Vancouver Courier September 5 2014 by Vancouver Courier

FRIDAY

September 5 2014 Vol. 105 No. 72

PACIFIC SPIRIT 12

Mark of Zoroastrianism FEATURE STORY 14

UBC’s new president ENTERTAINMENT 22

Fall film preview

There’s more online at

vancourier.com WEEKEND EDITION

THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS since 1908

Upstart party promises surprise candidates Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

Teachers Jessica Jang (L), Francis Bourqui and Curtis Collier picket outside the Vancouver School Board on West Broadway at Fir Street. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

Premier mum on ending strike Cheryl Rossi

crossi@vancourier.com

Premier Christy Clark wouldn’t say this week how long the government is prepared to let a teachers’ strike drag on in B.C. Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Clark said she wouldn’t “speculate about hypotheticals.” “The teachers’ union needs to come to the table with a proposal that’s realistic,” she said. “I mean for heaven’s sakes, 150,000 other public sector employees who work just as hard have settled for far less. They didn’t get a $5,000 signing bonus. They didn’t get unlimited massage. They didn’t get an extra day off every year.” Clark called on teachers to get back to work and said their union should compromise on wages and beneﬁts so the parties can focus negotiations on classroom composition. But Jim Iker, president of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, told reporters in a subsequent press conference the BCTF

had no intention of asking teachers to vote on whether to suspend their strike any time soon. The teachers’ union has already compromised on wages and beneﬁts, he said. Iker noted the B.C. Public Schools Employers’ Association ﬁrst proposed a signing bonus when it offered $1,200 per teacher if an agreement could be reached by June 30. Iker said teachers have never asked for unlimited massage. He said some teachers wanted up to $3,000 a year for massage to deal with chronic pain, but this proposal was withdrawn. Now the BCTF wants to see massage coverage increased from $500 to $700 a year. Iker also said the BCTF never proposed an extra day off. He said the BCTF previously proposed that secondary teachers be given two additional days for preparation time. That was taken off the table and replaced with additional prep time mostly for elementary school teachers. Iker noted the union and the government are only one year and one per cent apart on salaries. When asked whether the BCTF

would reduce or remove the signing bonus from the bargaining table, he said the bonus was negotiable. But he said the government hasn’t made any meaningful moves in months. “They haven’t added a single new dollar to their proposal to improve the learning conditions for our students since October 2013,” he said. Clark noted the government has tabled $375 million over ﬁve years to improve classroom composition. But Iker says this money isn’t new and is inadequate to address the problems created over the past 12 years. “Instead of ﬁnding creative ways to solve this dispute and keep schools open, this government is actually trying to prolong the shutdown with their $40-a-day payment scheme [for childcare],” he continued. “That amounts to $12 million a day and $60 million a week in taxpayers’ money that should be put into our education system to give teachers and students more resources.” Continued on page 7

The party that landed Olympic swimmer Brent Hayden as a park board candidate is expected to add another one or two candidates to its roster with a higher public proﬁle than the bronze medalist. So says Jesse Johl, the founder of Vancouver First. “You might be surprised who comes out for council,” said Johl, noting the party is still discussing a possible run with some well-known Vancouver residents. The party surprised many in civic circles over the weekend with its announcement that Hayden, who won a bronze medal in the 100-metre freestyle swim at the London Olympic Games in 2012, had joined the party. Although the 30-year-old Hayden has no political experience, he is arguably more well known across the city than the NPA’s mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe and others campaigning to get elected Nov. 15. But whether Hayden’s name alone can get him elected isn’t easily answered considering he has joined a party that includes school trustees Ken Denike and Sophia Woo, who were expelled in June from the NPA over a controversy regarding the school board’s revised sexual orientation and gender identities policy. Hayden told the Courier he isn’t worried about the connection. “One thing I’ve been assured about in this party is that everybody will be able to have their own voice and we won’t have to conform to one policy or agenda,” he said, noting he is a supporter of LGBTQ rights. Hayden noted he has had gay teammates and believes all people — no matter what their sexual preference, gender or race — should be treated equally. Hayden said he chose not to run as independent because he wanted to be part of team. “I’d be lying if I said I’m not a little bit nervous, due to my inexperience,” he said. “It’s a pretty big step for me, so being able to have a team behind me is a pretty big thing for me.” Continued on page 4

THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News

‘I want to go to school today’

honest, accepting and just. The fact that students are left feeling helpless is an incredible abuse of power for both sides.” Grade 12 Point Grey secondary student Darius Muglich directed students to the petition he’s created to end the strike. Onlooker Isabella Roosevelt wished more students attended the rally. A member of the district students’ council, Roosevelt said more than 4,000 students had been invited on Facebook but she noted fewer than 200 attended. She said students shouldn’t see the strike as an extended holiday but should instead ﬁght for their education. Roosevelt, whose mother is a secondary school teacher who works in special education, says she’s heard many say teachers are to blame.

Grade 11 Churchill student Charles Favreau told students and parents they aren’t helpless in the dispute between the government and teachers at the Save Our Students rally Tuesday. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

“They think that teachers are only striking to get a raise, but they don’t realize that they’re also ﬁghting for smaller class sizes and class composition,” she said. “Tell your teachers not to be so greedy!” a heckler had yelled moments earlier. Premier Christy Clark urged teachers Wednesday to suspend their strike and return to the bargaining table. Jim Iker, president of

the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, said the union won’t be asking teachers to vote on whether to suspend the strike any time soon. Clark said she doesn’t want to legislate teachers back to work. The chair of the Vancouver School Board and the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council have called for binding arbitration. On Wednesday, VSB trustee Mike Lombardi asked

people on Twitter to retweet his message if they wanted Ready authorized to make public recommendations for ending the labour dispute. Schultes and Roosevelt say they don’t have a solution to this complex dispute. “But even though we don’t know the answers, we know there is one and you [the parties] need to ﬁnd it,” Schultes said. twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi

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Vancouver students want to be in school. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to go to school today,” Paul Schultes, a Grade 10 Eric Hamber student told more than 100 people who attended a student-organized rally called Save Our Students Tuesday afternoon. “Every day we’re not in school is a day where we don’t get to see our teachers and counsellors and friends, everyone who gives us [what] we needed,” he told the crowd who weathered the rain at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The Vancouver District Students’ Council organized the rally before veteran mediator Vince Ready left talks with the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and B.C. Public Schools Employers’ Association, Aug. 30.

Vancouver School Board student trustee Jing Wang said students wanted to make their voices heard. “Nobody really asked for direct student input,” she said. Even news late last week that Ready had agreed to meet with the BCTF, BCPSEA and Education Minister Peter Fassbender had failed to buoy students. “I don’t think we felt very optimistic at that point,” Wang said. Grade 11 Sir Winston Churchill student Charles Favreau told students and parents Tuesday they aren’t powerless. “Friends, we are not helpless,” he said. “There are 85 MLAs, 33,500 teachers, but over 550,000 students in our province... We are the largest side of this conﬂict… Together, we the multitudes have the power to reshape our society to make it more

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crossi@vancourier.com

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

News

Party seeks ombudsman’s office at city hall Continued from page 1 Hayden has lived in Vancouver since 2001 and resides in Mount Pleasant with his wife. He teaches swimming, does speaking engagements and has had his photography displayed in Vancouver and Mission, his hometown.

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previously ran coordinated campaigns with Vision, will challenge Mayor Gregor Robertson for the mayor’s chair. Community organizer Meena Wong announced Wednesday she will seek the mayoral nomination with COPE and longtime party member and former councillor Tim Louis conﬁrmed Thursday that he will seek a council nomination. twitter.com/Howellings

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with the Conservatives in the 2004 federal election. Most recently, Johl led a campaign with six community centre associations to oppose the ruling Vision Vancouver park board’s implementation of the OneCard system. He has also been embroiled in a legal ﬁght to retain his president’s post as head of Riley Park Hillcrest community association. Though Hayden pointed to a priority of ensuring proper planning of a new Vancouver Aquatic Centre and revitalizing or rebuilding community centres such as the one at Kensington, Johl said the party also wants an ombudsman’s ofﬁce at city hall and

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Vancouver First also added Johl’s brother Yogi Johl, a retired Olympic wrestler, seniors’ advocate Doug Starink and Massimo Rossetti, a former Hastings Community Association president, as park board candidates. Asked whether he would

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F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News $30K cycling counter ticks offNPA 12TH&CAMBIE

Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

Holidays are over. Back on the beat. Dare I write about bike lanes to warm up the typing ﬁngers? Sure, why not. Apparently, it’s an issue that still has wheels, so to speak, and keeps on rolling from election campaign to election campaign. I’ll begin with the squabble over the city’s installation of a $30,000 bike counter to count cyclists using the separated bike lane on the Burrard Bridge. This move comes under the bikefriendly Vision Vancouver administration seeking a third majority at city hall. Which means, of course, there will be pushback from the NPA. I give you a tweet from NPA mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe: “$30k bike scoreboards + campaign = partisan politics on taxpayer dime that wouldn’t pass any ethics test.”

The city installed a bike counter in June at the west end of the Burrard Bridge. It’s expected to be operating sometime this month. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

Which may or may not be true. That’s up to voters to decide Nov. 15. The simple fact is cyclists are using the bridge more than there were when the bike lane opened to great controversy in June 2009, according to statistics posted on the city’s website. This is a fact Mayor Gregor Robertson boasted about in 2010, saying the bridge saw a 24 per cent increase in cyclists one year after the lane was installed. Last week, the city issued

a release saying the Burrard Bridge bike lane marked its ﬁfth year in use and has seen more than ﬁve million trips since its installation. OK, so I think we get it — cyclists are using the lane. But apparently issuing press releases about statistics and regularly posting them on the city’s website are not getting enough attention. So now we have a $30,000 bike counter at the west end of the bridge to publicly display the stats. Except, as I discovered when I got close and

personal with the counter Wednesday, the counter isn’t working. In fact, it’s wrapped in what looks like a series of black plastic garbage bags. What gives? According to a city communications staffer, the counter is still being tested to ensure it is properly counting the bikes. It’s expected to be up and running sometime this month, said the staffer, who adheres to the city’s ridiculous media policy where staffers provide information “on background” and request their names not be published. Why was it installed? “In addition to counting cyclists on both sides of the road, these types of counters are popular around the world and help to encourage additional cycling by normalizing the behavior,” said the staffer in an email. “People who may have only been thinking about getting on their bike may see that thousands of other people have taken that route in a day and feel more encouraged to try cycling it themselves.” More on this on my blog. twitter.com/Howellings

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

To Our Local Neighbours ANKENMAN MARCHAND Architects& TRASOLINI CHETNER CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT Co.

