March 27, 2020

SPRING 2020

J E WE L OF T HE NO RT H FRAS ER

INSIDE / / / /

PEOPLE HOME ART SPRING 2020 1 FOOD

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CONTENTS SPRING 2020

8 10 12 14 20 24 30 36 42 45 47

Publisher’s Letter Talk Wordy to Me Love at First Bite Dreaming in Custom Colour Walking with Raptors The “Meating” Place Spring Fling The Art of Success Chat With Lisa Wanderlust Meet our bijou community

24

36

45 PUBLISHER & EDITOR Lisa Craik 604.476.2728 PHOTOGRAPHERS Alfonso Arnold Colleen Flanagan ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL DESIGN Lily Chan Kelsey Boorman Michelle Gjerde Tammy Robinson

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ADVERTISING Adam Alcalde Jackie Brittain Karen Derosia Karen Murtagh Jamie Hayes DISTRIBUTION Brian Yip 604.476.2740

Bijou magazine is published quarterly

by Black Press Media. The points of view or opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher of Bijou. The contents of Bijou magazine are protected by copyright, including the designed advertising. Reproduction is prohibited without written consent of the publisher.

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CONTRIBUTORS

ALFONSO ARNOLD

SARAH D’ARCEY

COLLEEN FLANAGAN

SUSAN LUNDY

bijou photographer

fashion stylist

bijou photographer

wanderlust

Shooting professionally for over 15 years, Alfonso Arnold has proven himself as a renaissance artist. With a penchant for beauty and expressive approach with communication, the present Alfonso can be seen shooting luxury editorials and commercial images for startups and developing clientele.

These last few years, his skill-set and experience includes being photo director for Eco Fashion Week, an instructor at Lasalle College in Vancouver, and showcasing his Fine Art work from his travels in Asia.

As a freelance stylist, my love for fashion runs deep. While some things have changed over the years, some remain pretty consistent. You’ll rarely find me without a classic blazer, some feathers and I have always said that I’ve never met a sequin I didn’t love!

Colleen Flanagan is an award winning photographer that has been with Black Press Media since 2003. Colleen’s photography skills have been recognized across Canada and she loves to photograph unique individuals in the community.

“On a recent trip to California, my husband Bruce and I were lucky enough to be some of the first people to experience the brand new Star Wars exhibit. He’s the sci-fi expert, so I let him describe it.”

Award-winning freelance writer, editor and author, who loves travelling to all corners of the earth, almost as much as she loves coming home again.

LISA MANFIELD

RONDA PAYNE

SHERI RADFORD

FARRAH SANEI

walking with raptors

talk wordy to me

“I couldn’t help but get inspired by the passion that came through when speaking with the Kamstras about Raptors Ridge. They’ve provided an inimitable example of how to lead nature conservation efforts locally.” Lisa Manfield is a writer, editor, and writing instructor. She was the founding editor of BC Living Magazine and currently writes for Real Weddings, Boulevard, Right Sizing and Enterprise magazines.

“When I have the honour of interviewing someone about a favourite book, it’s a joy to hear how they are transported to another world of emotion and excitement simply through symbols on paper.”

A writer since she could hold a pen, Ronda Payne is a full-time copywriter, freelancer and storyteller. She happily lives in Maple Ridge with her husband and their pets.

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SPRING 2020

the “meating” place “After researching all the delicious products at Hopcott Meats, and learning about Trenton Pierre’s unusual path to becoming an artist, I can’t decide whether to shop for groceries or spray paint first!” Sheri Radford works as a writer and an editor, writing books for children and editing magazines for grown-ups.

She lives in Vancouver with her husband and extremely handsome cat.

makeup artist Over 10 years ago, Farrah found her passion in makeup by applying her artistic soul and skills with top cosmetic lines, including Lancome, Bobbi Brown and Dior. Soon she joined Numa International Makeup & Design School and completed her professional training in 2012. Ever since, she has been working as a professional Makeup artist specialised in TV, fashion, lifestyle, bridal, and editorial.

PUBLISHER’S LETTER + LISA PROPHET-CRAIK

Where has the time gone?

I

t seems just yesterday that we launched bijou lifestyle magazine, but a year has passed already. My mother was right. The older you get, the quicker the time goes. So take the time to smell the roses — I mean tulips (my favourite flower) — this spring. Slowing down is more important than ever before as we respond to the implications of social distancing, self-isolation and quarantine.

This past year has been filled with success and opportunity. We have grown our magazine across the North Fraser to include Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and Mission. Our fiercely loyal readers have done nothing short of showing us their love for bijou and we couldn’t be more grateful.

On this one-year anniversary edition I’d like to recognize and thank the teams behind the scenes that have made bijou what it is today.

Our writers and photographers have brought our visions to life, our graphic design team took our ideas and made them real and helped us to build our brand, our sales team made sure our bijou community is valued for their contributions to our success, and our distribution team makes sure it gets into the hands of those who want to read it. Please know that I am cheering loudly for you all: this is a team effort and it takes a village. I challenge our communities to continue telling us stories of amazing people doing amazing things so that we can bring those bijou gems to life in the written word and in images.

When we first started bijou, our number-one commitment was to share inspiring stories of those around us. Your neighbours, friends and family are making our communities better. Our best compliment is when readers tell us they read bijou from cover to cover and

OUR FIERCELY LOYAL READERS HAVE DONE NOTHING SHORT OF SHOWING US THEIR LOVE FOR bijou AND WE COULDN’T BE MORE GRATEFUL. 8

SPRING 2020

had no idea these incredible things were happening in their neighbourhoods. We promise that we will continue to bring these stories to you with words and imagery that will inspire you to look at the amazing world around you, right in your backyard!

