RAINTREE SPA

Introduction to Yoga - is this for me? - Tuesday, April 19, 7-8pm - Open Space Yoga
Find out how yoga can positively impact your current workout or lifestyle. Whether you're new to yoga or simply wanting to deepen your knowledge of the fundamentals, this workshop starts from the ground up, with an emphasis on experiencing the body and breath in movement and stillness. Join Raintree staff and yoga instructor Michael Rudd in his new studio in the heart of Ladner Village on Delta Street. A great venue for our Delta guests who would like to explore the benefits of yoga close to home. After the yoga session, we’ll be serving up our newest Silk Road teas for tasting while Michael answers your questions. Cost: $10 per person. Net proceeds to Seva blindness prevention programs in Nepal. Call 604-274-44266 to reserve your spot.

Jane Iredale Wake Up Your Makeup Event - featuring national makeup artist Ruben Potrebenko Wednesday, April 27th, 5-8pm. Grab a group and join us for another fun-filled evening of makeup mania. Turn in that tired winter makeup and learn some new tricks that will wake up your face — with the help of renowned makeup artist Ruben Potrebenko! Known for his keen sense of style and humour, Ruben demonstrates how to choose the right colours for your skin tone, how to apply them and how to infuse some springtime sizzle into your current makeup routine. Demonstrations at 5, 6 and 7pm. Seating is limited, so book your spot early. $10 per person. Net proceeds to Nite Of Hope for breast cancer research. Call 604-274-44266 to reserve your spot.

Helping Yourself Through Volunteering - Thursday, May 5th, 6:30-7:30pm Executive Coach and Business Consultant Shelley Leonhardt of Best Practices Consulting talks about how volunteering can teach us things about ourselves and how it makes us healthy. Exercises include the Life Vision Board - a tool that enables us to see what we want our lives to look like. Cost: $10. Net proceeds to Raincoast Conservation Society. Call 604-274-44266 to reserve your spot Quality Home Inspections Ltd., 1995 – 2005, Celebrating 10 Years of Service E: quality@qhi.ca, T: (604) 271-7177, W: www.qhi.ca

QUALITY HOME INSPECTIONS

Buying a home is a BIG deal! Whether you’re buying a condominium, a townhouse, or a single family home, a professional property inspection will tell you what you’re getting into ahead of time and what additional costs you may be looking at. Quality Home Inspections delivers vital technical information, superior customer service, and a comprehensive understanding of home health and livability.

QHI owners John Schiffer and Jennifer Bazett proudly celebrate their 10th year in business in 2005. John is a Registered Home Inspector (RHI) and certified member of CAHPI(BC). Jennifer is your first point of contact with the company; she handles inspection bookings, public relations, marketing and office administration.

QHI recently moved their base of operations from Vancouver to sunny west Richmond. They are settling in nicely and look forward to getting to know the Steveston community. For more information please visit QHI’s website at: www.qhi.ca, Email: quality@qhi.ca, Phone: 604-271-7177

WINGS OF DOVE

Lecture Series on Mondays [7:00 pm - 8:30 pm] from April 11 - May 9 @ $10.00/night - Pre registration is required due to limited space. We have invited a group of dynamic speakers to share their expertise that can help us attain and maintain our self empowerment in our work and personal environment. Speaker& Subjects: Ravi Pathak, Seven Laws of Success, Engaging Spirit in the Workplace - Ann Siddaway, Finding the Joy in your work, or is it passion? - Donna Belado, Personal Safety, What You Can do to Protect Yourself - Carole Britton & Kim Ceresney, How Much do I Matter? Ways of Being in the Now - Julia Downs, Creating with Inspiration. Please check out the website for further details: www.wingsofdove.ca and call 604-275-7774 to register.

PANGAEA CLINIC OF NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE

I’ve been hearing about mercury toxicity in vaccines and dental amalgams recently. I’ve also read about it in Discover Magazine. Can you show me some of the data on mercury toxicity, and what I can do for prevention and detoxification?

Mercury toxicity is a serious issue. There is an excellent article on mercury toxicity in the current Discover magazine, which is available on their website. I’ve also attached the text below. Acute metal intoxication is well-known in all medical circles, but the chronic toxicity (experienced by most) is as dangerous, if not more since not many doctors know to test for it. If unrecognized, some symptoms that patients complain about might be treated well, but the underlying contributing cause of increased body burden of toxic metals would not have been addressed – leading to progression of disease.

