STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

Happy Hookers (from left) Tricia, Maureen, Helen, and Evelyn. (KDM Photos)

The annual rite of spring celebrated at Barclay Manor / Roedde House, organized by the West End Seniors' Networ,k was once again a great success.

There was music on the lawn and in the Roedde House parlour, young chess masters perfecting their game, community organizations of all sorts (including the Happy Hookers seen above), great food and drink (including, of course, strawberry tea), and local celebrities like Vancouver City Councillor Adriane Carr and her husband Paul George. All in all, a great way to launch the summer!

We need more rites of spring like this.

Vancouver City Councillor Adriane Carr and husband Paul George were among the West Enders out for a sunny day at the Strawberry Festival, along with WE Arts' Satomi Hirano and Katherine Hume.

CANADA DAY ON ROBSON

The Robson Street Business Improvement Association and its members conspired to turn Robson Street into a carnival-like celebratory space for Canada's 151st birthday. Something for the whole family, with music, face-painting, colourful costumes. And would it be Canada Day without street hockey? Of course not!

SPENCER'S PRIDE BBQ

It was another function at The Junction (the Junction nightclub on Davie Street, that is) as West End - Coal Harbour MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert presided over his annual PRIDE launch BBQ.

It being a BBQ there was plenty of great food and drink, it being a political event there were a few speeches too, and it being the West End there were drag queens!

From the left (no pun intended!) Vancouver's proudly eldest performing drag queen at 80-plus Bill Monroe, everyone's favourite Emcee David C. Jones, and drag diva Karmella Barr.

MARY IS BACK !

Formerly Hamburger Mary's, now simply Mary's on Davie, one of the West End's iconic diners has re-opened after a couple of years of fits-and-starts and changes of ownership.

Long-time West Enders will recall when Mary's first opened on Denman Street in the early 80s, quickly becoming a popular late-nite hang-out overseen by Vancouver's original Hamburger Mary, Gerry Goguen.

July's grand re-opening brought out the West End and gay community glitterati in force, including rainbow-haired drag diva Carlotta Gurl (front right).

The patio overlooking Jim Deva Plaza is open and ready for PRIDE Week and the sizzling hot summer, the menu was worth waiting for, and the bar serves up some original milkshakes, to say the least!

"Meet you at Mary's" will once again be an often heard refrain throughout the 'hood.

Welcome back Mary!