Something Good Magazine - South Delta May 2016

VOL 01 ISSUE 05

MAY 2016

South Delta

inside Artists in the Village p 4 Local artists gather in Ladner to capture life on the canvas

Delta Collaborates p 6

Volunteer groups aim to work together to better serve Delta.

Making art work Using a diversity of abilities in life p8 SOMETHINGGOODMAGAZINE.CA

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A few words on Something Good Among the top five most commonly cited stressful things in life is death of a family member, illness, divorce and moving house.

Rounding out the top five is losing a job or looking for work.

Sarah Kelloway Publisher/Designer

Adrian MacNair Editor/Photographer

It's hard enough finding work when you are what might be considered a "typical" person, without any physical or mental disabilities.

Just imagine how much harder it is for those who fall within the broad spectrum of persons with a disability.

Although many people who live with a disability are cared for by loved ones or looked after by a caregiver of some kind, that doesn't mean they don't crave participation in the working world.

Emily Kettleson with her loving animal companion Dixon.

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Many people with disabilities don't focus on what they can't do. Like everybody else they develop their strengths where they are able.

People with disabilities often bring intangible assets to a workforce, either through their upbeat attitude or different way of looking at the world. And sometimes they really do have skills that are invaluable, skills nobody would have discovered if they didn't give them a chance.

If you have the opportunity, please think about hiring a person with a disability. It may just be the best decision you ever make.

For story ideas contact Adrian MacNair editor@somethinggoodmagazine.ca For advertising opportunities contact Sarah Kelloway publisher@somethinggoodmagazine.ca

Some good things to do

There’s always something interesting cropping up in South Delta. Check them out.

6 8

Delta Collaborates

Volunteer groups work together to better serve Delta.

Making art work

Finding employment solutions for persons living with a disability.

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Studio 30 opens doors to music

Renowned Vancouver music school expands into the Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall.

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Something Social

Get onto the bowling green and meet new friends.

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Some good things to do SUNDAY, MAY 08, 12:30 - 3:30 PM MOTHERS' DAY TEA WITH THE BIRDS Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day and Mothers' Day with an afternoon of birds & tea at Cammidge House in Boundary Bay Regional Park.

Check out interactive nature displays by the Delta Naturalists Society, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks, Boundary Pay Park Association and more. Also participate in a birding walk led by an experienced ornithologist.

SATURDAY, MAY 21 KINVILLAGE QUIZ NO 2 Due to overwhelming public demand (well a couple of people mentioned it) we are holding the second KinVillage Quiz.

We are including snacks to keep your energy levels up. Cash bar is open at 6:30 pm and the quiz will start at 7. All the popular subjects plus a couple of new ones including "Name that Tune". Teams of 4 at $40 per team including snacks. Telephone KinVillage on 604-943-0225 to enter your team with team name. Please send cash/cheques made payable to “KinVillage Community Centre” at 5430 – 10th Avenue, Delta, V4M 3X8 marked “Quiz”.

All proceeds from the quiz will go to the KinVillage Community Centre.

THURSDAY, MAY 26 • 5 - 8PM ENGLISH BLUFF ELEMENTARY ALOHA SPRING CARNIVAL Everyone welcome. Wipe out human spheres, super slide, bounce house, tumble track , face painting, auction, cake walk, food, cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn, games and prizes. Proceeds toward a new school playground.

FRIDAY, MAY 27-29 LADNER MAY DAYS Held in Memorial Park just steps from historic Ladner Village, the Ladner Pioneer May Days Fair (est. 1896) is one of British Columbia's largest free family fairs.

Featuring live bands, free entertainment, carnival rides and a beer garden for the adults (very important), the Ladner May Days Fair offers a wide variety of entertainment and activities.

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Artists in the Village Photographs and story by ADRIAN MACNAIR

P

art of the charm of walking through the cobblestoned corridors of European cities is seeing the artists, brush in hand, bringing the urban landscape to life on the canvas.

That idea is one which local artist Mary Ann Burrows would like to bring to Ladner in the form of a venture called Artists in the Village, sans the cobblestones, of course.

Employing a style called “Plein Air” painting, artists will periodically gather at various locations in the village to spend a few hours painting in full view of passersby.

“A lot of people are really interested but it's quite intimidating being open in public like that,” says Mary Ann,

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who adds that artists are by nature somewhat shy about having people watch the process.

Moreover, non-artists may not understand that what they're seeing isn't the finished product, but just one stage in a painting that requires thousands of brushstrokes.

