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What happened to Rhody? On Grey Cup Sunday, November 27, 2005, 80 year old Rhody Lake went for a walk. The Sechelt writer never returned. Police efforts to unravel the mystery went nowhere; and private investigators hired by Lake’s family had no success. Now the case has been re-opened, with a new RCMP team reviewing the facts. A CrimeStoppers re-enactment of the disappearance is also being broadcast. A fervent evangelical, Lake was editor of Alive! magazine for more than 10 years. She also taught creative writing at Trinity Western University; wrote a column for The Vancouver Sun; and occasionally wrote for BCCN. She was also known for her opposition to abortion, food irradiation and genetic modification of food. – Vancouver Sun High tea at the mansion A busload of Downtown Eastside residents, including members of the Christian-based Streams of Justice, descended on a $31 million mansion under construction in Vancouver’s Point Grey neighbourhood November 9. “45,000 square feet is enough room for 112 nice self-contained social housing units,” said participant Robert Bonner. Carrying a mock hotel room, several activists sat down for high tea, complete with hats and white gloves, in front of one of Vancouver’s most expensive homes. Some came in costume – as Creepy the Cockroach, Itchy the Bedbug and Chewy the Rat – to show the conditions people in shelters or hotel rooms often have to put up with. Organizers posted a giant letter to the fence surrounding the property calling on the owner, whose name remains a mystery, to demand that the provincial and federal governments raise welfare rates, increase minimum wage, build much more social housing and increase taxes on the wealthy. Contact: 604.253.1782 or raisetherates.org. A moveable Harvest Harvest Project, a non-profit organization serving the North Shore, has announced a planned move to new facilities, which will open February 1 at 1073 Roosevelt Crescent in North Vancouver. After 10 years in its 201 Bewicke Avenue location, 500 clients and their dependents, over 150 volunteers, and staff will relocate to the new offices, food warehouse and clothing retail areas. The building will be configured to improve meeting space and provision of resources, while keeping Harvest Project close to the core of the North Shore’s population. Gary Ansell, executive director of Harvest Project stated: “This move is key to our providing improved support to the community. Paying less for rent while providing a better facility allows us to immediately focus on enlarging the scope of our work with those facing life challenges.” In related news, Kevin Lee, owner of the recently-closed Sign of the Fish Bookstore, has signed on as development officer for the ministry. Contact: harvestproject.org. |
Going Coastal Coastal Church in Vancouver is participating in the annual Rogers Santa Claus parade December 5. The centrepiece of the church’s participation will be a red tourist bus wrapped up as a Christmas gift – which represents the ultimate gift: the coming of Jesus into the world. Coastal will use the event to invite parade watchers to Coastal’s other Christmas events, including: Business by the Book Christmas luncheon December 8, with guest speaker Gordon Pennington, former director of marketing for Tommy Hilfiger; a Grand Celebration Worship Service December 12 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre; a Christmas Gala Banquet December 19 at the Westin Bayshore Hotel; and Christmas Eve services focused on music at 4:30 and 6 pm at the church. Contact: coastalchurch.org / 604.684.8475. Still battling, now seeking Janis Cox has written a six-part study guide called Seeking God’s Solution for a Spirit-filled Canada. The guide is based on the book Battle for the Soul of Canada by Ed Hird, rector of St. Simon’s Anglican Church in North Vancouver, as well as on related passages from the Bible. The guide is available for free download at spiritfilledcanada.wordpress.com. Underground learning Accomplished Learning Centres of Langley has opened a computer lab in the basement of Central Heights Church in Abbotsford. The lab will be used to offer an after-school program using Scientific Learning’s Fast ForWord programs. These ‘brain fitness’ programs improve reading, language, attention and thinking skills in children who struggle in school because of ADHD, dyslexia/reading problems, auditory processing deficits, autism or learning disabilities. Contact: accomplished.ca or 604.859.3276. Live from Gospel Mission A new system to enable persons with disabilities in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to take part in services at Gospel Mission is now up and running. Services are now broadcast via closed-circuit TV from Gospel Mission’s ‘upper room’ location to The Lord’s Rain showers facility on the ground floor. For the 60-plus years Gospel Mission has been housed at 331 Carrall Street, people who use wheelchairs or scooters have been unable to attend because there is no way to get them out safely in the event of an emergency. In 2007, Gospel Mission took over the ground-floor space in the same building to build a facility that provides showers for people who need them. Since the front space of The Lord’s Rain is accessible, that made for the perfect venue for a large-screen TV to be installed. – DFD December 2010 | ||
