WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014
Vol. 105 No. 27 • Established 1908
Superstore
350 SE Marin 3185 Grandvi e Drive & ew Highway
T&T Supermar ke
2800 East 1s
t
t Avenue
Kingsgate Mal l
370 East Broa dw
ay (Mon - Fri 9 to 9, Sat 9 to 6, Su n 11 to 5)
MIDWEEK EDITION
THE VOICE OF VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS
NEWS:Activistremembered6/CITYLIVING:HavingaGrandviewtime12
NEST IN SHOW: It’s nesting time again in Stanley Park as the great blue herons return to their rookery for the 14th consecutive year.
photo Dan Toulgoet
Political hopefuls expected to get Green light GREEN PARTY NOMINEES HAVE POLITICAL ROOTS MIKE HOWELL Staff writer
T
wo community activists with deep political roots are among four nominees expected to get the nod from the Green Party to run for city council in this November’s civic election. Pete Fry, whose mother is Vancouver-
Centre Liberal MP Hedy Fry, and Cleta Brown, the daughter of the late Rosemary Brown — the first black woman in Canada to be elected to a provincial legislature — announced their intentions Monday on the back steps of city hall. “We try not to talk about the specifics of partisan politics too much because it makes for a much happier family time,” said Fry, chairperson of the Strathcona Residents
Association, when asked about his mother’s reaction to his decision to seek political office. “But she is rather pleased to see that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I wouldn’t say that I’m a card-carrying federal Liberal but I am proud of the work that my mom has done.” Fry and Brown joined Tracey Moir, founder and chairperson of the OakridgeLangara Area Residents Association, and
current Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr to round out the four nominees chosen by their party’s screening committee. The Green Party will hold its nomination meeting May 4, where the four candidates are expected to go uncontested in their bids. Nominees for school board and park board will be announced at a later date. See NO MAYORAL page 5
A2
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
A3
news
W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
Heritagepropertiesnab$23.5millionintaxexemptions 12TH & CAMBIE with Mike Howell
W
hat I could do with $23.5 million… That’s the amount of tax money the city chose to exempt from 18 Vancouver heritage properties between 2003 and 2013. Why? In 2003, council established what it called the Heritage Building Rehabilitation Program to encourage the full upgrading of heritage buildings and stimulate economic revitalization within the Downtown Eastside historic areas. That includes Chinatown, Gastown, Victory Square and the Hastings Street corridor. The program was initially set up to run five years but council extended it twice. To date, council approved 21 properties under the program and only three failed to proceed with the upgrades. Properties under the program included the Burns Block at 18 West Hastings St. (now socalled micro-lofts), the Wing Sang building at 51 East Pender St. (now offices to condo king Bob Rennie and his private art gallery) and the Pennsylvania Hotel at 412 Carrall St. (a renovated single-room occupancy). The Burns Block exemption was worth $144,492, Rennie’s was $500,395 and the
photo Dan Toulgoet
The renovated Pennsylvania Hotel received nearly $1 million in tax exemptions. Pennsylvania almost topped $1 million at $947,502. The biggest exemption — at $8.1 million — went to the Woodward’s Building at 101 West Hastings St. But it’s not only heritage buildings that are eligible for tax exemptions. According to the Vancouver Charter, other properties include: • Crown lands, or property owned and occupied by the federal, provincial or regional governments, or a Crown corporation. • City of Vancouver property.
• Charities. • Education facilities. • Hospitals. • Churches. • Simon Fraser University at the Sears Harbour Centre. • Emergency shelters for people and domestic animals. • Property for pollution control. • Former Vancouver courthouse occupied by the Vancouver Art Gallery. • B.C. Cancer Agency branch in the 600-
block of West 10th Avenue. Yep, that’s a lot of properties. In fact, in 2013, $30.3 billion of properties (12.7 per cent of the assessment roll) were exempt. City properties generated the bulk of the exemptions at $15.8 million. While the tax exemptions save property owners money, a report that went before city council Tuesday spelled out the good/ bad news for tenants: The city does not have jurisdiction over how property owners share these costs with their tenants. ••• Attended the Green Party’s press conference Monday on the back steps of city hall. As I wrote in a story for this print edition, the party has chosen Pete Fry, Tracey Moir, Cleta Brown and Coun. Adriane Carr as their council nominees to run in this fall’s civic election. One nugget I didn’t have room to mention in the print story was that Carr has a history with Fry — not Pete, the chairperson of the Strathcona Residents Association, but his mother Hedy Fry, the Liberal MP for Vancouver-Centre. Carr lost to Fry in the May 2011 federal election. “It’s ironic,” she said, laughing as she went on to praise Pete for his activism in Strathcona. “We don’t talk about his mom much.” Another irony: Much of what Carr and her pro-environment team had to say was difficult to hear over the snarling of chainsaws coming from a nearby work crew. mhowell@vancourier.com twitter.com/Howellings
KITSILANO BETTER AT HOME We’re still here... keeping you & your loved ones comfortable!
Sales, Service & Repairs for:
Ask abou t the Fort REBATE is $800 to your Boilreplace Furnaceer or
• Heating & Air Conditioning • Gas Fireplaces & Outdoor Heaters • Tankless & Conventional Water Heaters
Volunteer Drivers Needed Enhance seniors’ independence and quality of life by providing rides to appointments
sylvie@kitshouse.org 604-732-7773 kitshouse.org
Est. 1921
112 West 2nd Ave. Vancouver, BC www.kirklandmetalshop.com
604-261-2525
A4
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
We invite you to a FREE Travel Presentation On
Luxury Ocean Cruises European River Cruises Premium Coach Tours
Thursday April 10, 2014 6pm - 8:30pm
Arbutus Village Community Centre
B2-4255 Arbutus Street (Arbutus Shopping Centre) Vancouver, BC Meet your CWT Leisure Consultants, our preferred Vacation & Cruise suppliers and enjoy informative presentations in a relaxed setting! Learn more about earning and redeeming RBC Rewards® points, CWT Vacation Club offers, Europe and exclusive savings & bonuses on select vacations!
RSVP By ApriI 7, 2014 Carlson Wagonlit Travel Suite 114 - 4255 Arbutus Street, Vancouver, BC Tel: 604-736-1261
Carlson Wagonlit Travel 1055 West Georgia, Suite 138 Vancouver, BC Phone +1 604-688-5661
Carlson Wagonlit Omega Travel 3230 West Broadway Vancouver, BC Tel: 604-738-7161
Quest Travel Ltd 800 Millbank Vancouver, BC Tel: 604-875-9125
Refreshments and light snacks will be served.
®/TM Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under license
news
Visiondeniesconflictofinterest overOakridgedevelopment BOB MACKIN
Contributing writer
M
ayor Gregor Robertson and his seven Vision Vancouver city council-mates call a B.C. Supreme Court petition aimed at disqualifying them from office before November’s election “reprehensible and deserving of rebuke.” They responded March 28 to the petition by Cedar Party leader Glen Chernen and nine others who allege Vision members failed to declare a conflict of interest over the Oakridge Centre redevelopment. The reply, filed by lawyer Joseph Arvay, said Cedar’s March 7 petition asserts Vision members could not vote impartially because Oakridge consultant Gary Pooni happens to be a minority owner of the Vancouver Is Awesome (VIA) website “which has published a few blogs complimentary of the petition respondents and promoted a couple of Vision Vancouver networking events — despite the fact he actually exercises no editorial control.” The Mayor and Vision councillors deny having a direct or indirect interest in Oakridge owner Ivanhoe Cambridge, which they claim has not donated to the party. Arvay is also defending Robertson against Chernen’s Feb. 14 petition that alleges Vision gave HootSuite a non-tendered civic building lease in 2012 because the social media com-
pany helped it win re-election in 2011. The March 28 reply called Cedar a party with “an anti-development and anti-densification agenda.” It said Pooni owns 25 per cent of VIA, with the rest held by editor Bob Kronbauer. Pooni’s affidavit said he became the website’s business development executive and Kronbauer got a year’s free rent in Pooni’s office after they incorporated Awesome Media Network in November 2012. Pooni’s consultancy donated $6,425 to Vision in 2011, but the reply denies he has ever offered or been promised a favour in exchange for donating to any party, including the NPA. The response claims VIA has no particular party allegiance, despite promoting two Vision events. In an affidavit, the party’s executive director said it paid $2,352 for a half-page ad in VIA’s annual print magazine and that he modeled sportswear in the same issue as a personal favour. “That blog has a fairly substantial readership which includes a demographic that I believe should be targeted for support of Vision Vancouver,” according to Stepan Vdovine’s affidavit. “The same may be said about other similar blogs, such as Vancity Buzz. The readers of these blogs are often not reached by traditional media outlets like the Vancouver Sun or Vancouver Courier. Part of my job is to maintain contact with these types of media outlets in an effort to connect with their audiences.” bob@bobmackin.ca
Infiniti Downtown Vancouver Spring Sale.
Save up to $6,500 on select models while supplies last! Visit our website for a full list of exciting offers.
Join us April 5th for our one day sale with QMFM live on location! Enter to win a trip to Whistler in a brand new Infiniti! 1718 West 3rd Street Vancouver, BC V6J 1K4 Tel: 604.733.3537 | infinitivancouver.ca
news
W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
No mayoral candidate, no coalition... for now Continued from page 1 The party hasn’t ruled out running a mayoral candidate but doesn’t appear interested in seeking a coalition with Vision Vancouver, the NPA or COPE. Vision has dominated city hall since voters gave them a majority in 2008. The NPA holds two spots on council, Carr is the lone Green Party member and COPE got shut out of council in the 2011 election. “Any such coalition would need to be approved by our members,” said Jacquie Miller, chairperson of the Green Party’s Vancouver chapter. “Our members’ current feeling is not to seek a coalition and this is largely because we get our support from across the spectrum. Greens are collaborative at every level — internationally, nationally, provincially and locally — and it’s best for us to be able to keep those open working relationships with whoever gets elected.” Though the Green Party brand is familiar to most Vancouverites, the party’s disadvantage going into this year’s vote will
be its inability to compete financially with the million-dollar-plus campaigns of Vision Vancouver and the NPA. Carr, however, pointed out her budget was under $10,000 in the 2011 campaign and she managed to squeak out the 10th and final spot on council. Unlike Vision and the NPA, the Green Party has a policy not to accept donations from developers, which are big backers of the two mainstream parties. “You don’t need a lot of money if your profile is good and you’ve got a lot of foot soldiers out there,” Carr said. “What we hope to do is make up for the money with lots of volunteers.” The Green Party didn’t outline its platform Monday but the common concerns expressed among the nominees were to better address affordability and homelessness in Vancouver and improve transit. The election is Nov. 15. mhowell@vancourier.com twitter.com/Howellings
Spring is Here!!!
