West Vancouver Beacon | May/June 2015 | Edition 10

THE No. 10

BEACON

Shedding light on the communities from Horseshoe Bay to West Bay

May 2015

Caulfeild revives a West Van tradition with May Day

Photo: West Vancouver Archives. May Day collection. 302.WVA.MDC

Maypole dancing in Ambleside Park, May 24, 1946.

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4

Pub Night Review

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Centre. The May edition of the Beacon is dedicated to this community event.

Exotic relocation

12

Travel Notes

15

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Rotary Ride

of June and was renamed Community Day. On May 9, 2015 Caulfeild will renew this tradition with the first annual Caulfeild May Day celebration at the Caulfeild Village

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Opinion

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In This Issue 2

Vancouver May Day celebration was held on Victoria Day, May 24, 1931. The tradition continued until 1973, after which the celebration was moved to the first Saturday

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AY Day celebrations were a significant community event in West Vancouver from the 1930s to the early 1970s. The first official West

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TEAM

So you think you can be a pilgrim Opinion

Chris Stringer

Lindy Pfeil

Publisher

chrisstringer@westvanbeacon.ca

Lindy Pfeil Editor

lindypfeil@westvanbeacon.ca

Penny Mitchell Advertising Sales

pennymitchell@westvanbeacon.ca

Melissa Baker Creative Director

melissabaker@westvanbeacon.ca

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.

May 2015

E

ver since my starry-eyed teenage self first read Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, I have wanted to be a pilgrim. But of course life happened, as it does, and working, wife-ing and mothering kept me safely ensconced in suburbia for the next thirty odd years. But my nest has since emptied, and my husband is always keen to put me on a plane somewhere…anywhere. Then the universe conspired, and suddenly my flight was booked and my pilgrim boots purchased. That was when reality hit: pilgrims walk, for very long distances. And I…well, I don’t really do walking.

But just because I don’t like walking doesn’t mean I don’t know how to walk.

Right? I’ve been doing it for half a century after all. Heck, I walk from my house to my car every day. So I had planned on approaching the Camino de Santiago, an 800km Spanish stroll, in much the same way that I’d tackled motherhood…with utter ignorance and zero preparation. Really, how hard can walking be? But this is the Age of the Internet, and one night I snuck onto a Camino forum in cyberspace. I read, with absolute horror, the stories of blisters, shin splints, collapsed arches, decaying toenails. I was suddenly extraordinarily pleased that I’d never read any books on childbirth when I was pregnant.

Knowledge is a frightening thing.

I immediately un-joined the forum, but I couldn’t shake those terrifying ‘foot stories’.

I looked at my bright orange pilgrim shoes standing solemnly in the corner. It seemed they weren’t going to walk themselves. So I sighed heavily and put them on, and that’s when the demon was unleashed. You know the one – the little fella called Competitiveness that rides atop Ego and wants to do

things faster, stronger, better. All The Time.

My husband joined me on a walk one day. He is ten inches taller than me, but his very long legs could not keep up with mine.

He wondered out loud what kind of genetic aberration made it possible for my disadvantaged limbs to move so quickly. Husbanddearest advised me to slow down and smell the rose. He used his sensible voice to remind me that a pilgrimage, like life, is about the journey, not the destination. I do not like his sensible voice, and I will refrain from revealing what I felt like doing to him, and said rose, at the time. He has not walked with me since.

Instead, I’ve started Walking Westport – the writer in me likes the way this sounds. I walk alone, with only my thoughts to keep me company, and I try to remind myself to pay attention…to notice the gardens, the neighbours, the texture of the clouds. All

that good stuff. But for some reason, the minute those pilgrim shoes touch my feet, all I want to do is get to the top. As quickly as possible. I don’t just want to get to the top of Westport faster than I did the last time. I want to annihilate Westport.

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who take the scenic route and enjoy it, and those who don’t. My husband is the former. And I, it seems, am the latter.

And it makes me wonder whether I’m cut out for this whole pilgrimage thing. I’ll be charting my progress on instagram.com/lindypf (if I can slow down long enough to actually take a photo or two) and I’d be delighted if you’d join me. I guarantee nothing. I have found that life is generally more fun when there are no expectations. So when I head to Spain in June, I plan to open my heart, look for the sun, and try simply not to get lost… and do it faster than anyone else.

Slowing down just long enough to catch the sunset on Westport.

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PAGE 3

mountains to sea

Wildflowers in bloom Elspeth Bradbury

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fter Marine Drive finally reached Horseshoe Bay in the late 1920s, an enthusiastic headline in the Daily Province declared “Marine Drive Winds Way Amid Scenes of Beauty”.

The report described how the towering cedars were “carpeted below with the multitudinous wildflowers of the forest” and how heather grew in profusion in the crannies of rock.

The reporter’s enthusiasm may have outstripped his botanical knowledge but the verbal picture was clear: wild flowers grew abundantly.

As Marine Drive expanded westward, the carpets of wildflowers shrank. Katharine Steig, who for decades has been working to protect the environment in our local parks, believes that “In West Vancouver we are lucky that a few of these marvelous wild things still exist.

Some are the kinds of plants you expect to find on the Gulf Islands, yet here they are in places like Panorama Ridge.”

