BE ACONTHE ISSUETHISIN TALKATIVE TEEN PG 4 MARHABA PG 7 IAN MACPHERSON LITTLE WHITE COTTAGE PG 8-9 ST. FRANCIS PG 13 We are grateful to live and work on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples. No. 52 Shedding light on the communities from Lions Bay to Dundarave September/October 2022 Tracy Hayes art mural at Gleneagles Ch’axáý School. Photo: Chris Adshead PG 11 Your Realtor for Life. 604.315.2645 | KimTaylorHomes.com
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Photo: courtesy of Rik Klingle-Watt Karen, Lindy, Alli, Elizabeth, Jennifer, and Fran are the writers and performers of Mother Tongues, at the Fringe in September.
OPINION
LINDY PFEIL
The show must go on No one warned me about motherhood. My convent education was useless. When I graduated from high school, I wasn’t even clear on how many ovaries I had. And my own mother made it all seem fairly easy: a meal every now and then, and a ride here and there. How hard could it be? My first inkling that it wouldn’t be all plain sailing was when I was expecting my son. My mother told me that while she would obviously love this baby – her first grandchild – she had no intention of ever looking after him. “I’m done with all that,” she said, before lighting another John Player Special, leav ing me to wonder what “all that” entailed. I have now been a mother for more than three decades. I still have no idea what I’m doing. But I do understand how impossi ble “all that” is to define. Luckily, I discovered others out there, also confused by the whole mother ingSo,thing.we did what mothers do: created a little family built on the solid foundations of dys function, confusion, tears, and laughter. We call ourselves Mothers on Ink. Mostly because we started out as a writing group. But also because it’s a slightly more socially acceptable name than Mothers on WeAtivan.started writing together online during COVID-19. It seems like yesterday. And also 100 years ago. Much has happened during this time. To all of us. And to the world. One of us (who shall remain nameless) decided we should apply to perform at the Fringe.
The Vancouver Fringe Festival is BC’s biggest theatre festival. It started as an alternative theatre experience in 1985 and takes place every September (except during pandemics) at different venues around the city. It’s billed as Theatre for Everyone. Well, we’re every one, I figured, so how hard could this be? I should have remembered the last time I uttered those words. It was February when she-who-shall-not-benamed made the suggestion. I was in South Africa at the time and fall in Vancou ver seemed just far enough into the future to make it seem like a good idea. We all said yes, partly because we all have a hard time saying no. But also because we secretly hoped the lottery system would not be in our favour. The way the Fringe works is that you send in your performance proposal, the genre and intended audience, and then you wait to see what hap pens. You do not need to be a professional performer – a pro fessional anything. You simply need an idea – and the chutzpah to execute it on stage in front of strangers (something we didn’t think too much about when we sent in theOnapplication.)May6,we watched – from our little individual screens at home – the lottery system at work. Executive Director, Cory Phil ley, opened the evening at The Liberty Distillery, with staff, friends, partners, and board members all waiting for the official line up to be revealed.There had been 145 submissions. Of those, 63 had made it into the hat – in this instance, a large see-through Perspex box. Only 28
PAGE 2 September/October 2022 Submissions for The Beacon The Beacon is delivered bi-monthly to 5000+ households between Lions Bay and Dundarave. For submission guidelines and queries, please e-mail the Editor: lindypfeil@ westvanbeacon.ca Please note that all submissions are subject to space constraints and editing. For advertising queries, please e-mail the Director of Marketing: pennymitchell@westvanbeacon.ca For all other queries, please e-mail the Publisher: chrisstringer@westvanbeacon.ca TEAM Please note that all contributing writers for The Beacon retain full rights and that the full or partial reproduction of feature articles is unauthorized without the consent of the author. Personal opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed are solely those of the respective contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Beacon, the publisher or the editorial and creative staff. Melissa Baker Creative Director @westvanbeacon.camelissabaker Chris Stringer Publisher @westvanbeacon.cachrisstringer Lindy Pfeil Editor @westvanbeacon.calindypfeil Penny Mitchell Advertising @westvanbeacon.capennymitchell All editions of The Beacon (beginning in September 2013), can also be read online at: www.westvanbeacon.ca.
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Sunset Beach with my wife Helen and our two sons. The marina was now in full op eration and the Sundowner Restaurant had been a great addition to the area. Our boys’ first jobs were bussing tables at the restau rant and moving boats around the marina. For more than 35 years we enjoyed the seals, dolphins, and eagles. Most exciting was the winter storms and Squamish winds.
