUNKBEDS Specialists

Clearance on Now

Ha ve Fu n & S a ve Spa c e ! 604.677. 2337 Gregor Robertson engages in a little social media during a city-sponsored Twitter town hall in 2012.

photo Dan Toulgoet

Mayor’s“zombie”fanson ChineseTwittertroubledstaff BOB MACKIN Contributing Writer

ancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson’s staff pondered various ways to promote their boss’s account on China’s state-censored answer to Twitter, but were later forced to fend-off “zombies.” Consultant Joanna Wong of Beijing-based Flow Creative Studios recommended Robertson aide Lara Honrado seek endorsement for Robertson’s Sina Weibo account from Chinese pop star and recent Vancouverite Wanting Qu, who had 500,000 followers. In an Oct. 17, 2012 email obtained via Freedom of Information, Wong also wondered how they should “play the Bethune card” to emphasize Robertson’s distant relation to Chinese national hero Dr. Norman Bethune. Wong’s work plan included “identifying/contracting key influencers (users with 10,000-plus followers),” preparing two weeks of tweets and “stock answers to sensitive questions (ie. immigration, drugs in Vancouver).” Robertson attracted 70,000 fans within the first week of the Nov. 1, 2012 launch. It was an instant hit. Or so it seemed. Users noticed an influx of “zombie” fans, prompting Wong to contact Sina Weibo news director Liu Qingli for an explanation. “Gregor is a verified trending account that people add immediately when they sign on to a new account to Weibo,” Wong wrote Nov. 4, 2012 to Honrado. “The accounts are real accounts, the reason they seem so strange (typically, “Zombie” accounts are clearly identified as not having head shots or fans) is that the people have just joined the service, often on mobile phones, and haven’t yet started to use it. This is a common process that Weibo uses to help boost

attention for important verified accounts for public figures.” Wong said Weibo “did not mean to cause” Robertson’s office trouble. “They only planned to keep him on the promoted accounts section for another week. As Mr. Liu said, ‘50,000 fans is totally nothing in China and we want people to pay attention to the mayor.’” In 2013, Sina Weibo claimed it was used by 500 million people, but admitted less than 10 per cent are active daily. Promotion of Robertson was stopped, to “drastically slow down the addition of fans while things are sensitive and to look into other partnerships in the future during the mayor’s visit, such as an official town hall during a trade mission.” Robertson did so Nov. 5, 2013 during his trade mission to Beijing. As of Jan. 29, Robertson counted 80,334 fans, an increase of only 10,000 since the initial rush 14 months ago. Last summer, Channel 4 in the United Kingdom revealed the existence of Bangladesh-based “click farms” that sell Twitter followers, Facebook likes and YouTube views to help celebrities and brands inflate their social media statistics. Similar schemes exist for Chinese social media platforms. The documents released by city hall about Robertson’s Sina Weibo account do not show any proof that fans were bought. Wong’s Oct. 17, 2012 email did, however, recommend paying RMB300-RMB500 ($55 to $92) to get news releases about Robertson’s entry into Chinese social media published in China. Wong called it the “standard media charge per outlet.” Receiving payment for story placement is not standard practice in Canadian media. bob.mackin@me.com twitter.com/bobmackin

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Burrard Bridge Improvements

To ensure that the 81-year-old Burrad Bridge remains safe and in a state of good repair for many years to come, the City will replace 27 bearings and 19 expansion joints, and perform concrete repairs and deck inspections over the next five months. To enable this work, there will be some delays to traffic flow. The Bridge will undergo maintenance and structural repairs starting Monday, February 3, 2014. • Starting in February, the Burrard Bridge will be reduced from five vehicle lanes to four and operate with two lanes north and south bound. • From March through July, lanes will be reduced from four lanes to three, with one vehicle lane southbound and two vehicle lanes northbound. • Access for cyclists and pedestrians will be maintained. Work on the Burrard Bridge will be coordinated with construction at the north and south ends of the bridge to minimize traffic impacts and complete the roadwork as quickly as possible. Please consider using alternate routes such as the Granville Bridge. FOR MORE INFORMATION: vancouver.ca/roadwork phone: 3-1-1 TTY: 7-1-1

news International Village school passes another test A14

THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4

URBAN DESIGN PANEL PRAISES ‘HANDSOME SCHEME’

DEVELOPING STORY with Naoibh O’Connor

he city’s Urban Design Panel voted unanimously in support of the new International Vil-

lage elementary school at its Jan. 29th meeting. The panel advises city council and staff on development proposals or policies, including major development applications, rezoning applications, and other projects of public interest. Its decisions are not binding on the city. Panel members praised the design of the new school, which will be located at 55 Expo Blvd. across from Andy Livingstone Park.

“It’s a wonderful inﬁll project in an area that’s in need of the real signatures of a real community such as schools and retail,” remarked one of the UDP members. “It’s a really handsome scheme and I’m really supportive of it.” The school will be integrated into the Firenze development at Expo Boulevard and Abbott Street, which includes two residential towers, commercial space and a childcare centre.

It will accommodate 510 kindergarten to Grade 7 students and be built at grade above an existing parkade. Andy Livingstone Park will act as its outdoor play area. Total project costs are estimated at $16.7 million. Francl Architecture Inc. has led the design team. Planning for the school has proved complicated. The site was rezoned years ago to allow for the condo project and a small site for a

future school. At the time, no one anticipated so many families would move into the neighbourhood, so the size of the school is bigger than originally anticipated. To reduce its impact on residents living in the Firenze towers and allow for more design flexibility, the upper floors of the school overhang the park by five metres — but approval for that had to be obtained

Consumer Protection for Homebuyers Buying or building your own home? Find out about your rights, obligations and information that can help you make a more informed purchasing decision. Visit the B.C. government’s Homeowner Protection Office (HPO) website for free consumer information.

Services • New Homes Registry – find out if any home registered with the HPO: • can be legally offered for sale • has a policy of home warranty insurance • is built by a Licensed Residential Builder or an owner builder • Registry of Licensed Residential Builders

Resources • Residential Construction Performance Guide – know when to file a home warranty insurance claim • Buying a Home in British Columbia Guide • Guide to Home Warranty Insurance in British Columbia • Maintenance Matters bulletins and videos • Subscribe to consumer protection publications

www.hpo.bc.ca Toll-free: 1-800-407-7757 Email: hpo@hpo.bc.ca

New Homes Registry Keeps Homebuyers Informed This helpful, easy-to-use, online resource is available from the Homeowner Protection Office (HPO) website at www.hpo.bc.ca. Savvy homebuyers are using it to make more informed purchasing decisions. The New Homes Registry provides free access to find out if a home has a policy of home warranty insurance and is built by a Licensed Residential Builder, or whether it’s built without home warranty insurance. Homebuyers can obtain valuable information such as the name and contact number of the warranty provider, the builder’s warranty number and whether an ownerbuilt home can be legally offered for sale. Every new home built for sale by a Licensed Residential Builder in British Columbia is protected by mandatory third-party home warranty insurance. Better known as 2-5-10home warranty insurance, this coverage includes: two years on labour and materials, five years on the building envelope (including water penetration), and 10 years on the structure. It’s the strongest system of construction defect insurance in Canada. Visit the HPO website for free access to the New Homes Registry which is optimized for mobile devices.

through the court. The Vancouver School Board and the city filed a petition with B.C. Supreme Court seeking an order amending the restrictive covenant on Andy Livingston Park’s title to allow the second, third and fourth floors to be cantilevered by five metres into and over the park. The court approved the petition Nov. 1. UDP panel members acknowledged the project’s complications, as well as the VSB’s budget constraints. Panelmembersraisedsome concerns such as noise issues for tower residents, traffic concerns from Expo Boulevard, and the relationship of the school with the park, but overall comments were positive about the quality of interior spaces, the architecture and the massing. One member remarked on the design’s “elegance” and “sophisticated sense of play.” The long-awaited school will serve the downtown core and northeast False Creek. VSB chair Patti Bacchus said it’sbeenmuchtrickierworking on a very small odd-shaped site in a densely populated urban core than on a more traditional school site. But she’s pleased with the design. “It’s really going to be a different kind of school for Vancouver,” Bacchus said. “It’s a very urban, modern design, which is different from what you think of when you think of traditional Vancouver schools and how they’re laid out — usually on larger sites with more space and more of a horizontal design. This is more of a vertical design and it’s a very small site relative to what we’re used to seeing for schools.” The VSB hopes to open the new school in the fall of 2015, although Bacchus concedes that’s ambitious. “[Families] are really counting on this school being ready by 2015, so we are really pulling out all the stops to try and make that happen, but it’s a really tight schedule. If one little thing goes awry and sets it back, we could be delayed. We’re hoping to see it opened by 2015, but that’s a very ambitious timeline for that site,” she said. noconnor@vancourier.com twitter.com/naoibh

