Monday, March 18, 2024

Britannia Neighbours! Work Party today in the Greenway, 2:00

Hi.
Work Party in the Napier Greenway today, 2:00-3:00 (or possibly 4:00). It'll be a perfect day for it.
Bring tools (broom, rake, secateurs, weeding knife, kneeling pad, whatever) if you have them. I'll take leaf bags.
We'd love to see you. It's a jolly and knowledgeable group!
Penny

Monday, March 11, 2024

No work party today!!

It's raining too hard and it's cold out!!
It should be nice by next Monday, so let's try for then instead for our first spring work party.
Thanks everyone. 
Penny

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Hi. First Work Party of the Spring!

Howdy and happy Daylight Savings Time! And if you can make it tomorrow, it'll be our first work party of the not-quite-spring. 2:00, Napier Greenway!
If you have tools (gloves, secateurs, trowel, kneeling pad, room, rake, etc.), do bring them along.

Cheers,
Penny


Sunday, December 03, 2023

Atmospheric River!

No work party on Monday! It'll be a deluge. Even if there's a break in the rain, the leaves will be sodden.
Unless anyone objects, I'd suggest we not have another work party until March. We usually begin again around March 15th.
Okay?

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Work party, Greenway, tomorrow, 2:00!

Howdy,
If you're free, join us for a work party tomorrow, Monday, 2:00, just for an hour or so. With any luck, it will still be nice and dry and we can gather up some more oak leaves.
See you then.
(There is a sad fellow with mental-health issues who has gathered together a huge stack of trash, really actually trash, not his personal belongings so much, but I talked to him today and he said he would definitely have them all removed by tomorrow… I'm not sure that's possible for him, but his intentions are good. And I don't think he's at all dangerous.)
Cheers,
Penny

Monday, November 20, 2023

Work party in the Greenway, 2:00

Hi folks,
Work party in the Greenway today at 2:00. I'm not sure if I can make it myself, but the weather promises to be really nice. Perfect for oak-leaf raking.
:-)
Penny

Monday, November 13, 2023

Work party today at 2:00

Looks like it'll be a nice day. The leaves will be wet, but the sun'll be shining.

Sunday, November 05, 2023

Work party tomorrow, Monday, 2:00, Greenway!

Leaves!
See you there!
These are maple. We've got oak, but you get the idea…


Penny

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Work party Monday, 2:00

Howdy Brit Neighbours,
Looks like we'll have good dry sunny cold weather again tomorrow, so let's rake for an hour or so on Monday afternoon.
See you at 2:00.
I'll bring a few leaf bags (although I am getting low on them again… I'll stock up after tomorrow…)
Cheers,
Penny

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Work party tomorrow, Monday, 2:00

Hi.

I think the weather's supposed to be okay tomorrow, and we need to scoop up more of those acorns before they get buried by the thousands of oak leaves that are still in the trees.

Eric can't make it tomorrow, but today he went down to the Greenway and raked up 2 bags of leaves and he took a wheelbarrow load of acorns HOME with him to put into his green bin! Wow, Eric. Thank you. It's definitely a banner year for acorns!

So tomorrow is more of the same, plus checking in on the few things that Janet planted on Thursday.

  • A free boxwood next to the one under the honeysuckle. 
  • A free male dwarf Skimmia on the Sweet Cherubim side where that hole keeps appearing.
  • A Mahonia x Media 'Winter Sun' which is about to flower, under the large Pine tree.
  • The Mahonia may be in the wrong place but can be moved later.
Thank you so much, Janet, and enjoy your holiday!

Cheers,
Penny

Sunday, October 15, 2023

Work party tomorrow, 2:00!

Weather permitting. Lots of acorns!!

Sunday, October 08, 2023

The remains of the "bonfire"!






Work party tomorrow, 2:00

We're having a bunch of people for dinner tomorrow, so I won't be available, but if anyone wants to, there could be a work party tomorrow.
It's mostly cleaning up acorns these days.
Yesterday there was evidence that someone had set a little bonfire at the bench on the Drive by Sweet Cherubim. Otherwise, things look okay.
I can put some bags on my porch if they're needed.
Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone!
Cheers,
Penny

Sunday, October 01, 2023

Work party tomorrow, 2:00, Napier Greenway

(Weather permitting, of course)

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Work party tomorrow, Monday, 2:00

We'll have a work party tomorrow if it's not too stormy and wet.



