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province supports Vancouver vacant home ta x

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province supports Vancouver vacant home ta x

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Yvonne

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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Euro 2016 may have ended in unlikely fashion - a goal from a Swansea flop giving Portugal the trophy against favourites France - but when it came to your team of the tournament there were few surprises.

We asked you to pick your best XI from Euro 2016 and over 100,000 of you responded.

An old-fashioned 4-4-2 was the preferred formation - 55% of you went that way - and the team was dominated by players from France and semi-finalists Wales.

Who made the cut and who missed out?

Goalkeepers - Hugo boss

France captain Hugo Lloris was picked by 32% of readers - 32,720 - to start in goal for this team.

Lloris, 29, conceded just five goals in his seven appearances at Euro 2016; keeping three clean sheets in the process.

Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon was the second-most picked goalkeeper, with Germany keeper Manuel Neuer selected by just 480 fewer people.

Northern Ireland's Michael McGovern - outstanding against Germany - was picked by just under 10,000 people.

The case for the defence

Over 80,000 of you - or 79% - wanted a back four in one guise or another, but the problem came with picking a right-back.

Euro 2016 was clearly not a tournament of outstanding full-backs and so Germany defender Jerome Boateng - who played throughout the competition as a centre-back - was actually chosen to play on the right by more people than anybody else.

Boateng was also heavily picked to start in the centre - he was the most selected defender overall.

Italian centre-back Leonardo Bonucci was the second most popular pick to play at right-back, while the most popular specialist full-back was Wales' Chris Gunter.

However, Gunter was only chosen by just over 10,000 users - he was the 10th most popular defender overall.

Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini is the unlucky man to miss out on a place in the team. Chiellini was the fourth-most popular pick in defence - and the ninth-most picked player in any position - but he is reserve centre-back behind Bonucci and Ashley Williams, with Germany left-back Jonas Hector easily the most selected player on the left.

Hector made more open play crosses than any other player at Euro 2016 (33).

Williams played every minute of Euro 2016 for Wales (540) and made the most blocks (seven) and clearances (43) for them.

Wales and France run midfield

It turns out that the midfield at Euro 2016 picks itself.

West Ham winger Dimitri Payet was the most popular pick in midfield, with over 70% of you placing him in your first XI. His most popular position was on the left of midfield.

Payet scored three times and created a tournament-high 24 goalscoring chances.

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Not far behind comes Wales and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale. Bale was actually selected by more users than Payet - Bale is in 84% of all teams chosen - but 35,000 people selected him in attack.

However, with 50,000 choosing to play him in midfield, that's where he starts. His most popular position was on the right. You like an inverted winger.

In central midfield Paul Pogba and Aaron Ramsey complete the Franco-Welsh domination. Pogba saw off competition from Germany's Toni Kroos, picking up 1,616 more selections.

The only England player available to select - Tottenham's Eric Dier - was picked by 5,600 people - just ahead of Iceland's Birkir Bjarnason.

We'd be interested to hear the thoughts of the 144 people who chose Italy wing-back Mattia de Sciglio as a central midfielder...

The two sevens in attack - Griezmann v Ronaldo

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It comes as no surprise that France forward Antoine Griezmann - winner of the Golden Boot - was the most picked player in any position.

The Atletico Madrid man was selected in 87% of all teams and starts up front alongside Real Madrid and Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

Griezmann scored six goals, more than any other player; and only Michel Platini (nine in 1984) has bettered that tally in a single Euros finals.

By scoring against Hungary in the group stage, Ronaldo became the first player to score in four different European Championship finals tournaments (2016, 2012, 2008 and 2004).

Bale was the third most popular forward, while France forward Olivier Giroud came next.

Wales striker Hal Robson-Kanu may have scored the goal of the tournament but just 11,000 of you opted to start him.

Sometime Republic of Ireland playmaker Wes Hoolahan was selected as a striker by 656 people. A niche option.

How does the team compare to Uefa's?

