Blooming on Sunnyhurst

After an inspiring conversation with a friend, Lynn Valley’s Alexia Stack has decided to harness her blooming passion for gardening to support a local charity and brighten her neighbours’ days.


Growing some good


If you have walked through the lane behind Sunnyhurst Road you know it’s bustling with activity, from a Little Library to a physically distant, preschool Halloween street party. There is a lot of life happening on that small stretch of pavement. Resident Alexia Stack is going to do her part to make it a little more beautiful. Following her growing success as a gardener, she will be offering flower bouquets and seeds from her new farmstand – all to support the North Shore Crisis Services Society

“I wanted to do it last year but I didn’t have a purpose beyond brightening up the days,” said Stack, a mom and behaviour analyst supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. “Over the holidays I was thinking of a plan to donate the proceeds. I have a friend who has been supporting seniors in care homes through the pandemic and she inspired me and helped me think of it from a different perspective of what I could do and where the money could go. When I got the plan in place, I got really motivated to get started.”

She has been busy packing seeds to be the first offers at the new stand. She hopes to kick off sales – by donation – Family Day weekend. The stand will be located in the lane behind 3185 Sunnyhurst. 

“I will start with seeds available – I have sunflowers, poppies, cosmos, pincushions, and I will be harvesting once or twice a week in the summer and putting together bouquets in the alley. 

The box will be locked and a clear sign of where the donations are going – but you don’t have to donate but all the money is going to go to charity,” said Stack. “I think a lot of issues go unspoken about on the North Shore, we live in a really privileged place and things like domestic abuse are pushed under the rug and swept away. We don’t necessarily see it in the community. I think it’s an issue that is present and we can support locally here in the neighbourhood.”

Stack will post updates in local Facebook gardening groups sharing the stand’s offerings throughout the growing season. 


Just get your hands dirty


The thriving garden takes place in a small footprint – six beds surrounding her townhome. Stack said her success is rooted in trial and error and lots of learning with her former neighbour Tracy Romano.

“I wasn’t a gardener when I was younger – I had two black thumbs for sure.”

Eleven years into her self-education Stack loves getting her hands dirty.

“I love to get my hands in the soil,” she said. “I think it surprised me how good I felt working with soil. I have this tiny garden – just six garden beds but I feel so much more connected and grounded when I can get out and work with the earth.”

A feeling she thinks others could benefit from. 

“Growing a garden in whatever space you have keeps you moving in the direction of tomorrow: a fresh start, a new hope for something better, a belief life is ever-changing,” said Stack. “This belief is helping me make my way through this never-ending pandemic.”

For her – and most gardeners – the first step is planning. Pouring over seed catalogues and schedules. 

“I have already planted sweetpeas inside my office since the beginning of January,” said Stack. “This year over the holidays I used photos that I cut out into small squares and I have put together almost like a quilt that I have pasted into my garden book so I have a clear visual of where things are going to go and I have the dates assigned so I know when to plant. I am pretty keen with the schedules so usually go with the first suggested date of planting.”

She recommends poppies, sweetpeas, cosmos, and dahlias for the budding flower gardner. This year’s focus for Stack will be to encourage density and to extend the blooms throughout the season. 

“I also look at annuals that benefit from being cut, there are a whole bunch of flowers like sweetpeas that live to be cut and produce more and some like pincushions that just thrive,” she said.  

For more inspiration and to get updates of Stack’s farmstand join the two North Shore garden groups on Facebook. 


Looking for more?


There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

Planting native plants is more than good ecology

A local conservation group offers local gardeners access to native plants, education, and a chance to actively engage in a form of reconciliation. Checking out the Wild Bird Trust’s Maplewood Flats native plant nursery is an opportunity to decolonize our landscape, support biodiversity, and reflect on the original stewards of the North Shore.  


Learning about roots


When Irwin Oostindie was a toddler he tagged along with his father, DNV’s parks manager at the time, Dirk Oostindie (a former Lynn Valley local with his own fascinating story),  to Lynn Valley Garden Club meetings. Underfoot and under his father’s care he learned the power of cultivating the earth. 

