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First annual Good Neighbour Award announced!

LynnValleyLife is delighted to introduce a new, year-end community tradition – the 1st annual Good Neighbour Award!

Has someone been a “good neighbour” to you this year? Did a person here in Lynn Valley go out of their way to help you, your family, or our community?

Maybe they spent an evening out in the woods looking for your lost dog. Maybe they spent the year collecting bottles for a school fundraiser. Whatever they did that warmed your heart, we’d love to hear about it.

We’ll share some of our favourite stories on this website as a tribute to Lynn Valleyites’ year-round spirit of goodwill. And then we’ll put them into a random draw so that one of these kindhearted citizens can win LynnValleyLife’s Good Neighbour Award for 2012.

 

They will win:

  • a gift certificate to Aristos Greek Restaurant
  • a one-month rec centre pass
  • a personalized tour of the RCMP station (including RCMP mug & umbrella!), and…
  • a membership in the LV Community Association!

And, as a thank you to the person who nominated the winner, a $25 gift certificate to the Black Bear Neighbourhood Pub will go to the person (19+) who submitted their story!

We can’t wait to hear about the random – or highly organized! – acts of kindness we know take place in our community on a daily basis.  Please submit a paragraph or two that tell your story (including your name and contact information) via the form below, or by emailing [email protected], or by mailing The Editor at LynnValleyLife, 1297 Argyle Rd.,  North Vancouver,  V7K 1H5.

We’ll start to publish some of the stories over the following weeks, and we must receive all entries by Wednesday, Dec. 19. The Good Neighbour 2012 prize (and the Black Bear Pub gift certificate!) will be awarded at the Lynn Valley Village Christmas Tree Walk on Sunday, Dec. 23. We hope to see you there, as the Lynn Valley United Church Community Choir and a special guest from the North Pole will also be in attendance that night!

You can help spread the word to others by forwarding this post (or facebooking, or tweeting!) and by downloading this poster to put up around the community. Thanks for helping us find those good neighbours!

By submitting your story, you are agreeing to its possible publication by LynnValleyLife. Should you wish us to use first names only, please let us know – though we reserve the right to publish the first and last name of the Good Neighbour 2012 grand prize winner and his/her nominator.

 

November 20, 2012 in Blog, Community Events, Contests, Notable Neighbours

Like to write? New group to meet in Lynn Valley

Lynn Valley scribe Andrea Winterbottom is inviting other writers to join her in a new group that will meet on two Thursday evenings per month. The first meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.

Says Andrea, “I have tentatively named the group ‘Write Away,’ because writing is what we do and the sooner we get to it, the better!”

Participants are asked to bring a pen and paper (or your laptop), and, if they are inclined, a piece of their writing in any genre that is up to about 500 words. Andrea intends the group to be a class-like setting, where all writers can be nurtured in a welcoming, safe, respectful and confidential environment.

The group will meet in the Mollie Nye House library, located at 940 Lynn Valley Rd. Room rental costs will be shared between the writers, resulting in a relatively nominal fee for the program.

For information or to reserve your spot, please call Andrea at 604-761-1474.

November 13, 2012 in Blog, Current News

Young Writers’ Club being relaunched!

Do you know a young writer? The Lynn Valley Literary Society is pleased to announce that the Young Writers’ Club, for enthusiastic scribes in Grades 5 through 12, is being re-launched after a one-year hiatus.

The popular club met for over five years at Mollie Nye House, and was the only ongoing local meeting place for children and teens interested in writing and sharing their stories. While it had to take a break last year, it is now coming back under the direction of Maggie Bolitho, a North Vancouver writer who specializes in Young Adult fiction.

The popular club is once again meeting at Mollie Nye House on the second Wednesday of each month, beginning on Nov. 14. For more information, visit the LVLS website.

November 6, 2012 in Blog, Current News

Hoskins home construction well under way

The two new homes being built from the ground up at Hoskins and Dempsey have been the focus of much interest, and one has even been sold already!

