Notable Neighbours

A new Lynn Valley fitness class melds yoga with pilates and the encouraging atmosphere of small classes. Ria Sisodraker of Vivafit Studios is hosting weekly sessions at the Mollie Nye House.

Find your own pace

Argyle grad Ria Sisodraker is bringing her yoga studio to central Lynn Valley with weekly sessions in a warm inclusive class. 

“I think yoga isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing,” she said. “When I’m teaching the yoga portion of the class, I like to debunk yoga myths during class.

“People have said, ‘I haven’t done yoga in 10 years’ or ‘I’m not flexible.’ Well, that’s not a problem – that’s totally fine. Yoga was initially made by a man, for men. So a lot of the traditional yoga poses don’t work with women’s wider hips. We talk about things like that and try to make the yoga poses work for you and not the other way around.”

Keeping classes small, with a maximum of 15 people, Sisodraker aims to create a space that is relaxing and energizing while allowing her to offer one-on-one attention.

“I put Christmas lights around the perimeter of the room so the light is soft and I play music to get energy going – mostly 80s and 90s music but it’s not overwhelming so my voice can offer guidance.”

Stretching herself

Building on her experience working the front desk and teaching at a hot yoga studio, Sisodraker created a program based on what she saw were the most wanted classes. 

“When you enter a chain studio it’s hard to understand what you’re getting into. It’s hard to go in because there are unknown customs the first time people go in and it’s just like they’re stepping into unknown territory,” she said. 

The small classes help Sisodraker connect with students and support their classes from where they are starting out. 

“It’s yoga mixed with Pilates-inspired exercises – and I thought, let me reintroduce this in a way that people can enjoy the stretch, stillness of yoga mixed with a little bit more of a workout.”

Sisodraker wants fitness to be a realistic goal that becomes a part of her students’ lifestyle. Her goal is for them to have small consistent successes rather than be all in and burn out or lose interest. 

“Find your own pace, is my little motto,” she said. “So go with the music. Go at your own pace. Go with the time we have together to work.”

The weekly classes have both men and women from their 20s to their 60s. The exercises add a pilates twist to traditional yoga. 

“I like to say it’s ‘pilate-inspired.’ I like to blend it with yoga. So taking, say, a boat pose, and then pulsing the arms in it, maybe you lift a leg, maybe you lift another leg, maybe you straighten the legs, and like pilates, we try to do a core focus. So you focus on that at the beginning of class, understanding what core activation is, understanding what the core is, and then learning how to fire it up. It’s slow, controlled, movements.”

In a further effort to make her classes accessible and inclusive, Sisodraker uses props and provides three to five variations to bridge the ability and experience gaps. 

“I want to know where you are at in each class. Do you have an injury? Are there movements that are painful that I can adapt in the class and provide general tips to the class that will help a student take care of themself? 

Sisodraker will be hosting Vivafit Studio classes at Mollie Nye House until mid-December on Wednesdays from 6-7 pm with classes beginning again for the winter and spring. 

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.

The Lynn Valley Legion has caught a fresh wind and its energy is bringing people in and pouring out into the community.

Energetic evenings

Flying under the radar, the Royal Canadian Legion Lynn Valley Branch 114 is building momentum to be the liveliest night spot in Lynn Valley. With expanded entertainment programming and more kitchen hours, young and old coming together and sharing their free time in this community institution. 

“There are lots of new faces,” said Joe Phillips, Legion president. “The crowd has changed a lot and we have almost doubled our membership.”

Popping into the Legion does not require a membership. Patrons are invited to stop by three or four times on a ‘temporary membership’ to make sure it’s worth the membership commitment before signing up – that said, memberships are half-price for the rest of the year, just $37.50 for new members. 

“Folks come in and it’s comfortable. It’s like a rec room of yesteryear – with two big 85-inch televisions,” said Phillips. “Plus a 45-inch TV on the patio with three heaters. It’s a great place to be on a cool night. We have great music and beverages that, we think, are at a reasonable price.” 

