Issuu

THE

Shedding light on the communities from Lions Bay to Dundarave

No. 49

BEACON

March/April 2022

Calm after the storm

t was Vincent van Gogh who said, “There is peace even in the storm.” The tranquility of our front-page photo only hints at the recent king tides and storms that battered our waterfront, flooding Centennial Seawalk and destroying local parks. The pier at Dundarave still contains the remnants of logs and other ocean debris, a reminder of nature’s sometimes-destructive powers. The pier will remain closed to the public until district crews are able to repair the damage sustained during the storms. We are thankful for the district’s tireless efforts in restoring our waterfront, seawalls, beaches, parks and playgrounds. In this issue of the Beacon, we celebrate the resilience of nature and humanity, and the hope that spring brings. Photo: C. Stringer

The Seawall, shortly after the efficient cleanup from the King Tide devastation.

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HAGGIS HUNT

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

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March /April 2022

LINDY PFEIL OPINION TEAM

On the road again

Chris Stringer Publisher

chrisstringer @westvanbeacon.ca

Lindy Pfeil Editor

lindypfeil @westvanbeacon.ca

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pennymitchell @westvanbeacon.ca

come from a family of road trippers. Growing up, I recall my father spending weeks each year planning our annual summer vacation. With military precision, in his boarding-school handwriting, he jotted down estimated times of departure and arrival for the 1000 km journey between Johannesburg and the Indian Ocean, using his beloved Parker pen. There was much editing. Adding. Subtracting. Scratching out. Jaw grinding. Cigar smoking. On the first day of school holidays, our

family of four piled into the car with books, pillows and anticipation. By the time we made it out the driveway, we had already blown Pa’s estimated departure time: my sister is not a morning person and I invariably remembered something I’d forgotten once the front door was already locked. But that didn’t matter. We could catch up along the way. It was the ‘70s in South Africa. Speed limits were merely suggestions. I don’t remember my mother ever driving on those road trips, which is peculiar, since that seemed to be her main occupation: taxi driver. She was continually driv-

The tiny town of Willowmore in the Karoo serves excellent cappuccino, but we found no willow trees.

Melissa Baker Creative Director

ing me and my sister somewhere in her little orange Austin Apache. School. Ballet. Friends. Choir. Shops. But for some reason, road trips were my father’s domain. When he needed a break – to stretch his legs or have a bite to eat – we stopped on the side of the highway. Our first stop included coffee for the adults. From a stainless-steel flask. Black. No sugar. My sister and I were not allowed coffee. We didn’t care. As long as we had rusks. Homemade. Buttermilk. Ouma’s recipe. Ma and Pa dunked their rusks in their coffee. My sister and I gnawed at ours, like hungry hamsters, leaving be-

melissabaker @westvanbeacon.ca Please note that all contributing writers for The Beacon retain full rights and that the full or partial reproduction of feature articles is unauthorized without the consent of the author. Personal opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed are solely those of the respective contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Beacon, the publisher or the editorial and creative staff.

Submissions for The Beacon The Beacon is delivered bi-monthly to 5000+ households between Lions Bay and Dundarave. For submission guidelines and queries, please e-mail the Editor: lindypfeil@ westvanbeacon.ca Please note that all submissions are subject to space constraints and editing. For advertising queries, please e-mail the Director of Marketing: pennymitchell@westvanbeacon.ca For all other queries, please e-mail the Publisher: chrisstringer@westvanbeacon.ca All editions of The Beacon (beginning in September 2013), can also be read online at: www.westvanbeacon.ca.

Photos: L. Pfeil The Outeniqua Pass connects the Little Karoo with the seaside town of George, and was built by Italian prisoners of war.

If you are not receiving home delivery of The Beacon please let us know at chrisstringer@westvanbeacon.ca

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hind a pile of crumbs for the highway ants. And then we were back in the car. Our next stop, in one of the designated ‘picnic’ strips beside the N1, was for lunch. Peeling our sweaty selves from the sticky leather backseat, my sister and I and tippy toed across the gravel to the bench beside the concrete picnic table. For ten minutes we swatted flies as we ate Ma’s egg mayonnaise sandwiches under dehydrated trees that offered no shade from the sweltering Karoo sun. A version of this journey happened every year until my father died. Ma was just 49. She remarried a few years later. Her new husband, Patrick, an old friend of my father’s, was also a road tripper extraordinaire. He and my mother went on to enjoy hundreds of road trips during their 20 years of marriage. Pat died 8 years ago. I think the thing my mother most missed – even more than her actual husbands – was the road trips. I tried to visit her in South Africa more regularly after Pat died. Each time we planned a road trip. It was not as wellchoreographed as either Pa’s or Pat’s. And with her growing health problems, the trips became shorter and shorter. But each time,

she baked buttermilk rusks and made egg mayonnaise sandwiches for the road. Except for the last one, eight months ago. She was recovering from heart surgery. We were in the midst of a pandemic. Our road trip was a last-minute decision. There was no time to bake rusks. And I was some-

