Guide Lines
1 December 2000
Two festive and fun events: The Burnaby Village Museum
has invited the CTGA to hold our annual Christmas Party at
their location on Thursday 7 December, 2000. Check this out: The site
will be decorated with thousands of festive lights; all exhibits will be open
and staffed by costumed greeters plus colourful characters; a full traditional
turkey dinner; a chance to see a live Christmas -show in the theatre; and a ride
on the indoor C.W. Parker Carousel. Cost: $20 per person. The dinner, which
is now sold out, will start promptly at 5:30 PM, but it is recommend that
you arrive at 5 PM. If you would still like to join us at the Village on the
7th of December including everything listed above, the dinner, the cost is
just under $7 and you can arrive anytime with any number of persons after 6 PM.
Members coming for the dinner are reminded to allow extra travel time due to
peak traffic congestion. Please use the main parking lot and entrance off of
Canada Way at Deer Lake.
Members are requested to bring a food or cash donation for
the food bank and if you also have any "Canadian Tire money" available
this will be collected to buy toys for needy children. Any tour directors who
happen to have any full. or half full hotel soap's, shampoo's or lotion's and
would like to have them donated to the Union Gospel Mission, please bring these
as well. All of the above will be collected by Shirley Hartwell and donated on
behalf of the CTGA of BC. This year's Christmas Lights Tour around Vancouver and Burnaby will be
held on Tuesday the 12th of December. As this is a very popular
trip, please RSVP ASAP to 876-2576, or via 251-1500 and then dial
876-2576. Open to members, friends, and family. Cost: Members $10
Non-members $12 Seniors (60+) $10 Kids (12 & under) $8. Snow, rain or
otherwise, this trip proceeds. FIRST PICK-UP POINT: At 6:15 PM at The
Hotel Georgia, Georgia & Howe. LAST PICK-UP POINT: At 6:45 PM
by the 711 store at 41st and Cambie. DURATION: between 2.5 and 3 hours. . .it
depends where people wish to be dropped off (which can be at some other location
if you wish). Remember to RSVP.
More fun: The date for next years 15th Annual Brackendale Eagle Count win
be on Sunday the 7th of January 2001. We might not be able to send
out another newsletter before then, so please make a note now and feel free to RSVP
ASAP to 876-2576, or 251-1500 and then 876-2576. Open to one and
all. . .Cost: Members $10, Non-members $12, Seniors (60+) $10, Kids (12
& under) $8. This trip proceeds Sun, Snow or Rain. . .in fact it's better if
we get a cloudy wet day as the eagles tend to stay put in the trees.
Grab your binoculars, camera and warm clothes as we drive up the scenic Howe
Sound to the annual visit by hundreds of these majestic birds.
Eagle Count Continued: Although we don't do that much
walking, it's wise to wear boots and to bring an umbrella. We will also visit the
Tenderfoot Fish Hatchery, the Brackendale Art Gallery and cafe (which
is also the headquarters for the Eagle Count) and the West Coast Railway
Heritage Park (which has a big new station building). . .optional visit. . .cost $3. LUNCH: Bring your own or your choice of restaurants. PICK-UP
POINTS: At 9 AM by the 711 store at 41st & Cambie. Then at
any Translink stop on Cambie, or pick-up on Homer at Robson (Library
Square), and along Georgia up to Denman. At 9:30 PM we pick up at
the Holiday Inn Express Hotel on Capilano Road in North Vancouver (near
Marine Drive). Then we head off to Squamish and Brackendale. We usually return to
Vancouver between 4:30 and 5 PM. Book early for this often sold out very popular
day trip.
Also in January 2001: Other events will be announced
including the location of our regular end of the month meeting to be held on
Thursday the 25th of January at 7 PM. Stay tuned.
On the 16th of November 2000 the CTGA of BC held it's Annual
General Meeting at the Hampton Inn on Robson Street in Vancouver. The following
members were elected to the Board of Directors: President; Jeff Veniot,
Vice-president; Chuck Herron, Secretary-Treasurer; George Garcia, and Selina
Eschinbach, Indu Lohia, Denise Petch and Jan Large as Directors at Large. The
positions of Locations, Membership and Fund-raiser will be assigned at the next
board meeting which is expected to be held the week of January 15th. Location
TBA.
Our thanks to those present and new board
members, and our very special thanks to the following retiring
directors; Linda Conacher, Sue Arnott and Jillian Robertson. A big HELLO and
WELCOME to all of our new members!!!
Correction: In the 1 November 2000 issue of Guide Lines we
should have said that the percentage of voter turnout in the 1996 US election
was 49%, not 39%. It wasn't much better during the 2000 vote, and in the
Canadian election of last month it fell to one of it's lowest points. . .only
63% which is down from 67% in 1997. (Yikes. . .this is not good)
A message from our President Jeff Veniot: As a result of the
recent Bus/Truck crash near Rogers Pass, BC, I sent off a six page letter to a
number of people including ICBC, The BC Minister of Tourism and the Minister of
Highways. A number of points were made including: Our deep regrets especially
for the loss of life and our sympathy to all the families. The difference
between how most companies run tours to the Rockies and how others run them
including usual starting and finishing times. Foreign guides and the extremely
sad state of affairs regarding the state the Trans Canada Highway especially in
the area of the accident. I will bring a copy of this letter to our up-coming
meetings and any responses that we might receive.
Please remember that our CTGA info line is open 24/7 at 251-1500, then dial 876-2576.