Sunday, September 10, 2023

No work party this Monday!

:-)



Sunday, July 30, 2023

Work party tomorrow, 2:00

Hi.
We'll have a short work party tomorrow at 2:00. Hope you can make it. Is it a holiday?
Cheers,
Penny

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Work party Monday, July 24th,2:00!

Well, I hope the weather forecast is right and it's just bucketing down rain tomorrow afternoon, but just in case it isn't, we'll have a work party at 2:00.

Hope it's just so wet that no one wants to venture out.
But let's just watch.
Maybe see you there!
Cheers,
Penny

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Work party in the Greenway tomorrow -- new time, 2:00

A few of us decided we'd try 2:00 instead of 3:00 for a while and see if it's better.
There seem to be three men living in the Greenway now. We do have the neighbourhood police constable on alert. And Vitoria Oginski who painted the mural on the side of Choices is considering taking on the restoration of it, which would be fantastic.
Otherwise, same-old same-old.
See you at 2:00 tomorrow, July 17th.
:-)


Sunday, July 09, 2023

Work party tomorrow, July 10th, in the Greenway, 2:00!

2:00!
Can you make it an hour earlier?
Hope so!
One of the people whose garden was on the Garden Tour this year would like to visit the Greenway with his daughter, and he has asked to come at 2:15.
Janet isn't able to be there tomorrow, so she asked me to host his visit.
I thought it would be good if we were all there working away.
Cheers and hope to see you at 2:00 tomorrow!!
Penny

Monday, July 03, 2023

Work Party today! Whee! 3:00!

Hope to see you at 3:00. 
:-)


Monday, June 26, 2023

Work party today at 3:00!

Hi folks,
Nice weather! Clae watered the Greenway yesterday and the planters on Saturday, so we shouldn't need to water. The long-range forecast doesn't call for rain. Should be hot and dry. Hope there's no heat dome or draught.
:-(
See you at 3:00.
Cheers,
Penny

Sunday, June 11, 2023

Work party tomorrow, Monday, Greenway

Hi. The weather should be pretty nice. And we had that nice huge rain the other day, so things should have been watered sufficiently.
Hope to see you at 3:00. Monday June 12.
:-)
 


Monday, June 05, 2023

Work party in the Greenway this afternoon, 3:00

Another gorgeous but dry day! Clae's been keeping up with the watering. See you today at 3:00.
And don't forget the GWAC meeting at 7:00 tonight either in person or on Zoom. Emergency preparedness. Link at gwac.ca.
Cheers,
Penny

Sunday, May 28, 2023

Work party Monday in the Greenway!

Monday at 3:00 as usual. I'm sending the notice early because I will be away.
Hope it's good! I'll leave a couple of leaf bags on my front porch in case you need them.
Cheers,
Penny

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Hello!

I realize tomorrow is a holiday, but we'll have a work party nonetheless!
3:00 in the Greenway. See you there!

Sunday, May 14, 2023

Work party in the Greenway tomorrow, Monday, 3:00!

It's going to be very hot, so I suggest we just putter and catch up and not do anything too strenuous.
Toby, the manager at Choices, is going to a Choices Managers meeting tomorrow and will raise the issue of the graffiti on the mural and report back to us at our work party. If they are keen to pay to have it repaired, I will approach Victoria (the artist) again and see if she will be willing to do the work (again).
See you!
Penny

Monday, May 08, 2023

Work party today, 3:00!

Hope to see you for a work party in the Greenway this afternoon at 3:00.
Come if you can!
Fantastic Grandview Garden Club Plant Sale yesterday!
:-)
Cheers,
Penny

Monday, May 01, 2023

Work Party today, May Day!, weather permitting...

Howdy,
It might rain this afternoon. Let's just play it by ear, weather-wise, but if it's just sprinkling or halfway decent, let's go ahead.
3:00,  bring your rake, broom, secateurs, etc. I'll bring a couple of leaf bags.
Cheers,
Penny

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Grandview Garden Club's Plant Sale, May 7th!