Panorama Ridge is one of West Vancouver’s better-kept secrets and even the origins of its name are mysterious. It is part of Whytecliff Park, but the final stretch of Marine Drive separates it from the better-known portion. Katharine has

“

listed thirteen species of wildflowers (besides flowering shrubs and trees) that grow there.

Some of our green areas, like Panorama Ridge or Klootchman Park, attract relatively few visitors and it is no coincidence that these are also the areas where most of our native flowers survive. These delicate plants cannot withstand trampling or picking. Heavy-footed visitors, however, are not the only threat. The introduction of tough, droughtresistant plants can also destroy wildflower habitat, and Panorama Ridge has more than its share of such invaders.

Over many years, the Friends of Whytecliff Park, a group of volunteers, has removed truckloads of English ivy from the popular western portion of the park.

Marshall Bauman, who has worked with the group explains, “The Friends have had their hands full dealing with that section of the park. Panorama Ridge is different.

It’s more difficult to reach and it can be rough going. It takes knowledge as well as hard work to protect a sensitive natural landscape from an onslaught of invasive plants as persistent and fast growing as Himalayan blackberry. Scotch broom is one of the worst. It can take over a wildflower meadow completely, and the seeds seem to live forever.”

Against all odds, efforts to control the broom on Panorama Ridge are gradually succeeding. Marshall is modest about his own contribution. “Many, many people have been doing their bit to look after

“Against all odds, efforts to control the broom on Panorama Ridge are gradually succeeding.”

Photo: Courtesy of Marshall Bauman The tiger or Columbia lily is one of our more dramatic wildflowers.

Photo: Courtesy of Marshall Bauman The death camas is pretty but poisonous. It is unrelated to the edible blue camas.

the place, but their time is limited. The spread of invasive plants is outstripping their efforts. What we need is an organized group dedicated specially to protecting the Ridge.”

If you are interested in helping to protect the wildflowers of Panorama Ridge or if you know anything about the origins of the name, please contact Marshall at foxhole@telus.net

Photo: Courtesy of Rosemary Taylor Chocolate lilies have a subtle beauty. Here they grow among the tiny flowers of blue-eyed Mary.

Photo: Courtesy of Rosemary Taylor Our native white fawn lilies have attractively mottled leaves.

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May 2015

Participate in the Rotary Ride for Rescue Chris Stringer

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our years ago the remarkable members of the Rotary Club of West Vancouver, Sunrise joined forces with Cypress Mountain Resorts to organize the first Rotary Ride for Rescue. Last year the Ride name was aptly changed to the Tim Jones Memorial Ride for Rescue. This year’s Ride

is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, rain or shine.

The annual cycle, on either a road or a mountain course, is open to all-comers to raise funds through pledges. Celebrity riders in the past have included Trevor Linden, Thomas Haas and the elite Wedgewood Team.

Seventy percent of the proceeds will go to North Shore Rescue and the rest to Rotary charities such as the Ambleside Youth Centre, and clean water and surgical programmes in Guatemala.

The Ride begins at 9am at Mulgrave

Trotsky and Tuk Rafe Reminiscing Rafe Mair An excerpt from I Remember Horsebuns, Rafe’s new book coming this summer.

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lthough Stanley Park has changed very little the park use itself was a little different when I was a child.

For one thing there was a zoo with bear cages. I especially remember a large bear, who, according to my parents, was given to us by the Russian government, improbably called Trotsky. Improbable because the human Trotsky was definitely on the outs with the boss man, Stalin, who had him murdered in Mexico in 1940. I was never happy with this story and recently got what really happened from the Vancouver Archives, viz, “Back in 1918-1919, Canadian and other allied forces were getting a head start on the Cold War by fighting the Reds in Siberia.

They withdrew in 1919 and brought back

this enormous bear as a souvenir for the Stanley Park zoo. Naturally it was named Trotsky, and for 20 years the good-natured beast charmed park visitors as the zoo’s most popular attraction. At 520+ pounds, the great Russian bear was thought to be the largest in captivity. As a sign of his popularity, Trotsky’s death in 1939 made the New York Times”. In latter days, Trotsky (the bear, that is) was a rather disheveled old-looking animal (come to think of it, so was the real Trotsky) who seemed to be so sad - which, undoubtedly, with good reason, he was. He was much loved, however.

He liked peanuts and as a little boy I loved to accommodate him. Nearby was a polar bear cage with several in it at one time. The zoo closed completely in December 1997 after the last remaining animal, a polar bear named Tuk, died at age 36. If anything, he looked more unhappy than Trotsky. Mercifully, people came to their senses, a referendum was held, Stanley Park got rid of the zoo, and bears and other animals stayed in the wild where they belong.

School just above Hwy 1 on Cypress Mountain and ends at the Cypress Mountain Lodge where cyclists and volunteers will be served a complimentary pancake breakfast.

So mark your calendar, and on Saturday, June 13 head to the mountain for a fun morning in support of the amazing North Shore Rescue volunteers who put it all on the line year-round to rescue fallen hikers or lost skiers.

If you wish to participate, spectate, donate or simply find out more, please go to the website www.rotaryrideforrescue.org Ride for Rescue.

