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Good Neighbour nominee: Patty Hopper of Vancity!

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. They don’t have to be your ‘next-door’ neighbour, just a fellow Lynn Valleyite. 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].

 LYNN VALLEY VANCITY NOMINATES PATTY HOPPER

“We would like to nominate Patty Hopper for Lynn Valley’s 2012 Good Neighbour Award.  Patty is a beautiful person, an exceptional role model, a fun and loving friend, a powerful business woman and most importantly a wonderful daughter, sister, mother and wife. It must be really hard to be so exceptional at all those things, but Patty makes it seem effortless. She exceeds expectations in every category of life and gives back to the community she lives in every day! Patty sets the bar high and we could all learn from her and her success’  and positive outlook on life.”

Patty is Vancity’s local mobile mortgage specialist, who lives here in Lynn Valley. Her fans at our LV Village branch went on to share with us a PowerPoint they had created about a project Patty launched in memory of her best friend’s daughter, Ashley Lowey – a cause you can support this Christmas and all year ’round!

“During the times when her eldest daughter was hospitalized, Lori Lowey called on her friend, Patty Hopper.

As Ashley Lowey, Lori’s eldest daughter, bravely battled cancer during her teens, the illness often brought her and her mother to B.C. Children’s Hospital, often without warning, leaving her mother needing essentials.

When she visited Lori at her daughter’s bedside, Patty would pack her a bag of key items she might need: a hairbrush, comb, shampoo, make up, magazines, deodorant—supplies for an unexpected overnight stay, sometimes stretching out for days.

Patty would spend hours in the hospital with her friend, and saw parents come and go, often staying for days without any supplies.

“I would watch these parents coming out of showers…drying themselves with their  T-shirts,” she said.

In February 2009, Ashley Lowey lost her fight against cancer. Patty wanted to honour the teen’s memory and help other parents in need.

“The bag (idea) originated because Lori is my friend and I was bringing her a bag, two or three times a week while her daughter was there,” she said “Once she passed away, I just felt there was such a need for these parents to have something, you know, when they show up unexpectedly. We just started collecting stuff. It’s kind of just gone from there.”

Hopper started having parties at her house, where she and her girlfriends would bring items to put in bags and prepare them together. Slowly word spread, and  the Vancity Credit Union in Lynn Valley and the branch on Pemberton and Marine donated many bags. A local fabric company donated material to make more.

Said Patty: “It  was interesting, because the first day I delivered a box, I walked into the hospital…There was a lady standing there in the middle, and she was on her cell phone and she was beside herself. And she was like, ‘I’ve been here for four days, I haven’t been home, I have nothing, I need someone to drop me off some stuff.’ I just thought, ‘This is why I’m doing this.’”

Would you like to contribute items or a cash donation towards an Ashley Comfort Kit? Staff in Lynn Valley’s Vancity would be very happy to accept your offering. Here are suggested gifts: 

December 1, 2012 in Blog, Contests, Merchant Mentions, Notable Neighbours

Visible walkers get home safely

This week a Lynn Valley friend and I were talking about how difficult it can be to see pedestrians on these ever-darker evenings. Unfortunately, we both knew of people in years past who had been killed while out walking in the dark.

Even though pedestrians may have the ‘walk’ light and be in a crosswalk, dark clothing and/or the brightness of oncoming headlights can transpire to render walkers almost invisible until it’s too late.

A few years ago, a walker came abreast of my car while I was stopped at a stop sign. Having just driven past her (on a road that had no sidewalks), I rolled my passenger-side window down to let her know (in the nicest of terms!) that she really was invisible, and to please take care while she’s out walking. Unfortunately, her response was to chew my head off! My well-intentioned concern had obviously missed the mark, but still I hope she remembered what I said the next time she went out after daylight hours.

Pedestrians simply can’t expect their visibility to be a driver-only responsibility. The most cautious and alert of drivers can fail to see someone who has chosen to dress in all-black ninja garb. And when that someone chooses to dash across the street mid-block rather than use a crosswalk, the chances of an unfortunate collision are even greater.

