Contests

Good Neighbour Award Nominee: Rene Valen!

We are collecting nominations for Lynn Valley’s Good Neighbour Award until Dec. 19, 2012. We’d love to hear, and share, stories about good-hearted folks who have gone out of their way to help you or their community, in ways large or small.  Nominees don’t have to be your ‘next-door’ neighbour, just a fellow citizen of the Valley.

This contest isn’t about deciding who’s ‘best’ – it’s about celebrating all those kindnesses that we know happen in our neighbourhood every day of the year. The winner of this year’s Good Neighbour prize package will be drawn at random, and announced on Dec. 23. Please send your submissions to [email protected].

THE WAARNES NOMINATE RENE VALEN

“I’d like to nominate Rene Valen as a GREAT neighbour!  He goes way beyond GOOD.

My husband and I live a couple of blocks south of him so we are relatively close.  We’re the type of people that like to go on vacation a lot.  Some long trips, some short, but all very frequently.  We’re also the type of people who adore our cat and treat her like a queen.  So needless to say, we want the best care for her while we’re away. Rene has gone above and beyond for us, as he has been easily the best cat-sitter of all time.  He’s Uncle Rene to our cat.

Rene has cat-sat for us on simple weekends away to three-week vacations.  He comes in the morning before he leaves for work to feed and play with her, and then comes in the evening after work to feed and play with her, and spend quality time with her.  He’ll have dinner at our home and watch television for a while, simply to provide company for the cat.  He even emails us pictures of her (curled up on his lap) so we know she’s OK!  We’re pretty sure the cat is very pleased with this arrangement, as are we.

Rene takes no payment for his services.  The best we can do is buy him some pot pies from the British Butcher and leave them in the freezer for some dinners or drop off a batch of cupcakes to his home once in a while. He is incredibly generous with his time.  What a fantastic neighbour!

We think he is the GREATEST NEIGHBOUR IN LYNN VALLEY!  We nominate him for the GOOD NEIGHBOUR AWARD.”

Nadine and Simon Waarne

PS – He’s also adopted plants of ours that have grown too large for their space!

December 3, 2012 in Blog, Contests, Notable Neighbours

Good Neighbour nominee: Patty Hopper of Vancity!

We are collecting nominations for Lynn Valley’s Good Neighbour Award until Dec. 19, 2012. We’d love to hear, and share, stories about good-hearted folks who have gone out of their way to help you or their community, in ways large or small. They don’t have to be your ‘next-door’ neighbour, just a fellow Lynn Valleyite. The winner of this year’s Good Neighbour prize package will be drawn at random, and announced on Dec. 23. Please send your submissions to [email protected].

 LYNN VALLEY VANCITY NOMINATES PATTY HOPPER

“We would like to nominate Patty Hopper for Lynn Valley’s 2012 Good Neighbour Award.  Patty is a beautiful person, an exceptional role model, a fun and loving friend, a powerful business woman and most importantly a wonderful daughter, sister, mother and wife. It must be really hard to be so exceptional at all those things, but Patty makes it seem effortless. She exceeds expectations in every category of life and gives back to the community she lives in every day! Patty sets the bar high and we could all learn from her and her success’  and positive outlook on life.”

Patty is Vancity’s local mobile mortgage specialist, who lives here in Lynn Valley. Her fans at our LV Village branch went on to share with us a PowerPoint they had created about a project Patty launched in memory of her best friend’s daughter, Ashley Lowey – a cause you can support this Christmas and all year ’round!

“During the times when her eldest daughter was hospitalized, Lori Lowey called on her friend, Patty Hopper.

As Ashley Lowey, Lori’s eldest daughter, bravely battled cancer during her teens, the illness often brought her and her mother to B.C. Children’s Hospital, often without warning, leaving her mother needing essentials.

When she visited Lori at her daughter’s bedside, Patty would pack her a bag of key items she might need: a hairbrush, comb, shampoo, make up, magazines, deodorant—supplies for an unexpected overnight stay, sometimes stretching out for days.

Patty would spend hours in the hospital with her friend, and saw parents come and go, often staying for days without any supplies.

