JANUARY 15-21 // 2015
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NEWS // ISSUES
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INSIDE THIS WEEK You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack by Tom Gauld
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CONSIDER THE CONTEXT OF CHARLIE HEBDO ATTACK
We must not only condemn the Paris murderers but also consider the context. Given that the assassins shouted “Allah” and proclaimed that “The prophet is now avenged”, it is clear that while terrorism was the method, extremist Islam was the motivation. Democratic peoples now need to ask this question: “How widespread is Muslim support for such extremist action?” Let’s hope it’s limited, that there’s widespread denunciation by leaders of the 57 countries in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and strong denunciation by Muslim leaders in democracies. Unfortunately, I’m not very optimistic. In almost all of the 57 OIC countries, freedom of religion and the press are severely curtailed or non-existent. Twenty-three make apostasy a crime, mainly with a death penalty. Most of the other 34 don’t tolerate religious freedom.
Also, recent European data are startling. 35 per cent of all Muslims in France believe suicide bombings are justified. 38.6 per cent of Muslims believe 9/11 attacks were justified. One-third of British Muslims support killing for Islam. 78 per cent of British Muslims support punishing the publishers of Muhammad cartoons. 68 per cent of British Muslims support the arrest and prosecution of anyone who insults Islam (source: TheReligionOfPeace.com/pages/ opinion-polls.htm). Are we dealing with a tiny, deviant minority? –John H. Redekop
THANKS FOR MAKING LIFE A LITTLE BIT EASIER
I would like to say thank you to all the wonderful folks in the West End who have been so very kind to me, while busking on Robson and Davie Streets. In particular a rave to the liquor stores on Davie and Cardero, as well as the one on Robson and Bidwell. The
staff and management are kind and considerate. Busking supplements my disability pension and your support just makes my life so much easier. –Cathy with the white cane
SPIRIT OF THE WEST
My husband and I went for a hike in Pacific Spirit Regional Park for the very first time and can’t believe what a gem we’ve discovered (or that it took us this long!). Not only was there a charging station for our electric car off 16th Avenue (which did its thing as we walked down to Spanish Banks and back), but the ensuing route was like traveling through three or four different ecosystems in one. The Spanish trail yielded the gem of the day – a quiet footbridge over an unblemished bog. And I just wanted to thank my fellow Vancouverites for keeping it green (save the occasional bag of dog poop) for us first-timers to enjoy. –Weekend Warrior
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life • people • culture • shops • services • health • sports • lifestyle • entertainment • food 4 W January 15 – 21, 2015
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Province backs transit plan Transportation minister supports plebiscite’s yes side
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MIKE HOWELL @howellings
Transportation Minister Todd Stone has given the yes side a boost in the upcoming transportation plebiscite by announcing that the provincial government supports a 0.5 per cent hike to the provincial sales tax to help pay for a $7.5-billion plan that includes a subway along the Broadway corridor. In a written statement, Stone said, “We support a yes vote in the spring 2015 plebiscite but the voters of Metro Vancouver will have the final say – this is the commitment we made to them in the last provincial election campaign.” Stone earlier stated the government would remain neutral and not take sides in the emerging debate about asking Metro Vancouver residents to support a tax hike to help pay for a 10-year transit plan devised by the region’s mayors. “The provincial government believes the mayors’ council has put forward a vision for expanded regional transportation that people can get behind,” he said in his statement. “We agree that a sales-based tax, dedicated to vital congestion improvement projects, is the most equitable funding option available.” The province will pay for the cost of the plebiscite, estimated to be $5 million, but Stone said mayors and various organizations mobilizing on either side will be responsible for funding their individual campaigns. Stone’s support for the yes lobby comes as NPA Coun. George Affleck will ask fellow councillors at a Jan. 20 council meeting to promote a positive vote in the plebiscite, which begins March 16 via a mail-in ballot. Affleck’s motion asks city staff to suggest initiatives the city could undertake to ensure the success of the
Transportation Minister Todd Stone says his government will urge Metro Vancouver residents to vote yes in the spring plebiscite on a 10-year transportation plan for the region. Dan Toulgoet photo plebiscite. Affleck wouldn’t speculate on costs related to such a campaign, saying that will be part of staff’s report back to council. Affleck’s motion is expected to get the support of Mayor Gregor Robertson and his ruling Vision Vancouver council, who are on record in supporting a yes vote. Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr was not available for comment this week. “We need to fight for what we think is right for the region,” Affleck said. “It’s going to be a tough battle and I think it’s important that Vancouver take a leadership role on this for the yes side. It’s important for the long term prosperity of the city.” Jordan Bateman, spokesman for the No TransLink Tax group that is battling the yes side, said he wished Stone would have stayed neutral in the plebiscite debate. But, Bateman said, he didn’t think Stone’s position would sway undecided voters. “I’m not sure there were many people in the Lower Mainland waiting with baited breath to see which side
the transportation minister landed on,” said Bateman, adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if Vancouver council unanimously supports Affleck’s motion. “They have one of the most expensive big ticket items in [the plan.]” Bateman, a member of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, was referring to the estimated $1.9 billion cost to build a 5.1-kilometre subway line from the Vancouver Community College-Clark SkyTrain station to Arbutus Street. The plan also calls for more B-line buses, more frequent bus, SeaBus and HandyDart service and investments in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure and road maintenance. Surrey is on track for a $2.1 billion light-rail transit project and a new-four lane Pattullo Bridge at $980 million is another big expense outlined in the plan. Bateman and the No coalition are expected to release next week an alternative plan to alleviate congestion that doesn’t rely on a tax increase. Former Conservative party insider Hamish Marshall,
who has ties to controversial blog EthicalOil.org, will play a key role with the no lobby, according to an article in Business in Vancouver. Iain Black, CEO of the Vancouver Board of Trade, has been campaigning for a yes vote as a spokesperson for the Better Transit and Transportation Coalition, which includes business, labour, environmental and community groups. Black, a former Liberal cabinet minister, welcomed Stone’s support and said it builds on the momentum of the coalition, which is expected to formally launch its campaign at the end of the month. “This validates that this is not a partisan left versus right issue,” he said of the coalition. “It is not a political hot potato. It’s something that is just the right thing to do.” Added Black: “This is a unique opportunity to actually make sure that your tax dollars are going to something that you believe in as voiced through a yes vote.” –Courtesy of Vancouver Courier
Metro won’t be digging through your garbage ROBERT MANGELSDORF @robmangelsdorf
You don’t have to worry about garbage inspectors rooting through your trash looking for banana peels and coffee grounds. While Metro Vancouver’s organic waste ban went into effect on Jan. 1, inspections are only being done at waste transfer stations and landfills, and any fines will only be given to municipal and private garbage collectors, says Metro Vancouver spokes-
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person Bill Morrell. “But no one is going to be pawing through people’s garbage,” he said. Esther Bérubé, Metro’s senior project engineer for solid waste, said inspectors will look at loads as they are dumped to see if banned materials are present. If the load exceeds the 25 per cent limit, haulers will face a 50 per cent fee surcharge after July 1. However, no one is going to be digging through the garbage to find out which resident or
business is responsible. “We don’t open bags, no one is going bin to bin,” Bérubé said. “We’re trying to send a strong signal to haulers.” While residents themselves won’t be fined for mixing in organic waste with their garbage, they could face higher fees as surcharge costs get passed on to the consumer. “If people don’t divert [their organic waste], there could be some form of increased costs,” Bérubé said.
Fees collected from the surcharges will pay for the inspection team. Organic waste makes up close to 30 per cent of the garbage sent to local landfills, where it is responsible for creating the powerful greenhouse gas methane. It also makes waste-to-energy incinerators less efficient because of its high moisture content. About a third of the region’s waste is incinerated at Metro’s Burnaby wasteto-energy facility. W
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565 Howe St. 1110 Mainland street 7 days a week Optometrists on-site Also in Maple Ridge, Langley and Abbotsford January 15 – 21, 2015 W 5
STYLE // DESIGN
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FASHION
Five finds Jennifer Scott A Good Chick to Know
@Jennifer_AGCTK Five finds to brighten your home during the dark winter months:
Left: Art deco clock pendant by Anita Sikma. Right: Multi-strand necklace by Shereen de Rousseau. Contributed photos
Vancouver jewelry-designing gems Two designers making trinkets worth wearing NIKI HOPE @nikimhope
THE GARAGE GIRL
One of jewelry designer Anita Sikma’s favourite places is her dad’s gritty car garage in Saskatchewan. When Sikma goes there for a visit she brings along her camera to take photos of the old dirty tools. “It’s crazy in there. I love it. It’s my zen,” says Sikma, her blue teacup-sized eyes smiling as she reflects on the places she has always found inspiration. Growing up, Sikma would hang out with her dad in the garages where he worked. “I spent a lot of time in shops with him … going to work with him, hanging out and watching him do things, just getting my hands dirty,” she says. “I like tools; I think they are beautiful.” Sikma merges her fascination with tools with her love of art deco architecture into her namesake jewelry line.
work of Vancouver’s Shereen de Rousseau. Getting noticed is something the jewelry designer hasn’t had to put a lot of effort into – she fell into the jewelry business without even trying. After walking away from a fast-paced 25year career in the fashion business to spend more time with her young son, de Rousseau started making jewelry as a hobby. “I just needed something to kind of do,” she says. “I just needed a creative outlet.” De Rousseau would give her hobby pieces to friends. When those friends wore the jewelry out shopping storeowners would ask about it: Where it was from? Who made it? From there, retail shops started carrying her pieces, and it didn’t take long for the hobby to become a full-scale business. De Rousseau and her team (there’s four with the company, including de Rousseau) operate from a tiny studio on Pender Street, crafting stunning necklaces, bracelets and earrings that are coveted by women who
In her Broadway studio, near Main Street, the prairie girl handcrafts her wearable art in the form of necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings. The clean silver designs are durable, yet delicate, and intricately patterned. Many of the pieces are unisex and all beg to be layered for an extra-edgy feel. She also does custom work, specifically one-ofa-kind wedding rings. She loves the specialness of making a piece that will be treasured forever. Speaking of love, Sikma’s line is being featured in an upcoming Valentine’s Day shopping event at the Omaha Artist Space, located at 108 East Broadway on Feb. 4, from 4-10pm. Currently, her work (which starts at about $150 for rings and goes up from there) is also available at Eugene Choo and One of a Few and online at AnitaSikma.com.
THE ACCIDENTAL ARTIST
Even the editors of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition have noticed the stunning
appreciate quality. Describing her aesthetic, de Rousseau says, “I’ve always had what I like to call a pretty edge. I like an edge, but I don’t like it to be hard looking.” She also looks to Europe for ideas for her unique jewelry, including necklaces, which typically have multiple strands, often made of different materials, like semi-precious stones and silver chains with darling French charms or coins. The dual strands add texture, creating a ready-made layered look. “When I used to travel a lot when I was younger,” de Rousseau says, “I would dig through flea markets and stuff in Europe, and I would find these little treasures.” Eight years in, de Rousseau’s line (which starts at about $90 for earrings; most necklaces are in the $300 to $400 range) is carried at more than 30 retailers in Western Canada; she is branching out into mens’ jewelry and is planning an expansion into the US – quite a leap for something that started as a hobby. W
Amulette Pendants, available at Nineteen Ten Home, 4366 Main. $180 – $320. Lighting is always my favourite part of a project. Once you get past the first level of lighting a space – the task lighting, such as overhead pot lights – you are able to play a lot with the next levels of lighting like pendant lights, table lamps and floor lamps to create the ambiance and enhance the décor style you’ve decided on. I love how these Amulette Pendants (shown here in both the bohemian and craft paper styles) are smaller pieces with a subtle-yetstatement effect. Handmade in Montreal out of paper, these lights offer a softness that plays easily to boho décor, nurseries or ceiling-hung bedside lamps in a feminine bedroom.
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6 W January 15 – 21, 2015
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STYLE // DESIGN
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STYLE Continued from page 6 Vintage Dowry Rugs, available at Much & Little, 2541 Main. Prices vary. Pieces with a story, a previous life, are the best way to add personality to décor. Vintage items of any kind, carefully mixed with contemporary designs add an overall layered feel to a space that suggests the design has been well curated over years, and is more of a collection rather than a grouping of functional pieces. Textiles are one of the more interesting items to introduce as vintage, as they offer stressed palettes, pattern and texture that a new version simply can’t match; even in the most modern of homes, a vintage throw or – even better – area rug adds a sense of style that cuts the cold of modern minimalism without being intrusive. These handwoven vintage rugs, originally created as dowry offerings from Turkey, are ideal, as they offer a wide colour range and heavier weight, making them both visually complimentary and functional for most décor.
Vintage Pink Marble Stoneware, available at The Collectors Vintage India, 4413 Main. $50-65 I am admittedly a décor junkie for all things beautifully global; so when I stumbled across The Collectors Vintage India pop-up shop on Main Street (in the old East is East building), I was blown away. From trinkets to textiles to large furnishings, this boutique offers a collection of all of my most coveted things. I was particularly intrigued by the bowls – originally used for mixing flatbreads, these pan-shaped dishes are handmade from marble for a beautiful finish. The shop has a few of these in their collection in a range of grey and natural tones, but I couldn’t resist the muted pink. While they were meant for cooking, I’m picturing these as layering pieces or trays, adding a touch of global glam to any décor.
Normann Copehnagan Geo Jars, available at Vancouver Special, 3612 Main. $13-14. It’s a designer’s delight when everyday household items take on a stylish aes-
thetic – so often a space can be beautifully put together, but then when the functional items are put to use, the décor is interrupted. When I saw these jars in the window of Vancouver Special, I had to pop in; available in a soft but playful palette range, these jars can be mixed and matched. The line offers a milk jug, a sugar bowl, and a jar with lid (all shown here) and also includes serving trays, larger bowls and utensils. Created out of a resintype material, these pieces are both durable and totally irresistible. W
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EAT // DRINK
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DINING OUT
Head to Mr. Red Cafe, The Fat Badger, or Absinthe Bistro to avoid the crazy Dine Out crowds. Rob Newell photo.
