A single mom from London, England on her own in Vancouver B.C. raising two boys is a typical story. However, consummate veteran entertainer/performer Gillian Campbell’s single mom tale is laced with years of international performances and repeat appearances in Yukon, Barkerville, Edmonton Klondike Days (5 times as the headliner “Klondike Kate”), Skagway Alaska, Whistler, cruise ships to Alaska and the Caribbean, as well as hundreds of corporate shows in downtown Vancouver hotels and convention centres. In the last year she performed for the Canadian and Chinese Prime Ministers and Canadian Premiers in Shanghai, and the people of Whitehorse, Yukon for their Rendezvous celebrations.

Currently Gillian’s oldest son, Richard Campbell, is her drummer, and Edward Thompson is her second husband who she says “is much better than the first.” This spring she brings her live show complete with a band and can can dancers to the public at St. James Community Square in Kitsilano on June 15 @ 2pm (3214 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC). Tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com or phone:1 800 838-3006

Gillian Campbell has become a modern-day personification of the legendary Klondike Kate – saloon sweetheart of the Klondike Gold Rush in Canada’s far North in the late 1890’s. Gillian is familiar to event planners around the world. They know her show is a winner – a combination of risque humor, absolutely stunning and unique costuming, constant banter, complete and shameless audience involvement, musical excellence, and sheer fun. The Gillian Campbell Show is always well received, and frequently ends in standing ovations.

Of course Gillian wasn’t always a headliner. In the beginning she was part of a troupe of performers known as the Gaslight Follies at the Palace Grand Theatre in Dawson City, Yukon. After Dawson, she joined the Frantic Follies in Whitehorse. Fran Dowie later produced a show in Barkerville hiring Gillian for that show. In between performances she was busy raising her boys and making extra money doing the laundry for the cast on the road or back home in Vancouver working at Watts’ Costumes. The sons (Jason and Richard) spent the lion’s share of the year at school in Burnaby. When tourist season started they would finish their schooling in the Yukon which truly is a second home.

This hard work has paid off in show biz gold. Not only did she raise two sons who would later play in her band, Gillian met Ray Buchanan and Ross Wright at Watts Costumes who have designed all of her priceless original gowns, hats, jewellery, and boas. She attributes her career longevity to her old friend Ray.

In performance, Gillian gets the party started by asking everyone to turn around and say to their neighbours, “Ello, Ducky, ‘ow you doing?” Backed by a solid live band, she will then get the audience singing along while roaming the tables and aisles in search of her next hapless victim, invariably a middle-aged, slightly balding, non-partying, conservative gentleman. What follows is always a surprise, both for her victim and for the audience.

The gentleman might turn into either a pleading, Al Jolson-type crooner asking for his “mammy” while making his way to the stage on his knees, or a befuddled impromptu dancer trying to “wiggle his derrière” in time to the music and her own constant motion (“Don’t look down or you’ll get seasick!”). Naturally, with her talent for finding just the right person to pick on, she sometimes even walks the entire length of a ballroom with hundreds of people watching, just to say to someone starting to nod off from a long flight, “Wake up, Ducky, we’ve started!”

The show also displays the virtuosity of Gillian’s live band Motherlode (featuring Richard Campbell: drums, Bill Costin: piano, Ron Thompson: guitar/banjo), and her line of 4 beautifully costumed can-can kick line known as the Sarah Moore Diamond Dust Dancers.

Gillian Campbell was inducted into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame by her peers and nominated for the 2002 Entertainer of the Year Spotlight Award. She has entertained royalty including Princess Margaret, Prince Charles and Lady Diana, and Princess Margriet of the Netherlands. Locations of performances: Holland, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, all over the USA (Disneyland, Disney World, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Miami, and Dallas. There is no question this mother of two has made a mark in entertainment.

