Vancouver Courier December 17 2014

WEDNESDAY

December 17 2014 Vol. 105 No. 101

HEALTH 18

Improving doctor visits THEATRE 21

Peachy play

Inside

Superstore

350 SE Marin 3185 Grandv e Drive & iew Highway

SPORTS 23

Rookie reflections

T&T Supermar ke

t 2800 East 1s t Avenue Kingsgate

There’s more online at

vancourier.com MIDWEEK EDITION

Mall 370 East Broa dway (M Sat 9 to 6, Su on - Fri 9 to 9, n 11 to 5)

THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS since 1908

Red ribbons for sober driving Annual MADD campaign runs during holiday season

Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

Thirty years ago, David Richards was driving a bus in Edmonton when he died after being hit by a drunk driver.

His youngest brother, Paul, was 20 at the time.

“An impaired driver slammed into his bus and threw him into traffic and he was subsequently killed,” said Paul Richards, now the area director of B.C. Emergency

Health Services. “The wreckage that it causes within families leaves people scarred for the rest of their lives. You’ve lost a loved one and it was totally pointless. There’s no reason why people have to be lost like this.”

The Richards family grew up in the Mackenzie Heights area of Vancouver, where David graduated from Lord Byng secondary school. He was 30 when he died and left behind a wife and two children.

“Until my mother passed away, there wasn’t a day that she didn’t think about him,” said Richards, who shared his story this month as the Metro Vancouver chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving launched its annual red ribbon campaign

to prevent impaired driving.

It’s the 27th year that MADD is urging people to tie a red ribbon to their vehicles, key chains, purses, briefcases or backpacks to symbolize a person’s commitment to drive safe and sober during the holiday season. The ribbon also serves as a reminder to other motorists to do the same.

Richards joined Police Chief Jim Chu and Mayor Gregor Robertson at a press conference outside the Vancouver Art Gallery where the trio attached red ribbons to a police car and a hearse to show support for the campaign.

Every year, between 1,250 and 1,500 Canadians are killed and close to 64,000 are injured in impaired driving crashes,

according to MADD. The organization’s Metro Vancouver chapter president Shania Khan urged holiday drinkers to plan ahead for a ride home.

“Unfortunately, the realities of impaired driving will turn happy, holiday celebrations with the excitement of family and opening gifts into sadness, sorrow and the closing of a loved-one’s casket,” Khan said. “Please don’t let this be your family.”

The red ribbon campaign coincides with the Vancouver Police Department’s CounterAttack roadblocks set up around the city to catch impaired drivers. On the first night of the VPD’s campaign, Chu said officers conducted 67 roadside tests on motorists and removed nine impaired drivers.

Continued on page 8

Video store’s final rental Iconic Champlain Video closes Dec. 31

Tereza Verenca

tverenca@gmail.com

JUST CLAUS Vancouver’s 14th annual SantaCon attracted hundreds of Santas downtown Saturday for a pub crawl and merry mischief-making.

See story on page 12. PHOTO REBECCA BLISSETT

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Many describe it as a huge loss to the Killarney neighbourhood.

Champlain Video will close up shop at the end of this month, having operated in Champlain Heights for nearly three decades.

“It’s very upsetting. I’ve been coming here since the early ’90s. It’s a really good video store, very accommodating with a good selection,” said frequent customer Robert Wyle. “I kept coming back because everyone’s so personable. Alan remembered everyone, no matter who you were.”

Steve Fahnestalk has frequented the store since moving to the area five years ago.

“I’m very disappointed. I rent a lot of 3D movies. Now I’ll have to rent them on demand from Telus, which is seven bucks for two days, as opposed to $3.50 a day,” he said. “So whether I want two days or not, I’m going to get two days.”

Alan Wong, the store’s manager since 1990, told the Courier the decision to call it quits was made in the fall.

Continued on page 9

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W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News KERRISDALE’S

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From left to right: Vancouver School Board trustees Patti Bacchus, Fraser Ballantyne, Janet Fraser and Penny Noble. PHOTOS DAN TOULGOET

Fraser new vice-chair as Bacchus bows out Cheryl Rossi

crossi@vancourier.com

The Green Party of Vancouver trustee who helped make the NPA’s Christopher Richardson the new Vancouver School Board chair was named vice-chair Monday night.

The Green’s Janet Fraser will be vice-chair, chair the board’s finance and legal committee and serve as District Parent Advisory Council liaison.

Vision Vancouver trustees declined vice-chair and committee chair positions.

“I’m disappointed,” Fraser said. “Particularly the three returning trustees had a lot of experience and expertise that would have been useful in those positions.”

The newly elected board includes four trustees each from the NPA and Vision with Fraser as the lone Green.

Former Vision Vancouver board chair Patti Bacchus said Richardson offered her the vice-chair position and a committee chair position, both of which she declined.

“After six years in the chair, I really want to focus now on bringing Vision platform issues to the table, which I did last night, making sure that we can build support and get this board to support a strong advocacy position,” Bacchus said. “I was very pleased last night that we were able to do that on two critical funding issues with the province.”

Trustees supported Bacchus’s motion for the VSB to advocate for the Ministry of Education to reverse its cuts to adult education for graduated adults who are upgrading.

Starting May 1, the ministry will no longer provide funding to school districts

for tuition-free upgrading courses for adults who already hold a high school diploma.

Trustees also backed Bacchus’s letter urging the government to heed the recommendations for kindergarten to Grade 12 funding included in the 2015 Report of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services.

“I want to focus now on bringing Vision platform issues to the table.”

— Patti Bacchus The NPA’s Stacy Robertson, a lawyer and enforcement counsel at the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, will chair the planning and facilities committee and represent the VSB with the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association.

The NPA’s Penny Noble, executive director of Bike to Work Week B.C. and a former teacher and public relations and marketing veteran, will chair the education and student services committee, which deals with all matters relating to the quality and types of education provided at the elementary, secondary and adult education levels.

Incumbent NPA trustee Fraser Ballantyne will chair

the personnel and staff services committee.

Each committee is joined by a non-voting parent, union association representatives and members of senior management.

Bacchus says the seismic upgrade at Queen Mary elementary got stuck with a half a million dollar shortfall in the tax shift from HST to PST. Trustees unanimously supported Vision trustee Allan Wong’s motion Monday night to send a letter to the Ministry of Education to fund the difference.

Bacchus forwarded a motion on notice that the VSB commit to not entering into any negotiations regarding the sale of the Kingsgate Mall site without prior public consultation regarding the decision to sell. She worries discussions could begin in camera and then she wouldn’t be able to bring public attention to the matter.

Bacchus also said the VSB has an imminent court date to try to gain access to the underground parking lot of the Firenze condos, above which the new International Village school is to be built at Abbott Street and Expo Boulevard.

She said access to this area is needed to work on the foundation of the school.

Bacchus said condo dwellers have been offered parking with 24-hour security across the street.

Trustee turned MP?

Longtime Vancouver East MP Libby Davies announced Dec. 12 she wouldn’t seek reelection in 2015. Bacchus and others have encouraged former COPE turned Vision trustee Sharon Gregson to run. Gregson has tweeted that she’s seriously considering entering the race.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

News MP Davies won’t run again Bob Mackin

PUBLIC NOTICE The VANCOUVER - QUADRA CONSERVATIVE EDA will soon be opening the Nomination Process to elect a Candidate of Record for the next federal General Election. Interested should be prepared to sign up new members, fund raise and expend considerable effort during the election campaign.

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A fixture on the Vancouver political scene for nearly 40 years is retiring next year.

Vancouver East NDP MP Libby Davies announced Dec. 12 that she would not seek a seventh term in office. The party’s deputy leader since 2007 also said she would not endorse anyone in the race to succeed her, but would remain active in the party.

“It’s obviously mixed feelings, I love being member of Parliament, I consider it a huge honour to be the representative for the people of East Vancouver,” said Davies, a 61-year-old born in Aldershot, England. “I feel it’s time for a new voice, time for me to move on.”

She said NDP Opposition leader Tom Mulcair greeted her notice with “sadness.”

“We’ve worked together closely, even before he was leader, we were both deputy leaders with Jack Layton. He was very supportive and I’ll do everything I can between now and the election to keep

working hard as an MP and be part of the NDP team.”

The next federal election is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2015, but Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservatives could call for a vote sooner.

Davies was first elected to Vancouver park board in 1980 and made the leap to city council in 1982.

She was re-elected four more times and unsuccessfully ran as COPE’s mayoral candidate in the 1993 election, won by the NPA’s Philip Owen. In 1997, she staged a comeback to run federally.

“When I first got involved in politics there were very few women,” Davies said. “Darlene Marzari was on Vancouver city council, my political mentors were all men, Harry Rankin, Bruce Yorke, my partner Bruce Eriksen [who died in 1997], it’s where I learned my politics in the streets of the Downtown Eastside,” Davies said. “For women in politics there’s still barriers and things to deal with. I’ve always encouraged women to run, I consider it an

important thing to do.”

She said she is most proud of lobbying for affordable housing and homelessness.

“Whether it’s the drug crisis in the Downtown Eastside, or missing and murdered women, I took on issues that weren’t mainstream, and that needed to be brought forward and needed to have action. I’m proud of that work.”

Davies, the first openly lesbian MP, said women make great politicians because “we’re good multitaskers, we focus on issues, we focus on getting things done, so I want to see more women in politics.”

Davies said she doesn’t have any plans for retirement, but will remain active.

“It’s in my blood, I’m a political animal. I’ll still be working on the issues I care about one way or another.”

According to the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation, Davies is set to receive a $98,280 annual pension and could earn as much as $3,662,587 through age 90. twitter.com/bobmackin

“Holiday surprises never get old!”