Dining outside of Dine Out Anya Levykh Nosh
@FoodGirlFriday Vancouver’s most popular annual food-related festival starts this week and runs for 17 days. It’s a great event, with a multitude of excellent dining choices and events to choose from (see my Dine Out guide from last week). But, for some of us, a quiet, unrushed meal is what our appetites and sensibilities are calling for. If you’re looking to avoid the feasting crowds and set menus, here are 10 places where you can dine – and drink – in peace.
THE FAT BADGER
It’s the West End’s new love, and for all the right reasons. I can’t guarantee there
Anya Levykh Fresh Sheet
@FoodGirlFriday SCENE // HEARD It’s the ‘80s all over…except the blow is slightly sweeter now. Licorice Parlour on Commercial Drive is offering customers “snorts” of chocolate powder for $2 a sniff.Yes, this is a thing, by way of Belgium, and Licorice is the first place to offer it in Vancouver. If you want to get all fancy with it, you can buy an entire chocolate-snorting kit for $109. No word yet on possible adverse side effects such as
8 W January 15 – 21, 2015
won’t be a crowd, but the food is good (mini Yorkshire puddings, steak and ale pie) and the wine list is better than the many British beers. FatBadger.ca
MR. RED CAFÉ
North Vietnamese food in a casual, cozy setting on East Hastings. Don’t miss the green mango salad, the earthy, aromatic soups, the wickedly good chicken wings or the truly excellent turmeric-laced sticky rice. Stick with the tea here, it’s imported from owner Rose Nguyen’s home town in North Vietnam and is both restorative and delicious. Facebook.com/ MrRedVanCity
ABSINTHE BISTRO
I reviewed this charming little bistro just last week, nasal scarring, lung irritation or infection (as has happened with children who tried to snort candy), so maybe go easy on the lines for now. Sad news…Kitsilano Daily Kitchen owner Brian Fowke has announced the sale of his longstanding and popular restaurant. No date announced yet for final service, so get in while the getting’s good and stay tuned for updates. Oyama Sausage Company’s Choucroute Festival is back Jan. 22-25. Oyama will once again be offering their housemade sauerkraut, paired with a selection of their sausages and
and now is the perfect time to go, as the restaurant will be closed for three weeks, Feb. 4-25 inclusive. With three starters, mains and desserts every night, all available for $35 (or two courses for $28), think of it as your own personal Dine Out on the Drive. Menu is posted daily by 1pm. BistroAbsinthe.com
CINARA
“Modern European,” (with a slight bent toward Italy) has never been better. Whipped ricotta, rabbit speck, beef shoulder with Roman gnocchi, it’s all delicious. Cinara is also open for lunch, so for those working in the financial district, it’s an easy walk. The dessert trolley changes daily and wines have reasonable markups. Cinara.ca charcuterie, for the classic Alsatian dish. The Vancouver GlutenFree Expo is back Jan. 17-18 at Canada Place. Visit more than 120 vendors, Kids’ Fun Zone, and listen to multiple speakers on topics from reducing inflammation to gluten-free alternates and superfoods. GlutenFreeExpo.ca/BC Japan’s Pepper Lunch, the popular “fast steak” eatery, is opening its first Canadian location in Richmond next month on No. 3 Road, with a downtown Vancouver location following soon after. PepperLunchCanada.com
SUIKA
This Japanese “snack bar” on West Broadway offers up izakaya-style nosh with inventive touches, like the corn “nibblets” fried with cilantro batter, grilled miso-marinated sablefish, octopus slices marinated in plum, or the crispy, sautéed pork foot with soy butter. Did I mention most dishes are under $10, with many in the $5-7 range? SuikaSnackbar.com
RED WAGON CAFÉ
Breakfast all-day is just one benefit of going here, especially if it involves the pulled-pork pancakes with JD-spiked maple syrup. The breakfast banh mi is another winner, as is the Pemberton Meadows beef burger (try it with the tomato chutney). RedWagonCafe.com
DRINK // DINE The Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival returns for its fifth year Jan. 17-Feb. 14. The city’s best bakers, chocolatiers, pastry shops, gelato and ice cream shops will once again be churning out inventive hot chocolate beverages and pairings. New participants this year include 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, Butter Baked Goods and Diva at the Met, as well as Chez Christophe and Glenburn Soda Fountain and Café in Burnaby. You’ll have 29 days to try all 57 flavours on offer. CityFood.com/ HotChocolate/
BISTRO WAGON ROUGE
Sister restaurant to Red Wagon, this tiny French bistro serves up classic like steak tartare, moules frites and duck confit, along with a daily revolving menu of features and excellent bythe-glass offerings. BistroWagonRouge.com
AU COMPTOIR
Because it’s the season for hearty French food. This brand new Kitsilano bistro is a perfect slice of Paris, from the re-purposed Singer sewing tables to the revolving desserts in the carousel and the herbs growing on the wall behind the bar. The food isn’t bad, either. AuComptoir.ca
BLUE WATER CAFÉ
It’s high-end and frequented by celebrities, but Secret Location’s “A Dining Journey” has begun with themed 10-course tasting dinner menus around the cuisine of Spain. From now until Jan. 17, experience Chef Alvarez’s take on classic Spanish dishes. Tickets are $95 per person and include cocktail and wine pairings. SecretLocation.ca/Journey On Jan. 17, Here There, in collaboration with Music on Main and Juice Truck, is hosting Roam, an evening of classical music and dinner. This pop-up evening will take place at The Juice Truck Café at 28 West 5th, with a three-course meal by chef Annabelle Choi paired with
the seafood is excellent and sustainable, and the cocktails make great quaffs at the wellstocked oyster bar. Everything is Ocean Wise and sustainable, and if you’re lucky, the sea urchin will be on the menu. BlueWaterCafe.net
THE ACORN
Vegetarian and vegan fare done up right, the food here is comfortable and hearty, with gluten-free and raw options as well. Try the raw beet ravioli or the beer-battered halloumi, and the chocolate ganache bar for dessert. TheAcornRestaurant.ca W Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for more than 10 years. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday. FoodGirlFriday.com three live classical music performances. Tickets are $42. HereThereStudio.com/Roam Vancouver Aquarium is hosting The Sustainable Table on Feb. 20. Showcasing the best of BC’s local and sustainable ingredients, each dinner is overseen by Vancouver Aquarium executive chef Tim Bedford, as well as a guest chef. Chef Robert Clark will be in the kitchen along with chef Bedford, creating six sustainable courses. One glass of wine is also included, with additional alcohol purchase available throughout the evening. Tickets $105 each. VanAqua.org
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DINING OUT
Dine Out Vancouver event picks Mijune Pak Follow Me Foodie
@FollowMeFoodie Tourism Vancouver’s Dine Out Vancouver Festival starts Jan. 16, but reservations to restaurants and tickets to events are in full swing! The standard prix fixe menu has been the root of the festival since it started, but sure has it grown. Over the last few years the festival has added culinary events to the celebration, which is a refreshing highlight. It is no secret I have a lovehate relationship with Dine Out Vancouver. I feel strongly
events for excellent value. I haven’t attended these events (except for my own last year which I’m putting on again this year), and the others are new to the festival, but here are three I’d be excited to attend.
about the “Dos and Don’ts of Dine Out Vancouver” which I wrote about for this column last year (see Westender.com), and hope people keep them in mind. On the other hand, there are restaurants doing it justice and if it gets people trying something new, it’s a positive thing. I just wish it would happen without the festival too. Anyhow, I could be biased since I’m hosting an event myself, but the events are a unique component to the festival I truly enjoy. These one-off experiences are curated by local talent and are less about the bargain, and more about the experience… although there are some
Bittered Sling Bistro Pop-Up Dinner: Mexican Hat Dance You’re bound to eat and drink well when these two team up. Partners in life and Bittered Sling, bartender/ sommelier Lauren Mote and executive chef Jonathan Chovancek of Café Medina are coming together for a special pop-up dinner at Cibo Trattoria and UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar. The
three-course dinner paired with Mote’s tequila-driven cocktails will make you rethink tequila if you ever questioned it before. If you’re thinking shots…you better stop.
a bit of weight later, but let’s not think about that. Jokes aside, I’m happy to support culinary students and their events at Bistro 101 at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.
The Ultimate Mac & Cheese Dinner Mac and cheese. Please… like this is a hard sell. It’s nostalgic comfort food. Everyone has a soft spot for it, and that spot may get softer after this five-course meal – three of which are different takes on mac and cheese. You still get a healthy salad to start, dessert to end (I’m guessing cheesecake) and wine pairings in between, so what’s there to lose? Maybe
6 Course Discourse C’mon! You knew it was coming right? Think TED Talks, but the culinary version. The event kicks off with a stand-up food and wine reception featuring 10 Vancouver restaurants (Hawksworth Restaurant, Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca, Maenam, The Fish Counter, Savoury Chef, Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie, Bambudda, No Fixed Address Catering,
2011 Fabulous Ant Pinot Noir • Tolna, Hungary • $12.99, BC Liquor Stores Bright berries yet slightly earthy. Simple and affordable but lovely and tasty with mushroom or ham and split pea soup.
Romagna Superiore Riserva • Emilia-Romagna DOC, Italy • $22.99, BC Liquor Stores Juicy red cherry, black tea and tobacco complemented by a touch of toast and ripe chewy tannin. Think Tuscan white bean soup drizzled with olive oil and piled high with grated parmesan.
Nextjen Gluten Free, and Chocolate Arts) and six BC wineries. Chefs prepare food using sustainable meats from Two Rivers Specialty Meat and seafood from Organic Ocean. Following the reception is a series of culinary talks from Vancouver’s renowned chefs including David Hawksworth, Pino Posteraro, Angus An, Robert Clark, Taryn Wa, and Thomas Haas. Hear their stories, passions, and frustrations at this full on entertaining night…all hosted by me! W Find out more about Mijune at FollowMeFoodie.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @followmefoodie.
A case for wine with soup Michaela Morris By the Bottle @MichaelaWine
People eat soup for many reasons but I’d say number one at the moment is a postholiday cleanse. Perhaps a close second is its warming quality. Besides taking the edge off a wet and chilly evening, a steaming bowl nourishes the body and soul. My motive often falls into the broke and busy category. When money is tight, nothing stretches $20 further than soup. I can make a huge pot that will last the week and that means cooking only once out of seven days. Don’t even ask if I crack a bottle with my daily broth. The answer is of course, yes. Liquid with liquid? Wine on a cleanse? Get over your hang-ups. You need to drink something when you’re eating, even if your meal requires a spoon. And for those of you detoxifying,
of my greatest coups in the kitchen was a bouillabaisse I served with a rosé. My date was noticeably impressed. Of soup, my Mum always says just add a slice of hearty bread and a big hunk of cheese and you’ve got a complete meal. Sorry Mum, but you forgot the wine. Hopefully she’s reading this.
may I remind you that wine is made from fruit. Surely grapes are on your purifying regime. As for me, with all that money I saved by economizing on soup, I think I deserve a bottle of wine. So what wine with what soup? The fun is in experimenting. With pho I would try an assertive and herbal white such as Sauvignon Blanc or Verdejo (that’s a lively number from Spain). Sherry with consommé is an elegant classic (try dry Amontillado or Fino). For a chock-a-block vegetable potage, Verdicchio (Italian white) or Grüner Veltliner (Austria’s flagship grape) would both work a treat. Go for something earthy like a Pinot Noir with mushroom soup. Boston clam chowder calls for Chardonnay of course! And my favourite, sausage soup can handle a gutsy red from the south of France. Oops, I almost forgot my other favourite, French onion. Just check out my recommendation below. One
2013 Muga • Rosado Rioja DOCA, Spain • $17.99, BC Liquor Stores Strawberry, raspberry and fresh herbs notes work so well with a robust fish soup like bouillabaisse. The combo will bring sunshine to the dark winter days and may even convince you to drink rosé year round. 2013 d’Arenberg, Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne • McLaren Vale, Australia • $19.99, BC Liquor Stores Rich and lusciously textured with ginger, apricot and spice, this is the quintessential winter white. Perfect for a butternut squash bisque with an exotic hint of curry.
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Shock Top is a very good thing for the craft beer industry West Coast cuisine with panoramic views of False Creek. A superb wine list and delicious house-brewed craft beers compliment every meal.