Whether or not you are currently in the market, it’s always interesting to have a peek at the renovations, new landscaping, or construction that’s going on in your neighbourhood. So we thought we would snap you a few photos now that these two new homes are starting to take shape.

Builder invites homeowner to put up wall.

Homeowner and builder

 

Front of home on Nov 7 / 12

View from upper deck on Nov 7 / 12

Foundation starting on 2nd home – get involved today!

To find out what the finished product will look like, click here. And to learn more about the process of turning an older home on one lot into a double lot for two updated homes, visit this earlier blog post. If you have any questions, please call Jim or Kelly at 778-724-0112.

November 6, 2012 in Blog, Real Estate News

Remembrance Day observances planned

Each year, more and more Canadians are marking Remembrance Day at ceremonies and other events across the country.

North Vancouver hosts the largest cenotaph gathering in Western Canada, an annual tradition at Victoria Park. People should be in place on Sunday before 10:30 a.m. (allow time to walk a few blocks), and thereafter will follow a traditional service, fly-past, parade, music, the presentation of wreaths of remembrance, and of course a moment of silence. For information on the marching parade before and after the ceremony, visit this North Van RCMP press release.

In Lynn Valley, a small ceremony is held at Pioneer Park at the junction of Lynn Valley Road and Mountain Hwy, especially to accommodate seniors and veterans for whom the crowds at Victoria Park are prohibiting. Those who wish to attend are asked to be at the cairn by 10:15 a.m., and to ensure the chairs available go to those who need them the most. Legion president Diana Saboe also notes that everyone is invited to the Lynn Valley Legion Open House following the ceremony; please leave the jeans at home and arrive in proper dress.

Many people also enjoy attending the Remembrance Day assembly at Argyle Secondary, which features thoughtful presentations and musical performances put on by the students. This year’s assembly will take place in the school gym on Friday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m.

And Lynn Valley United Church will be foregoing its usual Sunday service on Nov. 11 to offer a special performance by Antony Holland, award-winning actor and playwright. Holland will be presenting One Man in His Time, his play that tells of his experiences in Northern Africa during World War II. There, he worked as a code breaker for the British Armed Services and in his spare time mounted theatrical productions wherever he was able.

Admission is by donation at the door, with contributions of $25 or more eligible for a tax receipt. Contact the church office for more information, or look on the church website.

 

November 5, 2012 in Blog, Community Events, Current News

LV town centre at the preliminary application stage

At LynnValleyLife, our goal is to bring our readers easy-to-understand, but thorough information regarding all the important developments in the implementation of the Lynn Valley Town Centre plans. Last month, we wrote this blog post that provided some context to the preliminary applications submitted to North Van District by Bosa (whose application outlined its proposal for the Zellers site), and Safeway, which submitted a proposal for the redevelopment of its own property.

Then we asked you to send us your questions, about this stage of the proceedings or the town centre plans in general. One of the first queries that came in was “What’s the next step?”

To answer that, we went to Michael Hartford, NVD development planner, and NVD policy planner Karen Rendek. In regards to Bosa and Safeway’s preliminary applications, they tell us, the “next steps” are as follows:

1. These two applications are preliminary applications – there is no rejection or approval at the conclusion of a preliminary application, and District Council does not formally consider these proposals.  The District’s review of the preliminary applications pertains to issues such as community plan compliance and infrastructure upgrades.  The District is anticipating concluding each of these preliminary application processes within the next week.

2. Having reviewed the package of information provided to them by the District, the individual applicants will make decisions as to whether to proceed with what is called a “detailed development application.”

3. In this case, based on input received from the public at the preliminary stage, the District is encouraging these applicants to consult with residents prior to finalizing the content of their detailed applications.  Plans for any developer-hosted consultation have not been finalized, and this consultation would take place outside of the District’s normal application procedures.

