Calgary theatre community mourns loss of Jen Darbellay, killed in Vancouver festival tragedy: 'She really left an imprint'
As Canadians grieve the victims of Saturday's devastating attack at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day festival, Calgary's theatre community is mourning the loss of one of its own in the tragedy.
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Jen Darbellay, a 50-year-old mother of two and a celebrated costume designer who spent years working in Calgary's theatre scene, was among those killed after an SUV drove into a crowd of festivalgoers last weekend. She is survived by her husband, Noel Johansen, and 7-year-old daughter Darby – both injured in the attack – and son Ford, 15.
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Darbellay is remembered not only for her creative brilliance but for her warmth, gentleness and generosity. Friends and former colleagues describe her as a 'rare artist' and a kind soul who left a lasting impression on everyone she worked with.
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'This is really hitting the heart of the community,' said playwright Eugene Stickland, who first met Darbellay in the late 1990s when she took a playwriting course he taught at Alberta Theatre Projects. 'The Calgary theatre community is like a big family. So we're all aware of each other and care what happens to one another.'
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'It hurts,' he said. 'It's just shock and then disbelief.'
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'Even when she was young, she was just a genuinely nice and kind person … very soft spoken, very gentle. She's the last person you would want to have to endure something like she went through.'
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Stickland said he was stunned to learn Darbellay was among the victims of the attack. His wife, who is Filipino, has family in Vancouver and, in the immediate aftermath of the attack, was checking in with relatives to make sure they were safe.
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'(It) never occurred to me in a million years that I would know someone … let alone someone that I know from Calgary,' he said. 'It just goes to show you how capricious these things are … It makes so little sense.'
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Globe and Mail
9 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
A river cruise with our American frenemies – what could go wrong?
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It's humbling given the rhetoric that 'Canada matters on the world stage.' What stage? We can't even get verbal support from the Commonwealth or England when it matters. They snickered when our PM was called 'governor,' and our sovereignty was bullied. They thought it was a joke. Look at them scrambling now. Still, why have we assumed that the world knows who we are? Each week I leaf through the British newspapers and see the same dull tourism ads for Niagara Falls and the Rocky Mountaineer that I've seen for the last two decades. Where's the nightlife of Canada's cities? The picturesque Newfoundland villages? The Inuit arts and awesome Northern landscapes? The architectural and cultural charm of Quebec? Where are the theatres, galleries, literary festivals and vineyards? 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Of course it's a lie, but try convincing a boatload of Americans of their country's misguided path, a group who've dined on a century of obsequiousness that the world – including Canada – has fed them. The water might be choppy, but it's time we charted our own course, and make waves that count.
The Province
17 hours ago
- The Province
Vancouver police ramp up weekend presence to deter crime, provide 'assurance'
Police spokesman Sgt. Steve Addison acknowledged some people may be feeling anxious about public safety given Thursday night's car-ramming incident at the Pacific Coliseum during a Cirque du Soleil show Crowds fill the street during Italian Day on Commercial Drive in 2019. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO / PNG The Vancouver Police Department said it is boosting the number of officers in the city this weekend, including at the B.C. Lions kickoff game on Saturday and at Italian Day on Commercial Drive on Sunday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Police spokesman Sgt. Steve Addison acknowledged some people may be feeling anxious about public safety given Thursday night's car-ramming incident at the Pacific Coliseum during a Cirque du Soleil show and the vehicle attack at the Lapu Lapu Day festival in east Vancouver on April 26 that killed 11. But he reassured people that police will be out in full force this with an additional 300 officers deployed from Friday to Sunday. 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The police department ordered 16 of the anti-ram barriers from U.S.-based Meridian Rapid Defense Group soon after the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans, where a 42-year-old man used a pickup truck to ram into a crowd on historic Bourbon Street, killing 15 people. The devices arrived last month. Each barrier weighs about 320 kilograms and they are linked with heavy steel cables specifically designed to stop unauthorized vehicles at roadways, construction sites and public events. The barriers 'can be deployed and moved around as needed,' said Addison. 'When they're set up, they're designed to prevent vehicle incursions into large crowds.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Road closures will be in effect around Robson and Beatty Streets downtown for the Lions' game and Commercial Drive from Venables to Broadway will be closed to vehicles for the Italian Day festival. There will also be a heightened police presence on beaches, which are expected to be busy with people enjoying the hot weather, and in Gastown, Yaletown and the Granville Street entertainment district. Addison said the 'seemingly random and unpredictable' nature of the recent ramming incidents can cause anxiety but police cannot 'cage the city.' 'Please know we are doing everything that we can, working with our partners, to mitigate risks and make this summer and these events as safe as possible,' he said, adding that people can call police if something seems suspicious or out of place, or if they feel unsafe. chchan@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Sports PWHL Vancouver Whitecaps