At Tapestry Retirement Communities, we believe in the magic of Christmas. And just like Santa’s elves, our teams at Tapestry at Arbutus Walk and Tapestry at Wesbrook Village work hard all year round to make our residents’ wishes come true. From all of us at Tapestry, we wish you and yours a holiday season filled with wonderful surprises and joyful memory making.

Interested in learning more about exactly how the Tapestry elves do it? Bring your family by for a tour this holiday season.

We’ll be sure to serve up some holiday goodies!

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Tapestry at Wesbrook Village 3338 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver BC 604.225.5000 Tapestry at Arbutus Walk 2799 Yew Street, Vancouver BC 604.736.1640

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News No permit means no job Bob Mackin

bob@bobmackin.ca

A severance package for the city’s director of inspection services who was caught renovating her house without a permit “can have challenging optics,” according to a University of B.C. professor of organizational behaviour and human resources.

Carli Edwards, City of Vancouver’s deputy chief building official, quit Dec. 10 and received a lumpsum payment equal to six-months’ salary. Last year, Edwards was paid $137,676.

Marc-David Seidel of UBC’s Sauder School of Business said many factors are involved in whether an organization fires an employee or accepts a resignation over misconduct.

“The severity of the breach, then also their history of past behaviour: are they regularly warned?” Seidel said. “Under dismissal laws, showing dismissal for cause, you sometimes have to give warnings prior to actually being able to fire someone. They might have wanted to have relief quickly rather than going through a warning cycle.”

City manager Penny Ballem said Edwards was cooperative and took responsibility after a whistle-

blower complaint was received Nov. 21.

“At that point then it was clear to the city she could not carry on in her position,” Ballem told the Courier. “She offered her resignation and we negotiated with external legal advice appropriate terms under these circumstances.”

Edwards, a 17-year city employee, was a parking management engineer until 2011. Ballem said she had an unblemished record of leadership and positive contributions.

“In the context of our review of the case law and the legal advice we received, we would have been quite vulnerable had we tried to terminate her,” Ballem said.

In 2012, the city paid $1.13 million in severance to 13 people, including $211,828 to ex-planning director Brent Toderian.

Last year, it paid out $333,000 to six people.

Ballem wouldn’t say what the renovations were or when they took place. The Courier compared an August 2011 Google Street View photograph of Edwards’ house in the 800-block of East 32nd Avenue with a photograph shot Dec. 11.

The porch and stairs are now noticeably wider and a metallic pipe has been installed in the chimney.

The only permits on file in recent years with City of Vancouver’s development office were for wiring a security alarm system, drainage piping and gas fitting for a water heater. Land Title and Survey Authority of B.C. records show she bought the house in 2003 for a declared $312,000 value with her husband Scott Edwards, the manager of street activities for City of Vancouver’s engineering department.

The property was valued at $779,267 this year, up from $740,167 in 2013.

Ballem said the settlement did not include a non-disclosure clause.

Edwards, however, did not return phone calls. Scott Edwards answered the door Dec. 11 and told a reporter “she doesn’t have time” to comment.

Community services general manager Brenda Prosken announced the resignation in a Dec. 10 staff memo that also said building and trades inspection would be transferred to Planning and Development under general manager Brian Jackson.

Property use inspections, compliance coordination, licensing and animal services would remain within Community Services. twitter.com/bobmackin

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

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sanitation and parks workers are under contract until the end of 2015. The 3,400 full-time, part-time and temporary/seasonal employees of the city-owned Pacific National Exhibition accepted a new two-year contract in September.

The petition stems from the Courier’s Oct. 16 exclusive story based on audio leaked from the Oct. 14 CUPE Local 1004 membership meeting. CUPE and Vision are both suing LaPointe for defamation after he alleged the donation was part of a “corrupt” cashfor-votes deal in an Oct. 20 commentary published in the Province. The Vision lawsuit was filed Nov. 6, the same day the party leaked an internal poll indicating LaPointe had a chance to win the mayoralty. LaPointe’s Nov. 14 statement of defence denied the defamation allegation and accused Vision of trying to stifle his freedom of speech during an election. twitter.com/bobmackin

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A B.C. Supreme Court petition filed Dec. 12 accuses Mayor Gregor Robertson and Coun. Geoff Meggs of conflict of interest and seeks their removal from office over a $102,000 campaign donation from the city’s outside workers union.

“The basis upon which CUPE Local 1004 provided substantial campaign funds to Vision [Vancouver] candidates went beyond any question of general policy and was a campaign contribution that was conditional upon a commitment by the respondents that if elected they would cause the City to negotiate on the basis that expanding contracting out would not be a subjectmatter of collective bargaining,” said the petition.

The petition seeks Robertson and Meggs’ Nov. 15 election victories declared invalid under section 115 of the Vancouver Charter,

which allows at least four electors to contest results within 30 days of the official declaration. Five people are named as petitioners, led by Randy Helten, a former Vision member who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2011 on the independent, centreleft Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver slate.

They want a judge to replace Robertson and Meggs with the candidates who received the next-highest number of votes. In Robertson’s case, that would be NPA runner-up Kirk LaPointe, who finished 9,816 votes behind Robertson. Meggs won the 10th and last available city council seat by only 512 votes over the NPA’s Ian Robertson.

If Robertson and Meggs are allowed to remain in power, the petition asks for a judge to ban them from directly or indirectly participating in negotiations with CUPE Local 1004 or voting on any proposed contract.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

News CounterAttack roadblocks nab drivers Continued from page 1 “These are nine drivers that put everyone’s safety at risk by making the choice to drive impaired, either by consuming drugs or alcohol,” said the chief, noting more than 80 people a year die in B.C. in collisions involving an impaired driver.

“More concerning is the

fact that several people made the decision to get into a vehicle driven by an impaired driver.”

Added Chu: “You can make the choice at the end of the evening to take a taxi, or go home in a police car, or an ambulance, or even a hearse.”

Over the weekend, 46 drivers in Vancouver re-

ceived suspensions under the Motor Vehicle Act for deciding to operate a vehicle after consuming alcohol or drugs. Police conducted 237 alcohol screening device tests.

Before Richards became a paramedic, he was an RCMP officer, responding to collisions involving an impaired driver. Such a call,

he said, is made more difficult when thinking of what happened to his brother.

“You hope that through campaigns like this that you can appeal to people and have them choose wisely and be responsible when they’re drinking — and not to get behind the wheel of a car,” he said. twitter.com/Howellings

Paul Richards, whose brother was killed in an accident with a drunk driver, ties a red ribbon around the antenna of his vehicle.

PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

CANADA

“I don’t just work in this community. I live here too.”

- Raj Lalli, Senior Operations Engineer, Kinder Morgan Canada

All along the Trans Mountain Pipeline, there are Kinder Morgan employees that care about the safety of the public, their fellow employees and the environment they live in. Some local families have even been involved with the pipeline for generations, since it was successfully constructed over sixty years ago. And today, the commitment to excellence continues.

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• Project developed using feedback from stakeholders, engineering recommendations and environmental considerations.

For more information, go to blog.TransMountain.com Committed to safety since 1953.

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News Video rental store fades to black

Continued from page 1 “We monitored the sales and even tried an advertising campaign. Unfortunately, it didn’t pick up sufficiently as we thought. Looking to 2015, we thought it was time,” he said.

Wong added the outcome was inevitable due to services like Netflix and other video services on the Internet.

“I knew it was going to happen because I follow what’s happening in the world, and of course, technology was something that came along and changed things.”

When asked when the store peaked in sales, Wong answered with the year 2005.

“On a monthly basis, we had around 1,000 active clients. Now, we’re down to about 300,” he said.

Despite the decline in membership, which has always been offered free of charge, Wong noted the store always been a loyal customer base.

“I think it’s because we know all the people around here. When they come in, they say ‘Hi, how

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Manager Alan Wong,, right, says decreasing sales meant the inevitable end for Champlain Video. The Champlain Heights fixture closes Dec. 31. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

are you?’ They like the personal touch.”

Wong, a New Westminster resident, started managing the store after its owner at the time asked him to help out. He was behind the counter at the iconic Wally’s Burgers on Kingsway when the opportunity came knocking.

“I just never left,” he said with chuckle. “It has created a nice stable point in my life by helping me build a home here, getting to know all the people.

I’ve seen many kids grow

up, even their parents.”

So what’s next for this dedicated soul?

Well, his other job as a tutor teaching math, physics and chemistry will definitely keep him busy, he said.

But for owner Simon Chang, retirement and much needed relaxation is on the horizon.

“Perhaps work more on your golf swing,” Wong joked with Chang during the interview.

The video store has started selling its movies at

a marked-down price. The older ones are going for $3, with newer titles in the price range of eight to $10.

Whatever isn’t sold will be donated to local libraries.

“We don’t have any other place for them. We just want to get them out in the neighbourhood to people who love the movies,” Wong said.

A goodbye party is being organized at the Champlain Heights Community Centre on Jan. 10, 2015, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend. twitter.com/tverenca

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

Opinion

Care for high-needs children falls short

HST history bodes ill for TransLink

Les Leyne Columnist lleyne@timescolonist.com

Michael Geller Columnist michaelarthurgeller@gmail.com

The story of the 11-year-old profoundly disabled boy who was tasered by police in Prince George after he stabbed a caregiver three years ago continues to echo through the child-welfare system.

It prompted a review by representative for children and youth Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, who ripped the ministry in a 2013 report for repeated failures in caring for the child.

It also sparked a subsequent widerranging look at how the highest-need children in the care of the government are being handled. Turpel-Lafond released that report last week and there’s not much encouraging in it.

Children traumatized through abuse or neglect, some with disabilities, have complex care needs that require all manner of services and placement with thoroughly trained caregivers.