F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

CHINATOWN

Cheech Marin (left) and Tommy Chong as they were in 1972.

photo Wikimedia Commons

Topless joint sparked stoner comedy genre CHEECH AND CHONG LAUNCHED THEIR ACT AT THE SHANGHAI JUNK ANDREW FLEMING Staff writer

funny thing happened in Chinatown nearly half a century ago. One day a Mexican-American delivered a new rug to a seedy topless bar called the Shanghai Junk partly run by a half-Chinese, half-Scottish man from Calgary. The two men, Richard “Cheech” Marin and Thomas “Tommy” Chong, immediately hit it off, and Chong soon offered his new friend — who was in Canada to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War — a spot with his improv comedy troupe City Works. In the late ’60s, City Works performed inside the bar, located at the northeast corner of Main and Pender streets that is now home to a TD bank. The rest is history and the two eventually went on to become world famous as the trailblazing, alliterative act Cheech and Chong. The duo is credited with originally ﬁring up the stoner comedy genre that in recent years has produced such ﬁlms as the Harold and Kumar franchise and Vancouver native Seth Rogen’s Pineapple Express and Superbad. “He was fast and funny and tired of laying carpets, so I offered him $5 a week more than he was getting laying rugs,” Chong wrote in an article published in Cannabis Culture magazine in 2008. “It was a very creative dynamic with myself, David Graham, Gaye Delorme and now Cheech all trying out different material on the unwitting stripper bar patrons.” Chong had already seen a degree of suc-

cess through his former job as the guitarist for Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers, whose biggest hit “Does Your Mama Know About Me?” reached number 29 on the U.S. pop charts. The band toured with the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Temptations and James Brown, and Chong once had the opportunity to jam onstage in England with guitar legend Jimi Hendrix — himself an occasional Chinatown resident who travelled from Seattle as a teenager to visit his grandmother. Chong was booted out of the band after being late for an important meeting and he soon discovered comedy provided a better fit for his talents than music. The two eventually moved to Hollywood and made it big with a string of hit films and comedy records during the ’70s and early ’80s, but their formative years together in Vancouver had a lasting impact on their act. Cheech’s exaggerated Mexican accent, for example, was first played up for laughs due to there being very few Hispanics living in Vancouver in the late ’60s. Their longrunning foil Sgt. Stedenko (played by Stacy Keach in the cult classic film Up In Smoke) is based on a notorious RCMP drug squad policeman named Abe Snidanko, and Chong’s drawled “Hey maaan” catch phrase was inspired by a hippy named Strawberry who lived in the Shanghai Junk’s lighting booth. The pair recently reunited again after going their separate ways in 1985, but Chong has always maintained close ties to Vancouver and owns a home here. “Because I was so poor when I lived in Canada, every time I come up there I feel like I cheated everything,” Chong, 75, told the Tri-City News a few months ago before a show at the Red Robinson Theatre in Coquitlam. “That’s why I’m really friendly with fans. I still can’t believe a Calgary kid has made it this far.” — with files from John Kurucz

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garden

Vegetable seed listings promise glorious crop STARBUST RADISHES, GRAFFITI CAULIFLOWER, PURPLE-TINGED LEEKS AWAIT GARDENERS

ANNE MARRISON

egetable seed listings are now a glorious circus of heirlooms, new colours, worldwide sources and increased resistance to pests. Plant breeders are also tackling solutions to climate problems. In small garden spaces, ornamental vegetables are a wonderful bonus (at least until you harvest them). Peppermint Chard is ahead of this game since you can cut-and-come again till frost. Its stems are red at the base

merging up into white. For container gardeners, this type of food crop is very practical. Cos lettuces such as the red-tinged “Paris Island” can also keep on producing for many weeks if you harvest the oldest, outside leaves first. I have also seen red cabbage used this way in containers. Coloured carrots are always offered separately, but some catalogues list a “Rainbow blend” of carrots which gives a long harvest since different kinds mature at various times. Beet collections in mixed colours also offer the same extended harvest. There’s also the new cauliflower “Graffiti” which is said to be deep purple and show an improved tolerance for heat. Different colours apparently show unique qualities. Lime-green cauliflowers are said to accept low-nitrogen soil while orange heads demonstrate high levels of

photo Wikimedia Commons

Grafﬁti cauliﬂower has a deep purple tinge. beta-carotene. Purple-tinged leeks are popular now and not entirely for their beauty. They’re also exceptionally cold hardy and are sold under many names including the French heirloom “Blue Solaise” and “Darcy’s Purple Leek.” For brilliantly coloured salads, radishes have a lot

to offer. “Starburst” (a “Watermelon” type) has red ﬂesh inside white skin. The heirloom “Black Spanish Round” has white ﬂesh and black skin while ‘White Icicle’ grows an all-white root up to 15 centimetres long. The “Rat-Tail” heirloom radish dating at least from 1860 is still occasionally

listed. The roots aren’t edible, but the seed pods give a lengthy harvest and are crunchy, nicely peppery and best when they reach about 25 cm long. Edible pod peas are very practical wherever you grow them because if you miss the early pod harvest you can still use them as shelled peas. The most height choices are for standard white flowers/green pods. But some heirloom pod peas are available with interesting pod colours and sometimes two-tone flowers. These names include “Blue Pod Desiree Pea,” “Dwarf Grey Sugar” with purple flowers on an approximately 90 cm plant, and “Golden Sweet Edible Pod” with yellow pods and two-tone purple flowers. Winter hardiness can be a major issue with kale in some areas especially if it’s combined with intolerance of wet soil. “Winterbor” kale

is one of the favourites for hardiness and productivity. But the English heirloom “Dwarf Green Curled” (aka “Dwarf Curlies”) promises more. This one is said to tolerate cold, windswept unsheltered gardens with wet, poor soil. It’s described as growing up to 45 cm with tender, delicate leaves. Some edible and pretty vegetables may be too much of a good thing. Goldenleaved purslane is pretty and delicious but almost as invasive as the green form. Another dubious blessing is the heirloom Rampion (Campanula rapunculus) — once popular for crisp, white, edible roots and long spires of purple bells. This one leaves desperate gardeners in its wake as it steadily takes over gardens, roadsides and cracks in asphalt parking lots. amarrison@shaw.ca

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C H I N AT O W N a journey through our city’s neighbourhoods Vancouver Special is a year-long journey through each of Vancouver’s unique neighbourhoods. Join us every two weeks in our weekend issue for another look at a different community in our city.

Bao Bei balances old and new

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD AT A GLANCE Chinatown, loosely bordered by Hastings Street to the north, Georgia Street to the south and Taylor and Gore Streets to the west and east, pre-dates Vancouver and contains the best and worst of the city’s past. Because Chinatown — touted as Canada’s largest — is often lumped in with surrounding neighbourhoods, it’s difficult to define the area’s demographics and population. The City of Vancouver cites Chinatown’s current residential population at approximately 1,400, while other sources say it is closer to 24,000. Surveys suggest 40 per cent of its residents identify as Chinese. Most are of working age, earn a household income of approximately $51,000 and live in rental apartments. What is clear is that Chinatown has a rich and complex history in “Saltwater City,” the name given to Vancouver by early Chinese immigrants. Chinatown’s first residents were labourers, farmers and merchants, many of whom moved south looking for jobs after finishing the backbreaking work of building the Canadian Pacific Railway. Chinese-Canadians, and later their children, faced racist social, immigration and government policies, which kept Chinatown an isolated pocket for much of its history. By 1961, its population was 15,223 and it was home to many Chinese-Canadian run businesses, including seven nightclubs —more than any part of Vancouver. The community banded together often throughout its history, most notably in the late 1960s to successfully fight an eight-lane connector that would have taken historic East Pender with it. But there were losses for the community. The ’60s and ’70s saw further government enforced “renewal” plans that resulted in the displacement of approximately 2,300 Chinatown residents. The ’80s and ’90s saw a boom in immigration, but a decline in the number of Chinese-Canadians choosing to live in Chinatown as Richmond became the hotspot for Asian food and culture. Frustrated Chinatown merchants blamed city-zoning restrictions for hindering growth in the area. There has been concerted efforts by government and community groups to revitalize and develop the neighbourhood, but some are left wondering what is lost in the process.

