Involvement, engagement, collaboration, and leadership, these are the terms that describe Barb, a director of the Kerrisdale Community Centre Society.  She is a retired educator and during her 32 year career in Vancouver, she taught primary and intermediate students and coached youth in volleyball, badminton, softball, track and field, also Odyssey of the Mind teams (provincial winner). Barb currently serves as a Director on the Board of the BC Retired Teachers Association, chair of the BCRTA Heritage Committee, member of the Finance Committee and has served on the Membership committee and Health and Housing committees. She is a BCRTA delegate to BC Teachers Federation AGM, and represents them on the Board of BC FORUM (Federation of Retired Union Members). She is past president of the Vancouver branch of the BC Retired Teachers Association. Through COSCO (Council of Senior Citizens Organization of BC) Barb serves as General Vice-President and Housing Committee Chair and Strategic Planning committee member.  Barb is a facilitator for the COSCO Wellness Institute and regularly presents workshops on health issues to seniors groups in the Lower Mainland. She contributes articles to: Postscript, COSCO News, NPF newsletter and Vancouver Tabloid. Barb served on the planning committee for the recent COSCO 2016 conference, held in September, 2016. At the NPF (National Pensioners Federation) AGM in September, 2016 she presented an ‘Action Plan for Housing’ as chair of the Housing committee.  This followed the national ‘Housing Policy’ paper which she prepared, and was adopted at the NPF convention last year in Ottawa. Barb also served on the action committee for Canada ‘Healthcare Declaration’ which is endorsed by groups across Canada. Locally she is on the Board of the Metro Vancouver Cross Cultural Senior Network and has served as their secretary. This group won the SFU...

By Lara Boleslawsky Photograph by Raine Gauthier What does the word ‘community’ mean to you? Initially, the question poses a daunting task: putting into words the magnitude of emotion, passion and dedication that is held by the diverse individuals that are a part of that community. Nonetheless, it was a question I posed to Kerrisdale local, Doloris Hyrnkiw, and her response triggered a discussion probing into the concepts of ‘safety’ and ‘isolation’ and their relationship to the building blocks of society and the relatively uncharted territory of community engagement. [Our conversation left a sincere impression on me, and I felt myself inspired by Doloris’ story. Not only was I able to reflect upon my own life thus far, but our interview left me to ponder how I myself might answer the question I so often posed to my interviewees.] Doloris’ background, working with disabled and disadvantaged youth has given her the profound ability to tap into the role of emotion in the creation of a healthy and sustainable community. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Doloris began her career in social development in high school. Having been asked to work at a Special Needs School in her mid-teens, Doloris credits this experience as having been the spark for her determined efforts to increase awareness of the role of isolation in the hindrance of social development.  “The institution was quite sad,” Doloris recalls, remembering that children were kept in big warehouse, like buildings in small rooms with locks on the other side of the city, effectively isolating them from the daily rumblings of metropolitan life.  “I remember reading an article by Wolfensberger [a prominent German sociologist], saying, you know, that ‘people should have a normal life. So I became an advocate at 17, when I went...

By Anonymous Photos by Noriko Nasu-Tidball Tony Tabarsi is a husband, a father and a respected pharmacist, who has been living and practicing in the Kerrisdale area for more than 20 years. Southland Pharmacy, serving the Dunbar-Southland neighborhood and beyond, is a successful pharmacy owned and managed by Tony for more than two decades. He is also an active community volunteer and has been teaching at English classes for the new immigrant population for over 10 years, without pay. However, Tony’s road to success, as you may be surprised to learn, has not been the smoothest of roads. Going back in time to the decade of bell-bottoms and disco, Tony was a young bright high-school student in the graduating class of 1976 in his home country of Iran. Although he had applied to and gotten accepted at the University of Tehran’s school of medicine, he was later refused a seat simply because of his less conventional religious faith. Disappointed yet determined, Tony saw no choice but to archive his first university acceptance letter and follow to embark on a journey to the Philippines in the hopes of realizing his dreams of higher education in the health care field. Although not happy with the quality of the education he was receiving, Tony was enrolled in a Dentistry program for three years in the Philippines until the new, post-1979 revolution government of Iran, ordered that Iranians studying abroad including Tony, return to the country immediately. Afraid of religious persecution upon returning, Tony decided to seek asylum at the Philippines’ office of the United Nations in Manila. More than midway into his studies in the Philippines, Tony was yet again moving; only this time, he was preparing for life as a refugee with a one-way ticket to...

