West Vancouver Beacon | September/October 2017 | Edition 24

THE No. 24

BEACON Shedding light on the communities from Lions Bay to West Bay

Sept 2017

Celebrate Point Atkinson

Photo: Glenn Owen Join us on Sunday, September 17, from 1:00 - 4:00 pm at Point Atkinson in Lighthouse Park to celebrate the link between the light station, the park and confederation. This will be a rare opportunity to explore the grounds, which are usually restricted to the public. The entertaining afternoon will include dramatic and heroic stories of the station’s past, and information about its uncertain future. See page 8.

8-9

Acting Against Racism

10

Pulling together

12

PG

7

Mountains to Sea

PG

Exploration scientist

PG

PG

Travelling solo?

PG

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TEAM

Chris Stringer

Confessions of a Bible thief

Publisher

chrisstringer @westvanbeacon.ca

Lindy Pfeil

Lindy Pfeil Editor

lindypfeil @westvanbeacon.ca

Penny Mitchell Advertising

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.

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.

Submissions for The Beacon The Beacon is delivered bi-monthly to 5000+ households between Lions Bay and West Bay. 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 All editions of The Beacon (beginning in September 2013), can also be read online at: www.westvanbeacon.ca.

Sept 2017

I

crashed my scooter this summer. One minute I was noticing the changing shapes of the clouds, and the next I was splattered across Marine Drive. Banned from driving and screen time, I was forced to find other things to occupy my days. First, I unpacked some boxes of books. Then I painted a few walls. After cleaning out the kitchen cabinets, I headed towards the place I’d been avoiding – the passage cupboard, otherwise known as Hell. Which probably explains the Bible hiding there.

I went to Catholic school. If you too went to Catholic school, you’ll know that those five little words carry a whole lot of meaning. I spent many of my youthful years reading God’s word. And praying. And confessing, and all that other Catholic jazz. I kept hoping that it would add up to something beyond the growing guilt of broken commandments. When my own children popped into the world, I was torn. I didn’t want them to fear God, as I had. But I wanted to give them the option of believing. So I read them Bible stories. And fairy tales. And Dr. Seuss. And then I hoped for the best. That they would find wisdom in the everyday, and believe in their own ability to make miracles. Even in the face of a power far greater than their own.

But back to the Bible. As I pulled it from the shadows, I remembered the day I stole it. (That, however, is a story for another time.) Flooded with memories, I sat down

on the floor and opened it: “To read the Bi- do it cold. No second takes. No fancy backble through in one year,” it said on page 12, ground music. Sometimes I stumble. There “read three chapters each weekday and five are an awful lot of very complicated names. chapters on Sunday. A blessed experience.” And occasionally my head wanders off on I have never read the entire Bible. its own with random questions for God. I’m sure many have. Apparently, Or thoughts about how people the Bible is the most commonly lived to such a stolen book. I know this doesn’t ripe old age make it right, but I figure if the without access Gideons truly want humankind to medical care. to read their bibles they won’t There are rivers be too distraught when hotel and mountain guests pocket them. ranges I’m sure Three chapters a day I mispronounce, sounded do-able. This would customs and ritualso give me a legitimate als I’ve never heard excuse to continue avoidof and some very ing the chaos of the pastroubling family dysage cupboard. I decided namics. Every now to record the readings. and then I find myself Evidence of my penswallowing loudly, or ance. Or something like sighing in exasperathat. I’m not sure why tion. Or sadness. Or I thought this would confusion. Sometimes be a good idea. When anger. And once or twice you’re reading somemy body has reacted so Photo provided. thing out loud, you can’t simwildly to the story on the ply ignore the incest, murder The stolen Bible, one of more than page in front of me, that and misogyny and pretend it my earphones have popped two billion distributed for free by the Gideons since 1908. doesn’t exist. right out of my ears.

If all goes according to I’d somehow forgotten that the Old Testament is not really light plan, this time next year I’ll have read the enreading. Could I skip over the Old and head tire book from cover to cover. It’s not looking straight to the New? My tongue struggles good right now, but I’m hoping it will indeed, with the ugly. But I suppose the point of as the Gideons have promised, prove to be “a having a history, is to learn from it. Isn’t it? blessed experience.” We shall see.

Regardless of how uncomfortable it makes Penance is downloaded daily at www.thebiyou feel.

