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Visions of the valley await your voices and views

There was quite a buzz around the boards set up near the Lynn Valley Mall centre court today, as district planners toured visitors around several graphic displays that gave glimpses into the future of Lynn Valley Town Centre.

Since the Official Community Plan was approved last June, planners have been hard at work developing implementation plans for different town centre sites around the district. For more information about the process, and the tools that will help you contribute your own views about the latest proposals, visit the purpose-built District website, here.

The Lynn Valley plan calls for a variety of housing, street-level storefront shopping plazas, community amenities (an arts facility of some sort is under discussion, for example), parkland features and pedestrian/cycle-friendly trail networks. It promises walkers protection from our infamous local rainfall – and even a ‘rain garden’! It’s quite a change from the current town centre layout, and gives residents plenty to ponder.

If you want to give an opinion, now’s the time – don’t leave it until the last minute. If you want to shape the future, you have to pay attention to the present! The Open House will continue at the mall tomorrow (Sunday, April 29), and in the LV Village Community Room on Tuesday afternoon (1 – 6 p.m.) and at Karen Magnussen Wednesday from 1 – 8:30 p.m.

To view the displays online, go here; to fill out a “report card” with your thoughts (which can be saved or printed), check in here.

 

April 28, 2012 in Blog, Community Events, Current News, Development and Town Planning, Getting Involved, Governance and Services, Real Estate News

Eat for Education! (Come on, it’s for the kids….)

Everyone loves a good excuse to go out to dinner – well, here’s a GREAT excuse for you!

The second annual Eat for Education has now come to the North Shore – specifically, to Lynn Valley. That means that a portion of food sales purchased on Wednesday, May 2nd at participating restaurants will benefit our own Lynn Valley Elementary!

The food-loving fundraiser began last year, when nine restaurants donated a share of one day’s profits to Mount Pleasant Elementary – giving it enough to buy the SMART board on its wish list. This year, the event has expanded to include over 21 restaurants and will benefit four schools. Lynn Valley Elementary is the only North Shore school involved, so let’s give it our support!

Participating restaurants are the Black Bear Pub, Mountain Sushi, Browns Socialhouse and Aristos Greek Taverna on Ross Road. Contributions from the restaurants’ coffers will go straight to Lynn Valley Elementary.

“All of us at the Black Bear are delighted to be a part of the North Shore’s first Eat for Education,” said owner Ron Slinger. “Being able to help out our neighbourhood school, Lynn Valley Elementary, is most rewarding!”

So if you ‘accidentally’ forget to do the grocery shopping or to thaw some meat for supper next Wednesday, you know what to do – have a guilt-free neighbourhood nosh, and know you’re doing it for the kids!

For more information about the event, and its organizers Jackie and Allen Ingram, see their “BC Foodies” website.

 

April 25, 2012 in Blog, Community Events, Current News, School News

Kids clean up at Earth Day event

FROM EVENT ORGANIZER JODY LABRIOLA: A BIG thank you to all who came out on Saturday and helped with our community garbage pick-up event. It was a success!

We cleaned both fields for Argyle Secondary (and all around the school), Fredrick Road (between Mountain Highway and Fromme), Croft Road (including DNV laneways), Baird (between Fredrick and Wellington) and Wellington. It was so nice to see so many young teens and children. Our next event will take place Saturday, November 3, 2012 – so mark your calendars!

Another BIG thank you to Sugar & Co for donating the prizes for the top three (under 12) garbage collectors and to Lonsdale Creek Daycare Society for donating the snacks that were enjoyed after the event.

We define our landscapes as much as they define us – let’s keep Lynn Valley clean!

**If any Lynn Valley businesses would like to donate prizes, refreshments or snacks for the November event please contact me at [email protected].

April 23, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Getting Involved, Guest Voices

New Construction

New Construction

Sometimes you just want that new car smell.  Based on your feedback we have created this search that sorts by newest construction first.  Enjoy!

 

April 21, 2012 in Real Estate

Argyle students campaign to stamp out “R” word

BY DENISE NEWALL, STUDENT REPORTER: Argyle Secondary is constantly striving to make the school a safer and more welcoming environment for the entire student body. But now an Argyle club has taken that philosophy and created a campaign and Youtube video it hopes will benefit not just local students, but people in the much-wider world.

Over the years, many clubs and organizations have been established at the school to focus on the improvement of different areas within the Argyle community. Recently, the attention has been directed to Best Buddies, an organization dedicated to enhancing the community through one-to-one friendships between individuals with intellectual disabilities and other students. Simple acts like eating lunch or playing games together have the ability to change the high school experience for all students involved.

Best Buddies’ most recent campaign was the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign, a week-long effort to end the use of derogatory words “retard” and “retarded.” Argyle Best Buddies chapter leader Cara McGuire, along with other members, made presentations, encouraged students to pledge, created an awareness video, and more.

By the end of the week, 943 students at Argyle had pledged to Spread the Word to End the Word, and the Youtube video was viewed 2,154 times. With statistics like that, it is safe to say that the campaign was a definitive success.

 

A wall at Argyle displays pledges from students who say they won't use the word 'retard' in a derogatory fashion.

April 17, 2012 in Blog, Current News, Guest Voices, School News

Bob Rasmus takes pride in the Lions

FROM THE EDITOR: If you’ve attended a Lynn Valley community event any time in the past two decades, chances are you’ve crossed paths with a Lion – a certain Lynn Valley Lion, that is.

Bob Rasmus is known to many as the former owner of RJR Contruction Management, a company he and his wife Peggy ran for many years before his retirement in 2010. But he’s probably met even more people through his role in the Lynn Valley Lions, the community service club he joined in 1990.

It all started when he built a house for a client over in Vancouver. When Bob presented his bill, the client told him “I’ll pay it as long as you join the Lions Club.” Bob took up the challenge, and – having moved to Lynn Valley in 1976 – joined the club in our neighbourhood.

Payment of invoices aside, Bob says “One of the reasons I joined is because I was making my living from the community, and I wanted to give back to the community. I think a lot of people feel that way.”

Many people may feel that way, but we suspect Bob may have given back more than most. Currently the secretary of the 31-member club, and zone chairman for the larger community of local Lions Clubs, Bob has been president of the Lynn Valley Lions three times, most recently last year. As of writing, he is working 10-hour days organizing the 100th Lynn Valley Days celebration on May 25/26 – but that didn’t stop him or his fellow Lions from setting up their infamous Cook Shack for Lynn Valley Village’s Easter weekend festivities. (For more about the Lynn Valley Lions and their role in the community, click here!)

Bob’s history of volunteering pre-dates his Lynn Valley Lions days; father of two, he was a baseball coach and Scoutmaster, and a participant in the YMCA’s “Indian Princess” program for fathers and daughters.

It was a circuitous path that brought Bob to our neighbourhood; born in Portage La Prairie, he left there for Mission when he was two, then moved to Vancouver in 1966 and to Lynn Valley a decade later, where he lives on Alderlynn Road.

Since arriving, Bob and his fellow club members have done a great deal to improve our community. We can only imagine he’d love to issue the same challenge to our male readers as he received all those years ago – “Join the Lions Club!” Even without the motivation of an outstanding invoice (!), we hope you consider taking him up on it.

– Peggy Trendell-Jensen

April 9, 2012 in Blog, Getting Involved, Notable Neighbours