Getting Involved

Enter the “Love in Lynn Valley” contest

Love in Valley for BearWin a romantic evening for two!
Celebrate a fun Valentine’s night on the town, close to hearth and home! Start by enjoying a $50 dinner for two at the Black Bear Pub (they’ve promised their most romantic candlelit table!), then carry on to Friday Night Live’s “Love to Laugh” show, featuring dance music from The Sharp Five jazz band, hilarious improv from Ad Libretto, and refreshments – including a chocolate fountain!
All you have to do for your chance to win this great evening (beside being 19+, of course) is to send us the nickname or term of endearment you use for your sweetie (or best buddy, we won’t discriminate against singletons!) by Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. We’ll make the draw that night – so good luck, everyone! (And yes, we’ll be publishing a post about LV’s goofiest endearments – anonymously, of course!)
P.S. Psst! FYI, the prize must be accepted as awarded – all the fun to take place on the evening of February 14, 2014!

 

February 6, 2014 in Blog, Contests, Current News, Getting Involved, O'Malley's Musings

Lynn Valley Masons welcome others to join Lodge

Most local drivers pass by the nearly windowless grey building on the corner of Lynn Valley Road and  Harold without a second glance, it has long ago disappeared into the invisibility that comes with familiarity.

Walkers, though, travel at a different pace and have time to notice, and wonder about, this unique building that has housed Lynn Valley’s Masonic brotherhood since 1930. If he happens to be on the premises, Mason Phil Perry, a member of the Lodge since 2009,  welcomes their questions.

At an interview with LynnValleyLife, Phil and fellow Mason Alphonse Quenneville explained that the talk about freemasonry being steeped in secrecy and intrigue is largely urban myth fuelled by Dan Brown-style novels.

There was certainly no hesitation shown in welcoming LynnValleyLife over the threshold, even to the point of allowing its female editor into the Lodge’s inner sanctum, camera in hand. While this windowless upper-floor room is obviously decked out for ceremonial use – complete with flags, ornately carved podiums, and throne-like chairs on a raised dais – the lower level consists of an ordinary kitchen and eating area that houses social gatherings and the Lodge garage sales.

The history of freemasonry is undeniably rife with intrigue and readers interested in its roots can find fascinating reading on the BC and Yukon Grand Lodge website.

According to Phillip and Alphonse, however, today’s modern Masonic Lodges simply seek “to make good men better men.” The Lodge does not recruit members – “we’re not Amway,” says Alphonse – but instead wants members to be attracted to Freemasonry for its values and fellowship. Masons must be men 21 and over, but beyond that, the Lodge says “to be one, just ask one!”

Alphonse says the Lynn Valley Lodge is “blessed with a great gang of high-energy guys,” and Phillip notes that a growing number of the members are in their 20s and 30s. Beyond age and sex, the only requirement for membership is that initiates believe in a Supreme Being – however they choose to define that. Lynn Valley Lodge’s members include people of all religions, and those who do not outwardly practice any religion.  Membership in this cross-cultural group “is a constant, regular reminder that Freemasonry offers brotherhood and friendship across all of mankind,” says Phil.

In fact, discussion of religion and politics are forbidden in the Lodge, due to being potentially divisive. Values are instead imparted through the telling of moral tales, which Alphonse describes as universal allegories – similar to Aesop’s Fables, or Jesus’s use of parables in the Bible. The stories are only conveyed within the Lodge however, not to those outside it – not because their content is inflammatory, says Phillip, but because it allows Masons practice in maintaining confidentiality, an important life value.

Masons are also close-lipped – or modest, as Alphonse terms it – about their charitable deeds. According to the Lynn Valley Lodge FAQ page, Freemasons throughout the world give over three million dollars per day to a wide variety of causes, just some of which include Shriners’ children’s hospitals, learning centres for children with special needs, and the Masonic Angel Foundation, which helps needy individuals who do not fit other social services criteria.

Along with supporting other local causes, Lynn Valley and other B.C. Masons run the Freemasons’ Cancer Car Program in partnership with the BC Cancer Agency, providing free round-trip rides for people without transportation to their treatments.

