Vancouver Courier March 4 2015 by Vancouver Courier

WEDNESDAY

March 04 2015 Vol. 106 No. 17

NEWS 6

Cohousing part two OPINION 10

Know your neighbours STATE OF THE ARTS 17

CelticFest goes Pogue

There’s more online at

vancourier.com MIDWEEK EDITION

THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS since 1908

Believing in the team Coach with cancer inspires players BASKETBALL Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

HERON THERE: Blue Herons stood watch in Stanley Park this week near the Vancouver Park Board office. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

Strings attached to band funding VSB report suggests scaling back

Cheryl Rossi

crossi@vancourier.com

A recent report meant to ﬁnd a way for the Vancouver School Board to offer a band and strings program at elementary schools on a cost-neutral basis has reached a grim conclusion, considering the school board projects a $14.77 million budget shortfall for 2015-2016. “There is no practical way to eliminate the full budget for elementary band and strings in the 2015 budget process without eliminating the whole program,” wrote former VSB associate superintendent of learning service Valerie Overgaard, who was contracted to prepare the report. Instead, Overgaard said how music education is delivered in Vancouver’s elementary schools should be reconsidered, and she suggested ways of reducing program costs for

September 2015 in the report that was presented to a school board committee, Feb. 11. Most of the protest during the VSB’s budget process last spring concerned the proposed elimination of the Vancouver School Board’s band and strings program to help alleviate the board’s projected budget shortfall of $11.65 million for 2014-2015. The board subsequently dedicated lastminute holdback funds from the province to saving the program for one year while options for retaining the program with no cost to the district were explored. The school board covers the cost of the equivalent of eight full-time teachers, beyond school-based stafﬁng allocations, to teach band or strings to 2,800 students at 52 of 76 elementary schools in Vancouver. Band is taught to Grades 5 or 6 to 7 students in 31 schools; strings to students in Grades 4 to 7 in 20 schools. Some elementary schools have music specialist teachers, in addition to band teachers, that offer band instruction. (All secondary

schools offer band and/or orchestra programs.) The programs are optional and students pay an annual fee of $25. Overgaard suggested the board could strengthen its arts education policy by directing schools to hire more music specialists over the next ﬁve years. She also wrote the district could save money by only offering band to Grade 7 students starting in September 2015. “This would not be out of line with other school districts,” Overgaard wrote. “Burnaby, in fact, found that when they offered the program to Grade 7 students only, the retention rate in Grade 8 went from 50 per cent to 80 per cent.” Vancouver is only one of three districts in Metro Vancouver that provides strings instruction in elementary schools and it’s the only strings program offered without being user pay. Overgaard suggested the board could stop offering strings to Grade 4 students to save money. Continued on page 4

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News Vision justifies spending millions on campaigns 12TH&CAMBIE Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

As many of us media types reported last week, Vision Vancouver spent a whopping $3.4 million on its 2014 civic election campaign. It’s the most money the ruling party at city hall has spent on one campaign since it became a party about a decade ago. But the party has been raking in the cash and spending it for years. If my accounting is correct, the party has easily spent more than $7 million over the last four elections. The NPA has been close behind in dumping cash into its campaigns and it’s hardly been the David to Goliath, a nice little fable the party was telling in the 2014 vote; the NPA spent $2 million this time around. Anyway, I spoke to Vision co-chairperson Maria Dobrinskaya about spending millions of bucks over the last decade and asked her if it was all worth it. Of course, she was going to say it was, right? This is what she said: “Is it worth it? Well, I think that the voters in Vancouver would say yes to that because we just had our mayor [Gregor Robertson] and a majority council elected for the third time. Is it worth it? Well, it’s a tough question for me to respond to because by saying yes, then

I’m justifying that huge amount of money that’s been spent. I’ve already said [earlier in the interview] that I think it would be a far superior system if we had significant campaign finance reform. But, yes, given the situation, I think that Vancouver has benefited. From the two terms of government that we’ve had, there’s been a lot of really progressive and lasting policy.” She went on to talk about council’s plan to protect the environment, its so-called engaged city task force, efforts to end street homelessness, an increase in childcare spaces and a better run school district. But she knows — and as anybody who pays attention to the civic scene knows — Vision wouldn’t be in a position of power without some serious cash coming its way from wealthy corporations and unions. I listed some of the big money people and organizations in a story I published last week. CUPE B.C ($230,900), Keg head David Aisenstat ($130,000), Holborn Holdings ($105,000), Amacon Management Services Corp ($75,000), George Wong and Magnum Projects ($75,000) and Concord Pacific and its subsidiaries ($61,250) were among some of the deep-pocketed players. In a second review of the documents, I also noted an individual donation of $37,500 from Lululemon founder Chip

Wilson. Couple that with the $37,500 he gave under Low Tide Properties and he was in for $75,000. Since I’ve got a bit of space left here, I thought I’d mention a few of the lesser knowns and give you a sense of who else has a spot on the Vision train, albeit in the caboose and — in the case of two contributors — a hazy caboose. I’m referring to nonproﬁts the Medical Pot Now Society, which gave $2,500, and Eden Medicinal Society, which handed over $1,750. The mayor and his Vision colleagues, by the way, are on record of wanting marijuana regulated and taxed as a strategy to combat organized crime and improve public health and safety. Steven Lippman, who owns the York Rooms and other single-roomoccupancy hotels in the Downtown Eastside and has been a target of activists accusing him of jacking up rents and forcing people out of hotels, gave Vision at least $9,500. Great Canadian Gaming Corp and Busters Towing each gave $10,000 while the Vancouver Taxi Association contributed $49,000. The Vancouver Elementary School Teachers’ Association donated $17,500. Hootsuite Holdings Inc., which operates a social media platform popular with Twitter users, gave $2,000. Hey, maybe I should tweet that. twitter.com/Howellings

The Eden Medicinal Society, which says it provides medical cannabis to patients, gave $1,750 to Vision Vancouver for its election campaign. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

Steven Lippman, who owns the York Rooms and other single-room-occupancy hotels in the Downtown Eastside, gave Vision at least $9,500. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

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News Music coalition calls for leadership

A vast array of Vancouverites pleaded with the school board to save its band and strings program last spring. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

Continued from page 1 Schools could speciﬁcally assign prep time to band or strings where this is practical. Assigning prep time would likely mean all students would take band or strings; it would no longer be optional. Encouraging schools to use prep time for band could help expand the program to schools that don’t have a band program. The report states it isn’t feasible to expand strings. “If the board found a way to keep some limited funds, with the knowledge that this level of funding

could be reduced over the next few years, the band and strings program could be sustained on an ongoing basis,” Overgaard concluded. The Coalition for Music Education in British Columbia wants the VSB to adopt a three-phase, ﬁve-year plan that would see a music specialist teacher in every elementary school, it announced in a media release March 2. The coalition wants band and strings taught in prep times. “The school district needs to take leadership when it comes to imple-

menting their policy on arts education, and that includes music,” said Christin Reardon MacLellan, president of the coalition. District staff are working on a report that will include options and related costs to go to a VSB committee meeting March 25.

Adult education

Vancouver School Board trustees, adult education teachers from the VSB and Vancouver Community College and adult education students have organized a public forum/ rally called Adult Educa-

tion Matters for March 5, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Dr. The provincial government announced in December that effective this May, it would no longer fund adult education courses for high school graduates who enrol in adult education to upgrade their courses or marks. Organizers want the provincial government to reverse this decision. Advocates for adult education say the changes will also result in fewer course options for all adult education students. twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi

Remade Gastown Hotel home for hope

Rat-infested disaster becomes refuge from street Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

The 1970s horror movie Ben, which featured a killer rat colony, came to mind when Janice Abbott visited the ground ﬂoor of the Gastown Hotel more than a year ago. “I’m not usually put off by rats but there were maybe thousands,” said Abbott, the executive director and CEO of Atira Women’s Resource Society, which now operates the newly renovated hotel at 110 Water St. “You couldn’t see any ﬂoor because there were so many of them.” While the rats and disrepair of the century-old building concerned Abbott, it was the state of some of the tenants that put her society and B.C. Housing on a path to turn the building around and make it livable. She recalled some of the elderly tenants were afraid to leave their rooms. Jars

Blair Foster and longtime partner Deborah Kaine are tenants in the newly renovated Gastown Hotel, which officially re-opened last Friday. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

of urine, feces and vomit were discovered when Atira took over management of the building. One staff member was also taking advantage of a tenant, paying him $5 a day to do his cleaning job while be played video games. Some of the overnight staff brought in sex trade workers. “It was unbelievable,”

said Abbott in an interview after the Gastown was ofﬁcially opened last Friday. Abbott joined representatives from B.C. Housing, the federal government and Forum Equity Partners at the news conference to celebrate the turnaround of the hotel that opened to people who were previously homeless or at risk of homelessness.