PAGE 3

story I wrote about in a previous Beacon). Seven months later, Ma died. So, in January, I flew to South Africa again. After spending two weeks with my sister, doing all the things that need to be done after a death, I hopped on another plane and met my husband at O.R Tambo International, where we rented a car, and hit the road. Rebecca Solnit wrote: “Roads are a record of those who have gone before.” And as we drove the 1000 km through the Karoo, on our way to the Indian ocean, the trees on the side of the highway casting no shade, I could almost smell egg mayonnaise sandwiches. Ahead of us were rolling thunderclouds. I estimated the storm’s time of arrival, imagining Ma and Pa watching us from a picnic table somewhere in the sky, dunking rusks in black coffee, shaking their heads and chuckling as we got the timing all wrong. As my husband and I drove down the winding road to Herolds Bay, the clouds lifted, and there was the ice cream truck. I sat on the same little green bench that mom and I sat on eight months ago and licked my twirly whirly ice cream. Vanilla with a flake.

Dipped in caramel and laden with nuts this time. To celebrate life and acknowledge the sometimes-spectacular shortness of it. Then we drove back up the hill, the little pine box from First Avenue Funeral Home nestled between our backpacks in the trunk. Ma’s last road trip.

“Roads are a record of those who have gone before.” - Rebecca Solnit what relieved not to have the smell of egg mayonnaise in the car. The trip was a short one by previous standards. Ma started to feel ill about a week in. But we made it to the beach in Herolds Bay. The two of us sat on a little green bench overlooking the Indian Ocean, eating twirly whirly ice creams in the wintry sunshine. Our COVID masks, looped under our chins, were sticky with chocolate and vanilla drips by the time we got back in the car and headed the 400 km back to her home in Port Elizabeth. I finally made it back to Vancouver (a long

Photo: L. Pfeil An early-morning find on Leentjiesklip Beach in the Wilderness, where we scattered my father-in-law’s ashes 4 years ago.

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4 ANNE BAIRD

March /April 2022

ANNE’S CORNER

Hunting for haggis

anuary 25 is Robbie Burns Day. This always makes my Scot, James Hamish, pine for his national dish. The yen for haggis isn’t limited to one day, however. It can surface anytime. Even in March. “I’ll boil the neeps and tatties,” he wheedles. “All you have to do is find the haggis.” Ha! Easier said than done these days. Black and Sons butchers in Park Royal South used to be a reliable source for West Vancouverites. Sometime around January 25, Peter Black, owner of the popular meatery, would place a few haggises in a cage in his display case. A sign warned, Shhh. Haggises sleeping. This was probably in fond memory of hunting rookies who once traveled to Scotland to shoot a haggis (to the delight and derision of the locals). But the Blacks are no longer there. And the British Butcher Shoppe, once located

next to Ambleside’s Savary Island Pie Company, now exists only in North Vancouver. Loyally and lazily, I hunted for haggis in West Van’s grocery chains. No luck. One store told me they hadn’t had haggis for two years. The very capable woman at the next meat counter I stormed, had never heard of haggis. Could I describe it? I did. Drawing on Wikipedia’s description of the Celtic delicacy, I told her it was made of sheep pluck. “Sheep pluck?” “Yes. A sheep’s stomach, stuffed with cooked, minced offal: the liver, heart and lungs of a sheep. Mixed with mutton suet and oatmeal and seasoned with spices. You boil it for three hours. Serve it with tatties and neeps. And plenty of Scotch.” She turned a little green and called another butcher for help.

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“What can I do for you?” “I’m hunting for haggis.” “Haven’t got any. No demand for it.” Thank goodness, I thought. Then, inspiration struck. “Any British bangers?” “Yup.” “I’ll take four. We’ll have bangers and mash for supper.” “Good choice,” said the butcher.

Next year, I’ll try North Van’s British Butcher Shoppe. Too late, I learned they had three haggises in stock. I could have had one of them for $37. More expensive than a lump of filet mignon! Would James have liked that? Maybe not. He’s a frugal Scot. That’s why they invented haggis in the first place. Waste not, want not. They’re a practical, plucky race.

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March /April 2022

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ROSE LEPIN

TALKATIVE TEEN

The show must go on!

n March, West Vancouver Secondary School will be putting on Romeo and Juliet/The Play That Goes Wrong. A classic tale with a comedic spin, trip, fall and crash, Romeo and Juliet/The Play That Goes Wrong will have you rolling on the floor with laughter in a time when it is so needed. The show is co-written by WVSS drama teacher Julianne Hoyak, and multihyphenate WVSS Theatre Company member and grade 12 student, Rowan Bapty. Julianne Hoyak wrote both the 2021 and 2022 shows to comply with COVID measures, including mask-wearing at all times. Though challenging, the cast members persevered to make it work. “Despite the masks covering half our face, we learn that there is so much expression with our foreheads and our eyes. We haven’t missed too much of the performance quality with the masks.”

