December 19, 2013

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December 19-25, 2013 | WEVancouver.com

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Orphan Fund breaks records 6 Actor rallies for Typhoon Haiyan 7 Gifts for kids, pets 10-13 Fun food gadgets 20

Typhoon Haiyan

The mayor On the election, Vancouver’s ties with China and his personal connection with the world’s most populous country 5

Mayor Gregor Robertson.

Rob Newell photo

17th Annual

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LIFE • SPORTS • PEOPLE • CULTURE • SHOPS • SERVICES • HEALTH • LIFESTYLE • ENTERTAINMENT • FOOD

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December 19 – 25, 2013

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the week ahead Party for Violet

When legendary Vancouver actress Babz Chula was waging her spirited battle against cancer, her friends in the local theatre and film community rallied behind her and formed the Babz Chula Lifeline for Artists Society. On Dec. 19, the society and Haven Studios present a fundraiser to support actress Violet Cameron in her fight against Hodgkins Lymphona.

The event features a silent auction, performances by Kevin House and DJ Zak Santiago, “Violet Martinis,” and more. “All [Violet] wants to do is live and act and inspire others, but she needs our help to have a chance,” writes actor-director Ben Ratner on the ticketing page. At Anza Club (3 W. 8th). $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com.

Main line: 604-742-8686 Publisher Dee Dhaliwal ddhaliwal@wevancouver.com Managing Director Gail Nugent • 604-742-8678 gnugent@wevancouver.com Managing Editor Martha Perkins 604-742-8695 editor@wevancouver.com Staff Writer Kelsey Klassen 604-742-8699 kelsey@wevancouver.com Photography Rob Newell Display Advertising sales@wevancouver.com 604-742-8677 Sales Representatives Angela Meier, Shawna Kisell, Gagan Sandhu (on leave), Hilary Kaye, Kate-Lynn Flanagan, Amy Enns Classified Advertising 604-575-5555 classifieds@wevancouver.com Creative Services Robbin Sheriland, Tara Rafiq Circulation Miguel Black • 604.742.8676 circulation@ wevancouver.com WE Vancouver #205-1525 W. 8th Ave., Vancouver, BC, V6J 1T5 Facebook.com/ WEVancouver

David Wilson

Bringing light to the longest night

Fred Herzog’s photographs of Vancouver in the 1950s and 60s evoke powerful responses because he made ordinary scenes resonate. He stopped, looked and focused. David Wilson stops, looks and paints. His collection of new works at the Winsor Gallery, Construct/Deconstruct, explores colour and the manipulation of conventional settings and contexts. A car driving over a bridge, the Burrard Bridge aglow at dusk, a woman walking down a rainy street.... He makes us see our city anew, and appreciate the details which we might not realize are important in our lives. Until Jan. 11; 258 E. 1st.

There’s a reason why we need festive lights at this time of year. Otherwise we’d be far too aware of how early darkness shrouds this city, not releasing us from its grasp until morning finally wrenches us free. At the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, the winter solstice — the longest night of the year — becomes an evocatively beautiful celebration of the longer days ahead. The Chinese call it dong zhi: “the fullness of yin is the turning point as darkness gives way to the yang qualities of light and warmth, when winter waxes and spring brings warmth, light and cheerfulness into the dark time of the year.” Artistically crafted paper lanterns hang from trees and walkways, their reflected glow twinkling at us from the ponds’ surface. Start off this celebration in quiet contemplation, strolling from one peaceful (albeit crowded) idyll to the next. Produced in partnership with the Secret Lantern Society, this year’s display includes an ecofriendly life-sized horse sculpture, lit from within, and created by ESL students with the UBC Learning Exchange Program. December 21 from 6-10pm at 578 Carrall Street; $5 (cash only) or $10 per family. Julius Reque photo

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ALSO: The Roundhouse, Granville Island and Astorino’s Hall (1739 Venebles) are also celebrating winter solstice with a lantern festival from 6pm to 1am. All ages, with live multicultural music and performances. SecretLantern.org

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December 19 – 25, 2013

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The mayor and Dr. Bethune Gregor Angus Bethune Robertson talks about his famous relative and Vancouver’s ties with China today

“In established Canadian families, he went against the grain,” Gregor Robertson says about his relative, Dr. Norman Bethune, who joined the Communist party in the 1930s and provided emergency medical care on the battlefields of Spain and China. Today, Vancouver is the most Chinese city outside of China and the mayor speaks almost fluent Cantonese. He also has a Sino Weibo account.

Rob Newell photo

By Martha Perkins

I

n the 1930s, Dr. Norman Bethune did many things that shocked his very WASP family.

After a promising career as a surgeon, designing operating tools that are still in use today, he joined the Communist Party and began lobbying for socialized medicine in Canada.

He travelled to Russia and then Spain, where he signed up as a battlefield doctor during the Spanish Civil War and, learning from his experiences as a First World War stretcher bearer, earned praise for introducing the first-ever blood bank close to the front lines.

Then, in 1938, while the rest of the world was focusing on trouble brewing in Europe, he went to China, which had been invaded by Japan the year before.

Dr. Bethune worked tirelessly and selflessly treating the wounded soldiers in the midst of the fighting, also teaching others his craft and saving thousands of lives as a result. In November, 1939, he cut his finger while operating on a wounded soldier and died of septicaemia.

Chairman Mao Zedong’s essay, In Memory of Norman Bethune, became required reading for every child in China.

Growing up, Gregor Angus Bethune Robertson knew that he was named after a well-known

(and now respected) relative, but he didn’t realize how revered his paternal grandmother’s first cousin was until, at the age of 21, he travelled to China.

“For all of [Norman Bethune’s] accomplishments, they weren’t widely recognized in Canada,” says Vancouver’s mayor, who once thought he too would become a doctor. “But he’s a historical figure in China and holds a revered place in Chinese culture; he was a revolutionary looking after people.”

Asked what Dr. Bethune might think of the role his namesake is playing in strengthening cultural and economic ties with China today, Robertson says, “from books I’ve read, I understand he was very

taken with Chinese culture. He’d be very surprised that we’re the most Chinese city outside of China in the world, and how harmonious these two cultures are.”

As mayor, Robertson has travelled twice to China but rather than concentrate on his relative’s achievements in the past, he makes the link to what can be possible in the future by strengthening connections between Vancouver and China. Dr. Bethune introduced new medical concepts and technologies; Vancouver can do the same today, as the recent trade tour to China reinforced.

There’s another lesson he takes from his famous cousin: “One person can only do so much but

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teaching others had a huge impact and saved lives.”

He says that one of his goals for 2014 is to be re-elected in November so he can build on the foundation that he and his council have been working on to address issues the city’s mental health crisis and poverty challenges.

“Affordability is such a huge issue,” he says.

He’s taken to using social media to engage more people — he recently held a Twitter town hall — both here and in China. His “Chinese Twitter” account on Weibo has close to 80,000 followers.

On a more personal level, his hope for 2014 is to take advantage of his and his wife Amy’s new life

in Kitsilano. After becoming empty nesters when the last of their three children and foster son moved out to pursue their own lives, the Robertsons sold their Craftsman house in the Cambie corridor and moved closer to the beach.

“It’s been a big transition from having a busy kid-filled house for 22 years to moving and having a much quieter house,” he says. “We’re adjusting to living in a duplex.... This is a nice change of pace.”

An avid swimmer, the chilly temperatures have prevented him from taking full advantage to being so close to water, but he’s looking forward to how easy it will be in the summer to be on Vancouver’s waterfront.

At Christmas, the family will be travelling together as part of their one Christmas at home/ one Christmas away tradition.

But responsibilities will be only a smartphone message away.

Everything he does falls under intense public scrutiny, especially in a city like Vancouver where people aren’t shy about expressing what they think, good or bad.

“The best thing about my job is meeting people and experiencing our city first hand,” he says. “The complaints and challenges are tough at times when things pile up but I’m steadily reminded of what makes Vancouver great and that keeps me going.”

If you want to learn more about Dr. Norman Bethune, Gregor Robertson’s great-aunt, Mary Larratt Smith, wrote a book called Prologue to Norman: The Canadian Bethunes. (“She was a great historian and felt that stories about early families deserve to be told,” Robertson says.) Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren starred in the 1990 movie Bethune: The Making of a Hero.

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news

It is possible to be selfishly selfless

By Glen Truax

D

oes selflessness actually exist? Does giving make us happier than receiving?

What if there are strings attached, i.e. giving in order to raise one’s self-esteem?

Studies from UC Berkley’s Greater Good organization finds that giving gifts does indeed make us happier — but there’s a catch.

The studies show that the people who derived the most happiness were those who were allowed to spread the charity amongst their own social circle.

In a weird way, it’s selflessness via selfishness. We’re still benefitting from the action of giving, because the dividends are spread amongst those within our friendly boundaries.

It may also have to do with being specific. Giving money to a vast organization like UNICEF is certainly helpful, but if you know that your twenty dollars are going to a specific project (like water tanks in Somalia, or vaccines for children in Laos), you may derive more pleasure knowing that your money is not being spent on office supplies for UNICEF locations. Those pens and paper clips are certainly necessary to help UNICEF keep function-

ing, but it may not have the same impact as something as solid as a water tank.

Let’s say that you donate 10 per cent of your monthy pay to Salvation Army. This is admirable of course, but it ultimately leads to thinking that that 10 per cent is about as meaningful as EI or any other wage deduction. On the other hand, if you volunteer at the Salvation Army during the winter, you get a first-hand experience of what that money amounts to in real life.

It’s about spheres of private living. If something looms large in your private life (friends, parents, children, even people on the street), you’ll be more inclined to react to their acceptance of help or charity. If it’s just considered a pay deduction, you’ll feel about as passionate about it as, say, income tax returns.

Whether honest-to-goodness selflessness actually exists is kind of besides the point. Even if you’re nefariously contributing money, food, or labour just to make yourself feel better, the fact remains that money/food/labour has been contributed to organizations and individuals that need it. Humanity benefits, even if you’re actually the greediest, most self-involved person on earth.

The new face of charity at CKNW’s Orphan Fund

By Glen Truax

W

ith the highest child poverty rating in the country, and with charity donations declining, many families in British Columbia rely on the community coming together to help those in need.

Jen Schaeffers is one of the new leaders in the NGO world, with a blend of innovation and intelligence that has revived CKNW’s Orphan Fund.

The annual drive garnered an astounding $1.9 million this year, smashing records and topping the previous year by a solid $200,000.

Schaeffers attributes her success to maintaining a healthy relationship with corporate donors rather than depending on private individuals, who had made up the bulk of CKNW’s donors in the past. “We also profile those philanthropists, make them known to the community.”

Schaeffers has spent a considerable amount of her career as a sports marketer, but philanthropy has been a part of her life since childhood. She decided to make her volunteer work into a career choice. “I want to do something that speaks to my soul,”said Schaeffers.

The fundraiser dates back to CKNW’s relationship with a local orphanage in the 1940s. Schaeffers saw a lot of opportunity, particularly considering CKNW’s community ties. “In order to be sustainable, you need a community upswell.”

Charity may not begin at home, but it doesn’t necessarily begin with the state either. “Every year there are government cutbacks,” Schaeffers said. “And the need is increasing, not decreasing.

[Organizations] have to figure out how to get off

Jen Schaeffers puts her principles to work as the new executive director of CKNW’s Orphan Fund. government funding.”

The Orphan’s Fund helps thousands of children annually, but children and families need all of the help that they can get. “We receive 50, 60 grant requests from families, and every single story is gut-wrenching.”

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December 19 – 25, 2013

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Return to Tacloban Once Upon a Time actor Mig Macario does his part to rebuild a Filipino city decimated by Typhoon Haiyan

By Sabrina Furminger

T

here’s much that actor Mig Macario loves about the Philippines: the heat, the food, the joyful spirit of the people.

It’s a passion that has remained strong in the 43-year-old Vancouverite (who portrays Bashful on ABC’s hit fantasy series Once Upon a Time) ever since he emigrated from the Philippines in 1974 — and the reason why he spent a large chunk of his summer hiatus volunteering in Tacloban.

If Tacloban sounds familiar, that could be the lingering result of news headlines: it was one of the cities hit hardest by Typhoon Haiyan. The powerful tropical storm killed thousands and left hundreds of thousands more grieving and displaced when it made landfall in November.

Mig Macario will be back “There are no supplies, filming as Bashful in late there’s no electricity, and January. everything’s ruined,” says Macario during a recent interview in a West Broadway Filipino bakery. “If you survived the storm, you’re dying of starvation.”

But many are determined to rejuvenate Tacloban, includ-

$

ing Macario. Later this month, Macario — who previously volunteered in a Tacloban orphanage and led a group of local sponsorship girls in a theatre workshop — will return to Tacloban to assist in the recovery and rebuilding efforts.

The decision to return to Tacloban wasn’t difficult to make — “If something happens to your family, you’ve got to go be with them.” Macario watched Typhoon Haiyan’s path of destruction in real-time, via web streams of Filipino news networks as well as on Facebook, where friends and volunteer alumni converged to share stories and seek updates.

Four days passed before Macario received any kind of update on the orphanage where he’d once played with babies as well as young children battling tuberculosis of the bones.

The news — relayed second-hand — was heart wrenching: at the height of the storm, the nuns and volunteer moms stacked the cribs to the ceiling and slid the children to the top in a valiant effort to keep them out of harm’s way.

“They’re near the water, in a single-storey building, and these women of character just instinctively did something to save these children,” says Macario. And their efforts were successful: every child at that particular orphanage survived.

Macario embarks on this return journey with the blessing of Once Upon a Time’s creators. His time on the ground will be coordinated by Volunteer for the Visayans (Visayans.org), the organization that facilitated his initial Tacloban experience, and will be spent providing art and drama therapy to children.

Such therapies are essential in an area where families are struggling to meet basic needs and few resources are available to help children overcome their psychological and emotional traumas.

“I want to give the kids some sort of confidence through the trauma, and leave them with something that can have a long-lasting effect and move them towards their future.”

He’ll teach the youth to work with masks, and create art using found items. “This is an opportunity to be able to say to them, ‘You can change things, and you have a voice, so let’s keep strengthening your voice.’”

Macario will be back in Vancouver in late January to resume taping Once Upon a Time, but wherever he is on the

Earlier this year, Mig Macario volunteered at a Tacloban orphanage; months later nuns there stacked cribs to the ceiling to protect the children from Haiyan’s rising waters. Photos courtesy Mig Macario planet, he’s invested in Tacloban for the long haul. “This isn’t about being Filipino,” he says. “This is about being human.”

Macario will blog about his experiences at Migarrific.blogspot. ca. Donate to relief efforts at RedCross.ca.

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December 19 – 25,13-12-02 2013

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8:21 PM

holiday hot tickets

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EVENTS ROBSON SQUARE ICE RINK: Skaters of all ages and levels of ability are invited to skate on the provincial government’s downtown rink.

Admission is free and skate rentals are available. To Feb. 28 (800 Robson).

WINTER ART MARKET: The Museum of Anthropology’s annual sale. To Dec. 24 (6393 NW Marine Drive, UBC).

