THE TALK OF THE TOWN
/What Do We Have For You This Month?
Welcome to The Talk of The Town for October 2020. Scroll through the following features to find:
The Month That Was & The Month Ahead: A roundup of West End-Coal Harbour community news, announcements, and other local gossip.
Stanley Park Notebook: A new monthly feature by Jacqui Birchall will take you on walks about Stanley Park and share stories and news of its many features and attractions.
Name That Lane: Three years ago the City started naming eight of the laneways that run east and west through the West End. In the first of an eight-part series, Lucas Pilleri shares the story behind two related laneway names.
West End Moments: Our team of community photo-journalists always have an eye out for those extraordinary moments.
West End-Coal Harbour In The News: Links to reports in BC’s leading news outlets relating directly to our community.
The Month That Was & The Month Ahead
Award-winning West End actor Aias Dalman.
WEST END ACTOR ON AWARD-WINNING STREAK
How about some good news for a change? On Saturday, September 12 the First Annual NOVA Star Awards were held in Ontario, celebrating the achievements of young Canadian actors. Aias Dalman, a 10-year-old autistic Vancouver actor, won the award for “Short Film - Male Ages 4 - 9” for his performance in the groundbreaking short film Separate Sights.
This short film was shot last summer and directed by Jonathan Simao, an autistic director and actor. The film explores a unique perspective on growing up autistic, framing autism as something that is not tragic or to be pitied.
Back in January Aias and Jonathan were surprised when they met up again on the set of When Time Got Louder, a feature film by Coccia Productions. It turned out they were both cast to play the same autistic character; Jonathan playing the adult version and Aias the child. When Time Got Louder stars actors Willow Shields, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Vancouver’s Lochlyn Munroe, and is one of the first feature films to have cast autistic actors authentically.
This award for Separate Sights, as well as booking and filming When Time Got Louder, was an incredible achievement for Aias, who just a few years earlier had been told by a respected industry professional that “film sets are no place for autistic people, especially children.” Aias had already spent hundreds of hours on set in various independent short films and commercial projects. Unwilling to quit, he pursued his dream and through the support of his talent agent, Shannen McGreevy, and his coaches Kirsten Clarkson and Julian Leblanc of the Leblanc School of Acting, he has found great success. When Time Got Louder will be released in 2021.
Aias has also been nominated for a Joey Award for Separate Sights under the category of “Best Actor In A Student Short Film 6 - 10 years”. The Joey Awards take place in Vancouver on November 8th, 2020.
You can find Separate Sights here and learn more about this remarkable young West Ender here.
ELECTION 2020 UPDATE
Among many other issues, the government’s snap election call for October 24 left the smaller parties scrambling to hold nomination meetings (usually via Zoom) and secure enough signatures to get their candidates’ names on the ballot.
Three Candidates have been nominated to take on MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert In the October 24 provincial election.
Spencer is seeking his fifth electoral victory, having first won his seat in the 2008 byelection, followed by successful runs in 2009, 2013, and 2017. His campaign Facebook page is here. His campaign will include an information kiosk at Denman Place Mall, and his team can be contacted at 604-690-8993.
First out of the gate to run against Spencer was Libertarian Party candidate Kim McCann, a West End resident who runs a small software development and security consultancy. His bio notes that he has been active in the West End community and cultural scene, working with local charities and running local arts events.
Next to throw his hat in the ring was BC Liberal Party candidate Jon Ellacott, who works in construction management. Jon’s campaign website is here.
Finally, the Green Party has chosen James Marshall, a West End resident to fly its banner in our riding. This will be James’ second run for this office. James is a video game developer and musician, playing drums and singing with several groups. James’ Facebook page is here and his website is here.
To refresh your memory, in the 2017 provincial election there were 39,094 registered voters in the riding. Of those, 22,011 took the time to exercise their franchise. The NDP’s Spencer Chandra Herbert took 61 percent of the votes, with 12,420. In second place was the Liberal candidate Nigel Elliott with 23 percent of the votes, at a final count of 5,064. Green candidate James Marshall earned 14 percent with 3,059 votes. Libertarian John Clarke had 1.06 percent with 352 votes and Independent candidate Leon David Dunn won the votes of .53 percent of ballots cast, with 116.
