Vancouver Courier December 10 2014

WEDNESDAY

December 10 2014

Vol. 105 No. 99

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

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W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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News 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 12th.

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

The City of Vancouver has amended its restrictive media policy to allow reporters to directly access 29 senior staff members. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

Mayor opens up city hall Celebrate Christmas at to reporters … sort of

12TH&CAMBIE Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

I guess I’m supposed to be over the moon with the City of Vancouver’s decision to give us media types “easier access to city spokespeople.”

You didn’t hear?

Yep, received an email Friday from the city’s head of communications, Rena Kendall-Craden, saying I can now directly contact 29 city staffers when I have a question about a long list of subjects, including housing, transportation, animal control, development and snow.

So, does that deserve: a woo-hoo! a hmmm… or, big whoopee thrill.

I’ll get to my reaction in a few paragraphs.

First, let me tell you why you should care about this offering from the city.

Getting direct access to staff should theoretically mean a more comprehensive story that comes with more facts than comment/ rhetoric from politicians.

Such access should also theoretically eliminate us from using canned statements from the city’s communications department that don’t always answer our questions or provide context to a story.

Which is all good, no?

For those of you counting, I’ve used the word “theoretically” twice now.

Call me skeptical/cynical/grumpy but I’m still miffed Mayor Gregor Robertson and his ruling

Vision council took this access away from us four years ago. It’s been a gong show and you, the reader, have taken the biggest hit.

There was a time I could call up any staffer at the city and ask about a report they authored, or get some understanding of why a left-turn bay cost $1.5 million, or learn what the heck floor space ratio or bonus density means.

All this information, whether I used it or not, was helpful and informative.

So what was wrong with that system?

Here’s what Robertson told me back in April: “There were concerns that there wasn’t follow-up that was tracked from one central place. There was also concerns around the time required of different staff to respond to many requests — that departments and staff were running their own communications hub rather than having a more efficient system like other cities have.”

Now the mayor seems to want to make city hall friendlier to reporters.

After his inauguration Monday, Robertson told me it was his idea to give us access to the 29 staffers.

“That was a commitment I made during the campaign and I felt that we needed to make that change and spoke with the city manager about that,” he said. “It’s an important step to make sure that concerns raised by media, by the public are addressed.”

Hmmm, must have missed that speech he gave during the campaign about

amending the media policy.

It was quite clear the NPA wanted to do this, so maybe that’s why Robertson credited the opposition party in his speech about the need for more transparency.

So who do we get to speak to at city hall?

Some of the spokespeople include city manager Penny Ballem, transportation director Jerry Dobrovolny, general manager of planning and development Brian Jackson and chief housing officer Mukhtar Latif.

But will they actually be available?

Here’s what KendallCraden said in her email.

“As I am sure you recognize our senior staff are often busy with their operational responsibilities, but we are working with them and their office staff to assist in making them more available to you with backup from our communications staff. Over the next few months, we will be touching base with you to review how it is working.”

I’ll be sure to let you know.

In the meantime, can someone at city hall please tell us what’s in place when we’re at an open house — and city staff won’t speak to us — or want to clarify a comment or point made by a staffer during a public presentation at city hall — and city staff won’t speak to us — or we want to speak to the author of a report who is not a designated spokesperson.

I’d like to know.

I’m guessing our readers would, too. twitter.com/Howellings

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News School trustees oust Bacchus, elect NPA’s Richardson CLASS NOTES Cheryl Rossi

crossi@vancourier.com

NPA trustee Christopher Richardson is the Vancouver School Board’s new board chair.

The one Green Party of Vancouver, four Vision Vancouver and four NPA trustees voted in a secret ballot Monday night. VSB secretary treasurer Rick Krowchuk reported Richardson received five votes to four for Patti Bacchus of Vision. Bacchus has been board chair since she was elected in 2008.

Green trustee Janet Fraser says she voted for Richardson because she thought the board chair should change.

“What I thought was Patti Bacchus has done a great job of advocating for our students and for funding, but that the positions of the school board and the government have become entrenched and this is an opportunity for a new approach,” Fraser said. “We suggested to Vision that they could have another trustee nominated [for chair] and I would support another trustee to show that there would be some change, and they decided not to make that choice and nominated Patti Bacchus.”

Reactions on Twitter were swift and vociferous.

“Ousting Bacchus as VSB chair is the most powerful thing the Green Party has ever done. In politics, power is everything,” tweeted political journalist Keith Baldrey.

Fraser said an NPA chair doesn’t mean an NPA board.

The chair recommends

New Vancouver school board chair Christopher Richardson PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

which trustees should serve as vice-chair, chair the board’s committees, liaise with which schools and represent the board with the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, the library board and other agencies.

“Given that the board is four, four, one, we will have to work collaboratively,” Fraser said.

Mischa Oak, the only other Green trustee candidate in the November election let his difference from Fraser be known.

“Very sad @pattibacchus not returning as Chair-thank you for your commitment to students.

I would have supported you in a heartbeat,” he tweeted.

“Looking forward to the Chevron sponsorship debate,” tweeted NDP MLA David Eby. But Fraser said she wouldn’t support the Chevron Fuel Your School program. The fact that the Vision-dominated board turned down $475,000 from Chevron

Canada became contentious in the election.

At least one tweeter noted Richardson received the fewest amount of votes of the successful trustees in the Nov. 15 election.

He received 58,801 votes to Bacchus’s 73,551.

Richardson is a threetime Park Board commissioner, president of the Mount Pleasant Community Centre Association and a chartered accountant. One of his sons is severely dyslexic and Richardson wants early assessment of and help for special needs.

The search for a superintendent

Vancouver School Board superintendent Steve Cardwell will stay on the job until the end of February instead of December.

VSB secretary treasurer Rick Krowchuk says recruitment remains on schedule. Vancouverbased firm PFM Executive Search posted the superintendent position the week of Halloween.

“Some applicants may have wanted to wait until the election results and some applicants may want to wait until we know who the chairperson is,” Krowchuk said Monday afternoon.

It’s possible a successor from another district would stay put until the end of the school year and wouldn’t start with the VSB until June or July.

Cardwell, who’s been VSB superintendent for five years, delayed his move to UBC to ensure a smoother transition for a new board and a new seismic mitigation project office. twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi

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W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News Commercial-Broadway station getting $60-million upgrade DEVELOPING STORY Naoibh O’Connor

noconnor@vancourier.com

Work on a $60-million upgrade to the Commercial-Broadway station starts next year. It’s one of seven station upgrades underway or in the planning, design or pre-construction stages along the Expo Line.

The CommercialBroadway project is part of TransLink’s Expo Strategy to address growth on the Expo line for the next 30 years.

“It’s going to be 30 years old coming up soon, so we’ve identified seven stations that need upgrades to improve capacity, access, safety and security,” explained Jeff Busby, TransLink’s senior manager for project development. Busby said the Commercial-Broadway station is one of the largest upgrade projects and the busiest station. This is the second phase of work after the first phase in 2009.

“This is the next, larger chunk of the work. It’s really about accommodating the growth in the people that are transferring between the Millennium and Expo lines.”

There are already 90,000 people who use the trains at the station daily and another 60,000 that connect with buses. Once the Evergreen Line opens in 2016, ridership will increase.

“We’re not sure of the precise figure as a result of Evergreen. What we’re doing across the line is making sure that the Expo

Line is capable of accommodating double the number of people using it. That includes station upgrades, fleet upgrades — so additional rail cars, as well as [upgrading] power and some of the other supporting systems,” Busby said.

Busby said demand at the station is driven in part by walk-up traffic from people in the neighbourhood, but it’s mostly from people arriving at the station from further away and changing trains or connecting to the 99 BLine or other buses.

The station upgrade involves adding an additional platform that will be built to the east of the current station that serves the Expo trains. There will be a bridge from that new platform across Broadway and a widening of the bridge that connects to the Millennium Line trains.

Safeway is modifying its store to allow for the platform to be built.

Other improvements include additional retail space, a secure bike parking room for about 70 bikes and a new shelter for the 99 B-Line. TransLink launched a queuing system for the 99 B-Line last summer to deal with lineup problems. Busby said a recent survey revealed 69 per cent of respondents believe it improved the situation.

“That pilot is helping us design the shelter. It’s basically telling us information about how large the shelter needs to be to effectively accommodate queues there,” he said.

Construction is expected to start early in 2015.

Busby said a lot of the preconstruction activities will be away from where passengers would be impacted. TransLink doesn’t expect the station itself to ever be closed and when there are changes that would impact passengers, TransLink will provide advance notice.

Disruptions aren’t expected to be like that experienced recently at the Main Street station. For several months, regular SkyTrains didn’t stop at the station due to construction associated with TransLink’s Expo Strategy. The only way to reach Main Street–Science World was by Train2Main, a special two-car train that stopped at all stations between Waterfront and Commercial– Broadway.

It faced lag times. Commuters used the #Train2Main hashtag to express frustration on social media.

Service returned to normal last weekend.

“We’ve been receiving some questions about whether or not this will be like the Train2Main situation we had at Main Street station. If that’s the standard, this will not be as disruptive in the sense that there will be no changes to train service required to actually finish construction,” Busby said.

Riders can fill out an online survey on TransLink’s website until Dec. 15, which asks whether they have enough information about the project and how they’d like to be informed about changes.

With files from Chris Cheung. twitter.com/naoibh

Don Davies,, MP Vancouver Kingsway

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

News

Luxury car service seeks ticket to ride Andrew Fleming

afleming@vancourier.com

Uber isn’t the only tech startup that thinks Vancouver is ripe for a change when it comes to how people are permitted to get around the city. A new company called Ripe is pitching a proposal this week before the Passenger Transportation Board seeking 20 licences for mid-level luxury sedans passengers would be able to summon via smartphone and pay for their rides online.

But first they will have to overcome resistance from an industry that has a stranglehold on the market.

It’s the second time that Ripe has gone through the two-year application process, and president Otis Perrick said taxi and limousine companies have once again been vocal in trying to have it tossed out by

the board, an independent tribunal established by the provincial government.

“I think where the problem lies, the parties that are objecting to us, the Vancouver Taxi Association, Vancouver Yellow Cabs, the suburban cabs, they are all concerned about what they would say is their turf and cars coming into their area,” said Perrick. “Why do we have so much opposition when we are offering a brand-new service in a midtier price level? People are looking for a cashless, easy to use car service and they are willing to pay a little bit more for a luxury service.

We’re not taking the place of taxis and we’re not competing with limos.”

Perrick, a 39-year-old entrepreneur who first made his name in the gaming industry by providing customized personal avatars used in Xbox and PlaySta-

Otis Perrick (left) and business partner Ricky Goraya are seeking 20 licences to provide mid-level luxury car hire service in Vancouver.

tion games, argues Ripe wouldn’t pose a threat to either the taxi or limousine companies because it would offer a different kind of service. He described the opposition to allowing a new business model to operate as a form of bullying.

“Just as Uber tried to

bully their way in by not being regulated first, I am going to compare the [taxi and limousine companies] as being bullies themselves for not wanting competition.

They are nervous, they are upset and they don’t want the new kid… Vancouver is one of the most under-

serviced cities in North America when it comes to availability of customer options when it comes to reliable hired car service.”

A recent study by Benn Proctor, an SFU public policy expert, found that Vancouver taxi fares are 15 per cent higher than in other major Canadian cities and that the city is underserviced with 40 per cent fewer cabs.

While other transportation companies oppose the idea of proving alternative options, Ripe’s application has received written endorsements from several other local businesses, including the Donnelly Group, Electronic Arts, Ledcor Construction and the Trades Labour Group.

Last month Canada’s Competition Bureau also gave their thumbs-up to the idea of allowing regulated digitally based transporta-

tion companies, posting on their website that “these innovative business models have the potential to offer important benefits to consumers through more competition, including lower prices, greater convenience and better service quality for a variety of reasons.”

Perrick said there is room on the roads for everyone.

“When you want to select a car, you’re going to know how far away it is and how long it is going to take to get there. It’s not like phoning the abyss to get a car and you’re told it will take 10 minutes and it shows up an hour later. If you know it is 20 minutes away, you can either accept that ride or you can look for alternatives.”

The board will hear closing arguments tomorrow (Dec. 11) and is expected to release a decision by the end of January.

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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News Separated bike lanes for Stanley Park causeway Fourteen trees to be cut down to make way for wider paths Brent Richter

brichter@nsnews.com

Cyclists and pedestrians will have a little more elbow room and a lot more safety when traversing the Stanley Park Causeway if the province and Vancouver Park Board follow through on recently released plans.

The ministry of transportation and infrastructure last week debuted its designs to separate northbound and southbound cyclists onto opposite sides of the road, along with wider sidewalks and a pedestrian-only route.

Under the plans, the east sidewalk will be widened by 1.9 metres and be designated for two-way pedestrian traffic and northbound cyclists.

The west sidewalk will be widened by a more

modest 0.4 metres and be reserved for southbound cyclists only. Both sides will be separated from the road by a 1.4-metre high safety fence. Widening the sidewalks would mean removing 14 of Stanley Park’s hallowed trees.

