Special Features - Indulge Winter Edition 2019

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Vol. 12 • Issue 2 • Winter 2018

…and to all a

GOOD NIGHT The annual Community Christmas Day Dinner is one of the Semiahmoo Peninsula’s oldest holiday traditions – and continues to honour the man who started it all

• HOLIDAY MOVIES • NOT-QUITE-CHRISTMAS RECIPES • WALLY BUONO • TREE FARMS

Dentistry should look good, feel good and last a long time.

Dr. William ( Bill ) Liang UBC Dentistry ’83. Recipient of the Canadian Oral-Maxillofacial prize for highest standing in oral surgery.

After 35 years of practice, his passion is focused on implant dentistry and adult restorative services. Bill is also the Director of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry Vancouver Maxicourse, one of the largest dental implant training programs for dentist.

Member of the Peace Arch/White Rock Rotary Club.

Dr. Patricia Hunter UBC Dentistry ’83 Gold Medal Recipient. Examiner with the National Dental Examining Board. Vice President, College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia.

“I love helping people and working with them to improve their dental health and then working with them to maintain that state for the long term. Being able to come to work each day and meet old and new friends is what makes it all worthwhile.”

Dr. Jonathan Tsang Temple University, Dentistry ’08.

Jonathan believes in lifelong learning and has participated in over 100 hours of continuing education courses yearly. He is certified to provide intravenous sedation. As part of his philosophy of giving back he has volunteered in Canada, United States and Haiti. His professional focus is on implant dentistry.

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INDULGE • Winter 2018 3

contents VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 2 • WINTER 2018

23

8

10

8 Get into the spirit of a Victorian

Christmas this year, when the Christmas on the Peninsula Festival returns to uptown White Rock.

COVER STORY: The Community Christmas Day dinner is still going strong, decades after the late George Bryant started it.

10 The most successful coach in CFL

history – South Surrey’s Wally Buono – is retiring after decades on the field.

30

28 Whether Christmas is celebrated with naan bread or turkey, it’s not just the culture that makes this time of the year special, it’s the company.

30 One of the Lower Mainland’s most

popular holiday exhibits is expanding – to glowing reviews.

More than 12 days of Christmas

By Nick Greenizan

Y

ou’ve no doubt heard it said countless times – that each year it seems that Christmas comes earlier and earlier.

In the past – I’m hesitant to say, ‘Back in my day’ lest I make myself appear older than my 37 years – the holiday season didn’t sneak up on most of us until late November, or even the first few days of December when advent calendars would get hung on our walls.

I have a lot of family in the U.S., and they’ve often told me that the Christmas season didn’t – or at least, shouldn’t – kick off until after U.S. Thanksgiving.

These days, we should all be so lucky.

Now, of course, we are inundated with holiday cheer before parents have even had time to pilfer the good stuff from their children’s Halloween candy stash.

Businesses waste precious little time, often mere hours, before replacing ghoulish Halloween fare with Christmas trees, bows and wreaths, and those pop-up Halloween stores – the hermit crabs of the retail industry – have transformed back into empty store fronts before you can say, ‘Boo!’ Driving to work on the morning of Nov. 1, I even noticed my truck’s satellite radio already boasted a channel dedicated to Christmas songs, and Christmas songs only.

All of this is to set up an important question: Can you get a little too much Christmas?

Short answer? No. Which is a good thing, because this issue of Indulge is chock full of holiday cheer, and we 4 Winter 2018 • INDULGE

are still about six weeks from the big day (Just 39 shopping days away, if you’re one of those people who counts down in such a way).

One could easily blame Indulge’s team of writers if they, too, were already burned out on the holidays, considering we’ve been writing stories for this edition since October.

You think it’s odd to see a life-size Rudolph lawn ornament on display before you’ve even thought about digging out your winter gloves?

Try writing 1,000 words about locally-shot Christmas movies before you’ve carved a jack o’ lantern.

All this Christmas isn’t a bad thing, of course.

For those who love the season, the more holiday spirit you can cram into your life, the better.

On that note, perhaps you’ll want to check out Aaron Hinks’ story on what, exactly, goes into owning and operating a Christmas tree farm; or perhaps, courtesy of Tracy Holmes and Alex Browne, respectively, you’ll want to whet your holiday appetites by reading up on the history of a pair of Semiahmoo Peninsula traditions – Christmas on the Peninsula and the community Christmas Day dinner.

And, for a little Christmas-free fun, there’s our feature on longtime BC Lions coach – and South Surrey resident – Wally Buono, who is putting a bow on his final season on the sideline.

So no matter how you and your family celebrate the season, we hope you’ll find a little something that piques your interest.

Because there’s plenty to celebrate this time of year. Regardless of when it starts.

Publisher Dwayne Weidendorf publisher@indulgemagazine.ca Sales Manager Steve Scott steve.scott@peacearchnews.com Managing Editor Lance Peverley managingeditor@indulgemagazine.ca

Contributors Alex Browne • Aaron Hinks Nick Greenizan • Tracy Holmes

Indulge is published twice times annually by Black Press Suite 200 2411 160 St. Surrey, BC V3Z 0C8 Tel: 604-542-7429 Fax: 604-531-7977 www.indulgemagazine.ca Distributed free to select households in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Paid subscriptions available. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

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INDULGE • Winter 2018 5

Cloverdale’s downtown area is adorned with Christmas decorations in the summer of 2017, for the filming of Love Finds Its Way. (Grace Kennedy photo)

Hollywood

North (Pole) The Lower Mainland has long been a preferred location for holiday-themed film and television productions – often turning neighbourhoods into winter wonderlands, even in the heat of the summer

I

by Nick Greenizan

t’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… in July?

