An Interstate 5 bridge over a river collapsed north of Seattle Thursday evening, dumping two vehicles into the water.

An Interstate 5 four-lane bridge over Skagit River, about 55 miles north of Seattle, Washinton collapsed at about 7 p.m. on Thursday evening sending two vehicles were into the chilly water of the river.

Rescue effort by boats and divers saved three injured people and they were taken to the Skagit Valley Hospital and the United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley.

AP reported that authorities said it appeared nobody was killed.

U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NSTB) is still investigating the cause of the disaster.

Anyway State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste said a semi-truck driven southbound struck the bridge just before part of it collapsed.

The freeway is a principal corridor for vehicles between Seattle and Vancouver, Canada.

The bridge was built in 1955 and the disaster raised concerns about the safety of old bridges in the United States.

In August 2007, a bridge fell into the Mississippi River in Minnesota, killing thirteen people.

AP reported that more than a quarter of Washington’s 7,840 bridges are considered structurally deficient of functionally obsolete.

Please click here for more photos:

An Interstate 5 bridge over a river collapsed north of Seattle Thursday evening, dumping two vehicles into the water.

An Interstate 5 four-lane bridge over Skagit River, about 55 miles north of Seattle, Washinton collapsed at about 7 p.m. on Thursday evening sending two vehicles were into the chilly water of the river.

Rescue effort by boats and divers saved three injured people and they were taken to the Skagit Valley Hospital and the United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley.

AP reported that authorities said it appeared nobody was killed.

U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NSTB) is still investigating the cause of the disaster.

Anyway State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste said a semi-truck driven southbound struck the bridge just before part of it collapsed.

The freeway is a principal corridor for vehicles between Seattle and Vancouver, Canada.

The bridge was built in 1955 and the disaster raised concerns about the safety of old bridges in the United States.

In August 2007, a bridge fell into the Mississippi River in Minnesota, killing thirteen people.

AP reported that more than a quarter of Washington’s 7,840 bridges are considered structurally deficient of functionally obsolete.

Please click the photos for larger images:

I am really sad to be leaving New Zealand. I have been having such a fantastic time and it saddens me to leave my family knowing I may not see them again for up to a year. That will be the longest time I have spent apart from them. Thank goodness for skype, viber and iPhone’s!!

So while I am sad I am also incredibly excited. I have always wanted to visit Hawaii. It seems like a magical place. Touristy, but magical. I will be travelling alone but I don’t mind. 8 days in paradise, I’m sure I can make some friends.

THEN the big adventure begins. My visa has come through and I am moving to Vancouver for a year. Having never been to Vancouver, or Canada, I am super excited to get there and have a look around my home for the next year. I have rented a place in Coal Harbour for the first 3 weeks and I will take things from there.

Working in Digital Marketing, I really, REALLY want to maintain my skills and stay in my field. It changes so fast. Fingers crossed I can find a role in an industry I am passionate about while staying in digital. Wish me luck!!

And now to attempt to sleep, while my mind is racing of my new adventures.

Sweet Dreams!

Apparently, according to a recent study, anxiety during  job interviews affects men more than woman.  Although reported anxiety was the same between genders, “men suffered greater impairments in terms of interview performance.”  Further studies are ongoing about “gender coping theory.”

Cheers to cope with hope!……

Interestingly enough, another study caption in today’s news reads “Are men and women more alike than we admit?”….

As you like it!…..

On a third note, the European farm commission has dropped plans to ban refillable olive oil jugs in restaurants.

“Along with Greece and Spain, Italy had supported the measures as a way of protecting its producers and fighting  practices involving inferior oil being passed off as something better.”

Britain’s PM, David Cameron said “this is the type of area of regulation that the European Union needs to get right out of, in my view, it shouldn’t even be on the table.”

Well said!…lol…..cheers to “nice jugs!”

Recent Mint Records signing Jay Arner’sself-titled debut LP is set for a June 25th release – and ‘Midnight On South Granville’ is among the first tasters to surface following the infectious ‘Don’t Remind Me’ which dropped in April.

