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Good Neighbour 2019 – Matina Spiropoulos

We say it over and over. We love Lynn Valley. Sure, the trees are great and the trails fantastic but what makes Lynn Valley our home is the community of people. We are so proud to shine the light on the good work that happens throughout the year. This year we are excited to announce Matina Spiropoulos as our Lynn Valley Life Good Neighbour!

Spreading the love

Matina has her hands involved in so many aspects of our community – not just Lynn Valley but also across the North Shore. She is a connector. A community needs people with vision of its entire being; someone who knows what is needed and has the willingness to organize those with resources to help. Take this year’s partnership between the Mollie Nye House and Argyle Secondary. Matina connected the sewing class to help with much needed updates. 

She is a year after year supporter of the Mollie Nye House and has joined the board of the Lynn Valley Services Society. She is the chair of the marketing committee as well as the vice-president. She loves the cross-generational support it provides to Lynn Valley.

“Matina is passionate about our community and goes beyond the call of duty,” said Maria Roney, operations manager for the LVSS. “Whether she is fighting for change to protect our natural resources, volunteering at the many community events or developing and executing a social media plan for Mollie Nye House, she does so energetically and with passion and commitment. She is a true asset to Lynn Valley and the North Shore.” 

Matina’s work extends to those younger as well. She has been an important part of the Argyle Parent Advisory Committee. Helping with a variety of fundraisers and representing Argyle’s PAC at the district level. 

She is also passionate supporter of music – for years spearheading the open mic Sunday Jam at the Lynn Valley Legion (supporting also as a member). This is a resource to musicians across the North Shore. 

Beyond Lynn Valley

Reaching beyond our little neighbourhood, Matina volunteers with the District of North Vancouver on the Community Services Advisory Committee. This is a volunteer driven committee that reviews grants submitted to the DNV. She discusses, with the committee, social and cultural concerns that affect the quality of life in the municipality. Last month also marked a milestone for countless hours of lobbying Matina invested in bettering our parks and environment. She was a key voice in the fight to have all types of smoking/vaping banned in ALL district parks and greenspaces.  

Also this year, Matina has become an ambassador for Foundry BC, She helps increase awareness of Foundry and its services to support mental illness (ages 12-24). She liaises between community and Foundry at booth events throughout the year to help reduce stigma and increase community engagement.

“Matina has a passion for our community and supporting the work that many of us do,” said Nicole Kennedy, prevention educator for Foundry BC- North Shore. “She is dedicated to ‘getting the word out,’ informing community  members (at events) of how to access services, and always has a bright smile on her face. We are truly lucky to have her as a volunteer with Foundry North Shore.

We are so lucky to have Matina investing in Lynn Valley and beyond – thank you for the hours and hours contribute to so many parts of our community and beyond. Congratulations on being our 2019 Good Neighbour. 

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.

December 2, 2019 in Blog, Current News, Neighbourhood News, Notable Neighbours Comments (0)

(from the archives) The End of the Line: From family dream to neighbourhood gem

It began as a mom’s big idea. Connie Fay saw a chance to create a business that would matter – and with her son Jamie graduating high school she had the perfect business partner to do it with. In 2005 they bought the rundown corner store at Lynn Valley Road and Dempsey and dug in to begin The End of the Line General Store.

A place for neighbours

Jamie Fay

“It’s better than we ever envisioned,” says owner Jamie Fay. “I never expected to have an impact on the community. People say we are like an extension of their living room. We see families grow up. I’ve seen kids who were knee high and now they are teenagers – and I know their grandparents.”

The idea of creating a neighbourhood meeting place has been shown in research to foster connection and create a stronger sense of identity. It’s an idea that rings true for the Fays – respecting and supporting Lynn Valley and the North Shore is essential to The End of the Line’s success.

“It is everything we do,” said Fay. “We have JJ Bean Coffee. We have artist Vicki English – she lives a block away. Local suppliers reinvest in our community. It draws locals in because we get specialty products first and tourists can get something that will remind them of here.”

Investing in local goes beyond suppliers. You may recognize neighbours behind the counter and see the general store supporting Lynn Valley fundraisers. 