Ferry viewed from Sunset Beach. Photo providedPeter’s first house at Sunset. Photo provided BY Peter Black Peter at Sunset Beach in 1961. Photo provided
Continued from page 2
September/October 2022 PAGE 3 names would be pulled. Our chances were slim. Which suited us just fine thank you veryTwomuch.board members did the lottery hon ours. With each additional name announced, I breathed a little sigh of relief. One by one, 15 bright orange squares of paper were pulled from the box, unfolded, read aloud. Not us. Not us. Not us. And then, number 16. Us. It happened so quickly. So uneventfully. As if it wasn’t a big deal at all. As if the six of us – moms from the suburbs – had not just been given the most spectacular gift: a stage from which to share our stories. For a while we pretended not to be ter rified. But that only lasted so long. Then we panicked. We called an in-person meeting. In Eagle Harbour. It was the first time some of us had met in real life. It turns out Zoom is useless when it comes to accurately depicting height. Or fantastic hair. There was a lot of “Oh, wow! Look at you!” moments. Not much work got done. There were forms to be completed. Many forms. And because we are not professional performers, there are things we didn’t have. Like headshots. And a media kit. Promo tionalThenmaterial.camethe tech sheet. And we were floored. There were so many foreign words. Crossover. Suspension. (Who would be sus pended? And why?) Teardowns. Blackouts. Words that made us wonder what on earth we’d gotten ourselves into. Motherhood all overThankfully,again. the Fringe staff are rather helpful. And quite lovely. And so, the show goes on. There is no complicated lighting. No glitzy scenery. No mood music. No fancy gimmicks. Just a naked stage. Six women. And true Motherstories.Tongues explores the language and voices of who we come from and the lasting impact of both having and being a mother. Heart wrenching, funny, and raw, these stories flip the myth of the Good Mother. We hope to see you there. So that together we can start to redefine what it means to be a mother. The Vancouver Fringe Festival runs from September 8 to 18. For showtimes and tick ets visit MothersOnInk.com. In the ‘60s our family ran a successful butcher shop in Kerrisdale, where we lived. Almost every Sunday my dad and mom would take me and my brother and sister to Horseshoe Bay, for fish and chips at Trolls. The Bay was very much like the little villages that littered the coast of Scotland, where Dad grew up. Dad and Joe Troll became quick friends and when Dad mentioned his love for the area, Joe informed him of a small parcel of waterfront lots for sale up the sound at Sun set Beach. They were owned by Rod Lee, and Mr. Lee was preparing to build a small marina (which is now Sunset Marina). Up to that time there were only a few old sum mer cottages there. Dad purchased a lot and built our fam ily’s Bob Lewis summer house on it. In 1962, our family moved there full time. The butcher store was moved from Kerrisdale to Ambleside. In 1979, I moved from Ambleside to
Power outages and our wood burning fire place made for warm, cozy nights. Happily, our sons were married in our garden, with our next-door neighbour, Judge Moss, tying the knots for both. Even tually Helen and I retired from the butcher store in Park Royal, sold our home at Sunset Beach, and returned to Ambleside, where we had started out, 40 years earlier. of Sunset Beach
The Blacks
PAGE 4 September/October 2022
It’s never too early to start planning your child’s middle school education An International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program school (Grades 6-9) LEARNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. INSPIRED TO MAKE WAVES. DISCOVER ISLAND PACIFIC SCHOOL BOOK A TOUR TODAY islandpacific.org604-947-9311 DID YOU KNOW almost 50% of our students live off island and take the Bowen Island ferry to school each day?
If one were to walk into a North Shore drama room, choir class, improv club, or the atre camp and ask the stu dents who most inspires them, the name Kimberly Markarian would no doubt arise from at least one voice in the crowd. The odds are favourable, given that she has taught musical theatre in West Vancouver for over 20 years, and currently provides private sing ing lessons to 48 students of varyingKimberlyages. Markarian be gan teaching music directly after graduating from univer sity. She first taught voice out of necessity, but soon realized that this was her true call ing.“My heart really wasn’t in performing,” she says. “I discovered that my true passion was actually the process of singing, and the technical side of it; how we do what we Kimberlydo.”
in
From theatre kid to singing inspiration ROSE LEPIN
implements a teaching style known as Estill Voice – a model that educates the singer on what elements make the desired sound as they learn to make the sound itself. “Estill Voice helps empower the learner to understand their instrument. You don’t necessarily need a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ from a teacher.” This year, four of her students progressed from the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival to the British Co lumbia Provincials: Ashley Pistilli for the Provincial Excellence Class, Rose Lepin for Senior Musical Theatre, Anastasia Lutsenko for Intermediate Classical Voice, and Adela Drabek for Junior Musical Theatre. Rose and Anastasia placed at Provincials. Anastasia then progressed to Canada West Nationals, along with Adela. Both achieved second place in their respective categories. When not teaching private lessons, Kim berly leads local youth in musical theatre. In 2002, she and Suzanne Fulton founded what is now known as the Kay Meek Youth Con servatory. The program has evolved enor mously from its roots in the WVSS drama room as an SD45 day camp and has now become a multi-week intensive program in which auditioned students stage a complete musical.Thisyear, the four-week Senior Conser vatory staged 13: The Musical and the threeweek Junior Conservatory put on Shrek: The Musical. Coming out of two pandemic-rid den summers, the program is bigger and bet ter than ever. The conservatory experience always includes workshops and interactive lessons with experts, and this summer the program has introduced an intimacy coordi nator into the productions. As the 2022 summer has brought new changes to the conservatory, the same is true for Kimberly as the next schoolyear begins. While still teaching at Harmonia Vocal Stu dio, she will also be sharing her knowledge with musical theatre majors at Capilano University.Asshe shares her talents with a wider range of students, Harmonia will still be accepting new singers as it always has; and Kimberly is enthusiastic about stoking the musical flames in our youth for years to come.
