Vancouver Courier November 26 2014

WEDNESDAY

November 26 2014

Vol. 105 No. 95

NEWS 8

HOB on the move COMMUNITY CALENDAR 21

Naked selfies GREY CUP 15

Historic highlights There’s more online at

vancourier.com MIDWEEK EDITION

THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS since 1908

NO TAX

BLACK FRIDAY IT’S ON!

FRI & SAT, NOVEMBER TWO DAYS ONLY! 28 & 29

$50 PC® gift card with in-store coupon $

3 DAYS ONLY Friday, Nov. 28 to Sunday, Nov. 30

XBOX ONE HOLIDAY VALUE BUNDLE WITH ASSASSINS CREED UNITY AND ASSASSINS CREED 4

limited quantities, while quantities last. No rainchecks.

32"

50"

159

*

limit 1 per customer after limit $248

RCA 32" LED TV 720p, HDMI x 2 each, 20621000

239

$

*

limit 1 per customer after limit $348

special buy!

429

$

RCA 40" LED TV

34997 AFTER SAVINGS

PC® gift card with in store coupon

Full HD 1080p, HDMI x3

*

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each, 20742963

V 30 NOV 28 - NO

25% off

ALL KITCHEN APPLIANCES excluding all Clearance and POD Coffee brewing systems selection varies by store

each, 20837716

44999

$

PS4 500GB HARDWARE CONSOLE WITH THE LAST OF US AND GTA V

each, 20844442

NDAY! FRIDAY - SU

50 off

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Kinect Bundle $449.97+ free $50

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DOOR CRASHERS! 40"

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OR SATURDAY DO !

DURACELL FAMILY PACK BATTERIES AA12/AAA8/9V4/C8/D8 OR QUANTUM AA10/AAA6/ 9V3/C6/D6each,

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CRYSAONSLYHERS 2 DA

, Nov. 30 v. 29 to Sunday astt • Saturday, No ess llas ies titie titi ntit quan es,, while q ntities • limited qua

AFTER SAVINGS

*Applicable electronics disposal surcharges are extra and vary by province. See store for details.

TOO HOT TO PRINT!

58"

for special !

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NOTAX

each, 20801656

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SONY 48" SMART LED TV W600B

97

HP 15.6" NOTEBOOK

TOSHIBA 58" SMART LED

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each, 20829140

388

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each, 20832974

Full HD, Smart and WiFi Connectivity

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each, 20771626

159

Windows 8.1, AMD Quad Core E2-6110

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SONY BLU-RAY PLAYER BDPS1200

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• 500GB Storage • 4GB Memory

$

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DURACELL 64GB USB STICK

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24

97

AFTER SAVINGS

AFTER SAVINGS

BBQTEK 60,000 BTU PROPANE GRILL WITH DOORS each, 20798814

Prices are in effect until Thursday, December 4, 2014 unless otherwise stated or while stock lasts.

3,000

500 PC® 16” outdoor wreath

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10

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Lindt Lindor chocolate 600 g 20215793001

12

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!Friday & Saturday, Nov. 28th & 29th, 2014. NO TAX - WE PAY THE PST & GST in MN, SK and BC or the HST in ON. No returns accepted or rain checks issued for taxable items during this promotion. We reserve the right to limit purchases to reasonable family requirements. Offer only valid in participating stores. Cannot be combined with any other promotional offers. Does not apply to prior purchases. EXCLUDES ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, PRESCRIPTIONS, DRY CLEANING, GAS BAR, LOTTERY, POSTAL SERVICES OR PRODUCTS FROM THIRD PARTY BUSINESSES WITHIN OUR STORES.

Quantities and/or selection of items may be limited and may not be available in all stores. No rainchecks. No substitutions on clearance items or where quantities are advertised as limited. Advertised pricing and product selection (flavour, colour, patterns, style) may vary by store location. We reserve the right to limit quantities to reasonable family requirements. We are not obligated to sell items based on errors or misprints in typography or photography. Coupons must be presented and redeemed at time of purchase. Applicable taxes, deposits, or environmental surcharges are extra. No sales to retail outlets. Some items may have “plus deposit and environmental charge” where applicable. ®/™ The trademarks, service marks and logos displayed in this flyer are trademarks of Loblaws Inc. and others. All rights reserved. © 2014 Loblaws Inc. * we match prices! Applies only to our major supermarket competitors’ flyer items. Major supermarket competitors are determined solely by us based on a number of factors which can vary by store location. We will match the competitor’s advertised price only during the effective date of the competitor’s flyer advertisement. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES (note that our major supermarket competitors may not). Due to the fact that product is ordered prior to the time of our Ad Match checks, quantities may be limited. We match identical items (defined as same brand, size, and attributes) and in the case of fresh produce, meat, seafood and bakery, we match a comparable item (as determined solely by us). We will not match competitors’ “multi-buys” (eg. 2 for $4), “spend x get x”, “Free”, “clearance”, discounts obtained through loyalty programs, or offers related to our third party operations (post office, gas bars, dry cleaners etc.).We reserve the right to cancel or change the terms of this program at any time.

Customer Relations: 1-866-999-9890.

W2

THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NOMINEES AND RECIPIENTS OF THE 2014 GIVING HEARTS AWARDS

Above: Giving Hearts Awards Nominees.

For a full list of 2014 nominees please visit

Photo credit: © Lisa Riley 2014

www.afpvancouver.org

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS GIVING HEARTS AWARDS SPONSORS:

CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS:

GIVING HEARTS AWARDS RECEPTION SPONSOR:

TV SPONSOR: ADDITIONAL THANKS:

WEDNESDAY

November 26 2014

Vol. 105 No. 95

NEWS 8

HOB on the move COMMUNITY CALENDAR 21

Naked selfies GREY CUP 15

Historic highlights There’s more online at

vancourier.com MIDWEEK EDITION

THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS since 1908

Little progress in reducing child poverty Cheryl Rossi

crossi@vancourier.com

Anti-breeding bylaw fails to get green light from outgoing park board Bylaw banning breeding of cetaceans flounders

Tereza Verenca

tverenca@gmail.com

It wasn’t the outcome she was hoping for.

Outgoing Vision park board commissioner Sarah Blyth’s motion to ban the breeding of cetaceans in captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium fell short Monday night.

Blyth did not receive enough support

from her colleagues to table the motion, which failed by a four-to-three vote. Vision commissioners Niki Sharma and Constance Barnes were the only other commissioners in favour of passing it.

“This democracy is not being served,” Blyth said in a frustrated tone.

The issue will now be looked at by the Non-Partisan Association-dominated board, scheduled to be sworn in Dec. 1.

After months of public consultations with hundreds of residents, the bylaw received the green light in July when the five Vision commissioners unanimously favoured it.

Incumbent NPA member John Coupar recused himself from the hearings because of business interests he had with the aquarium (which have since ceased). Melissa De Genova, also with the NPA, was away on holiday and unavailable to cast a ballot.

But according to Coupar, approving the bylaw right after an election didn’t seem “procedurally correct.”

“We get reports all the time. This is just one that received a lot of attention,” he said. “The new board will analyze all the information and go from there.”

Continued on page 5

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CAT CRADLED Vancouver Orphaned Kitten Rescue Association president Karen Duncan holds one of the rescued kittens the organization is fostering. The non-profit recommends adopting kittens in pairs. “You usually see a pair in a litter that hang out together, it’s a social thing,” said Duncan.

“What do they do for eight hours a day when you’re at work — get into trouble! Do encourage people to get two.”

See story on page 12. PHOTO REBECCA BLISSETT

Vancouver teacher Anna Chudnovsky sees more than one of the 169,420 children who live in poverty in B.C. in her inner city school classroom.

One of them came to school when temperatures plummeted wearing flip flops, his only shoes. When a support worker encountered this eight-yearold’s mother last week, the mom cried because she only had a jar of olives in the fridge, she is to give birth any day and she was worried she wouldn’t be able to buy groceries before the baby came. When Chudnovsky’s student’s younger brother fell at school and banged his head, the school secretary had to walk to the home to contact his mother because their phone line was out of order.

Then the mother confessed she didn’t know how she’d manage a trip to the hospital because she lacked bus fare for herself and her three kids.

Chudnovsky shared this tale of a stressed family at the media release of the 2014 B.C. Child Poverty Report Card, which found little progress has been made to reduce child and family poverty in B.C. “At 21 per cent, B.C.’s child poverty rate is higher than the Canadian average of 19 per cent and represents 169,420 children — enough children to fill the Canucks’ stadium over nine times,” the related press release states.

Not only did the report, prepared by the First Call: B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition with the help of the Social Planning and Research Council of B.C., find that one out of every five B.C. children lives in poverty, it also found that children living in lone-parent families, the vast majority of them singlemother families, had a poverty rate of 50 per cent in 2012, and were living $10,000 below the poverty line, on average.

“For example, a lone parent with one child had a median total after-tax income of only $13,950 per year, leaving them $9,805 below the $23,755 poverty line for this family size,” the report states.

Continued on page 3

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

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*Subject to REDcard application approval, you will receive 5% off purchases paid for with your REDcard at Target stores in Canada, except on prescriptions and certain other pharmacist-dispensed items, purchases at Brunet affiliated pharmacies in Québec, Target gift cards and Target prepaid cards, and where otherwise prohibited by law. 5% discount applies to eligible purchases minus any other discounts and the value of any promotional Target gift cards received in the transaction. Other restrictions apply. See program rules at Guest Service or Target.ca/REDcard for details. The Target Debit Card cannot be used at some independent businesses in Target stores, such as prescription purchases at the Target Pharmacy. REDcard: Target Debit Card (issued by Target Canada Co.) and Target RBC MasterCard (issued by Royal Bank of Canada). ® MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated, used under license. ‡ Lion & Globe Design, Royal Bank and all other RBC marks are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada, used under license. ©2014 Target Brands, Inc. The Bullseye Design and Target are registered trademarks of Target Brands, Inc.

W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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News Child Poverty Report Card gives province failing grade

Continued from page 1 Becoming a single mother when her son was four weeks old plunged Viveca Ellis into poverty.

She received basic employment insurance from her full-time job during her maternity leave but couldn’t live on that.

Ellis took a part-time job that allowed her flexibility to take care of her baby. But she earned $13 an hour and paid her caregiver $11 an hour.

She subsequently applied for welfare and learned her child support could be clawed back.

Ellis, who co-founded the Single Mothers’ Alliance of B.C., eventually escaped poverty by securing a job in her field that paid a wage that allowed her to rent an apartment, feed herself and her son, get a bus pass and afford childcare.

The B.C. Child Poverty Report Card makes 19 public policy recommendations for the provincial and federal governments.

Adrienne Montani, First Call’s provincial coordinator, says the premier’s

A child poverty report card found that one out of every five B.C. children lives in poverty, and that children living in lone-parent families, the vast majority of them single-mother families, had a poverty rate of 50 per cent in 2012. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET.

office needs to lead a coordinated poverty reduction plan that would provide affordable childcare, boost income assistance and increase minimum wage to $15 an hour. She said every other province has some sort of plan.

Montani cited the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ The Cost of Poverty report, released in 2011, that states a comprehensive poverty reduction plan in B.C. would cost $3 to $4 billion a year whereas the cost of doing nothing is

$8.1 to $9.2 billion.

The Courier phoned the premier’s office but in response received a statement from Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux that read: “In B.C., we don’t feel a legislated

plan is required to help children out of poverty.

Three of the four provinces that have legislated poverty plans in place have a higher poverty rate than B.C.” The statement noted the government provides

childcare subsidies, has increased minimum wage, offers “one of the most comprehensive universal Pharmacare programs in Canada” and charges lower taxes.

“In terms of setting income assistance rates and child support policy, we have to take a balanced approach — a realistic undertaking between what is fair to individuals seeking assistance and what taxpayers can support,” the statement said.

“Look at the choices that governments make,” Montani said. “At the federal level, just give me one fighter jet to melt down and put into childcare.

“Nobody’s asking for a fully blown childcare system tomorrow,” she continued. “But we could have it incrementally built over time just the way we build bridges or we build giant dams... We could do that with a social infrastructure and it would have such payoff.”