  By Maya Reisz Photo Courtesy of Kitsilano Neighbourhood House     YEA? The Youth Evening of Arts was mini arts festival planned and presented by Westside Youth, ages 10-25, as part of the grand re-opening celebration for The Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. Over the course of 6 months, 52 youth were involved as committee members, performing artists and general volunteers, making it a unique for-youth-by-youth experience. At the event itself, 40 youth volunteered, 18 performed, 11 learned to speed paint and 8 participated in the live speed painting competition. 72 pieces of artwork were displayed in the youth designed gallery, not including the geometric art installation representing 150 individual pieces from Westside community members.                 Dear Reader,   I took a big chance last May. With no experience in program planning, I created the Youth Evening of Arts for Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. Why? In the aftermath, I can rationalize it as:   I was inspired by Kit’s houses’ history of community led programming. I wanted to do work that felt meaningful. I thought it would be fun to work with a bunch of young artists. Someone needed to do it. Why not?    Truly, at the time I accepted the offer, I just had a strong gut feeling, one that tickled my imagination and catalyzed my heartbeat. I felt the possibility and wanted to see it happen. Mary Bennet, the celebration planner, gave me complete creative control and a shoulder to lean on. So, I dedicated six months of my life to a possibility, witnessing frustrating moments in juxtaposition with creative successes and a host of tiny miracles. Now, I carry with me a sublime feeling of nurturing a notion I held on my own into a vibrant success shared by many....

  Interviewed by Keiko Honda Lee Van Horn was born in November, 1939 into a large German and Irish Catholic community in Kansas City, MO. Because the US would soon be involved in WWII, and then men would be off to war, he and his mother moved into his grandparents home along with a variety of Aunt and cousins. It was a very safe and warm life for a young child. Lee continued to live in KC until he was 17 when he spent time in the US Army. Then it was off to University. Lee attended University at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. As he was always told by his father to “get an education,” he took this opportunity very seriously and got a triple major in literature, philosophy and social studies and a double minor in education and theology. He graduated cum laude. Lee the moved to Mpls, MN to teach in a local high school. Very early on he was selected to Chair the English department and to coach the tennis team. He also founded the second guidance and counseling center in the State of Minnesota. As a coach Lee’s team won two State tennis championships. This was also the beginning of a life long involvement in social issues. After all it was the 60’s. Lee became very interested in working with the youth of the city of Mpls and was eventually awarded the “Contact” award for outstanding work among the youth of the city. Lee was involved at the time in the anti-Vietnam war efforts counseling youth not to sign up for the war. He was not always successful in this effort and had a few students he taught in high school die int he war. Feeling a need for...

By Aryan Etesami Photo courtesy Craig Lee For this month’s issue, I am very excited to introduce to my dear readers an intelligent and hard-working young man: Craig Lee. Craig who is currently in his late 20’s, was born in Richmond, BC and raised in the Surrey area for most of his childhood. After graduating from high school, Craig entered the Criminology program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University with the intention of becoming a police officer in the RCMP, but soon realized that his true passion in life lied elsewhere. Craig left the Criminology program and decided to make the transfer to Simon Fraser University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2012. Having always been complimented on his superb listening skills, Craig just knew he wanted to a therapist ever since the age of 12! After earning his undergraduate degree, Craig went on to gain his first real Counselling experience through volunteering at a crisis line in Surrey, while also helping a child with autism over the period of year. Convinced he wanted to pursue a career in Counselling, he began sending out applications to those Graduate schools that resonated with him the most, and finally came to choose Adler’s School of Professional Psychology to further his formal education in the field. Craig admired Alfred Adler’s (whom Craig’s chosen graduate school was named after) ideals of community contribution and social interest, and set it out for himself to follow in his footsteps. He initially entered the Masters of Counselling Psychology program and shortly after, Craig was co-facilitating a support group consisting of 10 women in the North Vancouver area, as part of his community service practicum and working alongside a professional Art Therapist, Dr. Duanita Eleniak. Within a year into...