Enjoy the beauty of Primula and Calla Lilies
Sp ec
ial
Primu la ‘ 5 inchBelarina ’ Pot
$
4
99
each Valid M arc While h 31 st to Ap quanti ri th ties last l 6 .
Make a
mark
that means
more.
Vancity Board of Directors’ Election Vote for the candidates you think will best: Impact the direction Vancity will take
Support how Vancity invests in the community Vote online or by mail by Friday, April 25. Vote at select Vancity branches from Friday, April 11 – Thursday, April 17.
ts #2 Po
19
photo Dan Toulgoet
The Green Party announced Monday that Tracey Moir (l), Pete Fry, Cleta Brown and Adriane Carr are the party’s four nominees for city council seats in the November civic election.
Influence how Vancity meets your financial needs
l a i c e SpCalla Lilies 99 $ eacthh
l6 to Apri . st arch 31 Valid M e quantities la il Wh st
Annual General Meeting
Sp ec
Shady
$
ial
Grass
S e ed
9 99 1 kg B
ag
each Valid M arc While h 31 st to Ap quanti ri th ties last l 6 .
David Hunter Garden Centers 2560 West Broadway – 604-733-1534 www.davidhuntergardencenters.com www.facebook.com/DavidHuntersBroadway
Open 7 Days a Week Monday to Sunday 9am - 5:30pm
A5
Results will be announced at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at the Italian Cultural Centre, 3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver, BC. Live webcast at vancity.com/AGM Registration at 6 pm, meeting at 7 pm.
Visit vancity.com for further details Make Good Money (TM) is a trademark of Vancouver City Savings Credit Union.
A6
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
news
‘Activist in a dress’ fought for LGBT rights SANDRA THOMAS Staff writer
will be holding its
ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING on
Thursday, April 24, 2014, 7:00 p.m. at the Sunset Community Centre 6810 Main Street. Agenda:
• Election of Directors • Business normally conducted at an A.G.M.
I
n a 2011 speech at the Q Hall of Fame ball in Toronto, Vancouver resident ted northe told the crowd, “I watch with awe and pride as I see young men and women expressing themselves with little or no fear. Having space where we as a community can marry and even the simple act of holding hands or kissing in public. We have gained so much in what is truly such a short amount of time.” Close friend Paul Therien said the world is a better place for northe’s decades-long fight for equality for LGBT communities, not only in Canada, but across the globe. The 76-year-old activist, who preferred his name spelled with lower case letters, died Sunday morning due to complications from lung cancer that returned in 2011. “It’s staggering to think about what this man achieved in his lifetime,” said Therien. “I might suggest one of the reasons is the support he had from his family as a young man.” His passing also marks the end of an era. Northe founded the Imperial Court System of Canada in 1964 and became the titular head of the charitable organization in 1967. He remained Empress of Canada until his passing. The organization eventually allowed
photo submitted
Longtime LGBT activist ted northe will be remembered for his decadeslong commitment to fundraising for charity.
for provincial chapters and in 1976 the Dogwood Monarchy Society formed in Vancouver. Northe also initiated the first Community Christmas Dinner and first gay community disaster relief fund in Vancouver. He helped develop the first Gay Businessmen’s Guild and worked with the lesbian community to host the first openly gay breast cancer fundraiser. Northe sponsored and
helped create countless events and groups in the city, including the first gay bowling and softball leagues, first Vancouver Pride Parade and the Greater Vancouver Native Culture Society for two-spirited men and women. It’s estimated northe raised more than $10 million for Canadian charities through his work. For his efforts northe received numerous commendations, including the Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian and Distinguished Citizen Award, B.C. Cancer Society Citizen’s Award for Fundraising, the Governor General’s Special Service Medal for Distinguished Citizen and Humanitarian and Certificate of Special USA Congressional Recognition. As a self-described “activist in a dress,” he also fought tirelessly for gay rights in Vancouver and in the early 1970s was dubbed “ted northe and his lavender mob” by local media. Therien said besides northe’s biological family, he will be deeply mourned by his “chosen family” across Canada. “He touched so many lives,” said Therien. “Ted had an uncanny ability to touch people really deeply.” A public celebration of life is being organized for June, the time when northe had planned to officially retire as Empress of Canada. sthomas@vancourier.com twitter.com/sthomas10
“In my house great food always meant good company.” At Tapestry Retirement Communities, we respect your independence as well as the personal choices you make. In fact, we believe they’re what keep you feeling positive and enjoying life to the fullest. Whether it’s dining in the restaurant, cooking in your own kitchen or making new friends, Tapestry can provide you with the resources and support to do it. Call us today and see what kind of individualized programs we can offer to help keep your body, mind and spirit healthy, vibrant and young at heart.
Angela Smith savouring her appetite for life
www.DiscoverTapestry.com
Tapestry at Wesbrook Village 3338 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver BC 604.225.5000 Tapestry at Arbutus Walk 2799 Yew Street, Vancouver BC 604.736.1640
news Revised Marpole Plan earns support CONCERNS REMAIN OVER COMMUNITY CENTRE, OAKRIDGE DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPING STORY
T
with Naoibh O’Connor
he revised Marpole Community Plan finally goes before council April 2 — two years after city staff began working on it. Once adopted, the plan will guide growth and development over the next 30 years. Residents protested the draft plan, largely over concerns about proposed rezoning of single-family areas, but the latest document appears to satisfy many critics, including Mike Burdick, spokesman for the Marpole Residents’ Coalition, who said the majority of the group’s members support the plan. “The reason we’re in favour of it is because it basically fulfills our mandate when we started the coalition, which was to remove the single-family homes from the rezoning effort,” he said. “Almost 100 per cent of the single-family homes were going to be rezoned and now it’s only about 15 per cent. Burdick acknowledged not everyone backs the document, “but they have a right to speak to that at the council meeting. As far as the organizing group goes, the people who have been to meetings for the last 10 months, we’re happy with it.” While he added it’s not a perfect plan, he applauded the planning department’s effort to consult with the coalition over the past nine months. He cited some remaining areas of concern such as traffic and transportation and the location of the community centre, which is due to be upgraded. The current location of the centre is Oak Park, but Burdick said there appears to be a movement afoot to relocate it to the south part of Granville Street. He favours the existing location. Coalition members are also worried about the impact on Marpole of development at Oakridge Centre, Langara Gardens,
the Pearson-Dogwoods lands and the MC2 project at Cambie and Marine Drive. “There is no provision to handle these people,” he maintains. As of Monday afternoon, 18 people had signed up to speak about the revised plan at the council meeting, according to Matt Shillito, the city’s assistant director of community planning. “I think it represents a really good balance between what the existing community has told us, and what their desires are, and our need to plan for the future of the community and for the future of the city as a whole,” he said. “It strikes a good balance between those two things and there are often tensions between what residents might want and what we might need to do in terms of planning responsibly for the future and for new residents and for growth and change in a city.” Regarding concerns about traffic and transportation, Shillito said the revised plan provides a comprehensive look at different modes of transportation and how to deal with existing traffic issues. He said many concerns focus on drivers diverting off of major arterials to shortcut through residential neighbourhoods, and the barriers major arterials present to pedestrians and cyclists. Shillito also said the plan includes a strategy for upgrading the community centre, as well as the library and the neighbourhood house. “What the plan hasn’t done is conclude on the right combination or location of those facilities,” he said. If council approves the plan, Shillito said staff would work with the community on the best combination of the facilities and where they would be located. “Right now all of the options are open on that. We have heard from the community. I’d say the majority of the people, at least that we’ve heard from, have been keen to see the community centre stay at Oak Park, but we want to look at it more thoroughly.” noconnor@vancourier.com twitter.com/naoibh
Attention: Unrepresented ICBC Injury Claimants NO LEGAL FEE - unless we increase your compensation
Is your Volvo olvo a little under the weather? Put a little Spring in your vehicle at Volvo of Vancouver with these service specials!
• Free tire installation with your next service booking and tire storage.* • Deluxe detailing package starting at $275**
Complete exterior wash and polish. Interior shampoo, clean and condition includes windows, trunk, and wheels
Book today and receive a Free Volvo Shoulder Pack with services over $150* Volvo of Vancouver
8530 Cambie Street Vancouver, BC Tel: 604.325.1000 | volvovancouver.ca *Expire May 31, 2014. **Expires June 30, 2014
BANANA GROVE 2705 E. 22nd Ave. MANY MORE IN STORE SPECIALS Prices Valid April 2 – April 8, 2014
DELI
Lilydale
RASPBERRY CHIPOTLE TURKEY BREAST
1
$ 39
/100g
Schneider’s
THURINGER SAUSAGE
79
¢
/100g
U.S. Grown
ea
U.S. Grown
JOHN HAMILTON
#300 - 410 Carleton Ave. (at Hastings), Burnaby
604-299-6251
Evening & Saturday Appointments Available – Free Parking
Casa
ITALIA PROSCIUTTO COTTO
99
¢
/100g
Emma
PROVOLONE CHEESE
1
$ 49
/100g
CABBAGE
39
¢
/lb
U.S. Grown
GREEN KALE
1
$ 29 ea
U.S. Grown
GREEN SEEDLESS GRAPES
2
FAMILY PACK
www.bananagrovemarket.com
MEATS
Can. Gr. “AAA”
Fresh
6
$ 99
FAMILY PACK
/lb - $9.90/kg
Fresh
PORK SIDE RIBS
PORK TENDERLOIN CRYOVAC
$ 79
WILD CAUGHT
4
$ 49
/lb - $15.41/kg
Fresh
2
$ 79
/lb
BONELESS
BEEF INSIDE ROUND ROAST
BEEF RIB EYE STEAKS
3
$ 99
2/Pack
/lb - $6.15/kg
/lb - $8.80/kg
Marinated
Frozen
CHICKEN
FAMILY PACK
COD LOIN FILLETS DRUMSTICKS MAIN MUSCLE MAUI, 3 PEPPER, TERIYAKI
3
1
$ 99
PRODUCE
99
Injury Lawyer - 17 yrs.
(at Slocan)
604.435.0646
Market & Deli
¢
We are so confi dent that we can increase your compensation that we guarantee you will pay no fee unless you receive more than ICBC is offering when you hire us to be your lawyers.
A7
SPRING CHECK UP
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
Have friends, family or a health professional urged you to see a lawyer before accepting an offer from ICBC? Call us for a free consultation. We have spoken to many people just like you. We have learned that ICBC does not base its settlement offers on how well an injury victim feels. ICBC offers money based on what the victim will be able to prove in court.
