Westender - March 12, 2015 by Westender

MARCH 12-18 // 2015

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• COMMUTERS WEIGH IN ON TRANSIT PLEBISCITE • • DESIGNERS TO WATCH AT FASHION WEEK • • ST. PATRICK’S DAY EVENTS GUIDE •

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Digital addiction

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INSIDE THIS WEEK You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack by Tom Gauld

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News4 Vancouver Shakedown4 Cover story5 Fashion6 A Good Chick to Know6 Nosh8 By the Bottle8 The Growler9 Follow Me Foodie10 Music12 Reel People13 Movie reviews13 What’s On14 St. Patrick’s Day Guide16 Whole Nourishment17 Play Outdoors17 Real Estate18 Drive24 Horoscopes25 Sex with Mish Way25 WESTENDER IS A DIVISION OF LMP PUBLICATION LIMITED PARTNERSHIP. ALL MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER. THE NEWSPAPER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY ADVERTISING WHICH IT CONSIDERS TO CONTAIN FALSE OR MISLEADING INFORMATION OR INVOLVES UNFAIR OR UNETHICAL PRACTICES. THE ADVERTISER AGREES THE PUBLISHER SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ERROR IN ANY ADVERTISEMENT BEYOND THE AMOUNT PAID FOR SUCH ADVERTISEMENT. WE COLLECT, USE, AND DISCLOSE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR PRIVACY STATEMENT WHICH IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

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PUT THE CAMERA DOWN, CREEP

This goes out to the creepy older man who was leering and sneakily taking pictures of our daughter with a camera phone in Starbucks. She was too shocked to confront you, but next time she will take YOUR picture and post it to Facebook to warn other young women about your shameful behaviour. –Betty Thun-Hohenstein

CP HAS DESTROYED SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL

CP has bulldozed the gardens from Burrard to Maple. One man sat in his little plot, meditating in quiet protest. I have to admit, I cried when I saw this on my lunch hour. –Lorraine Watson

MARINE GARDENS RESIDENTS DESERVE BETTER Despite Gregor Robert-

son’s apology, and being slapped down by the court for shoddy public consultation practices, Council and City Hall just signaled their determination to conduct business as usual by approving the demolition of the Marine Gardens affordable townhouse community at a public hearing held the evening of Feb. 26. Ironically, Marine Gardens was a demonstration project for the first ever UN Habitat for Humanity conference, which was held in Vancouver in 1976, in a city with a crisis of affordable, family-oriented accommodation like that just slated for demolition. Council was completely unconcerned by factual evidence that showed that the project had been misrepresented throughout the public consultation process, by evidence suggesting that there was a clear conflict of interest on the part of the City, and by a missing land

title that would clarify the terms under which the city once acquired the land as Delta View Park. –Jillian Skeet, Marine Gardens resident

BETTER INFO ABOUT PROPOSED SKYTRAIN ROUTE NEEDED

I’m trying to consider my options for the upcoming TransLink referendum but strangely, I can no longer find that web page that outlines all of the route possibilities for the UBC line. The skeptic in me is suspicious. Why is such important information missing online? If I am mistaken then, somebody please respond to this rant with specific specs on the proposed route. If I am correct...that should be our first demand, as the underground subway is going directly under Mount Pleasant, Brewery Creek.... which is on a slope. –Angie O’Grady

There is more online

westender.com Apply for a grant of up to $1,000 for projects that make downtown Vancouver more connected and engaged. Deadline is March 31. Learn more at

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March 12 - 18, 2015 W 3

NEWS // ISSUES

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YOUR CITY

Beating the BC Bail Grant Lawrence Vancouver Shakedown @GrantLawrence

“The snow is in Whistler, but the flakes are in Vancouver”. It’s an unflattering phrase I’ve heard a few times, describing a social ill that is supposedly creeping into our behavioral patterns like mould in a grow-op.You’ve likely already heard about Vancouver’s not-so-nice social rep of being “unfriendly to newcomers” and that “it’s hard to make friends here”. Apparently these days, if you actually do manage to make friends and then make some plans, there’s a very strong possibility that your new Vancouver pals won’t even show up.This rampant condition has a nickname. It’s called “The BC Bail”. When my friend Lizzy relocated from Toronto to Vancouver, she received advanced warning of the BC Bail. According to Lizzy, “the BC Bail is when you make plans, but know in the back of your mind you might not actually go through with whatever it is you just agreed to, then you cancel last minute”. Lizzy’s lived in Vancouver for five years now, so I asked her if she thinks flaking out is still an issue. “Oh yeah”, she said without hesitation. Lizzy is the founder and producer of the wildly successful Rain City Chronicles storytelling event. It’s almost always sold out at venues across the city, yet an average of 15 per cent of ticket holders don’t show up, at $22 a pre-paid ticket. “I plan for people to bail.” “It’s just downright disrespectful to flake, and definitely a Vancouver phenom-

Volunteers spent last Friday morning’s rush hour encouraging transit users at the Commercial and Broadway transit hub to vote Yes in the upcoming plebiscite on a transit tax. Dan Toulgoet photo

It’s hard to avoid the BC Bail when the PVR is calling... enon”, says Jay, a recently thawed-out transplant from Winnipeg. “Vancouverites take their reputation for being laid back way too far. No one can stick to a plan. Maybe it’s the lack of a real winter? In a Winnipeg deep-freeze, there’s real value in getting together with friends. In Vancouver, I’ve bought concert tickets for a friend and me, and have been stuck with the extra ticket when he inevitably jammed out. Not cool.” Leigh moved here from Charlottetown, a city known for its close-knit community. Surprise! She agrees with Jay and Lizzy. Leigh feels it’s all about the better option. “When people make plans here, they wait until zero hour to see if there’s a better choice, or a cooler party.Then they bail. It’s so frustrating.” Vancouver! What can we do about this abhorrent behavior? According to my friend Lauren, who wrote about the BC Bail on her fantastic blog, Grown-Up Party, it’s best to get out ahead of the problem by

not over scheduling. “I’ve recognized that I don’t like to have plans two nights in a row during the week. So now ahead of time I try to spread them out, as a pre-emptive strike on the BC Bail.” Lauren also strongly believes that cell phones are a huge part of the problem, when all it takes is a quick, shockingly guilt-free text to bail on plans that may have been in the works for months. OK look, as a guy who has lived in Vancouver my entire life, I’m willing to do my part to put an end to this ridiculous BC Bail stuff. In fact, I have plans to meet friends for drinks at a craft brewery tonight, and damn it, I’m going to show up. But then again… I do have three episodes of Better Call Saul on the PVR… and it’s raining… and I’m already in my boxer shorts… W Do you think the BC Bail is a social problem inVancouver? Are you guilty of pulling a BC Bail? Let me know your thoughts online atWestender.com or tweet me! #BCBail

The Vancouver Giants are proud to support minor hockey! Purchase your tickets as the Giants host the Kelowna Rockets on Friday March 20th. Partial proceeds go towards supporting Cloverdale Minor Hockey. Tickets $16. Purchase at: cmhaadmin@gmail.com 4 W March 12 - 18, 2015

Commuters weigh in on transit tax plebiscite Metro Vancouver residents will begin receiving ballots in the mail March 16 MIKE HOWELL @howellings

TheYes badge Cheryl Lewis has pinned to her coat is a dead giveaway on how she’ll vote in the upcoming plebiscite on a proposed tax to help pay for transit and transportation upgrades in the region. Almost an hour into her morning commute from her home in New Westminster, Lewis joined a long queue of transit riders last Friday at the Commercial and Broadway transit hub waiting to board a B-Line bus to take her to her job at the provincial health authority near Broadway and Cambie. “This is going to be good for the climate, this is going to be good for air quality, this is going to be good for transportation and good for lower-income people who can’t afford cars,” she said in explaining why she will voteYes in the plebiscite, which launches March 16 with ballots being mailed to Metro Vancouver residents. Lewis couldn’t be a better representative for theYes side in the debate over whether supporting a 0.5 per cent increase to the existing seven per cent sales tax is the best funding tool to help pay for a $7.5 billion plan devised by the region’s mayors. She stopped using her car a year ago, likes the exercise she gets in walking to and from transit stations and – just to amp up her strong belief in a Yes vote – she’s got plans for some artwork in her front yard to support the campaign. “We’re going to draw the planet, say it’s important and to voteYes,” said Lewis from her place in line at the station, where Mayor Gregor Robertson, some of his city councillors and medical health ofﬁcer Dr. John Carsley handed out pro-Yes pamphlets to transit

users. Lewis was among a halfdozen commuters Friday morning who said they will voteYes in the plebiscite. Supporters say they like the plan’s call for more buses, better service and a subway proposed to run from the VCC-Clark SkyTrain station to Arbutus. “I don’t mind paying more, if it’s going to add good service and get me there on time,” said Jithin Philip, a health care worker who commutes daily from Delta to his job at Vancouver General Hospital. Brian Shankaruk and his 18-year-old daughter, Roan, live three blocks from the Commercial and Broadway transit station. After a short walk, they board a B-Line bus, with Roan taking about an hour – including walking and waiting – to get to UBC. Her father’s commute is shorter, since he works near Cambie and Broadway. “It’s all good stuff,” Brian said of the mayors’ plan. “We’re going to talk about it some more.We’re just hoping it’s done well and there’s no waste. I’m probably aYes, more than a No.” Further down the line, a commuter who would only give his name as Wayne, gave Vision Coun. Geoff Meggs an earful on why he will vote No in the plebiscite. He said he doesn’t trust the money will be spent on the projects in the plan. “My wife and I could handle the books better than they could,” he told Meggs, referring to TransLink’s questionable spending on such projects as the Compass Card system, which still isn’t operating. “And why don’t the bicycle people pay taxes? They cause accidents, too, do they not? You should see how some of them ride their bikes.” Meggs: “So that’s why you’re voting No?” Wayne: “Mostly it’s because of the way people at TransLink spend the money. It’s wasteful.” Robertson’s visit to the transit hub came the day after

he announced that billionaire businessman Jimmy Pattison will oversee a committee to ensure funds raised under a proposed tax would be spent on the projects identiﬁed in the mayors’ plan. Though the committee doubles up on what has already been promised by the provincial government, which has committed to annual audits on the money collected under the tax, Robertson said it’s about having an independent third party validate that the tax funds go directly to the projects. “I’m optimistic people will see this as another important step on accountability and ensuring that we get closer to aYes vote,” the mayor told reporters after visiting with commuters. “I haven’t been asked to sway people’s votes,” said Pattison on Thursday. “I’ve just been asked would I get involved in an accountability committee, if theYes Side wins. And I said yes I would.” Even if theYes side wins, the plan still relies on substantial funding from the provincial and federal governments to pay for $7.5 billion in projects and upgrades to be phased in over 10 years. All provincial Transportation Minister Todd Stone has committed to is “funding one third of major new rapid transit projects and the replacement of the Pattullo Bridge, provided that they ﬁt within the provincial capital plan and strong business cases can be made for the investments.” Meanwhile, Lewis said she plans to canvas on behalf of theYes side but noted she’s worried about people rejecting the plebiscite without reading the plan or using the vote as an opportunity to cast a ballot against TransLink or the provincial government. “People are really not trusting of this,” she said before boarding a bus. “I’m really worried at how controversial this is. I’m worried about how people are so negative about it.” –Story courtesy ofVancouver Courier

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COVER STORY

Studies ﬁnd that 10 per cent of digital media users are at risk of becoming addicted

Digital addiction

KELSEY KLASSEN @kelseyklassen

Three years ago, Andrew Macdonald was so addicted to online gaming he was spending 64 of every 72 hours in front of a screen.The other eight hours, he explains ruefully, were spent collapsed on his keyboard. It might be hard for some to comprehend days of sleep deprivation, take-out food, and insular activity, but for the 25-year-old Vancouver resident, being online offered relief from the real world. “I hadn’t gone to college, I didn’t have too many friends, and didn’t ﬁnd myself all that encouraging of a person,” he explains. “I didn’t feel like I had anything in real life that made me want to spend time in it, so I decided my digital life was more important and better. It was a place where I was recognized for skills and talents I had taught myself.” Ever since the term “Internet addiction” was coined in 1995, however, debate over problematic Internet use has raged on. Is spending too much time online a widespread and harmful disorder, experts ask, or simply a bad habit among a predisposed few? Is it a unique condition, or the symptom of another underlying mental illness? While psychologists and psychiatrists discuss these ideas in scholarly journals, Internet addiction has become something that you, your child, or even your parents are struggling with. The most recent survey from Insights West found that one in ﬁve smartphone users in BC described themselves as “addicted” to their device, with more than half (56 per cent) reporting that they check their device at least once an hour. And broader studies show as many as one in 10 users of digital media will develop an addiction. It wasn’t until he lost his job and a relationship in rapid succession that Macdonald realized he needed to make a lifestyle change. “I realized that everything around me was passing me by and I had done nothing to become a part or have a story in it. And that’s when I went, ‘Fuck it,’ I’m getting a life.” To do so, he sought the help of Benjamin Wong, a counsellor with Richmond Addiction Services – one of the few publiclyfunded agencies in BC that deal with this kind of addiction. For therapists like Wong, Internet addiction is very real. “Within the addictions community, it’s not even controversial anymore,” he explains. Wong says his clinic sees 20 to 30 new families every year struggling with the repercussions of digital addiction – everything from video gaming to

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Andrew Macdonald spent 64 of every 72 hours in front of his computer screen, until he would collapse from exhaustion. Thanks to help from Richmond Addiction Services, one of the few publicly-funded agencies equipped to treat Internet addiction, Macdonald is recovering. Rob Newell photo online gambling, pornography to social media. As streaming technology improves,Wong says he is also seeing a spike in issues related to binge watching – with children now going so far as to sneak their smartphones into class to watch TV shows. To assess whether a person has a digital addiction,Wong says his clinic looks at three main areas: control, compulsion and consequences. With control,Wong determines whether the user has control over the device, or if the device has control over them. For compulsion,Wong looks for signs such as the desire to check on a recent Facebook post or see how the gaming guild is doing while in the middle of a real life conversation. And with consequences,Wong examines whether the use of digital media is impacting the user’s school or work performance, sleep patterns, health and hygiene, and real life relationships in a negative way. In Wong’s experience, it can take up to six months of regular treatment to break the cycle and rewrite new, healthy behaviours. According to a recent comScore report, Canadian adults are spending an average of almost 39 hours a month browsing the Internet with desktop or laptop computers. And the average time online soars to nearly double – 75 hours a month, or about 2.5 hours a day – when factoring in watching video and using mobile devices. Not to be outdone, Canadians in the 25-to-34 range were the most screen-oriented, averaging around 110 hours a month, or 3.5 hours per day, across various devices, helping to make Canada one of the highest users of the Internet in the world. But the problem is global. The ﬁrst country to recognize Internet addiction as a clinical

disorder was China in 2008, where it is now considered the number one public health threat for youth. Roughly 14 per cent of China’s youth are said to be addicted to the Internet, and, to date, more than 250 Internet detox camps have opened in China to try confront what’s being called an epidemic. Last month, a 19-year-old Chinese boy known only as “Little Wang” went so far as to chop off his left hand to “cure” his Internet addition. And, tragically, people have been found, on more than one occasion, dead in their chairs at Chinese Internet cafés after long stints of gaming. In the case of 23-yearold gamer Chen Rong-yu, who is thought to have died of cardiac arrest brought on by blood clots, his death went unnoticed by other gamers for up to nine hours. But science still knows very little about the condition causing these harmful behaviors. According to Dr. Jerald Block, a psychiatrist who advocated for the inclusion of Internet addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) manual – the standard used by mental health professionals in the US – the proposed disorder exhibits four key addiction characteristics: Excessive use, which may be accompanied by impaired sense of the passage of time and/or neglecting basic needs such as hunger and sleep;Withdrawal (when prevented from going online), which may manifest as anger, tension or depression; Tolerance, which in the case of Internet addiction may be indicated by longer and longer use, or a perceived need for upgrades or new software; And negative repercussions to the behavior, which may include arguments, fatigue, problems at school or work, lying, lack of achievement and social isolation.