So, every morning I open my stolen Bible, blethief.ca. And every Sunday I add some quesplug in my earphones and start recording. I tions for God. Feel free to add yours there too.

If you are not receiving home delivery of The Beacon please let us know at chrisstringer@westvanbeacon.ca

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Sept 2017

PAGE 3

How about being curious rather than judgemental?

Psyched Out Ian Macpherson

A

s couples, we tend to focus on our own pain and blame our partners for causing it. In conflict, there is little doubt that your mate can trigger some

hurt in you, but the chances are slight that they did more than trip the switch that turned on a past - and probably quite hidden - wound. When couples have frequent fights that seem to start from nowhere and keep recycling, there are always themes being played out that need to be discovered.

Our ‘love maps’ for each other are never complete without these discoveries nor will the conflicts be truly resolved.

Eric’s wife, Stacey, would on occasion

A different kind of luck Rafe Reminiscing Rafe Mair

I

t was early on a Sunday morning, because Mr. Charlton was mowing his lawn on the point as I trolled past the north end of Hatfield’s Island at North Woodlands. I was on a forlorn mission, which somehow never troubles 13-yearolds who are mad about fishing.

My uncle Bill and aunt Lois owned the island. They had warned me many times that there were so few salmon in the area unlike what I’d been used to at my grandfather Pop’s old place at Granthams Landing - that it was scarcely worth my trouble.

My cousins would laugh good-naturedly at their goofy relative with his old bamboo rod, wooden Peetz reel and large Tom Mack spoon, rowing around Indian Arm seeking prey which, on high authority, weren’t there.

I hadn’t been out 15 minutes before my

line sang the siren song of a large fish and, lump in throat, I began to play this monstrous salmon, obviously a Spring (Chinook) that would soon make me a family hero.

The ending, alas, was predictable: no fish and not a few tears. When I told my family about this adventure there were guffaws and knowing glances as Rafe was, no doubt, telling a typical ‘one that got away’ story. I smarted all day with this embarrassment.

That afternoon, much to my surprise, Mr. Charlton arrived on the island – apparently he and Uncle Bill were both on the ratepayers association and needed to talk. Just before business began, in front of all the family, Mr. Charlton said, “Rafe that was quite the fish you had on this morning.

I thought you played it very well and were just plain unlucky.”

The family visages, all similarly showing a combination of shock and embarrassment, gave me a feeling of satisfaction almost, well, almost like landing a large salmon. You might say it was just a bit of fisherman’s luck!

forgetfully serve him a meat-based soup.

Eric, a staunch vegan since his teenage years, would characteristically fly into a tantrum claiming that Stacey was not only treating him in an outrageously inconsiderate way but that her actions were also proof of her lack of love. Eric’s contempt-filled tirade would lead to questioning the validity of their entire relationship.

Stacey, on the other hand, resented what she viewed as Eric’s rigidity and demands, and chose to ignore his “incurable lunacy.”

Of course, a relationship is always a twoway street, and Eric was frustrated with Stacey’s indirect communication style, including her ‘forgetting’ that he was vegan.

Unfortunately, the toxic twins of blame and self-justification are often the easiest path to take and so the couple’s attack-withdraw pattern continued.

And then they tried something else: they

learned to practice genuine curiosity about their easily-triggered underlying wounds.

In the process, Stacey found out that, as a child, Eric had always felt that his feelings and ideas were discounted or ignored. Consequently, as a grown-up he measured trust by how much those close to him respected his strongly-held beliefs. Any perceived neglect would spark feelings of rejection and humiliation, frequently bringing on a childish rage.

Nowadays, Stacey and Eric continue to develop their curiosity toward a deeper understanding of each other rather than jumping to conclusions. This caring process improves a couple’s connection and willingness to reach out supportively during conflict.

Ian Macpherson is a psychologist who lives and practices in West Vancouver. More at www.westvancouvertherapist.com

Photo provided Canada Day in Horseshoe Bay Park. Karen Fowlie, seen here with Christie McPhee, accompanied by the fabulous Copper Cove Road band, headlined the Canada 150 celebrations in Horseshoe Bay Park.

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Sept 2017

Are you a female planning solo travel abroad?

