Development and Town Planning

Trees to be cleared at Rice Lake

Dam maintenance on Rice Lake will clear 200 trees and significantly change the shoreline of the lake. Metro Vancouver is currently engaging in public consultation about the project. In 2023 the north and south dams on the lake will undergo significant maintenance. The public has a chance to review and comment on the restoration until early September.

Review prompts changes

The public is invited to comment on planned changes to the north and south ends of Rice Lake through a public engagement process with Metro Vancouver until September 7. A routine review of the dams revealed they no longer fit their water licence and prompted a long-term maintenance and inspection plan, said Niki Reitmayer, senior media relations strategist for Metro Vancouver. 

“To complete this work, vegetation and trees next to each dam will be removed,” she said. “This will support effective regular inspections and monitoring of the dams and prevent roots from causing damage that would require increased maintenance.”

According to Metro Vancouver’s website, approximately 200 trees will need to be removed.  Most of these are small (less than a 30 cm diameter), and about 10% are dead and must be removed for public safety reasons, it says.

“The maintenance work will create new open spaces around the dams at the north and south end of Rice Lake,” said Reitmayer. “These new spaces provide an opportunity to enhance the visitor experience at the lake. Public feedback will allow us to do something meaningful with the new open space and it will be considered alongside technical advice and First Nations input.”

Public input

With significant land clearing required, the municipal federation is asking for public input on the proposed designs and for comments on how residents use Rice Lake. Metro Vancouver has a survey available until September 7. The survey provides some background on the project and the proposed restoration of the land after clearing and maintenance are complete. 

“In order to meet the BC Dam Safety regulations, trees and vegetation must be removed from within approximately five metres of the dam perimeters,” said Reitmayer. “The spaces near the dams will need to remain clear and open in order to facilitate effective maintenance and regular inspections of the dams.  No changes are planned along the Rice Lake shoreline, except in the immediate areas of the dams.”

The proposed designs look very different from the current shores of Rice Lake. On the south end, the small wooden pier will be removed and replaced with some shore access and public art to educate the public about Metro Vancouver’s water system. The north end has a proposed picnic area and lake viewing area. The concept has been described by Metro Vancouver as “celebrating what lies beneath.” 

“Celebrating what lies beneath is one consideration in the current concept designs,” said Reitmayer. “Creating awareness of the drinking water infrastructure at Rice Lake, which includes two dams and a regional water main, provides education on how our water system shaped the area and why we must protect it for the future.”

The proposed concepts do not reforest the area similar to the current trees and small shore pockets, instead the north and south will have open spaces to facilitate maintenance and inspection of the dams. 

“The new open spaces then provided an opportunity to work with the public, First Nations, and technical experts to create accessible, enjoyable, educational, and environmentally-conscious concepts to enhance the dam areas.”

The design proposed for the south end of the lake also includes a new interactive map. 

“The 3D wayfinding sculpture we are sharing as part of the concept designs is an interactive and tactile way for visitors of any age and ability to understand the landscape and how our regional water infrastructure interacts with the area,” said Reitmayer. “This type of sculpture would allow visitors to touch the contours of the lake, view the dam locations, and orient themselves within the landscape.”

 During the public consultation period, park users are encouraged to share why Rice Lake is important to them. 

“We are asking residents to share what they love about Rice Lake on a virtual comment wall,” said Reitmayer. “We will be sharing selected stories from here on construction signage during the maintenance work around the Rice Lake dams in 2023.”

Construction

The report from the public engagement process is expected to be complete in late fall 2022, with clearing work is expected to start in early 2023 and plans for dam restoration to be complete by spring 2023 and further site restoration throughout the summer.  

“Rice Lake will remain open during the maintenance and restoration work, but there will be crews and equipment in the area. There may be times where some trails are not available or where we will ask trail users to wait momentarily while crews and equipment pass through,” she said.  

To have your say, complete Metro Vancouver’s survey before September 7, 2022. 