“At the very least, they need a safe place to live so that they can be shielded from further harm,” said Turpel-Lafond.

But she said even that basic need often has gone unmet. There are about 1,400 such children in Level 3 foster care and contracted placements.

Based on 49 reports of critical injuries and deaths involving young people in 2011, Turpel-Lafond picked a sampling of 31 and checked the arrangements in place for those clients.

Lack of funds and a shortage of qualified people mean they might not get the services they need to thrive.

Aboriginal children, who are hugely over-represented in the system, don’t get proper cultural planning to the point where she flagged a “nearly complete abandonment of culturally appropriate services.”

Turpel-Lafond said in the cases she reviewed, the young people were “often re-traumatized rather than helped, revictimized rather than protected.”

Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux said the report does not reflect her ministry’s most recent and ongoing work in that area. All the specific cases cited were the subject of numerous interactions between the ministry and Turpel-Lafond, she said. And the ministry is working to address the key themes.

One case cited brought home how difficult life is for some children, and how

short the ministry fell in trying to help.

It was about a non-aboriginal boy (given the pseudonym “Dean”) born into domestic violence and instability.

The mentally ill mother called the ministry when he was four because she couldn’t manage him.

She reported that his challenging behaviours made her think it might be better to kill him.

Services and counselling were provided, he saw a psychiatrist and got a number of assessments at school and was diagnosed with multiple problems at age 11. He was later hospitalized multiple times for self-harm.

He was taken into the government’s care at 14 and put in a Level 3 foster home a year later.

Turpel-LaFond said the foster father didn’t want his own children exposed to the child, so he set him up in a separate nearby house, minding him during the day and hiring staff to care for him at night.

Dean disclosed sexual assault by a night caregiver who had just been fired for a drug relapse.

The ministry investigated and found the foster parent had not done criminal record checks and had hired people he met through Narcotics Anonymous or in coffee shops.

The foster home was shut down.

Turpel-Lafond said the sexual abuse happened because the ministry didn’t fulfil its responsibility to adequately study and monitor the foster home.

It just compounds their challenges by isolating them and giving them substandard treatment, she said.

She recommended more oversight and is going to talk to the auditor general about doing a performance audit in the field to see if money spent is producing optimal outcomes.

It’s obvious what she thinks such an audit would find.

The cost of drifting toward poverty, incarceration and victimization are far higher than the cost of putting together a comprehensive residential-care system for the highest-risk children.

As for the tasered 11-year-old, Turpel-Lafond said it’s “touch and go” for the boy, now 14.

He’s currently in an expensive “oneoff” care situation.

“We will be actively involved in his care for some time,” she said. twitter.com/leyneles

By now you may be sick and tired of hearing about the transit referendum, but please read on.

When I first heard the transit referendum question, three letters came to mind: H, S and T. The HST referendum was a very depressing episode in British Columbia politics.

From the onset it was evident many people were voting against a harmonized sales tax based on their dislike for Gordon Campbell and the way the tax was introduced rather than the financial consequences of a harmonized sales tax vs. a separate GST and PST. They did not care that most economists argued it would be good for our economy.

After the referendum was over and B.C. residents discovered the HST did not disappear overnight, and we really had to give the federal government its money back, many people regretted their vote.

But it was too late.

This brings me to the transit referendum. I would like to make it clear from the onset that holding this referendum is wrong.

As one of my colleagues put it, we elect governments to run our communities. They get to tax us. If we don’t like how they run our communities or how they tax us, we can vote them out of office.

In the case of transit funding, Premier Christy Clark did not want to be the bad person so she essentially passed the hot potato onto the mayors.

We are now being asked to say yes to a tax increase through a referendum so that the premier will not be blamed for it.

After all, we voted for it.

My colleague thinks we should vote no and in so doing tell the premier and federal government “Do what we elected you to do — run our communities. If there isn’t enough money, then you will have to reduce spending or raise taxes.”

He further believes special taxes for special things are a bad idea since they become like the MSP fees — merely extra taxes, and questions the notion that if we vote no, nothing will be done. “If the province doesn’t improve public transit, the NDP will win the next election.”

While I do not disagree with much of what he says, I will be voting yes in the referendum. However, I worry that I could be in the minority.

As soon as the referendum question was announced, it became apparent that there would be strong opposition to the proposed tax.

Many are opposed because they dislike TransLink as much as they disliked Gordon Campbell. Based on its inept handling of the Compass Card and handing out of executive bonuses, these voters do not trust TransLink or its board of directors to spend our money wisely.

Ironically, within the international transportation community, TransLink is highly regarded.

I should share that on two occasions I was invited to put my name forward to serve on the TransLink board. On both occasions I made it through to the interview stage, but was not selected. During interviews, amongst other things, I questioned TransLink’s policies and approach related to fare collection and property development.

I asked why others were getting rich by acquiring and developing land around transit stations while TransLink stood idly by.

I thought we could take lessons from Hong Kong and other places where the public sector finances transit improvements in part from increased land values around stations.

However, this is not a referendum on TransLink. It is a referendum on transit funding.

And while I may question the appropriateness and eventual cost of a Broadway subway, I strongly favour all of the other proposed improvements.

I am therefore concerned by the initial opposition expressed by Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation who is leading the No side in this referendum. While I agree with him that there is always a need to find efficiencies and cut waste, this is not going to fund the required improvements.

I invited Bateman to tell Courier readers how he proposes to fund transit improvements if the referendum is defeated. “All in good time” he responded, adding he proposes to roll out his plan in January.

Until then, I urge you to keep an open mind on the question. twitter.com/michaelgeller

The week in num6ers...

6

The number of terms Libby Davies has served as the NDP’s Member of Parliament for the Vancouver East riding. She has decided not to seek a seventh term in the next election.

98 300 478 9

In thousands of dollars, the annual pension amount retiring MP Libby Davies, 61, will receive, according to the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation.

The average number of members per month who rented movies from Champlain Video in recent years. The venerable video shop is vacating the premises Dec. 31.

The number of different productions put on by Metro Theatre over their 52 years in show biz. Their latest, a holiday pantomime version of Alladin, runs until Jan. 4.

Out of 67 who were stopped, the number of drivers found to be impaired during the first night of Vancouver police’s annual CounterAttack roadblocks.

14

The number of years, give or take a few, that Vancouverites have dressed up as Santa Claus and gone on pub crawls together.

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A11

Mailbox Green trustee commended for NPA vote

To the editor: Re: Rookie trustee bumps Vision chair,” Dec. 12.

I congratulate Janet Fraser on her decision to support changes that the voters requested.

If Vision members would use their individual thoughts rather than blindly follow party directives, the board will function much better.

Fraser is to be commended for being an independent force, as party politics at the local level are not a positive aspect, for the delivery of services to the children.

Rick Angus, Vancouver

Green trustee condemned for NPA vote

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

Would-be bomber busted at border

Dec. 14, 1999: U.S. customs agents arrest 32-year-old Algerian man Ahmed Ressam at the Port Angeles ferry entry point after finding 150 pounds of explosive materials hidden in the trunk of his car. Ressam, who built the bomb with an accomplice while staying in a cottage at the 2400 Motel on Kingsway, intended to detonate it at Los Angeles International Airport on New Year’s Eve. He was initially sentenced to 22 years in prison after cooperating with the government in testifying about al-Qaeda and associated terrorist networks but was handed another 15 years in 2012 after an appellate court deemed the sentence too lenient.

Windstorm hammers Stanley Park

Dec. 15, 2006: A storm blasts southwestern British Columbia with heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds as high as 160 km/h. Stanley Park was hit especially hard, with roughly 10,000 trees knocked down over 41 hectares of forest. The seawall was also severely damaged and the park was forced to close for the first time in 40 years. B.C. Hydro reported that more than 250,000 customers were without power during its peak, and the storm, dubbed the Hanukkah Eve Storm in Washington state, also claimed the lives of an elderly Burnaby couple who died of carbon monoxide poisoning during the power outage.

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To the editor: Re: Rookie trustee bumps Vision chair,” Dec. 12.

Green school board candidate Janet Fraser received our votes because she campaigned on promising to review each issue on its merits and to act in the best interests of Vancouver schoolchildren. Now, at the very first opportunity to vote, she has given control of the school board to the rightwing, so-called non-partisan party — probably the most partisan of them all.

If she thinks, as she claims, that this will achieve better treatment from this antieducation Liberal government than was achieved by the relentless and stalwart advocacy of Patti Bacchus, then she needs to give her head a violent shake. How she

could even consider handing over the chair to the inexperienced Christopher Richardson, whose only educational interest seems to be focussed on personal concerns and bringing the private sector into the classroom, is a mystery to all those who have campaigned and lobbied to get adequate public investment in public education.

And public funding of education, we might remind her, does not mean giving in to corporate self-interests.

By this action she has successfully lost Green support from many of us who, obviously naively, thought she would act in accord with her professed values. Shame on her.

Bruce and Valerie Levens, Vancouver

Flagged for awesome To the editor:

Re: “102nd Grey Cup flagged as one of the greatest,” Dec. 3.

As a regular reader of the Vancouver Courier, I look forward to tucking into every edition of the biweekly paper.

The headline “Grey Cup game flagged as one of the greatest” reads as pure genius to me. I attended the game and felt that it was not only a reasonably good and entertaining game, a “cake” that was perfectly iced by the Imagine Dragons at halftime, I also kind of feel that both teams won the game.

All of the debate about the penalty and how it changed the game and lives associated with it aside, your headline somehow perfectly encapsulated the game.

Thank you for that and your ongoing contributions to a thought-provoking and entertaining publication that typically knows when not to take itself too seriously.

Lance Parker, Vancouver

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

Send to: 1574 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver V6J 1R2 or email letters@vancourier.com

have your say online...

