north shore news march 22 2013

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NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

CERAMIC artist Tayyebeh Golbaz, Goli to many, and Farimah Shakeri display some of thedozens of ceramic goldsh she is sculpting to replace the live ones used in traditional Persiandecoration at this time of year. Her hope is to prevent unwanted sh from being ushed and toraise money for a childrens cancer charity. Contact the artist at [email protected].

Golish

Budget maybenet NorthShore projectsInfrastructure fund could apply tosewage plant, Harry Jerome rebuildsJane Seyd

[email protected]

MONEY for job and skills retraining, and a commitment toshare the costs of municipal infrastructure projects marked thehighlights of the federal governments 2013 budget on Thursday.

Among the measures announced by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is the promiseof a $32 billion 10-year Building Canada program to support spending on roads,recreation facilities and public transit, starting in 2014, as well as a further $14 billionfor major projects.

On the North Shore, projects like the stalled $70-million revamp of NorthVancouvers Harry Jerome Recreation Centre and a planned $400million upgrade ofthe Lions Gate sewage treatment plant to secondary treatment could both potentiallybenet from the infrastructure plan.

North Vancouver MP Andrew Saxton described the announcement as greatnews for municipalities.

City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto said hes happy to hear thefederal government has a signicant pot of money still available for local andregional infrastructure projects, but added the devil is in the details.

The Lions Gate sewage treatment plant upgrade remains a pressing issue fortaxpayers, he said, with details on how much senior governments are willing to fork

See TransLink page 5

Port backtracks on powerlines; will examine optionsBrent Richter

[email protected]

MOODYVILLE residents have been given a temporary reprievefrom the prospect of high-voltage power lines running throughtheir neighbourhood as Port Metro Vancouver has agreed toexamine two other options.

The community has been up in arms since BC Hydro informed them in earlyMarch that the 69-kilovolt transmission lines to service the Richardson grainterminal would be installed in the coming weeks.

The changes are part of the controversial Low Level Road expansion project,which the city agreed to last year. However, the plan the City of North Vancouversigned off on didnt make any mention of new 69-kilovolt transmission lines

See Port page 3

A2 - North Shore News - Friday, March 22, 2013

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Friday, March 22, 2013 -North Shore News - A3


MEHNOUSH Gorji celebrates Norouz, the Persian new year, at Ambleside Parkon Tuesday, despite the rain. The leap through the ames of controlled ressymbolizes leaving the negative behind and welcoming new beginnings.

Fiery nish

WV council OKs housing action planJeremy Shepherd

[email protected]

WITH tall houses squashing views and high rentssqueezing tenants, the District of West Vancouvervoted in favour of a plan to shape the future ofhousing in the municipality at a council meetingMonday.

The housing action plan, which places an emphasis on coachhouses, housing diversity and purpose-built rental apartments,may be too restrictive, according to Coun. Bill Soprovich.

Once this is adopted, this carries the case. Wheres theexibility for future thought? Soprovich asked.

The current plan incorporates enough exibility, according toMayor Michael Smith.

Coun. Soprovich, Im just reading the plan and the veaction words are: one is continue, two is consider, three isidentify, four is strengthen, and ve is monitor. That really

would indicate that staff is continuing the process. Theyre goingto come back to council with more denitive recommendations.

Soprovich found an ally in Coun. Michael Lewis, who asked toamend the motion, removing the word adopted and replacingit with provide framework.

Theres no need to have this sophistry around the language,responded Coun. Craig Cameron. Its not a framework. Werenot setting up a framework for a framework. We are committingto set this policy direction.

While debating a single word may seem innocuous, Cameronstressed the need to avoid the fate of death by study.

You can take it for a reference and have it be an interestingdocument that sits on the shelf, or you can adopt it as the policyof West Vancouver, and I support the latter, he said.

Lewiss amendment was defeated 5-2.The housing action plan is set to serve as a prelude to fall

community consultation before turning up in front of councilagain in the form of bylaw revisions in January 2014.

In a previous debate, Coun.Mary-AnnBooth noted 30 years ofrelative inaction in the face of increasingly bulky homes springingup across the district.

The action plan also found support from Coun. Trish Panz,who has said the market for coach houses is comprised of districtresidents looking for more options.

The housing action plan stresses the need for a variety ofhousing in order to secure diversity within the community.Excluding housing for seniors, one 16-unit building has beenthe only purpose-built rental apartment built in the district since1979.

Approximately 1,950 West Vancouver households havedifculty coming up with the money to keep a roof over theirheads, according to a 2006 Metro Vancouver study. About 975West Vancouverites are at risk of homelessness, according to thesame study.

In addition to providing affordable options for seniors, the planalso examines reducing housing bulk and preserving vegetation.

Greater clarity on oor area ratio is also needed, according tothe plan.

Both Smith and Lewis have blasted practices that allowhomeowners to skirt district regulations regarding the oor arearatio, which measures the oor space of a building against the sizeof its lot.

Decks and basements are exempt from FAR measurements.For Soprovich, the danger of ushering in new housing comes

in failing to recognize established neighbourhood character.The housing action plan emphasizes the importance of

neighbourhood character while acknowledging the difculty inarticulating that character.

Community consultation onplans ideas earmarked for fall

Port surveyedlines in Nov.coming down St. Davids Avenue.

After an emotional but respectful meeting between PMV,the city, BC Hydro and roughly 70 neighbours Tuesday night,the port has agreed to research and report back on two potentialalternatives burying the existing distribution lines along theSt. Davids corridor and installing the transmission lines on higheroverhead poles, and servicing Richardson via the west, whichwould require the company to move its connecting substation.

I think the meeting was worthwhile and well attended, saidJustin Pedley, PMVs director of trade areas and infrastructuredelivery. The two options are going to be explored from atechnical engineering point of view and were going to do thatas quickly as possible. The project teams intent is to report backto the port executive next Wednesday with the review of theirndings and shortly after that, report back to the communityand the city.

Residents were incensed they were never consulted or eventold that the ports original intention to run the transmissionlines along Low Level Road had been scrapped.

(We started) getting into measuring inches and metres andwe realized, to maintain a landscape buffer and not impact viewcorridors, we could not put the power lines where we wereoriginally intending to. Thats how we came up with the St.Davids corridor, Pedley said. It wasnt until very recently thatwe realized theres just no way we can do it.

However, survey crews began measurements for the 69-kilovolt lines on St. Davids in November last year, according toan email sent to First Street resident Amanda Nichol from PMVproject manager Richard Lyell.

The response to the potential changes from Moodyvilleresidents ranges from cautious optimism to bleak skepticism,according to neighbour Stephani Samaridis.

Personally, Im somewhat optimistic. I know there are alot of people that are not, based on the process theyve beenundergoing with the Low Level Road. They dont believeanything theyre being told, she said.

But if the port comes back next week without a workablesolution, PMV can expect an escalation of the protest fromresidents, Samaridis added.

Im hopeful they will do what they say and force Richardsonto accept alternatives since the power thats going down ourstreet is directly to supply them. I think what will likely happenif that does not work, there will be bodies lying in the street asthey try to dig up the lines, she said.

Pedley could not say whether PMV has the power to compelits tenants to move their infrastructure.

The hydro line asco is just the latest in a string of incidentsin which the port has angered its neighbours and city council byfailing to communicate its plans or changes until they are alreadyset in motion. But sullying the relationship between PMV andthe city is not the ports intention, Pedley said.

