Current News

Think Red for the Holidays

With the busyness and frantic obligations of Christmas and the holidays, we are featuring some of Lynn Valley’s best options for holiday solutions. From finding that perfect something for that hard to buy relative to finding something small and sweet for someone small and sweet: we want you thinking red for the holidays.

One last Christmas

The long-time institution in Lynn Valley where you alway knew you could find just the right gift – 

The Red Tulip Gift Gallery – is closing.  After a fourteen year journey that has taken owners Janice Rothenbush and Lynda Buchholtz from Deep Cove to Lynn Valley Village to Lynn Valley Centre, they are retiring from the retail business this January.

“We have gotten to know so many people,” said Buchholtz. “We have seen families grow up – little kids shopping with parents are returning by themselves as young adults. We live in North Vancouver and love how supportive the community has been. It has been a pleasure to do business here – but it’s time.”

Tulip picks

During this last holiday season Buchholtz and Rothenbush have selected some beautiful pieces to fill your home, tree or gift box. Everything in store is now 20% off as they kick off the holidays with a bang.

Topping the list are tiny felted mice Christmas ornaments. The warmth and whimsy they add to a tree is proving very popular this season, said Buchholtz.

For the bold and creative there are a wide range of Sock it to me Socks – with cheeky designs and bright colours they are the perfect choice to make someone smile.

For the smallest Lynn Valley residents, they have books from local author Tory Townsin, beautiful and delicately soft Jelly Cat stuffies, as well as some locally-made onesies to assert hometown pride early.

The perfect hostess gift are Lucia luxury candles and scents. The Red Tulip is currently carrying the scent Les Saisons with aromatic notes of softwood and pine – no one will know you don’t have a real Christmas tree with this authentic scent.

With simple, elegant designs Rothenbush’s handmade-jewelry line Red Chandelier is sure to add a touch of shine that will delight anyone on your list.

The Red Tulip is located inside Lynn Valley Centre at 1199 Lynn Valley Road.

Childhood delights at Red Door

Tucked away on the campus of the Vancouver Waldorf School, 2725 St. Christophers Road, is a Red Door. Inside you will find a non-profit, parent-run shop dedicated to the wonders of childhood.

“We take great consideration in choosing the toys and art supplies that we offer in our school store,” said Ella Pedersen, manager of the store and Waldorf School parent. “Many of the companies we order from hold values similar to ours in their care for quality, tradition, sustainability and inspiration to engage the senses of children in their development.”

The little shop is elegantly packed with items just calling for a child’s touch. The wooden figures have soft rounded corners and simple paint jobs. The felted dolls have delicate features but simplistic beauty. There are the occasional quality handmade item contributed by Waldorf family, hard to find children’s books, rocks and crystals, even parenting books and sought-after wet weather gear by Abeko.

“We carry quality items – like gorgeous dolls and wooden figures from Germany,” said Pedersen. “We carry good quality craft supplies so it lasts and it’s a pleasure to use.”

Most of the items and supplies in store are hard to find in Vancouver and have artists and art teachers making the pilgrimage to Lynn Valley to pick up molding wax and drawing materials from Stockmar and Lyra.

Whimsy and wonder

Delightful, hard to find books will immerse children in nature and the wonder of the season.

Quality wool felts and felting supplies are a treat for the eye and hands. They are wonderful to work with. Abeko products are sought after in Lynn Valley – they’re essential for outdoor kids.

The details in the tiny dolls and wooden figures are beautiful and thoughtfully created. The designs encourage imaginative hands on place.

The carefully curated art supplies are both ethically and environmentally responsible. They are long wearing and natural – perfect for small children.

December 6, 2018 in Artistic Endeavours, Blog, Current News, Merchant Mentions Comments (0)

Troubled bridge finally over water

Four years after a rockslide dramatically changed the Seymour River the replacement pedestrian bridge at Twin Bridges will open as early as late this month.

What happened

In November 2014 following a severe rainstorm a landslide entered the Seymour River.

“The rockfall was about three-quarters of a kilometer downstream of the original Twin Bridges site,” said Heidi Walsh, director of watersheds and environmental management for Metro Vancouver. “And we had about 50,000 cubic metres of rock come into the river.”

With the debris entering a steep canyon it caused an approximately 800m backup that pools into a pond which drains in the summer but during the winter remains backed up, explains Walsh.