Here are some tips to keep you safe BY

Cassandra Lea Wilson

A

fter living in South Korea for a year, teaching English, I wanted to explore more of the region. Asia was full of mystery, history and unique experiences, very different to what I had known growing up in Canada. I spent eight more months in Thailand. It was a cherished trip of a lifetime. If you are thinking of traveling solo, here are some tips I picked up along my travels: • First and foremost, assess the risk. The further you go toward third world culture the more vigilant you will need to be, especially as a western (i.e. wealthy) female.

Realize that you are a foreigner, and any recourse in a foreign country is virtually impossible.

• Hide your belongings in your room when you go out, even during the day. Take your passport and money with you. Close

and lock the windows when you leave, no matter how high up your room.

• Befriend the hotel staff as they are your safety net. Greet them when coming and going, and ask for as much chaperoning from your hotel as possible - such as rides to and from tourist spots, advice and suggestions.

• Don’t complain, just learn. Don’t expect to ‘teach’ anyone your culture or ways or show them a ‘better way’. Realize that your standards are a result of your cultural conditioning and may not even be a consideration where you’re travelling.

• Tell your family by email about new friends you’ve made, their names and country of origin.

• The biggest threat is theft, and can be circumvented by being vigilant. Be careful when befriending others, even fellow travelers.

To learn more about solo female travel, join Cassandra Wilson at her book sign-

Cassandra Wilson enjoying the beautiful waters of Thailand.

Photo provided

ing at Indigo Park Royal, on September 23, 2017 from noon to 3 p.m. Her book, Sublime Surroundings, A Journey to Love

in Thailand, tells of her adventures living, working and finding love in Thailand.

SCHOOLS

Safety in school zones is key BY

Beverly Pausche West Vancouver School District

D

rop-off and pick-up times can be very busy at all school sites, especially in the first few weeks, as many new families familiarize themselves with school routines. School begins on September 5, making it the perfect time to think about ways to increase safety in school zones.

The maximum speed in a school zone is 30 km/hr from 8 am to 5 pm on school days. However, the government has also amended the Motor Vehicle Act to allow an expansion of these times in recognition of the increased use of facilities located within school zones after regular hours. Please note all signage and respect the speed limits and times that school zones are in effect.

For more information: http://www.th.gov. bc.ca/key_initiatives/legislation/mvbamend.htm If travelling to or from a school in your car, please remember to respect school staff and volunteers who help keep children safe by directing traffic. Better options for travelling to and from school sites include car-

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pools, buses or active transportation, such as walking or cycling. This helps reduce congestion and increase safety in school zones.

During busy periods, consider taking a “Drive to 5” approach – drive most of the way to the school site, but leave the car in a location that’s just a 5-minute walk from the school. This saves time and frustration closer to the school as other cars compete for parking/stopping space. For more information, please see: www.westvancouver.ca/ schoolroutes Thank-you to members of the public for taking extra care when travelling on roads in and around schools this fall.

Photo: coward_lion/Bigstock.com

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Sept 2017

PAGE 5

A tradition continues at the Ski to Sea race BY

I

Chris Stringer

n the 1970s a group of friends, who knew each other through their work and through their various outdoor activities, would gather together at Peter Healy’s cabin in Mount Baker after a rigorous day of mountain biking or kayaking rapids or running the hills or crosscountry skiing. Each was dominant in one of the sports they participated in so they entered a team in the newly created Ski to Sea Race at Mount Baker. During the race, which continues today, eight participants compete in the 150 kilometers from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay, in seven different sports: cross country ski, downhill ski/ snowboard, running, road bike, canoe (2 paddlers), cyclocross bike, and sea kayak.

As one would imagine, there is a story behind the team name, and in this instance, there are many 40-year-old versions of it. Suffice to say it was a combination of a foreign accent misunderstood, a word misspelled or something lost in translation. In any event, not to be deterred by

mere semantics, when they discovered that their official team name was, in fact, Galloping Gonads, they happily embraced it. A jaunty theme song was created and sung through the decades. All the families gathered before and after the race, often at Peter’s, to celebrate their wins and losses.

Sadly, in August last year, Peter passed away suddenly at the age of 70, shocking family and friends. The day before, he had cycled to his downtown Vancouver office from his home in Altamont.