The report is available at still1in5.ca. twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi

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   NOVEMBER 28,  29, 30

                 

        

                                                                                                                

                     

         

           

                  

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

n e t r a g r K indeistration Reg November - January 31st Children who will be attending Kindergarten in September 2015, need to first register at their neighbourhood English catchment School.

NOTE: If your child was born outside of Canada, please register at DRPC (District Reception and Placement Centre) at Moberly Elementary.

Call: 604-713-5999 Locate your English catchment school using www.vsb.bc.ca/school-locator

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.vsb.bc.ca/kindergarten or Visit your neighbourhood English Catchment School

News Red tape to be loosened on events

Ski hills and golf courses are some of the businesses that will benefit from liquor law changes that B.C. Attorney General Suzanne Anton announced Nov. 24.

Starting Dec. 9, those businesses’ staff will no longer have to apply to government and pay a $330 fee each time they want to hold an event in an expanded licensed area, such as a putting green, patio or snowboard park.

Instead, Anton said, they will be able to apply once and pay a single $330 fee per calendar year and be able to hold up to 26 such events.

The change stems from feedback that Anton’s parliamentary secretary, John Yap, received last year, when

he was consulting businesses about liquor law changes.

The Canada West Ski Areas Association told Yap that B.C.’s licensing system is bureaucratic and inflexible.

“Imagine anyone talking about government that way — ‘bureaucratic and inflexible,’” Anton said at a news conference in Victoria. “Well, it turns out that they were right.”

Another change will be to allow so-called “liquor primary” establishments, such as bars, to hold liquorfree events on days when they are normally closed.

Parents to get schooled

Parents can learn more about district programs, Nov. 27.

The Vancouver School

Board is providing an orientation about its “choice programs” in the Tupper secondary auditorium from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday.

The district-wide programs include: early French immersion, Mandarin bilingual, Montessori, fine arts, International Baccalaureate, intensive French and late French immersion. Families must register at their English catchment school by Jan. 30 to be eligible to apply for a kindergarten choice program. The online kindergarten choice program application will open Jan. 12 and the application deadline is Feb. 4.

For more information, see www.vsb.bc.ca/kindergarten.

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W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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In an 11th-hour attempt, the ban on breeding cetaceans like porpoises Jack and Daisy (pictured above) failed to pass Monday night. The controversial issue will now be looked at by the newly-elected park board, which is made up of an NPA majority.

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Continued from page 1 For Blyth, going back to the drawing board is unnecessary.

“I think this is an issue that we’ve gone through, really having looked at everything,” she said. “It was a good compromise.

I don’t think we need to continue to breed in our parks and contribute more whales into the pools down at SeaWorld.

“We spent a lot of time listening to the public and I feel the ban reflects the views of not only our residents, but also of scientists, [primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist] Jane Goodall, the Vancouver Humane Society and the B.C. SPCA.” Setting up an oversight committee of animal experts, tasked with presenting a biannual report to the board on the status of the mammals, was also agreed upon in the summer.

The latter, along with

“We’re all stressed

by Dad’s illness.”

recommendations for more consultations on the bylaw, did pass at last night’s meeting during a second vote.

Jeff Matthews of Sea Shepherd Vancouver, a conservation group in favour of the ban, was on hand livestreaming the event via cellphone.

When he saw the motion floundering, he admitted feelings of anger.

“We had three commissioners who believed the public consultations were done in good faith and that they came to a reasonable compromise, then we had a chair [Aaron Jasper] who thought it should be forwarded to the next board, which is nothing more than political theatre because they know the NPA will never look at it again.”

The NPA, specifically former mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe, has gone on record saying he supported the aquarium’s policies on cetaceans.

Matthews told the Courier people should keep in mind the aquarium is still forging ahead with plans to bring in more tanks.

“Once they put shovels in the ground, I don’t think there’s any stopping them.

As Mr. Nightingale has said, we’ll see dolphins and whales at the aquarium for the next hundred years.”

John Nightingale, the aquarium’s CEO and president, has argued the breeding program is necessary for research and the survival of species on the brink of extinction.

The facility has two female belugas, two female Pacific white-sided dolphins and two harbour porpoises — Jack and Daisy, rescued one year apart as babies.

In past interviews with the Courier, Nightingale said it would be impossible to stop the pair from breeding and separating them could cause them distress. twitter.com/tverenca

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

News Blyth ready for down time after failed NDP bid

Tereza Verenca

tverenca@gmail.com

Despite losing the 2015 federal NDP bid for Vancouver Quadra over the weekend, retiring Vision park board commissioner Sarah Blyth is looking forward to being out of the political arena.

“I’m exhausted, you know. I congratulate Scott Andrews on winning it. He had a good campaign. I gave it a shot even though I was a little late in the game,” Blyth told the Courier.

The single mother said she decided to run after having conversations with NDP leader Thomas Mulcair and Libby Davies, the NDP MP for Vancouver East. Her 11-year-old son Sebastian also had a say in the matter, telling her ‘You’ll only lose if you don’t try.” Blyth chose the riding because it’s where she grew up.

“I felt it was a good place because I know it like the back of my hand. I went to the beach there, I had my

first kiss there,” she said with a chuckle.

So what’s next for Blyth, now that her second term on park board has ended?

The answer is simple — a little TLC. “I’m going to spend a lot of time being a mom, taking my dogs for walks, going to go up to the Yukon for a visit,” she said. “I’m going to spend more time with the Vancouver street soccer league and with some other initiatives I haven’t been able to get to over the years.”

Blyth added that she’s looking forward to taking more of an activist role on certain issues.

“It’s easier to focus on one thing when you’re an activist, whether it’s pipelines or tankers. You can really put your energy into one fight.”

Blyth will continue working as a senior outreach worker at a low-income apartment building in the Downtown Eastside. At the end of the day however, it will be about spending more

time with family.

“All my son has ever known is politics. It’s great because it has opened his mind and he’s learned all about the city, gone to meetings, openings and parades. But there’s also me being on the phone, reading reports. It can be stressful,” she said.

As for throwing her hat in the political ring again, this public servant is keeping an open mind.

“I mean yeah, anything could happen. I may just help other people, or on campaigns that interest me,” she said. “I’ve learned how to bring forward issues and I’d like to help other people be able to do that more effectively.”

Getting more women elected at all levels of government is also something Blyth said she supports.

Vancouver Quadra has been a Liberal stronghold since the 1980s, with current MP Joyce Murray seeking re-election next year. twitter.com/tverenca

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W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News Suzuki offers support to Kinder Morgan protesters

Police arrested more protesters and apprehended two young girls on Burnaby Mountain Sunday, as hundreds gathered in opposition to Kinder Morgan’s plan to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline.

David Suzuki made a surprise appearance at the rally, following the arrest of his grandson, Tamo Campos, last Thursday. Campos was arrested for violating a court injunction prohibiting protesters from interfering with Kinder Morgan’s survey work for a new pipeline route through the conservation area.

Surrounded by protesters and media, Suzuki turned to face police behind the yellow tape on Nov. 23.

“I have nothing but great thoughts towards the RCMP, but now you are here to enforce the law.

That does not mean that you are above the law or

that you make your own law,” Suzuki said, as the crowd cheered. “My grandson was dragged across the line yesterday or the day before and arrested. You are breaking the law. I am disappointed.”

Suzuki later told reporters he didn’t want to risk his job as host of CBC’s The Nature of Things by getting arrested. Suzuki opposes Kinder Morgan’s pipeline expansion because he’s concerned about climate change and the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels. According to Suzuki, 80 per cent of fossil fuels need to be left in the ground if Canada wants to meet its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help prevent the global temperature from rising by two degrees Celsius.

This weekend’s arrests bring the total to nearly 100. Most of the arrestees have been released with a promise to appear in courts and stay out of the pipeline

injunction areas.

Staff Sgt. Major John Buis of the Burnaby RCMP said police are recommending charges of assault against one man who allegedly spit on an officer Friday. Another individual could be facing obstruction charges for trying to interfere with the arrest.

The protesters have set up campsites with food and firewood stashed on site.

Some are sleeping in the park, while Kinder Morgan continues work around the clock. RCMP are also on site 24 hours a day. The National Energy Board is still reviewing Kinder Morgan’s plan to increase capacity on the Trans Mountain pipeline from 300,000 barrels of oil a day to 890,000. Kinder Morgan is drilling two six-inch holes roughly 250 metres into the ground in two locations: alongside Centennial Way and in a clearing in the bush.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

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tverenca@gmail.com

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While it may not look like much on the outside, several Dunbar Street merchants are inside making preparations to move. The Hob, nestled in the block between 26th and 27th, is no exception.

The thrift shop (short for Hospice Opportunity Boutique) first opened its doors in 2006. The 1,800 sq. ft store was set up as a fundraising tool for the Vancouver Hospice Society, with 100 per cent of the proceeds supporting the organization.

But given recent plans to expand Stong’s Market along that stretch, the Hob will be relocating to 2236 West 41st Ave. in Kerrisdale come 2015.

“We entertained two locations on Main Street, a few on Cambie and on Broadway, but we identi-

fied Kerrisdale was the optimum one to facilitate our volunteers, donors and customers,” said Irene Regan of the Hob’s steering committee.

According to Regan, the move is bittersweet.

“We’ve built a business here for the last nine years, so we’re really sorry to leave. With any luck, we’ll not only keep the customers we have, but we’ll get new ones and we’ll get new donations. It could be really positive,” she said.

Cathleen Rowlette, who’s been volunteering at the store since the store first opened, told the Courier expansion projects like the one on Dunbar aren’t necessarily healthy for the community.

“I personally feel that neighbourhoods are being eroded,” she said. “A lot of the ma and pa shops are being lost. You’re getting a lot of people who

Drop by the open house to learn about the upcoming station upgrades and provide input into the long-term vision for Joyce–Collingwood Station and Exchange.

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W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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News

for Kerrisdale would prefer to drive to a big box store rather than stroll along through the neighbourhood.”

Rowlette anticipates seniors, who live close by and are limited by mobility, will miss the Hob. “This doesn’t only fulfill a clothing function.

A lot of people come in for social reasons. Sometimes they come in and they’re lonely and upset, other people come in because it’s such a warm place to be,” she said.

Regan and Rowlette

running OK,” Regan added.

Besides the many helping hands over the years, the Hob has also seen a significant increase in sales.

What started with a few hundred bucks a day has now grown to around $1,000 a day.

Regan said that money is a lifeline to the Vancouver Hospice Society and the end-of-life services clients can access.

“You’re looking at $350 a day for a bed,

“I personally feel that neighbourhoods are being eroded, a lot of the ma and pa shops are being lost.”

—Cathleen Rowlette both agreed the boutique wouldn’t be able to function without its 80-some volunteers.

“There’s not one paid staff member. We have one lady who works practically every day of the week. Even if people aren’t assigned to a regular shift, there’s a core of them that come in just to make sure everything’s

things up.”

The steering committee will take possession of the Kerrisdale location in January, with March 1 being the tentative opening date.

The original Hob was located at 3352 Dunbar St. until it moved to its current home in 2011.

Its distant cousin, Hob Too (which sells furniture and collectables), is down the road at 3470 Dunbar St. twitter.com/tverenca

Irene Regan (l) and Cathleen Rowlette have volunteered at the Hob since it opened its doors in 2006.

The second-hand store will relocate to Kerrisdale early next year due to the expansion of Stong’s Market. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

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times that by six, it costs over $2,000 a day. It’s been challenging to get support from Vancouver Coastal Health because they require a minimum of 10 to 12 beds. We’ve kept it small because we didn’t want it to feel like an institution,” she said.

All in all, the pair is enthusiastic about the move because it will “shake

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

Opinion Price changes to loosen Ten more predictions the liquor landscape for the next four years Les Leyne Columnist lleyne@timescolonist.com Government liquor stores in B.C. will have to raise their game to stay in business once a significant advantage over the private stores is removed next April.

Justice Minister Suzanne Anton announced last week a major pricing change that puts all public and private liquor outlets on the same footing.

The effect on the shelf price that consumers pay isn’t expected to be too dramatic. But the establishment of a single wholesale price for all public and private stores could redraw the retail landscape over time.

Government stores now buy product at cost from the liquor distribution branch — a different office of the same government operation — and set the retail price as they see fit, with the private stores following along as best they can.

