Vancouver Courier April 15 2015 by Vancouver Courier

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April 15 2015 Vol. 106 No. 29

OPINION 10

Transit cops listen to outcry HEALTH 14

Approaching the bench KUDOS & KVETCHES 17

Canucks playoff haikus! There’s more online at

vancourier.com MIDWEEK EDITION

THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS since 1908

Confusion over spill More practice needed between city, agencies

Bob Mackin

bob@bobmackin.ca

PLAY BALL Hastings Community Little League players show excitement during Saturday’s opening day ceremonies at Falaise Park. The league opened the day by thanking the countless hours put in by longtime volunteers over the years since the storied Hastings club started in 1953. See City Living page 8. PHOTO REBECCA BLISSETT

Consultation promised for St. Paul’s False Creek location alarms NDP MLA Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

The agency that operates St. Paul’s Hospital downtown on Burrard Street unveiled plans Monday to replace the aging facility and build a new $1-billion “state of the art” hospital and healthcare campus on an 18.5-acre site adjacent to the city’s train station at Main and Terminal. But in announcing the news for a new hospital on the False Creek Flats, Providence Health Care left questions unanswered about the future of healthcare services in the West End and whether the entire hospital will be demolished and its

land sold for redevelopment. The land has been assessed at $360 million. “There’s been no decisions whether we’re selling land or not,” said Neil MacConnell, a former Providence manager who was rehired to lead the project, which requires the agency to raise $500 million to match a $500 million investment from the provincial government. MacConnell, speaking at a news conference at Providence’s ofﬁces on Hornby Street, cautioned the agency still needs to consult with West End residents about healthcare needs before ﬁnalizing plans for the century-old hospital, which needs more than $80 million in seismic upgrades. In a subsequent news conference in Victoria, Health Minister Terry Lake also emphasized the need for “extensive consultation” with residents. But, he said, St. Paul’s will be redeveloped and proceeds will help pay for the new hospital on Station Street,

which borders the Downtown Eastside and is 2.9 kilometres from the old hospital. “But again, the consultation process will determine what remains at that site,” Lake said. “We’re not shutting the door, we need to hear from people.” Whatever comes of the consultation, MacConnell conﬁrmed there will be no emergency department in the West End, citing statistics that show 19 per cent of emergency room visits to St. Paul’s in the 2013/2014 ﬁscal year were from West End residents. And 80 per cent of those visits, he added, were “non-urgent.” NDP West-End MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert said he was concerned about losing the hospital and its emergency department, especially since Premier Christy Clark announced plans in 2012 for renewal of St. Paul’s on its current site. Continued on page 4

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Canadian Coast Guard officials insist they did their job properly to contain the MV Marathassa bunker fuel spill last week. But did the coast guard and other agencies have enough practice together to do the job efficiently? The federal government’s Tanker Safety Panel’s November 2013 review of ship-source oil spill preparedness and response concluded there was “no comprehensive national framework” for regular multi-jurisdictional exercises to test area response plans. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s federal, provincial or municipal, we’ve got to work all together, and we’ve got to exercise,” maritime lawyer Joe Spears told the Courier. “You need to get everyone sitting around the table, and all you see down there are [politicians] pointing fingers.” Coast guard asst. comm. Roger Girouard said personnel were involved in a June 2014, full-scale oil spill exercise led by the U.S. Coast Guard in Bellingham, Wash., but the Canadian Coast Guard media relations office did not provide the Courier before deadline with specifics on exercises, whether table-top or full-scale, that it has led. “We are always practising, we always invite partners to come and play, particularly to exercise incident command,” Girouard said. “The coast guard is still ramping up its expertise around.” Western Canada Marine Response Corp. (WCMRC) spokesperson Michael Lowry said the only local Transport Canada-certified clean-up contractor held local tabletop and on-water exercises last fall. Tabletop exercises were already planned next week for Nanaimo and next month in Vancouver before the Marathassa incident. Canada, unlike Norway, does not allow oil-on-water exercises, so WCMRC relies on Environment Canada-provided trajectory modelling based on tides and weather of the day of an exercise, Lowry said. Continued on page 3

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W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News Coast guard concedes communication problems

Continued from page 1 “Municipalities are invited, they’re stakeholders but we like to integrate them into the incident command post,” Lowry said. He said the City of Vancouver was part of a table top exercise last September that included an on-water component. City of Vancouver’s emergency management director Daniel Stevens did not respond to the Courier and the corporate communications department declined to comment before deadline. Meanwhile, Mayor Gregor Robertson is standing by his claim that the city was in the dark for 12 hours after the spill from the grain carrier, built in Japan and launched in January. Port Metro Vancouver issued a series of Tweets just after 1 a.m. April 9 and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Tweeted April 10 that it “directly contacted Vancouver City Police to inform them of the spill” at 9:54 p.m. April 8. “Our information is that

the call you are referencing was a 911 call and not a notification to the City of Vancouver about a major oil spill near our shores,” said mayor’s office spokesman Braeden Caley. City manager Penny Ballem told council on April 14 that “the call VPD got was actually a question to them.” She said WCMRC notified the city at 5:06 a.m. and the emergency operations centre was activated at 5:50 a.m. Girouard conceded communications among agencies “did not go as well as it should,” and said “the alarm bell did not make it particularly to the mayor of Vancouver.” Coast guard said it was notified at 5:10 p.m. on April 8 by municipal emergency services that a recreational boater noticed a slick around Marathassa. By 5:14 p.m., it “informed emergency management partners of the incident in accordance with recognized protocols, which inform local, shore-side authorities

such as municipal governments and First Nations.” The province’s Emergency Coordination Centre said it received a spill report from the coast guard at 5:22 p.m. and notified the Environment Ministry at 5:27 p.m. Port Metro Vancouver confirmed the sheen at 5:38 p.m. The coast guard said it told WCMRC at 6:08 p.m. to stand by. The company was activated at 8:06 p.m. and on-scene at 9:25 p.m. The boom was around the vessel by 5:33 a.m. April 9, the coast guard said. The coast guard, however, admitted that it failed to issue an official notice to mariners about the incident until 6:28 a.m. April 9. By then, there had been an evening high tide and morning low tide in English Bay. “I can’t tell you why it took until six in the morning,” Girouard said. “What I can tell you is that the waterway was controlled in a safe manner that allowed the operation to be conducted.” twitter.com/bobmackin