The Conservatives did not field a candidate in the 2017 election and it doesn’t look as though they plan to do so this time ‘round.
The West End Journal will update this post if and as other candidates are declared. Follow us on Facebook for frequent updates on all the campaigns.
DOGS & CATS OF THE WEST END
A Unique Exhibition At Melriches Coffeehouse
There’s a unique exhibition on right now at Melriches Coffeehouse on Davie that you won’t want to miss, especially if you are a dog or cat lover — and who isn’t?
West End piñata artist Meaghan Kennedy has created a new pet-themed show to bring some much-needed joy to the neighbourhood. She has created more than three dozen piñata caricatures of West End dogs, which are now on display through the end of October at Melriches.
A selection (gallery above) of the pinatas and their models, and artist Meaghan Kennedy with her own fur-baby Ice Cream. (click images to enlarge)
"I really just wanted to do something to feature positive things that have happened during this bananas time that we are in right now," Meaghan said. She made piñata likenesses of the regular customers at Melriches several years ago, which were displayed at the coffee shop and, she says, “created a strong sense of community”. She hopes her new show will inspire the same feelings.
Meaghan originally wanted to make piñatas of neighbourhood frontline workers, but found people were not too keen on having their pictures taken. So she decided to use dogs instead, and put out a call on her community Facebook page for submissions from pet owners.
"The response I've gotten has been hilarious," she said. "People are messaging from all over the place saying, 'Oh my God, my friend's dog is on the wall at this coffee shop' and they're like, in Alberta."
"I thought maybe be six or seven people would send me photos, and like, 50 people sent photos of their dogs," she said. "And so I had to kind of cap it at 39.” The results on display have the names and photos of their real-life counterparts hanging next to them.
While there are many lovable fur babies in the show, Kennedy says her favourite is probably her own dog, Ice Cream, a Turkish Akbash-Italian Maremma mix.
"She's perfect," she said. "She's so nice and cute, and I just love her."
"People get so excited when they see dogs, they're like, 'Oh my God, your dog's amazing.
And for all the cat people who might be feeling left out, some feline friends will soon be added to the display. The response was so enthusiastic that the folks at Melriches asked Meaghan to extend her show by a month, so 10 cats are being added to the mix.
Meaghan didn't charge anyone for her pet creations, and she plans to give the piñatas to their owners and pet twins in a physically distanced event at the end of October, with people encouraged to make a donation to the SPCA.
"I don't look to profit from this. I just wanted to do something that would make people happy," she said.
And that she did!
ANOTHER CITY SURVEY
Share Your Thoughts on the Beach Avenue Bike Lane
The City of Vancouver is conducting a second survey pertaining to traffic in and around Stanley Park, this one specific to the future of the dedicated bike lane.
To help residents physically distance and mitigate the risk of COVID-19 to our communities, in April, the City created additional space on Beach Avenue (Park Lane to Hornby Street) for exercising and outdoor enjoyment. These changes to Beach Avenue were part of a rapid-implementation and cross-jurisdictional project coordinated with the Vancouver Park Board’s closure of the Stanley Park Seawall to cycling.
You can review the project area map here.
Survey results will be incorporated into the next phase of the Beach Ave temporary changes – recognizing a broader engagement, planning, and design exercise for the West End Waterfront Parks is expected to resume post-COVID. You can read more about that project here.
It appears that, like the previous survey, any individual can fill it out as many times as they wish, which seems to render any results of dubious value. You can find the survey here.
Memorial to community COVID-19 victims at Davie and Thurlow.
𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗 𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗦 𝗨𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗗
A memorial display honouring seniors lost to COVID-19 in the West End and Coal Harbour was unveiled last month at the southeast corner of Davie and Thurlow Street.