By Aryan Etesami Photos courtesy of Leigh Boyle   Sometimes all that’s needed to make you happy is a nicely done manicure! And the best person to attest to this statement is no one but an ambitious woman named Leigh Boyle. Leigh is 26 years old and although born and raised in North Vancouver, has finished all of her school years up to the 12th grade at Crofton House School here in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood. She holds her Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree from Trinity Western University and is currently working as a fundraiser at Union Gospel Mission on the downtown eastside. What sets Leigh apart from a typical, working university-graduate however is that she is the founder of a successful non-profit, volunteer-based society called the Lip Stick Project. After graduating from university, Leigh travelled to Swaziland, South Africa for an internship and later to Ethiopia to work as a communications officer. Soon after however, she started to feel very lonely working a routine job and being unable to effectively communicate due to the language barrier. As a coping strategy, Leigh started volunteering with a local women’s hospital, where she encountered many women living with a painful condition common in some developing countries, called Obstetric Fistula. Limited by communication difficulties, she surprisingly came to realize the best way to bring some happiness into the lives of these women may be nothing else but a good old manicure! When she later returned home from Africa, Leigh was encouraged by friends and family to re-establish the same practice within our healthcare system here in Vancouver; and that marks how the Lip Stick Project finally came to life. Today, men, women and children facing challenging health-related situations at local hospices and hospitals, have been receiving professional grade...

By Katja De Bock Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball  When Tony Bulic is out on patrol canvassing Kerrisdale’s streets for suspicious activity, more often than not someone will come out and thank him for his work. That’s no surprise, really, as Bulic has been a well-known face in the community even before he took on the job of Executive Director of Kerrisdale Oakridge Marpole Community Policing Centre (KOM CPC).   Bulic, 40, was born and raised in Vancouver as the son of Croatian immigrants. As his father was a builder, the family moved around a few times, before settling in Kerrisdale, where Bulic visited Kerrisdale Elementary. He continued his education at Vancouver College and took a leadership course at BCIT.   Bulic says he has strong roots in Kerrisdale and was pleased to grow up in such a family-friendly environment with all the great amenities and parks.   “I don’t think there was a block in Kerrisdale that didn’t have 10, 15 kids when I was growing up,” he says. “It was a very positive, energizing place. We didn’t need fitness centres to get in shape, we just went outside and the kids were there.”   As a citizen of both Canada and Croatia, Bulic had to attend one year of military service in his ancestral country and left in 1998. It was after the Balkan war and just before the Kosovo crisis.   “It was a real honour to serve,” says Bulic, who speaks Croation fluently and stayed away from Vancouver for 1.5 years. “Croatia is a beautiful, peaceful country, part of NATO and the European Union. They are always looking to assist other countries on peace missions.” It’s this pride of the successful transition from war to peace and prosperity in Croatia that inspired...

