Lynn Valley home to pumpkins with personality

We were glad to see what became of some of those pumpkins we saw leave the Lynn Valley field “Pumpkin Patch”! Thank you to everyone who entered our neighbourhood carving contest.

Pat SymonsWe couldn’t help but award the grand prize of a $25 Browns gift card to Pat Symons, football coach of the Pipers’ Junior Varsity team, for his carved pumpkin-football – and his carved pineapple-jack o’ lantern!

As for the kids’ entries below, we know you’ll agree that they are all great, and we can’t award just one entry. (Click on the photos to see a larger version!) So expect a visit from our sponsoring realtors in the days ahead – they will visit with a sweet treat for all of you!

Special thanks to those entries from Ms. Bonner’s class at Lynn Valley Elementary School.
LiamLeah featuring Baby Alder 3 months

(more…)

Do you know this year’s Good Neighbour?

Every year, LynnValleyLife looks forward to putting out a call for stories about the people in our community who, in ways large or small, lend a helping hand to those around them.

LVL neighbour treeAnd every year, we draw from these angels-among-us to determine who will receive the annual LynnValleyLife Good Neighbour Award. Here’s our story about last year’s winner and nominees – and if you pop by our office, be sure to take a look at the plaque on the wall honouring all the former winners!

(more…)

Halloween in Lynn Valley – not just for kids!

We’ve already told you about all the fun Halloween happenings for Lynn Valley’s youngsters – but this neighbourhood is throwing a few bashes for grown-up ghouls and gals, too!

New this year is a parkade party – yes, that’s right – in the “Lions Lair,” aka the  parking lot underneath Lynn Valley Village that will be decked out as a haunted house for the family entertainment in the village in the afternoon.

Come night-time on the 31st, though, it’s adults only, with a live band, prizes for best costumes, snacks, and all the scary good time you can handle. This is a fundraiser for the Lynn Valley Lions, so put the kids to bed and come on down to show your support! The fun starts at 8 p.m. and goes ’til late. Tickets are $30; please email [email protected].

Image

… or go party at the Lynn Valley Legion!

The ever-popular band Swayed will be keeping the crowd happy at the LV Legion on Halloween night, so put on your best monster mash outfit and join the fun. Tickets ($20) are usually a sell-out, so get yours soon. Call (604) 987-2050.

While you’re at it, why not visit the Lynn Valley Legion’s Facebook page to get an idea of all the other social and service activities going on there? The public is always welcome, so whether it’s some live music, a night out for dinner, or a party, there will be something that catches your eye. (Psst! Food donations for Remembrance Day open house would be welcome, too!)

Happy Halloween hi-jinx in Lynn Valley!

There are all sorts of fun activities to keep young ghosts and princesses busy this year – including our LynnValleyLife jack o’ lantern carving contest!

Neighbourhood fun starts the weekend before Halloween. Here are some we’ve rounded up for you, courtesy of the North Vancouver Recreation and Culture newsletter. (And adults don’t have to miss out either, see our post about the Lions Lair at Lynn Valley Village and the LV Legion party on Saturday the 31st!)

All Ages Halloween Party Extravaganza

Friday, October 30th  – $10.00 Youth / Adults (Children 12 and under FREE)

Friday Night  Live (FNL) makes room for Halloween-y fun with a safe, inclusive, interactive event for the whole family.

6 pm – games, pumpkins, crafts and treats / 7:30 pm FNL live magician and improv /9 pm Halloween Dance Off. Come One, Come all – in Costume!

1277 Lynn Valley Road, LV Library Community Room

Lynn Valley Haunted Village

Saturday, October 31 1:30 – 4 p.m. FREE

Take your little ghosts, goblins, princesses and superheroes to Lynn Valley Village and enjoy an afternoon of spooky Halloween fun. There will be face painting, trick or treating, storytime with the librarians, crafts, science experiments and a haunted garden. The Lynn Valley Lions will be there serving up some food at their cookshack… and, if you’re brave enough, visit the Lions Lair Haunted House in the LV Village spooky UNDERGROUND…

Image 1

 

A Happy Haunting

Saturday, October 24 10 a.m. and 12:30 pm $7.50 / $2.50

HalloweenParty-300x209Take your little goblins, superheroes and princesses and have some ghoulish fun at this family Halloween event. There will be games, crafts, stories, activities and more. For children aged 8 and under accompanied by a parent. Registration is required; register by phone or online.

