chelsea breeze - New Chelsea Society

CHELSEA BREEZE
Spring 2015
Volume 4, Issue 2
1955
60
Years!
New Chelsea Society is Sixty Years Old!
In 1955 New Chelsea Society welcomed its first resident to the cottages at Chelsea Gardens, the Society’s first
housing project (shown above). This year is our 60th Anniversary of welcoming that first resident. Today, a new and
different Chelsea Gardens exists (shown below) and the Society proudly owns and operates housing at 19 locations
in five lower mainland municipalities with 1,056 units and close to 2,000 residents. Our founding fathers, all
members of The Royal Canadian Legion, would certainly be very proud of how far New Chelsea Society has
come.
2015
FROM THE DESK OF
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
In 2015, New Chelsea Society is proudly celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the arrival of our first tenant
Veteran in the then newly-constructed “Chelsea Gardens cottages” that opened in 1955. (The Chelsea
Gardens site was subsequently re-developed in 1995, and in the Spring of 1996 it re-opened with two
brand new seniors buildings with 54 one-bedroom suites, and two blocks of 55 multi-unit townhouses for
families).
Our Diamond Anniversary year is certainly going to be one to remember. This year New Chelsea Society
will become one of the beneficiaries of the provincial government’s “Non-Profit Asset Transfer Program”.
This will impact a large portion of the Society’s housing portfolio.
A few months ago, Rich Coleman, the government Minister responsible for housing, released an update to
the provincial housing strategy, Housing Matters BC, to guide social housing policy and further support
BC’s strong non-profit housing sector. As part of the new strategy, the government has authorized BC
Housing to transfer ownership of the Provincial Rental Housing Corporations (PRHC) lands that are
leased to non-profit housing societies such as New Chelsea Society. In our case, it includes the land of
the following nine properties:
Chelsea Lane
Chelsea Court
Chelsea Crossing
Chelsea Estates
Chelsea Green
Chelsea North
Chelsea Place
Chelsea Terrace
Chelsea View
1680 East 6th Avenue
2378 Grandview Highway
3691 Vanness Avenue
2435 Lobb Avenue
4210 Kamloops Street
121 West 15th Street
13871 Laurel Drive
5895-99 Kincaid Street
5291 Oakmount Crescent
Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver
Port Coquitlam
Vancouver
North Vancouver
Surrey
Burnaby
Burnaby
I am pleased to advise that ownership of the land of 7 of the 9 properties listed above will be transferred to
New Chelsea Society by the beginning of May, 2015. The remaining two hopefully will be transferred to
the Society sometime in the future once some further details are finalized.
This is a major milestone for New Chelsea Society in this, our diamond anniversary year. This
arrangement will permit the Society to own the buildings AND the land of these housing properties, and
will position the Society to continue to be a strong and sustainable non-profit housing society well into the
future.
Regards,
Patrick Buchannon
Executive Director
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2014 Patron Award Presented to
David Lorne of
Airkem Professional Services
Staff Award for
Outstanding Service
Presented to Fred Dees
Fred Dees is shown here, receiving the
Society’s first ever “Staff Award for
Outstanding Service” from Society
President, Jim Howard and Executive
Director Pat Buchannon. Fred has been
a dedicated employee who has worked
with the Society off and on for close to
30 years. He has been a Site Manager,
and currently serves as our Relief
Floater Site Manager covering for staff
vacations. From henceforward, the
Society will be calling this prestigious
award the
“Fred Dees Award
for Outstanding Service”.
David Lorne, owner of AirKem Biohazards and
Services Ltd, is seen here receiving the 2014 New
Chelsea Society Patron Award from Society President,
Jim Howard.
David received the award in recognition of his
exceptional individual service to the Society as a critical
incident specialist.
CHELSEA TOWER’S KIDNEY
SUITE PROGRAM
CELEBRATES 15 YEARS
This year, New Chelsea Society and
the Kidney Foundation of Canada
are
celebrating
the
15th
Anniversary of a wonderful
partnership between the two organizations. The Kidney Suite Program at
Chelsea Tower is a joint program that was started in 2000. Four furnished suites
at the Tower offer accommodation to people from around the province who
must come to Vancouver for a kidney transplant or treatment, and need an
inexpensive place to stay so they can recuperate in comfort. Since the program
was started, over 250 kidney patients have stayed in the suites, some for up to
60 nights.