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Stephen Smysnuik The Growler @StephenSmys
Call me nerdy, but I think the most fascinating aspect of the craft beer movement is how the macro breweries are going to adjust to the erosion of their market share over the next few years. At the start of 2015, BC craft beer makes up about 22 per cent of the market share, and that’s growing here and across the rest of Canada. We’ve of course caught a few glimpses of their tactics already: Molson purchased Granville Island in 2010. In 2011, Anheuser-Busch purchased Chicago craft brewery Goose Island. This makes sense: Own the competition. Will this continue? Few of us know, though it doesn’t stop us from speculating wildly. It wouldn’t be surprising. The other tactic is for Big Guys to just make craft beer. This is where you see Shock Top, a Belgian-style wheat ale created by Anheuser-Busch in 2006 as a direct competitor to Blue Moon, owned by MillerCoors and the first foray of a macro brewery into craft-style beers. Again, this makes sense – at least on the surface. Steal the market share back with product that is basically the same as what all these craft beer nerds have fallen in love with, then market the living hell out of it. Great idea. Right? Well…not really. For one, Shock Top isn’t really craft beer. “Craft” is a wily term, for sure, since definitions vary from person to person (or organization to organization) and hinge on points both tangible (amount produced each year; ownership structure) and intangible (philosophy of brewers; relationship to community). But the general consensus among craft drinkers is that, no, Shock Top is not craft beer. This is due, mainly, because the brewery is owned by a massive corporate conglomerate. Also, the
beer’s not very good, and the marketing reeks of market research and a painfully unhip sales team trying too hard. What’s up with that Mohawk? Most educated craft beer drinkers understand this. Indeed, the marketing for Shock Top in Canada, led by Anheuser-Busch subsidiary Labatt, is aimed at beer drinkers not yet acquainted with craft beer. According to a memo leaked by Torontobased beer writer Ben Johnson, Labatt’s marketing campaign hinges on “Consumer Insight” that reads, “I like to reward myself by trying different, flavourful beers, but I’m intimidated by most craft beers because they’re too pretentious and complicated.” The campaign will cost Labatt $2.7 million in 2015 (a sum Johnson rightly points out is far surpasses the amount most craft breweries “will spend on marketing in a lifetime”) in an attempt to convince Canadian beer drinkers that Labatt’s Shock Top is a small, independently-owned craft brewery. It says so explicitly in the memo. What it says implicitly is that Labatt wants Shock Top to be the new drink of choice for Canadian beer drinkers. They’re betting on brand loyalty. What Labatt doesn’t seem to understand is that the rapid growth in Canadian craft beer is: A) as much about taste and intoxication as it is a rebellion against corporate influence and mass production of lousy beer. It’s a movement that very consciously supports the local and artisanal aspects, and/or the quality of the product. And, B) not at all about brand loyalty. This is important to understand. Craft beer drinkers rely on exploration and experimentation. It’s sort of the whole point, and what’s driven the industry’s success so far. Beer brand loyalty with beer exists only to a degree, the same way it exists with wine. Serious wine drinkers don’t
really have a brand they love. They’re loyal to style, if anything. So if Labatt’s campaign is successful – and there’s no reason to think that it won’t be at least moderately successful – they’ll be educating a whole swath of beer drinkers about the value of craft beer. According to Chris Bjerrisgaard, marketing director of Vancouver Craft Beer Week and marketing manager for Parallel 49, (and a man who, I’m aware, I quote fairly often in this here column, but have a difficult time avoiding because he’s basically a walking quote factory), this could be of enormous benefit to the craft beer industry. “Your one tactic as an industry is to create a conversion engine into making more people craft beer fans? That’s the worse decision of all time,” he says. “Shock Top, believe it or not, is a good thing for the industry. It’s hard to see the forest through the trees on that one, but it’s a good thing for us because you’re creating conversion engines to get people off your piss (lager), and into the good stuff.” His point being that the “good stuff” is just a few months of palate adjustment away from Shock Top. Today, the 78 per cent of beer-drinkers that make up Labatt’s consumer base might find craft beer intimidating. But offer them a taste of what craft beer can taste like? Why wouldn’t they make different decisions with this new education? Because, remember, this is all happening while the craft industry is getting astonishing amounts of great press – from the media, through word of mouth, through Instagram, you name it. Craft beer, at least as a concept, is ubiquitous. Once they’ve been converted, why would anyone stick around? Because of brand loyalty? For a sense of well-being that Shock Top may once have provided? Pffffff. So I guess we’ll see how that goes. W
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CELEBRITY CHEF
Lynn Crawford returns as ‘Chopped Canada’ judge ROBERT MANGELSDORF editor@westender.com
Lynn Crawford is one of the most recognizable faces in the Canadian culinary scene, having starred in a handful of popular Food Networks shows like Restaurant Makeover and Pitchin’ In. But she’s no talking head; she’s earned her chops and paid her dues. Crawford has spent more than 25 years in the kitchen, becoming the first female executive chef of New York’s Four Seasons, and was the first Canadian woman to compete on Iron Chef America. Her current restaurant Ruby Watchco, where she can still be found most nights running the dinner service, is a Toronto institution. So suffice it to say, Crawford knows a delicious dish when she tastes one. Which is why Crawford is back this season as one of the expert judges on Food Network’s Chopped Canada. The popular show sees four talented chefs go head-tohead for a $10,000 prize each episode. Contestants have to beat the clock as they create three courses for the judges using unique (if not absurd) secret ingredients in their dishes. This season features 10 competitors from BC, including a talented trio of Vancou-
ver chefs: Hawksworth Restaurant’s Jamie Huynh, The Parker’s Hunter Moyes, and David Jackman of Merchant’s Oyster Bar. “[Chopped Canada] really showcases and highlights all the incredible talent we have in Canada,” says Crawford, who was in Vancouver this month to promote the show’s new season. “Especially in BC. Every time I come out here, I’m like, Wow!” While Crawford might hail from the Centre of the Universe, she says it’s well-known that some of Canada’s most exciting chefs come from the West Coast. “Definitely Robert Clark (Fish Counter), Alex Chen (Boulevard), Ned Bell (Yew),” she says. “Lisa Ahier at Sobo (Tofino), she’s absolutely incredible.” Fresh oysters and dim sum were on Crawford’s hit list for this particular day she was in Vancouver. “I’m always excited to come back because there’s always a new restaurant to try,” she says. “Vancouver has always been known for having an incredible food scene, and exceptional palates.” On Chopped Canada, however, the country’s best cuisine comes to her. And the opportunity to taste the food from so many different chefs from
Lynn Crawford is back as one of the expert judges on Chopped Canada. Season 2 features a handful of BC chefs, including Hawksworth Restaurant’s Jamie Huynh, The Parker’s Hunter Moyes, and David Jackman of Merchant’s Oyster Bar.
so many different regions is something Crawford relishes. “Every chef’s background is very different, and thats what I find incredibly interesting,” she says. “They are all industry professionals, but it could be someone who’s working in a logging camp, or someone who’s a pastry chef who’s running a small bakery.” What they all have in common, however, is a dedication to their craft. “I’m inspired by chefs who have that passion and that love for what they do,” says Crawford. “It’s wonderful to see that.” W
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No two stories think alike PuSh International Performing Arts Festival stirs a sea of storytelling KELSEY KLASSEN @kelseyklassen
Discovering the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is like discovering a room full of stories you’ve never heard before, and being able to choose how you want them to be told to you. Does dance grip the corners of your imagination and flip it high in the air, so as to slowly drift down and settle as it pleases? Does magic make the most forgotten recesses of wonder in your mind come alive? What about circus, film, Bollywood, theatre, and music? If every performance has a story at its heart, then every performer is a storyteller, honing their craft with each tour, town and audience. Take two shows from the upcoming festival (running Jan. 20-Feb. 8): both star the ocean as a main character; both are performed by one person alone on a stage; both are heartbreaking, uplifting, and deceptively simple. But that’s where the similarities end, and the infinite possibilities of storytelling begin.
ALVIN SPUTNIK, DEEP SEA EXPLORER
“The oceans have risen, the land has been swamped, and the survivors look down at the water from the tops of skyscrapers and mountains.” Reading like the jacket of a Cormac McCarthy novel, The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik follows a man who will brave the deepest depths of the ocean to save the world and find the soul of his dead wife.
St John Cowcher
12 W January 15 – 21, 2015
Created by Australian Tim Watts, this post-apocalyptic tale is packaged in the form of a puppet show, and a familyfriendly one at that. “Puppetry’s just a bunch of fun,” says performer St John Cowcher, speaking with the Westender by phone from Perth. “It’s a nice way to play with scale, and create mini worlds and make them big again. There’s a lot of transformative aspects of the show, where it moves from puppetry to animation and creates this magical world that helps ground the story of the show.” In Sputnik, the protagonist leaves the relative safety of his home to follow the soul of his wife to the bottom of the sea. There, he discovers entombed cities and ghostly reminders of what once was. With Alvin, Watts has not only rendered an emotionally powerful visual character, but augmented his journey with hand-drawn animations and soulful music. It’s a dark look at loss, made uplifting by the persistence of hope. Cowcher, who has performed the show nearly 100 times, took on Sputnik so that Watts could take a break from touring it to create new work. Already acquainted with each other through Perth’s performing arts scene, Watts invited Cowcher to audition for Alvin, and Cowcher’s enviable resumé of puppeteer, theatre performer, and ukelele player made him perfectly suited for the role. And, having now passed through two sets of hands, Alvin has evolved from when he first premiered six years ago. “I think I play more into the darkness of Alvin,” says Cowcher. “Tim’s Alvin is very wondrous and full of joy of the discovery of all the little creatures along the way, which I think I am as well, but I think sometimes I play a bit more for the overarching
emotion and the pathos that he’s experiencing as he loses his wife and desperately tries to find her again.” The story itself was a creation of necessity. As Cowcher tells it, Watts had designed the puppet – a plain white glove, a white LED ball, and lights for eyes – before he knew exactly who the puppet was. Inspired on a dive on the Great Barrier Reef by the blue nothingness beyond, there was soon no mistaking it – Alvin was meant to be a deep sea explorer. A luminous hand telegraphing all the emotions and empathy of a human being. “I think for me, the hand just makes the perfect body,” Cowcher explains. “There’s such a flexibility to it and a connectivity to humanity. Everyone speaks with their hands,” he continues, “so using hands to create another person isn’t so farfetched. It’s like an extension of our body… Every little movement you make could be another thought process for this puppet and you’re very acutely aware of exactly how you’re moving your fingers, but it’s also this living creature.” One would be mistaken, however, for thinking that every ounce of Cowcher’s concentration is dedicated to this. “Seeing the show at first, it looks like this beautiful world that seamlessly flows from one to another, but when you’re performing in a one-person show, you’re doing everything. You’re doing the animation and you’re doing the puppetry and you’re bringing up the lights and bringing down the lights and playing ukelele as well,” he laughs. “Do you know the story of the swan? The swan on the surface is calm as anything and sort of gliding across the water, but underneath it’s just paddling like crazy. For me, that’s sort of what it’s like being the performer of Alvin.”
OUR DYING OCEANS
Before Sea Sick (Feb. 3-4), Alanna Mitchell might have thought she needed a keyboard to tell a good story. But ever since meeting theatre director Franco Boni and Brimful of Asha creator Ravi Jain, the former Globe & Mail reporter has discovered all she needs is a stage, a blackboard, and some chalk. With only those spare implements, Mitchell has learned how to paint an alarming picture the failing vital signs of the sea, while taking
her audience on her travels to Canada, England, Puerto Rico, the Galapagos, the Gulf of Mexico, and Australia – to 3,000 feet below the surface of the ocean – and back. “I always have this sense when I’m up on stage,” says Mitchell, “that I’m reaching out my hand and saying, ‘Come with me. Let’s go and explore together.’” As a science journalist for the nation’s newspaper, Mitchell’s globetrotting gave the former prairie girl a firsthand glimpse of what has happening to the world. She was introduced to the vanishing forests of Madagascar and the effects of humanity on the Arctic. And then, about 10 years ago, she met Sylvia Earle. “I was in the Galapagos Islands and I just happened to be staying with one of the great marine biologists of the world, and she explained to me about the oceans – the most important part of the planetary system. I just became riveted. I was fascinated with trying to understand how the oceans worked.” At first Mitchell says she was unaware of the trouble that they were in. “I had heard about overfishing and stuff like that,” she says calmly, “but I had never really imagined that we have affected them as greatly as we have.” She soon began liaising with scientists around the world to research the matter for her book, Sea Sick:The Global Ocean in Crisis, which won the prestigious Grantham Prize for environmental writing in 2009. Subsequently, while giving one of her sought-after talks on the subject, Mitchell met Boni, and he invited her to give a talk for his theatre in Toronto. He then asked if she was interested in making it a play, and a shift from public talk to performance was made. “All I could think about was, ‘Here’s a
new audience for this information; I wonder if I can do it?’ So I just said yes.” Hours of workshopping and rehearsal and frustration later, the piece had a new beginning and ending, and a dramatically different, highly personal and humorous play emerged. “For me it’s almost loving,” she says of Sea Sick. “We’re this really fascinating species and we’ve done these things; on some level we just have to stand back and honor the messiness of it, you know?” Just don’t call her an actor. “The piece is a theatre piece, but I’m not a theatre performer. It’s really critical thing for me to remember when I go into it, because if I try to be a performer the piece does not work,” she laughs quietly. “All I can do is tell my stories.” The play stars Mitchell as herself, owlish glasses and professorial grey hair, using words and diagrams and a poignant moment involving the chalk and a jug of vinegar to keep all eyes on her. If Sea Sick the book was about our oceans, Sea Sick the play is about Mitchell. Rebecca Picherack’s lighting design and a soundtrack by Tim Lindsay are the only footnotes for this real life deep sea explorer, who overcame her fear of water to connect us with the “switch of life” that links the entire planet. “I know that I’m just the metaphor, just a narrative technique. In fact, I tell people quite a bit about myself – things that I would really rather they not know. But because I’m on stage and I’m trying to communicate in a new medium, a new art form, in a way that will puncture them... I have to do it.” W
Bullet Catch
PUSH PICKS
Want to see more? Here are additional highlights from the 11th annual PuSh performing arts fest: Bullet Catch (Scotland) Do you think a man can stop a bullet with his teeth? Rob Drummond appears in the role of William Wonder, magician, to tell an inrecidble tale. Jan. 15-Feb. 7 at the Arts Club Revue Stage. Tickets from $25. So Blue (Canada) Dancer Louise Lecavalier pushes against the limits of human movement with the daring of an acrobat and the ferocity of a wild animal. Jan. 20-21 at the Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre. Tickets from $31. Séquence 8 (Canada) Torsos twist, bodies vault into the air, and dancers somersault in this awesome feat of contemporary circus. Jan. 22-24 at the Vancouver Playhouse. Tickets from $39. Dark Matter (Belgium) The weightiness of time, space and existence are turned into this wild play about the universe. Jan. 28-30 at the Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre. Tickets from $31. Le Cargo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) In the first solo show of his career, Faustin Linyekula uses dance and storytelling to bring us closer to his homeland, the Congo. Jan. 29-31 at the Scotiabank Dance Centre. Tickets from $31. Club PuSh Set in Performance Works, the social hub of the festival, Club PuSh is a place to grab a drink while being swept up in cutting-edge performance. From raunchy, Austin-style musical theatre, to Scandinavian song and film, to a New Orleans funeral, you can start your night in experimental spirit, and then stay up, inspired, until 1am. Runs Jan. 22-24, 2931, and Feb. 5-7. Tickets from $22.