“When the rock fall originally came down the water backed up high enough to go over top of  the bridge,” said Walsh. “We had to take the railings off as an emergency measure and wait for the water to recede. Then we took it out in late January.

“I think everybody understood that it was safety issue. There are provincial standards that require a certain amount of free board [space between the water and bridge] during storm events so the bridge was no longer in compliance with those standards.”

The impact of that 2014 storm also extend to trails, resulting in a number of closures and detours.

Troubled bridge

The project encountered several challenges and delays. The replacement project was designed with three bridges – a replacement pedestrian suspension bridge at Twin Bridges, a new vehicle crossing at Riverside Drive and a temporary bridge to help accomplish the project – along with some trail building. Originally the project was put to tender in 2016 as separate projects.

“The price came back much higher than we anticipated,” said Walsh. “We tried again by packaging the suspension bridge and the vehicle bridge together and again it came back too high – almost double our approved budget.”

She attributes the challenges to poor timing – high project volumes offered to construction firms by the provincial government.

“We asked our board for a little bit more money and decided to package everything together as one big project,” said Walsh. With a successful tendering process completed in January, construction began this spring.

The new bridge

This winter the public will be able to take its first steps over the new pedestrian suspension bridge.

“It’s not a swinging suspension bridge,” said Walsh. “It’s very stable. We designed it so that you could ride over it with your horse – so the railings are high and it’s very solid. It is meant for bikers, hikers and horses so it won’t move when you’re on it.”

The change in river flow had significant impact on the final design, she said. Originally a vehicle bridge was considered for maintenance and emergency access (and completed at Riverside Drive in the final project). The steep slope that approaches Twin Bridges would require the bridge to be raised up resulting in a much longer bridge deck than the previous bridge, said Walsh. The east side’s bedrock also created issues for a landing substantial enough for vehicle traffic resulting in a project that would have been much larger than the previous bridge and more expensive than ever planned, she said.

“The bridge needs to be able to withstand a one in 200 year flow event so you need to be have a certain amount of room under the bridge to allow for water, debris and rocks move underneath,” said Walsh. “So in order to get that standard we had to raise the bridge up.

“It is slightly downstream from the original bridge so we had to build short access ramps to get to it on the west side. We had to put in a short 150m trail spur.  The main concern on the other side is a mountain bike trail called Bottletop. We are very close to where it used to exit onto Fisherman’s Trail so we had to do a little bit of redesign with that exit.”

At this point the bridge is almost complete. Once the temporary bridge is removed and the site cleaned-up Walsh expects the official opening to be between late November and mid-December.

“We are a little behind schedule there because we needed to do some redesign of the anchors on the east side,” she said. “The towers are there now, the bridge approaches are there, the anchors are all in. They really just need to string the cables and put the decking and railings in.”

Images courtesy of Metro Vancouver

November 8, 2018 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors Comments (0)

Meet the candidates: Linda Findlay

We wanted to get to know who in our neighbourhood was stepping up and putting themselves out there to help govern our city. We recognize some of the names and definitely want to get to know those we don’t.

We reached out to all the councillor candidates who live in Lynn Valley and submitted their contact details on the District of North Vancouver website. We passed on four questions we thought would be broad enough to showcase their personality and their positions, but would also focus their attention on Lynn Valley and the issues that matter here. The candidates had the option to respond to the questions they chose and how they wanted. Additional responses can be found here. And don’t forget to VOTE October 20.

We asked the questions:

1) Why do you want to be a District of North Vancouver councillor?
2) Why should the public give you their vote?
3) What issues do you want to focus on?
4) What are your priorities for Lynn Valley? 

Meet Linda Findlay

Thanks to LynnValleyLife for the opportunity to connect with our neighbours and answer some of their questions.  Lynn Valley is a unique community and my family and I have been fortunate to live, work and play here for the past 30 years.

I have always had a keen interest in community service and in local politics and issues.  I consider myself a committed community member looking to bring integrity and honesty to the role of Councillor.  It is important that all issues be approached collaboratively with an earnest intention to find a positive outcome, in the best interest of all. It benefits no one to be adversarial, uncompromising or rude. There is great opportunity, moving forward, to look beyond how things used to be, to scrutinize the changes we are experiencing now and to lay the ground work for a progressive yet sustainable future.