“In B.C., we have now lost over 200 people to COVID. The West End has suffered nearly 10 percent of those deaths" said MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, who was unable to attend the unveiling. Each one of those British Columbians lost is not just a number. They are a person with a family left behind."
This first memorial poster is a tribute to Garry Monckton, a longtime West End resident, who recently passed away from COVID-19. It invites people to stop and reflect on the stories and the rich history of those lost.
“I think my dad would have been incredibly honoured to have this recognition, he was always pretty humble and just did whatever he could to make his community better,” said Sam Monckton, Garry’s daughter.
The memorial display is also a message to the community to take care of each other and stay vigilant to prevent further spread of the virus.
West End Moments
A smokey/beautiful sunset at English Bay. (Mikul Culver Photo)
THOSE SMOKEY DAYS OF SUMMER
Has this been the strangest summer and autumn in living memory? It certainly seems that way. A major challenge, in the midst of the ongoing pandemic, was the dense smoke that enveloped the city — and seemed to especially settle on the West End neighbourhood. It caused a lot of problems for everyone, most notably folks suffering from asthma and other respiratory issues.
It also created some eerily beautiful sunrises and sunsets. West End community photojournalist Mikul Culver captured this special moment at English Bay.
Let’s hope that winter weather calms the fires south of us and we don’t see a repeat performance!
(click image to enlarge)
Stanley Park Notebook
Smoke on the water — and thankfully the smoke has cleared (Jacqui Birchall Photo)
by Jacqui Birchall
The walk from Pipeline Road down the trails into Stanley Park never gets tired. The smell of the foliage, the songs of the birds. A sudden change from city life.
CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL
There is much happening in Stanley Park at the moment. Gone are the myriad of waterfowl. The goslings and ducklings fledged and their parents headed for the ocean and the beaches. The geese seem to love Beach Avenue! Strange to see the shores of Lost Lagoon so empty.
The tree swallows have left their water penthouses, the barn swallows their nests in the Vancouver Police Horse Barns and their other hidden spots, and all the swallows are headed for Mexico, and Central and South America. We will miss their swooping flight, their beauty. These tiny birds migrate in flocks of thousands.
Did you know beavers are crepuscular? That means they are most active around sunrise and sunset. You can measure their tree gnawing activities by the large number of waterside trees protected by wire mesh. The Lost Lagoon beaver lodge is close to the concrete bridge of Lost Lagoon and the beavers can be spotted around there most early evenings.
THE PARK’S ECOLOGY GUARDIANS
A great source of information on wildlife in Stanley Park is the Stanley Park Ecology Society Facebook page. Unlimited information on so many aspects of plant, animal, bird, fish and reptile life. Check their Facebook page here for the wide number of online workshops they give on the many aspects of Stanley Park wildlife.
A new posting talks about a “healthy coyote family” and the pitfall of feeding pups. There is a report that one of the pups is becoming habituated to human handouts. The society warns that giving handouts can lead to aggressive behaviour from coyotes leading to them being euthanized. Please raise your hands and make a loud noise if a coyote pup approaches you. This will teach the pup to fear humans. If you see the coyote family or are able to photograph them, the Society would love to hear from you.
The river otters, muscular, rapid swimmers, are not happy using their energy to make a home it seems. The Society reports they are likely to move into part of a beaver lodge. They love boats and float homes too!
Stanley Park Explorer is a must-have volume for park lovers.
FOR YOUR HOME LIBRARY
Here are two fabulous books to read on Stanley Park. The Stanley Park Explorer by Richard M Steele is a must-have for park enthusiasts. This slim and entertaining volume covers the history of the park, guides you step by step as you explore all aspects and is small enough to always carry with you as you wander the park. Do you wonder where the middens are? Why Dead Man’s Island if off-limits? Who used to live in the park and why? The book guides us through five walks with amazing detailed and fascinating information.