Photo: Ralph Sultan

Sun Tips: Protection For Your Eyes by

IRIS

I

t is well known that light exposure from the sun can be very harmful to our bodies and can cause irreversible damage if proper care is not taken. While many people understand the need to protect their skin from the sun, the eyes are often neglected. Among many factors that contribute to the formation of eye diseases, prolonged sun exposure is proven to speed up the progression of cataracts and age related macular degeneration. One of the best ways to protect your eyes is by wearing sunglasses. They act like sunscreen for the eyes. Unfortunately, not all sunglasses are created equal. It can be hard to know what to look for when trying to pick the right pair.

Helpful Tips When Choosing Sunglasses: 1. 100% UV PROTECTION - Check packaging to confirm that your sunwear includes quality 100% UVA/UVB protection.

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5. SELECTIVE COLOUR FILTERING - Selectively blocks some wavelengths of light while allowing others through. This is useful if you suffer from light sensitivity.

6. FULL PHYSICAL WRAP - Decrease the amount of “light leakage” caused by light entering from the top or sides of your sunglasses.

7. DISTORTION FREE OPTICS - High quality materials and high-level lens technology will minimize the amount of distortion a lens can have when trying to fit a specific sunglass frame.

May 2015

Glenn’s Gallery - Our Community Through Glenn’s Lens

GLENN’s GALLERY

PAGE 5

Short nuggets for a long life of health

“Bleeding Heart”

Wilhelm Hofmeyr

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“What is this barge carrying?”

G G

asked two of the talented health professionals at Docs on the Bay what it takes to be healthy.

Dr. Jay Wortman (MD) emphasizes diet. “There is power in nutrition to the extent that simple dietary change can often be more effective than drugs in improving common chronic conditions. I am interested in what my patients eat and, if I think a dietary change will improve their condition, I would sooner have them make that change before resorting to drug treatments. I do prescribe drugs when they are necessary but I think many people should look first to their diet when managing common health problems. Exercise is important, too. Your level of fitness will have an important impact on your overall

Dr. R. Ghanbari Doctor of Audiology

Look for the answer in the next edition of .

Last edition answer:

Inside Troll’s rest

health. However, you cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet. Diet comes first.”

Trish Fitzgerald (Physiotherapist/Restorative yoga) has a ‘nutshell’ response: Speak your truth…with heart Know what is most important to you Be curious Exercise daily and drink lots of water Surround yourself with beauty Be grateful Spend time in nature Spend time with those you love Laugh a belly full Find stillness Forgive and let go Create Breathe Move with ease….meditate, move, observe, illuminate, love, dance, inspire, heal, grow, connect, transform.

Thank-you both for your wise words.

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May 2015

St. Francis-in-the-wood

Easter sunrise service on the rocks A place for families celebrating community

• foodcrafts • songsstories • games • •

Photo: Wayne Moore There was another beautifully clear sky for this annual tradition on the Caulfeild rocks where it was hard to find a spot as St. Francis parishioners and their guests gathered to begin Easter celebrations.

Join us for fun on the fourth (4th) Saturday each month.

We hope to see you there!

4772 PICCADILLY ROAD SOUTH

Ellen turns 99!

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llen Westcott turned 99 on Sunday, April 12. She retired last year after serving St. Francis in several capacities over nearly 40 years for which she was recognized with the distinguished Order of the Diocese of New Westminster.

Ellen Westcott with daughter Gillian Thys.

Photo: Louise Selby

Ellen Westcott with daughter Gillian Thys.

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May 2015

PAGE 7

Caulfeild Cove Hall

Pub Quiz Evening by

Chris Stringer

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s the combatants started filling Caulfeild Cove “Pub” on Saturday, March 21, everyone prepared for the fun to come. The atmosphere grew in intensity and competitiveness as the evening progressed.

Ian McBeath, the seasoned British Quizmaster, who honed his skills in the land of pubs and quizzes, ran the evening with impeccable timing. He challenged competitors to dig deep for buried answers that he knew could be revived. And when they struggled he would tease with reminders that he could be bribed with his favourite libation.

Eventually answers flowed. What does EPNS stand for? Electroplated Nickel Silver!

Or, for 2 points, who won the best actress

Oscar in 2015? Julianne Moore of course.

And for an extra 2 points, in which movie?

Yes, Still Alice.

At the end of the evening one of the 15 competing teams emerged as the winner.

No, it wasn’t Trivial Dispute or Lowell’s Lifes or Mixed Nuts or Igneous Rock. It was The Misfits, appropriately named because the team was formed out of three couples who had never met before. Fearless leader Jan Volker, her husband Mike and son Tyler were joined by Lois Owen, and Sylvia and John Aldrich. Their chemistry was pure magic!

Marilyn McBeath and her gastronomic team prepared and served bangers and mash that would have been the envy of the best of British pubs.

And the next Pub Quiz? You’ll have to wait till 2016, I’m afraid!

A GREAT FINALE TO CAUFEILD MAY DAY! DANCE TO THIS HIGH ENERGY, 13 PIECE R&B BAND WITH FANTASTIC VOCALS, A FULL HORN SECTION AND MUSIC FROM THE 70s , 80s & 90s

SATURDAY, MAY 9 TH , 2015 @ 8 PM Quick-witted fun and fantastic food was had by all!