 


Sunday, April 23, 2023

Work party Monday, 3:00

Hi Brit Neighbours,
It certainly doesn't look like it right now, but it's supposed to be pretty nice on Monday afternoon, so let's plan on a work party — weather permitting, as usual!
We can talk a bit about promoting our plant sale, too.
:-)
Cheers,
Penny

Monday, April 17, 2023

Work party, 3:00

Hi devoted Brit Neighbours,
It seems okay outside right now (11:00 a.m.) but it might rain later today. Let's just play it by ear. If it's nice enough to come out at 3:00 for a work party, please do! If it's cold or even cold-and-rainy and you want to stay home this afternoon, that's okay too!
If you come, bring secateurs, rake, trowel, leaf bags?, kneeling pad, weeding tools, whatever!
Cheers,
Penny

Sunday, April 09, 2023

Work party tomorrow, April 10th!

Howdy,
Let's have a work party in the Greenway tomorrow, 3:00, if the weather's halfway decent. It's Easter Monday, so some people might be out of town, but I think it's supposed to be nice.
Bring your gloves, rake, secateurs, etc. I'll bring leaf bags.
See you there!





Sunday, April 02, 2023

Work party tomorrow in the Greenway

Unless it's raining (or hailing or snowing like it was this afternoon), we'll have a work party tomorrow (April 3) in the Greenway at 3:00.
See you there I hope!

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Work Party tomorrow (Monday, March 27) in the Greenway, 3:00

Howdy Brit Neighbours!
Please join us tomorrow at 3:00 for a work party in the Greenway. It should be clear and chilly. We can admire all the crocuses and the tete-a-tete daffodills.
Bring tools if you have them. I'll bring a couple of leaf bags and a couple of rakes.
They've fixed the big leak in the pavement near the library entrance, so we should be able to get down as far as our ginkgo tree. I'll sprinkle some red poppy seeds around that!
Think about whether we want to deal with a load of city compost and if so, how much.
:-)
Penny

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Work Party, March 27, 3:00!

 Hi. We're back in the swing for spring! Please come and join us if you can. Bring your own tools if you have them -- rake, pruners, leaf blower?, trowel, weeding tools. We always have a few extras, so if you don't have tools but want to work with us, we can accommodate you. Napier Greenway between Choices and Sweet Cherubim on the Drive.

Sunday, March 19, 2023

Work Party, Monday March 20, 3:00, Napier Greenway

 Hello Britannia Neighbours,

We’ll have our second Work Party of the season in the Greenway tomorrow, March 20th, at 3:00!

Bring your gloves, secateurs, rake, etc. I’ll bring some leaf bags.

See you then!

Cheers, Penny






Saturday, March 04, 2023

The Story of the Napier Greenway and Britannia Neighbours

What was once a rather grim half block of Napier Street just to the west of Commercial Drive (between the Drive and Britannia Community Centre) is now a Neighbourhood Greenway, arguably one of the busiest “parks” in the City of Vancouver. Although it’s not technically a “park”…

The group Britannia Neighbours in Action worked with the City’s Green Streets Branch to design and create Napier Greenway. It took about a year and a half from conception in 2000 to the Grand Opening ceremony, which happened May 4, 2002.

 

Oct 18, 2001 City Council approved $140,000 funding to develop the Greenway; it also approved a $5000 yearly maintenance budget.

 

The deal with the City was, essentially, “The City will work with you to put this Greenway in, provided you folks will look after it — forever!” And that’s pretty much what we agreed to.

 

At the outset there were six “Britannia Neighbours” community members actively working on the project (Pat Davitt, Karen Martin, Alan Ross, Mark Johnston, Margaret Jones, and me) plus someone assigned to work with us from the City (Karyn Thompson); soon thereafter there were two artists involved as well (Glen Anderson, who did the mosaic workshops and installation, and Pat Beaton, who designed the art posts workshops and installation).

 

I’m the only one of those six still actively involved with the Greenway from that original group, although Britannia Neighbours had already been in existence for quite a few years having put on the East Van Garden Tour since 1993 and having already worked with the Park Board to install Mosaic Creek Park.

 

We currently have a dedicated community work crew of about twelve — a few of whom are Master Gardeners and a few of whom are big and strong — and we also have a list of about 40 longtime supporters who hear about all our work parties and occasionally show up.

