West Vancouver Beacon | September/October 2020 | Edition 40

THE No. 40

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

September/October 2020

Fishers at Stearman Beach www.robstraightphotography.com

8-9

Lions Bay Olympian

10

From the Inkwell

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PG

7

Community Personality

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Fresh new look

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The house that Jack built

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IN THIS ISSUE 4

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TEAM

It’s been a while, dear Beacon reader

Chris Stringer

Opinion

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.

September/October 2020

A

lot has happened in the six months since the Beacon was last delivered to your mailbox. Our hearts go out to the many, many people who have been deeply – and forever – impacted by recent events. Life, as we knew it, may likely never be the same again. But we’re a hardy lot, humans, and adaptation is etched in our bones. And so I asked around. How have we changed? What are the things we now recognise as crucial for our wellbeing?

And what about our values? Our beliefs about the way the world works? Are they any different?

The first person I asked was my daughter, Kate. She left West Vancouver 18 months ago, to live in London. “When Boris Johnson announced at precisely 5 p.m. on March 16 that the UK was going into lockdown, I felt fear and wariness,” Kate says. “As the scaremonger amongst my friends and family, I had been ‘crying pandemic’ for eight weeks. So I was also feeling a bit self-righteously joyful. This faded pretty quickly once reality set in. A crowded flat. A global period of redundancies. A long-distance boyfriend. Family across the pond. Just this once, being wrong would have been nice.”

Kate shares an apartment in North London with two long-time West Van school friends. “The past six months have

brought their fair share of struggle,” she says. “But they’ve also ushered in a few changes I hope stick around for the long haul. The first is flexible working. Once a meaningless buzzword from companies looking to recruit 20-somethings, flexible working didn’t ever really happen. Working from home has always been viewed as synonymous with working from the pub.

Met with a dubious eyebrow raise. Now, thanks to our global crash course in remote working, I’m predicting a future where we no longer have to choose to settle in one place, but rather can work from whichever city our globe-trotting hearts desire.

The second change, is closer communities. My lifestyle in London wasn’t exactly geared towards planting roots in my postal code before the pandemic. I was never

home for long – always going to new parts of the city and rushing to be there on time.

Now, I’m good buddies with the Italian couple who own Salvino deli on my block.

I go there most Saturdays to get my fresh mozzarella and prosciutto sandwiches for a fiver, and our house is solely responsible for drinking them out of their supply of Montepulciano red. I get my bread at our local bakery. My produce at our local health food shop. My pizza from our local pub. I now know these people (and their menus) like the back of my hand. I feel like I actually belong to these locals and my purchasing behaviour has permanently shifted to buying from my community whenever I can.

See page 3

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Emaryllia’s artwork wins Fire Prevention contest

F

ire Prevention Week™ takes place this year from October 4 to 10. Not only is this a great time to educate yourself and your family on how to prevent fires and burns at home, it is also an opportunity for BC students to win some amazing prizes.

Last year, six-year-old Emaryllia Gafur was the Regional Winner of the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund Fire Prevention Week Poster Contest. She received $500 for her school, Caulfeild Elementary, a pizza party for her class, fire fighter pencils and erasers for her classmates, an iPad, a certificate of achievement and a plush fire dog. She also received wonderful gifts from the Gleneagles Fire Fighters and was taken on a great tour of West Vancouver Fire Station 2 and an exciting fire truck ride, with sirens!

To enter this year’s contest, go to www. burnfund.org. Students in all grades are eligible to enter and there is a poster and a video contest. Deadline is October 23.

Maybe we’ll have another local winner.

Congratulations Emaryllia! You have made us very proud.

Continued from page 2

breakdowns. But, I also think that some of the ways we have responded have made our world smarter, kinder, and more fit for purpose.”

Kate’s sentiments were echoed by many of those with whom I spoke. Neighbourhood groups have sprung up everywhere, with offers of grocery shopping, dog walking, kindness. And re-connection is a common theme. Tammy and Michael Upward say, “We’ve reconnected with family and lost friends through Zoom, planted a patio garden for the first time and generally reconnected with our home.”

Jennifer Hill is a mother of three.

“Spending time with my girls, aged 17-20,

Number three is big: more empathy.

We’re all going through this thing at the same time. I can relate to my earthly cohabitants in ways I’ve never been able to before. All of this is, of course, exacerbated by social media, which spreads feelings like wildfire across the globe. When we see relatable content, we feel a connection with whoever posted it. A kid’s video in Shanghai makes me laugh in London.

A nurse’s tweet in Sydney hits home in Cape Town. A clap started in Vancouver is echoed around the world.

So yes, our North London flat has seen its fair share of tears, fights and emotional

Photos: courtesy of Jini Park Emaryllia at Fire Station 2 in Gleneagles with, (from L to R) Fire Fighter Young, Fire Fighter Grewal, Acting Captain Weis, and Fire Fighter Teske.