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COURIER STORY: “Commercial-Broadway station getting $60-million upgrade,” Dec. 10.

Jordan Wong: Good. Looking forward to when Stadium station and the downtown stations get upgrades. They look and feel utterly depressing. Hoping for this silly referendum to pass.

COURIER COLUMN: “City amends restrictive media policy...sort of,” Dec. 9.

AllThat: Excellent analysis. Keep on this, please. We need access to people who will give us real answers, not more political b.s.

Hermesacat: Imagine a supposedly progressive mayor and party in Vancouver admiring and emulating the anti-democratic central message control, iron fist and secrecy practiced by the man who would be king, Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Control freaks don’t relinquish control too readily. I doubt much will change under this “new” policy. Expect four more years of same-old. Re-electing Gregor is sure to only encourage him in his worst habits, not dissuade him. Voters let him get away with it and rewarded him for bad behaviour by re-electing him.

What’s to compel him to alter course? Not much.

COURIER JUNK FOOD REVIEW: “Tim Tam, thank you ma’am,” Dec. 12.

Kelly Lawrence: Aww shucks, thanks for thinking of us! Millions of Australians have grown up on Arnott’s and for them, Arnott’s is more than a food company, it’s a piece of Australia’s history that we get to share with the world. We’re chuffed to let you know that our Tim Tam bikkies are available at all major retailers in Canada.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

Community 1

2

3

4

1. Vancouver’s annual SantaCon (or SantArchy ) took place Saturday. It is believed to be the 14th annual, but some remember small SantaCon events taking place in the late 1990s. Hundreds of people dressed in Santa outfits got together for drinks and to spread holiday cheer around the city. 2. Father Christmas a.k.a. Gregory Haas has been a SantaCon Vancouver participant for the last four years. He met a friend at a local bar five years ago and remembered being surrounded by 400 Santas. “I made a solemn oath to myself at that moment to turn it up a notch for the next year.” 3. An eastbound Expo line SkyTrain was filled with SantaCon revelers who put an x-rated spin on traditional Christmas carols much to the delight/dismay of fellow passengers who were lucky/unlucky enough to be on the same train. 4. Bhaktivedanta Jolicoeur is one of the organizers of the Vancouver SantaCon. He is one of the few who have started calling the annual event SantArchy in keeping with the spirit of prank, rather than SantaCon which is increasingly becoming tarnished with a reputation of drunk and disorderly. PHOTOS REBECCA BLISSETT

SantaCon a mix of naughty and nice

CITY LIVING Rebecca Blissett

rvblissett@gmail.com

Pity the poor mall Santa, besieged by high-pitched demands for unimaginative toys while bracing his arm like a seatbelt to hold little Johnny for “just a couple more seconds” as mommy fiddles with her phone’s camera.

But surely during this monotony our dispirited mall Santa would have felt an inkling of a happy disturbance in the forces that rule and unite Santas on Saturday as his comrades and comradettes took to Vancouver streets to spread the good word.

Not that anybody kept official track, but it was the 14th annual SantaCon in Vancouver. A couple hundred Santas showed up

for the pub crawl and merry mischief-making in various degrees of Santa suit fabric quality that likely ranged from extremely flammable within half a kilometre of a tea light to keeping toasty on the tundra.

Meeting place St. Augustine’s pub was filled by noon with Mr. Clauses, a smattering of Mrs. Clauses, a couple of Grinches, a gingerbread man, shepherds, elves and reindeer to round out the corners.

SantaCon Vancouver isn’t anywhere near the size of its New York cousin, a slow-moving behemoth of thousands where drunk and disorderly-related antics have many non-elves viewing it as The Terror of Christmas. Nor are its participants as enterprising as in San Francisco, the event’s birthplace, where one Santa broke off from

the herd to rob a bank, thus giving an entirely different meaning to “SantaCon.” In Vancouver, there are rules which most Santas seemed to abide by — for the afternoon anyway.

To paraphrase, Santas must be respectful towards kids, police, security and other Santas (in the spirit of politeness, Santas are asked to bring cash and pay servers immediately after receiving beverages). Oh, and when asked by a non-Santas what the raucous group of roving Santas is all about is all about, tell them it’s “SantArchy” which is what the organizers Vancouver Cacophony Society say is a more accurate description of the local roam. The answer to, “Why are you doing this?” (“Because Santa loves you!”) is boring so Santa, himself, was asked in person.

Santa Gregory Haas was

outside the Commercial Drive pub in a decidedly more European and less dollar store-looking get-up than most. Haas’s Father Christmas was put together after buying a deep red robe from Craigslist and sewing fake white fur to the trim, and completing the look with a horn attached to a belt and a gift box belt “buckle” à la Justin Timberlake.

“I look forward to this more than I look forward to Christmas,” said Haas.

“The chaos, the camaraderie, the turnout — having so many people show up for this absurd event is great.”

Inside St. Augustine’s, a fellow dressed in the Christmas spirit of a 1980s WWF wrestler’s manager chanted via a bullhorn, “Server! Server! Server!” any time he spotted a waitress struggling to get through the sea of Santas.

Mrs. Claus, aka Mel ter Borg, a SantaCon regular since 2006 who had craftily fashioned her entire outfit, including an old-timey hat out of a shower cap, was sitting at a table in the middle of the pub with four men, all of whom she had roped in for their first SantaCon. “There’s something so weird about so many people dressed alike,” she said. “Why do I like it?

Saying Merry Christmas 500 times gets you into the Christmas spirit.”

What was interesting was the growing crowd attracted Saint Nicks of all ages, even perhaps leaning towards older rather than younger.

Naturally “Bad Santa” Michael Schelhaas had something to say about that.

“Why is it an older crowd? Do you really want the answer to that question? Because it’s going to

be deep,” he said. “I’ll tell you why, it’s because young people nowadays, they have no soul! Why do they have no soul? Because their parents give them everything!

They don’t know how to have fun. Their fun is antiquated through sending pictures to each other!”

After a speech (from the organizers, not Schelhaas), the mob headed to the Commercial Drive SkyTrain Station. And in the spirit of SantArchy, some Santas flooded the train to New Westminster while others, upon hearing rollerskating in Surrey was a possibility, jumped on the train for Main Street for a crawl. Both Santa factions reunited at the No. 5 Orange which posted a photo on Instagram of many red hats sitting around the stage with the caption “Then the Santas invaded.”

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A13

News

Seniors angry as free parking yanked

‘If they’re on limited income, then it’s going to be a problem’ Tereza Verenca

tverenca@gmail.com

An elderly couple who uses the Jericho Beach walking trails almost every day is looking to the city for answers.

For the last five years, Art and Florence Blott have made the twominute drive from their home and have used the free parking in a lot off Point Grey Road during the off-season (Sept. 30 to April 1). At the end of last month, the pair noticed the sign advertising the free parking disappeared and that a “Pay Here” sign and money box replaced it.

Art called the city’s 311 number and confirmed that free parking

months will also affect seniors.

“Some have a hard time walking, so sometimes they will take the car and stroll in the park.

But if they’re on limited income, then it’s going to be a problem.”

Gordon Barber, manager of revenue services for the Vancouver park board, told the Courier the decision to charge Point Grey Road parking lot users year-round was made in the summer.

The bylaw went into effect in October.

“The vast majority of our parking lots, probably in the range of 80 per cent are year-round paid parking. That really relates to use and demand.

This lot supports Brock

“I would think as a citizen, we would be obliged to be informed, not just give it to some private enterprise.” – Art Blott was still the case. But on Dec. 5, the seniors were slapped with a $36 ticket

by EasyPark.

“There were two cars in the parking lot at the time, and it’s a 40-car lot. My question is, who decided that EasyPark … be given the authority to make a parking regulation policy change of this magnitude that one would expect to come out of city hall?” he said.

According to its website, EasyPark is a cityowned non-profit corporation that manages 41 facilities, totalling over 10,836 parking spaces owned or leased by the city and various partners.

Florence reiterated much of her husband’s sentiments, arguing “if we are promoting healthy living in Vancouver, when we restrict the parents who don’t have a lot of money, we’re really interfering with our children’s life.”

She added fining drivers during the cooler

House and the Vancouver Tennis Club. It has changed to a situation where there is year-round use of the lot,” he said.

Other locations that have year-round paid parking include Kitsilano Beach, Stanley Park and Third Beach.

For the Blotts, a notice telling them the parking policy was going to change would have been nice.

“I would think as a citizen, we would be obliged to be informed, not just give it to some private enterprise,” Art said.

But Barber said there’s no requirement to do so.

“The challenge is that we have dozens of lots, over 6,000 paid parking stalls, all at varying rates depending on the location. There’s no single mechanism to isolate a lot. Historically, if there’s a change in parking rates, we don’t have to give notice to users and visitors.” twitter.com/tverenca

Art and Florence Blott received a $36 parking ticket after leaving their car in the lot off Point Grey Road on Dec. 5. For years, parking has been free in that area during the off-season. The pair is wondering who at city hall made the decision to start charging year-round.

PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

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Local Ambrosia Apples.......................................59¢/lb Local Gala Apples ..............................................59¢/lb Avocados.......................................................... 89¢/ea Small Oranges ...................................................48¢/lb Mandarins (loose) ..............................................69¢/lb Yellow Onions....................................................25¢/lb

DELI

Continental Beer Sausage............................ 69¢/100g Continental Black Forest Ham ...................... 91¢/100g

Continental Old Fashioned Ham ................... 91¢/100g

Continental Montreal Smoked Beef .......... $1.39/100g

Arctic Cervelat Salami.............................. $1.79/100g

Casa Italia Genoa Salami ......................... $1.65/100g

Casa Italia Prosciutto ............................... $1.89/100g

Mastro Prosciutto Cotto............................ $1.05/100g

Mastro Soppressata & Calabrese ............. $2.25/100g

San Daniele Mortadella............................ $1.31/100g

CHEESE

Saputo Mozzarella ................................... $1.35/100g Old White Cheddar................................... $1.55/100g

Old Orange Cheddar ................................ $1.55/100g Havarti Plain ............................................ $1.55/100g

Smoked Havarti ....................................... $1.69/100g

Danish Blue Cheese................................. $1.79/100g

Emma Provolone...................................... $1.65/100g

Romano Cheese....................................... $2.45/100g

Manchego Cheese ................................... $3.35/100g

Snowman Strong Swiss ........................... $2.65/100g

1322 COMMERCIAL DRIVE

604-253-1941

Prices effective Wednesday, December 17 to Sunday, December 21st th

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E D N E SDAY, D E C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

W E D N E SDAY, D E C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

West Point Grey Presbyterian Church & U-Campus Baptist Church

Invite you to our joint English Mandarin Christmas Eve Family Service

December 24th at 7p.m.: 4397 West 12th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. (corner of 12th Ave. & Trimble St.)

Come One, Come All!

西點長老會和UBC區校園浸信會 邀請您參加聖誕平安夜聯合聚會(英語-國語)。

OAKRIDGE UNITED CHURCH

305 W. 41st Ave. 604-324-7444

www.oakridgeunited.org

A Warm Welcome to All

Christmas Worship in Vancouver Thursday, December 25, Christmas Day 10:00 am Combined Service

7:00 pm Wednesday, Tuesday, December 24th

109 East 40th Ave. Vancouver 604-327-4010

Sunday, December 28th 10:00 am Combined Service Wednesday, December 31, New Year's Service 5:00 pm German Service

For Young Children and their Families For All Ages Candlelight Communion

Christmas Day Christmas 2014 at Wilson Heights United Church CHRISTMAS EVE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24 7:00 pm The Christmas Story 9:00 pm Candlelight Communion

Sunday, December 21, 10 am Join us for this traditional service with guest violinist and member of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, Andrea Siradze. As always, it will also include many favourite Christmas carols to sing as a congregation.

1634 41st Ave. E.

(41st & Argyle) Vancouver

604-325-9944

We welcome you !

Celebrate Christmas with Westside Anglicans St. Anselm’s

5210 University Boulevard

4:00 p.m.

9:00 p.m.

10:30 a.m.

All Ages Pageant Candlelight Eucharist Christmas Eucharist www.westsideanglican.ca

71st Avenue & Hudson

St Helen’s 8th Avenue & Trimble

Christmas Eve

7:30 p.m.

Eucharist

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

10:00 a.m.

Eucharist

Christmas Day

St. Chad’s 23rd Avenue & Trafalgar Christmas Eve

2:30 p.m.

Christmas Day

11:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m.

Young People’s Lessons & Carols Candlelight Eucharist Eucharist (English & Chinese)

St. Faith’s 57th Avenue & Cypress Christmas Eve

Carols, candles, brass and the Christmas Story 9:00 pm

Christmas Day

Ryerson United Church • 2195 W 45th Ave, Vancouver, BC (604) 266.5377

Carols at 9:30 pm Candlelight Eucharist 10 pm

Lessons and Carols

A special, short service for children 6:00 pm

For more information on upcoming events please visit our website: ryersonunited.ca

Christmas Eve:

All are Welcome!

St. Augustine’s

EVERYONE WELCOME!

www.I@HF.FA

CHRISTMAS EVE

Christmas Day

at Ryerson

2950 Laurel Street at West 14th Ave.

Holy Eucharist 10:30 am

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

St MARK’S/St GEORGE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH

Shaughnessy Heights United Church

1550 WDIJ 33CG AvDBHD, VABFEHvDC

7:00 pm 10:00 pm

Wednesday, December 24, Christmas Eve Worship 5:00 pm German Service 7:00 pm English Service / Candlelight Service

Family Friendly Service

December 25, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.

(one block block West (one West of of Fraser Fraser St) St) Rev. Nicholas Hopman

"We Welcome You"

Sunday Services at 9:30 am

(in the German language) Special music provided by Julie Lowe, Pianist (Vancouver Academy of Music) Michelle Klimchuk, Harpist

4:30 pm

604-325-0550 604-325-0550

Come and join us as we celebrate Christmas!

Immanuel Baptist Church would like to invite you for A German Christmas Celebration

MARTIN LUTHER CHURCH 505 East East 46th 46th Avenue, Avenue, Vancouver 505 Vancouver

www.knoxunitedvancouver.org knoxunitedvancouver

Just in case you missed the Christmas Eve celebration...

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4:00 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

10:00 a.m.

Lessons & Carols Candlelight Eucharist Eucharist

St. George’s & St. Mark’s 14th Avenue & Laurel Christmas Eve Christmas Day

9:30 p.m.

10:00 p.m.

10:30 a.m.

Carols Eucharist Eucharist

4:00 p.m.

11:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m.

Family Pagent & Eucharist Midnight Mass Christmas Communion

St. John’s Shaughnessy Nanton Avenue & Granville Christmas Eve Christmas Day

4:00 p.m.

11:30 p.m.

8:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

Family Service Midnight Mass Holy Communion Eucharist (sung)

St. Mary’s 37th Avenue And Larch

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

3:00 p.m.

4:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

11:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m.

Children’s Pagent Children’s Pagent Eucharist Eucharist Eucharist

St Philip’s 1 Block West Of Dunbar On 27th Avenue Christmas Eve Christmas Day

5:00 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

11:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m.

Children’s Pagent Eucharist Eucharist Eucharist

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

Worship with us CHRISTMAS EVE 7pm Carol Service CHRISTMAS DAY 10am Holy Communion You will be most welcome

Second Church of Christ, Scientist 1900 West 12th Ave. Tel/Fax 604-733-8040

WE’D LOVE TO WELCOME YOU! 10:30 am Sunday 7:30 pm Wednesday Service & Sunday School Testimonial Meeting

Holy Trinity Anglican Church Welcoming  Relevant  Traditional  Evangelical

1440 West 12 t h Avenue (at Hemlock) www.holytrinityvancouver.org

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE SENTINEL RADIO CISL 650 Radio - Sunday sat 8:30 AM CHRISTIAN SCIENCE READING ROOM

Church B ETHEL International

#103 - 1668 West Broadway • Info 604-733-4310 Call for hours of opening.

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

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

ST. HELEN’S (WEST POINT GREY)

ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA 4405 West 8th Avenue (corner of Trimble) Tel: 604-224-0212 www.pointgreyanglican.com

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!

739 East 33rd Avenue

christmas

Vancouver BC, V5V 3A1

604-872-5335

at St. Anselm’s

Join us Christmas Eve

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

All are Welcome!

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

December 24th 2014 - 6pm to 7pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

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.

Regular Sunday Celebration Service Sundays at 10am Coffee & refreshments following the service

Thu. Dec. 25—Christmas Day Worship 10:30am

www.bethelinvancouver.com

St. Anselm’s Anglican Church | 604.224.1410 | www.stanselms.ca 5210 University Blvd, Vancouver (across from UBC Golf Course)

Dunbar Evangelical Lutheran Church

Advent and Christmas St. James Church

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

Join us this Christmas!

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Wednesday, December 24th at 5:00 pm Christmas Day Service with Holy Communion Thursday, December 25th at 10:30 am First Sunday of Christmastide December 28th at 10:30 am

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

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

Sunday, December 28th

8:30am

3491 West 31st Ave,Vancouver 604-266-6818 • www.dunbarlutheran.ca Pastor:Thomas Keeley

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

10:30am

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

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Family

From X-Mas Factor to Winter Solstice COMMUNITY CALENDAR

donated this year and in the past.

Sandra Thomas

Visit the Vancouver Christmas Market this Friday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m. to watch the semi-finals of the annual X-Mas Factor Singing Competition.

Then drop back the next day at 6 p.m. to watch the finals. (FYI, every paid admission receives a season’s pass.)

Get ready to enjoy Christmas classics such as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “All I Want for Christmas is You,” performed by local singers competing to be named the 2014 X-Mas Factor Champion by music industry judges. The winning performer will receive an artist development and recording package from Studio Cloud 30, Widejko Photography, Big Chip Media and Carlie Wong, valued at more than $5,000.

The Christmas Market is located on the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza,

sthomas@vancourier.com

The Vancouver Courier office

Last week students from the after-school care program at Tennyson elementary made their yearly pilgrimage to the Courier’s office to drop off gifts.

The presents were for the 10th annual Christmas drive organized by office manager June Stafford in support of Directions Youth Services, a nonprofit organization that helps street youth meet immediate needs through hot meals, showers and laundry facilities. Directions staff also encourage teens and young adults to seek support through education, recreation and artistic programs, while the centre offers locker space and pet kennels.

Thank you and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone who

Downtown

650 Hamilton St. For more information, visit vancouverchristmasmarket.com.

Chinatown

Light up the longest night of the year Dec. 21 at the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival, where participants can take in live music and walk the Labyrinth of Light in Yaletown, try their hand at bird-inspired shadow puppetry at Dr. Sun YatSen Classical Chinese Garden and join a lantern procession on Granville Island that ends at a giant, sun-inspired fire sculpture.

For a complete schedule, visit secretlantern.org.

Various locations

White Spot is embracing the holiday spirit with its annual Christmas Day Luncheon Dec. 25 at the Kingsway Vancouver and Richmond Centre locations.

On Christmas Day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., management and staff will continue a decade-long tradition of donating their time, tips and proceeds to

the Richmond Hospital Foundation and Variety — The Children’s Charity. In 2013, restaurant staff raised more than $16,000 and hope to set a new record this year.