Photo provided Kimberly at the 2022 Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival with senior students Rose Lepin and Ashley Pistilli.
TALKATIVE TEEN
Photo: courtesy of Kimberly Markarian Kimberly performing in St. Albert’s Children’s Theatre 1986.
Restoring Navvy Jack House The power of connection - community perspectives
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September/October 2022 PAGE 5
The West Vancouver Founda tion, founded in 1979, is dedi cated to a bright, just, and sustainable future, with resources to ensure a vibrant quality of life for futureVitalgenerations.Signsmeasures the vitality of our community and identifies significant trends across a range of areas. Initiated in 2016 by past WVF board member Barbara McMillan, it has become a highly respected source of insights into our community. West Vancouver’s Vital Signs® 2021/22 report reflects the perspectives of over 500 residents and exam ines fourteen issues, including belonging, housing, and health. It also explores the best things about living in West Vancouver, press ing issues, and hopes for the future. This is the first Vital Signs report to look at reconciliation and relations with Indig enous communities.
An enormous thank you to every one who stopped by the Navvy Jack House tent at this year’s Harmony Arts Festival. Thank you for your interest in the house, and for supporting its restora tion.The photographs of the house and its res idents, from a time before West Vancouver existed, prompted people to ask questions and offer comments. Some shared stories of their own. Others had connections with the families who lived in the house over the past 100-plus years. For those who do not yet know the story behind Navvy Jack House, it was built circa 1873 and occupied until 2017. Occupants included its namesake, John ‘Navvy Jack’ Thomas and his family, in an early union be tween settlers and Indigenous people, fol lowed by John Lawson, ‘the father of West Vancouver’ and his family, Ms. Emma Mac Farlane, the Hookham family, and finally the family of Lloyd and Bette Williams. The Navvy Jack House Citizen Group and the District of West Vancouver are re storing and repurposing the house for the use and benefit of our community. The cost estimate is $2.6 million, with $1 million coming from West Vancouver’s Communi ty Amenity Contributions, and the balance, $1.6 million, from other sources, including ourSupportcommunity.for a waterfront destination, where refreshments can be enjoyed ‘with a side of heritage’—displays featuring stories from the first inhabitants and those who came to make this place their home—was gratifyingly positive. A community fundraising campaign is the next step in the project to restore and repurpose Navvy Jack House as a commu nityForamenity.details about this project, to share your stories and memories about Navvy Jack House, to keep informed about the res toration campaign, and to contribute, visit savenavvyjackhouse.com
Overall quality of life was graded an A with belonging, safety, sport and rec reation options, and health and wellness also receiving top scores. But 43 per cent of respondents reported declining mental health due to COVID-19. The six areas receiving Bs are diversity, local economy, environmental action, civic engagement, learning, and arts and culture. Respondents provided dozens of sugges tions to strengthen these areas.
“Beautiful” is the word most frequently used to describe West Vancouver. Belong ing is fostered through personal friend ships. Neighbourhoods (and neighbours) took on new significance during COV ID-19.
Housing options received the lowest score – F. Faring a little better was transpor tation (C), and how we help newcomers set tle (C+). Housing has been a looming crisis for years. Respondents indicate strong sup port for action across several scenarios. The frustrations around housing, transporta tion, and growth overwhelm many of the other urgent social and environmental pri orities in the community. Vital Signs reporting is intended to ig nite open, respectful conversations, to build a stronger, caring, more inclusive commu nity. Organizations, agencies, and individ ual donors use the report in different ways. Some are inspired to bring neighbours and groups together. Others target their per sonal giving around specific causes, and many use the themes as a lens for their programs and planning. The Vital Signs reports are available at westvanfoundation. ca. Thoughts and questions are encouraged. The West Vancouver Foundation Vital Signs program is graciously supported by British Pacific Properties, Park Royal/Larco and the District of West Vancouver. BY John Mawson
Photo: courtesy of Claudia Dow Volunteer John Mawson with a welcome donation for Navvy Jack House restoration project. BY Elaine McHarg Vice President, West Vancouver Foundation
Did you know that across the road from where Gleneagles-Ch’axay school now sits, there was once a railway station?