Emaryllia Gafur’s winning poster.

C U S TOM PLAN

is like trying to catch butterflies on a hot summer day,” she says from her cottage in West Bay. “They are so very beautiful but move elusively. During the COVID-19 lockdown things in my little house slowed.

The days were long with more time. So, we walked, and they talked; politics, cooking, whipped sweet coffee, plans for travel, and school (if those things returned). For the first time in 14 years my car sat idle.

The pretense that each of us carries into the outside world day after day dropped and we each saw the other. It has been a strange and magical time. There have been rousing arguments and tornadoes of tears punctuated by fits of laughter. None of us

is quite as we were before and, it’s become clear, will never be again. I love my family and am grateful to the pandemic for furloughing real life and allowing me the space inside my tiny house to catch moments with my three magical butterflies.”

Of course, finding a silver lining is simply not possible for many people right now. So I remind myself to be thankful, here in my little blue cottage in Eagle Harbour. And on behalf of the Beacon team, thank-you for being part of our community. And to our advertisers, many of whom are small-business owners, our deep gratitude for your support. Without you, we do not exist.

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Puddle Molly Cole, 2020 Rockridge graduate

I melted into a puddle right there on the table in the middle of dinner.

And it was okay Not a soul had a tiff anymore since I was a puddle.

A puddle cannot stretch too long and scratch you with its toenails.

A puddle cannot steal from you.

A puddle is not entitled to feelings as arbitrary as sadness or mere melancholy.

A puddle cannot feel bad about itself (or can it? For a puddle is writing this.)

I was turned into a puddle because my hollow body performed its last act and utterly crumbled turning to goo because of all the water I swallowed in an attempt to make myself feel whole.

September/October 2020

The house that Jack built BY

Laura Anderson

T

he future of West Vancouver’s oldest building, built in 1873, is in jeopardy. Council’s decision to demolish Navvy Jack House, located on the waterfront at Lawson Park, sparked a swift response from the community that resulted in a pause to the demolition.

John Mawson, speaking on behalf of the Navvy Jack House Citizen Group, explains: “Council has asked us to submit,

by September 14, the case for conservation of the house and its use for community benefit. We expect to present our report to council at a later date, as well.”

Time is short, yes. But the history of our community, told through the stories of the people who made Navvy Jack House their home, goes back a long way, well before West Vancouver’s incorporation in 1912.

John “Navvy Jack” Thomas built the house for his family. His marriage with Magdeleine Slawia of Stawamus, granddaughter of Chief Kiepalano, was the first formal union between the local indigenous and settler cultures. Descendants say their marriage was harmonious and productive, as were relations between newcomers and the original inhabitants of this corner of the world, long before reconciliation became necessary.

The Lawson family occupied the house next. Known as the ‘father of West Vancouver,’ John Lawson established the community’s municipal and economic foundations by opening the first post office and the first general store in the house and in a building next door.

In our time, stories that shape our collective heritage are not enough to protect elderly buildings. Only a few of this era of ‘settler’ buildings survive in the Lower Mainland, none with this significant indigenous connection. The Citizen Group is making an economic case based on community use that will recognize that heritage, and support the restoration and re-purposing of this neglected and almost forgotten community treasure.

More information about Navvy Jack House, its history and the case for conservation can be found at the West Van-

couver Historical Society (www.wvhs. ca).

Photo: courtesy of WV Archives, 089.WVA.LAW John Lawson’ s home in Ambleside (c.1910-1928).

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September/October 2020

PAGE 5

AROUND THE COMMUNITY

West Van Arts adjust to COVID-19 BY

Ann Frost

S

pring 2020, COVID-19 and what a change in the lives of so many patrons of the Silk Purse – no morning classical concerts, no Jazz Waves, no exhibitions of local artists or opening nights, no Singing by the Sea and District requirements that the building itself be closed.

It felt like a disaster but the West Vancouver Community Arts Council staff rolled up their sleeves and started to work, using the best of current technology. First it was Distant Together, a virtual art exhibition that led to three

virtual exhibitions featuring close to 120 artists over the summer. Then Distant Together Virtual Concerts – classical artists live streaming their concerts from their homes and Art Talk, in partnership with the West Vancouver Memorial Library.

For the jazz buffs among us, there was Jazz Streams in July: four concerts, featuring some of Vancouver’s finest Jazz musicians, were live streamed from the Silk Purse itself which re-opened under strict health and safety guidelines in mid-July.

A number of jazz fans turned up, bringing their own chairs, sitting outside on warm summer nights listening to musicians who played from inside the building, many of them commenting on how good it felt to be back in their beloved Silk Purse.

Art Box Pop-Up moved into the main gallery with original paintings, pottery and jewellery by local artisans.

Art is critical to the health and vitality of our community and these musicians and artists, with the support of the WVCAC , have created programs and art that inspire, entertain and offer some respite from the anxiety of these challenging times. Please go to their home page to donate to help support these efforts.