 

For more information about the Lynn Valley Masonic Lodge, please visit their website.

January 31, 2014 in Blog, Current News, Getting Involved, Notable Neighbours

Blow your own horn: Join the LV Black Bear Band!

It all started as a group of adults who dusted off their high school band instruments and used their Monday evening practices to escape the world of mortgages, day jobs and fractious toddlers.

Thus the Lynn Valley Black Bear Band was born, and quickly grew to an ever-more enthusiastic group of 40 to 50 musicians of all backgrounds and skill levels. The first years were spent under the direction of longtime Argyle music teacher, Ken Osterreicher, and many of the players were recent or long-ago alumni of our neighbourhood secondary school.

Today, nearly 10 years on, the Black Bear Band is conducted by Rob McLeod, Sutherland high school’s VP, and the musicians are a varied bunch. The band has never required auditions, and potential players are invited to come out for a few practices to suss out for themselves whether they are a good fit.

“We have a real range of abilities in the band, from people who haven’t played for years to people who are semi-pro,” says president Stacey Seddon. “It works well – people can cover for each other when necessary, and everyone finds their skills getting better over time. Put us all together and we sound really good!”

The band has developed a faithful following through its regular appearances at Lynn Valley Day, Remembrance Day and other community events. It also has a popular Winter Concert at Kay Meek Centre, a by-donation event that includes seasonal and not-so-seasonal tunes, and apres-show goodies as well. This year’s Winter Concert takes place Monday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Monday evening practices are followed up by an optional get-together at the Black Bear pub, which feeds its namesake community band complimentary wings and pop. It’s an evening in the week that has become a musical and social highlight for many of the members, but don’t take our word for it; LynnValleyLife was sent the following testimonials from BBB longtimers:

  • “My life has been made better by being part of the BBB. The music,  friendships and essence of community shared within our ensemble is uplifting. I feel privileged to work with a fabulous musical director, to create music with enthusiastic musical colleagues, and to have made some amazing friends by being part of the BBB. No matter what topsy-turvy turns my life takes, I always know Monday night band rehearsal will lift my spirits – both through music, and through the friendships and community which occur there.”  –    Andrea, trumpet

  • “At the end of a long day there is nothing better than coming to a place where you can make music among friends.  I find it nearly impossible to be hung up on the stresses of the day and play music at the same time, being a part of the BBB has given me a place where I can leave my worries at the door and be a part of something truly fantastic.  We have a great group of people in the BBB it is an environment where everyone supports and inspires the people around them, a place where each individual contributes and has value.”   –   Stacey, bass clarinet

  • “I had stopped playing a few years after high school and in the 10 years that went by before joining the BBB, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the feeling of making music. Since joining the BBB, I have regained that joy and Monday nights are what I look forward to the most. Being part of an ensemble, performing for an audience and playing a variety of musical styles keeps me engaged and even causes me to do something I rarely did in school – practice! –   Jeff, trombone

The band is actively recruiting new members, so don’t be shy! Contact [email protected], or just show up for a Monday practice in the Argyle band room at 7:30 p.m. (aim for 7:15 to get set up). More info is available on the band website. Make 2014 the year you put some more music in your life!

 

November 13, 2013 in Blog, Current News, Getting Involved

Sponsor Christmas tree in LV Village!

This just in from Lynn Valley Community Association…. 

(For more information about adopting a Christmas tree, click here. As of November 6, there are only 13 left, so don’t delay!

We are once again offering
sponsored Christmas trees in 
LynnValley Village this holiday season.

We are planning a family weekend of free entertainment for the whole family on December 21 and 22.  There will also be a Lynn Valley Christmas Grande Finale with music and caroling led bythe United Church Choir and theappearance of a very special guest on the night of the 22!

All trees will be beautiful 6-foot nobles.

You will receive a tree, stand and power.We have 73 trees on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Trees will be available on November 30 at noon.

 

75% SOLD OUT!

  $200*/TREE

 

*$50 from each tree will go towards the

Lions Christmas Hamper program.