Uefa's team of the tournament contains five players also selected in your XI - Ronaldo, Griezmann, Payet, Ramsey and Boateng.

Set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the Uefa side had Portugal's Rui Patricio as goalkeeper, with team-mates Pepe and Raphael Guerreiro in defence along with Germany's Joshua Kimmich and Boateng.

German Toni Kroos and Wales' Joe Allen form the defensive midfield duo behind Griezmann, Ramsey and Payet with Ronaldo the lone striker.

The team was selected by 13 former players and coaches, including former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, England Under-21 boss Gareth Southgate, ex-Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Packie Bonner, former Finland forward and manager Mixu Paatelainen and ex-Aston Villa and Serbia striker Savo Milosevic.

Pundits' picks

We asked some of our TV and radio colleagues to nominate their chosen teams of the tournament.
Former Everton and Republic of Ireland winger Kevin Kilbane:
Hugo Lloris; Joshua Kimmich, Jerome Boateng, Leonardo Bonucci, Raphael Guerreiro; Aaron Ramsey, Grzegorz Krychowiak; Gareth Bale, Antoine Griezmann, Dimitri Payet; Cristiano Ronaldo
BBC Radio 5 live senior football reporter Ian Dennis:
Manuel Neuer; Joshua Kimmich, Jose Fonte, Leonardo Bonucci, Jonas Hector; Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Paul Pogba; Dimitri Payet, Antoine Griezmann, Mesut Ozil
BBC Match of the Day commentator Steve Wilson:
Hugo Lloris; Joshua Kimmich, Jerome Boateng, Leonardo Bonucci, Jordi Alba; Joe Allen, Andres Iniesta; Ivan Perisic, Antoine Griezmann, Gareth Bale; Cristiano Ronaldo
BBC Radio 5 live commentator Conor McNamara:
Michael McGovern; Lukasz Piszczek, Jerome Boateng, Andrea Barzagli, Raphael Guerreiro; Luka Modric, Aaron Ramsey, Aron Gunnarsson; Ivan Perisic, Antoine Griezmann, Gareth Bale
BBC presenter Dan Walker:
Hugo Lloris; Jerome Boateng, Gareth McAuley, Pepe, Leonardo Bonucci; Mesut Ozil, Paul Pogba, Aaron Ramsey, Dimitri Payet; Antoine Griezmann, Will Grigg

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Euro 2016: Your team of the tournament revealed

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Euro 2016 may have ended in unlikely fashion - a goal from a Swansea flop giving Portugal the trophy against favourites France - but when it came to your team of the tournament there were few surprises. We asked you to pick your best XI from Euro 2016 and over 100,000 of you responded.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been a boxer, a nightclub bouncer, a world leader - and now, a cartoon book character.

Mr Trudeau appears on the cover of an issue of Marvel's "Civil War II: Choosing Sides", released on Wednesday.

Clad in a Maple-leaf tank top, boxing gloves and shorts, he is surrounded by members of a Canadian superhero group.

In the story, he appears to advise the superhero team.

Toronto-based cartoonist Ramon Perez told the BBC he chose to depict Mr Trudeau in boxing gear to showcase his unique personality.

"Rather than do a stuffy suit and tie rendition of our [prime minister], I wanted to bring forth more of his personality," Mr Perez said.

"He has a very youthful demographic and is present in social media. As well, he has a boxing history, and boxing itself being a part of the short story he appears in, it was the perfect fit."

Mr Trudeau is approached by Alpha Flight, Canada's premiere superhero team, in the story. The group, representatives of Canada globally in the comic book, asks for his advice on a political situation happening in the Marvel universe.

Writer Chip Zdarsky of Edmonton told the Canadian Press he included Mr Trudeau in the story because he "seems to be the popular culture association with Canada right now".

The Prime Minister's Office told Mr Zdarsky that they could not endorse the comic but were okay with Mr Trudeau being featured.

"It's a little tricky just because once you start to put words in the prime minister's mouth, we acknowledge that this is basically Trudeau fan fiction," Mr Zdarsky said.