And now what? September brings the launch of a new art exhibition featuring visual artists and other exciting events.

Google “Silk Purse Arts Centre” regularly to see what’s coming up.

The Silk Purse.

Photo provided

Caulfeild’s own Nifty Thrifty Store BY

Ann Frost

H

ave you ever looked at the mementos of your life and your travels – acquired in all sorts of places and precious because of their memories – and wondered what will happen to them, especially if you are beginning to downsize or declutter? Yes, children and grandchildren may have their favourites but they are also collecting mementos of their own. What if you could find another loving home for these treasures?

Enter the idea of the Nifty Thrifty Shop, thanks to Elizabeth Ferguson of St. Francisin-the-Wood Church. The Shop is located in the church’s Caulfeild Cove Hall. Treasure hunters can find many valued, some barely used, even some antique items – all in good condition. Beneficiaries of the proceeds are the various charities supported by St. Francis.

Donations are being accepted and are much appreciated. These can be collectables, items for home and leisure, china, crystal, glassware, pottery, jewellery, hardware and tools, plastic children’s toys and

games, and books in good condition. Please bring them to Caulfeild Cove Hall, 4773 South Piccadilly Road on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

There will be a ‘soft’ opening on Saturday, September 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Following this, the store will be open on the first Saturday of each month at the same times. “We call it a ‘soft opening’ because, as we get started, we expect to be learning how best to do things,” says Elizabeth, “so we are encouraging people to check us out on our first Saturday as we hone our retail skills.”

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September/October 2020

From a seedling to Bloomingfields BY

Chris Stringer

C

ontemplating retirement, for many of us who have been there, conjures wistful thoughts and relief that deadlines, and the alarm clock, will be a thing of the past. We languish in the anticipation of enjoying the fruits of our labours in peace.

When Brian Pomfret retired in 1997, after 30 years with the BC Telephone Company, he had no thoughts of retirement.

Freed from the confines of corporate life, he could finally spread his wings and manage his own time….working. So he did. He started Bloomingfields.

“I could not imagine myself retired,” he says. “But I had reached a stage where I felt ready to move on to a new beginning, exploring personal creativity and being challenged. I loved to cook and I loved to garden and I chose the latter because I also love the outdoors.”

With his gardening preference estab-

lished, Brian created the name, Bloomingfields, and the logo, a row of red tulips and green leaves on a black background.

And on August 19, 1997, just days after leaving BC Tel, he set out with a new trailer hitched to his Volvo station wagon for his first client, a former co-worker. His second contract was his neighbour.

Within weeks, enquiries were coming in from the distinctive logo on the trailer and Brian hired his first employee. During the four years that followed, Bloomingfields grew rapidly. More employees were hired and the Volvo was replaced by a truck.

Brian realized that his little company was not so little when he landed a ferry terminal maintenance contract in 2005. Staff, vehicles and travel time increased. North Shore residents were becoming accustomed to seeing the familiar Bloomingfields vehicles and lawn signs.

Days were busy and varied. “I would work with the crews on sites during the day, come home to shower, change and grab a bite before heading out in the evenings to

do surveys and estimates,” Brian explains.

“Sundays were reserved for bookkeeping and invoicing. And those were the days of hand invoicing and mailbox visitations.”

Ten years after it was founded, the company was incorporated. It was also being recognized for more than property maintenance. It had emerged as a full service garden re-building and landscape company.

Bloomingfields signs appeared on the landscapes of new estate homes in West and North Vancouver. The company was in full bloom.

Brian had a knack for identifying and hiring quality people, often the offspring of friends and relatives. Devon Sidler was

one of them who, in 2014, at age 24 moved to Vancouver from Ottawa. Fortunately he came with a gardening background and joined Bloomingfields. Within three years, under Brian’s mentorship, Devon grew from gardener to supervisor to crew manager. Eventually, he managed the company.

In 2017, after 20 years of retirement, Brian was exhausted! He enabled Devon’s purchase of the company and, for the next three years, continued to provide marketing and sales assistance. In 2020, Brian Pomfret finally retired again, leaving Bloomingfields to continue blooming without him.

Happy retirement, Brian.

Founder Brian Pomfret with successor Devon Sidler.

Photo: Chris Stringer

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PAGE 7

COMMUNITY CHURCHES

Our historic landmark has a fresh new look BY

Penny Mitchell

B

uilt in 1927 and nestled in serene Caulfeild Cove, beside Lighthouse Park, St. Francis-in-the-Wood church has a new outlook.

The pandemic shutdown served as an appropriate time for the parishioners of St. Francis to refurbish the old church and its buildings. Live church services were suspended and the Montessori School temporarily closed. With the facilities unoccupied it was a good time to re-roof, repair and paint.

