For city-by-city results, please scroll down

Aside from watching the hockey game tonight, I’ll also be keeping an eye on the civic election results for all cities in the Greater Vancouver region. Actually, my focus will be on Vancouver and Surrey as they’re the municipalities to which I am most closely tied (and I voted in Vancouver). My source for information tonight is the CBC online and hopefully after the polls close at 8:00pm I’ll have some good news to report (*cough* go Paul! *cough*)

Update: Gregor Robertson is being called the new mayor of the city of Vancouver [CBC] with 123 of 133 polls reporting. More results can be found on the CivicBC site although it seems to be up and down this evening (probably due to high traffic).

Photo credit: Raul on Flickr (Sept 2008)
Sheila and Me with the (now) new mayor of Vancouver Gregor Robertson

Update: You can follow chatter and results on Twitter – #civicvote2008.

Update: Above is a map of how neighbourhoods in Vancouver voted. Green is for Robertson of Vision Vancouver and red is for Ladner of the NPA.

Update: Dianne Watts has been re-elected as the mayor of Surrey, but our friend Paul just didn’t quite make the cut for City Council and School Trustee [Surrey Results].

Update: News1130 has basic results listed here, click on a city name to see more results:

– Derek Corrigan re-elected Burnaby.
– Dianne Watts re-elected Surrey.
– Lois Jackson mayor Delta.
– Richard Stewart new mayor Coquitlam.
– Pamela Goldsmith-Jones re-elected West Vancouver.

– Greg Moore mayor Port Coquitlam.
– Peter Fassbender re-elected City of Langley.
– Malcolm Brodie re-elected Richmond.
– Wayne Wright re-elected New Westminster.
– Don Mclean mayor – Pitt Meadows.
– Joe Trasolini re-elected Port Moody.

– Ralph Drew mayor Belcarra Village.
– Richard Walton mayor District of North Vancouver.
– Darrell Mussatto mayor City of North Vancouver.
– James Atebe re-elected Mission.
– Ernie Daykin mayor Maple Ridge.
– Rick Green mayor Langley Township.
– George Peary mayor Abbotsford.
– Catherine Ferguson mayor White Rock [PDF]

– Branching outside of the Lower Mainland: New mayors elected in most Northern-BC communities [CBC] & Kelowna mayor has been re-elected [CBC].

Update: #civicvote2008 is now the second most talked about topic on Twitter today. With almost a million people on Twitter, it’s pretty cool to see British Columbians having active discussions about the process online.

Millions of dollars have been poured into reshaping Stanley Park after windstorms in 2006 devastated the park, money has been spent on everything from solidifying the cliffs that hang above the seawall to making trails safe. However, $9 million later and the seawall closed today due to a mudslide. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

When I worked for some big companies my wrist would often get sore and cramped personally signing my name on 300-500 holiday cards for clients at the beginning of December. Now that my client list is somewhat smaller, sending seasonal greetings is a much more pleasant task especially since we’re pretty much a paper-free office.

However, if you are looking for some meaningful cards to share with friends, family, peers, and contacts, I suggest looking at Notes to Nourish.

Notes to Nourish is a grassroots project featuring original art by Lower Mainland artists and designers. The contributing artists are: Chris Allen, Sarah Cavanaugh, Nova Hopkins, Luke Krienke, Jean Lee, Anne Pearce, Robyn Sommerville and Kathryn Wright.

There are two limited-edition sets of four cards and proceeds raised will go to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society and the BC SPCA.

The cards present a unique way to give back during the holidays; you are supporting two non-profit organizations, local arts and culture, and presenting sustainable greetings to your friends and family.

You can purchase the cards online for $15 (or one set for $10). I think these cards are a great option, however I was wondering if people still send greetings such as these (in this age of emails and e-cards).

[poll id=”20″]

When the cab driver dropped me off at 581 Cordova he thought I was making up the fact that there was a theatre inside. The PAL (Performing Arts Lodge), located in Coal Harbour is, “a B.C. not-for-profit charitable society, created to provide quality affordable housing and support for seniors in the performing arts and allied professions.”

