Vol. 101 No. 44
Brian Street, President
Joan Posivy, Secretary
Next meeting: Tuesday May 21, 2019
Lana Gilbertson, Senior Vice President, MNP Ltd. Keeping up with the Canadians - the Reality of Debt in the Great White North
With more than 15 years of experience, Lana helps individuals and families resolve their financial issues with debt. She consults with clients on a range of options for resolving debt challenges, including budgeting and cash flow management, debt consolidation, debt management, consumer proposals and bankruptcy. Lana ensures clients understand the options available to them so they can make informed decisions and assists clients in resolving their financial difficulties to achieve a fresh financial start.
Serving clients in Vancouver, North Vancouver and Richmond, Lana is a Licensed Insolvency Trustee, Consumer Proposal Administrator and Registered BIA Insolvency Counsellor. She is also a Chartered Insolvency and Restructuring Professional (CIRP) and a general member of the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals (CAIRP).
Upcoming meeting: Tuesday May 28, 2019
Club Day!!
Upcoming meeting: Tuesday June 4, 2019
Sue Biely, Executive Producer, Good Pitch Vancouver
From the Good Pitch Vancouver website: Started in the UK and now in over 15 countries, Good Pitch is an international program designed to maximize the impact of documentaries. This year, it’s launching in Vancouver with five Canadian documentaries - one each from Ontario and Nova Scotia, and three from BC - are tackling a spectrum of issues ranging from Indigenous land rights to global corporate influence. Good Pitch Vancouver is excited to bring together every kind of creative support to the causes these films represent.
It's the 400th container! Join us, one and all, family and friends to celebrate this extraordinary event.
Location: Riverview Coquitlam, Thistle Place (up the hill)
This shipment is going to Kiev, Ukraine and is being sponsored by the Rotary Club of Vancouver.
In addition to the normal loading, this container is a very special loading since it will mark the 400th container that the Rotary World Help has shipped to countries around the world. Kiev is the location where we sent our first container some 22 years ago. So, we have come full circle.
At about 11 AM, as soon as the container is full and the tag affixed, we will be holding a very important ceremony to mark this milestone. There will be lunch and a cake inspired by our RWH truck and logo. You are all invited to this special celebration. Very few organizations have made such an important positive impact, but with your continuing support, RWH has. Please come and join us in celebrating this amazing milestone.
Due notice having been given, the following member, as part of Abana Capital, has been declared elected as a member of the Club.
Sahra Homayounian Real Estate: Capital Investment
Proposer: Navid Morawej
Seconder: Franz Gehriger
RCoV's newest elected individual member
Due notice having been given, the following member has been declared elected as a member of the Club.
Saarika Varma
Management Consulting
Proposer: Franz Gehriger
Seconder: Jason Boudreau
Last Meeting May 14, 2019
President, Brian Street chaired the meeting and gave the invocation.
Don Evans accompanied us on the piano for the singing of O Canada.
Joe Lopushinsky, Sergeant-at-Arms, introduced visitors and guests.
President's Announcements:
Hope all of our Mothers had a happy Mother’s Day.
The RI President for 2020-21 has been selected, Holger Knaack from a Rotary club in Germany. If no other candidates challenge the position by May 31st, he will be selected by acclamation.
It is with great regret to hear that Blair Trenholme’s wife is not well. Please reach out to him; he needs support.
The Dictionary Project presentation at Norquay School was on Monday, May 13th.
Thanks to John Hayto for his help in sorting the refreshments for the Seaforth Armoury social. It was well attended, about 35 attendees, some from other clubs. There was food & drinks upstairs in the Officer’s Mess, a history tour and talk, for those interested there was ammunition range practice in the high-tech underground facility.
Joan Posivy, provided the Secretary's announcements:
reminders of upcoming events/meetings (see above)
birthdays:Anne Lippert May 15th
member anniversaries:Justin Emilio 1 year, Mindy Tulsi-Ingram 15 years, Rene Fluri 55 years
wedding anniversaries: Mindy & Steve Tulsi-Ingram 23 years May 17th, Jack & Donna Lee Zaleski 31 years May 14th, Gerry & Marlene Glazier 51 years May 18th
Special announcements and members' moments:
Don Evans presented Charles Flavelle with his Paul Harris Major Donor pin. Congratulations and thank you for your support Charles.
Gerry Glazier let everyone know that they are welcome to come to the 400th Rotary World Help Network container loading on Saturday May 18th. The location is at the Riverview site, behind the old hospital, up the hill. Arrive at 9:00 a.m. to help loading or 11:00 to participate in the celebration of such a wonderful initiative that has, incredibly, sending its 400th container to Kiev.
John Hayto & Kendall Jessiman introduced Shayla who is our outgoing exchange student, travelling to Spain. The sent out an appeal for homestay families. There is an incoming exchange student from Spain arriving in August. John & Cindy Hayto are going to host her until Christmas. Need Christmas onwards, happy to take more than one host each for a shorter time. Hosting means providing a room to sleep and meals. There is some money available to help offset some of the costs if need be.
Another possibility and request: if you cannot host as a stay, then consider hosting her for a day or evening. Take her to a soccer game or a drive to Whistler or a local hike. Anything that suits would be appreciated by all.
Charles Flavelle mentioned that his family hosted the Club’s first exchange student. It was a wonderful experience; in fact, they are still in contact all these years later.
Contact John or Kendall if you can help or if you want more information.
Program:
Sean Chan introduced speaker, Susan Yurkovich, President and CEO of the Council of Forest Industries. Her talk was Forestry: The Cornerstone of B.C.’s economy.
Susan grew up in a Rotary family; her Dad is a 50 year plus Rotarian.
We all live in the forest; approximately 140 thousand people work in forestry related jobs. Building with wood is coming to the fore globally. A wonderful example is the Brock Commons Tallwood House at UBC that is 18 stories tall.
There are lots of varieties of wood products produced in British Columbia. Most are exported. Forestry products comprise 1/3 of all B.C. exports, that ship to over 100 countries.
Forestry drives the B.C. economy. The revenue to governments, about $4 billion, supports essential services. The industry is a very, very big, important contributor.
Two-thirds of the province’s old growth forests are protected and are outside the harvest areas. There is constant balancing between using some old growth and second growth.
Forestry is B.C.’s “auto sector”, providing 1 in 17 jobs. Five of seven provincial regions have significant jobs. It is critical to 140 dependent communities in the province.
There are many challenges faced by the industry:
Access to fibre. A declining harvest what with beetles and fires. There are increased costs due to having to go further to fibre mills.
Increasing complexity in operating
Geo-political environmental and trade issues.
China is the 2nd largest market with a great upside. After using up the beetle wood they are moving up the chain to higher quality products. The current strained relationships are problematic, however.
With a good portion of the current forestry workforce heading to retirement in the next few years, attracting new workers is a challenge. They will need 25,000 new workers over the next decade; skilled trades with strong technical skills.
Looking ahead, they are moving to taller wood structures. A great future for the industry.