Leading the charge for new guests are trivia nights on Wednesdays. Teams test their knowledge with alternating weeks of music and general trivia. Thursday nights are a burger and beer special and live music – frequently Rufu Muse. Fridays bring the 50/50 and Legion classic Meat Draw. Saturdays are sometimes reserved for private events and, when open, the member’s favourite Meat Bingo takes centre stage. Since the season kicked off, Monday night has football on the big screens. Children are welcome each night until 8 pm.

Community givings

With roots dating back to 1925 the Royal Canadian Legion was founded to centralize support for WWI veterans. With a Lynn Valley presence since 1930, the Legion today contributes more than $150,000 dollars through grants and fundraising to veterans, first responders and local community groups. The Poppy Campaign alone received $76,000 in donations last year.

“We have a very active executive working for what’s best for the community and above all veterans [and first responders],” said Phillips. “Our goal is $100,000 and we won’t be able to do that without the community and members that volunteer at the poppy tagging platforms.”

It’s a simple process to give a couple of hours. Each of the eight or so locations across the District of North Vancouver has two-hour shifts. It’s a simple way to dip your toe into community service, said Phillips. This year’s campaign will kick off on October 27 and run through Nov. 11. To join the volunteers contact the legion or give Phillips a call at 604-315-1951 to take on a shift. 

The public platform is just one aspect of the poppy campaign with others being more than 200 donation boxes throughout the District and a partnership with School District 44.

“We want everyone to get a poppy,” said Phillips. “The young elementary students each get a sticker and the older students a poppy. That is over 12,000 poppies for all the schools on the North Shore.”

Funds supporting veterans and first responders go to a variety of projects from upgrading equipment at nursing homes to offering retraining and skill upgrades for young veterans. Other fundraising and grants support Lynn Valley community groups. These essential funds are distributed to everyone from sports teams to school PACs to community groups like Girl Guides. 

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.

Entering its third school year, Queerly Quilled has expanded beyond its original literary roots to be a growing community for queer youth. Kicking off its 24/25 season on Sept. 11 at the Lynn Valley branch of NVDPL, the founders hope to see new faces join.

Build it and they will come

(courtesy Queerly Quilled)

Argyle Secondary grade 11 students London Clark and Aria Iliakis have always felt welcome at the library. It was a place to spend time, hang out and connect with others that wasn’t home or school. Both cared enough to want to give back by volunteering for the NVDPL’s Teen Advisory Group. The supportive and open space inspired the pair to kickstart the first youth-led program at the NVDPL. In that time between now and then it has evolved from the initial book club to an inclusive youth activity club – that sometimes involves books. 

“It’s a really good community for queer teens,” said Clark. “It’s a chance to meet people from other schools.”

The founders hope to offer connection, understanding and community to youth who might not experience that in all aspects of their lives. 

“A challenge a lot of teens have is that a lot of my friends are straight,” said Iliakis. “They are great but they don’t understand what its like to be queer –”

“They don’t get ‘it’,” adds Clark. 

The humble roots of Queerly Quilled (follow them on Instagram for club info) focused on queer books with a handful of people coming to the first meetings. Over the last 18 months momentum has grown and the group has had its own metamorphosis into a fun community that allows teens to be teens without the restraints of their school or home lives.

“Sometimes teens don’t have parents who are accepting or they don’t feel comfortable being trans at school. Here they can be who they are,” said Iliakis. “We have some homeschooled kids who don’t have as many opportunities to meet other queer teens.”

Everyone has a first day

The founders credit the empowering staff at the NVDPL to support and help them hone in on their vision and help them expand the club beyond its original book club vision. 

“Jessie [Hawkes, former teen engagement librarian] was amazing to help us get on our feet,” said Clark of the NVDPL staffer who helped get the ball rolling. “Sara [Oremland] has been so supportive and helpful.”

The program was born out of the ongoing youth consultation from the Library’s Teen Advisory Group. 

“We want to both support and empower teens in our community, so to have teen-created and teen-run library program like Queerly Quilled is the epitome of our service philosophy,” said Sara Oremland, youth engagement librarian. “Youth-led programs like Queerly Quilled give teens the chance to shape their community and take ownership of their experiences at the library.”

