Vancouver Courier July 8 2015 by Vancouver Courier

WEDNESDAY

July 8 2015 Vol. 106 No. 53

OPINION 10

Realtors need reassessing THEATRE 14

King Lear looms large SPORTS 20

World Cup runneth over There’s more online at

vancourier.com MIDWEEK EDITION

THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS since 1908

Street homelessness declines

Shelter population remains the same Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

ZIP IT First-time visitors to Queen Elizabeth Park Karen and Nate Whistler, with daughters Hazel and Fiona, wanted a family photograph taken in front of the park’s temporary zipline Saturday morning. PHOTO REBECCA BLISSETT

Locking up love locations Park board mulls over “love lock” sites Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

Vancouver Park Board commissioners embraced public displays of affection on Monday but are still deciding which park will be the best place for “sweethearts” to lock up their love and throw away the key. Commissioners approved commissioning a “love lock” sculpture, but had reservations about installing it in one of the three high-trafﬁc parks proposed by staff. In addition to English Bay, Kitsilano Beach Park and the plaza at Queen Elizabeth Park, commissioners are seeking suggestions for

more intimate, less-visited parks in order to spread the love — and tourist traffic — around the city. Commissioners were concerned about tarnishing views and worried about the environmental impact of a rise in visitors and if keys, which are thrown away after a padlock is snapped shut, would be tossed in the water at shoreline parks. Staff will suggest additional locations, and the public can weigh in later this summer to help decide which park will become a city love-in. Artists can submit proposals. Initially, staff recommended five locations. Prospect Point and the wooden wharf at Jericho were also on the list. By installing a designated place for “love locks” at one a high-traffic, high-tourist location in the city, the park board will join

cities such as Toronto, Seoul and Moscow in directing lovers to a made-to-order sculpture. The city doesn’t allow locking padlocks to random pieces of civic infrastructure, regardless of the site’s personal meaning, and has cut locks from the Burrard Bridge and from fencing near the Plaza of Nations. Many locks are painted with names, hearts, signiﬁcant dates and promises of lasting love or hope for a lower divorce rate. In some cities, the padlocks are attached to sanctioned ﬁxtures, such as the row of identical iron sculptures on Moscow’s Luzhkov Bridge. In Toronto, locks have been cut off the Humber Bridge about once a year since 2011, but the Ontario capital now has a designated place to lock down love in the Distillery District. Continued on page 9

Faith moves houses Faster and for More Money* *Based on 2014 VVW Detached + Condos + Townhouses sales, the average 2014 sale price in VVW was $1,229,955. The average sale price vs. list price of Faith Wilson Group’s 2014 VVW sales was 1.29% higher that the MLS® average. The MLS® 2014 Average Days on Market (Detached, Townhouses, Condos) was 46. The average D.O.M. of Faith Wilson Group’s 2014 VVW sales 86.6% less than the MLS® average.

The number of people counted over two days in March living on the street in Vancouver decreased slightly over a previous homeless count done in March 2014, the CEO of B.C. Housing said Monday. But Shayne Ramsay wouldn’t reveal statistics on the homeless population, saying he didn’t want to “steal the thunder” of the city’s chief housing director, Mukhtar Latif, who was to deliver a full report on this year’s count to city council Tuesday, after the Courier’s print deadline. “Sheltered homeless is about the same,” said Ramsay, referring to the number of people who have sought refuge in a shelter or a form of temporary accommodation until permanent housing is available. Statistics for 2014 showed Vancouver’s homeless population reached its highest overall level in history, with 1,267 people living in some form of shelter and 536 on the street for a grand total of 1,803 people. Ramsay made the comments after taking reporters on a tour of several B.C. Housing buildings in the Downtown Eastside, including some of the 13 singleroom-occupancy hotels under renovation, a 147-unit complex for women and families and an innovative project that turned the former remand centre on Cordova Street into a mix of affordable and supportive housing. Ramsay denied his unprecedented walkabout with reporters was tied to the release of this year’s homeless count statistics, which often end in Vancouver city council pointing the ﬁnger at the provincial and federal governments for not doing enough to address homelessness. Ramsay said he recently gave the same tour to Housing Minister Rich Coleman’s director of communications, who was impressed with the breadth of the investment in housing and programs in the Downtown Eastside, which is where the city’s homeless population is traditionally the largest. That tour triggered the walkabout, he added. Continued on page 7

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5

News

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Concession search still on

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Elizabeth Lu

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betty_lu2@hotmail.com

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The Vancouver Park Board hopes a food truck will temporarily meet park goers’ appetites at Trout Lake after the longtime concession closed just before Canada Day. The concession, typically open from April until September, closed because the operator retired a month ago, according to Vancouver Park Board communications manager Margo Harper. She said a replacement is in the works. “We’ve put the word out through our concession operator network,” said Harper, meaning the board is both advertising to those who are running concessions as well as other operators who may be interested. As many as 13 concessions in Vancouver’s parks and beaches are contracted to third party operators, said Gordon Barber, the park board’s manager of revenue services. However, the park board refused, based on what it says are privacy conditions, to release a list

The concession stand at Kits Beach. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

of which locations were run by third parties when requested by the Courier. Vancouver’s park concessions have seen numerous changes in the last decade. One of the most prominent changes was at Kitsilano Beach Park where a simple beachfront concession stand morphed into the Watermark restaurant and then into The Boathouse, all within the last 10 years. In July 2013, the park board brought forth another change in its Local Food Action Plan to provide locally sourced food to its park and beach visitors. The plan is still in process according to the City of Vancouver’s website, as

the board hopes to fully integrate local food into the system by 2018. Earlier this year, Green Party park board commissioner Michael Wiebe proposed a motion to get rid of bottled water at concession stands to reduce waste. The park board rejected the idea but the motion sparked a discussion on installing additional water fountains in parks. As for whether concession closures may be a trend beach and park goers will have to deal with in the near future, it could depend on the success of these ongoing transformations and how well the public receives it. @bettylu_2

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W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News

Police’s view on pot shops is old news

12TH & CAMBIE Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

So someone is officially complaining about the Vancouver Police Department’s alleged lack of enforcement on the city’s illegal marijuana dispensaries. That someone is Pamela McColl of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Canada. She received some media attention about her complaint, which was filed with the Vancouver Police Board and, by extension, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner. I left a message with McColl on her cell last week but I hadn’t heard back at the time of writing this. As readers will know who have read the comment section at the bottom of many of my online stories pertaining to the pot shops, McColl certainly has her opinions. Essentially, she can’t believe the cops are not raiding the illegal dispensaries and shutting

down all 90-plus of them. So her complaint wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise is nobody — McColl and media included — seemed to know the police board already answered the allegation by way of another complainant. I don’t know who that person is — the board won’t tell me because of privacy reasons — but I do know a complaint was lodged two years ago. The board dismissed that complaint at a public meeting in October 2013. It did so after reviewing a report by Sgt. Jim Prasobsin, whose conclusions about the VPD’s approach to dealing with the pot shops have been paraphrased repeatedly by Jim Chu when he was chief, by new chief Adam Palmer, by Supt. Mike Porteous of the major crime section and by the VPD’s media liaison ofﬁcers. Their message: Pot shops are not a priority because the focus of the department is to go after the scumbags selling heroin, cocaine and harder drugs.

