Ip XOP XOP LOP LOp Xop HuLa Hoop DANCING eee Classes are being offered all over South Vancouver to get people of all ages into the groove Pedaling a flour to empower | A Langara graduate and his brother have embarked on a unique mission to help people in Africa By JAKE COSTELLO brother are hoping to expand on an international aid project that brings pedal-powered agricultural technology to rural communities. In 2013, Chris and Josh Hergesheimer travelled to Panlang, South Sudan and built a grain mill out of bicycle parts. The brothers funded the project with donations collected on Indiegogo, and chronicled their adventure in the book The Flour Peddler. According to Josh, who graduated from Langara’s journalism program in 2009, the brothers hope to expand with one or two projects per year, and start- ing with a tentative partnership with the Kuwangisana Organization, an aid group in Mozambique that reached out to the brothers after their project in South Sudan. Though the Indiegogo campaign worked once, they may have exhausted that resource, said Chris, who’s in Ec- uador working on his PhD through UBC’s Land and Food Systems pro- gram. “We really hit the crowdfunding curve at the right time,” he said via Skype. Chris said this time they’ve applied for funding through private sponsors, who have asked to remain anonymous. He said that with their experience the brothers are in a good place to help companies fulfill corporate social re- sponsibility commitments, adding, “One of these mills can impact 40, or 60, or 100 people in a community.” Pedal-powered machines can boost the quality of life in rural communities according to Jesse Cooper, project co- ordinator with Pedal Energy Develop- ment Alternatives (PEDAL), a non- profit group that runs a community bike shop in Vancouver. PEDAL funds Maya Pedal, an organi- zation in Guatemala that makes water- pumps, grinders, blenders and more out of bicycle parts. Cooper said using machines to help with manual labour allow work to be “more efficiently, or more effectively or much faster, or all three together.” He added gaining independence from fos- sil fuels, or other expensive forms of energy is “super empowering.” If their funding applications are suc- cessful the brothers are hoping to be on the ground in Mozambique next April. “This is not work,” Chris said. “It’s just passion.” Aerie: College graduate and his 4 Ihe Royal Canadian Legion has continued to play an important role for South Vancouver commu- nities and their veterans, despite the dwindling number of its members. Legions provide support for aging veterans, especially those of the Korean War and Second World War. While younger veterans from conflicts like Af- ghanistan have stayed away, according to Legion Branch 30 vice-president Tom Johnson. “They’ve diminished a little bit,” he said. “We don’t seem to be able to at- tract them.” Charles Fleming joined the military in 1954 and toured in Germany before eventually joining the RCMP, started coming to the Legion for companionship after his wife passed away. “I was very, very lonesome,” he said. Reluctance to talk to family is not un- usual for returning veterans says Oliver Thorne, director of operations at the Veterans Transition Network. The VTN is a national program based in Vancou- ver for all members of the Canadian Force, which the Legion funds. “Our program helps identify and overcome barriers to transition to civilian life,” said Thorne. As the largest military fundraising KATE RICHARDSON photo Charles Fleming joined the Legion after his wife passed away. Fleming used to serve in the military and RCMP. The Royal Canadian Legion gives crucial support to vets By KATE RICHARDSON organization in Canada, the Legion has supported VTN since it’s beginning in 1997, donating $500,000 in 2012 to turn the 15-year-old UBC program into a na- tional organization. Thorn also said that VTN provides counseling services for soldiers that may have troubles talking about their past. For veterans coming to terms with their experience, Remem- brance Day can be especially difficult. “For us, it’s really to honour and give quiet respectful thanks,” Thorne said. “For them, it’s a reminder of the death of someone close to them.” On Nov. 11: Legions all over Canada will hold ceremonies and rituals of re- membering. 66 For us, it’s really to hon- our and give quiet respectful thanks. For them, it’s are- minder of the death of someone close to them OLIVER THORNE VTN DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS LEGION FACTS 1 Founded in 1926 2 One in three mem- bers of the Legion are veterans 3 Recognized as Guardians of Remembrance in Canada 4 Helps all vets in Canada directed toward family need Source: Legion.ca Killarney set to build badly needed seniors centre A long-awaited senior centre in Killarney is ready to be built after an agreement between the Vancou- ver board of parks and the Killarney Community Centre Society i) 66 Soon they will have some- where to come to share their memo- ries, make friends MICH SOGA KILLARNEY SE- NIOR’S ASSOCIA- TION SECRETARY By TESSA VIKANDER new agreement is bringing hope to As Vancouver seniors. The Vancouver board of parks and recreation has signed a deal with the Killarney Community Centre Soci- ety to build a new seniors centre, and is now seeking contractors to build it. The new centre won’t be completed for three years. Mich Soga, secretary for the Killarney Community Centre Senior’s Association (KCCSA) said “It’s a dream come true for the Killarney Community Centre. It’s really nice that the seniors will finally have their own space.” “Some of the seniors are very isolat- ed,” Soga said. “Soon they will have somewhere to come to share their mem- ories, make friends.” Soga said several of the neighbouring community cen- tres don’t have a designated se- niors’ program- mer. As a result, many seniors come to Killarney from outside of the centre’s catchment MICH SOGA area. Secretary for She said once the the Killarney new centre is built, Fentor s Assoca- there will be less strain for space at the community cen- tre, adding if the KCCSA were to offer more programming right now, they would be taking space away from other centre users. “The new centre will offer luncheons daily, (and) will be connected by a hall- way to the fitness centre at Killarney,” she said. Nelson Didulo, South Vancouver resi- dent and chair of the South Vancouver Seniors Hub, a seniors advocacy group, said if he wants to go for a seniors’ lunch he has to take three separate buses to the Kerrisdale Seniors Centre. “Once the Killarney Seniors Centre is built then it’s just one bus, only a 20 min- ute commute. That’s pretty good, so I will go more often,” he said. Park Board chair John Coupar said he heard from seniors during the consulta- tion phase of the project that program- ming isn’t always in a convenient loca- tion. “[We need to do] some work on in- creasing seniors’ programs across the city,” he said.