Local News – Front Porch Blog
Our Neighbourhood News: From the Front Porch of LynnValleyLife
Hi there neighbours, and a very warm welcome to our blog, From the Front Porch of LynnValleyLife.
Why do we call it ‘From the Front Porch’? Because that’s where the real news of a community is shared – on front porches and sidewalks, and in coffee shops and playgrounds. So sit down and stay awhile…. and check back regularly, so we can keep you in the Lynn Valley loop.
Visit here for musings on local life from our neighbourhood observer, Lynn O’Malley, and stories from our editor Robin Thorneycroft. Our realtors Jim Lanctot, Kelly Gardiner & Melanie Butchart bring news from the world of Lynn Valley real estate, and we have a range of guest voices from your local neighbours.
If you have any tidbits of interest, please send them along to our neighbourhood news-gatherer, Robin, at [email protected]. We can’t guarantee we’ll be able to post them all, but we’ll do our best to spread the word on this blog or on our Facebook site!
Have you got talent, Lynn Valley??
Well, of course Lynn Valley's got talent - lots of it! So we're thrilled that Lynn Valley Village is putting together a Lynn Valley's Got Talent event. And we're confident it will rival anything you've seen on TV to date, if only because you might just know the people on ...
Project Sunflower to honour best blooms
The stems are staggering, the leaves are lion-sized, and the blooms are bursting open. Congratulations to all you Project Sunflower growers who managed to nurse your seedlings through to flowering! We've seen the results as we've been cruising the neighbourhood streets, and some of the sunflower patches are a sight ...
Lynn Valley seniors upset by phone scam
You've probably heard about this scam before. But when it hit too close to home last week - twice - we thought a reminder was in order. Here's how it goes: The phone rings, and the homeowner - a senior - reaches over to pick it up. The caller states ...
At mid-summer mark, sunflowers overtake editor
It's official, my sunflowers are now taller than I am (which, I have to admit, isn't saying much). Still, I'm very proud of them, especially since much of the rest of my garden is suffering. My Shasta daisies are once again this year covered with aphids, despite ladybugs, blasts from ...
Library lends itself to summer R&R
There's a new vibe happening in Lynn Valley Library, and we have to say it's a good fit for these lazy summer afternoons. You'll notice that the lobby now sports a bank of magazine racks to suit a wide range of literary tastes. They are a good complement to the recently ...
Lynn Valley’s ‘small-town feel’ – what’s it worth to you?
Watching a Canada Day parade, one can't help but reflect on the many contrasting strands that weave together to make our sea-to-sea-to-sea country something to be proud of. It's right there on the pavement in front of you, marching behind the bagpipers. There's the military; there are musicians. There are ...
Resident reflects on highjack of highrise conversation
This was submitted to LynnValleyLife by Dan Ellis; it is a copy of his recent submission to North Vancouver District Council. *** I’m the Chair of the Official Community Plan Implementation Committee, who are 15 citizens appointed by Council to “watchdog” the process. But I’m speaking tonight as a Lynn ...
Donations to LV-based Spectrum Society will be matched
Back in December 2011, our readers gave a hearty thumbs-up to this post about the inspiring work of Lynn Valley resident Sally Livingstone. Sally is the founder of Spectrum Mothers Support Society, an organization that mentors young North Shore mothers who need a helping hand. Over the years, the positive ...
Project Sunflower foot-lings can use boron boost
From the garden of Lynn O'Malley: Well, I'm very glad I planted my Project Sunflower seeds out in mid-May, because ever since then - between Lynn Valley Days and end-of-term festivities and grad and visitors - there has certainly been no chance for much meaningful gardening. Fortunately, Mother Nature has ...
B.C. Mills House: a step into the past
The B.C. Mills House Museum, a hidden reminder of Lynn Valley's history, is located near the entrance of Lynn Valley Headwaters Regional Park. Originally purchased from a 1904 catalogue of the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading company, it represents the first prefabricated house on the North Shore. It was purchased ...
LV Elementary band hits new heights
Congratulations to the Lynn Valley Elementary Concert Band, and Jazz Band on a busy and successful year - it could even be described as "out of this world," as you'll read below! The Concert Band achieved a gold award at the Kiwanis Concert Band Festival in Richmond, and gave a ...
LV town centre planning: a range of perspectives
UPDATED: June 28, 2013 You've seen the signs around the neighbourhood, the pamphlets in your mailbox, and the emails in your inbox. As public consultation regarding the implementation plan for Lynn Valley's town centre intensifies, a range of views are being expressed from North Vancouver District, informal citizens' groups as well as ...
Town centre proposal can bring vitality, says Gilmour
This email was sent by John Gilmour to LynnValleyLife and to many of the other Lynn Valley citizens in his network. We have reproduced it here to illustrate our story about the divergent views being expressed in the neighbourhood. Please see our story for links to background information and different ...
