Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Present: Eva, Wayne, Jo, Ann, Pat, Janet, Jane, Ruth, Susana, Penny, Cynthia
Regrets: Helen (she teaches on Tuesday nights)

Pat reported that we sold about $180 tickets to this year's Garden Tour (so took in about $1800).
This year's Garden Tour was a huge success.
Pat said that if possible she would prefer not to be involved with Britannia Neighbours finances any longer. Jane and Eva volunteered for role as treasurer. Jane will do it for now and Eva will be available as back-up. We should probably get Eva as a signing officer. (And we agreed to add Ann as a signing officer a few months ago and began the process at Vancity, but I don't believe the paperwork was ever completed. Ann?)

For next year's Garden Tour, Jo and Janet have already found and identified quite a few potential gardens. Pat & Ann and Jane & Sandy are finding gardens as well. So we are well on the way for next year.
Glen at Figaro's would like our Garden Tour operation to be a bit more businesslike and professional. He would like to see us produce more polished brochures and maps and for us to get info to him a bit more in advance.
We will try to enlist the person who designed the Strathcona Garden Open House brochure to help us design one for us for next year's Tour.
We might also produce a flyer that Figaro's can display on the counter in the store over the winter that says something like "Would you like to participate as one of the gardens on the tour? Or would you like to nominate a garden for the next tour?"
We agreed we should invite Glen to attend our Tour planning meetings and that we would keep him better informed about our progress planning the next Garden Tour.
We also enthusiastically applaud his endeavour to provide a limited coffee service at Figaro's (with food, but he will not cook on site). Later, he may sell organic produce he grows on Galiano Island at Figaro's. We all signed the petition about it.
We appreciate our partnership with Figaro's. We get publicity and ticket sales (credit and Interac) before the Tour, and, on the day of the Tour, Figaro's provides bathrooms, coffee and cookies, and space for our home base.
We would also be willing (if Glen was interested) to send an e-mail to all our Garden Tour participants (or at least those who gave us e-mail addresses) to suggest they may want to get on Glen's e-mail distribution list so they can hear about sales and special events, etc., and to tell them how to do that. In exchange, perhaps, Glen can send a notice out in advance of the Garden Tour, to everyone on his list, reminding folks of the date of the tour and telling them how to get tickets.

The mural on the side of Florida Market is in somewhat sorry shape. It's been tagged and repaired many times. We talked about contracting Victoria Oginski to paint a FLORIDA mural on the side of Florida Market. There was quite a bit of enthusiasm for the idea. Someone suggested that Florida Market might be willing to pitch in. So might the BIA. I'll ask both. We'll have to talk to Eileen, who was project manager of the existing mural, and get her support. Folks were wondering how much it might cost and I've asked Victoria to provide us a rough estimate / or quote.

We talked about the upcoming new Britannia Centre sign. Ruth suggested that it should be multi-lingual. Pat is still promoting the clock tower idea. We are contributing to the cost of the new sign so should have some input.

Pat and Penny will go to the Site Management meeting Oct 1 at 9:30 on behalf of Brit Neighbours and will report back if there are any pertinent issues.

Eva suggested that we plant Mahonia in the BIA's espresso cup planter. We need something hardy that folks won't want to sit on or near. Also, mason bees love mahonia.

Ann told us all about the fabulous "Putting on the Glitz" dinner and fashion show that's being put on by the Original Costume Museum Society on October 1. If you're interested, call Ann right away to get a ticket!

Cheers and happy first day of Autumn!
Penny

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Hi.
Please, if you can, come to a work party in the Napier Square Greenway
on Sunday Oct 4th at 3:00 p.m. to rake and tidy up for the winter and
to plant a rhododendron that Jane Hood is donating.
We will also choose a place for reinstallation of the bench that the
City removed from the Living Room corner (a few months ago because
someone tried to steal it and it got all loosened and crooked). It
might go alongside Drive Organics, near the mason bees. We're hoping
to get it back soon.
I'll bring work gloves and those giant paper garden waste bags. You
could bring weeding tools, kneeling pad, rake, what have you.
See you then. No need to RSVP.
We had a terrific meeting tonight and I'll post some notes on our blog
soon.
Cheers,
Penny

Fwd: Stone Soup fall food event

I urge you, in particular, to attend the Food Justice Forum on October 8th! See below.
Cheers,
Penny

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ian Marcuse <imarcuse@alternatives.com>
Date: September 21, 2009 11:23:24 PM PDT (CA)
Subject: Stone Soup fall food event

Dear Friends,

I have been busy organizing a number of events as part of the Stone Soup Fall Food gathering at Britannia Community Centre. I hope that you can come out and support these events. The film festival is also being organized as a fundraiser for community gardening.

This event is being held in conjunction with Sustenance: The Art and Culture of Food being held at the Roundhouse Community Centre, Oct. 3 -16th and leading up to World Food Day (Oct 16th). For more information on Sustenance visit - http://www.roundhouse.ca/sustenance

Also Check out my work BLOG - http://gwfoodconnection.blogspot.com/

Please forward this to your networks.

Thanks,
Ian

Program Schedule

1. Oct 3 - Do-It -Yourself (DIY) Food Day
2. Oct 8 - Food Justice Forum
3. Oct 10 - Author Talk and Book Launch
4. Oct 15 - Thanksgiving Food For All Community Potluck
5. Oct. 17/18 - Stone Soup Film Festival: Exploring the Politics of Food


1. Oct 3 - Do-It -Yourself (DIY) Food Day

Canning. Learn the basic of canning, including safe preparation and methods. This class will be canning green beans and participants will leave with their own jars of beans.
 