Creatives like Hoyak aren’t letting viruses and variants slow them down. “Audiences can expect a whole lot of messy teenage angst and chaos,” she says, “It will be the funniest tragedy they have ever seen.” Staging a show in a pandemic is challenge enough, but don’t be fooled; this production comes with all the trials and tribulations of a pre-pandemic high-school show. “My favourite part of the show is also my biggest frustration,” she explains. “The teenage actors!” WVSS Theatre Company productions stand out in SD45 for the inclusion of a live band. Band leader and grade 12 student Graeme Walkinshaw has played bass and guitar for theatre company through all five years of high school. In the 2018 production of Willy Wonka he was the only grade 8 in the band. He has been serving as band lead-

er since the 2020 production. “Seeing us gel together as one cohesive unit is really rewarding,” he says. The band’s strange repertoire perfectly accompanies the chaotic show. As for this year’s unique choice of production, Julianne Hoyak had plenty to say about the selection process, and the math that went into this Theatre Company course. “I chose Romeo and Juliet because it’s really hard to find scripts that have this many roles for a high-school show,” she says. “Romeo and Juliet is full of young characters. I don’t even know what we will do next year. The numbers for our program keep increasing! It’s so great.”

Romeo and Juliet is also a public domain script, and therefore free to use. Hoyak and student writer Rowan Bapty put their all into this rendition of the classic tale. “We can still mess it up and make it our own; and do what we do best, which is be teenagers and make a messy show!” Romeo and Juliet/The Play That Goes Wrong will have a three-night run in the Kay Meek Studio Theatre from March 2-4, 2022. Ticket information can be found on Instagram, @playgowrong. Rose Lepin is in grade 12 at WVSS. Rose adores telling community stories and spends her free time singing in the District Honour Choir, taking excessive photos of her cat, and performing her duties as the reigning Miss Teen Greater Vancouver and Miss Teen Personality BC.

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March /April 2022

A season of renewal and gratitude BY

Laura Anderson

West Vancouver Historical Society

pring has arrived. The season of renewal is always welcome, and never more so than in year three of life with COVID. It is a time for reflection. And a time to decide what we will carry forward and what to consign to the past. West Vancouver Historical Society moves toward the future with gratitude to the people of our community: for their interest in, and support for, our local history and heritage. This was demonstrated during 2020 and 2021 with the arrival of our first calendar. West Vancouver Historical Society appreciates the opportunity to express its gratitude to everyone who contributed to the creation of Local Visions 2022.

Photographers were Ralph Bower, Jim Breukelman, Anikha Khan, Mike Wakefield, Peter Von Puttkamer, Charles Mayrs, Doug Wardrop, John Moir and Norah Corbet. Contributors included West Vancouver Fire Services Museum and Archives, West Vancouver Municipality, West Vancouver Sailing Club and West Vancouver Streamkeepers. Sales by Home Hardware, Flowers by Nan, Malkin Cleaners, Red Horses, Royal Bank, Pharmasave Caulfield, St. Francisin-the-Wood Church, West Vancouver Art Museum and West Vancouver Legion. Horseshoe Bay sales included Blenz Coffee, Horseshoe Bay Hair Design, Spirit Gallery, and everyone who purchased calendars. Special thanks to Bill Chapman, Barb Hunter, Rod Day, Jean Lawrence, Bruce McArthur, Val McPolin, Lynda Roberts, the Nomad Runners, Speedbolt Printing Solu-

tions, and to Chris Stringer and everyone at the Beacon. It truly takes a community. In 2022, West Vancouver Historical Society looks forward to producing self-guided audio tours of West Vancouver neighbour-

Gertrude Lawson House.

MICHAEL BERTON

hoods, building West Vancouver’s Heritage Landmarks Inventory, and the publication of Inside West Vancouver, People, Politics and Planning, 1912 to the Present by Rod Day. Join us in learning about West Vancouver’s story.

Photo: Mike Wakefield

DOLLARS AND SENSE

The taxman cometh: Are you ready?

lthough the year is young, it is not too early to start preparing for filing a 2021 tax return. The April 30 deadline (June 15 for self-employed) will be upon us before we know it. A little up-front preparation can save a lot of anxiety later. In addition, an early submission to your accountant will not only be welcome, but will also allow them time to advise you. By now you should be receiving investment statements and tax slips. Create an

easily accessed file folder to drop them in as they arrive. Gather up your medical receipts, tuition or training receipts, home office expenses, investment fees on non-registered accounts and any allowable moving expenses. Since the advent of electronic tax filing, evidence of these is commonly requested by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) so be sure to have them on hand. If you received the CERB and CRB, these are considered taxable income. Depending on

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your situation, you may discover you owe taxes. Note as well, that eligible employees who worked remotely could deduct up to $400 in home expenses from their taxable income. In basic cases, you may be able to submit the simplified T2200 form signed by your employer. In addition, companies were allowed to reimburse employees up to $500 for home office equipment—such as desks and chairs—as a tax-free benefit. You may even wish to get an early peek at

your situation by running a trial return using a basic tax software. It may alleviate some fear or at least prepare you for what you may owe and give you time to make an additional RRSP contribution or some other tax-related decisions before you file. If this is not your skill set, seek early and professional advice to ensure you haven’t missed anything and that your claims are suitable. Michael Berton is a retired senior financial planner: mberton@shaw.ca

March /April 2022

PAGE 7

Calling West Van athletes over age 35 BY

Marcus Wong

President, West Vancouver Track & Field Club

fter a two-year hiatus, imposed by the pandemic, masters athletes will once again be able to train two evenings a week, from April to the end of August. The day and time will be based on the availability of the coach and athletes. Participating in an athletics event could simply be for fun, to have a healthy workout, pick up an attractive t-shirt, or as a serious competitor attempting a personal best performance. The only requirement for a masters athlete is to be 35 years of age or older. The masters training group is designed to give older athletes the opportunity to try many track and field disciplines in a safe environment focused on technical instruction, participation, inclusiveness and healthy living. Athletes will be able to try events such as long jump, sprints, hurdles, javelin, shot put and discus.