LIGHTS OF HOPE: Thousands of lights create a sense of wonder at St. Paul’s Hospital. Nightly until January 6.

STANDING WAVE

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BRETT DEAN

Maestro Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony present the exciting first annual VSO NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL, featuring Distinguished International Visiting Composer Brett Dean, and the music of numerous Canadian and international composers.

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JANUARY 18 WATER MUSIC, REDUX Bramwell Tovey conductor Raschèr Saxophone Quartet Ariel Barnes cello Joseph Elworthy cello

JANUARY 19 DEAN ON DEAN Bramwell Tovey conductor Brett Dean viola John Korsrud trumpet Robyn Driedger-Klassen soprano

JANUARY 20 SONGS OF JOY & BLISS Bramwell Tovey conductor Raschèr Saxophone Quartet

Tickets online at

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vancouversymphony.ca/newmusic or call 604.876.3434

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VANCOUVER CHRISTMAS MARKET: German Christmas market features a Christmas carousel, live entertainment, artisans and food vendors. To Dec. 24 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza (650 Hamilton). $3-$6 LUMINESCENCE: Explore the deep-sea world of fluorescent and bioluminescent light, watch Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 4D and catch a glimpse of Scuba Claus. To Jan. 22 at Vancouver Aquarium (Stanley Park).

BRIGHT NIGHTS – STANLEY PARK CHRISTMAS TRAIN: Ride the train, watch animated displays and take in two million twinkling lights. To January 5 at Miniature Railway Plaza in Stanley Park (off Pipeline Road). $5.50-$10 at www.ticketmaster.ca.

CAROL SHIPS PARADE OF LIGHTS: The annual festival showcases more than 50 boats covered with more than 100,000 lights — and delights thousands of passengers and people watching from the shore. To December 23 at False Creek, Jericho, West Vancouver, Deep Cove, and other locations. CarolShips.org for schedule.

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: A million twinkling lights combine with festive entertainment to create an immersive holiday experience. To January 4 at VanDusen Botanical Garden (5251 Oak).

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THE KING AND I: Gateway Theatre’s artistic director Jovanni Sy makes his stage debut as the King of Siam, with Barbara Tomasic as Anna. To Dec. 31 (except Dec. 23, 24, 25, 27.) 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond.

CAVALIA’S ODYSSEO: Equestrian arts, high-tech theatrical effects and the magic of theatre in a breathtaking ode to horse and man featuring 63 horses and 47 artists. To Jan. 5 at White Big Top (Olympic Village). $29.50-$139.50 at www.cavalia.net.

HOTEL BETHLEHEM: Why was the inn so full? This funny satire starring John Murphy dares to deconstruct the Nativity Story. To Dec. 22, $15$30, at Firehall Arts Centre. www. firehallartscentre.ca.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: Traditional Christmas pantomime with rousing musical numbers and audience participation (children love heckling the demon). To January 4 at Metro Theatre (1370 SW Marine). $22-$25 at www.eventbrite.com.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, AN EAST VAN PANTO: script by Charlie Demers, words and music by Amiel Gladstone and Veda Hille (Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata), this upside down version of the classic holiday pantomime— complete with bad guys, good guys, hissing and cheering. To Dec. 29 at the York Threatre. Tickets at The Cultch. com or 604-251-1363.

THE SHORTEST DAY: Free screenings of award-winning short films. Dec. 21 at The Cinematheque (1131 Howe).

UNCLE VANYA: In Anton Chekhov’s tragicomedy, Vanya’s monotonous existence is thrust into chaos when his brother-in-law returns with an irresistible new wife. December 23-January 18 at The Cultch (1895 Venables). From $18 at www.thecultch. com.

THEATRE

MUSIC

THE ARTS CLUB 604-687-1644 | ARTSCLUB.COM • MARY POPPINS: A spirited musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film. To January 5 at Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (2750 Granville). $29-$70

HOLIDAY HOORAY!: Children’s entertainers Let Your Music Shine!

With Lisa & Linda celebrate the holiday season with sing-along snow songs and move-alongs from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. December 20 at Vancouver Playhouse Theatre (600 Hamilton). $2$15 at www.vancouversymphony.ca.

• THE SANTALAND DIARIES: David Sedaris’s merrily wicked tale of his tour of duty as an elf at Macy’s Santaland.

To Dec. 21 at Revue Stage (1601 Johnstone). $29-$39

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*** CHRISTMAS QUEEN: An evil queen wants to steal Christmas but the audience has fun saving it in Vancouver TheatreSports improv comedy fairytale for the holidays. To Dec. 21 at The Improv Centre on Granville Island.

Tickets $8 to $21 at www.vtsl.com.

• IT’S SNOWING ON SALTSPRING: A Christmas tale about a disenchanted islander and his reindeer-guided trip to the North Pole. To Dec. 28 at Granville Island Stage (1585 Johnston). $29-$49

LIGHT FOR THE CHILD: musica intima presents a choral program celebrating the birth of Christ. Works

by Benjamin Britten, Kristopher Fulton, Michael Conway Baker, and John Burge. December 20 (at Christ Church Cathedral, 690 Burrard) and 21 (Ryerson United Church, 2195 West 45th Avenue). $10-$35 at www. musicaintima.org.

STAR OF WONDER: An ancient Wassail, Renaissance motet and Argentinian-inspired Christmas song: Chor Leone travels the world in song Dec. 19 & 20 at St. Andrew’s Wesley Church, 7:30pm. $15-$30. www. chorleoni.org THE FOUR SEASONS: Violinist Rachel Barton Pine in the VSO’s annual presentation of Vivaldi’s timeless classic. December 20-21 at Chan Centre (6265 Crescent, UBC).

CHRISTMAS REPRISE XI: Vancouver Cantata Singers perform holiday favourites spanning cultures and eras, and a glorious arrangement of Ave Maria. December 21 at Holy Rosary Cathedral (646 Richards). $18 at www. vancouvercantatasingers.com.

WINTER HARP: Musicians clad in medieval attire perform songs and stories. December 21 at St. AndrewsWesley (1012 Nelson). $37.25 at www. ticketstonight.ca.

FESTIVE CANTATAS FOR CHRISTMAS: Early Music Vancouver’s Bach Cantata Project Players present five leading soloists and exceptional orchestration. 3pm Dec. 22 at Chan Centre. Tickets $32-$65 at www. earlymusic.bc.ca.

DANCE GOH BALLET’S THE NUTCRACKER: More than 200 local performers will share the stage with principal dancers from the Royal Danish Ballet and members of the Beijing Dance Academy (see page 18). Music performed by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. To December 22 at The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts (777 Homer). From $28 at www. ticketmasterca.

ALBERTA BALLET’S THE NUTCRACKER: Seasonal classic features choreography by Edmund Stripe, sets and costumes by Emmy Award-winning designer Zack Brown, scores of children, and the VSO performing Tchaikovsky’s famous score.

December 28-31 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre (649 Cambie). $26.50-$85 at www.ticketmaster.ca.

OUT-OF-TOWN PEAK OF CHRISTMAS: Gingerbread village, Santa’s workshop, snowman building, reindeer, outdoor ice skating, mountaintop sleigh rides, Christmas movies. To December 24 at Grouse Mountain.

CANYON LIGHTS: Children’s scavenger hunt, gingerbread cookie decorating, sing-a-long carols, glass blowing and thousands of lights glittering across the Capilano Suspension Bridge. To January 4 (3735 Capilano Road, North Vancouver). $12$39.95 at www.capbridge.com.

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December 19 – 25, 2013

WEVancouver.com

holiday hot tickets

Countdown begins to some of the best NYE parties Vancouverites are spoiled for choice where New Year’s Eve dance parties and swanky dinners are concerned. Note: majority of events are for 21+; check with event producer before buying tickets.

NYE 2014 WATERFRONT GALA BALL: Champagne will be flowing at the largest hotel party in Vancouver. With four DJs, live countdown and midnight balloon drop, photo booth. 9pm at Fairmont Waterfront.

From $120 at TicketZone.com.

NYE 2014 @ TELUS WORLD OF SCIENCE: The iconic sphere is transformed into an ultra-hot party spot for 1,100 Vancouverites.

With two rooms of music on two floors, five bars, and bubbly. 9pm (1455 Quebec). From $80 at Twisted.ca.

SHANGRI-LA NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA: Ticket includes champagne, appetizers from Market by Jean-Georges, paparazzi media wall, and DJs Stimulant J and C-Stylez. Party begins at 8pm (1128 West Georgia). From $120 at ClubZone.com.

LE GALA 2014: Enjoy dinner, performances

by Tonye Aganaga, David Morin, and Myles Bigelow, and a live countdown to midnight in an upscale and mature atmosphere.

7:30pm at Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Hotel (1128 West Hastings). From $90 at TicketZone.com.

GATSBY NYE LOBBY PARTY: Celebrate the opulence and decadence of the 1920s in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia lobby. 23 performers including live band, cabaret and burlesque entertainment, iced vodka and caviar bar, liquid nitrogen oyster station, dancing and countdown.

8:30pm to 3am. $148 plus options for VIP celebration spaces for up to 20 guests. www.rosewoodhotelgeorgia.com or 604682-5566.

THE GATSBY GALA AT THE STATION: Travel back in time to the vibrant galas of the Roaring 20s. Featuring live music by Ten Souljers; Belgian chocolate fountains and a dessert buffet; cocktail bars and champagne stations; and themed photo booths. 8pm at Rocky Mountaineer Station (1755 Cottrell). $65 at ExperienceGatsby.com.

CELEBRITIES NYE 2014: Usher in 2014 under Celebrities’ twinkling LED ceiling with DJs Timeline, Yurie and JP Valdes, champagne toast, and hors d’oeuvres. 9pm at Celebrities Nightclub (1022 Davie). From $40 at Celebrities.Electrostub.com.

VANCOUVER NYE CLUB CRAWL: Hit four of the hottest clubs (Shark Club; Blarney Stone; Roxy; Ceili’s). Includes transportation in a party bus, VIP entry, drink specials, party favours, and Mardi Gras beads. From $30 at NewYearsEveClubCrawl.com.

NYE ELEVATION 2014: Bid adieu to 2013 from one of the best perches in the city: the Vancouver Lookout, which serves up a 360° view from 555 feet in the air. Champagne, appetizers, and two DJs. 9pm (555 West Hastings). $85 at ClubZone.com.

COMMODORE NYE: Featuring Steel Panther with guests Hillbilly Herald on both Dec. 30 and 31 and Pigeon Park on Dec. 31 only. Tickets Dec. 30 are $32.50; tickets Dec. 31 are $59.50 with $150 VIP option. www.livenation. com

DAL RICHARDS: Dal plays his 78th consecutive New Year’s Eve gig with his 10-piece band and vocalist Dawn Chubai at River Rock Resort and Casino from 8:30 till 12:30 in the ballroom. Tickets are $99 single, $179 per couple for dinner, dancing, party favours and champagne. Ticketmaster.ca FAMILY NIGHT AT MOUNT SEYMOUR: Enjoy tubing, tobogganing, two fire pits, hot apple cider, s’mores, music, live entertainment, sparklers, party hats, favours and more. 5-9pm. $10-$25 at 604-986-2261.

CREAM: DJs Tracey D and Kasha Kennedy whip revelers into a dancing frenzy at Heavens Door, a new venue in the heart of Davie Village. 9pm at Heavens Door (1216 Bute). $20 at www.cremaproductions.com.

VENUE NYE 2014: Champagne, a midnight balloon drop, dancers, hors d’oeuvres, and DJs Daryl O, DSPUN, and Blue Version. 9pm at Venue Nightclub (881 Granville). From $30 at venuelive.electrostub.com.

FIRE & ICE NYE 2014: Enjoy two themed rooms, complimentary champagne, a midnight balloon drop, hors d’oeuvres, gogo dancers, and DJ Johnny Jover. 9pm at Caprice Nightclub + LED Bar (967 Granville).

From $30 at Caprice.Electrostub.com.

WEVancouver.com

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RUTS NYE 2014: Includes free shots at midnight, a hangover doggie bag and sets include DJs Rico Uno, Geni3, Expendable Youth. 10pm at Shine Nightclub (364 Water).

From $25 at Blueprint.Electrostub.com.

WRAP UP A

ICE CREAM SOCIAL: DJs Tyler Fedchuk, Cam Dales, Trevor Risk, and Justin Gradin spin dancing tunes from the 50s and 60s.

Complimentary champagne at midnight.

9pm at Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward). $25 at TicketWeb.ca.

DEAL

PATRICK MALIHA’S NAUGHTY LITTLE NEW YEAR’S EVE: Hilarity from Patrick Maliha, Melody Mangler, Shirley Gnome, and MC Art Factora. 9pm at Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway). $20 at RioTheatreTickets.ca.

ONE NIGHT STAND VI: Annual party from 102.7 The Peak moves to the Rickshaw Theatre. Jasmin Parkin, Tyler Bancroft, Spencer Schoening, Jeff Innes, Dominique Fricot, Andrea Lo, Tariq Hussain & Adaline.

8:30pm (254 E.Hastings). $35 at HipCity.ca.

NYE AT THE ROXY: Dance in 2014 to live party music from The Bulge. 7pm at The Roxy Cabaret (932 Granville). $40 at ClubZone.com.

PRIDE OF VANCOUVER & STAR OF VANCOUVER DINNER CRUISES: Cruises include gourmet buffet, DJ, dancing, party favours and champagne toast at midnight.

Board at 8pm; depart at 8:30pm; return at 1am. $114.50 at VancouverCharters.com.

GRAND GALA NYE 2014: DJs Rawkus, J-Traxx and Bryan Nguyen host a dance party in top-floor penthouse ballroom.

Red carpet elevator entrance, champagne, countdown to midnight, and appetizers by Executive Chef Matthew Kamieniecki. 8pm at Jewel Ballroom and Catering (1475 West 8th Avenue). From $60 at ClubZone.com.

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NEW YEAR’S EVE CRUISE: Champagne and a beef tenderloin dinner while taking in Vancouver’s stunning nighttime lights from aboard a luxury vessel. Boarding at 8:30pm at 1601 Bayshore. $120 at ClubZone.com.

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT FAIRMONT HOTEL VANCOUVER: Arrival Agency and Cherchez La Femme present the first New Year’s Even celebration at the legendary hotel in more than a decade. All-night dance party includes a yummy dinner option. $110 and up. www. hotelvancouvernye2014. com. 9pm (900 West Georgia).

NYE AT THE COMEDY MIX: Laugh in the new year with Dino Archie, Sunee Dhaliwal, Ivan Decker, and Ben McGinnis. Includes buffet dinner, champagne toast, and party favours.

8pm at The Comedy MIX (1015 Burrard). $79 at TheComedyMix.com.

NYE AT YUK YUKS: Host Garrett Clark welcomes headliner Brett Martin and John Cullen. $50 tickets include show, champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres, party favours, prize giveaways and onstage countdown. www.yukyuks.com or 604-696-9857.