The World Health Organization in 1998 showed that 80% of all deaths were due to either cancer or cardiovascular disease (heart attack, heart failure, strokes). Just looking at these two big killers then, we can find very significant data showing a contributing link to toxic metal burden. Specific examples will be below, but a quick search in the medical literature will show 13-15 journal references for a link between mercury and heart disease. Searches in the medical journals will show about 10 references between mercury and cancer. Now here’s the important part: there are two databases that need to be checked when dealing with metal toxicities! The other is the scientific literature and here we findd over 350 references for a link between mercury and heart disease and over 600 for a link between the metal and cancer! Furthermore, there were over 1400 articles on mercury and neurodegenerative disease (Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism etc) in the scientific literature and only about 40 in the medical. So clearly the research is out there, even if most doctors don’t know where to look for it.

For example, just looking at medical literature, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (1999) 33:1578-83, patients with a form of heart failure (idiopathic dilated caardiomyopathy) had 22,300 times the level of mercury in heart muscle than in controls! In the journal Circulation (1995) 91:645-55 the authors found that hair mercury levels were associated with 2-3 times the risk of acute heart attacks in 1833 Finnish males. They also found that hair and urine mercury levels correlated with oxidized cholesterol (the form that creates plaque in the arteries). Even the very conventional New England Journal of Medicine (2002) 22:1747-54 found that toenail mercury correlated with increased risk of heart attack!

Mercury poisons the machinery in our cells by binding to the sulfur groups on enzymes and DNA. It is one of the most potent free-radical catalysts. Mercury interferes with selenium, one of the most important nutritional and anti-cancer minerals. Mercury toxicity starts with occupational, environmental, dietary, and dental exposure. Our genes are not prepared to deal with the increase in this toxic metal – we don’t have an effective mechanism in our bodies to neutralize or clear mercury. We basically store it as metabolic garbage.

People with mercury amalgam fillings are constantly increasing their mercury body burden. Fillings constantly gas off mercury vapor, 80% of which is absorbed across the lungs and into the blood stream. This fat soluble and uncharged mercury vapor easily diffuses across our fat soluble membranes and into the cells: favorite targets of accumulation are the brain, pituitary gland (hormonal control) and the kidneys. In these organs it is converted into the non-fat soluble ionic mercury. This charged mercury cannot diffuse back across the cell membrane and is effectively stuck, unless you chelate it out. The half life of mercury excretion out of the brain is 20 years. Thus if all mercury exposure was stopped, then it would take 20 years to get half of the amount out. With amalgam fillings, eating fish, or living on an industrialized planet complicating things, it is much more effective to actively chelate or pull the mercury out.

Our environment is a constant source of mercury. When we burn coal to generate electricity, the mercury component of coal is vaporized into the atmosphere, where it returns to the ground in the form of "acid rain". The mercury then flows into our waterways, where planklton then ingest the mercury and attach a chemical methyl group to the mercury to creat methy mercury. This mercury, similar to the mercury leached from amalgams, is fat soluble, so it very easily enters into our cells and poisons the proteins and DNA. Small fish eat the plankton, are then consumed by larger fish, and thus larger fish bio-accumulate the mercury. Fishermen know this well: the fishing license bureau will inform them of which rivers and streams have been closed due to mercury contamination.

It's still worse for children and unborn children. 8% of American women who are menstruating have high levels of mercury which can pass through th eplacenta and reach the fetus. In fact, mercury levels of infants and children correlate well with the number of amalgam fillings in the mother. As described above, mercury is extremely toxic to nerve cells and thus is especially dangerous for the developing nervous system of children.

Overall, the take-home point is that mercury is next to impossible to avoid based on our environment. Even if all the mercury amalgams are removed, there is still the mercury within the body to deal with. Below are basic protective measures that can be taken to protect the cells from the damage of mercury; ideally a medically supervised detoxification should be done by a doctor trained in heavy metal toxicology and chelation:

1. Take a comprehensive multivitamin with minerals (without iron, unless your levels have been checked). The nutritional minerals, especially selenium, are displaced by mercury.

2. Take antioxidants. The most important is vitamin C, and bowel tolerance is safe for most patients.

3. Take a whey protein (if not sensitive to dairy). Whey protein is a good source of glutathione, which is an important antioxidant protein. Glutathione is lost as the body tries to protect itself from mercury.

4. Have your levels tested and then detoxified by chelation. Blood levels or urine levels without a provoked challenge are useless, as we need to administer a chelating agent to pull mercury from the tissues into the blood before the body burden can be assessed.

