Merchant Mentions

Eco-fashion is booming and the clothing resale market is the fastest-growing segment. As Lynn Valley’s Geraldine Durant noticed the climbing prices at local thrift shops, she created a more community-oriented swap. 

Think globally, act locally

Inspired by the eco-focus of her former employer, Lynn Valley’s Cousteau School, Durant has been trying to make environmentally friendly decisions. Often they pay with bonus rewards. 

“I love thrift stores,” she said. “They are unique and interesting. You can find different things than you can find at the mall.” 

Speaking with like-minded friends sparked the idea of a clothing swap. If the interested swappers continue like (the non-pandemic restricted portions of) last year, more than 15,000 items will be kept out of the landfill.

The Good Swap

Many people who shop at thrift stores are the very same people who donate to them in the first place, said Durant. 

“Talking with friends we realized the amount of money we were spending in thrift shops after we donated to them. The idea of a clothing swap led to this,” she said gesturing to the lower level of her home filled with stock from the Good Swap’s swappers. 

The swap idea is simple. Participants bring in their items – quality clothing and children’s items  – and choose a similar amount of new-to-them items, as well as paying a small flat fee to cover cleaning and storage costs and minimally compensate Durant for her time organizing the swap. 

“Trading doesn’t always work, because if I don’t have what you need then we can’t trade,” she said. “This makes the circle bigger so more people can find items and more items stay out of the garbage.”

Curation is key

The items at the Good Swap have been checked for stains and rips – missing items like buttons are clearly labeled.

“Most people bring in items in good condition,” she said “I check the games and puzzles – I don’t want someone to get home and find there is a piece missing.”

Items that don’t pass her standards are donated for other thrift options or textile recycling. Her swap stock continues to grow with most people choosing to leave with fewer items than they came with.

“I prefer people swap rather than donate. I get a lot of questions about ‘What is the catch?’,” laughs Durant. “There is no catch. Once people visit they are more confident in the swap.” 

About 80 percent of her customers return about every three months. 

“I do have one that comes around every two weeks.” 

With hopes to slowly grow Durant aims to divert as much as 30,000 items from the landfill each year.

To learn more about the swap or book an appointment visit Durant’s Facebook page. 

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.

As travel and leisure activities shut down last year it sparked an idea for Kim Saunders. The local mom is leveraging her work experience to create a side hustle that gets her family and others outside for easy camping adventures. Camper Hampers was launched earlier this spring and she has given us a promo code!

Filling a need

Most families have done it: load the kids, your gear, find a place to store the cooler, and head off to the campground. 

“I work a more than a full-time job and I am a single mom who loves camping, but trying to get to the grocery store, with preplanned camping meals with a five-year-old, at 6 o’clock at night, for two days of camping it was daunting,” said Saunders. “It limited the number of times we went out.” 

Like many others on the coast, she turned to camping last year to get outside and spend time with family in a safe way. One trip gave Saunders an important light bulb moment. 

“I would love to pick my kid up, throw some stuff in the car and know all my food would be there – and only the things you need, you don’t want to be eating hot dogs all weekend because they come in a pack of 10,” she said. “My parents get meal kits and they brought two of them. It made it so easy, but they weren’t the ideal meals for camping – I thought I could do this better,”

Saunders figured there were plenty of other families like hers – busy and getting busier, who love to camp but were facing barriers. For first-time campers it might be the knowledge of what to pack and how to cook, for others, it was other pressures. 

“I had all the gear but the biggest hindrance to camping was to find the time to get the food.”

Camper Hampers

Saunders has focused on simple meals that will satisfy hungry campers with quality foods. With a variety of delivery options, you don’t even need to bring your own cooler. 

“It’s slowly evolving as we test more recipes and they will be added. People seem to be responding to hand-held basics you can walk around or sit down by the fire,” she said, adding there are vegetarian options for most meals. “Our most popular items are our breakfasts and our s’more kits.” 

Using her career in logistics to find quality delivery partners, Saunders says Camper Hampers makes it easier to hit the road. 

“There are coolers to rent, so you can have your food dropped right at your campsite in the afternoon so it waiting, after you arrive, or we can drop it at your home so after work it is there so you can throw it in your own cooler and go.” 

