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Kelowna, BC (February 5, 2008) – Housing sales and average price weren’t the only records being shattered across Canada in 2007.  RE/MAX agents also set a new benchmark in charitable giving, raising over $4 million for the Children’s Miracle Network. 

The 2007 donation surpassed the agents’ 2006 contributions by more than 14 per cent.  Since 1992, RE/MAX sales associates nationwide have contributed close to $30 million to the cause. The 2007 break-down of contributions saw over $654,000 donated to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation in Vancouver, over $322,000 raised for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation in Calgary, over $327,000 contributed to the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation in Edmonton, over $65,000 towards the Children’s Health and Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon and over $150,000 given to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

“What many don’t realize is that the corporate and private sectors play a vital role in making miracles possible,” says Marie Sheppy, Senior Coordinator, Corporate Affairs, RE/MAX of Western Canada.  “With public coffers stretched to the limit, it’s a fact that organizations like RE/MAX fund a significant portion of the required cost to treat sick and injured children in pediatric facilities across Canada.  We work so hard because we know our donations mean more than dollars and cents—it’s an opportunity for healthy, happy childhoods and hope for promising futures.  There really is nothing more rewarding than watching kids just be kids.”

RE/MAX realtors generate donations through the RE/MAX Miracle Home Program®, whereby a portion of their commission earned on the purchase or sale of each home is given to Children’s Miracle Network affiliated hospitals.  Children’s Miracle Network supports 14 children’s hospitals and foundations across Canada. Donations are often maximized through additional fundraising events including golf tournaments, gala evenings with silent auctions, casual Fridays and much more.  Funds raised in each community stay in that community to be invested in the local Children’s Miracle Network hospital.

“It’s amazing what can be accomplished when people work toward a meaningful cause,” says Christine Martysiewicz, Director of Internal and Public Relations, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada.  “The synergy, commitment and enthusiasm of the RE/MAX network are truly phenomenal.  However, what’s more amazing is that the charitable efforts undertaken by our realtors are 100 per cent voluntary.  Supporting Children’s Miracle Network is a chance to make a real difference in the lives of local children and families in their own communities.  That type of involvement is something that’s been woven into the fabric of the RE/MAX organization since its inception.  The way we see it, we don’t just serve and work in these communities, we truly are a part of them, and we care—it’s that simple.”   

In Canada, the funds raised on behalf of Children’s Miracle Network help support outreach programs and fund advancements in critical research, as well as upgrades to medical facilities and equipment.

“The outstanding generosity of RE/MAX Associates has helped more than 2.5 million Canadian children in  2007 alone – that’s 1 in 4 kids nationally,” says John Hartman, Chief Operating Officer – Canada, Children’s Miracle Network.  “RE/MAX has made Children’s Miracle Network hospitals a vital part of what they do and continue to put giving back at the top of their agenda.  Since 1992, RE/MAX has been a strong supporter of Children’s Miracle Network.  Their dedication, passion and enthusiasm for the kids and families in their communities across Canada is outstanding.  They continue to give and give more.  We are very proud to be affiliated with RE/MAX. The progress being made thanks to contributions, like that from RE/MAX, has been nothing short of astonishing.  While care and outcomes have improved significantly, it also remains a reality that the need has never been greater.” 

In Canada, the children’s hospitals/foundations receiving funding from Children’s Miracle Network are: BC Children’s Hospital Foundation in Vancouver, Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation in Calgary, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation in Edmonton, Children’s Health and Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba in Winnipeg, SickKids Foundation in Toronto, Children’s Health Foundation in London, McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation in Ottawa, Operation Enfant Soleil (St. Justine’s Children’s Hospital, Montreal Children’s Hospital, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHUQ) , IWK Health Centre in Halifax, and Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation in St. John’s.  For more information, visit: www.childrensmiraclenetwork.ca.

RE/MAX is Canada’s leading real estate organization with over 17,600 sales associates in more than 650 independently-owned and operated offices.  The RE/MAX franchise network is a global real estate system

operating in over 65 countries.  More than 7,000 independently-owned offices engage nearly 115,000 member sales associates who lead the industry in professional designations, experience and production while providing real estate services in residential, commercial, referral and asset management.  For more information, visit: www.remax.ca.