Mercury is a toxic metal. In my cardiovascular patients with congestive heart failure, I find high levels. A recent article found 22, 000 times the amount of mercury in diseased heart muscle compared to normal! Pediatricians find mercury in their autistic children. And epidemiologists find mercury associations with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, as well as with other neurodegenerative disorders. It should be taken out - even before amalgams are removed.
Link to mercury article in current Discover magazine:
http://www.discover.com/issues/mar-05/features/our-preferred-poison/
(if link not working, please email me for a copy of the text)

Dr Eric Chan
Pangaea Clinic of Naturopathic Medicine
120-12011 Second Ave,
Steveston Village, Richmond, BC
www.pannaturopathic.com
604-275-0163

THE RICHMOND PHONE GUY

Service for computer networks and landlines re-invented to better serve the 'little guy'. With over 90% of all faults and troubles occurring within 10 metres of the computer (or the phone), and Phone Companies having 'cut' on-the-road service staff, you can find yourself in a real jamb these days. We provide that much-needed help, at relatively low cost and, by Appointment! Specializing in telephone-line(s) management and computer networking for home and small office environments, we do custom work such as jack installations, jack repairs, changes and moves. Enjoy direct access to an experienced Installation and Repair technician at affordable rates. If your line is in trouble, or you're needing jacks, call 604 275-3548 for FAST and FRIENDLY service. Free estimates for residential work. Seniors get discounted labour costs. Find us Online through the Superpages.ca Business Directory: ('Phoneguy' for 'BC' ) or in the Directory for Richmond/South Delta. Look under 'Telephone Service - Local' (page 916). Licensed and Insured in the City of Richmond. Proud Member of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, call, or visit: www.TheRichmondPhoneGuy.com

SATORI INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CENTRE

12004 No.1 Road Steveston BC, 604.274.7224 Offering Chiropractic, Counselling, Homeopathy
Announcing Homeopathy Awareness Week: April 10-16
Catherine Cantas DCH is offering two free mini clinics at Basic Nature Health Store on Wednesday April 13th and Thursday April 14th from 1pm-4pm. Please call Basic Nature at 271-1142 to book a free 15 minute homeopathic appointment.

TURNING POINT WELLNESS CENTRE

Is pleased to announce the addition of 'Raise the Bar' rehab centre to our facility. Opening May 2nd we are offering the community a place to come and get strong and healthy with highly qualified trainers. We will be offering small classes and personal training so that your progression is closely monitored. Check out our web page for information about classes www.turningpointwellnesscentre.com

GULF OF GEORGIA CANNERY GIFT STORE

Is hosting a book signing Sunday, April 23rd from 2 to 4 p.m. with two well known Steveston historians, Mitsuo (Moe) Yesaki writer of recently released “Watari-dori (Birds of Passage) together with Robert (Bob) Karliner with his just published book Stand By, Let’er Go!

The Cannery Store is also carrying Michael Klucher’s newly published “Vanishing British Columbia”.

The Cannery Store is located just inside the front entrance. Open 10 to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Drop in and visit Steveston’s “best kept secret” the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Gift Store.

Now, on the 25th anniversary of the start of the Marathon of Hope, the Royal Canadian Mint is proud to honour a Canadian hero, Terry Fox, with a special circulation one-dollar coin. COIN AVAILABLE AT. Limit 2 per family.

The Mint does not make a profit from the sale of first day issues. The Mint has made a separate donation to the Terry Fox Foundation.

SEASCAPE GIFT BASKETS

Your one stop shop for Gourmet Gift Baskets.
Our Gourmet Gift Baskets make the perfect gift for all occasions and with Mother's Day and Father's Day rapidly approaching, we allow you to shop easily and quickly from the comfort of your own home. Send that special gift that everyone loves to receive and it have it personally delivered within the Lower Mainland. We also ship throughout BC and Canada. Check out the "Other Products" section on our web site. We have added more products such as children's furniture, and hug-to-dry baby bath towels to enable us to cater to a wider range of gift giving requirements.

We design baskets for individuals or large groups, making our baskets the perfect "corporate gift". Our baskets can be customized by adding Mineral waters, Non Alcoholic wines or quality BC VQA wines, as well as choosing from our selection of options to make your gift truly unique. If you have special requirements, please e-mail us or call us. We would be pleased to assist you.

Our website is user friendly and easy to navigate. Please check us out at: www.seascapegiftbaskets.com
We would like to thank everybody for their support.
Douglas Hamilton
www.seascapegiftbaskets.com
Phone: (604) 576-2645

FREE PUBLIC PRESENTATION

“Building Relationships That Work”
For Singles and Couples With Psychologist Dr. Marianne Gareau and Social Worker David F. Brown, from Richmond Relationship Counselling Services

Thompson Community Centre, 5151 Granville Avenue
Thursday, April 14, 7:30- 9:00 p.m.

