vancouver courier october 22 2014
DESCRIPTION
Vancouver Courier October 22 2014TRANSCRIPT
VANCOUVERVOTES
There is a distinct smell emanating fromthe headquarters of Vision Vancouver andthe NPA that is getting stronger as electionday approaches in November.It’s the smell of money.Money from companies, unions and indi-
viduals whose contributions will likely give
the city’s two mainstream parties about $2million each to spend on their campaigns.Maybe it will be more.With no limits on donations or the amount
of money a party can spend, contributorsare free to empty their wallets or write bigcheques in the name of civic politics.Each party spent more than $2 million
in the 2011 race and in excess of $1 millioneach in the 2008 campaign. Both partiessurpassed the $1 million mark in 2005, too.This time around, Vision is seeking a
third majority and, if successful, will con-tinue its reign over city hall until 2018. TheNPA, meanwhile, is desperately trying toregain the power it lost in 2008.As that battle plays out, many city hall
watchers question whether multi-milliondollar campaigns are truly representative ofso-called democratic elections.Ironically, the current council says they
aren’t. So did the council before them andthe council before them. Vision, the NPAand COPE are all on record for wanting thebig money out of civic politics.To make that happen, however, the
provincial government must change therules that apply to how civic campaigns arefinanced.The minister in charge of the municipal
government portfolio, Coralee Oakes, haspromised some form of expense limits willbe in place for the 2018 election.
Continued on page 14
URBAN SENIOR 17E-bike freedom
SPORTS 23Golfer lives with Lupus
STATEOFTHEARTS 22Three Tall Women
MIDWEEKEDITION
WEDNESDAYOctober 22 2014Vol. 105 No. 85
There’s more online atvancourier.com
THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS since 1908
Big spenders explaindonations to civic parties
Johl quitsHillcrest
The struggle for control of the RileyPark Hillcrest Community Associationboard may finally be over.Jesse Johl told the Courier he quit as
president on Oct. 19, along with boardmembers Todd Constant, Steve Mah,Nick Despotakis and Peter Thanis.Ken Charko, who remains on the
board with Jennifer Palma, JaiminiThakore and Eli Zbar, claims RPHAwill continue to oppose the OneCardwith the associations that jointly oper-ate Hastings, Kensington, Kerrisdale,Killarney and Sunset with the Vancou-ver park board.“We have a new board that has
met (Oct. 20) and we’re making nochanges to the arrangement Hillcresthas with the group of six as it relatesto the litigation with the city,” Charkotold the Courier. “Our objective rightnow on this new board is to bring usto the annual general meeting that’s incompliance with the judge’s orders andmake sure that contractors are paid inan expeditious matter.”Johl, who is running for city council
under the Vancouver First banner, led atwo-year battle to keep community cen-tre associations autonomous by oppos-ing the Vision Vancouver majority parkboard’s rollout of a system-wide pass. Awar of words heated up last spring whenCharko, Palma, Thakore and Zbar fileda B.C. Supreme Court lawsuit seekingtheir reinstatement to the board thatincluded allegations of financial mis-management and sexual harassment thathave not been proven in court.“We’ve all got young families, this
is a volunteer position, nobody signedup for this. Here we are trying to makeour community better and all we get isgrief,” Johl said. “The whole thing isjust a nightmare. The bottom line, theboard was falsely accused of a numberof things, all of it was untrue.”
Continued on page 8
Charko says it remainsopposed to OneCard
‘Who’s running government’key concern for donors
Developer RobMacdonald of the NPA donated $960,000 to his party in the 2011 civic election campaign. The sum is believed to be the single biggestdonation to a civic party in Canadian history. PHOTOMATTHEWDESOUZA
UPGRADE TO AFAST PASS TOGET INTO THEHOUSES FASTER!
PNE_PLAYLAND PNECLIPS
SAVE ON FRIGHTPASSES AT:FEATURING A BRAND NEW & EXTRA-LARGEHAUNTED HOUSE, KEEPERS DOLL FACTORY
OPEN SELECT DATES UNTILNOVEMBER 1
A2 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
News
12TH&CAMBIE
You can’t please every-one, I’ve learned on this job.Here’s proof: “I stopped
reading his articles sometime back. I found themunsettling.”That was from letter
writer Teresa Henderson.The other night at Op-
penheimer Park, a com-munity activist criticized mefor a lengthy story I wrote afew years ago where I spentseveral months chroniclingthe lives of two women inthe Downtown Eastside.The activist called it
“poor-nography.”The story was about two
moms, who despite theirstruggles, were workingwith other moms to becomebetter parents. They evenformed a moms’ group ata community centre andone of them was workingher way through a course tobecome a counsellor.
Inspiring, I thought, andnot another cliché storyabout poverty and despair.Anyway, I tell you this
because nomatter what Iwrite, there always seems to besomeone or some organizationwho will criticize the piece ortakeme to task for not includ-ing another point of view.Which I think is great. It
means people are reading.But, unfortunately,
decreasing space and littletime— the best excusesgoing for people in myfield —make it difficult tobe as thorough as I’d like tobe when I file a piece. I’dlove to write a lengthy tomethat captures the zeitgeistof today’s Vancouver but,sadly, I’m not independent-ly wealthy and can’t affordto spend a year without apaycheque (hint, hint bigpocketed book publishers).So with about 300 words
left to finish this ramblingpiece of porridge, I thoughtI’dmake room for a note fromthe communications directorfor the OneCity civic party.Here’s what he wrote:
“Think your story today ismissing a very importantpoint: A week ago, One-City released a proposedlevy very much like the onecited in San Francisco.”The comms director was
referring to a previous entryin which I wrote about SanFrancisco and how vot-
ers there were going to thepolls next month to decidewhether they want to havethe city invoke a steep tax onproperty owners who resellresidential buildings withinfive years of buying them.The comment came with
a link to OneCity’s releaseon the topic.
OneCity council candi-date RJ Aquino is proposingthe “Vancouver flippinglevy” where the tax on a salewill be deposited with thecity’s housing authority tocreate homes for low andmiddle income residents.Aquino gives an example
of a buyer purchasing a $1
million property, leaving itvacant and then selling it inless than a year for $1.5 mil-lion. Under OneCity’s levy,that purchaser would betaxed 50 per cent, translat-ing to $250,000 going tothe housing authority.That percentage of tax
would drop to 35 per centif a property were sold inyears two and three, andto 20 per cent in years fourand five. But as I wonderedin a previous entry, howthe heck is the city goingto track whether the ownerbought on speculation or isin Palm Springs, Calif. fourmonths of the year?Kind of a privacy issue,
don’t you think?San Francisco has some
ideas. But, sadly, I’ve runout of space.Which means: Critics,
trolls and all those peoplewho have a hate on for mywork unite!My email address is at the
top of this article.Look forward to hearing
from you.twitter.com/Howellings
Making time for reader responsesOneCity points out proposed flipping levy
OneCity council candidate RJ Aquino proposed a “Vancouver flipping tax” at a at the Coalition ofVancouver Neighbourhoodsmeeting last week at St. James Hall. PHOTODANTOULGOET
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A3
Help us honour these outstanding individuals at theNational Philanthropy Day Luncheon
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 201411:00 AM - 2:00 PM
at the Vancouver Convention Centre, 1055 Canada Place
Tickets on sale now at afpvancouver.org
OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER FUNDRAISER
Laurel D’Andrea
Walter Van Drimmelen
Jim Waites
PROFESSIONAL FUNDRAISER AWARD
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Jeff Norris
Cathy Daminato
JOIN US TO HONOUR THE AWARD NOMINEES FOR THE2014 GIVING HEARTS AWARDS AFP VANCOUVER
GIVING HEARTS AWARDS PROGRAM
See next weeks edition of the Courier for a listing of theOutstanding Corporation and Outstanding Small Business
CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS: TV SPONSOR: ADDITIONAL THANKS:
GIVING HEARTS AWARDS SPONSORS: GIVING HEARTS AWARDSRECEPTION SPONSOR:
HalloweenOn IceSunday, October 26th
from 3:45 to 5:30pmKerrisdale Arena,5670 East Boulevard
Have fun in the Kerrisdale VillageShopping District before and afteryour skate!
Free Skating,Skate Rentals& RefreshmentsSponsored by the Kerrisdale Business Association
Stanley [email protected]
The two hundred peopleat the Marpole OakridgeCommunity Centre Sun-day night were clear onone issue: they want thecentre to remain where itis. At least that’s what theytold a dozen city counciland park board candi-dates who attended a civicelection debate organizedby the Marpole ResidentsCoalition.Many residents worry
the city might move thecentre from its currentlocation on West 59th andOak Street to a city-ownedsite near Granville Street
and West 70th Avenue.When that question wasraised to the panel, Vision
park board commissionerTrevor Loke replied that$17 million has been setaside in the parks capitalplan to either keep andrebuild the centre atits current location, orrelocate it with a libraryto a new location. He saidVision will not committo a choice without “afull community consulta-tion first.” The audiencegroaned and booed.“If you want it, we will
rebuild it here,” said NPApark board candidate SarahKirby-Yung, to applause.Many housing advocates
warn of more “renovic-tions,” that is, landlordsevicting tenants so they canupgrade the buildings, andthe candidates were askedhow they would stop it.Vision Vancouver Coun.
Heather Deal repliedthat her party savedseveral buildings in theDowntown Eastside fromrenovictions, and createda bad landlords data-base. “Also, for the firsttime in years rentals arebeing built, where therewere none built in 2008because they don’t makemoney, and we hope tosee 4,000 more rentals.”Green Party Coun.
Adriane Carr counteredthat “Vision’s idea ofaffordable is ridiculousbecause the units theywant are far too costly formost people.” She addedthe city has ways of stop-ping units from being torndown, such as by barringupzoning and strength-ening the rate of changebylaw to require landlordsto provide relocation plansfor all evicted tenants.One resident com-
plained of a high numberof absentee landlords in
the city, and asked if high-er property taxes shouldbe imposed on unoccu-pied residences comparedto occupied homes.“That was the number
one concern I heard fromowners,” said NPA councilcandidate RobMcDowell.“They tell me they see emp-ty homes everywhere. Butlet’s collect evidence first,not just go by anecdotes.”COPE council candi-
date Jennifer O’Keeffe,said her party publisheda study on this problem afew months ago.“COPE was the first
party to put forward aproposal to have a vacanthousing tax,” she said. “Ifpeople can afford to leavetheir apartments vacant for10 months, then they canafford to pay higher taxes.”But Deal warned such
plans might run afoul ofprivacy laws, and the citymight not have such pow-ers under the VancouverCharter. “How can wedemand of people to knowhow many days a yeareach of them live in theirown houses?” she asked.Mike Burdick, one of
the debate’s organizers,concluded that the publicturnout was larger than hehad hoped.“It’s very hard to get
politicians to give straightanswers, so that was mybiggest frustration, butoverall I think it wentfairly well,” he said. “It’salso hard to say what youwill do if you don’t havea majority to make ithappen. What we are allhoping for is that on Nov.16 we’ll have a councilwithout a majority, so theymust listen to communitybefore deciding.”The election is Nov. 15.
MarpolecrowdwantscentretostayputRenovictionsand emptyhomes also topvoter concerns
Two hundred residents came toMarpole Oakridge Community Centre Sunday to listen to a dozen citycouncil and parks board candidates. PHOTOREBECCA BLISSETT
A4 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
Two hoursof your timecould save myson’s life.
Four-year-old Logyn will need a kidney transplant soon.
Right now there are 498 people in Vancouver who need a life-saving kidney transplant.
By participating in a Community Conversation organized by The Kidney Foundation of Canada (BCBranch), you could help save Logyn’s life — or the life of another British Columbian.
How? By helping to identify barriers that stop people from registering as organ donors, andgenerating ideas to increase kidney transplants in our community.
Together we can make it easier for kids like Logyn to get a kidney transplant.
Tuesday, October 28th
from 6p.m. to 8p.m.
Century Plaza Hotel1015 Burrard St., Vancouver
For more informationor to participate call:
604-736-9775 or 1-800-567-8112
kidney.bc.caProudly supported by Kidney Car Program at kidneycarbc.ca
Join in a CommunityConversation!
#302 - 4900 Kingsway, Burnaby
604-436-6092www.burnabyorthopaedic.com
OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCERAWARENESS MONTH
The staff of Burnaby Orthopaedic &Mastectomy are proud to supportBreast Cancer Awareness Month.During the month of October,
5% of all sales of breast forms andbras will be donated to the
RUN FOR THECURE CAMPAIGN.
Proudly serving Burnaby and the surrounding area since 1992.
Service provided in English, Cantonese & PunjabiMost items covered under extended benefits
Cheryl [email protected]
Named for the late Mus-queam elder and lifelongeducation advocate NormaRose Point, Vancouver’snewest school includes adigital media lab with a 3Dprinter, clustered class-rooms that open onto com-mon spaces and a secondgym that includes theatricallighting, a large projectionscreen and blackout blinds.One of the students who
led a tour of the new schoolon the traditional landsof the Musqueam peoplenear the University of B.C.Friday afternoon pointedout the beanbag chairs inthe corner of what’s beingcalled the learning com-mons, instead of the library.“It’s a very nice read-
ing environment becausewe are so comfortable…I love it,” said Grade 7student Joyce Zhang.