“I grew up in a Lynn Valley family that was about green spaces and gardening, so when I took on the responsibility of president of Maplewood Flats in 2016 I went about figuring out how we could up this nursery business,” said Oostindie. “We wanted to support people’s planting desires with native plants.”

The Wild Bird Trust was created in 1993 to oversee the Maplewood Flats lands. Today it remains the only nature reserve in Vancouver’s Harbour. In 2016, the board recognized some errors in management of the area. Despite being almost linked directly to Tsleil-Waututh First Nations’ land, their knowledge was never sought. 

“That was a mistake,” said Oostindie. “For the last five years, we have been repairing the relationship. The plants, the birds, and their culture are all connected. This is not a token gesture. We want to acknowledge there are other world views and approaches. The colonial world view of Lynn Valley – of North Vancouver – is broken because it required the daily alienation of the Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish people. We want to decolonize this view – very publicly. You can be a part of it – with your family.” 

The shift in perspective will both be better for the community and our environment, he says.

“It’s a responsibility of settlers to think about history. We think of [Lynn Valley] as being a hundred or a 130 years old but that is such an erasure that these lands have been stewarded by the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh for millennia,” he said. “So when we use native plant materials we are repairing damage that our community has been unwittingly participating in.”

Oostindie is proud of the role the Wild Bird Trust is playing in repairing past community harms. 

“It is an opportunity to think about reconciliation in our own homes, in our own yards, or our own balconies. Think about plants and conservation as an entry point to think about First Nations issues. It’s a physical manifestation – it is something you can actually do to recognize the colonial roots of North Vancouver.

“Every time you plant a plant you can plant annuals or you can plant a plant that supports the original biodiversity of the area. It’s a step toward land repair and bio-diversity repair. It’s not something we need someone else to do, it is something we can do in our own lives.”


The Coast Salish nursery


Nestled east of the Iron Worker’s Memorial Bridge the Maplewood Flats Conservation Area is home to five kilometres of wheelchair-accessible walking trails. More than 250 bird species and 40 animal species have been observed within the area. The Wild Bird Trust operates a nature house and its nursery on the site. 

The Coast Salish Plant Nursery carries a variety of plants native to the North Shore. All purchases help support habitat restoration and educational programming on Coast Salish culture and ecology. October to March the nursery is open by appointment with the spring and summer offering regular sales on Saturdays. It’s a consumer choice that is about more than just buying a plant, said Oostindie. 

“We all love the tall trees, but biodiversity is also the shrubs, the insects,” he said. “There is traditional knowledge in huckleberries growing under cedar trees, and if we think about decolonizing our gardening techniques we open to the millennia of knowledge of the Coast Salish people who were masterful stewards of this environment.  

“Think about Lynn Valley being here for thousands of years, not 150 years. Through our plant sales and education programs we help people connect to place.” 

The Wild Bird Trust continues to offer education programming throughout the pandemic – online. Details can be found on Facebook or Eventbrite

“We are pretty bold with our online programming talking about decolonization, conservation,” said Oostindie. “We do programs twice a week – Thursday nights and Saturday mornings. There is always something for people to turn on that is high-quality outdoor education, and that is about 50 percent is with and by Coast Salish people.” 

Another pandemic pivot the Trust is proud of is being able to open its nature house to the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation outdoor school.

“One of my goals is that Tsleil-Waututh children know this is their land and that being on it is just normal to them. Ironically a silver lining of covid, has brought them here,” said Oostindie. “We hope they have a connection to this place that their parents were alienated from.” 

In May the Wild Bird Trust is hosting a Chief Dan George exhibit the public will be able to visit with covid-safe booking protocols. More information will be available soon. Keep an eye on their webpage and social accounts for details. To learn more about the plant nursery or for details on how to book a buying appointment visit this page


Looking for more?


There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

Trails from the ground up

It was a busy summer on the Shore. The local trails have been inundated with users of all kinds, even with parking lots closed walkers, hikers and bikers from all over the region made their way to our trails. It means a lot of work for hundreds of volunteers that build and maintain terrain.