Life partners, lovers, friends, relatives, co-workers… we are all in relationships, and we all want them to be successful!

Come and learn some practical ways to enhance any relationship!

Marianne and David draw on their experience in counsselling couples, as well as their experience in their own relationships, as the base for this talk and discussion. For more information, please call 604-279-8992.

PADDLEWHEEL RIVER BOAT TOURS

a1a52794@telus.net Paddlewheeler Riverboat Tours are planning a series of scheduled trips to Steveston starting May 5th. I'm not sure if you are aware that we made a few trips in 2004 as a test run and found that there is interest in the Steveston area. Our permanent moorage is in New Westminster. At this time our plan is to run to Steveston every Thursday until the end of September. Our destination is from New Westminster to Steveston on rare occasions it may be the other way round. We will be giving our clients approximately 2 hours in Steveston to take in the Gulf of Georgia Cannery or to have their lunch or just to shop. For more information please email or call our office (604)525-4465.

H2O HAIR & NAIL CO.

Is happy to announce the addition of the following services.
EYE LASH EXTENTIONS!! PERMANENT MAKE UP BY BRUNA !!
WE'RE THE CHANGE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR! 230-12240 SECOND AVE. (STEVESTON)
604 241 5593, DROP IN OR GIVE US A CALL TODAY.

Our team at H2O HAIR & NAIL CO. is gearing up for the fund raising event on Thursday, April 14th. A good time will be had by those attending at the Steveston Community Centre. Fashion show starts at 7:00 p.m.
Door prizes, great treats (wine and desserts) and all fashions by SASSY LULU BOUTIQUE. Tickets are 25.00 with profits going to the STEVESTON WATER PARK!!
Tickets are available at H2O, Sassy Lulu Boutiques and the Steveston Community Centre.
Come and enjoy a fun evening and see our very own makeovers!

IKEELA YOGA-PILATES STUDIO

Joy Stewart, Owner/Operator of the at 12151 First Avenue (walk thru the garden behind Allegria Cafe) in Steveston Village has asked me to contact you and request a notice be placed in the free e-newsletter advertisement section. Please feel free to contact her if you have any questions.
Spring Session run: March 20th through June 26th
Call Joy at (604) 880-5306 for more information/registration
Besides the Regular Pilates/Yoga classes, NEW Course Offerings are:

"Don't Move!" - Join the Community Arts Council at the Richmond Famous Players Theatres for their monthly film festival event. On Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30, see Penelope Cruz in "Don't Move!". Ms Cruz and her male lead won the best actor and actress at the Italian Academy Awards for this outstanding film. Tickets $9.00 at the door.

Artist's Evening - The Community Arts Council invites you to their April 14th "Evening with One of Our Artists" event. William Watt, painter, will be available in the Arts Council's gift shop to socialize and exchange ideas and artistic influences during this enjoyable evening. Thursday, April 14, 7:00 - 8:30 pm at Courtyard Galleria, #150 - 3500 Moncton Street.

Looking for summer activities for your children - ages 12 months to 18 years?? The Arts Connection's popular summer program brochure will be available April 1st! Check it out on their website at www.theartsconnection.ca. Register early and avoid disappointment! For further information call 604-241-0141

Support young artists and advertise your business to over 500 Richmond families! The Arts Connection is selling advertising in the souvenir program for their 15th anniversary production at the Gateway Theatre on June 14 and 15. Color or black and white ads available. Call Ale at 604-241-0141 for further information.

Director, Steveston's Arts Connection Ltd.
12191 First Avenue, Richmond, BC V7E 3M3
Phone: 604-241-0141 Fax: 604-241-0400
www.theartsconnection.ca

STEVESTON SEABREEZE ADVENTURES

Will be commencing operations on April 2nd 2005 with Sea-Lion tours as well as Whale Watching tours. NEW for 2005-- Electro bike rentals and sales, as well as our standard Cruiser Bike rentals. Come and enjoy the scenic beauty of our magnificent trail system without the physical effort of a conventional bicycle.

www.OwnaNiceHome.com

Deb Robson – Re/Max Westcoast – 604-328-3507
Diane Cardoso – Prudential United Realty Jesani – 604-218-1412
Over 30 years combined experience…
2 Top Real Estate Professionals….2 Top Companies …. ready when YOU are!