All drawings provided by Metro Vancouver. 

Looking for more?

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August 4, 2022 in Blog, Development and Town Planning, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Where local government meets wildlife

There has been a lot of planning and future thought put into the development of Lynn Valley and the District of North Vancouver as a whole. Lynn Valley’s unique mountainside location has more than just human neighbours. We reached out to the DNV to learn more about the policy and planning that is going on to protect and promote wildlife in the community.   

Policy planning

In July 2021 the DNV council adopted an OCP Action Plan. It was a process to check-in on the current OCP adopted in 2011. 

“ The OCP Action Plan includes a priority action to strengthen the resiliency of natural environments, with the goal of protecting and enhancing ecosystem health,” said Courtenay Rannard, communications coordinator for the DNV. 

“Council recently directed staff to develop and implement a biodiversity strategy to protect, restore, and enhance ecosystem health within our community, including protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat and ecological networks.”


It will support a number of ongoing projects like the Urban Tree Canopy Project that provides native trees and shrubs to residents – free of charge – to plant on their own properties, she said. The Urban Tree Canopy Project will return again this fall. 

“As they grow, these trees provide shelter and food for many species and animals,” said Rannard.

Streams and creeks

The North Shore is braided with streams and creeks. These unique features are foundations of local wildlife habitat and their care and protection are top of mind at the District. 

“We’re in the process of developing an Integrated Stormwater Management Plan, which will improve streamside habitat, reduce pollution in our creeks and streams, and improve groundwater conditions,” said Rannard.

 The DNV has designated streamside (riparian) protection development areas which aim to protect the natural setting, ecosystems and watershed. 

“Riparian areas are home to many different species of wildlife and serve as important wildlife corridors throughout the district,” said Rannard. “Wildlife corridors are crucial to promote the safe movement of birds and animals, as well as respite areas in urban settings. If a resident owns a home that falls within this DPA and wants to seek a building permit, they must first go through a review with the Environment Department before a permit is issued.”

There are similarly designated areas protecting other natural areas, and like streamside protection areas, require homeowners must first go through a review with the Environment Department before a permit is issued.

Bylaws and policies supporting wildlife

Some animal protections have been put in place like the 2020 ban on anticoagulant rodenticides. 

“By banning rodenticides where we can, we are actively supporting owls and other birds of prey by removing rodenticide from the food web,” said Rannard. “While owls are the most studied species when it comes to rodenticide, research has shown that many other species are negatively impacted by rodenticide including songbirds, raccoons, and coyotes, as well as domestic animals like cats and dogs.”

Another key management area is to reduce the amount of invasive species in the area. 

 “Our Invasive Species Strategy guides our work to prevent and control harmful, invasive plants such as knotweed, hogweed, and English Ivy,” said Rannard. “More than two dozen species of invasive plants have established in the District. Other examples of invasive species include the European fire ant, goldfish, and many others.”

In recent years residents may have noticed a change in our forests parks. There is more material left behind after maintenance, which is all a part of a larger restoration plan. 

“We leave large woody debris in our parks when we plant restoration areas,” she said. “We identify areas where large woody debris can be left as small mammal habitat. We know that small mammals need logs to run on and, more importantly, under. Where possible, we also leave wildlife snags (standing dead trees) in these areas to provide habitat for cavity-nesting birds and other species.”

Small acts, big impacts

As we live alongside wildlife there are practices homeowners can undertake to better co-exist. 

“We all have a unique set of responsibilities when it comes to living so close to the wilderness,” said Rannard. “Properly managing household waste is one of the most impactful ways that residents can help.”

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail

Just this week, Lynn Valley’s first bear was sighted awake from hibernation. 

 “Each year as bears come out of hibernation and wildlife becomes more active, we work closely with the North Shore Black Bear Society to educate our community on ways to reduce encounters between humans and local wildlife,” she said. “Keeping properties clear of attractants, only setting garbage and organics carts out in the morning (never overnight), and being generally respectful of animal habitat areas are all ways our community can co-exist with wildlife.”