Executive chef Joel Watanabe preps for the dinner rush at Chinatown’s popular hotspot, Bao Bei. JENNIFER THUNCHER Contributing writer

our years ago this month, former bartender Tannis Ling took a deep breath and opened the glass doors to her very own restaurant, Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie in Chinatown. It was a risky endeavour for a 33year-old. Few new businesses had opened in the area prior to Bao Bei’s

January 2010 opening. Chinatown had garnered a reputation, perhaps unfairly, as a sketchy, unsafe place to be, especially at night, when Ling wanted to operate. Fast forward to the 50-seat eatery’s fourth anniversary and, by all accounts, the award-winning Bao Bei is consistently packed and Ling is widely touted as having breathed new life into Chinatown. A few hours before the dinner rush last Wednesday, Ling sat in a booth

photo Dan Toulgoet

across from the open kitchen, signed a stack of cheques and recalled the restaurant’s beginnings. Beforeshewasarestaurantowner,Ling was a popular bartender at the trendy, Chambar. She had earned her chops before that gig tending bar overseas. Working for others gave her a hankering to have a place to call her own, and her upbringing inspired what she wanted that place to be like. Continued on next page

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CHINATOWN

Bao Bei exempliﬁes the changing face of Chinatown Continued from page 17 The idea of family features prominently at Bao Bei — the name itself is Mandarin for “precious,” a term of endearment Ling’s mother used to call her. Ling’s father is an architect, which inﬂuenced his daughter’s sense of space and style. Ling also wanted the restaurant to feel peaceful and homey. The 2,200-square-foot restaurant’s candlelit interior is painted with earth tones and adorned with black and white photos of her family. There are brushed-silver plates on the wall to the right of the entrance and knickknacks contributed by Ling and other staff throughout, such as the row of decorative white knives on a back wall donated by longtime Bao Bei server Charles Pelletier. Last Wednesday, beige and red lanterns lined the wall behind the booths in advance of Chinese New Year, which starts this week. Opening Bao Bei in Chinatown was a no-brainer for Ling, who recalled from her childhood the hustle and bustle on the streets and the colourful, rich smelling ingredients for sale when she would accompany her mother on weekly grocery shopping trips from their home in Kerrisdale. She wanted to serve the food her mom had always cooked for her, but that came with its own challenges.

photo Dan Toulgoet

Helen Li prepares prawn and chive dumplings in the Bao Bei kitchen

“If you are cooking the food that other Chinese people grew up eating then all you get is them comparing it to their mother’s cooking,” she said. Bao Bei now serves Asian-fusion dishes “with a twist” created by her executive chef Joel Watanabe. Changing the menu didn’t silence all naysayers.

“We get a lot of criticism for not being authentic,” Ling said. “We are just trying to be modern, by taking Chinese food, the traditional flavours, and combining it with what is around us now, what is local, what other cultures exist in Vancouver.” Complaints have since come from Chinese-Canadians on review websites, such as Yelp, that Bao Bei is overpriced and patronized primarily by white “hipsters,” a reference Ling bristles at. “It is just a young person who goes out to eat,” she said. Ling and veteran server Pelletier, 36, said they see a wide range of customers, including many Chinese-Canadians. Concern over who operates and visits Chinatown businesses isn’t just found online. For some, it points to a political question of how success for Chinatown is defined. “The folks at Bao Bei are probably booked solid so job well done for them,” said Josh Labove, a PhD geography candidate at SFU who studies the political geography of Vancouver, including gentrification. “But what is the goal? Is the goal to bring back the Chinese community, is the goal it to have a mix of all walks of life living in the neighbourhood, is the goal to revitalize the neighbourhood — as if it is in need of revitalization— or is the goal something entirely different,

we don’t know.” For Pelletier there is no question businesses like Bao Bei and the popular nightclub next door, The Keefer, which opened a week after Bao Bei, are good for the area. “It is deﬁnitely changing the face of Chinatown, bringing it back in a way to its original days of being the it spot to go partying,” he said. For Labove, questions about new businesses go hand in hand with questions about new condo towers in Chinatown — a 17-storey condo complex is under construction next door to Bao Bei. The towers can sell out, but that doesn’t necessarily mean such developments are good for the community, he said. Ling sits on the Vancouver Chinatown Revitalization Committee, and said she was surprised that established Chinatown members of the committee welcomed the new developments. “I want to preserve everything and keep everything low and quaint,” she said. “Whereas for them, they see this as a development opportunity for the neighbourhood, for more people to move in, more money.” Both Ling and Labove agree that Chinatown is a complex and historically important. The best direction forward, remains up for debate even as hungry patrons crowd in to Bao Bei.

Happy Chinese New Year! London Drugs wishes everyone a happy, healthy and lucky year of the horse!

F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

photo Dan Toulgoet

Katherine Dodds’ home doubles as the ofﬁce for her social change marketing company.

OPEN HOUSE

For more photos of the home office , scan this page with

Property: 500 Block of Carrall Street For Katherine Dodds, living in Chinatown for over 20 years has meant having a home and office in one place. Last year, she moved within her historic building in the 500 block of Carrall Street one floor up to a 3,100-square-food, two-bedroom rental suite. Her unique apartment is both her home and headquarters for her social change marketing company, Hello Cool World. Dodds preferred not to say how much she pays for her unit, but similar spaces in the area go for $2,000 a month and up. The space is large enough for both her living needs and her company’s frequent photo and video shoots, meaning Dodds doesn’t have to rent out a separate space. “Most importantly though is that it’s cool,” she told the Courier by email. The unit has undergone minimal renovations. The 1,000-squarefoot main room that dominates the suite has its original hardwood floors. The bedrooms in the living area behind the main room have bay windows that overlook Shanghai Alley, the birthplace of Chinatown. A long but private balcony provides a view of Carrall and Chinatown to the east. “I love the character, the high ceilings and the creative possibilities here,” said Dodds. Her landlord, the Lim Sai Hor Kow Mock Benevolent Association, bought the building in 1945. The narrow brick and wood, four-storey (including the mezzanine between the first two floors) structure was built in 1903 to house members of the Chinese Empire Reform Association — the richest Chinese merchants in Vancouver. “I like the way this part of town has more history than most ‘hoods. I can’t imagine living anywhere else in town,” Dodds said.

neighbourhood numbers

1 52 150 12 15 1,000 4.21

Number of 2,000-year-old bell replicas. Located in the centre of Shanghai Alley, the Han Dynasty bell is a reproduction of one unearthed in 1983 during the excavation of a hotel in Guangzhou, Vancouver’s sister city in China. The number of Chinese craftsmen who travelled to Vancouver in the early 1980s to help build the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, the first of its kind outside of China, using traditional building In centimetres, the original width of the Sam Kee Building, the shallowest known commercial building in the world. The 1912 design featured a groundfloor depth of four feet, 11 inches, while the overhanging second floor was six feet wide. Number of individual movie theatres located inside Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas, one of three remaining multiplexes in Vancouver. In storeys, the maximum height of any new buildings built along Main Street after city council approved a controversial plan in 2011 to introduce greater density to Chinatown. Total number of seats available at Floata Seafood Restaurant on Keefer Street, the largest Chinese restaurant in Canada. In hectares, the size of Andy Livingstone Park, which includes two lighted artificial turf fields, two tennis courts, a basketball court and skate park.

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feature

Then and now...

CHINATOWN

Above: The view looking east on Pender Street from Carrall in 1887. Then photo: Bailey Bros., courtesy Vancouver Public Library, 13238. Right: The view looking east on Pender Street from Carrall in 2014. Now photo: Dan Toulgoet

Above: A young couple strolls along Pender Street in 1961. Then photo: Photographer/ studio: Stanley Triggs, courtesy of the Vancouver Public Library, 85766. Left: A young couple strolls along Pender Street in 2014. Now photo: Dan Toulgoet

For more photos, scan this page with your smartphone or tablet using the Layar app.