Photos: Glenn Owen

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May 2015

our history

May Day: A West Van Tradition Caulfeild History Francis Mansbridge

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ther Lower Mainland communities had spring festivals, and a few had May Queens, but in none was the festival’s spirit so closely aligned with the community as in West Vancouver. For one day a Grade 7 girl was Queen of her Realm, presiding with her entourage over her loyal subjects. This was the second largest such festival in Canada; only New Westminster’s

was bigger.

West Vancouver’s Edenic beauty parallels the innocent charm of the youth who assumed center stage. In the words of a contemporary, it was “one big happy community where the spirit of hijincks and wholesome fun prevails”. It provided a sense of renewal and celebration in the tough days of the Depression. At the same time Victoria Day expressed the spirit of empire and allegiance to Britain that characterized life in West Vancouver at this time.

In 1930 six-year-old Mavis Whipple, crowned Miss West Vancouver, rode in a horse-drawn carriage borrowed from Shelley’s 4X Bakery. The next year Peggy Barker

(David Barker’s aunt) was the first official May Queen. Junior High students voted for the top three candidates, then a draw selected first the Queen, and then her two Maids of Honour. The May Queen planted a tree, was given a silver bracelet and the key to the City, and acted in a queenly manner. 1954 May Queen Ann Johnstone (now Brousson) recalls the occasion as a total community enterprise. Jimmy Mitchell, former principal of West Van High, was a long-time emcee.

Mrs. Sybil Small who oversaw the event was known for many years as the backbone of the organization. A group of dedicated ladies fashioned the elaborate costumes; Gertrude Lawson was also a major supporter. Maids

Photo: 012.WVA.MDC

“Queen Peggy” first Queen of the May Day, May 25, 1931

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of Honour, Guards of H o n o u r, Bearers of the Mace, B e a r ers of the Crown, Bearers of the Sceptre, a Page and Chancellors made a formidable retinue. And of course Flower Girls were necessary to adorn with petals the Queen’s path to her throne. Ian MacDonald recalls being paraded through his school’s classrooms before being voted an eight-year-old Chancellor - completely unaware of what was going on.

A parade - two miles long in 1949 - included floats by local merchants and organizations, numerous bands, kids with decorated bikes, and firetrucks. Sporting activities, especially a hotly contested relay race between high school students from North and West Vancouver, along with speeches, awards and entertainment, attracted as many as 7,000 spectators.

And then there was the Maypole dancing. As many as 400 dancers, mostly Grade 4 students, wove patterns around 25 maypoles striped in alternating colours, with streamers in red, white and blue. Dances included the “rufty-tufty”, “gathering peascods” and “the spider’s web”; Arthur Delamont’s and other bands provided the music.

The May Day Ball held at West Van High capped the festivities. This day marked the official beginning of swimming at Ambleside Beach and summer fun.

Lack of volunteers ended the May Day Festival in 1973, but on Saturday, May 9, 2015 the tradition will be revived. A May Day community event, including Maypole dancing, will be held at the Caulfeild Village Shopping Centre. Come and enjoy some of the old (and some new) events.

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May 2015

PAGE 9

Caulfeild May Day - May 9 Chris Stringer

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he 2015 version of May Day at Caulfeild Village Shopping Centre will be a fun-filled day for all ages.

Look for the revival of the Maypole and its dancers.

There will be pony rides and a petting zoo, a big band stage with entertainment, the 1949 Caulfeild fire truck, collector cars, buskers and arts and crafts for the kids. The beer garden outside Pastameli will serve its trademark pizza and other

delectables. Pulled pork sandwiches, fresh off the spit at Windsor Meats, and seafood delights from Caulfeild’s new fresh fish store will be available too.

Make sure that you find the Dunk Tank with the good sports from the RCM SAR (Sea Search & Rescue) volunteers.

They will be offering you the opportunity to dunk a surprise celebrity or two!

All proceeds will go to RCM SAR and the incredible Horseshoe bay volunteers who ensure that the waters around West Vancouver remain safe.

May Day will conclude with a dance at Caulfeild Cove Hall with the community’s popular R&B band, Wednesday @ Ernie’s.

1949 WVFD Pumper.

Dunk tank.

Photo: Howard Moody

Photo: Houle Games

Photo: Party ponies & Farm Ventures

View from the Capital by

David Thomas

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fter 25 years of private law practice in Vancouver, last fall I did the unthinkable. I gave away all my clients and staff to another law firm, packed my bags and moved to Ottawa. People here keep

David and some of his staff at Rideau Hall.

asking me the same question: You left Vancouver to move here? I guess it doesn’t happen every day...

It was an unusual move, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. Last June, the federal cabinet honoured me with an offer to become the Chairperson of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for a term of seven years. It is a small federal agency, but charged with lofty

responsibilities, playing an important role in the administration of justice for Canada.

As the head of the institution, it’s my job to oversee the entire affairs of the Tribunal, review all of the incoming complaints, and assign them to either myself or one of the other nine members. We are like administrative judges, conducting mediations, presiding over hearings and writing legal decisions.