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News

Pipeline opponents sabotage Chevron pumps

Bob Mackin

bob@bobmackin.ca

Gas stations are now a front in the battle against pipelines. Three Chevron outlets in Vancouver and one in Burnaby were hit last month by saboteurs who disabled fuel pumps. No group or individual has claimed responsibility, but an anonymous, anti-pipeline YouTube video said 80 pumps at four stations were shut down and it showed highlights from one incident. A link to the video was spread via Twitter using the #EvictChevron hashtag. Adrien Byrne, Chevron’s policy, government and public affairs representative, told the Courier affected Vancouver retail locations were at First Avenue and Nanaimo Street and Grandview Highway and Renfrew Street and the commercial card lock at First Avenue and Clark Drive, along with a retail location at Boundary Road and Dominion Street in Burnaby. “On the morning of Aug. 21, bicycle locks were used to prevent the use of gasoline and diesel pump dispensers at affected facilities in Vancouver,” Byrne wrote. “Chevron cannot speculate on the rationale behind this activity and our ﬁrst priority has been to ensure the safe and

This screengrab from a YouTube video shows masked men removing hoses from fuel dispensers and wrapping them with chains and bike locks at a Vancouver Chevron station.

ongoing operations of each site. Chevron has been in contact with the RCMP and [Vancouver Police Department] and will be monitoring any ongoing activity that may develop.” The three-minute, 21-second clip includes excerpts from videos about the Unist’ot’en aboriginal protest camp near Smithers and alleged pollution of the Ecuadorian Amazon by Chevron subsidiary Texaco. Unist’ot’en has vowed to block construction of the Paciﬁc Trail Pipeline, Chevron’s proposed 463-kilometre project to carry natural gas from north of Prince George to its proposed LNG plant in Kitimat. At the 2:28 minute mark,

the video cuts to footage of individuals in dark clothing, sunglasses, construction safety vests and masks covering their mouths and noses. Two of them remove hoses from fuel dispensers, place them on the ground and wrap them with chains and bike locks. The scene appears to be the Chevron at Grandview Highway and Renfrew Street. The video cuts to a person scaling a fence behind the Chevron at Main Street and E. 12th Avenue as two others dressed similarly await. The trio heads north on the alleyway at dusk and the video fades to black under the #EvictChevron hashtag. VPD Const. Brian Montague conﬁrmed the reports

for the Vancouver locations, but said there was no report of an incident at the Main and 12th Chevron. Recent protests against resource extraction have been organized around opposition to coal and oil, but on Nov. 3, anti-fracking protesters set-up a mock rig on the front lawn of Premier Christy Clark’s Mount Pleasant house. On May 30, three activists chained and locked themselves to the fence at the Chevron refinery in Burnaby to protest the Pacific Trail Pipeline. On June 3, VPD raided an East Vancouver house as part of an investigation into the spate of “No Pipelines” graffiti around the city. twitter.com/bobmackin

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F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News Effect on school calendar uncertain

Continued from page 1 The government says the $40 a day comes from strike savings. Iker said the BCTF relaxed its stance on class size and composition when it proposed two funds to address these problems. The BCTF has proposed a fund of $175 million for the ﬁrst year, $225 million in the second year, to improve classroom learning while teachers and government await a Court of Appeal decision regarding classroom size and composition. The BCTF has also proposed a $100-million fund to deal with grievances that could ﬂow from court decisions. Iker said the fund would be akin to how the government settled with the Hospital Employees Union for $75 million in 2008. Iker said the government is trying to negotiate its way out of court decisions with its E80 proposal that would supersede a Court of Appeal decision. The B.C. Supreme Court has twice ruled the government illegally stripped language about class size and composition from teachers’

Striking teachers walk along Fir Street south of Broadway outside the Vancouver School Board offices. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

contracts. On whether BCPSEA and the government would strike the E80 proposal, Clark said government would deal with the court decision when it’s made, but she didn’t want to wait to improve class composition until then. With uncertainty about when classes could start, some wonder how the school calendar could be affected. Vancouver School Board public relations manager

Kurt Heinrich said schools are required to provide 855 teaching hours to kindergarten students, 879 to those in Grades 1 to 7 and 954 for Grades 8 to 12. The VSB has 180 instructional days scheduled for 2014-2015 and Heinrich said it’s difﬁcult to say when the school calendar could be affected. “It’s a really difﬁcult question to answer and one which, fortunately, there’s never been a precedent for,”

he said Tuesday. He said the board didn’t want to speculate on when calendar changes would need to be made. When and if that happens, the Ministry of Education and other school districts would be consulted. Heinrich told the Courier Aug. 29 that elementary schools would be in “good shape” to reopen whenever classes start. Secondary schools would experience problems with timetabling. twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi

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Plaza’s future in doubt

Sandra Thomas

sthomas@vancourier.com

One of the authors of the Davie Street Revitalization Report is concerned for the future of what’s become known as the Bute Street Plaza, a tiny stretch of road south of Davie Street blocked off last summer to create a pedestrian-only space. Dean Malone said the space, which includes several picnic tables, has become a popular meeting place for residents of Davie Village, an area known for its many apartment buildings and high density. “There are game nights every Thursday, and we were there recently and played crib,” said Malone. “The space is perfect for it, but what it needs is funding for things like lighting so it can became a permanent park.” Malone said not everyone wants to see that section of road closed permanently. He noted the West End Business Improvement Association has suggested the closure should be seasonal. The short block of Bute Street was closed to trafﬁc, up to the alley, last summer just prior to Pride Week and converted into a mini park for community events and gatherings. The move was the ﬁrst of more than 30 recommendations included

in the Davie Street Revitalization Report created and compiled by a subcommittee of the city’s LGBTQ Advisory Committee, including Malone and community advocates Barb Snelgrove and Ron Stipp. At the time, Snelgrove told the Courier the closure was one of the quick ﬁxes included in the report. She noted other recommendations would take longer to implement and require more consideration and public input. The subcommittee sought input from residents, community leaders and the owners of small businesses, retail outlets, restaurants and bars, as well as organizations such as the Vancouver Pride Society, Qmunity and the West End Business Improvement Association. In January, council approved the proposed zoning needed to implement the community plan. Malone said while city staff has been supportive of the project, a decision needs to be made regarding its future. “Right now it doesn’t have proper lighting or permanent programming and that’s presenting some challenges,” said Malone. “Some businesses are complaining that even during daylight hours, there’s a lot of substance abuse going on there.” Malone also heard there’s been some concern regard-

ing street access from Vancouver Fire and Rescue, but spokesperson Capt. Carol Messenger was unable to confirm that prior to the Courier’s print deadline. Snelgrove said the city has a survey on its website asking for input on the project and she strongly encourages anyone with an opinion to fill it out. “Davie Village is a village and this is a much-needed outdoor space, which at this time is weather dependent,” said Snelgrove. “Having said that there are many options, including awnings that could make the space useable all year long.” Stephen Regan, executive director of the West End BIA, said while he is a fan of the space a plan to make it a permanent feature is not a simple one. “It’s complicated,” said Regan. “For it to become permanent we need the plaza to be well designed with fire access and have permanent programming and maintenance.” Regan also wants people to respond to the survey. “They need to share their voice so that park remains a park.” To find the Davie Street Plaza survey search for the West End Community Plan at vancouver.ca. The last day to respond is Sept. 14.

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F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

by Cheryl Rossi, inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans Of New York

ENHANCING VANIER PARK FOR YEAR-ROUND USE Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation are exploring ways to enhance Vanier Park for the community while minimizing the Festival’s impact on the Park. Bard on the Beach is proposing an all-season surface and tree-lined pathways at the Festival site.

Tell Us What You Think We are seeking feedback from local residents, park users and stakeholders. Community input will be an important factor in determining what will be done.

OPEN HOUSE

Sunday, September 14th, 9 am - 12 noon under the tents in Vanier Park at the foot of Whyte Avenue (drop in anytime)

Learn more and fill out a survey at www.bardonthebeach.org/parkenhancements

PHOTO CHERYL ROSSI

Proposal and survey online until September 30, 2014.

I just like being with them. They don’t have any sadness... I’m getting married Saturday. They just came here for my wedding from twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi Korea. I’m so grateful to have family at my wedding.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

Opinion

A ‘whale of a good time’ prohibited

Allen Garr Columnist agarr@vancourier.com

Amidst all the misery and mayhem in the news this summer, the local story that jumped out at me was the park board’s latest legal tussle over captive cetaceans — whales and dolphins — at the Vancouver Aquarium. Try as I might, thumbing through the Vancouver Charter, there is nowhere that I could ﬁnd language which gives the park board the authority to interfere with consensual sex between adult whales. But that is exactly what they have taken it upon themselves to do. What they propose is cetacean celibacy. If you are thinking this sounds like a policy drawn from Trinity Western University in the Fraser Valley, you would only be partly right. There students are expected to refrain from any premarital sexual intimacy. At the aquarium, Vision wants whales and dolphins pulled away from their natural family groups and penned in pools based on their gender. But that presents another issue. It is one that Trinity Western deals with by prohibiting homosexual relations among its students, staff and faculty. As for the aquarium, the proposal from the park board makes no reference to this aspect of sexual intimacy. Yet one can only assume that cetaceans are like most mammals; they have amongst them those that exhibit gay tendencies while others may be considered lesbian or bisexual. So you could say that the Vision park board commissioners who alone proposed this solution (the two NPA commissioners were not present for the vote) once again took care of the cetacean equivalent of the LGBTQ+ community. But those whales and dolphins held in captivity that are hopelessly heterosexual are the ones that are being punished. Shocking when you think that even the most hardened criminals that populate our county’s prison are entitled to 72 hour conjugal visits with their partners and their families at least once every two months. You would think that these creatures Vision professes to care about would be entitled to the same consideration. But, no. Vision park board chair Aaron Jasper told the Courier the policy preventing

