My favorite cake shop in Vancouver is Bon Ton Patisserie.

I started my addition to Bon Ton as a young child. My parents would usually purchase a Bon Ton diplomat or a Mexican Hat Cake for birthdays and special events.  Sometimes my grandmother would take me there for tea and pastries… decades later, I would take her.

The butter icing is light, and the wafer pastries are heavenly.

Mel Lehan's campaign office is on Broadway

Mel Lehan's daughter Shaena was standing outside encouraging passer-bys to vote.  It was great to finally meet Shaena after hearing so much about her.  She had been in Japan, when the St. James Hall Society honoured her father with a Tribute last October, and when he was acclaimed for his nomination as the NDP candidate in January.  Shaena had also heard about me…  I played accordion, when her father walked into the Tribute event, and I was a seconder at the nomination meeting.

pictures in the window at the Mel Lehan campaign office.

Mel is known as “The Mayor of Kitsilano” for so much of the community work he has done in the neighborhood.   He founded the Kitsilano Farmer's Market, he helped save the Tatlow Salmon Stream, he helped save St James Hall and turn it into a community centre, he is campaigning to save the UBC Farm, as well as to prevent a Sky Train tunnel construction disaster for Kitsilano merchants that befell the Cambie St. Village… and so much more.  Mel is a wonderful community activist and community leader.  Any neighborhood or community group would be lucky to have Mel on their team.

Inside the office, I discover another thing Mel and I have in common!  Besides being both cancer survivors, community leaders, leading the campaigns to save important sites from demolition (St. James Hall, Joy Kogawa House)….  we are both born in May.  My birthday is May 11th.  Mel's birthday is May 22.  (hum the Twilight Zone theme….).