Glut of grocery stores prompt dire prediction

Sandra Thomas
Van. Courier

A local retail marketing specialist doubts the new Capers Community Market will remain on Cambie Street for long, despite denials about closures from its corporate head office.

Last August Whole Foods Markets bought Wild Oats Market Inc., the corporate head office for Capers, for $565 million US and the assumption of debt. Two months later, Whole Foods closed the 22-year-old flagship Capers store on Marine Drive in West Vancouver, citing limited parking and poor traffic access. In July 2006 a new 20,000-square-foot Capers opened on Cambie Street at West 16th Avenue. But now a 51,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market is under construction just blocks away at the corner of Cambie Street and Broadway. For months residents and some Capers workers have speculated about the future of the store.

A Vancouver-based publicist for Whole Foods denies the Cambie Capers is at risk.

the Cambie store,” said Danielle Jang in an email to the Courier. “It’s a very strong store, and the company doesn’t see any reason why both stores can’t operate in the neighbourhood.”

David Ian Gray, owner of Dig360, suspects there’s more to the story. Dig360, formerly known as Sixth Line Solutions, is a marketing research and information consulting company operating in Vancouver since 1994. “My guess is they probably have a pretty committed lease,” said Gray. “And that probably comes with a fair penalty to get out of that lease. My feeling is they’re waiting a while and trying to figure out an exit strategy.”

Gray said Whole Foods differs from Capers in that it’s slightly more up-market, similar to the Urban Fare gourmet foods chain. He said Capers and Whole Foods are very similar in that they both specialize is organic products and promote healthy lifestyles.

Gray notes the area around Cambie and Broadway will soon be saturated with grocery stores. Besides the Capers store on Cambie at 16th, a Choices Market on Cambie at 18th and the Safeway store in City Square at Cambie and West 12th, a Whole Foods Market is under construction at Cambie and Broadway. A Save-On Foods store is also under construction on Cambie near the Whole Foods location.

“I realize Safeway and Save-On aren’t organic stores, but people just aren’t that compartmentalized,” he said. “They often shop for convenience.”

He notes while residential development is taking place in the neighbourhood, it doesn’t compare to the number of towers popping up in Coal Harbour and Yaletown.

But Gray said the exact fate of Capers is hard to predict. When Best Buy bought out the Future Shop chain in Canada in 2001, it planned to convert or close the Future Shop stores.

“But the Canadian people convinced them the stores were sufficiently different, that there was a market for both,” said Gray. “You never know. If they do their homework and offer distinct products, it might work and they may be able to continue to profitably run both. But that’s a lot of grocery in one area.”

© Vancouver Courier 2008

 

Judi Lees
Van. Courier

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico—Cabo San Lucas just about has it all when it comes to sun-filled holiday destinations. Perched on a narrow isthmus at the southern edge of Mexico‘s Baja California peninsula, Cabo is a jumble of resorts that, on the east side, face the brilliant blue Sea of Cortez and, to the west, the Pacific Ocean. In between is the town, burgeoning with tourist shops, restaurants and bars.

Some of us, when we’ve lazed sufficiently on the beach or done all the shopping and dining, start to twitch. It’s time to move our bodies. And here, as in those other categories, Cabo doesn’t stint. There are plenty of activities to get the blood pumping, including parasailing, surfing, diving, snorkelling and kayaking. Since getting into the Baja’s warm, clear water is always appealling, I chose to snorkel and kayak. It’s a bonus if you see whales or dolphins.

With two guides from Baja Wild, a Cabo-based ecotourism company, our group of 11 departed from busy town harbour. This was hardly a pristine wilderness paddle as we cruised among fishing boats, extravagant pleasure yachts, glass-bottomed taxis and lighters that ferried passengers into town from the two huge ships anchored in the bay. (If you can avoid the days when the cruise ships are in port, do it.)

Our guides, Edgar, the comedian, and Juan Carlos, the strong, silent type, led us close to the shoreline of rusty granite boulders. I was pleasantly surprised when we caught a good view of an osprey perched nearby and had chances to take photos of huge-beaked pelicans.

Another surprise was the snorkelling. We stopped on a rocky outcrop–not an easy place to disembark, but the guides did all the work–to have a dip. Through the clear turquoise waters we gazed upon a parade of marine life that included dazzling angel fish, cute damsel fish and the unusual trumpet fish, which looks like a stick.