At Cobbett & Cotton we are proudly committed to making a real difference for our injured clients.
W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
$ 99
/lb - $8.80/kg
Reg Price $5.99/lb
/lb - $4.39 /kg
GROCERY
Emma
Mastro
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4
BALSAMIC VINEGAR
ea 1L
1
$ 99
$ 99
La Molisana
ESPRESSO COFFEE
2
$ 19 ea 250g
ea 500ml
A8
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
While you’re not looking, this is what’s happening to BC’s world renowned recycling program.
Well, lookie here. One minute you have a perfectly good Blue Box recycling program. The next, something new and rather questionable is being put in its place. And they thought they’d get away with it right under your nose, without telling you or asking your opinion. That’s definitely not democracy in action. The BC Government, elected by us to represent our best interests, has decided to offload the costs of recycling to big multi-national corporations. To implement this new plan, they’ve set up an association that doesn’t really seem to hold the environment, local jobs, or the municipalities that run the Blue Box program, close to its heart.
Perhaps that’s why some of our local elected officials are using the word “scam” to describe how the new program is being set up. It’s also perhaps why several of BC’s municipalities refuse to jump on board. That’s gotta tell you something. Now it’s your turn to let Premier Christy Clark know what you think. Contact her today to say that dismantling an already-working recycling program to replace it with something that few people think will be as good, is a bad idea.
What’s going on here?
Email Christy Clark at premier@gov.bc.ca or call 250-387-1715. For more info, visit RethinkItBC.ca. #RethinkItBC. This Message is brought to you by:
A9
news
W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
Lions, bees, mail delivery, oh my CENTRAL PARK
with Sandra Thomas
T
he two Stanley Park lions smashed by vandals on the weekend will soon be repaired says Vision Vancouver park board commissioner Constance Barnes. This is the second time the lions, located on Stanley Park Drive by Prospect Point, not the Lions Gate Bridge, have been vandalized since 2010. This time one of the statues had its face almost completely smashed off and the second suffered damage to its paws and nose. The two large lions that mark the north-bound entrance to the Lions Gate Bridge, created by sculptor Charles Marega, were left intact. Barnes says a mold is being made by an artist to repair the damage at a cost of between $700 and $800. As for what it will cost to repair the damaged karma of the vandals themselves, it has yet to be determined.
BEELIEVE IT Vision Vancouver park board chair Niki Sharma successfully passed a motion of order Monday night that will encourage the city’s bee and butterfly populations. Sharma asked staff to develop strategies for supporting pollinators in some parks and streets as part of the board’s Biodiversity and Urban Forest strategies. Staff will now be directed to work with stewardship groups, community gardeners and others to raise awareness about the value of pollinators, facilitate habitat enhancement projects and assess and monitor pollinator populations. Staff will work with the VanDusen Botanical Garden Association, Environmental Youth Alliance and Hives for Humanity, among others, to develop a plan for promoting pollinators across the city this spring. Staff will also be directed to test methods for enhancing pollinators in parks, such as creating un-mowed meadows, planting flowering
trees and shrubs, using more native plants and restoring winter habitats. I might point out the “meadow” look is already a trend in some park-board managed green spaces due to cuts to maintenance so that should help speed things up. Nevertheless, with bumble bee, honey bee and butterfly populations declining across the globe due to pesticide use, habitat loss and industrial agriculture, it’s important municipalities take responsibility in supporting these pollinators.
GOING POSTAL Barnes also brought a notice of motion forward at Monday night’s meeting, but this time it was about mail delivery, not a typical park board issue. But Barnes is concerned Canada Post’s shift from home
delivery to the use of community mailboxes will negatively impact the city’s seniors and persons with disabilities and that, she says, does in fact fall under the board’s mandate. Barnes is also concerned with the location of these community mailboxes and the litter, land-use, parking problems, theft and vandalism that often accompany them. Barnes is worried Canada Post may consider some park and green spaces in the city as ideal locations for these super boxes and she wants it on the record that choice will not be an option. Barnes wants Vision park board chair Niki Sharma to write a letter to Mayor Gregor Robertson outlining the board’s concerns and making it clear there will be no mailboxes on parkland. sthomas@vancourier.com twitter.com/sthomas10
rechargeable Hearing Aids
! e l b a l i a v NOW a $500 OFF your pair of rechargeable hearing aids!
• NO more battery changes* • DRY and RECHARGE your hearing aids overnight • charges in ONLY 6 hours**
CHARGE YOUR HEARING AIDS WHILE YOU SLEEP! College of Speech and Hearing Professionals of BC
BOOK YOUR FREE HEARING SCREENING! *uses roughly 1 pair of batteries per year. Indicator light tells when battery is charged and ready. Only certain models are rechargeable, please ask for details. $500 OFF per pair of new hearing aids purchased. +If you find a lower advertised price on an in-stock new identical item from an Authorized Canadian dealer, now or within 14 days of your purchase, just show us the price and we will match it.
Visit us in Vancouver:
#103-777 West Broadway | 604-428-4327 #102-1030 Denman Street | 604-559-3277
photo Dan Toulgoet
Repairing the damaged lions sculptures is estimated to cost between $700 to $800.
The Wiens Family
www.cvoh.ca
Opening May 5 2014! Denman Place Mall Vancouver
A10
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
THE VANCOUVER COURIER
1574 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver, BC V6J 1R2 604-738-1411 Twitter: @vancouriernews vancourier.com
End of port strike a quick win for Clark
I
t was clearly a moment of triumph for Premier Christy Clark and her government. The six-week strike at Port Metro Vancouver that only showed signs of getting worse instead came to a peaceful end last Wednesday. Not only is the strike over, but her government got a full share of credit from the parties involved for bringing it to a halt. After hours of closed-door talks, Clark arrived at the meeting room at 5:40 p.m. Media were allowed in moments later and she and the truckers’ representatives signed a pact, with everyone talking about the value of face-to-face meetings. Moments later they appeared together at a news conference to say the strike is over. The deal was reached based on a refined 14-point plan that was devised by mediator Vince Ready earlier. The back-to-work legislation that the government was poised to pass will not proceed, Clark said. Among the points of the deal: • The port will rescind suspensions handed out to some drivers who were protesting during the work stoppage. • The federal government will increase trip payments for truckers, and a fuel surcharge change will further benefit drivers. • A number of operational adjustments will be made to lessen the lengthy, non-productive waiting times truckers now encounter at the port. The deal averted what could have turned into full-scale confrontation involving the truckers, the port and the government. Unifor president Jerry Dias, who represents some of the truckers, said he came from Ottawa to Victoria with the intention of holding a news conference to announce they would be defying the back-to-work legislation when it passed. After the deal was reached, Dias joked with Attorney General Suzanne Anton that he’d been originally hoping she’d be “putting handcuffs on me.” His defiant announcement was originally scheduled for 10:30 a.m. It was postponed several times, the first clue that progress was being made. Another sign of progress came in the afternoon, when the government asked the Speaker to hold off on deciding about its earlier request to fasttrack back-to-work legislation that was introduced on Monday. Government house leader Mike de Jong asked that the ruling, which could have allowed continuous debate on the law, be delayed until 4 p.m. There had been a parade of officials shuttling in and out of the meeting room prior to that. The bill would have imposed a 90-day cooling off period on all the parties involved and required them to continue their services or face heavy fines. It also required resumption of good-faith bargaining. Both the government and Opposition were bracing for hours of debate through the night, common on back-to-work legislation, before the breakthrough was announced. Clark said everyone involved had one goal: get together and resolve the issues, before the economic impacts got more severe. She said the truckers had legitimate concerns that had to be addressed. There’s a ‘‘lot of sympathy for truckers who are struggling waiting in line and not getting paid for it.” Laying the back-to-work law to rest, she said: “You shouldn’t have a fight if you can get a deal. We got a deal instead. We’re delighted about it.” Dias jokingly thanked the NDP “for the filibuster in the house that gave Christy time to come to her senses.” He also rapped federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt for not playing a role, saying she declined to take his phone calls and the federal government was looking for a fight during the dispute. With dozens of companies involved, two governments and some truckers unionized and others not, he said it was the most complicated negotiations he’s been involved in. Clark’s government was initially reluctant to get involved, but cabinet ministers Shirley Bond and Todd Stone were working behind the scenes on the problem. It goes down as a big win for everyone involved, particularly considering the alternatives. A continued stand-off would have dramatically upped the economic disruption in B.C. and across Canada. Defiance of the back-to-work law would have opened a troublesome sidebar issue for B.C. Liberals. Best of all, with limited play in the port’s affairs, the B.C. government had to give up next to nothing to reach the deal. lleyne@timescolonist.com
LES LEYNE
ADVERTISING
604.738.1412 CLASSIFIED
604.630.3300 DELIVERY
604.942.3081 EDITORIAL NEWSROOM
604.738.1411 FLYER SALES
604.738.1412
Dee Dhaliwal
Barry Link
ddhaliwal@vancourier.com
blink@vancourier.com
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Tara Lalanne
DIRECTOR SALES & MARKETING
tlalanne@vancourier.com
TheVancouverCourierisadivisionofLMPPublicationLimitedPartnership. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40025215. All material in the Vancouver Courier is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without permission of the publisher. This newspaper reserves the right to reject any advertising which it considers to contain false or misleading information or involves unfair or unethical practices. The advertiser agrees the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of error in any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement. We collect, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Statement which is available at vancourier.com.