1. Jenelle Hebert (top) from the Oiled Wildlife Society First Responders looks for wildlife in distress at Third Beach Friday afternoon. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER 2. A Vancouver Park Board sign warns beach users to stay away from the sand and water last week. PHOTO REBECCA BLISSETT

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

News

Hospital serves wide area

Continued from page 1 “If Christy Clark had fulﬁlled her promise she made in 2012, we would have a state-of-the-art health care tower at St. Paul’s Hospital already, and be renewing St. Paul’s Hospital to make it seismic safe,” Herbert told the Courier by telephone. Herbert said he wouldn’t debate the need for a new hospital in the area known as the False Creek Flats. But, he said, his focus is on ensuring emergency services are available to downtown residents. “You couldn’t really get to that site they’ve proposed for the new hospital during the Stanley Cup riots because the bridges, the viaducts and SkyTrain were all closed and buses weren’t really running,” he said. “So it was a huge boon that we actually had a hospital downtown to serve those who were injured by the riot and impacted by the tear gas.” A common message from MacConnell, Providence senior staff and doctors gathered at Monday’s news

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Darlene MacKinnon, chief clinical planning officer for Providence Health Care, and Neil MacConnell, project lead for Providence’s new hospital proposal, unveiled plans Monday for a new $1-billion hospital on the False Creek Flats. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

conference was that St. Paul’s Hospital is not just for West End residents and that it serves the Lower Mainland and rest of the province. Dr. Julio Montaner of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS at St. Paul’s Hospital acknowledged “we are all emotionally attached” to the existing facility and it has a long tradition of serving West End residents. But, he said, health care providers are running out of space at the hospital and work in “sub-optimal” conditions. He pointed out the B.C. Centre, like other health care providers, is offering care outside the hospital, which is line with the new model of bringing services to where people live. “The reality is, we’re moving a few blocks away,” said Montaner, noting the new site is about a 10-minute drive from St. Paul’s and more accessible for many people. “It’s not like we’re going to another continent.” Dr. Don Sin, a respirologist at St. Paul’s, pointed out more than 70 per cent of patients who visit the hospital are from outside the “core region.” And, Sin said, 50 per cent of visits come from outside of Greater Vancouver. Wait times to see doctors will double by 2020 in the existing facility, he added. Dianne Doyle, president and CEO of Providence Health Care, told reporters the decision to build a new facility on the False Creek Flats came after staff conducted a detailed analysis of what it would take to renew the existing hospital.

Doyle said they concluded there would not be good value for money spent, no real improvement on in-patient services or an increase in the number of private rooms, which are key to preventing the spread of infections. “It was not a good solution,” she said, noting Providence consulted with “world experts” to examine the cost and design of the proposed hospital on Station Street. “We do know in speaking to [ﬁnancial] donors to date that there’s a lot more excitement about the opportunity to build on the Station Street site than we were able to generate in terms of support for a rebuild on the current site.” Providence Health Care provided a list of program and services to be developed at the proposed facility that it says would not be possible

at the current St. Paul’s Hospital. They include: • 24/7 primary care. • Chronic disease management services. • Up to 300 private beds. • Up to 250 beds for seniors. • Mental health and addictions beds, services and programs. • Non-acute medical services. • Laboratory. • Social housing. • Wellness and community care programs. • Research and teaching. • Community outreach programs. • Residential care beds. • A “low-risk birthing centre.” • End-of-life care Providence’s plans call for the new hospital to be open by 2022. twitter.com/Howellings

Workers removed B.C. government signs from St. Paul’s Hospital that advertised renewal plans for the facility. Providence Health Care announced plans Monday it now wants to build a new hospital on the False Creek Flats. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

Family

Get Wild About Vancouver and EAT! Library offers blogging, online safety workshops CALENDAR Deanna Cheng

dmwcheng7@gmail.com

Vancouver

A tour of UBC Farm is just one activity included in the ongoing Wild About Vancouver Outdoor Education Festival. (Pumpkins not included.) PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

From watching eagles soar to identifying edible spring plants to kayaking by Jericho Beach, the first annual Wild About Vancouver Outdoor Education Festival has a little bit of everything to draw and engage families of all age and sizes. Each event has an educational component. There’s a pollinator workshop about bees, a medicine walk with a Musqueam elder, a poetry reading and more. Everyone is invited to come together for a week of exploration, to be involved with the wealth of outdoor education learning experiences available within the city. One of the event’s goals is to unite and create sustainable networks between organizations and citizens, especially youth, First Nations, seniors, new Canadians, schools and families. The festival has started and will continue until April 22. For more info, visit wildaboutvancouver.com. Also happening throughout the city is this year’s EAT! Vancouver Food and Cooking Festival. It will start on April 27 and run through to May 3. In its 13th year, this week-long festival will showcase the city’s extraordinary culinary culture. There will be a pastry panel available to field questions from the public and industry professionals. For the next Canadian master chef and food lovers, there’s hands-on workshops, a dinner series, a Canadian flavours gala and more. To learn about specific events, visit eat-vancouver.com.

ever, not everyone is keen on putting pen to paper so why not blog? That’s where an Introduction to WordPress Blogging workshop at the Central branch of the Vancouver Public Library, 350 West Georgia St., comes in. Participants will learn the basics of blogging, create a free WordPress account and customize the settings. This workshop is on Level 7 from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Registration is required. To register, call 604331-3603 or email info@ vpl.ca. Also happening at the Central library downtown is a Digital and Internet Safety workshop on April 19 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Be savvy online. Avoid identity theft, protect your data and learn ways to secure your computer and devices. Get tips on how to use digital devices and the Internet safely and wisely. Registration is also required. To register, call 604-331-3603 or email info@vpl.ca.