Skills developed through track and field contribute to improving life-long health and mobility. But health and wellness are not the only benefits: there is also the bonus of a social, friendly atmosphere! Athletes will be encouraged to participate in regional meets against athletes in their age group. This is also a great opportunity to prepare for the BC Masters Outdoor Championships which will be held in Surrey in August, and the 55+ BC Games which will be held in Victoria in September. The West Vancouver Track & Field Club was established in 1995, and is the premier, high-performance track and field club serving the North Shore and Sea-to-Sky regions. Its athletes have achieved podium success at the provincial, national and international levels of competition, and have even set world records. In 2020, in the spirit of the Olympic movement and togetherness through sport, another club with an equally storied legacy, the Hershey Harriers Athletic Club, joined our family, thereby bringing together two pillars of the local sports community. Unit-

ed as one, we look forward to many new podium results and more athletes representing British Columbia and Canada. West Vancouver Track & Field Club masters athletes are trained by coach Adrian Wallace, who has a kinesiology degree from UBC, a doctorate in osteopathy and a diploma in osteopathic Photo: Marcus Wong manual practice. He is Masters track and field athletes enjoying a day out at training in 2019, with also an EXOS perfor- WVTFC Head Coach Eugene Konart. mance specialist, an NCCP Level 1 coach and an FRC Mobility ming, volleyball, football, rugby and hockey. Specialist. Membership in the masters track and Coach Adrian trained as a strength and field program, for the entire season, is $500 conditioning coach under Joe McCullum for athletes aged 35-54, and $300 for ath(UBC Thunderbirds Head Strength & Con- letes 55+. To enquire about the program, or ditioning Coach) and has worked with UBC to register for the 2022 season, please email Varsity teams including track and field, bas- info@westvantrack.com or call 604-961ketball, field hockey, soccer, rowing, swim- 8334.

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March /April 2022

DAVID ROBERTS

Caulfeild townhouses, originally a fruit orchard

egend has it that one day in 1898, Captain Cates took Francis Caulfeild and his daughter for a cruise in the S.S. Defiance along the North Shore. The captain put them ashore at Skunk Cove, where Caulfeild was entranced by its beauty. There was only one house in the area, the pilot house, and this presented him with a grand opportunity for development. In 1900, Francis Caulfeild purchased around 600 acres of land from John Balfour Ker, who himself had bought the land from Nils Frolander, who had pre-empted it from the Crown. Caulfeild paid $22,000 for it. A few months later he bought another 300 acres. He spent the next ten years developing the land, laying out roads, subdividing it and installing a water system. In 1910, Caulfeild retained real estate agents to market the land. At the time, you could buy a half-acre lot for between $250 and $700. Caulfeild kept a five and a quarter acre lot, Block 18, and planted an orchard on it. It

was situated on what is now the 4900 block on the north side of Marine Drive. Meanwhile, John Graham Chappell and four of his sons were operating a shipyard in Coal Harbour at the north foot of Denman Street. John and his wife Maria had left England in 1877, first living in Nebraska and then moving to Bellingham in 1890, where they ran a shipyard. They settled in Vancouver in 1906. Along the way they produced seven sons and two daughters. Chappell Brothers, run very successfully by brothers Ernest, Frederick, Joseph and William, built hundreds of fishing boats, tugs and small craft and ran a busy repair yard. In 1925, Francis Caulfeild sold his orchard to William Chappell and his wife, Celestine for $2,500. William had fought in WW1 and married his wife in Europe. When he brought her to Caulfeild, they put it about that she was Belgian. But her maiden name, Schmitz, was neither French nor Flemish, and she must in

Photo: courtesy of W.V. Archives 1837.WVA.RAH Garden Party in The Cedarville gardens (annual benefit for St. Francis-in-the-Wood Church) ca 1933.

Cedarville, ca 1934.

