Britannia Neighbours News
Britannia Neighbours is a volunteer group in the Grandview neighbourhood of Vancouver. We undertake projects that help to keep our neighbourhood interesting and engaged. Among our projects are maintenance of the Napier Square Greenway at the entry to the Britannia Community Centre, the East Van Garden Tour, and the Grandview Garden Club. If you'd like to get in touch and/or be notified whenever we'll be having a work party, e-mail britneighbours@gmail.com.
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Monday, September 23, 2024
Work party today, 2:00
The weather is going to improve over the day and it'll be nice by 2:00.
Please come if you can!
Monday, September 16, 2024
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Work party tomorrow, Aug 11, 2:00
Howdy,
I think Victoria and Clae are starting their work on the mural tomorrow. Yippee!
Because of that, maybe we should concentrate our work on trimming and pulling back the stuff that is planted along that wall so it's easy for them to get to and so that they do as little damage as possible to the plants on the north side that we want to keep.Anyway, 2:00. See you then, I hope.
Penny
Sunday, August 04, 2024
Work party Monday at 2:00
Hi.
Monday, July 29, 2024
Work party today, 2:00, weather permitting...
Hi. Unless it's just pouring rain and is unthinkable, let's have a work party today and assess the current situation . Steve reports from his early dog walk that Sam/Max wasn't there this morning but there's lots of his debris in 'his' spot (although he has taken his fancy personal garden furniture away with him…).
Cheers,
Penny
Monday, July 22, 2024
Work party today! (July 22)
Hi folks,
Work party today in the Greenway, 2:00!
See you there.
Nice day!
Penny
Sunday, July 07, 2024
Work party tomorrow
Hi Brit Neighbours friends,
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Monday, June 24, 2024
Sunday, May 26, 2024
Work Party Monday, 2:00
I guess it kind of depends on the weather tomorrow, but if it's halfway decent, let's show up in the Greenway at 2:00 and see how it looks and what we can do.
Cheers,
Penny
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Monday, May 13, 2024
Tuesday, May 07, 2024
Work party today! Tuesday! 2:00!
Hi.
Thunderstorms were forecast for yesterday afternoon. So we postponed the work party until today. Yesterday turned out to be a perfect day. But hey. Today will be good too, so join us if you can.
Napier Greenway. Join us if you can.
I submitted a proposal to Toby, the manager of Choices, and his boss Dawn for the renewal/repair of the mural with Victoria and Clae doing the work.
Choices will be discussing it tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
We need to protect the plants that grow along that wall (cover some, tie some back) as soon as the project is approved because Victoria and Clae are keen to get started ASAP.
Also, happy news: Clae has agreed to do the watering again this summer! 😁
Cheers,
Penny
Monday, May 06, 2024
Work Party... maybe some other day this week?
The CBC is calling for a thunderstorm this afternoon, but the rest of the week is supposed to be warm and sunny. Especially since a few of us were involved with the plant sale just yesterday, how about if we take a Monday off and instead gather for the work party on some other afternoon this week?
I suggest Tuesday, tomorrow. Would that work for most of you?
Cheers,
Penny
Monday, April 29, 2024
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Work party Monday, 2:00, Greenway!
Hi. The weather will be splendid and we will have a work party in the Greenway tomorrow (Monday) at 2:00.
Monday, April 08, 2024
NO work party today! Too wet!
Just got home from a pretty long dog walk in the rain and it's no "sprinkle"!
Let's not bother with a work party today.
Sorry for mixed messages!
☔️
Work party in the Greenway today!
I know it's raining. Unless it's a huge deluge, let's meet at 2:00, touch base, check the garden out and tidy up a bit.
:-)
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
4 yards of compost
Yay!
We received our four yards of compost on Monday morning and by 4:30 Monday afternoon it was all distributed!
A huge success. Special thanks to Ann for finding a couple of strong young men (Jeremiah and Luis?) who were a huge help.
And to Eric for doing the incredible grunt work of removing the western-end bollards to the truck could back into the Greenway and dump the compost where we wanted it. And to Catherine and Ann and Eric for a lot of shovelling, wheeling, spreading!
Good going!
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Work party March 25, 2:00, to move a mountain of compost!
We’re getting 4 yards of compost delivered between 9 and 11 tomorrow morning and Ann’s organized for a young man (or maybe two … and we’re going to pay him/them) to come and move compost for us.
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!!
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!
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,
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
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.
- 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.
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Sunday, October 08, 2023
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
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Sunday, September 10, 2023
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.
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
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.
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
Thursday, April 27, 2023
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
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
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
Monday, January 02, 2023
Happy New Year! Come talk about Commercial Drive on Monday, January 9th at 7PM
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 7PMDate: January 2, 2023 at 10:07:49 PM PSTTo: Penny <pennystreet@telus.net>Reply-To: Grandview Woodland Area Council <info@gwac.ca>
Commercial Drive
As a Pedestrian-First High StreetMonday, 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)
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Thursday, September 22, 2022
Britannia-GWAC City Council Candidates Public Forum, Monday, Sept 26th
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON NON-MARKET HOUSING [Beginning June 19, 22, and 24 - On Zoom]
Hi.
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 linkOr call 7789072071WHEN?Saturday, June 19, 10 am - noonhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/83652487283?pwd=ZytPaU94VDFFV3h4aTJ1ZGN4SEREdz09 [us02web.zoom.us]
Meeting ID: 836 5248 7283
Passcode: 435320
Tuesday, June 22, 2 - 4 pmJoin Zoom MeetingMeeting ID: 844 2837 4784Passcode: 282588
Thursday, June 24, 6:30 - 8:30 pmMeeting ID: 823 9181 6558Passcode: 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.