December 11, 2010 The Delta Optimist A03
Express rolling to new heights
Tsawwassen couple’s model railway wonderland is once again raising money for Food on the Corner BY
DAVE WILLIS
dwillis@delta-optimist.com
The latest edition of the Christmas Express is looking like the best yet, says Tsawwassen’s Chris Read. “It’s probably our best year yet in terms of decorations and how it’s laid out,” he said, talking about the annual outdoor model railroad setup he and his wife Tracey create. The display at their Beach Grove home at 585016th Ave. has a lot more detail this year, he said, adding it took Tracey four days to do the decorating after the houses and lights were in place. There is a new viewing area around the back of the display while the setup also has some new electronics and interactive features. Read also plans to use trains powered by steam periodically. Read will be broadcasting live video over the
Chris Read says this year’s display is looking like the best yet. It’s open daily in Beach Grove until Dec. 27. Internet. He has multiple cameras set up for the web cast, including some mounted on the trains.
Like previous years, Read will be collecting donations for Food on the Corner, a Delta-based char-
ity that feeds the homeless in Vancouver. Just over 3,000 people visited the display last year and Read
PHOTO BY
CHUNG CHOW
raised about $3,400 for the charity. He expects over 4,000 visitors this time around.
He won an award at the Delta Chamber of Commerce Hats Off to Excellence gala last year for his efforts. Read said it was an honour and that he was “proud somebody recognized what I’m doing.” Rick Lewall, past president of Food on the Corner, said Read’s work goes a long way to supporting the group, which feeds about 300 homeless people each week with hot soup and sandwiches in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The Christmas Express proceeds go toward supplies and maintenance of Food on the Corner’s truck, which is about 25-years-old. The display runs rain or shine every day until Dec. 27 from dusk until approximately 10:30 p.m. Visit the Greater Vancouver Garden Railway Club website at www.gvgrc. ca to view the Christmas Express online.
Group looks to raise house of hope from the ashes The Little House on 12th Avenue Society initiates fundraising campaign after last year’s arson JESSICA KERR
Until it was claimed by fire last year, the little white house on 12th Avenue in Tsawwassen was a bastion of help, hope and healing for many families and individuals dealing, in one way or another, with addiction. The house was claimed by fire in the summer of 2009, but The Little House on 12th Avenue Society is mounting an effort to bring back “the little house that could.” For 27 years, the small house served as a meeting
place for 12-step recovery groups. Originally a family home, it was first purchased by the Corporation of Delta in 1979 where it served as a home for programs offered by Delta Mental Health and Richmond Alcohol and Drug Action Team. In May 1982, it was made available for 12-step meetings and in 2004 The Little House Society was established to oversee it. “That house existed in the heart of the community to provide a place for individuals and families to discuss and work through
addictions,” said society president Jim Stimson. Many developed emotional bonds with the house and the fire was devastating. The house became another victim in a string of arsons that summer. The damage was extensive and the municipality and the society decided the house should be demolished and rebuilt. Unfortunately, after taking the cost of demolition from the insurance money, the society has been left with less than half the money needed to build the
new facility, so a fundraising campaign has begun. The overall goal is to raise $200,000 by June 1, 2011. But, Stimson said, the society has also set several smaller goals. With $12,500 raised so far, the group hopes to raise $35,000 before the end of the month. Donations of more than $25 are eligible for a taxdeductible receipt. Stimson said the society is hoping to start construction next spring and have the new house up and running by early 2012. With a new place to call
home, the Little House Society is also hoping to expand the scope of its services. Along with offering a home for 12-step recovery meetings, the 1,600-squarefoot house will also serve as a multipurpose space for the community and as an education facility for the group. Community education about alcohol and drug abuse and addiction is a key part of the society’s goals and something it hopes to facilitate through the new house. The society is currently working on a new website
Jim Stimson that should be up and running in the new year. For more information, or to make a donation, call Jim Stimson at 778-887-1828. Donations can also be made through Delta’s parks, recreation and culture department.
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BY
jkerr@delta-optimist.com