By Haley Cameron Photos by Noriko Nasu-Tidball Reverend Jeremy Clark-King, priest at St. Mary’s Anglican Church, barely hesitates when I ask if there’s a specific verse that inspires him on a daily basis. “The glory of God is a human being fully alive,” he recites, before admitting right away that it isn’t actually a biblical excerpt. The line comes instead from Saint Iraneus, a second century theologian. “John 10:10 is practically the same thing,” he offers, ready to provide the biblical version he knew I would be expecting. “I’ve come that you may have life, and have it abundantly.”   It strikes me as surprising that Rev. Jeremy’s first instinct isn’t a biblical reference, but I quickly learn to abandon all expectations when it comes to St. Mary’s. The century-old building that would appear in all ways conservatively traditional from the exterior proves to be impressively open-minded, progressive, and ultimately welcoming within its stained glass doors.   Perhaps this progressive nature shouldn’t be so unexpected. The Church of England acquired autonomy in the sixteenth century, when the country broke free of Papal association and instead combined Catholic and Protestant practices to produce a new branch of Christianity. A somewhat rebellious inauguration, this set the precedent for an opinionated religion that encouraged critical thinking and welcomed modernity. As Jeremy outlines, “We take the Bible seriously, but not literally. We learn from past successes and failures and place a high value on reason.”   As we spend some time covering the basics of the Anglican Church, for instance the correct terminology for Sunday congregations (service, Holy Eucharist, or Communion, he tells me), Rev. Jeremy mentions that one of the ministers on staff until recently is female. Female ordination isn’t the only surprise of this Christian offspring....

By Haley Cameron Photos by Noriko Nasu-Tidball   When I walked into The Arthritis Society Learning Centre in the Mary Pack Arthritis Centre, at West 10th Avenue and Laurel Street, I was met by two welcoming women who were more than happy to be at the office after hours for the opportunity to spread the word about their work. As an introduction to what that work entails, Linda Freisen, Health Education and Learning Centre Coordinator, opened a book to picture of a bed-bound young boy with unnaturally inflamed joints holding together a skeletal frame.   The MPAC began in 1945 as the vision of Mary Pack, an empathetic and innovative schoolteacher, Linda explained. The young Rheumatoid Arthritis victim depicted in Linda’s book was a student of Mary’s who inspired her to take on the cause singlehandedly 65 years ago. “Mary basically put on a uniform and went to battle for Arthritis,” Linda tells me. Joined by Joanna Li, Manager of Education and Services, the two ladies described how far we’ve already come in terms of managing the evasive disease. “Thanks to her we’ll never again see a case as bad as this,” Linda motions back towards the book. “Is there still a long way to go? Absolutely.” These days it is Linda, Joanna, their co-workers, and a mass of volunteers who don the same uniform and continue Mary’s fight.   When Mary Pack first took on this cause over half a century ago, there was very little support in place for those suffering from Arthritis. Without disability pension or medical coverage only marginal welfare existed to help those affected. Working with a team of local health care providers, Mary constructed a one-stop shop Arthritis patient program, which has since become an international model for...

An Invitation by artist Judith M. Atkinson   Interview by Katja De Bock Photographs courtesy of Judith M. Atkinson     In the 2006 memoir “Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia,” writer Elizabeth Gilbert chronicled her trip around the world after a nasty divorce. The 2010 film version with Julia Roberts emphasized the healing effect a prolonged stay in Italy can have can have on one’s soul. Remember how Julia Roberts gradually looked better after eating innumerable meals of great Italian food? Though she never refers to the book or the film, Port Moody artist Judith M. Atkinson has a similar happy look on her face when she speaks about her recent stay in Italy. Leading a Tuscany tour with a group of local arts students for Langara College last September has left Atkinson itching to do more work. “Art washes away the dust of everyday life,” Atkinson quotes one of her icons, Pablo Picasso. Getting re-inspired by visiting cities like Florence and Cortona, seeing great works by Etruscan, Roman, Renaissance and Baroque artists, as well as reflecting on golden-coloured landscapes and eating fantastic food, was achieved by the trip. Marilyn Bowman, a retired psychology professor at SFU, was one of the enrolled students. After three years of practicing arts at the Kerrisdale Community Centre with instructorGeorgia Youngs, she was eager to try a new painting experience. “It was a wonderful opportunity to try a few new techniques I’d never done before, like water colours and sketches,” she says. “Judith is a warm person. She really wants people to be happy,” Bowman adds. “As a teacher, she has a good eye of what is going to happen in a painting and where are the parts that need improvement.” Bowman returned...