This year, on May 28, Peter’s sons James and Glen continued the Galloping Gonad tradition by joining with friends to participate in the same race. “The race was a really fun experience,” says Glen. “James and I grew up watching and hearing the stories of the race because our Dad and the team gathered for the before and after race celebrations at our family’s cabin. I used to think just how cool the whole Ski to Sea Race was. When he passed on, I felt inspired to continue that legacy.” The second generation had an amazing race, finishing second in their category. Congratulations Galloping Gonads II!

Dave, world traveller PARC resident

Photo provided Four of the original Galloping Gonads. L to R/ Hakan Lillquist, Ed Kaczmarek, Jim Moore and Rune Blomfeldt, with James and Glenn Healy.

Photo provided The Galloping Gonads II, 2017. L to R/ Zoe Braul, Carson Berry, Nigel Rahkola, Meg Straight, Stephanie Shea, Glen Healy, Jeff Gardner and James Healy.

When not travelling overseas with his wife, Dave can be found playing cribbage with the group he started at the Westerleigh. The game has been a favourite in Dave’s family for generations, and next on his list is to challenge other PARC residences to a championship!

“We’ve made long-lasting friendships with other Westerleigh travellers.”

That’s how it is at Westerleigh PARC: it’s easy to keep up old interests, with new friends. And with PARC Retirement Living’s focus on maintaining a healthy body and mind through our Independent Living+ program, it’s easy to see how life’s just better here.

Call Gail at 604.922.9888 to reserve your tour and complimentary lunch.

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PAGE

6

HOME & LIVING

TORTILLA

Delicious pizza snacks A Culinary View Maureen Goulet

I

f you have children in elementary school you have learned to value that precious time when they burst through the door, famished and excited to share their day with you. I always tried to have a snack ready for them, and time to sit while they ate, before they ran out the door again to play.

Sept 2017

tortillas pesto sauc e cherry tomat oe

The fastest - and most loved - snack in our house is still pizza, but you don’t have to make a crust that takes time to rise and roll. There are many other ways of delivering yummy toppings. English muffins make a great mini pizza, as do tortillas, which come in many flavours including spinach! The toppings are numerous: tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, onions, peppers, feta and even pineapple.

I still make these pizza snacks for my adult children when they come home from an exhausting day at work, and occasionally they share their day with me!

PIZZA Asiago chee se fresh basil arugula

s Spread pest o over the to rtilla, add qu cherry tomat artered oes, choppe d fresh basi grated Asiag l and finely o. Bake at 4 00 degrees minutes. R for 10-15 emove from oven and to handful of ar p with a ugula. Delic ious and he althy!

Maureen Goulet is the owner of Ambrosia Cooking /private events with amazing Chefs www.ambrosiaadventures.com

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English muffins pizza sauce peppers mushrooms

onions olives tomatoes cheese

Split the English muffin in half. Sp read the pizza sauce (w hich can now be purchased in a sq ueeze bottle) over the top and add your favorite toppin gs.

For a crispier piz za toast the muffin first before addin g the toppings. Gr ate cheese over top and bake at 350 degrees for 10-1 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

Farmers’ markets in full swing BY

Quick and delicious pizza muffins.

ENGLISH MUFF IN PIZZA

D

espite the cold winter, wet spring and forest fires in some regions of the province, BC is now at the height of farmers’ market season in terms of locally produced foods. This year, the number of farmers’ markets across BC has grown to 147. According to the 2016 census of Agriculture, BC has also seen an influx of young farmers, compared to other provinces in Canada.

Here are a few trends people can expect to see on their visits to BC farmers’ markets this year: • Many farmers’ markets offer live music, local chef demos, kids’ crafts and activities, and local artisans, too. Visiting a BC farmers’ market is a fantastic way to experience a community.

• Kombucha, fermented foods, and pickled things, including tempeh have become more popular this year.

• Wild crafted and harvested goods are on the rise, too, with several new foraged mushroom businesses to be found.

• Alcohol and interesting drinks are growing in popularity at many farmers’ markets with the addition of vendors specializing in mixers and elixirs.

• The popularity of vendors offering gluten free and vegan continues to grow.

The Ambleside Artisan Farmers’ Market is part of the #BuyBCLocal movement and they’re running several great events for children of all ages, which includes sampling free produce and consumers can choose between purchasing certified organic & BC SPCA-certified chicken. The market is open every Sunday from 10am to 3pm through October.