Back in the kayak, Cabo’s piece de resistance was just around the corner: El Arco. At the southern tip of the peninsula this natural archway framed the Pacific Ocean as we bobbed towards it from the Sea of Cortez. Since the arch is a protected site you can’t paddle through it. But as we swept past the guides instructed us how to play in the waves at Land’s End and everyone whooped it up. Edgar pointed out where the 1968 movie Planet of the Apes was filmed and, much more recently (2004), Troy, with Brad Pitt. (I can easily visualize Pitt at one of the many party bars in Cabo.)

On our return trip we stopped at Playa del Amor. This golden-sand beach stretches across the peninsula, letting you dip your toes in two oceans while admiring the silky-smooth rock formations. It’s special enough that it warrants another visit–at the end of the day, when the cruise ships have departed and happy hour has lured the crowds back to the plentiful Cabo San Lucas bars.

For more information on Mexico go to the Mexico Tourism Board website at www.visitmexico.com.

For information on kayaking trips offered by Baja Wild visit its website at www.bajawild.com.

Judi Lees is a member of the Meridian Writers’ Group.

© Vancouver Courier 2008

 

Visits to B.C. are climbing with more non-stop flights from Mexico City

Bruce Constantineau
Sun

Those 200 boisterous skiers swooshing, gliding and racing for trophies down the powdery slopes of Whistler this week represent a hugely promising B.C. tourism market — Mexico.

With no ski resort of their own, more than 150,000 Mexican skiers flock to winter destinations every year and Whistler-Blackcomb has gained prominence on their radar.

“They’re a lot more aware of Canada and it has become more trendy to travel here,” Tourism Whistler sales director Karen Goodwin said in an interview. “Many of them have been to Niagara Falls, seen the CN Tower and visited Montreal so they want to try something new.”

Mexicans are clearly more drawn to Whistler in the winter, as the resort attracts between 5,000 and 10,000 overnight visitors from Mexico between November and April, compared with just 1,500 between May and October.

Tourism BC figures show that 72,500 Mexicans visited the province during the first 11 months of 2007 — an increase of more than 23 per cent over 2006.

That’s more overnight visitors than the number from Hong Kong or Taiwan and only 7,000 fewer than Germany, a vital international market for B.C.

Travel flows between B.C. and Mexico are still heavily skewed in Mexico‘s favour, with 123,000 B.C. residents traveling to Mexico during the first half of 2007 compared with 34,100 Mexicans coming the other way. But the Mexico-to-B.C. figure was up more than 27 per cent over the previous year.

Whistler is capitalizing on the trend this week by hosting a bash — the second annual Mexican Whistler Ski Week — to promote the destination to well-heeled Mexican travellers.

The event features special ski training days, races, exclusive shopping, group dinners and apres-ski parties for Mexican visitors.

More than 200 people made the trek to Whistler from Mexico City this year, up from 130 last year, and they’re having fun.

Mexican tour operator Nathan Baker feels Mexicans and Canadians relate well to each other because they’re both so heavily influenced by their huge U.S. neighbour.

“We find Canadians to be very friendly and we appreciate that, too,” he said in an interview while enjoying a beverage with his fellow Mexican travellers this week at the Garibaldi Lift Co. bar in Whistler.

More than half the visitors on this trip came as guests of corporate sponsors but many heard about the event on Mexican radio and paid their own way, with packages starting at around $2,500.

Baker said about 20 visitors on the Whistler trip have never skied before but are keen to learn as they take advantage of lessons from resort ski instructors, some of whom speak Spanish. He feels Whistler has emerged as the third most popular destination for Mexican skiers recently — behind Colorado and Utah.

Mexican marketing consultant Arturo Cervantes — who conceived the Mexican Ski Week idea four years ago after seeing so many Mexicans in Whistler — said Canadian skiers have been patient on the slopes with some of the less-than-expert Mexicans.

“They’re very nice to Mexican skiers, even though they may not be very good,” he said. “Nobody gets into any trouble because they don’t ski well.”

Tour organizer Louis Miguel Fuentes said it’s easier now for Mexicans to travel to Canada than the U.S. There are at least 11 non-stop flights a week from Mexico City to Vancouver and Mexicans can travel to Canada without a visa.