After 17 months of renovations, the hotel has 96 units, including four units with full kitchens and bathrooms designed for couples such as Blair Foster and Deborah Kaine, who have bounced around in the Downtown Eastside from hotel to hotel. Foster, 59, is a former drywaller originally from

Goose Bay, Labrador who suffers from a lung disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. He has also battled addiction and is on the methadone program. Foster is a welfare recipient and receives enough money to pay the monthly $570 rent and buy food. To supplement his income, he collects bottles and scrap metal while Kaine panhandles. The couple says they regularly invite young homeless people into their room to feed them. “We’re very fortunate we have so much, so it’s nice to help out,” he said in an interview from his small room that overlooks Water Street, which the couple shares with their cat, Cinja. Foster said his home gives him stability and the support he needs to enjoy a life that has seen him reconnect with his 40-yearold son and 39-year-old daughter, both of whom live in Calgary. He learned he has two grandsons. “They’re both doing just so well and I’m just so proud of them,” he said, noting he lost touch with his children for 26 years after a

split in the family. The Gastown Hotel is one of 24 single-room-occupancy hotels the provincial government has purchased since 2007 and either completely renovated or ﬁxed up to make livable. Of the 24 hotels, the Gastown and 12 others hotels have or are getting complete makeovers to the tune of $143 million through public-private partnership agreements. The hotels are set up to allow tenants access to health care providers and other services. A B.C. Housing report released in June 2013 regarding the renovations of the hotels said “adequate housing is the cornerstone of care for addressing homelessness.” “Homeless people with complex problems are more likely to return to the street, emergency rooms and inpatient wards and the justice system if they are not provided with adequate housing and support services,” said the report, noting a lack of housing for people with drug and alcohol problems “may be impossible without adequate housing.”

The people have spoken Visit vancourier.com/STARS to see the winners of the 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards!

W E DN E SDAY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 5

Feature

Jack Brondwin, a member of Little Mountain Cohousing, is working to develop the city’s second cohousing complex. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

Living with your neighbours Little Mountain group hopes to build city’s second co-housing project

Naoibh O’Connor

noconnor@vancourier.com

Settling onto his couch with a coffee in hand, Jack Brondwin surveys his comfortable, modest-sized apartment in the centuryold heritage home he owns on West 12th Avenue. The house, located near city hall, is within walking distance of shops, transit and parks. The 68-year-old’s suite features two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area, walls adorned with art, a bookshelf stuffed with books, and workout equipment organized neatly in one corner. While enjoying the independent life he’s carved out in central Vancouver, the retired veterinarian is prepared to trade it in for something entirely different. Brondwin belongs to Little Mountain Cohousing, a group that aims to set up the city’s second, multi-generational cohousing community, likely near Main Street. (Vancouver’s ﬁrst cohousing complex is under construction in KensingtonCedar Cottage.) “My life is pretty good. I have everything I need. I’m quite happy here,” he says one afternoon in February. “I’m not in [such] need that I have to have it — I’m doing it as a choice because I think it will be better.” Brondwin, who’s single, worries about living alone during his senior years, but

he also believes he has much to offer — in knowledge, time and interests — to younger generations, as well as to his contemporaries. “The appeal of cohousing is that a lot of us, me included, as we are aging, our families are dispersing. One of my children is in Toronto and another one wants to move to Powell River. I see that my prospects in the future are that I’ll be living in Vancouver without any family members.” Loneliness, he points out, is considered one of the primary reasons people don’t age well. A 2012 Vancouver Foundation survey found that social isolation was, in fact, a serious concern with Metro Vancouver residents who indicated the region can be a hard place to make friends, that neighbourhood connections are “cordial but weak” and that many residents are retreating from community life. But Brondwin plans to embrace community life. “Cohousing is the opposite of [a lonely existence]. It allows people to enter into a community of like-minded people where they can share all kinds of activities and they can be involved in events and [they] are able to create a family of their own,” he says.

Building community

Cohousing communities have emerged in various

parts of B.C. over the years, including in Langley, North Vancouver and Burnaby. They’ve been slow to form in Vancouver due to the high cost of land, but the Kensington-Cedar Cottage project proved it’s not impossible and Little Mountain Cohousing hopes to follow suit. Setting up a cohousing community isn’t simple, however. It’s a years-long commitment. The group Brondwin joined initially considered a seniors-only cohousing group in Kerrisdale, but members dropped the idea in favour a multi-generational community closer to Main Street in the Little Mountain neighbourhood. At one point, the group, with help from Alan Forrester, a land developer who understands cohousing, had an option on a two-lot parcel and went as far as submitting architectural drawings to the city to see if their proposal was possible. The city agreed it was possible, but the group concluded the site was too small, there weren’t enough equity members and the process was moving too quickly. Little Mountain Cohousing is now searching for a larger, three-lot site with the assistance of Forrester, who was also involved in the land assembly for the East Vancouver cohousing project. It’s also seeking more members to help ﬁnance the down payment.

Currently, it has two equity members — Brondwin and Pansy Chau, who each contributed $20,000, while a family with three children is taking steps to become the third equity member. The group also has 11 associate members who pay a small membership fee and may buy units in the complex. Cohousing groups typically need five to 10 equity members, depending on how much each contributes, to cover initial development costs and the down payment, according to Brondwin. The rest of the financing is generated through bank loans. Brondwin envisions a 25-to-30 unit building, with a purchase price of roughly $665 per square foot. That could translate to anywhere between $285,000 and $620,000, depending on the size of the suite, although concrete details have yet to be finalized. “It’s not a cheap proposition and that’s why it tends to attract people that already have houses, so they already have some equity,” says Brondwin who explains the cost of a cohousing unit is often comparable to a similarsized market unit in the same neighbourhood. Cohousing’s advantage is that owners get their own private suite plus access to large common

spaces, which often include outdoor areas, an office, a common kitchen for group meals, a guest room for visitors, as well as other common spaces such as a yoga room or a workshop. Space allocation is up to the needs of the cohousing group involved in designing the project. Residents also benefit from social relationships within the community and the collective skills of the group. Older residents or stay-at-home parents may be able to help young families with childcare, while younger residents may be able to help older ones with trips to the doctor. Shared vehicles are common, which reduces transportation costs. It can also be easier to find someone with a shared interest such as gardening or hiking. Decisions are made through consensus, with cohousing groups creating their own way of functioning, which may include many or few rules. “Certainly, for people who are very strong-minded and not willing to cooperate, they would find it difficult to reach consensus because cohousing is about consensual decision-making,” Brondwin says. “So it’s not for people who find that tedious or who are not willing to spend the time doing that. However, the advantages [of cohousing] are so great.”

W E DN E SDAY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

Feature

Cohousing run by consensus Collaborative living

Kathy McGrenera knows of what Brondwin speaks. She’s a founding member of Quayside Village, a cohousing complex in Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver. From the 17-year-old building’s central courtyard, visitors can see the entrances to all the units in the multi-storey complex. That’s not by accident. “Cohousing is architecturally designed to encourage interaction,” explains McGrenera, who’s among those advising the Little Mountain Cohousing group. McGrenera, who lives in a 1,000-square-foot unit, became interested in the lifestyle in the 1990s because she was planning to be a single mother and wanted to live more collaboratively. Neither she, nor her daughter, who’s now almost 17, have regrets. “It worked out amazingly well. [My daughter] makes me regularly promise we’ll never move out,” she says. The courtyard, according to McGrenera, is often bustling with activity, particularly during summer months when a splash pool is out, the barbeque is on and potlucks are commonplace. Inside, there’s a large common living area with a fireplace on the main floor, a shared bathroom, a guest bedroom for visitors, as well as an office used by two of the residents — a midwife and a naturopath. The living area leads into a spacious, modern-looking kitchen with several dining tables. Common meals are held twice a week for those interested. On the top floor is a deck with a spectacular view of the water and a “dome room” used for

Kathy McGrenera is advising the Little Mountain Cohousing Group. McGrenera is a founding member of Quayside Village, a cohousing complex in North Vancouver. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

activities ranging from meditation to yoga to massage appointments. “That’s the beauty of cohousing. You try to make the most desirable spaces in the building shared ones,” says McGrenera. Conﬂict can arise, but she says residents are compelled to deal with it and settle matters for the beneﬁt of the whole. Over the years, residents have moved out, but it’s usually because they’re moving to a new city or their family has outgrown the space — Quayside Village units range from 450 to 1,000 square feet. “Interestingly, when people are looking to relocate for a more urban or a more rural setting, they often move to a different cohousing location. Over the 17 years I have lived here, we have had four households of people move here from Windsong cohousing in Langley to be close to the city, and three households from here have moved to Roberts Creek cohousing for

a more rural life,” McGrenera told the Courier, adding cohousing attracts a range of personalities. “It attracts curious, openminded people looking for building collaboration. It’s for people who live life fully [and enjoy] engaging with a diversity of people. Surprisingly, there are lots of introverts who live in cohousing because it’s a housing form that supports a lot of privacy and at the same time has lots of chances for interaction.” Back in his house on West 12th, Brondwin is optimistic the Little Mountain Cohousing project will be realized. He anticipates the group will have as many as six equity members by May, with an overall goal of 10. He concedes he’s taking a ﬁnancial risk by being among the ﬁrst equity members, but he’s convinced it’s worth it. “If you wish to start something, you have to take a risk. But I think it will be successful,” he insists.