From ideas to space and snacks, the founders say the Lynn Valley staff are excellent mentors to keep them on track. 

“We’re always open to supporting teens in running programs they devise, so we encourage them to bring their ideas to the table and let us know what programs they might be interested in creating and running. Our teen leaders for Queerly Quilled have demonstrated impressive leadership skills,” Oremland. “Our youth department has something in the works for a program that would be partially youth-led, hopefully for next year.”

 New members of Queerly Quilled will experience a welcoming space, games and opportunity to connect with others. They have cleverly incentivized participation to encourage participants to speak up and get involved. 

“I want to meet new people and I remember not knowing anyone but London,” said Iilakis acknowledging it’s brave to try a new thing. “We have a lot of ice breakers and by focusing on activities we have a chance to get to know other people.”

“No one is shy once a game of Uno gets going,” said Clark. “We created opportunities for people to win these gold beads – we call them doubloons – and when we have advance reading copies of books we hold auctions with the winnings.”

Meetings days bring an abundance of energy to the library, says Oremland. 

“Queerly Quilled is our most exuberant group, and the feeling of joy, inclusion, and belonging is palpable during every meeting of queer youth and queer allies,” she said. “Our library believes in being a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone in our community, and this is also a core tenet of our philosophy for teen services. Public libraries are one of the few public spaces that are actively welcoming to teens, so we want to show that they are welcomed and respected, through our programming like Queerly Quilled, and also in the materials we offer and the spaces we create for them.”

When the doors open on Sept. 11 at 4 pm Clark and Iliakis are hoping to see a bunch of new faces. 

“Come meet new people, have fun and join a community of people like you, your own age,” said Clark.

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.

Bringing the goodness of the Fraser Valley directly to Lynn Valley has an Upper Lynn entrepreneur evolving her business that brings food from farms to local doorsteps. Dana Dykema has a knack for finding partners to fill her Valley to Shore Harvest Boxes and to offer other unique local products.

Farm direct

Healthy living and eating have always been a priority for Dana Dykema. When possible she buys local or grows her own food.

“It’s been a journey of years for me to change how I think about food,” she said. “We don’t go on extravagant holidays because I have to feed our eating habit of buying farmer direct.”

Back in 2021, that desire to care for her family through healthy food led Dykema to seek out a farm partner and launch a small business. This began a three-year passion project with farmer Dan Oostenbrink’s market garden farm  Local Harvest. 

“I was going out to the [Fraser] Valley a lot to pick up what was seasonally available, to pick cherries, ” she said. “I have been frustrated with the lack of Fraser Valley produce on the North Shore. It’s so good and it’s right there. Why isn’t it in our stores?”

As she got to know Oostenbrink, and his family, and to experience the quality foods he grows, Dykema felt compelled to offer it to other families who might not have the time to source high-quality food. 

“I was going out to the [Fraser] Valley a lot to pick up what was seasonally available, to pick cherries, ” she said. “I have been frustrated with the lack of Fraser Valley produce on the 

Since its humble beginning (the first harvest box was a fundraiser for Upper Lynn Elementary) Valley to Shore has grown to offer more than just weekly produce deliveries. There are eggs, meat, self-care products – like make-up – and garden products. All of them were produced between here and Hope. 

“It’s more than just delivering a product to the North Shore,” she said. “There is no mystery to where the money goes. The whole dollar goes back into the local economy.”

One challenge local suppliers and small businesses, like hers, face is potential clients being intimidated by price. Food produced in Canada, especially by small producers can have a slightly higher price point.

“It may feel like you’re paying more but the value is there. When it has a longer growing season and is ready for the table – and not for shipping – it tastes better.

“We need to support local producers or they won’t survive,” said Dykema. “We are not going to be getting some of the usual products this year like Okanagan fruit. We need to buy what they can offer so we can carry them through.”