Community builder


The North Shore Mountain Bike Association’s Joe Woywitka knows firsthand how busy the trails are. He spends five days a week working on taking care of the region’s trails as its trail crew lead. The covid restrictions initially changed the make of users on the trails, but as the months went on, the numbers continued to rise, he said. 

Joe Woywitka

“I am out working on the trails and the influx of new riders, trail runners and hikers has been huge,” said Woywitka. “We are seeing a lot more beginners out there – which is a good thing. I think they are seeing what goes into the trails. It’s great. It means more people for the sport, more people to support the association and get involved in advocacy for the trails.”

The NSMBA is thrilled to see more riders out – it aligns with their mandate of “Trails for all. Trails forever.” Their goal is to grow the sport to more people and with more diversity. A cause the covid pandemic has helped in its own way. 

With many riders and families spending their season out on the trails for the first time, they are seeing for the first time what it takes to keep the trails on Seymour, Cypress and Fromme safe, said Woywitka.  

“Growing up here there wasn’t the same amount of trail maintenance going on – which means fewer beginner trails or trails that made it easy to get into the sport,” he said. “What the NSMBA has been doing over the last 10 years or so is to make the trails more inclusive and help people get into the sport and also maintaining the more challenging terrain the North Shore is known for.” 


Trail work


It takes a whole community to keep the trails environmentally sustainable, safe and fun. More than 1,600 volunteers shared their time with the NSMBA last year for more than 13,000 volunteer hours. 

The NSMBA uses a dedicated group of 500 volunteers – the Shore Corps – that have all undergone training to lead its community trail days and corporate trail days. Giving a few hours to the trails is something Woywitka would like all riders to consider. With no experience necessary, the Shore Corp takes the lead on guiding volunteers. 

“They are the core group of builders we can lean on to help maintain the trails. Some have ‘their own’ trails that they are the lead builder on and are dedicated to maintain,” he said. 

Today the Corps is needed more than ever as covid protocols require smaller groups further apart. With the trail work days resumed, it is a chance to give back to the sport you love.

“Volunteers are what drives our organization and lets us get the majority of work done. You will see how not only do we maintain the trails but how we make our trails fun,” he said. “The primary focus when we are out doing any sort of trail work is sustainability. When you participate in any form of outdoor recreation there are going to be environmental impacts and our goal is to offset what comes from mountain biking and the trail maintenance. ”


Trails forever


There are a few plans in the works to add more terrain to the North Shore. For the first time, the NSMBA is working with the City of North Vancouver to establish some trails in Greenwood Park, just south of the Upper Levels. 

“We have found a suitable place to build,” said Woywitka. “The terrain is a little bit easier and it isn’t super steep like many parts of the North Shore mountains. It would be a great place for beginner and intermediate trails.”

With the expansion and redesign of trails focusing on newer riders completed over the last few years, the NSMBA is also looking to better service the experienced riders that have been using the trails for decades. 

“Over the last several years we have really rounded out the beginner and intermediate trails and we are hoping to push for a new advanced level trail,” Woywitka said. “Somewhere higher up on Fromme would be the best place for it. It is something the community has been calling for and we want to make sure we are advocating for the higher level riders.”

Visit www.nsmba.ca and check out the calendar for Community Trail Days. There is a plan for family day this fall. You can also email [email protected] for more information.

How to help support local trails

  1. Support the NSMBA with a membership purchase.
  2. Attend a trail building day.
  3. Shut down braids – the unsanctioned trails between maintained trails.

Looking for more?


There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

Growing community celebration

This has been an epic gardening season. More people than ever took to the earth and tried their hand a growing their own food. When the rest of the world was closed, the line-ups at Maple Leaf Garden Centre was well down the block. We have fought cold and wet months, and now moths but Lynn Valley gardens have still never looked better.

And now – we celebrate! 