Lynn Valley Community Recreation Centre: 3590 Mountain Highway, 604-987-7529. Visit the website for more information.

Halloween Hiss-teria at the Ecology Centre

Sunday, October 25 noon – 4 pm; suggested donation $2 person / $5 family.

If you love reptiles this is the event for you! Drop by to meet reptiles from around the world and learn about these amazing animals. Maybe you will discover that reptiles are not as scary as you think?

Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre: 3663 Park Road, 604-990-3755

Visit the website for more information.

Wanted: your best jack o’ lantern photos!

We can’t help but notice that Lynn Valley’s jack o’ lanterns are getting spookier every year!

jackLynnValleyLife wants to share this neighbourhood’s spookiest, funniest, fanciest and freakiest pumpkin carvings, so please send us a photo of you with your jack o’ lantern! We’ll print them up and display them on our office’s front window at 3171 Mountain Hwy. (and on our website, of course), and there will be special treats given to the scariest, funniest and overall greatest neighbourhood pumpkins. (There will be a special category for youth, so let us know if you are 15 and under!)

Please send a photo of your pumpkin on your Lynn Valley doorstep to [email protected] by the end of Sunday, November 1, 2015, along with your name, age and contact details.

(more…)

Mollie Nye House seeking volunteers

Many Lynn Valley citizens spent much of the fall agonizing over which way to vote in the federal election, but we can assure you there’s a much less puzzling way to improve your country – volunteer!

Mollie Nye House, North Vancouver

Mollie Nye House

We all want to live in a strong, friendly neighbourhood that offers support for all ages and stages, and it doesn’t take much to help make that happen. The folks at Mollie Nye House could sure use your help, for example, and have a few volunteer opportunities right now.

Mollie Nye House is the home of the Lynn Valley Services Society, the Lynn Valley Community Association and the Lynn Valley Seniors Society, and offers programming for everyone in the community. Just check out their website to find info about upcoming activities such as Spanish lessons, Tai Chi and ESL classes, with Christmas wreath and centrepiece workshops on the way, too.

Celeste Whittaker is the office manager at Mollie Nye, and says she is currently in great need of reception staff. We know from our visits to the House that this involves a warm, cozy post, cookies, friendly visitors and all sorts of other perks to accompany the phone-answering and people-greeting.  The shifts are mornings from 10  to 1pm or afternoons from 1 to 4pm; a little computer knowledge is helpful but not necessary.

Celeste is also looking for a volunteer to set up six bridge tables on Tuesdays at 12:30, with take down at 3:30. The bridge club’s current volunteer is on holiday until January, so if you could fill in until then it would be greatly appreciated!

For these and other opportunities at Mollie Nye, please contact Celeste at [email protected] or 604-987-5820 ext. x 13. The online volunteer application is here.

LynnValleyLife a cheerleader for high school sports

LynnValleyLife sponsoring realtor Suzanne Callaghan (and proud Arygle grad!) is an avid believer in school sports. As such, she is delighted to be sponsoring four teams at her alma mater this year!

She is pleased to be sponsoring the Junior and Senior Boys’ Soccer teams, and the Junior Varsity and Varsity Football teams.

Argyle Pipers in paradeSuzanne has been told that the football teams are putting her sponsorship funds toward a special camera attachment so they can film footage from above, while the soccer teams will be replacing balls and purchasing needed supplies such as mannikins for use during practice drills, so everyone can be moving and nobody is left standing around.

If you’d like to come out and show your support for the Pipers, the game schedules are at the following links:

(more…)

Fireworks in North Vancouver: what you need to know

firework

We were all brought up on cautionary tales featuring misbehaving children who lost a finger or two while playing with illicit firecrackers. But humans remain fascinated by things that blow up, especially if accompanied by pretty lights and alarming noises. (For an interesting history of fireworks parties in Vancouver, check out this  Vancity Buzz article.)