While we take care of the biggest neigbours there are also opportunities to support our tiniest neighbours and the good news it means less work for homeowners. 

 “Simple things can make a big difference,” Said Rannard.  “For example, by not keeping your garden too tidy in the spring, residents can support native bees overwintering in the vegetation. Planting pollinator-friendly plants can also have a big impact.

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.

March 9, 2022 in Blog, Development and Town Planning, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Managing North Shore emergencies

The North Shore Emergency Management office has just released a plan to get residents thinking about how they will take care of their families if disaster strikes. This is part three in our series about environmental risks, wildfires, and the impacts on the North Shore.

Regional approach

A new director took the reins of the North Shore Emergency Management this past January. As Emily Dicken dove into the new role, she was pleased with the foundation built by the Districts of North and West Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver. As the risks around the province rose this summer with increased wildfire risk, it was an opportunity to see our regional plans in action. 

Emily Dicken

“The depth of capacity found on the North Shore supersedes a lot of municipal spaces,” said Dicken. “When municipalities work in silos, there isn’t the depth of capacity to manage large-scale events. On the North Shore because we have that tri-municipal program, we have been able to build incredible program capacity. We also have a huge depth of volunteer support we can draw on. We have people ready to drop everything in a time of crisis to help their community.”

As the province looked beyond the Interior to support evacuating communities, the North Shore was able to not only send firefighting resources to help, it was able to open its doors to evacuees. Residents of an Interior community came to the North Shore and NSEM supported with lodging, clothing, meals, Indigenous culture wellness – and even some fun activities, said Dicken.

  “People were coming to the North Shore because we had the capacity to support that,” she said. “It was an opportunity to test our functions and approaches without going through our own incident. We never really know what a response will look like until we’re in it. It was a chance to learn more without direct impact on our community.” 

Household approach

An early goal from Dicken was to build on the procedures in place at the municipal level and engage residents at the household level. The wildfire season was a fitting time to release the new North Shore Evacuation Guide.

“We know when people are prepared to evacuate is less traumatic and we know – even if you are prepared – evacuating is very traumatic,” said Dicken. 

“Given we had a potential for a devastating fire season and the impact on the forest from the looper moths I felt it was a great place to start with our evacuation strategy. We have a lot of work to do to communicate our expectations at the household level in an emergency. There is an incredibly rich and resilient evacuation plan and process in place for the various response agencies, but citizens don’t have access to that. What we tried to do is take the information we want people to know and break it down into action they can take in a tool that is easy to understand.”

The new guide covers the steps households should take prior to and during an evacuation. Most residents are not ready, said Dicken. People tend not to engage in preparedness unless they have gone through one before, she added. 

“It comes down to the household level to be prepared for an evacuation,” said Dicken. 

The guide begins by walking residents through the steps of their own personal evacuation plan. It covers what to pack in a ‘grab and go’ bag, as well as setting up a family and friends communication strategy. 

“We know there are some people in our community who will struggle with evacuations – people with mobility challenges, seniors who no longer drive and others who are in isolation,” she said. “There are gaps we need to close. This is ‘evacuation plan 1.0’ and it will evolve.”

The other key takeaway from the evacuation guide is to download the app Alertable. 

“Alertable will ensure people get information. The important part is not just the notifications that an evacuation is happening, there will be enough context provided that it will tell you where you can go safely.”

Dicken notes that Alertable is an additional tool with increased efficiency and comprehensive information but will not replace the neighbourhood or door-to-door notification will still take place by the fire department, police and volunteers in an emergency situation.

Neighbourhood engagment

Like many agencies, there have been challenges in the last 20 months for NSEM to continue its public education campaigns.

