Megan Stewart Staff writer As spectators pull out country flags and perfect their nation’s chants in anticipation of the World Cup in South Africa, a Van- couver businessman is leveraging the hype in hopes of changing how soccer is played in the city. James Milligan, who imports fair trade sports equipment, says Vancouver athletes are connected to child labour through the soc- cer balls they use for practice and competition. According to Am- nesty International and other in- ternational sources, almost three of every four soccer balls are made in Pakistan where Milligan says manufacturers are criticized for paying salaries below the county’s minimum wage and for employing children. Breaking the cycle of poverty be- gins with education, said Milligan, who founded Social Conscience five years ago while working with Rogers Communications. Now a full-time self-employed entrepre- neur, Milligan wants to expand online sales and also develop his partnership with Talon Sports, a northeast Pakistan manufacturer that employs 2,500 people and is increasing the amount of fair trade gear it makes. Milligan, who has yet to visit the factory, supports the audited fair trade system because it al- lows workers to earn a livable wage so their children can attend school instead of toiling along- side them on assembly lines. He hopes fair trade sports equipment will appeal to the purchasing might of an influential Canadian demographic. “Soccer moms are pretty powerful,” he said. See SCHOOL on page 4 YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT! WWW.VANCOURIER.COM Sports equipment importer touts ‘fair trade’ soccer balls International sources say almost three of every four soccer balls are made in Pakistan Elementary teachers target bottled water in schools Naoibh O’Connor Staff writer Vancouver elementary school teachers want bot- tled water banned from the school district and replaced with safely accessible tap water at all schools and dis- trict worksites. The Vancouver Elemen- tary School Teachers’ Asso- ciation (VESTA) raised the question of bottled water during the last school year. On Monday night, it asked for a progress report at the district’s management coordinating committee meeting. Glen Hansman, VESTA’s third vice president, said the availability of bottled water sends students the message that it’s the “good” water. “Vancouver has awesome water, so there’s no reason why school communities shouldn’t be able to access that at school,” he said. He added the environ- mental impact of plastic containers and transporta- tion costs associated with bottled water conflict with what he said was a belief among Canadians “that ev- eryone should have access to clean water in their com- munities.” Kevin Millsip, the district’s sustainability coordinator, is preparing an overall sus- tainability strategy for the board, which will address concerns about bottled wa- ter among other environ- mental questions, according to committee chair and Vi- sion Vancouver school trust- ee Mike Lombardi. It will be ready later this month or by September. See BOTTLED on page 4 Union notes environmental impact of plastic Bad writing reborn Disputed housing strategy midweek edition WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 Vol. 101 No. 44 • Established 1908 • East 7 33 VESTA vice president Glen Hansman wants students to drink tap water. photo Dan Toulgoet
Transcript
Megan StewartStaff writer
As spectators pull out countryflags and perfect their nation’schants in anticipation of theWorld Cup in South Africa, a Van-couver businessman is leveragingthe hype in hopes of changinghow soccer is played in the city.
James Milligan, who importsfair trade sports equipment, saysVancouver athletes are connectedto child labour through the soc-cer balls they use for practice andcompetition. According to Am-nesty International and other in-ternational sources, almost threeof every four soccer balls aremade in Pakistan where Milligan
says manufacturers are criticizedfor paying salaries below thecounty’s minimum wage and foremploying children.
Breaking the cycle of poverty be-gins with education, said Milligan,who founded Social Consciencefive years ago while working withRogers Communications. Now afull-time self-employed entrepre-
neur, Milligan wants to expandonline sales and also develop hispartnership with Talon Sports, anortheast Pakistan manufacturerthat employs 2,500 people andis increasing the amount of fairtrade gear it makes.
Milligan, who has yet to visitthe factory, supports the auditedfair trade system because it al-
lows workers to earn a livablewage so their children can attendschool instead of toiling along-side them on assembly lines. Hehopes fair trade sports equipmentwill appeal to the purchasingmight of an influential Canadiandemographic. “Soccer moms arepretty powerful,” he said.
See SCHOOL on page 4
YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT! WWW.VANCOURIER.COM
Sports equipment importer touts ‘fair trade’ soccer ballsInternational sources say almost three of every four soccer balls are made in Pakistan
Elementary teachers target bottled water in schoolsNaoibh O’ConnorStaff writer
Vancouver elementaryschool teachers want bot-tled water banned from theschool district and replacedwith safely accessible tapwater at all schools and dis-trict worksites.
The Vancouver Elemen-tary School Teachers’ Asso-ciation (VESTA) raised thequestion of bottled waterduring the last school year.On Monday night, it askedfor a progress report atthe district’s managementcoordinating committeemeeting.
Glen Hansman, VESTA’sthird vice president, said theavailability of bottled watersends students the messagethat it’s the “good” water.“Vancouver has awesomewater, so there’s no reason
why school communitiesshouldn’t be able to accessthat at school,” he said.
He added the environ-mental impact of plasticcontainers and transporta-tion costs associated withbottled water conflict withwhat he said was a beliefamong Canadians “that ev-eryone should have accessto clean water in their com-munities.”
Kevin Millsip, the district’ssustainability coordinator,is preparing an overall sus-tainability strategy for theboard, which will addressconcerns about bottled wa-ter among other environ-mental questions, accordingto committee chair and Vi-sion Vancouver school trust-ee Mike Lombardi. It will beready later this month or bySeptember.
See BOTTLED on page 4
Union notes environmental impact of plastic
Bad writing rebornDisputed housing strategy
midweek editionWEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010Vol. 101 No. 44 • Established 1908 • East
733
VESTA vice president Glen Hansman wants students to drink tap water. photo Dan Toulgoet
E02 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW03
N E W S
7 I Show you the money BY MIKE HOWELL
Federal minister Stockwell Day claims the mayor is wrong when heclaims the federal government has no national housing strategy.
13 I Panda-monium BY CHERYL ROSSI
Chinatown businesses want to attract kids and teens to the historicneighbourhood, and they hope a panda mascot will be the draw.
O P I N I O N
8 I Hidden agenda BY SANDRA THOMAS
A call by a Commercial Drive resident for park protesters to mask theiridentity at a park board meeting undermines legitimate protest.
9 I Warehousing poverty BY MARK HASIUK
The millions of dollars to be spent on social housing in the DowntownEastside will simply create more misery in that troubled neighbourhood.
E N T E R T A I N M E N T
32 I Deathly clown act REVIEWED BY JO LEDINGHAM
A rat repast, torture and death mixed with heartfelt emotions are allpart of the long-awaited return of Cracked up clowns Mump and Smoot.
S T A T E O F T H E A R T S
33 I Purple prose, anyone? BY CHERYL ROSSI
Ghastly writing becomes funny fodder at Say Wha?! Readings of BadWriting Performed for Your Entertainment at the Cottage Bistro.
Golf 18 I Seniors 21
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14 I Bus man’s holiday BY CHERYL ROSSI
Bus driver Angus McIntyre estimates he’s carried 2.5million passengers during his 41-year career, which endedMonday with a celebratory ride on a vintage bus.in
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EW04 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
School board may purchase fair trade sports equipment
Continued from page 1“[Millsip] has been re-
searching what differentjurisdictions are doingacross the country,” Lom-bardi said Tuesday morn-ing. “He says there’s amixture—some boards arebanning bottled water out-right and some are takingan in between approach.”
VESTA argues bottledwater uses vast amountsof energy and resourcesto produce and transportand its disposal in land-
fills pollutes the groundand atmosphere.
“Another worrisome factis that bottled water isless stringently regulatedthan tap water and is up to10,000 times more expen-sive,” VESTA wrote in itsletter to the managementcoordinating committeelast June, adding that wa-ter is essential to life andshould not be viewed as acommodity to be boughtand sold for profit.
Union members are
pushing for a phase-out ofbottled water from schoolssince they’re also con-cerned about the availabil-ity of clean tap water.
“If you go to a numberof elementary schools, thewater fountains aren’t themost appetizing things todrink out of and there’s aquestion about the [safetyof] piping,” said Hansman,who maintains the provin-cial government shouldpay for properly maintain-ing and upgrading school
district buildings.“If there are problems
with lead pipes and de-crepit water fountains,then the funds need to bethere to replace them justlike we get rid of asbes-tos,” he said.
Julianne Doctor, chair-woman of the District Par-ent Advisory Committee,said the use of bottled wa-ter was discussed severalyears ago, but DPAC felt itcouldn’t support an out-right ban, although it did
support reducing the useof single-use plastic waterbottles.
Bottled water is mainlysold in elementary schoolsduring special events andin high schools throughvending machines. De-pending on the contract,vending machine prof-its can provide a signifi-cant source of income forschools. “Given the currentstate of funding, can weblame schools for wantingto have these contracts?”
said Doctor, who notedwater fountains have beenturned off in some olderschools because of con-cerns about lead pipes.
Hansman, meanwhile,questions how muchmoney is actually raisedthrough the sale of bottledwater, while adding thatprofits are negated by othercosts associated with theirconsumption. But he’s con-vinced the district will sup-port VESTA’s [email protected]
photo Dan Toulgoet
n e w s
Bottled water in vending machines provides income for schools
Continued from page 1“We wouldn’t allow our kids to
work for $2 an hour so you couldget your coffee for 50 cents, sowhy is it OK for someone else’skids to do that,” asked Milligan,who came to the Lower Mainlandfrom Ontario 18 years ago.
In February the VancouverSchool Board purchased four soc-cer balls from Social Conscienceto test with students. VSB sustain-ability coordinator Kevin Millsipsaid Vancouver could be the firstschool district in Canada to com-mit to purchasing fair trade sportsequipment, which doesn’t differfrom standard gear, for its 109 el-ementary and secondary schools.
Millsip considered the Cityof Vancouver’s commitment tobuying ethically produced prod-ucts such as fair trade coffee,tea, chocolate and sugar, andsaid purchasing soccer balls andother equipment is a naturalprogression.
“When we talk about sustain-ability, we’re also talking about so-cial justice. I like the idea that weknow stuff our kids are using isn’tbeing made by other kids who arebeing exploited,” he said.
Millsip noted prices for fairtrade equipment are competi-tive, but budget restrictions willfactor in any large-scale fairtrade purchase.
TransFair Canada, a nationalnon-profit agency that certi-fies and licenses companies asa branch of the internationalFairTrade Labelling Organiza-tions, now regulates 12 kinds of
commodities such as coffee andchocolate but also fruit, herbs,spices, flowers, wine, cotton andcosmetics. Milligan said TransFairCanada audits his company eachquarter.
To participate in the Fair Trademarket, Milligan, who importssoccer and rugby balls, volley-balls and basketballs, cites anethical imperative but also pointsto a strong business model that ispart of an expanding industry.
“This is a model that supports aprofitable business,” he said, not-ing there is enough money alongthe supply chain for a retailerto turn a profit and also ensuremanufacturers and their employ-ees enjoy a reasonable standardof living.
“It’s one ball, one sport, one cityand suddenly that’s thousands ofballs,” he said. “That gives you asense of the scope and the scaleof what this can really be.”
[email protected] equipment importer James Milligan hopes to increaseinterest in “fair trade” soccer balls.
“WE WOULDN’TALLOW OUR KIDSTO WORK FOR $2 AN
HOUR.”James Milligan
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW05
Mo’ moneyNote to city manager PennyBallem: you’re underpaid…sort of.
At least, if you considerwhat Edmonton’s longtimecity manager Al Maurerpulled in before he left hispost in 2009.
Maurer’s rate was$350,000 in 2009, accord-ing to Lori Yanish, a seniorcommunications adviserwith the City of Edmonton.
That’s $37,000 more thanBallem earned in 2009.Maurer’s eight years of ex-perience at his post is whatput him in the 350k club,Yanish said.
Ballem began her jobwith the city in December2008.
Edmonton has since hireda new city manager namedSimon Farbrother, whosesalary this year is $300,000.He receives standard man-
agement health, dental andpension benefits.
He also gets a flex spend-ing account of $12,600 inlieu of a car allowance anda fixed health care spend-ing account.
Apparently, Farbrother’ssalary is comparable “tothat provided to other citymanagers leading big citiesacross Canada such as theCity of Calgary,” accordingto information on the Cityof Edmonton’s website.
Back in 2004, I wrote astory about Vancouver’sthen-city manager JudyRogers, whose salary was$197,000 a year. At thetime, Maurer’s salary was$217,350 and Toronto’s citymanager Shirley Hoy wascollecting $284,000.
Then there are the policechiefs.
Edmonton’s police chief,Michael Boyd, gets a basesalary of $225,000 and hiscontract has bonus provi-sions for up to 10 per centof his salary annually.
Vancouver Police ChiefJim Chu’s income for 2009was $303,000, which in-cludes any bonuses or othermoney owed to him underhis contract.
In 2009, Edmonton mayorStephen Mandel was eligi-ble for a salary of $143,158,although he chose to keephis salary at the 2008 levelof $135,694.
Mayor Gregor Robertson’ssalary this year is $140,001.
Edmonton has 1,490police officers and about10,000 city workers whowork in a city of more than780,000 people. Vancou-ver has similar numbers,
although its population iscloser to 600,000.
Going downHad an interesting elevatorride Friday.
I was talking to DeanWilson, one of the city’smost recognized and vocaldrug users, in a hallway atthe Woodward’s building.
We were waiting for theelevator.
Wilson is one of the ten-ants in the 125 apartmentsat Woodward’s for low-in-come singles. He told mehe’s been clean for about ayear and working on hous-ing advocacy stuff.
Then the elevator dooropened.
There he was—PremierGordon Campbell and hisentourage, which includedburly RCMP guys, coming
from a press conference tomark the official openingof Woodward’s affordablehousing units.
We squeezed in.Wilson was his effusive
self, telling the premierthat despite all the “sh—”he takes from people inthe Downtown Eastside, hethinks he’s doing a goodjob.
He brought up the Insitedrug injection site, whichCampbell has supportedsince it opened in 2003.Had Campbell not support-ed the facility, “that couldhave knocked us both offour perches.”
Campbell laughed andchanged the subject.
Campbell remarked onthe slowness of the eleva-tor, saying money certainlywasn’t spent on “Cadillac”
elevators. I happened tomention the ride to DanToulgoet, the Courier’s staffphotographer. Turns outToulgoet, a talkative chap,also made a similar crackabout the slowness of theelevators. He directed hiscomment at the only otherpassenger in the elevator.
That passenger was IanGillespie, the developerresponsible for buildingWoodward’s.
Gillespie smiled anddidn’t say a word. Toulgoetdidn’t know who Gillespiewas until he was intro-duced at a press conferencein which the premier, otherpoliticians and housing pro-viders praised him for hiswork.
Mayor Gregor RobertsonPenny Ballem Premier Gordon CampbellVPD Chief Jim ChuJudy Rogers
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EW06 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Aloha means noI just returned to work af-ter spending 10 days on theHawaiian island of Kauai,where I discovered not onlyis smoking not allowed inany public place there, ani-mals, including dogs, arealso not allowed on anybeaches.
Beachgoers who ignorethe animal county ordi-nance face fines of up to$500. We were at PoipuBeach in Poipu, Kauai,when this sign caught myeye because I found it insharp contrast to the laid-back surfer atmosphere ofthe area, which is frequent-ed by many locals. It seemsthe need to take their dogto the beach is not a press-ing one for them. (Theyalso appeared to respect theno-smoking bylaw.) Dogsare not allowed off-leashanywhere on Kauai, exceptwhere allowed on privateproperty. Dogs are allowedoff-leash on surfboards andin the water in some areas,but must be put back ontheir leash as soon as theyhit the ground.
I was reading online thatthe decision to ban dogsfrom beaches altogetherwas the result of too manyowners ignoring the leashlaw of the day and allowing
their pets to run wild. TheVancouver park board hasdecided to ban smoking onbeaches and in parks andplaygrounds this September,so I wonder if they’d everconsider banning dogs? Ialso wonder if owners wouldconsider keeping their dogson a leash if it meant nothaving to leave them athome? Any dog owners wantto weigh in on this one?
And while there wereno dogs on Poipu Beachthe day we visited, therewere dozens of feral chick-ens and roosters runningaround, and apparently ashark had been spotted inthe toddler swimming areajust days before, so I guessevery place has problems.
Garden varietyThe park board is lookingfor public input regarding
a proposal from the YMCAto build a community gar-den in David Lam Park. TheYMCA wants to build an in-tercultural community gar-den at the corner of HomerStreet and Beach Crescent,north of the tennis courts.If approved, the garden willbe about five metres by 30metres.
Because the garden wouldbe on park property, thepark board must approvethe proposal, based on com-munity support for the proj-ect. An information tablewill be set up June 15 from 5to 8 p.m. in the RoundhouseCommunity Centre lobby,and staff and the projectorganizers will be on handto answer questions. Com-ments on the project can besubmitted to Bill Manning,the board’s manager of ar-boriculture and horticulture
by fax at 604-257-8616, byemail at [email protected] or by writing careof Vancouver Park Board,955 Evans Ave., Vancouver,V6A 4C8.
Little chatThe Little Mountain Hous-ing committee is hosting anopen house tonight (June2) at General Brock elemen-tary school to discuss thefuture of the neighbour-hood. Holborn Propertieswas the developer selectedin May 2008 to redevelopthe 15-acre Little Mountainsite next to Queen ElizabethPark. It’s reached a dealwith the province to pur-chase the property subjectto final approvals.
The event begins at 7p.m. at General Brock, 4860Main St.
Kids 12 and under are free.Free T-shirt, barbeque lunch and 100’s of prizes.Meet Jack the Giant and hear Norman Foote and theSo Tight Band. Make a free gift for Dad in the kidzone and play some awesome games.
