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.

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

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 25^thyear, 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.

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.

https://jaksview3.wordpress.com/2023/01/02/changes-on-the-drive-128/

Cheers,

Penny

Penny Street

pennystreet@telus.net

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

To: Penny <pennystreet@telus.net>

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. You are receiving this email because you have expressed interest in receiving email correspondence from the Grandview Woodland Area Council (GWAC), this may have been expressed online, or in person either through a board member, or a sign in sheet at one of our public meetings. Our mailing address is: Grandview Woodland Area Council 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada Vancouver, BC V5L 4X4 Canada Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

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!

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.

:-)

Penny Street
pennystreet@telus.net

 

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 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83652487283?pwd=ZytPaU94VDFFV3h4aTJ1ZGN4SEREdz09 [us02web.zoom.us]
Meeting ID: 836 5248 7283
Passcode: 435320

 

Tuesday, June 22, 2 - 4 pm 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84428374784?pwd=VXdBZndHNW9SWUxQcVR4Nk0vWnREdz09 [us02web.zoom.us]

Meeting ID: 844 2837 4784

Passcode: 282588

 

Thursday, June 24, 6:30 - 8:30 pm 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82391816558?pwd=QTJBMDYvdm5xcDVMN2R4WUhpdEFQQT09 [us02web.zoom.us]

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. 

https://shapeyourcity.ca/britannia-renewal

 

 

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

 

 

Big Neighbourhood Plant Sale on Sunday!

SPRING PLANT SALE!

Sunday, May 16^th, 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

Penny Street
pennystreet@telus.net

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

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

Work party today, Wednesday, 3:00...

Howdy Britannia Neighbours,
It's unusual, but Monday was gloomy and rain was in the forecast. It didn't materialize, but we'd already decided not to have a work party Monday. Today looks pretty good. Let's meet — at two-metre-plus intervals — at 3:00 for an hour or so.
It looks like the Kettle's SEED program is suspended (for now? permanently?) so we need to take responsibility for litter pick up.
Also, we thought we had someone lined up for the watering, and that is now not happening as well, so we may need to do that as well over the summer.
Sigh.
Both are relatively safe, solitary tasks, so maybe it's not such bad news.
See you at three if you can make it. No need to RSVP.
Cheers,
Penny

Work party in the Greenway today, 3:00

Hello!
It's going to be a beautiful day… I think working outdoors will be safe in our new "social distancing" universe. Let's meet at 3:00 in the Greenway today (March 16) and see what needs doing.
Cheers,
Penny

First Work Party of 2020!

We had a delightful work party today at which we dead-headed all the hydrangeas and raked the pathways and a few of the beds. Janet repaired some of her fences. Bea Miller, the Arts and Culture Programmer at Brit came out to help us for an hour or so. And Rocco Cillo, who works in the Accounting Department at Brit stopped by to say hello. He recently took two fantastic Greenway photos of the moon through the trees with the glowing coloured lights that he shared with us. Thank you, Rocco!

First work party of the season, 3:00 today

Hi folks,
Looks like it will be a splendid day. Daylight savings! Sunshine! It's not exactly WARM yet, but let's inaugurate the 2020 season with a work party today (Monday, March 9th) at 3:00. Bring work gloves, secateurs, etc. if you have them. If not, come as you are. I'll have leaf bags. We've got rakes.
Cheers,
Penny

Fwd: Reminder: 2020 GWAC AGM Meeting

GWAC Annual General Meeting, Saturday March 7, 2020 View this email in your browser  GWAC Annual General Meeting  2:30, Saturday, March 7th,  Canucks Family Room GWAC will report on the year's activities & hold elections to to form a new Council.   Agenda Call to order & establish quorum Council Introduction Approval of minutes of 2018 AGM Directors' Report Treasurer's Report Transportation Committee Report  Election to Council  Adjournment We encourage all residents to consider standing for election to the Council.  If you care about:  our neighbourhood & our neighbours, proposed changes & their possible impacts,  ensuring concerns are addressed; and wish to consider new ideas and initiatives for Grandview Woodland,  this is your opportunity to do so!   Together in 2020/21 GW can achieve a meaningful and equitable neighbourhood to meet the demands of a growing City, but only if its residents are involved. You do not need special qualifications to stand for election only that you care about the future of Grandview Woodland. We encourage all community members to consider becoming a part of the Council, to represent its interests to the City and beyond.  ** In order to stand for election, or to vote on the election of Directors it is necessary to be a resident of GW and a registered  member of GWAC.  if you are not already registered as a member you may register  at the meeting as a  member by  signing in with your name, street address and email address;   A sign-up table will be available at the front door to enrol new members and supply your ballot.  Please consider coming a bit early to avoid a line-up. To find out more, contact info@GWAC.ca __________________________________________________________ Michael Kluckner A Century of Planning in Vancouver: From Bartholomew to City Plan Over 90 years ago Vancouver hired Harland Bartholomew & Associates to create Vancouver's first city-wide plan, providing a template for the ambitious young city that was poised to amalgamate with two neighbouring municipalities to become the modern City of Vancouver. Automobile-oriented transportation and industrial growth were priority considerations. Author, and Grandview Woodland resident, Michael Kluckner will explore what was implemented, what worked and what did not, and track more recent changes in legislation and development, such as the vision for False Creek, condominium living and the push for compact communities in both the city and the region. __________________________________________ Copyright © 2020 Grandview Woodland Area Council, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have expressed interest in receiving email correspondence from the Grandview Woodland Area Council (GWAC), this may have been expressed online, or in person either through a board member, or a sign in sheet at one of our public meetings. Our mailing address is: Grandview Woodland Area Council 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada Vancouver, BC  V5L 4X4 Canada Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences