Keira-anne.com

Rebecca excitedly asked me this morning if I’d be willing to bowl for a good cause. Truth be told, I’d be willing to bowl for just about anything, but bowling for Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver sounds like an even better idea.

Mentoring programs help kids reach their full potential by heightening self esteem and enabling them to make healthy decisions.

Studies indicate kids with mentors perform better academically, display improved personal relationships and are less inclined to use drugs and alcohol as teens.

Together with a few other bloggers (myself included), Rebecca has formed ‘Team Blogger’ in the 2008 Bowl For Big Brothers Classic. The idea of getting together with good friends to throw the balls around for a good cause is something I can most definitely get on board for.

On a dreary weekend in March, we’ll be hitting the lanes at either the Commodore in downtown Vancouver or grabbing a skytrain to Xcalibur in Surrey (I think - we’ll confirm at a later date). There are two ways you can be a part of the festivities:

1) Join ‘Team Blogger’ on the lanes! We still have five spots open but I am quite sure they’ll fill up fast! Click here to join the team - just search for ‘Team Blogger’ or ‘Rebecca Bollwitt.’

2) Donate! That’s the entire point of this bowl-o-rama, so click here to securely sponsor me online or e-mail me directly (keira at keira-anne dot com) if you’d prefer to make a direct cash donation.

Why donate?

Proceeds from The Bowl for Big Brothers Classic support Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver’s quality mentoring programs by funding volunteer screening, training and monitoring of friendships as well as fun activities for Bigs and Littles.

P.S. Becky, are you sure I can’t bowl in my bikini?

Being one who was born and raised on Vancouver Island, travelling on BC Ferries’ vessels was a significant and frequent part of my childhood. As a young girl, a voyage at sea was always something I looked forward to, with my family’s trip to Expo ‘86 being the earliest I can remember. My mom has photos of me from that day in my mini bell bottoms, standing near the railing under the yellow-tinted glass on the upper deck.

As I’ve gotten older and gained an understanding of corporate business and the money that’s to be made in the privatization of corporations, I’ve also gained a certain bitterness towards BC Ferries. From 1960 to 2003, it was operated as a Crown corporation within the Province, falling under the jurisdiction of the British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority. Upon rumours of a growing debt, it was announced that the corporation would, in fact, become privatized.

Since that time, service on the fleet has dropped at a rate that’s almost as alarming as the equal drop in customer service. Passengers are paying more, but for what?

I won’t even get into the NDP’s decision to commission a fleet of “fast ferries,” as I’m sure that’s something every British Columbian would rather soon forget.

The final nail in the coffin was hammered down on July 2, 2003 when British Columbia, and the Vancouver/Whistler area in particular, was awarded the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Since that fateful day, this Province as a generalized whole has been sliding down a slippery slope riddled with bullshit propoganda and corporate sell-outs by the handful. BC Ferries are no exception.

As Rebecca and I embarked from Departure Bay in Nanaimo this past Sunday afternoon, we noticed one of the new C-Class ferries docked next to our boat. It came as no surprise that the side of the ship was emblazoned with the 2010 logo in addition to a large illustration of Olympic speed skaters.

As I returned home that evening, I flipped on the news only to see a group of proud Comox Valley residents attempting to rally up the local residents and spread excitement over the pending games. There is so much about this that breaks my heart and angers me at the same time. Little do these communities know the enormous sacrifices being made to bring a two-week sporting event to our Province.

Simply put:

Until I am no longer, quite literally, stepping over sleeping people as I walk to work in the morning, this Province has no business building a bobsled course in the North Shore mountains.

To many in this Province, the games are something exciting and new to look forward to. Unfortunately, few of them realize the reality of the situation each and every day in the very city in which the games are to be held. This Province is failing its residents. Prime examples are everywhere if one is willing to open their eyes.

The closer that February 12, 2010 approaches, the more this Province will be clearly defined by an amateur sporting event.

To simply say that this is a “sad turn of events” is a gross understatement.

Some points for Thursday morning…

Clap your hands and say “yeah!” for Capers and Whole Foods markets. After April 22, 2008, which coincidentally enough is also Earth Day, you’ll have to bring your own bags to fill with your grocery booty or buy their reusable bags. Cheers to keeping plastic out of the landfill!

In 1787, the first explorers came ashore at what is now known as Tofino. The site was named as such in 1792 by Spanish Captains Galiano and Valdez, but European settlers didn’t make their way to the area until somewhere in the middle of the 19th Century [source]. Fast forward 100 years to the decade that brought you A Clockwork Orange, disco music and the echo of the sexual revolution. Tofino was mostly populated by long-time locals and descendents of many of the community’s earliest families. The shores were dotted with lovingly-built beach shacks. It was a sustainable and affordable community. Care to take a slice of the pie in today’s market?