The port has been in North Vancouver for 100-plus yearsand it intends to be there for a while, so the port takes beinga good neighbour to heart and we intend to try and keepmaintaining our relationship with the city, he said.

The city is also getting a completed Spirit Trail, slope stabilityimprovements and improved bike paths out of the deal, headded.

From page 1

WV employees help catch suspectA break and enter suspect is behindbars following tips from the WestVancouver District Watch Program,according to a release fromWest Vanpolice.

Shortly after the theft of two television setswas reported in connection with a break-in on the8000-block of Pasco Road Tuesday afternoon,district employees spotted a 36-year-old man onMarineDrive carrying a TV set in a bag, accordingto police. The suspect was later seen stashing thetelevision into nearby bushes. Ofcers arriving

on the scene were told the suspect was at theintersection of Marine Drive and Horseshoe BayDrive.

The man was arrested without incident,according to police. TheWVPD is recommendingcharges of break and enter, possession of break-ininstruments, possession of property obtained bycrime, and breach of probation against the man,who has no xed address.

The West Vancouver District Watch iscomprised of municipal employees who havebeen trained by police to stay alert for suspicioussituations. Jeremy Shepherd

PlymouthschoolrepurposedBrent Richter

[email protected]

THE shutteredPlymouth elementaryschool in east Seymouris destined for new lifeas a place of educationagain.

The North Vancouverschool board is in the processof negotiating a long-termlease with the Tsleil-WaututhNation to convert theTollcross Road property to askills training centre.

Once renovated, theschool will serve as classroomspace for the Tsleil-Waututhand their educational partnersfor several skills trainingprograms

Were currently offeringadult basic education andwere busting at the seamsin our current locations, sowe have a huge demand forclassroom space, said AngelaGeorge, the bands director ofcommunity development.

We have several otherpartnership initiatives in thetraining and employmentelds and our intention isto continue to foster thosepartnerships to better meetthe needs of the local labourmarket.

Some of the possiblecurricula for the old school arechef and trades training, greenenergy sector training, as wellas health and science careereducation.

Classes at the school will beopen to all.

We have a smallmembership and probably10 to 20 per cent of our classrosters are Tsleil-WaututhNation. The demand is for thewhole larger community and Ithink thats going to continueto grow, George said.

The band will still haveto go through a rezoningand building permit processwith the District of North

See Classes page 4


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THE North Vancouver school board will lease the Plymouth elementary site to theTsleil-Waututh Nation for adult skills training.

Classes open to publicVancouver, meaning the public will have anopportunity to offer comment for councilto consider, but, George said, the goal is tokeep the community involved throughout theprocess.

Wed like to nd mechanisms to havecommunity involvement and input to makesure we uphold that integrity, she said.

Tsleil-Waututh Nation is in the community.We are the local community as well and ourinterest is in maintaining the community feelof that area.

The Tsleil-Waututh beat out bids fromDarwin Properties, Lions Gate ChristianAcademy and Polygon Pacic Homes forpotential re-use or redevelopment of the site.

Revenue fromthe leasewill go towards schoolboard programming and capital projects.

The school board is in the process ofdivesting several former properties closed asthe number of school-aged children in thepopulation declined.

Ridgeway Annex is in the process of beingsold to developer Anthem Properties and KeithLynn secondary is destined to be a new locationfor North Shore Studios.

From page 3


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Quick call foils robbery attemptJeremy Shepherd

[email protected]

AN alleged liquor store robber had just sevenminutes to enjoy the fruits of his crime before beingarrested at a bus stop Wednesday, according to arelease from the West Vancouver Police Department.

The 34-year old man had robbed the Oceanside Liquor Store at100 ParkRoyal South before, according tomanager AaronBourcier,who said he was looking at the mans photo during the robbery.

I had (his picture) a foot from my face up against the windowwhen he came in. I was able to look at it and look at him and go, Ohyeah, thats him, Bourcier said.

Veiled by a bandana and wearing latex gloves, the alleged thiefdemanded the money in the register, according to Bourcier.

He started to unzip and showed me a metal handle in his bag,

and I know that last time after he left he robbed a cabdriver with aknife. I had a customer in the store standing right beside him whenhe walked in, so I wasnt going to muck about.

The alleged robber nabbed about $300, but Bourcier said itwasnt a perfect crime.

The guy was clearly either cracked out or just a total moron,cause he walked up outside, and then stands outside and puts hisbandana on in view of my camera.

West Van police and Bourcier credited an alert citizen for thequick takedown of the suspect.

I think a guy saw him (putting on the bandana) outside and wascalling the cops already as the guy came in, and when the guy ranout he ran after him and kept him in eyesight the whole time. Stayedon the line with the cops and told them which way he was going,Bourcier said.

Police attended the scene and made the arrest without incident.The stolen cash was recovered. No weapon was found.

TransLink hopes for federal funds

over yet to be worked out. In order to completethe project by the deadline of 2020, Were goingto need commitments in the next couple of years,he said, adding hes cautiously optimistic aboutthe budget announcements.

Saxton hinted the Harry Jerome upgradecould be another project considered for federalmoney. In North Vancouver we still have somerecreational facilities that could be upgraded andthat are looking pretty old and dated. They couldcertainly use some of these funds, he said.

TransLink ofcials also praised theannouncement of the renewed infrastructureprogram, which had been scheduled to expire inthe next scal year, noting federal money has beenkey to many of the transportation networks big-ticket investments.

Another key theme of the budget was the needto match future skills training with areas of futureemployment and current labour shortages.

Currently there is a mismatch in trainingand available jobs, said Saxton. We have a lot of

jobs that go unlled while we still have a lot ofCanadians who are still looking for work.

Among themeasures announced Thursday area new Canada Job Grant, which would provideup to $15,000 towards skills training with $5,000from the federal government being matched bythe provinces and employers.

The government also promised to promoteeducation in elds where there is higher demandfrom employers, including science, technology,engineering and skilled trades. It also promised$70million over three years to support 5,000 paidinternships for recent post-secondary graduates.

The budget also contained a reference to theNational Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy,vowing to better ensure that defence purchasescreate economic opportunities forCanadiansbydeveloping key domestic industrial capabilities.

West Vancouver MP John Weston said hewas pleased to see measures supporting smallbusinesses in the budget including the extensionof the hiring credit.

The budget projects a decit of $18.7 millionin 2013.

From page 1

Look for the Layar cloudsymbol. Ensure the photoor page is entirely capturedby your smart device asinstructed.

Election forumpage 8

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Motown Meltdownpage 16

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2013 Audi S5page 43


Sinking feelingThe federal governments decisionto close a freshwater researchfacility in Norther Ontarioknown as the Experimental LakesArea is one more example of the Toryadministrations distaste for science.The project in question has spent 45

years researching the effects of pollutionon freshwater you know, the stuff wedrink for, well, life. The closed systemofthe ELA allowed scientists to accuratelyassess the long-term effects of changingjust one element in the surroundingecosystem such as a fertilizer or pesticidechemical.Moving the research elsewhereinto uncontrolled water means researchwill no longer be conclusive.Dont expect to hear complaints from

the scientists themselves. The Torieshave increasingly cut off all government-employed researchers from speakingfreely with the media, last year going

so far as to have government handlerstrail Canadian scientists attendinginternational conferences.Aclear signpostwasthe2011decision

to end themandatory long-form census,a move that caused the head of StatisticsCanada to resign, saying the movewould compromise its accuracy.And last year, the Tories infamously

snuck science-slashing legislation intothe back pages of its budget.Other countries have noticed, even if

many Canadians remain unconvinced.U.S. scientists working co-operativelywith Canadian scientists on Arcticresearch last year were aghast whenasked not to release data withoutCanadian government permission.Against this backdrop, its difcult

to take seriously this weeks promise toresearch how diluted bitumen behavesin salt water.