See more Then and Now photos at vancourier.com

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Expect the streets of Chinatown to be a little smoky this Friday as Houston rapper and marijuana connoisseur DEVIN THE DUDE rolls up to Fortune Sound Club for an early show Jan. 31. His Weedness will be joined by Dkay, Greg Beamish and Northwest Division. Tickets at Highlife, DIPT, Red Cat, Beatstreet and online at ticketzone.com. Hazy details at fortunesoundclub.com. Greenland’s NIVE NIELSEN performs at the Rickshaw Theatre as part of NORTHFEST Jan. 31. The showcase of contemporary music from the north also includes Yukon’s Diyet and Speed Control. Tickets at Highlife, Neptoon, Red Cat Records and northerntickets.com. Details at rickshawtheatre.ca.

The hip and discerning kids at Music Waste have just the antidote for the winter blahs — WINTER WASTE, Feb. 1 at the Astoria. The indie music extravaganza features two stages and eight bands including TOUGH AGE, Skinny Kids, Dead Soft, Cool, Godmode Game666, Pups, Industrial Priest Overcoats and Other Jesus. Better luck next time, Powder Blues cover band Thirsty Ears. Tickets are a mere $5 before 10 p.m. and $10 after. See the trials and tribulations of exotic dancers on stage without the two-drink minimum as NeverYouMind Productions remounts its acclaimed play A PARTICULAR CLASS OF WOMEN, Feb. 4 to 8 at the Firehall Arts Centre. Tickets at neveryoumindproductions.com or by calling 604551-0418.

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CHINATOWN

photo Dan Toulgoet

SPACE IS THE PLACE: Space Lab owner Clint Moroz relaxes with a pair of his

favourite antlers in his eclectic, vintage “lifestyle” shop Space Lab. Part of a new wave of businesses moving into Chinatown, he packed up his tastefully cluttered store on Main Street and headed to East Pender last year, enticed by neighbourhood’s ﬂavour, reasonable rents, central location and welcoming atmosphere. To see a video on the unusual treasures found at Space Lab, go to vancourier. com/entertainment or scan this page with your smartphone or tablet using the Layar app.

Pacific Rim Celebration

CHINESE NEW YEAR: Celebrating the Year of the Horse

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 7:30PM

Orpheum Theatre

Long Yu conductor Wen Wei violin Jian Wang cello Serena Wang piano

LONG YU

LI HUANZHI Spring Festival Overture BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 CHEN GANG / HE ZHANHAO Butterfly Lovers Concerto for Violin and Orchestra CHEN QUGANG Reflet d’un temps disparu Conductor Long Yu, Artistic Director of the China Philharmonic and Music Director of the Shanghai and Guangzhou Symphonies, presents a very special Chinese New Year celebration with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, including the well-known Butterfly Lovers Concerto, composed by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao.

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CELEBRATION DINNER SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 RECEPTION: 4:30PM, DINNER: 5:30PM Pyatt Hall at the VSO School of Music A beneﬁt event in support of the youth programs offered by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

CALL FOR TICKETS TODAY! CHINESE NEW YEAR DINNER SPONSOR

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February 13 – March 15

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The Marco Polo club was billed as “Canada’s Only Oriental Revue” and saw big names such as Sly and the Family Stone and the Platters (pictured above performing in 1973) grace its stage.

Chinatownwasahotbedof entertainmentin’60sand’70s BACKSTAGE PAST

with Aaron Chapman

or the better part of two neon-glimmering decades, Vancouver’s entertainment district to see, hear and even taste something all its own wasn’t the Theatre Row of Granville Street or the legendary Hornby Street venues like The Cave — but the clubs, cinemas and restaurants that once ran through Chinatown and its surrounding streets in the 1960s and ’70s. “In 1974, I would go down to Chinatown with my friends to the Shaw Theatre or the Golden Harvest cinema to see Bruce Lee matinee movies,” smiles Todd Wong. “As a teenager, I had pictures of Lee all over my wall. I was such a fan. I mean, it was really re-affirming to see a positive Asian role model then. You just didn’t see that around much in those days.” Both the Shaw Theatre on Hastings Street (built in 1971) and the Golden Harvest theatre on Main (built in 1974) were two cinemas that showed Hong Kong-produced Mandarin language films. Wong remembers afternoons in the theatres almost as vivid as the movies themselves. “Whole families might be there, and people brought their own food sometimes,” he recalls. “The strange thing was the theatres often played these soft-core trailers before the feature. So you’d have these kids four or five years old running up and down the aisles while these trailers were playing.” After watching movies like The Big Boss and The Chinese Connection, Wong and his friends typically ran excited out of the theatres trying their best Bruce Lee moves on one another. Herefrainsfromanykungfukicksinthestreet these days. He is perhaps better known by his tartan alter-ego Toddish McWong, the ringmaster of his signature event Gung Haggis Fat Choy — a combined Robbie Burns Day and Chinese New Year celebration event now in its 17th year, which features Burns poetry readings, music and unique dishes like Haggis wonton. (Though a scheduling conflict has forced him to postpone this years Gung Haggis until March.) Wong’s father was also involved in the

Chinatown nightclub business. He had been a show card writer for the Marco Polo club (billed as “Canada’s Only Oriental Revue”) producing hand painted signs that advertised who was appearing on the bill — everything from the Oriental revue’s lineup to big names like Sly and the Family Stone to the Mills Brothers. “Nobody remembers these acts playing the Marco Polo,” says Wong. “By 1974 my family had moved to North Vancouver but we still took the bus downtown to go to the movies. And after, we’d go to Foo’s Ho Ho restaurant and for apple tarts at the New Town Bakery on Pender,” he says. “We’d walk around and see my granduncle Henry, who was always down at the corner of Pender and Columbia. He was a spotter for the Chinese gambling dens there — keeping an eye out for the police.” By the late ’70s, the golden era of the Chinatown nightlife scene had dwindled. But today, the Shaw Theatre on Hastings is a regular home to rock concerts and known as The Rickshaw Theatre, and the Golden Harvest on Main is now the newly opened Imperial. With the emergence of Fortune Sound Club (once Ming’s Restaurant) as a venue for hip-hop and DJ shows, the Keefer Hotel Bar’s weekly Sweet Soul Burlesque performances and the Emerald Supper Club on Gore Street, which opened last year, it would appear that the nightlife in Chinatown is experiencing a resurgence. “If you see what’s happening to the Chinatowns in other cities, like Portland, while the Asian community who live in them isn’t necessarily increasing — they are becoming a lot more cosmopolitan. And I think that’s a good thing,” says Wong, adding that the area will always carry an acknowledgement of its past. “Chinatown will always be historic. Even the Remembrance Day ceremony in Chinatown gets biggerandbiggereachyear—eventhoughthere are less and less old veterans as time goes by.” While you can still pick up apple tarts at the New Town Bakery, there’s no movie theatres left in Chinatown to watch Kung Fu movies. And a Chinese restaurant that stays open to nightclub hours has yet to return to the neighbourhood. In the meantime, if you see Todd Wong eating Haggis in Chinatown, don’t be surprised if he asks you to pass the sweet and sour sauce. twitter.com/theaaronchapman

