OK, class, pop quiz. No talking! Lower Lonsdale – turn off the Bryan Adams. Ambleside – we’re not discussing the B-Line now.
Best of luck, everyone. If you score above 18 you will be tested for performance enhancers and if you score lower than 18 you will be required to check out our two-part Year in Review next week. (And make sure to read to the bottom of the quiz for links to the stories referenced in the questions!)
Now ... begin!
1. What rotating North Vancouver waterfront landmark was replaced last January? (Remember: it’s often seen with u.)
2. Nearly every single home on the North Shore has now crossed what imaginary line? (Hint: Nolan Ryan was the first baseball player to cross it.)
3. The North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce reported that 40 per cent of businesses were considering doing what? (There are only three ways to do it and one could result in seasickness.)
4. Upper Capilano residents seemed unconcerned when these ubiquitous items suddenly gained the ability to subdivide last January. What were they?
5. Worried about big crowds, District of North Vancouver council made the stone-cold move to let park rangers limit access to what popular attraction during the summer?
6. Our federal government announced plans to pay $4.5 billion to buy what mountain last May?
7. Wildlife advocates were horrified when videos surfaced of a family doing what to a North Shore mother bear and her cub? Hint: They were doing it with their hands but it wasn’t punching or slapping.
8. Mary-Ann Booth was initially elected West Vancouver mayor in October after defeating Mark Sager by 21 votes. But what was her margin of victory following a $30,000 judicial recount?
9. What form of mass communication convinced almost everyone in Hawaii they were going to die in a missile attack last January?
10. Responding to Trans Mountain Pipeline delays, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley exhorted Albertans to stop drinking what? (Hint: W.C. Fields cooked with it, occasionally even adding it to the food.)
11. Canada’s Senate opted to remove these 104-year-old “sons” in February, but from what?
12. West Vancouver police issued a Richmond man two tickets in 13 minutes for touching something. What did he touch?
13. Metro Vancouver board members voted for this, then against this. It was meant to be forward thinking but retroactive and it would’ve offered assistance to 40 people engaged in public service. What was it?
14. This spring, a West Vancouver woman called the police on her garden ornament that had been in her backyard for 40 years. Just to be safe, police blew up the ornament. Why?
15. West Vancouver staff made a trip to Ambleside pond last summer to save newly hatched cygnets from what “silent” killer? (Hint: they’re often known for their songs.)
16. This North Vancouver brother and sister (right) team fled to Squamish, were found dealing blackjack in the Yukon, and were similarly recorded in Indonesia and Mexico. Why were they on the run?
17. A B.C. judge ruled that a couple’s marriage was legal even though they were on this when they tied the knot. What were they on? (Hint: it’s not drugs or a mountaintop.)
18. There were no leaking pipes or cracked mirrors, but Seycove Secondary elected to lock some of their bathrooms to prevent students from doing what foggy activity?
19. After 30 years of smooth rides, West Vancouver council voted to repeal a ban on these “vertical inhibitors.” What are they?
20. Metro Vancouver began work this year on a new crossing of Burrard Inlet — a $430-million tunnel under the Second Narrows but it’s not expected to improve traffic. What will be transported through the tube?
21. West Vancouver police broke up a massive house party after 200 kids showed up and did $20,000 in damage. Why didn’t the owner stop the Dunda-raver?
Bonus: True or false: North Shore Rescue is considering altering their payment system in 2019 to allow lost hikers to pay for their rescue with Bitcoin.
See answers and links to stories below
1. The Lonsdale Q. 2. The $1-million line. 3. Leaving the North Shore. 4. Single-family lots. 5. Quarry Rock 6. The Trans Mountain pipeline. 7. Feeding them. 8. 21 votes. 9. Text message. A Hawaii Emergency Management Agency employee apparently pushed the wrong button on shift change. 10. Wine. Specifically, B.C. wine. 11. The lyrics to “O Canada.” 12. An electronic device while driving. 13. A pay raise and retirement allowance for Metro Vancouver’s 40-person board. 14. The ornament turned out to be an 80-millimetre explosive. 15. Mute swans. 16. They were contestants in the Amazing Race Canada. 17. Skype 18. Vaping. 19. Speed bumps. 20. Water. 21. The house was only used for short-term rentals. Bonus: False. Almost a Trumpian level of falsehood. North Shore Rescue does not charge the people they save.