Starting April 1, a new wholesale price — signalled last March — will be set that all retailers will pay.

It’s not yet established, but will be considerably more than what the government stores now pay. Private stores now pay for product based on a confusing series of discounts — ranging from 12 to 30 per cent — off the government’s shelf price.

Those discounts disappear in April and they’ll pay the same wholesale price as the government stores. Government stores will also be divorced from the Liquor Distribution Branch, to ease worries about the unfair advantage and crosssubsidization.

Let the era of wide-open competition, within certain limits, begin. The one curb on the new open market will be a minimum price set by government, below which no retailer can go.

The government stores will start the new era with a disadvantage. They pay higher salaries, have more staff and generally occupy more expensive real estate.

And they’ll be paying more for their product.

To close the gap, Anton also announced they’ll be able to open Sundays, extend their hours and offer chilled beer and wine.

The B.C. Government and Service Employees Union welcomed the news, saying its members are ready and willing to make government stores work better.

Although a few underperforming government stores might eventually close, it’s unlikely the government will get out

of the retail booze business any time soon.

The B.C. Liberals several years ago contemplated privatizing the whole operation, à la Alberta, but dropped the idea.

The government’s current master agreement with the BCGEU requires them to maintain the stores for at least five more years.

And Premier Christy Clark said the big liquor-policy review over the last year established that people like the government stores.

Their selling points are knowledgeable staff and more product diversity. The government stores are also an important channel for B.C. wine and beer products, which get good exposure on government shelves.

Clark said any quick transition away from government stores would make it difficult for B.C. vintners and brewers.

And she represents Westside-Kelowna, where a number of them operate.

Also coming next year are some pricing adjustments based on alcohol by volume, which will see more potent products cost more.

The highest-visibility idea of all the liquor changes the Liberals have been tinkering with for the past year is the idea of selling booze in grocery stores.

The stores within grocery stores will be allowed to open for business on April 1, although it’s up to the market how that rolls out.

There was also some more streamlining of how products are marked up, with a number of different categories collapsed into a handful. And the markup on beer, which jumps dramatically once a producer reaches a certain volume, will be smoothed out. B.C. brewers will no longer hit the “financial cliff” once they grow their production past a certain point.

The one big imperative through all the changes was to protect the government’s bottom line.

It makes almost $1 billion a year selling booze and there’s nothing in any of the adjustments to endanger that revenue stream.

With much more competition to move product, it will likely even grow. Next spring, there will be the potential for people to do the unthinkable — go to a government liquor store and buy a case of cold beer on a Sunday. twitter.com/leyneles

The week in num6ers...

351 4-3 10

The total number of Canucks games coached by Pat Quinn, who passed away Sunday night at Vancouver General Hospital.

“The Big Irishman” was 71.

The final tally for a losing motion by outgoing park board commissioner Sarah Blyth to have a cetacean breeding ban enforced at the aquarium.

The maximum number of audience members allowed into productions of Listen to Me, a new show at Agro Cafe involving going on “speed dates” with 10 different performers.

Michael Geller Columnist michaelarthurgeller@gmail.com Last week I offered 10 predictions for the next four years of civic government in Vancouver.

In case you missed my column, I addressed possible changes to the electoral system, the future of the viaducts and Broadway subway, housing affordability and choices and possible staff changes at city hall.

Unfortunately, space did not permit me to share all my predictions, so here are 10 more for the forthcoming term of office.

1. There will still be homeless people sleeping on the streets in 2018. While many of today’s homeless will be housed, new homeless people will take their place. Fortunately, the city manager’s office will realize it is counter-productive to place large concentrations of hard-tohouse people in expensive new buildings, and homeless people will be increasingly accommodated in scattered apartments throughout the city.

2. As Vancouver residents forego car ownership in order to afford a roof over their heads, they will take more taxis.

They will also increasingly use various alternative transportation services such as London style mini-cabs and Uber’s “ride-sharing” service. To counter their popularity, Metro Vancouver’s taxi system will be reformed to increase availability and reduce fares. Surrey cabs will no longer have to return empty from the downtown.

3. Vancouver’s dream of a popular and cost-effective bike-share program will still be a dream four years from now because of the provincial government’s helmet law.

4. To further protect heritage houses and compensate owners for the corresponding loss in property value, Vancouver will change its zoning bylaws to offer a modest density bonus to those who keep a pre-1940 house, which can be combined with unused density to build laneway houses and backyard coach houses for sale.

5. To help fund his goal of planting 150,000 new trees in Vancouver by 2020 as outlined in the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan, Mayor Gregor Robertson will announce a tree dedication program that allows residents to contribute towards the cost of planting a tree to commemorate a person or life event. A small plaque will

5

The average number of cats rescued per day by Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue. The nonprofit group tallied 1,845 felines in 2013.

accompany each tree. It will be a very popular program and the mayor’s goal will be reached by 2018.

6. Noting the 2014 Downtown Eastside Local Area Plan has resulted in very little new social and market housing in the Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District, with few new businesses opening up in derelict and vacant storefronts, manager of planning and development Brian Jackson will recommend changes to the zoning bylaws to encourage new housing developments in the neighbourhood. Council will also agree to review policing policies to reduce the increasing number of drug dealers openly operating on the streets.

7. The mayor’s promise to build 1,000 childcare spaces and update hundreds more will not be achieved as it is realized the combined effect of provincial and city standards results in costs well in excess of $125,000 for each new childcare space.

Courier reporter Mike Howell will remind the mayor this should not be a surprise since his May 2014 story reported that 37 new spaces at the Collingwood Neighbourhood House facility cost $4.6 million.

8. In response to complaints that too many Vancouver buildings are either grey or dull green, the city’s planning department will institute an Awards Program in 2015 encouraging Vancouver architects to “brighten up the city.” The awards will recognize outstanding achievements in the use of colour. By 2018, Vancouver residents will be complaining that the use of colour is becoming quite jarring and architects will be encouraged to return to grey and green.

9. The city will not offer free parking at certain times, as promised by failed NPA mayor candidate Kirk LaPointe. Instead it will reprogram parking meters so that evening and Sunday rates are reduced in many locations. The city will also propose that meter parking begin at 7 a.m., not 9 a.m., with additional monies to be used to fund additional bike lanes.

Following a public outcry, city staff will agree to delay the start of meter parking until 8 a.m. The mayor will thank the Courier for initiating such a valuable discussion.

10. The Courier opinion page will welcome a new columnist to replace Michael Geller.

Next week I’ll write about something completely different. twitter.com/michaelgeller

23 28

With 2,534 performances, Avenue Q’s ranking in the list of longest running shows in Broadway history. The hit puppet show is on again at the Arts Club until Jan. 3.

The number of games Van Tech’s girls volleyball went undefeated over three seasons and consecutive city championships.

W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A11

Mailbox Reimer reason doesn’t address the problem

To the editor: Re: “Neighbourhood coalition seeks meeting with mayor,” Nov. 19.

Andrea Reimer is wrong in saying the “biggest disagreements (over planning and development) have come where there’s just been confusion over where and how to provide input into a decision.”

People aren’t confused, they are angry because their input has been ignored by Vision. We don’t need more communication about how people can get engaged, as Reimer suggests. We need an attitude shift at the top so that peoples’ input actually changes city hall plans and council Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr says city council decisions.

Coun. Adriane Carr, needs an attitude adjustment when it comes to citizen engagement. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER Vancouver LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters may be edited by the Courier for reasons of legality, taste, brevity and clarity.

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

New ‘Canada Line’ announced

Nov. 25, 2005: Various politicians, including Mayor Sam Sullivan, provincial transportation minister Kevin Falcon and federal industry minister David Emerson, gather at the Vancouver International Airport to unveil plans for the SkyTrain’s new 16km Canada Line linking the city of Richmond and YVR with downtown Vancouver. The new rapid transit line, previously known as the “Richmond-Airport-Vancouver Line”, or RAV for short, is billed as the equivalent of a 10-lane freeway. It ended up costing more than $2 billion to complete the controversial project, which involved cut-and-cover construction, and the line now carries an estimated 136,000 passengers a day.

B.C. Lions win third Grey Cup

Nov. 27, 1994: The B.C. Lions beat the Baltimore Stallions at B.C. Place to win the 82nd Grey Cup. It was the first and only CFL final to include an American team as part of the league’s ill-fated attempt to expand into the U.S. market. The Stallions had a 17–10 lead at halftime, and extended it to 20–10 early in the third quarter but the momentum of the game shifted after Lui Passaglia and Darren Flutie staged a fake field goal to gain a big first down. Tied 23–23, QB Darren McManus engineered a late-game drive to the Baltimore 37 yard line. Kicker Lui Passaglia missed the field goal with just over one minute remaining, but the Lions’ defence stopped Baltimore within their own five-yard line. After a punt and a couple of runs to set up another field goal try, Passaglia converted a field goal to give the Leos a 26–23 win and their third Grey Cup. ADVERTISING

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COURIER STORY: “Mayor. Meggs pursuing lawsuit against NPA,” Nov. 21.

Jason E King: Ask a lawyer, their chances of success = ZERO. Tara Sundberg: I will admit that I voted for Meggs BECAUSE of the defamatory statements made by the NPA. I was planning on only voting for the Green Party to plump my votes but I was so disgusted by the tactics of the NPA during this campaign that I voted for Meggs anyway. I sincerely hope that public funds are not paying for the lawsuit and I assume that they aren’t. It would be nice to hear a public statement on that, though. gasp: I’m glad Robertson and Meggs are pursuing this lawsuit so long as taxpayers are not on the hook for their legal fees. They will have to prove that they were actually defamed, and suffered quantifiable damages. They will have to produce documents and will be subject to cross-examination. It will cost them a lot of money, but it will be difficult for them to recover any damages. And it will keep them busy, so they won’t have time to think about new ways to inconvenience and tax residents.

COURIER STORY: “Vision commissioner wants to go through with whale breeding ban,” online only.

Daniel Tanner: Sour grapes by Melissa De Genova. If she cared that much, she would have been there for the hearings. The park board approved the ban unanimously based upon: 1) A report prepared by an independent scientist; 2) A full day of Q&A with aquarium executives, staff and scientists; 3) Two days of public hearings; 4) Months of public debate about the keeping of cetaceans in captivity. This is the one time that Vision did public consultation right.

Ian Boothby: Quote from park board chair Aaron Jasper: “I’m not a whale biologist, I’m a realtor, and sometimes you just have to go with your gut.” Maybe realtor’s gut instincts aren’t the way to decide things like this.

David Gibson: Another triumph of ideology over science.

COURIER STORY: “Ten predictions for Vision’s four-year term,” Nov. 19.

Geraldine Doyle: My prediction is we are all screwed and Vision can now finish off destroying this city completely, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. They can turn Vancouver into a concrete jungle. The public hearings will still be a complete and utter farce, they will pay no heed to what the residents of Vancouver have to say or want.

They will take good care of the rich developers and make their cronies even richer.

There will still be no democracy at city hall, it will just carry on as before.

Elke Porter: My prediction is that there will now be more bike lanes and bike racks and bike lessons as part of the school curriculum. Happy Planet will soon be sold in all the schools to fund seismic upgrading, playgrounds and the many extra gender-neutral bathrooms they promised to build, then the homeless will be given one-way tickets to anyplace but here and the problem will be solved. To become more “green,” trees will be cut down to make room for all the new recycling and food scrap bins needed to keep up with the city bylaws for 2015.

Vancouver Olympicks @VanOlympics: “Next week I’ll offer 10 more predictions.”

Oh great soothsayer, have you found a new calling?

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

Community 1

2

3

1. VOKRA recently rescued these two Siamese-mix kittens at the Port of Vancouver. All cats that come into VOKRA’s care are dewormed, given shots and medical attention. They’re all also fed quality food.

2. A tabby was recently rescued by VOKRA president Karen Duncan who said trapping the cat was easy — the starving male just walked right into it. 3. Cat T-shirts, cat calendars, cat books and cat treats were just some of the items on sale during VOKRA’s recent fundraising craft fair at its new Vancouver location. PHOTOS REBECCA BLISSETT

Orphan cat rescue more than a pet project

Group rescued 1,845 cats last year CITY LIVING Rebecca Blissett

rvblissett@gmail.com

Working with an animal rescue group puts the duality of human nature into stark relief; the cruelty that is the reason for their existence, and the kindness that gives hope.