Referring to the devastating cold snap late last winter that affected both the Fraser Valley and Okanagan after the previous drought and fire summer, Dykema is passionate about trying to offer local farmers a fair price. The Fraser Valley floods cutting off the Lower Mainland from the rest of Canada also highlighted the need to support the local food producers.

“Not all small farms will make it, I have been able to diversify so I am not relying on one,” she said. “Knowing that my money is supporting local families makes it a no-brainer to ride it out with them.”

In season

Local eating can be an exercise in patience and indulgence, said Dykema. She has made connections to offer more products like honey and foraged products like morels and sea asparagus. 

“Waiting for seasonality is worth it. I am really excited for blueberries and haskap berries – we only get them for about two weeks. They are special flashes in a pan.”

The last few decades of grocery store offerings have shifted away from nutrition and seasonal foods to the shelf stability of global offerings and convenience foods. 

“Simple, good ingredients taste better and people feel so proud cooking what’s delicious,” said Dykema. “It takes a bit of work but there is more enjoyment too.” 

She tries to make seasonal cooking less intimidating by offering recipes and writing posts related to each week’s offerings. 

“Some of the ingredients are new to people so it’s a culinary adventure.”

To dip your toe into seasonal eating and get a taste of Valley to Shore, Dykema recommends testing out a taster box which has veggies, meat, eggs and bread (and variations available to accommodate different diets) to get an idea of the quality and variety of items available in the Fraser Valley. Orders can be placed on recurring subscriptions or weekly by Sunday evening for pick-up in Lynn Valley the following Tuesday. All the details and offerings are available on ValleytoShore.com.

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 summer around the corner a North Shore optometrist and local mom, Terri Hines, has some tips and insight into new treatments for kids.

Innovation

Research and innovation are impacting several aspects of View Optometry’s Teri Hines’ practice. Two particular aspects are on the top of her mind: sun protection and early nearsightedness intervention for children.

Optometrists Jessica Cullis and Teri Hines

“I’ve been doing a lot more of something called myopia management, which is like a kid-focused thing,” she said. “It’s essentially preventing kids from becoming highly near-sighted, which means stopping prescriptions from getting really high.

“It’s a new field within optometry. There are different types of specialty contact lenses and specialty lenses and pharmaceuticals that can help with it. It’s still kind of in the research phase, but for the most part, we know what works and it’s especially for those parents that themselves are highly myopic and then we can prevent their kids from becoming that way.”

The early interventions are estimated to reduce myopia by up to 50% which can be the difference between standard corrective lenses and specialty lenses, said Tines.  

Sunsafe

Summer brings an abundance of adventures and sport opportunities and just like we take preventative care for our skin, feet and other body parts, Hines encourages thinking about our eyes. 

“I compare it to shoes a lot. You have different types of shoes for different activities. You’re not going to wear one pair of shoes. It is the same for glasses,” said Hines. “Choosing the right glasses will feel better, stay on a little bit better.”

When selecting sunglasses she recommends something that is 100% UV protectant or has the UV400 sticker and ideally has polarized lenses.

“It cuts glare so you can see into the water,” she explained. ‘It can be a comfort thing to stop glare bouncing off the road when you are driving.”

She also likes products like Maui Jim that enhance colours and contrast which improve comfort in bright environments and enhance vision. 

For children, she recommends making sunglasses a part of a child’s life early. 

“Start young,” said Hines. “They kind of get used to it. Just like if you’re putting a hat on them, right? At first, they’re probably taking it off constantly, but then if you’re persistent it becomes part of their routine.”

There are plenty of different options to help young children keep their sunglasses on. Today’s new models have soft flexible arms or straps which make them less likely to break and more comfortable. Hats can also be an option to reduce sun exposure but they do not stop any of the light bouncing off surfaces and water. 

When it comes to the most affordable options, especially for kids, Hines warns dollar store options may be tempting but you can’t ensure the quality of sun protection. 

“You never really know what you are getting,” said Hines. “You do need to make sure that it’s 100% UV protected, which sometimes I find those dollar store ones don’t have that. We have a machine at the office that would test it. So if you ever want to know, we can put it in our machine during your appointment and test.” 

