THE TALK OF THE TOWN

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What Do We Have For You This Month?

Welcome to “The Talk of The Town” for August, 2024. Click on the following links to find:

  • West End News & Notes: Reasons to keep watering those trees, a fond farewell to a West End community icon, changes coming to Gulf & Fraser credit union.

West End News & Notes

YES, KEEP WATERING THOSE TREES!

by Glenda Bartosh

Not withstanding our late-July respite, the hottest temperatures in world history mean that street trees have it extra tough in the West End and beyond.

Let the City know (311) when waterbags in your neighbourhood are running out.

Europe’s climate service, Copernicus, has reported that Sunday, July 21 went down as the hottest day on Earth in recorded history. Then the next day, July 22, even topped those records, with Western Canada and the U.S. noted among the hottest hot spots globally.

There's no denying it — summer ain't what it used to be, and for trees and plants, the living is far from easy. With our climate crisis causing weather extremes that have meant drought and unusually hot weather for all of B.C. and beyond, we all need to pitch in when it comes to caring for plants and trees — trees that provide vital shade and drop ambient temperatures by as much as 10-12 C.

Species that normally thrive during our Coastal Vancouver summers are now struggling and dying, especially our beautiful trees on West End streets and boulevards. The simple act of watering will help them help us stay cool. If you're in a West End building with a caretaker, please urge her or him to water trees in your yard and boulevard areas following the guidelines below.

If you have access to a hose, you can do it yourself. And if you have access to a sink, even a small sink in the back of your shop, regularly pouring containers of water over thirsty plants in planters or tubs out front helps them thrive.

For trees and large shrubs, twice a week trickle hose water or slowly pour buckets of water from the trunk to the outer drip line of the tree like the spokes on a wheel until you cover the whole area demarcated by the drip line. You’ll need more water if it’s a big tree.

And if you're unable to do any of the above, with a simple call to 311 at the City of Vancouver or by using the city’s VanConnect app you can report trees that are dying or need water and they will respond. That includes watering bags around the trunks of trees that need filling.

If we all pitch in, we can help maintain a healthy green canopy in our beautiful West End.

 CITY WATERING REGULATIONS

Yellowing, light-coloured, droopy or wilted, and dropped leaves are all signs of stressed trees. Here's what you can do to help them.

And keep an eye out for dry or stressful conditions beyond summer, too. Our weather is increasingly unpredictable. Trees take the edge off the extremes, but we have to help them cope with those same radical changes.

Like all of Metro Vancouver, Vancouver is currently under Stage 1 watering restrictions from May 1to October 15. 

Watering trees, shrubs, and flowers is permitted any day from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. if you use a sprinkler, or any time if you're watering by hand (like holding a hose) or using drip irrigation. All hoses must have an automatic shut-off device.

For automatic systems, even-numbered addresses can water Saturdays from 5 to 7 a.m. and odd-numbered addresses can do so Sundays from 5 to 7 a.m.

Edible plants are exempt from regulations.

RELATED LINKS

A FOND FAREWELL

Last month's mainstream and social media were filled with tributes to longtime West Ender, former NDP cabinet minister in the Dave Barrett government, former chair of ICBC, former chair of Vancity Credit Union, and author of Using Power Well (Harbour Publishing) Bob Williams. He passed, age 91, on July 7. Williams was also a regular at the Blenz Cafe at Denman and Barclay where he enjoyed the company and conversation of many other locals.

The headline in the Vancouver Sun’s Vaughn Palmer’s tribute read referred to Williams as “The giant behind Dave Barrett. We can’t post a link here, but google “Vancouver Sun, Bob Williams” and you’ll find it.

We can however post the link to Harbour Publishing here, where you can order his book.

CHANGES COMING TO GULF & FRASER

Shayla McIntyre, manager of the Denman Street branch of Gulf & Fraser credit union (officially Gulf and Fraser Fishermen’s Credit Union, unofficially G&F), has shared some important news. G&F has finalized a merger with Interior Savings Credit Union and formed a new entity, Breem Credit Union.

“This move will expand our network to 53 branches connecting all corners of the province. Now, whether our members are travelling for business or leisure, their daily banking services will be close by,” McIntyre explained.

As all the details are finalized and systems merged, it will be some time before the familiar Denman Street signage of G&F is updated to reflect the Beem Credit Union brand. In the meantime, it’s business as usual at one of BC’s most established credit unions.

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Thank you!
Kevin Dale McKeown
Editor & Publisher
editor@thewestendjournal.ca