“With covid, it has been a lot harder. In normal years we would be in the schools doing presentations, we would be out at community gatherings and events,” she said. “There are these limiting factors that reduce the dialogue on what preparedness looks like.” 

NSEM has stepped up in important ways during this time. After the March stabbing at Lynn Valley Village, it moved out of its usual emergency support to leverage its provincial connections and resources to establish the Crisis Wellness Centre at Karen Magnussen providing mental health support for community members. 

When planning a response to a region or neighbourhood wide crisis, Dicken assures robust plans are well established. 

“There are almost no scenarios where we would need to evacuate the entire North Shore,” she said. “If you think of a seismic event, we won’t be using our bridges right away. We would look at other interoperable methods of transport like the Seabus until we know our infrastructure is stable.”

For a scenario like wildfire, the response will be measured. 

“There won’t be a mass exodus of the North Shore,” said Dicken. “What it will be is a very staged and focused evacuation where what we’ll do is move certain neighbourhoods out of the North Shore or into other areas.” 

If you take the time to plan, prepare your family, and download Alertable, you will be in a better position during a crisis, she said. 

“Intuitively, we know the best way out of our neighbourhoods. It can become paralysing if [government/support agencies] prescribe routes. It’s about creating a plan for your household, your neighbours and, if you work off the North Shore and have children, that you have a plan in place for them.”

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.

October 6, 2021 in Blog, Development and Town Planning, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors Comments (0)

Looking forward and planning for the future

The District of North Vancouver is reaching out to residents to think about the future of the district. It is in the middle of a “targeted Official Community Plan (OCP) review.” It has assembled background documents in four topic areas and is asking for feedback from residents. It’s a lot to take in and it may be intimidating but it is a chance to have your goals for the future of Lynn Valley. Our neighbourhood has seen rapid changes, many forecast by the OCP and still, the community seemed surprised at times. This is a chance to get out in front of community issues. 

What is the OCP?

The Official Community Plan (OCP) helps a local government describe its long-term vision for the future. The objectives and policies help guide elected officials and employees in land use, transportation, sustainability, and many other areas of managing a municipality.  According to the DNV our current OCP was completed in 2011 and over 5,000 people participated in its development.

“It works together with more detailed strategic action and implementation plans, such as corporate and financial plans, our Town Centres’ Implementation Plans, the Transportation Plan, the Parks and Open Space Strategic Plan, and others,” said Justin Beddall, communications coordinator for the DNV. “Many of the changes you see today in Lynn Valley, Lynn Creek, and Lions Gate Village, for example, originated from the direction and policy in the 2011 OCP.”

Why should this matter to you?

A scan of local social media there is a lot of back and forth from residents about the changes to Lynn Valley. Some love the densification and the opportunity for more people to make this great community home. Others agree but find the growth puts the community financially outreach for a diverse community. Some don’t like the growth direction at all. For local mom, and now rental housing advocate, Kelly Bond wishes she engaged earlier in the OCP process. 

“As one who was in the throws of raising tots and teens during the years leading up to the OCP adoption in 2011, I didn’t take the time to learn or understand the importance of being engaged in the process. If I’m honest, I didn’t even know what an Official Community Plan was,” said Bond, even as a very active community volunteer, at the time the process didn’t grab her attention at first. “ If I had taken a moment to become fully informed, I might have understood that the very OCP being created put my (and that of 60 other) family’s purpose-built rental housing and its luxurious green space that surrounded it at extreme risk of redevelopment.  I would have more strongly advocated for a greater inclusion and protection of purpose-built rental units for town centres areas over the more widely considered strata and investment options.”

As Bond was forced into action to advocate for more diverse housing, it led to a better understanding of all OCP issues and how they relate to each and every resident. 

“While replacement rental housing is what brought me to be actively engaged in municipal action, I now see how intricately that transportation, economy, recreation, education and climate issues co-relate and I frequently choose to make my thoughts heard to the decision-makers as they debate resolutions and motions,” she said  

What is the review?

