vancouver courier june 24 2015

[email protected]

Without an explanation from an expert tounderstand the sharp increase in Vancou-ver police files related to potential nationalsecurity threats, the statistics alone seemshocking: From 14 files investigated in2012 to 262 in 2014.And police say they are on pace this year

to investigate another couple hundred callsin Vancouver where officers follow up onreported suspicious activity, which couldinclude an abandoned package in a publicplace to purchases of chemicals to tips onalleged terror plots.

But as members of the VPD’s criminalintelligence unit explained in an interview,the statistics don’t represent the whole storyor explain how an increase in calls is actu-ally a good thing.“We are getting more calls and a very

small amount of those calls really result inanything that needs to be taken to a higherlevel,” said Insp. Mike Serr, when asked ifthe public should be concerned about thespike in statistics.“Vancouver’s safe. It is a safe place and

we’ve got a lot of people working to ensureit remains safe.”Serr and two of his officers, detective

constables Colin Small and Ian Jackson,attribute the increase in calls to two mainfactors: A heightened vigilance by the pub-lic about potential terrorist threats, citingrecent plots to detonate bombs at the B.C.Legislature and the murder of reservist Cpl.Nathan Cirillo in 2014 at the cenotaph in

Ottawa; and the relaunch of a VPD-ledcounterterrorism program dubbed Opera-tion Securus, which trains businesses toreport suspicious activity to police.“No one should be alarmed by these

numbers,” Serr said of the statistics, whichhe also believes can be attributed to theongoing training of officers in counterter-rorism. “We want the public to be engaged,we want them to be aware, we want themto phone us — even if it’s something thatappears to be inane or not serious — andwe’ll take a look at it.”Serr said the vast majority of calls turn

out to be nothing of significance, citing anexample where a person is observed takingphotographs of a building.“It may turn out just to be a tourist who

just happened to be interested in taking pic-tures,” he said, but declined to discuss anycases that led to higher level investigations.

OPINION 10Ideas for a cleaner city

SPORTS 19Yu the man

ARTS 18Fighting Nazis with humour

MIDWEEKEDITION

WEDNESDAYJune 24 2015Vol. 106 No. 49

There’s more online atvancourier.com

THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS since 1908

Hundreds call copswith terror tips

Tapdancers‘get a life’

Cheryl [email protected]

The narrow hallway outside a dancestudio near the Marine Drive CanadaLine station feels stuffy on a hot Tuesdaynight as women pull off their shirts anddon white vests and black sequined tails.A gently hunched white-haired woman

who’s juggling multiple items drops herpurse to the floor.I hand it to her and say, “Gravity is a

pain sometimes.”“All the way down,” she replies.Moments later, 14 women of the more

than 25-year-old dance group Razzmataprehearse one of the 10 numbers they’llperform June 27 at the Norman RothsteinTheatre.Their moves are lyrical, their faces

wistful as they dance to “Try to Re-member” from the musical comedy TheFantasticks. That song gives way to showtune “Bring on the Men,” and then sud-denly the club hit “Party Rock Anthem”drops. All of the dancers fall into chairsexcept that white-haired woman, GraceInglis. At age 86, Inglis takes centrestage to perform a solo to the song’schorus: “Everyday I’m shuffling, shuf-fling, shuffling.”The number, about putting your moth-

er into a nursing home, is one of 10 thatthe award-winning group of dancers, ages45 to 86, will perform Saturday night.

First stepsJan Kainer began dancing in a class led

by her mother in the 1950s when she wasfour.More than three decades later, Kainer,

an elementary school teacher, followed inher mother’s footsteps by starting a classfor her daughter and friends. Parents toldher they wanted a class, too, so Kainerstarted a tap class for adults at the Kerris-dale Community Centre in 1987. Even-tually, Kainer convinced her adult danc-ers to compete, exercising her creativitythrough choreography and costumes.The group of 18 women is composed

All-female troupe aged45 to 86

VPD attributes increaseto vigilant public,prevention program

CANADADAZE Soccer fanspoured intodowntownSundayaspart of a record-breakingB.C. Place crowdof 53,855whowatchedCanadapota1-0winoverSwitzerland. Thevictorymeans local fanswill get another chance todisplay their fervour asCanadaplaysEnglandSaturdayatB.C. Place in theFIFAWomen’sWorldCupquarter finalmatch.SeeCity Livingpage6. PHOTO REBECCABLISSETT

Continued on page 4 Continued on page 8

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City council will decideWednesday whether it willbe the first municipality inCanada to go ahead witha staff proposal to regulatethe growing number of il-legal marijuana dispensariesin Vancouver.After listening to more

than 100 people over threenights and one day ofpublic hearings, council willvote June 24 on a staff pro-posal that lays out a seriesof rules for pot shops thatnow includes a two-tieredlicensing system and allowsmarijuana oils, tincturesand capsules to be sold.The original draft of

the proposal called for a$30,000 annual licensingfee for all 90-plus dispen-saries and a ban on mari-juana-infused goods suchas cookies and brownies,commonly referred to asedibles in the industry.Staff now proposes

that legitimate non-profit“compassion clubs” pay a$1,000 licensing fee while

other shops will be requiredto pay $30,000. The cityhasn’t determined howmany shops in the city arenon-profits, although onespeaker during the hearingsestimated there were 19.To qualify as a compas-

sion club, the city has writtena definition into the proposalwith stringent requirementsfor the operator, including:• A police information

check for the applicant andstaff.• The business must be

registered under the prov-ince’s Society Act.• Have a membership

with the Canadian Associa-tion of Medical CannabisDispensaries.• Offer at least two health

services such as traditionalChinese medicine andpsychological counsellingfor 200 hours or more permonth.• Produce records to the

city’s chief licence inspectorregarding number of healthcare hours provided tomembers.• Have a constitution and

bylaws for its members.

• Implement a securityplan.Originally, staff called

for a ban on edibles andrecommended only mari-juana oil be sold. Staff nowrecommends tinctures andcapsules be included in thenew bylaws and is expectedto explain the amendmentat Wednesday’s councilmeeting.What council heard

Monday night from thelast round of speakers, andwhat became a theme dur-ing the hearings, is manypeople called for council

to reject staff’s recommen-dation to ban edibles andreduce the $30,000 fee.“We’re not being able to

sell edibles, which is reallyharsh,” said Ajia Moon, amedical marijuana user andco-founder of a “mail-orderonly” dispensary calledThree Happy Cats.Moon pointed out the

Supreme Court of Canadaruled two weeks ago that allforms of marijuana are al-lowed to be consumed andthat prohibiting the use ofedibles violates the Charterof Rights and Freedoms.

On the day of thatdecision, the city issued astatement on the ruling andreiterated its position heldby Dr. Patricia Daly, chiefmedical health officer forVancouver Coastal Health,that only marijuana oilwould be allowed for sale.The statement said the

sale of oils would allowcustomers to create theirown edibles and the city’sproposed regulations wouldnot compromise a person’sright to access edible medi-cal marijuana. It’s unclearwhat moved staff to now in-clude tinctures and capsulesin its proposal.Of the more than 100

people who spoke to councilduring the hearings, all butabout a half dozen said theywere against the regulations.Patricia Barnes of the

Hastings North BusinessImprovement Associationand Claudia Laroye of theMarpole Business Improve-ment Association told coun-cil Monday night they wereworried about the effectdispensaries were having intheir communities and on

other legitimate businesses.Barnes said she knows

two women who “sunk alltheir life-savings” into anatural health food storeand are now neighbours totwo pot shops. She said theirstore smells of marijuana.“They’re losing customers,

they’re watching their life-savings go away,” she said.“You, as the City of Vancou-ver, need to do somethingabout this.We need toprotect those businesses thatare operating out there nowlegally, obeying all federallaw, obeying all provinciallaw, obeying all city bylaws.”Vision Coun. Heather

Deal asked Laroye “if theproper controls were inplace, do you think therewould be room in yourBIA for one or two prop-erly managed dispensariesfor people who live in theneighbourhood?”Laroye: “They key to

that is the word ‘properlymanaged’ and within theparameters of the extensiveregulatory regime that you’relooking at setting up.”