South Vancouver/ Sunset

Back by popular demand, the baker’s market will be open on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre, 7646 Prince Albert St. There will be French macarons, croissants, bread, scones, toffees and cupcakes. There’s also the option of glutenfree or organic baked goods. The event is held

indoors with free parking, free samples and free admission. For more info, visit bakersmarket.com.

West End

There are countless mysteries, myths and misconceptions about the history of Stanley Park. During Stanley Park’s Secrets Historical Walking Tour, many hidden stories and rare historical photographs will be shared. Everyone will meet at the viewing plaza overlooking Lost Lagoon at the foot of Alberni Street. The event is on April 19 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Admission is $10 per person and drop-in only. Part of the proceeds go to the Stanley Park Ecology Society.

Granville Island

Juno nominee Peter Katz will perform in a beneﬁt concert for the KidSafe Project Society, a Vancouver-based charity whose mission is to provide nurturing safe havens for vulnerable inner-city children when schools are traditionally closed. With one in ﬁve children in Metro Vancouver living in poverty, the sad but common reality for thousands of local children is that school breaks are times of loneliness, hunger and instability. The fundraising concert will be at Performance Works on Granville Island, 1218 Cartwright St., on May 21 at 8 p.m. For more info, visit the event section on kidsafe.ca. twitter.com/writerly_dee

Downtown

Journaling has been proven to reduce stress by letting people write about their feelings, especially anger, sadness and other painful emotions. Releasing the intensity of these feelings is said to allow you to feel calmer and stay in the present. How-

The Vancouver Public Library is hosting several workshops on blogging. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News Little Mountain sees first housing Long delay in replacing demolished homes a sore point

Shannon Lynch

Shannon_17_2@hotmail.com

The unveiling of 53 new units of affordable senior housing at Little Mountain was met with mixed emotions April 9. The City of Vancouver and B.C. Housing, along with developer Holborn Properties and non-proﬁt More Than a Roof, held a ribbon cutting to mark the opening of Little Mountain’s ﬁrst new social housing building. The project began in 2007 as an agreement by the city with the provincial government to replace 224 social housing units with a total of 234 new subsidized housing units. The original buildings at the site near Queen Elizabeth Park were demolished and in September 2009 most of the families at Little Mountain were relocated to other social housing. The redevelopment of the 15-acre site will involve a mix of subsidized and market housing. Proceeds from the sale of Little Mountain

property are to be reinvested as supportive housing for people with mental health problems, addiction, and other chronic conditions. “As we build on Little Mountain, we’ll build more in the city with regards to mental health and addictions and changing people’s lives,” said Housing Minister Rich Coleman. Once completed, Little Mountain will have 1,500 units of affordable housing with 10 reserved for the Musqueam Nation. The new ﬁve-storey building, which is being managed by non-proﬁt More Than a Roof, features 47 one-bedroom units and six two-bedroom apartments. It includes an amenity room, community garden, patio space, a bicycle and scooter storage room and a weekly, low-cost food program for residents. Ken and Kathy Moore moved from Abbotsford to live in one of the new units. “For us to take that extremely long bus ride was

not only hard but financially hard,” he told reporters. “I want to thank B.C. Housing and More Than a Roof for changing our lives.” Vision Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang said the Little Mountain site is “the rebirth of a neighbourhood, the rebirth of an area.” He added, “I know it’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally here, and it’s finally moving ahead.” The length of time for development to begin at the site, which was home to a social housing complex for decades before it was demolished, was noted by critics Thursday. David Chudnovsky, a spokesman for Community Advocates for Little Mountain (CALM), expressed anger at what he calls the displacing of “hundreds” of low-income Little Mountain residents and the fact that they were promised they could move back to the site by the 2010 Olympics. “They have the nerve to have a celebration, cutting a

ribbon on a tiny, tiny, little bit of what they promised was going to be ﬁnished in 2010,” he said. “It’s craziness.” Questioned about the delay in having residents returning by 2010, Coleman said, “It didn’t work out . . . zoning, development, city hall, whatever the case, it had an effect on the project.” “We would like to have most of it built by now,” he added. “I believe we’re going before city council shortly and that should take us to the next phase.” Ingrid Steenhuisen, one of the original residents of the original Little Mountain housing complex and a famous holdout against relocation, estimated she’s one of 11 to 13 original Little Mountain tenants who’ve moved into the new building. She described living there as “OK.” “It’s large enough to exist,” she said, “but not necessarily be able to live doing some of the same things that I used to do in my larger space.” twitter.com/Shannon1726

Development Permit Board Meeting: April 20 The Development Permit Board and Advisory Panel will meet: Monday, April 20, 2015 at 3 pm Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue Ground Floor, Town Hall Meeting Room to consider these development permit applications: 1289 Hornby Street: To develop this site with a 54-storey, mixed-use building containing retail, a vehicle dealer and a total of 479 residential units over eight levels of underground parking with vehicle access from the lane. 1529 Comox Street: To add and relocate the existing multiple dwelling building towards the front property line and to construct a new four-storey, multipledwelling inﬁll building consisting of 17 rental units addressed from the lane to the rear of the existing site. 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, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

Community

1. Hastings Community Little League players stood on the baseline of Falaise Park during Saturday’s opening day. The league started in 1953 and is run by many long-time volunteers. 2. Players warm up for the afternoon games. 3. Richard Saunders, who as past president and chair of next year’s national Little League championship, has put in 31 years with Hastings Community Little League so far. 4. A player runs towards his prize during the closing draw at Saturday’s opening day ceremonies . 5. Excited Little Leaguers head out on the diamond for a game. See photo gallery online at vancourier.com. PHOTOS REBECCA BLISSETT