"I had to kind of think about where he would stand on something like that and how he would handle it. Hopefully, I did a good job. Maybe I'll get a call from him saying: 'How could you have me saying that to... Iron Man?"'

Mr Trudeau's all-action role has not been confined to the pages of fiction - he was photographed in June jogging in Ottawa with Mexican President Pena Nieto when the two countries held bilateral talks.

More on Trudeau

Justin Trudeau - Is the honeymoon over?

How is Canada's new leader doing?

Trudeau accused of 'manhandling' rival

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Justin Trudeau gets comic book treatment

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been a boxer, a nightclub bouncer, a world leader - and now, a cartoon book character. Mr Trudeau appears on the cover of an issue of Marvel's "Civil War II: Choosing Sides", released on Wednesday.

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Canada Post drops threat to lock out workers on Monday

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Canada Post drops threat to lock out workers on Monday

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Jack Cheng

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Mail kept moving Monday as Canada Post and the union representing 50,000 of its workers resumed contract talks and the post office withdrew a threat to lock out its workers.

Canada Post issued a brief statement that said it had withdrawn its lockout notice "which will allow both parties to focus their efforts on serious negotiations."

"We are also expecting the union to honour their repeated public statements that they have no plans to issue a strike notice," it said. "Assurance from both parties that the postal system will remain open for business while we negotiate will provide the certainty that Canadians and our employees are looking for."

The Crown corporation's news release followed a statement earlier Sunday from Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk, who encouraged the two sides to continue discussions beyond a deadline of 12:01 a.m. ET today that Canada Post had set.

"I am pleased that there has been movement at the bargaining table and that progress is being made," the minister said.

"I remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached by the parties."

In a statement issued Monday, CUPW said the two sides are working long hours to reach new collective agreements.

"We remain committed to negotiating fair collective agreements, as we have since the beginning of this process," the union said. "We're encouraged that Canada Post now shares that perspective. We have no plans to issue a 72-hour notice."

Canada Post initially served a lockout notice to CUPW for last Friday, but later delayed the notice until Monday.

Negotiations on wages, pensions

The two sides are far apart on two major issues - wages and pensions - after seven months of negotiations, including 60 days of conciliation talks and more than 30 days with federal mediators.

The union wants rural and suburban mail carriers to be paid by the hour, like urban letter carriers, rather than by how many packages they deliver.

Canada Post wants to change the pension scheme for new hires, moving them to a defined contribution plan instead of a defined benefit plan. Many private sector companies have moved to defined contribution plans because they reduce costs for companies and shift the risk for future payouts onto employees, who are no longer guaranteed a set return in retirement.

The pension proposal is one other public sector unions are watching closely. If Canada Post's proposal is adopted, it could signal the direction the government wants to take in future talks with other unions.

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Mail still moving as Canada Post drops lockout threat | CBC News

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Mail kept moving Monday as Canada Post and the union representing 50,000 of its workers resumed contract talks and the post office withdrew a threat to lock out its workers. Canada Post issued a brief statement that said it had withdrawn its lockout notice "which will allow both parties to focus their efforts on serious negotiations."

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Vancouver city council will vote on the adoption of a new action plan on Wednesday that aims to make city services more inclusive for people of transgender, gender-variant and two-spirit gender identities.

The plan, developed for the city by consulting firms Equity Labs and TransFocus, includes recommendations addressing the availability of universal washrooms, non-binary gender options in data collection, and access to services such as shelters and social housing.

Drew Dennis, principal partner at TransFocus, said that while Vancouver is generally seen as progressive on LGBTQ issues, trans and gender-variant people are still a particularly vulnerable population.

"There perhaps has been great measures or great policies around LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans]," Dennis told On the Coast host Stephen Quinn.

"But when you start looking at the T, when you start looking at gender-variant and two-spirit identities, we start realizing and recognizing that we do have blind spots and opportunities to really be strengthening what inclusion looks like."

