JOY'S JOURNAL
/by Joy Metcalfe
(click images to enlarge)
A PLEA FROM POINT ROBERTS
This is a letter that recently landed on my desk…
"Dear Premier Eby, In today's media, we saw your appeal to British Columbians to cease travel to the USA and further to avoid purchasing U.S. made products.
Brian Calder.
“While we in Point Roberts understand your concerns and motivation, we respectfully ask you and your government to consider an exemption for Point Roberts on Humanitarian grounds.
“As you are aware, Point Roberts is a pene-exclave of land attached to Delta, British Columbia, with whom we have enjoyed a remarkably positive and mutually supportive relationship for many decades.
“In fact, Canadians own 70% of the real property in Point Roberts and one half of our permanent residents hold both U.S. and Canadian citizenship. We do not believe we represent a threat to anyone, in fact, quite the opposite.
“We have always supported and highly valued Canadians and that will always be the case here in Point Roberts.
“Please consider exempting Point Roberts from British Columbia's economic retaliation.
“A copy of our previous appeal to you is attached.
“Thank you for your consideration and our very best regards...
“Brian Calder
Point Roberts, USA.”
IN OTHER POINT ROBERTS NEWS …
And there is some better news to report, that two local entrepreneurs are bringing new life to Point Roberts' manufacturing scene with the launch of 2 Salty Blondes Salt Company, the community's first handcrafted food manufacturing business in more than a century.
2 salty blonds, Noni Johanson and Tamra Hansen.
Businesswoman Noni Johanson and restaurateur Tamra Hansen founded the company with a vision of creating premium artisan flavoured salts while celebrating the unique character of Point Roberts. Nestled on a peninsula connected to the United States only through Canada, the community has long been known for its resilience, maritime heritage, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Today 2 Salty Blondes is helping to write the next chapter of that story by producing locally handcrafted gourmet products inspired by the Pacific Northwest.
The company's flavoured salts are designed for everyday cooking and entertaining. Their handcrafted blends can be used to rim cocktail glasses for margaritas, Caesars, and martinis while also enhancing grilled meats, seafood, vegetables, gourmet popcorn, barbeques, and a wide variety of home-cooked dishes. Each blend is created to bring bold flavour, creativity, and a touch of coastal personality to every meal.
"Point Roberts has always been a community of hard-working, innovative people," said the founders. "We're proud to create a product that reflects our hometown while helping bring local food manufacturing back to the Point.”
Bravo, ladies! ...
THE BAYSHORE AT 65
I was quite thrilled with anticipation to be invited to last week's celebration marking the 65th anniversary of the elegant and quite unique seaside Westin Bayshore Hotel.
It's hard to believe that this waterfront charmer is the age it is.
Laura Serena and Bayshore GM, Tanya Matthews.
It was also the official launch of the hotel's first woman general manager, despite the fact that she's been at her new G.M.'s desk since early spring. Tanya Matthews made an impressive entrance in her off-white attire and positive speech.
She's a local gal so she really knows Vancouver, the hotel scene, and the need for more rooms for visitors.
The hotel also has a new P.R. company made up of former employees to enhance and emphasize the hotel's many qualities, like being on the water and outside of the busy and noisy downtown area.
It's the Serena P.R. Company, headed by Laura Serena, who put together last week's celebration.
Who would believe that one of the busiest hotels in town is 65 years old, with tons of spacious meeting rooms, several restaurants, a spectacular ballroom, and it is situated peacefully right on the active waterfront.
I had worked for a couple of years way back when as the hotel's first in-house public relations director, dealing directly with such people as the pleasant Hal Holbrook, songstress Rosemary Clooney, Ringo Starr, and Arther Godfrey, among others.
Shakespearean Actor Hal Holbrook and Joy.
Arthur was here to do a spot on a new independent TV show being done at the Cave Theatre nightclub, which was hosted by Carol Taylor. Arthur had had one cancerous lung removed and found that he couldn't talk or walk very far and asked for my help to get in and out of the car on the journey to the Cave. I was happy to do it.
It was on one of those taxi rides that he discovered the Four Seasons Hotel, which was a lot closer to the Cave, and thus changed his reservation from the Bayshore to the Four Seasons. How I miss that beautiful hotel and their fantastic general manager, the late and terribly missed Rui Pas Braga.
Arthur was so happy with my efforts to make his visit to Vancouver comfortable that as soon as he returned to his ranch in California he sent a huge box full of his best juicy oranges with a note of grateful thanks. He did that every year until he passed away.
One of our other special guests hiding out at the Bayshore was the Beatles' drummer, Ringo Starr. Ringo had been staying at our sister hotel in Toronto but left earlier than he planned. He was so angry and disappointed with the media who haunted his every move, he couldn't wait to get out of Toronto.
So when I picked him up in a cab at YVR, he made me a deal. "I am due to be here for two weeks. If you can keep the media away, I'll stay for the entire two weeks."
It was an almost impossible task and The Marine Lounge became the media's headquarters, and I did a great deal of beer and cocktail buying while insisting that "Ringo isn't here!"
But he did cheat. Going into Trader Vic's for dinner or having lunch in one of our cafeterias, there was Ringo in his sequin-studded jacket proclaiming "Ringo" in flashing lights.
But he did keep his word and stayed in the tower for two weeks, busily writing music for an entirely new album. He thanked me as we walked to his cab and gave me a peck on the cheek and waved as the taxi got underway. It was just then, that some hooligan jumped up in front and threw a whipped cream pie at the taxi. Fortunately it missed and the cab sped away...Whew! And I rushed off to confession.
Back at the Bayshore's 65th birthday party, truth be told, I was rather disappointed since I didn't recognize any of the guests. I think most of the invitee celebrants were from the sales department, otherwise why wasn't the Bayshore's longest serving and most well known and revered general manager, Denis Foristall, invited?
I've tried to check with new PR but haven't connected yet ...
DID YOU GET YOUR TICKETS?
BOBBY BRUCE IS NEARLY NEIL.
SOLD OUT … It was a total sellout for the talents of Bobby Bruce and his Nearly Neil performance, billed as “the ultimate Neil Diamond tribute,” at the Senior's Centre in West Van. Tickets were sold out immediately and the lineup for the waitlist was huge. The show, according to fans, was awesome, giving Bobby's performance a standing ovation...
GOING FAST … Just a reminder that tickets for the 40th anniversary of the Jack Webster Foundation Awards evening on Monday, November 2 at the Hyatt Hotel are going very quickly. No surprise there. It's a great show...
JUST IMAGINE!
And a little reminder...It was Edmund Burke who once said, "Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." If everyone did a little together, we could accomplish a lot ...
Happy October!