Photo: courtesy of W.V. Archives 3647.WVA.PHO

fact have been German. William’s sister, Mary, discovering that Celestine was German, persisted in referring to her as “the Hun” and never spoke to her brother William again. Ever. William established a smallholding and built a home for himself and his family. The deed contained a restrictive covenant prohibiting “any tavern, beer shop, or … other noxious trade.” This covenant is found, to this day, in every deed of every house in Caulfeild. A further restrictive covenant forbade the erection of any building other than a private dwelling house and that the lands “…shall not be subdivided into lots less than fifty feet frontage with a depth of less than 120 feet.” In 1926, Mary, together with brother Ernest, bought a lot opposite the orchard. They built a house there, Cedarville, where they lived for years. Mary used to throw a wellattended annual garden party on the king’s birthday, in support of St. Francis-in-theWood Church. They built a cottage at 4906 Marine Drive for their gardeners, a father and son, who were known variously as Chow and Soo Chow and provided gardening services for the neighbourhood. William proceeded to build an Imperial service station, a boatyard, and a small general store (at 4917 Marine Drive). These commercial ventures came about despite the second restrictive covenant, which everybody seemed to cheerfully overlook. But the ventures were only marginally successful. The Chappell Brothers shipyard in Coal Harbour burnt down in 1947. The brothers sold the remains of the yard and

William Chappell retired to his orchard in Caulfeild. In August 1955, William decided to subdivide off the south-east corner, roughly one acre, and convey it to Royalite Oil Company Ltd. To that end he persuaded Caulfeild’s grandson, Wade Toby Caulfeild, who lived in England, to release the land from the restrictive covenant. Photo: courtesy of W.V Francis Caulfeild, ca Francis Caulfeild had died in 1934. The deed of release says that the service station was built with the consent of Francis Caulfeild. This may or may not be true. In any event, the orchard was thus reduced to four and a half acres. Sometime around 1935, William had taken steps to have the south-east corner zoned commercial. By mistake, the whole acreage was zoned commercial. The south-east acre later became the small set of shops with apartments above, that exist today. After William and his wife died in the 1960s, a rather public family feud ensued. Half the Chappell children wanted to sell the orchard for commercial development and the other half didn’t. Their disagreement settled, the estate put the property up for sale for $117,000. Mssrs. E.R. Wieser and G.R. Anderson (of Bramalea Wescorp) bought an option to purchase the land and began working on plans to build a shopping centre. Designed to have 14 stores,

Photo: Photo courtesy W.V. Archives 4020.WVA Chappell family Christmas card, ca 1934. Gardeners cottage and Cedarville gardens.

March /April 2022

PAGE 9

FROM THE INKWELL

it included a liquor store (somebody had overlooked the restrictive covenant), a Safeway, a branch library, “a hamburger facility” and various other retail outlets. The neighbourhood rose up in protest. A meeting was hastily convened in the church hall in February 1971. One hundred and seventy Caulfeild residents attended and voted to establish The Caulfeild Association, contributing $2 each. Mike Cramond was voted in as president, David Roberts as vice-president and Stewart Gordon as secretary treasurer. They agreed to assemble the following Monday at the next West VancouV. Archives a 1915. ver council meeting to make known their objections to the shopping centre. Many speakers voiced their opposition. Even Dennis Walton, the municipal planning officer, quietly expressed concern about the appropriateness of the project. Council urged everyone to attend the next council meeting when approval of the project was on the agenda. Council got an earful. Mayor Art Langley, sensing the mood, backed the opposition and

was joined by councillors Mary Kerr, Don Lanskail, Peter Jones, Jack Forster and Ron Smith. Opposition to the project continued to seethe for a while. Canada Safeway, not wishing to be involved in a controversy, abandoned its intention to anchor the project. The restrictive covenant put paid to a liquor store and the developers finally gave up. Weiser and Anderson then came up with the idea of a townhouse development. There arose a firm belief amongst the neighbourhood that Bramalea Wescorp had intended a townhouse project all along and had slyly proposed a shopping centre to be able to back off and get the townhouse project approved. But the correspondence between the developers and The Caulfeild Association belies this fondly held theory. Bramalea retained architects Barry McLeod and Ron Howard, who drafted preliminary plans for a 38-unit townhouse complex, later reduced to 30. This was less objectionable to the neighbourhood, though a handful still felt the property would serve better as a park. Council approved the Advisory Planning Commission’s recommendation approving the

townhouse project. The developers exercised their option to purchase the property in November 1971. Caulfeild’s original grant to Chappell contained another restrictive covenant on the size and shape of any subdivided lots. The purpose of this was to preserve Caulfeild’s original concept of a village-like atmosphere. In order not to run afoul of this covenant, the developers persuaded Caulfeild’s grandson, who had himself opposed the shopping centre, to grant a cancellation of this restrictive covenant, so that the townhouse project could go ahead, unhindered by design restrictions. The municipality granted a land use contract to the developers, which gave the municipality control over the design. It is now a strata corporation, VR 117. The development was completed in 1974 and the townhouses were sold for approximately $38,000 each. The architects designed the complex to meld in with the bucolic aspect of the 4.65 acres, with the units surrounding a swimming pool, winning an award for their design. Forty-five years later, units have sold for as much as $1.5 million each.

Photo: Photo courtesy W.V. Archives 030.WVA.CAUn The Gas Station (Marine Dr. & The Dale) with Reeve Joe Leyland, Francis Wade Caulfeild and members of the Chappell family, ca 1932.