Virtual Fall Fair


We want to share the gardening glory and hard work being invested in yards and patios. More than anything we would love to gather and look at your summer projects – woodwork, quilts and art. While we would really love to taste your jams, jellys, pickles and pies, it doesn’t seem like the most covid-responsible idea.

Instead we are putting together a digital Fall Fair – we want to share your hard work with our readers and Facebook followers. We are running a contest from now until Sept. 30 for residents of the North Vancouver.

We have four $25 gift cards to Maple Leaf Garden up for grabs!

Send us your photos in one of these categories.

  1. Best flowers/ornamental garden
  2. Best Veggies – garden or harvest
  3. Best basket or container of any kind
  4. Best under 13 years old – I grew it myself!

Here is how you do it:

Pick ONE entry per category.

Put the category in the subject of the email.

Email the photo to [email protected] – please send a SEPARATE email for each entry. For adults there is a maximum of three entries, one per category and for children, a maximum of 4.

Include your name, postal code, phone number, age (if entering the child category) and any details you want to add about the photo.

Deadline Sept. 30, 2020.

By entering the contest you consent to receiving future editions of our newsletter, sent once a month. We will not distribute or sell your private information to others.


Looking for more?


There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

Camp options in a covid world

There has been a lot of innovation going on behind the scenes of local small businesses and organizations offering kids summer camps. Most options were tossed out the window with Covid-19 safety concerns but a few have pushed through and adapted. We have a list of Lynn Valley activities still available to keep your kids busy and active this summer. 


Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre


The Ecology Centre has three mini-camps scheduled for August. Join Ecology Centre naturalists for adventures, fun, and outdoor education. These mini-camps are for children ages 6 to 9 and run from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Each mini-camp costs $79.95. Phone 604-990-3755 to register. 

If you are looking for a quick morning activity at home, the centre  also has some pre-recorded videos to check out on their website.


Endless Biking


Endless is back with Covid-19 procedures in place to offer mountain biking camps to children 6-16 year old. With half-day camps for the younger and full-day for older kids, their coaches will help instill confidence and skills on the trails. Prices range from $200-485 depending on the length and number of the camp days. Details and registration can be found on their website


Elevate Ultimate Frisbee


Elevate is offering both disc golf and ultimate frisbee activities this summer. Their disc golf camps take place at Eastview Elementary and their ultimate frisbee camp and teams meet at Kirkstone. Both activities are naturally more socially distant than many sports and will keep your kids active and outdoors. Though many camps are full there is space still available in some. Full details can be found on their website


Escape Adventures


Lynn Valley’s own Escape Adventures is back. They have four offerings this summer: The Rippers, Survive the Shore, Extremer Ridders and Shore Shredders. From straight up trail riding to outdoor camps with nature skills and kayaking, the camps have been adapted and coaches trained on proper Covid-19 procedures.


North Van Rec


NVRC is offering full-day outdoor camps during July and August.  They have been designed and offered in accordance with provincial health requirements. The locations are across North Vancouver to take full advantage of our beautiful outdoors. Camps do not include trips to other locations and public transit will not be used. These camps will run rain or shine. Campers should be prepared for the weather as they will be outside all day. One camp will run in Princess Park and Lynn Valley Community Centre. Registration is open now for July and will be open for August camps on July 16. 


Kudzu Studio


If art is more your child’s thing, Lynn Valley’s Jeri Engen is back using her years of children’s art education to teach LIVE, online art classes. They are live streamed small classes offering the same individual attention she offers in studio. All projects are process-based with open-ended prompts that allow each student the ability to create their own unique artwork with one on one attention from an educator. Packages are thoughtfully created to use a limited number of supplies through multiple projects in order to minimize cost and offer the greatest value for families.


Looking for more?


There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

Dropping a line near End of the Line

With the rushing waters of the Capilano, the wharf at Cate’s Park and the tranquil quiet of Rice Lake, the North Shore is an angler’s dream. As a quiet, close to home summer sits on the horizon, fishing might be something new to get the family outside.


Getting started


“You can spend as much as $1000 or as little as $50,” said Reece Fowler, education director of the Seymour Salmonid Society. “You can probably spend a lot less than $50 if you head to Canadian Tire or Walmart. You just need a rod kit with a spinning reel.”

