Vancouver Courier December 26 2019 by Vancouver Courier

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News 12TH & CAMBIE

Why hundreds of homeless avoid Vancouver shelters Survey participants said they ‘disliked’ shelters, ‘felt unsafe’

Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

It appears Vancouver has to do something about its homeless shelters. And that something — in the absence of a miraculous supportive housing construction boom — is making whatever changes necessary to make homeless people feel welcome and safe in these buildings of refuge. Because hundreds would rather sleep outside. That is an unfortunate ﬁnding of a new report authored by the Homelessness Services Association of B.C., the B.C. Non-Proﬁt Housing Association and Urban Matters CCC. The report, which is an analysis of the City of Vancouver’s homeless count in March, is the same one I referred to in a previous column. But I didn’t get into detail about the state of the city’s shelters and why homeless people avoid them. The report provides infor-

mation that wasn’t available when city staff updated council in June about the homeless count. The number of homeless veterans, for example, is listed (108). It’s an interesting read, if you want to learn more about why Vancouver’s homeless population continues to grow year over year, with a record-breaking 2,223 counted this year. Which brings me back to the concern with shelters. Of the “unsheltered” people surveyed during the 24-hour count, 87 said they “disliked” shelters — the report didn’t elaborate as to why — and 58 said they didn’t “feel safe.” Another 244 said they refused to stay at a shelter for “other reasons,” including concerns with shelter staff, couldn’t bring their pet with them, preferred to be alone and “shelters are not for them.” A total of 23 cited bedbugs and pests as reasons. At the same time, 50

A recent report that provides analysis of the City of Vancouver’s homeless count in March reveals why homeless people avoid shelters. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

homeless people interviewed in March who wanted to stay in a shelter said they were turned away, although the reason or reasons was not listed in the report. Unsheltered survey participants were also asked where they stayed the previous night of the count. A total of 377 stayed outside, 106 at someone else’s or a friend’s place, 69 in a

makeshift shelter or tent, 31 in a vehicle and two in an abandoned or vacant building. Shelters, as previous and current civic politicians have concluded in obvious observations, are not homes. And, as tenants and housing advocates have told me over the years, neither are many of the single-roomoccupancy hotels. That’s why the Balmoral

and Regent hotels, known for decades as buildings with deplorable living conditions and magnets for crime, are still shuttered. The Flint Hotel on Powell Street, which some of the campers in Oppenheimer Park moved into, was described to me by tenant Sandy Parisien as “disgusting” and “the worst place ever.” Another camper, Edwin Yobani Zarabia, said he brieﬂy stayed at the Flint but returned to Oppenheimer after he was shot with a BB gun. So what to do? Here we are in December, with temperatures falling and people still sleeping outside. Many are in poor health and live with a mental illness, an addiction, or both. For the past decade, the city has relied on money from the provincial government to open winter shelters, with more than 300 temporary beds available this year. As memory serves, most, if not all, ﬁll up quickly.

The city also recently opened the Britannia Community Centre, Vancouver Aquatic Centre, Powell Street Getaway and Overdose Prevention Society as “warming centres.” Those buildings are activated when the temperature reaches -5 Celsius, or it feels like -5 C, or below. In other words, when it gets really cold like it did last week. In addition to those buildings, 145 spaces at “extreme weather response” shelters are open. When combined with other centres of refuge, that makes for a lot of indoor space, much of it allowing carts and pets. But if people have legitimate reasons for not wanting to stay at any of these places — whereas many others seek out the warmth, the mats and the food — where do they go? The ﬁrst answer: it’s complicated. The second answer: look outside your window. @Howellings

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Community VANCOUVER SHAKEDOWN

Best and worst reader reactions in 2019

Grant Lawrence

grantlawrence12@gmail.com

As my second year of scribbling stories for the Courier and Vancouver Is Awesome draws to a close, I continue to learn valuable lessons. Once again, I have gleaned that you really, really care about what is going on in this city, and you won’t hesitate for a moment to tell me all about it. Thank you. Here are some of the best and worst Vancouver Shakedown reader replies from the past year.

Reefer madness

Back in April, I dared to suggest that Vancouver’s notorious 420 “Protestival” at Sunset Beach was not only annoying, but now completely irrelevant since Canada legalized pot in 2018. My blunt point was this: you won, it’s legal, go home. That opinion was such a harsh toke for some stoners that I was berated relentlessly online for weeks. One reader named Branden was seemingly so irately

baked that he couldn’t ﬁgure out my pronoun: “This was obviously written by some boring yuppie probably living off her mommy and daddy’s real estate money, goes to yoga everyday, and is convinced her life is the right way to live.” Another reader threatened to relocate the entire 420 celebrations — which attracted over 100,000 people — to my front lawn.

Downtown Eastside defence

The plight of the Downtown Eastside was declared the top story of 2019 by this media outlet. Back in August, I suggested one small way to help normalize our most vulnerable neighbourhood was for regular citizens like you to frequent it, and to support the local businesses down there. That triggered a raging debate, many saying they would never set foot in the hood, let alone allow their children to experience it, as my wife and I have done regularly with our own kids. One reader named Gaurav wrote,

sauna. As I am subject to dehydration, I have yet to accept this steamy invite, but I hope to in 2020.

Calculated butt cleanup

Pot protest proponents were blunt in their reaction to Grant Lawrence’s column about the annual 420 event. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

“There are areas of Vancouver that don’t smell as bad so I choose to stay there and avoid the DTES.” Another named Hafeez wrote, “Just what we need, more bleeding hearts that will lead to even more crime and even more bullshite excuses.” Meet you at Save On Meats.

Cooking in Cedar Cove

One of the most intriguing emails I received in the Vancouver Shakedown inbox this year was an invitation from Eric Douglas. He has re-

cently moved with his wife to the little-known Cedar Cove neighbourhood, roughly the area stretching from Victoria Drive and Powell to Dundas and Wall Street, along the industrialized south shore of Burrard Inlet in East Van. Eric has set up his own outdoor sauna, and is hosting nightly sweats for one guest per night, in what he has dubbed the “Cedar Cove Wellness Society.” You get your sweat on while listening to music, hopefully putting you on a path to good health and enlightenment through

According to the city, Vancouver smokers litter an atrocious one million cigarette butts every single day onto our sidewalks, streets and beaches. When I wrote a column stating my outrage at just how sad, disgusting, and careless that is, it was intended as a wake-up call for those Vancouverites who still smoke. I had no idea that more than 8,000 kilometres away in Krakow, Poland, a young woman named Bogna Haponiuk read the article online and decided to actually do something about it. She went out into the streets of Poland and quickly ﬁlled nine jars with discarded butts. That led her to create something called the Cigarette Butts Cleanup Calculator as part of her studies at university in Vienna, Austria. I’m glad someone is reading. Dziekuje Ci, Bogna!

