Around and About British Columbia
THE POLLSTERS GOT IT WRONG-LIBERALS WIN BC ELECTION
The election pollsters had predicted a huge win for the NDP, led by Adrian Dix but Christy Clark and the Liberals surprised everyone on May 14th. When the election was first called the opinion polls had the Liberals about twenty points behind the NDP and even though the gap had narrowed the pollsters still predicted an NDP win. When the voting results came in at the end of election day however it was the Liberals who came out on top. They had won another majority government. This will now be the fourth consecutive term for the Liberals of BC.
The Liberals gained more seats in this election while the NDP lost some seats. NDP leader Adrian Dix easily won his seat but Liberal leader Christy Clark was not so lucky. She was defeated by a small margin in her riding. The final results will not be known until May 27th as there are still absentee ballots to be counted. If the results hold up she will have to find another riding to run in a by-election to win a seat in the Legislative Assembly. The Green Party also made a break-through in BC with the election of its first MLA. Also elected was one independent MLA.
Christy Clark is now officially the first elected female premier of British Columbia. Although Christy Clark has been Premier of BC since early 2011 she got that position as a result of taking over the leadership of the Liberal Party of BC when Gordon Campbell stepped down as Premier.
The first female premier in Canadian history was Rita Johnson of the Social Credit Party of BC. She became interim leader and premier of British Columbia when Bill Vander Zalm stepped down in April 1991. Rita Johnson was officially elected as the leader of the Social Credit Party in July of 1991 but was not able to consolidate her leadership as she faced a statutory general election in October. In that election the Social Credit party went down to defeat by the NDP, led by Mike Harcourt. The Social Credit Party only won seven seats in that election and has since faded from the election scene in BC. The NDP held onto power until June of 2001 when Gordon Campbell and the Liberals won the right to govern British Columbia.
The voter turnout for the election of 2013 was dismal with only about fifty-two percent of the electorate turning out to vote. Many people just could not make up their minds as to who to vote for so just did not bother. However, as is human nature, the people who did not vote are probably going to be the ones that complain the most about the government.
PASCHA CELEBRATED IN VANCOUVER AREA
Orthodox Easter was late this year as it fell at the beginning of May. However that usually means milder weather for the outdoor processions and this year the weather was spectacular for Holy Week. The temperatures were above normal and the sun was out in full force. All the churches had a good turnout for the services throughout the week, starting with Palm Sunday. The Friday evening services and the Resurrection services were of course the ones with the best attendance.
At St. George Cathedral on Arbutus Street in Vancouver the Friday procession wound its way down three long busy streets where vehicle traffic had to be stopped for the safety of the people. The processions at Ss. Nicholas & Dimitrios Church on Boundary Road (the border of Vancouver and Burnaby) also went along the local streets where traffic had to be stopped but the distance was much shorter. At Ss. Constantine & Helen Church in Surrey the procession did not use the street but just went around the church and parking lot. Of course all three of these churches also held part of the Resurrection services outdoors. All the outdoor services were pleasant as the weather was so mild.
In Surrey at the Good Friday night service Fr. Kostas Tsiolas told the congregation that Pascha is more than just lighting the candles at the Saturday midnight service and then leaving and taking the light home. He encouraged everyone to also take the light into their hearts and participate fully in the Pascha liturgy that follows. Many people listened to his directions as the majority of people who attended the midnight Resurrection service stayed for the Paschal liturgy. And of those the majority also partook of the Holy Communion.
On Easter Sunday, instead of the evening Agape service the three churches held a combined morning Agape service at St. George Cathedral in Vancouver. Joining Fr. Dimitrios Partsafas were Fr. Dorotheos Tryfonopouls, Fr. Evangelos Aravantinos (Ss. Nicholas & Dimitrios-Vancouver) and Fr. Kostas Tsiolas (Ss. Constantine & Helen –Surrey).
GREEK MONK IN BC ARRIVED TO HEAR CONFESSIONS
The monk priest Fr. Efraim came from Mount Agioros to Canada just before Pascha to hear confessions of the faithful. Many people are more comfortable going to confession with a priest that they don’t know rather than their own parish priest so Metropolitan Sotirios organized for Fr. Efraim to travel to various churches across Canada for that purpose. In British Columbia Fr. Efraim went to St. George Cathedral in Vancouver, to Ss. Nicholas & Dimitrios Church on the Vancouver/Burnaby border and to Ss. Constantine and Helen Church in Surrey.
SURREY COMMUNITY HOLDS FREE PASCHA CELEBRATION
The Greek Orthodox Community of Surrey (Ss. Constantine & Helen Church) held a community gathering on Pascha Sunday. The community supplied free barbecued lamb, roast potatoes and rice. Some members also provided salad and other items for the common table.