Family Fishing Weekend

Provincial fishing regulations allow children under the age of 16 to fish without a licence, but there are handful of rules to learn and becoming familiar with fishing closures (like the Seymour River) is part of fishing responsibly. Plus, there are additional licencing and regulations for saltwater and tidal fishing. 

But really it’s just a kid willing to try, a rod and some bait, says Fowler. While worms are a classic, he has other suggestions to get fish biting. 

“Power Bait is kind of like Play-Doh and comes in a little jar, smells like fish obviously,” he said. “You form a little ball on your hook, and cast it out. A sinker will sit on the lake bed but the bait floats up.”

It is a good option especially in the summer when the trout are deeper in the water.


Local waters


Lynn Valley’s Rice Lake is one of the go to locations for new anglers in the Lower Mainland. The man-made lake is an ideal location for stocked trout. With just a short walk in from the parking lot little legs will still have some energy to fish.

Family Fishing Weekend

“Originally Rice Lake was first made as a water reservoir and then used by the logging industry to help move logs down from Lynn Valley,” said Fowler. “It’s quite a nice environment for trout – there are no water activities, you can’t swim, you can’t go boating. The forest is nearby so there is a fair amount of food for the trout.”

Several times a year Rice Lake is stocked by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. – information worth checking out. Most recently it was stocked with 4,000 trout in the first week of April. 

“It is stocked three or four times a year,” said Fowler. “You have the best chance to catch a fish within a week or two of a release because there are a lot of people who fish there, it gets fished out.” 

Between the stocking and the location Rice Lake is a good bet for a first fishing experience.

“You can park at the top and it’s a five minute walk in. There is a dock there as well as a number of other spots along the lake that have been cleared and created.” 

Being a small lake, Fowler offered this tip.

“Rice Lake is not as great in the peak of summer because it is not a huge lake, and it can get warm. The fish can be reluctant to bite. When you are fishing Rice Lake the key is to not go in the middle of the day in the middle of summer.”


Family Fun


Reece Fowler

Fishing can be a great way to share something you love or to learn something new with your kids. Typically the Seymour Salmonid Society teams up with partners to mark Family Fishing Weekend every Father’s Day. This year’s plans have been cancelled due to the pandemic but the annual event hopes to be back in the future with its equipment to borrow and info booths to get people out fishing. 

In the meantime, a little parental enthusiasm and family time can be a great introduction to the sport. 

“I love fishing and I have been dragging my daughter out since she was about four and now she loves it,” said Fowler. 

They visit Rice lake together often, plus his work gives Fowler and his seven-year-old daughter some unique opportunities to fish. While the Seymour River is currently closed to sport fishing, having suffered significant habitat upset after the 2014 rock slide, efforts to rebuild the fish population require catching fish for breeding at the Seymour Hatchery. 

“She has caught salmon every year for the past couple of years,” said Fowler. “When you’re having to hold on to a six-year-old kid so they don’t get pulled in the river by a big salmon it creates a bit of buzz.”


Further afield


There are a number of other spots worth checking out in the Lower Mainland. Fowler recommends Murrin Provincial Park with its sandy beach and small stocked lake, Buntzen Lake and Burnaby Lake. (Review each location’s governing body for openings and closures due to Covid-19 before your trip.)

North Vancouver also has a number of rivers known for fishing but Fowler doesn’t recommend them for children or new anglers. 

“Flowing water depends on experience. How old are the kids? Have they been introduced to rivers in the past? Most of our rivers are canyonated with steep sides,” he said. “They can be tough to get into if you aren’t experienced.”

During salmon fishing openings the mouth of a Seymour is an option, said Fowler with more of an estuary-like environment. It will also require a salt water licence and knowledge of tidal fishing regulations, he said.  


Looking for more?


There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

Living on the edge

We live in a special place. Nestled between two mountains on the edge of one of the world’s best cities, it is a unique situation shared by few other places. Where else in the world can you live a 20 minute drive from downtown but also be a 20 minute bike ride from the backcountry. As summer comes full force we need to think about how to keep our special community, our homes and forest safe.