Ultimately, in 2013, Internet addiction was added to the appendix of the DSM to stimulate more research on the subject. In order to understand Internet addiction, however, one must first understand addiction itself. According to Dr. Gabor Maté, a Vancouver addictions specialist and author of the book In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, any behavior that a person craves and finds pleasure or temporary relief in, but which has long-term negative consequences and can’t be given up, is an addiction. “So according to that definition,” he says, “anything can become an addictive target.” Maté says there are three reasons why Internet addiction seems to be affecting so many people across so many demographics: First, it is widely and generally available. “If you made heroin available,” says Maté flippantly, “a lot more people would probably use heroin.” Second, people are inherently lonely. “People have very empty lives,” he explains. “They feel a void inside themselves and they try to fill it from the outside.You go on your cell phone, you go onYouTube; you distract yourself from the sheer discomfort of being with yourself.” Third, family attachments are being eroded, and artificial substitutes are taking their place. “The most powerful drive in human life is connection. Without that, we don’t survive,” he explains. “All our lives we spend much of our energy trying to connect with people – to be loved, to reproduce, to have community. But we live in a society that is increasingly depriving people of that community and connection.” In Maté’s opinion, parents

“I decided my digital life was more important and better.” –Andrew Macdonald, 25, online gaming and Internet addict are spending less time with their kids, couples are spending less time with each other, and extended families – cousins, grandparents – aren’t being valued to the same degree anymore, and ﬁlling their place are shallow peer-to-peer attachments in the digital realm. The results can be devastating. “Emotionally, it takes the place of real contact and selfreﬂection. So you don’t get to know yourself. Physiologically, it has negative effects on the brain. And I’m not even talking about the negative, meaningless content, which does further harm to people’s psychological functioning,” he concludes. But Maté is quick to caution against blaming the medium. “You can relate to digital media non-addictively, and obviously it’s a fantasticallydeveloped and powerful way of seeking information.The media itself is neutral – it’s a question of how it’s being used and by whom.” For Giles Slade, awardwinning author and technology historian, all this screen time is destroying our sense of identity and connection with the natural world from which we came. But for Slade, this isn’t something that suddenly started with the Internet. It’s a continuation of our dependance on machines, digital or

otherwise, for the past 200 years. In his book The Big Disconnect:The Story of Technology and Loneliness, Slade establishes a scientific link between our reliance on machines and the isolating consequences. “When we sit down with each other and have a meal together or listen to music together or touch each other or even sing to each other, there’s a hormone that’s released called Oxytocin. And that builds trust and relationships,” he explains in a phone interview. “You get that maybe from a telephone message, but you don’t get that from text messaging, you don’t get that from emails, you don’t get that from machines.” To reverse the effects, Slade’s advice is simple. Share things, join groups, go outside. “It’s strange for us to talk about this in Vancouver, which is such a lovely natural setting, but get yourself into nature. Get yourself into nature with friends.We don’t trust it as much as we used to because we’re much less familiar with it than we used to be, but nature is there to restore you.” Other experts, meanwhile, believe it is our fear of human connections that created this dependence. According to a 2012 TED Talk by Sherry Turkle, a psychologist who has studied the social aspects of science and technology for more than two decades, by appearing to be an emotionally safer way of connecting, digital media is actually making us less connected, less proficient with real-life social interactions and also less inclined to engage in crucial self-reflection. “These days, those phones in our pockets are changing our minds and hearts because they offer us three gratifying fantasies,” she explains. “One, that we can put our attention wherever we want it to be; two, that we will always be heard; and three, that we will never have to be alone. “And that third idea, that we will never have to be alone, is central to changing our psyches. Because the moment that people are alone, even for a few seconds, they become anxious, they panic, they fidget, they reach for a device.” For Macdonald, that was the hardest part of his recovery. “I have to fill my own time, and I have to fill every ounce of it,” says Macdonald. “If I don’t have filled time, my immediate reflex is to get on a computer.” That meant redefining his priorities and identifying his goals in the real world – beyond the next level of EVE Online. With Wong’s help, he established that he wanted to go back to school. He is now at Douglas College working towards his dream of getting into a nursing program, and is employed by home care service Nurse Next Door.

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March 12 - 18, 2015 W 5

STYLE // DESIGN

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FASHION

A ‘sumptuous’ mood for fall NIKI HOPE @nikimhope

Designers are busily working on last-minute details in the run-up to Vancouver Fashion Week, which kicks off Monday. The style event will feature more than 40 local and international designers at shows held throughout the week. “It’s just a good alternative to New York or London Fashion Week, where a smaller designer would kind of get lost,” Fashion Week communications director Yana Petrova says, explaining what draws so much talent to the west coast of Canada. Here’s homegrown talent worth checking out next week:

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Eliza Faulkner’s spring line, available at Eugene Chu and LYNNSteven Boutique, is ﬁlled with clean, monochromatic, mostly denim pieces, but Faulkner says she is in a “sumptuous” mood for fall. “It’s a real mix-and-match kind of collection. So the idea was kind of inspired by what’s in a woman’s own closet. Nothing ever matches; it’s always bits and pieces from here and there,” says Faulkner, who trained in London and has worked in the studios of Erdem, Zandra Rhodes, and Roland Mouret. “It’s very colourful, but the shapes are

showing two of her lines, the classic Allison Wonderland, along with the eco-conscious Pillar.The later is a west coast casual collection, while Allison Wonderland is a line of clothes that go seamlessly from day to evening. Smith has been a ﬁxture on the Vancouver fashion seen for more than 15 years, but this is her ﬁrst time showing at fashion week. “The opportunity came up, and it just seemed like a good idea,” she says. • Friday, March 20, 5:15pm

SARA ARMSTRONG

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spices. Menu products are renowned for their sleek, minimalist approach to design and natural materials. These grinders boast the brands top qualities, offering up ceramic, wood and plastic construction with the housing for your spices at the top (only dispensing as you grind) – which, in plain terms, means no more salt and pepper mess on the counter. Genius. $75. Nineteen Ten Home, 4366 Main.

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Vancouver Island designer Eliza Faulkner is one to watch at Vancouver Fashion Week, which opens Monday. still similar.” Her ability to make shapes – whether slouchy or tailored – is just one aspect that makes her work so appealing. • Sunday, March 22, 6:15pm

CONNALLY MCDOUGALL

Connally McDougall is sending both womenswear and menswear down the runway in her highly anticipated show. She moved back to Vancouver from London just this month, bringing her thoughtfully crafted and sustainable designs with her. McDougall, who started

@Jennifer_AGCTK

to accessories seem to have received the message that Spring has sprung – here are my ﬁve fave decor ﬁnds for this month:

With such a stunning ﬁnal few weeks to the winter season, the energy and aesthetic of Vancouver décor has transitioned to a bright, airy appeal. I’ve seen a beautiful inﬂux of natural materials in neutral palettes, with small hits of pop colour for emphasis, take precedent in our local boutiques. Everything from large furnishings to art

1. Vintage Midcentury Modern stacking chairs with a fresh fuchsia reupholstering. I’m loving the contrast between the warm natural wood and the highly saturated textile ﬁnish of the seats; the overall feel is streamlined yet playful, and the stacking capability of the design makes these chairs ideal for small spaces. 11 available, $79 each. Reﬁnd

Jennifer Scott A Good Chick to Know

Designer Allison Smith, whose expertly made clothes balance style and comfort, is

Sara Armstrong is an interdisciplinary artist who practices in industrial and fashion design. “My work was usually circulated around the body and observing relationships, so I was always going back and forth between form and people and the armour that we wear, so fashion felt like it made sense to move into because I wanted to do a lot of public sculpture, and to me fashion can be that,” says Armstrong. This is the third time Armstrong will show her work, known for exaggerated silhouettes, androgyny, and pair-down functionality, at Vancouver Fashion Week. Her fall collection was derived from her Scottish father’s call for a kilt. • Wednesday, March 18, 8pm For more designer proﬁles, visitWestender.com

making clothes about ﬁve years ago, was drawn to the idea of creating wearable art. “In this way, I get to be an artist, but I’m making something that functional and people still wear it, and they live in it,” she says. “Clothes are what people get to have adventures in.” Gustav Klimt’s dream-like painting,Wasserschlangen, she says inspired her fall collection. • Tuesday, March 17, 9pm

ALLISON WONDERLAND

Sophie’s Nails and Waxing

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3. Linen table napkins; a variety of patterns and palettes are available in store. The fastest way to glam up your

art. $265. Space Lab, 230 East Pender.

table setting is to ditch the paper napkins and opt for proper linens. No matter how fab your hosting skills are, your dinner guests will be left with a taste of the ordinary when they reach for the disposable usual suspects - amp up your party appeal with the grown up option of natural linen napkin settings. $13.50 - $32. Much & Little, 2541 Main. 4. Hand carved wooden skull. Wall decor gets an edge for even the most discerning home with this beautiful piece. Craftsman detailing to a modern design make this wall mounted carving unique,

while the light natural wood palette creates a versatile ﬁnish; overall a simplistically chic twist to traditional wall

5. Barter Collective Connect Dining Table. This piece is ideally sized for an entertainer’s small space - the round design allows for easy maneuvering around, which is best for spatially challenged dining areas, while the overall size still easily suits a dinner party. One of the best features of this stunning marble top table is that all of the materials are locally sourced and crafted in BC, from the wood to the spectacular marble itself. 36” diameter, $2000. Provide Home, 529 Beatty. W

don’t miss a thing!

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING INVITATION Re: The potential heritage revitalization and infill development of the MacGowan Residence site located at 1150 Comox St., Vancouver, BC, consistent with the Council adopted West End Plan. Purpose: The intent of the Public Information Meeting is to gather ideas and discuss options with the Mole Hill community. Date: Thursday, March 26th, 2015 Time: 4:00pm – 7:00pm (drop in) Location: Mole Hill Community Housing Society, 1169 Pendrell Street, Vancouver (entrance from the alley). Light refreshments and snacks will be served. If you cannot attend the meeting or would like a copy of the presentation following the meeting, please contact: Email: tim@amarchitects.com or Phone: 604-872-2595 ext. 28

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March 12 - 18, 2015 W 7

EAT // DRINK

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DINING OUT

Salida 7 adds to Spanish offerings in Gastown Anya Levykh Nosh

@FoodGirlFriday SALIDA 7

52 Alexander St. 604-569-3088 Salida7.ca Open Tuesday-Sunday, 5pm-late Salida 7 had a rough start when it opened four months ago.The original chef, whose name I never caught, was obviously miserable (the food spoke to his mood and he was overheard telling customers how much he wanted to leave) and the front-of-house seemed lackadaisical at best. Paired with their low-foottrafﬁc location on Alexander, it seemed a recipe for disaster and early demise. Luckily, the original chef got his wish, and Devin Blaney took over the kitchen. The new executive chef hails from Cuchillo, and Cobre before that. In short, he received a solid and no doubt extensive intro to Latin cuisine from expert Stu Irving. The new GM is also a breath

Salida 7 executive chef Devin Blaney. Rob Newell photo of fresh air. Steven Li worked for a couple of years at the famed Wickaninnish Inn in Toﬁno before leaving to work at several Relais et Chateaux properties in Australia and New Zealand. Four years later, he’s back and running a casual and efﬁcient affair at Salida 7.

Even the music has improved, going from unfortunate early ‘70s remixes to tunes that better ﬁt a Gastown vibe. Blaney hasn’t completely re-written the menu, but the quality is worlds better. Daily pintxos ($4 each) include beautiful skewers of warm

herring wrapped around sweet roasted garlic and lovely lamb meatballs with a smoky tomato sauce with hints of char. Tiny, fried white smelts ($6) are served alongside a parsley “allioli” (Catalan for “aioli”). It’s a perfect amuse; the ﬁsh have a light, paper-thin crispy

Five festival finds delivering their message of diversity. Dividing the room up by region and featuring a cool climate table helped drive this home.To further their cause, Australian producers proudly paraded off-the-beaten-track gems made from grapes like Grüner Veltliner,Touriga, Fiano, Savagnin and Tempranillo. Most of these wines aren’t available in BC yet but judging from the enthusiastic response, it won’t be long before they start appearing on our shelves. I’ve earmarked them for when they do. Despite all the stimulation Australia provided, I was able to drag myself away to

Michaela Morris By the Bottle @MichaelaWine

The booths have long been packed up and the free-ﬂowing Shiraz may have come to an end, but I’m still scraping the purple stains off my teeth post Vancouver International Wine Festival. My verdict? The Aussies killed it. Behind their seemingly casual approach lies a keen attention to detail. Besides breathing fresh life into the festival, they succeeded in

Proud to serve the West End! Best Traditional Poutine West of Montreal!

sample what the rest of the world had to offer. Following are some of my tasty discoveries from Australia and beyond that are currently available. 2014 Wakefield, Riesling • Clare Valley, Australia •

$20.99, BC Liquor Stores The Clare Valley is one of Australia’s “sweet” spots for Riesling. Don’t let me confuse you. This Riesling is bone dry. It’s also ultra-fresh boasting loads of lime sorbet, green apple and zesty, lip smacking acidity guaranteed

2013 Yangarra Estate, Old Vine Grenache • McLaren Vale, Australia • $28.99, BC Liquor Stores I have Wine Australia educator Mark Davidson to thank for this one. I admit that I haven’t been the biggest fan of Aussie Grenache in the past. After interviewing Davidson, I was inspired to reevaluate.Yangarra’s is beautifully scented with spice, cocoa and juicy raspberry notes. What really appeals to me though is the dry savoury tannin. Seriously good and deﬁnitely not a sweet “bubble gum” wine. The perfect pork partner.

2013 Howard Park, Flint Rock Chardonnay • Mount Barker, Australia • $29.99, BC Liquor Stores I have professed my love for Aussie Chard in the past.The problem to date is that there hasn’t been a ton to choose from.This is changing. I was able to wallow in plenty of examples in the tasting room, many of which will be making their way to BC soon. For immediate gratiﬁcation, I’ll be revisiting the Howard Park. Citrus blossom and honeydew melon on a mineral-y, steely backbone that begs comparison to Chablis. Oysters are highly appropriate.

Continued on next page

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8 W March 12 - 18, 2015

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Take-out poutine for your main meal, side dish, or a yummy after school treat.

tiger prawns might attest to. They’re delicious, though, served in a skillet with garlic, hints of chili ﬂakes, white wine and oil ($13).They’re also graced with sliced almonds; a crunchy, almost sweet counterpoint.The paella ($21), served in the Valencian style, also has the prawns, as well as mussels, earthy sausage and tender chicken.The heat on this dish is a little monotonous. More complexity and aromatics would elevate this from okay to excellent. A chocolate ﬂan ($8) was mediocre, but churros with hot chocolate ($8) were excellent, as was the sangria ($12 for a glass, $40 for a pitcher). It’s early days for the new team, but they seem to be on the right path. A little more polishing and this could potentially become one of the city’s most popular Spanish restaurants. W

GRAND OPENING

Over 40 kinds of poutine

1215 Davie St • 604-569-1215

skin, covering the almostcreamy ﬂesh. The bocadillos (small, fried sandwiches) are equally good, served with a simple microgreen salad. Rabbit ($7) is braised to perfection with dates and preserved lemon, while grilled beef tongue ($7) is paired with blue cheese and walnut bread for a lovely, rich snack. A feature one night of octopus salad ($10) was excellent.The perfectly grilled tentacle was served over romaine hearts studded with pomegranate, orange, crispy garlic chips and halved olives.The bomba ($8), lovely round croquettes of whipped potatoes around a smoky chorizo centre, were brilliant, served in a deeply ﬂavourful mojo picon (red pepper sauce). The website claims that the cuisine is based on that of coastal and “continental” Spanish cuisine, that which lies along the highway that leads you from Barcelona to Costa Brava (Salida 7 is the exit off the highway that takes you there). Seafood dishes are plentiful, but there are no claims to being Ocean Wise here, as the white

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We’re partnering with local wellness centres to offer 15-minute one-on-one consultations with a Naturopathic Doctor at various Choices Markets. Consults are free but registration by phone or in person is required. For full details, call the number listed with the host store or visit the Healthcare Department.

