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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM THURSDAY,APRIL 9, 2015 A3

CONTENTSInside

16 20

9

Pierre PelletierPublisher

[email protected]

Rob AkimowDirector of [email protected]

604.249.3340

Eve EdmondsEditor

[email protected]

Reporters:Alan Campbell

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The Richmond News is a member of the Glacier MediaGroup. The News respects your privacy. We collect, useand disclose your personal information in accordancewith our Privacy Statement which is available at www.richmond-news.com. The Richmond News is also amember of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-

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4 Voices:Letters to the Editor

9 News:Soccer coach charged

15ThrowbackThursdayTake a slippery ride downmemory lane on the SkookumSlide.

20The GraemeProjectIs it possible to turnthis duffer into agolfer?

31 Business

32 Coffee withCamilla TibbsMeet the new general managerat GatewayTheatre.

35

A lot of peoplehave their special-

ties. It breaks downto offensive and defensive play-ers. Everyone needs the basicskills like throwing, makingdecisions and making cuts.Edward GuoUltimate frisbee player

15

[email protected]

Four hugs a day, thats the minimum.Four hugs a day, not the maximum.Charlotte Diamond.

Judging by the surging popularity ofcuddle parties and puppy piles, it seemsmany folks around town arent getting theirquota. Karin Whittaker, a local Cuddly Partyhost, can barely keep up with the demand.Shes turned her Richmond apartmentinto a veritable Cuddle Party haven,hosting weekly events. But, as youll readin Alan Campbells first-person report, noteveryones feeling the love.The healing power of touch may be well

documented, but hugging strangers, and,in some cases, paying for it, gives rise to amyriad of questions and queasy feelingsfor some. (To be clear, our cuddle hostonly asks for donations to help support herparties, but some professional cuddlerscharge $80/hour.)Regardless of whether you think its

creepy or curative, its an undeniablecurious phenomenon that surely sayssomething about our culture, our values andour times; thats why were writing about it.As with all our features, we aim to spark

conversation and challenge perspectives.Moreover, these puppy piles are

happening around town, and there issignificance just in that. Being engagedwith the place we live gives us roots,and nurturing those roots is the impetusbehind our redesign and the launch of theRichmond News weekly.Its no coincidence that we are starting

the paper with a feature that we hope willstimulate conversation, followed by a sectionwere calling Voices, made up of letters andcolumns. Youll still find news and city hallupdates, but theyre mixed with some newfeatures, such as Neighbourhood Watch,where reporter Graeme Wood hones in on aparticular neighbourhood and talks to folksabout whats happening on their street.Stepping away from predictable news

troughs and giving residents a greater voiceis risky, but it speaks to our convictionthat Richmond readers are looking forsomething a little grittier, somethinggenuine, something that reflects anhonest dialogue with all members of thecommunity.Let us know if thats right. Welcome to

your paper.

RedesignedNews launcheswith a hug

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Play by rules City needs to stand its groundDear Editor,Re: Here we go again, News,

April 3.Thank you for bringing attention to

the zoning issues surrounding OnnisImperial Landing development.

When you ask either merchants orresidents of the Steveston area whatthey would like to see happen withthese empty buildings, you will likelynot get the same answer from anyone.

However, most will agree that theywould like to see something happenwith them, rather than having themcontinue to sit empty forever. I do notbelieve that Onni has ever had anyintention to use the space as pre-scribed in its current zoning of mixedmaritime use.

And I do believe that they will waitas long as it takes, even if its five or10 years of empty buildings, in anattempt to shame the city into givingthem the retail zoning that they want.

This project, to Onni, is minisculecompared to their full portfolio.

The Steveston MerchantsAssociation (SMA) has had manydiscussions with city officials, Onnirepresentatives, Steveston merchants,and residents. A compromise proposalwas created after close to a year ofdiscussions. It is a compromise wherenobody really has an outright win (asure sign of a fair deal), but everyonestops losing. The proposal that theSMA put together is as follows:! Allow Onni to rezone 25 per cent toretail space, giving the residents a newrestaurant/clothing, grocery store, etc.! Mandate that 25 per cent of thedevelopment remain as mixed mari-time use. This mixed maritime spacecould be easily filled, I believe, if thecity was able to build a marina in frontof this development. There are cur-rently over 400 people on a waiting listto moor their boats in Richmond.

! Mandate that 50 percent of the develop-ment be leased out asoffice space. This willgive existing merchantsnew customers. It willprovide Onni with ahigher lease rate thanmixed maritime (butlower than retail).

It has been almost ayear since the topic ofthe Onni developmentrezoning has hit themedia and social net-works. It is always thesummer months that

seem to bring this to the forefront.As I understand, and logically, I

dont think the city can force Onni totake tenants. And I dont think Onnihas any real intentions of acceptinganything other than 100 per centretail, at much higher rates than theywould fetch under the current zoning.

It is a very slippery slope to allowdevelopers to build whatever they wantwith the intention of strong-arming arezoning later on. The buildings havebeen designed for retail rather thanmixed maritime. I believe that Onnistrue intentions were evident from thestart.

This company appears to have nointerest in the community of Stevestonas a whole; no interest in preserving itsheritage, or enhancing the residentsexperience, and they do not careabout the existing merchants. If thecity gives in to Onnis wait them outapproach, this will open the door forother developers to do the same.

With both sides not moving for dif-ferent reasons, what will trigger theeventual occupation of the develop-ment? In my opinion, this will happenwhen the city is able to put plans inplace for a marina on some scale.

This should and could be fundedby Onni, either fully or partially. Thecity needs to stand firm on this andcontinue to work for an outcome thatbenefits Stevestons residents andtenants, both currently and for genera-tions to come.

Jim van der TasBlue Canoe Waterfront Restaurant

President SMA

LETTER OF THE WEEK

VOICESLetters to theEditorONNI

Win a $25 gift cardTo celebrate the launch of the Richmond News weekly

paper today, the News is giving away a $25 gift card forthe Bean & Beyond Cafe in Steveston for our new Letterof the Week feature. Each week, our editorial team willchoose the most compelling, best-written and topicalletter about the issues affecting Richmond as the winner.Send your letters, as ever, to editor@richmond-news.

com. The editor reserves the right to edit letters forbrevity, clarity, legality and good taste. Letters mustinclude the authors phone number for verification, notpublication.