letters
W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
WE WANT YOUR OPINION Hate it or love it? We want to know... really, we do! Reach us by email: letters@vancourier.com
The urban world is moving to the ‘burbs
G
o to a council meeting anywhere in the outer ring of Metro Vancouver these days, and you’ll hear some of the same words over and over again. Density. On-street parking. Multi-family housing. Transit. Bike lanes. You’re hearing these words spoken in anger and in admiration. Metro Vancouver is currently undergoing one of the biggest transformations since its post-war suburban sprawl. The suburban is becoming urban. Dig through your history books and you can find plenty of examples of this happening, from London to Paris to Mumbai to Rio de Janeiro. The form we’re most familiar with is that of the middle and upper middle class fleeing busy, noisy, crowded cities and getting a bit of green space around them. This shift comes a generation after the one in which peasants rushed into cities, desperate to get away from boring rural poverty, escaping all that green space. The thing about all those migrations is that they were (for the most part) chosen. People moved en masse to cities between 1800 and the 1940s because that’s where the jobs were. Then they got richer and bought cars and moved out again. Now we’re getting a new kind of migration. The urban world is migrating to the suburbs. Not the people — it’s the urban environment itself that’s on the move. From Richmond to Abbotsford, the Tri-Cities to Vancouver itself, every community is grappling with increasing density. We’re simply running short of land, so everybody’s having to squeeze in a little closer. It isn’t always going over well. When people choose urban over suburban or vice versa, they know they’re making trade-offs: long commute versus traffic noise; green space versus night life; sitting next to the smelly guy on the bus versus paying thousands for gas every year. Increasingly, you don’t get to choose. You want to live in the suburbs? That doesn’t mean a half-acre lot anymore, it means a townhouse or a condo, or a mini-mansion on a lot the size of a postage stamp. You’ll still have congestion on the roads, lots of construction noise, and skyscrapers on the horizon, figuratively if not yet literally. But do you get the transit, the major league sports franchises on your doorstep, the rich variety of street life? Nope. Urbanism requires mental shift The suburbs are becoming cities. And people aren’t ready for that. They checked one box, and they got, at best, a mixed bag of both lifestyles mushed together. Just look at Metro Vancouver’s population projections. By 2040, the population of Surrey is expected to be just 3,000 people fewer than that of Vancouver, an increase of 336,000 people. The Langleys will double in population to 249,000, putting them just under the current size of Burnaby and New West — and with those people living in a smaller urban area. Burnaby will have also almost doubled in size, and Coquitlam is in the same boat. We’re doing this without a plan for transit. At all. We have no funded proposals for more SkyTrain lines or light rail. The province is still only approving new schools when old ones are bursting at the seams. Our civic politicians are on a learning curve as steep as the Matterhorn. Most people in the Lower Mainland do not have a clear mental picture of the changes that are going to hit us all like a freight train, and a lot of them don’t like what they see coming. Many people aren’t going to change their minds about what they like, but our politicians and planners need to reach out more to explain what happens next. We need honest guidebooks to the future of our cities – and they will be cities. The suburbs are a dying breed. mclaxton@langleyadvance.com
MATTHEW CLAXTON
ARTSPEAK ARTICLE AMUSES ARTIST
To the editor: Re: “Artspeak offers artificial value,” March 14. I laughed and laughed reading your article about contemporary “artspeak” and those kinds of sentences one reads over and over only to come to the dead end of no meaning at all. There is a feeling of being scammed big time. So can you imagine if you were a visual artist and were asked to write up an “artist’s statement.” When I wrote one for my website and for subsequent shows I really had to dig deep to come up with something that spoke of why I did this thing painting, what it meant to me, how it might be a contribu-
tion of any sort. Please take a look at what I wrote: nylasunga.com And if you have a chance, please drop in at the Cultch to see my upcoming exhibit Rhythm Stories, my way of paying tribute to the personalities and world I came to know in my years living, working, and giving birth in some remote areas of Africa. Thanks for your article. It still makes me chuckle thinking of it. Nyla Sunga, Vancouver
PHS SCANDAL IS ALL ABOUT THE MOOLAH To the editor: Re: “PHS defenders rally on Facebook,” March 28. Friends of PHS Community
A11
Services have every right to defend this organization if they believe it does outstanding work in the community. However, their latest Facebook campaign should not divert attention away from executive and board members accused of taking advantage of a system designed for those most in need. If Mark, Liz, Kerstin and Dan are simply being vilified in the media, as one supporter claims, this injustice should be condemned wholeheartedly. But if they are guilty of lavish spending, that is an entirely different matter altogether. At this point, all the excuses have to end. John Clench, Vancouver
ON YOUR MIND ONLINE COURIER COLUMN: “Captive whales a relic that must end,” March 28. Mack Imadog @MackImadog: Excellent writing. I like the word “relic” which says it all. Janos Maté: Thank you Geoff Olson for standing up for the innocent sentient beings kept imprisoned by the Vancouver Aquarium. Dolphins and whales are highly intelligent and social animals. They are much like humans. They experience joy and grief, have self awareness, live in families, communicate through language. And just like humans, they suffer greatly in captivity. They suffer whether or not they were taken from the wild or bred for a lifetime of captivity. The Vancouver Aquarium resides on public lands in Stanley Park. The Vancouver park board therefore has the responsibility to ensure that animals kept in captivity by the aquarium are not suffering due to the conditions of their confinement. But the simple fact is that the sheer captivity of whales and dolphins is cruelty. The park board has a further responsibility to ensure that on matters of great public concern, such as cetacean captivity, the citizens of the city are given a chance to express their opinion through the democratic process. Teresa Wagner: Thank you for this article! Absolutely, it is time for orca captivity to end along with slave trading and witch burning. It is barbaric and must end. COURIER STORY: “Prominent graffiti downplayed as ‘trend,’” March 26. Anna Kalfa @eastvanista: This tagger has no common sense, my son says “no pipelines” was tagged on his school wall. COURIER COLUMN: “Kwan’s role dims NDP’s outrage over PHS scandal,” March 28. Astrom: Neither Jenny Kwan nor the NDP did any stealing! Jenny Kwan believed her husband was going to pay for the trip. She was not planning to go using the Portland Society’s money, she believed her husband was paying for it. When she found out he didn’t pay for it, she did. J.L.: That was meant to be sarcastic... right? Please say yes. Scorpio55: What’s the diff between this lady and Allison Redford? I hope the new B.C. NDP leader John Horgan tosses her out but fast. It’s ingenuous to believe that hubby is the only one to blame. He belongs in jail, too. I don’t care what party is abusing its power and partying on public funds. They don’t belong in a position of trust. COURIER STORY: “The best of our Vancouver Special series,” March 28. Heidi Howell: Loved every detail of the series, wonderful. COURIER VIDEOS: “Best of Vancouver Special,” online only. Gerald Dobronov: Awesome! All three vids are winners and the entire neighbourhood series was great. COURIER STORY: “Commercial Drive salon sign butts up against complaints,” March 26. Trevor Boudreau @tb_comms: Weirdest story: Commercial Dr crackpot tries to wipe out small biz over anal bleaching. COURIER STORY: “Columnist travels to the heart of chocolateness,” March 28. Eagranie Yuh @eagranieyuh: Thanks to @VanCourierNews for putting my mug in the paper (& letting me answer chocolatey questions). Follow us on Facebook: The VancouverCourierNewspaper and Twitter: @VanCourierNews
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters may be edited by the Courier for reasons of legality, taste, brevity and clarity. To be considered for publication, they must be less than 300 words, signed and include the writer’s full name (no
initials), home address, and telephone number (neither of which will be published), so authorship may be verified. Send to: 1574 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver BC V6J 1R2 or email letters@vancourier.com
A12
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
CITY LIVING
GOT AN EVENT WE CAN SHOOT? LET US KNOW! 604-738-1411 | events@vancourier.com
1
3
photos Rebecca Blissett. 1. The Grandview neighbourhood tour, hosted by the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, started at Mosaic Creek Park, which features a mosaic path made in 1996 as an homage to the dozens of streams that once existed in the city. 2. The Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s Grandview walking tour was led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Maurice Guibord. 3. The Grandview neighbourhood west of Commercial Drive is a mix of old and new residential as well as commercial properties.
2 Grandview comes alive on heritage walking tour Scan this page using the Layar app or visit vancourier.com to see more photos.
NEIGHBOURHOOD HISTORY INCLUDES STOLEN STATUES, PARK SKELETONS, BELFAST SPIDER REBECCA BLISSETT Contributing writer
T
he park on the corner of McLean Drive and Charles Street has a long mosaic path in a flowing shape like a stream. The aptly named Mosaic Creek Park slopes down to nothing particularly exciting, evidenced by the din of trailer truck traffic a block away on Clark Drive, which 100 years ago used to be the banks of a waterway at high tide until it was filled in. While waiting for stragglers to show up for Saturday’s Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s 10 a.m. tour of the Grandview neighbourhood, guide Maurice Guibord showed he has a knack for making anything seem interesting as most of the group were engrossed in a mission— to count how many
cats and skeletons they could find in the patterns of broken tile. “This is a typical example of what this neighbourhood is all about, and that is community projects,” said Guibord of the 18-yearold mosaic, adding that the Grandview neighbourhood, which runs as wide as Burrard Inlet to Trout Lake and as tall as Clark Drive to Nanaimo Street, had the least amount of parks per capita up until the 1990s. Next stop on the walk was in front of a house near the oldest remaining high school in the city, Britannia secondary. The house, a rather plain character home with grey siding, was where boxer Jimmy McLarnin lived during the 1920s. “Anybody know him?” the guide asked of his tour of 10 who in return looked at him blankly. “That’s so Canadian of us, we don’t know our own heroes!” exclaimed Guibord in mock exasperation. McLarnin, also known as Baby Face and, as a nod to his Irish roots, the Belfast Spider, was paid a dollar for his first fight and made $60,000 per fight by the end of his career. In between, he was a two-time welterweight world champion who spent some of his time on the golf course with his buddies Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.
“He was the Rocky of the neighbourhood,” Guibord added. “He used to run around in this neighbourhood and all the kids would run after him. He was a legend — he truly was at that time.” The two-hour-long walking tour meandered through a few blocks of Grandview. Not a great distance was covered but a great deal of history was. Housing styles and modern-day development challenges were topics with fascinating bits of history thrown in. (Did you know the interurban, which used to run up Commercial Drive in 1891, was the first intercity electric railway in North America?) The tour was not without its neighbourhood mysteries. Guibord told the story of the Christopher Columbus statue that went missing in 2000 from the Piazza Italia Park at Clark and East Fifth Avenue only to turn up months later in Hastings Park when unidentified masked men reportedly stormed out of a van and quickly bolted Columbus to the base of another monument in front of stunned Vancouver park board staff. At 1050 Odlum Dr. stands a gold Edwardian heritage home built by John L. McKenzie in 1910, and Guibord was so taken with the
place he sprang up the steps to knock on the door to see if anybody was home. The group on the sidewalk shifted nervously in their shoes, but it turned out it was a planned visit and homeowner Rob Mitchell welcomed the group inside his lovely restored home. (Guibord pulled the same trick on a previous tour and one fellow, refusing to partake in such rudeness, stalked down the road only realizing he had his leg pulled when he turned around and saw an empty sidewalk.) “I’m a public historian,” said Guibord, who is involved in several historical groups including La Société historique francophone de la Colombie-Britannique. “And a public historian’s mandate is to make history interesting, to tell you the cool stories every neighbourhood has and then trick you into learning the hard stuff!” Even if it starts with finding approximately six cats and one skeleton in a mosaic path. The Vancouver Heritage Foundation hosts several tours of Vancouver neighbourhoods. Guide John Atkin leads a Strathcona tour this Saturday while Guibord takes his group to Japantown. For more information, or to register, go to vancouverheritagefoundation.org. rblissett@telus.net
news
W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
A13
FUTURE SHOP - CORRECTION NOTICE
NEWSPAPER RETRACTION FOR THE FUTURE SHOP MARCH 28 CORPORATE FLYER Please be advised that the Adreama HTC One Rugged Holster Case (WebCode: 10274680) advertised in the March 28 flyer, page 6, is no longer available. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our valued customers.
