COMMUNITY CALENDAR
/(Click on photos to enlarge image)
ONCE A WEEK - EVERY WEEK
FAMILY STORY TIME ... Every Tuesday from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. at Joe Fortes Library, join this program for parents and caregivers with young children. Songs, rhymes and stories are shared. Suitable for pre-schooled and toddlers of all abilities to enjoy and learn together.
FARMER'S MARKET on Comox (between Thurlow and Bute) every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stock up on fresh fruit and veggies for tasty summer meals and picnics at the beach.
- WEST END SUMMER ART MARKET … Saturdays at Jim Deva Plaza from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. brought to you by the good folks at WE Arts. Come on out and meet your neighbours, buy some art, and mix with the artists. Closed August 4 and 18.
- WEST END ORIGINALS ... Enjoy live interviews with your neighbours Saturdays through August 4 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Three-Quarters Full Cafe (Denman Place Mall). Sit in on the conversation with members of your community as they share their thoughts about everything from living in small spaces to dreaming big dreams. All ages welcome, and light refreshments provided. Free. Information at thechoptheatre.com.
FIREWORKS OVER ENGLISH BAY. (ROBERTA KELLER PHOTO)
LIGHT UP THE SKY !
West End's streets teem with hundreds of thousands of visitors taking in the sights and sounds of the annual Celebrations of Light fireworks displays at English Bay. Two more ronds; Wednesday, August 1 is Sweden's turn, and Saturday, August 4 features South Korea. From 2 to 9 p.m. each fireworks afternoon there will be free live entertainment at the Park Stage at English Bay, with plenty of food trucks nearby. Details here.
PRIDE WEEKEND
It's that time again, with the 40th annual Pride Parade sashaying through the West End on Sunday, August 5. There will be parties and special events leading up to and following the main event, so check out the full schedule of attractions here.
COMMUNITY LUNCH TIME!
Mondays through Thursdays
12 p.m.
Gordon House
Everyone is invited to lunch at Gordon Neighbourhood House. Community Lunches are an opportunity for community members to enjoy a meal together, meet new people, and catch up with friends in a casual environment.
On Mondays volunteers prepare and serve an amazing pay-what-you-can (suggested donation $2) vegan hot dish that incorporates the fresh produce from our farms.
For Tuesdays and Thursdays, Chef Peter prepares a delicious three-course menu including soup or salad, a main course, dessert and coffee/tea, all for $5.
Come out on Wednesdays for a pay-what-you-can Nourish Bowl a delicious hot meal in a bowl, typically with a layer of cooked grains on the bottom (eg. brown rice), a mix of cooked and raw seasonal vegetables, some protein (tofu, chickpeas or meat), and to top it off, a mouth watering savoury sauce.
For more information contact welcome@gordonhouse.org or 604.683.2554.
DANCE AT DUSK
Mondays and Tuesdays to August 13 and 21
Ceperley Meadow in Stanley Park
Free
Mondays the folks from Royal Scottish Country Dance and Tuesdays the Vancouver International Folk Dancers invite you to join them for an evening of lively dancing.
All ages and levels welcome, and no partner needed. Ceperley Meadow is by the old fire engine near Second Beach. And non-dancers are always welcome to come and watch … and maybe be tempted to try a turn or two!
A West End Participatory Budgeting Pilot
Community Information Session
Thursday, August 23
7 to 9 p.m.
Gordon Neighbourhood House
The City of Vancouver brings the municipal budgeting process to the grass-roots with a public information session at Gordon Neighbourhood House (1019 Broughton Street).
Participatory budgeting is a process used in cities around the world to involve citizens in government spending decisions that impact or benefit them. Winning projects are adopted through a community vote and implemented with the support of government.
As part of the follow up to the West End Parking Strategy implemented in 2017, the City of Vancouver is launching a participatory budgeting pilot to distribute additional revenue collected through West End permit parking fees. They have made the commitment that this incremental revenue would be directed back into the West End community, and that the community would decide where the funds would be invested.
A Community Information Session on August 23 will bring Melissa Appleton and Francesco Tena from the Participatory Budgeting Project to the West End for a community information session on the process. Refreshments and child care will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!
In the meantime, if you have any thoughts, questions or concerns, please contact Stephen Irving at public.engagement@vancouver.ca or check out the website at vancouver.ca/participatory-budgeting
WEST END GAMES NIGHT
Every Other Thursday (August 9 & 23)
6 to 9 p.m.
Jim Deva Plaza
Free
Looking for a spot to play board games with friends? Or do you want to meet neighbours and learn new games? Join the fun at the West End Games Night, hosted by Young Ideas and Gordon Neighbourhood House. If you arrive solo, the friendly hosts can help form groups, and teach you new games.
Vancouver Centre MP Dr. Hedy Fry.
VANCOUVER CENTRE LIBERAL FUNDRAISER
Thursday, August 23
5:30 p.m.
Century Plaza Hotel (1015 Burrard)
Tickets here.
Yes, there's an election in the offing! The Vancouver Centre Federal Liberal Association is holding a reception with Vancouver Centre MP the Hon. Dr. Hedy Fry and special guest, the Hon. Bill Morneau, MP for Toronto Centre. It’s billed as an opportunity for West Enders to connect with local Liberals, as they build their team, and train volunteers and organizers as they prepare for the 2019 Federal election. Tickets start at $100 for youth 25 and under and are $500 for others.
BIRDS ON STILTS
It’s A Matter of Balance
Fridays through August 17
6 to 9 p.m.