The people who work with organizations such as the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue are a special sort with their own duality, compassion and the steely strength that gets them through the endless days, weeks and, in Karen Duncan’s case, years.

Duncan started VOKRA in her Vancouver basement

in 2000 along with Maria Soroski. The intention was to look after kittens that needed to be bottle-fed as local shelters did not have the capacity to deal with that particular round-theclock care.

“That’s what we intended to do at first. It kind of skyrocketed,” said Duncan as she cradled a sleepy, shaky white kitten in one of the intake pods at VOKRA’s new Vancouver home while the group’s fundraising craft fair buzzed outside.

If the word “skyrocketed” could ever be used as an understatement, describing VOKRA’s growth would be the place.

The group rescued 1,845 cats last year (VOKRA’s website paints a good visual of that number: “Imagine three cats in every seat at the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre!”). Duncan’s basement was bursting at the seams so the organization

found its first real headquarters, which is being kept secret to discourage the inevitable — people dumping cats on the doorstep.

Unlike a shelter, people are not welcome to drop by. As soon as a cat is healthy, it is fostered by one of the many volunteers until a permanent home is found. A big part of VOKRA’s responsibilities is trapping and neutering strays, a project that has tamed Vancouver’s once out-of-control feral cat problem since the group began 14 years ago.

“We’ve cleaned up the colonies in Vancouver.

We get the cats fixed and if they’re tame, they’re adopted. If they’re not tame, they go back. That’s the kind thing to do… It’s like a skunk or a raccoon, they know their territory,” said Duncan.

“We’ve got one colony near here, I think they’re about 10 years old now

and they’re the baddest feral cats you’ve ever seen!”

Volunteers ensure there’s some food and water put out for the wild cats, Duncan added.

“It’s what should be done. It’s not their fault they’ve been dumped.

It all stems from people somewhere along the line,” she said with a sigh.

Some cats, though, are waiting to be rescued.

There was a big-headed tabby in one of the back pods, found as skin and bones. Duncan said she opened the door to the trap and in he walked. “It was the easiest trap I’ve ever done,” said Duncan.

“Obviously, he had been somebody’s cat and neglected. Or lost.”

VOKRA goes through the usual channels of online message boards to locate owners, with a great success rate if the cat is wearing a collar or is

tattooed. But sometimes it’s clear they’ve been just been left and forgotten.

Duncan received a call about two black cats that had been left behind after a family moved. The pair waited on the front porch of the empty Vancouver house that was for sale.

“It was high season and we were just run off our feet. By the time we got there, the house had sold and been torn down,” Duncan remembered.

“The cats were sitting on top of the rubble. They didn’t know what to do.”

This is just one of the many stories Duncan has dealt with over the years.

While this one had a happy ending (both cats went together to a new home), the barrage of animal neglect and abuse is difficult to comprehend.

“It’s hard,” said Duncan.

“It has a real high breakdown rate, to put it lightly. Seeing

the sick and dying animals day after day, it gets to you.

Over the years, I’ve learned to take the dying kittens and get through it. I’d rather they be with me dying than out on the street and dying alone.”

VOKRA is a no-kill shelter and relies on donations, with other funds coming from adoption fees — which don’t even begin to cover the cat’s care of good food, vaccinations and medical care — fundraising and grants.

While the location is unknown to most, the new operations centre is a point of pride for VOKRA. The place was renovated and the donations provided items such as the fresh paint to the metal kennels and the pod construction to the intake/outtake air systems that stops the spread of illnesses.

That, along with the many VOKRA’s many volunteers, is tangible evidence of kindness. twitter.com/rebeccablissett

W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A13

News Planning forums afoot in Grandview-Woodland DEVELOPING STORY

Naoibh O’Connor

noconnor@vancourier.com

Discussions about Grandview-Woodland’s community plan are well underway through the two-month-old citizens’ assembly, which is hosting a public roundtable about its work to date between 7 and 9 p.m., Nov. 26.

The citizens’ assembly’s effort is being complemented by city-run sub-area workshops that are open to the public. The first of the seven workshops, which focuses on the Cedar Cove neighbourhood, takes place Nov. 29.

The 48-member assembly began meeting near the end of September. Its job is to develop recommendations for the neighbourhood’s community plan and submit a report to city council next June. Feedback from the sub-area workshops will be included.

Members of assembly wrapped up the “learning phase” of the job at their Nov. 22 meeting and are moving into the second of three phases in December, which involves discussing issues and options.

Rachel Magnusson, the assembly’s chair, said the learning phase was designed to give members a broad overview of planning topics such as housing and transportation, as well as to hear from community stakeholders and organizations.

“Starting in December, we’re switching to our second phase, which will be drilling down into what are the actual options and what directions do we want to head,” Magnusson said.

At the Nov. 26 public roundtable, the citizens’ assembly will present a draft set of values for discussion.

“The idea with that is the assembly has been working on a set of values to guide change in GrandviewWoodland and they’re going to be taking those

out and getting feedback on them and also hear from community members what they’d like [the citizens’ assembly] to address in their final report,” explained Magnusson. The event is free and would-be participants can register at grandview-woodland.ca.

The City of Vancouver, meanwhile, is preparing for its Nov. 29 workshop dealing with the Cedar Cove sub-area. It’s located north of Hastings Street between Clark Drive and Kamloops Street.

Participants at the fullday event will look at the policies that were developed for the area, as well as the community feedback that was received, and refine the directions for the sub-area.

“Overall, the purpose of the sub-area workshops is to get input from the local community on the values, the vision and the options. And all of this feeds into the broader process involving the citizens’ assembly,” explained Susan Haid, the city’s assistant director of planning for Vancouver South, who’s filling in for Kent Munro, the person responsible for GrandviewWoodland.

Cedar Cove, which is a historic place name, encompasses a residential area and apartment zone, light industrial and heavy manufacturing.

City planner Andrew Pask said the workshop will involve a series of exercises that allow participants to look at issues such as character, housing, public space, built form and local economy.

“The starting point for the workshop is the emerging directions. We produced some ideas last July and [it’s about] how we can look at those again, how we can deal with the commentary that we received, advance the conversation and refine those directions and produce something tighter and more complete,” he said.

A second sub-area workshop dealing with BritanniaWoodland is set for Dec. 6. There will be two more

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workshops in January and another three in February.

The assembly will also host more public roundtables.

Organizers for both the Grandview-Woodland citizens’ assembly and the cityrun workshops encourage those interested to register because it helps with planning the events. More details are on the city’s website on the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan page. twitter.com/naoibh

The two-month-old citizens’ assembly hosts a public roundtable about its work to date between 7 and 9 p.m. on Nov. 26. PHOTO REBECCA BLISSETT

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

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On Now at The Brick!

SMOKE AND MYRRH Special Santa-themed incense holders known as “smokers” are up for sale at the Käthe Wohlfahrt display at the daily Vancouver Christmas Market at Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

For more details go instore or online @thebrick.com.

Stay informed!

Commercial–Broadway Station Phase 2 Upgrades Construction begins early 2015

Drop by the open house to learn about the station design, construction plan and project timeline for the upgrades coming to Commercial–Broadway Station.

Date

Time

Thursday, December 4 , 2014

2:30 – 6:30 pm

Location Commercial–Broadway Station, North Station House street level (Fare Paid Zone) Visit translink.ca/commercialbroadway and complete a feedback form from December 1 – 15, 2014.

For more information, contact: Sandy Young, Community Relations Coordinator sandy.young@translink.ca | 778.375.7662

Building a sustainable transportation future together.

Bâtissons ensemble un réseau de transport durable.

W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A15

GREY CUP 2014 LET THE GAME BEGIN!

B.C.’s best Grey Cup moments

Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

In more than a century of Grey Cup history, B.C. has hosted Canada’s biggest annual party 15 times. The 16th installment will come this weekend when the Calgary Stampeders meet the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the 102nd Grey Cup. Playing at home, the Lions have won twice. One of those championships, which came down to an unforgettable do-or-die field goal by kicker Lui Passaglia to keep the 1994 CFL title in Canada, tops this list of B.C.’s best Grey Cup moments. Read on to see what follows. Some Vancouverites will remember them all.

King Lui

B.C. Lions kicker Lui Passaglia is lifted onto the shoulders of his teammates after his 38-yard field goal secured the 1994 Grey Cup. PHOTO MARK VAN MANEN/PNG

A Canadian entity for 81 seasons, the CFL grew in a controversial cross-border expansion in 1994 and, for the first time, a U.S. club contended for the Grey Cup. “Free trade did not include the Grey Cup,” read one fan’s sign at the 81st annual event. Na-

tional pride and Canadian football identity were at stake Nov. 27 when 55,097 fans at B.C. Place clutched at the Maple Leaf as East Vancouver’s Lui Passaglia — the most accomplished kicker in all professional football — missed once before securing the trophy and the country’s honour.

“The good Lord was looking after us,” head coach Dave Ritchie told the Courier in 2010.

Baltimore led B.C. 17-10 at halftime and the Lions struggled as quarterback Kent Austin threw three interceptions. Ritchie called on Danny McManus, and the Lions took hold of the momentum late in the third quarter with a trick play; setting up for a field goal, holder Darren Flutie instead jumped up with the ball and scrambled to his right for a first-down at the 10yard line. McManus then gambled and scored on a third down.

Tied at 23 in the fourth quarter, Passaglia set up to kick a game-winning field

goal from the 37-yard line with 1:02 on the clock. He missed. The air went out of B.C. Place (which was hard to do with air-tight locks). B.C. recovered the ball, and Passaglia looked down redemption from 38 yards out. The club named that kick the greatest play in B.C. Lions history. B.C. won the Grey Cup 26-23.

The all-position all-star

On Nov. 25, 1955, the Grey Cup moved west of Toronto for the first time, and the CFL, which would not have this name for another three years but had expanded to include the Lions the previous season, witnessed one of its all-time greatest and most wellrounded athletes at his best.

Jackie Parker, a Tennesseeborn, record-setting player at Mississippi State, defied classification long before the era of multi-million dollar specialization and the fantasy draft.

As the Edmonton Eskimos quarterback in a 34-19 win over the Montreal

Alouettes at Empire Stadium, Parker passed for 126 yards and threw for a touchdown in front of 39,417 fans, the largest crowd in the history of Canadian organized team sports and a Grey Cup attendance record that stood until 1976.

But that wasn’t all Parker did. He rushed for 75 yards and made two interceptions on defence. He also had 13 tackles, a total that still puts him second overall in Grey Cup history.

Continued next page

Jackie Parker, an all-time Canadian football great.

PHOTO PNG MERLIN ARCHIVE

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A16

THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

GREY CUP 2014 LET THE GAME BEGIN! Today, he may have been an average quarterback, but when athletes still played both offense and defense, Parker was the best on the field. He was selected a Western all-star eight times: three times as halfback and five times as quarterback. He was named the most-outstanding player in 1957, ’58 and ’60 and won three consecutive Grey Cup championships with Edmonton, the second at Empire Stadium in 1955.

Vancouver witnessed him at his peak, a pinnacle that

Jackie Parker drinks from the Grey Cup after winning the Canadian football title in 1955.

PHOTO PNG MERLIN ARCHIVE

lasted more than a decade and culminated in 16,470 passing yards, 750 points, 88 touchdowns and 40 field goals because — what more could you ask for? — he was a kicker, too. In 1962, he was traded to the Toronto Argonauts for five players and $15,000.

The hit they still remember

The 51st Grey Cup is momentous for B.C. because it was the first time the Lions played for the championship at home.

It was also their first Grey Cup, period. But the game delivered two enormous, unforgettable blows: the agony of defeat in front of thousands of homers, and a late, high, out-of-bounds and non-penalized tackle on halfback Willie Fleming.

Largely because of the tackle on what was only Fleming’s fifth carry of the game, the Lions lost 21-10 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. A player who averaged a CFL record 9.7 yards per carry that season, Fleming exited the 1963 Grey Cup having carried the ball for only 12 yards.