Alanna Mitchell
• For tickets and schedule, go to PushFestival.ca.
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ARTS Bramwell Tovey’s New Music riot VSO’s New Music Festival aims for an unexpected reaction CHRIS SIVAK @sivakchris
Vancouver will wish Rain City Chronicles a happy birthday on Jan. 16. Contributed photo
Rain City Chronicles turns 5 KELSEY KLASSEN @kelseyklassen
From torn penises to 11-yearold knit bombers, Syrian refugees to octogenarian saxophone players, Lizzy Karp has heard it all. And no, she’s not a journalist, or psychologist, or anything of that ilk. She’s the cofounder of Rain City Chronicles, a local storytelling series that draws true, highly personal encounters and experiences out of the unlikeliest of speakers. She even wants to hear from you. “It’s about showing Vancouver to itself, in a way,” explains the 29-year-old. “And giving lots of different people an opportunity to tell their own story in a way that’s authentic and immediate, not digital.” The Rain City events, which are held every six to eight weeks, were initially a solution to a conundrum Karp was facing. New to Vancouver, there was nothing among the plethora of creative writing groups that offered quite what she was looking for. So she teamed up with journalist Karen Pinchen to create an evening of storytelling in inspiring spaces, where
anybody could speak. “Some people who have had years of experience teaching or on stage are very nervous about telling their own story,” she explains, “and I’m always really inspired by the idea that, even though we’re constantly telling short stories online about ourselves, we don’t often go deep within, and look inside to give meaning to a specific experience. And then have a room full of people go, ‘Oh yeah, me too.’” Five years later, Rain City stories have been told under the moon at the UBC Botanical Garden and on the airwaves of CBC’s Definitely Not The Opera. During the Grand Hotel exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery you could find Chroniclers across the street at the Hotel Vancouver swapping travel and hotel stories. When she discovered the Alpen Club German Haus, Karp invited storytellers to share German language stories between bites of Bestie bratwurst, amidst the ruckus of a live German band. There’s even a podcast. “I’m really inspired by giving community members a space to tell their story, but
also really immerse the audience in that story, whether it’s through food, music, or space and the different layers of that experience,” says Karp. “That will really drive the work that we do in the next few years.” For the fifth anniversary next week, Karp put out the call for stories about “the day that changed your life.” You’ll hear from Chelsea Rooney, Elise Duncan, Steven Rathwell, Jo Sita Dworschak, Stacey McLachlan, Christine Bortolin, Danny Ramadan, Bill Marchant, Jane Slemon, and Grant Lawrence. Folkpop singer Jasper Sloan Yip will provide the tunes, chef Annabelle Choi of Matchstick Coffee fame will provide the treats, and arts and crafts authority Collage Collage will provide the party favours. And, like any good birthday, there will be surprises in store as well. W Rain City Chronicles: The Day That takes place Jan. 16 at 6:30pm at the Grandview Legion (2205 Commercial). Tickets are $28 at RainCityChronicles. com.
One of the most exciting aspects of classical music is when its champions and practitioners fail to live up to their reputation for being as stimulating as a box of twoply kleenex. Examples abound from as recently as last year when an audience member was ejected from the Bristol Proms for attempting to crowd surf during Handel’s Messiah; to the famous riot that broke out at the premiere of Stravinsky’s Rite Of Spring, where anything that wasn’t nailed down was thrown into the orchestra pit; to the archaic story of JS Bach drawing his sword on a foul-mouthed bassoonist in the town square. Stories like these are teased from the slumbering behemoth beneath the tux and tails and remind us that the art form is still made of real human beings who sometimes have real problems being human. A very special moment occurred at the Vancouver Symphony’s New Music Festival last year when the audience, having just heard The Standing Wave Ensemble perform the first piece in the festival’s run, seemed to realize that they had just been printed a licence to explore new and exciting ways of generating decibels in a concert hall. Spurred on by Maestro Bramwell Tovey, stamping his boots and whooping approval from his
rob drummond. photo courtesy of niall walker
“Remarkable, multilayered, and utterly gripping”
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BULLET CATCH
VSO conductor Bramwell Tovey wants audiences to react to what they hear at the New Music Festival, running Jan. 15-18. Contributed photo seat amongst them, the rest of the patrons followed suit and the tone of the festival was set. When asked to comment on his rowdy concert hall behavior, Tovey explains that, “Most of the music we play during the year is by composers who are no longer with us and there is a way of responding to the music that is somewhat formal. At the New Music Festival we try and encourage people to have a more blatant or visceral reaction. This is music addressing our time. Some of those pieces can be very powerful indeed”. One of the works programmed for the festival that Tovey anticipates will leave this powerful impression is Kelly-Marie Murphy’s violin concerto, Blood Upon The Body, Ice Upon The Soul. The piece is at least partially inspired by Kelly-Marie’s experience living next door to someone who later turned out to be a sociopathic murderer. Perhaps evidenced by the continuing success of the Winnipeg New Music Festival, for which Tovey can claim some credit for start-
—The Guardian
A DEATH-DEFYING PERFORMANCE
ing nearly 15 years ago, there is a lot of confidence going forward with new music when that wasn’t always the case. The highly-anticipated collaboration between the VSO and the Phoenix Chamber Choir as they tackle Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s Berliner Messe is expected to attract a large audience. The elder composer enjoys the distinction of being among the most performed and recorded of living composers. “Composers themselves in the past 20 years have become much more cognizant of wanting to connect with an audience,” says Tovey. Rather than turning audiences away, the legacy of contemporary classical music is likely to be one of inclusion as composers, performers, and listeners find one another. W The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s New Music Festival runs Jan. 15-18 at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets and schedule at VancouverSymphony.ca.
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WHAT’S ON Th/15
Fr/16
Sa/17
Su/18
Mo/19
MUSIC
MUSIC
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STEEL PANTHER LA party rock glam band appear with special guests Stars BLVD. 9pm at Commodore Ballroom. Tickets $29.50 at LiveNation.com
HOT LUCY High energy rock band with heavy soul and blues influences. 10pm at Vancouver FanClub. Tickets $10 at TicketZone.com
FUNKDALICIOUS Local groove rock outfit with a repertoire encompassing soul, jazz, funk and urban top 40. 10pm at Vancouver FanClub. Tickets $10 at TicketZone.com
EMANUEL AX Vancouver Recital Society presents the talented Ax on piano as part of the Classic Afternoons Series. 3pm at The Chan Centre. Tickets at Tickets.UBC.ca
LIVE FAST MONDAYS Double bill with Horhaus, and Get Over It joined by DJ Steve Ferreira. 9pm at The Astoria. Admission by donation.
YUKON BLONDE Second part of the Biltmore’s Seventh Birthday party featuring the Kelowna indie rockers with special guests Fountain. 8pm at Biltmore Cabaret. Tickets $20 at Red Cat, Zulu or at the Biltmore.
THE PRETTY’S Local rockers influenced by the proto-punk bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s hold an album release party for Empty Heads with guests Les Chaussettes, Skinny Kids, Sexy Decoy and The Secrets. 9pm at The Kremlin. Tickets $10 at the door only.
GREG REKUS One man punkoustic wrecking machine brings just six strings and a stage full of tambourine with guests Bone Daddies ad Poison Corn. 8:30pm at LanaLou’s. Tickets $10 at the door only.
JIM BYRNES Juno award winning local blues legend takes the stage for dinner and a show. Doors at 6:30pm. Show at 8pm at Vancouver FanClub. Tickets $15 or $40 at TicketZone.com
STANDING WAVE Bramwell Tovey conducts this ensemble and the VSO in a performance hosted by Jocelyn Morlock. 7:30pm at Orpehum Theatre. Tickets at VancouverSymphony.ca
COMEDY SEAN PATTON New York comic by way of New Orleans with appearances on Conan, Fallon and Comedy Central. 8:30pm at The Comedy Mix. Tickets $15 at TheComedyMix.com JON DORE Ottawa comic of Rogers Television’s Daytime and host of Just For Laughs. 8pm at Yuk Yuk’s. Tickets $20 at YukYuks. com
THEATRE/DANCE BULLET CATCH A theatrical experience unlike any other, writer/ performer Rob Drummond attempts the death-defying stunt before your very eyes. Opening night. 8pm at Revue Stage. Tickets at ArtsClub.com. Runs until Feb. 7. FAWLTY TOWERS Adapted for the stage, Basil, Sybil, Polly and Manuel bring to life the BBC television sitcom of the fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay. 8pm at Metro Theatre. Tickets at Tickets.MetroTheatre. com Runs until Feb. 7.
CHEAP & FUN GRASS CITY MUSIC LAUNCH Slap on your dancing shoes and come boogie to some of Van City’s finest local talent with Groceries Jones, Bryan & The Toques, Floorboards, Shotgun for Altamont and No, Boy. 6pm at Cannabis Culture Lounge. Tickets $8 at the door.
STEEL PANTHER LA party rock glam band appear with special guests Stars BLVD. 9pm at Commodore Ballroom. Tickets $29.50 at LiveNation.com THE CREAKING PLANKS The jug band of the damned celebrates the 10th anniversary of their first show with a blow-out featuring Ehren Salazar, Al Mader, Der Royshiker Krokves and Travis. 8pm at The Emerald. Tickets $10 at the door only. HARAM & THE VASHAAN ENSEMBLE Juno award winner Gordon Grdina leads this 12-piece jazz and middle eastern ensemble with special guest singer Soleyman Vaseghi. 8pm at Performance Works. Tickets $20-$35 at Highlife, Banyen Books, Afra Bakery and CaravanBC.com
COMEDY SECOND ANNUAL VANCOUVER SKETCH COMEDY FESTIVAL A sketch comedy showcase with comics performing fascinating, hilarious comedy in group shows featuring headliner Kevin McDonald (Kids in the Hall). 7:30pm at Waterfront Theatre. Tickets at EventBrite.ca. Runs until Jan. 18. KYLE BOTTOM’S COMEDY BUCKET Everyone in attendance receives a slip of paper, on which they can write anything… anonymously. Straight into the bucket it goes and what comes out is comedy gold. 9pm at Hot Art Wet City. Tickets $6 at EventBrite.ca or $10 at the door.
COMEDY
DORSIA Metal/post hardcore from Jacksonville appear with local folk rockers The Ghost of Blood Alley. 8pm at Joe’s Apartment. Tickets $12 at the door. WAR BABY Vancouver power trio deeply rooted in gurney noise rock with special guests Dead Soft, Colin Cowan and The Elastic Stars. 8pm at Rickshaw Theatre. Tickets $10 at Highlife, Neptoon, Red Cat and NorthernTickets.com HELMS ALEE Seattle rockers appear with guests Waingro and Astrakhan. 10:30pm at Electric Owl. Tickets $10 at TicketWeb.ca THE VIDOS Local indie punk rockers appear with guests Prick Bastards, Deadseconds & Destroy The Destroyer. 7:30pm at Media Club. Tickets $12 at the door.
COMEDY JON DORE Ottawa comic of Rogers Television’s Daytime and host of Just For Laughs. 7 & 9:30pm at Yuk Yuk’s. Tickets $30 at YukYuks.com CHRIS HARDWICK American actor, writer, producer, podcaster, voice artist and stand up comedian brings his Funcomfortable tour to town. 8pm at The Chan Centre. Tickets at Tickets.UBC.ca ERIK GRIFFIN Star of Comedy Central’s Workaholics, standup comic on tour to support his first comedy album Technical Foul: Volume One. 7pm at Electric Owl. Tickets $20 at Red Cat, Zulu, Highlife or TicketWeb.ca
THEATRE/DANCE ROAM A musical happening like no other where three live classical music performances are playfully paired with a three-course meal by Chef Annabelle Choi. 7pm at Juice Truck Café. Tickets at EventBrite.ca
Jon Dore, Jan. 17
SECOND ANNUAL VANCOUVER SKETCH COMEDY FESTIVAL A sketch comedy showcase with comics performing fascinating, hilarious comedy in group shows featuring headliner Kevin McDonald (Kids in the Hall). 6pm at Waterfront Theatre. Tickets at EventBrite.ca.
THEATRE/DANCE
KAYAK BMW driving, bleachedblond Annie Iverson teeters alone in a kayak having set out to save her son from the dangers of his radical environmentalist girlfriend, encountering events larger than she could have ever imagined. 8pm at Firehall Arts Centre. Tickets at Tickets.FireHallArtsCentre.ca. Final performance.
KITTY NIGHTS 7TH ANNIVERSARY Dust off your spandex, tease your hair and let’s party like it’s 1984 with a live burlesque tribute featuring the music of acclaimed VH cover band Ham Wailin’. 8pm at Biltmore Cabaret. Tickets $10 at TicketZone.com or $12 at the door.
ALL THAT FALL After a fifty year ban on stage productions of this Irish radio play, director Trevor Nunn adapts Samuel Beckett’s work in the first ever Canadian production. 8pm at Blackbird Theatre. Tickets at Tickets.TheCultch. com. Runs until Jan. 24.
DANCE ALLSORTS: DEANNA PETERS & MEREDITH KALAMAN Blending their histories in Butoh, hip hop and contemporary dance, they navigate how to move together, creating countless combinations revealing where they overlap and where they diverge. 2pm at Roundhouse Community Centre. Tickets $15 at EventBrite.ca
FAWLTY TOWERS Adapted for the stage, Basil, Sybil, Polly and Manuel bring to life the BBC television sitcom of the fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay. 8pm at Metro Theatre. Tickets at Tickets.MetroTheatre.com Runs until Feb. 7.