On June 1, a 40-foot hoist arrived, followed by our faithful contractor, George Marton, and his crew to carry out all the R and R. The final challenge was decommissioning the old weather-beaten cross on top of the bell tower. It had overseen generations of gatherers for services, weddings, funerals and thousands of visitors for more than 60 years. Its replacement is a cedar replica that is eight feet high and eight inches square and weighs 250 pounds.

Using a series of ropes and pulleys, George and his crew, assisted by musclemen Rehman and Kevin from Bloomingfields, completed the raising. The lowering and raising took over six arduous hours.

The 11,400 square feet of re-roofing began on June 22. Jason Pistawka, of Penfolds Roofing convinced us to change from the traditional cedar material to their re-cycled tire product, Ecoroof™, which has been designed to resemble the look of cedar. It comes with a 50-year manufacturer’s war-

ranty. Crew chief Rey and his amazing crew scrambled up and across the steep church and Caulfeild Cove Hall roofs, working through rain interruptions and emergency replacement of rotted support beams, struts, soffits and substrate before the final completion on July 18. Jason oversaw every phase of the work to ensure that it went smoothly and with the utmost of respect for the neighbourhood and the daily operations of the church offices.

Reverend Angus Stuart and Reverend Alecia Greenfield conducted their virtual recordings of church services (without parishioners) during the crew lunch breaks on Thursdays. These services could be viewed on YouTube (https://www.stfrancisinthewood.ca/podcasts/media) during the usual 10 a.m. Sunday time slot.

The end result is a beautiful look and

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September/October 2020

COMMUNITY PERSONALITY

Community Personality: Don Arnold Rowing into Canada’s Hall of Fame BY

Jason Beck

F

rom humble beginnings in small-town Winfield, BC to the peak of international rowing and later directing the sport at the administrative level, sport has been a constant for Don Arnold for as long as he can remember.

“I’ve been involved with sports pretty much all my life, one way or another,” he says, summing up his 85 years.

Life was hard growing up on a fruit farm in dusty Winfield, north of Kelowna, in the latter days of the Dirty Thirties and through the 1940s. The Arnold family had no running water, no electricity, and no telephone, and still used an outhouse.

Photo: courtesy of Don Arnold Don at the Vancouver Rowing Club prior to leaving for the 1956 Olympics in Australia.

“We eventually got electricity when I was about 12 and did away with the coal oil lamps. That was a big celebration,” he laughs.

Despite the lack of modern conveniences, there was no shortage of sports for young Don. His earliest memories are of playing scrub softball and skiing. Later he’d play soccer and became quite serious about badminton. On weekends he’d ride his bike through the brush to the local tennis courts and work at rolling the clay surface.

His family were pioneers in the Winfield area with roots stretching back to 1906 when his grandfather John Wesley Arnold arrived and built their homestead house, which still stands today along with some of the orchards he planted. At the beginning there was nothing but acres of dry uncultivated rocks, but with the help of two Clydesdale workhorses and some irrigation, soon apple, cherry, apricot and peach trees were bearing fruit.

By the 1930s, Don’s father Nelson and mother Mary had built up a substantial

“

trucking business and established a refrigeration plant in Winfield that orchards in the area brought their fruit to before going to market. Don began driving a truck for the company by age 15 and could often be found out in the family orchards chasing away gophers, fighting off the debilitating codling moths or thinning fruit in the trees by hand.

“My apple knocking days were left behind in 1954 though,” he says. That was when he and childhood friend Waynne Pretty left home at age 18 to attend UBC in Vancouver. To say it was culture shock moving to the big city is an understatement. Recognizing two out-of-towners, the bus driver who dropped them off in Vancouver joked that a horse and buggy would be along soon to take them to UBC. Don and Waynne waited and waited and waited. Finally another bus came and Don asked the driver, “When does the next horse and buggy come to take us to UBC?” The driver just about fell out of his seat laughing.

“A couple of greenhorns that’s for sure!

“I’ve been involved with sports pretty much all my life, one way or another.”

Photo: courtesy of Don Arnold The 1960 Canadian Olympic 8+ from UBC-VRC training on Coal Harbour for the Games in Rome, Italy.

Green as grass. That was our introduction to big Vancouver and UBC,” he chuckles.

While working towards a diploma in Agriculture, Don and Waynne stumbled on the rising UBC-Vancouver Rowing Club rowing program in 1955, led by the hard-nosed coach Frank Read, a long-time resident of West Vancouver. It changed the direction of their lives.

“That was the magic turning year for me,” says Don. Early every morning he’d meet his teammates down at the Vancouver Rowing Club and Read would put the boys through epic workouts to Second Narrows and back, always finishing with a hard 2000m time trial. Everyone wanted to be in the Varsity Eight crew, but most had to work their way up, Don no exception. He spent 1955 in the Junior Varsity and in 1956 he found himself plunked in a Fours crew with Archie McKinnon, Lorne Loomer, and Walter d’Hondt. Don’s Four spent every training session scrambling to keep up with the Eight to glean whatever scraps of Read’s coaching wisdom they could get. This constant chase would have unexpected benefits later on.