 

The garden is quite mature now. We have learned which plants work well and which don’t work in our very high-traffic area.

 

In order to keep the Greenway well tended and tidy and to keep the plants alive and looking their best, we need money. To that end Britannia Neighbours puts on the East Vancouver Garden Tour, now in its 25thyear, to raise money to pay for:


  • Garden tools, hoses, hose carts, nozzles, leaf bags
  • Plants and trees as needed
  • A person that we hire through the Kettle Friendship Society who picks up litter in the Greenway just about every day
  • A person to water the garden through the warm/dry months (plus 12 cement planters in the Britannia courtyard, just to the west of the Greenway plus two garden beds

As well, Britannia Neighbours provided a seed grant to help start up the Grandview Garden Club, which meets once a month at Britannia Centre (or, when in pandemic mode, on Zoom).
 
The Green Streets department at the City provides support for us when we need something that is beyond our ability/scope. About once a year they provide us with a load of City compost so we can amend our soil. About fifteen years ago we asked them to install a water tap in the Greenway so we could water during the dry months, and they did. We’re lobbying now in hopes of having an automatic sprinkler system installed to reduce our costs and the immense effort of watering in the summer.
 
The keys to our success:
  • We have work parties at a regular/predictable time — Monday afternoons 3:00–5:00. This generally means that people who work regular business hours cannot show up. We had tried meeting on Sunday afternoons for a couple of years, but we find Mondays work better for our regular volunteers, most of whom are retired.
  • We are a really happy and congenial group and we look forward to working together for a couple of hours every week.
  • We have people to pick up litter and to do our watering so we don’t have to do that work at our work parties and can concentrate on improving the garden.
  • We have two e-mail mailing lists — one for what we call our “core group”, about twelve people who always show up and whom we consult when any decisions are being made — and one called “work party announcements”, about 40 people who are interested and want to know what we’re up to.
  • Since 2005 we’ve had a website, which is mostly used as notification of work parties for anyone who’s not on our e-mail list.
  • We have an account at Vancity and a volunteer who writes cheques and keeps track of our finances.
  • We also have a sandwich board that we sometimes put up in the Greenway when we're working that tells passers-by who we are and what we’re doing — that we’re a volunteer group and they’re welcome to join us. It has a little rack for brochures/business cards. People often stop to chat with us as we’re working in the Greenway … and some even say they’d like to volunteer. And sometimes they give us their e-mail addresses and I add them to the “work party announcements” e-mail list. It’s always good to recruit new blood!














Work Parties in the Napier Greenway

 During Spring, Summer, and Fall we have work parties in the Napier Greenway just about every Monday afternoon from 3:00-4:00 p.m. (or sometimes 5:00). We don't garden in the winter.
We'd love it if you'd come and join us. It's a good way to learn some gardening skills and to get to know some of your neighbours.


Monday, January 02, 2023

Happy New Year! Come talk about Commercial Drive on Monday, January 9th at 7PM

Hi.

There's a GWAC meeting this coming Monday (Jan 9th) — all about our beloved Drive! Please join us on Zoom. See below.

Also, you may want to read or even subscribe to Jak King's blog and the section he calls "Changes on the Drive", which he updates (with Steve's and my help) on the first of every month.

Penny

Penny Street



Begin forwarded message:

From: Grandview Woodland Area Council <info@gwac.ca>
Subject: Happy New Year! Come talk about Commercial Drive on Monday, January 9th at 7PM
Date: January 2, 2023 at 10:07:49 PM PST
Reply-To: Grandview Woodland Area Council <info@gwac.ca>

 
Commercial Drive
As a Pedestrian-First High Street

Monday, Jan 9th at 7PM


GWAC will be joined by
Paul Storer and Lon Laclaire


Two of the City's Big Wheels on Transportation for a discussion of Council's Motion
"Prioritizing Commercial Drive as a
Pedestrian-First High Street"


What changes are coming to The Drive?