@Howellings

Council to vote onpot shop rulesNews

Turnout was lighter Monday night for city council’s final round ofpublic hearings on proposed regulations for the dozens ofmari-juana dispensaries in Vancouver. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A3

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News

Continued from page 1As Canadians learned

two years ago, somethinginsignificant could turn outto be a tip that thwarts adisaster, as Jackson pointedout with what occurred inthe well-publicized plot in2013 of two men in Ontarioplanning to derail a VIApassenger train travelling be-tween the U.S. and Canada.“If an employee hadn’t

spotted the [suspects] video-taping, and that informationhadn’t come forward to thepolice, they probably wouldhave been successful,” saidJackson of the case, whichled to two men found guiltyof a series of terror-relatedcharges. “That’s whatOperation Securus is about— it’s about that phone callbeing placed.”Operation Securus has

more than 100 Vancouverbusinesses involved andincludes the CanadianSecurity Intelligence Ser-vice, the RCMP, NaturalResources Canada and theAbbotsford and Delta policedepartments. The programis designed to locate andcatalogue businesses suchas Home Depot, HarbourAir, rental car companiesand port businesses that sellproducts or offer servicesthat could be used by aperson or groups to committerrorism.The VPD’s role is to

search out potential threats,which involves following upon calls from businesses andthe public. Officers do thatby delivering presentationson how to identify suspiciouscustomers and activity, andreminding them of the realthreat to theWest Coast.“The big problem for us

is that people forget andthey think it’s not goingto happen in B.C.,” saidSmall, rattling off a historyof terrorism in the province,including the plotting of

the Air India disaster, theSquamish Five bombingsandMichael Zehaf-Bibeau’slinks to B.C. before he mur-dered Cirillo in Ottawa.Media reports over the

past couple of years haveidentified Canadians inOntario and Alberta whotravelled overseas to fighton behalf of Islamic terrorgroup ISIS. Small wouldn’tsay whether police haveidentified any Vancouveriteswho joined ranks with ISISbut said “it would be foolishto think that it’s not goingto affect Canada, that it’snot going to affect Brit-ish Columbia and it’s notgoing to affect Vancouver.That’s why we’re trying totake these steps now to tryand identify individuals orgroups as early as possible,look for those pre-indica-tors, those signs.”Eric Scott, vice-president

of flight operations andsafety at Harbour Air, saidthe seaplane companyjoined Operation Securusmore than a year ago. Scottsaid he sees the partnershipwith police as a “corporateresponsibility” and is gladother businesses signed onto the program.“Events might be singular

when we’re just dealing withit ourselves but show trendswhen you bring other busi-nesses in,” Scott said. “Sothe whole concept of it ap-pealed to us. It does heightenour awareness and allows usan avenue tomove on [suspi-cious activity] and be part ofthat group rather thanmak-ing a cold call to police.”He said the company

has reported files to policea couple of times relatedto Operation Securus butdeclined to disclose details.Scott, however, said hedidn’t believe police foundanything significant in theinvestigations.

@Howellings

Businessesworkwith police

Insp. Mike Serr of the Vancouver Police Department’s criminalintelligence unit says the city is “a safe place,” despite the spike incalls related to national security. PHOTODANTOULGOET


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News

DEVELOPINGSTORY

NaoibhO’[email protected]

The long-awaitedconstruction of the firstphase of the redevelop-ment of Arbutus Villagecould start in late springof 2016 based on currenttimelines.City council approved

rezoning to allow for themixed-use developmenton the seven-acre siteback in July of 2011.Larco Investments Ltd.

is now seeking a develop-ment permit for phaseone, which involves thenortheast corner of theproperty where the exist-ing parking lot is located.The application goesbefore the DevelopmentPermit Board Sept. 8.A community open

house about the project isset for June 25.Art Phillips, Larco’s

director of development,said Safeway will relocateinto the new buildingonce it’s constructed. Itwill also house a restau-rant, some office spaceand 215 residential units,100 of which are be-ing dedicated to the city(50 senior units and 50non-market rental units).Larco Investments will re-tain 115 units as rentals.“We’re going to keep

the mall open but we’regoing to be demolishingthe front façade of thenortheast portion,” Phil-lips said. “It means takingabout 20 feet off the frontof the building of the ex-isting entry. It will affectsome tenants who willbe relocating within thebuilding.”The redevelopment of

the entire site will take

place in three or possiblyfour phases, dependingon what the market is likein 2020. Phillips said thefirst phase will take abouttwo-and-a-half years tocomplete.“We’re looking at ways

in which to reduce thetimeframe,” he said.“What will probably oc-cur is the western portionof the development — inother words west of theYew Street extension orwhat we refer to a phaseC and D, will probablybe combined into onephase.”Phillips said he’s re-

lieved the project is finallymoving forward.“It’s been a very long

process. I know peopleare wondering what’sgoing on because of thenumber of phone callsI’ve been getting,” hesaid. “When you’re tryingto keep an existing shop-ping centre open, it’s notan easy exercise.”Doreen Braverman, a

former president of theArbutus Ridge Commu-nity Association, said thegroup had raised concernsduring the rezoning phase— it didn’t want buildingheights to be over the fourstoreys stipulated in theneighbourhood’s officialcommunity plan. Shenoted the Briar apart-ments will lose views andsunlight. Members werealso concerned aboutextending Yew Street intothe property“Also, Arbutus [Vil-

lage] is supposed to beour neighbourhood centrebut there is no coveredareas for meetings andgatherings,” she told theCourier. “However, wehave a chance to attendthe public showing, so weshall see.”The open house runs

from 5 to 8 p.m. June 25,2015 at Hellenic Commu-nity Centre Gymnasium,4500 Arbutus St.The applicant team and

city staff will be on handto answer questions.There will be two

models on display — oneof the overall develop-ment, and one of the firstphase.

@naoibh

Openhouse set forArbutusVillage project

Larco Investments is redeveloping Arbutus Village shoppingcentre. An open house about phase one is set for June 25.


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CITY LIVINGRebecca [email protected]

The dress code for B.C.Place on Sunday was redand white and almost everyone of the 53,855 fans whofiled through the dome’sdoors to watch the Cana-dian women post a 1-0 winover Switzerland adheredone way or another.Many wore official

merch of FIFA 2015Women’s World Cup,mostly red Canada T-shirts, while others didtheir best to ignore thehot temperatures on thefirst day of summer withacrylic soccer scarves tiedaround their necks. Oth-ers chimed in with TeamCanada hockey jerseysand, to prove old woundsdo sometimes heal, fansin Calgary Flames jerseyswere not a rare sight.Those who didn’t own anysporting attire, wore shirtsadvertising domestic beer,car dealerships, recordshops in distant townsand it was all OK because

it ensured the satellitepicture of Vancouver likelyshowed the city as a big,red dot that afternoon.The occasional Swiss fanwas spotted milling aboutthe FIFA Fan Zone set upon the corner of Georgiaand Cambie Streets butstood no ground againstthe sheer numbers of theiropponents as their own co-

lours were white and red.Kathy and Hal Cronk, in

their plain red T-shirts andmesh cowboy hats, werethrilled to be at the game.The couple, whose sons allplayed soccer through thestrong Metro Ford ranksin Coquitlam and boughtHal’s ticket for a Father’sDay gift, said they couldn’twait for the first whistle.