BEST BUY - CORRECTION NOTICE NEWSPAPER RETRACTION FOR THE BEST BUY MARCH 28 CORPORATE FLYER
In the March 28 flyer, page 3, the Sony 32” 1080p 120Hz Smart LED TV (KDL32W650A) (WebCode: 10245468) was advertised with an incorrect savings claim. Please be advised that this TV is $499.99, save $99 NOT save $199, as previously advertised. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our valued customers.
BEST BUY - CORRECTION NOTICE NEWSPAPER RETRACTION FOR THE BEST BUY MARCH 28 CORPORATE FLYER Please be advised that the Just Cavalli and Puro iPhone 5/5s/5c Cases (WebCode: 10278629/ 32/41/ 48/ 55/ 64/ 65/ 70) advertised in the March 28 flyer, page 14, are only available in select stores and online at BestBuy.ca. Also, please be advised that the Kicker 6 1/2” Coaxial Speakers (WebCode: 10196765), on page 18A, are no longer available. Please see a Product Specialist in-store for similar products. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our valued customers.
vancouver.ca
Development Permit Board Meeting: April 7 The Development Permit Board and Advisory Panel will meet: Monday, April 7, 2014 at 3 pm Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue Ground Floor, Town Hall Meeting Room to consider these development permit applications: 1545 West 8th Avenue To develop an eight-storey, multiple dwelling unit building containing 20 dwelling units over one level of underground parking accessed from the lane.
photo Dan Toulgoet
Godzilla Courier owner Philippe Lambrette delivers everything from beer to pizza, medication and ice cream on his bike.
Evening bike courier on a roll DELIVERY SERVICE BRINGS FOOD, BOOZE, SMOKES TO EASTSIDERS KRISTEN MORAN Contributing writer
T
hanks to a new bike courier service, East Vancouver residents can now get anything from cheeseburgers to condoms delivered to their doorstep. Godzilla Courier caters to people living between Nanaimo and Main Streets, King Edward to the waterfront, and company owner Philippe Lambrette says the pedal-powered delivery service has been steadily gaining momentum since launching in February. Lambrette, who works for another bike courier company during the day, says he modelled his business after a successful food delivery service in San Francisco. Gorilla Courier currently operates Sunday to Thursday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to midnight. Lambrette said the first establishment that was interested in working with him was Mexican restaurant Bandidas, so he decided to build his delivery zone around it and focus on the Drive. “There are a lot of restaurants on Commercial Drive and
it’s also really residential, so it made sense,” Lambrette said. While he has agreements with a few restaurants, customers can order food from anywhere within the zone and have it picked up for a $5 flat rate. If additional stops are needed, an extra $2 is added for each stop. Lambrette, who’s originally from Belgium, got the idea for his business after chatting with Jamie Hooper, the owner of Super Champion Specialty Cycle Shop, where he gets his bike serviced. Hooper, who previously ran his own courier company delivering office supplies to businesses downtown, said Lambrette’s evening delivery service is well-suited to Vancouver. So much so, Hooper’s become a regular customer. “Phil’s great, I order stuff from him all the time,” Hooper said. “I have a one-year-old at home. So if you’re at home and your kid is sleeping and it’s raining, you aren’t going to be able to quickly pop out to pick up something.” Currently, Lambrette said he gets an average of four to five calls per night, with numbers increasing weekly. “We were asked if we would be willing to go further than Main Street and so I decided to add the second zone, which covers Main to Cambie,” he explained. Besides food, they’ve delivered ice cream, macaroons and flowers, but Lambrette said they can deliver any-
thing that can be transported in a 50litre backpack such as beer, cigarettes, condoms or medication. “We have large insulated bags, so it keeps food warm and drinks cold,” Lambrette explained. For alcohol and cigarette deliveries, customers must be at least 19 years of age and provide two pieces of ID. “We are going to start something with R&B Brewery on April 4,” Lambrette added. “They want to work with us, so we are going to do some delivery for them and refueling people’s growlers.” With the technology of Square, a portable swiping device, Lambrette is able to take credit card payments and have a receipt sent to customers via email or text message. Working another bike courier job during the day, it’s hard to believe Lambrette has the energy to run a delivery service in the evening. Quite the opposite he says, claiming that running his own business makes him feel energized. “It’s my company, it’s like my baby. People with children wouldn’t wake up in the middle of the night for their job, but they would do it for their baby. That’s how I feel.” Lambrette is also starting up Godzilla Recycling, a weekly recycling pick-up service for small businesses. For more information, go to godzillacourier.com. kristenmoran86@hotmail.com twitter.com/EastVanKristen
55 Expo Boulevard To develop a four-storey elementary school over existing below-grade parking. A portion of the elementary school will be located within the existing Firenze tower at 688 Abbott Street. Please contact City Hall Security (1st floor) if your vehicle may be parked at City Hall for more than two hours. TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM: 604-873-7469 or lorna.harvey@vancouver.ca
On Now at The Brick! For more details go instore or online @thebrick.com.
A14
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E D N E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
W E D N E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
2013 FORD FIESTA TITANIUM HATCHBACK
2013 FORD FOCUS SE
LEATHER, MOONROOF, SYNC
2005 CHRYSLER pacifica toUring
2013 FORD FUSION SE
LEATHER STK# 2564469
HEATED SEATS
2005 maZDa 6 granD toUring
2009 CHEVROLET UPLANDER LS
LEATHER, MOONROOF STK# 2594611
7 PASSENGER STK# 2939356
2007 MINI COOPER HARDTOP COUPE LEATHER, MOONROOF STK# 2799162
2009 TOYOTA matrix wagon STK# 2996469
2006 AUDI a3 wagon 2.0t LEATHER, MOONROOF STK# 2696603
LEATHER, MOONROOF, SYNC
8,600
$
18,500
$
Stk# 1309459
Stk# 1309410
2013 FORD ESCAPE SE
Stk# 1309456
SYNC
$
18,800
$
19,800
2007 maZDa cx-7 SPORT AWD NAVIGATION STK# 2792233
2013 forD EDgE SEL AWD
$
9,800
9,800
$
2011 gmc canyon sLE1 4x2 STK# 1174498
STK# 1239303
STK# 1286013
13,900
$
2012 HONDA CIVIC coUpE Ex
NAVIGATION, LEATHER, MOONROOF
$
Stk# 1319411
24,800
Stk# 1319418
$
2013 FORD ESCAPE TITANIUM 4WD
NAVIGATION, LEATHER, MOONROOF
NAVIGATION, LEATHER, MOONROOF
$
MOONROOF STK# 1298013
29,600
2013 forD fLEx LIMITED AWD
Stk# 1309377
16,900
$
26,800
2011 FORD EscapE xLt STK# 1119471
$
13,900
29,900
$
Stk# 1319339
2013 forD EDgE SPORT AWD
2013 forD mUstang gt CONVERTIBLE LEATHER, 19” RIMS
Stk# 1319464
$
2007 CHEVROLET siLVEraDo 1500 CREW CAB STK# 2732154
13,900
$
2010 FORD TRUCK TRANSIT CONNECT xLt STK# 104129X
7 PASSENGER STK# 2894458
$
$
2007 NISSAN frontiEr sE 4x4 CREW CAB
2011 gmc tErrain sLE-1 4x2 STK# 1179273
15,800
$
2012 gmc siErra 1500 sLE 4x2 STK# 1279304
16,800
$
2009 DoDgE Dakota sLt LARAMIE QUADCAB LEATHER STK# 2952169
STK# 2796124
17,600
2011 DoDgE ram 1500 sLt 4x4 QUADCAB
20,600
$
$
17,900
$
2009 MERCEDES-BENZ c300 sport NAVIGATION, LEATHER, MOONROOF STK# 2999098
22,900
19,600
$
2010 SUBARU FORESTER LIMITED NAVIGATION, LEATHER, MOONROOF STK# 1092155
19,800
$
2011 JEEP wrangLEr 2Dr SAHARA 4WD
19,900
$
2011 forD f150 xLt 4x4 crEw caB STK# 114003X
STK# 1194969
23,900
$
24,800
$
25,800
$
27,800
$
NAVIGATION, LEATHER, MOONROOF 2010 Bmw 328i coUpE xDriVE awD
2010 ACURA ZDx awD
STK# 1099422
35,900
14,900
$
32,900
2013 forD ExpLorEr LIMITED 4WD
NAVIGATION, LEATHER, MOONROOF
$
14,400
2008 BUICK ENCLAVE cx awD
STK# 1159165
Stk# 1309119
$
30,800
SHOP 24/7 @ KEYWESTFORD.COM Appointments & Directions
CALL TOLL-FREE
DL#7485
2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE LT
10,900
$
NAVIGATION, LEATHER, MOONROOF
2013 FORD FUSION TITANIUM AWD
Stk# 134909X
2012 HYUNDAI ELantra toUring gLs
10,900
$
1.888.491.4651 301 Stewardson Way, New Westminster
Any vehicles pictured may not be exactly as show. Vehicle prices do not include dealer doc fee of $499 + tax. Ad expires April 16, 2014
Stk# 1319276
$
38,900
WE ALSO DO: Window Tint Decals Detail Wraps
28,900
$
2012 forD trUck f150 xLt 4x4 crEw caB
TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE STK# 1092210
$
XTR PACKAGE STK# 1216517
29,600
Kirk McLean’s Preferred Car Dealer
32,600
$
2011 infiniti fx35 AWD LEATHER, MOONROOF STK# 1192130
32,900
$
2012 forD f150 pLt 4x4 crEw caB ECOBOOST, NAVIGATION, MAX TRAILER STK# 1212236
39,800
$
BUY WITH CONFIDENCE
• • • •
30 Day/2000 km ExchangE no chargE 6 month warranty 129 pt inspEction rEport carproof Any vehicles pictured may not be exactly as show. Vehicle prices do not include dealer doc fee of $499 + tax. Ad expires April 16th, 2014 *one time vehicle exchange only **Powertrain warranty only
2013 LincoLn mkx AWD NAVIGATION, LEATHER, MOONROOF STK# 1312126
39,900
$
A15
A16
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
Dentures, Comfortably Fit - Guaranteed Svetlana Lopareva R.D.BPS
(Biofunctional Prosthetic System) Certified Denturist
• Home visits available • Precision Cosmetic Dentures, Standard Dentures , Partials, Relines and Emergencies • Financing Available - OAC 116 West Broadway
3983 Kingsway
604.677.0061
604.336.4155 Emergencies 778.389.5072
w w w. l o p a r e v a d e n t u r e c l i n i c . c o m
Dr. Daniel Ngui wants to make it easier for Vancouverites to see a family doctor. PHOTO SUBMITTED
DENTURES THAT FIT
GUARANTEED! All our Dentures and Services are TAX FREE! Friedrich H.G. Brumm D.D. B.A. Denturist - 26 yrs exp
For your free consultation please call 604-325-1914 www.mydentures.ca
View my video with
Now Accepting New Patients No Referral Needed VICTORIA DRIVE DENTURE CLINIC 5477 Victoria Drive (at 39th) “EUROPEAN QUALITY AT CANADIAN PRICES”
DENTURES
New initiative aims to remedy search for family doctor
A GP for Me connects patients with healthcare Cheryl Rossi
crossi@vancourier.com
One in six Vancouver residents doesn’t have a family doctor, 24,000 Vancouverites are actively searching for one and A GP for Me hopes to remedy that. A GP for Me Vancouver, part of the A GP For Me initiative of the provincial government and Doctors of B.C. (formerly the BCMA), is gathering ideas for solutions from physicians and patients. Nearly 400 of the 800 to 900 doctors in Vancouver have prescribed improving general practitioners’ access to specialists, boosting family doctors’ abilities to
Guaranteed Comfortable Fit!