Members of the Board and other volunteers were up early on Pascha Sunday, setting up the barbecues for the lamb. They were also busy turning part of the parking lot into a picnic area. The community had rented tables and chairs as well as large tents. Therefore most of the picnic area was under cover from the hot sun.
Many people had indicated that they would take part in this first Pascha celebration by the community but the turnout was much larger than expected. By one o’clock a lot of the tables were already full. People brought their picnic food to enjoy until the barbecued lamb was ready. A barbecue had been set up to use by those who wished to barbecue something other than lamb and some people took advantage of it. More tables and chairs had to be set up to accommodate all those that arrived later. The lamb was ready to serve by about two-thirty pm. Music was provided for free by Alpha Video and after the lamb was served the dancing began. The party lasted into the evening.
SURREY SENIORS GROUP BENEFITS SURREY COMMUNITY
On Palm Sunday after the church service Costas Kontogiannatos, president of the Zesti Gonia Seniors of Surrey Friendship Society announced to Patrides that the seniors group had applied for and received a provincial government grant. The purpose of the $22,000 grant is to benefit the Greek Orthodox Community of Surrey, mainly to improve the ventilation system of the community kitchen as well as some other kitchen upgrades.
The seniors group has the use of the house on the community property (corner 96 Ave. & 132 St.) for its Kafeneio on Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm.
GREEK SENIOR CITIZENS SOCIETY – VANCOUVER
For many years the Greek seniors of Vancouver have had a place to get together. Here seniors gather to have coffee with their friends, to play cards and games or to talk politics. The Greek Senior Citizens Society premises are located at 3634 W. Broadway and are open every day from 7 am to 8 pm.
FEAST OF SAINTS CONSTANTINE & HELEN-SURREY
Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Community of Surrey and Fraser Valley celebrated the feast of its church with a Great Vesper on Monday May 20th and a Divine Liturgy on Tuesday May 21st. Even though the services took place during the work week the church was packed for both services. The faithful came from all around the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver area as well as from Vancouver Island and from Bellingham, USA.
Taking part in the Vesper service on the evening of May 20th with Fr. Konstantinos Tsiolas of Saints Constantine and Helen Church were Fr. Demetrios Partsafas of St. George Cathedral in Vancouver, Fr. Evangelos Aravantinos of Saints Nicholas and Dimitrios Church in east Vancouver, and Fr. Constantinos Economos of Ypapanti Church in Victoria as well as Deacon Demetris Vickery of Ypapanti Church. At the Liturgy service on May 21st Fr. Konstantinos Tsiolas was again joined by Fr. Evangelos Aravantinos and Fr. Constantinos Economos and Deacon Demetris Vickery.
At the luncheon which followed the Liturgy Fr. Constantinos Economos of Ypapanti Greek Orthodox Church of Victoria was presented with a cheque for $2000 from Antonios Andreou. Mr. Andreou has been a huge supporter and donor to Saints Constantine and Helen Church of Surrey but this latest donation was for Camp Metamorphosis BC which is under the direction of Fr. Constantinos Economos. Camp Metamorphosis BC which was established in 2010 is a youth ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada). Its aim is to strengthen the faith of our youth and to deepen their cultural roots through interchanges between the various parishes in Western Canada. It sponsors a week long summer camp as well as other day camps throughout the year at various parishes to keep connections.
GREEK FESTIVAL SEASON BEGINS IN BC
The annual season of outdoor Greek festivals in British Columbia is now in full swing.
The first out the block is that of the Greek Orthodox Community of Surrey and Fraser Valley which holds its festival from June 7th to 16th. The festival is held on the community premises on the corner of 96 Avenue and 132 Street in Surrey.
Next is the Greek Day on Broadway in Vancouver which is on Sunday, June 23rd. This is organized by the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC. Five blocks of West Broadway are closed to traffic for this annual street festival.
The Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver holds its festival from June 28th to July 7th at its premises on 4541 Boundary Rd.
The Greek Orthodox Community of Victoria and Vancouver Island holds its annual festival from August 27th to September 2nd at the community center on Elk Road, across from the Commonwealth Pool.
Our nearest Greek community across the USA border is the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Bellingham , Wa which holds its festival from September 5th to 8th. It is located at 310 East Sunset Drive.
The Hellenic Community of Vancouver is the last one to sponsor a Greek food festival but as it is a fall festival it is held indoors, at the community center. That festival takes place October 18th -20th at 4500 Arbutus St.
The largest annual fundraising event for the Hellenic Community of Vancouver is its annual Gold Plate Dinner which was held on May 15th. Over 600 people attended that event. The winner of this year’s automobile was Nicholas Segounis who also donated $5000 to the community. The funds raised in that event, over $135,000 went to support the operational costs of the community’s full time day care facility, the Vancouver Food Bank, the Variety Children’s Charity and the redevelopement of the Quilchena Park.