Published by North Shore News a division of LMP Publication Limited Partnership, 100-126 East 15th Street, North Vancouver, B.C. V7L 2P9. Doug Foot, publisher. Canadian publications mail sales product agreement No. 40010186.

VIEWPOINT

Amblesides assets worth a council visitDear Editor:

It was with great dismay and disappointmentthat I read the March 13 story in the NorthShore News, Council Embraces Ideas forRevitalizing Ambleside.

Sophia Burke, in particular, expressedTheres nothing in Ambleside that is anydraw. There are no fun restaurants and theresnothing there to draw anyone. Theres horriblesmall little stores there that I dont even knowhow they exist right now.

The area should be outtted with bike andpedestrian access leading to worthy shops andrestaurants, according to Burke.

According to the story, her input was echoedby more than 10 other speakers Monday nightand council agreed with them.

I am stunned to have my business classed

as a horrible little store. The Avant Gardenerat 1460 Marine Drive has customers fromacross Canada and the United States who makea point of visiting the store when they are intown. Not to mention the scores of faithfulcustomers from North and West Vancouverwho constantly voice their appreciation forwhat we do, and support us by shopping in mystore. They notice the care and attention givento creating an inviting environment, in greatpart due to the creative genius of GeorginaHorrobin who has been employed to do ourdisplay for 26-years.

My customers enjoy the store as a communitygathering place, and constantly remark howwonderful it is to have a local business owneras opposed to a large chain store, and to enjoya free-standing store in a heritage building,

as opposed to a mall. How many stores havea trellised back patio with an 80-year-oldhops plant climbing up the back wall of thebuilding?

I would also like to point out that I have acaring and kind local landlord, who is a part-owner ofmy building as well as owning the threeother horrible little stores next door: Flowersby Nan, Yamazaki and Amadeo Bakehouse,long-time businesses with owner/operators.The landlord is not interested in developingthe land, but enjoys the village atmosphereof her properties. She monitors the conditionof her buildings and attends to upkeep beforebeing asked.

As to no fun restaurants we have two ofWest Vans most popular restaurants on ourblock: Carmelos and Thai Pudpong. They

must be doing something right, as they arealways full.

Also in the 1400-block are JasonsNeighbours Choice Farm Market, the neclothing store, Leslie Jane 34 years and stillgoing strong, and Village Fish, 70 years andstill rst class.

If councillors are serious about improvingAmbleside, they need to start withacknowledging their assets in businesses suchas ours, instead of supporting such negativecomments at public meetings.

I think perhaps Sophia Burke and councilmembers should actually pay a visit to ourfriendly businesses in Ambleside. They mightbe surprised at the wealth of resources here.Darlene Sanders, owner/operator,The Avant Gardener, West Vancouver

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North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualied under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published eachWednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore News a division of LMP Publication LimitedPartnership and distributed to every door on the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian PublicationsMail Sales Product Agreement No. 40010186. Mailing rates available on request. Entire contents2009North Shore News a division of LMP Publication LimitedPartnership. All rights reserved. Average circulation for Wednesday, Friday and Sunday is 61,759.The North Shore News, a division of LMP Publication Limited Partnership respects your privacy. We collect, use and disclose your personal information in accordancewith our Privacy Statement which is available at www.nsnews.com or by calling 604-589-9182.

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Dear Editor:I have livedmost ofmy life in theCity ofNorth

Vancouver and wouldnt want to live anywhereelse. After enjoying vacations in many exoticlocations around the world, it is always great tocome home in spite of the North Shore rain!

That being said, my city is sadly beingdesecrated by an ever increasing number of

highrise buildings. Densication is the buzz wordthat enables developers carte blanche permissionto line their pockets at the expense of the localpopulation, who over the last 100 years or so havecollectively built this place that we all call home.As one district homeowner wrote recently tothe North Shore News, in response to a highriseproposals in the LynnValley area: If I hadwanted

to live in Manhattan I would have moved there!Why bother formulating an ofcial community

plan when it is constantly being violated?I understand that our tax rate can be kept low,

due to more revenue being generated by allowingmore housing to be built, but at what cost to thepresent city dwellers? For example, if there is agenuinely popular need for a new swimming pool

that would be mainly utilized by the residents ofthe city and district, why not wait until the fundsare obtained through judicious use of taxationfrom both jurisdictions?

How much thought has council given to theexisting infrastructure, which will of course be

Highrise proliferation has city not feeling so much like home

See More page 7


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Clarks big gender gap may not closeITS often said thatmen and women seemto be from differentplanets, and thatcertainly seems to bethe case when it comesto political attitudes inthis province.

Women in B.C. are lessworried about the economythan men, view health careas a higher priority andattach less importance onthe government balancing itsbudget.

And they are decidedlynegative towards the B.C.Liberals, particularly PremierChristy Clark.

Those conclusions can begleaned from drilling downdeep in the latest Ipsos-Reidpoll, which shows BritishColumbians favor the NewDemocratic Party over theB.C. Liberal party in a bigway.

The NDP has been leadingin public opinion for sometime, but marked differencesin public opinion on some keyissues is whats most striking.

They go a long way inexplaining why the NDP hassuch a big lead in the pollsthese days. About one-half ofthe electorate is female, and

it appears that close to 60 percent of that base wants theB.C. Liberals out of ofce.

If we assume men andwomen voted in equalnumbers in the 2009election, about 375,000women cast their ballots forthe B.C. Liberals. Todayspolling suggests more than125,000 of them havedeserted the party they votedfor last time.

Angus Reid pollsterMario Canseco says the B.C.Liberals are retaining onlyabout two-thirds of theirvoter base from the lastelection, which suggests atleast a third of their womenvoters have bolted.

Its hard to envision a

scenario that will lead to thosefemale voters returning to theB.C. Liberal fold, particularlywhen you examine thatpartys re-election strategy.

For example, Clark andher party are trying to makethe economy the key issue inthe election campaign on thelong-held belief that peopledont trust the NDP when itcomes to that issue.

However, one of themore telling ndings of theIpsos-Reid poll is the factthat women give the NDPmore credit than the B.C.Liberals on those sameeconomic issues Clark keepsemphasizing.

When it comes to jobcreation and managinggovernment nances, womengive the NDP a slight butnoticeable edge. Theyre splitdown the middle on whichparty would best manage theeconomy.

When you factor inwhat appears to be a seriouspersonal animosity amongwomen towards Clark herself,its hard to see how thisgender gap is going to closeat any time.

Almost half (42 percent) of women disapprovestrongly of the job Clarksbeen doing as premier. Men

strongly disapprove of Clarksperformance as well, butsome of them seem moreforgiving to her party and arewilling to vote for it.

A majority of women,however, now appear to bestrong NDP supporters. TheNDP boasts the support of 56per cent of women, comparedto the B.C. Liberals level ofjust 27 per cent.

Aside from focusing on anissue the economy thathalf the electorate dont rankas the top priority and thinkthe other party is better onanyways, the B.C. Liberalshave another conundrumto solve.