“It’s not just a librarylike other schools,” said12-year-old Henry Lund.“It’s a place that if you’restressed out in your com-munity, you can come hereand work.”Both Lund and Grade
6 student Dante Salibianlike that different classescollaborate. Principal RosaFazio is pleased teachersaren’t working in silos.“Everybody’s strength be-
comes everybody’s strengthwhen you’re co-planning,co-collaborating,” she said.Teachers can identify
students from differentclasses who have similarneeds and assist them inrelevant clusters.Wayne Point, Norma’s
eldest of four sons, said hismother would have “happycried” if she could haveattended the two openingcelebrations for the schoolnamed in her honour.Education officials and
representatives of the Mus-queam Band celebrated theschool in the morning, andthen more than 100 formercolleagues, school commu-nity and family members,including relatives from theFraser Valley, celebratedNorma and the school inthe afternoon.Multiple speakers recalled
Norma’s small staturebut huge heart, strengthand determination to helpeveryone, aboriginal andnon-aboriginal, to furthertheir education and followtheir dreams.“Anyone that came to her
when she was the educationcoordinator, she helped asmuch as she could,” saidMusqueam elder Larry Grant.Speakers from various
organizations said Norma,who died in July 2012 atthe age of 78, continues tobe spoken of daily in theirworkplace.
Continued on page 6
NormaRosePoint schoolafitting tribute
News
Bronson Charles drummed at the afternoon celebration of NormaRose Point school and StewartPoint, Norma’s youngest son, emceed. PHOTODANTOULGOET
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A5
Continued from page 5“She was a woman of
so much wisdom,” saidJoanne Stone-Campbell,who worked alongsideNorma at the VancouverSchool Board and theB.C. Institute of Technol-ogy.Stone-Campbell noted
Norma didn’t achieve herown dream of completinga post-secondary degree.“But in the aboriginal
culture… we believe thatshe was a doctor. She hadthe knowledge of a personwho had their PhD,” shesaid.Norma’s youngest son,
Stewart Point, noted hismother started the firstpreschool on a nativereserve in Canada, on theMusqueam reserve, in the1960s.Starting the preschool
was a strategy for keep-ing kids out of residentialschool.Norma worked as
education coordinator forthe Musqueam Band, wasinvolved in the Native
Education Centre andworked at UBC, the VSBand as aboriginal servicesadviser at BCIT. She wasawarded a Diamond Jubi-lee medal posthumouslyin 2012 for her contribu-tions to aboriginal educa-tion.Tammy Harkey, one of
“little Rose’s” first grad-uates from the preschoolshe started, said Normatook an unwelcomeinterest in her whenHarkey, now a councillorfor the Musqueam Band,was struggling in highschool.“It wasn’t about formal-
ized education,” Harkeysaid. “It was about justmaking sure you had adream and you had a vi-sion about how you weregoing to get there.”Harkey looks forward
to her grandson attendingthe school named for thewoman who nurtured her.Stewart hopes his six-
year-old daughter canattend the school namedfor her grandmother.
“But the school’s full,”he said. “And my daugh-ter is considered as out ofcatchment.”The combined elemen-
tary and middle schoolcan accommodate upto 860 kindergarten toGrade 8 students.This year, it’s staffed
for and full with 500 stu-dents in kindergarten toGrade 7.“It’s cool how [the
name of this school] rep-resents First Nations andthe Musqueam becausewe learned about thattwo years ago [at QueenElizabeth elementary,]”said 12-year-old Lund.UBC anthropology pro-
fessor Charles Menziescalled the honour longoverdue.“It’s such an important
occasion to actually havea person such as NormaRose Point honoured byhaving her named placedupon this school, in thisplace, and this point intime,” he said.
twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi
West Side schoolrepresents First Nations
6
s NewsA6 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
A Taxing Matter: Doing all youcan to reduce your taxesLearn some of the top strategies to minimize the tax bite,incorporating advice from a panel of financial, insuranceand tax accounting experts. Be sure you’re doingeverything you can to keep more of what you earn.
Tuesday, October 28, 20146:30pm - 8:30pmWest Broadway Branch, BlueShore Financial2212West Broadway, Vancouver
BlueShore Financial is the operating name of North Shore Credit Union.
Beyond Banking Seminar SeriesTaking Care: Planning for thechallenging issues of aging parentsPlanning now for the issues associated with aging parentswill make all the difference when the time actually comes.The right advice now will ensure that you have what youneed in place to confidently make informed decisions.And if you’re dealing with an aging parent now, you’llbenefit from having access to experts who can sharetheir insights in navigating the elder care system.
Wednesday, October 29, 20146:30pm - 8:30pmVanDusen Botanical Garden5251 Oak Street, Vancouver
Join us for a panel discussion on two topics that are a top concern for many.
Seminars are complimentary,but space is limited. Register today.
Visit blueshorefinancial.com/seminarsto register or call 604.982.8000.
Our London Drugs Certified Injection Pharmacists can help protect you from theseasonal flu, and ensure you’re up-to-date with any other vaccinations, such as:Shingles, HPV (human papilloma virus), Pneumonia, Hepatitis A & B
Speak with your London Drugs Pharmacist for more information.We can vaccinate children aged 5 years and up. Vaccinesmay not be suitable for everyone, andmay not fully protecteveryone who gets them. Side effects and allergic reactions can occur. A feemay apply for any of the vaccines.
Seasonal flu &vaccination clinics.
Visit londondrugs.com/flu for clinic dates and times.
Dr. Art Hister, health analyst
All five people arrested atthe Oppenheimer Park tentcity Oct. 16 were releasedfrom custody and will notface charges, the VancouverPolice Department an-nounced the following day.The campers— threemen
and two women—were incontravention of an injunc-tion granted by the B.C. Su-premeCourt, which allowedthe Vancouver park board todismantle the four-month oldcamp after 10 p.m. Oct. 15.Police arrested them late lastThursday afternoon and hadrecommended charges forobstruction and breach of thecourt order and the peace.“The goal of police was
to safely enforce the B.C.SupremeCourt order allow-ing workers to restore thepark, and not criminalize thecampers,” the VPD said ina release. “In reviewing all ofthe circumstances, and withthe public interest in mind,the Vancouver police has de-
termined not to recommendcharges.”City officials, police and
park rangers moved in themorning of Oct. 16 to clearthe park of campers, tentsand debris.The VPD said negotiations
with campers who refused toleave continued throughoutthe day with no progress.GaryHumchitt was one
of the campers arrested andtold theCourier earlier in theday he wanted “reasonablehousing” or he would stay.Deputy city manager
Sadhu Johnston said Oct. 15there was enough shelter andhousing available for about50 campers who were in thepark by the deadline. It wasunclear last week whetherHumchitt and the othersfound shelter or housingupon their releaseCourier photographer Dan
Toulgoet was at the parkduring the arrests and cap-tured several photographs,which can be viewed with theonline version of this story atvancourier.com.
Park protestersreleased
News
Vancouver police arrested the remaining campers Thursday in Oppenheimer Park. The protest camp had occupied the park for fourmonths. PHOTODANTOULGOET
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A7
MANY MORE IN STORE SPECIALSPrices Valid Oct 22nd – Oct 28th, 2014 MEATS
BANANA GROVEMarket & Deli
2705 E. 22nd Ave.(at Slocan)
604.435.0646www.bananagrovemarket.com
PRODUCEFresh B.C.
GrownGREEN CABBAGE
29¢
FreshFast Fry
T-BONE STEAKS$699
Sweet & Sour CutPORK
SPARERIBS$299
Canada Gr “AA” or HigherBARON OF BEEF
ROASTInside or Outside Round
$449
Fresh B.C.Grown
MUSHROOMS$189
Fresh B.C.OKANAGAN APPLES
Spartan andGolden Delicious
69¢
LEAN GROUNDBEEF
“Ground Fresh In store”
$299
U.S. GrownYELLOW MEDIUM
ONIONS
39¢
PORKSHOULDER BUTT
STEAKS$299
FreshSPLIT
CHICKEN WINGS$319
Schneider’sPASTRAMI$119
CitterioHOT SOPPRASATTA
SALAMI$139
/100g /100g
/100g
/lb
/lb/lb
DELI
300g
MILANO CROISSANTS,CACOA CREAMA, STRAWBERRY
$249
EmmaARBORIO RICE$329
GROCERY
fff==NO GRATING
FAMILY PACK
FAMILY PACK
/lb - $7.03/kg/lb - $6.59kg
/100g
/lb
Emma
PASSATA$129
/lb - $6.59/kg /lb - $6.59/kg
/ea
/ea
750g
EmmaPARMIGIANO REGGIANO
CHEESE WEDGES$279
Schneider’sSMOKED TURKEY
BREAST$149
/lb - $9.90/kg
/lb - $15.41/kg
BONELESS
FAMILY PACK
CANADIAN BEEF
FAMILY PACK
FAMILY PACK
700ml
Plus 6more locations in the LowerMainland to serve you!
Join us on the Internet!
webswww.fabriclandwest.com
First in Fabric Selection, Quality & Value
1678 S.E. Marine Dr. at Argyle (604)321-1848Hours: Mon.-Wed. 10am-6pm
Thurs.-Fri. 10am-9pm / Sat. 10am-6pmSun. 11am-5pm / Holidays 12pm-5pm
VANCOUVER
Customer Service Line
1-855-554-4840
PRICES IN EFFECTOCT. 23 - 29, 2014
(exclusions apply to Promotional, Clearance, “Special Purchase”, Signature Styles & Yarn products)
50%OFFREGPRICE
$
100
HALLOWEENSPOOKTACULAR
BARGAINCENTRE
Reg. 2.00/m - 5.00/m SAVE off
permetre
HERITAGE QUILTING COTTONS REG. $15.00/MFOAM all stock
BURLAP all stock
VINYLS all stock
LACE TRIM - includes eyelet, flat,ruffled and colors
CAMOUFLAGE FABRICS all stock
News
Continued from page 1Charko’s slate ousted
Johl’s at a hastily called June26 annual general meet-ing, but on Aug. 22, JusticeLisa Warren overturned theelection of 14 new directorsand ordered the board becomposed of Johl, Constant,Mah, Despotakis, Thanis,Zbar,Thakore, Palma andCharko. She also ordered anew annual general meetingbe held by Oct. 30.Johl said there were nego-
tiations with Charko to set anew date after the proposedSept. 4 meeting was movedto Sept. 14. Charko andJohl are blaming each otherfor the impasse after Johlbrought a mediator to settleon a date. Charko is plan-ning to apply to court for anew meeting date.“We offered every Sunday
up to Oct. 26,” Johl said.“If the Vision forces want
to take it and take over it, andCharko has aligned himselfwith Vision, there’s nothingyou can do with it.”Charko, a former NPA
candidate and director,scoffed at the suggestion heis a Vision supporter. He saidhe has been a Conservativesince age 12. “I’m not relatedto Vision, never been related
to Vision, he knows I’m notrelated to Vision, that is just asmokescreen,” he said. “Justnot going to happen.”For now, Johl is focusing
on the election. “The biggestimpact on the communitycentres will be the result ofNov. 15. We’re the only civicparty that has three commu-nity centre presidents and twoOlympians running.”Meanwhile, the park board
has scheduled a one-day courthearing Nov. 20— five daysafter the civic election— inits continuing legal battle withthe six community centres.“Park Board will not be is-
suing the non-renewal noticesto any of your clients withoutfirst obtaining direction fromthe court that such notices are
permitted,” wrote city lawyerJason Twa in an Oct. 3 letterto lawyer Dean Davison.In the letter, Twa denied
the park board is breachingthe joint operating agreementby replacing the Active Net-works Safari program and notinvolving the Killarney Com-munity Centre Association inthe planning for a proposedseniors’ centre.“The Park Board will be
proceeding with the imple-mentation of new software inthe coming year,” Twa wrote.“Again, the JOA will remainin effect in accordance withthe injunction order and thepurchase of new software hasno bearing on the operationof the JOA.”
twitter.com/bobmackin
Johl, Charko trade accusations
Board battles have continued formonths at the Riley Park Hill-crest Community Association.PHOTODANTOULGOET
A8 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
KERRISDALE LOCATION ONLY
Kerrisdalelocation only:604-263-7300
Kerrisdale,Vancouver
2126 West 41st Ave.
5 DAYS LEFT!!
STORECLOSING30%-60% OFF
ORIGINAL PRICES
Sheets, Pillowcases, Down Duvets, Pillows, Duvet Covers,Blankets, Mattress Pads, Bedskirts & Shams, Bedspreads, TossCushions, Towels, Bath & Kitchen Rugs, Shower Curtains, Bath
Accessories & Boutiques, etc, etc, etc...
Values Too Good To Miss!Hurry in For Best Selection!
2126 West 41st Ave.
Robin Dhir, founding chair ofA Night of Miracles; the SouthAsian community and BCChildren’s Hospital Foundationare joining together to celebratethe community’s support forchild health.
Saturday,November 8Vancouver MarriottPinnacle Downtown
CO-PRESENTING SPONSORS AUCTION SPONSOR
AD GENEROUSLYDONATED BY
EVENING SPONSORS
For more information on howyou can support this event, pleasecontact [email protected] or visitwww.anightofmiracles.ca
University
Boulevard
Main Mall
Bio Sciences
FNH
AERL
EOSMain
BookstoreMichaelSmith
HenryAngus
EarthSciencesBuilding
BeatyBiodiversity
Scarfe
ChemistryA Block
ChemistryB Block
East Mall
N
Meeting Location
You are invited to attend an Open House onWednesday, October 29 to view andcomment on a proposed addition and renovation to the Biological Sciences complexat 6270 University Boulevard to accommodate new UBC Undergraduate LifeSciences Teaching Labs.
Date: Wednesday,October29, 2014 Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PMPlace: Earth Sciences Building Atrium, 2207Main Mall
For further information:Please direct questions toKaren Russell,Manager Development [email protected] 604-822-1586
Plans will be displayed for the projectwhich will include the demolition of aportion of the building to allow for anew 4-storey East Wing for newteaching labs, an upgraded interiorcourtyard and renovation of theexisting North Wing.Representatives from the project teamand Campus + Community Planningwill be available to provide informationand respond to inquiries about thisproject.