More than just washrooms

The report is the result of a motion last July by Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson calling for action to support transgender rights and safety. It involved consultation with more than 20 city departments, as well as with sex workers organizations such as the PACE Society.

Dennis said that, in B.C., there are legal precedents that allow people to use washroom and change room facilities that conform with their own self-defined gender identity.

The same also applies to facilities like shelters and social housing, but Dennis said that in practice, that doesn't always happen.

Dennis cited a recent study that found 29 per cent of trans people who sought services from Ontario shelters were turned away. Dennis said numbers for B.C. aren't available, but believes they would be similar.

"This is a real opportunity [for the city] to create some high impact, to start addressing these inequities," Dennis said.
With files from CBC Radio One's On the Coast.

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Vancouver to vote on new transgender inclusion policy | CBC News

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Vancouver city council will vote on the adoption of a new action plan on Wednesday that aims to make city services more inclusive for people of transgender, gender-variant and two-spirit gender identities.

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At first it was the Americans. A record number of people in the US searched on Google for how to move to Canada after Donald Trump won seven out of 11 Republican primaries on Super Tuesday in March.

More recently people in the UK have been joining the party. In the days after Britain voted to leave the European Union by 52% to 48%, Google searches for "move to Canada" hit an all-time high.

Although many voters are looking forward to their country leaving EU regulations behind, other disillusioned Brits began considering a future abroad. And according to Simon Rogers, data editor for Google News Lab, one of the top options was Canada.

No doubt some will be attracted by the country's breathtaking scenery and wide-open spaces (it is the second largest country in the world). Canadians are famous for being friendly to strangers, and the government prides itself on being welcoming to immigrants. And then there is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who has been winning fans worldwide with press-ups, photos with pandas and knowledge of quantum computing.

But surely there are some drawbacks?

Many of those surveyed for this BBC article made it clear they thought Canada was a great place to be.

But here are a few aspects of life in the country that might just make some Brits and Americans think twice about a move.

Bugs

It should come as no surprise that areas of Canada can get very cold in the winter - temperatures can drop to -40C (-40F) with severe wind chills.

But even when the weather gets warmer there is another reason in some places to stay inside.

As well as non-biting midges, Canada has dozens of species of mosquitoes across its territories which have adapted to the harsh climate.

"When I moved here, nobody mentioned the mosquitoes," says Ollie Williams, a BBC Sport reporter who relocated to Canada's Northwest Territories in 2014.

"I had no idea.... For some reason, I had in mind that a place that's frozen for more than half the year can't be home to bloodthirsty insects the size of your thumb.

"I was very wrong about this. It turns out the mosquitoes just cryogenically freeze themselves all winter, then pop back out in spring, ready to obliterate all exposed skin when you try to take the dog out at night."

Cost of living

It is something Americans will be well-accustomed to, but Brits could get a "mild surprise" when they see the extra charges such as sales tax and gratuity added to their bill, says Ollie Williams.

"Whatever price you see printed is lower than the price you are going to end up paying at the till," he says. "Why inflict this maths exercise on the population? Why not just tell us the final price on the label as is the case in the UK?"

Meanwhile the price of daily groceries is dependent on how the Canadian dollar is performing against the US dollar. Since the majority of fruit and vegetables consumed in Canada are imported, they are vulnerable to currency fluctuations.

The cost of fresh produce "skyrocketed" at the start of 2016, says Rob Carrick, personal finance columnist at Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper. "People were shocked about how much they were spending."

Since then prices have levelled out, he says, but there are other areas where new arrivals may feel the pinch.

Americans would find petrol more expensive, despite Canada being a major oil producer, with a litre costing about US $0.91 compared to US $0.67 in the US. But people from the UK, where a litre of petrol costs about US $1.45, would be more likely to be surprised by the cost of beer, wine and spirits, which - like petrol - is heavily taxed. Depending where you are in Canada, liquor laws also restrict where alcohol can be bought and consumed.