Performance: St. James Community Square 3214 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC on

June 15 @ 2pm. (tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com or phone (1 800 838-3006)

It’s just halfway to Aldergrove but now it’s on everyone’s radar. The eclectic Hilltop Cafe on Fraser Highway (at 240th) was featured in mid-April on the Food Channel. Of course, the main reason it remains so popular is because of the food served, which is enhanced by its popular decor that keeps attracting film crews. Check it out the next time you are travelling east on Fraser Highway. Remember it is famous for its pies.

Had an interesting conversation recently about old postal addresses that are still in effect today in many parts of the Fraser Valley. It is especially confusing to the many newcomers living here – especially those from other provinces and countries who have never heard of these places.

It is no wonder people who now live in Langley are having a hard time figuring out what the real boundaries are. It hard enough for them to figure out why there are two Langleys! (But that’s a whole other column).

Many people are confused when they see mailing addresses such as Aldergrove, Milner and Fort Langley. They often ask – isn’t that a part of Langley? You don’t see many envelopes addressed to Cloverdale, B.C. anymore, although they probably would still get delivered by Canada Post. It seems that you are constantly being asked to give your postal code as a means of identifying a location. I would think in this global economy that the system needs some modernization.

Then there are still many people with birth certificates that say “Born in Murrayville, B.C.” Try explaining that to someone who doesn’t understand that it is an historic part of Langley. You won’t find it on many of today’s maps.

It is always hard to write about yourself but I do feel honoured for being decorated with Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. I would like to thank the Langley community for its support over the years in allowing me to serve in their local government for many years. The award was presented by the Governor General of Canada through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for volunteer service to local governments in Canada and internationally. I will be able to wear it at Remembrance Day ceremonies and other special occasions.

For some people the real start of summer is the holiday weekend in May. That is the time cowboys and cowgirls head to Cloverdale for the annual Rodeo and Exhibition, which runs from Friday to Monday. The downtown bed races and kick-off party are on the Thursday night.

British Columbia goes to the election polls on Tuesday, May 14. Remember to exercise your democratic right. Please vote!

by Keith Richardson

I grew up in the rural Prairies in the 50s and 60s. I remember vividly the aromas of the town’s livery stable and a horse barn on our school grounds 30 miles out of Winnipeg. Throughout the 50’s we still gawked with wonder at steam locomotives hauling freight north and south through Interlakes country. Not to mention every biplane that flew over.

What’s this got to do with computers? Just a way to get you reflecting on all technologies we took for granted half a century, or 25 years, 5 years ago, or last month….

We often write about change here. Never-ending and increasingly rapid. And, for many of us, a growing burden. What do you mean our 8-year-old (or 5-year-old) computer needs upgrading/replacing? It starts fine and handles email and googling. It’s just a little slow, that’s all, and it keeps telling me I have to update this and that, which I don’t know how to do. And sometimes I can’t get into some websites or access some content. Do I really need a new computer?

For starters, I’m not telling you to DO anything. Just pointing out some facts. Apple no longer provides updates or support for Macs without Intel Core2 Duo processors, or running OS 10.5.8 (Leopard) or earlier. A new iPad or iPhone won’t synchronize with the old systems. Even with OS 10.6.8, you can’t take advantage of iCloud on your Mac, although you use it with your ’Pad and ’Phone. And if you’re still trying to use Firefox on OS 10.4.11, you’re stuck with Version 3.6.28 when the latest iteration of this alternative browser is Version 20! The best 10.5.8 can do is V.16. You can’t install the latest Flash update for viewing animated/movie content on some websites. Your old Mac’s processor and RAM may be inadequate even for 10.6.8! Your frustration level is rising like the Red River in May.

Microsoft will terminate support for Windows XP next April. After that, no new security patches or bug fixes. Third party vendors are unlikely to continue updating products to run on XP. Of course, you’ve had lots of opportunity to upgrade to Vista, Windows 7, or now, Windows 8. Heard the rumours and, believing “if it ain’t broke…,” stuck with what you had? Well now you must face the rolling stone of change. As TechRepublic recently observed, “Whether it’s Windows 7 or 8, there are relatively significant changes to the look and feel and maybe people are resistant to that as well.”