Yes, we are well past midsummer – and not quite into the heart of the holiday season just yet – but many Lower Mainland residents, including those right here in Surrey and White Rock, have no doubt experienced that disorienting Christmas-has-come-early feeling at one point or another through the years, if they’ve stumbled across a holidaythemed movie set in their neighbourhood.

Many a Christmas movie has been filmed in these parts over the years, and some of the productions – such as the 2006 movie Deck the Halls – have been hard to miss.

6 Winter 2018 • INDULGE

Of course, because any film – from Hollywood to Hollywood North – takes months, and sometimes even years, to move from script to the silver screen, this locally shot holiday fare is shot well in advance of Christmastime, often turning shooting locations into winter wonderlands even if the rest of us are still walking around in shorts, flip-flops and sunglasses.

Deck the Halls, for starters, was filmed in the summer of 2006, and released the following November.

Shooting took place in both Cloverdale and Ocean Park, and both locations were decorated to appear as if it were the middle of the Christmas season. Artificial snow was made on-site, and

in Ocean Park, filming was concealed under a giant white bubble dome in order to keep elements of summer at bay.

Starring Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick as feuding neighbours in the fictional town of Cloverdale, Mass., the film – which employed many local crew members and on-screen extras – featured DeVito’s character moving in next door to Broderick’s, only to upset his new neighbour with an outrageous Christmas light display.

In a 2008 interview for the film, DeVito said that, despite “wearing pounds of clothing in the middle of summer,” his experience on set was a positive one.

“I was really having a great time. I felt like when Deck the Halls was sent to me, it was a great opportunity to do a family movie with these people, with Matthew, who I adore,” DeVito said.

However, filming was a whirlwind experience, he recalled.

“We started in the summer and everybody wanted it for the 22nd of November, so we did a lot of work really fast,” he said in the same interview.

Though a dozen years have passed since its filming, Deck the Halls – which was originally titled All Lit Up – is still well-remembered by locals, some of whom rubbed shoulders with the cast around town. As well, the filmmakers donated a 15-foot Christmas tree, lights and wreaths to Cloverdale’s downtown centre.

Cloverdale – and its quaint, picturesque downtown area, specifically – has also long been a preferred location for commercial shoots, as well. In the mid 1990s, the neighbourhood’s popular lighted Christmas parade was filmed for inclusion in a Coke commercial, and in 2017, the Christmasthemed Love Finds Its Way was filmed along Cloverdale’s 176 Street downtown strip.

Other Lower Mainland locations have been prime spots for holiday movies, too.

In the late 1990s – as his popular show, Home Improvement, neared its end – Jonathon Taylor Thomas starred alongside Jessica Biel in I’ll Be Home for Christmas, which was filmed at a variety of Greater Vancouver locations, including Fort Langley, Port Coquitlam and North Vancouver’s Edgemont Village.

The film was filmed in the summer of 1998 – not the most desirable weather conditions for the Santa-suit wearing JTT or the other winterclothes-wearing cast members.

The movie sees college student Jake (played

by Thomas) – who is estranged from his father – lured home for Christmas with the promise of a classic Porsche as a gift. However, when a group of bullies dumps him in the middle of nowhere in a Santa suit, he’s left with no ID or money while trying to get home.

It was released in time for Christmas in 1998, but was met with poor reviews and even

Top: crew members work on decorating a house as part of the 2006 filming of Deck The Halls; above, two other members of the crew bag fake snow made out of shredded paper. (File photos) worse box-office numbers, grossing just over $12 million in North America – not an ideal total, considering the movie’s $30-million budget.

Another Home Improvement star also has film roots in the region, as Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause trilogy was filmed, in part, in the Vancouver area.

While the 1994 original – which sees Allen take over as the Jolly Old Elf after a mishap on a rooftop – was filmed in Toronto, both sequels were filmed in the Lower Mainland, including shoots in Vancouver, New Westminster and Port Moody.

While the aforementioned films became, at the time, public spectacles to varying degrees – it’s tough to hide a giant bubble dome the size of half a city block, after all – a slew of

other popular holiday films were also filmed in Vancouver, largely concealed to indoor sets.

The 2005 Will Ferrell classic Elf – with its many memorable lines and scenes – was filmed on a Vancouver sound stage, while scenes for yet another Allen Christmas movie, Christmas with the Kranks, were filmed inside Vancouver’s Pacific Centre.

The Muppet Christmas Carol – a 1992 retelling of the classic Charles Dickens tale – was also filmed on sound stages in both Vancouver and England.

While most have seen, or are at least familiar with, the big-budget Christmas movies filmed locally, there have been, through the years, a slew of lesser-known holiday productions shot here too, primarily in suburban neighbourhoods.

Many of these films have been of the madefor-TV variety – often as part of the U.S.based Hallmark series – and some have never appeared on Canadian screens.

This year is no exception, as small-screen fare has been filmed throughout B.C. in recent months, with an eye towards holiday season releases. Such productions include television movies with titles such as Christmas Bells are Ringing (filmed in Victoria); Christmas Toy Swap; Smalltown Christmas; A Carousel Christmas – starring Kathie Lee Gifford; Homegrown Christmas; Jingle Around the Clock; Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa; Christmas Lost and Found; Christmas Pen Pals; and A Gingerbread Romance.

Of course, you may have a better chance of catching a glimpse of Saint Nick himself than you will of finding those movies on a Canadian television network.

Nevertheless, more than a few locally shot films are bound to make television appearances between now and Christmas Day, so keep your eyes peeled for local landmarks – or maybe even your own house.

A scene from Deck The Halls, starring Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick. (Netflix photo) INDULGE • Winter 2018 7

Building on Tradition

A

n event rooted in a desire to – for just a day a year – transform uptown White Rock into a Victorian-esque Christmas village returns to the town centre on

Nov. 24.

