Fri 7 Mar 2014

Remembering a small Fishing Boat Shipyard in Celtic Slough,” Terrys Dunbar March News letter

Posted by Terry under Environment, History
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In the 1960 the small boatyard at the south foot of Blenheim Street in Vancouver , was the home port for about 60 small commercial fish boats ! It had two marine railways that moved Trollers , Gillnetters and Cod Boats on shore , after the fishing season was over for the year . The mostly wooden boats , were lined up in neat rows on old farm land west of Blenheim Street , with their bows , always facing up the river !

Once jacked up and side slipped from the cradle , the skipper always had to pull off a small sheet lead patch , covering up a hull engine room Cedar garboard planking Bung or plug and this was to let the bilge water run out into a my dads new metal drum “Bilge water oil separator” ! All the fish boat skippers had to use Alf Slacks 1960ies oil separator ,my gosh it was a way a head of its time , being a new river friendly invention ! If those “Big Season or Just making it a Season” Fishers ” wanted to be land docked next season . they they had to use the Alfies bilge oil separator ! After having the fishboat taken out of the water ,the fisherpeople that had a good year , just disappeared to warmer climates and the not so lucky just stayed around to keep a eye on the dry-docked boat all winter long !

The last cold weather , usually at the end of March, brought out the Fisher peoples canvas tarps , out to protect the planking at the waterline of the boat , from the , Ya you got it , the Hot Drying out SUN ! Spring at last and copper painting had to be done below the waterline , with special attention given to net guards . stem Iron , rudder plate and skegs irons ! My dad and I made a few extra bucks , heating up and smacking off with a big sledge hammer , all the damaged propellers ! You are not going to believe this , but some skippers forgot to replace the cedar planking bung , lead patch and were launched ! There was always lots of screaming and swearing when the boat hit the water with a geyser shooting up in the engine room ! Get her back up , was the call from the embarrassed skipper !

The little shipyard at the end south end of Blenheim Street in Vancouver , has many sad and funny stories still to be told ! Its our Vancouver’s history and it would be very sad to loose it .so lets get on and tell it , the way it was , not so many years ago !

Terry

Tags: Fraser River, History, Terry Slack

Tue 11 Feb 2014

2013-2014 Board of Directors

Posted by DRA Webmaster under Board, Board Minutes, Dunbar Residents Association
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President	Jonathan Weisman
Vice President	Robert Westendorp
Treasurer	Sonia Wicken
Secretary	Colleen McGuinness
Member at Large	Jonathan Baker
Member at Large	Elisa Campbell
Member at Large	Susan Chapman
Member at Large	Trusha Desai
Member at Large	Jon Ellis
Member at Large	Noemi Gal-Or
Member at Large	Bruce Gilmour
Member at Large	Jane Ingman-Baker
Member at Large	Robert Murray
Member at Large	Andrea Sara

2013-2014 Board of Directors Biographies

JONATHAN BAKERJonathan Baker is a specialist in Municipal Law with the firm of Baker & Baker. In the early sixties he was a journalist with the Vancouver Province. From 1969 to 1975 he was a social planner with Vancouver’s Social Planning Department. He was a founding trustee and first program Director of the Vancouver Academy of Music. In 1976 he was appointed to the Granville Island Trust and was one of five Trustees who oversaw the development of Granville Island. Between 1978 and 1985 he was a Trustee of the Vancouver School Board and in 1986 he was elected to Vancouver City Council where he served for two terms. He was also a Trustee of the Library Board and the Pacific National Exhibition and a founding director of the Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery. When not practicing law he spends his time babysitting an ever increasing number of grandchildren.

ELISA CAMPBELL

SUSAN CHAPMANSusan Chapman has lived with her family in Dunbar for over 30 years, except for a few intermittent time periods lived in a variety of other places in the world. She is a former lawyer, whose community activities have included involvement in various youth sports organizations and four years as a director of the Learning Disabilities Association of Vancouver. She and her husband, Robin Elliot, have four children. She has served on the DRA board for eight years and has a particular interest in preserving the community’s green space.