A consensus decision making workshop and potluck dinner is being held from 3 to 7 p.m., March 15, while a Little Mountain Cohousing information meeting is scheduled from 2 to 3:30 p.m., March 21. Details about Little Mountain Cohousing, as well as details and locations of the upcoming meetings, can be found at littlemountaincohousing.ca. twitter.com/naoibh

Development Permit Board Meeting: March 9

The Development Permit Board and Advisory Panel will meet: Monday, March 9, 2015 at 3 pm Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue Ground Floor, Town Hall Meeting Room to consider this development permit application: 5099 Joyce Avenue: To renovate and expand the existing Joyce SkyTrain Station including a new expanded 875-square-metre east station house with a ticket hall, concourse, escalators, elevator, bike storage room, ancillary retail spaces and provision for future public bathrooms. Exterior surfaces will be re-clad, electrical systems replaced, and a new transit plaza on Vanness Street added, including a new pick-up and drop off area with landscape components and lighting. Please contact City Hall Security (ground ﬂoor) if your vehicle may be parked at City Hall for more than two hours. TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM: 604-873-7469 or lorna.harvey@vancouver.ca Visit: vancouver.ca Phone: 3-1-1 TTY: 7-1-1

THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, M A RC H 4 , 2 0 1 5

Community 1

Seeding heritage the gardening way Annual Seedy Saturday a chance to share and learn CITY LIVING Rebecca Blissett

rvblissett@gmail.com

If you want to get even closer to your food than buying from the neighbourhood farmers market, then take a look under a magnifying glass. That’s where it all begins. Seed enthusiasts, master gardeners, farmers and casual planters were at the Floral Hall at VanDusen Botanical Garden to sell and trade heritage and heirloom seeds this past weekend for Seedy Saturday. Here, master gardener and author Sharon Hanna asked, “Is kale still king?” in the day’s ﬁrst lecture while Vancouver’s “Mushroom Man” Scott Henderson wrapped up the day’s talks with a presentation about the fungi’s myths and lore. Rows of tables sold package upon package of seeds, including those from Tatiana and Stan Kouchnarev of Tatiana’s TOMATObase where more than 1,300 different tomato varieties are found in the catalog. The roots of Judy Kenzie’s previous career in advertising are apparent in her labels with their cool black-andwhite drawings of a skeleton wearing a cowboy hat on her “Zombie Apocalypse Survival Seeds” tins. Kenzie runs Strathcona 1890 Urban Seed Collections and is quite well known in these parts, largely because of the garden growing in the bed of her ‘93 pickup truck. Seedy Saturday (and

Seedy Sunday in some places) is held across the country as well as in Europe. In 2012, more than 100 different Canadian communities were involved, much to the delight of Vancouver organizers. The idea for Seedy Saturday started in this city in 1990 by Sharon Rempel, an agronomist who was having difﬁculty sourcing heritage vegetables and ﬂowers for the 1880s-style garden she was growing at the Keremeos Grist Mill museum. Lynne Chrismas, president of the Master Gardeners Association of B.C., is also in charge of Vancouver’s Seedy Saturday these days after taking over from the VanDusen Seed Collectors in 2007. She claimed she didn’t have to do too much at the helm when the event changed hands because the Collectors, as gardeners are wont to do, meticulously kept records in a binder that instructed on such topics as how to set up the day to all the vendors’ contact information. While years have passed, the aim remains the same: a day devoted to seeds, with admission by donation. “It’s basically to allow people to share seeds, buy seeds, learn how to grow their seeds, and keep the diversity going,” said Chrismas. “It’s also a way for low-income families to come and buy seeds in order to feed their families. Two or three bucks can buy a lot of seeds for lettuce.” Reminders that Seedy Saturday was, and still is, a grassroots movement was evident by the non-GMO signs on the wall as well as the vendor’s pleas to pre-

serve local varieties. “Our grandparents treasured the wonderful taste so much, and we need to pass these on to our grandkids,” read the sign at Tatiana’s TOMATObase table. Sometimes seeds came with a history lesson. At the Twining Vine Garden booth, the “Mortgage Lifter” tomato seed was for sale. The heirloom tomato was grown by Marshall C. Byles, a West Virginian whose radiator repair business suffered during the Great Depression. He crossbred the largest tomatoes he could ﬁnd, advertising it as being able to feed an entire family. It was wildly popular and Byles was able to pay off his mortgage on his home in four years. While the interest and support of farmers markets indicates a trend to get closer connected to the food system, saving and planting heritage and heirloom seeds is hardly considered by governments and large seed companies, added Chrismas. “Now it’s even more important to keep the diversity going in our food system.” USC Canada was also part of Seedy Saturday and the non-proﬁt development group’s mandate of promoting agricultural diversity and sustainable living, with a focus on rural communities, is in keeping with the event’s goals. Perhaps the Kenzie’s label on her zombie attack seed kit relayed the sustainability message best: “Because in a post-apocalyptic world there are only so many brains to go around.” twitter.com/rebeccablissett

1. Tatiana Kouchnarev of Tatiana’s TOMATObase was selling and educating at VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Seedy Saturday this past weekend. She carries more than 1,300 different tomato varieties in her catalog. 2. Gordon Klammer walked away with elderberry and huckleberry plants. Klammer is also a beekeeper at Bee Conscious. “I think these events are the best,” he said. 3. Buds ‘n Petals did brisk business with its pussy willows. 4. Judy Kenzie of 1890 Urban Seed Collections was on hand with son Ethan. See photo gallery online at vancourier.com. PHOTOS REBECCA BLISSETT

W E DN E SDAY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News

Courier nabs 10 award nominations

Stories and photos about the Marguerite Ford housing project, last year’s civic election, Elvis impersonators and young entrepreneurs in Chinatown earned the Vancouver Courier its highest yet cache of nominations for the annual Ma Murray Community Newspaper Awards. The Courier received 10 nominations overall for the awards, which celebrate the best community news jour-

nalism in B.C. and Yukon. Two nominations went to city hall reporter Mike Howell, who received a nod for feature writing for his series on the Vancouver civic election. He was also nominated for the John Collision Memorial Award for investigative journalism for his examination of the troubled Marguerite Ford apartments. Reporter Andrew Fleming is a ﬁnalist in the

outdoor recreation category for his piece about spelunking at Horne Lakes Caves Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Wanyee Li, a former Vancouver Courier intern and a student in UBC’s Graduate School of Journalism, is a ﬁnalist in the business writing category for her piece about young tenants renting from longtime community-based landlords in Chinatown. Former contributor Jen-

nifer Thuncher, who now works for the Squamish Chief, is a ﬁnalist in the sports writing category for her story on Paralympic athletes who engage in the risky behaviour of “boosting” their bodies to improve performance. The Courier’s online civic election coverage, which featured an extensive mix of text, photos, live video and social media-based maps, earned a nomination for the

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online innovation category. Photographer Rebecca Blissett is a ﬁnalist for the portrait/personality photo award for her work on Sandra Thomas’s feature on Vancouver Elvis impersonators. Geoff Olson is a ﬁnalist for the cartoonist award for his civic election-related editorial cartoon on developer and union funding for the city’s political parties. Art director Adrian Cunningham and Tara Lalanne,

director of sales and marketing, are ﬁnalists in the newspaper promotion category for the ad Digital Dentists. Lalanne is nominated in a second category, along with Keshav Sharma, special projects manager, for best special publication for “17 Getaways from Vancouver.” The winners will be announced at the Ma Murray Awards Gala at the River Rock Casino Resort, April 25. —Barry Link

www.BCBOTTLEDEPOT.com

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 5

Opinion Community building Check your ego at the in neighbourly fashion transit gate door Trish Kelly Columnist

trishkellyc@gmail.com

A few weeks ago in my condo building, the strata agent posted a notice that it was time for the annual fire equipment testing. We were instructed to either be home on testing day to give access to the technician or to arrange with a neighbour to let the technician in. The poster’s inference that I give a neighbour keys to my apartment made me cringe. It would prove an expensive reminder of my lack of connection to my neighbours. When I first moved into this building five years ago, I knew most of the residents on my floor. As years have passed, my neighbours have changed multiple times and I’ve gone from chatting in the hall and exchanging emergency numbers to only saying a quiet hello in the elevator. There are costs to not knowing our neighbours. In my case, since I couldn’t find anyone to open my suite for the technician, and the strata agent’s poster described the fines for noncompliance, I stayed home from work to let the technician in. Though the technician was to begin on the ninth floor and work his way down, he made it to my suite on the second floor well before noon. As he wove his way down nine floors, only a third of the suites were accessible. That means the great majority of residents in my building didn’t have a neighbour they could leave a key with either. In 2012, the Vancouver Foundation asked almost 4,000 Vancouverites about their relationships to their neighbours. When asked if they have done a favour, like picking up mail or holding a spare key for someone on their street or floor of their building, 57 per cent of respondents said no. Some Vancouverites are overcoming their shyness and getting to know their neighbours and reaping the rewards. Ilan Handelsman is such a Vancouverite. Handelsman is a member of a neighbourhood project called Mount Pleasant Monday, which started a year ago and was a recipient of a Vancouver Foundation Neighbourhood Small Grant. Residents of Vancouver can apply to Vancouver Foundation for grants of up to $1,000 to fund a project to connect and engage their neighbours. Mount Pleasant Monday members meet monthly