West End Community Centre Auditorium
Free
Learn how to walk and move on stilts. Each session includes a warmup, training and exercises intended to bring awareness to the movement habits stilts require. These workshops are for folks interested in participating in community festivals and events, including the first annual Vancouver International Bird Festival on August 20.
Vancouver International Bird Festival Events in Stanley Park
And speaking of birds, during the Vancouver Bird Festival, the Stanley Park Ecology Society will be hosting a series of events including expert-led bird walks and workshops during the week of August 20th. Early registration is recommended as spots fill quickly.
FIRESIDE BOOK CLUB
Second & Fourth Fridays (August 10 & 24)
11 a.m. to 12 noon
Joe Fortes Library / Stanley Court Room
Free
Connect with other avid readers to talk doubt what you’ve been reading and why you love it — or didn’t! Every second and fourth Friday of the month.
August 10 is Reader’s Choice - Potpourri (as is the first meeting every month) when you can discuss whatever book you’re currently reading or recently read and share why you liked it, or didn’t. August 24's title will be "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" by Sijie Dai.
DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION OPEN HOUSE
Re: 1485 Davie Street (between Nicola & Broughton)
Tuesday, August 14
4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Best Western Plus Sands Hotel / Capilano Room (1755 Davie)
Vivagrand Developments proposes to make application for a new 21-storey building and a new six storey building. The proposal includes: 128 multi-family market strata dwellings; 51 social housing market rental dwellings; a total floor space area of 15,141 m2 (162,983 sq.ft.); a building height of approximately 58 m (190 ft.); and four levels of underground parking accessed from the lane with a total 211 parking spaces. The streetscape illustration shown here (click to enlarge) shows the proposed development in relation to the adjacent Gabriola Mansion.
This application differs from the original proposal presented last February at an Open House at the Listel, which included a 22 storey building with a three storey building to the rear, and offered only 107 multi-family dwellings. A subsequent April date for a Development Permit Board application was cancelled. Under the site’s existing RM-5D zoning, the application is “conditional” so it may be permitted; however, it requires the decision of the Development Permit Board. Check here for further information on the City's website.
VANCOUVER'S WILD WEST END / A HISTORY WALK
Saturday, August 25
10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Meet at SE corner of Robson & Bute
$20 (email historywalks@gmail.com to reserve)
Join this walking tour as it snakes its way through the West End from Robson Street to English Bay. On the way you will see the site of an unusual roof-top airplane crash, the location of the mansions of two of Vancouver’s mayors, the house in which the first English version of "O Canada" was written, the Gustav Roedde House and the beautifully restored houses of Barclay Heritage Square, the site of North America’s first Fire Hall designed for mechanical fire trucks, the location of X-Files’ Agent Dana Scully’s apartment, the apartment building where actor Errol Flynn died, Sugar magnate Benjamin Tingley Roger’s magnificent stone mansion Gabriola, the home of one of the British Empire’s most renowned sharpshooters, the location of English Bay’s first life guard Joe Fortes’ cabin, and much much more. Walk guide James Johnstone supplements what you are able to see today with peeks back into time using archival images to help recreate the lost Victorian and Edwardian streetscapes of the West End. Email him at historywalks@gmail.com for further information and to reserve a spot.
THE GREAT WEST END YARD SALE
Saturday, Aug. 25
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tables $20 / Register in person at The West End Community Centre.
You know what they say -- one person's junk is another's treasure! The Great West End Yard Sale is your opportunity to downsize all those "treasures" you no longer enjoy or have room for, and maybe trade them in on some new "treasures" that someone else is eager to part with.
Reserve a table now, or just plan to come down and find some great deals.
There will also be a "Fundraising BBQ" put on by the King George High School.
Documentary filmmaker Sarah Polly.
TOP DOCS
Documentary Film Series
Thurs. Aug. 30
6:30 p.m. (108 minutes)
Joe Fortes Library
The Vancouver Public Library's TopDocs series presents "The Stories We Tell", a genre-twisting feature documentary that follows the filmmaker Sarah Polly as she investigates a deeply personal family secret. This playful search for the elusive truth paints a touching and intriguing portrait of a complex family. On the Toronto International Film Festival's list of the top 10 Canadian films of all time. See the trailer here.
Theda Phoenix will be playing at The Labyrinth August 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. (TheClayMan Photo)
IN THE LABYRINTH
Music In The Labyrinth
Last Friday of Every Month (August 31)
St. Paul's Anglican Church (1130 Jervis)
7 to 9 p.m.
By Donation
The Labyrinth at St. Paul’s Anglican Church is a full 13-metre replica of the medieval labyrinth laid in the stone floor of the 13th-century Cathédrale de Notre-Dame de Chartres, 80Km south of Paris. It is laid on the hardwood upper floor of St Paul's Church Hall in a space once used as a theatre and a basketball court. The Labyrinth is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and Sundays from 9:30 to 12:30 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m.
The last Friday of every month that the Labyrinth experience is accompanied by a local musician or group. Music on this last Friday, August 31, will be by Theda Phoenix.
A labyrinth is considered a spiritual form open to people of all faiths and spiritual disciplines as a resource for meditation, reflection, and prayer. For many, it is a way of centering themselves or of seeking insight during times of transition in their lives. Many religious traditions have some form of walking meditation and labyrinths have appeared in many cultures. One of the best known forms of labyrinth is the seven-circuit classical or “Cretan” labyrinth of Greek mythology.
A labyrinth is not a maze. Mazes are games or puzzles intended to confuse and trick the mind. Labyrinths have only one path that leads into the centre and back out again. It will never try to trick you, never divide, and never present you with a dead end.