Little League volunteers step up to the plate

Hastings Community baseball club thanks helpers on opening day CITY LIVING Rebecca Blissett

rvblissett@gmail.com

One of the traits of a dedicated volunteer is somebody who gives up their time and energy without directly beneﬁtting in return. These folks can be seen in the workings of different clubs and organizations across the city — too countless, really, to keep track. But some of the ones most deserving of a mention are found in the fabric of the tight-knit amateur sports organizations such as Hastings Community Little League. President Kevin Clegg publicly thanked a long list of people during Hastings’ opening day ceremonies Saturday morning at the

club’s temporary ﬁeld at Falaise Park. Scott and Grace Browning were mentioned for “registration and always helping out” for 42 years, Bob Hicks, also known as “Barbecue Bob,” was thanked for tending the coals for 25 years. Jim Gregor’s name was mentioned for his 48 years that included titles that ranged from president to being on the organizing committee of the 2016 Little League Championships, which Hastings is hosting. Many others, too, have donated time that amounts to a big chunk of life, long after their own children played through the baseball divisions. “I’ve been a construction labourer all my life and when I see people doing manual work, I tend to jump in and help out,” said

Richard Saunders, who as past president and chair of next year’s national Little League championship, has put in 31 years with Hastings Community Little League so far. “So what I would do is jump in and help rake the ﬁeld, put the bases out — things like that. The thing about Hastings Community Little League is that the most important word in that title is community. You really are part of a small community. People you work with in Little League you’ve known for 20 or 30 years and it’s great to see people you haven’t seen all winter. It’s the same thing as running into folks at the Safeway.” Saunders ﬁrst became involved in baseball with the Trout Lake Little League when his son had

asked to play. Three of the ﬁve boys — two biological and one of the three foster kids — living under the Saunders’ roof played ball. But it was Jesse Saunders who started at Hastings as a ﬁve-year-old, winding up as an 18-year-old with a mean pitch that clocked in at almost 90 miles an hour, that turned the household into a baseball family. “We were never really baseball people. Never watched it on TV or anything like that. And Jesse went to New Mexico on a baseball scholarship,” said the 66-year-old father. “What we learned through him was an appreciation for the game of baseball. Now, when I see opening day and all those colourful uniforms out there and the little kids digging in the dirt and stuff,

it’s here we go, here comes summer. I love it.” Hastings Community Little League started in 1953, just two years after Little League Baseball started in Canada. Hastings has always considered itself as a small market league with player numbers sitting at about 400. Compare that to some other Lower Mainland leagues such as White Rock’s 1,200 registered players and you’ll see why the Vancouver boys and girls generated so many littleteam-that-could headlines in 2009 and 2012 when its 11- and 12-year-old Major All-Star teams represented Canada at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Hastings Park is under construction in preparation to host the national cham-

pionships which is why Falaise, with its careworn diamonds with rock-hard gravel surface, is being used by the league this year. No matter, it will make the wait that much more rewarding. “Hastings is a little different because of its location. We’re right across the street from Playland so you’re constantly hearing the rides going all the time and the kids love that,” said Saunders. “The only unfortunate part of that is, quite often, they’re standing with their backs to the baseball game because they’re watching the rides. Which is handy for us when we have teams from other districts come and play against us because they really can’t help but to turn around and watch. So, we have a bit of an advantage.” twitter.com/rebeccablissett

W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News

DPAC chair lauds VSB budget prudence

School maintenance ongoing concern CLASS NOTES Cheryl Rossi

crossi@vancourier.com

The Vancouver School Board projects a shortfall of $8.52 million for its 20152016 budget and Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council chairperson Melanie Antweiler believes VSB staff have done a good job of keeping the cuts away from kids. “There’s nothing that is as outrageous appearing as it was last year at this stage when instrumental music was [proposed to be] cut completely and the athletics coordinator and all the things that brought people out,” she said Monday morning. Last year, the board proposed eliminating the optional elementary band and strings program for a savings of $630,651, but public outcry was vociferous and money that came from the province during the budget process was used to preserve the program for a year. The 2015-2016 preliminary budget proposes offering band and strings to fewer grades and to try providing the program during prep time at select schools in September 2015 to reduce the number of teachers needed. The preliminary budget also proposes increasing the user fee for the optional program from $2.50 to $5 per month. Instituting both measures would save nearly $420,000. Antweiler noted the VSB is turning to one-time methods of saving money to balance its budget. Board staff propose continuing to sell and lease back equipment and technology, to

decrease its budget line for the purchase of furniture and equipment below average spending per year, and to reduce maintenance by five positions. “There’s been so much deferred maintenance that it’s already in poor condition in many schools,” Antweiler said. “There’s been a hole in the ceiling outside the kindergarten and Grade 1 classes at my kids’ school… There was a leak in February. There’s still a hole in the ceiling covered up by garbage bags. It’s an old school so I’m sure it was raining asbestos on five- and six-year-olds, and it’s still there.” The VSB proposes closing 28 unused classrooms for an estimated savings of $39,200 in cleaning costs. Enrolment and related funding from the provincial government has declined in recent years, which Antweiler says has posed budgeting problems for the board, but she notes board staff expect enrolment to increase in the future. “It would be foolhardy to close schools now that may be needed in five years,” she said. The board proposes additional expenditures in the preliminary budget, including $79,000 for an educational psychologist in addition to the equivalent of 12 full-time educational psychologists it employs now. Trustees typically adopt a final budget April 30. This year, the process will be extended to accommodate input of the special adviser, EY, appointed in March by the Minister of Education. EY’s report is to be submit-

ted to the minister by May 31, so trustees will adopt a provisional budget April 30, receive a report from board staff on EY’s report June 5, consult on EY’s report and the VSB’s related recommendation June 10, submit a draft budget to the minister June 15 and approve the ﬁnal budget June 29. twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