 

Call or email Dave Bruynesteyn at 604-315-3283 or [email protected] to reserve your tree.

Four levels of sponsorship are also available at

$Family, $500,$1000 and $2500

Trees have to be fully decorated by 4 pm on December 1. The mayor will light up all the trees at 5 pm.

 

Note:  All trees have to be undecorated by January 4.

 

 
October 22, 2013 in Blog, Community Events, Current News, Getting Involved

Step up to bat with LV Little League!

You can bat for the home team by becoming a member of the historic Lynn Valley Little League, which has been playing ball for over 50 years.

Registration for the league, which is newly headed by president Jamie Bassett, is open now and will continue to December 1 (or February 28 for the T-ball and Rookie crowd). Click here for online registration information, or download this PDF form. If you’re anywhere between five and 18 years old, there’s a team for you!

While you’re on the league website, you can check out their handsome logo wear – and some of the archived photos on their ‘History’ page. You may see your 20-years-younger self staring back at you!

If you have any questions, please contact Michael Ferriera at [email protected].

 

 

September 25, 2013 in Blog, Current News, Getting Involved

Volunteers keep North Van clean & green

It was swing-your-partner time Friday night as the District of North Vancouver hosted a dinner and barn dance to thank the many volunteers who take part in the muncipality’s outdoor programs.

Maplewood Farm helpers, parks and trails workers, Adopt a Street volunteers and others were all in attendance at Maplewood Farm to hear a few speeches and dance to the tunes of a fiddle band headed by newly retired DNV sign-maker extraordinaire, Cam Stewart. A special guest in attendance was former parks director Dirk Oostindie, whose energy and vision resulted in the creation of Maplewood Farm as a municipal park.

Trail and Habitat co-ordinator Graham Knell spoke about the huge impact volunteers have on our local landscape, both those who take part in the DNV outdoors programs as well as people in the wider community who gather armies of volunteers to work on neighbourhood parks clean-ups, salmon-enhancement projects, trail building and more.

It was a HUGE list of groups he named – way to go, North Van! –  and he gave special mention to the Lynn Valley folks who worked with the District to clean up Doran Park this past year. He was very proud to report that 49 one-tonne trucks of invasive plants were carted away as a result of all their labour (and a tip of the hat was also given to the visiting American navy cadets who literally marched down the street to help out!)

If you’d like an invite to next year’s hoedown (and who wouldn’t, we ask?) just get on board with one of the many District outdoor programs. Graham says he’s got the best job ever – he’s always surrounded by smiling volunteers who love what they do! Contact details and more info are here.

 

September 13, 2013 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Getting Involved, Governance and Services

Have you got talent, Lynn Valley??

Well, of course Lynn Valley’s got talent – lots of it! So we’re thrilled that Lynn Valley Village is putting together a Lynn Valley’s Got Talent event. And we’re confident it will rival anything you’ve seen on TV to date, if only because you might just know the people on stage!

There will be three age categories: Kids (12 and under), Youth (13-18), and Adults (19+).  Get creative with your entry, your ‘talent’ might be anything from bands, singing, magicians, mimes, or something that’s a unique passion of your own. Participants will be asked to submit a video between Sept. 1 and 15; these will be posted on the Lynn Valley Village facebook page and the vote-counting will begin.

The Top Three in each category will perform live in front of judges at the Lynn Valley Village on Saturday, October 5 between 1 and 3 p.m. So start tuning your fiddle, warming up your yodeller, or polishing your dance shoes – we’re looking forward to cheering you on! Details are on the poster below, and in more detail, along with an entry form, at this LV Village facebook page; entries are to be sent to [email protected].

 

August 23, 2013 in Blog, Community Events, Contests, Current News, Getting Involved

Lynn Valley’s ‘small-town feel’ – what’s it worth to you?

Watching a Canada Day parade, one can’t help but reflect on the many contrasting strands that weave together to make our sea-to-sea-to-sea country something to be proud of.

It’s right there on the pavement in front of you, marching behind the bagpipers. There’s the military; there are musicians. There are rescue heroes; there are politicians of all stripes. There are people driving tanks and people riding electric bikes. People boxing and people dancing.