EVENTS GLUTEN FREE EXPO Canada’s largest gluten free event – discover, sample and save on hundreds of gluten free products while learning from leading experts. 10am-5pm at Vancouver Convention Centre, East. Tickets $12 at MicroSpec.com or $15 at the door.
EVENTS NON-GMO SHOW Dedicated to helping the community discover, sample and save on verified nonGMO products, while learning from leading experts. 10am-5pm at Vancouver Convention Centre. Tickets $12 at MicroSpec.com or $15 at the door.
COMEDY THE LAUGH GALLERY WITH GRAHAM CLARK Legendary weekly stand up show of East Vancouver’s biggest and brightest comics. 9pm at Havana Theatre. Tickets $5 at Eventbrite.ca
ART PIGA PICHA! Originally conceived and presented in Nairobi in 2009, this North American premiere of the exhibition features a photographic portrayal of societal transformation in Kenya from the 1910’s to the present. 10am-5pm at the Museum of Anthropology. Runs until April 4.
CHEAP & FUN WOO HOO CLASSIC SIMPSONS TRIVIA Form a team of up to 6 players for 50 cromulent questions from seasons 1-9, three classic Simpson episodes and craptacular door prizes. 7pm at The Waldorf. $5 entry fee per person. STREET FOOD CITY Sample from the collection of Vancouver’s Street Food carts all in one, convenient location featuring over 20 food truck vendors. 11am-3pm at the North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery. EARMUFFS KARAOKE The Cobalt’s weekly sing-a-long with drink specials and no cover. 9pm at The Cobalt. ROBSON SQUARE ICE SKATING Downtown Vancouver’s outdoor ice rink is open and skating is free with your own skates, or rentals are available. 9am-9pm at 800 Robson St.
Kitty Nights Burlesque 7th Anniversary, Jan. 18
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Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at the Orpheum Theatre at 7:30 pm. Go to www.uniquelives.com/vancouver for bios on the upcoming season. To enter, go to westender.com and click on contests. Contest closes at 9am on Thursday, January 22.
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WHAT’S ON Tu/20
We/21
Th/22
MUSIC
MUSIC
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SHINDIG! CiTR’s band competition semi-finals No. 2 featuing Malk, Skim Milk and Poles. 9pm at The Hindenburg. Tickets $6 at the door.
DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 Toronto punk rock duo on tour in support of The Physical World with special guests Metz and PS I Love You. 7pm at Vogue Theatre. Tickets $39.50 at Tickets.NorthernTickets.com
DARK TRANQUILITY Swedish pioneers of melodic death metal with special guests Insomnium and Dawning of the Inferno. 7pm at Venue. Tickets $25 at Scrape Records and TicketWeb.ca or $30 at the door.
THEATRE/DANCE POSTSECRET: THE SHOW A million anonymous secrets provide the impetus for this visual, auditory and emotional journey through the beauty and complication of our deepest fears, ambitions, and confessions. 8pm at Firehall Arts Centre. Tickets at FireHallArtsCentre.com. Opening performance, runs until Feb. 7. PUSH INTERNATIONAL PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL Annual showcase of international, Canadian and local artists who specialize in visionary, genre-bending, multidisciplinary live performing arts. Various Vancouver venues, runs until Feb. 8. Tickets and passes at PushFestival.ca BULLET CATCH A theatrical experience unlike any other, writer/ performer Rob Drummond attempts the death-defying stunt before your very eyes. 7:30pm at Revue Stage. Tickets at ArtsClub. com. Runs until Feb. 7.
ART DR. SKETCHY’S ANTI ART SCHOOL Part art class, part cabaret, join us on the third Tuesday of every month for three hours of still life drawing and decadence. 7-10pm at Hot Art Wet City. Tickets at DrSketchyVancouver.com
CHEAP & FUN TALES FROM THE WEST END Explore the history of JJ Bean’s newest location, formerly Maxine’s Hideaway, a west end landmark full of tunnels, illicit tales and legends with storyteller Mary Gavan. 6:30-8:30pm at JJ Bean (1209 Bidwell St.). Admission is free.
CULT OF YOUTH Brooklyn punkinfluenced, psychedelic neo-folk rockers with special guests, Detroit’s Hive Mind and Seattle’s King Dude. 10pm at Fox Cabaret. Tickets $10 at EventBrite.ca
COMEDY IMPROV AGAINST HUMANITY The first “comedy show for horrible people” of 2015 kicks off with The Fictionals and a Category 5 level of horrible comedy.7pm at Rio Theatre. Tickets at RioTheatreTickets.ca
THEATRE/DANCE SO BLUE Louise Lecavalier has pushed the limits of human movement for over thirty years and now with the daring of an acrobat, the ferocity of a wild animal, she explodes in her latest dance creation. 8pm at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. Tickets at DanceHouse.ca LIFE OUTSIDE THE BOX LAUNCH CELEBRATION Symone Says emcees this evening of drumming and dancing by KUNDA, live music, burlesque and surprise finale number. 6:45pm at Vancouver FanClub. Tickets at EventBrite.ca
CHEAP & FUN HARRY POTTER AND THE HALL OF INEBRIATION Don your robes and comes dressed in support of your chosen house for a night of live music, DJ’s, burlesque acts, costume contest and an HP trivia game to crown the ultimate HP know-it-all in Vancouver. 7:30pm at Biltmore Cabaret. Tickets $8 at Red Cat Records or at the door.
Death From Above 1979, Jan. 21
ACOUSTIC TOUR SHOWCASE Singer-songwriter Sarah Smith appears with local songwriter Robb Hill and special guest Jiffy from Anything But. 8:30pm at Railway Club. Tickets $10 at the door only.
THEATRE/DANCE THE BACCHAE 2.1 Dennis Gupa directs this adaptation by Charles Mee of the classic play by Euripedes. 7:30pm at Frederic Wood Theatre (UBC). Tickets at TheatreFilm.UBC.ca. Runs until Feb. 7. 27TH ANNUAL MASSACRE Vancouver’s world famous Improv tournament pits exceptional improve groups from around the world against each other in a battle for an inspired by your love. 7:30pm at The Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau, Granville Island). Tickets at Tickets.VTSL. com. Runs until Feb. 15.
ART MAINSTREETERS: TAKING ADVANTAGE, 1972-1982 A coming of age multi-faceted project that looks at a self-identified collective of socially and artistically motivated men and women who took advantage of a new medium (video) and of each other. Runs until March 14.
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CHEAP & FUN VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW Western Canada’s premiere boat show returns for the 53rd year with over 250 exhibitors showcasing the best and biggest selection of boats and boating products. 10am-8pm at BC Place and Granville Island. Tickets at MicroSpec.com. Runs until Jan. 25.
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Re-calculating by Lucas Foss and Liesl Lafferty We acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia
January 22 - 24 8PM CBC Studio 700 700 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
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Tickets: $15 Pay-what-you-can on Opening Night, January 22nd! To Purchase: www.re-calculating.brownpapertickets.com
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January 15 – 21, 2015 W 15
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MUSIC
Zen and the art of music AN INTERVIEW WITH EUGENE KELLY OF THE VASELINES
LOUISE BURNS @_louiseburns_
In 1989, Frances McKee and Eugene Kelly, a Glaswegian couple known as The Vaselines, decided to break up. A short time later, they released their début album Dum Dum. Questionable timing, yes, but little did they know that Dum Dum would kick-start a generation of lo-fi garage pop wannabes, triggered when Kurt Cobain christened them to be his favorite songwriters and covered three of their songs with his little band Nirvana. After the breakup, McKee and Kelly remained active in the music scene, the former playing in Painkillers and Suckle, the latter in Captain
America (later Eugenius) and as a solo artist. After nearly 20 years apart, they reunited in 2006. The rest as they say, is history. I caught up with Eugene Kelly by phone in Glasgow, Scotland, as he prepared for The Vaselines upcoming North American tour to promote 2014’s V for Vaselines – the band’s latest and most polished to date. “When we started the band it purely for fun and we were surprised that Stephen Pastel [of the legendary 53rd and 3rd Records] wanted us to record for his record label,” says Kelly. “We thought that would be the end of it and we would play a few shows then finish college and university
then enter the real world and have to grow up. We had no idea we’d still be playing 30 years later. We do sometimes look at each other on stage and say, ‘How did we get here?’” The “here” he is referring to, is a nine-album career (including EPs) that has brought them to prestigious international music festivals, a new generation of fans and a spotlight on The Vaselines influential lineage. When I ask Kelly about this, he is characteristically humble. “We don’t really hear it,” he says. “I think we’ve all just listened to the same records and have the same influences.” If you have ever read an interview with The Vaselines
before, you will have noticed the witty banter between McKee and Kelly, former lovers as well as bandmates. One can’t help but wonder what would have happened if they hadn’t broken up, and if the band had taken a more “careerist” approach to their music. After all, having Kurt Cobain canonize you is better press than any publicist could buy in the early ‘90s. “I sometimes wish I personally was more driven and ambitious but I’m not and never will be,” says Kelly. “We never want it to feel like hard work even though sometimes on tour it can be exhausting. Being in a band should be fun and an escape from reality to a certain extent. We’re very lucky to be able to do
what we do.” This approachability is precisely why The Vaselines remain so beloved. They still make music like it’s the most exciting thing in the world, and as a result, keep their ever-growing fan base satisfied. Heck, their latest record was partly inspired by a Ramones cover band. “I saw a Ramones tribute band and I wanted to listen to all their albums again,” Kelly says. “I loved their pop melodies, the speed of the songs and the brevity. Instant pop thrills. We tried to capture just a tiny bit of that but the Ramones are untouchable.” Thrills, but chill. That’s The Vaselines for you. As frontwoman Frances McKee is a yoga teacher, and they are
about to play the most yogafriendly city in Canada, it’s only fitting that we conclude our interview with a little zen. “I’ve tried yoga and like it. I need to try harder. I am quite zen actually,” says Kelly. “I never get excited about anything and am very good at sitting and doing nothing while breathing deeply. I’m a black belt in it.” Namaste, Eugene. W The Vaselines play Rickshaw Theatre on Jan. 23 with special guests Loch Lomond. Doors at 8, show at 9:30, Advance tickets $20 online or at Red Cat, Zulu and Highlife.
REVIEWS // SISKIYOU
Nervous (Constellation Records) Ever had a turbulent flight through the most magnificent, picturesque, cloudcovered sky? I like to call that feeling “ambient anxiety”, and Siskiyou’s third studio album, Nervous, evokes this very same feeling: sheer aweinspired tension. Siskiyou are a self-identified “Northern Gothic” four-piece from Vancouver, led by Colin Huebert (formerly of Great Lake Swimmers) and accompanied by Erik Arnesen, Peter Carruthers, Shaunn Watt and Andrew Lee. Known for their telepathic musicianship and terrestrial soundscapes, they bring out the dark side of folk through stacked acoustic
16 W January 15 – 21, 2015
guitars and misty mystic imagery. If you haven’t had a chance to hear them yet, Nervous should prove to be great place to start. Opening track “Deserter” begins with what sounds like a demented and hypnotized children’s choir, provided by the St. James Music Academy Senior Choir. Echoes of “Push The Sky Away”-era Nick Cave come to mind. Meanwhile, “Oval Window” brings us
a rollicking acoustic guitar paired with somehow sinister vocals, creating an ironically upbeat addition. In the band’s press release, Heubert said he recently developed a relentless, chronic ringing in his ears, as well as anxiety attacks. As a result, he had to explore a gentler, quieter approach to songwriting. Nervous is a lyrical exploration into anxiety and loss, providing us with that wonderful juxtaposition of total stress and total bliss. For those who choose the window seat... –Louise Burns Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
SLEATER-KINNEY
No Cities To Love (Sub Pop) There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Sleater-
Kinney fans will relish in No Cities To Love, the Olympia trio’s first album since 2005’s The Woods. It is filled with their trademark angular, dueling guitars, powerhouse yelp-vocals by Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein and the mighty Janet Weiss on drums. One can’t help but notice what excellent timing this is. With the steady rise of the female presence in both rock and punk music (finally, ahem), SleaterKinney are more relevant than ever. They are a band who, despite being together for more than 20 years, still sound fresh and exciting. Sleater-Kinney have always been known for their sharp politically-charged lyrics, which remain at the forefront in No Cities To Love. A
true contender for lyric-ofthe-year can be found in “Fangless”, which contains the venomous line, “You were born in a shout, but you will die in a silent skull.” Ouch. Opener “Price Tag” delves into the cliché topic of consumerism, yet manages not to sound overly self-righteous – one of Sleater-Kinney’s many traits that make them so beloved. With the three women of Sleater-Kinney well
engrossed in other projects (Brownstein co-created and co-stars in Portlandia, for example), it is impressive they’ve still managed to put out a record that sounds as inspired as their earlier works. Perhaps they say it best in “Surface Envy”, Cities’ third track. “We win, we lose, only together do we make the rules.” They do it because they have to. It is who they are, and for this, they are loved. This album probably won’t make fans out of a new generation, but it will spark intrigue in many. Behold, the power of SleaterKinney, who make records for themselves and those who aren’t afraid to love. –Louise Burns Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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Fearless Fiona Sabrina Furminger Reel People @Sabrinarmf
It started with fear. If Fiona Forbes hadn’t been deathly afraid of public speaking, she wouldn’t be a broadcaster today. It’s somewhat inconceivable that there was ever a time when Forbes was scared to open her mouth in public. She’s been a fixture on local airwaves for more than 24 years, easily recognized as the affable co-host of Shaw’s Urban Rush and its offspring, The Rush, which capped off an 18-year run this past October. And yet, when Forbes was a teenager, she was absolutely frightened to speak in public – and because she’d decided that she would become a lawyer like her father, she didn’t think her fear of public speaking would matter much to her future career. But as she prepared for her post-secondary studies, her father – William O’Malley Forbes, also an actor – dished out some hard truths. “He said, ‘You’re going to be a great lawyer, but you can’t speak in front of people,’” says Forbes one chilly morning in early January, seated in a dormant studio on the ground floor of the Shaw tower. “I was so shy, and it was debilitating. He said, ‘You’ve got to learn how to get over being shy.’” So Forbes signed up for a broadcasting course, and
during that first class, she learned about an audition for an on-air hosting job. Her dad encouraged her to go for it, because “that’s the most nervous people get is when you audition for something, and so he wanted me to do it as an exercise to get over being shy.” The rest, as they say, is history. “A week later I was hosting a one-hour live interview show, and I had no idea what I was doing, but I loved it,” she laughs. Forbes had stumbled upon a truth about herself that her father, who passed away 15 years ago, already knew: She was made for broadcast TV. Together with Michael Eckford (now the host of a daily radio show on CKNW and, after an 18-year on-air collaboration, still one of Forbes’ closest friends), Forbes has interviewed more than 30,000 celebrities and newsmakers – enjoying (some unfortunate hair choices and wardrobe malfunctions notwithstanding) every single second, but never quite shaking the fear that propelled her to that broadcasting course in the first place. “Guests always get nervous, and they’ll confess to me, ‘oh, I’m so nervous,’ and I’ll tell them, ‘I’m nervous, too,’” says Forbes. “Getting over being nervous was learning how to channel that adrenaline into something positive. It’s the guests that aren’t nervous that can fall flat.” Beginning this week, Forbes will be channeling her adrenaline into a new Shaw show. Entitled Fiona Forbes, each
REVIEWS //
Veteran interviewer Fiona Forbes flies solo in her new talk show on Shaw TV.