Marking a milestone – this will be the event’s 10th year – organizers say the Christmas on the Peninsula Festival is a muchanticipated affair.

“There’s some kind of special spirit that people enjoy,” festival founder Liv Butow said.

“It’s just fun – just to dress up, to see old friends. Sometimes you see them just (that) one time a year.

“All the people that take part, they seem to enjoy themselves.”

Butow, who calls South Surrey home, created the event in 2009, after pining for the traditional celebrations of her childhood in Norway – complete with carollers, fresh evergreen, candles and a Christmas parade.

8 Winter 2018 • INDULGE

by Tracy Holmes It has been held on the Peninsula on the last Saturday of November ever since.

This year, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., festivalgoers can enjoy more than two dozen events and activities at the Town Centre Walk-about, Five Corners and Central Plaza.

Among them, White Rock Community

Church will host mini-gingerbread-house decorating, Semiahmoo Arts will host crafts at the Landmark Pop-up Art Space, Arthur Murray Dance Studio will teach a Victorian dance and Star of the Sea Hall will be filled with a charity fair, where visitors can hunt for the perfect Christmas gift while supporting local charities.

On the way to the fair, there’ll be nativity scenes to check out at The Living Room Thrift Store, and favourite Christmas stories will be told at Laura’s Coffee Corner. Butow said carollers in Victorian costume will be sharing their voices throughout most of the day, singing on and off Johnston Road, at Central Plaza and in the Five Corners district. Other highlights lined up include opportunities for a behind-the-scenes look at the Coast Capital Playhouse, a ride through Bryant Park on a trackless train, and, of course, Mystique the donkey.

Butow said Mystique is always a popular

It’s just fun – just to dress up, to see old friends.

Held by her father Doug, 20-month-old Lily Preston eats a cookie at the White Rock Community Centre during the 2015 Christmas on the Peninsula Festival. (File photo) draw, particularly for the festival’s younger guests.

“There are people that come specifically to see the donkey,” she said.

As usual, the White Rock Community Centre will be bustling with a Christmas Market, entertainment, children’s stage and more.

Butow said, for her, a highlight of the festival is always the parade, and she is holding on to her dream of one day seeing it on a scale similar to those from her childhood.

Starting at 4 p.m., it is the lead-up to the day’s grand finale events: the mayor’s tree-lighting ceremony, featuring the voices of the Stella Maris Concert choir, followed by Carols by Candlelight at St. John’s Presbyterian church.

Butow also dreams that one day more of the festival, including the market, will be held outdoors. Cold weather shouldn’t be a deterrent to celebrating the season, she said.

“The markets in Europe are spectacular,” Butow said. “They’re so beautiful.

“Yes, you can still go to outdoor events. You just dress up and then you enjoy winter.”

Butow said thousands of people have attended the White Rock festival every year, and she expects no different for the milestone-

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More than 60 South Surrey and White Rock organizations are also taking part, she noted.

Volunteers are also critical to its success, and Butow invites anyone who would like to get involved to contact her at 604-542-3776 or liv@butow.com For Butow, it’s been a particularly busy year getting ready for the festival, as she is also preparing to eventually pass the torch for its organization.

“I’m starting to think about it,” she said, of stepping back from her central role.“This year, I’ve worked a lot. I want to make sure we have all the different lists, timelines, job descriptions… when somebody takes over.

“But I will still be part of it.”

She said she is looking forward to a chance to enjoy more of the festival as a guest. As an organizer, “I don’t really have time.”

But she does have a bit of a wishlist, for when that time does come.

“Arthur Murray dance studio teaches people Victorian dances. That’s the one I want to go to one day, when I have time.”

For more information on the festival, visit christmasonthepeninsula.com INDULGE • Winter 2018 9

Out like a

LION

by Nick Greenizan

Wally Buono may be retiring, but rather than participate in some sentimental farewell tour, the most successful coach in Canadian Football League history has spent his final season on the sidelines focused on what he’s always considered most important – winning.

BC Lions head coach Wally Buono speaks with the media after a practice at the team’s Surrey training facility in mid-October. (Nick Greenizan photo)

B

ack in mid-June, at the tail-end of his final Canadian Football League training camp, longtime BC Lions coach Wally Buono sat in his Kamloops hotel room, pouring over film while game-planning for his team’s final preseason game.

On the phone with a Black Press Media reporter, he insisted that preparation for his final season on the sidelines was no different than any other year, even if he’d announced months earlier that he planned to retire following the 2018 season.

“To me, it’s business as usual,” he said.

A few months later, and Buono – in the midst of a season that has seen his Lions start slow, but eventually rally to qualify for the playoffs – insists that his mindset hasn’t changed.

“My mind’s not wavering, no,” he said, standing on the side of the field at the Lions’ Whalley practice facility.

“The year’s been up and down, as we thought it would be, but at this point, no I haven’t had a change of heart.”

Though he remains steadfast in his decision to hang up his coach’s whistle, there have been no shortage of people around the game who’ve tried to convince him to stick around.

For example, Jerry Glanville, the 77-yearold defensive co-ordinator for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats who has been an NFL and CFL coach since the mid-1970s, recently revealed in a radio interview that he had tried to change Buono’s mind.

“It was a great conversation,” Buono recalled, with a laugh.

“Jerry was very adamant about the fact that

football is in your blood, and you’re gonna miss it.

“We had a good chat, and he’s a good man.

Conversations are always good to have, but my mind’s made up.”

This year, the 68-year-old South Surrey resident – who served in the dual role of coach/general manager for much of his tenure in B.C. – focused just on coaching, with former Edmonton Eskimos’ executive Ed Hervey brought aboard to handle the general-manager duties.

