32nd SVSACS Members Meeting Minutes
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Call to Order
The 32nd regular monthly meeting of the Southeast Vancouver Seniors Arts & Cultural Society (SVSACS) was called to order at 7:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, 2010, at Killarney Community Centre.
Attendance
The following members were present:
Manfred Hagen, Des Burke, Tom Chin, Joyce Leong, Danny Li, Mabel Leung, Barbara Warner, Wendy Enslander, Phillip Mah, Harjinder Hothi, Avtar Bains, Jean MacPherson, Bert Massiah, Lorna Gibbs, Joan Wright
Regrets: George Grant, Donna Davies, Dan Chapelski, Margaret Homonnay, Jazmin Miranda, Kamlesh Sethi, Florence Fung, Const. Heather Brown, Mohinder Sidhu, Louise Seto, Jukka Vuorma, Chris Podlecki, Keith Jacobson, Amarjeet Gill, Brian Swartz, Brian Jones, Linda Hagen, John Pawluk, Helen Pawluk, Jagit Kaur Mann
Motion to Approve Agenda
Motion to approve the agenda was made by Wendy Enslander. Seconded by Manfred Hagen. Carried.
Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes
Motion to approve April 29 Meeting Minutes was made by Phillip Mah. Seconded by Joyce Leong. Carried.
Correspondence
Correspondence file folder was circulated.
President's Report: Lorna Gibbs
New Horizons for Seniors Project: Second "Mixing Bowl" event — "Meals and Memories of Italy" — was held, featuring a luncheon and entertainment presented by Volunteer Hostesses, Rosaria Cassano and Anna Fiorini. Our thanks to volunteers from the Italian community and to South Vancouver Neighbourhood House (SVNH) staff (Sharon Tong, Mary King, Joan Wright and Roberta), Mabel Leung, Stephen Tong (photographer), Weaver Graphics, Gianni Fuoco (musician), and Al DeGenova for generous assistance.
Other work included participation at:
- The Vancouver Cross-cultural Association Meeting.
- Community Developers Conference, presented by the B.C Social Planning & Research Council at UBC. Thanks to SVNH Seniors Council for sponsoring fees.
- Chaired Seniors Council Meeting.
- Board Meetings at Killarney Community Centre, Champlain Heights Community Centre and South Vancouver Neighbourhood House and planning meetings for "Mixing Bowl" presentations.
Upcoming Events
- Champlain Heights Summer Fair: SVSACS will have an information booth at the fair, and we are counting on you to volunteer some time on Saturday, June 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Friday Afternoon at the Movies: This month's presentation will be award-winning The Blind Side on 28 May at 1:30 p.m. Committee members are urged come and network with the seniors who attend. This event provides an recruitment opportunity for you to encourage participation in SVSACS as volunteers. These are popular events.
- Celebration of Seniors' Week: Seniors Council and SVNH are facilitating a Seniors Week Summer Picnic at Peace Arch Park on June 10. Games and activities, lunch (catered by "The Pen"), transportation, and good fun in a beautiful setting are all available for $15. We board the bus at 8:30 a.m. sharp, and return to South Vancouver Neighbourhood House at 4:30 p.m. There are only 27 tickets left, so register soon.
- SVSACS 2nd Annual General Meeting: AGM will be held on June 17, 7 p.m., at Killarney Community Centre Boardroom. Be sure to attend.
Financial Report
Financial Report presented.
VFK Vision Implementation Committee Report: George Grant
Victoria-Fraserview-Killarney (VFK) Vision Implementation Committee website:
http://www.vancouver.ca/visions/vfk
Tecumseh Park: 37 people were seen using the new facilities and the children's play area which opened May 18.
Norquay Park: 19 neighbourhood centres are scheduled to be developed across Vancouver. One would be centred at East 41st and Victoria. The surrounding area of five blocks will be rezoned. Taxes will rise, and some people will be forced to sell and move out if they cannot pay the increase in taxes. A comprehensive survey of residents found no support for rezoning. At a meeting on April 29, it was stated that current zoning in Vancouver is sufficient to meet all projected population growth through 2021. The clash is between advocacy planning (as proposed in the CityPlan Community Visions process), and top-down planning (as is what's playing out in Norquay).
Short-term Incentives for Rental Housing (STIR): This time-limited program (ends in December 2011) is intended to address the shortage of rental units. Developers may receive lower assessments (and thus pay lower property taxes); have Development Cost Levies waived; get reduced parking requirements; and get increased density. Permits and rezoning are fast-tracked. STIR projects are planned for the West End and at East Broadway and Kingsway. A STIR project may come to a neighbourhood near you.
For more information about the West End projects, visit:
http://www.westendneighbours.ca
See also:
http://www.vancouver.ca/westend
Greenest City Action Team: One of the initiatives of this intrusion in our lives is a Green Renovations By-law that might add considerably to the cost of renovations, or hasten demolition, or drive renovations underground. See:
http://vancouver.ca/greenestcity/background.htm
SUCCESS Seniors Outreach Project: Danny Li
(Seniors Program Coordinator)
General Information: SUCCESS is very similar to other non-profit organizations such as ISS and MOSAIC, but our services are not limited to immigrants only. We also provide services to Canadian citizens in general. SUCCESS is a combination of three agencies. These are: SUCCESS, SUCCESS Foundation, and SUCCESS Multi-Level Care Society. SUCCESS is the major agency that provides variety of social services including settlement, employment, business and economic development, as well as group and community services.
SUCCESS Foundation, on the other hand, is a fundraising agency for SUCCESS. The annual "Walk With the Dragon" hosted at Stanley Park is one of our biggest fundraising events. The profit gained from SUCCESS Foundation is used solely toward the social services provided by SUCCESS. The reason SUCCESS Foundation exists is that we could never be sure about the future of the global economy. But we can be sure that there will always be individuals and families who need SUCCESS as a source of help. SUCCESS Foundation is established to ensure that we could provide services to the community consistently.
The third agency, called SUCCESS Multi-Level Care Society, is a provider of quality residential care and health services. It was established in response to the increasing seniors' population in Vancouver, as there are not many residential care and health services that are culturally appropriate for our seniors. The programs and services provided include:
- SUCCESS Simon K.Y. Lee Seniors Care Home
- Chieng's Adult Day Centre
- Harmony House Assisted Living
- SUCCESS Austin Harris Residence
- Chinese Meals on Wheels for Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby
The Chair expressed thanks for this comprehensive description of SUCCESS, and commended the organization on their monumental success.
New Business
Adult Guardianship Program had its program funding withdrawn therefore no speaker can be provided.
Danny Birch from Nurse Next Door will be asked to come and speak about his services in the fall.
Former NPA City Councillor, Dave Pasan has asked to meet with Committee to discuss issues and needs. As we approach summer recess, the Committee elected to table this item until Fall.
Membership Director: Tom Chin has accepted the position of Membership Director and Whip. Many thanks Tom for your untiring support, hard work and loyalty.
On behalf of the Committee, the Chair expresses sincere appreciation to Joan Wright for her sound advice and continuing work as Recorder.
Next Meeting
The next SVSACS meeting will be the Annual General Meeting on June 17, 7 p.m., at Killarney Community Centre in the Boardroom (located on the 2nd floor).
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned 11:30 a.m.
— Joan Wright, Recorder
— Lorna Gibbs, Chair