“On Kindness” An Interview with Brock Tully By Katja De Bock Photos: Noriko Nasu-Tidball After cycling 50,000 kilometres through North America and organizing 12 major concerts, Brock Tully’s journey to his spiritual self is ongoing. The Vancouver peace activist and public speaker with the landmark moustache sat down with Kerrisdale Playbook editor-in-chief Keiko Honda and reporter Katja De Bock to speak about the world’s need for affection and his new book The Great Gift, a collection of reflections from the heart. The book launch was celebrated on October 28 with a Kindness Sings concert at Unity Theatre. The concert featured remarkable Canadian artists like Métis singer Andrea Menard and 14-year old Cole Armour, who both evoked standing ovations. “It’s unselfish to be selfish” Though he is keen on getting the word out about his books, Tully seems to be free from striving for material success. “My only goal, really, is to be connected to my heart,” Tully says. “That’s a full time job, because I lose connection all the time . . . What it means is to be selfish about doing what makes me happy.” His upbringing in a well-off, but emotionally cold West Vancouver family almost brought him down, before it enlightened him. As a young man, Tully struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts. However, he managed to fight his demons by cycling through North America three times, the first time in 1970, spreading the message of kindness. “Depression is really positive to me, because it is a signal to me that something is going on in my life that I need to look at,” Tully says, adding this applies to anger, too. “We avoid it, and become time bombs. Whereas I think anger is the connection to my deeper spiritual self.” “I don’t...

OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD GARDEN PARTY held at the Kerrisdale Community Garden Angus Drive & West 60th Ave. Reported by Alison Verghese (KCCS Board Member) On Saturday August 24, the Kerrisdale Community Garden hosted their first  Neighbourhood Garden Party, courtesy of a grant from the Vancouver Foundation’s Neighbourhood Small Grants. Let’s recount the splendors of summer and share a moment with Kerrisdale neighbours, residents and local businesses in one of Vancouver’s most successful community gardens. Part 1: Kerrisdale Community Gardeners proudly show off the “fruits of their labour”. Video is missing. Part II: Let’s continue to enjoy the hidden treasures at the Kerrisdale Community Garden in their “fields of gold”… Video is missing. This event was brought to you by the members of the Kerridale Community Garden and supported by the Kerrisdale Community Centre (KCC) and Kerrisdale Community Centre Society...

The Okanagan – More than Peaches and Beaches By Katja De Bock Kerrisdale Playbook Contributing Writer When Kerrisdale Playbook editor-in-chief Keiko Honda suggested an article about my summer stay in the Okanagan, I found myself in a dilemma. The Kerrisdale Playbook is a local blog, and its readers are people who live in, and love Kerrisdale. Would they be interested in reading a piece about peaches and beaches, glowing hills covered by orchards and cool, but never cold lakes? Would they be offended by the revelation that my summer in the Okanagan was the best Canadian summer I’ve had, so far –incomparable to overcast, rainy summers in Dunbar-Southlands and Kerrisdale? I was relieved to hear that Vancouver was blessed with a wonderful summer this year, so there is no need for me to be smug and for you to feel rejected. And I bet most of you who have visited the Okanagan are equally enchanted as I was. After graduation from journalism school earlier this year, I decided to find a summer internship at a media outlet in the Okanagan, to try and find out if I would like living there. I grew up in a small town, but I have lived in large cities for most of my life. I was lucky to find a niche publication, which suited me perfectly. Mokeham Publishing Inc. in Penticton serves Dutch expats and their descendants in North America with two remarkable publications: bimonthly, English-language Dutch the magazine and a monthly Dutch-language newspaper De Krant. Finding a place to stay during the peak of summer was more challenging. Pentictonites are not ashamed to ask for $400 a day (!) for an apartment and at least $100 and up for a B&B room. Thanks to Castanet, I found a wonderful and affordable attic apartment right...