Public OpenHouseBiological Sciences Building - 6270University Boulevard
Notice of Development Permit Application - DP 14030
For more information on this project, please visit:planning.ubc.ca/vancouver/projects-consultations
This event is wheelchair accessible.
NEWSNOONER NPAmayoral candidateKirk LaPointeparticipated ina liveonline interviewMondaywith theCourier’sMikeHowell andNaoibhO’Connor. The interviewwas the first of threestreamed interviews tobeheldby theCourierduring theelectioncampaignwithCOPEmayoralcandidateMeenaWongscheduled for Friday,Oct. 24atnoonandVisionVancouvermayoralincumbentGregorRobertson slated forOct. 30atnoon. Theupcoming interviewscanbe seen liveatvancourier.comandallwill bearchivedon theCourier siteduring the campaign.PHOTODANTOULGOET
CityframeWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A9
Exercise your options this Winter.
Harsh winters can often mean hibernation. Another optionis rejuvenation! At our all-inclusive retirement communitiesyou’ll enjoy lively social activities, freshly prepared hot mealsand feel safe and secure knowing there is always someoneclose by to lend a hand. Spend the Winter with us.
14-1261
Amica at Arbutus Manor2125 Eddington Drive, Vancouver, BC
604.736.8936
CALLTODAY
Assisted Living Suites now available.Call 604.736.8936or come see us today.
All-Inclusive Retirement Living • www.amica.ca
DISCOVERST. JOHN’S SCHOOL
JK to Grade 12, co-ed, non-denominational,independent, urban, IB World School
OPEN HOUSEOctober 28, 2014 at 9:30 am
Contact [email protected] to register today!
2215 West 10 Avenue, Vancouver, BC604 732 4434 | www.stjohns.bc.ca
Michael [email protected]
A radical plan to stop rich overseasresidents from buying houses and newcondominium properties as investmentswill be published in a report by a leadingright-wing think tank on Monday.Concerned that many middle and
lower income earners who cannot af-ford to buy are being forced to pay highrents, the report calls on governmentofficials to adopt a scheme similar to oneoperating in Australia, which ensures nosale can take place to overseas buyersunless it will add to housing stock.Such a system would mean that no
existing home could be sold to a foreignbuyer. Furthermore, new units couldonly be purchased by non-residents iftheir investment will result in one ormore additional properties being built.Before you get too happy or upset with
this proposal, I should point out it doesnot apply to Vancouver. It was madeearlier this year in London, Englandfrom where I am writing this column.It is interesting to compare foreign-
owned vacant properties in London andVancouver.A U.K. property firm estimated that in
2013, 70 per cent of “new-build” prop-erties in Central London went to foreigninvestors, while 30 per cent of London’sluxury homes worth more than £1mil-lion were bought by non-U.K. residents.The problem was not confined to the
top end of the market since overseasbuyers were also acquiring less expensiveunits in new developments.While the situation may be good news
for real estate agents and those wantingto sell to foreign buyers, it is not goodnews for those being priced out at thebottom of the market.In London there is also a concern that
foreign investment is distorting whatdevelopers are building, with dispropor-tionately more high-end developmentstargeted to these buyers.Last year, the U.K. chancellor an-
nounced he was closing a loopholethat allowed foreign investors to makehuge profits on sales of U.K. homes byavoiding any capital gains tax. A 28 percent capital gains tax will begin in April2015. In Canada, foreign investors al-ready pay tax on any real estate gains.The U.K. has also imposed a 15 per
cent “stamp duty rate” for foreign inves-tors who buy through corporate shell
companies. In comparison, Hong Kongnow charges an extra 15 per cent tax forall non-residents.The opposition Labour Party is pro-
posing a “Mansion Tax” that would ap-ply to homes costing two million poundsor more ($3.7 million). It would equateto an additional payment of 250 poundsper month ($470) although those earn-ing less than 42,000 pounds ($77,000)would be allowed to defer payment untilthey sell or die.The U.K. government, local politi-
cians and others are also advocating thatlocal councils impose higher propertytaxes on foreign investors who leavehomes empty.This past June, London mayor Boris
Johnson added his voice by urging localauthorities to “whack up council tax” onhouses that remain empty for more thana year.Local authorities can already impose
a 50 per cent tax increase if a propertyremains vacant after two years. How-ever, local councils are not pursuing theadditional tax because of the adminis-trative difficulties in determining whichproperties should be penalized.Some absentee owners are avoiding
the council tax surcharge by “moving ina table and chair.”Liam Bailey, global head of research
at the estate agent Knight Frank, toldthe Independent in May: “The problemwith measures to tackle empty homes orunder-occupied homes, whether sensibleor not, fundamentally comes down topracticalities. Namely, how governmentcan actually define and then identifyempty homes. The practical implicationsof the policy are likely to be limited.”What is significant is that in the U.K.,
the federal government is very much apart of the conversation.In Vancouver, the federal government
has been silent.For these reasons, notwithstanding
the national attention COPE mayoralcandidate Meena Wong has attractedwith her call for special municipal taxeson foreign-owned empty properties,one must question whether this is at allrealistic.On the other hand, NPA mayoral
candidate Kirk LaPointe’s proposal tostudy what programs have worked andnot worked in other jurisdictions maynot be as ill-advised as some critics haveclaimed.
twitter.com/michaelgeller
Lessons fromLondonon foreignhomebuyers
Opinion
Trish KellyGuest [email protected]
With less than a month to the civicelection, I hope we’re all zeroing in onwho deserves our vote come election dayNov. 15. Though we often hear that Van-couverites vote based on party affiliation,no party is running a complete slate, soeven if you want to throw all your votesat your favourite mega-party, you stillhave votes to spare.Might I suggest you cast some for the
10-plus LGBTQ candidates?Sexual identity doesn’t matter more
than other aspects of a candidate’s profilelike their work experience or communityinvolvement, but being part of a minor-ity correlates with having experiencedadversity.I want to know candidates have expe-
rienced some kind of difficulty in theirlives. In the midst of immense wealth,Vancouver is a city that is hard to live in,and many of our residents are struggling.The best political representation wouldinclude a cross-section of the types ofadversity our residents face, so we knowour leaders have empathy and a personalstake in making the city more livable, andjust.In my search, I found 10 “out” LG-
BTQ candidates and one not quite outof the closet. That’s almost 10 percent ofthe 119 candidates running. I wouldn’tbe surprised if I’ve missed some; it wasn’tas easy to confirm LGBTQ candidates asI imagined.Of all the candidate profiles I reviewed,
only one explicitly names a candidate asopenly gay: Tim Stevenson, Vision Van-couver city councillor who was the firstgay cabinet minister to be elected.Surprisingly, even Vancouver Park
Board incumbent Trevor Loke fromStevenson’s party doesn’t overtly claimmembership in the LGBTQ community.Coree Tull, who is running for parkboard with Vision, is the co-founder ofthe Double Rainbow Dodgeball leagueand co-chair of Out in Sports. I’d callthat clear.In the independent and direct category,
Jamie Lee Hamilton, seeking a seat onpark board, notes her own status as thefirst transsexual to stand for public of-fice in Canada. In 1996, the same yearStevenson won his federal seat, Hamiltonran for city council.Past VSB trustee Jane Bouey, running
this time with Public Education Project,
also identifies as queer.Mischa Oak, Green Party candidate
for Vancouver School Board, uses arainbow coloured font to spell “proud”on his website and includes advocacy forLGBTQ students in his list of priorities,pretty good clues.Proud Politics, a national non-partisan
support organization profiles out politi-cians on its website in hopes of encour-aging more LGBTQ candidates. TheB.C. directory is spotty, but I understandseveral candidates have submitted theirprofiles and are waiting for them to beposted.When candidate profiles failed me, I
contacted party officials. This is how Idiscovered the NPA has two gay candi-dates. Rob McDowell is running with theNPA for city council. He told me that asa gay man, he’s experienced little dis-crimination.In the alphabet soup of queer identi-
ties, “I’m probably the least vulnerable asa ‘G’,” McDowell said.A recent incident at the Fountainhead
Pub, when a gay patron told him andNPA mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointethey were not wanted in the well-knowngay hangout, gave McDowell a taste of anew kind of hostility he might face if he’ssuccessfully voted into public life.The NPA website itself doesn’t men-
tion any of their candidates are LGBTQ.I searched the site for terms like “LG-BTQ,” “lesbian” and “queer.” It wasn’tuntil I tried “gay” that any results werereturned. It must be some sort of glitchin the web coding because even thoughfive candidate profiles came up, none ofthe candidates identify as LGBTQ andthe two candidates that do, StephaneMouttet, a park board candidate, andMcDowell, were not in the results.My call to COPE’s campaign office
was answered by several enthusiastichopefuls including Imtiaz Popat, runningfor park board and Heidi Nagtegaal, onCOPE’s school board slate.I also heard from a candidate not yet
out to their family who wasn’t sure theywanted to be included in this article. Iadvised the newbie that though a news-paper article would be an exciting way tocome out to one’s family, I’ll leave themout of the piece.I know I said I want my politicians to
have experienced some adversity, but allof us, especially politicians, need to pickour battles wisely.
twitter.com/trishkellyc
LGBTQcandidates offerempathy for voters
A10 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
LETTERS TOTHE EDITORLetters may be edited by the Courier for reasons of legality, taste, brevity and clarity.Send to: 1574 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver V6J 1R2 or email [email protected]
COURIER STORY: “NPA pushes for LNG jobs in Vancouver,”Oct. 17.Alexander Hayne: In my opinion, the NPA push for head-office jobs connected tothe LNG industry is common sense and good for Vancouver. Our city needs a morediversified economy supported by many different industries. Vancouver has a historyof being head office for mining, forestry and other primary industries, but those jobsare mostly gone and not coming back. Tech jobs are wonderful, but every city in theworld wants them. If we only seek out tech industry jobs then we become vulnerable totech downturns, foreign exchange risk, U.S. immigration policy and geopolitical risk.Vancouver’s economy needs job diversity and that includes head-office jobs related tothe LNG industry.ChristopherPorter:TheB.C. tech industry employsmore than the logging,mining, oil,and gas industries combined, and a lot of those jobs are in Vancouver. That’s where the focusshould be.Clean, good paying jobs. LaPointe’s corporate donorsmaywant him to supportmore oil and gas extraction, but it doesn’tmake sense for Vancouver.MarkA:The only reasonMicrosoft, Facebook and a host of others are in Vancouver isbecause of theU.S. immigration laws. These large companies are finding it very difficult toget the top people from around theworld to getU.S. visas towork for them.They have setup inVancouver because it is close to Seattle and the SiliconValley.We are fortunate thatVancouver is the largestmetropolitan city close to theU.S. border andCalifornia. If theU.S.was to change their temporaryworker visa requirements, these companies would fold andmove south. Resources are here to stay.
COURIER STORY: “Mayor speculates on studying speculation,”Oct. 17.WayneFougere@WayneFougere:What do thosewhowant to punish absentees think is areasonable amount of time to live here?
KUDOS & KVETCHES: “Canucks fans sick of all the Mess,”Oct. 17.perogies: It does get incredibly annoying seeingMessier a billion times every game.Hewillnever get forgiven for running over Linden or for suing the team.Grand_Admiral_Theron: I was angry about this stuff at first but I talkedmyself into lettingit go. But if they renameRogers Arena toMessier Arena then there’ll be trouble.VanhamCanuckspurs: “There’s probably a number of reasons fans don’t seemquiteas fired up over theCanucks this year, including lingering bitterness over the unnecessarylockout, the equally unnecessary riot...”Had to double-check the date on the article, I can’tbelieve people are still talking about this. Evenmedia fromVancouver, no less.
COURIER STORY: “Mayor moved, Greens energetic?”Oct. 17.Jack: “The property was assessed at $1.189 million last year, but jumped in value to$1.335 million after the partial closure of Point Grey Road for a controversial bikelane.” Well done Gregor! Your little Point Grey bike lane netted you a cool $146,000!It’s good to be the king, huh? Of course that’s all purely coincidental, and we know howyou removed yourself from the vote. Without your vote who knew which way the votewould go? Oh sure, Vision votes as a block 100 per cent of the time, but this time theycould have voted against the bike lane right? Lucky for you they didn’t.
KUDOS & KVETCHES: “Pool party,”Oct. 15.AllThat: Brilliant! Amazing how the governing party tries to pat itself on the backwith one hand re: swimming lessons while it reaches with the other into the pockets ofworking families by slapping fees on pre-schoolers.Gregor’sGreenBook@GregorsGreenBK:Free swim lessons to cost $120,000 dollars.Howmany communications staff would that employ?
Mailbox
TheVancouverCourierisadivisionofLMPPublicationLimitedPartnership.CanadianPublicationsMailSalesProductAgreementNo.40025215.Allmaterial intheVancouverCourier iscopyrightedandcannotbereproducedwithoutpermissionofthepublisher.Thisnewspaperreservestherighttorejectanyadvertisingwhichitconsiderstocontainfalseormisleadinginformationor involvesunfairorunethicalpractices.Theadvertiseragreesthepublishershallnotbeliablefordamagesarisingoutoferror inanyadvertisementbeyondtheamountpaidforsuchadvertisement.Wecollect,useanddiscloseyourpersonal informationinaccordancewithourPrivacyStatementwhichisavailableatvancourier.com.