procreation in the aquarium “struck the right balance.” Well I can tell you, nobody asked the whales and dolphins and nobody asked the aquarium which, as you may know, has filed a legal challenge in the B.C. Supreme Court. The aquarium is arguing that the motions passed by the park board, including setting up an oversight committee to keep an eye of aquarium scientists, are beyond its jurisdiction. Aquarium CEO John Nightingale told the media: “Our marine mammal rescue program will be compromised by the ban on breeding cetaceans,” adding that “a ban on breeding cetaceans is both impractical and unwise, from an animalcare and animal-welfare standpoint.” Incidentally, this is not the first of this park board’s decisions that have led to legal action. In fact, it could be safe to say, this park board has drawn more litigious responses then at any board in recent history. There are several cases in the works regarding a grumpy group of six community centres not happy with the loss of their autonomy. The board ran up against the law again when it attempted to put a bike path through Kits Point’s Hadden Park. It took an angry and determined citizens group to point out there was a covenant on the property placed there by the original donor of the land which prohibited such intrusions on the green space. You might think that it would be better to negotiate than litigate. But look at what has happened to the 12 community centres that decided to sit down and work out a deal with the park board on a joint operating agreement. Those talks are now in their second year. There have been more than 50 meetings between the community groups and city hall staff and more than a hundred among the community groups themselves. And still there is no final result. Now we have the aquarium court challenge which ironically won’t likely be heard before November’s election after four of the five Vision board members who made the decision plan to step down. Pity Mayor Gregor Robertson nixed the idea of a referendum on cetaceans in captivity. The question could be simple enough: “Are you pro or condom?” twitter.com/allengarr

The week in num6ers...

In thousands of dollars, the cost to install an automated counting machine beside the Burrard Bridge bike lane to record the number of trips across it.

The number of Vancouver gas stations that have had fuel pumps disabled by antipipeline activists using chains and bike locks.

In thousands of dollars, the annual tuition fee for Grade 1 to 7 students at the private school Christy Clark’s son attends.

Geoff Olson Columnist

mwiseguise@yahoo.com

Last month, the “Intelligence Unit” of the Economist ranked Vancouver as the third most livable city in the world. Melbourne came in at number one and Vienna at number two. Our city has achieved first-place ranking in the Economist’s little black book multiple times since 2005. But this year, it’s as if the magazine gave a long-stemmed rose to a Lululemon-wearing, Grind-crazed bachelorette, but then forced her into a group date with those uppity beyotches Vienna and Melbourne. Perhaps you’re feeling a bit confused. Isn’t Melbourne the Calgary of Australia? And what’s Toronto doing at number four in the Economist’s civic beauty pageant? And why is Calgary at five? It’s complicated. The magazine ranks world cities from zero to 100 in 30 categories, including stability, health care, culture, environment, education, and infrastructure (no comportment or swimsuit category). Famous for exporting Nick Cave and Dame Edna Everage, Melbourne netted perfect scores of 100 in several of these categories in last year’s liveability index. This is her moment in the sun — again. In your face, Sydney. The Economist’s Liveability index is hardly without value, but personally I’m not prepared to take these annual ratings much more seriously than when Rolling Stone magazine devotes an issue to the 100 best hairband albums of the ‘80s. To give just one example, the comparatively poor performances of London and New York in the index is mainly attributed to their “stability scores,” which are low because of a perceived terrorism risk. But considering pedestrian fatalities are on the rise in the latter, New Yorkers are likely in greater danger from Dodge Journeys than jihads. The gnomes at the Economist’s intelligence unit work with sharp-edged economic and civic metrics, leaving fluid, subjective factors to painters, poets, and other unreliable authors. Most people would describe Paris as a far more inspiring place that fourth-place winner Toronto, but that sort of sentiment escapes through the Economist’s finely calibrated mesh like Pinot Noir. But back to Vancouver, which is worldrenowned for being an astoundingly aloof berg. In the first six months of living in this city, a new arrival still has a better chance of being invited to a local’s home for dinner

The number of terms Tim Louis has served on city council. He lost his seat in 2005 and is seeking the nomination to run again as a COPE candidate

than dying in an aforementioned terrorist attack — but probably not by as wide a margin as they would think. Civic friendliness does not compute in the liveability index. This city is reportedly home to the world’s second-least affordable housing, and also hosts the largest and poorest postal code in Canada. Plus, it is embedded in a province with the highest rate of child poverty. Yet these questionable rankings haven’t deterred The Economist for booting Michael Bublé’s hometown to the top of its Liveability Index for multiple years in a row. And liveability for who, exactly? Certainly not for middle-class young couples starting families. They have about as much hope of owning a detached home within city precincts as snapping a selfie with a Sasquatch. Vancouver’s Olympian real estate prices certainly offer a safe berth for international investment, including laundered drug money, but it’s increasingly unliveable for the kind of people who are more likely to watch HGTV than read The Economist. Vaguely aware of her shortcomings, our West Coast beauty has morphed into a desperate-to-be-liked, gold-digging bachelorette who curses Melbourne and Vienna for doing something unmentionable into her shampoo bottle. Of course, the city’s physical allure has never been in doubt, though that’s mostly because it’s nestled in a mountainous amphitheatre with a sandbox strip. For the past 10 years, the spectacular setting has been enough to compensate for our civic leaders’ misbegotten ideas of making the city “world class.” But just by a peroxide hair. Across the city, chief plastic surgeon Gregor Robertson is presiding over the architectural equivalent of porn star makeovers, with neighbourhood low-rises replaced with sky-scraping bazookas. Overseas pre-sales of units helps fire speculation by a global investor superclass with a jones for security and scenery. (“Nearly a quarter of condos in Vancouver are empty or occupied by non-residents in some dense areas of downtown,” the Globe and Mail reported in March 2013.) I don’t see any of the above factored into the Economist’s long-distance affections. In any case, Melbourne gets the final rose — and at least that has the virtue of dampening all the self-aggrandizing local press about Vancouver being “the most liveable city in the world.” geoffolson.com

Vancouver ‘liveable city’ in name only

The theoretical number of kilometres covered by the new Tesla Model S powertrain warranty is infinite.

The number of times so far the Courier has been nominated for a Jack Webster award, which recognizes the best in B.C. journalism.

F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Mailbox On ‘great’ expectations To the editor:

Re: “Nothing ‘great’ about the First World War,” Aug. 29. Mr. Olson’s article on the commemoration of World War 1 as the “Great War” makes no bones about his feelings on the subject. War is bad, I’m a veteran, I get that. But what he is sadly lacking in, is context. He bases his thesis on a quote from a British author at the beginning of the war. According to the Oxford dictionary the word “great” primarily meant: • Of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average: • Very large and imposing: • Used to reinforce another adjective of size or extent: • Used in names of animals or plants that are larger than similar kinds. e.g., great auk, greater flamingo. This conflict would have been referred to by a British writer as a great war simply due to it’s scale and scope, being the largest conflict experienced up until that time. It was never meant to have any indication of the war being wonderful. All the romantic notions of the glory and greatness drowned quickly in the mud of Flanders along with too many other things. Peter Van Rienen, Vancouver

CO U R I E R A R C H I V E S T H I S W E E K I N H I S T O R Y

Anti-Asian mob goes on rampage

Sept. 7, 1907: Tensions over the increase in Asian immigration boils over when more than a thousand supporters of the Asiatic Exclusion League go on a rampage. After listening to inflammatory speeches at the former city hall, an angry mob carrying banners with slogans such as “Keep Canada White” and “Stop the Yellow Peril” went on a rampage vandalizing businesses and causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage in Chinatown. They then headed east to Japantown, but most retreated after being met by residents armed with clubs and bottles who fought back. While no deaths were reported in any English media outlets, the Taiwan Daily News reported that several people were killed.

Canada loses Game 4 of Summit Series Sept. 8, 1972: The Soviet national hockey team beats Team Canada 5-3 at Pacific Coliseum in Game 4 of the Summit Series. Russian goalie Vladislav Tretiak made 38 saves on 41 shots, including 21 in the final period. Many fans booed the home team after the loss, the final home game of the eight-game series that gave the Soviets a 2-1-1 lead. The boos prompted one of the most famous outbursts in hockey history after an emotional Phil Esposito expressed his disappointment live on national television. Canada lost the next game as well but beat the Soviets in the final three to win the series 4-3.

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Empty promises on the tracks To the editor:

Re: “I’m all through with (empty) promises,” July 30. What you said is correct, but you missed another of Mayor Robertson’s promises. After the Olympics, Robertson said we will build on the success of the Olympic Line streetcar. He failed to do so. In fact, Robertson and the majority of city council refused to fund the operation of the Downtown Historic Railway that runs along the same tracks used by the Olympic Line on the south side of False Creek to the popular tourists attraction of Granville Island. We are only talking $40 to 100K per year to keep the DHR running. This is a pittance when compared to the $20 million-$100 million for the questionable purchase of the Arbutus Line, and/or Granville Island. As for the market value of the Arbutus Line, CP has a good argument that Robertson’s offer of $20 million is too low. In 1997, the city paid CP $9 million for their South False Creek right-of-way. The Arbutus right-of-way is approximately four times as long. So, in 2014 dollars, an equivalent valuation would be in excess of $50 million. Dale Laird, Vancouver

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters may be edited by the Courier for reasons of legality, taste, brevity and clarity. Send to: 1574 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver V6J 1R2 or email letters@vancourier.com

have your say online...