The plan is being warmly received by the cycling advocacy group HUB. Members of the group have been lobbying for safety improvements since May 2013 when a North Vancouver woman was killed after she fell from her bike into the path of a West Vancouver transit bus.

“It’s a pretty creative way of getting almost everything we asked for,” said Heather Drugge, HUB spokeswoman. “It’s pretty interesting, isn’t it, because of the asymmetrical nature of the design.

I think overall we’re very pleased.”

It will take some time for cyclists and pedestrians to acclimate to the new rules but engineers

pliers are probably going to be one-offs.”

The province’s engineers also came forward with a concept that would create the least amount of grief for environmentalists, many of whom are also cyclists, Drugge said.

“Other options that came up would have removed so many trees on the west side that the whole thing never would have gone through,” she said.

The Vancouver Park Board must still vote on whether to allow the province to go ahead with the work, but based on the conversation Drugge had with park board members last week, she is optimistic that will happen this spring. “They seem to think this was an excellent compromise position,” she said.

The ministry of transportation and infrastructure and the park board are both asking for public feedback on the plan at gov.bc.ca/stanleyparkcauseway.

The province’s design drawing of the proposed upgrades to the Stanley Park Causeway.

did a good job of making the design match the needs of both cyclists and pedestrians, Drugge said.

The southbound, west sidewalk tends to have more conflicts as cyclists pick up a lot of speed on

the downhill from the Lions Gate Bridge, she said.

And the east side is more suited to a shared path, Drugge added.

“Not only is the east side very wide, the cyclists are not moving very

quickly because it’s uphill. If everybody behaves, this system should work,” she said. “Whenever you enter into social engineering... there’s always going to be some non-compliance. But the non-com-

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

News

Pledge on homelessness mayor’s priority Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Selwyn Romilly presided over the swearing in of Mayor Gregor Robertson and 10 city councillors at Monday’s inauguration at Creekside Community Centre. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

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Mayor Gregor Robertson used his inauguration speech Monday to recommit to his ongoing agenda to end street homelessness, get a Broadway subway built and create more affordable housing.

The mayor outlined his priorities for his next four years inside a gymnasium at the Creekside Community Centre, where he and 10 city councillors were officially sworn in to office after being elected Nov. 15.

“There is no challenge that is closer to my heart, that has a greater claim on our moral determination, than ending street homelessness,” Robertson told the crowd of about 300 people that included members of his family, police officers, firefighters, MLAs and Attorney General Suzanne Anton.

Robertson, who has promised to end street homelessness by 2015, said the commitment he made in 2008 to move people off the street isn’t “an aspiration or a rhetorical flourish.”

“In a city as wealthy as Vancouver, it’s a non-negotiable responsibility for every one of us,” he said to applause.

Robertson told reporters after his speech that four new B.C. Housing buildings are expected to open over the winter, providing about 400 units

of social housing. But the mayor said he won’t know whether he’s met his goal of ending street homeless until a count in March.

A homeless count conducted this past March recorded 536 people living on the street. In October, the city’s housing director Mukhtar Latif said in a court document related to the Oppenheimer tent city that about 200 of those 536 people had been housed in temporary housing.

Robertson’s inauguration comes the same week that he and other mayors from around the region are expected to vote on a question for next spring’s transit referendum.

The provincial government said the referendum is necessary because the mayors require new funding sources such as an increases to the carbon tax and provincial sales tax to pay for a 10-year transit plan that will cost $7.5 billion.

Robertson, who is on record of opposing the referendum, said there was no point in debating the fairness of the referendum “that road construction never seems to require.”

“It’s coming,” he said.

“And it means our city and our region face a critical moment. I will work with mayors throughout the region to build public support for better transit. And I want to be able to count on the support of every member of our council for a yes vote.”

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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News

Referendum fight lies ahead for city During the election campaign, the mayor committed to building 4,000 rental units of affordable housing and spend $400,000 to double the amount of money dedicated to the Vancouver School Board’s breakfast program.

He referred to the promises in his speech, saying families renting homes in Vancouver “deserve a better option than paying palacesized rents for a postage stamp apartment” and that feeding vulnerable kids every morning was “crucial.”

In a move to better relations with the city’s other political parties, Robertson also credited the Green Party, COPE and the NPA for their campaigns of innovative ideas and the need to improve transparency at city hall.

In talking about leadership, the mayor mentioned late NHL hockey boss Pat Quinn as someone who “gave his all to build a winning team — in good seasons and tough ones.” He said “we will need that spirit in the next four years more than any time in our past.”

The inauguration ceremony opened with a welcoming from First Nations leaders, featured Juno Award-winning musician Dan Mangan and a ceremonial lion dance in which Chinese tradition had Robertson launch lettuce into the crowd to symbolize a fresh start and the spreading of good luck.

Robertson, who wore a ceremonial Scottish kilt for a third consecutive inauguration, opened and

closed his speech with a few words in Tagalog, Mandarin and Punjabi.

The bill for the inauguration will come in around $14,000, according to the city. The first meeting of the new council occurred Monday night. The only new council member this term is the NPA’s Melissa De Genova, a former park board commissioner. twitter.com/Howellings

JunoAward-winningmusicianDanManganperformedatMonday’sinauguration. PHOTO JENNIFERGAUTHIER

PUSH, PULL OR DRAG YOUR OLD HEARING AIDS IN!

Mayor Gregor Robertson prepares to receive an offering during a traditional lion dance during Monday’s inauguration.

PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

Opinion

Christy Clark still has Affordable housing, embattled Virk’s back Hawaiian style Les Leyne Columnist lleyne@timescolonist.com Premier Christy Clark is the one judging the Opposition’s protracted wrestling match with Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk and it looks as if she has called round three in his favour.

Round 1 took place last spring, when the New Democrats pounced on evidence that Kwantlen Polytechnic University was skirting disclosure rules and paying executive salaries above provincial limits while Virk was on the board three years ago.

“Outlandish,” sniffed Virk, dismissing numerous questions in the House about his role.

Pursuit of the issue eventually prompted the finance ministry to review the Kwantlen board’s handling of salaries for incoming executives.

Assistant deputy minister Rob Mingay’s report — round two — identified some problems with the creative pay arrangements. Virk apologized — sort of — but relied on the finding that he was not involved in the most egregious case.

Various public-sector bodies have become star-struck when it comes to hiring.

But salary limits mean they can’t offer enough money to bring in the reputed executive superstars.

So in the last few years, boards at places such as the Royal B.C. Museum, the B.C. Cancer Agency and Kwantlen have invented ways to quietly sweeten the deals being offered.

Round 3 started last month and is still playing out. The NDP brandished new email evidence showing Virk was apparently very much in the loop. That prompted Finance Minister Mike de Jong to ask Mingay for his views on re-opening the report.

The Opposition is now pushing for an auditor-general probe of Kwantlen.

While it’s Mingay’s call as to whether another look will be taken, it’s pretty clear that Clark has decided to back Virk through round three as well.

In a year-end interview last week, she discussed her approach to deciding such issues.

“I don’t base it on what the NDP says.

They’ve called for, I think, seven or eight independent inquiries so far this session, it’s kind of their go-to with everything.”

Virk was receiving and sending emails on various board issues from his RCMP account, as a senior member of the force.

He subsequently retired and ran for office, so he had no access to the account when the issue resurfaced.

Clark said he simply forgot about the messages that indicate he was personally involved in deliberations on one of the salary top-ups.

“He very much wishes he would have remembered that, given the beating the NDP has been trying to lay on him, and trying to drag his reputation through the mud.

“When he says sincerely he didn’t remember having received that email, on a contract over which he didn’t have approval oversight, I think most reasonable people would say that’s a sincere admission that he forgot. And of course he’s very regretful about that.”

Part of what’s driving the protracted attention to the secret overpayments to Kwantlen bosses is a number of whistleblowers.

They are past and present lower-level employees who have access to emails and know which ones they want.

There’s nothing like scheming to overpay CEOs and vice-presidents to trigger the whistleblowing urge in the lower echelons.

The pipeline is up and running between them and the NDP, and nobody is clear yet whether the flow has peaked.

Also in the background are some civil lawsuits about workplace problems filed by former staff.

They are driving potential court cases into which Virk could be dragged, as a witness. (Considering how much trouble the board went to in overpaying to attract talent, it doesn’t sound as if it led to much harmony in the area of human resources.)

Whether this goes another few rounds depends on the whistleblowers, who seem to be doling out their goods strategically, rather than all at once. If the evidence trove dries up, the controversy might as well.

As it stands, Clark told the legislature in the last week: “I have absolute confidence in the work that the minister is doing.”

That position puts a discount on whatever Mingay decides to do with Virk’s refreshed memories of his role in salarysetting. But it was always up to Clark to make the call, regardless.

She wants him in cabinet and that — subject to more leaks — is that. twitter.com/leyneles

Michael Geller Columnist michaelarthurgeller@gmail.com Whenever travelling to other places, I enjoy observing how they are addressing the various housing issues facing Vancouver. During a recent visit to Hawaii, I did not have to look far to learn about housing issues in that U.S. state since they were all over the front page of the local newspaper.

Like Vancouver, many places in Hawaii are struggling with housing affordability and homelessness.

Yes, homelessness, even in Waikiki.

One way Honolulu is trying to address these issues is to allow higher density micro-apartments, as small as 250 square feet, with limited parking. It is noteworthy that similar proposals in Vancouver have attracted considerable attention and debate.

Currently, our city bylaws require rental units to not be less than 320 square feet and units for sale to not be less than 398 square feet.

However, a number of projects have received relaxations to permit smaller suite sizes.

In 1993, VLC Properties, the company created by the late Jack Poole to develop affordable rental housing on city-owned lands using union pension funds, developed 600 Drake St. Sixty-four percent of the units were less than 320 square feet. (One city alderman compared these suites to coffins.) However, in the subsequent 21 years, the building has been very popular and achieved full occupancy.

In 2009, the city approved the concept of “lock-off” suites within apartments in certain zones.

Lock-offs in existing suites can be as small as 205 square feet and 280 square feet in new units. Although this concept has proven to be popular at SFU’s UniverCity where they were marketed as “mortgage helpers in the sky,” only a limited number have been built in Vancouver, generally as a lower level in townhouse developments.

A highly publicized rental project in Vancouver is the renovated Burns Block in the Downtown Eastside.

Furnished suites averaging 270 square feet rented very quickly and the developer, Reliance Properties now wants to build micro-suites for sale as part of its redevelopment of the Jim Pattison Toyota site.

The week in num6ers...

14

In thousands of dollars, the approximate cost of the inauguration ceremony for the mayor and city councillors held Monday at Creekside Community Centre.

50 20 10

The number of new Smart Cars vehicle-sharing company Car2go has added to its local fleet after expanding into Richmond and YVR airport.

The number of second-hand hydrogen fuel cell buses B.C. Transit is trying to sell. The transit authority says they are too expensive to continue to operate.

The number of years in a row Courier entertainment editor Michael Kissinger has spent pounding the pavement in search of odd gifts for our annual “Dreck the Halls” feature.

My personal view is that micro-suites can offer a viable housing choice, both for rent and for sale, especially when designed with built-in furniture and storage. However, to address the concerns of municipal officials, it may be appropriate to limit the size of projects, or the number of micro-apartments in a large project, until the concept has been proven.

Another hot topic in Hawaii is under what conditions to allow “Ohana units” or accessory dwelling units.

In Vancouver they are better known as secondary suites or laneway houses.

In the past, Ohana units had to be attached to the main house and could only be rented to relatives of people living in the main house. They also required two parking stalls.

Under a new proposal, they may be rented to anyone, be attached or detached from the main house, and require just one parking space.

In comparison, although Vancouver allows basement suites attached to the main house, new grade-level secondary suites cannot be attached to the main house. They must be separate structures. Furthermore, they do not require any additional parking space.

While most people in Hawaii favour the proposed regulations, one concern expressed by some opponents is that units may end up not as rental suites, but as illegal vacation rentals. Ironically, I discovered this is happening in Vancouver during a previous Heritage Vancouver Laneway Housing Tour. While the number of laneway houses being rented out nightly or weekly, rather than daily is not known, a few are regularly listed on the Internet.

Another interesting Hawaiian regulation allows a second home to be built and sold on larger lots.

As readers of this column are well aware, I strongly advocate allowing laneway houses or coach houses to be sold in certain situations.

Perhaps it is time for Vancouver to reconsider its regulations and allow a second house to be sold on lots over 8,000 square feet, which is approximately twice the size of a 33 foot wide lot.

The second house could be at the rear or as part of a duplex.

While Hawaii can learn much from Vancouver, perhaps we can learn from it, too. twitter.com/michaelgeller

43 2.9

In centimetres, the current snow base at Grouse Mountain, most of it made by snow guns.

Meteorologists are forecasting a warm and wet ski season for the North Shore hills.

In thousands, the approximate number of free turkey dinners served last Saturday at three different Union Gospel Mission locations in the Lower Mainland.