Open letter to Richmond City Council members:In the ongoing stalemate regarding the re-zoning of the

retail space for Onni Groups Imperial Landing developmentin Steveston, I cant believe that this current council wouldconsider amending the zoning of this development, in theirfavour.

Onni Group went ahead and built the development with aclear understanding of what the retail portion was zoned for,mixed maritime use, did they not?

If that zoning classification for the retail section of theirdevelopment wasnt what they really wanted, and they hopedthey could get a variance once it was built, that was a gamblethey undertook with their eyes wide open.

It didnt work out like they hoped it would. Tough luck. Itcan remain unleased for all I care. Its not unattractive, evenif vacant. Play by the rules set out, or try to change the rulesBEFORE you build!

If this current city council buckles to this developersdemand for negotiating a re-zoning after the fact, youll makeit very clear to all Richmond taxpayers, where Richmond CityCouncils interests lie.

Ive lived in Richmond for more than 25 years, and I havea pretty good idea of how pro-development this, and past,elected officials have been.

I suppose you could say that development is inevitable,but it needs to be in the hands of those we elect, and not inthe hands of the developers whose only motivation is profit.

Let them lose all their projected profits for the retail sectorof their development. Dont screw over the established mer-chants of Steveston, whove struggled to build their markets.

That was the risk Onni Group undertook by building firstand asking for changes after the fact.

They must play by the rules laid out before constructionstarted, or suffer the purported loss of their projected profits.

Moving the goalposts after the game has started is simplypoor sportsmanship; if youll forgive the sports analogy.

With diminishing respect as a Richmond taxpayer.Geoffrey Filtness

Richmond

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Dear Editor:This week I will complete

the Healthy Heart Program atRichmond Hospital and I willbe healthier for it.

Healthy Heart is a cardiacrehabilitation and cardio-vascular disease preventionprogram which has been inoperation for more than 20years. Participants includeadults who are at risk ofdeveloping heart diseaseor who have experienceda cardiac event such as aheart attack, bypass surgery(which was the case with

me). The program consists ofeducation and exercise.

For me, the best part ofthe program was learningfrom the other participants,their perspectives, life experi-ences and knowledge, yetsharing the common bond ofbeing cardiac patients.

And I am indebted to theexcellent staff who madethis program such a greatlearning, life-changing expe-rience. I want to expressmuch appreciation for thefriendly, caring professional-ism of Joan Prescesky, Karen

Tyldesley, Rishma Dhalla andEmily Chou. Kudos also go toFiona, the programs tirelessvolunteer and Dr. AndrewJakubowski, cardiologist,program medical director.

While the program iscoming to an end, I knowthat the lessons learned willhelp me in my new begin-ning of personally living aheart healthy life. For this,I am deeply thankful for theHeart Healthy Program atRichmond Hospital.

John YapRichmond

Diverting parents focusDear Editor,Re: BC Liberals on a collision course

with teachers, trustees, Opinion, April 3.I am writing in response to Keith

Baldreys column which appeared in lastFridays issue. Baldreys article attemptsto present itself as an unbiased view ofcontroversial Bill 11, but his piece seemsmore like Liberal apologetics in disguise.

Firstly, Mr. Baldrey describes teacherprofessional development days as myste-rious untended weeds, as though teach-ers are engaged in some clandestine activ-ity of Illuminati-style proportions.

Our professional days can be viewedby anyone who cares to watch they,too, can learn about special needs stu-dents, ESL learners, improved assessment,school-wide literacy initiatives, new soft-ware etc. Perhaps such individuals woulddevelop a greater appreciation for whatteachers are dealing with in the classroom.

Secondly, he describes the idea thatthe Liberals are out to privatize the educa-tion system as the work of conspiracytheorists. Labeling any idea as a conspir-acy is a way of undermining its credibility the idea of privatization as far-fetchedobscures the fact that the Liberal govern-ment has a privatization agenda, and ismoving towards that goal in all areas ofpublic life, whether it is health care, publictransportation, the energy sector, or edu-cation.

Mr. Baldrey also dismisses schoolboards as public bodies elected by asmall portion of the electorate. Given thelow turnout in the last provincial election

and vote splitting on the left, doesnt thatdescription more aptly describe the Liberalgovernment itself?

To put it to parents in a nutshell: Bill11 would give the education ministersweeping powers to install puppet schoolboards that dance to his tune. Any boardmembers who actually does their job andadvocates for better funding for schoolswill be red and replaced. Once again, thisgovernment uses the legislative hammerto thwart the democratic process. It is anabuse of power.

The Liberals are masters at creatinginitiatives for which they have no intentionof providing funding. If the education min-ister intends to overhaul my professionaldevelopment, does he intend to pay for itlike most corporations do? I strongly doubtit, given that he has been pleading povertywhenever it comes time to give money toeducation.

Ultimately, Bill 11 is a distraction asmoke-screen. The government continuesto provoke teachers with these so-calledimprovement initiatives, not because itcares about education or teacher compe-tence, but because it wishes to undermineand belittle teachers in public.

The government wants parents to ques-tion whether teachers are really doing theirjobs, rather than questioning whether theLiberals are living up to their responsibili-ties as a government and funding educa-tion adequately.

Michael MikulinRichmond music teacher

MLAs thanks from the heart

LETTERSto the Editor


As our city grows andevolves, council mustcontinually invest in ourinfrastructure to ensure we havethe facilities required to servicethe needs of our new and exist-ing residents.

Last year, as part of a recordcapital budget, council ear-marked $122.7 million to builda handful of major facilities tomeet our most pressing commu-nity needs.

This included a multi-pur-pose Minoru Complex, two newfire halls and a new City CentreCommunity Centre.

All of these projects were toppriorities for council and will becompleted by 2017 or sooner.