The Lions scored their

Phone: 604-266-1401 30th Avenue at Dunbar St.,Vancouver

In the 1963 Grey Cup at Empire Stadium, B.C. Lions halfback Willie Fleming was hit out of bounds and left the game. A newspaper story described the scene: “Seconds after being hit by Mosca, Fleming crawls along the ground, trying to regain his feet.”

PHOTO PNG MERLIN ARCHIVE

first Grey Cup touchdown in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter when Joe Kapp connected with Mack Burton on a five-yard pass.

Kapp rekindled the fire at the 2011 Grey Cup festival in Vancouver when he and former Ti-Cat Angelo Mosca brawled on stage at a CFL Alumni Association luncheon. (The YouTube videos of the men punching each other on stage have more than a million views.)

Mosca was the tackler who

took out Fleming, ending his season and the Lions’ best chance to win their first Grey Cup at home.

The next season, B.C. defeated Hamilton 34-24 to win the Grey Cup at Toronto’s CNE Stadium.

A quarterback kicks

In this double-overtime thriller between hot-handed (and suddenly kicking) quarterbacks, only the second Grey Cup determined

by extra time since 1961, the Edmonton Eskimos knocked off the Montreal Alouettes 38-35 to win its 13th franchise title and second Cup in three years, again over the Als. In front of 58,157 on Nov. 27, 2005, Edmonton quarterback Ricky Ray was called off the bench in place of backup Jason Maas and rewarded head coach Danny Maciocia for the decision by completing a record 35 of 45 passes for 359 yards and two touchdowns.

The game’s high-scoring pace continued right through the final play when Montreal kicker Damon Duval forced overtime with a 27-yard field goal with no time remaining.

Both teams had a shot at the end zone, starting at their opponent’s 35. Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo connected on a 30-yard pass to Dave Stala. To tie and stave off defeat, Ray threaded the needle to find Jason Tucker 11 yards out. Tie game: 35-35.

Edmonton kicker Sean Fleming nailed a 36yard field goal to lead by

GREY CUP SPECIALS!

three to begin the second overtime, and Montreal crumbled under the pressure. Calvillo, his pass deflected, recovered and hit an open receiver in the end zone — but the ball was dropped. The play was called as an illegal forward pass and the Als lost 10 yards. They lost another 11 when Calvillo was sacked, setting up a hail-Mary third-and-31.

Calvillo resorted to punting the ball forward, desperate for Montreal to recover. They didn’t. An internal CFL scoring system crashed. Edmonton won the Grey Cup.

Lions roar loudest

In 2011, the B.C. Lions pulled off a stunning turnaround to become the first team in CFL history to win the Grey Cup after starting the season with five straight losses.

Finishing the regular season 11-7, B.C. launched an unimaginable championship run and hit the finish with a 34-23 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in front of 54,313 delirious fans at B.C. Place.

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W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

GREY CUP 2014 Quarterback Travis Lulay, who threw two second-half touchdowns and was named the game’s MVP, said he’d never wish the same journey on any team. “It’s very easy to quit. It’s very easy to turn on each other, to

cannibalize, to save your own jobs and rat people out,” he told the Courier in a post-game interview.

“Nobody ever did that.

We stuck together. We fought back one game at a time for the person beside us and today here we are,

champions.”

CFL head statistician Steve Daniel contributed valuable research to this story.

B.C. Place hosts the 102nd Grey Cup between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders at 6 p.m., Nov. 30.

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In a 2011 regular season game at B.C. Place, Lions quarterback Travis Lulay tries to squeeze the ball into the end zone. PHOTO KEVIN HILL

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

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Send your Exotic Courier submissions with your name, travel destination, a high-res scenic photo featuring the Courier and a short description of the highlights of your trip to letters@vancourier.com.

Road Closure

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• This intersection will be closed to all traffic • Access to West 33rd Avenue from Granville Street and Arbutus Street will be limited to local traffic only • Motorists and cyclists should expect delays or plan an alternate route CONTACT INFORMATION Community Liaison Officer: 604-436-6986 (Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm) After Hours Emergency: 604-451-6610 Email: icentre@metrovancouver.org Website: www.metrovancouver.org search “Angus Drive Main”

W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A21

urbansenior

Take a Naked ‘selfie’ for a good cause COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Sandra Thomas

sthomas@vancourier.com

Downtown

Last year when the Courier wrote about the empty grocery shelves at AIDS Vancouver, the community response was instant and overwhelming.

This year, AIDS Vancouver is once again asking for donations of wholesome food, new or gently-used toys and personal hygiene products for its World AIDS Day open house and holiday grocery donation drive Dec. 1. The event is in support of the more than 800 clients of AIDS Vancouver and their families.

Rocker Bif Naked will be in attendance at the open house to take “selfies” with anyone who makes a donation. The singer will also be donating all proceeds from the sale of her song “Intellectual” to support AIDS Vancouver programs, including its “grocery

store.” Naked will be joined

by Ryan Steele at the open house. The bartender was a recent contestant on the TV series The Amazing Race Canada.

The store allows registered clients of AIDS Vancouver to drop by on scheduled days to “shop” for groceries. Grocery basket in hand, clients can peruse the shelves and choose a limited number of items to take home at no cost. Those who bring their own bag are also rewarded with a treat such as a granola or energy bar. Everything that’s collected at the open house will be distributed Dec. 16, during AIDS Vancouver’s annual holiday grocery event, where clients and their families can stop by, have a snack, pick up some groceries and holiday treats and socialize.

Donations are accepted year-round at AIDS Vancouver, but this holiday food drive runs from Dec. 1 to 10. Muchneeded items include cash, canned ham, eggs, cheese, milk, coffee, juice, cereal, shampoo, toothpaste,

Heidi Morgan, grocery program coordinator with AIDS Vancouver, hopes to fill this empty cooler with donations.

PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

pasta/sauce, peanut butter and new and gently-used toys. As well, WestJet has provided two travel vouchers for anywhere the airline flies as a draw prize for anyone who drops by Dec. 1. AIDS Vancouver is located at 1107 Seymour St. For more information, visit aidsvancouver.org.

West Side

The 10th annual Homes for the Holidays event

takes place Nov. 29 and 30 in support of Kids Help Phone, Canada’s only tollfree, 24-hour, bilingual and anonymous professional phone and web counselling, referral and information service for children and youth.

So if you love kids, the holiday season, home décor and design, this is the event for you. Homes for the Holidays is a seasonal fundraising event, which provides ticket holders a

unique opportunity to enjoy a self-guided tour of six beautiful West Side homes professionally decorated by local interior designers teamed up with home decor retailers. As an added bonus this year, Casa Mia, the iconic and historic 1932 Southwest Marine Drive mansion, is one of the featured homes. Over the years, the art deco mansion has hosted performances by the likes of jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie. For more information and tickets, visit homesfortheholidays.ca.

Grandview Woodland

The Santa Paws is Coming to Town event takes place Dec. 6 and 7 at Tisol Pet Supply and Nutrition store on Grandview Highway.

Love on a Leash: Trusted Dog Care Services is hosting the canine-friendly fundraiser, which invites animal lovers to share the spirit of Christmas with their pets as they visit Santa and enjoy dog-friendly treats. Ellen Ho, of Hong Pet Photog-

raphy, has donated her time to take professional portraits of beloved pets amid a winter wonderland backdrop complete with festive holiday décor and a pooch-friendly Santa sitting on a red and gold throne.

Both days will feature holiday baked goods courtesy of Siegel’s Bagels along with hot mulled cider for the humans and lots of doggy treats and socialization for the pooches while raising funds and awareness for Paws for Hope Animal Foundation, which helps create brighter futures for abandoned, abused and homeless animals. Photos with Santa are $20 and the first 75 dogs will receive a gift bag, including the latest copy of Modern Dog magazine, treats and special goodies from RC Pet Products and Tisol. Each day 25 of those bags will also include a $25 gift card redeemable at Season’s in the Park or the Teahouse in Stanley Park, courtesy of the Sequoia Restaurant Group. twitter.com/sthomas10

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

Sponsored by HUMN Pharmaceuticals

Menthol: Nature’s Pain Reliever By Haidita Celestine In Natural History, published 7779 AD, Pliny the Elder identified over 60 medicinal applications for mint. Chewed and applied topically, he reported that mint leaves were useful as a remedy for elephantiasis, lumbago, gout, scrofula, headache, all eruptions of the head, and maladies of the rectum. He claims that the smell alone reanimates the spirits and, if bound into a crown around the head, it stimulates the mind and soul. As a juice, it will prevent the recurrence of lascivious dreams – although he points out that others believe exactly the opposite on this point.

At Humn Pharmaceuticals, we know that all of these claims would never be proven by today’s standards of scientific rigor; but clearly opinion leaders have recognized the medicinal value of mint for millennia.

Menthol is an organic compound found in the leaves of the ‘genus mentha’ plant family, more commonly known as mint and peppermint. It can be extracted from the leaves by distillation or made synthetically.

TPR20 Pain Relief Cream combines Menthol with the local analgesic Lidocaine to create a unique pain relief product. Rowan Hamilton, research director of Humn Pharmaceuticals of Winnipeg says “the major reason for the success of TPR20 is the combination of these two active ingredients working together.

The role of Menthol and its ability to complement the pain reducing characteristics of other compounds, however, is often not fully understood”.

Menthol is increasingly recognized as one of nature’s most effective pain relievers. The actual pain relief occurs by activating the same analgesic system as opiates; but with no hint of the complications that opiates typically cause. When menthol is applied topically, ‘ligand’ molecules attach to the body’s cell receptors reducing the intensity of the body’s biochemical response and reducing the perception of pain.

Menthol also triggers the process of vasodilation or widening of blood vessels. This increases blood flow to the affected area, and simultaneously reduces the skins barrier function.

This enhances the absorption of both the menthol and the accompanying lidocaine in TPR20.

such as Menthol mask the local pain transmission so that the Central Nervous System does not get involved.

Inflammation is also a target of Menthol. Menthol brings relief to the discomfort of inflammation by stimulating temperature receptors in the skin. This delivers a sensation that our bodies interpret as cold, thus relieving the uncomfortable inflamed sensation.

However the doses required to create this counter irritant effect can push Menthol products towards a dangerous reaction. The FDA has warned of potential chemical burns associated with Menthol at concentrations greater that 3%.

It is for this reason that Humn Pharmaceuticals uses 1% of menthol in TPR20: to realize the pain relieving, vasodilation and anti-inflammatory benefits without the counter irritation role.

Menthol is also regarded as a counter irritant. Ron Melzack first proposed the gate control theory to describe the pain mechanism in 1968. He proposed that pain is activated by the smaller fibers through the nerves that lead to the Central Nervous System. By creating a small local irritation, counter irritants inhibit the mechanisms of the small nerve fibers. In this way, counter irritants

The combination of Lidocaine and Menthol in TPR20 ensures that the ‘whole is greater than the sum of the parts.’ Two analgesic compounds, each working on important elements of pain relief, complement each other to create the unique benefit and versatility of TPR20. We won’t claim though that TPR20 will help manage your dreams, unless of course you are dreaming of pain relief.

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W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A23

urbansenior

Northern California a shopper’s paradise Outlet mall bargains make up for lower Canadian dollar TRAVEL Sandra Thomas

sthomas@vancourier.com

Whoever coined the phrase “shop ’til you drop” must have been a regular to the outlet malls of Northern California, because that’s exactly what I did recently during a three night/two-day marathon starting in Vacaville and ending in San Francisco.

My trip began with a short flight to San Francisco out of YVR, followed by a 90-minute drive to Vacaville with a small group of Canadian travel and fashion writers. This was my first trip to the region, and while I was impressed with the beauty of the landscape, with shopping in mind those rolling hills and ocean views had nothing on the 120 shops that make up the Vacaville Premium Outlet Mall located about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento.

With a Christmas list in hand, I checked out stores to fit every budget, from Kate Spade to Dress Barn, Gap Outlet to Gucci.

One of my fellow writers, a Toronto-based fashion stylist, told me the stores carry a lot of what he called “signature pieces” not yet available in Canada. Meanwhile, what I noticed were the prices. Keep in mind, even with deep discounts, a $500 or $600 purse or pair of shoes still isn’t cheap but a bargain compared to what I’ve found at home. (And no, I did not buy a $500 purse.) Instead, I kept an eye out for gifts inexpensive enough to make up for the drop in the Canadian dollar

There are deals to be found at Stanford Shopping Centre in Palo Alto, Calif. PHOTO SANDRA THOMAS

and light enough to pack home. Needless to say, I had no problem matching both those criteria.