to share a meal and get to know their neighbours. The group, which has grown to 50 members, began last summer. The group’s first gatherings were in Dude Chilling Park. As the season changed, the group moved indoors for pub nights at neighbourhood restaurants and dinners in members’ living rooms. Handelsman, who joined the group four months ago, calls Mount Pleasant Mondays a “rich and incredible experience.” From latkes-making nights to pizza parties at Pizzeria Barbarella, Handelsman says that though his participation in Mount Pleasant Mondays is only one facet of his social life, he gets a lot out of the exposure to the group’s spectrum of participants. Gregarious by nature, Handelsman regularly meets new people in his neighbourhood, but he notes for some of the more reserved members of the group the monthly gathering may be their only opportunity to meet new people. As he points out, the benefits of Mount Pleasant Mondays reach beyond the once-a-month social. Socializing is a skill, and when unpractised, lack of confidence keeps many Vancouverites lonely. Members of the Mount Pleasant group take their friend-making skills and confidence into other parts of their lives, and other neighbourhoods too. Handelsman has seen financial benefits too. When his home recycling bin became clogged with papers too sensitive for the blue box, a Mount Pleasant Monday member loaned his paper shredder, saving him from buying his own, and in the long term, keeping one more small appliance out of the landfill. The Vancouver Foundation is now accepting applications for the next round of small grants. It’s a good time to be asking ourselves how much better our lives could be if we knew the names of our neighbours, or trusted them with a set of keys. The Mount Pleasant Monday group, its grant nearly gone, isn’t panicking as the money runs out. They’re already talking about how local businesses could benefit from sponsoring their gatherings. The strength of the group’s numbers could transform a restaurant’s quiet Monday night into a vibrant spot, drawing an even bigger crowd of customers. It’s the kind of confident thinking that comes when you’re valued by your neighbours. twitter.com/trishkellyc

The week in num6ers...

The number of single-roomoccupancy hotels in Vancouver the B.C. government has purchased since 2007.

In millions of dollars, the approximate amount Vision Vancouver has spent on its four civic election campaigns since the party formed in 2005.

In metres, the length of a mako shark whose dissected carcass has been given the Body Works plastination process and is part of a new exhibit at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Michael Geller Columnist

michaelarthurgeller@gmail.com

My interest in the forthcoming transit referendum dates back, in part, to Oct. 15, 1970 when, as a University of Toronto student, I attended the premiere screening of a The Burning Would, a documentary ﬁlm made by the late Jane Jacobs and Marshall McLuhan opposing a proposed expansion of Toronto’s Spadina Expressway. Both Jacobs and McLuhan were supposed to be at the screening but McLuhan had to cancel at the last minute. The moderator apologized for his absence and read out his speech which, as I recall, comprised three words: “Forget your ego.” McLuhan wanted us to stop thinking about expressways and automobiles as ﬁrst-class transportation and public transit as second-class. This resonated with me since a year earlier, I had returned from 15 months working and travelling in England and Scandinavia where the image of public transit was very different than in North America. In hindsight, it is fascinating to revisit what McLuhan had to say about city planning and transportation four and a half decades ago. He wrote: “Our planners are 19th century men with a naïve faith in an obsolete technology. In an age of software, planners treat people like hardware — they haven’t the faintest interest in the values of neighbourhood or community. Their failure to learn from the mistakes of American cities will be ours too… The Spadina Expressway is an old hardware American dream of now dead cities and blighted communities.” Toronto’s Stop Spadina movement was happening around the same time as the Strathcona Property Owners and Tenants Association (SPOTA) was leading the charge against a proposed expressway in Vancouver. Today, most Vancouverites would agree we have a much better city since we stopped U.S.-style freeways. I arrived in Vancouver in 1974. Shortly thereafter, I was appointed Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Special Coordinator for the redevelopment of city lands along the south shore of False Creek. Mayor Art Phillips and his council colleagues wanted to create an exemplary transit-focused, walkable community. Some streets were even

The percentage of B.C. parents who admit to using a digital device to distract their kids when busy, according to a recent survey by ParticipACTION.

restricted to pedestrians only and parking ratios were substantially reduced. The marketing tagline for the first condos was “Work in Vancouver, Live in Europe.” To ensure B.C. Transit would provide bus service on the day the first residents moved in, a special $5 charge was levied against every unit as a subsidy. Unfortunately, the planning was ahead of its time and a parking garage was eventually built to accommodate the overflow of resident and visitor cars. In the late 1980s, McLuhan’s words rang in my ears when, as president of the Urban Development Institute, I participated with then city councillor Carole Taylor on a CBC Sunday morning program discussing public transportation. I embarrassingly recall confessing that on the few occasions I used public transit, I would ask the driver in a loud voice what the fare was so that other passengers would not think of me as a regular user. Today, for many motorists, public transit continues to be viewed as secondclass transportation. It is not for them. I suspect this is one reason why many oppose the extra 0.5 per cent sales tax. They may fabricate other excuses such as objecting to TransLink’s CEO salary, but in reality they don’t want to pay towards a transit system that is not for them. But for others, attitudes are definitely changing. This was best illustrated by a prominent lawyer who regularly holidays in the south of France and St. Bart’s who casually mentioned to me he and his wife now regularly take the bus downtown. They can enjoy a glass of wine with their meal and avoid exorbitant parking charges. As people who often travel to London, New York and Paris, they no longer think there’s a stigma to using Vancouver transit. Most people now using the Canada Line and SkyTrain also know this to be true. Soon our referendum ballots will arrive in the mail. Before voting, I would urge you to carefully consider the real benefits offered by improved transit: substantial gas, parking, and car maintenance savings; improved health; reduced traffic congestion; and for a few of us, a reduced likelihood of being charged with DUI offences. Marshall McLuhan was right. We should be building better transit, not expressways. So forget your ego and vote Yes. twitter.com/michaelgeller

The number of years since the first Seedy Saturday was held in Vancouver. The event has since sprouted around Canada and Europe.

The number of years hardliving Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan has been alive. The band’s legacy will be paid tribute Saturday at the Imperial.

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Inbox LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Medical Health Officer prescribes Yes 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

Queen E. Theatre hosts the Junos

March 3, 1991: The Juno Awards are held outside Toronto for the first time in the annual music industry ceremony’s 21-year history. Paul Shaffer emceed the event held at Queen Elizabeth Theatre that saw Celine Dion win for both best female vocalist and best album (Unison), Colin James win for best male vocalist and best single (“Just Came Back”), Blue Rodeo win for best group, the Leslie Spit Treeo named most promising group, and the Tragically Hip pick up entertainer of the year honours. It was also the first time a Juno was given for best rap album, with Maestro Fresh-Wes picking up the prize for Symphony in Effect.

Prime minster weds local woman

March 4, 1971: Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 51, married 22-year-old Margaret Sinclair at a secret ceremony held at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in North Vancouver. The daughter of former Liberal fisheries minister James Sinclair of West Vancouver, she first met Canada’s 15th prime minster four years earlier while vacationing in Tahiti. The ceremony was kept secret by Trudeau telling aides he was going on a ski trip to Whistler, where the couple went to spend their honeymoon. The marriage lasted 13 years and produced three sons. Their first, Justin, is seeking to become Canada’s 23rd prime minster as leader of the Liberal Party.

