by Joy Metcalfe
(click images to enlarge)

A CAR SHOW FOR CANUCK PLACE …

Joy and West vancouver Mayor Mark Sager.

It was 28 years ago on a wet, cold and miserable November 30th, 1995, when Joanne and Arthur Griffiths of the wealthy Griffiths clan, officially opened the giant doors of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

I remember it well, as I was there on the steps, broadcasting my Joy’s Journal live on CKNW. It was such a momentous moment as the doors swung wide.

The hospice was the first of its kind in North America and an unimaginable boon to families with children suffering from terminal illnesses. Canuck Place provides a comforting home for dying children and their families, offering them a peaceful haven and a chance to capture their final memories of togetherness.

There are many volunteers and generous donors involved in this unique operation which includes medical respite, therapy, end-of-life care and counselling for the terminally ill children at no cost to the family.

It was two leading Vancouver businessmen, Kevin England, president and CEO of the England Group, and his friend, Dave Lede , the chairman and CEO of the Ledcor Group, who love cars and kids, who wanted to do more than just send a cheque. With that in mind, they put their heads together to bring about The Classic and Contemporary Invitational Car Show to fund raise for Canuck Place, inviting their money-endowed pals to donate generously to the cause.

And that is exactly what happened last Saturday at the Cypress Bowl in West Vancouver.

This was their third annual car do, which brought out an unimaginable 140 years of automotive excellence. As Kevin said, “We didn’t want to do the same as other charities with raffles, silent and live auctions and ticket selling. We simply wanted to concentrate on the kids, the cars and the cause. “

It was the Jones family that was the focus of the fundraising last year, as their little three-year-old son, Sawyer was terminally ill and passed away just days after the second annual car show ended. In a tribute to the memory of the little boy, they now have Sawyer’s Cup for the winning car, which is selected by attendees.

This year’s winner was a luxurious 2023 Aston Martin, owned by a very happy Wayne Hung…

Jane Gailus and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.

A GALA FOR THE CHILDREN …

Mel Zajac has always been one hot-to-trot Vancouver businessman. He always has something on the go. Most recently it was his annual Summer Sizzle dinner party, a fundraiser for the Mel and Marty Zajac Foundation’s Zajac Ranch for Children, attracting a huge, sold out crowd at the Terminal City Club a couple of weeks ago.

This special evening was emceed by Global TV’s Chris Gailus, along with popular auctioneer, Howard Blank.

Among the happy crowd were Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, one of the busiest and most successful restaurateurs in the country, Hy’s Neil Aisenstat and the lovely Shannon Marler, Hy’s Rob and Susan MacDonald, Colin and Lisa Bosa, Tim and Lauralee Germain, Sherry Doman and a host of friends. Also out to support the event were Gary and Nancy Segal, Davey and Kay Uppal, Chris and Noemi Mackay, Paris Lavan, Bri and Bella James, Devon Edgar, Sophie Collins, Mikhail and Katherine Moore, and Marion Dixon, who is well-known for her generosity in chairing many charity fundraisers over the years.

Also, great to see Chris Gailus’s wife, the bubbly and beautiful Jane guesting at the packed affair.

Zillionaire Jimmy Pattison was invited but wasn’t able to attend. They’ll be lunching together later next week. BC United Leader Kevin Falcon couldn’t make the party either but called Mel to wish him well and congratulate him on his 95th birthday.

Mel’s wife Wendy beamed throughout the whole evening.

More than 400 guests attended the lavish party at TCC with 250 guests at the VIP dinner and another 150 guests at the afterparty with total of $603,000 raised for the Zajac Ranch for Children with Disabilities.

It was more than double last year’s total! Kudos, Mel!!...

NEWS FROM BOWEN …

Belated congratulations to that delightful twosome, Murray and Anna-Marie Atherton who recently celebrated 55 years of wedded bliss! Murray is the unelected and enthusiastic mayor of downtown Bowen Island.

To add to their special day was the news that Anna-Marie was going to be honoured as Bowen’s Golden Star at the Bowen Island Garden Club’s AGM. She has that unique and magical green thumb for creative gardening and all things green and growing…

Just to let you know, the recent ARThritis Soiree at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver raised $790,000 benefitting the thousands of arthritis sufferers with help from auctioneer Howard Blank and media emcees, Colleen Christie and Bro Jake …

A METCALFE FAMILY GOLD! …

Wow! The Metcalfe family now includes a gold medal winner. My grandson, Andrew Metcalfe, has always been interested in power lifting but pretty well worked out on his own without the luxury of a coach or being a member of a team.

Andrew surprised all of us with his uncanny ability in squats, the bench press and deadlift when he participated in the recent Provincial Power Lifting tournament at Trinity Western in Langley. Andrew is 40 years old, six feet, three inches, and weighs in at 116 Kilograms. His bench press of 341 pounds contributed to his capture of the prized gold medal.

When he’s not practising power lifting, Andrew is at his job at VGH in the BC Cancer Research lab. He was recently invited to Boston to a medical conference where he presented a graphic poster on pancreatic cancer research that’s being done here before an audience of some 300 doctors and medical experts. Another gold medal moment!

FIRST FRIDAY AT THE FILM FEST …

Finally had time to attend the Vancouver International Film Festival’s First Friday offering called Chile ’76. This is a dramatic story and an indictment of the brutal rule by Chile strongman, General Augusto Pinochet, who lead a coup d’etat against Chile’s democratically elected President Salvador Allende, with help from the United States.

Pinochet was reviled for personally overseeing several thousands of executions, tortures, death camps and disappearances of the Chilean people. His rule from 1973 to 1990 became one of the century’s most notorious reigns of terror. He was charged with Crimes against Humanity by the World Court but died before the trial began.

The movie tells the story of a wealthy doctor’s wife being asked by the village priest to help and hide a young man who had been shot. She agrees immediately, though her secretive efforts show the fear and anxiety that gripped Chile at that time. It was palpable as we watched the movie unfold, tense and anxious in our seats. Excellent portrayals by the cast, giving us a glimpse of just how lucky we are to live in this vast country.

So let’s stand and raise a glass, sing O Canada loudly and proudly, and toast our home and native land.

Happy Canada Day everybody!!...Cheers!!