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How We Got Here
New Chelsea Society was one of the first Legion Housing
Societies to be organized in Canada. It was founded in 1952
in a joint venture by five Legion Branches in the Vancouver
area: South Vancouver Br. #16, Collingwood Br. #48, Lord
Nelson Br. #68, Grandview Br. #179 and Hastings East Br.
#185. Recognizing the need for affordable housing for
Veterans and their spouses and widows, each of the five Branches contributed some money, which
was eventually doubled by the various levels of government. A plot of land was purchased on East
52nd Avenue near Fraser Street in Vancouver, and the Society's first housing project, consisting of
22 cottages, opened its doors in 1955. The rent in the early days was $19.50/mo. for a single and
$24.50/mo. for a couple. The name New Chelsea Society came from the name Chelsea Housing, a
facility located on the banks of the Thames River in England that provided housing for World War I
and Boer War veterans (Chelsea Pensioners).
New Chelsea Society was incorporated under the Societies Act of British Columbia as a non-profit
organization February 20, 1957 with the sole purpose of providing low cost housing for veterans and
their spouses and widows. The Society expanded its mandate over the years as more properties
were acquired and more Legion Branches became members of the Society.
Today New Chelsea Society, representing 22 Legions in two Zones, provides low cost, specialized
housing in the Vancouver/Burnaby area for 1750 people (veterans, seniors, families, and persons
with disabilities). The Society is a registered charity under the Income Tax Act. It has 15 projects
subsidized through BC Housing Management Commission.
1955 — Vancouver and the World when New Chelsea Society Opened
Our first residents moved into Chelsea Gardens in 1955. Here are some fun facts about what times were
like that year.
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In 1955 consumerism takes off in a big way with the sale of some 7.9 million cars in the US with 7 out
of 10 families now owning a motor car, and new laws were put in place requiring seat belts to be
installed on all new cars.
The average wages were now $3,851 per year, and the minimum wage was raised to $1.00 per hour.
The first McDonalds was erected in 1955 and more fast foods and TV dinners are appearing
including fish fingers.
The first cans of Coca-Cola are sold up till then it had only been sold in bottles.
Rock and Roll music continues to grow in popularity with more idols including Elvis Presley , Bill
Haley and the Comets, Chuck Berry and The Platters
Young men's fashion matches the times with pink shirts and charcoal grey suits.
Cost of Living in 1955
Average Cost of new house $10.950.00 Average Monthly Rent $87.00 Average, Minimum Hourly Rate
$1.00 Average Cost of a new car $1,900.00 Cost of a gallon of Gas 23 cents Ladies Swim Suits $12.95
Black and White TV $99.95.
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1955— Vancouver and the World in Pictures
Downtown Granville Street
in 1955.
The first Grey Cup Game in Vancouver was in
1955. The Edmonton Eskimos beat Montreal
Alouettes by the score of 34 to 19.
The Princess of Vancouver was built by the CP Railway Company and launched in 1955.
The ferry transported cars, people and rail cars from Nanaimo to Vancouver
1939 PCC streetcar in its final year of
service-W Hastings and Cambie (1955)
The 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air was the most
popular car in that year.
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We will be holding a draw of
all the residents that sign up to
have their rent paid by
Preauthorized Debit (PAD)
by MAY 1st 2015.
The winner of the draw will receive a $50 gift card
from their choice of :
Esso * Cineplex * Subway
Hudson Bay * Canadian Tire
In the spirit of fairness we will also be drawing one name from all
the residents who are currently on PAD and who are having their
cheques sent directly from the ministry, for a similar prize.
THE BENEFITS OF ENROLLING IN PAD
 Convenience of not needing to write a cheque each month.
Not worrying about your rent getting to the landlord on time, especially if you are away.
 Cheques can be lost or stolen between the time you write them and they go into our bank.
This creates the need to rewrite the cheque and also to be concerned about your banking
information in the hands of a stranger.
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Thoughts from Grandpa
“So, Jimmy”, said Grandpa, “What did you learn in school
today?” “To tell you the truth”, answered young Jimmy,
“I’m not exactly sure”. “My teacher was going on and on
about something called ethics, and I still don’t know what
she was talking about!” Jimmy replied. “Ah, ethics”
responded Grandpa, “very important indeed”. “Well, let’s
say the cashier gives me back too much change, ethics
would be whether I keep the change for myself, or if I give it
back to Grandma!”
