Former trustee on the RV road

Former trustee on the RV road
Here and Now column by Dan Hilborn, Burnaby NOW assistant editor
Published March 9, 2003

Former Burnaby school trustee Dorothy Caddell, best known for her environmental initiatives in local schools through the early 1990s, is coming back to Burnaby next week to talk about her new passion.
She and husband Bill Bell have written a book and started their own Web site to highlight the many inexpensive RV travel opportunities across Mexico.
"Camping on the beach for as little as $6 a day is still the norm throughout the Baja," says Bell. "But with the increase in RV travel throughout Mexico, I don't know how long that will last."
The Bells have been making the trip south virtually every year for the past two decades, and Dorothy insists that the border guards no longer take bribes, and she has never once encountered a bandito. "Mexico RV travel is no longer just for the brave or the reckless," she says.
Their Web site www.ontheroadin.com give tips for preparation, lists of RV camp sites, plus scads of husband Bill's very beautiful photographs of the Mexican scenery and people.
People who attend their five-hour course will learn about insurance needs, driving tips, food and water concerns plus how to schedule an RV vacation that includes snorkeling with tropical fish and climbing a pyramid.
Their course will be offered on March 16 at the Radisson Hotel in Burnaby and costs $40 per person or $60 per couple. Upon completion, participants also receive an interactive CD, which reviews "most" of the RV camp sites in Mexico, with detailed maps of how to locate them, despite the fact that many Mexican roads have no names or are completely unmarked.
To register for the seminar, call the Bells at 604-904-9229 or send an e-mail to dot@ontheroadin.com.

Bonney gets organized

Well-known Burnaby politico Brian Bonney has taken a break from running Quantum Telecomm to take on a field organizer's post with the B.C. Liberal party.
Bonney, who ran for mayor under the TEAM Burnaby banner last year and was the campaign manager for Burquitlam Liberal MLA Harry Bloy in 2001, said he loves working with the party's many volunteers.
"I've done a lot of similar work in the past with the Rotary Club," said Bonney, who is known as one of the city's scrappiest politicians. "Working on a volunteer board can be an onerous and difficult task. People are really, really busy these days, and if things start to get too complicated, it helps to have somebody around."
Bonney, who started his new job about two weeks ago, is responsible for liaising with the B.C. Liberal constituencies in Burnaby and the Tri-City areas. He says his communications business has been put "on the back burner" for the time being.

Silent auction items needed

Do you have anything to give to help pay for vision care and eyeglasses for people living in Third World countries?
If so, you could join an elite group of helpers including rock star Elton John, that is aiding the Third World Eye Care Society as it prepares for its big fundraiser at the Hotel Vancouver on Saturday April 26.
All donated items to this high class affair will help send 10,000 pairs of eyeglasses to small villages in China's Jiangsu province. Over seven years, the association has also helped restore vision for 24,000 [poor people in countries as diverse as India, guatemala, the Philippines and Cambodia.
To donate, leave a message at the society offices, 604-688-8105.

Forester's donate

A rather enormous cash donation arrived at Stride Avenue community school this week, thank to the folks at Forester's, a financial services organization affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters.
The firm presented a $5,000 cheque to Stride's Peer Tutor Program during a special ceremony at the Metrotown location of Chapters Bookstore on Saturday afternoon.
The school's Peer Tutor Program was started last fall as a way of teaching leadership skills to older students and help inspire the younger children to learn to read.
Sandhu's hefty award
Moscrop secondary student Supna Sandhu has joined an elite group of 30 students from across Canada to be offered an $11,000 Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation award.
The honour was announced last month after Sandhu traveled to Toronto with 72 other students to take part in a rigorous scholarship selection process.
For two days, Sandhu and others were went through a personal evaluation process that looked at their unique leadership potential, service to their community and academic performance at school.

Building a good rep

Kudos again to Burnaby's best known renovator.
Ralph Belisle of QT Construction in Burnaby has picked up two national awards from the Canadian Home Builders Association.
Belisle, the immediate past president of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association, received the SAM Award for Best Addition/ Renovation in the country for some work he did on a on a home in the south slope of the city.
The once-modest bungalow was completely rebuilt with a new kitchen, dining room, covered patio and deck, as week as reconstruction of the master bedroom and the ensuite bathroom.
While there was no doghouse in the project, Belisle admits that the homeowner did insist on relocating the doggy door at least two times during the involved bit of work.
Belisle shared the CHBA Award of Honour, recognizing dedication and volunteer service to the association at the local level, with Vancouver architect Richard Kalduski.