ACCORDING toa
survey conducted by
Caravan Opinion
Research Corporation
International, seven of -
10 consumers plan to
ring in the year 2000
at home tonight.

It can be intimidatine te
host a Y2K celebration, but
with the right tools your party

- can be the event of the year.

Here are some party plan-
ning tips on how to have.fun
at home tonight as you watch
the ball drop over Times
Square — and for any other
‘parties you may host through

the year:
@ nearly 70% of us agree that
the lighting in a home has a
direct effect on the mood of a
party. An excellent way to cre-
ate a soft look throughout a
room is to place lights at dif-
ferent heights and varying
wattages; .

@ did you ever wonder why
everyone congregates in the
kitchen at a party? It’s the
light. People tend to gather in
places where the light level is
bright enough to see the per-
son with whom they're speak-
ing. To prevent guests from
hanging out in the kitchen all
night, be sure to create
enough pockets of light
around the party to encourage
mingling; :

@ it's the litte things that
count. Pick one colour and
carry it through the party to

give .your celebration -an..

impressive flair. Begin {with
the invitations and extend it
all the way through to the
party favors; :

ight projected through a

Christmas tree or at 3 poinset-

tia during the holiday. season .

can soften any room with
unusual shapes and shadows.
Place a spotlight behind the
tree or plant and aim the light
toward the ceiling to create

interesting shadows around
the room;
keep the lights on the high-
est setting near the buffet
table so your guests can see
what they're putting on- their
plates, then dim the lights in
the living room to create a
lounge-like look;
@ add a twist to ordinary
appetizers by offering a variety
of hors d"oeuvres, each named
for a person who helped shape
the past 1,000 years. For
example, try The Einstein and
The Babe Ruth; .
@ to keep the party circulat-
ing, place drinks and snacks in
at least two separate locations.
Offer food and drinks shortly
after guests arrive, and make
sure these refreshments are
readily available at all times.
For additional tips, or to
receive the Halogena 2000
light bulb brochure, call
Philips Lighting at 1-800-555-
0050 or visit your local Home
Depot.

New home construction rises

B.C.’S new home construction

‘industry is beginning to show signs

* of recovery. _

.-. The rate of housing starts across Canada

rose.5.1% in November to 155,100 units from

‘a revised 147,600 units in October, according

_ to. Canada. Mortgage and Housing
Corporation (CMHC). -. : ;

_ Urban multiples were the main contribu-.

- tor, rising 10.6% to 60,600, the fourth con-
secutive monthly improvement. Urban singles
edged up 2.4% to 73,800 units: .

“Recent gains in full-time employment
should translate to greater consumer confi-

dence in purchases of durable goods, includ- .

. ing housing,” said Kenneth Lyons, economist

at CMHC’s Market Analysis Centre.
“Combined with modest housing price
increases, this bodes very well for housing
demand.” —_

Along with the rest of the country, British
Columbia urban starts showed solid improve-
ment, rising to 16,600 units from 13,600 in
October, predominantly as a result of multi-
ples, which rose to 9,306 from October's

6,500.

According to CMHC, much of the
improvement was in Vancouver, where starts
were up 2,600 to 9,900, mostly in multiples.

This was the best result for B.C. and
Vancouver since March of this year and
September 1998. ; ;

e 1) Get ads: into the North
Shore News Real Estate
__ Homes Section!

: 2 ) Happy New Year and all the
-.. Very Best for a Successful &

~ Prosperous 2000).

~ Thank you for your
continued support!
Rick
Iris
Margaret

Central

1 Vancouver Location
“Every Unit Has AView