It takes a village to change our communities and ourselves. Who could have predicted the impact of COVID-19 worldwide? When this virus began it seemed so far away from our lives. We watched its effect from afar, carrying on with our day-to-day activities in hopes it would not affect us, our families, our community and our country, let alone the world.

Upon returning back from being out of the country in late March, my family and I put ourselves into self-isolation for 14 days out of respect for those around us and at the Canadian government’s request.

I’ve learned a lot these past few days about community. I’ve always been amazed by the community around me, but this week, I can truly say you’ve overwhelmed us with your generosity. What’s more important is the profoundly inspiring stories of people helping those in need, businesses trying to support the elderly, immune-suppressed and those with mobility issues. Food banks are supporting the marginalized and those without income.

Use this time to take a deep collective breath with the worldwide community we live in, and support your fellow neighbours. Help those that need help and if you can’t, just be kind. Those struggling with the anxiety about this virus and its effects need support, understanding and caring words, not judgment. Prepare, follow instructions and fight the panic and hysteria that seems to be circulating on social media. If you need support, ask for it, we’re here to help.

A lot happens in a year — 365 revolutions around the sun — and we can be proud of the progress our communities have made through the past four seasons. It is our time to shine, North Fraser communities. Let us be the best we can be — and bijou will walk alongside you, capturing these amazing stories for future editions. We know there will be a lot of them in the coming weeks.

Thank you for letting us be a part of your journey. Spring has sprung, so let’s enjoy this renewal of spirit and just appreciate all we have at home in our communities at this difficult time!

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Need Fuel in the Tank?

TALK WORDY TO ME + WORDS BY RONDA PAYNE

Books will fill you up If inspiration is lacking while selfisolating or being quarantined, use a book to lift your spirits.

W

ith the holiday season long passed and the weeks laid out in a dreary blur of rain, enthusiasm tends to take a dip. Yet, these first few months of 2020 are critical for feeling optimistic and establishing a great year ahead.

If it’s time to embrace goals like starting a business, getting out of the house more, creating a healthier lifestyle routine or meeting new people, start with a healthy dose of inspiration to fill up the tank and build some excitement around those things first. Books are a beautiful source of fuel and there’s one out there that will speak the right message to you.

Former mayor, business leader and lifelong Maple Ridge resident Ernie Daykin had a number of suggestions for books that lift spirits.

“I picked this one up in an airport going to a building supply trade show,” he says of Letters of a Businessman to His Daughter by G. Kingsley Ward. “There are lessons and life principles in that book that inspired me in my married life, as a parent to my daughter and son, towards the community, in business interactions and in elected life.”

Ernie says when he was a business owner the busy state of life made him feel he was selling his kids short. This book showed him ways to encourage his daughter in what was then a male-dominant workforce. Now, Ernie’s wife and daughter run their own successful pie-making business and he is their shameless promoter.

Laura Butler, resident of Maple Ridge for 26 years and executive director for Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation, also had a couple of recommendations to share. The first is The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg.

“It’s a charming story of undying love, letting go, finding purpose and moving on,” she says. “Sometimes family is not related. You can build your own and hold them close. We all deserve an Arthur in our life.”

For Ernie, his background showed him that family is gold and some10

SPRING 2020

thing to be treasured. In Nine Lessons I Learned From My Father by Murray Howe (Gordie Howe’s son), Ernie had many of his life lessons confirmed.

“Gordie Howe may have been one of the great hockey players to lace up skates, but in the Howe household, greatness was not measured in goals and assists. It was measured by being the best person you could be,” he explains. “The inspiration has been for me to live generously, to be fair, to treasure family and friendships, to be humble and always stay positive.”

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is Laura’s second inspiring book. Interestingly, it’s a novel, but done in the style of an oral interview.

“Set in the tumultuous sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll 1970s. Love, betrayal, jealousy, broken hearts and broken souls. It’s everything you need to make great music,” says Laura.

The book is an incredible feat from Jenkins Reid in that she wanted to immerse people in the experience rather than have them feel as though they were reading a novel. Daisy’s confidence will inspire people while also providing a cautionary tale.

A friend of Ernie’s gave him Family: Moments, Intimacy, Laughter, Kinship, a photo essay of world-wide images, while he was at city hall. That friend wanted to help Ernie retain balance and keep his eyes on what is truly important in life.

Sometimes all the guru videos on YouTube just aren’t enough.

When life is filled with challenges and inspiration is lacking, get to a bookstore or shop online for something new and different to fill up the tank.

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LOVE AT FIRST BITE + WORDS AND PHOTOS BY LUPITA CORONA

CORONA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

A Taste of Mexico in Mission, BC

O

wner and chef Lupita Corona is from Mexico City and started cooking with her grandma when she was just five years old. Her grandma used to sell quesadillas at the local market and built a reputation for her incredible food. She was popular with famous local artists, politicians and even the president.

Lupita continues this tradition cooking the food of her homeland in Mission. Encouraged by her family to share this talent and open a restaurant located in the Junction Mall in Mission, Corona’s is a warm, inviting space, bright and rich with the colours of Mexico.

Our Mexican street food represents the best of traditional cooking. The scent of these familiar dishes draws hungry diners to experience the unique richness of flavours that emerges in traditional cooking techniques. Our house menu and daily specials introduce customers to some of the more unique Mexican dishes.

Each dish conveys both deeply satisfying tastes and a delicious warm feeling of a place we call home. Either way you’re in for the ultimate taste of Mexico… Corona’s style!

Pico de Gallo Ingredients 3 yellow or red onions 12 Roma tomatoes (slightly under-ripe is fine) 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves 2 to 3 jalapeños 1 lime Salt Directions: Dice up equal quantities of onion and tomato.