LVL-sponsoring realtor to speak at RBC retirement planning event
Ever wondered what your Lynn Valley home is worth, and what choices you might make for downsizing in this neighbourhood? And how to best use your freed-up capital to create an ongoing income stream? LynnValleyLife-sponsoring realtor Jim Lanctôt and Jeffrey Smithson, RBC financial planner, will address these questions and more ...
Interesting online option for sharing town centre views
We've been promoting the two most recent opportunities presented for Lynn Valley residents to get involved in shaping Lynn Valley's future - those are the NVD June Open Houses, and Mark Sager's Bosa-sponsored storefront in Lynn Valley Centre. It's our hope that everyone made or will make the effort to ...
Coach Janet’s Top 5 tips for delivering legendary customer service
If you have customers, you are in the customer service business. The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer base through delivering legendary customer service. Over 80 per cent of all sales in North America originate from the recommendations of satisfied customers. Dedicating yourself to excellent customer service ...
June Garden Tips for Lynn Valley
What's on this month's garden to-do list? We asked local landscapers Matt and Rob Boyd of Endless Summer Landscaping to give us their top tips for a beautiful yard. Mulch. It seems to be many landscapers’ philosophy that when all else fails, just go for a thick layer of decorative mulch or rocks. It ...
Lynn Valley Day 2013 was a blast!
Well, we had a great time at Lynn Valley Day, and we hope you did, too! To judge by the smiles in the crowd and the happy participants in the LVL games and races, Lynn Valleyites know better than to let a little rain dampen their spirits. From the Friday ...
Town centre feedback invited at June open houses
As promised, North Vancouver District has expanded the time frame for public consultation on the issue of how the municipality's Official Community Plan will be implemented in Lynn Valley town centre. We hope that people will share their views and bring their ideas to the table. You can visit the North ...
Celebrate the Long Weekend with great dance band!
Lynn Valleyites are invited to get their groove on - the Lynn Valley Legion is bringing back a great crowd-pleaser on Saturday, May 18! Says organizer Brenda Williams: "Once again we have convinced one of Vancouver's best R 'n B, blues, and funky dance bands to come to the North ...
#2: Oh, hail! Here comes the rain
From the garden of Lynn O'Malley... This was going to be a celebratory post about the fact that my sunflower seeds poked their heads above the soil last Saturday, a scant week after I detailed their planting in this post ...
Project Sunflower Diary #1: Lynn O’Malley sows her seeds
From the garden of Lynn O'Malley, voice of the valley: For the past two months, the LynnValleyLife team has been planning and promoting its scheme to blanket Lynn Valley in summertime sunflowers. We've talked sunflowers, mailed sunflowers, photo'd sunflowers and dreamt sunflowers. It occurred to me that amidst all the ...
LVL Network members get first peek and VIP pricing at Seylynn Village
We like to offer special treats to our LynnValleyLife Network members whenever we can. So we're delighted to announce a special, LynnValleyLife-only reception at which our members will be amongst the very first to experience a brand-new neighbourhood just down the hill - before it's even built! Having the chance ...
Lynn Valley Day 2013 will hit new heights (literally!)
There's always something new to look forward to at Lynn Valley Days, and 2013 will be no exception! For starters, we want to give a big community thank-you to William F. White International, which is sponsoring all of Lynn Valley Days' cable and power needs. (And thank you to Lynn ...
Seylynn Village investment has potential for great return
This perspective on real estate investment is provided to readers by Mortgage Dave, a longtime Lynn Valley mortgage expert. Given the North Shore’s high prices, current investors sometimes wonder if buying in North or West Vancouver can possibly provide a decent return. In fact, a well-thought-out real estate purchase can ...
Local landscaper gives top tips for lush lawns and great gardens
These spring landscape tips are provided by Lynn Valley local, Matt Boyd of Endless Summer Landscaping. Are you looking forward to a beautiful, lush, green lawn this year, surrounded by attractive gardens and dotted with healthy trees? These top five spring landscaping tasks will ensure your lawn looks great. Review ...
Fixed vs. variable rates: how to choose
This advice is provided to LynnValleyLife readers courtesy of Mortgage Dave, a local mortgage expert and busy volunteer in our community. One of the most important decisions when choosing a mortgage is whether to lock in a fixed interest rate or select a variable (floating) rate. With interest rates at ...
Mark Sager given mandate to gather public planning views
Last fall, Canada Safeway and Bosa Development sent North Vancouver District some preliminary applications for a newly imagined Lynn Valley Mall area. Their plans called for high-rise towers that got the 'thumbs-up' from some residents, but also resulted in an immediate outcry from many people who were concerned about traffic, ...
Project Sunflower set to launch!
This is the week that many of our LynnValleyLife Network members are receiving their Project Sunflower seed packets in the mail or on their doorstep (let's hope those late-season snow flurries won't be visiting the Upper Lynn area any more!) ...
Cousteau name graces LV French school
Last month, the The French International School of Vancouver (located in Lynn Valley's former Fromme Elementary building) honoured the legacy of visionary Jacques-Yves Cousteau — the most celebrated French defender of marine ecology— by renaming itself The French International School Cousteau. The school has pledged to make environmental awareness a ...
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