“But you need a visa to get into the U.S. and sometimes it is very difficult to get one,” Fuentes said.

Tourism BC North American marketing director Carol Nelson said a growing middle class in Mexico with a growing penchant for international travel has prompted Canadian tourism officials to pay more attention to the market.

The Canadian Tourism Commission established an office in Mexico City five years ago and Tourism BC, which spent virtually nothing on marketing to Mexico just two or three year ago, now spends $250,000 a year on the Mexican market.

“About 13 million Mexicans travel internationally every year and Canada only attracts about 250,000,” Nelson said in an interview. “So there’s a lot of room for growth.”

She said B.C. received about $1.4 million worth of media coverage in Mexico last year, with about $400,000 of that generated by the first Mexican Whistler Ski Week. Tourism BC launched a new Spanish-language website two months ago, which has attracted about 5,000 visitors so far.

CTC vice-president of sales Andrew Clark said Mexican visitation to Canada has increased by about 25 per cent in the past five years.

“There’s some real enthusiasm in Mexico for some key Canadian attributes,” he said. “Canada is considered to be a beautiful country that’s very clean and very safe.”

He said many Mexican travellers to Canada are “high-yield, long-stay” consumers who spend a lot of money — an estimated $275 million in 2006.

“They like to travel in relatively large groups so they generate some very good spending,” Clark said. “They basically stay longer and spend more.”

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

 

The opulent, five-diamond Sutton Place Hotel keeps Hollywood’s famous warm and cosy, while the Opus in Yaletown keeps the rock stars happy

Yvonne Zacharias
Sun

Stride through the opulent lobby of the Sutton Place Hotel and there is no telling who you might see. Name a star, almost any star, who has shot a film in Vancouver and chances are they have stayed here.

Sometimes the celebrities aren’t so obvious. They tend to criss-cross public pathways disguised in scarfs, hats and sunglasses.

But even stars have to shine once in a while. Step into the dark cocoon of the Gerard Lounge at the Sutton and you might spot them. In this venerable precinct, with its English club atmosphere, leather chairs and cosy fireplace, you are apt to find actors, directors and up-and-comers taking in a relaxing drink at the end of the day. Many a deal gets hatched in the Gerard.

But like most Hollywood North hangouts, this is a place of absolute discretion. Vancouverites are known for keeping a polite distance even when the big and the famous are in their midst. No paparazzi here. Barging in would be unseemly. Our northern polite friendliness is one of the reasons we are such a popular place for shooting movies.

At the Sutton, celebrities fall into the gracious, professional hands of senior sales manager Penny Graham who has been with the hotel since the start.

Graham reminds you of a favourite aunt, the kind who can soothe and make everyone feel at home while handling the logistics of the big family buffet, calming a squalling child and keeping the household marching to a perfect beat.

Graham is shy about naming the celebrities who have stayed here, not because it is any deep dark secret but because she is concerned about leaving people out.

She merely points out that the Sutton is the first choice for hotel accommodation in Vancouver in the film and television industry. Its biggest competitor, she added, is private accommodation.

The Sutton has a variety of offerings from one- and two-bedroom apartments to suites with fully equipped kitchens. Still, sometimes the lodgings aren’t big enough for stars who are here for many months on a television shoot and who have family staying with them or coming and going.

THE OPUS

Over at the Opus Hotel in Yaletown, which is more of a boutique-style hotel built to have a homelike neighbourhood feel, rock stars are sometimes spotted having breakfast in the Elixir bistro or in the bar. They like the Opus’ proximity to GM Place.

Consider the Opus, which opened five years ago, the brash upstart to the demure Sutton which has been around since Expo ’86.

The Sutton Place might be king of the block, but Katrina Carroll-Foster, vice-president of marketing and sales at the Opus, points out that there are plenty of celebrities to go around. The new kid is getting its fair share.

Cher, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Ashley Judd, Anne Heche and Eric McCormack have all stayed at the Opus. Moby launched his CD here, sending the chef on a search for gourmet macro-biotic recipes. On a recent Thursday, Ashton Kutcher did some impromptu spinning with the hotel’s DJ.

The Opus is as colourful and quirky as the Sutton is sedate. With its bold colours and basic lines, the Yaletown hotel has both a modern yet nostalgic, retro 1950s look to it. If the Flintstones had been millionaires, this is the type of place they would have lived in.