Pearls of wisdom

My 2019 missive that arguably received the most food for thought was one I wrote about an East Van hipster communal dining experience gone wrong, where, at the start of the dinner amidst a group of strangers in a restaurant, I mistakenly, and very painfully, swallowed a large pile of coarse sea salt sitting under an oyster, which I mistook for a garnish. I choked, gagged and spat up what I could, then my wife and I bailed on the rest of the meal. Like the salt, your reaction was swift and harsh. Here’s just one of your comments, from a reader named Ciara: “People like you shouldn’t be allowed in restaurants. Eat your burger and fries from your couch, you ignorant bastard.” *** Here’s hoping we can all get along in 2020. But if we can’t, you know where to ﬁnd me. And remember: butt out responsibly. And please don’t salt my oyster! Thanks for reading, eh? @grantlawrence

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Taking the plunge: Polar Bear

Peter Pantages organized the ﬁrst Polar Bear Swim in 1920 Jessica Kerr

jkerr@vancourier.com

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It’s been 100 years since a few brave swimmers joined Peter Pantages for Vancouver’s first Polar Bear Swim. There were just nine or 10 swimmers that first year, said his granddaughter, Lisa Pantages, and the group became known as the Vancouver Polar Bear Club. Taking a dip in the waters off English Bay was more than an annual celebration for her grandfather. “When he first came to Vancouver as a young man, he was determined to swim [in the ocean] in honour of his home island Andros in Greece at least once a day, often he did it three times a day,” she said. He never owned a car and would walk from Pantages Theatre, which was opened by his uncle Alexander Pantages in 1908, or from his restaurant the Peter Pan Café on Granville Street, for his daily dip in the ocean. In fact, in the early years, Peter Pantages would invite everyone who took part in the Polar Bear Swim back to the restaurant, which closed in 1972, for a party. “The swim to him was a very important event to help him create community for himself and his family,

Lisa Pantages and swim regular George Pajari take a quick dip in English Bay Dec. 17 ahead of the 100th Polar Bear Swim Jan. 1. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

as well as help Vancouver kind of identify what their community was going to be as they went forward in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s,” Pantages said, standing on English Bay beach wearing one of her grandfather’s vintage swimsuits. The event, which was initially held on Christmas Day, grew quietly those ﬁrst few years but really started taking off in the 1940s and ’50s. Partly, Pantages said, due to her grandfather’s notoriety. “When my grandfather would travel, he was so committed to his swimming in the ocean every day that he would only travel by steamship,” she said. He came to an agreement with the steamship company that would allow him to dive overboard every day to swim before climbing back onto the ship. When he was unable to dive off the ship, he had an agreement that ship

staff would fill a bathtub with water matching the temperature of the ocean that day, put in an equivalent amount of salt and he would lie in the briny bath for 20 minutes to half an hour. The company would then provide him with an official letter documenting his swims. After Peter Pantages died in the early 1970s, his brother Basil Pantages took over running the swim along with the Vancouver Park Board. “That was kind of the flamboyant era of the swim where more and more costumes came down, people really taking it upon themselves to make the swim their own and it’s just grown ever since,” Pantages said. Park board commissioner Dave Demers, who took part in the swim for the first time last year, noted that the annual New Year’s Day event typically attracts

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rush has to be experienced.” Secondly, he said, it’s a chance to celebrate silliness. “If John Cleese gave us the Ministry of Silly Walks, then the Vancouver Park Board and Pantages family has given us the Ministry of Silly Swims.” And lastly, he said, he likes to think of the Polar Bear Swim as “Mother Nature’s life coaching lesson.” “Before the swim, you might think, ‘The water’s going to be so cold, I’m going to be uncomfortable, this isn’t going to be fun,’ and then you pull it off and you realize those were imaginary gremlins, it wasn’t what you feared. And like many of the things holding you back from your other objectives in life, you can do it.” Pajari is such a fan of the annual Polar Bear Swim tradition, that one New Year’s Day he was “sufﬁciently silly” and did four in one day — starting at 10 a.m. in White Rock, Port Moody at 11 a.m., Deep Cove at 1 p.m. before ﬁnishing off the frosty tour with the English Bay swim. “I used to love calling it the best non-event event Vancou-

ver had because there were no expectations of everybody, people created their own traditions,” Pantages said. “You’ll see. If you’re down here on New Year’s Day, so many families that have done it for so many years with so many generations.” Pantages, who participated in her first Polar Bear Swim at just three months old (she had her toes dipped in) and has done the swim every year since, will be doing her 58th swim this New Year’s Day along with three generations of her family. This year’s Vancouver Polar Bear Swim festivities will run from noon to 4 p.m., with swimmers taking the plunge at 2:30 p.m. Anyone planning on participating is encouraged to register online at vancouver. ca/polarbearswim in order to receive a commemorative certificate. The park board will have about 17 lifeguards on duty in the water in rowboats and on paddleboards, as well as watching from elevated chairs and stationed at the first aid station, to make sure everyone stays safe. @JessicaEKerr

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about 8,000 people, half of them taking the plunge. “While I was a bit reluctant at ﬁrst, I must say that I am now a full-ﬂedged fan,” Demers said. The park board is planning on creating a bit of a splash to mark the centennial Polar Bear Swim. There will be live music, performers and food trucks, as well as a slew of commemorative merchandise for sale, including hoodies, scarves, toques, T-shirts, tote bags and cups. New this year, the event will feature a special area just for families, a bit removed from the main crowd, which will include a warming tent for the littlest swimmers. “We’re trying to make it as fun as possible for everybody,” Pantages said. Long-time participant George Pajari has “three great reasons to be a polar bear swimmer.” “First of all, it’s a heck of a lot of fun,” he said. “I can’t express the enjoyment of joining several thousand other screaming, excited Vancouverites as they run into the water to greet the new year. The adrenaline

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Community

Parents ﬁnd a lifeline at Ronald McDonald House Sandra Thomas

sthomas@vancourier.com

Dressed in a purple tank top and pink shorts, her blond ponytails shining in the August sun, three-yearold Beth Steiger moves between dropping fish food into a tiny pond at Ronald McDonald House on Heather Street and popping Cheerios into her mouth. On occasion, Beth stops to admire her fingernails, painted in a clear coat of sparkles, the perfect accessory to the pink glasses with flowered arms perched on her tiny nose. Running out of fish food, Beth goes to plan B and begins sharing her beloved Cheerios with the hungry orange and white koi gathered below. The only visible sign of the lifelong struggle Beth has gone through to not only survive, but also to thrive, is the strip of white surgical fabric holding a tracheostomy breathing tube in place in the centre of her throat. “There are a lot of complications that come with bad kidneys,” Beth’s dad Jared Steiger explains.

“The tracheotomy is there because her lungs were underdeveloped. Beth got the ﬂu and couldn’t recover, so she got a trach. But it should be coming out next year.” Beth underwent a kidney transplant June 13, just weeks before her third birthday. Knowing since birth that Beth would need a kidney transplant, both Jared and mom Erin Steiger offered to act as donor, but it was Jared who went under the knife at St. Paul’s Hospital. Despite Beth’s tiny size, when an adult donates a kidney to a child the entire organ is removed, so at the time of this August interview, Jared was just two months past the invasive surgery. “Beth’s kidneys were very low functioning so we always knew if she made it, she’d have to have a transplant,” says Erin. If she made it? “Before her surgery, Beth spent 150 days in ICU,” said Erin. The entire Steiger family, including Beth’s older siblings Alandra, 11, Dawson, eight, and Claire, six, had been living at Ronald

Three-year-old Beth has spent much of her young life at the house, along with her parents and siblings. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

McDonald House B.C. and Yukon on Heather Street since the beginning of June. But this was not their first stay at the house, which provides accommodation for seriously ill children and their families when they have to be in Vancouver for their child’s major treatment. Beth was just three months old when her health took a dramatic turn for the worse and she was rushed to B.C. Children’s Hospital by helicopter after spending the night in hospital in Prince George. While Erin flew with Beth, Jared, a firefighter by trade, got home from work at 6 a.m. that same day, grabbed the rest of the kids and drove down from Prince George, where the couple moved 12 years ago.