Roughly chop the cilantro. Now, slice one or two jalapeños in half.

With a spoon, scrape out the seeds. (If you like things spicy, leave in some of the white membranes.) Dice the jalapeños very finely; you want a hint of heat and jalapeño flavour, but you don’t want to cause any fires. Now dump the four ingredients into a bowl.

Slice the lime in half and squeeze the juice from half a lime into the bowl. Sprinkle with salt, and stir together until combined. Be sure to taste the pico de gallo and adjust the seasonings, adding salt or more diced jalapeño if needed.

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Sopa de Tortilla - Tortilla Soup Ingredients Fried Tortilla Strips: 3 cups (375 ml) canola oil to fry the tortilla strips 4 6” (15 cm) corn tortillas, cut into 3/8” (1 cm) strips Soup: 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) canola oil 1 small Spanish onion, diced 6 Roma tomatoes, diced 6 dried guajillo chili peppers, seeds removed 8 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups (1 litre) no-salt-added chicken stock 1 bunch cilantro 1 bunch fresh epazote (if you can find in a local market) 1 1/2 tsp. (7 ml) salt Garnish: Queso fresco, crumbled Lime slices Chicharrón (pork)

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Directions: Fried Tortilla Strips: In a large pot over medium-high heat add canola oil. Using a thermometer, bring oil to 350°F (175°C). Add tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Remove strips with slotted spoons and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining strips.

Soup: In a non-stick pan, add 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, tomatoes and sauté for 5-7 minutes. In a medium-sized pot of boiling water, add guajillo chili peppers. Cook until fork tender, about 7-10 minutes. Drain. Place softened guajillo chili peppers and sautéed vegetables in a food processor. Purée until smooth. Pass puréed mixture through a sieve and reserve any liquids. Discard fibrous mixture once liquid is removed. In a large pot add reserved liquid and chicken stock, heat on medium-high and bring to a boil. Create a bouquet garni of fresh cilantro by tying together a bunch with kitchen string. If using fresh epazote, create a bouquet garni of epazote. If using dry epazote, create a sachet of epazote by adding 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) of dry epazote to a loose tea bag. Tightly tie end of bag. Add fresh cilantro and fresh or dry epazote to soup mixture. Allow herbs to steep in the mixture, removing after 5 minutes. Turn down heat on soup and continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes. Season with salt. Serve soup by topping with crumbled queso fresco, crispy tortilla strips and chicharrón with a wedge of lime.

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SPRING 2020 13

Dreami n g i n CustomColour Custom home and renovations business built around what today’s homeowners really want: personal customizations, high-quality materials and hands-on customer service. + WORDS BY LISA MANFIELD + PHOTOS BY OLIVER RATHONYI-REUSZ

I

t’s not every day you hear about a developer pushing for fewer units in a multi-family complex. But that was exactly the vision Camilla Brown and Rick Schmohl had for Eleven on Cross, a new townhome complex in Balsam Creek, Maple Ridge, designed and developed by the couple through their West Coast Dream Homes Ltd. company.

The 11 townhomes are highly customizable so owners can tailor them to their tastes.

“We’ve allowed people to change floor plans and rooms, in addition to choosing their finishes,” Brown says. “Everything in the complex is high-end. It’s one of the things we’ve been known for … we’re a quality, high-end, design-build

“We had to justify why we wanted lower density than what the professionals were suggesting the city wanted,” Brown says. “But we wanted to make sure we were able to create something that was a unique high-end townhouse.”

custom builder.”

Brown’s vision for Eleven on Cross has been in the making since she spotted the lot eight years ago.

“We did a build in that area and beside

The customizable luxury townhomes cater to downsizers looking to maintain their quality of life on a smaller scale.

“People come from beautiful homes to downsize but can’t find anything similar to downsize into,” Brown says.

The new gated community, which opens to residents this summer, changes that.

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the house was a beautiful greenbelt — just over an acre of land,” she says. “It took some years before the land went to market, then we jumped on it and tried to recreate it into a downsizer lifestyle property. We’d been doing smaller developments throughout Maple Ridge — turning one piece of property into two — but this was a bigger piece to bite off.”

SPRING 2020 15

A Foundation Decades Deep While Eleven on Cross is their biggest project to date, the couple behind West Coast Dream Homes has decades of experience they’ve built on — literally — creating beautiful homes since the early ’90s.

“Rick started in construction doing exterior renos with his father in North Vancouver at 12 years old,” Brown says. “He later moved to Maple Ridge, bought a house and continued working with his father.

Eventually people started asking them to remodel their bathroom or put in an additional bedroom, and so it morphed into a renovations company when Rick was in his 20s. Then customers started asking if he would build them a house. The growth has all been customer-driven.”

“PEOPLE COME FROM BEAUTIFUL HOMES TO DOWNSIZE BUT CAN’T FIND ANYTHING SIMILAR TO DOWNSIZE INTO.”

Brown joined the company after the birth of their first daughter, and today the duo oversees the award-winning company with seven employees and work spanning from the Lower Mainland to Whistler.

“Since 2005, we have primarily been building custom homes and doing large-scale renos, though we still do some small-scale renos,” Brown says. “And we’ve gone from being home-based to moving into our commercial space in 2016.”

With 15 to 25 projects underway each year at various stages of progress, their portfolio is extensive. But one project from 2018 stands out.

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“We completed a renovation on a 1960s split-level home on the west side of Maple Ridge,” Brown says. “It was in need of some serious TLC, and we turned it into a West Coast modern contemporary home. We ended up as both an Ovation Award winner and a Georgie Awards finalist for the project. But we did it to show people what we could do in Maple Ridge,” she adds. “Back then, people didn’t see Maple Ridge as a place where they could capture their return on their investment.

