JOY'S JOURNAL
/by Joy Metcalfe
(click images to enlarge)
RETIRING TO GREAT APPLAUSE …
Never in his wildest dreams did Pat O’Neill think his retirement after 36 years as equipment manager with the Vancouver Canucks would create such ongoing attention and affection.
Jake Milford Award recipient Pat O’Neill.
He officially retired after the Canucks final regular season game on April 16, 2025 at Rogers Arena against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Players, coaches, and trainers from both teams, alongside the fans, erupted in long standing ovations when PA announcer Al Murdoch shared the news with the crowd.
Born and raised in Victoria, O’Neill launched his NHL career in 1980 as an assistant equipment manager with the Winnipeg Jets. After eight years he moved ‘home’ to join the Canucks dressing room staff.
He was recruited by Hockey Canada for three World Cup Championship tournaments and was part of Team Canada’s historic gold medal victory at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
In 2016, O’Neill was inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame, and this past June was the recipient of the 2025 Gerry Sillers 7th Man Award for his dedication to the Canucks Alumni.
Known as simply ‘Patty” to his colleagues, he has now been named the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Jake Milford Award in recognition of ‘outstanding service and dedication to hockey in British Columbia’.
MORE SPORTS …
Still with sports, PGA pro golfer Adam Hadwin invites you to enter a foursome in the inaugural Golf for CHILD ProAm on Monday, Sept. 22 at the Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey. Your foursome will be joined by a PGA America Pro golfer for your round.
For more information on the price and all other details, call CHILD at 604.736.0645 or email jamie@child.ca and help find the cure for Pediatric Crohn's Disease.
The kids will thank you! ...
Jacqui cohen and Daughter Kasondra.
FACE THE WORLD …
Scoop! Scoop! Yes, indeed, I have confirmation that Jacqui Cohen's popular Face The World charity will return next June 6, celebrating the popular fundraiser's 35th anniversary. The gala event will take place in the original Cohen family home on the UBC grounds. It was renovated some years ago — a combo of west coast modern meets James Bond cool.
Like a butterfly, Face the World continues to evolve... Yea, Jacqui!!
WHAT TO DO ABOUT POINT BOB?
What do you do when disaster is upon you, no one is listening, and you are desperate.
Brian calder on the beach at point roberts.
That's the case for citizens of Point Roberts even before the four-year COVID disaster when nothing was moving across the border despite numerous pleas — even to Washington State’s Governor and the President of the United States.
Brian Calder has tried everything possible to catch the ear of someone before Point Bob turns into a large vacant lot. He has finally come up with a unique idea.
He is now suggesting that since America doesn't care about them, why not "gift" Washington's odd enclave of Point Roberts to Canada? He cedes that it won't be simple or easy, but necessary.
Bravo, Brian! You just might be heard now! I love the idea!
Point Roberts is so breathtakingly beautiful, spacious with acres of land and leafy green trees and a view of the water that goes on forever. I had a suggestion a long time ago to make Point Roberts an international park, which might have been an easier-to-swallow plan.
I wish Brian all the best in his forever quest to do the best for his community.
THE KING’S MEDAL & A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
A few weeks ago, my good friend Moira Fitzpatrick and I celebrated Moira's receiving the cherished King Charles III Gold Medal for her long and heartfelt support and dedication to many causes, primarily for her efforts for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. We finally got together over a late day glass of wine in a place I'd never been. The address to meet was on Alberni Street and, wow, was I in for a shocking surprise! Has Alberni ever changed!
From left: Moira fitzpatrick, Chantelle semilla-regan, and joy metcalfe.
Top notch stores, small elegant hotels, breathtaking jewellery shops, and even expensive automobiles for sale. It's a great street to just to walk, drool, and realize that you need a raise. I walked down Alberni like I had never seen it before.
The address I was getting to was 1121 Alberni and there was the sign in the trees that read "The Keg". Hidden a titch by the lush vegetation was a rising staircase of some 40 stairs.