The move was made in part because, with Buono’s retirement looming, a succession plan was needed. But also, it lets the longtime football coach focus more intently on the job

Dave Eagles photo

he’s had ever since he retired from the game as a player and had a stint as an assistant coach with the Montreal Concordes.

From there, he moved on to Calgary – where he worked from 1987 until 2002 – before joining the Lions organization.

Buono has tried scaling back his responsibilities before. For a few years with the Lions, he ceded coaching duties to others while focusing solely on being the general manager.

But eventually, he found himself back on the sidelines – in part, as a favour to team owner David Braley – as he aimed to help the Lions improve after a few down years.

This year, the Lions qualified for the playoffs, giving Buono the opportunity to leave on a high note, as opposed to the alternative – watching the most successful coach in CFL history slog through a miserable, unsuccessful swan song.

“I’m thankful to God that we’re in a position where every game is important,” the Italy-born, Montreal-raised Buono said.

“When you win, life is good, but it only lasts a little while. When you lose, your life is not very much fun, and it feels like it lasts forever.

“We’ve been behind the eight-ball (at times during the season), but we made a lot of progress.”

Though Buono and the rest of the Lions staff have done their best to keep the focus on the field – rather than letting the season turn into a saccharine 20-week-long farewell tour – there have been a handful of moments where a spotlight has been shone on his retirement.

For starters, at training camp in June, Buono’s

continued on page 12 INDULGE • Winter 2018 11

He’s done so much for me – I consider him a second father.

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entire family – wife Sande, four children and six grand-children – joined him in Kamloops for the team’s annual Fan Fest event.

“We had a nice family picture taken, they had lots of fun. Would I do that every training camp? Probably not but I just thought because it was my last, we wanted to do it and it worked out great,” he said at the time.

In October, with Buono’s Lions in Calgary to take on the Stampeders, there was also a pre-game video tribute at McMahon Stadium, which gave that city’s fans the chance to say goodbye to a man the stadium P.A. announcer referred to as “An all-time Stampeder and CFL great.”

“I knew it was coming – (Stampeders president/GM) John Hufnagel called me and asked if I’d be comfortable with it, and I told him ‘yes.’

“Knowing John and the Stampeders, I knew they’d do something nice… it was nice to look back, and I have a lot of good memories, but once the tribute’s over, you focus back on the game.”

Though he’s tried his best to maintain a team-first, focus-on-the-next-game mentality,

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there are some around the league who think they’ve seen a few cracks in Buono’s stoic veneer.

Edmonton Eskimos kicker Sean Whyte is one of those people.

The veteran CFLer – and Semiahmoo Secondary graduate – got his start in pro football playing for the Lions, after Buono plucked him from the South Surrey Rams’ junior ranks.

“He’s done so much for me – I consider him a second father. He did everything for me to be successful, and I owe him a lot. Whenever I go to thank him though, he tells me to get lost,” Whyte laughed while talking to Edmonton reporters during an October media scrum.

“But this year, he’s given me hugs on the sideline, which he normally doesn’t do. He knows it’s his last year so he’s been nicer to me.”

Buono, of course, would prefer to keep the focus on the field in the waning days of the CFL season, and no wins or losses are likely to cause him to change course.

“At this point, I am where I am. I’m comfortable.”

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Don’t be a Grinch this holiday season – find something great for every last person on your list Whether you’re a prudent planner and started mapping out your Christmas-gift giving plans weeks ago or a last-minute holiday shopper instead, the Indulge Gift Guide should help you find something for everyone this season – no matter your budget.

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It might not be iced-coffee season just yet, but it never hurts to plan ahead if you’ve got a caffeine addict to buy for. The HyperChiller beverage cooler – available on Amazon.ca and other online retailers – chills hot coffee in just one minute, leaving you with the perfect cold beverage. As an added bonus, it works to chill other drinks too, from tea to juice to alcohol.

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Indulgent Shopping for a tennis aficionado and have just a little over a half-million to spend? Why not give them the thrill of a lifetime with this VIP Tennis Experience (www. www.neimanmarcus.com) which will see the recipient experience all four of the sports’s major tournaments – in Paris, London, New York and Melbourne. What’s more – you’ll view the action from the VIP box as an official guest of tennis star Sloane Stephens.

...than to receive INDULGE • Winter 2018 13

Less than $50

For him

Do you have a Star Wars fan on your shopping list? Or just someone who will appreciate a little pop-culture kitsch? Then these Star Wars Geeki Tikis mugs (www.thinkgeek.com) are a perfect, inexpensive choice. And if Star Wars isn’t your thing, the mugs come in a variety of other themes too, including Star Trek and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Less than $100 The perfect way to decorate an office, den, basement or man cave, these Baseball Stadium Blueprints (www.uncommongoods.com) are a great way for the guy on your list to celebrate his favourite team. This unique gift idea can be tailored to include any current Major League Baseball stadium, and even a few historic parks, as well.

Less than $1,000 Indulgent If money is no object, perhaps consider sending the baseball fan on your list on a Tour of North American ballparks. There are multiple tour operators to be found online that will offer a trip to meet your needs, whether it’s a trip through Major League Baseball’s west coast cities, a tour that includes historic stadiums like Boston’s Fenway Park or Chicago’s Wrigley Field, or perhaps an off-thebeaten path journey through some quaint minorleague locales.

14 Winter 2018 • INDULGE

A lightweight, Foldable Electric Bike is perfect for the guy on the go. Made by Anchor, this compact bike (www. homerungifts.com and other online retailers) gets about 15-30 miles on a single charge, and is a great way to get around in urban or off-road settings.