This current review process was requested by district council to take a closer look at four specific areas to ensure the OCP continues to support the current vision and goals for the community. 

“The targeted OCP review seeks to address the biggest issues facing the citizens of the District of North Vancouver – housing, transportation, climate emergency, and the economy and employment lands,” said Beddall. “This engagement is an opportunity for citizens to voice their opinions and views to help shape the actions the District will be taking to address the biggest issues facing this community.” 

The DNV is open to all residents, business owners, and employees that work in the district to give their input through May 16. 

“In particular, families, seniors, students, disabled, new immigrants, and renters should actively participate and add their voices into the four areas established for targeted review,” said Bond.

For the district it helps gauge the current climate which has moved on from 2011. 

“The goal of the targeted review is to ensure we account for emerging issues, challenges, and trends in these four areas, and set guidance through an action plan as we continue to implement the OCP through 2030,” said Beddall.

The district’s webpage dedicated to the review gathers documents on transportation, housing, the climate emergency, and economy and employment lands for residents to review and a survey to offer feedback. 

“We’ve made efforts to help people engage in ways that works for them, while staying safe during the pandemic,” he said. “District residents have told us that many people prefer to participate in civic matters when it works for their schedules, rather than at specific times, so people can participate in a survey online at DNV.org/OCP-review. We’re making an effort to be respectful of peoples’ interests and available time to devote to something like this, so participants can choose to share their thoughts about all four areas or choose the topics that they are the most passionate about.”

For Bond, it is an opportunity she hopes others will take, and it could have a direct impact in the years ahead as the district updates its direction within Metro Vancouver’s 2050 regional growth strategy. 

 “Public input in the targeted OCP review can potentially impact what share DNV commits to as far as growth and population for the immediate years ahead,” she said. “The questions are fairly self-explanatory and presented in layman’s terms. If you feel less strongly about one particular topic, but have strong opinions or new ideas about another, your comments are equally vital and valid. All feedback provided helps establish the direction the district will seek and which experts would need to be further consulted to ensure the community’s priorities are acted on in strategy and policy formation.”  

There were also a number of virtual workshops to join, the last occurring May 10th. Details can be found here: DNV.org/OCP-review.

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.

May 6, 2021 in Blog, Current News, Development and Town Planning, Governance and Services Comments (0)

Lynn Valley electrified

If you are still driving in Lynn Valley and managing to avoid road closures, construction delays and the chaos of the Lynn Valley Centre parking lot, you may have noticed a smaller project underway at the corner of Lynn Valley Road and Mountain Highway. Petro Canada has selected Lynn Valley for a new electric charging station.

One of four

The new “Electric Highway” will eventually stretch from coast to coast. Currently there are four stations planned for the Lower Mainland. Two are operational in Langley and Abbotsford, and two more in the works – one in downtown Vancouver and one in Lynn Valley. We reached out to Petro Canada for more information and opening dates but they chose not to respond to LynnValleyLife.

The project is bringing a fast charge station with both the CCS and CHAdeMO connectors with the capacity to charge most vehicles in under 30 minutes. 

From Victoria, B.C. to Stewiacke, N.S., electric vehicle drivers have access to 50 locations along the Trans-Canada Highway. The initiative is supported by $4.6 million in funding from the federal government Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative. 

BC hotbed for EVs

B.C. leads the way in Canada for the shift to electric vehicles. There are already over 30,000 electric vehicles on the road and over 1,000 public charging stations. The push in B.C. for electric vehicles is supported by B.C.’s supply of clean energy. More than 95 percent of B.C.’s electricity is from clean sources (unlike many jurisdictions which burn fossil fuels for electricity).

In 2018, there were 44,000 zero-emission vehicles sold in Canada. Double the sales of 2017. It works out to less than one percent of vehicles on the road nationally and just under two percent in B.C.  For the year 2018, in British Columbia, Tesla made up the largest block of zero-emission vehicles sold at 2,500, followed by the Nissan Leaf at 1,019 and the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid at just under 1,000.