The End of the Line is opening its doors for two evenings in December to say thank you to all the neighbours that frequent their store all year long. [UPDATED FOR 2019] Nov. 28 and Dec. 3 from 6-9 p.m. join local vendors and many others for a customer appreciation night.

Making a dream reality

The transition from corner store to a thriving neighbourhood amenity wasn’t always smooth. Learning as the mother-son team went meant squeezing in part-time school while running a small business which led to challenges. 

“We knew we had to be committed and we would learn from our mistakes,” said Fay. “I didn’t know about running a cafe or a coffee shop. I didn’t know about managing people.”  For him it also meant learning to say “Yes.”

“A small business has to jump on opportunities. There is no time to wait. While I was attending BCIT I was approached to do some promotion for the business school,” he said. 

That shrewd move came as the business itself was coming into its own. They continued to embrace the “general” in their name by consciously offering something for all ages and to make the cafe feel comfortable and inclusive for all, said Fay. 

“Three to four years ago was a definite turning point,” said Fay. “It has taken a lot failure to perfect this craft.”

Fay attributes the ideal location as being essential. For more than a hundred years a store has been operating at the same location – first serving the loggers that gave birth to Lynn Valley. When the Fays took over the location they honoured the past, drawing the store’s name from its location near the historic last trolley stop from a line linking the headwaters to Lonsdale Quay. Today, without the parks nearby they wouldn’t have the visitor traffic.

“When a tour bus pulls up and they all want to use our bathroom that can be hard,” he said. “But I think most people see we are small and grab a coffee or we know they will remember us for their next hike and stop by for a snack. If we weren’t at this corner we wouldn’t be as successful. We know it’s the location.” 

With year over year sales increasing, the Fays have more plans for the future. They want to continue growing and evolving into what the neighbourhood needs. For 2018:

“I want to continue to make it better,” said Fay. “And maybe go on a vacation.”

For details on the Nov. 28 and Dec. 3, 2019 Customer Appreciation and Holiday Shopping Nights visit The End of the Line 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.

November 24, 2019 in Blog, Notable Neighbours Comments (0)

A local solution for mountain safety

A Lynn Valley dad has launched a new business to keep adventurers safer in the mountains – across Canada.   

National issue, local solution

The recently launched All Adventure aims to make essential safety equipment for backcountry adventures just a click away. 

Ryan Reilly

“Living in Lynn Valley, when you  hear the helicopter go overhead at first light you think ‘Wow, someone has had a bad night out there’ and you hope they are okay,” said All Adventure founder Ryan Reilly. “And the reality is: it doesn’t take long to get out of cell coverage. You head north out of Lynn Headwaters and within a few minutes you have no cell coverage. That can be nice – to be disconnected and in nature but if something does go wrong it can get really tricky. 

“My goal is to prevent a bad situation from getting worse.”

All Adventure is a personal locator beacon (PLB) rental company. While frequent users of the backcountry should have their own device, there are plenty of people who may need it one once a year or once every couple of years, who can’t or won’t make the investment, which is where All Adventure comes in. At $50 for three days and $80 for a week – all in – it’s a no brainer. 

“The ability to call for help is really powerful,” said Reilly. “What we see on the North Shore, is when people are in trouble, they get themselves deeper into trouble trying to get cell coverage – trying to climb a nearby peak to get a few bars. Without a tool it is really hard to do. 

“Most times everything goes well and you come home but there are times that things go wrong and it is really nice to have a safety device with you. Our rentals are for people, like a trail runner and who does the Lynn Loop and runs with friends, but once or twice a year they do something a little bit crazier, like going off to do Haynes Valley. You can do the whole trail and not see anyone until you reach Grouse.”

As passionate outdoor athlete and a dad himself, Reilly feels the goal of any adventure is to get home safe. As All Adventure was in its early stages, one news story from 2019 hit a little too close to home and reassured Reilly he had a good idea. 

“The one that stands out is the incident on Burke Mountain, a visitor from Georgia, was hiking to go fishing with his children and they ran into trouble. The dad made the decision to leave his very young children overnight and tried to hike higher to get cell coverage. It did end well and everyone was safe,” he said. “Those children were the same age as my kids and I think of that choice to make as a father in an incredibly tense situation and all it would have taken was sending one message.”