TRUSHA DESAI Trusha Desai (formerly known as Trusha Pandit) has lived in Vancouver for over twenty years where her involvement with the community and schools at various levels has been wide-ranging. She focuses on enhancement of democratic values and is engaged in the political process.Trusha does management consulting with a financial focus and strategic planning. She also runs a boutique bookkeeping service for small businesses who require part-time accounting. Trusha is highly proficient at a slew of accounting and computer software. She efiles Canadian personal tax returns.Trusha participated in a group art show (abstract and landscape) in Dunbar. Trusha’s passion is writing: poetry and haiku. Most importantly, Trusha is a mother of two.

JON ELLIS Jon Ellis came to Canada in 1970 with a Degree in Architecture from the University of Colorado, and very little else. He settled in Dunbar in 1975 and pursued a 30-year career as a city planner – 15 years for the City of Vancouver and 15 years as a private consultant. While at the City, he guided the development of the Provincial Historic Sites of Gastown and Chinatown, developed the first BC Heritage Conservation Act, and produced the enabling legislation for Business Improvement Areas in BC. As a private consultant, he served clients throughout BC and took time to earn a Certificate in Conflict Resolution from the Justice Institute of BC. Now retired, he is pursuing his lifelong avocation of cabinetmaking, serving clients primarily from the west side of Vancouver.

NOEMI GAL-ORNoemi Gal-Or (B.A., Tel Aviv University, Ph.D., Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, Switzerland, LL.B., University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) is Director of the Institute for Transborder Studies (ITS) and professor of Politics and International Law, the Department of Political Science, Kwantlen Polytechnic University. She has published extensively in various matters including security and strategic studies (specifically terrorism) and conflict resolution; international law (trade & investment, dispute settlement, humanitarian, human rights, and criminal, law); international organisations (UN, WTO); international political economy (cross-border integration); public policy; regional integration (EU, NAFTA, negotiated FTAA); migration; and gender. She consulted the Solicitor General of Canada and the Government of Israel in some of these areas.Prof. Gal-Or is a licensed sole practitioner in British Columbia, Canada. She is a practising member of the Law Society of BC and an active member of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), and had served other legal professional, academic, and community associations in various positions. Currently, she is serving on the Executive of the CBA National International Law Section as Communications Officer as well as on its International Dispute Settlement Committee and the CBA’s Anti-Corruption Team; is vice-President, Board of Directors, International Law association (ILA) Canadian Branch, which she represents on the ILA’s Non-State Actor, Use of Force, and Feminism and International Law, Committees as well as the Study Group on International Organisations; member of the American Society of International Law (ASIL), vice-Chair of its UN21 Study Group and member of its International Organisations Study Group; board member, International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists; and Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s representative on the Canada-US Relations Committee of the Vancouver Board of Trade.Prof. Gal-Or is manuscript referee for Oxford University Press; Leiden International Law Journal; Canadian Journal of Political Science; and St Antony’s (Ox) International Review (STAIR). She is a frequent contributor to various legal professional publications incl. the Lawyers Weekly and the CBA’s International Lawyer and Bulletin – the National International Law Section’s newsletter.

BRUCE GILMOUR Bruce A. Gilmour and Marley the golden retriever guide dog

Bruce is a small town BC boy (Merritt), born to cattle ranching and forest industry parents. Working in the forest industry, one evening he crashed his vehicle and lost his eyesight. Drawn to the city to complete his Bachelor’s Degree and for the opportunities a large city provides, he got married and settled down; his family continues to be a priority in his life.

Life balance is important for quality of life and health. Living in Dunbar has anchored much of this outlook for Bruce. Active and healthy living through the four seasons keeps him planning time for Pacific Spirit Park walks and jogging. Other interests include tandem cycling, downhill and water skiing, and assisting where he can with his daughter’s daily activity and future eventing with her horse.

Professional interests are directed around the theme of community and regional planning. Adjusting to and managing a disability have created the basis for learning what accessibility, inclusion, sustainability, and a welcoming experience feels and looks like. His intention is to support the work today in efforts to successfully achieve a long-term vision that sustains the social, economic, cultural, and ecological health of Dunbar.

JANE INGMAN-BAKERJane is a lawyer, with a doctorate in Biochemistry, who presently works as Tutor with the UBC Faculty of Medicine. She and her husband, Paul Hildebrand, have three children. Jane has been involved in many community activities and is presently serving on the Children’s and Family Research Institute Board and as the Chair of the Dunbar Vision Implementation Committee.