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.

March 6, 2020 in Blog, Carousel, Current News, Development and Town Planning Comments (0)

Lynn Valley on two wheels

Lynn Valley is heading out of some significant road construction as the 29th St. bike lane nears completion and another bike lane project scheduled to come up for summer 2020 on Lynn Valley Road. Without a doubt, cycling is part of the culture of North Vancouver. The District OCP goals aim for 35 percent of trips tol be made by public or active (cycling, on foot)  transportation by 2030. We spoke with Jay Jardine, Lynn Valley resident and vice-chair of HUB North Shore. 

Bikes, bikes and more bikes

With access to world class mountain bike trails and half-decent transit, many families in Lynn Valley make do with just one car. 

“Many people have more bikes than cars at their house,” said Jardine. “As an advocacy organization, we know people want to use them more but the infrastructure isn’t there. We go up into the mountains and ride on all these stunts but are afraid to ride on city streets.” 

The community’s proximity to accessible outdoors attracts a certain kind of resident.

“We are an active community and that goes hand in hand with active transportation, people want to put effort in to get a bit of a workout,” he explained. “There are also people who are environmentally conscious and it’s a priority for them to be environmentally conscious with their transportation footprint.”

Both HUB and the District of North Vancouver are seeing trends of more cyclists on the road and especially more cyclists commuting.

Technological advances

One of the biggest changes to cycling is the rise of e-bikes. The motor-assisted bicycles are seeing technological advances and price decreases making the North Shore hills less daunting and more accessible. 

“We see from our count stations at Bike to Work Week the proportion of e-bikes is going up,” said Jardine. “We like to say it ‘flattens the shore.’ It’s no longer an ordeal to get home at the end of the day, it really opens the range of ages and abilities that can use the network.”

In the fall during an interview with Mayor Mike Little, he shared he has noticed a distinct increase in e-bikes and cycle commuters amongst District staff. So much so they have increased the number of District fleet vehicles as staff no longer use their own vehicles for work. Adding that the climbing numbers of all cyclists – especially e-cyclists – that makes him inclined to support projects like the 29th St. bike lane, as an essential east-west connection.

There are also trends to make cycling more family friendly with European-style cargo and longtail bikes becoming more common on North Van streets.

“People used to ask how they can bike or be car-free with kids,” said Jardine. “Of course some need to get their kids and gear to hockey practice in a mini-van but you also now see parents with two kids on the bike doing errands at Lynn Valley Mall.”

Infrastructure

With numerous projects on the books, HUB still continues to lobby for a more continuous network of cycling routes. 

“Compared to Vancouver we just aren’t there yet,” said Jardine. “When we look at the profiles of riders we are very interested in the ‘Interested but concerned’ – that’s who we want to target with more infrastructure. What we would like to see are ‘class A’ facilities, almost always separated from traffic where the volume and speeds are too high. Almost always separated from pedestrians because cyclists can be a hazard, and a network of traffic calmed neighbourhood streets.”

Casano-Loutet rendering. Supplied.

Vancouver has an extensive network of bikeways where there is a comfort for all ages and abilities to ride, said Jardine. North Vancouver has some obstacles to master with no continuous grid system and challenging geography but there are opportunities to improve.

According to the District’s website, most cycling infrastructure is completed during large and small road improvement projects. 

“[The District looks] for opportunities to include new bike infrastructure where individual project budgets allow (the bike lanes on and around the new Keith Road and Montroyal bridges are examples of this approach). Because of the project-by-project approach we take to building bike lanes, new lanes don’t always connect to existing lanes, nor do they always lead to our most popular destinations. While this may be true in the short term, over time, these individual sections will begin to knit together into a complete system, as we continue including lanes in our infrastructure and road improvement projects,” says the District. 