Tara LalanneDIRECTOR
SALES &[email protected]
Barry LinkEDITOR
DeeDhaliwalPUBLISHER
ADVERTISING
604.738.1412CLASSIFIED
604.630.3300DELIVERY
604.942.3081EDITORIALNEWSROOM
604.738.1411FLYERSALES
604.738.1412
COUR IER ARCH IVES THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
Oct. 19, 1934:George “Babe” Ruth headed a star-studded lineup ofmajor leaguebaseball players to play an exhibition game at now long-gone Athletic Park aspart of a barnstorming expedition that took them through Vancouver on theirway to a historic 17-game tour of Japan. A lineup that included LouGehrig, LeftyGomez, Charlie Gehringer and Lefty O’Doul, who latermanaged the VancouverMounties teamwhen the Pacific Coast Leaguemade its local debut in 1956, playedin the pouring rain to a nine-inning 2-2 tie one day before boarding the Empressof Japan, a Glasgow-built liner thatmade regular trans-Pacific sailings betweenVancouver, Hong Kong and Japan.
Babe Ruth plays exhibition game
WEB vancourier.comFACEBOOK TheVancouverCourierNewspaperTWITTER @vancouriernews
have your say online...
Vote poolingTo the editor:Re: “Voters face capital ideas,” Oct. 15.There has been no increase in pools
over the past decade as this articlestates. Four out of seven outdoor poolshave closed in the last 10 years, two ofthese under Vision, and they have notreplaced any of them. Nor is there anyplan to replace them, now that Visionhas voted against any outdoor swimmingpools in this capital plan.Park board needs to stop saying
that there was a proposal for “anotheroutdoor pool.” The proposal was spe-cifically for the replacement of MountPleasant outdoor swimming pool thathas space allocated for it pending theavailability of funds, per public consulta-
tion and a park board motion in 2010.Britannia’s improvements that span
three capital plans will be lucky to see anoutdoor wading pool in 12 years, similarto the Hillcrest outdoor wading pool.Stating that outdoor pools have to betied to existing indoor pools is Vision’sexcuse for doing nothing over the pastsix years to replace our outdoor aquaticfacilities, and their plan to do morenothing over the next four years if theyare elected.The only way that Vancouver will see
another outdoor pool anytime soon is toelect “pool positive” candidates such asCOPE’s Anita Romaniuk, NPA’s JohnCoupar, and Green party candidateStuart Mackinnon.
Margery Duda,Vancouver
Smokey Smith takes out two tanksOct. 21, 1944: Ernest “Smokey” Smith, amember of the Seaforth Highlanders ofCanada regiment, disabled a 44-ton Panther Mark V tank from 10metres away andthen killed several German soldiers who came pouring out of it while helping tosecure the River Savio on the Italian front during the latter stages of the SecondWorldWar. Minutes later, he disabled a second tank and then carried an injuredcomrade to shelter. Hewas later awarded the Victoria Cross for displaying valour“in the face of the enemy” for his actions. Smith, the last living Canadian recipientof the award, died in his Vancouver home Aug. 3, 2005 at age 91.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A11
Community
CITY LIVING
Rebecca [email protected]
Halloween seems to have always suf-fered from a Jekyll and Hyde syndrome.On the one hand you have the home-made costumes, pumpkin carving, festiveparties and, most important of all, thepillowcase of assorted chocolate stomachaches and candied future cavities thatyou wouldn’t give up carrying until everyhouse had turned off its lights to signalthe tragic end to what seemed like a bot-tomless bowl of treats.On the other hand, you have the
evening’s dark aftermath of smashed andexploded pumpkins on the streets, therandom persistence of screeching bottlerockets, the scattered garbagecan lids thatwere used as shields in the inevitable Ro-man candle war, damage to city propertycommitted by the ever-expanding vandal
community, and the fear of a razor bladein every candied apple.While there’s never been a single case
of any trick-or-treater being killed by eat-ing sabotaged sweets (so says a researcherby the name of Joel Best at the Universityof Delaware), the idea of danger is justtoo much for many parents already tooterrified to let their kids walk to school atthe best of times.For many parents who grew up in the
1980s when slasher/horror movies wereat their best/worst, it’s tempting to em-brace the recent trend of trick-or-treatingat the local mall with participating stores.The bright lights and security guardssurely foil the plans of the pockmarkedand denim jacketed whom a generationago would have grabbed the bulgingsacks of candy, making a run for it intheir getaway Datsun 510.The real spirit of Halloween — the
Celtic festival to celebrate the end ofharvest — was also celebrated Oct. 31.The date was believed to be when the
existential membrane between the livingand the dead was at its weakest, whichexplains the season’s abundance of ghostsand ghouls. Many countries have an-cient reasons for celebrating: bobbing forapples has Roman roots, a tradition thathonors Pomona, the Roman goddess offruits and trees; while carving pumpkinstakes a slice from Stingy Jack of Irishfolklore who made the mistake of trickingSatan and now wanders the earth withan ember of Hades glowing in a lanternmade from a turnip.The North American version of Hal-
loween takes these different traditionsand combines them with The Shaggs’hallowed opus, “It’s Halloween”.“It’s time for games, it’s time for fun.”Fun and games is precisely the inspi-
ration for Vancouver’s first HalloweenParade & Expo this past Sunday. The pa-rade featured the immediately recogniz-able Transformers, Ghostbusters, and StarWars characters along with an exuberantsmattering of witches, goblins, and that
most sociological of Halloween charac-ters, the zombie.All of the costumes had one thing in
common as per the event’s rules — noblood, guts, nor gore.“This is all about friendly costumes,”
said Melanie Bennett, who, dressed asa female version of Iron Man, walked inthe downtown parade with Team Trans-former. “Halloween seemed more ghettoback in the day when we were growingup… But we’re going to bring it back.We want to have it for the kids of thisgeneration, and have it be fun for them.”Event organizer Raymond He admits
his own Halloween memory isn’t a happyone: while wearing a Star Wars’ Stor-mtrooper mask and helmet, he was hitin the head from behind while walkingdown Robson Street on Halloween night10 years ago. “We want to make Hallow-een better for the younger generation,”said He. “There’s been too much blood,gore and violence.”
twitter.com/@rebeccablissett
Paradepresented friendly faceofHalloween
1. Joining TeamTransformerswereMelanie Bennett, dressed as IronMan, the female version, and her daughter Nataliya Orendian, 9, dressed as Elsa the snowqueen fromDisney’s Frozen. 2. A pirateamongst superheroeswas also spotted. The paradewas part of the Vancouver Halloween Expo at the Sheraton VancouverWall Centre Hotel that ran all weekend, featuring cosplay, comics, anime, games,arts, and performances. PHOTOSREBECCA BLISSETT
1 2
A12 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
Metropolis @ Metrotown • Upper Level (near Target)4800 Kingsway, Burnaby
OUR GIFT TO YOU
Bring in ad to receive $15 off the regular price.
Valid Oct. 18 - Nov. 2, 2014
$15 All SASComfortShoesOFF
Metropolis @ Metrotown • Upper Level (near Target) • 374-4800 Kingsway, Burnabywww.astepaheadfootwear.com • 604-437-5600
SALEFALLCrissy
TwinreetimeFreetimeMetro
Siesta Petra Maria
Twin‘Bout Time
Diplomat
Ambassador
October 18 - November 2, 2014
COPEpitchesproposal to end‘renovictions’Coalition of Progressive
Electors mayoral candi-date Meena Wong saysshe has a plan to put anend to so-called “renovic-tions” where landlordsevict tenants under theguise of renovating build-ings and then jack up therent.“Under the current
system, a rent hike is likea prize a landlord gets forevicting a tenant,” saidWong in a prepared state-ment. “COPE will removethe incentive for landlordsto try to evict tenants,especially for minor orcosmetic repairs.”COPE proposes adding
a condition to renova-tion permits that wouldguarantee renters wouldbe able to move back in atthe same rent they werepaying before any renova-tions. They would also re-quire landlords to provideproof that vacating thepremises is necessary andthat renovations are n’tmerely cosmetic, as wellas pay for tenants’ movingand temporary accommo-dation expenses.According to the Metro
Vancouver Housing DataBook, the average apart-ment rent across the cityincreased by 30 per centin the past 10 years, from$821 to $1, 067, an aver-age of three per cent peryear. During the sameperiod, the average wageincreased by 25 per cent,or 2.5 per cent per year,meaning wage increaseshaven’t kept up with rentincreases or the generalprice of inflation.
JohnOliver to hostall-candidatesmeetingAffordable housing has
been a focus of discussionin the lead up to the civicelection, Nov. 15, butwhat do wannabe Vancou-ver School Board trusteeshave to say about educa-tion? Parents can find outthis Thursday, Oct. 23,at the Vancouver DistrictParent Advisory Council’sschool trustee candidatesforum. Representativesfrom six parties willintroduce their platforms,nominees will be askedcritical questions andattendees can pose theirown questions near theend. The forum will alsoinclude contenders that
are running independentlyand submitted informa-tion about each candidatewill be distributed. DPAChas invited VSB superin-tendent Steve Cardwell,three associate superinten-dents, secretary-treasurerRick Krowchuk and VSBcommunity engagementand public relations staffto attend. The forumruns from 7 p.m. to 9p.m. in the auditoriumof John Oliver Secondaryschool, at 530 East 41stAve. Doors open at 6:30p.m. and childcare will beprovided.
Greens callfor grassGreen Party Coun.
Adriane Carr is urgingthe City of Vancouver tocreate a “level playing fieldfor women” and providereal grass for the 2015FIFA Women’s WorldCup games.Carr submitted a mo-
tion on Monday for theOct. 28 council meet-ing that the city providea grass field for the sixgames and final match ofthe 2015 FIFA Women’sWorld Cup games — pro-jected to be the world’slargest women’s sporting
event ever.“I believe it’s critical
that Vancouver providesnatural grass, not artificialturf, as a point of safetyand equity for womenplayers,” says Carr, whohas been working on theissue with Carrie Ser-wetnyk, the founder ofEqual Play and the firstfemale inductee into theCanadian Soccer Hall ofFame. “It’s such a doublestandard that men are notasked to play on artificialturf because it’s knownto have a higher risk forinjuries and health issues,but women are.”Although the Whitecaps
play on artificial turf, mostmen’s premier soccerteams refuse to play on itbecause it is consideredmore dangerous.Carr says the cost of
using real grass, estimatedat $250,000, shouldbe covered by the B.C.government and PavCo,the owners of BC Place.Otherwise, the city coulduse funds from the capitalbudget and look intowhether the grass can bere-used after the tourna-ment for Vancouver play-ing fields in need of newgrass.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A13
Bicycles and tricyclesimported for adventureat any age.
BC-grown produceexported to overseasmarkets.
Cumin imported fromIndia for the secretingredient in yourfamily recipe.
Coffee beans for thatcup of java and goodconversation.
BC forest productsshipped to buildcommunities locallyand abroad.
building communities passing down Nani’s recipes Saturday coffee chatsno more trai
ning wheels growing the family business
A quality of life.portmetrovancouver.com
vancouver.ca
Public Auction: Sale of Landfor Taxes – November 5The City of Vancouver will hold a public auction oflands on which taxes or other charges have beendelinquent for two years. Under the provisions ofthe Vancouver Charter the auction will be held:
Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 10 amVancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th AvenueThird Floor, Council ChamberSeating is limited and on a first-come,first-served basis.
The list of properties to be offered for sale will beavailable at vancouver.ca/taxsale starting Thursday,October 30, 2014.
THE LIST OF PROPERTIES IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Purchasers at the sale are required to pay the upsetprice by cash or other certified funds. Delinquenttaxpayers may make payment before the sale starts.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:604-871-6986 or phone 3-1-1
Continued from page 1So far, the government
hasn’t committed to Van-couver’s wish to imposea ban on corporate andunion donations or a capon contribution amounts.In the meantime, the
money rolls in.And as it does, there is a
perception out there thatpoliticians favour the verypeople who finance theircampaigns. Not true, saythe politicians, includingMayor Gregor Robertson.“I don’t ask for money,”
the mayor told the Cou-rier at a Vision fundraiserearlier this year. “Thatprocess goes through thepolitical party. Everyonegets a fair shake at council.It’s a very public process,transparent and consistentwith what it’s been formany years.”If that’s true, then what
compels people to donate?It’s a question the Cou-
rier put to three prominentbusinessmen and a unionleader who, as individualsor through their compa-nies and organizations,have given generously toVision and the NPA.
‘Crony capitalism’At the top of the list
of NPA contributors hasbeen Robert Macdonald,the party’s former vice-president and head of
Macdonald DevelopmentCorporation.His company’s $960,000
in donations to the NPA inthe 2011 campaign, whichis believed to be the singlebiggest total contributionto a civic party in Cana-dian history, shocked manyinvolved in municipalpolitics.At the time, Macdon-
ald was the party’s chieffundraiser and donated alarge office space insideThe Hudson building onGranville Street — one ofhis projects — to serve asthe NPA’s headquarters.His explanation for the
$960,000 in donationsis this: He committed toraise money for the party.Then a friend who runsa large company fell sickand needed Macdonald tomanage his affairs. It leftMacdonald little time tohound people for money.“When you make a
commitment to get a jobdone, you’ve got to get itdone,” said Macdonald,noting his promise tothe NPA’s then-mayoralcandidate and longtimefriend, Suzanne Anton.“We raised a lot of moneyfrom third parties in thecampaign but not enough.So I wrote the cheques forthe difference.”Macdonald said he
would have obviously pre-
ferred to have spent a less-er sum on the campaign.Though he is opposed toa ban on corporate andunion donations, Macdon-ald favours some form ofrestraint on contributionsand spending.“I’m completely of the view
that that should happen.”Macdonald’s generosity
has not solely benefitedthe NPA. He has givenmoney to the campaignsof Vision Coun. GeoffMeggs (“He’s a good guy,very level-headed.”) andthe late Jim Green, whowas Vision’s mayoral can-didate in 2005.“I become very close
with Jim,” he said. “Helearned a lot from meand I did from him, too. Iloved Jim Green.”Macdonald even sup-
ported the late HarryRankin, the longtimeirascible COPE councillor,who died in 2002, and wasa thorn in the NPA’s side.“You support people
that you think are goodfor the political process,overall. I haven’t donatedto the federal NDP butI’ve certainly donatedan immense amount ofmoney to the Liberals overthe years, as well as theConservatives.”On the question of
whether there is an expec-tation of favours in return
for a donation, Macdonaldbelieves some of that quidpro quo occurs at city hall.“Without question,
there’s a significantamount of what I callcrony capitalism going onin the City of Vancouvertoday,” he said. “Every-body in the developmentindustry knows who’s get-ting favoured treatment.We don’t talk about itmuch but it’s crystal clearand that’s the way it is.”That said, he denies
receiving preferential treat-ment in the years the NPAheld power and said hisphilosophy when donatingmoney is simply to “sup-port the political process.”“There’s probably noth-
ing more important in oursociety than who’s runningthe government,” he said.“We can only supporteverybody in society, if wehave good government.”