Tuesday, March 24, 4:00-6:00pm at Choices Yaletown, 1202 Richards St. • 604.633-2392 with Dr. Brandon Spletzer, ND, Sage Clinic Monday, March 30, 3:00-5:00pm at Choices Crest, 8683 10th Ave., Burnaby • 604.522-0936 with Dr. Charlene Chan, ND, RAc, Ray Clinic Westender.com

EAT // DRINK

CRAFT BEER

E XC E P T I O N A L I TA L I A N C U I S I N E

Stanley Park ain’t cool, but it’s craft Stephen Smysnuik The Growler

@StephenSmys

Let’s get this out of the way: There’s nothing cool about Stanley Park Brewing, nor is there anything that we commonly regard as “craft”: no tasting room, no growler fill station, no trendy hats for sale. This is not a mom ‘n’ pop shop. Stanley Park Brewing isn’t even really a brewery. It’s a brand of Turning Point Brewery, which also produces Hell’s Gate and is owned by the Mark Anthony Group, which also happens to own Mission Hill Winery, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Palm Bay and others. For the small group of (mostly) men that make up the beer writing community in BC, these are all grave transgressions that ensure Stanley Park is absolutely not craft beer. In his book Craft Beer Revolution, Joe Wiebe wrote, “[Stanley Park]’s all about marketing and connections baby, but definitely not about the beer.” This might’ve been the case at one time, but I’m not so sure anymore. In January, when I first met Jim Lister, general manager for Turning Point, he had recently been appointed chairman of the BC Craft Beer Guild.We chatted about Stanley Park’s reputation and he told me this story that, from his mouth, is one of unfortunate timing, missed opportunity and a Sisyphean slog for brand credibility. It goes like this:The Mark Anthony Group lost the Western Canadian Corona distribution contract, which they had for close to 30 years, to Molson.To fill that void in their business, the company decided to start a brewery.

Continued from page 8

2012 Château l’Hospitalet • La Clape Coteaux du Languedoc AOC, France • $26.99, BC Liquor Stores A nod to last year’s theme country and this year’s focus on Syrah/Shiraz. Here, Syrah joins forces with Grenache and Mourvèdre, the combo that Aussie’s based their GSM blends on. Simply oozing with Southern French character. Think smoked meat, grilled herbs, lavender, black olives and wild plums. Gutsy and mouth ﬁlling, it begs for game meat sausages.

2012 Vigneti Zabù, Il Passo Nerello Mascalese Nero d’Avola • Sicilia, Italy • $19.99, BC Liquor Stores Australia concluded the Festival by passing the baton to Italy. Check out Il Passo in anticipation of all the weird and wonderful grapes that will be

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This was in 2008. Molson hadn’t purchased Granville Island Brewery yet and Sleeman Brewery’s was the Canadian beer success story. Turning Point Brewery was created with a focus on packaged beer that would appeal to a mainstream beer drinker. They built a big facility on Annacis Island and planned for dramatic growth.Turning Point launched Hell’s Gate first, and followed up with Stanley Park Amber in 2009. Then Parallel 49 launched in 2012, which kicked off an unprecedented interest in new styles of beer and breweries. Suddenly, Stanley Park’s competing with a dozen new businesses that have tasting rooms and growler fill stations and a whole new business model that, given their size and corporate make up, Stanley Park couldn’t keep up with. “That was the most critical time,” Lister says. “That was when new breweries were opening, or everyone and their brother was planning to open one.We had taken our foot off the gas, to some degree, about staying current and on-trend.” What were these trends? Oh, y’know: • Small (or at least perceived to be) • Brewed locally (i.e., within stumbling distance) • Growler fills • Experimental in its approach to taste • A bit weird Stanley Park offered none of these things, and for 18 months before Lister joined the company, they faced an identity crisis.What kind of brewery did they want to be? They floundered. Lister has helped turn this around. Stanley Park’s goal is now to create approachable craft beer for people who aren’t completely immersed in it.

“There are early adopters and innovators that the fringe has to offer,” says David Devlin, Stanley Park’s director of marketing. “Then, there’s the next wave of people that are interested in what’s happening in craft [but also] interested in something they can trust.” Their approach is dictated by the 10,000-litre system in the brewhouse.They have to make a lot of beer to make a viable business. “If you don’t make beer that appeals to enough people, you’re not going to sell enough,” Lister says. “The more ﬂavourful that you make your beer, the less broad of an audience that you appeal to. There’s nothing wrong with that, that’s very attractive, but that’s only right for some brands. A brewery this size can’t sustain itself in a market the size of Canada if that’s all you do.” Turning Point’s facility on Annacis Island is a more corporate environment then I’m used to seeing in other “craft” breweries.They do market research and base their new beers on that research. They use the word “portfolio” when discussing their lineup of beers. None of this eliminates Stanley Park from being craft. It eliminates them from being perceived as “cool”, yes, but Lister says “cool” and “craft” are mutually exclusive terms. “Craft is a philosophy,” he says. “Craft is a belief. Craft is the village approach to beer.We don’t ship across the country.We don’t ship to Thailand.We’re not chasing volume for the sake of volume. We take our time.We age lagers that we make here as long as anyone in the industry.We do it right because we can and we think it’s the right thing to do.” W

commanding your attention next year. Supple and friendly, it brings together two of Sicilia’s ﬁnest: dark and rich ﬂagship variety

Nero d’Avola with herbscented and earthy Nerello Mascalese. This calls for an exotically-spiced meat stew. W

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Hy’s Steakhouse Whistler Jan’s on the Beach Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House La Pentola Las Margaritas The Little District Roadhouse Lolita’s “South of the Border” Cantina Maenam Mamie Taylor’s Match Eatery & Public House Meet on Main Nicli Antica Pizzeria Nicli’s Next Door Nook - Denman Nook - Kits The Observatory The Old Bavaria Haus P2B Bistro & Bar The Park

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March 12 - 18, 2015 W 9

EAT // DRINK vancouver.ca

Public Hearing on Amendments to Downtown Ofﬁcial Development Plan Vancouver City Council is considering changes to the Downtown Ofﬁcial Development Plan (DODP) that will help implement the Downtown Eastside Plan, West End Plan, Healthy City Strategy, and Housing and Homelessness Strategy.

have been aware that they were also affected. Council will consider the amendments at a public hearing following an expanded community notiﬁcation covering all of the DODP area as shown in the map.

The proposed changes to the DODP include but are not limited to:

Talk to a planner and learn more about the DODP at a public open house:

• substituting the term “social housing” for “low cost housing” and adding a deﬁnition for “secured market rental housing”, which would apply to all sites within the DODP boundary

Thursday, March 19, 2015, 4 -7 pm Vancouver Central Library, 350 West Georgia Street

• removing future residential uses and increasing commercial density in the Robson Village (‘Area E’) • allowing for increased height and density to provide social housing and secured market rental housing in the Victory Square area (‘Area C2’). Some of these changes were previously approved by Council in 2014; however, residents living or working outside of the West End and DTES plan areas may not

North Promenade

Council will consider the proposed amendments to the DODP at a Public Hearing: Tuesday, March 24, 2015, at 6 pm Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue Third Floor, Council Chamber Anyone is welcome to attend the Public Hearing. If you would like to speak at the meeting to present your comments or concerns, register starting 8:30 am on March 13 until 5 pm on March 24. REGISTER TO SPEAK AT THE HEARING: email: publichearing@vancouver.ca phone: 604-829-4238 in-person: 5:30 to 6 pm on day of Public Hearing You may also submit comments by email to mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca or to City of Vancouver, City Clerk’s Ofﬁce, 453 West 12th Avenue, Third Floor, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4. All comments will be distributed to Council and posted on the City’s website. Copies of the draft by-laws will be available for viewing starting March 13, 2015 at the City Clerk’s Ofﬁce in City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue, Third Floor, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm or at vancouver.ca/councilmeetings. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE AMENDMENTS: vancouver.ca/rezapps Holly Sovdi at 604-871-6330 or holly.sovdi@vancouver.ca FOR PUBLIC HEARING INFORMATION: vancouver.ca/publichearings

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10 W March 12 - 18, 2015

DINING OUT

Le Crocodile is one of two restaurants in Western Canada to be chosen to take part in the first-ever Goût de France, a global event celebrating and honouring French gastronomy. Mijune Pak photo

Goût de France at Le Crocodile Mijune Pak Follow Me Foodie

@FollowMeFoodie It’s often said that once you know how to cook French food, you can pretty much cook everything else. It’s a bold statement, which holds much truth. It is arguably the backbone to cooking. Master the art and technique of French cooking and you have the foundation to transfer the skills to other cuisines. Globally it is one of the most celebrated cuisines, but in Vancouver it’s undercelebrated. The tastes of the city tend to gravitate towards Italian, Asian (particularly Japanese), and local cuisine. And as much as I love all of the above, I wish there was more appreciation for French food. Sure, many cuisines are based on French techniques, since this is what the majority of professional cooking schools teach, but in terms of traditional French restaurants which are French through and through, the city has limited choices. There are maybe a handful of decent-to-good bistros, and less than that when it comes to French ﬁne dining. Vancouver is not much of a white tablecloth city, but it is still unfortunate that we lack options for it, considering France created “haute cuisine”. That being said, there is one white tablecloth ﬁne dining French restaurant that has withstood the test of time – the one and only Le Crocodile. For this reason and many more, is why it has been selected as one of two restaurants in Western Canada to celebrate the first-ever Goût de France

on Thursday, March 19. Organized by world-renowned culinary godfather, Alain Ducasse, and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Goût de France is a global event celebrating and honouring French gastronomy. Over 1,000 chefs have been selected around the world to host and simultaneously serve French dinners unique to their restaurant on this day. On this special onenight-only event, chef Michel Jacob of Le Crocodile will prepare a seven-course dinner featuring foie gras crème brûlée, bisque de homard parfumé au Cognac, choucroute au poisson velouté au Noilly Prat, canard confit et filet de veau aux truffes, fromages de France, sorbet poire, and crêpes Suzette. And to sweeten up the deal (as if it even needs it), the Consulate General of France in Vancouver, JeanChristophe Fleury, will generously offer exclusive champagne and wines from his personal cellar. He and other official representatives will be in attendance to indulge and toast to Goût de France. W Find out more about Mijune at FollowMeFoodie.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @followmefoodie.

GOÛT DE FRANCE When: 7pm, March 19 Where: Restaurant Le Crocodile, 100-909 Burrard (on Smithe) Cost: $120 per person, set menu all included Call: To reserve, call 604-669-4298

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March 12 - 18, 2015 W 11

ARTS // CULTURE

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MUSIC

Andrew Lee abandons indie rock guitars for Holy Hum LOUISE BURNS @_louiseburns_

“I’m not trying to make songs anymore” says Andrew Lee over a glass of red white at a busy Mount Pleasant watering hole. “I essentially hit record in the studio and recorded and wrote simultaneously. It’s mostly just me 100 per cent experimenting.” The soft spoken Lee is talking about Holy Hum, his new ambient, neo-classical project with rotating members and no musical boundaries, unlike his previous band of 15 years, In Medias Res. Holy Hum begins with an ending. In 2011, Lee’s father, an opera singer, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Lee was on tour when he found out, supporting what would be In Medias Res’ final album, the ominously titled ItWasWarm and Sunny WhenWe First Set Out. He cancelled the remaining shows and flew out to the prairies to be by his father’s side. In the final days, Lee would play composer Ralph Vaughn William’s piece “The Lark Ascending” on his cellphone to drown out the omnipresent humming of the hospital machines, a near unbearable sound when combined with neon hospital lights and the presence of death. These quiet, sombre moments were the beginning of a new chapter for Lee, one that would have him changing his musical path, and leading toward discovering his own cultural identity. “I wanted to figure out [where I came from],” says Lee. “My parents are both Korean, and I didn’t know anything about that culture. I grew up in mainly in Vancouver.” Lee returned to Vancouver after his father’s death and began working on new music, this time with a different state of mind and plate of influences. He immersed himself

in Korean music, classical and ambient – far from his indie post-rock roots. “I think I had a moment with electric guitar, where I saw it as this thing that was representative of rebellious white males. It had this really masculine, aggressive association with it,” says Lee of his previous incarnation as an indie-rock guitarist in In Medias Res. “When I had this sort of return to my culture and my heritage, I realized that I really don’t identify with that.” A friend loaned Lee records of ‘70s Korean psych music, “heartfelt is a good way to describe it”, and he sourced out his own as well, having his Eureka moment after seeing a photo of a man playing the gayaguem, a traditional Korean zither-instrument that looks a bit like a pedal steel placed on the ﬂoor. “I saw an image of it, and I thought, holy shit, that’s me! I sort of play it like they play it, unconventionally, though it is traditional for them.” Soon, after months of experimentation, Holy Hum was born. Featuring former members of In Medias Res, Rob Tornroos and Ryan Flowers, Holy Hum’s introduction came by way of a mysterious 18-minute documentary-like video of Lee and his band, composing dark soundscapes in the studio of Phil Elverum’s (Mount Eerie) studio in Anacortes, WA. A few months later, Appendix C was released, Holy Hum’s hour-long debut. To call it “ambient” music would be an over-simpliﬁcation. It is an aural monomyth, calling the listener to adventure with celestial synthesizers, initiating the unknown with a thundering cello and arpeggiated low notes, and the crossing of the return threshold of shimmering string pads, leaving the listener feeling like he or she has been somewhere, or learned something. Its working title was “The Lark

REVIEWS // TOBIAS JESSO JR.

Goon (Arts & Crafts)

The elusive, ﬂoppy-haired Tobias Jesso Jr. has a story of mythical proportions. A few years ago, he left a failed music career attempt in Los Angeles and moved back in with his parents in North Vancouver. After tinkering around on his sister’s keyboard, he channeled his defeat into song, which he then emailed to former Girls member JR White. Soon, he was signed to an American indie and the biggest breakout star of 2015. His debut album Goon

12 W March 12 - 18, 2015

begins with the sombre ballad “Can’t Stop Thinking About You”, where Jesso does his best Harry Nilsson or even late ‘70s Elton John. “How Could You Babe” is a triumphant blue-eyed soul ballad, and “Crocodile Tears” is served with a side of McCartney-irony as he fake-cries his way through

Ryan Flowers Photo Ascending and Descending”, a reference to the Ralph Vaughn Williams piece he had played repeatedly back in the hospital. “I wanted to write a composition that could have the same affect, but my own version of it. If you listen to the Ralph William’s song, you’ll probably see some of the similarities.” Lee hopes to tour Asia with Holy Hum later this year, and is working on new music with his good friend and musical collaborator, the artist formerly known as Dirty Beaches, Alex Zhang Hungtai. “Two guitars and two

synths, and he put samples in of found street-scape sounds from Shanghai, and I incorporated sounds from a Seoul subway,” Lee explains. “It’s this meshing of metropolitan centres in Asia with synths and guitars. It’s a bit difﬁcult to listen to…” On March 13, Holy Hum will perform as one of several acts for Quiet City, a series of deep-listening concerts at Skylight Gallery, a typical venue for Lee, who opts for alternative spaces instead of clubs to perform in.You can expect a glorious evening of opalescent soundscapes, the surfacing of repressed

the hammering piano chords. There is something magical about hitting rock bottom. Desperation runs dry, ambition takes a hike, and in this glorious moment of surrender, the best art is often made. Tobias Jesso Jr. has arrived in a ﬂurry of blue-boy pop and balladry, creating one of the most heartfelt debuts of the year. –Louise Burns

and The Beige have come together to form Vancouver’s latest supergroup, a surrealist root rock band who go by the name Sun Belt. The name itself implies Southern geography, so it comes as no surprise that their debut album, Cabalcor, is a southern gothic narrative about a ﬁctitious town of the same name. In a press release, we are told that Cabalcor is a tar sands “mythical boomtown” that slowly fell into desert desolation. The album begins with “Fort Iquique”, a 27-second instrumental swell that leads into “Country of Madmen”. Tremolo guitar, Tejano rhythms and peaking

Rating: ★★★★★

SUN BELT

Cabalcor (Offseason Records) Members of Fond of Tigers, Neko Case’s backing band

emotions, and if you’re really lucky, a smattering of Holy Hum’s increasingly elder fan base, one that makes his eyes light up to talk about. “I’m always surprised at the type of response I get,” he says. “[At CBC last year], I did a set of ambient music. I have never had so much response from people who are clearly retired or elderly. I always try to appeal to a wide audience, but I didn’t expect THAT wide!” Holy Hum is the art of catharsis, the sound of creative freedom and great music to feel to. But if you ask Lee, he may tell you otherwise.