Publishes east/west zones on Wed. June 9.To advertise in this full-colour feature, call
604-738-1412
coming up:coming up:Dads are the greatest. They give us guidance, drive usaround to things and teach us about life. And if they puta roof over our heads, all the better!
The Courier wants to give all the “pops” out there a paton the back, with a tribute to our fathers. Read all aboutwhat to buy, where to go, and what to do for dear old dadthis June 20th.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW07
Stockwell Day disputes mayor’s comments, says Canada has national housing strategy
Federal minister responds to ‘housing’ criticismMike HowellStaff writer
Despite what Mayor Gregor Rob-ertson says to the contrary, thefederal government has a nationalprogram committed to social andaffordable housing, according to afederal cabinet minister from Brit-ish Columbia.
Stockwell Day, the minister forthe Asia-Pacific Gateway, said thefederal government has invested$2 billion into social and afford-able housing in this year’s budget.
Another $2 billion is earmarkedfor municipalities to assist withfinancing projects such as theWoodward’s development in theDowntown Eastside, where thegovernment invested $20 million.
“We do have a national fed-eral social housing and afford-able housing policy,” Day told theCourier Friday after speaking at apress conference to officially openmore than 200 affordable housingunits at Woodward’s.
Day attended the event on behalfof Diane Finley, who is the federalminister responsible for housing.Robertson was out of town onbusiness and didn’t attend.
Earlier in the week, at anotherpress conference where fundingwas announced for eight socialhousing sites in the city, the may-or criticized the federal govern-ment for inaction on housing.
Since Robertson became mayorin 2008, he has repeatedly point-ed out that Canada is the only G8country that doesn’t have a na-tional housing strategy.
“It would be good to see somepartnership come from the federalgovernment, as well,” said Rob-ertson at the press conference,where the provincial governmentand Streetohome Foundation an-nounced $225 million for theeight social housing buildings.“Hopefully we see more effortscoming from the federal govern-ment to match the efforts thatwe’re putting in place here locallywith the province and the privatesector.”
Day noted that Vancouver hasreceived at least $35 million infunding for affordable housingwithin the past two years. Hedidn’t specify the projects.
“I’ve announced affordablehousing projects all over the cityof Vancouver,” he said.
The Courier attended a pressconference in October 2009 atSteeves Manor on the West Sidewhere Day and Premier GordonCampbell announced a federal-provincial agreement worth $177million to renovate and retrofitthe manor and 100 social hous-
ing buildings in B.C. over the nexttwo years.
“Taxpayers are very heavily in-vested in affordable housing hereand it will continue,” said Day,who declined to comment onRobertson’s criticism of the fed-eral government’s housing policy.
“I never comment on other peo-ple’s comments. I’m responsiblefor my own.”
Provincial Housing MinisterRich Coleman said the relation-ship the province has with thefederal government is workingwell for developing housing.
“People tend to be critical of thefederal government and say theyshould come up with something,”Coleman said. “I have actually noproblem with them at all. They’vebeen great partners for us.”
Coleman pointed out a littleknown fact that the Little Moun-tain public housing project slat-ed for redevelopment was onceowned by the federal government.
“It didn’t cost us anything,” hesaid of the federal governmentturning the land over to the pro-vincial government in 2005.
Plans for Little Mountain are toreplace the 224 subsidized units aspart of a large mixed-use develop-ment. Half of the proceeds of theredevelopment will be used tobuild social housing in Vancouver.The other half will go toward con-struction of social housing else-where in B.C.
Stockwell Day, minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, attended lastFriday’s unveiling of more than 200 affordable housing units at theWoodward’s development on East Hastings.
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E08 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
o p i n i o n
A Commercial Drive resident determined tostop the redevelopment of Grandview Parkhas stepped up his campaign.
David Beattie has decided improvements tothe park, such as improved drainage, have beenapproved to push the poor out of the neigh-bourhood. He calls the redevelopment “author-itarian,” and his biggest beef is the nine-monthclosure of the park for the construction work.In a story published in the Courier May 21, Be-attie is quoted as saying he’s prepared to dowhatever acts of civil disobedience it takes, andhe’s willing to do jail time, if it means stoppingthe redevelopment. This from a man who justmoved back to the neighbourhood weeks agoafter “living abroad.”
Beattie is entitled to his opinion, but nowhe’s asking for supporters to attend an up-coming public park board meeting to protestthe project. In an email call to arms, Beattieexplains to his followers that there’s no needto identify themselves before speaking at thismeeting. And I quote: “I am serious when I saythat you can appear and obscure your iden-tity—wear a hat and sunglasses and whateverto be incognito, and give a false name, they donot check identity. I think that will send themessage that people do not trust the allianceof formal politics, police, corporate media andbusiness, which almost always stick togetherto further their own f-----g agenda.”
The message this tactic really sends, how-ever, is that Commercial Drive protesters arespineless cowards and bullies. Covering their
faces and hiding their identities are par for thecourse for these individuals who have decidedthey own the Drive.
Last year, I wrote a story about a youngfamily, which supported the redevelopmentbecause of problems they had with vagrantsand drug users while trying to play at the parkwith their young child. In response, anony-mous activists plastered the Drive with post-ers including a picture of the family, demand-ing they be driven from the neighbourhood.While invisible protesters are entitled to anopinion, no one else is apparently. If they aretruly concerned with the redevelopment andaren’t a member of the rent-a-protester groupCommercial Drive has become so infamousfor, why not attend the meeting, give their realname and spell out their concerns?
Beattie threatens that if protesters don’t
show up to speak against the redevelopment,“the bad guys are going to turn out in forceand undermine our position.” No worriesthere, because I think Beattie’s already donea good job of undermining any legitimate con-cerns true residents of the Drive might have.
And get this: remember the red tents usedby Pivot Legal Society as a symbol of the fightagainst homelessness? According to Beattie’slatest email rant, John Richardson of Pivot isloaning him one so he can “occupy” Grand-view Park. Also according to Beattie, while hedoesn’t have to pay for his tent, other protest-ers anxious to join in his bully-fest will have topay a fee to Pivot. I had no idea these colourfulsymbols of protest were available for rent.
We’re having a large family gathering in acouple of weeks and I’m hoping to borrow acouple of tents for my son and his buddies.I called Pivot to ask about their rates. Rich-ardson told me that Beattie is “premature” inhis announcement regarding the tents becausePivot had yet to decide if it’s supporting thismovement. As of Tuesday morning, no deci-sion has been made.
The park board meeting takes place at 7p.m., June 7, at Strathcona Community Cen-tre. It is open to the public, although there’snothing about Grandview Park on the agenda.But according to Beattie’s email, hijacking themeeting won’t be a problem.
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW09
To the editor:Re: “Squamish to develop eight acres un-
der Burrard Bridge,” May 19, “Negotiatingthe future,” May 28.
The Squamish were among those thatwere treated with honour and deferenceand integrated into the Olympic community.But now the Squamish band feels no needto treat the rest of Vancouver with the samerespect. First, we had to put up with anelectric billboard that defied the bylaws ofthe city. And now, the citizens of Vancouverwill have to put up with a “massive devel-opment on the band’s traditional lands” oneight acres under the Burrard Street Bridge.
I know that the Squamish band is goingto dredge up the usual historical justifi-cation for their acts and get the old guiltfeelings going again among the non-nativecommunity, but it is time that the Squa-mish band, like the Nisga’a nation, recog-nizes that they are part of a larger commu-
nity and begin to take into considerationthe feelings of the rest of us living in Van-couver.
We have learned to recognize, respect andacknowledge the culture of the First Nationspeople. Now it is time for some reciprocity.
Debra Simmons,Vancouver
•••To the editor:
The chair of the B.C. Treaty Commission,an aboriginal, tells us that when we havemade treaties with “60 First Nations” peo-ple who claim B.C. is theirs, we can ex-pect $6.4 billion in economic benefitsby 2025. “Maintaining the status quois unacceptable,” she says. “Nobodywants to live in poverty.” Well, why dothe members of the 60 not work for a livingas we non-aboriginals have to?
James A. Craig,Vancouver
photo Dan Toulgoet
o p i n i o n
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Letters to the editor (1574West Sixth Ave., Vancouver V6J1R2, fax 738-2154 or [email protected]) maybe edited by the Courier forreasons of legality, taste, brevityand clarity. To be consideredfor publication, they must betyped, signed and include thewriter’s full name (no initials),home address, and telephonenumber (neither of which will bepublished), so authorship maybe verified.
HOMELESS NUMBERS ALTERED, POLITICIZED
Social housing grand plandooms Downtown EastsideEveryone showed up. All the bignames. Gordo was there. Sowas big Rich, the Santa Clausof social housing, with a $205million cheque from B.C. tax-payers. Mayor Gregor Robert-son leaned in, before a wall ofarchitectural renderings, flash-ing his bleached teeth for thecameras.It was their time to shine atlast Tuesday’s press conferenceinside the Smith-Yuen buildingon East Hastings Street. Theybackslapped and beamed andsaid all the right things abouteight new social housing proj-ects funded by housing ministerRich Coleman’s big cheque and$20 million from private donors.“These housing units are criti-cally important as we break thecycle of homelessness,” saidPremier Gordon Campbell. “Theycreate a sense of stability for thepeople who live in them.”True. The stabilizing effect ofhousing cannot be overstatedparticularly for the mentallyill and chronically addicted.But last Tuesday’s orgy of self-congratulation ignored gapingholes in this grand plan andhighlighted the crass politiciza-tion of Vancouver’s homelessproblem.In addition to the eight newhousing projects slated for com-pletion by 2013, another sixexist in various stages of con-struction, for a total of 14 proj-ects funded by the province oncity-owned land. Furthermore,a handful of buildings includ-ing the old and infamous DrakeHotel on Powell Street are beingtransformed into non-marketrooming houses. But here’s thebig number: among the grandplan’s myriad of housing proj-ects, eight sites sit in the Down-town Eastside—ground zero forVancouver homelessness.The neighbourhood, rife withdrugs and crime, requires a cul-tural revolution. But eight spit-shined housing projects filledwith poor and destitute tenantsguarantees decades of poverty.Neighbourhood predators—drugdealers, pimps, johns—not onlyretain their constituencies butlook forward to a bumper cropof new arrivals drawn by govern-ment housing paid for in perpe-tuity by taxpayers. Coleman’s$205 million represents a meredown payment. The grand planwill ultimately cost many moremillions in welfare, policing andcourt costs.But I get why they did it. It’srelatively easy to erect socialhousing in the Downtown East-side. The tougher strategy, withthe best chance of success, canbe spelled out in one word: de-centralization. Spread housingaround the Lower Mainland (it’sprovincial money, after all). Res-
urrect Riverview. Allow victims ofaddiction and illness to breatheeasier outside the big city.That would take real politi-cal courage, something rarelyassociated with the DowntownEastside—a graveyard of short-sighted solutions and unintend-ed consequences, which oftenbloom after the culprits shuffleaway from the scene. While thegrand plan formed before he be-came mayor, Robertson’s wildrhetoric didn’t help. During the’08 civic election campaign, herecklessly and repeatedly prom-ised to “end homelessness by2015.” It became his campaignmantra, a fool’s fantasy that ig-nores the limits of government.Upon completion, the grandplan will boast more than1,700 housing units. Of course,no one knows how many home-less people will be in Vancouverwhen the last site is completed.In fact, no one knows how manyhomeless people live here now.The definition of “homeless”varies depending on the source.Subsequently, homeless figuresare impossible to disprove andsubject to massage.In 2006, the Pivot Legal So-ciety, one of many DowntownEastside organizations reliant onpoverty and despair, predictedthat Vancouver’s homeless pop-ulation would balloon to 3,000by 2010. In a report releasedlast December, UBC researcherssaid 1,576 homeless people in-habit Vancouver streets. In April,the city claimed 1,800 with acautionary caveat—only 400 ac-tually sleep outside city shelters.The provincial housing ministrydisputes those numbers.But there was no disagree-ment last Tuesday. After theflashy press conference, thestars emptied onto East Hast-ings, into waiting cars and taxis,and out of the Downtown East-side. In the coming decades,expect similar press conferenc-es featuring different names,as politicians pass the buck ona problem largely created bygovernment incompetence. Thelatest “solution” to Vancouverhomelessness represents theworst idea for a neighbourhoodgone wild. It’s ghetto manage-ment by expansion. And noth-ing more elegant than that.
Your headline writer sug-gests that Dunsmuir Streetwill shrink with the addi-tion of bike lanes. In fact,the width of the street willnot change, but DunsmuirStreet will gain a trafficlane when it is convertedfrom three general purposetraffic lanes to two generalpurpose lanes and two bikelanes. This will add signifi-cant capacity to DunsmuirStreet at very little cost.
The few car parking spots
lost can easily be replacedwith many more parkingspots by adding a few bikeracks.
Protected bike lanes willmake cycling safer andwill encourage many morepeople to enjoy riding theirbikes in the downtown coreand will mean more cus-tomers for the businessesalong Dunsmuir.
Kudos to the city for up-grading Dunsmuir Street toimprove all modes of roadtransportation. This is awin-win-win all around!
Arno Schortinghuis,Vancouver
To the editor:OK, let’s see if I have this
right. Bloedel Conserva-tory was shut down becausethe city couldn’t afford the$250,000 per year to keepit open, the petting zoo atStanley Park also closed forlack of funds, library hourswere shortened as the city isfacing serious shortfalls in itsbudget and must cut back.Yet mayor and council havemiraculously found $25 mil-lion to add 55 kilometres ofbike paths to serve 1.5 to 2per cent of the population.
Armida McDougall,Vancouver
To the editor:Re: “Resident vows vandalism at Grand-
view Park,” May 21.I have been living in the vicinity of
Grandview Park for over 25 years and haveseen how it changed over those years.
Lots of people use the park as their dailystopover—some to play frisbee, some tobring their children to play, some to playmusic—and some to smoke pot or selldrugs.
Yes, lots of deals are made there. Peoplewearing strange clothes, piercings and
tattoos add to diversity, but this kind ofopen market makes me really uneasy, es-pecially so close to schools and a play-ground.
I guess there are some people whoprefer to spend their days on the dirtygrassless soil, among garbage and foodleftovers, planning their next “anti-some-thing” action. Too bad a handful of sun-bathers and pot smokers will have to finda new venue for the next few months.
Malgorzata Sienkiewicz,Vancouver
The Courier’s recent coverage of aboriginal issues, including Squamish plans to developunder the Burrard Bridge, prompts sharp response from readers.
markhasiuk
EW10 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Unlimited contributions leave door open for future big money campaigns
Elections task force recommends civic spending limitsMike HowellStaff writer
The provincial minister whodelivered a report Monday onsweeping changes for civic elec-tions says he will continue towork with Vancouver city councilon electoral reforms specific tothe city.
Minister of Community and Ru-ral Development Bill Bennett saidhe recognized that Vancouver’sexpensive election campaignscreate a “unique situation” in theprovince.
“As minister, I still have an openmind to working with Vancouverto see if there’s something specif-ic that we can do for them,” Ben-nett told the Courier. “I personallyhaven’t given up on that.”
Bennett led the Local Govern-ment Elections Task Force thatmade 31 recommendations in areport released Monday that aimsto make improvements to localelections.
A key recommendation thataffects Vancouver campaigns isspending limits for candidates,political parties and third partyadvertisers.
But the task force did not rec-ommend limits on the amount ofmoney a person, corporation orunion can donate to a candidate.“We felt that it wasn’t necessary,given the other recommendationsthat we’ve made,” Bennett said.“For one thing, when you create[spending] limits, that has to havesome impact on how much a can-didate would have to raise.”
The report doesn’t recommendspecific spending limits but pro-vides a possible formula wherecandidates could spend one dol-lar for every resident.
That would mean a candidate inVancouver could spend $628,621whereas a candidate in Zeballoson Vancouver Island would maxout at $161. The task force said itrecognized setting a formula “will
take significant work” to ensure itworks in every municipality.
No ban on contribution limitscould mean another expensivecampaign for the city’s threemainstream parties—COPE, theNPA and Vision Vancouver—inthe November 2011 vote.
In 2008, the three parties spenta combined $3.2 million of themoney they collected in contribu-tions from developers, unions andindividuals. The amount does notinclude upwards of an additional$2 million spent by candidateswhose costs weren’t covered bytheir parties’ central campaign,including mayoral nominationraces and campaigns.
The task force considered im-plementing contribution limitsonly for Vancouver. But its reportsaid it would pose “some realchallenges” such as how rulesunique to one community wouldbe enforced, and by whom.
“It would not be practical tohave contribution limits only inone or a few communities,” thereport said. “Would it be reason-able to have a system where ac-cepting a contribution from a pro-hibited source in Vancouver could
result in significant automaticpenalties [e.g. disqualification ofan elected candidate], while ac-cepting the same contribution inBurnaby would bring no conse-quences?”
In March, Vancouver city coun-cil sent a list of recommendationsto the task force, asking for limitson contributions, and a ban onunion, corporate and foreign do-nations.
Other recommendations madeby the task force include:
• A four-year term for electedofficials, instead of three years.
• No vote for businesses, anidea that was proposed.
• A ban on anonymous contri-butions.
• Establish a role for ElectionsB.C. to enforce campaign financerules and make campaign financedisclosure statements electroni-cally accessible.
• Require sponsorship informa-tion on all election advertising.
For the task force’s recommenda-tions to be in place for the 2011 elec-tion, provincial politicians must nowdevelop legislation. But that willtake some time, the report added.
They didn’t get everything they wantedbut Vancouver city councillors are encour-aged by a task force’s recommendations re-leased Monday calling for electoral reformson civic election campaigns.
Vision Vancouver Coun. Andrea Reimersaid the task force’s recommendation toimplement spending limits is a “prettycritical” step when considering the city’smulti-million dollar campaigns.
