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!
LV trainer publishes first novel
Nicole Palacios is best known in Lynn Valley for her personal training business. But that may change now that she's also the author of her novel, Bel Air Bodies, available for sale as an Amazon ebook. We tracked Nicole down to ask her about her writing, her background, and her ...
Teen’s injuries caused by drugs, not assault
According to RCMP Cpl. Richard De Jong, a mixture of marijuana and magic mushrooms were behind the Saturday, Aug. 11 incident in which a teenager was seen naked and bleeding in the Mountain Highway and Kilmer area. Emergency services received several reports from people who saw the agitated young man ...
Best ice cream cake recipe ever
From the kitchen of Lynn O'Malley - Summer is a time of great intentions; we want to hike the wilderness, build a backyard deck or tree fort, host a marvellous B.C. Day party, teach our children the Latin names of all the local flowers and catch up our photo album ...
LV pest pros tell you how to bug off
By Dylan Wendt, Coast Pest Control If you have unwanted pests at home and want to try the natural approach before calling a pest control company; then try these tested home remedies. If they don't solve your problems, then give the professionals at Coast Pest & Wildlife ControlLtd. a call ...
Ass’t Fire Chief seeks seniors for home safety project
When North Van District Assistant Fire Chief Curtis Bremner set out to research preventable deaths in North Vancouver, he was surprised at some of the facts he discovered. First, a report from the BC Coroner Office revealed that the average age of people who are victims of an “accidental” death in North ...
Lynn Valley mom itching to share eczema tips
When a pediatric nurse told Shula Klinger that her incessantly wailing baby boy was "going through a rough patch," she didn't realize how prophetic those words would prove to be. Months of crying jags, rashes, breathing difficulties and ER trips later, Joel was finally diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (eczema). Finally, ...
Visit Maplewood Farm online, or for real at Open House
As of this moment - July 25, at 21:16 precisely - I can tell you that the goats at Maplewood Farm are either tucked away fast asleep, or they've staged a coup and made their grand escape. How do I know this? Because I am checking out the Maplewood Farm ...
Giving blood is now even easier
Looking for a good summertime tune? How about Buddy Holly's 1958 hit "It's So Easy to Fall in Love"? Now, instead of the usual lyrics, "It's so easy to fall in love," let's sub in a new chorus: "It's so easy to give some blood; it's so easy to give ...
New group welcomes ramblers and rovers
If you're the type of person who instinctively prefers the term 'rambling' to 'hiking,' you might be interested to hear about a new informal walking group that meets twice a month. Jane and Leo are friends who have made a habit of meandering Lynn Valley trails, learning about the flora ...
Knee Knacker just latest challenge for elite LV runner
Some of the world’s top ultra-marathoners will be participating in this Saturday’s infamous Knee Knacker, a 30-mile run from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove along the Baden Powell trail, and Hilary Ewart is excited to be amongst them. It’s the second Knee Knacker for this Lynn Valley mom, and though ...
Share your favourite walks and hikes
There is much to be said for the walks and hikes in and around Lynn Valley. So why don't you help us say it? We already have a walks and hikes section that's a good starting point for people who want to get out for some fresh air. You'll find ...
Family needs your help to bring mom back to health
UPDATE! Come out to the Friday Night Concert in Lynn Valley Village on July 6 and register with Canadian Blood Services on the spot to see if you are a potential donor for Erica or another person in need. Read on to hear Erica's story. Now that the sun is ...
Excellent Canada Day parade photos? Not here.
If you've come here looking for excellent photos of the Canada Day Parade, you've come to the wrong spot. If that's what you're after, you're advised to keep an eye out for the fine work of my former colleagues at the North Shore News. I, on the other hand, love ...
Think nationally, act neighbourly
There's no better place to celebrate your country than in your own community. Just like each journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, building a great nation starts right on our own front porches. So get together with your friends and family members young and old, and ...
Prize-winning temperance essay from 1928 still relevant today
FROM LYNN O'MALLEY: It has become abundantly apparent that you can't count on June for good weather. But the end of the month does bring one thing you can depend on: grad ceremonies, photo opps and - unfortunately - the worry that some kids will take things too far and ...