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Mailbox Poor job on child poverty story

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

Navy seizes Japanese fishing boats

Dec. 8, 1941: The government begins impounding fishing boats owned by Japanese-Canadians and shutting down Japanese language schools and newspapers one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Approximately 1,000 vessels were seized by the Royal Canadian Navy and tied up at Steveston over fears Japanese nationals loyal to their homeland could be spying along the coast. The seizure of the fishing fleet, which was later auctioned off by the government, was the first step towards the eventual and controversial internment of roughly 27,000 Japanese-Canadian citizens during the Second World War.

No survivors after Flight 810 crashes

Dec. 9, 1956: Sixty-two people die after Trans-Canada Airlines Flight 810 crashes onto the east side of 2,500-metre-high Mount Slesse near Chilliwack during bad weather. The plane, a four-engine Canadair North Star, was heading back to Vancouver after losing power in two engines when it disappeared. Among the dead were five football players returning from the CFL all-star game and a mystery man named Kwan Song who was rumoured to be carrying a small fortune in cash. Nobody knew what happened to the plane until five months later when a mountaineer discovered the crash site. The rugged terrain made it too difficult to recover all of the human remains and the site is now off-limits to the public.

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To the editor: Re: “Little progress in reducing child poverty,” Nov. 26.

I am skeptical that in British Columbia one in five children are in poverty. I find the matter of a young boy arriving at school in flip flops because he had no other shoes to be beyond belief. It is to me an indication, not of the perceived inadequacies of the government’s child support programs as the article seems to suggest, but rather of the incredible irresponsibility of the boy’s mother.

There are, within a short distance of me, two clothing drop boxes that are regularly filled with donated items. There are any number of charities in this city that would have been willing to provide shoes for the child had they been asked to do so.

Similar comments apply to the remarks about the lack of any food. There are food banks for families that find themselves with no food on hand.

The article noted that the mother is to give birth to yet another child. You might ask what a mother who finds herself in poverty is doing having yet another child if she cannot provide for the children she already has? Where is the father? Where is the sense of personal responsibility?

Personal responsibility seems to be lacking and yet the B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition wants already overburdened taxpayers to underwrite ever more government programs such as affordable childcare, more income assistance and an increase in the minimum wage.

Decent, hard working middle class

people in this province are struggling under an oppressive tax burden and are being bled white with personal income taxes, the GST, the PST, property taxes, gasoline taxes, customs and excise duties and fees and licence charges of all kinds.

The provincial government is struggling to balance its budget. Yet the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, who would have every individual they perceive of as affluent taxed to death, acknowledges that efforts to end poverty would cost the province $3 to $4 billion per year. Individuals such as myself are supposed to underwrite this monumental bill.

No thanks.

The centre suggests that the cost of doing nothing about child poverty at between $8 billion to $9.2 billion annually.

It would be interesting to know just how the centre arrived at this figure.

Finally there is reason to believe, as per what some observers have noted about Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, that those involved in social services really do not want to see an end to poverty. These individuals are in all too many instances comfortably ensconced in secure, wellpaying positions with excellent salaries and benefits. Some observers have termed such people as poverty pimps.

Someone having a child should, except in exceptional circumstances, be responsible for the care and upbringing of that child, not the overburdened taxpayer.

There is far too much of the sort of nonsense that was given a platform in your article in the press. One can only hope, that in the future, the Courier will present more balanced reporting on matters such as child poverty.

Jon Wood, Vancouver

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COURIER COLUMN: “ Vancouver Sun schooled by teacher,” Dec. 5.

Christina McKeen @ChristinaMcKeen: Shoddy journalism from the Van Sun, treacherously close to libelous, surely.

Spartikus: I wonder what former media ombudsman Kirk LaPointe would have made of this situation?

Eugene: I do wonder if those supporting the decision to not take a donation that would provide students with scientific equipment ask themselves why they should be the arbiter of these things, and if such tenuous arguments against taking the money are really made in support of students or their own partisan and egotistical needs.

COURIER COLUMN: “Men clueless about women’s reality,” Dec. 5.

Joannah Connolly: Thanks for this thoughtful piece, Geoff. It’s true that many wellmeaning and trustworthy men have no idea the perceived threat they present to women who don’t know them. In a similar story to yours, from the other perspective, I was walking alone down a street at night and a heavy-sounding man came running up very fast behind me. Having been mugged just a few weeks earlier (twice!), I was frozen in terror that he would attack me. As he ran past, oblivious to my fear, I realized that it was in fact one of my best friends, running to my house thinking he was late to meet me. The safest man I can imagine, and yet he was oblivious to how much he terrified me. I called after him, and as he walked me home I explained how he had made me feel, and he was mortified. He learned that lesson, but many men never do. Especially during these dark nights, all men need to be really aware of the threat they might present to women, especially women alone. This is only one of many important issues you raise, Geoff, and thank you for raising them. Perhaps hearing it from a man will help other men grasp the issue.

COURIER STORY: “Inquest called into death of man arrested by VPD,” Dec. 5.

Les Booze: We’ll spend millions on an inquest to find out how someone, that society put zero value on while alive, died. When, exactly, did this country go off the rails?

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

News Create. Play. Decorate.

For sale: Slightly used hydrogen fuel cell buses

y Holida deas Gift I ive.

Nelson Bennett nbennett@biv.com

eat Get Cr o Crazy! inal. G g i r O Be

If B.C. Transit wants to unload 20 used hydrogen fuel cell buses, it could always post an ad on Craigslist in Europe, where transit authorities and municipal governments are planning to buy hundreds of hydrogen fuel cell buses over the next few years.

B.C. Transit is taking bids on its fleet of 20 experimental hydrogen fuel cell buses built by Burnaby’s Ballard Power Systems and plans to go back to burning diesel.

Although the buses have prevented more 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere (hydrogen fuel cells produce no emissions), the transit authority has deemed them too expensive to continue to operate. One of the problems has been getting fuel.

B.C. Transit has had to truck hydrogen across the

country from Quebec. Air Liquide had planned to build a new hydrogen plant in North Vancouver, in connection with two existing chemical plants there, that would have provided a local hydrogen supply.

But Ballard COO Paul Cass said the company would have needed an ongoing funding commitment from the provincial government and B.C. Transit to keep the buses on the road to make the plant viable — something they weren’t prepared to do.

“Air Liquide was very engaged and very willing to step up and fund a big, big portion of that development, but they needed the bus fleet to create the demand to actually justify doing it,” Cass said.

B.C. Transit paid $89 million for the buses, which ran as a five-year demonstration project in Whistler. They were launched in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics as a showcase for B.C. technology. And from that perspective, the proj-

ect was a success, Cass said, as Ballard has received orders for its bus fuel cell modules in Asia, Europe and the U.S. To date, he said Ballard has sold close to 100 of the bus modules, although many of those were sold before the Whistler fleet was launched.

“How has that fleet helped deployment of buses around the world? It’s helped a lot,” Cass said.

There is currently a surging demand in Europe for hydrogen fuel cell buses. Just last month, five European bus manufacturers signed an agreement that calls for 500 to 1,000 hydrogen fuel cell buses to be rolled out across Europe between 2017 and 2020.

Ballard already has a partnership with at least one of those manufacturers, Van Hool NV. As for the Whistler bus fleet, it’s not known how much B.C. Transit hopes to get for the high-tech buses. B.C. Transit did not respond to a request for an interview.

Car-sharing company takes off at airport Tyler Orton

torton@biv.com

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After launching in B.C.’s largest city more than three years ago, vehicle-sharing company Car2go is now allowing its fleet to take off from Richmond and Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

The expanded service went live Dec. 4, when Car2go added 50 more of its iconic Smart cars to its local fleet of 700 vehicles.

Chris Iuvancigh, the location manager for Car2go Vancouver, said Richmond was the “overwhelming” choice among its members after the company spent much of the last year focused on deploying

services in North Vancouver.

“We’re really excited with having the airport and the reason we went there is because we focused on what our members wanted,” he said.

“There’s a lot of members who live in Richmond who use the service in Vancouver, so now we’re allowing them to take that car right to their door instead of leaving it at a [SkyTrain station].”

Although this marks Car2Go’s first major expansion in Richmond, the service was previously available in a more limited capacity at the city’s Kwantlen Polytechnic University campus located near the Canada Line.

Car2go has about 75,000

Tree of Giving

Pick a card from the Tree of Giving and help make a needy child’s wish come true this Christmas!

Without your help, so many dreams will go unanswered.

Take a card from the tree located near Mark’s. It tells you the age/sex of the child and special interests. Find a suitable gift and place it (unwrapped) in our Tree of Giving House with the tag attached.

Our elves will ensure it is delivered in time to create Christmas memories!

Manson Sewing will be collecting gifts at #106-310 E Kent Ave South

www.masonsewingmachine.com Corner of East Broadway & Kingsway 30 Shops & Services www.kingsgatemall.com

members in B.C. and is available at locations such as Horseshoe Bay, the University of B.C endowment lands and Grouse Mountain.

Service is also available in more than a dozen cities across North America, including Toronto, Calgary and Portland, Ore. Iuvancigh said members from other cities would be able land in YVR and use the vehicles without too many hiccups.

“Some of the parking rules are different in each city so we really recommend members check [local guidelines],” he said.

“The rules that apply in Seattle may not really apply here but the service will work.”

Sponsored by Vancouver Courier, Children’s Corner, Kimount & Kivan Boys & Girls Club, Florence Nightingale, Mt. Pleasant, Seymour & Strathcona Elementary Schools.

Thank generosis to the commun ty of our gifts we ity, over 1200 re collec ted last year!

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Community 1

2

3

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1. Wayne Rideout entered the Union Gospel Mission’s Alcohol and Drug Recovery program 19 months ago and, a year later, has turned his life around after decades of alcohol addiction and living on the streets. Rideout now works as a UGM kitchen employee as well as co-runs a life group for residents and alumni. 2. Colleen Dionne, right, and Silvana Gracey were two of the 280 volunteers who helped out at UGM’s annual Christmas dinner at the Downtown Eastside location this past Saturday. 3. Ewen (left) and Chris enjoy one of the Christmas dinners the UGM provides for street people every year. This past Saturday marked the 74th annual Christmas dinner and a total of 2,962 meals were served at the UGM’s three locations. 4. One of Rideout’s many skills is knitting. When he lived on the streets, he knitted and sold slippers. He still knits slippers with the goal of having the proceeds to towards helping struggling single dads. PHOTOS REBECCA BLISSETT

Knitting a life together after addiction

CITY LIVING Rebecca Blissett

rvblissett@gmail.com

Wayne Rideout knew he needed help, but he didn’t have the faintest idea how to go about it.

He was living underneath an overpass to the New Westminster Quay, and each day was unbearingly the same as the one before; collecting enough empties to buy booze, drink all day, wake, and repeat.

“Drinking — it’s a big, mean problem,” said Rideout on a break from his job in the kitchen at Vancouver’s Union Gospel Mission on Saturday, which happened to be the day of the organization’s 74th annual Christmas Dinner.

“It’s beside your bed

before you even get up, you can’t do anything without it. For over 50 years, it was the drinking. I knew for a long time that I had to do something about it.”

Rideout knew about shelters but figured they were like what he had seen in television shows — dank and cramped. For a man who didn’t like to talk much, the idea of sleeping and recovering in a room filled with bunk beds didn’t appeal in the slightest so it was on the streets he stayed.

One of life’s tragedies is the kid who never had a chance to realize their potential due to poor circumstances. Rideout was raised by a single mother, and moved from one place to another. Sometimes homes were garages, lit and warmed by way of an

extension cord plugged into a neighbour’s house. There was always a party and a party’s accruements. With his older sister involved with a biker gang, it meant Rideout didn’t have any semblance of good role models.

“I was eight years old when I started drinking and nine or 10 when I was doing the drugs,” he remembered.

“To me, it was normal. It was the way it was.”

Rideout, now 58, quit drugs in his early 20s but turned to them again during a spiral of grief when his mother and one of his brothers died within three weeks of one another. He was on the streets in a haze but managed to survive by utilizing one of his many talents, knitting slippers and selling them. He learned to knit at the same age he learned to

drink; the former was helping him survive while the latter was killing him.

Regardless of where Rideout worked, whether it was in a restaurant or the auto bodyshop, he said he always worked hard but was so insecure about his illiteracy that he would quit at the slightest whisper of a promotion for fear it would require reading and he would be found out.

“I started out in the shop just sanding but I ended up doing everything. I can pick things up quickly and I like learning the whole thing when I do something. I’m a jack-of-all-trades,” he said.

“A lot of places I worked at, I would quit because I couldn’t spell and I didn’t feel comfortable with that.

The bodyshop, that was easy, because everything

was done in abbreviations.”

It wasn’t even two years ago when Rideout went for a walk in New Westminster and bumped into a fellow homeless man by the name of Jo. The men got talking, the topic of food came up, and Jo brought Rideout to dinner at the East Hastings UGM. Rideout chatted with outreach workers during dinner and, when it was time to leave, he didn’t follow Jo back to New West. He opted to stay in the UGM emergency shelter for two nights before deciding to enroll in the in the alcohol and drug recovery program.

“For me, when I came in, it was about being able to talk to somebody and have somebody who listened to you who wasn’t saying, ‘Oh, you’re just a drunk.’

That’s what took off for me,” he said. “It took a couple months but I ran into people my age in the program and that helped.