Kerrisdale Denture Clinic
Our team of Denturists are BPS Denture certified to provide you with the latest technology available. Our clinic’s associates have experience ranging from new graduates to 30 years, so you will benefit from our knowledge and our fresh outlook. We look forward to achieving the best possible results, while providing the highest professional standards.
Giao Le B.Sc., R.D.
BPS dentures are precision dentures that use high Over 5 years old? standard materials to restore form and function while Loose, cracked or stained? providing exceptional fit and a beautiful, natural smile. Making your mouth sore? Our BPS dentures also come with a 5 year warranty. Keeping you from enjoying food? If you’ve answered YES to any of these Please ask us about our Geneva 2000 dentures. questions... WE CAN HELP!!! Payment Plans + All Insurance Coverage Call now for your Complimentary Consultation Now accepting new patients
604.263.7478
11077330
Are your dentures...
Care home visits available
Emergency Number 778-868-6776 201-2152 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver www.kerrisdaledentureclinic.com
take on more clients and better integrating electronic medical records. Securing appointments with orthopedic and neurology specialists can be particularly tricky in non-emergency cases, said Dr. Daniel Ngui, family physician, clinical associate professor and board and working group member of the Vancouver Division of Family Practice, the notfor-profit society is leading A GP For Me Vancouver so a central place for referrals could be established. “We can look at it from a central database that’s online that we can access, for example, if there’s a sub-specialist who only deals with thyroid problems of an autoimmune nature we could find that particular person,” he said. To improve family physicians’ abilities to accept more patients, doctors have suggested patients could see another healthcare provider on their doctor’s team for routine services such as immunizations. Ngui says not all doctors maintain electronic records and not all doctors’ electronic records “speak” to specialists, so physicians want better integration of electronic medical records to improve efficiency, effectiveness and communication. Doctors hope for a time when patients could access a portion of their electronic records “so they
can do a better job of being engaged in their care,” Ngui said. Ngui, a doctor since 2000, took over a spot from a retiring doctor at the oversubscribed Fraser Street Medical clinic to help prevent “orphan patients” and doctor burnout three years ago. He’s worked to improve patients’ access to a family physician ever since. Doctors in his clinic use electronic medical records to provide better care. “So, for example, I can ask my electronic records system which of my diabetic patients are needing extra visits or extra help because they’re not reaching their goals which have been shown to reduce death,” he said. About 40 per cent of Vancouverites with a family doctor also use walk-in clinics for convenience. “This is the best walk-in for you because we know you,” Ngui says he and his colleagues at the Fraser Street Medical clinic tell their patients. So they provide a sameday fit-in service. Patients have appreciated this option even though it can mean longer waits occasionally, according to Ngui. “They know it’s going to be their turn one day to have a same-day fit-in,” he said. The Fraser Street clinic also boosts convenience by taking email bookings. A GP for Me Vancouver
had Ipsos Reid complete a telephone survey of Vancouverites, continues outreach on Facebook and Twitter, gathered input at community centres and neighbourhood houses on weekends and held 14 focus groups that include Asian seniors and urban aboriginal people. Input from men aged 18 to 40 has been thin so an event called the Digital Dude Hangout, which includes beer from the 33 Acres microbrewery in Mount Pleasant and a $25 gift card, is happening April 8. Everyone can weigh in on an online survey that will close the first week of May. The input from doctors and citizens is to be discussed at a summit, the date of which is to be announced soon. Following the summit, A GP for Me Vancouver, which is being led by the Vancouver Division of Family Practice, a not-forprofit society, will apply to the General Practice Services Committee, a partnership between the Ministry of Health and Doctors of B.C. for a grant to institute changes, ideally in the fall. The Vancouver Division of Family Practice says research has shown continuing primary care saves the healthcare system money. For more information and to complete the survey, visit agpformevan.ca.
W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
A17
You are the author of your life’s story Stories can empower us, enhance our relationships, promote healthy living
Davidicus Wong
davidicuswong.wordpress.com
Imagine running into an old friend whom you had not seen since childhood. What story would you tell? Where are you now and what has brought you to this point in your life? Whether we recognize it or not, we make sense of our lives through our personal stories. Our stories help us make sense of our world and provide meaning and continuity. Stories may also limit how we see our lives, others and our selves. To be conscious of the unwritten stories of our lives is to open up our potential for more positive experiences and growth in every area of our lives. We inherit the stories told by our families. They may be of struggle against adversity, reactions to negative experiences, mistreatment by others and often a simplified approach to history, politics and people who are different from them. The stories of our parents can form the
foundation of our personal stories that are also influenced by personal experiences, how we react to them and — most importantly — how we conceptualize them. Our stories may empower us, enhance our relationships, promote healthy living and foster happiness. Our stories may limit our experiences, get us stuck and be the ultimate source of our unhappiness. Although we do not control every aspect of our lives, we are at least coauthors of our own life stories.We are not responsible for every event and circumstance, but we are responsible for how we meet them and how we act. Herein lies the difference between stories that empower and stories that limit. In medicine, I have the privilege of hearing many personal stories. My wisest and happiest patients have shared those that are infused with three key features: appreciation, empowerment and purpose. The happiest people accept the good and bad as-
pects of their lives but reflect back with appreciation for what has been right in their lives. Engaging each day with an attitude of positivity and gratitude, they give forward. They are able to let go of self-limiting feelings of resentment and embrace their personal responsibility to choose their own thoughts and actions. They
recognize the aspects of their lives that they can control in a positive way. The wisest storytellers are able to reflect back on their lives, learn and look forward beyond their own self-interests. They find meaning in the past and present — and purpose for a positive future. In the story of your life, where have you found
meaning? What has been your calling at each stage of your life? Your story is never finished, and you remain its author today. The Tapestry Foundation for Health Care tapestryfoundation.ca is hosting a public forum, Stories of Aging at the Vancouver Convention Centre. I will be part of a panel sharing unique perspectives on aging at 7
p.m. on Friday, April 4. Dr. DavidicusWong is a family physician. He will be speaking on “AchievingYour Positive Potential in Life: Finding Meaning & Fulfillment in Every stage ofYour Life” at the Douglas Park Community Centre at their Young at Heart program’s Wellness Show on Saturday, April 5. For more information, call 604-257-8130.
Look at retirement living in a whole new way.
New name, new website, new way of living Formerly known as Pacific Arbour Retirement Communities, we now have a new name, new website and new level of service. Discover for yourself why PARC Retirement Living is the preferred lifestyle choice in the Lower Mainland.
Call to reserve your tour and complimentary lunch.
Westerleigh PARC | 604.922.9888 Summerhill PARC | 604.980.6525 Cedar Springs PARC | 604.986.3633 The happiest people accept the good and bad aspects of their lives.
parcliving.ca
Mulberry PARC | 604.526.2248
A18
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
Wrestling grapples to regain its place in public schools Steph Florian
Do adrenaline levels in your household peak as the daily family wrestling match unfolds? Does the idea of your four-year-old pinned in a half-nelson ignite feelings of fear and panic? Although freestyle wrestling became an Olympic sport in 1904, it’s up against numerous challenges today. Lack
of parental support and funding, limited practice space and competing resources are just a few of the present-day issues. The popularity of wrestling varies depending on the region. Currently prevalent in Surrey, North Vancouver and Abbotsford, wrestling is thriving at the elementary school level because it is strongly supported. This is not the
case in Vancouver. Dick Woldring is executive director of B.C. Wrestling and coordinator of More Sports, a collaborative initiative that provides sustainable sport and physical activity opportunities for children and families living in Vancouver. He explains how sports programming is governed by each school district: “School
Vancouver
BUNKBEDS Specialists
FU N STUDY SAV E SPAC E
sports and the club system require keen people and community involvement in order for a sport to be successful.” In other words, parents and faculty need to personally invest in the sport at a grassroots level in order to leverage change. According to John Oliver secondary wrestling coach Chris Fuoco, wrestling is suited to children of all abilities. “Anyone can wrestle,” Fuoco said. “It’s natural. Just watch young children at play, wrestling is a natural activity.” Although he gets the occasional request for a wrestling program from schools like Trudeau elementary, Fuoco says schools generally are not
prepared to offer wrestling. In addition to a shortage of coaches, referee costs have climbed. Travel costs for championships have skyrocketed and schools are not prepared to fund new equipment. In the old days, every school had wrestling mats — that’s not the case anymore. However, parents might want to consider how methodical wrestling is compared to hardcore contact sports like hockey and football, where injuries are prevalent and often longterm. Wrestling day camps frequently operate at John Oliver secondary in the summer for Grade 6 and 7 students, but the retention rate into secondary schools
is only about 50 per cent. Fuoco says wrestling is often offered in PE programs in conjunction with similar activities. “It’s a brilliant sport to gets kids involved with and there is a variety of activities that play well with wrestling like British Bulldog on your knees, ball games and gymnastics.” Wrestling is easily accessible, especially for kids who have never done a sport of any kind. Fuoco believes that a recreational club for kids in Grade 6 or 7, or even a hybrid sport that incorporates similar activities might give wrestling more staying power. For a full list of Vancouver wrestling clubs, visit bcwrestling.com/Content/ Clubs.
604.875.1881 4502 Main St. (at 29th Ave.)