The hotel’s penthouse, which everyone calls the diva suite, has a revolving door of big names who come and go.

And what a suite it is, with rich chocolate brown walls, a fireplace and a plush, red, sectional couch. It’s posh, yet feels like home.

Occasionally, passersby do a double take when they spot members of their favourite rock band hanging out at the hotel, said Carroll-Foster.

Mostly, they are left alone, she said, although she could recall an instance where fans on the street saw members of a really famous band inside the hotel. They had been practising in Vancouver for some time before their concert. The musicians were kind enough to go outside and give their autographs.

THE METROPOLITAN

Stars are drawn to this hotel or that sometimes because it matches their personality or out of a fierce loyalty. The Metropolitan Hotel has attracted the likes of Harrison Ford, Halle Berry, Bryan Adams, Janet Jackson, Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Goldie Hawn who filmed Bird on a Wire in the penthouse suite.

The hotel bar makes sure to have plenty of Ford’s favourite brand of Scotch on hand, the kitchen whips up vegan specialities for the vegan Adams, and Berry‘s bar gets stocked with Fiji water, says Kate Rogers, who handles public relations for the hotel.

Berry, the star of Catwoman and the X-Men films, has had a long association with the hotel. She has stayed in the penthouse, called the Taipan suite, for months on end. It commands $3,500 a night, although such long stays warrant a special rate. Berry calls it her home away from home.

Sometimes, the hotel witnesses some comical conflicts between handlers and guests.

For example, when American hip hop artist and actor LL Cool J came to stay, he was accompanied by a trainer, a big congenial fellow who hovered in the restaurant kitchen, insisting on no fat and no salt in Cool J’s diet.

Then, about 11 p.m., Cool J would sneak down and ask for chocolate chip cookies, which the kitchen would whip up for him.

What a guest wants, a guest gets, said Rogers. Even when the handlers don’t agree.

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

Some seek privacy but others want to be seen. Here’s where you are most likely to find them

Yvonne Zacharias
Sun

The next time you head out for some fine dining, take a minute to look at the table next to you. You never know who you might find.

Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart, Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Ashley Judd, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashton Kutcher and Kathy Bates are all shooting films in town. They have to eat somewhere, don’t they?

There are a few hot spots where you could easily bump into one of them. Try the Blue Water Café, CinCin Ristorante, Tojo’s, West, Cioppinos’s and C restaurant, to name a few.

The celebrities create a certain buzz the minute they walk in. The staff loves it. The patrons love it. So do the stars.

There is a wide variance in the celebrities’ preferences. Some like to trumpet their presence. Others want to hide it. Some are sociable; some are not.

Edwyn Kumar, CinCin restaurant director, said actress Anne Hathaway was one of the sociable ones. “She was talking to people at the tables beside her and having her photos taken with them.”

All kinds of celebrities have passed through CinCin’s doors, including Aniston recently, Isaiah Washington, Canucks player Henrik Sedin, actors Ben Stiller, Jason Priestley and Pierce Brosnan and members of The Tragically Hip.

“They don’t get a different level of treatment. It just doesn’t exist,” said Kumar. “I think they appreciate that.”

He says they are drawn to the warm, welcoming ambience of the restaurant and the cooking style, which incorporates a wood oven and a wood grill.

Some are dressed superbly, especially the women, he said. “They are coming out for a nice dinner and they look fantastic.”

Kumar said the women certainly don’t starve themselves. “I don’t see them ordering a half soup and a salad for a main. They are ordering off the menu.” And the majority of the celebrities drink alcohol of some kind if they are of age.

At the Blue Water Café, restaurant director Stephan Cachard says celebrities go for appetizers and entrées that are mostly sushi, lobster and fish. They tend to drink quite a few martinis, he said, as well as beer and glasses of wine. They rarely order a whole bottle.

“I can’t remember the last time I saw one of them ordering a bottle of wine.”

Jessica Alba is a regular here. Other guests last year included Charlize Theron, Renée Zellweger and Kim Basinger. Catherine Zeta-Jones was once a guest as were Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, as well as Lucy Liu and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Cachard said they like coming here because there is an open space where they can be seen. Some actually want that. If they don’t, they can be tucked away into a quiet, intimate area.