Still, she and others who turned out for the first event in April insist that Plein Air is the way to go.

“It's the most freeing way to paint. You have to paint very quickly and balance between the techniques that you've learned and your gut intuition of what you're supposed to do with your brush. And so there's this dance between that.”

Up until Plein Air was popularized by the great 19th century artists like Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh, art used to be something mainly created inside a studio. But Mary Ann says there's a “looseness” to the form that shines through in the work of those masters.

“It was successful because the beauty of the work they did was amazing. Because when you're outside you see light as it's supposed to look.”

Not that Plein Air comes without its share of challenges.

By painting outside you have to deal with the wind and the sun and other sorts of “environmental” conditions that can influence the final product.

“A couple of years ago we were in a farmer's field and we got sprayed with manure,” says Mary Ann, who can look back and laugh now.

Mary Ann says when she began Artists in the Village she wanted not only to bring awareness to Plein Air but also create an “artists' destination” for people to come out and paint and grow the art community.

She insists that participants don't need to be accomplished to come out and paint, calling it a learning experience.

Aspiring artists can walk around and watch what others are doing and even stand beside them and learn their painting techniques.

“Because it's a process. And that's how you learn, by spending time with the canvas. So you just have to try it!”

Mary Ann says they've since been invited out to places like Westham Island Herb Farm and Wellbrook Winery to be inspired by the sights in those Delta locations.

Delta will be holding a Plein Air event July 17 for the second annual Grand Prix of Art. Registration begins May 2.

Visit GrandPrixOfArt.ca for more info.

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Delta collaborates When Chief Constable Jim Cessford retired from the Delta Police in 2015 ending two decades at the helm and 40 years of service in law enforcement, many people wished him a relaxing retirement.

But since walking away from a paid job, Jim says he gets constant requests from community organizations to coach, volunteer or speak at events. So many requests, in fact, that he's probably busier now than when he was working fulltime.

“So if you ask me how's retirement, who would know?” he says to laughter from the crowd at the 2016 Collaborate Delta volunteering summit at Delta's Town and Country Inn.

The summit's aim is to explore varying successful models of volunteer support to help increase community engagement.

Not that it took retirement for Jim to find out that volunteers play an integral role in maintaining community health and vibrancy.

He says the Delta Police don't have the funding to comfort the families for every crime or accident, relying heavily on

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their Victims Services volunteers. Jim recalls an incident where a woman was so touched by the volunteers who consoled her in the aftermath of her husband passing away in a motorcycle accident that she wrote a story entitled “Angels at My Door.”

Indeed, their dedication means Victims Services volunteers have been known to stick with a family four years after an incident.

He tells another story about a man who kept volunteering for the police year after year. When he was still doing it at the age of 97, Jim asked why. He reportedly replied, “because it looks good on my resumé.”

Jokes aside, Jim adds, “volunteers are not paid because they're worthless, but because they're priceless.”

Val Windsor, a co-chair of the Delta Seniors Planning Team and 45 year resident of Delta, says that people are increasingly seeing knowledge as having value and sharing that knowledge is as much philanthropy as donating money.

“In order to make Delta a great place to live, work and play we can't just be spectators,” she says.

A few years ago the Delta Seniors Planning team conducted a walkability study in all three communities in Delta and then presented the results to Delta council, suggesting their ideas be incorporated into new building designs and community planning.

Throughout the process they found themselves working with other volunteer groups toward a common purpose.

“The lesson to be learned in this is we asked folks outside our organization to join in,” says Val, adding that sometimes others become inspired by volunteer work and will want to join in or collaborate.

And that's something Collaborate Delta is working hard to promote, getting volunteer groups to work smarter and not harder, sharing resources instead of competing with one another.

Some volunteer groups overlap in areas of service and would benefit from working together, adds Val. For more information about the volunteer summit visit collaboratedelta.org.

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Making art work Using a diversity of abilities in life

F

Photographs and story by ADRIAN MACNAIR

or 21-year-old Tsawwassen resident Emily Kettleson, perhaps the biggest thrill of getting to work in her first job was meeting the company president.

“I never met a real president before!” says Emily, with excitement as she recalls the memory. “He wasn't like those old rocks from that landmark.”

While Century Group's Sean Hodgins isn't carved into Mount Rushmore, nor is he a former American president, he did give Emily a sterling letter of reference for her next job.

