Notable Neighbours

We are collecting nominations for Lynn Valley’s Good Neighbour Award until Dec. 19, 2012. We’d love to hear, and share, stories about good-hearted folks who have gone out of their way to help you or their community, in ways large or small.  Nominees don’t have to be your ‘next-door’ neighbour, just a fellow citizen of the Valley.

This contest isn’t about deciding who’s ‘best’ – it’s about celebrating all those kindnesses that we know happen in our neighbourhood every day of the year. The winner of this year’s Good Neighbour prize package will be drawn at random, and announced on Dec. 23. Please send your submissions to [email protected].

SOHAIL KAMAL NOMINATES PAIGE LARSON:

“Here is my nomination for Paige Larson, who just won a Western Canada Women Entrepreneur Award, but missed by a whisker to winning the National Award for the HKMB HUB Impact Award.  The award goes to the woman entrepreneur who has had a significant positive impact on the community (Lynn Valley and the North Shore) and there were 3,500 women nominated for the six awards. I think she would be a glowing recipient of this award for Lynn Valley!”

Paige, who lives near Ross Road School, is the owner of North Shore Sports Medicine and received the award for contributing to her community prosperity and job creation. She owns three clinics with 20 beds, and employs 13 health care providers. She received her award at a Toronto gala on Nov. 28th.

Thanks for letting us know about this impressive neighbour, Sohail. Good luck to you both in the draw!

We are collecting nominations for Lynn Valley’s Good Neighbour Award until Dec. 19, 2012. We’d love to hear, and share, stories about good-hearted folks who have gone out of their way to help you or their community, in ways large or small.  Nominees don’t have to be your ‘next-door’ neighbour, just a fellow citizen of the Valley.

This contest isn’t about deciding who’s ‘best’ – it’s about celebrating all those kindnesses that we know happen in our neighbourhood every day of the year. The winner of this year’s Good Neighbour prize package will be drawn at random, and announced on Dec. 23. Please send your submissions to [email protected].

KELLY JENNER NOMINATES ROSEMARY POSTLEWAITE
AND DARLA AT WAVES:

“We have some amazing folks in this community and I would like to nominate two people who have made a difference to how we are able to serve the neighbourhood….

The first person I would like to nominate is Darla at Waves Lynn Valley.  I know she donates to many groups/ organizations, but her generosity with Lynn Valley United Church is awe inspiring.  She has provided coffee for every Friday Night Live performance since its inception a year and a half ago.  She also contributes coffee to the congregation for Sunday fellowship once a month.

Plus, she donates coffee for special musical and social events, from the monthly drumming circle to the recent “Sounds Like Christmas” community concert.  All given with a smile and the request to just ask if more is needed.  I am not sure how a business can succeed with that kind of generous spirit, but Darla is doing her best to make it work that way.

The second nomination is for Rosemary Postlethwaite.  This shy and unassuming elder in the LVUC community has spent the past 10 years collecting bottles from neighbours for her “sandwich filling fund.”  This fund is used to buy meat, bags, condiments and other supplies for the 500 sandwiches that this congregation makes every month.

The sandwiches are shared out to the homeless through a network of social workers with the North Shore branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, ensuring the people in this community are nourished by this community.

Rosemary has had some major health scares this year, and after spending 54 years in a little house on Westover has moved into “Branches”- but has insisted that she be allowed to continue supplying fillings and such for the sandwiches for as long as she is able.   Rosemary bears a strong pioneer spirit in the most quiet and gentle person you’ll ever meet.  And she is the foundation of a project that feeds hundreds every month.  Simply put, she is amazing.

That’s it from me right now, I could go on about lots of the folks I know who make a difference… the truth is that Lynn Valley is an amazing community because there are so many amazing people.  (Jim and Peggy- you are in there, too!)

Thanks for giving me this opportunity to do this “shout out”

Kelly
Kelly Jenner- Office Manager
Lynn Valley United Church

Thanks, Kelly, you’re an amazing mover-and-shaker yourself! Thanks for adding so much to our community.

We are collecting nominations for Lynn Valley’s Good Neighbour Award until Dec. 19, 2012. We’d love to hear, and share, stories about good-hearted folks who have gone out of their way to help you or their community, in ways large or small.  Nominees don’t have to be your ‘next-door’ neighbour, just a fellow citizen of the Valley.