Less than $50

For teens

Available at a variety of online retailers as well as numerous businesses around town, an adhesive cell-phone wallet is an inexpensive and practical gift – and makes a perfect stocking stuffer – for anyone looking to ditch their traditional bulky wallet or purse. The sticky pouches attach to the back of a cell phone, providing just enough space for the essentials – ID, credit and debit cards, and a few bucks.

Less than $100

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Arguably the most popular voice controlled speaker, this third-generation version of Alexa has improved sound and design, and will play music, answer questions, read the news, check the weather and more – even serve as an alarm clock to make sure your sleepy teenager wakes up in time for school.

The Nintendo Switch – available at all electronic stores and in a variety of bundles and with a number of different games – gives gamers the opportunity to enjoy their favourite games both at home or on the go, as the Switch can be removed from the dock and switched into portable mode.

Indulgent For a cool $27,000, a Conker Living Pod (www.dudeiwantthat.com) is the perfect backyard escape for your teen, assuming you’ve got the space to drop one of these modular spheres – which can be tailored on the inside to suit any need – onto your property.

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INDULGE • Winter 2018 15

Less than $50

For kids

It’ll take a little imagination, but this Build Your Own Robot Kit (www.uncommongoods. com) is the perfect gift for the mechanically-inclined youngster on your shopping list. Each kit comes with all manner of hardware – nuts, bolts, screws and the like – as was as instructions on how to create three different adorable robot characters.

Less than $100 With a pat on the head or a scratch on the tummy, Snuggles My Dream Puppy will act in different ways. The plush pup comes in a crate, too – and unboxing your new friend is part of the fun.

Indulgent Want your children to feel like kids in a candy store on Christmas Day? Well, why not get them one. A part of the U.S.based Neiman Marcus Christmas Book’s 2018 ‘Fantasy Gift’ collection (www. neimanmarcus.com), for $325,000 you can order a custom Sugarfina candy bar to be installed in your home, as well as one million pieces of Sugarfina candy, delivered for up to three years.

16 Winter 2018 • INDULGE

Less than $1,000 Whether it’s your child’s first instrument, or he or she is already a seasoned musician, the Fender Stratocaster guitar is among the most well-known and well-used axes in the music industry. The standard Strat – available online and in music stores – produces great sound. And if noise gets too much for the rest of the family, consider sending your little Hendrix out into the Living Pod featured on page 15.

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INDULGE • Winter 2018 17

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A little bit of Christmas magic

by Alex Browne

Plenty of decorating and entertaining ideas at South Surrey’s garden centres

M

ost stores are in the business of selling items that may wind up being Christmas gifts.

South Surrey’s garden centres, however – long known for creative displays and inspiring presentation ideas – like to think of themselves as being in the business of selling Christmastime magic.

Whether it’s new ideas in Christmas decoration – to fun items that capture the imagination and bring out the the little kid in all of us – the centres seem to have all the bases covered.

“We have a little bit of everything to appeal to just about everyone,” says Shawnee Esson, manager at Art Knapp Nursery, at 4391 King George Blvd.

“We have a lot of new LED lights this year,” she said, adding that the new varieties are being

A holiday display at Potters Nursery. (File photo) highlighted in a display at the front of the store.

“These are indoor/outdoor twinkling lights from the Netherlands that can turn any landscape into a winter wonderland very easily.”

One trend Esson is seeing in Christmas decorations this year is accenting floral displays and trees with metallic treatments and glitter, and shades of rose, gold and pink.

“It’s taking nature to the effect of being more bling – glitzy trees and rhinestones and quite

ornate pieces,” she said.

Esson said the store is also emphasizing “heritage” ornaments of sturdy wood or metal that can be passed down through generations – “things like wooden snowflakes that you can hand down to your kids.”

Another trend Esson sees is an old-school European, or Dutch, influence in cut-outs that can range from tree ornaments to miniature lighted villages.

For children, or those who have never quite grown up, Knapp continues to feature holiday season train sets in a wide range of price points from economical to extravagant.

The store also boasts a wide variety of clothing, she said – everything from Christmas sweaters, toques and gloves to party dresses.

And while visiting the store for gift notions, she said, shoppers shouldn’t overlook Knapp’s famed hot sauce and barbecue sauce selection.

“Hot sauce is a huge stocking stuffer,” she said.

At West Coast Gardens, at 1420 172 St., buyer Sandy Styles said the focus is on “fantastic indoor and outdoor floral arrangements” that can set the whole tone and feel of Christmas

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decorating according to each customer’s taste.

It’s a relationship with the Peninsula clientele that has grown over 25 years, she said, and many people have come to rely on the store to help them get in a happy, Christmas-oriented state of mind while discovering approaches that will suit their own decor ideas.

“We grow most of own poinsettias and they’re in tip-top shape,” she added. “We also have white ‘princettias’ which were very popular last year – and we’ve got a lot more of them this year.”

Decorating themes and trends for Christmas 2018 include plenty of gold – “gold is back in a big way,” she said – ranging from “glittering golds to soft matte golds” and also ‘Millennial Pink’ with some of this year’s most popular decor details, such as mice and other little animals or even fairies, lots of whimsical felt art, candles and glass ornaments.

“Little mice are really popular this year,” she said, noting that some of the ideas take a little twist on traditional, while others have a more modern, Swedish look that is a little more contemporary.

Helping boost the store’s reputation as a “one-stop shop for all Christmas needs,” Esson said, is a variety of giftware, plus “beautiful clothing and scarves” and even Saltspring

Island Kitchen jams.

Meanwhile at Potters Nursery, at 19158 48 Ave., the unparalleled dedication to imaginative Christmas merchandise has become a legendary must-see.