Jardine says HUB is happy to see what is happening in the Lower Lynn area and the forthcoming overpass linking Cedar Village and Loutet Park.

“It will be a game changer. This is infrastructure that allows for walking or riding your bike from one side of the highway to the other without interacting with traffic. It provides a whole new range of options to get around – to access CapU, the emerging town centre, the bridge.” 

Challenges

Selling more cycling infrastructure and opportunities is always a bit of a challenge. From complaints about lack of car parking to weather, HUB is even hearing how poor residential planning and strata bylaws are making cycling more difficult. 

“It’s come to our attention that people want help around restrictions like moving bikes in elevators and creating more secure bike parking,” he said.

Where weather is concerned, Jardine points to other infrastructure that is only used part of the year – like beaches. 

“Looking at Snowmageddon a couple of weeks ago – no one liked it,” he said. “Cars weren’t driving, parks and schools were closed, we don’t limit those infrastructure projects because they are shut down in poor weather. There are at least seven months where riding is ideal. When you add the comfortable lanes, the direct routes, the wayfinding signage maybe new technology, like e-bikes, you will see that riding in the rain isn’t as difficult as fighting through car traffic. 

“Even if the bulk of ridership comes seven months of the year, that is seven months we see the benefits of better air quality and less congestion.”

What’s coming up

Two large forthcoming projects  are on the City and District’s agendas to improve cycling infrastructure around Lynn Valley: the Casano-Loutet Bridge over the cut and a dedicated bike lane on Lynn Valley Road from Mountain Hwy to Kilmer. Both have start dates scheduled in 2020.

Lynn Valley bike lane

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.

February 6, 2020 in Blog, Development and Town Planning, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors Comments (0)

Highway Interchange Update

Some big progress is taking shape on the Highway and Mountain Highway/ Keith Road intersections. We’re excited to see some of these new improvements in use soon. For example, the new bridge connecting the Seymour area to Lynn Valley, removing the need to get on and off the Highway heading westbound.

Cranes positioning girder for installation

A new onramp from Mountain Hwy onto the highway heading westbound is also coming along nicely and will ease the pressure off the Lynn Valley Road onramp. Highway 1 will also be widened with the construction of additional lanes including the construction of two 2-lane bridges on either side of the existing 4-lane Lynn Creek Bridge.

The Mountain Highway/Lynn Creek, Keith Road/Seymour Parkway and Main Street/Dollarton Highway Interchanges will be upgraded in four phases. Improvements will address safety, queuing and delays and will help to improve travel times along Highway 1 and the Lower Lynn Interchanges.

See photos and learn more about this project

Here are few noteworthy current notices:

Brooksbank Avenue – Road Works Closures – July 5 – July 8

Lower Lynn Trail Detour

Pile Driving – July -August

Find out more about all the current updates here

July 5, 2019 in Blog, Current News, Development and Town Planning Comments (0)

Meet the town planner, and join the LV Community Association!

The Lynn Valley Community Association annual general meeting is coming up on Thursday, May 18, at 7 p.m. Please consider getting involved as a member – or even a board member! – to help keep Lynn Valley a community that is vibrant, welcoming and supportive of citizens of all ages and stages. Here is the press release from the LVCA:

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April 26, 2017 in Blog, Community Events, Current News, Development and Town Planning, Getting Involved

Emery Village development info session planned

LV Community Association president Gillian Konst asked us to pass along an invitation to learn more about the redevelopment proposed for Emery Village (the rental housing area that is currently east of Mountain Hwy and 24th Street, off Emery Place). Proposals for the layout of the property, the multifamily low- and high-rise building, and amenities are here. 

Lynn Valley Community Association is facilitating an information session on the new development plans for Emery Village.  Our role is to encourage everyone to help shape change in their community.

This is a second opportunity for you to learn more about the proposal, and consider such questions as:

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March 29, 2017 in Blog, Current News, Development and Town Planning, Real Estate News