This contest isn’t about deciding who’s ‘best’ – it’s about celebrating all those kindnesses that we know happen in our neighbourhood every day of the year. The winner of this year’s Good Neighbour prize package will be drawn at random, and announced on Dec. 23. Please send your submissions to [email protected].

CHRIS TRENDELL NOMINATES JIM WRIGHT:

“He was one of the very early settlers in Lynn Valley; one of World War II’s returning vets. It was a time when there was no shopping mall, just a few scattered shops and a goose farm not far from where he still lives on Coleman Street.

Although he asked for little help from those around him, he gave abundantly to anyone who came to his door. (And, after we built our own home across the street in 1965, we knocked on that door often! He was always there to lend a hand, or invite us in to watch the football game, election returns, or moon landing with him on the TV by the fireplace.)

James, Jimmy, Chick or Mr. Wrightman as he was called, depending on your relationship with him, is gifted with the ability to “fix it.” His workshop was a mystery to all who entered. The tools were cleaned, polished and in place. Although the tools looked new, they had by and large been passed on to him by his father who had brought them from England.  

During the winter, he would be seen and heard on his small Sears ride-on tractor, clearing the sidewalks of snow in front of Upper Lynn School and for many blocks around.

You don’t see Mr. Wright around much at public events or large gatherings, but I think he is well-known by many people for his repeated acts of kindness over his many decades in Lynn Valley.”

We are collecting nominations for Lynn Valley’s Good Neighbour Award until Dec. 19, 2012. We’d love to hear, and share, stories about good-hearted folks who have gone out of their way to help you or their community, in ways large or small.  Nominees don’t have to be your ‘next-door’ neighbour, just a fellow citizen of the Valley.

This contest isn’t about deciding who’s ‘best’ – it’s about celebrating all those kindnesses that we know happen in our neighbourhood every day of the year. The winner of this year’s Good Neighbour prize package will be drawn at random, and announced on Dec. 23. Please send your submissions to [email protected].

ANDREA WINTERBOTTOM NOMINATES GILLIAN KONST:

“Thank you for organizing the first Good Neighbour Award. I would like to nominate my neighbour, Gillian Konst.

On many occasions, Gillian has been a lender of cups of sugar, onions and over-the-fence cuttings of her favourite plants/flowers from her garden. She has invited me inside her home on the spot for a cup of tea or glass of wine, but it’s the greater good that she demonstrates in the community that makes her a Good Neighbour: no matter what committee chair she sits on, her enthusiasm, determination and helping hand is always appreciated.

Gillian recently helped me to establish a Laughter Yoga group at Mollie Nye House and accommodated my newly formed “Write Away” writing group at Mollie Nye House as a great outreach to the Lynn Valley writing community. Gillian and I go way back when we were both parents active at the Eastview Elementary School council spearheading various committees. I would be happy to tell you more about  Gillian’s selfless, supportive, neighbourly ways!”

Gillian Konst and Eric Muira represented the Lynn Valley Community Association at last year’s Canada Day festivities in LV Village:

“I would like to nominate my husband, Wayne Gooch. 

Wayne is outside more than he is inside.  He continually helps our neighbours, whether it’s to put up some siding on their home, de-thach their lawns, give them a Christmas tree or to simply lend an ear. 

Wayne has a heart of gold and funnily enough…he doesn’t realize it.  It just comes naturally to him. 

He is such a humble man and I am so very proud to call him my husband.”

We are collecting nominations for Lynn Valley’s Good Neighbour Award until Dec. 19, 2012. We’d love to hear, and share, stories about good-hearted folks who have gone out of their way to help you or their community, in ways large or small.  Nominees don’t have to be your ‘next-door’ neighbour, just a fellow citizen of the Valley.

This contest isn’t about deciding who’s ‘best’ – it’s about celebrating all those kindnesses that we know happen in our neighbourhood every day of the year. The winner of this year’s Good Neighbour prize package will be drawn at random, and announced on Dec. 23. Please send your submissions to [email protected].

MICHELLE POTTS NOMINATES STEPHANIE BRAWN

“Hi, I would like to nominate Stephanie Brawn for the good neighbor award. We have two small children and one is in school. There were times when our little one was napping during pick up time at school. On more then a few occasions, rather than wake him up and create loads of stress on everyone she would come over to the house while I went to get my daughter from school.  I have a hard time asking for help but Stephanie makes it easy with her willingness.  We love having her as a neighbor.”