Before they headed throughthe doors to wildly cheeran hour later when JoséeBélanger found the back ofthe net for the Round of 16elimination match’s lonegoal, Kathy leaned overconspiratorially: “I thinkthis women’s team can beatthe boys.”Red and white went on

the faces of Nicole Yuen

and Frankie Lunot whoset up their paint stationon top of a garbage binnear Terry Fox Plaza. Bothwomen spent most of theirchildhood years on thepitch and said it means somuch to have the women’sWorld Cup in their back-yard.“Tickets are so cheap to

the FIFA Women’s WorldCup and the experienceis the same as the men’s— everyone’s cheeringfor Canada and it’s sucha great atmosphere,” saidLunot who has tickets to allthe games at B.C. Place.“People don’t appreciate

women’s soccer,” addedYuen.“Yes, people think it’s

slower,” Lunot said, “And,in my opinion, if anythingit’s faster because there’s alot of urge to score all thetime where men are morestrategic in the middle.Men, they get hit andthey’re down for 10 min-utes whether they’re hurt,or they’re not hurt. Thewomen play on, they havesomething to prove.”And the women are do-

ing a great job at carvingtheir place in the sport.Sunday’s attendance num-bers broke the record fora Canadian national teamhome match. The previousrecord was June 6 when53,058 watched Canada’sopener against China atEdmonton’s Common-wealth Stadium.Even EA Sports ac-

knowledged the growinginterest in women’s soccerwhen the Burnaby-basedvideo game company an-nounced last month gamerswill soon have the option offielding one of 12 women’snational teams in FIFA 16,the latest incarnation of thepopular video game.“It’s about time,” said

Lunot. “A lot of guys werelike, oh why? But it’s notjust your sport. It’s every-one’s sport.”Canada, ranked No.

8, will face sixth-rankedEngland in quarter-final ac-tion at B.C. Place Saturdaywhich will be the first timein the tournament it facesa top 10 team. Keep thosered T-shirts handy.

@rebeccablissett

Exuberant fans see red atWorld CupCommunity

The crowd outside B.C. Placewas awash in Canadian colours and pride Sunday as they prepared towatch Canada take on Switzerland in the Round of 16 action.See photo gallery at vancourier.com. PHOTOREBECCA BLISSETT


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[email protected]

Yaletowners aiming tohalt a controversial landswap and tower develop-ment aren’t giving up.Their lawyer, Nathalie

Baker, applied June 22 for ahearing before the nation’shighest court.If the Supreme Court of

Canada agrees to hear thecase, Community Asso-ciation of New Yaletownwants it to overturn theApril 23 B.C. Court ofAppeal decision that threwout their lower court victoryover city hall, which brieflystopped Brenhill Develop-ments’ construction at 1099Richards St.The CANY filing to the

Supreme Court said theappeal judges’ ruling thatVancouver city hall exceed-ed disclosure obligations“provided a blueprint tomunicipalities that wish tolimit their disclosure.”“As long as it renders a

business decision, considersinformation in camera ordrafts the bylaw in a narrow

way, the municipality willbe relieved of its disclosureobligations,” said the appealapplication. “The public’sright to know and commentintelligently on proposedprojects of major signifi-cance will be accordinglydiminished.”Brenhill and the city cut

a land swap deal in 2013whereby the developerwould build a 162-unit re-placement at 1099 Rich-ards for the 87-unit JubileeHouse social housing proj-ect. In exchange, Brenhillwould get Jubilee House’s508 Helmcken St., a city-owned property beside Em-ery Barnes Park, on whichto build a 36-storey towerwith 448 units, a preschooland retail space. CANY saidit favours social housing, butnot a tower that would betaller and denser than thearea plan allows.Brenhill proposed con-

tributing $24 million tobuild the $30.6-million NewJubilee House and the citywould fund the $6.6-millionremainder from proceeds ofthe 508 Helmcken sale.

“CANY’s essentialsubmission is that theCity’s public disclosure wasinadequate and the processwas artificially divided intostages such that residentscould not comment on theoverall land exchange plan,”said the ruling by the B.C.Court of Appeal tribunal.The appeal court ruled

that local residents have theright to sufficient informationon a development proposaland the right to express theiropinion on a rezoning’s mer-its, but if they disagree, they

should take it up in the politi-cal arena, not the courts.B.C. SupremeCourt

JusticeMarkMcEwan ruledJan. 27 in favour of CANYand slammed city hall forbeing opaque. He orderedconstruction be paused and anew public hearing be held.City council voted April

7 for a new developmentpermit for the 13-storeybuilding at 1099 Richards.On April 16 it voted torezone 508 Helmcken forthe 36-storey tower.

@bobmackin

Yaletowners appeal to SupremeCourtCANYmakes last attempt to stop tower

News

ConstructioncontinuesatRichardsandHelmcken.AYaletowncitizensgroupisfightingthedevelopmentincourt. PHOTODANTOULGOET


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Feature

Continued from page 1The group of 18 women is

composed of two original B.C.Lions cheerleaders, a triathlete,an accountant and a microbiolo-gist, dancers from other disci-plines and a few previous nondancers. They have won medalsat the World Tap Champion-ships in Germany and show-cased their talent a tap festivalsin New York City, Chicago andSan Francisco. They won a silvermedal at the Dance World Cupin 2008 with a number calledLibertango. Their dance num-ber Sister Suffragette swept theawards at the Raise the BarreMaster’s Dance Challenge in2012.Diane Anthony, an original

member of Razzmatap, set inmotion the idea for the June 27show. The 75-year-old askedKainer last year whether theywere going to raise their Suffrag-ette signs, tap dance on suitcasesor slip on any of their old cos-tumes that Anthony stores in herbasement ever again.

On stageFourteen women carrying

canes while decked in white bow-ties, black top hats and sequinedtails flank a woman clad in white.They kick and tap to “One,singular sensation” while thewoman in white taps and twirlsa baton around her legs. Theystand tall, broad smiles animat-ing their faces, while they formlines, tip their hats, tap theircanes and rap out rhythms with

pomp and seeming ease. The en-ergy that powers each movementis contagious. You can’t help but

smile as you watch them performwith passion and poise.The woman in white is retired

B.C. Supreme Court JusticeDonna Martinson. She was 52 in2002, when she joined Razzmat-ap after her 17-year-old son toldher to get a life.Martinson found the advanced

adult tap class at KerrisdaleCommunity Centre and was toldshe’d have to secure Kainer’spermission to join.“I actually remember the day

I got in my car because it’s a bitintimidating,” Martinson said.“I remember seeing all thesewomen my own age and therewas just such a buzz.”She handed out canes, pleased

to pick up the steps and payher dues until it was her time toperform.“I had no idea whether I

would be able to do it,” Martin-son said. “I remember thinking,specifically, would I just collapsein a ball?”When she heard the first few

notes of “One,” everything fellinto place.Martinson had stopped danc-

ing in 1967 after feminists booedher at a hockey game for twirlinga baton alongside cheerleaders.She was a feminist who wantedto be a lawyer, so she packed upher stick.Martinson wears a white tux in

the number because Razzmatapperformed at her wedding in2009. Her fellow dancers gave

her the outfit, white tap shoesand all.She hopes she won’t have to

pack up her ensemble anytimesoon, pointing to Inglis as herrole model.“Grace is just my hero,” said

the 65-year-old. “If I’m stillaround, if I can still be dancingat 86 years old, I would be a veryhappy person.“I feel very lucky to be at my

stage in life and to be able to dovery good, sophisticated dancingwith good choreography,” shecontinued. “Sometimes I pinchmyself and just think I’m goingto be performing in the RothsteinTheatre — that’s pretty cool —with 28 of my good friends andfamily there to watch.”

