Keeping the holidays bright

A major annual holiday party for progressives in Vancouver has been cancelled. In a notice sent out late Tuesday, the "Partners for Change" party hosts - including Strategic Communications Inc. and Tides Canada - announced "this is a year for smaller, more intimate celebrations in keeping with the times." But Vancouver's other major left-leaning holiday gathering, which attracts partygoers from all over the political spectrum, is going ahead on December 5. "The party that I and several other companies and individuals have sponsored over the years is on once again," said 24 hours columnist and West Star Communications owner Bill Tieleman. "And it will feature an extremely eclectic mix of people from politics, media and other sectors."