This project was a loss leader for marketing purposes, and then the market took off and it ended up as a showpiece.”

While the company works primarily in Maple Ridge, it has also built homes in North Vancouver and does work in Burnaby, Coquitlam and Whistler, where it also has an office. Brown and Schmohl also operate an offshoot company called West Coast Dream Garage, which focuses on custom garage design and renovations.

“Garages are typically overlooked,” Brown says. “So we went into an organization renovation business in 2008 specializing in garage flooring and organization.”

“We’ve had a slow and steady pace of growth and we’ve focused on serving the custom homebuilder platform and being involved with people from the design-build perspective. The construction side of design is often overlooked. Actual site conditions often require more of a consultative side of design. So we go on site and ask ourselves, ‘Can we make this happen?’ which is a bit of a different approach.”

Brown also takes pride in repurposing existing structures as much as possible.

“Instead of knocking down we try to repurpose,” she says. “It’s a great way of recycling. We can do a lot of things with older architecture, and renos are our passion because you really have to use your brain.

When we build today, we’re given blueprints and engineers tell us how to build,” she adds. “But with renovations, you may have a supporting wall that has to stay, for example, and you have to make it look amazing. You need to be more creative. For example, I would rather work with people who enjoy the colour purple rather than beige.”

Industry Standouts

Working directly with customers this way has served them well.

Two things that set West Coast Dream Homes apart from competitors are its strategy of slow growth and its focus on sustainability.

“I think people are hungry for the customer services side of this business,” Brown says. “We’re a design team and you have the reassurance that whatever your vision, we’ll make it work.”

“Our company motto is ‘don’t be greedy, be grateful,’” Brown says.

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BC Summer Games are coming to Maple Ridge!

When the sun rises over the mountains this summer, Maple Ridge will come to life with young athletes from around British Columbia.

Watch as these athletes share their vision of competitive sport and discover how determination, focus and spirit, will bring people together.

Discover your vision

This beautifully illustrated Spirit bear was created just for our BC Summer Games by Trenton Pierre (sɬə́məxʷ) see page 36 to learn more about the artist. www.rainawakens.com

Be a part of the games. Volunteer with us! register here | bcsummergames.ca

+ WORDS BY LISA MANFIELD + PHOTOS BY ALFONSO ARNOLD 20

SPRING 2020

WALKING RAPTORS

with

Couple aims to educate public through bird-of-prey programs

K

aren Kamstra’s lifelong love of birds led her to create Raptors Ridge, a bird-of-prey facility that gives people the chance to take a raptor for a walk.

When you spot a raptor — an eagle, hawk, falcon or owl — spreading its majestic wings and swooping down from the sky, that moment can be pretty magical. But for Karen Kamstra, the true magic is in working with a bird of prey perched on your fist.

“It’s very personal,” she says. “It’s really hard to explain.”

What started as a love of birds for Kamstra and her husband Kim turned into Raptors Ridge Birds of Prey, their Maple Ridge-based facility that offers educational programs as well as a safe place for working birds to retire.

“We’ve received birds that have worked in the bird control industry,” Kamstra says. “Farmers hire licensed falconers to fly a falcon or hawk over top of their fields to keep other birds away from their crops. But the birds get to a certain age where they can’t do the same work they used to.”

Kamstra, too, was originally involved in bird control work before opening the facility with her husband 14 years ago.

“We started Raptors Ridge with two birds and it escalated quickly,” she says.

Today they house 28 birds, some of which have been retired from commercial operations.

“We’re like a retirement facility for these birds,” Kamstra says.

“All the birds we have on our property except for three were born and raised in captivity, and it’s illegal to release them back into the wild — they wouldn’t survive.”

But retirement isn’t all relaxation for these birds. The couple has put them back to work for educational purposes, offering programs that enable visitors to experience the magic of these raptors in their natural habitat.

“People can come and hold a bird and go for a walk through the forest with the bird on a glove,” Kamstra says. “Then they can fly the bird at the end of it.”

Kamstra’s desire to provide an intimate experience means she’ll only take two or three people out at a time.

“I want them to enjoy themselves,” she says. “I don’t want them to be in front of a crowd feeling exposed. It’s very personalized.

Every time someone comes here it’s like a first time for me,” she adds. “I remember the first time someone held on to one of our birds and it was impressionable.”

Her programs provide education about the birds as well as a demonstration of how to handle them, and Kamstra personally selects which bird goes with each visitor for their walk through the forest.

“The birds we use are called Harris’s hawks. They’re the best bird for this program because they’re very intelligent,” she says, adding, “They’re about 15 inches tall, so you have this amazing raptor sitting on your fist, ready for their experience.”

If you’re feeling apprehensive about the idea of carrying a bird of prey, fear not. Kamstra insists they’re amazing with people.

“They will sit while you go for a walk-about. If they feel you’re apprehensive, they may shift around a little bit, but as long as you do everything we ask you to do, you will have an amazing experience.”

SPRING 2020 21

“WE’RE LIKE A RETIREMENT FACILITY FOR THESE BIRDS. ALL THE BIRDS WE HAVE ON OUR PROPERTY EXCEPT FOR THREE WERE BORN AND RAISED IN CAPTIVITY, AND IT’S ILLEGAL TO RELEASE THEM BACK INTO THE WILD — THEY WOULDN’T SURVIVE.”

Taking Flight in the Community While the birds are majestic to hold — and to behold — it’s the educational component that’s so important to the couple. That’s why they also take their birds out into the community to fill what they refer to as a void in the educational sector.