The All Adventure system

More than just a typical emergency beacon the Garmin In Reach Mini’s that All Adventure rents offers two-way communication. The feature makes meeting up with groups and point-to-point pick ups for trips like the West Coast trail easy. 

“We want to make it a simple process,” said Reilly. “It’s for anyone who is going beyond their norm. It’s people who are off to do something exciting and are looking for a challenge and need to take this extra step to be safe.” 

With All Adventure handling the shipping and accounts it is as easy as getting a package in the mail. When users are finished they mail the system back in a pre-paid envelope at any Canada Post box. They also have users review the ten essentials and offer links to other resources like AdventureSmart. 

“The North Shore is relatively unique in the world and it’s a little deceptive that you can take a city bus to a trailhead and have wilderness that stretches thousands of kilometres. It’s incredible,” he said, adding he wants to make it just as easy to do it safely. 

If you were lucky enough to score a ticket to the Banff Centre Mountain Film Fest showing Nov. 29 at Centennial Theatre – All Adventure will be there to answer any questions. 

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.

November 21, 2019 in Blog, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Notable Neighbours Comments (0)

Building youth business

Students at Lynn Valley Elementary have been exploring entrepreneurship and building businesses with an eye out to supporting BC Children’s Hospital.   

Young Entrepreneur Fair

After months of research, planning and creating Grade 7 students at Lynn Valley Elementary will be holding a Young Entrepreneur Fair Monday, Nov. 18 from 6-8 p.m. at the school.

Students have been developing business plans, creating marketing plans, analysing costs, and manufacturing products. With that foundation laid they are selling their wares Monday. Next will come calculating profits and giving back. Students are dividing their profits between their Grad Fund and Bc Children’s Hospital.

The the diverse products students have created range from reusable snack bags to fashion accessories. From gum ball machines to magnets and so much more. This a great chance to find some stocking stuffers and Christmas presents while supporting local kids.

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.

November 15, 2019 in Blog, Community Events, School News Comments (0)

Think Red for the Holidays

With the busyness and frantic obligations of Christmas and the holidays, we are featuring some of Lynn Valley’s best options for holiday solutions. From finding that perfect something for that hard to buy relative to finding something small and sweet for someone small and sweet: we want you thinking red for the holidays.

Childhood delights at Red Door

Tucked away on the campus of the Vancouver Waldorf School, 2725 St. Christophers Road, is a Red Door. Inside you will find a non-profit, parent-run shop dedicated to the wonders of childhood.

“We take great consideration in choosing the toys and art supplies that we offer in our school store,” said Ella Pedersen, manager of the store and Waldorf School parent. “Many of the companies we order from hold values similar to ours in their care for quality, tradition, sustainability and inspiration to engage the senses of children in their development.”

The little shop is elegantly packed with items just calling for a child’s touch. The wooden figures have soft rounded corners and simple paint jobs. The felted dolls have delicate features but simplistic beauty. There are the occasional quality handmade item contributed by Waldorf family, hard to find children’s books, rocks and crystals, even parenting books and sought-after wet weather gear by Abeko.

“We carry quality items – like gorgeous dolls and wooden figures from Germany,” said Pedersen. “We carry good quality craft supplies so it lasts and it’s a pleasure to use.”

Most of the items and supplies in store are hard to find in Vancouver and have artists and art teachers making the pilgrimage to Lynn Valley to pick up molding wax and drawing materials from Stockmar and Lyra.

Whimsy and wonder

Delightful, hard to find books will immerse children in nature and the wonder of the season.

Quality wool felts and felting supplies are a treat for the eye and hands. They are wonderful to work with. Abeko products are sought after in Lynn Valley – they’re essential for outdoor kids.

The details in the tiny dolls & wooden figures are beautiful & thoughtfully created. The designs encourage hands on play.

The carefully curated art supplies are both ethically and environmentally responsible. They are long wearing and natural – perfect for small children.

November 6, 2019 in Artistic Endeavours, Blog, Current News, Merchant Mentions Comments (0)

Growing a social conscience

Argyle students harvested a bumper crop of Remembrance Day poppies from the most unlikely place – their metal work shop. Selling out in under two hours they have raised more than $100 for the Lynn Valley Legion.