With an open kitchen, open sushi bar and bar all on one floor, the room is very energized, said Cachard.

The celebrities sometimes order dessert, said Cachard, but that doesn’t happen often.

The Cactus Club in Yaletown is another place that draws in both athletes and actors.

General manager Kevin Banno says the restaurant/bar’s attraction is partly its location in Yaletown. It gets people away from Granville Street, which can be scary on a Saturday night.

Athletes also like that fact that everything on the menu is alterable. Hockey players often come in and order a grilled chicken breast, brown rice and broccoli, and that is okay.

Banno says the big names are drawn here by its casual, low-key atmosphere. “We don’t point any fingers.”

Sometimes the kid-glove treatment gets to be too much, even for the stars. For a dose of reality, they head to a hole-in-the-wall breakfast place Elbow Room Café on Davie Street, where owner Patrick Savoie serves them hearty portions along with some fun-filled abuse.

Even Sharon Stone doesn’t get to jump the queue here and Tom Selleck was once told to refill his own coffee.

Despite his brusque ways, Savoie is known as a man with a heart of gold. He has a rule in his place that if you don’t finish your breakfast and there is nothing wrong with the food, you have to put money in the jar to help feed people with AIDs. Since 1993, he has raised $53,600 in this way.

Savoie says half the time he doesn’t know that this actress or that actor is sitting at one of his tables.

He yearns for the old days when the stars were really big and you knew who they were.

Sometimes his staff gets all excited because members of some big band have arrived. “But to tell the truth, honey, if it isn’t someone like Tina Turner, I wouldn’t know who it is.”

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

 

Motorists will have to pay before they can pump

Susan Lazaruk
Province

Come next weekend, B.C. will become the first province to insist gas station customers pay first and pump later, 24 hours a day.

The transition isn’t going smoothly in all areas.

A new WorkSafeBC regulation referred to as Grant’s Law — after Grant DePatie, who was dragged to his death trying to stop a $12.30 gas-and-dash almost three years ago — begins next Saturday.

“I’m overjoyed with it,” said his father, Doug DePatie, who, with his wife, Corinne, lobbied hard for the law. “It is nice to know that no one will ever die like Grant did, from a gas-and-dash.”

Late-night businesses will also have to ensure at least two workers are on shift from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. or that solo workers have a locked barrier between them and their customers.

And all workplaces, late-night retail or not, will need to identify, eliminate or control any hazards for employees, said Roberta Ellis of WorkSafeBC.

There was little opposition to the prepay laws from gas companies because the change is mandatory, many pumps already include the option to prepay at the pump and gas stations will lose less to driveaways.

But Ellis said some of the smaller gas bars weren’t happy because they will feel pressure to pay a large expense to upgrade their pumps to allow prepaying by credit or debit cards, even though customers can still use cash to prepay.

Chevron spokeswoman Deirdre Reid said the company is “very supportive of action to keep workers safe” and doesn’t anticipate any problems from customers.

But Pamela Peaker of the Aldergrove Gas Bar said some older customers have voiced their anger about the change since she posted notices about two weeks ago.

“They worry they will have to line up twice [if they miscalculate what they need],” she said. “People have gone from yelling at us to storming out. I’ve actually had to ask some of them to leave the gas bar. This is [happening] all day long.”

And confusion over whether member-owned co-ops would be exempt has had customers raging against each other in loud arguments in the lineups, prompting the Co-op to print an information brochure.

Richard Morris, a gas jockey on Gabriola Island, where everyone knows everyone, said: “The majority of people are angry [about prepaying]. They say, where are people going to go on an island?”

But he said the gas station gets a driveaway every couple of days, “usually by accident, if they’re chatting or something,” and Morris welcomes the change.

“It’s just an adjustment,” he said. “They’ll get used to it.”

Doug DePatie, who would like to see prepay spread across Canada, has contacted other provincial labour ministers.

The change will likely make B.C. the largest jurisdiction in North America to institute a mandatory prepayment law.

Prepay is common in the U.S., where laws are passed by municipalities, not states.

In the U.S., stations in smaller or rural areas worry that fewer customers will visit the convenience stores to purchase the higher-markup items if they prepay, and owners will pay more in processing costs for credit and debit transactions.