They focus their talks on the importance of preserving and protecting bird habitats, on healthy feeding principles and on co-existing peacefully together.

“They live here amongst us,” Kamstra says. “It’s not us or them; we’re all intertwined. So making environmentally friendly areas for the birds is important.”

So is ensuring their food supplies aren’t tainted by poisons.

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“We feed our birds specific food because I want to make sure their food is 100 per cent clean,” she says. “If you let the birds hunt and someone uses a pesticide, they could die. Or, if a raptor eats mice or rats poisoned by rodenticide, it’s also usually fatal. Eighty per cent of most wild raptors don’t make it to one year of age.”

The couple also takes their raptors to school classrooms and birthday parties.

“Kids are super fascinated,” Kamstra says. “We visit many classrooms ranging from preschool all the way up to universities.”

And every summer they head to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park to interact with tourists and answer questions.

“Last summer we saw 5,000 to 8,000 people every day. Most people are fascinated with meeting the raptors, and inspired to gather insight about them. Our goal is to teach people to stop, look and listen to better understand nature. And we find that most people really do care about the welfare and well-being of animals and how we can improve our understanding on how they live and survive.”

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Meating THE

‘‘

’’

PLACE

One family business has been feeding the local community for generations + WORDS BY SHERI RADFORD + PHOTOS COURTESY HOPCOTT MEATS

I

t’s not everyone who can spend every day working with family — and love it.

Jenn Hopcott and her brothers, Travis and Brad, are the third generation to work at Hopcott Meats.

“My dad did that kind of diabolically,” she says with a laugh. “To give all his children jobs, so we don’t move away.”

But the situation suits her fine. She leaves the farming to her brothers — “I don’t like working outside,” she admits — and stays inside in her role as operations manager. “We’ve found that if everyone has their own role, their own position, then it works.”

In fact, the biggest problem the family faces is “trying to separate business and pleasure.” They have to remind themselves not to spend all their leisure time talking about the business. But there’s much to discuss, given how Hopcott Meats keeps expanding and evolving.

It all started back in 1932, when Fred and Jane Hopcott purchased a plot of land, cleared it and turned it into a dairy farm. For the next 25 years, Fred focused on dairy but dreamed of one day raising beef cattle, which were more expensive. Eventually, in 1957, he was able to sell off the dairy herd and follow his passion. His son, Bob, inherited this enthusiasm for beef. Bob has been living and working on the farm since he was a kid.

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THE FAMILY PRIDES ITSELF ON CONTRIBUTING TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. THEY ENJOY SHOWCASING THE BEST FROM GROWERS AND PRODUCERS AROUND THE LOWER MAINLAND, HELPING ALL THE “LITTLE MOM-AND-POP OPERATIONS THAT NEED AN OUTLET FOR THEIR PRODUCTS.”

SPRING 2020 25

Jenn says of Bob, her father, “He’ll never really retire. Farmers never retire.”

stopped importing Canadian beef, leaving Hopcott Meats and other small farms in dire straits.

Over the years, Hopcott Meats has earned a well-deserved reputation for producing high-quality beef. The cows are purchased from just three ranches in BC and then raised on the farm.

“My dad wasn’t sure how the farm was going to survive,” Jenn says.

“We had no outlet for the beef.”

“We don’t go to auctions. We know exactly where they were born.

We know exactly what they’re being fed, how they’re cared for,” Jenn says.

The cows do not receive hormones, steroids or antibiotics. And the beef is dry-aged for 28 days, which Jenn calls an “old-school way of doing things” that costs more but results in naturally tender meat.

“And it just adds another depth of flavour,” she says. “People that buy our beef comment that it’s not like any beef they’ve tasted before.”

The business has had its ups and downs. Probably the biggest challenge happened in the 1990s, when news about mad cow disease was splashed across headlines worldwide. The United States 26

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Fortunately, Ocean Spray came to the rescue. Bob heard that the coop was looking for more acreage for cranberry bogs, so he converted 70 acres of cornfields to grow cranberries.

“My dad always hates to admit that the cranberries are what saved the farm,” Jenn says. “The cranberries are a paycheque. The beef is his passion.”

Over the years, the business has changed in other ways, too. Children rejoiced when a corn maze, a petting zoo, rides and pig races were added. Adults were drawn to the old-fashioned shop, added in 2006, and its impressive selection of local meat, dairy and produce. Five years ago, the family expanded the shop to almost double its previous size. This meant much more room for local products, as well as the addition of a sit-down bistro and a spacious patio, ideal for lingering on summer evenings. On-site cooking classes make good use of the local bounty. The

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farm also hosts weddings and other special events, which are organized by one of the newer family members: Brad’s wife, Rachel.

The business has seen countless food trends come and go. Buying local has become popular in recent years, but it’s always been a guiding ethos of Hopcott Meats. The latest trend is the keto diet, which actually fits in well with many of the shop’s product offerings, since the family tries as much as possible to sell food that is low in sugar and salt, and free of nitrates, preservatives and fillers.

But, for the most part, Jenn says they ignore food fads and trendy diets: “It’s just about eating healthy.”

The family prides itself on contributing to the local community. They enjoy showcasing the best from growers and producers around the Lower Mainland, helping all the “little mom-and-pop operations that need an outlet for their products.” Plus the company holds special events such as long-table dinners to raise funds for Alisa’s Wish Foundation, a charity in Maple Ridge that helps youth who are victims of abuse.

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When asked what the future holds for Hopcott Meats, Jenn says she foresees more online sales, home delivery and catering. But she crushes the hopes of many a Vancouverite foodie by declaring that a second location is not in the works, even though “it would probably do well. But it’s not our goal to create some kind of massive franchise.