Beach-ready and seasonally fitting (despite today’s hail…), this song sounds time for Vancouver-based Jay Arner to step out of relative obscurity and shine. Its mid-tempo charm swells under a repetitive surf guitar riff and rich, vintage synths as Arner’s conversational vocal drifts above the mix.

It’s an incredibly direct track with undeniable pop tendencies; ‘Midnight On South Granville’ is simple yet mightily effective. But then all of the best ones are, right? What’s more, it’s available as a free download.

Stream and DL ‘Midnight On South Granville’ below.

最近東京で働くことが多くて、満員電車を乗ってたり、渋谷の町並みに迷っていたりする日々ばかりです。
Recently, I’ve been working in Tokyo a LOT: Riding trains that are packed to their limits, and getting lost amongst the streets in Shibuya.

その東京（まあ、成田空港だけど）から飛行機に乗れば、立った八時間で着く、バンクーバー。
Just a single 8-hour plane ride away from all of this, you will find, Vancouver.

バンクーバーは、カナダの西の方のメージャシティーと思われています。当たり前だけど、東京ではありません。
Vancouver often thought of as the “major city” of the West Coast of Canada. And obviously, this is NO Tokyo.

飛行機からおりて、モノレール（英語でスカトレーン）一本であっという間につく、ダウンタウン。
Off the plane, the SkyTrain takes you directly to downtown.

そしておりてすぐ、東京とバンクーバーの差に驚くでしょう。
Hop off that SkyTrain, and you will be astounded by the difference between the two cities.

シティーの中心にある、グランビルストリートです。おや？　人が殆どいませんけど？
One of the central streets downtown, “Granville Street.” What’s this? I don’t see any people.

実は、東京の広さとバンクーバーの広さ、あんまり変わらないみたいです。
Actually, Tokyo and Vancouver don’t really differ in area.

っていうか、バンクーバーのほうが、もうちょっと広いです。
In fact, Vancouver is just a little bit bigger.

だけど、東京の人口は、バンクーバーの6倍だと読みました。
But I actually read that the population of Tokyo is 6 times that of Vancouver.

だから、街の中心にあるいても、人ごみほぼなくて、道が広くて、すっきりします★ミ
It feels so nice to walk in wide, uncrowded streets.

つまらない街だなーーー！！って思う前に、これも言っておきます！
Before you start thinking that this sounds like a boring city, I should also mention…

この記事に映っているグランビルストリートって、夜になると凄いことになりますよ。（笑）
This street, Granville Street, really tends to come alive at night.

セレブのように、リムジンに乗ってクラブに向かう若い人たちをよくみかける街になります★
It’s not uncommon to see limousines driving around, treating it’s passengers to a celebrity lifestyle.

人気のバーや、クラブの前で行列もできます。
And there are often lineups to get inside the hottest clubs and bars.

そして、バーの中に入ってみると、若い美女と美男がいっぱいいて、にぎやかです。
Once you actually get inside a bar, they are buzzing with young (good looking) people.

まあ、飲むこと以外に、ほかにダウンタウンで見ることたくさんあります。
Aside from drinking, there are lots of other things to do downtown.

とても海外らしい、ホットドッグスタンドもあれば・・・
If there are Western Style hot dog stands….

日本でもよくみかける、焼き上げた栗を売っているスタンドも、夜の街にあります。
There are also comfort foods such as roasted chestnuts, sold on the city streets at night.

そして必ずしも、夜はにぎやかというわけでもないですよ。
And I don’t mean to necessarily say that night time in Vancouver is noisy.

本当にどんな道に歩くかによるんです。
It really depends on the street you’re on.

ちなみに、上の写真の空、明るくみえますよね？
By the way, the sky sure looks bright doesn’t it?

実は、上の写真は、２１時に撮りましたよ。
I actually took that photo at 9pm at night!

北アメリカに住んでいる人だと対したことないけど、
It’s not a big deal for those who live in North America,

だけど、日本だと、もう１９時になると真っ暗ですもんね。夏時間というのがないから。
But in Japan, it’s pitch black by 7pm. We don’t do Daylight Saving’s Time.