Photo: Chesterman Beach Realty

“This beautifully maintained 2 bedroom beachside rancher is situated on a forested, private .4 acre property across the road from spectacular Chesterman Beach in Tofino. Features include wood flooring throughout, Regency wood burning stove, large private 480 sq. ft. cedar deck, detached double garage and easy beach access. [With a square footage of 1,092] this home is ideal for a small family or as a vacation cottage. Furnishings and art are included in purchase price.”

It can be all yours for only $721,000.

Keep in mind that this is only what’s considered to be a small family home. Beaches that were once home to generations of true locals are now peppered with palatial mansions of the wealthy and affluent. Being that the Island has become a much sought-after and desirable place to live, it’s no surprise that Tofino is one of the top spots for those with cash. What’s most unfortunate about this is that the new developments have kicked long-time residents to the curb – literally. Sky-high prices have in turn caused property values and taxes to also skyrocket, making “home” no longer an affordable place to live for so many.

Tofino is only one drop in the bucket of Vancouver Island’s communities. Due to the Island’s diverse economy, different areas of the island are driven by numerous resources. Forestry is no doubt British Columbia’s largest industry, as is the case with Vancouver Island. It’s a vital source for so many of the Island’s residents, followed closely by tourism and fishing. In addition, recent years have seen vast expansions in the areas of wine-production, information technology and a growth in post-secondary educational institutions. All of these combined with the Island’s natural beauty has transformed it into a mecca for the masses. In fact, the Island’s overall population swelled by 34% between 1981 and 2001 [source].

Photo: palestrina55 on Flickr

Given the growth trends over the last two and a half decades, it seems like recession is a thing of the past for all points between Port Hardy and Oak Bay. Stephen Rowe, economics major at the University of Victoria, points to some possible reasons: “If you look at B.C.’s economy in general and then what exactly attracts people to the Island, I can’t really see it going anywhere but up,” adding that the attractions are endless. “The lifestyle, climate, town size and retirement.”

I am personally no stranger to how the face of the Island has changed. I had been raised in the Comox Valley from the time I was two-years-old. When I was little, the house I grew up in had one house behind it, and behind that, more forest than my child’s mind could imagine. Today that forest is just another sea of boxed houses wound around countless cul-de-sacs. Being that British Columbia’s population has come close to doubling over the past 25 years [source], it should come as no surprise that the population of the Valley has since risen to more than 62,000 residents in the same time period [source].

Gone is the day when Saturday’s big shopping trip comprised of a stop at Zellers before returning home again. Now “The Big Z” has been overshadowed by no less than Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, London Drugs, Winners and Future Shop to name a few. What was once the small town I grew up in has since become the first few glimmers of a fledgling city. There are so many new neighbourhoods that have sprung up over the last decade that I can no longer confidently navigate my way through all parts of the Valley. To do so would undoubtedly disorient me.

Photo: bchow on Flickr

The old saying dictates that there are two sides to every coin, so when examining the gentrification of Vancouver Island, one will be forced to choose a side in the battle of growth versus recession. While it’s true that property taxes are being forced upwards, big box stores are growing like weeds and small towns are being transformed into cities, a growing population and a booming wealth of resources are driving forces at the forefront. This economic growth is creating the need for more jobs and thus more housing. And while in a perfect world, it would be ideal to drive outsiders out and back into the mainland metropolis to preserve the resources we have, most locales across the Island desperately rely on the financial influx of tourism dollars to sustain themselves.

Surely government-imposed regulations would allow for tighter controls on the thickening population and depletion of the Island’s assets that are most certainly not going to last forever. So what’s the answer then? Do we really want to see a cap on growth, and if so, is that even a possibility?

Hundreds of years ago when the earliest explorers first discovered Vancouver Island, I doubt they could have imagined Vancouver Island as it stands in 2008. Then again, as a little girl, neither could I.

The City of Vancouver is making it much tougher for you to be lazy when it comes to taking care of your community (and your planet). As of January 1, 2008, new garbage restrictions in Metro Vancouver will limit what you can stack at the curb or toss into the garbage bins behind your apartment.

Photo courtesy of unity.project on Flickr

The following items are strictly banned when it comes to tossing it in the trash:

For more information, please visit the City of Vancouver’s website.

I still have yet to find a composting solution for downtown living aside from worm composting. If anyone has any ideas, solutions or knows of a downtown location at which to rid of compost materials, please e-mail me at keira at keira-anne dot com or leave a message in the comments.