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March /April 2022

CHRIS ADSHEAD

LOOKING BACK

Origins of the Horseshoe Bay fire hall

he loud banging on the big metal triangle at Herb Thorp’s house, on a hot summer’s day in 1932, summoned the residents of Horseshoe Bay. They pulled the hose reel from Herb’s shed and rolled it over to where the brush fire had started a few minutes earlier. Having dealt with that emergency, they went back to what they were doing before. As the village did not have an organized volunteer fire brigade until 1946 it was up to the residents to fight any fire that occurred and Herb’s home was conveniently located at Bruce and Royal, currently the site of the Horseshoe Bay Motel. As the community grew, the hose reel was no longer up to the job. Stepping in to help, a Mr. White of Copper Cove donated a 1924 Dodge car which was converted to a fire truck. At first located in a neighbourhood garage, in the late 1930s it was relocated to the 6300 block of Douglas Street.

This was later to become West Vancouver Fire Hall # 2. In 1946, concerned residents decided that the area needed an organized fire brigade, so one was set up with Hebert Gorby as Fire Chief working with nine volunteers. In 1947, the Horseshoe Bay Progressive Association asked the district to provide better fire protection at the western end of the municipality. So, in 1950, when Fire Hall # 1 received a new fire truck, their 1942 K6 International was transferred to Horseshoe Bay. Apparently, along with 1000 feet of hose, this represented a huge step up from the old hose reel and the converted Dodge. By 1952, more changes for firefighting in the district were needed, and so the volunteer firefighting brigades in Ambleside, Caulfeild and Horseshoe Bay came under one administration known as the West Vancouver Fire Department.

In 1958, a new fire hall was opened at 6810 Marine Drive. The replaced fire hall on Douglas Street then took on another life when it was used by a church group as a Sunday School. Later the building was demolished and is now the site of the village tennis court, next to the Mary Bayes Rain Garden. Change, as they say, is constant, and after 47 years at the Marine Drive site the fire hall became obsolete and a new # 2 was built at 6272 Marine Drive. This fire hall has a display area for their 1949 International Pumper truck, along with some other interesting artifacts, all of which can be seen from the sidewalk. You can see more of our area’s firefighting history at the WVFD Fire Museum and Archives, located in the British Properties behind the #4 Fire Station, at 965 Cross Creek Road. It is open to the public on Mondays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Make sure

The fire hall being demolished, 29 March, 2006. Photo: Chris Adshead

to check out their hose reel, and perhaps somewhere they still have that big metal triangle! More details at www.wvfiremuseum. com or 604-985-4729. A special thank you to Aime Lehouillier and Jeanette Keller who provided invaluable information for this article.

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March /April 2022

PAGE 11

With glowing hearts, we welcome Nasri BY

Jan Volker

o you remember being 26 years old? Finishing your education, perhaps? Starting a family? Starting a business? Possibly thinking of buying that first house? Can you imagine if, by the time you were 26: - your spouse had been murdered for standing up to terrorists? - your daughters had opened a package that exploded in their faces, scarring them for life? - you had fled the country of your birth to avoid certain death? - you had spent a year in a refugee camp in a foreign country, dependent on others for the necessities of life and sharing a single mattress with your children? - you had traveled alone with those children to a faraway place you’d never seen and where you didn’t speak the language, to rejoin family members you hadn’t seen for years? - you had seen your mother attacked after your arrival because of her religious beliefs? - you had watched your baby daughter con-

vulse with seizures that nobody could explain? This is what 26-year-old Nasri has experienced in her short life. But rather than give in, she has fought to keep her family together and to find a safe home. She and her three daughters now live in an apartment in Surrey, far from her native land but close to her mother and brothers, free from oppression and a life of fear. With the help of her family and the parishioners of St. Francis-in-the-Wood Church, Nasri has begun building a new life. She is so grateful for all that her family, the church and other organizations and individuals have done to help. We are committing to do more. St. Francis-in-the-Wood is part of a sponsorship agreement to support Nasri for the rest of 2022. Funds we provide will be used to pay for rent, utilities, medicine, English classes, food, household items, clothes and more. To date we have raised $13,846.00 of the $34,000 needed to meet our goal. If you would like to help, please mail a donation to St. Francis-in-the-Wood, 4773 South

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NIFTY THRIFTY STORE Caulfeild Cove Hall at St. Francis-in-the-Wood-Church 4773 South Piccadilly Rd, West Vancouver

Piccadilly Rd. West Vancouver, B.C. V7W 1J8, marked simply: For Nasri. Or click on the donation link at stfrancisinthewood.ca Anisa and Ayan off to school. Photo provided

Anisa, Aisha, Nasri and Ayan in Canada in 2022.

Photo provided

Easter Sunrise Service on Caulfeild Rocks

Saturday March 5, 2022 10am - 2pm H CASLY ’s ON welry | women | silverware | je

• NEW ITEMS arriving all the time! • ARRIVE EARLY for the best selection! Proceeds to the charities supported by St. Francis-in-the-Wood Church

www.stfrancisinthewood.ca | 604.922.3531 COVID protocols in place - PLEASE WEAR A MASK

6am April 17th 2022 The parishioners of St Francis-in-the-Wood Church invite the community to join us for our traditional Easter eucharist celebration as the sun rises. ALL ARE WELCOME | SEE STFRANCISINTHEWOOD.CA FOR DIRECTIONS Coffee, tea and hot cross buns will be served afterwards in the spring gardens or indoors, as covid regulations and the weather allow. Please wear the appropriate footwear as we navigate the paths to and from the rocks.