The new $79 million MinoruComplex will house an olderadults centre, aquatic centreand sports and recreationalspace formerly housed in theMinoru Pavilion.

The current Minoru AquaticCentre is over half a century oldand needs to be replaced withmore modern facilities. The cur-rent Minoru Place Older AdultsCentre is no longer large enoughto deliver the level of services

needed by our rapidly expand-ing older adult population.

Our major facilities plan alsofunded construction of two newfire halls, which will begin thisyear: a new combined fire hall-ambulance station on Cambiein north Richmond and the newcentral Brighouse Fire Hall atGilbert and Granville Avenue.When these new facilities open,Richmond will have built fivenew halls, completed a majorupgrade of another fire hall andacquired and retrofitted theRichmond Community SafetyBuilding, the new base of opera-tions for the Richmond RCMP,within the span of just over adecade.

All this ensures all of ourpublic safety buildings willremain operable post-disasterand have the space and modernequipment and systems neces-sary to meet community needs.

We also topped up fund-ing for the new City CentreCommunity Centre, which willopen later this year at Minoruand Firbridge, providing muchneeded service for the fastestgrowing area in our city.

The new 30,000 square-footcentre will include a commu-nity living room; multipurposeprogram spaces; fitness areaand change rooms; aerobicand dance studio; meetingrooms; games room and lounge;kitchen; arts studio and musicrooms.

This record investment inmajor facilities was made pos-sible through sound financialplanning by council. Most ofthe investment comes from ourreserves, which we have dili-gently built up over the years.

Having retired all our previ-ous debt, the city was also ableto take advantage of extremelylow borrowing costs to financepart of the construction costs.

Well use casino revenuesover the next decade to pay offthat debt so that the borrowingcost doesnt impact propertytaxes. Weve followed up lastyears record investment withanother $92.5 million in spend-ing in our 2015 capital plan.

About a third of this yearsinvestment will go into theground. Clean drinking water,flood protection and responsiblesewage disposal are services weoften take for granted, but theyare critical to keeping Richmonda clean, healthy and safe com-

munity with dependable civicservices that can be relied upon.

About $12 million of thisyears plan will go towardsexpansion and improvement ofour parks system.

This year, we will completea comprehensive makeover ofLang Park in the rapidly growingCity Centre.

Other exciting projectsinclude first phase develop-ment of the park plan for theGarden City Lands, contin-ued development of the newGardens Agricultural Park onthe old Fantasy Gardens siteand the first phase of the newTait Waterfront Park in northRichmond.

Work will also begin on anew community waterfront pieron the Fraser River middle armat the north foot of HollybridgeWay.

You can learn more about allof the citys 2015 plans at ourannual capital projects openhouse on April 16 at city hall, 3to 7 p.m.

Residents can meet withstaff, look at display boards andlearn more about this yearsprojects planned in their neigh-bourhood and across the city.Visit www.richmond.ca for moredetails.

Facilities need to growwith Richmond

LETTERSto theEditor

Use it toreally feel it

Dear Editor,Re: Transit fix, not bucks, need-

ed, Letters, March 27.The letter from the Wongs hit it

right on the head.If you dont use transit, how can

you design a system that works forthose who do?

Its not until you see the lights ofyour connecting bus disappearingdown the road.

Or you realize the bus you needsimply isnt going to show up.

Or that youre going to be late forwork or school because no stepswere taken for buses not to be heldup by construction or accidents likeall the single-occupant cars, that youreally understand what has to bedone.

If, like the Wongs suggest, anyonewho works for or is on the board ofTransLink was required to actuallyuse transit, its likely a very differentsystem would evolve.

And perhaps then there wouldntbe so much resistance when morefunding was needed to expand it.

David MagowanRichmond

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Family Care Medical Clinic..............................604-284-5255 Gail Maida, Notary Public..............................604-273-9688 Garden City Bakery..............................604-244-7888 Garden City Chiropractic..............................604-270-4575 Garden City Coin Laundry..............................604-244-1120 Garden City News..............................604-244-8849 Garden City Veterinary..............................604-270-6163 Great Clips for Hair..............................604-278-0198 IGA..............................604-244-7425 Instyle Hair..............................604-278-7992 Kumon Math & Reading..............................604-271-9881

Liberty Cleaners..............................604-279-9332 Linda Reid MLA..............................604-775-0891 Little Caesars Pizza..............................604-279-9996 5 Loaves 2 Fish Restaurant..............................604-244-1123 Malones Liquor Store..............................604-270-3222 Maritime Travel..............................604-303-8782 Mobile Korner..............................604-295-3221 Pet Food N' More..............................604-244-9984 Pita Pit..............................604-244-7482 Planet Women Fitness Centre..............................604-233-6991 Rickys Restaurant..............................604-233-7055

Royal SeafoodRestaurant

Saigon City Vietnam Restaurant..............................604-276-1112 Save On Cartridges..............................604-214-8211 Shikisai Japanese Restaurant..............................604-278-0534 Shoppers Drug Mart..............................604-276-0067 Subway..............................604-244-7170 Sutton Group - Seafair Realty..............................604-273-3155 The UPS Store..............................604-231-9643 Tong Moo Do Martial Arts..............................604-244-1188

Chatime OPENING SOON

OPENING SOON


KidswowEllen

Two young Richmonddancers took the EllenShow by storm last week.The pair of 12-year-

olds Andree Bonifacio(known as AC) and ReyondLucky Ancheta (known asLucky) make up thedance duo Lucky Aces,a product of Richmond-based Fresh Groove dancestudio.The hip-hopping kids

danced to DJ SnakesTurn Down For What,

wowing the talk show hostand her live audience.In a breathless post-

dance interview, which canbe seen on YouTube, thekids told DeGeneres howthey got their stage namesand how they would loveto be back-up dancers forAriana Grande.To thank them for

coming on the show,DeGeneres handed thema pair of VIP passes to anAriana Grande concert in

Vancouver.Fresh Groove studio

director Cesar Tantoco toldmedia the memory of theperformance will last long

for Lucky Aces.Ancheta said his parents

called him Lucky becausehe survived a prematurebirth.