Since the Christmas Day Luncheon’s inception, more than $160,000 has been generated for a good cause. The Richmond White Spot is located at 1902-6551 No. 3 Rd. and the Vancouver restaurant is at 1476 Kingsway, at Knight.

late or cold milk and a free, professionally taken photo in front of a festive Christmas background.

The event is completely free, but families should register to reserve a spot.

Within a day, participants will receive a high-resolu-

Hastings Sunrise

Members of the City Baptist Church believe everyone should have the pleasure of a nice family photo, especially at Christmas time.

To that end, the church is hosting a free Christmas photo event Dec. 19 at the Vancouver Tap Dance Society studio, 2775 East Hastings St. from 4 to 9 p.m. for families in the community.

Families can enjoy home-baked goodies to accompany hot choco-

tion image direct to their email address and if they like, can even pick up a five by seven print of their photo on Sunday Dec. 21.

For more information and to register, visit citybaptist.ca/Christmas. twitter.com/sthomas10

th 20 Dunbar annual Christmas

Food Bank Drive

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

PICKUPS CAN BE ARRANGED BY CALLING

604-264-7444

at the 28th annual Festival of Trees in the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver and Pacific Centre. for more information and to vote for your favourite tree, please visit

www.bcchf.ca/fot

VENUE SPONSORS

trees on display from

November 20 to January 5

MEDIA SPONSORS

Students from Lord Tennyson elementary’s after-school care program drop off gifts at the Vancouver Courier office accompanied by Cassandra Gordon (centre).PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

DAVID BERNER

The tough questions - asked & answered!

Shaw Community TV Channel 4

Sundays 7:30pm • Tuesdays 12:30pm • Wednesdays 4:30am • Thursdays 8:00am • Fridays 4:00pm

POLITICS HEALTH CARE LAW & ORDER TAXATION ADDICTIONS SENIORS CITY PLANNING EDUCATION

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

The ideal visit with the doctor

Davidicus Wong

During the visit, resist the natural passive role of the patient. Ask questions and ask for clarification if the doctor lapses into technical language

MISSING A TOOTH? Dr. Marianna Klimek

MK Pontic

The ‘MK Pontic’ is a unique treatment option used to replace a single missing tooth that does not require reduction of the adjacent teeth. While not available for all individuals it can offer tooth replacement that is both cost effective and minimally invasive. It lasts for years at a cost of only

500

$

Before

After

Affordable , esthetic dentistry for seniors

Before

After

Cantilever Bridge with Splint

This is formed by a pontic (artificial tooth) attached to the crown on one side and supported by a metal loop embedded in the adjacent tooth by the use of composite bonding. Only one of the teeth adjacent to the gap needs to be prepared for the crown. This patient had one congenitally missing tooth and the tooth next to the space needed a crown.

The Cantilever Bridge with composite splint was conservative and successful restoration.

Great esthetics without braces

Before

After

We offer family and cosmetic dentistry, braces, dentures, implants and wisdom teeth extractions.

Dr. Marianna Klimek & Associate Dentists

“I have difficulty managing in my home on my own.”

202-2929 Commercial Dr. @ 13th Ave www.mkpontic.com • 604.876.5678

For some, it can be one of the most stressful encounters — like a visit to the dentist or being called into the principal’s office.

For others, it can be a great experience, where your fears and concerns are addressed, you feel accepted just as you are and you leave with hope.

Imagine an ideal visit to the doctor.

The office is running on time. You barely have a chance to glance at the magazine rack full of up-todate enlightening material or watch the big screen TV in the reception room with practical educational programming.

The staff is cheerful and pleasant. The medical office assistant or nurse is kind and seems to be genuinely concerned about you.

You feel comfortable in sharing confidential information with her, including all the reasons you’ve come to see the doctor.

Your doctor is happy to see you and takes the time to ask how you’re doing and what’s new in your life. You go over your list of concerns and together you determine what items (if not all) can be addressed today and when unrelated or more complicated problems can be attended to.

You’re able to describe the history of your concerns and the doctor then asks you questions to help both of you to arrive at the correct diagnoses. During the examination, the doctor explains what he’s doing, what he is checking for and why.

The doctor is clear about the diagnosis or is honest in not knowing yet. Sometimes further investigations are needed to narrow a spectrum of multiple possible diagnoses (the differ-

ential diagnosis).

You feel comfortable asking questions, share in the decision-making process and agree on the treatment plan. At the close of the visit, you have a clear idea on the follow-up, what tests you’ll be doing, how you’ll be informed of results and when you should return.

To have a medical clinic always running on time may be an unattainable ideal. The nature of health and illness is of sporadic unpredictability. Some patients’ problems are more complicated, crisis counsel-

the side effects, interactions, risks and alternatives for any treatment, including prescriptions, investigations and procedures. This is what you need to make informed decisions.

3) Finally, at the close of the visit, make sure you’re clear about the plan to address your concerns and to achieve your goals. Who will call you with the appointment for the specialist, procedure or test? How will you get the results? When should you book a followup visit?

To that end, on Thurs-

Before the visit, prepare a complete list of your concerns ing may be required at any time, emergencies arise and a doctor’s day in the clinic is frequently interrupted by urgent phone calls and requests from pharmacies.

But other than the dream of always being seen on time, the essentials of the ideal medical visit are attainable and should be the norm.

What can you do to have a better visit with the doctor?

1) Before the visit, prepare a complete list of your concerns. Share the list with the office staff when you’re booking and review it with them when you arrive.

At the beginning of your visit, review the list with the doctor, agree on the day’s agenda and the plan to address anything that needs to be dealt with later.

2) During the visit, resist the natural passive role of the patient. Ask questions and ask for clarification if the doctor lapses into technical language (that’s natural for us). If the information isn’t offered, ask about

day, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m., I’ll be speaking in the library of Byrne Creek Secondary School. The topic: The Patient-Doctor Relationship — Making the Most of Every Medical Visit. I’ll share some practical tips on how to work with your doctor to achieve your goals; review the key information you should know about any proposed treatment, prescription, test or procedure; outline what you should know about your medical history; and summarize important screening tests —what tests you need and when.

The presentation is sponsored by the Burnaby Division of Family Practice and is free to the public but because space is limited, register online with lcullen@divisionsbc.ca or call Leona at 604-259-4450.

Dr. Davidicus Wong is a family physician. For more on achieving your positive potential in health visit davidicuswong.wordpress.com.

Is This You Or Someone You Know?

SHYLO Brings The Care To Your Home.

We want you to be able to live in your home for as long as you wish. Shylo Home Support Care can help you with: 3 meal preparation, laundry & housekeeping 3 medication management 3 personal care (washing and dressing) 3 Alzheimer and dementia support 3 home safety and security

For a FREE IN-HOME ASSESSMENT call

604-985-6881

Check us out online: www.ShyloNursing.ca www.VancouverSeniorHealth.BlogSpot.com

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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healthbriefs Sandra Thomas

sthomas@vancourier.com

Fairview

Canadian Memorial Church, 1806 West 15th Ave., is hosting a special Blue Christmas service tonight, Dec. 17, from 7 to 8 p.m.

This special service offers a time to gather in worship with others for whom this season is difficult and an opportunity to acknowledge the pain and sadness of the loss of a loved one, a job, a relationship, health or any loss. For some, this season is a particular reminder of past losses and how Christmas is not the same as it once was. This free service is a chance for all to take time out from the joyous frenzy of the season

and tap into the simple wonder of the holiday in a place where it’s safe to acknowledge that Christmas is not all joy and bliss.

Kerrisdale

A special joint service of the parishes of St. Mary’s Kerrisdale Anglican and Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church is also dedicated to those who find it hard to be merry during this season.

This Blue Christmas service will help acknowledge the pain and sadness of loss through words of encouragement, readings, poetry, prayer and music. All are welcome. The service takes place Dec. 21 at 4 p.m. at St. Mary’s Kerrisdale, 2490 West 37th Ave. Also taking place in Kerrisdale is a free skate

DENTURES THAT FIT

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Sunday, Dec. 21 from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. at the Kerrisdale Arena, 5670 East Boulevard. The skate is sponsored by the Kerrisdale Business Association and skate rentals will also be provided free of charge while quantities last.

Grandview Woodland

News1130 radio has teamed up with A Loving Spoonful society for a charity drive to raise money and non-perishable food items for people with

HIV/AIDS who don’t have access to healthy food.

On Thursday, Dec. 18, News1130’s Tammy Moyer, along with Breakfast Television, will be at 1449 Powell St. (near McLean Drive) from 6 to 10 a.m. to accept donations of non-perishable food items or cash.

Killarney

The Killarney Stroke Recovery Program begins again Jan. 13 and runs through March 31.

Great ex

FREE

For your free consultation please call 604-325-1914 www.mydentures.ca

Denturist - 27 yrs exp

participants find their very own favourite fitness activities while engaging in a healthy lifestyle. Sessions take place Jan. 12 to Feb. 16 and Feb. 23 to March 23 in Room 205.

Other health-related workshops and programs being offered at Killarney in the 2015 include New Year’s Resolutions, Here’s to Your Heart, and Spring Tune Up. For more information, visit theseniorshub. org/community-events. twitter.com/sthomas10

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

All our Dentures and Services are TAX FREE! Friedrich H.G. Brumm D.D. B.A.

This is a therapeutic recreation program designed to help people recovering from a stroke.