vancourier.com FACEBOOK TheVancouverCourierNewspaper TWITTER @vancouriernews WEB

COURIER STORY: “Wi-Fi kerfuffle at Kensington,” Sept. 3. Eugene: “I think it’s more about politics than providing the service” says Mr. Jasper as he removes a service and references his openly political motives. Oh, the irony. John Crocock: We should check if there were major donations to the Vision group by Internet suppliers. Bill McCreery @Bill_McCreery: More tyranny from the top. Unbelievable. Stuart Mackinnon @betterparks: Why get something for free when you can pay for it? Boy do we need a change. KUDOS & KVETCHES: “Dude interrupted,” Sept. 3. lrothney: Don’t you dare point fingers at RAMP. It is true we did not want the sign as it was a magnet that brought more people from all over to our park who are drinking, smoking pot and leaving garbage everywhere. I am one of the people who helped clean up our community leaving crime in the past. It took us 10 years to rid the area of crime with major help from the VPD and now it is back thanks to Vision not only erecting a silly sign but to social housing bringing people from the DTES. Sarah Blyth @sarahblyth: “Yeah, well that’s just, like, your opinion man.” — The Dude. COURIER STORY: “Johl defeats ouster in court,” Aug. 27. Eric Harms: What a crock. Six associations found themselves resolutely opposed to the park board’s intention to strip local autonomy and guidance from neighbourhood centres in order to centralize control (and, by the way, keep the proceeds). Mr. Johl found himself representing one among five other associations (significantly, from widely different ethnic/demographic/economic communities) objecting to the park board’s plan. Most of those who were/are instrumental in their local opposition would be offended by the characterization of any one of us being labeled as the ‘leader’. We all acted on behalf of our communities. Jesse Johl never led me anywhere. Nor could he. COURIER STORY: “Cambie residents mourn mural,” Aug. 29. Randy Chatterjee: Senseless, hideous disrespect for art, community and history. This mural was painted during the entirety of the great Cambie tunnelling that ripped the community in two for three long years. It was one place we could all be together, forever. But I guess not in Vancouver. JJ Bean, you’ve lost a customer for life.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

Community

Ancient faith seeks good to balance the bad Zoroastrianism puts the onus for morality on the individual PACIFIC SPIRIT

Pat Johnson

paciﬁcspiritpj@gmail.com

Every morning, Farhad Mistry wraps a kastri, a small rope made up of 72 strings, around his waist like a belt while saying his morning prayers. Then he puts on a sadre, which is essentially a muslin undershirt afﬁxed with two very meaningful patches. The belt-like kastri is a reminder of his daily obligations to be a positive force in the world. The sadre emphasizes an even more direct reminder of the need to do good and the burden of doing otherwise. “The patch in the front is meant to symbolize all the good deeds that I’ve done throughout my life and the patch on the back is kind of like a burden: all the bad things I’ve done in my life,” says Mistry. “At the end of the day, anything that I’ve done wrong, whether it’s me being angry at someone, me being lustful, me hurting somebody, me being cunning, rude — all those bad things are my burdens and they’re on my back and the only way I can repent for them is to do goodness for the sake of goodness.” While his religious beliefs are ancient and complex, they are succinctly epitomized by the garment and its meaning. Mistry is a Parsi. That is, a follower of the prophet Zoroaster, who lived about 2,700 years ago. In Iran, where the religion began and still holds much cultural sway even in the strictly Muslim republic, his co-religionists are

“Happiness is the goal,” says Farhad Mistry. “Happiness for everyone and everything.” PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

known as Zoroastrians. Parsis are Zoroastrians, too, but they are descended from those who left the area that is now Iran’s Pars province at the time of the Islamic conquest of Persia 1,400 years ago. They made their way to India and, while clinging to the ancient religious rites, have nevertheless pointedly adopted cultural characteristics of their subcontinental neighbors, adopting Hindu-style dress, food and ceremonial features. Because many Zoroastrians live in Iran, where their numbers are not deﬁned, estimates of adherents range wildly. But

numbers are small — and declining. The guesstimate is that about 150,000 Zoroastrians remain worldwide, the remnants of a tradition that was once dominant from Egypt to Central Asia. (The most famous Zoroastrians in history are probably the Three Wise Men, of the Christian nativity narrative, and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.) About 800 Zoroastrians die every month and the number of births are in the “low two digits,” he says. Yet Zoroastrianism’s impact on the world has been immense. It was probably the ﬁrst mono-

theistic religion, predating and influencing Judaism, Christianity and Islam. But it rejects the “ethical monotheism” of the later three — the idea that not only is there a single deity, but that God is watching and judging individual human actions. Zoroastrianism puts the onus on the follower. There is no one to answer to but oneself. Purity is important — purity of mind, of spirit, of word and deed — and it is represented with fire. At the ancient fire temple in Gujarat, India, where Mistry was married and has visited often, the same family of priests has

tended the same fire for thousands of years. “The fire is important not because we pray to the fire but basically the fire is representative of the elements and the elements are considered to be pure,” he says. “The fire is not God but it is the symbol of God and truth.” While the fire temples in India are sacred destinations, and a Zoroastrian place of worship exists in Burnaby, it is a very home-based religion, says Mistry, who was born in Mumbai, raised in the Gulf States and came with his family to Canada, where he finished high

school and obtained his CGA designation. “It’s not prescriptive,” he says. “It’s not very structured. A lot of prayers take place at home.” There is no Sabbath when adherents gather together, but specific rituals will take place during a person’s lifecycle, from the moment a baby first sits up unaided, through an initiation ceremony for girls at age seven and boys at nine, through marriage, pregnancy and the end of life. Historically, to preserve the purity of the world, Zoroastrian dead were left to the elements — as in Mumbai’s Tower of Silence — where they were consumed by vultures. This is largely impractical now — vultures have declined in part due to poisoning — and most Zoroastrians opt for cremation. The ideas of good and evil, or of God and devil, which are common in other faiths, are not viewed so tangibly in Zoroastrianism. “God made the world perfect, but there is a dualism in the religion. There’s a cosmic dualism and there’s a moral dualism,” says Mistry. The moral dualism is the reality of people choosing to do good or bad in everyday choices. The cosmic dualism is the belief that the accumulated good deeds (or bad actions) of individuals influence the state of the world. While purity and selfimprovement are crucial, the ultimate goal is happiness in life, which is not necessarily the case in all religions. “Truth and righteousness bring happiness,” says Mistry. “Happiness is the goal — happiness for everyone and everything.”

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F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News Courier earns Webster nomination The Courier’s Vancouver Special series has been nominated in the best print feature category at the 2014 Jack Webster Awards. Vancouver Special was a collaborative project by the Courier editorial team to dedicate one issue every two weeks to each of Vancouver’s more than two dozen neighbourhoods, including UBC and the Musqueam lands. The project took place over the course of a year and involved print,

photography and video. The Courier team is up against nominees from the Vancouver Sun and the Province in the award category. This will be the ﬁfth time the Courier has been up for a Webster award. It’s also the third nomination in a row this year for the Vancouver Special series, which won gold at the Ma Murray Community Newspaper Awards and bronze at the Canadian Community Newspaper Association

OCTOBER 3 - 13, 2014

THE 34TH ANNUAL

awards this spring. The Websters, named for legendary broadcaster the late Jack Webster, honour the best in B.C. journalism in print, broadcast and online and are sponsored by the Jack Webster Foundation, which funds fellowships for B.C. journalists each year. The awards will be handed out Oct. 29 at a dinner at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. National Post columnist Andrew Coyne is slated to be the guest speaker.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

Feature

University ‘a shared responsibility’ sign the contract.” He added that students have become even more entrepreneurial and keen to create spin off companies than their professors are. “People should follow their passion.” Research is under pressure because the federal government no longer believes that discovery research is important, said MacLean. “I expect Professor Gupta to lobby governments and industries to support the research done by UBC faculty, whether that research is immediately applicable or not.”

Math and sushi

New UBC president Dr. Arvind Gupta wants more engagement with Vancouver, including supporting the city’s goal of a subway to the university. “It seems to me that to get transit moving from Commercial Drive to UBC, do it in one big swoop,” he says. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

UBC’s new president wants strong relations with Vancouver, an underground subway and more on-campus student housing

Stanley Tromp

stanleytromp@gmail.com

Educating UBC students is “a shared responsibility” between the university and Vancouver, says the new president of UBC. “Universities have to engage their communities in a fulsome way, for several reasons,” said Dr. Arvind Gupta, who replaced outgoing president Stephen Toope on July 1. “They are big drivers of how cities develop economically and socially, and our young people will become leaders in the city.” Campus reception to Gupta’s ﬁve-year appointment has been generally positive so far. “He is optimistic and seems determined to take the risks necessary to engage people in real discussions about hard issues,” UBC faculty association president Mark MacLean told the Courier. Will McDonald, editor of the Ubyssey student newspaper, added: “He seems highly competent and well spoken, though he hasn’t taken any ﬁrm positions on issues that matter to students such as housing or tuition.” But it’s the university’s relations with Vancouver where Gupta appears to want to forge new ground, as indicated in a wideranging interview with the Courier before the fall session start. Unlike his past three predecessors, Gupta

has deep roots in the Lower Mainland. Born in India and raised and educated in Ontario, he worked for nearly two decades in the Simon Fraser University math department before switching to UBC in 2009.

Subway solution

Gupta met with Mayor Gregor Robertson in midJune. “We discussed how UBC can be better interwoven with some of the major social and cultural issues of the Lower Mainland, create partnerships, and get our students into the community,” he said. But he also threw his support behind the mayor’s ambitious transit plan, which includes a subway along Broadway from Commercial Drive to UBC, a plan that will likely be put to a referendum. “I think we would have preferred to see it come out a little quicker, and the 30year plan prioritized a little higher,” said Gupta. The mayor’s report calls for rapid transit to Arbutus Street, then as a temporary measure, dedicated buses from Arbutus to UBC. In the short term that would work, but very quickly that would start wearing out, said Gupta. “We could either build a solution that lasts for the next 50 to 100 years, or an incremental ﬁx that just gets us to the next 10 years, and then something else for the

next 10. It seems to me that to get transit moving from Commercial Drive to UBC, do it in one big swoop.” Who should pay? “A combination of user fees and taxes,” he replied, noting the federal government has created a fund for urban projects.