Wildfire home protection


Living on the edge of the forest there are some unique considerations to prepare your home to be in its best position to resist fire. The District of North Vancouver has an interactive website offering suggestions. 

  • Use fire resistant plants: Plant wildfire resistant plants within 10m of your house (avoid pine, cedar, spruce, and juniper)
  • Replace conifer hedges:  Replace flammable conifer hedges with low flammable species.
  • Prune conifer trees: Prune conifer trees to give a 3m separation from ground to crown, and to buildings.
  • Clear eaves: Clear your eaves regularly to ensure no build-up of debris.
  • Screen your roof vents: Put screens over vents to keep debris and embers out.
  • Replace cedar roofs: Replace cedar roofs with non-combustible ones (metal, ceramic, asphalt).
  • Use fire retardant coatings: Treat fences, decks, and garden sheds with a fire retardant coating.

Keeping the home fires burning – maybe


There are clear regulations of what is allowed for recreational burning on the District of North Vancouver website. While gas or propane fueled devices are generally allowed, most wood burning units are not. 

Permitted:

  • burner (natural gas or propane)
  • outdoor gas fire bowl
  • gas barbecue
  • charcoal barbecue
  • patio heater (natural gas or propane)

These open fires are not permitted (minimum $400 fine):

  • fire pit
  • chiminea
  • outdoor fireplace
  • fire bowl/yard campfire
  • Requiring permit: beach/park fire and outdoor pizza oven 

Learn more


For those planning more extensive construction this summer there are additional regulations that need to be considered. 

There are also additional resources from the the province and federal governments. 

From the archives

We spoke with the District of North Vancouver Fire Rescue about its wildfire preparations and how they were training additional District staff to support their work in the event of a fire. Check out that post here


Looking for more?


There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

Hitting local trails with kids

With Dr. Bonnie Henry’s call to stay close to home, to stay active and get outdoors, a new book is aiming to support local outdoor adventures with your kids. Local teen Harrison Crerar’s second book, was published by Rocky Mountain Books just last month.


Foster a love of the outdoors


Still a teen himself, author Harrison Crerar has brought a unique perspective to his new book Family Walks and Hikes on Greater Vancouver’s North Shore in hopes other kids will love the outdoors as much as he does. 

“I have been so lucky to grow up on the North Shore,” he said. “I have so many fond memories of fun adventures. There are so many parks and so much to explore.”

His family made the time outside a part of regular life. His North Shore childhood focused on adventure and discovery, which just so happened to take place on trails. 

“I have been hiking, really, since I could walk,” said Crerar, a biology student at McGill University. “One of my earliest memories is hiking up Goat Mountain when I was young.” 

Focusing on exploration had him looking for salmon along local creeks, finding a particular plant or trying to spy particular Howe Sound peaks across a view.


Give kids credit – and time


Harrison Crerar

“Kids can do a lot more than you think they can,” said Crerar. “They love nature a lot – give them something to explore, something that is fun and they will want to go on hikes.”

He encourages families to focus on the journey, slowing the pace and allowing kids to investigate in the ways they want to.  

“[For me] there was a lot of discovery involved,” he said, adding Crerar remembers his parents hiding Easter Eggs or helping the family find Geocaches. “If you give kids time and space, they will enjoy it.”


The new book


Similar to his first book, with co-authors Bill Maurer and David Crerar, Glorious Mountains of Vancouver’s North Shore, this book focuses on local mountains from Lion’s Bay to Deep Cove, along with some Howe Sound Islands. 

“This is a family hiking guide for the North Shore, including lots of hikes in Lynn Valley,” said Crerar. “When it comes to Introducing kids to hiking you have to start small like an easy walk around Rice Lake or the Varley Trail – something to get kids interested and then as you go on, introduce longer and more interesting hikes. And it never hurts to have a bit of chocolate for the end to motivate them to go a little bit further.”

When writing the book last year he re-explored many of the trails with his young siblings. 