“I would watch these parents coming out of showers…drying themselves with their  T-shirts,” she said.

In February 2009, Ashley Lowey lost her fight against cancer. Patty wanted to honour the teen’s memory and help other parents in need.

“The bag (idea) originated because Lori is my friend and I was bringing her a bag, two or three times a week while her daughter was there,” she said “Once she passed away, I just felt there was such a need for these parents to have something, you know, when they show up unexpectedly. We just started collecting stuff. It’s kind of just gone from there.”

Hopper started having parties at her house, where she and her girlfriends would bring items to put in bags and prepare them together. Slowly word spread, and  the Vancity Credit Union in Lynn Valley and the branch on Pemberton and Marine donated many bags. A local fabric company donated material to make more.

Said Patty: “It  was interesting, because the first day I delivered a box, I walked into the hospital…There was a lady standing there in the middle, and she was on her cell phone and she was beside herself. And she was like, ‘I’ve been here for four days, I haven’t been home, I have nothing, I need someone to drop me off some stuff.’ I just thought, ‘This is why I’m doing this.’”

Would you like to contribute items or a cash donation towards an Ashley Comfort Kit? Staff in Lynn Valley’s Vancity would be very happy to accept your offering. Here are suggested gifts: 

December 1, 2012 in Blog, Contests, Merchant Mentions, Notable Neighbours

First annual Good Neighbour Award announced!

LynnValleyLife is delighted to introduce a new, year-end community tradition – the 1st annual Good Neighbour Award!

Has someone been a “good neighbour” to you this year? Did a person here in Lynn Valley go out of their way to help you, your family, or our community?

Maybe they spent an evening out in the woods looking for your lost dog. Maybe they spent the year collecting bottles for a school fundraiser. Whatever they did that warmed your heart, we’d love to hear about it.

We’ll share some of our favourite stories on this website as a tribute to Lynn Valleyites’ year-round spirit of goodwill. And then we’ll put them into a random draw so that one of these kindhearted citizens can win LynnValleyLife’s Good Neighbour Award for 2012.

 

They will win:

  • a gift certificate to Aristos Greek Restaurant
  • a one-month rec centre pass
  • a personalized tour of the RCMP station (including RCMP mug & umbrella!), and…
  • a membership in the LV Community Association!

And, as a thank you to the person who nominated the winner, a $25 gift certificate to the Black Bear Neighbourhood Pub will go to the person (19+) who submitted their story!

We can’t wait to hear about the random – or highly organized! – acts of kindness we know take place in our community on a daily basis.  Please submit a paragraph or two that tell your story (including your name and contact information) via the form below, or by emailing [email protected], or by mailing The Editor at LynnValleyLife, 1297 Argyle Rd.,  North Vancouver,  V7K 1H5.

We’ll start to publish some of the stories over the following weeks, and we must receive all entries by Wednesday, Dec. 19. The Good Neighbour 2012 prize (and the Black Bear Pub gift certificate!) will be awarded at the Lynn Valley Village Christmas Tree Walk on Sunday, Dec. 23. We hope to see you there, as the Lynn Valley United Church Community Choir and a special guest from the North Pole will also be in attendance that night!

You can help spread the word to others by forwarding this post (or facebooking, or tweeting!) and by downloading this poster to put up around the community. Thanks for helping us find those good neighbours!

By submitting your story, you are agreeing to its possible publication by LynnValleyLife. Should you wish us to use first names only, please let us know – though we reserve the right to publish the first and last name of the Good Neighbour 2012 grand prize winner and his/her nominator.

 

November 20, 2012 in Blog, Community Events, Contests, Notable Neighbours

Lynn Valley Optometry launches anniversary contest

Lynn Valley Optometry is celebrating its 20th anniversary!  And as part of the celebration, the shop is holding a Facebook sweepstakes with some prizes you won’t want to miss.

Available to be won are an iPad and ten Lynn Valley Optometry gift cards. Five of those gift cards are worth $100 and five are worth $50; they can be used towards glasses, contacts, sunglasses and other products sold at Lynn Valley Optometry.