Opinion

Transit police turn ear Planners unprepared to the community for city hall contempt Trish Kelly Columnist trishkellyc@gmail.com

The spring weather has arrived in Vancouver. The cherry blossoms are blooming, jackets are coming off, and most women are bracing themselves for the downside to spring weather: increased occurrences of street and transit harassment. This year, Vancouver will participate in International Anti-Harassment Week, which launched April 13, and credit goes to a community organization called Hollaback! Vancouver and Metro Vancouver Transit Police. Such an initiative is not only timely, but much needed. Hollaback! notes that in Canada, 58 per cent of women surveyed indicated they don’t feel safe on transit. The transit police force, which consists of 165 sworn ofﬁcers and over 65 civilian support staff, has more often been in the limelight for alienating community groups than collaborating with them. Bus riders will recall last summer transit police launched a campaign called “See Something Say Something,” calling on transit riders experiencing harassment or assault to report it because “not reporting sexual assault is the real shame. Nobody should touch, gesture, or say anything that makes you uncomfortable or unsafe.” Transit police were roasted in social media for the campaign, which didn’t acknowledge the valid reasons victims might not report sexual harassment. It also seemed to leave the responsibility for ending harassment with the victims. The local chapter of Hollaback!, an organization that aims to create discussion about street harassment, called transit police on the misstep, and now, just in time for peak harassment season, the two organizations are launching a joint awareness campaign that gives practical tools to bystanders and targets of harassment. The campaign is what transit police should have launched in the ﬁrst place, a multifaceted campaign than leans on the expertise of a community organization with international experience. Unlike last year’s misstep, the new campaign will encourage witnesses on buses and other transit vehicles to make the decision to become active bystanders. As interveners, witnesses can take an active role in sending the message that harassing behaviour is unacceptable and victims are not alone. For victims of transit harassment, several supports are offered. Hollaback! has launched an app where targets of harassment can share their stories and help

populate a map flagging hot spots across the city. Victims of harassment can vent through the app or share their stories online with the hashtag #YouCanEndHarassment. The initiative kicked off 10 a.m. Monday. Representatives from both Hollaback! Vancouver and Transit Police will be at Commercial-Broadway station to share tips on how everyone can do their part to reduce harassment on transit. Still in the realm of cops listening to community, this initiative launches less than two months after transit police announced the end of a controversial agreement with Canada Border Services Agency. Until February of this year, the police body held fare evaders who lacked proper documentation for CBSA. In late 2013, an undocumented migrant hotel worker named Lucia Vega Jimenez was turned over to them, and she subsequently committed suicide in her cell at an immigration detention centre at YVR. An inquest didn’t motivate any significant policy changes, but a community coalition called Transportation Not Deportation drew public attention to the relationship between CBSA and transit police. They also met directly with the police force, and influenced the decision to end the agreement. In the current transit referendum debate, the transit police’s reputation hasn’t exactly helped. Any reason to criticize management of our transit system is fodder for the No side. TransLink has taken a beating. A cynic might wonder if the police force’s recent partnerships with community groups is simply a move to improve their image, but I choose to be an optimist and think that perhaps the No side in the referendum has rallied enough public outrage to rattle the cage of TransLink and the police that patrol our transit system. Maybe we’ll see change for the better, whatever the outcome of the referendum. Without knowing their true motivations, I’ll say I welcome transit police better living the mandate they promised at their inception in 2004, that is “being approachable, accessible and accountable to the community.” Whether the they are taking these steps because they have seen the light or want a PR win, the community organizations working with them now have their hearts in the right place, and are guiding us to a safer, more just transit system, and that’s worth the fare to me. twitter.com/trishkellyc

The week in num6ers...

In billions of dollars, the expected cost to build a new hospital at False Creek Flats to replace St. Paul’s.

70 53

The percentage of visitors to St. Paul’s Hospital who reside outside the downtown core.

The number of newly opened social housing units for seniors at the Little Mountain complex.

Michael Geller Columnist

michaelarthurgeller@gmail.com

Last week, an unprecedented meeting took place behind closed doors at the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning. In attendance were former City of Vancouver planners, professors, planning consultants and associated professionals. I was one of them. They had gathered because of a shared concern over a number of recent Vancouver development approvals and what they saw as a diminishing respect for the importance of urban design and city planning within city hall. “The respect for planners and planning is gone. Urban design is too often seen as a luxury or a constraint rather than a prerequisite for a well-planned city,” noted one of the participants. Attendees also shared a desire for a better city plan to guide future development decisions. While some saw this as updated neighbourhood plans, others believed it was time to prepare an overall city plan, something which most cities have. During the two-hour discussion, a number of related concerns were expressed. These included what many described as an increasing lack of trust between the architectural and planning professions and the senior administration at city hall. One attendee observed that it is heartbreaking to see many of the urban design principles that have made Vancouver internationally famous, now being ignored or sometimes viewed with contempt. “Building design is no longer as important as it used to be.” He criticized the growing practice of negotiating project designs and Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) behind closed doors in the mayor’s and city manager’s ofﬁce. Examples included 1403 Comox, Kingsway and Broadway, 70th and Granville, 900 Block East Hastings, Shannon Mews, Oakridge, and the Brenhill project. One former city planner noted that in the past it was important to establish a building’s overall size and density before calculating the CACs. Now the city has become so addicted to CAC payments, the money and social beneﬁts too often determine the building design. Some lamented how many older planners have left the city, sometimes due

Out of 10, the number of Canada’s all-time top-selling musicians who happen to be female.