Photo: Courtesy of David Thomas

David sitting in the Speaker’s Chair in the House of Commons at the Queen’s University Model Parliament.

Photo: Courtesy of David Thomas

My first few months have been eventful: firstly, getting used to a new city and the dramatic shift in temperatures from summer to winter (good thing my commute consists of crossing one street); a sad day in October with a fallen soldier just 3 blocks away, our building and the entire downtown core put on lockdown; being invited by the Korean Government to speak at their Human Rights Symposium in Seoul; travelling across the country to work in places like Saskatoon, Lloydminster, Winnipeg, Montreal and Nanaimo; acting as the Speaker in the House of Commons for the Queen’s University Model Parliament. It’s been fun.

There is so much going on in Ottawa. It’s exciting to be here. My thoughts often take me back to West Vancouver. I miss home and plan to return when my term is over.

In the meantime, there is so much work to do. Only six and a half years left to get it all done…

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10

May 2015

Community Personality

Catch and Release: The paintings of Lil Chrzan by

Dr. Michael Thoma Faculty, Capilano University

L

il Chrzan’s work begins early each day in her studio in Horseshoe Bay, a contained loft space with a peaked roof, a plank-wood and paint-spattered floor, and filled with the jumble of works in progress, canvases leaning on the walls, sketches and photographs pinned above them, wire-mesh drawers spilling with tubes of oil paint, the entire space permeated with the pungent smell of turpentine. The studio is in a separate building behind her home, looking out on the bustling community and crowded marina nestled next to the ocean and beneath a dramatic corridor of steep-sided mountains.

Having grown up in Toronto, she was immediately taken with this location on her arrival in Vancouver. She had always been drawn to nature and takes full advantage of the wildness found on the West Coast through hiking and camping trips. As a teenager she read the works of Henry David Thoreau, an early inspiration for the freedom found in nature. In fact, she was so inspired

by Thoreau’s writing that she hand-sewed the initials “H.D.T.” on her clothes, a secret talisman of a way of life she hoped to find, at least it was secret until a friend noticed the initials and thought it read “H.O.T.” Lil pursued a career as a nurse and then, after moving to the West Coast, enrolled in the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in the 1980s, graduating with honours. Her influences would now extend to the Luminists, the American landscape artists from the same period as Thoreau, the mid- to late-1800s. She would also find inspiration in the work of Mark Tobey and Morris Graves, both of whom worked in Abstract Expressionism, their artistic pursuits distinguished by the influence of Asian philosophy and mysticism, leading to the label of “mystical painting.” A suggestion of inner reflection also appears in the titles that she gives her paintings. The titles come to her during the work, as if the painting had named itself, sometimes as matter of fact – “Late October,” “Fall Evening on the Chuckanut” - and sometimes poetic – “The Lake had a Cloud in her Lap,” “As if the World held its Breath.”

She paints every day and usually works on three paintings at a time, each in a differ-

Photo: Courtesy Lil Chrzan

Rubinoff’s Rhapsody 36x48 oil on canvas 2014.

ent stage of development. Each work begins with an experience of the moment in nature, sometimes captured in a photographic likeness, sometimes rendered as a sketch. Lil still possesses the first photograph she took of the

bay, never dreaming that she would one day live here, as she has for the past two decades.

Lil has a solo show coming up in May in Vancouver, and is participating in the 4th annual Horseshoe Bay Artwalk in July.

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3) Do you have high blood pressure?

4) Does your partner see you choke

#215 – 1433 Lonsdale Avenue

May 2015

PAGE 11

psychology

Are you a “right” thinker or a “left” thinker?

Psyched Out Ian Macpherson

“G

et out of Iraq!” shouts the young man as he sets fire to a Canadian flag. What is your reaction?

Outrage that he is abusing our national emblem? Or sympathy - that he has a right to protest whether you agree with him or not?

Some of us would feel a bit of both, but most tend to lean more toward one response or

the other. We do not think about it before we react initially because our values are driven emotionally not rationally.

Research shows that when the emotional areas of the brain shut down, there is no morality - no orderly value system to guide us even if our thinking brains are intact. So feelings push us to react to the demonstration scenario in a way that is more or less rightleaning or left-leaning. But who is the right thinker and who is the left? And why do they see the situation so differently? It can be a frustrating challenge to arrive at a meeting of these two mind-sets.

One researcher has begun to construct

a bridge of better understanding of the human nature underlying both positions that validates both world views. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt has discovered that “right” and “left” actually share the same values.

The conflicts that arise come from a difference in the emphasis and priority that the two groups place on the six foundations of their common moral structure. “Lefts” stress high above everything else the principles of fairness, care and protection from harm. In their desire to protect, there are sometimes unintended side effects which opponents are always quick to point out. “Rights” also hold care/protection values but tend to over-ride

them with the principles of authority, loyalty and sanctity. Left-thinkers are often condescending about these latter values which nonetheless function to safeguard the social institutions without which there is chaos.

While our values are affected by our upbringing and the group we identify with, there is developing evidence that biology also plays some role. Though perhaps not exactly “hard-wired”, it appears that these different styles will always be with us.