“And we didn’t leave for ﬁve months,” says Erin. “We just ended up staying [at Ronald McDonald House] the whole time.” Jared explains that when a family arrives because of an emergency situation, the basics, including diapers and toothbrushes, are already in place. The kitchens are also well stocked with plenty of essentials, compliments of Save-on-Foods, including eggs, milk and much-needed coffee, so parents don’t have to worry about immediately getting to the grocery store. Parents at Ronald McDonald House cook the majority of their family’s meals, but community groups also cook dinner at least four nights per week for families while volunteers bake cookies, make smoothies and other

delicious treats every week. “If you have a critically ill child, they cook for you,” says Jared. “You don’t have time to think of that stuff when your kid is in ICU and things are going on.” The couple is more than grateful for the “homeaway-from-home” they’ve found at the house. Over the past several years, they’ve gotten to know other parents of sick or injured children and have found much-needed support from staff members of the house. “If you’re going to be anywhere with a sick child, this is the place to be,” says Jared. “And it’s a ﬁve minute walk from the hospital so if you need anything, it’s right there.” It’s not just the parents who are cared for. By the time they were set to go home, the family would have been at the house three months. The older Steiger kids had no problem with the lengthy stay, which is a good thing because, in total, Beth has spent 330 nights at the house. “Have you seen the LEGO room?” Dawson asks excitedly. Meanwhile, Alandra took part in cooking classes and Claire enjoyed crafts. The day of the interview, the YMCA was scheduled to arrive and offer activities for the kids. The night before, the Vancouver TheatreSports Improv Comedy group entertained the families with

some hilarious improv, and the next day, the Steigers, minus Beth and Jared, were off to the Abbotsford International Air Show, where they were going to be given the VIP treatment. Other ﬁeld trips the family enjoyed included ones to Telus World of Science and Playland. The house also has bikes and helmets families can sign out, as well as Compass Cards so parents and kids can take transit to go shopping or simply get out of the house for a couple of hours. Jared describes the house as a lifeline, one they’ll continue to grasp for years to come as they return to the hospital for Beth’s checkups and ongoing tests. He notes it’s the support of other parents that can help families get through tough times. “It’s good to be able to talk to other parents going through similar things,” says Jared. “Families here are going to be changed forever, but when you go back home people empathize with you, but don’t fully understand what we’ve gone through. But a lot of people here, they do understand. You come here and they get it.” *** In response to an email from the Courier, on Dec. 18 Erin Steiger wrote to say there is nothing new to report on Beth’s health. @sthomas10

Ronald McDonald House is here to help Richard Pass has a wish list. The chief executive officer of Ronald McDonald House B.C. and Yukon, wants another space to better meet the needs of the families of seriously ill or injured children from across B.C. “We’re full all the time,” said Pass, of the Heather Street home. “But we always leave two rooms available because the helicopter lands every night.” Those helicopters land at the adjacent B.C. Children’s Hospital/B.C. Women’s Hospital and Health Centre carrying patients needing critical care and, when that patient is a child, there’s a good chance their parents and caregivers are already with them or will soon be arriving. Either way, they will need a place to stay. The houses provide accommodation for seriously ill children and their families when they have to be in Vancouver for their child’s major treatment. It’s been more than three decades since the first Ronald McDonald House opened in Vancouver. That facility

was a 13-bedroom home in Shaughnessy, but it was very quickly determined the need was much greater. In 2013, construction began on a 73-bedroom house located on the grounds of B.C. Children’s Hospital. That house opened in July 2014 and now serves 2,000 families a year. Pass said staff members are constantly juggling people and rooms in the house, which is why his personal wish list includes the purchase of two lots on Heather Street to build a second house that would accommodate another 73 families. “Sometimes a family thinks they’re going home, but they don’t. And sometimes they get good news and they do get to go home for the weekend,” said Pass. “Then they’re out of here like a rocket.” The house provides storage for families who will be returning in a week or two, so they don’t have to take everything with them. Families come from across the province from towns and cities from beyond Chilliwack. Pass would like to

see that change. “I’d like to see a new space for short-term, local families,” said Pass. “But right now we’re short on space, so we have to draw the line. But it would be nice for local families to have a place to come for coffee and get that much-needed support.” Pass would also like to see an education component added to a new facility. As it sits, sick kids can go to school at the hospital, but their siblings can’t. And, with families sometimes spending months at a time at Ronald McDonald House, that’s a problem. “This is a world-class facility for families, but I always want to do better and more for them,” said Pass. During a tour of the house, Pass shows off an arts and crafts studio, the LEGO room, shared indoor and outdoor spaces, basketball courts, a teen lounge with video games, and a fitness centre. Pass said the fitness centre is well used by parents blowing off stress. The house is divided into four areas, dubbed Beach, Forest,

Mountain and River, and each includes private bedrooms and bathrooms, industrial kitchens and laundry facilities. Meanwhile, a slide connects the second floor to the main level of the house. That slide was the inspiration of a sixyear-old girl whose parents were part of a planning session regarding the needs of the house. “At the end of the session, I asked, ‘Anything else?’” remembered Pass. “And their little girl who had been playing nearby said, ‘Can we have a slide?’ So, now we have a slide.” Pass can’t stress enough the need for the vital support and services offered at Ronald McDonald House. “We try and keep a little bit of professional distance, but when things go wrong we’re here to support them because people are here for so long and sometimes it’s the last time they’ll be together as a family,” said Pass. “But in the end, this is a house of hope.” — Sandra Thomas

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Free transit on New Year’s Eve TransLink is offering all of its transit services for free on New Year’s Eve this year. The transit authority will provide free transit on Dec. 31 from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. on Jan. 1, offering residents of the Lower Mainland a safe alternative to get home. Starting at 2 a.m., all of the NightBus routes will start leaving from the new NightBus District. You can visit the NightBus Sched-

ules page at translink.ca for more information. In addition, buses and SeaBuses will run on a modiﬁed weekday schedule. The last SeaBus sailing from Lonsdale Quay will be at 2 a.m. and the last sailing from Waterfront will be at 2:22 a.m. to accommodate New Year’s Eve crowds. From 6:40 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., three vessels will be in service (subject to manning).

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THE VAN COU VER CO URIER T H U R SDAY, D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

VAN CO U RI E R. C OM

Opinion

10 years of education full of change and déjà vu Tracy Sherlock

tracy.sherlock@gmail.com

As the century leaves its teen years and enters its 20s, a look back at education seems fitting. At first glance, it appears — as the old saying goes — the more things change, the more they stay the same. But in some cases that saying couldn’t be more wrong. As the first decade of the new millennium ended, Barack Obama was president of the United States and Stephen Harper was our prime minister. Gordon Campbell had just over a year to go as B.C. premier and Margaret MacDiarmid and George Abbott had turns as education minister. Gregor Robertson was a little more than one year into what would become a nearly 10-year Vision-dominated civic political scene in Vancouver. Patti Bacchus led a Vision-majority Vancouver School Board. The city was poised and ready to host the 2010 Olympic Games and praying for snow. Everyone

had a smart phone and social media was just taking off. In Vancouver education, the 2010 year was a turning point in several key ways. Kindergarten, previously only offered for half days, was expanded to full days. Spring Break was expanded from one week to two, in a bid to save money as the VSB grappled with a $16-million deﬁcit. In the vein of how much stays the same: In 2010, the VSB was already ﬁve years into its seismic upgrade process, which was supposed to have all schools complete by 2020. As we reach that old deadline, 50 schools are still unsafe, while only 30 have been upgraded. We didn’t even come close to the halfway mark. In 2015, the deadline to get all Vancouver schools earthquakeready was pushed back another decade to 2030. In 2010, VSB trustees were considering closing 11 schools, because of surplus space in the district. Sound familiar? That’s because trustees are still wrestling

