Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors

How did your Lynn Valley garden grow?

From the garden of Lynn O’Malley: 

Nature is all swings and roundabouts, isn’t it?

Just when one is ready to despair over the constant mildewing of the zucchini leaves, a bumper crop of sweet peas gives one cause to celebrate. Non-productive clematis vines are overshadowed by an abundance of black-eyed Susans.

At least that’s how it was in my upper Lynn Valley garden this year, which seems always to be unpredictable in its yearly showing – largely a result, no doubt, of the inconsistent care and attention it gets from its owner. But whether it is nature or nurture that makes one year’s bounty so different from the next, the kaleidescope tableau that results is never the same twice.

My garden highlight this year has been my sweet pea teepee, which is still covered with blooms. In years past, I’ve strung up sweet peas against a backyard wall under the eaves and then constantly forgetten to water them. This year, I plunked them front and centre in my raised veggie bed by the street, along with the Swiss chard and green onions, where they were assured of some life-sustaining attention from the automatic sprinkler.

The biggest benefit I’ve reaped from the resulting healthy crop hasn’t been aesthetic, though the flowers’ incredible scent is a lovely addition to the vegetable garden. No, the very best part about the prolific sweet peas is the number of excuses they have given me to visit friends and neighbours, bouquet in hand.

When your sweet peas need to be picked, they need to be picked. So what better time is there to drop in on someone you’ve been meaning to visit for ages? It’s been a pleasure to use the sweet peas as my calling card in a number of homes and workplaces this summer. Pretty and amazingly fragrant, they are always well received (I should aspire to be so popular!)

Fortunately the memory of my happy sweet pea moments will serve to blot out any other agricultural disappointments from Summer 2012; the above-mentioned zucchini issue (everyone complains about their overabundant zucchini harvest, while I sadly ruminate upon my three small green accomplishments), the Shasta Daisies overcome with aphids and something else that caused their heads to wither; the pot of flowers that was supposed to be a riot of pink and blue, but the pink bloomed and died back in early July, while the blue is just now opening from bud.

All is forgiven, all is forgotten! Summer 2012 was the Sweet Pea Summer.

Do you want to keep the floral fun going this fall? Posy Florist in Lynn Valley Village is offering a series of workshops, from basic floral design (mandatory for newbies) to ones that will teach you to create your own Thanksgiving centrepiece or Christmas wreath. Have a look at the Posy site for more information – first class is on Wednesday, Sept. 26th!) 

September 21, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, O'Malley's Musings

Suspension bridge spans 100 years

Once again Lynn Valley is celebrating an important centennial. Having already marked the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the L.V. Community Association and the first-ever Lynn Valley Day, everyone can pull out their party shoes again in order to honour 100 years of swinging good times on the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge.

On Saturday, Sept. 15th, between 10 a.m. and noon, North Vancouver District is inviting locals and friends to come to the park for music, cake, antique fire trucks and more. The Lynn Valley suspension bridge and canyon gained worldwide exposure when uber-volunteer Bob McCormack passed the Olympic torch mid-span, but those of us here in Lynn Valley are lucky to have this wilderness adventure playground in our own backyard, free of charge, all year round.

Here’s what the LynnValleyLife history section has to say about the origins of the park. After you read it, we hope you’ll be inspired to come out on Sept. 15 to start a whole new century worth of memories!

Lynn Canyon Park was the brainchild of one J.P. Crawford, a Lynn Valley land agent who convinced Vancouver’s McTavish Brothers to donate 12 acres of property to serve as an attraction that would bring more settlers to the area.

It was the first park in Lynn Valley, which was still heavily treed in most areas.  Before a landslide changed the topography of the area dramatically, the park had playing fields, a bandstand, picnic shelters and outdoor cooking facilities. It hosted the first-ever Lynn Valley Day in 1912, a grand occasion attended by thousands of people from all over Greater Vancouver, who arrived via decorated ferry boats and a new B.C. Electric streetcar line.

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, circa 1915

That day also marked the opening of the suspension bridge that crosses high over the roaring waters below. When first opened, it cost ten cents to cross –whether or not you were brave enough to make it all the way to the other side! It eventually fell into disrepair and was closed, but has for some decades now been well-maintained by the District of North Vancouver, which provides this free attraction to local residents and the thousands of tourists who flock there every year.

For a historical look at the park on the occasion of its 100th anniversary, click here.

September 7, 2012 in Blog, Community Events, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Looking Back

Compost coaches offer free, at-home instruction

Waste-reducers and gardeners can learn more about one of their favourite pastimes without spending a cent, thanks to the Compost Coaching program offered by the North Shore Recycling Program.

Now that colder weather is on the horizon, you might want an experienced composter to visit your home and show you how to manage your compost pile over the winter. You’ll also want to ensure it isn’t acting as an attractant for bears who should be making hibernation plans, not noshing on your chucked-out apple cores.