Read placed Don in the stroke seat of the Four, charged with setting the stroke rate for his teammates. “Frank was calling to me and I had no idea what a 32 stroke rate was,” Don recalled of daily struggles in this role. One night he had a breakthrough. His family had always been very musical. Don himself played three wind instruments and the piano. He decided to adapt his musical background to rowing.

“I tried to apply the principles of making music together in a duet in 2/4ths time or 6/8ths time to rowing at various stroke rates as a crew,” he explained. “Because I knew from playing these for years what the rhythm was like. That was in here [pointing to his chest].” It was engrained in him. And soon the rowing stroke would be as well.

All those training sessions on Coal Har-

September/October 2020

PAGE 9

Photo: courtesy of Linda Arnold Don Arnold wearing his gold and silver Olympic medals at the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

bour, rowing from behind trying to keep up with the Eights, had impressed Read and other VRC officials enough that they decided to send Don’s Four along with the Eight to St. Catharines for the 1956 Canadian Olympic trials. There they shocked the rowing establishment—and to some degree themselves—by blowing all other crews out of the water. They defeated all other crews by several boat lengths and unofficially set a world record of 6min 5.6sec over 2000m. Along with the UBCVRC Eight, who also was victorious at the trials, they found themselves flying to Australia later that year to represent Canada at the Olympic Games in Melbourne.

On Lake Wendouree in the small town of Ballarat, Don and his teammates easily won their first heat just off Olympic record time and advanced to the final. There disaster struck in the opening strokes. They all washed out and quickly fell behind their opponents. Don settled the crew and they took off in pursuit. By 1000m, miraculously, they had pulled even with the leading Italian crew who were the European champions, and soon built a large lead. They simply refused to slow down. They crossed the finish line five lengths ahead to claim a most unlikely Olympic gold medal. The press

dubbed them ‘The Cinderella Four’ and to this day Olympic historians consider it one of the most impressive rowing results in history. Don, Walter, Lorne and Archie were suddenly household names around BC. Don continued rowing under Frank Read for the next four years and added further accolades to a rowing resume that soon would be unmatched in Canada. In 1958, he stroked the Canadian Eight to gold at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales, while also leading the Coxed Four to a silver medal. After the Games, he took a Four over to the prestigious Bedford Rowing Regatta in Britain and walked off with the Grand Challenge Trophy. To cap the year off, he finished as runner-up for the Hector McDonald Memorial Award as BC’s athlete of the year.

After a short break, Don returned in 1960 as stroke and helped the UBC-VRC Eight to another Olympic highlight, taking the silver medal on Lake Albano at the Rome Olympics, Canada’s only medal won during the Games.

After the 1960 Olympics, Don retired from rowing and focused on family and his education. He was married to Wendy, his first wife, by that point and they soon welcomed three boys—Malcolm, Graham, and Andrew—to their growing family. Don completed a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education with a Recreation major at UBC in 1962, where he was honoured with the Bobby Gaul Memorial Trophy as UBC’s top male graduating athlete.

After completing his Masters in Science degree in 1964 in San Francisco at the

The 1956 UBC-VRC Rowing Fours. From L to R: Don Arnold, Lorne Loomer, Walter d’Hondt & Archie McKinnon.

University of California, Don and his family moved to North Battleford, Saskatchewan where he worked for four years as a parks and outdoor recreation regional consultant for the province’s Ministry of Education.

Another challenge beckoned in 1968, when he decided to take on a Doctorate in Recreation and Park Administration at Indiana University. He built a 4x8 trailer, loaded it up with everything he needed behind their Ford station wagon, and the Arnold family was off on another adventure.

Don completed his PhD in 1970 and was the recipient of the Liebert H. Weir Award as the university’s top graduating doctoral student.

Next, it was off to the University of Waterloo in Ontario where Don worked as a professor and co-founded the department of recreation and leisure studies. When the family returned to Vancouver in 1976, Don took a job teaching at UBC, where he co-founded the Outward Bound Mountain School of BC and the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC. In the 1980s Don found himself back involved in rowing, managing the Canadian team at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland and the world rowing championships that same year in Nottingham, Britain. In 1987, he co-founded Rowing BC and served as the organization’s first executive director for 13 years, while also serving on Rowing Canada’s board of directors for nearly a decade.

During his career, Don has been honoured with multiple inductions into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the BC Sports Hall of Fame, the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame, and the Rowing Canada Hall of Fame.

He and his second wife Linda, married for 42 years now, have lived in West Vancouver since 1994.

Even today, 60 years since he last pulled an oar through water, the teachings of Frank Read and his years in the rowing shell stay with him in everything he does.

“Every challenge in my life has its origins in rowing,” he summed up. “When I was doing my degrees, when we were raising our family, whatever we were taking on next, Frank was right there in my mind, his thinking, lecturing and encouraging me on.”