Housing market

Soaring housing prices in the cities of Vancouver and Toronto are making ownership unattainable for more and more people. And concern is growing that the housing bubble could crash. In April, Canada's national housing agency said nine of the country's 15 largest housing markets were showing signs of being overvalued.

The average price of properties in Vancouver rose more than 32% in the past year to $917,800 (US $700,000; £550,000) the Real Estate Board Of Greater Vancouver said this month.

And the Toronto Real Estate Board said in June that the average price of a house in Toronto had increased by nearly 17% in a year to $775,400 (£460,000).

"Two of the most interesting cities to live in have extraordinarily expensive housing markets," says Rob Carrick.

"There are enough really affluent people to buy these properties, but lower and middle-class people are getting increasingly priced out."

For comparison, the average house price in the UK's most expensive city, London, was about £472,384 in June, a 9.9% increase on the previous year.

Some experts say economic fallout from the UK's Brexit vote could bring more foreign buyers to Canada and sustain the rapid growth. But for many people in the country the prospect of owning a place is getting further and further away.

Some reasons why people DO move there

Healthy lifestyles

Scenery

Friendly reputation

LGBT rights

Longer maternity leave

Opportunities for women (even the cabinet is gender balanced)

Inequality

Wealth is increasingly concentrated among the super-rich. In Canada, the average income of the top 10% of earners is 8.6 times higher than that of the bottom 10%, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The gap between rich and poor is not as wide as in the UK and the US, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to tackle the issue in his election campaign last year.

His government's first budget included a tax cut for people earning between about $45,000 and $90,000, but critics have urged him to do more.

Meanwhile reports of mass suicide attempts in the First Nations community of Attawapiskat in Ontario in April brought renewed attention to the high levels of poverty and isolation experienced by Canada's 1.4 million indigenous people.

PM still proving himself

Justin Trudeau was elected on a wave of so-called Trudeau-mania, and in the nine months since, his international popularity has shot up.

Much of the media attention has focused on the 44-year-old's athleticism and photogenic appeal. And despite some hiccups - including unusually strong criticism after he "manhandled" an MP, and accidentally elbowed another - his popularity remains high.

But commentators say it is too early to tell how successful he will be at governing the country.

"He has a 'pretty boy' image to shake off," says Canadian writer and blogger Lauren Messervey. "In my opinion, this has been more to his detriment than to his success.

"Trudeau has had to take himself to task and prove to governing officials, public opinion, and international leaders that he is more than just a pretty face.

"So far, in regards to his flair for inspiring people to the edge of excitement, he has been doing quite an excellent job. Then again, time will tell on his power as a governing official."

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At first it was the Americans. A record number of people in the US searched on Google for how to move to Canada after Donald Trump won seven out of 11 Republican primaries on Super Tuesday in March. More recently people in the UK have been joining the party.

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B.C. was the only province to make significant employment gains in June, adding 16,000 jobs, as Canada's overall labour market took a slight dip, Statistics Canada said Friday.

Andrew Fields, an analyst with Statistics Canada, said B.C. continues an upward trend that began in the spring of 2015. The province's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.9 per cent, the lowest in the country.

Jobs added in June were mostly in the accommodation and food sector, and in professional, scientific and technical services.

Year over year, employment was up in B.C. by 70,000 jobs, driven by large gains in the professional, scientific and technical services, and the construction industry.

Fields said B.C.'s yearly employment growth of 3 per cent was the fastest rate of the growth among the provinces. Canada's rate of growth was 0.6 per cent.

Nationally, Statistics Canada said the overall labour market was stuck in neutral last month as gains in the services sector were offset by declines in factory and construction work.

Overall, the data indicated the country lost 700 jobs last month - a change so slight it was statistically insignificant.

But the national unemployment rate fell to 6.8 per cent in June, down from 6.9 per cent the previous month.

Service sector jobs continued to rise last month, gaining 45,500 positions, with the biggest increases registered in accommodation and food services as well as information, culture and recreation.