4. If a detailed development application is submitted on these properties, District procedures indicate the need for a Public Information Meeting, hosted by the applicant. Here’s how a Public Information Meeting is conducted:

  • This meeting is attended by District staff, and is required to be facilitated by a qualified meeting facilitator.
  • The public is invited to attend this meeting, flyers are delivered to nearby properties, a sign will be posted on the property and notices will be placed in the newspaper.
  • The local community association is also notified of this meeting.
  • Comments are invited at the public information meeting as well as after the meeting, either through a comment sheet or by email.

5. Following the public information meeting, and any design changes arising from input received at this meeting, the detailed development application would be forwarded for consideration by District Council.  At that time, Council may defeat the proposal, or may decide to forward the application to a public hearing, at which residents may share their opinions directly with Council.

6. Following the close of the public hearing, Council would consider the input received at the hearing and make a decision regarding whether to approve or deny the rezoning request to accommodate the development.

In summary, for the two preliminary applications currently concluding, there will be opportunities for public input through at least two types of meetings: the public information meeting and the public hearing.  A third type of meeting, likely in a small group format or open house format hosted by the proponents, may occur prior to the detailed development applications being submitted.

Would you like more information? Visit the District’s Identity site, here, or contact Karen Rendek at 604 990-2295; [email protected]. If you have any questions you’d like us to explore for you regarding the town centre implementation plans, please let us know at [email protected]. We look forward to bringing you a variety of viewpoints on the many aspects of the plan to be considered!

 

 

November 5, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Development and Town Planning, Governance and Services

Giants hockey tickets support good cause

Lynn Valley’s Bob Rasmus is known to many of us for his ongoing community work with the Lions Club and for co-organizing the ever bigger-and-better annual Lynn Valley Day events. (Click here for a profile we wrote about Bob this spring!)

Currently Bob is zone chairman for all the North Shore Lions Clubs, so we’re happy to help him promote his causes – especially when it comes to a deal on hockey tickets!

If you order tickets to the Giants’ Jan. 30 game against the Prince Albert Raiders, you will not only save five bucks a ticket, you will be supporting the Lions Society’s Easter Seals House. The Vancouver Easter Seals House, located on Oak Street, provides low-cost accommodation for families who are in town for a child’s medical treatment. The house is professionally staffed, includes play facilities and other child-centred features, and is designed to give parents the support they need in order that they can focus on their children’s wellbeing.

To download a hockey tickets order form, click here. Remember, the tix make great Christmas presents – especially in this lock-out year!

Did you know the Lynn Valley Lions Club helps support about fifty local non-profit organizations through its fundraising? Have a look at their website to see how splendidly your Cook Shack hamburger dollars are put to work in the community!

November 2, 2012 in Blog, Community Events, Current News

Entertainers sought for Lynn Valley Christmas

It may be Halloween outside, but for Lynn Valley Community Association organizers, Christmas is just a hop, skip and jump away.

An enthusiastic working group is behind “A Lynn Valley Christmas,” a greatly expanded version of last year’s Christmas Tree Walk in Lynn Valley Village.

Sixty trees – twice last year’s number – will be adopted and decorated by local organizations and businesses, and festive entertainment will be provided from Dec. 12 to 23.

If you know of musical groups, children’s entertainers, or other performers who would like to be part of the fun, please contact Dave Bruynesteryn at 604-315-3283 or [email protected] as soon as possible – a schedule is being compiled right now.

There are just a few trees left, too, so if you’d like to sponsor one, please give Dave a call before it’s too late. Fifty dollars of the $200 sponsorship fee goes towards the Lions Christmas Hamper program.

 

October 30, 2012 in Blog, Community Events, Current News, Getting Involved

Toy sale supports Lynn Valley community

We’ve all seen posters for Lynn Valley’s Kids’ Toy & Clothing Sale, but did you know that the event is of benefit to everyone in the community, not just families with young children? Read on as organizer Tim Green gives us a behind-the-scenes explanation of this semi-annual event! UPDATE: The 2013 fall sale is on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 2:30-4:30, and Sunday, Nov. 3 from 2 to 4 p.m.