The Vancouver Police Department’s rationale for not shutting down the city’s 90-plus pot shops was made clear two years ago. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

So, for the record, the VPD’s position hasn’t changed since Prasobsin wrote his report. What has changed are two things: Pot shops grew from 29 when the board dismissed that complaint in October 2013 to almost 100 today; and city

council recently passed a business licence scheme to get some form of control on the dispensaries. The board will obviously take those factors in mind when it decides in the fall what to do with McColl’s complaint. But my prediction is the board will

simply refer to Prasobsin’s report and note city staff consulted with the VPD in drafting the new regulations for pot shops. And then they’ll dismiss McColl’s complaint. If the board doesn’t, I’d sure like to hear its members’ rationale for going against the views of the police department and city hall. You should know the cops executed nine search warrants over an 18-month period and, so far, only three people have been charged and the shops remain open. So that everybody is absolutely clear on the VPD’s policy related to pot shops, I’ll leave you with two quotes from Prasobsin’s report. Here’s the ﬁrst one: “VPD drug investigative priorities target persons or groups that prey upon the vulnerable and use violence in the commission of offences. Marijuana dispensaries have not been a high priority because other drug offences that pose a greater risk to

public safety have been targeted with the VPD’s limited drug enforcement resources.” Here’s the second: “It is the view of the VPD that police enforcement against marijuana dispensaries in the ﬁrst instance would generally be a disproportionate use of police resources and the criminal law. The issue requires a balanced enforcement strategy that considers a continuum of responses from education to warnings, to bylaw enforcement, to enforcement of the criminal law, when warranted.” Are we clear, people? Note: I checked with the City of Vancouver Monday to get a tally on how many people applied to get a business licence for a pot shop. Apparently, a communications staffer tells me “some gaps exist in the applications we have received to date” and it would be “premature to provide an accurate number at this time.” The deadline for applicants is Aug. 24. @Howellings

Tell Your Story

An introduction to memoir writing for seniors Tuesday, July 28, 1:00pm – 3:00pm Every life holds many stories. So why not make yours into an engaging memoir? The retirement community of Tapestry at Wesbrook Village is excited to present expert advice on turning your life experiences and family history into an engaging read. Join us with Paula Brook on Tuesday, July 28 for a memoir writing workshop. Paula’s career has spanned three decades of magazine editing, column writing and book publishing. She now focuses on the art of memoir through sharing her experiences and hearing your stories. Whether you are a seasoned writer or have always wanted to flex your creative writing muscles, Tapestry is here to facilitate recording your legacy in your voice. Attend this program to get motivated and have fun! Limited seating available, please RSVP to Tapestry at Wesbrook Village at 604.225.5000.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5

VEN E E E

News

Kettle hopes to reach new heights

Tower a contentious issue in Citizens’ Assembly debates

Celebrate the Opening of Empire Fields & Plateau Sports Park @

DEVELOPING STORY Naoibh O’Connor

noconnor@vancourier.com

#HastingsSportsDay vancouver.ca/HastingsSportsDay | Phone 3-1-1 Thank you to our media sponsors and event partners:

The Kettle Society’s years-old dream to expand its services in GrandviewWoodland is still in limbo while work on the neighbourhood’s community plan continues. Proponents of the expansion remain optimistic their vision will one day be realized. The non-proﬁt society, whose main site is in Grandview-Woodland at 1725 Venables St., provides housing and support to people with mental illness. The Venables site needs to expand because it lacks enough private space for patient counselling, sufﬁcient room for clients’ meals and overall space to provide other services and support.

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Although the Kettle Society owns its building, it couldn’t get money from higher levels of government to expand, so it formed an arrangement with developer Boffo Properties. The developer owns buildings on either side of The Kettle — the former Astorino’s location and the dry cleaning site at the southwest corner. The city owns the parking lot to the north. Boffo has had discussions with the city to amalgamate the parking lot with the redevelopment. The proposal for the site envisions 12-to-15 storeys at its highest and five to seven storeys at its lowest. It would include a mix of market housing, supported housing for The Kettle to own and operate and a larger space for the society’s other services, particularly its drop-in. But Grandview-Woodland residents are divided on what height is appropriate on the site. It was a contentious subject in citizens’ assembly discussions, according to the group’s executive director Rachel Magnusson. Ultimately, the 48-member assembly couldn’t reach consensus on that point in its recently released report. “The Kettle height was a very sticky issue for assembly members, which I think reflects the difference of opinion in the community itself,” Magnusson told the Courier late last month. “There’s a lot of common ground there as well — it very quickly became clear that assembly members were in favour of supporting the Kettle’s work and the idea of supported housing in GrandviewWoodland. That was never a point of contention.” A “minority report” signed by 16 assembly members is included in their final report, which states the Kettle-Boffo partnership is “an appropriate way to address the needs of people who are most easily forgotten by markets and voters alike” and it calls on the city to do everything in its power “to advance the KettleBoffo project speedily.” Nancy Keough, executive director of The Kettle Society, said the non-profit has tried to work alongside the community plan and citizens’ assembly processes. “I’m still hopeful that it will happen. I think it’s

a really important project and I think it’s a really good project that will fit into this community and that it will meet the needs of many of the community’s members,” she said, adding the need for expansion is high. “It’s what we’ve been saying for the last four years. Our building is inadequate for the number of people we’re currently serving, so the quality of our services [is affected]. It’s very hard when people are crowded together in a space to offer the depth of service that we would like to offer to some of our most vulnerable folks in Grandview-Woodland. And the housing — every new unit of affordable housing is a gift. It’s really needed.” Keough doesn’t think the project would work with a lower height. “According to everyone, including the city, it doesn’t work out financially with lower height unless there’s some other monies that come forward. And we’ve certainly looked at all kinds of avenues over the years and this seems like the most realistic [plan] and it’s a very positive partnership that could make this happen.” Daniel Boffo of Boffo Properties told the Courier he was encouraged by many points made in the citizens’ assembly report and that many of the themes matched those the redevelopment project is trying to achieve in terms of housing and social services support, in particular mental health support. “Although there are many that may speak against the height, there are also many that are supportive of the project as a whole even if that requires more height and density to be allowed to achieve the model and the program that we’re proposing,” he said. Boffo noted that in their 15-minute presentation to the citizens’ assembly, they indicated they’re prepared to make the project work with a 12-storey maximum height based on current assumptions, although that can be adjusted up to 15 storeys if circumstances change. City council accepted the citizens’ assembly report June 24 and referred it back to staff for review. The final plan likely won’t go back to council before next spring. @naoibh

W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News

City wants more supportive housing Continued from page 1 “It’s just an opportunity to tell that story, and what better way to do it than on the ground when you’re walking around the neighbourhood,” he said from a boardroom inside a B.C. Housing satellite building on East Hastings. Vision Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang, who has been his party’s point person for the mental health and homelessness ﬁles, said Monday he hadn’t seen the statistics for this year’s count. But Jang said he was encouraged by news of a decrease in the homeless population. “What it means is that we’re holding our own against homelessness,” said Jang, who attended the opening Monday of a 110unit B.C. Housing-funded building at 1249 Howe St. “But what’s more important is how long these people have been on the street. From what I’ve heard anecdotally and from our staff reports, that many of the people who are on our street currently have been homeless for less than a year or a year, which indicates there’s more people coming.” Jang said many of the city’s long-term homeless have moved off the street but Vancouver is now seeing a new generation of homeless people, particularly young people. Mayor Gregor Robertson had set a goal to end socalled street homelessness by the March 2015 count. But the mayor, who participated in this year’s count, acknowledged people were still living on the street. “It was a big challenging goal to set for the city and I have absolutely no regrets about doing that,” Robertson told reporters in March after participating in the count. “We’ve pushed very hard and had great success getting many people in off

B.C. Housing CEO Shayne Ramsay led reporters on a tour Monday of several buildings in the Downtown Eastside funded by the provincial government. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

the streets. We have to continue that work. It doesn’t end today. That was never the intention of this.” When the Courier asked Jang if the mayor’s goal will ever be met, the 50-something councillor said he hoped it would come in his lifetime. To do that, he said, the provincial government has to continue to invest in housing and begin a second phase of development where supportive housing is built on city property. Coleman has said many times the province has built more supportive housing in Vancouver than any similar-sized jurisdiction in Canada. Supportive housing is deﬁned as social housing in which tenants can access health care and other services on site. “The reality is, since the count, there’s probably been 300 new units open,” said Coleman, who also attended the ofﬁcial opening

