In banners and newspaper ads, we Lynn Valley folk are being told to “Rediscover Village Life.” Why’s that?
Well, those of you who follow these things know that it’s been a tough go for some of the initial merchants who set up shop when Lynn Valley Village was first unveiled a few years ago. It’s risky being the first storekeepers in a new, unknown area, and the world economy was conspiring against them, too. Some of the first businesses have done well – yoga mats and stretchy pants seem to be the prime accessories for Village visitors – but others, sadly, have had to shut their doors.
So the landlords – that’s you and I, come to think of it, in the form of North Vancouver District – have stepped in with a campaign to get more people exploring what lies behind the library edifice they pass every day on the way home.
Last week I had coffee at Delany’s with Robin Hicks, district councillor and Upper Lynn Valley resident. He talked about the revitalization campaign, which is being coordinated by NVD’s economic development officer Marten Kruysse.
The district has re-allocated money from its budget to create a $100,000 fund to put a real push on the Village for about six months. We’re being offered everything from free Canadian films to special theme days to merchant events. (Here on the website, we’re doing our bit, too, by making sure those events are listed on the LynnValleyLife events calendar!)
Robin says that things are definitely improving – they’ve now leased out most of the office spaces and storefronts (they’re still looking for a tenant for the 1,400 sq. ft space that was vacated by the Community Policing Office).
A number of companies will be moving in to the third floor of the library building, including a dental products firm and a commodities broker, and another big change has been the transfer of control of the glass-walled community room from the library to the recreation commission.
Not only will that mean the public can rent that room more easily (not being restricted to library opening hours), it means we can expect some recreation programming in there in the future, and I’m curious to see what that might entail.
Bob McCormack from the Lynn Valley Community Association wandered over to join our discussion (we’ll tell you more about Bob in another post, but just know that if something’s going on in Lynn Valley, Bob knows about it).
Sure enough, he had a great scoop for us … the L.V. Community Association will be creating a forest of Christmas trees in the Village, similar to the event held at Dundarave each year.
Organizations and individuals will be invited to adopt and decorate a tree in exchange for a donation to our fine community association. Details will follow.
Robin says the district, too, has put money aside for some Christmas fun and lights at the Village, so it sounds like we have a festive season to look forward to. But do YOUR part, too – don’t wait until Christmas to “Rediscover Village Life!”