Whytecliff Station was the end of the line for what was then the Pacific Great Eastern Rail wayThe(PGE).PGE was chartered in 1912 and was to be the BC branch of the Grand Trunk Pacific. The plan was to connect Winnipeg with Prince Rupert.This story is about a small part of the route – a train across the North Shore from Lons dale Quay to Horseshoe Bay. January 1, 1914 was a big day on the North Shore as the PGE started passenger service from the foot of Lonsdale Avenue to its then most westerly station at Dundarave. Invited citizens gathered at the decorated station. There was much excitement in the air. The North Shore Press of January 2, 1914 wrote: “At 10 am Conductor Middleton ordered all those possessing invitations aboard. Leaving North Vancouver there was a grand ovation, the mo tors quickly gathered speed and in a very short time the cars were gliding along. During the trip PGE officials proved themselves excellent hosts, the quality of the wine was unexcelled, sandwiches and cake were passed around.” Despite the difficult terrain, the route was pushed through and regular passenger service from Lonsdale to the 12.7 mile point at Why tecliff started on August 21, 1914. At that time, it was unsure if the line would continue north of Horseshoe Bay to Squamish as the route was considered by many to be impassable. Whytecliff station was only a few minutes’ walk from Horseshoe Bay and the service opened the area to beach goers, day trippers and fishers. The route served 15 stations in West Vancouver including Larsons, which was near the golf clubhouse and The Orchard Res taurant.The population of West Vancouver in creased at a steady rate after World War 1 and through the 1920s. Most new homes were summer cottages, but some were permanent. Whytecliff Park and Horseshoe Bay benefitted from the service. There were company picnics, band concerts, and many family gatherings. Traffic on the line was very busy on weekends, to the point that there were some problems. The West Van-Courier of September 16, 1920, reported that, “disgraceful scenes of drunk enness and rowdyism has been afflicted fre quently this summer.”
Sadly, the line’s days were numbered: the PGE’s ratio of freight to passengers was lop sided and there was little revenue received from moving freight. This was due partly to the line not being linked to the already completed northern section with its southern terminus in Squamish.Also,bus and automobile traffic increased along Marine Drive, making the isolated commuter rail link uneconomical. Despite a push in 1924 to complete the 28-mile route to Squamish, it was not built at that time. The estimated cost then was $2.3 million. Despite a short upturn in traffic in 1925, when on the May holiday weekend, the line carried over 4,000 passengers, business continued to de cline, costing BC taxpayers $300,000 per year.
Service stopped on November 29, 1928. But the right-of-way remained, often cov ered over by residents’ gardens, sheds, and blackberry bushes. It was not until the 1950s that things changed again, but that is a story for another edition. Thank you to the West Vancouver Archives, and the North Vancouver Archives for their help with this story.
PGE route map, from the book The Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company, by Patrick O. Hind, published by the North Vancouver Museum Archives.
PAGE 6 September/October 2022
Photo: courtesy of Derek Hayes from his 2018 book, Iron Road West, published by Harbour Publishing Whytecliff Station in July 1925, with gas railcar 104 and boxcar.
West Vancouver’s first commuter line CHRIS ADSHEAD LOOKING BACK
The restaurant opened in the third week of June. In its second week of operation, a group of five friends from St. Francis de cided to share dinner there. We wanted to celebrate our church’s sponsorship. It was a huge success! The food was delicious; the ambience, attractive and serene; the young staff eager to serve. Ranim was gracious; Amr, quietly supportive of their new project. The daily special, including beef, chicken, and lamb shawarma, with fragrant rice and steaming vegetables, was abundant. We didn’t miss alcohol, with the copious selection of juices, coffees, teas, smoothies, and pop on offer. Prices were reasonable. The name of the restaurant tells its story. “Marhaba” means “hello and welcome” in Arabic.The greeting, normally used between family and close friends, announces the intention of Marhaba to treat every customer as a friend. Marhaba also gives back to the commu nity, providing low-cost meals, (sometimes free), to non-profit or ganizations feeding the homeless. Ranim also speaks out, whenever she is invited, about the plight of refugee fami lies, and how to help them integrate into Canada.Marhaba’s desire is to share their culture, cuisine, customs, and history with new Canadian friends. It is part of Ranim’s dream of mapping a broad er future for everyone, where refugees can become fully Canadian while still cherish ing and sharing their own traditions. We are all, in some way, refugees and travelers on this earth. By enjoying the differences and the journey, we are all enriched. Marhaba!
September/October 2022 PAGE 7
BY Anne Baird
“Words don’t put food on the table. Ac tion is needed,” she says. “I wanted to be able to offer them jobs.”
Ranim’s response to this discouragement was to work harder. Church connections helped her to craft a compelling resume, and introduced her to Knight Piésold Consulting, a Vancouver engineering consulting company. In November of 2016, the company offered her a job as a designer/ intermediate drafter, tec 1. She accepted. Willing to work 13 hours a day, studying and taking courses at BCIT, she rose from level 1 to level 2 within a year. Perhaps, one day, she’ll find the time to become a fully certified Canadian civil engineer.
Now, however, she’s fully engaged with her job, and with the time she devotes to helping other refugees. For a while, she did presentations for WorkBC and the Immigrant Services Soci ety of BC, advising newcomers on how to find work, and how to integrate into Cana da. But she felt that wasn’t enough.
Ranim and her business partner, Amr Halem, at Marhaba.
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In May 2015, three churches, St. Francisin-the-Wood, St. Christopher’s and St. Stephen’s, banded together to sponsor a young Syrian family.
This led to her starting a new company, in February 2020: Food Story.
Using a commercial kitchen, she hired staff to offer catering, a line of packaged frozen foods, and online ordering and delivery of Mediterranean cuisine. They were just getting started when the pandemic struck. For two years, they survived. Then, in May of 2022, she found a business partner in Amr Halem, an Egyptian restauranteur who used the same commercial kitchen she did. Combining their experience and talents, they created a new restaurant at 1157 Davie Street: Marhaba Food Story.