Compared to 12 months earlier, the June labour force survey found that Canada had added 170,600 services jobs, an increase of 1.2 per cent.

In contrast, the country's goods-producing industries shed 46,200 jobs in June, as construction and manufacturing industries saw the largest declines. Over the previous year, 63,000 factory jobs were lost overall - a drop of 1.6 per cent.

Employment in the category of self-employed work grew by 37,700 last month, while the number of employee positions dropped 38,400 positions, the survey found.

The data also showed that the labour market shed 40,100 full-time jobs and gained 39,400 less-desirable part-time positions. However, the agency considered both these numbers to be statistically insignificant.

ticrawfordpostmedia.com

With files from The Canadian Press

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Employment growth in B.C., as province adds 16,000 jobs in June

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B.C. was the only province to make significant employment gains in June, adding 16,000 jobs, as Canada's overall labour market took a slight dip, Statistics Canada said Friday. Andrew Fields, an analyst with Statistics Canada, said B.C. continues an upward trend that began in the spring of 2015.

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-Lionel Messi who was the great striker of Barcelona retires from international football.
-he got a World Player of the year five times.
-Although he has won many times, he has the Under-20 World Cup and the 2008  Olympic titles.

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Almost 10 million Android devices have already been infected by a terrifying new piece of malware called HummingBad, according to security researchers from Check Point.

HummingBad installs fraudulent apps to generate advertising revenue from unsuspecting users for a Chinese group called YingMob, the report claims.

Estimates suggest the HummingBad malware generates some $300,000 per month in revenue for YingMob.

"The group is highly organised," according to the Check Point report "with 25 employees that staff four separate groups responsible for developing HummingBad's malicious components."

Like many highly-successful Android malware attacks before it, HummingBad is often installed when a smartphone owner visits a malicious site - often containing pornography.

Android attacks like these have become so prevelant, one renowned online security pundit said Android users should "give up, switch to Apple and buy an iPhone".

According to Check Point, HummingBad employs a sophisticated multi-stage attack chain with two main components to try and gain complete access to the device.

The first attempts to gain root access to the Android device with a rootkit that exploits multiple vulnerabilities. If this is unsuccessful, a fake system update notification is triggered - tricking users into granted system-level permissions to HummingBad.

HummingBad downloads as many fraudulent apps as possible to the device.

These launch ad banners across the device.

The "Close" button on the fraudulent banners is actually registered as a click on the ad - generating more revenue for the cybercriminals behind the malware.

The ad banners cannot be dismissed until HummingBad detects that a click has been registered.

As it stands the vast majority of infected devices are located in China and India. Half of the affected users are running Android 4.4 KitKat.

Android users should be incredibly cautious if they are asked to grant system-wide permissions to an app they do not recognise.

Fortunately, the tools needed to catch HummingBad on mobile devices are now public, so any anti-virus service worth its salt should be able to unearth the malicious app in a few seconds.

There are a range of options available on Android, including from Check Point's Zone Alarm to Lookout, AVG and Avast.

Removing the malware is tough, so it's probably easier to make sure you have backed-up your files and contacts, made a list of your apps, then completely reset the phone.

If you believe you have been a victim of a cyberattack, Express.co.uk has rounded up the best advice and tips to help save your data.

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Terrifying new malware infects 10 million smartphones worldwide - is YOURS one of them?

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Almost 10 million Android devices have already been infected by a terrifying new piece of malware called HummingBad, according to security researchers from Check Point. HummingBad installs fraudulent apps to generate advertising revenue from unsuspecting users for a Chinese group called YingMob, the report claims. Estimates suggest the HummingBad malware generates some $300,000 per month in revenue for YingMob.

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English news and easy articles for students of English

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30-06-2016 07:00
In a shock development, Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football. This comes after Argentina were beaten 4-2 by Chile in a penalty shootout in the Copa America final, the fourth final the Barcelona striker has lost with the national side.

Messi, a five times World Player of the Year, missed Argentina's opening penalty in the shootout after the game ended 0-0.