“I'm open to new jobs now,” says Emily, who was unable to follow Century Group when the company's headquarters moved to Surrey. “It might be a difficult place to get to. How am I going to get there? How am I going to get home?

It wouldn't be safe and I wouldn't want to get caught by strangers.”

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Emily is an adult living with autism who was able to find work thanks to the support of the Delta Community Living Society's Solutions Employment Services.

Rochelle Ali, who works for Solutions, met Emily two years ago during what they call the “discovery process.” This involves learning about a client's strengths, developing a resumé and handing them out to local businesses, and then facilitating an interview with an employer to customize the job so that it will work out for all parties.

“We don't look at what they can't do, we focus on what they can do, and then try and find an employment situation that would best suit them,” says Rochelle.

Emily isn't a person with a disability, but a person with a “diversability.” This new term is being used by professionals like Rochelle, who are seeking to remove the stigma of the term “disabled” in order to look at the diversity of abilities and talents among their Solutions clients.

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PHOTO: EMILY KETTLESON (LEFT) GIVES ROCHELLE ALI OF SOLUTIONS EMPLOYMENT SERVICES A BIG HUG.

“A disability is saying we're broken and we can't be fixed. With a diversability we're not broken, we just need a little extra help and care with what we do in order to be successful,” she says.

But one of the talents Jenny wasn't expecting to take off was her daughter's artwork, painting in acrylic, watercolour, pencil drawings and other mixed media.

“One of the mystery quotients to her is she has an ability to draw people in,” says Jenny. “Everyone finds her charming and delightful. I have mom brain so sometimes I don't see it.”

She won the 2014 Delta Heritage Banner Design Contest in the youth category and has since started selling homemade holiday cards at businesses throughout Tsawwassen. It's something that delights Emily to no end.

Emily's mom, Jenny Kettleson, says she had no idea what her daughter might do for work as an adult, but just takes it one day at a time.

With Emily's great personality and infectious smile, her mother says she might be a good hostess for a restaurant to welcome and seat diners at a table.

When Emily started making art Jenny wasn't sure whether it was good or whether it was her “mom brain” again. But it didn't take long before people outside the home confirmed her daughter's talents.

“I love Valentine's Day! I can make as many hearts as I want,” she says, holding up one of her cards proudly.

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Rochelle recalls the time she introduced her to Vancity Credit Union Tsawwassen branch manager Michelle Laviolette. During that meeting, Rochelle asked Emily to draw something and she whipped out a napkin and penciled a pumpkin snowman.

“She did it in less than two minutes,” says Rochelle, before Jenny pipes in, “She's always trying to close a deal.”

“Yes, she's always a seller, Emily could sell ice to an Eskimo” laughs Rochelle, before Emily interjects, “I don't work with ice, ice would be too cold.”

Michelle, however, was sold on Emily's talents right away. They worked to develop a portfolio to display her artwork and sold her Christmas cards in the branch.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Emily is that her parents didn't tell her about autism until she became an adult. Emily never realized she was different, and at first she rejected the idea outright.

“I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE INCLUSIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY,” SAYS ROCHELLE. “EVERYONE DESERVES THE RIGHT TO EMPLOYMENT. EVERYONE DESERVES

“That was something she used to struggle THE RIGHT TO NOT with because she only wanted to be with LIVE IN POVERTY.” normal people,” says Jenny. “That's not really a politically correct thing to say but we didn't actually even tell her about her issues until she was 17 or 18 because we didn't want to hold her back.”

But once Emily was placed in the Delta Life Skills Summer Fun program with other children who have

physical and mental and learning disabilities, they saw how well she interacted with her peers.

“We're just really grateful that she enjoys people. The typical autistic person doesn't make eye contact, doesn't like to be touched. She's the other way around, we call her the mauler at home,” laughs Jenny.

To help transition her into adulthood, the DCLS has taught Emily to travel alone on the bus, carry and use a cell phone, expand her art business, and interact with others who have a diversability.

Rochelle says there are many benefits for a company hiring a person with a diversability. They take less vacation and sick time because they're happy to be at work, have a happier and upbeat attitude, and raise the morale of the rest of the company.

Perhaps more importantly, it's the right thing to do.

“I think it's really important to be inclusive in our community,” says Rochelle. “Everyone deserves the right to employment. Everyone deserves the right to not live in poverty.”

Although Emily is an only child who is loved and supported by her parents, not all persons with a diversability are in the same fortunate situation.

To learn more about Solutions Employment Services visit dcls.ca.