Fun and games

North Vancouver presents its own challenges for eye health. The active lifestyle brings plenty of injuries into Hines’ practice, mountain biking in particular. 

The resurgence of racquet sports brings in ball, racquet and elbow-to-eye injuries. These along with any contact that results in a black eye should be checked.

“The most common one that I’ve seen is just a branch hitting the eye, which hurts a lot,” she said. “There are so many nerve endings in our corneas and it’s extremely painful if that happens. Now, if you were to come in, we’d give you a bandage contact lens and some medications so the cornea heals very quickly in about three days.

“The sooner the better, especially with optometry,” said Hines. “It’s actually, generally speaking, easy to get into – much quicker than a GP or an ER. Plus we have all the proper equipment to look and see what is actually going on as opposed to just throwing some drops at it.”

When she is not hanging with her two young children at home in Lynn Valley, Hines practices at View Optometry in Lower Lonsdale.

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.

Two Argyle Secondary students are taking to the field with Team Great Britain this summer. Henry Cheyne and Cayden Allen have been invited to join the U18 baseball team at the European Baseball Championship and a little support would help them along the way.

Playing in the park

All the swings and misses and running in circles of Lynn Valley Little League T-Ball games did two things for Cheyne and Allen: it helped them discover a passion for baseball and solidified a friendship that has now taken them halfway around the world. 

Cayden Allen

“It’s North Vancouver, I play ice hockey, everybody plays soccer but we have played baseball since kindergarten and I think we just fell in love with the game,” said Allen. “We just want to keep playing at a high level.”

Cheyne echoes the early interest in the sport. 

“It’s just really fun for me. It’s not like soccer – doing just running and kicking – there are so many aspects of the game.”

 Recent advancements to the the BC Premier Baseball League have finally separated Allen (playing for the North Shore Twins) and Cheyne (Coquitlam Reds) but for the previous nine seasons – back to T-ball – they were part of the same team.

“We have so many memories of playing together and with the same group all the way until grade nine,” said Cheyne. 

They credit great coaches – like Allen’s dad Chris – and the thoughtful progression followed by LVLL that kept the game fun while building important skills for success and the chance to play internationally.  

“There are so many opportunities at LVLL. They do Fall Ball and Summer Ball. They selected for AllStar teams that give more opportunities for training and travel,” said Allen. “It helps with so much with development. I got so much help.” 

Bigger leagues

The two players have a lot in common: both love baseball, both are in grade 11 at Argyle Secondary and coincidentally both have dual citizenship with the United Kingdom. That little piece of joint family history came into play last year when they were watching the World Baseball Classic. They noticed Great Britain had a team – which led to some digging and discovering GB also fields a team at youth events. 

Henry Cheyne

“Baseball is a growing sport in England. They don’t have the same participation as in North America but it’s growing fast MLB (American Major League Baseball) is hosting games this year in London,” said Cheyne.

The limited popularity of the sport in the UK presented an opportunity for Cheyne and Allen. They contacted the coach – something that would not have been as easy to do for Team Canada.

“That initial contact was definitely easier for Team GB but we needed to prove ourselves. They have players from all over the world so we needed to earn our spots,” said Allen.

Those conversations last summer led to an invitation to join GB for a tournament in Spain this past winter. An invitation the teens could not turn down. 

Cheyne and Allen in Spain.

“We went to go play baseball and have fun. It was so cool to hear different languages and accents all playing together. We played against Italy so they were yelling in Italian – it was about baseball but somehow cooler,” chuckled Allen. 

Their brief time with the U18 team for GB paid off: both Allen Cheyne received invitations to join the team this summer, which has sparked dreams of more play for GB – the way to the Olympics in 2028.

Out of the park

As the school year draws to a close the two athletes will be boarding a plane to train in England before the GB national team heads to Germany in early July. 

“It can be tricky sometimes,” said Allen. “There is training, practices, gym sessions. We make sure to get our school work done but there isn’t a lot of time for other things. Sometimes it’s waking up at 5 am to get a project done.”