And so it is at the community level. To be vibrant and sustainable, a neighbourhood needs to be full of people who are willing to step up and contribute their own unique gifts to the world outside their front door. The more diverse a talent pool Lynn Valley can draw upon, the stronger our community will be. Conflicting opinions aren’t a bad thing – a lack of engagement is.

In our ongoing conversation regarding town planning, density, and Lynn Valley’s future, there are repeated references to Lynn Valley’s “community character.” Our safe streets. Our small-town feel. Our natural environment.

So what is it that each of us is prepared to do to preserve or enhance these neighbourhood characteristics we all laud? Because – regardless of which NVD option you lean toward – it’s our contention that community spirit isn’t dictated by the height of a apartment tower.

That “friendly, small-town feel” comes from inviting a new neighbour over for a backyard BBQ. It comes from choosing to plant flowers on the outside of your fence, where you can’t see them but passersby-can. It’s from realizing that when the Lynn Valley Lions ask for help setting up tables for a charitable pancake breakfast, there’s no reason in the world you shouldn’t pitch in, and many reasons you should. It’s from joining the Adopt-a-Street program with your children, so they grow up knowing the importance of community service.

It comes from attending an Argyle music concert or football game, even if you don’t have kids in the school. It comes from asking questions of the people around you, and learning more about their roots – whether those were planted firmly in Lynn Valley, or halfway around the world.

It comes from joining the Lynn Valley Community Association, a service group, one of Lynn Valley’s many different churches, or any other local organization that gives people a place to put their energies to work for the common good. Because you know what? All those clichés are true. Serving others brings a particular joy that can’t quite be replicated by any other means. And working with other people towards an altruistic goal is the stuff of which real communities are made.

We could name a hundred more things that people in this neighbourhood already do to keep it strong, and we bet you could, too. And there are hundreds more unsung heroes we don’t hear about – people whose compassion and commitment evidence themselves in quiet ways, all year through. (The kind of people, for example, we love to hear about for our annual Good Neighbour Award!)

So, next time you find yourself referring to Lynn Valley’s community “character” as a factor in the town planning debate – and it can be used by people on either side of that fence! – ask yourself what it is, really, that makes a neighbourhood great. Design is important, there’s no question about it, and good design will incorporate elements that serve to facilitate and encourage neighbourhood engagement.

But Lynn Valley’s story isn’t dictated by the number of storeys on a building – whether two, eight, 16 or more. Writing our community story is up to us. If we want to live in a friendly, small-town kind of place, we can each do our part to make that happen. And guess what? We don’t have to wait for feasibility studies, transit overhauls or council votes. That small-town feel starts with me, and with you. And it starts now, or it doesn’t. Our choice.

Leo the St. John’s Ambulance therapy dog hangs out in LV Village, after he and owner Rob’s visit to Lynn Valley Care Centre.

Have you shared your views regarding Lynn Valley town planning? Online feedback is open until Friday, July 5th. Click here to read some of the background, learn more about the options, and offer your thoughts via the user-friendly, online Metroquest feedback form.

 

July 1, 2013 in Blog, Current News, Development and Town Planning, Getting Involved

B.C. Mills House: a step into the past

 

The B.C. Mills House Museum, a hidden reminder of Lynn Valley’s history, is located near the entrance of Lynn Valley Headwaters Regional Park.

Originally purchased from a 1904 catalogue of the B.C. Mills Timber and Trading company, it represents the first prefabricated house on the North Shore.  It was purchased and built in 1908 by Captain Henry Pybus as a home for his family.

Later, it was converted to a schoolhouse and still later became the political headquarters of the infamous Rhino party. After  many years of neglect, the building was to be torn down. However, Stella Jo Dean, a councillor of North Vancouver City at the time, suggested it be moved to the newly established Lynn Headwaters Park to serve as a historic reminder of the early lumbering days.

With the approval of the planning department and the physical resources of the 6th Field squadron of engineers, the building was dismantled, reassembled and refurbished in its present location.