Speaking to reporters after the match, he said, "In the dressing room, I thought that this is the end for me with the national team. It's not for me. This is my decision. I fought hard. I did everything I could to win. But the truth is, this is it. It's already been four finals. I was already thinking about it. I did everything I could. It wasn't possible to win."

Widely regarded as the greatest player of his generation, the striker has won every trophy possible at club level with Barcelona, but his only titles with his country were the Under-20 World Cup and the 2008 Olympics.

No doubt that Messi's disappointment will only be surpassed by his fans and his country.

Difficult words: announce (say something officially), striker (a forward or attacker in a sport), surpass (when something is greater than another thing).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com

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Messi retires - level 3 | News in Levels

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30-06-2016 07:00 In a shock development, Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football. This comes after Argentina were beaten 4-2 by Chile in a penalty shootout in the Copa America final, the fourth final the Barcelona striker has lost with the national side.

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Elmira

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What better way to spend lunchtime than at the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre's outdoor stage? Kick back in the sunshine on opening day, Friday, July 8th at 12:00 pm, with a performance from Vancouver-based pop-rock band, The Tourist Company. And with other themed concert days throughout the summer.

Fancy a VIP experience? Special seating and prizes for social media contest winners who follow CBC Vancouver on their social channels will be awarded each of the themed days.

Some highlights of this years' lineup:

July 8 - Opening Day - Leave your sandwich behind and pick up your lunch at the food trucks on site this day only! The Tourist Company performs with special guest Jordan Klassen.

July 12 - Kids' CBC Day - Children's performer Will Stroet of Will's Jams is on stage. Guests can mingle with popular Kids' CBC mascots SuperWHY! and Huckle Cat, make creations at the craft centre, do a scavenger hunt and get faces painted.

July 28 - Country Day - Enjoy a feel-good dance party with country artist Raquel Cole.

August 3 - Just in time for Rio 2016, celebrate Brazilian style with Aché Brasil and enjoy sports themed activities.

Now in its 7 th year, the CBC Vancouver's Musical Nooners free concert series runs Monday - Friday, from noon to 1pm, at the CBC Broadcast Centre at 700 Hamilton Street (between Robson and Georgia) from July 8 - August 19.

For more information on the Musical Nooners series and CBC, visit the website.

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CBC Vancouver's Free Concert Series, Musical Nooners, Returns July 8th

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What better way to spend lunchtime than at the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre's outdoor stage? Kick back in the sunshine on opening day, Friday, July 8th at 12:00 pm, with a performance from Vancouver-based pop-rock band, The Tourist Company. And with other themed concert days throughout the summer. Fancy a VIP experience?

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Couple donates 30 million dollars to homeless

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Couple donates 30 million dollars to homeless

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Elmira

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VANCOUVER --A $30-million philanthropic gift from an anonymous wealthy couple is allowing the City of Vancouver to reopen Taylor Manor as a home for 56 street people with complex mental health issues.

Over the next two years the city will also pour up to $10 million of public money into a $14 million renovation and expansion plan for the 1915 Tudor Revival-style heritage mansion located on Boundary Road near Adanac Park. The rest of the capital funds will come from the Streetohome Foundation, Vancity Credit Union and other donors. The renovation includes the addition of a three-storey annex, community garden, kitchen and dining facilities and program areas.

The contribution of the elderly Vancouver couple will allow the home to operate completely independent of ongoing government support. The donors' gift will run through a separate foundation and underwrite the $900,000 annual cost of operating Taylor Manor.

"This is an unprecedented donation of what I believe is the largest donation in the city's history to our effort to end homelessness," Mayor Gregor Robertson said.

The city announced the plans Friday against the backdrop of the decrepit, but still striking mansion, first built by the city as "The Old Peoples' Home" and renamed in 1946 after eight-term mayor, Louis D. Taylor, who died in poverty at the age of 88.