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of the B.C. Housing-funded building on Howe Street. The province funded the construction of the building while the city provided the land. Streetohome foundation also donated $2.2 million to the project. It is one of the so-called 14 sites the province agreed to fund on city properties designated for supportive housing. Asked whether there will be a second phase of such development, Coleman said “we’ve always said that we will look at opportunities where there’s projects, and municipalities want to come and work with us.” Coleman said he hasn’t seen a proposal from the city for a second phase of development. He pointed out, however, that the province’s strategy to reduce homelessness also involves rent supplements to get people off the street and to work with health agencies, outreach workers and other social services to

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prevent homelessness. Whatever the homelessness statistics may be, Coleman said his measurement on whether his

government’s investments are having an effect on the street population is done by walking the streets of the Downtown Eastside

every three to four weeks. “And it’s better down there — I can see it,” he said. @Howellings

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5

Community 1

QE zip line says yes to the dress

High-ﬂying attraction about conservation and creating memories CITY LIVING

Rebecca Blissett

rvblissett@gmail.com

Brides and grooms fly for free on the Queen Elizabeth zipline. That’s a deal not only because the onsite price to take the 30-second trip across the quarry gardens is $20, but because harnessing up a dress made with enough material to make enough pillows to outfit every bridal suite in Niagara Falls is a lot of work. “Yeah! It’s definitely a technique!” said Rob Hicks who was training two Greenheart International Development Corp. employees on the art of the braking system on the lower tower during Saturday’s grand opening. If there is a master’s degree equivalent of wedding dress tucking, the Fremont Street zipline would be the place to receive it and that’s where the Las Vegas-based Hicks got his experience. “Lots of experience with the wedding dresses, maybe 100 of them. I don’t know, I lost track. As soon as you hike up the harness, the dress goes right with it. You gotta take care, start from the bottom, tuck it in, work it out, tuck it in, work it out. It’s all about taking care of that person in the dress.” The QE Park zipline is 600 feet long and, at its highest point, 100 feet up so brides — and others in dresses — need not worry about the thrill-seekers on the garden paths below. “Flashing? They don’t

1. Randi Thomas is the business development lead for Greenheart International Development Corporation which brought the zipline to Queen Elizabeth Park. Thomas was born and raised in British Columbia, having studied at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. “I have a double major in theatre and economics so no wonder I ended up running a zipline,” she said. 2. & 3. The Queen Elizabeth zipline officially opened to the public Saturday with children and adults lining up to check out the 600-foot long ride over the quarry garden. As soon as the zipline hits the $75,000 mark in profits, revenue will be shared on a sliding scale with the Vancouver Park Board. See photo gallery online at vancourier.com. PHOTOS REBECCA BLISSETT

after I get done with them. They’re all tucked in,” said Hicks. “You know, you just got married and you have a beautiful woman and you don’t want to be giving everybody else a peep show.” It’s not just the newly wed who view the park’s temporary zipline as an added bonus of getting married in the 75-year-old gardens, said Randi Thomas, business development lead for the locally owned Greenheart. It’s people who’ve never tried riding a zipline, which has increased in popularity since its inception 20 years ago as an ecotourism adventure in Costa Rica. “A lot of locals just have never been and they’ve told me they’re so happy it’s in their backyard. I’m surprised by the percentage of guests that have never been before,” she said. “This is not an adrenalin zipline where you’re traveling down at 60 miles an hour. This is mostly taking in the scenery and bringing families out. It’s more of a gasp as you leave the tower rather than a scream.” Although some locals were concerned the park’s zipline is both destructive and disruptive, the only noise from the grand opening was a quiet buzzing that was as unobtrusive as your next door neighbour bringing in laundry from their outdoor line. Adventure seekers would get more of a thrill heading to Whistler for the terrifyingly fun Cougar Mountain ziplines, and that’s perfectly all right with Greenheart, said Geoff Bell,

one of the partners. “It’s interesting that we even get negative comments but we’re totally accepting of it,” he said while his eight-year-old son Jack launched down the steel cable from the top tower. “We’ve had people ask, ‘You guys are here temporary, right? OK, we’re going to buy a ticket.’ You’ll never see the park from this angle ever again.” The Vancouver Park Board agreed to receive the revenue sharing from the zipline on a sliding scale. The board will receive a 10 per cent return on revenues between $75,001 and $250,000, 35 per cent between $250,001, and $400,000 and 40 per cent if more than $400,001. Aside from pruning trees near the lower tower, Bell pointed out that the zipline causes no harm to the park. “This is not only to show that this is another way of generating an income without ripping up soil, tearing down trees, and having an impact on the park, but it’s about creating memories. Our role as a company is conservation-based attractions and conservation comes from education and awareness. If all this does is bring people up here, it’s a win already.” The zipline is open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Sept. 30 and tickets can be purchased online at ticketleader.ca/events/ﬂightlinezvancouver for a two-dollar discount that also provides a discount into the nearby Bloedel Conservatory. @rebeccablissett

W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

News Love locks have Serbian origins

Continued from page 1 In Amsterdam, padlocks have spontaneously appeared on the many foot bridges that cross the Dutch city’s canals, and thousands of locks have damaged the Pont des Arts in Paris. In the Serbian town of Vrnjacka Banja, where the tradition may have begun a century ago, an intimate, wartime expression celebrated in poetry has become a source of civic pride. The Vancouver Park Board is taking the sanctioned route, which it calls a “custom ap-

proach.” Public consultation will begin later this summer. The ﬁve locations initially recommended by staff included: Prospect Point, Stanley Park: This lookout over the Lion’s Gate Bridge has scenic views of North and West Vancouver and is a heavily visited scenic spot, especially for those travelling by car or chartered tour buses. English Bay Beach: This accessible waterfront offers panoramic views of the busy har-

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bour and sunsets. It is a popular place for tourist and locals alike, and is accessible by foot, bicycle or public transit. Queen Elizabeth Park Lookout Plaza: the lookout plaza offers panoramic views of the City of Vancouver, the North Shore, Burnaby, and points further east. It is accessible by vehicle, foot, and bicycle or tour bus. Jericho Beach: This wooden pier is a popular

destination for viewing the ocean, mountains and downtown Vancouver, and ﬁshing and crabbing. The pier is aging and under review for replacement due to its condition and rising sea levels. Kitsilano Beach Park Plaza: The plaza west of the pool offers a scenic lookout over the Burrard Inlet and the North Shore. It is also located on pedestrian, cycling and transit routes. @MHStewart

A padlock on the Burrard Bridge. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5

Opinion

Women languish in a Reassessing the value league by themselves of realtors Megan Stewart Sports editor

mstewart@vancourier.com

My friend was recently watching sports highlights with her daughter when the toddler looked at her mom and asked, “Where are all the girls?” At three years old, this little sports fan could see what was missing. She was smart enough to ask. She’s smart enough to grasp the discrimination and internalize the absence of people on T.V. who look like her and her mom. This is why — as much as players, coaches and most of the people involved with women’s sport wish it were otherwise — the Women’s World Cup is still political. The tournament has earned its clout in spite of the double standards every match. U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd scored one of the most cunning and audacious goals in the sport’s history by knocking in a shot from the half-way line to notch a hat trick against Japan and win the World Cup this weekend at B.C. Place. But even in praising her, the president of the U.S. Soccer Federation bungled his compliment. “Carli’s performance,” he said, “was as good as any performance in a World Cup Final by any man or female.” A man is a man, but a woman is a female. Used like this, the word is dehumanizing, but let’s appreciate the applause because in Brazil no one is honouring that country’s superstars. Instead, Marta is still — heartbreakingly — mocked by some, ignored by most and has to put up with ludicrous excuses from her own nation’s representatives who tsk tsk’ed players they claimed lacked “a spirit of elegance, femininity” but cheer those who wear tighter shorts and do their hair. See, my heart breaks. There was no coverage in Brazil after she scored her record 15th World Cup goal, but there was a front-page spread on a friendly between the seleçao and Honduras. More heartbreak. Despite the record growth of the tournament — 52 soccer matches played by 24 teams over 30 days — it still has the distinction of happening on artificial turf. The plastic was sometimes so hot, players were dousing their feet in water and opting for boots that were any colour but black. More than 40 of them sued FIFA and the host Canadian Soccer Association, but neither would budge. This disgrace will be borne indefinitely by executives Peter Montopoli and Victor

