Joy Metcalfe | JOY TELLS ALL ONE OF the very exciting events that is going to take place at the end of the month is an affair which has never before occurred outside of the United States of America! For the first time since the American Automobile Association began its diamond rating system back in 1977, the awards ceremo- nies will be held outside the U.S. and in Vancouver. And, for the third year in a row, Vancouver is the only city in North America to be home to three five-diamond award-winn- ing hotels! They are the Four Seasons, Le Meridien, and the Pan Pacific hotels. ; : - The Triple AAA people conduct _intense investigations of some 20,000 hotels in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Forty-nine hotels — less than one-quarter of 1% — are selected to receive this prestigious award. Each hotel must provide an un- compromising standard of ex- cellence in accommodation, ser- vice and special amenities. While both Le Meridien and the Pan Pacific hotels have been five-diamond award winners for the past three years, this will be the 16th year that West Van’s Rui Paes-Braga will happily accept the prize for his Four Seasons Hotel. Since the hotel is celebrating its 16th birthday this year, that means it has received the Triple AAA awards every year since it opened! That is a compliment to excellence. All of this excitement will begin with a Diamond and Ice Reception at the Four Seasons on Wan Oeveren’s ANN & ROBERT a Professional Team. We know how to get your home SUTTON GROUP SOLD WEST CGAST REALTY Cali $86-9321 or 988-2185 Jan. 30, a ‘‘welcome to Van- couver’’ breakfast on Friday morning at Le Meridien and the awards reception and dinner Jan. 31 at the Pan Pacific! Our town should get great ex- posure from this two-day soiree, all over North Americal... And also for the first time ever, we're going to be able to enjoy a Chinese New Year fair! This first-ever Chinese New Year Fair will celebrate the Year of the Monkey in the setting of the Pacific National Exhibition ShowMart Building on Feb. 1, 2 and 3. The official opening will be conducted by our Lt. Gov. David Lam. There’ll be ail sorts of WEST VAN’S Rui Paes-Braga will accept the Triple AAA five diamond award for the Four - Seasons Hotel. Best Price. Best Location. multicultural pertormances of dance, music and sport, Lion dances, acrobatics, painting demonstrations, a trade show and sale. But the other good thing about this new project is that it’s all going to be FREE!... And a warm Vancouver wel- come to Capt. Kurt Hansen. Hansen is here from Norway to train the 16 B.C. captains, first Officers and chief engineers for the new fast ferries called the Royal Vancouver and the Royal Victoria. The Royal Victoria made its debut when it was off-loaded from the deck of the Holandia on Friday morning. The Royal Vancouver arrives today. Each of the new vessels has five multi-channel music stations that you can listen to as you cruise along. Two channels are for CD - music, one is for the on-board movie and the two others are for radio. The two official Sealink radios are CFAX in Victoria an CKNW in Vancouver. . They’ll be undergoing sea trials for the next while and theyll be docked down at the, foot of Den- man if you care to sneak a peek. The fast ferry will be launched of- ficially on Feb. 1. This weekend, it’s the Japan Travel Bureau and Charter Bus Lines’ second annual Ice Sculpting Competition on Mount Seymour, a contest of imagination, strength and sheer beauty. There'll be 14 of the best inter- national teams, competing in 48 hours of gruelling competition. It’s presented by CKNW, the Province newspaper and U-TV Sales Office: 944-2343 Open Daily 12:00-5:00 Mo Features: Full Ensuites with Relaxing Soaker Tubs Track Lighting ¢ Gas Fireplaces Secured Parking © Large Storage Lockers YORKTON amnmecme NM ARN ETING 937-0071 YEARS SERVING You You can own in Coq NEWS photo Neil Lucente FOURTEEN OF the best international teams will compete in this year's ice Sculpting Competition on Mount Seymour. and it’s free!... Speaking of TV, television his- tory is going to be made next Wednesday when 27 stations throughout the Pacific Northwest join forces to telecast a program P~ : on the devastating impact of substance abuse on the lives of the citizens involved. . The two-hour, prime-time live Program will be seen locally on U-TV from 8 to 10 p.m. It’s a shattering expose called Northwest Crackdown... Cheers! juitlam... EJ FINANCIAL POWER PACK G.S.T. Legal Fees purbhase Tax 6 Appliances All Blinds 10% Down YORKTON REAL ESTATE MARKETING CORP.