ews & features mroxrcanissa more THE DAILY VOICE, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2012 7 First Nations, social groups to protest oil pipeline A number of anti-pipeline groups are slated to rally in front of a downtown oil firm at noon today groups are taking their fight against oil pipelines to one oil com- pany’s Burrard Street offices at noon today. The protest is one of several demon- strations scheduled via social media to occur in cities throughout the country today, including Toronto and Montreal. Organized by the Unist’ot’en camp and the Council of Canadians, the pro- test comes after the Unist’ot’en evicted pipeline surveyors from First Nations territory along Morice River in the B.C. Interior last week for what they say was trespassing on their land. The Vancouver rally is occurring outside the offices of the Apache Cor- poration, the proposer of the Pacific Trails Pipelines, at 200 Burrard St. “If [Pacific Trails] get their way then Enbridge can come along and say... ‘why can’t we have our pipeline?” said Freda Huson, Unist’ot’en clan spokes- woman. She said if the Pacific Trails project gets approved, it would set the stage for other oil companies to build their pipelines - a sentiment other protest- ers share. “It might actually blaze the trail for Enbridge,” said Harjap Grewal, region- al organizer for the Council of Canadi- ans. “It’s going to be much easier for Enbridge possibly to shelve their proj- ect for three years and come back and apply for it once the right of way is al- ready there.” The workers were evicted from First Nations territory along the Morice Riv- er in Interior B.C. and denied access to the bridge crossing. The surveyors were forbidden from coming back to the territory to collect their equipment. The proposed Pacific Trails Pipe- lines project is intended to deliver oil north of Prince George to Kitimat. — Steven Chua PF: Nations and social advocacy Tankers in the | Great Bear Rainforest. my SIERRA CLUB photo The above map illustrates the direc- tion the proposed Northern Gate- way pipeline is due to take in B.C. BRANDON KOSTINUK photo Pat Allen and her dog, Ben, would like to see more dog-friendly parks in the Marpole area. Marpole dog owners seek off-leash parks Marpole residents organize to advocate for more roaming space for dogs than the current singular space available in the area 66 You look at a map of Vancouver and there’s dog parks every- where, and then there’s a big, giant hole in Marpole MARJOKE APKING MARPOLE DOG OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION ORGANIZER By MICHAEL LETENDRE og owners looking for dog- friendly parks in Marpole have been on a short leash, but that may be about to change. Dog owners met Sunday, Nov. 25 at the Verna Co-op Community House and formed a new group, The Marpole Dog Owners’ Association, to advocate for more off-leash dog parks in Mar- pole. Meeting organizer Marjoke Apking said the need for more dog-friendly parks was easy for her to see. “You look at a map of Vancouver and there’s dog parks everywhere, and then there’s a big, giant hole in Mar- pole,” she said. Apking said the closest place to take her German Shepard is Fraser River Park, a 45-minute walk away. A walk, she said, that is down busy streets and narrow sidewalks. “T would need to buy a car to take my dog to an off-leash park,” she said. “I don’t think this is right.” Apking said the new group is going to push for more dog-friendly parks by using successful park models from oth- er cities. “T took all the best parts of what oth- er cities are doing for dog owners, and I’m bringing that here,” she said. Chris Junnila is a dog owner who just moved to Marpole. He said dog parks are great, but the ones available to him and his dog are too far for the pair to get to easily. “I go to a school park at night, but only if there’s nobody around,” he said. Junnila said dog parks also help maintain a dog’s mental health. “A dog needs to socialize. When dogs are leashed, it makes them more ag- gressive,” he said. Dog owner Pat Allen walks seven miles a day with her dog. She said she doesn’t take her dog to off-leash parks, but she does think there should be more dog-friendly parks. “Just as long as they leash-up before they leave the park,” Allen added. For more information on The Mar- pole Dog Owners’ Association, contact Marjoke Apkin at Marpoleoff-leash- dogparks@shaw.ca. Hundreds mourn beat cop ‘Whistling Bernie’ Smith is remembered for his big smile and booming voice at memorial Monday By BRONWYN SCOTT hen former B.C. premier Bill Wim: Zalm shares memories of a beat cop at his memorial, you know that man was larger than life. Bernard “Whistling Bernie” Smith, as he was known (because he whistled on the job, off the job, and everywhere, as one mourner put it), touched many lives over his 89 years, but the legacy he leaves behind is still alive, and is in- spiring changes to policing today. Hundreds came to say a final good- bye to Smith yesterday at The Croation Cultural Centre in East Vancouver, in- cluding Vander Zalm. Several members of the Vancouver Police Department spoke, and trum- pets and bagpipes resounded to mark the celebration of Smith’s life. Fran Besic, a cousin of Smith’s wife Mary, who predeceased Smith by three years, told The Voice that he was in- volved in breaking up a lot of drug rings at a time when no one else was. But what she remembered most was Smith driving up on his big Harley, his big smile and booming voice: “When you met him, he was gorgeous.” Smith’s son Lawrence, a policeman himself for more than 25 years, reflect- ed on the long span of his dad’s life, speaking of Smith’s early days strug- gling to find food, shelter and love. Koos Dykstra is a former sergeant who worked with Smith and was good friends with him for forty years. Dykstra said he remembers the spir- ited young man who “lived in hobo jungles and hitchhiked across the prov- ince [when he was] in only his early teens.” One speaker said Smith was feared by the underworld (and even once had a contract on his life taken out by gang- sters). But his son Lawrence said he was also a softie who sang and wrote poet- ry, children’s books and music, sang, and wrote children’s books, remember- ing his father as a man “who always put his kids before himself,” and who was “always ready to provide a warm home, a meal or a few dollars” to anyone in need. His optimism was electric and is the reason Vander Zalm felt he was re- markable. “If ever I had any doubts about the existence of God I think it was all solved when suddenly Bernie became my god- send,” said Vander Zalm. “Bernie was my executive assistant and talk about [positivity]... . Bernie always had a good word [to say],” Vander Zalm said. “Bernie will always be remembered by [my wife] Lillian and myself and family as one of the greatest lives we ever came to know,” he said. “Community policing - it’s in vogue now,” said Chris Graham, a retired Vancouver police officer. “Cops need to reconnect with the community and become more human, and policing was like that for a long time and we did get away from that with the technical era, and the fact that policemen got into their cars and radio communication . .. [driving] a bit of a wedge between the police department and the community ... answering radio calls as opposed to actually getting to know the people around you,” he said. “T think that now people are looking back on Bernie’s career and saying, hey, you know, that guy knew some- thing,” said Graham.