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Sept 2017

PAGE 7

Carbon scientist and community activist Sound in an Aquatica submarine, Rob codiscovered the glass sponge colony, an international phenomenon that is unique to the waters off the BC coast.

In his new book, Carbon Play, Rob proChris Stringer vides his account of the sustained efforts of a broad community, and the outcome of hether advocating for the pro- those efforts in bringing a wounded marine tection of the environment in ecosystem back to health after a century of Howe Sound or staunchly pro- unintended assault. moting the development of local entertainMike Harcourt, former Premier of BC, ment talent, Dr. Robert Falls and an expert on sustainable is a community activist. From communities, says this of the his Seascapes perch, overbook: “Robert Falls has done well looking the straits between laying out his life as a veteran Gambier and Bowen islands, resource management scientist Rob writes about his lifetime who is a carbon explorer. He has commitment to environcombined science (explained in mental stewardship and the easy to understand language), restoration of degraded ecoautobiography (his life has not systems. His basement is the been boring), and some hopeful rehearsal place for the Fowlie and practical solutions for mitiPhoto provided and Friends Entertainment gating, adapting and innovating Robert Falls overlooking his Society groups. A founding towards a safer future. People beloved Howe Sound. director of the society, he like Robert, rather than the clican be seen quietly supporting almost every mate change deniers or hysterics, will help us performance. limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

Rob is adjunct professor in the Faculty of Join Rob at one of his book signings on Forestry at UBC and executive director of October 3 in Horseshoe Bay and October 6 the Centre for Applied Earth Observation. in Lions Bay. In 2016, while exploring the depths of Howe

W

Photo: courtesy of Adam Taylor It was during a routine 400-foot survey dive by the Aquatica Submarine in Howe Sound last April that Dr Robert Falls, Gary Hancock and pilot Erika Bergman discovered the glass sponge bioherm.

THE COMMUNITY IS INVITED TO THE PRE-RELEASE AND BOOK SIGNING OF

CARBON PLAY

Tuesday, October 3, 2017 6-8 pm

Friday, October 6, 2017 5-7 pm

The Spirit Gallery 6408 Bay Street, Horseshoe Bay

Lions Bay General Store & Cafe 350 Centre Road, Lions Bay Photo: courtesy of Adam Taylor

Glass sponge bioherm, Howe Sound.

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Sept 2017

MOUNTAINS TO SEA

Celebrate the past, present and futu Elspeth Bradbury

T

he lighthouse at Point Atkinson is a well-known and well-loved symbol of West Vancouver, but few of us are aware of its importance in Canada’s confederation. In 1871, the young federal gov-

ernment offered three public works projects to BC if, in return, the colony would join the Dominion of Canada. Our light station was one of these projects. BC agreed to the deal and a tower was built as promised, three years later. Ten years after that, the Crown granted 75 hectares of land behind the beacon as a reserve to form a dark backdrop for the light and a fuel source for the steam-driven foghorn. In doing so, they inadvertently preserved the magnificent old-growth forest we now know as Lighthouse Park.

As part of Canada’s 150 Celebration, the

0 at Celebrate Canada 15

SON POINT ATK INE OPEN HOUS

in Lighthouse Park

EMBER 17, SUNDAY, SEPT PM 0 4:0 1:00 -

2017

IL NG BEA CON TRA H HIS TORY ALO • STR OLL THR OUG S AND BUI LDI NGS TIO N GRO UND STA HT LIG THE HIS TOR IC SITE • EXP LOR E THI S NAT ION AL THE FUT URE OF • LEA RN ABO UT Michael Smith or, May ver t Vancou come from Wes 2:00 PM - Wel young at heart pet show for the Pup on the lawn ts PM 0 men 3:3 and refresh - Music, stories 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Join uinn! the f

NS.COM

MBAKERDESIG

Photo provided

Signal Station in 1939.

PETTIT

West Vancouver Historical Society and the Lighthouse Park Preservation Society have joined forces to mark these historic events.

The collaboration has brought together two of West Vancouver’s notable figures. Rod Day served as a councilor for a total of sixteen years and worked on numerous commissions and panels, including in 2013, the working group that achieved legal dedication for our many, previously un-deeded, waterfront parks. He is currently president of the West Vancouver Historical Society. Although he retired officially in 2008 he is still committed to community life and explains, “Working on good things together – contributing – it’s who I am.” Elaine Graham has lived at Point Atkinson since 1980 when she moved there with her husband Don, who was keeper until the facility was automated. She worked as Park Naturalist and, almost twenty years ago, helped to found the Lighthouse Park Preservation Society. She is still an active member of their board. Don had always been concerned about the future of the light station, and after he died, Elaine took on the role of advocate, joined the Historical Society and has been a tireless and successful spokesperson for the site ever since. Like Rod, she is officially retired and unofficially works as hard as ever.