As was the case a decade ago, Vancouver is still considering closing schools and is behind in its targets for seismically upgrading others. FILE PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

with this problem. Earlier this year, the board considered 28 schools for closure — including some of the same schools considered in 2010. Eventually trustees backed off on that proposal, but who knows for how long. On the note of things that have changed tremendously, Hudson elementary, which was on the list in 2010, is now so full that trustees recently decided to phase out its French immersion program. Ten years can usher in a lot of change, including where families

choose to live. These days, more families are choosing to live downtown and in condos than ever before. Macdonald elementary, also on the 2010 list, has been renamed Xpey’ elementary, to reﬂect that it became an Aboriginal focus school in 2012. Xpey’ translates to “cedar” in the henqeminem dialect spoken by members of the Musqueam Nation. In 2016, Carleton, also on the 2010 closure list, was damaged by a ﬁre and it hasn’t reopened. Students were relocated to Cunning-

ham elementary. Like Groundhog Day, several of the schools considered for closure in 2010, were on the chopping block again in 2016 and again in 2019, including Bruce, Queen Alexandra, Carleton, Seymour elementaries and McBride and Champlain Heights annexes. In the category of smart ideas that haven’t gone anywhere is a 2010 conversation between thenVSB superintendent Steve Cardwell and the Courier’s Naoibh O’Connor. “The school district is, in a sense, land rich and cash poor,” he said at the time. “One would never want to give up the ownership of land, but what if we could work with the community and work with developers to create midrise buildings that would have schools and community services, and perhaps underground parking and affordable housing, as part of that structure.” Here we are a full decade later, and there is still no affordable housing on school

lands, although the VSB has promised to look at the possibility of workforce housing. On a more promising note, VSB has opened its ﬁrst rooftop childcare facility, in partnership with the City of Vancouver and the province. It’s at the new Lord Nelson elementary school in east Vancouver and will provide childcare for 91 families, run by Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House. There’s even a playground on the roof. “Co-locating childcare with schools helps build communities that are more walkable and familyfriendly, one more way we’re making sure Vancouver is a city that works for everyone,” said Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart. It may have taken 10 years, but it’s a step in the right direction. Now if we could get those other 50 schools rebuilt or upgraded, ﬁgure out what to do about school closures, and focus on innovative solutions such as building affordable housing on school properties, maybe the 20s will be a whole new day.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER T H U R SDAY, D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

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Feature

THE YEAR IN QUOTES

“

2019

COMPILED BY COURIER STAFF

Courier reporters talked to a lot of people this year — about politics, housing, development, heritage, the Downtown Eastside, even sexually stimulated Satan statues. Here is a small but wide-ranging sampling of some of the more interesting things people said to us in 2019.

”

I have not seen people bring suitcases of money in myself, but I have had people report to me that they have seen people bring suitcases of cash into city [hall] to pay for their property taxes. Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr during discussion in the council chamber about money laundering

Holy, moly! Jody Wilson-Raybould from a lectern on election night after learning she was re-elected in the federal riding of Vancouver-Granville This is a critical election for Canadians, and I’m worried — I’m worried that an Andrew Scheer Conservative government could be elected, and this would be a disaster for the city. Mayor Kennedy Stewart in the days leading up to the federal election He had a lovely tenor voice, and whenever we went anywhere — he would frequently drive me to events — he would sing to me all the way there and all the way home. That’s what I remember more than anything is B.C.’s love of music. Former NPA councillor Elizabeth Ball remembering one-time NPA colleague B.C. Lee, who died of cancer Perhaps tonight we have not had the results we wanted or we expected, which is a majority government, but we have a minority government. Liberals can work with anyone that shares our values and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and work with other parliamentarians in the House who share our values to get the kinds of things that we promised to get done.

I have learned something from every one of you here. And there isn’t one person here who didn’t bring beneﬁt to our group. I can’t believe your loyalty and support. Lorna Gibbs to other members of the Southeast Vancouver Seniors Arts and Culture Centre Society, including George Grant, Joan Wright, Bert Messiah and Keith Jacobson, who passed away in 2016. The group was gathered to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Killarney Seniors Centre.

Business highs and lows

In 10 or 20 years, don’t be surprised if I might be the only shop in town other than the big dealerships, Canadian Tire and the big corporations. Auto Repairs R “Wee” owner Wee Wong discussing Vancouver’s disappearing industrial land base and crippling property taxes

Political animals

A year ago, Vancouverites voted for change and, in my opinion that change has not been achieved. The plans that had been put in place under the Vision Vancouver regime decade continue to be executed by staff. For this reason, I find where we are a year into the term somewhat discouraging. NPA Coun. Colleen Hardwick on her assessment of council’s first year in office

much in the right direction. Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr on voting against rezoning for the new St. Paul’s hospital site on False Creek Flats, which passed in an 8-3 vote

I do what I do. That’s my windmill — whether I’m the ass, or Don Quixote, I’m one of them. And that’s OK because I think I’m doing something good, and that’s the bottom line. That’s my very, very bottom line — I’m doing something good. Charles Bafford, who regularly picks up discarded syringes around the city. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

Vancouver-Centre MP Hedy Fry after being re-elected to Parliament

Housing and development

First of all, if we’re talking about an income-based approach to delivering housing, what we have to stop doing is using the word “affordable.” I think that [word] really makes people angry. Mayor Kennedy Stewart in speech to Greater Vancouver Board of Trade You can make any buildings you want but the planet is on ﬁre… Rick Gregory, vice-president of Henson Developments, about the company’s proposal for a 60-storey tower on Nelson Street that aims to meet Passive House certiﬁcation I hate this project. I feel like it’s busting the neighbourhood open. Karen Oliver on a rental project proposed on Grant Street in Grandview-Woodland, which was ultimately approved [Rental] is just the type of housing we need. We need it all over the city, but we need it here, too. Owen Brady on a rental project proposed on Grant Street in Grandview-Woodland that was approved We can’t stop this growth. We have to embrace it in a good way. I honestly believe these lands are going to be able to do that for all of us — not just the three [First

Nation] communities, but for you as well. We want to bring richness to you, to our family, to future generations, but we want to do it in such a way [that] it’s going to be long-lasting and something we can be proud of. Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief Maureen Thomas at the launch of the planning process for the Jericho Lands When the land was returned to us in 2003, given its proximity and location, it was always seen as a potential site for economic development. The Squamish Nation can see, and our people deﬁnitely feel, there’s a housing crisis going on and there’s a need to build more housing for the city. Squamish Nation councillor Khelsilem on plans to develop Squamish land at the south end of Burrard Bridge Rental housing is residential housing. It belongs in all of our neighbourhoods… OneCity Coun. Christine Boyle on policies city council approved to encourage development of rental housing, including in areas 150 metres off main arterial roads You don’t put major infrastructure and emergency systems in a vulnerable area like a ﬂood plain... You just don’t do it. Based on that, I can’t, in good conscience, support this even though I think the design is very

They couldn’t care less, I don’t think. Apparently longevity — this shop being here for over 40 years — doesn’t count for much. This corner will probably become a Starbucks under another tower. Time Frame Gallery owner Christie Scott on learning her store’s building at Robson and Seymour had been sold High is good. Not that I’m saying to people, “Go get high and go to work.” But we can finally say to people, it’s not such a big deal — so try it. And the government is finally on our side. Mike Babins, owner of Vancouver’s first legal cannabis dispensary There’s been lots of crying. This has screwed up 30 people’s lives. It’s gone from 30 people who had a nice, casual creative environment to “Holy f*** we’ve been f***ed by rampant greed.” Former Clark Drive Studios owner Rick Welin after his rent more than doubled, forcing him out of a studio he operated for 17 years I think Vancouver should be proud of 4/20… I think that we should be proud of our cannabis community and the wonderful influence they’ve had on the rest of Canada and on legalization in general. Dana Larsen, pot activist and 4/20 organizer, on the 25th anniversary of Vancouver’s 4/20 pot protest/festival I’ve had young, physically attractive, normal looking people that you would think would have no need to find someone to entertain them. It’s curiosity. House of Dolls owner Kristen Dickson explains the appeal behind her sex doll rental business