Giving back?It’s a philosophy shared
by big-time condo mar-keter, art enthusiast andpolitical junkie, BobRennie, who earlier thisyear accepted the role aschairperson of the B.C.Liberals’ fundraising team.“I believe that if you’re
doing business in the city,you have to give back andyou have to participate,”said Rennie, who made
headlines in March fora $25,000-a-plate lunchhe organized for MayorGregor Robertson andVision Vancouver at theHotel Georgia.Rennie said he was dis-
appointed by the criticismhe received for hosting thelunch. He declined to re-veal the number of guestsor say how much moneywas raised.“In any other city in the
world, people would bewanting to debate policybetween Vision and anotherparty withme,” he said.“Here, they just want to pickon the act. So when peoplejust pick on the low hangingfruit, I have no respect onwhere it’s coming from.”When asked whether he
thought his own $25,000lunch donation and hiswork on behalf of VisionVancouver bought influenceat city hall, Rennie laughedand said, “If it was thateasy to get favouritism for$25,000 ... oh my God, Icould retire.”Like Macdonald, Rennie
spreads his money aroundthe political field. In 2005,when Christy Clark chal-lenged Sam Sullivan in anNPAmayoral race, Renniebacked Sullivan.That same year, he
donated money to Visionmayoral candidate JimGreen’s campaign and has
since raised funds for Clarkand the B.C. Liberals.An Olympics booster,
Rennie bought 16 full-pageads in newspapers in 2003to urge people to vote yes inthe referendum that askedresidents whether theysupported hosting the 2010Winter Games.Earlier this year, he
donated $25,000 to helppay for Vision Coun. TimStevenson and formerVANOC staffer MaureenDouglas to counter globalhomophobia in a mission toSochi, Russia.Outside of politics, Rennie
donated $2million last yearto help with the constructionof the $82million Rosalieand Joseph Segal FamilyHealth Centre at VancouverGeneral Hospital. He didit to honour his mother’sstruggle with dementia.A patron of the arts,
Rennie also operates hisown private art gallery inChinatown and has beencritical of the Vancouver ArtGallery’s need for a new,larger facility downtown.Relentlessly outspoken
on many topics, Ren-nie agrees Victoria has toamend the rules on howcampaigns are financed andwelcomes specific limits oncontributions and spending.Rennie Marketing Systemsdonated $15,000 to Visionin the 2011 campaign.
Donors spread theirmoney
Realtor Bob Rennie (left) hosted a $25,000-a plate lunch earlier this year to raisemoney for Mayor Gregor Robertson’s re-election campaign. Paul Faoro, CUPE B.C.’s secretary treasurer, said donations are“about investing in someonewhowe think is going to do the right things for the city and for public services in Vancouver.” PHOTOSDANTOULGOET
FeatureA14 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
“I think a lot of donorswould love to see a cap andmake sure the rules are thesame for everybody,” he said.But Rennie believes the
bigger concern in civic poli-tics is the lack of participa-tion from the public, whichis evident in the chronic lowturnout of voters.“The people that are
complaining about whatthe RobMacdonalds orthe Bob Rennies of theworld do, they should dowhat they can do,” he said.“We all should participate— and that doesn’t meanjust giving money. It meansbeing out there volunteeringand going door to door forpeople who you believe in.”
Party timeVision Vancouver’s links
to wealthy businessmensuch as Rennie also extendsto other big players in thedevelopment industry andunion circles.That mix was on display at
a party fundraiser inMay.About 500 guests, who
spent $150 each on a ticket,turned up to the CoastPlaza Hotel in the WestEnd on a warmWednesdaynight to support Vision.The mayor and Vi-
sion politicians welcomedguests in what resembled areceiving line at a wedding.A choir sang during thehandshakes and hellos.What wasn’t visible was
a private cocktail receptionheld upstairs prior to theevent for some of Vision’sregular donors.They included Chuck
Keeling of Great CanadianCasino, Concord Pacific’sMatt Meehan, Lululemonfounder Chip Wilson,CUPE B.C. secretary-trea-surer Paul Faoro and JonStovell of Reliance Proper-ties, who had just a few daysearlier donated $7 millionto Emily Carr University ofArt and Design to launchthe institution’s capital cam-paign for a new campus.The day after the fund-
raiser, Stovell spoke to theCourier and clarified that hedoesn’t belong to any politi-cal parties. Also, he said, hiscompany has historicallydonated money to both Vi-sion and the NPA.Financial disclosure
documents filed at city hallshow Reliance Propertiesgave $25,475 to Vision inthe 2011 campaign and$10,000 to the NPA.“We believe that across
more than one party, we needgood people running for mu-
nicipal government,” he said,emphasizing the need to havecompetent politicians andbureaucrats at city hall.With the multi-billion
dollar real estate indus-try in Vancouver beingheavily regulated, Stovellsaid “it’s very importantthat that industry be wellthought of in terms of theway it’s dealt with throughthe regulatory process.”He doesn’t buy the al-
legations that developersare in the pockets of VisionVancouver and says “thereal money” his companyand others give is in theform of multi-million dol-lar community amenitycontributions used to buildcommunity centres, parksand childcare facilities.“The idea that the
development industry issomehow calling the shotsin Vancouver is preposter-ous,” he said. “Year in, yearout, the amount of publicconsultation and engage-ment that needs to occur indevelopment does nothingbut go up, and transparencydoes nothing but go up.”Like Macdonald and
Rennie, Stovell believesmore people should par-ticipate in local politics andstop complaining when heand others donate money.“Whether it’s funding or
volunteering or participatingas a citizen in forums andthe development of policy,those people should neverbe criticized for what theydo,” said Stovell, who is aformermember of the city’sdevelopment permit boardand holds positions on theheritage commission andGastown historic area advi-sory committee. “The peoplewho should be questionedare the people who are opt-ing out and then complain-ing about the outcome.”Stovell wouldn’t say
whether he favoured limitson campaign donations andspending. That issue, hesaid, is best sorted out bygovernment.“If government thinks that
corporate and union dona-tions should be curtailed orcut or limited, then fine we’lljust comply with whateverthe will of the people is.”Various studies and
commentary over the yearshave concluded expensivecampaigns are necessary toboost candidates’ profilesin Vancouver’s at-largeelectoral system.In 2004, the report of the
Vancouver Electoral Re-form Commission authored
by Thomas Berger recom-mended a ward electoralsystem would not only de-crease the cost of campaignsbut give rise to independentcandidates; Vancouverhasn’t elected an indepen-dent candidate since CaroleTaylor in 1988.The thinking of Berger
was that a candidate wouldonly have to campaign in asmall section, or ward, in thecity and not need big moneytomount a run for office. Aplebiscite on a ward systemin 2004 ultimately failed.The Courier’s discussion
with Stovell on the topic lefthim siding with the cur-rent party machine system,which he said has existedfor decades at all levels ofgovernment.“I’m not so sure that I’m
interested in fragmentedgovernment just for the sakeof the perception of the abil-ity for independents to suc-ceed, if it doesn’t result ingood government,” Stovellsaid. “Good governmentis what matters in the end.Is the city well run? Is themoney well spent? Are deci-sions made promptly andon a timely basis? Is the cityhealthy, financially, cultur-ally? I don’t think there’sevidence that a wholebunch of independents isnecessarily going to presenta better result there.”
$olidarityAs a longtime union
leader in Vancouver, PaulFaoro cites two mainreasons why his money andthat of CUPE B.C. is bestspent on supporting VisionVancouver over the NPA.
First, he points to thecivic strike in 2007 that sawthe city’s inside, outsideand library workers on thepicket lines for more than80 days.The NPA’s Sam Sullivan
was mayor at the time andVision Vancouver quicklydubbed the dispute “Sam’sstrike,” alleging it wasthe politician’s refusal tobargain that prolonged theshutdown of city services.Second, the current
president of the NPA, PeterArmstrong, is also the CEOof Rocky MountaineerVacations and locked out108 of his workers in a dis-pute in 2011. Replacementworkers were hired.The dispute lasted more
than 400 days before work-ers accepted a three-yeardeal that is believed to haveincluded a 10 per cent wagerollback.“I don’t think CUPE
members are going towant Mr. Armstrong inthe third floor at city hall,”said Faoro, who last yearbecame CUPE B.C.’s sec-retary-treasurer after leavinghis longtime post as head ofCUPE Local 15 in Van-couver. “If that’s the wayhe views frontline workers,locking them out in an uglydispute...well, that sums itup right there.”Relationships between
CUPE and city hall aremuch better under Vision,he said, but emphasized theunion’s donations have notinfluenced that.“It’s not, ‘We’ll give you
this money and you’ve gotto do this.’ It doesn’t worklike that, it’s never worked
like that. It’s about investingin someone who we think isgoing to do the right thingsfor the city and for publicservices in Vancouver.”Vision’s pro-union stance
was certainly evident in2011 when six of its coun-cillors sent a letter to theNPA’s Armstrong, urginghim to stop using replace-ment workers at RockyMountaineer and return tothe bargaining table.CUPE B.C. donated
$155,300 to Vision in the2011 election. The union’slocals, including Vancouverlocals 1004 and 15, donateda total of $89,200.Just last week, Courier
contributor BobMackinobtained a leaked recordingof a recent meeting CUPELocal 1004 held with Vi-sion candidates and othersincluding COPE aboutfunding for campaigns.Vision Coun. Geoff
Meggs, who is seekingre-election, is heard onthe recording praising theunion, saying “we knowthat without your contribu-tion, the city would functionvery poorly, if at all.”AddedMeggs: “Gregor
Robertson, our mayor, hasagain recommitted to not ex-pand contracting out, to makesure that wherever we canbring in new processes, thatmembers of 1004 will be theredelivering those services.”CUPE has a longtime
allegiance with the provin-cial NDP and continues toramp up its political actionamong its union locals inmunicipalities around theprovince.Back inMay, CUPE
hosted what Faoro called a“political action conference”that featured keynote speakerJeremy Bird, one of U.S.President Barack Obama’ssenior campaigners.Dubbed the “field
general” by Rolling Stonemagazine, Bird “shared ex-amples of how the Obamacampaigns combined ‘oldschool’ traditional organiz-ing with modern technol-ogy but stressed that notechnology can replace hardwork and old-fashioneddoor-to-door campaign-ing,” according to a post onCUPE’s website.Faoro doubts the provin-
cial government will ever bancorporate and union dona-tions from civic campaigns.He doesn’t see how it wouldlevel the playing field.“You still have the Rob
Macdonalds of the worldable to write a personalcheque for one millionbucks,” he said, referring toMacdonald’s $960,000 indonations to the NPA in the2011 campaign.
Rules of the gameAs long as the debate has
raged in the city about cam-paigns being the Wild Westwhen it comes to spending,politicians of all stripes havedenied treating donors anymore favourably than thosewho haven’t given a dime.In fact, at a council
meeting earlier this year inwhich Green Party Coun.Adriane Carr failed to haveher colleagues buy in to avoluntary campaign limitsscheme, Vision Coun. TimStevenson confessed, “Idon’t even know whatpeople donate.”NPACoun. Elizabeth Ball
made the same claim, saying“most of us don’t have a cluewho donatedmoney to ei-ther our party or to ourselvesbecause that is not interest-ing.What’s interesting is thework we do.”Themayormissed that
meeting but at Vision’s fun-draiser inMay, Robertsonreiterated the need for Victo-ria to change rules to get bigmoney out of civic politics.For now, he said, Vision is
playing by the current rules.Still: Is there an expecta-
tion that if a person or busi-ness or union gives you a pileof money, that you’re goingto do something for them?“No, absolutely not.”You’ve never had a situa-
tion like that?“No.”The election is Nov. 15.
twitter.com/Howellings
Feature
across political spectrum
Jon Stovell of Reliance Properties, whose company donated $7million to Emily Carr University of Artand Design this year, says he contributesmoney to civic parties because “we need good people run-ning formunicipal government.” PHOTODANTOULGOET
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A15
Barb [email protected]
Once in a while I comeacross a product I think isvery clever.You may have seen these
30-by-30 centimetre chalk-board mats in and aroundcraft stores, but did youknow how adaptable theycould be? These chalk-board mats are extremelyversatile and with a quickwipe of a brush or dampcloth they’re ready to usefor another purpose.Here are a few ideas for
this multipurpose product.Placemats: I love using
these chalkboard mats astable placemats. Purchaseone or two packages of
silver, adhesive scrolls ata craft store, such as Mi-chaels, and apply them tothe edges of the mat. Us-ing a simple stick of whitechalk, write your guest’sname in the centre of theplacemat. The result is avery pretty table setting.At the end of the evening,simply erase the guest’sname and store them awayfor the next dinner party.Memo board: These
chalkboard mats may becut to any custom sizeyou desire to fit inside thedoor of your kitchen oroffice cupboard. Using apair of sharp scissors, cutthe paper to fit inside thecupboard door and gluewith your glue gun. Use
the chalkboard as a memoboard or to-do list. Thisis a great idea for a kid’sdesk space as well.Gift wrap: If you’re
planning to wrap afairly large present, thesechalkboard mats workwonderfully as gift wrap.Wrap your present ina plain, solid wrappingpaper — I find either plainwhite, black or brownworks nicely for this idea.Glue the chalkboard matto the top of the presentand write your recipi-ent’s name with a piece ofcoloured chalk.Buffet station: I saw this
idea at a recent dinner partyand thought it was bril-liant. If you purchase fourto five of these chalkboardmats, you can line them uptogether along your buffettable. Write the name ofeach dish on a mat andplace one beside each menuitem. The presentation isvery striking and surpris-ingly complementary to themeal items. Very chic.Barb Lunter is a freelance
writer with a passion forhome decor, entertaining andfloral design.