About half of U.S. states have instead toughened penalties so judges can suspend the licences of gas-and-dash drivers.

© The Vancouver Province 2008

 

Nature lovers recruited to track species in B.C.

Larry Pynn
Sun

Nature lovers from all over B.C. are being asked to get out their binoculars and notebooks and participate in an ambitious science project aimed at mapping the province for breeding birds.

The intent is to compile a long-term Web database, the B.C. Breeding Bird Atlas, from which scientists can track changes in bird species and abundance resulting from influences such as urban development or, increasingly, climate change.

“The big one is the pine beetle,” said Rob Butler, a retired Canadian Wildlife Service biologist who is coordinating the effort. “We’ll see the repercussions on birds from the changing forest.”

More than 300 bird species breed in B.C., more than in any other province. Sixty-five of those — including the tufted puffin, ancient murrelet, and sage thrasher — breed nowhere else in Canada.

The atlas is a way for average British Columbians to have fun and contribute to important science. Butler hopes that participation proves “addictive,” with people making special forays into regions of the province they might not otherwise visit to help record birds.

Forty coordinators have already been named to help organize the volunteer effort by region.

Butler said in an interview Wednesday he is now looking for birders willing to assume responsibility for identifying birds within 10-square-kilometre blocks in those regions.

But any member of the public who sees a nesting bird is encouraged to register online and contribute sightings, which will go to the coordinator in that given area.

Consulting biologist Dick Cannings, who first suggested B.C. produce an atlas two years ago, is responsible for coordinating bird breeding reports in the south Okanagan, one of the four most endangered landscapes in Canada.

“This is a huge and very complex project,” he said from the South Okanagan town of Naramata. “It will be very popular with birders because they love projects that involving birding with a purpose.”

The project is operating the first year on a $150,000 budget, mostly from the provincial and federal governments. Butler figures it will take five years to complete the atlas, with the goal of repeating the process about every 20 years. The specific location of nest sites won’t be revealed to protect the birds from potential harassment or harm.

He expects urban areas such as Vancouver to receive 100-per-cent coverage, dropping to two to five per cent in remote northern regions.

Researchers will also conduct special forays into certain areas, such as the central coast, to visit spots that would not otherwise be canvassed.

While the peak of breeding won’t occur until later spring, the great horned owl is expected to launch the nesting season any day now, with Anna’s hummingbird and the bald eagle not far behind.

The website, www.birdatlas.bc.ca, is operated by Bird Studies Canada.

Similar databases have been established elsewhere in North America and Europe. More than 150,000 volunteer hours have already been put into the Ontario atlas.

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

The device produces instant bubbly water that’s crisp, cool and nose-tickling effervescent

Joanne Sasvari
Sun

I recently bought a handy bar tool that’s so practical I use it every day, but so exotic even the people who sell it don’t necessarily know what it is.

It’s the soda siphon, a gadget that only a few decades ago was essential to any home or bar where drinks were served. These days, sadly, it’s about as common as a hand-cranked ice crusher.

It’s about time for a comeback.

A soda siphon (also known as a seltzer or soda water bottle) is a metal canister with a spigot that allows you to make carbonated water at home by injecting carbon dioxide into it from a small metal cartridge.

That’s right: No lugging boxes of Pellegrino in from the garage. No drinking flat club soda from a two-litre plastic bottle. And best of all, no suffering guilt pangs about the carbon imprint left by shipping heavy glass bottles all the way from France or Italy.

Instead, the siphon produces instant bubbly water that’s crisp, cool and nose-ticklingly effervescent — and it’s a neat toy that’s fun to play with, to boot.

The soda siphon is said to have been invented in 1829 by a Hungarian Benedictine teacher named Anyos Jedlik who never got around to patenting his many inventions.

Soon, soda water was all the rage in Eastern Europe, where beautifully decorated collectable siphons were ultra-fashionable, especially in the 1920s and ’30s.

In Hungary, for instance, seltzer was especially popular taken in a glass of white or red wine. In fact, Hungarians have at least eight “official” variations on the spritzer, such as the “big step” (one part wine, two parts soda), the “janitor” (three parts wine, two parts soda) or the “lodger’s spritzer” (one part wine, four parts soda).

Right up through the heavy-drinking heyday of the late 1950s, bartenders from Vienna to Vancouver would use a siphon to add a splash of effervescence to brandy, whisky or fruit syrup.