Downtown Eastside

I was here 20 years ago and it’s now very different. The people on the street. What happened? German tourist Frank Baumgarten standing outside the provincial courthouse on Main Street as three men openly shoot heroin across the street from his wife and two young sons First it’s shock. Then the comments come around, “Why doesn’t someone do something about this?” Promoter Abelardo MayoralFierros on how international bands react upon first arriving to music venues in the Downtown Eastside To effect these kinds of renovations — regardless of whether it’s the city or a private buyer — would take a considerable amount of time for permits and the actual construction work. I hazard to put a guess on how long that will be, but we’re talking years. Andrew Newman, the city’s associate director of real estate operations, on the city re-opening the Balmoral and Regent hotels I used to be ignorant about addiction. My brother’s overdose opened my heart to the whys and hows of an addict. I have changed from an apathetic, judgmental person to a sympathetic and caring one. Sia Kaskamanidis reflecting on her brother’s Theodosius Kaskamanidis’ overdose death and the addiction he kept secret from everyone who knew him. I have it, but it’s not enough. It’s only a spiritual hope I have. So it looks like I come from the dark to the light. Back and forth. I die so many times, then I come back. From the dark to the light. So I continue this way. Edwin Yobani Zarabia, who lives in a tent in Oppenheimer Park, on whether he has hope about his future I guess I’m a little old to be picking up a spray paint can at 37, p but I really enjoy it and it gives me a sense of peace after I’ve completed something everyone can enjoy. Trey Helten, who oversees the DTES Alley Mural Project We’re not all as bad as people think. We’re not all cracked-out drug addicts that are out to kill people and stuff like that. There’s a lot of good people down here, right. Good people with bad decisions, that’s all. Downtown Eastside graffiti artist James “Smokey Devil” Hardy What is happening in the DTES is mental health colliding with drugs. On whether this should stop people visiting the area, no, that would only hasten its decline, and in my opinion we need to continue to work to uplift the area and, more importantly, the individuals. Lee Snelgar, owner of Nelson the Seagull

VANCOU RIER .COM

T H U R SDAY, D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 9 THE VANCOU VER COURIE R

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Feature

Princess Celestia lives in a castle, and she’s got great hair. Two things I’m envious of. Actress Nicole Oliver, voice of Princess Celestia on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Personally, I can’t stomach any more trashing of our city’s poorest neighbourhood. The DTES is a complex and beautiful community with socioeconomic and cultural diversity. It’s probably the most colourful neighbourhood in Vancouver. But obviously things are bloody rough. This is what violent poverty looks like. Coco Culbertson, senior manager at the Portland Hotel Society

That’s entertainment

I grab the mic and say, “When I say shuttle, you say cock,” and people love it. Actress Rhona Rees on what she likes to do at screenings of her badmintonthemed short film Shuttlecock

There were a lot of bogus reports at the start. Someone would report, “A crow followed me into a bar and ran off with my girlfriend” — that sort of thing. So I didn’t want to have those up [on the site] because it takes away from the credibility. Jim O’Leary, the creator of Crowtrax, an open-source Geographic Information System that maps crow attacks across Vancouver There’s something about the power and stillness and insight of orangutans that I’ve never experienced elsewhere. Actress Karin Konoval

So many young people are so thin-skinned now, that when they see a person doing a character like this they’re immediately furious because they just assume it’s a straight guy making fun of homosexuals. They’re very conditioned to be on the alert for any kind of attack. Kids in the Hall member Scott Thompson on how crowds react to the ﬂamboyance of his character Buddy Cole

They’ve got six or seven of the dolls and they’re two-and-a-halffeet tall, and sometimes they’d just be left around the set by the prop department, and it would scare the crap out of me. Actor David Lewis who starred in the reboot of Child’s Play opposite a killer doll named Chucky

The instrument started to speak to me. It sounds like it’s from another world... It’s music from the ether. Musician Stephen Hamm on playing the theremin

We can be the best friend, the spouse, the doctor, the lawyer. We don’t just have to be the gangster or the prostitute or the cab driver. Andrea Stefancikova on being an actor with an accent

So if I had to compare myself to an actor, the bass trombone is like the Steve Buscemi of the orchestra. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s bass trombonist Ilan Morgenstern

He’s got this beautiful temperament. He’s a puppy, but he’s so — I want to say professional. It’s funny to apply that word to a dog, but he does have this professional air to him. Sometimes I forget that he’s a dog because he’s just one of us. Mayko Nguyen on her canine co-star Diesel vom Burgimwald

I needed a job. Both because I needed the dough and because I was going stir crazy at home. Whole Foods was having a hiring fair, so I went. I was the oldest person by about 40 years. Writer and broadcaster Bill Richardson on taking a dishwashing job at Whole Foods Being in Vancouver, you’re used to going to a coffee shop and seeing a celebrity getting a coffee, but I think the most star struck I’ve ever been is walking into that studio. Director Mark Ratzlaff on visiting the set of Sesame Street

heartbreaking that here is a really treasured part of not only Mount Pleasant, but of the city, [and] that the city hasn’t stood up to recognize [it]. Alyssa Myshok, co-founder of Mount Pleasant Heritage Group on “Heart of Mount Pleasant” topping Heritage Vancouver Society’s 2019 Top 10 Watch List They would dance all the Greek dances and they’d throw dishes at the walls — and glasses. My dad used to buy glasses by the case because every night they’d [break] dozens and dozens of them. You’d go in at the end of the night with a big push broom and sweep them all up. It became a home away from home for a lot of the seamen because they would come here and they couldn’t speak English. Linda Shirley (née Cavadas), whose family operated the Greek Village on the corner of East Hastings and Clark Drive between 1960 and 1985, on dancing customers, many of whom were Greek seamen It is with incredible sadness that the Paciﬁc National Exhibition acknowledges the passing of the one of one of our longest standing concessionaires and iconic members of our fair family, Bill Konyk, known across the Canadian fair industry as Hunky Bill. PNE staff on the death of Bill Konyk, an iconic ﬁgure from the annual Fair at the PNE. “Hunky Bill” had been a much-loved member of the extended PNE family for 52 years.

It certainly kind of made my life bigger than it was before… I remember going up there at night and [thinking] almost anything is possible in Vancouver. John Coupar, Vancouver Park Board commissioner, on the 50th anniversary of Bloedel Conservatory

Before Woodstock, it felt like the hippie dream had died with the deaths of the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King. But as Woodstock grew, it felt like things could be transformed and get better. It was like a light rising on the horizon. Woodstock attendee Ronnie Uhlmann

The heart really is under threat. Development has been really taking off in Mount Pleasant, of course, because it’s been more accessible for developers… It is

There was a guy named Andy at the party, and he had this pet monkey named Willy. It was a spider monkey, and quite well behaved. But when Neil Armstrong

History and heritage

It’s a good day for me and I can’t really explain how I feel, I can’t quantify what’s in me. If my heart is opened and everyone could see through it, you would see it is full of joy. From the depths of my heart, I will always cherish this day. Nigerian-born Kehinde Esan upon receiving his Canadian citizenship. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

stepped down onto the moon and said his famous line [“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”], we all went nuts and started screaming. Well, that monkey completely freaked out. It leapt from Andy’s shoulder onto J.B. Shayne’s back, and shat all over him. J.B. tore off his shirt and threw it outside. DJ and astronomer John Tanner on watching the moon landing

Powerful words

I hear the word reconciliation being thrown around like the words love and hate. I don’t believe you understand what reconciliation entails or who it’s addressing. Gunargie O’Sullivan speaking to Vancouver Park Board I don’t remember the truck hitting us because I didn’t see it so I didn’t brace myself or anything but I remember seeing my mom’s head stuck in the glass with blood dripping… I was awake. My eyes were open but I wasn’t moving or functioning. Courage to Come Back award recipient Harriet Ronaghan on the crash that changed her life We look at the elimination of violence against women where we are today compared to 30 years ago and a whole lot hasn’t changed. There’s a lot of words and there’s a lot of lip service but we need changes today. Juanita Desjarlais, ’60s scoop survivor and a second generation survivor of the residential school system We’re at a really important time. I think that there’s no turning back. I think that the climate deniers are in power and we need to show that we are not in agreement with all of the policies in place… Donna Rayner at Vancouver’s Global Climate Strike in September Can you imagine your mom not hugging you because of your lifestyle and how devastating that would be? I have two little girls who I love so much, so I’d love to be there for other people.