Until 2000 the mansion was a long-term care facility, but was shut down when residents moved to the adjacent Adanac Park Lodge, which is operated by Vancouver Coastal Health.

Still owned by the city, it has played a role in B-grade movies and served as an occasional training facility for police. Periodic attempts to renovate it for seniors housing have failed, the most recent in 2003. Now it will become a semi-permanent home for people with mental health and addiction issues who have been living on the street.

The benefactors' unusual offer to completely underwrite the operating costs of a new supportive housing facility appears to have made the project possible. Their gift leveraged money out of the city to renovate the building, as well as $1.4 million from Streetohome through a gift from Vancity, and another $200,000 from another group, the Carraresi Foundation.

When Taylor Manor is finished in about two years, it will be operated by the Kettle Friendship Society.

The project comes as the city's efforts to stem the tide of homelessness have faltered. Robertson's Vision Vancouver party made a pledge in 2008 to eliminate homelessness by 2015. He later modified the goal to end "street homeless." Last year, 154 people were catalogued living on the street. But a new count in March showed the number had almost doubled again to 306, and city staff say the situation will worsen by 2014.

"We have had tough news over the past couple of months seeing our street homeless numbers bump back up," Robertson said. "We really have to redouble our efforts ... and Taylor Manor is a key piece of that strategy."

Coun. Kerry Jang, a University of B.C. professor of psychiatry who specializes in mental health issues and is the city's representative on housing and homeless issues, was nearly moved to tears by the donors' largesse. He said he and city staff, including Judy Graves, the coordinator specializing in dealing with the homeless, have sometimes despaired at trying to solve the complex, interwoven issues of homelessness, addiction and mental health.

"It is a bit of an emotional moment for me, simply because for many years Judy and I and many of our staff have been out there and we see the suffering every single day. And every day I feel hopeless because what can we do? We put [people] into hospital for a while and they are let back out on the street again with no hope. It is just a revolving door, a revolving door, a revolving door," he said.

"Taylor Manor is fundamentally different. Taylor Manor provides that hope, that place of belonging, that place of care. It is like when you come home from a long trip and you come in through the front door and sit down on the couch and breathe 'I'm home.' This is the vision of our donors and one that I am so glad to help bring forward."

The donation firmly puts the city back in the business of directing housing for seniors and the poor. In recent months the city has complained that BC Housing was not placing enough homeless people in new units built on land provided by the city but funded by the province.

In this case the city's housing department will help decide who is admitted to Taylor Manor, Robertson said.

The province is interested in participating in Taylor Manor, but it won't be asked for operating funds, he said.

The project still has to go through a rezoning application this fall, with a public open house for neighbours set for July 12. But the city's announcement Friday leaves little doubt that the project will go ahead regardless of public views.

The benefactors underwriting the operation were present for the announcement and looked on without emotion. The city asked that their wishes for anonymity be respected.

Jang said the circumstances behind their gift were both unusual and complicated. He said the pair called him up out of the blue two years ago after they read about the city's growing homelessness problems. They offered to help but were very particular about what they wanted to do. "They were really smart cookies and they had done their homework," he said.

Unlike other philanthropic gifts to help the homeless, which usually go to capital costs, the benefactors categorically insisted that their money should underwrite the annual operating costs of the facility, he said.

Jang said he and Graves took the couple around the Downtown Eastside to see how non-profit housing works. They also met and had dinner with a number of homeless people. Through all of that, the couple formulated a plan to provide a gift in perpetuity through the endowment of their $30-million fund.

"We told them the way the city does things, that we use donations for capital, but they just ground us down," Jang said with a smile. "It was the most unusual gift I've ever seen, and we had to create a new legal structure for this to work."
Jefflee@vancouversun.com Twitter.com/sunciviclee

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Anonymous wealthy couple's $30-million gift to help homeless in Vancouver

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VANCOUVER --A $30-million philanthropic gift from an anonymous wealthy couple is allowing the City of Vancouver to reopen Taylor Manor as a home for 56 street people with complex mental health issues.