It was important for Saunders to offer meals that maintain the quality she offers her family at home. 

“I don’t serve anything that I wouldn’t eat,” she said. If I wouldn’t feed it to my kid, I wouldn’t sell it. For me, eating very little meat, the quality of what I do eat has to be there. I use Lindt chocolate, Two Rivers Meats. We have just gotten with Very Good Butchers for our vegan options – I am very excited about that. 

As a start-up, Saunders is learning from other meal prep businesses and trying to be as eco-friendly as she can. She is exploring corn-based packaging that can be burned or composted. 

“Everything does need to be portioned, so there is some waste,” she said. “My aim is that by 2023 that everything will be recyclable, compostable, or reusable.” 

Beyond using Camper Hampers, Saunders offered some other advice for families camping for the first time.

1. Bring bikes – “Kids can just go and explore and have a bit more freedom.”
2. Be prepared – “Bring the biggest tarp you can, bring an extra. It’s wet on the coast.”
3. Extra layers – “The temperature can change or kids can get messy, packing a few extra clothes might save your trip.” 
4. Don’t forget your promo code – Saunders has shared one for LynnValleyLife readers: 10% off until June 30, 2021: LVLIFE2021

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.

It is often said new moms should embrace the mess or chaos of motherhood, for two local moms the pandemic has been all about embracing the noise. Lynsey MacDonald and Caroline Garstin are reveling in being “boy moms” and launched a clothing line that embraces their lifestyle.

Noisy Boys

When Garstin and MacDonald – and their four boys under four – walk up to a playground, they say, you will know they are coming. 

“At the playground we’d see little girls playing cooperatively, having a tea party and then we show up with the boys having a yelling match,” laughs MacDonald. “We cause a scene.” 

The two Lynn Valley moms were friends back in high school at Argyle but lost touch. They reconnected a few years ago, in of all places, the maternity ward at Lions Gate Hospital. Another pair of babies later and they are loving the rough and tumble life they have – each with a 3.5-year-old and baby under one. 

“We were bored during the early pandemic and started taking more pictures and set up an Instagram page because we thought so many moms could relate to our lives. We celebrate the real. There are so many picture-perfect images on Instagram and we wanted to show the real-life of raising four boys between us,” said MacDonald. 

People really responded which gave way to leveraging Noisy Boys even more. 

“Everyone has a noisy boy in their life whether it’s a teenager, a dad, a brother, a son and we took that idea and it grew,” said Gastin. “So now people can hear us coming and see us coming.”

Moms helping moms

Once the pair took hold of the idea, they credit their families and moms supporting moms for getting them to where they are now. Garstin and MacDonald are also grateful to the hive-mind of local Facebook groups for giving them momentum to get started. This is their first entrepreneurial venture. 

“It’s a huge learning curve,” said Garstin. “It has been a lot of fun to use our creative brains while on maternity leave. I am a full-time stay-at-home mom and Lynsey is going back to teaching this fall. This is different than anything we have done before.” 

“It has been nice to think about something other than snacks and nap times,” added MacDonald. “My husband owns a business and Lynsey’s dad owns a North Shore business – so we feel supported.” 

They have launched a line of hats, tees, and sweatshirts – with more pieces in the works for summer. With sales growing they are excited about the future. 

“We are surrounded by a lot of boy moms, I feel like we were destined to be boy moms – it’s a whole other thing,” said MacDonald. “I love the chaos and there is a lot of humour in it,” added Garstin.

Noisy Boys is giving back to the community too. By using the promo code: NOISY10 you can get 10 percent off a crewneck sweatshirt and Noisy Boys will donate 10 percent to the Cause We Care Foundation which empowers single mothers and children living in poverty. 

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.

With most of BC is being asked to stick close this year, we have put together a group of great local suppliers to make your holiday season special. From indulgent dining to seasonal decor to having the freezer stocked and ready for anything. All three local suppliers have a common thread. All the business began as initiatives to make the community better. 

Indulgence ready

When a Folia grazing box shows up at your door, the day just gets better. The elegant and delicious offerings of Lucy Ana Van Egmond are the perfect way to make a cozy night in all the more special. 