とにかく先週まで忙しかった私は、このバンクーバーにいやされています。
Anyway, I was busy last week, but I’m finding healing time in Vancouver.

本当に大好きです。
I really love it here.

皆さんも、いつかバンクーバーに訪れますように。
I hope you will find yourself visiting Vancouver someday too!

カナダの旅をリアルタイムでトラッキングしたい方は、カナダ観光局のタンブラーをフォローするといいですよー！
If you want to follow our trip in real time, make sure to follow the CTC on Tumblr!

ツイッターでも#ExploreCanadaで投稿しています！
I’m also posting on twitter under the hashtag, #ExploreCanada!

じゃ、次の記事まで！
Ok, see you next time!

(あ、そして忘れる前に、一昨年前、バンクーバーに来た時の記事は、こちらで読めます）
(Oh, and before I forget, if you want to see another post about Vancouver, here’s one I did last year!)

***

This quote is one of my favorites…and is so real.

Please check out http://www.freetobewear.com for more contacts and information about the brand.

BIG Thank you to Stylista Clothing Co. ( http://www.shopstylistaco.com ) for providing some of the wardrobe for the shoot!

Photography by: Eric Chu ( http://www.ericchuphotography.viewbook.com)

Model: Diane @Key Model Management ( http://www.keymodelmgmt.com )

Hair/ Wardrobe Styling: Gian Carlo Umahon ( LADY http://www.ladyfashionstylist.com)

Make UP: Jacky Teodoro of Envy Me Studio ( http://www.envymestudio.com )

Well, I went to 29th Ave Cafe. They serve Japanese Yoshoku (Japanese-style western food), and are located on Boundary Road.

I ordered my favorites from their menu.

Chicken Cream Korokke (croquette)

Custard Pudding

They never betray my expectation, always serve consistent taste!

(Pictures taken by iPhone)

Want to see more pictures for this restaurant? click here.

29th Avenue Cafe

Address: 4441 Boundary Road, Vancouver, B.C. (map)
(On the curve from Boundary to 29th Ave)
TEL: 604-558-2271
Urbanspoon: page

Dinner
[Tue - Sat] 17:00 – 21:30
[Sun] 17:00 – 21:00

Price Note
- Chicken Cream Korokke (croquette) $10.50
- Rice $1.00 each
- Custard Pudding $3.00

View from inside train on Canada Line

We had lunch at Takeya Sushi which was delicious. I ordered a spicy tuna sashimi, a spicy salmon cone/hand roll, and the Takeya Agedashi Tofu. I’m really enjoying spicy tuna and salmon sashimi in Vancouver. I really think it’s a must try dish. I don’t normally eat hand rolls, but this one was really great. The Takeya Agedashi Tofu, was a combination of Tofu, seaweed, crab meat and maybe something else in a tempura batter. It’s a really light appetizer.

Menu

We headed to East Van to the Rio, an independent theatre with one screen to watch Star Trek. I really enjoyed both the theatre and the movie. The theatre is really cool, kind of vintage-y in it’s feel. They have a variety of seasonings at the side. But they do offer you real butter with every bag of popcorn…I guess it makes for a more at-home like experience. I really like that there are independent movie theatres that even still exist! It was a really cool experience. And they still have 1/2 price movies on Tuesdays. http://riotheatre.ca

Me in the Rio Lobby

The Rio Lobby

A few interesting facts:

Books seen on the plane:
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
The Maxims of Manhood by Jeff Wilser
Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris
The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Hours traveled on airplane (and I swear I didn’t even whimper in fear once): 8
Countries visited: 1
Book stores: 3
Books purchased: 4
Days traveled: 9
Beaches: 4

Also, I am strangely fascinated (and delighted) by food trucks.