I didn’t like talking and I didn’t want to speak up or nothing at first. Now, they can’t shut me up.”

Rideout opened a garbage bag that was sitting on the table in front of him to show off dozens of colourful slippers. He’s still knitting but with a different reason from when he started his path to recovery 19 months ago. Instead of using the proceeds for his own survival, he said his goal is to have the proceeds to towards giving help to struggling single dads.

Then he went back to work. There were 2,962 turkey dinners to be served to those in need. twitter.com/rebeccablissett

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

Feature

Dreck the halls with giant microbes,

Courier’s annual gift guide scented with bacon, cats, desperation and loneliness Michael Kissinger

mkissinger@vancourier.com

This is the 10th year of the Courier’s annual Dreck the Halls gift guide. And after a decade of scouring the lonely recesses of the Internet and Vancouver’s retail landscape for unique, strange and just plain wrong Christmas gift ideas, you learn a few things. No expense is too big or ridiculous for some pet owners. Nerds and geeks have never had it so good when it comes to gift selection. The Canucks really need to up their merchandise game if they want to expand their “lady” customer base. And much like the Rolling Stones and herpes, there appears to be no end in sight for bacon and moustache-themed novelty gifts. Happy holidays and merry Christmas.

love to a tiger, this is as close as you’re going to get without getting mauled or violating a box of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes.

Supernova Lighter iPhone 5 Case

$34.95 at gadgetsandgear.com Finally an iPhone case as dangerous and unhealthy as the person who owns it. Made for the iPhone 5 and 5s — in your oversized face, Samsung Galaxy — this USB rechargeable fire starter will make you even more cool and antisocial while you stand in line not making eye contact with anyone, ride public transit or enjoy Christmas dinner with what’s-their-names.

too late to pump up your vocabulary with some big and fancy words such as catawampus or gonorrhea.

I may have misread that last one. This pack of 25 illustrated flash cards features definitions, child-friendly phonetic pronunciations and synonyms for some of the most ostentatious, multisyllabic, Rex Murphy-friendly words in the dictionary.

Bacon-Scented Moustache

$3.96 at baconfreak.com I think it’s safe to say that novelty gifts, and society as a whole, have finally reached peak bacon and peak moustache. So it’s only logical that the two forces would eventually cross over into one meaty side plate of irony and kitsch.

I Hate Everyone Socks

$12.95 at Signed & Sealed, 1988 West Fourth Ave. Made with 40 per cent combed cotton, 58 per cent nylon, two per cent spandex and 100 per cent disdain for the human race, these sardonic socks promise to warm even the coldest of hearts. Not a fan of the colour tan? Just add it to the long list of disappointing things you’ve had to put up with all these years.

Stop Smirkin’ at My Mirkin

$8.95 at Signed & Sealed Add some pizzazz to your pubis with these colourful toupees for your nether regions. Plus if you’ve ever fantasized about making

are our hands so crazy looking sometimes? It’s like each finger is a tentacle working independently from the others, but no one talks about how much humans have in common with octopuses.

Or is it octopi? Man, can you imagine eating a pie made out of octopus? That would be crazy. Don’t answer that phone.

Medieval Wrestling: A Modern Practice of a 15th Century Art

$26.95 at Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay, 412 West Hastings It might not have the shirtlessness of professional wrestling or the Olympic medals and homoeroticism of Greco-Roman wrestling, but medieval wrestling looks pretty darn fun judging by the cover of Jessica Finley’s extensively researched guide to what is considered the foundation of all martial arts. And if you’ve misplaced your Stoner Coffee Table Book under that stack of Pink Floyd albums, this is a fine substitute to keep you enthralled until the pizza arrives.

ment from a retired police officer might seem a tad insensitive to today’s social climate. And claims that returning to the good ol’ days will prevent home invasions, rapes, robberies and killings are a stretch to say the least.

But the book’s chapter titles are worth the price of admission alone and read like the fever dreams of one of Archie Bunker’s drinking buddies: “Sad Facts,” “Sad, Sad,” “Facts,” “Sadness,” “Where is the Justice?”

“Machetes,” “Another Despicable Crime.”

Chewbacca Rugs

$89.99 – 134.99 at thinkgeek.com Making out on a bearskin rug beside a roaring fire is so cliché. Making out on a synthetic shag carpet made to look like Wookie fur on the other hand… Of course, by making out, I mean French kissing your forearm. Who are you trying to kid?

Drinking Horn

Star Wars R2-D2 Carry On Luggage

$79.99 at thinkgeek.com Is this the droid you’re looking for? Perhaps if you’re travelling to ComicCon or taking a holiday where you’ll have less of a chance getting laid than Yoda. On the bright side, if the airline misplaces your luggage, you’ll finally have a reason to repeat Luke Skywalker’s bit of exasperated dialogue, “I’ve lost R2!”

Yes, life is good.

Big Word Flash Cards

$12.79 at perpetualkid.com Even if you ain’t be good at no reading, it’s never

Stoner Coffee Table Book

$19.95 at Signed & Sealed Even though pretty much any coffee table book is stoner friendly by nature, or so we’ve been told, this one goes above and beyond the dank call of duty. Pictures of wicked clouds, aerial shots of beaches, birds with rabbit heads, deserts that disappear into the sunbaked horizon, close-ups of dried lentils…. because when you really think about it, aren’t we all just lentils in the vast dal of humanity. And why

Bring Back the Paddle — with Counselling, to Get Back Our Safe Streets

$15.99 at Vancouver Police Museum, 240 East Cordova St. Written under the pen name Expounder, because he “expounds,” this selfpublished, clumsily named treatise arguing for the return of corporal punish-

war against the Thals, these foam squeeze toys help take f the stress out of years of celibacy and living in your parents’ basement.

$40 at Academie Duello Handcrafted out of a hollowed-out bull’s horn by some red-bearded warrior-looking dude who wears pelts and calls himself Ragnar the Trader, these bad boys can hold the equivalent of a can of beer while telling the world you do not take LARP lightly. Going out on a limb here, but I’m guessing anyone who owns one of these likes to drink mead.

Doctor Who Dalek Stress Toy

$14.99 at gadgetsandear.com Modelled after the extraterrestrial race of cyborgs created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year

“Does this Sword Make My Butt Look Big?” T-shirt

$19.95 at Academie Duello Who says practitioners of the ancient art of swordplay don’t have modern senses of humour. Lots of people, actually. And this shirt isn’t helping. Besides everyone knows it’s bodices and codpieces that make your butt look big.

Dueling for Two Class

$160 at Academie Duello Put some spice back into your relationship or work out some frustration because is it really so hard to wipe down the counter once in a while and stop playing Candy Crush for a few minutes so we can have a real conversation that doesn’t involve your mother? All equipment is provided in this two-hour private session where you and your loved one will acquire the skills of attack and defence with either the rapier or longsword followed by an opportunity to try out your new skills on the instructor and each other, which should nicely complement your already well-honed arsenal of passive aggressiveness, guilt and emotional inaccessibility.

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Feature

jail attire, Canucks beauty products and dreamt of floating in a swimming pool on a giant ice cream sandwich?

Van Jail Sweats

$9.99 per piece or $25 for the set at Vancouver Police Museum Add some hardened criminal street cred to your pajamas and loungewear with these standard issue sweats that are the same ones given to local inmates minus the stylish Helvetica font and Van Jail branding.

Don’t worry though, the lowered standards and poor self-image required to wear grey jogging pants is a prison in itself, don’t you think?

Warning: If you go on a first date with someone who has one of these on his or her doorstep, be prepared to talk about how Neutral Milk Hotel’s underappreciated On Avery Island has been wrongly overshadowed by In the Aeroplane Over the Sea before getting to second base.

Bill Murray Shower Curtain

$68 at society6.com Why is Bill Murray dressed like a Civil War general? And why would anyone want him peering at them as they undress and give themselves a good loofa?

Sounds like the plot of a new Wes Anderson movie.

ries. I was also thinking of going with “Cats” Waller or “Cat” King Cole, in case you were wondering.

Kassian’s autographed jock last year for Christmas did not go over so well. Especially when she discovered several strands of evidence that he goes commando.

No worries. She’ll blush at the three-pack of “ladies” nail polish done up in the sexy Canucks colours of Blue Believer (bright and opaque blue), Attack the Ice (light and creamy grey) and Just Add Ice (bright white).

She’ll also be thankful that you didn’t get her the 1980s Canucks colours of Glen Hanlon’s Freckle (dusty orange), Garth Butcher’s Bean Casserole (burnt yellow) and Sergio Momesso’s Back Hair (midnight black).

Cat Tank Playhouse

$16 at fab.com Sure you can get an old cardboard box from the liquor store for free and your cat will be just as happy. But a cardboard box tank? This is about you and your needs.

And sometimes you need to see your cat commandeering a replica tank before you catch a glimpse of yourself in your microwave’s reflection and realize you haven’t bathed in three days.

Punk Rock Oven Mitt

Vancouver Morgue T-shirt

$24.99 at Vancouver Police Museum I guess you have to have a morbid sense of humour to work at the Vancouver Morgue, where “our days begin when your days end,” not to mention a lot of down time to come up with such heavy metal-friendly T-shirt designs. Hey, it’s 100 per cent cotton!

$16.95 at gadgetsandgear.com Despite the fact these look more like Heavy Metal Oven Mitts, you’re a hero in the kitchen for wearing them. Even if you’re using them to pull a hot tray of tater tots out of the oven.

Just sayin’.

Giant Microbes Plush Doll Russian Leader Nesting Dolls

$45 at Russian World, 1003 Main St. Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev… the gang’s all here in these handcrafted nesting dolls, which, depending on your preference, feature either Lenin or Stalin as the biggest babushka. For the internationalist, there’s a U.S. presidents nesting doll set, and the currently sold-out modern-era Russian leader set, featuring — who else? — Putin as the top doll.

Cassette Tape Welcome Mat

$49.95 gadgetsandgear.com

$9.99 at offthewagonshop.com Proving that horrible things can come in cute packages, these cuddly plush dolls depict such terrible ailments as E. coli, HIV and cancer. But you can just tell your two-year-old nephew it’s a crazy-looking jellyfish superhero.

Ice Cream Sandwich Pool Float

$49.95 gadgetsandgear.com Who of us hasn’t taken Psilocybin mushrooms

Bulldog Pillow

$29.99 at perpetualkid.com The bulldog had been mangled over the past 100 years due to questionable breeding practices, so why not continue the streak by stretching its sorry image across a creepy looking pillow for you to sit or sleep on.

The way nature intended.

Wine Barrel Dog Feeder Game of Thrones Toilet Decal

$29.99 at etsy.com Own the porcelain throne with this Game Of Thrones inspired toilet decal. That said, while getting down to business, there is a good chance you will be killed when you least expect it.

Canucks Ladies #1 Hair Scrunchie

$7.95 at shop.nhl.com I’m not sure who the marketing geniuses behind the Canucks hair scrunchie are, but I think they’re on to something with this casual, some would say misguided, approach to hair fashion.

Even more mysterious is the absence of a Canucks banana clip.

Marshall Amp Beer Fridge

$449.99 at Canada.marshallfridge.com You’ve had a hard day practising “Fly by Night” and “Limelight” with your Rush cover band Geddy or Not, formerly known as the Peart Locker before you were sued for copyright infringement. Time to crack open a brew and mould a new reality… closer to the heart. Modelled after the iconic guitar amplifier, this durable beer fridge contains 4.4 cubic feet of all chiller and no filler. And, yes, the nobs go up to 11.

Canucks 3-Pack Ladies Nail Polish

$29.95 at shop.nhl.com So giving your wife Zack

Kim Jong-Un and Vladimir Putin Scratching Posts

4,500 £ at thepussycatriot.bigcartel.com Described as “a one-ofa-kind protest product and the ultimate feline satirical statement,” these lifelike scratching posts are reportedly handcrafted by a team of artists and took more than 200 hours to complete.

And while the price tag might be steep, proceeds go to the Index on Censorship in its efforts to promote and defend the right to freedom of expression. So there.

$135 uncommongoods.com You like the finer things in life — like an oaky Pinot Noir with leathery tannins, blackberry jam-stained denim on the nose and a balsamic finish. So why shouldn’t your dog, even though he occasionally rubs his itchy behind across your Chewbacca rug. Made by hand from “upcycled” wine barrels, this decadent kibble and water dish decanter is way more sophisticated than giving your pooch a lame sweater or jewel-encrusted collar. That would be pretentious.

Mooning Birdhouse Autographed Canucks Cam Neely 1984-85 Hockey Card

$139.95 at shop.nhl.com Celebrate arguably the worst trade in the history of the Canucks franchise with this autographed hockey card from Sea Bass’s secondto-last season in Vancouver before going onto greatness with the Boston Bruins.

Knife sticking in the backs of Canucks fans not included.

Cat Keyboard Scratcher

$11.99 at perpetualkid.com Everyone’s favourite Internet cat meme is now a household pet appliance.