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Re: “Confessions of a transit plebiscite supporter,” Feb. 25. I am a physician who specializes in public health and preventive medicine — your Medical Health Officer. An important part of my job is working with the mayor, council, city staff, and many others to advance programs, policies, and investments that will improve people’s health and, ultimately, save lives. Today, I’m writing to urge Vancouverites to vote Yes in the transportation plebiscite. This month, you will receive a ballot in the mail asking if you support a modest 0.5 per cent increase in the provincial sales tax — on average, about 35 cents a day per household — to help fund billions of dollars in transportation improvements. Evidence, both here and around the world, shows a Yes vote will be a vote for tangible health improvements for all. A better transportation system means increased physical activity, better air quality, and fewer crashes and injuries. It means less commuting time, less stress, and more time for family and friends. No matter what we may think of TransLink as an organization, this is not a vote about TransLink. Some people I have talked to want to “send TransLink a message.” Yes or No, TransLink will be there after the plebiscite, but a No vote will delay critically needed transportation improvements. If the Yes vote wins, Vancouver will get more frequent buses and SkyTrain service, five new B-lines, the underground extension of the Millennium line from VCC-Clark to Arbutus, and road improvements on major thoroughfares (Broadway, Granville, Clark Drive/ Knight, West Georgia and 41st Avenue), not to mention more bikeways. These improvements will enable thousands of people — fellow neighbours, working families, seniors and community members like you and me — to shrink their commuting time, spend less time in gridlock and gain quicker access to a lifeline of services, jobs, recreation opportunities, friends and family. The transportation improvements brought by the Yes vote mean that Vancouver residents will have healthier transportation options. For example, thousands more residents will be able to integrate short, 10-minute walks into their daily commute and busy lives. Some of you may never take transit. But you’ll still benefit from the improvements: better air quality, increased traffic safety, reduced risk of injuries, more

Barry Link

ddhaliwal@vancourier.com

blink@vancourier.com

PUBLISHER

EDITOR

Tara Lalanne

DIRECTOR SALES & MARKETING

tlalanne@vancourier.com

TheVancouverCourierisadivisionofLMPPublicationLimitedPartnership. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40025215. All material in the Vancouver Courier is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without permission of the publisher. This newspaper reserves the right to reject any advertising which it considers to contain false or misleading information or involves unfair or unethical practices. The advertiser agrees the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of error in any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement. We collect, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Statement which is available at vancourier.com.

•••

Of course it would be a good idea to improve TransLink, but I am still going to vote No. I have no faith that, even given vast amounts of new money, TransLink will spend it well and we will end up with better service. [Burnaby mayor] Derek Corrigan is right —ﬁrst they need to ﬁx the system. Until that happens, all the money in the world will not make TransLink better. Lynn Kisilenko, Vancouver

ONLINE COMMENTS Not too chicken to try KFC’s new edible cups

Re: “Kudos & Kvetches: Cup runneth over,” Feb. 27. I just downed the crumbs off the bottom of a bag of Sunburst Oriental Flavour noodle snack. (Not good, but not bad.) This is how I found your blog before opening the bag. I gotta say, I’ll try anything once and I’m envious of the Brits getting a crunchy cup to eat after their morning commute. “Cramped Poultry Feeding Pen” has gotta be more palatable than what I just ate. Why doesn’t KFC pander to the masses? Justin Mohns, via Comments section

SkyTrain shouldn’t be a gravy train for TransLink executives

Re: “Confessions of a transit plebiscite supporter,” Feb. 25. Thank you for pointing out the following: “What continues to amaze me is how we often forget that the government’s money is really our money.” Most voters are totally oblivious to this fact. Ironically, condo owners (who pay strata fees, equivalent to tax) are very privy to how and where their money is spent. Government ofﬁcials are our employees, it’s that simple. Yet we let these goofs continually dictate terms to us. We must continue this type of conversation because indeed, one day, TransLink executives, along with all government positions, should earn no more than $150,000. No bonuses, no unlimited massage, no dental for their pets, no lifelong pensions or unrealistic perks. Ryan McCleery, via Comments section

•••

“Despite these breakdowns, I did not hear anyone complain about the continuous Airport Improvement Fees or excessive Airport Authority CEO salary.” You also did not hear anyone connected with the AIF or the CEO’s salary asking you for permission to add a new sales tax to pay for it, did you? That’s the difference. Jack, via Comments section

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Dee Dhaliwal

time to spend with family and a healthier community. Dr. John Carsley, Vancouver Coastal Health

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters may be edited by the Courier for reasons of legality, taste, brevity and clarity. Send to: 303 West Fifth Ave., Vancouver V5Y-1J6 or email letters@vancourier.com

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 5

Family

Spring break improv, movies and monsters COMMUNITY CALENDAR

age and some of the most intriguing creatures that ever lived on Earth. Visit vanaqua.org.

Sandra Thomas

Mount Pleasant

sthomas@vancourier.com

The Mount Pleasant branch of the Vancouver Public Library hosts a free movie night March 20. Captain America follows the story of a rejected soldier, Steve Rogers, who transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a super-soldier serum. The movie runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 1 Kingsway. The event is free. For more information on how to register, call 604-665-3962 or visit vpl.ca/events.

Granville Island

A Spring Break camp for teens promises to teach not only improv comedy, but creativity, teamwork, trust, acceptance, listening, storytelling, character creation and environment. Vancouver TheatreSports League’s Teen Spring Break Improv Camp provides an immersion into core improvisation skills March 16 to 20. The camp is divided into two daily sessions with mornings dedicated to Grades 8, 9 and 10 and the afternoons to Grades 11 and 12. Each class can accommodate up to 16 students. Instruction, which takes place at the Improv Centre on Granville Island, provides students with onstage experience in a professional theatre setting. The league’s experienced and supportive instructors will coach students through a variety of improv games and exercises to hone the skills needed for great improvised scenes. The camp will culminate in a live performance with students showcasing their improv knowledge. This teen improv camp is ideal for students interested in strengthening their performance or presentation skills and for teens who want to work on becoming a little more outgoing. For more information

Various locations

Vancouver TheatreSports League’s Teen Spring Break Improv Camp runs March 16 to 20 on Granville Island.

and a complete schedule visit vtsl.com. ••• Also on Granville Island, Carousel Theatre for Young People presents the world premiere of Shakespearean Rhapsody, adapted by Mike Stack from the works of William Shakespeare and the Shakespeare Can Be Fun series of books by Lois Burdett. A great introduction to the Bard, Shakespearean Rhapsody shares the tales of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest with young audiences.

Shakespeare’s stories and the rhyming couplets of Lois Burdett are woven together in an “accessible, energetic romp complete with fairies, music and a whole lot of action.” Carousel Theatre for Young People, founded in 1976, provides playful and accessible theatrical experiences that promise to inspire, involve and educate. For more information, visit carouseltheatre.ca.

Stanley Park

Kids and adults who like monsters will want to check out the Vancouver Aquarium March 5 to 7.

The aquarium presents the Canadian premiere of Sea Monsters Revealed: The Exhibition, which promises to take visitors on an exciting journey to discover some of the world’s most amazing ocean-dwelling creatures. Much like the human anatomy exhibits that now circle the globe, such as BodyWorks, Sea Monsters uses the polymer preservation technique, commonly called “plastination,” to reveal dissected bodies of these fascinating creatures from the deep. The exhibit, including ﬁve large, free-standing

creatures, offers a unique look inside and out of some of the most intriguing aquatic creatures ever discovered. This collection includes a goliath grouper, five-metre long mako shark, predatory Humboldt squid and a metre-long ocean sunfish, the heaviest bony fish in the world. As well, for the price of admission, visitors can catch Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure 4-D, an action-packed film that will take viewers back 82 million years into prehistoric waters, home to colossal marine reptiles of the dinosaur

Parent Support Services of B.C. hosts Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Circles for grandparents or any other family members raising a relative’s child on a fulltime basis. Share parenting tips, ﬁnancial problems, legal worries and make new friends who will understand. The Vancouver circle takes place Thursday evenings. Free child minding and refreshments are provided. Call 604-6691616 or 503-558-4740 for more information or to register. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Circles are anonymous, conﬁdential self-help groups offering weekly or bi-weekly meetings and other activities organized by trained volunteer facilitators. Visit parentsupportbc.ca for more information. twitter.com/sthomas10

SPRING BREAK CAMPS Work with ‘Caps coaching staff, meet Spike, hang out with a Whitecaps FC player and get a camp t-shirt. All skill levels U6 - U13 boys and girls. VANCOUVER March 16 -20, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Point Grey High School Hosted by: Vancouver Athletic Club

W E DN E SDAY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

Pet of the Week

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Come ome Explore VanDusen Garde Garden

Kids are Free ffor th the Month M th of March! ch

Name: Bertram Wilberforce Woofster Schelling (Bertie for short) Breed: Beagle Age: 7.5 years Years Together: 7-plus Owner: Steven Schelling Bertie is, quite possibly, the cutest beagle ever. While others may win big New York City dog shows, Bertie is secure enough in his looks not to need a pageant title. His signature colour is red and he enjoys long walks on the beach, garbage and sleeping in on rainy days. He dislikes small children, cilantro and people who wear too much perfume. He can be found walking his owner in the West End along the Seawall or lying on top of the pillows on his queen-sized bed until it’s time for his human to go to bed. The Courier wants to include your animal companion in Pet of the Week. Please send a clear photo of your pet — humans are welcome to be in photos as well — their breed, name, age, how long you’ve been together and any special attributes or idiosyncrasies they might have to sthomas@vancourier. com and we’ll publish as many as possible in print and online.

Bring your kids 12 years and under to experience the 55 acres at VanDusen Botanical Garden! Find your way through the hedge maze, spot local wildlife, enjoy a family picnic and discover over 7,000 different plants from around the world! Take advantage of up to 2 FREE child admissions with the purchase of a regular price adult, senior or youth admission. Offer available from March 1 to 31, 2015. Offer cannot be combined with other promotional offers or discounts. Not valid during special events. For more information, please visit vancouver.ca or phone 604-257-8463 Proudly supported by:

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 5

Become empowered in your own healthcare

Davidicus Wong

davidicuswong.wordpress.com.

