THE TALK OF THE TOWN

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What Do We Have For You This Month?

Due to some time off to recover from a bout of COVID, we are missing a few of our popular featues this month. Back in July will be: “Artists Among Us” (Mole Hill’s Aaron Miller); “Community Spotlight” (Joe Fortes Library); and TBD Restaurant and Business Spotlights, along with “Mark Your Calendar” and “West End Voices”.

In the meantime, welcome to The Talk of The Town for June, 2022. Scroll through the following features to find (and click on images to enlarge):

West End News & Notes

Drinking fountains and water features have run dry, as West Ender Nya discovered.

WATER FEATURES WATERLESS
Park Board Asked To Turn On The Taps

Last spring a group of West End residents wrote, and The West End Journal published, an open letter to the Park Board to request that several long-dormant local water features be turned on again, and shortly thereafter the taps were turned and the water was flowing by April 1.

By late May of this year at least three such water features were still dry, and residents again wrote to the Park Board management and commissioners. At press time June 1 they had still had no response and no action.

Non-functioning features include both the decorative and drinking fountains at the Bute and Haro mini-park, the fountains at Barclay Heritage Square and the Pacific and Beach obelisk.

“The impact when the water was turned on last year was noticeable” letter co-author Judy Graves remarked. “Almost immediately children and seniors were seen gathered around the fountains, undesirable behaviour was reduced, and birdlife was also attracted to the flowing water.”

In May of last year the Park Board passed a motion by Commissioner John Couper requesting a report from staff about the state of the city’s water features, with a timeline and cost estimates for repairs and upgrades.

“In our recent letter we asked if the Park Board had heard back from staff, and most of all we would like to be able to report that the water will be flowing again this Spring, helping to bring our parks back to life.” Graves told The West End Journal.

NELSON PARK SUBSTATION DEAL SEALED
$8 Million For Property Rights

On May 19 the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation announced that it had negotiated an $8 million payment in return for approving BC Hydro’s request for property rights in portions of Nelson Park as the West End Substation Project moves ahead.

According to the announcement the funds provided by BC Hydro will be used by the Park Board to move forward with improving parks in the West End and “help ensure Nelson Park continues to meet the needs of the growing community.”

In February of this year, the Park Board approved BC Hydro’s request for rights-of-way through a section of Nelson Park to allow for construction of underground distribution and transmission lines. Additionally, BC Hydro requested driveway access to provide shared entry to the future school and underground substation at the Lord Roberts Annex property.

“Knowing the substation project at the Lord Roberts Annex property adjacent to Nelson Park was moving ahead meant shifting from our more familiar role as those who build and maintain parks and public amenities, to ensuring the least amount of disruption possible to the park,” explained Donnie Rosa, general manager of the Park Board. “Another aspect of our role in this was to ensure reasonable compensation from BC Hydro on behalf of the park users who will be impacted by this project.”

Nelson Park provides critical access to nature for West End residents and is a space used for health, wellness and leisure. There are currently 20,000 residents living within a 10 minute walk of Nelson Park and the population of the West End is expected to grow by 30,000 over the next 30 years.

BC Hydro has indicated that construction for the underground substation, adjacent to Nelson Park, could begin as early as 2024, with estimated project completion in 2029. The underground power line construction in the park will occur over one to two winter months sometime during this construction window, when park traffic is low and the West End Farmers Market is not being held.

Read John Streit’s “A Closer Look” column on the Nelson Park hydro station from November, 2021 here.

The 2022 civic election Green Party team.
(@alisonboulier Photo — click to enlarge).

GREEN TEAM NOMINATIONS
First West End Event of 2022 Election

With a civic election coming up this October 15, The West End Journal will be reporting on candidates who live in our West End / Coal Harbour community and all campaign events that take place here. So far only the Green Party of Vancouver has fielded a candidate from our neighborhood, Councillor Adriane Carr who first won her Council seat in 2011 and was reelected in 2014 and 2018, gradually building the Green caucus on Council, School Board, and Park Board in the process.

On May 28 the Greens held their nomination meeting at the West End’s Park Pub, choosing the following line-up for this year’s election:

Back row from left: Dr. Devyani Singh for Council; Patricia Riley, Zahra Esmail, and Tom Digby for Park Board; and incumbent councillor Michael Wiebe and Stephanie Smith for Council.

Front row from left: Nick Poppell for School Board; Liam Menard for Park Board; incumbents Adriane Carr and Pete Fry for Council, and incumbent Janet Fraser and Lois Chan-Pedley for School Board.

FIRST BAPTIST MINISTER RESIGNS

The senior minister of the West End’s First Baptist Church on Burrard has resigned his position effective May 17.

In a letter to the congregation on May 15 Baptist Church Moderator Claudia Wakeman said, “This was not totally unexpected, based on communications we have had over the recent weeks.” She went on to say “It is unsettling news. It will raise questions, most of which will not have easy answers, but will have to be lived out in the next days, weeks and months.”

No one from First Baptist was available for comment at press time on June 1.