We all know the big issues – housing/density, transportation/traffic, environment, infrastructure and safety. Solving these issues will take a Council that can work together collaboratively in the best interest of all.  These issues cannot be considered individually but rather as a whole. Fostering integrated thinking to develop and implement solutions in the best interest of the entire community is essential. All stakeholders need to be included and recognized. I have no illusions that we will always agree but at least we can agree to be engaged in the process. Nothing is ever black and white, this or that. Workable and sustainable consensus is the goal. We need to work together for the benefit of future generations, not just the here and now.

I have resided on the North since childhood and have lived through many of its changes. Those changes, thought to be outrageous or non-conforming at the time, now seem common place.

Lynn Valley has experienced its fair share of change over the past four years and more has been approved and on the way.  We have to remember that the town centre concept and implementation is a multi-phased process. Yes, there have been bumps and missteps along the way.  Better communication and partnerships between all parties must be far more robust to avoid further oversights. The end game however will provide a vibrant and sustainable community for all to enjoy.  It is also important, moving forward, that we protect our green spaces, expand our walking, trail and bike networks to improve our ability to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. Community gathering spaces, cultural events, housing diversity, integrated transiting options, protecting our streams & waterways, managing eco-tourism, communing with each other all contribute to a dynamic neighbourhood.  I commit to responsible application of OCP objectives so future generations will benefit from the work we do today.

What we are sorely lacking and I will vigorously advocate for is a District-wide Communication Plan. Residents want accessible, coordinated updates of what is happening in the District. It only makes sense to share the status of where, when and what to expect. I commit to always keeping in touch.  An informed public is an engaged public.

Civic elections allow us to vote for those who can truly make a difference in our daily lives.  I am one of those people. I would be honoured to represent you on Council. Please vote October 20th.

October 5, 2018 in Blog, Current News, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Meet the candidates: Robin Hicks

We wanted to get to know who in our neighbourhood was stepping up and putting themselves out there to help govern our city. We recognize some of the names and definitely want to get to know those we don’t.

We reached out to all the councillor candidates who live in Lynn Valley and submitted their contact details on the District of North Vancouver website. We passed on four questions we thought would be broad enough to showcase their personality and their positions, but would also focus their attention on Lynn Valley and the issues that matter here. The candidates had the option to respond to the questions they chose and how they wanted. Additional responses can be found here. And don’t forget to VOTE October 20.

Why do you want to be a District of North Vancouver councillor?

I want to continue my Councillor role as I am passionate about this community, where I have lived for forty years in Lynn Valley raising three daughters and now seven grandchildren all living locally.

Why should the public give you their vote?

I am a CPA/CA with over 40 years’ experience as a financial executive in both the corporate world and local government. I have chaired the District’s Finance and Audit Committee over the last ten years and represented North Vancouver on Metro Vancouver’s Utility and Finance Committees.

What issues do you want to focus on?

My focus will be on affordable housing, particularly purpose built rentals for current and future service and retail workers. Resolving traffic congestion, and improving transit will also be a high priority.

What are your priorities for Lynn Valley?

My priorities for Lynn Valley:

  • Protect our single family neighborhoods
  • Enhance the community recreational and cultural activities
  • Increase transit frequency and improve traffic flow
  • Complete the build out of the town centre.

 

October 5, 2018 in Blog, Current News, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Meet the candidates: Jordan Back

We wanted to get to know who in our neighbourhood was stepping up and putting themselves out there to help govern our city. We recognize some of the names and definitely want to get to know those we don’t.

We reached out to all the councillor candidates who live in Lynn Valley and submitted their contact details on the District of North Vancouver website. We passed on four questions we thought would be broad enough to showcase their personality and their positions, but would also focus their attention on Lynn Valley and the issues that matter here. The candidates had the option to respond to the questions they chose and how they wanted. Additional responses can be found here. And don’t forget to VOTE October 20.

Why do you want to be a District of North Vancouver councillor?

I’ve lived in Lynn Valley for the past 33 years and I think it’s still the best place in the world to live! I have been actively involved here as a resident, in business, and as a volunteer. I would like to be a Councillor, as I think it would be a natural extension of my passion for the community, for listening, and for helping others. I have seen the community change and evolve over the years. In many cases for the better, but I’m not sure it’s always been with the interests of my generation in mind. My vision for the community is to preserve everything we love about it, while ensuring it continues to be livable for all generations. From youth, to growing families, to seniors, it’s important that all voices at every stage of life are heard. I also hope to be the most accessible person on Council, listening to the community at every opportunity.