organs could sound right at home in the latest popcultural reference point du jour, True Detective, or a Calexico B-side (the album was mixed by the latter’s longtime collaborator Craig Schumacher). Rick Maddocks’ voice has an inherent yearning to it. Lines like, “Nobody left

“I’m always trying to push myself and create new ways of expressing my ideas and emotions, and I feel like I’m always pushing against my limitations.When it’s done, I have a hard time deciding what it is. I don’t see this bullseye I’m going to hit, I’m just shooting into the air.” W

QUIET CITY

• Holy Hum appears with Coppice (USA), Phonal, Ruhlmann & Clément, and Journeymann Trax, March 13 at the Skylight Gallery, 163 East Pender.

in this town goes outside alone now” (“Champion The Wonder Horse”) and, “Loved ones’ faces fading” (“Pale Destroyer”) are classic country melodrama. There are stories in every whispery slide of Paul Rigby’s pedal steel, and Stephen Lyon’s feathery drums bring to mind the style of Jim White (Dirty Three). While some songs do tend to blend into each other, the style of music they are working with is forgiving. This is an ambitious, well executed album, and a reminder of what great talent lies in this city. –Louise Burns Rating: ★★★★★

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FILM & TV

Inside Storyhive

Joely Collins’ Coded one of 15 web series pilots competing for full season funding Sabrina Furminger Reel People @Sabrinarmf

Funding is an ongoing issue for independent filmmakers. It’s the source of headaches, heartache, and a critical ingredient that can transform a solid idea into a bona-fide hit. In Canada, the scant funding that’s available to filmmakers seems arduous to access – and there simply isn’t enough cash in the coffers to breathe cinematic life into all of the worthy ideas out there just begging to be born. But independent filmmakers and their partners are getting creative. No one had really considered crowd funding as a viable financing source up until five years ago, and now it’s par for the course. Locally, filmmaking initiatives like Crazy8s are kickstarting creativity. In 2014, TELUS threw its hat into the filmmaking fray with Storyhive, a community-driven competition that marries the crowd aspect of crowd funding with access to corporate cash. Last year, Storyhive awarded 10 grants of $10,000 each to BC filmmakers so they could make their short films. The films ended up being broadcast on TELUS’ Optik network. This year, Storyhive has set its sights on the web series world. More than 100 filmmakers pitched their ideas for a web series via the Storyhive web site.

REVIEWS // MISS JULIE

Starring Jessica Chastain, Colin Farrell Directed by Liv Ullmann This latest screen adaptation of August Strindberg’s revered stage play may transpose the 1890-era action from France to Ireland but the sensibility that guides it remains distinctly Scandinavian. Aspects of Ingmar Bergman and Lars von Trier are clearly evident in the ﬁlm’s focus on cruelty and the corruptive power of control. Regrettably, writer/director Liv Ullmann – Bergman’s one-time muse and paramour who hasn’t directed a ﬁlm

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The community (AKA the crowd) voted; 15 were given $10,000 to produce a pilot. Now, it’s up to the crowd to decide which of the 15 pilots will receive $50,000 to film a full season. Coded is one such project. The brainchild of educator Steve Neufeld, Coded tells the story of a new teacher (played by Jarod Joseph) tasked with teaching five students who have been coded by the school system for their severe emotional and cognitive disorders. Coding is a practice that exists in various regions across the country, and while not an autobiographical piece, Coded does draw upon Neufeld’s experiences in Alberta classrooms. Coded gives a voice to otherwise underrepresented children, says Joely Collins, the veteran actress (Madison) and producer (Becoming Redwood) who wears both hats in the pilot. “There are a lot of kids really suffering with different things that get filtered through the education system without the proper support and care, and so I think as much as this is a fictional series, it also brings an important issue to the surface of something that we want to be addressing,” says Collins, who portrays a vice-principal intent on making the new teacher’s life difficult. Although the goal with Coded is to create episodic content akin to television, Collins and her team have had to adapt to the viewing habits of the World Wide Web. “When you’re dealing with the web, you’ve got to grab people’s attentions quickly,” says Collins. “You don’t have the luxury of maybe developing something the way you would see it on TV. The slow build doesn’t work as well on

the web.” Not to say that they didn’t put their best foot forward just because it’s for the web. Coded’s pilot episode is directed by none other than renowned veteran director Gary Harvey. “Gary puts so much thought into every detail, and when he directs, he builds these layers,” raves Collins. “He really knows what he’s looking for, and he cares so much. He brings so much to the table. It’s an absolute joy to watch him work.” Coded wasn’t the ﬁrst time Collins has collaborated with Harvey. “It’s funny, because I played the character of Rachel when we worked together on Madison back in the ‘90s, and now I’m back in school again with Gary, and my character’s name is Rachel,” laughs Collins. “We’ve come full circle.” School and learning were big topics of conversation over the three days in February when cameras rolled on Coded, and not just because of the content of the script. The cast and crew sheets boasted a healthy mix of veteran and emerging talent. At times, says Collins, it really did feel like school was in session. “We got to bring together veterans in the industry and emerging ﬁlmmakers and creators in the industry, and it was a great opportunity for them to really learn so much more,” she says. “They say if you want to learn how to make a movie, go make a movie. The best classroom is being on set and doing it.” W

since 2000’s Faithless – brings few interesting visual ideas to her rendering of this chamber drama. Beyond the constant use of close-ups, there are few cinematic qualities to be glimpsed here. The tight framing is intended to further reinforce just how conﬁned Ullmann’s players are despite the palatial home they inhabit. Much of this can be attributed to class, of course. Aristocratic Miss Julie (Jessica Chastain) is so concerned with such matters that she’d rather euthanize her pet pug than have it bear the pups of a mongrel. Accordingly, she teases and ﬂirts with her valet John (Colin Farrell) in a borderline sadistic manner, almost like a child

might poke a worm with a stick. However, once they succumb to their baser urges, the tables quickly turn, with John suddenly empowered and conducting himself like a scoundrel. Chastain aspires to Charlotte Gainsbourg-level anguish here, while Farrell employs those fulsome eyebrows to evoke a tormented Victorian-era Muppet. However their committed performances only enhance the sense that this is a dutiful exercise rather than an inspired one. As the slack sexual tension segues to histrionics, this two-hander fails to ever really grip viewers much less have its way with them. –CurtisWoloschuk

Storyhive voting runs until March 29. View all of the pilots and vote at Storyhive.com/ web-series.

Top: Jarod Joseph as Shae. Bottom: Rada Pop as Kitten. Robin Macdonald Photos

MERCHANTS OF DOUBT

Directed by Robert Kenner Disturbing, thought-provoking, infuriating – these are just some of the ways to describe Robert Kenner’s latest documentary, Merchants of Doubt. At times, the incendiary ﬁlm peels back the layers and exposes some disturbing truths behind a group of charismatic and silver-tongued pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientiﬁc authorities and comment on a range of controversial topics including climate change, pharmaceuticals and toxic pollution. On the other hand, Kenner’s damn-

ing examination of media and spin sometimes spirals aimlessly and casts dire warnings we’ve heard about for years now. Thankfully, the ﬁlmmaker wisely sprinkles a fair share of delusional pseudo-experts, opportunistic bureaucrats and genuine journalists, who are actually willing to dig a little deeper, throughout the ﬁlm to keep it immensely engaging. Merchants of Doubt features a framing device that introduces the viewer to renowned sleight-of-hand illusionist Jamy Ian Swiss as he reveals how several of his tricks are executed by distracting the eyes of his audience. It’s a clever paral-

lel to the kinds of trickery employed by decades of think tanks and public relations firms perpetuated by the likes of the tobacco industry, big oil and climate change debunkers. Although the film is constantly poignant, it often becomes pigeon-holed as Kenner sometimes seems more concerned with an entertaining talking head than shedding light on a hot-button issue by providing clearcut, factual information. Definitive answers are hard to come by in Merchants of Doubt but the degree of facepalm-inducing propaganda spewed by the spin doctors it exposes is staggering. –Thor Diakow

March 12 - 18, 2015 W 13

ARTS // CULTURE

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WHAT’S ON Th/12

Fr/13

The Arrogant Worms, March 13

Sa/14

Su/15

Mo/16

MUSIC

THE DODOS American indie rockers from San Fran on tour in support of their latest release Individ with special guests Springtime Carnivore. 9pm at Fortune Sound Club. Tickets $16 at Red Cat, Zulu and BPLive. ElectroStub.com

WHITE NOISE FEAT. FIGGY American house/disco/R&B producer, on tour in support of his latest EP, Missing You with special guests Pat Lok, Wmnstudies and Shaunic. 10pm at Electric Owl. Tickets $10 at Red Cat, Zulu, Beat Street and TicketWeb.ca

CHICK COREA AND HERBIE HANCOCK The Grammy award winning keyboard legends co-headline this show, one of only two Canadian stops on their first tour as a duo since 1978. 7pm at Chan Shun Concert Hall. SOLD OUT.

APRIL VERCH Traditional Canadian fiddler, step dancer, and singer-songwriter appears as part of Celtic Fest with special guests Elsay. 8pm at Orpheum Annex. Tickets $25 at NorthernTickets. com or $30 at the door.

TRASH TALK AND RATKING California hardcore band on tour in support of No Peace shares the bill with NYC hip hop group on tour in support of So It Goes. 8pm at Korean Hall. Tickets $17.50 at Red Cat, Zulu, Beat Street and TicketWeb.ca

THE ARROGANT WORMS Musical comedy trio from Kingston, ON on tour in support of SPACE. 8pm at St. James Hall. Tickets $32 at Highlife, Red Cat, Prussin Music, Rufus’ Guitars and RogueFolk. bc.ca

DAN MANGAN & BLACKSMITH Juno award winning Vancouver based singer-songwriter celebrates the release of his upcoming studio album with back to back shows with special guests Hayden and Astral Swans. 8pm at Vogue Theatre. Tickets at Tickets.NorthernTickets.com. All ages show.

DIWAN SAZ Performing ancient music from Asia, Turkey, Persia and the Holy Land in five languages with elements of dance and folktales featuring saz and baglama musician Yohai Barak. 7:30pm at Norman & Anne Rothstein Theatre. Tickets $36 at ChutzpahFestival.com

THE FOGGY HOGTOWN BOYS Toronto based bluegrass/roots/ blues ensemble play tunes from their latest release Animals, Insects, and People. 8pm at ANZA Club. Tickets $25 at the door.

THEATRE/DANCE SNAKESKINS A multi-media, poly-sensorial experience, Montreal’s premiere dance company, Par B. Leux presents a provocative meditation on new growth through the shedding of old skin. 8pm at Roundhouse Community Centre. Tickets at VIDF.ca SHAKESPEAREAN RHAPSODY The Carousel Theatre for Young People stages this magical introduction to Shakespeare with the tales of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest full of comedy, tragedy, magic, and zaniness for young audiences. 2pm at The Waterfront Theatre. Tickets at Tickets.CarouselTheatre.ca. Runs until March 29.

ART THE BOX OF TREASURES: GIFTS FROM THE SUPERNATURAL A collection of sacred masks and regalia revealing beings from the forest, sea and supernatural realm created for Kwakwaka’wakw potlatches by artist and traditional Chief Beau Dick, Gigame Walis Gyiyam and other master carvers. 11am-5pm at Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. Runs until Sept. 27.

CHEAP & FUN BEGINNER GUITAR CLASSES Learn basic chords, strumming patterns and play along with others at the same level. 12:30pm at the Gathering Place Community Centre. Drop in is free, runs every Thursday until April 2.

CARNIVAL An evening with celebrated cellist Ariel Barnes in a rich and lively program spanning over a century, including the work of Sokolovic, Hindemith and a premiere of a work by Jocelyn Morlock. 8pm at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. Tickets $38 at TurningPointEnsemble.ca ANTI-FLAG Political punk-rockers from Boston celebrate 10 years of The Terror State playing the album in its entirety. 7pm at Venue. Tickets $22 at Red Cat, Zulu and VenueLive.ca JASPER SLOAN YIP An intimate, acoustic set by the Vancouver alt-folk-pop singer/songwriter showcasing his upcoming album featuring Stephanie Chatman and Devon Kroeger on violin. 8pm at Skinny Fat Jack’s. VANCOUVER WELSH MEN’S CHOIR With glorious voices steeped in the rich Welsh vocal tradition, VWMC present a repertoire of folk songs, spirituals, show tunes and Canadiana. 7:30pm at Christ Church Cathedral. Tickets $24 at NorthernTickets.com. All ages show. A TRIBUTE TO BARBRA STREISAND Multi-platinum singer, composer and stage actor Ann Hampton Callaway joins conductor John Morris Russell and the VSO in a musical portrait of the most celebrated singer of our time singing timeless classics from five decades of a multi-faceted career. 8pm at Orpheum Theatre. Tickets at VancouverSymphony.ca

THE BOOM BOOMS Vancouver’s tightest, smoothest, sexiest soul and funk band take the stage in support of Love Is Overdue. 9pm at The Imperial. Tickets $15 at Highlife, Beat Street, Zulu, Red Cat and TicketWeb.ca

COMEDY PHIL HANLEY Vancouver-bred comic with a featured segment on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and screenwriting credits for Don Knotts’ final film brings his unpredictably reflective, razor sharp, traditional joke-telling to the stage. 8pm & 10:30pm at The Comedy Mix. Tickets $18 at TheComedyMix.com

SHRED KELLY Fernie, BC based band on tour in support of their latest release Sing To The Night. 8pm at Electric Owl. Tickets $12 at TicketWeb.ca SPIRIT OF THE WEST Canadian alternative rock band famous for their blend of hard rock, Brit pop and Celtic folk. 8:30pm at Commodore Ballroom. Tickets $34.50 at Ticketmaster.ca or LiveNation.com IMPULSE The Elektra Women’s Choir joins forces with Canada’s leading percussionist Beverley Johnston for one performance only premiering a new suite for marimba by Ontario composer Timothy Corlis. 7:30pm at Ryerson United Church. Tickets $32.25 at TicketsTonight.TicketForce.com

THEATRE/DANCE

COMEDY

CAT KILLER A daring theatrical experience blending live theatre with guided video technology examining the true “tail” of the disappearance of 400 cats in the early ‘90s. 6:30pm & 9pm at Presentation House Theatre. Tickets at PHTheatre.org. Runs until March 15.

ALLYSON SMITH Former high school teacher turned stand up comedian brings her sassy blend of in-your-face comedy and hilarious insightful commentary. 7pm & 9:30pm at Yuk Yuk’s. Tickets $20 at YuksYuks.com

ART A TRIBUTE TO DAVID SUZUKI As he celebrates his 79th year and enters his 80th, this show features art celebrating the man, the myth, the legend, our environmental hero, tireless academic and activist. Opening reception 7-11pm at Hot Art Wet City. Admission is free.

EVENTS CELTIC FEST An expanded festival in its 11th year promises twelve event filled days of music, dance, family fun, spectacle and discovery complete with a theatre production, whiskey tasting, St. Paddy’s day parade and a tribute to The Pogues. Various venues across Vancouver until March 17. Info at CelticFestVancouver.com

THEATRE/DANCE THE MOUNTAINTOP Dr. Martin Luther King’s last night on earth in a Memphis hotel is re-imagined in this lively drama that looks both to the past and the present. 2pm & 8pm at Granville Island Stage. Tickets at ArtsClub.com. Closing performance. MOZART & SALIERI David Newham’s adaptation of Pushkin’s classic is the story is told through the eyes of one composer and his struggle to accept his own artistic limitations in the shadow of the world’s greatest composer. 8pm at Jericho Arts Centre. Tickets at TicketsTonight.ca. Closing performance.

Delhi 2 Dublin, March 15

THROUGH YOUR THROAT A program of new works for the unique instrumentation of solo flute and spoken text featuring four pieces by young composers commissioned by Boston-based flutist Leia Slosberg. 8pm at Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre (SFU Woodward’s). Tickets $10 at the door.