BunkBedsCanada.ca
Wrestling is accessible, especially for kids who have never done a sport of any kind. PHOTOS SUBMITTED
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS FOR SPRING!
HIGHLIGHTS SPRING ADULT & SENIORS PROGRAMS
• Hip Hop Dance for 6-12 yrs on Mondays • Numbers for Fun for 3-5 yrs on Sundays • Theatre Mime for 5-7 yrs on Tuesdays • Theatre Mask for 8-12 yrs on Tuesdays • Fun with Art for 1-2 yrs on Sundays • Recorder/Ukulele for 3-6 yrs on Tuesdays/Thursdays • Bricks 4 Kidz - Transportation for 5-9 yrs on Wednesdays • Easter Dance Workshops for 2.5-8 yrs on Sat, Apr 19
• Arm Chair Travel & Breakfast • Mother Earth High Tea • I Love Music • Turbo Kick & PiYo Fusion • Seniors Circuit Training • Plus FITT: Heart & Body Class • Osteofit / Get Up & Go • Yoga & Pilates
Register Now!
Come by the Centre to pick up a spring brochure or go to www.killarneycentre.ca for more information. Registration is now open for all spring programs.
Register in person, online or by phone @ 604-718-8211.
6260 Killarney Street, Vancouver, BC V5S 2X7
W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
A19
GOT ARTS? 604-738-1411 | events@vancourier.com
1
2
3
OUR
PICKS
APRIL 2 - 4, 2014 For video and web content, scan page using the Layar app.
1
Things get weird at the Cinematheque when it presents FROM WITHIN: THE FILMS OF DAVID CRONENBERG April 3 to 13, 17 to 30 and May 2. The complete retrospective of film works by the celebrated Canadian director includes the newly restored director’s cut of VIDEODROME starring James Woods and Deborah Harry (!), Scanners, The Fly, Dead Ringers, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, among others. The opening night screening of VIDEODROME also features and introduction by Ernest Mathijs, UBC Film Studies professor and author of The Cinema of David Cronenberg: From Baron of Blood to Cultural Hero. Details at thecinematheque.ca.
2 3
Quebec City music-theatre collective L’ORCHESTRE D’HOMMES-ORCHESTRES wowed local audiences in 2012 with their ramshackle take on the music of Tom Waits. Now they’re dipping into the repertoire of German composer KURT WEILL with their latest show CABARET BRISEJOUR. “From Berlin cabaret and Parisian nostalgia to New York’s Broadway, the eight-piece orchestra retraces the path of the musician in exile with rare instruments and music-objects.” It runs April 2 to 6 at the York Theatre. Tickets and info at thecultch.com or by calling 604-251-1363. Splitting her time between Vancouver and Hong Kong, writer DORETTA LAU touches down in Vancity to read from her new collection of short stories HOW DOES A SINGLE BLADE OF GRASS THANK THE SUN? Her book has even been blurbed by funny author and professional blurber Gary Shteyngart. Lau will be at the downtown public library’s Alice MacKay Room April 2, 7:30 p.m. along with Eva Stachniak and Kathy Page as part of the Vancouver Writers’ Fest’s INCITE series. Details at writersfest.bc.ca.
A20
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
arts&entertainment
Blue Man Group are rare indigo VAN MAN
SPRING CHECK UP Is your Honda a little under the weather? Put a little Spring in your vehicle at Vancouver Honda with these service specials!
• 4 Wheel Alignment $89.99 + tax. • 15% off accessories, 10% off labour.* • Purchase any set of four tires and receive free storage for a year! • Rebate of up to $70 off a set of 4 Michelin Tires.
Tire Sale Lowest price guaranteed! Vancouver Honda
850 SW. Marine Drive Vancouver, BC Tel: 604.324.6632 | vancouverhonda.com *For accessory installation. All offers expire April 30, 2014.
with Andrew Fleming
I
t’s been five years since the last time bald blue men with amazing abilities were seen in Vancouver. However, unlike Doctor Manhattan in the locally filmed Watchmen movie, the members of the Blue Man Group were simply here to entertain rather than save the world. Blue Man Group is an international cult favourite originally from New York, where it has been running for more than two decades, and has spawned spin-offs in several North American cities with a small army of clowns who enjoy wearing elaborate makeup and banging on PVC tubes with mallets. While this was their first time in B.C., many in the packed Queen E. Theatre last Wednesday night were clearly familiar with their shtick and there was a whiff of a Rocky Horror vibe from the get-go, with audience members knowing to read aloud the words from a pre-show message prompter without needing to be told. The boys in blue are, as described in their PR bumf, “three enigmatic characters that lead the audience in a multi-sensory experience that combines theater, percussive music, art, science and vaudeville into a form of entertainment that is like nothing else.”
The high-tech show is also literally a mess, although not necessarily in a bad way. The mute men (Mike Brown, Benjamin Forster and Russell Rinker) drum in pools of paint, shoot mysterious substances from various orifices and stuff their faces with breakfast cereal before chewing their way through in a massively amped sonata backed by a crack band of glowin-the-dark musicians. (I’d love to know if the band’s lightning-fast response to a request for “Freebird” was part of the act because it was almost too awesome to be spontaneous.) Audience participation is also a big part of the show, with the performers crawling over seats and plucking random victims to come up on stage or have cameras shoved in their faces. (Arriving late is ill advised if you hope to slip unnoticed into your seat.) One poor guy was placed in a jumpsuit, splashed with paint (including his shoes), suspended upside down and then swung into a large canvas to create a painting. Some might consider this torture; here it’s all part of the family-friendly fun, which culminates in a communal finale with mandatory dancing, giant bouncing balls and the blue men shooting more toilet paper into the crowd than you could go through in a year. Blue Man Group is the basically the gleeful antithesis of what to expect from a posh evening at the theatre, even if tickets aren’t exactly cheap. It may not be art but it’s a surefire quick fix cure for a case of the blues. afleming@vancourier.com twitter.com/flematic
Fine-tune your terms. Even a small adjustment can have a big effect. Like our Calibrate Term Deposit, where you can choose between 12 and 20 months and earn a highly competitive rate. * A minimum deposit of $25,000 is required; however, competitive rates are available for smaller deposits.
Offer ends June 14, 2014. Talk to a BlueShore Financial advisor today.
*Rates subject to change without notice. BlueShore Financial is the operating name of North Shore Credit Union.
arts&entertainment
W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
A21
Personal becomes public atVerses STATE OF THE ARTS
C
with Cheryl Rossi
elebrated storyteller Ivan Coyote performed at a “lovely” festival in small town Ontario a few years ago where all the venues were churches and most of the audience members were in their 60s. “The producer picked me up and was like, ‘Oh so we’re having a pork chop lunch at the Presbyterian Church and they’re all nice people, don’t worry about it, it’ll be fine. And we’re really glad you’re here. We’re really hoping that you’re going to bring more diversity to the audience and to the stage, so just be yourself. Just don’t be too much of yourself, if you know what I mean,’” Coyote said. It’s the kind of comment Coyote and indie musician Rae Spoon are all too familiar with so the two transgender artists followed up an earlier collaboration, You Are Here, about Coyote’s family history in the Yukon with an even more personal multimedia show that explores their journeys in gender to self acceptance. That show, Gender Failure, returns to Vancouver April 9 to launch the duo’s book of the same name, which is being published by Arsenal Pulp Press. It’s one of 33 events over eight days, April 5 to 12, happening around Commercial Drive as part of the annual Verses Festival of Words. Coyote and Spoon, who prefer the gender-neutral, singular pronoun “they,” created a show by them, for them. Coyote has long gotten personal with tales of friends, family, lovers, intimate conversations with strangers and home. But Coyote’s stories in Gen-
Rae Spoon and Ivan Coyote bring Gender Failure to the Verses Festival April 9 at the Rio Theatre. der Failure are so intensely personal they’d typically be shared with few. “I’m talking about stuff about my physical body that I wouldn’t choose to do outside of an art realm, especially with strangers,” Coyote said. Spoon highlights their family history and shares tales from touring in Gender Failure. “My experience of the gender binary, feeling like I couldn’t really be very good at being a girl when I was younger and then eventually kind of retiring and giving up because I thought it was all just kind of weird and funny and it stopped being valid to me,” Spoon said. Coyote and Spoon tell stories and perform songs the ethereal-voiced Spoon wrotewithabackdropofvideoanimations provided by Seattle artist Clyde Petersen. Gender Failure’s two sold-out nights at the PuSh festival in January prompted pangs, laughter and misty eyes, and soon audiences can experience Coyote and Spoon’s intimate journey in another format. Gender Failure, the book, includes stories, stills, animations and lyrics from songs in the show alongside poignant autobiographical essays. “Even after we wrote [the show]
Gender Failure, in two 45 minutes [sets], I felt like I had more to say about gender in general,” Spoon said. Coyote, who performed with singersongwriter Veda Hille at Verses last year, is excited to return to the festival that celebrates the transformative power of words, whether they’re written, spoken or sung. “They’ve got a huge, great lineup this year,” Coyote said of the fourth annual festival that was previously called the Vancouver International Poetry Festival and is hosting the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam championship. Gender Failure is Spoon’s second book and Coyote’s 10th, but because the stories are so “close and personal,” it feels more significant. Coyote says one young audience member has seen the show up to five times. The fervent response from queer and trans youth has convinced Coyote the absolute candour has been worth it. “When I was 20, I had no one and nothing that I could directly look to as any kind of a reflection of myself,” Coyote said. “I did not see my personal struggles reflected, except in the novel Stone Butch Blues [by transgender activist Leslie Feinberg], a little bit.” Coyote has learned another lesson from risking vulnerability and seeing personal struggles resonate with a broad audience. “You don’t know what people’s struggles are by looking at them. You can’t look at an audience full of nice ladies at a literary gathering and assume that you know what their struggles have been in their life,” Coyote said. “All of us are fighting a hard battle… They just relate to it in whatever their experience of being ‘othered’ is.” Details at versesfestival.ca. crossi@vancourier.com twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi
OPEN HOUSE SIR SANDFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SEISMIC PROJECT Tuesday April 15, 2014 From 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Fleming Elementary School 1401 East 49th Avenue, Vancouver, BC Staff from the Vancouver School Board, Project Architect Team and Representatives from the City of Vancouver will be in attendance to answer questions and to receive your feedback.
ATION, PLE MORE INFORM
ASE VISIT
jeansday.ca
FOR
/jeansday
@BCJeansDay
The purpose of the Open House is to: * provide an overview of the project; * present the preferred seismic mitigation approach; and * receive your feedback. Vancouver School Board
www.vsb.bc.ca/district-facilities/projects/fleming-elementary
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
®
valid all week, April 4th – 10th 915 to 930 g
Red Grapes
2
Product of Chile. No. 1 Grade.