Why should the public give you their vote?

I think people appreciate the fact that I am running as an independent candidate who is not part of any slate or team. I will provide an independent voice on Council. Furthermore, I am probably the most well rounded candidate on the ballot. My career is in advertising and, while I started my career in community newspapers – at the North Shore News – I have spent the last ten years in media sales with Corus Entertainment (Global BC and CKNW radio). My experience working with the business community is balanced with my passion for the arts – I studied music at UBC and currently sing in Chor Leoni Men’s Choir. I also have strong ties to athletics – I am a runner and triathlete and have completed seven IRONMAN triathlons. Most importantly, I am a strong listener and I have the ability to bring different groups of people together, to work towards common goals.

What issues do you want to focus on?

I’ll tackle the biggest issues facing our community – transportation and housing – and I hope to bring fresh perspective to both of these topics. We cannot solve these challenges at the municipal level, but there is a lot we can do. Working with the District’s largest employers to reduce the number of employee vehicles on the road, making car share programs like Evo and car2go available in our Town Centres, getting more creative in the types of housing we allow, improving customer service levels at the District and making home renovations or upgrades an easier process, working with NVSD to provide much needed before and after school care for children, these are just a few of my ideas. We also must “remove the silos” and work closer with the City of North Vancouver on many fronts and I hope to work with District staff to establish the best framework for this.

What are your priorities for Lynn Valley?

We are living in a construction zone these days, but I am excited to finally see the revitalization of our Town Centre come to life! I was involved with the Lynn Valley Village merchants’ opening over 10 years ago – helping them with their branding and marketing – and I feel the same excitement in seeing the Lynn Valley Centre come to life. I would love to see more events like the summer concert series and Christmas tree decorating in our public spaces happening throughout the year. Other priorities include working closely with organizations like North Shore Mountain Bike Association, and other user groups of our trails, to make sure they are being supported on issues like trail management, as places like Lynn Canyon become more and more popular with visitors to the area. I believe our community has more opportunities than challenges ahead of us, and I hope to hear from many people on the issues important to them!

October 5, 2018 in Blog, Current News, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Meet the candidates: Greg Robins

We wanted to get to know who in our neighbourhood was stepping up and putting themselves out there to help govern our city. We recognize some of the names and definitely want to get to know those we don’t.

We reached out to all the councillor candidates who live in Lynn Valley and submitted their contact details on the District of North Vancouver website. We passed on four questions we thought would be broad enough to showcase their personality and their positions, but would also focus their attention on Lynn Valley and the issues that matter here. The candidates had the option to respond to the questions they chose and how they wanted. Additional responses can be found here. And don’t forget to VOTE October 20.

Why do you want to be a District of North Vancouver councillor?

The reason I want to represent the people of the District is threefold; I believe in a strong community represented by the interests of local residents, I support small businesses owned and operated by those living on the North Shore, and I deeply value our unique natural surroundings and feel they need to be protected and nurtured.

Why should the public give you their vote?

I have a passion for the North Shore and all the residents who call it home. I believe in advocating for the people and standing up for their concerns, needs and demands. I am honest, trustworthy, dedicated, and I’m here to listen and represent for all residents.

What issues do you want to focus on?

Residents I have met have voiced their overwhelming concern the pricing of real estate. The will focus on building rental stock to allow our residents’ children to stay on the North Shore and give others a chance to live here. To address transportation, we have an excellent rolling start with the Integrated North Shore Transportation Planning Project (INSTPP) which makes realistic and affordable suggestions to bring better transit and ease the pinch-points of traffic.

What are your priorities for Lynn Valley?

As a Lynn Valley resident, my priorities are to revitalize or create more rental stock that’s in character with Lynn Valley, support the proposed changes to coach houses, advocate for more transit throughout the community, and call for safer routes for kids who want to walk or bike to school.

October 5, 2018 in Blog, Current News, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Meet the candidates: Sameer Parekh

We wanted to get to know who in our neighbourhood was stepping up and putting themselves out there to help govern our city. We recognize some of the names and definitely want to get to know those we don’t.

We reached out to all the councillor candidates who live in Lynn Valley and submitted their contact details on the District of North Vancouver website. We passed on four questions we thought would be broad enough to showcase their personality and their positions, but would also focus their attention on Lynn Valley and the issues that matter here. The candidates had the option to respond to the questions they chose and how they wanted. Additional responses can be found here. And don’t forget to VOTE October 20.