1. Cleveland Dam (or should I call it Lake Okobogee? (X-Files Season 1 for non-fans)), Vancouver, BC
2. Lion’s Gate Bridge, Vancouver, BC
3. Granville Island Public Market (fabulous Maple Cream Beer available from Granville Island Brewery), Vancouver, BC
4. Vancouver Public Library
5. Grilled Cheese from Mom’s Grilled Cheese Truck, Vancouver, BC
6. Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge (that’s me for perspective), Vancouver, BC
7. Vancouver Skyline from Stanley Park (lovely weather, no?), Vancouver, BC
8. North Beach, Seattle
9. Beside North Beach, Seattle (if you live in someplace that’s never green, trees become fascinating and beautiful and I needed a 15th picture)
10. Beecher’s Vegetable Mac & Cheese, Pike’s Place Market, Seattle
11. Gumbo and Po’ Boy from Where Ya At Matt? Food Truck (bringing soul food to Seattle), Bellevue WA
12. Jive Time Records, Seattle (Rolling Stone and I actually agree on something, Jive Time is great)
13. The Modern Lovers. Front and Center. As it should be.
14. Fremont Ave Troll, Seattle
15. Fremont Avenue Bridge. Welcome to the center of the universe, set your watch ahead 5 minutes.

Once again, thank you for humoring me and my iPhone photos (they’re not THAT bad, but they’re not that good either). Thoughts? Comments? Insights? What exactly do you say to someone’s vacation post aside from I hate you…?

Picked up an Oster Classic 76 today. These things are the Cadillacs of clippers. I’ve used my boss’ before and now I have my own. Still have to pick up some blades, but I can’t wait to use this beauty.

The location is ideal: Located on Robson St, this restaurant is steps away from Rogers Arena and BC Place Stadium. It’s pretty central from all the action downtown Vancouver has to offer.

The atmosphere is like an sports bar rather than a Mexican restaurant. Big screen TV’s by the bar and lots of high tables. A lot of wood and iron decor for the booths and the bar.

The menu claims to have a good mix of traditional Mexican dishes. Their tequila list is quite extensive as well.

Of course we had to try the tacos. The tacos are served in the traditional Mexican style – small thin corn tortillas with toppings. I had the Carnitas taco ($3.85). I thought that the price was a tad high. Most places charge $2 – $3 per taco.  Also, it didn’t come with all the sauces that usually accompany the taco experience. The taco was good, but to be honest, it didn’t compare to the tastiness of La Taqueria a few blocks down. Granted, La Taqueria makes one dish and one dish only, but when it comes to tacos, there’s really nowhere else.

The Torta Felipa ($10) comes in a traditional Mexican bun (bolitos), and it’s stuffed with steak, refried beans, avocado, cheese, jalapeño peppers and onions. I was surprised at how heavy it was. When I was in Mexico I used to eat these all the time after school, and even with the avocado and meat, the tortas were never as greasy. They come with waffle fries on the side, altogether a way too heavy dish.

Another dish we tried was the Burrito ($9.50). Packed full of lettuce, rice, meat, sour cream and chicken, it came with a side of refried beans. It also comes with your choice of flour or multigrain tortillas.

Overall, I found the food here ok, but not inspiring.

In a recent interview, I was asked what my biggest challenge back in my styling days was. It wasn’t hard to tell the interviewers that it was making an impromptu dress on set… In my previous blog, I titled the post “Recipe for a dress”. 2 hours, 1 pair of chopsticks, 1 meter of fabric and 456323  (not literally) safety pins later, I completed the dress. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to prepare for it but I couldn’t really.

The shoot was actually for a photographer who wanted pay homage to a W magazine editorial featuring Anne Hathaway. I was given very specific idea as to what the photographer had wanted to see on the model. She wanted to see this dress.

She had given me one image to work from, and admittedly, it was a bit difficult to derive something from a dress that looks like a white bed sheet tied miraculously into a standing, graceful bow. I knew that this wasn’t going to be a dress that I could find in a store or pull from a rack – this was going to be my time to shine! As my knowledge of sewing is non-existent (save for sewing like a pro in straight lines), I thought that I was going to take a stab at draping and safety pinning the dress – which I did end up doing.

This piece of fabric was what I had chosen in the end…My apologies for the wrinkles , but this was taken after the shoot, after I had painstakingly retrieved all the safety pins from it. I knew the shoot was going to be monochrome, and so grey was the colour to go ; the more important factor was the sheen of the fabric and how well it reflected light. I spent a good hour in the fabric store comparing and touching fabric rolls before I found this.