By Raffi Wineburg Dr. V Setty Pendakur takes his first sip of tea, momentarily mulls its taste, and then launches into discussion without prompt from a question. We had met a block from his Yaletown home on the silver-tabled patio of Sciue Italian Bakery. I arrived early to scope him out. But somehow he materialized from nowhere, introducing himself with a firm hand-shake. Dr. Pendakur, Professor Emeritus at UBC, is a highly distinguished academic, urban planner, and international planning consultant. His numerous online biographies—without much for personal detail—tell the story of a busy man. He’s advised governments (Canada, China and Singapore to name a few), been a visiting professor at over 20 institutions across the world, and cycled through service on all the important sounding nouns for distinguished groups of people (boards, councils, commissions, foundations, associations…) He’s bald on top with patches of wispy-white curly hair that stick out from the sides. Born in India, his accent remains thick, sometimes audibly rolling his r’s for a half-second at a time. The accent only adds to his already forceful style of speech. A former politician (Vancouver City Council), it shows in conversation—not in the negative knee-jerk manner we react to ‘politician’ but by virtue of his unfaltering eloquence. Whole paragraphs come out a time as if he had prepared each word before-hand. He’s a politician without the nonsense, answering questions directly, honestly. At times, Dr. Pendakur makes a bold statement, or asks a question which I hope is rhetorical, reclines in his chair from his forward angled position to take a quick rest—perhaps waiting for my response that never comes—then leans back towards me, finishing his thoughts with a renewed purpose. By the end of our interview he was interviewing me, and most of my...

An interview with Melody Ma, chair of artsScene Vancouver   Canvas painting at the artsScene relaunch party, Photo courtesy of Edith Hung By Lauren MacFarland In the city of Vancouver, there is never a shortage of things to do. From our beautiful mountains to the shops on Robson Street, Vancouver offers a myriad of activities for all types to choose from. What can sometimes be overlooked though, is Vancouver’s thriving arts scene, showcasing talent from every type of media, all catering to the various tastes of the city’s diverse population. Sadly, these Arts programs aren’t often recognized by the young professionals of the city who may not know the wealth of options available to them, and that’s where ‘artsScene Vancouver’ comes in, an organization designed to bridge the gap between the business world and the art world, giving the young professionals of the business world a chance to help foster the growth of arts in the city though patronage and volunteerism. Melody Ma is the Chair of artsScene, channeling her business skills and love of classical art to raise the level of awareness of some of the world class options Vancouverites have to experience art in their city.   Melody has been ingrained the classical art world from the age of four, when she started Chinese dancing, along with piano lessons. Growing up close to the Downtown core in Strathcona, she counts herself lucky to have had so many opportunities to cultivate her knowledge of art while in school. “I had unbelievable access to the arts because I was just so close to it, meaning we always went to art galleries, (more times than I would like to say!), we would go to the symphony all the time, the opera, the ballet would come to us…all...

Lauren, Keiko (Editor-in-Chief), Joyce                                                                      Photo: Noriko Nasu-Tidball “I am always inspired and in awe at their dedication, determination, and creativity. They are like my children!” – Editor-in-Chief Lauren MacFarland After spending the last few months interviewing and writing about some amazing people, it feels strange to talk about myself! I’m a third-year undergraduate student at UBC, currently majoring in History (which is a lot more interesting than most people think it is!), a staff writer for the Kerrisdale Playbook and occasionally I knit. I love studying the past and how it connects with the future, looking at how we went from sitting around in fires in caves to sitting around laptops in coffee shops. Knowing where you come from is so important to figure out where you’re going to go, and knowing the history of a place is the only way to understand the world around you. I’ve lived in India, Dubai, Panama, and now Vancouver, a city with such a rich story to tell, but still so young, and it’s incredible to think that I’m a part of that. Kerrisdale is a beautiful neighborhood, but before this year, I’d never really stopped to pay attention to it. The bus from Richmond to UBC (which I spend more time on than I do in any actual class) passes right through the heart of Kerrisdale and gives a prime view of the little boutiques, the signs announcing little league matches and sidewalk sales, bursts of color outside the florists and a display of macaroons in a café window that are ridiculously delicious. Unfortunately, during...