episode of the half-hour gabfest will find Forbes sitting down with a celebrity, newsmaker, or someone with a great story to tell. “We’ve tried a lot of things over the years, and a lot of times we’ve tried things that are a little gimmicky or adding bells and whistles,” says Forbes. “This time around, we wanted to pare it down and go back to just pure interviews and what we really love doing, which is featuring people’s personalities.” There will also be a water cooler segment during which Forbes and a panel of guests will discuss headlines of interest to Vancouverites, and a feature in which Forbes will be on location, serving up irreverent questions to fascinating personalities like Colin and Justin, and Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan. The show marks a couple of firsts for Forbes: First time with her name in the title; first time building a show from the ground up. “Reshaad [Ali, Forbes’ producer] and I have been given the opportunity to create what the new show is, from picking the logo colours to going to IKEA and choosing all our set furniture,” says Forbes, gesturing to the pile of unopened
IKEA boxes on the other side of the studio. “There’s pressure, but it’s good pressure. To have a show of your own named after you, it’s big, but it’s amazing.” The first interview of the new series is already in the can, and wasn’t conducted in the studio. British sketch comedy icon John Cleese sat down with Forbes in a hotel suite last November, when the Monty Python alum brought his book tour through Vancouver. The show might be new, but Forbes’ style – charming guests and viewers with her enthusiasm and sincerity – will remain the same, says producer Ali. “A talk show is really conversational, and it’s a lot easier than it sounds to get that rapport going with a guest,” says Ali, seated across from Forbes. “Working with Fiona is a pleasure because she’s able to make the guests feel comfortable and quickly get into those big conversations.” W Fiona Forbes (the show and the interviewer) airs Thursdays at 6pm and 10pm beginning Jan. 15 on Shaw TV-Vancouver.
AMERICAN SNIPER
Starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller Directed by Clint Eastwood Veteran director Clint Eastwood has had his share of ups and downs when it comes to crafting films, but the 84-year old’s latest packs a transcendent punch and highlights his finest work in years. The true story of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in US military history is fraught with triumph that ultimately ends in tragedy. Bradley Cooper, in a career-defining role, plays the fiercely patriotic Texan Navy SEAL who served four tours in war-torn Iraq following the events of 9/11. Kyle’s intense training scenes toggle between intimate depictions of the budding relationship with his eventual wife Taya (Miller). The juxtaposition serves as effective storytelling that permeates through the entire film. American Sniper breathlessly captures the gritty, urban warfare
THE VSO
faced by US soldiers on the front lines but also examines the sometimes devastating psychological toll that affects the battle-weary soldiers once they return home. The subject matter is nothing new when it comes to war films but Eastwood brings something kinetic and poignant to the movie that resonates in a timely fashion. Cooper has never been better as he absolutely nails the Texas swagger of the stoic Kyle while Sienna Miller grounds the film’s crucial emotional moments, playing the concerned wife who sees her husband slip further into withdrawn ambiguity. Eastwood’s approach can appear heavy-handed to some and the typical jingoistic portrayal of soldiers taking out nameless villains will be criticized but American Sniper carries such brisk momentum, gripping performances and tense action, its raw onscreen power is undeniable. W –Thor Diakow
NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL
JOIN MAESTRO BRAMWELL TOVEY AND THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY FOR THE SECOND ANNUAL NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL! A vibrant four-day festival celebrating the exciting works of contemporary composers. Don’t miss the pre-concert talks and extremely popular post-concert cabarets offered each night of the festival! Listen to composers discuss their work before the concert, or hang out with them and talk new music at the after-show cabaret — all pre- and post-concert events are included with your tickets.
STANDING WAVE
PHOENIX CHAMBER CHOIR
1) STANDING WAVE 2) CHORAL THURSDAY, JAN 15 MAGNIFICENCE 7:30pm Orpheum Theatre Bramwell Tovey host Jocelyn Morlock host Standing Wave
FRIDAY, JAN 16 7:30pm Orpheum Theatre Bramwell Tovey conductor/host Jocelyn Morlock host Phoenix Chamber Choir
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3) BLOOD & ICE
SATURDAY, JAN 17 7:30pm Orpheum Theatre Bramwell Tovey conductor/host Jocelyn Morlock host Nicholas Wright violin
4) SAND & STARS SUNDAY, JAN 18 7:30pm Orpheum Theatre Bramwell Tovey conductor/host Jocelyn Morlock host Christie Reside flute
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January 15 – 21, 2015 W 17
LIFESTYLES //
HEALTH
Bone broth cures what ails you Patty Javier Gomez Whole Nourishment
@WholeNourishBC I remember when I was sick as a kid, my parents would force-feed me ginger ale and Lipton chicken noodle soup while covering me head to toe with Vicks VapoRub (which I still crave every time I am under the weather). While it was definitely comforting, it didn’t do much nutritionally. However, my parents got it half right: ginger is known to ease the stomach and broth is hydrating and warming. Unfortunately, the sugar in the ginger ale and the sodium levels in the soup (and other nasty artificial things found in both products) counteracted the great health benefits.
Great intentions and instincts were overthrown by the hype of commercially processed high sodium and sugary foods. But let’s talk about broth – more specifically bone broth. Why did our parents feed it to us, and why did our grandparents swear by it? Well, bone broths are full of nutrients, minerals and collagen.Yes collagen, the stuff that is in charge of making your skin taut and, well, awesome. Just delicious, homemade liquid greatness. On the blogosphere you will see it as one of the predicted food trends of 2015. The nutritionist in me loves this because I want you to get your minerals and nutrients in a tasty, cost-effective way, so yay! Now let’s get one thing straight, I ain’t talkin’ about no store bought packaged artificial, MSG-and-sodium-
YS Acupuncture Clinic STEPHEN BURKE
We specialize in: • Pain Management • Weight Control • Menstrual Disorders • Allergies and Skin Disorders • Cosmetic Acupunture
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• Scoliosis and Sciatica • Pain relief and management • Stress reduction • More efficient movement • Better balance
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STEPHEN G. INABA
Advanced Certified Rolfer Registered Massage Practitioner
• • • • •
1743 sq.ft. fab floorplan + 257 sq.ft. terrace 2 separated King-size master bedrooms 2 - 9’ x 9’ ensuites with soaker tubs & sep showers Spacious 3rd bedroom for office or guests Entertainer’s living. Dining for 8-10 guests
1020 HARWOOD
18 W January 15 – 21, 2015
• • • • •
Bring your house-size furniture along Custom kitchen, cabs, granite & stainless steel Great outdoor area for BBQ’s & green thumbs Rainscreened/warranty/new plumbing New common areas, gym, pool 2 parking, pet
$1,250,000
GOOD FOR YOUR GUT
Digestive issues got you down? Pour some broth down your gullet! Bone broth helps heal the lining of your gut and contains a lot of great nutrients and minerals that aid your body so it can work at its maximum capacity. Digestive and intestinal health is of great importance when it comes to the maintenance of your whole body, so improving your gut health should be put high on your priority list.
BOOSTS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Due to its high levels of nutrients and minerals, broth makes one of the best immune boosters. This is why soup tends to make you feel better when you are sick, and goes down easy, ‘cause it’s liquid and delicious. Also, it hydrates you, since it’s mainly made of water.
SUPER EASY AND CHEAP TO MAKE
You’re already roasting a chicken, so why not take advantage of the whole carcass? All you need is a pot or slow cooker and time. Or you can buy a bag of bones (local, grass-fed, pasture-raised and all that good jazz) for super cheap from several local shops, including your local butcher! No it’s not weird, it’s hip.
GREAT FOR YOUR JOINTS AND BONES
OFFERING TREATMENT FOR:
G TIN S LI
filled travesty. I’m preaching good old-fashioned broth like our grandparents did it; the right way, the traditional way, the 24-hour simmering in the kitchen making the whole house smell awesome kind of way. Needless to say, making your own is always best. But when you don’t have the time, you can get locally-made bone broths from locally-sourced bones. My personal favorites are from Nourished By Janice. Their broths are made from organic local ingredients and simmered with love, which obviously makes it taste better. It’s liquid gold! Here are just a few reasons why bone broth will be your saviour this season.
#730-1285 W. Broadway 604-738-1012 integrative.ca / stepheninaba.com
Not only does broth have anti-inflammatory properties, but glucosamine (found in bone cartilage) has been known to repair joint damage, reduce pain and stimulate grown the new collagen.
HIGH IN MINERALS
Calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, and fluoride can all be found in abundance in bones. In order to draw out the minerals from the bones, however, add some apple cider vinegar to your water before cooking or when you roast your bones. Then sit back and smell the magic happen. W
BONE BROTH
• Visit Westender.com for a delicious bone broth recipe.
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REAL ESTATE //
@WESTENDERVAN
Rob Joyce & Sales Associate Roger Ross
West End Specialists Nobody knows the West End better! MLS Diamond Master Medallion Award 2014
Sales Associate Roger Ross
West End Specialist Rob Joyce
w ew Ne N
w Ne OPEN: SAT 2:00 - 3:00 1740 Comox #1503 Sandpiper
Beautiful upgrades and unobstructed water, mountain and city views from the NW corner. Rock solid strata. Pets OK. Hurry! $387,000.
New Listing 1850 Comox #1707 The El Cid Open NE corner with city and mountain views, nice upgrades, laminate floors in resort type English Bay highrise. Pool & roof deck. $329,900.
w Ne New Listing 1924 Comox #412 Top Floor - 20’ Ceilings Glorious SW light, quiet & unique design in this magnificient West of Denman loft style suite at The Windgate. 728 sq. ft. $488,000.
LD O S OPEN: SUN 2:00 - 3:00 1855 Nelson Penthouse 2 West of Denman truly amazing 18’ x 16’ patio 2 bdrm + den + loft. 20’
cathedral ceilings, 1219 sf. & 3 patio decks. Pets OK. $669,900.
WEST COAST WEST COAST
OPEN: SUN 2:00 - 3:00 1855 Nelson #301 West of Denman 1 bdrm + den + 2 patios. 12’6 x 9’ solarium for 2nd
bdrm. Wood f/p, almost no common walls - faces 3 sides. $444,000.
604.623.5433
MAUREEN YOUNG
A Sophisticated Approach to Lifestyle Attainment. Professional Advisement and Marketing of Fine Vancouver Properties. Number One Realtor in Office 2012, 2013 & 2014 2014 RE/MAX Charman’s Club Award Winner
2.79% KITSILANO
2.20%
CURRENT LISTINGS: NEW LISTING 2721 West 5th Avenue, $1,178,000
Rates subject to change without notice. O.A.C.
Contact me for all your purchase, refinance and renewal options. Other rates and terms available.
CALL 604-805-5888
OPEN SAT & SUN 2-4PM
maureen@maureenyoung.ca | maureenyoung.ca
An Independently Owned & Operated Corporation
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More on My Website at: www.MichaelDowling.ca
• New 1/2 Duplex on Quiet Corner Lot in Kits! • 3 Beds, 4 Baths, 1600 SQFT Approx. • 2-5-10 New Home Warranty • Rain-screened, Heated Floors • Large Private Yard & Detached Garage • Mortgage Helper Suite Can Reconnect to House • Great For UBC Students & Kits High school • Welcome Home!
(Prime less 0.80%)
Dominion Lending – Downtown Financial
robjoyce@telus.net
Certified Senior Agent & Luxury Marketing Specialist
CURRENT RATES
5 Year Variable
Refinished red oak harwood floors, large kitchen and a lush view to gardens at the Art Moderne heritage Harcrest Apts. $173,000.
PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION
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www.robjoyce.ca
Sunset Beach Top Floor Studio 1055 Harwood #309
Crest Westside Ltd.
Prepare to be MOVED™.