to retirement, but also due to what they described as a toxic working environment. As a consequence, the city is losing its “institutional memory” essential for future planning. One respected voice observed the city has a vision, namely to increase the supply of affordable housing. But unfortunately, this seems to be driving too many poor planning decisions. Others decried the “us and them” relationship that seems to have developed between city hall and the neighbourhoods. “Consultation is a charade,” he said, adding too often the city staffer taking meeting notes decides what he wants to be said, rather than what was said. At the conclusion of the meeting, the discussion turned to the Brenhill project which proposes an almost six-fold increase in density compared to the zoning. While all acknowledged the proposal results in replacement social housing and rental units, the consensus was that this building was much too big for the site. Apparently this had been confirmed by the initial Urban Design Panel (UDP) review which rejected the design 7-0. After some very minor changes the project returned to the UDP. This time the vote was 5-3 in favour; however some panel members privately complained they felt coerced by the planning department to change their vote. This project was scheduled to go to a new public hearing Tuesday night. Customarily it would go to the UDP before public hearing. The group therefore decided to send a letter to council urging proper due process by referring it back to the UDP before final consideration. While it was acknowledged council will make the final decision, those present thought it was particularly important that the UDP have the opportunity to offer its comments to council, especially in this particular instance. While I, like everyone present, did not agree with everything that was said, I share many of the concerns articulated. Regardless of the final decision on the Brenhill project, we need to have a broader public discussion on just how far city planners should depart from accepted zoning, planning and urban design guidelines to achieve the administration and council vision of more social and affordable housing. I hope this conversation will continue, but not behind closed doors. twitter.com/michaelgeller

27 62

The percentage of fewer errors made by workers who commute via bicycle, according to pedal-pushing non-profit group HUB.

The anniversary celebrated this year by the Hastings Community Little League team, who played their first game of the season on Saturday.

W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Inbox LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dr. Peter Centre doesn’t break the law with drug injections

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

Union organizer killed in Gastown

April 15, 1903: Two days after being shot on the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks at the foot of Abbott Street, union organizer Frank Rogers died in hospital. To this day, nobody knows who fired the fatal shot. It might have been either a police officer the CPR brought in to monitor a clerical workers’ strike that the longshoremen were supporting or one of the non-union clerks brought in from Eastern Canada by the CPR in an effort to break the strike. CPR employees staged a walkout after a clerk was fired for organizing employees into the United Brotherhood of Railway Employees.,and Rogers organized a strike by longshoremen who refused to handle CPR freight. On the night he was shot, a fight had broken out between union men and strike-breakers. According to a statement made to police by Rogers from his hospital bed, he and his friends saw a group of men standing near an office on Stimson’s wharf and began walking over to see who they were. Two CPR special constables, both armed, accompanied him. As Rogers and his friends crossed the railway tracks, someone near the office fired a shot. It was immediately followed by anywhere from four to nine additional shots. Police initially charged CPR special constable Alfred Allan with the shooting, but later released him and charged James MacGregor, a non-union freight clerk with the murder, instead. MacGregor was acquitted by a jury, and the coroner’s report concluded that Rogers was “murdered by person or persons unknown.” ADVERTISING

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Re: “Vancouver Coastal Health considers more drug injection sites,” April 1. Mike Howell’s article repeatedly makes the incorrect assertion that the Dr. Peter Centre “illegally” offers supervised injection services. The Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation takes upholding the law very seriously. Let me be clear: supervised injection service is a legal health care service. We initiated the nurse-supervised injection service in 2002 when B.C.’s College of Registered Nurses conﬁrmed it was within the scope of nursing practice to supervise injections for the purposes of preventing illness and promoting health. As an employer, we are upholding provincial law — the B.C. Health Professions Act — by allowing nurses to practice according to determinations made by their governing body. We are also observing federal law: nurses do not provide, possess, or assist with the injection of illegal drugs. The foundation, together with Vancouver Coastal Health, is seeking an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act so that clients do not risk criminal prosecution while accessing this legal health care service and so the foundation and its employees are not at risk of criminal prosecution for providing a legal health care service. Our January 2014 submission reﬂects respect for our clients and respect for our community. We remain hopeful the application will be approved. Maxine Davis, Executive director Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation

ONLINE COMMENTS Feds in hot water over spill

Re: “Feds on the offensive over English Bay fuel spill,” online only. What “misinformation?” That the Harper government closed down the Kits Coast Guard station to save a pretty penny? The truth hurts, I know. Sy Bor Wong, via Facebook

•••

I’m not buying this explanation from the Harper government. Is anyone else? Tanya Crowell, via Twitter

Digesting aperitif story

Re: “Campari shortage leaves bitter taste,” April 10. So a story about a private distributor who messes up is an opportunity for a private liquor businessman to slag the Liquor Distribution Branch. The same organization that enabled Mr. Bradley to know within minutes that Campari was

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.

•••

Great article. Campari is a staple in our house as well but I won’t be jumping on Craigslist to buy a half-drank bottle! I ﬁnd it kinda funny that they are out of stock. First world problems. Jessi Johnson, via Comments section

Coast Guard union is belabouring the point

Re: “Coast guard union warns oil spills pose greater risk due to cuts,” online only. Funny how the Coast Guard commissioner’s response is at the end of the article. Does anyone actually expect the union to give a different response regardless of how professional the coast guard response was? Another left-wing, union-slanted article. David, via Comments section

•••

Given that the Coast Guard commissioner is a devoted downsizing specialist, no surprise. The simple fact is that in Canada’s busiest port and Canada’s most heavily populated recreational boating area, there are fewer and fewer Coast Guard resources and the remaining resources are further and further from the sharpend of problems. Couple that with performance assessment based on paperwork audits and telephone response times on the one hand, aggressive federal and provincial strategies to significantly increase the number and size of hazardous cargo carriers in our waters on the other, and what we have is not a union-slanted article but a logical warning that the potential for major problems is increasing significantly. A key phrase in the federal government’s policy in this area is “the polluter pays.” There are two problems with that policy: one, finding the polluter and collecting ALL the damages, which is the lesser problem. The big one: the policy not only assumes but requires that the incident occur before anything happens. And that is just too damned late. westcoastace, via Comments section

Noticing a problem

Re: “English Bay oil spill shows city, province not prepared for major disaster: MLA,” online only. The headline is misleading. He didn’t say the city was not prepared. Here is what Spencer Chandra Herbert said: “I think the city would have been able to respond better if they’d been given more notice.” In other words, 13 hours is far too long, they should have been notiﬁed right away. CBInVAN, via Comments section

have your say online...