An Interview with Mr. Irfan Sheikh, the principal of Pt.Grey Secondary Interviewed by Lauren MacFarland One of the oldest schools in the area, firmly embedded in the history of Kerrisdale, Point Grey Secondary is an impressive institution, not just for its beautiful Gothic façade, but for the hundreds of eager, driven students whose main focus is making their school and community a better place. What was once a small school in 1929 has grown considerably into the modern high school it is today, it has seen generations of families attend over the years, and built a reputation for excellence. Principal Irfan Sheikh is now at the helm of this very busy ship, overseeing a multitude of programs and activities ranging from academic to athletic to community based. The school boasts numerous accolades in just about every discipline, Mr. Sheikh attributing these awards to the school’s emphasis on creating a “well rounded individual.”  Besides core academics, the school offers various elective programs such as drama, foods, music among others, all of which are found appealing by both parents and students alike.  For a school with such a rich history, it has adapted effortlessly in the modern world, successfully creating several online platforms for students and the community to remain engaged and informed on the school’s many events and programs. From the official Facebook pages to the Twitter feed, blogs for the music and art programs, Point Grey has created a vibrant online presence to ensure it never loses touch with its 21st century students. “We’ve got to react to what’s going on in the environment,” says Mr. Sheikh, “the school looks a little like Hogwarts, and what goes on is the magic of education, the connection to kids, the leveraging of technology, the approach that...

A Q&A WITH ROBIN CLARK by Lauren MacFarland Photographed by Noriko Nasu-Tid-Ball British Columbia is easily one of the most beautiful places on earth, due largely in part to our abundance of forestry, giving our province a rich and diverse ecosystem.  Robin Clark, principal and team leader of Robin B. Clark Inc. works with local industry all over the province to ensure all forestry projects are done with sustainability in mind, preserving our natural wonders for generations to come.  The Tree of Life, an ebook inspired by his work with nature explores the connection between people and the earth, a connection that proves that “there is a beautiful blue print for life.”  1 )How did you get involved in ecological preservation? My parents, grandparents and even the great grandparents I never met, lived and worked in in rural areas and loved nature. Growing up our family spent weekends and holidays camping all over BC. 2) The Tree of Life reminds us that all people are connected to nature, do you believe that in our high-tech world, they have forgotten that? Why is it so important to remember this connection? The connection to nature has definitely been forgotten. I work mostly in rural communities where I would expect the situation to be different, but it”s not. It’s important to remember the connection to reduce stress and recharge ones batteries. 3) What does it mean to be a “steward to all of creation”? How can one participate in active stewardship? A “steward to all creation” is a tall order but bring ones attention to a small niche that calls you is a great place to begin. Small efforts by myself and many others are making a difference and moving stewardship from a concept to reality. There are hundreds...

An interview with Erin Moore, a grade two teacher at Kerrisdale Elementary School Interviewed by Barb Mikulec* *Director of the Provincial Retired Teachers executive   *First Vice-President of the Vancouver Branch Retired Teachers Association Photographs by Noriko Nasu-Tidball Q: What interested you in becoming a teacher?   A: I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. My mother and aunt were teachers and I saw how much of an impact they had on their students’ lives. I wanted to be able to show each child that they can succeed and reach their goals even when faced with challenges. The journey so far has been even better than I could have ever imagined. Q: What are some of the creative things you enjoy doing with your class?     A: I love showing the students that there are many ways to learn and understand new concepts. Due to the various learning styles, using manipulatives, technology and hands-on experiments can really be beneficial and helpful. Fine Arts is also a way for the students to show their creativity.  I like to use many different types of materials and techniques to produce pieces of art that center around  class themes or holidays. Q: Where did you go to university, and why did you choose it?  A: I went to UBC Vancouver, as I was living in the area and knew they had a great Education program. I also did my Bachelor of Arts degree there. Q: What can a class do to promote harmony and prevent bullying? A: Discussing and preventing bullying is one of the most important concepts I focus on each year. It really is important to do so at an early age so that it does not become a problem later on. I...