The Kids’ Toy & Clothing Sale has been going on since sometime in the 1990s. It was originally started by the North Vancouver Recreation Commission, and the Lynn Valley Community Association (LVCA) took it over about eight years ago.

Currently we run the sales out of the Lynn Valley Recreation Centre (Cardinal Hall) twice a year in May and November. Well, I guess you could say that it is four times a year – there is a Saturday event and a Sunday event in May, and a Saturday event and a Sunday event in November.

It is all possible due to the generosity of the North Vancouver Recreation Commission. We have use of the Cardinal Hall facility at no charge to the LVCA, and the Recreation Commission takes care of the table bookings through their phone registration system. They collect the table fees for us, too.

We are able to fit 20 tables onto the gymnasium floor at Cardinal Hall. (If we had a larger building, we would have no problem selling more tables!)
We never have any problems selling the 40 tables for a weekend – the 20 tables for the Saturday and the 20 tables for the Sunday are always sold out well in advance, and there is always a long waiting list. (A table costs $27 plus tax.) So we have 20 people selling their goods (gently used kids’ toys and clothing) on a Saturday in May or November, and then another 20 sellers on the following day (the Sunday). There are different sellers each day.

The sale runs for two hours each day. The sellers are given an hour or two before the start of the sales to get set up.

When we open the doors to the buying public there is always a long line-up of people waiting to get in right away to find the best items for sale! People are charged a very small fee at the door; we charge $2 per person (or $2 per family). This is how the LVCA raises money so that it can operate its other functions and activities throughout the year.

On any given weekend there are between 300 and 500 people (or families) coming through to buy the used toys and clothing.

Here are some tips for sellers:

  •        Book a table 2 or 3 months in advance through the Recreation Commission
  •        Bring lots of change (quarters, loonies and toonies)
  •        Bring lots of plastic bags to put the sold items into
  •        Don’t mark your items up too high!
  •        Be prepared to bargain

And some for buyers:

  •         Come early to get the best items
  •        But don’t be afraid to come later in the day too – there is always plenty still for sale, and the vendors may be willing to drop the prices more as the end of the sale nears
  •        Bring lots of change (quarters, loonies and toonies)
  •        Be prepared to bargain

Typically we see plenty of children’s clothing for sale, and a fair selection of younger kids’ toys, too. Usually there is a lack of toys and games for older kids for sale, so vendors should perhaps consider that market when deciding to buy a table.

At the end of the day, we accept donations of any unsold clothing which we then arrange to have picked up by Big Brothers.

Hope to see you there this year!

October 30, 2012 in Blog, Community Events, Current News

North Vancouver RCMP receive Queen’s Jubilee medals

It was slipped into our email inbox like any other press release from the North Van RCMP, but this one – we think – is rather special.

Twenty-two of our local RCMP officers, employees, and volunteers were recently awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for significant contributions to their community. Here at LynnValleyLife HQ, we were especially tickled to see the familiar face of Cpl. Richard De Jong in the back row (that’s him, third from the right – click if you want a larger image!)

picture of medal

Cpl. De Jong is the press officer who is always happy to answer our editor’s questions about things going on in our neighbourhood, whether it is police incidents people are wondering about or the ins and outs of helicopter searches at night. We’d like to give him a medal of our own, for all his prompt and patient replies!

So thanks again, Cpl. De Jong, and congratulations to all the RCMP members for their recently awarded honours and their work to make North Vancouver a good home to us all.

Our editorializing complete, the official press announcement reads as follows…

On October 18, 2012, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens, Commanding Officer of E Division BC RCMP, presented the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal to North Vancouver Detachment recipients. The Red Serge ceremony was held at RCMP Headquarters in Vancouver.

A new commemorative medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.

C.O. Deputy Commissioner Callens spoke of the selfless dedication and professionalism exemplified by all of the recipients in serving their communities. RCMP officers, civilian employees and volunteers were honoured. A total of 22 medals were awarded to various staff of the North Vancouver Detachment.

October 25, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Governance and Services, Notable Neighbours