Also being offered at Killarney is a new program called Fab Fitness for All designed for anyone 55 years and older. The class provides a variety of fitness class styles specifically geared towards getting older men and women to become active and participate in sport programming. Join this sampler program organized to help

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A20

THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

Arts&Entertainment

GOT ARTS? 604.738.1411 or events@vancourier.com

1 Dec. 17 to 19, 2014 1. Melt that block of ice you call a heart when the Biltmore Cabaret hosts a Wonderful World of Disney tribute, Dec. 17, 8 p.m. Performers include Colleen Rennison from No Sinner, Mother Mother’s Ryan Guldemond, Dustin Bentall and Kendel Carson, Jessicka and the Gentle Party, Debra-Jean Creelman, Rococode, Hey Ocean’s David Beckingham, Shuyler Jansen and Mani Khaira belting out Disney classics and proving that it’s a small world after all. Details at biltmorecabaret.com.

2. Now in its 52nd season, Metro Theatre presents its 478th (!) production, Aladdin.

The annual holiday pantomime features music, dance, topical humour, innuendos and audience participation until Jan. 4.

Details at metrotheatre.com.

3. Another week, another Nutcracker ballet. This time it’s Goh Ballet’s annual take on the seasonal classic. Featuring 200 glittering costumes, dramatic sets and Tchaikovsky’s memorable score performed live by members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, The Nutcracker runs Dec. 18 to 22 at the Centre in Vancouver. Details at gohnutcracker.com.

4. Portland-by-way-of-Minneapolis trio the Lower 48 brings its big, bright, old-school pop stylings to the Hindenburg (23 West Cordova) Dec. 18. Locals Catlow, Combine the Victorious, and the Lion round out the infectious bill. Details at hindenburg.ca.

2

3

4

W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Arts&Entertainment

Peachy keen production fun for whole family Carousel Theatre takes a bite out of charming James and the Giant Peach THEATRE REVIEW Jo Ledingham

joled@telus.net

It’s not unusual in TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) to have actors dressed up like cute little bunnies, raccoons or squirrels, but it’s out of the ordinary to find the stage “peopled” with creepy crawlies. While we’re fine with ladybugs and grasshoppers, for some people there’s a definite “ewww” factor around earthworms and fear when it comes to spiders and centipedes.

A big part of the message of James and the Giant Peach, written by Roald Dahl and adapted as a children’s musical by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (words and music) and Timothy Allen McDonald (book) is this: the more you get to know someone/something, the more you find you can trust them — even if they’re bugs.

Getting to know lascivious Aunt Spiker (Patti Allan) and gluttonous Aunt Sponge (Deborah Williams) will not endear them to you, however. Four-yearold James Henry Trotter (Julian Lokash) is orphaned when his parents are eaten by an escaped rhinoceros; his aunties are obliged to take him in. They live high on an isolated hill near the white cliffs of Dover and make their living by picking pockets and other nefarious activities. Turn Allan and Williams loose and they run with it, getting the most laughs — especially from the grownups — in the show.

After a mysterious old wizard (Jonathan Winsby) turns up, ill-treated little James brews up a magic potion, but before he can drink it, he spills it on a barren peach tree in the garden. Amazingly, the tree suddenly produces a house-sized peach. Some of the potion splashes on the bugs and they, too, increase in size and take on human

The stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach is full of delights.

qualities, including speech.

Adventure after adventure follows.

It’s a charming tale given delightful treatment by director Carole Higgins, artistic director of Carousel Theatre for Young People.

Before the concoction gets spilled, the bugs are represented by handheld puppets crafted by Annett Mateo, originally for Seattle Children’s Theatre. But

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once the potion is out of the bottle, the bugs become human-size. Costume designer Barbara Clayden then whips up fantastic costumes for polka-dotted Ladybug (sprightly Kaylee Harwood), green and skinny Grasshopper (Alex Rose), nervous Earthworm (Winsby again), elegant Spider (Makayla Moore) and multi-legged Centipede (Scott Bellis). A Bard on the

Beach veteran, Bellis stands out; he just has that undeniable star quality even when he’s just an arthropod.

A little star in the making is 11-year-old Julian Lokash. With his tight curls and angelic face, he looks like a cherub out of an old Master’s painting except that he’s wearing short pants, woolly sox, lace-up shoes and a knitted vest: the perfect little English schoolboy. Lokash has a sweet soprano voice that, now and again, was overtaken by the lively three-piece band (under the musical direction of Steven Greenfield) on opening night.

Al Frisk’s set design features a giant peach on which James and his entomological friends sail away.

Gerald King splashes light over it all: sometimes warm and peachy, sometimes ocean-blue and wavy.

A testament to the magic of James and the Giant Peach is the rapt attention the kids (six and older) pay to the show; the evening

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performances begin at seven o’clock and runs about two hours, just a little past bedtime. There are also weekend matinees.

Young, bright eyes riveted on the stage, the children are captivated by the story of an unhappy little boy who finds a new family — albeit multi-legged and antenna-ed.

Carousel Theatre and Higgins deserve a big shout-out for introducing thousands of kids to the theatre. They’ll grow up thinking this is part of the joy of living: we go to the theatre. Some of them — like Julian Lokash, if he wants it — will make a life there.

For more reviews, including Cinderella: A Van East Panto, Wide Awake Hearts and Dylan Thomas: Return Journey, go to joledingham.ca.

James and the Giant Peach runs until Jan. 4 at the Waterfront Theatre. For tickets, call 604-685-6217 or go to carouseltheatre.ca.

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A22

THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

Arts&Entertainment KUDOS & KVETCHES Search party

The wait is finally over.

After months of uncertainty, anticipation, ice bucket challenges gone horribly wrong, riots in the streets of Nanaimo and many a sleepless night due to the heater crapping out in our king-size waterbed… again, Google Canada’s annual list of the most popular trending search queries is finally here.

And the winner is… Robin Williams… who committed suicide in August.

That’s not very festive, is it? The World Cup was the second most searched item on Google, followed by the

iPhone 6 and the Winter Olympics. Woo hoo! But before you get too giddy, the next most popular searches were Ebola (yuck), Philip Seymour Hoffman (sad), Jennifer Lawrence (yow-za!), Joan Rivers (sad again), Jian Gomeshi (yuck) and the disease ALS (really sad).

So what does this tell us about Canadians? Well, they have a keen interest in dead celebrities, celebrities embroiled in controversy, diseases, technology and sports. Quite a well-rounded nation, if you ask us.

Not to be outdone, K&K has compiled a list of our most popular trending search queries on Google and they are in no particu-

tear stains, can you physically eat 50 eggs in one sitting like in Cool Hand Luke?, badgers, cures for gout, Mary Stuart Masterson haircut in Some Kind of Wonderful, Ratt’s Out of the Cellar, mysterious rashes, Bootsauce reunion, used PT Cruiser, insomnia, Perry Mason and “best nachos ever.”

Elf help

K&K’s top Google searches for 2014 include “best nachos ever,” Ratt’s Out of the Cellar and Perry Mason.

lar order: mirkin, Vitamix, whatever happened to Eric Stoltz?, “Shake it Off,” jai

alai, cheap booze that will get you drunkest, futon injuries, tips for removing

Until last year we had never heard of the creepy holiday phenomenon known as Elf on the Shelf, where parents are hoodwinked into hiding a “magical elf” doll around the house so it can supposedly spy on their kids and report back to Santa Claus whether they’ve been

naughty or nice. A few of our parent friends with apparently a huge void in their lives have even started to post photos of creatively placed elves on shelves.

What fun.

Now there’s even a Jewish version of the toy called Mensch on a Bench, just in time for Chanukah.

All of which has gotten us thinking about coming out with our own holiday tradition with accompanying product tie-in. Right now it’s a toss-up between Cruton on the Futon, Sable on the Table, Whore on the Floor and Slug on the Rug. We’ll keep you posted with the details and any impending lawsuits. twitter.com/KudosKvetches TELUS STORES & AUTHORIZED DEALERS Abbotsford

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W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A23

Sports&Recreation

GOT SPORTS? 604.630.3549 or mstewart@vancourier.com

Catching up with the rookies

By Megan Stewart

Mulligan surges at NorAm

Grouse Mountain Tyee Club alpine skier Sam Mulligan put in a stellar performance on the slopes as racing continued at the North America Cup this week at Panorama Ridge in southeast B.C. On Monday, the Grade 12 Kitsilano student started in 98th Sam Mulligan but put in a good enough performance to jump to 23rd in the men’s super-G and finished 14th overall in the combined. Mulligan, who’s on the B.C. ski team for the first year, had the best result for all U18 races in both events. The NorAm Cup includes racers of all ages and is one level below the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. “I have been skiing well in training lately and ideal course conditions allowed me to push hard from the back,” said Mulligan. “I was able to ski the way I wanted and it feels great to finally piece together a whole race run.”

Landers selected as B.C.’s U18 QB

Notre Dame quarterback Theo Landers has been selected as one of two QBs to join the provincial team at the Tanoa Bowl Classic in Auburn, Wash. Dec. 28. Landers, who took the Jugglers to the first round of the AAA high school post-season, in seven regular season games threw 442 yards and added another 390 rushing. He had eight touchdowns, half of them in the air and half on the ground.

Doug Pauls, a community coach with the Westside Warriors and the linebackers coach for Vancouver College, will join the coaching staff for team B.C.

Giants: Nothing ugly about winning

Vancouver downed the Victoria Royals in back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday nights, pushing their winning streak to six straight games, five which came under new hire and former Winnipeg Jets coach Claude Noel.

The Giants outscored the Royals 10-3 in the two wins, but their overall record is still three games below .500.

On Saturday at Pacific Coliseum, the Giants wore the prettiest ugly Christmas sweaters as goaltender Cody Porter stopped all 27 shots he faced in a shut-out win. The victory was the club’s sixth in a row, ending a losing skid and pulling the Giants within reach of their B.C. Division rivals.