“Having some kind of rule framework isgreat,” Reimer told the Courier.
The Local Government Elections TaskForce made 31 recommendations in its re-port released Monday. But the task forcedid not recommend limits on contributionsto campaigns or call for frequent disclosureof donations.
In March, city council made several rec-ommendations to the task force, includingthe call to ban union and corporate dona-tions, limits on contributions and financialdisclosures for candidates every six months.“I’m going to guess that in many towns inthe province, [annual disclosures] is not abig issue, so I can appreciate why the taskforce didn’t bring it to the floor,” Reimersaid. “But here we absolutely would bene-fit from annual disclosure rules. They havethem at the provincial and federal levels.”
The 2008 city election saw the city’sthree mainstream parties—Vision, COPEand the NPA—spend about $5 million. Allthe parties raise money between electionsbut are not required to disclose names ofcontributors and amounts until almost fivemonths after an election.
Minister of Community and Rural De-velopment Bill Bennett, who co-chairedthe task force, said Monday he was will-ing to meet with Vancouver city council toconsider further changes for city electioncampaigns.
Vision Coun. George Chow said he wasdisappointed no limits were set on dona-tions. He agreed with Reimer that morefrequent disclosures by politicians are re-quired in Vancouver. Chow pointed outone of the task force’s recommendations isto increase three-year terms to four years.If that happens, it will give a candidate orparty more time to raise money that willnot be disclosed until after an election.
“That’s something that should be addedto the recommendations,” Chow said.
Since Vision was founded more than fiveyears ago, the party has made additionaldisclosures not required by law. It disclosednames and dollar amounts related to pay-ing off its 2005 election debt.
COPE has also made additional disclo-sures and former NPA councillor PeterLadner revealed who and where he got hismoney from for his 2008 mayoral nomina-tion campaign.
COPE Coun. Ellen Woodsworth said thereality of Vancouver’s at-large electoral sys-tem was not recognized in the task force’srecommendation for spending limits. To-ronto has spending limits but has a wardelectoral system, where candidates don’tneed huge sums of money to run or see theneed to join a well-funded political party.
Neil Monckton of ThinkCity, a localthink-tank on city issues, said he does notknow of any jurisdictions in Canada wherespending limits are used in at-large elec-toral systems. Contribution limits wouldhave to be implemented to make it work,Monckton added. “If you’re intent is tobring some fairness into the electoral sys-tem, how do you do that in an at-large sys-tem where you have candidates and partiescompeting for large pools of voters and be-tween themselves?”
Bennett said the task force didn’t consid-er the question of wards in its mandate. “Itis something for the future,” Bennett said.
EW12 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Private donors to fund Kits Beach Park project
Playground relocation plan riles residentSandra ThomasStaff writer
Kits Point resident AdamSmith and a group of resi-dents in the neighbour-hood say the relocation ofthe playground at KitsilanoBeach Park will make theplayground less safe forchildren and inconvenientfor families.
Smith said when the parkboard initially asked forpublic comment on a newplayground for the park, hewas happy with the propos-al, as were other parents hespoke with. Last Octoberthe park board announcedit had received a $500,000donation from various non-profits to build a new ac-cessible playground at KitsBeach Park.
“So when the board helda meeting as part of its pub-lic consultation, it didn’tattract anyone becausewe had nothing to objectto about the project,” saidSmith, the father of threeyoung children. “But thatmeeting was the first timeanyone said anything aboutmoving the playground to anew location.”
Smith said he’s not con-cerned with a lack of publicconsultation but rather alack of information regard-ing the relocation, whichwill move the playground50 metres south next to theWatermark Restaurant andconcession stand. Smithsaid the current location al-lows clear visibility of chil-dren from every direction,but he believes the newlocation will make it easyfor children to disappeararound the side or back of
the restaurant quickly. Henoted the service lane thatruns from Arbutus Streetalongside the restaurantis busy with large deliveryand garbage trucks drivingin and backing out, whichhe said creates anotherdanger to children. Thenew location also puts theplayground in the middleof the crowds who throngto Kits Beach each summer,while the current locationis set away from the beachand is surrounded by largeshade trees.
As for accessibility, Smithnotes the closest parkingfor parents of children withdisabilities will be the mainlot to the south of the res-taurant, whereas with thecurrent location they canpark in the lot to the north45 metres from the play-ground. Smith calculates
parents will have to park213 metres away from thenew location.
He said COPE commis-sioner Loretta Woodcockwas the only member ofthe board to respond to hisemails.
Woodcock told the Cou-rier the new location waschosen because of long-standing concerns aboutcoarse language used bymany of the basketball play-ers in the courts adjacentto the present playground.She said the proximity tothe basketball courts wasalso the biggest concernfor safety among parentsand that the new location ismuch closer to washrooms.Woodcock said there isenough parking to accom-modate everyone, includingfor accessibility.
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW13
Business community hopes to attract kids to neighbourhood
Chinatown touts panda mascotsCheryl RossiStaff writer
The Vancouver Chinatown Business Im-provement Association Society wantsChinatown to appeal to more kids, and ithopes a panda mascot will be the draw.
“For the past few years, we have wantedto draw a younger crowd to Chinatown,”said Albert Fok, president of the China-town BIA. “We believe bringing down theteenagers and kids to Chinatown will helpthe revitalization process.”
With summer coming and school end-ing, the BIA wants to attract interest fromyouth. It’s also working with schools onfield trips.
The BIA has organized an online votewith two proposed mascots, and voters cancast their choice for the winner until June30.
Created in the footsteps of mascots forthe recent Winter Games, the winner willgreet the public for the first time Aug. 14 atthe opening ceremony of the 11th annualChinatown Festival. But the mascot won’tbe officially named until September, after anaming contest ends Aug. 31.
Both potential mascots are pandas. One,temporarily nicknamed Punkie, sports aflame-coloured mohawk and the other,temporarily nicknamed Muse, wears alarge paintbrush slung across his back.
According to Fok, Vancouver’s DefiniumDesign Group created backstories for themascots the agency believes will connectyouth to Chinatown.
According to his biographical informa-tion, Punkie was meant to be the 13thanimal on the Chinese zodiac, but the
noticeable mohawk ’do he was born withbranded him an outcast and he didn’tmake the cut. Punkie found refuge in Van-couver around the time the Chinese beganto settle as immigrants and labourers. Heapparently likes to promote individualitythrough diversity.
Muse is a mythical creature and a goodluck charm that brought success to earlyChinatown. When he trips and falls hebrushes it off knowing that good luck willreturn soon. His motto is “Keep on mov-ing forward and working hard. Good thingswill happen.”
Depending on how well he’s received,the winning mascot could find himselfwith a sidekick, splayed across T-shirts andmade into a plushy doll. He’ll likely be in-corporated into Chinatown’s new bannersto be unveiled in time for the annual fes-tivities.
“We’re also working with, for example,First Nations people. Perhaps there can besome component there, he can have a tat-too,” Fok said.
Kelly Mak, a designer with Definium,said he’s ready for criticism. “It’s going tocome with the territory,” he said.
This year’s Chinatown Festival will cel-ebrate the 125th anniversary of the neigh-bourhood.
“The theme is Leaping from Our ProudHeritage,” Fok said. “As much as we aredrumming our drums and emphasizing thatwe want to revitalize, we want a younger,more energetic component, we want to re-spect our forefathers as well.”
For more information, see www.vancou-ver-chinatown.com.
the media, to remindeveryone about basicroad safety. This springthe focus is on red-light running. RCMPSupt. Norm Gaumont isreported as saying, “I’vetold our people therewill be no warnings,but tickets only. …TheRCMP and VancouverPolice Department andall police forces in BCwill be targeting infractions at intersections vig-orously in the next couple of months, startingright now.”
This reminder includes the penalty for run-ning a light—$167—and, lest the listener/readerbe tempted to ignore it as somehow inapplicable,a recitation of the should-be-shocking-but-aren’t-really statistics in BC: a daily average of 250crashes at or near intersections comprising 50%of all crashes; of the 35 fatalities on Vancouverstreets in the last two years, 70% occurring at ornear intersections.
To try to highlight the extent of the problem,Nicolas Jimenez, ICBC’s Road Safety Directorgives the example: “In the last five years, morepeople have been involved in an intersectioncrash than every man, woman and child living inthe city of Vancouver.”
Within this broad category, a further bit ofstatistical digging finds some new and perhapsnot surprising (changing demographics?) trends.The latest Quick Look at Intersection Crashes inCanada from Transport Canada’s Road Safetyand Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate statesthat fewer children under 16 are being killed orseriously injured in intersection crashes and thatintersection-related fatalities among drivers aged16 to 19 have decreased by almost 20% betweenthe latest comparison periods 1996-2001 and2002-2004.
The Quick Look indicates that of all inter-section fatalities, “40% involve a driver failingto yield the right of way or disobeying a trafficsign or signal. [Failing-to-yield-the-right-of-
way crashes generallyinvolve turning vehi-cles; crashes result-ing from disobeyinga traffic sign or signalusually involve run-ning stop signs or sig-nal lights.] The reportgoes on to say that“older drivers (aged65 years or older)are much more likelyto commit an infrac-tion leading up to anintersection crash thanmost other drivers.” It
also notes that “more middle-aged motorcyclistsare being killed or seriously hurt in intersectioncrashes” and that “more pedestrians, especiallyseniors, are being killed in intersection crashes.
According to the eminent traffic safety expert,Leonard Evans, the statistics “consistently showthat young male drivers have the highest fatal-ity and crash rates, and pose the greatest threatsto other road users.” If the above-mentionedQuick Look statistics are indicative of a newtrend, —not surprising given that more seniorsare driving and driving later in life than everbefore— the solutions for making intersectionssafer for seniors will likely come through designand training innovations that should also benefitall users. Quick Look suggests (we paraphrase)the following:• Design intersections with senior drivers andpedestrians in mind.• Install longer pedestrian walk signals.• Reduce visual clutter at intersections. Eliminateunnecessary signage• Simplify intersection layouts.• Add more left-turn lanes and signal-controlledleft-turn intervals.
Senior driver training and licensing have beenongoing issues for some time, and will increas-ingly be a topic of discussion.
THEROADRULES
Cedric Hughes Barrister & Solicitor
Danger Lurks at Intersections
Please drive safely.
Road Rules is by Cedric Hughes, Barrister &Solicitor with regular weekly contributionsfrom Leslie McGuffin, LL.B.www.roadrules.ca
EW14 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Angus McIntyre first drove trolley bus in 1969
Bus driver closes door on 41-year careerCheryl RossiStaff writer
Nearly 100 people took special eveningtrips with Angus McIntyre at the wheel ofhistoric trolley buses Monday night. Theywanted to celebrate his last day on the job.
Visitors from Toronto, Seattle and Detroitswapped stories during one of the tripsabout the bus driver’s 41-year career. Mc-Intyre was presented with a plaque paintedto resemble a bus top sign that read “41Angus McIntyre.”
A band played at the Nanaimo SkyTrainstation. His fans came out from Dunbar’sStong’s and the Legion to say goodbye.
“With Angus going, goes part of the his-tory of the bus,” said Bruce Gilmour, whohas enjoyed hearing McIntyre’s anecdotesalong the No. 7 Dunbar/Nanaimo route foryears. He took the trip Monday with hisguide dog.
McIntyre, an avid transit historian, car-ried his admirers Monday in first genera-tion trolley buses he drove when he startedin 1969. Passenger Karl Raab met McIntyrea year ago through a friend from Toronto.“He’s an encyclopedia of transit knowl-edge,” said Raab.
McIntyre always drove at night andhandled the Nanaimo portion of thebus route for 40 years. Other routes heserviced during his career included theNo. 4 Powell/UBC and the No. 19 Me-trotown Station/Stanley Park. He esti-mates he carried 2.5 million passengersduring his time.
While Monday’s ride was specially ar-ranged, his last official shift was Sundaynight, a moment he describes as “veryemotional” with friends, family, fans andco-workers on board.
“Some of these drivers that were there
were kids when they first rode on my bus,”he said. “They were interested in the joband eventually I saw them become driversand some of them have been driving for 10or 15 years. ”
The Canadian-born McIntyre became in-terested in public transit as a teen when hisfamily moved to Melbourne, Australia.
Returning to Canada as a young man, hesigned up for bus driver training in Van-couver and learned how to steer buses thatlacked right-hand mirrors.
McIntyre will miss interacting with hispassengers, but not the ones who feel en-titled to ride for free.
“I’m glad to leave behind the 50 people aday that walk on without paying,” he said.“It particularly bristles me when you havesomeone that gets on wearing expensivesport clothes and they’ve got their iPodplugged in and they’ve got their Blackberryand all this stuff and they need a ride.”
The 62-year-old plans to fix up hisold 1928 house in Dunbar, continuevolunteering with the Transit MuseumSociety and the Downtown HistoricRailway and share his nearly 35,000Kodachrome slides of transit and thechanging city on Flickr.
He notes a Dunbar home was affordableon a bus driver’s salary in 1977.
“Now it would take eight salaries to buythe same house I bought in Dunbar,” Mc-Intyre said.
But McIntyre has focused on the positiveaspects of his career of late.
“There was one beautiful sunny daylast week, going over the Granville Bridge,looking at the city, the seated load of pas-sengers all comfortable and talking awayand everything was just humming along asit should,” he said.
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW15
Countdown’s onSpecial adviser CherylWenezenki-Yolland deliv-ers her report about theVancouver School Board’sfinancial performance tothe provincial governmentThursday.
Education minister Mar-garet MacDiarmid ap-pointed Wenezenki-Yollandto look into the district’sfinances in April after theVSB complained about hav-ing to cut millions from its
budget. The VSB put offpassing its final budget,which could involve $16.33million in cuts, until theresults of the provincial re-view are known.
It’s unclear if the schoolboard will be given ad-vance notice of Wenezenki-Yolland’s findings beforethey’re released to the pub-lic. Board chair Patti Bac-chus told me the VSB wasnotified last week the advis-er’s report might be delayedand the minister mightmake an announcementabout the delay, but shedidn’t hear anything furtherfrom official sources.
Bacchus learned througha weekend newspaper ar-ticle that the report wouldbe delivered to the govern-ment June 3. She hasn’tbeen told when the VSBwill be advised about its
content, although the boardasked for a copy as soon asit’s available.
“The communication orlack thereof is, in my view,incredibly disrespectful tothe VSB, its employees, itsstudents and their fami-lies,” Bacchus said in anemail to the Courier. “Theappointment interrupted avery difficult budget pro-cess and has left the districtin a state of uncertainty and
anxiety as we await the re-port so we can get on withthe budget.”
The ministry’s public af-fairs bureau says the min-ister will make the reportpublic in a “timely man-ner.”
Making moneyFundraising. It’s a wordthat likely strikes fear inparents across the schooldistrict. No one wants todo it but it’s nearly impos-sible to avoid. The needhas increased with schoolboard budgets cuts, so it’snot surprising some schoolsand businesses team up tofundraise.
This past weekend BrownBros. Ford hosted “DriveOne 4 UR School,” whichsaw the company and Fordof Canada donate $20 foreach person who test-drove
a vehicle to Point Grey sec-ondary school.
The event raised $950 forthe high school, which wasno doubt welcomed.
The benefits of suchrelationships are obvi-ous—it’s good public rela-tions for businesses to helpstudents and it generatespublicity for companies,while it draws attention tothe school board’s fund-ing woes and gives schoolsmoney that doesn’t requireparents to ask friends andfamily members to buyyet another raffle ticket orsponsor another studentproject.
But such deals aren’twithout drawbacks. Crit-ics argue the more schoolsrely on fundraising, the lesspressure the provincial gov-ernment faces to cover edu-cation-related costs.
It’s a thorny issue, ac-knowledges Julianne Doc-tor, chair of the DistrictParent Advisory Commit-tee. She said schools havebeen partnering with com-munity businesses for quitesome time—some throughgrocery receipt programswith companies such as Su-per Foods on CommercialDrive or by book donationsthrough Starbucks.
“On one hand, it doeshelp to build communitybetween the school and lo-cal businesses, and it doeshelp support the extras,”Doctor told me in an email.“To use it to raise the biggerbucks… to let the govern-ment off the hook, that’swhere I have a problem.”
Participate inTheWalmart Walk For Miraclesand help us help children’s hospitals.
Sunday June 13th at Stanley Park, Vancouver.
Visitwww.walmartwalkformiracles.ca to register.
Walk for children’s hospitals. Help create realmiracles.
w w w. v a n c o u r i e r. c o m
EW16 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
*PRICE MATCH.We determine a major competitor based on our assessment of a number of relevant factors that may vary by region. “Items you buy most” refers to our top selling products. We check competitor pricing on the majority ofitems you buy most on a weekly basis; and in all cases, no less than quarterly. We may not match a competitor’s short term promotional pricing activities(ie. one day sales or ‘door crashers’) or other promotional pricing activities such as ‘2 for1’ or ‘buy 1 get 1 free’. We do not Price Match all items at all times; where we have Price Matched an item, it will be identified in-store. This is not a price match guarantee where we match any competitor price you find. PRICE CUT. Longerterm price reductions on items identified in-store. “Items that matter most to you” refers to our top selling products.WEEKLY SPECIAL. Typically in effect from Saturday to Friday of each week on items identified in-store and/or in flyer.
superstore.caPresident’s Choice
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW17
UNLEESHEDFred
United Way VP Pommashea Noel-Bentley offered upa pair of Manolo Blahniks at her Sex and the City-in-spired Women in Philanthropy fundraiser at Holts.
Women in Philanthropy committee member SaeedahSalem sized up John Casablanca models Justin Breault(left) and Jason Nesseth at the United Way bash.