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CHINATOWN

Vinyl vet brings the Noize to Chinatown MICHAEL KISSINGER Staff writer

onsidering the era of digital downloads, ﬁle sharing, BitTorrent and growing expectation that all forms of media should be free to the lumpen masses, it takes a brave person to open a brick and mortar record shop these days. Combine that with an unproven and long-ignored location on the edge of Chinatown, and the endeavour sounds almost quixotic. But Dale Wiese is one such man, and Noize To Go is the cozy record store he opened three months ago on an eclectic strip of Union Street between Main and Gore. “You’ve got Strathcona, you’re half a block from the Main Street corridor, a 10-minute walk from downtown and in historic Chinatown, which I can’t overstate how important I think Chinatown should be to the citizens of this city,” Wiese says of his new neighbourhood. “It’s a little gem that too many people have forgotten about that takes us out of our day-to-day routine. It’s like going somewhere [else] without leaving the city.” As Wiese says this, a young (surprise) bearded customer ﬂips through Bob Dylan records, ignoring the out-of-this world 1976 pressing of Parliament’s The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein inches from his scruffy head. Wiese says his musical leanings veer towards punk, new wave and power pop of the 1970s and ’80s as evidenced by his black Pointed Sticks T-shirt. And while the remnants of Vancouver’s underground music scene can be found in every corner of the store, whether it’s a copy of Slow’s Against the Glass or an album from Art Bergmann’s former band Poisoned, Noize covers a lot of ground in a small amount of space. “To some degree it’s my tastes, since there isn’t anything here I wouldn’t mind having in my own collection,” Wiese says. “Lots of classic rock from the ’60s and ’70s, new wave and punk, which is my formative years. I have some really good jazz records and some good coun-

try albums and R&B that I think most people would agree is a nice little selection. So other than classical, I have a bit of everything.” While most of the records are used, Wiese doesn’t rule out carrying new albums in the future, noting that records vastly outsell CDs now. “Vinyl is the preferred format for someone who wants to build a collection and wants something tactile to look at and share with people.” And Wiese should know. The veteran vinyl guru honed his chops at venerable disc dealer Track Records for 12 years beginning in 1986 on a stretch of Seymour Street once known as Record Row. At one point, the strip was home to Track, Sam the Record Man, Odyssey Imports, A&A Records, Collector’s RPM and A&B Sound. Track eventually morphed into Noize, then Noize To Go, and was the last holdout on Record Row, outlasting A&B Sound by four months until getting “renovicted” in 2009. Not surprisingly, Wiese is happy to get back in the vinyl saddle. “People have been surprised there’s a record store here, but that’s my job to make them less surprised.” “It’s a nice amount of records for people who don’t have a lot of time,” he adds. “If you’re even modestly adept at ﬂipping through records, you could go through the entire stock in about 20 minutes, although it’s always changing.” To celebrate Noize To Go’s new lease on life, Wiese’s musical friends the Frank Frink Five, once considered the unofﬁcial house band of the RailwayClub,willperformtwosetsofclassicalt-country rock at Lana-lou’s (362 Powell St.) Feb. 1. And in case you’re wondering, yes, Wiese does indeed know he shares a name similar to Canucks knuckle-dragging right winger Dale Weise. But he quickly points out their last names aren’t spelled exactly the same and they’re pronounced differently. “But it’s interesting,” Wiese says. “And if he wants to come by, I’ll give him a discount.” Noize To Go Records is located at 243 Union St., ph. 604-428-7887. mkissinger@vancourier.com twitter.com/MidlifeMan1

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F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

FRED

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STAR BRIGHT: Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin headlined B.C. Women’s Hospital and Health Centre Foundation’s annual Illuminations luncheon, sponsored by the Vancouver Courier. Four hundred guests filed into the Four Seasons Hotel to hear from the Hollywood star, author and philanthropist. The noon-hour benefit raised $208,000.

JAZZ HANDS: Yours truly, along with Margaret Gallagher, hosted the Cultch’s fifth annual New Orleans and All That Jazz gala fundraiser. Inspired by the exotic, mystical and steamy romance of New Orleans, the East Side gem was transformed into the famed French Quarter where guests embraced the music, food and revelry made famous by those who know and love New Orleans. There was much to celebrate as days earlier the organization announced the receipt of its largest corporate donation in history, a $2million gift from West Coast Reduction Ltd. ensuring the sustainability of the Cultch and recently opened York Theatre. STANDING O: A capacity crowd filled the Vancouver Academy of Music for the 10th annual OVATION Awards honouring the best and brightest in musical theatre — amateur and professional. Show tunes from more than 40 of the musicals presented in 2013 were belted out by some of the community’s most talented musical theatre performers. Twenty trophies were handed out. Winners included Avenue Q (Outstanding Professional Production) and Legally Blonde, The Musical (Community Production). Bill Millerd, artistic director of the Arts Club Theatre Company, was honoured with a Significant Achievement Award.

B.C. Women’s Hospital and Health Centre’s VP of medical affairs, Dorothy Shaw, and foundation CEO Laurie Clarksaw helped generate $208,000 at their annual luncheon sponsored by the Vancouver Courier.

Lydia Lovison and Ralf Joneikies chaired the Cultch’s signature soiree. The New Orleans-themed benefit reportedly raised $40,000 for the East Side cultural gem.

Leslie and Carol Lee, along with president Stephen Toope, ushered in the year of the horse at alumni UBC’s annual Lunar New Year luncheon festivities at the Hotel Georgia.

Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin headlined B.C. Women’s Hospital and Health Centre Foundation’s Illuminations luncheon hosted by CTV’s Tamara Taggart.

Playing some of that sweet dixieland music at the Cultch fundraiser were Don Kellett, Joe Bourchier and Michael Dunn from the Hot Club of Mars.

West Coast Reduction’s Rosemary Pretorius and performer Lindsey Shepek raised a glass to the Cultch’s 40th anniversary season.

The 10th OVATION Awards presented by Scott Ashton Swan and Kate Dahlstrom’s APPLAUSE! Musicals Society honoured the best and brightest in musical theatre.

Arts Club’s Bill Millerd, honoured with a Significant Achievement OVATION Award, reunited with Sibel Thrasher, star of Ain’t Misbehavin — one of the theatre company’s most successful shows.

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F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Cabo By Night by Sarah Bancroft

Last week, we explored the Baja by day - this week, it’s all about what happens after dark.

feast

Mercury turns retrograde this Thursday until February 28. We should all take a breath and turn away from new starts, new projects and relationships. I’ll discuss the retrograde effects for each sign in the weekly messages below. Oh Obama, I had so much hope for you. But you lied, straight-faced, about the new health program. This I can forgive, because the health plan is long overdue, and helps to end the tyranny of the rich. But you are still insisting that Edward Snowden is a criminal who must face a trial for espionage. One judge has deemed the NSA’s spy activities illegal; another judged them legal. So a special committee was formed to judge the NSA’s activities; last week it found them illegal. Since then, it has been revealed (by Mr. Snowden again) that the NSA engaged in industrial espionage – something no judge could call legal. But, Obama, you’re still insisting that Mr. Snowden actions (revealing the NSA’s illegal activities) were illegal, and that he must stand trial. In other words, Mr. Obama, you are declaring that in the new America it is illegal to reveal an illegal activity. If you report a crime, you must go to jail. This twisted logic can only exist in a criminal organization: therefore, Mr. Obama, you are inferring that the U.S. government is a criminal organization. Hmm. Maybe you have a point.

Your popularity remains high – so does your optimism. Rest Sunday – this night to Tuesday brings attention, energy, charisma – and a surge in popularity. Monday offers you a choice: rise in your career, status, or cling to the past, the status quo. It might not be an obvious choice, but it’s there. Tuesday, relations are important: be gentle with a quick-tempered person who opposes you.

Romance, pleasure, beauty, creativity and selfexpression, charming kids ﬁll the next two weeks. You ride a winning horse. Despite this, start nothing new, projects nor relationships, before February 28. Before then, protect your ongoing ventures (especially in work/health areas before the 13th) from mistakes, delays, supply shortages, missed appointments, etc.

Start nothing new, projects or relationships, before February 28. A period of mistakes, false starts, indecision and frustrating delays begins Thursday, but affects all this week and those to come. An old ﬂame, light lover, friend, social group – and/or a former wish, a goal or hope – could return brieﬂy until February 12. It/him/her/they probably have too little “oomph” to establish a foothold in your life, but there’s no harm.

The general accent lies on your home, family, security, nutrition and other basics of life. Something or someone might return from the past in this zone, particularly after February 12 – a prodigal family member, a vacation rental from last year, an expired bottle of vitamins. (Before then, a former ﬂame might draw you, but probably without much enduring result.)

Mercury retrogrades now to February 28. Start nothing new, neither projects nor relationships. Instead, protect ongoing enterprises, or reprise the past (in career, status areas until Feb. 12, in intellectual, travel, legal and love areas after that). An old ﬂame could pursue you, timidly to the 12th, more openly after that. (This rejoining can work from the 13th to 17th, but not after: work, health or “reality” factors.

February isn’t an important month, Sage. It’s ﬁlled with paperwork, details, errands, short trips, casual friends and communications. But these are the very things that can run into the turbulence of delay, mistakes and misunderstandings. Count ﬁgures (and your change) twice, double-check the address on envelopes and emails. Make a list before embarking on errands.

Don’t start any new projects or relationships before February 28, Cancer. They would eventually sink into a morass of indecision, false starts, delays and mistakes. Instead, protect ongoing projects from misunderstandings, and those same delays/mistakes. A love, or an intellectual or travel opportunity might return from the past now to Feb. 12.