Aunt glued tots earsRichmond RCMP are warning the Chinese commu-

nity that anyone caught harming a child will be investi-gated and prosecuted to the full force of the law.

Last December, 30 year-old Chinese national WeiWang was convicted of aggravated assault for super-glu-ing her seven week-old nephews ears to his head.

What followed was a lengthy criminal investigation.As investigators dug deeper, a bizarre tale unfolded ofdeceit, jealously, and the cultural pressures to conceivemale offspring, stated Richmond RCMP spokespersonCpl. Dennis Hwang in a news release.

In February 2013, the seven week-old infant wasfound by his parents crying. Painstaking surgeryremoved the substance and the child made a full recov-ery.

This was a bizarre, yet extremely sad case. We havezero tolerance towards any types of crimes against chil-dren. We will investigate them to the full extent of thelaw, said Richmond RCMPs Chris Tarasoff.

Graeme Wood/Richmond News

Soccer coach chargedA Richmond youth

soccer coach has beencharged with two countsof assault following abuseand bullying complaints.

B.C. Soccer has sus-pended former RichmondFC coach Roberto Sciasciaindefinitely from all soc-cer related activities.

Sciascias suspensionwas connected to a courtappearance last week,amid complaints from

some players and parents.Sciascia is due in court

again later this month,but details of the case aresubject to a publicationban.

On Saturday, RichmondFC released a statement,saying: Richmond FCremoved Mr. Sciascia fromany soccer related activi-ties once learning thatformal charges were madeagainst him...

" Reyond Lucky Ancheta, left and Andree Bonifacio, both 12,meet Ellen DeGeneres after their live dance routine.

ALANCAMPBELLStaff ReporterACAMPBELLRICHMONDNEWS.COM

MLAYap on road to recovery

" Richmond-Steveston MLA John Yaptakes a selfie break in the gym during hisexercise program. Twitter photo

Dining out on fast food for most of his10 years in office, by his own admission,took its toll on John Yap.But it still came as a shock to the

Richmond MLAs system when helearned late in 2014 that he had serious,life-threatening heart disease.After undergoing a quintuple heart

bypass operation more than threemonths ago, Yap is nearing the end of

his Healthy Heart Program recovery.Im onto the last few sessions at

Richmond Hospital, Yap told the News.Its an eight-week, part exercise and

part nutrition education program.Yap said his health-scare came totally

out of the blue and hes now had tocompletely change his diet.Im really grateful for this new lease

on life.

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ALANCAMPBELLStaff Reporter

Squatting on a rug on the floor,directly opposite and just acouple of feet away from KarinWhittaker, a relative stranger, Ibegan to question what Id gottenmyself into.After Whittaker had graciously

agreed to set up an impromptu,truncated 15-minute Cuddle Partyworkshop in the Richmond Newsoffice I was now within secondsof hugging, fairly tightly, a womanId only met for the first time inperson half an hour earlier.As a journalist of more than

17 years, Ive won stare-downswith armed Serbian soldiersin Kosovo (admittingly I was inNATO Challenger II tank) andIve shrugged my shoulders afterbeing followed home by formerNorthern Irish terrorists whoId been writing about.But this time, I was

nervous I didntknow why and I wasgenuinely taken aback athow apprehensive I was.After all, Whittaker, a

certified CuddlePartyfacilitator,hadexplainedclearly inher getting-to-know-each-other,setting-the-ground-rulesworkshop

usually an hour or so long thatprecedes every one of the officialcuddle parties in her Richmondapartment that I could say noto any of her cuddle or (non-sexual) touch requests.Hell, wed even practised saying

no with some playacting duringour little Cuddle Party warm-up.I must have been good at

disguising my discomfort becauseWhittaker said she felt a goodvibe about howthingswere

going thus far.I guess, if I was that

uncomfortable, I really shouldhave refused her polite advancesas we moved into whats known atthe real event as freestyle cuddletime.However, I was sure I felt a

bead of sweat form on my browas Whittaker asked if she couldstroke my arm.In the interests of experiencingfirst-hand what happens at

a Cuddle Party, however,and in the spirit of myjournalistic duty, I said,yes, you can.

As a smileyWhittaker reachedover and gentlystroked my arm, I

thought to myself,OK, that

wasntthat

bad, was it?I had mentioned during the

workshop that I was happier tobe asked than be the initiator ofphysical contact, and within acouple of minutes,Whittaker hadmoved ontoproposing we hugit out right there onthe rug.Feeling Id come

this far and I mightas well keep goingnow, I, again,said, yes to heramiable request.Suffice to say, I

felt very strange, not least becauseits a common complaint in myhousehold that I have an issueeven hugging family members.And by the time wed moved

onto a sitting huggle huggingwhile side-by-side facing oppositedirections me getting ashoulder rub and then Whittakerwrapping her legs around mywaist from behind, I found myselfclock-watching and keen for thisparticular train to reach its finaldestination.Granted, this cropped Cuddle

Party had been hastily arranged inthe News brightly-lit boardroom,with a photographer popping inand out not the most conducivefor social interaction.

And unlike mostCuddle Parties,there was nosoft lighting orbackground music,and only Whittakerand myself werein the room for themost part youraverage CuddleParty would have10 to 20 people.Even allowing

for those mitigating factors, I stillcannot wrap my head around whypeople would go to a Cuddle Partyand snuggle into intimate positionswith relative strangers.As Whittaker candidly admits,

however, her parties are not foreveryone.I wouldnt put anyone off going

to one, but theyre certainly notfor me.Perhaps that says more about

me and my limitations than it doesabout Cuddle Parties?

Cuddle Party is a federally recognized,non-profit educational organization,according to its website. Its boardof directors trains and certifies new

Cuddle Party facilitators.Cuddle Party was the brainchild in 2004 oftwo relationship coaches in the U.S., ReidMihalko and Marcia Baczynski.