Given that the premierseems to be fairly unpopular,

does showcasing her in a 28-day election campaign withconstant appearances ontelevision and radio furtherentrench that unpopularity orhelp to reverse it?

Clark herself insists shesa great campaigner (althoughI dont think theres muchevidence to back thatassertion up) and can closethe gap during the campaign.

But women voters appearto be turned off her and herparty in a big way and seeingand hearing more of her dayafter day may simply worsenthe problem.

In fact, it can be arguedClarks unpopularity mayindeed be linked to the factshe has been in campaign

mode since she becamepremier. Everything shehas done seems to be aboutpolitics and not about craftinggovernment policy.

There is plenty of internalgrumbling within the B.C.Liberal government on justthat point. The controversyover her staff crossing theline and mixing governmentbusiness with partisan workfor the party is an example ofthe constant campaigning thathas been going on.

A big portion of them,many of them women, havegrown very tired of [email protected]

Keith Baldrey is chief politicalreporter for Global BC.

View from the LedgeKeith Baldrey

More peoplecost more toserviceFrom page 6

stretched to the limit in orderto accommodate the needs ofthe thousands of extra people,who will be taking up residencein our city? Obviously therewill have to be a substantial taxincrease in the not too distantfuture.

In conclusion, I beg councilto refuse the proverbial carrotscunningly being offered bythe developers to sway yourdecisions, and instead respectthe wishes of your taxpayersby upholding the ofcialcommunity plan if for noother reason than for the benetof all our grandchildren.Raymond YatesNorth Vancouver

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SHELLEYSTEWART HUNT

MARCH 28APRIL 6

Liquor-Primary Club LicenceAmendment ApplicationTheWest Vancouver Yacht Club has applied to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch(LCLB) for an amendment to its existing Liquor-Primary Club licence. The Districtof West Vancouver gives notice that it is seeking public opinion on the amendment.

Public consultation is required as part of the amendment process regulated by LCLB.The District is collecting the views of residents in order to consider whether to sup-port or to oppose the amendment.

Applicant West Vancouver Yacht Club

Proposed Site 5854Marine Drive, West Vancouver

Establishment Name West Vancouver Yacht Club

Current Licensed Areas Clubhouse and the Yachting Centre

Current Occupant Load Clubhouse: 172Yachting Centre: 213Total: 385

Requested Occupant Load Increase 50

Proposed Occupant Load Clubhouse (new): 222Yachting Centre (same): 213Total: 435

Submitting Feedback: Persons who believe that they are affected by the liquor licenceamendment application are requested to provide written submissions, which includename and address, in the form of a letter addressed to Council with the subjectWest Vancouver Yacht Club. These submissions may be mailed or hand-deliveredto West Vancouver Municipal Hall located at 750 17th Street, WestVancouver BCV7V 3T3 or emailed to [email protected].

Submissions will be received fromMarch 22 to April 22, 2013. Received submissionswill be provided in their entirety to Council, and will form part of the public record.

More Information: Enquiries regarding the liquorlicence amendment application may be directed toBylaw and Licensing Services on regular business daysbetween 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 604-925-7152.

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MICHAELMarkwick,anindependentcandidateandinstructoratCapilanoUniversity,answers a student question at an election forum held Tuesday at the university.Other candidates in the upcoming provincial election who participatedwere Ryan Conroy, David Jones, Craig Keating and Jane Thornthwaite.Scan the photograph with Layar for more photos and video.

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Why is heart attack the number one killer in this country? Ninety-nine percent of doctors say its due to atherosclerosis (hardeningof arteries) and that cholesterol lowering drugs are the primary wayto treat it. But I suggest cardiologists have closed minds and areignoring facts that could save thousands of North Americans fromcoronary attack.

Vitamin C and Lysine powderhelp prevent heart attacksby W. Gifford-Jones M.D.

History shows mankind is not kind to new ideas. In 1847 one maternity patient in six who entered theUniversity Hospital in Vienna left in a cofn.Why?Because esteemedprofessors ridiculedDr. Semmelweiss,a colleague, for showing that by simply washing hands after doing an autopsy, deaths were prevented.

Years later Dr. Linus Pauling, two-time Noble Prize winner, is ignored for reporting that large amounts ofvitamin C and lysine are needed to prevent coronary attacks. Twenty-ve years ago Pauling reported thatanimals make vitamin C and humans do not. Thats why sailors died of scurvy during long sea voyages,but the ships cat survived.

Vitamin C is required to manufacture healthy collagen, the glue that holds coronary cells together, just likemortar is needed for bricks. Lysine, like steel rods in cement, makes collagen stronger. Pauling claimed ittakes a mere 10 milligrams to prevent scurvy, but several thousand to prevent heart attack.

Williams Stehbens, Professor of Anatomy at Wellington University in New Zealand, proved Pauling wasright. Stebhens research showed that coronary arteries closest to the heart are under the greatestpressure. This causes collagen to fracture resulting in the formation of a blood clot and death.

Dr. Sydney Bush, an English researcher, has now proved that vitamin C can reverse atherosclerosis. Bushtook retinal photographs, then started his patients on high doses of vitamin C and lysine. One year lateradditional pictures showed atherosclerosis had regressed in retinal arteries.

So what has happened to these monumental ndings? Bush, like Semmelweiss, has been ridiculed bycardiologists. One has to ask whether cardiologists, by ignoring his results, are condemning thousandsof people to an early coronary heart attack.

Fourteen years ago following my own coronary attack, cardiologists claimed it was sheer madness for meto refuse cholesterol-lowering drugs. Instead, I decided to take high doses of vitamin C plus lysine withbreakfast and the evening meal, for several reasons.

I knew that Dr. Graveline, a physician and NASA astronaut, had twice developed transient global amnesiafrom taking Lipitor. I was also aware that patients have died from CLDs. Others have developed kidney,liver and muscle complications. I also believed the research of Pauling and Stehbens irrefutable. Now, thework of Dr. Bush has convinced me my decision was prudent.

But to take large doses of vitamin C and lysine requires swallowing many pills daily. Its a tall order forthose who dislike swallowing one pill. So for several years Ive been trying to nd a company that wouldmanufacture a combination of vitamin C and lysine powder. NowMedi-C Plus is available at health foodstores. The dosage for the Medi-C Plus combination is one at scoop with breakfast and the eveningmeal. Those at greater risk should take one at scoop three times a day. If high doses cause diarrhea, thedose should be decreased.

This column does not recommend that those taking CLDs should stop them. This is a decision that canonly be made by patients and doctors.

Most of todays, cardiologists are impervious to persuasion. They continue to believe that cholesterol-lowering drugs are the be-all-and-end-all to prevent heart attack. Theyve been brain-washed by millionsof dollars worth of promotion by pharmaceutical companies. It reminds me of the saying that cautionsIts not what you dont know what gets you into trouble, its the things you know for sure that aint so!

Its time for cardiologists to have an open mind and stop ignoring this research. As for me I bet my lifeon it!

Available at: The Vitamin House2436 Marine Dr. West Vancouver, V7V 1L1. 604-922-0433

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Paintings for Picasso and homeownersYOU may have heardthat house prices hereon the North Shore arehigher than a weed-smoking mouse sittingin the Popes hat.

