Sister city groups entertained

Sister city groups entertained
Here and Now column by Dan Hilborn, Burnaby NOW assistant editor
Published Aug. 18, 2002

Those large groups of smiling visitors handing out lapel pins throughout the city last week were in fact visitors from Burnaby's sister cities, in town to hobnob with local movers and shakers.
Official delegations from Gatineau, Que., and Mesa, Ariz. were in Burnaby over the past few days hoping to increase the amount of trade between the provinces and across the Canada-U.S. border.
A total of 37 visitors were in town from Wednesday to Sunday, and they sure were kept hopping by the folks at city hall.
Delegates from Mesa Community College met with officials at BCIT to solidify an official memorandum of understanding between the institutions, while other delegates from both sister cities took in workshops on cross-border trade, urban planning and public transportation, plus tours of the new forensic and media labs at BCIT.
The folks from Mesa were led by their rather colourfully named mayor, Keno Hawker, and his wife Mary Jo Vecchiarelli, the president of the Mesa Sister City Association Dr. Ron Newth and his wife Joan, plus Mesa-Burnaby Committee chair Philip Lowry and his wife Joan.
Other delegates from Mesa included vice mayor Dennis Kavanaugh and college president Dr. Larry Christianson and his wife Dr. Pat Honzay, plus Coun. Kyle Jones, Jim Carpenter and Mike Whalen.
The group from Gatineau was much smaller, consisting only of Coun. Laurence Cannon and the city's deputy director general of economic development, Don Picard. They were given a special tour of the new Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain Station, now nearing completion on the newly named Gatineau Street.
(Mayor Drummond confesses that the City of Gatineau had a Rue de Burnaby before our city council reciprocated with the street name.)
Several new business projects may come to light as a result of the visits, reports Drummond. The folks from Mesa are hoping to open a storefront office in Burnaby to help promote Arizona products and services.

AN EXHILARATING COLD

It's awfully cold near the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, according to Gateway Casino president and Burnaby resident Dave Gadhia, who called from the 15,500-foot mark of the tallest mountain in Africa this week.
While troubles with the satellite phone system meant the phone call arrived one day later than expected, Gadhia finally got through to the Burnaby NOW at around 7:30 p.m., Tanzania time.
"I'm cold as hell and doing fine," were his first words. "It's exhilarating, but there's a tough task before us."
Gadhia's call came just hours before he made the final ascent up the 19,500-foot mountain as part of the Ascent for Alzheimer fundraiser on behalf of the Alzheimer Society of B.C.
"The view from up here is absolutely spectacular, but it's hard to breathe," he said over the surprisingly clear phone connection. "We're all suffering from mild symptoms of altitude sickness - headaches and nausea - so it's tough, but it is breathtaking."
When asked if the climb was enjoyable, Gadhia said: "It is, we have a great team. But it's a challenge. It always is a challenge when you look for that balance between hope and despair, when you push yourself to test yourself. It just exhilarates you when you come through. From that point of view, it's enjoyable."
Just half an hour after the first inter-continental phone interview, Gadhia called again to make sure he sent a special thank you to his friends, neighbours and co-workers at the Gateway Casino for donating to the cause and helping to make their fundraising goal come true.
After coming down from the mountain this weekend, the couple will enjoy a short vacation in their native Kenya before getting back on solid Canadian soil in about two weeks.