And with few exceptions, Don has navigated whatever vessel he found himself in to the finish line ahead of the pack.

Jason Beck is the curator and facility director of the BC Sports Hall of Fame. He is currently writing a book on the UBC-VCR rowing era that will be published in the near future.

Pushing off to start the final race of the 1956 Olympics on Lake Wendouree, Australia.

Photos provided

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September/October 2020

Madison Mailey, Lions Bay Olympian BY

Brenda Broughton

Photos: courtesy of Madison Mailey and Row2K Madison walking her oars down to the launching dock at the Olympic Qualification Regatta in Linz, Austria in 2019.

in rowing, incorporating skills from both dance movement and breathing from vocal training.

Madison was a scholarship varsity athlete on the Division One Northeastern University Women’s Rowing team and graduated from the D’Amore McKim School of Business at Boston’s Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in December 2018, concentrating in Business Management and Entrepreneurship. She concurrently completed a Joint Certificate program with the New England Conservatory of Music in performance studies.

In 2017, Madison and Team Canada’s U23 Rowing Team set a World Rowing Under-23 Championship Record 06:00.13, winning Gold in the Women’s Eight in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. In 2018, Madison helped Team Canada’s U23 Women’s Eight win Gold in Poznan, Poland. She also earned her seat on the Canadian National Women’s Rowing Team in 2018 and won Silver in the Women’s Eight in Bulgaria. And in 2019, Madison and three teammates secured a berth in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics for the Women’s Four.

Since July, Madison has been rowing 24 km each morning on Elk Lake in a

A photo shoot organized by Northeastern University in Boston, 2018, in honour of Madison’s Silver Medal at the World Championships.

The start line of the final at the 2018 U23 World Championships in Poznan, Poland, where Madison’s team won gold.

I

n July, following a four month COVID-19 hiatus, and the postponement of the 2020 Olympics, Madison Mailey resumed her training with the Canadian National Olympic Rowing Team.

The team’s health is being taken very seriously, with each team member responsible for wearing masks, washing hands and contributing to their own and team members’ health to enhance training and avoid COVID-19.

“It’s good to be back in training,” Madison says excitedly, having just completed a 24 km row. “It’s so nice to be surrounded by my team with the same goal and dream.

Everyone has had time over COVID to commit to the next 365 days of training.

It is a relief to be in a boat as a pair or a single. Having the same schedule makes

you feel fulfilled. I work better when there is a schedule. And being accountable to someone else feels good.”

During COVID, she says, “affirming the intrinsic motivation … why are you coming back … what is motivating you … you have to give 110% to one thing, which is so rare.” It is evident that Madison’s own commitment is, in fact, likely an exhiliarating 200%!

Madison began rowing at age 13 as a Collingwood student, first at Deep Cove Rowing Club and later at Burnaby Lake Rowing Club.

She was also involved with dance and Royal Conservatory Classical vocal training. With her beautiful singing voice, she won Classical singing competitions from 2014 to 2017, including the Most Outstanding Classical Intermediate Voice.

Madison identifies dance and voice training as helping her successfully compete

Photo: courtesy of Northeastern University Athletics Madison Mailey.

one or two person boat. Weight training in the afternoon is followed by road cycling around the Victoria peninsula, in preparation for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Easygoing and humble, with a joyful smile, Madison has an inspirational approach to life, celebrating each moment.

Her parents, Kim Mailey and Victoria Rogers, her brother Brook, and the entire community, congratulate and celebrate Madison!

September/October 2020

ANNE BAIRD

PAGE 11

ANNE’S CORNER

Sex on the seawall

M

y friend, Hamish, and I were Social Distancing on West Vancouver’s Centennial Seawalk.

This meant we were making wide detours around everybody we met, trying not to breathe on them, or invade their personal safe space. Despite the glorious weather, many walkers hustled along wearing face masks, anxious expressions, and Hazmatlike creations reminding everyone that COVID-19 was just a sneeze away.

We sat on a bench overlooking the Burrard Inlet. It had a brass commemorative plaque on it, exhorting us to “savor the sense of the scene.” Good idea! The losses and restrictions of the corona lockdown were beginning to erode my spirit. Like everyone else, I craved something new to refresh me.

As I sat, trying to savor the all-too-familiar scene, a movement on the pavement caught my eye. Something small and slow was making its way across the sidewalk towards the wall at the edge of the sea. Some-

thing I couldn’t identify.

My senses came alive. I nudged Hamish and pointed.

“What is it?” I hissed.

“A mouse? Maybe a vole?”

He’s still waiting for the pandemic to be over so he can have his cataract surgery. At the moment, he’s not the most reliable observer.

I got up and ran over to crouch beside the little creature.