Heather Anne Hooton, founder and executive director of the Tri-Cities Moms, who gathered for the annual Pride Parade in August to offer free hugs to anyone marching. We will rise to the challenge, hold those responsible for this crisis accountable and we will make world leaders act. We can and we will. And if you feel threatened by that, then I have some very bad news for you — this is just the beginning. We will continue because change is coming whether you like it or not. Swedish teen environmentalist Greta Thunberg in her speech from the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery Through positive representation, we believe we can both serve as role models for others still struggling in secrecy, and begin to shift the shame of sexual violence away from the survivor and onto the perpetrator. Katelin Coleman, founder of Artemis Musicians’ Society, an ensemble made up of musicians who are all survivors of sexual violence

Words of inspiration

There will always be a demand for local news. On-air host Jon McComb, who recently retired from CKNW after more than 35 years. The world has never been wealthier, never been healthier, less violent, more educated, more tolerant than it is today… It indicates that the trajectory of human progress has been signiﬁcant and extraordinary. Former U.S. president Barack Obama during an event in Vancouver This will be one of the last totems I carve, I think. It’s a long process. I’m 60 years old now, and I think I’ve carved enough. I used to be able to carve all day long, but now my hands start to shake after about two hours. It’s time for me to go home to Haida Gwaii. I’ve accomplished a head full of dreams, so it’s time to relax a bit. Haida artist Clarence Mills on the totem he’s been carving in a friend’s East Van garage More quotes at vancourier.com.

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Feature

2019: The year in Vancouver photos Courier photographer Dan Toulgoet had a busy year, attending protests, an election, community events — even a soapbox derby. Here are his photographic highlights of 2019.

5 1. Vancouver lawyers Victoria Shroff (left) and Amber Prince teach Animal Law at UBC’s Allard School of Law. 2. Tens of thousands attended the Global Climate Strike at Vancouver city hall Sept. 27 before marching over the Cambie Street Bridge into downtown. 3. Squamish First Nation carver Xwalacktun works on a 44-foot welcome post that was erected in the courtyard adjacent to the Vancouver School Board office on West Broadway. 4. The annual Ray-Cam Soapbox Derby rolls on behind the RayCam Cooperative Community Centre on East Hastings, in support of the NASKARZ program for at-risk youth. 5. Chanel is one of eight sex dolls that Kristen Dickson rents through her business, House of Dolls. 6. Mural artists bring colour to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Bob High’s murals often carry a political message.

PHOTOS DAN TOULGOET

VANCOURIER.C OM

T H U R SDAY, D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 9 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A15

Living THE GROWLER

You have to visit these bucket list pubs in B.C. Rob Mangelsdorf

editor@thegrowler.ca

The pub is a special place, a sacred place. It serves as the living room for its community, where young and old can come together and bond over a pint, a plate of greasy food, some keno and probably a game of darts. Before our phones and the Internet connected us, our forefathers (and foremothers) had to swing by the pub to ﬁnd out all the latest juicy gossip in town. Thankfully, some traditions never die, and if you want to put your ﬁnger on the pulse of a place, the pub is where to do it. Here’s our list of unique and charming pubs around the province that we think you should venture off the beaten track to visit if you haven’t already done so. And if you’ve already visited B.C’s best pubs, then visit them again! Maybe you’ll even win the meat draw.

The Crow and Gate Pub

2313 Yellow Point Rd., Yellow Point • CrowAndGate.ca This pub could not be more in the middle of nowhere. A sign marks the turnoff from Hwy 1, and after a 15-minute jaunt past farms, trees, more farms and some more trees, you end up in a little slice of rural England, transplanted halfway between Nanaimo and Ladysmith. This Tudor-style bucolic country pub features low ceilings, dark wood, a massive fireplace and bar service only. If it feels like an authentic English country pub, that’s because it is. The original owner, Jack Nash, was a native of Sussex and imported much of the materials that went into building his painstakingly-designed pub — including the exposed timbers, furnishings, even the windows — all the way from England. Fun Fact: The Crow and Gate was the very first neighbourhood pub in B.C., opening in 1972 before the ink was even dry on new provincial liquor regulations allowing pubs for the first time.

The Dinghy Dock Pub

8 Pirate Lane, Protection Island, Nanaimo • DinghyDockPub.com Located in Nanaimo Harbour, just off Protection Island, the Dinghy Dock Pub is Canada’s only ﬂoat-

Above: South of Nanaimo, the Crow and Gate Pub oozes cozy charm. PHOTO ROB MANGELSDORF Top right: Just across the Columbia River from Castlegar, about 45 minutes west of Nelson, the Lion’s Head Smoke and Brew Pub is an oasis of craft beer in Bud country. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED Bottom right: Built in 1894 as a roadhouse, the 17 Mile House Pub is steeped in history. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

ing, boat-access only pub. That’s right, if you want to drink at the Dinghy Dock, you’re going to have to take a boat — or swim. Thankfully, the pub operates a ferry into town for those of us who are boatless. This kitschy pub is appropriately nautical themed; the walls are festooned with Jolly Rogers, ﬁshing ﬂoats, life preservers and antique diving equipment. Grab a seat on the patio and watch the otters and seals playing in the harbour as kayakers and boaters pull up to the pub’s private dock for a pint. Or stay inside and check out the pub’s eclectic live music lineup. After having undergone renovations this past winter, the Dinghy Dock has never been in better shape, and boasts a new and improved food and drink menu, as well.

Gasthaus on the Lake

5790 Beach Ave., Peachland • Gasthaus.ca While many of the establishments on this list take their inspiration from the whimsical country pubs of the U.K. and Ireland, not so with the Gasthaus. As you could probably tell by the name, the Gasthaus is very much German. Founded by Werner Fischer and Joerg Hoerath, the hand-carved log cabin pub is straight out of Bavaria, complete with an extensive German beer list and German pub favourites like bratwurst and schnitzel. In the summer, the Gasthaus’s expansive patio offers waterfront views

of Lake Okanagan. In the winter, cozy up next to the raging ﬁre in a stone hearth so massive that you could park a Volkswagen Rabbit in it. The highlight of any visit is the medieval feast, where groups of eight or more dress up in ridiculous costumes and are served a veritable mountain of meat from a 150-cast iron pan the size of a patio table.

Gunbarrel Saloon

1000 Stray Horse Rd., Hedley • ApexResort.com Located at the base of Apex Mountain Resort, the legendary Gunbarrel Saloon has consistently been voted the best après ski bar in Canada, and deservedly so. The raucous log cabin pub is open from November to April when the slopes are open and attracts throngs of happy holidaymakers fresh off the hills with cold beer, hot food and good times. If you’ve had a long day on the slopes and need to warm up, try the Gunbarrel Coffee, which involves ﬂaming liqueur being poured down a doublebarreled shotgun into your glass. When in Rome!

The Hummingbird Inn

47 Sturdies Bay Rd., Galiano Island • HummingbirdPub.com The main watering hole on the hippie haven of Galiano Island is kid-friendly, pet-friendly and replete with small town charm. The bar is festooned with aging photographs of the pub’s regulars, and the creaking wooden ﬂoorboards of this

cedar cabin in the woods only add to its rustic appeal. The best part of any visit to the Hummingbird, however, might be ride there. From May to September, the infamous Tommy Transit runs a shuttle bus between the pub, the Montague Harbour Marina and the provincial campsite. Once on board the bright yellow school bus, it’s not uncommon for Tommy to get the passengers going in a sing-a-long or pick up one of the many musical instruments lying about and play along. By the time everyone gets to the pub, you’re all best friends.