With my typing manswages I havent yet founda way to take that rst steponto the property ladder.Its a little tricky given that,according to all the mediareports, the ladder starts inChina. I think my familymight soon be ready totake that rst step though were eyeing up a CanadaPost mailbox just off ofLonsdale Avenue. Its alittle cramped, but Im surewed get to meet a lot ofnice people who dont knowhow to use the Internet yet.Incoming mail really opensup a great view corridor aswell.

Really though, were along way away from puttingtogether the scratch to buya nice house here. Or evena haunted house here. Ora good-sized garden shed.While that reality is a littletough to swallow, there isone great benet to rentingthat all you North Van fatcats in your 900 square-foot,$900,000 bungalows dontget: no painting.

In fact, renting hasallowed me to fulll one ofthe goals I set soon aftergraduating high school:avoiding all forms of manuallabour.

Me: The toilet wontush.

Landlord: Hmmm,maybe if you have a look atthe tank, it may just be. . . .

Me: OK, Bob Vila,just let me know whenthe plumber is coming.Preferably soon gottapoop.

I never allowed thatbeardy Canadian Tire guyto make me feel any lessof a man because I didntknow how to grout my ownball joints or whatever. Imhappily married now anyway Ive got no reason to goaunting my sublime use ofcaulk.

My illest will, however, is

reserved for painting. Theresgood reason for it too.

Back when I was in highschool before I pledged toavoid a life of grime I tooka summer job working witha painter. It was one of thosehire-a-student gigs and thecompany was a Mennonitepainting crew which I tookto mean more honest andharder working than youraverage brush men. I laterrealized this particular fellowwas more honest, harderworking and more inclinedto low-ball a Grade 11 kidrather than pay a real painterto do work a real paintershould have been doing.

I showed up to the Day1 worksite a farm not farfrom my small prairie city gleeful about the $8 I wasgoing to make every singlehour for the next eight hoursof my life. Cha-ching.

Say, boss, do you paymileage too? No? OK, thatscool.

I got out of my pickuptruck I did say it wasthe prairies, didnt I? Evenbook-learnin softies like medrive trucks on the prairies and my new chief startedto explain the job.

Boss: Were gonna paintthis but rst we got to sand itall down.

Me: The door there?Boss: Nope, the whole

thing.Do you want to know

what he was talking about?A barn. A whole

goddamned barn! Sorry if mylanguage offends your pacistMennonite ears, but Im notsure if the West Coasters

realize how big barns are.Picture your house, and thenpicture a giant goddamnedbarn!

The boss passed electronicsanders to me and his son family member, moresavings! and then hoppedback into his van and droveoff to another job site topaint bikinis on swimsuitmodels (probably).

I red up the sander andpressed it up against the dirtyold wood. Hey, this is kindof fun. Wait nope, not fun.Oh boy, my hand is numb.My arm is numb. This is theworst ever. OK, time for a

little break to regroup. Howmuch time left in the day?Seven hours, 59 minutes and15 seconds. Uh oh.

Three days later we werestill sanding, only now wewere doing it on the otherside of the barn inside apen that housed an honest-to-God bull. At least wewerent covered in red. Thenwe started painting. Youllnever guess what colour.No worries though bythis point death by goringseemed like a pretty goodoption.

Our next job was at ahouse much farther away

from town.Say boss, can I get the

odometer rolling before I getto work? No? Alright.

In the house we wererenovating, my boss putme into rooms I could dothe least damage in but Istill managed to destroy anold vacuum. Not my faultthough no one explicitlytold me not to suck up thatrubber glove.

My nal job was actuallyin town yay! and at aseemingly fun place: a cerealfactory. Do we get to paintthe frosting on the akes?

Nope, you get to stay

outside and sand this 50-footsilo. Heres your ladder. AfterI spent four hours sandingthe same tiny patch of paintthree feet off of the groundand deathly afraid to climbone rung higher, the painterand I decided it was time topart ways.

Later that summer I gotanother hire-a-slavestudentjob knocking down an oldmanure shoot and installinga new manure shoot on a pigfarm. It was a huge step upover painting.

Since that summer Ive

Laugh All You WantAndy Prest

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Should jobsite arrests of alleged illegal immigrants be lmed for reality TV?INQUIRINGREPORTER

Fran HodgkinsonNorth Vancouver

I dont know. Ive beenthinking about this for twodays now. But if people are hereillegally and they know theyrehere illegally, then its too bad.

Patricia BrooksbankNorth Vancouver

I guess. I dont know. Ihadnt really heard about it. Idont have strong feelings oneway or another.

Norbert BullingNorth Vancouver

I have mixed feelingsabout this, but to hell with it,theyre here illegally and theyshouldnt be.

Barb JenningsWhistler/North Vancouver

I dont see why not.My opinion is if youre hereillegally, then you dont haveany rights.

Andrew ChamberlayneNorth Vancouver

Its kind of a weird thingto be lmed. Thats prettyinvasive of peoples privacy. Idont think it should be lmedfor reality television.

THE Canadian BorderServices recently raideda construction site inVancouver to round upalleged illegal immigrantssuspected of workingthere. A lm crew wentwith them, recording thedetentions for a realityTV show named BorderSecurity. The reality-showaspect has outragedmany, who believe thedetainees were exploitedfor entertainment andnot for Canadian welfare.An online petition askingNational Geographicto cancel the programhas collected more than20,000 signatures. Find uson Facebook and Twitterand tell us what you think.

Sam Smith

ELECTRIC vehicle owners can plug in,turn on and shop out at two new chargingstations on the upper parking deck ofCapilano Mall this March.

The stations, which are accessible from HanesAvenue, are offering free charging for up to threehours.

The new stations coincide with the Vancouver

Electric Vehicle Associations display of the 1913Detroit Electric, which is scheduled to be showcased atthe mall until March 24.

Originally powered by nickel-iron batteries, theElectric retailed for the price of a large house and had arange of approximately 100 miles.

Now powered by lead-acid batteries, the 96-volt carhas a maximum range of 80 kilometres.

New charging stations have also been activated atshopping centres in Burnaby, Coquitlam, Vancouver,and Abbotsford this month, according to a release fromVEVA.

Jeremy Shepherd

Drivers plug in at Cap Mallmanaged to stay almost completely callousfree, my elbow grease reserved solely forshooting basketballs, hoisting beers andwriting rent cheques.

As for all you homeowners, enjoy yourchores if anything breaks in my littleborrowed castle Ill be sure to send youthe bill.

[email protected]

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City debates duplex secondary suitesBrent Richter

[email protected]

SHOULD every duplexin the City of NorthVancouver be able tohouse a secondary suiteas well?

That is a question councilwrestled with Mondaynight but stopped short ofanswering.

The city is contemplatingallowing for smaller self-contained apartments withinduplex units similar to howthey are allowed in single-family residences.

Council held a publichearing on the matter Mondaynight, drawing out severalfrustrated residents, most ofwhom agreed on allowingsecondary suites in duplexes,but only if the city found a way

to do it right.The city has had a

moratorium on enforcingits bylaws against illegalsecondary suites in hopes thatthe owners will go out of theirway to bring them up to codeand register them with thecity. The city is entertainingallowing secondary suites inowner-occupied duplexes,but some residents have otherconcerns. A glut of investment

properties featuring illegally-added suites and buildingcode violations already existsin the city, according to someresidents. Those were theduplexesannoyedhomeownerscame to the meeting to airconcerns over.