Models Bobbi Bysouth (left) and Ellyse Anderson got“Carrie away” donning shoe headpieces at the Womenin Philanthropy SATC party.
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CEO Linda Mor-ris and Victoria Police Chief Jamie Graham helpedraise funds for breast cancer research.
After an eight-year hiatus, Michael “Mump” Ken-nard (left) and John “Smoot” Turner returned to theCultch stage with their dark comedy Cracked.
Founder Darcy James flanked by comics ChrisMolineux and Victoria Clements yukked it up at theComedy Courage gala in support of mental health.
Chair Corinne Coell with husband and MLA MurrayCoell fronted Victoria’s inaugural Wild Lilies gala insupport of a future without breast cancer.
Campers Taylor Basso and Naomi Amren spoke insupport of UBC’s CampOUT, a summer camp for LG-BTQ youth and their allies.
Carrie away: In anticipation of the Sex and the City se-quel, the United Way’s Women in Philanthropy presentedthe biggest SATC party in town fronted by chair CatherineVan Alstine. A $125 ticket got fashionistas an all accesspass to a sensational night of make-up, Big New York pre-dicaments, cosmos, canapés and a runway romp Carriewould be proud of. The fash bash saw revelers depositnearly $25,000 to the Success by 6 program for kindergar-ten kids.Flower power: Celebrating the power of women like Em-ily Carr and the Sisters of Saint Ann, Corinne Coell chairedand Vicki Gabereau hosted the inaugural Wild Lilies Gala,a benefit dinner in Victoria in support of the CanadianBreast Cancer Foundation. In appreciation of the care herlate sister Elizabeth received while battling breast cancer,Carr gave a painting of lilies to the Sisters of Saint Ann.The original painting was unveiled at the dinner and a re-production was auctioned for $9,000.Glamping: As part of Alumni Weekend, UBC celebratedfour decades of Pride—from Pride UBC to the PositiveSpace Campaign to its newest initiative CampOUT!, asummer camp for Queer youth aged 14-19 and their allies(www.campout.ubc.ca).
Hear Fred Monday morning on CBC Radio One’s TheEarly Edition AM690 and 88.1FM; Email Fred at [email protected]; Follow Fred on Twitter: @FredAboutTown.
EW18 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Golf’s softer side
EW18 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Central Park Pitch & Putt3883 Imperial StreetPhone: 604-434-2727
Kensington Park Pitch & Putt5889 Curtis StreetPhone: 604-291-9525
season
Golf used to be primarily a man’sgame, but over the years it hasevolved to be all-inclusive, withgrowing female participation.
However, some gals are not as experi-enced as their male counterparts, and fordriving off the tee, for example, they maylack the strength required to keep up withthe boys.
For those who want to hone their gamewith like-minded partners, Golf Fore Galsprovides an avenue for women to join agolf “community” that’s tailored to theirneeds.
Understanding the busy lives of womenhas made Golf Fore Gals a success. Theschedule of events allows you to be flexiblewith your golf arrangements and caters toyour busy life. There are events and golfcourses for all levels of ability. You simplychoose the golf course and time that suitsyour abilities and schedule, and selectwhen, where and who you play with bybooking from GFG’s easy to use calendarof events.
Golfing alone? Just come out to play ina foursome and meet some new golfingpartners. Membership provides accessto great tee times; weekend and twilightleague play; mixed golf events; lessonsand clinics; tournaments; golf seminars;and handicapping education.
“I’ve been a member of Golf Fore Galsfor several years, and I can’t imagine abetter way to arrange golf games,” says
member, Tess. “I’ve made some terrificfriends and have the opportunity to play awide variety of golf courses. With all theorganizing done, it is such a simple pro-cess to sign up to play a golf game on anygiven day.”
Golf courses include UBC, McCleery, Lan-gara, Fraserview, plus other Lower Main-land courses in close proximity to Vancou-ver. Next up is a June 5 event at MusqueamGolf and Learning Academy entitled:Greenside Bunker / Putting Clinic, withC.P.G.A. class professional April Stubbs.This one-hour clinic focuses on those oftenforgotten shots, like – ‘How to get out of abunker, made easy!’ And, ‘Feel your wayto a good putting stroke!’ Good instructor/student ratio. Cost is $39.00 for members.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PHONE DIANE FRU AT604-533-9886 OR GO TO WWW.GOLFFOREGALS.COM FOR DETAILS.
GIRL POWERThe 2010 Chicks with Sticks LadiesCharity Golf Tournament takes placeTuesday, August 26. Registrationbegins at 11:00 am, with 1:00 pmShotgun start. New location isCountry Meadows Golf Course,8482 No 6 Road, Richmond BC.The format: Best Ball; four playerson a team. Cost: $240 per golfer.More info. available soon at www.kidshelpphone.ca, BC Region.
compiled by Helen Peterson
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW19
Include the Vancouver Courier in yournext vacation or exotic adventure andsend a photo (200 dpi or larger) ofyourself and/or travel companion dis-playing an edition of the Courier, alongwith a brief description of your trip,your name and contact information [email protected]
Courier Reader: Jeffrey MoyDestination: Las Vegas, NevadaFavourite memories of trip: Jeffrey, hiswife Katie Leung and a couple of friends,visited Sin City in April. Highlights includedthe Beatles musical, winning $800 on hisfirst try at poker, eating until it hurt at theBellagio buffet and wearing a boa constrictoraround his neck.
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E20 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
More than 106 dialects spoken in former New Hebrides
Pidgin English binds Vanuatans togetherMitchell SmythContributing writer
TANNA ISLAND, Vanuatu—The breezedrifting in through the open windows didlittle to alleviate the stifling heat, so mostof the congregation were fanning them-selves with their hymn books.
In the rafters of the tiny Presbyterianchurch, mynahs and kingfishers playedtag, swooping down now and then justabove the heads of the clergymen and theelders. But the playful birds weren’t theonly things that set this service apart fromwhat we in North America would consid-er normal. For a start, the average clergy-man doesn’t begin by asking the outsider(in this case me), “Yu stap wea?”
That’s pidgin English, here called Bisla-ma. It’s the official language of Vanuatu,and Pastor Thomas Niditause was askingwhere I came from. (“You stop where?”)
There would be a lot more Bislama inthe one-hour service, including a sermonabout two brata (brothers), one of whomspent his mane (money) on nogud gel(loose women) and grog (strong drink).Picking out these phrases, I recognizedthe parable of the prodigal son.
And I knew the congregation waspraising the Lord when they called out,every so often, “Jisus, yu numba wan.”They sang to the accompaniment of apiano, or as they call it, “Bigfala bokisblong waetman, tut blong em sam I blak,
sam I waet; taem yu killim emi singaot.”(“Big white man’s box with some whiteand some black teeth; when you strike it,it cries out.”
This was Sunday morning in Lenakel,the chief town on Tanna, one of the mostsoutherly islands in the republic of Vanu-atu (formerly the New Hebrides), an ar-chipelago of about 350 islands and keys,74 of them inhabited, about 1,500 kilo-metres north of New Zealand. Eighty-fiveper cent of Vanuatu’s population is Chris-tian, with Presbyterianism predominant.
Pasta (pastor) Niditause began the ser-vice with a salutation to the local bigman
(chief) and included a prayer for PrinceCharles—“Numba wan pikinini blongKwin”—meaning Queen Elizabeth’s el-dest child. (Vanuatu was once part of thefar-flung British Empire and there’s stilltremendous respect for the royals).
About 106 languages are spoken inVanuatu. English and French are spokenin the towns, but the local dialects arespoken everywhere else. Officials saythere is a distinct language for every 1,200inhabitants, possibly the highest densityof languages in the world. This meansthere would be no communication at allif it weren’t for Bislama. Everyone, nativeand ex-pat Westerner, speaks it.
The people are avid churchgoers. OnSunday mornings the women exchangetheir grasket (grass skirt) and basket blongtiti (bra) for a Mother Hubbard dress;the men, meanwhile, doff their shortsor loincloths for a suit. In the churchthis Sunday, Pastor Niditause ends withthese words, “Glad hat blong God papa,pls blong Jisas Krias pikinini, follosip mokampani blong tapu spirit I stap wetemtufala tete, mo ol taim, koko ino save fi-nis, Amen.” (“May the blessing of Godthe father, Jesus Christ the son, and thefellowship of the Holy Spirit be with youalways.”)
Visit vanuatu.travel for more informa-tion.
Mitchell Smyth is a member of the Me-ridian Writers’ Group.
photo Mitchell Smyth
Pastor Thomas Niditause and his wifeMary outside their church.
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW21
SeniorsJUNE 2010SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE
The Health and Home Care Societyof BC (HHCSBC) is happilycelebrating four very specialvolunteers who have served withits Meals on Wheels program for40 years.
Chris Croner, Shirley Van der Hoop,Jeanne Lewis and Doug Shaw were rec-ognized for their dedicated service tothe Meals on Wheels program, alongside
53 other volunteers and 18 members ofthe staff at HHCSBC’s annual Volunteerand Staff Recognition Tea, held on May12 at the Family Respite Centre.
Of the 18 staff honoured for their longterm service, nine were appreciated forten years of devoted service, includingShirley Park, HHCSBC’s Chinese Mealson Wheels service coordinator.
Chair of HHCSBC’s Board of Direc-
tors, Tom Chambers, human resourcesconsultant Janice Dungate, and volun-teer manager Jill Howey were on handto conduct the pinning story in recogni-tion of these long-term service volun-teers and staff.
HHCSBC is infinitely appreciative ofall of their incredible staff and volun-teers, who are committed to ensuringthat programs continue to thrive.
For information on the Meals onWheels volunteer program, call 604-733-9177, ext. 107. To order meal service,phone 604-732-7638 (or 604-292-7200for Cantonese service.) You may alsovisit the website at www.carebc.ca.
Call 604.637.1207www.cavellgardens.com
Experience the warmth of our
welcome by visiting us at:
2835 Sophia Street at 12th Ave.Vancouver, B.C. V5T 4V2
“A single rose can bemy garden, a singlefriend my world”
CAVELL GARDENSA Full Service Retirement Community in the Heart of Vancouver
where meeting the social needs of our seniors is a matter of priority.
2 0 1 0
– Leo Buscaglia
VOLUNTEER RECOGNITIONMEALS ON WHEELS CELEBRATES 40, TIMES FOUR
visit the Courier online atwww.vancourier.com
40 YEARS VOLUNTEERS DOUG SHAW, SHIRLEYVAN DER HOOP AND CHRIS CRONER WITHVOLUNTEER MANAGER, JILL HOWEY AT THEVOLUNTEER & STAFF APPRECIATION TEA.MISSING FROM PHOTO: JEANNE LEWIS.INFO. SUBMITTED BY TERRENE CONWAY.
E22 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
seniors
GLORY EWEN
IS NOW LOCATED INThe Peter MacDonaldInsurance Building5606 Victoria Driveat 40th
604-327-3399
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Peter MacDonaldINSURANCE AGENCIES LTD.
Your South Vancouver Insurance CentreCelebrating Over 35 Years in Business
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The Vancouver Courier has teamed up with the worldfamous art pottery firm Moorcroft to give you thechance to own an exquisite piece of Moorcroftpottery.
Canadians have been collecting Moorcroft for over100 years. Famous collectors include Elton John, TheQueen, RodStewart andmanyothers.
This competition is being held to celebrate the factthat theMoorcroftChairmanHughEdwards is visitingCanada tomeet collectors at a number of special freeevents.
You can see Hugh Edwards in Vancouver for one dayonly at a free event at Atkinson’s on Thursday June10. He’ll be appearing between 4pm-7pm and to getmore info just call Atkinson’s at 604 736 3378 or visitwww.moorcroft.com.
Send to: The Vancouver Courier1574West 6th Avenue, Vancouver BC V6J 1R2
Deadline for entries for the upcomingmonth is June 9th, 2010
Name: ______________________________
Phone: _____________________________
Enter toWin a stunning piece of
Moorcroft PotteryDENTURISTS ARE DENTURE SPECIALISTSNeed Dentures? Denture Problems? We can help you!
“Quality work you can count on” Ken Wong, Denturist
OPEN MON-FRI 10-5 SAT: By appointmentACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS
EMERGENCY REPAIRS AVAILABLE
GIVE A LITTLE BIT
Beginning this week, Meals on WheelsVancouver-Richmond is pleased to announce itsfirst ever full breakfast menu, which will offer awider variety of choice for its clients.
This new addition to the Meals on Wheels menu willoffer five selections – one for each day of the week.The breakfasts will be delivered frozen to enable cli-ents to heat and enjoy them at their convenience. Themenu includes classics such as French toast, scram-bled eggs, omelette, bacon, and hash browns, as wellas more contemporary items such as breakfast wraps.The cost per meal is affordable and consistent withthe existing Meals on Wheels menu.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve our ser-vice and offer greater variety to clients,” said IngeSchamborzki, executive director of the Health andHome Care Society of B.C. “We’re confident the addi-tion of the new breakfast menu will be positivelyreceived.”
Contact CareBC to put in your order!
South VancouverNeighbourhood House(SVNH), located at6470 Victoria Drive,can always use a littlewarm and friendly helpwith its Seniors PeerSupport and otherVolunteer Programs.
Many valuable volun-teers have enjoyed thebenefits of volunteering,and have mentioned that,in addition to helping out,it is a pretty good way tomeet other seniors andconnect to the commu-
nity. So far, volunteershave helped as:• Friendly Neighbours
• Information andReferral Assistants(helping withgovernment forms,documents andapplications)
• Group Facilitators• Program Assistants (for
the Thursday Wellnessand Tuesday SocialSeniors Programs)
• Kitchen Assistants• Lunch Buddies (being
matched with a newsenior to help welcomehim/her into House
programs)• Blood Pressure Readers
and Schedulers (for theweekly clinic)
• Entertainers• Speakers• Walking Club
Coordinators• Special Events
Teammates• Administrative Aides
If you would like to vol-unteer in one of theseareas, or would like towork together to developanother volunteer pro-gram, call Paula Khan atSVNH at 604-324-6212,or send her an email [email protected]. Vol-unteers are required tofill out an application,and attend an interviewand an orientation. Atour of the diverse facil-ity is included.
MEALS ON WHEELSOFFERS NEWBREAKFAST MENU
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW23
seniors
HEARING TESTS SET FORVancouver
Free electronic hearing tests will be given onJune 3, 4, 7, 8 at 2087West 42nd Ave,Vancouver.
The tests have been arranged for anyone who suspects they arelosing their hearing. Such persons generally say they can hearbut not understand words. Testing with the latest computerizedequipment will indicate whether you can be helped.
Everyone, especially those over 50 should have an electronichearing test at least once a year. If there is a hearingproblem hearing tests may reveal that newly developedmethods of correction will help, even for those who havebeen told that a hearing aid would not help them. If yoususpect you’ve experienced hearing loss, phone in for afree hearing test. Our licensed specialists are trained in thelatest auditory testing methods. And we’ll be the first oneto tell you if you don’t need a hearing aid.
But if you do have a hearing loss, we’ll explain your resultsand provide you with a list of options. If you suspect evenminor hearing loss, don’t let it go untreated. Book your freetest now.
604-264-10122087West 42nd Ave,Vancouver(Next to London Drugs at Kerrisdale Station)
www.pacifichearing.ca Licensed under the Hearing Aid Act of BC.
• New complete and partial dentures• Dentures and partials over implants• Additions, repairs, and more• All dental plans accepted
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COINS & STAMPS
MANAGER, JIM RICHARDSONIndependently operated by Western Coin & Stamp Ltd.
under a Sears Canada Inc. license agreement ® RegisteredTrademark of Sears, licensed for use in Canada
SEARS METROTOWN
604.433.3211
WE BUY AND SELL• COINS • STAMPS • POSTCARDS
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ALL FIRED UP OVER MOORCROFTWhat do Elton John, TomCruise, Leonard Lauder ofEstee Lauder fame, RodStewart, Prince Charles, TheSultan of Brunei and TheQueen all have in common?A penchant for Earl Grey tea?
Perhaps, but all are collectorsof world famous art pottery,Moorcroft. And fortunately, thecompany chairman will be inVancouver on Thursday, June10, from 4–7pm, for a specialfree event. He’ll be appearing atAtkinson’s, located at 1501 West6th Avenue, corner of Granville(phone: 604-736-3378).
Designers at Moorcroft havebeen inspired by Canada’s uni-que wildlife and landscape formany years and today Moor-croft is collected in over 24countries around the world.The website gets over 10million hits a year.
Hugh Edwards decided to visita number of key Canadian areasto meet Moorcroft collectors.
As you may know, Moorcroftis sold by many top auctionhouses including Waddington’sAuction House of Toronto,Christies and Sotheby’s, butanyone is welcome to attendthe event at Atkinson’s.
Canadian collectors, of whichour seniors are a vast member-ship, will have a unique oppor-tunity to meet Edwards andsee how Moorcroft is made.He will talk about the amazinghistory of the company andits current designs. Moorcroftdemonstrator Lesley Cartlidgewill show how Moorcroft’s artpottery is tubelined and pain-ted. Not surprisingly, the com-pany has been using the sametechniques since 1897.
Edwards says that the com-pany continues to be complete-ly design driven. In the past 15years Edwards has put togethera very talented design teamcreating numerous award-win-ning designs.
Edwards said, “Every pieceof Moorcroft is made meticu-lously by hand. Even today,in 2010, every single piece ofMoorcroft is made and paintedby hand. It is just one of thereasons people collect this hig-hly coloured, astonishing artpottery.
“Many people say Moorcroftpottery is so colourful that it’slike looking at stained glass.Moorcroft pottery frequentlyfetches remarkable prices atauction, with vases selling foras much as $50,000.”