Ian Macpherson is a psychologist who lives and practices in Caulfeild.

More at www.westvancouvertherapist. com

parenting “Ask Domenica” Domenica Mastromatteo

O

n Monday, March 16, Suzanne Kyra presented “Parenting Dos and Don’ts in Communication” at Docs on the Bay in Horseshoe Bay. Ms Kyra has over 30 years’ experience as a parent (in a blended family), is a registered Clinical Counselor, CEO of Living Big Events, and an award-winning author. She is a sought-after speaker who skillfully combines practical information with personal experience.

Two things stood out for me. The first was about letting go of your projections of what your child should be. Don’t try to fix or correct them. Avoid the urge to prove them wrong. As parents, we want our children to get it right and we for-

Domenica Mastromatteo, CPDPE, MSc is a Certified Positive Discipline Parenting Educator (CPDPE).

She answers your questions about raising children of “all abilities”. Email her directly at dmastromatteo@sensationalchildren.ca with your question and her response will be in the next Beacon. More information can be found at sensationalchildren.ca

get to look at the big picture. In the early years, a solid platform of self-esteem from which enthusiasm, creativity and problem-solving skills can emerge, is more important than how much they know.

Einstein said, “Creativity is more important than knowledge, for knowledge tells us everything there is while creativity tells us about everything that could be.”

So when your child comes home, determined that the moon is blue, why burst their bubble? What’s wrong with holding on to that innocence for just a bit longer? Really, dear? Tell me more. After a day or two, say to your child, Remember when we were discussing the moon? How about you and I find out more. Make it a

“mutual discovery”, says Suzanne. When your child discovers that the moon is not blue, you can respond, How about that?

The moon isn’t blue!

The second was to keep your opinions to yourself. When I ask my nine-yearold daughter to get dressed for a party and she comes to the door looking like a mess, I have to bite my tongue. If there wasn’t a request for a dress code, she should have the freedom to dress herself. I’ve failed on that one: many times I’ve gasped in horror at her choices. It’s not inappropriate, just messy. Her outfits scream sensory issues. But isn’t it more important that she feel good and have a wonderful time? Or are my needs for her

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to look good more important?

What our children really need from us is to look at them with pride. That will create confident, happy, independent individuals. Trying to mold them into our image will do the opposite. So do be quiet and don’t talk them out of themselves. Suzanne Kyra says, “We have a duty to care for our child’s needs with awareness and compassion. Children need to be seen and honoured. Always look at your child with soft eyes and a soft smile. They believe you, and they see themselves through how you teach them.” Learn more by attending Suzanne’s Parenting Educational Series. Visit www.livingbig.ca.

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May 2015

Relocation and retirement in exotic destinations Johann van Rooyen

T

ired of long, dreary winters, high tax rates and looking for a ‘golden’ retirement? You are not alone. About 2,8 million Canadians live outside of Canada, many of whom reside in the sunny Caribbean and Central America, while others live in expat havens in the Mediterranean.

Investor-class emigration, in other words using one’s personal wealth to secure foreign residency, is an increasingly popular concept embraced by a number of countries eager to lure investor emigrants and their wealth.

Many Canadians have relocated by using their financial assets to facilitate the immigration process and essentially, to ‘buy’ themselves residency. Once accepted by a host country, they benefit from cheaper retirement options and medical care, a better climate and advantageous tax structures.

The financial requirement varies between US$100,000 and US$8 million and could be an investment in property, government

bonds, a business or even a donation to a government. Permanent residency is mostly available upon arrival or within a few months, but in most cases investors often have to wait several years for a passport.

In the Caribbean the island states of Bahamas, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua offer residency/citizenship to investors from US$100,000. Dominica requires only a nonrefundable payment to the government in exchange for citizenship and Bahamas allows economically-independent expats permanent residency if they buy a house worth more than US$500,000.

Greece, Spain and Portugal offer a ‘Golden Residency Permit’ in exchange for an investment in a property of between €250,000 and €500,000. Malta allows expats the opportunity to buy or rent property and to direct their foreign income to Malta in exchange for residence permit. Expats in Cyprus who have a secured annual income that is sufficient to allow for a decent standard of living, can get

Photo: Submitted by Johann van Rooyen The Caribbean Sea surrounding the islands of the coast of Belize is the perfect playground for foreign residents.

permanent residence by transferring about €300,000 to a Cyprus Bank on a fixed deposit for three years.

In Central America, Panama allows expat retirees to become permanent residents under the category of “pensionados”, if they have a pension of at least US$1,000 per month and are older than 55/60, or if they qualify as a “person of means” – investing US$300,000 in a property in Panama. Belize offers permanent residency for expats older than 45 who have an income of at least US$2,000 a month.

The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius offers residency for an investment of US$500,000 in an approved resort scheme.

Johann van Rooyen has been a West Vancouver resident since 2000. He is a Political and Financial Analyst and has published several books on politics and business. He recently published his first eBook, ‘Residency and Citizenship through Investment: The 2015 Report for Emigrants, Expatriates and Investors’.