COMING SOON! • Garden Town-home Beautifully Renovated in Fairview $570,000’s • Brand New Stunning Mackenzie Heights Home $4,900,000’s • Large One Bedroom With Huge South Facing Patio in Kits $370,000’s • Gorgeous Renovated Junior 1 Bedroom in West End $240,000’s • Large Two Bed,Two Bath Near Loughheed Mall $170,000’s • Nicely Renovated 4 Bedroom Home With Sunny Pool & Yard in Delta $560,000’s
Call Us Today for a Confidential Needs Assessment and Market Analysis
604-787-5568
www.MichaelDowling.ca January 15 – 21, 2015 W 19
REAL ESTATE //
WESTENDER.COM
DEXTER ASSOCIATES ASSOCI A ATES REALTY RE ALTY 604-689-8226 604-263-1144 Kevin Skipworth Managing Broker
Layla Bamford
Nicole Cannon
Jennifer Devlin
Christopher Dohm
Sandi Fratino
www.dexterrealty.com
Erica Fremeau
Jeff Holmes
Megan King
Kavi Lehdar
Gloria Chamberlain 604-263-1144
713-1333 HORNBY ST.
Johan Leung
Clarence Lowe
Travis Mako
Bob Moore
Sean Murty
Brad Pacaud
Kris Pope
Tyrone Robinson
Nadine Ramos
Mike Rooney
Michael Shaw
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Gurdeep Melany Daryl Stephens Sue-Johnson Suarez
Larry Esther Michael Traverence Twerdochlib Webster
Laurel Wood
Su-Marie Baird 604-263-1144 sumarieb@hotmail.com www.sumariebaird.com
Nicole Cannon 778-989-8784
$249,900
Simmy Sandhu
1403-1050 SMITHE ST.
$445,000
104-1010 CHILCO ST.
$555,000
MORE HAPPY SELLERS! CONTACT ME TODAY TO GET IT SOLD 778-989-8784
VIEWS TO ENGLISH BAY. Bright SouthWest top floor unit. Completely updated with re-designed kitchen & full-sized appliances. Breakfast bar, sleeping nook & easy care finishes. Enjoy the view from large bay window with skylight and balcony. Great investment property. Check out our website, www.dexterrealty.com for current market condition updates.
IMMACULATE 1 bedroom, den + balcony in the STERLING with all the amenities of Downtown at your doorstep! North facing unit with a super functional layout, tons of natural light & an unobstructed view of the city and mountains. Original owners, very well maintained unit features an open concept kitchen with full size SS appliances, granite counters, maple cabinets, 9’ ceilings, a limestone gas fireplace, den/storage, open balcony & 1 parking space. 662 sq ft. STERLING is a quality, concrete bldg. w/a gym, concierge, hot tub & sauna. Call for showing.
loftsvancouver.com
West of Denman – steps to English Bay, Stanley Park & seawall. Garden level 2 bdrm, 2 bath 1,048 sq.ft. suite that feels like a small house. Some updating, leaving room for your personal stamp. Private street entrance, parking & storage included. Pets welcome, rentals unrestricted in this well-maintained, smoke-free building. Commercial Real Estate Needs? Dexter Associates Realty’s
Details & Photos of all lofts for sale in Vancouver
Ed Gramauskas Cell: 604-618-9727
OPEN SUN 2 - 4PM
commercial team will answer all of your questions and will help with all your commercial needs. Whether you need office space, somewhere to set up your business or retail store, or are looking to buy an investment property we can help you. Call us at 604-689-8226 today.
CARNEY’S CORNER NEW YEAR, NEW HOME or investment. Great opportunity in central downtown area within easy reach of all services and attractions. Bright corner one bedroom and den with super layout maximizing space in great condition at a fair price. Room to improve for your personal nest or ready for immediate rental. Insuite laundry, great storage, parking included. Rental estimate 1500/month range unfurnished. Reasonable fees, large contingency, favourable depreciation report. $335,000
OUR STRATA MANAGEMENT SERVICES √ Full service strata management
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OPEN SUNDAY 2-4, 811 HELMCKEN NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS Is this your year to buy, sell or invest? Get on the list for upcoming listings. Here are just two of new properties available soon. Stunning city, harbour, mountain, park and English Bay views from rare three bedroom West End bordering Coal Harbour. Oversize one bedroom with high ceilings and lots of character. Balcony, parking and locker; laundry can be installed. Lots more to come. Get in touch!
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VAN OFFICE: #202-5704 BALSAM STREET 604.683.8399
20 W January 15 – 21, 2015
SURREY OFFICE: #112-7565 132ND STREET 604-599-1650
WEN
West End Neighbours
Happy New Year to all friends, neighbours and volunteers. New info always available on the website; an opportunity for community to stay in touch and keep up on local issues. www.westendneighbours.ca
TALK TO LIZ CARNEY 604 685-5951/603-3095
liz.carney@century21.ca • www.vancouvercondo.com Century 21 In Town Realty • 421 Pacific • 1030 Denman
In Town Realty
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7 20,000
PR SA EVIE TU W RD S S AY TA FEB RT 14
YEARS OF PLANNING
21
4
SF PRIVATE BACKYARD AMENITY
STOREYS OF VIEWS
WAYS TO COMMUTE: SKYTRAIN, BIKE, BUS OR WALK
25,000
33 $
HIPSTER NEIGHBOURS
DIFFERENT FLOORPLANS
299K
1
PRICED FROM
OPPORTUNITY TO OWN THE FIRST BUILDING OF ITS KIND IN THE HOTTEST NEIGHBOURHOOD IN VANCOUVER
PRESENTATION CENTRE LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF MAIN & BROADWAY
INDEPENDENTatMAIN.COM The Developer reserves the right to make changes and modifications to the information contained herein without prior notice. This is not an offering for sale, any such offering may only be made by way of a Disclosure Statement. E&OE.
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January 15 – 21, 2015 W 21
22 W January 15 – 21, 2015
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LIFESTYLES //
@WESTENDERVAN
DRIVE
REAL ESTATE OPENS
Land Rover LR4
West End 1740 Comox St #1503, 1 bdrm, $387,000, Sat 2-3
Go anywhere in comfort
The Land Rover LR4 has earned a reputation as the ultimate all-purpose vehicle for many years, thanks to its go-anywhere capability. The LR4, known as the Discovery in some markets, has sold over 1,100,000 units and won 219 international awards since its introduction in 1989. This illustrates the Land Rover’s tremendous capability and versatility. Able to handle any terrain on the Earth, the LR4 is a true seven-seater and can be arranged in a variety of configurations to carry an assortment of cargo. Land Rover is celebrating 25 years of the Discovery; to commemorate, they have released new special features which further heighten the level of luxury. The LR4 uses body-onframe construction which gives it the extra “toughness” often missing in today’s SUVs that are actually more like a tall wagon. This kind of design leads to bouncy ride normally, but Land Rover tuned the underpinnings to also deliver smooth on-road behaviour that’s second to none in this class. The 2015 LR4 retains Land Rover’s classic squaredoff shape – this serves as a reminder to its utilitarian, rugged roots. That’s not to say that Land Rover hasn’t softened the look over time.
This year, the LR4 has sophisticated new headlights and a smooth front bumper design. The two-piece asymmetric tailgate is both distinctive and useful, and the panoramic glass roof is pure luxury. Overall, the look is very upscale and the car has aged well. With ever-tightening fuel economy standards, last year Land Rover replaced the LR4’s 5.0-litre V8 with a supercharged 3.0-litre V6. Power is still respectable at 340 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque, but efficiency has been improved to 14.3L/100km combined. Aiding that improvement is the new ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and standard Intelligent Stop/ Start system. The adjustable fourcorner air suspension can be optimized to comfortably conquer any terrain by merely turning a dial. Hill Descent Control allows even novice off-road drivers to easily traverse the most demanding trials by holding a slow and steady speed down steep grades. I should point out though, the LR4’s top-heavy design makes it lean in corners when driven fast around turns. However, it does have a comparatively tight turning circle, which is nice for navigating both trails and parking lots.
1855 Nelson #301 1 bdrm + den, $444,000, Sun 2-3 PLEASE READ THE FINE PRINT: Offers valid until February 2, 2015. See toyota.ca for complete details on all cash back offers. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between Toyota prices, rates and/or other information contained on toyotabc.ca and that contained on toyota.ca, the latter shall prevail. Errors and omissions excepted. ¥Don’t Pay for 90 Days on Toyota Financial Service Finance Contracts (OAC) on all new 2014 and 2015 Toyota models. Offer valid from January 3 - February 2, 2015. Interest deferment on all finance contracts at no cost for at least 60 days. Interest will commence on the 61st day after the contract date. The first payment will be due 90 days from the contract date. Available with monthly or bi weekly payment frequency. Not available on lease. “The Freedom 40 Lease delivers a lower monthly payment by extending standard terms by four months”. As an example, standard term of 36 months can be stretched to 40 months. Freedom 40 Lease offer is valid until February 2, 2015. 2015 RAV4 FWD LE Automatic ZFREVT-A MSRP is $25,880 and includes $1,815 freight and pre-delivery inspection, tire levy and air conditioning charge. *Lease example: 2015 RAV4 FWD LE Automatic ZFREVT-A with a vehicle price of $25,880 includes $1,815 freight/PDI leased at 0.99% over 40 months with $1,950 down payment equals 80 semi-monthly payments of $135 with a total lease obligation of $12,780. Lease 40 mos. based on 60,000 km, excess km charge is $.10. **Finance example: 0.99% finance for 36 months, upon credit approval, available on 2015 RAV4 FWD LE Automatic ZFREVT-A. Applicable taxes are extra. 2015 Corolla CE 6M Manual BURCEM-A MSRP is $17,540 and includes $1,545 freight and pre-delivery inspection and tire levy. †Lease example: 2015 Corolla CE 6M with a vehicle price of $17,540, includes $1,545 freight/PDI leased at 0.99% over 40 months with $1,599 down payment equals 80 semi-monthly payments of $88 with a total lease obligation of $8,677. Lease 40 mos. based on 60,000 km, excess km charge is $.07. ††Finance example: 0.99% finance for 48 months, upon credit approval, available on 2015 Corolla CE 6M Manual BURCEM-A. Applicable taxes are extra. 2015 Tacoma Double Cab V6 5A SR5 Power Package 4x4 Automatic MU4FNA-A MSRP is $33,735 and includes $1,815 freight and pre-delivery inspection, tire levy and air conditioning federal excise tax. ‡Lease example: 2015 Tacoma Double Cab V6 5A SR5 Standard Package 4x4 Automatic MU4FNA-A with a vehicle price of $33,735 includes $1,815 freight/PDI leased at 2.49% over 40 months with $2,995 down payment equals 80 semi-monthly payments of $178 with a total lease obligation of $17,256. Lease 40 mos. based on 60,000 km, excess km charge is $.10. ‡‡Finance example: 0.99% finance for 36 months, upon credit approval, available on 2015 Tacoma Double Cab V6 5A Power Package 4x4 Automatic MU4FNA-A. Applicable taxes are extra. Applicable taxes are extra. Down payment, first semi-monthly payment and security deposit plus GST and PST on first payment and full down payment are due at lease inception. A security deposit is not required on approval of credit. ‡‡‡Non-stackable Cash Back offers may not be combined with Toyota Financial Services (TFS) lease or finance rates. If you would like to lease or finance at standard TFS rates (not the above special rates), then you may be February 2, 2015. Cash incentives include taxes and are applied after taxes have been charged on the full amount of the negotiated price. See toyota.ca for complete details on all cash back offers. ¥¥Semi-monthly lease offer available through Toyota Financial Services on approved credit to qualified retail customers on most 24, 28, 36, 40, 48, 52, 60 and 64 month leases of new and demonstrator Toyota vehicles. First semi-monthly payment due at lease inception and next monthly payment due approximately 15 days later and semi-monthly thereafter throughout the term. Toyota Financial Services will waive the final payment. Semi-monthly lease offer can be combined with most other offers excluding the First Payment Free and Encore offers. First Payment Free offer is valid for eligible TFS Lease Renewal customers only. Toyota semi-monthly lease program based on 24 payments per year, on a 40-month lease, equals 80 payments, with the final 80th payment waived by Toyota Financial Services. Not open to employees of Toyota Canada, Toyota Financial Services or TMMC/TMMC Vehicle Purchase Plan. Some conditions apply. See your Toyota dealer for complete details. Visit your Toyota BC Dealer or www.toyotabc.ca for more details. Some conditions apply; offers are time limited and may change without notice. Dealer may lease/sell for less.
DAVID CHAO westender.com
Continued on next page
Feature Seminar at the 2015 Gluten Free Fair:
Going Beyond Gluten: The Low FODMAP Diet With Shannon Smith, Choices Markets’ Dietician January 17 and 18 | 11:00am Seminar is free with purchase of Gluten Free Expo Admission Digestive discomfort can seem like a never-ending battle for those dealing with gluten-related issues. And for some, cutting out gluten alone just doesn’t cut it. Emerging research on the low FODMAP diet, however, shows there may be a solution for easing digestive discomfort for many. Join Choices’ Dietitian, Shannon Smith as she explores the world of FODMAP foods. These foods—two of the most common ones being gluten and dairy—contain specific sugars that may be the cause of digestive troubles for many. Shannon will share expert ideas and tips on how to get started on the low FODMAP diet as well as how to overcome potential hurdles along the way. For more details, check out glutenfreeexpo.ca.
Downtown Kitsilano 19
1855 Nelson - Penthouse #2, 2 bdrms + 3 decks, $669,900, 19 Sun 2-3
19
104-1010 Chilco 2 bdrms, $555,000, Sun 2-4
ONLY AT DOWNTOWN NISSAN
Starting at $31,798 Westender.com
2721 West 5th Ave, 3 bdrms, $1,178,000, Sat/Sun 2-4
20
19
20
S MODEL SHOWN
2015 COROLLA 2015 CE 6M $17,540 MSRP includes F+PDI
2015 TACOMA OR FINANCE FROM ‡‡
semi-monthly/40 mos.
36 mos.
OR FINANCE FROM ††
†
0.99%
semi-monthly/40 mos.