Staying aliveInglis started dancing with

Razzmatap at age 67.She had danced with her aunt

Grace Macdonald, a dancer,teacher and choreographer, whois included in the Star Walk onGranville Mall for the B.C. En-tertainment Hall of Fame, fromthe age of five until her teenagedyears.“And then I took a short 45-

year break from dancing,” Inglisquipped.She played badminton and

then pondered returning todance.“I said to my sister, ‘I’m too

old.’ And she said, ‘You’re notgetting any younger just sitting

around.’”Kainer was the perfect person

for Inglis to retrain with becauseKainer had danced with heraunt.“And Jan is an amazing cho-

reographer and it couldn’t be abetter person to go to,” Inglissaid.Dancing not only reignited her

passion for performance but alsohelped save her life.Seven years ago, Inglis was di-

agnosed with pancreatic cancer.Her doctor gave her a big hug

and said, “I’m so sorry,” againand again.But when the surgeon Inglis

was referred to heard she wasa dancer, he agreed to performsurgery because a dancer’sbody acts 10 years younger. Heremoved her pancreas and she’scarried on, despite her newlyacquired diabetes and kidneysurgery.“I’m afraid if I stop my body’s

going to fall apart,” Inglis said.Actor Jay Brazeau will emcee

the Saturday night event thatfeatures special guests, includingmusical theatre performer JeffHyslop.Audiences needn’t attend out

of good will but out of a desire tobe dazzled by Razzmatap.Its members plan to keep shuf-

fling, shuffling.The show starts at 7 p.m. at

950 West 41st Ave. For moreinformation, see razzmatap.com.

@Cheryl_Rossi

Winning awards around theworld

Grace Inglis, 86, is oneof the tapdancerswhowill beperformingSaturday.PHOTOREBECCABLISSETT

Tap dancers run through a rehearsal in preparation for Saturday’s “The Best of Razzmatap” performance at Norman Rothstein Theatre. PHOTO REBECCA BLISSETT


BungalowbaggageIt is no secret that

residential real estate inVancouver is more expen-sive than in any other city inCanada, but homes becameeven less affordable in thefirst three months of 2015,according to RBC’s quar-terly affordability index.The bank’s affordability

index for Vancouver bun-galows rose 2.8 percentagepoints to 85.6 in Q1. Thismeans homeowners in thiscity need to spend, on aver-age, 85.6 per cent of theirpre-tax household incometo service the costs of own-ing a one-storey detached

home at market values.This was the highest

increase for homes of thistype in three years. It is alsoa full 28.3 percentage pointshigher than the measure ofToronto, Canada’s second-least affordable city, whichhad a measure of 57.3.“Vancouver has recently

experienced the fastest rateof appreciation amongCana-da’s largest cities, which sug-gests that affordability maywell deteriorate further goingforward,” said RBC seniorvice-president and chiefeconomist CraigWright.The index for two-storey

homes also increased,

climbing 0.9 percentagepoints to 86.9.Not all home types

became less affordable,however. The index forcondos dipped 0.5 percent-age points to 39.6 per cent.“Our measure for condos

bucked the deterioratingtrend in Vancouver — thesegment was better sup-plied thanks to increasedmulti-unit construction overthe past couple of years,keeping prices generallycontained,” Wright said.Affordability across the

entire province was poor inthe first quarter. Two-storeyhomes in British Columbia

had an affordability index of72.8, bungalows were 69.3and condos 32.9.“Our housing affordabil-

ity measures for British Co-lumbia remain above long-term averages, substantiallyso for bungalows and two-storey homes — the higherthe measure the less afford-able the segment,” Wrightsaid. “That being said, pooraffordability levels primarilyreflected the extreme situa-tion in Vancouver.“Home ownership is

comparatively more afford-able across other markets inthe province.”—Emma Crawford Hampel

NewsWEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A9

Theweek in num6ers...

14Thenumberof calls Vancouverpolice received fromthepublicaboutpossible terrorism

threats in 2012.

262Thenumberof calls Vancouverpolice received fromthepublicaboutpossible terrorism

threats in 2014.

86Theageof theoldestmemberofRazzmatap, adance troupeperformingJune27atNorman

RothsteinTheatre.

1In thousands , the cost of a

proposedannual licensing feefornon-profit “compassionclubs”offeringmedical

marijuana.

13Thenumberofpaintings inacomic-book inspired seriesbyartistHindaAveryof female

resistance fightersout todefeattheNazis.

85.6Thepercentageofpre-tax

household incomeVancouverhomeownersneed to spend, onaverage, to service the costsofowningaone-storeydetached

home.

Michael [email protected]

As regular readers of this column aretoo well aware, I am troubled by un-sightly streets and gardens, overflowinggarbage cans, and weeds growing wherethey ought not to grow.I therefore could not resist an invita-

tion last week from Global TV to com-ment on a front page Province newspa-per story about vacant properties alongCambie Street.The story reported on local resident

Todd Constant’s concerns about theloss of his neighbourhood, which ischanging from an area of manicuredmid-century single-family homes tomid-rise apartments. His other concern,however, was that many of the proper-ties awaiting redevelopment are beingleft vacant and subject to squatters,graffiti, late night parties and crime.The newspaper story and subsequent

media attention prompted many toquestion what should be done to ensurethat vacant properties are properlymaintained, and those living in neigh-bourhoods undergoing redevelopmentwho do not want to sell, can stay with-out being disturbed.Before the interview, I visited the

properties in question and was remind-ed of a 1960s Toronto practice knownas “blockbusting.”At the time, downtown properties

were being assembled for highriseapartment redevelopment. When aproperty owner was “holding out” orotherwise not willing to sell, unscru-pulous developers would fill the neigh-bouring properties with rowdy tenantsor vandalize them to “encourage” theholdouts to sell.While I have no reason to believe

anyone is deliberately blockbustingalong Cambie Street, I could not helpbut wonder why any property own-ers would allow the houses to becomeso derelict. I am also troubled by theincreasing number of neglected housesin other city neighbourhoods.On Blenheim Street, near Marine

Drive, is a property once known for itsbeautiful garden. Today it is completelyovergrown with weeds. What makesthis so remarkable is that two SuttonRealty agents have “For Sale” signsstuck in the weeds.I contacted one of the agents to tell

him I thought the situation was most

disrespectful to the neighbourhood.While this house will sell for lot value,I thought the owner should at leastcut the grass. I also suggested that asa realtor, he too had a responsibility toensure the property was maintained aslong as his sign was on it.He apologized and promised to

review the situation. But nothing haschanged.If the garden is not tidied up, I intend

to file a grievance with the Real EstateBoard of Greater Vancouver namingthe two agents. I would urge otherVancouver residents faced with similarsituations to do the same.I also urge residents to contact the

City of Vancouver by phoning 311.The city has bylaw 4548 to prevent theexistence of untidy premises. While Ioften wonder why the city is not takingbetter care of its own streets and parks,it has the ability to ensure that privateproperties are not allowed to becomederelict.I would like to conclude by sharing

an email message I recently receivedfrom a colleague who is a landscapearchitect.He writes: “I’ve been meaning to

send you a note since I read your col-umn about litter. Have you ever beento Rwanda? It’s an unbelievable place.After such a recent genocide (about1 million people killed in 90 days 20years ago), when I was there last yearI was struck by the positive outlook ofthe country in general. There was apalpable sense of pride and unity andeveryone spoke very positively aboutthe president.“Anyway, as of last year and hopeful-

ly still, the last Saturday of every monthis called General Cleaning Day. Busi-nesses are all closed in the morning,and everyone is expected to participatein cleaning up the public space — road-sides, parks, etc. Most communitiesappeared to be having work parties.After the physical cleaning, people areexpected to gather with their families orcommunities to address any issues, i.e.,the spiritual cleaning part of the day.“Rwanda was spotless, which was

especially noticeable when we crossedthe border to litter-strewn Tanzania.I couldn’t help thinking that if everycountry in the world followed this idea,that it would be a much happier (andcleaner) place.”