A newly published work by another local author is Legacy of Trees: Purposeful Wandering in Vancouver’s Stanley Park by Nina Shoroplova. Nina calls her book “botanical, legendary and historical.” Much of Vancouver’s history can be found in the trees and Shoroplova has researched why the park has English Oak trees, ghost trees and cherry trees to name a few. The beauty of the forest is explained. Nina was featured in the “Artists Among Us” section of the June issue of The West End Journal.
A fascinating way to survive the upcoming winter would be to wander Stanley Park with these two books clutched tight. My new plan!
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Name That Lane
In 2017, the City of Vancouver started to rename eight laneways in the West End after local prominent figures. Who were these people? Why are we honouring their name? What legacy did they leave behind? Let’s find out about the little-known stories of some of our greatest leaders, activists and pioneers with a new monthly series.
A family photo at Kanaka Ranch.
EIHU & SEE-EM-IA LANES
by Lucas Pilleri
Two of the named West End lanes have a family connection, illustrative of the intermarriages between Hawaiian settlers and First Nations.
Eihu was one of the original settlers at Kanaka Ranch, an informal settlement of native Hawaiians located on the south shore of Coal Harbour. He married Mary See-em-ia, the granddaughter of Chief Capilano. Mary was also married to indigenous Hawaiian Joe Nahanee, at a time when such multi-party relationships were not unusual, in part because of the relative scarcity of women in the community..
Kanaka Ranch, circa 1890s. (click images to enlarge)
In the 1800s, thousands of people came from Hawaii to the Pacific Northwest in order to work in the fur trade and the fishing industries.
The Kanakas – whose name derives from a Polynesian term meaning a human being or person – arrived in the 19th century to work for the Hudson’s Bay Company. Kanakas were workers from various Pacific islands employed in British colonies, with Canadian Kanakas all being Hawaiian in origin.
Many of them married local women, often from First Nations, and settled permanently – including Eihu, Joe Nahanee, James Keamo and Nahu, while others returned to Hawaii once their work was complete.
Because Eihu was married to Chief Capilano’s granddaughter, members of both Hawaiian and Squamish families lived together at Kanaka Ranch, creating the first roots of Hawaiian-First Nations inheritance.
Although Kanakas merged with local communities, losing some of their ethnic traits over time, many British Columbians still trace their ancestry back to these Hawaiian pioneers.
Located between Alberni and Robson streets, Eihu Lane runs from Burrard to Chilco, with a short interruption between Jervis and Bute.
Another West End lane, See-em-ia Lane, between Pendrell and Davie, is named after Mary See-em-ia.
Born in 1838, Mary See-em-ia was the granddaughter of Chief Joe Capilano, leader of the Squamish from 1895 to 1910. She married the two Hawaiian settlers Eihu and Joe Nahanee. Together they lived at Kanaka Ranch, a settlement of native Hawaiians located on the south shore of Coal Harbour.
Lane sign photos by James Oakes.
Mary See-em-ia’s life echoes the story of many First Nations whose land was taken from them in order to develop the West Coast. At the end of the 19th century, Mary See-em-ia and her two children William Nahanee and Maggie Eihu were still living at Kanaka Ranch, but the pressure from private interests and the expansion of the Canadian Pacific Railway were intensifying in the region, starting to shape what would become Vancouver.
In 1899, Mary wrote a letter to the mayor and city council to protest against land developers. “Notwithstanding our title to said land, said real estate dealer has broken down our fences, destroyed portions of our orchard, and taken possession of five-sixths of our land, and they destroyed and burned three of our dwelling houses, and consequently left some of the family in destitute circumstances.”
In the end, the family decided to relocate to the north shore of Burrard Inlet, where Mary passed away in 1905.
West End-Coal Harbour In The News
Each issue of The West End Journal we will bring you a summary of the previous month’s stories in local media about West End and Coal Harbour events and issues, with links to the articles — just in case you missed them.
Hazmat Team Called To Second Beach - Mercury Found In Washroom (Global News / Sept. 27)
Teahouse Restaurant Closed as Staff Test Positive (since reopened) (Vancouver Is Awesome / Sept. 14):
Planning Proceeds For West End Waterfront (Vancouver Sun / Sept. 11):