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Studio Cloud 30 opens doors to music

As an accomplished musician Warren Dean Flandez knows what it takes to succeed in the competitive music industry. An instructor at Capilano University in their arts and entertainment management program, Warren recently released a Gospel EP that landed number two on the iTunes charts.

Known for his soul music and throwback Mo-town style, Warren originally hit the big time on the 2011 CBC show Cover Me Canada, outlasting the Simpson Brothers Band out of Tsawwassen.

Now he's expanded his successful Vancouver business, Studio Cloud 30, to the Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall to help aspiring musicians make their own mark.

Warren says he noticed that students were visiting their Vancouver studio from places like Steveston and Ladner and Tsawwassen – including two Delta Idol winners – and felt there could be a market South of the Fraser.

“We thought to ourselves, jeez, is there nothing really around like we have to offer? And we discovered that there wasn't,” he says.

PHOTO: WARREN DEAN FLANDEZ WITH HIS WIFE KAT

close to Vancouver which makes commuting to his downtown Studio Cloud 30 no problem at all.

“And just the family community. You feel safe, you feel welcome.”

For more info visit studiocloud30.com.

Warren says South Delta is “bubbling with talent” but doesn't think there are many local avenues to develop the musical arts.

“I think that maybe there just isn't that many outlets for the arts here, so I just wanted to bring that to Tsawwassen and to Ladner and all the other neighbouring areas.”

Warren says that most music schools will teach specific methods and techniques that force students to conform to that style. Studio Cloud 30 customizes lessons to fit the needs of individual students who want to learn their way.

“They may come in and want something very specific and our instructors are able to create that for them. So I think that promotes a better learning environment.”

Warren says Studio Cloud 30 doesn't just cater to children. They have a large clientele of adults and can offer professional coaching in voice, instrumental, drums, piano, guitar and violin along with other services like song-writing and stagecoaching.

Warren moved to Tsawwassen from Kitsilano with his wife two years ago after initially wrestling with the allure of North Vancouver. He ultimately decided there's more going on in South Delta.

And despite perceptions, South Delta is also incredibly

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Irish shoes are dancing dancers. Carolyn retired last July due to injuries but has competed in the World Championships.

Perhaps their top student right now is 11-year-old MacKenzie, who has begun competing in regional championships and has the opportunity to travel to the North American Championships in Orlando, Florida this year.

Starting out, class fees range from $60-80 per month for one class a week.

Soft shoes cost in a range of $75 while hard shoes cost a few hundred dollars.

When you first start competing you can wear a more plain dress but it can get quite expensive.

PHOTO: MACKENZIE, 11, IS ONE OF THE TOP IRISH DANCERS AT LADNER'S O'CONNOR O'BRIEN SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE.

If you've seen one Irish Dance dress in a competition then... you've seen only one Irish Dance dress. In fact, much like the proverbial snowflake, no two are alike.

That's according to retired professional dancer Carolyn Robinson of North Delta, now the lead director at the O'Connor O'Brien School of Irish Dance, run from the Odd Fellows Hall in Ladner.

The 28-year-old has been practicing Irish dancing for 20 years now, many of those years competing professionally.

Now she teaches a dozen children and seven adults ranging in age from four to sixty.

“Everyone's in it for different reasons,” says Carolyn. “When you're young you get into it for exercise and socializing. A lot of people are drawn to it by the fact it is a cultural dance.

Usually as people start progressing through the levels and getting better they become attracted to the competition aspect of it.”

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She was just a second grader in elementary school on St. Patrick's Day when a group of Irish Dancers came to demonstrate the style. As her father's family is from Ireland, Carolyn took notice right away.

Like Scottish Highland dancing, Irish dancing comes from Celtic roots, but that's where the similarities end.

Irish dancing uses soft shoes and hard shoes, emphasizing the “steps” in dance.

As well, hands are often on the hips or in the air in Scottish Highlands, whereas Irish dancers almost always have their arms straight at their sides whilst furiously crossing their legs and moving their feet.

“The big draw to Irish dancing is the solo performances,” says Carolyn. “It's individual, it's how hard you're willing to work, and the big draw to those majors is usually the individual solo dancing.”

Competitions are held regionally, nationally, and even on the international stage for the ambitious

“I know at the top levels they usually range from $2,000 to $3,000 each.

So there's the solo dresses for the top competitors but when they're younger or when they're doing teams they all have cheaper school costumes.”