Although it’s unclear if the creators of Keyboard Cat have anything to do with this device, your feline will look like a regular “Cats” Domino whenever it feels the need to tickle the ivo-

$24.95 gadgetsandgear.com For too long birds have flown high and easy on their reputation as majestic, freedom-loving creatures. Not anymore. The Mooning Birdhouse seeks to humiliate our feathery friends for the amusement of humankind by enticing them to live inside a porcelain replica of ourselves, essentially saying, “We own you, birds. You live in our butts now. Bow down to your novelty joke loving masters.” twitter.com/MidlifeMan1

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

Gardening gifts – and what not to buy Todd Major

stmajor@shaw.ca

After a long season of gardening it’s time to take a break and focus on finding some gifts for that special gardener in your life.

Before I give some suggestions for Christmas gifts for gardeners, here are a few gifts not to buy, for anyone, ever.

When it comes to solar lighting, avoid buying any of those cheap, plastic, made-offshore solar lights.

Although those lights are inexpensive, they don’t last very long, they work poorly, and ultimately end up in the landfill because the plastic is non-recyclable.

Another item not to buy is any hand tool like a shovel or digging fork that is made of stainless steel.

Those tools are too heavy to use regularly, our soils are not mucky or clayey enough to require such construction, and the price is not worth it.

Another useless Christmas gift is a garden tool belt of any kind because those belts are heavy, bulky and

Think before you give a garden-themed gift this year.

cumbersome to wear while working in the garden.

When it comes to buying books, I still believe in the value of reading a book, newspaper or magazine because not everything can be found on the Internet and the experience is tactile.

However, with so much gardening information available on the Internet, some, but not all, gardening books may not be worth the cost.

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Much depends on the age of the person receiving the gift.

Try to avoid giving any of those kitschy and mostly useless plastic garden gadgets that claim to make some task easier.

Finally, please, no more Amaryllis bulbs in fancy glass vases.

Now on to some good gifts for gardeners.

Gift cards and certificates: Many local garden

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centres, some landscape supply yards, and other garden-related companies will offer gift certificates or gift cards. Be sure there are no time limitations on the card/certificate to allow the user time to discover what they want to buy. Pick a company that sells goodquality products oriented to the specific tastes or needs of your gardener.

Sometimes gift cards to buy work clothing can make a good gift. Price: $10-$300, depending on your budget.

Offer your help or buy help to work in the garden: When you donate your time to work with

someone in their garden, the interpersonal contact can be invigorating and enjoyable for both parties.

This gift can be good for the elderly, shut-ins, people with mobility issues or any gardening friend. You can give a homemade gift certificate hat offers your time to help someone work in their garden. Be sure to specify clearly how much time you are offering, otherwise overzealous relatives may have you signed up for perpetual labour. Or you can buy some time from a professional to consult, prune or do whatever you think is needed. Price: $0 if you do the work, just a little bit of time and effort required.

Approximately $50-$100 for basic garden consulting.

The cost of professional help would depend on the scope of work involved.

Arbour tape: This is a professional-grade product that is used by the landscaping industry for staking and tying trees. But arbour tape, or arbour tie as it’s sometimes called, is made from woven, rot-resistant polypropylene that withstands the weather and does not constrict or choke off stem water flow. It comes in a green colour and is about three-quarters of an inch wide, sold in 15 or 30-metre

rolls. The product is useful for tying any tree, shrub, rose or perennial. The product can be bought at some landscape supply yards or stores or an arborist supply store. Price: 100-foot roll is approximately $30.

Soil thermometer: This is one of the most useful tools for growing seeds and measuring the heat of any compost or garden soil. It must be made of rugged glass and chrome, aluminum or copper construction.

Most soil thermometers are between 20 to 24 cm long, with readings in Celsius and Fahrenheit, reading temperatures up to 120 C. Where to buy: Garden centres, horticulture supply companies or online. Price: ranges from $10 to $30.

Statuary, benches, ceramic pots, cool boulders, coloured stones and other unusual garden hard-goods: These items can be found at some garden or landscape stores.

Price: Ranges from $100 to $10,000. Choose your gardener’s Christmas gift carefully and read the label to avoid buying cheap junk made by underpaid workers in overseas countries.

Todd Major is a journeyman horticulturist, garden designer and builder, teacher and organic advocate.

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W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A17

Winterizing palms and hydrangeas

Anne Marrison

amarrison@shaw.ca

“I was wondering how to protect my palm from the cold weather. It is in my backyard facing south.”

– Jim Edwards, Coquitlam If your palm is in a pot, it’s best to bring it inside away from cold winds. This could be in your home, a garage, carport or even a garden shed where it could get some natural light. It’s possible to get flat stands with wheels. These make it much easier to move pots.

Plastic bubble wrap protects roots in pots, but growth above ground needs to be wrapped if the potted palm is to be where there’s no extra heat.

If it’s in the garden, you need to mulch the roots deeply. This should be at least 12 inches (30 cm) deep and more is OK. Leaves are best but they should be wired down so they don’t blow around.

If you have enough leaves, you could also protect the stem and top with leaves by fastening a wire fence around your palm and filling it with leaves right to the top.

Farm stores sell wire.

Fencing wire might do, but chicken wire comes in much taller heights and is easier to work with because it’s more bendable.

If you don’t have leaves, the mulch should be bark and you could wrap the

stem with several layers of burlap. It’s important the wrap be burlap because this lets in a little air and prevents moisture from building up and causing mold or rot. Gently close the leaves around the central growth shoot and wrap all that with burlap too.

You could put a sheet or blanket over the top at night for extra protection.

“I have three wellestablished hydrangeas — one in a pot and two in the garden. The last cold spell hurt them as they have turned brown and look dead. Can I cut them down and if so, how far and when. I have never pruned them and they have come back better than ever the next year, but they do look awful right now.

– Colleen Lamont, Langley

zone five, possibly into zone six in valley bottoms.

Brown stems could indicate these stems have all died. But the roots are probably alive and healthy even if your hydrangeas out in the garden are mopheads. If the top growth is truly dead, just cut all the stems to the ground. New stems will emerge when the weather warms up in spring.

But don’t expect flowers

this coming year. Those new stems will need a year to produce buds.

If any of your garden hydrangeas are the lacecap type, you’ll have no problem. Lacecaps like cold winters.

Anne Marrison is happy to answer garden questions.

Send them to her via amarrison@shaw.ca It helps me if you can add the name of your region or city.

In our B.C. climate, winter is not the time to prune hydrangeas.

d r a C t f i G d r a o B k ! r e a n o P y r a e v e e v for Gi s e c n e i r e p Great ex

In our B.C. climate, winter is not the time to prune hydrangeas. You probably have the mophead type and they need the old flower heads to help protect the new buds below from frost.

You can remove the old flower heads in early spring.

Just cut these down as far as the first two strong, healthylooking buds. It’s best to take out any stems that are really skinny or dead, damaged or diseased.

Mophead hydrangeas are said to be hardy down to zone six. But in some areas of the Fraser Valley we have had temperatures close to

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Help those in need this holiday season, by donating non-perishable food items to participating Dunbar merchants displaying the Food Bank poster.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E D N E SDAY, D E C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

W E D N E SDAY, D E C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

Worship with us

You are warmly invited to our Christmas Eve Service, for all ages

Carols by Candlelight th th Wednesday, December2424 Monday, December

✵

7:30 p.m.

CHOWN MEMORIAL & CHINESE UNITED CHURCH

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Share Advent and Christmas at Dunbar Heights United Church Worship Services

Sunday, December 14th at 10am Advent Worship

Christmas Week

3519 Cambie Street at 19th Avenue 604-876-7104

Sunday Worship Services, English 10:00 a.m. - Cantonese 11:30 a.m.

christmas

Join family Christmas at DHUC

at St. Anselm’s

Sat. Dec. 13—Messy Church 2.30-5.30pm Crafts, music, food & FUN for families.

Sun. Dec. 21—Carols & Communion 10:30am Wed. Dec. 24—Christmas Eve

Advent and Christmas

Christmas 2014 at Wilson Heights United Church

Children’s Pageant 4:00pm. For families and those who

like less formal, fun services. All ages are welcome to watch or participate in the Christmas story. Simple costumes available before the service.

Candlelight & Communion 9:00pm. Intimate & calm.

CHRISTMAS EVE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24 7:00 pm The Christmas Story 9:00 pm Candlelight Communion

Thu. Dec. 25—Christmas Day Worship 10:30am St. Anselm’s Anglican Church | 604.224.1410 | www.stanselms.ca

All are Welcome!

5210 University Blvd, Vancouver (across from UBC Golf Course)

MARTIN LUTHER CHURCH

St. Philip’s Anglican Church 3737 West 27th Ave., Vancouver 604.224.3238

www.stphilipsdunbar.com All Welcome

1634 41st Ave. E. (41st & Argyle) Vancouver

604-325-9944

Knox United Church 5600 Balaclava Street @ W. 41st Avenue www.knoxunitedvancouver.org

ST. HELEN’S (WEST POINT GREY)

ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA

4405 West 8th Avenue (corner of Trimble) Tel: 604-224-0212 Website: http:sthelensanglican.org

Christmas Worship Services Rector: The Rev. Scott Gould • Friday, December 19 7 pm Family Christmas Carol Sing-along Concert • Sunday, December 21 – Advent 4 10 am Lessons & Carols, Pageant Preview • Wednesday, December 24 – Christmas Eve 4 pm Family Christmas Pageant & Eucharist 11 pm Midnight Mass • Thursday, December 25 – Christmas Day 11 am Christmas Communion ALL ARE WELCOME!

St. James Church

Christmas Christmas Services Services Christmas Eve 5:00pm Children’s Service 7:30pm Holy Eucharist 11:00pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 9.00am Holy Eucharist

505 East East 46th 46th Avenue, Avenue, Vancouver 505 Vancouver (one block block West (one West of of Fraser Fraser St) St) Rev. Nicholas Hopman

604-325-0550 604-325-0550

"We Welcome You" Wednesday, December 24, Christmas Eve Worship 5:00 pm German Service 7:00 pm English Service / Candlelight Service Thursday, December 25, Christmas Day 10:00 am Combined Service Sunday, December 28th 10:00 am Combined Service Wednesday, December 31, New Year's Service 5:00 pm German Service

Cordova at Gore • 604-685-2532 www.stjames.bc.ca CHRISTMAS LESSONS & CAROLS WITH THE OCULUS CHOIR 7:00pm on Friday, December 19th, in the church CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIT COMMUNION

Wednesday, December 24th

5:30pm Vigil Mass of the Nativity: A family Liturgy in the Lady Chapel with carols and nativity costumes 10:00pm Musical Prelude 10:30pm Solemn High Mass of Midnight with procession and blessing of the creche CHRISTMAS DAY

Thursday, December 25th 8:30am 10:30am

Low Mass of the Dawn Procession to the Creche & Solemn High Mass of the Day

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

Sunday, December 28th 8:30am 10:30am

Low Mass, with anointing Procession to the Creche & Solemn High Mass, with anointing

knoxunitedvancouver

Come and join us as we prepare for Christmas!

Our Sunday worship services begin at 10 a.m.

Advent I, November 30 - The Advent season begins Advent II, December 7 - A peace service & Communion Advent III, December 14 - Learn about the tradition of Los Posadas Advent IV, December 21 - Advent lessons and carols

December 17 - A Celebration of Christmas Music 7 p.m.

Join us for a festive evening of music, and be prepared to sing along with a blend of secular and sacred favourites.

December 24 - Christmas Eve worship services 7 p.m.

The Family Service - “Chaotic Joy!” When children enter the doors, they’re given a choice between a costume with angel wings or a shepherd’s staff. If they want, they can become a part of the story as it unfolds!

10 p.m. Candlelight and Communion This service is tranquil, as we immerse ourselves in the wonder of it all. The service ends by candlelight with the beauty of the hymn ‘Silent Night’.

December 28 - The last Sunday in December 10 a.m. This will be an informal lay-led service with the sharing of gifts of poetry, music, and readings.

Christmas Eve at Ryerson

EVERYONE WELCOME! A special, short service for children 6:00 pm Carols, candles, brass and the Christmas Story 9:00 pm For more information on upcoming events please visit our website: ryersonunited.ca Ryerson United Church • 2195 W 45th Ave, Vancouver, BC (604) 266.5377

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

News

Predicted El Nino not fazing ski biz Brent Richter

brichter@nsnews.com

Meteorologists are saying we’re heading into a warm and wet El Nino winter, raising questions about how Metro Vancouver ski resorts will fare in the 2014-2015 season.

Grouse Mountain and Cypress Mountain both opened their primary runs in midNovember thanks to good snowmaking conditions.

But the cold snap and natural snow we had earlier this week proved to be more of a dalliance than a long-term relationship and there is a warming trend in Pacific Ocean currents, according to Jennifer Hay, Environment Canada meteorologist.

Those warmer-than-average currents often lead to warmer-than-average West Coast winters and more precipitation.

“Sometimes it can be bad news for our local mountains because the freezing levels will be higher,” Hay said. “If our mountains are at lower elevations or closer

A snowboarder makes his first grind of the season on Grouse Mountain’s opening day.

PHOTO PAUL MCGRATH

to the ocean, sometimes we can be in for not much snow and (it’s) too warm for much man-made snow.”

But Hay added climate patterns are easier to spot after the fact and the end of the winter could end up looking very different from

the start.