I did climb them since I couldn't see any elevators. And while it was a bit of an effort, it was so different, almost like a quiet staircase leading to a peaceful and serene jungle in the heart of the city.
Charming and cheerful Chantelle Semilla-Regan is the Leading Hostess, who quickly pointed out the elevators that I'd missed.
Moira and I had a lovely time at the peaceful Keg, recalling all sorts of people and things that we were involved with at the time, like Victor Burt and Art Cameron at the Hotel Vancouver, Ruy PasBraga at the Four Seasons, Eleni Skalbania who owned and ran the Wedgewood Hotel, (she hired and fired eleven GM's before deciding to do it herself — for a short time) Dennis Forristal at the Bayshore, Steve Halliday at the Pan Pacific, and the hefty and quite loveable gentleman whose security company guarded them all, the West End's Ozzie Kaban.
As Moira and I chatted, we recalled that Ozzie was very involved with the mysterious disappearance of a well-known Vancouver banker, reddish-haired Nick Masse and his Chinese wife, Lisa, who was a popular hairdresser.
Nick was employed with one of the downtown banks and was hoping to rise in the ranks and salary, as he loudly lamented to his good old pals, Herb Capozzi, Harry Moll and Basil Pantages. He wasn't too happy, since he had his own side deals going on.
The work at the bank went on until someone realized that Nick hadn't come to the office for a few days and hadn't called in sick. And their phone calls went unanswered.
One of the younger tellers was dispatched to drive to their home in North Vancouver and see what was up. The young fellow knocked on the door, peeked through the windows and saw their cat, meandering about. But there was no sign whatever of Nick or Lisa.
The RCMP were brought in along with VPD to try to determine what had happened to the couple. Also tagging behind the police was the same security expert, Ozzie Kaban. Ozzie contacted Nick's son, who was totally mystified over his Dad and Lisa's disappearance.
Weeks went by without any connection being made. But, as the authorities began searching through Nick's finances, one thing became clear. Nick had a large number of unpaid debts.
After months went by without any word or discovery of the pair, the matter was shelved. But I do recall that Ozzie always figured that when you became heavily involved in questionable money transactions and you can't pay the scary underworld, motorcycle gangs became collectors.
I prefer to think of Nick and Lisa somewhere in Europe enjoying life, after Lisa used her hairdressing skills to dye Nick's reddish hair and mustache ebony black. I truly hope so. The $50,000 dollar reward money has never been claimed...
DUNCAN HOLMES.
MORE KEG MEMORIES …
Speaking of the Keg, it truly was the inestimable talents of Duncan Holmes, who had been hired by restaurant kingpin, George Tidball, to become his vice-president of communications for the new-to-the-scene Keg and Cleaver Restaurant . The Keg and Cleaver, which opened in 1971 with great flair, was situated in Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver.
The walls were of rough cedar, the atmosphere dimmed by smokers’ cigarettes, a trio was playing, steaks were sizzling and invitees were lined up on steep Lonsdale. It was packed inside with a cast of hundreds.
At that time, I was doing my own PR bit for the local stages, North Van Players, Metro, Vancouver Little Theatre, and John Parker's Actors Contemporary Theatre or ACT in Gastown.
I have no idea why, but I was wearing a long, very slim and snug green strapless gown with emerald earrings.
Duncan spotted me immediately (since everybody else was in jeans) and that was the beginning of another long friendship. What Dunc brought to the pen was a flourish of joy and nonchalance. With his artistic flair, whether in promotions, script writing, wordsmithing, unsung ghost writing, bread making, or piano virtuoso-ing, Duncan made things happen.
He passed away several years ago. Without any fanfare, he simply eased away into the silky dark night. But his cheery and imaginative theme for the Keg, "See you tonight" is still in the ads after 54 years...
Happy September, everybody!...