Not a mouse. Nor a vole. Clearly it was an insect, but unlike any I had ever seen in West Van. It was big for a bug. At least two inches long. It reminded me of the giant cockroaches we used to contend with in rural Panama, years ago. But here, along the Seawalk? It was tall and apparently heavy, which would explain its awkward, lumbering gait. An overweight, unusually longlegged insect?

By now, as often happens when someone is intently peering either up or down, a small crowd of rubberneckers gathered

round. Forgotten were all strictures on social distancing as we tried to figure out what it was. A young woman got down on hands and knees to have a closer look.

“It’s not one insect,” she announced after close inspection. “It’s two!”

“Two?” I got down beside her. “You’re right! It’s two!”

An epiphany about the nobility of this humble creature flashed into my mind. A strong, healthy bug was carrying an older companion or loved one to safety at the water’s edge. It was a kind of First Responder!

And they say insects have no heart. I wondered if it would welcome a helping hand to assist the rescue. Mine, just as soon as I found a big leaf to pick it up with. (You can’t be too careful.)

A blasé teenager blew all such fancies out of my head.

“They’re mating,” she giggled. “You know. Bonking!”

“Oh.” Already, the fickle crowd of thrill seek-

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ers were drifting away in search of fresh excitement. I got up and headed back to the bench.

“Well” I sighed. “We better let them get on with it.”

And they did. All the way to the edge of the wall, and over into the rocks beyond.

Anne Baird is a West Vancouver children’s author/illustrator (amazon.com/author/ annebaird).

Considering a move in these challenging times may seem a little unnerving. But, one look at PARC and you’ll see why life is better here.

Book a PARC Safe Suite Tour and you’ll see our team at their best, working to stay ahead of the curve and ensuring our residents continue to enjoy chef-prepared dining, activities, wellness programs and more. Even our innovative Meetup Centres keep face-to-face family visits possible. Ask our independent residents how they feel about living here through COVID-19. Chances are they’ll tell you they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Let’s make life better. Every day.

PAGE

12

September/October 2020

FROM THE INKWELL

The Royal Hudson David Roberts

T

here is something magical about steam trains that almost reaches the sublime. From the record-breaking Flying Scotsman, that travelled the 392 miles from London to Edinburgh in seven hours and twenty minutes, to the Reverend Wilbert Awdry’s Thomas the Tank Engine, steam trains have held a fascination unsurpassed by any other form of transportation, except, perhaps HMS Victory.

Starting in the early 1830s, steam railways proliferated over the length and breadth of Great Britain, putting out of business the common means of transporta-

The Royal Hudson travelling along Howe Sound.

tion that had existed since Tudor times, the stage-coach. Steam engines lived on for 150 years, until the prosaic, but more efficient, diesel electric locomotives replaced them.

Canada came late to railways. The last spike was driven at Craigellachie in November 1885. The CPR developed into the greatest unifying factor in the new Dominion, making confederation a functional reality from Halifax to Victoria.

The CPR built a vast fleet of steam engines over the years. Those designed to cross the country were the battle-cruisers of the steam-train world. They were designed to travel huge distances in inclement weather. The earliest models boasted a cow catcher, strategically perched ahead of the front wheels, to elbow aside errant buffalo.

The “Hudson” class locomotives were the CPR’s largest steam-engines. The railway world possessed no bigger locomo-

Photo: courtesy of Ken Storey

Photo: courtesy of Ken Storey The Royal Hudson in West Vancouver.

tives. The Montreal Locomotive Works built a grand total of 65 Hudsons for the CPR. Nos. 2820 to 2859 were built between 1937 and 1940.

No.2860, the locomotive we all grew to love, as it puffed around the North Shore and on up to Squamish, built in 1940, was the first of the oil burning engines.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Canada in 1939 and toured the country by rail. The CPR undertook the westbound portion of their journey and used Hudson no. 2850 to haul the Royal train. It was painted silver and blue and traversed 3,224 miles, with 25 changes of crew. George VI was a railway buff and often travelled In the cab. He was sufficiently impressed by the performance of the locomotive that he gave the CPR permission to use the term “Royal Hudson” for the class numbered 2820-2864. Those built after #2850 all displayed the royal crown on the running board skirts. Monarchs have the quaint habit of bestowing that sort of honour. (For instance, my pot of Robertson’s marmalade bears the legend “By Appointment to her Majesty the Queen.”)

The Royal Hudson we all know, no. 2860, hauled transcontinental passenger trains between Revelstoke and Vancouver, until 1956, when it was damaged by a deliberate derailment during a strike. Repaired, it was transferred to Winnipeg for prairie service.

Withdrawn from service in 1959, it languished on the scrap heap until it was sold to the Vancouver Museum Association in 1964.

Unable to find a suitable location to display it, the association stored it at the Roundhouse on Drake Street until, having become an incubus, it was sold to one Joe Hussey in 1970. He, in turn, sold it to the BC government, which had it restored to running condition at the Roundhouse shops.