2015 DCab V6 5A SR5 Power Package 4x4 $33,735 MSRP includes F+PDI
LEASE FROM ‡
LEASE FROM
88
$
DCAB V6 MODEL SHOWN
48 mos.
178 0.99%
$
Don't pay for 90 days
XLE MODEL SHOWN
2015 RAV4
Do not pay for 90 days, on ALL ¥ new Toyota finance plans (OAC). Learn more at: ToyotaBC.ca
HURRY! ENDS FEB 2, 2015
FREEDOM
THE EVOLUTION OF LEASING
L E A S E
With our new Freedom 40 Lease you can ease into a brand new vehicle after just over 3 years, and enjoy lower monthly payments while doing it! Learn more at: ToyotaBC.ca
40
2015 FWD LE Auto $25,880 MSRP includes F+PDI
LEASE FROM *
OR FINANCE FROM **
semi-monthly/40 mos.
36 mos.
135 0.99%
$
¥¥
FINAL MONTH JIM PATTISON TOYOTA DOWNTOWN 1395 West Broadway (604) 682-8881 30692
6978
Toyot aBC .c a
JIM PATTISON TOYOTA NORTH SHORE 849 Auto Mall Drive (604) 985-0591
GRANVILLE TOYOTA VANCOUVER 8265 Fraser Street (604) 263-2711
18732
LANGLEY TOYOTATOWN LANGLEY 20622 Langley Bypass (604) 530-3156
JIM PATTISON TOYOTA SURREY 15389 Guildford Drive (604) 495-4100 6701
9497
OPENROAD TOYOTA RICHMOND Richmond Auto Mall (604) 273-3766
OPENROAD TOYOTA PORT MOODY 3166 St. John’s Street (604) 461-3656 7826
7825
DESTINATION TOYOTA BURNABY 4278 Lougheed Highway (604) 571-4350 9374
PEACE ARCH TOYOTA SOUTH SURREY 3174 King George Highway (604) 531-2916 30377
SUNRISE TOYOTA ABBOTSFORD Fraser Valley Auto Mall (604) 857-2657 5736
REGENCY TOYOTA VANCOUVER 401 Kingsway (604) 879-8411 8507
WEST COAST TOYOTA PITT MEADOWS 19950 Lougheed Highway (866) 910-9543 7662
VALLEY TOYOTA CHILLIWACK 8750 Young Road (604) 792-1167 8176
SQUAMISH TOYOTA SQUAMISH 39150 Queens Way (604) 567-8888 31003
WESTMINSTER TOYOTA NEW WESTMINSTER 210 - 12th Street (604) 520-3333 8531
006345_6.8125X9.64_VAT_WK1RE
THE ALL-NEW 2015
LEAF
811 Helmcken, 1 bdrm + den, $335,000, Sun 2-4
®
Direct: 604.714.2485 production@elevatorstrategy.com
Creation Date: 07/08/10
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Visit us @ downtownnissan.ca January 15 – 21, 2015 W 23
LIFESTYLES //
WESTENDER.COM
DRIVE The 2015 Land Rover LR4 combines rugged utility with urban style and luxury.
Continued from page 23 Being an upscale SUV, the LR4 boasts high quality materials and the intuitive and clearly labelled controls provide a nice tactile feel. The cabin is roomy, and with its stadium seating, the LR4 allows each passenger a good view of the outside world. The large windows, especially the panoramic glass roof, create an airy feeling. This open-airy design is still unique to LR4. The LR4 comes standard
24 W January 15 – 21, 2015
with five seats, but an optional third row expands capacity to seven. The legroom in the third row is tight, however, so it’s best suited for children. Starting prices for the 2015 Land Rover LR4 range from $59,990 to $72,990. Standard equipment includes heated front seats, heated leather steering wheel, heated windshield, seveninch colour touchscreen, and Bluetooth phone connectivity. Additional features, available as options or on higher trims, include passive keyless entry, rear climate control,
front and rear parking aids, rearview camera, and HDD navigation. Fuel efficiency numbers (L/100km) in the base model are 16.2 city, 12.1 highway and 14.3 combined. The LR4 is a truly offroader in every sense. Its air suspension is compliant and comfortable on the highway, yet capable of crawling over rocks and hills. If you want a traditional body-on-frame design that won’t take backseat to any challenging road condition, look no further than the Land Rover LR4. W
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SEX
Free Will Astrology By Rob Brezsny You will never make anything that lasts forever. Nor will I or anyone else. I suppose it’s possible that human beings will still be listening to Beethoven’s music or watching The Simpsons TV show 10,000 years from today, but even that stuff will probably be gone in five billion years, when the sun expands into a red giant star. Having acknowledged that hard truth, I’m happy to announce that in the next five weeks you could begin work in earnest on a creation that will endure for a very long time. What will it be? Choose wisely!
What does your soul need on a regular basis? The love and attention of some special person? The intoxication provided by a certain drink or drug? Stimulating social interaction with people you like? Music that drives you out of your mind in all the best ways? The English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins said that the rapture his soul needed more than anything else was inspiration – the “sweet fire,” he called it, “the strong spur, live and lancing like the blowpipe flame.” So the experience his soul craved didn’t come from an outside stimulus. It was a feeling that rose up inside him. What about you, Taurus? According to my analysis of the astrological omens, your soul needs much more than usual of its special nourishment.
In 1987, California condors were almost extinct. Less than 30 of the birds remained. Then the US Fish and Wildlife Service launched an effort to capture them all and take emergency measures to save the species. Almost 28 years later, there are more than 400 condors, half of them living in the wild. If you act now, Gemini, you could launch a comparable recovery program for a different resource that is becoming scarce in your world. Act with urgency, but also be prepared to practice patience.
Daniel Webster (1782-1852) was an American statesman who served in both houses of Congress. He dearly wanted to be President of the United States, but his political party never nominated him to run for that office. Here’s the twist in his fate: Two different candidates who were ultimately elected President asked him to be their Vice President, but he declined, dismissing the job as unimportant. Both those Presidents, Harrison and Taylor, died after a short time on the job. Had Webster agreed to be their Vice President, he would have taken their place and fulfilled his dream. In the coming weeks, Cancerian, I advise you not to make a mistake comparable to Webster’s.
In one of his poems, Rumi writes about being alone with a wise elder. “Please,” he says to the sage, “do not hold back from telling me any secrets about this universe.” In the coming weeks, Leo, I suggest you make a similar request of many people, and not just those you regard as wise. You’re in a phase when pretty much everyone is a potential teacher who has a valuable clue to offer you. Treat the whole world as your classroom.
Have you been tapping into your proper share of smart love, interesting beauty, and creative mojo? Are you enjoying the succulent rewards you deserve for all the good deeds and hard work you’ve done in the past eight months? If not, I am very upset. In fact, I would be livid and mournful if I found out that you have not been soaking up a steady flow of useful bliss, sweet revelations, and fun surprises. Therefore, to ensure my happiness and well-being, I command you to experience these goodies in abundance.
Libran engineer Robert Goddard was the original rocket scientist. His revolutionary theories and pioneering technologies laid the foundations for space flight. Decades before the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, he and his American team began shooting rockets aloft. Members of the press were not impressed with his unusual ideas, however. They thought he was a misinformed crank. In 1920, The New York Times sneered that he was deficient in “the knowledge ladled out daily in our high schools.” Forty-nine years later, after his work had led to spectacular results, the Times issued an apology. I foresee a more satisfying progression toward vindication for you, Libra. Sometime soon, your unsung work or unheralded efforts will be recognized.
In the plot of the TV science-fiction show Ascension, the US government has conducted an elaborate covert experiment for 50 years. An outside investigator named Samantha Krueger discovers the diabolical contours of the project and decides to reveal the truth to the public. “We’re going full Snowden,” she tells a seemingly sympathetic conspiracy theorist. She’s invoking the name of Edward Snowden, the renegade computer administrator who in the real world leaked classified information. It might be time for you to go mini-Snowden yourself, Scorpio – not by spilling state secrets, but rather by unmasking any deceptive behavior that’s happening in your sphere. Bring everything out into the open – gently if possible. But do whatever it takes.
In 1939, author Ernest Vincent Wright finished Gadsby, a 50,000-word novel. It was unlike any book ever published because the letter “e” didn’t appear once in the text. Can you imagine the constraint he had to muster to accomplish such an odd feat? In accordance with the astrological omens, I invite you to summon an equally impressive expression of discipline and self-control, Sagittarius. But devote your efforts to accomplishing a more useful and interesting task, please. For example, you could excise one of your bad habits or avoid activities that waste your time or forbid yourself to indulge in fearful thoughts.
Most plants move upwards as they grow. Their seeds fall to the ground, are blown off by the wind, or are carried away by pollinators. But the peanut plant has a different approach to reproduction. It burrows its seeds down into the soil. They ripen underground, where they are protected and more likely to get the moisture they need to germinate. The peanut plant’s approach to fertility might be a good metaphor for you Capricorns to adopt for your own use. It makes sense for you to safeguard the new possibilities you’re incubating. Keep them private, maybe even secret. Don’t expose them to scrutiny or criticism.
Hey straight girls, get an IUD already Sex with Mish Way
@MyszkaWay For years I resisted the idea of getting an IUD. Not a UTI (I’ve had about, like, a billion of those), but an IUD: that little twisted piece of copper they shove into your cervix to block the sperm from entering your egg like Bowser preventing Mario from reaching the ultimate prize. I don’t know why I resisted it. Probably because I was scared. I had so many of my girlfriends tell me these epic horror stories of the pain they endured after the procedure: cramps so debilitating that the earth somehow seemed flat and spinning like Britney Spears’ chair in “Stronger”, constant bleeding for months, period malfunctions and all the feminine hell you can imagine. Was I really going to risk shoving a foreign metal object into my body all for the “promise” of sex without the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy? No thanks, I’ll stick to my Alesse (that I occasionally forgot to take) and cross my fingers. The IUD made a trendy comeback in recent years. After years of pills, NuvaRings, patches (ew, who wants to wear a greasy bandaid for a month?), the ever-so-stupid “pull-out method” (my personal favorite in my drug-addled early twenties), the IUD started to seem like the responsible option and science proved it had few side affects and risks (for the majority of us). Of course, being a woman with a womanly body that ebbs
and flows, changes and fluxes, freaks and flounders like a starlet on ‘ludes, the concept of an IUD seemed a little bit too good to be true. So, the doctor freezes your area with a tiny needle, opens you up and inserts the tiny copper stick and the IUD basically karate chops semen for the next five years without a re-up? You’re all good? For real? As my friend Bronwyn would quote, “Back off War Child. Seriously.” When I knew I was moving to the US with the vision of doing who and whatever I wanted, I knew I had to invest in an IUD. In Canada, you can get ‘70s-style copper version for about $64 (the brand-name Mirena IUD costs more and contains hormones). I thought, “What the hell?” I’d try. To prep for an IUD, they tell you to take a mild, over-thecounter painkiller and have someone pick you up “just in case”. But being the chick who always has way too much on her plate, I completely forgot about my appointment, and thus, forgot the pain killer and to secure a ride. I arrived at the clinic and revealed this information. Once I saw the doctor, I told her to just go for it because dummies feel no pain. She froze my body and began to work. She complimented my cervix (it’s “text book perfect” and I’m pretty proud of that because nothing else about me is) and looked up at me through my open legs in the stirrup. “This might be painful, deep breath…” she instructed. Pop. I felt nothing. After it was done I felt great. Frozen, but great. The doctor looked up at me,
“Now, on a scale from one to 10, how painful was that and how do you feel now?” I reassessed. I was not high. I was sober. I felt nothing. I felt fine. Better than ever actually. “Um, a two?” I said. She looked shocked. “Really? You sure you don’t want a hot water bottle?” she asked as she escorted me out into the hallway where a group of girls were laying on beds moaning and holding bottles to their lower abdomens. “No, I got a bus to catch, so…” Easy as pie. The next few months proved a little weird. My periods got heavy, but not “I’m dying for a Percocet” heavy, just the usual Midol heavy. The thing about an IUD is that if you already suffer from bad period cramps before inserting Bowser, it’s probably going to kill you.You have to be able to take the extra pain. I happened to be a good candidate and despite thinking that my body would reject the thing (like it does with most food, booze, drugs), it did not. It was fine. Here I am, over a year later, not letting any stupid sperm beat the level and save the princess. I stand behind the IUD. In a country like Canada where these services are available at reasonable prices, I think all women should take control of their bodies and choices. If you do not want a child but want to bang like you could make one, then an IUD is perfect. It’s cost-effective, easy, devoid of hormones that make you go cuckoo and there is literally nothing you need to do until you get it reinserted five years down the road. Hell, there’s even a 10-year one for the truly absent-minded women. W
In his poem “The Garden,” Jack Gilbert says, “We are like Marco Polo who came back / with jewels hidden in the seams of his ragged clothes.” Isn’t that true about you right now, Aquarius? If I were going to tell your recent history as a fairy tale, I’d highlight the contrast between your outer disorder and your inner riches. I’d also borrow another fragment from Gilbert’s poem and use it to describe your current emotional state: “a sweet sadness, a tough happiness.” So what comes next for you? Take a break to integrate the intensity you’ve weathered, and retrieve the jewels you hid in the seams of your ragged clothes.
“All the colors I am inside have not been invented yet,” wrote Shel Silverstein, in his children’s book Where the Sidewalk Ends. It’s especially important for you to focus on that truth in the coming weeks. First, identify and celebrate a certain unique aspect of yourself that no one else has ever fully acknowledged. If you don’t start making it more conscious, it may start to wither away. Second, learn how to express that unique aspect with such clarity and steadiness that no one can miss it or ignore it. W
Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. (86) Jan. 16: Kate Moss (41) Jan. 17: Steve Earle (60) Jan.18: Joanna Newsom (34) Jan. 19: Drea De Matteo (43) Jan. 20: Rainn Wilson (49) Jan. 21: Emma Bunton (39)
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