In order to meet the B.C.Building Codes requirements,suites must be separated bya rewall made entirely ofnon-combustible material,

including the inner wall orframing, or the buildingmust have a sprinkler systeminstalled. Each additional unitwould be required to have atleast one on-site parking spaceto prevent further crowding ofthe streets

Council agreed to defer avote on the policy change untilall seven electedmembers werepresent, which is not expectedfor two weeks.

Man arrested afterpulling knife on parents

West Van YachtClub a thirsty placeTHE West Vancouver Yacht Club is hoping a littlemore liquor will oat its boat.

The club has applied to the Liquor Control and LicensingBranch to serve 50 additional thirsty patrons, prompting districtcouncil to gauge community support for the extra merriment.

Council voted unanimously to collect concerns and opinionsrelated to the amended licence at a meeting Monday.

The Marine Drive club is expanding its clubhouse andboosting lounge space to accommodate a maximum of 222drinkers, up from 172, necessitating an amendment to its currentliquor primary licence.

Anyone who believes they would be affected by the changeis encouraged to send their views to [email protected]. Letters can also be delivered to WestVancouvers municipal hall.

Submissions will be received until April 22.Extra noise and other impacts on the community are two of

LCLBs main criteria in judging an application.Although the LCLB frequently solicits its own community

input, the district was encouraged to undertake the consultationby staff in order to make sure each affected party has a voice inthe conversation.

Jeremy Shepherd

SURREY RCMP have arrested a Vancouver manwanted for making threats at a West Vancouverhome last week.

Residents in the British Properties neighbourhood calledWest Vancouver police shortly after 4 a.m. Thursday when theiradult son allegedly threatened his parents while wielding a knife.The dispute was over money, police say.

Police issued a warrant for 27-year-old Houman RahmaniFriday on charges of uttering threats and robbery.

Surrey RCMP ofcers spotted Rahmani at a cheque cashingoutlet Saturday evening and arrested him without incident.

Rahmani now faces four charges of utter threats to causedeath or bodily harm and one count of robbery.

Brent Richter


SEND us your picture for our Celebrations page, a feature of the NorthShore News. Enclose a good-quality photo and a description of your specialoccasion along with a contact name and phone number and well try toinclude it in our feature. The Celebrations page is a free service and thereis no guarantee as to when submissions will be published. Text maybe edited for length and editorial style. Photos will be available forpickup at our front desk three days after the publication date, at100-126 East 15th St., North Vancouver. Photos not picked upafter one month will be discarded.

Well announce yourWedding, Anniversary or

Special Occasionon Wednesday.

BRIGHTLIGHTS

Representatives of the North Shore RegisteredMusic Teachers Association held the 42nd annualNorth Shore Music Festival and Workshops at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in North Vancouver March3-15. The nal concerts were held March 13-15. The March 13 concert highlighted the non-competitivesection and included a family class, seeing parents, sons and daughters, and siblings take the stage to sing,or play piano, ute and violin and perform a wide variety of musical selections.

Ken Chow andNancy Lee

Doreen Mavandad

Claudia Stodt andAna Rose Walkey

James Cayetano anddaughter Madelyn

Emily and Stephanie Chowwith mother Helen Yeung

Emily Lu andKathy Lin

Music teachers Alice Rada, Valerie Cookand Diana Marr, festival liaison

Music teacher Kelly Nobles and singer Miranda Roseland

North Shore Music Festival and Workshopsby Paul McGrath

Please direct requests for event coverage to: [email protected]. For more Bright Lights photos go to: nsnews.com/galleries.

Lucy and Scott Evans


Black Hen Concert Series with Barney Bentall, Wednesday, March 27,8 p.m. at the Electric Owl, 928 Main St., Vancouver. Tickets are $25 inadvance at tickets.capilanou.ca, or $27 at the door.

Sam Smith

[email protected]

PLATINUM-SELLING Canadian music icon Barney Bentall iscoming down to the Lower Mainland next week for a live showat the Electric Owl.

An easily described legend of Canadian music, the Juno Award winning rootsmusician is set to perform a re-imagining of Bob Dylans classic album Blood onthe Tracks.

Not to be confused with a cover of the album, a re-imagining allows somecreative licence for Bentall, along with Vancouver-based musicians Steve Dawsonand the Black Hen House Band, to add some of their own personal air.

Or, as Bentall says, an excuse if the show takes a turn for the worse.We might just be trying to give ourselves a way out if we drive her off the

rails and crash and burn! Bentall wrote in an email interview from Chile. Theperformance then becomes a metaphor.

Bentall describes his take on Dylans album not so much a challenge, but alearning process for him in his own quest to nd his voice. Even if he is a seasonedand accomplished artist, he believes he is always learning and evolving his music.

It takes a long time to nd your own voice. Hell, Im still nding mine,Bentall said. I think Bob Dylan found his voice, strength and direction early inthe game and had, and continues to have, a signicant impact on the world.

Most known for his work in his band Barney Bentall and the LegendaryHearts, Bentall describes Bob Dylan as a major inuence on him. He onlywishes to honour the legends body of work, even if it is a departure from hisusual style.

Im an unworthy disciple of this great work of art and Im hoping that we

PULSE

YOUR NORTH SHORE GUIDE to ARTS & CULTURE

From April 10 to May15, the North VancouverCommunity Arts Council

will bring four uniquelms to the Park &

Tilford Cineplex OdeonTheatre as part of its

international spring lmseries.

The DeepApril 10, 7 p.m.

The SessionsApril 24, 7 p.m.

The Angels ShareMay 1, 7 p.m.

NoMay 15, 7 p.m.

Visit nvartscouncil.ca forfull details

More online atnsnews.com/entertainment

twitter.com/NSNPulse

Roots legendsupplied photo

JUNO winner Barney Bentall will depart from his usual musical style and perform a re-imagining of the Bob Dylan album Blood onthe Tracks next Wednesday at the Electric Owl. Scan this photo with Layar to watch a music video by Bentall.

BARNEY BENTALL PAYS HOMAGE TO BOB DYLAN

MOTOWN PAGE 16 ASCENTOFWOMEN PAGE 18 THE CROODS PAGE 23 EVENINGOFWONDER PAGE 24

See Bentalls page 17

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CAPILANO University theatre program presents The Boy Friend, a light, romantic musical romp set in the1920s on the French Riviera. The show runs March 28-30 and April 3-6 at 8 p.m. and March 31 and April 6 at 2p.m. at the NSCU Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $22/$15/$10, available at tickets.capilanou.ca.