All the music is traditional Irish dance, although some songs are for the soft shoe and some for the hard shoe. When dancers compete they will usually do one dance of each. There's also group dancing, called céilís, where teams will vie for the judge's favour in national competitions.

Irish Dance isn't just for women, adds Carolyn. Although the dance styles are similar for children, there are many world famous male Irish dancers like Michael Flatley who make the style distinct for the gender.

“Once they start getting a bit older the styles differ for men and women to suit them but the men are phenomenal to watch,” says Carolyn.

If you'd like to know more about Irish Dancing visit ocobirishdance.com.

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Something Social Photographs and story by ADRIAN MACNAIR

There are few sports in the world where a nine-year-old and a ninety-year-old can play together, but one that comes readily to mind is lawn bowling.

The Tsawwassen Lawn

Bowling Club is just getting into the swing of things for the 2016 season where they play on a natural green lawn down at Winskill Park.

PHOTO (TOP): TSAWWASSEN'S PRICILLA WESTLAKE IS A FORMER CANADIAN JUNIOR GOLD MEDAL LAWN BOWLING CHAMPION.

Like many of the members, the club's president, Pauline Mushens, began bowling after retirement in 2008. It was of little surprise that the game came naturally, as her grandfather was Southwest England and West of Scotland lawn bowling Champion.

But Pauline had never given it a try until somebody egged her on.

“One of my girlfriends,

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she and her husband used to have us for dinner and play cards and he passed away,” she recalls. “She was lawn bowling and she kept saying, 'you should come and try it!'”

with slideshow.

The Tsawwassen Lawn Bowling Club has a healthy membership, many of them seniors, but there are 12 juniors as well, one of the largest contingents of youth in any club in the province. And perhaps their most famous former junior is 20-year-old Pricilla Westlake, a former Canadian Junior gold medal champion, who recently won bronze for Canada in the 2016 World Cup in Australia.

“Some of them are no longer able to play and some of them only come maybe once a week and play maybe even a half game or share with someone because it's too much for them,” she says.

As somebody who had never been into sports she wasn't sure, but quickly fell in love with the sport right away.

A student in Kwantlen University's journalism program, Pricilla has been making the rounds on the professional lawn bowling circuit. And yet you can still find her out on Tsawwassen's green most weekends, where she has been bowling since she was 13.

While not everybody will play internationally, there are plenty of opportunities to compete with other clubs (such as Ladner) or in regional and national competitions.

But most come to the club for fun and socializing.

The lawn bowling club holds several social events throughout the year with a Christmas Party and an awards ceremony complete MAY 2016

There's also quite a bit of time before and after bowling to sit in the clubhouse and chat about life. Pauline says there's even a “social membership” for those who can't bowl for health or other reasons, allowing them to participate from the sidelines.

Many members make friends with others in the club and meet outside of the lawn bowling season.

“We've made friends here where we've gone and played cards with them over the winter,” says Pauline. “And I think that is our biggest way of getting new members, is by word of mouth. By telling people about bowling and how social it is.”

Membership is affordable at under $200 a year and all you need is a pair of flat shoes for the bowling green. Many bowlers prefer wearing light, white clothing, but it's entirely optional in this day and age.

Most members will use the club bowls in the beginning but then buy their own at a cost of $400 to $500.

For more information about the Tsawwassen Lawn Bowling Club you can find them on Facebook or head down to their clubhouse at Winskill Park.

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Home bike advantage Local cyclist sets sights on podium

In many professional sports a 33-year-old athlete would be considering retirement. In the case of Delta's Dr. Meghan Grant, she's just getting started.

A member of Team Canada's NextGen program targeting athletes for the 2020 Olympics, Meghan is aiming to represent Canada in Track Cycling in Tokyo, Japan. If all goes as planned, she'll be 37.

“I really think age is just a number,” Meghan tells Something Good Magazine while enjoying a coffee in Tsawwassen. “I think I'm healthier now, and feel better and I'm more athletic now than I was at 25 when I was in the thick of med school and my residency. I sort of want to prove that age doesn't matter and that old dogs can learn new tricks.”

Perhaps what makes Meghan's story even more amazing is that she didn't start cycling until five years ago while undergoing her medical residency at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH).

“At that time I was working 80 to 100 hours a week. So it was kind of crazy with 30 hour shifts. Surprisingly, adding cycling made me feel better and not worse. So just having some physical activity in a busy schedule made me more productive.”

Today, she's no less busy, splitting time between being a Sport Medicine Physician in Burnaby, a doctor in the emergency room at VGH, and spending three weeks at a time away

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at cycling events. Finding the optimal balance, whether on a track or in life, is still a challenge, says Meghan.