Come hear about their plans and share your thoughts about the best street in Vancouver!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81025178894?pwd=R1p6NFhtV3RKV3o1TTE1T0dLRldkdz09
Meeting ID: 810 2517 8894, Passcode: 378569
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcRlZVxebZ


Full Motion: https://council.vancouver.ca/20210519/documents/pspc20210519min.pdf (see page 18)
Copyright © 2023 Grandview Woodland Area Council, All rights reserved.
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Our mailing address is:
Grandview Woodland Area Council
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Vancouver, BC V5L 4X4
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Thursday, September 22, 2022

Britannia-GWAC City Council Candidates Public Forum, Monday, Sept 26th

Hi.
There's a City Council Candidates Public Forum, Monday, Sept 26th.
It's jointly sponsored by Grandview-Woodland Area Council and Britannia Community Centre.
Hope you can make it. Tell your friends/neighbours!


Wednesday, June 16, 2021

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON NON-MARKET HOUSING [Beginning June 19, 22, and 24 - On Zoom]

Hi.
About housing on the Britannia Community Centre campus, I personally feel that so much housing is being built or is planned for other parts of Grandview that there shouldn't be any housing on the precious little bit of public land that we have in Grandview. We already have way less than other Vancouver communities. 
But if we are forced to see some housing on the campus, it definitely shouldn't dominate the site — a few truly affordable rental housing units, managed and owned by Brit, not very high, might not infringe too much on the public nature of the site. Anyway, this is a big concern and issue. It's been debated for years at Britannia and I hope you consider participating in this "conversation". By doing so, you'll let the City know how you feel.
Thanks.
Penny

PS - Apologies if you received more than one of these reminders.
:-)


 
JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON NON-MARKET HOUSING 

 

The Britannia Renewal Master Plan identifies opportunities to locate non-market housing at the renewed Britannia site. 
Help us understand opportunities and concerns relating to this by sharing your thoughts at one of our online events: 

 

WHAT? 
Community Conversations: Non-Market Housing 

 

WHERE? 
On Zoom by link
Or call 7789072071
 
WHEN? 
Saturday, June 19, 10 am - noon 

 

Tuesday, June 22, 2 - 4 pm 
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 844 2837 4784
Passcode: 282588

 

Thursday, June 24, 6:30 - 8:30 pm 
Meeting ID: 823 9181 6558
Passcode: 560897

 

COMING SOON:
In fall 2021, partners will be facilitating more Non-Market Community Conversations that will include initial discussions on height, density and the potential number of units of non-market housing. 

 

 

Contact the Britannia Society website http://britanniarenewal.org/, the Information Centre at 604-718-5800 (ext. 1) or info@britanniacentre.org for more details. 

 

 



Friday, May 14, 2021

Big Neighbourhood Plant Sale on Sunday!


SPRING PLANT SALE!

Sunday, May 16th, 11:00-3:00

Behind 1122 Semlin Dr. on Rose St.

 Cash only! Please bring exact change — $1, $2, $5, $10 — and bags/boxes to carry what you get!
 Please mask up and keep your social distance!
 
bedding & veggie plants, annuals, ornamentals, perennials, houseplants, gardening magazines!
 

Proceeds to GGC. For more info about Grandview Garden Club, e-mail grandviewgardenclub@gmail.com or visit our website at https://grandviewgardenclub.blogspot.com (although we haven't used it much since COVID began). Also, since COVID, members have been meeting on Zoom. Let us know if you'd like to join us.



Cheers,
Penny

Monday, April 20, 2020

Work party in the Greenway at 3:00!

Monday, April 20th! Pandemic work party in the Greenway at 3:00!
I might be a bit late. We're leaving soon to walk the dog at Crowley Park, which is a 2-hour endeavor. But I will be there with a couple of leaf bags and a key to the cupboard.
:-)
BYOT (Bring your own tools … if possible).
Cheers,
Penny

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Figaro's

Although Figaro’s store is closed due to Covid-19, they have their plant lists up and ready for ordering and pick up. Check out the link below.

Let's do what we can to help keep Figaro's afloat.


http://www.figarosgarden.ca/store-info.html


Click on "New this week"...

Also, please note, the East Vancouver Garden Tour for 2020 is cancelled. We usually have it on Father's Day. It's our one fundraiser for Britannia Neighbours, and the proceeds go to buying plants and supplies and to paying people to water and pick up litter in the Napier Square Greenway. Luckily we have a bit of cash in the bank as a cushion. So watch for the Tour to happen next summer.


Cheers,
Penny