Housing students

Gupta is well aware of student complaints that UBC’s building boom seems more geared to highpriced condo sales than affordable student rental units. “We don’t have enough housing here for students, so most of them live off campus. But I don’t have to tell you how pricey housing is in the city. I went from a small town in northern Ontario to university, and if not for a campus dorm bed, my parents just couldn’t have afforded it.” He said UBC housing stock expanded to nearly 11,000 dorm beds, with the cheapest dorms renting for under $600 a month. “I think over the next three years, we will have 2,000 more dorm rooms, but I still think that it’s not enough.” He added that UBC began building a new residential neighbourhood on the south campus, and he also was interested to provide newly recruited faculty and staff with affordable housing, so UBC designed a new “faculty housing action plan.” MacLean said much

of this plan is generous. “But when you crunch the numbers, because there are often ties to buying into new, expensive UBC-based developments, the average faculty member still cannot afford to buy a home.” In reply to those who worry that UBC’s building boom is too much, too fast, Gupta replied, “Well, there’s different kinds of construction. You can’t just build half a neighbourhood. Either you build it to scale and it has all the amenities that the residents want, or you don’t build it.”

UBC Inc.?

UBC is vast — with 58,000 students and 15,000 faculty and staff, with a yearly budget of $2.2 billion. Many critics wonder if universities have become too corporatized, and research too profit-driven? Could sponsored research findings be supressed or distorted if they don’t give the desired result? Gupta thinks not. “People say that but we have less corporate research funding than five years ago, and it only makes up about nine percent of UBC’s budget. As I know from my work with Mitacs, there is nothing [wrong] with partnerships with the private sector — the question is how. These have to be intellectually honest, ethical, advance the university’s core mandate, and have an arm’s length peer review before you

Gupta was born in Punjab, India in the city of Jalandhar. Arriving in Canada at age seven, he grew up in Timmins, Ont., earning his PhD in computer science from the University of Toronto in 1991. He spent 18 years teaching in the Simon Fraser University math department while living in Coquitlam before being wooed to UBC. His research expertise is in combinatorial algorithms as applied to bioinformatics, which utilizes computer science to better understand genetics. Since 2000, Gupta has been CEO and scientific director of Mitacs, a national nonprofit that works with the federal government and industry partners, giving graduate students business experience. Since 2012 he has sat on the Government of Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council and a panel that reviews federal spending on industrial research. Because Gupta moved to Canada from India as a child, he regards himself as a Canadian first, rarely follows Indian culture, and has “no religion.” His favourite food is Japanese, mainly sushi, and Chinese. “My wife can handle any spice level, but I prefer medium.” Gupta will keep his position as professor of computer science, and has moved into the president’s mansion known as the Norman Mackenzie House with his wife Dr. Michelle Pereira. He has three daughters, two of whom are students at UBC. Gupta has never been a university administrator before and says his policy is to be as open as possible, a common first pledge of new UBC presidents. “I want to know what people are thinking. If people want to come see me directly that’s fine, but I’m told that won’t be possible forever.”

F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A15

Technology Yes, you need a bigger phone

Public Hearing: September 16

THE PRACTICAL GEEK

Vancouver City Council will hold a Public Hearing to consider zoning amendments for these locations:

Barry Link

blink@vancourier.com

Next week Apple is expected to unveil iPhones with the largest screens in that product’s history. In ﬁnally going big, Apple is months behind where the market has already gone. But it’s a smart move made necessary by you. A friend observed that if you plotted mobile phone sizes on a graph, the graph’s line would look like a roller coaster as phone sizes went up and down. The ﬁrst cellphones were massive bricks. As technology improved and consumer tastes became more discerning, they evolved into small beetlelike clamshell devices. Then they got thin, picked up touch screens and lost physical keyboards. But they were still small. One day, someone picked up one of these dainty devices, squinted at the screen, tried to type on the tiny virtual keyboard and said, “I can’t read this.” Thus the big smartphone was reborn. That’s my simplistic interpretation of history but it’s serviceable. After years of companies like Samsung making a business out of providing a product for almost every conceivable screen size, consumers and manufacturers have settled into a few key sweet spots for the devices in their lives. Those sizes are based not only on the function of the device but the biological limits of the user. For a good chunk of the market in North America, our eyes are getting old and our patience for carrying around multiple devices has worn thin. Bigger is what we need.

One size doesn’t fit all

For tablets, the sweet spots are eight inches and 10 inches. The eight-inch models are best for media consump-

tion, including web surfing, books and video. Examples of best in class are the iPad mini and the Samsung Tab S 8.4. (The Google Nexus 7, my longtime favourite, is alas a seven-inch shrimp.) The 10-inch models are best for media consumption and casual gaming on steroids (the iPad Air) or productivity, where Windows 8 tablets have an edge. For phones, the story has changed. When the iPhone was taking out the competition and changing the industry, the sweet spot was 3.5 inches, which is the size of my trusty workplace iPhone 4s. It immediately became too small the day two years ago I got my HTC8X with its fourinch screen. Since then, as five-inch models from the appropriately named Nexus 5 to Samsung’s popular Galaxy S5 have hit the market, my HTC has begun to feel small. Next to the five-inchers, my iPhone disappears.

Two for the price of one

But the other iPhone expected next week is 5.5 inches, which is a jarring departure from Apple orthodoxy. What gives? Samsung, LG and Nokia have all produced behemoths from 5.5 to seven inches. If you read the online user forums for these devices, you’ll discover that consumers who’ve bought big phones are passionate about them. For the ﬁrst few days they wondered why they were carrying around a small dinner plate. Then they wondered how they coped without that big screen. For Apple fans, who may have been secretly jealous of friends toting around Samsung Galaxy Notes, think of a somewhat smaller iPad mini that can make calls. It will do all the cool things we expect from tablets, but in a size that’s forgiving on strained eyes. In aging North America, that’s more and more of us.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014, 6 pm at City Hall 453 West 12th Avenue, Third Floor, Council Chamber

1. Flood Construction Levels

To amend the Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 to respond to increased flood construction levels by allowing floor area exclusions for sites in a designated flood plain in a residential district. The proposal is to exclude floors located at or below finished grade with a ceiling height of less than 1.5 metres from the computation of floor area.

2. 601 West Hastings Street

To rezone 601 West Hastings Street from the existing CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District #164 (By-law No. 5810) to a new CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District to permit the development of a 25-storey ofﬁce building, with retail uses and a public plaza at grade. A ﬂoor space ratio (FSR) of 24.34 is proposed.

3. 1890 Skeena Street (Akali Singh Sikh Temple)

To amend CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District (125) By-law No. 5060 for 1890 Skeena Street to increase the permitted ﬂoor space ratio (FSR) from 0.30 to 0.36. The proposal is to add to the temple site a one-storey, 864-square-metre (9,301 square feet) building to accommodate programs customarily ancillary to a religious institution.

4. 3503-3523 East Hastings Street and 394-398 Skeena Street To consolidate and rezone four lots located at 3503-3523 East Hastings Street and 394-398 Skeena Street from C-2C1 (Commercial/ Residential) District to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District. The rezoning would permit the development of a mixed-use building with 87 for-profit affordable rental housing units and ground-floor commercial spaces. A height of 19.74 metres (64.8 feet) and a floor space ratio (FSR) of 3.95 are proposed. 5. 357, 375 and 391 West King Edward Avenue

To rezone 357, 375 and 391 West King Edward Avenue from RS-1 (One-Family Dwelling) District to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District to permit the development of a four-storey residential building with townhouses on the lane, containing a total of 42 dwelling units. A height of 14.8 metres (48.5 feet) and a ﬂoor space ratio (FSR) of 1.82 are proposed.

Various Locations

Development Permit Board Meeting: September 8

The Development Permit Board and Advisory Panel will meet:

Monday, September 8, 2014 at 3 pm Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue Ground Floor, Town Hall Meeting Room to consider this development permit application: 1710 East Broadway: Interior and exterior alterations to the existing TransLink station; work includes upgrading the pedestrian connections by creating new platforms and a passerelle (pedestrian bridge) over Broadway, and upgrading of the ticket hall entrance, a bike storage facility and provisions for future retail areas. Please contact City Hall Security (1st ﬂoor) if your vehicle may be parked at City Hall for more than two hours. TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM: 604-873-7469 or lorna.harvey@vancouver.ca

6. 7790 Cambie Street

To rezone 7790 Cambie Street from RT-1 (Two-Family Dwelling) District to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District to permit the development of a six-storey residential building, containing a total of 27 dwelling units. A height of 21.3 metres (70 feet) and a ﬂoor space ratio (FSR) of 2.70 are proposed.

7. 7350 Fraser Street

To rezone 7350 Fraser Street from RT-2 (Two-Family Dwelling) District to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District to permit the development of a six-storey residential building with 95 for-profit affordable rental housing units. A height of 14.0 metres (46.0 feet) and a floor space ratio (FSR) of 2.61 are proposed. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE APPLICATIONS: vancouver.ca/rezapps or 604.873.7038 Anyone who considers themselves affected by the proposed by-law amendments may speak at the Public Hearing. Please register individually beginning 8:30 am on Friday, September 5, 2014 and before 5 pm on September 16, 2014 by emailing publichearing@ vancouver.ca or by phoning 604-829-4238. You may also register in person at the door between 5:30 and 6 pm on the day of the Public Hearing. You may submit your comments by email to mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca, or by mail to: City of Vancouver, City Clerk’s Office, 453 West 12th Avenue, Third Floor, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4. All submitted comments will be distributed to Council and posted on the City’s website. Please visit vancouver.ca/publichearings for important details.