Why do you want to be a District of North Vancouver councillor?

As a lifelong resident, who’s lived in four different neighbourhoods in the District; it is home. It’s time that the DNV finds solutions to the challenges of housing, transportation and much more. People here are frustrated with the career politicians that have been in council for over a decade and want to see their Councillors offer solutions. I’m ready to offer the residents of the DNV my expertise, energy and dedication as their Councillor to move forward.  I expect to be held to account by my community and to deliver results that are long overdue.

Why should the public give you their vote?

I am a dedicated to my community and the environment and volunteer my time to improve them both.  I helped run my family business here in Lynn Valley and currently work for a membership-based organization. I earned my Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Transportation & Logistics and Information Systems at UBC’s Sauder School of Business. After working for five years, I returned to school and earned my Master’s in Business Administration from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. This well rounded experience has built strong collaboration skills to work with others with diverse perspectives will help to get things done.

What issues do you want to focus on?

When knocking on doors and speaking to fellow residents in Lynn Valley, the main issues we face are transportation, housing and building better communities.

All three of these issues impact each other.

Having the option for more people to live where they work with more affordable housing, builds better communities. People can then spend more time being with family and friends.  Being able to live where you work reduces traffic by allowing people to commute in a different way, spend time in our great neighbourhood and be active, while contributing to local businesses and lessen our impact to the environment.  North Vancouver has added more jobs than working aged residents; this directly adds to the congestion we face because people are commuting here!

This is one example of how these issues are connected, and one of the solutions I am going to bring forward as a member of Council for the DNV.

What are your priorities for Lynn Valley?

My priorities for our community are to:

  • Build affordable housing for families, seniors and people working here by looking to fast track rental housing permits, including basement suites
  • Accelerate the Lynn Valley B-Line bus expansion to downtown (via Lonsdale) to help ease congestion and give residents another commuting option
  • Optimize roads for better traffic flow and to provide safer routes to schools and amenities for people to walk, bike and roll.
October 5, 2018 in Blog, Current News, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Meet the candidates: ZoAnn Morten

We wanted to get to know who in our neighbourhood was stepping up and putting themselves out there to help govern our city. We recognize some of the names and definitely want to get to know those we don’t.

We reached out to all the councillor candidates who live in Lynn Valley and submitted their contact details on the District of North Vancouver website. We passed on four questions we thought would be broad enough to showcase their personality and their positions, but would also focus their attention on Lynn Valley and the issues that matter here. The candidates had the option to respond to the questions they chose and how they wanted. Additional responses can be found here. And don’t forget to VOTE October 20.

Why do you want to be a District of North Vancouver councillor?

I have a passion for the North Shore and all the residents who it home. I believe in advocating for the people and standing up for their concerns, needs and demands. I am honest, trustworthy, dedicated, and I’m here to listen and represent for all residents.

Why should the public give you their vote?

After 30 years of volunteering in programs and projects for the benefit of North Vancouver people and the environment, I feel I have gained the understanding of our community and our local government. I would like to take my knowledge of policy writing and implementation to form our policy and regulations so they have purpose, are easy to understand and have reason to them.  I hear “we are losing our quality of life” I feel this is a term we should grapple with, to understand fully and then work towards having Quality of Life across our District.

What issues do you want to focus on?

I would like to step back so we can  monitor what is “in the works” what are we building? Do we have the infrastructure to support what is coming? (roads, hospitals, classrooms, sewage and water pipes…) are we missing pieces? What are the needs of current residents and what are the needs of those who are arriving? We have time to get this right IF we want to get it right.

The lane being built on the north side of Lynn Creek bridge took 22 years that I know of,  from talking of it,  to construction. We best start talking now as to what our future needs are.

What are your priorities for Lynn Valley?

Lynn Valley is my home. When I start to write, a travelogue comes out “A community nestled at the foot of the mountains with clean freshwater streams tumbling over rocks and logs, in our back yards and parks.” My priority for Lynn Valley is that we are able to Be Community, that we recognize our neighbourhoods and our neighbours. That we are able to find rest in our homes, parks and common spaces. Living with Nature.

ZoAnnMorten.ca

www.facebook.com/VoteZoAnnDNV

October 5, 2018 in Blog, Current News, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Meet the candidates: Betty Forbes

We wanted to get to know who in our neighbourhood was stepping up and putting themselves out there to help govern our city. We recognize some of the names and definitely want to get to know those we don’t.