SOLID NYE 2014: Superstar DJ Hardwells headlines this musical extravaganza featuring Dannic, Firebeatz, Sick Individuals, and Benji, Brad & Victor H. 8pm at Pacific Coliseum (100 North Renfrew). From $115 at ClubZone.com.

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December 19 – 25, 2013

9

gift guide

The art of kids’ gifts We’ve noticed a growing trend towards thoughtfully designed kids’ gifts that can capture the imagination of adults as well. These gifts can be given to lovers of colour, texture and creativity of any age, and we’ve chosen four that we can’t take our eyes off of lately. By Kelsey Klassen

Tis the Season!

Local illustrator and avid outdoorsman Alex Walton never lost his ability to see the magic in nature. His imagination overflows with watercolours of wildlife in surreal, often comical, situations, and can be channeled into custom creations for anyone who loves the impossible. His print collection is vast and varied, with prices starting at $70 (WaltonIllustrations.com). Commissions, naturally, take longer, but hanging an original piece of art up in your child’s room that might take him or her years to fully explore is timeless. Alex_Walton@yahoo.com or 250-575-1836.

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I might be dating myself, but I remember the need-induced violence surrounding Tickle Me Elmos, so I’m not going too far out on a limb when I say kids like things that do stuff when you poke them. No need to line up in your steel-toes at 6am this time though; there’s plenty of Gummy Goods to go around. These tactile, hefty jelly gummy bear night lights light up when you squeeze their tummies. It’s as fun as it sounds, and these will add a statement to any child’s bedroom, lit or otherwise. Battery-operated, LED, designed in Brooklyn. $37, Walrus (3408 Cambie).

If you’ve ever watched a kid at work in a play kitchen, you know miniature food triggers an epic trip to the imagination station. Pretty sure minds will be outright blown if you give your budding chef tiny food in jewelry form. Lovingly handcrafted in Vancouver by Heidi Liao, My Secret Cravings are layered in delicious clay detail until they glisten and sparkle as temptingly as the real things. Breakfast Necklace with Croissant and Sunny Side Up Egg, $16.30. Cupcake earrings, $10.87. Available on Etsy at My Secret Cravings.

Get there in the Nick of time – go to translink.ca/servicechanges for information 604.953.3333

10

December 19 – 25, 2013

Classic literature boiled down to 12 words? Your bebe will be bragging about finishing War and Peace before you have! Cozy Classics are created by Vancouver twins Jack and Holman Wang using felted wool, photography and ruthless editing.

The results are remarkable. $9.95, KidsBooks.ca

WEVancouver.com

gift guide

Give kids the gift of memories Mennonite

By Sabrina Furminger

S

ometimes the most glorious gifts can’t be wrapped and placed under the tree. Case in point: how do you put a bow on an experience?

Experiential gifts are great for everyone, but perfect for kids, who are happiest when they’re stimulated, playing, and embarking on an adventure — not to mention making memories with their loved ones.

This year, give the kids in your life the gift of a cherished memory via one of these priceless — and quintessentially Vancouver — experiences. (As for how to wrap it, consider pulling out some crayons and drawing a picture.)

SCIENCE WORLD MEMBERSHIP

the sea turtle. Kids under 13 must be accompanied by an adult; various prices at VanAqua.org. (Tip: aquarium members receive a 20 per cent discount on Animal Encounters experiences, so consider purchasing a family membership before booking your encounter; it’s a gift the entire family can enjoy throughout the year).

YOGABUTTONS Kids get stressed, tired, and bent out of shape, just like grown-ups do. Arm your kids with the tools they need to cope with life’s many stresses with a slate of classes from Kitsilano’s YogaButtons, Vancouver’s first and only kid-centric yoga studio. Classes foster stamina, flexibility, deep breathing, and emotional wellbeing. Gift certificates are available for any number of drop-in classes, a space in the Winter Break Camp (December 30-January 3) or a 10-class card. YogaButtons.com

Although scientists insist that magic doesn’t exist, Science World is an undeniably magical place. Between the spinetingling OMNIMAX films, mind-boggling exhibitions, hands-on Discovery Lab and immersive (and super-fun) Kidspace, kids learn powerful lessons about scientific concepts through play and exploration without realizing that they’re learning anything at all. What’s more magical than that? Membership includes unlimited admission, discounts on OMNIMAX tickets, invitations to special events, use of the members-only entry line, and more.

From $110 at ScienceWorld.ca/memberbenefits.

CRAFTING AT COLLAGE COLLAGE

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS AT THE VANCOUVER AQUARIUM

Kids develop poise, hand-eye coordination, and an appreciation for history in Academie Duello’s Youth Swordplay program — but more important than all of that is the fact that they learn how to handle a sword, and swords are awesome. Students work with rapiers, longswords, sideswords, and polearms, and learn medieval and renaissance wrestling and grappling techniques.

In the event that dragons ever appear in Vancouver, your young musketeer will be ready. Download the full brochure at AcademieDuello.com

Ever wanted to cavort with a sea turtle? Canoodle with a dolphin? Banter with a beluga? Children eight years old and older can embrace their inner Dr. Doolittles in one of the Vancouver Aquarium’s Animal Encounters experiences. Participating kids (and accompanying adults) are invited to step behind the scenes of the internationally renowned marine centre and interact with belugas, dolphins, sea otters, sea lions, Amazon birds, or Schoona

WEVancouver.com

Don’t let the name fool you: kids do a lot more than play with glue and paper at Collage Collage. The hip Kingsway crafting centre is a creative playground for the little Martha Stewarts and Bob Rosses among us. There’s a relaxed art-making class for the preschool set, and sewing, painting, sculpture, creative writing, sock monkey making — and yes, collage — for older kids. Peruse the class menu and register for classes at CollageCollage.ca

SWORDPLAY AT ACADEMIE DUELLO

girls can cook

By Kelsey Klassen

Y

ou might have heard of the popular website and cookbook collection Mennonite Girls Can Cook, but this Mennonite girl (rather, woman) is a family secret. Let me introduce you to Dorothy Friesen — the prolific source of all my family’s Mennonite baking — and one of her decadent holiday cookie recipes.

JAM JAMS 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup brown or yellow sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 cup corn syrup 1 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking soda 3 1/2 cup flour Mix first five ingredients. Add eggs, salt and baking soda and beat well. Gradually add the flour and mix until well blended.

Refrigerate dough overnight (or for at least one hour) for better handling. Roll out portions of the dough on well-floured counter to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out half of the dough with small round cookie cutter, then the other half with the same round cutter, but cut out a centre (like a doughnut), with a smaller cutter (a lipstick tube works well).

Place all on cookie sheets, and bake at 325-350F for about 8 minutes. Watch carefully, as they brown quickly.

Loosen on pans, cool and put your favourite jam on the whole ones, topping with the ‘doughnut-shaped’ cookies, so the jam peeks out through the hole.

As for gifts, if you don’t have time to bake for your foodie friends, the MGCC cookbooks are a gateway to a whole new ethno-culinary adventure; $20, most book stores. MennoniteGirlsCanCook.ca.

December 19 – 25, 2013

11

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gift guide

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Ella Shoes co-owner Jorge Rodriguez knows better than to keep a woman from good shoes. He and his wife Jenny opened Ella Shoes on Granville Street to import the quality of footwear she was accustomed to in their native Dominican. Rob Newell photo

Spanish style on South Granville

T

o know people, one must walk a mile in their shoes. To know shoes, just go to Ella.

Co-owner Jenny Rodriguez has done all the walking for you, and gives her personal guarantee of comfort, no matter the style or heel height.

She and her husband Jorge fell in love with Vancouver on their honeymoon. But, after moving here from the Dominican Republic, Jenny was feeling no love for the shoe selection in town.

After searching for the level of Spanish sophistication and comfort that was readily available in

Wonders Metallic Baltic Blue Boot Edgy on the outside, soft on the inside, with butter leather lining.

Wear them to class in the day and to the show that night. $347

DKODE Unity Grey Leather Boot Modern, youthful and fun with luxurious detailing. Perfect for a rainy day running errands or splashing through puddles. $299

their home country, they decided to start bringing the shoe brands to Vancouver themselves.

The couple regularly flies to Spain — the shoemaking heart of Europe — and returns with visions of purple suede and leather cut-outs in their heads, having worked with their suppliers to custom tailor the appearance of each shoe they stock.

Given the wide selection in-store, Ella Shoes attracts a diverse set of customers, so the Rodriguezes have picked four of the most popular styles this season for women of all ages. — Kelsey Klassen

Hispanitas Guinda Two Buckle Patent Leather Pump A sexy take on the ruby slipper. For a woman comfortable in her own skin, looking to be comfortable in her shoes. You can run, dance and play in these heels. $232

Chie Mihara Razzle Dazzle A classic oxford shoe with a little sparkle.

Vintage elegance added to any outfit, from jeans and tee to holiday dress. $425 Located at 2546 and 640 Granville Street.

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December 19 – 25, 2013

WEVancouver.com

gift guide

Pet First Aid Certification

Gifts for pets and pet lovers

By Kelsey Klassen

S

ometimes you learn the darnedest things around the water cooler at work. When I discovered that our quiet and humble distribution manager Miguel and his wife Shalla hand make these exquisite pet accessories, and sell them on etsy as Danes and Divas [1], I had to share.

From the smallest cat to the largest dog, Danes and Divas creates something for every personality (think houndstooth bow ties and shark hoodies). Accessories start at around $13.

More than 350,000 dogs in Metro Vancouver produce waste each day, but there are better solutions than just leaving it (see Rants each week) or dipping into your backup stash of plastic grocery bags. Earth Rated Poop Bags [2] offer biodegradable or compostable, lavender scented or unscented poops bags for pain-free pick up and disposal. They also have extra large bags for cat litter.

Available at Tisol and more.

There are a number of holistic Vancouver pet services that, in tandem with the appropriate veterinary care, can ease the burden of senior, stressed or overweight pets.

We profiled All Paws Animal Massage [3] last month, and can think of a few high-strung house pets in the family that might enjoy a visit from Marta (veterinary referrals required in certain cases; AllPawsMassage. ca). Alternately, there is also Aqua Paws, a water therapy and fitness pool for dogs. They work with your veterinarian, behaviourist, rehabilitation or holistic practitioner to get your pup back on the right track.

AquaPaws.ca

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Sunday, February 2, 8:30am-6:30pm at The Smiling Dogs Gift Company Call 604 696 0093 for more info.

A gift store for dogs and people who love them.

Healing Reiki for Dogs and Dog Training available by appointment.

110-1058 Mainland Street 604 696 0093 • thesmilingdogs.ca

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Bring out the explorer in your dog

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I discovered the fourlegged portfolio of Tanya King [5] during the most recent Eastside Culture Crawl. She can entice even It wouldn’t be a pet guide the crankiest cat to pull a without The Pet Shop Boys (3080 Cambie). We’re dying in face for her in her studio at 1000 Parker Street, and the adorement of Milk & Pepper [4] and their other glam accou- results are sure to delight pet parents. Packages start at trements. Kit your puggly pal out here and he’ll be making all $200. Get your serotonin on at TanyaKing.ca. the dogs on the block jelly.

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December 19 – 25, 2013

13

gift guide

Dream job lies in organic bedding

By Martha Perkins

B

ei Linda Tang has been asked to put on her MBA hat — knowing her, it will be made by workers who are paid liveable wages and feature organic fabrics — before she answers the next question.

What would this former investment banker say about owning a business that tries to do it all: provide employment to a dozen or so people, sell products that are ethically sourced and good for the environment, be an outlet for creativity and, to top it all off, generate enough income that allows you to find work/life balance as a wife, mother and individual with her own needs and aspirations?

When Tang was working on Wall Street, it would have seemed an unattainable goal. “I felt like I was a small piece in a complex puzzle,” she says. But that’s why she’s not an investment banker any more. Instead, she owns Dream Designs which allows her to check off many of the boxes in what she would now describe (above) as a dream job.

Dream Designs was founded in 1981 by “cotton queen” Irma McInnis. In 2004, Tang was just finishing up her MBA at UBC when she happened to drop by the store and learned it was for sale.

(McInnes died of pancreatic cancer when she was only 49.)

Since then, Tang’s learned to be as nimble on her feet as her team of four seamstresses is with a needle.

While the bright and colour-

ful retail store sells organic and environmentally friendly products from around the world, it also showcases products that are sewn at her production facility in Burnaby — organic cotton or flannel sheets, bathrobes and pajamas, bath towels, a hemp shower curtain, yoga accessories, meditation mats....

It’s not enough to just feel good about buying sustainable products; Tang makes sure that everything looks good too, and her product lines are modern and stylish. By having her own seamstresses, she can quickly adapt if one product is more (or less) popular than expected.

But when new sheets are put on the bed, what happens to the old ones? Dream Designs give customers 15 per cent off organic cotton bedding when they bring in their old bedding, which is then distributed to people in need.

Until last year, she also had a store and yoga lounge on the North Shore but after her second child was born — Aria is five and Ladon is 18 months — Tang found herself being pulled in too many directions. “I wanted enough left of me at the end of the day to give to my family,” she says of her decision to close the North Shore location.

But she also needs Dream Designs to fulfill her need to have creativity in her life. As her children grow, she’s learning to bring all aspects of her life together. For instance, daughter Aria’s school — Montroyal Elementary in North Vancouver — will be the first to launch Dream Designs’ new fundraising project that

Christmas shift

By Martha Perkins

V

You won’t often find Bei Linda Tang lying down on the job at Dream Designs, but it must be tempting.... Rob Newell photo encourages children to lead a greener lifestyle. A pack of five Dream Design organic cotton napkins sells for $20 and for every pack sold, Dream Designs will donate $5 to the school’s environmental program. “I want them to change their habits,” she says of

her contribution to the garbageless lunch. “If we get kids to do that at school, the parents will do it at home.”

DreamDesigns.ca | 956 Commercial Drive

ancouverites pride themselves on being willing to spend a bit more for locally sourced, high-quality food.

They appreciate the sense of connection, knowing that their actions are helping to ensure the sustainability of British Columbia’s food sources.

If people took that same approach to shopping, aligning their values with their choices on where they spend their retail dollars, Vancouver’s economy would be given a huge boost, says Maureen Cureton, community investment portfolio manager with Vancity.

“Let’s make the experience of shopping about connection with our neighbours and community,” she says.

She knows that, given the inherently high price we pay for living in such a temperate climate, most people also have to be keeping an eye out for the best prices. But just a small change in our spending habits can make a big difference: a one per cent shift towards local businesses would create 3,100 jobs and $94 million in wages.

That money gets re-circulated in our communities and helps to fund the activities we love.

“Give a gift that has a story behind it — who made it and how it was made,” Cureton suggests.

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urban residences _ modern living I seller’s _ buyer’s agent specialist

AnnLok

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VANCOUVER

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604.767.0959 ann@annlok.com CMHC makes its www.annlok.com Award Member predictionsMedallion for Club 2014

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cell 604.767.0959 | office 604.714.1700 www.annlok.com | ann@annlok.com604.767.0959 ann@annlok.com Medallion Club Award Member www.annlok.com

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Sutton West Coast Realty | 301-1508 West Broadway

p |rresales e s a |l investments e s I a s sspecialist i g n m e n t s Over I r10eyears s aexperience l e s I working i n v eforsYou. tments presales | assignments 901-1501 HOWE ST.