“In terms of the whole winter, it’s tough to determine. It looks like we’re in for a late start to the ski season. Sometimes when you have an El Nino early in the season, it will shift to La Nina late in the season.

It’s possible we could have a good dump of snow late in March,” she said.

Grouse currently has a 43-centimetre base, largely thanks to snow-making operations, according to Jacqueline Blackwell, Grouse’s manager of pub-

Exercise your options this Winter.

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lic relations.

“Even if it doesn’t snow in the next few days, we still have a really good base that’s been built up so further runs can’t be far behind. We’re really happy with where things are,” she said. “When we had that nice stretch of cold and dry weather there, we were pumping out tons of snow.

On our upper peak, you could see it accumulate like crazy and our grooming team does a really great job moving that all around. The coverage is definitely there.”

For North Vancouver safety advocate Richard Kinnar, however, the North Shore ski resorts open too early in the name of kicking off their ski season.

Skiers should be protected from low snow packs on rocky terrain, Kinnar said.

“They’re relying on the good will of an industry saying ‘We’re open for business.’ That doesn’t mean they’re safely open for business,” he said.

The province should step in and regulate the ski industry more given its

important role in the B.C. economy, Kinnar argued.

But Blackwell said Grouse only opens its hill if the runs are safe for guests.

“On a daily basis, Grouse Mountain opens each run for skiing and riding after our mountain operations and safety patrol teams have determined that snow levels are sufficient and that all safety measures are in place,” she said. “Furthermore, our mountain operations team does extensive work every summer and throughout the winter to ensure all of our terrain is in optimal condition before winter arrives and throughout the winter season.”

El Nino isn’t a term that scares Paul Zirk, owner of The Destination Slope and Surf Outfitters. Zirk has been keeping a close eye on the weather for more than 32 years in business.

“It’s a one or two degree fluctuation that can make either massive snowfall or rain,” he said with a laugh. twitter.com/brentrichter

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

Sponsored by HUMN Pharmaceuticals

Humn Pharmaceuticals introduces Safe Pain Relief Cream By Haidita Celestine Rodger Lundon is an Ottawa-based entrepreneur with a vision: make sure everyone in Ottawa has access to the

When I prescribe anti-inflammatories I need to be cautious about gastric irritation; I have unfortunately seen the

prescription medications” says Kindle, “the efficacy of TPR20 cream appears to be much more effective in treating

regularly as an anesthetic. It has been in use since the 1940s and is known to be extremely safe. The menthol also assists

safest pain medication possible. When Rodger came across a safe and effective

side effects of acute gastrointestinal bleeding from oral Non-Steroidal Anti

pain. Many of the present creams on the market are designed to mask problems

the lidocaine to get through the skin right to the painful spot.

topical pain reliever for his Mother-in-law,

Inflammatory Medications (NSAIDS). That

(counterirritants), however TPR20 goes

he did some research and discovered that it was made by a small Canadian

is never a worry for me when patients use TPR20.”

to the source of the problem and blocks the pain. I find it works particularly well

Dr. Vandervoort finds that even patients with chronic arthritis notice a difference in

company in Winnipeg. The product wasn’t widely available at the time and he

Dr. Daniel Vandervoort, a long time Ottawa

for serious pain such as post herpetic neuralgia (shingles) and osteoarthritis,

their pain level and mobility within a few days. Of course with chronic problems

wanted to make sure that other people in

area Chiropractor recommends TPR20

especially arthritic knee joints.”

TPR20 use should continue for an

Ottawa could benefit from his discovery.

So he started spreading the word about

to his patients at his Rockland & Beacon Hill Chiropractic Clinics. Dr. Vandervoort

Lundon explains that Humn

extended period until some healing can take place at a deeper level.

TPR20. Five years later 33 retailers in the city carry the product, Ottawa is the

was surprised at how quickly word has spread as avid local golfers come in

Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to creating a suite of products that are formulated using

TPR20 has been circulating in Canada

hotbed of Canadian sales of TPR20,

regularly to purchase TPR20 to help

top components from the pharmaceutical

and the United States largely through

Rodger is Director of Retail Development for Humn Pharmaceuticals and he has

them enjoy their golf game pain free. Dr. Vandervoort recommends TPR20 because

industry blended with natural products that have been painstakingly selected

word-of-mouth, receiving strong praise from patients and medical professionals

recruited several others to his cause.

it is effective with most people in a very short time.

to produce safe and effective pain relief.

TPR20 is the company’s first offering.

alike. Lundon says that the company is currently planning clinical trials to prove

Dr. John Kindle, an Ottawa GP for more than 35 years, was introduced to TPR20

As a topical pain relieving cream, TPR20

Its active ingredients are lidocaine – a pharmaceutical – as the active pain

a number of the claims they hear from patients, and is formulating a number of

following an acute strain of a calf muscle

is applied on the skin, at the point where

reliever, and menthol, as its main natural

companion products committed to safe

that was about to interfere with a squash game; TPR20 allowed him to play without

pain is felt. It doesn’t go through the stomach, or the liver or the kidneys, or

anti-inflammatory.

relief from many other types of pain. In the meantime Lundon is making sure that

any significant pain. He now recommends TPR20 to his patients several times per

into the blood-stream, where it can leave a trail of damage. “I have had experience

Lidocaine is a nerve block. At higher concentrations, dentists, dermatologists

TPR20 is available as broadly as possible so people can enjoy safe effective relief

week: “I like this cream because it is safe.

with other topical medications, including

and plastic surgeons use the drug

from their pain.

On these shoulders balanced a home and family.

It’s only human to look back, remembering the good times.

Before the shoulders had enough, and pain moved in.

Available at: .humnpharmaceuticals.com www.humnpharmaceu DIN #02309076

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Langley takes it slow

Sandra Thomas

sthomas@vancourier.com

When it comes to holiday travel, Vancouverites are not limited solely to destinations available by plane or ferry, especially when it comes to foodies and fans of slow and local food cultures.

Just 30 minutes from the city, the Township of Langley is pushing to make its mark on the agri-tourism map by offering yearround tours of everything from wineries to cheese makers to dairy farms.

So for anyone who really wants to know where their food comes from, Langley is a great place to start.

It’s not just food growers and producers included on the self-guided Langley

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excursions in more tropical w w w. l o p a r e v a d e n t u r e c l i n i c . c o m locals, such as Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii, I’ve previously paid little attention to the evolving agri-tourism scene in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.

And while I did not partake in the alpaca, supFormerly Kingsway Denture Clinic plied by Kensington Prairie Farm, I sampled locally pro3817 Sunset Street, Burnaby duced cheeses, turkey-based Mon. to Fri. 9:00am - 5:00pm charcuterie and a variety & Saturday by appointment of wines, each produced www.kingswaydentures.com from grapes grown in the Gerry Lee-Kwen, RD area. Wineries open to the Call us for a FREE Consultation public during self-guided tours include Chaberton Estate Winery and Bacchus • Now Accepting New Patients • No Referral Necessary Bistro, Backyard Vineyards, • Emergency care available the Fort Wine Company, A BPS Certified Center • We accept most dental plans Blackwood Lane Vineyards puzzles and Winery and Vista get caught in our web…

D’Oro Farms and Winery. …get caught …get caught …get caught in our web Continued on next page

Dentures That Fit Your Lifestyle

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Milner Valley Cheese is produced on a fifth generation heritage family farm and goat dairy in Langley.

Circle Farm Tour but also markets, the Thunderbird Show Park and Milner Village Garden Centre, the retail division of Darvonda Nurseries spread across 25 acres under glass.

This past weekend I had an opportunity to speak to several of the producers, growers, farmers, designers and vintners included on the tour and it was a good reminder that while I’ve taken part in similar

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WIDHH is different too. Your hearing is assessed by a trusted clinician *. And we offer a wide range of hearing aids, not just one brand.

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I’ve been at Shannon Oaks for 2 years, and I would recommend it to anyone.

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2

1. Milk a cow by hand at Aldor Acres Dairy, included on the Langley Circle Farm Tour. 2. Alpaca meat is one of the more exotic offerings found on the Langley Circle Farm Tour. PHOTOS SANDRA THOMAS

A day’s excursion with ‘agri-tourism’

Continued from page 23 The tours run yearround and, depending on the weather, can include a stroll through a berry field, visit to a commercial dairy farm, wine and cheese tastings and an opportunity to watch world-class horse jumping at Thunderbird Show Park. Depending on

your interest and time limitations, tours can take an afternoon or be spread out over one or two days.

Other options on the tour include stops at JD Farms Specialty Turkey Store and Bistro and Krause Berry Farms and Estate Winery, where the bumbleberry pie alone makes the trip worth-

while. Meanwhile a visit to Aldor Acres Dairy includes an opportunity to milk a cow by hand, make butter, feed farm animals and see how robotics are used in dairy farming today. Cheese lovers will enjoy a stop at Milner Valley Cheese, a fifth generation heritage family farm and goat dairy

where visitors can check out the goat milk gelato and soaps.

During berry season, tour-goers will want to check out the Driediger Farms Market, where they can purchase blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and currents, as well as pies and jams. Other seasonal

stops on the tour include Cedar Rim Nursery, the Fort Langley Village Farmers Market and Fort Langley Community Farmers Market.

Because many of these locations sell their products on site, foodies might want to consider a day trip to Langley to collect fresh

ingredients for a special dinner where they can impress their guests with heirloom fruits and vegetables, fresh baked pies, specialty turkey products and, for the more adventurous, alpaca.

For more information visit circlefarmtour.com. twitter.com/sthomas10

Your own full-time pastry chef? Retirement living couldn’t get better!

It may sound too good to be true…but the truth is, the retirement community of Tapestry at Wesbrook Village boasts a full-time pastry chef. Who happens to make delicious cookies, pastries, and chocolate truffles!

Our pastry chef will be busy baking up holiday goodies all month long. Come for a tour during the month of December and take home a selection of Tapestry-made Christmas treats. You’ll leave with an appreciation of the good life.

Sound interesting? Tours can be booked any day of the week. Call Christina, Clare or Denise at 604.225.5000 to book today.

DiscoverTapestry.com Tapestry at Wesbrook Village 3338 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver

604.225.5000

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

Arts&Entertainment

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GOT ARTS? 604.738.1411 or events@vancourier.com

1 Dec. 10 to 12, 2014 1. Mary Poppins and her magical umbrella fly over the rooftops of London and across the Stanley stage in the Arts Club’s production of the Broadway musical and Disney children’s classic that will have “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” stuck in your head for days. Directed by Bill Millerd and starring Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Mary Poppins runs until Jan. 4. For tickets and details, go to artsclub.com.

2. “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!” If you don’t recognized that clunky bit of dialogue, then you probably haven’t experienced the perverse wonder of watching The Room. The 2003 independent film — written, directed, produced by and starring Tommy Wiseau — has been called the “Citizen Kane of bad movies” and is considered by many to be one of the worst films ever made, gaining a rabid cult following in the process. Seth Rogen’s production company has reportedly optioned the movie rights to Greg Sestero’s book The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room with James Franco onboard to direct and play Wiseau.

See what all the fuss is about when Sestero drops by the Rio Theatre Dec. 11, 8 p.m. to present a short behind-the-scenes documentary on The Room, followed by a screening of The Room and a live script reading. Details at riotheatre.ca.

3. Nick Chiericozzi and Mark Perro, a couple of hairy dudes from the Brooklyn punk band The Men, have gone electronic… sort of…. with their synth-rock side project Dream Police. Expect an, ahem, arresting performance when they play the Fox Cabaret in support of their album Hypnotized, Dec. 11, with Mercury Living and Dirty Spells. Tickets at Zulu, Red Cat Records and Eventbrite.ca. Details at foxcabaret.com.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

Arts&Entertainment

Videographer makes concerted effort Ambitious YouTube channel EveryDayMusic marks milestone STATE OF THE ARTS Cheryl Rossi

crossi@vancourier.com

Rod Matheson was feeling isolated in 2012. His daughter spent her evenings doing homework on her computer, his wife would drift toward the TV, and Matheson found himself feeling down and disconnected in front his own computer screen.

So he switched off the computer and picked up his video camera and headed to a concert at the Vogue Theatre, where he shot the local opening act Maria in the Shower.

It felt good.

“I’ve struggled with depression throughout my life and I was just at a point where I was feeling kind of bleak. Whenever I was around music, it just

made me feel wonderful,” Matheson said. “I basically gave up my TV time in the evenings to go out and make this happen and when you stop taking in that daily dose of negativity that is TV, everything from the news to dramas to reality shows… and you replace that with something inherently positive like music, that just lifts your spirits in phenomenal ways.

I’ve found that music is my medicine.”

On Boxing Day, Matheson will post his 1,000th video of the 1,000th song he’s shot in 1,000 days on his YouTube Channel, EveryDayMusicTV. His offerings range from bootlegged videos of Roger Waters, Ben Harper and African superstar Kidum in concert, to lesser-known indie bands playing in bathrooms, elevators and kitchens.

Rod Matheson films Dante Hadden in Stanley Park as a part of Matheson’s EveryDayMusic project, which aims to record 1,000 acts performing 1,000 songs over 1,000 days. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

Once Matheson upgraded to a camera with a stereo mic, he hit a snag.