A product of Tsawwassen, Meghan grew up in the neighbourhood and graduated from South Delta Secondary. Although she lived in Vancouver during her medical residency she now lives in Ladner with her mother.

The irony of aiming for the 2020 Olympics is that it took her participation in the 2010 Olympics to become motivated in sports again. A former figure skater with the Canadian Ice Dance Theatre, Meghan “retired” due to chronic sports injuries.

However, when the Olympics landed in her backyard, Meghan was invited to participate in the Opening Ceremonies and being around athletes reminded her how much she missed being active.

It's not that uncommon for women to take up pro cycling well into adulthood. American cyclist Evelyn Stevens was an investment banker on Wall Street and left it all to become one of the top riders in the world.

says Meghan of cycling. “It's a really great sport that way. We have a lot of crossover athletes from other sports as well, like speed skating and alpine skiing.”

As a local, she's participated in the Tour de Delta road race every year since she began cycling in 2010, with a goal of improving each time out. Last year she finished in the top 20 but is shooting for the podium in 2016.

“I think it's really special to be able to do that by riding by the high school you went to. So even though my main focus is the track right now, one of these years it would be the goal to win the Tour de Delta road race. My hometown race, that would be really special I think.”

Meghan said the Tour de Delta could be quite interesting this year because with the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, some elite cyclists may use the Tour as a means of training for the big show.

For more info about the Tour de Delta happening July 8-10 visit tourdedelta.ca.

“You can still do it when you're 80,” SOMETHINGGOODMAGAZINE.CA

Something Else When Jonathan Fluevog's beloved grandmother passed away in late April at the age of 96, he was consoled by the fact he had captured her life on video.

Jonathan and his wife April are the owners of Living Family Memories, a business that revolves around creating mini-documentaries of people to leave behind for their family.

Jonathan says they called the business Living Family Memories because the story doesn't end when somebody passes away.

“It keeps going. They're not around anymore but the grandkids gets to see and hear what they were like,” he says.

“They get to understand how they fit into everything. so it's a living story.”

Both he and his wife were raised mainly by their grandparents and when they met they were excited to share stories about them. But trying to explain somebody's humour or mannerisms second hand can be challenging.

“When we were describing our grandparents and we were showing each other pictures you don't get the essence of somebody through a photograph,” says April. “You don't really get what the person was. And that's how the biographies evolved.”

Jonathan has a background in filming

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documentaries and television which made it an ideal skillset to start doing biographies of Delta residents. He says the result are these stories which delight and surprise the viewer.

Jonathan says one client who passed away had her film shown at her funeral and many close friends who had known her for 30 years didn't know some of the stories told on the video.

“It really becomes more of a celebration of life than a negative experience,” says April, adding family members are spared the agony of going up and trying to say some words without breaking down in grief.

It's also an opportunity to save a video for your grandchildren to see what your own grandparents were like, as it's unlikely they would live long enough to meet one another.

Films are about 30 minutes long but there's a lot of time that goes into development, from questionnaires that work out a story to using a teleprompter to have the participant read to the camera. The Fluevogs also collect a lot of old photographs and even film footage to supplement the movies. That process can be a fun family experience because collecting photographs can rekindle old memories of love and bonding.

Photography and story by ADRIAN MACNAIR

The couple say they've done about 30 films so far and the reasons from each client are different. Sometimes people just want to leave messages and tell stories, while others want to do a full biography to document their lives.

In recent years their business has gained traction in making executor support videos because of the strong demand from clients. While a will can determine who is supposed to get what, it doesn't always explain why.

An executor support video allows the person to explain why each person is receiving their inherited item.

“So instead of filming somebody doing a will, what if we filmed them saying what their intent behind everything is, why they're doing it?” says Jonathan.

The added bonus about filming it, he adds, is you can capture the emotion and the intent of the person. He says that's particularly important because wills can be contested in court by inheritors who feel left out, and a video can go a long way toward convincing a judge as to what the will intended.

Living Family Memories films start at $6,500. Check out livingfamilymemories.com for more info.

MAY 2016

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Something Good

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Supporting mental health in our community Please take a look at our programming for May. Fantastic programs. Something for everyone. Come learn and play with us because building community and connections supports all of our mental health.

#7 1363 56th Street, Delta | 778.434.3072 | MAY thevillageclinic.com 2016 | Something Good

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