Canada is very special toMoorcroft because it played acritical role in helping the worldfamous art pottery firm to sur-vive. A major reason Moor-croft remained in business wasbecause of the huge support inthe mid 1980s from CanadianMoorcroft collectors. DavidSimmons (who now works withWaddington’s of Toronto) hel-ped to introduce special pieces
into Canada in the mid 1980sthat was vital to the rebuildingof Moorcroft.
Canadians have been acti-vely buying Moorcroft for overone hundred years. In the mid1930s – after the Queen, Prin-cess Royal and Duke of Yorkpurchased Moorcroft rougeFlambé bowls, the Hudson’sBay Company in Canada orde-red identical Moorcroft pie-ces for numerous branches inCanada, requesting that peoplewere told the pieces were thesame as the pieces purchasedby the Queen.
Edwards added, “Moorcroftis one of the world’s last inde-pendent art pottery firms. Mostof its limited editions sell outvery quickly. Once an editionhas sold out, the shape is neverused again. It’s one of the rea-sons Moorcroft has a strongmarket record at major auctionhouses across the globe, becau-se the pottery’s value keepsclimbing.”
People wanting to join theMoorcroft Collectors Clubshould contact a CanadianMoorcroft retailer or visit www.moorcroft.com.
COLLECTOR’S ITEMS
EW24 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
It's Fun, Affordable and Accessible
For more information on fees, schedules and locationsvisit our website or call
3-1-1From outside Vancouver call:
604.873.7000
Lead an active lifestyleStay active or improve your health with the Vancouver Park Board. Purchase aFlexipass and get unlimited admission to our fitness centres, pools (includingaquafit and Range of Motion classes) and rinks. Drop-in and 10 visit passesalso available at discounted rates for seniors. Alternatively, take advantage ofseniors’ rates at our pitch & putt and championship golf courses.
Be young at heart, literallySign-up for Happy Hearts, a heart health program, at Kensington CommunityCentre. Or take advantage of the outdoor senior’s wellness circuit at TisdallPark. Call your local community centre for information about other health andwellness programs.
Because you deserve it!Join us for SeniorsWeek festivities! From performances and art exhibitions tohistorical walks and our annual tea dance (tickets $8 each), take part in thespecial activities offered at Vancouver Park Board locations. Informationavailable online at vanrec.ca; click on“Seniors” located in the left column.
Make it SeniorsWeek EveryWeek
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW25
! Call today to book your complimentary,hearing assessment.
By appointment only: 604-267-0705
OOppeenn HHoouussee
June 10th
Join Us!
A representative from Unitron will be
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BC SENIORS WEEK ROUND-UP
SENIORS’ CINEMAOakridge Centre is happy to showcase thesegreat movies during Seniors’ Cinema at theEmpire Theatre, located inside the shoppingcentre’s Atrium at 41st and Cambie.Coming up: “Flash of Genius on Wed. June 2at 1 pm and “State of Play at 1 pm on Wed.July 7.A fundraiser for Canuck Place Children’sHospice, seniors 55 and older are invitedto see big screen films by donation (min. is$2 per person; tickets at the door). www.oakridgecentre.com; seniors’ centre: 604-263-1833.
This is your time, folks. And June 6through 12 promises to offer manyfun and interesting opportunitiesfor seniors in and around the city ofVancouver.
Visit your local communitycentre, seniors centre or retirementresidence for the latest on celebratoryactivities. The principal kick-off is atthe Roundhouse in Yaletown, easilyaccessible by Skytrain and CanadaLine. Enjoy your time, seniors!
Opening For Seniors Week 2010Date: June 7; Time: 2:00 pm-3:15 pm;
Cost: FreeVenue: The Roundhouse - 181Roundhouse Mews (Corner of Davie &Pacific); Phone: 604-713-1800Event Organization: The Roundhouse;Email: [email protected];Website: roundhouse.ca
This is the Opening for the “2010Seniors Week” where the focus is onthe Elders in our community and inCanada. They will be sharing amazingand inspirational stories about Olympicand Paralympic Athletes. View theSeniors Week art exhibition, whichincludes photographs by active seniors
and “Healthy Aging through the Arts”.Refreshments will be served andeveryone is welcome.
Seniors Week Tea and DanceDate: June 11; Time: 1:00 pm-4:00 pm;Cost: $8Venue: The Roundhouse - 181 Round-house Mews (Corner of Davie & Pacif-ic); Phone: 604-713-1800Event Organization: Vancouver ParkBoard and Community Association;Email: [email protected];Website: roundhouse.ca
Join other enthusiastic seniors at
the eighth annual event to celebrateSeniors Week 2010, at the RoundhouseCommunity Arts & Recreation Centre.This is a city-wide Vancouver ParkBoard and Community Associationsponsored event that will feature theswinging sounds of live music, lightrefreshments and treats, prizes, fun,friendship and lots of dancing. Purchaseyour ticket at the Roundhouse or yourlocal community centre. Space is limitedso register early. Tickets sales will closeTuesday, June 8.
BalconyGardening Tips1:30 pm at 7th Heaven Patio ofTerraces on 7th, June 16, 2010.
Presented by The Terraces on 7thMaster Gardener, Wendy
Tours 1pm & 2:30pm, followed byrefreshments
Bring your gardening questions andshare your experiences with others
Presented by:Don Allen – RBC Dominion Securities, VP & Directorand Stephanie Chan, Founder of Home to HomeAdvisory Services
1570 WEST 7TH, BESIDE SEYMOUR MEDICAL CENTRE
E26 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY,JUNE 2, 2010
ItalianDay onThe DriveSunday June 612 to 8pm
CommercialDrive fromVenables toGrandview Cut
Enjoy ItalianEntertainment* Food * Activities * Music
* More Food * Prizes * Sports
* Even More food * Exhibits
MANGIA, MANGIA, MANGIA &PLAY WITH PASSION ON THE DRIVE!
1629 Commercial Drive604-568-4542
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health food storehealth food store1103 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
604.253.0969www.sweetcherubim.com
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Thank you VancouverThank you Vancouverforfor voting us “Thevoting us “TheBest HealthBest Health FoodFoodStore - Eastside”Store - Eastside”
- The Vancouver Courier 2010- The Vancouver Courier 2010
Celebrating over30 years of servingCommercial Drive
The Commercial Drive Business Society wel-comes one and all to Italian Day on the Driveon Sunday, June 6.
In partnership with the Italian Cultural Centre., theBusiness Society promises the Italian Day festival willgive people of all ages an opportunity to celebrate inVancouver’s Little Italy,
They’re bringing back a beloved festival from the1980’s, and this event will include the very best inItalian food, sports and activities, cultural exhibits,musical performances and a variety of interactiveentertainment.
From pizza tossing to grape crushing, bocce ball to soc-cer ball, and art exhibits to auto displays, the Italian Dayfestival will be a fun-filled day for everyone to enjoy.
The streets will be lined with activity and entertain-ment, and stages will engage the audience with perfor-mances… for the love of all things Italian!
Festival AttractionsThe Italian Day festival will transform Little Italyinto Big Italy! The northern and southern end ofCommercial Drive, and all points in between, willcorrespond to places in Italy. Event signage and activ-ity will reflect different Italian regions and cities. Thefestival attractions include:
• Main Stages – two main stages with entertainmentand performances all day
• Italy on the Move – Italian designed autos, motor-cycles and scooters
• La Forchetta – food fair specializing in food fromItaly
• Numero Uno – food demonstrations and competi-tions
• Sport Italia – bocce ball games, soccer games anddemonstrations
• Little Italy – a fun place with activities for kids of allages
• La Galleria – a display of Italian art and expression• La Storia – Italian historical exhibit and the story of
Little Italy• La Fashionista – fashion show with Italian modellas
and style• Buona Fortuna – contest area with prize draws and an
Italian wishing well for good luck.
In addition to these exciting festival attractions, majorevent draws will include a trip to Italy and a trip toToronto’s ‘Little Italy.’
Italy Comes toItaly Comes tothe Drive!the Drive!
All along Commercial DriveSunday, June 6, Noon to 8:00 pm
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER E27
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1645 East First Avenue (at Commercial)
IL MERCATO MALL • 604-254-1214
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Sunday, June 6, 2010and every other day of the year!
Yes, we are open24 hours a day,365 days a year.
Everyday!
We would like to welcome Rose, our new deli manager.She has 30 years of experience, and speaks fluent Italian.
on theDriveon theDriveLocation and AccessThe location includes Commercial Drive from Venables Street to the Grandview Cut.The Commercial Drive SkyTrain station is just a short walk away. There will be freeshuttle service to and from local bus stops. Parking by donation will be available atnearby schools.
In the spirit of Italian culture, get ready to “mangia, mangia, mangia” and play withpassion on the Drive! Merchants on The Drive look forward to seeing you on the 6th,and celebrating la vita bella! Check out www.thedrive.ca for all the juicy details!
Keep the good times rolling on The Drive from June 11 to July 11, when WorldCup fever grips this town. Cheer on defending champs, Italy or your favouritesoccer nation (in Italy they call it football!) at any of these hospitable establish-ments. It’ll be crowded, it’ll be noisy, and it will be a blast – get there early!
• Abruzzo Café1321 Commercial
• Café Amici1344 Commercial
• Café Bella Napoli1670 Commercial
• Café Roma1510 Commercial
• Continental Coffee1806 Commercial
• Euro Café Bakery1468 Commercial
• Giancarlo’s Sports Bar1865 Commercial
• Joe’s Café1150 Commercial
• Leira Café1997 Commercial
• St. Augustine’s2360 Commercial
For more locations of restaurants, bars, pizzerias and cafes showing World Cup 2010matches, go to www.thedrive.ca.
GOOOOOOAAAAAAAL!TheWorld Comes to the DriveTheWorld Comes to the Drive
EW28 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Blast from the past for the BC Lionsas den moves back to Empire Field
Construction is almost complete on the temporarystadium at Empire Field that the BC Lions will callhome for the 2010-11 season.
The home opener in the Lions’ temporary den will beon June 21 against Edmonton. For some fans, it willbe a brand new experience. For others, it will providea taste of the past.
“We have a tremendous opportunity in 2010 to pro-vide our fans with a season to remember as we returnto the birthplace of Lions football for the first time in27 years,” said George Chayka, the Lions’ vice-presi-dent of business.
The one-year move to Empire Field became neces-sary following the announcement late last year thatconstruction on a new retractable roof for BC Placewould not be completed until July 2011. The BCLions will host the 99th Grey Cup at BC Place inNovember 2011.
TransLink has boosted service linking to Empire Fieldquite significantly since the Lions last played there.Service on Hastings Street and links from the NorthShore and from the Millennium SkyTrain Line will givefans great connections to the games, and TransLinkwill offer “special events” boosts in service for gamedays. Check out www.bclions.com/page/parking-and-transportation for ready-made transit options to
Empire Field, along with driving directions and park-ing information.Completely enclosed on all four sides with an approx-imate seating capacity of 27,500, the new Lions’ denat Empire Field will be a cosy fit for fans. Individualseats totaling 20,100 will run along the side lines andanother 7,400 bench-style seats will occupy the endzones. Sideline seats between the goal lines will becovered and a limited number of private boxes willalso be constructed along with media facilities, con-cessions, stadium level lighting, scoreboards, a videoboard and washrooms.
Quick Facts:• Location: Empire Field at the PNE,
previous site of Empire Stadium
• Seating capacity: 27,500 seats -sideline seats will be covered
• Number of private boxes: 12
• Number of seating technicians requiredto build stadium: 50-60
• Materials: Approximately 2,500 tons,enough to fill 160 40-foot containers;much of the stadium materials willeventually be reused
• Stadium lighting will allow games tobe played at night
The BC Lions are heading back to their old turf this season,when they return to Empire Field. photo courtesy BC Lions
For tickets, check out www.bclions.com or call 604-589-ROAR.
VANCOUVER STORE108 E. Broadway 604-879-7037
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW29
Service has been boosted from links such as Hastings St, the North Shore and theMillenniumSkyTrain lines togive fans a boost in service during game days.Visit bclions.com/transit for details.
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EW30 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Three-day festival turns Dawson City into party town
Making music in the land of the midnight sunAnn Britton CampbellContributing writer
DAWSON CITY, Yukon—It’s mud-wrestling night in the beer garden atthe Dawson City Music Festival.
Not that you’ll find wrestling listedon the festival’s official program. Butthanks to heavy rains earlier in theday, part of the beer garden’s grassyexpanse has turned to mud and sixespecially festive festival-goers aremaking the most of the opportunity.
With an impromptu soundtrackprovided by the band Headwater(playing in the adjacent main-stagetent), the combatants grapple for 30dirty minutes before security inter-venes. Later, during a set by SunsetRubdown, I spy one of the cleanedup (but obviously not sobered up)wrestlers dancing on the plywoodfloor in front of the stage. When theset finishes, at 2 a.m., I walk with lo-cals and tourists, young tree-plantersand middle-aged bikers, urban hip-sters and wannabe rockers into thestill-dusk-like night. This far north(64 degrees) the sun barely sinks be-
low the horizon in July.Such are the delights that await
music lovers who fly to White-horse, drive six hours north toDawson City and buy a weekendpass to one of Canada’s most per-fect, tiny music festivals.
Dawson City, where the KlondikeGold Rush began in 1897 and where1,800 hardy souls now live, hasstaged this three-day festival since1976. Held in July, it brings togethermostly Canadian acts performingall sorts of musical styles, from folk,blues and klezmer to hip-hop, indierock, classical and country.
The music venues are just as var-ied, and all within walking distancealong the town’s wooden sidewalksand dirt roads. The Palace GrandTheatre, opened in 1899, hosts eve-ning performances (I check out theAcorn and Chad Van Gaalen on Fri-day night) as well as afternoon work-shops in which musicians from vari-ous groups share the stage.
The First Nations Dänojà Zho Cul-tural Centre and St. Paul’s AnglicanChurch, built in 1902, also stage
workshops. In the church on SundayI sit in a pew to listen to a Spanish-flavoured set, then head to the bankof the Yukon River and the outdoor
stage to hear Iskwew, a First Na-tions trio. In the main-event tent inMinto Park (site of the beer garden),a steady stream of bands grace the
stage. Mother Mother, Bend Sinister,Gadji Gadjo—I don’t recognize allthe names, but I relish the opportu-nity to sample their music.
Since this is my first trip north Itake breaks from the music to cruisethe Yukon River aboard the Klon-dike Spirit paddlewheeler and topan for gold at Claim 33, near Bo-nanza Creek where the nuggets thatlaunched the gold rush were found.I also attend Parks Canada’s RobertService program, an engaging, 60-minute history lesson held in frontof the cabin where the 19th-centuryKlondike poet lived.
Actor Johnny Nunan is halfwaythrough reciting “The Cremation ofSam McGee” when the sounds ofyet another band kicking it into gearcome drifting up from the main stage,about half a kilometre away. Whenthe music festival’s on in Dawson, itspresence is impossible to ignore. Butwho’d want to?
For more information, visitwww.dcmf.com.
Ann Britton Campbell is a Me-ridian Writers’ Group.
photo Ann Britton Campbell
t r a v e l
The Palace Grand Theatre, built in 1899 during the Klondike Gold Rush, isone of the venues for the Dawson City Music Festival, held every July, whennight never really comes to this Arctic town.
Vancouver Central Return-It Depot2639 Kingsway, Vancouver
Ph: 604-434-0707Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm
Vancouver CentralReturn-It DepotThe annual Return-It to Win-It Contest is back! Returnyour empty beverage containers from now until July 1stand enter to win an Adventure Essentials prize packageincluding a 6-person tent, camping chairs, a cooler andmore! A winner will be chosen from this depot so the moreoften you Return-It here, the more chances you have to win!
No purchase necessary. Open only to BC residents age 19 or over. Limit one entry per person and per household per day. Contest closes July 1st, 2010. For full contest details, visit return-it.ca
Be on the lookout for Return-It Manin your community on June 5thfrom 9am-1pm.
Come Help Us CelebrateOur 29th Year of Servingthe Champlain HeightsCommunity at our
Champlain Heights Community Centre3350 Maquinna Drive, Vancouver BC | Tel. 604.718-6575
Annual Country Fairon Saturday, June 5 from 11:00am - 4:00pm
Our Summer Recreation Guide is now available for pick upat the Centre or visit www.champlainheightscc.com
YOUR GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVINGCOMING UP• Back to the Future: Lower back ache, stiff shoulders,nagging strains and assorted pains. We’re experiencingback pain like never before. Doctors fill us in on how to treat it; plus new, non-surgicalremedies help make the pain go away.• Eye Spy – Children, boomers, seniors – in all age categories, people are concerned abouttheir vision and general eye health. We’ll shed some light on the issues of the day, like thefact that optometrists can now prescribe various prescriptions.• Hormonally Challenged:With Father’s Day approaching, it’s a great time to emphasizemen’s health concerns, in particular prostate cancer / awareness. (R.I.P. Dennis Hopper.)
Publishes in full colour on Wed. June 16, east/west and Fri. June 18, DT .
To advertise in this feature, call 604-738-1412
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW31
kudos & kvetchesBoring us to deathDumb ideas for mascots just keep gettingdumber.
We’re not the target market for mascotssuch as Quatchi, Sumi and Miga or theircreepy London 2012 Olympics cousins, andwe know the merchandise cranked out torepresent these creatures sells like hotcakes.But while kids get to play with their plushtoys, the rest of us must witness the declineof civilization at the hands of marketers,branders and designers hell bent on boring usto death.
The latest example of inane mascotizationcomes from the Vancouver Chinatown BIA,which is hosting an online vote to choose oneof two potential mascots to represent one ofthe city’s oldest neighbourhoods. Both arepandas—one has a punk haircut, the othercarries a giant paint brush—and are meant toappeal to children and teens who apparentlydon’t get out much.