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12 BRIAN POMFRET

March /April 2022

JOE GARDENER

It’s spring gardening time! March is great for aerating and pruning. • This is a good time to aerate your lawn. With all the rain we’ve had, apply fast-acting prilled lime such as CIL product. • Roses can be attended to now as it warms. At the first sign of a green shoot, prune just above at a 45-degree angle. Rub off inward facing buds as you want the growth outward for better air circulation amongst branches. • Clematis can be planted near the end of March. Soak well and plant in an oversized hole with the top of the potted portion of soil and stem in the hole about two inches below the surface. A bit of bone meal in the prepared soil is good. Add some well-rotted manure about six inches from the stem. • Clear over wintering mulches and apply well-rotted

manure to flower and shrub gardens, into the top two or three inches of soil. •C ut back ferns. The fiddle heads are rising and it’s difficult to prune amongst them. By April, spring should be full-on. • Edge garden beds and lawns. It looks so great to see them well defined. • Mulch around roses with well-rotted manure. Roses love this. Put banana skins in the soil. They have lots of trace elements for feeding roses. • Slightly shear back winter flowering heathers to promote growth and new buds. • Prune early bloomers such as forsythia and witch-hazel that bloomed in January and February.

• Evergreen hedges can now be trimmed. • This is a good time to fertilize lawns that were limed in March. Otherwise wait 3-4 weeks between the two. • Mulch garden beds with a good soil amender (pure compost) and top dress with composted bark mulch which should not be dug in. • Some great April shrubs include Berberis darwinii, Ceanothus, Choisya ‘Aztec Pearl’, all Daphne, Fothergilla and shade-preferring Kerria japonica. For a small garden consider small rhododendrons like R.yakushimanum and R. williamsianum.

March /April 2022

PAGE 13

Second year on the couch BY

Karen Hoffman

he days of hoarding toilet paper, bags of rice and Lysol wipes are behind us for now. The daily 7 o’clock banging of pots in appreciation of care workers has dissipated. But the pandemic is still visible in the masked faces that scurry around and in the wide circles we create to avoid passersby. I made two proud pandemic purchases. The first, a winter coat, has stood the test of warmth and dryness when bracing myself against blizzards, snow and atmospheric rivers. Not even a new weather pattern could keep me from that fleeting visit with another human. My second purchase was a kitten, Nickels, who is soft as silk, likes to cuddle and

watch TV. She has been a great companion although her aloofness can be off-putting, particularly when she leaves the room in the middle of a story. I have taken to calling her Cato. Cato was Inspector Clouseau’s manservant in the Pink Panther movies. He was trained to ambush Clouseau regularly to keep him alert and skilled. Nickels pounces when I come around a corner, giving me a fright. But two can play that game. When I surprise her, her eyes bulge, she leaps three feet off the ground and zips off in a blur, strands of fur gently floating to the floor. Did I mention the amount of downtime during COVID? Everyone seems to be finding home projects like nurturing sourdough or making DIY hand sanitizer. I don’t enjoy crafts, but I decided to find my inner craft side while I had the time. I signed up for a doodle class.

I can doodle. I bunched up when I bought drawtried to cut it and the glue stuck to ing pencils and the ruler and then a sketchbook from Opus. my fingers. Then it was paMy doodles looked like I pier-mâché. Anhad been kidother Opus visit. I napped by a todbought tacky glue dler who finished and wire. Warning: the job. papier-mâché is not Perhaps paper for people who don’t like illustration would messes. I don’t like messes. be better. I can cut and The pandemic has taught paste. Off to Opus again me that I am not crafty. Photo: Karen Hoffman – this time for core board, But I do write, walk with Nickels, aka Cato, paper, rulers, paints and art friends in my warm coat, do the COVID kitten. carving knives. Everyone errands, come home and get atwould be so surprised with the handmade tacked by the cat. Life is good. cards they would be receiving. The paper

In recognition of change and sameness BY

Kim Clarke

he gift of four hours between monsoons is not to be wasted. It provides time for an ice cream, a coffee and a friend with whom to walk around the Bay. You only remember how much you have missed these moments when you are in the midst of them. You only appreciate the warmth of heartfelt conversation while walking home, ruminating on the simple gift of a kindred spirit. Just like the unexpected let up in the rain, one of those

whimsical weather surprises that helps you see the forest and the trees. Sometimes you don’t know that you have needed to hear your thoughts out loud, condensed word clouds, released to float freely above the ferry terminal. You never know how quickly the sun sets behind the mountains when you are laughing at the ridiculousness of life. But what I have come to know is that I pay attention to a world that is enhanced by the creativity and imagination of others. That the beauty of the Bay and the bustle of this tiny enclave is astounding and changing.