Hitting the ground running
Ranim, a civil engineer, and instructor at Syria’s Civil Engineering Institute in Aleppo, was a successful business owner who managed large projects. She hit the ground running, and in her first five months in Canada, sent out 200 resumes and applied for 200 jobs. She received a total of five responses. Some companies said she was “overqualified.” A few advisors suggested she “lower her sights” and apply for lower-level jobs at chain stores.
Ranim Fahham, her sister, and their four children, arrived in Vancouver in May 2016.
Photos: Anne Baird Some of the delicious offerings on the menu at Marhaba.
In passing the headlands and is lands, I compared the names on our charts to those in Vancouver’s log. I had access to an original copy of his voyages print ed in One1801.entry reads: “I name this head land after my good friend, Mr. Atkinson.” (He was the sail master who directed Admiral Nel son’s flagship at the famous Battle of Trafalgar.) It would be almost another century before Thomas Atkinson’s Point would be recognizable to us with a lighthouse.Escaping the high seas into the lee of the island, we sailed down the calmer Johnstone Strait. The shores cradled us from both sides as we entered the tight gap of Seymour Narrows. Here, just a few years earlier, the largest non-nuclear ex plosion in history blew off the twin peaks of infamous Ripple Rock, a reef that had claimed more than 150 ships in one of the swiftest and most turbulent ocean passes in the world. Like all vessels since, we sailed over the top of the now decapitated reef without a scratch. Then south into the middle of the Salish Sea (at that time still named Georgia Strait for King George III.)
Many of the islands, headlands, and mountains are named after his friends and Navy colleagues: Howe, Johnstone, Knight, Jervis, and Broughton; the list goes on. However, most of the place names appear ing on British charts about 50 years later
IAN MACPHERSON In Captain Vancouver’s wake
PAGE 8 September/October 2022
One spring in the early ’60s, I was a young officer navigating the 102foot Royal Canadian Navy sailing yacht HMCS Oriole. A graceful old steel ketch but with almost nothing in the way of technical aids. All sails were man-hauled and finding our way up the west coast was done by “dead-reckoning.” No electronics, no radar. Just a compass, a sextant, and a chronometer. We were a bit better off than Captains James Cook and George Vancou ver, only because we had charts (in no small measure thanks to them). Nonetheless, we were virtually sailing blind in thick fog. As vigilant as earlier explorers, we hugged the jagged shoreline until we reached the buoy marking the en trance to Imperial Eagle Channel, named for the ship of 18th century fur-trader Charles Barkley. With the fog clearing, the wind started blowing fresh and strong. A glorious ex perience – up full sail, running as fast as Oriole could take us. The taffrail log (speed ometer) read 14 knots (over 25km/hr). The previous year, on her one hundredth birth day, showing she still had “the stuff,” Oriole managed to hold her own with the larger, and usually faster, famous Canadian schoo ner Bluenose II (like the one on the back of theIndime).myimagination I could see us over taking Barkley’s Imperial Eagle to the head of the channel with dolphins surfing off our bow wave as they would have done in 1797. During our trip, I had the advantage of a special historian standing beside me at the helm. Our Haida coxswain had the most suitable name for the job: Leading Seaman BigAsCanoe.wepassed Nootka Sound, he remind ed me of the hosting role played by Chief Maquinna, chief of the Nuu-chah-nulth people of Nootka Sound, with the Brit ish and Spanish at the site of his village in Friendly Cove. (Vancouver failed to men tion the chief in his log). As we approached Queen Charlotte Sound, the waves got bigger and the weath er stormier – typical of Cape Scott, at one end of the Graveyard of the Pacific. On this coast the sea is alive and com petes with the lush for est to define the shore line. The reef threatens to draw you in with the pounding breakers. I had always been impressed with Captain Vancouver’s formidable feats of seamanship and navigation. At 34 years of age, he became Master and Commander of the Royal Navy ship HMS Discovery, a three-masted squarerigged barque with a crew of 100. Yet even the cautious Vancouver managed to run his ship aground here. The weather there was as dangerous as any I have experienced. We had been following Vancouver’s fa mous route around the island, except in the opposite direction – clockwise. Yet, though we did it the hard way, the design of our vessel would have allowed us to outmaneu ver and readily outrun his, beating into the wind.
experienced.”asdangerousthereweatherwasasanyIhave
HMCS Oriole off the west coast in1963. Photo provided Lt. Ian Macpherson,
“The
During my journey in Oriole, I frequently imagined myself standing on the deck of HMS Discovery in 1792. Like Discovery, after sailing past the shores of West Vancouver, we crossed over to the point named for Van couver’s Navy buddy, Captain George Grey.
Reading through the original logbook, I realized I had overly romanticized the explorations of the late 1700s. Conditions for sailors in those times were grim, with frequent occurrences of “the cat out of the bag.” The cat was a whip usually kept in a canvas bag and used on default ingIsailors.decided I preferred my voyage of discovery in the relative comfort of HMCS Oriole D. Ian Macpherson, Lieut., RCNR (ret’d) HMCS Oriole 101 years old in Nova Scotia in 2022. Photo provided The route followed by the HMCS Oriole Map data @2022 Google HMCS Oriole tacking in the open sea. Photo provided RCNR, 1963.