While seniors appear somewhat willing to buy a new computer (although Windows 8 PCs have not been selling well in our market), those under 30 are increasingly demurring to full sized PCs or Macs, even laptops. They’re opting for tablets (iPad minis and the like) and even more for smart phones to handle not only email and web browsing, but with Cloud storage, music, photo collections, documents, and more.

Perhaps you read in April that “Worldwide PC shipments totalled 79.2 million units in the first quarter of 2013, a 11.2 percent decline from the first quarter of 2012, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. Global PC shipments went below 80 million units for the first time since the second quarter of 2009. All regions showed a decrease in shipments. “The first quarter of 2013, was the fourth consecutive that showed a drop in worldwide PC shipments,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. “Consumers are migrating content consumption from PCs to other connected devices, such as tablets and smartphones. Even emerging markets, where PC penetration is low, are not expected to be a strong growth area for PC vendors.”

Other estimates suggest the decline is even greater. Read this in the Washington Post (April 7, 2013):

“Has the shift from PC to tablet finally reached the point of no return? There’s been chatter about the “post-PC” era for years, particularly after the introduction of the iPad. But recent data suggest that we may finally have reached the tipping point.

Since the start of the year, the PC market has seen its steepest quarterly decline ever —13.9 percent, according to a report from International Data Corp (IDC)…. It’s not necessarily that users are dropping PC use altogether, but rather that they aren’t interested in replacing their PCs because tablets are becoming the centre of their tech lives….

None of this is particularly surprising. But it is bad news for Microsoft, whose new Windows 8 system is being partly blamed for the market’s poor performance. When the company introduced Windows 8 in October, the operating system was supposed to help a flagging PC market gain—or at least lose less—ground against tablets, with a new touch-based interface. Instead, sales of PCs have dropped faster, and analysts are saying that sales aren’t coming back.

“At this point, unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only failed to provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market,” said Bob O’Donnell of IDC in a press release. “Microsoft will have to make some very tough decisions moving forward if it wants to help reinvigorate the PC market.”

Microsoft has been heavily promoting Windows tablets and hybrid PCs over desktops—particularly its own keyboard-toting Microsoft Surface devices, which straddle the line between tablet and PC. It has also emphasized cloud services, such as its Office suite, which can be used across a variety of gadgets, including smartphones and tablets. All this is party of Microsoft’s larger push for its smartphones and tablets, as the company has to fight to take a third-place spot behind Google’s Android mobile operating system and Apple’s iOS.

Seniors, too, will increasingly join the trend. Which tablet are you most likely to go for?

Someday, it appears, there won’t be a livery stable or a steam locomotive or biplane or PC or Mac to be found—except in attics (what’s an attic?) and museums…. Hmmm.

It’s not a topic that most people want to think about, but as Canada’s population ages it’s inevitable that some of us will need long-term care, and paying for it could be an issue.

Long-term care is the term used to describe the type of care required for people who may have ongoing physical or mental impairments and require daily assistance or support over many years. This support can be provided in the home or in an institutional setting. Often, those requiring long-term care are elderly.

Three quarters of Canadians (74 per cent) admit they have no financial plan to pay for long-term care if they need it, according to a poll by Leger Marketing conducted on behalf of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA).

“So many of us have not adequately prepared for future long-term care needs,” says Frank Swedlove, president of the CLHIA.” Baby boomers are aging and unless action is taken now, they will fall well short in funding their long-term care.”

The CLHIA estimates that it will cost almost $1.2 trillion to provide long-term care to the baby boomer generation as they pass through old age, and that current government programs and funding will only cover about half of this. The resulting $590 billion funding shortfall is equal to about 95 per cent of all individual registered savings plans in Canada today.

“Not only does the current system not have adequate capacity for our future needs, but patient care also suffers because all too often, care is not provided in the most appropriate settings,” adds Swedlove. The Leger poll also showed that 77 per cent would prefer to receive care in their own homes.