Montagliani, who also have the distinction during this tournament of snubbing the pioneers who once played for Canada when they had no uniforms of their own but dressed in borrowed boys jerseys. Veterans Andrea Neil, Tracy David and others should have been prominent and celebrated by the hosts. Instead, very few Canadians know their names and this is a terrible shame. Christine Sinclair, an icon for millions, had those women as her role models. Add to this the fact that the U.S. team received $2 million for winning the Cup. Contrast that to the $35 million the German team received for winning the men’s event last year. This disparity is changing. In the meantime, the leaders of the Canadian Soccer Association are hinting the National Women’s Soccer League may expand in this country from two teams in Quebec to … more? Join me in crossing your ﬁngers. This is exactly what is needed to capitalize on the attention, interest and investment that has poured into Canada for the World Cup. The amount of broadcast coverage dedicated to women’s sports, in the U.S. at least, has not increased in 25 years and it still hovers around two per cent, a drop from ﬁve per cent in 1989, according to a long-term study by the University of Southern California. A quarter-century of stagnation was blown aside to make way for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, at least temporarily. The question has always been rather chicken and egg: would investment in professional women’s leagues increase if the media paid more attention? Or will the media pay attention once there are leagues to cover? Audiences are saying they will watch. In 1999, when the U.S. hosted and won the World Cup, 1.1 million people attended matches at stadiums much bigger than ours. This summer, ticket sales jumped to 1.35 million, and more than half of all Canadian girls aged two to 17 watched the World Cup, an increase from one in three in 2011. Women’s World Cup audience records were set for both national languages in this country as well as in the U.S., France, Japan, Australia, China, Korea, Norway and, yes, even in Brazil. And in my friend’s home, a three-yearold girl watched people like her playing sports on television. @mhstewart

The week in num6ers...

The number of locations being considered by the park board for people to attach “love locks” symbolizing their undying affection for their partners.

In millions of dollars, the amount the U.S. soccer team earned for winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup, 33 million less than the winners of the men’s tournament in 2014.

Michael Geller Columnist michaelarthurgeller@gmail.com Last week, I looked at new legislation in Ontario that now makes it illegal for real estate agents to use fictional or phantom bids to encourage someone to pay more for a property. I also promised to look at outdated real estate commissions, alternative approaches to buying and selling homes, and what I learned about real estate agents from the 2005 book Freakonomics. Just the reference to “outdated real estate commissions” prompted an email from a Vancouver agent who claimed that in the Lower Mainland we have the lowest commissions in North America. He added that while the public sees large and easy commission cheques, they forget about the brokerage and licensing fees, commission-splitting and absence of any cushy benefits. Not knowing the agent, I looked at his website. This is what he had to write about his industry: “I tell it like it is, and that is a rare commodity in the real estate business. It’s a part of what differentiates me from the rest in a business where most are focused on getting the next commission cheque rather than doing only what’s in the best interest of their client.” Hmmm. Given the price of housing, and the impact of the Internet on how we buy and sell things, I think it’s time to reconsider how real estate agents charge for their services. The current recommended fee structure is typically seven per cent on the first $100,000 and 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent on the balance. I should emphasize that this is a recommended structure and agents can charge more or less. A number of things intrigue me about this. The first is the $100,000 benchmark. Surely it dates back to a time when the average home sold in the hundreds of thousands, not in the millions. However, rather than revise the benchmark, I would suggest it’s time to rethink the entire fee structure. After all, why should the first $100,000 or $1,000,000 be at a higher rate? Why isn’t it the other way around? We now have in British Columbia a comprehensive Property Assessment System. If you go online at evaluebc.

bcassessment.ca you can find the assessed value of your property, your neighbour’s properties and every other property in the province. While assessments do not take into account the latest sales or whether a property had a kitchen or bathroom renovation, they usually provide a good basis for property evaluation. This prompts me to question why real estate commissions are not perhaps tied to property assessments. For a sales price up to assessed value, the commission might be quite low. As higher prices are achieved, the commission rate would increase. While this may not bring down the price of housing, it might more equitably reward agents who work harder to achieve higher prices. This brings me to what Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, the authors of Freakonomics, wrote about real estate agents. They looked at real estate commissions and the amount of time properties were on the market. They concluded that while a small increase in a sales price benefits a seller, it does not significantly benefit the real estate agent. They examined the sale of nearly 100,000 houses in suburban Chicago and discovered that more than 3,000 of those houses were owned by the agents themselves. Using the data from the sales of those homes, and controlling for any number of variables, it turned out that realestate agents kept their homes on the market an average of 10 days longer and sold their properties for an extra three-plus per cent. Recently, Toronto realty service the Red Pin also looked at real estate commissions and the time properties were on the market. It argued that while selling commissions have ballooned along with Toronto housing prices, the effort required to sell a house has not. To make its point, the Red Pin calculated that for 8,477 home sales last year that were on the market for three days or less, Toronto realtors made an average of $1,000 an hour. This study concluded that we all know many homes take much longer to sell; however, it doesn’t seem right that many agents make on a sale what the rest of us earn in a year. Hmmm. @michaelgeller

2 2.25 45

The current level of water restrictions in place across Metro Vancouver, which asks for voluntary reductions from residents on things like lawn watering.

In dollars, the amount of money multi-national corporation Nestlé pays to extract one million litres of water from B.C. per year.

The number of years Sonia Manzano has played Maria on Sesame Street. She recently announced her retirement from the long-running PBS children’s program.

The duration, in days, of the fifth annual Indian Summer Festival, which runs July 9 to 18 across the city.

W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Inbox LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Blame? You mean credit! The people have spoken. Democracy prevailed. TrippingPoint , via Comments section

City’s residential watering restrictions are all wet

No, blame is a far more appropriate term. The city and the region need investment in transit. The transit plan that was presented was a good one that served the region’s needs at a reasonable cost. We’ve lost that, because Clark and the provincial Liberals, for all intents and purposes, set up the process to fail rather than acting like the leaders they’re supposed to be. ACMEsalesrep, via Comments section

Re: “Worry over water levels,” July 1 Thank you for the article on water levels/use. I don’t think municipal governments are particularly concerned about residential water use. After my neighbour had the sprinkler on her lawn/garden for three hours for the third time, I asked the city about water use. Although the 311 person said lawn watering was restricted, there is no restriction on hosing/cleaning concrete decks, sidewalks and cars. My neighbours do this cleaning on a daily basis. Apparently this kind of water use is totally permitted, no matter how frequent or for how long. Annelies Reeves, Vancouver

Negative reactions to story were poor responses

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

Stanley Park concert venue opens

July 8, 1934: More than 10,000 people turn out to hear the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra give the first performance inside Malkin Bowl, a new live venue in Stanley Park paid for by businessman W.H. Malkin. Unfortunately, rain forced the inaugural concert to end midway through. The outdoor facility, a smaller replica of the Hollywood Bowl, was built after lobbying by VSO conductor Allard de Ridder over the need for a place for summer concert Aerial view of Malkin Bowl in 1953. series. PHOTO CITY OF VANCOUVER ARCHIVES CVA 392-34.1 In 2011, extensive renovations in order to winterize the facility were added, including the addition of new heating systems, a new floor, a weatherproofed orchestra pit, a retractable stage door and other improvements. ADVERTISING

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Re: “West Side teens chose East Side public school,” June 26. In response to the letters of July 3 by Daniel Twa and albinocastro (whoever or whatever that is) about the Bhullar family sending their children to John Oliver, I would like to say that their comments are mean-spirited, judgemental and irrelevant. The two letters focus more on the fact that the family has money which is not the point of the article. Rather the article focuses on the positive experiences the teens have had in the school. Who cares if the school was ranked 193rd by the Fraser Institute? The Fraser Institute is a right-wing think tank and carries no merit in my books. The two writers obviously have something against people who are wealthy and their letters smack of resentment. Barbara Bawlf, Vancouver

Thanks for the LOL

Re: Letter: “A bridge too far,” June 17. I’d like to say thank you for the unexpected laugh I had from Mr. Will Klassen’s June 17 letter regarding recreational yoga on the Burrard Street bridge. The letter made me laugh out loud. I’ve never had that experience with the letter page before. Alison Peyman, Vancouver

ONLINE COMMENTS Readers split over plebiscite verdict

Re: “Premier to blame for plebiscite failure,” July 3.