Photo by Wendy D.
© Lyric Stage Project 2008

I was there to see, The 21st Floor. I was soon whisked up to the 8th floor, handed a glass of wine, and given the chance to check out the space that was more than fitting for this performance.

The theatre portion has tall windows, looking West, where you can see cars file onto the Stanley Park causeway, and also the solariums, patios and living rooms of neighbours in nearby glass towers.

The 21st Floor features characters across the entire floor of an apartment in Coal Harbour (hence the added eeriness, since that’s kind of where we were). All of the personalities are compartmentalized, solitary, yet they mix, mingle and are intertwined – however obvious (to them) or not.

Eleven characters make up this performance where you can catch yourself looking in apartment 2104, spotting something shift in 2107, then gazing back over to 2109; it was really a living space, full of movement. It’s also dark. Aside from being rated PG-13 (for language, nudity) it’s grey, rainy, and catches several humans at their lowest of lows – even though they all have such lovely living space there on the 21st floor.

One of the characters, Craig, has a blog called Soggy City (which has been live for a while now) and throughout the performance he makes video entries. His sarcastic, cynical, yet compassionate spirit was actually inspired by a real Vancouver blogger… (check out the show to see if you can guess who).

The use of space, the setting, dialogue and the sound of raindrops falling even though no water streaked the windowed backdrop last night, all made this dark performance shine.

The 21st Floor runs until November 22nd and all shows start at 8:00pm. There is a $12 industry rate performance Sunday Nov. 16 with post-show party and also a pay what you can performance Tuesday Nov. 18.

As noted last month, today is World Diabetes Day. In order to bring awareness and support of this cause to people around our very own region, events and activities will be taking place throughout the day.

Yesterday, Surrey mayor Dianne Watts unveiled a World Diabetes Day flag, that is now waving above 152nd at Flag Chev-Olds (it’s where the world’s largest freestanding flag pole ended up after Expo 86).

From the Surrey Leader: The prevalence of diabetes has reached epidemic levels in Canada, with over 2.4 million people living with the disease. That number is expected to double over the next two decades.

• One in three people with diabetes have diabetes and don’t know it.

• One-third of the children born in North America in the year 2000 will have diabetes in their lifetime.

• Diabetes and its complications cost the Canadian health care system an estimated $13.2 billion every year in physician care, medication, long-term disability and early death.

• The toll on people’s lives is devastating, with deaths of more than 40,000 Canadians each year.

• Only one in five people with diabetes survives heart disease. If you have diabetes, you have more than double the likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke.

There is hope: Early diagnosis and/or lifestyle management can considerably reduce risk.

I had the chance to speak with someone at the Canadian Diabetes Association when I attended a Vancouver Board of Trade talk and I think that it’s fantastic that they are getting a lot of support and coverage for this global event and cause (especially with Team Diabetes runs).

On November 14th communities across Canada are encouraged to host events and “join the Hoopla“. You can view a Google map of events here that include:

– In Victoria: “I am creating a World Diabetes Day display at my school, Sprott-Shaw Community College. I am encouraging my fellow students to wear blue, and those who do will be given a prize by the school.”

– In Victoria: “WDD Blue Lighting of Johnson Street Bridge (Johnson Street and Pandora Ave. at Wharf St.), and Hoopla Victoria, BC 4:30-5:30pm Friday November 14 info 250 661-6880.”

– In Vancouver: “Canada Place proudly supports World Diabetes Day on November 14. Watch the sails shine blue to raise awareness of diabetes.”

– In Vancouver: “Granville Island Hotel Blue-La Hoop challenge with the BC Pediatric Diabetes workshop.”

– In Vancouver: “Community and corporate challenge at the Vancouver Art Gallery, 11:00am-1:00pm – Show your Hoopla spirit!”