When an idea blooms

“It started last year, when a student Ava Johnson – a gifted artist – said, about Nov. 10, she was going to use some scrap to make a poppy,” said Ryan Edgar, a metalwork teacher at Argyle Secondary School. “It was phenomenal and I decided this would be one of the first projects students work on this year.”

As a simple project involving copper and enamel, Edgar had students trace, cut, clean and apply several coats of enamel in red and black. The process takes time and involves repeatedly heating the copper until the enamel powder melts.  

“We made over 100 and sold them for a minimum donation of $1 for the legion,” he said. “We started at one lunch hour and by the next morning when teachers who didn’t have a donation the day before came to me – we were sold out.”

Forever poppies

The class project saw a clear shift in the students. Like any project, as the classes went on they began to lose a bit of interest, he said.

“That was the cool thing – once they realized they were giving back to the community – that there would be a significant financial gift – from their hard work, they were back at it,” said Edgar. “Students are way more socially conscious than when I was their age and even more than they were when I started teaching 16 years ago. They really want to help others.”

Edgar and students are well aware they are creating “forever poppies” and took the time to speak to purchasers to encourage them in future years to donate to the Legion. 

“We still want people to put a little something in the jar, even if they aren’t getting a poppy.”

With the success of this year’s poppies Edgar hopes to make even more next year. Keep your eyes peeled on the streets of Lynn Valley for these small works of art, and know its our local teens taking the time to remember. 

Help the Legion this week

This is a busy time for the legion membership, whose core volunteers are diligently donating hours upon hours.

The Lynn Valley community can help at the legion in many ways this time of year. The main fundraiser and awareness campaign is Poppy Tagging – that is handing out poppies to members of the community and collecting donations.

Lynn Valley community members are asked to volunteer by visiting the legion – 1630 Lynn Valley Road – any day until November 11, beginning at 12 noon. Poppy taggers will be given a tray, a short briefing and assigned a location in Lynn Valley. The work is flexible for whatever time the volunteer has. Locals are also encouraged to pick up a poppy tray to take to their workplace. Call the branch (604) 987-2050 to learn more or volunteer. 

Veterans Plaza Service

Royal Canadian Legion 114 – LV Legion

Date: November 11, 2019
Where: Veterans Plaza
Time: 10:30am
Address: 3205 Institute Road, North Vancouver
Website: www.legionbcyukon.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RCLBranch114LynnValley

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.

November 5, 2019 in Artistic Endeavours, Blog, Getting Involved, Notable Neighbours, School News Comments (0)

Who is your good neighbour this year?

It’s one of our favorite times of year here at Lynn Valley Life: The Good Neighbor Award season.  Year after year this is a highlight for all of us.

Our quiet contributors

Day-to-day we try to gather interesting and Innovative stories about Lynn Valley but one thing that is often missed are the quiet stories. The good that goes on in our neighborhood everyday – often unnoticed beyond the person or organization helped.  We have people step up in times of need, we have those that day in and day out give of their time, money and energy. We have those that invest in our schools, our community groups, our churches. We have those that are staples on our streets who step up and help neighbours and friends whenever it’s needed. From helping refugees to outstanding coaches to people who are practically community institutions.

Pillars of the community

Lizz Lindsay at Sharing Abundance.

The Good Neighbour Award has been going strong since 2012. We receive heartfelt nominations – some short, some long. Check out some previous winners and read their stories – whe have an exceptional community! Last year we had Linda Munro, a local who puts her hands in so many local groups. In the past we have had Tim Green, a tireless supporter of the Lynn Valley Services Society and Molly Nye House. Dave and Wilna Parry passionate advocates for refugees and immigrants. In 2015 we were proud to recognize Cath Bates Dimmock a volunteer with Argyle Secondary for more than 10 years! We have shared the astounding work of Lizz Lindsay and her charity Sharing Abundance that brings people together through food and programs address food insecurity and social isolation. We love hearing about who makes a difference in your life and our community.

How to nominate your good neighbour

Who might our Good Neighbour be for 2019? Please send us a note telling us why you think your nominee makes Lynn Valley a better place to be. It doesn’t have to be long and fancy – just from the heart! Please send your suggestions to [email protected] before November 21, 2019. Lynn Valley’s Good Neighbour for will receive a plaque, a restaurant gift certificate, and some well-deserved recognition!

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.