4 3

5 6

Copies of the draft by-laws will be available for viewing starting September 5, 2014 at the City Clerk’s Ofﬁce in City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue, Third Floor, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. All meetings of Council are webcast live at vancouver.ca/ councilvideo, and minutes of Public Hearings are available at vancouver.ca/councilmeetings (posted approximately two business days after a meeting). For real time information on the progress of City Council meetings, visit vancouver.ca/speaker-wait-times or @VanCityClerk on Twitter.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PUBLIC HEARINGS, INCLUDING REGISTERING TO SPEAK: vancouver.ca/publichearings

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

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A16

THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

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Dormant lawn will recover with rain

amarrison@shaw.ca

Q: “My lawn has suddenly turned into a huge patch of moss and white clovers after all this hot weather. I have completely no grass left. What’s the secret to having a green, nice looking lawn? Also how can I level my lawn and reseed it so I get even coverage? How can I stop the seed from washing away?” Sandy Lai, Belcarra It’s most likely the grass on your lawn has gone dormant from drought. But when this happens, the grass roots are only dormant. When we get regular rain this fall, you may ﬁnd your grass growing again and greening-up. In future, if you always mow with a long cut (so the grass is about three inches (seven centimetres) tall), you

may ﬁnd your lawn suddenly looks a lot better. Setting the lawnmower for a high cut is an important key to having a nice, green lawn. When the grass is taller, there’s more surface to each grass leaf. This means it’s better able to feed itself through photosynthesis — and among longer grass, moss and clover will be largely hidden. So there’s a possibility that if you wait for fall rains, you may not be forced into major lawn work. I suspect your moss is thriving where the clover is weak and the clover is doing well where the moss is weak. Moss grows best in shade, while clover loves sun. Dolomite lime sprinkled on lawns will kill moss and feed your lawn as well. But moss can’t be permanently removed anywhere a lawn is very shady. In partial shade, the moss is weak and a

healthy lawn of grass easily out-competes it. It’s best not to try to remove the clover. It has very deep roots and is resistant to weed killers. More importantly, clover is such a good natural fertilizer for grass that many grass seed mixes deliberately include clover seed. Clover is a nitrogen-ﬁxer that transfers nitrogen from the air and stores it on its roots where grass feeds on it. If your lawn really does need work, this should be done this fall when nature provides the moisture for grass seed to grow. The lawn soil is probably compacted and bringing in a machine to aerate it would add oxygen to the soil and discourage voles which make tunnels under lawns. Voles and to some degree moles are a major cause of uneven lawns. Their subsurface excavations gradually collapse the soil in some

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places and not in others. Grading machines can level lawns quickly and efﬁciently, but this is no substitute for aeration which boosts the supply of oxygen to plant roots. An alternative to machine aeration is plunging a garden fork into the lawn about 12” (30cm) apart all over. The next step is bringing topsoil in. Try to rake it evenly all over. When you seed, try scattering the seed in parallel lines all over the lawn, then scatter it again in parallel lines going across your original lines. When it’s all sown, the seed won’t wash signiﬁcantly if you cover it lightly with straw. This also helps keep it safe from birds, but try to get straw that contains little or no weed seed. Anne Marrison is happy to answer garden questions at amarrison@shaw.ca. Please mention your location.

Natural gas prices When it comes to buying natural gas, it’s nice to have a choice. Compare your options: fixed rates and terms offered by independent gas marketers or a variable rate offered by FortisBC. Customer Choice: it’s yours to make. Gas marketer

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Residential variable rate (per GJ)** $4.640

For more information, visit fortisbc.com/choice.

*Chart shows gas marketers’ rates for a range of fixed terms, valid as of September 1, 2014. Marketers typically offer a variety of rates and options. Check gas marketers’ websites or call to confirm current rates. **Residential variable rate valid as of July 1, 2014. FortisBC’s rates are reviewed quarterly by the British Columbia Utilities Commission. A gigajoule (GJ) is a measurement of energy used for establishing rates, sales and billing. One gigajoule is equal to one billion joules (J) or 948,213 British thermal units (Btu). The Customer Choice name and logo is used under license from FortisBC Energy Inc. This advertisement is produced on behalf of the British Columbia Utilities Commission.

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SKATE CANADA PROGRAM OFFERING: CANSKATE - LEARN TO SKATE – (KIDS & ADULTS) TEST STREAM & COMPETITIVE SKATING JUNIOR ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS & POWER SKATING CLASSES START MONDAY, SEPT. 8TH, WEDNESDAY, SEPT 10TH AND SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2014 Registration is Online at www.killarneyskatingclub.com CanSkate (includes Pre-CanSkate (tots) and Ages 2.5 and up – all levels welcome! CANSKATE LEARN TO SKATE PROGRAMS Saturdays: (1:00-1:45pm) & (4:45 to 5:30pm) Mondays: (5:15-6:00pm) Wednesdays: (5:15-6:00pm) Skate Canada Certiﬁed Professional Coaching Staff All sessions held at Killarney Rink (6260 Killarney St) T: 604.430.2330 Email: killarneyskatingclub@gmail.com Website: www.killarneyskatingclub.com

A18

THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

Spend a ‘Day at the Farm’

AND GET IN TOUCH WITH AGRICULTURE

ave you ever visited a real working farm? Come to the 9th annual “Day at the Farm,” event hosted by Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Westham Island Herb Farm on September 6th, from 10am to 4pm.

Held at Westham Island Herb Farm in Ladner, this event gives visitors a unique opportunity to interact with many aspects of our farming community. Over 20 agricultural organizations will have displays to engage people in fun activities that showcase the nature of BC agriculture and answer questions about how local food is produced. Christine Terpsma, Program Coordinator of the Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust, expects visitors will view agriculture in a different light. “People are often surprised to learn such a diverse farming community is right in their backyard,” says Terpsma. “Delta is only about 20 kilometers from Vancouver. After visiting “Day at the

Photos by Greg Fee

Farm,” visitors get a sense of just how local their food is. Their blueberries, cranberries, vegetables and diary products are largely produced within an hour of Metro Vancouver.”

There’s plenty of things to do and see at this year’s event. In addition to the ever popular farmer-led haywagon tours and BC Dairy Association milking shows, visitors can look forward to a specialty poultry exhibition, musical pony ride, farrier shows, a mini-live auction and butter churning demonstrations. BC Fresh is once again hosting a Potato Dig, which allows people to harvest their own fresh potatoes straight from the field.

Antique and modern farm equipment, livestock, live entertainment and plenty of fresh local fare ensures that there is something for everyone at this much-anticipated event. Visitors will even have the opportunity to learn from local conservation organizations who work in Delta, to explain how farms in this area provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife species.

Admission is free or by donation. Be sure to bring non-perishable items for the food bank. Like to bake? Bring a batch of homemade cookies to enter the “local cookie contest,” to be judged by a professional chef at the showstage at noon.

“A FUN agricultural event for the whole family!”

Westham Island Herb Farm 4690 Kirkland Road, Ladner, BC

Bring a donation for the food bank!

Saturday, September 6

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

10 AM to 4 PM Hay Wagon Farm Tours BC Fresh Potato Dig Live Music Musical Pony Show Antique Tractors/Modern Farm Equipment Wildlife Conservation Displays Livestock and 4H Calves Fresh Local Produce for Sale Local Food Vendors Mini Live Auction Poultry Exhibition AND MUCH MORE!

BRITISH COLUMBIA WATERFOWL SOCIETY

Enter our HOMEMADE COOKIE CONTEST!

N O I S IS tion M na ase D A do s ple

E by og E r od R o F N

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F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

ExoticCourier

Bring five firefighters from New York to the 9-11 Memorial Ride

Courier reader: Geoffrey Buttner Destination: Cape Agulhas, South Africa Favourite memories of trip: My wife Margaret and I recently visited South Africa and took a

driving trip along the south coast, visiting Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of South Africa, and the official divide between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. We had an amazing trip and we recommend everyone add South Africa to their travel lists. The drive between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town is particularly scenic. Send your Exotic Courier submissions with your name, travel destination, a high-res scenic photo featuring the Courier and a short description of the highlights of your trip to letters@vancourier.com.

On September 11, 2014, emergency personnel from the Lower Mainland and upper Washington State will converge at Peace Arch. Five first responders who were at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001 have been invited to attend. A crowdfunding campaign has been started to pay for their transportation costs. Monies will also go to Honour House, a refuge for ill or injured emergency personnel.

Join us September 13, 11am

Crack e the Cod t Contes

- 3pm

GRAND OPENING CELE BRATIONS! Have fun wit h us at our block party (2941 West Broadway @ Bayswater) with Lion danc ers , face painters, live DJ, free BBQ and prizes galor e. PLUS the Crack The Code $5000 finale at 2:30pm!

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

Travel

Riviera Nayarit offers something for all Diana Ballon

dmballon@gmail.com

Employees from Collingwood Safeway celebrating results of the August campaign.

Thank You for

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Together with our customers and employees

$ 430,007

Spending five days on a trip that combined an allinclusive resort with a quaint Mexican pueblo and funky seaside beach towns was, well, pretty much idyllic. This was all possible with a direct charter flight to Puerto Vallarta and a short drive — easily doable by local bus, taxi or rental car to Riviera Nayarit, a region north of Puerto Vallarta that includes about 300 kilometres of coastline. It’s here you can navigate coastline steeped in what I imagine Puerto Vallarta was like 50 years ago, including authentic Mexican villages, fishing towns, cobblestoned streets, colourful outdoor markets and beaches that ranged from secluded to popular surf hangouts. You’ll also find everything from the classic Mexican taqueria to upscale Four Seasons Resort in Punta Mita, golf courses, organic restaurants, art galleries and yoga studios — all against a backdrop of the Sierra Madre mountains and lush jungle forest. Our first stop was San Francisco, more commonly known as San Pancho, and Spanish for St. Francis, the patron saint of animals and ecology. A charming town bordered by undeveloped jungle, its main plaza is a hub of activity with yoga offered in

See our

*in selected areas

A stand at one of the many local markets that can be found in villages off the beaten path in Mexico. PHOTO DIANA BALLON

the morning and kids playing basketball later in the day. A narrow one-lane road lead to a stunning though minimally sheltered beach with some thatched palapas and two restaurants, Las Palmas and La Perla. There you can rent bungalows by the ocean, browse through an array of beaded jewellery and silver at the outdoor market or visit one of the many great restaurants in town. From there, we stopped at the neighbouring Sayulita. When I visited 15 years ago, it was a sleepy ﬁshing village attracting a surf crowd. Today, the surfers remain, but with them is a burgeoning array of tourists wandering cobblestone streets off the main plaza and visiting the many cafés, restaurants and boutiques. We stopped for lunch at Don Pedro’s, Sayulita’s renowned restaurant and bar on the beach offering class dining. Nearby, we visited “Monkey Mountain”

ﬂyer in today’s paper...

was raised during the month of August $ Since 2008, the month of August has been dedicated to raising awareness and funds in every one of our locations. Thanks to the commitment of our employees and the generosity of our customers, over $7 million has been raised over the last seven years for leading-edge neuromuscular research and Safeway Mobility Grants. In fact, 229 families have received Safeway Mobility Grants, ensuring more of our neighbours receive essential equipment and assistive devices. This special partnership with Muscular Dystrophy Canada allows us to extend our commitment to supporting families living with disabilities beyond the four walls of our stores and into the towns and cities we serve across Western Canada. Together, we are making muscles move!

with Rancho Mi Chaparrita to go ziplining. For two hours, we were transported above the trees on a network of 13 cables, at times travelling as fast as 40 to 45 kilometres per hour with a clear view of the ocean, and ascending as high as 125 metres above sea level. We stayed at the Occidental Grand Nuevo Vallarta, a 25-minute drive from the Puerto Vallarta airport, and 35 minutes from downtown. Following a $15 million renovation, they’ve also added a kids’ club, theatre stage and adults-only pool with an ocean view. So is Riviera Nayarit, as a USA Today headline bills it, “the next great place?” I would go back in a minute. Beach towns like San Pancho and other less explored destinations offer authentic Mexican living, while still catering to gringo demands for items like gluten-free brownies and quinoa.