FLYER SALES

Dee Dhaliwal

unavailable province wide? If the point of the slag was to hint that private business can do a better job, then it really missed the mark. Natnasci, via Comments section

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E D N E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

YVR

INSIDER

W E D N E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

A MONTHLY LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW AND NEWSWORTHY AT YVR.

ISSUE # 31 APRIL 2015

BIENVENUE AIR FRANCE! March 29 marked Air France’s inaugural flight to YVR. Our newest carrier is now operating up to five times per week between Vancouver and Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. This is exciting for Metro Vancouverites, who voted Paris their number one most requested destination from YVR. The flight brings new travel and trade opportunities creating more than 250 local jobs.

YVR CELEBRATED AIR FRANCE’S INAUGURAL FLIGHT from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, joined by the Ambassador of France to Canada and representatives from the Canadian federal and provincial governments, Air France and special guests.

YVR COMMUNITY CELEBRATES SPRING

SIX! A street team made up of YVR and partner employees were out in full force on Friday, April 10, spreading smiles,

YVR was excited to host the

treats and thank-you’s to passengers in celebration of our

2nd annual YVR Cherry Blossom

recent win as Best Airport in North America for a historic

Community Day as part of the

sixth year in a row.

2015 Vancouver Cherry Blossom

We share this achievement with our passengers, community,

Festival. Our celebration featured park tours, Japanese Taiko

partners and the 24,000 people who work at YVR. Thank you!

drummers, dancers and a food truck. We look forward to seeing you again - hopefully the Cherry Blossoms will wait for us next year!

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? Email us at insider@yvr.ca or ﬁnd us on Twitter

@yvrairport

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

A variety of bench exercises can help with agility, endurance, balance and stability.

It’s not what you bench, but how Bench exercises can help you reach your goal, no matter what your ﬁtness level

Shaun Karp

karpﬁtness.com

Anyone into ﬁtness has heard that age-old question, “What do you bench?” It relates to your one-rep maximum for the bench press, a foundational strength exercise. Here’s a hint: in certain circles, an answer less than 1.5 times your own body weight could be frowned upon. Yikes. But times have changed and many now realize that exercising for ﬁtness and strength are not the same thing, nor must they be mutually exclusive.

“We’re all stressed by Dad’s illness.”

So no matter what your goals are, a trusty weight bench can be utilized for more than traditional chest and arm exercises. In fact, there are hundreds of bench exercises designed for diverse goals, including agility, endurance, balance, stability, and full body strengthening and toning. So perhaps the better question is not what, but how you bench. Meaning, how do you use it to help you meet your personal ﬁtness goals? The following are some suggestions to help you meet that goal, broken down by exercise type.

• Agility and endurance bench jump Stand about one foot from the broad side of the bench and jump up with both feet landing simultaneously. Pause for balance, then step back down to the starting position to complete one repetition. • Bench step-over Plant one foot along the bench near the middle. Next, step back and forth over it with the trailing leg as quickly as you can for 30 seconds per leg. • Leg strength and balance bench step-up Face the broad side of

the bench with one foot on top of it, then step up to your full height and back down at least 10 times per leg. Extending the ankle at the height of each step-up can target the lower leg. • Single leg squat Balance entirely on one planted foot while facing away from the bench, then move repeatedly and in a controlled manner between standing and sitting. Tip: added weight in each hand increases the difﬁculty of any of the above exercises. • Core strength and stability plank hip raise Suitable even for injury-

free beginners, start with one elbow on the bench, the chest perpendicular to the ﬂoor and with both feet extended and together — just like an angled side plank. Next, slowly raise and lower your body by hinging at the hip. • V-sit knee tucks Sitting near the end of the bench, raise your knees to form a V with the chest, keeping the ankles together but down. Holding the bench for support, perform each rep by extending the legs parallel to the ﬂoor and returning to the starting position.

These days, typical gym workouts have evolved to become more diverse and less focused on only a few foundational movements. Even believers in traditional strength routines can embrace this change by mixing in some of the above exercises into their workout. Their reward will be a more balanced body and fresh perspective on a very stale question. So, how do you bench? Shaun Karp is a certiﬁed trainer and owner of Karp Personal Training in Vancouver.

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W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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DENTURISTS ARE DENTURE SPECIALISTS Need Dentures? Denture Problems? We can help you!

The road to the ICU is paved with ethical intentions

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QUESTIONS ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS?

davidicuswong.wordpress.com

Have you ever seen the before and after photographs of U.S. presidents? The incredible stress of four to eight years in the White House visibly accelerates the aging process. As physicians, we have our share of stress, but being privy to the personal stories and involved in the major life events of our patients has the potential to make us wise beyond our years. In the 17 years I chaired Burnaby Hospital’s former Ethical Resources Committee, I discovered the moral foundation of medicine that informs every patient encounter. Over 10 years, our team consulted on ethical dilemmas faced by patients, their families and healthcare teams. All of the patients were no longer capable of independent medical decision-making. Some were unconscious. Others were disabled by severe dementia. They obviously could no longer speak for themselves and make independent healthcare decisions. It was not clear what the patients would have chosen for themselves. Family members and healthcare providers conﬂicted in their opinions. In many cases, patients were in LTC (long-term care) or in the ICU (intensive care unit). Interventions had been started in response to presenting conditions. Feeding tubes provided nutrition when patients were unable to safely swallow. Machines would support ventilation of the lungs when patients could no longer breathe on their own. But in the face of worsening medical conditions and a grim prognosis, we were asked if these treatments should be removed. I believe it was Samuel Johnson who said: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I used to say: “The road to ICU is paved with clinical practice guidelines.” That is not a criticism of the heroic and angelic medical teams in our ERs and ICUs, but rather a reminder that our treatments and tests are just the tools of medicine — ethics (not just diagnoses or clinical conditions) guides us in their appropriate use. And at the core of ethics is autonomy — the values and preferences of the individual patient.