Sauerkraut Live Fermentation. Learn the basics of fermented foods and safe preparation of sauerkraut. Live sauerkraut is well known for its high nutritional values. It is easy to make and a great addition to many meals. Bring your own cabbage.
 
Breadmaking for Beginners. Learn to make delicious harvest bread.
 
Cooking on a Tight Budget. Join Healthy Planet Kitchens to learn some tasty, nutritious and affordable recipes
 
All workshops are open to everyone. $10 each. (subsidies available). Suppleis included. Registration: 604-718-5800
Sat. Oct. 3rd

2. Oct 8 - Food Justice Forum (poster attached)
 
Why is organic, sustainably produced food unaffordable for many people?
Can we pay the real cost of food, while also providing quality food at an affordable price?
Is there a need for low-cost food options, including fast food, in our community?
 
Join our panel of speakers for a discussion of these questions and more.
 
Joyce Rock, Director, Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House and food access advocate
Chris Bodnar, Glen Valley Organic farmer and food sustainability activist
Barbara Joughin, Co-author of the Vancouver Food Charter
Moderated by Sandra Thomas from the Vancover Courier
 
Britannia Community Centre, Learning Resource Centre
Thurs. Oct. 8, 7 - 9pm
Free

3. Oct 10 - Author Talk and Book Launch.
 
Long time nutritionist, Dania Matiation will launch her book entitled "Food Swings: A User's Guide to Dealing with the Call of Food"
Let's discover how to remove rules and lighten up our relationship with nourishing ourselves.
You can find more info for publicity at Dania's website: http://www.the-art-of-eating.com/about_Dania_Matiation.html
 
Britannia Library
Oct 10, 2pm.
Free

4. Oct 15 - Thanksgiving Food For All Community Potluck.
 
Everyone welcome. Bring some food to share or just come and eat. AML Lounge (across from the info centre).
Thurs, Oct 15, 6:30pm.
Free

5. Oct. 17/18 - Stone Soup Film Festival: Exploring the Politics of Food. (poster attached)
 
Join us for this first annual food film festival and view 20 local and international films on a range of topics including health and nutrition, globalization, urban agriculture, worker's rights.

Selections include: Mad City Chickens, a doc about chickens and the urbanites who love them; All Jacked Up, a poignant portrait of four teens struggling with sugar addiction; Food Inc, an expose on the shocking truth about our food system, and The Garden, the Academy-nominated feature about the fight to save a beloved urban farm in South Central L.A. and many more!

Presented by the East End Food Co-op and the Grandview Woodland Food Connection.
Festival passes - $15 Available at Britannia. Suggested donation at the door per film slot. All proceeds will go to support community gardening.
Oct 17 & 18th
Check out our film blog for films and schedules - http://stonesoupfilmfestival.blogspot.com/
 
For more info or if you would like to volunteer - 604-718-5895

Friday, September 18, 2009

One of our Britannia Neighbours, Ruth Fahlman, is on the Board of the Eastside Family Place and asked that I advertise this splendid event to Britannia Neighbours.





Come one and all to the 30th birthday celebration of Eastside Family Place.


1655 William Street, at Grandview Park


Saturday Sept 19th, 11:00-3:00


There will be music, storytelling, arts & crafts, face painting, carnival games, a fire truck and a police cruiser, bubbles, and BIRTHDAY CAKE!






There's also a fabulous raffle with many family-oriented prizes and you can get tickets at the party.


Please visit the Family Place Web site for further details www.eastsidefamilyplace.org

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Hello Britannia Neighbour!
Just to let you know that we're having a Britannia Neighbours meeting on Tuesday Sept 22 at the Britannia Info Centre, 7:00.
Please come if you can. Among other things, we'll discuss preparing the Napier Square Greenway for winter, ongoing maintenance and litter removal, and some of the things we need to do in anticipation of next year's East Van Tour of Private Gardens.
Come if you can.
I'm not sure what room we will be meeting in, but ask at the the reception desk in the Info Centre and they will know where we are. No need to RSVP.
Cheers,
Penny


Carvers working in the Napier Square Greenway last week! They're creating an entry portal for the Britannia Arena that will be in place for the Olympics. After the Olympics, the portal will probably be installed near the Britannia Info Centre, visible from the Greenway.

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Hello!

If you are interested in this and would be willing to Volunteer, please RSVP to Cynthia Low at Britannia (cynthia.low@vancouver.ca)!

We've heard that volunteering on this once-a-month project is lots of fun ... plus it's GREEN (providing new recycling opportunities for Vancouver residents)!

Yay!

Penny





Britannia Centre is interested in inviting the Pacific Mobile Recycling Depot to Britannia to recycle all the items that cannot go into Blue Boxes - styrofoam, aluminium, CD's, electronics, plastics, milk cartons, foil bags, etc.
They operate on Vancouver Island and facilitate a monthly depot in North Vancouver.


Hard core recyclers and businesses from the neighbourhood will pay a fee for recycling. After transportaion and commercial charges, some of the money will go to Britannia Centre, and will be used to support other green initiatives.


In order for this project to go ahead we need volunteers to help with promotion, sorting (on site), and organizing.

Is there enough energy to fuel and run this program?



If you are interested, please attend a Blue Box Lunch. Bring your own blue box and utensils, food will be provided.


Saturday September 26, 2009 at 12:00

Britannia Board Room

1661 Napier Street

RSVP by September 25th and see you there in your best blues!

http://www.pacificmobiledepots.com/
Please circulate to interested networks!



Cynthia Low

Executive Director

Britannia Community Services Centre Society

1661 Napier Street

Vancouver, BC V5L 4X4

T: 604-718-5815

http://www.britanniacentre.org