Unfortunately, many of the soda siphon factories were either destroyed during the Second World War or lost behind the Iron Curtain that was raised after it.

Scarcity, naturally, led to other options.

Bars replaced their siphons with more efficient soda on the gun, powered by industrial-sized tanks of carbon dioxide. The public developed a taste for bottled bubbles from France or Italy.

And soon the soda siphon was but a quaint piece of memorabilia.

Now with the fad for molecular gastronomy, it’s making a comeback of sorts as chefs use it to foam everything from soup to nuts.

It might be time for it to make a comeback in home bars, too.

After all, when’s the last time you had a gadget that made life this delicious, fun and easy — and was kind to the planet, too?

– You can buy soda siphons at select gourmet stores such as Williams-Sonoma or Bella Vita in Park Royal. The most popular brand that’s locally available is Mosa of Taiwan, www.twmosa.com, which costs $80 to $120. Mosa carbon cartridges are also available at Ming Wo, $8 for a box of 10.

– – –

SODA SO GOOD

Here are three easy ways to enjoy soda from a siphon, aside from straight up with ice:

– In a Sauvignon Blanc spritzer with a lemon twist.

– In a homemade soda made with fruit syrup or, for a more exotic flavour, rosewater or lavender syrup.

– In a tall drink made with brandy, vodka, whisky or (for teetotalers) cranberry or orange juice.

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

 

Better study this now, before you need it

Amelia Barfup
Other

Throughout the year, many people look forward to celebrating the holiday season withfamilyandfriends.While these times can be joyous, they can also provide the opportunity to drink more than usual, which can cause the onsetofahangoverheadache.

To help avoid or lessen the suffering associated with hangover headaches that of-ten accompany these annual festivities,hereissomeadvice and a headache-free drink recipe.

If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Try to sip your drink slowly. Mixed drinks containingfruitorvegetablejuiceswill probably have less effect than straight alcohol. Avoid red wine,whichcontainsnaturally occurring chemicals called congeners. Forty-one percent of survey respondents listed red wine as the type of alcoholic beverage that most frequently causes headaches. Congeners impart the specific characteristic tastes to different types of wine and other alcoholic beverages. Unfortunately, they also may play a role in causing headaches. Congeners are more common in red than white wine.Also, it is advisable to reduce the actual number of alcoholic beverages you consume. Spend time catching up with an old friend at the snack table with a soda or glass of water.

Eat some honey. Honey supplies fructose, a sugar that helps the body metabolize alcohol,isrichinvitaminB6and can reduce hangover symptoms. Two tablespoons of honey on a cracker or piece of toast, before or after drinking, may prevent a hangover. Tomato juice, another good source of fructose, also allows thebodytoburnalcoholfaster. The sugar in fruit and fruit juices may also reduce some symptoms of hangover, so consumption of these products can be beneficial.

Drink fluids containing minerals and salts. Liquids rich in minerals and salts offer relief from the dehydration caused by alcohol consumption.Acup of broth or bouillon, for example, will replace fluid and will not cause nausea. In general, replacement of fluids with beverages, such as sports drinks or water, is helpful.

Drink a cup of coffee. Caffeine may provide some relief in alleviating the head-ache symptoms and decreasing the duration of pain. The caffeine acts as a vasoconstrictor and eases the dilated blood vessels. Consider drinking a cup of coffee as soon as you wake up the next morning.

Take ibuprofen. While aspirin is okay, ibuprofen is typically less irritating to the stomach and can also ease the pain of hangover headache.

Alternate non-alcoholic beverages with alcoholic beverages. Drinking one non-alcoholic beverage between each alcoholic beverage reduces overall alcohol consumption and helps replenish fluids.An easy way to achieve this is asking for a glass of water in addition to your alcoholic beverage of choice when ordering a drink at the bar.

Eat greasy food before consuming alcohol. While it is wise to be health-conscious and avoid too much of these foods in general, this is a situation where eating fatty foods may be helpful. If consumed prior to drinking alcohol, these foods help line the intestines, which causes alcohol absorption to take longer. In other words, a burger or burrito before your beer or Bloody Mary might be beneficial.

Anyhow, take comfort in the fact that, unlike the flu, at least you got a little fun with this illness.