ews & features

EDITOR LENA ALSAYEGH

THE DAILY VOICE, TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015 7

Dim response
to Earth Hour
province-wide
this year

The conservation event
wasn’t as widely publi-
cized, and local participa-
tion has dropped

By JAMES SMITH

little too brightly this year, as local
participation fell to its lowest level
since the event began.

According to BC Hydro, energy con-
sumption in the province was reduced
by only 0.2 per cent this year during the
hour, compared to a reduction of one
per cent last year.

Participants are encouraged to turn
off all the lights during Earth Hour to
conserve energy. The City of Vancou-
ver has been participating in the event
for the last eight years.

Vancouver performed especially
poorly. Comparing between B.C. mu-
nicipalities, the city fell from 31st to
43rd after only managing a meagre 0.7
per cent reduction. Whistler topped
the list with 7.2 per cent.

Simi Heer, spokesperson for BC
Hydro, said the company did some pro-
motion on its website and social media
channels, but that Earth Hour “is a
World Wildlife Fund initiative, not a BC
Hydro event.”

“For us, this is mostly a symbolic
event,” said Heer. “We don’t rely on
Earth Hour for our energy savings.”

Heer said BC Hydro was happy to
“encourage participation, because it
aligns well with the conservation ethic
we promote through our Power Smart
programs.”

Amanda Moore, a first year business
student at Langara College, said she’s
participated in Earth Hour in the past,
but was unaware that it was happening
this year.

She said the difference this year was
she didn’t see any mention of it on so-
cial media until it was too late.

“Considering the fact I didn’t hear
about it, I guess it was a little under the
radar this year,” said Moore.

Stewart Hodson, also a first year
business student at Langara, said he
usually participates in Earth Hour, but
he too missed out this year because it
wasn’t widely publicized.

He said past years have benefited
from wider media coverage, but recent
events, such as the Germanwings
crash, have dominated headlines.

Both Hodson and Moore said they
would be sure to participate in Earth
Hour next year.

Bic. Hour in Vancouver shone a

|)

JAMES SMITH photo
Langara student Amanda Moore
didn’t know about Earth Hour this
year, and so didn’t participate.

In Uncle’ Jatinder Randhawa’s last class of the day, he teaches Bhangra dance to a group of boys aged around 10-13.

Bhangra is more than dance

Dedicated teacher Jatinder Randhawa imparts life lessons to class

66

Without
him I
wouldn’t
be dancing
right now.
I would’ve
givenupa
long time
ago

By ANNA DIMOFF

ince opening in 2009, the Shan-E
Punjab Arts Club in Vancouver
has grown in popularity, now
reaching 300 dance students.

Loud, energetic music greets visitors
upon entering the building.

Dressed in all black with a bright tur-
quoise turban, Jatinder Randhawa, is
one of the Bhangra instructors and
founders of the club. Better known as
‘Uncle’ to his students, he said that
watching the expanding number of stu-
dents learn and mature keeps him com-
mitted to teaching.

“These things are in my veins, so if I
don’t come in to class it [feels] like you
are missing something. And even
though they give me a lot of respect,

they give me a lot of love so that is the
reason I’m coming here and my devo-
tion is here,” Randhawa said.

Randhawa moved from India in 2005.
He found it a difficult transition, with
no community or support network in
his new home. The arts club has helped
him connect with the Punjabi commu-
nity in the Lower Mainland.

In addition to preparing for other
competitions, the club is currently
working on choreographing perfor-
mances for four or five teams to partici-
pate in the annual Vancouver Interna-
tional Bhangra Celebration in May.

Putting a performance together is a
constantly shifting and lengthy process
according to Randhawa. He makes sure
to give each student the individual at-
tention required to achieve the dance

he has envisioned.

Randhawa does more than just help
his students get the steps right. He also
plays a big part in mentoring youth, fos-
tering confidence and leadership skills
that the kids can translate to their lives
outside the club.

Rupin Brar, a student who has been
dancing since she was five and part of
Shan-E for six or seven years says that
Randhawa takes the role of a father fig-
ure for a lot of the students.

“We always have these conversa-
tions where he always tells about his
life lessons. It’s not just dance, he’ll talk
about things he’s experienced and what
we should do, what we shouldn’t do and
things like that,” Brar says. “Without
him I wouldn’t be dancing right now. I
would’ve given up a long time ago.”

ANNA DIMOFF photo

RUPIN BRAR

DANCE STUDENT

Tourism Is on the rise in beautiful B.C.

SIGHTS

& sounds

Statistics Canada report
shows that tourists are
flocking to Vancouver

By JULIA WICKHAM

0.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of

2014, which is the seventh consec-
utive quarterly increase, according to
Statistics Canada.

Data assembled by Destinations
British Columbia shows that 782,055 in-
ternational travelers passed through
customs and into B.C. in the fourth
quarter of 2014.

Julia Dilworth, a communications
specialist at Richmond Tourism said
they have benefited from a five per cent
increase in revenue year by year, which
comes from the hotel tax, thanks to a
boost in visitors.

Sonu Purhar, a travel media rela-
tions specialist at Tourism Vancouver,
said a few of the most popular destina-
tions asked about at visitor centres are
the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park,
Grouse Mountain and Stanley Park.

“They [employees at the visitor cen-

Teo spending in Canada was up

@/Nh, YD) ver

|
f' ‘CANADA
|

VIRTUAL FLIGHT,
REAL AMAZEMENT,

JULIA WICKHAM photo

A hop-on, hop-off tour prepares to depart from the Vancouver Waterfront.

tres] also receive lots of requests and
inquiries about the hop-on, hop-off
tours — they are extremely popular,”
she said.

Dilworth said Steveston is a popular
destination for tourists, since it poses
as the fictional town of Storybrooke on

the TV series, Once Upon a Time.

“We get tons of visitors coming in to
watch filming, mostly mothers and
daughters,” she said.

Dilworth also said that food is a pop-
ular attraction in Richmond, particu-
larly Asian cuisine.

Vancouver Trolley
Company from $40
per adult

Landsea Tours &
Adventures from
$45 per adult

Cycle City Tours
from $59 per adult

Big Pink Sight See-
ing from $40 per
acult

Vancouver Bus

Tours from $40 per
adult

Source: Company websites