Here we are, the work in progress, before I had finished tweaking the bow. I’ll have you know that the two chopsticks behind the bow were still dignified and not broken into several pieces to make this bow so perky. I’m not ashamed to say that my dear model Hailey went through quite a bit of hurting for this dress (much love to this beautiful girl).

                                   Photographer: Willow Nova @ Willownova.com
Make-up Artist : Joyce Yeh

The finished result…It took two hours of sweat, blood and self pricking, but I was able to wrap our model in the illusion that is this “dress”. Homage paid and creativity birthed, this shot was a witness to one of the greatest challenges that I’ve faced on set.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this throwback…It certainly made me miss my photo shooting days!

Much love,

Vi

I really like it here.

The air is abuzz with start-up ideas from bright-eyed entrepreneurs, free-roaming fiscal statistics and the sheer hubris which comes from prospective movers and shakers. The untold stories of ideamen butting heads with investors and executives slowly take root and eventually blossom into the collateral damage which follows when businesses are stuck in stasis in a moving environment.

It really is a treasure trove.

It reminds me of a recurring fantasy of mine. It involves working as a busboy or an equally discreet low-level position at the Toronto Club or someplace equally prestigious. Money’s not the concern here. It’s a perverse sense of power voyeurism. The fun that comes from quietly observing the rhythms of influence peddling.

Often this fantasy involves meetings with a friend who goes from struggling journalist to something of a power broker in his own right. Op-eds by this friend become increasingly sought after. Eventually, he will get a nickname akin to “The Pale Horseman Parliament” or the “Beltway Butcher” to steal the phrase from HBO’s Veep.

Politicians in particular grow to fear him. They look to their own staff with increasing suspicion as a result. “Who is leaking information to the Pale Horseman?” they would ask.  Little did they know, the inept oaf who was clearing their tables held the Sword of Damocles all along.

But alas. It is not to be.

This is probably for the best. This fantasy is a touch megalomaniacal. Feverish daydreams aside, it’s still a fascinating atmosphere even if I could be reduced to a gory paste by a runaway bus and it will not matter to anyone in this world.

The core of the disagreements in this sphere reminds me of my one of my favourite maxims of late, borrowed from the American Military: “Amateurs discuss tactics; professionals discuss logistics.” Or to frame it slightly differently, amateurs argue about what to do while professionals hammer out how to do it. I like framing it like this more often than not.

It’s how I like to differentiate folks here. There are those who are eager to take on the world versus the voices of concern processing plans of execution. Somehow these often opposing but not at all mutually exclusive voices will coalesce into awesome projects which prosper or create a cacophonous monstrosity which will rightfully collapse into a heap of poor investment and liquidation. It’s the beauty of the markets that appeals to my free enterprise advocating friends, of that I have no doubt. Methinks my socialist-leaning friends would lament the poor folks at the bottom who end up at the receiving end of the terrible projects, while others might say in a post-loyalty business world they should have jumped ship the moment they sensed trouble……annnnd I’m having arguments with myself again. So this sounds like a good time to sign off. Until next time, Internet.

Image by ‘camila-bunny.deviantart.com’

Deliverable ROI
Social Media can often be more of an abstract concept to companies who are used to working out exact viewing numbers and new business won from targeted print and online campaigns. However, using analytical tools it’s possible to get clear figures for metrics like the number of followers gained, increase of reach and new customers won and so get a meaningful picture of how Social Media is affecting the brand.

Content, Content, Content
If they haven’t already, businesses will need someone on staff to write effective and authoritative content – which defines their place in the industry. Offering opinions and sharing discussion-worthy articles is also key in maximising the reach of your regularly updated content.

Don’t Give It To The Intern
Social Media is a valuable task and shouldn’t be taken too lightly. Passing it to an apprentice or junior member of staff is a great way to cause problems. They won’t know or understand your company voice or create engaging content for your industry peers. While many companies don’t have the funds to recruit a specific Social Media Manager, there may be a member of staff who has a talent for writing or communicating with your customers. It can be tricky to motivate them to find the enthusiasm or inspiration to write new content, so give them KPIs to be judged against just as you would with any other area of the business.