COLLEEN MCGUINNESSColleen has been a resident of the neighbourhood since the early 1980s. She is self-employed and works with a variety of clients involved with international relations and small business. Colleen believes that it is important for Dunbar to provide the intimate community connection that residents need in a large impersonal city. Her special interests include seniors’ housing, accessibility and universal design and aging in place. Colleen is a keen gardener and reader and a big fan of the Dunbar Library and shopping locally.

ROBERT MURRAY

ANDREA SARA

JONATHAN WEISMANJonathan and his wife moved to Vancouver from Ottawa a few years ago. He is a lawyer and his wife is a specialist at Children’s. They sought out a home in Dunbar as they were attracted to the residential quality of it and the unique opportunity it presented to live in a green urban environment. They have a home near Pacific Spirit Park which they recognize as a unique and very special place. Jonathan has been a member of DVIC for over a year and has taken a particular interest in the developments at UBC and the impact that they will have on Dunbar. He has a graduate degree in political science which he taught before entering the legal profession. He has proudly worked on many campaigns for politicians of different political bents and has an ongoing interest in all aspects of the democratic process.

ROBERT WESTENDORPRobert immediately fell in love with this welcoming City when he came here from Germany with his family over a decade ago. Moving to Dunbar marked his decision to stay here. Over the years Robert has become interested in local political issues and neighbourhood activities. Now he would like the chance to give back to the community. He feels that a young and evolving city like Vancouver needs strong community input. Robert has a PhD in electrical engineering and enjoys running, skiing, mountaineering, woodworking and most of all being with the family.

SONIA WICKENMy husband Ken and I have lived in Dunbar for over 40 years and I have always enjoyed volunteering in the neighbourhood whether at school, baseball or soccer while our son and daughter were involved. The last 20 plus years I’ve been involved with the Residents Association. My interest is in building liaisons with other neighbourhood organizations so Dunbar will continue to be such a liveable neighbourhood.

Tags: Dunbar Residents' Association

Fri 31 Jan 2014

2013-2014 Board Minutes

Posted by DRA Webmaster under Board Minutes
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These are the minutes from the 2013-2014 DRA Board

Tags: DRA Minutes

Fri 24 Jan 2014

” Fog in the Harbour and Grace on the Hill ” Terrys Dunbars Jan. foggy environ.letter

Posted by Terry under Environment, History, terry
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It was wonderful this evening to hear again the one minute fog horn call , from the Point Atkinson Light House in West Vancouver ! I stopped my walk in Pacific Spirit Park and timed the calls ! It must be the thick heavy fast moving fog that billows everwhere tonight , spilling out of the Salish Sea and into English Bay , False Creek and the North Arm of the Fraser River !

The Harbour fog moves south up Streets like Dunbar , Blenheim Collingwood etc. and the other Fraser River fog moves north through the Blenheim Flats and Musqueam First Nations Reserve , Point grey and McCleery golf courses and up Camosun Street etc. ! Both meet or join together around King Edward or 29th ave. and Dunbar Streets ! It is here where the “battle of the fogs” usually take place in Dunbar ! The Harbour Fogs usually wins , but it pauses and joins together with the slower weaker , lower in elevation, river fog ! ” Foggy Hollows” in Dunbar are Chaldecotte , West Memorial , Malkin Parks and Saint Georges Senior School Playing fields !

Historically it was the Fraser River fogs that formed every warm night and they were the huge pea soup fogs that rambled up the hill from the Blenheim Flats and Truck Farms to invade Dunbar ! These nasty “Gez I can,t see nothing, better walk in front of the car river fogs” , formed mainly from the minute fly ash from Mill Bee Hive Burners on the North Arm of the Fraser River ! They smelled of saw mills and were just a just a part of Dunbar’s fall and winter sky scape many years ago ! During this unusual warm winter season , they have decided to come back to Dunbar once again from the two historic directions and I kind of like them !