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There have been a number of transitions with
staff over the last few months. In October long
time site managers Tom and Elaine Peat
retired from their position of Site Managers for
Chelsea Gardens and Chelsea North. They are
moving to Vancouver Island to spend time with
their
grandchildren. You may still see Tom
around occasionally as he will be coming back
to help with vacation coverage at a number of
our properties.
Brad Abrahamson (far left) is the new Site
Manager at Chelsea North in addition to the
other properties he manages, Chelsea Village
and Chelsea Heights. Thomas Peat Jr. [yes
there is a relation] (near left) is now the new Site
Manager at Chelsea Gardens. Thomas was the
Site Manager at Chelsea Corner, Chelsea Manor
and Chelsea Park. These properties will now be
managed by a new member of the NCS team,
Jay Delos Reyes (pictured below left with the
white hat).
Staff Transitions at
New Chelsea Society
Another big change has been the
retirement of Terry Alleyn in
February. Terry was the Director of
Operations for New Chelsea Society.
You may also be seeing Terry around
from time to time at Chelsea Park
provide vacation coverage for Karen
Dupont.
Moving into the role of Director of Operations is Stefan Buane
(far right below) who was the Operations Manager working with
Terry Alleyn. Moving into the role of Operations Manager is Jesse
McKay (near right below) who
was the site manager at Chelsea
Terrace. Moving into the role of
Site Manager at Chelsea Terrace
is a new member of the NCS
team, Fouz Mohamed (below
left).
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SMALL FACTS
with Rudy Small
New Chelsea Society Health and Wellness Liaison
This is a reprint of a previous article from Rudy from the
June 2010 issue of the Chelsea Breeze
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT FRAUD AND SCAMS?
A con artist can only get information about potential victims from illegal sources.
FALSE Some marketing companies collect and sell information about consumers to legitimate companies as ell as con
artists. Con artists also get information from product registration cards, government statistics, telephone directories and
obituaries.
Consumer fraud can only take place over the telephone, or in person.
FALSE Consumer fraud can take place over the telephone, in person, by e-mail or by regular mail.
Many people who lose money to a con artist fail to report the loss to police.
TRUE. Many people may not report losing money to a con artist because they are embarrassed at having been deceived. Some people think of the con artist as a friend and fail to report him/her out of loyalty. On many occasions,
people do not even realize they have been defrauded.
Always check the identity of a person wanting to enter your house by calling the number they provide.
FALSE Too often con artists work in teams. When you call the number provided, you will be speaking to another
member of the team who will assure you the con artist is legitimate. Do your own checking first by using the telephone
book. If in doubt say NO.
A con artist is unlikely to threaten or use physical violence if you say “NO”.
TRUE. While a con artist may pester someone to buy, he/she does not want to be noticed by the police. Physical violence, or even the threat of violence, may bring the police. The con artist knows an easier target is just around the corner.
TIPS TO HELP PREVENT FRAUDS AND SCAMS AGAINST SENIORS
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Do not rush into agreements that involve your property or money. Take your time and ask questions. Get more than
one opinion as to the necessity of the work and a written quotation as to the cost.
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If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Avoid ‘get rich quick’ schemes.
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Be careful when signing contracts. It may be appropriate to have a family member, friend or legal representative review
it first.
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Read the fine print and if you do not understand, ASK.
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Report suspicious offers to the police immediately, before the suspect finds other victims. Casually take note of what
he/she looks like and any vehicle being driven.
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Never turn over large amount of cash to anyone, no matter how good the deal sounds and Be extremely careful about
giving your credit card number over the telephone.
The most important piece of advice is get help if you do not understand what is happening. Call a family member, friend, trusted neighbour, legal representative or financial advisor.
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Donation to Winch House
Executive Director Pat Buchannon is pictured
receiving a $1,000 cheque from Sheran Lee
Thomas. She is presenting the cheque, on behalf
the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #229 as a donation for the operations of Winch House.
Winch House is a home away from home for
veterans and first responders who live outside
the Lower Mainland who are receiving medical
treatment in Vancouver.
NCS Board
Pictured on the right are
the new Board of Directors
of New Chelsea Society.
There was one new face
on the board this year.
Doug Longhurst (third
from the left) who comes
from 20 years of working
in affordable housing in
Oregon.