Money, money, money – and possessions – and a sensual attraction – are probably on your mind. Be careful in chasing these, or risking your funds, as something about your future course will erect a barrier, at least until February 13. All month, avoid starting any new projects or relationships. Protect ongoing ventures instead – or reprise past ones.

Relationships are of ultimate importance – be diplomatic, eager – show your sunny side! Relocation, interfacing with the public, business and other opportunities also ﬁll this month. But, now to February 28, don’t start anything new in any area. Instead, protect ongoing projects and links from delays, mistakes and misunderstandings.

Your energy, charisma and clout are at a yearly peak, Aquarius. I won’t add “effectiveness,” for Mercury retro, as it is until February 28, can trip up the strongest runner. Watch for mistakes, false starts, delays, misunderstood communications, and supply shortages. You might be changing your mind soon about love, a sexual liaison, a creative project or investment.

Don’t start any new projects or relationships before February 28. (A beautiful, fruitful, lucky relationship could begin that very day.) They would sink into a swamp of indecision, mistakes, delays and “no-shows.” Instead, protect ongoing projects from these same mistakes, etc., and be patient with a partner’s indecision. An ex-partner or opportunity might return from the past before the 13th – there’s no harm in this.

Remain restful, contemplative. Solitude can be sweet, rejuvenating. Seek your spiritual self, meditate, be charitable. Deal with government agencies and other bureaucracies. Avoid competitive situations. Don’t start any new projects or relationships before February 28. (On that day, you might begin a very important, fortunate project – but don’t “pre-plan” it.) Before then, nostalgia could entrance you. All month, doublecheck facts, ﬁgures on checks, etc.

Monday: Isla Fisher (38). Tuesday: Alice Cooper (66). Wednesday: Laura Linney (50). Thursday: Zsa Zsa Gabor (97), Friday: Chris Rock (49). Saturday: Seth Green (40). Sunday: Joe Pesci (71).

MORE AT ASTRALREFLECTIONS.COM

Make sure to plan dinner at the cliff-side seafood restaurant El Farallon, serving local specialties like grouper, sea bass and tuna ordered by weight and cooked over an open grill. Consider a quote from Hemingway at the bar: “A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” Sounds like a travel mantra to us. At Capella Hotel, www.capellahotels.com

drink

Rosemary margaritas in the open-air bar while whale watching over the Sea of Cortez. It doesn’t get much better than that. But if you move on to dinner at Cocina Del Mar (try to get the lower tables cantilevered over the sea) you will see it can. The seafood tortilla soup, with little neck clams and white Baja prawns is outstanding. At Esparanza Resort, www.esperanzaresort.com

dine

Right in the heart of downtown Cabo, the open-air, lantern-filled restaurant at the boutique Bahia Hotel gets so busy at dinner it overtakes the lobby. And there is good reason: the food, music and ambiance are all outstanding. Owned by a group of high-profile New York bankers, the hotel is undergoing a room-byroom renovation, but we kind of loved the charm of the original rooms with their kitchenettes and plaster scallop shell over the bed, all for under $150/night. www.bahiacabo.mx/en.htm Read the rest of our Cabo By Night itinerary at www.vitamindaily.com

Closet Zen

Mother of Invention

You won’t be surprised to hear of another new Canadian yoga wear brand, but you might be surprised to find one that makes clothing that can transition to the coffee shop, or even lunch, after your workout. Zen Nomad is a Toronto-based yogawear collection that features tops, dresses, and leggings that work just as well with jeans or jewelry as they do on a yoga mat. The longsleeve asymmetrical practice top ($92) is a wardrobe staple that works under sweaters as well as under the dimmed lights of hatha yoga practice. The Delphine dress ($96) can be paired with leggings during backbends and with boots and tights for a post-workout lunch. And if your New Year’s resolution has been downgraded into a daily practice of savasana, then this whole collection can adapt to that. Relaxation pose was always the one we were best at, anyway. Zen Nomad yoga wear available online at Thieves boutique, www.thievesboutique.com

Why on earth didn’t we think of it first?

by Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

by Marianne Wisenthal

Ontario’s Julie Thompson has beaten us to the punch with the creation of Lil’ Tights ($14.99), thigh-high socks with padded knees. Perfect for crawlers, speedy diaper changes, potty training and layering under clothes during cold snaps, they fit snug and won’t sag during mad sprints to the monkey bars. Lil’ Tights made their Hollywood debut at the Golden Globes gift lounge so don’t be surprised if you see baby Wilde-Sudeikis sporting a pair at the Studio City Farmers Market. 9-48 months at www.skights.com

Bird’s Eye View

Massage Now, Flaunt Later

Americans might claim it as their bird, but the world’s largest population of bald eagles is in Brackendale, BC during the winter.

Even rail-thin supermodels can be dimple-prone— we’ve seen it with our own eyes! While there isn’t a magical cure for the bumps, the texture can be improved with groundbreaking treatments like LPG Endermologie, or Lipomassage (sounds techy, but it’s really a high-performance deep tissue massager). It was invented in France in order to boost collagen production and circulation in burn victims. Of course, the clever French turned it into a beauty gadget. Here’s how it works: You strip down, then slip on a full-body stocking (yes, a little awkward!), and the technician massages away at your “problem” areas, whether it’s thighs, arms, or belly. We visited Vancouver’s esteemed LPG specialist Joy Stewart at the quaint Touch of Joy spa. With intense massaging action over six sessions, the circulation was enhanced, lipolysis reactivated, and overall texture significantly smoother. C’est si bon! It’s never too early to start bikini shopping. $855/6 sessions, $1500/12 sessions, A Touch of Joy, #33–638 W. Sixth Ave., Vancouver, 604-605-4046, www.touchofjoy.ca

by Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

The best way to see these majestic birds is on the Eagle Viewing Boat Trip from Squamish-based Sunwolf. You start with coffee and pastries while they suit you up in the necessary gear (hopefully the rain suit will only be for show, not out of necessity). Then you’ll float down the Cheakumus and Squamish rivers and watch as bald eagles feast on the spawning salmon. End the trip with a steaming bowl of chili next to the fire at their lodge. There is also the option of renting one of the cabin (with vaulted ceilings and hardwood floors) for the night. Slip into the hot tub, and the eagle has landed. $100 per person, $65 for children under 12. $285 for the cabin rental (based on double occupancy). Book at www.sunwolf.net/eagle-tours

by Anya Georgijevic

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4

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

photo Dan Toulgoet

Dylan French, 16, is a fencing champ and Olympic hopeful. He attends Magee secondary SpArts program which allows him to train and ﬁnish his course load part-time. .

Vancouver fencer foils opponents MAGEE STUDENT A WORLD-CLASS COMPETITOR JENNIFER THUNCHER Contributing writer

hile all eyes are on Sochi and the upcoming Winter Olympics, one Vancouver student is quietly working towards a medal at the Summer Olympics in 2016. In many ways Dylan French is like any other Grade 11 student at Vancouver’s Magee secondary. He is happy to be earning his driver’s licence, likes to listen to Led Zeppelin on his iPod and can’t wait to graduate. But unlike his classmates, Dylan is a world class fencing champion with a list of awards for competitive fencing almost as long as the foils he wields. He is the provincial senior champion in epee and foil, has won 14 Canadian National medals, two American National medals,

and ﬁnished 13th at the cadet world championships, held in Croatia last April. There are three kinds of weapons in fencing: foil, where the target is the torso, epee: where the target is the whole body, and sabre, where the target is the upper body. Dylan is the only person in Canada who competes successfully in both foil and epee, and in both cadet (under 17 years old) and junior (under 20) levels, according to his coach, Victor Gantsevich, provincial coach and founder of the Dynamo Fencing Club in Richmond where Dylan trains. Thanks to Magee’s SpArts (the word is a combination of sports and arts) — a special program for elite athletes and artists — Dylan attends classes part-time while training 26 to 35 hours per week. The program also enables him to take time off school to travel for competitions while completing his full course load. So far, he has travelled to competitions across Canada and the U.S., and to multiple countries overseas including Russia, Slovakia and England. While his coach thinks Dylan will be ready for the Olympics by 2016, Dylan and his dad, John French, are hedging their bets and aiming for the 2020