October 11, 2019 in Blog, Contests, Neighbourhood News, Notable Neighbours Comments (0)

A chat with the mayor – and you can too!

Once a month you can head down to the Lynn Valley Library and have a face-to-face chat with the mayor. The open invitation is a longstanding and unique North Vancouver tradition.

Meet your mayor

Following in the tradition of past elected officials North Vancouver District Mayor Mike Little visits the Lynn Valley branch about once a month for residents to ask questions, share concerns and create an opportunity for open dialogue. 

“I enjoy it,” said Little. “Sometimes people bring a case they want to bring to my attention. Sometimes they raise macro issues like climate. I get everything from dead cedars that need attention to concerns about international agreements.”

The experience is quite different at each of the libraries he visits, said the mayor. At Lynn Valley participants are often initially quite quiet and reserved about talking at all in a library but warm up. Other Meet Your Mayor locations are more separated and have lively discussions. But sometimes no one comes at all.

“I have been skunked – no showed up,” laughed Little. “Whatever someone comes to talk about is a concern to them. It’s something affecting their life and they are asking for help or more information. It keeps me on my toes and gives me insight into the changing concerns of the different neighbourhoods.”

With the current crop of councillors this is more important than ever. Previous councils had a natural geographic mix of representatives but the current group councillors and the mayor reside in the eastern side of the district, he said. Making the Meet Your Mayor sessions an important part of understanding what is happening in the district. 

It doesn’t appear any other mayor in the Metro Vancouver area holds such regular and open engagement with the public. The City of Vancouver Mayor held one afternoon last spring with pre-booking required. If anything, this is a practice that will expand, said Little

“They are a valuable experience,” said Little. “I can better respond and these meetings have changed how I approach issues. We will hopefully expand to a new library space opening at the bottom of Capilano Road and I hope to use that to engage with that corner of the district. I have also gotten some feedback about adding some weekend times.”

You can meet the Mayor the first or second Tuesday of the month. The dates and times can be found here.

Mayor Little’s thoughts on . . .

Traffic and parking

I think one thing we have not managed well . . . we have to be forward thinking about how to get people out of their cars but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to manage the cars that are there now. There are some neighbourhoods that are really under pressure now. The Sunnyhurst/Ross area. That was a place where we went from 1.6 car spaces per unit to 1.2 and now you really see it. On 27th it is about design. The Evergreen development all has outdoor entrances so people don’t want to use the parkade. The street is full but if you walk around to the underground garage there is lots of space. 

Lynn Canyon

It’s a trending issue region wide – what is happening is people are moving into smaller and smaller spaces. Where [people] might have gone into [their] backyard, instead [they] now engage in destination recreation on a Saturday and Sunday. Destination recreation is getting out of the house because there is no space there. We are on the edge of this. More and more people are coming to anything that is free: Deep Cove, Panorama Park, Lynn Canyon. The North Shore is now playing backyard to the entire region. 

We have had major traffic problems to and from the North Shore during the work week and what we are seeing now it’s the same on the weekends. We are going to have to engage in the regulatory side with parking . . . we are going to have to do some more traffic demand management techniques where we are paying for parking or we are paying for access. I think we have to look at it so we are responsible with our neighbours and our residents are protected from the popularity. We have talked about issuing a free annual pass with your taxes so residents can access for free. For far to long it has been too easy for tour groups to use our public parks.

Changing character of Lynn Valley

We were under some pressure to put a cap on height and the council of the time was supportive of that. But there were arguments raised that said “If you ever want to do something like the Kiwanis building again – purpose built rental, supportive senior housing – don’t lock down height because you won’t be able to do it.” So the justification on height was the rare unicorn of an amenity and then all the developments come in pushing for height. I think we should have locked down height earlier in the OCP and LAP then we would have been in a better position. Then maybe we could have budged for affordable social housing but not high-end luxury housing that is going for $1000 a square foot. 

More playgrounds and updated community centres

There is a pot of money that is set aside for a youth centre that will be tied into the Kirkstone space on the Karen Magnussen side of things. We see Karen Magnussen as an aging facility that needs to be redeveloped [Ron Andrews top the priority list, as an older facility]. 

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.

October 4, 2019 in Blog, Current News, Notable Neighbours Comments (0)