To enter click here, or head to their facebook page and click ‘enter contest’ under the cover image.

Lynn Valley Optometry opened its doors in 1992 on the northwest side of the 1200 block of Lynn Valley Road. At this time Lynn Valley Optometry had three employees in what could definitely be called a ‘cozy’ office. In 2007, the office moved across the street into Lynn Valley Village. Currently, the office has 14 staff members, including two doctors and two vision therapists, and was voted favourite optical store by North Shore News readers for the past two years. During that time it were also voted best optical store by the North Shore Outlook readers.

Lynn Valley Optometry is very excited to be able to share its 20th anniversary celebrations with the community.

For more information about Lynn Valley Optometry, check out its website.

October 19, 2012 in Blog, Contests, Current News, Merchant Mentions

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 died when I was young, there was never a time I could not go to her for, or with, anything. She was always there with open arms, a hug, or word of wisdom.  She taught me what it means to be a mom.”

Thanks, Eryn, for reminding us how important it is to ‘be there’ for each other, whether as parents, kids, or friends. We hope you enjoy your gift from the Red Tulip Gift Shop in Lynn Valley Village.

May 21, 2012 in Blog, Contests, Current News

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 more than a hundred years ago, and one is some native-style art in honour of the first inhabitants of these shores.

Three to 7 year olds are invited to do their best colouring on this busy beaver. Eight to 10 year olds can go to town on this lumberjack. And 11 to 13 year olds can add their own style to this winged creature.

Use your imagination … along with crayons, paints, glitter or anything else you think will look good on your picture. Completed sheets should be brought to the Kids Zone under the main tent on the morning of Lynn Valley Day. Final judging will take place under the big tent at 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. Have fun, and good luck!

 

May 9, 2012 in Blog, Contests, Current News, Lynn Valley Day

Win tickets to see LV actress in soccer mom saga

Jenny Mitchell is a Lynn Valley mom like many others – she loves heading out on the trails, hitting the library, and socializing at Browns. Her kids, Dylan and Evan, go to Lynn Valley Elementary and play baseball and soccer.

Not many local moms, however, get to play a maternal alter-ego on stage. But that’s what Jenny will be doing when the show Secrets of a Soccer Mom opens at Presentation House on Friday night.

Jenny plays Lynn, one of three moms taking part in an informal soccer match against their eight-year-old sons. What starts out as a friendly game, though, becomes something else entirely as the afternoon progresses and the moms make surprising discoveries about themselves, their children and each other.

Jenny describes Lynn as “a PAC mom, who takes on lots of volunteer tasks and is always eager to help out for the kids’ sake.   But her enthusiasm is short-lived when she starts to realize that people might be taking her for granted.”

Perhaps there are some moms in Lynn Valley who can relate?! Either way, the play sounds like it’s filled with laughs and good conversation-starters. It runs from March 1 to 10, so get your tix now!

Fortunately for LynnValleyLife readers, we have two to give away. Just tell us one more arts event you’ve enjoyed right here in Lynn Valley – at a school, in the village square, or ?? – and we’ll put your name in a random draw. Winner will be announced Wednesday evening, so get your entry in now, either via our Facebook post or by emailing [email protected]. Deadline: Wednesday, Feb. 29th at 5 p.m.

February 27, 2012 in Blog, Contests, Current News, Notable Neighbours

You love Lynn Valley! (And so do we.)

FROM LYNN O’MALLEY: “’Home’ is a name, a word –  it is a strong one; stronger than
magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration.”

So spake Charles Dickens about the power of home, and we do not disagree with him (especially since we do not actually know what ‘conjuration’ means.)

So we used Valentine’s Day as the excuse to challenge our LynnValleyLife readers to find the words for ‘home’ – to tell us why they love their home here in Lynn Valley. Any readers who rose to the challenge were entered in a draw for some Purdy’s chocolates, and we are pleased to announce that Dana Taylor-Smith was the winner.

But we didn’t want everyone’s cheerful comments to disappear into the Facebook void, never to be seen again. So we’ve compiled all the “I love Lynn Valley because….” entries in one place, for your reading enjoyment and a nod to our community pride. Thanks to everyone for entering!