September/October 2022 PAGE 9 are ascribed to Captain George Richards, a Royal Navy hydrog rapher. He kept up the tradi tion by honouring a bevy of admirals such as Bowen, Keats, Gambier and other Navy types like Mayne andMostPender.ofthe European explorers at that time completely ignored the fact that the Coast Salish people occupied most of this area and had names for the waterways and land on the coast. If not occupied with permanent villages, the sites were used for temporary camps and cer emonial grounds. At Point Grey, Vancouver had been surprised to find the Span iards, Galiano and Valdes ahead of him. (They had previously named the point Langara.) The Spanish legacy is obvious to those who have cruised the Gulf Islands. Even the British appreciated the Spanish contribution. In 1852, Captain Richard named two islands in honour of the Spanish captains. When Vancouver met up with them, the British and Spanish were working on over coming their old animosity and so contin ued to explore up the strait together. In Oriole, we continued the other way, almost becalmed through the southern GulfAtIslands.Saturna Island, off Elliot Bluff, an ancient Navy gunnery range, we anchored and went ashore with mine detectors to collect cannon balls for Victoria’s Maritime Museum. Then out at Juan de Fuca – the Spanish name for the Greek pilot who beat the rest of the Europeans in discovering the opening to the inland sea in the late 1500s. In recognition, Captain Barkley named the strait after him about 200 years later. While I was admiring the feats of the explorers during Oriole’s circumnavigation, our Haida historian was sensitizing me to their ethnocentric attitudes. He pointed out that his ancestors plied these inlets and passes long before European “discov erers” ever dreamt of the place. When he heard that Captain Vancouver, not known to be the cheeriest of souls, named one of the most idyllic inlets on our coast, Desola tion Sound, he responded: “I guess he didn’t know it already had a name.”
Falling into blooming colour
• Visit nurseries now to check out the early arrival of spring bulbs that can be planted through November. Plant them 2.5 times the length of the bulb, ‘shoulder to shoulder’ in groups of 25. This method makes a great showing when the groups are randomly planted. Maybe plant a few indoors for early blooming.
• As perennials lose their lustre, this is a good time to lift them to relocate or divide.
Imagine stress-free senior living at one of West Vancouver’s most enviable addresses. On the corner of Marine Drive and 22nd Ave., Westerleigh PARC offers upscale amenities like chef-prepared meals, fitness programs and transportation – all included. Take a casual stroll along the West Vancouver Seawall or visit shops and cafés at lively Dundarave or Ambleside Village. With easy access to the library, seniors centre and peaceful parks, Westerleigh’s location couldn’t be better.
PAGE 10 September/October 2022 BRIAN POMFRET JOE GARDENER
• Aerate your lawns now (in addition to spring), applying a thin layer of turf mix top dressing and overseed generously as the cooler weather is better for seed germination. Doing this twice a year will keep your lawn thick.
• It is important to keep your lawn free of leaves and you could give a final light winter fertilize and apply dolomite lime, about two weeks apart. parcliving.ca/westerleigh
• Clear beds of annuals now and add to your compost pile.
• Continue to prune spent rose blossoms. Collect all the dropped leaves and destroy; do not compost.
• Give hedges a final trim in September.
• Take up dahlias and gladioli and store them in a cool dry place.
Fall is just a bit in the air now with blooming perennials showing off their best and soon many shrubs and trees will be ablaze in colour.
• There is still time to plant veggie seeds. Get to the nursery now to plant in the first week of September. I’m planting kale (lacinato), pak choi (great in stir fries), radish (I like French breakfast), spinach and lettuce (try buttercrunch). The examples here like cool soil to germinate and will give you a nice harvest around the beginning of November. There are easy instructions on the packets.
• Keep deadheading your annuals and perennials. You might want to save the seed pods to plant later.
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• October is also a great time to select and plant new shrubs and ornamental trees when soil is cool, with a low risk of shock to the plant when it is re-planted. Some of the most rewarding are Styrax japonicus, Stewartia pseudocamellia, paper bark maple or try yuletide Camellia – it blooms at Christmas!
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Dal built a side gate to get the mower directly into the Burtons’ yard. Much to the McCrindles’ delight, Jim, who had been a professional baker, used the gate to bring over baked goods. The houses were separated by a laurel hedge that needed trimming every year, sometimes twice. “I couldn’t expect Jim to tend to his side of the hedge,” Dal explains. “So, I looked after it, and, over time, helped when their garden needed attention.”
One day, Jim asked Dal to trim the rose bush beside their front door. Its thorns would snag the Burtons’ clothes as they entered or left the cottage. This rose was special.“We called it the Valentine rose for the double blossoms that formed a heart at the centre of the flower,” Dal says. “Instead of pruning the rose to end its daily attacks on the Burtons, I dug down and divided the root. With their blessing, I planted the de tached root in our garden.”
