4 - Friday, December 11, 1992 ~ North Shore News

In praise of those who bring light

Trevor

GARDEN OF BIASES

LET US praise those who
bring a little light into this
world. Especially in -
December.

I envy them because columnists
of course bring only darkness and
despair.

So while you enjoy this
weekend's Carol Ship Festival —
Saturday, bonfire at Cates Park at
& p.m., festival at Deep Cove at
8:30 p.m.; Sunday, festival at
Ambleside Beach and Dundarave
Pier at 7:30 p.m. with the famous
carol ship Parade of Lights —
give a kind thought to Brian
Freestone.

He is a bright-faced, bright-
eyed kid of 45 who makes happy
things happen.

Mr. Freestone operates a kind
of empire of fun from his office
and home in Park Royal Towers.

He is also planning a second
year of an ambitious and
stimulating summer program for
children and their parents called
Kidsummer — 64 days of events
that cost only $5 for membership,
everything else free, in 1992, and
still a remarkable bargain at $10
for next summer.

He’s- made hundreds of thou-
sands cf people feel good through
his contributions to Grey Cup
Parade, Expo 86, the Sea Festival,
and First Night — the spectacular
New Year’s Eve family celebration
downtown that, very sadly, has _
been cancelled this year because of
spoil-sport rowdies and petty
hooliganism, with assists to some
bad weather, dwindling crowds,

A Christmas gift
for all seasons. |

and suburban look-alikes.

“it's a fluke how those things
came about,’* Mr. Freestone mus-
ed the other day.

Oh, fet’s call him Brian and be
done with it.

Brian was born in Regina and
lived there and in Nova Scotia be-
fore he came to the University of
B.C. to study conimerce in 1967,
later taking courses in public rela-
tions and advertising at BCIT.

He had some background in the
enjoyment industries.

His father, Jack — now living
in West Vancouver with wife Sibyi
-- spent more than half a century
in the hotel industry, including 22
years as managing director of the
Hotel Association of Saskat-
chewan.

This rubbed off on the two
sons, Dave, who is now facilities
director for the Vancouver Trade
and Convention Centre, and
Brian.

Brian opened a photography
studio after graduating but for
some years was uncertain what he
really wanted to do.

The niche he finally found was
special events management.

What | call: making people’s
lives brighter and lighter.

After working with Teledon, the
computer-generated graphics
system that eventually was used at
Expo 86, he became parade mar-
shal and then chairman of the
Vancouver Sea Festival.

In 1983 he was chairman of the

. Grey Cup Parade in Vancouver.

“Do you like parades?’’ I asked
him over coffee (mine) and hot
water and lemon (his) at the Park
Royal White Spot.

bam renowned for my hard-
hitting interviewing style.

“Yeah,”’ Brian said instantly.

‘*More than the average per-
son?” I asked, relentlessly pursu-
ing this line of questioning.

“No,’’ he said, also instantly,
and candidly. That's because be-
ing in charge of a parade is natu-
rally hard werk, ‘‘and you can’t
even cat popcorn."

He worked for two years as
co-chairman with Dr. “ob Hicks
of the West Vancouver Expo 86
committee.

First Night was a phenomenal
success, beyond all publicity and
predictions, when it was launched.

In Brian’s vision, it was ‘‘fami-
ly-oriented, first and foremost,

and, No. 2, alcohol-free ... trying
to make it a really good family
experience.”’

Ik was also ‘*the flagship" for
similar First Nights that followed
in other cities.

Brian left it at the end of 1991.
Along the way he had become
chairman and project coordinator

of the Caro! Ship Festival.

The annual carol ship sailings,
an enchanting — that’s my word
for it — Vancouver institution,
informally began more than 30
years ago under the inspiration of
another Vancouver institution,
long-time park board commis-
sioner George Wainborn.

Brian took over its management
five years ago. It’s more am-
bitious now.

A Christmas cruise for under-
privileged children was held last
Sunday from the Plaza of Na-
tious, with five vessels con-
tributing to a short harbor cruise
for the children and the arrival of
Santa and Mrs. Claus ona
fireboat. Great fun.

Brian’s one disappointment is
the difficulty of getting corporate
backing for such events.

Of the Carol Ship Festival
specifically, he says: ‘I can’t
believe it. A family-oriented event

of that nature, and we have a fot
of trouble finding sponsorship for
it.”

This year B.C. Tel and the city
of Vancouver are contributing.

But all governments, ke con-
ceded, ‘don’t have enough dollars
to support all the good causes.””

His most recent venture, Kid-
summer, offers children and a
parent such experiences as visits to
a bottling plant, a chocolate fac-
tory, Science World, Splashdown
Park, the Harmony Festival, and
a behind-the-scenes look at the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
including a rehearsal.

Even a troupe of clowns
couldn’t have entertained so many
children as Brian Freestcne.

Oh yes, a little irony: he's un-
married and childless.

een

Now, back to the hard-boiled
stuff for a moment: this column
must have a touch of dark magic
for politicians.

Chuck Cook, Conservative
member of Parliament for North
Vancouver, survived an interview
here and before long announced
his retirement.

And now David Mitchell, Lib-
cral MLA for West Vancouver-
Garibaldi, has quit the party

caucus and will sit as an in-
dependent-Liberal.

There's been an insinuation that
a column I wrote after interview-
ing Mitchell shortly before the
Oct. 26 national referendum — in
which I glibly projected the possi-
bility *hat Mitchel! could become
Liberal leader or head of a new
party — may have been the slip-
pery slope of his falling-out with
his leader, Gordon Wilson.

Shuchs. Little me? In my little
column?

I'd be flattered to think that it
has that much power.

eoe

A final note for grammar fans:

I hesitate to say anything crit-
ical of proofreaders, having begun
as one myself as recently as 39
years ago.

But | want to assure everyone
that I would never, never use the
barbarous word that appeared in
type here last Friday: ‘‘Anyways

Anyway, anyone can make
mistakes, any time. But that’s a
hideous one that [’d never make.
If I do, take me out behind the
composing room and shoot me.

Oh, stop cheering.

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