Chalkboardmats easyway topersonalize a table
Chalkboardmats extremely versatile in the home. PHOTOMIKEWAKEFIELD/NORTHSHORENEWS
Q: In 1991wemovedinto our house (built in1935) and with it came arose bush that is lookingquite pitiful right now. Ilove its fragrant flowersbut I am afraid to pruneit so I don’t kill it andtherefore lose it forever.What can I do to improveits growth?
Jadzia, North Burnaby
A:Old roses have super-strong roots and strong,new growth is quick toemerge after pruning. Butpruning isn’t a good idearight now as we head intofrost season. If we get anexceptionally cold spell thiswinter, the new growthcould die back.In early spring just as the
buds start to swell, you couldremove any dead, diseasedspindly or damaged rosestems then begin pruning thegood, strong stems.If your rose is a climber,
cut back enough of themain stems to fit into thespace you have for it, thenprune the side shoots backby one-third.If it’s a bush rose, cut
the strong stems back bytwo-thirds. If this seems toodrastic for you, just do one-
third. By the time you’vealso fertilized your rose, youwill likely be surprised athow quickly it grows back.Usually the larger pruning
prompts the rose to growfaster and further. This isbecause the energy in theroots needs to be expressedabove-ground.Roses thrive on extra
water through our long hotsummers. It helps them ifyou mulch them so that theyretain moisture. You couldmulch with compost or barkmulch or even straw or grassclippings if the rose isn’t in aregular garden bed.I wonder if you feed
it regularly. Compost ormanure is good nutritionfor roses. Garden centressell many kinds of fertilizerespecially for roses.When you say it looks
pathetic, do youmean thereare black spots on the leaves?Old roses are prone to thisfungal infection. It looks hor-rible, but doesn’t kill roses.Some people defoliate the
worst leaves then rake upand dispose of these and thefallen black spot leaves. Thisreduces infection next year.Fungicide is still sprayed bysome. Other people ignoreblack spot.
Q: Do you know why abeautiful 15-year old ca-
mellia in a large planterwould suddenly die afterbeing dripped on by anew deck painted withboth latex, oil-based andfiberglass products?Carlyne Haynes, Vancouver
A: Your camellia rootsprobably got burned or poi-soned by the products thatdripped on it. Repotting itimmediately would havebeen a very daunting pros-pect with a shrub that old,but if the roots were washedand repotted in all new soil,it might have lived.If a similar accident ever
happens again to a big, oldpotted plant, you might tryputting it under an outsidetap on a slow drip for acouple of days. Anotherthought: I wonder if yourplant might re-shoot fromthe roots if you leave it outduring winter rains.Is it possible that previ-
ously your camellia wasn’tunder any deck, but wasplaced under a new deckwhile the deck was still be-ing coated. A position undera deck can be a very dryspot — and camellias needa lot of water.Anne Marrison is happy to
answer garden questions. Sendthem to her via [email protected]. It helps me if youmention your city or area.
Anold rose by anyname
A16 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
980 W. 15th @ Oak Street, Vancouver604-733-3610 Email: [email protected]
Manufacturers ofFine FurnitureSince 1916
COOKS UPHOLSTERY ANDCUSTOM DRAPERIES
2010
06KK9L ?A9DLJ <&GDL'
3699 1#@%D -EA'%L&
0@"HLD 2!!9A6%$LG
0L%.G 16&D6H,L69LJG )
#'%*(")*'####'%*$!$*'###
#'%*$!)*%&'"-#6GD 3E#9LG69L#'%*&()*##%%
1A"96%" 2!!9A6%$LG#'%*#'!*'#''#'%*("!*#)&)>#%6 <D#JL#'%*($&*(!((
:J6A9 2!!9A6%$LG#'%*%&%*!"))#'%*("!*#)&&#'%*$+'*&&""#'%*%#)*)$+!#'%*$&%*"%#)
櫻花牌 免拆洗 抽油煙機<247>2 48:-;C/ >2/=C ;II,
0%"#06KK9L ?A9DLJ
F#(LJK@9 B@ALD -9L6%
4::3$3<%5-& 9<'#1<7 89<,7< ,%"6<,5<" 1,!#97 :9#' 56< ,39
059<,'-3%< "<738% :#9$#%5<'!#9,9& /35$6<%
&)!$#*," (+'%*
.(#):#$27<" +93865 6,-#8<% -,'!7!9#13"< 56< +93865<75 -3865
*376(,76<9)7,:< :3-5<97 ,9< <,73-&9<'#1<" :#9 ;23$/ $-<,%3%8
IGE6(6 8%DLJ%6DA#%69 C%D* 8%$* (((*#GE6(6+5$*$#'
&$$!'-EA'%L&
urbansenior
Considering Vancouverand Victoria are the onlymajor urban centres inCanada that enjoy almostyear-round cycling weather,it’s no wonder the electricbike is becoming an increas-ingly important componentof urban commuting.The eBike has also turned
out to be a blessing for thissenior by offering freedomfrommymobility issues.I’ve discovered there are twodistinct types of eBikes, onethat resembles an ordinarybike in which the electricmechanism assists the rider,and the type resembling amotor scooter, which seemsimpractical to pedal.Ease of pedalling led me
to the first feature to seekin selecting an eBike: Howeasy is the bike to pedalwhen the battery is flat orthere’s a malfunction of thepropulsion system? Somekind of failure could occurover the life span of themachine, so it is nice toknow that you can carryon to your destination if aproblem occurs. So yourfirst test ride should bewithout power.The second most im-
portant consideration iswhere can you get youreBike serviced? Most bikeshops can fix puncturesand adjust brakes, but fewhave a technician on staffthat can service or repairthe power train.I am currently on my
third eBike in two years.The first was a Cyclamatic,which I imported fromthe U.S at a cost of about$1,200. After roughly sixmonth’s operation, a faultoccurred with the motorand I couldn’t find anyonein the city who could solve
the problem. The supplierin the U.S. was very sup-portive, however, it tookthem a long time to obtaina new motor, complete withrear wheel, from the manu-facturer in China. Eventu-ally the bike was as good asnew but in the meantime, Ihad given up hope of evergetting it fixed so I startedlooking for a replacement.One of my criteria is that
a bike must be capable ofdelivering some exercise.The iGo Bike, sold in Van-
couver for about $1,900,met this requirement so Isettled on that model — achoice that turned out tobe a disaster. The chaincame off twice on my firsttwo rides and on my thirdtrip it broke and fell offin the road. The eight-speed derailleur gears werecontinual trouble and somecogwheels and the chainwore out very quickly andhad to be replaced. Thebattery was guaranteed forapproximately 750 charges,
but only lasted for about300. A battery costs $595plus tax. In the meantimethe dealer skipped townand moved too far away forme to get to his premisesfor servicing. In the end, Ibecame so frustrated try-ing to make the machinereliable and dealing with adisinterested retailer anda supplier in Montreal, Iwrote the thing off.This leads me to the
secondmost important con-sideration when shopping for
an eBike—make sure theretailer has a knowledgeabletechnician on staff. You’reunlikely to find such aperson in an ordinary bikeshop. Look for an outlet thatdeals mainly or exclusivelyin eBikes and has a reason-able service department.My third eBike, an
eProdigy, is the best oneI’ve owned so far. It costabout $2,800 at Reck-less Bike Shop on HoweSt. They have shops cen-trally located to the main
east-west and north-southcycle corridors in the cityand have competent techni-cians on duty seven days aweek. Their service, interestand products have gone along way to re-inspire mywaning interest in thesemachines.I am a “senior” senior
citizen and to give mine adecent try out I recently rode40 kilometres from down-town Vancouver to NorthDelta, negotiating severalsteep and long hills enroute,including the Alex FraserBridge. It was absolutelyno trouble at all, an overallfun trip and, for me, anadventure. So far I have 400kilometres on the odometer.The economics go some-
thing like this: A bike shouldlast at least four years andcost about $2,500. One newbattery during that periodcosts about $500 for a totaloutlay of $3,000, whichspread out over a commutefive times per week for fouryears, works out to less than$3 per day. I commute toVancouver General Hospi-tal seven times a week andI’m there for four hourseach day. Parking normallycosts $3.50 per hour sothe savings are significant.There are no parking costs,no transit fares, no gas orinsurance fees, no cumula-tive car mileage or wear andtear. What’s more is you feelgood, you’re getting a bit ofexercise and you’re leavinga space for those who mustdrive or use transit.I ride my bike in most
weather but when it’s pour-ing or the roads are icy Itake the car.Eric Mold is an 85-year-old
veteran who finds walkingpainful due to artificial hipsand knees. Mold has onceagain found freedom throughthe use of an eBike.
Senior discovers freedomwith an eBikeThree time’s the charm for senior who’s done his homework when it comes to electric bikes
Eric Mold, 85, gained newfoundmobility thanks to using an electric bike. PHOTODANTOULGOET
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A17
Our promise. Your peace of mind.Our pr our peace of mind.With our extended network of funeral homes throughout Canada, we remain an affordable, professionalservice provider. First Memorial Funeral Services offers low service fees, transferable arrangements and
free planning information.All with the high level of service you’ve come to expect.
As always, we continue to serve our community.You’ll continue to receive the excellent service
First Memorial provides today, tomorrow and always.To request a free consultation or a Personal Planning Guide,
please call the First Memorial Funeral Services location below.
FIRST MEMORIAL FUNERAL SERVICES602 Kingsway | Vancouver, BC V5T 3K4 | 604-876-5585
A18 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
Sponsored by HUMN Pharmaceuticals
Humn Pharmaceuticals makes Lidocaine available as aTopical Pain Relieving CreamMany Canadian seniorsmay be suffering painneedlessly accordingto Rowan Hamilton,Research Director ofHumn Pharmaceuticals ofWinnipeg. “Despite thefact that Lidocaine is on theWorld Health Organization’slist of Essential Medicines,most people are unaware ofhow well it relieves a widerange of pain conditions,”says Hamilton.For those who knowHamilton, a herbalist,wholistic dermatologist,student of TraditionalChinese Medicine and agraduate of the Schoolof Herbal Medicine inEngland, it may come asa surprise to hear him
promoting a synthetic drug.Hamilton notes, however,that the only naturallyoccurring Local Anestheticis cocaine.In the late 1880s cocainewas the first localanesthetic used in dentistryand an improvement onthe previous approach:copious amounts ofalcohol. Lidocaine,however, became thedentist drug of choice whenit was made commerciallyavailable in the late 1940s.The biggest differencebetween Lidocaine andearlier local anesthetics isits stability in water; thatallows it to remain nearthe point of administrationso its numbing effects
remains close to where it isapplied. Further, Lidocainewas the first amide-typelocal anesthetic; until itsdiscovery local anestheticswere all “esters”. “Estertype anesthetics aremuch more likely to causeallergic reaction comparedto the amide type localanesthetic,” says Hamilton.“All that, is a long way ofsaying that Lidocaine actsas a nerve block to preventpain signals not only fromtravelling to the brain,but from being initiatedat all. And it does thatwithout addiction, fewerunwanted side effectsand much fewer allergicreactions.” The AmericanGeriatrics Society has also
recognized the value ofLidocaine. In their 2009Clinical Practice Guidelineon persistent pain, theystrongly recommend that“all patients with localizedneuropathic pain arecandidates for topicallidocaine.”“I’m very happy to beassociated with HumnPharmaceuticals,” saysHamilton. “Humn createdTPR20 topical lidocianecream to ensure peoplehave access to this proven,safe and effective painreliever. Go Humn!”
www.humnpharmaceuticals.comDIN #023090
Available at:
com#02309076
It’s only human to suffer the pains of age.
And to stoically smile despite it.
An acceptable penalty for days lived.
In tribute to youth gone.
Then there’s that other human reaction.
Make the freaking pain go away.
urbansenior
COMMUNITYCALENDAR
Sandra [email protected]
DowntownHighly trained bharata
natyam dancers willperform at the Gait to theSpirit Festival, a MandalaArts and Culture produc-tion taking place at theScotiabank Dance CentreOct. 26 to 29.Bharata natyam is one
of the most sacred classi-cal dance styles of Indiawith more than 100schools in Canada andthousands more aroundthe world. The dance,once performed only bywomen, is known for itsgrace, purity, tendernessand sculpture-like poses.After almost facing
extinction, bharata natyamwent through a revivalabout 100 years ago,which inspired generationsof masters, dancers andmusicians who insured thesurvival of the dance andbrought new dimensionsto the traditional reper-toire. Bharata natyam isnow performed and taughtaround the globe by artistsfrom various backgrounds,genders and creed.The Gait to the Spirit
Festival, under the artisticdirection of Jai Govinda,presents performances bydancers Janaki Rangara-jan, Meenakshi Sriniva-san, Malavika Santhosh,Aakash Odedra, ShaliniPatnaik and Savitha Sas-try. The festival was madepossible with support fromthe B.C. Arts Council,City of Vancouver, B.C.Gaming, Hamber Foun-dation and Banyan Booksand Sound.For the festival’s
popular Sunday (pay whatyou can) matinee, Man-dala presents Toronto’sNivedha Ramalingam andVancouver’s male bharatanatyam dancer SujitVaidya. Visit mandalarts.wordpress.com for more.