“Christmas pretty much takes over the whole store,” said general manager Cam Martin. “We have about 27,000 square feet of Christmas and Christmasrelated goods.”

Among the most impressive items in this year’s mythic, wreath, bush and masonrydecorated woodland-style display are very finelydetailed statuary pieces from Katherine’s Collection, including figures of “Mr and Mrs. Claus.”

There’s no shortage of the classic and traditional in the store this year, Martin said, even with an abundance of up-to-date novelty items.

Rather than the mainstream strings of LED lights, Potters tends to specialize in specialty string lighting, Martin said, including nostalgic vintage and “repurposed” lights.

“We have 40 to 50 different designs, including the old-style bubble lights from Christmases past – people want them again – to Coca-Cola bottle lights and flickering-candle lights,” he said.

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Novelty items are in abundance this year, he said, including “cocktail balls” – a two-pack of cocktail glasses shaped like Christmas ball ornaments, complete with two straws.

“They’re one of the most popular items so far – and they’re a great way to throw a party.”

Adding to the novelty dimension of Christmas celebrations is “Spirit Dust” a fullyedible product that adds a pearly glitter to beverages and is available in some 17 different colours.

“It’s completely safe – similar to what is used in cake decorations, Martin said.

A full kitchen and food section features the popular bacon-flavoured ketchup – and many other gift ideas, while clothing includes a wide variety of ladies’ fashions.

Some other Christmas novelties at Potters are of a more adult nature, he noted – “not necessarily for all eyes.”

But there is plenty to appeal to children, he said, ranging from games and puzzles, to a do-it-yourself Christmas tree kit, to a complete mini-train set in a tin.

Delighting both young and old alike, the animal/nature theme in decor is strong this year, he agreed, including cute mice and owl ornaments and pink colour accents.

“And llamas are trending big this year,” he observed. “Granted, llamas are not traditionally in the Christmas range of animals, but they’re fun, nonetheless!”

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Guess who’s coming to DINNER

One of the Semiahmoo Peninsula’s much-loved traditions – the Community Christmas Day Dinner – continues to fulfil the late George Bryant’s wish

G

eorge Bryant had a Christmas wish 20 years ago.

The retiree, formerly city gardener for White Rock – uptown’s Bryant Park is named for him – was feeling a little sad in 1998.

He’d had to step away from one of his favourite roles; helping organize – and play Santa for – the annual Community Christmas Day Dinner.

But although a heart attack had meant curtailing his usual high level of involvement, the community-builder was justifiably proud of a tradition that he and a few friends had founded almost 20 years earlier.

by Alex Browne “I just hope it goes on forever,” he told this writer at the time It looks like Bryant’s wish is still coming true.

While Bryant, sadly, passed away in January of 2000 – the spirit of the event he championed continues, even with a change in venue necessitated last year by the closure of White Rock’s First United Church.

“It’s reinvented itself at White Rock Baptist Church and the future looks rosy,” says retired architect Chip Barrett, who is also stepping back this year, after being involved in the project since virtually the beginning.

He’s turning over his co-ordinating duties to Brian Hagerman, he notes.

“It’s sort of passing the torch,” Barrett says, reflecting on an event that has very much come to symbolize the community feeling of the Peninsula.

And he’s glad that, even though First United Church had to close its doors because of planned redevelopment of the site, many in the community have stepped up to ensure the Christmas dinner doesn’t fall by the wayside.

The tradition has endured, he suggests, because it was founded on a very simple principle that goes to the core of what the Christmas celebration should be all about.

“It’s always been about the same thing –

continued on page 24 INDULGE • Winter 2018 23

It’s kind of an ad-hoc thing that just works. People have wanted to take ownership of it through sponsorship over the years, but it’s been ‘no, you can’t’ – that would have taken it away from the community, where it belongs. that no-one should be alone and lonely on Christmas Day,” he says.

While it’s been generously supported by many in the community over the years – and has grown to include 60 to 70 volunteers and some 260 dinner participants – Barrett points out it has never been a charity, per se, or specifically focused on disadvantaged groups.

Instead, it’s been about people who want to come together to celebrate Christmas, no matter what their circumstances. And outside of the requirement of registering in advance by the middle of December– which is co-ordinated by Sources Community Resources Society – the event is open to anyone who wants to participate.

“It crosses all cultures and all age groups,” Barrett says.

The event traces its origins to one bleak Christmas at the end of the 1970s when the Peninsula community – much smaller and more closely-knit then than today – had been reeling from the impact of two holiday season suicides.

It was a time when society as a whole was becoming increasingly aware that, what should be a joyful celebration, could be anything but for people isolated by varying circumstances.

And Bryant and his friend, Rev. Howard Filsinger, pastor of First United Church, were determined to put on an event that demonstrated the true spirit of the Peninsula community.

“Unfortunate things had happened, and George and Howard wanted to do something about it,” Barrett says, adding that they first put on a Christmas Day dinner at the Peace Arch Curling Club and then at Centennial Arena.

“There were about 50 or 60 people at that and it looked like it was too big for that venue.

I had come along to help George out – we’d been friends for years. Howard said, ‘next year why don’t you come to the church?” and I said ‘we’ve got to decorate the church’ and I guess I was involved from then on.”

Barrett acknowledges that, while softspoken, and “a lovely man,” Bryant was a force in the community that was not to be resisted, whether it was in underlining the importance and decorum of Remembrance Day observations, or in co-opting people to help with the Christmas Day dinner.

The English-born Bryant related in an interview in 1998 that Christmas had always had a special resonance for him.