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We are the welcome mat to the rest of Canada and we sometimes forget that the way things used to be, are no longer. That we have to grow and let things fall away. The things we love are never truly gone. They are simply hidden in our memories until the scent of fry grease from our local chippie stand brings them back. Looking at our home through the eyes of others who may not see our world through our history, but through a fresh optic, is brilliant and energizing, like a four-hour break in the clouds. Photo: Kim Clarke Looking at Horseshoe Bay through new eyes.

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March /April 2022

Life to the fullest interrupted BY

Tom Dodd

ine months ago, the Beacon ran an article about a planned pop-up art showcase by my wife, Sue Daniel, and me. Sue creates large-scale abstract oil paintings and I make wood objects that float between art and furniture. With no travel or social life to slow our creative endeavours during lockdown, we had been quite productive in our Dundarave studios. Motivated in part by trying to keep up with Sue’s growing creativity, I was focussed more on art pieces than functional ones. Our show was planned for the August long weekend, right in the middle of the second COVID summer (before fourth waves and Omicron), when we were all optimistic that life would soon be back to “normal.” But a few weeks before the show, I went for an ultrasound, after experiencing a few months of occasional discomfort. Within

days, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Statistics said I was likely to die in around three months. We cancelled our pop up. We also cancelled our plans to buy a property in Italy. We got our finances and affairs in order. We cried. A lot. We had some tough conversations with our grown daughters, both of whom have their own families and were struggling with COVID challenges. They certainly didn’t need more worries. The littlest grandkids, three and five, were already getting a bit remote due to pandemic visiting restrictions and rules like “don’t hug grandma or Tompa because of the germs.” Three weeks later, the biopsy results brought some relief: mine was one of the lucky 3-4% of pancreatic cancers called neuroendocrine tumours, which are slower moving and give time for treatment. First there was three months of chemotherapy, with lots of ups and downs. A CT

Sue and Tom on a Long Beach getaway, just before COVID lockdown, in 2019.

Photos provided

scan about three-quarters of the way through the chemo showed the tumours had decreased by 50%. To celebrate, Sue and I went out for dinner one Friday night – our first in a very long time. By Monday I was feeling terrible. On Tuesday I failed my COVID test. Because of my compromised immune system, the doctors recommended a full three-week isolation period. That blew a planned getaway weekend to Whistler where we were hoping to reconnect with our grandchildren. For three or four days I felt awful and never left bed. But it only lasted a few days, possibly because I am triple-vaxxed. Now, we are looking forward to getting back to life, reconnecting with family and friends. Sue never stopped painting, although her style went through some interesting changes as our emotional state cycled over the months. I’m starting to get back to my

shop and paying attention again to municipal affairs (lots to watch in an election year). I am part of a grass-roots citizen group working to save Navvy Jack House, an important piece of West Vancouver’s past, and a symbol of the shared settler and indigenous history of the community. We expect fundraising to begin soon – so watch this space. Life goes on. Who knows, we might even get around to holding that pop-up sale this summer!

The Forever Chair, so named because it seemed to take that long to make, even with all the COVID isolation time.

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March /April 2022

PAGE 15

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16 206 - 175 Victory Ship Way, Lower Lonsdale

March /April 2022

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West facing with views of the city and water from this 3 bdrm / 2 bthrm / 1400 SF condo located waterfront at Cascade at the Pier. By day, you’ll see a busy harbour with cruise ships, seaplanes and the seabus and by night, the twinkling lights of the city. You’ll love living in air conditioned comfort and will appreciate the high end finishings including: 9 foot ceilings, Italian Scavolini kitchen cabinets, granite counters, engineered hardwood and Bosch appliances.

This extraordinary custom-built 4 bdrm + office / 5 bthrm / 5935 SF residence sets a new standard in luxurious living with not a single detail overlooked or expense spared. Breathtaking panoramic ocean and mountain views and beautiful viewing decks are enjoyed from all principal rooms and an abundance of natural light floods the home through large picturesque windows and high ceilings on all three levels.

This gorgeous 6 bdrm / 5 bthrm / 3917 SF renovated Kelvin Grove home offers breathtaking ocean views of Howe Sound from all 4 levels. The main floor features an updated kitchen and spacious living/dining/family & guest room, while upstairs boasts 3 bdrms including a luxurious master suite with vaulted ceilings, stunning ensuite and massive walk-in. Complete with two 1 bdrm suites, 3 massive viewing decks, hot tub & double garage.

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60 4. 315 . 2645 | K imTaylo rHo mes . c o m

In the 12 years that I’ve helped my clients buy and sell homes here, I’ve always felt that I’m not just selling a home, I’m selling a lifestyle. When I move someone into a new home, the process doesn’t end with me handing them the keys; I’m involved in connecting them with their new community - my community. I was fortunate to grow up in Eagle Harbour and my husband, in Horseshoe Bay. Our son and daughter learn in the same classrooms that we did at Gleneagles - it doesn’t get more local than that. Since childhood I’ve been familiar with the trails, parks and beaches that my family enjoys today. I feel very fortunate to have fashioned a successful career doing what I love to do in this beautiful area I call home and I would love to help your family buy or sell the West Coast dream… because I believe it is. Cheers,