@michaelgeller

Lessonswe couldlearn fromRwanda

Opinion

Trish Kelly [email protected]

Deputy mayor Andrea Reimer wasexpected to present a motion at Tues-day’s city council meeting (after theCourier’s print deadline) asking staff todetermine how Vancouver can moveforward on the actions recommendedby the Truth and Reconciliation Com-mission’s final report.In my last column, I mentioned some

of the ways we as Vancouverites canhelp ensure we open our hearts andminds to the truths in the TRC report.There is much responsibility we cantake as everyday citizens to mend thewounds inflicted on Canadian soci-ety by the brutality of the residentialschool system, and there is much that amunicipal government can do as well.Reimer’s motion asks that the Van-

couver School Board, Vancouver PoliceDepartment and Vancouver PublicLibrary Board consider a similar reviewof the TRC recommendations. It seemsoff to me that the Vancouver ParkBoard has been excluded from this list.I think there are strong reasons theboard ought to address reconciliationwhich begin right at the board’s found-ing.The first act of Vancouver’s first city

council in 1886 was to petition thefederal government for the creation ofStanley Park. The striking of a parkboard to manage the 1,000 acre parkcame soon after. The board was cre-ated on the backs of the First Nationspeople who lived here for 3,000 yearsbefore the city was incorporated. Longa traditional harvesting and fishing areafor the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh andMusqueam people, the peninsula’s des-ignation as park land came with prohi-bitions on food and timber gatheringand firmly ended anyone living on theland. The prohibition of food gatheringon traditional harvesting sites served toweaken the First Nations people liter-ally, as they lost access to importantfood resources, and legally, in terms oftheir land claims on the peninsula.The TRC report describes the resi-

dential school system as a tool of cultur-al genocide, but residential schools werenot the only tool at the government’sdisposal. Blocking access to traditionalfood lands is another way colonialgovernment policy chipped away at thesurvival of aboriginal culture.

For centuries, settler governmentslike ours have viewed park space man-agement as an exercise in manicuringnature. This colonial concept of landstewardship — that the way to preservenature is to keep humanity out of it —seems to me one of the root problemsbehind environmental destruction. It’sa self-defeating view of our relationshipto nature that means, as a dangerousinvasive species, we don’t have to tryto find non-destructive ways to relateto our environment, and it ultimatelyharms us. It also runs contrary toaboriginal approaches to relating tonature in which food gathering andharvesting affirm a person’s relationshipwith nature.In recent decades, dominant Cana-

dian society and our lagging govern-ments have begun to recognize howthis disconnection from our food andnature hurts us all. Through schoolgarden programs and student saladbars we are trying to find ways to teachour children a different relationship tofood and nature. Last year, Seattle an-nounced plans to create a food forest,a seemingly novel idea to create a parkwhere food gathering is not only per-mitted but intended. In the same year,the park board launched a rewildingstrategy to explore a different relation-ship to nature and opening a door tochange. The door we must knock uponbelongs to our local First Nations.There is much to reconcile in the

Vancouver Park Board origin story,and nearly 130 years of occupation oftraditional territory to be addressed.Local First Nations successfullyresisted the government’s attemptsto break them. Through centuries ofoppression and suppression, they havehad the strength to endure and remainstewards of this land.The park board could do much to

reconcile with First Nations by ask-ing for leadership in policy decisionsrelated to land stewardship.With more than 3,000 years of ten-

ure here, local First Nations shouldnot only be considered or consulted inland use decisions, but be asked to takeleadership with a formal position at thepark board and have true influence.To continue to make decisions without

tapping into indigenous perspective isto turn our backs on reconciliation. Thestakes are high, for us and our planet.

@trishkellyc

Parkboardmustmoveon reconciliation


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COUR IER ARCH IVES THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 24, 1955: Shortly after signing legal documents confirming he and policechief Walter Mulligan had been paid off for years by members of the Vancouverunderworld to look the other way, Detective Sergeant Len Cuthbert returnedto his office, pulled out his service revolver and shot himself in the chest.He was rushed to hospital where emergency surgery kept him alive, and thebullet, which went completely through him, missed his heart by an eighth ofan inch.The suicide attempt came shortly after Toronto-based tabloid Flash Weekly

exposed the corruption scheme, and he later became a reluctant key witnessin a subsequent royal commission led by R.H. Tupper, a former head of thefaculty of law at UBC, which determined many police officers were on the takefrom bootleggers and bookies.Another witness, Police Superintendent Harry Whelan, shot and killed

himself over the scandal. Mulligan fled to the U.S. during the inquiry, but theAttorney General’s office later ruled it didn’t have enough evidence to pursuecriminal charges.

Top cop shoots himself over scandal

WEB vancourier.comFACEBOOK TheVancouverCourierNewspaperTWITTER @vancouriernews

have your say online...

LETTERS TOTHE EDITOR

Maymaybeon to somethingwith fee anddividendplanRe: “Elizabeth May’s carbon-tax plan

unrealistic,” online only.Les Leyne admits that “the cheque

might be a more direct incentive tocut emissions than the tax cuts” whencomparing the fee and dividend approachto carbon pricing with the B.C. govern-ment’s carbon tax. But for some odd rea-son he felt a need to dump on ElizabethMay and the fee and dividend approach.Fee and dividend is supported by the

international Citizens Climate Lobbygroup. These are grassroots people whorealize climate change threatens life onearth, could condemn our children to ahorrific future, and are dedicating theirenergies to work in a non-partisan wayfor the most effective, transparent andfair carbon pricing system we know of.It’s worth checking out.

Jan Slakov, Saltspring Island

ShameandHastings ParkRe: “Park board chair bemoans loss of

PNE seat,” June 10.Hastings Park is the second largest

park in the City of Vancouver. Havingat least one elected park board commis-sioner on the governing board makessense. At a meeting this past week, allVision councillors voted to eliminate thecurrent parks board commissioner boardmember’s position on the Hastings Park/PNE board — essentially taking the parkout of Hastings Park.So much for Vision’s promise of in-

creased accountability and a greener city.I challenge all and any of the Vision

councillors, including the mayor, toexplain to Vancouver’s citizens howremoving the park board commissionerfrom the board increases accountabilityand ensures effective stewardship of theHastings Park/PNE Master Plan, whichincludes promoting green and commu-nity space. At this point it seems that theonly advantage to having no park boardrepresentation is to be able to makeunilateral decisions about the futureof Hastings Park and the PNE with nopublic accountability.Shame on Vision. And a shame for the

residents of East Vancouver who seemto be losing one of the few green spacesleft in the city.