The more established venues weren’t so keen to have him shoot there

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anymore (while operators of the Rogue Folk Club, the Rickshaw and the Rio theatres welcomed him).

He also discovered artists who were signed to record

labels were much more difficult to access.

But lack of access to big-name acts became a blessing in disguise.

“One of the things most

surprising to me is how doing this and… just trying to find everything I can out there, has completely altered my taste in music,” the 50-year-old said.

“I was a mixed tape guy in the ’80s and made my mixed CDs in the ’90s, so I’ve always sought out music and compiled it and shared it since my college days. But listening to recorded music is completely different from the live music experience.”

Watching performances at cozier venues, Matheson gained a new appreciation for country music, folk and bluegrass.

“Especially at the smaller acoustic performances, they… affect me in a completely different way.”

Indie bands began to approach him, sending MP3s and links to their websites.

Matheson wasn’t interested in having a listen.

“I like to be a clean slate,” he said. “That’s part of what’s truly exciting about it for me.”

Continued next page

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

to stay positive Continued from previous page Matheson lets artists choose the location and he records most of the songs in a single shot.

“It’s a real challenge and I’ve gotten real good at it,” said Matheson, who worked as a videographer from 1985 to 1992, adding that he focuses on making the footage feel unpolished and intimate.

Robyn Jacob of Fist Full o’ Snacks contacted Matheson and he shot her and three other women singing “Bird Song” a capella in the Bloedel Conservatory at Queen Elizabeth Park, while birds whirred around them.

At the recent East Van Opry show at the Rio, Matheson shot Seattle group Squirrel Butter in the backstage bathroom.

Matheson has an eye for talent. He posted recent Peak Performance Project winners Good For Grapes on day 77 and last year’s Peak winner, Rykka, on day 251.

Matheson has curated the songs in the way they relate for him, creating a “video album” for himself, an archive of B.C. indie artists and capturing a slice of the city’s history.

His channel features everything from Big Band ensembles to solo artists.

EveryDayMusic has seen nearly two million views and listed 3,598 subscribers as of Monday morning.

While Matheson hopes viewers enjoy his videos, he wouldn’t encourage anyone to passively digest what they see for hours online.

Instead, he hopes a taste of what’s available will encourage everyone to get involved in their community and to see who’s playing at their local café, community centre and coffee shop.

With the finale of EveryDayMusic in sight, Matheson is dreaming of his next project. He’d like to travel across Canada as a “random musical adven-

turer” and shoot what he finds and, perhaps, create a “webisodic” series.

He envisions a documentary that touts music as food for the soul.

“The commodification of music is very similar to the commodification of food,” Matheson said. “[Labels] have taken everything that’s good out of it and they just keep force-feeding us the same crap. Pop music is very much like junk food and soda these days. No matter how much we realize it’s bad for us, we can’t get enough of it. “[Chef and food educator] Jamie Oliver said real food comes without a label, and I’m starting to think the same thing’s true in the case of music,” he continued.

“Music is absolutely integral to our health and well-being and that there’s a kind of music that’s particularly good for us… this acoustic, homegrown type of stuff.” twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi

colours Rotten Heirloom Tomato and Overpriced Arugula That Will Go Bad Two Days After Purchase.

• Ear Wax. Embrace the warm, caramel tint of this Q-tip friendly colour, which suggests poor hygiene in the most stylish way possible.

• Gregor’s Longing Glance. While the colour of Mayor Robertson’s eyes are up for debate, there’s no debating the understated sophistication of Gregor’s Longing Glance, which combines mystery with

the emotional weariness of municipal politics.

• Kirkland Stonewash Denim. Not just your dad’s jeans anymore, this boldly bland and unflattering light blue from the designers at Costco suggests poor eating habits, an attraction to white Velcro runners and an absence of a mirror in one’s life.

• Venison. It’s a little gamey, but this ode to the wild is all natural, tastefully bloody and only slightly damaged with gunshot.

• Nanaimo Fog. Harnessing the bile-inspired charm of pea soup and the beige rage of an overcooked pork chop, Nanaimo Fog coats a room in disappointment, resignation and finally acceptance, as if to say, “I can’t be bothered, so get off my back and let me play Call of Duty in peace.” twitter.com/KudosKvetches

KUDOS & KVETCHES Paint that a shame

The long, agonizing wait is finally over. The Pantone Color Institute has announced its “Color of the Year” for 2015. And it sounds delicious. “Marsala” is described as “a naturally robust and earthy wine red… [that] enriches our minds, bodies and souls.” But wait, there’s more: “Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness.” Personally, we think Marsala looks an awful lot like dried blood, and we already have plenty of that splattered around our apartment, thank you very much.

Marsala takes over the colour swatch torch from 2014’s equally pretentious Radiant Orchid, which “encouraged creativity and innovation.” Sure it did.

Sadly, once again, Pantone ignored K&K’s submissions for Color of the Year, which is why we’re sharing them with you.

• Wilted Kale. Not only is it a great name for your next Celtic-ska-funk band, it captures the rich earthy hues of the trendiest vegetable selling at Whole Foods right now. Goes well with complementary

*Car awarded may not be exactly as shown. **Double ballots earned on Monday will be available the next day.

Management reserves the right to cancel, amend or change promotions at any time without notice.

*Substitute for pop or house wine. Must be 19+. Offered two hours prior to start of game and until 12 midnight.

Management reserves the right to change, amend or cancel promotion at any time without notice.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

Arts&Entertainment

Dickens classic gets an improv twist

Audience suggestions shape improvised chaos of A Twisted Christmas Carol THEATRE REVIEW Jo Ledingham joled@telus.net

Bah, humbug! Yes, it’s that time of year when you can’t drink your medium, soy, extra hot latté without hearing “Rudolph, the RedNosed Reindeer” or pick up a loaf of bread without being serenaded with “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas.”

So thank goodness for Rock Paper Scissors and the Arts Club for mixing it up with A Twisted Christmas Carol.

This tweaking and twisting of the Charles Dickens 1843 novella originally came from the seriously funny minds of David C. Jones and the company of Rock Paper Scissors back in 1998 when the show was produced with Jones as Scrooge at the Jericho Arts Centre. The “other” funny Jones — Gary Jones — is Scrooge this time around

and he’s not only hilarious but, like David C, amazingly, quick-as-a-bunny inventive. What makes mere mortals like the rest of us break into a sweat — finding ourselves on stage without a script — is what turns these improv artists on. They are a breed apart.

A Twisted Christmas Carol is scripted improv; that is, Dickens’ basic story remains intact. Nasty, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited in his bed by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. He does an aboutface and ends up being Mr. Nice Guy. But within that framework the audience makes suggestions and instantly the performers have to respond. Scrooge, on the night attended, was not a businessman but “a gymnast” and in one of the most hilarious responses, Gary Jones (lank grey hair, top hat, tiny glasses and Dickensian period dress) executed a routine on an improvised

Diana Frances, Bill Pozzobon and Jeff Gladstone ham it up on the sepia-toned set of A Twisted Christmas Carol.

pommel horse. The man is fearless. How quick is he?

Well, on the spur-of-themoment, this Scrooge tells us, in an aside, that his cat’s name is Nadia Comaneci.

The under-40s might not have got it but the rest of us did. What else would an old gymnast call his cat?

Tiny Tim (Jeff Gladstone) is still afflicted but he’s no longer lame. The non-threatening ailment

that the audience suggested last Wednesday was ADD and while not politically correct, it gave Gladstone licence for some very funny antics because Tiny Tim simply can’t focus for more than a second or two.

Diana Frances, who was part of the Twisted Christmas Carol co-op back in ’98, plays several roles including Mrs. Cratchit and Scrooge’s long-lost fiancée who,

like “Catherine” from the audience, is an assistant to the president of a uranium company. This prompted the slightly naughty and ever-quick Jones to quip, “You sent a lot of heavy water to my rod.”

Bill Pozzobon is not only Bob Cratchit, gymnast, but also Scrooge’s nephew’s wife who, on another audience suggestion, looks like a hippo. He made the most of that with gaping mouth and lumbering gait.

Kirk Smith is plummy, English-accented Dickens himself who, referring to his iPad, keeps the show on track. His self-proclaimed aim is “to put the merry back in Merry Christmas” and “the dick back in Dickens.”

Looking for a “fresh, new” look, he mocks the usual sepia-tone set so often the backdrop to other production of A Christmas Carol.

What he gets, to his dismay, is a sepia-tone set but what a set: designed originally by

David C. Jones and Michelle Porter, it’s a huge advent calendar with doors and windows that pop open, beds and tables — even a makeshift pommel horse — that slide out. Along with the cast of seven masters and mistresses of mayhem, the set is arguably one of the stars.

John Murphy directs this silliness and suggests in his program notes that even the most ordinary shout-outs from the audience — raucous on opening night — can be mined for comedic gold. There’s definitely gold in them thar hills as these merrymakers, running on pure adrenaline, do a number on Dickens. God bless them, every one.

For more reviews , including Cinderella: An East Van Panto and Wide Awake Hearts, go to joledingham.ca.

A Twisted Christmas Carol runs until Dec. 27 at the Arts Club Revue Stage. For tickets and details, call 604-6871644 or go to artsclub.com.

Illuminations at Heritage Christmas Ride for the Christmas Bureau On December 13 from 4-9pm, all proceeds from carousel ride tickets purchased will be donated to the Burnaby Christmas Bureau.

Gate admission is free.

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W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

Arts&Entertainment

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THE WEST COAST SYMPHONY PRESENTS AN EVENING OF WALTZES AND DANCES! Johann Strauss Jr.: Die Fledermaus Overture, Egyptian March,Thunder and Lightning Polka Pizzicato Polka Emile Waldteufel: Skaters’ Waltz Franz Lehar:

Gold and Silver Waltz

Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dances No. 1 & No. 5

ˇ Antonin Dvorák:

Slavonic Dances, op. 46 Nos. 5-8

Daniel Kantor:

Night of Silence, featuring Benedict & Connor Ramsbottom

Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride, Christmas Festival Bujar Llapaj, Conductor

A Few of My Favourite Things host Jay Brazeau (third from left with pianist Joseph Seserko and the ensemble cast) hopes audiences leave feeling as though they’ve just been to a really good Christmas party. PHOTO CINDY GOODMAN

Friday, December 12, 2014 • 8PM Shaughnessy Heights United Church 1550 West 33 Avenue, Vancouver

Admission by donation

Brazeau throws Christmas party

Christine Lyon

clyon@nsnews.com

A flubbed line here, a missed cue there, a slightly off-key instrument. It’s those little human errors that give theatre the real-life quality Jay Brazeau finds so endearing.

“I always say that the best kind of theatre I’ve ever seen is when mistakes happen,” says the seasoned actor.

So, he won’t be kicking himself if he stumbles over a word — or a microphone cord — while hosting this year’s family-friendly Christmas show at North Van’s Presentation House Theatre, A Few of My Favourite Things. Brazeau will be joined on stage by five recent graduates of Capilano University’s musical theatre program and together they will share stories, sing songs — both holiday favourites and Broadway hits — engage the audience in a sing-along and take crowd requests.

The participatory nature of the show means the performers will need to think

“I’m worried about Mom.”

on their feet and work their improvisational skills.

“You have to see what kind of crowd you have and which way it’s going to go,” Brazeau says. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

Presentation House Theatre mounted A Few of My Favourite Things once before, in 2012, with Brazeau as a special guest. He came up with the concept for the show after considering a few of his favourite things to do during the holiday season: get together with friends, enjoy a drink or two, share stories, sing songs and have some laughs. He says he hopes patrons leave the theatre feeling as though they’ve just been to “a really good party.”

Meanwhile, he’s also excited to be home for the holidays this year and participating in a show in his own backyard.

“I do a lot of performing all over North America, but it’s nice to be able to come back to your neighbourhood and have a place to do theatre and share it with your neighbours.” When

deciding on this year’s holiday offering, Presentation House Theatre’s artistic director Kim Selody says he wanted to capture the spirit of the season in a positive way without getting bogged down by tradition.

“One thing we wanted to do was something that was a little bit broader, more secular and more fun, and more inclusive within the community,” he explains.

“We basically are opening up the theatre and making it like a giant living room and inviting the audience to come in and join us and be entertained for about 90 minutes.”

When it comes to the song lineup, Selody is fairly tight-lipped, not wanting to give away any surprises.

“Obviously we’re going to do something from Mame because that’s a musical that takes place at Christmas,” he reveals. And it’s a good bet The Sound of Music number that inspired the variety show’s title will also be heard. But it’s important to keep the evening open, Selody says, leaving room for spontaneity.

“[The show)] really changes each night depending on who’s in the audience, depending on what they’re interested in seeing and hearing.”

With pianist Joseph Seserko accompanying on the baby grand, Selody is confident the cast will be able to handle any song request thrown their way.

“Joseph is one of those amazing brains who can pretty much play anything that’s requested just off the top. He’s got an amazing repertoire.”

Fortunately, those in the audience don’t need to have as extensive a repertoire if they want to sing along.