But one cannot live by shopping alone and on the first night of our visit we headed to an olive oil tasting event at Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company in Suisun Valley, owned and operated by Ann and Mark Sievers, a couple passionate about sustainability and dedicated to growing and milling the finest quality artisanal olive oil. We were treated to an olive oil and balsamic tasting paired with tiny bites made from those same ingredients, while the Sievers explained to us the intricacies of creating a quality product.

From Il Fiorello we headed to Mankas Steakhouse in nearby Fairfield where chef Peter Halikas created a menu for us made

from ingredients grown or raised in the Suisun Valley, including lamb heart salad, bacon-wrapped pork loin with apples and chard and rib eye steaks. It was over peach crumble we learned Fairfield is home to Travis Air Force Base and is the headquarters of Jelly Belly, the jelly bean made famous by past U.S. president Ronald Reagan.

The dinner supplied us with the fuel we needed the next morning when we hit the road for Vacaville followed by more shopping at the Livermore Premium Outlet. Again, I hit the sales and picked up several gifts, including two gorgeous scarves at Saks Fifth Avenue for $10 apiece, which I had originally planned to give as gifts but might just keep because I like them so much.

After several hours of

shopping, we headed to Underdog Wine Bar at Concannon Vineyard to partake in another popular Northern California activity — wine tasting.

The weather was still nice enough in October that we were able to sit outside and watch the sunset over the vineyard as we enjoyed flights of wine — including samples from California and around the world.

Then it was off to dinner at Lokanta, a popular Mediterranean eatery in Pleasanton where we

sampled more wine and enjoyed delicious rustic dishes including moussaka and the restaurant’s famous flaming halloumi cheese.

The next day of our marathon we headed to the Stanford Shopping Centre in Palo Alto, which, thanks to the number of high-tech companies in the area, has become one of the most expensive cities to live in the U.S. That opulence was reflected in the shopping centre, home to some very high-end stores. But it was here that I also found

some of my best bargains at Neiman Marcus, Macy’s and Nordstrom. We were also given a tour of the “smart” dressing rooms in the brand-new Bloomingdale’s, where there’s a tablet attached to the wall of each room used for communicating to staff without getting dressed. The dressing rooms also allow customers to adjust the lighting for day, office or night.

For our final night in California, we headed to San Francisco, where we checked into the Argonaut Hotel on Jefferson Street directly across from Fisherman’s Wharf. From my room I could not only watch the world go by on this exciting first night of the World Series, but I also had a great view of Alcatraz Island, once home to the infamous prison.

While the Argonaut has a nautical theme throughout, it’s clean modern lines and vintage-inspired details make the hotel more hip than historic. The hotel also offers bike rentals.

Our whirlwind visit to northern California ended with dinner at Scala on Powell Street, a San Francisco icon just steps from Union Square. Over wine and pasta our small group traded stories of bargains found and shared advice for future visits, which in my case will definitely be longer than two days. twitter.com/sthomas10

EVERYONE’S EARS ARE DIFFERENT.

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Attention All Seniors

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Need for new knee worth all the aches and pains Sandra Thomas

sthomas@vancourier.com

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It was August 2013 when I sat waiting for what seemed like an eternity in the office of an orthopedic surgeon at the Complex Joint Clinic at Vancouver General Hospital.

Suddenly the door flew open and my surgeon, a man whom I had previously never laid eyes on, burst into the room and said in rapid concession, “OK, we’re going to replace that knee and give you your life back. It’s an easy procedure, maybe an hour, and then you’re done.” (He spoke so quickly, I wondered at the time if his second career was that of an auctioneer.)

To say I was surprised was an understatement. My knee had been bothering me for several years following an injury, but until that moment I assumed it just needed a little tweaking, maybe a minor procedure involving a couple of stitches. But a whole new knee?

I wrongly assumed I wasn’t old enough for such drastic surgery, but quickly found out that wasn’t the case.

I was so taken aback I forgot to ask any questions of the surgeon during our brief meeting before he scribbled out requisitions for blood work and an ECG and then dashed back out the door. When I noticed an X-ray of my knee up on his computer screen I snapped a picture of the image with my phone and fired it off to my partner’s daughter, a doctor. I was hoping for a second, less-drastic opinion.

But no such luck.

My initial surprise and fear eventually calmed down to

Courier reporter Sandra Thomas snapped a picture of the X-ray showing her wounded knee.

a casual nonchalance as the months passed and I heard nothing from my surgeon.

But when almost a year later I received a surgery date via a message left on our voicemail at home, the terror returned with a vengeance, where it remained until I sat in my hospital bed at VGH this past July waiting to get rolled into the operating room.

Suspecting I might make a run/hobble for it, my partner asked the nurse hooking up my IV, “Is there any chance she can get an Ativan?” It was a good call because 15 minutes later I had calmed down considerably, despite the fact my surgery was postponed for almost two hours.

The next thing I remembered was waking up in the recovery room wondering who had replaced my left leg with a tree trunk.

The rule of thumb for knee and hip replacement

surgery is you can’t leave the hospital until you can make it to the washroom on your own and, in my case, master a set of stairs. Unfortunately, the morphine drip they gave me for pain made me so sick I was unable to attempt any of those tasks for almost three days and had to spend five long days at VGH. And as wonderful as the nurses were to me, those five days were nothing short of a living hell. On my first night in hospital, a male patient was brought into my ward room accompanied by police. The man had almost lost a leg to a beating that, from what I could understand, had come as the result of a drug debt. What police and hospital staff didn’t know was that when they weren’t in the room, the man continued to make drug deals from the phone next to his bed.

The next night I woke up in the middle of the night to overhear a nurse asking a second new male patient, “Do you ever have thoughts of suicide?” followed by, “What about thoughts of violence?” By this time I was trying to figure out how to escape my room in case of attack, without projectile vomiting, with a knee I had not yet walked on. (I was entitled to a semi-private room through my group insurance, but was consistently told that none was available.)

As for the food –– it was so disgusting I didn’t eat for three days. Once I finally felt up to it, I began taking photos of my meals and posting them on social media much to the horrified amusement of friends and family. The day my sister showed up with fresh strawberries and grapes was one of my happiest ever.

On day five, as I sat counting the seconds until my partner showed up to break me out, he called to say his car had been hit by a TransLink bus. I did finally make it home and after a couple of rough weeks and two months of rehabilitation began to feel better and get moving.

Last week I went for the official follow-up with my surgeon, who pronounced my knee in great shape, which I wholeheartedly concur. So while the journey to get my new knee might not have been a pleasant one, I would do it all over again. In fact, during a recent shopping trip to California I managed a 12-hour day without so much as a Tylenol, a feat that would have left me crippled prior to surgery. twitter.com/sthomas10

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W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Tips on Christmas cactus, garlic, leaves and roses Anne Marrison

amarrison@shaw.ca

Q: I have a couple of Christmas cactus that are really getting too big to manage. Would it be OK to cut them back after they bloom at Christmas?

— Neil Eyben, Langley It’s just fine to cut them back after they bloom at Christmas. This will give them ample time to make new growth and bloom next year. It doesn’t take long for a Christmas cactus to get massive and very heavy. Some people cut them back every year.

The worst mistake people can make is to cut them back so late the new growth doesn’t get time to mature and flower the next year.

Q: Leaves have been falling on my front and back lawn. Do they make a good ground cover for the winter or should I remove the leaves?

— Florence, Burnaby Leaves aren’t very good as a mulch for lawns because the grass they cover tends to die. In this climate, grass continues with photosynthesis any time the temperature rises above freezing and especially on days when it can see the sun.

Grass is very hardy and it needs light and air even in winter if it is to be healthy and look its best.

But there have been winters when I have let leaves stay on my lawn and the result is that the grass looks very sparse in early spring but bounces back nicely as sun gets stronger and temperatures warmer.

But unraked leaves can be a nuisance because in winter storms they blow everywhere. Once they get wet they become very hard to rake, especially when

Trimming a Christmas cactus after it blooms will give the plant ample time to make new growth and bloom next year.

they get mixed up with blown twigs. Leaves do make an excellent ground cover around shrubs and for perennials in the garden.

Spread on vegetable gardens, they prevent soil from compacting over the winter and are much less work in spring than winter rye and most other ground covers.

Earthworms love to breed under the extra warmth that a leaf mulch gives them and their activities enrich the soil a great deal.

Q: Would it be okay to plant garlic in pots?

— Ila Appleby, Burnaby Yes, garlic can be grown in pots. It’s very cold-hardy but just make sure the pots are large — 35 cm (14 inches) across at least and at least 30 cm (12 inches) deep.

Garlic likes moist soil in the growing season and

small pots dry out much too fast for garlic to be happy. It should be kept moist over the winter (when nature doesn’t moisten it for you) because, though leaves take their time to come through, the roots will still be developing. By the time the garlic is almost mature in late July, dry soil is best because this enhances ripening.”

as well. If the rose is not removed, the whole stem will likely die.

Anne Marrison is happy to answer garden questions.

Send them to her via amar-

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— Mary, Burnaby No. The rose should be removed.

The reason is that a cut stem has lost all its roots and most of its leaves.

These supplied the stem with the energy to grow a rose flower. But now it must try to grow roots and maintain leaves. It cannot support a rose flower

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rison@shaw.ca It helps me if you add the name of your city or region.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

Get organized for the holidays

Marie Potter mariepotter.ca

There’s no way around it — the holiday season is around the corner.

Whether you’re a planner or procrastinator, here are some shopping tips to help you save money and time, and reduce stress over the holidays.

Online shopping strategies

If you have any ability to plan ahead, start early.

Take advantage of technology and use a smart phone app to ensure your gift list is with you at all times. Better yet, use Pinterest as a playground to create a visual gift list and idea repository.

Be sure to tag the board as “secret” to keep it private. Many stores offer exclusive online sales or special promotional codes. Subscribe to email newsletters from stores you’ll be shopping at to get “online only” offers or advance notification of sales. You can unsubscribe later while you recover from seasonal spending.

In-store shopping strategies

With your list in hand, start watching flyers and create a folder to collect pages into or use a Post-it note to mark a page with a gift you want to purchase. Bring the flyer or folder with you when you shop so you can ask a sales associate where an item is located, or check on incoming inventory or stock in another store. Another important strategy is timing. There are smart times to block off on your calendar as “shop time.” If you shop half an hour before the store closes during the week. it’s usually quieter. You can get more done in that half an hour than if you spent a whole afternoon, especially if you hit a couple of stores in that time. Alternately, plan to shop early Saturday or Sunday morning when people are sleeping in or recovering from holiday celebrations. Procrastinators should check out stores that are open 24 hours a day. There might not be as much selection closer to Christmas, but you can shop at some re-

ally odd hours and avoid the crowds. Another time-saver is to call the store ahead, ask them to put your item aside at the front desk, run in and quickly pick it up.

Whatever you do, avoid shopping at lunch when everyone else is also doing so. Knowing exactly what you want, when the sale is, and checking on availability before you set foot out the door will save you hours.

Wrapping strategies

Some people will wrap as soon as they bring home a present, but it is more efficient to wrap everything at once, especially if you buy gifts early. If you tend to leave it to the last minute and end up wrapping into the wee hours of the morning, take the batch wrapping approach: Buy all the supplies, including wrapping paper, ribbons, cards, tape, stamps and sticky notes (keep in mind gift bags and tissue are your quickest way to wrap). Use the sticky notes to indicate who gets what on each present in the pre-wrap stage. Set up a wrapping station, put on some music, grab a hot cocoa or special coffee and enjoy the process. Create an annual list of gifts to track what you gave and what you got, and check off that you thanked the gift-giver.

Smart strategies

Buy a random gift for the unexpected visitor or the forgotten. If it’s not needed you can add it to your gift box for another time.

Simply shop early. A good shopper will have all their gifts by Dec. 15, a great shopper will have all their gifts by Nov. 30, and a stellar shopper will shop for gifts for the next year just after the holidays to take advantage of blowout sales or will shop throughout the year.