•••The Scotiabank Giller
Light Bash, in support ofFrontier College, takesplace at CBC Studio 700Nov. 10 from 5 to 9 p.m.The event, hosted by
CBC’s Kathryn Gret-singer, includes a livebroadcast of the Scotia-bank Giller Prize literaryaward and words fromGiller-nominated authorAnnabel Lyon, the city’sfirst poet laureate GeorgeMcWhirter, award-win-
ning poet Renee Sak-likar and Gemini-awardwinning screenwriter IanWeir. Tickets are $20 andinclude “good eats,” swagbags and a chance to win aKobo eReader. For moreinformation visit giller-lightbash.ca.
WestEndThe 2014 PGA of B.C.
women’s champion is thekeynote speaker at the 25th
Annual B.C. LupusWell-ness and Education Sympo-sium, which takes place Oct.25 at St. Paul’s Hospital.For Salimah Mussani,
the journey to becom-ing one of Canada’s topfemale golfers, whileliving with the ongoingsymptoms of Lupus, hasfollowed a road of highs,lows and challenges. Butthe disease, known as hav-ing a thousand faces, has
not been able to suppressthe talent or passion Mus-sani has for the game.The focus of the sympo-sium is to not only educatethose afflicted with Lupusand members of the publicabout the disease, but toalso demonstrate what canstill be accomplished inspite of a diagnosis. Thesymposium take place at9 a.m. Oct. 25 at the St.Paul’s Hospital lecturetheatre, 1081 Burrard. Formore information, visitbclupus.org.
FalseCreekEverything you wanted
to know about Lymedisease but were afraid toask.A Lyme disease Aware-
ness Forum has beenorganized to educate thepublic about this grow-ing problem. The PublicHealth Agency of Canadahas identified the LowerMainland, the Fraser Val-ley and Vancouver Islandas “tick endemic areas.”A guest panel includes
Gwen Barlee, policy direc-tor for the WildernessCommittee in Vancouverand a Lyme disease advo-cate, Dr. Liz Zubek whoworked at the ChronicComplex Disease Programassessing patients with thesickness, and Dr. MarcBoutet who specializes intreating chronic illnesses,including Lyme disease.The forum takes place
Nov. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m.at Creekside CommunityCentre, 1 Athletes Way.
twitter.com/sthomas10
Sacreddance andGiller Light
Bharata natyamdancers highlight the Gait to the Spirit FestivalOct. 26 to 29.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A19
DENTURES THAT FITGUARANTEED!
“EUROPEAN QUALITY AT CANADIAN PRICES”
VICTORIA DRIVE DENTURE CLINIC5477 Victoria Drive (at 39th)
For your free consultationplease call 604-325-1914www.mydentures.ca
Now Accepting New PatientsNo Referral Needed
Friedrich H.G. BrummD.D. B.A.Denturist - 27 yrs exp
All our Denturesand Services areTAX FREE!
View myvideo with
COINS & STAMPS
MANAGER, JIM RICHARDSONIndependently operated by Western Coin & Stamp Ltd.
under a Sears Canada Inc. license agreement ® RegisteredTrademark of Sears, licensed for use in Canada
SEARS METROTOWN
604.433.3211
WE BUY AND SELL• COINS • STAMPS • POSTCARDS
• MILITARIA • OLD ENVELOPESCome in and see our great selection
2014 COINSIN STOCK!
Shop Sears Coins & Stamps!
®
EVERYONE’S EARSARE DIFFERENT.
VANCOUVER - BROADWAYLOCATION
#514 -2525Willow Street,Vancouver, BC778.329.0870
VANCOUVER - KITSILANOLOCATION LOCATION
2125 West 7th Avenue,Vancouver, BC604.736.7391
TRI-CITIES - POCO
#260 - 2755 lougheed Hwy.Port Coquitlam, BC604-942-7397
Call us today for an appointment. www.widhh.ca * RegisteredAudiologists and UBC Clinical Instructors
THAT’S WHY EVERYONE NEEDSA DIFFERENT HEARING AID
WIDHH is different too. Your hearing is assessed by atrusted clinician *. And we offer a wide range of hearing aids,
not just one brand.
We’re different because your hearing is different.
www.widhh.caCall us today for an appointment. * RegisteredAudiologists and UBC Clinical Instructors
www.arthritis.ca
OSTEOARTHRITISAND SURGERY:KNOW YOUR OPTIONS
DATE: Thursday, October 30, 2014
TIME: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
VENUE: Italian Cultural Centre3075 Slocan Street, VancouverTrattoria Hall
COST: Admission is free, but donations gratefully accepted
Featuring Dr. Barry Koehler, Rheumatologist and Dr. AlastairYounger, Orthopaedic Surgeon, learn more about osteoarthritis,a chronic disease that affects one in seven people, as well as painand symptommanagement, risk factors, current research in newtreatments and surgical options.
To register please call 604-714-5550
1. Spoken word artist and author ShaneKoyczan can now add Librettist to hisaccomplished resume as he teams upwith Vancouver Opera for StickboyOct. 23 to Nov. 7 at Vancouver Play-house. Based on Koycan’s novel inverse, Stickboy “explores the inner lifeof a young boy tragically impacted bybullying.” For tickets and details, go tovancouveropera.ca.
2. And the award for most writerly look-ing author goes to… Colm Toibin. Webet this dude’s cologne even smells likedusty books. The acclaimed Irish writerand Man Booker finalist, whose latestnovel is Nora Webster, is one of doz-ens of authors appearing at this year’sVancouver Writers Fest, which runsuntil Oct. 26. Others include CarolineAdderson, Michael Crummey, StevenGalloway, Lee Henderson, HeatherO’Neill, Tom Rachman, Mariko Tama-ki, Miriam Toews, James Ellroy, RudyWiebe and Justin Trudeau. Details atwritersfest.bc.ca.
3. The Cinematheque puts the pedalto the metal with its gas-guzzling filmseries Two-Lane Blacktops: The1970s American Road Movie, whichcelebrates the 1970s road movie with“nine high-octane films that embracecars, speed and the open road in the cli-mate of a post-Woodstock, Vietnam-eraAmerica” Oct. 23 to 26. Films include1975’s low-budget action-exploitationflick Death Race 2000, 1974’s DirtyMary, Crazy Larry, Clint Eastwood’s TheGauntlet and Two-Lane Blacktop starringthe dynamic duo of James Taylor andDennis Wilson. For details and showtimes, go to thecinematheque.ca.
4. Kyle Thomas, a.k.a. King Tuff, haulshis glammed-up garage rock wagon tothe Fortune Sound Club, Oct. 23, insupport of his latest album witchy albumBlack Moon Spell. Tickets at Red Cat,Zulu and bplive.ca.
1
Arts&Entertainment GOTARTS? 604.738.1411 or [email protected]
2
3
Oct. 22-24, 2014
4
A20 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
KUDOS&KVETCHES
Much like The GoldenGirls and Donald Trump’shair, all good (and probablyfictionalized) things come toan end. Case in point: theVancouver Canucks’ 474game consecutive selloutstreak, which reportedlyended this past weekend,when 18,647 ticket holderstook in the team’s 4-2 lossto the Tampa Bay Light-ning. That means therewere approximately 250fewer people in the standsthan any other home gamein the last 11 seasons, whichas anyone who’s remotelyfollowed the Canucks onTV or in person knows ismore or less bunk.Until this past weekend,
the Canucks organizationhas steadfastly maintainedthat its home games werealways sold out and anyempty seats (most oftenduring weeknight matches
against unsexy expansionteams because … boring)were the result of unusedtickets.We get it. Who of us
hasn’t claimed somethingwas bigger when it fact itwas just average size or un-expectedly reduced due tothe alcohol or the elements.But it’s taken the Canucksmore than a decade to final-ly accept and acknowledgeits shortcomings. That’s alot of denial.Notwithstanding the loss,
Saturday’s game was notan abject failure. After all,18,647 people paying hun-dreds of dollars for ticketsand buying a few $12 beersis not too shabby. We’re justglad the Canucks have em-braced who they really areand can hopefully live lifemore openly and honestlyfrom now on. Who knows,maybe they’ll finally be ableto admit that the Sedinsare Swedish-built robotsand that the clumps of hairpeople have been finding in
community centre showersaround Vancouver the pastfew years belong to ZackKassian.
twitter.com/KudosKvetches
Objects (and crowds)mayappear larger
Arts&Entertainment
POSTEROFTHEWEEKShow: Supersuckers
with the Jolts, Oct. 22 attheWISEHallPoster artist:Once
again, Scott Beadle earnsan appearancewith thispulpy, B-movie inspireddose of undersea terror.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A21
NOW OPEN IN
KITSILANO AT
WEST BROADWAY
& BAYSWATERI’MSAVINGFOR:
* Rates subject to change. Some conditions may apply. Limited time offer. Deposits are 100% insured by Credit Union Deposit Insurance Corporation (CUDIC)of British Columbia. †Offer expires 11/29/14.
Our experts can help get you where you need to be. Start saving withus today for a chance to win up to $2000† in early bird and grand prizes!
604-419-8888www.GFFG.com
2.05%*
2 yr ConvertibleTerm Deposit
3.50%*
3 yr EscalatorTerm Deposit
up to&
ASK US TODAYABOUT OURSMART MONEYPLANTM!
WIN UP TO
$2000!†OCT 11TH
$250†OCT 25TH
$500†NOV 8TH
$250†NOV 29TH
$1000†You could win evenmore when you#DreamPossible!D
EADLINES:
$75.00 per ticketpurchase at
kitshouseoffun.eventbrite.caor call Julie
at 604-736-3588
Kits House Community Hall2325 West 7th Avenue at Vine Street
ThursdayNovember 6th
5:30pm to 6:30pmOptional tours & cocktails6:30pm to 8:30pmSilent & live auction,comedy show,wine draw,cash bar &canapés
Arts&Entertainment
STATEOFTHEARTS
Cheryl [email protected]
Directing Three TallWomen has given TerenceKelly new insights intowomen and aging.“Mymother is 95 and
she’s in care and I hear re-verberations and reflectionsof when I go and visit mymom… It just gives an-other level of understandingabout what older people gothrough,” he said. “It takesaway some of the terror,somehow, of becoming old.”Edward Albee’s Pu-
litzer Prize-winning playisn’t about sentimentalityand sorrow. It portrays anacerbic old woman who liesdying and includes “frankdialogue about everythingfrom incontinence toinfidelity,” according to theproduction’s press bumph.Western Gold Theatre
will bring Three Tall Womento life at PAL Studio The-atre, Oct. 23 to Nov. 9.Theatregoers will meet
a 92-year-old woman, amiddle-aged woman who’sa caregiver, and a bright,young lawyer. They’reseparate characters in thefirst act but the same every-woman at different ages inthe second act.“It’s going through their
lives and their loves andtheir losses and it’s quitemad actually,” Kelly said.“It’s hysterically funny in
places and in other places,it’s very moving.”Veteran actress Anna
Hagan plays the elderlywoman.“A lot of the humour
comes from the old ladyand nowadays we’re sopolitically correct it’s like,oh my God, you can’t laughat that,” Hagan said. “Well,you can and you do.”Hagan, artistic director
of Western Gold Theatre,wanted to produce thisplay that earned multipleawards in 1994 becausethere’s a dearth of roles forolder women, a scarcity of
substantial roles for womenin general and she loves thelanguage in Albee’s plays.“It’s sort of yummy to get
your tongue around someof these words and Albee’sa brilliant wordsmith,” shesaid of the playwright whosaw three of his plays winPulitzers.“It’s just a gift to be able
to work with the peopleI’m working with on sucha wonderful play,” Haganadded. “I use the analogy ofif you need a dress, you cango to Sears and buy a dress.And it might look great onyou and you might be one of
those people that can weara sack. But if you go to HoltRenfrew, and you have themoney, and you buy a dressthere, you put it on and it’sjust ‘Oh my God, I’m nevergoing to take it off.’ That’ssort of like Albee.”Western Gold Theatre
exists not only to see seniortheatre professionals furthertheir careers, but also tomentor the less seasoned.“We’ve been around the
block,” Hagan said. “Thetalent in this town in theyounger community is justremarkable. But, you know,these 30-year-old people,
yes they’re talented, they’rewonderful, they’re makingtheir way, but some of usare double that age and, asTerry says, we have a lot ofexperience and then theygive up their energy, so itworks both ways.”Beatrice Zeilinger, who
often works with the ArtsClub Theatre Company,plays the middle-aged wom-an. Meaghan Chenosky,who won a Jessie Awardearlier this year for her sup-porting role in ITSAZOOProductions’Killer Joe, playsthe lawyer andMatt Reznekplays the young man who
visits the ailing woman.According to Kelly, audi-
ences should see Three TallWomen firstly because they’llbe hugely entertained.“And second of all, they’ll
come out fuller and richerand more understandingand aware of life and deaththan they are before theywent in,” he said.Three Tall Women starts
at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday toSaturday, with Saturdayand Sunday matinees at2 p.m. at 581 Cardero St.For more information, seewesterngoldtheatre.org.
twitter.com/Cheryl_Rossi
Life anddeath explored inThreeTallWomen
AnnaHagan,BeatriceZeilinger andMeaghanChenoskyappear inWesternGoldTheatre’s productionof EdwardAlbee’sPulitzerPrize-winningplayThreeTallWomen.
A22 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
Festival of zine culture and independent artsFor table registration programming and advanced tickets visit:brokenpencil.com/canzine
VancouverSaturday,November 8th1-7pmGoldcorp Centrefor the Arts149West Hastings St.