The Boy Friend

CALENDARGALLERIESBrushStrokes Gallery: Lonsdale Quay, 123 Carrie CatesCourt, North Vancouver. Hours: Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.,Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11:30a.m.-7 p.m. Info: nsartists.ca.Members of The North Shore Artists Guild display a varietyof original art including oil paintings, watercolours, acrylics andmixed media on an ongoing basis with new works every month.Caroun Art Gallery: 1403 Bewicke Ave., North Vancouver.Info: caroun.net, 778-372-0765 or [email protected] hours: Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.Group Exhibition: Paintings, drawings, photographs andcalligraphy by various artists will be on display until March 29.Casa Del Caffe: 116 East 14th St., North Vancouver. Info:604-983-2233.Centennial Theatre: 2300 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver.Info: centennialtheatre.com.Exhibit: Work by artists from 195 Studios will have their workon display until June 15.CityScape Community Art Space: 335 Lonsdale Ave., NorthVancouver. Info: 604-988-6844 or nvartscouncil.ca. Galleryhours: Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.Ruminations of Order: Emerging artists Rosemary Burden,Angela Gooliaff, Judy D. Shane and Debbie Westergaard Tuepahwill display their work until April 13. Artist talk: Saturday, March23, 1-3 p.m.Call forExhibitionProposals:TheNorthVancouverCommunityArts Council is currently accepting submissions for the winter/spring 2014 exhibition schedule. Submission deadline: Saturday,April 13, 4 p.m.District Foyer Gallery: 355 West Queens Rd., NorthVancouver. Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Info: 604-988-6844 or nvartscouncil.ca.The North Vancouver Community Arts Council will present anexhibition of prints and textiles by Michelle Carlson until May7.District Library Gallery: 1277 Lynn Valley Rd., NorthVancouver. Info: nvartscouncil.ca.The North Vancouver Community Arts Council will presentan exhibition of Peterson Turgooses work of urban landscapesuntil March 26.The North Vancouver Community Arts Council will present anexhibition of acrylic paintings of aquatic plants by Judith Frigonfrom March 27 to May 21. Opening reception: Saturday, April6, 2-4 p.m.

See more page 15


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Ferry Building Gallery: 1414 Argyle Ave.,West Vancouver. Admission to all shows is free.Info: 604-925-7290 or ferrybuildinggallery.com. Gallery hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Mondays.A Visual Language: A mixed media exhibitionwith Eric Goldstein and Jin Hong will run untilMarch 24.The Art of the Landscape: An exhibition ofpaintings and furniture by Mary-Jean Butler,Greg Allen, Richard Alm and Burns JenningsMarch 26-April 14. Opening reception:Tuesday, March 26, 6-8 p.m. Meet the artists:Saturday, March 30, 2-3 p.m.Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art:2121 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver. Galleryhours: Wednesday-Friday, from noon to 5p.m. and Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Adultadmission by donation/children free. Info:604-903-3798.Tours will be offered on Thursdays at 12:30p.m. and Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. Registrationrequired: [email protected] Leaf Project: Twelve celebratedindividuals created their own interpretationof our national symbol and the canvasses willbe auctioned off at a champagne receptionWednesday, April 3 at 6 p.m. Funds raised willsupport art-based student education.Kay Meek Centre: 1700 Mathers Ave., WestVancouver. Info: kaymeekcentre.com or 604-981-6335.On OurWalls:Oil painter Jean Bonvinis workwill be on display until April 2.Lions Bay Art Gallery: 350 Centre Rd., LionsBay. Gallery hours: Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5p.m. Info: lionsbayartgallery.com or 604-921-7865.Featuring established and upcoming artists.Lynnmour Art Studio and Gallery: 301-1467 Crown St., North Vancouver. Info:nsartists.ca/garyeder or 604-929-4001.Galleryhours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. orby appointment. Contemporary and abstractpaintings by Gordon Oliver, Robert Botlak

and Gary W. Eder.Macgillycuddys Consignment: 128 LonsdaleAve., North Vancouver.Exhibition: Figurative work by Anna du Boiswill be on display until April 21.The Music Box: 1564 Argyle Ave., WestVancouver.Mystic Mask Art Studio: 319 West 28th St.,North Vancouver.North Shore: From Deep Cove to HorseshoeBay.North Shore Art Crawl: An opportunity tomeet artists in their studios or at local galleriesduring the third annual crawl April 20 and 21,11 a.m.-5 p.m. The event will feature over 200artists at 60 locations. Info about locations andartists: nsartcrawl.ca.North Vancouver Museum: 209 West 4thSt., North Vancouver. Open by appointmentonly. Info: 604-990-3700, ext. 8016.North Vancouver Experience, an ongoingexhibit dening life in North Vancouver.PresentationHouseGallery: 333ChestereldAve., North Vancouver.Gallery hours:Wednesday -Sunday, noon-5p.m.Info: 604-986-1351 or presentationhousegall.com.An Exhibition with Anna Oppermann, AndreaPinheiro and Marianne Wex will run untilMarch 24.Slavs and Tartars Friendship of Nations:An exhibition of works from an internationalcollective of artists, designers and writerswill run from April 12 to May 26. Openingreception: Friday, April 12, 7 p.m.Presentation House Satellite Gallery:560 Seymour St., Vancouver. Gallery hours:Wednesday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Info:satellitegallery.ca.News!: An in-depth look at the newsphotography archives of the Vancouver Sunand Province will run until March 30.Ron Andrews Community Space: 931Lytton St., North Vancouver. Info: 604-980-

From page 14

See more page 21


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MUSIC

Motown maintains itsappeal after 50 years

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SINGER and voice actor Rebecca Shoichet will perform her versionof Brenda Holloways hit Youve Made Me So Very Happy at MotownMeltdown. Scan this photo with Layar to watch Shoichet sing.

Shooting Stars Foundation presentsMotown Meltdown, Saturday, March 23,7 p.m. at the Commodore Ballroom, 868Granville St., Vancouver. Tickets $40.75 atticketmaster.ca.

Jeremy Shepherd

[email protected]

CHUCK Berry was in jail, Elvis was inthe army, and the Beatles were still intheir teens.

The end of the 1950s presented a pop culturevoid, and ambitious entrepreneur and JackieWilson songwriter Berry Gordy, Jr. set out to llit with something spectacular.

Youthful energy, mainstream sensibility, andthe precise groove of the drummers, strummers,and horns from Detroits jazz scene fused tocreate a sound that was both innocuous andinspiring, pure and potent.

The music of Hitsville, U.S.A. is set tobe celebrated March 23 with the MotownMeltdown, featuring 25 performers interpretingmusic from the label that showcased StevieWonder, Smokey Robinson, Mary Wells, andMarvin Gaye.

Among the performers attempting to recreatethe magic created in that famed garage studio issinger and voice actor Rebecca Shoichet.

Born in Ottawa and raised in Victoria,Shoichet was raised on the music of RickieLee Jones and Earth, Wind & Fire, not trulydiscovering jazz until she found herself facing thechasm between the end of high school and thebeginning of her adult life.

At the age of 18 Shoichet was the veteran ofnearly a decades worth of shows at the VictoriaOperatic Society but saw no place to pursue herpassion for musical theatre.

Her brother, a bass player, had his own ideas.He said, You know, you should learn

some jazz standards. In fact we could buskdowntown, Shoichet recalls. We decidedto put together a trio my rst year out of highschool.

Between serving as a nanny and hauntingVictoria cafes with a sound inuenced by soulfulsong stylist Sarah Vaughan, Shoichet searched forher niche.

I couldnt nd any musical theatre whereI could study dance, study acting and studysinging at that time, she says.

As luck would have it, a friend returned toVictoria that Christmas bearing news of just sucha program.

She came back at Christmas time and said, Iam in the most amazing program. Youre goingto freak out.

After freaking out, Shoichet hopped aplane for Toronto and auditioned for SheridanCollege.

Despite a head cold escorted by a temporaryloss of hearing, Shoichets voice was strongenough to gain her entry into the arts school.

Throughout the program especially, itcomes into light whos willing to do the hardwork and whos willing to just ride on puretalent, she says. The people that stayed werenot necessarily the people who were the mosttalented but the people who were really willing

See Shoichet page 28


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MUSIC

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RELIVE the music of Elvis Presley with Elvis: TheMoments featuring award-winning impersonator PetePaquette. Supporting Paquette will be Torontos Rudyand the Angels band. At Kay Meek Centre in WestVancouver, Wednesday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets$35 at tickets.kaymeekcentre.com or 604-981-6335.