Unlike the 2012 edition of A Few of My Favourite Things, this year’s production will feature the lyrics on a large screen, complete with a karaoke-style bouncing ball, so everyone can join in.

A Few of My Favourite Things runs Dec. 11-14 and 18-21 at Presentation House Theatre, 333 Chesterfield Ave., North Vancouver. For tickets and details, go to phtheatre.org or call 604-990-3474.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

Sports&Recreation

GOT SPORTS? 604.630.3549 or mstewart@vancourier.com

Churchill shrugs off being prime target

By Megan Stewart

BASKETBALL

Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

Blake Nill

UBC hires new football coach

Blake Nill will be the next head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds football program, the university announced Tuesday.

“I made the move to UBC because I was ready for a new experience and I love to build programs,” said Nill, 52.

“This was a difficult decision to make. I was able to work with an amazing group of people and players in Calgary, but I’m ready for a new challenge and a fresh start. I’m going to need some time, but the building blocks are in sight at UBC and I am very excited about the program’s future.”

Nill’s appointment was the best kept secret in Canadian college football since TSN’s Farhan Lalji reported the pending hire on Monday. UBC, expected to announce the hire Thursday, shifted its press conference to Tuesday.

Nill coached his alma mater University of Calgary Dinos since 2006 and, on Monday, the Alberta university said he had resigned. Earlier that day, Lalji broke the news Nill was expected as UBC’s new coach. Nill won the Vanier Cup in 2001 and ’02 with St. Mary’s Huskies in Halifax where, in 1999, he was named the CIS coach of the year. Nill was a CFL defensive linesman from 1983 to ’88.

Outgoing T-birds coach Shawn Olson was fired following a 2-6 season after he was hired in 2010. In 17 seasons as a CIS head coach, Nill has a career record (including the regular season and playoffs) of 130-47. Over the last nine years, he led the Dinos to three Vanier Cup appearances in 2009, 2010 and 2013 and a record six straight Hardy Cup Championships from 2008 to ’13 as the top team in the Canada West.

Nill takes over a Thunderbirds program that turned 90 in January and has won three Vanier Cups, the last in 1997. Nill was persuaded to take the job by athletic director Ashley Howard and key university backers.

“I can see their passion to bring the program back to where it’s been before, winning the Vanier Cup,” said Nill. “I am here to win, for me and for UBC. That means winning on the field and graduating student-athletes.”

Full Count: Blake Nill

6

Record number of consecutive Canada West championships

8

Trips to the Vanier Cup

2

Vanier Cup wins with St. Mary’s Huskies

Wrestling, Abby Invitational

Torrey Toribio won gold in the boys’ 60 kg juvenile class at the elite Abby Invitational at Abbotsford Traditional secondary Dec. 6. Toribio, a John Oliver wrestler, won all four of his matches at the tournament to extend his win streak to 11 this season. J.O. wrestling coach Chris Fuoco said Toribio showed “technical superiority of all opponents.”

Additional athletes who won medals in their grade and weight classes include Tupper’s Elias Calogeros, Hamber’s Jackie Huang and Jee Woon Ha, as well as Gladstone’s Johnathan Diaz. From J.O., Onkar Birdi, Austin Bartolome and Earl Lagos all reached the podium.

In the girls event, Gladstone’s Christina Phan won bronze and J.O.’s Janina Pascua won bronze and Chantalle Wacchan claimed silver after meeting to the two-time defending provincial champion in the final.

Rick Lopez has had the conversation with his boys.

The coach of the defending AAAA B.C. Champion Churchill Bulldogs has talked to the teenage players about the pressure they’ll face this season, which amped up when they opened the pre-season as the topranked team in the province.

“We’ve talked a lot about it,” said Lopez. “We talked a lot about how hard it is to repeat. There are so many good programs, so many good coaches, so many good players — what’s going to make us different?

What are we doing to make things work for us again?”

The Bulldogs debuted on The Province’s B.C. rankings at No. 1 and in the second week, topped the charts again. When the numbers come out later today, there will be significant shifts among the top 10.

“We’re not going to be No. 1 next week,” said Lopez on Monday after a city league win over the Hamber Griffins. The Bulldogs will not be at the top and could drop out of the top three.

On the rise, from fifth to fourth to somewhere higher this week, is Vancouver College, who knocked Churchill out of the Heritage Woods Invitational Saturday in an 87-72 win.

The first 2014-15 ranking were released Nov. 24 and are compiled by high school coaches and Province reporter Howard Tsumura.

New rankings come out each Wednesday.

A loss can mean a team refocuses, humbled by what — on paper at least — appears to be an upset or just the end of a streak before the could-have-been wins piled up. A No. 5 knocking off No. 1 is a fair fight, but the loss can shift the pressure just enough so a team like Churchill can keep being itself because it’s moved from the centre of every other team’s crosshairs.

Lopez has a specific way of describing this shift.

“We were talking about it, saying, ‘Do you want to be the hunter or the hunted?’ We’re not going to be hunted anymore because we lost a couple games to

Churchill’s six-foot-eight centre Sam Yussuf protects the ball against Sydney, Australia’s St. Ignatius in the Heritage Woods Invitational in Port Moody Dec. 6. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

good teams and now we’ve got to regroup, get healthy and fire back,” he said.

Although Lopez knows how the Bulldogs can benefit, the goal was never to lose and that remains unchanged.

“We entered that tournament wanting to win it.

Don’t get me wrong, we wanted to win,” he said.

“But we’ll come away and focus on how to get back to where we want to be.”

Besides, said the coach, there isn’t a senior boys basketball team in B.C. that won’t change considerably between now and February, when league playoffs begin.

The No. 1 AAAA team at the start of the 2013-14 season finished seventh at provincials, he recalled.

Since winning the 2014 title at the expanded AAAA tier, Churchill has seen key forward and provincial tournament MVP Mindy

Minhas graduate. The core of the team are its Grade 11 players, including Karn Virk, Lambert Pajayon, Harry Lui and Gary Minhas, who is in Grade 12, all who dazzled as juniors and finished third in 2012 before moving up to the senior team last year as Grade 10 students.

Another core player, Izaiah Ugoalah, is off the roster since he left B.C. to play at Sunrise Christian Academy, a private prep school in Kansas. Ugoalah is missed, but Lopez said he supports the player’s decision to move south.

“I’m happy for the guy and I’m proud for him because that was a dream of his,” said the coach.

And if he wants to come back, we’ll welcome him at Churchill. You have to chase your dream and you don’t want to have any regrets.

He got that opportunity and

what a great opportunity.”

Back in B.C., the Bulldogs are striving to realize their top-flight stature, but Lopez says they take nothing for granted.

“To win a game against a top-10 team in this province is hard. To consistently do it, you gotta be ready and prepared to work,” he said. “We have a bunch of young guys and they’re going to take some bumps and learn along the way.

That’s part of growing.

You’re not going to win every single game. As much as these guys think they could or expect to, that’s not reality, especially when you’re playing some really, really good teams. You’re going to lose. That’s what makes you stronger. You go out, you learn what you did right, what you did wrong, and you come back and do it again.”

If they do it all again, the

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A31

Sports&Recreation Shamrock honours Quinn

Vancouver wins on night they pay tribute to ‘Big Irishman’ GIANTS Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

For the rest of the Giants season, Pat Quinn will be seen all over the ice at Pacific Coliseum and at rinks around the Western Hockey League.

The Vancouver Giants honoured their late minority owner by including a new patch on the team’s jersey: a shamrock, bright green with Quinn’s initials and his No. 3, will be worn over the heart.

Quinn died Nov. 23, following a prolonged illness. He was 71.

The club paid tribute to the NHL player and two-time coach of the year on Dec. 4 by hosting Pat Quinn Night before the Giants beat the Portland Winterhawks 3-2 in what was also the coaching debut of Claude Noel.

The Giants raised a banner to the rafters as a tribute to No. 3. A shamrock was also painted into the ice.

“Pat is a big part of the reason the Vancouver Giants are here today,” said Giants majority owner Ron Toigo in a release before the game.

“He was integral in moulding the vision and structure that this orga-

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VANCOUVER / NORTH SHORE / BURNABY / RICH RICHMOND / DELTA / SURREY / WHITE ROCK / NEW WEST Wearing a new shamrock patch on his jersey, Giants centre ThomMINSTER / COQUITLAM / MAPLE RIDGE / LANGLEY / as Foster takes a face-off on Dec. 5. PHOTO VANCOUVER GIANTS VANCOUVER NORTH SHORE / BURNABY / RICHMOND nization was founded on, added a goal as the Giants / DELTA / SURREY / WHITE ROCK / NEW WESTMIN which led to all of our suc- won their second game STER / COQUITLAM / MAPLE RIDGE / LANGLEY / VAN cess. Pat will always be a in a row. As Vancouver’s COUVER / NORTH SHORE / BURNABY / RICHMOND / big part of the Giants, and new coach, Noel picked the banner we raise on up his first win for the DELTA / SURREY / WHITE ROCK / NEW WESTMINSTER Friday night will make us club and followed it with a very proud. It will remind second on Saturday night / COQUITLAM / MAPLE RIDGE / LANGLEY / VANCOU us how privileged we were when the Giants came VER NORTH SHORE / BURNABY / RICHMOND / DELTA to have known Pat Quinn. from behind to beat the / SURREY / WHITE ROCK / NEW WESTMINSTER / CO We will miss him, but we Saskatoon Blades 3-2 in will never forget what he overtime. Vancouver host QUITLAM / MAPLE RIDGE / LANGLEY

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the Prince Albert Raiders at 7 p.m. Dec. 10. twitter.com/MHStewart

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A32

THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

Sports&Recreation

Canadian goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc poses with a fan for a selfie during the FIFA 2015 World Cup draw Dec. 6. The draw was held in Ottawa but numerous players were at Hillcrest community centre.

PHOTO REBECCA BLISSETT

Canada faces China to start Women’s World Cup

FIFA Women’s final at B.C. Place in July JOCK AND JILL Six months before the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Canada’s national team now knows what awaits.

And soccer fans, if you’re not planning your viewing parties and making ticket purchase, I’d encourage you to get on that. Canada is not guaranteed to play in Vancouver, but B.C. Place hosts a quarter-final and, the most coveted of them all, the final on July 5. That’s the game to see Canada play, and they want it as much as we do.

But I’m a reporter, so I’m impartial.

As tournament hosts, Canada is in Group A. Ranked eighth in the world, they will compete against No. 14 China, No.

15 the Netherlands and No. 19 New Zealand.

Head coach John Herdman said the draw was “positive.”

“It’s not the easiest but it’s certainly doable,” he said.

Their first test is against China in Edmonton on June 6, which will be the first match of the 24-team tournament. Canada then plays New Zealand on June 11 in Edmonton and on June 15, they play the Netherlands in Montreal.

China finished second in the 1999 World Cup China 1999 when they lost in a shootout to the U.S. They qualified for this tournament by finishing third at the Asian Cup earlier this year. Against China, Canada has won the last four meetings, but each has been a close

game. Three were decided by a single goal.

New Zealand, the current Oceania champions, were coached by Herdman from 2006-11 before he took over for Canada. The teams last met in 2012.

Canada won 2-0.

Canada has never lost to the Netherlands, which were one of the last teams to qualify for the World Cup after they beat Italy in a playoff match. Herdman has called the Dutch “dark horses.”

The tournament draw was held Dec. 6 in Ottawa but many of the national team players were at Hillcrest community centre, watching their fate among a large crowd.

B.C. Place hosts games in groups C and D. On June 8, Cameroon plays Ecuador, and the

IN LIVING COLOUR The Vancouver Beavers were a semi-pro baseball team whose home field was Athletic Park, which makes three things no longer seen in this city. Historical photos like this one were shot in black and white, but a one-time Vancouverite named Mark Truelove is unearthing these treasures from the city and library archives to colourize them so they look as they would if colour film existed back in the day. The stylized “V” on the player’s flannel was blue, Truelove confirmed, by looking at baseball cards stored in the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. The Beavers were active from 1908 to 1922 and played at the long-gone stadium at West Fifth Avenue and Hemlock when it opened in 1913. The park was built by Bob Brown, who came to be known as Mr. Baseball and purchased the Beavers in 1910 for a reported $500.

He also played shortstop. To see more photos of Vancouver’s past in living colour, Truelove has a trove of photos at canadiancolour.ca. PHOTO MARK TRUELOVE / CANADIAN COLOUR defending 2011 champions from Japan play Switzerland.

On June 12, Switzerland plays Ecuador and Japan plays Cameroon.

On June 16, Group D comes to Vancouver. Nigeria plays the USA. In the Round of 16, B.C. Place host games June 21 and 23. A quar-

ter-final will be held at B.C. Place June 27 and the World Cup final is also in Vancouver on July 5.

The Draw

Group A: Canada, China, New Zealand, the Netherlands Group B: Germany, Ivory Coast, Norway,

Thailand Group C: Japan, Switzerland, Cameroon, Ecuador Group D: U.S.A., Australia, Sweden, Nigeria Group E: Brazil, South Korea, Spain, Costa Rica Group F: France, England, Colombia, Mexico twitter.com/MHStewart

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

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