That’s not who we are. We want to keep things here on the farm.”

For the Hopcott family, “here on the farm” seems to be the secret of their enduring success.

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ART SUCCESS THE

OF

A CIVIL ENGINEER FINDS HIS LIFE’S PURPOSE — IN SPRAY PAINT

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+ WORDS BY SHERI RADFORD + PHOTOS BY ALFONSO ARNOLD

I

t was never Trenton Pierre’s plan to become an artist.

As the youngest of five brothers, he felt like he was living in some “big shadows.” And as a member of the Katzie Nation, who grew up listening to horrific tales of his father’s residential-school experiences, Pierre always felt a duty to prove that First Nations people are as smart and capable as anyone else.

“It made me want to do something big with my life,” he says.

He decided that civil engineering was a worthy career, and from a young age he worked hard to follow that path.

Though he never obtained his P.Eng. professional licence, his eagerness to learn and his willingness to work long days meant he excelled quickly.

He even taught himself how to read complex drawings: “I could see construction drawings in 3D, even though they were just on flat paper.” His artistic brain was already revealing itself.

By his early 20s, Pierre was overseeing multi-million-dollar highway and bridge projects all over the province. He was well-respected in his industry and earning a handsome salary. According to society’s usual markers of success, he should have been happy. But he wasn’t.

“I was stuck in a funk,” he says. “I missed home. I realized I’d been working so hard on this career that I’d never really taken the time to breathe.”

With his employer’s blessing, he moved back home and started working on different types of projects, which allowed him to learn new skills. He also saw his family more.

“It was getting better, but I still felt super empty,” he says.

“I was just numb.”

One evening, while scrolling on his phone, he came across a video of spray-paint artist Porfirio Jimenez. Pierre watched the video at least 10 times.

“It was the first time my heart fluttered for anything like this,” he says.

Never one to hesitate, Pierre immediately went to Home Depot and bought cans of spray paint. Then he headed to Michael’s for a canvas, but the store was closed. Undeterred, Pierre pulled a piece of art from his own wall and

painted it white, turning it into a canvas. He stayed up half the night painting a “deer overlooking these misty mountains with a meteor-shower sky.”

Finally, it was finished. “I leaned it up against a wall, and I just started bawling my eyes out.” He spent hours staring at it, until he realized he had to leave for work soon. “I’d been up all night painting and crying, wondering what this is.”

Very quickly, he figured out what it all meant. “I think this is what I want to do with my life. I want to be an artist.”

The first person he told was his father, who defied every parental stereotype by offering encouragement: “You have to do what your spirit wants.”

Two days after creating his first painting, Pierre quit his job, abandoning the career he’d spent eight years pursuing.

“I hung up my hard hat. And then I picked up the spray can.”

Both of Pierre’s parents supported this decision, but his brothers thought he was crazy. He laments that society constantly reinforces the message that “an artist isn’t going to make it,” noting that schools usually treat art as an afterthought, not as a possible career path.

Just like Pierre taught himself how to be a civil engineer, he also taught himself how to be an artist. He began studying YouTube videos and “pumping out” paintings.

“I wanted to modernize traditional Native artwork, but make it my own way.”

It wasn’t long before a big opportunity presented itself. At a meeting of elders, his proud father told everyone about his paintings. One of the other elders was a principal who needed a mural for her school. After looking at photos of Pierre’s work, she offered him the gig.

“Six months after I quit my job, I got my first mural contract and I sold my first large-scale painting.”

He’s been working in schools and universities ever since, creating murals, teaching students how to spray paint, and delivering motivational talks. For each school mural he paints, he awards a $500 bursary to a student who needs a “little extra help to reach their goals and dreams.”

SPRING 2020 37

Artist

“I LEANED IT UP AGAINST A WALL, AND I JUST STARTED BAWLING MY EYES OUT. I’D BEEN UP ALL NIGHT PAINTING AND CRYING, WONDERING WHAT THIS IS.”

He plans to help 6,000 students across Canada, “in honour of the 6,000 children that died in residential schools” and “were robbed of their dreams.”

It may sound like Pierre’s art career has been all smooth sailing, but he’s had setbacks. One city initially rejected one of his designs for looking “demonic.”

Having his artwork evaluated through a religious lens infuriated Pierre: “My people come from generations of attempted genocide, generations of being called demons and heathens.”

Plus, another local city used some of his artwork without compensating him. Pierre scoffs at the explanation offered, that exposure would be good for his career, noting that no one ever uses this line on a mechanic. Fortunately, Pierre won both of these battles.

In the four years since creating his first painting, Pierre has accomplished more than many artists do in a lifetime, but he’s not slowing down.

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He has big plans for the immediate future, from competing in the Olymp’Arts to writing a book to launching a YouTube channel.

His life has changed in other ways, too. He now embraces that he’s two-spirited: “I think artwork has made me brave enough to fully accept who I am.”

And he feels more connected than ever to his parents, who divorced when he was four years old, and credits his artwork with bringing the three of them closer together.

When asked what advice he’d give to a young artist, Pierre doesn’t hesitate. “The only person that can tell you no is you. It’s not your mom, your dad, your relatives, teachers, friends or anybody that you know. The only person that can tell you no is you. Your dreams are yours, and you must go for them.”

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A

s an immigrant to Canada at age six, tell me a little bit about your life in Holland and what you remember about immigration as a child?

My family immigrated from Holland in the summer of 1953, and things were difficult for my parents Peter and Dorothy Meijer. With four small children, the oldest being six years old (me) and the youngest a 10-month-old baby, life was a struggle.