The Second World War veteran – who had been a gunner in the British Territorials, and 24 Winter 2018 • INDULGE

The annual Christmas dinner – the brainchild of George Bryant (top) – has always drawn plenty of volunteers willing to help out. (file photos) survived D Day, the Normandy campaign and the occupation of Germany – remembered his first post-war Christmas in 1945, when he’d come home to his wife Peggy with only 50 pounds and a ‘demob’ suit to his name.

He also recalled that they had endured some hard times when they emigrated to Canada in the late 1950s and raised their family of seven children.

Perhaps that’s why he particularly enjoyed playing Santa for families and local organizations, starting in 1960.

The Christmas Day Dinner became a 36-year tradition at First United Church, as a team of reliable volunteers came together eagerly each year to make sure everything from food preparation, clean-up and decoration were

covered. Cash donations received at each event pretty much covered expenses every year, while businesses in the community generously donated turkeys and other food supplies.

Filsinger provided the welcome and prayers at each event, latterly succeeded by Rev. Joan McMurtry, and her successor, Rev. Louise Cummings, who both also provided their own retelling of the Christmas story.

Among chefs charged with responsibility of preparing the iconic feast have been Dorothy Farrell, succeeded by Leslie Maudsley, who cooked for many years at First United before turning over the task to current chef Janet Kozakow.

Other elements of the event quickly came together under the influence of Bryant and remain traditions to this day, including place settings created by local Brownies and Guides, the involvement of White Rock Youth Ambassadors in making Christmas crackers by hand and also volunteering to help welcome participants, and the thoughtful work of other volunteers to create and fill gift bags for each attendee.

Music has also been part of the event from the beginning, with piano and sing-a-long accompaniment provided, in recent years, by Christine Dibble.

And, for many years until he stepped down this year, community super-volunteer Bill Wallace – recently named an Outstanding Canadian on the Peninsula by the City of White Rock – both drove and co-ordinated volunteer drivers for the complex task of ensuring that shut-in and transportationchallenged participants could attend the dinner.

And when Bryant had to lay aside his Santa hat, then MLA and now South Surrey-White Rock MP Gordon Hogg was co-opted by Barrett – and has continued providing the appropriate seasonal bonhomie in the role, with very few absences, up to the present.

“I think he really enjoys doing it,” Barrett chuckles.

Another reason for the longevity of the event is that it’s powered by the goodwill of a team, rather than by depending on any one person, organization or location, Barrett says.

“It’s kind of an ad-hoc thing that just works.

People have wanted to take ownership of it through sponsorship over the years, but it’s been ‘no, you can’t’ – that would have taken it away from the community, where it belongs.

“It’s an integral part of the community – and that’s why it’s successful,” he says.

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Labour of the

Season

Maintaining a Christmas tree farm is a job not everyone is willing to weather

R

ichard Davies spared no hesitation when asked if there’s more to running a Christmas tree farm than what some might suspect.

“Oh yeah,” Davies said to Indulge last month. “I’ve seen guys come along and they give up. They can’t do it anymore. They don’t know what to do, it’s just too much.”

Davies has operated Oh Christmas Tree Farm (21858 Maxwell Cres.) since he purchased it 14 years ago. Prior to that, the tree farm was operated for more than 15 years by the Block Family, and was formally called the Milner Tree Farm.

He’s said most people avoid getting into the business because the amount of labour, and particularly the amount of time, that goes into building a Christmas tree business.

A Christmas tree only grows about one foot per year.

“It’s such a long process. If you get a piece of land now, you’re not going to see any benefit for like, eight years. That’s why people don’t want to do it,” Davies said.

The Oh Christmas Tree Farm is about 17 acres and is home to approximately 24,000

by Aaron Hinks Christmas trees.

Davies said some residents turn their land into a Christmas tree farm for the sole purpose of tax benefits.

“So they go buy five acres and do all the paper work. But then, every year, they have to go out and do the work. Trim the trees, keep the weeds down, spray for bugs, and they just don’t want to do it. There’s no incentive to get to the point where it actually starts to work,” he said.

The most common Christmas tree for this area, he said, is a Douglas fir.

“Because it’s the fastest-growing.”

The farm sells a variety of fir trees, including Douglas, grand, Fraser and noble.

Aside from controlling weeds and fertilizing, one of the most important aspects of growing a Christmas tree is trimming the tops and sheering the ends of the branches every summer. It’s key, Davies added, to give the tree that traditional Christmas look.

“If you see a natural tree, the space on it is different than a Christmas tree. A Christmas tree has a nice uniformed growth that’s tighter.

If you’re driving around and looking at a tree,

there will be big gaps between each branch.”

Davies’ farm is a u-cut operation – customers are allowed to come with their family and select their own tree and cut it themselves.

Not only are the customers getting a tree, but they’re getting an experience, which draws families back year-after-year.

“Tons of repeat customers. They look at the calendar and figure out a day to come with the family, meet at the farm and cut their tree. It’s a family thing to do.”

Davies said the secret to making a Christmas tree last through the season – besides just feeding it water – is to give it a clean cut before setting it up.

“You want a nice fresh cut to put it into the water. That will pull up the water. If it’s dry it will try to heal itself.”

Oh Christmas Tree Farm is open for business now, and Davies said it will only get busier closer to the holidays.

Christmas tree farms located near the Semiahmoo Peninsula include Red Truck Trees (18630 2 Ave.); The Clark Family Christmas Tree Farm (2171 232 St.); and Fernridge Christmas Tree Forest (2828 208 St.).

INDULGE • Winter 2018 27

Culture

exchange

B

by Aaron Hinks

eyond all else, Christmas tends to be a time shared amongst families.

As the country, and particularly Surrey, become more culturally diverse, there will always be at least one constant that seems to bring people together: food.

From a rural restaurant in Ethiopia to a family recipe brought over from India, the kitchen cupboard has a long history of celebrating diversity.