“I have a different perspective than most authors,” he said. “I have three younger siblings and we did a lot of these hikes together as I researched the book. I recalled what I liked about these hikes but also what my seven-year-old brother liked about the hikes.”

This led Crerar to think about each route and how it would specifically appeal to families. 

“In each of the descriptions we have included what we think might be fun for kids that adults may overlook. Like a rock – to adults a big rock is just a big rock but to kids it can be fun to run around, to climb up or maybe it becomes a castle,” he said.

Ranging from first-timer easy to moderately challenging, the routes are accessible from reliable roads and popular staging areas. Each route includes: detailed directions to trailheads, colour maps and photographs, seasonal information, round-trip distances, trail commentary, and difficulty ratings, plus step-by-step directions. 

“One that is more on the adventurous side is Kennedy Falls,” said Crerar. “It’s becoming more popular but it is still a bit of a hidden gem. Many people are aware of the old logging camp which is half way along between the tree and the falls. It is a good way to explore some of Lynn Valley’s history. Of course, there is the falls itself to explore and a giant old growth tree that is a nice resting spot.”

WIth a bit more family time as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, now is a great time to get outside, he said. 

“Hiking is a great way to destress and enjoy some family bonding time without being trapped in the house 24/7,” said Crerar. “The important thing is to stay six feet from others but the North Shore has lots of wider trails where you can do that. Also do your research, Provincial Parks are closed [Ed. Openings will be limited as of May 14, not in the Lower Mainland]. Most of these trails aren’t in Provincial Parks and are still open.”

Family Walks and Hikes on Greater Vancouver’s North Shore is available at your favourite book shop or online retailer.  


Looking for more?


There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

Kindness rocks

There are bright spots popping up all over Lynn Valley – and we aren’t talking flowers. Never have there ever been so many painted rocks brightening gardens.


Sparking joy and taking care of Mother Earth


A rock on Beaver Trail in Lynn Canyon.

The painted rocks are bringing smiles to many people. There are local painted rock Facebook groups like this one and a Vancouver mom has written a book specifically on Covid-19 and painted rocks. The Kindness Rocks movement is sweeping Lynn Valley and the rest of the world as people look for creative outlets in isolation. 

The phenomena has been building for a number of years. In some places and parks the rocks are becoming an environmental risk. This was the very issue raised by one resident of Lynn Valley with so many new rocks dotting forest trails.


Best practices for making smiles


Lynn Valley garden rocks.

We reached out to the District of North Vancouver for some guidance on best practices to keep up with the positivity while also considering our local creeks and forests. Generally any time you are out enjoying the forest it is best to maintain a leave-no-trace mindset. The idea is to pack out everything you take in (garbage, dog poop, etc.). Some parks limit access to garbage cans to encourage people to take their garbage out of the part completely. Leave-no-trace also holds to leaving the environment as you found it – leaving rocks in place (not stacking, which can lead to erosion).

Painting rocks is a fun activity that encourages creativity and brightens everyone’s day,” said Courtenay Rennard, communications coordinator for the District of North Vancouver. “When possible, we encourage people to place painted rocks near their homes or local neighbourhoods.” 

The District offered these further tips to keep up fun and protect our parks and waterways: 

  • Use non-toxic paint
  •  Do not take rocks from in or around streams to avoid disturbing our local fish and other aquatic organisms
  •  Do not place painted rocks near streams, as the paint could wear off and end up in waterways
  • Keep rocks in your garden and neighbourhood

Pollinator power

Garden centres are buzzing with homeowners with free time, excellent weather and nowhere to go. Now is the time to think about what kind of garden you’d like and who you want visiting this summer. Creating pollinator habitats is a creative way the community can do something together while we are forced to stay a part. 


Butterfly Rangers


Fromme Road Butterfly Ranger garden.

The District of North Vancouver has been a powerful partner for the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway Project. It has been an ongoing Project in the district since 2018.

“Right now we have 15 new Butterfly Rangers,” said Winnie Hwo, David Suzuki Foundation’s senior public engagement specialist and local lead for the program. “The North Shore rangers are the best!”