Circling helicopters part of Lynn Valley life
FROM THE EDITOR: The sound of sirens isn't too unusual in Lynn Valley, especially during the summer months when it's often assumed emergency responders are en route to a mishap in Lynn Canyon. While those occurrences can sometimes be tragic, we're lucky to live in an area where emergency vehicles ...
Many a tune to hear in June
Whatever your budget or artistic preference, you'll hear music in the air this June. For parents, of course, there are the omnipresent end-of-term school concerts and piano recitals. But that's not all that's on the symphonic smorgasbord this month. Next week kicks off with the Lynn Valley Black Bear Band's ...
100th Lynn Valley Day a sunny success!
"This was, by far and away, the absolutely best Lynn Valley Day ever." So said an elder of the valley, who has been attending these annual affairs since the 1960s. And to judge by the comments we heard on Saturday and in the days that followed, she wasn't alone in ...
Friday Night Live crew celebrate a year of laughs
On Friday, June 1, the AddLibretto theatre sports troupe will once again throw some seemingly random questions out to the audience at Lynn Valley United Church. "What do people ask advice about?" might be one of the questions, or "What's something worth celebrating?" Within seconds, the off-the-cuff answers are used ...
No need to leave the Valley this weekend!
Be sure to get all your chores before Friday this week, because you won't want to miss a minute of the goings-on in Lynn Valley this weekend. We're confident the weather will cooperate, so get your calendar out and make note of the following! If you're one of the lucky ...
Meet our Mother’s Day contest winner!
In our recent Mother's Day contest, we asked LynnValleyLife readers to tell us the most important lesson they learned from their mother. We're happy to introduce you to Eryn Arnott, who wrote the following: "The best lesson I learned from my mom was how to love unconditionally. Although my mom ...
Take a walk on the wild side at Lynn Headwaters event
The 100th Lynn Valley Day shindig may be over as of Saturday evening, but the celebration of local heritage will continue on Sunday with an event at Lynn Headwaters Park. Wilderness At Your Doorstep gives people the chance to learn more about the mountain folds and forests that have shaped ...
Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge celebrates 100 years
BY TRICIA EDGAR: In 2012, Lynn Canyon Park is 100 years old. Let’s go on a walk through the trails of the canyon a century ago. If you’d visited then, what would you have seen? It’s a sunny day, and you decide to take the small rail car up from ...
“Book” some time for library sale
Another Library Book Sale is coming up on Lynn Valley Day weekend, which gives us a swell excuse to show you this great video from the last sale, filmed by local videographer John Durrant. We know it will make you want to come out to the library on May 25 ...
Can you take a ticket, run a ride, or tote a table?
We know you've been meaning to give Shirin a call and just haven't gotten around to it.... so now's your chance! Shirin is the busy soul in charge of matching volunteers to various Lynn Valley Day tasks. Events are often a lot funner (yes, we've decided that's a word) when ...
Kids invited to paint the town red (and blue, and green…)
Kids, get your crayons sharpened! There's a contest just for you this Lynn Valley Day, and since it's the 100th anniversary of this special community festival, we hope lots of you will get involved. Two of the colouring sheets honour the logging industry that put Lynn Valley on the map ...
Want a new book (or CD, or DVD)? Just ask!
FROM LYNN O'MALLEY: I'd seen the invitation so often, I'd long ago stopped seeing it. You know the one - the "Suggest a Purchase" button on the North Van Library website. Usually, I'm happy to have any excuse to purchase my own books, as my groaning shelves will attest. But ...
Help plan LV’s future – your health depends on it!
FROM THE EDITOR: Do you consider yourself an opinionated person? If so, this is the week for you! I can't remember being asked for my opinion quite so often. Between the North Van District Open Houses presenting the new Lynn Valley Town Centre proposal, to tonight's Healthy Communities Conversation Cafe, ...
Visions of the valley await your voices and views
There was quite a buzz around the boards set up near the Lynn Valley Mall centre court today, as district planners toured visitors around several graphic displays that gave glimpses into the future of Lynn Valley Town Centre. Since the Official Community Plan was approved last June, planners have been ...
Eat for Education! (Come on, it’s for the kids….)
Everyone loves a good excuse to go out to dinner - well, here's a GREAT excuse for you! The second annual Eat for Education has now come to the North Shore - specifically, to Lynn Valley. That means that a portion of food sales purchased on Wednesday, May 2nd at participating ...
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