They estimate training can take 18-20 hours some weeks with games added on top. It’s all worth it with dreams to one day play in the Major Leagues. Between now and then they hope for more international play, and to follow a plan to balance education and playing opportunities through US junior colleges followed by universities. 

“I am grateful to my parents and family for the time this takes,” said Allen. “They drive us all over – I think the furthest tournament was Arizona. It’s definitely a sacrifice they have made”

Cheyne sees the support too. 

“It’s an expensive sport and if you advance you go to lots of places, which cost a lot of money and all the time and effort to try it out everywhere. I play in Coquitlam now so that’s a lot . . . “ 

Like many amateur athletes – even those at an international level – families are primarily responsible for costs. The teens are trying to fundraise $10,000 through a GoFundMe to help them seize the opportunity to play internationally this July. 

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.

A local dad has taken his passion for sport and his drive to build an inclusive community to the one place he feels most at home: the skate park. Dropping into his fourth season with Spectrum Skateboard Society, Blair Durnan is helping autistic kids roll through social challenges and get physically active.

The grab

The daily ritual of skateboarding before and after his shifts working with youth with disabilities inspired Blair Durnan to pair his love of skateboarding with his education in therapeutic recreation. 

“I was working for the Developmental Disabilities Association at their location at Kensington Community Centre, which has a skate park connected to it. Eventually, the kids in the program – mostly autistic kids would come out and watch me and then a few of them wanted to learn how to skate but just due to insurance through the DDA, it just wasn’t possible to do that.”

As covid hit, Durnan had to leave his job to look after his own two sons and was wrestling with the closures of parks, playgrounds and skate parks. 

“I became their school teacher and we couldn’t go out so I built a mini ramp in the backyard and we would skate during “recess.”

Spurred into action by covid, the idea of starting an organization supporting kids through skateboarding solidified as he worked during those homeschooling breaks with his autistic son.

“Part of how his autism presents itself is that he hyper-focuses. And he would not give up. How many slams it took, it didn’t matter. He would not give up on learning or trying to trick. It rekindled my original thoughts from the DDA. And I was like, okay, when it comes back to going back to work, I want to do this. I’m going to try to start this.”

He spent the next months organizing his non-profit and service provider status and launched Spectrum Skateboard Society in the spring of 2021. This year he expects more than 250 kids to go through his programs and summer camps at Kirkstone and in Vancouver. 

Gapping understanding

From the outside, the skate park can be an intimidating place, acknowledges Durnan but that is because it has its unique etiquette. He argues it’s the most welcoming environment to learn a sport. 

“It is an intimidating place unless you spend time there. And then once you start spending time there, you see the community in it. It just doesn’t look like the community we perhaps stereotypically think of. But they’re wonderful. I’ve seen some really cool things.

“What’s also intimidating about skate parks are the skills,” said Durnan. “Seeing the really, really high-level skaters at a skate park is intimidating for anyone, it doesn’t matter if you’re a skater or not. But that being said, that’s all in your own head. The skate community is one of the most welcoming groups of people that you’ll ever come across.”

From his experience, inclusivity translates well to people with ability differences. 

“Autistic kids or neurodivergent kids don’t always do the greatest in team sports because other kids don’t accept them. Coaches don’t know how to deal with them. So they kind of feel excluded. At the skate park, you’re there to do your own thing but it is kind of a team. Everyone’s watching out for each other. And it doesn’t matter what level you’re at you’re going to get cheered on. If a really, really good skater sees you just trying to push and ride around a pylon, and you’ve tried it and tried it over and over and over again, they’re watching you. And as soon as you complete that, everyone’s cheering. And what we do as skaters is we bang our tails against the ground, our skateboards against the ground, and that’s like basically clapping.”

At the same time skateboarding offers the opportunity to learn at your own pace and in your own way, he said. 

“I think it’s a challenge of trying the tricks – and trying them over and over and over again and failing, but then when you finally succeed, it’s just such a great feeling. The skate park is just such a great welcoming and encouraging community. Everybody helps each other with tricks you’re learning. And it’s so healthy too. Gone is the image of skateboarders being punk rockers just trashing stuff. It’s not true anymore. 