2201-1500 HOWE STREET THE DISCOVERY: $849,000

OCEAN p r e s a l e s I a s s i g nHowever, m e nunlike t sin IVancouver, r e s asingle-family les I investm e TOWER n t s@ 888sBEACH: p e$4,567,890 cialist homes make up the bulk of the sales.

By Kerry Vital

A

s 2013 comes to a close, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is looking to the year ahead.

“This is an unprecedented time of low and stable interest rates,” says Carol Frketich, CMHC BC regional economist.

She notes that she expects this trend to continue, keeping the Lower Mainland housing market strong.

“Our ties with Asia bode well for our outlook,” says Frketich. “Currently the top four migration countries are China, India, the Philippines and Korea.”

She also notes that businesses are increasingly investing in BC, keeping the economy strong and bringing new jobs to the area in many sectors. She states that skilled workers are the second largest group of immigrants coming to British Columbia, with most settling in the Lower Mainland.

First-time buyers are also expected to increasingly enter the market in the next few years, though in an older age bracket than in the past.

The Fraser Valley is becoming a market leader in home starts and sales, and the CMHC expects this to continue in 2014.

“People still want land,” says CMHC Market Analyst Richard Sam. “Fifty-five to 60 per cent of sales this year were single-family homes.”

In contrast, the majority of sales in Vancouver were multi-family homes.

“The benchmark for single-family homes is decreasing,” says Lance Jakubec, CMHC Senior Market Analyst.

Sam also notes that Surrey has seen the largest increase in population growth in the Fraser Valley, followed by Abbotsford and Langley.

The type of home isn’t expected to change in the new year, however.

“All markets are growing at a similar rate,” says Jakubec, naming condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes as the markets.

“We see moderate increases in new construction in 2014,” he says.

Living in the Lower Mainland has its benefits, and much of that is the reason behind growth in most cities.

“Vancouver is consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world,” says Neil Chrystal, president and CEO of Polygon Homes. “Buying conditions have never been better.”

Sprawling 1311sf NW corner 2 bdrm + 2bath in a waterfront seaside highly desirable location • Right on seawall, aquabus to Granville Island, mins. to beaches & parks • Generous rooms thruout, perfect for entertaining & house size furniture!

• Reno’d kitchen w/ new S/S Fisher Paykel, Miele & Bosch appliances, lovely kitchen island & windows in kitch., h/w flrs, gas f/p, king size bdrms, Master has 5pc. bath w/ sep. shower, jetted tub & W/I closet • Outdoor covered balcony for bbqs, real laundry room, 2 parking & storage locker • This is a jewel in the sky.

Clubhouse, guest suite, sauna, hottub & gym • Exterior paint & sealant completed 2011.

Unrivaled splendor. Vancouver’s premiere waterfront residences combining two suites and conceived over 2 years of design & construction • 270 degree views flr-ceiling views of marinas, False Crk, Granville Island & cityscapes • House size 3255 sqft complimented by a 360 degree elliptical flrplan centered around a glass wine room, 4 bdrms, 4 bathrms, 5 parking & 2 storage lckrs • Featuring: 12 piece Miele & Thermador S/S appliances, Capolavaro granite, Zebrano book-matched cabinetry, 2 home theatre systems, surround audio thruout, marble & onyx flooring thruout, T5 wired, video security system, Lutron one touch light & shades control, all rooms are a unique design & statement, Swarovski chandeliers, 6 piece master bath with 273 spray & steam shower, air jet tub, his/hers sinks; W/I closet, a ‘pink mosaic Bisazza’ bathroom, family room, great room, formal & informal dining areas, formal living room, dual entry, two balconies, two gas f/p, nanny quarters & much more • Simply spectacular!

1201-8280 LANDSDOWNE RD. VERSANTE, RICHMOND: $599,000

GROUP WEST COAST REALTY

542 SMITHE ST – THE MODE TOWNHOME: $595,000

1101-1003 PACIFIC STREET THE SEASTAR: $525,000

false creek north I yaletown I coalSE Corner harbour I dow 966 sqft 1 bdrm (or eas-

W NE ICE PR

W NE TING S I L

SUBPENTHOUSE – 270 degree views of N. Shore Mtns. as far as you can see • 3 bdrms/2bathrms, 1179sf, open & modern floorplan w/ flr to ceiling windows, only 3 years old • Oversized bedrooms, dream master bedroom w/ its own balcony, den , walk-in closet & 5pc. ensuite bath, granite countertops, S/S appliances, laminate flooring throughout, 100sqft+ outdoor balcony for bbqs w/ views, NE corner unit with sweeping views • Location Location Location – steps to Canada Line to YVR, downtown, across from Lansdowne Mall (new Target store), Kwantlen University & more • Guest suite, clubhouse, media rm.

Beautiful 1126 sqft 2 level Townhome boasts 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, large kitchen island, granite countertops, electric fireplace, outdoor patio & more. Just steps to Robson retail district, Granville street entertainment district, entertainment venues & just mins to the seawall & marine recreation.

2-5-10 warranty, Rainscreened – Completed 2008. Ultra modern, sleek & feels like a home in the city! 1 parking, Rentals & pets allowed. Great investment property too!

THE MARK: $399,900

AZURA I: $969,000

false creek north I yaletown I coal harbour I downtown 2103-1438 RICHARDS STREET 2707-1372 SEYMOUR STREET “Assignment” - Water & park views! Yaletown’s most exciting new luxury highrise, The Mark - Redefining elegance, cosmopolitan & luxury • Gold LEED certified, sophisticated interiors & 10,000 sqft Wellness Centre • Steps to waterfront parks, seawall, marinas, Urban Fare, seaside restaurants & central to downtown’s best entertainment & shopping districts • 460 sqft 1 bdrm exquisite finishings: granite & quartz countertops, wide-plank hrdwd, A/C, Nuheat elec. flrs in bathrm, softclose oak flat panel cabs., rollerblinds, S/S appl., gas stove, balcony, 1 prkg, 1 lckr & more • Rooftop O/D hottub & pool, gym, guest suite, media rm, clubhouse, yoga, boardrms & more • Move in November 2013!!

T JUS D – FERS! L SO PLE OF

MU

LTI

OPEN SAT. & SUN. DEC. 21 & 22, 1-3PM

ily convert to a 2 bdrm), 2 full 4pc bathrooms, solarium (great for office) w/ windows, maple laminate flooring throughout, large open kitchen with breakfast bar, large master suite fits king size bed with 4pc. ensuite, insuite storage, gas f/p, insuite W/D, built-in speaker system, freshly painted thruout, bright w/ plenty of natural lights, views of city & False Creek & 1 parking • Solid building by Concert Properties • Guest suite, gym, yoga area, club house & boardrooms • Fabulous for entertaining & just wanting to have more space for your urban lifestyle • Steps to the seawall, miles of beaches & Westend Davie St retail district.

9E-139 DRAKE ST. CONCORDIA II: $659,000

Spectacular 180 degree views of unobstructed water, park & as far as you can see in a luxury waterfront Masterplanned community • Steps to the seawall, million $ parks, Granville Island aquabus, seaside restaurants & marinas • SW Corner 1138 sqft 2bdrm+2bath+real den • Features hardwood flrs throughout, S/S appliances, gas stove, granite countertops, flr-ceiling windows, lots of natural light and views from every room! • TWO PARKING STALLS & storage locker • Mint condition and show suite quality • Resort amenities: Club Viva pool, hottub, concierge, squash courts, theatre, gym, guest suite & more.

T J U S L D! O S

Beautiful floorplan N, E & S corner 1079sf 2 bdrm + 2bath + real den • Across the street from Elsie Roy Elementary, seawall, David Lam Park, Roundhouse Comm. Centre, Urban Fare, Canada Line & Yaletown • Generous rooms, master fits king bed, granite counters, window in kitchen, marble in bathrooms, H/W flrs & new carpet in bdrms, views of False Creek, city & courtyard, Iarge insuite storage, excellent for entertaining w/ spacious living/dining, den w/ windows. Solid building, best managed in Yaletown w/ onsite Mgr. I/D pool, hot tub, gym, bike room.

RECENT SALES

SUB P/H: 1603-189 DAVIE ST. AQUARIUS III: $608,000

802-1455 HOWE STREET POMARIA: $509,000

T J U S L D! O S

611-1500 HORNBY STREET 888 BEACH TOWERS: $438,000

308-1438 RICHARDS STREET AZURA I

2-2498 E 8TH AVENUE RARELY ON THE MARKET • Affordable 2 bdrms + 2 bath in the waterfront master planned Marinaside neighborhood • Everything at your doorstep: Urban Fare, seawall, Roundhouse Centre, Yaletown & marinas • NE Corner 787 sqft 2bdrm + 2 full baths w/ ensuite in master, beautiful views of marina from living /dining, overlooking lagoon & city views too • Fabulous floorplan, new stainless gas stove, granite countertops, marble in bathrooms, full 4pc. guest bathroom, large insuite storage, hardwood flrs throughout, balcony for bbq’s, 1 prkg, excellent condition! • 24/7 concierge, I/D pool, hot tub, sauna, lagoon, club house, theatre, gym & more • Don’t miss this one!

North Shore News

Carol Frketich, Richard Sam xand Lance Jakubec.

NorthVertical: Shore News 1/4 Page 5.0833 6.9167

GROUP WEST COAST REALTY

North Shore News 1/4 Page Vertical: 5.0833 x 6.9167 1/4 Page Vertical: 5.0833 x 6.9167

Wishing Everyone a Peaceful, Loving & Special Holiday Season! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Thank you for an incredible year & for all your continued business. May 2014 bring you & your family immense joy, good health & prosperity!

We couldn’t do it without your continued love & support — please keep referring us to all your friends and family in 2014!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ~MICHAEL

806-1277 Nelson St Vancouver

SOLD

2348 Anora Dr Abbotsford

SOLD

809 East Keith Rd North Vancouver

3661 Commercial St Vancouver

SOLD

301-1250 Burnaby St Vancouver

SOLD

431 5th St New Westminster

3617 West 21st Ave Vancouver

SOLD

2605-2789 Shaughnessy, PoCo

SOLD

813 E 7th St North Vancouver

SOLD

SOLD

114-2336 Whyte Ave PoCo

SOLD

SOLD

2006-2789 Shaughnessy, PoCo

Some ofSOLD our 2013 SOLDS!

3275 Marmion Ave Vancouver

SOLD

401-1330 Jervis St Vancouver

SOLD

3775 Trinity St, Vancouver

506-1277 Nelson St Vancouver

SOLD

$399,000

803-2968 GLEN DRIVE $388,000

www.MichaelDowling.ca SOLD

312-1655 Nelson St Vancouver

SOLD

2501 Burian Dr Coquitlam

SOLD

16635 14th Ave White Rock

2503 Burian Dr Coquitlam

SOLD

Edgemont Village North Vancouver

Top 1.5% of All Realtors in Greater Vancouver for 2012 12 Years

SOLD

506-1720 Barclay St Vancouver

SOLD

THIS WEEK’S RATES 3YR Rate Special 5YR Rate Special 10YR Rate Special Variable Rate

3.19% 3.49% 4.39% Prime Less

.50%

Rates subject to change without notice. O.A.C.

PH3-1503 W 65th Ave Vancouver

Crest Westside Ltd.

WEVancouver.com

2301-969 RICHARDS STREET

MY EXPERIENCE...

YOUR BEST INTEREST

Thank you to all our clients, friends and associates for making 2013 another hugely successful year!

SOLD

YALETOWN PARK 3 - SOLD IN 1 DAY!

false creek north | yaletown | coal harbour | downtown

Crest Realtor 2012

• Company Rookie of the Year 2004 • Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist • Certified Elderly Client Specialist • Hundreds of Homes Sold

SOLD

$729,000

2609-977 MAINLAND STREET

# 1 in Office Top 3 in Company

A Completely Refreshing Real Estate Experience Unlike Any Other! Please Read Our Client Testimonials at www.MichaelDowling.ca

SOLD

TOWNHOUSE

2916 E. 41ST AVENUE

1603-821 Cambie St Vancouver

SOLD

MYETTE RAYNES

Accredited Mortgage Professional

604-307-7016 • myetteraynes.com

302-868 Kingsway Vancouver

Call Us Today for a Free Market Evaluation

604-787-5568 December 19 – 25, 2013

15

homeVancouver

DEXTER ASSOCIATES REALTY 604-689-8226 604-263-1144

Kevin Skipworth Managing Broker

Layla Bamford

Erik Carlson

Joyce Geisler 604-551-2996 geisler@dexterrealty.com

Christopher Dohm

Sandi Fratino

www.dexterrealty.com

Gaetan Kill

Bob Moore

Kris Pope

Francoise Robertson

Marilou Appleby 604-318-9566

$319,600 1909–161 WEST GEORGIA ST

WAKE UP! BE THE SMART ONE WHO BUYS WITH CONFIDENCE in a well established bldg. w/ a stellar maintenance record. Quiet, tree –lined street: 1 ½ blks from the beach in one direction + restaurants, shops, transit in the other.

Spacious bdrm (655 sq.ft) w/ 1 parking & storage. For more info and to view… call Marilou!

Sheila Sontz

$409,000 207– 1215 PACIFIC ST

NEW LISTING

Gurdeep Stephens

Larry Traverence

Esther Twerdochlib

211– 22 E. CORDOVA ST

William Lew 604-862-1966 Live-Dream-Play

$675,000 310 – 1435 NELSON ST

West of Denman garden level suite with a private entrance, your pooch will love it. Well laid out 1,039 sq.ft.

2 bdrm, 2 bath with some updating, waiting for your personal touch. Includes gas f/p, laundry, parking & storage in this well-managed bldg. Pets & rentals welcome. 1 blk to Stanley Park & 2 blks to English Bay.

Barb Vogel

Michael Webster

NEW PRICE

www.robertmoore.ca

Renovated 491 sq.ft. studio loft in the Van Horne building.

Fabulous space in a great central Gastown location.

$1,298,000

Unique and exclusive in Coal Harbour with great E C I views, fantastic PR balcony, air con & 24/7 concierge.

Your lovely 2 bed, 2 bath home in Cielo awaits. Live in Vancouver’s #1 waterfront neighborhood!

ED UC D E R

Candice Elliott 604-263-1144 info@candiceelliott.com www.candiceelliott.com

$288,000

$345,000

Laurel Wood

Bob Moore 604-506-8965

102 –1655 NELSON ST

Enjoy Life in one of the Best Buildings in the West End. The Westport is centrally located between Robson & Davie Street.

Walk to all your favorite restaurants, coffee shops & shopping stores.

Stroll down to the seawall & Stanly Park. Move in condition for this extra large 1 bedroom w/ walk in closet. 2 person soaker tub, enclosed solarium for either a home office or lounge area. 1 parking stall & storage locker. You will fall in love with this suite location. Pet & rental friendly building.