Christmas Card Contest
It might seem early, but now is the time to send in your
wonderful creative winter photos for our 2015 Christmas
Card Contest. Any winter or Christmas theme will do. The
winner will be chosen by the members of the New Chelsea
Society Activities Committee.
Above is the 2014 wining photo from Max Rice
The Winning Prize is
$100 !!
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Have a repair that needs to
be done to your unit?
By all means let us know and
we will come and have a look
at it.
How do you let us know?
You can either fill out a repair request form, located in your
building, or call the Tenant Hotline
(604-331-6100).
When to submit the request?
*REMINDER*
Let us know as soon as you aware of the
issue. If you are aware of the issue earlier
in the week please don’t wait to contact us
on Friday afternoon. Site managers are
finishing things up in preparation for the
weekend and it is much harder to find
trades to work on weekends.
If you need to contact your
Site Manager for any
reason just call the
Hot Line Number.
Shaw or Telus Technician
Coming By?
Welcome to New
Plumber, Bill Fearon!
We would like to welcome Bill
Fearon to the New Chelsea
Society team. Bill came on board
last December to become the new
Society Plumber. Bill comes to us
with 10 years of plumbing
experience in the plumbing trade.
Bill replaces Rob Diston who left
the position for health reasons.
If you have a technician booked to come to
your unit and your Site Manager needs to
give the Technician access to the utility
room please ensure that they come between 8-4 Monday to Friday. Also please
contact the tenant hotline well in advance
(604-331-6100) to arrange a time with your
Site Manager.
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ANNUAL SUITE INSPECTIONS
& WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT
The Society’s Operations Department has once
again put together a schedule of annual suite
inspections for 2015. If you have not received one already,
you will be receiving in the coming months, an advanced
Notice of Entry to advise you that our operations staff
including your Site Manager will be coming in to your unit to
check for maintenance needs, to determine the condition of
capital items such as appliances, flooring, cabinetry, painting,
window coverings, etc. These unit inspections are vital to
help the Society ensure that our rental units are in a state of
good repair, and to assist us in planning for the future in
terms of developing a list of priorities for the replacement of
items in the suite. Because of a limited budget, not all
requests for a replacement can be approved, but the item
will be documented for future consideration.
Fire Prevention Tips
Do not leave food cooking on stoves
or ovens unattended.
Do not use open flames
(such as candles).
Smoke only in designated areas.
Do not overload electrical circuits and replace any
electrical cord that is cracked or with broken connection.
Make sure all appliances in your area – such as coffee
makers and hot plates – are turned off when not in use.
Do not leave your suite entrance door open.
Do not accumulate old newspapers, which become a fire
hazard when stored.
Fire Preparedness
Be familiar with the building’s Fire Safety Plan and
Procedures.
Learn where the nearest fire alarm is located and how to
activate it.
Do not use the elevator.
Know at least two ways out of the building, in case one
escape route is blocked by fire. Count the number of
doors between you and each of those exits in case you
must escape through a darkened, smoke-filled corridor.
Leave the building right away if the Fire Alarm sounds.
Follow the escape plan.
Know the designated evacuation meeting place
(assembly area).
Leave firefighting to the local fire department. Use a fire
extinguisher only if trained.
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NEW CHELSEA SOCIETY
ON CUTTING EDGE OF
TECHNOLOGY
Over the past 17 months, New Chelsea Society
has been partnering with the Greater Victoria
Housing Society in a major “technology
improvement project” to introduce and
implement a brand new Property Management
software system in our respective housing
operations. Working closely with a skilled
Business Analyst, BC Housing’s technical staff,
and members of the BC Non-Profit Housing
Association, the Societies have identified a trio
of excellent software suppliers to meet our
needs.
They are in the final stages of
configuring a robust I.T. system that will totally
computerize almost all aspects of the Society’s
operations, ranging from the management of
resident applications, records, and files;
financial management; human resource
management; maintenance and capital planning management; and payroll. New Chelsea
Society expects to have the new computerized
system up and running early in the summer.
Chelsea Breeze is published for the residents,
directors, staff, and friends of New Chelsea Society.
NEW CHELSEA SOCIETY
7501 6th Street, Burnaby, BC V3N 3M2
Phone: 604.395.4370 Fax: 604.395.4376
Email: [email protected]
Websites: www.newchelsea.ca
www.chelseaparkbc.ca
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