We reached out to all the councillor candidates who live in Lynn Valley and submitted their contact details on the District of North Vancouver website. We passed on four questions we thought would be broad enough to showcase their personality and their positions, but would also focus their attention on Lynn Valley and the issues that matter here. The candidates had the option to respond to the questions they chose and how they wanted. Additional responses can be found here. And don’t forget to VOTE October 20.

Why do you want to be a District of North Vancouver councillor?

I am a fourth generation North Vancouverite and a life-long volunteer on many committees, including the OCP Implementation Monitoring Committee.  I attend Council meetings, workshops, and Open Hearings.  In this last term of Council I have seen that the communities questions, presentations, voices are not being heard.  I want to take the communities voices to the decision table and ensure that they are heard, discussed and Council’s decisions are transparent.

Why should the public give you their vote?

Professionally I am an accountant and in the past I have worked at a senior level in the District’s finance department for many years.  I have worked in government, understand it’s protocols and systems.  I was appointed to the OCP Implementation Monitoring Committee last year and have studied the OCP inside and out as my bedtime reading.  It is an excellent document and I have been dismayed at the amount of re-zonings and amendments that the current council has done.  It is a living document and is suppose to be reviewed every 5 years and we are now 2 years overdue.  I want the community to have input a 2019 review.

What issues do you want to focus on?

I have a number of issues I want to focus on but the top three are: transportation & infrastructure, housing affordability and development, council transparency & accountability.

Transportation and infrastructure has not kept up with the pace of development so we need to slow down development until our infrastructure catches up (ie: roads, sewers, lighting, wastewater, sidewalks, schools, hospital etc.).  We need a more efficient transit system to just get around the North Shore never mind trying to get over the bridges.

Housing “affordability” needs to be addressed to accommodate all community residents including the young, the new families, established families, seniors and the disabled.  The District needs to have a diverse range of housing and work with non-profit organizations like Habitat Humanity to provide subsidized housing.  The DNV should also lobby both provincially and federally to get them back into offering incentives such as tax credits to developers to build more “affordable” housing.  I would like to see the definition of “affordable” be tied to income not market.  The last several years we have been building $1.2M+ market condos that are not affordable to most, causing renovictions and people leaving the North Shore as they cannot afford to live here.  Workers are also leaving so businesses are now having trouble getting or retaining workers.  This lack of housing affordability will result in current businesses closing and new businesses will choose to start-up somewhere else.

What are your priorities for Lynn Valley?

I have lived in Lynn Valley for over 38 years and have raised my two adult children here as a single mom during their adolescence so I know Lynn Valley well.  My priorities would be:

       -getting more public transit more often to make connections during more hours of the day

       -lobby for a B-Line bus from Lynn Valley to the Quay

       -slow down development and concentrate any density in the town center

       -phase developments so as not to have a negative impact on the surrounding neighbourhood

       -keep older rental stock to the end of it’s useful life to avoid renovicting people into a .5% rental vacancy market ie:  Emery Village

       -build rental stock

       -build more diverse housing for all stages of one’s life

       -provide a youth center

       -promote Lynn Valley Village (mall) as a good place to do business

       -keep all our green spaces and parks protected

October 5, 2018 in Blog, Current News, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Culture Days: Glorious Mountains

From zeppelin logging to secret whiskey caches, the tales and trails of North Shore mountains come alive in a new book from locals David and Harry Crerar and Bill Maurer. Highlights from The Glorious Mountains of  Vancouver’s North Shore will be shared at the upcoming Culture Days Festival in Lynn Valley.

Ninth annual Culture Days September 28-30th

Culture Days is an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to try something new, experience something totally different, discover creative spaces in the community and meet the artists that work there. North Vancouver Parks and Recreation have centred the events at seven different “Hubs” throughout the District and City of North Vancouver.

“North Shore Culture Days celebrates the vital role that arts and culture plays in creating vibrant and connected communities. We invite residents to participate, be inspired and have some fun.” said Heather Turner, Director, North Vancouver Recreation & Culture Commission.