Andrea Williams

$324,900 2804-1205 W. HASTINGS ST Fully renovated 641 sq.ft. 1 bedroom with new kitchen, bath, flooring, appliances, paint and lighting. Move in now.

Cosmo. One Bedroom and Den with city and Mountain views.

Rentals allowed.

Su-Marie Baird 604-263-1144 NEW LISTING

Mike Rooney

Ed Gramauskas Reid Dewson 604-263-1144 604-618-9727 www.loftsvancouver.com

appleby@dexterrealty.com

214 – 1355 HARWOOD ST

104–1010 CHILCO ST

William Lew

NEW LISTING

$325,000

Fantastic opportunity to live or invest in a spacious 1 bedroom city home. Quiet southfacing garden suite with many upgrades. Situated in a well-maintained building w/ a proactive strata. Recent building upgrades include a new roof (2013), piping (2008), hot water tanks, elevator, common area upgrades & money for a new boiler. 1 parking and 1 storage locker included.

Rentals and pets allowed! All this in the heart of the West End, just steps to the seawall, English Bay, shopping and all the great amenities downtown has to offer. www.candiceelliott.com

Best Wishes for the Holiday Season Check out our website, www.dexterrealty.com for current market condition updates.

loftsvancouver.com

Details & Photos of all lofts for sale in Vancouver

Ed Gramauskas & Reid Dewson Cell: 604-618-9727

At HOME on the WATER 7A-8191 River Road

LD O S

Recently renovated, spacious, 1 bdrm, den/ family rm, 2 bthrms, 2 huge decks, 5 appliances, parking, secure access gate.

$249,900

ARTISTS LIVE/WORK 6-1681 Columbia, North Vancouver Let the creative juices flow in this unique, custom built float home... over 1100sf of west coast contemporary design with extensive wood detailing.

Call now to view your future home on the water.

$549,000

SPIRIT TRAIL OCEAN HOMES Phase 2 now available for your new OCEAN HOME

JUDY ROSS

604-878-0680 Royal LePage Westside

Details & Photos at: www.vancouveruniquehomes.com 16

December 19 – 25, 2013

Commercial Real Estate Needs? Dexter Associates Realty’s

commercial team will answer all of your questions and will help with all your commercial needs. Whether you need office space, somewhere to set up your business or retail store, or are looking to buy an investment property we can help you. Call us at 604-689-8226 today.

BC Commercial Leading Indicator Points to Growth in 2014

T

he British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) Commercial Leading Indicator (CLI) rose for the third consecutive quarter, increasing 0.4 points in the third quarter of 2013 to 114.1. On a year-over-year basis, the CLI is 0.8 per cent above the third quarter of 2012 after reaching an all-time high of 116.1 in the second quarter of 2007.

After flattening out through 2012, the trend in the CLI has turned upward. An upturn in the CLI trend is historically a good signal of expanding commercial real estate activity in the following two to four

quarters.

“The CLI rose for a third consecutive quarter as growth in retail sales and office employment more than offset a decline in financial conditions,” said Brendon Ogmundson, BCREA Economist. “The rising trend in the CLI points to an improving BC economy and stronger commercial real estate activity in 2014.”

WEVancouver.com

homeVancouver

Rob Joyce & Sales Associate Roger Ross West End Specialists Nobody knows the West End better!

Sales Associate Roger Ross

West End Specialist Rob Joyce

Connecting West End buyers & sellers - for over 20 years!

w Ne

Coming next week - West of Denman 1924 Comox.

Large suite in the prime English Bay neighbourhood.Top quality strata, 737 sf + open balcony. Pets OK. Call for info. $398,000.

WEST COAST

In Suite Laundry 1655 Nelson #210 Gorgeous renovations, in suite laundry, 9 ft. ceilings and post and beam construction make this quiet 1 bdrm renovated suite a very hot listing in the English Bay Denman area. Pets & rentals OK. 682 sf. $328,000.

LD SO

D L SO SOLD: 1816 Haro #305

Ding L O end

ing list

SOLD: 1850 Comox #302

604.623.5433

SOffer p

Hot Bachelor 1655 Nelson #207 Perfect starter strata suite at Hempstead Manor. Live close to Stanley Park in this well managed strata building. High ceilings, Murphy bed, large open balcony and secured parking spot. 455 sf. $219,900.

D L SO

SOLD: 1995 Beach #201 & 1401 & #404 & #1703

www.robjoyce.ca

D L O S SO

SOLD: 2015 Haro #303

robjoyce@telus.net CARNEY’S CORNER

Thinking of Selling Your Home?

Call any of the agents in the home section and your home could appear here.

CHRIsTmas sPeCIal Whether your first or investment, a place for retiring parents or university kids, this centrally located top floor end unit in popular pet and rental friendly West End strata offers peaceful location, lovely outlook to lush gardens, great floorplan, generous storage, balcony & underground parking with several large common decks to enjoy urban gardening. Laundry & laminate with permission. $339,800 BEST OF THE SEASON Lots of room to entertain the whole family and all the old friends and neighbours in gracious 1140sf second level corner suite with two oversize bedrooms and amazingly spacious living/dining area with oak floors and wraparound window. Perfect for carolling around the Christmas tree! $479,000

WEN

West End Neighbours

Special time of year to remember all the friends, neighbours and merchants in the community. Keep up to date on neighbourhood, development, zoning and other issues by monitoring the website www.westendneighbours.ca. Think about becoming more active in the new year. Share with your community, volunteer, sign up for newsletter.

TALK TO LIZ CARNEY 604 685-5951/603-3095

liz.carney@century21.ca • www.vancouvercondo.com Century 21 In Town Realty • 421 Pacific • 1030 Denman

WEVancouver.com

In Town Realty

December 19 – 25, 2013

17

culture

Nutcracker stars shine

By Martha Perkins

Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker is on until Dec. 22.

David Cooper photo

S

ome classics deserve to be revisited because they have become emotional touchstones, evoking pleasant memories with very little effort.

Goh Ballet’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker deserves to be an annual tradition because no matter how many times we watch it, its magical moments fill us with a sense of wonder.

Saturday night’s performance radiated with the dancers’ joy. When matched with the magnificent costumes, sets and live accompaniment by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, an aura of sheer luminescence fills the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts.

Months of practice and hard work go into each scene — whether it’s the cute-as-a-button mice or gently swirling snowflakes or masterful solos — and yet, as highly accomplished as the dancers are, what strikes you the most is how much fun they’re having. Their happiness is trans-

mitted directly to the audience members who, no matter how old they are, feel as if they’re re-capturing the excitement of a Christmas morning. It’s such a gift.

This is the fifth anniversary season of Goh Ballet’s Nutcracker and the fresh delight in the performance ensures that it

truly has become a can’t-miss Christmas tradition in Vancouver. For the first year, performances are spread over two weekends so if you want to put a little magic into your holidays, you can get tickets for Dec. 20, 21 (matinee and evening), and 22 at GohNutcracker.com.

movies

Dino movie strictly for kids WALKING WITH DINOSAURS

Starring Justin Long, John Leguizamo Directed by Barry Cook & Neil Nightingale Considering they have fascinated human beings for decades and once ruled the planet in mighty fashion, the dinosaurs deserve better.

Walking with Dinosaurs earnestly attempts to navigate the tricky waters of education and entertainment but fails on nearly every level. Starting with a pointless prologue featuring two kids accompanying their paleontologist uncle (a sadly underused Karl Urban) on an Alaskan bone-hunting excursion,

we are thrust into the prehistoric world of the thunder lizards and join a young Pachyrhinosaurus named Patchi (Long) as he struggles with identity issues amongst his herd of herbivores. The beasts soon embark on a long migration full of dangerous carnivores around every corner.

One of the film’s glaring probThor lems is the pandering screenplay Diakow which is clearly geared to six-yearolds and employs all manner of hip contemporary lingo and scatological humour. The other issue is the disjointed narrative, which shifts from fictional dino plot to cartoonish Saturday morning sci-

Schmaltz Disney SAVING MR. BANKS

of her beloved Mary Poppins novel, Saving Mr. Banks gets some decent comic Starring Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks mileage out of sending a dour EnglishDirected by John Lee Hancock woman down the rabbit hole and into Offering a largely fictionalized take on the wonderland of 1961 Los Angeles. the two-week stand-off that ensued Thompson is a repressed cut-up, when Walt Disney (Tom Hanks, radiatgasping in abject horror at the meing benevolence) attempted to connagerie of stuffed Disney characters vince P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) that line her hotel room, shuddering to sign off on a big screen adaptation apoplectically at the mere suggestion that Dick Van Dyke is “one of the greats,” and admonishing the songwriting YOUR GLASS AND VAPORIZER SPECIALISTS...

Sherman brothers (Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak) for their fondness for BONGS, made-up words.

VAPORIZERS, GNITE However, given that the E-PENS, Smoke Shop UP TO Walt Disney Studios logo GRINDERS, Light it up HOOKAHS & MORE! precedes all of this, there’s the sinking feeling that it’s only a matter of time before Travers falls sway to the Magic Kingdom’s spell, and director John Lee Han% cock (The Blind Side) serves OFF! up heaping spoonfuls of schmaltz to help the middling drama go down.

Yet, even card-carrying cynics may be hard-pressed DECEMBER 26 - JANUARY 1 not to buy the magic Disney is selling.

109 W. Cordova St. (Abbott x Cordova) 778-786-0977 Light it up — Curtis Woloschuk

BOXING WEEK SALE!!

50

www.Ignitesmokeshop.ca

18

Ask about our medical discount!

December 19 – 25, 2013

ence lesson. Technically speaking though, Walking with Dinosaurs is quite the feat in impressive 3D animation; the filmmakers shot actual landscape footage in New Zealand and Alaska then added the highly detailed computer generated dinosaurs to the live action backgrounds.

However, the movie adds up to a rather pedestrian experience for adults and is either too silly for older kids or too scary for young ones. Though aesthetically very satisfying, this should have stayed a BBC TV miniseries instead of just another predictably uninspired tale of finding your courage and standing up for what you believe.

The Jewish jazz WHEN JEWS WERE FUNNY

Directed by Alan Zweig It would likely pain him to admit it, but Toronto documentarian/notorious curmudgeon Alan Zweig has had quite the year. With his uncharacteristically optimistic 15 Reasons to Live still making the festival rounds, his second 2013 effort, When Jews Were Funny, shocked everyone by winning TIFF’s Best Canadian Feature award in September. The two films are a study in contrasts. Whereas the former consists of tightly structured, well-composed essays, the latter relies on rambling conversations with Jewish comedians.

Whether it’s octogenarian Shelley Berman, stone-faced Bob Einstein (a.k.a. Super Dave Osborne) or reigning comic whisperer Marc Maron, Zweig’s interview subjects are occasionally flummoxed by precisely what it is the filmmaker is after. Ultimately, this only adds to the doc’s considerable shambolic charm. Initially posing general questions about the role of humour in moulding the Jewish identity, Zweig eventually reveals the extremely personal reasons behind this exercise.

And while it remains true that jokes are best left unexplained, examining the roots of a people’s humour proves unexpectedly fascinating. There’s also considerable evidence on-hand to back the assertion that “comedy is the Jewish jazz”, guided by lilting Yiddish rhythms. Submitting that humour is born of oppression, Zweig seems genuinely unnerved by the prospect of cultural assimilation. What does the future hold for a natural born kvetcher like him if there’s nothing left to complain about? Plays Dec. 20, 22, 24 & Jan. 2 at the Vancity. — Curtis Woloschuk

rant/rave Brought to you by:

No more going in circles Re: the changes to the C21 Beach/Yaletown and the C23 Davie/Terminal bus routes effective Dec 16. It would appear the Dept of Bad Ideas at Translink is at it again. The new routing will particularly affect the elderly and individuals with disabilities for whom the existing bus routes provide convenience of travel within the West End. It will now be necessary to transfer at either end of Davie rather than being able to simply make the ‘circle’ which has been the case up to now.

Disgruntled

Anything but Bute-iful How long are we going to have to suffer the eyesore of the Bute Street seating area outside Hamburger Mary’s? Even when it was first put in place in the summer it looked poorly thought through, cheap and nasty, despite the Pride inspired colours of the seats. As we’ve gone through fall and into winter, it’s been looking increasingly pathetic as the benches get dirtier and no-one in their right mind sits out there. It should revert to road use in the winter (as Green Gregor’s bike lanes should have been designed to do) as more people understandably use their cars to keep dry. Bring it back in the spring if you must but PLEASE get some urban designer involved so it enhances the West End rather than cheapens it.

Roger

Honk if you like nice guys On Wednesday I was stuck in the Esso parking lot at Davie and Burrard. I pulled out too far on Davie and had to reverse in my truck; there was a Honda Civic behind and me and even though they honked I didn’t hear and I hit them hard. The driver got out looked at the bumper realized there was just a scuff. It was a really old Honda but he easily could have been an asshole about it thrown his arms all around, but he didn’t. It was a three-second conversation. No damage? See ya! I thanked him for his reaction. Throughout the year and the holiday season, pick when you need to be really pissed off and when you don’t. If it doesn’t matter don’t bother.

Grateful

Idling no more On December 7 (a chilly day by Vancouver standards) we were stuck with hundreds of other drivers idling our cars on the Burrard Street bridge for over 45 minutes, while we slowly inched Southward. The bridge had been reduced to one lane going South as City workers closed off Cornwall to all traffic and funnelled us along as they worked on the new bike lanes. My question is: how many years and how many bikes will it take to undo the environmental damage done by hundreds of idling cars? I am not against bike lanes. I am a person who usually only drives my car once a week. However, I am not in favour of the way our money is being spent. We have a new billion-dollar bridge that isn’t being used due to the tolls and we have bike lanes that were implemented with little or no consultation.

When there was consultation it was largely ignored by our mayor and council.

Anonymous

Something to say?

email: rantrave@wevancouver.

All rants are the opinion of the individual and do not reflect the opinions of WE. The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity and brevity, so please keep it short and (bitter)sweet.

WEVancouver.com

eat & drink

The best eggnog in Vancouver

The most traditional Mexican restaurant in Vancouver.

Come to where Mexicans eat!

T

is the season to indulge in traditional holiday favourites — and what better way to kickoff the holidays than sampling some of Vancouver’s best handcrafted eggnogs?

Gather your friends and loved ones (19 years and older, of course) and follow this tasty Yuletide trail.

POURHOUSE’S BRANDYFLIP Situated in a 100-year-old building in Gastown, Pourhouse is one of the city’s most popular cocktail taverns, serving century-old drinks. Want to learn about the history of eggnog? Pull up a seat and chat with one of the establishment’s ever-soknowledgeable bartenders – they’ll provide you with a quick history lesson on the drink’s debated origins while creating your holiday concoction. We recommend the Brandy Flip, consisting of an egg, Spanish brandy, simple syrup and freshly ground nutmeg ($13, plus tax).