“Grazing is a relaxed style of catering,” said Van Egmond. “There is a variety of meats and cheeses and other food on display and you can eat as you enjoy your evening.” 

As a busy parent, Van Egmond started Folia with fellow Lynn Valley local Robin Shore [they have since gone their separate ways] after successful fundraising evenings for Upper Lynn Elementary. The business has grown and evolved to include Folia’s amazing grazing boxes and pop-up picnics. 

“We have our grazing platters that can be for individuals or small family gatherings,” said Van Egmond. “Or I can come into a business and set up a grazing table. No longer can you have a big party, but we can help you celebrate in a more relaxed way over an afternoon or an evening where people pop in to get a few bites now and then.”

A full events company, Folia offers stunning picnics with everything from flowers to decor all displayed on low tables with warm rugs and comfy cushions. For the holidays, Van Egmond is offering her own family traditions.

“Every Christmas I would take my kids up to Seymour to play in the snow,” she said. “They loved the hot chocolate and fondue.”

That pop-up winter picnic will make this unusual covid holiday season a bit more special, she said. She will also be adding fondue options to her grazing offerings. In addition to the meat and cheese-based boxes, she has options for brunch, dessert as well as vegan and vegetarian boxes. 

“I can accommodate any dietary needs,” said Van Egmond. 

“I try to keep it as local as I can – we have some amazing local cheeses. I am a local business and I try to support local whenever I can. I have formed relationships with local bakeries and suppliers. I try to be as green as possible – most items are compostable and everything in the grazing boxes is edible – the flowers are edible. It is seasonal and done at the last minute so it is fresh and there is little food waste. 

Folia is taking its holiday bookings now and Van Egmond recommends putting orders in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. She has some offerings available on her website but Van Egmond is also open to unique requests. 

Home ready

When Lynn Valleys Racheal Klausen planted her garden this year the plan was to grow her own plants for floral arrangements. It kicked off a year of planning, learning and making people smile. 

“I started with a self-serve flower cart,” said Klausen, whose business at the time was called Bird of Botanicals. “I saw this could be successful and it pushed me to expand.”

The growing season had a lot going on – for both the plants and Klausen – even with her background as a professional gardener.

“I have learned a lot. It’s a passion for me so I constantly am learning and reading up to expand my understanding,” she said. “I also had a lot of failures – plants I hoped would work didn’t have quite the right soil or didn’t have enough sunlight in my yard. It was a small start and a successful one.”

Now working as Local Flora she is expanding her contacts with other local cut flower growers and doubling down on her commitment to be sustainable. 

“I only use flowers from BC,” she said. “There are no plastics in my arrangements, everything is compostable.”

She has even made use of the local community. This fall Klausen used local Facebook gardening groups to procure flowers and grasses for drying and evergreen items, offering completed arrangements in trade. 

“For the winter season I am putting together some wreaths as well as mixed bunches of local evergreens with a frame so you can do a sort of DIY wreath if you want,” said Klausen. “I also do custom work, people can connect through my website to order garlands or centrepieces.”

Local Flora’s winter offerings will go live Nov. 12. Klausen works on a preorder system, offering pick up or delivery at the end of the week. 

Pantry ready

Born from a desire to help local schools and sports team’s Lynn Valley’s Sisodraker family started a business hoping to help Argyle Secondary’s girls’ soccer team score an international tournament. Selling samosas helped get the students to Hawaii – where they won! – and had the family permanently launch Samosa Fundraising Company.

“We said to ourselves ‘Hey, this serves a community need.’ We could help students get a reasonable return on their time selling and it was an easy program for schools and teams to organize,” said Vibha Sisodraker. 

Since 2019 they have helped numerous local schools and teams.

“We know that students are so talented but sometimes parents can’t afford the extra fee,” said Sisodraker. “This program can help them do that.”

The family also realized that the fundraising program had created new customers who were interested in continuing to purchase their locally made food products.

“An organization isn’t going to run fundraisers one after another,” said Sisodraker. “We wanted people to be able to get our samosas and we wanted to continue to support the community. We wanted to support a charity we have used as a family. Our daughter Ria was born at Lion’s Gate Hospital and during covid, we want to support essential workers. Ordering through our site supports LGH.” 