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F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

Arts&Entertainment

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GOT ARTS? 604.738.1411 or events@vancourier.com

Sept. 5 to 9, 2014 1. Fringe veteran Nancy Kenny rolls into town with her one-woman show Roller Derby Saved My Soul. She had us at Roller Derby. It’s all part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival, which runs until Sept. 14. Details at vancouverfringe.com. And look for reviews of Fringe performances in upcoming issues of the Courier.

2. Vancouver punk icon Art Bergmann’s unlikely comeback continues with a sureto-be invigorating and enjoyably shambolic show at the Commodore Ballroom Sept. 6 in support of the 61-year-old’s new (!) four-song EP Songs for the Underclass. The Courtneys and C.R. Avery open. Tickets at Red Cat, Neptoon Records and ticketmaster.ca. 3. Splitting her time between Galiano Island and Vancouver, singer-songwriter T. Nile also splits her music between traditional folk instrumentation and dance ﬂoor-friendly synthesizers and electronics on her latest album Tingle & Spark. She plays an early show at the Biltmore Sept. 6, 8 p.m. with guest Terence Jack. Details at biltmorecabaret.com. 4. It’s hard to know what to expect when Tim and Eric (Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!) team up with Dr. Steve Brule (John C. Reilly) for two performances at the Vogue Theatre Sept. 7. But rest assured it will be weird, awkward, insanely funny and ﬁlled with life lessons you may or may not want to follow. Tickets, if there are any left, at northerntickets.com.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

Arts&Entertainment

Cinema’s serious Fall ﬁlm preview: Oscar contenders and hopefuls

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It’s back to school time (at least in theory), and all you want as a parent is for your kids to break away from the pack and distinguish themselves a little. At this time of year it’s what movie studios want, too. Fall is the unofﬁcial start of the Oscar race, when ﬁlms clamour for recognition and start sucking up to Academy voters in the hopes of a stellar recommendation. Maybe an apple would help? Here are some of the hopefuls releasing in September and October. You decide who’ll make the grade.

The Skeleton Twins

Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader get serious (mostly) as estranged twins who ﬁnd themselves under the same roof and having to get to know each other all over again. Won the screenwriting prize at Sundance.

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True-life tale of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) who made the link between the growing crack epidemic in the U.S., the funneling of money to

SNL alumni Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig play estranged twins in the Sundance winner The Skeleton Twins.

armed rebels in Nicaragua and the CIA’s complicity, at great risk to his family and himself. “Some stories are just too true to tell.” Co-starring Michael Sheen, Andy Garcia, Barry Pepper, Oliver Platt and Michael K. Williams.

The Equalizer

McCall (Denzel Washington) has put his life behind him and is just looking for a little peace. But when he meets a young woman (Chloe Grace Moretz) being abused by Russian mobsters, McCall can’t help but settle the score.

Men, Women and Children

Director Jason Reitman looks at how adolescence has changed thanks to the Internet, and how parents and teens navigate the com-

plex new world of dating, sex and peer relationships on- and off-line. Stars Jennifer Garner, Kaitlyn Dever, Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ansel Elgot, Judy Greer and Dean Norris.

Tusk

Justin Long plays a podcast journalist who heads to Canada in search of weird stories. He ﬁnds more than he bargained for in this strange and gruesome tale from Kevin Smith. Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez and Michael Parks add to the weirdness.

The Maze Runner

A long-shot to take home any prizes but poised to make a mint is The Maze Runner, yet another teen pic set in a cruel dystopian future. Continued next page

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Email us your name, phone number, and the name & birth date of the child celebrating the birthday. If you choose to add a photo, email that too! Email: jstafford@vancourier.com. (You will be charged $9.95 + tax for photo publication.)

(Deadline is Friday, September 26th Next Birthday Club publishes on Friday, October 3rd.)

F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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season begins clamour for recognition Continued from previous page Based on James Dashner’s best-selling book about a teen who wakes up to ﬁnd himself with a group of kids in the centre of a maze full of monstrous mechanical creatures. If the Fox ﬁlm is a success, there are two other books waiting to serve as sequels.

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Gone Girl

David Fincher directs Gillian Flynn’s twisty novel about a seemingly perfect marriage unraveling at the seams. When Nick Dunne’s (Ben Afﬂeck) wife of ﬁve years (Rosamund Pike) goes missing, he’s the prime suspect. But which lies are actually truths?

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Siblings brought together by the death of their father are forced to live under the same roof and work out their issues. Let’s hope it’s as funny as its cast — Jane Fonda, Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Adam Driver and Corey Stoll — suggests.

Fury

Second World War period drama starring Brad Pitt as a battle-weary sergeant nicknamed Wardaddy who commands five men in a Sherman tank dubbed “Fury.” Outmanned and outgunned, Fury’s crew push through Nazi front lines and find themselves fighting against some 300 enemy fighters. Featuring Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, Jason Isaacs and Scott Eastwood.

Judge

A hotshot lawyer (Robert Downey Jr.) returns to his small-town roots following a death in the family, only to discover that his father (Robert Duvall) — a longtime county judge — is the suspect in a murder trial. Billy Bob Thornton also stars.

St. Vincent

If gambling and prostitution are among your criteria for a babysitter, Bill Murray is your man. Murray plays a war vet seriously in debt who becomes the afterschool caregiver to 12-yearold Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) against the good sense of mom Maggie (Melissa McCarthy).

Saturd rday September 13 5PM Tickets $10

Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike star in David Fincher’s gripping Gone Girl (above) while Michael Keaton spreads his wings in Birdman.

Imitation Game

by Sam Rockwell.

The Weinstein Company is hoping that this Second World War biopic about famous code-breaker Alan Turning will follow in the footsteps of The Artist and The King’s Speech and win Best Picture. Benedict Cumberbatch is Turing, who cracked the Nazi codes at a crucial juncture in the war; Keira Knightly is a fellow codebreaker who becomes more.

Colin Firth as a supersecret agent? Yes, please! Firth stars as a ruthless taskmaster to a street tough (Taron Egerton) who is recruited into the top-secret fold. Based on the comic books and directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass), the ﬁlm also stars Samuel L. Jackson.

The Best of Me

Birdman

Yet another funeral reunites two high school sweethearts 20 years after the fact in this Nicholas Sparks adaptation. Michelle Monaghan and James Marsden play Amanda and Dawson, who get a dangerous second chance at ﬁrst true love.

Laggies

Megan (Keira Knightly) is a 28-year-old who never really grew up after high school. A proposal from her boyfriend throws Megan into an introspective tizzy: she hides out in the home of her 16-year-old friend (Chloe Grace Moretz) and her bewildered dad, played

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Another ﬁlm billed as an Oscar contender is Birdman, written and directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu and starring Michael Keaton (in an inspired bit of casting) as an actor best known for playing a superhero. That was decades ago, and now he’s mounting his own Broadway play in the slim hopes of a comeback. As opening night approaches, he has visions (can he levitate for real?), battles with his daughter (Emma Stone), his girlfriend and co-star (Andrea Riseborough) and tussles with agents and shady promoters (Zach Galiﬁanakis and Edward Norton).

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER F R I DAY, SE P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4

Arts&Entertainment KUDOS & KVETCHES Summer housekeeping

get caught in our web…

v a n c o u r i e r. c o m

With summer sadly coming to an end, we thought it was a good time to do some much-needed housekeeping at K&K headquarters and address some of the news items we didn’t have a chance to cover over the past few months on account of being too busy living la vida loca, skipping the light fandango, working for the weekend and focussing too much on out-of-date song references. • In June, TransLink introduced its newest SeaBus, the Burrard Otter II, which is scheduled to go into service this fall. Needless to say, we think the name is pretty lame, even if the vessel is replacing the original Burrard Otter, which will be retired from

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active service. Seriously, how much cooler would it be to ride something called the Burrard Muskrat or the Floating Sea Cucumber, which incidentally, in Nanaimo, is also the name of a certain lewd act. On the bright side, the Burrard Otter II is slightly better than its fellow SeaBuses the Burrard Pacific Breeze, which sounds like a feminine hygiene product, and the Burrard Beaver, which just makes us giggle. • In what will forever be known as the worst day of our lives next to the cancellation of Designing Women and Bootsauce breaking up, July 31 marked the final broadcast of Gloria “the gossamer of loveliness” Macarenko after 24 years anchoring CBC TV newscasts. A fixture in our eatingdinner-on-the-couch-whilechannel-surfing lives and our hearts, Macarenko will become the new host of the CBC Radio One network show The Story From Here, which sounds like a typical CBC family drama akin to Wind at My Back or Salt of the Earth People Doing Boring Things in Olden Days, but is actually a radio program that broadcasts documentaries from across Canada. Former Montreal-based whippersnapper Andrew Chang officially took over the anchor desk, or more precisely “modern news broadcast standing spot,” on Sept. 1, but he is persona non grata to us. You do not mess with the Macarenko. Veteran anchor Tony