WEST RESTAURANT’S MOROCCAN ALMOND NOG Known for its fine dining cuisine and sophisticated atmosphere, West Restaurant is home to one of the city’s most acclaimed bartenders, David Wolowidnyk. To make his Moroccan Almond Nog, David combines eggs, sugar, gin infused with Moroccan spices, cinnamon, gently crushed cardamom pods, fennel seed, pink pepper corn, star anise and almond milk ($11, plus tax). Bonus: the restaurant is conveniently situated in Vancouver’s South Granville neighbourhood, making it the perfect spot to relax with a festive drink after a long day of gift shopping.

CHAMBAR’S MOUNT GAY ECLIPSE Since opening in 2004, Chambar has gained a reputation as one of Vancouver’s culinary hotspots.

Located on Beatty Street, the restaurant will close its doors in May 2014 – but don’t worry, it’ll open just steps away in an even bigger and better space.

A twist on a classic, Bel Café serves up a house-made eggnog latte with rum.

Bel Café photo The new and improved Chambar will also see exciting additions, including a 50-seat patio and daily breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch. Until then, visitors and locals can indulge in Chambar’s unique spin on traditional nog. Served hot or cold, The Mount Gay Eclipse consists of caramel and chili-spiced reduced milk, egg, Mount Gay Eclipse rum, Drambuie (a sweet liqueur), black walnut bitters and freshly grated tonka beans ($12, plus tax).

BEL CAFÉ’S RUM AND EGGNOG LATTE Warm up this holiday season with a rum and eggnog at Bel Café. Located within the historic walls of Rosewood Hotel Georgia, the café is overseen by renowned chef, David Hawksworth and his team of culinary experts. Made in-house daily, the team’s eggnog recipe consists of milk, cream, sugar, vanilla beans, egg yolk, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

The combination tastes delicious in your piping hot latte, and even better with a splash of rum ($8, plus tax). — courtesy of Tourism Vancouver

1049 Granville St • 604.569.0955 www.themexican.ca

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Happy Holidays! e

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WEVancouver.com

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~ from Your Independent Grocer

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1255 Davie Street • (604) 688-0911 • yourindependentgrocer.ca • OPEN 7 days 7am-3am HOLIDAY HOURS: Dec. 24 7am-10pm, Dec 25 CLOSED, Dec 26 9am-3am, Dec 31 7am-10pm, Jan 1 9am-3am December 19 – 25, 2013

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eat & drink

Foodie tech: a gadget gift guide inspired to use this gift over the next few weeks, as well as for the long term.

Here’s my pick of gadgets to make your giftee giddy.

By Anya Levykh

I

t’s week three of my lists of favourite gifts for food enthusiasts. Week one was all about the long-term and sustainable, i.e. food subscriptions; last week featured the sweet treats; and, this week, it’s all about the gadget. Here’s the thing to remember, however, when gifting gadgets: the gift should have immediacy. In other words, one should be

SPARQ WHISKEY ROCKS [1] Hold the ice and chill the rocks instead. No more watered-down drinks for you, no sir. These smooth cubes are made from recycled soapstone, which is odourless, tasteless and non-porous. Throw in the freezer for a couple of hours, then into your

dram it goes. Or, heat in the microwave for a minute to help your mug of mulled wine or holiday hangover coffee retain its temperature for up to an hour. $24.98 at Ming Wo. MingWo.com

CORKCICLE/CHILLSNER [2] Continuing the theme of playing hot and cold with one’s beverages comes the Corkcicle. This faux-icicle cools your room-temperature reds in a jiffy or keeps your whites chill. $27.98 at Ming Wo. For the beerenthusiast, there is the Chillsner, from the same company. Never drink warm beer again — unless you care for that sort of thing. $26.99 at Gourmet Warehouse.

MingWo.com | GourmetWarehouse.ca

1

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Know someone with picky kids? Or someone who loves to gussy up their gourmet dinner parties? Or maybe there’s someone whose knife skills could use a little help?

The Spiromat spiral cutter is the gift to choose. It will julienne, slice and dice, turn vegetables into “spaghetti,” and create fruit and veggie spirals that will tempt the snootiest of vegetable-haters. $80 at Cookworks. Cookworks.ca

POACHPOD EGG POACHER [4]

LE CREUSET STOCK POT [5] For a gift that truly says “I love you…now make me some mulled wine, dammit.”

This enamel-on-heavy-gauge-steel wonder will make enough mulled wine — or lamb stew — to feed the ravening hordes with ease, and still have enough for leftover lunches. And it’s just so pretty. $140 at Gourmet Warehouse. GourmetWarehouse. ca

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December 19 – 25, 2013

Check out our selection of coolers, import, local and craft beers, local and imported wines, spirits and more.

Open 10am-11pm daily.

604-662-3177

4

5

Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for over a decade. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast, follow her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and catch up at FoodGirlFriday.com.

Conveniently located in the Granville Skytrain Station.

30-678 Dunsmuir Street

3

Most people love poached eggs, but all the king’s men can’t help some poor souls make them at home. For the technicallyfrustrated egg poacher, this is as easy as it gets. Crack your egg into the silicone food pod, then let it float like a lily pad in a pot of boiling water. When the eggs are done, the soft silicone mold can be inverted with the push of a thumb, turning out perfectly poached eggs and happy holiday brunches. $15 for set of two at Cookworks.

Cookworks.ca

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WEVancouver.com

eat & drink

Culinary hot tickets

FILM FEAST – JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI + DINNER Presented by Shangri-La Vancouver and Market by Jean-Georges, chef de cuisine Monty Lau will create an exclusive four-course dinner on January 22 as a featured Dine Out Vancouver event. Following a cocktail reception and screening of Jiro Dreams of Sushi in Shangri-la’s private Blue Moon theatre, chef Lau will prepare an ambitious Jiro-inspired dinner. One course is a Cedar Cold Smoked Kastu, Kasu Dressing, Crispy Rice and Soy Pearls. Tickets are $58 at DineOutVancouver.com

6 COURSE DISCOURSE

The ORIGINAL authentic Thai Cuisine flavoured with Chef Grace’s own creativity.

Celebrating 13 years 1211 Hamilton St. 604.642.0123

simplythairestaurant.com

BETA-5 CHOCOLATES Okay I’m cheating here because it’s not an event, but it needs a shout out. I visited about eight bakeries, chocolate and dessert shops this holiday and owner and chocolatier Adam Chandler had one of the most impressive holiday collections. It is a fantastic one-stop shop for gift giving or holiday entertaining. He’s a modern day chocolatier who dominated the 2013 Canadian National Chocolate Awards. His Black Olive Polygon Bar (awarded gold) and signature holiday chocolates (mandarin caramel, candied chestnut, sparkling praline, sweet potato caramel, Hennessey cognac and vanilla 12pc - $25) are as unique as they are memorable.

Shipping is available across Canada. And don’t miss out on his cream puffs!

Mijune’s next Follow Me Foodie adventure: Attending the Consulate General of Japan’s Emperors Birthday Reception on Dec. 17 where they will introduce the formation of The Sake Association of British Columbia.

Find out more about Mijune at FollowMeFoodie.com or follow her on Twitter @followmefoodie.

Excuse my self-promotion, but I’m very excited to announce my first event of 2014. I haven’t done one in years! On January 20 I am presenting 6 Course Discourse during the Dine Out R A M E N • S U S H I • S A S H I M I • J A PA N E S E TA PA S Vancouver Festival. The culinary event features DECEMBER SPECIAL: six of the city’s top APPIES chefs including John AFTER 8PM Dine in only.

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lright, I might be a little late with this article but so is your gift buying if you’re reading it.

Foodies are not easy to shop for. Some would be happy with a gift basket of locally made edibles, while others would say “I have all these.”

Then you have the foodies that could make all of the gifts (perhaps even better) or challenge you with where to find a better version. The closer you are to the person you’re shopping for, they more they want the whole package. The worst reaction after opening your gift would be “it’s the thought that counts”, so let’s try to prevent that.

Here is my Holiday Gift Guide of hot ticket culinary events. Why events? Because tickets can be purchased online, and you’re almost out of time.

This is a big ticket purchase and gift — literally and figuratively. You must love this person a lot.

Widely considered one of the world’s greatest and best chefs, Ferran Adrià will be coming to Vancouver on March 8 to cook with executive chef Sean Cousins of Vancouver Club. Tickets for the dinner are sold out but for $700 you can still get a ticket for the lecture, champagne reception and a signed copy of Adrià’s seven-volume set of books elBulli 2005-2011: A Journey Inside the Creative Process of the World’s Greatest Chef. You can also pre-order signed book sets for $625 at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks, BooksToCooks.com.

GREEN GARDEN

by Mijune Pak

ELBULLI DINNER

CARRIBEAN PEARL

Follow Me Foodie

VANCOUVER

OOTORI

201-1128 West Broadway 604-677-0434

Noodle & Bar

RICHMOND

205-4231 Hazelbridge Way 604-279-9077

http://www3.telus.net/ninkazu/

Happy Holidays!

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ORDER ONLINE: www.peacefulrestaurant.com WEVancouver.com

2013

Thanks for voting us BEST NOODLES! FREE DELIVERY HOTLINE: 604-559-9511 December 19 – 25, 2013

21

eat & drink

Friendly holiday wine tips City Cellar

S

by Kurtis Kolt

o, I pretty much have two guest columnists this week. You see, last week I cast a wide net to a few key wine and restaurant industry pros, looking to get holiday wine recommendations. While it can occasionally be like pulling teeth trying to get busy restaurant folks to drop me a quick email during a hectic time of year, there are others who embrace the request wholeheartedly, sending me epic manifestos. There’s so much thought and care in some of them, that it would crush me to hack them down to a sentence or two. In saying that, this week I’m letting two of the nicest guys is the business grab the reins around here.

Casa dos Vinhos Selected Rich Madeira | Portugal | $28.03 | BC Liquor Stores

This recommendation comes from Jason Yamasaki, the mild-mannered, whip-smart sommelier at Chambar.

My favourite part of Christmas is being able to cook for my family for three days straight. While always equipped with a glass of growers Champagne while I’m chopping, peeling, stuffing, and roasting, I am also uniquely armed with an arsenal of fortified wines, my counter always replete with sherry, port, and madeira.

604 801 6669 | 1050 Hamilton Street | YaletownDentistry.com

HOLIDAY CASUAL

FINE DINING

BISTRO

LOUNGE

CAFE

TAPAS

CASUAL

FINE DINING

The particular Madeira is a warming, sweet, and vivid expression of this traditional and relatively unloved fortified wine. Lengthy oxidative winemaking delivers an array of gastronomic flavours that I love to sip alongside candied walnuts andpecans.

Why do I love this so much I use it in sauces and gravies to reveal a galaxy of flavours that will astound your guests and have them licking their plates.

Finally, zest some orange into your best rendition of a butter tart. Pour this a splash of this alongside and discover your new favourite winter warmer.

Velenosi 2010 Lacrima di Morro d’Alba | Italy | $20-25 | Private Wine Stores

Originally from Leeds, Alex Thornley runs the wine program at Homer Street Cafe & Bar, listing an incredibly sharp and dynamic selection of bottles.

For this holiday season, I’m going with a fairly unusual wine. There are only 150 hectares of the Lacrima grape planted in the Marche region of Italy, and it is shared between 18 producers.

Though obscure, the wine is absolutely stunning and is my new wine crush. Don’t be afraid of all the strange words on the front — just buy it, open it, and drink. The naturally thin skin of the Lacrima grape means it has very little tannin, minimal acid, and basically goes down like juice — blueberry juice to be precise. If you like a lighter style of red and are looking for something other than Pinot or Gamay Noir, Lacrima could be your new crush, too. Gorgeously expressive, it borders on opulent.

It leans towards a New World, fruit-driven style of wine, but is most definitely sleek and sexy with some Old World intrigue. Easy to like, it suggests violets, wild blueberries, raspberries and a hint of purple wine gums on the nose, feels soft, light and silky as it glides across the tongue, and bursts with blueberry and wild red fruits on the palate. There is no need to be paired with food, but it’s also extremely versatile, so if you do pair it with some holiday fare, go with lighter cheeses, turkey, pork or chicken. It is especially good wine to pair with good times and friends with board games on Boxing Day.” If you’re having trouble finding something, find me via KurtisKolt.com or Twitter @KurtisKolt.

DINING BISTRO

LOUNGE

CAFE

TAPAS CASUAL

FINE DINING

Have you booked your company Christmas party yet?

We can help -

email us: sales@docksidevancouver.com

Holiday Feast Amazing Menu Come and join us for a Holiday Feast 4 course menu for just $18.

Sunday-Thursday. Reservations recommended.

1152 Alberni Street 604.646.8899 www.pinkelephantthai.com

• Voted best patio in Vancouver • Award winning in-house brewery • Great for groups of all sizes

• Legendary Sunday Blues Brunch • Open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch & dinner at the Holiday Inn Vancouver Downtown

For more details go to www.docksidevancouver.com. Reservations 604-685-7070 In the Granville Island Hotel, 1253 Johnston St, Granville Island. Valet parking available

22

December 19 – 25, 2013

Join us on December 25th for a traditional Christmas dinner buffet with all the fixings, $34.

Seatings at 4pm and 7pm.

Reservations required.

1110 Howe St. 604.623.6856

WEVancouver.com

eat & drink

Fresh Sheet

a proud media sponsor

Local Food & Drink Happenings

by Anya Levykh

THE DISH David Gunawan has long been known to Vancouver diners from his executive chef stints at West and Wildebeest, but it’s at his first ownership, The Farmer’s Apprentice, where his farm-to-table, sustainably sourced dishes really come to fruition.

Take the rouge d’etent ($15), a cool starter of wide, paper-thin slices of silky-smooth pumpkin topped with rounds of apple, dollops of buratta, and icy crumbs of beet (pictured). It’s a play on texture and flavour that energizes the taste buds and prepares the palate for what’s to come. If you’re lucky, it’ll be a duck night. Gunawan prepares two to three smoked birds each week, available on a first-come, first-serve basis (market price is around $40).

Smoked for almost a full sun cycle, it’s then stuffed with hay and roasted low and slow before arriving to the table jointed, a large platter of succulent meat and crispy, glazed skin, that can easily feed three. The only thing you’ll argue over is who gets to take the carcass home to make soup stock with.

FarmersApprentice.ca

SCENE | HEARD Dine Out Vancouver is back from January 17 to February 7 this year, and special event tickets and hotel bookings are available this week. Look for the full list of participating restaurants and their menus to be released January 6. DineOutVancouver.com Advance tickets to the Vancouver International Wine Festival, running February 24 to March 2, are now on sale. This year includes some of France’s most noted winemakers from M. Chapoutier, Famille Perrin, Louis Jadot, Tattinger, and more.

VanWineFest.ca Scott Korzack, formerly of L’Abbatoir, has been appointed executive chef at Bambudda in Gastown.