In August, I made mention of a fast-growing oil slick in the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. The protected waterway, which is banned even to kayakers and other recreational activities, was home to a toxic spill that spanned more than 14 kilometres after an overturned barge dumped a gross amount of diesel fuel.

The damage caused by the spill was, undoubtedly, devastating, but just as tragic was the lack of action taken by the Provincial Government to have the spill immediately cleaned up.

Photo courtesy of makeupanid on Flickr

Only now, nearly four months after the spill, is a submersible being lowered into the waters of Robson Bight to evaluate the scope of the destruction. Victoria-based A-Channel news reported on current activities in the Bight:

A manned submersible aboard the Aurora Explorer freight vessel is lowered into the water above five targets that have been identified as possible wreckage. Pilot Jeff Heaton will descend 370 metres and document what’s left of the logging equipment with a high-definition camera…and hopefully provide answers.

Jim Borrowman, a volunteer Warden of the reserve believes the best possible scenario is the fuel truck at the bottom of the ocean is empty now, with no diesel left in it to do any more damage. On the other hand, points out Dorthea Hangaard of the Living Oceans Society, if there is still a substantial amount of fuel involved, it could also be sucked out without lifting the equipment to the surface.

Hopefully this will initiate a more thorough and formal investigation into what actually happened in the killer whale sanctuary. I will keep you updated if and when more information becomes available.

A-Channel News Story

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Looking for a way to get into the Christmas spirit and do something charitable?

Play Santa for the animals!

Photo courtesy of ChromaticRat on Flickr

“Shelter animals are prone to depression from loneliness and boredom. Toys very much help stimulate the mind and provide moments of joy and comfort,” said Rhonda Sherwood, volunteer co-ordinator for the Vancouver shelter.

Sherwood acknowledges that while toys may seem like a luxury for shelter animals, they offer necessary enrichment, without which behavioural problems could develop.”

The wish list is a full one, with a need for balls, squeaky toys, Frisbees, blankets, towels, food, treats and whatever else may encourage healthy growth in needy animals.

If you’d like to help out and donate, please visit the Vancouver shelter this Sunday, December 16, 2007 between noon and 4:00 p.m. The shelter is located at 1205 East 7th Avenue. [Map]

Please be reminded that shelters around British Columbia house and care for injured, neglected, lost or abandoned animals 365 days a year, so feel free to help out whenever you can.

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And on a light end-note, my hunt for a new and fantastic mascara has come to an end. I’ve long been a user of Maybelline’s Full N’ Soft mascara, but it has of late been M.I.A. from the shelves at my local Shopper’s Drug Mart.

Last night I bit the bullet and shelled out for a pricier mascara, and after using it for the first time this morning, I’ve got to say that Smashbox’s Focal Point mascara is well worth the dough. Formulated with a special blend of waxes and polymers, it coats each lash individually, not as clumps. Yay!

Yesterday I rolled out of bed just minutes before noon and stretched out my legs before making my way towards the kitchen. I filled the kettle with water, ignited the stove and went to look out the window at the day while I waited for the water to boil. Down below on the street, I saw a woman. She was most likely in her 40s but appeared much older. She shuffled down the street in a pair of jeans and a tan-coloured jacket with a coffee cup in hand. “I wonder where she’s headed to?” I asked myself, feeling slightly guilty at the notion that I could be back in a warm bed in less than 30 seconds.

My eyes darted to the left of her and saw two men walking together. One dressed entirely in black and bald-headed, the other hiding behind a baseball cap and a tri-coloured windbreaker. They travelled in the opposite direction of the lady with the coffee.

As my water boiled, another handful of people passed by on the sidewalk below the window that I peered out of. It was only then that it struck me…

Photo courtesy of The Blackbird on Flickr

I finally understood why the homeless population in Vancouver is getting not even a fraction of what they need. They are generalized; they are one face. Instead of scanning a street corner and seeing three, four or five different faces, the homeless are seen as one - as an “it.”

“It” has become a cancer that’s “infected” our city, robbing Vancouver of what some would like to see this metropolis thrive to be. So instead of looking at each individual face, each different story, those in City Hall attempt to surgically remove the cancer by operating on “it” as a whole. Quite obviously, the basics of food, shelter and healthcare are a universal need for those on (and off) the streets; education, life skills, counselling, psychiatrics and help for addiction are only a few of the other resources desperately required and which need to be fine-tuned to what is essential for each person.

However, I also came to another very real conclusion. Those who are in a place of power - the ones that can make the decisions that ultimately control the fate of thousands of very real and very individual people - will never see the homeless as faces. These people are, unfortunately, seen as nothing more than a bothersome problem rather than part of a community that includes each and every one of us.