Over the next few years, various hikers and interested persons started bringing  to the museum  a variety of artifacts found in the woods  – objects that dated back, in some cases, to the late 1800s!

Subsequently an inventory was created of all these items and became available about the time the museum opened in 1998.

Items have since been added and an update of our inventory is becoming a necessity. Although storage and display space is limited, the museum still lures visitors from a broad geographic region – many of whom have loggers as their forebears.

The museum is staffed by a few keen volunteers on Sundays and statutory Mondays from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. from May to September. If you’d like to join us, just see our notice, below!

– Ruth Sherwood, Lead Volunteer

Volunteer in beautiful Lynn Headwaters!

Spend the occasional Sunday afternoon in the park, and learn more about how our forebears first made their living in this part of the North Shore!

Join the group of avid volunteers at the B.C. Mills House Museum as an occasional host from May to September, on Sundays and statutory Mondays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The volunteers’ aim is to provide information about the early logging and mining history in this area. Experienced volunteers help newcomers become oriented to the program.

Volunteers also provide park and trail information to the many hikers and dog walkers who head out into this large wilderness region.

To obtain further information about this opportunity, contact West-Area Metro Regional Parks at 604 224-5739, or just drop into the museum during the open hours.

 

June 21, 2013 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Getting Involved, Guest Voices

LV town centre planning: a range of perspectives

UPDATED: June 28, 2013

You’ve seen the signs around the neighbourhood, the pamphlets in your mailbox, and the emails in your inbox. As public consultation regarding the implementation plan for Lynn Valley’s town centre intensifies, a range of views are being expressed from North Vancouver District, informal citizens’ groups as well as individuals, and Mark Sager on behalf of Bosa Devlopments.

Exchanges amongst fellow citizens range from enlightening to heated. Well-presented opinions have the undecided amongst us swinging from one perspective to another and back again. Less helpful are those people who are taking up a post at the entrance to the NVD open houses and encouraging attendees to sign their anti-high rise petition even before they’ve had a chance to go inside and research the information for themselves. (This was the subject of one recent presentation to council by LV resident Dan Ellis.)

At LynnValleyLife our position in this whole process has been to encourage two things: first, that people get engaged in learning about the options and expressing their views; apathy isn’t the path to a healthy neighbourhood. Second, that people engage in debate that is constructive, not inflammatory. Anger is rarely the path to a creative solution.

To that end, we asked our readers to give us their response to the earlier implementation plans that included mixed housing, including high-rise towers, and a variety of public amenities. We published all the responses we received; they were well thought out and make for good reading.

Now that a new consultation round is under way, there are a range of individuals expressing their considered views. Two very different perspectives  are expressed by longtime Lynn Valley community volunteer John Gilmour, whose recent email describes why he sees the proposals as a great chance to create a “multi-use lifestyle centre,”  and by the anonymous author of this tract,  which is being distributed online and around the neighbourhood and calls the proposals a form of gentrification.

The “StopHiRises” citizen activist group is decided in its views and its eagerness to get more signatories to their petition, which demands a cap of five storeys on future building in the valley. Recently, a supporter of the tower-inclusive development proposal published his views on a “Lynn Valley Revival” website of his own; it includes a page of letters from other residents supportive of building up, not out.

Fortunately, amongst the divergent voices there are some resources available that will help you make up your own mind. The North Vancouver District “Identity” website has been made easier to navigate in the past view days, and includes a “Frequently Asked Questions” document that gives an excellent background to the debate (and explains why more homes need to be built in the first place).

The Identity website has links to the display boards and models from the open houses, and to an online feedback form that is available until July 5. Under Step #4, they have also linked relevant documents, such as the aforementioned FAQ as well as the recently released Lynn Valley traffic study that will show the impact of density on traffic flow in the neighbourhood.

At time of writing, there is one more DNV open house at which to see the models in person and to ask questions of the District planning staff. We’ve been to two of the four open houses, and are pleased to see that they seem to have been well attended by a mix of people. The last one is at Argyle Secondary on Wednesday, June 12 from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

 

June 8, 2013 in Blog, Community Events, Current News, Development and Town Planning, Getting Involved, Governance and Services