Melina Auerbach, Vancouver

School land sales a short-sighted approachbyLibsRe: “Adviser says VSB could close 19

schools,” June 10.I have worked to oppose school lands

sales across B.C. since 2007. In themajority of cases potential land sales

are driving the closures, not the otherway round. False assumptions to justifyclosure and sales include the myth of“declining” enrolment and the idea thatschools are “surplus.”In 2004, B.C. Stats changed its

population projection methodologyback to 1990s methods. These includesuch howlers as counting the numberof new telephone landlines as a validpredictor of population. Staff was toldto underestimate numbers of people perhousehold. Staff who objected were dis-missed. This government’s populationprojections are inaccurate.No government before this one has

ever sold school lands en masse. Popula-tion fluctuations are normal, and educa-tion should be planned on a 30 yeartime horizon. Echo-boomers are havingbabies. When the courts finally rule thatB.C. must restore higher standards forclass size (i.e. smaller classes) there willnot be a “surplus” classroom in B.C.This government has created fake

balanced budgets for 14 years by sellingforest lands, school lands, courthouses,offices and seniors’ care homes — ourpublic assets. Selling schools for shortterm cash is an unsustainable businessmodel based on false assumptions.Public school lands belong to our

great-grandchildren. They are not oursto sell.

Jessica Van der Veen, Victoria

ONLINE COMMENTS

NewVSB chair up in the airRe: “VSB needs new chairperson,”

June 17.Sadly, as presumably became appar-

ent to the Vision members of the schoolboard as soon as Janet Fraser demandedthat the new chair be anyone but PattiBacchus, it is in fact mostly irrelevantnow who is officially chair because theboard is unleadable, with Fraser actingas a bull in the china shop and tryingto control all the decisions/call all theshots according to her or Adriane Carr’sunpredictable wishes.I suspect Christopher Richardson and

the other NPA members have also nowfigured out the same thing, althoughthe matter of reporting a committee’sfindings as those of the whole board,and especially claiming not to rememberwho was at the meeting, makes me won-der. And, of course, there is the matterof Richardson/the NPA expecting that ifthe board made friendly noises and triedto get along with the provincial govern-ment, then the latter in turn would bereasonable and collaborative.So much for that. Where that leaves

the board, and who will be the nextchair, I would not even guess.

Dan Cooper, via Comments section


urbansenior

OnJuly 11, theBrockHouseSocietyhosts its annual fundraiser in support of its seniors centre.PHOTODANTOULGOET

CALENDAR

Sandra [email protected]

West Point GreyIf you enjoy homemade

jams and baked goods,you won’t want to missthe annual Brock HouseSummer Fair, which takesplace Saturday, July 11.From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,

visitors can also shop forhandcrafted items, includ-ing art, porcelain paintingsand woodwork, take partin a silent auction andenjoy lunch while listeningto the sounds of big bandand jazz. There’s also alottery and a 50-50 draw.The day offers an op-

portunity for the public toexplore Brock House, anA listed heritage Tudor-style mansion designed byarchitect Samuel Maclureat the beginning of the

20th century. The fairis an annual fundraiserin support of the BrockHouse Society seniorscentre. Visit brockhous-esociety.com.

StanleyParkSing-a-long versions of

Pitch Perfect and Grease arejust some of the highlightsof the 2015 free Evo FreshAir Summer Cinemaseason in Stanley Parkthat runs each Tuesdayfrom July 7 to Aug. 25 atSecond Beach. Duringthese special screenings thelyrics will be projected onthe screen so everyone cantake part. Grease is sched-uled during Pride Week, soexpect a large turnout.Other movies play-

ing this summer includeIndiana Jones and the LastCrusade, Top Gun, JurassicPark and Avengers: Age ofUltron.All movies start at dusk

so plan to arrive early forbest lawn seating selection.And while there is freeseating for 5,000, anotheroption is to take advan-tage of the Yellow PagesReserved VIP Seating area,where for $22.53 you areguaranteed a front rowseat in one of 100 reservedAdirondack cottage-stylechairs. As well, dinner andmovie packages are beingoffered in partnership withseveral West End restau-rants. Visit freshaircinema.ca/summercinema.

Granville IslandWhile the subject of

off-leash is a common onein the city, it doesn’t oftenmake it to the stage.Beginning July 1, Van-

couver TheatreSports isletting its performers “runfree” with Off Leash, theleague’s newest late-nightimprov show.

Continued on page 13

Asummer fairand library tour

Freemovies takeplace inStanleyParkonTuesdaysbeginningJuly 7withaPitchPerfect sing-a-long.


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ONTHEMARCH Vancouver seniorsheldevents across the city June15 to raiseawarenessabout elder abuse, including this groupwhomarched toKingsgateMall. The rally coincidedwithWorldElderAbuseAwarenessDay. PHOTODANTOULGOET

Continued from page 12By giving these tal-

ented actors the freedom toimprovise as they like, it’sguaranteed no two showswill be the same. Off Leashruns every Wednesday andThursday night at 9:15 p.m.starting July 1 at the ImprovCentre, 1502 Duranleau St.on Granville Island. Ticketsstart at $10 and can bepurchased in advance onlineat vtsl.com or in-person atthe box office Wednesdaythrough Sunday after 6 p.m.

DowntownGet a behind the scenes

look at the Vancouver Pub-lic Library’s central branchduring a tour that highlightsthe building’s architecturalfeatures. As well, hear howVancouver residents playeda unique role in determiningthe building’s design andfind out about exciting de-velopments such as VPL’snew Inspiration Lab.Free tours take place July

11 and 25 from 2 to 3 p.m.at 350West Georgia.Meet at the library store.

For more information call604-331-3603 or visit vpl.ca/events.

KitsilanoSeniors aged 55 and older

can stop by Kits HouseCommunity Hall June 30

for a Canada Day lunchcomplete with a barbecue,music and more from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2305WestSeventh at Vine. Registra-tion is required. The cost is$4. For more informationcall 604-736-3588 exten-sion 128 or email [email protected].

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Q: I’ve been growingchives in a pot on thepatio for many years.Every year it growsback — but not this year.Why? I watered it, gaveit some liquid food to noavail.

Florence, Vancouver

A: When you say you wa-tered your chives, I wonderhow frequently that was.This winter and spring,

we had some very strangeweather: torrential rainin bursts, but also verylong spells of warm, dryweather. The dry spellscame in months when wewouldn’t expect them.All this was very tricky forplants in containers.Containers do dry out

frequently and when theydo are very hard to re-wetbecause the dry soil canshrink away from the innersides of the pot. Then youmay drench the dry soilwith water and think theplants are having a gooddrink, not knowing thatreally the water is running

down the soil crack aroundthe inside edges and away.But it’s an odd problem.

Chives have the reputation ofbeing very hardy and healthy:no pests and the only diseaseis an occasional attack ofrust, which only kills them ifit’s let go for ages.

Anything with a fat rootstorage area (bulbs, tubersor taproot) is usually quiteresilient even to drought.Chives don’t have the bigbulb that other alliums do,but their root does havesome storage capability.It might be useful if you

thoroughly dug up andremoved the soil from thechives pot. Have a goodlook for little living crea-tures or anything that looksunusual. Discard that soil.There may be something tobe learned here.

Q: When my motherpassed away, I found abox of old seeds fromflowers she had grown.Now they would be about15 years old. Would theybe any good or should I

just throw them out?Diane Stiglish, Coquitlam

A: If she kept them inthe refrigerator, I’d say theyhave a chance. But if shekept them in a box at roomtemperature, they probablywouldn’t germinate.But I’m going to give

you two answers becauseI think the right one de-pends on who you are andwhat your lifestyle is.If you’re really busy and

not super-interested in gar-

dening anyway, my advicewould be to scatter the seedssomewhere on soil (so youtried) and leave it at that.But if you love gardening

and have time to give theseeds somewhat better treat-ment, I’m going to suggestyou do what I wish I haddone with my father’s seeds.You might put some

topsoil in a big flat, scatterthe seeds on it, give thema gentle stir and keep themmoist and watched. Some-times seeds have amazingvibrancy and if somethingyour mother saved didgerminate (against all odds,admittedly) you’d probablyfeel pretty good about it.

