Maybe—just maybe—it’s actually a duck? I just couldn’t let this story go by without writing about it again. The long and short of it is that the higher (no pun intended) authorities of the Portland Hotel Society (PHS) and several of their own Board of Directors are stepping down, as ordered by the BC Government, in order to avoid receivership. So what does this mean? Well, according to the government, in the 2012-2013 fiscal year, PHS received a cool $21 million in funding. Of that money, we … [Read more...] about The Portland Hotel Society: If It Looks Like a Duck and Quacks Like a Duck…
Staying clean and sober takes work
Crack Pipe Vending Machines: The New Kids on the Block
So now Vancouver has crack pipe vending machines—have you heard?Actually, maybe you didn’t hear. Even if you live in the Vancouver area, you may not have heard. It seems to me that this was on the news, local and nationally, for about two nights and then it was not covered anymore—and has now been virtually forgotten about.But somehow, I am unable to forget about it.According to those scanty news reports, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) has approved the Portland Hotel in the Downtown Eastside to … [Read more...] about Crack Pipe Vending Machines: The New Kids on the Block
Philip Seymour Hoffman: How Many More Do We Have to Lose?
Seriously, I don’t know how many more articles like this I can write about celebrities dying of addiction.Along with everyone else who knew Philip Seymour Hoffman’s work, I mourn the loss of a gigantic talent. He was one of my favorite actors and I’ve seen most of his films. Of all the celebrity tributes I’ve heard about him in the past couple of days, the one that stands out for me is Rob Lowe’s—Lowe, a recovering addict/alcoholic himself, spoke of feeling angry about a number of things, not … [Read more...] about Philip Seymour Hoffman: How Many More Do We Have to Lose?
New Year’s Resolutions? Try Intentions Instead
In the immortal words of John Lennon, another year is over and a new one's just begun. Isn't it interesting how we, as a society, agree that this is the time to give ourselves and our lives a complete and total new makeover? We have decided that at this time of the year we will revisit the year we're leaving behind, dissecting it to see what worked for us and what didn't. And on top of that, we need to make sure that we meet all of our "resolutions" quickly and perfectly or else we have … [Read more...] about New Year’s Resolutions? Try Intentions Instead
Cory Monteith’s Death: What Was He Thinking?
I can’t tell you how odd I felt when I realized that I had passed by the very hotel Cory Monteith died in, just several hours before his overdose. For those of you who know Vancouver, I’d been at a tourist attraction at Canada Place with an out-of-town friend on Friday. On our way to lunch, we walked right by the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel a mere 24 hours before his body was discovered. This is not a ‘claim to fame’ I would have knowingly chosen. I hate the fact that Cory Monteith is dead, and … [Read more...] about Cory Monteith’s Death: What Was He Thinking?