Governments can help close the funding gap by being more efficient and effective in how long-term care is currently delivered, and by providing incentives to Canadians to take responsibility to protect themselves from possible high long-term care costs. One such possibility would be to introduce an RESP-type savings vehicle targeted at long-term care costs or provide tax incentives for the purchase of long-term care insurance.

www.newscanada.com

By Ursula Maxwell-Lewis

Many Arizona counties have implemented Dark Sky Ordinances designed to conserve cash and energy, and attract astronomers and researchers. One such place is Safford, home to MGIO, the Mount Graham International Observatory. Upon our arrival Mother Nature was in an uncooperative mood. But, when the she finally unveiled the night sky it was undeniably impressive. Suddenly, I was acutely aware of how long it was since I’d seen such a brilliant extravaganza.

Minimizing artificial outdoor lighting in Phoenix, Flagstaff, and small southern centres, is proving that mysterious Dark Sky beauty inspires scientists, tourists, and locals. “We retired here because of the clear skies,” hobby stargazers told me repeatedly. Is a backyard telescope standard desert equipment, I wondered? It seems so. Picture a real life, real time, sci-fi flick featuring flocks of Arizona residents emerging after dark hoping to be the first to spot a Nebula (an interstellar gas and dust cloud), the birth of a new star, the demise of an old one, or simply being awed by a shooting star. I would be kept busy wishing on them all.The possibilities – based on the right conditions and equipment – are undeniably endless.

So, has preserving and promoting the Arizona night sky succeeded?

Apparently.  It has lured the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope to the strange desert-to-evergreen terrain atop Mount Graham, high above Safford. A few yards away looms the Large Binocular Telescope, one of the world’s most advanced telescopes housed in the constantly staffed Observatory.

Our tour was complex, and far exceeded all my elementary technical understanding of this massive installation, or the nearby Heinrich Herts Submillimeter Telescope. Suffice to say, though, I left with an increased awareness of the massive scope of the staggering size and complexity of the cosmos, plus a peculiar sense of having visited an alien world populated by invisible ‘day sleeper’ space travellers. I could also have been touch lightheadedness – the Observatory altitude is 10,700 feet.

“So, you believe in the Big Bang Theory?” I asked our well-versed, and clearly dedicated, guide. “Absolutely,” he replied firmly. Hobbyists, and academics repeatedly voiced the same sentiment. Since no one was on duty at the Vatican Telescope Observatory, there was no way to inquire if VTO astronomers checked their faith at the door, or if they were just hedging their bets. That’s a discussion I’m sure I would have thoroughly enjoyed.

In the 1870 the legendary Billy the Kid roamed these mountains, also known as ‘sky islands’, but times have changed. You’ll have to make reservations at the Eastern Arizona College’s Discovery Park Campus (call (928) 428-6260) for weekend tours from mid May to mid November if weather permits.

On a more down-to-earth note, this is also the Salsa Trail, the tagline for a series of small town southwestern Mexican-style restaurants. A homemade chimichanga and salsa at the newly renovated La Paloma Restaurant in nearby Solomon, and a visit with local Chamber of Commerce members, made me feel right at home. There is also a local family-owned tortilla factory which is well patronized by locals.

For a real change of pace, an easy couple of hours drive will land you in to historic Bisbee. This funky little town is composed of three sections, but it’s the old one that’s home to Brewery Gulch. It’s a long dusty trip! A hill town populated by free-spirits and independent business folks, a glass-blowing merchant, and silver jewellery designer told me life there is good.

Discovering copper in 1880 turned this into a thriving little town, until the mine closed in 1975. Undaunted, the Queen Mine was turned into a tourist attraction that doesn’t disappoint. Visitors ride 1,500 feet into the disused mine shaft on a little train with guides, many of whom were associated with the working mine.  As always with such mines, it’s hard to imagine such labour-intensive work for men – and donkeys that worked underground until the darkness affected their eyes, and they had to be returned to the surface.

For more information:

Mt. Graham Int. Observatory: http://mgio.arizona.edu

Queen Mine Tour: www.queenminetour.com

Town of Bisbee: www.discoverbisbee.com

AZU (Tempe): www.asu.edu