Heatley Block History Talk

If you have been curious just what all the fuss is about and want to learn more about the fascinating history of the Heatly Block, please come out to this presentation. I have found many archival images relating to people who lived in the two old houses, including a photo of the man who built the 1889 house...

Here is the blurb from the Heart of the City brochure...

History Talk

HEATLEY BLOCK HISTORY TALK
with James Johnstone

Tuesday November 4, 7pm - 9pm

Spartacus Books, 684 E. Hastings
Free

The 1931-built Heatley Block, along with its two attached pioneer period houses, is at the centre of a debate about its future. What is the history of these three buildings? To find out, come hear neighbourhood and house historian James Johnstone present some of his amazing findings from his research so far.

Spartacus Books, which recently opened their doors in the historic Heatley Block, has opened their doors to the festival.

fall in strathcona

fall in strathcona
Originally uploaded by DJ_Riel

I love the leaves that fall from the big trees on Princess Ave in Strathcona every year.

Is your Halloween candy 'Made in China'?

METRO VANCOUVER -- In the days leading up to Halloween, a "Made in China" stamp on a bag of candy can give some parents a bigger fright than the most ghoulish of costumes.

Fears about contamination, specifically from the toxic chemical compound melamine, have prompted some parents to take a closer look at where candies are coming from.

"I am absolutely worried about what my kids are going to bring home this Halloween," said Megan Zandstra, mother to three young children.

Zandstra says she has been receiving e-mails from friends who have been spreading the word about melamine, and specifically about the news earlier this month that melamine was found in chocolate coins being sold at Costco, dollar and bulk food stores.

Melamine is the toxin at the centre of China's tainted milk scandal, which has left more than 50,000 children ill and has led to at least four deaths.

In Canada so far, 14 Chinese-made food products have been recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after tests found they contained significant quantities of melamine.

Generally, candies made by the big-name manufacturers such as Cadbury and Hershey are safe because they do not use milk products from China, said Garfield Balsom, a spokesman for the CFIA.

"We certainly have done a lot of work in terms of our retail assessment and our overall surveillance of the melamine issue in China," Balsom said Monday.

"The mainstream products, most of that is made in North America. . . . Like Cadbury's and Kraft, the big companies do not bring in product directly from China."

When it comes to Halloween candy, Zandstra says she generally feels comfortable with the familiar name brands, but this year, she wanted to do things a bit differently.

"Just this morning I bought a hundred tiny Cocoa Camino fair-trade chocolates from the Ten Thousand Villages store on Commercial Drive," she said in an e-mail. "I spent approximately $20 more than I would have on candy from Superstore. I felt a bit guilty about spending the extra cash, but I would rather hand out fewer quality candies than a handful of sugary, processed ones."

For Laura McKenzie though, mother to two young kids, the melamine issue has not been a big concern, nor has it come up in conversation with the other parents who live in her White Rock townhouse complex.

"I haven't heard one of them even mention it when talking about buying things for Halloween," McKenzie said.

The 14 food products that have been recalled in Canada include the milk chocolate pirate coins made by Sherwood Brand, Mengniu strawberry-flavour sour-milk beverage, OK OK Kaiser pretzels, Lotte brand Koala's March filled cookies, Mr. Brown 3-in-1 instant coffee products, White Rabbit candies, and Nissin's Cha Cha dessert. A full list can be found on the CFIA's website.

Balsom said the CFIA can never ensure that all Halloween candies are entirely safe, but the agency has been doing its best to test and monitor products with ingredients from China.

"I can only say what we've looked at in terms of the melamine in our survey and what we've done. But to say that every single product is safe, how can I guarantee that?" he asked.

Amy O'Brian, Vancouver Sun

aobrian@vancouversun.com

2 New Housing Offices Opening Up Downtown, DTES

VANCOUVER - The provincial government will be opening two new housing offices in Vancouver this January to help tenants and landlords with tenancy information and outreach services.

One office will be located in the Downtown Eastside at 390 Main St. The office space, which was provided for free by the City of Vancouver, will be shared with Pathways Information Centre, a community services organization.

The second office will be situated downtown at 518 Richards St., at a single-room occupancy hotel owned by the province. BC Housing will share this office space.

Once the offices open in January, staff will be on hand five days a week for half a day, according to the Ministry Housing and Social Development.

"Locating our staff with existing services that help Vancouver residents will benefit a diverse group of tenants and landlords in the downtown area, giving them a single point of access to housing and support services," said Minister Rich Coleman.

The announcement was criticized by the NDP for being weak.

Continue reading Vancouver Sun article by Tim Lai.

Onni developer halts V6A construction but still pre-selling condos

ctvbc.ca

A major developer in Metro Vancouver is being investigated by an arm of the provincial government after CTV found it was still selling condos even though construction has been halted at the project.

It's a big name developer, which has been building in Metro Vancouver for decades.

On Thursday, the Onni Group of Companies which is behind the V6A condo complex near Main and Union streets in Vancouver -- said the project has been postponed. But when CTV went to the sales center -- we discovered the units were still being offered for pre-sale -- and perspective buyers were not being told the project was on hold.

Now B.C.'s Superintendent of Real Estate is investigating.

"We have contacted the developer and asked for an update,'' said L. Jay Mitchell, B.C.'s Deputy Superintendent of Real Estate.

"We've indicated they have to make an amendment to their disclosure statement,'' she said. "We're making inquires about the deposits and the status of the project

The situation at Main and Union has not escaped the attention of NDP Housing critic Diane Thorne.

"I could hardly believe what I was seeing and hearing on television,'' she said. "It's the best example I have ever seen of the lack of consumer protection in British Columbia."

Meanwhile, any new protection for presale buyers would start with the B.C. Finance Minister Colin Hansen.

"If there's way we can strengthen the regulation and the procedures developers must follow, we are certainly willing to take a look at those and if we can do it in a way that makes sense, we will certainly be ready to do that,'' Hansen said.

Asked if he will looking into the situation at Onni, Hansen said he likely will. "I will certainly be looking into this particular example to see what lessons we can learn from it,'' he said.

As for the future of the V6A project, on Thursday, Onni's vice-president of development Beau Jarvis said he wasn't sure.

"I wouldn't say there is a timeline at this point,'' he said.

On Friday, Onni's executive vice president Chris Evans called CTV News and said that while he doesn't know when construction will resume, Onni plans on finishing the project sometime in 2010.

He declined an invitation to do an on camera interview.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson

CTV Broadcast & more.