THE TALK OF THE TOWN

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What Do We Have For You This Month?

Welcome to The Talk of The Town for May, 2021. We apologize for the brevity of this month’s feature - our platform is experiencing technical problems and some of the stories we were presenting were mysteriously deleted. Scroll through the following features (and click on images to enlarge) to find:

West End News & Notes

NEW FACES AT WECCA

Haley Renaud is the new executive director at the West End Community Centre AssociAtion..

The West End Community Centre Association (WECCA) has announced two new appointments to its staff.

In a major change for the organization, Haley Renaud has been named executive director, overseeing operations at the Denman Street West End Community Centre, Coal Harbour Community Centre, and Barclay Manor.

Renaud spent the first ten years of her career in a variety of recreational opportunities, developing from park programmer at a local wading pool to managing a wide variety of programs for upwards of 13,000 children, youth and adults and a staff team of over 40 casual, seasonal, part and full-time employees.

According to Renaud, she enjoyed all of her experiences in recreation, as “they are such a clear way to give back to the community and implement change, growth, and development.”

Providing fun, engaging opportunities to clients of all ages is very rewarding for her, and she says she has thrived in the shift towards management and supervisory positions which allowed her to establish, build and grow programs and teams of her own. "There is no greater reward than the smiles, thank-yous, and togetherness that these types of programs and parks can provide."

Renaud’s most recent work experiences were with North Shore ConneXions Society as the manager of recreation and community services and at Ocean Wise (the Vancouver Aquarium) as the manager of children and youth programs.

Angela Raaschi joins the WECCA team as administrative assistant.

Earlier last month WECCA business manager Debbie Coulsen announced the addition of Angela RaaschI as the new administrative assistant, working with Coulsen out of the Denman Street office.

Raaschl brings to her new post more than 30 years of experience working in administration, management and finance, including 17 years at Simon Fraser University Library where her positions included manager of administration for the Library and manager of finance for the Public Knowledge Project (PKP). In addition, she worked 14 years for the North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission as office manager and as a manager of administration for Parkgate Community Services Society. Her combined experience working in post-secondary education, recreation, and community services will prove a great asset to WECCA.

With these two appointments, it sounds like the administration of our community centres is in good hands. Welcome to both of you!

Bill Pechet (left) and Bill Richardson have a little fun with the theme of their latest collaboration, Hare B&B.

A NEW TALE BY BILL RICHARDSON
Bill’s Latest Book Now In Stores

As often noted in these columns, the West End is teeming with talented artists and writers - none more gifted than longtime West Enders author Bill Richardson and artist Bill Pechet, who now join forces in a new book, Hare B&B, a charming and hilarious tale about self-reliant young hares and a coyote who gets her comeuppance.

In Hare B&B, after her parents are duped by a coyote who is a master of disguise, Harriet (“Harry” for short) and her seven younger siblings are left to fend for themselves.

Their only resource is their parents’ now-empty bedroom, so Harry and her brothers and sisters open a “hare bed and breakfast.” It is a great success.

Then, the coyote comes calling again, and learns that revenge is a dish best served as breakfast. Truly a children’s story for all ages. And already one reviewer couldn’t resist pronouncing it “a hare-raising spectacle!”.

Hare B&B is now available in bookstores, including online through Chapters Indigo (call the Robson Street location first to see if they have it in stock) and Vancouver Kidsbooks and Book Warehouse in Kits.

Enders is former West End teen Colin Ruthven’s first book.

WEST END MEMORIES
A Hard Scrabble 40s Childhood

And while we’re on a literary theme here …

Colin Ruthven is no longer a West Ender, but Enders: Growing up in the West End of Vancouver in the 1940s is a poignant look at his West End upbringing in the years during and following World War II as a street kid searching for his true purpose in life. 

Ruthven shares intimate stories that describe the hardships he faced during his turbulent childhood and the events that defined his life, some light in nature and others stirringly dark. This coming-of-age memoir also serves as a portrait of the West End of Vancouver as it details the economic and cultural challenges it presented.

Born in Montana in 1934 to Canadian parents who crossed the border back into Canada after his birth, he grew up in Vancouver, left Canada, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he became a fighter pilot and served two tours in Vietnam. He went on to enjoy a long career as an illustrator, winning the Scripps Howard Illustrator of the Year Award three years in a row, thus garnering him a place in the Scripps Howard Hall of Fame.

“Enders” is his debut book and is available at the Archway Publishing Online Bookstore and from Barnes & Noble.

West End / Coal Harbour In The News