Glad tidings from Lynn O’Malley: When Jim Lanctot first assembled some like-minded souls to talk about creating this community website, our goals were both grand and humble. Yes, we hoped to reach a lot of people and be of great help to local organizations, businesses and individuals wanting to spread the word about their activities. But at the same time, we were determined to give LynnValleyLife a small-town feel; to be an online gathering place for the same kind of conversations you’d have at Waves or Delany’s. Just a few months later, we have tipped the 500 point in our number of Facebook friends, and thanks to your support we think we are managing to make great progress toward both goals.
A recent column in the Globe and Mail reports research showing that a top concern among Vancouverites is a sense of isolation from neighbours, and that part of the blame may lie with our growing reliance on online social networking. But we hope and believe that LynnValleyLife works the other way around. Thanks to our online presence, we see more and more real-life relationships being formed. We are delighted that through our Facebook page we see people partnering up to work on good causes, or share info about bird sightings, or coming out – in person! – to support local events.
We hoped the page would become the locale for online water cooler conversations, and you folks have come though in spades. Thanks to every one of you who pushed that ‘like’ button to join the fun!
It seemed appropriate that we reward our 500th Facebook friend with something neighbourly, and couldn’t think of anything that would be more suitable than two tickets to the Lynn Valley Community Association Gala Dinner that will take place the night before the 100th Lynn Valley Day this May. And we also think it’s wonderfully appropriate that the surprised recipient was Carrie Boulier, whose husband Murray Bulger teaches the Digital Media Academy at Argyle, a program that is yet another unique feature of this great neighbourhood we call home.
We are looking forward to meeting even more of our Lynn Valley neighbours, in person and online. We rely on your interesting news tidbits and comments to keep our Facebook page lively, our website Events Calendar full, and our bloggers busy, so let’s continue to keep each other in the loop! One thousand friends is the next big milestone – we plan to enjoy the journey as we work toward that goal, and hope you do, too.
At LynnValleyLife we are looking forward to doing all we can to make this 100th Lynn Valley Day all it can be. The Lynn Valley Community Association and Lynn Valley Lions who put on this great event need help. If you would like to explore becoming a volunteer for the event please email us and we will put you in touch with the right people.