The BC Department of Travel Industry, along with BC Rail, then ran an excursion between North Vancouver and Squamish in the summer of 1974, carrying a total of 47,295 passengers and similar excursions in the following years. It travelled North America in the late 1970s as a promotion for BC tourism. However, once again in need of repair, The Royal Hudson was taken out of service. Restored at a cost of a quarter of a million dollars, raised by private donations, it finally arrived, under its own steam in October 1999, at the West Coast Railway Association Museum in Squamish. It ran excursions until December 2010, when it steamed into Squamish on its final journey.

It remains, resting in peaceful retirement to this day, though still in working condition, in the museum in Squamish.

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PAGE 13

How is the pandemic affecting your relationship?

Ian Macpherson

A

aron’s job and other regular activities have pretty much dried up, so he thinks, “Wow! Now I have all this extra time to spend with the kids and Sylvia!” This couple has always been engaged emotionally. They feel the joy and love in their connection, and are usually attentive and understanding of each other, as well as responsive and supportive. There is no magic to this union; they have the

skills and are aware of the benefits.

But Aaron and Sylvia do not represent the majority. We are not “wired” to automatically walk hand-in-hand into the sunset and live happily ever after without significant preparation. Unlike the fairy tale, after the honeymoon many of us turn our attention to the rest of our lives and a sad percentage looks for most of their emotional support needs outside of their marriage.

In the time of the coronavirus pandemic, life has become restricted and uncertain. Along with the direct threat of becoming infected, is the grief around the loss of security and freedom to carry on our lives in a normal fashion.

Threats always demand that we draw

“

Continued from page 12

Contrary to the fondly cherished belief of many North Shore residents, the Royal Hudson never did haul the Starlight Express. It is a matter of astonishment how

closer to those we love and lean on them more heavily. It is not just poetic to call this interdependence “psychological oxygen.” It is a scientific fact that we rely on

many folk, who enjoyed dinner aboard the Starlight Express, still believe they were hauled up to Porteau Cove by this majestic old relic, the masterpiece of the god of railways.

a toxic situation.

Couples who share at least some of Sylvia and Aaron’s abilities, are renewing their romances. Others are seeing “the writing on the wall,” that their relationship is perhaps in more trouble than they realized before the pandemic. Some of these couples are seeking help now, whereas before they might simply have continued to struggle on alone. Fortunately, much of this help is available now through face-to-face online platforms.

“Social distancing” is the great misnomer of the COVID era. Physical distancing when necessary, yes, but connection, especially in our love relationships, becomes even more important in these times which trigger more desperate emotional responses.

“We are not wired to walk hand-in-hand into the sunset and live happily ever after.” close couple connections for good mental and physical health.

Yet pandemic lockdown has created epidemic proportions of psychological distress related to loneliness even among those who are not alone. The divorce rate is catapulting and domestic violence reports have tripled. Far from feeling Aaron’s excitement at the prospect of spending more intimate time with his partner, many have been panicking, feeling imprisoned in

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

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14

September/October 2020

BRIAN POMFRET

JOE GARDENER

And suddenly it’s fall again

September arrives with lingering warm days and lateblooming perennials that show off their last beautiful colour bursts.

October brings out the colour of trees, shrubs and vines with Vine maples and Japanese maples leading the way with ‘Burning Bush’ and, of course, the Boston ivy vine!

Give hedges a final light trim so that new growth can harden off in time before frost.

Clear beds of annuals now and add to your compost pile.

Aerate lawns, applying a thin layer of turf mix top dressing and over-seed as the cooler weather is better for seed germination.

If you have summer blooming heather, now is a good time to give a light trimming.

Spring bulbs 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 when they are randomly planted. Maybe plant a few indoors for early blooming.

Keep deadheading your annuals and perennials. You might want to save the seed pods to plant later.

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

As perennials lose their lustre, this is a good time to lift them to relocate or divide them.

Feed your lilacs with a good application of bone meal.

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.

Continue to prune spent rose blossoms.

Plant lily bulbs now.

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

Go get those spring bulbs.

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T H I R D Q UA R T E R R E A L E S TAT E T R E N D S HOME PRICES ARE HOLDING UP Despite the sharp downturn in the economy, bidding wars are common, as eager buyers compete for limited inventory.

PAPERLESS MORTGAGE PROCESS The industry has moved to a completely digital process with breathtaking speed. More loans are likely to close quickly.

LOW RATES ARE HERE TO STAY Many economists expect rates to remain low and possibly trend lower. This increases buyer’s purchasing power and drives up prices.

MILLENNIALS ARE STARTING TO BUY Millennials want to buy homes and are poised to jump into the market. Some foresee a boom in home buying in the coming years.

SHOPPING FOR HOMES IS VIRAL Virtual tours allow homes to be sold despite buyers never setting foot in the home. More Realtors are investing in technology.

MIGRATION TO THE SUBURBS Strong buyer interest has shifted to suburban neighborhoods. Densely populated city centers are reporting tepid activity.