Responsibility for maintenance of the light station buildings falls between various

“

“Although Po Atkinson is a Historic Site, is uncertain.

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Sept 2017

PAGE 9

ure of the lighthouse levels of government, and budgets are – of course – always an issue. The situation is frustrating and it is largely due to the persistent efforts of Elaine and other Historical Society members that the fog-alarm building, the powerhouse and the current tower (rebuilt in 1912) are now in reasonably good repair.

Although Point Atkinson is a National Historic Site, its future is uncertain.

The Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the District of West Vancouver share a special agreement for the property that will last until the department’s lease with the Federal

oint a National , its future ”

Granite plaque at the entrance to Point Atkinson.

Ministry of Lands and Real Property expires in 2026. The event on September 17, to celebrate the site’s past, will also be an opportunity to learn about visions for its future. In addition, it will give the public a chance to explore the light station grounds, which are usually restricted. A series of posters recording key events in the park’s history will guide visitors back in time from Beacon Lane down the trail to the cluster of huts built during WWII and then on to Point Atkinson itself.

One of the huts will house a puppet show, and other activities will take place on the lighthouse lawn. There will be stories, music, refreshments, and if Rod and Elaine have their way, everyone will spend a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting afternoon.

Photo provided

Photo: courtesy of Elspeth Bradbury Rod Day and Elaine Graham review plans for the Point Atkinson Open House in Lighthouse Park.

A stroll in the park.

Photo provided

PAGE

10

Sept 2017

A public forum for acting against racism BY

Alison Dudley NSIIP Partner Liaison & Coordinator

P

olice-reported hate crimes have recently increased in Canada – 5% in 2015, according to Stats Canada. This has left some North Shore residents wondering how we can avoid being victims of, or bystanders to, racism when it occurs in our community.

Staff at the North Shore Multicultural Society have heard many personal stories from adults and youth of various backgrounds who have shared their experiences of racism, highlighting the complexity of the issue.

In response to this complex issue, a coalition of organizations involved in the North Shore Immigrant Inclusion Partnership will be hosting a public forum at Kay Meek Theatre on September 14 from 7-9pm. Moderated by CBC’s Margaret Gallagher, the forum will explore what racism looks like on

the North Shore today and how people can respond individually and collectively. UBC’s Sunera Thobani and Handel Kashope Wright will speak at the event, along with a local panel who will reflect on their personal experiences with racism.

“This isn’t just my community. This isn’t just your community. This is our community,” says Marcus Wong, a board member of the North Shore Multicultural Society, and a forum panel participant. “And so, if we as a community truly desire to make this place we call home the best that it can be, it is our moral imperative to take a ‘community first’ approach and address important issues such as racism, prejudice and discrimination, which can so easily divide us.”

The forum is free but attendees are asked to RSVP to reserve tickets. Tickets can be booked on-line at www.nsiip.ca or by calling 604-973-0457. Donations towards the event costs are welcome.

Photo: courtesy of Minori Ide, North Shore Multicultural Society.

The audience being entertained at a previous North Shore Multicultural Society event, ‘Weaving our Humanity’ in November 2016.

BY

Kim Clarke

D

uring one of my petulant moments as an adolescent my mother gave me a gift. It was a photograph of a little girl hugging a dog. The girl was staring soulfully at the camera, as was the dog.

That is how I found myself this past weekend in my garage: soulfully staring at the detritus of everyday living and wondering how I could control and dispose of the dissemination and elimination of stuff. Each box that I opened contained a moment in time with so

much memory that I had to close it immediately so that the memory would be captured forever. Not that these boxes belong to Pandora, but they belong to the youth of my children, the scent of Christmases past and the dancing spangly bones of Halloween. I love the stuff in these boxes so much, and I love knowing that these memories are in my garage safe and contained. However, I am the only one in my family that feels this way.