I remember a bakery in a small town called Poeldijk where my father, a master baker, and mother operated a wonderful little store. I still remember the bread smells and the giant vats of liquid chocolate to make the Easter goodies. In fact, I can recall falling into one of the vats and my startled parents thinking this was very funny. We were a happy family, but I remember living in cramped quarters above the store with my father’s two sisters and it being a bit damp and often cold. One of my little brothers had bad lungs and so he was sick a lot.

There was still a real “social” system at this time in Holland. My father came from an upper-middle-class family and had married someone whom many of his siblings felt was beneath his social standing: a girl from the farm district. I remember there was always a bitter battle over this and so times being what they were — a financial struggle, cramped living quarters and my mother being continually criticized for her lack of social graces — and with the promise of a new and better world for the family, my parents decided to immigrate to Canada. The sponsor was from Haney, BC and we arrived in late August of 1953.

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I remember saying goodbye to aunts and uncles on the docks in Amsterdam and one of my aunts giving me a small doll and doll suitcase with handmade clothes. The crossing was brutal. The weather was fierce in the north Atlantic and we were in one small cabin. My father never left his bed for the five-day crossing and so it was up to my mother to care for four small children, the youngest in a small iron crib that needed to be secured against a rolling ship.

When we landed, we boarded a train for the five-day journey across Canada. Unfortunately the train was a converted cattle car, so it had wooden benches along either side, no windows and no toilet or water facilities.

Arriving in Haney was another journey. We couldn’t speak English and lived in a one-bedroom house with such a tiny kitchen the fridge needed to sit on the front porch. My father was unable to find work, as most folks thought he was German, and he ended up doing manual labour at the lumber mill and always got the worst shifts, of course.

I remember it was a tough first year but I suppose a lot of folks had nothing. But that first Christmas was happy and a big beautiful Canadian doll was left for me by Santa.

With both of my parents working hard to make a living and two new babies in the house, we all had to grow up fast, taking on many grownup responsibilities from the age of six. And so by the time I was 16 years old, I was ready to make my mark on life. The one thing I had learned was respect for my hard-working parents. You needed to work ethically

and hard if you expected to accomplish things in life, and family and religion were the most important things in the world. My dad taught me that “No man is an island and you are put on this earth to help your fellow man.” To this day I believe this and hope I have inspired others to feel the same way.

You have travelled around the world, and lived in Australia, England, Holland and Ontario as an adult.

What have these experiences given you?

On to the next chapter. At 18 years old, I had left school, moved to Vancouver, met my adventurous husband and was on a boat to Australia. We then spent one year in England and a year in Holland, where we had lots of adventures. It was a great life experience, meeting new people from other cultures, but Canada was still home and so back we came to live in Toronto. Seven years later we had two children — Laurel and Brent — and moved to Ottawa to open our own business. However, the winters were long and cold and we decided the West Coast was really where we wanted to be and we have been here for 35 wonderful years.

You were instrumental in the startup of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Can you tell us about the journey you took and what you are most proud of in this role?

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice — an absolutely heaven-sent facility.

When our son Brent was 14 years old he was diagnosed with bone cancer. His left leg was removed and he endured one year of gruelling chemotherapy. One of his nurses at BC Children’s Hospital was there for us day and night and through that year we became very close. She told me about a wish to have a hospice for children like the one she had worked at in England. Later that year, the children’s hospital was gifted a very large home in Shaughnessy and the dream became a reality.

I encouraged the Real Estate Board to get involved to raise monies to convert this home to a hospice facility and worked with a ton of other wonderful volunteers to raise the needed monies. It was a huge amount.

And then the heavens again stepped in and the Canucks became involved — hence Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. It is a godsend for the end of life for children and their families. I know because of personal experience — not with my brave son who has survived cancer-free all these years — but another close family member.

You have said that your son is your hero, and that our children teach us so much about ourselves. If you were to give any advice to parents today, what would that be?

My children — my greatest joy — have taught and continue to teach me so much. My daughter Laurel continually teaches me that you need compassion for those less fortunate and that there are always varying opinions in every situation and mine isn’t always the right one. I am so Dutch in that regard.

My son Brent is my inspiration, showing me how to be happy and grateful for all that we have and that “anything that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Considering the challenges that he has overcome he is amazing with his daily positive attitude and my hero.

As a community volunteer in Maple Ridge, you have done numerous fundraisers, from barn dances that supported your son’s desire to join a ski team to cookbooks that support breast cancer awareness and Alisha’s Wish. You’ve also cycled in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, all while running a successful real estate business. How do you do it all?

Volunteering is a need for me to help and therefore most or all of the volunteer fundraisers started with the “need” to help raise awareness and/or monies. A disabled ski team that my son belonged to needed equipment and funds to compete in the Winter Paralympic Games.

The Best of Christmas cookbook was a healing journey for me as I had just lost my best friend to breast cancer and the book was dedicated to her while raising monies and awareness for more research.

Volunteering as an ambassador for Alisha’s Wish is just something I need to do to help children who were victims of sexual abuse. It’s not a lot, but again, if everyone can do a little we can make a difference.

The same with helping start the Brown Bag Lunch Program. With the help of Haney Rotary Club members there are now children with lunches at school so they can learn to be positive influences in others’ lives. And the Ride to Conquer Cancer was the toughest physical thing I have ever done, but I rode with my two children and my godchildren for a husband, father and parents we had all lost due to cancer. It was and has been, up to today, the most rewarding and emotional weekend of my life.

For me, volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. I want to be involved to make this the kind of community I want my children and grandson Rocco to live in and be proud of. Receiving the Citizen of the Year award was truly an honour for me and because of that I hope to inspire and encourage others to get involved, even if it’s only a little.