•••

Failure?!? Success! NO to letting them steal and rob more of our money. Manage it right, then maybe I’ll say you can have more. Ryan Baumer, via Facebook

•••

Blamed for its failure? She should be applauded for it. A disaster that should never have occurred. Kelly Ewaski, via Facebook

Criticism of Condo King goes beyond the pale

Re: “Chinatown changes not about decline,” July 3. Thank you for the wonderful article. Just one point of clarification: I actually feel my quote was taken out of context: “‘guys like [real estate marketer] Bob Rennie, the benevolent white guy type.’ She doesn’t like the idea of a ‘white guy’ swooping in to save a community by becoming a collector who preserved its cultural artifacts.” This statement was made after the film discussion in response to [a question asking] “What resonated with you in the film?” Calling Bob a “benevolent white guy” is a reference to the way Bob referenced HIMSELF in the film. I want to make this clarification because it seems insensitive and I would never say that white people can’t/aren’t making real contributions to Chinatown in a meaningful and respectful way. My view is that Bob Rennie accused the Chinese community of not helping to save Chinatown and the fact that he’s painting himself as some saviour because he has the capital to create a “Chinatown museum” is pretty concerning. Rennie’s treatment of the Wing Sang building (and the neighbouring properties in the film) is colonial, imperialist and orientalist. And that is what deserves resentment — not his whiteness. Melissa Fong, via Comments section

•••

Ironically, Vancouver is becoming more Chinese except in Chinatown. @kirkjong, via Twitter

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5

Opinion

Local foods suffering from hot weather Trish Kelly Columnist

trishkellyc@gmail.com

Record warm weather means blueberry crops are ripening quickly, with several varietals all ready at the same time. This will mean lower prices, which is good for shoppers but bad for the bottom line of local farmers. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

Development Permit Board Meeting: July 13 The Development Permit Board and Advisory Panel will meet: Monday, July 13, 2015 at 3 pm Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue Ground Floor, Town Hall Meeting Room to consider the following development permit application: 401 Southwest Marine Drive: To develop this site with 21- and 27-storey towers and a seven-storey rental building over two levels of underground parking. Please contact City Hall Security (1st ﬂoor) if your vehicle may be parked at City Hall for more than two hours. TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM: 604-873-7770 or lidia.mcleod@vancouver.ca

Proposed changes to the Single Room Accommodation By-law On July 22, 2015, a Standing Committee of Vancouver City Council will consider amendments to the Single Room Accommodation By-law (No. 8733), which, if approved, will be enacted by Council. At the Standing Committee meeting, anyone interested may make their views respecting the proposed amendments known to Council. You can sign up as a speaker by emailing the City at speaker.request@vancouver.ca. The amendments would clarify the deﬁnition of “conversion” or “convert” so that any repairs that involve the relocation of a permanent resident during the repairs would not be considered a minor renovation and would require a conversion permit. The by-law amendments would also increase the amount Council may require as a condition of approving an SRA permit for the removal of the room from the SRA By-law from $15,000 to $125,000, as well as provide other recommendations to improve building conditions, provide supports to tenants and maintain affordability. FOR MORE INFORMATION: 604-871-6046 or vancouver.ca/people-programs/protecting-single-room-accommodations Visit: vancouver.ca Phone: 3-1-1 TTY: 7-1-1

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It’s hot — stupidly hot in the city as I write this. The heat is affecting my mood, and it’s making me anxious about my dinner plan. Whether you’re ready to attribute this record breaking dry spell to climate change, or still want to chalk it up to weather anomalies, the truth is it’s having an impact on our local food systems. Most local crops are early, and high temperatures are threatening some harvests. From salad greens and berries in the city to local salmon stocks in nearby waters, what’s on your plate this time of year has changed. Vancouver urban farmer Ilana Labow says her ﬁelds are six weeks ahead of schedule in the harvest. Labow’s Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society partners with the Vancouver School Board to provide educational farms at schools. The food grown is sold into the school community via school cafeterias, food access programs and markets. When I met Labow in 2009, she was a recent transplant from Chicago. I asked her what it was like to be growing here in Vancouver. She smiled and glanced up at the heavy cloud cover and said, “It’s good. I’m learning how to grow without sunlight, that’s all.” Five growing seasons ago, that was an astute joke. This year, Fresh Roots is having to adapt their season, starting programs ahead of schedule and hiring help earlier. As anyone who dared to blink in June knows, the strawberry season

came early and is done. Blueberries are now at their peak, and Randy Hooper of Discovery Organics, a local produce house that deals with many B.C. farms, says blueberry crops are ripening quickly, with several varietals all ready at the same time. This will mean lower prices, which is good for us shoppers, but bad for the bottom line of local farmers. It also means the season will be shorter than normal, as each varietal is intended to ripen consecutively to extend availability. Get them and freeze them while you can. If you’re looking to pick wild, Cease Wyss, a local indigenous ethnobotanist and food security activist has noted some berries actually drying right on the bush. She’s hopeful by the time the salal berries arrive, we’ll have had rain. At sea, the salmon return could be affected. Sonia Strobel is managing director of Skipper Otto’s Community Supported Fishery. She works with 15 ﬁsherman across B.C. In a recent update to CSF members, Sonia cautioned that hot dry weather means some river systems have water temperatures too high and water levels too low for salmon to make it back to spawn. In Barkley Sound, 48,000 sockeye salmon already travelling upriver are expected to die before spawning. Meanwhile, the rest of the Barkley salmon are circling in the Sound, waiting for a good rain to raise river levels and cool the water. “If we don’t get some good rainfall and if we

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have low spawning numbers, then we can expect a lower return of sockeye salmon in 2019,” Strobel explains, “and we can expect it to take two or three four-year cycles for the numbers to recover to their normal levels.” Last week, Metro Vancouver raised water restrictions to level 2, a level that asks for voluntary reductions on things like lawn watering. An increase to level 3 would see restrictions on backyard garden watering, and if we hit level 4, even commercial farms would be cut off. Maybe this can be a wake-up call. We need our provincial government to better protect our water supply so that drier years in the future won’t be compounded by maddening corporate deals, like the one Nestle currently utilizes to extract one million litres of water from B.C. annually for the fee of $2.25. While reducing our water consumption is an immediate concern, we also need to think about protecting our local food system. Right now, for those so inclined, it would be appreciated if you would pray for rain. More practically, we can go to the market or grocery store to buy whatever local crops we see, and freeze or store what we can. Let’s make sure local producers have a market for any bumper crops the heat causes. Then, invite the neighbours over for a local food themed dinner, pull out your smartphones, and send Premier Christy Clark a tweet or two demanding a food security strategy for B.C. @trishkellyc

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W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

Arts&Entertainment

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GOT ARTS? 604.738.1411 or events@vancourier.com

July 8 to 10, 2015 1. Anyone who’s ever wanted to see a biker chick Chewbacca bumping and grinding while piloting the Millennium Falcon or Han Solo sans pants, you’re in luck. Pop culture-obsessed burlesque troupe the Geekenders remount its popular, nonGeorge-Lucas-approved Star Wars parody A Nude Hope, July 8 to 19 at Granville Island’s Waterfront Theatre. Tickets at nudehope.brownpapertickets.ca. Details at geekenders.ca.