Q: My lavenderblooms are dying now.Does snipping the deadblossoms give me asecond bloom before theend of the summer?

Terry Wong,South Burnaby

A: Yes, it will. This isbecause lavender bloomson this year’s stems. It’sbest to prune as early asyou can so that new stemshave time to grow and ma-ture enough for blooms.Anne Marrison is happy

to answer garden questions.Send them to her via [email protected]. It helps youprovide the name of yourcity or region.

AskAnne:Chives,oldseedsand lavender

Lavender shouldbeprunedasearly aspossible so thatnewstemshave time togrowandmature forblooms.


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It seems there is a do-ityourself version of almostanything you can think of.For example, I once en-

joyed a soak in an outdoorhot tub made of stones col-lected hither and yon andthe whole thing was heatedby a wood burning fireplacetucked underneath. In thegarden I have seen DIYretaining walls made frombusted up concrete patioslabs, old gas pumps turnedinto planters and rain bar-rels made from old steel orplastic drums. I am reason-ably open minded aboutupcycling, believing as longas the item is functional andinteresting, anything is fairgame to try.But there are a few

precautions to considerwhen recycling old itemsinto something new. Firstly,the item to be recycledmust not contain, or havepreviously contained, anytoxic substance that canleach off, exude from, off-gas or otherwise result incontamination of people or

planet. Old oil drums, gascans, electrical transform-ers, some car parts andother potentially hazardousitems are not healthy thingsto upcycle. Secondly, theitem must be obtained forsale at a fair price or legallygiven for free. And thirdly,the item must be worth theeffort and time to transformit into something new andbeautiful with purpose.Arguably, the most popularof upcycled items has to bethe common wood pallet,which is normally used forshipping heavy or bulk con-sumer goods. The creativeupcycling of pallets hasexploded in recent years.There are now companiesoffering 500-person festivalseating made from pallets.You can find pallet plant-ers that stand upright andconnect together to act asshort height walls aroundseating areas. But the mostingenious innovations havecome in pallet furniturefor indoors and out. Thereare pallet designs to buildany type of table, chair oroutdoor seating nooks andeven beds. A friend of mine

even considered building hisgarden shed out of pallets,but I would not recom-mend that idea. However, Icould visualize using palletsto make a potting table,maybe a porch of sorts orother add-ons to an existinggarden shed.If you plan to build your

own pallet creation hereare some basic preparationrecommendations beforeupcycling it into the garden.I start preparing my pallets

by washing them with soapand water and a stiff brush.You might think powerwashing would be a goodidea, but the high pressureraises the grain, destroyingthe board’s surface. I thencheck all nails to assure theyare securely driven into thewood and add or replaceany where needed to securethe pallet’s structure.Next, or as you re-nail,

trim or remove any brokenor loose pieces and replace

wood as needed. An extrapallet is useful for providingparts to match.When it comes to surface

preparation, I prefer theindividual pallet boardsto be in reasonably goodcondition, not cracked orshredded.New pallets can be

purchased if you prefer. Butcontrary tomy preference,there seems to be a groupof upcyclers that like to beattheir wood with a chain orsteel cable. The process givesthe wood a rustic or wornappearance and feel. I get theprinciple, but it seems a littlecounterproductive.Many people like their

recycled pallets in rawcondition using nature’ssun-kissed patina. But paintor stain really improves thelook and adds charm andinterest.If you’re painting it’s im-

portant to knowmany palletsare made from spruce, pine,some exotic woods fromthe tropics, and often fromoak. So the choice to paintor stain should be consid-ered according to the typeof wood and design you’re

trying to create. Oak palletslook good when stained foroutdoor use.Most othertypes of pallet wood will of-ten reveal some nice grain aswell. To tell if the grain is at-tractive, simply rub the woodwith water to reveal the grainand then decide.There are also a few tricks

for attaching pallets together.Use the same type of wooddimension and species if yourequire additional pieces—consistency does count inthis instance. I have usedvarious Simpsonmechani-cal fasteners and repurposedthem to join pallets togetherwith good effect. Not onlyare those fasteners structur-ally sound, they are alsogalvanized to prevent rustand give the creation an in-dustrial feel. One final trick ifyou have trouble visualizinga pallet creation: get a glassof wine and a few pallets to-gether and then fit, configureand create a prototype ofyour vision before you buildthe final product.Todd Major is a journey-

man horticulturist, gardendesigner and builder, teacherand organic advocate.

Dig deep: DIYupcyclingwith purpose

Someof themostpopularupcycled itemscome fromtheubiquitouswoodpallet.


1. Saxophonist Joshua Redman teams upwith cutting edge jazz trio the Bad Plus,who’ve been known to cover everyone fromRadiohead and Aphex Twin to Nirvanaand Stravinsky. The all-star group performsJune 24 at the Vogue Theatre as part of theVancouver International Jazz Festival.Kneebody opens. Tickets and details atcoastaljazz.ca.

2. Politics, economics and eroticism getswirled together in the same glass in ShilaChallaghan’s 1980-set play LasciviousSomething. Exploring the “decisions wemake in our personal, social or political lifeand the shadow of consequences” througha metaphor of wine, sex and relationships,Lascivious Something runs June 24 to27 at the Firehall Arts Centre. Details andtickets at firehallartscentre.ca.

3.The fifth annualMakeMusic Vancou-ver returns as more than 100 musical actsperform for free on the streets, sidewalks,makeshift stages, grottos, alcoves and urine-filled puddles of Gastown, June 24, 5 to 10p.m. For a full list of entertainers and moreinformation, go to makemusicvancouver.ca.

4. Television emerged from New YorkCity’s fabled punk scene in the mid-’70swith a technical proficiency, jazz-inspiredinterplay and an inclination to “jam” thatwas unique among most of their scruffymusical colleagues. And the band’s 1977debut albumMarquee Moon and itsnearly 10-minute long title track is the stuffof legend. See and hear for yourself whena reunited Television plays the Commo-dore June 25. Tickets at Red Cat Records,Highlife and all Ticketmaster outlets.

Arts&Entertainment GOTARTS? 604.738.1411 or [email protected]

June 24 to 26, 2015

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Arts&Entertainment

Michael [email protected]

Hinda Avery is puttingthe finishing touches onthe billboard-size paint-ing that has taken over thesparse basement studio inher West Side home for thepast several months. Thepainting depicts six women—Avery’s late mother, herlate sister, her late aunt, afriend and her daughter,and the artist — floatingin space, clearly enjoyingthemselves, with halos abovetheir heads and laser gunsdrawn. Perhaps they’reastronauts, perhaps they’reangels or even religiousicons— Avery’s not sureherself, though she doesconcede they are “no longerof this earth” and representthe 13th and final instal-ment in a series of comicbook-inspired paintings thatportray the “Rozen women”as fun-loving, self-assured,resistance fighters out todefeat the Nazis during theHolocaust.“So you can see my

women are smiling, they’reenjoying themselves, they’reconfident, they’re absurd.It’s a crazy revenge fantasy,”she says.Avery’s artistic journey

began 10 years ago when theformerWomen’s Studiesprofessor at the Universityof B.C. retired and decidedto reflect upon and learnmore about her family onher mother’s side who hadbeen murdered by the Nazisduring the SecondWorldWar. She travelled to Ger-many, the Czech Republicand her family’s hometownof Staszow, Poland and wasso struck by the monumentsand memorial sites sheproduced a DVD called TheArt of Apology. It was a life-changing experience, says