Games in Tokyo. Either way, there is a lot of training and competing in Dylan’s future between now and the podium. Dylan admitted sometimes the pressure of such high level competition gets to him. “I still enjoy them and I enjoy travelling, but I get really stressed,” he said. To cope with the jitters he has developed a pre-bout routine of listening to classic rock while he warms up. “I am pretty used to it and I manage ﬁne, he said. Indeed, though only 16 years old, Dylan has almost a decade of fencing behind him. His interest was sparked at age six when a fencer came to his kindergarten class to demonstrate the sport. “Every kid wants to try sword ﬁghting,” he said. But not every kid is as determined as Dylan. He said though several friends were also interested in the sport, most quickly lost interest. Dylan’s father remembers his son as a serious and focused child who didn’t just like fencing, he embraced the folklore around it. “He loved knights, dragons and sword

ﬁghting, and was an obsessive reader,” French told the Courier by email. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of Dylan’s favourites. Though he participated in a variety of other sports, the love of fencing won out over all others. “I enjoyed it. I was good at it and so I stuck with it,” he said. Gantsevich said Dylan has evolved into an elite competitor, especially for a Canadian fencer. He said most athletes from Canada become “tourists” when they go into competition. “They give too much respect to the opponents,” he said. Dylan has the unique combination of being an excellent listener, understanding with just a word what his coach wants in the heat of a tournament, and at the same time has an uncanny aggressiveness on the mat that takes his opponents by surprise and leads to victory, he said. Dylan’s next competition is at the 2014 Cadet/Junior Pan American Championships in Guatemala City next month where Gantsevich expects to him place ﬁrst or second. thuncher@shaw.ca twitter.com/Thuncher

F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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sports&recreation

Get to the core for a stronger ride RACER’S EDGE

with Kristina Bangma

ow strong is your core? Every sport requires you to have a strong core. Although some sports require a stronger core than others, if you are hoping to stay injury free and enjoy a long life in your sport, you can’t ignore the core. Cyclists are not exempt from this rule. Over the last few years, there has been a large number of new riders joining the bike craze due to previous injuries in other sports, including arthritis, bad knees, bad backs or any number of reasons. This is fantastic and I love seeing new faces on the road, but I’m afraid that cycling is going to start getting a bad rap if these new enthusiasts aren’t training to ride and just simply riding. Riding a bike is much easier than running because you are sitting down for the majority of the time. But this doesn’t mean that your upper body, including your belly, can shut off and go to sleep. Cycling is still very much a full body sport. It requires endurance strength in your arms, neck, shoulders and especially your core to continue to support you for those long hours of sitting in one position.

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When riding your bike next time, think about what you would look like from the side if you weren’t wearing a shirt. Due to the fact that a road rider’s cycling jersey is skin tight, this is isn’t hard to imagine. So, is your belly hanging down to the bar or do you engage your core muscles for the whole ride? For cycling, here are the ﬁve main functions of your core: One: Supports your upper body, reducing the pressure on your hands as they rest on the handlebars. Two: The deﬁnition of “the core” includes the small low back muscles. So having a strong core would mean that you would also have a strong low back, therefore reducing the chances of injury or pain as you ride. Three: Stabilizes and helps you maintain balance on the bike. Being stable on the bike results in better bike handling skills as you are able to react quickly to sudden changes in your environment or the person you are following. Four: Generally increases your overall endurance as a strong core allows you to comfortably hold an uncomfortable saddle position for long hours without stopping to stretch or rest. Five: The one reason why you may listen and start to train your core: Increases the power and strength in your legs as power is generated from the core. Building a strong core for cycling doesn’t include exercises like situps. Why would it?

When was the last time you did a crunch on your bike? Hopefully never. Think about what your core is asked to do on the bike and then mimic those movements in the gym. While cycling, your core must maintain one position for long periods of time. The simplest exercise to mimic this is the plank. Almost everyone knows how to do a plank from phys-ed tests in elementary school. If you can’t remember back that far, Google it. Once you have perfected this simple exercise you will want to add some variations, continually challenging the body. The following is a list of plank variations, listed in order of easiest to more advanced. I would suggest not advancing to the next variation until you have perfected the previous one. It will take anywhere from three to six weeks to advance to the next exercise, depending on how dedicated you are to your training program and how strong your core is. These exercises are safe to do every day but you will notice quick strength gains even if you only complete three sets of one plank exercise three or four times a week. 1. Hold a low plank on your elbows and toes for 60 seconds. 2. Hold a high plank (pushup position) on your hands and toes for 60 seconds. 3. Hold a low plank for 40 seconds with one foot six inches off the floor. Change

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feet every 10 seconds. 4. Hold a high plank for 40 seconds following the same instructions as in exercise number three. 5. Hold a low plank and then move into a high plank — return back to a low plank. Continue until you have completed 10 of these, changing the leading hand each time. 6. Hold a high plank for 20 - 30 seconds with one foot 6 inches off the ﬂoor and the opposite hand off the ﬂoor. Change feet and hands every 5 seconds. 7. Hold a low plank for 20 - 30 seconds following the same instructions as in exercise number six. kristina@kitsenergy.com

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photo Dan Toulgoet

A strong core translates to much more efﬁcient riding.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4

career and planning

Five Best-Kept Secrets for a Successful Career Search We asked some of our WorkBC career advisors to dish on their best kept secrets for a successful career search. Here are our top five! 1. Do your homework. Determine how your values, skills and experience fit with different occupations. Explore websites like Service Canada’s job bank (ServiceCanada.gc.ca) or WorkBC.ca. These sites will tell you about demand, wages, education programs and the skills required for specific jobs. This information will assist you to prepare for your job interviews, and it can help you match your skills and abilities to the job description. If you’ll need additional qualification, research the education, certification or training requirements to be hired in BC and then research which schools offer the training, their cost and success rate.

really like and allows you to network with potential employers that may hire you in the future when you are prepared to enter the career.

4. Know what you’re worth. Research pay scales for the occupations that capture your interest and match your skills. If you Google search “Canadian pay scales”, you’ll ﬁnd a wide range of information on income. Then don’t be afraid to ask for what you’re worth!

5. Know what meaningful work means to you. Explore your passion, identify a new direction and take action to create a career that motivates and excites you. Ask yourself the following questions: · What is important to me and the work I’ll do? · What are my values? · What are my strengths? · What do I have to offer?

2. Stay on top of labour market news. · Read local business journals to find out who’s on top in your industry. Pay attention to news of companies that are opening, growing or closing · Gather information from government and corporate websites to find occupation information from across Canada by city · Speak to people you know in the sector and read publications about the fields you are interested in

3. Discover the hidden job market. Have you heard of the hidden job market? Research tells us that close to 80% of jobs are never posted, but employers are always looking for good people. Conduct informational interviews with employers and employees in the career you are thinking of pursuing. This gives you clear insight into what the career is

Need help with any or all of the above steps? Your local WorkBC Employment Services Centre can help you every step of the way! Visit one of our centres, where you can access a range of FREE employment and career services, including: · Exclusive job postings · Personal employment planning · Computers and internet access · Scanning and photocopying · Workshops and training

Family Services of Greater Vancouver Vancouver City Centre 200 - 1033 Davie Street 604.434.0367 fsgv.ca Hours: M-Th 9-5:30 / F 9-3

Open Door Group Vancouver Downtown Eastside 112 W. Hastings Street 604.872.0770 opendoorgroup.org

YWCA Vancouver Westside 300 - 2150 West Broadway 604.688.4666 ywcavan.org

Paciﬁc Community Resources Society Vancouver Midtown 110 East 3rd Avenue 604.829.2300 pcrs.ca

· Access to training funds

For more info, see

WorkBCCentres.ca

MOSAIC Vancouver Northeast 312 - 2555 Commercial Drive 604.708.9300

Increased tuition funding for unemployed British Columbians Interested in accessing skills training through the Employment Program of BC? You could be eligible for up to $7,500 in tuition funding!