COMEDY DELHI 2 DUBLIN Vancouver Bhangra world group deliver their electrifying brand of Celtic and world rhythms with guests Troy McGillivray and Kimberly Fraser. 8pm at The Imperial. Tickets $20 at NorthernTickets. com or $30 at the door.

THEATRE/DANCE DYLAN THOMAS 100 PERFORMANCE A special birthday celebration for beloved Welsh poet and writer is a one-man play interspersed with folk songs, honouring Dylan’s life, poetry and legacy featuring Damon Calderwood in the lead role. 3-4:30pm at Tom Lee Music Hall. Admission is free.

EVENTS ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE Celtic Fest’s jewel, the 11th annual celebration weaves through downtown with marching pipe and drum bands, celtic music groups, acrobats, drill teams and Irish and Scottish youth dance troupes. 11am along Howe to Georgia.

CHEAP & FUN CHINATOWN MALL The ongoing pop up market is back, providing a platform for streetwear enthusiasts to discover and support emerging fashion designers, brands, artists and collectors. 12-8pm at Fortune Sound Club. Admission $2.

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

THEATRE/DANCE SISTER JUDY A popular university theology professor is rocked when a brilliant new student challengers her notions of love and devotion. 7:30pm at Revue Stage. Tickets at ArtsClub.com. Runs until March 21.

EVENTS SEA MONSTERS REVEALED: THE EXHIBITION The Canadian premiere of the groundbreaking exhibition uses the revolutionary polymer preservation technique to reveal dissected bodies of the fascinating creatures of the deep sea. 10am-5pm at the Vancouver Aquarium. Runs until Sept. 7. Included with admission. SPANISH READING CIRCLE Discuss the books you know and love in friendly setting while brushing up on Spanish with other speakers of all levels. 6:308:30pm at VPL Central Branch. Admission is free.

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14 W March 12 - 18, 2015

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ARTS // CULTURE

MUSIC

TYCHO San Fran based ambient artist and producer, on tour to support his latest release Awake with special guest Shigeto. 9:30pm at Commodore Ballroom. Tickets $25 at Red Cat, Zulu and Ticketmaster.ca

AMANDA PALMER & FRIENDS FROM TED A night of random music, ideas and mayhem to benefit the Vancouver Food Bank. 9pm at Vogue Theatre. Tickets $20 at Red Cat, Zulu, Highlife and Tickets.NorthernTickets.com

LIMBLIFTER Canadian alternative rockers of ‘90s fame appear in support of their upcoming release Pacific Milk with special guests The Passenger and Invisible Ray. 8pm at Biltmore Cabaret. Tickets $15 at Red Cat, Zulu and TicketWeb.ca

Electric Six, March 17

THEATRE/DANCE TRANSMIGRATION A visually raw and engaging story inspired by the life and paintings of iconic Ojibwe shaman-aritst Norval Morrisseau, celebrating his visual language through dance, music and design. 8pm at Historic Theatre. Tickets at Tickets.TheCultch. com. Runs until March 21. VIRTUAL SOLITAIRE The story of a tech addict who can no longer tell the difference between his virtual reality and his real life exposes a larger truth about technology’s advancements and power of isolation, disconnection and addiction. 9pm at Studio 1398 (Granville Island). Tickets at VancouverFringe.com

ART SHIPS AND THE SEA An exhibition of beautiful marine paintings by Chi-Ming Yeung, whose work is inspired by growing up with views of the Hong Kong harbour. 10am-5pm at Vancouver Maritime Museum. Tickets at VancouverMaritimeMuseum.com

THE WHIPPING MAN The Civil War has come to a bloody end and on the eve of Passover, a critically wounded Confederate soldier returns to his ruined home, where two family slaves await, and the three men must sort through the sordid legacy of slavery. 8pm at Pacific Theatre. Tickets at Tickets.PacificTheatre. org. Runs until March 21.

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.

EVENTS METRO VANCOUVER TRANSIT REFERENDUM Award-winning writer of urban issues, Frances Bula, is joined by other Langara College faculty to speak on issues regarding the referendum. 2:304pm at Langara College Room A130. Admission is free.

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM American punk rockers from New Jersey, on tour in support of Get Hurt with special guests Northcote and Sammy Kay. 9:30pm at Commodore Ballroom. Tickets $32.50 at Ticketmaster.ca and LiveNation.com ALTAN Rogue veterans and traditional Irish musicians, play everything from touching old Celtic songs to stirring jigs and reels in honour of everyone’s favourite Irish holiday. 7pm at Centennial Theatre. Tickets $34 at Prussin Music and Tickets. CentennialTheatre.com

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WHERE EXCITEMENT LIVES

101 PIANISTS WITH LANG LANG One hundred hand-picked VSO music students will double up on 50 pianos for an open Masterclass and performance of Schubert and Brahm conducted by Maestro Bramwell Tovey accompanied by Lang Lang. 3:30pm at Orpheum Theatre. Tickets $20 at VancouverSymphony.ca

THE COMPETITION IS FIERCE Itsazoo Productions presents this story of two white collar workers as they battle for a high stakes raise and the affections of a rebellious female co-worker. 8pm at Shop Theatre at Renegade Studios. Tickets at BrownPaperTickets.com. Runs until March 22.

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA Internationall acclaimed Mexican acoustic rock guitar duo, on tour in support of their release 9 Dead Alive with special guest Zach Heckendorf. 8pm at Vogue Theatre. Tickets $30 at Red Cat, Zulu, Highlife and Tickets. NorthernTickets.com. All ages show.

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ELECTRIC SIX Detroit rockers play a St. Patty’s show with special guests the Mandevilles and Jack Mercer & the Whiskey Bandits. 8pm at The Imperial. Tickets $20 at Red Cat, Zulu, Scrape, Highlife and TicketWeb.ca

THEATRE/DANCE PULL FEST IV Kayvon Kelly and Pippa Mackie host the return of the ever popular 10-minute play festival featuring directors Mack Gordon, Genevieve Fleming and Kelly. 8pm at Little Mountain Gallery. Tickets $8 at the door.

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COMEDY PETE ZEDLACHER Two-time Gemini award-nominated comedian, and past winner of the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male stand up who currently writes for CBC’s The Debaters and The Ron James Show. 8:30pm at The Comedy Mix. Tickets $15 at TheComedyMix.com

THEATRE/DANCE VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE A delightful new farce for our hyper-connected era shows us just how funny unhappiness can be in this witty mash-up of Chekhov characters and smart phones. 8pm at Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. Tickets at ArtsClub.com

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ST. PAT’S

St. Patrick’s Day Guide THURSDAY, MARCH 12

THE WEIR Standing Room Only Theatre presents the inaugural theatrical event of Celtic Fest with Conor McPherson’s award-winning play, the story of a group of locals at a rural Irish pub discussing life, love and what it all means when a new girl in town spooks them all. 8pm at The Roadhouse. Matinee performance March 14, 2pm at Billy Bishop Legion.

FRIDAY, MARCH 13 ST. PAT’S PRE-PARTY Start the weekend with a fabulous Irish Lunch or swing by after work for Happy Hour Irish cocktails (noon-8pm). Irish rock sensations, The Vagabonds take the stage at 9pm and DJ S#arpe spins Celtic, rock, top 40 and electronic late into the night. At The Blarney Stone, 216 Carrall St. VANCOUVER WELSH MEN’S CHOIR The glorious voices of the VWMC, steeped in rich Welsh vocal tradition present a repertoire of folk songs, spirituals, show tunes and Canadiana with special guests, The De Danaan Irish Dancers. 7:30pm at Christ Church Cathedral. Tickets $25 at NorthernTickets.com. All ages welcome.

SATURDAY, MARCH 14 ST. PATRICK’S DAY 5K Don your very best greens and race in this flat and fast 5k race in scenic Stanley Park to support the Canadian Diabetes Association. Awards for best times, best costumes and an after party at Granville Island Brewery with delicious grub, DJ and lots of fun! 9:30am at Stanley Park Pavillion. Visit StPatricks5K. com for info/registering. IRISH BRUNCH The Blarney Stone hosts an Irish brunch complete with Irish caesars, a happy hour menu until 6pm, live music from Irish Celtic Rock band, The Unusu-

al Suspects, sing-a-long favourites from DJ Steel, Irish and Scottish dancers, pipes and drums. 11am6pm at 216 Carrall St.

CELTIC VILLAGE Celebrate Celtic music, dance, culture and spirit all weekend long in the Celtic Village with live music, kid’s face painting and dramatic sword play, the street market and fiddle workshops at Tom Lee Music Hall. 11am-6pm on Granville St. downtown. Open 10am-5:30pm on Sunday. A VERY VCBW CELEBRATION OF QUESTIONABLE IRISH HERITAGE This year skip the green beer and join 20+ craft breweries in their quest to do St. Patty’s right at the Maritime Labour Centre. The legendary Railtown Prophets will set the tone by performing Irish party classics alongside VCBW favourite DJ Hebegebe. Tickets include a four-ounce taster glass, non-stop entertainment, and an evening of beer samples. Partial proceeds will go towards the Vancouver Firefighters’ Charitable Society. Tickets $49 at TicketZone.com ST. PATRICK’S DAY BASH The WISE Hall welcomes back Vancouver’s best Pogues tribute band, the eight-piece ensemble, Shane’s Teeth along with new-comers, The Bad Beats for every beer lover’s favourite holiday party. Presented by Live at the WISE, a venue steeped in the traditions of the UK, the only place to be for St. Pat’s. Get your tickets now, this bash sells out every year. 8pm at WISE Hall. Tickets $15 at The WISE Lounge, Red Cat, Highlife and BrownPaperTickets.com CELTIC FEST CEILIDH The beating heart of Celtic Fest, a reeling, rollicking good time with a line-up of Celtic gold including Vancouver’s own, The Paperboys, fiddling duo Mark Sullivan & Andy Hillhouse and Fasta. 8pm at The Imperial. Tickets $25 at Tickets.NorthernTickets.com

SUNDAY, MARCH 15 ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE The 11th anniversary of Celtic Fest’s largest and most popular free event follows a route starting on Howe and Davie, winding its way north to Georgia, culminating at Georgia and Granville. Award-winning pipe and drum bands, Celtic musicians, Scottish and Irish dancers, acrobats and stilt walkers are just some of the sights to see, but be prepared for crowds! Festival organizers anticipate 200,000 spectators to fill downtown. 11am at Howe and Davie.

MONDAY, MARCH 16 ST. PATRICK’S DAY EVE Be the first to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day when the clock strikes 12 with an evening of traditional Irish Dancers, live celt/folk/rock with The Sheets and a countdown with a balloon drop to usher in the good ‘ol luck o’ the Irish! 7pm at The Blarney Stone.

TUESDAY, MARCH 17 ST. PATRICK’S DAY STREET PARTY The entire 200-block of Carrall Street

is shut down for this one! It all starts with a St. Pat’s Brunch from 9amnoon with live music all day including street performances by Danny Bhoy, The Sheets and the legendary Killarney. DJ, Steel spins tunes while Irish and Scottish dancers entertain with pipes and drums, circus performers dazzle and kids get free balloons and face painting. 9am at The Blarney Stone. All ages event until 6pm. 18TH ANNUAL IRISH HEATHER ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION Hoist a pint at Vancouver’s only Irish-owned bar and indulge in the classic dishes of Irish fare – think hearty pot pies, fish & chips, bangers & mash. Irish pipers and dancers entertain crowds throughout the evening and “Baby Heather” across the street opens space for drinks while waiting for a table for dinner. Needless to say, reservations are recommended. reso@irishheather.com. 11:30am at The Irish Heather. SHAMROCK SHENANIGANS Fun for the whole family, come out and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with stories, songs and crafts. 2pm at VPL Central Branch. Admission is free.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PUB CRAWL Hop on the party bus and hit up all the best St. Patty’s Day parties Vancouver has to offer. Your pass allows you to cut the line, beat the cover charge and head home with party favours and prizes from costumes contests, so don’t forget to wear green! 7pm at The Pint Public House. Tickets are $25 at ClubZone.com ELECTRIC SIX Detroit rockers headline this shamrockin’ party with The Mandevilles and Jack Mercer & The Whiskey Bandits. 8pm at The Imperial. Tickets $20 at Red Cat, Zulu, Highlife, Scrape and TicketWeb.ca

SATURDAY, MARCH 21 CELTIC CONNECTIONS Internationally renowned and celebrated Indian tabla master Zakir Hussain fuses the musical styles of

Indian and Celtic traditions with an eclectic ensemble of musicians playing fiddle, bansuri and violin in a stunning blend of tones native to regions worlds apart. 8pm at Chan Centre (UBC). Tickets $36 at ChanCentre.com

ALL MONTH LONG DONNELLY GROUP ESTABLISHMENTS will be offering shots of Jameson whiskey for $5 and Guinness pints for $6, all month long. With every Jameson shot purchased up until St. Patrick’s Day, patrons will be entered to win a trip to Ireland. Ballots will be drawn at the Lamplighter Pub in Gastown on March 17. All participants must be at the Lamplighter in order to remain eligible (located at 92 Water Street). DonnellyGroup.ca W

Global Dance Connections series Serge Bennathan Les Productions Figlio March 26-28 Presented with Chutzpah!PLUS

Photo credit: Les Productions Figlio photo by Michael Slobodian

Discover Dance! series

16 W March 12 - 18, 2015

JC Dance Co March 12 Arts Umbrella Dance Company April 23 Aché Brasil May 14

International Dance Day April 29

12 Minutes Max June 12

thedancecentre.ca MEDIA SPONSORS Discover Dance!

Global Dance Connections

PRESENTATION PARTNER

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LIFESTYLES //

@WESTENDERVAN

HEALTH Patty Javier Gomez Whole Nourishment

@WholeNourishBC Inflammation is a symptom I know a little too well, thanks to digestive problems I was unaware I was suffering from for most of my life. But I am not alone: Inflammation affects all of us, whether it’s acute or chronic. Inflammation is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong and you should probably pay attention. It’s the body’s healing response that brings more nourishment and more immune activity to an area of injury or infection.We all recognize inflammation topically as redness, swelling and pain or discomfort. But just like most things in our body that are meant to heal us, when inflammation becomes chronic, it becomes a problem and can lead to various illnesses like heart disease and cancer. Now, topical inflammation is easy to identify, but it becomes a bit complicated when it’s internal because you don’t necessarily see it. However, the one obvious indication is pain, especially if it’s a constant occurrence. Inflammation inside the body can be the result of many things, from unhealthy habits like smoking, alcohol, dairy, caffeine, hydrogenated fats and processed foods to autoimmune diseases. There are many ways that inflammation can affect your health, and it can have a positive and negative affect in your body. Positive in the sense that it helps your body respond

GINGER

Not only good for settling digestive upsets and making a delicious tea. Ginger reduces inflammation similar to turmeric. It has been specially known to reduce pain associated to arthritis. Onions and garlic are great for fighting inflammation. Thinkstock photo to stress, but negative when the constant inflammation leaves your body susceptible to illness and disease. So it’s a good idea to keep it in check so your body only has inflammation when its needed. Think of it as salt; a pinch is a delicious, necessary thing but too much has ghastly consequences on your health.

ONIONS AND GARLIC

Onions are full of an antioxidant called quercetin that help your body fight inflammation and garlic is packed with sulphur, which aids your immune system to fight disease.

TURMERIC

This up-and-coming trendy spice has been around for a long time and used very intensively in many cultures. It contains the powerful antiinﬂammatory curcumin.Try it out on your next meal, your body will thank you.

OMEGA 3S

These fatty acids work hard when it comes to reducing

DARK LEAFY GREENS

These will help you up your magnesium intake which most of us don’t get enough of, and is highly needed to lower inﬂammation markers.

WHOLE GRAINS

The ﬁbre in whole grains has been shown to reduce levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inﬂammation in the blood.

BEETS

Fibre, vitamin C and plant pigments called betalains are what you can look forward to helping you out to reduce inﬂammation. A beet a day will keep inﬂammation away! (I just made that up).

FOODS TO AVOID

The controversial nightshade family includes 2,000 plant species from the Solanaceae family. These particular vegetables and fruits have been said to cause pain and inﬂammation in the body, so it is suggested that people suffering from chronic inﬂammation including joint pain or any autoimmune disorders like celiac or Crohn’s should avoid nightshades like

JAIMEN MCMILLAN

SPACIAL DYNAMICS INSTITUTE, INC.