Lion’s Head Smoke and Brew Pub

2629 Broadwater Rd, Robson • LionsHeadPub.ca Just across the Columbia River from Castlegar, about 45 minutes west of Nelson, the Lion’s Head Smoke and Brew Pub is an oasis of craft beer in Bud country. Troy Pyett and Carly Hadfield, daughter of Spinnakers founder Paul Hadfield, bought the pub in 2009 and changed its focus to craft beer immediately, facing a customer backlash when their small stock of Budweiser bottles ran out in the first hour before they sold any of the craft beer

they had on tap. But they stuck to their cheeky motto: “Converting Bud drinkers and vegetarians since 2009,” and it paid off. The Lion’s Head is in a large Tudor-style building set in a picturesque location in front of a large granite rock face. It has two sunny patios, while the interior features huge saw-blade chandeliers, wood ﬂoors, and a handbuilt fossil rock bar. In addition to craft beer and cider, the Lion’s Head has an excellent kitchen, featuring a variety of meats that are smoked right on-site.

Mike’s Place Pub

422 Vernon St, Nelson • HumeHotel.com Nelson’s favourite pub since forever, Mike’s Place Pub in the historic Hume Hotel is all dark wood and dim lights and it’s just dripping in character from the leaded glass to the handcarved banisters. The crowd is an eclectic mix of Nelson locals, with some ski bums and tourists thrown in for good measure. Thankfully, the beer list is thick with craft options, including beers from local heroes Nelson Brewing, Torchlight and Backroads. With the Spirit Bar live music venue downstairs, the Library Lounge cocktail bar next

door and the hotel above the pub, there’s really no reason to leave the building.

17 Mile House Pub

5126 Sooke Road, Sooke • 17MileHouse.com Built in 1894 as a roadhouse on the way to the bustling, but now abandoned gold mining boomtown of Leechtown, the 17 Mile House Pub is steeped in history. Located exactly 17 miles from Victoria City Hall, the former hotel was once home to Sooke’s only telephone. Today the Tudor Revival building is a charming little pub right on the edge of Highway 14 that’s impossible to miss. Inside, it’s warm and inviting, with lots of wood, brick, random antiques and pub staples like foosball, pool tables and darts. Outside, there’s a massive patio with a full-size volleyball court, a horseshoe pit, bocce ball and even an outdoor stage for live music in the summer. Fun fact: the pub is haunted by a menagerie of spirits, including that of former owner Ma Wilson, who died in the pub in 1970, and the boyfriend of previous owner Mary Jackson, who hung himself either in the hotel or from a tree close by. Spooky! —with ﬁles from Joe Wiebe

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER T H U R SDAY, D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

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Arts & Entertainment THE SHOWBIZ

Film investigates effect of tanker trafﬁc on whales Documentary The Whale and the Raven screens at Vancity Jan. 10 to 16 Sabrina Furminger

sabrina@yvrscreenscene.com

In the realm of environmental documentaries, The Whale and the Raven is something of an outlier. The feature-length documentary — which was co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada and won the WIFTV Artistic Merit Award at the 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival — delves into the impact of tanker traffic on the whales that sing and strive to survive in the coastal waters of northern B.C. There have been other films — remarkable and important films, such as Fractured Land, Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World and KONELĪNE: our land beautiful — that have similarly told the story of the intersection of wildlife and commerce and Indigenous activism. Where The Whale and The Raven differs is in its point of view — that of an outsider to Canada — director Mirjam Leuze, who is based in Cologne, Germany and anchors the story in the experiences of the two researchers dedicated to studying the unique behaviour of humpback whales, fin whales and orcas. The film also positions the whales themselves as characters with their own personalities and relationships, and begs a couple of questions: Are whales sentient beings? If they

The Whale and the Raven follows two researchers dedicated to studying the unique behaviour of humpback whales, fin whales and orcas — specifically, the whales’ relationship with tanker traffic in northern B.C.

are (and the ﬁlm arguably leaves you with the conclusion that they are), how do we change our interactions with them? And how dare we destroy their home? The Whale and The Raven has been a hit in Germany, where it opened the prestigious Dok Fest in Munich and kicked off a lengthy theatrical run in September. “In Europe, there is a love and appreciation for the nature we have here in Canada that I think is greater than our appreciation, because it’s so different from the landscape in Europe, which is densely urban and very populated,” says Andrew Williamson,

the Vancouver-based producer who co-produced The Whale and the Raven with Henrik Meyer. Williamson previously worked on the Knowledge Network documentary series, Emergency Room: Life and Death at VGH. On the surface, the two projects don’t seem to have much in common, but Williamson says Emergency Room — which required him to negotiate a complicated access agreement with VGH — prepared him for the process of developing an equally complicated ﬁlming protocol agreement with the Gitga’at Nation. “Even though this wasn’t

an Indigenous film, it was shot entirely in Indigenous territories, and so I felt very early on that we had to formalize that relationship,” says Williamson. “You can’t just go into someone’s home and film and leave again. There needs to be more to it than that.” Thus, the production agreed to consult with a Gitga’at advisory council throughout the filming process, and contributed training opportunities and employment. “We were all very proud of where we ended up with that agreement, and the access we had, including access to some sacred parts of that

territory, and the contributions that we made that kind of evened out the exchange a little,” says Williamson. Although the film is about whales, it is anchored in the story of Hermann Meuter and Janie Wray, who founded the Cetacea Lab on Gil Island and are allies of the Gitga’at Nation in their fight against oil tankers. Meuter and Wray were married when the project was proposed but had separated by the time the crew arrived on Gil Island to begin filming — which was the first of several monumental, but not insurmountable, challenges for

Williamson and co. There was also the challenge of transporting equipment and personnel from Vancouver to the flyin community of Gil Island, and the challenge of filming the whales in a way that wouldn’t be disruptive. “I thought it would be more [like a] BBC wildlife documentary, but when you’re working with people who know the animals very well, you’re not plunging into the water beside them,” says Williamson. “You’re not running beside them trying to get shots. The visuals to me feel really real as a result. It’s like what’s it like to be there as a person.” “I’m incredibly proud of the film, in part because this is the kind of film that I’ve always wanted to make,” adds Williamson. “I think the conversation about the whales is important but, moreover, I think it’s a period of reflection now about how we’re living on the Earth, and I think this is an important part of that conversation. Here, in the Lower Mainland, we’re looking down the barrel of the TMX pipeline expansion and I would hope that anyone who saw this film had the opportunity to reflect on that.” The Whale and The Raven screens Jan. 10 to 16 at VIFF Vancity Theatre. Info at viff.org.

City targets 50,000 square feet of new arts space by next year John Kurucz

jkurucz@vancourier.com

Somewhat quietly tucked away at the bottom of a city-issued news release Dec. 6 was a nugget that should provide some hope to Vancouver’s continually fracturing arts scene. “Howe Street Studios is the first of several new cityowned arts spaces set to open Vancouver over the coming year,” the statement read. The release then continued to suggest close to 50,000 square feet worth of arts space is in the offing over the next 12 months: a 20,000 square foot multipurpose arts and culture production and presentation hub at 825 Pacific St., 30 units of social housing

for artists with 4,000 square feet of production space at Main and Second Avenue and a 20,000-square-foot, purpose-built music presentation centre secured at the Plaza of Nations. All of this, along with a proposed 6,000-square-foot rehearsal facility that could be a part of Fir Street project subject to a development permit board hearing on Jan. 20. But ﬁrst, back to Howe Street Studios. Owned by the city and operated by the non-proﬁt 221A, the studio encompasses close to 11,000 square feet of space that will be used predominantly for visual arts. It includes two kiln compatible studios and two sound-isolated studios. About 20 artists call