“It’s not necessarily something you see in other sports because there is a certain amount of hanging out there also. That is what makes it so great compared to organized sports. You still get to participate if you’re not keeping up. If you join baseball and if you can’t keep up catching and hitting and throwing, then you’re not going to make it to the next level. You don’t get the opportunity to play anymore.”

Building skills on and off the board

Durnan has a unique ambition – different from most recreational service providers. 

“My whole goal is to have that child never come back to me and go to the skate park on their own. The goal is to give them the basics of skateboarding or the ability to skate on their own and now they can go enjoy this on their own.”

He is proud of the feedback he hears from parents sharing the beneficial effects of the program extending into other parts of the participants’ lives. 

“I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that coming to skateboarding and being involved in skateboarding has progressed their child’s physical therapy. When they go see their physical therapist, that therapist is commenting: ‘Wow, what’s happening here?’  And that’s because of skateboarding, which is amazing. My other mission is to foster friendships so kids who come not knowing anyone meet someone to go to the park with.”

A common challenge facing autistic kids is understanding and reading social situations. The skatepark is an excellent place to practice those skills too, said Durnan.

“We teach the kids as well about the skate park. There’s a whole unwritten etiquette at the skate park. Everyone kind of has their turn. You have to be able to read that at the skate park. So that’s a big part of what we teach in the very beginning.”

Getting involved

Spectrum Skateboard Society supports youth ages six – 17. It is a recognized autism service provider allowing parents to use their funding for camps and classes. They also have a scholarship fund for those that need financial aid. Skills range from never-ever to seasoned riders with a couple of kids surpassing some of the coaches. Durnan emphasizes that everyone started at the beginning. 

“In a typical skateboard class, you would have one instructor to eight to 10 kids. I have more like six instructors to eight kids usually, because a lot of the kids with the way their autism presents itself, need one-on-one support. And another big thing is falling.

“Because of sensitivities and hypersensitivity, I just don’t want to risk falling onto the hard concrete and then that child or youth just not ever wanting to do it again because of that one fall. So we always have our eyes on every kid. We’re usually running around holding hands.”

Prior to lessons, Durnan and/or a Spectrum Skateboard Society volunteer director, who is an expert from the Able Clinic, speak with parents and participants to understand their child’s needs. Instructors are trained with Canada Skateoard and specifically to support autistic kids. Durnan meets annually with the City of Vancouver’s skate park hosts so they understand what behaviours they may see if a skater in a Spectrum Skateboard Society t-shirt shows up. 

“They will go and approach them, get them out there, make them feel comfortable in the skate park, talk to the parents.”

Looking to the future

Spectrum Skateboard Society has a growing reputation and gets requests to offer programs throughout BC. Durnan is also working on overcoming more local challenges: the weather. 

“Our skaters finally find something where they belong, they feel like they can do it, and they want to continue to do it. And now we’re kind of the only kind of activity that they do. It’s been a struggle trying to keep this going all year round because it rains here so much. It’s super dangerous to skateboard in the rain.

“It’s been a real struggle to try to find an indoor spot through the winter because the majority, I would say 95% of our attendees want to continue this all year round. The lack of indoor opportunities is a struggle. I’ve managed to do it. Something’s always come through, but I don’t know. I’m always wondering what the winter’s going to hold.”

There is a misconception Durnan says that skateboards will ruin the floors or arena.

“That’s just not the case. What people don’t realize is that our instructors are walking most of the time and the skaters that we have are basically just rolling.”

Practicing year-round helps build skills and comfort that Durnan hopes leads to a lifelong love for the sport. 

“If you’re not a good enough hockey player, sorry, you’re not going up to the next level. Now you’re aged out and you can’t even play anymore,” he said. “That just doesn’t happen in skateboarding. It doesn’t matter. There are no coaches. Nobody is telling you what to do and when to do it or how to do it. Everybody does the same tricks. The difference with skateboarding – and it goes with skiing and snowboarding too – everyone looks different when they do their trick. It’s like everyone has their own style of doing it. And it makes it unique to them. And that’s, and I think that’s when the people start to say that it’s more like an art form. People make it their own.”