Johann’s website is www.residencycitizenship4investors.com

Long term care: are you prepared? by

M icheline Varas

T

he Canadian Centre for Policy Initiatives reports that access to both long term care and home health services for BC seniors has decreased significantly in recent years. Lack of adequate continuing care services forces seniors and their families to pay for care privately or provide it themselves. Often those who do not have access to immediate capital, who may not be able to afford to pay or who do not have families on whom to rely for support, go without appropriate care until they are admitted to a hospital emergency ward in crisis.

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Many still believe that government plans will assist with the cost of long term care should the need arise; however, Canadians are living longer than before and medical advances have allowed us to survive illnesses that in the past were lifethreatening. These may result in a disabling condition which requires personalized medical care. With an already over-burdened Canadian health care system, and as baby-boomers enter retirement, our current structure will not be able to meet demands of an aging population.

The answer lies in making proper provisions now, controlling decisions about the type of care we would want to receive in the future. Long Term Care insurance may

be an option. The coverage is designed to meet the costs incurred when we can no longer care for ourselves and require assistance with activities of daily living (due to a chronic illness, injury or cognitive impairment). The policy is structured to pay a regular benefit to cover or offset costs of medical services, entering a facility or having individual assistance in one’s home.

Planning for the risks of a long term illness allows us to maintain both our dignity and independence, giving us the financial means and control to make decisions based on choices of care rather than its availability. michelinev@customplanfinancial.com

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May 2015

PAGE 13

Home & Living

Sweet Treats for Mom this Mother’s Day A Culinary View Maureen Goulet

L

esley Stowe is a Parisian trained chef who started Lesley Stowe’s Fine Foods in Kitsilano in the 90s. Her store was a gourmet destination for anyone who loved delicious and unique foods including world-class imported cheeses, hard to find grocery items, imported olive oils and balsamic vinegar. She also catered, and was one of the first in Vancouver to offer cooking classes. ‘Death by Chocolate’ was one of the famous desserts she supplied to Vancouver’s top restaurants. Lesley’s Raincoast Crisps, an artisan cracker, changed the direction of her business.

In 2005 she closed her Kitsilano store

and put her energy into her crackers. The cracker was featured on Oprah’s O list and in Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine. In 2014 her company was purchased by Dare Foods, although Lesley has stayed on as a consultant and is looking forward to the worldwide distribution that Dare can provide for her company.

This Mother’s Day make Mom a homemade treat from Lesley’s new cookbook, Desserts from my Kitchen.

Lesley will be teaching her sweet creations at Ambrosia on May 20. w w w.ambrosiaadventures.com

Recipe

Photo: Courtesy of Lesley Stowe Lesley adding the finishing touches to one of her sweet treats.

Make yourself a priority...

Tisha Bryant

L

ife, it sometimes gets busy. The unexpected can happen and we can be thrown off course. It can be unexpected and challenging, especially when you have to fit in the needs of others.

If there is one thing I have learnt as a holistic nutritionist and lifestyle coach, it is the importance of fuelling myself properly

and making my eating a priority. I need to be able to focus and stay energized otherwise everything becomes an effort and I can feel tired, bloated and overwhelmed.

We somehow manage to make time for coffee, cleaning the house and working but the most important act of nourishing and nurturing ourselves is way down the list of priorities.

Nourishing yourself properly is the best thing you can do for your health and if you are healthy then you will be able to do a better job in all aspects of your life.

A little preparation means I always have grab n’ go Energy Bliss Balls in my freezer but smoothies are by far my saviour when I

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am too busy. I can prepare them in the morning and store in a jar in the fridge or even better, my trusty insulated bottle. The addition of a few superfoods such as Maca or some hempseed can rocket you through your day! They are full of energizing, nutritious, brain boosting, immune system supporting goodness that the whole family can benefit from.

You can find the recipe to my current favourite Magnificent Maca Superfood Smoothie on my blog at www.inourishandnurture.com Photo: Tisha Bryant Delicious Superfood Smoothie.

PAGE

14

Eagle Harbour Fun Day by

P enny Mitchell

S

unday, June 7th marks the return of the much loved Eagle Harbour 5K fun run.

Now in its eighth year, this community event is joined by a second event that will delight all water enthusiasts: a 5K paddle along the picturesque Eagle Harbour coastline, that visits three islands and two harbours.

Organiser Jon Borrill, says “Eagle Harbour is my home and one of the most beautiful places on earth. The idea behind the

May 2015

Fifty years in Caulfeild - Part 2

event, now hosted at Thunderbird Marina, is to bring together our community to run/ walk/paddle together as we fully appreciate this unique paradise” The Eagle Harbour Sunday Fun Day includes a Fun Zone village with static displays, a mini boat show, a beer and wine waterfront garden, bouncy castle, BBQ and much, much more. Local charities will benefit from funds raised.

Further details and registration can be found at www.eagleharbour.org

by

Ann Frost

C

aulfeild was the only local elementary school and our two older children soon settled into their classes. They found it quite a hike up the hill to the school and they could have taken the bus but, given the option, they chose to walk and save their bus fare for Christmas shopping. We matched their savings as an incentive, and they became very thrifty shoppers.