Remember, “No man is an island. We are put on this earth to help our fellow man.”

Your real estate business has thrived for decades. What makes you love this industry so much and what kind of legacy do you wish to leave in the real estate world?

Real estate. I work in an industry that I love and again it’s because of a need to help clients, friends and family with the changes in their lives. I am always humbled by the trust that is afforded to me by these folks, hence my tagline “The realtor that unites hearts and homes.” I hope to leave behind the commitment I have to all those lives that I have been touched by and the integrity and honesty that are so important in today’s world.

SPRING 2020 43

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WANDERLUST + WORDS BY SUSAN LUNDY & BRUCE CAMERON

New Star Wars exhibit opens in Disneyland

S

USAN: It’s 8:59 am and I’m entering my fifth lineup of the day as my husband, Bruce, and I join a thick throng of humanity seeking early morning coffee at Disneyland in California.

To get to this point, we’ve sat in a vehicle lineup inside the Disneyland parkade — awaiting a 7:30 am opening. Next, we lined up to board a post-security-check tram, which took us to the gates, where we lined up at the gates to enter the market area of the park. The main area would open at 9 am. While Bruce jumped in line for coffee, I lined up for the “restroom” (USA speak for “washroom”).

Now joining him back in the coffee lineup, I admit I’m somewhat shocked at the crush of people. It’s a Monday morning in early February — not exactly high season. However, two weeks ago, Disneyland opened its much-anticipated Star Wars exhibit, and the gravitational pull to this new galaxy appears strong.

Bruce is not fond of lining up and over the past 90 minutes a little frown has crawled onto his face. But in this moment, 8:59 am, that cranky look has been replaced by an intense gaze at his iPhone. In fact, in the weird sort of alternate universe that is Disneyland, everyone in this lineup has suddenly gone quiet, staring at their phones, index fin-

gers poised and ready to pounce. To get yourself into the cream-ofthe-crop ride at the Star Wars exhibit — Rise of the Resistance — you need to book online from inside the park gates, right at 9 am. We’ve read that the ride takes up to 120 “boarding flights” per 12-hour day, although nothing is guaranteed beyond flight 80. So as smartphones everywhere suddenly read 9 am, there is a millisecond of silence and then whoops as people get their bookings. We have flight 99, so it looks good, but we won’t be on the ride until the end of the day. Bruce, who hates lineups but loves Star Wars, is jubilant. He’s turned that frown upside down!

We pick up our coffees (from the coffee-pick-up lineup) and head over the bridge into the “Happiest Place on Earth.” Here, I gt to listen to Bruce’s distinct hooting laughter as we careen through the air on some of the rollercoaster biggies like Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We perfect the FASTPASS service (it sounded more complicated than it is) and manage to avoid too many long lineups.

Finally, just as dusk starts to settle on the park, we get our “flight call” and head to the day’s main attraction. I’ll let the man who loves all things science fiction take it from here.

SPRING 2020 45

BRUCE: The new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction is an impressive story world that transports you into the Star Wars saga. It comes complete with stormtroopers and resistance agents who mix with the visitors, many of whom mill about with their jaws agape, snapping pictures of everything in sight. From the towering backdrops of alien landscapes to the detailed artistry of the buildings and streetscapes, this attraction is truly immersive.

I actually love the backdrops and scenery of the Star Wars saga even more than the plots, so I was really drawn to this story world. For those who love the characters, there is plenty to marvel at here, including a fully functional C-3PO interacting with visitors, Galactic Stormtroopers with E-11 Blaster Rifles, searching for rebel spies, and rebels themselves, acting as hosts at many of the rides.

If you plan well ahead of time, you can relax in Oga’s Cantina, an actual bar where it seems like Luke, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Chewbacca could walk in at any moment. If you are one of the lucky ones to have a reservation at Oga’s Cantina (it’s currently booked up two months in advance), which is set on the “moon” Tatooine, you can sip intergalactic cocktails and order alien-inspired snacks. If you want more casual fare without the wait, there is Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo. Surrounded by spacecraft and supplies, visitors here can become immersed in the story world.

Simply walking around the exhibit and taking in this hyper-realistic world is a treat for anyone, fan or otherwise, but of course, the rides 46

SPRING 2020

add a whole other intergalactic dimension. There are two main rides and one interactive app to play. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run puts you into the pilot’s seat of the famed light freighter once flown

by Han Solo and Chewbacca.

But the ride that fans must do is Rise of the Resistance, a fully immersive, trackless experience complete with a whole cast of characters herding you through the Empire’s holding cells.

An interactive app that you can download, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is a virtual labyrinth of puzzles and clues to solve.

(SUSAN: Something to do in the lineups!)

Whether you spend a few hours becoming immersed in this world, or you actively participate by going on rides and accepting missions prompted by the Disney Play app, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is sure to transport you to other worlds in a galaxy far, far away.

IF YOU GO: Plan ahead! There are lots of online articles offering tips for getting the most out of time spent at the park. Dress for success. We walked 15 kilometres in 12 hours; our comfy shoes were our friends. Layer up! The temperature fluctuated dramatically over the course of the day; also, it’s not always hot in Anaheim in winter — we needed our jackets. Stay nearby. We stayed at the Anaheim Hilton (which is within walking distance of the park). It comes with an excellent buffet breakfast, comfy, spacious rooms and super-friendly staff. hilton.com

COMMUNITY IN A BEACHCOMBER HOT TUB

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SPRING 2020 47

Ready for the Ultimate Grill Welcome back Spring with the next upgrade to your backyard paradise

APPLIANCES | MATTRESSES | AUDIO | VIDEO | GRILLS

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