Cuddlyfacts:

As a smiley Whittakerreached over and gen-tly stroked my arm,I thought to myself,OK, that wasnt thatbad, was it? Alan Campbell

Hugging a stranger holds more fears forreporter than armed soldiers, terrorists

cuddleKilledby the

" Cuddle Party facilitator KarinWhittaker runs through the workshop.

" Cuddle Party facilitator KarinWhittaker gives reporter Alan Campbell a hug.

A10 THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2015 RICHMOND-NEWS.COM


Karin Whittaker noticed therewas a vital ingredient missingfrom her life.About a year ago, while on

a break from her partner andwhile her daughter was travelingoverseas, Whittaker wasnt feelingher usual, bouncy self. It was onlywhen she started taking a long,hard look at her circumstancesthat her dawn of realization broke.My life spark was

diminishingand when Iconnected the dots, I realizedthere was a void; I was in a hug-free, massage-free desert, saidWhittaker, who at the time was onsabbatical from her job teachingpre-schoolers in Richmond.I started asking friends to give

me a hug; asking them to holdme and I noticed then that mybounce was returning.

Shortly afterward, one ofWhittakers friends told her aboutthese cuddle parties she saw onthe TV news.Her interest piqued; Whittaker

looked online to see if there wereany such parties happening closeby. The nearest was in Victoria.I went to Victoria and I was

so elated by the experience thatwhen I came back home I set up

three trial parties with friends. Irealized then I was on the righttrack, said Whittaker.

By the fall of last year, Whittakerhad taken the next step andhad begun a six-week programen route to becoming an officialCuddle Party facilitator.And after nine, three-

hour Skype sessions with hertrainer; six section readings andassignments; attainment of a FirstAid certificate and two practicumCuddle Party events shebecame Cuddle Party facilitator#89.She started hosting parties once

a month at her Minoru Boulevardapartment. Its now so popular,shes running them almost everyweekend.

What happens at aRichmond Cuddle Party?Well, what doesnt happen,

despite the intimate nature ofthe interactions, is sex. Its allstrictly fully-clothed and platonic,according to Whittaker.The most important aspect

thats getting missed (by themedia) is the workshop,said Whittaker.The workshop

at the start creates the safetyand interaction between theparticipants; sets the guidelinesand boundaries and usually lastsfor about an hour and starts offwith a welcome circle. It endswith participants practising sayingyes and no to each othersrequests.Then its freestyle cuddle time

and social time with some musicon; regular cuddlers will alreadybe cuddling; some will be onthe couch talking; some will beholding someones hand.Many can go through a

whole party not cuddling at all,and thats perfectly fine; theresno rule that says you have tocuddle.Asked to explain freestyle

cuddle time, Whittaker rattledoff a shopping list of potentialsnuggles, including: Shoulderrubs; sitting huggles (side-by-side but facing oppositedirections); spooning; spoontrains (as per spooning, but withmultiple bodies lined up); puppypile (imagine a pile of puppiesclambering around each other).One particular cuddle,

peculiar to Whittakers parties,was dreamed up by one of herregulars. Called Utas fantasy,after its maker, it features groupsof four or five people cuddling,touching, stroking or massagingone person, whos given blanketconsent to the others to goahead.Its like Christmas, you just

close your eyes and you receiveall these gifts from friends at theone time, explained Whittaker,who got emotional whiledescribing the feeling.Freestyle cuddle time usually

lasts for about twohours, beforegradually windingdown withanother circlegathering.

Who goes to a Cuddle Party?The majority are single, some

having no affection in their lives.Most are middle-aged singlepeople, both men and women.Theres a core group of about

half the party that usually cometo every event, she said. Wehave women-only parties, as well.We have people from all sorts ofbackgrounds; from unemployedto company CEOs.

Sue McDonald, a single,42-year-old Richmond mom oftwo teenaged boys, regularlyattends Whittakers parties.McDonald was actually online

looking for a poker party whenshe stumbled across the threadfor Whittakers event.Id heard that lots of people

who go to the parties were singleand not getting enough touching,but it wasnt like that for me, I wasgetting what I wanted from otherrelationships, said McDonald,an executive assistant who usedto play rugby and softball beforegetting injured.January was her first Cuddle

Party and shes been going everyweek since. There are lots ofpeople with touch issues at theparties, said McDonald, who getsa rush out of empowering themto get over that.Roslin Lintott, a close friend of

Whittaker, has been attending theRichmond parties from the verybeginning.I had gone

through adivorceand thena roughbreak-upat the

time, said Lintott, 48. For me,it was therapy. It was about thefeeling of being cared for withoutthe pressure.Lintott goes back to the parties

once a month or so, just whenshe needs some of that therapy.I love the companionship

andI sometimes need a cuddle,because Im not in a full-timerelationship right now.

Its weird, right?When Im holding someone

in my arms and theyre quietlyweeping because its the first timein three years theyve been held I know, then, Im doing theright thing, said Whittaker, whenasked how to respond to theweird tag for her parties.Its not for everyone, I

understand that. But its one ofthe most natural things in theworld and is very uplifting.And unlike some professional

cuddling services acrossthe country, parties such asWhittakers are by donation.You can sign up for one ofher parties at meetup.com/cuddlepartykarins.

There are 11 Cuddle Party rules; the main one being thatyour PJs must stay on the whole time! You dont have to

cuddle anyone at the party if you dont want, butyou MUST get permission to cuddle with averbal yes. Why bother cuddling at all?

According to research, there are a numberof significant health benefits to a dailysnuggle with your partner or even strangers

Whatare therules?

Here a few of the highlights:

1. Research out of the Universityof Toronto claims those who makecuddling a mandatory endingto sex, report higher levels ofsatisfaction with their sex livesbecause it reaffirms the bond.

2. All that cuddling releasesoxytocin, which is basically yourgood time hormone.

3. The oxytocin released duringcuddling can actually ease painin individuals.

4. Oxytocin can also strengthen apersons immune system.

5. Research has shown thatinfants who are recipients in avolunteer cuddlers program inhospitals have faster weight gainand shorter hospital stays.