Avery, who upon returninghome began painting as away to memorialize andfeel connected to the familyshe had never met. In thefirst paintings, she insertedherself and her mother,alongside her grandmotherand aunt. The paintingswere small, sombre, set inconcentration camps anddepicted Avery and her fam-ily as victims waiting to die.But after a while Avery

realized she wasn’t enjoyingthe process and no longerwanted to view herself andher family as victims. Soher paintings began to takeon a surreal life of theirown. They became biggerand more colourful. Sheadded more women, andportrayed them as grinning,foul-mouthed rebels andsuper heroines. They woredayglo battle fatigues, linge-rie, bikinis, sported tattoosand wielded an assortmentof weapons, often pointingat Hitler and his hench-men, alongside pulpy comicbook-style bubble captionssuch as “No collateral

damage with these sniperrifles. We’ll hit the shitheadwith surgical precision” and“Der Führer wants to makemanure out of us. We’llprove he’s already full ofshit.”It’s a Nazi revenge fantasy

grounded in feminism, saysAvery who “loved” Quen-tin Tarantino’s InglouriousBasterds when she saw itand likens her own work togiant graphic novels.“I really like the idea

of working with this darkhumour, working with adifferent way of viewingthe Holocaust and usinglaughter and confidence asa weapon,” Avery says.Not surprisingly, her co-

lourful approach to dealingwith the Holocaust is notfor everyone.“They’re very contro-

versial, particularly amongthe Jewish communitybecause I’m dealing with avery sensitive topic and I’mturning this sensitive topicinto black humour,” Averyacknowledges. “So it isdifficult for some members

of the Jewish community toenjoy my paintings… andthat saddens me. It’s not myintent to offend anyone.”After 10 years and many

adventures, Avery saysthe series and its raucoussubjects have run theircourse. Not only is the finalpainting the 13th of theseries, which Avery says isher lucky number and alucky number in Judaism,but the Rozen women havereached celestial heights.The accompanying captionalso has an air of finality toit: “Der Führer wants toconquer space. We’ll givehim a final sendoff.”Avery says once her

painting is complete andpart of an exhibit titled“The Resisterrrz” at theCultch until July 25, she’sgoing to focus on her comicstrip about an artist strug-gling with getting shows andgrowing old — with a senseof humour, of course.The exhibit’s opening

reception takes place June24, 6 to 8 p.m.

@MidlifeMan1

Humour as aweaponagainst theHolocaustPainter’s series features fun-loving feminist resistance fighters

HindaAverydescribesher seriesof paintingsdepicting fun-loving, gun-toting femaleNazi resistancefighters asa “crazy revenge fantasy.”ToseemorepaintingsandwatchavideoonAvery, go tovancourier.com/entertainment. PHOTODANTOULGOET


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VANCOUVER’S NEW ROCK

The Courier presents Vancouver’sElite Graduating Athletes of 2015

TrevorYuPAST ST.JOHN’SEAGLES

PRESENT MARINEDRIVEGOLFCLUB

FUTURE NCAADIV.1OREGONSTATEBEAVERS

PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

n competi-tion, TrevorYu shot hisbest roundat 16 years

of agewhen he recordeda 65 at PittMeadowsGolfClub to finish 15-underandwin a two-dayCana-dian JuniorGolf Associa-tion fall series tournament.On the first day, he shot 29on the back nine to finishwith 66.“I had another really

good round at theCana-dian juniors in 2012,” hesaid. After hewon thenational U16 juvenilechampionship, he shot 64in the final round of thejunior championship to tiefor eighth and also tie thecompetitive course recordatOspreyRidgeGolf ClubinNova Scotia.“Thatwas the first time

I could say Iwas in thezone,” saidYu, a slendersix-footerwho also con-tributed to several winningbasketball seasons as theEagles’ sixth-man.When he shot a near-

mortal 85 earlier thisseason, however, Yu’sperformance concernedhis coaches.“He has to be constantly

hungry to improve,” saidKendal Yonomoto, who’strainedwithYu for sixyears. “He’s a great kid,but in no uncertain terms,he’s got a lot of work to do.Howmuch better can youget in the future if you putthework in?”The other question is

how the futureOregonStateBeaver can tightenhis game though the rightkind of focused hardwork.

“He’s shown an abilitytowin tournaments, whichis a huge deal, and shoota lot of really low scores,”saidOregon State’smen’sgolf coach JonReehoorn.“We’ll see if he can turn his77s and 78s into 73s and74s.”In the Pac 12 Confer-

ence, Yu will be compet-ing against some of themost accomplished andskilled collegiate golfersin the country. Continu-ing to improve meansdeliberate practice,analysis and careful sta-tistical assessments. “Youneed to know what yourstrengths and weaknessesare, and develop plans toimprove your weaknesseswhile also maintain-ing strength. You’re notgoing to do that by justhitting a bunch of balls,”said Reehoorn, who isassisted by B.C.’s JonnieMotomochi who coachedYu for a year with Yono-moto.In his soft-spokenway,

Yu says he understands hiscoacheswill push underhis skin and prod hismindin order to elevate him togreater heights.“In golf, you’re always

trying to improve,” saidthe International Bac-calaureate studentwith aquiet but on-point senseof humour. “You haveownership over everythingyou do. There’s a lot ofsatisfactionwhen things goyourway. It punishes youmore than it rewards you,butwhen it rewards you,there is no other feelinglike it.”

—Megan Stewart

I


Sports&Recreation GOTGAME? Contact sports editor Megan Stewart at [email protected] or 604-630-3549

JOCK& JILLMegan [email protected]

At B.C. Place Sunday,53,588 spectators held theirbreath through 45 minutesas Canada struggled to findits footing in a knockoutStage 2 match against 19th-ranked Switzerland.The crowd was breathless

not because Canadian fansare “polite,” as an uncre-ative-thinking Fox Sportscommentator told U.S. au-diences. Rather, they were

tense, bottled-up, distractedby the desire to see theirside advance but silencedby the nerves that doubtedCanada’s chances. The redand white prevailed 1-0and will meet England inSaturday’s quarter-finals,which will also be played atB.C Place.The crowed won’t be as

tense now that Canada hasreached the top eight andall but equalled their No.8 world ranking. For thefirst time in the country’shistory, a national soc-cer team is through to the

third stage of the WorldCup.It was not a comfort-

able game, not least of allbecause of Swiss strikerRamona Bachmann. Wher-ever the ball went, thefuture FIFA player of theyear seemed to follow. The24-year-old star started ina forward position some-where between strikerand right wing but madechances in the middle ofthe field and down bothflanks. With high-steppingknees and speed to spare,Bachmann looked as if

every touch, pass and shotwere premeditated. Hermagnificence made Canadasweat.Josee Belanger found a

way for Canada. She waspreviously put on defenceto fill gaps left by injurybut the natural-born scorercapitalized on a selfless tipfrom Christine Sinclair toput home the winner.If you weren’t there, you

can see Canada on Satur-day against England. Enjoythe match and remember tobreathe.

@MHStewart

Tense fans left breathless at B.C. Place

Josee Belanger (No. 9) chases the ball through Swiss defendersbefore shewould later knock in thewinning goal in a 1-0 victoryover Switzerland at B.C. Place June 21.PHOTOCANADA SOCCER ASSOCIATION


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