All of Samosa Fundraising Company’s products come frozen – the perfect pantry staple. The line of food products has recently expanded to include more diverse family favourites like chicken cordon blue and shrimp. The warming spices of Indian food are a partner to the holidays, said Sisodraker. 

“This is the season of chai [tea],” added husband Dharmesh. “It’s a warm soothing type of drink.”

“Indian families always have samosa and chai,” said Sisodraker.

“Many cultures have a pastry with filling – a spring roll is basically a samosa, a Jamaican patty,” said Sisodraker. “Samosas are a great way to dip your toe into Indian comfort foods. Ours are ‘medium’ spicy – we think they are for just about everyone. My favourite is the potato and pea.”

For those new to Indian flavours but wanting to learn more, the family has put together baskets of spices – the perfect pairing with Sisodraker’s new cookbook: The Flavourful Indian – Recipes from My Kitchen. The basket with the book and spices would make a great local gift for any foodie. 

Available through local groups and schools doing fundraisers or directly from the website, these local foods offer easy meals and a dash of community support.

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.

There are still some kids around willing to get their hands dirty to make a few dollars around Lynn Valley. Other young people are getting creative with their hustle to overcome the demise of many typical student jobs this summer. We have tracked down a few local options and if you hear of more – send them to [email protected]

Yard care by Daniel Dykema

New to the entrepreneurial scene is Upper Lynn’s Daniel Dykema. At 13-years-old Dykema is hoping to earn money for fishing gear and a small fishing boat. You may have seen his posters around advertising the new business.

“My small gardening business does mowing, weeding, trimming, watering your plants, and pretty much anything else around the yard,” he said. “I am most proud of doing everything to the max and doing it well.”

Rates start at $10 an hour. If you need a bit of work done and want to support Dykema’s fishing goals you can reach him at [email protected] or 604-999-0243.

Lawn Boys

At 16 and 14 Thomas and Peter Frankowski have been in business since 2014. Their Lawn Boys carbon neutral landscaping business has been taking care of Lynn Valley yards for years. Much more than lawns, they are willing to tackle just about any project. 

“We have been offering landscaping, handyman and renovation helper services since 2014,” said Thomas Framkwoski. “Mowing lawns, weeding and raking were the bulk of our jobs in the beginning. Now we are doing more complex tasks such as assisting with renovations, floor installation, demolition and painting.”

They got their start helping out around their own home. 

“Both of us learned a number of skills by working with our dad and we wanted to use these skills to be productive and offer assistance to people in our community,” he said.

They are most proud of growing their business based on recommendations from happy clients. You can check out their website or reach them at 778-917-3058.

STEMina

Local university students (and sisters) Romina and Anita Mahinpei are sharing their passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and supporting important causes.

“We are both proud that we are using our business as a platform to allow the public to showcase their love for STEM while also supporting local and national causes,” said 18-year-old Romina Mahinpei. “Our first fundraiser that took place in July, we decided to donate all of STEMina’s profits to the CanadaHelps COVID-19 Healthcare & Hospital Fund and support Canadian hospitals and charities.”

The sisters have created a t-shirt line that encourages people to showcase their love of STEM. A love that keeps the sisters busy. 

“When not busy with school, we spend most of our free time volunteering for STEM organizations and hosting our own events. This past year, I worked on organizing Teen Nerd Nite, a local initiative that introduces high school students to the fields of STEM through interactive presentations.

“Meanwhile, my sister was involved with nwPlus, a club at University of British Columbia, to organize cmd-f, British Columbia’s first all-female hackathon and several smaller women in tech events. Right now, with the restrictions on in-person events, we have devoted much of our time to STEMina and aim to help the public show their passion for STEM through this platform,” she said. 

“Seeing the large number of participants at our past North Vancouver events, we were aware of our community’s interest in learning more about the STEM fields. Although the pandemic has put a halt to our in-person events, we didn’t want that to stop us from following our passion for STEM. With the free time that we had while quarantined at home, we decided to dabble with T-shirt design and launch STEMina, an apparel line that would allow people to express their love for STEM with what they wear!”

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.