Global News
19 hours ago
- Global News
Calgary woman loses $800k in romance scam: ‘I have nothing left'
Barbara Grant was one of many Canadians who found themsleves lonely during the pandemic. For the first time in her life, she set out to find a connection on an online dating site. That's when she met Michael Janda. 'We started talking… he said, 'You are gorgeous, I want to be with you,'' Grant said. The two quickly formed a bond. Janda's profile said he worked in the same oil and gas industry where she had built a successful career. As the weeks went by, they spoke about plans of marriage and buying a home together in Victoria, B.C. Then came the requests that preyed on her emotions. 'He told me he was caught in Doha, Qatar, carrying $1.5 million in cash,' she said, 'And police put him in jail.' Story continues below advertisement The two continued to communicate on LinkedIn after moving away from the dating site where they first connected. Over a period of nearly a year, Grant sent Janda money in several bank transfers — first to a trucking company in Ontario, then an individual in the U.S. Then one day in November, Grant realized her mistake — Janda wasn't who he said he was. 'He contacted me through LinkedIn and said, 'I can't come to Calgary any more, they've locked me up again.' He was coming to the airport and I was going to pick him up. 'I then realized it was a scam.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I then realized it was a scam." Grant lost $800,000 CAD — her life's savings. 'I have nothing left, except what's in my (Registered Retirement Income Fund). I'm devastated by it… absolutely devastated.' 4:24 Spotting romance scams Falling into a deep depression, Grant was checked into a mental health unit on multiple occasions in Calgary. She contemplated ending her own life. Story continues below advertisement Then she took action, hiring a B.C.-based private investigator to look into her case. Six months later, Denis Gagnon had compiled a 400-page report. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'It's basically a daily event,' Gagnon said, explaining his work. Gangon was able to trace the transfers Grant sent. He says those recipients are commonly referred to as 'mules.' 'The money that's being transferred goes through a mule and goes to a different account. That person takes a percentage and then sends it overseas.' But who was ultimately behind it all is still a mystery. The lengthy report was then forwarded on to the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Interests, which earlier this week ruled in favour of Grant's bank, TD. 'I want TD Canada Trust to know about what happened to me… it has ruined my life,' Grant said. 'The bank is not responsible, not accountable… they have a fiduciary responsibility to me to give me some of my money back.' 2:36 Matchmaker warns of new, advanced romance scams In 2024, TD faced fines on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border — first in May, when Fintrac fined the bank $9.2 million for a range of failures including not submitting suspicious transaction reports when there was reasonable grounds to require it to do so, not assessing and documenting money laundering/terrorist activity financing risks and for the bank not taking prescribed special measures for high risk. Story continues below advertisement CIBC and RBC were also fined similar amounts. But that number was then dwarfed months later in the United States, when TD became the largest bank in U.S. history to plead guilty to violating a federal law aimed at preventing money laundering, and agreed to pay over $3 billion in penalties to resolve the charges. In that case, TD said its program was 'insufficient to effectively monitor, detect, report, and respond to suspicious activity' and work is underway to remedy the deficiencies. 3:52 TD Bank fined $3B U.S. in money-laundering case Global News asked TD officials for a statement on improvements to that program and further protections for its clients, but did not hear back by deadline. Grant says she's looking into a debt consolidation loan in order to wipe her hands clean from a years-long ordeal that has altered her world. Story continues below advertisement But she also wants her story to serve as a warning to others — if it can happen to this savvy, successful 75-year-old, it can happen to anyone. 'When someone comes forward and is willing to talk about what happened, we really should be commending them,' explained Wes Lafortune of the Better Business Bureau of Alberta. Lafortune estimates only five per cent of these type of crimes are ultimately reported and awareness can make a huge difference. 'It's really important to report these crimes to police, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Better Business Bureau… so these organizations can determine what sort of resources can be put into this.' Gagnon says it will take much more than status quo to turn the tide on this situation. Story continues below advertisement 'I think Canada has become a bit of a target for fraudsters. In the United States, I believe the penalties are much more severe. Canada is (still working through that),' Gagnon explained. 'Most people don't break into a house now through the door. They come in through your phone — or the screen you're looking at.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Most people don't break into a house now through the door. They come in through your phone — or the screen you're looking at." Grant was ready to spend her golden years travelling, downsizing her home and spending time with her children. Now at 75, she says she'll likely return to work as a consultant in the fall. She also sells her own paintings and dances. She's quite the catch — but you won't find her on any dating sites. 'No. No. I have some good friends, that's it, that's all,' she said.