Adventurous travellers will know the experience well, an act of breaking bread can create a memberable bond, even if a common language isn’t shared.

For this edition of Indulge, we skipped the traditions of ham or turkey, and focused on recipes from around the globe to highlight a diversity of ingredients that when combined, serve the purpose of bringing people together.

Starting in India, celebrity chef and My Shanti owner Vikram Vij says that while his family doesn’t celebrate Christmas, he’s always asked about his favourite holiday recipe.

He offered a recipe that has been in his family for generations.

It’s a chicken curry dish, but he notes that the sauce works well with turkey and “gives your leftovers some much-needed spice after days of potatoes, stuffing, cheese and all of

28 Winter 2018 • INDULGE

those sweet desserts and treats.”

Vij said his mother used to cook it, as did his grandmother. However, he’s taken it and made it his own, “and I really encourage everyone to do the same.”

“I love it when someone takes one of our dishes and adds a little spice here, a little yogurt there, to make it something they really enjoy,” Vij told Indulge.

“If you can add any curry to your home cooking repertoire, then I’d encourage you to make this one.”

The next stop, and in this case recipe, on the menu hails from Africa.

In 2006, the Stephen Lewis Foundation issued a call to Canadian grandmothers to stand up for their African counterparts, many of which were raising orphaned grandchildren due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

As a way to keep the African grandmothers in the hearts and minds, the South Surrey/ White Rock Oneness Gogos shared amongst members a recipe guide that highlights favourite dishes from the continent.

“This is who we’re raising funds for, the African grandmothers, and those are the recipes,” Doreen Bruce told Indulge.

Mbatata biscuits are easy to make sweet potato cookies that are soft and cakey and originate from Malawi.

Malawi is known as the “warm heart of

Africa.”

Consider pairing the sweet potato biscuit with tea, or perhaps, mulled wine.

White Rock resident and Uli’s bar manager Kayla Poustie shared a German recipe that’s sure to add warmth this holiday season.

One of Poustie’s favourite Christmas beverages – despite the fact that much like Vij, she didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas – is Glühwein (mulled wine).

Glühwein, served hot or warm, is the perfect comforting drink for the cold winter nights, Poustie told Indulge.

“It’s super easy to make and it’s something that you can impress your friends with,” Poustie said.

Poustie says she likes the recipe because it’s open for interpretation and can have a unique profile every time it’s made.

According to the online wine community Vinino, mulled wine was created by the Romans who would heat wine to defend their bodies against the cold winter. As Romans conquered much of Europe throughout the next century, their love for mulled wine spread across their empire and the regions they traded with.

Whether Christmas is celebrated with naan bread or turkey, it’s not just the culture that makes this time of the year special, it’s the company.

Vij Turkey Leftovers Curry 1/3 cup canola oil 2 cups finely chopped onions 3 inch stick of cinnamon 3 tbsp finely chopped garlic 2 tbsp chopped ginger 2 cups of chopped tomatoes 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1 tbsp each of ground cumin, coriander, garam masala, salt 1/2 tsp ground caynne pepper 3 lbs cooked turkey 1 tsp turmeric 1 cup sour cream, stirred 2 cups water 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (including stems) Heat oil on medium, add onions and cinnamon, and sauté for four minutes.

Add ginger, tomatoes, salt, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and cayenne. Cook for five minutes, add sour cream and water and stir well. Increase heat to medium-high. When curry starts to boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring three times. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Cool curry for at least half an hour. Add your cooked, chopped turkey into the sauce. Heat curry on medium heat, stir in cilantro, serve.

Mbatata biscuits 1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potatoes 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup melted butter 2 1/2 cups flour 4 tsp baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Beat together first three ingredients using a food processor, then sift and stir in dry ingredients. Knead lightly on floured board, cut into 2 1/2 circles and bake at 350 C for 15 minutes.

Glühwein (mulled wine) 1 bottle of red wine 1 orange 2 star anise 8 whole cloves 2 cinnamon sticks 2-4 tbsp of maple syrup, or add to taste Put ingredients into a saucepan, bring to a light simmer and heat on low for 30 minutes to an hour. Strain and serve warm.

INDULGE • Winter 2018 29

Glowing Popular holiday event expands for Christmas after lighting up early this year

O

ne of the Fraser Valley’s most popular holiday displays – Glow – is back for another season.

In fact, the Langley exhibit has been lit up for weeks already, after the success of last year’s wintertime light show prompted organizers to create Harvest Glow, which ran throughout the fall and went dark Nov. 3.

After a few weeks to transition from one theme to the next, the popular Christmas Glow plugs back in Nov. 22 and promises to be even bigger and brighter than last year’s inaugural run.

Earlier this year, Darvonda Nurseries announced it would expand the Christmas

30 Winter 2018 • INDULGE

CONCERN

by Nick Greenizan

festival, located inside greenhouses at the Milner Village Garden (6690 216 St.), doubling the square-footage, while continuing with the attractions that drew such large crowds last winter – thousands upon thousands of lights, a private party room for birthday parties or other functions; and a Christmas market with as many as 40 local vendors, making Glow the perfect spot to shop for unique gifts.

This year’s Christmas Glow theme is ‘Around the World’ – which takes visitors country to country as they follow Santa on his annual journey.

“Everything we’ve designed this year has families and community at the heart of it.

We’ve added more children’s play areas and increased parking and indoor seating to make the experience more enjoyable from start to finish,” Lawrence Jensen, CEO of Darvonda Nurseries said. “Our community has so many rich resources, from artists to farmers, this is an ideal event to bring everyone together.”

Between opening day Nov. 22 and Jan. 19, more than 150,000 visitors are expected.

For tickets, visit www.glowgardens.com

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