While a typical neighbourhood fireworks party can’t match the pyrotechnics of the  international fireworks competition held in English Bay each summer, they do have the advantage of neighbourhood bonding, hot chocolate, proximity – and readily available Halloween candy, purloined from your kids’ bags while they’re distracted by the lights.

But there are a number of things to consider if you want your block party to go off with a bang. First off, stay on the right side of the law – check out the North Van District fireworks bylaws if you want chapter and verse. You’ll note there’s a $200 fine for setting off fireworks without a permit. You’ll also note that Section 5 reads “No person shall possess, fire, set off or discharge firecrackers” – they are illegal, period, permit or no.

Firecrackers are illegal - period.

Firecrackers are illegal – period.

Captain Ben Wilson of the North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services team has told us that the permit to purchase, possess, and discharge fireworks will be available online mid-October and will be advertised through their website and social media streams such as their Facebook page.

He notes: “The permit allows residents to purchase, possess, and discharge consumer fireworks on private property, with the authorization of the property owner, between 6 p.m. and midnight on October 31, 2015. The discharge of fireworks is not permitted in or on public property such as parks, roadways, and cul-de-sacs. Persons discharging fireworks are required to have liability insurance as well.”

Once you’ve obtained a permit (and you have to be 19 or over to do so), you can purchase your fireworks from a reputable dealer (the kind that will only sell you fireworks if you have a permit!) Watch for pop-up shops going up in North Vancouver – they are usually well advertised in the newspaper and via billboards.

Remember that those fireworks are for you, the adult, to set off – not to hand over to your kids, no matter how much they beg. We’ve all seen kids rampaging through the neighbourhood on the night of the 31st, armed with a backpack full of pyrotechnics, dangerous not just to themselves and others but able to cause fire and property damage, as well. (Damage in Vancouver City runs up to $500,000 on some years.)

“It would be a significant benefit to all emergency responders an the safety of the community if adults would not purchase fireworks on behalf of minors. It is illegal and the individual could face significant fines,” states Cpt. Wilson.

Adults aren’t always great at following the rules that come along with fireworks either, we must admit. These safety tips are from Natural Resources Canada’s website:

PEOPLE UNDER 18 YEARS OLD who use fireworks must be supervised by an adult.

 

CHOOSE a wide, clear site away from all obstacles. Refer to the safety instructions on the fireworks label for minimum distances from spectators.

 

DO NOT FIRE IN WINDY CONDITIONS.

 

READ all instructions on the fireworks. PLAN the order of firing before you begin.

 

USE A GOOD FIRING BASE such as a pail filled with earth or sand.

 

BURY fireworks that do not have a base HALFWAY in a container of earth or sand (such as a pail, box or wheelbarrow) unless the label on the firework indicates otherwise. Set them at a 10-degree angle, pointing away from people.

 

NEVER try to light a firework or hold a lit firework in your hand unless the manufacturer’s instructions indicate that they are designed to be hand-held.<

 

LIGHT CAREFULLY: Always light the fuse at its tip.

 

KEEP WATER NEARBY: Dispose of used fireworks (including debris) in a pail of water.

 

WAIT at least 30 minutes before approaching a firework that did not go off. NEVER try to RELIGHT a firework that did not go off. NEVER try to fix a firework that is defective.

 

KEEP fireworks in a cool, dry, ventilated place, out of the reach of children.

 

IT IS RECOMMENDED that safety glasses be worn.

We haven’t yet heard of any public fireworks displays being planned in our community, but if we learn of any we’ll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, all of us at NeighbourhoodLife wish you and your family a safe and happy Halloween!

 

Lynn Valley photo contest winners announced!

Well, fall is definitely here, and along with wet weather that means the end of the LynnValleyLife Summer in the ‘Hood Photo Contest!

Thank you to all for entering, and another big congratulations to Jennie Angel, who won the early-bird draw for two tickets to the Jon Bon Jovi and the Kings of Suburbia concert. We hope you had a great time, Jennie!

And now we’re delighted to announce the winners of the contest, whose photos we felt best expressed Summer 2015 in Lynn Valley. Each wins a $50 gift certificate at Browns Socialhouse.

In the ‘amateur’ category, many congratulations to  Caroline Liggett, for her photo of how her boys bathed and cooled off in Lynn Creek during this summer’s drought!

(more…)