Wildebeest has collaborated with Road 13 Vineyards to produce limited edition house red and white wines. The red is a blend of Gamay Noir

Rouge d’etent pumpkin salad from The Farmer’s Apprentice. and Pinot Noir ($11 gls/$50 btl), while the white combines Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and Riesling ($10 gls/$45 btl). Wildebeest.ca Matchstick Coffee is opening a second location in Chinatown. They’ll be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Mamie Taylor’s and East of Main. Look for the opening by early February. MatchstickCoffee. com

DRINK | DINE Wild Rice is offering a New Year’s dumpling platter for two for $40 at the Gastown location. Includes two glasses of Backyard Vineyards Brut, duck confit and vegetarian potstickers, siu mai, and spring rolls. Seatings from 5-10pm. WildRiceVancouver. com Ask for Luigi has expanded to offer lunch Wednesdays to Fridays, as well as take-out for lunch and dinner. Look for brunch starting in the new year.

AskForLuigi.com Meat & Bread is bringing back its Turducken sandwiches on December 23 and 24 only. Yes, it’s chicken stuffed in duck, stuffed in turkey. This version includes Andouille duck sausage, stuffing, fried onions, cashew butter and gravy.

MeatAndBread.ca

E V E N T S

Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for over a decade. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast, follow her @foodgirlfriday and catch up at FoodGirlFriday.com.

BIN Smile Eat Drink Enjoy Be Friends Lick your Lips

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Happy Holidays

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December 19 – 25, 2013

23

Free Will Astrology

out after dark

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): “Life is best organized as a series of daring ventures from a secure base,” wrote psychologist John Bowlby. Some of you Aries enjoy the “daring venture” part of that formula but neglect the “secure base” aspect. That’s why your daring ventures may on occasion go awry. If you are that type of Ram, the first half of 2014 will be an excellent time to correct your bad habit. Life will be offering you considerable help and inspiration in building a strong foundation. And if you already appreciate how important it is for your pursuit of excitement to be rooted in well-crafted stability, the coming months will be golden.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): The Italian painter Tintoretto (1518-1594) was a Libra. He worked with such vigor and passion that he was nicknamed Il Furioso — The Furious.

One of his crowning achievements was his painting “Paradise”, which is 74 feet long and 30 feet tall — about the size of a tennis court. It adorns a huge wall in the Doge’s Palace, a landmark in Venice. I propose that Tintoretto serve as one of your inspirational role models in 2014. The coming months will be an excellent time for you to work hard at crafting your own personal version of paradise on earth. You may not be so wildly robust to deserve the title Il Furioso. But then again, you might.

OUT AFTER DARK is a weekly feature highlighting social and cultural events around Vancouver. Got an upcoming event? Email us at outafterdark@wevancouver.com.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Here’s a tale of three renowned Taurus brainiacs: Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and Bertrand Russell. They all had IQs over 175 and made major contributions to philosophy. Yet all three were physically inept. Kant had trouble keeping a sharp point on his writing instrument, the quill, because he was clumsy using a knife. Mill was so undexterous he found it a chore to tie a knot. Russell’s physical prowess was so limited he was incapable of brewing a pot of tea. Chances are that you are neither as brilliant nor as uncoordinated as these three men. And yet, like them, there is a disconnect between your mind and body — some glitch in the way the two of them communicate with each other. The coming year will be an excellent time to heal the disconnect and fix the glitch.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Between 2002 and 2009, Buddhist monk Endo Mitsunaga spent a thousand days meditating as he did a ceremonial walk around Mount Hiei in Japan. In 2006, English writer Dave Cornthwaite took 90 days to skateboard across the entire length of Australia, a distance of 3,618 miles. The first man’s intentions were spiritual, the second man’s adventurous. The coming months will be prime time for you to contemplate both kinds of journeys, Scorpio. The astrological omens suggest that you will generate extra good fortune for yourself by seeking out unfamiliar experiences on the open road.

To get yourself in the mood, ruminate on the theme of pilgrimage.

by Rob Brezsny • Week of December 19

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): A horticultural company in the UK is selling TomTato plants to home gardeners. Each bush grows both cherry tomatoes and white potatoes. The magic was accomplished through handcrafted hybridization, not genetic engineering. I foresee a comparable marvel in your long-term future, Gemini. I’m not sure about the exact form it will take. Maybe you will create a product or situation that allows you to satisfy two different needs simultaneously. It’s possible you will find a way to express two of your talents in a single mode. Or perhaps you will be able to unite two sides of you that have previously been unbonded. Congratulations in advance!

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): “To destroy is always the first step in any creation,” said the poet E.E. Cummings. Do you buy that idea, Cancerian? I hope so, because the cosmos has scheduled you to instigate some major creative action in 2014. In order to fulfill that potential, you will have to metaphorically smash, burn, and dissolve any old structures that have been standing in the way of the future. You will have to eliminate as many of the “yes, buts” and “I can’ts” and “not nows” as you possibly can.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): When did you first fall from grace?

Do you remember? It has happened to most of us. We spend time being privileged or cared about or respected, and then, suddenly, we no longer are. We lose our innocence. Love disappears. Our status as a favorite comes to an end. That’s the bad news, Leo. The good news is that I think the months ahead may be time for you to climb back up to one of those high states of grace that you fell from once upon a time. The omens suggest that even now you’re making yourself ready to rise back up — and sooner than you think, there will be an invitation to do so.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Leonardo da Vinci created the painting “St. Jerome in the Wilderness” around 1480. It now hangs in the Pinacoteca Vaticana, a museum in Vatican City. For several centuries, though, the treasured work of art was missing. Legend tells us that in the early 19th century, Napoleon’s uncle found the lower half of the painting in a junk shop in Rome. Years later he stumbled upon the top half in another back alley, where it was being used as a wedge in a shoemaker’s bench. I foresee the possibility of a comparable sequence unfolding for you in 2014, Virgo. You just may manage to restore a lost beauty to its proper place of honor, one step at a time.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Many farms in California’s Tulare County grow produce for supermarket chains.

Here’s the problem: Those big stores only want fruits and vegetable that look perfect. So if there are brown spots on the apples or if the zucchinis grow crooked or if the carrots get too big, they are rejected. As a result, 30 per cent of the crops go unharvested. That’s sad because a lot of poor people who live in Tulare don’t have enough to eat. Fortunately, some enterprising food activists have begun to work out arrangements with farmers to collect the wasted produce and distribute it to the hungry folks. I gather there’s a comparable situation in your life, Sagittarius: unplucked resources and ignored treasures. In 2014, I hope you take dramatic action to harvest and use them.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Derrick Brown has a poem entitled “Pussycat Interstellar Naked Hotrod Mofo Ladybug Lustblaster!” I hope that at least once in 2014 you will get up the nerve to call someone you love by that name.

Even if you can’t quite bring yourself to utter those actual words, it will be healing for you to get to the point where you feel wild enough to say them. Here’s what I’m driving at, Capricorn: In the coming months, you will be wise to shed any inhibitions that have interfered with you getting all of the free-flowing intimacy you’d love to have.

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PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): In 2014, you will have the mojo to escape a frustration that has drained you and pained you for a long time. I mean you can end its hold on you for good. The coming months will also provide you with the chance to activate and cultivate a labor of love that will last as long as you live. While this project may not bloom overnight, it will reveal its staying power in dramatic fashion. And you will be able to draw on the staunch faith you’ll need to devote yourself to it until its full blessings ripen.

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!”

Guest Artist

ADAM WARNER December 20-22

Call to book, or come by.

3001 Cambie Street • 604-879-4114 • www.funhousetattoo.ca

WEVancouver.com

“Bringing you the bestest of the best est

December 19 – 25, 2013

2

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): “Artists who are content merely to hone their gifts eventually come to little,” says the Belgian writer Simon Leys. “The ones who truly leave their mark have the strength and the courage to explore and exploit their shortcomings.” I’d like to borrow that wisdom and provide it for you to use in 2014, Aquarius.

Even if you’re not an artist, you will be able to achieve an interesting kind of success if you’re willing to make use of the raw materials and untapped potential of your so-called flaws and weaknesses. Whatever is unripe in you will be the key to your creativity.

more online

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1 MLA Sam Sullivan and Lynn Zanatta hosted a Christmas open house at the Contemporary Art Gallery on Dec. 12. From left: City councillor George Affleck, Lynn Zanatta, Sam Sullivan, parks board commissioner John Coupar, NPA director Robert McDowell and dance producer Brent Belsher. 2 Santa and crew flicked the switch for Festival of Lights, which runs 4:30 to 9pm daily (except Dec. 25) until Jan. 4 at VanDusen Gardens. 3 New Zealand’s consul general Melissa Trochon and Douglas Seifert of Air New Zealand hosted a pre-screening party (complete with the Hobbit and Gandalf) for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug at Scotiabank Theatre Dec. 11. 4 Performers Alseney Bangoura, Sam Alvarez and Marine Gourdon at the Vancouver premiere of Odysseo Dec, 9. 5 Actor John Cassini (Three Days in Havana, Continuum) and writer Chris Haddock (DaVinci’s Inquest, Boardwalk Empire) at Odysseo.

6 Infiniti Downtown Vancouver welcomes service manager Alex Tong and general sales manager Kevin Murato. 7 Chan Hon Goh and her husband Chun Che at opening night of Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts. 8 OB1 Enterprises’ Ben Couves, Dela Cruz PR’s Caroline Carter and HootSuite’s Ryan Holmes shake off winter’s darkness at the Heth PR/Dela Cruz PR party. 9 Shannon Heth and Malania Dela Cruz at their shared Gastown office Dec. 16.

WEVancouver.com

Gift guide: car & motorcycle Christmas goodies Steering in the Right Direction (From approx. $240.00) Want to spice up your ride? Perhaps add a sporty element? Sparco makes steering wheels for both street and race cars. Then again, it’s kind of a one-stop shop. They also sell race attire, seats, shoes and more. If nothing else, they make some very comfortable hats! sparcousa.com

By Alexandra Straub Looking for the perfect gift for the car lover in your life? I am too.

In the search for some cool swag, here are a few places you can stop by or check out online for some unique pieces of automotive goodness.

Blipshift.com ($15 + shipping) Direct from the website, it says, “Blipshift brings you high quality, limited edition auto-enthusiast focused shirts for just $15. Each shirt is available for only a few days before it is towed off to the crusher, never to be printed again.”

If you want to torture yourself and see some amazing designs from weeks past, you can do so by scrolling through the different pages.

Sometimes, there are extras in specific designs so might just be in luck. blipshift.com Carry all for the Motorcycle: Ogio Rig 9800 Rolling Luggage Bag $250 (approx.)

For anyone carrying motorcycle gear frequently, this is a fabulous bag. I recently purchased one and I love it. It fit both my motocross gear (big, chunky boots), pants, shirt, elbow and knee pads and my onepiece leather racing suit, track boots, gloves AND a helmet.

Yes, there’s a specific area to put your helmet. I checked it in at the airport and there were no issues. It’s heavy duty, and has handles at very convenient sports. The kicker? It can stand upright by itself. It’s pricey but worth the investment. ogio.com

Wilkinson Automobilia (Various prices) Need a book, DVD, poster or die cast model?

Chances are Wilkinson Automobilia will have it.

With unique items in store every day, it really is a place where any car lover could spend most of their pay cheques.

Should you not live in the Lower Mainland, fear not, they have an online store, which is eautomobilia.com There are items there that appeal to both four and two-wheel enthusiasts.

A Visit to the Spa...For your car.

(Various prices) It’s a good feeling when you’re feeling clean.

And we all know that winter is not a season that promotes spotlessness. With salt on the roads, grime hanging around, and foreign objects getting stuck to your vehicle, you’d wonder how a bath can even help. Well, it does. Washing it cleans off the salt that covers the roads and can help prevent corrosion. And on the inside, think of what your boots bring in. A trip to the spa prevents stains from totally setting in and can leave your car smelling good, too. Whether getting just a quick treatment or the full shebang, your ride will thank you for it.

Build a Racecar in 158 Pieces ($24.99) Building a racecar can be done in 158 pieces thanks to Lego. If you’re young, or young at heart, surely you’ll have a good time assembling this “toy!” Plus, it looks cool. shop.lego.com

Safety First (Name your price!)

The gift of practicality is priceless. How about an emergency car kit? You could even pack it yourself by using these guidelines at getprepared.gc.ca. Or you can get one already prepared at various stores like Canadian Tire or your local automotive retailer.

Question of the week:

Santa is looking for a new ride.

Which new vehicle would you like him to deliver to you? keith.morgan@drivewaybc.ca

ICBC

Safety Tip If you’re travelling across our province to spend time with family this holiday season, be realistic about travel times and check out the road conditions via DriveBC.ca ahead of time so you can prepare yourself and your vehicle for any challenging weather you may encounter.

Meanest gas miser

in the world The Gift of Knowledge (Various) Being a safer driver or motorcycle rider is beneficial for everyone. And how to get there doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it’s a lot of fun. The Advanced Rider Training (ART) course through the West Coast Superbike School is one way (westcoastsuperbikeschool.com) to learn a lot and have a good time. Or, if you want to do it behind the wheel of a car, check out Morrisport Advanced Driving (morrisport.com) Whether it’s your first time or not, there are new skills to be picked up each time the tires roll onto the track. alexandra.straub@drivewaybc.ca

New Yorkers got a glimpse of the future this week, as the Volkswagen XL1 arrived as part of a month-long American tour. The XL1, which looks like it’s off the set of a sci-fi movie, is the most fuel-efficient production car in the world, with a European combined fuel consumption rating of 0,9 L/100 kms and CO2 emissions of 21 g/km. Thanks to its plug-in hybrid system, this two-seater can also cover up to 50 kms as a zero-emissions electric vehicle. The car is powered by a two-cylinder 0.8-litre, TDI engine displaces 0.8 liters, generating 48 hp.

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FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS 7

OBITUARIES

EMPLOYMENT/EDUCATION 114

DRIVERS/COURIER/ TRUCKING

HIGHWAY OWNER OPERATORS $3500 SIGNING BONUS Van Kam’s group of companies req. Highway linehaul owner operators based in our Surrey terminal for runs throughout BC and Alberta. Applicants must have winter and mountain driving experience/training.

We offer above average rates and an excellent employee benefits package.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS 33

To join our team of professional drivers, email a detailed resume, current driver’s abstract and details of your truck to: careers@vankam.com or Call 604-968-5488 or Fax: 604-587-9889 Only those of interest will be contacted.

Van Kam is committed to Employment Equity and Environmental Responsibility.

INFORMATION ADVERTISE in the LARGEST OUTDOOR PUBLICATION IN BC The 2014-2016 BC Hunting Regulations Synopsis

The most effective way to reach an incredible number of BC Sportsmen & women.

Two year edition- terrific presence for your business.

Please call Annemarie 1.800.661.6335 email: fish@blackpress.ca

WE’RE ON THE WEB www.bcclassified.com

EMPLOYMENT/EDUCATION 142 OFFICE SUPPORT/CLERKS EVENCE Ltd is a furniture supply company and we are looking for an administrative assistant for our busy office. This position requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail and good interpersonal skills.