Of course, many kids think they’re ‘too cool’ to wear reflective clothing, and many adults think they’re exempt because they’re careful to only cross at marked crossings and they stay well to the side of the road. But as RCMP Cpl. Richard De Jong noted in today’s press release – which described three North Van pedestrian accidents that took place in a two-hour span! – all three incidents occurred while the pedestrian was in a marked crossing.

Share this news with your kids, and take it to heart yourself – whether you’re the walker or the driver. When you’re driving your children somewhere in the evening, point out to them how difficult it is to see those pedestrians who are clad in dark clothing compared to those who have dressed with visibility in mind.

Get in the habit of wearing a light-coloured coat, carry a small flashlight, wear clothing with reflective strips built in, and PLEASE remember not to assume that you are easily seen at night time. If you’re being responsible and walking home after an evening at the pub, be extra cautious navigating the streets. Drivers, take that extra moment to search out potential pedestrians, especially when you’re turning left over a crosswalk.

Let’s work together to make sure that all our LynnValleyites get home safely this winter season. A person’s life can change tragically in an instant. Taking a few minutes to search out a flashlight before your walk is well worth the time.

– Peggy Trendell-Jensen, editor

 

November 29, 2012 in Blog, Current News

Register schoolkids before Dec. 21!

Here’s an important tip for parents of kids entering school in September 2013 – be sure to do it before Dec. 21st!

As long as a child is registered for a school before this date, he or she cannot be denied a placement in the school. However, if a child registers AFTER Dec 21 (even if they move into a house across the street from the school), the North Vancouver School District can redirect them to another school that has more open spaces.

Here are some other quick facts for new scholars:

A parent/guardian can register their child for kindergarten if, on or before
December 31st of that school year that child will have reached the age of five years. For example, for the 2013-2014 school year, the student must turn five prior to December 31, 2013.

Here’s where to register:

Central Registration Office
2121 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver
604-903-3368
Hours of operation:
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Mon to Fri)

When to register:

Nov. 5 to Dec. 21, 2012

What to bring:

* Completed registration form (available at www.nvsd44.bc.ca)
* Proof of age and legal name (birth certificate or passport)
* Proof of residence (BC Hydro bill, purchase agreement, or tenancy
agreement)
* If not born in Canada – Passport and Permanent Residence card or Canadian
Citizenship card

Please bring original documents. Staff at the Central Registration office
will make copies. All registration forms and related documents must be submitted in person to the Central Registration office.

Thanks, Cindy Lanctot, for all the info! For more school news and links to our Lynn Valley neighbourhood school websites, have a look at our Schools page.

 

November 25, 2012 in Blog, Current News, School News

Lynn Valley runner has a peak experience

When Lynn Valley’s Hilary Ewart successfully tackled her second Knee Knacker Run earlier this year, one might have thought that running up and down our North Shore mountainsides would have been enough of a challenge for one year. Soon, though, she was determined to hit new heights – just a few months later, she was embarking upon a 100-mile race through India’s Himalayan range.

Hilary returned from her adventure in mid-November, having coped with the over 11,000-ft. altitude, rustic conditions, and some gruelling climbs. Did she love it? Absolutely. “It was such a new experience,” she says. “You were constantly being stimulated. There were so many ‘wow’ moments – it was like the stuff you see in movies.”

Hilary and the 65 other international runners, including friends from the North Shore, travelled terrain that ranged from meadow, to jungle-like forest, to bare mountain ridges. A definite highlight was the dramatic scenery, says Hilary, and it just kept getting better throughout the five days of the 100-mile run; by Day Two, their vista encompassed all the highest peaks in the world. (For a participating journalist’s day-by-day account of the run, visit here.)

While it is a race, Hilary and her friends were more than willing to “waste” time stopping and taking photos and just absorbing their surroundings. The annual race organizer, Mr. Pandey, reluctantly records the participants’ completion times, but insists that the experience is all about the journey, not the destination nor the time it takes to get there.

Hilary, who returned with hundreds of photos and an even greater number of unforgettable memories, couldn’t agree more. We’ll look forward to hearing where her path leads next!

 

November 24, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Notable Neighbours

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