Click here to learn more about this free offer – after all, how often do you get the chance to have some one-on-one instruction from an expert, in the comfort of your own backyard? You’ll also find info on how to obtain a subsidized bin, if you’d like your Compost Coach to help you set it up and start it going.

The new Green Can program is an easy and effective way to get rid of our organic waste, but backyard composting is still the most eco-friendly and economical way to use up our leftover fruit and veggie scraps. And you can’t beat the finished compost for building up the health of your garden soil!

August 31, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Governance and Services

Lynn Valley kids blessed with natural playscape

FROM LYNN O’MALLEY: We talk a lot about our children having lost the ability to ‘play.’ Between busy work schedules, programmed after-school activities, and parental anxieties about kids being allowed to wander on their own, we have apparently turned into a nation whose offspring are dependent on screens or adult intervention for leisure-time entertainment.

But perhaps it’s not all bad news, especially here in Lynn Valley where we are blessed with (relatively) quiet streets, lots of green space, and climbing trees aplenty. You just have to look at schools such as Grandview Elementary in Vancouver, which are putting out huge bucks ($250,000, in their case!) to install ‘natural playgrounds’ that emulate the woodland features we take for granted.

I know a variety of local teens who bike the Fromme Mountain trails, arrange great (supervised!) airgun battles deep in the forest, are often heading out to play road hockey, used Upper Lynn School as their meeting place this summer because “it’s got the best playground for playing Grounders,” and love to top off a summer day with a dip in the creek.

Not so long ago, I remember them as primary kids spending a year’s worth of recess and lunchtimes playing in the school woods, building forts and stockpiling bits of rotted wood they called “Chunky Cheese” – the currency they hoarded, guarded, traded for sticks, and no doubt hurled at each other when things got slow.

Schools sometimes put on assemblies to teach playground games. If you want to learn (or be reminded of!) a few yourself, you might want to have a look at this list of traditional children’s games compiled on Wikipedia. Or just ask your kids and their friends what they play at recess – chances are there is a whole playground subculture that keeps them busy.

As adults we often ask ourselves what we can do to foster more of this kind of play. Perhaps our job is to stand back and do less. Less driving to school. Fewer scheduled activities. Less worrying about whether the kids are being entertained, and more trust that they are capable of creating their own fun, if given the independence to do so.

It takes adjustment on all sides, of course. Children used to being constantly ‘plugged in’ will no doubt feel at a loose end when they are first sent outside to the backyard and left to their own devices. But my own mother had the answer to that one – any time I said “I’m bored,” I was presented with a list of chores to do. I soon learned how to keep myself busy without help!

So let’s be grateful for Lynn Valley’s many play possibilities, and encourage our kids to get out and use them – even if it’s a game of ‘Don’t Step on the Sidewalk Crack’ or ‘I Spy’ when they’re walking to school instead of being driven. (Parents nervous about young kids starting to walk to school on their own might want to bridge the gap with a healthy and social Walking School Bus arrangement.)

Hopefully we’ll have a lovely Indian Summer in which to enjoy the sunshine, but when the wet weather comes, keep the fun going with some low-tech indoor play – or a pair of wellies and a puddle!

 

 

 

August 30, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, School News

LV pest pros tell you how to bug off

By Dylan Wendt, Coast Pest Control

If you have unwanted pests at home and want to try the natural approach before calling a pest control company; then try these tested home remedies.  If they don’t solve your problems, then give the professionals at Coast Pest & Wildlife ControlLtd. a call at 604-908-2040 for a free estimate.

Tip #1 Fruit Flies
For those pesky Fruit Flies grab a bowl and fill with ¼ cup warm water, ¼ cup vinegar,  and 3 to 4 drops of dish soap (be sure to mix with water to activate).  Then cover tightly with plastic wrap and using a fork puncture several holes.  The vinegar smell attracts the Fruit Flies and as they fly into the bowl they become trapped in the mixture and cannot find their way out.

Tip #2 Insects
Keep all foliage cut back from the home by at least six inches to prevent a wide variety of insects from entering the home.  This will provide a chemical-free barrier for the entire perimeter of the home.

Tip #3 Wasps
To help prevent wasps from building a nest in your backyard or patio area, try placing a fake wasp nest that can be purchased at your local hardware store.  This works as a deterrent because wasps are territorial; seeing a nest will prevent them from building another.

Tip #4 Travellers’ Bed Bug Prevention
When travelling, a constant concern for many people is bringing home bed bugs.  To help prevent this, always keep your luggage and clothing off the floor by using either hangers and/or the luggage stands that are provided my most hotels.