" Cuddle Party regulars love doing the puppy pile

hug?NeedsWho

aCuddle Party facilitator explains whystrangers seek solace from snuggling

" Cuddle Party facilitator KarinWhittaker, front, gets a headmassagefrom SueMcDonald, centre, who,in turn, gets cuddle fromRoslin Lintott


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Oval upsmarketing regime for new projects

New amenities at the Richmond OlympicOval will be promoted at a cost of roughly$500,000 this year, according to the facilitysquarterly nancial statements.The marketing costs for additional retail

spaces, the Richmond Olympic Experiencesports museum as well as the YYoga exercisecentre will eat into the Ovals reserves.Last year, with a City of Richmond contri-

bution of $3.2 million to the Ovals bottomline, the Oval had a surplus of $1.6 million.This year that surplus which is allocatedfor future capital expenses will be about$780,000.The three-page report to council states that

a portion of the marketing costs is consid-ered one-time expenditures.The Ovals administrative costs are expected

to jump 26 per cent, from $2.7 million in2014 to $3.3 million this year. Meanwhile,membership fees and program revenues areexpected to rise 17 per cent, from $6.5 mil-lion in 2014 to $7.6 million this year.The $10 million ROX museum, largely

funded by corporate sponsors, according tothe city, is expected to open by this summer.The Oval will host 40 marquee events this

year, according to the report.

" Have your say on housing issuesA public hearing will be held April 20 at

Richmond City Hall for a proposed bylaw

amendment that aims to increase restric-tions on three storey homes within city-zonedresidential properties.The proposed bylaw aims to limit at-roofed

homes to 25 feet in height, as opposed to 29feet. Should a home be built with a third-storey, it must be built into a pitched roof.Furthermore the city aims to prohibit third-storey balconies.The bylaw is in response to widespread

complaints in the city, by property owners,that new homes are too large. The hearing willbe held at 7 p.m. with city council

" City wants Steveston library tohold on tight.The City of Richmond is tabling various

short-term options for the expansion of theSteveston library, to city council.Four options were presented in a report to

city councillors this week.The rst option, recommended by city

planners, is to maintain the status quo of the4,000 square foot facility. Such an optionwould prevent the Steveston Community Cen-tre from expanding its tness program until apermanent library is built, which could takeup to ve years.A second option, and the most expensive, is

to accept a lease agreement with Onni Groupat the Imperial Landing boardwalk develop-ment. Operating costs would increase by$500,000 and the discounted lease, underthe existing offer from last May, would expirein 20 years.The city is also suggesting a portable struc-

ture could be an option for the next 15 years.The portable would be placed in Steveston

Park, east of the policestation. Such an optionwould offer immediaterelief for the communitycentres programs.A fourth option is to

nd leasable space inSteveston Village. Thereport does not indicatewhat exactly are theoptions but notes sucha plan would be chal-lenging if the city wereto acquire more than10,000 square feet (asis needed, accordingto the Richmond Pub-lic Library executive).The last three op-

tions would cost between $3.7 and $4.5million. As such, city planners are suggest-ing that the library remain in place until thecity drafts a new facilities plan. The reportindicates the city is looking at the emptycity-owned property across the street as adevelopment option for the new library.

"Womens centre could see morefunding next yearThe City of Richmonds social planners

are recommending to city council that thecash-strapped Richmond Womens ResourceCentre be allocated additional funding nextyearPlanners, in a report to council this week,

are pitching a recommendation that stopsshort of assisting the centre immediately,namely because the citys policy is to not

accept downloading of social services fromsenior governments.The centre assists women who face a

combination of social, health, nancial, andcultural difculties.The citys report does state it is councils

prerogative to give additional money for thisyear, however, doing so would constitutereliance on city funding for social services, aprovincial responsibility.In February, city council awarded the centre

about $16,000 in gaming revenue grantswhen the centre had asked for $32,000 tocover operating losses.Without additional money the centre is

expected to face more closures in the shortand long term.The report notes provincial funding, outside

of gaming grants, was cut off in 2004. A deci-sion from council is expected next week.

[email protected]

GRAEMEWOODStaff Reporter

" The Richmond Olympic Oval is set to have a string of new amenitiesincluding retail services and the Richmond Olympic sports museum.

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Want to knowwhats happeningin your neighbourhood?

2015 Capital ConstructionProjects Open HouseThursday, April 16, 2015 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.Richmond City Hall6911 No. 3 Road (main oor galleria)From Hamilton to Steveston, the 2015 capital projects are underway inRichmond. Drop by the open house to talk to City staff, learn more about Cityservices and have your questions answeredall in one place.

In addition, there will be staff representatives from Metro Vancouver (GilbertTrunk Sewer replacement) and Neptune Technology Group (residential watermeters).

Find out more at the City of Richmonds 2015 Capital Construction Projects Open House

For more information on this event, call the Citys Engineering Department at604-276-4289.

More information about the Citys Engineering construction projects can be found atwww.richmond.ca/roadworks.

www.richmond.ca

Engineering1 Lockhart Road, Beecham Road and Marrington Road

watermain, drainage and neighbourhood improvements2 Seabrook Crescent (East) laneway upgrade3 Swinton Crescent (West) laneway upgrade4 Steveston Highway (6th Avenue to 7th Avenue) laneway

upgrade5 Burkeville drainage improvements6 Dike upgrade/No. 2 Road drainage pump station upgrade7 Riverdale area watermain replacement8 Minoru Boulevard watermain replacement9 Ledway area watermain replacement10 Ryan Road watermain replacement11 Leslie Road/Brown Road sanitary and Leslie forcemain

replacement12 Minoru sanitary pump station upgrade

Other 2015 capital construction engineering projects

TransportationI Active transportation program: pedestrian-cycling facilities

in various locationsII Crosswalk improvement program: various locationsIII Trafc signal improvement program: various locations

including new pedestrian and full signals plus left-turnarrows

IV Neighbourhood walkways program: various locationsV Transit passenger facility upgrades (accessible bus stops):

various locations (not shown on map)VI Transit passenger amenity upgrades (non-advertising bus

stop shelters): various locations (not shown on map)

