Letters to the Editor
See what readers are talking about.
We love reader mail
Send e-mail to editor@bcmag.ca or write to British Columbia Magazine, Suite 300, 1803 Douglas St., Victoria, BC, V8T 5C3, Canada. Letters must include your name and address, and may be edited and condensed for publication. Please indicate “not for publication” if you do not wish to have your letter considered for our Mailbox.
Kitsilano memories
I was thrilled to read your article on Kitsilano in the Spring 2010 issue [“Kitsilano Love-in”]. I was a ‘60s child and spent time in Kits enjoying the youth culture. I would travel to Vancouver to visit my brother at the University of British Columbia. He lived near 4th and Arbutus with other students in a three-storey house, which, according to your article, is probably worth a million dollars today! While going through the estate of my father, Donald Woodrow McKinnon, I learned recently that he also had a warm spot in his heart for Kitsilano. I found this among his old papers: “One of my earliest memories of time before the Dirty ‘30s is the frequent trips to either English Bay or Kitsilano beaches. . . . For Kitsilano, a tram travelled across False Creek on a swing span railway bridge and ended just west of Kitsilano beach. The tram was controlled from either end and the motorman merely took his controller handle to the east end of the car for the return trip. After a swim (Kitsilano didn’t yet have the pool) our treat was a five-cent paper carton of potato chips, vinegar free!”
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Sue McNeill
Prince George, BC
Glowing photography
I am always thrilled to see photographer David R. Gluns’s work in your magazine [“Kootenays: 4 treks, 4 seasons,” Spring 2010]. I am a high school chum of his, but, above and beyond that friendship, I also have a love of photography and of B.C. The love David has for B.C. glows through his brilliant photography—I am forever grateful for that.
Carolyn Welsh
Winnipeg, MB
Zippers explained
In “The big sleep” [Outdoor Advisor, Winter 2009] writer Larry Pynn states that most sleeping bags can be zipped together “even mummy bags, provided that zippers are on opposite sides of the bags.” I believed that was incorrect, and that the zippers had to be on the same side in order for two bags to connect properly, so went to Mountain Equipment Co-op to prove my point. The staff member helping me was taken aback when I joined two bags with left-hand zippers. We then tried connecting two bags with zippers on opposite sides and, surprisingly, that also worked, at least with the ME C-made bags. The reason it does work is that the exact same zipper is used on both bags, even though the zippers are available in a left-insert or right-insert version (the difference being which side of the track has the slider when separated). So the correct answer is that as long as the manufacturer uses the exact same zipper on all bags, you do not need a left-hand bag and a right-hand bag—any combination will work. If the manufacturer uses different zippers on a left-hand bag and a right, you won’t be able to connect them. To be safe, shoppers should buy two of the exact same bag.
Alan Kane
Calgary, AB
Canada fan
I cannot tell you how much I enjoy your wonderful magazine—and your beautiful country. We moved to Australia in the late 1950s from the Netherlands and never gave Canada a thought. But my son went to work in Vancouver for a year and the moment I got off the plane to visit him, I fell in love with the city and mountains. While the 2010 Winter Olympic Games were on, I found myself cheering for Canada. The ice hockey match between Canada and the U.S. was incredible—that last gold medal must have been the icing on the cake for you all! Now I want to see B.C. in the winter and experience the magic of snow-laden pines and mountains for myself. “Faster, higher, stronger” in the Winter 2009 edition was terrific. Thank you for bringing back memories through the photographs and stories in your excellent magazine. I would love to live in Canada.
Yvonne Vansteenwyk
Avoca Beach, Australia
Second home
My granddaughter sends me British Columbia Magazine and I thoroughly enjoy reading every issue. I have had many holidays with my family in Campbell River over the years and it is beautiful. I want to say how much I enjoyed the 2010 Games. I watched as much as I could because of the time difference. I class Canada as my second home, and I congratulate you on all the medals you won. I’m equally as proud about the one gold we got.
Gwen Honeyford
Manchester, England
Big news from the Flathead
I’m a Montanan who wishes he were a British Columbian and who spends a lot of time in the Flathead Valley—on both sides of the border. As a lover of wild places (and a property owner in the valley), the fact that the valley’s northern half is now safe from mining is the best damn news I’ve gotten in years. Now I’ll always know that the B.C. side is there as a reservoir of wildness. To see some photographs of the Flathead I posted in celebration of the big news, visit http://aaronteasdale.blogspot.com/2010/02/flathead-celebration.html
Thanks for making a great magazine.
Aaron Teasdale
Missoula, MT
Imagining an ideal life
I’ve been a faithful subscriber since moving to Vancouver Island in 1998. I recently led a group of yoga students in the creation of collages on the theme of their “ideal life,” using images from old magazines, calendars, and cards. We used many issues of your magazine, ranging from 1970 to 1995. It was delightful to have a short tour of B.C. as I leafed through the pages. I was impressed by the ongoing high quality. Y our striking photos contributed to beautiful and meaningful collages. Keep up your great documentation of this amazing province!
Sharon Haave
Courtenay, BC
Love from Grandma
I have been receiving your magazine for 15 years and read it from cover to cover as soon as it comes in the mail. My grandmother gave me the subscription and continued to renew it even when I moved from B.C. to New Zealand. Sadly, she passed away last May and I continue to receive the magazine with “Love from Grandma” on the mailing label. Every time I see this it brings a tear to my eye as my grandmother and I shared a passion for the outdoors and travelling and I miss her greatly. Keep up the great work. I look forward to every issue.
Shelly Bannink
Christchurch, New Zealand