July 31, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Guest Voices, Merchant Mentions

Visit Maplewood Farm online, or for real at Open House

As of this moment – July 25, at 21:16 precisely – I can tell you that the goats at Maplewood Farm are either tucked away fast asleep, or they’ve staged a coup and made their grand escape.

How do I know this? Because I am checking out the Maplewood Farm WEB CAM, the existence of which I did not know until scant moments ago. It turns out the web cam (which is currently showing a very empty-seeming goat pen) is just part of the farm’s very family-friendly website.

Just some of the things I learned from it are that (a) kids can now rent pedal tractors on which to tour the farm ($4 for 30 minutes), (b) you can request an ‘autograph’ from your favourite farm animal and have it emailed back to you, and that (c) Lynn Valley’s Argyle alumnus Derek Palmer (woo-hoo, Class of ’83) is still going strong in his farmer post, a job he says “never gets old” and always puts a smile on his face.

I also learned the farm is having an open house this Friday, July 27th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to discuss plans for its future and seek feedback from its many visitors and supporters. This suburban farm has been a highlight for Lynn Valley families for years, so if you’d like to make sure your grandchildren and their children and their children can all have the Maplewood experience, please have a look at the information materials and give your comments.

The info and questionnaire will be posted on the farm website after July 30 if you can’t attend in person. (And while you’re on the site, check out that web cam and see if the goats have come back!)

– Peggy Trendell-Jensen, editor

July 25, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Getting Involved

New group welcomes ramblers and rovers

If you’re the type of person who instinctively prefers the term ‘rambling’ to ‘hiking,’ you might be interested to hear about a new informal walking group that meets twice a month.

Jane and Leo are friends who have made a habit of meandering Lynn Valley trails, learning about the flora and fauna they encounter, chatting along the way, and – in short – making the journey an end in itself.

Now they are inviting others to join them every second Sunday, beginning at 2 p.m. at the End of the Line store at the top of Lynn Valley Road. They pick a ‘theme’ for each walk (the next one, July 29th, will be trees, while the following one on August 12 will be logging lore) and spend an hour exploring the trails, and the theme, at a leisurely pace. (See our Events Calendar for upcoming walks.)

If you’d like to become a Lynn Valley rambler, contact Jane at [email protected] or see the notice posted at the End of the Line.

July 15, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Getting Involved

Knee Knacker just latest challenge for elite LV runner

Some of the world’s top ultra-marathoners will be participating in this Saturday’s infamous Knee Knacker, a 30-mile run from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove along the Baden Powell trail, and Hilary Ewart is excited to be amongst them.

It’s the second Knee Knacker for this Lynn Valley mom, and though she doesn’t consider herself a natural runner – “I’m not built for it, “ she claims – she says there is a mutual feeling of equality and respect at the starting line, regardless of ability.

“I’ve never been made to feel that I shouldn’t be there,” she said this week as she reflected on some of the races she’s tackled. “Though I sometimes question myself.”

It’s hard to imagine anyone questioning Hilary’s credentials when you look at her running CV. While she says she wasn’t particularly sporty as a youth (“Honestly, if I can do this, anyone can”), once she started running, there was no holding her back.

She started as a recreational jogger, then decided to join her husband Ian as he trained for a half-marathon. That was semi-successful – she liked to chat the whole way, which drove him nuts – but it was the start of a pursuit that would end up changing her life and how she lives it.

Her determination (or, in her own words, her “obsession”) kept pushing her to longer and more far-flung running adventures, encouraged on by the friendships she developed with other women keen to travel to races.

One of her favourite memories is accomplishing her very first marathon in her native Scotland, with her parents there to cheer her on. She still gets goosebumps recounting the pride with which her father congratulated her after her triumphant finish.

She’s raced in Big Sur, in Paris, and in Wales. Along the way, she became bored with road running and decided to try her hand – or her feet – at trail running. “I can still remember my first run with the Knee Knacker training group,” she recalls now. “It was humbling… it was really challenging.”

But this is clearly a woman who likes a challenge. In August 2010, she decided the 15 months ahead would include the Dirty Duo race in Lynn Canyon, the Diez Vista in Burnaby, her first Knee Knacker, and, to top it all off, a three-day, 85-mile run in Wales. While she was admittedly burnt out by the end of that time, she says the Welsh race was one of her best.

“I don’t know why, but I just felt wonderful,” she says. “At times along the way, I was feeling euphoric.”

People are always searching for that “runner’s high,” she says, although it tends to be elusive. It’s more common to encounter the lows when you’re running a tough course.

“You know the gremlins are there,” notes Hilary. “Sometimes they don’t appear; sometimes they spend the whole day with you. But you eventually learn that the bad feelings go away.”

Hilary’s health routine includes twice-weekly yoga, pre-race massages at Canopy Health, and keeping well fuelled during a run. She finds that her ‘away’ races can be easier, in that she’s divorced from her daily responsibilities and can be “a bit selfish,” focussing just on her challenge ahead.