“Each summer’s bloom reminded us of how wonderful neighbours can be,” Dal reminisces.Theysold 2195 Jefferson in 2016, knowing it would be demolished and replaced with something modern and big. Losing the rose, though, was too much. “I dug down, divided the root, and brought half to our new home in Horseshoe Bay,” says Dal. “The Burton Valentine rose, with its heart-shaped flowers, is a perennial reminder of our neighbours and friends, Jim and Susan Burton.”
Helen and Dal McCrindle are celebrat ing six years in Horseshoe Bay, and 51 years of marriage.
The mystery of the little white cottage BY Laura Anderson with Dal McCrindle
The October image in West Vancou ver Historical Society’s Local Vi sions 2022 calendar, is titled 2281. The white cottage on green lawn, fronted by a white fence with the number 2281 on one of its pickets, was photographed by Jim Breukelman.Duringthe 1980s property boom, his acclaimed Hot Properties series documented Vancouver houses before they vanished into the landfill and out of our memories. The white cottage was one of these. Forty years on, however, Jim could not recall its location. All he had was the photograph and the house number – 2281. Where in West Vancouver would this house have been located? Somewhere flat and in a 2200 block, obviously. Opinions about 2281’s location generated lively discussion. As children, Val (Jones) McPolin, Sandra (McGillivray) Ortgies and Pamela (Searle) Anderson, lived on Bellevue from 2177 west to 22nd Street. The trio could not confirm a Bellevue address for the cottage, though they gave points for the flat location. Given the enormous transformation of our residential landscape, finding the address seemed an impossible task. But thanks to Helen McCrindle, all was revealed. With one glance at the thumbnail image of the house on the calendar’s back cover, Helen announced, “That’s the Burtons’ house!” The mystery of 2281 was resolved.DalMcCrindle recounts how they met their next-door neighbours in 1985, soon after settling into their new home at 2195 Jefferson Avenue. Jim Burton was in his 90s and Susan around the 90-year mark. They, and their cottage at 2281 Jefferson, seemed from a bygone era. “It wasn’t long before our son, Bruce, took on the task of mowing the Burtons’ lawn,” says Dal. “A job that became mine whenever Bruce was busy with his studies or his social life.”
The white cottage, number 2187, as listed in Hot Properties 1983. Photo: courtesy of Jim Breukelman
Photo: courtesy of Dal and Helen McCrindle The Valentine Burton rose, 2022. Your bl
garden ...Our 604.802.7026pleasure
Years passed. The Burtons moved from their beloved cottage to a retirement home. Dal believes Jim lived to be 104, and Susan to 99.The new owner at 2281 didn’t stay long. The next owner tore down the cottage to make room for a bigger, modern house. All that remained of the Valentine rose lived on in the McCrindles’ garden. More years passed. Helen and Dal moved to Ma ple Ridge for a time, then returned home to 2195AlthoughJefferson.the garden needed attention, the Valentine rose was flourishing.
PAGE 12 September/October 2022 Located on Nex’wlélex’m (Bowen Is land), Island Pacific School is the first school in British Columbia to be car bonIPSneutral.haspartnered with Sprout, a nonprofit organization committed to using accreditation to support schools on their journey to carbon neutrality and operation al efficiency.Asmallschool of 65 students in grades 6-9, IPS is committed to sustainability and has made strides in becoming affiliated with the carbon neutral school association in BC. IPS is carbon positive by contributing 2,000KgCO2 more than the 27,000 KgCO2 calculated.Sincejoining Sprout, Island Pacific School has launched a sustainability task force that will include alumni, parents, stu dents, and staff to help put together and take part in an action plan to decrease their ecological footprint. “We are privileged to live and work and play on Nex’wlélex’m,” says head of school, Scott Herrington. “We are committed to greater sustainability, and we recognize we can do and must do our part to help our planetAnysurvive.”schools choosing to participate in making themselves a carbon neutral school through the Sprout program, need to meet three rigorous criteria: precise tracking, ed ucational benefit, and positive community impact.Schools, kindergartens, clubs, and col leges can offset their carbon footprint emissions and support projects that help children, communities and our planet. These projects are making a significant difference, not just to our environment but to the global communities where they are based.Grade 6-9 students with Head of School, Scott Herrington. Photo provided Sustainability at the heart of education BY Casey James Grade 7 students in the bee pollinating gardens at Island Pacific School. $1,499,000 2 bed | 2 bath | 1,262 square feet 1803 - 1003 PACIFIC STREET West End, Vancouver Welcome! Meticulously maintained SOUTHWEST FACING 2 bed 2 bath 1200+ sqft concrete unit on the 18th oor of the centrally located Sea Star building. CAYLEE SAMPSON, BA LICENSED REALTOR 604.353.2816 MARK BALLARD, BCOMM PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION 604.341.3147 JAMES BARNES, BA LICENSED REALTOR 604.360.7529
Life goes on at St. Francis-in-the-Wood
September/October 2022 PAGE 13
The parishioners’ traditional men’s break fasts resume in October. After a summer break the Nifty Thrifty store re-opens on September 10 from 10 am to 2 pm every Saturday. The com munity favourite Pub Quiz returns on November 11, after a three-year absence. Check the November Beacon for details. BY Chris Stringer
Caulfeild’s historic landmark church, in its idyllic setting overlooking Tid dly Cove, returned to life a year ago after being interrupted, for the first time in 93 years, by COVID-19. In June 2021, St. Francis-in-the-Wood in stituted live streaming so that services could continue for those who are still nervous about attending church in person. The 2021-2022 year has been significant for the church. Reverend Angus Stuart re tired last September after 16 years of leader ship. In March, music director, Caitlin Beau pre, resigned to become a full-time mother after 15 years at St. Francis. The church leadership is in the process of searching for a new priest and a music director. St. Francis has been fortunate that inter im priest, Reverend Stephanie Shepard, has affected a smooth, seamless transition. Both regular and visiting parishioners over the past year have been delighted by her warm, welcoming personality.