Eligible persons must be: H unemployed/under-employed H receiving or eligible to receive employment insurance (or started maternity/paternity leave in the last five years) H accessing employment services at a WorkBC Employment Services Centre

Want to learn more? Visit your local WorkBC Employment Services Centre or find your local Work BC Centre online at WorkBCCentres.ca

The Employment Program of British Columbia is funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

YWCA Vancouver South Ground Floor 7575 Cambie Street 604.263.5005 ywcavan.org

today’shomes

F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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

604-738-1411 | lgarner@vancourier.com

Construction starts on new luxury outlet mall atYVR NELSON BENNETT Contributing Writer

ork is now underway on a new 35,000-square-metre luxury goods mall at Vancouver International Airport. The mall, which is being built in partnership with European designer outlet developer McArthurGlen Designer Outlet, is slated to open in the spring of 2015, and is expected to create 1,000 new jobs. “This project reinforces our role in the economic development of the region,” said Tony Gugliotta, senior vice-president of marketing and business development for Vancouver Airport Authority. “Not only will it increase the region’s destination appeal for travelers and create approximately 1,000 jobs, but it will also offer the airport an alternative revenue source that will allow us to continue building YVR as a premier global gateway which, in turn, will create even more jobs.” The new mall is being built in two phases on the northeast corner of Sea Island near

the Templeton Canada Line station. The ﬁrst phase will have 22,500 square metres of retail space, featuring luxury brand stores, restaurants and cafes. It will be expanded by another 12,500 square metres at a later date. McArthurGlen specializes in building high-end retail malls for luxury goods and designer brands. “We are already seeing strong interest from leading European and North American fashion brands,” said Joan Jove, McArthurGlen’s development director for North America. “Vancouver offers an excellent location, economic strength, tourism potential, as well as a strong partner in the Vancouver Airport Authority — all elements that guarantee success when opening a premium retail centre.” The mall is part of a broader plan to develop a major “aerotropolis” next to the airport on Sea Island. In addition to the new mall, Canada Post is also building a new $200 million, 700,000-square-foot mail-processing plant that it plans to occupy starting this year.

artist rendering McArthur Glen Group

A new 35,000-square-metre mall nearby YVR airport is expected to be open in 2015. The airport authority’s plans to build a mini-city on Sea Island have been opposed by the City of Richmond, which says the new business park is inconsistent with its own city planning.

The city has limited say on what takes place on Sea Island, however, because although it is within the city’s boundaries, it is federal land — outside of municipal jurisdiction. nbennett@biv.com

$8,000 Off 1& Dens

MOVE IN LATE SPRING 2014 · 5% DOWN · LIVEATCAPSTONE.COM 604.929.8870 135 West 1st St. Open 12 – 5pm Daily (Except Fridays) Capstone is developed by Fairborne Capstone Homes Ltd. E.&O.E.

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F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

WE ARE PROUD TO OWN IN THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH Westside living in one of the most desirable cities in the world. Binning Tower on the Park, at Wesbrook, UBC features breathtaking panoramic views of protected forests and fresh ocean breezes.

Being active and outdoors is important to us and spending less time commuting means more time with my family! GRAHAM THOMAS

Head Coach, UBC Women’s Hockey

Selling homes is my business so I know great neighbourhoods. I chose Binning Tower at Wesbrook for the location and views! MAGGIE ZHOU

Realtor, Royal Paciﬁc Realty Corp.

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Open Daily 12 – 5pm, Closed Fridays or by appointment The developer reserves the right to make changes to the information contained herein without notice. Some conditions apply, please call for details. Rendering is representational only and may not be accurate. E.&O.E.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4

THE BEST OF METROTOWN 48 more storeys of Metrotown’s most highly anticipated community are coming this April. 4670 Assembly Way is the next phase at Station Square – the very best of Metrotown. More shopping, more dining, more amenities, more transit options – everything at your doorstep: that’s what it means to live in Downtown Metrotown.

See it this April. Own it this May. Register now.

STATIONSQUARE.CA

This is not an offering for sale. Any such offering can only be made with the applicable disclosure statement. E. & O. E.. Station Square and the Station Square logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Metro Shopping Centre Limited Partnership.

F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, JA N UA RY 3 1 , 2 0 1 4

57TH ANNIVERSARY 100% BC Owned and Operated Prices Effective January 30 to February 5, 2014.

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

Grocery Department

Meat Department assorted varieties

assorted varieties

SAVE

35%

from

assorted varieties

3/6.99

SAVE

35%

Nuts to You Almond Butter

assorted varieties

8.49

SAVE

from

SAVE

19%

assorted varieties

3.79

Liberté Méditerranée Yogurt

SAVE

SAVE 2.99

500g product of Canada

30%

assorted varieties

6.99

300g

product of Canada

3/6.00

SAVE

740ml product of Canada

35%

skim, 1, 2 or 3.25% 4L product of Canada

3/7.50

Tre Stelle Shredded Cheese

Eco’s Coconut Water

assorted varieties

170-200g • product of Canada

Oriental Rice Crackers

5.99

Health Care Department

each

bins or bags

20% off regular retail price

1.99-3.99

4/9.00

250-530g

398ml product of USA

4.99-5.99

package of 6

Gluten Free

52.99

818-829g

Vega Sport is the first complete, natural, plant-based sport performance system specifically developed to help athletes perform at their best – before, during and after training and competition.

Inno-Vite Inno-Q Nol 60 capsules

• Guaranteed stability through a patented process. • Promotes superior heart health. • Boosts energy levels

Macro Greens

Brown Rice Bread

sandwich or regular

5.49

Vega Sport Protein Powder

44.99

Bars

assorted varieties

250g – 454ml • product of Canada

from 3.79

Bothwell Squeak`rs Cheese Curds for your Superbowl Poutine

mini or regular assorted varieties

assorted varieties

7.99

Bulk Department

Organic Sourdough Bread

Old Dutch Potato Chips, Restaurante Tortilla Chips or Salsa

Dairyland Organic Milk

1.58lb/ 3.48kg

Bakery Department

assorted varieties

each

reg 7.99

Wolfgang Puck Organic Soup

VIP Dishwashing Liquid

3.99

product of Canada

Vij’s Frozen Meat Curry Indian Meals

assorted varieties

41%

5.99

24 oz container

227g

38%

product of Canada

SAVE

2/6.98

900g

each

Organic Roma Tomatoes Grown in Mexico

Choices’ Own Beef Gravy for your Superbowl Poutine

2 varieties

2/4.98

SAVE

900ml +deposit +eco fee

2.98

Deli Department

McCain Frozen SuperFries for Superbowl Poutine

Sunflower Kitchen Dips

assorted varieties

38%

Britain/Canada

Organic Long English Cucumbers Grown in Mexico

3.99lb/ 8.80kg

125-200g product of

33%

product of Canada

Happy Planet Smoothies

24%

2/4.00

SAVE

500g

37%

SAVE

assorted varieties

220g product of USA

product of Canada

Paradise Valley Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast

Carr’s Crackers

Kettle Brand Potato Chips

1.58lb/ 3.48kg

4.49lb/ 9.90kg

56g product of Canada

33%

15 bags product of USA

value pack

3/5.97

SAVE

7.99

Organic Gala Apples from Cawston, BC

Specialty Chicken Wings

Dagoba Organic Chocolate Bars

Mighty Leaf Tea

Produce Department

425-450g

1L • +deposit +eco fee

29.99

287g

Macro Greens® contains 38 ingredients that feed the body at a cellular level, nourishing the body with antioxidants, co-nutrients, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

product of USA

Happy Anniversary West 57th! Stop by Saturday, February 1st from 11:00am to 3:00pm at 1888 W. 57th Ave, Vancouver to celebrate our 14th Anniversary. We will be hosting a donation barbecue and serving cake and coffee. Take advantage of our many in-store specials. See you there! 2010 - 2013 Awards. Your loyalty has helped Choices achieve these awards. Thank you!

Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/ChoicesMarkets Best Organic Produce

Best Grocery Store

2010-2013

www.choicesmarkets.com Kitsilano

Cambie

Kerrisdale

Yaletown

Rice Bakery

South Surrey

2627 W. 16th Ave. Vancouver 604.736.0009

3493 Cambie St. Vancouver 604.875.0099

1888 W. 57th Ave. Vancouver 604.263.4600

1202 Richards St. Vancouver 604.633.2392

2595 W. 16th Ave. Vancouver 604.736.0301

3248 King George Blvd. South Surrey 604.541.3902

Burnaby Crest

8683 10th Ave. Burnaby 604.522.0936

Kelowna

Floral Shop

1937 Harvey Ave. Kelowna 250.862.4864

2615 W. 16th Vancouver 603-736-7522