At some time, we will each play the role of the patient. In the 1991 ﬁlm, The Doctor, William Hurt plays an arrogant physician who gets a taste of his own medicine when he is diagnosed with cancer. His experience from the patient’s perspective transforms his life and his practice. My experience as a patient came early. As a child, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, hospitalized for two weeks and had more blood tests than most of my patients. But the personal experience of both acute and chronic illness and receiving care from good doctors and nurses has informed both my calling to the profession and my practice. The Burnaby Division of Family Practice is the non-proﬁt organization of the family physicians that serve the people of our community. In our ongoing public education program that includes free public lectures and information on the organization’s website, we seek to empower all members of the community. Through our organization, the family physicians’ care for the patients of their own practices has expanded to the care of our community. We seek to raise the level of health knowledge and healthy living to support the wellbeing of all. Although we’ve thought of ourselves as the big providers of healthcare, 90 per cent of your healthcare is self-care — what you do for your self. The best predictor of your future health are the habits you practise today. We’ve been promoting the four foundations of

The best predictor of your future health are the habits you practise today. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

self-care: healthy eating, physical activity, healthy relationships and emotional well-being. The next three public lectures focus on empowering patients in their interactions with healthcare providers. On March 4, I’ll be talking at the Bonsor Community Centre about preventive care and the early recognition of illness. We’ll review the impor-

tant screening tests (what tests you need at different ages) that identify medical conditions before symptoms appear. We’ll also talk about symptoms that may indicate conditions for which you should seek medical attention. Although you may do your best with healthy living and preventive care, you might still ﬁnd yourself in the hospital as I

did. It can be a very unsettling experience and at times you may feel a loss of control. On March 27 at Confederation Centre, I’ll provide useful information on making the most of your hospital stay and ensuring you have the best experience. On April 7 at the Bonsor Community Centre, we’ll discuss what you should know about medi-

cal ethics, including how to ensure your wishes are respected, who has access to your medical records and how to make informed decisions about medical interventions. In the patient-doctor relationship, the patient comes ﬁrst. The role of your healthcare providers is to support you in both managing illness and achieving your goals. We

envision the Empowering Patients education program will provide some of that support. Dr. Davidicus Wong is a family physician. For more information on the Burnaby Division of Family Practice’s public health education series, check their website at divisionsbc.ca/burnaby. For more on achieving your positive potential at every age: davidicuswong.wordpress.com.

How healthy is your heart?

Healthy Heart Clinic.

Attend our Healthy Heart Clinic and during a one-on-one consultation, our Patient Care Pharmacist will assess your likelihood of developing heart disease, discover factors that put you at risk and discuss how to minimize this risk.

Book an appointment today. A finger prick blood sample will be necessary. A small fee applies for this service, however a tax deductible receipt will be issued.

Visit londondrugs.com/healthyheart for clinic dates and locations.

W E DN E SDAY, M A R C H 4 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Monitor screen time for children

Kathy Lynn

parentingtoday.ca.

We all know that computer and TV screens are now an everyday part of our lives and that includes our children. A recent survey commissioned by ParticipACTION found 76 per cent of parents in B.C. with children 12 and younger have used a screen to occupy their children when they are busy, trying to get things done or want some quiet time. We would all acknowledge that there are times when parents simply need some time for household chores or a break in the action. Screen time can make this happen. The trick is to ﬁrst monitor exactly what the kids are doing with this screen time. Ensure that

what they are watching or the game they are playing is appropriate. The second factor is to be careful to limit the amount of screen time the kids are getting. And for the little ones, screen time is not a good idea for children under the age of two. They can’t process the information and while they have no idea what is happening, it mesmerizes them. According to ParticipACTION, the average Canadian child spends seven hours and 48 minutes a day in front of screens — that’s almost a 40-hour workweek. However, only 54 per cent of parents in B.C. are concerned about the screen time habits of their children. Too much screen time can make it hard for a child to sleep at

For younger children, avoid using screens as an “electronic babysitter.”

“I need help while I recover.”

night, raise a child’s risk of attention problems and leave less time for active, creative play. The survey has good news — 91 per cent of parents in B.C. say they plan to make physical activity a priority for their children this year. There are a number of great hints to help parents limit screen time with their children — from toddlers to teens. Some of the ideas include: Make family rules that limit how much screen time your kids are allowed each day. This also means that you can’t watch TV whenever you want. If you’re watching TV so are the kids, even if they seem to be ignoring it. For the same reason, eliminate background TV as it’s likely to draw your child’s attention. I have been in homes where the TV is on constantly and I know it distracts me from the conversation in the room. If you need background sound, turn on music. For younger children, avoid using screens as an “electronic babysitter.” If your young child is watching TV, watch with them so that you can monitor their understanding of what they are seeing. Ideally they will be watching programs you have taped ahead to make sure they are quality shows appropriate for this age group. For older children, don’t allow a TV, computer or cellphone in your child’s bedroom. This is a real challenge, but when kids have any screens in their rooms, they are less likely to sleep well. They will get tweets throughout the night or receive texts from friends and pretty soon they are engaged in a middle-of-the-night conversation. Limiting

For older children, don’t allow a TV, computer, tablet or cellphone in your child’s bedroom. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

and controlling time is just part of the equation. Getting the kids outside to play is the second component. If your children are school age, teach them how to walk to school and to the park. Involve other parents so kids walk and play together. Organize family activities that include exercise such as hikes, swimming, skating or bowling. If your children are younger, take them to the park and playground, and play outside as much as possible. Involve the grandparents — they love to take kids on outings. We can’t totally avoid screen time with our children but we can teach them how to maintain a balance between their electronic activities and their physical play. When we do that our kids will be healthier and thus happier. Kathy Lynn is a professional speaker and author of Vive la Difference, Who’s In Charge Anyway? and But Nobody Told Me I’d Ever Have to Leave Home. If you want to read more, sign up for her informational newsletter at parentingtoday.ca.

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Arts&Entertainment

GOT ARTS? 604.738.1411 or events@vancourier.com

1 March 4 to 6, 2015 1. For a dude who has a PhD is mathematics and operates in the musical world of digital samplers, electronic loops and synthesizers, Dan Snaith, a.k.a. Caribou, sounds downright soulful and romantic on his latest Merge Records release, Our Love. Expect a hypnotic, groove-filled dance orgy when Caribou plays an early and late show at the Commodore Ballroom March 5. Details at bplive.ca. 2. In the film Margarita, With a Straw, a young woman with cerebral palsy lives with her family in Delhi and is frustrated in efforts towards romance and self-expression until she accepts a scholarship to study creative writing in Manhattan. Shonali Bose’s inspirational film screens at the opening gala of the 10th annual International Women in Film and Television Festival March 4 to 8 at Vancity Theatre. Detals viff.org and womeninfilm.ca. 3. The Troika Collective presents the North American premiere of Torsten Buchsteiner’s play Nordost March 4 to 7 at the Havana Theatre. Produced and performed by an all-female cast and crew, Nordost recounts the 2002 57-hour hostage crisis in Moscow’s Dubrovka Theatre, told from the perspective of three different women. Tickets at brownpapertickets.com. More information at thetroikacollective.com.

4. Seven Tyrants Theatre follows up last year’s Beggar’s Opera with Mozart & Salieri. David Newham’s adapts Alexander Pushkin’s classic text told through the eyes of composer Salieri and his struggle to accept his own artistic limitations in the shadow of Mozart. It runs March 4 to 14 at the Jericho Arts Centre. Tickets at ticketstonight.com. Details at seventyrants.com.

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Arts&Entertainment

The Pogues, led by toothbrush-phobic frontman Shane MacGowan, influenced more than just Celtic and folk musicians says CelticFest programmer Tom Landa, who’s organized a Tribute to the Pogues, March 7 at the Imperial featuring Natalye Vivian, Rockland Moran, Babe Gurr, Courier contributor Aaron Chapman, C.R. Avery , Dustin Bentall and the fittingly named Shane’s Teeth, among others.

Musicians pay tribute to the Pogues at CelticFest Band’s Celtic punk legacy and frontman’s famously rotten teeth left mark on local music scene

STATE OF THE ARTS Cheryl Rossi

crossi@vancourier.com

When Irish singer-songwriter Damian Dempsey cancelled his gig at the 11th annual CelticFest, festival programmer Tom Landa reckoned A Tribute to the Pogues could ﬁll Dempsey’s Saturday night spot, March 7, at the Imperial. “They’ve inﬂuenced a lot of people who are not just into Celtic or folk music,” Landa said of the beloved band, which formed in London in 1982 under the name Pogue Mahone — the anglicization of the Irish póg mo thóin, meaning “kiss my arse.”