Consider a “gifts-forkids-only” approach, and donate more to those less fortunate. This will reduce your overall shopping time and contribute to a world where less is more.

Marie Potter is a mother of twins and serves on the board for Professional Organizers in Canada.

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Arts&Entertainment

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GOT ARTS? 604.738.1411 or events@vancourier.com

11

Nov. 26 to 28, 2014 1. Puppets get drunk, get naked and get it on in the Broadway musical for adults Avenue Q. The popular Arts Club production — which touches on failed childhood stardom, exotic dancing, pornography and recycling — returns to the Granville Island Stage and runs until Jan. 3. Details at artsclub.com.

2. From hosting jazz orchestras in the Big Band era to bringing the likes of U2, the Ramones, the Clash, Kiss and Nirvana to local audiences for the first time, the Commodore Ballroom is arguably the most important and hallowed music venue still operating in Vancouver. Courier contributor Aaron Chapman adds to the lore with his new book Live at the Commodore: The Story of Vancouver’s Historic Commodore Ballroom. The author of Liquor, Lust and the Law: The Story of Vancouver’s Legendary Penthouse Nightclub celebrates the launch of his Commodore compendium Nov. 26, 7 p.m. at — where else? — the Commodore. CBC’s Grant Lawrence emcees the event, which also features live music from the Jazzmanian Devils. Admission is free with a ticket or reservation. To get on the list, email marketing@arsenalpulp.com.

3. Singer/poet/visual artist Elizabeth Fischer curates, presents and performs in an evening of “musical creativity and adventure” titled Jazz is the New Punk. Fischer’s current ensemble, DarkBlueWorld, will perform along with the Inhabitants and trumpeter JP Carter Nov. 27, 9 p.m. at the Fox Cabaret. Tickets at the door.

2

3

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

Arts&Entertainment

T!ank You We extend our sincere appreciation to our volunteers, neighbours, staff and sponsors, without whom Christmas at Hycroft would not be possible.

Hycroft Heritage Preservation Foundation • 1489 McRae Ave. Vancouver, BC V6H 1V1

KUDOS & KVETCHES Planet of the vapes

If you thought the peeps down at Oxford Dictionaries were a bunch of squares toiling away in obscure lingo, dusty Latin origins and variations of the word “celibacy,” think again.

Last week, they decided to go to the dank side and announced that “vape” was its 2014 Word of the Year.

In case you don’t know, “vape” is an abbreviation of vapour or vapourize and is a verb that means “to inhale and exhale the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device.”

According to the vape heads at Oxford, “both the device and the action can also be known as a vape.

The associated noun vaping is also listed.” Or used in a sentence: “Our intern at the Courier mistakenly thought that vaping on her vape during an editorial story meeting was appropriate. It was not.”

Of course, the word vape is often associated with smoking pot, which makes Oxford’s choice seem like a concerted attempt to hang with the cool crowd. Especially since they only added

Oxford Dictionaries has gone to the dank side, choosing “vape” as its 2014 Word of the Year.

the word and definition to its ranks in August, giving it a mere three months to rise to Word of the Year status.

Incidentally, “budtender” (a person whose job is to serve customers in a cannabis dispensary or shop) was also a contender, and we’re pretty sure no one in their right mind actually says that word out loud.

Perhaps feeling a little paranoid, the smoky the bears at Oxford Dictionaries felt to the need to further explain their chose of vape: “As e-cigarettes (or e-cigs) have become much more common, so vape has grown significantly in popularity. You are 30 times more likely to come across the word vape than you were two years ago, and usage has more than doubled in the past year.” Oxford even pro-

vides a graph supporting this assertion on their website, and to their credit it looks wicked cool when you’re high and stare at it for long periods of time. Kind of like an oblique mountain range where gnomes would probably live. Or so we’re told.

But what bothers K&K most about the Oxford Dictionaries’ trendy, short-sighted and rather desperate choice for Word of the Year is that they, once again, ignored our yearly submissions.

Namely: “penile hydra,” “free-range crotch chickens” and “bwamff” (the sound a Hostess Twinkie makes when you’re under the influence and hold it up to your ear and crush it in your bare hand). As if you didn’t know. twitter.com/KudosKvetches

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W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Arts&Entertainment

Speed dating gets theatrical in Listen to Me New play explores vulnerablity of face-to-face interaction STATE OF THE ARTS Cheryl Rossi

crossi@vancourier.com

Online dating inspired Stephanie Henderson’s newest theatre production, Listen to Me. “I was trying very hard to be quite genuine and open and trying to get an authentic experience but really, the experience is inauthentic because you’re trying to build some basis for a relationship with a computer instead of with a person,” said Henderson, the co-founder and co-artistic director of Resounding Scream Theatre.

“Unfortunately, it just meant a lot of frog kissing and photos of erect penises and none of them led me to my prince,” she says in the show’s press release.

The off-putting experiences made her reflect on how relationships form today.

In the theatre production Listen to Me, 10 audience members “speed date” 10 performers.

“In the world of Tinder and Plenty of Fish and Events and Adventures, everyone’s trying to find ways to help people become connected, but it’s actually causing people to become even more disconnected,” Henderson said.

So the 29-year-old decided to create space for people to connect the old fashioned way — speed dating.

Only 10 people can attend each Listen to Me show where they’ll “speed date” 10 performers. As the show progresses, theatregoers will

learn more about the actual personal lives of the actors.

“They’ll be challenging the audience to be vulnerable and to participate in their own theatrical experience by encouraging them to share things about themselves,” Henderson said.

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“And testing the waters to see how willing they are to be vulnerable face-to-face instead of face-to-screen.”

Formed in 2008 by Henderson and Catherine Ballachey, both graduates of the Simon Fraser University Contemporary Arts Program, Resounding Scream Theatre aims to challenge audiences and inspire conversations with new works that comment on what’s happening today.

Henderson believes theatre is a great mode to explore matters that can be difficult to talk about.

Difficulty opening up shouldn’t scare the private and reserved from attending and participating in Listen to Me. “The structure of the show offers the opportunity for audience participants to be as involved or as uninvolved as they would like,” Henderson said. “The actors are actually sharing quite personal and private moments that people

closest to them don’t even know and so they’re pushing themselves out of the realm of comfort to make themselves become incredibly vulnerable with these strangers, and I hope that audiences will see that.”

As for audience and cast members making a romantic connection through the show, Henderson says it’s a possibility.

“We do have a number of single cast members who aren’t particularly looking for relationships through the show, but the opportunity might arise for a true and honest and genuine connection to be built because of the level of vulnerability that is going to be experienced at the show. And if that happens, that would be wonderful.”

Listen to Me runs Dec. 2 to 6 at Agro Café, 1363 Railspur Alley, on Granville Island. For more information, see resoundingscreamtheatre.com. twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

Arts&Entertainment

Excruciatingly good THEATRE REVIEW

Jo Ledingham

joled@telus.net

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KUDOS & KVETCHES DAILY: the blog

Because you shouldn’t have to wait twice a week to be

offended

vancourier.com

If you’ve got teenagers in your house, they’re probably in their bedrooms using their computers and cellphones. But exactly what are they doing on those electronic gadgets?

Do you know?

Late Company was written by Jordan Tannahill, a 26-year-old Canadian playwright/director/filmmaker and this year’s winner of the Governor General’s Award for Drama. Not afraid of tackling big issues, he will send you back out into the night pondering, amongst other things, being a parent.

Where, for example, is the boundary between “invading” your children’s privacy and simply keeping tabs on them? Around the dinner table — assuming the family sits down together — are there conversations about what’s a “funny” prank and what could potentially send another kid over the edge?

Social media has added an unprecedented avenue for bullying.

Katrina Dunn, directing for Touchstone Theatre, is working with a brilliant script and a fabulous cast: Kerry Sandomirsky, Michael Kopsa, Katherine Venour, Gerry Mackay and young Daniel Doheny.

Pam Johnson provides an up-market, tasteful set in a

very intimate, re-configured Culture Lab. The playwright took as his starting point the 2011 suicide of Jamie Hubley, the teenaged son of an Ottawa city councillor, but the play goes far beyond suicide to explore the possibility — or impossibility — of forgiveness.

In the play, Debora Shaun-Hastings, a metal sculptor, and her husband Michael, a Tory MP, have invited Tamara Dermot, her husband Bill and their teenaged son Curtis to their home in the hope of finding peace and reconciliation following the suicide (in which Curtis played a part) of the Shaun-Hastings’ son Joel. The dinner party is the women’s idea; neither of the fathers think it will work.

It starts badly and gets worse. Layers are stripped away. Fault lines in the marriages gape. Hypocrisy rears up. And parenting differences surface: a cuff here, an admission of absence there. And in the middle of it all, gangly, uncomfortable Curtis sits texting on the sofa. No one gets off easy in Late Company.

Absolutely luminous, Sandomirsky turns in the performance of a lifetime as Debora. The ShaunHastings are upper class and Sandomirsky, elegantly dressed in grey and with hair upswept, is the epitome of sophistication and graciousness. Debora is nervous but so contained

before the Dermots arrive and so completely, utterly undone — and exposed — when they leave. Sandomirsky shows how thin the skin of civility really is.

In tears through much of the last part of Late Company, she will go through this night after night. And she will take audiences with her.

Late Company belongs to the mothers; the fathers are definitely less sympathetically portrayed and their grief is more private. Kopsa, as the politician husband, badgers and condescends to Mackay’s hotheaded Bill who, in turn, accuses Michael of being soft. But both characters are human and come with their own fears and frailties.

Doheny, not far out of his own teen years, portrays Curtis as hunched and sulky, uncomfortable, angry and miserable. Doheny’s big moment comes at the end and it’s a killer. There will be tears on and offstage; the playwright gets the ending absolutely right.

Late Company, deftly directed by Dunn, is excruciatingly good theatre: it feels like open heart surgery.

Bravos all ’round.

For more reviews, go to joledingham.ca Late Company runs until Nov. 30 at the Culture Lab at the Cultch. Details and tickets at thecultch.com.

• Note: A longer version of this review appears online at vancourier.com/ entertainment.

For youth living on the streets, there is no home for the holidays

Vancouver’s problem with homelessness is at an all time high, with many of those with no home of their own being under the age of 24. At the Courier, we decided to provide an opportunity to our readers to give a little cheer and kindness to the youth on our streets this holiday season.

Here’s how you can help

When out shopping for those stocking stuffers this holiday season, see what’s on special and grab an extra something on top of your usual purchase. Please note that we ask that all items be NEW! Simply drop your items off in the big box situated in the Courier lobby at

1574 West 6th Ave., near Fir St. between November 1st and December 1st.

Hours are Mon-Fri, 8:30 am to 4:30pm.

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Sports&Recreation

GOT SPORTS? 604.630.3549 or mstewart@vancourier.com

Weekend Scoresheet AAA varsity football, quarter-finals

The last time these rival Catholic brotherhoods met, Vancouver College upended the St. Thomas More Knights with a 50-32 come-from-behind victory in September. On Nov. 21 at Burnaby Lake Park in an AAA varsity quarterfinal, the Knights took their revenge. Tied 13 apiece at the half, Vancouver College couldn’t hang on through the third and fourth quarters as the Knights powered to a 5420 victory and a showing at the 2014 B.C. Championship semi-final Nov. 29 at UBC.

On the sideline, Fighting Irish accept the end of the 2014 season.

Obituary: Pat Quinn Pat Quinn, a hockey player, coach and executive who excelled the highest levels of the sport for four decades, died at Vancouver General Hospital Nov. 23 following a lengthy illness. He was 71.

Quinn was named the NHL coach of the year twice, once with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1979-80 and again with the Canucks in 1991-92.

“I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it weren’t for Pat,” said Trevor Linden, current Canucks president, in a statement. “He was a great leader and always a teacher. He taught me how to be a professional on and off the ice. He taught me how to play hockey the right way, how to win, and about the importance of respect and loyalty.

“Pat’s impact on our city has been immeasurable. He was responsible for bringing hockey to the forefront in Vancouver. He brought the pride back to the Canucks and today his finger prints and impact are still felt within this organization.”