Vancouver still sits in last place out of five B.C. teams with a 15-18 record, but their 30 points are within grasp of the Kamloops Blazers (31 points) and Prince George Cougars (34 points). The Kelowna Rockets (55 points) have maintained a stranglehold on the division and their 265-3 record is the best in the Western Hockey League. The Giants hosted the U.S.-division leading Everett Silvertips (19-8-3-1) Tuesday after the Courier’s print deadline.

Giants Brennan Menell (left) and Tyler Benson

In part one of two, the Courier asks 2014 high school graduates about life as a university freshman Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

For the first annual Courier rookie showcase, we’re checking in with Vancouver athletes in their freshman semester at colleges and universities around the continent.

Today we’re catching up with golfer Marie Donnici, who rises for 6 a.m. workouts at the University of Hawaii, UBC pitcher Brad Smith who has been challenged to master a changeup, newly minted lacrosse midfielder Tyler Vogrig and B.C.’s AAAA basketball MVP Mindy Minhas, who saw far less court time than anyone expected.

Read our Friday edition to hear from Prince of Wales’ grad Andrew de Visser, field hockey players at Rutgers and Harvard, and more.

Marie Donnici

Crofton House graduate now golfing at the University of Hawaii On the first day of our 6 a.m. workouts, I wore the wrong colour of shirt. It was a good thing the trainers were feeling forgiving that day!

My best finish was at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational, where I shot 78-75-78 and placed 28th.

Coach Lori Castillo and I have talked a lot about “random practice,” where I go through my full preshot routine with each shot and pick new targets, as opposed to “block practice,” where I would hit the same shot for a longer period of time. This has helped me simulate competition in my practice. We’ve also worked on a “tension free swing,” or having a calm mind and body once I address the ball.

To balance athletics and academics I’ve had to be very disciplined with my time management. UH’s Nagatani Academic Center for student-athletes, where I have to complete six hours of study hall per week, has been a great resource.

I’ve found that the biggest difference between being a college athlete and an athlete

Crofton House graduate Marie Donnici capped her freshman season at the University of Hawaii by finishing 28th overall at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational in October.

PHOTO UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII SPORTS MEDIA RELATIONS

in high school is that you are very much treated like an adult and a professional here, and you have more control over your own time.

I love this extra freedom and responsibility because it has made me accountable for my own progress more than ever before.

My favourite class this semester has been World Religions 175, my elective class. It has exposed me to aspects of different cultures I would not have otherwise learned about and has been quite different from the economics and business classes I have taken. Other than at Nagatani, I usually study in my dorm room.

My dorm room style is pretty basic! My favourite part about it is my bulletin board with letters and pictures of my friends and family at home.

The food here has been great — my favourites have been laulau, which is pork wrapped in taro leaves, and the seafood, like mahimahi fish. I’ve tried to embrace Hawaii’s “Aloha Spirit” since moving here. This friendly acceptance is present all around campus and made my transition here very easy.

Brad Smith

Point Grey graduate now pitching at UBC The baseball season begins in earnest February 2015.

So far, in the late summer

after returning from training with the national junior team, Smith made two appearances for the Thunderbirds.

The whole Thunderbirds baseball team really made me feel welcomed.

All the guys are good to be around, the senior guys are approachable, and we had a team party which was a great time for bonding and getting to know everyone.

I have only pitched two innings so far, one went well, one did not… so, my best performance was one inning with two strikeouts.

My pitching coach has drilled change-ups into us — despite the fact that I haven’t gotten into a lot of games yet, I already know that the biggest change I will see in my game is the amount of change-ups I throw within a game.

To balance the academic and athletic demands, honestly, the best strategy is for me is not to stress.

I know I’ll put the work into both aspects of my life. This first semester, I emphasized more on my academics, reason being I wanted to be academically eligible more than anything. However, now I’m really focused on baseball and I’ll be putting in more focus now and second semester, while also planning my academic responsibilities accordingly, without a compromise in grades.

I’d have to say the biggest difference from high school is my self-responsibility.

Now that I’m no longer living with my parents, the toughest part hasn’t really been baseball or school really, because I was expecting the heightened demands on both fronts, however, it’s living on my own and being responsible. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the freedom, it’s just the biggest difference has been living on my own.

My favourite classes are definitely my commerce courses: Comm 101 and Comm 290. Commerce is what I’m most interested in and is why I chose to study business. I enjoy studying in the Sauder Library and Irving Learning Centre because they aren’t super quiet, which bugs me, and it’s a very co-operative learning environment that allows you to work with others and bounce ideas of each other.

Based on my dorm room, right now you would see that I’m an organized person who likes to keep things clean. But the thing is, that could drastically change because during a time when I’m really busy, my room will be a mess. My dorm room style is quite plain. I don’t spend a tremendous amount of time in here, as I’m usually at baseball, class or the library.

Continued on next page

A24

THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

Sports&Recreation

‘High school was fun, university even better’ Continued from previous page

My dorm room style is very clean and neat. I would never like to live in a dirty or messy environment. By looking at my room, you would learn that I am very productive and I like everything to be neat and clean.

Since I’ve been here, I’ve had my first ever ChickFil-A sandwich and it was life-changing.

Tyler Vogrig

Van Tech graduate playing lacrosse at High Point University in North Carolina It is very easy to tell that I am a quintessential rookie because adjusting from the high school to college level is a huge leap. Getting used to Division 1 lacrosse was at first hard for all the other freshman, but towards the end of fall ball, I’ve got a taste of what it’s like to play at the highest level in college sports and I know that I will thrive in this environment over the next four years.

At the beginning of the year, some of the upperclassmen talked to all the freshman on what we have to do to be successful at High Point. The team welcomes all the freshman into the family and we are all equals.

Our team has not played any games yet but I’ve improved in a few ways. My conditioning has gotten a lot better since I’ve been here and it’s a lot more humid here — now that I’ve gotten used to it, I am comfortable performing in places with high tem-

FRESHEST From left: Brad Smith competes for UBC, Mindy Minhas is on medical leave from the Thunderbirds, and Tyler Vogrig is in North Carolina at High Point University. peratures and high humidity, which will be an advantage.

Another way my game has improved is that I’ve gotten a lot better at dodging a one vs. one match up because that’s something I’ve never done in box lacrosse. Box lacrosse is a totally different sport than field lacrosse, and I haven’t played much field lacrosse in B.C. so there’s still a lot for me to learn while I’m in the States.

One thing my coach has taught me is how to play midfield. There are so many details that you have to know as a midfielder and getting to know all the plays and systems was difficult, but the coaches here are

more than happy to help us understand what I need to do as a midfielder. I’ve gone from knowing almost nothing to knowing a lot within a span of four months.

The life of a studentathlete is not easy. What we do as a lacrosse team is we practise in the mornings from about 6 to 9 a.m., which lets us have the rest of the day to go to class and take care of our academics since academics are what define us as student-athletes.

Our coaches encourage us to do well in the classroom. As a freshman, I have a mandatory eight hours a week to spend at our new study hall

facility, Phillips Hall.

The biggest difference now compared to being a high school athlete is the competitiveness that the team has at practice. We practise how we would play a game and that is to win.

Even though we are on the same team, we compete against each other as if we were our rivals.

My favourite class has to be human biology even though it’s the toughest course I’ve ever taken. I’m really enjoying it and I am doing well. My favorite place to study is my bed because I can get work done when I’m comfortable.

Mindy Minhas

Churchill graduate on medical leave from the basketball program at UBC I’m still learning every day and watching the older guys gives me a bit of a perspective on things. I’m just soaking it all in, learning as much as I can so I can succeed next year. My teammates are great and very welcoming. Everybody offered to help and show me around. One of the first things the school did for us as rookies was give a tour of the campus in a golf cart.

I’m lucky I’ve got great people around me that are always there to help me succeed. Especially being diagnosed with an intestinal

The Mercedes-Benz Holiday Sale.

disease, I have had to rely on numerous people... the list just goes on and on and I’m truly blessed. Looking forward, I plan on getting ready for next season and overcoming all of these setbacks and becoming the best version of myself.

I have had a couple of meetings with coach Kevin Hanson since I couldn’t play, and he’s really been there for me when I’ve needed him.

He’s put me in a great situation to come back next year better than ever.

High school was fun while it lasted, but university gets even better… for any of you Grade 12s wondering! There is so much more freedom, regarding literally everything.

Academically, it’s much tougher though. It gets easy to adjust to after a while. In terms of basketball, for the little bit I played, it was a lot more physical and faster, but I was starting to adjust to it. Everything is kind of difficult at first, but you just keep working hard and you’ll adjust to anything in no time.

Interviews have been condensed and edited. twitter.com/MHStewart

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A28

THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, DE C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 4

MANDARIN ORANGE

The Freshest Holiday Treat!

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INGREDIENTS: INGREDIENTS: 200 ml fresh whipping cream 200 mlcream fresh cheese whipping cream 200g (room temperature) 200g cheese (room oranges temperature) 1 cupcream chopped mandarin 12 cup mandarin tbspchopped powdered sugar oranges 2Mandarin tbsp powdered orangessugar for decorating the top Mandarin oranges for decorating the top

FOR CRUST: FOR CRUST: 75g butter 75g butter 1 cup Honey Graham Crackers 1 cup Honey Graham Crackers

at

DIRECTIONS: 1. Line the base of a baking tin with parchment paper.

DIRECTIONS:

2. Line Chopthe mandarins small and drain with kitchen paper.

1. base of anto baking tinchunks with parchment paper.

3. Chop Place mandarins Graham Crackers in achunks ziploc bag, and crush finepaper. crumbs.

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Compress graham mixture as much asto possible 10. Add the powdered sugarinto to the whip until just before stiff. the pan and place the crust the cream freezerand to set.

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