Foods to fight inflammation all kinds of inflammation. Try adding more salmon, flax seed or high quality fish oils into your cuisine to get a good dosage.

An Introduction with

Sunday, March 22, 10am-1pm

the plague. These include bell peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant to name a few. However on the flip side, some say that some nightshades are actually beneficial to aiding in the reduction of inflammation. For example, the lycopene in tomatoes have been shown to greatly reduce inflammation in the body, especially the lungs. And in that lies the controversy. My suggestion is, if you can’t live without your tomatoes, reduce your intake at the very least and assess how you feel.You know your body best, and when in doubt, seek a professional. W

$75 + GST

RECIPE ONLINE

Visit Westender.com for a recipe for a great raw ABC salad.

2725 St. Christophers Rd., North Vancouver info@spacialdynamics.com • 518-695-6377

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Put a little BC mud on your tires! Stephanie Florian Play Outdoors

@PlayOutdoorsVan Ladies: Does blazing down an isolated logging road with a guy in an over-sized manmobile sound like your idea of a good time? Guys: would you prefer to spend your hard-earned money on a new suspension and boy toys rather than dishing out to wine and dine that pretty thing you locked eyes with at the Maple Leaf Monster Jam? If you’re having a love affair with your shiny new ride, perhaps it’s time to put a little BC mud on your tires and share some of our own backcountry bliss. Internet sales guru Max Langridge works hard doing what he loves at North Shore Off Road, pimping out 4X4s with the latest accessories on the market.There are two types of off-roaders he says: “Die-hards who push the

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limits of their vehicles and folks who do it because they love being outdoors, going camping and being out in the bush.” Obviously the cheapest and easiest way to get your

off-road ﬁx is to befriend someone with a nice set-up, or to join a club or 4X4 community.

Continued on next page

YS Acupuncture Clinic We specialize in: • Pain Management • Weight Control • Menstrual Disorders • Allergies and Skin Disorders • Cosmetic Acupunture

CONTACT US today for a no-obligation consultation #200-1525 Robson St • 604-363-0309 • ysclinic.ca March 12 - 18, 2015 W 17

LIFESTYLES //

WESTENDER.COM

HEALTH Continued from page 17 He suggests Crawlin’BC, BC Jeep Club or the Canada Toyota 4WD Association. Becoming a member offers endless beneﬁts like access to trail maps, off-road resources, backcountry ethics, organized excursions and more.

This society of dirt devils is not small but rather as big as the trucks they drive. BC’s off-road terrain is a world renown, super-natural off-road playground. Dense forest, old mining trails, gnarly mountains and secluded lakes mean no-boundaries to the variety of landscape our beautiful and rugged province has to offer.

Even Destination BC provides a solid listing of suggested off road destinations and adventures to get your heart thumping. Taking your four-wheel toy beyond the asphalt doesn’t mean car crushing extremes like we see at the Maple Leaf Monster Jam. Off-road adventures are another way to play

outdoors, Langridge says the most popular off-road trails close to home are in Squamish, Mission and Harrison. “Just Google it,” he says. But the best way to navigate is always to venture into the unknown and see where the road leads you. BC’s soil is even richer than we think. Go rev it up! W

Continued from page 5 Swimming was also a large part of his life growing up – he was a lifeguard for eight years – so he now teaches private swimming lessons on weekend as well. He’s quick to say that, for everyone struggling to put down their smartphones or step away

from the screens, it is doable. “You can get out of this,” he asserts. “This is mostly a war of self – which should never be underestimated – but it’s not like you’re ﬁghting an unknown unstoppable force.The only thing you have to beat is you. And you have to choose to do it,” he adds. “No one can do this for you.” W

2% OF ALL SALES PROCEEDS BENEFIT BCSPCA & WWF

LIANAY@TELUS.NET

Sutton Group - West Coast Realty

604.729.2126

W W W . L I A N A S H O W C A S E . C O M NEW LISTING 360º VIEW HOME $928,880 2505 VENABLES ST

3 bdrm & nook (+2 dens/flex rooms) • Situated on sunny & fenced corner lot & quiet tree lined street • Newer rebuilt 3rd floor offers wide open loft-style master bdrm & flex rm/den, soak in the views of the city & mtns • Original h/w flrs, & wood burning f/p in living areas ooze character • Newer SS appl. & 2 antique marble topped buffets & island & additional nook round off the charm of the kitchen & separate dining room • Deck is an entertainers delight accessible directly from the kitchen & mudroom • 6’3”Basement with a ton of storage options • Fully fenced in landscaped garden.

NEW LISTING YALETOWN SKYHOME WITH VIEWS, $485,000 1909-501 PACIFIC ST

Must see, 180º water, mountain & park view from this 1 bdrm + den + patio beauty @ the 501 • This view skyhome has been upgraded with new paint, limestone tiling & a custom millwork walk-in closet • Centrally situated right at the footsteps of two 10 acre parks, seawall, yaletown dining, boutiques, cafes, seabus, etc. • Outstanding building offering 24hr manager/ security, 2 guest suites, indoor/ outdoor swimming pool, gym, sauna, jacuzzi, outdoor volleyball sand court, parking & storage locker • Unprecedented resort lifestyle!

THE OLIVE $419,000 406-3225 TUPPER ST

• Great 1 BR + den w/ gourmet kitchen w/ granite counters, quality cabinetry, KitchenAid s/s appl. • Fabulous north views & a balcony ideal for BBQs • Unit has a cozy living room with wide plank h/w flooring & fireplace • Great lifestyle unit in South Cambie steps to transit, shopping, cafes & restaurants • Pets & rentals welcome

THE BELLEVUE, $579,000 401-2150 BELLEVUE AVE, DUNDARAVE

YALETOWN PARK II, $367,500 703-909 MAINLAND ST

VIEW SKY-DECK 3 BDRM TOWNHOME $648,880 13-3855 PENDER ST

JUST SOLD SOLD FIRM! FIRM!

SOLD IN 2 DAYS FOR OVER LIST PRICE!!

PALISADES GEM WITH VIEWS, $569,900 1205-1200 ALBERNI ST

SPECTRUM TOWNHOME, $530,000 676 CITADEL PARADE

SOLD IN 1 DAY!

SOLD FIRM!

RECENT SALES 410-456 MOBERLY RD 506-256 E 2ND AVE 318-1235 W 15TH AVE 2103-1020 BARCLAY

LOWER LONSDALE TUDOR WITH VIEWS, $217,500, 210-310 W 3RD ST, NORTH VAN

SOLD FIRM!

MT. PLEASANT 1 BDRM PENTHOUSE $264,800, 406-570 E 8TH AVE

SOLD FIRM!

317-159 W 2ND AVE 617-159 W 2ND AVE 1201-125 COLUMBIA ST 201-710 CHILCO ST 608-250 E 6TH AVE 1977 RIVERGROVE 766 ORWELL ST 110-2665 MOUNTAIN HWY

OPEN SAT. MAR. 14, & SUN. MAR. 15, 2-4PM

306-1177 HORNBY

You made incredible things happen! Community schools are the heart of many neighbourhoods. They provide safe places where children and youth can join after-school programs and where families can find the support they need. Margaret arrived in Canada as a refugee when she was six years old. She has benefitted from community schools all her life and now she is paying it forward. She graduates from high school this year and the sky’s the limit. “I believe that everyone is a hero and can save the world.” United Way funds community school initiatives in Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Surrey and Vancouver. They were featured at this year’s Scotiabank & United Way Community Spirit Awards.

Margaret, student and Winnie Leong, Scotiabank

You help make our work possible. Thank you. 2015 United Way Community Schools Initiative video was proudly presented by Scotiabank

18 W March 12 - 18, 2015

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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 w NNee

ww ee NN

OPEN: SUN 2:00 - 3:00 NEW LISTING 1055 Harwood #212 Sensational heritage character suite facing South at Harcrest

Apartments off Sunset Beach. Beautiful renovations, 705 sf, architectural detail & new kitchen & bathroom. Hurry! $319,900.

WATER VIEWS NEW LISTING 1146 Harwood #1403 High end upgrades to every aspect of this suite + water and city views from the top of The Lamplighter, a quality rental friendly strata on Sunset Beach. All views. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. $349,900.

OPEN: SAT. 2:00 - 3:00 1924 Comox #412 West of Denman Price slashed by $20,000 for immediate sale.

Unique SW suite, skylights, 20’ ceilings at The Windgate. New rainscreen and new windows. Pets welcome. 728 sq. ft. $469,900.

We sell 100% of our West End listings D D L L O S SO New Listing 1127 Barclay #502 Beautiful renovations on the

SE corner, city views, large patio in prime pet friendly strata in heart of the West End and steps to downtown. 828 sq. ft. $474,900.

WEST WEST COAST COAST

LD LD O O SS 1740 Comox #1503 The Sandpiper View! View! View! Renovated NW corner suite at the fabulous Sandpiper just off Denman St. and steps to English Bay & Stanley Park. $379,900.

604.623.5433

MAUREEN YOUNG

5 Year Variable

(Prime less 0.85%)

Rates subject to change without notice. O.A.C.

Do you have unsecured debt, credit cards?

There has never been a better time to refinance and pay off that debt.The difference between rates on credit cards and mortgages is about now about 17% (19.99% for credit cards vs 2.79%). That’s a difference of $778 per month in payments if you were to refinance $30,000.

Contact me for all your purchase, refinance and renewal options. Other rates and terms available.

CALL 604-805-5888

maureen@maureenyoung.ca | maureenyoung.ca Dominion Lending – Downtown Financial An Independently Owned & Operated Corporation

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SOLD

1850 Comox #1707

SOLD

1855 Nelson #301

SOLD

1055 Harwood #309

robjoyce@telus.net

Certified Senior Agent & Luxury Marketing Specialist A Sophisticated Approach to Lifestyle Attainment. Professional Advisement and Marketing of Fine Vancouver Properties.

CURRENT RATES

2.59% 2.00%

1855 Nelson #P2

PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION

Senior Mortgage Advisor

5 Year Fixed

www.robjoyce.ca

SOLD

Number One Realtor in Office 2012, 2013 & 2014 2014 RE/MAX Charman’s Club Award Winner

CURRENT LISTINGS: MACKENZIE HEIGHTS NEW LISTING

More on My Website at: www.MichaelDowling.ca NORTH DELTA

COQUITLAM

• Brand New 5,383 SQFT 7 Bdrm, 8 Bath Home • Stunning Architectural Craftsman-Style Masterpiece • 4 Bdrms Up, 1 Down, Plus 900SQFT 2 Bed, 2 Bath Legal Suite • Three Car Garage • Beautiful Landscaping, Built-in Water Fountains & BBQ • Stunning Oak Floors, High-End Appliances,Wok Kitchen • Fully Automated Technology, High Efficiency Boiler, LED Lighting • Incredible Location Near Best Schools and Right on Bike Route • Super Hot Mackenzie Heights/Kerrisdale Location • Completion February 2015

Crest Westside Ltd.

KITSILANO NEW LISTING

OFFER PENDING

SOLD OVER ASKING IN 7 DAYS!

BY APPOINTMENT 2905 West 37th Avenue, $4,988,000

EAST HASTINGS VILLAGE

OPEN SAT & SUN 2-4PM 11366 96th Avenue, N. Delta, $588,000

• Gorgeous Contemporary/West Coast Renovation • Great Family Home – South Facing Private Backyard • 5 Bedroom, 2 Bath, Pool, Hot Tub, FencedYard • Five Min to Annieville Elem., Delview Sec., Parks, Shopping,Transit • Basement Bedroom With Sep Entrance - Could be Mortgage Helper • Sep Powered 10 Feet by 20 Feet “Artists Studio” Great for Home Business! • ExceptionalValue ForYoung Families!!! Welcome Home!

Prepare to be MOVED™.

214-605 Como Lake Avenue, Coquitlam, $183,000

• Investor &Young Family Alert! • Rentals Now Allowed and No Age Restrictions! • Large 924SQFT 2 Bed, 2 Parking, 1 Block to New Burquitlam Skytrain at Lougheed Mall! • Nicely Renovated and South Facing • Heat, Hot Water and Free Laundry Included in Maint. Fee • Pets Allowed, 1 Storage Locker - Solid,Well managed Building!

210-2320 Trinity Street, $368,000

COMING SOON

• Beautiful Partially Reno’d 2 Bedroom 900SQFT With Wood Fireplace! • North West Corner Suite – Best Location in Building. • Quiet Side of Solid Building With Lions, Stanley Park & Harbour Views on Quiet Lovely Street • Building Backs Onto A Park • Parking & Storage Included. • Pets & Rentals Allowed! • Hottest Neighbourhood Up and Coming!

Call Us Today for a Confidential Needs Assessment and Market Analysis

202-2475York Avenue, $438,000 • Attention Gardeners & Beach Bums! • Best Condo in “York West” - 3 Blocks From Kits Beach! • Large 1 Bed & Den/Office 730SQFT • Nice Renovations, Great Floorplan. • South Facing With Huge Sunny Patio Deck & Garden • 1 Parking, 1 Storage Pets & Rentals ok. • This one is Hot! Welcome Home.

604-787-5568

www.MichaelDowling.ca March 12 - 18, 2015 W 19

REAL ESTATE //

WESTENDER.COM 2,576 sq.ft. 3 BED with MANCAVE Straight out of BC Home Magazine! 2,576 sq.ft. 3 bdrm townhouse with 2.5 baths. Across the street from the Seawall in False Creek. Hardwood flrs, granite, crown mouldings throughout. 2 gas fireplaces. Giant 468 sq.ft. soundproof mancave in basement. Private 2 car garage with direct home access. 350 sq.ft. of in home storage. 2 garden patios. This extraordinary home must be seen! You will be amazed!

IETROW

LAW GROUP

$1,590,000 • 1020 Quebec Street • Exceptional value!

Family Law Services: We resolve matters through negotiations, mediation, and collaborative law, as well as all aspects of family law litigation.

ONE OF DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER’S BEST LOCATIONS! 45 foot freehold strata titled marina slip in False Creek’s Quayside Marina. 24 foot beam for easy docking. Prime location. 24 hour security. Rental return better than a condo and no walls to paint! No hassle investment. $399,000 • E16-1088 Marinaside Crescent

Irene Pietrow

Sherree Mitchell & Frank Zomar

for your private appointment Prompton Real Estate 201-179 Davie Street, Vancouver

michaelrobson@shaw.ca www.vancouvercanadarealty.com

• All matters relating to children, including custody, guardianship, relocation and adoption • All financial matters, including division of property and debts, child and spousal support, and complex financial issues • Separation Agreements, Cohabitation Agreements, and Marriage Agreements • Emergency and Time-Sensitive Matters • Litigation and Appeals

1124-470 Granville St. (at West Pender) • 604-685-8090 • www.pietrowlawgroup.ca

Call MICHAEL ROBSON

604-671-7256

FAMILY LAW LAWYERS 604-685-8090 www.pietrowlawgroup.ca

Born and raised in Vancouver – let our local knowledge move you. Sherree Mitchell 604.240.0762 Frank Zomar 604.377.5728

OUR STRATA MANAGEMENT SERVICES √ Full service strata management

√ Cost saving insurance program

√ Complete full cycle financial services

√ Info Tracker integrated software

√ High interest paid on deposits

√ Online Information at your fingertips

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5487 West Boulevard, Vancouver

urban residences_modern living | seller’s & buyer’s agent specialist

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cell 604.767.0959 | office 604.714.1700 www.annlok.com | ann@annlok.com Medallion Club Award Member

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VAN OFFICE: #202-5704 BALSAM STREET 604.683.8399

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SURREY OFFICE: #112-7565 132ND STREET 604-599-1650

CARNEY’S CORNER

SPRING BREAK SPECIAL Whether teacher, professor, pupil, professional student or student of life you will appreciate size, style, value and artistry in this spacious post and beam constructed condo. Approx 700 sf with overheight ceilings and large balcony, this home features peaceful outlook over garden, only one common wall and lots of upgrades while still allowing you to add personal design touches. Style of construction mean no supporting walls and flexibility in lifestyle whether contemporary, traditional, loft or warehouse style. Kitchen has been expanded, all flooring replaced and bath updated with newer paint, blinds, lighting and fixtures, while office space has been added. Great storage and parking included in amazingly convenient location! $359,900 OPEN SUN 2-4 AT 1535 NELSON

WEN

West End Neighbours

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

OPEN HOUSE: SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MARCH 14 & 15, 2-4PM WATERFRONT Breathtaking 180 Panoramic unobstructed views of False Creek & 1st class marina! • Just a few steps to the seawall for miles of seaside recreation • Location, Location, Location! • Urban Fare, Roundhouse Centre, Starbucks, Provence Restaurant, endless retail and steps to Yaletown District • Rarely on the market, SE corner 1335sq.ft. 2 ultra spacious bedrooms, master suite with walk-in closet, huge den (can be 3rd bedroom), solarium (great for an office!), 2 full bathrooms, 5 piece master ensuite with separate shower, large outdoor balcony overlooking marina, gas fireplace, gas stove, front loading washer/dryer, hand grooved hardwood floors – gorgeous floorplan! • Peaceful views overlooking lagoon too! • Resort Amenities: Indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, 24hr concierge, outdoor gazebo, clubhouse, gym, theatre & more • 1 parking & huge locker! • Don’t miss out! • Please call for more information. GROUP WEST COAST REALTY

20 W March 12 - 18, 2015

false creek north | yaletown | coal harbour | vancouver

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REAL ESTATE //

@WESTENDERVAN

STEPHEN BURKE

SELLERS’ MARKET w w w . s t e p h e n b u r k e . c o m CALL ME 6 0 4 - 5 5 1 - 4 1 9 0 TODAY!