Nifty Thrifty bargains await. Photos provided The Lychgate entrance. Christeningscanbefun! NIFTY THRIFTY STORE Caulfeild Cove Hall at St. Francis-in-the-Wood-Church 4773 South Piccadilly Rd, West Vancouver Saturday, September 10th 10am - 2pm Proceeds to the charities supported by St. Francis-in-the-Wood Church www.stfrancisinthewood.ca | 604.922.3531 Charity Shopping Gently used treasures | Women’s clothing & accessories Silverware | Jewelry | NEW High-end men’s clothing | Linen Kitchenware | China | Home décor | Books | Toys | and more!CASHONLY•NEWITEMS arriving all the time! • ARRIVE EARLY for the best selection! the lives of aging adults and their families. Home Instead ® helps older adults age safely in the place they enjoy most. We are seeking compassionate CAREGivers to help in our community. Call 604-925-1570 or visit homeinstead.ca/3022 Serving the North Shore and Downtown Vancouver today!Apply
Temporary music director, Tom Arntzen (tomarntzen.com) shared his extraordinary musical talent, both live and on-line, until re turning, in June, to his regular preCOVID schedule of public performances and record ings. A piano virtuoso, Tom received stand ing ovations with his performances on the church Steinway. The ubiquitous Hey Jung Ho has kindly stepped in to direct the music program until a new music di rector is Sundayhired.service at 10 am includes communion while children enjoy playing and learning at Godly Play. A communion service is also held at 10 am on Wednesdays followed by Bible study. Weddings and christenings have re sumed, all with a sense of cautious enthu siasm.
PAGE 14 September/October 2022 WWW.CAULFEILDVILLAGESHOPPINGCENTRE.COM Bank of Montreal 604.921.2982 BC Liquor Store 604.922.8201 Caulfeild Dental Centre 604.922.1305 Caulfeild Gallery & Framing 604.926.1886 Caulfeild Insurance Centre 604.922.9100 Caulfeild Medical Clinic 604.922.1544 Caulfeild Veterinary Hospital 604.922.2344 Firststep Financial 604.618.0131 Fisherman’s Market 604.281.2000 Forecast Co ee 604.281.0167 Iris Optometrists & Opticians 604.923.4747 J Gregory Men’s Apparel 604.921.2646 Marilyn’s Boutique 604.925.4110 Mega Sushi 604.281.0200 New Generation Club 604.926.5550 Pastameli’s Restaurant 604.922.9333 Pharmasave 604.926.5331 Post O ice 1.800.267.1177 Safeway 604.926.2550 Starbucks 604.926.2550 Subway 604.922.7501 Valetor Cleaners 604.925.3900 Village Pet Food 604.925.3334 Windsor Meats Co 604.926.6168 SAVE GAS, SHOP LOCAL!“ e place where neighbours meet” North Shoreʼs Trusted Window and Door Replacement Experts Since 1989 www.longlife.ca | hello@longlife.ca604-439-0982
September/October 2022 PAGE 15 LUXURY CUSTOM BUILD BY VELA HOMES STUNNING HOWE SOUND VIEWS GORGEOUS CORNER SUITE VINTAGE WEST COAST VIBES 1010 Wildwood, British Properties 8 Beds | 8 Baths | 6,522 Sq.Ft. Offered for $4,998,000 8712 Seascape Drive, Howe Sound 2 Beds | 3 Baths | 2,752 Sq.Ft. Offered for $1,650,000 11A - 338 Taylor Way, Park Royal 2 Beds | 2 Baths | 1,324 Sq.Ft. Offered for $1,128,000 160 Panorama, Lions Bay 3 Beds | 5 Baths | 3,808 Sq.Ft. Offered for $1,998,000 CHRISTYLANIADO.COM 604.349.0098 Christy@RoyalLePage.ca REALTOR® | Listing Specialist 2018 20192021 2397 Marine Drive West Vancouver, BC V7V 1K9 SOLD SOLD
PAGE 16 September/October 2022 the penny mitchell group penn y & stephanie mitchell 604 816 -7825 • 604 812 7158 penn ymitchellgroup@gmail.com the penny mitchell group penn y & stephanie mitchell 604 816 -7825 • 604 812 7158 penn ymitchellgroup@gmail.comTM the penny mitchell group penn y & stephanie mitchell 604 - 816 -7825 • 604 - 812 - 7158 penn ymitchellgroup@gmail.com TM