“1 reason? Are you kidding, it’s almost impossible to narrow it down to 1!!! The #1 has to be the PEOPLE. The friendly, welcoming, great people in our community is one of the reasons I LOVE Lynn Valley so much.”
– Jill Hufsteadt Johnstone

“Location, location, location … whether it be because I can bike with my kids on green space to Lynn Valley Centre, leave our house and be in the gondola up Grouse Mountain in 15 minutes, or simply take a lovely hike in an amazing forest 5 minutes from my doorstep…. there are so many more reasons, too! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE LV!”
– Jennifer Garden

“I love the Valley as it has such a sense of community, and a small town feel to it.”
– Eryn Arnott

“I live in Central Lonsdale but come to Lynn Valley to shop. I love how friendly the merchants are and that my repeat patronage is appreciated. If I move, I will move to LV!”
-Anne Rees

“I love Lynn Canyon Park. I can walk my dog and take her to swim in the river just a short walk from my home. I love living surrounded by the forest.”
– Corry Ewens

“I love that our whole family can live, work, school & play, all in walking distance of our house, with a beautiful backdrop.”
– @contestpatti: @LynnValleyLife

“I love this small community….I love being able to step out my door and walk to the canyon, see the mountains and always know someone to say hi to. My kids love the candy store and actually so do I!”
– Lucy Brightmore Allen

“I love Lynn Valley because everywhere I go someone knows my name! It’s a very close community but welcoming at the same time. I can walk to the Village and always see a friend to have coffee with…or a sweet from the candy store!”
– Jeanette Anderson Duey

“What I love about Lynn Valley is that it is full of smiling, warm and welcoming people. Everywhere you go someone is willing take time out of their day to smile and wave or help a neighbour!! How amazing is that:)?”
– Helen Zaparniuk 

“I love that you can walk from the library to the suspension bridge.”
– Robert Slade

“I love the stories of our long time residents. Fishing in the creeks, swimsuit accidents at the 30 foot, pulling the cables on the suspension bridge, street cars, chicken farms, Mollie Nye and Walter Draycott as well as the many local characters that deserve celebrating. It is so amazing we can touch base with our early pioneers at the coffee shop in the Mall and our Lynn Valley Legion. We still see horses on our streets and folks are so connected to all this community has to offer. We have so much to celebrate!”
– Lizz Lindsay

“What don’t I love? I love the library, all the trees, the surrounding mountain views and the End of the Line.”
– Veronica Franco

“Everything you need is right here within walking distance including Lynn Canyon.”
– Dana Taylor-Smith

“It’s really close to Lynn Canyon and there are awesome restaurants and a yoga studio nearby. The community is friendly. Lynn Valley is why I fell in love with North Vancouver and why I decided to move here.”
– Anita Ho

“I love how Lynn Valley is tucked into a little corner of North Van with nothing but the mountains, trees and rivers behind us.”
– Sue McMordie

“I love that Lynn Valley has this “small town in the mountains” feel… with a beautiful, eclectic mix of young and old partaking in community events, outdoor activities and social gatherings in this spectacular little nugget, nestled between glorious mountains.”
– Christine Vea

February 16, 2012 in Blog, Contests, Current News, Guest Voices

February contests on now

We currently have two contests running here at LynnValleyLife, so in case you missed hearing about them, here’s what you need to know.

In honour of Valentine’s Day, we’re asking people to share the love this week. Find our contest post on our Facebook wall, or email us at [email protected], and tell us one thing you love about Lynn Valley. Any entries received by Wednesday, Feb. 15th at 11:59 p.m. will garner their authors a chance to win some Valentine’s chocolate from Purdy’s!

And if you email us with the original name of Lynn Valley Road by Monday, Feb. 20th, you’ll be entered in a draw to win two tickets to the Heritage Tea at Mollie Nye House on Feb. 25th. Hint: the answer appears on our history page.

Good luck to all! We’ll announce the winners soon.

February 13, 2012 in Blog, Contests, Current News