2. The Arts Club has dreamed a dream and is bringing back Les Miserables. The large-scale musical, which will have you singing “Do You Hear the People Sing?” for days, is at the Stanley Theatre until Aug. 16. Tickets and details at artsclub.com. 3. As part of its apprentice showcase, Stone’s Throw Productions and Clockwork Theatre bring The Stonewater Rapture to the stage. Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright’s play about sexual awakening within a strict, religious society, stars Kayla Heselwood and Kenton Klassen and runs July 8 to 11 at Pacific Theatre. Details at clockworktheatre.org and pacifictheatre.org. 4. Gurpreet Chana and his tabla help kick off the fifth annual Indian Summer Festival, a 10-day gathering of movers, shakers, culture and ideas, including provocative talks by literary stars and social entrepreneurs, genre-bending concerts, a look at when ’30s era Bombay met American jazz and a special series of free public art projects. The opening gala takes place July 9, 7 p.m. at the Roundhouse and features live music courtesy of Chana, electronic artist Adham Shaikh, sitar virtuoso Uwe Neumann and the Surya Brass Band, as well Vikram Vij challenging some of Vancouver’s top chefs to create Indian-inspired street food. For the full lineup of events and to purchase tickets, visit indiansummerfest.ca.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5

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Bard goes big with Lear THEATRE REVIEW

Jo Ledingham joled@telus.net

King Lear is one of Shakespeare’s biggest plays: big tragedy, big emotions and big weather. It begins with the old King (Benedict Campbell) magnanimously laying some property on his two daughters Regan (Jennifer Lines) and Goneril (Colleen Wheeler) after they assure him that they love him in a very big way. Cordelia (Andrea Rankin), his youngest and most beloved by him, refuses to play the game and tells her father, who is getting on in years, that she loves him as a daughter should love her father. No more, no less. Lear is angered bigtime and banishes Cordelia sans dowry. The King of France (Craig Erickson) steps in and, dowry or no dowry, he loves Cordelia and whisks her off to France. Mocked and rejected by Regan and Goneril (once they’ve got his lands), Lear

Son Little Annie Lou Rory McLeod Bongeziwe Mabandla

goes mad with anger and grief. And he does this for the entire rest of the play. It’s all just so big. Directed by Theatre Calgary’s artistic director Dennis Garnhum, Benedict Campbell (son of the late Douglas Campbell, a Canadian theatre icon) hits an emotional peak early and his performance escalates from there. His performance is very Shakespearean in a time-honoured, traditional way: declamatory and bombastic with a lot of gesticulating — even foot stomping. He stops short of pulling his hair. Contemporary dramatic style, however, tends toward nuance and more subtlety. Take Scott Bellis, arguably giving the best performance on that stage. Bellis plays Lear’s Fool dressed in a sort of chicken outﬁt complete with a coxcomb. But as with all the Fool’s in Shakespeare this one is no fool and his affection for his doddering but ceaselessly ranting old king is profoundly affecting. He puts himself physically between Lear and any suggested threat;

he chides him — but fondly and gently. Bellis, as always, brings complexity to this role in every gesture, every phrase and every quip. Runners up for stealing this show are John Murphy, as the Earl of Kent, and Nathan Schmidt, as the Earl of Gloucester’s legitimate son Edgar. Murphy is equally strong in comic and dramatic roles; his Kent — both disguised as a Scot with a thick brogue and undisguised — is a compassionate rendering of another loyal supporter banished by Lear for insubordination. Schmidt, as Edgar, starts slowly, but by the time Edgar pretends to be a dirty, half-naked madman (Poor Tom), his performance steps up. And ﬁnally, when Edgar reveals himself to his recently, brutally blinded father (played by David Marr), the moment surpasses the impact of the reconciliation between Lear and Cordelia. Veteran Bard on the Beach performers Lines and Wheeler, dressed in sumptuous gowns by Deitra Kalyn, are a well-matched pair of

nasties. Lines is passively aggressive while Wheeler strides across the stage like a sergeant major. A very fine King Lear was mounted years ago at Studio 58, featuring Antony Holland who at the time was close to 80. The penny finally dropped for me: Lear is a doddering old fart who’s losing his grip on reality. I did truly feel for Holland’s Lear. Campbell’s Lear, on the other hand, seems less world-weary, less existentially destroyed than energetically and petulantly furious — and finally rambling. In a recent CBC radio interview, Campbell said he was attempting to get his father’s performance of King Lear out of his head. But the elder Campbell was noted, too, for his big, larger-thanlife performances, and it would seem the apple has not fallen far from the tree. For more reviews, go to joledingham.ca. King Lear is at Bard on the Beach until Sept. 20. For tickets, call 604-739-0559 or go to bardonthebeach.org.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5

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Estate planning: Just do it her living will. I’ve written You need to have the extensively about that case and I won’t repeat myself Estate planning. For a lot right documents in place here. Sufﬁce it to say the of people it rates right up judge found that Bentley’s there with a root canal or a and make your wishes living will was not a valid tax audit. representation agreement or known to family and advance directive. The judge also If you’ve made an estate plan and found, to the surprise of many, that are wondering if you’ve done it right, caregivers Bentley was capable of providing this column is for you. My estate plan TOM CARNEY tomcarney@telus.net

isn’t perfect, but I’ll use it as an example to help get us started. I’ve got a will that appoints an executor to administer my estate after I’m gone, an enduring power of attorney for my legal and ﬁnancial affairs, a representation agreement for health care and personal decisions and an advance care directive that will speak for me if I am alive but unable to speak for myself. Four

consent and therefore her living will did not apply.

Typically, those plans might contain a will, a power of attorney and a statement of wishes or a living will. That might have been adequate a few years ago but not today. Experts tell us that if you want your wishes to be legally binding you need to have a properly appointed alternate decision maker in place. In B.C. this can be

done by having a representation agreement. I’ve heard from a number of seniors who think a representative agreement and an advance directive are useless and as evidence they cite the example of Margot Bentley.

There’s another reason, quite apart from meeting any legal requirement, to have an advance directive in place. It’s a mistake to assume your family understands or shares your wishes. The more clearly you indicate your wishes, the easier it will be for your family and your healthcare providers to follow your wishes in the spirit you intended. I need to take my own advice here. I’m good with the estate planning documents; I’m not so good with the discussion. I’m not sure my family is aware of my wishes regarding my funeral or organ donation or that they know the quality of life that I wish for if I am no longer able to speak for myself. I need to ﬁx that. The lesson here is that there are really two parts to getting your estate plan right. You need to have the right documents in place and make your wishes known to family members and caregivers. Most of us are better at doing one than the other. I’m a perfect example of that. Finally, I’m not qualiﬁed as an estate planner. I sought professional advice when I prepared my estate plan. I’d recommend others do the same.

Bentley is a senior with Alzheimer’s disease and was involved last year in a court case with Fraser Health around her ongoing care and the validity of

Tom Carney is the former executive director of the Lionsview Seniors’ Planning Society. Ideas for future columns are welcome.

Don’t assume family members are aware of your wishes.

documents. That’s it. Well, almost. I also use a record keeper booklet to help keep track of my personal and ﬁnancial documents. They’re usually available from your ﬁnancial institution, at no charge. My concern is that a number of estate plans many seniors have in place will probably not do what they expect them to. That’s especially true if they’ve had their estate plan drawn up more than, say, a decade ago.