Duties include but are not limited to data entry, reception and production administration. The Successful candidate will: -Have strong analytical and communication skills, -Be a self-starter who is able to work with minimal supervision, -Have a sound knowledge of MS Office (Excel, Word, Outlook) Candidates with more than 2 years experience will be given preference.Salary is very attractive with other benefits attached. Please forward resume and cover letter to tass@offurntre.com for consideration.

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HOME/BUSINESS SERVICES 320

AFFORDABLE MOVING www.affordablemoversbc.com

$45/Hr

From 1, 3, 5, 7 & 10 Ton Trucks Licensed ~ Reliable ~ 1 to 3 Men Free Estimate/Senior Discount Residential~Commercial~Pianos

LOCAL & LONG DISTANCE

604-537-4140

MOUNTAIN MOVERS- Your trusted choice for residential moving services. (778)378-6683

329 PAINTING & DECORATING www.paintspecial.com

TRADES, TECHNICAL

604.339.1989 Lower Mainland 604.996.8128 Fraser Valley

JOURNEYMAN AUTOMOTIVE Service Technician(s) in Hanna Alberta. Hanna Chrysler Ltd. offers competitive wages, relocation allowance, negotiable depending on experience. Bright, modern shop.

Full-time permanent with benefits.

Friendly town just 2 hours from major urban centres. More info at: hannachrysler.ca.

Fax 403-854-2845; Email: chrysler@telusplanet.net.

INTERIOR HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR SCHOOL. NO Simulators. In-the-seat training.

Real world tasks.

Weekly start dates. Job board!

Funding options.

SIGN UP ONLINE! iheschool.com 1-866-399-3853 TRAIN TO BE AN Apartment/ Condominium Manager ONLINE! Graduates get access to all jobs posted with us. 33 years of success!

Government certified. www.RMTI.ca or 1-800-665-8339, 604-681-5456.

HELP WANTED

TIMESHARE

182

(Ceiling & Trim extra) Price incls Cloverdale Premium quality paint.

NO PAYMENT until Job is completed. Ask us about our Laminate Flooring & Maid Services.

ANNACIS ISLAND PAWNBROKERS open ‘till midnight 7 days a week. 604-540-1122. Cash loans for Jewellery, Computers, Smartphones, Games, Tools etc. #1041628 Fosters Way at Cliveden. annacisislandpawnbrokers.com.

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114

DRIVERS/COURIER/ TRUCKING

CHIHUAHUAS, tiny tea cups, ready to go now, 2 males. $650. Call 604794-7347 Chocolate Labradoodle Puppies non-shedding, multi generation.

Ready soon! $995. 604-355-9881.

GERMAN SHEPHERD Pups & young adults. Quality German & Czech bloodlines. 604-856-8161.

LOCAL PLUMBER $45 Service Call Plumbing, Heating, Plugged Drains.

Mustang Plumbing 778-714-2441

Great Pyrenees pups, female, 1st shots, parents on site, ready now $600. Call (604)798-5069

• Labourers • Tradesmen • Class 1 Drivers

Call 24Hr. Free Recorded Message 1-888-213-2854 NIGHT TIME Restaurant Cleaners needed 7 nights/wk, lower mainland area. (604)572-0070

134

HOTEL, RESTAURANT, FOOD SERVICES

THAI BASIL Restaurant, Van. requires 1 Asst Mgr, 2-3 yrs. exp. $15.80/hr. Email: thaibasil.bc@gmail.com WANTED F/T Cook at SUSHI DEN Rest. 609 Abbott St. Vancouver. 2 yrs. exp., high school diploma. wage: $2240/mth. 40hrs/wk. Apply: sushiden94@gmail.com duties: cook Japanese meal, plan menu, create item. Staff training.

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FOSTER/SOCIAL CARE

LEGAL SERVICES

CRIMINAL RECORD? Don’t let it block employment, travel, education, professional, certification, adoption property rental opportunities. For peace of mind & a free consultation call 1-800-347-2540.

353 ROOFING & SKYLIGHTS GL ROOFING. Cedar/Asphalt, Flat roofs, WCB Clean Gutters - $80.

604-240-5362. info@glroofing.ca

THREE STAR DRYWALL LTD Boarding, Taping, & texture. Small jobs welcome! Kam 604-551-8047

260

HOMES WANTED

WE BUY HOUSES! Older House • Damaged House Moving • Estate Sale • Just Want Out • Behind on Payments Quick Cash! • Flexible Terms!

CALL US FIRST! 604-657-9422

LOVE BIRDS. 5 baby peach faced love birds.1 month old. Like being together. $50/pair or $75 single bird. 604-859-5752 (Abbotsford)

Difficulty Making Payments?

No Equity? Penalty? Expired Listing?

We Buy Homes! No Fees! No Risk! www.GVCPS.ca / 604-786-4663

NEED A GOOD HOME for a good dog or a good dog for a good home? We adopt dogs! Call 604856-3647 or www.856-dogs.com

RENTALS

• DIFFICULTY SELLING? •

YORKSHIRE Terrier Puppies. 2 males, ready to go. Shots, dewormed. $1200 ea. (604)304-1131

MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

jsarowa@shaw.ca or 604-897-1546

548

706

APARTMENT/CONDO

FURNITURE

www.rugcanada.com Tribal, afghan persian rugs at great prices

Tel: 604-299-3324 560

MISC. FOR SALE

DISCONNECTED PHONE? National Teleconnect Home Phone Service. No One Refused! Low Monthly Rate! Calling Features and Unlimited Long Distance Available.

Call National Teleconnect Today!

1-866-443-4408. www.nationalteleconnect.com.

845 736

HOMES FOR RENT

SOUTH SURREY

Become a PLEA Family Caregiver.

PLEA provides ongoing training and support. y A young person is waiting for an open door...make it yours. caregiving@plea.bc.ca 604.708.2628 w w w. p l e a . c a

The Scrapper

Sold Your House?

Downsizing?

Renovating?

Just bring Your Clothes.

Fully Furnished & Equipped Like New Townhouse. Only 3 years old. Immaculate Deluxe, 2 bdrm. + Rec. Room/Office + 2 Full Bath T/House. Flr. to ceiling storage + storage rm. in garage.

6 s/s appli. d/w, w/d, Garburator.

Crown Mouldings, 9ft. ceilings, H/W laminate flooring and slate tile. Gas F/P & Alarm. 1 car garage parking. Covered patio lower & outdoor patio upper. Amenities room incls. full gym, outdoor hot tub & pool. Walk to Morgan Heights shopping.

NO Smoking inside & NO Pets! $2350/month. Available March 1.

604.488.9161

10% DISCOUNT. MG Roofing & Siding. CA. Re-roofing, New Roof Gutters.

603

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND OTHERS

ACREAGE

Re: The Estate of Vivian Monica Shaffer, also known as Vivan M. Shaffer, Vivian Shaffer, and V. Shaffer, deceased, formerly of 2302 - 1011 Beach Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., V6E 1T8

HOME IMPROVEMENTS 356

RUBBISH REMOVAL

Complete Dry-wall & Renovation services. Textured ceiling specialist.

Phone Steve (604)613-4861

320

AAA SCRAP CAR REMOVAL Minimum $150 cash for full size vehicles, any cond. 604-518-3673

Short Term or Long term

604-812-9721

Always Done Right With Integrity.

SCRAP CAR REMOVAL

REAL ESTATE

ELECTRICAL

Lic. Electrician A+, BBB member Expert trouble shooter, All types of Electrical work 24/7 604-617-1774

287

821 CARS - SPORTS & IMPORTS 2007 MERCEDES. A luxury car like no other. This fully loaded Mercedes S550 4-Matic S class.

Premium and comfort package includes - navigation, voice command, heated and cooled seats, power rear shades and blinds, premium sound system, panoramic roofs both front and rear.

Absolutely has it all. Very clean inside and out. No accidents.

150,000 km.

Asking $29,500 OBO. Contact me via email for further information at:

STEEL BUILDINGS/METAL BUILDINGS 60% OFF! 20x28, 30x40, 40x62, 45x90, 50x120, 60x150, 80x100 sell for balance owed!

Call 1-800-457-2206 www.crownsteelbuildings.ca

DRYWALL

AUTO FINANCING

Townhouse for Sale. Abbotsford. 2 floors, 1660 sq ft per floor. Walk out bsmt. Upper floor view of mtns, Matsqui flats & Mission. 3/bdrms, 2 car garage. Call to view. 1 (604)856-8177 or 604-308-5489

639 REAL ESTATE SERVICES

HOT TUB (SPA) COVERS. Best price. Best quality. All shapes & colours available. 1-866-652-6837 www.thecoverguy.com/newspaper?

HOME/BUSINESS SERVICES 257

810

NANAIMO 3 HOUSES. Ocean & City views. Reas. Down!

Owner carries . 250-753-0160

LABRADINGER cross pups, ready to go born Oct 17, $500/each. Call (604)845-3972

Need CA$H Today? Own a vehicle? Borrow up to $25,000

188

FOR SALE BY OWNER

LADYSMITH HANDYMAN Special. 3bdrms up, 1bdrm suite down. Owner carries $1200 month (250)753-0160.

627

10% OFF if you Mention this AD! *Plumbing *Heating *Reno’s *More Lic.gas fitter. Aman: 778-895-2005

GENERAL LABOURERS

EXPERIENCED CLASS 1 Drivers, F/T, P/T needed for California & Arizona produce hauling, excellent pay and benefits+ safety bonus and home time. Call Jerry or Brian 1-877-539-1750.

FOSTER/SOCIAL CARE

PLUMBING

BRO MARV PLUMBING 24/7 Plumbing, heating, plugged drains BBB. (604)582-1598, bromarv.com

108 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

625

TRANSPORTATION

TOY YORKI-POOH, 2mos old.

Paper trained, shots and dewormed, 2 lbs. Mom & Dad - 5lbs ea. $700. 604-351-3347

CRESCENT Plumbing & Heating Licensed Residential 24hr. Service

OIL & GAS INDUSTRY GUARANTEED Job Placement

REAL ESTATE

CATS OF ALL DESCRIPTION in need of caring homes! All cats are spayed, neutered, vaccinated and dewormed. Visit us at fraservalleyhumanesociety.com or call 1 (604)820-2977

• Hot water tanks • Furnaces • Broilers • Plugged Drains 778-862-0560

EMPLOYMENT/EDUCATION

EXCITING NEW CANADIAN BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. Available in your area! Min inv req’d. For more info, call 866-945-6409

CATS GALORE, TLC has for adoption spayed & neutered adult cats. 604-309-5388 / 604-856-4866

P/B GERMAN ROTTWEILERS 3 female pups. Vet . Ready to go. $500/each. 778-899-3326

If you own a home or real estate, ALPINE CREDITS can lend you money: It’s That Simple. Your Credit / Age / Income is NOT an issue. 1.800.587.2161.

VACATION SPOTS

A PERFECT P/T Home Business.

People Choice Award Winner 11 yrs in a row. 2 hours/day earns you financial freedom. 24 hour mess. 1-888-571-2381

PETS

3 rooms for $299, 2 coats any colour

CANCEL YOUR TIMESHARE. NO Risk Program STOP Mortgage & Maintenance Payments Today.

100% Money Back Guarantee.

FREE Consultation. Call Us NOW. We Can Help! 1-888-356-5248

76

477

Blue Italian Mastiff & Matiff/Boxer X pups, ready for good homes, view parents, vet checked/1st shots, $500. Text to view (604)819-2697

Running this ad for 8yrs

FINANCIAL SERVICES

INCOME TAX PROBLEMS? Have you been audited, reassessed or disallowed certain claims by Canada Revenue Agency? Call Bob Allen @ 250-542-0295 35yrs. Income Tax experience, 8.5yrs. with Revenue Canada. Email: r.gallen@shaw.ca C- 250-938-1944

PETS

PAINT SPECIAL

EDUCATION

TRAVEL

MAZATLAN, MEXICO: 2bdrm, 2 bath condo for rent. Pool, tennis, TV. $1500/mo. (604)732-8258

MOVING & STORAGE

PERSONAL SERVICES 115

130

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WEVancouver.com 27

MOVING & STORAGE 2guyswithatruck.ca Moving & Storage Visa OK. 604-628-7136

Beautiful 2 acre South Island property, homes and garden $715,000

1PRO MOVING & SHIPPING. Across the street - across the world Real Professionals, Reas. Rates.

Best in every way! 604-721-4555.

www.CobbleHillHome4Sale.com

250 743 9882

JUNK REMOVAL By RECYCLE-IT! 604.587.5865

750

SUITES, LOWER

UBC/WESTEND PKY 2 bdrm bsmt ste $2000 + utils. 4 Bdrm & den main flr $5000 + utils. Avail now.

NS/NP. Call Mike 604-649-3028

CREDITORS and others having claims against the estate of Vivian Monica Shaffer are hereby notified under section 38 of the Trusee Act that particulars of their claims should be sent to the executor Julius Wroblewski c/o Dahl & Connors at 620-1033 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 1M7 on or before January 24, 2014, after which date the Executor will distribute the estate among the parties entitled to it, having regard to the claims of which the Executor then has notice.

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Deli!

From the

Primo Taglio Brie 200 g.

Or Camembert 170 g.

99

3

ea.

S ONLY!

Y 3 DAPR ICE

Gold Pineapple

Product of Costa Rica.

HOUSEHOLD LIMIT FOUR.

2

5

S ONLY!

Y 3 DAPR ICE CLUB

CLUB

$

for

Safeway Kitchens Raisin Bread

White or Whole Wheat.

570 g.

2

$

for

5

LY!!

S ONNLY 33DDAAYYSICEOE RIC

P LUBPR CLCUB

Bakery Counter Mini Croissants

Package of 15.

Prices effective at all British Columbia Safeway stores Friday, December 20 through Sunday, December 22, 2013 only. We reserve the right to limit sales to retail quantities. Some items may not be available at all stores. All items while stocks last. Actual items may vary slightly from illustrations.

Some illustrations are serving suggestions only. Advertised prices do not include GST. ®™ Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Co. and Safeway. Extreme Specials are prices that are so low they are limited to a one time purchase to Safeway Club Card Members within a household. Each household can purchase the limited items one time during the effective dates. A household is defined by all Safeway Club Cards that are linked by the same address and phone number. Each household can purchase the EXTREME SPECIALS during the specified advertisement dates. For purchases over the household limits, regular pricing applies to overlimit purchases. On BUY ONE GET ONE FREE items, both items must be purchased. Lowest priced item is then free. Online and in-store prices, discounts, and offers may differ.

BCRED TAB

WEEK 52

$

5

S ONLY!

Y 3 DAPR ICE

Dove Hair Care 355 mL. Or Styling Products. Select varieties and sizes. LIMIT SIX FREE Combined varieties.

CLUB

Gift Cards for the Holidays

ET BUY 1 G

1FREE EQUAL OR

LESSER

VALUE

S ONLY!

Y 3 DAPR ICE CLUB

DECEMBER 20 21 22 FRI

SAT SUN

Prices in this ad good until Dec. 22nd.

50909_DEC 20_FRI_04