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 October, 2022. Scroll through the following features to find (and click on images to enlarge):

Our Lead Story

MAYOR STEWART PROMISES TO TURN ON THE TAPS
West End Water Features Should Be Running By Spring

After months of appeals from a group of West End families and seniors, Mayor Kennedy Stewart promised on Wednesday to get the water running again at three iconic West End water fountains – at least by the beginning of next spring.

The news came as a great relief to Haro Park seniors’ center resident Charlotte Tarver, who has been calling on the city and park board to activate the upright granite block fountain at the Bute and Haro mini-park, half a block away from the center, along with a more traditional-style fountain in the gardens at Barclay Heritage Square and the towering obelisk fountain surrounded by palm trees at Pacific and Beach. The latter two were gifts to the city in honor of the 1986 centennial.

West End seniors, families, and children are missing the relaxing sounds of local water fountains, like this one Charlotte Targer is visiting in Barclay Heritage square.. (James Oakes Photo)

“I was beginning to wonder if we could get the mayor’s attention, but he’s come through in a big way,” she said from her bed at St. Paul’s Hospital, where she is recovering from a accident on her scooter.

“This mini-park is frequented by Haro Park seniors who seek out the cooling shade and peaceful soundscape of burbling water, kids and birds,” Charlotte wrote in a September letter to the city’s Seniors’ Advisory Committee.  “Spending time in this oasis-like setting contributes to mental and physical well-being of my fellow residents, and helps them engage in the social scene with neighbors, kids and other folk. When the water isn’t running, the mini-park soon becomes shabby and litter-ridden. It feels like a dead zone when dry.”

“If re-elected I’ll definitely get this figured out and have it and up and running by the spring,” the mayor said, referring specifically to the Bute mini-park fountain. 

As of last fall, the park board has shut off most of the city’s traditional “flow through” water features, citing water conservation measures. “To comply with City by-law 4848 and the Metro Vancouver Drinking Water Conservation Plan, we have turned off several non-recirculating water features, like aesthetic water fountains that use millions of litres of treated drinking water every year. We are currently evaluating possibilities to retrofit these fountains to use less water in the future.”

While supporting water conservation and the intent of the bylaw, the mayor said the matter must be balanced with the public health benefits of flowing fountains, pointing out the importance of water features as public gathering places and cooling zones – especially during periods of crisis like the COVID epidemic and extreme heat waves.

The mayor told The West End Journal’s editor-at-large James Oakes that, if re-elected, he would put forward a motion at the first meeting of the new council in November, calling for by-law exemptions for certain water features -- like the three under consideration in the West End -- that would allow the park board to activate “flow-through” fountains on a priority community basis, while concurrently moving forward with conversion to recirculating systems.

Treated tap water is used extensively by the city for irrigating landscape gardens, playing fields, and golf courses, and is used generally in everything from car washes to flushing toilets.  As for water reserves, Metro Vancouver’s website reports that thanks to a higher-than-average snow pack and a cool spring, “there is sufficient water in the system to meet the needs of the region for the 2022 season.”

Charlotte Tarver delivering the first of two petitions to City Hall.

Earlier this summer, after a public outcry, the park board made exemptions to by-law # 4848 for other “flow through” water features, including the children’s spray pad water park at Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley Park, and the popular water feature at Harbour Green Park at the foot of Bute Street on Coal Harbour.

The mayor described the issue as a matter of common sense and called for a non-partisan solution by council and park board.  So far, Green Party Councillor Pete Fry and OneCity Councillor Christine Boyle have indicated their support of local residents.

The issue was raised by Forward Together city council candidate Jennette Ashe while she was canvasing in the Bute mini-park beside the dry fountain: “We want them on, and the mayor wants them on too.”

At least 13 fountains, ponds, and watercourses across the city have fallen into a state of disrepair, or have been turned off, according to a motion put forward by Vancouver Park Board Commissioner John Coupar in June 2022. It called for an inventory of water features in the park board system, including a timeline and cost estimates for upgrades and repairs.

The motion was tabled until earlier this summer when the board voted to defer an updated version until March 22, 2023.

“Water features are a prominent design component used in various forms in our iconic Vancouver parks and green spaces,” wrote Coupar. “Water is also used in landscape as an aesthetic element or for useful functions such as air cooling, sound buffering, irrigation, or recreational activities.”

Indeed, during last year’s heat dome crisis, the city’s planning commission – a volunteer body that advises city council and the park board on short and long-term planning solutions – called for more water fountains – both drinking and “decorative” -- to help mitigate the impact of severe temperatures.

“Water fountains should become an essential part of public infrastructure and added to outside of all public buildings, transit stations, etc. Accessible water features should be encouraged as part of multi-tenant housing landscaping design,” the memo recommended.  

Despite having his motion deferred, Commissioner Coupar was encouraged earlier this summer when he succeeded in gaining bylaw  exemptions for the children’s spray parks.

“I thought there would be more work with the city to try and at least get an exemption on some of the major features,” Coupar told The West End Journal, in an article about the dry fountains in the August edition.

Meanwhile, Haro Park Center resident and fountain advocate Charlotte Tarver received a favorable response from the provincial Seniors Advocate’s office, on Sept. 7th.  “I would encourage you to continue to escalate this matter with whom the jurisdiction lies,” wrote Research Officer Angela Eames. “I can understand and acknowledge the value that this water feature has in your community and am hopeful that you are able to achieve a satisfactory resolution.” 

She has received no response to date from the city’s seniors advisory committee.

West End News & Notes

Ben Rubin.