Parsons remains co-host. Oh wait, that’s a piece of well-worn furniture. Parsons actually retired at the end of 2013. Our bad. • Two weeks ago, B.C. Lions president and gnomish magic user Dennis Skulsky guaranteed that his team would beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders when they came to town Aug. 24. And if they didn’t win, Skulsky promised those attending the game would get a free ticket to one of the Lions next four home games. Turns out the Lions lost 20-16 and the team could lose a potential $2 million in revenue if everyone in attendance takes the Lions boss up on his offer. Talk about awkward. Even more awkward than when Skulsky insists on showering with the team after each game. • Last week ICBC announced it wants to raise basic rates by 5.2 per cent to cover current and future payouts, citing a rise in claims due to distracted drivers who still insist on texting while driving and apparently are incapable of going to the grocery store after work without ﬁrst checking in to see if there’s anything else they should pick up. Personally, not owning a car, we have no problem if ICBC wants to apply a “dumb person tax” to its customers, just as long as they don’t increase the insurance on our Segway, or we don’t keep remembering that in February ICBC projected nearly $1 billion in proﬁts for 2013-2016. twitter.com/KudosKvetches

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Event: Bingo for Life hosted by Joan-E every Wednesday at Celebrities Nightclub. Poster artist: Graphic designer Sam Donnelly is responsible for this Technicolour marvel of beehives, bingo cards and daubers, which makes bingo look a lot cooler than the smokers outside of Planet Bingo do. —Michael Kissinger twitter.com/MidlifeMan1 EVERY SHOW

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Community

BIG FISH: The West Coast Fishing Club hosted its ninth annual Fishing for Kids Tournament. Forty-one anglers shelled out $12,500 to compete in the three-day contest benefitting the Canucks Autism Network (CAN). In search of the biggest fish and $200,000 cash, participants flew to the luxury lodge at the northernmost tip of Haida Gwaii for the fundraising festivities. Tom Cochrane entertained fishing fans the night before at a kickoff party held at the Hotel Georgia’s Reflection Lounge. Host Bruce Langereis, the president of Delta Land Development, would reel in the derby’s largest catch – a 42.4 lb. Chinook. Honouring the event’s catch and release tradition, Langereis donated the winnings back netting $800,000. HOPE FLOATS: Kayak for a Cure celebrated its ninth year raising funds for the fight against cancer. Kayakers of all levels hit the waters off Jericho Beach for the annual paddle in support of cancer prevention and research. Founded by Mark Starkey in honour of his grandmother, the event, which started in 2006 with a handful of paddlers, has multiplied and spawned eight similar paddles across North America, including Victoria, Portland and the Yukon. The collective efforts have raised $300,000 for both the Canadian and American Cancer Society and Vancouver’s Inspire Health. HIGH TEE: VanDusen Botanical Gardens was the site of the first annual Garden Party and Croquet Classic fronted by Max Cunningham. Pretty young things dressed in their garden-attire best wielded mallets and tried their hand at the croquet classic game in support of Community First Foundation’s Backpack Buddies Program, a food program for hungry kids. The inaugural affair saw dapper teams of four converge on the manicured lawns for an entertaining afternoon of croquet, socializing and fundraising. LABOUR PARTY: Unions from across B.C. celebrated Labour Day with a large rally at Swangard Stadium. Yours truly was master of ceremonies at the annual celebration of workers hosted by the B.C. Federation of Labour, Vancouver and District Labour Council and New Westminster and District Labour Council. Festivities were bittersweet as negotiations between the provincial government and teachers union stalled. B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Jim Iker was in attendance thanking other union members for their support. Local rock group Trooper headlined the picnic in the park.

email yvrflee@hotmail.com twitter @FredAboutTown

Bruce Langereis, president of Delta Land Development, hosted Brian Legge’s (left) West Coast Fishing Club Fishing for Kids kickoff party at the Hotel Georgia.

Co-founder of the Canucks Autism Network, Paulo Aquilini, parent of an autistic child, has seen nearly $6 million raised from the Fishing for Kids Tournament.

Katrina Davidson will be the first woman to model in the Vancouver Firefighters’ Charitable Society’s Hall of Flame calendar, launching Sept. 13 at the Imperial Lounge. Proceeds from the pinup calendar will support B.C. Children’s Hospital Burn Unit and kids burn camp.

Backpack Buddies founder Joanne Griffiths (left) welcomed Viral Media Group’s Hannah Bernhard to the croquet garden party in support of the weekend food program for hungry kids.

Community First Foundation director Dax Droski and Cocktails & Canapes founder and executive chef Brett Turner scored style points at the inaugural Garden Party and Croquet Classic.

Creator Mark Starkey celebrated Kayak for a Cure’s ninth year of raising funds for the fight against cancer. Kayakers of all levels hit the waters off Jericho Beach in support of cancer prevention and research. The event has spread to nine cities and collectively raised more than $300,000.

Union leaders Jim Sinclair and Jim Iker fronted Labour Day festivities at Swangard Stadium. The celebration was overshadowed by the ongoing teachers dispute.

Provincial NDP leader John Horgan and New Westminster and district labour council president Lori Mayhew welcomed local rock group Trooper to the annual rally and celebration of workers.

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Canada’s Online Lifestyle Magazine

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START NOTHING: 10:19 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. Sunday, 12:09 p.m. to 4:33 p.m. Tuesday, 5:58 p.m. Wednesday to 6:17 p.m. Thursday, and 6:31 a.m. to 11:26 p.m. Saturday.

CONTEST

AQUARIUS LUCK FORECAST: Your best luck ,from July 2014 to August 2015, will come from other people, Aquarius. So the more “other oriented” you are, the more diplomatic, friendly, the more a “people person,” the more you’ll succeed. Join groups: they create relationship opportunities for you this period Many single Aquarians will marry — or meet The One — in this 13 months. If you’re married and unhappy, separation and divorce are a strong possibility. (Separation could come now, divorce in Sept. 2016 to Oct. 2017, depending on the laws of your locality.) If you’re happily married, your mate will grow more and more lively, cheerful, optimistic and lucky. Let him or her take you on a world cruise or to the theme park, to a lecture or a party. Follow his/her lead — it might lead to riches!

NEW EATS: BUFALA It’s hard to nab a table at Kerrisdale’s new Pizzeria Bufala but, when you do, you’ll notice something crucial: they facilitate your access to some pretty amazing food. Read more on www.vitamindaily.com

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CONTEST

WISH UPON A SILVER STAR Just an hour’s drive from Kelowna, B.C., Silver Star Mountain Resort offers hiking, biking, berry picking and … wine tasting, of course.

A pile of work still faces you. Might as well just slog away at it. Protect your health: dress and eat sensibly. Sunday starts happy but by late afternoon you tire of fun, want to be alone or with one special person. This quietude lasts until Tuesday eve. Contemplate and plan, deal with government, spiritual, charitable or administrative agencies.

Remain thoughtful and self-protective, Libra. Your energy levels will stay low this week and next. Get your beauty sleep, eat sensibly, and clear up neglected tasks/duties. Don’t volunteer for anything. Deal with government institutions and charities. Sunday starts with nature’s beauty and romantic notions rather than the reality. This night to Tuesday eve brings chores and health issues; just plunge in and get ‘em done, luck favours you.

The main emphasis lies on romance, creative and speculative projects, charming children, beauty and pleasure. A Virgo might play a sweet, prominent role. Sunday holds chores, but don’t be too eager to plunge in; do only what’s necessary. This evening to Tuesday eve brings light, happy, ﬂirtatious friends, freshness and optimism, entertainment, wish fulﬁllment and popularity.

September brings you popularity, social delights, entertainment and light romance. In some way, a wish will be fulﬁlled (probably about popularity but perhaps about a management situation). Sunday starts slowly; you might as well sleep in. (Don’t drive/handle tools while tired.) Romance swells this eve to Tuesday evening, as do pleasure, beauty, creative and speculative activities, and your estimation of children’s charms and talents.

This month accents family, real estate, security, gardening, nutrition, stomach, soul, and retirement. Your luck here increases Sept. 6 to 29. Family members treat you with affection. Sunday continues a mellow, thoughtful mood. This night to Tuesday evening brings career forces, ambitions, prestige relations. You might attract the interest of higher-ups in a testing sense. They judge you and your performance.

Remain ambitious, Sage. Show your skills, approach higher-ups with ideas and proposals; they favour you the rest of this month. You might be put to the test but you’ll pass! Next week into October a romantic or creative streak will come; it won’t be as lucky as it seem so don’t let it interfere with career success. If you don’t work, career = community status, relations with parents.

This month is ﬁlled with errands, communications, travel, casual acquaintances, paperwork and details. These are mildly lucky through late month, so charge ahead. You might, in your travels, discover a place you’ll live in someday, a place of beauty and pleasantry. Sunday is mysterious. Protect your money and reputation. (For example, don’t chase that married person.)

The general accent remains on higher education, publishing, law, international dealings/travel, statistics, insurance, advertising, fame, life philosophy and religion — and love. Sunday nudges you to shop or sell unwanted items, but little happens. Errands, short trips, communications, paperwork and details ﬁll Sunday evening to Tuesday evening. These can be part of those “bigger things” listed in the ﬁrst sentence.

September’s main accent lies on earning and spending, memory and rote learning, and sensual attractions. These will yield mildly fortunate rewards the rest of this month. Sunday brings relationships, but not to much effect. This night to Tuesday eve features mysteries, secrets, research, sexual desire, intimacy, health diagnosis, lifestyle changes, investments and debt.

Life’s mysteries surround you this week and next. Life nudges you toward intimacy, a ﬁnancial commitment, lifestyle change or a health situation. In all these, luck and affection are on your side. Your energy is nice and high Sunday, but if you want to start anything, do it before 10 a.m. and make sure it has nothing to do with your career, police, dangerous sports or machines.

Your energy, clout, effectiveness and magnetism remain high. Don’t waste this time! Start signiﬁcant projects, call in favours, approach powerful people. (Remember that the 12 months ahead favour background activities, so aim to increase your management, administrative or government-related standing.) Sunday starts with work or health themes, but by suppertime (to Tuesday night) relationships, new horizons, fresh opportunities ﬂoat in.

Relationships ﬁll this month. Be diplomatic, co-operative; seek to join. Others hold the aces but they are also gracious, affectionate. If you make an approach (in love or business) you’ll be pleased by the response. (All your life, you’ve been the dreamy one. Even if you’ve hidden and protected that dreamy side (perhaps by being a friendly chatterbox) it has stubbornly existed. Now to 2025 others — especially Virgos, Cancers, Scorpios and Taureans — seek that dreaminess as if it were a rare nectar.