7
Nabob Coffee
2
69 lb 5.93/kg
49
Lean Ground Beef
99
Assorted varieties. 915 to 930 g. LIMIT TWO - Combined varieties.
Fluff Style. LIMIT FOUR.
lb 5.49/kg
ea.
12 pack
600 to 700 g
6
Cracker Barrel Cheese
Assorted varieties. 600 to 700 g. LIMIT TWO - Combined varieties.
3
2$
99
FOR
ea.
refreshe Water
12 pack. Plus deposit and/or enviro levy where applicable. LIMIT FOUR.
99
¢
Grade “A” Turkeys
Under 7 kg. Frozen. LIMIT ONE with a minimum purchase of $50. Valid April 2 to April 10.
lb 2.18/kg
Fresh Chicken Breast Boneless. Skinless. LIMIT FOUR.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
APRIL
APRIL
APRIL
4
5
ea.
Raspberries
Product of Mexico, U.S.A. 170 g. LIMIT FOUR.
2
99
2 Litre
ea.
B LA
Signature CAFE Soup
Assorted varieties. 625 mL.
12
$
6
AV AI
A22
LE
FRESH DA
Deli
ILY
3
99
Now it’s even easier to save at Safeway!
Coca-Cola or Pepsi Soft Drinks Assorted varieties. 2 Litre. Plus deposit and/or enviro levy where applicable. LIMIT TEN Combined varieties.
5
$
5 FOR
5
$
2 FOR
Safeway Kitchens Thick Sliced White Raisin Bread Or Whole Wheat. 570 g.
everybody gets our lowest price. every day. Safeway shoppers no longer need to use their club card to enjoy our lowest prices every day, in every department, in every aisle.
Prices effective at all British Columbia Safeway stores Friday, April 4 through Thursday, April 10, 2014 only. We reserve the right to limit sales to retail quantities. Some items may not be available at all stores. All items while stocks last. Actual items may vary slightly from illustrations. Some illustrations are serving suggestions only. Advertised prices do not include GST. ®™ Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Co. and Safeway. On BUY ONE GET ONE FREE items, both items must be purchased. Lowest priced item is then free. Online and in-store prices, discounts, and offers may differ.
APRIL 4
5
6
7
8
9
10
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
Prices in this ad good through April 10th
W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER
A23
GOT SPORTS? 604-738-1411 | sportsandrec@vancourier.com
Vancouver Canadians get their man BALL TEAM ADDS A MOUNTIE TO THEIR ROSTER, ASKS FANS TO NAME HIM MEGAN STEWART Staff writer
I
t’s been 45 years since the Mounties played baseball in Vancouver, but the red insignia will return to Nat Bailey Stadium this summer in the shape of a cleft-jawed Mountie wearing jodhpurs and a grin. The Vancouver Canadians revealed new branding in January and honoured the city’s past by introducing the playfully manly character, which will appear on four new team jerseys and additional merchandise. “Baseball goes back more than a century here in Vancouver and we understand our responsibility to preserve the integrity of the game,” Canadians owner Jake Kerr said at the time. The Vancouver Mounties competed in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League and, starting in 1956, played 12 seasons at Capilano Stadium until 1969, which was renamed
Lord Byng Grey Ghosts in Sydney, Australia.
Nat Bailey Stadium in 1978 when the Canadians were moved to town. The C’s also unveiled a dedicated “nooner” jersey for daytime games and changed the apostrophe on their trademark letter into a small maple leaf, which hints at their affiliation with “Canada’s team,” the Toronto Blue Jays. Bob Brown Bear, the club’s cherished mascot, is not going anywhere, said Vancouver’s general manager J.C. Fraser, adding that the club had been considering a historical tribute for several years. “We wanted to make sure that the timing was right when we finally did it,” he told the Courier on Monday. “After three straight championships, we couldn’t possibly find a better time to come out with something like this.” The unnamed character was almost endowed with a handlebar mustache, but the look was deemed too aggressive. While he does have three baseball bats and a pair of spurs, he doesn’t have a name — yet. The Canadians will turn to their fans for suggestions in May and pick a winning name before the season begins June 13 on the road against Salem-Kaiser. mstewart@vancourier.com twitter.com/MHStewart
photo Dan Toulgoet
Canadians general manager J.C. Fraser shows off the club’s new jerseys outside Nat Bailey Stadium.
submitted photo
Byng goes big Down Under
T
he ruggers from Lord Byng are back and deservedly unpacking bragging rights from their midseason rugby tour in Australia. The Grey Ghosts went undefeated in six tour matches, winning by a combined 165 – 52. The closest contest came on their last day when Byng’s top-tier 15 (the school sent enough players for two tiers) beat Matthew Flinders Anglican College 19-17 in Buderim, Queensland on March 21. But coach Ian MacPhee said the toughest challenge came from St. Theresa Catholic College in Noosa, New South Wales on March 18. The hosts scored first and then again to start the second half before Byng put up points twice in the final 15 minutes to win
17-10 and stay undefeated at 4-0. “We were really happy with how focused our boys were and we’re hoping that this focus continues into our regular season back at home,” said MacPhee. He and coach Michael Mallette travelled with 30 Grade 11 and 12 student-athletes to New South Wales and Queensland from March 8 to 23. Kitsilano (2-0), Prince of Wales (2-0) and Lord Byng (1-0) remain undefeated in senior boys high school rugby. The next games are 3:45 p.m. Thursday. Windemere plays Point Grey at Balaclava Park, Magee meets Byng at Jericho Park, and Prince of Wales hosts Kitsilano. — Megan Stewart
photo Ian Muir/Rugby Canada
FULL SPEED AHEAD: Conor Trainor powered through a tackle in a 35-7 win over Portugal
in the seventh stage of the rugby sevens series in Hong Kong on March 28. Trainor, a 24-yearold Vancouverite and St. George’s alum, competes on the high-powered international side with Sean Duke, 25, a graduate of Prince of Wales. Canada dropped back-to-back defeats to Australia and then Wales to bow out at the quarterfinal stage and move to seventh on the world series standings. Rugby sevens, played with seven a side instead of 15, will debut as an Olympic sport at Rio 2016. — Megan Stewart
A24
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
sports&recreation
Dela Cruz takes Calvillo to salute his coaches DECORATED QUARTERBACK SPEAKS AT ORANGE the lead forVC HELMET AWARDS ON FRIDAY
J
uvenile sprinter Alfred Dela Cruz ran his way into the record books at the fourth annual Gran Forza V, the first major track meet of the spring season, held at the Richmond Oval on March 29. Dela Cruz, who competes for Vancouver College, set a record in the juvenile 50 metre sprint when he stopped the clock at 6.46 seconds. “I feel proud that I got it,” said Dela Cruz on Monday. “I worked pretty hard over spring break to get that.” The 15-year-old said he took away an important lesson from the event. “I could have had a better race. I had a bad start. Instead of starting downward and let myself accelerate, I stood up right away,” he said. Led by Dela Cruz, Vancouver College also set a record in the juvenile boys 4x200m relay and won the same overall category with 2,854 points, two points ahead of
T
Alfred Dela Cruz the team from Point Grey. The Gran Forza V, which is sponsored by Telus and the Province newspaper, hosted the top five athletes from 59 regional schools. —Megan Stewart
hree-time Grey Cup championquarterback Anthony Calvillo will talk about the coaches who influenced his development this weekend when Football BC hosts the Orange Helmet Awards in conjunction with its annual conference. Calvillo, 41, announced his retirement in January after a celebrated career in the CFL. He was named the league’s most outstanding player three times and leads all quarterbacks in overall passing yards, completions and touchdown throws. He will tell amateur football coaches at B.C. high schools and clubs what the game looks like from the pivot position. “Anthony will give coaches a very real perspective of the quarterback position, which is so intricate at every level,” said Football BC technical director Dino Geremia. “Anthony will provide our
coaches with a true player’s view while identifying all the expectations that coaches put on quarterbacks, either purposefully or many times by the assumption of the quarterback role on the offense and team. Our coaches will learn some of the fundamentals and techniques, but the most valuable will be Anthony’s ability to get inside the head of a quarterback.” In recent years, Football BC has put a strong emphasis on coach certification and training in an effort to ensure skill development and player safety. The Orange Helmet Awards are supported by the B.C. Lions and begin 5:30 p.m. April 4 at the Westin Bayshore. Tickets are $200. Calvillo will deliver the keynote address and proceeds support amateur football. The Football B.C. conference runs April 5 and
photo Rogerio Barbosa / Montreal Alouettes
Anthony Calvillo in the pocket for the Montreal Alouettes. 6 at Notre Dame Regional Secondary on Renfrew Street. Registration is $90.
For more information, visit playfootball.bc.ca. —Megan Stewart
A28
THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 2 , 2 0 1 4
Your Original
Food Store California
Non- Medicated
Green Asparagus
Split
s g n i W n e k c Chi
$
Non - Medica ted
T-Bone
10
99 $ 98 $
3
Organic
Boneless Blade Steaks
1
/lb $8.80/kg
Frozen
Sockeye Salmon Fillets
/lb $4.37/kg
Grass Fed
Bone-In Rib Steaks
Steaks
Organic
Lean Ground Beef
42
/lb $22.99/kg
Boneless
Pork Loin Chops
$599 $906 $1042 $ 99 $ 49 4 4 /lb $13.21/kg
From The Deli
Smoked Pastrami
$109 /100g
Certified Organic
Leeks
Washington Grown
$299 /lb $6.59/kg
/lb $19.99/kg
Product of Mexico
XL Hothouse Beefsteak Tomatoes
$148 /lb $3.26/kg
Simply Organic
/lb $22.99/kg
/lb $10.98/kg
Product of Australia
Certified Organic
New Crop Bartlet Pears
$148 /lb $3.26/kg
Omega Pro
Fairtrade Mini Watermelon
Product of Mexico
$
499 /Each
Garofolo
/lb $9.90/kg
Certified Organic
Celery
Product of Mexico
$
59 1 /lb $3.51/kg
Omega Nutrition
Hemp Protein Taco & Fajita Whole Wheat Pasta Apple Cider Vinegar Concentrate Assorted Cuts Organic Seasoning Mixes ONLY Dark Chocolate Fudge
$149 $1599 $229 $569 /ea 28 - 32 g
454 g
500 g
Organic
Green & Yellow Split Peas
$449 1 kg
946 ml
Organic
Barley Flakes
$149
CHECK US OUT WITH
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 8 am-9 pm
Sale Dates: Wednesday, April 2, 2014 – Tuesday, April 8, 2014
www.famousfoods.ca
455 g