Punkie, the one with the hair, didn’t makethe cut as a Chinese zodiac animal, accordingto the back story created for him by a designcompany. So he came to Vancouver where
he uses his laser eyes and ability to morphinto a giant robot to save kids from burningbuildings and chase down bank robbers.Or not. In reality, he mopes around and“promotes individuality through diversity” andputs everyone to sleep within 20 metres ofhis location.
Muse, whose brush is alarmingly large, isa mythical creature and good luck charm.He roars around on a jet pack and can bendfire and water to his will as he battles theevil mutant overlord Megatron. Again, notreally. He admonishes people: “Keep onmoving forward and working hard. Goodthings will happen.” He then wins an awardfrom the Vancouver Board of Trade as one ofTop 40 Mascots Under 40, writes a book onstart-up companies, hits the lecture circuit,engages in venture capital funding, becomesa billionaire, appears on the cover of Van Mag,buys the Canucks, has an affair and messydivorce, cries during a public apology, runsfor mayor and beats Megatron in one of theclosest civic elections in Vancouver history.
Oh, sorry. We were making a mascotinteresting again.
The Karl and Brian Show Act XXXIVNow that Justice Jeffrey Oliphant has foundthat former prime minister Brian Mulroneybreached his own 1985 Ethics Code byentering into a business deal with Germandude Karlheinz Schreiber while still a sittingMP—not to mention the justice’s criticismof Bri’s greaseball move of accepting cash-filled envelopes from the arms lobbyist— it’stime the giant-chinned lawyer return to theCanadian taxpayers the $2.1 million libelsettlement he received from the governmentwhen Jean Chrétien was PM. We’ve enteredmiddle-age since this costly and never-ending“Karl-Brian-Airbus-the media- is-unfair-to-me”saga began back in the last century.
We’re pretty sure we—and the restof Canada—came to Oliphant’s sameconclusion, oh, back in the 1990s.
So come on, Stephen Harper, we dareyou to demand your Tory godfather give themoney back.
And if Mulroney resists, we will have no choicebut to sick Punkie, Muse, Miga, Sumi, Quatchi,Wenlock and Mandeville on him and his family.
Consider yourself warned, Bri.
arts&entertainm
entMusée d’Orsaytakes over VAGModern WomanWhen we were young, naive univer-sity students backpacking aroundEurope, we visited Paris’s Muséed’Orsay to marvel at the works ofFrench masters such as Degas, Renoir,Pissarro and others. Before we exitedthe building, we bought a poster ofone of the paintings to hang on ourbedroom wall so as to appear eruditeand urbane. The posters are gone(originals by unknown locals areour preference now), but we can stillappreciate the beauty of the Frenchartists. The Vancouver Art Gallery isgiving locals a chance to view a largeselection of many of the great 19th-century masters whose works hangin the Paris museum. The ModernWoman: Drawings by Degas, Renoir,Toulouse-Lautrec and Other Master-pieces from the Musée d’Orsay is aperfect summer exhibition. It runs atthe VAG June 5 to Sept. 6. Full de-tails at www.vanartgallery.bc.ca. Bydonation night is, of course, still onTuesdays from 5 to 9 p.m.
People haterTony Harrison, Britain’s leading theatreand film poet, originally wrote The Mis-anthrope for Kevin Spacey and the Lon-don Old Vic, but it was never performeddue to the death of the director.
Under the direction of C.W.(Toph) Marshall, the United Playersare hoping nothing happens to Tophwhen they present the world pre-miere of the “sizzling” new versionof Molière’s classic play to concludethe company’s 50th season.
Set in the White House of GeorgeW. Bush, Molière’s world of deceit,hypocrisy and spin become vividlymodern. Being a poet, Harrison’slanguage is said to be rich and lushand will take you to a world of politi-cal fixers, lobbyists, lawyers and sexyTV celebrities.
The Misanthrope runs June 4 to 27 atthe Jericho Arts Centre (1675 Discov-ery). Call 604-224-8007 ex. 2 or visitwww.unitedplayers.com for tickets.
Brazilian vibesSinger, songwriter and apparentlyCanada’s only female capoerista,Vancouver’s NessaV is set to releaseher debut CD Aché at the FortuneSound Club June 3. If the title of theCD sounds familiar, it’s because Nes-sa has been part of the family musicgroup Aché Brasil here in Vancouversinging and showing off her capoeiramoves. On Aché, which means “ev-erything positive in the universe” inthe Yoruba language of Brazil, Nessablends hip-hop, samba and pop onthe nine tracks she co-wrote and co-produced. Expect a sizzling nightof buff bodies (have you seen thosecapoeiristas?) and sexy music. Showtime is 8 p.m. Visit www.clubzone.com for tickets.
Sweet 16Music Waste, billed as the friendliestway to experience Vancouver’s inde-pendent art and culture scene turns 16this year. For the price of a six-pack,patrons can catch 100 bands, as wellas comedy revues, art shows, a BBQ,a basketball tournament and bowling.(Music Waste sure has changed fromits early years.) The annual festival runsJune 2-5 at various venues. Festivalpasses are $15 and to keep the eventaccessible and safe, venues are withinwalking distance of each other (as muchas possible). Full details at http://music-waste.tumblr.com/schedule.
It’s Leo timeOscars, schmoscars—it’s Leo Awardstime. The annual celebration of ex-cellence in the B.C. film and televisiontakes place June 4 and 5 the WestinBayshore. Sonya Salomaa and Benja-min Arthur host on June 5, while EllieHarvie hosts June 4.
Names to watch for are Richard deKlerk (Supernatural, Stargate SG-1)nominated for best actor in a movieCole (dir: Carl Bessai), and Multiaward-winning Rebecca Jenkins who’sup for a Leo also for her role in Cole(dir: Carl Bessai). Go to www.leo-awards.com for tickets and full details.
Jean-Louis Forain’s “Young Woman Standing on a Balcony Contem-plating the Paris Rooftops” is part of the VAG exhibit of master-pieces from Paris’s Musée d’Orsay June 5 to Sept. 6.
NessaV performs June 3 at the For-tune Sound Club at 147 E. Pender.
EW32 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Horror duo Mump and Smoot might make you cry
Gird your loins for Cracked clowns
I never thought I’d see the day a cou-ple of guys wearing red noses couldget me to mist up but Mump (MichaelKennard) and Smoot (John Turner)almost did it on opening night. It’sall the more surprising because theseclowns of horror trade on the grizzly,macabre and grotesque like amputa-tion, a gushing knife wound and ameal of recently clobbered rats. Butwhen it looks like sweet but hap-less Smoot might actually die andlong-suffering Mump might be leftto grieve alone, it really tugged at myheartstrings.
It’s been eight years since Mumpand Smoot came to town and for fans—and they are numerous and noisy—they’re long overdue. Created by Ken-nard and Turner in 1988, Mump andSmoot exist in a parallel universe onthe planet Ummo; they worship a jeal-ous god also called Ummo; and theytalk in a language (easily understoodin context) called Ummonian. Smootis short, red-faced, wears baggy redshorts and sprouts a pair of horns ris-ing from his red skull-capped head.Mump, constantly exasperated withSmoot’s bungling, is tall, thin, wearsbaggy blue satin pants and has a sin-gle horn.
Directed by Karen Hines (of ThePochsy Plays trilogy), Mump andSmoot shows are an acquired tasteand not for children. In Cracked,Greg Morrison’s music is boomingand scary; surgery is done withoutanaesthetic; death happens. Butin spite of how bizarre Mump andSmoot are, they bear a startling re-semblance to those of us on plan-et Earth: they argue, whine, bitch,sing, hunt, drink and eat—exceptfor those still-wriggling rats—theway we do.
Kennard and Turner are Canadiantheatre originals—up there with Ron-nie Burkett, Robert Lepage and theOld Trout Puppet Workshop crew.Gird your loins, leave your comfortzone and get crackin to Cracked.
The Boy Who Went OutsideNo more performancesWriter/director Conrad Alexandro-wicz subtitles his program notes,“Reflections on the Pursuit of the Im-possible.” Pursuing the impossible—describing this mind-bending show ina few words—is what I’m up againsthere, too.
This world premiere is a fascinatingbiography of Harry Partch, an earlyexperimenter in microtonal musical.Not content with the standard West-ern twelve-toned and semi-toned scale,Partch (1901-1974) went on to composemusic and build instruments based on43 tones. Unfortunately, legal compli-cations ruled out the inclusion any ofPartch’s music in the play although mu-sic by Lee Gellatly and Patrick Pennefa-ther gives us some indication.
Not content with mere biography,Alexandrowicz packages the play witha playwright (portrayed by Linda Qui-bell) as the main character. Althoughcommissioned to write a play aboutD’Arcy McGee, this playwright be-comes obsessed with Partch, boredwith McGee and loses the commission.The Boy Who Went Outside becomesan intelligent but rueful commentaryon artists (including Alexandrowicz
himself), their obsessions and strug-gles for recognition in a culture resis-tant to revolutionary ideas.
With all the performers except Qui-bell (Meghan Gardiner, Anna Hagan,Josue Laboucane, Michael Mori andRichard Newman) portraying Partch—with the simple donning of a bro-cade dinner jacket—the play movessmoothly from the specific to the uni-versal. When Alexandrowicz makesgraphic what is theoretical (like theproduction of overtones illustratedwith a rope, for example), the play isalmost dance.
There’s humour, history and remark-able theatricality rising from whatmight, in less skilled hands, be dry dis-course. And it gave me a mind-blowingnew insight: the large tonal gaps be-tween the notes in our tempered scaleproduces tension and Western music,therefore, is hard-pressed to be medita-tive in the way ancient Greek, Asianand pre-Classical Western music is.
As he did with language in TheSinger Falls Silent, Alexandrowicz haschanged my perception of Westernmusic. Seven performances, producedby Wild Excursions Performance,were not nearly enough.
Mump and Smoot: CrackedAt the Cultch until June 5Tickets: 604.251.1363tickets.thecultch.com
Reviewed by Jo Ledingham
An acquired taste, a Smoot (l) and Mump show is always grizzly andgrotesque, but Cracked will tug at your heart strings.
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Visit return-it.ca for full details.
FUTURE SHOP CORRECTION NOTICEBell BlackBerry Pearl Prepaid 10145300. Please note that this cellphone advertised on page 24 the May 28 flyer has 128MB of flash
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BEST BUY CORRECTION NOTICETo our valued customers: We apologize for any inconvenience caused by anerror in our flyer dated: May 28 - June 03. Product: Red Dead Redemption
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW33
photo Dan Toulgoet
Say Wha?! producer sniffs out work that stinks for actors, poets and dancers to read
Dreadful prose reborn as comedic fodder
He’ll race from dancing in Buddy:The Buddy Holly Story at GranvilleStreet’s Stanley Theatre to mid-Main’s Cottage Bistro to make anappearance at Say Wha?!: Read-ings of Bad Writing Performed forYour Entertainment, June 8, butJeff Gladstone couldn’t turn the gigdown. He has the perfect material.
It’s a 1963 novel called Pagan—“Her name was Pagan and she livedand loved like one”—and it’s puregold. As in, pure twisted romancefiction gold.
“It wasn’t explicit but it was kindof filthy,” Gladstone said. “Therewas this character named UncleJohn and she and Uncle John havethis disgusting affair.”
Gladstone picked up the pa-perback along with one about arye-swilling insurance investiga-tor named Milo March while on aFringe Festival tour of Ontario in2003 with his brother and a friend.
The friend, who Gladstone says ishalf blind so he doesn’t get car sickwhen he reads on the road, recitedthe most hilarious parts while Glad-stone and his brother fought overwho would get to keep Pagan andMilo. His brother got Milo.
“I won,” Gladstone said.When Sara Bynoe, Say Wha?!’s
producer and host, found a ghastlywritten romance novel titled DarkAvenger at a U.K. hostel, she knewshe had to hold onto it and bring itback to Canada. Somehow, it would
be put to good use.“After [a couple has] sex one time
she says, ‘She clung to his hair un-til the paroxysms slowly subsided,’”Bynoe said. “What? Who talks likethat? Clearly you use a thesaurus.”
The purple-prose riddled book in-spired catchphrases that she and herfriends threw around all weekend.
It also inspired discomfort.“It’s a bit of a rape fantasy,” Bynoe
said of the book that has one man
determined to get someone’s sisterpregnant out of revenge.
“[That] you can’t make this shitup is one of the major appeals to it,”Bynoe said.
You not only can make this stuffup, but also get it published.
That novel, as well as a New YorkCity comedic reading series calledCelebrity Autobiography, and a liveU.K. show called Who Writes thisCrap? inspired Bynoe to produce
and host Say Wha?!She’s booked a burlesque danc-
er, a slam poet, comedians andactors, including Gladstone, toemote at the Cottage Bistro. Someof the artists she’s entreated toread are too busy to find theirown material, so Bynoe’s beensniffing out works that stink.
When she told a librarian shewas looking for horrendously badbooks, Snoop Dogg’s Love Don’t
Live Here No More immediatelyspilled from her lips.
Bynoe has been searching for the1970s self-help book The SensuousMan and she may ask someone toread from one of Pamela Anderson’snovels, particularly a thinly veiledautobiography that highlights sexualencounters every 10 pages.
But Say Wha?! won’t be all ro-mance and smut. Actor and im-proviser Lauren Martin will readfrom an astrology book and slampoet Ms Spelt will read from SarahPalin’s 2009 autobiography GoingRogue: An American Life.
“Can-con” could be deliveredin the form of Geraldo Rivera’s1991 memoir Exposing Myself,which includes a section abouthis affair with Maggie Trudeau,or if the event becomes a series,Bynoe might save that for a Cana-dian-themed night.
Other readers include Paul An-thony, an actor and comedian andhost of Talent Time at the Biltmore,comedian and writer MorganBrayton, actors and improvisersDenise Jones, Riel Hahn and TobyBerner, performer and burlesquedancer Jenny Magenta, actor andwriter David Bloom of Felix Culpaand actor and co-producer of TheFlame storytelling events at Cot-tage Bistro, Joel Wirkkunen.
Much like the Thesaurus-ladensleaze, painfully earnest ram-blings and cringe-worthy crapthat inspired it, Gladstone, whocalled Bynoe a whiz with ideas,hopes Say Wha?! will live on. “Be-cause there’s a lot of bad writing outthere,” he said.
All advertising published in this newspaper isaccepted on the premise that the merchandiseand services offered are accurately describedand willingly sold to buyers at the advertisedprices. Advertisers are aware of these conditions.Advertising that does not conform to thesestandards or that is deceptive or misleading,is never knowingly accepted. If any readerencounters non-compliance with these standardswe ask that you inform the Publisher of thisnewspaper and The Advertising StandardsCouncil of B.C. OMISSION AND ERROR: Thepublishers do not guarantee the insertion ofa particular advertisement on a specified date,or at all, although every effort will be made tomeet the wishes of the advertisers. Further, thepublishers do not accept liability for any lossor damage caused by an error or inaccuracy inthe printing of an advertisement beyond theamount paid for the space actually occupied bythe portion of the advertisement in which theerror occurred. Any corrections or changes will bemade in the next available issue. The VancouverCourier will be responsible for only one incorrectinsertion with liability limited to that portion ofthe advertisement affected by the error. Requestfor adjustments or corrections on charges mustbe made within 30 days of the ad’s expiration.For best results please check your ad foraccuracy the first day it appears. Refundsmade only after 7 business days notice!
1170 Obituaries1170
SELLARS, HARRY“There is no cure for birth ordeath save to enjoy the interval”Born April 11, 1922 in Sheffield,England; Yorkshire man, youthful,Hedley Verity, WWII, soldier,husband, (Margaret “Peggy”),bricklayer, Clovers, father, sons,(Stuart, Iain), pioneer, Canadian,ERCO, inner strength, quiet nobledignity, dry humor, somberreflection, patience, voraciousreader, strong tea, kindness,quick wit, fraternal brother,grandfather, (Mar), caring, LasVegas, good compan ion ,sensitive, loved family, (Vickie ,Jessica), extended family,(Pakulak), best friend, pal, mymother’s life companion (64years) our Dad, passed away onM a y 1 6 , 2 0 1 0 i n N o r t hVancouver, Canada, the intervalwas 88 wonderful years“So, let his name through Englandring –A man of mean estate, Whodied, as firm as Sparta’s King,Because his soul was great.”The Sellars Family would like tothank the women and men of theL i o n s G a t e H o s p i t a l ’ sN e u r o l o g i c a l , a n d A c u t eNeurological wards, its PalliativeCare Unit and the staff ofEvergreen House for making thelast weeks of Harry’s life intervalcomfortable and dignified. Thefamily will be having a privateservice. At this time we requestthat all who knew and enjoyed theman who was Harry Sellars take asmall time out of their day toreflect on their own families andcherish and love them dearly.
1035 CommunityNotices1035
If you want to drinkthat’s your business;
If you want to stopdrinking it’s ours.
Alcoholics Anonymous
604-434-3933
1055 Found1055★ CAT FOUND ★
Orange, short haired cat withyellow eyes in the area of 15th &Sasamat in Point Grey. Pleasecall 604-564-3128.
VIP SALON & SPA. Experiencedhairstylist w/clientele chair rentalopportunity. Call 604-218-2139.
1240 GeneralEmployment1240
Call 604-708-2628www.plea.ca
Some great kids aged 12 to18 who need a stable, caringhome for a few months.If you’ve been looking for ahome-based opportunity todo meaningful, fulfilling work.Qualified applicants receivetraining, support and monthlyremuneration.Funding is available formodifications to better equipyour home.A child at risk is waiting for anopen door. Make it yours.