CRM Has Evolved
Emails aren’t good enough. Companies who are really engaging with their customers have someone available as the first point of contact for customers via whichever network they choose to use. People want to have quick answers to their quick questions and companies are realising that they need keen communicators who are always checking their Hootsuite feeds and pop-up notifications on whichever mobile device they’re poring over at the time.

Social Media in Your New Job
For marketing, e-Commerce and online industries, Social Media skills will soon be a requirement. While, at the moment they are often an advantage, having the ability to monitor and communicate with your industry peers in a public forum will increasingly become a necessity.

“Like Us to Win”
Companies are quickly getting over the notion that the more ‘likes’ they get, the more successful they are as a company. There’s a growing realisation that competitions and prize giveaways will mostly attract people who love online contests. The chances of actually seeing a return on investment from such activities is unlikely. While it does spread the name of your brand, just remember the target audience and the viewing audience aren’t always the same.
As Social Media is now the mainstream, customers can invariably be reached – and choose to reach out – via one network or another.

While your reach will be increased through use of social media, it is vital to remember that these communication networks are a place to converse and above all, listen. It’s all very well telling people about your products and services, but a one-sided conversation won’t win you many fans.

Follow me on @JamesRCS

I hit up a few food trucks in Downtown Vancouver for lunch near my hotel, which were delicious, but you can only spend so much time wandering the same streets without looking suspicious. I decided to head back to the hotel as I was running out of places to loiter. The hotel that I’m staying at is quite swanky as there are Louis Vuitton and Gucci boutiques in the main floor of the hotel itself. I decided to venture into Gucci as I believed that looking at overpriced clothing and accessories would somehow quell my feelings of boredom. I was a bit insulted that the security guard kept following only me in the store as if I had a criminal record stapled to my forehead. I apologize for not dressing in overpriced, elderly woman clothing from St. John next door. I am, however, wearing my Ray Bans and dress clothes, ok? I was being fancy for me. Give me a break and have a seat. Your boutique is in a hotel.

Anyway, I recognized a green Gucci dress that Katy Perry wore to the Grammy Awards, so I decided to take a picture of it. Why do I remember this? I wish my brain would remember useful, not inane, pieces of information. Katy Perry, however, did.. augment the dress as you may be able to tell… ha:

Perhaps this is why I remember this incredibly tacky dress. As I said above, the security guard was watching me like a hawk. I was afraid that I would get kicked out of Gucci in a Jazzy Jeff-Fresh Prince manner for taking a photo, so I tried to be sneaky. I’ve been reprimanded at Urban Outfitters before for taking a picture with a friend, so being told off at Gucci alone in Canada would be even more embarrassing.

The picture is blurry, but honestly, who cares? This post is pointless, my hotel internet connection is rivaling dial-up speeds, and I am still bored.

Louis Vuitton is tacky. Gucci is overpriced.

The end.

I noticed that the son of the owner of La Régalade runs a French Bistro in Kits called Café Régalade.  Driving wise, it’s not that much closer to us.  As a matter of fact, on the day that we visited in late March, W 4th was still undergoing a ton of roadwork construction.

While La Régalade has a number of chickens adorning their bistro, Café Régalade uses the pig as their mascot as can be seen on their walls.

The complimentary crusty bread is served cold (which I’m assuming is usual practice at French restaurants from previous experiences at other French bistros).

The French Onion Soup ($7.95) is smaller than the one that we had at the West Van location but it was just as good and also cheaper.  The lower price and smaller serving size is an excellent option for an appy (and I saved some of the crusty bread to dip in it).  There’s no shortage of onions and ooey-gooey cheese here.

The Beef Bourguignon ($22.50) came served in a bowl (I’m used to seeing this served in a Dutch Oven) and was a bit salty from the sauce.  On their menu, they call it the “La Régalade Beef Bourguignon” but I don’t think it was as good as the one we had in West Van (not that it was really bad but just not as good as what we were expecting).

I decided to try the Gigot de 7 Heures ($23.95) which is a large portion of lamb shank that’s slowly cooked for 7 hours.  Again, the sauce was a big salty for my liking but the meat itself was cooked perfectly and superbly tender.