ELLINGTON

ADMIRAL POINT

SUTTON GROUP - WEST COAST REALTY 301-1508 W BROADWAY

604-714-1700

PANORAMA PL

• • • • •

D SOL

FA M I LY S I Z E 3 B E D R O O M

• • • • • • • •

D SOL

Approx 800 sf. 1 BR (or 1+ den) Adjacent to Stanley Park, 2 mins to Bay Bright, needs complete makeover Prestigious concrete co-op building Fantastic lifestyle location! 35% down

1743 sq. ft. floorplan + 257 sq. ft. terrace 2-9’x9’ ensuites w/soaker tubs & sep shower Spacious 3rd bedroom for office or guests Entertainers’ living, dining for 8-10 guests Custom kitchen, cabs, granite & stainless steel Bring your house-size furniture along Rainscreened/warranty/new plumbing New common areas, gym, pool 2 parking, pet

2055 PENDRELL $369,900 1020 HARWOOD

• • • • •

D SOL

Spacious 1160 sq. ft. Northwest corner plan 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom custom plan Sub-penthouse w/gorgeous Bay & mtn views 2nd BR w/ built-in wall queen bed & office Rare-2 side by side parking stalls

$1,250,000 1010 BURNABY

• • • • •

Concrete strata 2 bedroom 2 bathroom View from living, dining, kitchen & 2nd BR Gorgeous kitchen with stainless steel New plumbing, roof, rainscreen Warranty. 1 parking, 1 storage, 2 pet OK

$850,000 1838 NELSON

$659,900

DEXTER ASSOCIATES REALTY 604-689-8226 604-263-1144 Kevin Skipworth Managing Broker

Layla Bamford

Nicole Cannon

Jennifer Devlin

Christopher Dohm

Sandi Fratino

Erica Fremeau

www.dexterrealty.com

Jeff Holmes

Megan King

Kavi Lehdar

Johan Leung

Clarence Lowe

Travis Mako

Bob Moore

Sean Murty

Brad Pacaud

Kris Pope

Tyrone Robinson

Nadine Ramos

Mike Rooney

Patricia Harrison

Matt Magee

harrison@dexterrealty.com www.patriciaharrison.ca

matt@mattmagee.ca

604-649-6546

2105-1238 SEYMOUR ST.

Michael Shaw

Simmy Sandhu

Sheila Sontz

Gurdeep Melany Daryl Stephens Sue-Johnson Suarez

Larry Esther Michael Traverence Twerdochlib Webster

Laurel Wood

604-790-6589

NEW LISTING

$688,000

101-1250 BURNABY ST.

This is a rare find Custom Penthouse loft space in Yaletown. This amazing corner unit has 16 ft. soaring ceilings, two-level loft and a gas fireplace. Take a soak in your own private hot tub and enjoy the spectacular views that offer a luxury penthouse lifestyle.

$195,000

INVESTOR ALERT! PRICED TO SELL AND A GREAT LOCATION JUST A FEW BLOCKS TO THE BEACHES AND SEAWALL. Fantastic studio apartment with great income potential. With light renovations and a bit of paint, this suite could be a fantastic revenue property. A great well-run concrete building that has undergone many updates & improvements and a great rooftop pool for summer entertaining. This is a leasehold prepaid non-strata so your maint. fees inc. tax, heat, hot water and all the other mentioned items.

Christine Saulnier 604-250-9177

christine.saunier@gmail.com www.christinesaulnier.com

3208-1495 RICHARDS ST.

$608,000 VIEW - AZURA 2 Compact and beautiful with gorgeous English Bay view from this high floor, 1 bedroom with large den. Balcony, in-suite storage plus parking and locker.

Check out our website, www.dexterrealty.com for current market condition updates.

Westender.com

loftsvancouver.com

Details & Photos of all lofts for sale in Vancouver

Ed Gramauskas Cell: 604-618-9727

Commercial Real Estate Needs? Dexter Associates Realty’s

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.

March 12 - 18, 2015 W 21

LIFESTYLES //

WESTENDER.COM

BEST OF THE CITY

Front & Co. keeps Main St. stylish

KRISTYN ANTHONY @allovthethings

Deep in the heart of South Main where many of East Vancouver’s retailers are found, one particular shop has kept the city in style with their unique blend of new and old. Surviving three location changes and a devastating blaze, Front & Company has stood a neighbourhood landmark for over 20 years. Known for their innovative and quirky window displays, one of the biggest draws for this eclectic mix of all things stylish, funky and fun is their consignment program. Manager Grace Altobar believes it’s part of what sets Front apart, “we take unique pieces to distinguish ourselves, items that are rare and of course, in good condition.”

tachioed paciﬁers for hipster The staff is quick to point babies. Costume needs are out it is the high-end qualalso high in demand at Front, ity of vintage items without where you can ﬁnd everything the high-end prices that you need for your Mad has maintained their Men-themed party loyal customer base. or burlesque night. Catering to men, Spring lines are women and even currently arriving babies in their with a constant novelty shop rotation of next door, sales brands like Pink associate Katrina Martini out of Caparas says, Toronto, local “we want to designers, and offer something jewellers as well for everyone, a BEST VINTAGE as classic go-to’s kind of one-stop CLOTHING like Herschel. shop.” EAST SIDE Much like What started the neighbourout as a small hood, the secret to Front & store offering antique colCompany’s success, according lectibles, vintage jewellery and to Altobar has been “keepclothing has quickly grown to ing an open mind to what’s include more accessories, fun going on, staying relevant and gifts and interesting items like constantly changing.” W the “Potty Putter” or mous-

BEST OF THE CITY In our excitement to bring you the 18th annual Best of the City readers’ poll results, we neglected to include some of the listings for Vancouver’s West Side. Westender apologizes for the confusion.

WEST SIDE RESULTS

2. Noah’s Pet Ark 2886 W. Broadway, 604-736-9517, NoahsPetArk.ca 3. Woof Dog Shoppe 1905 W. 1st Ave., 604-568-4212, WoofDogShoppe.ca AUTO REPAIR & SERVICE 1. Pawlik Automotive 966 SW Marine Dr., 604-327-7112, PawlikAutomotive.com 2. Varcity Automotive 2880 Arbutus St., 604-736-8494, VarcityAuto.ca 3. Gordons Auto Body Works 2120 W. 10th Ave., 604-7314971, GordonsAutobody.ca

HIDDEN GEM:

TRAVEL AGENCY

1. Doughgirls Comfort Kitchen and Bakeshop 3322 Shrum Lane, 604-333-5474, DoughgirlsBakeshop.com 2. The Stable House Bistro 1520 West 13th Ave., 604-736-1520, TheStableHouse.ca 3. Quince Fine Florals 4870 Mackenzie St., 604-263-0202, QuinceFineFlorals.com

1. Flight Centre Various locations, 1-866-274-8086, FlightCentre.ca 2. North South Travel 3702 W. 10th Ave., 604-736-7447, NorthSouthTravel.com 3. Captain Cook 2213 W. Broadway, 604-734-8080, CaptainCookTravel.com

HARDWARE STORE

1. Tuesdays Fine Drycleaning 2396 W. 4th Ave., 604-733-4613, TuesdaysDrycleaners.com 2. Busy Bees 704 W. 6th Ave., 604-872-1519, BusyBeeGold.com 3. Fletchers Fabricare 2096 W. Broadway, 604-731-9313, FletchersFabricare.ca

1. Blight’s Home Hardware 3322 Dunbar St., 604-738-3312, BlightsHomeHardware.com 2. Gandy’s Home Hardware 2262 W. 4th Ave., 604-733-8014 3. Dunbar Lumber 3637 W. 16th Ave., 604-224-0434, DunbarLumber.ca PET SUPPLIES 1. Tim Pets 2083 Alma St., 604-221-1891, TimPets.com

DRY CLEANER

BIKES & REPAIR T-1. Reckless Bikes 1810 Fir St., 604-731-2420, Reckless.ca

T-1. Ride On Bikes 2255 W Broadway, 604-736-7433, RideOnAgain.Wordpress.ca 2. Different Bikes 1421 W. Broadway, 604-737-2344, DifferentBikes.ca 3. Dizzy Cycles 1856 W. 4th Ave., 604-739-6848, DizzyCycles.com FITNESS FACILITY 1. Innovative Fitness 2080 W. 10th Ave., 604-629-6299, InnovativeFitness.com 2. Steve Nash Fitness World Various locations, 604-876-1009, SNClubs.com 3. South Granville Urban Fitness Club 2213 Granville St., 604428-5555, UrbanFitnessClub.com YOGA STUDIO 1. YYoga Various locations, 604736-6002, YYoga.ca 2. Semperviva Various locations, 1-877-730-5522, Semperviva.com T-3. Moksha 2083 Alma St., 604-569-3650, Vancouver. MokshaYoga.ca T-3. The Hot Box Yoga 3313 Shrum Lane, 1-844-484-9642, TheHotBoxYoga.com DENTAL CLINIC 1. Arbutus North Dental Centre 202-1926 W. 4th Ave., 604-7333325, SmileVancouver.ca 2. Kits Family Dental 209-2233 W. Broadway, 604-738-1816, KitsFamilyDental.com T-3. Balsam Dental Centre 2438 W. 41st Ave., 604-261-6229, BalsamDentalCentre.com T-3. Aarm Dental 2180 Cambie St., 604-684-0224, Aarm-Dental.com HAIR SALON

Thank Ya’ll for voting us Best Hidden Gem on the Westside.

Sweet, Salty & Spicy. That’s How We Roll

1. Hype Hair Studio 2695 West 4th Ave., 604-732-4973, HypeHairStudio.com 2. Aveda Tonic 2714 Granville St., 604-697-9227, TonicAveda.ca 3. Halo Salon 2711 Arbutus St., 604-730-1355, HaloSalon.ca NAIL SALON 1. Pure Nail Bar Various locations, PureNailBar.ca 2. Posh Digits Nail Salon 2026 Stephens St., 604-736-6245, PoshDigits.com 3. Bare Wax Bar 1828 W 1st Ave., 604-558-1338, BareWax.com TANNING SALON

We at Hype Hair Studio thank you

Voted Vancouver’s favourite boutique hair salon in the heart of Kitsilano. We are dedicated to revealing your unique inner beauty. Our commitment to detailed consultation ensures you receive your dream hair with the personalized styling lessons and professional recommendations you deserve. Let our passionate stylists make you feel beautiful and confident so that every day is your best hair day.

Experience your best hair day with Hype. Mention westender social for 15% off of all Hype Merchandise.

2695 West 4th Ave 604-732-4973 HypeHairStudio.com 22 W March 12 - 18, 2015

3322 Shrum Lane | 604.333.5474 | doughgirlsbakeshop.com

Celebrating 24 years of exceptional, award winning automotive service

The BEST full service maintenance and repair shop for all makes and models. Come see why we’ve won GOLD 7 years in a row! #30 - 966 SW Marine Drive • 604-327-7112 www.pawlikautomotive.com

Enjoy a well maintained vehicle

1. Fabutan 2915 W. 4th Ave., 604734-0816, Fabutan.com 2. Kix Tanning 2803 W. 1st Ave., 604-737-1101, KixTan.com 3. Suntopia 1927 W. 4th Ave., 604-734-9467, SuntopiaTanning.ca EYEWEAR 1. Avenue Eyecare 2041 W. 41st Ave., 604-558-1133, AvenueEyeCare.com T-2. Eyes on Twelfth 1493 W. 12th Ave., 604-732-8812, EyesOnlineOptical.com T-2. Spectus 2209 W. 4th Ave., 604-730-0503, SpectusEyeWear.com 3. Eye Candy 1818 W. 4th Ave., 604-731-1956, EyeCandyOptical.ca CHEESE SHOP/DELI 1. Les Amis Du Fromage1752 W. 2nd Ave., 604-732-4218, BuyCheese.com 2. Benton Brothers 2104 W 41st Ave., 604-261-5813, BentonsCheese.com 3. Duso’s Granville Island Public Market, 1-877-577-5220, Dusos.com

• For full results, visit Westender.com

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LIFESTYLES //

REAL ESTATE

Real Estate Opens West End

1535 Nelson St, 2 bdrms, $359,900, Sun 2-4

17th Annual

GOLD WINNER Readers’ Choice

212-1055 Harwood St, 1 bdrm, $319,900, Sun 2-3

412-1924 Comox St, 1 bdrm, $469,900, Sat 2-3

2014

16th Annual

SILVER WINNER Readers’ Choice

2013

Yaletown

1002 - 1199 Marinaside Cres, 2 bdrms, $1,225,000 20 Sat & Sun 2-4

EastHastings Village

Best Cit y 14th ANNUAL

of the

210-2320Trinity St, 2 bdrms, $368,000 Sat & Sun 2-4

Readers’ Choice 2011

EastVancouver

2505Venables St, 3 bdrms, $928,880 Sat & Sun 2-4

Best Cit y of the

SILVER WINNER 13th ANNUAL 2010

Thank You Vancouver

for voting us for the SIXTH time BEST HARDWARE STORE IN THE WEST END. Your support means the world!

Your West End Benjamin Moore Paint and Hardware Store

1320 Davie St. (@ Jervis) • 604-687-6285 M-F 9:30-6 • Sa 9:30-5:30 • Su 12-5 benjaminmoore.ca

WA X B A R

BEST WAX BAR

BEST NAIL SALON – WEST SIDE

Thank you Vancouver, for voting us Best in the City. 1828 West 1st Ave 604-558-1338 Westender.com

@barewax

101-2065 West 4th Ave 604-732-8017 March 12 - 18, 2015 W 23

LIFESTYLES //

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DRIVE

Today’s Drive: 2015 Mazda3 Great styling, inside and out

BRENDAN MCALEER @westender

Some time ago, I found myself behind the wheel of a rollcage-equipped Skip Barber MX-5, entering into the semi-legendary corkscrew turn at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California. A real roller coaster of a corner, it’s far less tricky than the turn that follows it, an off-camber sweeper with nothin’ but dirt waiting to catch you and ruin your day. But I’m no race car driver – as this was a learning lap, there was a quicker car out in front, one with a veteran instructor at the wheel managing to keep the proper line, call out instructions on the radio, and keep one eye on his rearview in case we missed the apex by a country mile and started drifting towards the gravel. So what’d he have to keep a safe margin out in front? A Corvette? Boss Mustang? Nissan GT-R? Porsche product? Track-prepped RX-7? Well no, actually; the gent in question had a small, fuel-efﬁcient compact car with a fourcylinder engine. In fact, he had one of these: A Mazda3. Permit me to tell you why that wasn’t a crazy choice.