1245 Health Care1245Exp’d Denture Tech
The Aurum Group is seekingdenture tech’s for start to finish for
our labs in Calgary, AB,Edmonton, AB & Concord, ON.We offer comp salary, benefits,pension & relocation ass’t. All
resumes submitted in confidence.Fax 1-866-237-9442 [email protected]
LIVE-IN CAREGIVER for seniorin South Vancouver, driver’s lic. amust. Call 604-619-5192.
1248 Home Support1248CAREGIVER needed for elderlywoman, light housekeeping andmeal prep. Email resume [email protected]
CAREGIVER requi red fordisabled person, Kits area,benefits, D/L required. Faxresumes to 604-742-0975 email:[email protected]
LIVE-IN CAREGIVER wanted.Must be willing to work shifts:days, evenings and nights.Rotating days off. $8/hr. Musthave a valid driver’s license. Call604-765-7907, ask for Lourdes.
1240 GeneralEmployment1240
1984 INC. a national leaderworking in mining needs to
urgently hire great Camp Cookswho have an OFA 3 certification.Only those with OFA 3 please.
Personal Trainer CertificationEarn up to $70/hr as a PersonalTrainer. Government FinancialAid may be avail. 604-930-8377
See our ad in todayspaper under Education.
1232 Drivers1232
LONG HAUL CLASS 1OWNER / OPERATORSf o r r a p i d l y e x p a n d i n gtransportation co. taking onnew contracts & need toexpand our fleet. Owners withno trailers are welcome aswell! Looking for teams &singles. Call 604 598-3498Fax 604 598-3497 or [email protected]
North Shore Auto Partsrequires
★ F/t & P/t DriversApplicants must be
experienced, self-motivatedwith good driving record.
The Vancouver Courierhas partnered with theBC SPCA to encourageresponsible pet guardianshipand the humane treatment ofanimals. Before purchasing anew puppy, ensure the sellerhas provided excellent careand treatment of the animaland the breeding parents. Fora complete guide to finding areputable breeder and otherconsiderations when acquiringa new pet, visit spca.bc.ca.
Cares!
With more than 15,000jobs on working.comis a great place to findyour next job.
Catch agreat job.
Upgradeyour skills.Find education trainingin the Classifieds.
Ready toTie the Knot?
Announce your engagementto family, friends &
neighbours in one easy step!
Call to advertise604-630-3300
For Employment ads:604-630-3300
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER EW35
1295 StudentEmployment1295
EMPLOYMENT EDUCATION1410 Education1410FOODSAFE
1 DAY COURSES – ONLY $66BEST VALUE GUARANTEEDClasses Every Sat, Sun & Mon
1266 Medical/Dental1266DENTAL LAB TerritoryManager Victoria, BCTravel Vancouver Island to con-tact & maintain a portfolio ofclients and assist in communica-tion in the lab.Qualifications:Previous dental lab exp or educa-tion. Availability for overnighttravel/some weekend coursework.Benefits:•Competitive salary & commis-sions•Car & insurance allowance•Comprehensive company bene-fit plan•Half of BC Medical paid byCompany•Ongoing professional develop-ment•Relocation Assistance (if applic-able)
Fax resume and abstract inconfidence, attention: HR1-866-237-9442 Email:
ADVERTISINGC a n w e s t C o m m u n i t yPublishing makes everyeffort to ensure you areresponding to a reputablea n d l e g i t i m a t e j o bopportunity. If you suspectthat an ad to which youh a v e r e s p o n d e d i smisleading, here are someh i n t s t o r e m e m b e r .Legitimate employers donot ask for money as part ofthe application process; donot send money; do not giveany credit card information;or call a 900 number inorder to respond to anemployment ad.
Job opportunity ads aresalary based and do notrequire an investment.
If you have responded to anad which you believe to bemisleading please call theBetter Business Bureau at604-682-2711, Monday toFriday, 9am - 3pm or [email protected] they will investigate.
THE ONE! THE ONLY!Authorized Harley-Davidson
Technician program inCanada.GPRC Fairview, Alberta.On-campus residences. 15-weekprogram. Top quality instruction,
FUTURE STEEL BUILDINGSCLEARANCE - Pre-engineeredand custom-sized to your require-ments. Factory-direct pricing.Some models discounted to half-price to clear. CALL FOR FREEBROCHURE AND QUOTE1-800-668-5111 ext. 170.
SHARPEI IN Coquitlam is lookingfor good home, very healthy andgreat with people. Must gothrough Sharpei rescue for anapplication.www.petfinder.com/petdetail/5731357
SHIHTZU PUPS multi colour, 1stshots, adorable to good homes$500. 604-773-2146, 820-0252
3522 Horse Boarding3522HORSE BOARDING available.$600.00 per month. Indoor andoutdoor arenas. Large paddocks.Fort Langley area. Beautiful set-ting. Call 604-888-2455.
3550 Poultry3550
KATISSA POULTRYNon medicated, all vegetablefeed, no animal by products,grown and sold on the farm.
Fully Processed, FreshReady for roasting.
For prices & details seewww.specialtychicken.com
Cloverdale area, 604 541-0007
4051 Registered MassageServices4051
SWISS BODYMASSAGE & WAXING
Men & WomenMassage $29
Head to Toe 3 hrs $1093482 Main St. Van
604-873-9890
Try the Best604-872-1702
4060 Metaphysical4060LOVE! MONEY! LIFE!
#1 Psychics!1-877-478-4410
CreditCards/Deposit$3.19/min 18+
1-900-783-3800www.mysticalconnections.ca
4530 Destinations4530
4530-10 Okanagan/Interior4530-10
BARONA BEACHLUXURY VACATION CONDOS2 units available. West Kelowna,on Okanagan Lake, Beach frontresort, 2 bedroom plus den withpullout sofa. Sleeps 6 comfort-ably. Located 5 minutes fromworld-class wineries and vine-yards. Sandy beach and amazingpool area with hot tub. Fullystocked kitchen including top ofthe line appliances, Luxury fur-nishings and latest amenities:Hardwood floors, granite countertops, flat panel TVs, surroundsound. (iPod compatible systems)Patio BBQ with incredible lake/pool area views. In-suite laundry,equipment room, 2 undergroundparking spaces. Boat slip at resortavailable for additional charge.Rates: June 1-June 30 $1,700 perweek. July 1-Sept. 6 $2,400 perw e e k . C o n t a c t T e r r y a t250-869-9991 or email:[email protected]
4600 Vacation Spots4600SUNNY SPRING SpecialsAt Florida’s Best Beach -
New Smyrna Beach.Stay a week or longer.Plan a beach wedding
or family reunion.www.NSBFLA.com or
1-800-541-9621.
5005 Accounting/Bookkeeping5005
Roger Chung, CGA Tax, book-keeping, accounting, payroll, acctsystems. #206-1089 W Broadwaywww.rogerchung.com 604 628-1960
5015 BusinessOpportunity5015
#1 JANITORIAL FRANCHISECustomers, (Office Cleaning),Training and support. Financing.
BE YOUR OWN BOSS withGreat Canadian Dollar Store.New franchise opportunities inyour area. Call 1-877-388-0123ext. 229 or visit our website:www.dollarstores.com today
5017 BusinessServices5017
#1 IN PARDONS. Remove yourcriminal record. Express Pardons
offers the FASTEST pardons,LOWEST prices, and it’s
IF YOU own a home or realestate, ALPINE CREDITS will
lend you money: It’s That Simple.Your Credit / Age / Income is NOT
an issue. 1.800.587.2161.
5075 Mortgages5075
Equity in Real Estate = $$$$$$No Credit, No Job, NO Problem!1-866-531-5050 Member BBB
MortgageDirectCanada.com
3508 Dogs350810 AUSTRALIAN ShepherdPups, Tails, dew claws & firstshots done, Ready June 5th,price reduced. 604-607-7372
3508 Dogs3508
BIG BEAUTIFUL BerneseMountain dog puppies for sale.Ready to go June 5th. First shotsand vet check. 2 males and 2females left. $1000 each. call604-897-6495
Mortgage too high! Too much debt!Quick Cash! Convenient! Private!
( 604 ) 626-9647www.webuyhomesbc.com
6020-46S. Surrey/White Rock6020-46
OWN your own Custom Blt 6 BR,5 bath, Coach Home in Summer-field for $1000/mo. Sutton WC.Michelle Perreault 604-728-2817
6030 Lots & Acreage6030
1 ACRE gd - MissionAll usable building lot, room forshop, pool & lrg home. High endhomes built in this prestigious culde sac subdivision. 10 mins todowntown. Drive by lot #7 - 8732Jones Terrace, near the Abby onDewdney Trunk Rd. $330,000.
Call Len 604-763-4118
N. WEST. All services paid, incldsu/grd electrical, DCC’s, survey &eng’ng report. 33’ x 130’ lot. NoGST. $339,000. 604-726-0677.usellahome.com ● ID # 4711
6052Real EstateInvestment6052
NANAIMO, 7YR old home w/2sep suites. 5 bdrm, 5 min todwntwn, 2x6 const, 9appl, lots ofprkg, priced to sell $349,000. Call250-716-2171 or 250-741-1950
★ RENT TO OWN! ★
If you have a small downpayment, I have a nice home foryou! Less then perfect credit OK.
Call Pat 778-783-0872
REAL ESTATE
5505Legal/Public
Notices5505
NOTICE TO CREDITORSIN THE MATTER OF THEE S T A T E O F N O R M AELEANOR MIKLENIC late ofVancouver, British Columbia.All persons having claimsagainst the above estate arer e q u i r e d t o s e n d f u l lparticulars of such claims tothe undersigned Executor at18th Floor, 401 West GeorgiaStreet, Vancouver, BritishColumbia V6B 5A1 on orbefore the 26th day of June,2010 after which date theestate’s assets will bedistributed having regard onlyto claims that have then beenreceived.Clark Gallon, ExecutorBY:Messrs. Lindsay Kenney LLP,Solicitors
Do You Needto Rent YourProperty?4 Lines3 Times
$60Place Your Ad On-line athttps://webads.van.netor call 604-630-3300
RENTALS6505
Apartments &Condos6505
ACROSS
DOWN
Fun By The NumbersLike puzzles?
Then you'll love Sudoku.This mind-bending puzzle
will have you hookedfrom the moment yousquare off, so sharpen
your pencil and putyour Sudoku savvy
to the test!
Here's How It Works:Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken into nine 3x3boxes. To solve a Sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill eachrow, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row,column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numberswill appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
1. Bunks2. Utter sounds3. Teapot warmer4. Black tropical Am.cuckoo5. Memorial architect Maya6. Microgram7. More uncommon8. Hand grenade9. Blare10. Non-presidentialelections11. New (French)12. Dish of raw vegetables14. A disgraceful event17. 7th zone W. ofGreenwich
18. _____ Park: 9402520. Poundal (abbr.)23. Print made from anengraving24. Av_____g: shunning25. Foreign Service26. So you know (abbr.)29. Libyan dinar30. Not good31. A citizen of Italy32. Diacritical mark35. Radioactivity unit36. Encomium38. Lombardy capital40. Backless slipper41. Honk42. What a monarch does
43. 7th Hindu month44. Talk45. Energy Saving Module(abbr.)46. Type of whale47. Payment (abbr.)
1. Steady7. Rural Free Delivery(abbr.)10. Intended to assistmemory12. Indian frock13. Salt treatment14. Clear wrap15. Pop singer Springfield16. Horse fly17. Rock TV channel
18. Picasso’s mistress19. Ooze out21. The last part of anything22. Exchange27. 39th state28. Word of many parts33. Bleak House author’sinitials34. Idol worshiper36. 21st Greek letter37. Mama’s partner
38. Most important39. Jar cover40. Comportment41. Drop behind44. Russian prison camp45. Betrothal48. Actor Ladd49. Pasta flour50. Big London clock51. Fingerless glove
GINGER Crosstown, Deluxe!718 Main St. 1 BR condo, allappls, storage, bike locker, sec’dprkg, Media/amenties rm & more.NS/NP. Avail now. 604-861-6303
MARPOLE – Hudson House Apts8777 Hudson St. clean, quiet,near shops, bus, 1 br/$850, heat/hw incl, No Smoking, np, 1 - yrlease, Ask about Special DorsetRealty Manuel -604-781-5520
MARPOLE - Jody Lynn Apts. –1175 W 71st Ave, Clean, quiet,cls to shopping, bus, 1 br/$730 &2 br/$1070. Heat/hw. incl, NoSmoking, np, 1 year lease, Dor-set Realty Manuel 604-781-5520
OAK & 72Ave, 1 br $685, 2 br$870 & furnished $970, h/w flr,incl heat/hotwater, near transit, nopets, N/S, lease, 778-688-3721
VAN EAST 1 BR starting at$795/mo. Contact Quay PacificP roper t y Managment L td
604-521-0876 ext 29
YALETOWN BENTLEY Bldg.2 BR, spac, bright, gas stove, ssappls, walk-in closet/shoe organ,2 sec u/g park’g, + more features!Near skytrain & all amens. AvailJune 1. $2395/mo. 604-312-4003
6540 Houses - Rent6540
STOP RENTING-RENT TO OWNNo Qualification - Low Down
CHILLIWACK – 9557 Williams St,3 bdrm, 1 bath, cozy HOUSE on49x171’ lot, excellent investmentproperty in heart of town, close toshops & schools................ $888/MVANCOUVER – 558 Taylor St, 1bdrm + den, 2 level TOWNHOME,nr Gas Town, w/d, 1 Prkg $1488/MPITT MEADOWS -11860 SpringdaleDr. 4 Bdrm, 3 Bath FAMILY HOUSEAppliances, huge family room, f/p,fully fenced back yard, garage,close to West Coast Express,Schools & shops..............$1988/MCall Kristen 604 435-5555 or 786-4663
www.HomeBuyingCenter.ca
6580 Rental Services6580
1 BR $1000-1050 1549 Barclay1yr.Lease Incl. Hot water&HeatPet OK Now 778-288-8925 Keith
6602Suites/Partial
Houses6602
1 BR, KERRISDALE spacious,bright basement ste, own w/d,$1000 incl utils, cable & internet.avail now, ns np. 604-263-4234
1 BR on main flr, brand new, 41st& Fraser St, suits reliable person,$725 incls hydro/cbl, June 15th,778-552-4487 or 778-960-7144
CALLS.1-877-297-9883.Exchange voice messages, voicemailboxes.1-888-534-6984. Liveadult casual conversations-1on1,1-866-311-9640, Meet on chat-
lines. Local Single Ladies.1-877-804-5381. (18+).
GENTLEMEN! Attractivediscreet, European lady is avail-able for company 604-451-0175
ACROSS
DOWN
Fun By The NumbersLike puzzles?
Then you'll love Sudoku.This mind-bending puzzle
will have you hookedfrom the moment yousquare off, so sharpen
your pencil and putyour Sudoku savvy
to the test!
Here's How It Works:Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken into nine 3x3boxes. To solve a Sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill eachrow, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row,column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numberswill appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
1. Bunks2. Utter sounds3. Teapot warmer4. Black tropical Am.cuckoo5. Memorial architect Maya6. Microgram7. More uncommon8. Hand grenade9. Blare10. Non-presidentialelections11. New (French)12. Dish of raw vegetables14. A disgraceful event17. 7th zone W. ofGreenwich
18. _____ Park: 9402520. Poundal (abbr.)23. Print made from anengraving24. Av_____g: shunning25. Foreign Service26. So you know (abbr.)29. Libyan dinar30. Not good31. A citizen of Italy32. Diacritical mark35. Radioactivity unit36. Encomium38. Lombardy capital40. Backless slipper41. Honk42. What a monarch does
43. 7th Hindu month44. Talk45. Energy Saving Module(abbr.)46. Type of whale47. Payment (abbr.)
1. Steady7. Rural Free Delivery(abbr.)10. Intended to assistmemory12. Indian frock13. Salt treatment14. Clear wrap15. Pop singer Springfield16. Horse fly17. Rock TV channel
18. Picasso’s mistress19. Ooze out21. The last part of anything22. Exchange27. 39th state28. Word of many parts33. Bleak House author’sinitials34. Idol worshiper36. 21st Greek letter37. Mama’s partner
38. Most important39. Jar cover40. Comportment41. Drop behind44. Russian prison camp45. Betrothal48. Actor Ladd49. Pasta flour50. Big London clock51. Fingerless glove
SO
LU
TIO
N
SUDOKU
Call 604-630-3300to place your ad
@viewadsonline@http://classified.van.net
Find your perfect homeat
househunting.ca
Empty yourGarageFill YourWallet
M A K E I T A S U C C E S S !Call 604-630-3300
GARAGE SALE
Need helpNeed helpwith yourwith your
HomeHomeRenovation?Renovation?
Find it in theClassifieds!
EW38 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Reasonable rates. 35 yrs. exp.For free estimates call Mario
253-0049A. FOUNDATIONS, Retainingwalls, Stairs, Driveways, Side-walks. Any concrete project. Wealso do all types of block, & stonew o r k . F r e e e s t s . B a s i l e604-617-5813 Tom 604-690-3316
ALL KINDS of Concrete Work,Tile & Brick. Free Estimate.604-767-5915 Call Rocky
CONCRETE Removal / ReplaceSmall jobs welcome ● Fencerepair. Free est. Mario 254-0148
CONCRETE SPECIALIST, patiosidewalk, driveway, exposed ag-gregate reas rate 604-764-2726
GOLD STAR DRYWALLBoarding, taping & textures. Alsowall and floor tiles. 604-418-8516
8080 Electrical8080The current choice
serving theLower Mainlandfor more than
15 years.
Lic. 22308
All Kinds of Work andReasonable Rates.