Project DevelopmentA Minoru ComplexB Fire Hall No. 1C Fire Hall No. 3D Richmond Olympic Oval projectsE City Centre Community CentreF Japanese Fishermens Benevolent Society buildingG Minoru ChapelH Gateway TheatreI Minoru ArenaJ Energy management projects

Parksi Garden City Lands phase 1ii The Gardens Agricultural Parkiii Lang Park redevelopmentiv Middle Arm/Hollybridge Pierv Tait WaterfrontWest Parkvi Playground improvement program

Jesse Wowk School Parkvii Seine Net Loftdeck repairBritannia Shipyards

District Energy Utility (DEU)* Oval Village DEU** Alexandra DEU phase 3 expansion


As the City of Richmond plans to host aLabour Day weekend party with the inten-tion of drawing local residents away from thefinal days of the Pacific National Exhibition,we can look back at another attraction thattried to do the same thing 46 years ago: theSkookum Slide.Old photos from the Richmond Archives

reveal a rather bizarre structure a 30-foothigh, 190-foot-long slide near the cornerof No. 3 Road and Westminster Highway, ad-jacent to Richmond Square Shopping Centre,now simply named Richmond Centre.Archivist Bill Purver is always excited to

share the story of the Skookum Slide with visi-tors since it was such a unique attraction.Anyone living in Richmond who was age

six to 12, or so, back in the day, should re-member the Skookum Slide. But it only lasteda few years, said Purver.The slide was built by the Skookum Slide

Ltd. company and based on others inCalifornia; although Richmonds three-storeystructure featured a large, striped canopy roofto shelter children from the rain.Despite a population of only about 55,000

people in 1969, Richmond was chosen as a

location because of its proximity to Vancouverby car, according to Purver.Parents would pay 25 cents for three rides

or, if they had some shopping to do, $1 for 20rides.Kids would scurry up the slide and go down

in a burlap sack. After they were done, theycould go for ice cream at the Dairy Queen, asthe slide was situated in the shops parkinglot.The Richmond Review newspaper com-

pared the slide to one at the PNE, andSkookums president John Stokes noted:They charged 25 cents (for the PNE slide),while we charge just a nickel.The slide was short lived, however, as the

company only leased the land. Eventually, in1973, Richmond Square had begun eyeingexpansion and forced the slide company topack up and leave the township.Old photos of the slide reveal a different

Richmond; that of urban sprawl with fewmulti-storey buildings and street trees in thetowns centre.Visit RichmondArchives.ca to see original

copies of the Skookum Slide proposal to citycouncil.Do you have a memory to share? Send in

your photos and memories to [email protected] week: I dig up some photos of old

street hockey matches.

Recalling one heckuva skookum rideTHROWBACKThursday

GRAEMEWOODStaff ReporterGWOODRICHMONDNEWS.COM

" In a day long before kids were attached to digital devices, the Skookum Slide on No. 3 Road close to the current day Coast Capital Savings branch at Richmond Centre was a popular activityfor youngsters to enjoy. Photo submitted by Richmond Archives.

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With only about 1,000 residents,Burkeville is Richmonds smallestneighbourhood and, arguably, one ofthe most unique.

So, whats all the talk about in Burkevillethese days?

Arguably, the loudest chit-chat goingon in the neighbourhood is the City ofRichmonds proposal to introduce a coachhouse bylaw to the area.

Burkeville is just one of two neighbour-hoods in Richmond (Shellmont being theother) designed with back lanes that canaccommodate the mini houses that theoreti-cally provide affordable housing for renters.

Close to three years ago, the issue cameto the forefront but soon disappeared andthe city only approved a few coach houseson a case-by-case basis.

The city will be holding a public consul-tation process this spring to determine theresidents thoughts on such a bylaw.

Graham MacFarlane, a resident there forthe last 23 years, is applying to the city tobuild a coach house for himself.

He lives in a split-level home but sayshes the unfortunate victim of a coach housegone wrong, behind his house in the backlane.

There, a full two-storey structure hasbeen built, which is larger than some actualhomes in the neighbourhood (many of themWorld War II-era heritage homes).

People arent happy, he said, listing offthe names of every neighbour around him,as most people in Burkeville can do.

Even (the neighbour who built it) said,Oh my God, I didnt know it was going to beso big, chuckled MacFarlane.

So, the city must determine if residentswant coach houses, and, if so, they mustthen look at issues such as impacts to trafficand drainage as well as the dimension, con-figuration and architectural designs of suchstructures.

MacFarlane said, with or without thepolicy, Burkeville has a number of back lanegarages that appear to have been turned intoliving accommodations.

He believes a bylaw would be practical insetting guidelines.

MacFarlane said his coach house will beone storey with a pitched roof, not a two sto-rey house that ruins peoples privacy.

So, are people worried the neighbourhoodis changing too much?

Yes and no, MacFarlane contends.Its changing slowly enough that (new

residents) are assimilated. The community isthe Borg. But there are changes. When youhave suites you have a more transient popu-lation that is not as vested in the neighbour-hood, he said.

Meanwhile, the neighbourhood is surelyset to receive a few more lost visitors asthe luxury outlet mall on Templeton Streetgets set to open this summer.

As its spring, youll know having visitedthe neighbourhood that there are severalwell-kept gardens.

At MacFarlanes corner, someone haseven bagged some extra plants and put up asign to give them away for free.

Its clear the friendly Burkevillian waycontinues as the neighbourhood gets set forsome big changes and surely a few moreheadlines down the road (or lane).

Whats going on in your neighbourhood?Neighbourhood Watch is a new regular

feature in which reporter Graeme Wood takesto the streets, paths and back alleys, of dif-ferent communities to talk to folks aboutwhats happening close to home. EmailGraeme at [email protected].

Building rentals in Burkevilles back lanesGRAEMEWOODStaff ReporterGWOODRICHMONDNEWS.COM

NEIGHBOURHOODWatch

" Graham MacFarlane has applied to the city fora permit to build a coach house in his back yardPhoto by Graeme Wood/Richmond News

" Reporter Graeme Wood (top photo) hones in on the close-knit community of Burkeville (approx.pop. 1,000) and came across a nice community touch free plants.