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W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

events

SANDRA THOMAS STHOMAS@VANCOURIER.COM

COQUITLAM Vancouverites who want to show off their wheels will have that opportunity July 18 at the Ultimate Car Show taking place at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, where more than 350 classic, muscle and specialty vehicles will be on display. The car show is open to anyone who wants to display their collector, specialty, exotic or muscle cars. Some of the best cars in Western Canada will be there, including a one-of-a-kind 1970 Chevelle, which achieves speeds of zero to 60-mph in 4.5 seconds, and one of the world’s most highly modified muscle cars — a 1967 Mustang Fastback with roughly 700 individual modifications. Both vehicles belong to Rick Francoeu, owner of Abbotsford-based 360 Fabrication Inc., one of Canada’s top custom car companies and partner of the event, which runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Prizes will be awarded in eight categories. Car culture fans will also want to take in the concert following the show featuring Count’s 77, with lead singer Danny “Count” Koker from the TV series Counting Cars. Separate tickets for a meet-and-greet with Koker are also available to purchase. For more information and tickets, visit hardrockcasinovancouver.com. To register a vehicle, call 604-859-3608. Proceeds from the registration fee will benefit SHARE Family and Community Services Society.

UBC Who will win the Golden Whisk Award? That question will be answered July 9, when one chef will stand victorious after competing in Chef Challenge 2015 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Main Mall and Memorial Road. Competing for the coveted Golden Whisk Award in front of the audience judges will be chefs from AMS Conferences and Catering, UBC Food Services and Mahony and Sons Public House. This year’s theme is global meets local and the chefs will be preparing three globally-inspired canapés from local ingredients. UBC Farm staff will also be on hand to answer questions about what’s local and in season. Fresh produce from the farm will also be on sale. Click on the “Vancouver” link at planning.ubc.ca for ticket information.

device. Interact with podcast creators and take the ﬁrst step towards creating a podcast of your own by learning more about this growing medium. Podcasting 100: What’s a Podcast? takes place at the Central Library July 20 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Inspiration Lab on level three. The event is free, but registration is required by calling 604-331-3603.

OAKRIDGE High Spirits Choir has openings for all voices. If singing is your passion,

this may be the choir for you. High Spirits is for experienced singers who like a challenging and eclectic repertoire — and enjoy polyrhythms. (According to Wikipedia, “polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more conﬂicting rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another, or as simple manifestations of the same meter.”) The choir meets Wednesday from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at their new location at West 49th Avenue and Oak Street. Visit highspiritschoir.ca for more information and contact membership coordinator Fran Johnson.

KITSILANO The Kitsilano Community Centre is inviting bridge lovers to join their co-ed group. If you like to play duplicate bridge drop by the Kits Community Centre Fridays where the game starts at 7 p.m. sharp — so be there with your partner by 6:45. The group plays a brisk six minutes a hand until 10 p.m. The drop in fee is $2. The community centre is located at 2690 Larch St.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5

Ask Anne: Teabags, eggshells and banana plants Ground-up eggshells release calcium much faster than the crushed version

Anne Marrison

amarrison@shaw.ca

Q: I was wondering what tea bags, coffee grounds and eggshells do for plants and could you apply them to any type of plant or only specific plants? Norma Burnett, Chilliwack A: All three are generally good for the garden. The beneficial elements in them are slow-release and present in relatively small quantities. So you don’t have to keep any of them away from any specific plants. Allowing them to break down in the compost is one good way of using them. Another is blending them into the soil around various plants, but not concentrating any one kind in one particular spot. The tea in tea bags contains nitrogen. So do coffee grounds. The coffee grounds also have trace amounts of phosphorous and potassium. Eggshells provide calcium to the plants they are placed

Sempervivums form a carpet so dense weeds seldom germinate.

near. Calcium is especially valuable for tomatoes. The only snag with eggshells is that most people just crush them (potato mashers work well). But in the ground crushed eggshells take ages to break down. Ground-up eggshells release calcium much faster. An old blender might do this job.

Q: I am planning to make a small bed approximately 6’ x 5’ (2 x 1.75m) and plant two lilies and a banana plant there. All are fairly small. Could I layer the top layer of soil with wood chips or something to give it life? Also what type of ﬂowers would go

well with lilies and the banana plant? Allan L., Burnaby A: To give your soil some life, Sea Soil or compost spread over the bed would help the fertility immensely. If you don’t have your own compost, garden centres sell bags of commercial com-

post. A bag of one or the other would be sufficient. On top of whatever nourishment you choose, bark mulch suppresses weeds very well. When seeds finally blow in on the wind and weeds do start, they’re very easy to pull out of bark mulch. My top choice for planting under your banana tree would be sempervivums. Their leaves are rosettes in various patterns and shades: reddish, blue-grey, green with red tips etc. These plants form a carpet so dense weeds seldom germinate. In summer some of the older rosettes produce thick stems with flowers. After flowering the old rosettes die, but new rosettes quickly fill in. Sempervivums are extremely drought-resistant. Cranesbills are another possibility. My top choice would be the deep purpleblue flowered Rosanne. This stays blooming for a very long period. It’s dwarf and spreads into a wide, low mound.

22 ! y e l Ju dlin a de

A pretty, mat-forming annual, which is also a great bee plant, is sweet alyssum. This is available in mauve or white forms. They’re covered with flowers all summer and are very sweetsmelling. They die in winter, but re-seed abundantly in spring. If you prefer taller plants you might like perennial Oriental poppies, which produce huge, spectacular flowers in red, orange, white or pink in late May. These seed themselves if you leave the seed capsules on the plants. If you prefer spring flowers, the perennial hellebore orientalis give pleasure for many months. Buds pop up in late January, followed by cup-shaped, long-lasting flowers then interesting spiky seed heads. The hellebore leaves are evergreen all year until late winter when they should be cut back to make way for next year’s growth and flowers. Anne Marrison is happy to answer garden questions. Send them to her via amarrison@ shaw.ca.

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Michel Ibrahim has until July 22 to raise enough money to pay the custom fees on a shipment of donated soccer equipment destined for Syrian children living in refugee camps in Lebanan. He’s offering several perks to donors including a free haircut at his West Vancouver Barber Shop, registration in an August 9 soccer workshop and an extensive soccer camp for an entire team of young players. To contribute, go to

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W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

GOT GAME? Contact sports editor Megan Stewart at mstewart@vancourier.com or 604-630-3549

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Sports&Recreation

Cora Willis played her first competitive tennis match in her 40s and now intends to defend her title as a Stanley Park Open champion. The amateur tennis tournament continues until July 19. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

Tournament returns to amateur roots Leith Wheeler Stanley Park Open runs to July 19

Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

One of the biggest tennis tournaments on the continent is going back to the beginning. The Leith Wheeler Stanley Park Open is dropping the professional side of competition introduced last year to concentrate on the amateur singles and doubles matches that have drawn thousands since 1931. “We’re really taking it back to its roots as the type of tournament people remember, and I remember from growing up,” said tournament director Khristina Blajkevitch, a past winner and professional player who was ranked 797th in the world on the WTA singles tour. “The focus this year is what can we offer to the player right here in our backyard.” The tournament started Friday and marked the return of various seniors’ categories as well as the continuation of the signature National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) competition which allows

amateurs to rank themselves and compete against others in categories from 2.0 to 4.5. The open competition draws the most competitive singles and doubles players of all ages. The last day of competition is July 19. The ITF junior competition remains an integral component of the Stanley Park Open. Hosted by Tennis B.C. and promoted as North America’s largest publiccourt competitions, the Stanley Park Open also increased its prize money this year. The $15,000 purse will be divided with the max prize of $2,000 going to the top singles male player. The women’s top prize is $1,500, a lower amount because of the smaller draw and fewer people paying an entry fee. “I would love to make them the same however the draw sizes, you can’t compare them,” said Blajkevitch. The men’s draw is at least double the size of the women’s, she said. To highlight some of the best players in the tournament, the Stanley Park Open has introduced the