Covid-19 attacked our community, economy and health care system. It highlighted supply chain challenges and as something unknown moved through, there was uncertainty around the safety of basic tasks like grocery shopping. The important role small grocers and corner stores has been showcased in the last few months. In Lynn Valley we are lucky to have four. 

Community building

The four unique small grocers of Lynn Valley each play a role in keeping the community going. These independent businesses are meeting places (in before times) as much as they are essential cogs in keeping Lynn Valley a thriving community. The role of small grocers and corner stores is being discussed in the City of Vancouver. There, a city councillor noticed during covid-19 there was no place in her neighbourhood to grab essentials without travelling to large, busy chain stores. The combination of planning decisions that emphasize density and the property tax rates that go with those policies are driving all small businesses out Lower Mainland communities. 

In Lynn Valley we have some of these small businesses thriving, others merely surviving. If you haven’t been into the local grocers, check them out. They have far more than penny candy and lottery tickets.

Mountain Market

Just up from Frederick and Mountain Hwy, is the community essential Mountain Market. This classic Canadian corner store ticks every box – a chatty, friendly family behind the counter, snacks and pop to tide over the students at Argyle, but it also has a wealth supplies. During the height of the pandemic sought after items were on the shelves at Mountain Market – like yeast and toilet paper. Their back refrigerators are stocked with items we all use and dread running out of. Next time you need to grab a dash of oil or a brick of cheese in the middle of preparing dinner, consider popping in to the market. The parking will be be completely stress-free compared to the current construction at LV Centre.

Oh, and the flowers. THE FLOWERS. Mountain Market offers both a small nursery space as well as delightful, fresh, cut flowers. Tucked in the back of the main shopping area you will find Twig and Plum Floral – they are ready to customize, recommend and deliver all your flower needs. 

It is also worth noting Mountain Market donated flowers to Argyle Grads this year. This is what small businesses do. They give to our sports teams, are schools and community groups. Invest in them and they give back. 

Pro-tip: Head to the back, describe your flower wishlist and budget and walk out minutes later with a custom bouquet. 

Super Koroush

The newest player on the local grocer scene has a wealth of ethno diverse food products and an abundance of fresh fruit and veggies.

Found in the Lynn Valley Mall, the same as DQ, they have many some unique products you can’t track down at Safeway and Save-on – their dairy cabinet is especially interesting. 

This new store fills a vacant need in Lynn Valley. The diversity of their products make the store a must visit if you are looking for less common recipe ingredients. A stroll through their aisles will also spark inspiration to switch up your usual dishes. We are pleased to see this independent business give our neighbourhood a go. There is no need to head to Lonsdale or East Vancouver to stock the pantry. 

Pro-tip: Think Super Koroush next time you are opening a bottle of wine, you can find perfect pairings for a great fruit, pickle and cheese plate.

Nourish Market

Throughout the pandemic Jeff and his team at Nourish have been adapting. From quickly offering local delivery to maintaining its daily runs to north shore suppliers, it has been an essential piece in the local economy. Throughout all these challenges they have maintained their focus on local, sustainable and organic foods. Nourish is on the emerging edge of the sustainable suppliers.

Found in Lynn Valley Village, Nourish uses its great connections to offer a range of groceries and prepared foods that are vegan, keto, gluten-free and suit a range of other special diets. There organic fruit and veg are always looking fresh. Nourish also has a number of bulk supplies for zero waste purchasing. 

Pro-tip: Follow Nourish on social media and swoop in when there are fresh deliveries from suppliers like Bad Dog Breads.

End of the Line General Store

While the other three local groceries were able to the keep going through the pandemic, the situation proved more complicated for End of The Line.

Oh, this closure left a huge hole in the Upper Lynn community. We are so glad to see they are back! 

More than just coffee and ice cream, End of The Line has everything from gifts to penny candy, milk to pasta sauce. They are successfully walking the fine line of neighbourhood general store and enticing visitor must-visit. The business itself has quite the story and plans for the future. The evolution of this corner has redefined the entire neighbourhood. Stopping by any time you walk by won’t disappoint. 

Pro-tip: A lot of outdoor adventure can happen with young kids when there is an incentive to visit End of the Line on the way home. 

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.