“They were a big part of the punk movement. They were a big part of the New Wave movement in the late ’80s.” Landa, who’s also artistic director of the Vancouver World Music Festival and frontman of the Paperboys and Locarno, noted the Clash’s Joe Strummer initially replaced frontman Shane MacGowan when he left the Pogues in 1991. “They collaborated with Elvis Costello. They collaborated with Kirsty MacColl,” Landa continued. Now Landa has gathered local talents from a variety of musical persuasions to take up the songs of the iconic band. He believes the tribute will be country-rock crooner Natalye Vivian’s ﬁrst solo

show since the breakup of Whiskey Jane. Rockland Moran, who’s all about the Delta Blues, plans to get down with the Pogue’s “If I Should Fall from the Grace with God,” and roots artist Babe Gurr is set to play “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda.” The Paperboys opened for MacGowan when he ﬁrst visited Vancouver post-Pogues in the mid1990s. Landa laughed when the Courier asked what MacGowan was like and then said, “Not very coherent.” MacGowan may wrestle with alcoholism but his labours with words have won him legions of fans. “He is really a fabulous poet,” Landa said. It’s that facility with

language that has inspired punk pianist and beatbox poet C.R. Avery to pen a poem for the event. Local Pogues tribute band Shane’s Teeth, named for MacGowan’s famously rotten set, will back artists ﬂying solo. Paul Gould said his band the Hard Rock Miners were on tour in St. Louis 15 years ago when he and bandmate Rob Thomson heard a jazz group covering the Pogues and thought “We can do that.” Mere months later, Shane’s Teeth performed its ﬁrst sold-out show at the Railway Club. “It sure is a lot of fun,” said Gould, noting members of D.O.A. and the Real McKenzies have cycled through the group

that is now largely made up of members of the Ford Pier Vengeance Trio, accompanied by Granie Sheriden on pennywhistle and Doug Kellam on ﬁvestring banjo. Author and Courier contributor Aaron Chapman of Celtic rock band the Town Pants and the Real McKenzies will emcee the night, which will also include Pat Chessell, Dustin Bentall and the Vagabonds. The tribute is just one of a multitude of concerts, performances, events and workshops happening during Western Canada’s largest Celtic celebration, March 6 to 17. Landa is particularly excited to see internationallyrenowned ﬁddler, singer, songwriter and step dancer

April Verch perform at the Annex of the Orpheum Theatre March 16, and to hear Mark Sullivan and Andy Hillhouse, as well as Fàsta, perform alongside the Paperboys March 14 at the Imperial. Gould noted Shane’s Teeth plays the St. Pat’s Bash at the WISE Hall, also on March 14. “My son-in-law plays in the Bad Beats, the band that’s opening up for us. He’s the keyboard player,” Gould said. “I’m looking forward to playing a music gig with my son-in-law.” For more information about the whisky tastings, performances and familyfriendly events that make up CelticFest, see celticfestvancouver.com. twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi

A new point of view.

CBC News Andrew Chang

Vancouver Weeknights at 5 & 6 pm cbc.ca/bc

@cbcnewsbc

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Arts&Entertainment

Crazy 8s turns sweet 16 SKOOKUM CITY

Andrew Fleming

aﬂeming@vancourier.com.

, 2015 Vannet MASTER (3.3125” x 6”) B&W

Although Vancouver is known for its bustling film industry, there are still plenty of people willing to work for free. Many of them also happen to be established filmmakers and actors. The annual short filmmaking contest Crazy 8s marked its 16th birthday Saturday night at the Centre and, as usual, the place was packed. Every year sees more and more people seeking to be one of six finalists chosen to put together a short film in just eight days — three days to shoot and five for post-production — with donated equipment and a budget of just $1,000. The latest round saw a total of 196 scripts pitched to judges, 40 more than last year and roughly twice the number of applications from two years ago. One of the great things about the Crazy 8s is that it attracts volunteers from all different career levels, from grips and PAs used to working on big-budget fare such as Godzilla, Robocop or the upcoming Deadpool movie to fresh-faced Vancouver Film School grads looking for their very first imdb. com entry. And all of them happy to work their asses off for a week straight with little to no chance of ever seeing a dime from it. Imagine if the Vancouver Canucks teamed up with a bunch of beer leaguers, referees, Zamboni drivers, skate sharpeners and shovel girls to put on an annual

KUDOS & KVETCHES Pop goes the world

On Now at The Brick! For more details go instore or online @thebrick.com.

Just when we thought we were out… they pull us back in. Having spent the past six months humming, singing, lip-syncing, air-guitaring, dancing, gyrating, bodyrocking and housecleaning to Taylor Swift’s mega hit “Shake It Off,” we thought we had ﬁnally cleansed ourselves of the infectious rays of pop music sunshine that turned our chubby body into a sickening glow of optimism and joy and had us singing the merits of the song to anyone who dared deny its charm. Then last

Adrian Hough plays a hirsute gentleman caller in Jem Garrard’s The Wolf Who Came to Dinner.

best-of-seven series few people would ever actually see and you get the idea. It’s a true labour of love, although also a potential ticket to bigger things. The latest round at a gala event hosted by Diana Bang, seen recently heating up The Interview, and American Mary’s Nelson Wong offered typically eclectic fare. There was the absurd (a grown woman is forced to return to pre-school after her corporate employer discovers she never graduated in Kalyn Miles and Aubrey Arnason’s Kindergarten, Da Bin Ich Weider); the sinister (an elderly man is targeted in a deadly home invasion in Mo Soliman’s Under a Glass Moon); the depressing (Scott Belyea offers a believable glimpse into the lives of professional

phone scammers in Outside the Lines); the moving (a down-on-her-luck young blues singer makes an unexpected connection with an Indian cabbie in Caitlin Byrnes’ One Last Ride); the subversive (the Cinderella fairy tale gets a makeover with Angie Nolan’s campy The Twisted Slipper); and the even more absurd (a young girl is not pleased to discover her mother is dating a werewolf in Jem Garrard’s hilarious The Wolf Who Came to Dinner). Crazy 8s’ licensing rights prohibit ﬁlmmakers from posting their projects online afterward, but many of the shorts get a longer life through screenings at various ﬁlm festivals. For example, last year’s Earthlickers and Bed Bugs: A Musical Love Story were both screened in December at

the Whistler Film Festival, and three more past winners are part of the lineup for this week’s Vancouver International Women in Film and Television Festival at Vancity Theatre. And an eventual paycheque isn’t necessarily out of the cards. Crazy 8s regular Mackenzie Gray’s noirish Under the Bridge of Fear from 2013 was later broadcasted on CBC, and he told me at the pre-show reception this brought in a small windfall he was able to share with the cast and crew. But it would be crazy talk to suggest anyone is in this for the money rather than simply a love of film. Which is a literally a credit (lots of them, actually) to Vancouver’s tight-knit film community. twitter.com/flematic

week, we heard it: the ﬁrst seemingly innocuous beats of Carly Rae Jepsen’s new single “I Really Like You.” At ﬁrst, we brushed it off as an annoying earworm. Like when we heard “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight” at No Frills and couldn’t get it out of our head the rest of the day. After all, Jepsen is best known for her previous easy-breezy song “Call Me Maybe,” and we found it only mildly debilitating in its pervasiveness. Except of course until she performed it with children’s instruments on Jimmy Fallon. Then it was part of our brain’s internal wiring for several weeks and caused us to question our

moral ﬁbre. Slowly but surely, however, Jepsen’s “I Really Like You” has infected us and taken over our DNA. Part of it has to do with its catchy and to-the-point chorus — “I really really really really really really like you/And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?”— which pretty much expresses the exact same sentiment of “Call Me Maybe” but in an even more repetitive, 13-year-old friendly way. There was a time when we were immune to such overt attempts at charttopping, songwriting-bycommittee efforts. We haven’t listened to com-

mercial radio since high school, we can tell you the full names of the three members in Yo La Tengo and we own more Superchunk full-length albums, eps and compilations than pairs of underwear. But something has changed in us. Our resilience to Top 40 sweetness has weakened, leaving us vulnerable to the siren songs of Swift, Jepsen, Gaga, Clarkson and Beyonce. The old us would have compared our dire circumstance to Hell, but with Jepsen riding shotgun in our head it’s more like prison — if prison was a candy story and we were chained up with velvet handcuffs. twitter.com/KudosKvetches

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Sports&Recreation

GOT SPORTS? 604.630.3549 or mstewart@vancourier.com

By Megan Stewart

Killarney upends Kits for junior crown

The Killarney Cougars are the junior B.C. champions after defeating the top-ranked Kitsilano Blue Demons 64-55 at the Langley Events Centre Feb. 28. The Cougars were ranked seventh heading into the tournament, but upset second seed Tamanawis in the quarter-finals and Walnut Grove in the semi-finals to reach the championship against Kits. Against the defending champion Blue Demons, Killarney opened up a 23-9 lead in the first quarter, thanks to a 14-point output by guard Isabelo Bautista. After the half, Kitsilano’s Luca Lizdek scored nine points in the third quarter to cut the Cougars’ lead to 49-40. The Blue Demons trailed by as few as six points, but a clutch three-point dagger from Kenan Krupic kept the Cougars out in front. Krupic led all scorers with 21 points, and Duncan Ross led the Blue Demons with 17. Killarney guard Jason Tatengco was named the tournament’s most valuable player and forward Kiante Knight was voted the best defensive player. Playing for third place, the Walnut Grove Gators defeated the Steveston-London Sharks 71-59.