With the addition of 15, there are now 38 throughout the District of North Vancouver, with homes on Wellington and Fromme participating as well as the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre. The program is active throughout the Lower Mainland focusing on DNV, Richmond and Vancouver. Their mission is to plant native wildflowers in yards, schoolyards, streets and parks to support local bees and butterflies. Their goal was to establish local “Butterflyways” by planting at least a dozen pollinator patches in each neighbourhood. 

“Environmentally we hear about some big problems, but there is this idea that citizens can make a huge difference if we get ourselves together,” said Hwo. “We think with focused tasks citizens can be part of the solution to support biodiversity.”

The Butterflyway Project focuses on wild bees and butterflies. Official rangers are supported with training, virtual meetings and a few plants. 

“Pollinators help make our food and we know they are in trouble. We have used too much land, we use too many pesticides. Their lives are getting more difficult,” said Hwo.  “Butterflies are the great ambassadors. If people plant for butterflies it benefits bees. A lot of the flowers that butterflies fly on are the same flowers bees fly on.”


Making your garden butterfly and bee friendly.


With applications closed for official rangers for the year (mark your calendars for January next year to apply), there are lots ways you can get involved to make your garden more pollinator friendly. It begins in the fall. 

“A messy yard – an organized mess – benefits pollinators,” said Hwo. “Pollinators lay eggs on leaves – especially if you are planting the pollinator plants. We don’t want to disrupt their life cycle and ecosystem. When leaves drop there are little lives growing on them.”

Leaving leaves on the ground until spring and gently gathering into piles can be an ideal way to support pollinators. 

“Leaf blowers are like a tsunami – nothing is left. Raking into piles will have little disruption and leaving it for organisms to grow will be hugely beneficial for butterflies and their lifecycle.”

For our climate the Butterflyways Project recommends 12 plants, in this handy PDF from the David Suzuki Foundation:

  • Common Camas – Camassia quamash

    Virginia strawberry

  • Goldenrod – Solidago multiradiata
  • Pearly Everlasting – Anaphalis margaritacea
  • Pacific Bleeding Heart – Dicentra formosa
  • Nodding Onion – Allium cernuum
  • Coastal Kinnikinnick – Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
  • Virginia Strawberry – Fragaria virginiana
  • Western Yarrow – Achillea millefolium
  • Douglas Aster – Aster subspicatus
  • Salal – Gaultheria shallon
  • Hardhack – Spiraea douglasii
  • Ocean Spray – Holodiscus discolor

Other tips from the DVF:

  • Host plants: Adults need a place to lay eggs where their caterpillars will forage. (Plant species that will get eaten and not just look pretty!)
  • Mud puddles: Some butterflies rarely visit flowers. They prefer mud, poop (a.k.a. “scat” or “dung”), sap and rotting fruit.
  • Blooms from spring through fall: Don’t limit your garden to an end-of-July colour extravaganza. You’ll need a diversity of native nectar plants to flower over a few months.
  • Overwintering habitat: Consider not raking leaves to provide a butterfly nursery! Most butterflies in Canada overwinter as caterpillars, others as pupae. A few species winter as adults, hibernating in hollow trees, under bark and firewood piles, or in garden shed cracks and crevices.  ew spend winter as eggs.
  • Sunshine: Make sure you (or your neighbours) have sunny spots.
  • Nectar plants: Most butterflies will feed from more than a few plant species

Learning more


The DNV is home to a special part of the Butterfly Project. Off of Dollarton there is a particular neighbourhood embracing the concept, culminating in the Butterfly Lane, led by Stephen Deedes-Vincke and Sally Hocking. Check it out on Google Maps or visit.

Join iNaturalist’s Butterflies in My Backyard observation collaboration – another project supported by Deedes-Vinvke. Download the app and help track Lynn Valley and North Vancouver’s biodiversity.  

The Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre is hosting online gardening workshops through April and May. Nothing specific to pollinators, but lots of great gardening topics. 


Looking for more?


There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.