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The My Voice Advance Care Planning Guide is available on the Ministry of Health’s website. Search for My Voice at health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications.

In our consultative meetings with families and the healthcare team, we would review the principles of medical ethics and then step back to see the whole patient, looking at not only the medical facts but also signiﬁcant personal and social factors. We would seek to understand the individual patients’ personal preferences. What were their values, religious and cultural beliefs, and sources of meaning? What did quality of life mean to the individual? Had they ever discussed their preferences and who they would choose to make decisions for them if they were no longer able to do so? Of course, our work would be easier if patients had anticipated and reﬂected upon the possibility of being incapacitated by illness in the future. An advance medical directive is a written, signed and dated document that explicitly states your wishes for what you would or would not want at a future time when you no longer capable of making your own decisions and who you trust to direct healthcare providers on your behalf. It can take

the form of the free downloadable document, My Voice planning guide or a formally notarized representation agreement. If you would like to know more about advance directives, talk to your family physician or see the Ministry of Health’s website. Search for My Voice at health.gov. bc.ca/library/publications. We are all prone to forget about the big picture when going about our everyday lives. If we drive without a roadmap, compass or GPS, we can be distracted by detours, accidents, breakdowns, other drivers and the people with whom we travel. We may ﬁnd ourselves lost and far from our destination – and half of us are less inclined to ask for directions. Ethics is everywhere, and we don’t always see it. But if we consider our values and live by its principles, we can ﬁnd our way. In life and health, almost anything can happen anytime. It’s best to look and plan ahead. Dr. Davidicus Wong is a family physician. For more on achieving your positive potential at every age: davidicuswong.wordpress.com.

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

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Before

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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

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

Arts&Entertainment

GOT ARTS? 604.738.1411 or events@vancourier.com

1 April 15 to 17, 2015 1. The lovely and talented Neko Case leaves her bunker in rural Vermont and returns to her old stomping grounds. The former Vancouverite with pipes of gold belts it out April 15, 7 p.m. at the Vogue Theatre in support of her sixth studio album, the beguiling The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You. Alialujah Choir opens. Tickets at Northern Tickets, Red Cat Records, Zulu Records and ticketfly.com. 2. Poet and Poetry is Dead editor Daniel Zomparelli hosts Roughing it in the Bush Revisited, an evening of readings and discussions about the representation of urban and rural spaces in Canadian art. He’ll be joined by local poets Evelyn Lau, Daphne Marlatt and Jordan Abel April 15, 7:30 p.m. at Artspeak Gallery (233 Carrall St.) Admission to the event, which is part of the Read Local B.C. campaign, is free. Details at facebook.com/ReadLocalBC. 3. Despite the haunting twang and poetic snapshots of hardscrabble characters, loss, regret, death and staring mortality in the stubbly face, singer-songwriter Rodney DeCroo’s latest, Campfires on the Moon, is a surprisingly warm and tender affair. While DeCroo’s been working hard at rehabbing his scuffed-up soul, credit should also go to his musical collaborators, Ida Nilsen on piano and backing vocals and Mark Haney on double bass. The album really is a thing of beauty. Hear for yourself April 16, 8 p.m. when DeCroo plays the Fox Cabaret along with guests Great Aunt Ida (Nilsen) and Mac Pontiac. Tickets and details at foxcabaret.com. 4. Enjoy an evening of experimental theatre with the uneasiness that comes from realizing your civil liberties have become increasingly eroded. Theatre Conspiracy’s latest mind bender, Foreign Radical, invites 20 participants into “a theatrical game world exploring security, profiling, terrorism, freedom of expression and privacy in the age of cyber surveillance.” It all goes down April 16 to 25 at the Cultch. Tickets at thecultch. com. Details at conspiracy.ca.

W E DN E SDAY, A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

Arts&Entertainment

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DISCOVER THE BEST OF CALIFORNIA WINES

CALIFORNIA WINE FAIR 2015 CANADIAN TOUR

Swirl, sip, and savour over 400 premium wines from all of the major wine-growing regions of California

APRIL 27, 2015 | 7 PM | $89

The Canucks playoff season and the arrival of K&K’s Haiku Night in Canada poetry series is always reason to celebrate. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

KUDOS & KVETCHES Canucks Playoff Haikus part one

After a two-year absence thanks to the Canucks’ early golf season in 2014, K&K is happy to announce the revival of our annual Haiku Night in Canada: Canucks playoff poetry series. Hopefully we’ll be able to bless readers with our athletic and erotic Basho-inspired

haikus for many weeks to come as the Canucks take on the lowly Calgary Flames in the opening round of the playoffs. And feel free to send your own Canucks haikus to k&k@vancourier. com. We’ll reprint as many as we can. For videos of some our past Canucks haiku readings, go to vancourier.com/entertainment. Here’s this year’s ﬁrst batch of playoff verse to whet your literary appetite. Go Canucks!

APRIL 28, 2015

Higgins’ musky slats Gallop bareback across ice Locker room stud horse. ••• Desjardins’ moustache Frames his tense prickly kisser Ride the white woodchuck. ••• Partied with Edler Playing Settlers of Catan Dude stole all my wool. ••• Moose knuckle denim Kassian’s at the Roxy Grinding to the beat. twitter.com/KudosKvetches

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