One of my favourite aspects to regularly blogging is all the networking opportunities you find, and better than that, the fantastic people you meet through said networking.

It goes without saying that blogging has certainly brought Rebecca and I into each others’ realms a little deeper, and through her I’ve met others who are passionate about many of the same things.

A couple months ago, I met her and John’s friend Dave at their place, and I was excited to learn that not only does he care about many of the same global issues that I do, but he’s part of a group that is actively doing something about it. Enter happyfrog:

“happyfrog is a fresh and fun interactive web site designed to leverage the collective knowledge of our community to create an indispensable new resource for bringing about change – in our personal lives and across the planet.

…

Our vision for happyfrog is that it will become a home for a community of values-aligned members who happily enrich each other’s lives simply by sharing information about their favorite things.

For many, there is still a gap between our growing knowledge of the challenges that our planet faces and our ability to act on our concerns each day. happyfrog was created to help us close that gap.”

- From www.happyfrog.ca

What makes this initiative so exciting for me is that I have, in recent months, been supporting the ideas of shopping locally and also trying to stick to the 100-mile diet. I find that there are many, many people out there who genuinely desire to make changes in their day-to-day lives to better benefit this beautiful planet we live on, but often have no clue where to start or what they can do. This is what’s so great about happyfrog.

It’s a comprehensive online resource chalked full of B.C. companies and products “that make our corner of the world a little kinder, smarter, healthier, greener and more interesting.”

Since this little tadpole has recently only grown its webbed feet to start hopping, Dave thought it would be a great idea to get two local ladies (that being Rebecca and myself) on board to help show you, our readers, just how fantastic this project is and how easy it can be to use products and services that you’ll truly feel good about employing.

Armed with $100 each, over the coming weeks you’ll see Rebecca and I sharing with you products and services we’ve found through happyfrog as we explore eco-friendly ways to spend the cold hard cash. Since “Miss604″ has a good corner on the Vancouver market, it’s my endeavour to support Island-based businesses over the Christmas holidays. In the meantime, head on over to happyfrog’s website and check it out - you never know what frogilicious business might be right in your neighbourhood.

Vancouver is a city full of people who differ from one face to the next on a scope much grander than most would imagine. For as long as I can remember, it’s a city that’s become somewhat of a mecca for backpackers and transients who pass in the night.

Living downtown, many faces become familiar. It’s always the same souls on the same corners asking for change with the same lines. Quite simply, it’s heartbreaking. My intent here isn’t to dive into a diatribe about the injustice that is a bobsled course being built in the hills overlooking Metro Vancouver while I’m stepping over sleeping bodies while I walk to work, quite literally. It’s not news to anyone that much, much more needs to be done within the streets of our not-so-fair city.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a young man who was new to the intersection near my office. With him was a stuffed hiking pack and two very sad looking dogs. At times I attempted to strike up a conversation with him but he seemed painfully shy and wouldn’t reciprocate dialogue. On Tuesday, I placed a $5 bill in his tattered hat.

As I walked to meet my friend Brock for lunch yesterday, I noticed the two familiar dogs tied up outside Blenz on Granville Street. I scanned the window and saw the reserved young man sitting at a table near the door. The table at which he sat was scattered with plastic packaging and in his hands was a brand new PSP system. Is it wrong of me to say I felt a little hurt by what I saw? Of course I can’t jump to conclusions, but it’s certainly a strong case of persuasion to stuff my bills in charity pots as opposed to tattered hats.

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Tomorrow I’m hittin’ the ferry to head to the Island for the last time before Christmas. Next weekend, on the eve of my actual birthday, I’ll be having a small and quiet celebration with a handful of friends. However, me being me and mom being mom, her and I still want to celebrate together along with my lovely Aunt and Charley too. It’s safe to say that Chinese Food and a Dairy Queen ice cream cake will be somewhat involved.

While I’m on the subject of birthdays, yesterday the subject of computers came up between Raymi and I. “How do I get a new computer?” she asked me. I said that if I knew how, my Dell would be long gone. A few weeks ago, Duane gave me a fantastic suggestion on how to go about getting myself a MacBook, so here goes:

If I have any wealthy, stalker-type (or non-stalker, for that matter) readers that feel so generously inclined to buy a blogger her first MacBook for her birthday, I invite you to go right ahead. In fact, I will show much appreciation for it by using it every single day. And in doing so, there may be many more glimpses of debauchery between Becky and I, proudly presented by PhotoBooth and red wine.

Photo courtesy of Apple Canada

Sometimes it’s as simple as “ask and ye shall receive.” Here’s hoping, anyways.