The intention of a garage is to house a car, a motorcycle, a boat. Not one of our garages has ever seen any of these modes of transportation. But, oh boy, has each garage seen stuff.

Stuff has a way of expanding to fill the space.

Like glitter, stuff sparkles, begs to be taken home, but after a while the shine wears off and you keep finding little pink sparkles on your cheeks, near your eyes, in your hair. Beautiful and shiny but sometimes itchy in your socks.

So I purge. Every three months or so, I push the containers around, find a box or two that looks harmless and relatively empty, break it down to recycle. In the breaking down there is a feeling of relief, a weightlessness, but the containers that remain stand vigilant and full of the things that I cannot give up just yet.

And there it was. The box least likely to contain anything worth keeping. No doubt financial papers from 1994. I sliced the tape, the

alexlmx/stock.adobe.com

Everybody is loved by someone

lid popped open and I was stared down by a soulful eye of a bulldog and his companion. The caption underneath the two of them reads “Everybody Is Loved By Someone.” I quickly re-taped the box. Love lives in there. How can I ever let her go?

Kim, a writer and teacher who lives in Horseshoe Bay, is delighted by the inexplicable details of every day and wants to share sparkle, in all its forms, with the world.

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Sept 2017

PAGE 11

Board and Committee Diversity Project launched BY

Alison Dudley NSIIP Coordinator

T

he North Shore Immigrant Inclusion Partnership (NSIIP) has received grants from the West Vancouver Foundation, the Community Foundations of Canada, and the Districts of North and West Vancouver to run a “Board and Committee Diversity Project” between now and December 2017. The goal of the project is to match 10-15 established immigrants with positions on governance boards and advisory committees at local non-profits and civic institutions.

Organizations wanting to diversify their boards can look to the West Vancouver Memorial Library for inspiration. The library has made strides in welcoming new board members and ensuring its board of trustees better reflects the communities the library serves.

Felicia Zhu was appointed as the library’s first Chinese-Canadian trustee three years ago. Having immigrated to Canada five years earlier with a background in educational planning, Zhu was actively volunteering in the school district and at

Photo provided

Members of NSIIP’s Immigrant Advisory Council who helped inform the Board and Committee Diversity Project.

the library when the recruitment process for new trustees began. “I saw notices about the opportunity and was interested, but I wasn’t really confident enough to apply until library staff asked me and encouraged me to put my name forward,” says Zhu. The project aims to encourage more immigrants like Zhu to come forward to take on leadership roles. The project is currently

invites you to

recruiting both immigrant candidates and host organizations. Orientation, training, networking, matching and mentoring will be provided to both between September and December.

“The demographics of the North Shore are changing,” says project coordinator Angela Sealy. “As our communities become more and more diverse, it’s important that

immigrants and other diverse people have opportunities to help guide the development of the North Shore at a strategic level.”

NSIIP will hold an information session for interested immigrant candidates on Tuesday, September 19 from 5:30-7:30pm at the North Shore Multicultural Society.

To register or to learn more, contact Angela Sealy at wfg@shaw.ca or 604-522-1492.

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Sept 2017

Pulling together makes life easier BY

I

Chris Stringer

f you were wandering through Horseshoe Bay Park on the morning of July13 you would have encountered several resplendent canoes resting on the grass.

They were between stages of the annual Pulling Together journey.

Since 2001, police officers, members of public service agencies and youth paddlers have partnered with First Nations communities on ten-day canoe journeys through hundreds of kilometres of British Columbia’s waterways. The goal is simple: reconciliation through learning about each other’s cultures. Each journey is fraught with emotional, spiritual and physical challenges, ending in a shared story filled with song, dance and laughter.

This year the journey began in Gibsons, progressing to Camp Potlatch, then Squamish and Porteau Cove before ar-

riving in Horseshoe Bay for an overnight rest. “We will have to travel overland for the next leg to Dundarave because the waters around Point Atkinson are too rough for the canoes,” said Wes Nahanee, one of the journey leaders, as the paddlers began loading the canoes onto trailers. Next stop was Ambleside before travelling across to Vanier Park for the Vancouver Canada 150+ celebrations and the traditional Gathering of Canoes.

Rhiannon Bennett, president of the Pulling Together Canoe Society has paddled the journey every year since 2006.

“The canoe is such a symbol for how we move through life,” she says. “That physical reminder of how we are all connected.