Toribio gets his gold

Torrey Toribio won the gold medal that has eluded him for the previous four years as one of the best wrestlers in the country. The graduating John Oliver Joker was undefeated at the 2015 B.C. high school wrestling championship in Langley Feb. 26 to 28 and was voted by coaches from across Torrey Toribio the province as the season’s outstanding male wrestler. Despite being the favourite before each provincial meet, this is his first gold. Austin Bartalome, a Grade 9 Joker, also won gold after he came back from an early 4-0 deficit and near pin to reach the top of the podium. And Earl Lagos, who’s in Grade 10, burned through the competition on his way to the final but lost to an older, three-time national champion to claim the silver medal.

Year of women in sport

To mark International Women’s Day, the Churchill Bulldogs senior girls basketball team was invited to city hall Tuesday. The young women and their coaches Jennifer Eng and Sabrina Chan, were honoured by the mayor and the school’s principal as the ﬁrst city championship team in Churchill’s history. “They are young women who have pursued this championship and we are incredibly proud, said principal Jack Bailey. “They have just put forward an incredible effort to be at this level.” Bailey referred to a “culture of return” and recognized Eng and Chan, who returned as Churchill alumni to coach the Bulldogs for the better part of a decade. The team stood on the dais with their blue city banner as mayor Gregor Robertson declared 2015 the year of women in sport in the City of Vancouver.

When there’s no action...

Why am I here?

Supposedly thought one of the llamas making a guest appearance on TSN during the NHL trade deadline coverage on March 2. Thought the second llama: “The Leafs will never be able to ofﬂoad Kessel.”

Eric Ming, in the toque, coaches the Britannia Bruins senior boys basketball team with Wayne Hoang. Ming was first diagnosed with cancer in 2006. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

‘Show commitment and kindness’

Continued from page 1 “We stopped counting percentages a long time ago,” he said. “The doctors have been very honest and they’ve been working very hard to look for answers, but the fact of the matter is there are not a lot of people like me in my position. What it comes down to is to take it one day at a time. Every day is a gift.” The senior Bruins are doing all they can to extend their season. Ming has attended ﬁve games this year, including the Bruins’ appearance in the city championship last month and again for Lower Mainland ﬁnal last week at the Richmond Oval. Next week Britannia will play in the AA B.C. basketball championships at the Langley Events Centre. “He can’t come out and watch us play so when I see him, it makes me happy,” said Dylan Joe, an all-star at the city tournament. “He’s a good coach. He likes winning, too.” “He tells us to work

hard and believe in ourselves,” said Andrew Fang. “It deﬁnitely gives us motivation. People see him as an inspiration so when we see him, we’ll work harder. He inspires us to work hard, be ourselves.” The Bruins will have to channel the inspiration they feel for their coach in Ming’s absence. He won’t be at the provincial tournament, which runs March 11 to 14 at the Langley Events Centre, because he’ll be travelling in Asia with his parents. Ming is a recreational sports programmer with More Sports, an organization that started 15 years ago in the inner city, which creates inclusive, stable and sustainable sport opportunities for children and teens. His parents opened the popular and well-regarded Phnom Penh restaurant in Chinatown in 1986 and that was the food they brought Ming during his many rounds of hospitalization and treatment. “That’s always a big

morale boost,” he said. “I rely on my family a lot.” Since the summer, Ming hasn’t been able to be as physical at practices as he’s used to. He was walking with a cane until recently, and now walks slowly on his own with a slight limp. His physical ﬁtness and active lifestyle are essential to his wellbeing, he said. Being part of a team also elevates his mood. “If you’re generally a more healthy person, you tend to tolerate the medicine a little bit better. Exercise, what it does is it’s a stress reliever and it helps me cope with anxiety,” said Ming. “It’s not easy having cancer. You have to deal with, you know — am I going to live? “Exercise helps me. It’s kind of like a Zen time where I don’t have to think about anything. I can just think about working hard.” Ming praised his players, many who are from Strathcona and the Downtown Eastside, for their grittiness, determination

and independence. His advice for provincials was to be physically prepared by eating properly, hydrating well and getting rest before big games. He had more to say about their futures. “My message to my players has always been to show commitment and to show kindness towards others. As long as you do that, things fall into place no matter how hard things get. I think they understand that coach is going through a rough time. Think when you’re growing up, you tend to be bright-eyed and take things for granted. The world is like your oyster and for them to see a young person like me go through what I’m going through, it gives them a better appreciation of the lives of their teammates, of their coaches,” he said. “I’ve always believed in this team. They’re a great team and they’re very spirited. And it’s that that has been carrying them through all this time.” twitter.com/MHStewart

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Sports&Recreation

Churchill Bulldog Harry Liu (in dark blue) chases a loose ball under the hoop in a 74-63 AAAA Lower Mainland championship win over Burnaby South. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

Boys prepare for B.C. showdown

Trojans knock out top-ranked Vancouver College BASKETBALL Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

Tupper Tiger Chris Schneller (No. 7) goes up for two of his game-high 26 points in a 76-71 AAA Lower Mainland championship win over the McMath Wildcats. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

The brackets are set for the 70th annual B.C. High School Boys Basketball Championship, a tournament that now includes four ﬂights from single-A to AAAA, and draws thousands of spectators to the Langley Events Centre for one of the largest amateur sporting events in the country.

AAAA senior boys

The Churchill Bulldogs may have won the Lower Mainland crown, but the Thompson Trojans won the glass slipper and star player Harry Brar was named the tournament’s most valuable player. The Trojans eliminated Vancouver College 74-63 in a close battle for third place, continuing the Cinderella run that has the province captivated. Although both Vancouver College and St. George’s legitimately qualiﬁed for the Lower Mainland tournament, neither private school advanced to provincials. The Burnaby South Rebels advance as the second Lower Mainland team. In the ﬁnal, the Bulldogs did what they didn’t do last year on their way to the 2014 senior boys AAAA B.C. championship — on Feb. 27 at the Richmond Olympic Oval, they beat the Rebels 94-84 to win the regional title. “We had it taken away from us last year,” said Bulldog guard Karn Virk, who had 17 points in the win. Last season, Vancouver

College defeated the Bulldogs in the ﬁnal. “It means a lot but it’s not the end, it’s not the Big Dance. We need to win that one.” The Bulldogs are seeded fourth and play 13th seed Heritage Woods at 12 p.m., March 11. The Trojans, seeded ninth, play No. 8 seed Terry Fox at 5:15 p.m. today. Oak Bay gets the top seed while No. 2 is Yale and Kelowna is No. 3. The semiﬁnals are set for 7 and 8:45 p.m., March 13. The championship is 8:15 p.m., March 14.

AAA senior boys

Ranked No. 1 each week in February and undefeated since late January, the Tupper Tigers set another milestone by winning the senior boys AAA Lower Mainland title, beating Richmond’s McMath Wildcats 76-71 at the Richmond Olympic Oval Feb. 27. The Tigers enter the B.C. Championship as the No. 1 seed and play No. 13 Isfeld at 1:45 p.m., March 11. They may be the favourite, but they were last year, too, and that isn’t a result they want to repeat, said graduating forward Niko Mottus. “Last year we won City’s and Lower Mainlands but we kind of choked at Provincials,” said Mottus, who had a double-double in the win with 11 points and 16 rebounds — plus seven steals. “This year we came through. We’re ranked No. 1 and we’re going to take Provincials. I feel on top of the world right now — I love playing with these guys. This a chance to leave our legacy at the school.”

If Tupper advances, they will play in the semiﬁnals at 3:30 p.m., March 13. The championship is 6 p.m., March 14.

AA senior boys

The Britannia Bruins defeated Palmer in the Lower Mainland semi-final 78-63 at the Richmond Oval Feb. 24. Because they lost in the final 73-53 to Cambie, the Bruins’ fate hung in the balance because only two teams advance from the Lower Mainland the AA B.C. Championship. Palmer had to beat MacNeill and they did — by one point. Britannia is seeded 12th and plays No. 5 Collingwood March 11. They stand to play in the semifinals at 8:45 p.m. March 13. The championship final is 3:45 March 14.

A senior boys

In a crowded single-A Lower Mainland tournament, one Vancouver team was going home and in the end it was St. John’s. In the deciding third-place game, St. John’s lost 83-69 to rival St. Patrick’s. West Point Grey Academy defeated St. Patrick’s in the semi-final and went on to lose 80-56 to Richmond Christian in the final. At provincials, Richmond Christian is the top seed, while West Point Grey Academy follows at No. 6 and St. Patrick’s follows at No. 7. The Wolves play their first game against No. 11 Northside Christian at 6:45 p.m., March 11. The Celtics play No. 10 Duncan Christian at 12 p.m., March 11. The championship final is 1:30 p.m., March 14.

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