Both of our dishes came with a side of creamy Scalloped Potatoes that paired nicely with the entrées.

For dessert, we tried the Chocolate Cream Puffs ($7.95).  It took a little while for these to come out but when it finally arrived at our table, we were treated to 2 cream puffs that were stuffed with chocolate cream inside and swimming in chocolate sauce.  If you’re a fan of chocolate, you’ll probably like this dessert.

This little bistro was rather busy given all of the traffic congestion in the area.  The food’s pretty good (albeit a bit salty) but I think the West Van location is still my fav.

2836 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver, BC

www.caferegalade.ca

Vancouver city manager Penny Ballem is ranked as the third highest paid government employee in the province during 2011 and 2012.

Last year she made more than $366,000 but also claimed expenses of nearly $3,000.

Some of that spending included a $700 flight from Vancouver to Victoria on budget day, and $126,000 worth of cab rides during a single visit.

All of this coming at a time when Vancouver is dealing with a serious budget crunch.

“We’re a little unclear why Dr. Ballem had to go to the budget lock-up anyways,” aid Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “We can’t find any clips of her commenting on things, there doesn’t seem to be any huge Vancouver-specific announcement in the budget lock-up, and there was a budget lock-up the same day in Vancouver she could have attended.”

“She could have flown for cheaper on Harbour Air or Helijet, there’s so many other different options that would have saved taxpayers money, but instead she picked probably the most expensive way to get there,” he added.

Thursday at their Surrey practice facility, the Lions formally introduced Emmanuel Arceneaux, two days after announcing that he came to terms on a deal with the local Canadian Football League team, which brings him back to Vancouver for a second time.

The Lions have also agreed to terms on a contract extension with import receiver Courtney Taylor, although that has yet to be officially announced.

While Arceneaux stood in front of a team backdrop, answering questions on everything from his return to the Lions, his two-year venture to the National Football League and his favourite movies, his head coach held court a few feet away, gladly willing to talk about what will be fierce internal competition among his receivers at training camp in Kamloops.

The Lions have a number of good receivers, still young and keen on assuming a greater role in the offence.

Not to mention running back Andrew Harris, who has proven over the past two seasons to be just as capable catching the ball as he is catching it.

“Competition breeds success,” said Mike Benevides, the Lions’ sophomore head coach.

“I think it’s going to be a tremendously competitive camp and that’s a good thing because it’s going to bring the most out of people.”

Arceneaux spent two years with the Lions, in 2009 and 2010.

He then went down south to the NFL, appearing in three games for the Minnesota Vikings in 2011, but was unable to stick down there after later attempts with the Washington Redskins and, most recently, the New York Jets.

“Manny Arceneaux hasn’t been sitting at home for two years watching SpongeBob,” he said Thursday.

“I’ve actually still been working, I’ve just been limited to my game-time exposure, but no the grind hasn’t stopped.”

The Lions dispatched of two proven all-star receivers in the winter, trading Geroy Simon, a Hall of Famer and the league’s all-time leading receiver, to the Saskatchewan Roughriders and releasing Arland Bruce, who later signed with the Montreal Alouettes.

When Arceneaux left for the NFL, Simon was still the Lions’ big name among receivers.

His experience in both leagues now makes him a prominent target, even with a group of receivers that now includes Shawn Gore, Paris Jackson, Marco Iannuzzi and Akeem Foster, as well as Taylor and Nick Moore.

“I’m laid back, chill, humble guy so whatever the role is I’m just happy to take on that role,” said Arceneaux. “I’m just trying to come in and do my part.”

Quarterback Travis Lulay has, after two full seasons as the team’s starter, built – and continues to develop – a relationship with all the receivers listed above.

With Arceneaux, it’s a matter of renewing that.

“I’m excited to see if we still got it,” said Lulay of the chemistry he had going with Arceneaux three years ago.

“He was a guy that I developed a really high level of trust in. I look back at some of the film from when he was playing and some of those balls I threw his way, he might’ve been on the backside of a play but it was things where I trusted he was going to win and that’s what you need to have.”