The Great Canadian folk singer STAN ROGERS , on tapof course , sang “There,s Fog in the Harbour and Grace on the Hill ” Oh I love it , could it have been the Dunbar Hill ? Terry

Tags: Environment, Fraser River, History, Terry Slack

Fri 3 Jan 2014

Dunbar Southlands River Otters , “Terrys Jan. 2014 Dunbar Environ. newsletter “

Posted by Terry under Environment, History
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I am keeping my fingers crossed for a sighting of River Otters in the ponds of McCleery Golf Course and out in the North Arm of the Fraser River ! It has been 2 years now since my wonderful sighting of a group of 12 Otters near the golf course ponds took place !

What do we know about the Dunbar Southlands family group of River Otters ? Yes they shared all the food that they caught with each other and that is a wonderful thing to watch ! I did noticed 2 years ago , that the family group of River Otters all went home to McDonald Slough every evening ! I would guess they all sleep together some were in the slough near the Y. V. R. Airports 3rd. runway !. Well I would think they were not a threat to jet planes, like owls , herons and other birds might be ,for a extended family group of Otters cannot fly, chased away or get killed by airport guns !

The River Otters spend most their life in water and the water has to be clean and unpolluted ! Clean water provides habitat for fish and these fish have been the only food for River Otters for thousands and thousands of year ! So what might be effecting or killing the McDonald Slough Otters ? This slough has numerous large unmonitored Sea Island surface drainage outfalls, that discharge strange red coloured water directly into the slough ! The drainage water might contains some possible otter killing poisons, but no one is looking ? When there are no fish in McDonald Slough , the otters must hunt in other locations , like the ponds of the McCleery Golf Course for Carp etc. ! Polluted waterways and sloughs , have been noted in scientific papers to effect the health and the survival of River Otters ! I can only guess, that two years ago this might have happened to my Family of North Arm of the Fraser River Otter Friends !

Please report any River Otter Sightings in Southlands to : Terry Slack ” tslack33@gmail.com or 604 224 5730 A Big River Otter Thank you ! !

Tags: Environment, Fraser River, Terry Slack

Tue 10 Dec 2013

The Historic Coho of Dunbars Khahtsulek Creek .” Terrys December Dunbar news letter

Posted by Terry under Environment, History
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The historic Dunbar , Southlands , Kerrisdale salmon stream called Khahtsulek by First Nations , was one of hundreds found in Vancouver and Burnaby and was the longest one , as it started in 5 underground Fresh water springs at 14th between Discovery east to Courtenay street ! It cut its way through Chaldecott Park , West Memorial Park and under the east parking lot of today’s I. G. A. Market Place Store on 41st Ave. The salmon streams east branch started at the west playing field of today’s Kerrisdale School near Balaclava and 41st Ave . From there it passed through the East side of Croften House School property and picked up 2 large underground springs in today’s south Kerrisdale Annex School play ground .

The Coho and Steelhead spawning stream provided water for the historic Malkin House and Horse Barns , in what was known as the Southlands Estate in the early days ! The east stream crossed todays Marine Drive and joined up with the main creek and the western Collingwood stream in the Mole Farm “1885 “, near todays 48th ave and Blenheim Street ! The very large stream meandered through today’s Southlands and emptied out into Celtic Slough , just west of Blenheim Street and Celtic Ave !

In 1912 and1913 the last large runs of Wild Dunbar Coho and Steelhead in late November moved up Khahtsulek Creek to spawn near today’s Saint Georges Junior School and north of todays Kerrisdale Annex school !

This is the year to remember the salmon of Dunbars Khahtsulek Creek and to do that my grand child Jeramie and myself have carved a school of Historic Dunbar salmon and placed them for all to see at Christmas in two locations ! The salmon were carefully placed in boulevard trees at , Crown and King Edward and the South foot of Blenheim Street ! Long live the historic Salmon of Dunbar ,Southlands and Kerrisdale ! Hope you enjoy them !

P.S. Dunbars 2014 Salmonberry Days will be celebrating Dunbars historic Salmon Creek etc. , with free walks and bus tours during all of May ! Terry

Tags: Environment, History, Terry Slack

Thu 31 Oct 2013

2012-2013 Board Minutes

Posted by DRA Webmaster under Board Minutes
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These are the minutes from the 2012-2013 DRA Board

Tags: DRA Minutes

Mon 21 Oct 2013