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Its been a little more than a year sincea group of committed Richmonditespooled their collective organizationalmuscle to form Richmonds first everCARP chapter.

Since then, the local entity of CARP a national, non-partisan, non-profit orga-nization that has a mission to enhancethe quality of life for all Canadians as theyage has boosted its original member-ship by around 25 per cent to almost1,000 members.

Whether it has been informative eventswith engaging speakers for people in thesecond half of their lives or social occa-sions to bring like-minded folks together,few can deny CARP Richmond has beena resounding success in its first year.

Were very happy (with the growth),said Richmond CARPs chair Dr. VictorPauls, a retired dentist, father of four andgranddad to nine.

If we look at other chapters close byas a comparison, I think we can give our-selves a little pat on the back.

The people on our committee put alot of effort into it to get media coverageand word is getting around about us.

Pauls said the chapter is fast becom-ing the go-to place for advice on insur-ance, de-cluttering the home, everythingreally.

Were having a lot of impact on thecommunity and we seem to be filling a

void out there for a lot of older people.CARP Richmond is gearing up for a

big event this spring, a one-day SeniorsHealth and Resources Expo (SHARE) onJune 27.

Featuring resource information, dozensof exhibitors, live entertainment, semi-nars and a multi-cultural food fair, Paulsanticipates upwards of 1,000 people toattend the six-hour event at South ArmUnited Church.

Weve been working on this for thelast few months; this will probably be thebiggest event weve put on, so were verymuch looking forward to it, added Pauls.

For more information in CARPRichmond, call 1-800-363-9736 (tollfree) or go to www.carp.ca.

CARPs net casting widerCOMMUNITY in Focus

ALANCAMPBELLSta ReporterACAMPBELLRICHMONDNEWS.COM

" The hard-working CARP Richmond commit-tee, including its chair, Dr. Victor Pauls, picturedfar right, has helped the local chapter growconsiderably during its rst year on the go. Rich-mond News le photo

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So, I dusted off the old golf bag, emptied it of the crushedbeer cans, half-eaten energy bars, broken tees andcrumpled chip bags and was off to embark on this ambitiousjourney that should take me from hack status to respectablebogey golfer.Saturday was a brilliant sunny day for my rst golf lesson

with Mark Strong, the Richmond Country Clubs head pro.Strong is tasked with the challenging job of reforming thisscuffer in quite possibly every aspect the game of golf hasto offer: driving, chipping, putting, mechanics, etiquette andeven psychology.My goal is to improve your scorecard by 30 strokes, he

told me, without even seeing me tee off.Evidently, Strong is stealthily capable of looking someone

up and down to know what to expect. Although, the fact mybag of clubs didnt have a three-iron, sand wedge or three-wood in it and I wasnt wearing golf shoes surely helped himrecognize this was only my second or third time on a full-length golf course.Well work on that (equipment). Theres a lot of things we

can work on; Ive noted quite a few things, said Strong fol-lowing the round.Great! Hey wait, a minute?Its not easy learning something new, as an adult. The key,

however, as with most things, is to keep an open mind andbe patient. Thats what Ill be doing as Strong begins givingme tips to improve my swing and approach to the game.For the record, Ive rarely played full-length courses. This

course is 6,800 yards, whereas Im used to executive coursesthat are about 3,500 yards long. And, of course, Ive alwaysmade time for Richmond Pitch and Putt each summer.Saturdays mulligan-free round started with Strong intro-

ducing me to some of theclubs amazing features,such as a clubhouse thatwas recently renovated to thetune of $3 million; tennis,swimming, a tness facility,lounges and a great restau-rant; you name it, the clubhas it.But the real gem of the

club is, rightfully, the golfcourse. Built in 1958, the course has matured wisely to offerup an inviting, yet moderately challenging, round for thebeginner and intermediate golfer.Towering evergreen and deciduous trees line each fairway

and sweeping farmland views are exposed on the perimeter.My favourite part of the course was certainly the back

nine holes where you can catch glimpses of the North Shoremountains and many of the water features become moreprominent (well get to those at a later time, Im sure).Some would label my round of 119 as atrocious, or per-

haps despicable. I would contend it was a tactical, bunker-

free warm-up performance.The rst four holes ease you into your round nicely, with

three relatively short par four holes and a par three. It wasntuntil hole seven that my ball found the drink and I startedposting snowmen on my scorecard.This year, the course has been afforded a $2 million irriga-

tion upgrade. Strong pointed out the pools of water in thefarm elds that represent the sort of terrain and hydrologythe course must deal with being in south Richmond.Being the rst week of April, conditions were a bit soft and

muddy in the deep rough, but the fairways were in incredibleshape. Every good course asks you to pay the piper for yourmistakes and you can get in trouble by hitting into the woodshere, as I did on hole ve and various unmentionable others.Oddly enough, I wasnt too terrible with my driver, but my

years of pitch and putt experience seemed to do nothing forthe surprisingly fast, rolling greens this day.Heading into the last hole, I was at 113 and needed what

would amountto an impressivebogey on the parve to stay under120 and, thus, setthe benchmark forthis summers bigsporting project inRichmond.Sure, I sliced it into

the tenth fairway andsubsequently playeddown it to the 18th

green.But did I get the

bogey?I sure did.Next week, Strong

and I hash overequipment and thecustom tting pro-cess for golf clubs.

Wood heads into thewoods

" News reporter Graeme Wood, left, meets Richmond CountryClub golf pro Mark Strong. Below, Wood nds himself quite literallyin the woods on the 5th hole. Photos by Pierre Pelletier/RichmondNews

Over the next five months, reporter and self-confessedgolf hack GraemeWoodwill be trying to improve hisgame under the watchful eye of Richmond CountryClub golf proMark Strong.

[email protected]

GRAEMEWOODStaff Reporter

SCORECARD:Score: 119Out of bounds: 0Balls in water: 3Total putts: 45Greens in regulation: 2Pars/Birdies: 0 / 0

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