Contact us today for a free estimate.Max: 604-341-6059
Licensed & Bonded
#1167 LIC. Bonded, WCB. BBBMember since 1975. Large &small jobs. Expert trouble shoot-er. 24 hr. $70/hr. Jim 617-1774.
A. LIC. ELECTRICIAN #19807Semi-retired wants small jobs only.604-689-1747, pgr 604-686-2319
A Lic’d. Electrician #30582. Re-wiring & Reno, Appliance/Plumb-ing. Rotor Rooter & Hydro Pres-s u r e J e t t i n g S e r v i c e ,604-255-9026 - 778-998-9026Free Estimates / 24 Hr Service
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR:Exp, friendly, reliable. Specializ-ing in replacing old nob & tubewiring. Lic.#50084. 604-725-4535
YOUR ELECTRICIAN $29 servicecall. Insured. Lic # 89402. Fastsame day service guaranteed. Welove small jobs! 604-568-1899
8090 Fencing/Gates8090
S & SLANDSCAPING
LTD.❏ Cedar Fence
Installation
Call 604-275-3158
8105 Floor Covering8105ALL FLOOR COVERINGS
Repair & Replace. Material salesDwight, 604-732-3057
I’ll show you the inexpensive routewww.fccarpets.shawwebspace.ca
Gardening Services 21 yrs exp.Tree topping, West & Eastside &Rmd. Michael 604-240-2881
iGarden Mowing,Full garden maintenance & land-scape services. Power raking,aerating, fertilizing, gutter clean-ing. 1st two cuts for the price of 1.Free Est. 778-991-5296
ALLEN Asphalt, concrete, brick,drains, foundations, walls, mem-branes 604-618-2304/ 820-2187
8220 Plumbing8220
BBM Big Boss Mechanical
PLUMBING & DRAINAGERenovations Big or Small.Water Lines without DiggingBroken Water Mains & SewerMains. Hot water Tanks,Plugged Drains, Toilets, Tubs,Leaky Faucets & Broken Pipes.
★ Good Quality Service ★
Fully Licenced & WCB.
604 729-3864778 928-9839
• Licensed, Insured & Bonded• Lic. Plumbers & Gas Fitters• Over 20 years Experience• Custom Renovations to
Small Repairs
604-312-6311
Certified Plumber& Gas Fitter
* Reno’s & Repairs 24 hrs/day* Furnaces * Boilers * Hot Water
Heating * Reasonable Rates* Hot Water Tanks
604-731-2443
YOUR WAYPlumbing & Renovations
Full Kitchen & Bath Reno’s• Plumbing Service - all types• H/W tanks • Plugged drains
No job too small!‘Old Home Specialist’
Steve ✔ 604-324-3351
YOUR WAYPlumbing & Renovations
Full Kitchen & Bath Reno’s• Plumbing Service - all types• H/W tanks • Plugged drains
No job too small!‘Old Home Specialist’
Steve ✔ 604-324-3351
10% Off with this Ad! Aman’sPlumbing Service, Lic. Gas Fitter,Reas. Rates. 778-895-2005
AMF CONTRACTING Ltd.Plumbing, Heating & Gas con-tractor, 30 years exp, Residential/Commercial 604-728-8042
8220 Plumbing8220★ 3 Licensed Plumbers ★
66 years of exp. 604-830-6617www.oceansidemechanical.com
Dirt Bikes91302001 KAWASAKI ZRX1200R.Comes with many extras, Muzzyexhaust, Hindle lift, Joe Rocketsaddlebags, tank bag, tail bag,this bike is ready to go. New chainand sprocket last year. Asking$3800.00 obo 604-250-9110
2006 HONDA Civic DX Coupe$13,500. Auto, PWR Locks &Windows, heated mirrors, digitaldash, 4 new tires, new brakes,Honda Serviced. NO Accidents.100k. Great on gas, many extras.Coq. Call ★ 604-868-3128
9173 Vans91731993 NISSAN QUEST Mini-Van,all service records, well maint’d,7pass, $1200 obo 604-984-2671
2003 32’ Cougar by Keystone5th wheel. In exc cond; two largeslides; lots of solid oak cabinets,oak table w/4 oak chairs; 2 armchairs, ent. unit; a/c, furnace; hy-draulic front jacks; large awning;heated underbelly; corner shower;queen bed, closet, dresser; newwasher/dryer; lg living room win-dow; skylight; too many extras tomention. $21,000. 604.316.1018
Find thekeys to yournext home.Find Real Estate &Rentals ads online.
Whether it’s location, size or price,househunting.ca makes it easyto find you a home, apartment ortownhouse. Renting or buying,we’ve got what you’re looking for.Visit the new househunting.catoday, and be pleasantly surprisedat what you find.
To list your Rental onhousehunting.ca give usa call today 604-795-4417
E40 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
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Megan StewartStaff writer
As spectators pull out countryflags and perfect their nation’schants in anticipation of theWorld Cup in South Africa, a Van-couver businessman is leveragingthe hype in hopes of changinghow soccer is played in the city.
James Milligan, who importsfair trade sports equipment, saysVancouver athletes are connectedto child labour through the soc-cer balls they use for practice andcompetition. According to Am-nesty International and other in-ternational sources, almost threeof every four soccer balls aremade in Pakistan where Milligan
says manufacturers are criticizedfor paying salaries below thecounty’s minimum wage and foremploying children.
Breaking the cycle of poverty be-gins with education, said Milligan,who founded Social Consciencefive years ago while working withRogers Communications. Now afull-time self-employed entrepre-
neur, Milligan wants to expandonline sales and also develop hispartnership with Talon Sports, anortheast Pakistan manufacturerthat employs 2,500 people andis increasing the amount of fairtrade gear it makes.
Milligan, who has yet to visitthe factory, supports the auditedfair trade system because it al-
lows workers to earn a livablewage so their children can attendschool instead of toiling along-side them on assembly lines. Hehopes fair trade sports equipmentwill appeal to the purchasingmight of an influential Canadiandemographic. “Soccer moms arepretty powerful,” he said.
See SCHOOL on page 4
YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT! WWW.VANCOURIER.COM
Sports equipment importer touts ‘fair trade’ soccer ballsInternational sources say almost three of every four soccer balls are made in Pakistan
Elementary teachers target bottled water in schoolsNaoibh O’ConnorStaff writer
Vancouver elementaryschool teachers want bot-tled water banned from theschool district and replacedwith safely accessible tapwater at all schools and dis-trict worksites.
The Vancouver Elemen-tary School Teachers’ Asso-ciation (VESTA) raised thequestion of bottled waterduring the last school year.On Monday night, it askedfor a progress report atthe district’s managementcoordinating committeemeeting.
Glen Hansman, VESTA’sthird vice president, said theavailability of bottled watersends students the messagethat it’s the “good” water.“Vancouver has awesomewater, so there’s no reason
why school communitiesshouldn’t be able to accessthat at school,” he said.
He added the environ-mental impact of plasticcontainers and transporta-tion costs associated withbottled water conflict withwhat he said was a beliefamong Canadians “that ev-eryone should have accessto clean water in their com-munities.”
Kevin Millsip, the district’ssustainability coordinator,is preparing an overall sus-tainability strategy for theboard, which will addressconcerns about bottled wa-ter among other environ-mental questions, accordingto committee chair and Vi-sion Vancouver school trust-ee Mike Lombardi. It will beready later this month or bySeptember.
See BOTTLED on page 4
Union notes environmental impact of plastic
Bad writing rebornDisputed housing strategy
midweek editionWEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010Vol. 101 No. 44 • Established 1908 • West
733
VESTA vice president Glen Hansman wants students to drink tap water. photo Dan Toulgoet
W02 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Experts in Small to Large Scale Solutions.
W08 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
o p i n i o n
A Commercial Drive resident determined tostop the redevelopment of Grandview Parkhas stepped up his campaign.
David Beattie has decided improvements tothe park, such as improved drainage, have beenapproved to push the poor out of the neigh-bourhood. He calls the redevelopment “author-itarian,” and his biggest beef is the nine-monthclosure of the park for the construction work.In a story published in the Courier May 21, Be-attie is quoted as saying he’s prepared to dowhatever acts of civil disobedience it takes, andhe’s willing to do jail time, if it means stoppingthe redevelopment. This from a man who justmoved back to the neighbourhood weeks agoafter “living abroad.”
Beattie is entitled to his opinion, but nowhe’s asking for supporters to attend an up-coming public park board meeting to protestthe project. In an email call to arms, Beattieexplains to his followers that there’s no needto identify themselves before speaking at thismeeting. And I quote: “I am serious when I saythat you can appear and obscure your iden-tity—wear a hat and sunglasses and whateverto be incognito, and give a false name, they donot check identity. I think that will send themessage that people do not trust the allianceof formal politics, police, corporate media andbusiness, which almost always stick togetherto further their own f-----g agenda.”
The message this tactic really sends, how-ever, is that Commercial Drive protesters arespineless cowards and bullies. Covering their
faces and hiding their identities are par for thecourse for these individuals who have decidedthey own the Drive.
Last year, I wrote a story about a youngfamily, which supported the redevelopmentbecause of problems they had with vagrantsand drug users while trying to play at the parkwith their young child. In response, anony-mous activists plastered the Drive with post-ers including a picture of the family, demand-ing they be driven from the neighbourhood.While invisible protesters are entitled to anopinion, no one else is apparently. If they aretruly concerned with the redevelopment andaren’t a member of the rent-a-protester groupCommercial Drive has become so infamousfor, why not attend the meeting, give their realname and spell out their concerns?
Beattie threatens that if protesters don’t
show up to speak against the redevelopment,“the bad guys are going to turn out in forceand undermine our position.” No worriesthere, because I think Beattie’s already donea good job of undermining any legitimate con-cerns true residents of the Drive might have.
And get this: remember the red tents usedby Pivot Legal Society as a symbol of the fightagainst homelessness? According to Beattie’slatest email rant, John Richardson of Pivot isloaning him one so he can “occupy” Grand-view Park. Also according to Beattie, while hedoesn’t have to pay for his tent, other protest-ers anxious to join in his bully-fest will have topay a fee to Pivot. I had no idea these colourfulsymbols of protest were available for rent.
We’re having a large family gathering in acouple of weeks and I’m hoping to borrow acouple of tents for my son and his buddies.I called Pivot to ask about their rates. Rich-ardson told me that Beattie is “premature” inhis announcement regarding the tents becausePivot had yet to decide if it’s supporting thismovement. As of Tuesday morning, no deci-sion has been made.
The park board meeting takes place at 7p.m., June 7, at Strathcona Community Cen-tre. It is open to the public, although there’snothing about Grandview Park on the agenda.But according to Beattie’s email, hijacking themeeting won’t be a problem.
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W20 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
More than 106 dialects spoken in former New Hebrides
Pidgin English binds Vanuatans togetherMitchell SmythContributing writer
TANNA ISLAND, Vanuatu—The breezedrifting in through the open windows didlittle to alleviate the stifling heat, so mostof the congregation were fanning them-selves with their hymn books.
In the rafters of the tiny Presbyterianchurch, mynahs and kingfishers playedtag, swooping down now and then justabove the heads of the clergymen and theelders. But the playful birds weren’t theonly things that set this service apart fromwhat we in North America would consid-er normal. For a start, the average clergy-man doesn’t begin by asking the outsider(in this case me), “Yu stap wea?”
That’s pidgin English, here called Bisla-ma. It’s the official language of Vanuatu,and Pastor Thomas Niditause was askingwhere I came from. (“You stop where?”)
There would be a lot more Bislama inthe one-hour service, including a sermonabout two brata (brothers), one of whomspent his mane (money) on nogud gel(loose women) and grog (strong drink).Picking out these phrases, I recognizedthe parable of the prodigal son.
And I knew the congregation waspraising the Lord when they called out,every so often, “Jisus, yu numba wan.”They sang to the accompaniment of apiano, or as they call it, “Bigfala bokisblong waetman, tut blong em sam I blak,
sam I waet; taem yu killim emi singaot.”(“Big white man’s box with some whiteand some black teeth; when you strike it,it cries out.”
This was Sunday morning in Lenakel,the chief town on Tanna, one of the mostsoutherly islands in the republic of Vanu-atu (formerly the New Hebrides), an ar-chipelago of about 350 islands and keys,74 of them inhabited, about 1,500 kilo-metres north of New Zealand. Eighty-fiveper cent of Vanuatu’s population is Chris-tian, with Presbyterianism predominant.
Pasta (pastor) Niditause began the ser-vice with a salutation to the local bigman
(chief) and included a prayer for PrinceCharles—“Numba wan pikinini blongKwin”—meaning Queen Elizabeth’s el-dest child. (Vanuatu was once part of thefar-flung British Empire and there’s stilltremendous respect for the royals).
About 106 languages are spoken inVanuatu. English and French are spokenin the towns, but the local dialects arespoken everywhere else. Officials saythere is a distinct language for every 1,200inhabitants, possibly the highest densityof languages in the world. This meansthere would be no communication at allif it weren’t for Bislama. Everyone, nativeand ex-pat Westerner, speaks it.
The people are avid churchgoers. OnSunday mornings the women exchangetheir grasket (grass skirt) and basket blongtiti (bra) for a Mother Hubbard dress;the men, meanwhile, doff their shortsor loincloths for a suit. In the churchthis Sunday, Pastor Niditause ends withthese words, “Glad hat blong God papa,pls blong Jisas Krias pikinini, follosip mokampani blong tapu spirit I stap wetemtufala tete, mo ol taim, koko ino save fi-nis, Amen.” (“May the blessing of Godthe father, Jesus Christ the son, and thefellowship of the Holy Spirit be with youalways.”)
Visit vanuatu.travel for more informa-tion.
Mitchell Smyth is a member of the Me-ridian Writers’ Group.
photo Mitchell Smyth
Pastor Thomas Niditause and his wifeMary outside their church.
t r a v e l
The Vancouver Courier has teamed up with the worldfamous art pottery firm Moorcroft to give you thechance to own an exquisite piece of Moorcroftpottery.
Canadians have been collecting Moorcroft for over100 years. Famous collectors include Elton John, TheQueen, RodStewart andmanyothers.
This competition is being held to celebrate the factthat theMoorcroftChairmanHughEdwards is visitingCanada tomeet collectors at a number of special freeevents.
You can see Hugh Edwards in Vancouver for one dayonly at a free event at Atkinson’s on Thursday June10. He’ll be appearing between 4pm-7pm and to getmore info just call Atkinson’s at 604 736 3378 or visitwww.moorcroft.com.
Send to: The Vancouver Courier1574West 6th Avenue, Vancouver BC V6J 1R2
Deadline for entries for the upcomingmonth is June 9th, 2010
Name: ______________________________
Phone: _____________________________
Enter toWin a stunning piece of
Moorcroft Pottery
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W22 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
seniors
The Pacifica is a zen-infused spa-inspired environment that relaxes your very soul.Whether you’re looking for independent or assisted living, the Pacifica offers bothoptions along with unmatched affordability and flexibility. Amenities abound,including first class service, 5-star meals prepared by award winning Red Seal Chefs,enriching social activities, wellness programs and much more. Our luxury facilitiesand spacious deluxe suites are unmatched anywhere in the retirement industry.Come discover the Diamond Standard of resort retirement living at the Pacifica.
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GIVE A LITTLE BIT
Beginning this week, Meals on WheelsVancouver-Richmond is pleased to announce itsfirst ever full breakfast menu, which will offer awider variety of choice for its clients.
This new addition to the Meals on Wheels menu willoffer five selections – one for each day of the week.The breakfasts will be delivered frozen to enable cli-ents to heat and enjoy them at their convenience. Themenu includes classics such as French toast, scram-bled eggs, omelette, bacon, and hash browns, as wellas more contemporary items such as breakfast wraps.The cost per meal is affordable and consistent withthe existing Meals on Wheels menu.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve our ser-vice and offer greater variety to clients,” said IngeSchamborzki, executive director of the Health andHome Care Society of B.C. “We’re confident the addi-tion of the new breakfast menu will be positivelyreceived.”
Contact CareBC to put in your order!
South VancouverNeighbourhood House(SVNH), located at6470 Victoria Drive,can always use a littlewarm and friendly helpwith its Seniors PeerSupport and otherVolunteer Programs.
Many valuable volun-teers have enjoyed thebenefits of volunteering,and have mentioned that,in addition to helping out,it is a pretty good way tomeet other seniors and
connect to the commu-nity. So far, volunteershave helped as:• Friendly Neighbours
If you would like to vol-unteer in one of theseareas, or would like towork together to developanother volunteer pro-gram, call Paula Khan atSVNH at 604-324-6212,or send her an email [email protected]. Vol-unteers are required tofill out an application,and attend an interviewand an orientation. Atour of the diverse facil-ity is included.
MEALS ON WHEELSOFFERS NEWBREAKFAST MENU
W26 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
Max underwent surgery to implant a new kind of pacemaker,
one with technological advancements unavailable just 5
years ago. Every time you give to the Heart and Stroke
Foundation, you fund research that leads to medical
breakthroughs, like the one that saved Max’s life.
Please give to the Heart and Stroke Foundation
Call toll free 1 888 HSF INFO (1 888 473 4636)Visit our web site www.heartandstroke.ca
A new pacemaker implantsaved Max’s life.
Now he can spend more time with his grandfather.
Keepsake Photosby award-winning photographer Dan Toulgoet
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Contact the Vancouver Courierto order yours today!1574 West 6th Ave. or 604.738.1411
5x7 Photo$15 +GST
8x10 Photo$22 +GST
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You can purchase any ofDan Toulgoet’s photos that have
appeared in the Vancouver Courier.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 THE VANCOUVER COURIER W27
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