Word On The Street

A soon-to-be new gelato lover’s destination.

A NEW ICE CREAM DESTINATION
Moteretta on Cordova

Ice cream lovers (and aren’t we all?) will have a new source of their favorite treats and new taste discoveries this summer when Moteretta opens at 1001 Cordova, in the corner of the Fairmont Hotel previously occupied by Bella Gelateria. Originally announced as Motorino Gelato, the new name reflects the zip and fun of Italian motor scooters.

On board to ensure Motoretta’s style of gelato is of the highest quality is Naples-born Salvatore Boccarossa, of Passione Gelato and formerly Bella Gelateria, a graduate of the Carpigiani Gelato University and co-winner of the Grand Title of North America Champions.

The WECHCPC on Davie is on the move.

CLOSED … BUT NOT FOR LONG
Community Policing Office Moving

The West End Coal Harbour Community Policing Centre (WECHCPC) headquarters on Davie Street closed May 31, but not for long.

WECHCPC’s executive director Aleya Trott Akey advises that they will be moving into the old Rogers Video location at 1295 Davie, at the corner of Davie and Jervis, where they will be reopening later this month.

The WECHCPC is not a police station, but a non-profit organization with programming directed at reducing crime and street disorder, and increasing personal safety in the West End and Coal Harbour neighborhoods.

Learn more at their website here.

J&G Fried Chicken on Robson.

THEY’LL BE BACK!
J&G Fried Chicken Reopens This Month

Fans of J&G Fried Chicken at 1706 Robson will be pleased to know that their closure was only temporary, due to staffing problems, according to a spokesperson at another location.

Expect them to reopen later this month.

J&G is a global operation with nearly 200 stores in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia. They opened their first Vancouver location at Crystal Mall on Kingsway in Burnaby in 2018 and their West End location last spring.

So if you’ve been missing their popular signature popcorn chicken, marinated in over a dozen spices, dipped in their special formulated batter, and prepared with their special deep-frying techniques right in front of the customers, don’t despair. They’ll be back.

West End Moments

Mark Your Calendar

Entertainment and cultural events and activities are cautiously returning to normal Be sure to follow us on Facebook for regular announcements and updates. In the meantime, here is a sampling of some of the goings-on in June …

Bob Liley and his jazz quintet return to Jazz Vespers June 5.

  • ROBERTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY FUNFEST … Enjoy carnival games, bid on the silent auction, and enjoying the sounds of Ndidi Cascade featuring DJ Lt. Irie, all at Lord Roberts Elementary School, 1100 Bidwell, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 4. For more details see the addendum to John Streit’s “A Closer Look” column in this month’s issue of The West End Journal.

  • LIVE AT THE SYLVIA … Live music is back in Sylvia’s Lounge! Every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m. The lineup for June so far includes: Wed. June 1, rockin’ roots with Chapter 11; Thurs. June 2, roots remastered with Rusty Creek; Sun. June 5, the Doe Bender Jazz Trio; Wed. June 8, jazz with the Kristian Braathen Trio; Thurs. June 9, classic harmonies with The Hot Mammas; Sun. June 12, Wanda Nowicki’s “Jazz with a Twist”; Wed. June 15, singer and songwriter Jim Foster; and Thurs. June 16, jazz with Linda Szentes.

  • BINGO FOR LIFE … A weekly fundraiser at The Junction (1138 Davie) for Friends For Life Society. Hosted by premiere drag diva The Unstoppable Connie Smudge, the fun starts at 7 p.m.

  • MUSIC AT ST. ANDREW’S-WESLEY … St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church at 1022 Nelson has brought back their weekly jazz performances, every Sunday at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 5 will see the return of the popular Bob Liley Jazz Quintet. Starting this month, through to the end of July, the church has opened its doors for a lunch-hour concert every Thursday from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Bring your lunch and enjoy! Updated programming details here.

  • FUN TIMES AT PARK PUB … The neighbourhood pub at Best Western Plus - Sands at Davie and Denman - is back with a veritable variety show of comedy, music, and sports throughout the week. For the full story visit them here.

Got an event coming up that should be listed in The West End Journal? Email editor@thewestendjournal.ca with details and photos.

West End Street Names

Gonzalo Lopez de Haro.

HARO STREET

In 1885 surveyor L.A. Hamilton named this West End street for Haro Strait, between Vancouver and San Juan islands, which in turn was named in 1790 by Sub-Lieutenant Manuel Quimper of the Spanish navy after his first mate, Gonzalo Lopez de Haro.

They sailed on the Princesa Real, which had been a British vessel called Princess Royal until the Spanish seized it during the so-called “Nootka Crisis” of 1789 to 1790, an international incident and political dispute between the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation, the Spanish Empire, Great Britain, and the fledgling United States of America, triggered by a series of events that took place during the summer of 1789 at the Spanish outpost Santa Cruz de Nuca, in Nootka Sound. The Spanish crew of the Princesa Real were sailing from Mexico to return the ship to the British and went on a mapping tour, which is when Quimper saw and named the strait.

The West End - Coal Harbour In The News