She has spent this week getting over her jet lag from a trip to South America with husband Ian, catching up on her human resources job at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C., and dealing with a few butterflies as she contemplates Saturday’s Knee Knacker – one of the toughest trail runs in North America.

She’s done it before, but not in the heat that is forecast for Saturday. Between Horseshoe Bay and Deep Cove, she’ll face 16,000 feet of vertical climb and descent, and hopes to complete the course in somewhere between seven to nine hours. “I’m a back of the packer,” she chuckles, saying she is built for endurance, not for speed.

Anyone who tackles this run is an elite athlete in our book, regardless of their final time, and at LynnValleyLife we wish all 200 runners good health and good spirits. We’ll be reporting back with Hilary’s experience, and tell you all about her next adventure – a six-day stage race in the Himalayas this fall!

– Peggy Trendell-Jensen, editor

Update: We checked in with Hilary on Sunday afternoon, and were delighted to hear she completed the race despite the heat and the record number of runners who dropped out along the way. Our congratulations to anyone brave enough to cross the starting line, and all those determined enough to reach the finish line!

 

July 12, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Notable Neighbours

Share your favourite walks and hikes

There is much to be said for the walks and hikes in and around Lynn Valley. So why don’t you help us say it?

We already have a walks and hikes section that’s a good starting point for people who want to get out for some fresh air. You’ll find links to local trail maps and safety tips, and a selection of narrated walks that feature some of Lynn Valley’s classic family forays.

But summertime is the time for exploring, so we’d like locals to help each other with some new adventure ideas. A dog walk that’s old hat to you might be quite undiscovered by someone just a few blocks away! Lynn Valley has so many trails, we would guess that no one knows about all of them – but collectively, we can put together quite a guidebook for people of all ages and fitness levels!

Please have a look at our descriptive walks (like this one) and if you’d like to share the details of a hike you’re familiar with, please send them our way – photos, too, if you can! We’ll edit it into a format we can share with your on-site Lynn Valley neighbours.

If you’ve got a favourite run or bike ride, we’d love to hear about those, too. Thanks for your help, and happy hiking!

– Peggy Trendell-Jensen, editor

July 8, 2012 in Blog, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Getting Involved

Circling helicopters part of Lynn Valley life

FROM THE EDITOR: The sound of sirens isn’t too unusual in Lynn Valley, especially during the summer months when it’s often assumed emergency responders are en route to a mishap in Lynn Canyon.

While those occurrences can sometimes be tragic, we’re lucky to live in an area where emergency vehicles are generally responding to accidents or medical incidents rather than high crime and skulduggery. But the noise of a helicopter circling overhead late at night recently prompted one LynnValleyLife reader to ask “If we hear a chopper at night, does that mean a serial killer is loose in the woods?”

Cpl. Richard De Jong

An excellent question, we thought. So we took it to Cpl. Richard De Jong, the North Van RCMP media relations officer who is always happy to help answer our queries. In short, the answer is ‘no’ – it could be up there for any number of reasons.

There are two helicopters in the Lower Mainland that are jointly owned by the RCMP and other police agencies, ICBC, and the provincial government. Available 24 hours a day, they are dubbed Air 1 and Air 2 (names reminiscent of those in a high-action movie, or, alternately, The Cat in the Hat).

The choppers are deployed in a wide variety of situations, from high-speed traffic chases, to locating lost individuals, to providing support in potentially dangerous situations – such as the recent capture of an individual being sought for a double homicide in Burnaby. Cpl. De Jong says that along with the pilot, there is always a police officer on board in case the helicopter has to set down to make or assist in an arrest.

“To the officer on the street who is in a foot chase or a vehicle chase, having a ‘partner’ up in the sky that can move quickly and have a bird’s eye view of the developing situation… can be life-saving,” said Cpl. De Jong. “Often, just having the police helicopter show up at a volatile scene or chase has a defusing effect.”

That said, in our area it is often visibility more than volatility that is the issue. Lynn Valley, he notes, is in a mountainous area, and often the reason a helicopter is brought in is to help locate individuals lost in our back country.

At night, Air 1 and Air 2 are invaluable because they are equipped with special lights that can detect movement and heat in complete darkness (sorry, parents, they are not available to help you track errant teens who may have missed curfew, or nab that bear that keeps feasting on your fruit trees!)

For more information, and a narrated audio-visual clip of Air 1 on patrol, visit here. And rest assured, when you hear those distinctive chopper noises in the sky, the chances that it’s due to an axe-wielding bogey man are slim!

– Peggy Trendell-Jensen is the editor of LynnValleyLife.

 

 

 

 

June 8, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Eco-Awareness & The Great Outdoors, Governance and Services