WomenWomenThree TallThree Tall
Edward Albee’sEdward Albee’s
DD iirreecctteedd bbyy TTeerreennccee KKee ll llyy
starr ing : Anna Hagan Beatr ice Zei l ingerMeaghan Chenosky Matt Reznek
OOcctt 22 33 ttoo NNoovv 99 ,, 22001144TuTuee -- SSaa tt 77 ::3300 ppmm // SSaa tt -- SSuunn 22 ppmm
(Pay what you can on Tuesdays)
(58 1 Cardero St)PPAALL SS ttuudd iioo TThheeaa ttrree
tthhrreeee ..BBrroowwnnPPaappeerrTTiicckkee ttss ..ccoommReservat ions (604) 363-57 34
WWeesstteerrnnGGoo llddTThheeaa ttrree ..oorrgg
WESTERN
GOLD
THEATRE
Pho
to:T
imMathe
son/P
oster:Jo
seph
Emms
Western Gold Thea tre present sWestern Gold Thea tre present s
ens t ie nr gp
ens t ie nr gp
GOLF
Megan [email protected]
SalimahMussani tookthe lead in the PGA of B.C.Women’s Championshipon the 17th hole of Sur-rey’s Hazlemere Golf andCountry Club on Sept. 9.She birdied the par-three119-yard hole to take a one-shot lead over her closestcompetitor, Ashley Zibrikof Shaughnessey Golf andCountry Club.But Mussani didn’t know
she had the lead. Without aleaderboard, she was count-ing her own and Zibrik’sstrokes in her head. After35 holes, she thought theywere tied with the final holeahead of them.“I changed my strategy a
little bit on last two holes,”said Mussani, adding thatthe green was reachablefrom the tee box. She pulledout her driver to give hera chance at a birdie shot,which she made.“I thought we were all
square,” she said. At thatpoint, Mussani, a Cana-dian junior and women’snational champion, wasplaying for the win.On 18, a par-four the
women played from the redtees at 309 yards,Mussaniused a driver to power the ballinto the wind. That and hernext chip shot were two of thebest she hit all day, she said.
“I probably wouldn’thave played the samestrategy if had known [thescore],” she said.Approaching the green,
Mussani’s inner coach heldher focus. “My self-talk onthe last three holes was,‘You’ve done this so manytimes before, you knowwhat it takes to get it done.Get it done,’” she said.She set herself up for a
three-foot putt and sunk it.“I thought that was to win.Turns out I ended up win-ning by two.”A competitive golfer
who played and coached atStanford University, Mus-sani, 35, knows what she’scapable of. She’s also acutelyaware of her limitations.Fourteen years ago shewas diagnosed with lupus,a hard-to-identify autoim-mune disease that turns thebody against itself and cantarget any tissue or organ,potentially leading to death.Four out of five people
aged 15 to 45 who havelupus are women. Knownas the disease with athousand faces, lupus isgenetic, is not contagious,and presents differently ineach person. An estimated50,000 Canadians havelupus, but the B.C. LupusSociety believes the numberis higher because the diseasegoes undiagnosed.As a student-athlete at
the University of Texas,Mussani, who was born andraised in Ontario, was on the
Longhorns golf team whenshe first started to strugglewith her health. Determinedto continue her promis-ing career, she travelled fortournaments, played in hotweather and pursued anintense schedule. She wonthe Texas 5A champion-ship and after two yearsshe transferred to Stanford,which suited her better, andcontinued to rise.Mussani turned pro in
2002 and competed on theLPGA tour and Futures tour.She left her competitors won-dering when she’d suddenlywithdraw from tournamentsbefore the final round.“I put myself through
a lot of things I shouldn’thave,” she said. Numerousdoctors urged her to quitthe game.In 2007 she accepted an
offer to coach at Stanford asan assistant. Life on tour wascosting her toomuch. “Myhealth wasmore important,”she said, and she began hercareer as a coach. She waswith the NCAADiv. 1 pro-gram for three seasons.“I started feeling better. I
wasn’t travelling every week,I wasn’t in the sun. I decidedto play again. I quit a greatjob to go play again,” shesaid. “Six months into it, […]I was in the hospital again.My body just can’t handleit. I had tomake a concertedeffort to give it up.”Mussani moved to
Vancouver and is nowa teaching professional
at the University GolfClub. She competes onoccasion, as she did lastmonth in the PGA of B.C.championship. She knowsher limitations and how torecover when she takes itjust a little too far.“I used to get really
upset about it. I rememberinstances when I had tocall the tournament direc-tor and say I wasn’t goingto make my tee time —that was very frustrating.“If I sat around in my
apartment for the rest ofmy life, I’ll probably beOK. But who wants to dothat? When I get flare-ups,it’s usually a result of highexertion.“But I know if I just lay
low, stay in my apartment,don’t exert myself forthree or four days, I canshake it away,” she said.“At this point in time, Iknow what I can do andwhat I can’t do.”A life on tour is behind
her, but Mussani will stillcompete a few times aseasons. The win at thePGA of B.C. champion-ship won’t be her last.“When I made that last
putt, I gave it a pretty goodfist pump,” she said.Mussani will deliver
the keynote speech at theB.C. Lupus Wellness andEducation Symposium atSt. Paul’s Hospital LectureTheatre on Oct. 25. Toregister, visit bclupus.org.
twitter.com/MHStewart
Teeing offwith lupus
Sports&RecreationGOT SPORTS? 604.630.3549 or [email protected]
SalimahMussani shotback-to-backbirdies towin thePGAofB.C.Women’sChampionship. Shealso liveswith lupus. PHOTODANTOULGOET
VSSAA SENIOR GIRLS VOLLEYBALLEASTDIVISIONTEAM PT
KILLARNEYTHOMPSONVAN TECHBRITANNIATUPPERTEMPLETONWINDERMEREOLIVERGLADSTONE
GP
05 05 00 00 10
W L T
03 03 00 00 0603 02 01 00 0404 02 02 00 0404 02 02 00 0404 02 02 00 0404 01 03 00 0204 00 04 00 0003 00 03 00 00
WESTDIVISIONTEAM PT
PRINCE OF WALESCHURCHILLKITSILANOMAGEEPOINT GREYLORD BYNGKING GEORGEHAMBER
GP
04 04 00 00 08
W L T
03 03 00 00 0604 03 01 00 0602 01 01 00 0203 01 02 00 0203 00 03 00 0003 00 03 00 0002 00 02 00 00
07 04 03 00 08
LMISSAASENIOR GIRLSVOLLEYBALL
PTL TTEAM
YORK HOUSEST. THOMAS MORENOTRE DAMELITTLE FLOWER ACADEMYST. PATRICK’S
GP
09 09 00 00 18
W
08 06 02 00 1208 05 03 00 10
07 02 05 00 04
WPGACARVER CHRISTIAN
06 01 05 00 0206 00 06 00 00
CROFTON HOUSE 07 02 05 00 04
VSSAA SENIOR BOYS VOLLEYBALLEASTDIVISIONTEAM PT
THOMPSONGLADSTONEVAN TECHBRITANNIATEMPLETON
GP
01 01 00 00 02
W L T
01 01 00 00 0201 01 00 00 0201 00 01 00 0001 00 01 00 00
WESTDIVISIONTEAM PT
HAMBERTUPPER
MAGEEOLIVER
CHURCHILL
KITSILANO
GP
02 02 00 00 04
W L T
01 01 00 00 02
01 00 01 00 0001 00 01 00 00
02 01 01 00 02
01 00 01 00 00
VSSAA SENIORGIRLSFIELDHOCKEY
TEAM PT
MCMATHMAGEEHAMBERPRINCE OF WALESKITSILANO
GP
04 03 01 00 06
W L T
03 02 00 01 0504 02 01 01 0503 01 02 00 0203 01 02 00 02
CHURCHILL 03 00 03 00 00
*Notall schools reported scores
WINDERMERE 01 00 01 00 00
IN THE ZONE Little Flower Academy teammates run in aLMISSAA cross-countrymeet Oct. 7 atWest Point Grey Academy.Vancouver public and private school runners competed in theirrespective zone cross-countrymeets Oct. 21. (Results weren’tavailable before the Courier’s press deadline.) The fastest indi-viduals and teams qualify for the B.C. Championship Nov. 1 inVictoria. PHOTODANTOULGOET
Weekend ScoresheetAAAVarsity football,Week SevenIn a convincing win, Vancouver College (1-1, 2-3) defeated
the NewWest Hyacks 35-6 at Mercer Stadium on Oct. 17.Ovie Odjegba ran for 138 yards and opened scoring in the firstquarter on a six-yard rush. The Fighting Irish offence totalled416 yards, and quarterback Giordy Belfiore threw for 125 ofthem, including a 76-yard completion to Matt Legge. Leggeadded another touchdown on a 55-yard punt return, andkicker KieranMitha went four-for-four on converts.It was bye week for the Notre Dame Jugglers (1-1, 1-3).
Varsity football Tier II,Week SevenThe Hamber Griffins (0-1, 3-0) extended their winning
streak to three games and continue to set a new precedent fortheir young program, which previously struggled to securea single win, never mind string three together. The Griffinssnatched their third win and the top of the standings by defeat-ing Howe Sound 18-12 at home on Oct. 18.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014 THE VANCOUVER COURIER A23
Sports&Recreation
WHEELWORLD
It’s almost time for myfavourite annual cyclingevent: fall Bike to WorkWeek.I’m also very fond
of spring Bike to WorkWeek, but the timing ofthe October event when
the temperature cools andcycling numbers start tothin out gives it an inde-finable extra something.Seeing all the smiling facesand colourful waterproofsat the HUB celebrationstations makes me glad tobe out and about on mybike, even on the mostmiserable day.Whether you’re a Bike
to Work Week veteran orare considering signing
up for the first time, thereare many ways you canget involved and enjoy theoccasion.
Createa teamTalk to your cowork-
ers and find out who elseis planning to ride. Thenvisit bikehub.ca to createyour workplace team andlog your miles.You can set up your
regular trips to make log-
ging rides during the weekeven easier, plus you cantrack your overall progressand compare it to organi-zations of a similar size.Organizations that log
the most miles are rec-ognized in press releasesand at HUB’s annual bikefriendly business awards.
SignupnewbiesAre your coworkers
not regular riders? Therecouldn’t be a better timeto convince them to giveit a try. See if the thoughtof visiting celebrationstations or being partof Vancouver’s biggestcommuter cycling eventincreases the appeal. Of-fer to ride with them onemorning.The team that recruits
the most new riders thisyear will be rewarded witha pizza party for up to 20people and the team lead-er will receive a chocolateand wine tour for two.
Visit (orhost) acelebrationstationWhat’s not to love about
hot coffee and smiles onyour morning ride?These Bike to Work
Week celebration stationsare awesome. Each one is alittle different, and in addi-tion to hot coffee you mightfind fresh baked goods,free bike mechanic servicesand, of course, tons of greatdraw prizes. (Between thesestations and the regulardaily draws for participat-ing, there is more than$15,000 worth of prizes.)The celebration stations
are hosted by local busi-nesses. If your workplacehasn’t done this before,consider giving it a try nextyear. It’s a great way forcompanies to engage withthe public and generatepositive promotional buzz.Sponsoring a station is ano-hassle way to get in-volved if you’re not able toprovide the time commit-
ment required to host.An interactive map with
details of all the stations isavailable online.
Come to thepartyBike toWorkWeek wrap
parties are legendary andtheir spirit is never damp-ened by wet, rainy weather.This year’s wrap partypromises to be extra fun withaHalloween theme. Ridersare encouraged to come incostume for the chance towin prizes, and there will befree hot chocolate and bikeservicing. It runs 4 to 7 p.m.Oct. 31 at the Olympic Vil-lage North Plaza.
Cycle!Of course, the most
important contribution toBike to Work Week is thesimplest one of all: get outthere and ride your bike.Kay Cahill is a cyclist
and librarian who believesbikes are for life, not just forcommuting.
Rainwon’t dampenbike toworkweekHUB event runs Oct. 27 to Nov. 2
AtWest 37th Avenue andOntario Street,mechanic RichardMachheinworks on the bicycle SadiaBadiei rode during Bike toWorkWeek inMay. PHOTODANTOULGOET
A24 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
A28 THE VANCOUVER COURIER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
Food StoreYour Original
www.famousfoods.caOPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK8am-9pmSale Dates: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Foodour Original
New Zealand
Tenderloin
Steaks
$1089/lb$24.00/kg
Certified OrganicRed or Golden
Delicious Apples
$449
CHECK US OUT WITH
3lb Bag
New Zealand
T-BoneSteaks
$599/lb$13.21/kg
B.C. Grown
t
California
Non-Medicated Non-Medicated
From The Deli
OrganicOrganic Organic
B.C. Grown Seventh Generation
ChickenWings
$399
Certified OrganicYukon Gold Potatoes
$139
Herbal Cold &Flu Remedy
$599
Certified OrganicValencia Oranges
Large Size
$179
PorkSide Ribs
$498
Outside RoundSteaks
$599
Eye of RoundRoasts
$699
StewingBeef
$498/lb$8.80/kg
/lb$3.95/kg
/lb$3.06/kg
Non- Organic
WholeCashews
Non-Organic
Herbion Naturals
10 sacketsplus gst
Chicken, Beef &Vegetable Broths
$299900 ml
KNORR
/lb$10.98/kg
/lb$13.21/kg
/lb$15.41/kg
/lb$10.98/kg
BeefBrisket or Skirt
$498
PepperoniSalami
89¢
AmbrosiaApples
68¢/lb$1.50/kg
/lb$10.98/kg /100 g
Organic B.C. Grown
Pumpkins
$399each each
B.C. Grown
Ready To EatAvocadoes
$148
Mexican Grown
$849
$899
Apricots
1 kg$1249
Bathroom Tissue100% Recycled
455 g
12 rollsplus tax