Quinn played 10 seasons in the NHL from 1968 to 1977 and will be remembered for a crushing hit on Bobby Orr during a 1969 playoff game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. A current Vancouver Giants co-owner and the Hockey Hall of Fame’s chairman and a member of its selection committee, Quinn was too sick to attend the annual induction ceremony earlier this month.

“Words cannot express the pain we all feel today for the Quinn family,” Giants owner Ron Toigo said in a statement. “Pat was an inspiration to all of us. He always said that respect was something that should be earned, not given, and the respect that he garnered throughout the hockey world speaks for itself. He will be sorely missed.”

Pat Quinn with Trevor Linden

Full Count: Pat Quinn

1

Olympic gold medal as head coach

131 points as NHL defenceman

1

Memorial Cup as Giants co-owner

Griffins quarterback Alex Parrotta breaks out of the pocket in the Tier II B.C. Championship. He ran for 34 yards and one touchdown in a 6-7 loss to Earl Marriott at Burnaby Lake Park Nov. 21. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

Single point breaks Hamber’s heart FOOTBALL EARL MARRIOTT ERIC HAMBER

07 06

Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

In the span of 45 minutes and two dozen plays, the Hamber Griffins flew high with jubilation, teetered on the edge of despair, and soared again only to come crashing down as they lost the Tier II B.C. Championship in the final four minutes of the game, 7-6 to Earl Marriott in at Burnaby Lake Park Nov. 21.

“The only way to describe it is that it sucks,” said head coach Bobby Gibson. “But what more could you want from these guys? They did everything they could.”

The Griffins started by scoring on the first drive. It would be the only touchdown until 1:01 in the fourth quarter.

Shahryar Khan drove ahead on a 37-yard carry to start the Griffins off. After quarterback Alex Parrotta was sacked, on the next play he ran the ball in to take a 6-0 lead. Hamber was penalized on the convert and instead of kicking the extra point, they went for two and missed.

The miss would hang over them all night.

“You’re not going to win a championship game 6-0,”

said Gibson. “You win a hockey game 6-0, not a football game.”

Not putting up any additional points was the larger shortfall, he said. “For me the difference is the fact we didn’t get the ball in the end zone twice.”

In the second and third quarters, both teams settled down in their trenches. The ball barely passed the 30yard line at either end. In one exchange, Earl Marriott fumbled on back-to-back plays. They recovered the ball the first time, but fumbled again and gave it up on their own 40-yard line.

The rain, which had soaked the previous game between Vancouver College and St. Thomas More, returned for the second half of the Tier II championship.

As the fourth quarter began, Hamber barred down for its toughest challenge since the football program was launched in 2010.

The Griffins went seasons without scoring an offensive touchdown and fought for points and pride every game.

This year, they recorded their first winning record, played in their first varsity playoff game and won it to reach the championship.

Leading by only a touchdown as the game wound down, Gibson said the pressure was intense. “They had jitters,” he said.

Starting on their own 30, Hamber was called for a false start. Then Parrotta

was sacked. Then the punt was blocked and Earl Marriott picked up the ball six yards from the end zone.

But Hamber shut them down. Erol Reyes made an exceptional tackle behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of five. Then Hamber’s defensive line sacked the quarterback. On fourthand-goal, the quarterback rushed and got nowhere.

Back on offence, Gibson kept the clock rolling by running the ball. But somehow the ball-carrier was stripped, and Earl Marriot pushed back to Hamber’s eight-yard line. They gained three, then lost a yard. On the third play, with 1:19 remaining in the game, Earl Marriott tied the score with a lofted pass to the back of the end zone.

The Griffins crumbled, but there was a flag on the play. An Earl Marriott linesman was called for holding, and the third down was repeated from the 19-yard line.

On the next attempt, Arthur Mudry-Lee intercepted the pass. The Griffins erupted.

Then, Hamber fumbled and Earl Marriott was back on the nine-yard line with the ball. This time, they made no mistake on the pass and also kicked the convert for a 7-6 lead.

Starting on their own 42 with 48 seconds to reach the end zone, the Griffins couldn’t rally. The game

ended with the ball back in the hands of Earl Marriott.

It was almost midnight.

“Maybe we lost on the field but we won in our hearts,” said Reyes, a graduating linesman who had six tackles, two sacks and forced one fumble and recovered a second.

“All I want is to see this program grow,” said Khan, who also graduates.

“It’s a huge opportunity for the program. Even coming in here today, we felt like we were sending a huge statement.”

As Earl Marriott hoisted its prize across the field, the Griffins huddled around their coaches.

“You will be feeling a lot of things right now,” said Gibson. “One of them must be pride. You could hand me 100 million championships and they wouldn’t mean as much as seeing you become men. That’s what happened today.”

Coaches’ voices cracked as the eyes of many players turned shiny. Four cheerleaders huddled nearby and cried in each other’s arms.

The parents and fans were applauded by the team and coaching staff.

“It takes a big heart to have it broken,” said offensive line coach Edward Beckett. “Guys, it was beautiful. Hold your heads up high. There is nothing better I could have spent my time doing.” twitter.com/MHStewart

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

Sports&Recreation Talismen stare down three-year winning streak Van Tech 28-0 before junior provincials

VOLLEYBALL Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

Three years after they’d signed up to play volleyball at Van Tech, the junior Talismen hadn’t lost a game. That’s right: their undefeated streak spanned three seasons and 28 games, including three consecutive Vancouver city championships in Grades 8, 9 and 10.

“The first year we were really surprised,” said team leader and setter Darbyanh Heenan, 15, who had one year experience with Apex club volleyball before playing in high school. “I’m really proud how we did. Everyone has really great qualities and good team spirit. I think that’s how we won cities so many times. We work together really well.”

Late in their first season, head coach Lewis Chifan

Vancouver Technical secondary girls volleyball coach Lewis Chifan with the junior Talismen.

PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

realized the team had an unblemished record in their division against the talented pool of East Side teams.

They didn’t know what was waiting for them west of Main Street.

“The first time we played a West Side school, the girls on the other team were all taller than us,” said Chifan. “They were huge.” In that first

cross-border test, Van Tech beat Eric Hamber in straight sets and cruised to the final, which they also won 3-0.

That’s when Chifan, a youth pastor at the neighbouring Broadway Church, realized the potential of the bantam team.

“We pulled off that first victory against these tall girls and really never looked back.

They surprised themselves with how well they played,” he said. “It didn’t really hit until the end of year because although the girls did well, you never really know how to compare it to other Grade 8 girls teams.”

The next year, in the juvenile city league, it was even better. “We swept through playoffs and I

found myself saying, ‘We haven’t lost a game in two years,’” said the coach.

Then, this season, the players reached their junior year in Grade 10 and the opposition was only getting tougher, faster and even taller.

“This year I knew it was going to be more difficult.

Players continue to develop and play club and I knew the competition was going to be even greater,” said Chifan. “But the same thing happened. The girls kept on winning.”

The number of teams fell off sharply, but Van Tech went 4-0 in the regular season, won a tournament and in three playoff games didn’t drop a single set.

The expectations were slowly rising, said Heenan.

“There was a lot of pressure from friends and stuff because they expected us to win every single game,” she said. “We kind of just had to ignore it, really. We just tried to have fun and play the best we can.”

The starting six remained constant: offside hitter Vanessa Kong, Sam Smith and Nadia Navarro in the middle,

Jacqueline Richards and Kelly Nguyen in the power spot and Heenan. Also, defensive specialist Amy Nguyen came on as libero, and the players had worked out a seamless rotation they could follow effortlessly.

Last weekend at Seaquam secondary in Delta, the junior Talismen played their first provincial championship. They were the only team from Vancouver.

“It was a lot different. All the teams were very good,” said Heenan.

Van Tech lost four games and finished 16th out of 24 teams.

In their first game, they played Langley Christian, the No. 1 team in the province and eventual B.C. junior champion.

“It was good to be playing the best teams in the province,” said Chifan.

“Making it to provincials is an accomplishment and knowing you’re playing all the very best teams from each district is an accomplishment. They were happy to be there representing Vancouver.” twitter.com/MHStewart

Public Information Session Stanley Park Causeway Sidewalk Safety Improvements

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure invites the public and cycling community to attend an information session about Stanley Park Causeway pedestrian and cycling safety improvements.

BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND WE’RE OPEN AT 7:00AM ON FRIDAY, NOV 28

As pedestrian and bicycle traffic increases on the Stanley Park Causeway there is a need to balance the park’s natural environment with improved safety for all causeway users. The ministry has worked with the Vancouver Park Board and the City of Vancouver to establish a cycling and pedestrian safety improvement strategy for this important route.

This drop-in information session will take place: Tuesday, December 2 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Coal Harbour Community Centre 480 Broughton Street Vancouver, B.C.

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For more information please visit the project web site at www.gov.bc.ca/StanleyParkCauseway or contact Project Manager Erin Moxon at 604 527-3112 or by e-mail at Erin.Moxon@gov.bc.ca

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W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

Sports&Recreation Mah flips for California GYMNASTICS

Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

A Canadian junior champion and now California Golden Bear, the trajectory of gymnast Aaron Mah continues to rise.

The Vancouver Phoenix gymnast and Magee secondary senior has committed to the University of California in Berkeley and will train under Brett McClure, a U.S. Olympian.

“We are so thrilled to have Aaron join the Cal gymnastics family,” said McClure in a statement.

“He has already had such a tremendous career […] and we feel extremely privileged to help him continue his success in and out of the gymnastics arena.”

Mah said he is excited to receive a scholarship to an athletically prominent and academically rigorous university.

“I’m thrilled because it’s more difficult for a male gymnast to get a scholarship than a female gymnast,” he said in an email.

“I really enjoyed meeting

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Phoenix gymnast and 2014 national all-round junior champion Aaron Mah committed to the California Golden Bears. In the photo, Mah warms up at the Pacific Rim Championships April 10.

PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

the team during my recruiting trip in September and I’m positive that it will be a good fit for me next year. Brett was happy with my gymnastics experience and would like to work with me to maximize my potential as a gymnast.

“At Berkeley, I plan to go into sciences and that could potentially lead into a career in health or medicine.”

Mah is a member of Canada’s junior men’s team and this summer won the all-round national title,

which was capped with individual gold in the high bar for his impressive and difficult routine. In 2013, he finished fourth overall and won gold in both the high and parallel bars.

“After winning the national title in May, it really gave me the confidence needed to push myself hard in training this summer. I increased my strength and learned many new skills needed to move up to the senior category next year.” twitter.com/MHStewart

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©2014 Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. Shown above is 2015 GLK 250 BlueTEC 4MATIC Avantgarde Edition. National MSRP $48,600. *Total price of $51,660 includes freight/PDI of $2,295 , dealer admin fee of $595, air-conditioning levy of $100, PPSA up to $45.48 and a $25.00 fee covering EHF tires, filters and batteries. Lease offer based on the 2015 GLK 250 BlueTECTM 4MATICTM Avantgarde Edition. 1Lease example (STK#V1523853) based on $478 (excluding taxes) per month for 45 months, due on delivery includes down payment or equivalent trade of $7,724 , plus first month lease payment, security deposit, and applicable fees and taxes. Lease APR of 3.9% applies. Total cost of borrowing is $4,904. Total obligation is $32,742. 12,000 km/year allowance ($0.20/km for excess kilometres applies). Available only through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services on approved credit for a limited time. 2Please note the $2,000 delivery credit have been applied/included in the calculation of the monthly lease payment, it is a one time delivery credit only available on 2015 GLK 250 BlueTECTM 4MATICTM Avantgarde Edition for deals closed before November 30, 2014. †Three (3) month payment waivers are only valid on 2015 GLK 250 BlueTECTM 4MATICTM Avantgarde Edition for deals closed before November 30, 2014. First, second, and third month payment waivers are capped at $550 per month for lease and $750 per month for finance. Only on approved credit through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. **Additional options, fees and taxes are extra. Vehicle license, insurance, and registration are extra. Dealer may lease or finance for less. Offers may change without notice and cannot be combined with any other offers. 3These estimates are based on Government of Canada testing methods. The actual fuel consumption of these vehicles may vary. Refer to the Government of Canada Fuel Consumption Guide. See your authorized Mercedes-Benz Vancouver dealer for details or call the Mercedes-Benz Vancouver Customer Care at 1-855-554-9088. Offer ends November 30, 2014.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 4

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