DESIGN:

When the Mazda3 ﬁrst re-

placed the venerable old Protege, everybody had to have one. Speciﬁcally, everybody wanted to have a Sport GT hatchback, with the zippy little 2.3L engine, preferably in dark grey. I distinctly remember parking between four such vehicles in a row along Broadway, and then seeing two more pass by. The succeeding generation wasn’t quite as pretty, but this new one – hoo-boy, she’s a looker. The design language is called Kodo, or soul of motion, and it’s both very Japanese and somehow reminiscent of something Alfa-Romeo might build. However, if you go for the basic model, the size of the alloys don’t quite balance out all that swoopy sheetmetal. Here in the GT version, however, there’s 18-inch alloys to really ﬁll out the wheel wells. It’s a great-looking car, marred only by our mandatory BC license plates.

ENVIRONMENT

Inside, the Mazda3 has grown up somewhat, and is starting to overlap the lowerend versions of the premium brands. Step out of the interior of a Mercedes-Benz CLA into the all-black cockpit of the ‘3, and it’s actually very similar. There are a few details which seem neat at first but might not age well – the small heads-up display and the flat-panel screen fixed

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The 2015 Mazda3 is good enough for the racetrack, but great in the real world too. Contributed photo on the dash stick out a bit. However, the rest is relatively classy, nicer than most of the Japanese competition, and ready to go toe-to-toe with the Germans. Overall cabin space isn’t quite as good as something more mundane and practical like a Toyota Corolla, but Mazda does still offer a hatchback for a little more space and ﬂexibility. A rear-facing child seat ﬁts without issue.

PERFORMANCE

There are two engine options for the Mazda3, neither of which will seemingly light the world on ﬁre. The base model carries a 2.0L four-cylinder making 155hp at 6000rpm and 150lb/ft of torque at 4000rpm, and the upgraded GT gets a 2.5L engine with 184hp at 5700rpm, and 185lb/ft of torque at 3,250rpm. All those ﬁgures are on regular fuel. So, no turbochargers, no turbodiesels, and just a choice of either a six-speed

FEATURES

Step up to a Mazda3 GT, and it’s a choice of whether or not to go to the luxury package. Power moonroof, pushbutton start, and Bluetooth handsfree are standard for the GT, with leather and a power driver’s seat optional. However, a fully-loaded Mazda3 isn’t cheap: my luxury-pack-

age tester was $28,495 before freight and taxes. Fuel economy for any of Mazda’s modern engines is excellent. Here, the 2.5 is rated at 9.2L/100kms city and 6.6L/100kms on the highway. The impressive part is the 7.0L/100kms it returned in mixed-use driving, despite a little extra throttle because it’s so much fun. Unlike turbocharged options, Mazda’s directinjection system seems to deliver the good in the real world too.

GREEN LIGHT

Great styling, inside and out; excellent handling; efﬁcient, punchy engines

STOP SIGN

Interior a little small; engine can be noisy when cold; gets pricey with options

THE CHECKERED FLAG

Good enough for the racetrack, but great in the real world too! W

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24 W March 12 - 18, 2015

enough grunt to dispatch most trafﬁc with ease, but it’s the Mazda3’s chassis that really thrills. Mazda could easily bolt-in the turbocharged engine out of the old Mazdaspeed3 and have a real screamer here, one that’s not as hairy as stuff like the Focus ST, but more like a Volkswagen GTI for people who want to avoid VW service bills. But as it is, it’s got plenty of power and a ﬁnely-tuned handling that make it as home on the track as on the street. There aren’t many compact cars you can say that about.

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conventional automatic transmission or six-speed manual throughout the range (no all-wheel-drive either). However, Mazda’s clever high-compression direct-injection engines are marvels. As the 2.5GT revs straight for redline you’ll run right into the fuel cut every time if you aren’t paying attention. I figure Mazda’s hedging their bets here and keeping a few hundred rpm in check as this engine doesn’t slow one jot as it closes in on max-revs. It pulls cleanly and strongly, and it’s a toss-up as to which is better, the clean-shifting manual, or the very welltuned automatic. Handling is very good, not overly stiff, but with a definite positive feel to the way the ‘3 takes a set in the corner and carves through it. The electric power assisted steering isn’t as good as Mazda’s previous hydraulic efforts, but it’s still most definitely a driver’s car. The 2.5L engine has

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LIFESTYLES //

@WESTENDERVAN

SEX

Free Will Astrology From girl to woman By Rob Brezsny In the old Superman comics, Mister Mxyztplk was a fiendish imp whose home was in the fifth dimension. He sometimes sneaked over into our world to bedevil the Man of Steel with pranks. There was one sure way he could be instantly banished back to his own realm for a long time: If Superman fooled him into saying his own name backwards. You might think it would be hard to trick a magic rascal into saying “Klptzyxm” when he knew very well what the consequences would be, but Superman usually succeeded. I’d like to suggest that you have a similar power to get rid of a bugaboo that has been bothering you, Aries. Don’t underestimate your ability to outsmart the pest.

In 1637, mathematician Pierre de Fermat declared that he had solved the “Last Theorem,” a particularly knotty mathematical problem. Unfortunately, he never actually provided the proof that he had done so. The mystery remained. Other math experts toiled for centuries looking for the answer. It wasn’t until 1994, more than 350 years later, that anyone succeeded. I think you are on the verge of discovering a possible solution to one of your own long-running riddles, Taurus. It may take a few more weeks, but you’re almost there. Can you sense that twinkle in your third eye? Keep the faith.

There’s a meme rolling around Tumblr and Facebook that goes like this: “Everyone wants a magical solution for their problems, but they refuse to believe in magic.” Judging from the astrological omens, I think this Internet folk wisdom applies to your current situation. As I see it, you have two choices. If you intend to keep fantasizing about finding a magical solution, you will have to work harder to believe in magic. But if you can’t finagle your brain into actually believing in magic, you should stop fantasizing about a magical solution. Which will it be?

I have taken a passage from a letter that Henry Miller wrote to Anais Nin, and I have chopped it up and rearranged it and added to it so as to create an oracle that’s perfect for you right now. Ready? “This is the wild dream: you with your chameleon’s soul being anchored always in no matter what storm, sensing you are at home wherever you are. You asserting yourself, getting the rich varied life you desire; and the more you assert yourself, the more you love going deeper, thicker, fuller. Resurrection after resurrection: that’s your gift, your promise. The insatiable delight of constant change.”

Your upcoming efforts might not be flawless in all respects, but I suspect you will triumph anyway. You may not even be completely sure of what you want, but I bet you’ll get a reward you didn’t know you were looking for. Cagey innocence and high expectations will be your secret weapons. Dumb luck and crazy coincidences will be your X-factors. Here’s one of your main tasks: As the unreasonable blessings flow in your direction, don’t disrupt or obstruct the flow.

One of your important assignments in the coming week is to get high without the use of drugs and alcohol. Let me elaborate. In my oracular opinion, you simply must escape the numbing trance of the daily rhythm. Experiencing altered states of awareness will provide you with crucial benefits. At the same time, you can’t afford to risk hurting yourself, and it’s essential to avoid stupidly excessive behavior that has negative repercussions. So what do you think? Do you have any methods to get sozzled and squiffed or jiggled and jingled that will also keep you sane and healthy?

As soon as a baby loggerhead turtle leaves its nest on a Florida beach, it heads for the ocean. It’s only two inches long. Although it can swim just one mile every two hours, it begins an 8,000-mile journey that takes 10 years. It travels east to Africa, then turns around and circles back to where it originated. Along the way it grows big and strong as it eats a wide variety of food, from corals to sea cucumbers to squid. Succeeding at such an epic journey requires a stellar sense of direction and a prodigious will to thrive. I nominate the loggerhead turtle to be your power animal for the coming weeks, Cancerian.

Singer Gloria Gaynor recorded the song “I Will Survive” in 1978. It sold over two million copies and ultimately became an iconic disco anthem. And yet it was originally the B-side of “Substitute,” the song that Gaynor’s record company released as her main offering. Luckily, radio DJs ignored “Substitute” and played the hell out of “I Will Survive,” making it a global hit. I foresee the possibility of a similar development for you, Capricorn. What you currently consider to be secondary should perhaps be primary. A gift or creation or skill you think is less important could turn out to be pre-eminent.

In 1961, 19-year-old Bob Dylan began doing solo performances of folk songs at New York clubs. To accompany his vocals, he played an acoustic guitar and harmonica. By 1963, his career had skyrocketed. Critics called him a creative genius. Pop stars were recording the songs he wrote, making him rich. But he still kept his instrumentation simple, relying entirely on his acoustic guitar and harmonica. That changed in 1965, when he made the leap to rock ‘n’ roll. For the first time, his music featured a full drum set and electric guitar, bass, and keyboards. Some of his fans were offended. How dare he renounce his folk roots? I wonder if it might be time for you to consider a comparable transition, Leo. Are you willing to risk disorienting or disturbing those who would prefer you to stay as you are?

I’m tempted to furrow my brow and raise my voice as I tell you to please, please, please go out and do the dicey task you’ve been postponing. But that would just be a way to vent my frustration, and probably not helpful or constructive for you. So here’s my wiser advice: To prepare for that dicey task, lock yourself in your sanctuary until you figure out what you first need to change about yourself before you can accomplish the dicey task. I think that once you make the inner shift, doing the deed will be pretty easy.

“Whoever travels without a guide needs 200 years for a two-day journey.” That’s an old Sufi saying sometimes attributed to the poet Rumi. I don’t think it’s accurate in all cases. Sometimes we are drawn to wander into frontiers that few people have visited and none have mastered. There are no guides! On other occasions, we can’t get the fullness of our learning experience unless we are free to stumble and bumble all by ourselves. A knowledgeable helper would only interfere with that odd magic. But right now, Virgo, I believe the Sufi saying holds true for you. Where you’re headed, you would benefit from an advisor, teacher, or role model.

In the fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling,” the young hero suffers from a peculiar case of mistaken identity. He believes that he is a duck. All of his problems stem from this erroneous idea. By duck standards, he is a homely mess. He gets taunted and abused by other animals, goes into exile, and endures terrible loneliness. In the end, though, his anguish dissolves when he finally realizes that he is in fact a swan. United with his true nature, he no longer compares himself to an inappropriate ideal. Fellow swans welcome him into their community, and he flies away with them. Is there anything in this story that resonates with you, Pisces? I’m guessing there is. It’s high time to free yourself from false notions about who you really are.

Sex with Mish Way

@MyszkaWay Certain things happen to your body and your mind when you go from a 19-yearold woman to a 29-year-oldone. I’m sure that if my mom read this she’d laugh in my face, show me her C-section scars and make me feel an inch tall, but my changes are still legitimate as I hit my 30th birthday. Though the following may seem negative, I must preface by stating the following: we only value youth in this culture because it is ﬂeeting. As I age, I embrace the bullshit and try to remember how lame it was to be 21 years old, because it was, in fact, the worst. Thankfully, I no longer have to cruise Craigslist looking for suckers willing to buy my dirty underwear so I can pay my unexpectedly large electricity bill. So there are some perks.

YOU HAVE TO TAKE PILLS EVERY DAY

Girls don’t have to take pills every day. They drink milk, eat candy and brush their teeth with bubble gum toothpaste. When you are 21, your body is an invincible, curvy canvas stretched tight over your bones. Damn. Now, I have to take ﬁsh oil, cranberry pills, Vitamin C, digestive enzymes and Metamucil. If I don’t, I won’t be able to take a shit for days, I’ll get a UTI and then probably break out with acne. Warning ladies, hor-

mones come back in wicked ways just before 30.

YOU HAVE TO WATCH WHAT YOU CONSUME

Gone are the days when I can stuff my drunken face with McDonalds, wash it down with a cola and a pack of cigarettes then pass out on the couch with my shoes on. If I do that now I wake up feeling terrible. It just doesn’t feel good. I want to eat fruits, leaves, nice steak and nuts. They taste great and they don’t break my bowels. Being a woman means knowing that consumption is a good thing (I’ll never grow out of being a lush), but only in moderation.

YOU CAN NOT GO TO WORK HUNGOVER (THAT OFTEN) ANYMORE

Remember when you were 19 and you could drink a six-pack of sugary coolers, barf your guts out and still make it to soccer practice the next morning? It’s such a magical thing but it does not last long. I can still party and then suffer through an eighthour work day, but I feel devastated and the minute I sit down to go pee, I want to throw up all over the ﬂoor.

YOU CAN SHARE CLOTHES WITH YOUR MOTHER

My mother looks good for her age. Excellent in fact, but she takes care of herself by running, hiking with her dogs and eating right. When my mom buys a new pair of jeans then freaks out because they are a bit too hip, she

passes them onto me. This is a new thing for us. As much as I love it, it reminds me that I am no longer (and will never, ever again be) a size 2.

YOUR BRAS LAST LONGER THAN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

Sadly, my boobs are as big as they are ever going to get (until some unlucky fool knocks me up). This means I have bras that have lasted the length of at least three longterm relationships. When you turn into a woman, you forget to treat yourself to bras because they don’t really matter anymore. What kind of woman fucks with her bra on anyway?

YOUR FRIENDS ARE GETTING MARRIED AND HAVING BABIES AND YOU THINK YOU COULD TOO

One day everyone is sitting in the park talking about bass strings and tank tops then the next it’s baby names and travelers’ insurance. It’s a pretty nice little fantasy and then you open your fridge and see only pickles and stale bread or use the toilet roll to wipe when you realize there is no toilet paper. When you have kids, when you have a family, there a certain expectations. I think a full roll of toilet paper is one of them. W

EMAIL MISH Send Mish your own sex questions and queries to sex@westender.com

GOLD!

Mar. 12: Pete Doherty (37) Mar. 13: William H. Macy (65) Mar. 14: Albert Einstein (136) Mar. 15: Eva Longoria (40) Mar. 16: Flavor Flav (56) Mar. 17: Hozier (25) Mar. 18: Queen Latifah B (45)

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3.99

product of BC

SAVE

assorted varieties 355-473ml • +dep+eco fee

assorted varieties

from 2.29

SAVE FROM

28%

200mg 100 capsules

* Papaya Enzyme 180 Chewables

* Superenzyme

32%

2.99-4.49

from 2/8.00

BAKERY xxx

Simply Pure Cheese

xxx • product of xxx

assorted varieties

St. Patrick’s Day Cake, Cookies or Cupcakes

340g • product of Canada

product of Canada

SAVE

5.99

assorted sizes

30% off

25th Anniversary Premium Giveaway for March

Vitamix Blender Prize Pack

14.99 10 capsules 38.99 30 capsules 69.99 60 capsules

assorted sizes and varieties

3.49-4.99

6.49

Botanica Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics

Vega One All in One Shakes

regular retail price

assorted varieties and sizes

FROM

2.99-3.29

Courtesy of Danone

90 capsules

25% off

St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes or Cookies

SAVE

product of Canada

1.89L • +dep+eco fee

GLUTEN FREE

assorted varieties 300g • product of USA

250-320g

Earth’s Choice Organic Apple Juice

5.99 each

Earthbound Farm Organic Frozen Fruit

assorted varieties

WELLNESS * Sulmedol

7.99 each Happy Planet Canadian Inspired Soups

23%

Now Digestive Health Supplements

200g

3/6.00

Steaz Iced Tea or Energy Berry Drink

assorted varieties

10/10.00 12.00-15.00

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Blarney Castle, Reserve Cheddar, Wexford Mature Cheddar

26%

Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars

While quantities last. Not all items available at all stores. We reserve the right to correct printing errors.

Organic Pork Back Ribs

value pack, previously frozen

product of USA

6.49lb/ 14.31kg

Try est w 's ne Vega vours: a l f t onu Coc nd o Alm cha! o or M

regular retail price

www.choicesmarkets.com

$250 Choices Gift Card

To celebrate our year of premium giveaways, Danone wants to give Choices customers a chance to win a $250.00 Choices Market Gift Card and a Vitamix Blender prize pack. Approximate total value $1000.00. Skill Testing Question: (8 x 12) ÷ (18 - 6) = Name:

Phone Number:

Choices Location:

Contest open from March 1 - 31, 2015. One entry per person. All entries must have the skill testing question answered correctly to be valid.

/ChoicesMarkets

@ChoicesMarkets