Howe Street Studios was unveiled to the public on Dec. 6. PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF VANCOUVER

it home. “221A’s vision for the facility is to support the reemergence of viable working spaces for artists within Vancouver’s downtown core, with a focus on artists who have traditionally been disadvantaged from access

to public resources,” 221A director Brian McBay said in a news release. The new space came to fruition by way of community amenity contributions (CAC) from Howe Street Developments Limited Partnership, as part of a

mixed-use development that includes a 41-storey residential building. CACs are like a give-and-take between cities and developers, where a municipality will leverage amenities — affordable housing, park space or purpose-built rental units — against a developer’s request for more density. Artists at the Howe Street space are in commercial sublease agreements for three-year terms, with the Malaspina Printmakers Society selected as the facility’s key subtenant. The non-proﬁt, artist-run centre “advances education, promotes excellence in the art form, and increases the public’s understanding and appreciation of contemporary art and print media,”

according to the city. The announcement builds on council’s lofty, 10-year vision for arts and culture in the city adopted in September. Through three different pieces of legislation, the city aims to secure 800,000 square feet of art space over the next decade along with creating affordable artist housing and providing grant money to artists and arts groups. The ﬁrst allotment of that funding — almost $900,000 — went out in November to groups and individuals the city characterized as “underrepresented” in previous grant allocations: First Nations groups, people of colour and others from the LGBTQ+ community. @JohnKurucz

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Pass It to Bulis

A17

The hockey blog that knows who needs the puck

A year of Jim Benning moves have the Canucks right back where they started Canucks have made moves to make the playoffs, but have they actually improved?

Backhand Sauce Daniel Wagner

The Canucks began 2019 just outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference, two points behind the eighth-place Dallas Stars for the final wild card spot. With a 19-19-4 record, they were right at .500, earning exactly 50 per cent of the points available to them. A year later, they find themselves in a very similar position. There are still a couple games left in the year and their position in the standings could change, but it’s remarkable that the Canucks’ fortunes have changed so little since the beginning of the year. Once again, they look like a team that will be fortunate to be on the playoff bubble and are more likely to miss the playoffs than make them. Three different playoff projection models — that of MoneyPuck.com, HockeyViz. com, and the Athletic — have the Canucks’ playoff chances at below 40 per cent. That’s troubling, because as we look back at 2019, the moves made by the Canucks and general manager Jim Benning had a clear theme: the rebuild is over — it’s time to make the playoffs. The Canucks have missed the playoffs in four straight seasons, resulting in high draft picks that have become the new core of the team. The Canucks’ two best players, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, came from top-10 picks after bottoming out in the previous seasons and they’re hoping that 2019 first-round pick, Vasili Podkolzin, can soon join them as an impact power forward. Despite some truly terrible stretches in the past, the Canucks have never missed the playoffs in five straight seasons in their entire franchise history, and the current ownership group, headed up by Francesco Aquilini, isn’t likely to be patient much longer. The pressure is on to make the playoffs. That helps explain a lot of the Canucks’ moves in 2019. At the NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, Benning acquired J.T. Miller from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2019 third-round pick and a conditional first-round pick. Rebuilding teams don’t move first-round picks, not even for players as good as Miller has proven to be in Vancouver; that’s the move of a team that sees itself as one or two moves away from being a contender. The first-round pick is protected this season — if the Canucks miss the playoffs,

Stick-taps & Glove-drops • Some year-end stick-taps for the

Canucks’ rookies. Elias Pettersson won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2019, while Quinn Hughes has quickly established himself as the team’s best defenceman and could make a run at the Calder in 2020. While the team has struggled overall, Pettersson and Hughes are some pretty bright lights for the future.

• A tap of the stick for the best trend in the

NHL this year: accountability. Don Cherry was held accountable for his xenophobic comments, while coaches were held to account for past mental and physical abuse. It feels like we’re on the verge of a welcome sea-change in hockey culture.

Big Numbers • 65.4 The Canucks have approximately The Canucks acquired a number of new players in the off-season including defenceman Tyler Myers, but it remains to be seen if it’s enough to get the team into the playoffs. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

they keep the pick — but it’s not protected next season. That means there will be even more pressure if they miss the playoffs in 2019-20; they could be handing the Lightning a lottery pick if they miss the playoffs two years in a row. Then there was free agency, where Benning spent $48 million on Tyler Myers, Jordie Benn and Micheal Ferland. The marquee signing was Myers at $6 million per year for ﬁve years, which was thankfully a Myers-sized step down from the $8 million contract that made its way into the rumour mill. Still, committing $6 million for the next ﬁve years to a 29-year-old defenceman is again a move designed to make the team better immediately, without much regard for the future. Will Myers still be worth $6 million per year when he’s 32 or 33, when defencemen tend to show a sharp decline after the age of 30?

At the very least, Myers, along with the Canucks’ other acquisitions, like Tanner Pearson in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins for Erik Gudbranson in February, were meant to make the Canucks better in the short term. To be fair, the Canucks do look better on paper; it just hasn’t necessarily shown itself in the standings. The question is, even if they are better, are the Canucks good enough to make the playoffs this season? Has the past year of work by Benning and the Canucks been enough to build them into a playoff team? That will be a lot easier to see with hindsight in 2020.

For daily Canucks news and views, go to Pass It to Bulis at vancourier.com.

$65.4 million committed to the salary cap next season, not including performance bonuses for Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes that will likely roll over into next year. With the likes of Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev, Troy Stecher, Jake Virtanen, Adam Gaudette and Josh Leivo all needing new contracts, the Canucks could be in a cap crunch.

• 24 Canucks prospect Brogan Rafferty

continues to light up the AHL, leading all AHL defencemen in scoring, but there’s one number that should give fans pause before they get too hyped up: 24. Rafferty is 24 years old, which is older than your typical AHL rookie. Rafferty likely has an NHL future, but may not be an impact topfour defenceman.

A18

THE VANCOUVER COURIER THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

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COLLINS, Frederick Pieter “Fred” Our beloved Fred passed away on December 15, 2019 in North Vancouver, at the age of 57 years, with his family by side. Fred had Down’s Syndrome and lived an incredibly full and active life. He did not let much stop him from succeeding in whatever he put his mind to, regardless of any challenges he was met with. A vibrant, compassionate, and gentle person with an adventurous spirit, Fred touched the lives of many. He had a special gift for lighting up a room with smiles and befriending those around him. He was a joy-filled and talented drummer, dancer, artist and loved to socialize. Fred was active in his community in many ways, including his longstanding service as an Altar Server at St. Stephen’s Catholic Parish. He had several incredible achievements competing with the North Shore Special Olympics, most notably competing in downhill skiing in The Special Olympics World Games in Nagano, Japan in 2005. He was fondly referred to as “Straight Ahead Fred” within the skiing community . His friendships extended from his school days at Prince Charles School and Windsor High School, to his time in the Amity Workshop, and later, his nearly 20 years spent in the Cascadia community. In his last few years, he transitioned to Evergreen House, building fond memories there by participating in programs like Bingo, Art and Saturday morning music. He had a vast number of cherished relationships spanning his diverse social and recreational circle. He was pre-deceased by his loving and dedicated mother, Jeanne (2003), who championed the inclusion of those with disabilities. He is deeply loved and will truly be missed by many, especially by his loving family; Michael (father), Elisabeth (sister), Willi (brother), their families (Greg, Alanna, Christine, and Alex), and aunts, uncles and cousins in England and Holland. His memory and love will remain an inspiration to all who knew him. Thank you to all of those who cared and supported Fred so kindly in the Cascadia community and at Evergreen House. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St Stephen’s Catholic Parish, 1360 East 24th Street, North Vancouver, B.C., Friday, December 27, 2019 at 2pm. Wear a touch of green in memory of Frederick A reception will follow in the Church Hall. At a later date, Fred will be laid to rest beside his Mother by his immediate family. Flowers are gratefully declined. If you so desire, donations may be made to the charity of your choice to honour his memory. First Memorial Funeral Services; 1505 Lillooet Road, North Vancouver, B.C., 604-980-3451.

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A19

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A20

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