To learn more about the Spectrum Skateboard Society visit its website.

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.

A little flour, salt and water are helping Lynn Valley grow. From a pandemic project to community building, Eva Lee has been learning the ins and outs of baking sourdough and sharing her successes and lessons to help others rise.

Starter

Like many people during the pandemic shutdowns, Lee shifted to work from home and was making her circle small. With extra time on her hands, along with a couple of friends, Lee restarted working on a goal to master sourdough bread.

“I thought it was going to be easy peasy,” laughed Lee. “It’s really hard!”

Eva Lee, left, at a cooking class.

Armed with a starter from an artisan market, a previous lesson and lots of information online she thought that in no time there would be bread on her table.

“There is a lot of information online but it’s so confusing,” she said. “In hindsight, I think I made it more difficult than it is by trying to add whole grains – like rye and buckwheat.”

It was a learning curve that had her going through jars of starter and bags of flour. With day-to-day contacts mandated to be low, Lee turned to the Lynn Valley Buy Nothing Facebook group (an online community that offers and asks for goods and services instead of traditional commerce) to share her newfound abundance of bread.

“I was making bread every day, and so I started giving it away almost every day,” she said. “This was a community I loved and I wanted to share. Bread is a good way to give back.”

Community rising

Lee continued on her path to mastery and was feeling confident after four or five months. 

“Once you understand it, sourdough is not ridged. It can be very forgiving using the fridge to slow fermentation and I learned that it can be dictated to my schedule.”

With loaf after loaf being dropped off on doorsteps to the Buy Nothing members throughout Lynn Valley, Lee’s reputation as a baker was rising along with the dough. People began seeking her guidance. As health mandates lessened, Lee began to plan a class.

For Tanya Verret it was a chance – and a challenge – she was intrigued by.  

“When I first moved to Lynn Valley Eva was always offering bread,” said Verret. “She was so generous, she would come by and pick something up and she would leave a beautiful loaf of bread.”

The challenge of baking bread felt intimidating to Verret as she continued to heal from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). 

“Learning a new skill is challenging,” she said. “I have never baked bread in my entire life. Sure, maybe a banana loaf here or there, but never, ever bread. I’ve eaten a lot ”

Lee’s class did much more than teach her the basics of sourdough baking. 

“I don’t think Eva understands what she has given to the community,” said Varret. “She is a magical woman who has the ability to bring people together. She has given me this skill but it is so much more than that. She has given me confidence and the ability to be calm and in the moment.”

Simple flour, salt, water and Lee’s support have been ingredients that have helped Verret rise along with her dough.

“With a TBI things can be hard, Eva has given me a gift – and it’s having a real impact,” she said. “I make bread every week. I usually give away a loaf every time I bake. I feel lighter. I haven’t felt proud of something I have done in a long time. I learned something new, and it’s something that helps take care of my family. It’s amazing.”

Breaking bread

After a couple of classes, Lee appreciates some of the unintended benefits of sharing her love of baking. 

“It’s hard to meet people and during the pandemic, it was even harder,” she said. “Most of the people who came to the first class ‘knew’ each other online. It was a chance to finally meet in person through a common interest.”

Lee supported bakers after the class offering more opportunities for connection through a Facebook group to ask questions and share the bread challenges and support. This led her initial students to help out her second class. 

“I loved helping out. It was wonderful to see how Eva had honed her teaching skills and advanced. The first was great but she is so thoughtful and intentional that she is working to make it even better” said Verret. “She is so gentle and encouraging and makes her students believe they can do this. Eva really is magic.”

While the classes are still infrequent and informal, and her bread deliveries are a little less common as she refines her skills, Lee is leaving crumbs throughout Lynn Valley. 

“We are lucky to have the community we do,” said Verret. “Eva has given us a lot more than she knows – and I do tell her but I don’t think she quite gets how great she is – and how delicious her bread is.”

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.