When you are all pulling together, working in sync as one, you can feel how effective that is, how fast you move. It’s the same thing in life, when we all work from that place of being one heart, one mind, life is so much easier.”

The flotilla crossing English Bay.

Photo provided

Canoes resting in Horseshoe Bay Park on July 13, 2017.

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PAGE 13

BRIAN POMFRET

S

JOE GARDENER

Gardening tips for September and October

eptember can be particularly pleasant with continuing warm weather and cooler evenings. Late-blooming perennials are showing off, including Japanese anemone, dahlias and chrysanthemums. There are a few tasks to consider during September:

• Give hedges a final light trim.

• Aerate lawns and apply a turf mix top dressing. Overseed now, as the cooler weather is better for seed germination.

• Divide irises by digging up and carefully separating the rhizomes from the centre section. Replant with the top of the rhizome just showing.

• This is the right time to give summer blooming heather a light trimming.

• Visit nurseries to check out the early arrival of spring bulbs that can be planted from mid-September through to late November. Follow the package depth directions of the bulb and try planting in groups of 15 to 25 with the bulbs close together. This method makes a great showing if a number of groups are planted. Generally, new bulbs are packed with natural energy and do not need the addition of bone meal.

October is the month of spectacular colours, with Japanese maples leading the way.

There are also many brilliant shrubs like euonymus alatus, more commonly known as Burning Bush, and the Boston ivy vine. Here are some October gardening to-dos:

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• Clear your garden of faded summer annuals by adding them to your compost pile.

• Dig up dahlias and gladioli and store them in a cool, dry place.

• Plant peonies.

• Lift and relocate or divide perennials, as they lose their lustre. Alternatively, you can do this in the spring, if you mark the location or label the plant.

• October is also a great time to select and plant new shrubs and trees when conditions are cool and there is low risk of shock to the plant when it is installed.

Favourites trees include Styrax japonicus, Stewartia pseudocamellia and Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Frisia’.

• Continue pruning spent rose blossoms and collect and destroy all the dropped leaves; do not compost.

• If you have a pond, lower the pots to lilies to the bottom of the pond.

• Keep your lawn free of leaves and give a final light winter fertilize.

Happy gardening.

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Sept 2017

What do license plates reveal?

BY

David Roberts

H

IfIfyou ofour ourcookies, cookies, youare areinterested interested in in purchasing purchasing aa box box (or (or more) more) of please pleasecontact contactour ourGuider Guideratat604-723-5576 604 -723-5576 or or lang138@shaw.ca lang138@shaw.ca

amish and Jimmy Taite had lived in their ramshackle house, perched uphill from the church green, for as long as anyone could remember. The Taites raised a brood of four children in a state of genteel disorder in the old house, which endured much wear and tear in consequence. When the last of their offspring departed, Hamish retired. They sold the house and moved to Denman Island. The house was bought by a Swedish couple, Odd and Gisella Edstrand, who also had four children, all boys.

The Swedes are an orderly race. Swedish furniture is functional with clean lines and no unnecessary frills, epitomizing architect Mies van der Rohe’s principle, that ‘less is more,’ that truly artistic architecture must be stripped of all pretentious ostentation.

The Edstrands set about renovating the old home. True to their Scandinavian heritage, they transformed it into a modern, functional abode, if a trifle clinical. With the application of only a little imagination one might have concluded that the whole edi-

fice had been designed by IKEA. Odd was viewed by the neighbours as reserved, formal and polite, but not renowned for a roistering sense of humour. Gisella was a slim, fair haired woman with a quiet and sardonic sense of humour.

One day it came about that the neighbourhood realized that Odd might not be as solemn as he appeared. He was observed driving his car with a new set of license plates. The Motor Vehicle Department had just introduced the facility for motorists to purchase license plates embossed with letters of their owner’s choice. Odd had taken advantage of this whimsical bureaucratic policy and had bought his very own set of license plates. They bore the legend ‘I AM ODD’. Opinion amongst the neighbours was divided. Had Odd meant to be funny? Or had he not realized that what would be a perfectly normal proposition for a Swede would translate into English as an ambiguity?

We all giggled about this for a few weeks and then, to our unconfined hilarity, it was observed that Gisella had also been down to the Motor Vehicle Department and acquired her own plates. There was no ambiguity about what they announced: “I AM NOT”.

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Sept 2017

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