Millstreet Brewery Happy Hour Match of the Day, which begins daily at 6 p.m. Blajkevitch, who trained with the national team and competed in the NCAA, emphasized tennis is a sport for anyone and the Stanley Park Open a tournament for everyone. She expressed admiration for competitors like Cora Willis, the defending women’s 4.5 singles champion, who takes every opportunity to learn from coaches and improve her game. “I was a pro player up until last year, I know what it takes,” said Blajkevitch, also the director of player development at Tennis B.C. “For someone who starts later on in life, they don’t need to put themselves through that but they choose it. It inspires me to go hard at whatever I’m doing today.” Willis started playing tennis casually with her husband but has since competed for Canada at the World Senior Team Championships nine times. Most recently, competing in France, she

and her partner Michelle Karis, from Halifax, won the bronze medal in the women’s 55 doubles. “Certainly for me, at my age, I’m not going to Wimbledon, but I do love the challenge of the physical, the mental and the emotional,” said Willis, 57, who approaches the Stanley Park Open as a training event to sharpen her skills for the national seniors championship, held later in the summer. At the seniors provincials last month at the Jericho Tennis Club, Blajkevitch stopped Willis after a match to give her some pointers. The retired teacher who lives in Shaughnessey took note of what the retired pro had to say. “That what I appreciate about a player like Cora,” said Blajkevitch. “They’re always looking to improve, no matter what. We had had a previous conversation and she wanted to play more aggressive, and that’s my game style. I had noticed something about her moving forward, about her needing step to into the ball.” Willis worked to put the

advice into play because, she said, good coaching is the thing that sets the best players apart from the rest. “For me, coming late to the game, the reason that I’ve had some success is because I’ve had great coaches,” said Willis, who is a member at the Arbutus Lawn and Tennis Club. “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it’s all about the coaching. You’ve got to work hard and you have to put in the

time and effort, but the coaching makes a tremendous difference.” Willis, who won the women’s national senior championship in 2012 in the 50-54 age group and won the doubles title the next year with partner Brenda Cameron, wants one thing at the Stanley Park Open: “To win it,” she said. Catch the tennis in Stanley Park every day until July 19. @MHStewar

Schedule: Stanley Park Open The Leith Wheeler Stanley Park Open continues through July 19. The U18 ITF matches run daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. while the junior development series matches begin each day at 8 a.m. and continue until dusk. The National Junior Open runs daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The National Tennis Rating Program (NTPR, which is for amateur players ranked 2.0 to 4.5) runs on weekends from 8 a.m. to dusk and on weekdays

from 5 p.m. to dusk. Some exceptions apply. The Mill Street Brewery Happy Hour Match of the Day features the best players and begins daily at 6 p.m. on the public courts at Stanley Park. Seniors matches run on weekends from 8 a.m. to dusk and on weekdays from 5 p.m. until dusk, with some weekday matches scheduled for the day. The Rogers Rookie Tour is a one-day event on July 17, running from 8 a.m. until dusk.

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THE VANCOUVER COURIER W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5

Sports&Recreation

Lloyd hat trick sparks US victory Lloyd: ‘I blacked out for the ﬁrst 30 minutes’ USA JAPAN

05 02

Megan Stewart

mstewart@vancourier.com

The U.S. idolizes its sports icons, and the country minted a new one Sunday afternoon in Vancouver. As the smoke from dozens of wild fires dimmed the air inside B.C. Place, U.S. captain Carli Lloyd lit a spark of her own and scored the fastest hat trick in World Cup history. The U.S. led 4-0 by the 16th minute. “Pinch me,” U.S. head coach Jill Ellis said after the match. “It’s the most ridiculous game I’ve ever been a part of,” said Meghan Klingenberg, a U.S. defender. “I feel like I blacked out in the first 30 minutes of the game,” said Lloyd, who added she “was on a mission today.” The New Jersey midfielder scored the winning goal in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, in the latter defeating Japan in penalties. The clutch scorer, who asked her family and fiancé to stay

U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd (No. 10) cuts between Japan’s Homare Sawa (No. 10) and Saki Kumagai (No. 4) in the second half of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final at B.C. Place July 5. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

away during the tournament, has learned to go for broke in big matches and visualize success. In fact, she didn’t see herself scoring three goals to win the World Cup — but more. “I was home, it was just my headphones, myself and I at the ﬁeld,” she said in a post-game press conference. “I’m running

and I’m doing sprints, it’s hard, I’m burning. I visualized playing in the World Cup Final and visualized scoring four goals. Sounds pretty funny, but that’s what it’s all about.” In front of 53,341 spectators on July 5, U.S. talent crashed into Japan in the second minute of the ﬁnal and didn’t relent

until they had clinched their third World Cup with a 5-2 victory. On the ﬁrst corner kick, Megan Rapinoe’s cross from the right was ﬂat and fast, beautifully placed to meet Lloyd who streaked in, uncovered, from outside the 18-yard box. She toed the ball into the back of the net with a one-touch shot to give the U.S. a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. It was one of the best

goals of the tournament, if only because the set play was flawlessly executed, catching the Japanese off guard and setting the course for the most important game in four years. “It seems Lloyd, she always does this to us,” said Japan’s head coach Norio Sasaki, with a gracious smile. “In London she scored two goals and today she scored three. We are a bit embarrassed, but she is an excellent player so I really respect her and admire her.” The two teams have traded World Cup and Olympic titles since Japan edged the U.S. in a shoot-out at the 2011 World Cup in Germany. The U.S. answered three years later when they claimed Olympic gold at the London Games, where they famously plied the referee and broke Canadian hearts. In this latest meeting, the No. 2 team edged No. 4 to finish first in the world. In the fifth minute of the final, Lloyd scored her fifth goal in seven games, crashing the net to burry an unclaimed ball. Then, in the 14th minute, Lauren Holiday capitalized on a poorly headed clearance. The ball spinning high above

the pitch, Holiday expertly volleyed her shot into the mesh before the ball touched turf. Then a fourth goal, another from the foot of Lloyd whose horoscope that day said, “Just do what comes naturally.” In four shots, the U.S. scored four goals. From the half-way line, Lloyd struck a seeing-eye shot that caught Japan’s keeper Ayumi Kaihori out of position and blinded by the sun shining through the open roof. It was an audacious strike, one that cemented Lloyd the Golden Ball Award as the tournament’s best player. Japan answered with one of their own in the 27th minute, and in the second half, Homare Sawa was inches away from putting her head on a free kick, but it didn’t matter because defender Julie Johnston put it in for her, scoring the own goal to bring Japan within two. One minute later, the U.S. answered with its fifth goal. From the touch line, Morgan Brian passed the ball back into the box to Tobin Heath who scored her first World Cup goal. The U.S. became the first women’s team with three World Cup wins. @MHStewart

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Mobile Service in Vancouver, Richmond, & North Shore

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at a fraction of the cost of body shop prices! Dents Unlimited has been providing Paintless Minor Dent Repair to auto dealerships and body shops for over 20 years, with a reputation for being the best. We are your experts in hail damage repair

www.dentsunlimited.com

The only BCAA approved paintless Dent Repair Service

604-469-9545 Mon-Fri 9-5 • Sat. by appt. 87 Williams St., Pt. Moody

W E DN E SDAY, J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 5 THE VANCOUVER COURIER

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Admission to Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Biggest Escape Game Adventure for 4, 6 OR 8 People Plus Single Scoop of Gelato

One-Hour Vancouver Harbour Tour for Two OR Four Adults - Sights Include Port Metro Vancouver, Historic Gastown, North Shore Mountains and City Skyline

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