WEST ENDER MISSING

𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 (Oct. 12, 2022) Vancouver Police have advised that Ben Rubin's body was discovered in the Stanley Park area earlier this week. They state that there was no indication of foul play. Friends of Ben will gather Sunday, October 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the courtyard on the east side of the Buchan Hotel, on Gilford between Haro and Barclay.

(Oct. 22.22) The above post has been updated to indicate that Ben Rubin’s body was found not in the DTES but near Lost Lagoon)

West End resident Ben Rubin was last seen by friends and family on September 10. His last banking transaction was also on that date, in the are of Denman and Robson.

Later that day Ben picked up an EVO and ended that trip the following day near Lost Lagoon. His cell phone was located on a path near the lagoon by a passer-by.

Ben is 40-years-old, stands 6’3” tall with a slim build and brown hair. He has a very distinctive deep voice. It is not known what clothing he was wearing at the time of his disappearance.

The VPD file number is 2022-141961. If you see Ben please call 911 and ask for the the Missing Persons Division.

Word On The Street

BISOU BAKEHOUSE

The North Shore’s celebrated Bisou Bakehouse has opened their second location at 1190 Bidwell. The name Bisou comes from the French word for “kiss” – reflecting the delightful sensory experience that they promise their confections will bring you..

Strudels, cakes, pies, crossants, danishes (we checked, that’s the plural) accompanied by your favorite coffee.

The bright, contemporary space though small, with only three tables and counter seating by the window, is a cozy place to enjoy coffee and a treat. And there are always take-out and delivery options.

Welcome to the West End, Bisou!

Owner/manager Kaiyu Lin at 3/4 Full Cafe.

3/4 FULL CAFE CLOSING

After a seven-year run in the old Three Greenhorn’s and Delilah’s corner of Denman Place Mall, 3/4 Full Cafe had its last day on September 29.

Owner and manager Kaiyu Lin and his staff spent their last day greeting, serving, and commiserating with regular patrons, who were stunned by the news.

Lin cited several factors in the decision to close, including issues with the landlord, the deteriorating street life at the corner of Denman and Comox, and a number of shocking racist incidents aimed at the largely Taiwanese staff.

According to Lin the family-operated cafe, noted for its Taiwanese cuisine and unique desserts, will be seeking a new location, but unfortunately not in the West End.

Their excellent food and friendly service will be missed by many.

West End Moments

Milestones

MARY ANNE MacNEILL

IN MEMORIAM

MARY ANNE DOLORES MacNEILL (Oct. 6, 1951 - Aug. 22, 2022), co-owner of Ashby House Bed & Breakfast on Bute Street, died at home on August 22, 2022.

In her time she was an actress, director, and artistic director of VLTA for five years. She was a painter, photographer, a poet, an interior decorator, a lover of travel and graveyards, and if she were to be known by only one thing, it would be her garden, where she met and talked to so many in her neighbourhood.

Mary Anne is survived by her husband of 50 years Robin Richardson, two children and four grandchildren. She and her Robin managed Ashby House for 36 years.

“In reading the many messages from friends and neighbours,” Richard notes, “all of which touched me deeply, I remembered a time when I was pondering all the people that Mary Anne shared her thoughts with, and comforted, and questioned, and occasionally advised, but always supported, that if that was really her life’s work, the B&B being the instrument that allowed her the time and contact to pursue it, then my role was simply to provide, whatever support she needed to continue this vocation”

“Be kind,” he advised, listen to each other, and, in remembering Mary Anne, try to make the world a better place, one small gesture at a time.”

Ron Baker.

RONALD BRIAN BAKER (Oct. 10, 1943 - Sept. 13, 2022) passed away suddenly in his apartment at Haro Park Centre on September 13. Ron resided in the West End for more than 50 years and developed many connections and friendships in the community.

Born in the United States, Ron grew up in a variety of small communities in southern Alberta, raised by his single mother, Kay. He moved to Vancouver in the mid-’60s after graduation from Medicine Hat High School. A life-long member of the YMCA, his daily routine always included an early morning swim at the Burrard Street Y.

Ron had a thirty-year career as an immigration officer with the federal government. He loved music, played piano, had beautiful penmanship, solved crossword puzzles, and loved the movies. Perogies were his favourite food.

A celebration of Ron’s life will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Gordon Neighbourhood House on Tuesday, October 25. Contact his cousin Joanne at joannewiedman1@gmail.com for further information.

West End Street Names

John Robson.

ROBSON STREET

John Robson (1824 - 1892) was a journalist and politician who served as the ninth premier of British Columbia. In 1859, upon news of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, Robson moved west to the then Colony of British Columbia from Upper Canada. Unsuccessful at prospecting, he settled in New Westminster, the capital of the new colony, and began to become known in reformist circles as an articulate advocate of responsible government, for he was shortly hired as editor of a new newspaper, The British Columbian.

His advocacy of devolution of power from the colonial governor, Sir James Douglas, to a democratically elected assembly brought him into conflict with the august and autocratic Douglas, who governed both British Columbia and the Colony of Vancouver Island from Victoria. Robson’s political and journalistic careers overlapped, as he served as mayor of New Westminster, an MLA, a cabinet minister, and eventually premier.

The West End street bearing Robson’s name was known in the years after World War II as Robsonstrasse, because of the European and German flavour of many of its cafés and shops. More recently it has sometimes been referred to as Rodeo Drive North!

The West End - Coal Harbour In The News

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Thank you!
Kevin Dale McKeown
Editor & Publisher
editor@thewestendjournal.ca