We have two picks for Lynn Valley:

  1. Saturday Sept. 29; 10-11 a.m. Shaketown Walk with NVMA curator Karen Dearlove , Community History Centre, 3203 Institute Road, Lynn Valley
  2. Saturday, Sept. 29; 2-3 p.m. The Glorious Mountains of Vancouver’s North Shore with author David Crerar,  Community History Centre, 3203 Institute Road, Lynn Valley

Glorious Mountains

For David Crerar the love of the mountains came early. It was puttering around the neighbourhood heading off on random trails – sometimes ending up in Deep Cove at about eight-years-old after following the Baden Powell trail after school, well that was only once, he says.

Author David Crerar with giant cedar on slopes of Zinc Mountain

“My parents appreciated the outdoors and were content to let me play around in the forest and explore,” said Crerar, still a North Shore resident and now a lawyer. “We lament we couldn’t quite give our kids the same experience – more because of cars than bears, so my way was to embrace outdoor adventures. Walking, hiking, exploring – I think they did Little Goat Mountain behind Grouse by the time they were three.”

His passion for local hills lead to the creation of a contest to encourage local trail runners to hit as many peaks as they can in a single season.

“I found there wasn’t a list,” said Crerar. So he began making one, which lead to more research and now, eight years of research later, a book is complete.

From Dreams to Pages

With friend Bill Maurer, and high-school-aged son Harry, Crerar has written The Glorious Mountains of Vancouver’s North Shore – a Peakbaggers Guide that goes well beyond the typical trail guide.  

“In the marvelous 105 Hikes by Stephen Hui, it covers, I think, only 10 of the hikes,” he said. “And although it is classified as a hiking book, I almost prefer to think of it as everything you need to or wanted know about these mountains in our backyard. Even folks who aren’t hikers will find history and culture.

“There has never been a book written like this which focuses on the North Shore peaks and which tries to provide not only a comprehensive list of hiking routes but the history of the mountains not only hiking use but the long industrial history beyond the obvious forestry – did you know there is an existing zinc claim in the [Lynn] Headwaters Regional Park on the Hanes Valley trail?”

The authors also recognize the history in the mountains extends well past the European contact.

“I think we have written the most comprehensive collection of local indigenous people use of and names for not only mountains, but also creeks and islands and everything,” said Crerar. “We’ve researched the archaeological finds and there is a fair bit of information on Squamish and Tsleil–Waututh nations.”

There a nuggets and secrets like this peppered throughout a short conversation with Crerar. The depth of his local knowledge perhaps only trumped by his enthusiasm to get outside. Take Lynn Peak for instance, right in our own backyard.

“Did you know the park sign leading to the peak – isn’t technically the peak? It’s a viewpoint,” he said. “Most people don’t know the reason it is clear and makes a nice view point is that in the 1960s there was a zeppelin logging operation there and that was the mountaintop docking station. They would basically float this big balloon up and put a bunch of logs on it and float it down again. If you bike along the Lower Seymour Conservation trail lower down and to the east, you will find Balloon Creek and the Balloon Picnic Area – they are there for a reason. It tells a relatively unknown and wacky bit of North Shore history.”

Culture Days

First ascent of the Camel August 4, 1908

Much of the research the authors undertook was at Lynn Valley’s North Vancouver Museum and Archives and the Community History Centre, which also houses the BC Mountaineering Club archive. David Crerar will be returning Sept. 29th from 2-3 p.m. to share more secrets from his book and local highlights. Pre-registration is required: call 604 990 3700 x8016.

“I’ll be talking about waterfalls you don’t know about, First Nations history, wildlife – there are still mountain goats in our local mountains,” said Crerar. “If you hike back there you will see old mining claims, old mining stakes, old metal stoves – there is so much mining history back there and Vancouverites really have no idea. There are a bunch of plane crashes in mountains. There has been a fairly recent phenomena of whiskey caches – there are so many unique things to learn about.”

David Crerar’s book The Glorious Mountains of Vancouver’s North Shore is available now and he will be speaking Sept. 29 from 2-3 p.m. at the Community History Centre 3203 Institute Road, Lynn Valley. Pre-register: 604 990 3700 x8016.

Photos courtesy of David Crerar and Rocky Mountain Books. 

For all the Cutlure Days events check out the  NVRC website at https://www.nvrc.ca/arts-culture/culture-days (for Lynn Valley events, click on the Lynn Valley Hub accordion on the webpage) or the national website at https://culturedays.ca/en.

Looking for more?

There’s always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.

September 6, 2018 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Looking Back Comments (0)