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!
Lynn Valley students carry Terry’s torch
If you see students running from their schools en masse this week, don't worry, it isn't a fire - they're just taking part in the annual Terry Fox School Run. Janet Dunkin, French teacher and organizer of Argyle's run on Thursday, Sept. 27th, says the high school has been participating ...
Caring clown classes commence
Like to laugh? Meet people? Put more fun in your life? Put fun in others' lives? Maybe try some vol-FUN-teering? Then a new course starting at Mollie Nye House may just be what you're looking for. Unlike most classes, this program not only allows, but encourages, students to clown around ...
How did your Lynn Valley garden grow?
From the garden of Lynn O'Malley: Nature is all swings and roundabouts, isn't it? Just when one is ready to despair over the constant mildewing of the zucchini leaves, a bumper crop of sweet peas gives one cause to celebrate. Non-productive clematis vines are overshadowed by an abundance of black-eyed ...
Black Bear Pub hosts weekly trivia nights
From the pen of Jeffry Huyghebaert, Assistant Manager, Black Bear Neighbourhood Pub Every Monday night at the Black Bear we run a trivia game for our guests, with questions running the gamut of general knowledge and obscure facts. There is no cost to play, and teams are encouraged; best to bring a ...
Book, play to feature Lynn Valley mothers and daughters
About a year ago, North Vancouver women were invited to write a 2,000-word biography of their mother as part of a new project launched by the Mothership Stories Society. In October, a book launch and theatre production will give you the chance to be captivated by the stories that resulted ...
Hear it from the Robindells – Kelly & Jim make a great team!
After interviewing several realtors, we decided to hire Jim and Kelly because we could immediately see what a great team they make. We appreciated their diverse skills and approaches - Kelly has many years of experience with the North Shore realty market, and Jim is full of great marketing ideas. We knew ...
An update from the Harris family
Many people in Lynn Valley and beyond were moved to empathy and action by the plight of local mom Erica Harris, who has spent the summer battling an aggressive leukemia that was not responding to treatment. People and agencies moved heaven and earth to find her a bone marrow donor, but ...
Suspension bridge spans 100 years
Once again Lynn Valley is celebrating an important centennial. Having already marked the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the L.V. Community Association and the first-ever Lynn Valley Day, everyone can pull out their party shoes again in order to honour 100 years of swinging good times on the Lynn ...
Fall program guides at your fingertips
We've been spreading the word about new fall programs as they've crossed our desk, but now we think it would be useful for our LynnValleyLife readers to have them all in one spot. So here are the community program offerings from three major Lynn Valley organizations - let us know ...
Compost coaches offer free, at-home instruction
Waste-reducers and gardeners can learn more about one of their favourite pastimes without spending a cent, thanks to the Compost Coaching program offered by the North Shore Recycling Program. Now that colder weather is on the horizon, you might want an experienced composter to visit your home and show you ...
Lynn Valley kids blessed with natural playscape
FROM LYNN O'MALLEY: We talk a lot about our children having lost the ability to 'play.' Between busy work schedules, programmed after-school activities, and parental anxieties about kids being allowed to wander on their own, we have apparently turned into a nation whose offspring are dependent on screens or adult ...
Pre-marketing efforts pay off! Underwood home sells in one day
Here’s what the happy sellers had to say about their experience: “We were drawn to Jim and Kelly by their unusual approach to realty and decided that this could be just what we needed to sell our less-than-conventional home. They offered valuable advice and contractor suggestions as we prepared for ...
Lynn Valley property rezoning process explained
Not so long ago, LynnValleyLife told readers about a public information meeting that Polygon Properties was holding to discuss a potential redevelopment of the land at the southwest corner of Mountain Highway and 27th. The event was held in the community room at Silver Harbour Centre, and attendees could browse ...
Get framed at LV Optometry
If you're looking for a new set of anti-squint-making optical devices (sometimes known as 'glasses'), you'll be glad to know that our local optometrist is having a big blow-out sale. Lynn Valley Optometry is the recipient of the 2012 best optical store award as judged by readers of both the ...
LV church offers new programs for all ages and interests
Lynn Valley United Church is continuing its community programming this fall with an even wider range of offerings for people of all ages, regardless of any church affiliation. From youth groups to theatre sports to professionally led yoga classes to new community choirs, there is a lot happening at the ...
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 ...
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