Long live the king

pull off the caper and do it alittle bit of justice, he said.

Bentall has been active inmusic for more than 30 yearsand in that time has releasedthree independent and sevenstudio albums.

His work with theLegendary Hearts provedto be his most commerciallysuccessful venture, but thathasnt stopped him frompursuing his own solo career,even after a six-year hiatuswhich began in 2000 whenthe now 57-year-old settledon a ranch in the Caribooregion of B.C.

He also continues to workwith many West Coast artists,recently contributing histalents to West VancouversTom Taylors latest albumPull Over Here.

Tom is a fantastic singer/songwriter and a class act,Bentall said. Producing hisalbum Pull Over Here wasone of the best recordingexperiences Ive had.

Bentall has interest inother West Coast artists as

well, with acts such as Pharisand Jason Romero, residentsof Cariboo, recently catchinghis eye.

His own son, DustinBentall, has taken off as aprofessional musician inhis own right. Dustinsself-described country/psychedelic/rock style fromhis Myspace page is qualitymusic, Barney says. Andsomething he looks forwardto hearing for a long time.

Its great to watch Dustinout there working hard andputting out some really nemusic, Bentall said. Imreally proud of what hesdoing and its good to knowIll be well entertained in theold folks home!

Bentall is looking forwardto his performance set at theElectric Owl this Wednesday,March 27. Accompanyinghim on stage will be SteveDawson, Geoff Hicks, KeithLowe and Chris Gestrin.

For more information onhis upcoming performancevisit electricowl.ca/calendar,or check Bentalls website atbarneybentall.com.

Bentalls son followsin musical footstepsFrom page 13


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BOOKS

Womens efforts turning global tiden Sally Armstrong, author of Ascent of Women, in discussionwith UBC journalism instructor Kathryn Gretsinger, partof the Vancouver Writers Fest, Monday, March 25 at7:30 p.m. at St. Andrews-Wesley United Church inVancouver. Tickets: $21/$19, visit vancouvertix.com.

Erin McPhee

[email protected]

PREPARING to leave Afghanistan on one of hermany journalistic missions, Sally Armstrong saidgoodbye to the women she had been hiding outwith women who had been compelled to sharetheir stories with her, but, under the Taliban,feared being seen with her.

Where I go, believe me, the people in power dont want methere, she says. And they will do everything they can to eitherget rid of me or make my life so difcult that Ill leave, which Inever do. But the women, theyll get me around, she says.

Their nal act of generosity, stufng her pockets with sweetcakes and naan bread, is something shes never forgotten.

I thought, This isunbelievable. Theyre worriedabout the comfort of myjourney out of a place thatsbasically put them in prison.But women are like that.

For more than 25 years,Armstrong, an award-winningjournalist, humanitarian andmember of the Order ofCanada, has fought to bringthe stories of women andgirls living in conict zonesand developing countries tolight in an effort to inuencepositive change. While shehasnt always had goodnews stories to tell, the spiritand perseverance of thewomen shes encountered hascontinued to drive her.

I feel very humbled that the women will tell me theirstories. Women always have hope. They have to, she says.

Armstrong too has an optimistic heart and in her new book,Ascent of Women: Our turn, our way a remarkable story ofworldwide change, she explores the impacts of the countlesschangemakers shes met over the years whose efforts arecurrently being felt the world over like never before.

I decided I would do the book because this is brand new,this is really important and I wanted to get it out there, shesays.

Armstrong will offer insight into the work, Monday, March25 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrews-Wesley United Church inVancouver as part of the Vancouver Writers Fest.

The Montreal, Que. natives career covering war and humanrights stories, ling stories from the frontlines in Bosnia, Africa,Asia and the Middle East, is a far cry from her initial job as aphysical education teacher.

Armstrong says she was very pregnant with their thirdchild when her husbands boss wife called her and said,Theres a man opening a magazine. I gave him your name.

I said, My name? I never wrote anything. I was always thebridesmaid they gave the wine to and said, Write the poem forthe shower, but Id never done anything, she says, reachedTuesday from Calgary, where she had travelled as part of hercurrent cross-Canada book tour. Armstrong currently splits hertime between Salt Spring Island, Toronto, Ont. and her cottagenear Bathurst, N.B.

Despite her reservations, she took the meeting, guring dueto her pregnancy she wasnt going to be doing a lot of roundoff back handsprings in the near future, she says. She got thejob, as did her boss wife, a home economics teacher who gavesewing lessons over at the CBC at lunchtime. I thought, Oh,she must be real media. She must know how to do this, saysArmstrong.

A third woman, a recipe developer at Canada Packers, wasalso hired and they served as the founding editors of CanadianLiving magazine.

Thats where I learned and I loved it immediately andmoved on from there, she says, of her career in journalism.

While at Canadian Living, Armstrong had an opportunityto write a story out of Liberia, and her passion became clear. Shecontinued writing stories in that vein when she moved on tobecome editor of Homemakers, a publication with a reputationfor being a thinking womans magazine.

The editors before me had already taken on all the bigissues of the 80s incest and wife assault and domesticviolence, all those kinds of things, she says. I took over in 88and at that time, I gured the all-news networks were in ourliving rooms and it changed what we know. We used to be ableto say, I didnt know. And if you dont know, youre not drivento any sort of action. But once those all-news networks were inour living rooms, we knew.

Polling her readers, she realized they were just as upset as shewas and likewise craved more information than the 90-secondtruncated TV news reports provided, and so Homemakersstarted publishing articles covering conict from the point ofview of what happens to women and girls in war-torn countries

around the world.The readers poured through the windows and doors, says

Armstrong, who maintained her post as editor as well as begantravelling to remote locations to research articles for publicationin the magazine.

Armstrong is currently a freelance journalist, contributingregularly to CBC Radios Ideas program as well as ChatelaineandMacleans. Ascent of Women follows Armstrongs previousbooks, which include Veiled Threat: The Hidden Power of theWomen of Afghanistan (2002), Bitter Roots, Tender Shoots: TheUncertain Fate of Afghanistans Women (2008) and The NineLives of Charlotte Taylor (2007). She previously served on theUnited Nations International Womens Commission, and iscurrently on the advisory council for Human Rights Watch.She is also an avid speaker at fundraisers for humanitarianorganizations, including Canadian Women for Women inAfghanistan, the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the CanadianWomens Foundation.

Early in her career, she worried about being known as both ajournalist and a humanitarian. I know I have to seek the truthof whats happening and report that back to my readers. Thatsmy job. I used to worry when people would say journalist/humanitarian because I felt like they were putting me down as ajournalist but I dont worry about those things anymore, shesays.

Armstrong decided to write Ascent of Women: Our turn,our way after experiencing an epiphany, feeling as if the earthwas shifting, seeing womens efforts towards change not onlytaking root but turning the tide.

Among the things shes noticed is the increasedcommunication among women, seeing them come together,including in their respective communities, like African womentaking a stand to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, and in formingeffective international organizations like Women Living UnderMuslim Laws. As well, thanks to the Internet and social media,women from Africa, to Asia and the Americas have been able toconnect with one another.

I think the worst thing that ever happened to extremists

See Women page 33

supplied photos

FREELANCE journalist Sally Armstrong has coveredwar and human rights stories in Bosnia, Africa, Asiaand the Middle East.


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