We lived just across from Cypress Creek and each spring we watched the racoons take their babies from the beautiful 100 year old cedar tree in our back garden, across the road to the creek to teach them to fish. There have been very few racoons for some years now but just this spring we saw a family of four heading off to fish. How wonderful!

Once we were somewhat settled, we sowed some seed to create a front lawn and watched in awe one morning as the deer, who had come down the creek to get to the salt licks on the beach, came back up the road and decided to have a late breakfast nibbling on our newly grown grass. And today? Some days there

seem to be more gardeners and gardening trucks than there are houses. And new houses come complete with full sized trees and bushes. We even have the garden folks come and mow our lawns once a week, but we still continue to take joy in planting and tending our own garden and then enjoying the flowers and fruit as they appear.

Deer on Erwin Drive circa 1992.

Photo: Ray Frost

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May 2015

PAGE 15

travel notes

A trip to Tuscany

How I discovered the dolce vita under the Tuscan sun Marie-Claude Arnott

S

omething is missing in Tuscany… the sunflowers! Summer is ending and the fields are ploughed under. I turn my attention to a landscape of verdant hills and ancient houses. I ponder the relentless work of men who turned a barren landscape of rocky soil and deeply forested ravines into a bountiful well-groomed land. Our van claws its way up the rocky road, and we arrive at a renovated farmhouse with olive trees and vineyards, where we’ll be living for a week. Across from us is the village of Castellina. We are in “the Chianti,” the heart of Tuscany, where life unfolds one moment at a time.

Speaking of Chianti, gone is the inconsistent “spaghetti wine.” Although it might still be served from a flask in a straw basket, recycled as a candle holder, today’s Chianti is more structured. For example, it must contain at

least 80 percent of Sangiovese grape. The Chianti Classico (with the black rooster emblem) is produced in the original Chianti heartland.

At 620 meters, Castellina is the highest of the Chianti villages. It was of strategic importance during the Florence and Siena centuries-long territorial feuds. It dates back to the golden age of the Etruscan civilization (Tuscany is a derivative of “Etruscan”). Many times destroyed and rebuilt, the San Salvatore Church still shelters the “miraculously” spared 14th century fresco of The Virgin Mary with Child by Lorenzo di Bicci. The main street is pedestrianized for a pleasant stroll to the Tourist Office, shops, restaurants, and outdoors stalls. Opposite the church, the peculiar Via della Volte provides stunning views of the countryside. Built during Florentine domination, the tunnels encircle the medieval town center, dominated by la Rocca tower that houses the archeological museum.

Up and down hills, narrow roads with hairpin turns take us from one village to another.

Two villages and two wineries per day are all that time and sobriety can handle. Spitting is hardly an option; food is served as wine is

Photo: MC Arnott Chianti Classico Riserva is aged for two years in oak, then bottled for three months, with an alcohol content of at least 12.5%.

poured. The 14 villages under the Chianti appellation have much in common: the palazzo of some local nobility or a patrician house, a church or abbey or convent, wine tasting shops, restaurants, and the remnants of fortifications. And true to the romanticized image of Tuscany, cypress trees punctuate the verdant countryside like exclamation marks. A few facts, however, give them a touristic identity.

In Radda, it’s the peaceful town center, and the elegant studio of a fashion designer next to a gold gilding workshop. In Greve, it’s the large piazza Matteotti where the Saturday market has been held since the 13th century. In Pongibossi, the widow of Léo Ferré, a famous poet and singer, pours the tasting. And in the 15th century hamlet of Ama, in Gaiole, two wine and olive oil tasting rooms illustrate two distinct lifestyles: the nobility of Castillo di Ama with its unusual open-air art collection, and the conviviality of Casanuova di Ama set in the dwelling of its former sharecroppers.

What about the food, you might ask? In short, I would go back to Tuscany just to eat.

Every meal is a slow feast of wholefood. My

A typical landscape of Tuscany with olive groves, vineyards and the iconic cypress trees.

Photo: MC Arnott

husband orders insalata caprese (tomatoes with “divine” fresh mozzarella) every single day, and I can’t get enough of the fresh anchovies served on a bed of tomatoes sprinkled with local olive oil. And bread. When I am challenged to repeat aloud that I like Italian food better than French food, I hold the Chianti Classico responsible. But truth be told…

All rights reserved. Marie-Claude Arnott is a freelance writer and an English/French translator. mcarnott@shaw.ca More travel stories at buckettripper.com/author/mcarnott

Photo: MC Arnott Porcini mushrooms from the nearby woods. The colour white under the cap indicates perfect freshness.

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16

Caulfeild Village Shopping Centre invites the community to

CAULFEILD

May Day A COMMUNITY EVENT FOR FAMILIES

May 9th, 2015 | 10am to 4pm ] stage entertainment all day ] pony rides ] petting zoo ] arts & crafts ] olde Caulfeild fire truck ] face painting ] coffee garden ] collector cars ] fashion show ] beer garden ] pizza ] oyster shucking ] pulled pork ] ice cream ] buskers ] entertainers ...and join us to dance around the maypole at the Caulfeild Village Shopping Centre, West Vancouver A friendly feeling... A friendly place.

www.caulfeildmayday.ca

If you would like to sponsor or volunteer please call: 604.219.9724

May 2015